JP2004246880A - Device, system, and program for collecting information, printer, and method and program for collecting environmental information for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information collection device automatically collecting information via a network about an apparatus connected to the network. <P>SOLUTION: This information collection device comprises an instruction receipt means 221 for receiving an information acquisition instruction, a storage means 222 for storing acquisition destination information 226 specifying an information acquisition destination, an information collection means 223 for selecting the apparatus specified by the acquisition destination information 226 in receipt of the information acquisition instruction by the instruction receipt means 221 and directly/indirectly accessing the specific storage area in storage devices 211-214 installed to the apparatus via the network1 for receiving transfer of the stored information and collecting it, and an acquisition information data storage means 224 for creating acquisition information data 227 relating the collected information to the acquisition destination information 226 and storing it in a storage device 225. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information collecting apparatus, an information collecting system, an information collecting program, and a printer having a function of automatically collecting information on a use environment required for maintenance management and failure analysis of a network or a device connected to the network. And an environmental information collecting method and an environmental information collecting program for a printer.

When a failure occurs in the printer, a serviceman checks the status of the failure of the printer, analyzes and diagnoses it, and performs necessary repairs. Information useful for repair is provided by, for example, a web server. That is, the web server provides the latest service manual and the like required for repair through a network. When the result is reported after the repair is completed, the result is registered as a service report, which is also registered in the web server and is used as a reference for the subsequent failure diagnosis. The service report is also used as important data by the design department and the quality assurance department. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a technique in which reference information is provided by a web server and this information is used through a network (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-265207 A

By the way, the conventional techniques as described above have the following problems to be solved.
By registering the service report in the web server and making it available for browsing, many service personnel can share related information and can quickly and accurately diagnose and repair a failure, thereby improving the service. However, the cause of a similar failure may differ depending on the environment in which the printer is used. Therefore, if the service manual or service report is not checked after accurately grasping the usage environment, an incorrect diagnosis will be made.

  However, it takes a considerable amount of time and effort to grasp the use environment, and when the user is unfamiliar, there is a possibility that erroneous information may be obtained. Furthermore, collecting necessary and sufficient information is not easy. Further, if the printer is detached from the previous use environment and carried to a service factory or the like upon receiving a repair request, the repair is started without knowing the previous use environment at all. Therefore, when there is a problem in the use environment, the failure cannot be removed. It is highly necessary to collect the latest information on the usage environment of various devices as well as printers.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information collection device, an information collection system, and an information collection program for automatically collecting information on the usage environment of various devices through a network. And
The present invention further provides a device that issues a print request to a printer to be subjected to maintenance management and a failure diagnosis, and a function of collecting information on an environment in which the printer is used and the like to peripheral devices of the printer. It is another object of the present invention to provide an information collecting apparatus, an information collecting system, and an information collecting program.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printer having a function of acquiring information on a use environment, an environment information collection method for the printer, and an environment information collection program.

The present invention solves the above problem by the following configuration.
<Configuration 1>
Instruction receiving means for receiving an information acquisition instruction for predetermined information, storage means for storing acquisition destination information for specifying an acquisition destination of the predetermined information, and activation when the instruction reception means receives the information acquisition instruction, Selecting a device specified by the acquisition source information stored in the storage means, and directly or indirectly accessing a specific storage area of a storage device provided in the selected device through a network, and An information collecting means for receiving and collecting the information stored in the information collecting means, and the information collected by the information collecting means and the acquisition destination information are associated with each other, generating acquired information data, and recording the acquired information data in a storage device; An information collection device comprising: an acquisition information data recording unit.

  The information collection device connected to the network can automatically collect information from a storage area of an arbitrary device connected to the network and generate acquired information data. The information can be collected by directly reading the corresponding information from the device, or by requesting the transfer of the information. The collected acquired information data can be widely used for network management, device management, and the like, by evaluating the usage environment of devices connected to the network.

<Configuration 2>
In the information collection device according to the first aspect, the specific storage area of the storage device provided in the source device is automatically generated in the storage device by the installer of the printer driver when the printer driver is installed. A shared folder shared with another computer connected to the network, wherein the information collected by the information collecting means is stored in the shared folder, and is allowed to be read through the network. An information collection device comprising a data file.

  When the printer driver is installed in the computer, the installer of the printer driver automatically creates a predetermined shared folder in the computer. The information collection device connected to the network can access the shared folder at an arbitrary timing to collect information on the computer.

<Configuration 3>
Means for installing a printer driver in a computer, means for generating a shared folder in a storage device of the computer when the printer driver is installed, which is shared with another computer connected to a network, Information to be generated as a means for installing, on the computer, an information collection agent that generates a data file that permits reading by a predetermined information collecting means through the network and stores the data file in the shared folder. Collection program.

  The information collection program installs a printer driver on the computer, creates a shared folder, and installs an information collection agent having an information collection function of the computer. The information collection agent stores the collected information in a shared folder at a predetermined timing. That is, when the printer driver is installed, an environment can be automatically set so that the information of the computer can be collected at any time from the information collection device connected to the network.

<Configuration 4>
An interface connected to the network, activated by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, information on a printer to be managed connected to the network, and the printer being used by a peripheral device connected to the printer via the network. Collecting means for collecting environmental information relating to the environment through the network and the interface; and means for displaying and outputting information on the printer and environmental information from the peripheral device collected by the collecting means. Characteristic information collection device.

  Printers to be managed are printers to be subjected to maintenance management and fault diagnosis. The information collection device is connected to a network via a network interface such as a hub. The information collection device has a function of collecting, from peripheral devices, information on the environment in which the printer is used, together with the information on the printer. The predetermined information acquisition instruction is input by any method for activating the corresponding unit in the information collection device. Manual activation or automatic activation such as a timer may be used. The peripheral device is a device other than the printer, and may be anything. The environmental information to be collected is environmental information that clarifies the use environment of the printer, particularly based on the type and configuration of the device, the version of the control program, the operation state, and the like. The information of the printer is almost the same. These pieces of information can be used for printer maintenance and fault diagnosis. As a method for collecting information, for example, a status information inquiry procedure on an existing network is used. Information is also collected from the printer to be managed in the same manner as information is collected from peripheral devices of the printer. When information on a printer is collected via an interface, a network, or the like, information on a network such as a network connector on a transmission path of the information can also be collected. The collected information may be transferred to another device as it is in the form of electronic data for display and output, or may be printed and output by a printer. If there is no need to keep a record, it may be merely displayed on the display. Further, printing may be performed by a printer or the like at another location through a network.

<Configuration 5>
In the information collection device according to the fourth aspect, the means for collecting information on the peripheral device of the printer to be managed from the peripheral device is a computer program installed in a device that controls a printing operation of the printer. Information collection device.

  The device that controls the printing operation of the printer is a device such as a personal computer that issues a print request to the printer. Although there may be a plurality of devices for controlling the printing operation of the printer, a computer program having an information collecting function may be installed in any of these devices. The printer driver for controlling the printing operation of the printer is installed in a device for controlling the printing operation of the printer. Therefore, the information collecting function can be provided without an operation of installing a special program for collecting information. It is sufficient that the information collecting function is included in a part of a number of program modules constituting the printer driver, and it is not necessary to integrally incorporate the information collecting function into an existing printer driver program. Therefore, it can be activated independently of the original operation of the printer driver.

<Configuration 6>
The information collection device according to configuration 4, wherein the collection unit has a function of collecting information extracted from a print request to the printer.

  A print request to the printer is input directly to the printer via the printer interface or via a network. In particular, the print request input via the network includes information such as the request source and the network connection device via which the request data has passed. This is extracted in such a way as to be intercepted and used for analyzing the printer usage environment.

<Configuration 7>
An interface connected to the network, activated by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, and information on a printer to be managed connected to the network, or the printer is used from a peripheral device connected to the printer via the network. Collecting means for collecting environment information on the environment in which the information is stored through the network and the interface; and means for displaying and outputting information on the printer and environmental information from the peripheral device collected by the collecting means. An information collection system, comprising: an information collection device according to (1), and a device for collecting information collected by the plurality of information collection devices.

  In the configuration 4, one information collecting device collects various information. In this configuration 7, the collection of information is shared by a plurality of information collection devices. A plurality of information collecting devices are connected to the network. Each information collection device collects information at an arbitrary timing. Only the printer information may be collected. Only information on peripheral devices may be collected. The information collection function of each information collection device may vary. The information collection device communicates with another information collection device and receives the information collected by each information collection device. This information may be transferred to any of them again. Thereby, a plurality of information collecting apparatuses can share an information collecting function. The information collected by each information collecting device is finally concentrated at one place, and a diagnosis of a network, a printer, or the like is performed.

<Configuration 8>
In the information collection system according to configuration 7, the device that collects the information collected by the plurality of information collection devices is a server that transmits information for a printer maintenance management service, and the server includes: Means for holding information for identifying a printer to be subjected to the above, and generating and outputting maintenance management information based on the analysis result of the printer information and environmental information collected by the information collecting apparatus. Information collection system.

  The server for the maintenance management service communicates with the information collection device and receives the transfer of the information collected by each information collection device, so that the information for the maintenance management can be accumulated. In addition, a maintenance management table is created for each user on the server side, and maintenance management information such as the need for repairs and improvements or the time for periodic inspections is generated based on the results of analysis of printer environmental information. Output. That is, a user who has been permitted to obtain information on the printer on the server side can automatically provide information necessary for printer maintenance and service.

<Configuration 9>
In the information collection system according to the seventh aspect, the device that collects the information collected by the plurality of information collection devices is a server that transmits information for a printer maintenance management service. Means for retrieving information about an existing printer, including environmental information similar to environmental information collected by the device, and outputting the result.

  Information on the existing printer is recorded on a server together with environmental information, and is used for subsequent services. When the environment information is transmitted to the server side, the server side searches for and displays a fault that has occurred in a similar environment, so that a service person can be properly supported. Further, maintenance management and version upgrade of not only the printer main body but also other devices can be promoted, and the failure rate can be reduced.

<Configuration 10>
It is started by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, and information on a printer to be managed connected to the network and environmental information on an environment in which the printer is used from a peripheral device connected to the printer via the network are transmitted to the network. A program for causing a computer to execute a process of collecting information through the network interface and a process of displaying and outputting information of the printer and environmental information by the peripheral device collected by the process. .

It is an invention of a computer program to be installed in the information processing apparatus of Configuration 4.
<Configuration 11>
An interface for connecting to a network and receiving a print request for performing print processing through the network; and when a predetermined information acquisition instruction is input, the network and the interface are transmitted from other devices connected to the network. Through the means for acquiring environment information that clarifies the environment for executing the printing process that received the print request, the information about the other device, and the contents of the environment information acquired from the other device. And a means for displaying and outputting.

  This printer is connected to a network, and has a function of collecting environment information from another device through the network, which clarifies an environment for executing the printing process. The type of network is arbitrary. The interface is for receiving data for printing via a network. The predetermined information acquisition instruction is input, for example, when a printer failure occurs, and is input by any means. It may be a manual switch or an automatic start switch such as a timer. The other device is a device other than the printer, and may be any device. The information to be acquired is environment information that clarifies the environment for executing the printing process based on the type and configuration of the device, the version of the control program (firmware), the operating state, and the like. This information can be used, for example, for maintenance of the printer, prediction of a trouble that will occur in the future, and the like. The information acquisition method uses, for example, a status information inquiry procedure on an existing network. The acquired information may be transferred to another device as it is as electronic data and output, or may be printed out by a printer. If there is no need to keep a record, it may be merely displayed on the display.

<Configuration 12>
An interface for connecting to a controlled device having a function of controlling a printer to execute an arbitrary print process and receiving a print request for performing a print process from the controlled device, and when an information acquisition instruction is input From the response means installed in the controlled device, through the interface, the information on the printer driver and the information on the controlled device, and clarify the environment for executing the printing process that has received the print request. A printer comprising: means for acquiring environment information; and means for displaying and outputting the contents of the environment information acquired from the controlled device.

  The controlled device is a device having a function of controlling a printer to execute an arbitrary print process. A printer driver is installed in this device. The response means is installed, for example, when the printer driver is installed. The responding unit responds by collecting, for example, version information of the printer driver and information such as the type and version of the operating system of the controlled device. The printer is connected to the controlled device via an interface. The information obtained from the response unit can be used for maintenance of the printer. The information on the printer driver and the information on the controlled device are required at the time of maintenance and the like, and may be collected each time.

<Configuration 13>
13. The printer according to configuration 11 or 12, further comprising a storage device for storing the acquired environment information in a state that can be read from outside.

  Environmental information acquired from other devices or controlled devices is stored in a storage device built in the printer. Thereafter, for example, a service person connects the inspection apparatus to the printer and reads the data. The reading method is arbitrary. The configuration of the storage device is also arbitrary. It is preferable that the data is stored without being erased at least during the maintenance and inspection processing of the printer. The acquired environment information may be stored in a storage device in a web page format, for example, and the environment information may be read from a management terminal device or the like via a network. Thus, the management terminal device can automatically collect the environment information of the printer under the management.

<Configuration 14>
13. The printer according to configuration 11 or 12, further comprising means for transmitting the acquired environment information through the network.

  If there is a function of actively transmitting the acquired environment information, information such as printer maintenance management can be collected by an arbitrary terminal device. The environment information acquired by the printer is automatically transferred to a predetermined terminal device. The transfer method is arbitrary.

<Structure 15>
12. The printer according to configuration 11, further comprising: means for registering a specific device selected in advance, the device being another device connected to the network and acquiring the environment information.

  The environmental information is acquired only from other devices connected to the network, which are expected to affect the operation of the printer. For this purpose, a specific device selected in advance that is expected to affect the operation of the printer is registered in a storage device or the like of the printer. The registered device is, for example, a network connection control device such as a router or a hub. A specific device name or the like selected in advance is stored in an internal memory or the like of the printer. The selection and registration of a specific device may be performed immediately before collecting environmental information. The result of the selection is preferably registered and held until the next maintenance and inspection. The registration method includes, for example, a method of storing information that can individually specify each device on a network, such as an IP address, and information for identifying a model, such as a printer, a network connection device, or a terminal device. is there. The particular device selected may exclude other devices to which the printer is not directly or indirectly affected. Therefore, the devices to be excluded may be registered in advance. Thereby, the information collecting operation can be sped up.

<Configuration 16>
The printer according to the eleventh aspect, further comprising means for accumulating information including a print request source and a print time at least when a print request for performing a print process is received through the network, and storing the information in a readable manner. A printer characterized in that:

  The print request source is a controlled device of the printer. By acquiring a list of all devices that have requested printing to the printer, etc., it is possible to clearly grasp the environment where the printer is installed in the network. The print time is an operation history before the occurrence of a failure, and is also useful information for failure analysis. Note that the print time may be any time such as a print request time and a print end time. When the print operation is interrupted, the print request time and the print interrupt time are reached.

<Configuration 17>
13. The printer according to configuration 11 or 12, further comprising means for executing the input of the information acquisition instruction through authentication processing of a device administrator.

  If a function of collecting environmental information by a printer from a device connected to a network is used for a purpose other than maintenance and inspection, it may be harmful to a user. Therefore, means for executing a predetermined authentication process is provided. In the authentication process, if the type and purpose of the information to be collected are clearly displayed and the function of presenting the information to the user is provided, the protection of the user is further ensured.

<Configuration 18>
In the printer according to the configuration 11, a device present on the reception path of the print request data on the network is set as a collection target of environmental information, and information indicating a print request source acquired from the device is set. A printer comprising means for storing print request history information including information indicating a reception path of request data.

  When the print request data reaches the printer via the network, the IP address and the like of the network connection device that relayed the data can be acquired on the receiving side (printer side). This is the target of information collection. Obtaining the information indicating the print data receiving path enables detection of a failure such as an influence on the print data.

<Configuration 19>
By inputting a predetermined information acquisition instruction, the printer clarifies an environment for executing the print processing, which is information on the device from another device connected to the network via the network interface. Environment information is acquired, and at the same time, information about the printer driver and information about the controlled device are transmitted from a response unit installed in the controlled device that makes a print request to the printer. A method of collecting environmental information for a printer, comprising: causing a printer to acquire environmental information to be clarified; and causing the printer to print out environmental information acquired from the other device and the controlled device.

  Because printer maintenance is required, environmental information is collected only by controlling the printer. There is an effect that collection can be performed without directly touching the controlled device.

<Configuration 20>
Installed in the printer, when a predetermined location acquisition instruction is input, information on the device from other devices connected to the network, and environment information that clarifies the environment for executing the printing process From the response device installed in the controlled device that makes a print request to the printer, the information on the printer driver and the information on the controlled device, and the environment for executing the printing process is clarified. An environment information collection program for a printer, which causes a computer to execute a process of acquiring environment information information to be executed and a process of printing out environment information acquired from the other device and the controlled device.

  This computer program is installed in the printer. All or part of the program may be written in the printer control ROM or the like from the beginning.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using specific examples.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the information collection device of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, computers 201 and 202 and a router 204 are connected to a network 1. A printer 203 is connected to the router 204. The network 1 is an intranet or the like. Each of these devices has, for example, information on what device has a driver for controlling it, what network interface it has, or what device it is connected to. Such information becomes an information collection target of the information collection device 200.

  The computers 201 and 202, the printer 203, and the router 204, which are information collection targets, have storage devices 211, 212, 213, and 214, respectively. These storage devices are built in each device or externally attached. For example, the storage devices 213 and 214 are incorporated inside the corresponding device, but for the sake of explanation, FIG. 1 shows both devices outside the respective devices. For example, a storage area 215 that can be accessed from the information collection device 200 through the network 1 is provided in the storage device 212 of the computer 202. The setting method and the setting place of this storage area are arbitrary, but in the example described later, the storage area is an area in which a shared file is stored in a shared folder provided on a hard disk. For example, when the printer 203 has a management information database called MIB (Management Information Base), information can be collected by an inquiry process according to a predetermined procedure without setting such a storage area.

  The information collection device 200 is connected to the network 1 in order to collect the information held by the above devices. The connection method of the information collection device 200 is arbitrary. There are a method of connecting via a network interface such as the router 204 and a method of connecting via the Internet via an access point (not shown). Wireless connection may be used. The information collection device 200 is, for example, a notebook personal computer. The information collection device 200 may be a portable computer dedicated to information collection or a host computer connected to a network. The information collection device 200 includes an instruction receiving unit 221, a storage unit 222, an information collection unit 223, an acquired information data recording unit 224, a storage device 225, and the like. The other parts may be existing ones, and are not shown. Although these blocks are shown outside the information collection device 200, all of them are assumed to be incorporated inside the device.

  The storage unit 222 is set in a predetermined storage area provided in a main storage device or the like of the information collection device 200. The storage device 225 is provided in a nonvolatile memory in the information collection device 200, for example, a hard disk or the like. The instruction receiving unit 221 has a function of receiving an information acquisition instruction input from a keyboard, a mouse, or the like of the information collection device 200. The instruction receiving unit 221, the information collecting unit 223, and the acquired information data recording unit 224 are computer programs that cause a computer of the information collecting device 200 to execute predetermined processing.

  The acquisition destination information 226 stored in the storage unit 222 is data that displays an information acquisition destination list and a corresponding network address, as shown on the right side of FIG. When the information collection device 200 starts the information collection process, the acquisition source information 226 is referred to. The acquisition information data 227 is data that lists acquisition sources and acquisition information, as shown on the right side of the drawing. This is data that stores the results of information collection. Details of these data will be specifically described later.

  The acquisition destination information 226 may be stored in advance in the storage unit 222 in a data file format. Further, the data may be transferred through the network 1 and stored in the storage unit 222 at least during the information collection process. The information may be stored in the storage unit 222 simultaneously with the reception of the information acquisition instruction by the instruction reception unit 221. Further, for example, the information collection unit 223 can automatically generate the acquisition source information 226. For automatic generation, first, the configuration of the entire network is recognized, and a list of names of computers connected to the network and names of network printers is generated. Next, a list of information that can be collected from each device is generated. If a data file name in which information to be obtained is stored, which is stored in a shared file of each device, is obtained, these network address lists can be generated. It is preferable to include a procedure for acquiring information according to the device. The storage means 222 may be a temporary storage area of the main storage device or an area in a hard disk.

  The instruction receiving unit 221 receives an information acquisition instruction command input by operating a keyboard or a mouse provided in the information collection device 200, for example, and activates the information collection unit 223. The information acquisition instruction command may be transmitted from another device through the network 1. Alternatively, the timer may be automatically generated when a timer (not shown) provided inside the information collection device 200 times out. The information collecting unit 223 activated by the instruction receiving unit 221 has a function of automatically collecting all kinds of information that can be collected by the method of accessing a shared file and the inquiry process using the MIB described above.

  The information collection unit 223 reads the acquisition destination information 226 stored in the storage unit 222 before starting the information acquisition processing. Next, the device specified by the acquisition source information 226 is recognized through the network 1. If the acquisition destination information 226 is a network address, a corresponding storage area of a storage device provided in each device is accessed through the network 1. In addition, a predetermined inquiry command is transmitted to the device, and information included in the response is collected. After that, the information collecting unit 223 generates the obtained information data 227 in which the collected information is associated with the information specifying the device that has obtained the information.

  Here, a description will be given of a method of setting the above-mentioned shared file in a computer from which information is to be collected and storing necessary information in the shared file. For example, it is conceivable that an administrator of each device independently creates a shared folder and stores a data file including information to be collected in the shared folder. However, in this embodiment, a shared file is automatically generated, and information to be stored in the shared file is automatically stored in the information collection agent. An information collection program having such a function will be described below.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the installation operation of the information collection program.
The information collection program 240 is recorded on, for example, a CD-ROM or the like. Although a computer program dedicated to information collection may be used, in the example shown in the figure, the computer program is integrated with a printer driver installation program. When started, the installer 241 first generates a folder 251 for storing the printer driver in the storage device 250 of the computer as shown in the figure. The folder 251 is provided with a folder 252 for storing a module of the printer driver main body and a folder 253 for storing a user manual. Up to this point, the operation is the same as a normal printer driver installation operation.

  Next, the installer 241 generates a shared folder 254 in the folder 251. In this, a function setting file 255 and an information data file 256 are stored. The function setting file 255 includes information for controlling the operation of the information collection agent 261. The information data file 256 is information collected by the information collection agent 261. Thereafter, the installer 241 installs the information collection agent 261 on the computer. The information collection agent 261 is a computer program having a function of collecting predetermined information inside the computer, generating an information data file 256, and storing the generated information data file 256 in the shared folder 254.

  As described above, when installing the printer driver, the installation program (the installer 241) automatically generates the folder 254 for collecting computer information. This folder 254 is set as a shared folder that is shared with another computer connected to the network 1. Since this folder is in an area dedicated to the printer driver, the computer administrator does not inadvertently delete the folder. This makes it possible to easily access and collect information from the information collection device 200 (FIG. 1) connected to the network 1 at an arbitrary timing.

  Even if a shared folder is created in a computer without permission of the administrator of the computer, the shared folder is likely to be deleted. On the other hand, when the printer driver is installed, a dedicated folder (a folder 251 indicated as “XXX printer”) for storing various program modules necessary for the operation of the printer driver is generated. If the shared folder 254 for collecting information is generated in this folder, the shared folder 254 can be used unless the printer driver is uninstalled.

  The shared folder 254 is shared with another computer connected to the network 1. There are cases where access is possible from other computers unconditionally, and cases where access rights are restricted by passwords. The latter can prevent unauthorized use of information. If there is a shared folder, information can be collected at any time from an information collection device connected to the network. That is, there is no need to specially prepare a program that responds to an inquiry about information.

  The information data file 256 stored in the shared folder 254 is permitted to be read through the network 1. The timing of collecting information is arbitrary. The type of information to be collected is also arbitrary. The configuration of the information data file 256 and the generation method thereof are stored in the function setting file 255. The function of the information collection agent 261 of each device can be freely set and changed by rewriting or modifying the contents of the function setting file 255 from an arbitrary information collection device connected to the network. The function setting file 255 may include, for example, information collection timing, the type of information to be collected, the memory address of the storage destination of the information, the format of the information data file, and the like.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an installation operation including an operation of generating a shared folder.
This process is executed when a new printer is connected to a computer and a printer driver for controlling the printer is installed. Generally, an installation program such as a printer driver firstly requests input of user information. Step S50 is this processing. In step S51, the folder 251 for the printer driver and the folder 252 for storing the module described with reference to FIG. 2 are generated. Further, in step S52, a user manual folder 253 is generated, and in step S53, a shared folder 254 for storing computer information is generated.

  In step S54, sharing setting is performed for the folder 254. As a result, this folder 254 can be accessed from another computer through the network. In step S55, various module files are transferred to the folder 252 for the printer driver module. In step S56, the user manual is transferred to the user manual folder 253. Next, in a step S57, the function data file 256 is transferred to the shared folder 254. In a next step S58, the template of the information data file 256 is transferred to the shared folder 254, and its attribute is set.

  The attribute of the shared folder 254 is processing such as password setting when accessing the shared folder through a network. It may be set to read-only. When collecting the information, the information collection agent 261 may generate the data file by rewriting the corresponding part of the template. In step S59, the information collection agent 261 is installed. An installation end message is displayed in step S60, and the installation process ends. Through the above processing, the computer can collect information by the information collecting device 200.

FIG. 4A is a flowchart showing the operation of the information collection agent.
In FIG. 4A, in this example, the information collection agent 261 is automatically activated by a timer in step S61. The start timing may be freely set, for example, once a day, when the computer is started, or when the printer is operating. In step S62, the information collection agent 261 refers to the function setting file 255. Then, information about the information collection destination is obtained. In step S63, various information inside the computer is collected based on the result. Then, in step S64, an information data file 227 as shown in FIG. 1 is generated based on the template of the information data file 256. This is stored in the shared folder 254 in step S65, and the information collection processing ends.

FIG. 4B is an operation flowchart of the information collection device.
A service person or the like connects the information collection device 200 to the network 1 (FIG. 1). In step S71, the service person inputs a start instruction to the information collection device. When the activation instruction is accepted, the acquisition source information 226 shown in FIG. 1 is referred to in step S72. An information collection process is executed in step S73. In this process, the information collection unit 223 accesses the shared folder of each computer via the network 1 based on the URL or the like indicated in the acquisition destination information.

  When the information data file 256 is extracted from the shared folder, the contents are copied. Thereby, the acquired information data 227 (FIG. 1) is generated (Step S74). Similar processing is executed for each computer connected to the network 1. For example, the router 204 executes an inquiry process using the MIB. The acquired information (acquired information data 227) is stored in the storage device 225 (FIG. 1) (Step S75). The acquired information data 227 is printed out as necessary, or transferred as a report to another device via a network. As described above, the information collection device 200 of the present invention can automatically acquire various types of information from devices connected to the network.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an information collection processing device and its peripheral system according to the present invention.
In the example of this figure, a notebook personal computer carried by a service person will be described as an information collection device. The information collection device 10 in FIG. 5 is connected to a network to which the printer 30 to be repaired is connected. This network uses, for example, a network connection device such as a router 5 and hubs 6 and 7. The information collection device 10 includes a storage device 11. Here, the environment information 12 collected by a method described later is stored. The description of the entire arithmetic processing unit of the information collection device 10 is omitted. Here, only the information collecting means 13 in the arithmetic processing unit is displayed. The information collecting unit 13 includes an inquiry unit 14 and a response receiving unit 15.

  In the TCP / IP network, a procedure called SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is adopted in order to monitor and control devices connected to the network, such as routers, computers, and terminals, through the network. Each device has a management information database called MIB (Management Information Base) for notifying its status to the outside. By using this function, information such as the model name and firmware version of peripheral devices of the printer 30 can be collected in an environment where the printer 30 is used.

  For such information collection, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the printer 30 is provided with a portion storing device information 31 and a response unit 32 responding to an inquiry. When there is an inquiry about the device information through the network, the response means 32 reads the device information 31 and responds. Similar functions are provided in the network connection devices, that is, the router 5, the hubs 6, 7, and the like. The router 5 is provided with a portion for storing the device information 51 and a response unit 52 having a function of responding to the inquiry. The hub 6 is provided with a unit for storing the device information 53 and a response unit 54. The hub 7 is provided with a unit for storing the device information 55 and a response unit 56.

  With the above-described configuration, when the inquiry unit 14 of the information collection device 10 inquires the printer 30, the router 5, the hubs 6, 7 and the like as the network connection devices about the device information 51, 53, and 55, each response unit 52 , 54 and 56 respond and transmit the information to the information collection device 10 side. The response receiving unit 15 receives this, extracts necessary information, and edits it to generate the environment information 12.

  On the other hand, information such as the version of the (OS) operating system and the version of the printer driver of a device such as a personal computer that controls the printer cannot be collected by the above procedure. Therefore, the information collection function is provided to the printer driver installed in the corresponding device. Alternatively, a program having an information collecting function is installed in the corresponding device.

  Therefore, the printer driver 23 installed in the personal computer 20 incorporates a part having the same function as the information collecting means 13 provided in the information collecting device 10. By this operation, the version of the operating system of the personal computer 20, the version of the printer driver, and other information are collected, and the environment information 22 is generated. This environment information 22 is stored in the storage device 21. The information collecting means 13 of the information collecting device 10 executes an inquiry process to the personal computer 20, reads out the environment information 22 stored in the storage device 21, and takes it into the environment information 12. Thus, the information collection device 10 can collect the environment of the network where the printer 30 is placed.

  For example, various network devices such as other printers (not shown) are connected to the respective hubs 6 and 7 in FIG. Further, for example, another printer 70 may be directly connected to the personal computer 20 via a printer interface. In such a case, the personal computer 20 may have installed a plurality of printer drivers. Such information is also recorded as environmental information. For example, when a plurality of printer drivers are installed, each printer driver may affect each other. Therefore, such environmental information is useful information for repairing and managing the printer 30.

  The network to which the printer 30 is connected is connected to the network 1 via various network connection devices (not shown). Further, a web server 40 is connected to the network 1, and a storage device 41 stores a service manual 42. The web server 40 is installed in a company that provides a maintenance service for the printer 30 or the like.

  A service manual 42 for support is published by the web server 40 for a serviceman who repairs the printer. It includes a database in which past trouble occurrence cases and countermeasure examples are recorded for each printer, and a database in which past troubles and countermeasure results are recorded for each printer user. However, it is highly probable that the user's use environment of the printer is frequently changed due to updating of equipment and software. Therefore, it is preferable to collect the information each time repair or the like is performed, rather than recording the information in a database and releasing the information from the server.

  The operation of collecting information at the time of repair will be described with reference to FIG. Also, an example will be described in which the environment information is made public through a network, or the combination information of the environment information and the printer is searched for later.

  The information collection function is provided to devices such as a printer, a device that issues a print request to the printer, and other peripheral devices. The service person activates these devices when the repair service starts. When the information collection device is started, it makes an inquiry to each device connected to the network by, for example, an SNMP procedure, collects information, and stores the information in a predetermined storage area.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a window for starting an information collection operation and an operation specifically collected.
On the display of the information collecting apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 5, a screen 60 as shown in FIG. 6A is displayed. On this screen 60, a printer to be repaired or the like is selected. This is performed by operating the drop-down list 61. Further, a device from which information is to be collected is selected. This is done using drop down lists 62 and 63. The drop-down list 62 is mainly used to select a personal computer or the like that makes a print request to the printer. In practice, this is a list of terminal devices in which the printer driver of the target printer is installed. This is because it can be used for diagnosis when various failures occur in response to a print request from these devices. In the drop-down list 63, network connectors constituting the network and other devices that may have some influence on the operation of the printer are listed.

  The program (inquiry means 14 shown in FIG. 5) is activated after specifying the device for collecting information in this way. Pressing the start button 64 starts the information collecting operation. When the cancel button 65 is pressed, the processing is canceled. FIG. 6B shows an example of the environment information 12 thus collected. This screen is obtained by editing necessary information by extracting necessary information from the extracted information. This is displayed on the display of the information collection device 10 after the environmental information collection processing is completed. Further, printing is performed using the printer 30 or the like as needed. Here, the product name of the printer that specifies the target printer, the product code, the name of the personal computer that makes a print request to the printer, and the name list of the network connection device are displayed. Information such as the type and version of the system is recorded. For the network connection device, the firmware version and the like are displayed. While confirming such information, the service person can diagnose a failure that has occurred in the printer 30 and determine a countermeasure.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining various information collecting methods of the system.
First, FIG. 7A shows an example of data received from a personal computer or the like when a printer receives a print request. As shown in FIG. 7, the data includes print request source information 35, network connection device information 36, and print data 37. The request source information 35 is information such as the IP address of the personal computer that has issued the print request. Since the specific information of each personal computer has already been collected, it is possible to know from the request source information 35 what type of personal computer has requested printing.

  The network connector information 36 includes information such as through which router the print request was made when the print data 37 was transmitted from the request source to the printer. With this information, for example, when the print data is damaged before it reaches the printer from the request source, it is possible to determine where the cause is. As described above, the header information of the print data received when the printer receives the print request includes the user's login name, IP address, and the like. This information includes information as to which user has requested printing via which network connection device. The job monitoring program incorporated in the printer records a report indicating when and what print request was received. As described above, it is preferable that information extracted from the print request is also collected by the information collection device.

  FIG. 7B is an explanatory diagram showing a specific structure of the printer driver 23. The printer driver includes a print control unit 25 and an information collection unit 26. The print control means 25 indicates a print control function provided in a conventional printer driver. In the present invention, for example, an information collecting unit 26 is added to the printer driver 23. The information collecting means 26 may be activated from a display of an ink amount or a print condition selection screen provided in the printer driver, for example. In addition, since such information collection is performed only by a service person, a method of storing the information together with a printer driver in a folder storing the printer driver so that only the service person can start up may be used. The part that executes the original function of the printer driver and the part that executes the information collection operate completely independently. Therefore, when the information collecting unit is stored in the folder in which the printer driver is stored together with the printer driver, the information collecting unit itself is the same as the one stored completely independently of the printer driver. Generally, a printer driver is always installed in a personal computer before using a printer. Therefore, if the information collecting means is installed at the same time as the installation, the serviceman can always collect information using the personal computer used by the user. That is, the serviceman need not carry the special information collecting device 10 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 7C is an explanatory diagram when information is collected on the server side.
It is preferable that there is an information collection device having a function of collecting information collected by an information collection device such as a printer or a personal computer in one place. The information collection device communicates with another information collection device and receives the information collected by each information collection device. In order to prevent such information from being used for any purpose other than repairing the printer, for example, when information is transferred, it is preferable to link processing for deleting the corresponding information from its storage area. The following server 4 may be the information collection device.
As shown in FIG. 7C, a storage device 41 of the server 40 stores a customer information database 43 and maintenance management data 44 for each user in addition to the service manual 42. The customer information database 43 is a database that generally stores various information on customers who have sold printers. The maintenance management data 44 is data in which the printer used by the customer and the environment information on the environment in which the printer is used are stored in association with each customer. This environment information is, for example, periodically collected and updated by the information collection unit 45 through the network.

For example, the server for the maintenance management service can communicate with the information collection device through the network and receive the information collected by each information collection device. For example, as part of the maintenance management service, the network environment where the printer is installed is analyzed based on the information output on the server side. For example, when the firmware version of the printer is old, the firmware of the new version is used. Transfer software or upload patches (fixing programs) to the server. In addition, a program or hardware for improving the environment in which the printer is used can be displayed, and information to be provided to a service person can be automatically generated and output.
At the same time, using the maintenance management data for each user, based on the analysis results of the printer's environmental information, record the necessity of repairs and improvements or the time for periodic inspections, etc., and use it for customer service. Also becomes possible.

  Through the above operation, environmental information surrounding the printer can be automatically collected. By comprehensively analyzing this environmental information and information on various problems that have occurred in the printer, accurate repair of the printer can be performed and the result can be reflected in the design of the printer. This environment information can be used as information useful for maintenance management of a network to which the printer is connected.

  In addition, failures caused by the failure of the printer body and failures caused by the usage environment of the printer can be analyzed comprehensively without distinguishing between them, enabling quick repairs and optimizing the usage environment. Can be planned. In addition, it is possible to predict a failure that will occur in the near future, and remove a potential defect in advance. In addition, the collected information is transmitted to the server side, and the server side can appropriately support a service person by searching for and displaying a failure that has occurred in a similar environment. Further, maintenance management and version upgrade of not only the printer main body but also other devices can be promoted, and the failure rate can be reduced.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a specific operation example of the information collecting means as described above.
First, before starting collection of environmental information, a target printer is specified using a screen 60 as shown in FIG. 6 (step S1). Next, an information collection target device is specified (step S2). It should be noted that the information collection device often needs to be re-selected each time the peripheral network configuration is changed or added.

  After these preparations are completed, information collection starts in step S3. Next, in step S4, the inquiry means sends an inquiry to each device. When a response is received from the device in step S5, necessary information is extracted from the response in step S6. In step S7, it is determined whether the information collection process has been completed for all target devices. If not, the process returns to step S4. Therefore, an inquiry to a new device is transmitted. The processing from step S4 to step S7 is repeated, and when the information collection processing is completed for all target devices, the process proceeds to step S8, where the extracted information is edited. The editing result is as shown in FIG. Then, the result is stored in the storage device 11 shown in FIG. Further, the result is output to the display of the information collecting device 10.

In the above example, the information collecting unit inquires each network connection device and a device such as a personal computer for information. However, the print job history of the target printer 30 is stored in a temporary storage device inside the printer 30 or in the printer driver of each personal computer. In any case, the information collecting means 13 refers to these histories and extracts necessary information. The configuration of this information is as described with reference to FIG. The necessary information extracted in step S12 is edited in step S13, and stored in the storage device 11 shown in FIG. 5 in step S14. This information may be stored together with the environment information 12 or may be stored in a completely different area. The result is output to the display as needed.
By displaying the information as described above on the display, the serviceman can execute an accurate failure recovery process for the printer.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a service using the web server 40 shown in FIG.
The processes in steps S21 to S27 are processes in which the information collection device 10 operates according to the instruction of the service person. First, in step S21, the information collection device collects environmental information in the manner described above. In step S22, the maintenance management data 44 (FIG. 7) of the web server 40 is referred to via the network 1. This finds similar failure cases. That is, a failure example of printers of the same model and in substantially the same environment is checked to find countermeasures. If there is an appropriate search result, it is downloaded to the information collection device 10 in step S23. Further, in step S24, the service manual 42 of the web server 40 is referred to. In this way, necessary services, that is, maintenance and inspection services, and the like are executed, and then, in step S25, the details of the actually diagnosed failure are recorded and transmitted to the web server 40. In step S27, a service result for these failures is recorded and transmitted to the web server 40 (step S48). Then, the environment information collected last is transmitted to the web server 40. After the maintenance management or the repair service is completed, the maintenance management data 44 is collected in the web server 40 and stored as reference information.

  In the processing after step S31, an operation of automatically collecting information on the server side, distributing information necessary for maintenance management, and transmitting the information to a service person will be described. First, in step S31, the information collection timing is monitored. This is periodically executed on the web server 40 side by a timer (not shown) or the like. The timing of this information collection process may be freely determined, for example, once every several months. In step S32, a collection time is detected, and in step S33, an information collection process is executed. The information collection process is a process of receiving information from each information collection device connected to the network via the network or a network connection device. Normally, it is most preferable to provide an information collecting device for each customer and periodically inquire the information collecting device from the web server about the information. The collected environment information is analyzed on the side of the web server 40 in step S35. Then, as a result of the analysis, for example, when it is determined that the version of the operating system, the version of the printer driver, and the version of the firmware of the printer are an inappropriate combination, a report is created using this as a failure prediction. In step S36, a maintenance item required in such a case, that is, an item indicating that a firmware upgrade is required for a specific printer of a specific customer is selected, and this is transmitted to a sales representative by e-mail, for example. Select an action. Then, in step S37, the maintenance item is executed. That is, processing such as mail transmission or facsimile transmission is performed. Thus, the environment information can be automatically collected on the web server side, and a corresponding action can be taken.

  Note that such a treatment need not always be performed by the web server. For example, a server having such a function may be provided for each customer. As described above, environmental information is collected when a failure actually occurs and used as reference information for recovering the failure.In addition, environmental information is collected even when no failure has yet occurred, It can be used for predicting and performing necessary maintenance services. Further, the information collecting device as described above can be installed at any place on the network.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing still another specific example of the customer service.
If the customer's maintenance management data is accumulated in the server or the like as described above and the environmental information is periodically analyzed, the management as shown in this figure becomes possible. That is, several printers are delivered to any customer, and when the environmental information is analyzed, a maintenance plan is performed for each customer. For example, if there is a black circle in the portion A shown in FIG. 10, maintenance for the printer is safe in the current environment. In other words, a message is displayed indicating that it is only necessary to perform management during a normal maintenance period. On the other hand, if the probability of occurrence of a failure increases due to the status of the network or the status of the device that controls the printer, the B rank portion is set to a black circle. When a certain maintenance is required for the printer due to some network change or the like, a black circle is added to the C rank. In this way, by generating information such as which printer of which customer needs to be careful in maintenance and management, and distributing this information to a service person, it is possible to optimally manage the printer of the customer.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a network using the printer of the present invention.
The printer 110 shown in FIG. 11 has an information collecting function. The printer 110 is connected to a local area network via a router 103, a hub 104, or a hub 105, for example, with respect to a network 101. Then, a print request is received from the personal computer 130 or the like through this network, and print processing is performed. The printer 110 includes a storage device 111, a network interface 112, a control panel 113, and information collecting means 114. Each of these functional blocks is housed inside the printer 110, but the contents are expanded as shown in the figure for the sake of explanation. The storage device 111 stores environment information 121, target device information 122, and a print request history 123.

  The environment information 121 is information indicating a network or other environment for using the printer 110 collected by the printer 110 as described later. The target device information 122 includes, for example, a list of device names for specifying which key connected to the network to collect environmental information from. As will be described later, the print request history 123 is, for example, data that records information that the personal computer 130 has made a print request through the hub 104 and the hub 105, a print request time, and the like. The network interface 112 is an interface for connecting the printer 110 to a local area network.

  The control panel 113 performs general control of the printer 110, and executes a process of collecting environment information, which will be described later, using the control panel 113. The information collecting means 114 is newly provided in the printer 110, and has a function of automatically collecting environmental information from other devices when the printer 110 is connected to a network. The inquiry means 115 has a function of inquiring information to another device, and the response receiving means 116 has a function of receiving a response from the other device and recording this in the environment information 121 of the storage device 111.

In the TCP / IP network, a procedure called SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is adopted in order to monitor and control devices connected to the network, such as routers, computers, and terminals, through the network. Each device has a management information database called MIB (Management Information Base) for notifying its status to the outside. By using this function, information such as the model name and firmware version of peripheral devices of the printer can be collected in an environment where the printer is used.
On the other hand, information such as the version of the (OS) operating system and the version of the printer driver of a device such as a personal computer that controls the printer cannot be collected by the above procedure. Therefore, the information collection function is provided to the printer driver installed in the corresponding device. Alternatively, a program having an information collecting function is installed in the corresponding device.

  The personal computer 130 is, for example, a device for making a print request to the printer 110. A printer driver 131 is provided for this print request. The printer driver 131 includes a print control unit 132 for controlling a normal print operation. This is no different from the conventional one. Further, the printer driver 131 is provided with an information collecting means 133. The information collecting means 133 has a function of extracting information necessary as environment information of the printer 110, such as the version of the operating system of the personal computer 130 and the version of the printer driver. Then, it has a function of transferring the collected information to the printer 110 when there is an inquiry from the information collecting unit 114 of the printer 110.

  FIG. 11 shows the router 103, the hub 104, and the hub 105 in which the means for holding the device information 106 and the response means 107 are incorporated. This device information 106 corresponds to MIB. The response unit 107 has a function of transmitting the device information 106 to the printer 110 when there is an inquiry from the information collection unit 114 of the printer 110. The printer 110 is connected to the server 140 via the network 101. Thus, for example, the environment information 121 collected by the information collecting unit 114 of the printer 110 can be transmitted to the server 140 via the network 101. The storage device 141 of the server 140 stores a maintenance management database 142. This is used by a serviceman or the like to obtain various information for maintenance management. If the environment information is recorded here, data such as what kind of failure will occur when the printer is placed in what kind of environment is accumulated, and many service personnel can use this.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of data stored in the storage device of the printer.
First, the environment information 121 includes a machine number of a personal computer and a model number of a network connector connecting the personal computer and the printer, as shown in FIG. Further, in the case of a controlled PC, the information includes information such as the version of the operating system and the version of the printer driver. In the case of a network connection device, the version of the firmware is included. Such information is recorded as environment information 121.

  FIG. 12B shows a specific example of the target device information 122. The target device information includes the machine number of the device and its IP address. By including the IP address, the inquiry processing of the device information can be performed using the IP address. FIG. 12C shows a specific example of the print request history 123. This information includes information indicating the print request source, for example, information such as the IP address of the print request source and which network connection device the print data has passed. It also includes the time at which the print request was made. Such information can be used to analyze problems such as when a failure has actually occurred in a printer, at what point in time the failure occurred, and on which path the data failed.

FIG. 13 shows an example in which the above-described printer is connected to a personal computer 130 (controlled device) via a printer interface 117.
That is, the printer 110 is connected to the local area network via the personal computer 130 or the like. In such a case, since the personal computer 130 directly controls the printer 110, the information of the personal computer 130 may be obtained by inquiring the printer driver 131 as the environment information 121. However, a print request may be accepted via the personal computer 130 through the local area network. In such a case, the information described above is recorded in the print request history 123. By including the print request history 123 in the environment information 121, various managements for a failure of the printer 110 can be performed.

  The environment information 121 and the print request history 123 can be transferred to, for example, a serviceman's portable terminal via the serial interface 118 and the connector 119 provided in the printer 110. The connector 119 includes, for example, a USB connector. The environment information 121 obtained by the printer 110 can be transferred to an external network via the network interface 112. For example, if the environment information 121 is stored in the storage device 111 in a web page format, the environment information 121 can be forcibly collected from a management terminal device or a server connected to an external network. Further, a service person can browse the environment information 121 through an external network and diagnose a failure of the printer 110 at a remote location. The function of browsing environment information from an external network may be provided to the printer 110 as shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a control panel and a specific environment information collecting operation.
A screen 150 for collecting environmental information is displayed on the control panel 113 shown in FIG. Such a screen is displayed by a serviceman operating the printer 110. The process may be performed in a mode that cannot be displayed to the user. The screen 150 displays a list 151 of devices from which information is to be collected. This may be a list of device names or a list of IP addresses. On the right side, a button 152 for selecting whether to collect information is displayed.

  Devices displayed in black circles are devices for which information is to be collected. A button 154 is provided below the control panel 113 so that a cursor can be moved on the screen 150. Then, for example, if the cursor is moved on the collection start button 153 and the execution button 155 is pressed, collection of environmental information is started. When the cursor is placed on the name of the information collection device and the button 155 is pressed, the corresponding device can be designated as a target of information collection, excluded from the target, or selected.

  FIG. 14B is an example of a screen 160 displaying a print request history. Here, for example, a list 161 such as a print request source, a request time, and an IP address of a device through which the print data has been transferred is displayed. By operating the button 154 shown in FIG. 14A, the contents of the history can be switched. In addition, although each via device is displayed in the history, the cursor can be moved to the via device and a button 164 of “register to information collection target” can be operated to newly register the information to the information collecting device. The registered information collection device is added to the list 151 on the screen 150 shown in FIG. In this way, it is possible to use the print request history to clarify a network-connected device or the like that is considered to actually affect the operation of the printer, and to add this to the information collection target device.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a specific operation of the printer of the present invention.
First, in step S101, the printer specifies an information collection target device. This uses the screen shown in FIG. Next, in step S102, information collection is started. In step S103, the inquiry means 115 of the printer sends an inquiry to each device. When a response to the inquiry is received from each device in step S104, the response receiving unit 116 extracts necessary information as environment information from the received information in step S105. In step S106, it is determined whether or not information collection has been completed for all target devices, and the processes from step S103 to step S106 are repeated for the target devices. When the information collection is completed, the information collection unit 114 of the printer 110 extracts information of its own printer, such as the firmware version, and adds the information to the environment information (step S107). The extracted information is edited (Step S108) and stored in the storage device 111 (Step S109). Further, the result is printed out in step S110 so that a service person or the like can use it.

Step S111 and subsequent steps are an operation flowchart of the process using the screen of FIG. First, in step S111, the print request history 123 is opened. Here, the history information is displayed (step S112). It is determined whether or not the button for switching the display has been pressed (step S113). If the button has been pressed, another history information is displayed (step S114). If the device being displayed is not an information collection target, the process proceeds from step S115 to step S116, and the device name is registered as an information collection target.
At the same time, using the maintenance management data for each user, based on the analysis results of the printer's environmental information, record the necessity of repairs and improvements or the time for periodic inspections, etc., and use it for customer service. Also becomes possible.

  Through the above operation, environmental information surrounding the printer can be automatically collected. By comprehensively analyzing this environmental information and information on various problems that have occurred in the printer, accurate repair of the printer can be performed and the result can be reflected in the design of the printer. This environment information can be used as information useful for maintenance management of a network to which the printer is connected.

  In addition, failures caused by the failure of the printer body and failures caused by the usage environment of the printer can be analyzed comprehensively without distinguishing between them, enabling quick repairs and optimizing the usage environment. Can be planned. In addition, it is possible to predict a failure that will occur in the near future, and remove a potential defect in advance. In addition, the collected information is transmitted to the server side, and the server side can appropriately support a service person by searching for and displaying a failure that has occurred in a similar environment. Further, maintenance management and version upgrade of not only the printer main body but also other devices can be promoted, and the failure rate can be reduced.

  The computer programs installed in the arithmetic processing device may be configured by combining independent program modules, or may be configured by an integrated program as a whole. All or part of the processing controlled by the computer program may be configured by hardware having equivalent functions. Further, the above-described computer program may be used by being incorporated into an existing application program. The computer program for realizing the present invention as described above can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and installed and used in an arbitrary information processing apparatus. In addition, it can be downloaded and used in the memory of any computer through a network.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an information collection device of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an installation operation of an information collection program. 9 is an installation operation flowchart including a shared folder generation operation. 4 is an operation flowchart of an information collection agent and an information collection device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an information collection processing device and a peripheral system according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a window for starting an information collection operation and the collected operation. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a method for collecting various information of the system. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a specific operation example of the information collection unit. 9 is a flowchart showing a specific example of a service using a web server. Explanatory drawing which shows another specific example of customer service. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a network using the printer of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of data stored in a storage device of the printer. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which a printer is connected to a controlled device. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a control panel and a specific environmental information collecting operation. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a specific operation of the printer of the present invention.

Explanation of reference numerals

  Reference Signs List 200 information collection device, 221 instruction reception unit, 222 storage unit, 223 information collection unit, 224 acquisition information data recording unit, 225 storage device, 226 acquisition destination information, 227 acquisition information data, 201 computer, 202 computer, 203 printer, 204 Router, 211-214 storage device

Claims (20)

Instruction receiving means for receiving an information acquisition instruction for predetermined information;
Storage means for storing acquisition destination information for identifying the acquisition destination of the predetermined information,
The instruction reception unit is activated when receiving the information acquisition instruction, selects the device specified by the acquisition destination information stored in the storage unit, and stores the specific storage in the storage device provided in the selected device. Information collection means for directly or indirectly accessing the area through a network, and receiving and collecting the information stored in the storage area;
An information collection device comprising: an acquisition information data recording unit that generates acquisition information data in which the information collected by the information collection unit and the acquisition destination information are associated with each other and records the acquired information data in a storage device. . The information collection device according to claim 1,
The specific storage area of the storage device provided in the acquisition source device,
When the printer driver is installed, the printer driver is automatically generated in the storage device by the installer of the printer driver, and includes a shared folder shared with another computer connected to the network,
The information collection device, wherein the information collected by the information collection unit is a data file stored in the shared folder and permitted to be read through the network. Computer
Means for installing a printer driver on the computer;
Means for generating, in the storage device of the computer, a shared folder shared with another computer connected to the network when the printer driver is installed;
Means for collecting information of the computer, generating a data file permitting reading to predetermined information collecting means through the network, and installing an information collection agent to be stored in the shared folder on the computer;
An information gathering program to function as. An interface connected to the network,
Activated by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, information on a printer to be managed connected to the network, and environment information on an environment in which the printer is used from a peripheral device connected to the printer and the network, Collection means for collecting through a network and the interface;
An information collecting apparatus, comprising: means for displaying and outputting information on the printer and environmental information from the peripheral device collected by the collecting means. The information collection device according to claim 4,
The information collection device, wherein the means for collecting information on the device from the peripheral device of the printer to be managed is a computer program installed in a device that controls a printing operation of the printer. The information collection device according to claim 4,
The information collection device, wherein the collection unit has a function of collecting information extracted from a print request to a printer. An interface connected to a network, activated by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, and information on a printer to be managed connected to the network, or when the printer is used from a peripheral device connected to the printer via the network. A collection unit that collects environment information about the environment in which the environment is located through the network and the interface; and a unit that displays and outputs information on the printer and environment information from the peripheral device collected by the collection unit. Information collection device,
An information collection system, comprising: a device for collecting information collected by the plurality of information collection devices. The information collection system according to claim 7,
An apparatus that collects information collected by the plurality of information collection apparatuses is a server that transmits information for a printer maintenance management service,
The server has means for holding information for identifying a printer to be subjected to maintenance management, and for generating and outputting maintenance management information based on a result of analysis of the printer information and environmental information collected by the information collection device. An information collection system characterized in that: The information collection system according to claim 7,
An apparatus that collects information collected by the plurality of information collection apparatuses is a server that transmits information for a printer maintenance management service,
Means for retrieving information about an existing printer, including environment information similar to the environment information collected by the information collection device, and outputting the result. system. It is started by a predetermined information acquisition instruction, and information on a printer to be managed connected to a network and environmental information on an environment in which the printer is used from a peripheral device connected through the network with the printer are transmitted to the network. And processing to collect through the network interface,
The process of displaying and outputting the information of the printer and the environmental information by the peripheral device collected by the process,
A program for an information collection device, which is executed by a computer. An interface for connecting to a network and receiving a print request for performing print processing through the network;
When a predetermined information acquisition instruction is input, a print process is executed from another device connected to the network through the network and the interface, the information being related to the other device and receiving the print request. Means for obtaining environmental information that clarifies the environment for
Means for displaying and outputting the contents of the environment information acquired from the other device. An interface for connecting to a controlled device having a function of controlling a printer to execute an arbitrary print process and receiving a print request for performing a print process from the controlled device;
When an information acquisition instruction is input, the information processing apparatus executes the print processing that receives the print request, the information about the printer driver and the information about the controlled device from the response unit installed in the controlled device through the interface. Means for obtaining environmental information that clarifies the environment for
Means for displaying and outputting the contents of the environment information acquired from the controlled device. The printer according to claim 11, wherein
A printer comprising a storage device for storing the acquired environment information in a state where the environment information can be read from the outside. The printer according to claim 11, wherein
A printer comprising means for transmitting the acquired environment information through the network. The printer according to claim 11,
A printer, comprising: a unit for registering a specific device selected in advance, which is another device connected to the network and acquires the environment information. The printer according to claim 11,
A printer comprising: means for accumulating at least information including a print request source and a print time when a print request for performing a print process is received via the network, and storing the information in a readable manner. The printer according to claim 11, wherein
A printer comprising means for executing the input of the information acquisition instruction through authentication processing of a device administrator. The printer according to claim 11,
A device present on the reception path of the print request data on the network is set as a collection target of environmental information, and information indicating a print request source and information indicating a reception route of the print request data acquired from the device. A means for storing print request history information including: By inputting a predetermined information acquisition instruction, the printer clarifies an environment for executing the print processing, which is information on the device from another device connected to the network via a network interface. Get environmental information,
At the same time, from a response unit installed in the controlled device that makes a print request to the printer, information on the printer driver and information on the controlled device, and environmental information that clarifies an environment for executing the printing process. To the printer,
A method for collecting environmental information for a printer, wherein the environmental information acquired from the other device and the controlled device is printed out from a printer. Installed inside the printer,
When a predetermined place acquisition instruction is input, from another device connected to the network, a process of acquiring environment information that is information about the device and that clarifies an environment for executing the printing process.
From a response unit installed in a controlled device that issues a print request to a printer, information on a printer driver and information on the controlled device, which is environment information that clarifies an environment for executing the printing process, is obtained. Processing,
A program for causing a computer to execute a process of printing out the environment information obtained from the other device and the controlled device, and causing the computer to execute the process.

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