JP2005064762A - Image system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image system capable of easily and quickly dealing with abnormalities and highly conveniently dealing with abnormalities by using portable terminal devices such as a portable telephone set. <P>SOLUTION: In the image system capable of dealing with abnormalities in an image processor which can display error codes, a database 2 for storing the method to deal with errors corresponding to the error code is provided to the side of a server device 1. When abnormality occurs in the image processor, a given error code determined for each error occurrence cause is displayed on the display means of the image processor, and the error code is entered to the portable terminal device 3, the portable terminal device 3 transmits the error code to the server device 1 by electronic mail, the server device 1 which has received the error code retrieves information where the method to deal with the errors corresponding to the error code is described from the data base 2, and transmits the e-mail where the the method to deal with the errors is described to the portable terminal device 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image system that can cope with an abnormal state that occurs in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a scanner.

FIG. 7 shows an external appearance of a general copying machine. As shown in the drawing, a main body 11, a document reading unit 12 including a document feeding device for reading a document, a sheet feeding unit 13 for storing and feeding recording paper, and discharging a formed and fixed recording sheet And a display operation unit 15 for performing various displays and instructing an operator. As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 8, the copying machine includes a system controller 16, a plotter engine 17 controlled by the system controller 16, and the like, in accordance with an operator instruction from the display operation unit 15. The original is read, and an image is formed on the recording paper and output. The facsimile function, print function, and scan function are performed by transmitting and receiving image data and commands via a communication line connected to an external interface (I / F) 18.
Conventionally, in such an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, when an abnormal state such as a paper jam or an apparatus failure occurs, an operator instructs the display based on an error display displayed on the display unit of the apparatus. Or by referring to the instruction manual. However, in the conventional image processing apparatus, while the function has evolved and the operation has become complicated, the error display is simplified due to the cost and the like, and therefore the operator may be confused about the coping method. In addition, since the device abnormality is different for each model, the handling method is different for each model, and the operator may be confused. Also, the instruction manual was thick, and it took time to find a description of how to deal with it.
For this reason, in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-196917, a quick response is achieved by a networked trouble handling system. In this system, when a print instruction and data are transmitted from the host device to the printer, if the printer cannot print due to a trouble with the printer, the printer displays an error content and notifies the host device of the trouble content. As a result, the host device displays the detailed contents and issues a trouble notification to the server device of the service center. In this way, the server device searches for the cause of the trouble and the trouble processing method from the database managed, and notifies the host device of the trouble processing method.
JP 2002-196917 A

In recent years, with the rapid spread of mobile phones, the functions of mobile phones have also improved, and it is possible to send and receive e-mails using only mobile phones, and mobile phones with built-in browser functions have become widespread. In addition, the operation screens of mobile phones have been colorized and the display function is being improved. Furthermore, in recent years, color moving image files can be transmitted and received from a mobile phone.
However, the conventional technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-196917 does not use such a cellular phone, and therefore requires a host device connected to a network.
An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem of the prior art, and more specifically, it can be easily and quickly handled using a mobile terminal device such as a widely used mobile phone, and is more convenient. An object of the present invention is to provide an image system capable of dealing with a high abnormality.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the first aspect of the present invention, display means for displaying an error code, original reading means for optically reading an original, or image formation for forming an image on a recording paper and discharging the image. In an image system capable of coping with an abnormality in an image processing apparatus provided with a means, an error code extracting means for extracting an error code from received mail, and a database means for storing an error handling method corresponding to the error code On the server device side, an error occurs in the image processing device, and a predetermined error code determined for each error reason is displayed on the display means of the image processing device, and the error code is input to the mobile terminal device The mobile terminal device sends the error code to the server device by e-mail and receives the error code. The server device retrieves the information of the error handling method according corresponding to the error code from said database means, and the appropriate mail error Action described configuration to be transmitted to the portable terminal device.
Further, in the invention described in claim 2, in the invention described in claim 1, when the error code is received, the server device sends a reference image file or reference associated with the handling information in an email containing handling information related to the error handling method. The video file is attached.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, detailed handling information describing a more detailed handling method in addition to the handling information is stored on the server device side, and the handling is performed. The access information for accessing the corresponding detailed action information is described in the information description email.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, in the third aspect of the invention, the detailed handling information is stored as a web page, and the access information is a web page address.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the image processing apparatus, a predetermined error code determined for each error reason is displayed on the display means of the image processing apparatus, and the error code is input to the portable terminal device. The mobile terminal device sends the error code to the server device by e-mail, and the server device receiving the error code searches the database means for information on the error handling method corresponding to the error code, and Since the mail described in the error handling method can be transmitted to the portable terminal device, the operator can easily and quickly deal with the abnormality by referring to the handling method sent by the email. The downtime of the apparatus can be reduced, and the efficiency of business can be improved. In addition, since the number of inquiries is reduced at the service center, the work efficiency can be improved and the cost can be reduced. Furthermore, since a portable terminal device such as a widely used mobile phone is used, a host device is not necessary for the realization.

Further, in the invention described in claim 2, in the invention described in claim 1, when the error code is received, the server device sends a reference image file or reference associated with the handling information in an email containing handling information related to the error handling method. Since the moving image file can be attached, the operator can deal with the abnormality by referring to the image information, and the abnormality can be dealt with more easily and quickly, and the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be further improved. it can.
Further, in the invention described in claim 3, in the invention described in claim 1 or claim 2, the server apparatus side stores the detailed handling information describing the more detailed handling method in addition to the handling information, and the handling information is described. Since the access information for accessing the detailed handling information can be described in the e-mail, the operator can deal with the abnormality more easily and quickly, and the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2 can be obtained. It can be raised further.
Further, in the invention described in claim 4, in the invention described in claim 3, the detailed handling information is stored as a web page, and the access information is set as a web page address. The effect of the invention of claim | item 3 can be acquired.

In the following, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings when the image processing apparatus is a copying machine. In addition to copying, the copying machine can also perform a printing operation by instructing from a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) connected locally or via a network. It also has a facsimile function and can exchange images by communicating with an external device.
In such a copying machine, work concentration has progressed and the operating rate of the apparatus has improved, so that breakdowns and troubles are likely to occur. In addition, since the work is being concentrated, if the downtime of the apparatus is prolonged, the influence on the business is not so much. In order to reduce the impact on business, it is necessary to deal with failures and troubles promptly and minimize downtime as much as possible. However, the structure of image processing apparatuses such as copying machines has become complicated with the combination of functions, and it is difficult to deal with failures and troubles, so it takes time to deal with general operators. A lot is happening.

The image system of this embodiment is intended to solve such a problem, and the system configuration of the first embodiment is as shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the image system of the first embodiment includes a server device 1, a database 2 that can be searched from the server device 1, a mobile terminal device 3 such as a mobile phone that can send and receive mail to and from the server device 1, and the like. I have. Note that the copying machine to be dealt with by an abnormality has a general configuration as shown in FIG. When copying using such a copying machine, the operator sets a document on the document reading unit 12 and inputs an instruction through the display operation unit 15. Then, the original is read by the original reading unit 12, an original image is formed by the plotter engine 17, the original image is transferred onto the recording paper, the image is fixed, and the paper is discharged. Similarly, in the case of the printer function and the facsimile function, an image is transferred onto a recording sheet, fixed, and discharged.
In this embodiment, the document reading unit, the display unit, and the image forming unit described in claim 1 are realized by the document reading unit 12, the display operation unit 15, and the plotter engine 17, respectively. This is realized by a CPU (not shown) in the server device 1 and a memory incorporating a program.

FIG. 2 shows an operation flow of this embodiment. The operation flow of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
In this embodiment, the copying machine starts operating due to an operator's operation or a printing instruction or facsimile transmission / reception, but an abnormal state such as a paper jam or no toner in the apparatus or a trouble in the apparatus itself occurs during the operation. (S1). Then, the copying machine automatically collects the cause of the abnormality from the own machine (S2), and displays a simple coping method and its error code on the display operation unit 15 as shown in FIG. 9 (S3). The error code includes information unique to the device.
When the operator cannot cope with such an abnormal state by himself (N in S4), in the image system of this embodiment, the operator transmits / receives an error code displayed on the display operation unit 15 of the copier by mail. The operation code is inputted to the portable terminal device 3 such as a portable cellular phone, and the error code is transmitted from the portable terminal device 3 to the server device 1 of the service center in which user information is registered in advance (S5).
Thus, the server device 1 of the service center receives the mail (S6), refers to the user information from the mail sender mail address information, and identifies the sender. Also, an error code is extracted from the mail body and acquired (S7). If the user information is registered in the server device 1 in advance and the error code also matches the error code for each user information registered in the server device 1, the server device 1 refers to the database 2. Then, information on the error handling method of the error code is searched (S8). When the information on the error handling method corresponding to the error code is retrieved (Y in S9), the server apparatus 1 uses the information on the error handling method as the error code sender, that is, the portable terminal device of the copier operator. 3 is replied by mail (S10).
Thus, the mobile terminal device 3 receives the mail (S11), and the operator looks at the mail and deals with the abnormal state (S12).
On the other hand, if the corresponding error code could not be retrieved in step S9 (N in S9), the server device 1 forwards the mail from the operator to the serviceman along with the user information (S13), and the serviceman handles the abnormal state. (S14).
In this way, according to this embodiment, the operator can easily and quickly obtain a handling method for an abnormal condition using the mobile terminal device 3 such as a mobile phone. It is possible to reduce the time and trouble of making a phone call, and it is possible to deal with it quickly. Further, the downtime of the image processing apparatus such as a copying machine can be reduced, and the efficiency of work can be improved. Even in the maintenance department and service center, telephone calls for inquiries about abnormal conditions are reduced, so that work efficiency can be improved and expenses can be reduced. Also, no special host device or the like is required for this realization.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, an image server 4 in which image information or moving image information supplementing a countermeasure is stored. In recent cellular phones and the like, it is configured in view of the fact that image files and moving image files attached to e-mails can be displayed on the screen, and the mobile terminal device 3 includes image files or moving image files, or A mobile phone that can display both of them is used.
FIG. 4 shows an operation flow of this embodiment. The operation flow of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
First, an abnormal state occurs in the copying machine (S21), and the copying machine automatically collects the cause of the abnormality from the own machine (S22), and the display operation unit 15 shows a simple countermeasure and its error code. Displayed as shown in FIG. 9 (S23).
When the operator cannot cope with such an abnormal state by himself (N in S24), in the image system of this embodiment, the operator displays the error code displayed on the display operation unit 15 of the copying machine as a mobile phone or the like. The operation code is input to the mobile terminal device 3 and the error code is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 3 to the server device 1 in which user information has been registered (S25).
Thus, the server device 1 of the service center receives the mail (S26), refers to the user information from the mail sender mail address information, and identifies the sender. Further, the error code is extracted from the mail body and acquired (S27). If the user information received at this time matches the user information registered in the server device 1 in advance, and the error code matches the error code for each user information registered in the server device 1 in advance, the server The device 1 refers to the database 2 and searches for information on an error handling method for the error code (S28). When the information on the error handling method corresponding to the error code is retrieved (Y in S29), the server device 1 displays the image information related to the information on the error handling method stored in the image server 4. Search for.

As a result, if there is no image information related to the error handling method information (N in S30), the error handling method information is returned to the operator as in the first embodiment (S32). On the other hand, if the image information related to the information on the error handling method is stored in the image server 4 (Y in S30), an image information file such as an image or a movie is added to the mail describing the information on the error handling method. Attach (S31) and return the mail to the operator (S32). In this way, the operator receives the error handling method information and the image information supplementing the handling method (S33), and deals with the abnormal state with reference to the received information (S34).
On the other hand, if the corresponding error code could not be retrieved in step S29 (N in S29), the server device 1 forwards the mail from the operator to the serviceman along with the user information (S36), and the serviceman handles the abnormal state. (S37).
Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible not only to quickly deal with the occurrence of an abnormal state of the apparatus as in the case of the first embodiment, but also to easily deal with the abnormality by referring to the image information. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the downtime of the apparatus and to further improve the efficiency of the work.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment, a WWW server 5 capable of browsing a Web page that supplements a countermeasure for an abnormal condition is provided. The WWW server 5 is connected to the Internet, and the document information and image information stored on the WWW server 5 side can be browsed via a network from a PC or the like. As described above, in recent years, the mobile terminal device 3 such as a mobile phone also has a browser function, and by using the browser function, the mobile terminal device 3 can refer to the web page in the WWW server in substantially the same manner as the PC. is there.
The third embodiment is based on such a background, and when an error or trouble occurs in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, an error code is displayed on the display unit of the apparatus, and the operator displays the error code in the service center. By sending the message to the e-mail, the error coping method is received by e-mail, and further confirmed by referring to the web page in the WWW server 5. The WWW server 5 stores a web page that explains in detail how to deal with each error code, and the web page is optimized so that it can be viewed from the mobile terminal device 3 such as a mobile phone. Of course, it can be viewed from a PC.

FIG. 6 shows an operation flow of this embodiment. The operation flow of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.
First, an abnormal state occurs in the copying machine (S41), and the copying machine automatically collects the cause of the abnormality from the own machine (S42), and the display operation unit 15 shows a simple countermeasure and its error code. Displayed as shown in FIG. 9 (S43).
When the operator cannot cope with such an abnormal state by himself (N in S44), in the image system of this embodiment, the operator displays the error code displayed on the display operation unit 15 of the copying machine as a mobile phone or the like. The operation code is input to the mobile terminal device 3 and the error code is transmitted from the mobile terminal device 3 to the server device 1 of the service center in which user information is registered in advance (S45).
In this way, the server device 1 of the service center receives the mail (S46), refers to the user information from the mail sender mail address information, and identifies the sender. Further, the error code is extracted from the mail body and acquired (S47). If the user information received at this time matches the user information registered in the server device 1 in advance, and the error code matches the error code for each user information registered in the server device 1 in advance, the server The device 1 refers to the database 2 and searches for information on how to deal with the error code (S48). When the information on the error handling method corresponding to the error code is retrieved (Y in S49), the server device 1 further displays an image related to the information on the error handling method stored in the image server 4. If the image information related to the error handling method information is stored in the image server 4 (Y in S50), an image information file such as an image or a movie is attached to the mail described in the error handling method. (S51).

As described above, in this embodiment, a web page is also browsed. Generally, when a web page is accessed and browsed, a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is used to specify the address of the web page. . Therefore, in this embodiment, an error code and a web page supplementing the error description are associated in advance, and the server apparatus 1 searches the web page associated with the error code in the WWW server 5 to find the associated web page. If this is the case (Y in S52), the WWW server 5 notifies the server device 1 of the URL of the web page. As described above, the server device 1 returns the error handling method to the operator. When the URL is notified, the URL of the web page is further added to the mail described in the error handling method (S53). A mail is returned to the operator (S54).
In this way, the mobile terminal device 3 receives the mail (S55), and the operator refers to the error handling method written in the mail to deal with the abnormality of the device, but a more detailed method than the handling method written in the mail If the user wants to know (Y in S56), the browser function of the mobile terminal device 3 such as a mobile phone is used to access the web page specified by the URL added to the mail (S57), which is described in more detail. Detailed information is referred to by browsing the web page, and the abnormality is dealt with (S58).
On the other hand, if the corresponding error code could not be searched in step S49 (N in S49), the server device 1 forwards the mail from the operator to the serviceman along with the user information (S59), and the serviceman handles the abnormal state. (S60).

Thus, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first or second embodiment, the operator can refer to the detailed explanation of the coping method by using the browser function of the mobile phone or the like, so that the abnormality can be dealt with. It becomes easy and quick abnormality handling becomes possible. As a result, the downtime of the apparatus is also reduced, so that business efficiency can be improved. In the service center, the number of inquiries can be reduced and the work efficiency can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.
In the third embodiment, the detailed handling information is stored on the server device side in a format other than the web page, and the mail described in the handling information includes the web page address as information for accessing the detailed handling information. A configuration in which other corresponding access information is described is also possible. Also. In the third embodiment, the configuration in which the WWW server 5 is added to the configuration of the second embodiment has been described. However, a configuration in which the WWW server 5 is added to the configuration of the first embodiment is also possible.
As described above, the image processing apparatus is a copying machine, but the image processing apparatus is not limited to the copying machine, and may be a printer, a scanner, a facsimile machine, or the like.

1 is a system configuration diagram of an image system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an operation flow diagram of an image system showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The system block diagram of an image system which shows the 2nd Example of this invention. The operation | movement flowchart of an image system which shows the 2nd Example of this invention. The system block diagram of an image system which shows the 3rd Example of this invention. The operation | movement flowchart of an image system which shows the 3rd Example of this invention. 1 is an external view showing a copying machine according to the present invention and a prior art. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing a copying machine of the present invention and a prior art. FIG. 3 is a screen view showing a copying machine according to the present invention and the prior art.

Explanation of symbols

1 Server device 2 Database 3 Mobile terminal device 4 Image server 5 WWW server

Claims (4)

  It is possible to deal with an abnormality in an image processing apparatus including a display unit that displays an error code, a document reading unit that optically reads a document, and an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording sheet and discharges the image. In the image system, an error code extracting means for extracting an error code from a received mail and a database means for storing an error handling method corresponding to the error code are provided on the server device side, and an abnormality occurs in the image processing apparatus. When a predetermined error code determined for each error reason is displayed on the display means of the image processing apparatus and the error code is input to the mobile terminal apparatus, the mobile terminal apparatus displays the input error code. The server device that sent to the server device by e-mail and received the error code handles the error corresponding to the error code Imaging system information law according retrieved from said database means, characterized in that the relevant mail error Action according to the structure to be transmitted to the portable terminal device.   2. The image system according to claim 1, wherein when the error code is received, the server device attaches a reference image file or a reference video file associated with the handling information to an email containing handling information about the error handling method. An image system characterized by that.   3. The image system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the server device side stores detailed handling information describing a more detailed handling method in addition to the handling information, and corresponds to the mail described in the handling information. An image system characterized in that access information for accessing detailed handling information is described.   4. The image system according to claim 3, wherein the detailed handling information is stored as a web page, and the access information is a web page address.

Images