JP2009031355A - Diagnostic system and simulation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To predict a phenomenon appearing in a device to be diagnosed, and to perform proper processing for eliminating a fault when the phenomenon shows the fault. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus detects temperature at a position different from a toner cartridge at prescribed intervals, and temperature information showing the temperature and time information showing time when the temperature is detected are transmitted to the simulation device. The simulation device receives information transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and predicts the transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge in the image forming apparatus by calculation on the basis of the received information. The predicted results are analyzed, and when the state of toner in the toner cartridge is judged as a flocculated state, the degree of flocculation of the toner is specified, and the stirring part of the image forming apparatus is rotated by the number of revolution in accordance with the specified degree of flocculation of the toner, to eliminate the flocculated state of the toner in the toner cartridge in the image forming apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a diagnostic system and a simulation apparatus.

In recent years, a server apparatus installed in a support center or the like has been diagnosed via a network for the occurrence of a failure in a plurality of image forming apparatuses installed in remote locations. For example, in Patent Document 1, a failure diagnosis apparatus performs failure diagnosis based on failure information transmitted from a copying machine, reports the diagnosis result to a host computer, and the host computer receives the diagnosis result. A technology for notifying abnormality to computers and computers located in sales offices and service centers where engineers are stationed has been made public.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 08-030152

  An object of this invention is to predict the phenomenon which appears in a diagnostic object apparatus. Furthermore, when the phenomenon is a malfunction, an object is to perform an appropriate process for eliminating the malfunction.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention includes a diagnosis target device and a simulation device, and the diagnosis target device appears according to the operation of the operation means that operates according to a given control amount. A detection unit that detects a phenomenon; and a transmission unit that transmits information representing the phenomenon detected by the detection unit to the simulation apparatus. The simulation apparatus is transmitted by the transmission unit of the diagnosis target apparatus. A diagnostic system comprising: a receiving unit that receives the received information; and a predicting unit that predicts, by calculation, a phenomenon that appears according to the operation of the operating unit based on the information received by the receiving unit. To do.

  In the present invention, the simulation apparatus may include a determination unit that analyzes a phenomenon predicted by the prediction unit and determines whether the predicted phenomenon is a defect for the diagnosis target device. .

  In the present invention, when the determination unit determines that the predicted phenomenon is a defect, the simulation apparatus performs an operation for solving the defect on the operation unit of the diagnosis target apparatus. Control amount determination means for determining a control amount to be performed, and control means for operating the operation means of the diagnosis target apparatus with the control amount determined by the control amount determination means may be provided.

  In the present invention, the detection means of the diagnosis target device detects a phenomenon that appears continuously in time at a predetermined interval, and the prediction means transitions a phenomenon detected by the detection means by a certain time. From this, the phenomenon that appears after the certain time is predicted at the position where the detection means is provided, and the phenomenon that appears after the certain time is predicted according to the operation of the operating means based on the prediction. Good.

  In the present invention, the simulation apparatus includes a storage unit that stores a positional relationship between the operation unit and the detection unit and physical property values of members or materials used in the operation unit, and the prediction unit includes the reception unit. Based on the information received by the means, and the positional relationship and the physical property value stored in the storage means, a phenomenon that appears according to the operation of the operation means may be predicted.

  In the present invention, the simulation apparatus includes deviation calculation means for calculating a degree of deviation between a phenomenon predicted as a phenomenon that will appear in the future by the prediction means and a phenomenon actually detected by the detection means in the future, The predicting means may predict a phenomenon appearing in accordance with the operation of the operating means, taking into account the degree of deviation calculated by the deviation calculating means.

  In the present invention, the operation means of the diagnostic object apparatus may form an image based on image data.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a receiving means for receiving information transmitted from a diagnosis target apparatus, and representing information indicating a phenomenon appearing in accordance with an operation of an operation means that operates in the diagnosis target apparatus; and the reception means Based on the received information, a predicting means for predicting a phenomenon appearing in accordance with the operation of the operating means by calculation, and analyzing the phenomenon predicted by the predicting means, and the predicted phenomenon is the diagnosis target device A determination unit that determines whether or not the problem is a failure for the device, and when the determination unit determines that the predicted phenomenon is a failure, an operation for solving the failure is performed by the diagnosis target device. A control amount determining means for determining a control amount to be performed by the operating means; and the operating means of the diagnosis target device with the control amount determined by the control amount determining means. Providing a simulation device, characterized in that it comprises a control means for operating.

  According to the present invention, a phenomenon that appears in a diagnosis target apparatus is predicted, and when the phenomenon is a defect, an appropriate process for eliminating the defect can be performed.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a diagnostic system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the diagnostic system 1 includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10a, 10b,... 10n and a simulation apparatus 20, and each of the image forming apparatuses 10a, 10b,. Are connected to the simulation apparatus 20 via a network. In the following description, when it is not necessary to particularly distinguish the image forming apparatuses 10a, 10b,..., 10n, they are collectively referred to as “image forming apparatus 10”. The image forming apparatus 10 has a function of forming an image based on image data, and is a diagnosis target apparatus in which occurrence of a malfunction is diagnosed by the simulation apparatus 20. The simulation apparatus 20 predicts a phenomenon that appears in accordance with the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 by calculation, and when it is determined that the phenomenon is a problem, the simulation apparatus 20 performs processing for eliminating the problem.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, a communication unit 12, a display operation unit 13, a paper supply unit 14, temperature detection units 15 p and 15 q, and an image formation unit 16. ing. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory, and the CPU controls each unit of the image forming apparatus 10 by executing various programs stored in the memory. Moreover, this control part 11 has a time-lapse function which measures time. The communication unit 12 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the simulation apparatus 20 connected via a network. The display operation unit 13 includes, for example, a touch panel and operation buttons, displays data instructed by the control unit 11, and supplies data corresponding to an operation by the user to the control unit 11. The paper supply unit 14 stores paper of a predetermined size such as A4, and feeds the stored paper one by one under the control of the control unit 11 and transports it to the paper transport path.

  The temperature detectors 15p and 15q are, for example, temperature sensors, detect the temperature at the position where they are provided at predetermined intervals, and output temperature information representing the detected temperature. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the temperature detection units 15p and 15q, they are collectively referred to as “temperature detection unit 15”. The temperature detection unit 15 detects temperature transition, which is a phenomenon that appears continuously in time in the image forming apparatus 10, at a predetermined interval. The interval at which the temperature is detected by the temperature detector 15 may be, for example, an interval of 15 minutes, an interval longer than 15 minutes, or an extremely short interval such as every second. The temperature detection unit 15 is provided in advance for detecting the atmosphere in the image forming apparatus 10, and is newly added so that the simulation apparatus 20 described later predicts the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 by calculation. It was not prepared for.

  The image forming unit 16 includes Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black) tandem engines 61Y, 61M, 61C, and 61K, an intermediate transfer belt 62, and a secondary transfer unit 63. The image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit 64, and is a unit that performs an operation of forming an image using these. Each tandem engine 61Y, 61M, 61C, 61K includes a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, and a primary transfer unit. These parts will be described in detail. The photosensitive drum is an image holding body that holds a toner image, and the charging unit uniformly charges the photosensitive drum to a predetermined charging potential. The exposure unit irradiates the photosensitive drum with light corresponding to the image data of each color of YMCK to form an electrostatic latent image. The developing unit performs development by supplying the toner supplied from the corresponding toner cartridge to the electrostatic latent image, and forms a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. The primary transfer unit transfers the toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum to the intermediate transfer belt 62 due to a potential difference with the photosensitive drum.

  The intermediate transfer belt 62 is circulated by a drive roll (not shown), and moves the toner image transferred by being overlapped by each primary transfer unit to the position of the secondary transfer unit 63. The secondary transfer unit 63 transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 62 onto the sheet conveyed from the sheet supply unit 14 by the potential difference with the intermediate transfer belt 62. The fixing unit 64 includes a fixing roll and a pressure belt, and applies heat and pressure to the paper on which the toner image is transferred by the secondary transfer unit 63 to fix the toner image on the paper. The paper subjected to the fixing process by the fixing unit 64 is conveyed to the paper discharge port by the paper conveyance path, and is then output as a printed matter.

  Here, the detailed configuration of the toner cartridge and the developing unit described above will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the toner cartridge 110 and the developing unit 160. Each toner cartridge 110 contains toner of a corresponding color and is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus 10. The toner accommodated in each toner cartridge 110 is supplied to the corresponding developing unit 160 by the toner conveying member. In addition, each toner cartridge 110 is provided with a stirring unit 111 that is used to eliminate the toner contained therein when the toner becomes agglomerated. The stirring unit 111 is a unit that rotates according to the control amount given by the control unit 11, that is, the rotation number, and stirs the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110.

  The developing unit 160 includes a toner density sensor 161, a conveying member 162, and a developing roll 163. The toner density sensor 161 is supplied from the toner cartridge 110 and measures the magnetic permeability between the toner and the carrier contained in the developing unit 160, so that the two-component developer contained in the developing unit 160 is measured. Measure toner density. The conveying member 162 is a member in which spiral blades or a plurality of plate-like blades parallel to each other are provided around the rotation shaft, while stirring the toner and the carrier in the developing unit 160 and charging the toner. It is conveyed and supplied evenly to the surface of the developing roll 163. The developing roll 163 includes a cylindrical sleeve and a magnet roll provided in the sleeve, and conveys the toner attached to the carrier to a position facing the photosensitive drum by the magnetic force of the magnet roll. Thereby, the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum is developed.

  Next, the configuration of the simulation apparatus 20 will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the simulation apparatus 20. As shown in the figure, the simulation apparatus 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, a display unit 24, and an operation unit 25. The control unit 21 includes a CPU and a memory, and the CPU 21 controls each unit of the simulation apparatus 20 by executing various programs stored in the memory. Moreover, the control part 21 has a time-lapse function which measures time. Further, the control unit 21 executes a program stored in the storage unit 22 to predict a phenomenon appearing in the image forming apparatus 10 by calculation. In addition to the various programs executed by the control unit 21, the storage unit 22 stores apparatus information related to each image forming apparatus 10. The storage unit 22 stores information indicating the distance from the temperature detection units 15p and q to each toner cartridge 110, the thermal conductivity (physical property value) of each toner cartridge 110, and the like as device information. The communication unit 23 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from each image forming apparatus 10 connected via a network. The display unit 24 includes a liquid crystal panel, for example, and displays data instructed by the control unit 21. The operation unit 25 includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and supplies data corresponding to a user operation to the control unit 21.

[Operation]
Next, the operation of the diagnostic system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the simulation device 20 predicts the temperature transition in the toner cartridge 110 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 10a, and analyzes the predicted temperature transition. An operation for determining whether or not the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 is in an aggregated state and determining that the toner state is in the aggregated state will be described. .

  As described above, the temperature detection units 15p and 15q of the image forming apparatus 10a detect the temperature at the position where the image forming apparatus 10a is installed, for example, every 15 minutes, and output temperature information indicating the detected temperature (step S100). ). When the temperature information is output from the temperature detection unit 15, the control unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 outputs the identification information for identifying the temperature detection unit 15 and the time information indicating the time when the temperature is detected. The temperature information and identification information for identifying the device itself are associated with each other and transmitted from the communication unit 12 to the simulation device 20 (step S110). For example, when a temperature of “92 ° C.” is detected by “temperature detection unit 15p” and a temperature of “50 ° C.” is detected by “temperature detection unit 15q” at “14:00”, “temperature detection unit 15p ”,“ 14:00 ”,“ 92 ° C. ”, and“ image forming apparatus 10a ”are associated with each other, and“ temperature detection unit 15q ”,“ 14:00 ”,“ 50 ° C. ”, and“ image forming apparatus 10a ”are associated with each other. Are associated with each other and transmitted to the simulation apparatus 20. Subsequently, at “14:15”, if the temperature “95 ° C.” is detected by the “temperature detector 15p” and the temperature “54 ° C.” is detected by the “temperature detector 15q”, the “temperature detector “15p”, “14:15”, “95 ° C.”, and “image forming apparatus 10a” are associated with each other, and “temperature detector 15q”, “14:15”, “54 ° C.”, and “image forming apparatus 10a”. Are associated with each other and transmitted to the simulation apparatus 20.

  The communication unit 23 of the simulation apparatus 20 receives the identification information of the image forming apparatus 10, the identification information of the temperature detection unit 15, the time information, and the temperature information transmitted from the communication unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 (step S120). When the communication unit 23 receives these pieces of information, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 stores the information received by the communication unit 23 in the storage unit 22 as the temperature detection table T (step S130). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the temperature detection table T stored in the storage unit 22 in this way. As shown in the figure, in this temperature detection table T, time information and temperature information are associated with each temperature detection unit 15 of each image forming apparatus 10. For example, for the temperature detection unit 15p of the image forming apparatus 10a, time information “14:00” is associated with temperature information “92 ° C.”, time information “14:15” and “95 ° C.” are associated with each other. Temperature information is associated. For the temperature detection unit 15q of the image forming apparatus 10a, time information “14:00” and temperature information “50 ° C.” are associated with each other, and time information “14:15” and “54 ° C.” are associated with each other. Temperature information is associated. The temperature detection table T is updated each time new information is transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10.

  Subsequently, the control unit 21 predicts the temperature transition in the toner cartridge 110 by calculation based on the temperature detection table T and device information stored in the storage unit 22 (step S140). In this prediction, for example, information indicating the distance from the temperature detection units 15p and 15q to the toner cartridge 110 and device information such as the thermal conductivity of the toner cartridge 110 may be used. Further, this process may be performed at a predetermined timing, for example, once an hour or once a day. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a change in temperature in the Y toner cartridge 110 (hereinafter referred to as “toner cartridge 110Y”) predicted based on the temperature detection table T shown in FIG. The vertical axis in the figure represents the temperature (° C.) in the toner cartridge 110Y, and the horizontal axis represents time. In the illustrated example, the temperature in the toner cartridge 110Y is “80 ° C.” or lower between “13:15” and “13:45”, but between “13:45” and “14:15”. In the meantime, the temperature in the toner cartridge 110Y is “80 ° C.” or higher.

  Subsequently, the control unit 21 analyzes the predicted transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 and determines whether the state of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110 is an aggregation state (step S150). . As a method for this determination, for example, if the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 has transitioned below “80 ° C.”, it is determined that the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 is not in an agglomerated state. If the temperature is equal to or higher than “80 ° C.”, it may be determined that the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 is in an aggregated state. For example, when it is determined that the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110 is not in the aggregated state (step S150: NO), the control unit 21 ends this process. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the temperature in the toner cartridge 110Y is “80 ° C.” or more between “13:45” and “14:15”. It is determined that the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110Y is in an aggregated state.

  When it is determined that the state of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110 is an aggregation state (step S150: YES), the control unit 21 further analyzes the temperature transition in the toner cartridge 110 predicted in step S140. Then, the degree of aggregation of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110 is specified (step S160). As this specifying method, for example, if the time during which the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 is “80 ° C.” or higher continues for “20 minutes” or longer, the degree of toner aggregation is specified as “high”. If the time during which the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 is equal to or higher than “80 ° C.” is less than “20 minutes”, the degree of toner aggregation may be specified as “low”. In this case, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the temperature in the toner cartridge 110Y is “80 ° C.” or higher continuously for “30 minutes” from “13:45” to “14:15”. The degree of aggregation of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110Y is specified as “high”.

  Subsequently, the control unit 21 determines the rotation speed of the stirring unit 111 of the toner cartridge 110 for eliminating the toner aggregation state according to the specified degree of toner aggregation (step S170). The rotational speed of the stirring unit 111 may be determined based on a correspondence relationship between the degree of toner aggregation and the rotational speed of the stirring unit 111 for eliminating the aggregation, which is obtained in advance through experiments or the like. For example, when the degree of toner aggregation is “high”, the rotational speed of the agitation unit 111 is “200 times”, and when the degree of toner aggregation is “low”, the rotational speed of the agitation unit 111 is “100 times”. 7 is determined in advance, in the example shown in FIG. 7, since the degree of toner aggregation is specified as “high”, the rotation speed of the agitation unit 111 of “200” times is determined. . In this way, the rotational speed of the agitation unit 111 is determined according to the degree of toner aggregation. If the agitation unit 111 is excessively rotated, the additive added to the surface of the toner is peeled off, or the developing roll This is because there is a possibility of causing a secondary failure such as deterioration of the surface of 163. Subsequently, the control unit 21 transmits control information for rotating the stirring unit 111 of the image forming apparatus 10 by the determined number of rotations from the communication unit 23 to the image forming apparatus 10 (step S180).

  When the control information is transmitted from the simulation apparatus 20, the communication unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives the control information (step S190). When the communication unit 12 receives the control information, the control unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 10 gives the rotation number specified in the control information to the stirring unit 111 of the toner cartridge 110 and rotates the stirring unit 111 by the rotation number. (Step S200). In this example, the stirring unit 111 of the toner cartridge 110Y is rotated “200 times”. As a result, the aggregation state of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110Y is eliminated.

According to the embodiment described above, the aggregation state of the toner accommodated in the toner cartridge 110 of the image forming apparatus 10 can be grasped by predicting the transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 by calculation. . Further, when it is determined that the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 is in the aggregated state, the stirring unit 111 of the toner cartridge 110 of the image forming apparatus 10 is rotated by the number of rotations corresponding to the degree of toner aggregation. By rotating, the aggregation state of the toner can be eliminated.
The image forming apparatus 10 includes only two temperature detection units 15p and 15q as means for detecting the temperature. However, based on these detection results, the temperature detection units 15p and 15q are separated from each other. Since the malfunction of the toner cartridge 110 at the position is predicted, it is not necessary to provide a sensor dedicated to the toner cartridge 110, and the configuration can be simplified.

[Modification]
The above is the description of the embodiment, but the contents of this embodiment can be modified as follows. Moreover, you may combine the following each aspect suitably.

(1) In the embodiment described above, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 uses the toner information based on the temperature information indicating the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 15 and the time information indicating the time when the temperature is detected. The transition of the temperature in the cartridge 110 was predicted. On the other hand, the control unit 21 may predict the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 at that time based on temperature information indicating the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 15 at a certain time. In short, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 may predict a phenomenon appearing at a position different from the phenomenon detected by the image forming apparatus 10 by calculation.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 determines the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 up to that time from the transition of the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 10 up to a certain time. Was predicting the transition. On the other hand, the control unit 21 predicts the temperature after the time at the position where the temperature detection unit 15 is provided from the transition of the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 10 by a certain time. Based on the prediction, the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 after the time when the temperature is detected by the temperature detection unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 10 may be predicted. As a result, it is possible to prevent occurrence of problems in the image forming apparatus 10.

(3) In the embodiment described above, the temperature detection unit 15 of the image forming apparatus 10 detects the temperature at the position where the image forming apparatus 10 is installed, and the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 is detected by the temperature detection unit 15. Based on the temperature information indicating the temperature and the time information indicating the time when the temperature is detected, the transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 is predicted. On the other hand, a sensor for detecting the flow rate of wind is provided in the image forming apparatus 10, and the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 takes into account the flow rate of wind detected by this sensor and changes the temperature in the toner cartridge 110. May be predicted. Thereby, the prediction accuracy of the temperature transition in the toner cartridge 110 can be improved.

(4) In the embodiment described above, whether or not the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold is used as a method for determining whether or not the state of the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 is an aggregation state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sensor that detects humidity is provided in the image forming apparatus 10, and the controller 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 is likely to aggregate toner if the humidity detected by the sensor is high. Therefore, the temperature is higher than the predetermined threshold value described above. The toner aggregation state may be determined based on whether or not the toner is above a low threshold. Thereby, it is possible to improve the determination accuracy for determining whether or not the toner state is the aggregation state.
Similarly, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 may specify the degree of toner aggregation in consideration of humidity detected by a sensor provided in the image forming apparatus 10. As a result, it is possible to increase the accuracy of specifying the degree of toner aggregation.

(5) In the embodiment described above, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 predicts the transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 by calculation based on the temperature information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10. On the other hand, the control unit 21 may predict the state of the toner contained in the toner cartridge 110 based on the temperature information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10 by calculation. In this case, when the control unit 21 analyzes the prediction result and determines that the toner is in an aggregated state, the control unit 21 predicts by calculation the rotation speed of the stirring unit 111 that eliminates the toner aggregated state. Also good. Thereby, the state of the toner stored in the toner cartridge 110 can be grasped in more detail.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 predicts the transition of the temperature in the toner cartridge 110, but the phenomenon of the image forming apparatus 10 that can be predicted by the control unit 21 is not limited thereto. Absent.
For example, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 predicts the state of the electric field formed by the transfer unit by calculation based on information representing the voltage, electrical resistance, and humidity of the transfer unit transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10. May be. In this case, the control unit 21 analyzes the prediction result, and when the electric field strength is out of an appropriate range, the toner that does not cause transfer failure when the transfer is performed with the electric field strength. The number of rotations of the conveying member 162 of the developing unit 160 of the image forming apparatus 10 to obtain a charge amount of is estimated by calculation. Then, the control unit 21 rotates the conveying member 162 of the developing unit 160 of the image forming apparatus 10 at the predicted rotation number. As a result, the toner and carrier in the developing unit 160 are sufficiently agitated by the conveying member 162 and the amount of charge of the toner increases, so that transfer defects due to low electric field strength of the transfer unit can be prevented. .

  Further, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 may predict how light is emitted from the exposure unit based on information representing the light amount of the exposure unit transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10 by calculation. In this case, the control unit 21 analyzes the prediction result and, when the amount of light is out of the appropriate range, obtains a control parameter that keeps the amount of light emitted from the exposure unit within the appropriate range. Then, the control unit 21 operates the exposure unit with the obtained control parameter. Thereby, the image defect resulting from the insufficient light quantity of an exposure part can be prevented.

  Further, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 may predict the transition of the temperature of the fixing roll by calculation based on the above-described temperature information and information representing the flow rate of wind. In this case, the control unit 21 analyzes the prediction result, and when the change in the temperature of the fixing roll is not lower than the predetermined temperature, when the fixing process is performed at the temperature of the fixing roll, A processing interval of fixing processing that does not cause fixing failure is predicted by calculation. Then, the control unit 21 operates the fixing unit 64 of the image forming apparatus 10 at the predicted processing interval. As a result, it is possible to prevent fixing failure caused by overheating of the fixing roll.

  Further, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 may predict the transition of the magnetic permeability in the developing unit 160 by calculation based on the magnetic permeability in the developing unit 160 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10. In this case, the control unit 21 analyzes the prediction result, and for example, if the magnetic permeability is higher than an appropriate value, predicts the toner supply amount so that the magnetic permeability becomes an appropriate value by calculation. Then, the control unit 21 causes the developing unit 160 of the image forming apparatus 10 to supply the predicted supply amount. As a result, it is possible to prevent image defects caused by high magnetic permeability in the developing unit 160.

(7) In the above-described embodiment, the apparatus information stored in the storage unit 22 of the simulation apparatus 20 includes lots in which each unit of the image forming apparatus 10 such as the photosensitive drum, the developing roll 163, and the transfer unit is manufactured. Manufacturing lot number for specifying, magnetic pole arrangement of magnet roll in developing roll 163, electrical resistance value of transfer portion, manufacturing lot number for specifying lot where consumables such as toner and paper are manufactured, toner particle size distribution In addition, the shape index of the toner may be included. The simulation apparatus 20 can increase the prediction accuracy by predicting the phenomenon appearing in the image forming apparatus 10 by calculating the above information.

(8) In the embodiment described above, the control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 determines the degree of deviation between a phenomenon predicted as a phenomenon that appears in the future and a phenomenon actually detected by the image forming apparatus 10 in the future, or the like. The degree of deviation between the temperature predicted for the image forming apparatus 10 and the phenomenon actually detected in the image forming apparatus 10 is calculated, and the phenomenon appearing in the image forming apparatus 10 is calculated by taking the calculated degree of deviation into consideration. May be predicted. Thereby, the accuracy of prediction can be further increased.

(9) In the above-described embodiment, when the simulation apparatus 20 diagnoses the occurrence of a defect for all the image forming apparatuses 10 connected to the apparatus, and determines that the defect has occurred, the defect I was doing a process to solve the problem. On the other hand, if the user of the image forming apparatus 10 is set not to allow such processing, the image forming apparatus 10 diagnoses the occurrence of a problem and performs a process for solving the problem. It is not necessary to perform. This setting may be performed by the user of the image forming apparatus 10 operating the display operation unit 13, or the administrator of the simulation apparatus 20 based on an application from the user of the image forming apparatus 10. The image forming apparatus 10 that does not permit the above-described processing may be registered in the simulation apparatus 20.

(10) In the above-described embodiment, the device information stored in the storage unit 22 of the simulation device 20 includes information indicating the distance from the temperature detection units 15p and q to the toner cartridge 110, and the heat conduction of the toner cartridge 110. Although a rate etc. were illustrated, it is not restricted to this. The storage unit 22 only needs to store the positional relationship between the toner cartridge 110 and the temperature detection unit 15 and the physical property values of members or materials used in the toner cartridge 110. The physical property value includes, for example, the thermal conductivity of a member constituting the toner cartridge 110 including the thermal conductivity of the stirring unit 111, the thermal conductivity of the toner itself, and the like. The control unit 21 of the simulation apparatus 20 predicts the temperature in the toner cartridge 110 using these pieces of information stored in the storage unit 22, so that the prediction accuracy can be improved.
Further, the information used in this prediction can vary depending on what kind of operation means is to be predicted.

(11) In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the diagnosis target apparatus whose failure is diagnosed by the simulation apparatus 20 is the image forming apparatus 10 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the diagnosis target apparatus may be an information processing apparatus connected to a network.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a diagnostic system 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of a toner cartridge 110 and a developing unit 160. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a simulation device 20. FIG. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an operation of the diagnostic system 1. It is a figure which shows the temperature detection table. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a predicted change in temperature of the toner cartridge 110Y.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Diagnostic system, 10 ... Image forming apparatus, 11 ... Control part, 12 ... Communication part, 13 ... Display operation part, 14 ... Paper supply part, 15 ... Temperature detection part, 16 ... Image formation part, 61Y, 61M, 61C , 61K ... Tandem engine, 62 ... Intermediate transfer belt, 63 ... Secondary transfer unit, 64 ... Fixing unit, 110 ... Toner cartridge, 111 ... Agitation unit, 160 ... Development unit, 161 ... Toner density sensor, 162 ... Conveying member, Reference numeral 163: Development roll, 20: Simulation device, 21: Control unit, 22: Storage unit, 23: Communication unit, 24: Display unit, 25: Operation unit

Claims (8)

A diagnosis target device and a simulation device;
The diagnostic target device is:
An operation means for performing an operation according to a given control amount;
Detecting means for detecting a phenomenon appearing according to the operation of the operating means;
Transmission means for transmitting information representing the phenomenon detected by the detection means to the simulation device;
The simulation apparatus includes:
Receiving means for receiving information transmitted by the transmitting means of the diagnostic target device;
A diagnostic system comprising: prediction means for predicting, by calculation, a phenomenon that appears in accordance with the operation of the operation means based on information received by the reception means. The simulation apparatus includes:
The diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit that analyzes the phenomenon predicted by the prediction unit and determines whether the predicted phenomenon is a defect for the diagnosis target device. . The simulation apparatus includes:
A control amount for determining a control amount for causing the operation means of the diagnosis target apparatus to perform an operation for eliminating the failure when the determination unit determines that the predicted phenomenon is a failure. A determination means;
The diagnosis system according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit that operates the operation unit of the diagnosis target device with the control amount determined by the control amount determination unit. The detection means of the diagnosis target device detects a phenomenon that appears continuously in time at a predetermined interval,
The predicting means predicts a phenomenon appearing after the certain time at a position where the detecting means is provided from a transition of the phenomenon detected by the detecting means until a certain time, and based on the prediction, The diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein a phenomenon appearing after the certain time is predicted according to the operation of the operation means. The simulation apparatus includes:
A storage unit that stores a positional relationship between the operation unit and the detection unit, and physical property values of members or materials used in the operation unit;
The predicting means predicts a phenomenon that appears according to the operation of the operating means based on the information received by the receiving means and the positional relationship and the physical property value stored in the storage means. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein: The simulation apparatus includes:
A deviation calculating means for calculating a degree of deviation between a phenomenon predicted as a phenomenon appearing in the future by the predicting means and a phenomenon actually detected by the detecting means in the future;
The diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the predicting unit predicts a phenomenon appearing in accordance with an operation of the operating unit, taking into account a degree of shift calculated by the shift calculating unit. The diagnosis system according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit of the diagnosis target device forms an image based on image data. Receiving means for receiving information that is transmitted from the diagnostic target device and that represents a phenomenon that appears in accordance with the operation of the operating means that operates in the diagnostic target device;
A predicting means for predicting, by calculation, a phenomenon appearing according to the operation of the operating means based on the information received by the receiving means;
Analyzing the phenomenon predicted by the prediction means, and determining means for determining whether the predicted phenomenon is a defect for the diagnosis target device;
A control amount for determining a control amount for causing the operation means of the diagnosis target apparatus to perform an operation for eliminating the failure when the determination unit determines that the predicted phenomenon is a failure. A determination means;
And a control unit that operates the operation unit of the diagnosis target device with the control amount determined by the control amount determination unit.

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