JP2009053935A - Information processor and history information management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor and a history information management program which can store history information required for analysis in a small storage area. <P>SOLUTION: When the number of pieces of history information stored in an HDD (hard disk drive) 56 has reached a predetermined upper value (100 here) and when there is history information of the same type and same generation location with the notified history information, the oldest history information is erased among pieces of history information of the same type and the same generation location with the notified history information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a history information management program.

  Conventionally, for example, in an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, an image forming apparatus (so-called printer), or a multifunction peripheral, a log (history information) is stored in order to analyze the processing status and the cause of occurrence when an abnormality occurs. There is something.

  However, in this type of information processing device, there is a limit to the storage area where the log can be stored, and when storing information, there is not enough storage area because the upper limit of the storage area has been reached, etc. It is necessary to free up the storage area by some method or to cancel the new storage.

  Therefore, as a technique for reducing the logs stored in the storage area, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for omitting log storage when the same failure as that recorded is detected.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 discloses a technique for deleting from a predetermined type of log when the log storage area is exhausted.
JP-A-5-107720 JP 2006-41764 A

  In the case where there is not enough area for storing history information, the present invention makes the storage area effective while storing the newly generated history information and the history information when storing the newly generated history information. It is intended to be used.

  The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 includes a generation unit that generates history information of a predetermined type according to an execution status of a predetermined process, a storage unit that stores the history information, Judgment to determine whether or not history information of the same type as the history information generated by the generation means is already stored in the storage means when there is not enough area for storing the generated history information in the storage means The history information of the same type as the generated history information is deleted from the storage means when it is determined by the means and the determination means that the same type of history information is stored. Control means for performing control to store the generated history information in the storage means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the control means determines that the same type of history information is not stored, the history information stored in the storage means The oldest history information is erased from the storage means, and the generated history information is stored in the storage means.

  According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, when the control means determines that the same type of history information is not stored, the history information stored in the storage means The oldest history information among the types of history information having a plurality of history information of the same type is deleted from the storage means, and the generated history information is stored in the storage means.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the present invention, when a predetermined abnormality that may occur when the generation unit executes the process, the abnormality is detected. History information including at least the type and the occurrence location of the abnormality is generated, and the determination unit determines that the history information having the same abnormality type is the same type of history information.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the present invention, when a predetermined abnormality that may occur when the generation unit executes the process, the abnormality is detected. History information including at least the type and the location of occurrence of the abnormality is generated, and the determination unit determines that the history information having the same abnormality type and abnormality occurrence location is the same type of history information. is there.

  Furthermore, the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means counts the number of occurrences for each type of abnormality, and the history information generated by the generating means Control is performed to store in the storage means in association with the count value corresponding to the type of abnormality indicated by the history information.

  On the other hand, a history information management program according to a seventh aspect of the invention stores, in a storage area, a generation step of generating history information of a predetermined type according to an execution status of a predetermined process in a computer. A storage step for determining whether or not history information of the same type as the generated history information has already been stored when there is not enough area to store the generated history information in the storage area. A determination step of determining, and when the determination step determines that the same type of history information is stored, the oldest history information of the same type of history information as the generated history information is stored from the storage area. And a control step of performing control to erase and store the generated history information in the storage area.

  According to the first and seventh aspects of the invention, when there is not enough area for storing history information compared to the case where the present configuration is not provided, when newly generated history information is stored. In addition, there is an excellent effect that the storage area can be used effectively while leaving the newly generated history information type and the history information.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, even when there is no history information of the same type as the type of newly generated history information, the storage area is effectively used while leaving the newly generated history information. It has the excellent effect that it becomes possible to do.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, even when there is no history information of the same type as the type of newly generated history information, the history information of the already stored type and the newly generated type of history information It has an excellent effect that the storage area can be used effectively while leaving all the history information.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to reduce the influence of erasing old history information regarding the same type of abnormality.

  Further, according to the fifth aspect of the invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that old history information is erased regarding an abnormality of the same type but a different occurrence location.

  Furthermore, according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is an excellent effect that even if the oldest history information regarding the same type of abnormality is deleted, the influence can be reduced by storing the number of occurrences.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, a case where the present invention is applied to a multifunction machine having a printing function, a facsimile function, and a copying function will be described.

  FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the MFP 10 according to the present embodiment is connected to a number of terminal devices such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”) 82 via a network 80. It can be shared from each terminal device.

  In the PC 82, for example, when a document is created by the user and printing is instructed, the print data indicating the document to be printed is transmitted to the multifunction device 10.

  When receiving the print data via the network 80, the multifunction device 10 prints the document indicated by the print data based on the print data.

  In addition, the MFP 10 according to the present embodiment is also connected to a public communication line 84 such as a telephone line, and can perform facsimile communication via the public communication line 84.

  FIG. 2 shows a detailed configuration of the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction machine 10 includes an image forming unit 12 and a document reading unit 14 provided above the image forming unit 12. The document reading unit 14 according to the present embodiment is provided with a document conveying device 16 that also serves as an open / close lid of the document reading unit 14.

  The document reading unit 14 is provided with a platen glass (not shown) formed of a transparent glass plate for placing a document on the upper surface thereof, and serves as a document reading area.

  The document reading unit 14 is provided with a user interface 24 for a user to input a document reading or copying instruction. The user interface 24 is provided with a touch panel display, a numeric keypad, a start button, and the like, and is used for setting the number of copies and setting a magnification, and also used as a dial key of a telephone at the time of facsimile transmission. That is, the document reading unit 14 has both a document reading function during copying and a document reading function during facsimile transmission. The copy function can be executed by a combination of the image forming unit 12 and the document reading unit 14.

  The document transport device 16 is provided with a feeder tray 20 on which documents to be copied are stacked (in the case of a plurality of sheets). The document transport device 16 feeds a document placed on the feeder tray 20 (the uppermost document when a plurality of sheets are stacked) to a document reversing unit (not shown), thereby reversing the platen. A document reading operation is performed by automatically transporting the document so as to pass through a reading area on the glass and be discharged onto a document discharge tray 22 provided below the feeder tray 20.

  The image forming unit 12 is provided with paper feed trays 26 arranged in three stages at the lower part of the apparatus main body. By specifying the size, the recording paper is selectively sent from the paper feed tray 26 by the paper feed device. Each sheet is pulled out and conveyed to the image forming unit 12.

  Inside the image forming unit 12 (not shown), a photosensitive drum for forming an image on a sheet material is disposed. A charging device, an optical scanning device, a developing device, a transfer device, and the like are disposed around the photosensitive drum inside the image forming unit 12. The peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by a charging device, and then an electrostatic latent image based on image data is formed by an optical scanning device. The formed electrostatic latent image is developed with toner supplied from a developing device. After that, the developed toner image on the photosensitive drum passes through the transfer device, whereby the toner image is transferred to the recording paper. The recording sheet on which the image is transferred is heated and pressurized by a fixing device, and is discharged in a state where the image is fixed.

  FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a main part related to information processing of the multifunction machine 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, the multifunction machine 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 50 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 52 that temporarily stores various data, and a control that controls the entire apparatus. A ROM (Read Only Memory) 54 in which various programs including a program and a history information management program to be described later are stored in advance, an HDD (hard disk drive) 56 to store error history information to be described later, and an operation A display control unit 58 that is connected to a user interface 24 having a screen unit for displaying operation screen information, a touch panel unit for inputting information, and a button unit, and controls display of various operation screens on the user interface 24; Connected to the interface 24, detects various operation instructions from the user to the user interface 24. An operation input detection unit 60, and a. Further, the HDD 56 may be configured to store a control program for controlling the entire apparatus described above, various programs including a history information management program described later, and the like. These various programs may be received as data signals from the outside via a communication line such as a network, for example, and provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium such as a DVD-ROM, and the ROM 54 or HDD 56. It may be stored in.

  In addition, the multifunction machine 10 performs a reading control unit 62 that controls an optical image reading operation by the document reading unit 14 and a document feeding operation by the document conveying device 16 and an image forming process by the image forming unit 12 described above. A network I / F (interface) unit 66 that is connected to the network 80 and transmits / receives communication data to / from other terminal devices connected to the network 80, and a public communication line And a facsimile I / F (interface) unit 68 that transmits and receives facsimile telegrams to and from the facsimile apparatus connected to the public communication line 84.

  The CPU 50, RAM 52, ROM 54, HDD 56, display control unit 58, operation input detection unit 60, reading control unit 62, image formation control unit 64, network I / F unit 66, and facsimile I / F unit 68 are connected to the system bus BUS. Are connected to each other. Therefore, the CPU 50 controls access to the RAM 52, ROM 54, and HDD 56, control of the display of various information such as operation screens and various messages on the user interface 24 via the display control unit 58, and the read control unit 62. Control of operations of the document reading unit 14 and the document conveying device 16, control of operation of the image forming unit 12 via the image formation control unit 64, control of transmission and reception of communication data via the network I / F unit 66, Control of transmission / reception of facsimile messages via the facsimile I / F unit 68 can be performed. Further, the CPU 50 can grasp the operation content for the user interface 24 based on the operation information detected by the operation input detection unit 60.

  By the way, in the multifunction machine 10, various abnormalities may occur when processing of various functions is executed.

  For example, in the document reading unit 14, when a document placed on the feeder tray 20 is automatically conveyed and a document reading operation is performed, a document conveyance failure may occur.

  Further, in the image forming unit 12, there is a case where the recording paper is poorly conveyed from the paper feed tray 26, and a photosensitive drum, a charging device, an optical scanning device, a developing device, a transfer device, and the like are disposed therein. In some cases, image formation defects may occur due to the defects.

  Further, in the network I / F unit 66, a communication failure of the network 80 occurs due to disconnection of the network 80, power-off of the PC 82, failure to obtain an IP address from a DNS (Domain Name System) server, port number setting failure, or the like. There are cases.

  Further, in the facsimile I / F unit 68, there are cases where the facsimile communication fails due to, for example, the disconnection of the public communication line 84, the failure of transmission / reception of facsimile telegrams, or the destination facsimile apparatus being busy.

  Therefore, in each control unit that controls processing of various functions, when an error occurs, error history information including an error type indicating that an error has occurred and occurrence location information indicating the occurrence location where the error has occurred is stored. It is assumed that it is generated and notified to the CPU 50. Further, the error history information is not composed of only the above-described error type and error occurrence location, but may include error occurrence date / time, operation user identification information, identification information of the function being processed, and the like.

  For example, when a document conveyance failure occurs in the document reading unit 14, the reading control unit 62 includes an error type indicating the occurrence of a document conveyance failure and an error location information indicating a location where the conveyance failure has occurred. History information is notified to the CPU 50.

  Further, when a recording sheet conveyance failure occurs in the image forming unit 12, the image formation control unit 64 uses the error type indicating the occurrence of the recording sheet conveyance failure and the occurrence location information indicating the occurrence location of the conveyance failure. The error history information is notified to the CPU 50, and when an image formation failure occurs, the error type indicating the occurrence of the image formation failure and the occurrence location information indicating the occurrence location of the device causing the image formation failure The error history information is notified to the CPU 50.

  In addition, when a communication failure occurs in the network 80, the network I / F unit 66 generates an error type indicating the occurrence of the communication failure and an occurrence location indicating the occurrence location of the communication failure such as the communication module causing the communication failure. Error history information including information is notified to the CPU 50, and when the facsimile communication failure occurs, the facsimile I / F unit 68 indicates an error type indicating that the communication has failed and the location where the failure has occurred. The CPU 50 is notified of error history information including occurrence location information.

  When the error history information is notified, the CPU 50 executes a history information management program to be described later to store the notified error history information in the HDD 56 and the number of occurrences and the old history information stored in the HDD 56. The control to erase is performed.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of the data structure of error history information stored in the HDD 56 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in the figure, each time an error occurs, the error type, the date and time of occurrence of the error, the location of the error, and the cumulative number of occurrences of the error are stored as data for one line of error history information. The

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of a history information management program executed by the CPU 50 when error history information including error type information, occurrence location information, occurrence date and time is notified. The program is stored in advance in the storage area of the ROM 54 or HDD 56.

  In step 100 in the figure, the number of error history information stored in the HDD 56 is counted to determine whether or not the number of history information has reached a predetermined upper limit value. On the other hand, the process proceeds to step 104. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 102.

  In step 102, error history information including the notified error type, occurrence location information, error occurrence date and time, number of occurrences, and the like is stored in the HDD 56.

  In the present embodiment, when error history information of the same type as the notified error history information is not stored in the HDD 56, the number of occurrences is stored in the HDD 56 as “1”, and the notified error history information and When history information of the same type is already stored in the HDD 56, the value obtained by adding 1 to the value of the number of occurrences of the largest number of occurrences of the same type of error history information is used as the number of occurrences. The data is stored in the HDD 56. In this case, “the error history information is the same” may be the case where only the error type is the same, or may be the case where both the error type and the error occurrence location are the same. It may be configured.

  On the other hand, in step 104, it is determined whether or not the error history information of the same type as the error history information notified to the HDD 56 has already been stored in the HDD 56. If it is determined, the process proceeds to step 108.

  In step 106, the notified error history information is stored in the HDD 56, and the error history information for one line of the oldest error history information among the error history information of the same type as the notified error history information is erased from the HDD 56. To do.

  On the other hand, in step 108, the notified error history information is stored in the HDD 56, and the error history information for one line of the oldest error history information among the error history information stored in the HDD 56 is deleted from the HDD 56. It should be noted that the processing order of error history information storage and error history information deletion in step 106 and step 108 may be any first, but after the error history information is deleted, it is newly generated and notified. It is preferable to store the error history information.

  Further, as described above, in step 108, the error history information of the type in which the error history information for one line of the oldest error history information among the error history information stored in the HDD 56 exists only in the error history information. If this error history information is deleted when it is information, the error history information of that type will be lost from the error history information stored in the HDD 56, and this type of information is required for error analysis. May cause inconvenience that analysis is not possible. Therefore, instead of the process of deleting the error history information for one line of the oldest error history information among the error history information stored in the HDD 56, a plurality of the same type of error history information among the stored error history information is stored. An existing type of error history information may be specified, and the oldest error history information among the specified types of error history information may be deleted from the storage unit.

  As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the number of error history information stored in the HDD 56 has reached a predetermined upper limit (here, 100), and error history information (for example, as an error type) When “feed failure” and “feeder tray” as the occurrence location are notified, if there is error history information of the same type as the notified error history information, the error history information is analyzed as shown in FIG. The oldest error history information is erased from the error history information of the same type as the notified error history information, which is history information that has a relatively small influence on the process. In this embodiment, the case has been described where error history information indicating that an error has occurred is stored. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the process has been executed normally. A plurality of types of history information may be stored in accordance with the execution status of the process, such as execution history information indicating.

  In the present embodiment, the case where history information or the like is stored in the HDD 56 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be stored in the RAM 52, for example.

  In addition, the configuration of the MFP 10 described in the present embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 3) is merely an example, and it is needless to say that the configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  Further, the flow of processing of the history information management program (see FIG. 5) described in this embodiment is also an example, and it goes without saying that it can be changed as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a detailed configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the electric system of the multifunctional device which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which showed typically the data structure of the error historical information which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the log | history information management program which concerns on embodiment. It is the schematic diagram which showed typically the example which erase | eliminates the oldest log | history information among the log | history information memorize | stored in HDD while memorize | stored the log | history information and generation | occurrence | production location information which concern on embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10 MFP 50 CPU
56 HDD
62 Reading Control Unit 64 Image Formation Control Unit 66 Network I / F Unit 68 Facsimile I / F Unit

Claims (7)

Generating means for generating history information of a predetermined type according to the execution status of the predetermined process;
Storage means for storing the history information;
When there is not enough area for storing the generated history information in the storage unit, it is determined whether the same type of history information as the history information generated by the generation unit is already stored in the storage unit. Judgment means,
When it is determined by the determination means that the same type of history information is stored, the oldest history information of the same type of history information as the generated history information is deleted from the storage means and is generated. Control means for performing control to store the history information in the storage means;
An information processing apparatus comprising: When it is determined that the same type of history information is not stored, the control unit deletes the oldest history information from the storage unit and stores the generated history information. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is stored in the storage unit. The control means, when it is determined that the same type of history information is not stored, among the history information stored in the storage means, the history information of the type having a plurality of history information of the same type. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein information is erased from the storage unit and the generated history information is stored in the storage unit. The generation unit generates history information including at least the type of the abnormality and the occurrence location of the abnormality when a predetermined abnormality that may occur when the processing is executed occurs,
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit determines that history information having the same abnormality type is history information of the same type. The generation unit generates history information including at least a type of the abnormality and a place where the abnormality occurs when a predetermined abnormality that may occur when the processing is executed,
4. The determination unit according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines that the history information having the same type of abnormality and the location of occurrence of the abnormality are the same type of history information. 5. Information processing device. The control unit counts the number of occurrences for each type of abnormality, and stores the history information generated by the generation unit in the storage unit in association with a count value corresponding to the type of abnormality indicated by the history information. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein control is performed. On the computer,
A generation step of generating history information of a predetermined type according to the execution status of the predetermined process;
A storage step for storing the history information in a storage area;
A determination step of determining whether or not history information of the same type as the generated history information is already stored in the storage area when there is not enough area to store the generated history information in the storage area;
When it is determined by the determination step that the same type of history information is stored, the oldest history information of the same type of history information as the generated history information is erased from the storage area and generated. A history information management program for executing a control step of performing control for storing the history information in the storage area.

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