JP2010287108A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems, wherein device load and network traffic increase and it takes much troubles and time in transfer start/stop setting, for applying a syslog protocol to operation log acquisition of an incorporated device. <P>SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus is configured so as to automatically perform transfer start/stop with the syslog protocol, when there is an event subjected to advanced registration within firmware, and is also able to acquire a device operation log outside the framework of the syslog. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a device operation log transfer control method for effectively acquiring device operation information.

  In recent years, copiers and printers have become more sophisticated and more sophisticated with digitalization, and the scale and complexity of both hardware and software are increasing as systems. The causes of troubles that accompany it vary widely, from poor contact on the electronic board to problems with the control firmware and depending on the user environment. For this reason, there are an increasing number of cases where it is very difficult to investigate the cause of troubles in the spine. If the cause of the problem cannot be identified quickly, it will lead to a return from the user or a product replacement, and the user will suffer damage that the purchased product does not work as expected and the cause investigation takes time and effort. It becomes. For product vendors, not only will they lose business opportunities, but there may be additional costs associated with product recovery and cause investigation, as well as the loss of the vendor's corporate image. is necessary.

  In such a product trouble investigation, a method of obtaining an operation log output by control firmware and conducting an investigation analysis from the contents of the log is common. In embedded devices, due to performance and storage capacity limitations, a high-speed but small-capacity memory is configured in a ring buffer to record a log, and the log is read from the memory when necessary. In addition, since the embedded control firmware makes events in the order of μ seconds, the amount of information per time is large, and the ring buffer is circulated in a short time. In other words, although it is fast, it can record only short-time events. On the other hand, in the computer world, a method of outputting an operation log as a file directly to a low-speed and large-capacity storage device such as an HDD is generally used. In particular, log output using a syslog daemon is widely used in computers employing a UNIX (registered trademark) operating system, and log transfer not only to storage devices but also to external devices via a network is also used. That is, since the syslog method has a large influence on performance when the log output frequency is high, there is a great disadvantage in applying it as it is to a built-in application.

On the other hand, in recent years, products that adopt the Unix (registered trademark) system as an operating system for control firmware have appeared in digital copying machines and printers. In the UNIX (registered trademark) operating system, since the syslog mechanism is not changed, it is proposed to use the syslog for product trouble investigation. For example, an apparatus has been proposed that receives log information transmitted from a device connected to a network, filters the log information based on keywords included in the log and information on a transmission source apparatus, and stores the information in a database. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
Note that “log transfer by syslog” referred to in this document is described assuming a communication method based on a log transfer protocol known in RFC3164.

JP 2003-141075 A

  However, in the prior art, since the network transfer by the syslog is always turned on, there is a problem that the processing load accompanying the log transfer process and the network traffic always increase. In order to enable / disable the syslog transfer when necessary, it is necessary for the system administrator to start and stop the syslog function from the terminal device or the like, and sometimes missed the timing for acquiring the syslog.

  In addition, although the prior art performs log network transfer, the log content is based on the syslog, and it is not possible to obtain a log of events that occurred in a specific time unit specific to an embedded device (the device log). It was.

Log output means for outputting a log associated with the operation of the firmware for controlling the device;
Log transfer means for transferring the log information to an external device via a network;
Device log holding means for storing the log information in a first storage area inside the apparatus;
Log transfer control means capable of starting and stopping log transfer to an external device using the log transfer means,
Using the log transfer means, the firmware adds a device log identification ID to the device log in the first storage area as a trigger when a first event occurs in a predetermined device, and stores it in the second storage area. Evacuate and notify the device log identification ID to an external device registered in advance, and automatically start log transfer at the same time,
Automatically stop log transfer to external device triggered by second event occurrence in device
An image processing apparatus.

  Since the device automatically controls the start / stop of log transfer using the syslog protocol, there is no need for the system administrator, and it is possible to acquire the syslog from the desired timing without missing the syslog acquisition timing. Become.

  In addition, by automatically saving the device log up to the time when the syslog transfer is started, it is possible to grasp the operation status immediately before the start of the syslog transfer, which cannot be grasped by the syslog.

1 is a side sectional view showing a structure of an image processing apparatus (MFP) according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware structural example of a control unit in embodiment. It is a figure which shows the component module of the controller software in embodiment. 6 is a flowchart of transfer setting registration and registration reflection processing in the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart of automatic transfer start processing in the embodiment. 4 is a flowchart of automatic transfer stop processing in the embodiment. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a device, a network, and a transfer host of the present invention in an embodiment. It is a block diagram of a syslog transfer and a device log in the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of image processing apparatus>
A configuration of a 1D color MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), which is an example of an image processing apparatus suitable for applying this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG.

  The 1D color MFP includes a printer engine including an operation unit, a scanner engine, a laser exposure unit, a photosensitive drum, an image forming unit, a fixing unit, a paper feeding / conveying unit, and a controller unit (not shown in FIG. 1). . The controller unit will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The operation unit includes input keys and a display screen for performing operations from the user, status display of the entire apparatus, and the like, and provides a user interface function between the MFP and the user.

  The scanner engine illuminates a document placed on a document table, optically reads a document image, converts the image into an electrical signal, and creates image data.

  The laser exposure unit of the printer engine causes a light beam such as a laser beam modulated according to the image data to enter a rotating polygon mirror (polygon mirror) rotating at a constant angular velocity, and irradiates the photosensitive drum as reflected scanning light. The image forming unit rotates the photosensitive drum, charges it with a charger, develops the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum by the laser exposure unit with toner, and transfers the toner image to a sheet. At this time, an image is formed by executing a series of electrophotographic processes in which minute toner remaining on the photosensitive drum without being transferred is collected. At that time, each developing unit (developing station) having magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (K) toners is wound around a predetermined position of the transfer belt and rotated four times. ), And the above-described electrophotographic process is sequentially repeated. After four rotations, the sheet onto which the four color full-color toner images have been transferred leaves the transfer drum and is conveyed to the fixing unit.

  The fixing unit is configured by a combination of a roller and a belt, and includes a heat source such as a halogen heater, and melts and fixes the toner on the sheet on which the toner image is transferred by the image forming unit by heat and pressure.

  The sheet feeding / conveying unit has one or more sheet storages represented by sheet cassettes and paper decks, and selects one of a plurality of sheets stored in the sheet storage in response to an instruction from the printer control unit. Sheets are separated and conveyed to the image forming unit and fixing unit. The sheet is wound around the transfer drum of the image forming unit, and after four rotations, is conveyed to the fixing unit. During the four rotations, the above-described toner images of each color of YMCK are transferred to the sheet. Further, when forming an image on both sides of the sheet, control is performed so that the sheet that has passed through the fixing unit passes through a conveyance path for conveying the sheet to the image forming unit again.

  Each of the functional units is integrated and controlled by controller software executed by the controller unit, and realizes MFP function operation while communicating with the controller software. The controller software will be described later with reference to FIG.

<System configuration>
<Configuration of controller unit>
FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the controller of the MFP according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, a control unit 200 is connected to a scanner 201 that is an image input device and a printer engine 202 that is an image output device, and performs control for reading image data and printing output. Further, the control unit 200 performs control for inputting / outputting image information and device information by connecting to the LAN 10.

  A CPU 205 is a central processing unit for controlling the entire MFP. A RAM 206 is a system work memory for the CPU 205 to operate, and is also an image memory for temporarily storing input image data. Further, the BootROM 207 stores a system boot program that is executed first after the controller power is turned on. An HDD 208 is a hard disk drive that stores system software for various processes, input image data, and a snapshot of the system image. The operation unit I / F 209 is an interface unit for the operation unit 210 having a display screen capable of displaying image data and the like, and outputs operation screen data to the operation unit 210. In addition, the operation unit I / F 209 serves to transmit information input by the operator from the operation unit 210 to the CPU 205. The network interface 211 is realized by a LAN card or the like, for example, and is connected to the LAN 10 to input / output information to / from an external device.

  The image bus I / F 214 is an interface for connecting the system bus 213 and an image bus 215 that transfers image data at high speed, and is a bus bridge that converts a data structure. On the image bus 215, a raster image processor (RIP) 216 and a device I / F 217 are connected.

  A raster image processor (RIP) 216 expands a page description language (PDL) code and vector data described later into an image. The device I / F unit 217 physically connects the scanner 201 and printer engine 202 to the controller 200, and performs synchronous / asynchronous conversion of image data.

  The image processing unit 218 performs processing such as correction and resolution conversion according to the image read from the scanner 201 or the image to be output to the printer 202. Since the image processing requires real-time processing corresponding to the speed of the scanner 201 and the printer 202, the processing is executed by the high-speed dedicated processing hardware of the image processing board 203.

<Controller software (firmware) configuration>
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of controller software that is executed by the MFP controller 200 in the present embodiment and controls the entire MFP. The controller software is composed of a controller application part that realizes engine control, image processing, and job control unique to the MFP, and an operation system 380 (hereinafter abbreviated as OS). The OS 380 provides various basic services to the controller software by controlling the kernel and the system control core and various hardware. The OS 380 includes a device driver layer 381 and a boot loader 370 that starts the system.

  The UI application 301 performs screen display of the operation unit 210 and input reception. The network module 302 performs protocol control and management of network data received by the network IF. A controller API 303 is an API layer for externally accepting control and status notification of the entire MFP. The controller API 303 receives an upper application layer and an operation instruction, and issues an operation instruction to a lower layer job and a device control module. At the same time, notifications of status changes generated from jobs and devices in the hierarchy are made. A scan job 310 is a job control module that realizes a scan operation, and issues an operation instruction to the scanner engine 201 through the scan manager 311. A print job 330 is a job control module that realizes a print operation, and issues an operation instruction to the printer engine 202 through the printer manager 331. The copy job 320 is a job control module that implements a copy operation, and issues operation instructions for the scanner engine 201 and the printer engine 202 through the scan manager 311 and the printer manager 331. Note that an image to be printed out by the printer engine 202 is subjected to appropriate image processing by the image processing board 203 in accordance with each image mode and setting. Access to the printer engine 202 and the image processing board 203 is performed via the device driver 381.

  A syslog daemon 350 realizes the syslog protocol (RFC3164) processing, and can be output to an arbitrary device designated as a log output destination or an external server connected to the network. The syslog daemon operates based on the setting of a setting file (821 in FIG. 8) described later.

  A device log processing unit 351 realizes a high-speed and small-capacity log function inside the controller. The device log processing unit 351 has an area having a predetermined capacity allocated to the RAM 206, and during MFP operation, the area is configured as a ring buffer to perform log writing. When collecting the device log written in the RAM 206, the device log processing unit 351 reads the RAM 206 and stores the log content as a file in the HDD 208. Thereafter, the device log file stored in the HDD 208 can be collected from an external host or the like to analyze the operation. In this embodiment, the output destination of the device log is configured as the volatile RAM 206, but may be configured as a nonvolatile storage device so that the log is retained even after the power is turned off / on.

  A log control module 352 controls and manages log output and log transfer of the controller. The log control module 352 is a module that automatically controls the syslog 350 and the device log 351 in accordance with the set log output settings and transfer conditions.

<Syslog transfer control>
The log transfer control method of the present invention will be described. First, FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of an image processing apparatus of the present invention and a log transfer host 703 connected via a network 702. When the syslog transfer is started by the controller software of the apparatus of the present invention, the operation log of the apparatus of the present invention is transferred through the network 702 according to the syslog protocol, and the host 703 stores the received syslog contents as a file.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data flow and file structure of the syslog and device log in the apparatus of the present invention and the transfer host 703. The debug log output that is output while the firmware (controller software) is operating is input to both the device log processing unit 351 and the syslog daemon 350 via the debug log output IF. Upon receiving the log, the device log processing unit 351 writes the log in a predetermined area of the RAM 206. When the log writing process is requested, the log data in the RAM 206 is written and saved in the HDD 208 as a file. When receiving the log input, the syslog daemon performs log output based on the setting described in the setting file 821. For example, the file can be output as a file on the HDD 208 or transferred to the external host 703 connected to the network using the syslog protocol.

  The log transfer destination host 703 can acquire the operation log before and after the transfer start by receiving the syslog by the syslog protocol and collecting the device log file 812 stored in the HDD 208 of the apparatus of the present invention later.

  Subsequently, the syslog transfer automatic control method of the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart. FIG. 4 is performed by the apparatus of the present invention prior to automatic transfer. When the setting is started in 401, the transfer setting screen is opened from the UI screen of the operation unit 210 in 402, and the IP address of the transfer host 703 is input. In step 404, the syslog transfer start condition is registered. The transfer start conditions registered in 404 are, for example, when a fatal error such as a service call occurs, a paper jam in the paper transport unit of the printer, detection of a specific key input in the operation unit 210, or the like. In addition, filter conditions (log ID, output level) of log contents to be simultaneously transferred by syslog can be registered at the same time. In 405, the log control module 352 reflects the setting contents of 403 and 404 in the syslog setting file 821. Subsequently, at 406, it is selected whether or not the syslog operation is to be started immediately. If it is not immediately started, the process proceeds to 408 as it is. When starting, the log control module 352 restarts the syslog daemon at 407 and immediately reflects it in the operation of the syslog daemon.

  FIG. 5 is a flow of processing for automatically starting the syslog transfer. In 501, it is assumed that the pre-setting described in FIG. 4 has been performed. In 502, the log control module 352 determines whether an event corresponding to the syslog transfer start condition registered in 404 has occurred, and continues the operation without having to meet the condition. When the transfer start condition is met in 502, a log write request is issued from the log control module 352 to the device log control unit 351, and the device log is saved in the HDD 208 with the device log identification ID added. Here, the device log identification ID includes information that can be associated with the syslog transfer started in the subsequent steps. For example, a time stamp or character string information that can determine the trigger event that triggered the transfer start. It is. The log identification ID is issued by the log control module 352. Subsequently, the log control module 352 determines in 504 whether or not the information is to be transferred by syslog, and if it is not a transfer target, the process proceeds to 510 as it is. If it matches with the transfer target, a syslog transfer start IF call is performed at 505, and a determination is made at 506 that additional setting change in addition to the pre-setting is necessary. If there is an additional setting, the syslog operation setting is added to the syslog setting file 821 in 507, the syslog daemon is restarted to reflect the setting change in 508, and the transfer process is started. In step 509, the syslog daemon transmits the device log identification ID added to the device log file in step 503 to the transfer host 703. As a result, the transfer host 703 collects the device log file 812 separately from the syslog, so that the operation analysis using the device log before the start of the syslog transfer can be performed later.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for automatically stopping the syslog transfer operation. The log control module 352 determines in 601 that a syslog transfer operation is being performed, and determines in 602 whether a transfer stop trigger event has occurred. If not, the log control module 352 continues the syslog transfer operation. If it has occurred, the transfer stop IF is called at 603 and reflected in the syslog setting file 821. Here, it is determined in step 604 whether or not all the syslog objects whose transfer is to be stopped are deleted by this IF call. If all the objects are deleted, the syslog daemon itself is stopped in step 610. If the transfer target remains, only the setting corresponding to the transfer stop condition specified in 603 is deleted in 605, the syslog daemon is restarted in 606, the setting is reflected, and the specified transfer condition is stopped.

  Note that the transfer start trigger condition and the transfer condition (log ID, log level) described with reference to FIG. 4 can be reset to any condition.

  As described above, it is possible to automatically start the syslog transfer when an event occurs, and acquire device operation logs outside the syslog frame, while suppressing the operation load and network traffic of the device without normally performing the syslog transfer. It became.

[Other Embodiments]
Although the embodiment has been described in detail above, the present invention may be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of devices, or may be applied to an apparatus constituted by one device. For example, a scanner, a printer, a PC, a copier, a multifunction machine, and a facsimile machine.

  The present invention supplies a software program that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments directly or remotely to a system or apparatus, and a computer included in the system reads and executes the supplied program code. Can also be achieved.

  Accordingly, since the functions and processes of the present invention are implemented by a computer, the program code itself installed in the computer also implements the present invention. That is, the computer program itself for realizing the functions and processes is also one aspect of the present invention.

  In this case, the program may be in any form as long as it has a program function, such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS.

  Examples of the recording medium for supplying the program include a flexible disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW. Examples of the recording medium include a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, a ROM, and a DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD-R).

  The program may be downloaded from an Internet / intranet website using a browser of a client computer. That is, the computer program itself of the present invention or a compressed file including an automatic installation function may be downloaded from the website onto a recording medium such as a hard disk. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different website. That is, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer may be a constituent requirement of the present invention.

  Further, the program of the present invention may be encrypted and stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed to users. In this case, only the user who has cleared the predetermined condition is allowed to download the key information to be decrypted from the website via the Internet / intranet, decrypt the program encrypted with the key information, and execute the program. You may install it on

Further, the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized by the computer executing the read program. Note that an OS or the like running on the computer may perform part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program. Of course, also in this case, the functions of the above-described embodiments can be realized.
Furthermore, the program read from the recording medium may be written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Based on the instructions of the program, a CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform part or all of the actual processing. In this way, the functions of the above-described embodiments may be realized.

Claims (4)

Log output means for outputting a log associated with the operation of the firmware for controlling the device;
Log transfer means (350) for transferring the log information to an external device via a network;
Device log holding means (206 and 351) for storing the log information in a first storage area inside the apparatus;
Log transfer control means capable of starting and stopping log transfer to an external device using the log transfer means, and (352),
Using the log transfer means, the firmware adds a device log identification ID to the device log in the first storage area as a trigger when a first event occurs in a predetermined apparatus, and the second storage area ( 208), the device log identification ID is notified to the external device (703) registered in advance, and the log transfer is automatically started at the same time, and the second event occurrence in the device is triggered to the external device. Automatically stop log transfer for
An image processing apparatus.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first storage area for holding the device log is provided in a volatile storage device, and the second storage area is provided in a nonvolatile storage device. .   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the log transfer control unit filters the output of the log output unit according to a predetermined rule.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second events can be changed to arbitrary events later.

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