JP2017119561A - Remote management system, management device, image processing device, and remote management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote management system capable of determining a consumables delivery threshold in which a delivery time is taken into consideration.SOLUTION: A remote management system 100 in which a management device 40 for arranging consumables to an apparatus where the residual quantity of the consumables to be used is lower than a threshold can communicate with an apparatus 20 through a network N includes threshold determination means 41 for reading first positional information of a delivery base of the consumables registered in association with the apparatus and second positional information about a place at which the apparatus is installed, calculating the number of delivery days necessary for delivering the consumables on the basis of the first positional information and the second positional information, and determining the threshold on the basis of the quantity of the consumables to be used by the apparatus during the number of delivery days.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a remote management system, a management apparatus, an image processing apparatus, and a remote management method.

  There is a remote management system in which a management target device such as an image forming apparatus communicates with a management device to acquire information on a remote management target device and detect an abnormality or the like. The remote management system can provide an appropriate service such as performing maintenance when an abnormality is detected by analyzing information on a managed device.

  As one of such services, a technique is known that arranges delivery of consumables to users of managed devices when the remaining amount of consumables used by the managed devices falls below a consumable delivery threshold. ing. Consumables include toner and paper, but the amount of consumables used for a predetermined period (for example, one week or one month) varies depending on the user. For this reason, an appropriate consumable delivery threshold varies depending on the user, and a technique for determining an appropriate consumable delivery threshold has been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus that calculates consumption for a specified period according to a printing operation and a cleaning operation, and changes the near-end threshold from the consumption for the specified period.

  However, in countries and regions where it takes time to deliver consumables, there is a problem in that the user uses up consumables during delivery unless the number of delivery days until the consumables reach the user is taken into account. For example, in a country or region where a distribution network is not established, or in a country or region where the land is wide, the number of days required from shipment to receipt may be longer than expected. In such a case, there is a possibility that the consumables do not arrive before the user uses up the consumables at the consumables delivery threshold determined by assuming the country or region where the distribution network is established.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a remote management system capable of determining a consumable delivery threshold value in consideration of delivery time.

  The present invention is a remote management system in which the management device that arranges the consumables for a device whose remaining amount of consumables to be used falls below a threshold and the device can communicate via a network, and corresponds to the device The first location information of the consumable delivery base registered and the second location information relating to the location where the device is installed are read from the storage device, and the first location information and the second location information are read out. Threshold value determining means for calculating the number of delivery days required for delivery of the consumables based on the position information, and determining the threshold based on the amount of the consumables used by the device during the delivery days; Have.

  It is possible to provide a remote management system capable of determining a consumables delivery threshold considering delivery time.

It is a figure which shows an example of the figure explaining the outline | summary of operation | movement of the remote management system of this embodiment. It is an example of a block diagram of a remote management system. It is an example of the hardware block diagram of a management apparatus. 1 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram of a management device and an image forming apparatus included in a remote management system. FIG. FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting a toner threshold in the initial notification. FIG. 3 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting a toner threshold in the initial notification. FIG. 3 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting a toner threshold of the image forming apparatus after registration. FIG. 3 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus. It is an example of the functional block diagram of a management apparatus. It is an example of the flowchart figure explaining the process which a management apparatus performs. It is an example of the flowchart figure explaining the process which a management apparatus performs. FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram in which the management device calculates a toner threshold again (Example 5). FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing of the image forming apparatus when calculating a toner threshold using an average number of printed sheets unique to a customer. FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing of a management apparatus when calculating a toner threshold using an average number of printed sheets unique to a customer.

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the remote management system of the present embodiment.
(1) First, the management device 40 holds information such as the address of the customer 9 and information such as the address of the delivery center 8 closest to the customer 9. Based on the distance between the delivery center 8 and the customer 9, the number of delivery days from the delivery center 8 to the customer 9 is calculated.
(2) The management device 40 also uses the toner usage amount (for example, the average number of printed pages per month) when the customer 9 uses the image forming device 20, and the yield information of the image forming device 20 of the customer 9. (The number of sheets that can be printed with one toner cartridge).
(3) Then, the management device 40 determines the usage amount during the delivery days as the toner threshold value. For example, the number of delivery days is 6 days. Further, assuming that the yield information of the toner is 10,000 sheets and the average number of printed sheets per month is 5000 sheets, the usable period of the toner cartridge is 2 months (60 days). Therefore, this customer 9 is calculated to use 10% of toner in 6 days of delivery. Therefore, the management apparatus 40 determines the toner threshold to be 10% in order to arrive the toner cartridge before the toner end is reached on the 6th delivery day.

  As described above, the remote management system of this embodiment determines the usage amount during delivery as the toner threshold in consideration of the number of days of delivery in countries and regions where it takes time to deliver consumables. The toner threshold at which the consumables arrive before they are used up can be determined.

<Terminology>
Terms used in the present specification and claims will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the image forming apparatus 20 is rented for a certain period is described. The contract described below means that the customer 9 obtains permission to use the image forming apparatus 20 from the remote management system 100 for rental. In addition, the case where it purchases is also included.

  A consumable means an article that disappears or decreases as it is used. However, articles that cannot be used due to deterioration or the like even if the quantity is not changed are included. For example, in addition to toner, lamps for displaying staples, paper, status, and the like are consumables.

  A user is a person who operates the image forming apparatus 20 or an information terminal (described later). The operator of the management device is a person who operates the management device 40. An input person in the remote management system 100. The trader-side operator is an input person other than the remote management system, and indicates, for example, a person such as an agent or a dealer. The sales manager is a person who monitors the entire remote management system 100 and manages sales and rentals of the image forming apparatus 20. These are distinctions in explanation, and there may be duplicated users, management device operators, trader operators, and sales managers.

  The image forming apparatus 20 notifies the management apparatus 40 of an initial notification, a periodic notification, a return notification, and a failure notification (the position information change notification of the fourth embodiment is included in the failure notification) described below. Since the toner threshold is set for the initial notification, the periodic notification, or the failure notification (location information change notification), this embodiment will mainly describe the initial notification, the periodic notification, and the location information change notification. In these notifications, a device identifier, a registration number, and counter information are transmitted. The device identifier is information unique to each image forming apparatus 20 and is identification information that can uniquely identify the image forming apparatus 20. It may be referred to as device identification information, device specific information, or device identification ID. Identification information refers to a name, a code, a character string, a numerical value, or a combination thereof used to uniquely distinguish a specific target from a plurality of targets. The same applies to the following identification information.

  The registration number is a number for identifying a purchase or rental contract of the management apparatus 40. The registration number is identification information for identifying the contract. In the present embodiment, the management apparatus 40 will be described as numbered, but may be assigned by a sales manager or the like.

  The counter information is an example of information that serves as an index of the usage amount of the image forming apparatus 20. As an index of usage, for example, the cumulative number of pages printed in the past (hereinafter referred to as counter information), coverage (cumulative ratio of area occupied by toner per A4 size sheet [%]), remaining toner amount , The number of discharged sheets, the cumulative number of rotations of the photosensitive drum, the energization time, and the like. These are all useful for the management device 40 to grasp the usage amount of the image forming apparatus 20. In the following description, it is assumed that counter information is mainly transmitted as a periodic notification.

  First time notification: This means that the image forming apparatus 20 registers itself in the management apparatus 40 after the image forming apparatus 20 is installed at the customer 9. When the image forming apparatus 20 succeeds in the initial notification to the management apparatus 40, use of the image forming apparatus 20 is permitted.

  Periodic notification: means that the image forming apparatus 20 periodically communicates with the management apparatus 40. In the periodic notification, a device identifier, a registration number, and counter information are transmitted. The “periodic” of the periodic notification mainly means a constant period, but it does not have to be a constant period and may be irregular. When the notification is performed once a day, the image forming apparatus 20 may transmit it at a fixed time, or may transmit it during a time period when the user or the operator on the trader side is not used.

  Return notification: This is notified when the return processing (rental end) of the image forming apparatus 20 is performed. The same information as the notification of return and periodic notification is notified. When the image forming apparatus 20 successfully returns the notification to the management apparatus 40, the image forming apparatus 20 cannot be used.

  Failure notification: Error information such as paper jam is notified. This corresponds to the reporting factor described later. In addition to periodic notification information, error details are notified.

<System configuration example>
FIG. 2 shows an example of a configuration diagram of the remote management system 100. The remote management system 100 includes a management device 40, a sales server 60, an image forming device 20, an information terminal 10, and a settlement organization 80 that can communicate with each other via a network N.

  The in-house LAN 360 of the customer in which the image forming apparatus 20 is installed is connected to the network N via a provider network or WAN of a provider that connects the in-house LAN 360 to the Internet. Network N may be referred to as the Internet. The network N may be constructed by either wired or wireless, and wired and wireless may be combined.

  The management device 40 is a device that manages the image forming apparatus 20. The management refers to grasping the image forming apparatus 20 used by each customer 9, performing maintenance, and performing billing processing based on counter information included in the periodic notification. For example, a periodic notification of the image forming apparatus 20 is acquired and diagnosed, and a failure or a sign of a failure of the image forming apparatus 20 is detected. Depending on the detection result, further diagnosis is performed from a remote location, and a customer engineer is dispatched if necessary. When a failure notification is received from the image forming apparatus 20, a customer engineer is dispatched. In addition, the toner request and the remaining amount of toner are acquired from the image forming apparatus 20 and the toner is sent out as necessary, or the number of discharged sheets is acquired and the paper is sent out as necessary. With regard to billing, for example, a monthly fee is charged by multiplying the increment of the counter information by the unit price.

  The management apparatus 40 is operated by a sales company (dealer) that provides the image forming apparatus 20 to the customer 9, a manufacturing company (manufacturer) of the image forming apparatus 20, or a sales company or an affiliated company of the manufacturing company. It may be the same as the operating source of the sales server 60 described below.

  The sales server 60 sells various products and services. The sales server 60 provides a Web page that displays various products and services in a selectable manner, and requests the settlement organization 80 to settle the products and services selected by the customer 9. If payment is completed, various products and services are delivered to the customer 9. That is, the sales server 60 provides a Web site where electronic commerce is possible. Note that the sales server 60 transmits contract information (described later) with the customer 9 that is concluded along with the sales of the image forming apparatus 20 to the management apparatus 40. The management device 40 and the operator of the management device can acquire the contract information together with the conclusion of the contract.

  The settlement institution 80 is, for example, a financial institution or a credit card company, and settles various products and services purchased by the customer 9. For example, in the settlement by credit card, the settlement organization 80 pays for the goods and services to the sales company and charges the customer 9 for a fee. In the case of a financial institution, the customer 9 pays various products and services from the account of the customer 9 and pays them to the sales side. Further, in the settlement using the transfer paper, the transfer paper for requesting the payment to the customer 9 is mailed to the customer 9, and the payment paid by the customer 9 at the convenience store or the like is paid to the sales side by the payment organization.

  The image forming apparatus 20 performs printing of a document input as electronic data, copying of a document, scanning (reading) of a document, FAX transmission of a document or document, FAX reception from a partner, and the like. The image forming apparatus 20 may have at least a print function. Further, the image forming apparatus 20 having two or more functions among document printing, document copying, document scanning, and FAX transmission / reception may be called an MFP (Multifunctional Peripheral / Printer / Product). Also, it may be called an image processing device.

  The image forming apparatus 20 is merely an example of a management target device managed by the management apparatus 40. The managed device may be an electronic blackboard, a projector, a video conference terminal, or the like.

  The information terminal 10 is a general-purpose information processing device or a device called a terminal. The customer 9 operates the information terminal 10 to apply for the purchase of various products and for the rental of various services (in this embodiment, the rental is not distinguished from the lease and is simply referred to as rental). In the information terminal 10, browser software for accessing an electronic commerce website provided by the sales server 60 or application software having an equivalent function operates.

  Specifically, the information terminal 10 is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a wearable computer (such as a wristwatch, sunglasses, a head-mounted display), an electronic blackboard, a video conference. A terminal, a projector, or the like. Further, the image forming apparatus 20 may be used as the information terminal 10.

  In this embodiment, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 20 and the information terminal 10 are installed in the company 9 of the customer 9 who rented the image forming apparatus 20 and are operated by the customer 9. However, the information terminal 10 is portable and is often used for processing other than rental.

≪Hardware configuration≫
Next, the hardware configuration of the management device 40, the sales server 60, the image forming device 20, and the like will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of the management device 40. The management device 40 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, and an auxiliary storage device 204. Furthermore, the management device 40 includes an input device 205, a display control unit 206, and a communication device 207. Note that the units of the management device 40 are connected to each other via the bus 208. Therefore, the management device 40 has a function as an information processing device.

  The CPU 201 executes various programs and OS (Operating System) stored in the auxiliary storage device 204. The ROM 202 is a nonvolatile memory. The ROM 202 stores programs, data, and the like necessary for the CPU 201 to execute various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 204.

  The RAM 203 is a main storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or an SRAM (Static Random Access Memory). Various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 204 when executed by the CPU 201 are expanded in the RAM 203, and the RAM 203 serves as a work area for the CPU 201.

  The auxiliary storage device 204 stores various programs executed by the CPU 201 and various databases used when the various programs are executed by the CPU 201. The auxiliary storage device 204 is a non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Various databases will be described later.

  The input device 205 is an interface for an operator of the management device to input various instructions to the management device 40. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a voice input device, and the like. Furthermore, a mounting portion for a recording medium such as a USB I / F may be provided.

  In response to a request from the CPU 201, the display control unit 206 displays various information included in the management device 40 on the display 210 in the form of a cursor, menu, window, character, image, or the like. The display control unit 206 is, for example, a graphic chip or a display I / F.

  The communication device 207 is a network I / F that communicates with the sales server 60 and the image forming apparatus 20 via the network N.

  It is assumed that the sales server 60 and the information terminal 10 also have the same hardware configuration as that of the management device 40. Although it is not necessary to be completely the same, even if there is a difference, it is assumed that there is no problem in the description of this embodiment.

  The hardware configuration of the illustrated management device 40 or the like does not need to be housed in a single housing or provided as a single device, and is preferably a hardware element that the management device 40 or the like has. Indicates. In addition, in order to support cloud computing, the physical configuration of the management device 40 and the like of this embodiment may not be fixed, and hardware resources may be dynamically connected / disconnected according to the load. May be configured.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus 20. The image forming apparatus 20 includes a controller 320. The controller 320 includes a CPU 301, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 305, an SDRAM 302, a flash memory 303, an HDD 304, and a network interface card (NIC) 306.

  The ASIC 305 is a multifunction device board including a CPU interface, an SDRAM interface, a local bus interface, a PCI bus interface, a MAC (Media Access Controller), an HDD interface, and the like.

  The CPU 301 reads and executes various programs (for example, a usage management program) from the HDD 304 via the ASIC 305.

  The SDRAM 302 functions as a program memory that stores various programs, a work memory that is used when the CPU 301 executes various programs, and the like. Note that a DRAM or SRAM may be used instead of the SDRAM 302.

  The flash memory 303 is a non-volatile memory, and stores a boot loader (boot program) for starting up the image forming apparatus 20 and an OS. Moreover, it functions as an application memory for storing each application software (for example, including a usage management program). The flash memory 303 functions as a service memory that stores software for each service (copy service, print service, facsimile service). Further, the flash memory 303 functions as a data memory for storing firmware memory for storing firmware, network addresses, device identifiers, and the like.

  Instead of the flash memory 303, another nonvolatile memory such as a nonvolatile RAM in which a backup circuit using a RAM and a battery is integrated or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) may be used.

  The HDD 304 is a non-volatile recording medium that stores data regardless of whether the image forming apparatus 20 is powered on or off. The HDD 304 records programs and data other than the programs and data stored in the flash memory 303. The HDD 304 may be used as a farm memory.

  The NIC 306 is an interface for communicating with the management apparatus 40 via the in-house LAN 360 (for example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) card). Communication with the management apparatus 40 is performed via the NIC 306.

  An operation unit 307 is connected to the controller 320. The operation unit 307 has various operation keys, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or CRT character display as a display device, and a touch panel, and is used when a user inputs various instructions to the image forming apparatus 20.

  Further, a fax control unit 308, a USB host 309, IEEE1394 (310), a plotter engine 311, a scanner engine 312, and a position detection sensor 313 are connected to the controller 320 via the PCI bus 330. As a result, the image forming apparatus 20 can provide services such as a copy service, a print service, and a facsimile service. The plotter engine 311 may employ either an electrophotographic system or an inkjet system.

  The position detection sensor 313 is a position detection device such as GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) or IMES (Indoor Messaging System).

  The illustrated configuration is merely an example, and the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 20 is not limited to the configuration in FIG. For example, the NIC 306 may be connected to the PCI bus 330. Further, the NIC 306 may be connected to the in-house LAN 360 (network N) by wire, or may be connected wirelessly such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark). Further, for example, the image forming apparatus 20 may include a device that communicates with a communication standard called Bluetooth (registered trademark), and may be connected to the in-house LAN 360 (network N) by the device.

  A USB device 350 is detachably connected to the USB host 309. The USB device 350 serves as a communication interface with the public wireless network of the mobile phone company. Instead of externally attaching in this way, the image forming apparatus 20 may incorporate a communication interface with the public wireless network.

<About remote management system functions>
Next, functional configurations of the management apparatus 40 and the image forming apparatus 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an example of a functional block diagram of the management apparatus 40 and the image forming apparatus 20 included in the remote management system 100. The sales server 60 and the settlement organization 80 will be described as necessary.

  In the following description, a DB (Data Base) or a table is referred to for convenience of explanation, and the information stored in the storage units 2000 and 4000 need to be stored in the form of a DB or a table. Absent.

<< Management device 40 >>
The management apparatus 40 includes a device information management unit 41, a communication unit 42, a service information management unit 43, an input unit 44, and a display unit 45. Each of these components included in the management device 40 operates according to a command from the CPU 201 according to the management program 4100 expanded from the auxiliary storage device 204 to the RAM 203. Is a function realized by or means provided.

  Further, the management device 40 includes a storage unit 4000 constructed by the auxiliary storage device 204 and the RAM 203 shown in FIG. In the storage unit 4000, a device management information DB 4001 and a service information DB 4002 are constructed. The management program 4100 is distributed from a server for program distribution, or is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and distributed. First, each database of the management apparatus 40 will be described.

表１は機器管理情報ＤＢ４００１に登録されている機器管理情報を模式的に示す。機器管理情報は、管理対象の画像形成装置２０の遠隔管理のために管理される情報である。具体的には、機器識別子、モデル名、登録番号、機器設置状態、顧客ＩＤ、イールド情報、平均印刷枚数、及び、トナー閾値などが登録されている。

Table 1 schematically shows device management information registered in the device management information DB 4001. The device management information is information managed for remote management of the image forming apparatus 20 to be managed. Specifically, a device identifier, a model name, a registration number, a device installation state, a customer ID, yield information, an average number of printed sheets, a toner threshold, and the like are registered.

  The device identifier is identification information unique to the image forming apparatus 20 and is guaranteed to be unique even if it can be changed. For example, serial number, manufacturing date + location information, model number + sequential number, lot number + sequential number, etc. are not limited thereto. The model name is information representing the function of the image forming apparatus 20 and is, for example, a model number or a product name, but is not limited thereto. The registration number is as described above.

  The device installation state is information indicating the state of the image forming apparatus 20. The device installation state includes, for example, “device not installed” or “device installed”. “Equipment not installed” indicates that the image forming apparatus 20 is not usable. Immediately after the contract is completed and the registration number is registered in the device management information DB 4001, the device installation state is “device not installed”. When the image forming apparatus 20 installed at the customer succeeds in the initial notification with the management apparatus 40, the apparatus installation state becomes “equipment installed”. “Equipment installed” indicates that the image forming apparatus 20 can be used.

  The customer ID is identification information given to the customer 9 so that the management device 40 does not overlap, for example. The sales manager may give a customer ID.

  The yield information is information regarding the usable amount indicating how many sheets can be printed when the remaining amount of toner is 100%. In other words, this is the usable amount that the user can use the image forming apparatus 20 before the image forming apparatus 20 uses up the consumables. The average number of printed sheets is the average number of printed sheets (including the number of copies) for a predetermined period. The average number of printed sheets can be calculated by the management apparatus 40 when the image forming apparatus 20 periodically transmits counter information to the management apparatus 40. The toner threshold indicates what percentage of the remaining amount of toner in the image forming apparatus 20 is to notify the management apparatus 40 of toner near-end (which is one of failure notifications requesting toner because the toner is likely to run out). This toner threshold is also set in the image forming apparatus 20.

表２はサービス情報ＤＢ４００２に登録されているサービス情報を模式的に示す。サービス情報は、管理対象の画像形成装置２０に管理装置４０がサービスを提供するための情報である。具体的には、顧客ＩＤ、顧客名、住所、連絡先、配送センター、配送センターの住所、配送契約などが登録されている。顧客ＩＤは機器管理情報の顧客ＩＤと同じものである。顧客名は顧客の会社名や屋号などである。連絡先は例えば電話番号や電子メールアドレスなどである。配送センターは顧客に消耗品を配送する配送センターの名称などである。配送センターとは物流の拠点となる施設（配送拠点）をいう。工場や倉庫から送られる消耗品は配送センターに集約され、配送センターから顧客９に配送される。複数の配送センターが登録されていてもよい。この配送センターは、顧客の住所に最も近い配送センター、又は、顧客の住所が属する区画を受け持つ配送センターである。配送センターの住所は配送センターの所在を示す場所情報である。配送契約は、消耗品の自動配送を管理装置４０が画像形成装置２０に行う契約かどうかが登録されている。この他、消耗品の配送の履歴やメンテナンスに関する履歴情報などが登録されていてもよい。顧客ＩＤ、顧客名、住所、連絡先、及び配送契約などは後述する契約情報として扱われる。

Table 2 schematically shows service information registered in the service information DB 4002. The service information is information for the management apparatus 40 to provide a service to the image forming apparatus 20 to be managed. Specifically, customer ID, customer name, address, contact address, delivery center, delivery center address, delivery contract, and the like are registered. The customer ID is the same as the customer ID in the device management information. The customer name is the customer's company name or name. The contact information is, for example, a telephone number or an e-mail address. The delivery center is the name of a delivery center that delivers consumables to customers. A distribution center is a facility (distribution base) that serves as a distribution base. Consumables sent from the factory or warehouse are collected at the distribution center and delivered to the customer 9 from the distribution center. A plurality of distribution centers may be registered. This delivery center is a delivery center closest to the customer's address or a delivery center that handles a section to which the customer's address belongs. The address of the delivery center is location information indicating the location of the delivery center. In the delivery contract, whether or not the management apparatus 40 performs automatic delivery of consumables to the image forming apparatus 20 is registered. In addition, a history of delivery of consumables, history information regarding maintenance, and the like may be registered. A customer ID, a customer name, an address, a contact address, a delivery contract, and the like are handled as contract information described later.

  The device management information DB 4001 in Table 1 and the service information DB 4002 in Table 2 are only separated for convenience of explanation, and the device management information DB 4001 in Table 1 and the service information DB 4002 in Table 2 are configured as one DB. It may be. Also, some information in the device management information DB 4001 in Table 1 is included in the service information DB 4002 in Table 2, or some information in the service information DB 4002 in Table 2 is included in the device management information DB 4001 in Table 1. May be.

(Function of the management device 40)
Next, functions of the management device 40 will be described. The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 201 shown in FIG. 3 and manages various information transmitted from the image forming device 20 by the device management information DB 4001. For example, the device information management unit 41 determines whether or not the registration number received at the time of the initial notification from the image forming apparatus 20 is registered in the device management information DB 4001, and if registered, the device identifier received together with the registration number. Is registered in the device management information DB 4001. As a result, the device installation state becomes “device installed”.

  Further, the device information management unit 41 sets or changes information regarding the image forming apparatus 20 input from the input unit 44 in the device management information DB 4001. In addition, the device information management unit 41 acquires an initial notification, a periodic notification, a return notification, a failure notification, and the like of the image forming apparatus 20 from the image forming apparatus 20.

  In addition, the device information management unit 41 performs processing related to determination of the toner threshold. That is, for the customer 9 with a delivery contract, the address of the customer 9 and the address of the delivery center are specified from the service information DB 4002. Further, the number of days of delivery is calculated by applying the distance from the delivery center to the address of the customer 9 to a predetermined conversion formula. Then, a toner threshold is calculated from the number of delivery days, yield information, and the average number of printed sheets. An example of the calculation method has been described with reference to FIG.

  Thereafter, the device information management unit 41 transmits the calculated toner threshold value to the image forming apparatus 20. The image forming apparatus 20 can be used based on the registration result (OK), and the device registration work is completed by setting the toner threshold in the storage unit 2000.

  In addition, upon receiving a consumable delivery request from the image forming apparatus 20, the device information management unit 41 arranges the consumable to be delivered to the customer 9.

  Further, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 provides the device management information of the device management information DB 4001 to each unit of FIG.

  The communication unit 42 is realized by a command from the CPU 201 illustrated in FIG. 3 and the communication device 207 illustrated in FIG. 3, and transmits and receives various data to and from the image forming apparatus 20 and the like via the network N. . Information from the image forming apparatus 20 received by the communication unit 42 is notified to the device information management unit 41, the service information management unit 43, and the like, and necessary processing and communication responses are created. The communication response generated by the device information management unit 41 or the service information management unit 43 is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 20 by the communication unit 42.

  The service information management unit 43 manages service information for providing a service to the customer 9 in the service information DB 4002. In response to a request from the device information management unit 41, the service information is read from the service information DB 4002 and responded. In addition, when the display unit 45 displays the service information, the service information is read out, and the setting, change, and deletion of the service information input by the operator of the management apparatus from the input unit 44 are accepted. In addition, access to service information from the sales server 60 is permitted or restricted.

  The service information management unit 43 issues a registration number when a rental contract for the image forming apparatus 20 is concluded and a registration number issuance request is received from an operator of the management apparatus or the sales server 60. Further, the service information management unit 43 provides service information of the service information DB 4002 to each unit of FIG.

  The input unit 44 is realized by a command from the CPU 201 shown in FIG. 3 and the input device 205 shown in FIG. 3, and the operator of the management device registers information in the management device 40 with a keyboard or a mouse. Receive input to perform or manipulate.

  The display unit 45 is realized by a command from the CPU 201 shown in FIG. 3, the display control unit 206 shown in FIG. 3, etc., and an input result of the management device 40 by an operator of the management device, and device information The output contents by the management unit 41 and the service information management unit 43 are displayed.

<< Image forming apparatus 20 >>
The image forming apparatus 20 includes an input unit 21, a communication unit 22, a remote management information management unit 23, a display unit 24, an image formation unit 25, a device information management unit 26, and a report factor detection unit 27. Each of these units included in the image forming apparatus 20 operates according to a command from the CPU 301 according to a usage management program developed from the HDD 304 or the flash memory 303 onto the SDRAM 302. This is a function realized or a provided means.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 20 has a storage unit 2000 constructed by the HDD 304, the flash memory 303, and the SDRAM 302 shown in FIG. In the storage unit 2000, a remote management information DB 2001 and a device information DB 2002 are constructed. The usage management program 2010 is distributed from a server for program distribution, or recorded on a computer-readable recording medium and distributed. First, each database of the image forming apparatus 20 will be described.

遠隔管理情報ＤＢ２００１には、画像形成装置２０が遠隔管理により受けるサービスのために必要な情報が記憶されている。例えば、被管理機能の有効無効情報、管理装置４０のＩＰアドレス、通報要因、消耗品要求閾値、通報間隔、再送情報などが登録されている。被管理機能の有効無効情報とは、初回登録が終了し画像形成装置２０が使用可能であるか否かを示す情報である。管理装置４０のＩＰアドレスは画像形成装置２０が管理装置４０と通信するための情報である。通報要因は、異常通知された場合の要因（紙詰まり、消耗品の配送要求など）を示す。消耗品要求閾値は画像形成装置２０が消耗品の配送を要求するための消耗品の残量を示す。消耗品がトナーの場合、トナーニアエンドを画像形成装置２０が管理装置４０に通知するためのトナー閾値が含まれる。トナーの他、用紙やステープルなどが含まれてよい。通報間隔は、画像形成装置２０が定期通知を送信する間隔（例えば、１日に１回など）である。通報間隔はユーザが設定してもよいし管理装置４０が設定してもよい。再送情報は、定期通知を送信できなった場合の再送の回数や再送を試みた日時などである。

The remote management information DB 2001 stores information necessary for services that the image forming apparatus 20 receives by remote management. For example, the valid / invalid information of the managed function, the IP address of the management device 40, the reporting factor, the consumable requirement threshold, the reporting interval, the retransmission information, and the like are registered. The valid / invalid information of the managed function is information indicating whether the initial registration is completed and the image forming apparatus 20 can be used. The IP address of the management apparatus 40 is information for the image forming apparatus 20 to communicate with the management apparatus 40. The notification factor indicates a factor (such as a paper jam or a consumable delivery request) when an abnormality is notified. The consumable requirement threshold indicates the remaining amount of consumables for the image forming apparatus 20 to request delivery of consumables. When the consumable is toner, a toner threshold value for the image forming apparatus 20 to notify the management apparatus 40 of toner near-end is included. In addition to toner, paper and staples may be included. The notification interval is an interval (for example, once a day) at which the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a regular notification. The notification interval may be set by the user or the management device 40. The retransmission information includes the number of retransmissions when the periodic notification cannot be transmitted, the date and time when retransmission is attempted, and the like.

機器情報ＤＢ２００２には、画像形成装置２０がもつ固有の情報が記憶されている。例えば、機器設定情報、消耗品残量（使用量）、センサの検出情報、カウンタ情報、状態情報、ファームウェア情報、ログ情報及び位置情報が登録されている。機器設定情報は、コピー／印刷／ＦＡＸ／スキャナなどの機能を実現するための設定情報である。具体的には、帯電電圧、一次転写電圧、二次転写電圧、線速情報など画像形成の各種のパラメータが登録されている。消耗品残量（使用量）は各消耗品の使用量又は残量の少なくとも一方が登録されている。センサの値情報は、画像形成装置２０が有する各種のセンサの検出値である。例えば、紙詰まりセンサ、ドアセンサ、定着器の温度センサなどである。カウンタ情報は、画像形成装置２０の累積の印刷枚数である。モノクロ、カラーのそれぞれでカウントされ、更に用紙サイズごとにカウントされる。状態情報は画像形成装置２０の現在の状態を示す情報である。例えば、ジョブ実行中、省エネ中などがある。ファームウェア情報はファームウェアの種類とバージョンである。ログ情報はコントローラ３２０、プロッタエンジン３１１やスキャナエンジン３１２などの稼動履歴である。位置情報は画像形成装置２０の位置情報である。位置情報は顧客９のユーザ、業者側オペレータや管理装置４０のオペレータが設定してもよく、位置検出センサ３１３が検出した位置情報が設定されてもよい。

The device information DB 2002 stores unique information that the image forming apparatus 20 has. For example, device setting information, consumables remaining amount (usage amount), sensor detection information, counter information, status information, firmware information, log information, and position information are registered. The device setting information is setting information for realizing functions such as copy / print / FAX / scanner. Specifically, various parameters for image formation such as charging voltage, primary transfer voltage, secondary transfer voltage, and linear velocity information are registered. At least one of the used amount or remaining amount of each consumable item is registered as the remaining amount (used amount) of the consumable item. The sensor value information is detection values of various sensors included in the image forming apparatus 20. For example, a paper jam sensor, a door sensor, a fixing device temperature sensor, or the like. The counter information is the cumulative number of printed sheets of the image forming apparatus 20. It is counted for each of monochrome and color, and further counted for each paper size. The state information is information indicating the current state of the image forming apparatus 20. For example, during job execution or energy saving. The firmware information is the type and version of the firmware. The log information is an operation history of the controller 320, the plotter engine 311, the scanner engine 312 and the like. The position information is position information of the image forming apparatus 20. The position information may be set by the user of the customer 9, the operator on the trader side, or the operator of the management apparatus 40, or the position information detected by the position detection sensor 313 may be set.

  The remote management information DB 2001 in Table 3 and the device information DB 2002 in Table 4 are only separated for convenience of explanation, and the remote management information DB 2001 in Table 3 and the device information DB 2002 in Table 4 are configured as one DB. It may be. Also, some information in the remote management information DB 2001 in Table 3 is included in the device information DB 2002 in Table 4, and some information in the device information DB 2002 in Table 4 is included in the remote management information DB 2001 in Table 3. May be.

(Function of the image forming apparatus 20)
Next, functions of the image forming apparatus 20 will be described. The input unit 21 is realized by a command from the CPU 301 illustrated in FIG. 4, an operation unit 307, and the like, and receives various information and operations input by the user. One piece of information is a registration number.

  The communication unit 22 is realized by a command from the CPU 301 illustrated in FIG. 4, the NIC 306, the USB device 350, and the like, and transmits an initial notification, a periodic notification, a return notification, and a failure notification to the management device 40. In addition, various information transmitted from the management device 40 is received.

  The remote management information management unit 23 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 4 and manages values and information received from the management device 40 in the remote management information DB 2001. Specifically, when receiving the registration result (OK) in response to the initial notification, the remote management information management unit 23 sets the valid / invalid information of the managed function as valid. Further, when the image forming apparatus 20 notifies the management apparatus 40 of a failure, a report factor is set. When a consumable request threshold is received from the management device 40, a toner threshold or the like is set as the consumable request threshold. Further, a notification interval set by the user or transmitted from the management apparatus 40 is set in the remote management information DB 2001. When the image forming apparatus 20 retransmits a periodic notification or the like, the retransmission information is set in the remote management information DB 2001. Further, the remote management information management unit 23 provides the remote management information of the remote management information DB 2001 to each unit of FIG.

  The display unit 24 is realized by a command from the CPU 301 illustrated in FIG. 4 and the operation unit 307, and the like, and displays information on the image forming apparatus 20 according to information received by the input unit 21 from the user and operations. To do. Further, the state of the image forming apparatus 20 to be notified to the user is displayed.

The image forming unit 25 is realized by a command from the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 4 and a plotter engine 311 and the like, and executes a printing process in response to a print request.
The device information management unit 26 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 4 and manages device information in the device information DB 2002. For example, the device setting information in the device information DB 2002 is set at the time of shipment, but when an appropriate value is notified from the management device 40, the device information management unit sets the device setting information in the device information DB 2002. Further, the remaining amount of consumables generated by the image forming apparatus 20, sensor detection information, counter information, status information, firmware information, and the like are acquired and set in the device information DB 2002. If the image forming apparatus 20 operates, log information is set in the device information DB 2002. As the position information, the device information management unit 26 sets the value input by the user or the like from the input unit 21 or the position information acquired by the position detection sensor 313 in the device information DB 2002. Further, the device information management unit 26 provides the device information in the device information DB 2002 to each unit of FIG.

  The report factor detection unit 27 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 301 shown in FIG. 4 and detects that a report factor has occurred. For example, when the toner threshold of the consumables request threshold in the remote management information DB 2001 falls below the consumables remaining amount in the device information DB 2002, the occurrence of a reporting factor is detected, and the reporting factor is detected in the remote management information management unit 23. Notify that. The remote management information management unit 23 requests the communication unit 42 for failure notification.

<Operation procedure>
FIG. 6 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting the toner threshold in the initial notification. The procedure of FIG. 6 shows the processing after the contract is completed. The contract information includes a customer ID, a customer name, an address, a contact address, and a delivery contract.

  S1: The operator on the contractor side inputs the contract information from the input unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20, and the communication unit 22 transmits the contract information to the management apparatus 40. Further, the trader-side operator may input the delivery center set in the service information DB 4002 and the address of the delivery center. An operator of the management apparatus 40 may input the delivery center and the address of the delivery center.

  S2: The communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 receives the contract information, and the service information management unit 43 registers the contract information in the service information DB 4002. Here, it is registered as contract information as it is.

  S3: The service information management unit 43 of the management apparatus 40 issues a registration number, and the device information management unit 41 registers it in the device management information DB 4001.

  S4: The operator of the management apparatus 40 inputs the model name, customer ID, yield information, and average print number set in the device management information DB 4001. The input unit 44 receives input of such information. The customer ID is included in the contract information, and the yield information and the average number of printed sheets may be predetermined initial values. The input unit 44 receives input of such information.

  S5: Since the customer 9 of the image forming apparatus 20 is notified of the registration number in step S3 by mail or e-mail, the user inputs the registration number from the input unit 21. The input unit 21 receives a registration number.

  S6: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a device identifier, counter information, and a registration number to the management apparatus 40 as an initial notification.

  S7: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the initial notification. The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 determines whether the registration number is registered in the device management information DB 4001. If registered, the registration number in the device management information DB 4001 is searched, and the device identifier is registered in association with the registration number. If registered, it is determined whether or not the device installation state is “device installed”.

  S8: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 reads the customer ID associated with the registration number of the device management information DB 4001, and reads the delivery contract associated with the same customer ID from the service information DB 4002. Thereby, the management apparatus 40 can determine whether or not delivery of consumables is necessary.

  Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the device installation state of the image forming apparatus 20 is “device not installed” and there is a delivery contract.

  S11: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates the number of delivery days necessary for delivery of consumables. First, the address of the customer 9 (second location information) and the address of the delivery center (first location information) are read from the service information DB 4002. Next, the distance between the address of the customer 9 and the delivery center is calculated. Preferably, two addresses are converted into coordinates (latitude and longitude), respectively. In this case, a conversion formula for converting an address into coordinates, a website, or the like is used. The distance between the customer 9 and the distribution center may be a straight distance or a distance along the road. A road means that a person or a vehicle moves along a road, and a road distance means a moving distance on the road. When the delivery person has to pass a detour, the distance between the straight line and the distance along the road is significantly different, and the distance along the road may be more suitable for calculating the delivery days. Next, this distance is converted into delivery days. The device information management unit 41 is, for example, 2 days within 100 km, 3 days within 100-300 km, 4 days within 300-500 km, 5 days within 500-700 km, 6 days within 700-900 km, 900-1000 km Within 7 days, over 1000 km is determined as 8 days, etc. Such conversion may use a table in which distances and delivery days are associated, or may use a function that outputs delivery days from distances. Note that the tables and functions are set based on the delivery environment in the country or region of the customer 9. The delivery environment is a measure of how many days are required for delivery of consumables according to the distance in the country or region where the image forming apparatus 20 is installed.

  S12: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates a toner threshold. The device information management unit 41 reads the yield information and the average number of printed sheets from the device management information DB 4001. The device information management unit 41 determines the usage amount during the delivery days as a toner threshold value. Specifically, the number of days that the toner cartridge can be used is calculated by dividing the yield information by the average number of printed sheets, and the ratio of the number of delivery days to the number of usable days is determined as the toner threshold. Of course, this ratio and the toner threshold need not be exactly the same, and a margin of about several to 10% may be allowed. Further, the toner threshold may be made smaller than the ratio.

  S13: The communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 transmits the registration result (OK) and the toner threshold to the image forming apparatus 20.

  S14: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the registration result (OK) and the toner threshold. Since the remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the registration result (OK), the remote management information management unit 23 of the remote management information DB 2001 sets the valid / invalid information of the managed function to valid.

  S15: The remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 sets a toner threshold as the consumable requirement threshold in the remote management information DB 2001.

  S16: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits to the management apparatus 40 a registration completion notification meaning that the valid / invalid information has been validated and the toner threshold value has been set.

  S17: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the registration completion notification. The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 changes the device installation state of the device management information DB 4001 to “device installed”.

Hereinafter, a case where the image forming apparatus 20 is “equipment installed” will be described.
S18: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 transmits the registration result. The registration result in this case is, for example, a registration result (NG) or the like, and is information that means registered. The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the registration result.

  FIG. 7 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus 20. The process in FIG. 7 starts when the user registers the image forming apparatus 20 in the management apparatus 40, for example.

  The input unit 21 of the image forming apparatus 20 determines whether or not the registration button is pressed (S10). The registration button is a soft key or a hard key displayed on the operation unit 307 of the image forming apparatus 20. By pressing the registration button, registration processing (first notification) to the management apparatus 40 of the image forming apparatus 20 is started. In the case of a soft key, it may be automatically displayed when the power is turned on.

  When the determination in step S10 is Yes, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits the device identifier and the input registration number to the management apparatus 40 as an initial notification (S20).

  Thereafter, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 determines whether a registration result and a toner threshold are received (S30).

  If the determination in step S30 is Yes, the remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 validates the valid / invalid information of the managed function in the remote management information DB 2001 (S40).

  Next, the device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 sets a toner threshold as the consumable requirement threshold in the device information DB 2002 (S50).

  Next, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a registration completion notification to the management apparatus 40 (S60).

  As described above, the remote management system 100 according to the present embodiment calculates the number of delivery days from the delivery center to the customer and sets the toner threshold, so the toner threshold taking into account the distance between the customer 9 and the delivery center and the delivery environment. Can be set.

  In the first embodiment, the delivery days are calculated based on the delivery center set by the operator on the trader side. In the present embodiment, a remote management system 100 capable of calculating the number of delivery days based on position information of the image forming apparatus 20 of the customer 9 will be described.

  Functional block diagrams of the management apparatus 40 and the image forming apparatus 20 of the present embodiment may be the same as those in FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. The management device 40 has a distribution center DB in which position information of each distribution center is registered. The location information of each delivery center may be coordinates (latitude, longitude, altitude) or an address.

<Operation procedure>
FIG. 8 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting a toner threshold in the initial notification. In the process of FIG. 8, differences from FIG. 6 are mainly described. In FIG. 8, steps S9 and S10 are added.

  S9: The communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a position acquisition request to the image forming apparatus 20.

  S10: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits the position information stored in the device information DB 2002 or the position information detected by the position detection sensor 313 to the management apparatus 40. A user or a trader-side operator may set the address of the customer 9 in the image forming apparatus 20. The input unit 21 receives the address of the customer 9 and the device information management unit 26 stores it in the device information DB 2002.

  S11: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the position information. The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates the number of delivery days necessary for delivery of consumables. First, the nearest delivery center for the image forming apparatus 20 is specified from the delivery center DB. For example, the delivery center having the smallest linear distance or the distance along the road between the image forming apparatus 20 and the delivery center is specified. The method for calculating the number of delivery days after the delivery center is specified may be the same as in the first embodiment.

  S12: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 can determine the toner threshold value from the yield information and the average number of printed sheets since the delivery days are determined. The subsequent processing may be the same as in FIG.

  FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus 20. In the description of FIG. 9, differences from FIG. 7 will be mainly described. In FIG. 9, step S32 is added.

  If it is determined Yes in step S30, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits position information to the management apparatus 40 (S32). That is, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the position information is transmitted in response to the request from the management device 40.

  As described above, the remote management system 100 according to the present embodiment can determine the delivery center closest to the image forming apparatus 20 using the position information of the image forming apparatus 20. Further, it is possible to determine the toner threshold in consideration of the determined distance between the delivery center and the image forming apparatus 20 and the delivery environment. Therefore, it is possible to determine a toner threshold value that is more unlikely to become a toner end during delivery.

  In this embodiment, a remote management system 100 that determines a toner threshold again when the position is changed after registration of the image forming apparatus 20 will be described.

  For example, the device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 of the present embodiment periodically causes the position detection sensor 313 to detect the position. Thereby, it can be compared with the position information of the device information DB 2002.

<Operation procedure>
FIG. 10 is an example of a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure for setting the toner threshold of the image forming apparatus 20 after registration.

  S1: The device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 detects a change in position information. The device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 acquires the position information once a day, for example, and compares it with the position information in the device information DB 2002. Thereby, the change of an installation place is detectable. Also in this case, the position detection sensor 313 detects the position information, and the address of the customer 9 input by the user or the operator on the trader side may be used.

  S2: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits the device identifier, the changed position information, and the position information change notification to the management apparatus 40.

  S3: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the device identifier, the changed location information, and the location information change notification. The service information management unit 43 of the management device 40 acquires the customer ID from the device management information DB 4001 using the device identifier as a key, and reads the delivery contract associated with the customer ID from the service information DB 4002. This determines the presence or absence of a delivery contract. Here, it is assumed that there is a delivery contract. When there is no delivery contract, it is not necessary to calculate the toner threshold value, so the following processing is unnecessary.

  S4: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates the number of delivery days necessary for delivery of consumables. The calculation method may be the same as in the second embodiment.

  S5: The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 can calculate the toner threshold from the yield information and the average number of printed sheets because the number of delivery days has been determined.

  S6: The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a toner threshold overwrite request to the image forming apparatus 20 as the consumable request threshold together with the determined toner threshold.

  S7: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the toner threshold value and the toner threshold overwrite request. The remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 overwrites the consumable requirement threshold with the toner threshold.

  S8: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a toner threshold setting completion notification to the management apparatus 40. The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the toner threshold setting completion notification.

  FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the image forming apparatus 20. The procedure of FIG. 11 starts periodically, for example.

  The remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 determines whether or not the position information has been changed (S10).

  When the determination in step S10 is Yes, the device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a device identifier and position information to the management device 40 (S20).

  Thereafter, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives a consumable request threshold overwrite request (S30).

  The device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 sets a toner threshold as the consumable requirement threshold (S40). If already set, overwrite it.

  The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a consumable request threshold setting completion notification to the management apparatus 40 (S50).

  As described above, the remote management system 100 according to the present embodiment can detect a change in the position of the image forming apparatus 20 after registration and determine a delivery center closest to the image forming apparatus 20. Further, since the number of delivery days can be accurately determined from the determined distance between the delivery center and the image forming apparatus 20, the toner threshold value can be determined so as not to end the toner during delivery.

  In the present embodiment, a management device 40 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 20 of the first to third embodiments will be described. The processing performed by the management apparatus 40 is the same as in the first to third embodiments, but the management apparatus 40 according to the present embodiment switches processing performed according to the notification content from the image forming apparatus 20.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of a functional block diagram of the management device 40. A functional block diagram of the image forming apparatus 20 may be the same as that of the first embodiment. The management apparatus 40 of this embodiment has a notification content analysis unit 46. The notification content analysis unit 46 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 201 shown in FIG. 3 and analyzes the notification content from the image forming apparatus 20. The processing of the management device 40 is switched according to the notification content.

<Operation 1>
First, the operation of the management apparatus 40 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 20 of the first and third embodiments will be described.
FIG. 13 is an example of a flowchart for explaining processing performed by the management apparatus 40. The process of FIG. 12 starts when the management apparatus 40 receives a notification from the image forming apparatus 20.

  When the communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the notification from the image forming apparatus 20, the notification content analysis unit 46 analyzes the notification content (S10). The type of notification content is an initial notification (first embodiment) or a location information change notification (third embodiment) included in the failure notification. Processing when other notifications are received is omitted.

  First, a case where the first notification in Example 1 is analyzed will be described.

  When the first notification is received, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 confirms the registration status. Also, the presence or absence of a delivery contract is confirmed (S20). Details are the same as steps S7 and S8 in FIG.

  Next, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 determines whether or not the device installation state of the image forming device 20 is “device not installed” and there is a delivery contract (S30).

  If the determination in step S30 is Yes, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates the number of delivery days necessary for delivery of the consumables (S40).

  Next, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates a toner threshold (S50).

  Next, the communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 transmits the registration result (OK) and the toner threshold value to the image forming apparatus 20 (S60).

  Next, the communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the registration completion, and the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 changes the device installation state of the device management information DB 4001 to “device installed” (S70).

  When determination of step S30 is No, the communication part 42 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a registration result (S80). In this case, the registration result (the device installation state is “device installed”) is information indicating, for example, registered.

  Subsequently, a case where the position information change notification of Example 3 is analyzed will be described. The location information change notification includes a device identifier.

  First, the service information management unit 43 of the management device 40 determines whether there is a delivery contract (S110). The determination method has been described in step S3 in FIG.

  If the determination in step S110 is No, the process in FIG. 13 ends.

  When the determination in step S110 is Yes, the device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 calculates the number of delivery days necessary for delivery of the consumables (S120).

  Since the delivery information has been determined, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 can determine the toner threshold value from the yield information and the average number of printed sheets (S130).

  Next, the device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a consumable request threshold overwrite request to the image forming apparatus 20 together with the determined toner threshold (S140).

  The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the consumable request threshold setting completion notification (S150).

  As described above, the management apparatus 40 can switch the process according to the notification content from the image forming apparatus 20.

<Operation 2>
Next, the operation of the management apparatus 40 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 20 of the second and third embodiments will be described.
FIG. 14 is an example of a flowchart for explaining processing performed by the management apparatus 40. FIG. 14 mainly explains the difference from FIG.

  In FIG. 14, step S32 is added. In step S32, the communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a position acquisition request to the image forming apparatus 20, and acquires position information from the image forming apparatus 20 (S32). The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 determines the toner threshold using this position information. The subsequent processing is the same as in FIG.

  As described above, the management apparatus 40 can switch the process according to the notification content from the image forming apparatus 20.

  In this embodiment, a description will be given of a management device 40 that calculates a toner threshold value using an average number of printed sheets unique to a customer when the image forming apparatus 20 is used for a predetermined period at a customer site.

  FIG. 15 is an example of a sequence diagram in which the management device 40 calculates the toner threshold again. Since the processing from step S1 to S18 is the same as that in FIG. 6 of the first embodiment, step S19 and subsequent steps will be described.

  S19: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits the registration number, the remaining amount of consumables, and the counter information to the management apparatus 40 as a regular notification.

  S20: The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the periodic notification. The device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates the toner threshold again using the counter information. Details will be described with reference to FIG.

  S21: The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 transmits a toner threshold value and a consumables setting request to the image forming apparatus 20.

  S22: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 receives the toner threshold value and the consumable item setting request. The remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 sets the toner threshold in the remote management information DB 2001.

  S23: The communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a setting completion notification to the management apparatus 40. The communication unit 42 of the management device 40 receives the setting completion notification.

  FIG. 16 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing of the image forming apparatus 20 when calculating the toner threshold using the unique average number of printed sheets of the customer 9. The process in FIG. 16 starts when the periodical notification timing comes.

  First, the device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a registration number and counter information to the management apparatus 40 as a periodic notification (S10). The remaining amount of consumables may also be transmitted.

  The device information management unit 26 of the image forming apparatus 20 determines whether or not a consumable setting request has been received (S20).

  When the determination in step S20 is Yes, the remote management information management unit 23 of the image forming apparatus 20 sets the toner threshold in the remote management information DB 2001 (S30).

  Next, the communication unit 22 of the image forming apparatus 20 transmits a setting completion notification to the management apparatus 40 (S40).

  FIG. 17 is an example of a flowchart illustrating processing of the management device 40 when calculating the toner threshold using the average number of printed sheets unique to the customer 9. The process of FIG. 17 is repeatedly executed.

  First, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 determines whether or not a periodic notification has been received (S10).

  When the determination in step S10 is Yes, the device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 accumulates the consumable item remaining amount and the counter information (S20). Accumulation means storing the remaining amount of consumables and counter information for a predetermined period (for example, one month). The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 calculates the average number of printed sheets unique to the customer 9 from the counter information for a predetermined period. Specifically, the difference between the first and last counter information in a predetermined period is calculated. This is the printing amount for a predetermined period. By performing the same calculation in a plurality of past predetermined periods and calculating the average, the average number of printed sheets can be calculated.

  Then, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 compares the average print number A of the device management information DB 4001 with the average print number B calculated in step S20, and determines whether toner threshold calculation (re-setting) is necessary. (S30). For example, when the absolute value of the difference between the average printed sheet number A and the average printed sheet number B is equal to or greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the toner threshold value needs to be calculated. If the determination in step S30 is No, the subsequent processing is not performed.

  When the determination in step S30 is Yes, the device information management unit 41 of the management device 40 calculates a toner threshold (S40). The calculation method may be the same as in the first embodiment.

  The device information management unit 41 of the management apparatus 40 requests the setting of the toner threshold by transmitting the toner threshold and the consumables setting request to the image forming apparatus 20 (S50).

  The communication unit 42 of the management apparatus 40 receives a setting completion notification from the image forming apparatus 20 (S60).

  Therefore, when the image forming apparatus 20 is used for a predetermined period at the customer site, the remote management system 100 of the present embodiment can calculate the toner threshold using the average number of printed sheets unique to the customer 9. Therefore, a toner threshold value can be set according to the usage amount of the customer 9 for a predetermined period.

  In this embodiment, the toner threshold is calculated using the sequence diagram of the first embodiment. However, the toner threshold can be calculated using the sequence diagram of the second or third embodiment.

<Other application examples>
The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. And substitutions can be added.

  In the above embodiment, the toner has been described as a main example, but the present invention can be similarly applied to consumables such as paper and staples. For the paper, the delivered number is the yield information, and the average number of printed sheets may be the same as in the case of toner. For staples, the number of staples delivered (the total number converted into one stitch) is yield information, and the average number of prints in a predetermined period is used as the average number of printed sheets in the case of toner. Further, in the ink jet type image forming apparatus 20, ink becomes a consumable item.

  In the above embodiment, the management device 40 determines the toner threshold, but the image forming device 20 may determine the toner threshold. In this case, the image forming apparatus 20 acquires from the management apparatus 40 whether the distribution center has position information, yield information, and an average number of printed sheets. Further, the position information of the image forming apparatus 20 is detected by the position detection sensor 313 or the setting of the address of the customer 9 is accepted from the user or the operator on the trader side.

  The method for calculating the number of delivery days may be changed depending on the type of consumables. This is because the delivery means (postal and courier service, vehicle transportation, rail transportation, air transportation, etc.) may differ depending on the consumables, and the number of delivery days may differ depending on the delivery means.

  Further, in the present exemplary embodiment, the image forming apparatus 20 compares the toner threshold value with the remaining toner amount and requests the delivery of toner when the remaining toner amount falls below the toner threshold value. However, the management device 40 may compare the toner threshold with the remaining amount of toner and determine whether to deliver the toner. In this case, the image forming apparatus 20 may not store the toner threshold value.

  In the present exemplary embodiment, the image forming apparatus 20 has been described as an example. However, apparatuses other than the image forming apparatus 20 can be applied to apparatuses that use consumables. For example, when the battery of a video conference terminal, an electronic blackboard, or a projector driven by a battery is a consumable item, the video conference terminal, the electronic blackboard, or the projector is a target for remote management.

  Further, the configuration example in FIG. 5 is divided according to main functions in order to facilitate understanding of processing by the management apparatus 40 and the image forming apparatus 20. The present invention is not limited by the way of dividing the processing unit or the name. The processes of the management device 40 and the image forming apparatus 20 can be divided into more processing units according to the processing contents. Moreover, it can also divide | segment so that one process unit may contain many processes.

  In addition, one or more of the databases illustrated in the storage units 2000 and 4000 in FIG. 5 may exist on the network.

  The device information management unit 41 is an example of a threshold determination unit, the communication unit 22 is an example of a communication unit, and the remote management information management unit 23 is an example of a setting unit. The position detection sensor 313 is an example of position information detection means, and the counter information is an example of usage amount information. The method performed by the remote management system 100 described in this embodiment is an example of a remote management method, and the delivery base information is an example of a delivery center DB.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Customer 20 Image forming apparatus 21 Input part 22 Communication part 23 Remote management information management part 24 Display part 25 Image formation part 26 Equipment information management part 27 Notification factor detection part 40 Management apparatus 41 Equipment information management part 42 Communication part 43 Service information management Unit 44 input unit 45 display unit 46 notification content analysis unit 100 remote management system

JP 2014-019085 A

Claims (10)

A management device that arranges the consumables for a device whose remaining amount of consumables to use is below a threshold, and a remote management system in which the device can communicate via a network,
First location information of the consumable delivery base registered in association with the device and second location information regarding the location where the device is installed are read from the storage device, and the first location information And the number of delivery days required for delivery of the consumables based on the second position information,
A remote management system, comprising: a threshold value determining unit that determines the threshold value based on an amount of the consumable used by the device during the delivery days.   The threshold value determining means calculates the delivery days based on a delivery environment such as how many days are required for delivery of consumables according to a distance in a country or region where the device is installed. Item 4. The remote management system according to Item 1.   The threshold value determining means is a linear distance between the first position information and the second position information, or a road when moving along the road from the first position information to the second position information. The remote management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of delivery days required for delivery of the consumables is calculated using the distance. The device stores the second position information detected by the position information detection means or the second position information received from the setting in a storage device,
Communication means for transmitting the second position information stored in the storage device to the management device;
The threshold value determining means determines a delivery base of the consumables nearest to the second position information from the delivery base information in which the location information of the delivery bases of the respective consumables is registered. The remote management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the delivery days are calculated based on the first location information of a delivery base and the second location information transmitted from the device. When the second position information stored in the storage device is changed,
The communication means transmits the changed second position information to the management device,
The threshold value determining means determines the amount of the consumable used by the device between the first position information and the delivery days calculated based on the second position information transmitted from the device. The remote management system according to claim 4, wherein the threshold is determined. The threshold value determining means includes
The usable days of the consumables are calculated from the usable amount that can be used by the device until the device uses up the consumables and the consumed amount of the consumables in a predetermined period, and The remote management system according to claim 1, wherein a ratio is determined as the threshold value. The communication unit of the device transmits usage amount information regarding the usage amount of the device for at least the predetermined period to the management device,
The management apparatus calculates the usable days of the consumable item from the usable amount and the usage amount information of the predetermined period, and determines the ratio of the delivery days to the usable days as the threshold value. The remote management system described. A management device that arranges the consumables for a device whose remaining amount of consumables to use is below a threshold value,
First location information of the consumable delivery base registered in association with the device and second location information regarding the location where the device is installed are read from the storage device, and the first location information And the number of delivery days required for delivery of the consumables based on the second position information,
A management apparatus comprising threshold value determining means for determining the amount of the consumables used by the device during the delivery days as the threshold value. A management device that arranges the consumables for a device whose remaining amount of consumables to be used is less than a threshold, and an image processing device that can communicate via a network;
First location information on the delivery base of the consumables and second location information on the location where the device is installed are read from a storage device, and based on the first location information and the second location information Calculate the number of days required for delivery of the consumables,
An image processing apparatus comprising: a threshold value determining unit configured to determine the threshold value based on an amount of the consumable used by the device during the delivery days. A management device that arranges the consumables for a device whose remaining amount of consumables to be used is below a threshold, and a remote management method performed by a remote management system in which the devices can communicate via a network,
The threshold value determining means reads out the first position information of the consumable delivery base registered in association with the device and the second position information regarding the place where the device is installed from the storage device, and Calculating the number of delivery days required for delivery of the consumables based on the first position information and the second position information;
And determining the threshold based on the amount of the consumable used by the device during the delivery days.

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