JP5609044B2 - Electronic device, management device, management system, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device, a management device, a management system, and a program.

  In Patent Document 1, in a power supply device that converts a voltage supplied from a commercial power supply and supplies power to a load, when an abnormality in the output of the power supply circuit is detected by a current detection circuit or a voltage detection circuit, By controlling on / off the first switch means for turning on / off the power supply to the power supply circuit and the second switch means for turning on / off the power supply from the power supply circuit to the load, it is possible to determine whether the abnormality is on the power supply circuit side or the load side. A technique for diagnosing and stopping the operation of a power supply device according to a diagnosis result is disclosed.

JP 2007-060817 A

  An object of the present invention is to obtain an electronic device, a management device, a management system, and a program capable of appropriately taking action when an abnormality caused by a member whose trouble has been found occurs in the electronic device.

  It is another object of the present invention to obtain an electronic device, a management device, and a program that can take appropriate measures when a member that has been found to be defective in the electronic device newly appears.

The management device according to the first aspect of the present invention is a management device connected to an electronic device via a communication line, and the electronic device has a defective member whose failure has been found when an abnormality occurs in the device. Abnormal content information indicating the content of the abnormality that has occurred is transmitted to the management device that stores the information, and coping information indicating the result of the operation availability determination by the management device based on the information of the defective member related to the content of the abnormality When received from the management device, including a switching means for switching the operating state according to the received countermeasure information, the management device, when receiving the abnormality content information from the electronic device, a defective member that has been found to be defective Second storage means for storing the content of the abnormality that occurs in the electronic device in association with the handling information that represents the result of the operation availability determination for the electronic device in which the abnormality has occurred A first transmission unit that reads out the countermeasure information corresponding to the content of the abnormality represented by the received information and transmits the information to the electronic device, and the second storage unit includes a defect among members constituting the electronic device. Represents the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member, and information on the defective member indicating the content of the abnormality occurring in association with the defective member, and individual electronic devices connected via a communication line First member information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration including a defective member related to the content of the abnormality as the countermeasure information. And second handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration that does not include a defective member related to the content of the abnormality is stored, and the first transmission unit is configured to store information on the defective member. When the electronic device that has transmitted the abnormality content information includes the defective member related to the abnormality content represented by the abnormality content information based on the component member information, the first countermeasure information is stored from the second storage unit. If the related defective member is not included, the second countermeasure information is read from the second storage means and transmitted.

In the management device according to the second aspect of the invention , the electronic device includes information on a defective member indicating a type and a manufacturing unit of the defective member among the members constituting the electronic device connected via a communication line. Of each member constituting the electronic device stored in the second storage unit for each individual electronic device connected via the communication line when input together with the countermeasure information representing the result of the operation availability determination for 2nd transmission means which transmits the said countermeasure information to the electronic device containing the said malfunctioning member among several electronic devices connected via the communication line based on the component member information showing a kind and a manufacturing unit is included. .

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 2, wherein the information on the defective member represents a type and a manufacturing unit of the defective member among members constituting the electronic apparatus and relates to the defective member. Information indicating the content of the abnormality that occurs is input, as well as response time information that defines the transmission time of the response information, and the second transmission means determines the failure according to the input response time information. Abnormal content information indicating that the handling information is immediately transmitted to the electronic device including the member, or the information on the defective member and the handling information are stored in the second storage unit, and the related abnormality has occurred. Is received from the electronic device including the defective member, and then whether the countermeasure information is transmitted to the electronic device including the defective member is switched.

A program according to a fourth aspect of the invention is a program for causing a computer connected to an electronic device via a communication line to function as a management device, and when the electronic device has an abnormality, Abnormal content information indicating the content of the abnormality that has occurred is transmitted to the management device that stores information on the defective member that has been found to be defective, and whether or not the management device can operate based on the information on the defective member related to the content of the abnormality When the management information is received from the management device, it includes switching means for switching the operating state according to the received management information, the management device, when the abnormal content information is received from the electronic device, The content of the abnormality that occurs in the electronic device including the defective member that has been found to be defective is determined based on the result of the operation availability determination for the electronic device in which the abnormality has occurred. The second storage means includes first transmission means for reading the countermeasure information corresponding to the content of the abnormality represented by the received information from the second storage means for storing the information in correspondence with the countermeasure information representing the information, and transmitting the information to the electronic device. The means includes information on the defective member that indicates the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member that has been found to be defective among the members that constitute the electronic device, and that indicates the content of the abnormality that occurs in association with the defective member, and a communication line. And the component member information representing the type and manufacturing unit of each member constituting each electronic device connected via the device, and the trouble member related to the content of the abnormality as the countermeasure information First handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration including the second handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration not including a defective member related to the content of the abnormality is stored. And the first transmission unit includes the defective member related to the content of the abnormality represented by the abnormality content information based on the information on the defective member and the component member information. Reads out the first countermeasure information from the second storage means and transmits it, and when it does not include the related defective member, reads out the second countermeasure information from the second storage means and transmits it.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program for storing information on a faulty member indicating a type and manufacturing unit of a faulty member that is found to be faulty among members constituting an electronic device connected via a communication line. The electronic device is stored in the second storage means for each individual electronic device connected via a communication line when inputted together with the handling information indicating the result of the operation availability determination for the electronic device. Second transmission means for transmitting the handling information to an electronic device including the defective member among a plurality of electronic devices connected via a communication line based on component member information representing the type and manufacturing unit of each member. To function as.

The inventions according to claims 1 and 4 have the effect that the countermeasure can be switched between an abnormality caused by a member whose failure is found and an abnormality not caused by the member.

The inventions of claims 2 and 5 have the effect that it is possible to take appropriate measures when a member that has been found to be defective in an electronic device newly appears, as compared with the case without this configuration. Have.

The invention according to claim 3 has an effect that the operation of the electronic device can be continued when the handling of the member whose failure is found does not have urgency.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the apparatus management system which concerns on this embodiment. (A) is an error handling table, (B) is member information registered in the member information DB, and (C) is an image diagram showing an example of a defect information DB. It is a sequence diagram which shows an example of the processing sequence when a malfunction occurs. It is a sequence diagram showing an example of a processing sequence when an error caused by a defective member occurs. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the apparatus management process performed with a management server. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the operation state switching process performed with an image reading printing apparatus.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an apparatus management system 10 according to the present embodiment. The apparatus management system 10 includes a management server installed in a management center that manages a plurality of image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed and individual image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed in a wide area network 12 including the Internet. 26, an image is installed reading and printing unit 14 to the manufacturing plant for manufacturing PC: terminal device 38 consisting of (personal computer personal computer) or the like has been configured are respectively connected.

  A plurality of image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed connected to the network 12 are apparatuses installed in the above-described manufacturing factory and delivered to different customers. A typical configuration of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is a copying machine. This is a configuration that combines a function as a machine, a function as a printer, a function as a facsimile machine, and a function as a scanner. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration that includes only a part of each function is also possible. Good. In the present embodiment, the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 of different models are included in the plurality of image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed.

  The configuration of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 having the functions of a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a scanner will be described as an example. The image reading and printing apparatus 14 includes a microcomputer and the like, and includes a CPU 16A, a memory 16B, and an HDD. A main body control unit 16 including a non-volatile storage unit 16C including a (Hard Disk Drive) and a flash memory, a network I / F (interface) unit 16D, and a communication control unit 16E is provided. The main body control unit 16 optically reads a set document (paper original) to be read and outputs read image data. The image represented by the input print image data is printed on a recording sheet. An operation panel 22 provided with an image printing unit 20 and a display unit 22A as a display unit composed of an LCD or the like and an operation unit 22B as an input unit composed of a numeric keypad or a touch panel are connected. The image reading unit 18 and the image printing unit 20 are configured to include a sensor group for detecting the occurrence of various abnormalities. The sensor group detects, for example, a temperature sensor that detects a temperature or a conveyance of a sheet. A reflective sensor or the like is included.

  A network I / F unit 16D of the main body control unit 16 is connected to the network 12 and manages communication via the network 12. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the network I / F unit 16D of each image reading and printing apparatus 14 is also connected to a customer network (for example, a LAN) to which each image reading and printing apparatus 14 is delivered. The printer function of the connected image reading and printing apparatus 14 is realized by printing on a recording sheet in accordance with an instruction from a terminal apparatus (not shown) connected to the same network. The communication control unit 16E is connected to a public telephone network (not shown) and manages communication with other devices having a function as a facsimile apparatus via the public telephone network.

  The storage unit 16C of the main body control unit 16 controls the operation of each unit of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 according to an instruction from a user (user) as a program executed by the CPU 16A (for example, processing corresponding to each function (for example, Copy processing that reads an image of a document and copies it onto recording paper, print processing that prints an image represented by data received from a terminal device connected to the same network on recording paper, and reads the image of the document and reads the read image information Facsimile transmission processing for transmitting to other facsimile machines via the public telephone network, reading an image of a document, storing read image data in a storage area (box) provided in advance on the storage unit 16C, or attaching it to an e-mail A main body control program (not shown) for executing a scan process to be transmitted is installed.

The image in the storage unit 16C of the reading and printing unit 14, that is installed operating state switching program for performing the operation state switching process described later by CPU 16A.

On the other hand, the management server 26 includes a CPU 26A, a memory 26B, a nonvolatile storage unit 26C composed of an HDD, a flash memory, and the like, and a network I / F unit 26D, and is connected to the network 12 via the network I / F unit 26D. ing. In addition, a display 28, a keyboard 30, and a mouse 32 are connected to the management server 26. The storage unit 26C of the management server 26 is installed with a device management program for performing device management processing described later by the CPU 26A. The management server 26 to the second computer of claim 4, 5, device management program stored in the storage unit 26C is respectively corresponding to the program according to claim 4 and 5, the management server 26 When the device management program is executed by the CPU 26A, the management server 26 functions as an example of a management device according to the present invention.

  The storage unit 26C of the management server 26 stores an error handling table, a member information DB (database), and a defect information DB. The error handling table is given in advance to various types of abnormalities that may occur in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 as shown in FIG. 2A as an example for each model of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 to be managed. An error code and information (an example of the second countermeasure information according to the present invention) indicating a countermeasure method determined in advance for various abnormalities are registered and configured in association with each other. The member information DB and the defect information DB will be described later.

  The terminal device 38 includes a CPU 38A, a memory 38B, a nonvolatile storage unit 38C including an HDD and a flash memory, and a network I / F unit 38D, and is connected to the network 12 via the network I / F unit 38D. ing. The terminal device 38 is connected to a display 40, a keyboard 30, and a mouse 32. The storage unit 38C of the terminal device 38 is installed with an OS (Operating System) program, a manufacturing management program for managing the manufacture of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 in the manufacturing factory, and the like (all not shown).

  Next, as an operation of the present embodiment, the member information DB stored in the storage unit 26C of the management server 26 will be described first. The manufacturing management program installed in the storage unit 38 </ b> C of the terminal device 38 is always operated on the terminal device 38, and any of the members constituting the image reading and printing device 14 in manufacturing the image reading and printing device 14 in the manufacturing factory. In addition to managing in real time whether or not a member having a lot number is used, each image reading manufactured at a manufacturing plant indicates which lot number is used as each member constituting the image reading and printing apparatus 14. Processing for recording and management is performed for each printing apparatus 14. When the image reading and printing apparatus 14 manufactured at the manufacturing factory is shipped, the apparatus ID, model ID, date of manufacture, member ID and lot number of each member of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 to be shipped are set. A process of transmitting the included member information to the management server 26 via the network 12 is performed.

  On the other hand, in the management server 26, the device management program shown in FIG. 5 is always performed by the device management program being executed by the CPU 26A. In this device management process, first, in step 120, it is determined whether or not member information has been received from the terminal device 38 in the manufacturing factory or any one of the image reading and printing devices 14 to be managed. If this determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 122 to determine whether or not defect information (described later) has been received from the terminal device 38. If this determination is also negative, the process proceeds to step 124, and it is determined whether or not the occurrence of abnormality is notified from any of the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed. If this determination is also negative, the process returns to step 120, and steps 120 to 124 are repeated until any determination is affirmed.

  When the management server 26 receives the above-described member information transmitted from the terminal device 38 via the network 12, the determination in step 120 of the device management process executed in the management server 26 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step 126. It is determined whether the received member information is information to be newly registered in the member information DB stored in the storage unit 26C. If the transmission source of the member information is the terminal device 38, the determination is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 128, and the received member information is converted into the format shown in FIG. 2B with the single image reading and printing device 14 as a unit. After shaping and registering in the member information DB, the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124. The replacement date column in the member information format shown in FIG. 2B is all blank at the beginning when the member information is received from the terminal device 38.

  In addition, when a member that has reached the end of its life due to wear, deterioration or the like appears as the operation of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 continues, the maintenance worker goes to the place where the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is installed, and the lifetime is exhausted. In this embodiment, when the member replacement operation is completed, the maintenance operator operates the operation panel 22 of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 to replace the member to be replaced with a new one. The member ID of the replaced member and the lot number of the member after replacement (new member newly set in the image reading and printing apparatus 14) are input and input by the image reading and printing apparatus 14 in which the member replacement operation has been performed. The member information including the member ID and the lot number is transmitted to the management server 26 via the network 12 together with the device ID of the own device stored in the storage unit 16C in advance. It is.

  When the member information is received by the management server 26, in the device management process executed by the management server 26, the determination in step 120 is affirmed and the transmission source of the member information is the image reading and printing device 14. Accordingly, the determination in step 126 is denied and the process proceeds to step 130, where the member information DB is searched using the device ID of the image reading and printing device 14 received together with the member information as a key, so that the member replacement work is performed. The member information of the read image reading and printing apparatus 14 is extracted from the member information DB. In the next step 132, the member information extracted in step 130 is searched using the member ID included in the member information received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 as a key for the member information extracted in step 130. The information of the member for which the member replacement operation has been performed by the printing apparatus 14 is further extracted, and the lot number included in the extracted information is updated to the lot number included in the member information received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 and extracted. After setting the current date (date when the member replacement operation was performed) to the replacement date included in the information (see FIG. 2B), the updated member information is written back into the member information DB to obtain the member information DB. And the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124.

  As described above, every time the member information of the shipped image reading and printing apparatus 14 is received from the terminal device 38 with the shipment of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 from the manufacturing factory, the management server 26 performs the process of step 128. Each time the member information of the replaced member is received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 in which the member replacement operation has been performed in accordance with the member replacement operation by the maintenance worker, the processing of steps 130 and 132 is performed by the management server 26. As a result, the member information DB stored in the storage unit 26C of the management server 26 is configured so that each member that currently constitutes each image reading / printing device 14 for all the image reading / printing devices 14 to be managed. The lot number is maintained in a registered state.

  Next, information registered in the defect information DB stored in the storage unit 26C of the management server 26 and processing related to the defect information DB will be described. In general, in the image reading and printing apparatus 14, after the developed and manufactured image reading and printing apparatus 14 is put on the market, some trouble occurs while the customer is using the image reading and printing apparatus 14. Some members (or members having a specific lot number among the members) constituting the image reading and printing apparatus 14 may cause the above-mentioned problems due to, for example, an initial design defect or a manufacturing defect. Sometimes it turns out.

  In the present embodiment, when the image reading and printing apparatus 14 in which an unexpected defect has occurred in the original design appears among the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 used by customers (in the “defect occurrence” shown in FIG. 3). Correspondingly), the designer / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 collects and analyzes information on the trouble that has occurred, and analyzes the cause of the trouble (see also step 50 in FIG. 3). In addition, when the design / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 determines that the cause of the failure is a design failure or manufacturing failure of a specific member constituting the image reading and printing apparatus 14, In the image reading and printing apparatus 14 of the above, whether or not the same kind of trouble occurs or is possible (whether or not the trouble that occurred this time is reproducible) was determined, and it was determined that the trouble was reproducible. In this case, the type and the lot number of the member that causes the failure (hereinafter referred to as the cause member), and the work of identifying the model of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that may be configured to include the cause member are performed (FIG. 3). (See also step 52).

  Subsequently, the designer / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 determines the occurrence probability and seriousness of the trouble caused by (or possibly has) the cause member in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 including the cause member that has been found this time. Evaluate the affected range (for example, the number of affected functions), etc., and determine the timing and method for dealing with the image reading and printing apparatus 14 including the causal member found this time based on the evaluation result ( (See also step 54 in FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, there are “immediate action” and “action after occurrence of abnormality” as the above-mentioned countermeasure times, and evaluations such as “high probability of occurrence”, “high severity”, “wide affected range”, etc. If the result is obtained, “immediate action” is selected, and otherwise “action after occurrence of abnormality” is selected.

  Further, as a coping method, for example, by switching the operating state of the image reading and printing device 14 so that the use of the causal member is stopped, the occurrence of a problem is suppressed (when the coping time is “immediate coping”), A coping method is set to suppress the occurrence of a malfunction that has occurred into a more serious malfunction (when the countermeasure time is “Corrective action after occurrence of abnormality”). In the present embodiment, each process corresponding to each function of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 (copy process, print process, facsimile transmission process, Whether or not (scan processing) is activated (whether or not the processing is executed according to the user's instruction) is determined for each processing unit, and the operation availability determination result determined for each processing unit is set as a countermeasure However, the availability determination may be made for each smaller processing unit.

  Then, the design / manufacturer of the image reading and printing device 14 determines the member ID / lot number of the causal member, the countermeasure time, the countermeasure method (an example of the countermeasure information according to the present invention (more specifically, the first countermeasure information)), the occurrence Information such as an ID for identifying the malfunction (defect ID) and the ID of the model of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that may have a configuration including the cause member is transmitted to the management server 26 via the terminal apparatus 38. Is transmitted (see also step 56 in FIG. 3). In the present embodiment, when the countermeasure time in the defect information is “Corrective after occurrence of defect”, it is expected that the image reading and printing apparatus 14 will eventually cause the causal member to be used continuously. An abnormal error code is also added to the defect information.

  In addition, the defect information is not limited to being transmitted from the terminal device 38 to the management server 26 as described above, and the defect information is input to the management server 26 by operating the keyboard 30 or the like of the management server 26. It may be. In addition, when the designer / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 determines that the appearance of the causal member is caused by the design failure of the member in parallel with the above-described operation, Design / manufacturing is also performed, and if it is determined that the appearance of the causal member is caused by a manufacturing failure of the member, measures such as improving the manufacturing process of the member are taken so that the manufacturing failure does not recur.

  When the management server 26 receives the above-described defect information from the terminal device 38, the determination in step 122 of the device management process (FIG. 5) is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 134, and the defect information received from the terminal device 38 is converted into the defect information. Register in the DB (see also step 58 in FIG. 3). Accordingly, the defect information for one line in FIG. 2C is additionally registered in the defect information DB as an example. Each time it is found that some of the members constituting the image reading and printing apparatus 14 may cause a defect, the above-described work is performed by the design / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14, and the defect information DB as described above. Is updated (defect information is additionally registered), the defect information DB stored in the storage unit 26C of the management server 26 is maintained in a state where the latest defect information is registered.

  In the next step 136, it is determined whether or not “immediate handling” is set as the handling time for the defect information received from the terminal device 38. When the above determination is negative (when “action after abnormality” is set as the response time), the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124, but when the determination of step 136 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step 138. Then, from the defect information received from the terminal device 38, the target model ID, the cause member ID, and the cause member lot number representing the model of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that may have a configuration including the cause member are extracted. In step 140, the member information DB is searched using the target model ID, the cause member ID, and the cause member lot number extracted in step 138 as keys, thereby including the cause member in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 to be managed. It is searched whether or not the image reading and printing apparatus 14 having the configuration exists (see also step 62 in FIG. 3). In step 142, it is determined whether or not the image reading and printing apparatus 14 including the cause member is found by the search (search) in step 140 (see also step 64 in FIG. 3).

  When the determination is negative (when there is no management target image reading and printing apparatus 14 having a configuration including the cause member), the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124, but by the search (search) of step 140, When one or more image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed having a configuration including the cause member are found, the determination in step 142 is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 144, and a countermeasure is taken from the defect information received from the terminal device 38. Extract the information to represent. In step 146, for the single image reading and printing apparatus 14 to be managed with the configuration including the cause member, information indicating the coping method extracted in step 144 is used as the cause member ID and lot number extracted in the previous step 138. The operation method of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 switched according to the coping method and the reason for switching the operation state are transmitted together with notification information for notifying the user, and the coping method and the like are transmitted to the image reading and printing apparatus 14. (See also step 66 in FIG. 3).

  In the next step 148, it is determined whether or not information such as a coping method has been transmitted to all the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed with the configuration including the cause member. When a plurality of image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed are found in the configuration including the cause member by the search (search) in step 140, the above determination is denied and the process returns to step 146, and the determination in step 148 is affirmed. Steps 146 and 148 are repeated until As a result, information such as a coping method is transmitted to all the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed with the configuration including the cause member. In step 150, the maintenance worker is notified of information such as the cause member ID and the device IDs of all the image reading and printing devices 14 to be managed in a configuration including the cause member by sending an e-mail to the maintenance worker. (See also step 68 in FIG. 3), the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124.

  Each image reading and printing apparatus 14 performs an operation state switching process shown in FIG. 6 by executing an operation state switching program by the CPU 16A when the power of the apparatus is turned on. In this operation state switching process, first, in step 180, it is determined whether or not 1 is set in the unreceived flag stored in the storage unit 16C. The unreceived flag will be described later. In this case, the above determination is denied and the process proceeds to step 184 to determine whether or not a management method has been notified from the management server 26 (whether or not information indicating the management method has been received). . If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 186, and it is determined whether any abnormality has occurred in the own apparatus by any one of the sensors of the image reading unit 18 and the image printing unit 20. To do. When this determination is also denied, the process proceeds to step 188, and it is determined whether or not a repair work is performed by the maintenance worker. If this determination is also negative, the routine proceeds to step 190, where it is determined whether or not an instruction to turn off the image reading and printing apparatus 14 has been issued. If this determination is affirmed, the power of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is turned off and the process is terminated. If the determination is negative, the process returns to step 184 and steps 184 to 190 are performed until any determination is affirmed. repeat.

  Here, as described above, information such as a countermeasure method is transmitted from the management server 26 to the image reading and printing apparatus 14 including the cause member in which “immediate countermeasure” is set as the countermeasure time for the corresponding defect information. When this information is received by the image reading and printing apparatus 14, the determination in step 184 of the operating state switching process being executed in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step 192. In step 192, according to the coping method notified by the information received from the management server 26, whether to operate in units of each process (copy process, print process, facsimile transmission process, scan process) corresponding to each function of the own apparatus. By switching whether or not, the operating state of the device itself is switched, and information indicating the operating state of the device after switching is stored in the storage unit 16C (see also step 70 in FIG. 3).

  Thus, for example, if the cause member is a member constituting the image printing unit 20, the design / manufacturer of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 uses the image printing unit 20 among the processes of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 ( A coping method for stopping the operation of the copying process and the printing process is set, and the use of the causal member is stopped thereafter by the image reading and printing apparatus 14 switching the operating state of the apparatus according to this coping method. . The information indicating the operating state of the apparatus after switching stored in the storage unit 16C in step 192 is referred to when the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is turned off and then turned on again. By performing the process of switching to the represented operating state, the operating state switched in step 192 is continued even after the power of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is once turned off.

  In the next step 194, the cause member ID and the lot number received from the management server 26 together with information indicating the coping method are stored in the storage unit 26C as member information to be replaced. In step 196, the contents of the notification information received from the management server 26 together with information indicating the coping method are displayed as a message on the display unit 22A of the operation panel 22 (see also step 72 in FIG. 3), and the loop of steps 184 to 190 is performed. Return to. As a result, the user who refers to the message displayed on the display unit 22A can ask the user of the current operating state of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 (for example, “copying and printing has stopped operating”) and the reason for switching the operating state ( For example, “the member xxxxx1 of the image printing unit 20 has been found to be defective”) can be recognized. Note that the above message may be displayed on the display of a terminal device that is connected to the same network as the image reading and printing apparatus 14 and has transmitted some instruction to the image reading and printing apparatus 14.

  When the maintenance worker confirms information such as the cause member ID notified in step 150 of the device management process (FIG. 5) and the device IDs of all the image reading and printing devices 14 to be managed in the configuration including the cause member, Recognizing that an image reading / printing device 14 that requires replacement of a member has appeared in the image reading / printing device 14 to be managed, a member attached to the image reading / printing device 14 instead of the member having the notified cause member ID ( After obtaining a member that has been improved (redesigned) so as not to cause a defect, or a member of a different lot that has been confirmed not to cause a defect), the image reading and printing device 14 of the notified device ID is Going to the place where it is installed, repair work is performed to replace the member that brought the cause member (see also step 74 in FIG. 3).

  In the repair work, when the maintenance worker inputs information notifying that the repair work is started via the operation unit 22B of the operation panel 22 of the image reading and printing apparatus 14, the image reading and printing apparatus 14 to which the information is input is input. If the determination in step 188 of the operation state switching process (FIG. 6) being executed in step 188 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step 208, and the cause member stored in the storage unit 26C as member information to be replaced in the previous step 194 The ID and lot number are read from the storage unit 26C and displayed on the display unit 22A of the operation panel 22. As a result, the maintenance worker performs the above-described repair work while confirming the cause member ID and the lot number displayed on the display unit 22A.

  In the next step 210, it is determined whether or not the repair work is completed, and step 210 is repeated until the determination is affirmed. When the repair work is completed, the maintenance worker inputs information for notifying the completion of the repair work via the operation unit 22B of the operation panel 22. As a result, the determination in step 210 is affirmed, the process proceeds to step 212, and the member information to be replaced is deleted from the storage unit 26C. In step 214, the operation state of the own device is switched so that the operation of the process that has been stopped is started, and the information indicating the operation state of the own device stored in the storage unit 16C is updated. Return to the loop of 184 to 190. As a result, the image reading and printing apparatus 14 returns to a state where all the processes are operating.

Described above, in the processing flow when the "real address" is set to a timing coping defect information, step 122,134～150 of device management processing of FIG. 5, claim 2 (more specifically claims Item 3 ) is processing corresponding to the second transmission means, and the management server 26 performing the processing of each step functions as the second transmission means described in the above claims. Further, in the processing flow when “immediate handling” is set as the handling time in the defect information, the main body control unit 16 that performs the processing of steps 184, 192 to 196 in the operation state switching processing of FIG. And function as switching means described in the above claims.

  Next, a processing flow when “Troubleshooting after abnormality” is set as the countermeasure time in the defect information will be described. As described above, when the management server 26 receives defect information from the terminal device 38 for which “action after occurrence of abnormality” is set as the countermeasure time, the device management process (FIG. 5) executed by the management server 26 After the received defect information is registered in the defect information DB (step 134), the determination at step 136 is denied and the process returns to the loop of step 120 to step 124. Accordingly, the image reading and printing apparatus 14 including the cause member is left unattended (the operation of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is continued) until an abnormality caused by the cause member occurs.

  Here, in any one of the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed, any one of the sensors in the image reading unit 18 and the image printing unit 20 detects that some abnormality has occurred in the own apparatus. Then, the determination in step 186 of the operating state switching process (FIG. 6) being executed in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is affirmed, and the routine proceeds to step 198. In step 198, after determining the error code of the abnormality that has occurred based on the type of sensor that has detected the occurrence of the abnormality and the content of the abnormality detected by the sensor, information such as the determined error code and the date and time of occurrence of the abnormality is displayed. The generated abnormality information is stored in the storage unit 16C (see also step 80 in FIG. 4).

  In step 200, a non-reception flag stored in the storage unit 16C (this non-reception flag indicates whether or not a response from the management server 26 has not been received) is set to 1, and in the next step 202, it has occurred. By transmitting the error code of the abnormality, the device ID of the own device, and the like to the management server 26, the management server 26 is inquired about how to deal with the abnormality that has occurred (see also step 82 in FIG. 4). The error code transmitted above is an example of the abnormality content information according to the present invention, but the abnormality content information according to the present invention may be information other than the error code as long as it is information that can identify the content of the abnormality. May be. In addition, information such as the device ID of the device itself may be included to identify the knowledge that the abnormality has occurred and information such as the date and time of occurrence of the abnormality. In step 204, it is determined whether or not the information indicating the coping method inquired is received from the management server 26, and the process is repeated until the determination is affirmed.

  If an abnormality occurs in the image reading and printing apparatus 14, the power supply of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is temporarily turned off by the user before receiving the information indicating the above countermeasure from the management server 26. An operation that is turned on again may be performed. When this operation is performed, the value of the unreceived flag remains 1 in the operation state switching process that is executed again when the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is turned on. Is affirmed and the routine proceeds to step 182 where the occurrence abnormality information stored in the storage unit 16C in the previous step 198 is read from the storage unit 16C. Then, by shifting from step 182 to step 202, information such as an error code that was previously transmitted to the management server 26 is transmitted to the management server 26 again.

  When the management server 26 receives information such as the above error code from any of the image reading and printing apparatuses 14 to be managed, the determination in step 124 of the apparatus management process (FIG. 5) is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step 152. The failure information DB is searched using the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 as a key. In the next step 154, it is determined whether or not the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is registered in the defect information DB as a result of the search in step 152 (see also step 84 in FIG. 4). When this determination is negative, the abnormality that has occurred in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time is not an abnormality caused by the causal member that has been identified at the present time, but occurs in the design stage of the image reading and printing apparatus 14. Therefore, in step 164, information representing a handling method corresponding to the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is extracted from the error handling table, and the process proceeds to step 166. .

  If the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is registered in the defect information DB as a result of the search in step 152, the determination in step 154 is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 156, and the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is checked. The defect information including the error code received from is read from the defect information DB, and the cause member ID and the lot number are extracted from the read defect information. In the next step 158, based on the apparatus ID received together with the error code from the image reading and printing apparatus 14, the member information of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the current error code is read from the member information DB and extracted in the previous step 156. By searching whether the combination of the cause member ID and the lot number is registered in the read member information, the image reading / printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time is referred to the abnormality occurring in the image reading / printing apparatus 14. It is determined whether or not a causal member to be raised is included.

  In the next step 160, based on the result of the processing in step 158, whether or not the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time includes a cause member that causes an abnormality that has occurred in the image reading and printing apparatus 14. (See also step 86 in FIG. 4). The combination of the cause member ID and the lot number registered in the defect information DB in association with the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is registered in the member information of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time. If there is no error, it can be determined that the abnormality that has occurred in the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time is not an abnormality caused by the causal member that has been identified at the present time, so the determination in the previous step 154 is negative In the same manner as in step 164, the process proceeds to step 164, information indicating the coping method corresponding to the received error code is extracted from the error handling table, and the process proceeds to step 166.

  On the other hand, the combination of the cause member ID and the lot number registered in the defect information DB in association with the error code received from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is registered in the member information of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time. If the image reading and printing apparatus 14 has transmitted the error code this time, the image reading and printing apparatus 14 is manufactured using a causal member that may cause an abnormality that has occurred in the image reading and printing apparatus 14. It can be determined that the abnormality generated in 14 is highly likely to be an abnormality caused by the above-mentioned causal member. In this case, the process proceeds to step 162, and information indicating a countermeasure is extracted from the defect information read out in the previous step 156 (see also step 88 in FIG. 4), and then the process proceeds to step 166. In step 166, information representing the coping method extracted in step 162 or 164 is transmitted to the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted the error code this time (see also step 90 in FIG. 4). When information indicating a countermeasure is transmitted from the defect information, the cause member ID and lot number extracted in the previous step 156, the operating state of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 and the reason for switching the operating state are notified to the user. Notification information is also transmitted at the same time.

  In the next step 168, as in step 150 described above, the maintenance worker is notified of information such as the cause member ID and the apparatus ID of the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that transmitted the current error code (FIG. 4). (See also step 92) and return to the loop of steps 120-124. Note that the notification to the maintenance worker may be performed only when a repair work by the maintenance worker is necessary, for example, when information indicating a coping method extracted from the defect information is transmitted to the image reading and printing apparatus 14. .

  As described above, the information indicating the coping method is transmitted from the management server 26, and when this information is received by the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has transmitted information such as an error code, the information is executed by the image reading and printing apparatus 14. The determination in step 204 of the operating state switching process (FIG. 6) is affirmed and the process proceeds to step 206. After the unreceived flag stored in the storage unit 16C is returned to 0, the process proceeds to step 192.

  As a result, as described above, the operation state of the own apparatus is switched in accordance with the handling method notified from the management server 26 (see also step 192 in FIG. 6 and step 94 in FIG. 4), together with information indicating the handling method. When the causal member ID or lot number is received from the management server 26, the causal member ID or lot number is stored in the storage unit 26C as member information to be exchanged (step 192 in FIG. 6), and information indicating the coping method When the notification information is received from the management server 26, the content of the received notification information is displayed as a message on the display unit 22A of the operation panel 22 (see also step 196 in FIG. 6 and step 96 in FIG. 4). It is done in order. Thereafter, a repair work is performed by a maintenance worker (see also step 98 in FIG. 4).

  In place of the lot number described in the present embodiment, information given in units of one member such as a serial number may be used. Further, the production unit in the present invention is not limited to a lot unit, but also includes a concept of one member unit.

  In the above description, the member information of the member exchanged by the member exchange operation is transmitted from the image reading and printing apparatus 14 that has undergone the member exchange operation to the management server 26. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, it may be transmitted to the management server 26 from a terminal device such as a PC held by the maintenance worker who performed the member replacement work.

  In the above description, the image reading and printing apparatus 14 has been described as an example of the electronic apparatus according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and has a function of detecting the occurrence of an abnormality and a function of communicating with the management apparatus. It can be applied to any electronic device provided.

In the above, an operating state switching program corresponding to the program according to claim 8 is stored (installed) in advance in the storage unit 16C of the image reading and printing apparatus 14, and an apparatus management program corresponding to the program according to claim 10 is provided. Although the aspect previously stored (installed) in the storage unit 26C of the management server 26 has been described, the program according to claims 8 to 10 is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM. It is also possible to provide it in a certain form.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Device management system 12 Network 14 Image reading stamp printing device 16 Main body control part 18 Image reading part 20 Image printing part 22 Operation panel 22B Operation part 22A Display part 26 Management server 26C Storage part 38 Terminal device

Claims (5)

A management device connected to an electronic device via a communication line,
When an abnormality occurs in the device, the electronic device transmits abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality that has occurred to the management device that stores information on the defective member that has been found to be defective, and relates to the content of the abnormality When handling information representing the result of operation availability determination by the management device based on the information on the defective member is received from the management device, the switching device includes a switching unit that switches the operating state according to the received handling information,
When the abnormality information is received from the electronic device, the management device determines whether the abnormality has occurred in the electronic device including the defective member whose failure has been found, and determines whether the electronic device in which the abnormality has occurred can be operated. Including first transmission means for reading out the handling information corresponding to the content of the abnormality represented by the received information from the second storage means for storing the information in association with the handling information representing the result of
The second storage means indicates the type and manufacturing unit of a defective member that has been found to be defective among the members constituting the electronic device, and indicates the content of an abnormality that occurs in association with the defective member. Information and component information indicating the type and manufacturing unit of each member constituting each electronic device connected via a communication line are stored, and as the countermeasure information, the content of the abnormality First handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration including a malfunctioning member related to the information and second handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration not including the malfunctioning member related to the content of the abnormality are stored. And
When the electronic device that has transmitted the abnormal content information includes the defective member related to the content of the abnormality represented by the abnormal content information based on the information on the defective member and the component member information, A management apparatus that reads first transmission information from the second storage unit and transmits the first countermeasure information, and reads and transmits the second countermeasure information from the second storage unit when the related defective member is not included. Of the members constituting the electronic device connected via the communication line, the information on the defective member indicating the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member whose failure has been found is input together with the handling information indicating the result of the operation availability determination for the electronic device. In this case, based on the component information representing the type and manufacturing unit of each member constituting the electronic device, stored in the second storage means for each individual electronic device connected via the communication line. A management apparatus comprising: a second transmission unit configured to transmit the countermeasure information to an electronic device including the defective member among a plurality of electronic devices connected via a communication line. As the information on the defective member, information indicating the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member among the members constituting the electronic apparatus and information indicating the content of the abnormality occurring in relation to the defective member are input, and the countermeasure Response time information that defines when information is sent is also entered,
The second transmission means immediately transmits the countermeasure information to an electronic device including the defective member according to the input countermeasure timing information, or sends the information on the defective member and the countermeasure information to the first device. (2) storing in the storage means, and switching whether to transmit the countermeasure information to the electronic device including the defective member after receiving the abnormality content information indicating that the related abnormality has occurred from the electronic device including the defective member The management device according to claim 2. A program for causing a computer connected to an electronic device via a communication line to function as a management device,
When an abnormality occurs in the device, the electronic device transmits abnormality content information indicating the content of the abnormality that has occurred to the management device that stores information on the defective member that has been found to be defective, and relates to the content of the abnormality When handling information representing the result of operation availability determination by the management device based on the information on the defective member is received from the management device, the switching device includes a switching unit that switches the operating state according to the received handling information,
When the abnormality information is received from the electronic device, the management device determines whether the abnormality has occurred in the electronic device including the defective member whose failure has been found, and determines whether the electronic device in which the abnormality has occurred can be operated. Including first transmission means for reading out the handling information corresponding to the content of the abnormality represented by the received information from the second storage means for storing the information in association with the handling information representing the result of
The second storage means indicates the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member that has been found out of the members constituting the electronic device, and information on the defective member that indicates the content of the abnormality that occurs in association with the defective member. And component member information indicating the type and manufacturing unit of each member constituting each electronic device connected via a communication line, and the content of the abnormality as the countermeasure information. First handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration including a related malfunction member and second handling information corresponding to an electronic device having a configuration not including the malfunction member related to the content of the abnormality are stored. ,
When the electronic device that has transmitted the abnormal content information includes the defective member related to the content of the abnormality represented by the abnormal content information based on the information on the defective member and the component member information, A program for reading and transmitting first handling information from the second storage means, and reading and sending the second handling information from the second storage means when the related defective member is not included. The second computer
Of the members constituting the electronic device connected via the communication line, the information on the defective member indicating the type and manufacturing unit of the defective member whose failure has been found is input together with the handling information indicating the result of the operation availability determination for the electronic device. In this case, based on the component information representing the type and manufacturing unit of each member constituting the electronic device, stored in the second storage means for each individual electronic device connected via the communication line. A program for functioning as second transmission means for transmitting the handling information to an electronic device including the defective member among a plurality of electronic devices connected via a communication line.

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