JP6054440B2 - Maintenance management apparatus and maintenance management method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a maintenance management device and a maintenance management method.

  Electronic devices such as image processing apparatuses need to be regularly maintained from the viewpoint of ensuring the quality of function provision. Conventionally, there are a plurality of techniques related to this maintenance. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-30269 (Patent Document 1) determines whether or not a maintenance operation for recovering the head state at the time of printing is necessary, and determines that a maintenance operation needs to be performed. An image processing apparatus is disclosed that acquires an elapsed time from the time of determination and notifies the user of the acquired elapsed time. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-281613 (Patent Document 2) discloses a printer maintenance system that evaluates a printer in a multifaceted manner and notifies the user of the necessity of maintenance.

JP 2010-30269 A JP 2007-281613 A

  In the prior art, only a service person operates software related to maintenance of the electronic device, and a normal user cannot operate the software. Therefore, when a specific error occurs in the electronic device or the like, the user calls a serviceman and requests the serviceman to solve the specific error. Thus, by preventing the general user from operating the software, the operation of the electronic device is prevented from being stopped due to the operation of the software.

  However, when the specific error occurs frequently, the user has to call the serviceman many times, and there is a problem that both the user side and the serviceman side take time and effort. Further, if the user can be allowed to execute only the operation that can eliminate the specific error and the user can execute the operation of the software, there is no need to bother to call the service person.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a maintenance management operation and a maintenance management method capable of reducing the burden on the user and the service person for eliminating a specific error. For the purpose.

A maintenance management device according to one aspect of the present invention includes an operation history unit, an optimum operation extraction unit, and a process reception execution unit. The operation history unit leaves the plurality of maintenance adjustment operations as a history when a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations are executed by a service person in order to eliminate a specific error. Based on the history, the optimum operation extraction unit optimizes a common maintenance adjustment operation that is commonly performed by a plurality of service personnel for the specific error according to a common order in which the common maintenance adjustment operation is performed. This is extracted as a maintenance adjustment operation. The process reception execution unit receives the execution of the process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation from the user when the specific error occurs, and executes the process.

  When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exceeds a predetermined threshold, the process reception execution unit performs the optimum maintenance adjustment operation only to an administrator who is given administrator authority among the users. The execution of the corresponding process is accepted. When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process reception execution unit accepts execution of a process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation to all users including the administrator.

A maintenance management method according to one aspect of the present invention includes an operation history step, an optimum operation extraction step, and a process reception execution step. The operation history step leaves the plurality of maintenance adjustment operations as a history when a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations are executed by a service person in order to eliminate a specific error. The optimum operation extraction step is performed based on the history so that a common maintenance adjustment operation that is commonly executed by a plurality of service personnel for the specific error is optimized according to a common order in which the common maintenance adjustment operation is executed. This is extracted as a maintenance adjustment operation. The process reception execution step receives the execution of the process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation from the user when the specific error occurs, and executes the process.

  According to the maintenance management device and the maintenance management method of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user and the service person for eliminating a specific error.

1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image processing apparatus including a maintenance management unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a functional block diagram of an image processing device and a maintenance management unit in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart for showing the execution procedure of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a serviceman call screen in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 4A), and a diagram showing an example of a maintenance adjustment operation table in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 4B). FIG. 5A is a diagram showing an example of a maintenance screen in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 5A), and FIG. 5B is a diagram showing an example of an operation history table in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 5B). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an operation history table in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 6A), and a diagram showing an example of a user maintenance screen in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 6B). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation history table in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 7A), and a diagram illustrating an example of an administrator maintenance screen in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 7B). FIG. 8 shows an example of an operation history table in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 8A), and FIG. 8B shows an example of an all-user maintenance screen in the embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 8B).

  Embodiments of a maintenance management device and a maintenance management method of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the present invention. In addition, the following embodiment is an example which actualized this invention, Comprising: The thing of the character which limits the technical scope of this invention is not. Moreover, the alphabet S added before the number in a flowchart means a step.

  Hereinafter, an image processing apparatus including a maintenance management apparatus (maintenance management unit) will be described as an example of an embodiment of the present invention. As the image processing apparatus, for example, a multi-function peripheral (MFP) having a function such as a facsimile, a copy, a scanner, and a printer, a copier, a printer, and the like can be adopted.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 100 receives a specific job setting condition from a user via the operation unit 101. The job includes, for example, copying, facsimile, scanning, printing, and the like.

  Upon receiving the job setting condition, the image processing apparatus 100 drives each unit such as the image reading unit 102, the sheet conveying unit 103, and the image forming unit 104 to execute the job. The image reading unit 102 reads image data of a document placed on a document table or an automatic document feeding unit. The paper transport unit 103 transports paper from the paper feed cassette or the manual feed tray to the image forming unit 104. The image forming unit 104 transfers the toner image corresponding to the image data onto the conveyed paper, and fixes it with a fixing roller, thereby executing image formation.

  The image processing apparatus 100 includes a maintenance management unit 105. The maintenance management unit 105 displays a serviceman call screen on the operation unit when a specific error (for example, print fading) occurs in the image processing apparatus 100. 101. When the serviceman displays the maintenance screen via the operation unit 101, the maintenance management unit 105 displays a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations for eliminating the error, and causes the serviceman to execute the maintenance adjustment operations in order. The maintenance management unit 105 records the maintenance adjustment operation performed by the service person, and extracts the optimum maintenance adjustment operation that can eliminate the specific error. When the specific error occurs again, the maintenance management unit 105 displays an execution key for executing processing corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation, and when the execution key is selected by the user, The maintenance management unit 105 eliminates the specific error by executing the specific process.

  The control circuits of the image processing apparatus 100 and the maintenance management unit 105 are not shown, but a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD ( Solid State Drive), drivers corresponding to each drive unit are connected by an internal bus.

  The CPU of the image processing apparatus 100 and the maintenance management unit 105 uses, for example, a RAM as a work area, executes a program stored in a ROM, HDD, SSD, or the like, and based on the execution result, data from a driver, It exchanges instructions, signals, commands, etc., and controls the operation of each drive unit related to job execution. Further, for each unit (shown in FIG. 2) to be described later other than the drive unit, the CPU implements each unit by executing each program. The ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD, and the like store programs and data that implement each unit described below.

  Next, the configuration and execution procedure according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when a user authenticates the user via the operation unit 101 of the image processing apparatus 100 and uses the image processing apparatus 100, a specific error (for example, print fading) occurs for some reason ( FIG. 3: S101), a sensor inside the image processing apparatus 100 detects the specific error, and the control unit 201 of the image processing apparatus 100 interrupts the operation in use. The process reception execution unit 202 is notified. Receiving the notification, the process reception execution unit 202 refers to the first memory M1, and determines whether or not there is an optimum maintenance adjustment operation that can eliminate the specific error (FIG. 3: S102).

  At the present time, since the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is not stored, as a result of the determination, the process reception execution unit 202 determines that the optimum maintenance adjustment operation does not exist (FIG. 3: S102 NO). The display reception unit 203 is notified through the control unit 201 of the image processing apparatus 100. Upon receiving the notification, the display reception unit 203 displays the serviceman call screen 400 on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 (FIG. 3: S103).

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the serviceman call screen 400 includes a message 401 indicating that the serviceman call screen is displayed, a message 402 indicating that an error has occurred, and an error corresponding to the specific error that has occurred. A code 403 and a message 404 prompting the user to contact the service person are displayed.

  While viewing the serviceman call screen 400, the user contacts a specific serviceman (for example, serviceman A), asks the serviceman A to come, and requests the serviceman A to resolve the specific error. To do. The service person A operates a specific part of the image processing apparatus 100 or the operation unit 101 after performing user authentication with the image processing apparatus 100, or performs a specific operation via the operation unit 101. A specific instruction for shifting to the maintenance mode is input to the control unit 201 of the image processing apparatus 100. Only the service person is allowed to input the specific instruction.

  The control unit 201 that has received the instruction notifies the maintenance control unit 204 of the maintenance management unit 105 to that effect, and the maintenance control unit 204 that has received the notification shifts from the normal mode to the maintenance mode (FIG. 3: S104 YES). ) Refer to the maintenance adjustment operation table 406 stored in the second memory M2.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the maintenance adjustment operation table 406 includes an adjustment item 407 (for example, “A”) for identifying the maintenance adjustment operation, and a maintenance adjustment associated with the adjustment item 407. Operation 408 (eg, “aging”) is associated and stored.

  Here, the maintenance adjustment operation 408 means an operation that is performed by the serviceman to eliminate a specific error, and the serviceman instructs the maintenance management unit 105 to perform this operation, whereby processing corresponding to the operation is performed. Is executed.

  For example, “aging” means a process of driving an engine (motor) such as a photosensitive member or a developing roller of the image forming unit 104 for a specific time, and “image reading adjustment” means that the image reading unit 102 reads document image data. It means a process of executing a process and determining whether or not an image can be read normally based on the result of the process. “Color misregistration adjustment” means a process in which the image forming unit 104 forms an image of a specific test pattern of full color and determines whether or not each color of the test pattern is misaligned. "Means a process of changing the size of the blank area around the print area where the image forming unit 104 forms (prints) an image to a predetermined initial value. , And a process for determining whether or not a paper jam occurs during the conveyance of the paper. In addition, there are a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations 408. Note that the maintenance adjustment operation 408 in the embodiment of the present invention means processing that can be executed by the image processing apparatus 100, and does not mean processing (for example, adjustment of setting values) performed by a serviceman.

  The maintenance control unit 204 referring to the maintenance adjustment operation table 406 acquires the maintenance adjustment operation 408 and displays the maintenance screen 500 on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 using the maintenance adjustment operation 408 (FIG. 3). : S105).

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the maintenance screen 500 includes a message 501 indicating that it is a maintenance screen, the specific error 502 that has occurred (“error code 1”), and the maintenance adjustment operation 408. A maintenance adjustment operation key 503 corresponding to, an adjustment interruption key 504 for interrupting the adjustment, and an adjustment completion key 505 for completing the adjustment are displayed. Further, a switching key 506 for separately displaying maintenance adjustment operation keys that cannot be displayed on the maintenance screen 500 is also displayed near the maintenance adjustment operation keys 503.

  The serviceman A selects the maintenance adjustment operation key 503 to eliminate the specific error 502 while looking at the maintenance screen 500, so that the maintenance control unit 204 causes the maintenance adjustment of the maintenance adjustment operation key 503 to be performed. The operation 408 is accepted (FIG. 3: S106), and the image processing apparatus 100 is caused to execute processing corresponding to the maintenance adjustment operation 408 (FIG. 3: S107).

  For example, when the serviceman A selects the “aging” key from among the maintenance adjustment operation keys 503, the maintenance control unit 204 accepts “aging” of the key as a maintenance adjustment operation (FIG. 3: S106). The control unit 201 is caused to execute processing corresponding to the “aging” (FIG. 3: S107).

  Here, if the specific error is not resolved even if the process is executed, the serviceman A does not select the adjustment completion key 505 (FIG. 3: S108 NO), and presses another maintenance adjustment operation key 503. The selection is made (FIG. 3: S106), and the processing corresponding to the key 503 is executed by the image processing apparatus 100 (FIG. 3: S107).

  As described above, the serviceman A can solve the specific error by repeatedly performing various maintenance adjustment operations 408 through trial and error. Here, for example, the service person A selects an “aging” key, an “image reading adjustment” key, a “color misregistration adjustment” key, and a “print margin adjustment” key in this order, and the maintenance control unit 204 selects each key. Assume that the processes corresponding to are sequentially executed.

  Then, the specific error is resolved, the sensor inside the image processing apparatus 100 does not detect the specific error, and the control unit 201 of the image processing apparatus 100 notifies the maintenance control unit 204 to that effect. Upon receiving the notification, for example, the maintenance control unit 204 turns on the adjustment completion key 505 on the maintenance screen 500 to notify the service person A that the adjustment is completed. When the service person A selects the adjustment completion key 505 (FIG. 3: S108 YES), the maintenance adjustment operation for the specific error is completed.

  Here, when the maintenance adjustment operation is completed, the maintenance control unit 204 notifies the operation history unit 205 to that effect, and the operation history unit 205 that has received the notification notifies the service person to resolve a specific error. A plurality of maintenance adjustment operations executed by are left as a history (FIG. 3: S109).

  For example, the operation history unit 205 performs a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations (for example, “aging”, “image reading adjustment”, etc.) performed by the service person A for the specific error (“error code 1”), Acquired in the order of execution (eg, “1”, “2”, etc.). Next, the operation history unit 205 refers to the maintenance adjustment operation table 406 and sets the adjustment items (for example, “A”) corresponding to the acquired plurality of maintenance adjustment operations (for example, “aging”) in the order. Get according to. Then, the operation history unit 205 refers to a predetermined operation history table 507 stored in advance in the third memory M3, and associates the specific error, the adjustment item, and the order with the operation history table 507. Remember.

  In the operation history table 507, as shown in FIG. 5B, an error code 508 corresponding to a specific error (“error code 1”) and an execution order 509 (“1”, “ “2”, etc.), identification information 510 (“Service Man A”) of the service person who performed the maintenance adjustment operation, and adjustment items 511 corresponding to the order 509 (for example, “A”, “B”, etc.) Are stored in association with each other. Of the adjustment items 511, when the maintenance adjustment operation is completed successfully lastly, “adjustment completion” indicating that is stored in the last order (“5”). Thereby, the maintenance adjustment operation actually performed for each serviceman can be left as a history.

  When the operation history unit 205 completes the storage, the optimal operation extraction unit 206 is notified of this, and the optimal operation extraction unit 206 that has received the notification stores the specific error based on the operation history table 507. It is determined whether or not a common maintenance adjustment operation performed in common by a plurality of service personnel is extracted (FIG. 3: S110).

  Here, at the present time, the operation history table 507 still has only a history of maintenance adjustment operations of one service person. In this case, it is unlikely that the specific error can be solved by the maintenance adjustment operation (there is no reliability). Therefore, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 determines not to extract the common maintenance adjustment operation (FIG. 3: S110 NO), and ends the process.

  On the other hand, the specific error occurs again, and this time, a different serviceman (serviceman B) displays the maintenance screen 500 and executes a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations, thereby eliminating the specific error. Suppose that the maintenance adjustment operation is completed. Then, in S109, the operation history unit 205 leaves a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations performed by the service person B as a history (FIG. 3: S109), and stores the operation history table 507 in the operation history table 507 as shown in FIG. A plurality of maintenance adjustment operations performed by two different service personnel remain as a history. In this case, there is a high possibility that the specific error can be solved by the common maintenance adjustment operation extracted from the maintenance adjustment operation. Therefore, in S110, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 determines to extract the common maintenance adjustment operation (FIG. 3: S110 YES), and executes the extraction process.

  Specifically, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 adjusts each of a plurality of adjustment items 511a belonging to one serviceman (serviceman A) and a plurality of adjustment items 511b belonging to the other serviceman (serviceman B). In comparison with each item, common (same) common adjustment items 511z ("A", "B", "C") are extracted. In this way, by extracting only the common maintenance adjustment operation that is actually executed, it is possible to delete the operation that is considered unnecessary, and to shorten the user adjustment time in executing the optimum maintenance adjustment operation. Also, giving the general user permission to execute the maintenance adjustment operation may cause a normal operation to be disabled due to the execution of the unnecessary maintenance adjustment operation. Therefore, the above-described inconvenience can be solved by limiting the extraction target to the common maintenance adjustment operation.

  Here, in order to eliminate the specific error, the order of each maintenance adjustment operation may be important. For example, when the specific error is “Print blurring”, “Image read adjustment” is executed after “Aging” and “Color misregistration adjustment” is executed next as the optimum maintenance adjustment operation. , “Print fading” may be effectively resolved.

  Therefore, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts common maintenance adjustment operations performed in a common order by a plurality of service personnel in the order. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the order of the common adjustment items 511z of one serviceman (serviceman A) is the order of “A”, “B”, “C”, and the other serviceman When the order of the common adjustment items 511z of (serviceman B) is the order of “A”, “B”, and “C”, the common adjustment items 511z also have the same order. In this case, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts “A”, “B”, and “C” of the common adjustment item 511z in this order. Thereby, a plurality of common maintenance adjustment operations that can surely eliminate the specific error can be extracted.

  On the other hand, for example, the order of the common adjustment items 511z of one service person (service person A) is the order of “A”, “B”, “C”, and the common adjustment item of the other service person (service person B). When the order of the items 511z is “A”, “C”, and “B”, the common adjustment item 511z having the common order among the common adjustment items 511z is only “A”. In this case, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts “A” of the common adjustment item 511z in this order. In other words, it is considered that “B” and “C” of the common adjustment item 511z do not greatly contribute to the elimination of the specific error. In this way, operations that are considered unnecessary based on the order may be deleted.

  When the optimum operation extraction unit 206 completes the extraction of the common maintenance adjustment operation (common adjustment item 511z), the common maintenance adjustment operation (common adjustment item 511z) is stored in the first memory M1 with respect to the specific error. Is stored as an optimal maintenance adjustment operation. When there are a plurality of the common maintenance adjustment operations, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 creates a procedure (flow) in which the plurality of common maintenance adjustment operations are arranged in the order, and stores them in the first memory M1. Let Thereby, the optimum maintenance adjustment operation for the specific error is completed.

  Then, the specific error occurs while the user is using the image processing apparatus 100. In S102, the process reception execution unit 202 refers to the first memory M1 and It is determined that there is an optimum maintenance adjustment operation for the specific error (FIG. 3: S102 YES). Then, the process reception execution unit 202 passes the control unit 201 and the display reception unit 203 on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 based on the optimum maintenance adjustment operation stored in the first memory M1. Is displayed (FIG. 3: S112).

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the user maintenance screen 600 includes a message 601 indicating that the user maintenance screen is displayed, the specific error 602 that has occurred (“error code 1”), and the optimal An execution key 603 for executing a maintenance adjustment operation and an OK key 604 are displayed.

  When the user selects the execution key 603 while looking at the user maintenance screen 600, the process reception execution unit 202 receives the selection of the execution key 603 (FIG. 3: S113) and performs the optimum maintenance adjustment operation. The corresponding processing is executed by the image processing apparatus 100 (FIG. 3: S114).

  In the above description, since “A”, “B”, and “C” of the common adjustment item 511z are stored in this order as the optimum maintenance adjustment operation, the process reception execution unit 202 sets the common adjustment item 511z. Corresponding to “A”, “B”, and “C”, the processes of “aging”, “image reading adjustment”, and “color shift adjustment” are executed. As described above, by giving the user the authority to execute the process of the optimum maintenance adjustment operation that may eliminate the specific error among the maintenance adjustment operations that have been executed by the service person in the past, the user can become a general user. However, it is possible to execute the process of the maintenance adjustment operation that could only be performed by the serviceman, and it is possible to delete the trouble of calling the serviceman and the adjustment operation by the serviceman.

  Further, as described above, the execution authority given to the user is only the selection of the execution key 603, and the execution of the maintenance adjustment operation with manual operation is not permitted. The possibility of knowing the contents is low, and the confidentiality of the maintenance adjustment operation is maintained.

  In addition, although it is considered that the specific error is eliminated by the process of the optimum maintenance adjustment operation, if the specific error is not eliminated, the user calls a serviceman, The specific error is resolved via the maintenance screen 500.

  By the way, in the present invention, the greater the number of service personnel who have performed maintenance adjustment operations for a specific error, the more common maintenance adjustment operations are limited, and the most efficient maintenance adjustment operations can be extracted. I can do it. Therefore, by changing the types of users that can be executed according to the number of operations that constitute the optimal maintenance adjustment operation, the optimal maintenance adjustment operation that reliably contributes to error elimination is given execution authority to all users. The optimal maintenance adjustment operation with uncertain error resolution (lack of reliability) may be given execution authority only to the administrator who is given administrator authority.

  For example, if the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exceeds a predetermined threshold (for example, 2/3 of the number of optimum maintenance adjustment operations stored first), the process reception execution unit 202 Only the administrator who has been given administrator authority among the users receives the execution of the process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation. On the other hand, when the number of service personnel who performed the maintenance adjustment operation increases and the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process reception execution unit 202 includes all the administrators. The user receives execution of processing corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, when three servicemen have performed a maintenance adjustment operation for a specific error in the past, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 determines the operation history table. In 507, a plurality of adjustment items 511a belonging to the first service man (service man A), a plurality of adjustment items 511b belonging to the second service man (service man B), and a third service man (service man C). The plurality of adjustment items 511c belonging to) are compared for each adjustment item, and common common adjustment items 511z (“A”, “B”, “C”) are extracted. In this case, the number of optimal maintenance adjustment operations corresponding to the common adjustment item 511z is “3”, but the number of initial optimal maintenance adjustment operations performed by two servicemen is also “3”. Is the same. Therefore, in S102, although the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exists, the process reception execution unit 202 determines that the operation number “3” constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is the threshold value (the first operation number “3” × 2 / 3 = 2) is exceeded. Then, when the specific error occurs, the process reception execution unit 202 determines whether or not the login user who has been authenticated by the image processing apparatus 100 is an administrator, and the login user is an administrator ( If the user is an administrator ID “AAA”, an administrator maintenance screen 700 that can be referred to only by the administrator is displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 (FIG. 3: S112).

  In the administrator maintenance screen 700, as shown in FIG. 7B, a message 701 indicating that it is an administrator maintenance screen, an administrator user ID 702 (administrator ID “AAA”), and the occurrence Specific error 703 ("error code 1"), the execution key 704, and an OK key 705 are displayed. As a result, only the administrator can select the execution key 704, and only the administrator can cause the image processing apparatus 100 to execute the process of the optimum maintenance adjustment operation.

  On the other hand, if the logged-in user is not an administrator, that is, if it is a general user, the process reception execution unit 202 confirms that without receiving the execution of the process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation from the general user. The display reception unit 203 is notified, and the display reception unit 203 displays the serviceman call screen 400 on the touch panel of the operation unit 101 (FIG. 3: S103). In this case, the general user calls a service person to resolve the specific error.

  Then, when the fourth serviceman resolves the specific error, as shown in FIG. 8A, a history of maintenance adjustment operations for the four servicemen remains. In this case, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 includes a plurality of adjustment items 511a belonging to the first serviceman (serviceman A) and a plurality of adjustment items belonging to the second serviceman (serviceman B) in the operation history table 507. Based on the adjustment item 511b, the plurality of adjustment items 511c belonging to the third serviceman (serviceman C), and the plurality of adjustment items 511d belonging to the fourth serviceman (serviceman D), the common adjustment item 511z (“ When “A” and “C”) are extracted, the number of service personnel who have performed the maintenance adjustment operation has increased. Therefore, the optimum number of maintenance adjustment operations corresponding to the common adjustment item 511z is “2”. Compared with “3”, which is the optimum number of maintenance adjustment operations, is reduced. Therefore, in S102, the process reception execution unit 202 determines that the number of operations “2” constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is equal to or less than the threshold value (first number of operations “3” × 2/3 = 2). Then, the process reception execution unit 202 confirms that all users including the administrator have authenticated the image processing apparatus 100 when the specific error has occurred, and then the operation unit 101. The all user maintenance screen 800 that can be referred to by all users is displayed on the touch panel (FIG. 3: S112).

  In the all-user maintenance screen 800, as shown in FIG. 8B, the message 801 indicating that the screen is an administrator maintenance screen, the user ID 702 of the login user (user ID “BBB”), and the above-described occurrence have occurred. A specific error 803 (“error code 1”), the execution key 704, and an OK key 705 are displayed. Accordingly, when it is determined that the optimum maintenance adjustment operation can eliminate the specific error with high accuracy, all users perform the process of the optimum maintenance adjustment operation using the execution key 804. 100 can be executed, and efficient error resolution can be realized.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 is intended for a completed maintenance adjustment operation that has been completed by a service person when the specific error has been resolved, but may have other configurations. For example, in addition to the completed maintenance adjustment operation, the operation history unit 205 may leave, as a history, an interrupted maintenance adjustment operation interrupted by a serviceman when the specific error has not been resolved. The optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts a common maintenance adjustment operation based on the completed maintenance adjustment operation, and sets a common maintenance adjustment operation not included in the suspended maintenance adjustment operation as a preferential common maintenance adjustment operation. You may comprise so that it may extract. This makes it possible to efficiently delete maintenance adjustment operations that are not related to the resolution of the specific error.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 is configured to extract the common maintenance adjustment operations performed by a plurality of service personnel in a common order. However, other configurations may be used. As described above, the order of each maintenance adjustment operation may be important in eliminating the specific error, but if the common maintenance adjustment operation is executed out of order, the specific error is eliminated. Sometimes it is done. In that case, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts all the common maintenance adjustment operations without considering the order, and the optimum operation display unit 204 displays all the common maintenance adjustment operations as optimum maintenance adjustment operations. Also good.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, when only the maintenance adjustment operation history of one serviceman exists in the operation history table 507, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 is configured not to extract the common maintenance adjustment operation. Other configurations may be used. For example, even if the maintenance adjustment operation lacks reliability, the administrator may be given execution authority. Therefore, for example, the optimum operation extraction unit 206 extracts a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations performed by one service person as a common maintenance adjustment operation, and the process reception execution unit 202 allows only the administrator to perform the one service person. It may be configured to accept execution of a process corresponding to a common maintenance adjustment operation by executing the above. This makes it possible to open the common maintenance adjustment operation to the administrator as much as possible.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, if the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exists when the specific error occurs (FIG. 3: S102 YES), the process reception execution unit 202 displays the user maintenance screen 600 via the user maintenance screen 600. Thus, the execution of the processing corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is accepted, but other configurations may be used. For example, when a user maintenance key for prompting user maintenance is prepared in advance on the serviceman call screen 400 or the normal operation screen, and the user selects the user maintenance key, the process reception execution unit 202 performs the user The maintenance screen 600 may be displayed again.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the image processing apparatus 100 including the maintenance management unit 105 has been described. However, the present invention relates to an electronic device that requires a service person to resolve the error when an error occurs. Is also applicable.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance management apparatus is configured to include each unit. However, a program that realizes each unit may be stored in a storage medium and the storage medium may be provided. In this configuration, each program is read by each device, and each device realizes each unit. In that case, the program itself read from the recording medium exhibits the effects of the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible to provide a method for storing the steps executed by each means in a hard disk.

  As described above, the maintenance management apparatus and the maintenance management method according to the present invention are useful for electronic devices including image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals, copying machines, printers, scanners, etc. In addition, the present invention is effective as a maintenance management device and a maintenance management method that can reduce the burden on a service person.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image processing apparatus 105 Maintenance management part 201 Control part 202 Process reception execution part 203 Display reception part 204 Maintenance control part 205 Operation history part 206 Optimal operation extraction part

Claims (4)

When a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations are executed by a service person to eliminate a specific error, an operation history unit that leaves the plurality of maintenance adjustment operations as a history, and
Based on the history, a common maintenance adjustment operation that is commonly performed by a plurality of service personnel for the specific error is extracted as an optimal maintenance adjustment operation according to a common order in which the common maintenance adjustment operation is performed. An optimal operation extraction unit to perform,
When the specific error occurs, a process reception execution unit that receives the execution of the process corresponding to the optimal maintenance adjustment operation from the user and executes the process;
A maintenance management device comprising: When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exceeds a predetermined threshold, the process reception execution unit performs the optimum maintenance adjustment operation only to an administrator who is given administrator authority among the users. Accept the execution of the corresponding process,
When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process reception execution unit accepts execution of a process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation to all users including the administrator.
The maintenance management apparatus according to claim 1 . When a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations are executed by a service person to eliminate a specific error, an operation history unit that leaves the plurality of maintenance adjustment operations as a history, and
Based on the history, an optimal operation extraction unit that extracts a common maintenance adjustment operation that is commonly performed by a plurality of service personnel for the specific error as an optimal maintenance adjustment operation;
A process reception execution unit that receives the execution of the process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation from the user when the specific error occurs, and executes the process;
When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation exceeds a predetermined threshold, the process reception execution unit performs the optimum maintenance adjustment operation only to an administrator who is given administrator authority among the users. Accept the execution of the corresponding process,
When the number of operations constituting the optimum maintenance adjustment operation is equal to or less than the threshold value, the process reception execution unit accepts execution of a process corresponding to the optimum maintenance adjustment operation to all users including the administrator.
A maintenance management device characterized by that . An operation history step for leaving a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations as a history when a plurality of maintenance adjustment operations are executed by a serviceman to eliminate a specific error;
Based on the history, a common maintenance adjustment operation that is commonly performed by a plurality of service personnel for the specific error is extracted as an optimal maintenance adjustment operation according to a common order in which the common maintenance adjustment operation is performed. An optimal operation extraction step to perform,
When the specific error occurs, a process reception execution step for receiving the execution of the process corresponding to the optimal maintenance adjustment operation from the user and executing the process;
A maintenance management method comprising:

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