JPH03154128A - Abnormal image diagnosis supporting device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute an exact fault diagnosis by comparing image data which is read at the time when an abnormal image is generated, and image data at the time when the abnormal image is copied, with correct image data. CONSTITUTION:When the abnormal image is generated in an image forming device 1, a copy is executed by using a chart determined in advance, read image data is stored, and also, it is transmitted to an abnormal image diagnosis supporting device II. Subsequently, a copy operation is executed by using this abnormal image as a document, and the read image data is transmitted to the abnormal image diagnosis supporting device II. The abnormal image diagnosis supporting device II receives image data read at the time when the abnormal image is generated and image data read at the time when the abnormal image is copied, compares them with correct image data stored in advance and detects the abnormal image data in a different part. In such a manner, ambiguity caused by a difference of how to catch a fault phenomenon by a serviceman is obviated, and an exact fault diagnosis can be executed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an abnormal image diagnosis support device for an image forming apparatus, and more specifically, to a digital image system that shines light on a document, reads the reflected light, and digitizes the image to form one image. a forming device;
The present invention relates to a failure diagnosis support device that detects an abnormality from a read image and infers the cause of the failure.

Dead skin 1 Many inference methods have been proposed for fault diagnosis of image forming devices, etc., but since conventional image forming devices are analog type, it is difficult to diagnose abnormal images. Either a person looks at the image, detects the characteristics of the abnormal image, and inputs the characteristics into the fault diagnosis system, or
Diagnosis was performed by installing many sensors within the image forming apparatus and inputting the data into a failure diagnosis system.

As described above, most conventional image forming apparatuses have been of the analog type, but recently, digital screen forming apparatuses have been developed and are now available on the market. Therefore, recently it has become possible to easily obtain digitized images. Furthermore, some digital image forming apparatuses are equipped with a communication function, and means for remotely obtaining image data have also been developed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances,
By having a diagnostic support device perform the detection of features from abnormal images, which was conventionally done by humans, and diagnosing via communication, the number of phone calls can be reduced, reducing the burden on service personnel.

This was done to enable the diagnosis support device to judge abnormal images, eliminate ambiguity caused by differences in how service personnel perceive failure phenomena, and perform accurate failure diagnosis.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides: (1) an image forming means that shines light on a document, reads the reflected light, digitizes it, and forms one image; and transmits the read digital image data. a digital image forming apparatus comprising: a communication means for transmitting digital image data; a means for receiving transmitted digital image data; a storage means for storing predetermined correct digital image data; Comparison means for comparing image data with pre-built correct digital image data and detecting image data of different parts (partial abnormal image data), and knowledge storage means for storing knowledge regarding failures acquired from experts. and an abnormality image diagnosis support device equipped with an inference means for inferring the cause of failure from the partially abnormal image data detected by the comparison means and stored knowledge. An image is formed using the chart that was created, and the image data read when an abnormal image occurs is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device, and then the copying machine where the abnormal image is generated is copied again and the abnormal image data is detected as an abnormal image. An abnormal image diagnosis is performed by transmitting the image data to an image diagnosis support device and comparing the two image data with predetermined correct image data stored in advance in the abnormal image diagnosis support device, Furthermore, (2) in the image forming apparatus of (1) above, when transmitting image data, the image forming apparatus does not have the determined correct image data on the abnormal image diagnostic apparatus side. The image forming device compares the correct image data with the read image data, detects an abnormal image portion, and sends only the image data of the abnormal image portion to the abnormal image diagnosis support device. It is characterized by Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining an example of an abnormal image diagnosis according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an abnormal image diagnosis support device, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus This is a diagram showing the arrangement state of the diagnosis support device (2).The abnormal image diagnosis support device (2) includes an image data receiving section 1, an image data comparison section 2, a normal image data 3, and an inference section 4, as shown in FIG. , result output unit 5, knowledge base (knowledge storage means) 6
, a knowledge base input section 7, and the abnormal image diagnosis support device (2) is connected to the image forming device (I) via the communication line (2), as shown in FIG. shine light on it, read the reflected light, and digitize it.
It is a digital image forming device that includes an image forming means for forming an image and a communication means for transmitting the read digital image data.On the other hand, the abnormal image diagnosis support device (■) receives the transmitted digital image data. With means.

A storage means stores predetermined correct digital image data, and compares the transmitted digital image data with correct digital image data stored in advance, and determines image data of different parts (partial abnormal image data). )
and comparison means to detect.

It is equipped with a knowledge storage means for storing knowledge regarding failures acquired from experts, and an inference means for inferring the cause of failure from the partial abnormality image data detected by the comparison means and the stored knowledge. When an image occurs,
An image is formed according to a predetermined chart, the read image data when an abnormal image occurs is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device, and the abnormal image is copied again by the copying machine where the abnormal image is generated. An abnormal image diagnosis is performed by transmitting the data to the abnormal image diagnosis support device and comparing the two image data with predetermined correct image data stored in the abnormal image diagnosis support device. When transmitting image data, instead of having the abnormal image diagnostic device ■ have the predetermined correct image data, the image forming device I has it, and the image forming device ■ has the correct image data. The image data and the read image data are compared, an abnormal image portion is detected, and only the image data of the abnormal image portion is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device (2).

Furthermore, to explain based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 1, first, an abnormal image is generated in the image forming apparatus I. Then, copying is performed using a predetermined chart. At this time, the read image data is not discarded but stored. However, the next time a copying operation is performed, the contents are exchanged with newly read image data. The copying operation is repeated using this chart until an abnormal image occurs. If an abnormal image occurs, the image data read at this time is still stored in the image forming apparatus I, so this image data is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support apparatus (2). Subsequently, a copying operation is performed using this abnormal image as a document, and the image data read at this time is also sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device (2). The abnormal image diagnosis support device ■ collects image data read when an abnormal image occurs (hereinafter referred to as image data 1) and image data read when the abnormal image is copied (
Image data 2) is received and compared with pre-stored correct image data (hereinafter referred to as image data O) to detect abnormal image data in different parts. If an abnormality is detected in image data 1, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the reading device, and if there is no abnormality in image data 1 and there is an abnormality in image data 2, it is determined that the reading device has an abnormality. It turns out that something is wrong. Features are detected from the detected abnormality image data, and the cause of the failure is inferred using a conventional inference method based on knowledge acquired in advance from experts.

From abnormal image data, distribution of abnormal image data.

Characteristics such as width, length, shape, and degree are detected, and inferences are made using knowledge obtained from experts (failure J9A phenomena, characteristics of failure phenomena, causes of failure for failure phenomena, etc.).

L-Shuichi As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, abnormal image data is determined by the abnormal image diagnostic apparatus, so that the effort of one person to determine abnormal images can be saved. Also,
It is possible to eliminate ambiguity caused by differences in how service personnel perceive failure phenomena (for example, the same failure phenomenon may be called black lines or background stains by different service personnel).

By comparing the image data that was read when the abnormal image occurred and the image data when the abnormal image was copied with the correct image data, it is possible to determine whether there is an abnormality in the reading device or in the side that forms the image. can be determined. Therefore, the causes of failure can be roughly divided before starting inference.
Able to make efficient inferences.

Furthermore, when the image forming apparatus transmits image data, instead of having the abnormal image diagnostic apparatus have predetermined correct image data, the image forming apparatus has the correct image data.
By comparing correct image data and read image data within the image forming apparatus, detecting an abnormal image part, and transmitting only the image data of the abnormal image part to the abnormal image diagnosis support apparatus, one image forming apparatus can be used. The correct image data is stored in advance on the image forming device, and the image data read when an abnormal image occurs and the image data when the abnormal image is copied are compared with the correct image data on the image forming device side, and the parts of the different image data are compared. There are advantages such as being able to shorten the transmission time by transmitting only the data.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of abnormal image diagnosis according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an abnormal image diagnosis support device.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the image forming apparatus and the abnormal image diagnosis support apparatus. I: Image forming device, ■: Abnormal image diagnosis support device. ■Communication line, 1... Image data receiving section, 2... Image data comparing section, 3... Normal image data, 4... Inference section, 5... Result output section, 6... Knowledge Base, 7...
・Knowledge base input section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A digital image forming device equipped with an image forming means that shines light on a document, reads the reflected light, digitizes it, and forms an image, and a communication means that transmits the read digital image data, and the image that is sent. A means for receiving digital image data, a storage means for storing predetermined correct digital image data, and a means for comparing the transmitted digital image data with correct digital image data stored in advance, A comparison means for detecting partial image data (partial abnormal image data), a knowledge storage means for storing knowledge regarding failure acquired from an expert, and partial abnormal image data detected by the comparison means and stored knowledge. and an abnormality image diagnosis support device equipped with inference means for inferring the cause of failure from The image data is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device, the copying machine where the abnormal image is generated is again copied, the abnormal image data is sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device, and the two image data are sent to the abnormal image diagnosis support device. An abnormal image diagnosis support apparatus for an image forming apparatus, characterized in that an abnormal image diagnosis is performed by comparing with predetermined correct image data stored in the apparatus.