JPH0459825B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a remote maintenance method for facsimile equipment.

Conventionally, when a facsimile machine breaks down, when it is inspected for maintenance, or when a phenomenon such as communication failure occurs, maintenance service personnel actually go to the location where the facsimile machine is installed. Maintenance service personnel go to the installation site to check the status of the equipment and analyze abnormalities, and conduct various tests there to check for abnormalities based on the operation of the facsimile equipment, lamp status, signal observation, etc., and if there is an abnormality. The location and cause of abnormalities are now being investigated. However, even if the location of the abnormality or the cause of the abnormality is identified, recovery may not always be possible immediately. This means that if the location of the abnormality or the cause of the abnormality is known or can be predicted in advance, recovery measures can be taken promptly, but if these cannot be predicted at all or an unexpected situation has occurred, then This is because it is necessary to return to the maintenance service base, prepare spare electronic parts, etc., and then go to the installation site again.

As described above, in the past, a lot of time was required for restoration, but even regular maintenance inspections are now requiring a lot of time. This is because recent facsimile machines are being controlled by microcomputers as facsimile machines become more sophisticated in their multifunctionality and their operations become automated. In other words, functions have come to be consolidated and exist on software programs, and therefore, as maintenance service personnel,
It is necessary to understand not only the hardware of a microcomputer, but also the software program, which requires a lot of time even for experienced maintenance service personnel.

Furthermore, a conventional facsimile apparatus has been proposed in which when a failure occurs in a facsimile machine, only the failure information is stored and the contents, such as a piece of paper, are displayed to notify the operator.

However, for devices that store and display failure information only when a failure occurs, it is possible to determine from the displayed content whether the communication abnormality display is a communication abnormality based on a universal failure, or whether it is operating normally during abnormal use. However, it is not possible to determine whether the communication abnormality is a so-called temporary communication abnormality that occurs only under certain specific conditions, and sufficient and appropriate maintenance cannot be performed.

In view of these points, the applicant first filed a patent application in 1983-
As stated in No. 18128 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-136168), for each communication, the recipient number, start date and time, required time,
A method is proposed in which communication information such as the number of sheets, the operating status of each part of the device itself, and a communication code indicating the communication status of facsimile communication are recorded on recording paper in one line per communication. According to this method, from the recorded display contents, it is possible to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in the own device, and if an abnormality occurs,
It is possible to know the location of the abnormality and its cause, and in the case of a communication abnormality, it is possible to immediately know how far the sequence operation has progressed, and the communication abnormality is displayed in association with the above communication information. Therefore, maintenance service personnel can accurately and quickly know the cause of the communication abnormality. In addition, since temporary communication abnormalities such as those mentioned above can be detected, maintenance service personnel can provide appropriate advice to facsimile users, and communication information can also be used as a communication management report. be.

However, there is a problem in that the maintenance service center cannot directly know the recorded display contents including the above-mentioned conventional technology. That is, the recording display is performed only on the recording paper of the own device. Therefore, in order for maintenance service personnel to know the contents of the recorded display, they must actually visit the installation site, have the customer tell them the contents over the phone, or, if possible, send the recorded output to the transmitted manuscript. However, in either case, the maintenance service staff and the customer are inconvenienced.

Additionally, a system has been proposed in which a separate failure diagnosis loop test is performed to determine whether the circuit operation is normal or abnormal, and the loop test results are transmitted to the other station using a transmission control procedure determined in advance for the loop test. .

However, in the case of a device that only transmits information on whether the circuit operation is normal or abnormal only when a loop test command signal is issued, it is possible to detect an abnormality under specific conditions of the facsimile device, for example, as in the above-mentioned conventional technology. It is difficult to identify operational abnormalities due to changes in ambient temperature, humidity, power supply, etc., communication abnormalities due to changes in line quality due to time of day, weather conditions, etc., as well as communication abnormalities due to transmission loss of a specific communication line or differences in transmission control procedures. Therefore, it is not possible to perform appropriate maintenance in response to these abnormalities.

Furthermore, a circuit for the loop test and a loop test result transmission system are required, making the circuit complicated. Furthermore, since circuits and control systems are provided for these loop tests, not only does the failure rate increase accordingly, but maintenance information cannot be obtained in the event of a failure in the loop test system.

An object of the present invention is to correct these problems by calling a desired customer facsimile device from a maintenance service center device via a public line network, and
Then, by transmitting a remote maintenance instruction signal according to the procedure of the maintenance service center side device, communication result information for multiple communications stored and accumulated in the storage unit of the customer facsimile device that received the remote maintenance instruction signal is transmitted. An object of the present invention is to provide a remote maintenance method for a facsimile device, in which information can be easily collected via a public line network according to a facsimile procedure, and thereby appropriate maintenance can be performed.

For this purpose, the present invention provides a system in which a plurality of customer facsimile devices each having a storage section and a maintenance service center side device that operates according to facsimile procedures are connected to a public network, and each customer facsimile device is connected to a public network. In the device, information on the results of each communication is stored in the storage unit for multiple communications, and after the maintenance service center side device calls the specific facsimile device via the public line network, the calling side A remote maintenance instruction signal is transmitted according to the procedure of the maintenance service center side device, and the facsimile device on the called side that receives the remote maintenance instruction signal transfers the stored information for the plurality of communications stored in the storage unit to the public line network. The information is sent to the maintenance service center side device on the calling side via.

The present invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. First, the outline of the microcomputer-controlled facsimile apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 1 as follows.

That is, in a microcomputer-controlled facsimile device, all its control functions are concentrated in the control section 1 including a microprocessor. The control unit 1 sets the reading unit 2, recording unit 3, image processing unit 4, modem unit 5, and network (circuit) control unit 6 in a predetermined sequence to start transmission and reception operations based on operation information from the operation unit 7. While controlling
Furthermore, facsimile communications are carried out while monitoring their operational states.

The microcomputer-controlled facsimile device is constructed as described above, and FIG. 2 shows its control section 1.
This figure shows the configuration of , along with some of its surroundings.
According to this, the microprocessor 11 controls the entire system by executing a control program stored in a read-on memory (ROM) 12, and uses random access memory (RAM) as a work memory. ) 13 also stores the control details and control states of each section. Each unit is controlled via the I/O port 16 described above, and various data are exchanged with the control unit 1. By the way, the control unit 1 according to the present invention is equipped with a nonvolatile memory 14 and a flower character generation circuit 15, among which
If an abnormality occurs in the device during facsimile communication or if the sequence operation stops midway, the non-volatile memory 14 stores information about the sequence up to which the sequence operation has progressed and how to control each part. It is designed to store all information within the device, such as the execution and the state at that time. The reason why a non-volatile memory is used is that information related to several past facsimile communications, that is, stored information of multiple communications, can be reliably stored and held even if the power is not turned on.

Here, a very simple explanation of checking the operation of each part within the own device, checking the communication status and the status of the other device is as follows.

For example, when transmitting a facsimile, the facsimile device is activated by the operator, and a predetermined relay is operated under control from the microprocessor 11. It is carried out based on The relay contact state is taken into the microprocessor 11 and it is determined whether the relay is actually operating or not, and the result of the determination is stored in the non-volatile memory 14. Thereafter, the signal is returned in response to the signal from the other party's device, but when the signal is returned, the status and response of the modulation/demodulation section 5 are also checked. In addition, the reading section 2 is activated when sending facsimile image information, but if the document is read while monitoring the so-called BUSY signal from the reading section 2, it is possible to check whether the reading is being performed normally. It is possible to know whether or not. The same situation applies to facsimile reception.

Next, checking the communication status, etc., will be explained. For checking, it is sufficient to memorize the order in which the facsimile procedure has proceeded and to which procedure it has progressed. Facsimile communications are carried out in accordance with the so-called CCITT Recommendation procedures.
For example, if the line condition is not good, CCITT
A certain sequence of operations is being carried out in accordance with the recommendations. The same applies when an error occurs in a received facsimile image. In other words, since the facsimile device itself knows in what order the facsimile procedures have progressed and to what step, it is sufficient to know the communication status by memorizing the order of the facsimile procedures. .

Next, the flower character generation circuit 15 will be explained. The flower character generation circuit referred to here is for converting encoded information into character patterns such as English text, numbers, and kana characters. When the coded grasp information stored in the nonvolatile memory is recorded as characters on recording paper, a flower character generation circuit is required to convert the coded information into facsimile image information. Flower character generation circuit 1
From 5 onwards, grasp information is obtained as recorded information corresponding to one line. It is also possible to send the grasped information to the other device in its original form (bit or ASCII) without converting it into a character pattern.

In the facsimile device in this example, the recorded information corresponding to the line from the flower character generation circuit 15 can also be transferred to the recording unit 3 within the device itself by the changeover switch 17. It is now possible to perform similar recordings. However, normally, line-compatible recorded information is appropriately band-compressed and then transmitted as facsimile image information using a high-speed modem signal via the modulation/demodulation unit 5 to the facsimile device at the maintenance service center as the other device. It is.

When a request is received from the facsimile device on the maintenance service center side, only the maintenance information necessary for maintenance is collected, either in whole or in part, from the various grasped information stored in the non-volatile memory 14. This is transmitted via the flower character generation circuit 15, the image processing unit 4, and the modem unit 5 according to the facsimile procedure on the maintenance service center side. FIG. It is something that Although the facsimile devices 22 and 23 on the customer side and the maintenance service center side can be connected via the public line network 21, a normal facsimile device 23 is sufficient. However, a switch 24 for collecting maintenance information is provided, and the system is set in a maintenance information collection mode when collecting maintenance information.

Now, on the maintenance service side, the fax machine 2
When maintenance information regarding the facsimile device 22 is required, the facsimile device 22 is called up via the public line network by dialing by a maintenance service worker or by automatic dialing. When the facsimile device 22 automatically responds to this, the fourth
CED signal (CCITT compliant signal,
The same applies to the various signals described below), followed by
NFS. (CSI). A DIS signal is sent to the facsimile device 23. On the other hand, in the facsimile device 23, the switch 24 is closed when the CED signal ends, and the facsimile device 23 starts operating for collecting maintenance information.
After confirming that the NFS signal contains the functional information related to the present invention, the
The RMC signal is sent to the facsimile device 22. When the facsimile device 22 receives this, it follows the same procedure as when sending a facsimile.
For checking NSS signals and line error rate
The TCF signal is sent to the facsimile device 23, but if the line is good, the facsimile device 23
From there, a CFR signal indicating that reception is possible is sent back to the facsimile device 22. As a result, in the facsimile device 22, under the control of the microprocessor 11, the maintenance information collected from the information stored in the nonvolatile memory 14 is read out to the image processing unit 4 via the flower character generation circuit 15. . After the maintenance information is encoded and compressed in the image processing unit 4, it is converted into an MSG signal, which is a facsimile transmission signal, via the modulation and demodulation unit 5.
This is transmitted to the facsimile device 23 as facsimile image data. As a result, the facsimile device 23 side records the reception of maintenance information that is considered to be the minimum necessary, and from the record display, maintenance service personnel can check the facsimile communication status of the facsimile device 22 over the past several times and the device status. This can be directly and easily known by the maintenance service center. Of course, the maintenance information can also be transmitted as a low-speed modem signal in the form of coded information (character, bit correspondence, ASCII code) without passing through the flower character generation circuit 15. Now, when the transmission of the maintenance information is completed, the facsimile device 22 will notify you that the procedure has been completed.
The facsimile device 23 sends an EOP signal, and in response, the facsimile device 23 sends an MCF signal to the facsimile device 22 indicating that it has confirmed the fact, but this causes the facsimile device 22 to issue a line disconnection command.
This is where the DCN signal is sent.
When transmitting maintenance information, take into account errors caused by line noise, etc. If maintenance information is transmitted as facsimile image information (high-speed modem signal), an error detection code is added to it before maintenance service is sent. The information may be sent to the other side. If maintenance information is sent as a slow modem signal,
Since an error detection code is originally added to the low-speed modem signal itself, there is no need to add an error detection code to it.

Furthermore, in the case of transmitting communication result information and multiple communications as in the present invention, it is also necessary to grasp the above-mentioned temporary communication abnormalities that are difficult for the user of the facsimile device to judge. This allows for accurate and appropriate maintenance.

It should be noted that it is sufficient that the maintenance information is sent to the maintenance service side as either facsimile image information (high-speed modem signal) or low-speed modem signal, but regardless of the type of modem signal, in this example, , maintenance information is transmitted as facsimile transmission information.

As explained above, according to the present invention, a maintenance service center can call a desired facsimile device and issue a remote maintenance instruction, and communication result information for multiple communications can be obtained from the recording unit of the facsimile device that received the remote maintenance instruction. can be retrieved and sent to the maintenance service center. This allows us to avoid any inconvenience to customers.
Moreover, since maintenance service personnel can easily know the status of the customer's facsimile equipment without having to go to the customer's site, even if the condition is poor, appropriate recovery measures can be taken quickly. It is possible to accurately grasp the communication abnormality state from the communication result information, and it is possible to perform appropriate and sufficient maintenance accordingly. That is,
By storing result information of facsimile communication between facsimile devices, that is, communication result information including communication abnormality information and normal communication status information, for multiple communications, and retrieving the stored information via the public line network, the fixed Not only are operational abnormalities that cannot be recovered regardless of the conditions, but also temporary operational abnormalities that can be considered communication abnormalities only under certain conditions, such as accidental operational abnormalities due to changes in ambient temperature, power supply voltage, etc. This makes it possible to understand communication abnormalities that occur on specific communication lines, communication abnormalities with specific partner models, communication abnormalities due to time, weather conditions, etc. Maintenance can be performed accurately and appropriately using simple operating procedures. Also,
According to the present invention, remote maintenance instructions are issued from the maintenance service center side that is the calling side to the called side customer facsimile device, and from the called side customer facsimile device that received the remote maintenance instruction, Communication result information for multiple communications is sent to the maintenance service center when information is sent using CCITT's facsimile procedure.
There is no need to use a transmission control circuit using a special transmission control procedure, and communication information necessary for maintenance can be collected in a simple manner.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are diagrams showing a general configuration of a microcomputer-controlled facsimile device according to the present invention and the configuration of a control section in the configuration, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a customer-side facsimile device and a maintenance service center-side facsimile device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a facsimile procedure when transmitting and receiving grasped information. 1: Control unit, 4: Image processing unit, 11: Microprocessor, 14: Non-volatile memory, 15: Flower character generation circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of customer facsimile devices each having a storage unit and a maintenance service center side device that operates according to facsimile procedures are connected to a public line network, and each customer facsimile device stores information on the results of each communication for multiple communications in the storage unit, calls the specific facsimile device from the maintenance service center side device via the public line network, and then calls the maintenance service of the calling side. A remote maintenance instruction signal is transmitted according to the procedure of the center side device, and the facsimile device on the called side that receives the remote maintenance instruction signal transmits the stored information for the plurality of communications stored in the storage unit via the public line network. A method for remote maintenance of a facsimile device, characterized in that the information is transmitted to the maintenance service center side device on the calling side. 2 The customer facsimile device transmits stored information for multiple communications to the maintenance service center device in response to the remote maintenance instruction signal, and the maintenance service center device sends a signal indicating that it has finished receiving the stored information. 2. The method for remote maintenance of a facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the line of the public line network is cut off after the call is made. 3. A remote maintenance method for a facsimile device according to claim 1, wherein the stored information is converted into character information by a character information generating circuit and then transmitted to the maintenance service center side device.