Managing method of electrical device, management apparatus, electrical device, communications device, program therefor, and management system of electrical device

• US 20040078670A1
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mizumaki, Hidetaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields

Abstract

A communications processing section of a management apparatus sends a request for malfunction information via the Internet to one or more electrical devices being managed. A database manager of the management apparatus refers to data stored in a database and updates the record of the electrical device therein. A timing control section of the management apparatus carries out control so that the number of electrical devices requested upon by the management apparatus does not exceed a predetermined value. In this way, despite the management apparatus centrally manages the malfunction information of each electrical device, a peak quantity of the malfunction information received by the management apparatus can be suppressed and the workload on the management apparatus can be relieved, as opposed to the case where each electrical device sends the malfunction information at its own timing. As a result, a management system of electrical devices is provided, which is capable of managing malfunction information of electrical devices without putting a heavy workload on the management apparatus.

Claims

1. A managing method of an electrical device, comprising the steps of:

sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices from a management apparatus via the Internet either to a communications device connected to the electrical device being managed or to the electrical device itself being managed;

returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction of the electrical device, to the management apparatus from the communications device or the electrical device itself, in response to the request for malfunction information from the management apparatus; and

setting, by the management apparatus, a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the malfunction information includes individual information for identifying the electrical device.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the individual information includes a manufacturer'"'"'s code indicative of a manufacturer of the electrical device, a type code indicative of a model number of the electrical device, and a serial code indicative of a serial number of the electrical device.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

judging the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electrical device by the management apparatus based on the malfunction information,

the malfunction information including information that enables the management apparatus to judge the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electrical device.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

judging, by the electrical device, the presence or absence of a malfunction in the communications device of the electrical device or in the electrical device itself,

a result of judgment being incorporated in the malfunction information.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending control instructions from the management apparatus via the Internet to the communications device of the electrical device or to the electrical device itself; and

controlling the electrical device based on the control instructions by the communications device of the electrical device or by the electrical device itself.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein, in the step of sending a request, the management apparatus sends the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices such that the number of electrical devices being requested upon by the management apparatus does not exceed a predetermined number.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the electrical devices being managed include different kinds of electrical devices, and

in the step of sending a request, the management apparatus sends the request to each of different kinds of electrical devices.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

in the step of setting a timing, the management apparatus sets the timing of sending the request so that the request is sent at different timings from one kind of electrical device to another kind of electrical device.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

in the step of setting a timing, the management apparatus sets the timing of sending the request so that a request for malfunction information sent to a group of a predetermined number of electrical devices is followed by a predetermined time period before the request to sent to a next group of a predetermined number of electrical devices.

11. A management apparatus, comprising:

sending means for sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices via the Internet either to a communications device connected to the electrical device being managed or to the electrical device itself being managed;

updating means, in receipt of the malfunction information indicative of a malfunction of the electrical device from the communications device or the electrical device itself, for updating a database that stores the malfunction information of the electrical device, based on the malfunction information; and

timing setting means for setting a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices from the sending means.

12. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

judging means for judging the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electrical device based on the malfunction information,

the malfunction information including information that enables the management apparatus to judge the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electrical device.

13. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:

control means for sending control instructions with respect to one or more electrical devices via the Internet to the communications device of the electrical device or to the electrical device itself.

14. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein the timing setting means sets the timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices such that the number of electrical devices being requested upon does not exceed a predetermined number.

15. The management apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein:

the electrical devices being managed include different kinds of electrical devices, and

the sending means sends the request to each of different kinds of electrical devices.

16. A computer-program for causing a computer to execute procedures as:

sending means for sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices via the Internet either to a communications device connected to the electrical device being managed or to the electrical device itself being managed;

updating means, in receipt of the malfunction information indicative of a malfunction of the electrical device from the communications device or the electrical device itself, for updating a database that stores the malfunction information of the electrical device, based on the malfunction information; and

timing setting means for setting a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices from the sending means.

17. An electrical device, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request for malfunction information via the Internet from a management apparatus that includes timing setting means for setting a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices being managed; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction, to the management apparatus.

18. The electrical device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the receiving means and the reply means are connected to the Internet via a power line that is used to supply power to the electrical device.

19. The electrical device as set forth in claim 17, wherein the malfunction information sent by the reply means include individual information for identifying the electrical device.

20. The electrical device as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

judging means for judging the presence or absence of a malfunction,

a result of judgment being incorporated in the malfunction information sent by the reply means.

21. The electrical device as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

control means for controlling the electrical device according to control instructions, when the control instructions are sent from the management apparatus via the Internet and received by the electrical device.

22. A computer-readable program for causing a computer to execute procedures as:

receiving means for receiving a request for malfunction information via the Internet from a management apparatus that includes timing setting means for setting a timing of sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices being managed; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction, to the management apparatus.

23. A communications device, connectable to an electrical device, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a request for malfunction information via the Internet from a management apparatus that includes timing setting means for setting a timing of sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices being managed; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction of an electrical device connected to the communications device, to the management apparatus.

24. The communications device as set forth in claim 23, wherein the receiving means and the reply means are connected to the Internet via a power line that is used to supply power to the electrical device.

25. The communications device as set forth in claim 23, wherein the malfunction information sent by the reply means include individual information for identifying the electrical device.

26. The communications device as set forth in claim 23, further comprising:

judging means for judging the presence or absence of a malfunction in the electrical device connected to the communications device,

a result of judgment being incorporated in the malfunction information sent by the reply means.

27. The communications device as set forth in claim 23, further comprising:

control means for controlling the electrical device connected to the communications device according to control instructions, when the control instructions are sent from the management apparatus via the Internet and received by the communications device.

28. A computer-program for causing a computer that is connectable to an electrical device to operate as a communications device,

said computer-program causing the computer to execute procedures as:

receiving means for receiving a request for malfunction information via the Internet from a management apparatus that includes timing setting means for setting a timing of sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices being managed; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction of an electrical device connected to the communications device, to the management apparatus.

29. A management system of an electrical device, comprising:

a management apparatus; and

an electrical device to be managed by the management apparatus,

the management apparatus including;

sending means for sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices via the Internet to the electrical device;

updating means, in receipt of the malfunction information indicative of a malfunction in the electrical device from the electrical device, for updating a database that stores the malfunction information of the electrical device, based on the malfunction information; and

timing setting means for setting a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices from the sending means,

the electrical device including;

receiving means for receiving the request from the communications apparatus via the Internet; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction, to the management apparatus.

30. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 29, wherein the timing setting means sets the timing of sending the request for malfunction information of the electrical device with respect to one or more electrical devices such that the number of electrical devices being requested upon does not exceed a predetermined number.

31. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 29, wherein:

the electrical devices being managed include different kinds of electrical devices, and

the sending means sends the request to each of different kinds of electrical devices.

32. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 29, wherein the receiving means and the reply means are connected to the Internet via a power line that is used to supply power to the electrical device.

33. A management system of an electrical device, comprising:

a management apparatus; and

a communications apparatus, connected to an electrical device to be managed by the management apparatus,

the management apparatus including;

sending means for sending a request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices via the Internet to the communications device;

updating means, in receipt of the malfunction information indicative of a malfunction in the electrical device from the communications device, for updating a database that stores the malfunction information of the electrical device, based on the malfunction information; and

timing setting means for setting a timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices from the sending means,

the communications device including;

receiving means for receiving the request from the communications apparatus via the Internet; and

reply means, in response to the request for malfunction information, for returning the malfunction information, indicative of a malfunction, to the management apparatus.

34. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 33, wherein the timing setting means sets the timing of sending the request for malfunction information with respect to one or more electrical devices such that the number of electrical devices being requested upon does not exceed a predetermined number.

35. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 33, wherein:

the electrical devices being managed include different kinds of electrical devices, and

the sending means sends the request to each of different kinds of electrical devices.

36. The management system of an electrical device as set forth in claim 33, wherein the receiving means and the reply means are connected to the Internet via a power line that is used to supply power to the electrical device.