Remote diagnosis device, remote diagnosis system and program product

• US 20060123302A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Hori, Masaaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/742
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• 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 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

In a remote diagnosis system, characteristics data, including at least information indicating characteristics of a terminal device is obtained. Then, a filter based on the obtained characteristics data from a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics of the terminal device is selected. The state of the terminal device is then diagnosed based on setting information of the selected filter. The diagnostic result of the state is then outputted.

Claims

1. A remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of a terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result, the remote diagnosis device comprising:

a first obtaining unit that receives characteristics data, including at least information indicating characteristics of the terminal device a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics of the terminal device;

a filter selection unit that selects a filter corresponding to the characteristics of the terminal device; and

a diagnosis result outputting unit that diagnoses the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the filter selected by the filter selection unit, and outputs the diagnostic result.

2. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit outputs the diagnostic result of the state and the corresponding diagnostic item to at least one of the terminal device and a management device over a network, the management device managing the terminal device.

3. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the first obtaining unit receives the characteristics data from at least one of the terminal device and a management device over a network, the management device managing the terminal device.

4. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising a second obtaining unit that receives a measurement result of the state of the terminal device.

5. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 4, wherein the second obtaining unit receives the measurement result from at least one of the terminal device and the management device over a network.

6. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic item for outputting to at least one of the terminal device and a management device is set in the filters according to the characteristics of the terminal device, the management device managing the terminal device.

7. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result are set in the filters according to the characteristics of the terminal device.

8. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a program storage unit that stores collection programs, which allow at least one of the terminal device and a management device managing the terminal device over a network to collect measurement results of the state of the terminal device, while associating the collection programs respectively with groups, each group having common characteristics, into which a plurality of types of terminal devices are classified; and

a program transmission unit that obtains the collection program corresponding to the characteristics data received by the first obtaining unit from the program storage unit and transmitting the obtained collection program to at least one of the terminal device and the management device over the network.

9. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores a measurement result of the state of each terminal device, received by the second obtaining unit; and

a change unit that changes a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result in the filter corresponding to the terminal device, according to the measurement result stored in the storage unit.

10. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein information specifying a language for use when at least one of the terminal device and a management device managing the terminal device over a network notifies a user of the diagnostic result is included in the characteristics data, and

wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit outputs the diagnostic result and the diagnostic item written in the language specified by the characteristics data.

11. A remote diagnosis system comprising:

a terminal device;

a management device for managing the terminal device; and

a remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of the terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result,

wherein the remote diagnosis device comprises;

a first obtaining unit that receives characteristics data, including at least information indicating characteristics of the terminal device;

a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics of the terminal device;

a filter selection unit that selects a filter corresponding to the characteristics of the terminal device; and

a diagnosis result outputting unit that diagnoses the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the filter selected by the filter selection unit, and outputs the diagnostic result.

12. A program product for enabling a computer in a remote diagnosis system that includes a terminal device, a management device for managing the terminal device, and a remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of the terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result to perform predetermined operations comprising:

obtaining characteristics data, including at least information indicating characteristics of the terminal device

selecting a filter based on the obtained characteristics data from a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics of the terminal device;

diagnosing the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the selected filter; and

outputting the diagnostic result of the state.