Remote maintenance system, communication terminal device and center device

• US 20070005157A1
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Original Assignee: Murata Machinery Limited (Muratec)
• Inventors: Tanimoto, Yoshifumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,236,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/65
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24011 Transmit warning, error message to all devices in a list
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0213 Modular or universal configuration of the monitoring system, e.g. monitoring system having modules that may be combined to build monitoring program; monitoring system that can be applied to legacy systems; adaptable monitoring system; using different communication protocols

Abstract

A failure code indicating a failure content in a communication terminal device is automatically notified to a center device. The center device automatically makes a call to a user of the communication terminal device with the failure. When a trouble generates in the communication terminal device, the user of the communication terminal device can communicate with an operator of the center device in accordance with an operation of the user.

Claims

1. A remote maintenance system comprising:

a communication terminal device; and

a center device which is connected to the communication terminal device via a prescribed communication line and monitors a failure in the communication terminal device;

wherein the center device includes a storage unit which stores device information of the communication terminal device and a customer information management table,

the center device responds to a failure notification signal including the device information from the communication terminal device, refers to the customer information management table, and automatically transmits a call instruction signal to the communication terminal device via the communication line, and

the communication terminal device responds to the call instruction signal and notifies the call to a user.

2. The remote maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein after notifying the call to the user, the communication terminal device automatically transmits a center calling signal via the communication line in accordance with an instruction of the user.

3. The remote maintenance system according to claim 2, wherein the center device responds to the center calling signal including the device information from the communication terminal device, refers to the customer information management table, and automatically originates a call to a prescribed telephone number via the communication line to enable communication between the center device and the communication terminal device.

4. The remote maintenance system according to claim 3, wherein when a calling key validation mode is set, the center device automatically originates a call.

5. A center device for a remote maintenance system including a communication terminal device and the center device, which is connected to the communication terminal device via a prescribed communication line and manages a failure in the communication terminal device, the center device comprising:

a storage unit which stores device information of the communication terminal device and a customer information management table,

wherein the center device responds to a failure notification signal including device information from the communication terminal device, refers to the customer information management table, and automatically transmits a call instruction signal to the communication terminal device via the communication line.

6. The center device according to claim 5, wherein the center device responds to a center calling signal including the device information from the communication terminal device, refers to the customer information management table, and automatically originates a call to a prescribed telephone number via the communication line to enable communication between the center device and the communication terminal device.

7. The center device according to claim 6, wherein when a calling key validation mode is set, the center device automatically originates a call.

8. The center device according to claim 5, wherein the communication line is the Internet.

9. The center device according to claim 6, wherein the telephone number is an Internet Protocol (IP) telephone number.

10. A communication terminal device for a remote maintenance system including the communication terminal device and a center device, which is connected to the communication terminal device via a prescribed communication line and manages a failure in the communication terminal device,

wherein after the communication terminal device responds to a call instruction signal from the center device and notifies the call to a user, the communication terminal device automatically transmits a center calling signal via the communication line in accordance with an instruction of the user.

11. A center device, which is connected to a communication terminal device via an Internet Protocol (IP) network and manages the communication terminal device, the center device comprising:

a storage unit which stores a table including customer management information for each communication terminal device or including information of the communication terminal device for each customer management information; and

a control unit which receives a center calling signal including device information from the communication terminal device transmitted via the IP network from the communication terminal device in accordance with a prescribed operation of the communication terminal device, searches and notifies the customer management information in accordance with the device information included in the received center calling signal, and establishes a voice communication session between the communication terminal device and the center device via the IP network.

12. The center device according to claim 11, wherein when the voice communication session is established between the communication terminal device and the center device via the Internet Protocol (IP) network, the control unit generates an audio file of a voice communication content and voice communication time information of the voice communication session and stores the audio file and the voice communication time information in the table.