MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND DATA PROCESSING METHOD FOR MAINTENANCE SYSTEM

• US 20110219022A1
• Filed: 03/02/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamisuwa, Yoshikatsu, Katou, Hiroyo
• Application Number:
  US13/038,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• 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 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1273 Print job history, e.g. logging, accounting, tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00344 with a management, maintenance, service or repair apparatus monitoring H04N1/00002

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a management apparatus includes an information acquisition unit, an information supply unit, a transmission processing unit, and an analysis unit. The information acquisition unit stores detailed data acquired from image processing apparatuses to be managed in an database. The information supply unit outputs data extracted from the database and data extracted from an analysis result database storing an analysis result of log data in response to a supply request of information regarding the image processing apparatus to be managed. The transmission processing unit stores the detailed data stored in the database as the log data of the image processing apparatuses in a log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information. The analysis unit analyzes the log data stored in the log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information and storing the analysis result in the analysis result database.

Claims

1. A management apparatus comprising:

an information acquisition unit configured to store detailed data acquired from image processing apparatuses in an database;

an information supply unit configured to output data extracted from the database and data extracted from an analysis result database storing an analysis result of log data in response to a supply request of information regarding the image processing apparatus to be managed;

a transmission processing unit configured to store the detailed data stored in the database as the log data of the image processing apparatuses in a log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information; and

an analysis unit configured to analyze the log data stored in the log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information and storing the analysis result in the analysis result database.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to execute data communication with the image processing apparatuses via a communication network,

wherein the information acquisition unit stores the detailed data acquired from the image processing apparatuses through the communication interface as up-to-date detailed data in the database.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to execute data communication with a client terminal via a communication network,

wherein if receiving the supply request of the information regarding the image processing apparatuses from the client terminal through the communication interface, the information supply unit extracts the information regarding the image processing apparatuses from the database and the analysis result database according to the request and outputs the extracted data.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information supply unit outputs information converted from the information extracted from the database and the analysis result database so as to have a format according to the request.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a timer configured to measure a current time; and

a control unit configured to allow the transmission processing unit and the analysis unit to execute processing if the current time measured by the timer becomes an inactive time.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit calculates a monthly processing number for each image processing apparatus from the log data and stores the analysis result including the monthly processing number in the analysis result database.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit calculates a frequency distribution of each error for each image processing apparatus from the log data and stores the analysis result including information regarding the frequency distribution of each error in the analysis result database.

8. A management system comprises first and second servers,

the first server comprising:

an information acquisition unit configured to store detailed data acquired from an image processing apparatus to be managed in an database, and

an information supply unit configured to output data extracted from the database and data extracted from an analysis result database storing an analysis result of log data in response to a supply request of information regarding the image processing apparatus to be managed, and

the second server comprising;

a transmission processing unit configured to store the detailed data stored in the database as the log data of the image processing apparatus in a log database asynchronously with processing of the first server, and

an analysis unit configured to analyze the log data stored in the log database asynchronously with the processing of the first server and to store the analysis result in the analysis result database.

9. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the first server further comprising:

a communication interface configured to execute data communication with the image processing apparatuses via a communication network, and

wherein the information acquisition unit stores the detailed data acquired from the image processing apparatuses through the communication interface as up-to-date detailed data in the database.

10. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the first server further comprising:

a communication interface configured to execute data communication with a client terminal via a communication network, and

wherein if receiving the supply request of the information regarding the image processing apparatuses from the client terminal through the communication interface, the information supply unit extracts the information regarding the image processing apparatuses from the database and the analysis result database according to the request and outputs the extracted data.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information supply unit of the first server outputs information converted from the information extracted from the database and the analysis result database so as to have a format according to the request.

12. The system according to claim 8, the second server further comprising:

a timer configured to measure a current time, and

a control unit configured to allow the transmission processing unit and the analysis unit to execute processing if the current time measured by the timer becomes an inactive time.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the analysis unit of the second server calculates a monthly processing number for each image processing apparatus from the log data and stores the analysis result including the monthly processing number in the analysis result database.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the analysis unit of the second server calculates a frequency distribution of each error for each image processing apparatus from the log data and stores the analysis result including information regarding the frequency distribution of each error in the analysis result database.

15. A data processing method in a maintenance system, comprising:

storing detailed data acquired from an image processing apparatus to be managed in an database;

outputting data extracted from the database and data extracted from an analysis result database storing an analysis result of log data in response to a supply request of information regarding the image processing apparatus to be managed;

storing the detailed data stored in the database as the log data of the image processing apparatus in a log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information; and

analyzing the log data stored in the log database asynchronously with the supply request of the information and storing the analysis result in the analysis result database.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the detailed data received from the image processing apparatuses through a communication network is stored as up-to-date detailed data in the database.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein if the supply request of the information regarding the image processing apparatuses is received from a client terminal through a communication network, the information regarding the image processing apparatuses is extracted from the database and the analysis result database according to the request and the extracted data is output as a response to the request.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein in the outputting in response to the request, information converted from the information extracted from the database and the analysis result database so as to have a format according to the request is outputted.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

measuring a current time, and

storing the log data and analyzing the log data if the measured current time becomes an inactive time.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein in the analyzing of the log data, a monthly processing number for each image processing apparatus is calculated from the log data and the analysis result including the monthly processing number is stored in the analysis result database.