Apparatus for producing operational manual

• US 5,230,628 A
• Filed: 06/06/1991
• Issued: 07/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Kaneko, Takashi, Nagata, Nobuhiko, Tanaka, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/711,316
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/219, 434/227, 364/400, 364/401, 364/419, 364/521, 395/927, 379/100, 358/400, 358/402, 358/404, 358/406, 358/468
• US Class Current: 434/118
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0053 Computers, e.g. programming

Abstract

An apparatus produces an operational manual of a certain machine and supplies the same to an operator of the machine. The operational manual teaches how to operate a minimum procedure in order to obtain one of functions with which the machine is equipped. Each of the functions including the plurality of minimum procedures which can no longer be segmented. The apparatus stores a help information item for every minimum procedure. Each help information item indicates how to operate a corresponding minimum procedure. The apparatus further stores operations input to the machine by the operator. Thus, the operator analyzes the operations and detects a predetermined function desired by the operator. Then, the apparatus produces the operational manual containing help information items corresponding to the predetermined function, and supplies it to the operator. The operational manual is produced if the apparatus has judged that the predetermined condition has been established.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a machine, the apparatus for outputting an operational manual to an operator of the machine, the operational manual teaching the operator how to operate the machine according to a number of different minimum procedures in order to accomplish one of the functions with which the machine is equipped, each of the functions comprising a plurality of the minimum procedures where each of the procedures is in its simplest form, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing a help information item for every minimum procedure, each help information item indicating to the operator how to operate the machine according to a corresponding procedure;

second memory means for storing operations which are input by the operator;

detecting means, coupled to said second memory means, for analyzing the operations stored in said second memory means and for detecting a predetermined function desired by the operator;

edit means, coupled to said first memory means and said detecting means, for producing the operational manual containing help information items corresponding to the predetermined function, said predetermined function consisting of a plurality of said minimum procedures, said help information items arranged in a desired sequence based on the analysis of the operations stored in said second memory means and for supplying in perceivable form the operational manual to the operator; and

edit control means, coupled to said edit means, for determining whether or not a predetermined condition has been established and for instructing said edit means to produce and supply the operational manual to the operator if said edit control means determines that the predetermined condition has been established.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit control means instructs said edit means to produce the operational manual and supply the same to the operator of said control means judges that the operator has not operated the machine according to a minimum procedure, which is part of the predetermined function, within a predetermined period of time.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said edit control means instructs said edit means to immediately start producing the operational manual when said control means judges that the operator has not operated the machine according to the minimum procedure within the predetermined period of time.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said edit control means instructs said edit means to start producing the operational manual a predetermined time after said edit control means has judged that the operator has not operated the machine according to the minimum procedure within the predetermined period of time.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said edit control means instructs said edit means to produce the operational manual and supply the same to the operator if the operator requests said apparatus for the operational manual before the predetermined time has passed.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said edit control means comprises:

timer means for measuring how long it takes for the operator to operate the machine according to the minimum procedure; and

first comparing means, coupled to the timer means, for comparing a period measured by the timer means with an allowable time period which has been predetermined.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit control means produces the operational manual corresponding to a part of the predetermined function which has not been accomplished by the operator.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit means produces the operational manual including all the help information items of the minimum procedures constituting the predetermined function.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit means produces the operational manual by minimum procedure constituting the predetermined function.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit means produces the operational manual by combining the help information items for every minimum procedure of the predetermined function and arranging the help information items in a desired order of operation.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if said control means judges that the operator has never operated the machine according to any minimum procedure, said edit control means instructs said edit means to produce the operational manual concerning the predetermined minimum procedure and supply the same to the operator.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said edit control means comprises a table showing a relationship between various kinds of minimum procedures and how many times the operator has already operated each minimum procedure, and said edit control means judges whether or not the operator has not yet operated any minimum procedure by means of the table.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said edit control means instructs said edit means to produce the operational manual and supply the same to the operator if said control means judges that the operator has operated the machine by not carrying out a predetermined minimum procedure more than a predetermined number of times.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said edit control means comprises:

counter means for counting how many times the operator has erroneously operated each minimum procedure in the machine; and

second comparing means, coupled to the counter means, for comparing a value counted by the counter means with an allowable error number which has been predetermined.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is operatively coupled to the machine.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said machine comprises a facsimile mail system.

17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is connected with a telephone line, and

wherein said apparatus further comprises first processing means for processing a push button tone signal, and said operator operates the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the push button tone signal.

18. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises second processing means for processing a mark sheet, the operator operating the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the mark sheet.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said perceivable form is eye-readable form.

20. An apparatus for use with a machine, the apparatus for outputting an operational manual to an operator of the machine, the operational manual teaching the operator how to operate the machine according to a number of different minimum procedures in order to accomplish one of the functions with which the machine is equipped, each of the functions comprising a plurality of the minimum procedures where each of the procedures is in its simplest form, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing a help information item for every minimum procedure, each help information item indicating to the operator how to operate the machine according with a corresponding minimum procedure;

second memory means for storing erroneous operations which are input by the operator;

judging means, coupled to said second memory means, for judging whether or not the operator has made an erroneous operation more than a predetermined number of times; and

edit means, coupled to said first memory means and judging means, for producing the operational manual containing a help information item for a minimum procedure erroneously operated by the operator if said judging means has judged the erroneous operation has been made more than a predetermined number of times, and for supplying a perceivable form the operational manual to the operator.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said judging means comprises:

counter means for counting for counting how many times the operator has erroneously operated each minimum procedure; and

comparing means, coupled to the counter means, for comparing a value conuted by the counter means with an allowable error number which has been predetermined.

22. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said apparatus is operatively coupled to the machine.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said machine comprises a facsimile mail system.

24. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said apparatus is connected with a telephone line, and

wherein said apparatus further comprises first processing means for processing a push button tone signal, the operator operating the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the push button signal.

25. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said apparatus further comprises second processing means for processing a mark sheet, the operator operating the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the mark sheet.

26. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said edit means produces the operational manual by combining help information items for every minimum procedure of the predetermined function.

27. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said edit means produces the operational manual by combining help information items for every minimum procedure of the predetermined function and arranging the help information items in a desired order of operation.

28. An apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said perceivable form is eye-readable form.

32. An apparatus according to claim 28, wherein said apparatus is operatively coupled to the machine.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said machine comprises a facsimile mail system.

29. An apparatus for producing an operational manual of a certain machine and supplying the same to an operator of the machine, the operational manual teaching how to operate the machine according to a number of different minimum procedures in order to accomplish one of the functions with which the machine is equipped, each of the functions comprising the plurality of minimum procedures which can no longer be segmented, and said apparatus being coupled to the machine, said apparatus comprising:

first memory means for storing a help information item for every minimum procedure, each help information indicating to the operator how to operate the machine according to a corresponding minimum procedure;

second memory means for storing operations which are input by the operator;

detecting means, coupled to said second memory means, for analyzing the operations stored in said second memory means, for detecting an erroneous operation from among the operations stored in said second memory means, and for detecting a predetermined function desired by the operator;

first edit means, coupled to said first memory means and detecting means, for producing an operational manual containing help information items corresponding to the predetermined function, said predetermined function consisting of a plurality of said minimum procedures, said help information items arranged in a desired sequence based on the analysis of the operations stored in said second memory and for supplying the operational manual to the operator; and

second edit means, coupled to said detecting means, for producing an error report indicating the erroneous operation detected by the detecting means and for supplying the error report whenever the operator makes an erroneous operation.

30. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said second edit means produces the error report appropriate to a particular kind of erroneous operation.

31. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said apparatus further comprises judging means for judging whether or not the operator has been identified by said apparatus, and

wherein said second edit means produces the error report and supplied the same to the operator if the operator has been identified by said judging means.

34. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said apparatus is connected with a telephone line, and

wherein said apparatus further comprises first processing means for processing a push button tone signal, the operator operating the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the push button tone signal.

35. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said apparatus further comprises second processing means for processing a mark sheet, the operator operating the machine according to a minimum procedure by means of the mark sheet.

36. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said first edit means produces the operational manual by combining help information items for every minimum procedure of the predetermined function.

37. An apparatus according to claim 29, wherein said first edit means produces the operational manual by combining help information items for every minimum procedure of the predetermined function and arranging the help information items in a desired order of operation.