Maintenance information supply system with a host computer and an electronic device

• US 6,895,368 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Murakami, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desta, Elias
• Application Number:
  US10/310,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 702/104, 702/116, 702182-184, 702/188, 707/200, 707/203, 707/104.1, 340/500, 340/602, 348/143
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A maintenance information supply system, including: a host terminal including a data base for storing information regarding a periodic inspection time or a part replace time for a predetermined electronic device terminal; and the electronic device terminal, provided with an information sending/receiving function for communicating with the host terminal. The electronic device terminal sends to the host terminal, device kind information and present position information or working environment information. The host terminal searches the information regarding the periodic inspection time of the electronic device terminal or a part replace time from the data base. The host terminal calculate maintenance information according to the present position information or working environment information, and a predetermined calculation table, so as to send the maintenance information to the electronic device terminal; and the electronic device terminal receives the maintenance information from the host terminal.

Claims

1. A maintenance information supply system for use with electronic device terminals of different kinds, comprising:

a host terminal including a database for storing information regarding at least one of a periodic inspection time and a part replace time for a predetermined electronic device terminal from among the different kinds of terminals;

said predetermined electronic device terminal including a position information detection means for detecting present position information and working environment information of said electronic device terminal;

said predetermined electronic device terminal further including an information sending/receiving means for sending and receiving said information between said electronic device terminal and said host terminal;

wherein said sending/receiving means of said predetermined electronic device terminal sends to said host terminal device kind information, present position information and working environment information of said predetermined electronic device terminal;

wherein said host terminal includes means for, according to said device kind information sent from said predetermined electronic terminal, searching said information regarding at least one of said periodic inspection time of said electronic device terminal and said part replace time from said database;

wherein said host terminal includes means for calculating maintenance information according to (i) said present position information and said working environment information of said predetermined electronic device terminal, sent from said predetermined electronic device terminal, and (ii) a predetermined calculation table, and for sending said maintenance information to said electronic device terminal; and

wherein said sending/receiving means of said electronic device terminal receives said maintenance information from said host terminal.

2. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said maintenance information includes at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time.

3. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said maintenance information is displayed by said electronic device after said electronic device terminal receives said maintenance information sent from said host terminal.

4. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device terminal comprises a position information detection means, having a GPS function, for obtaining said present position information.

5. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said working environment information includes information regarding at least one of temperature, humidity, and density of dust of a location at which said predetermined electronic device terminal is positioned.

6. The maintenance information supply system of claim 5, wherein said working environment information is obtained by at least one sensor provided in said electronic device terminal.

7. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said host terminal determines at least one of terrain and weather of a location at which said predetermined electronic device terminal is positioned, from said present position information.

8. The maintenance information supply system of claim 7, wherein said host terminal judges said location at which said electronic device terminal is positioned, as indoor when said present position information is not detected.

9. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined calculation table includes constants set corresponding to each of air temperature, humidity, density of dust, weather, terrain, and indoor/outdoor status.

10. The maintenance information supply system of claim 9, wherein said host terminal calculates at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time of said electronic device terminal by multiplying a working time of said electronic device terminal with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate working time.

11. The maintenance information supply system of claim 9, wherein said host terminal calculates at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time of said electronic device terminal by multiplying a number of working times of said electronic device terminal with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate number of working times.

12. The maintenance information supply system of claim 1, wherein said electronic device terminal is a digital still camera.

13. A host computer, capable of communicating with a predetermined electronic device through a network including a telephone line, comprising:

a database for storing information regarding at least one of a periodic inspection time and a part replace time for a predetermined electronic device of at least one kind from among a plurality of different kinds for which the system is adapted to be used;

wherein said host computer includes means for searching said information regarding at least one of said periodic inspection time of said predetermined electronic device and said part replace time from said data base database according to device kind information when said device kind information of said predetermined electronic device and present position information and working environment information of said predetermined electronic device are received from said predetermined electronic device through said network;

wherein said host computer includes means for calculating maintenance information according to (i) said present position information and said working environment information of said predetermined electronic device, sent from said predetermined electronic device, (ii) and a predetermined calculation table, so as to send said maintenance information to said electronic device.

14. The host computer of claim 13, wherein said maintenance information includes at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time.

15. The host computer of claim 13, wherein said host computer determines at least one of terrain and weather of a location at which said electronic device is positioned, from said present position information.

16. The host computer of claim 13, wherein said host computer judges a location, at which said electronic device is positioned, as indoor when said present position information is not detected.

17. The host computer of claim 13, wherein said predetermined calculation table includes at least one constant set corresponding to each of air temperature, humidity, density of dust, weather, terrain, and indoor/outdoor status.

18. The host computer of claim 17, wherein said host computer calculates at least one of said inspection time and said part replace time of said predetermined electronic device by multiplying a working time of said electronic device with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate working time.

19. The host computer of claim 17, wherein said host computer calculates at least one of said inspection time and said part replace time of said predetermined electronic device by multiplying a number of working times of said electronic device with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate number of working times.

20. An electronic device, capable of communicating with an outside apparatus through a network including a telephone line, comprising:

a position information detection means for detecting present position information and working environment information of said electronic device,

an information sending means for sending device kind information, present position information and working environment information of said electronic device to said outside apparatus; and

an information receiving means for receiving maintenance information from said outside apparatus.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, further comprising:

a display means for displaying said maintenance information received from said outside apparatus.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein said electronic device comprises a position information detection means, having a GPS function, for obtaining said present position information.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein said working environment information includes information regarding at least one of temperature, humidity, and density of dust of a location at which said electronic device is positioned.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein said working environment information is obtained by at least one sensor provided in said electronic device.

25. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein said maintenance information includes at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time.

26. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein said electronic device is a digital still camera.

27. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory means for storing information regarding at least one of a periodic inspection time and a part replace time for said electronic device;

a detecting means for detecting present position information and working environment information of said electronic device; and

a control means for controlling said electronic device so as to calculate maintenance information according to at least one of said present position information and said working environment information, with a predetermined calculation table, for at least one of said periodic inspection time and said part replace time.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, further comprising:

a display means for displaying said maintenance information.

29. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein said electronic device comprises a position information detection means, having a GPS function, for obtaining said present position information.

30. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein said working environment information includes information regarding at least one of temperature, humidity, and density of dust of a location at which said electronic device is positioned.

31. The electronic device of claim 30, wherein said working environment information is obtained by at least one sensor provided in said electronic device.

32. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein said control means controls said electronic device to determine at least one of terrain and weather of a location, at which said electronic device is positioned, from said present position information.

33. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein said control means controls said electronic device to judge a location, at which said electronic device is positioned, as indoor when said present position information is not detected.

34. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein said predetermined calculation table includes at least one constant set corresponding to each of air temperature, humidity, density of dust, weather, terrain, and indoor/outdoor status.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein said control means controls said electronic device to calculate at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time of said electronic device by multiplying a working time of said electronic device with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate working time.

36. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein said control means controls said electronic device to calculate at least one of an inspection time and a part replace time of said electronic device by multiplying a number of working times of said electronic device with at least one of said constants so as to obtain an adequate number of working times.

37. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein said electronic device is a digital still camera.