Information processing apparatus, device management apparatus, network system, method of coping with a device problem, and storage medium

• US 7,106,467 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US09/870,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20020051186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.18, 358/1.17, 358/1.14, 358/400, 358/401, 358/406, 358/443, 358/471, 358/405
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/603 controlled by characteristics of the picture signal generator or the picture reproducer

Abstract

A network system with which a user can easily cope with various problems of a device and a maintenance service side can manage a device efficiently is provided. A user side transmits information that is a quantified version of a sensory problem, which a user feels when the user uses a device (printer), to the maintenance service side. The maintenance service side returns information for coping with the problem, which is based on the quantified information transmitted from the user side, to the user side. The user side performs operations and processing based on the information for coping with the problem received from the maintenance service side, and solves the problem of the device.

Claims

1. A management system which includes a management service providing apparatus which is capable of communicating with a user communication apparatus via a network:

said user communication apparatus comprising,

image forming apparatus information input means for inputting information for identifying an image forming apparatus having a problem;

problem details input means for inputting details of the problem which occurred in said image forming apparatus;

display means for displaying said problem details and a list of concerning problem degrees;

selection means for selecting a problem degree from said list; and

transmitting means for transmitting said selected problem degree to the service providing apparatus;

said management service providing apparatus comprising;

receiving means for receiving the problem degree from said user communication apparatus; and

analyzing means for analyzing said received problem degree.

2. A apparatus, which is capable of communicating with an external apparatus comprising:

image forming apparatus information input means for inputting information for identifying an image forming apparatus having a problem;

problem details input means for inputting details of the problem which occurred in said image forming apparatus;

display means for displaying said problem details and a list of concerning problem degrees;

selection means for selecting a problem degree from said list; and

transmitting means for transmitting said selected problem degree to the external apparatus.

3. A apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising receiving means for receiving designation information concerning the problem degree transmitted from said transmitting means from said external apparatus.

4. A apparatus according to claim 2, accommodating an image forming apparatus.

5. A method of controlling a apparatus which is capable of communicating with an external apparatus, comprising:

an image forming apparatus information input step of inputting information for identifying an image forming apparatus having a problem;

a problem details input step of inputting details of the problem which occurred in said image forming apparatus;

a display step of displaying said problem details and a list of concerning problem degrees;

a selection step of selecting a problem degree from said list; and

a transmitting step of transmitting said selected problem degree to the external apparatus.

6. A computer-readable program comprising program codes for controlling a apparatus which is capable of communicating with an external apparatus, comprising:

an image forming apparatus information input step of inputting information for identifying an image forming apparatus having a problem;

a problem details input step of inputting details of the problem which occurred in said image forming apparatus;

a display step of displaying said problem details and a list of concerning problem degrees;

a selection step of selecting a problem degree from said list; and

a transmitting step of transmitting said selected problem degree to the external apparatus.