Remote diagnosis device, remote diagnosis system and program product

• US 7,480,592 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Hori, Masaaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US11/270,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 702 56- 58, 702/65, 702/68, 702/69, 702/80, 702/81, 702/90, 702119-122, 702182-186, 702/188, 702/190, 700/95, 709/224, 709/238, 717/177, 710/15, 710/58, 455/419, 455/420, 370/235
• US Class Current: 702/183
• 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 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

In a remote diagnosis system, characteristics data, including at least information indicating characteristics of a terminal device is obtained. Then, a filter based on the obtained characteristics data from a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics of the terminal device is selected. The state of the terminal device is then diagnosed based on setting information of the selected filter. The diagnostic result of the state is then outputted.

Claims

1. A remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of a terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result, the remote diagnosis device comprising:

a first obtaining unit that is configured to receive characteristics data, including at least information indicating an identification and characteristics of the terminal device;

a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics data of the terminal device;

a filter selection unit connected to the first obtaining unit and connected to the filter group, the filter selection unit configured to select a filter corresponding to the characteristics data of the terminal device; and

a diagnosis result outputting unit connected to the filter selection unit, the diagnosis result outputting unit configured to diagnose the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the filter selected by the filter selection unit, and configured to output the diagnostic result.

2. remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising a second obtaining unit that receives a measurement result of the state of the terminal device.

3. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein the second obtaining unit receives the measurement result from at least one of the terminal device and the management device over a network.

4. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit that stores a measurement result of the state of each terminal device, received by the second obtaining unit; and

a change unit that changes a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result in the filter corresponding to the terminal device, according to the measurement result stored in the storage unit.

5. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit outputs the diagnostic result of the state and the corresponding diagnostic item to at least one of the terminal device and a management device over a network, the management device managing the terminal device.

6. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the first obtaining unit receives the characteristics data from at least one of the terminal device and a management device over a network, the management device managing the terminal device.

7. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the diagnostic item for outputting to at least one of the terminal device and a management device is set in the filters according to the characteristics of the terminal device, the management device managing the terminal device.

8. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result are set in the filters according to the characteristics of the terminal device.

9. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a program storage unit that stores collection programs, which allow at least one of the terminal device and a management device managing the terminal device over a network to collect measurement results of the state of the terminal device, while associating the collection programs respectively with groups, each group having common characteristics, into which a plurality of types of terminal devices are classified; and

a program transmission unit that obtains the collection program corresponding to the characteristics data received by the first obtaining unit from the program storage unit and transmitting the obtained collection program to at least one of the terminal device and the management device over the network.

10. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein information specifying a language for use when at least one of the terminal device and a management device managing the terminal device over a network notifies a user of the diagnostic result is included in the characteristics data, and wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit outputs the diagnostic result and the diagnostic item written in the language specified by the characteristics data.

11. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the terminal device includes model information of the terminal device.

12. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the terminal device includes specific information of the terminal device.

13. A remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of a terminal device and outputting diagnostic results the remote diagnosis device comprising:

a first obtaining unit configured to receive product information, including at least information indicating characteristics of the terminal device from at least one of the terminal device and a management device, the first obtaining unit connected to the terminal device and configured to manage the terminal device, and the first obtaining unit connected to at least one of the terminal device and the management device;

a second obtaining unit configured to receive a measurement result of the state of the terminal device from at least one of the terminal device and the management device, the second obtaining unit connected to at least one of the terminal device and the management device;

a filter group including a plurality of types of filter, each filter having a plurality of diagnostic items set according to characteristics of a respective terminal device and each filter defining, for a diagnostic item, a diagnostic result which corresponds to a measurement result and which is for externally notifying a meaning of the measurement result for the respective terminal device;

a filter selection unit configured to select a filter corresponding to the characteristics of the terminal device, the filter selection unit connected to the terminal device and connected to the filter group;

a diagnostic result extracting unit connected to the filter selection unit and configured to extract diagnostic results from the selected filter based on the measurement results; and

a diagnosis result outputting unit connected to the diagnostic result extracting unit and configured to output the diagnostic results extracted by the diagnostic result extracting unit.

14. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 13, wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit is arranged to output the diagnostic result and the corresponding diagnostic item to at least one of the terminal device and the management device over a network.

15. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 13, wherein a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result is set in the filters according to the characteristics of the terminal device.

16. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a program storage unit for storing collection programs, which allow at least one of the terminal device and a management device to collect measurement results of the state of the terminal device, while associating the collection programs respectively with groups, each group having common characteristics, into which a plurality of types of terminal devices are classified; and

a program transmission unit for obtaining the collection program corresponding to the characteristics data received by the first obtaining unit from the program storage unit and transmitting the obtained collection program to at least one of the terminal device and the management device over the network.

17. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 13, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a measurement result of the state of each terminal device, received by the second obtaining unit; and

a change unit for changing a determination condition of the diagnostic result for the measurement result in the filter corresponding to the terminal device, according to the measurement result stored in the storage unit.

18. The remote diagnosis device according to claim 13, wherein information specifying a language for use when at least one of the terminal device and a management device managing the terminal device over a network notifies a user of the diagnostic result is included in the characteristics data, and

wherein the diagnosis result outputting unit is arranged to output the diagnostic result and the diagnostic item written in the language specified by the characteristics data.

19. A remote diagnosis system comprising:

a terminal device;

a management device connected to the terminal and configured to manage the terminal device; and

a remote diagnosis device connected to the terminal and configured to diagnose a state of the terminal device and configured to output a diagnostic result, wherein the remote diagnosis device includes

a first obtaining unit that is configured to receive characteristics data, including at least information indicating an identification and characteristics of the terminal device;

a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics data of the terminal device;

a filter selection unit connected to the first obtaining unit and connected to the filter group, the filter selection unit configured to select a filter corresponding to the characteristics data of the terminal device; and

a diagnosis result outputting unit connected to the filter selection unit, the diagnosis result outputting unit configured to diagnose the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the filter selected by the filter selection unit, and configured to output the diagnostic result.

20. A computer-readable medium having a computer executable program stored thereon, said program which, when executed by a computer in a remote diagnosis system that includes a terminal device, a management device for managing the terminal device, and a remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of the terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result, causes the computer to perform predetermined operations, the predetermined operations comprising:

obtaining characteristics data, including at least information indicating an identification and characteristics of the terminal device;

selecting a filter based on the obtained characteristics data from a filter group including a plurality of types of filters in which a diagnostic item for outputting is set according to the characteristics data of the terminal device;

diagnosing the state of the terminal device based on setting information of the selected filter; and

outputting the diagnostic result of the state.

21. A computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon, when executed by a computer, the program enabling a computer in a remote diagnosis system that includes a terminal device, a management device for managing the terminal device, and a remote diagnosis device for diagnosing a state of the terminal device and outputting a diagnostic result to perform predetermined operations comprising:

obtaining product information, including at least information indicating characteristics of the terminal device, from at least one of the terminal device and the management device;

obtaining a measurement result of the state of the terminal device from at least one of the terminal device and the management device;

selecting a filter based on the obtained product information from a filter group including a plurality of types of filter, each filter having a plurality of diagnostic items set according to characteristics of a respective terminal device and each filter defining, for a diagnostic item, a diagnostic result which corresponds to a measurement result and which is for externally notifying a meaning of the measurement result for the respective terminal device;

extracting diagnostic results from the selected filter based on the measurement results; and

outputting the extracted diagnostic results.