Maintenance system, method of controlling maintenance system, server, record medium in which program used for server is recorded, computer and record medium in which program used for computer is recorded

• US 7,747,905 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Odani, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Maskulinski; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/770,841
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• 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 11/0775 Content or structure details of the error report, e.g. specific table structure, specific error fields
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0784 Routing of error reports, e.g. with a specific transmission path or data flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00079 remotely
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

In a maintenance system according to the invention, in the management terminal, an input receiving unit receives an input of management information related to a condition of the managed machine, a second transmitting unit transmits the management information related to the condition of the managed machine to the server, in the server, a receiving unit receives the information related to the result of self-diagnosis transmitted and the management information transmitted, a memory unit stores the information related to the result of self-diagnosis and the management information on a database, a control unit analyzes a trouble-coping history of the managed machine which has a same type, and controls so as to output a analysis result of the trouble-coping history to one of the managed machine and the management terminal. With the maintenance system according to the invention, accurate maintenance information can be obtained.

Claims

1. A maintenance system comprising a managed machine a management terminal managing the managed machine and a server connected to the managed machine and the management terminal via a network, wherein:

the managed machine comprises;

a self-diagnosing unit configured to self-diagnose a condition of the managed machine; and

a first transmitting unit configured to transmit information related to a result of self-diagnosis by the self-diagnosing unit to the server;

the management terminal comprises;

an input receiving unit configured to receive an input of management information related to a condition of the managed machine; and

a second transmitting unit configured to transmit the management information related to the condition of the managed machine whose input is received by the input receiving unit to the server, and,

the server comprises;

a receiving unit configured to receive the information related to the result of self-diagnosis transmitted by the first transmitting unit and the management information related to the condition of the managed machine transmitted by the second transmitting unit;

a memory unit configured to store the information related to the result of self-diagnosis and the management information related to the condition of the managed machine on a database which includes a first memory and a second memory, the first memory storing as the information related to the result of self-diagnosis an error status information including an error code which indicates the trouble occurring in the managed machine and an information related to time of trouble occurrence, and an environmental information including information related to working temperature, working humidity, and working numbers of times in the managed machine, and the second memory storing as the management information related to the condition of the managed machine a routine maintenance information including information related to a maintenance content in a routine maintenance coping and information related to a part which is exchanged or cleaned in the routine maintenance coping, and a trouble coping information including information related to trouble coping place, trouble coping content, and working part corresponding to the trouble in trouble coping, and

a control unit configured to analyze the database when a trouble occurs in the managed machine, analyze a trouble-coping history of the managed machine which has a same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, and control so as to output a analysis result of the trouble-coping history to one of the managed machine and the management terminal.

2. The maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein one of the managed machine and the management terminal further comprises an informing unit configured to inform the analysis result of the trouble-coping history outputted by the control unit.

3. The maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein one of the managed machine and the management terminal further comprises an output unit configured to output the analysis result of the trouble-coping history in accordance with control by the control unit.

4. The maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit configured to perform numeric conversion for the environmental information in respective managed machines, compares the environmental information of the managed machine in which the trouble occurs with the environmental information of the managed machine which has the same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, if it is determined that difference between the environmental information of the managed machine in which the trouble occurs and the environmental information of the managed machine which has the same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, is below a predetermined reference value, to recognize that the managed machine that the difference is below the predetermined reference value is similar to the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, to analyze a trouble-coping history of a similar managed machine, and to control so as to output a analysis result of the trouble-coping history to one of the managed machine and the management terminal.

5. The maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the first transmitting unit routinely configured to transmit the information related to the result of self-diagnosis to the server, and to transmit the information related to the result of self-diagnosis to the server in the time of trouble occurrence.

6. The maintenance system according to claim 1, wherein the managed machine, the management terminal, and the server are mutually connected via one of LAN, the Internet, and phone line.

7. A method of controlling a maintenance system comprising a managed machine, a management terminal managing the managed machine and a server connected to the managed machine and the management terminal via a network, wherein:

the managed machine performs;

self-diagnosing a condition of the managed machine; and

transmitting information related to a result of self-diagnosis to the server;

the management terminal performs;

receiving an input of management information related to a condition of the managed machine; and

transmitting the management information related to the condition of the managed machine whose input is received to the server, and,

the server performs;

receiving the information related to the result of self-diagnosis transmitted and the management information related to the condition of the managed machine transmitted;

storing the information related to the result of self-diagnosis and the management information related the condition of the managed machine on a database, the database storing as the information related to the result of self-diagnosis an error status information including an error code which indicates the trouble occurring in the managed machine and an information related to time of trouble occurrence, and an environmental information including information related to working temperature, working humidity, and working numbers of times in the managed machine, and the database storing as the management information related to the condition of the managed machine a routine maintenance information including information related to a maintenance content in a routine maintenance coping and information related to a part which is exchanged or cleaned in the routine maintenance coping, and a trouble coping information including information related to trouble coping place, trouble coping content, and working part corresponding to the trouble in trouble coping, and

analyzing the database when a trouble occurs in the manage machine, analyzing a trouble-coping history of the managed machine which has a same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, and controlling so as to output a analysis result of the trouble-coping history to one of the managed machine and the management terminal.

8. The method of controller a maintenance system according to claim 7, wherein one of the managed machine and the management terminal informs the analysis result of the trouble-coping history outputted by the server.

9. The method of controller a maintenance system according to claim 7, wherein one of the managed machine and the management terminal outputs the analysis result of the trouble-coping history in accordance with control by the server.

10. The method of controller a maintenance system according to claim 9, wherein the server performs numeric conversion for the environmental information in respective managed machines, compares the environmental information of the managed machine in which the trouble occurs with the environmental information of the managed machine which has the same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, if it is determined that difference between the environmental information of the managed machine in which the trouble occurs and the environmental information of the managed machine which has the same type as the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, is below a predetermined reference value, recognizes that the managed machine that the difference is below the predetermined reference value is similar to the managed machine in which the trouble occurs, analyzes a trouble-coping history of a similar managed machine, and controls so as to output a analysis result of the trouble-coping history to one of the managed machine and the management terminal.

11. The method of controlling a maintenance system according to claim 7, wherein the managed machine routinely transmits the information related to the result of self-diagnosis to the server, and transmits the information related to the result of self-diagnosis to the server in the time of trouble occurrence.

12. The method of controlling a maintenance system according to claim 7, wherein the managed machine, the management terminal, and the server are mutually connected via one of LAN, the Internet, and phone lines.