JP2005134984A - Information processor, fault notification method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processor, a fault notification method, and a program for monitoring the state of an image forming apparatus, the information processor being capable of surely giving notice of fault occurrence by continuously giving notice of abnormality until recovery. <P>SOLUTION: The information processor is equipped with a means of detecting state information on the image forming apparatus, a means of holding operation state information, a means of evaluating the contents of the state information, a means of transmitting the state information to another previously registered information processor, and a means of clocking time and then transmits the state information to the other information processor according to the current state and progress state of the image forming apparatus. The information processor checks whether or not fault information is present at fixed intervals of time and sends the fault information to a host when it is decided that the fault information is present. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that monitors the state of an image forming apparatus, a failure notification method, and a program.

  In general, when monitoring an image forming apparatus existing in a remote place, there is a method of periodically acquiring the status of the monitoring target apparatus and notifying the information processing apparatus that centrally manages the monitoring target apparatus. In this case, when an abnormality is detected in the image forming apparatus, the identification information of the apparatus, the abnormality content, the time, and the like are transmitted to a preset destination.

In such a configuration, when the transmitted abnormality information cannot be received, the information processing apparatus cannot detect the abnormality. For this reason, there is a method of performing transmission / reception confirmation on the transmission side and the reception side, and performing retransmission processing when transmission fails.
JP-A-9-312695

However, in an environment where transmission / reception confirmation cannot be performed under some restriction condition, a situation in which an abnormality as described above cannot be detected occurs.
In such a case, even if a failure occurs in the image forming apparatus to be monitored, the service person does not know the abnormality, and as a result, the failure recovery process cannot be performed, and the customer may be damaged. .

  In addition, in e-mail, information may not reach the host due to a connection failure to the SMTP server, a relay error, or the like. Since there is no retransmission processing in Agent, in this case, information is lost. Since lack of error information causes inconvenience to the user, it is necessary to solve such a problem.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of notifying the occurrence of a failure by continuously notifying the abnormality until the abnormality is detected.

In order to achieve the above object, in claim 1, in an information processing apparatus connected to a network,
Means for detecting status information of the image forming apparatus, means for holding the status information, means for evaluating the contents of the status information, and means for transmitting the status information to another information processing apparatus registered in advance And by providing means for measuring time,
Detecting the state of an image forming apparatus, transmitting information in the event of an abnormality, acquiring the state at every measurement time, and transmitting information to a pre-registered information processing apparatus according to the state content .

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, electronic mail is used as the transmission means used in the first aspect.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, when the image forming apparatus detects a plurality of states, the image forming apparatus includes a means for evaluating the last detected state and time so that the image forming apparatus has a plurality of states. When the error occurs, the status information is transmitted to the other information processing apparatus according to the current status and the elapsed status.

As described above, the information processing apparatus according to claim 1 is an information processing apparatus connected to a network.
Means for detecting state information of the image forming apparatus, means for holding the earning state information, means for evaluating the contents of the state information, and transmitting the state information to another information processing apparatus registered in advance By providing the means and the means for measuring time, when the failure state continues, the failure information can be periodically transmitted to another information processing apparatus.

  An information processing apparatus according to a second aspect uses an e-mail as the transmission means used in the first aspect.

  In the first aspect, when a plurality of failures occur in one image forming apparatus, information is transmitted a plurality of times in a prescribed manner. In the third aspect, in addition to the first aspect, a plurality of information is transmitted by the image forming apparatus. When a plurality of states occur in the image forming apparatus, the failure state continues from the last occurrence of the failure by providing means for evaluating the last detected state and time In this case, the information can be transmitted to the other information processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a device remote monitoring system to which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected. The device remote monitoring system includes a device monitoring device 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as monitoring device 1), a base side management server 2, devices 3, 4, and 5, a center side management server 6, a center side client PC 7, a communication line 8, a LAN ( (Local Area Network) 9. Reference numeral 10 in the figure is a communication protocol.

  In the device remote monitoring system, there is a center-side management server 6 having a configuration included in at least a general information processing apparatus as a center side that supervises device monitoring, and further includes a database 11 for storing information, a center There is a center side client PC 7 connected to the side management server 6 via the LAN 9 and operable alone or as a client of the center side management server 6. The center side management server 6 and the site side management server 2 can communicate with each other by a predetermined communication protocol 10 via a communication line 8 such as the Internet. In this example, a general protocol (SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)) and authentication are also provided in order to prevent unauthorized access and to pass (pass through) a firewall in the network. In this example, only one center side management server 6 is shown, but a configuration in which a plurality of center side management servers 6 exist in accordance with the purpose, such as failure monitoring and counter information collection described later, is also possible. .

  On the other hand, in the device remote monitoring system, a base side management server 2 exists as a base side of the system, and a monitoring device 1 that collects information of devices 3, 4, 5 and a personal computer (not shown) is connected to the LAN 9. Yes. The monitoring device 1 collects maintenance information including operation information and failure information of various devices 3, 4, 5 that can communicate via the LAN 9, and updates the control programs of the devices 3, 4, 5, etc. A control function and a function of transferring the collected information to the center management server 6 via the base management server 2.

  The monitoring device 1 and the site-side management server 2, and the center-side client PC 7 and the center-side management server 6 may be installed as separate configurations as in this example, as long as they can share information with each other. A single device having both functions (a single device having both the function of the monitoring device 1 and the function of the base management server 2, a single device having both the function of the center client PC 7 and the function of the center management server 6) ) May be installed. FIG. 1 shows the situation in a two-dot chain line frame. Thereafter, in this example, when the monitoring device 1 communicates with the external center-side management server 6, communication via the site-side management server 2 is performed. May also be used. Hereinafter, in this example, it is assumed that the monitoring device 1 and the center management server 2 exchange information with each other.

  In FIG. 1, only one monitoring device 1 and one base-side management server 2 are shown. However, in actual operation, a plurality of monitoring devices 1, a plurality of base-side management servers 2, and a plurality of these A device remote monitoring system is constructed by making the center side management server 6 that centrally manages the monitoring device 1 and the plurality of base side management servers 2 communicable via the communication line 8.

  Devices 3 to 5 include a printer (including an electrophotographic system and an inkjet system) as an image forming apparatus, a scanner as an image reading apparatus, a facsimile as an image communication apparatus, a printer function and a facsimile as an image forming apparatus. Examples thereof include a digital multi-function peripheral having an integrated function, a personal computer as an information processing apparatus, and a print server as an information processing apparatus. The image forming apparatus will be described in detail in the description below. Further, a personal computer (not shown) is connected to the LAN 9 as indicated by reference numeral 501 in FIG. 7. For example, predetermined application data is generated in a PDL (Page Description Language) via an OS (Operating System) and a printer driver. And a function of transmitting the generated PDL so as to be output to the devices 3, 4, and 5.

  The monitoring device 1 then detects the device status of the devices 3 to 5 (printer, facsimile, multifunction machine, etc.), operation information such as the remaining amount of toner and the number of printed pages for each paper size, the status of the CPU in the personal computer, and memory usage. Maintenance information including at least operating information such as status and usage status of paid applications, paper jam information in devices 3 to 5 (printers, multifunction devices, etc.), various types of failure information such as the number of restarts in a personal computer, etc. .

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the monitoring apparatus 1 in FIG. The monitoring device 1 includes a general information processing device, that is, a CPU 201, a bus 202, a RAM 203, and a flash (flash) ROM 204, in addition to a plurality of interfaces (hereinafter abbreviated as I / F), that is, A network (network) I / F (1) 205, a network (network) I / F (2) 206, a serial (serial) I / F 207, and a debug (debug) I / F 208 are provided.

  The CPU 201 controls each component individually and totally, individually or totally, and based on a program stored in the flash ROM 204, described later with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, 9, and 10. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. The bus 202 is a common signal path for transferring data between the components shown in FIG. The RAM 203 is storage means that can electrically store information and can be rewritten. The flash ROM 204 is a non-volatile storage means that can be electrically rewritten and can store information even when the power is turned off. Network I / Fs 205 and 206 are interfaces for exchanging information with the outside via a network. The serial I / F 207 is an interface for exchanging information through RS232C serial communication. The debug I / F 208 is an interface that is a serial communication unit used for debugging purposes.

  The monitoring device 1 may be provided with an input device such as a keyboard, a display unit, a display control unit, and the like. However, as will be described later, for example, a serviceman possesses the network I / F 205, 206 of the monitoring device 1. It is possible to change the setting of the monitoring device 1 by connecting a PC and starting a setting program in the monitoring device 1 from the PC side. That is, it is possible to construct the monitoring device 1 at a low cost by making it unnecessary to provide the monitoring device 1 with an input device, a display unit, and a display unit control unit.

  Further, the base side management server 2, the personal computer, the center side management server 6, and the center side client PC 7 need only have a configuration provided in a general information processing apparatus, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a controller that controls the entire image forming apparatus, which is an example of the devices 3 to 5 in FIG. 1. The controller of the image forming apparatus includes a document feeder controller 302, an image reader controller 303, an image signal controller 304, a printer controller 305, an external I / F 306, a CPU circuit unit 307, a sorter controller 313, and a finisher controller. 314 and a state detection unit 315 are provided. In the figure, reference numeral 311 denotes an operation unit of the image forming apparatus, 312 denotes a display unit of the image forming apparatus, and 301 denotes a computer 301 connected to the image forming apparatus via the LAN 9.

  The CPU circuit unit 307 includes a CPU (not shown), a RAM 308, a ROM 309, and a hard disk 310. The CPU is based on a control program stored in the ROM 309, and includes a document feeder control unit 302, an image reader control unit 303, an image signal control unit 304, a printer control unit 305, an external I / F 306, an operation unit 311, and a display unit. 312, the sorter control unit 313, the finisher control unit 314, and the state detection unit 315 are collectively controlled. The ROM 309 stores a control program. The RAM 308 temporarily stores control data and is used as a work area for arithmetic processing associated with control. The hard disk 310 stores information necessary for the control program and information received from the document feeder control unit 302 to the state detection unit 315.

  The document feeder control unit 302 controls driving of a document feeder (not shown) that automatically feeds a document set on the document stacking unit to a document reading position based on an instruction from the CPU circuit unit 307. The image reader control unit 303 performs drive control on a scanner unit (not shown) that scans an original, an image sensor (not shown) that photoelectrically converts an optical image of the original into an electrical signal, and the like, and an analog image output from the image sensor The signal is transferred to the image signal control unit 304. The image signal control unit 304 converts each analog image signal into a digital signal, performs each process, converts the digital signal into a video signal, and outputs the video signal to the printer control unit 305. The processing operation by the image signal control unit 304 is controlled by the CPU circuit unit 307.

  The external I / F 306 performs various processes on the digital image signal input from the computer 301 via the LAN 9 and the LAN interface, converts the digital image signal into a video signal, and outputs the video signal to the printer control unit 305. The external I / F 306 communicates with the monitoring apparatus 1 via the LAN 9 and the LAN interface. The printer control unit 305 drives an exposure control unit (not shown) that controls exposure to the photoconductor based on the input video signal. The operation unit 311 includes a plurality of keys for setting various functions related to image formation, a display unit for displaying information indicating a setting state, and the like, and outputs a key signal corresponding to the operation of each key to the CPU circuit unit 307. At the same time, corresponding information is displayed on the display unit 312 based on the signal from the CPU circuit unit 307.

  The sorter control unit 313 drives and controls a sorter mechanism (not shown) that sorts sheets on which image formation has been completed. The finisher control unit 314 drives and controls a finisher mechanism (not shown) that performs post-processing of paper on which image formation has been completed (punching processing for punching paper, stapling processing for binding paper, and the like). The sorter control unit 313 and the finisher control unit 314 operate based on a signal from the CPU circuit unit 307 according to an input from the user via the external I / F 306 or a setting from the operation unit 311. The state detection unit 315 collects state information from each block shown in the figure, performs detection based on detection of abnormality and the like, and makes a determination based on the detection result, and notifies the CPU circuit unit 307 of the determination result. In accordance with this notification, the CPU circuit unit 307 displays an abnormality on the display unit 312 and notifies the computer 301 and the like via the external I / F 306 of the abnormality.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a task manager 401, a paper transport unit task group 402, a sequence control task 403, a communication task 404, a management data creation task 405, and a state monitoring task 406.

  The task manager 401 is for managing a plurality of tasks simultaneously. A paper transport unit task group 402 is a task group that controls transport of a document and paper on which an image is formed. The sequence control task 403 is a task for managing the entire image forming apparatus. The communication task 404 is a task for communicating with the monitoring apparatus 1.

  The management data creation task 405 is a task for creating the remote management data of the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus counts the operation information for each paper size, for each processing mode, for each paper type, for each paper type, and for each monochrome / color. The operation information is counted by the management data creation task 405 and stored in the storage unit in the image forming apparatus. Similarly, status information (failure information) such as a jam, an error, and an alarm is stored in a storage unit in the image forming apparatus in a predetermined data format. In addition, each unit in the image forming apparatus has a replacement life of consumable parts and a counter (part counter) that indicates the use frequency of the consumable parts, and the result counted in the management data creation task 405 is obtained. It is stored in the storage unit of the image forming apparatus.

  The state monitoring task 406 is a task that detects an abnormality (jam, error, alarm) in the image forming apparatus or detects a change in the status of a preset device, and the status information is in a predetermined data format along with the detection. It is stored in a storage unit in the image forming apparatus.

  FIG. 5 shows a module configuration of the device state monitoring unit in the monitoring apparatus 1 shown in FIG. Reference numeral 501 is a failure information confirmation program, 502 is a failure information transmission unit, 503 is a failure monitoring program, 504 is a monitoring target list, 505 is a periodic processing unit, 506 is a failure state acquisition program, and 507 is device state information.

  6 and 7 are flowcharts showing a counter information acquisition process in which the monitoring apparatus 1 collects counter information of the devices 3 to 5 and the personal computer. The counter information in this embodiment is information including a part or all of the maintenance information of the devices 3 to 5 and the personal computer, and the counter information acquisition process shown in this flowchart is executed for each device. Is done.

  The monitoring apparatus 1 executes a counter information acquisition program for acquiring counter information (601), and performs processing of step 603 to step 605 for each device to be monitored at intervals of 60 minutes, for example, so that the counter information is periodically updated. Acquisition is performed (602). First, in step S503, the monitoring apparatus 1 acquires counter information from the device (603), and stores the counter information acquired from the device in the flash ROM 204 (604). Here, when the data format of the counter information acquired from the device is different from the data format of the counter information transmitted to the host, it is possible to convert the data at the time of storing the counter information. There is also a method of performing this data conversion at the time of transmission to the host. Next, the monitoring apparatus 1 waits 60 minutes in order to perform similar counter information acquisition processing 60 minutes later (605).

  Subsequently, as a periodic process, the monitoring device 1 starts a counter information transmission program to send counter information to the host (701). The monitoring apparatus 1 determines whether or not the counter information is stored by the counter information acquisition program in step 601 (702). When the counter information is stored, the monitoring apparatus 1 transmits the stored counter information to the host (703). The counter information is transmitted by e-mail to the center side client PC 7 via the base side management server 2 and the center side management server 6. The counter information transmitted from the monitoring apparatus 1 to the host by executing this processing is shared by the center side client PC 7 as described above, and can be referred to by, for example, an operator. On the other hand, if the counter information is not stored, the processing ends as it is.

  FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are flowcharts showing processing related to the device failure monitoring processing program by the monitoring apparatus 1, which shows the features of this embodiment. Information transmission from the monitoring device 1 to the site side management server 2 or the center side management server 6 (hereinafter referred to as a host) or the center side client PC 7 will be described using the SMTP.

  The monitoring apparatus 1 executes the failure information confirmation program 501 for confirming the failure information of the device to be monitored (801), and performs the processing from step 803 to step 808 for each device to be monitored (802), for example, 1 Failure information is checked at minute intervals. The monitoring apparatus 1 acquires the previous state of the device from 507 (803), and then requests the failure information from the monitoring target device by the failure state acquisition program 506 via the LAN 9, and acquires the current state from 506 again. (804). Next, the previous state and the current state are determined (805), and when it is determined that new failure information has been acquired, the failure information acquired in step 804 is transmitted to the host (806). The failure information is transmitted by e-mail to the center side client PC 7 via the base side management server 2 and the center side management server 6. Then, it is registered in the failure monitoring target list (807). The contents of the fault monitoring target list are shown in FIG. The device type, device IP address, failure code, and information transmission time are entered. On the other hand, if it is determined in step 805 that new failure information has not been acquired, the monitoring apparatus 1 waits for 1 minute in order to check the failure information at 1-minute intervals (808).

  FIG. 9 shows a periodic monitoring process. After the failure monitoring program is started (901), periodic monitoring processing is performed (902). In the regular monitoring process, the monitoring process for the number described in the monitoring target list and the processes of steps 904 to 910 are performed every time (903). Information on one device is acquired from the monitoring target list (904). Subsequently, the current failure information is acquired from the device (905). If the device continues to fail (906), the time is checked (907). When one hour has passed from the previous transmission time (908), the failure information is transmitted (909), and at the same time, the information transmission time in the list is updated. The failure information is transmitted by e-mail to the center side client PC 7 via the base side management server 2 and the center side management server 6. If no failure is detected in S404, the device information is deleted from the monitoring target list (910).

  This operation is repeated for the number of monitoring targets, and after waiting for all the units, the system waits for one minute (911).

  As described above, the counter information acquisition process described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 and the device failure information monitoring process described with reference to FIGS. Maintenance information can be centrally managed from a remote location.

  Then, by executing the failure monitoring process shown in FIG. 9, it is possible to periodically transmit information of the image forming apparatus that has been left with a failure.

[Second Embodiment]
In this embodiment, an example of claim 3 is shown. The basic configuration is the same as in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 shows the operation of the failure information confirmation program of this embodiment. The same process as the first embodiment is assigned the same number.

  Similar to the first embodiment, when it is determined that new failure information has been acquired, the acquired failure information is transmitted to the host (806). The failure information is transmitted by e-mail to the center side client PC 7 via the base side management server 2 and the center side management server 6. Thereafter, the failure monitoring target list is referred to (1101), and it is checked whether information on the device exists in the list (1102). If the device information does not exist in the list, the device information is registered in the list (807). If the device information exists in the list, the failure code and information transmission time of the device information are updated.

  As a result, when a plurality of errors occur in the same device, the error status can be periodically notified to the host based on the latest error. As a result, when a plurality of errors occur in one device, information corresponding to the number of errors is prevented from being notified.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the example of whole structure of the device remote monitoring system to which the information processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was connected. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the monitoring apparatus 1 in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a controller that controls the entire image forming apparatus as an example of devices 3 to 5 in FIG. 1. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a software configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a module configuration diagram of a lifetime monitoring unit of the monitoring device 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process by the counter information acquisition program in the counter information acquisition process of the monitoring apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process by the counter information transmission program in the counter information acquisition process of the monitoring apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process by the failure information confirmation program in the counter information acquisition process of the monitoring apparatus. 7 is a flowchart showing processing by a failure monitoring program in counter information acquisition processing of the monitoring device 1; It is an example of the monitoring object list | wrist of 1st Example. It is a flowchart which shows the process by the failure information confirmation program in the counter information acquisition process of the monitoring apparatus 1 of 2nd Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Monitoring apparatus 2 Base side management server 3, 4, 5 Device 6 Center side management server 7 Center side client PC
8 Communication line 9 LAN
10 Communication protocol

Claims (5)

In an information processing apparatus connected to a network and capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus connected to the network,
Means for detecting state information of the image forming apparatus, means for holding the earning state information, means for evaluating the contents of the state information, and transmitting state motion information to another information processing apparatus registered in advance An information processing apparatus comprising: a means for measuring time; and means for transmitting state information to the other information processing apparatus according to a current state and an elapsed state of the image forming apparatus.   2. An information processing apparatus connected to a network in which a server capable of processing mail exists and capable of transmitting and receiving electronic mail, wherein the electronic mail is used as a transmission means according to claim 1. .   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for evaluating the last detected state and time when a plurality of states are detected by the image forming apparatus. An information processing apparatus that transmits state information to the other information processing apparatus according to a progress state. A check step for checking whether there is fault information at regular intervals;
A failure notification method comprising: a transmission step of transmitting failure information to a host when it is determined in the checking step that there is failure information. A check step for checking whether there is fault information at regular intervals;
A computer-readable program comprising: a transmission step of transmitting failure information to a host when it is determined that there is failure information in the checking step.

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