U.S. patent application number 17/469941 was filed with the patent office on 2021-12-30 for component management device, component management method, and non-transitory storage medium.
The applicant listed for this patent is TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Sou Miyazaki, Masaki Narahashi, Kazuhiro Ogura, Satoshi Oyama, Hiroyo Tanaka.
Application Number | 20210405933 17/469941 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005830359 |
Filed Date | 2021-12-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20210405933 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oyama; Satoshi ; et
al. |
December 30, 2021 |
COMPONENT MANAGEMENT DEVICE, COMPONENT MANAGEMENT METHOD, AND
NON-TRANSITORY STORAGE MEDIUM
Abstract
According to one embodiment, provided is a component management
device includes a detection unit, a correlation determination unit,
and an update unit. The detection unit detects a first-class
component whose used amount exceeds the threshold value and which
is used without causing a failure, and detects a first-class device
that is a device including the detected first-class component and
not causing a failure related to the first-class component. The
correlation determination unit determines the presence or absence
of a correlation with respect to a first correlation that is a
correlation between the used amount of the detected first-class
component and an operating condition of the first-class device.
When it is determined that there is no correlation for the first
correlation, the update unit determines a first update value that
is an update value of the threshold value based on the used amount
of the first-class component in the first-class device.
Inventors: |
Oyama; Satoshi; (Mishima
Shizuoka, JP) ; Tanaka; Hiroyo; (Koto Tokyo, JP)
; Ogura; Kazuhiro; (Hiratsuka Kanagawa, JP) ;
Miyazaki; Sou; (Sunto Shizuoka, JP) ; Narahashi;
Masaki; (Shinagawa Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005830359 |
Appl. No.: |
17/469941 |
Filed: |
September 9, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16824849 |
Mar 20, 2020 |
11144257 |
|
|
17469941 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/1229 20130101;
G06F 3/121 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/12 20060101
G06F003/12 |
Claims
1. A component management device that manages a threshold value
related to a used amount of replaceable components, comprising: a
detector configured to detect a first-class component whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and is used without causing a
failure, based on component information related to the used amount
and failure information related to a failure occurrence with
respect to the first-class component in the component management
device including the first-class component, and to detect a
first-class device including the detected first-class component and
not causing a failure related to the first-class component; a
correlation determination component configured to determine the
presence or absence of a correlation with respect to a first
correlation between the used amount of the detected first-class
component and an operating condition of the first-class device; and
an update component configured to determine a first update value of
the threshold value based on the used amount of the first-class
component in the first-class device when no correlation for the
first correlation is determined, wherein the detector detects a
second-class component in which a number of components whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a failure
occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total, based on the
component information and the failure information, and detects a
second-class device including the detected second-class component
and having a failure occurrence related to the second-class
component, the correlation determination component determines the
presence or absence of a correlation with respect to a second
correlation between the used amount of the detected second-class
component and an operating condition of the second-class device,
and the update component determines a second update value of the
threshold value based on the used amount of the second-class
component in the second-class device when no correlation for the
second correlation is determined, and determines a final update
value of the threshold value based on the first update value and
the second update value.
2. The component management device according to claim 1, wherein
the first-class component has the number of components whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which is used without
causing a failure exceeds a certain ratio of the total.
3. The component management device according to claim 1, wherein
the detector detects the first-class component for the same type of
component of the same model.
4. The component management device according to claim 1, wherein
the second-class component has the number of components whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a failure
occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total.
5. The component management device according to claim 1, wherein
the second-class component has the number of components whose used
amount does not exceed the threshold value and which has a failure
occurrence is equal to or less than a certain ratio of the
total.
6. The component management device according to claim 3, wherein
when the correlation determination component determines that there
is a correlation only for a specific operating condition among a
plurality of operating conditions with respect to the first
correlation or the second correlation, and the update component
determines the first update value or the second update value based
on a used amount that does not correspond to the specific operating
condition.
7. The component management device according to claim 1, further
comprising: an information acquisition component configured to
acquire the component information and the failure information from
a plurality of image forming apparatuses that communicate with the
component management device, wherein the update component updates
the threshold value related to the used amount of the replaceable
component included in the plurality of image forming apparatuses
with the determined update value.
8. A component management method for managing a threshold value
related to a used amount of replaceable components, comprising:
detecting a first-class component whose used amount exceeds the
threshold value and which is used without causing a failure, based
on component information related to the used amount and failure
information related to a failure occurrence with respect to the
first-class component in a component management device including
the first-class component, and detecting a first-class device
including the detected first-class component and not causing a
failure related to the first-class component; determining the
presence or absence of a correlation with respect to a first
correlation between the used amount of the detected first-class
component and an operating condition of the first-class device;
determining a first update value of the threshold value based on
the used amount of the first-class component in the first-class
device when no correlation for the first correlation is determined;
detecting a second-class component in which a number of components
whose used amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a
failure occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total, based on
the component information and the failure information, and
detecting a second-class device including the detected second-class
component and having a failure occurrence related to the
second-class component; determining the presence or absence of a
correlation with respect to a second correlation between the used
amount of the detected second-class component and an operating
condition of the second-class device; and determining a second
update value of the threshold value based on the used amount of the
second-class component in the second-class device when no
correlation for the second correlation is determined, and
determining a final update value of the threshold value based on
the first update value and the second update value.
9. The component management method according to claim 8, wherein
the first-class component has the number of components whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which is used without
causing a failure exceeds a certain ratio of the total.
10. The component management method according to claim 8, further
comprising: detecting the first-class component for the same type
of component of the same model.
11. The component management method according to claim 8, wherein
the second-class component has the number of components whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a failure
occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total.
12. The component management method according to claim 8, wherein
the second-class component has the number of components whose used
amount does not exceed the threshold value and which has a failure
occurrence is equal to or less than a certain ratio of the
total.
13. The component management method according to claim 10, further
comprising: determining that there is a correlation only for a
specific operating condition among a plurality of operating
conditions with respect to the first correlation or the second
correlation, and determining the first update value or the second
update value based on a used amount that does not correspond to the
specific operating condition.
14. The component management method according to claim 8, further
comprising: acquiring the component information and the failure
information from a plurality of image forming apparatuses that
communicate with the component management device, and updating the
threshold value related to the used amount of the replaceable
component included in the plurality of image forming apparatuses
with the determined update value.
15. A non-transitory storage medium that records a computer program
for operating a computer as a component management device that
manages a threshold value related to a used amount of replaceable
components, comprising: a detection component configured to detect
a first-class component whose used amount exceeds the threshold
value and which is used without causing a failure, based on
component information related to the used amount and failure
information related to a failure occurrence with respect to the
first-class component in the component management device including
the first-class component, and to detect a first-class device
including the detected first-class component and not causing a
failure related to the first-class component; a correlation
determination component configured to determine the presence or
absence of a correlation with respect to a first correlation
between the used amount of the detected first-class component and
an operating condition of the first-class device; and an update
component configured to determine a first update value of the
threshold value based on the used amount of the first-class
component in the first-class device when no correlation for the
first correlation is determined, wherein the detection component
detects a second-class component in which a number of components
whose used amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a
failure occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total, based on
the component information and the failure information, and detects
a second-class device including the detected second-class component
and having a failure occurrence related to the second-class
component, the correlation determination component determines the
presence or absence of a correlation with respect to a second
correlation between the used amount of the detected second-class
component and an operating condition of the second-class device,
and the update component determines a second update value of the
threshold value based on the used amount of the second-class
component in the second-class device when no correlation for the
second correlation is determined, and determines a final update
value of the threshold value based on the first update value and
the second update value.
16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15,
wherein the detection component detects the first-class component
for the same type of component of the same model.
17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 15,
wherein the second-class component has the number of components
whose used amount exceeds the threshold value and which has a
failure occurrence exceeding a certain ratio of the total.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No.
16/824,849 filed on Mar. 20, 2020, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments described herein relate generally to a component
management device, a component management method, and a
non-transitory storage medium.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the related art, a multifunction peripheral (MFP) is
generally configured to extend the life of the apparatus by
replacing components. For example, the MFP records an index value
indicating the degree of consumption for each replaceable
component, and a component whose index value exceeds a
predetermined threshold value is determined as a replacement
target. This threshold value is an index value that serves as a
guide for replacement, and a recommended value for each component
is set in the MFP in advance. Hereinafter, this threshold value is
referred to as "replacement-recommended life".
[0004] In general, a certain degree of accuracy variation,
manufacturing error, and the like may occur between components of
the same type. Further, even for components of the same type, the
degree of consumption varies depending on the type of MFP used and
the manner of use by the user. In addition, the time until the
components required to be replaced are actually replaced also
differs depending on the operation method of the user. The
appropriate value of the replacement-recommended life may fluctuate
due to such various factors. Therefore, for safety, the value of
the replacement-recommended life is often set with a certain margin
so that the component is replaced before the end of the life. In
addition, the value of the replacement-recommended life is often
rounded down to a value that is good for rounding. As described
above, when the margins due to various circumstances are
accumulated, the replacement-recommended life may greatly deviate
from the actual life. As a result, components that can still be
used will be replaced more quickly than necessary, and the
operation cost may increase more than necessary.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of
a component management device according to a first embodiment;
[0006] FIG. 2 is an external view illustrating a configuration
example of a multifunction peripheral according to the first
embodiment;
[0007] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware
configuration of the multifunction peripheral;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional
configuration of the component management device;
[0009] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a
life update process executed by the component management
device;
[0010] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional
configuration of a component management device according to a
second embodiment; and
[0011] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a
life update process executed by the component management
device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] In order to suppress an increase in operation costs, a
technique capable of setting the replacement-recommended life to a
more appropriate value is provided. In general, according to one
embodiment, there is provided a component management device that
manages a threshold value related to a used amount of replaceable
components. The component management device includes a detection
unit, a correlation determination unit, and an update unit. The
detection unit detects a first-class component whose used amount
exceeds the threshold value and which is used without causing a
failure, based on component information related to the used amount
and failure information related to the failure occurred with
respect to the component in the device including the component, and
detects a first-class device that is a device including the
detected first-class component and not causing a failure related to
the first-class component. The correlation determination unit
determines the presence or absence of a correlation with respect to
a first correlation that is a correlation between the used amount
of the detected first-class component and an operating condition of
the first-class device. When it is determined that there is no
correlation for the first correlation, the update unit determines a
first update value that is an update value of the threshold value
based on the used amount of the first-class component in the
first-class device.
[0013] Hereinafter, a component management device, a component
management method, and a non-transitory storage medium according to
an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of
a component management device according to a first embodiment. A
component management device 1 is a device that manages the
replacement-recommended life of replaceable components included in
a plurality of multifunction peripherals 2. The component
management device 1 can communicate with the plurality of
multifunction peripherals 2 (MFPs) via a network N. FIG. 1
illustrates multifunction peripherals 2-1 to 2-m (m is an integer
of 2 or more) as the plurality of multifunction peripherals 2. The
network N may be a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network
(WAN) including a wide area network such as the Internet.
[0015] Here, the replacement-recommended life (hereinafter,
referred to as "life") is a value determined as a guide for
component replacement, and is a threshold value determined with
respect to the used amount of the component. Generally, the life is
a value determined for each component, and is set in advance in
each multifunction peripheral 2. In general, the multifunction
peripheral 2 has a function of recording the used amount of each
component and notifying the user that a component whose used amount
has exceeded the life needs to be replaced.
[0016] The used amount of the component in the present embodiment
is a value indicating the degree of consumption of the component,
and is represented based on various index values correlated with
the degree of consumption of the component. For example, the used
amount of the component may be represented by the used time of the
component, or may be represented by the number of uses. For
example, the used amount of components in the multifunction
peripheral may be represented by the number of executions of a
printing process or a copying process, or may be represented by the
number of times that a recording medium is passed. Further, the
used amount of components in the multifunction peripheral may be
represented by the number of rotations of the conveyance roller, or
may be represented by the number of executions of a reading
process. The used amount of components may be represented using an
index value that differs for each type of component. Further, the
used amount of one type of component may be obtained based on a
plurality of index values.
[0017] Further, the multifunction peripheral 2 according to the
embodiment has a function of transmitting operation information of
the own device to the component management device 1. The operation
information is information related to the operation of the
multifunction peripheral 2, and is information including at least
component information and failure information. The component
information is information indicating the used amount of each
replaceable component of the multifunction peripheral 2.
Alternatively, the component information may be information
indicating various index values used to obtain the used amount of
each component. Further, the failure information is information
related to a failure occurred in the multifunction peripheral 2 and
includes information related to a failure occurred due to the
consumption of components. For example, the multifunction
peripheral 2 may transmit the system log of the own device to the
component management device 1 as operation information. In this
case, in the component management device 1, it is preferable to
perform a pre-process of removing unnecessary information other
than the component information and the failure information included
in the system log, the error log, and the like.
[0018] On the other hand, the component management device 1
according to the embodiment has a function of updating the life set
in each multifunction peripheral 2 to a more appropriate value
based on the component information and the failure information
acquired from the plurality of multifunction peripherals 2. With
this life update function, the component management device 1 can
optimize the life for each component with respect to each
replaceable component of each multifunction peripheral 2. As a
result, the life of the component is extended, and an increase in
operation cost can be suppressed. Hereinafter, the configurations
of the component management device 1 and the multifunction
peripheral 2 according to the embodiment having such effects will
be described in detail.
[0019] FIG. 2 is an external view illustrating a configuration
example of the multifunction peripheral 2 according to the first
embodiment. Also, FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a
hardware configuration of the multifunction peripheral 2 according
to the first embodiment. The multifunction peripheral 2 includes an
image reading unit 210, a display 220, a control panel 230, an
image forming unit 240, a sheet accommodation unit 250, a storage
unit 260, a communication unit 270, and a control unit 280.
[0020] The multifunction peripheral 2 forms an image on a sheet
with a developer such as a toner or ink. When the developer is a
toner, the developer is fixed on the sheet by heating. When the
developer is ink, an image is formed on the sheet by dropping the
developer on the sheet. The sheet is, for example, paper or label
paper. The sheet may be any sheet as long as the multifunction
peripheral 2 can form an image on the surface thereof. The toner
may be a decolorable toner that decolors at a predetermined
temperature.
[0021] The image reading unit 210 is, for example, a scanner. The
image reading unit 210 reads image information to be read as the
brightness of the light. The image reading unit 210 records the
read image information. The recorded image information may be
stored in the storage unit 260 of the multifunction peripheral 2,
or may be transmitted to another information processing device via
a network. The recorded image information may be formed as an image
on a sheet by the image forming unit 240.
[0022] The display 220 is an image display device such as a liquid
crystal display and an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display.
The display 220 displays various pieces of information related to
the multifunction peripheral 2.
[0023] The control panel 230 has a plurality of buttons. The
control panel 230 receives a user operation. The control panel 230
outputs a signal corresponding to an operation performed by the
user to a control unit (the control unit 280 described later) of
the multifunction peripheral 2. The display 220 and the control
panel 230 may be configured as an integrated touch panel.
[0024] The image forming unit 240 forms an image on a sheet based
on the image information generated by the image reading unit 210 or
the received image information. The image forming unit 240
includes, for example, a developing device, a transfer device, and
a fixing device. A sheet conveyance path is formed in the image
forming unit 240. The sheet to be processed is conveyed by rollers
provided in the conveyance path. An image is formed on the sheet in
the course of conveyance.
[0025] The image forming unit 240 forms an image by, for example,
the following processing. The developing device of the image
forming unit 240 forms an electrostatic latent image on a
photosensitive drum based on the image information. The developing
device of the image forming unit 240 forms a visible image by
attaching a developer to the electrostatic latent image.
[0026] The transfer device of the image forming unit 240 transfers
the visible image onto the sheet. The fixing device of the image
forming unit 240 fixes the visible image on the sheet by heating
and pressurizing the sheet. The sheet on which an image is formed
may be a sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodation unit 250 or
a manually inserted sheet. The sheet accommodation unit 250
accommodates sheets to be used for image formation in the image
forming unit 240.
[0027] The storage unit 260 is configured using a storage device
such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage
device. The storage unit 260 stores data required when the
multifunction peripheral 2 operates. The storage unit 260 may store
temporarily or save image data formed in the multifunction
peripheral 2.
[0028] The communication unit 270 is configured using a
communication interface. The communication unit 270 communicates
with another device (for example, an information terminal such as a
personal computer) via a network such as a LAN. For example, the
communication unit 270 communicates information such as print data
or scanner data with a user terminal. The print data includes image
data to be subjected to image formation, and the scanner data is
image data read by the image reading unit 210.
[0029] The communication unit 270 communicates with the component
management device 1 via the network N. For example, the
communication unit 270 transmits the component information and the
failure information to the component management device 1. Further,
for example, the communication unit 270 receives information
indicating the value of the life to be set from the component
management device 1.
[0030] The control unit 280 (controller) is configured using a
processor 281 such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory
282. The control unit 280 reads a program stored in advance in the
storage unit 260 into the memory and executes the program. The
control unit 280 controls the operation of each device provided in
the multifunction peripheral 2. For example, when receiving an
instruction to form an image from a user terminal, the control unit
280 may control the own device so as to form an image on a sheet
according to the received instruction. For example, upon receiving
an image reading instruction from a user terminal, the control unit
280 may control the own device to transmit the data of the image
read by the image reading unit 210 to the user terminal that is the
transmission source of the instruction.
[0031] In addition, the control unit 280 records, for example, in
the storage unit 260, component information indicating the used
amount of each replaceable component of the own device. The control
unit 280 updates the component information in accordance with the
operation of the own device, and transmits the component
information to the component management device 1 at a predetermined
timing. If the control unit 280 detects that a failure due to the
consumption of a component has occurred in the own device, the
control unit 280 records failure information related to the failure
in the storage unit 260. The control unit 280 performs component
management of the failure information at a predetermined timing.
The control unit 280 may transmit the component information and the
failure information in response to a request from the component
management device 1.
[0032] Further, when the control unit 280 is instructed by the
component management device 1 to update the life, the control unit
280 updates the current life value with the new life value
specified by the component management device 1. For example, the
life setting information is stored in the storage unit 260. The
control unit 280 monitors the replacement timing of each
replaceable component of the own device based on the setting
information.
[0033] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional
configuration of the component management device 1 according to the
first embodiment. The component management device 1 includes a
processor, a memory, an auxiliary storage device, and the like
connected by a bus, and executes a program. The component
management device 1 functions as a device including the storage
unit 11, the communication unit 12, and the control unit 13 by
executing a program. Here, for simplicity, the component management
device 1 is illustrated as one device, but the component management
device 1 may be configured by distributing individual components to
a plurality of devices.
[0034] The storage unit 11 is configured using a storage device
such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage
device, and functions as the above-described auxiliary storage
device. The storage unit 11 stores various pieces of information
used or generated by the component management device 1 in the
operation thereof, in addition to the operation information
acquired from each multifunction peripheral 2.
[0035] The communication unit 12 is a communication interface that
connects the component management device 1 to the network N. The
communication unit 12 communicates with each multifunction
peripheral 2 via the network N. The communication unit 12 transmits
information output from the control unit 13 to each multifunction
peripheral 2 and outputs the information received from each
multifunction peripheral 2 to the control unit 13.
[0036] The control unit 13 is a functional unit that functions when
a processor and a memory execute a program stored in the storage
unit 11. Specifically, the control unit 13 functions as a
functional unit including an information acquisition unit 131, a
detection unit 132, a correlation determination unit 133, and a
life update unit 134 by executing the above-described program.
[0037] The information acquisition unit 131 has a function of
acquiring operation information from each multifunction peripheral
2. For example, the information acquisition unit 131 acquires
operation information from each multifunction peripheral 2 via the
communication unit 12. The information acquisition unit 131 records
the acquired operation information in the storage unit 11.
[0038] The detection unit 132 has a function of detecting the type
of a component whose life is to be updated (hereinafter, referred
to as "target component") based on the operation information of
each multifunction peripheral 2. Further, the detection unit 132
has a function of detecting the first-class device for each target
component. Here, the first-class device is the multifunction
peripheral 2 including components used beyond a predetermined life
and without causing a failure.
[0039] The correlation determining unit 133 has a function of
determining, for each target component, whether there is a
correlation between the operating condition of the first-class
device and the used amount of the target component included in the
first-class device. Hereinafter, this correlation is referred to as
a first correlation.
[0040] The life update unit 134 has a function of updating the life
set for each target component based on the presence or absence of
the first correlation determined by the correlation determination
unit 133. Specifically, the life update unit 134 calculates an
update value of the life when it is determined that there is no
correlation for the first correlation, and does not calculate an
update value of the life when it is determined that there is a
correlation for the first correlation. The life update unit 134 may
display the determined life update value on a display unit (not
shown) or the like, or may notify another device via the
communication unit 12.
[0041] With such a configuration, the component management device 1
according to the embodiment can update the life of the target
component to an appropriate value according to the usage status of
the multifunction peripheral 2. As described above, the life of a
replaceable component is generally set to a value including a
certain margin. Therefore, with the component management device 1
according to the embodiment, the user can change an unnecessarily
long life to an appropriate value according to the usage status of
the component.
[0042] Here, the margin included in the life is determined for the
purpose of proper and safe operation of the multifunction
peripheral 2. Since changing the life of a component increases the
operational risk considerably, the life should be changed
carefully. However, in order to determine whether or not the life
can be changed, it is necessary to analyze the state of the
multifunction peripheral 2, the degree of consumption of the
components, and the like, which is troublesome. Furthermore, if the
life is individually changed for each target multifunction
peripheral 2, the management becomes complicated and the operation
cost may increase. On the other hand, the component management
device 1 according to the embodiment has a support function that
enables a change in life to be performed safely and easily.
Hereinafter, a configuration for realizing such a support function
will be described in detail.
[0043] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a
life update process executed by the component management device 1
according to the first embodiment. The life update process is a
process of determining whether or not the current life of a
replaceable component of the multifunction peripheral 2 can be
changed, and updating the life as necessary. First, in the
component management device 1, the detection unit 132 detects a
target component based on the operation information acquired from
the plurality of multifunction peripherals 2 (ACT101). Here, for
simplicity, a case where a certain target component is detected
will be described. However, in reality, a plurality of types of
components can be detected as target components. When a plurality
of target components are detected, the following processes may be
performed for each target component.
[0044] Specifically, the detection unit 132 detects the target
component based on the component information and the failure
information included in the operation information. For example, the
component information includes identification information and a
used amount of each component, and identification information (for
example, a serial number or the like) of the multifunction
peripheral 2 including each component. The detection unit 132 can
acquire the used amount of each component included in each
multifunction peripheral 2 based on the component information.
Further, the failure information includes information related to
the occurred failure. Further, the component information and the
failure information include time information when each piece of
information is acquired. Based on the time information, the
detection unit 132 can associate a failure that occurred in each
multifunction peripheral 2 with a component related to the failure.
The operation information including such component information and
failure information is continuously acquired from each
multifunction peripheral 2 at a predetermined timing, and is
accumulated in the storage unit 11. Based on the component
information and the failure information thus accumulated, the
detection unit 132 detects a component that satisfies the following
conditions A1 and A2 as a target component.
[0045] [Condition A1] No failure related to itself has occurred in
a past predetermined period (hereinafter referred to as a
"detection period").
[0046] In this case, components that have a replacement record and
have no failure before and after the replacement also become
detection targets. Here, it is assumed that information relating to
component replacement is included in the operation information, and
the detection unit 132 can identify the presence or absence of a
replacement record based on the operation information.
[0047] [Condition A2] Among various components satisfying the
condition A1, components in which those which are used beyond the
life account for a certain ratio or more of the total. Hereinafter,
this certain ratio is referred to as a first threshold value.
[0048] Subsequently, the detection unit 132 detects the first-class
component for the detected target component (ACT102). Here, the
first-class component is a component used beyond the replacement
life among components corresponding to the target component. That
is, the target component can be said to be a component in which the
ratio of the first-class component in the entire components is
equal to or greater than the first threshold value.
[0049] Subsequently, the detection unit 132 detects the first-class
device based on the detected first-class component (ACT103). Here,
the first-class device is a device including the first-class
component. That is, the first-class device is a device including a
component used beyond the life among components corresponding to
the target component.
[0050] In general, the used amount of a component is proportional
to the length of the detection period, and as the used amount of a
component is larger, the possibility of occurrence of a failure
becomes higher. Therefore, as the detection period is longer, the
possibility that the condition A1 is satisfied becomes lower. On
the other hand, as described later, the used amount of the target
component (the first-class component) in the first-class device is
used when determining the update value of the life of the target
component. Therefore, as the first threshold value is larger, the
life update value can be determined based on more operation
records, but the possibility that the condition A2 is satisfied
becomes lower. On the other hand, as the first threshold value is
smaller, the possibility that the condition A2 is satisfied
increases, but the life update value is determined based on smaller
records. As described above, the length of the detection period and
the value of the first threshold value affect the update frequency
and the safety of the life, and thus may be appropriately adjusted
according to the assumed update frequency and the allowable safety.
For example, when updating the life of the multifunction peripheral
2, it is conceivable that the first threshold value is set to about
20% for a detection period of about three months.
[0051] Subsequently, the correlation determination unit 133
determines whether there is a correlation (first correlation)
between the used amount of the detected first-class component and
the operating condition of the first-class device (ACT104). Here,
the operating condition is a condition under which the detected
first-class component is used (or operates) in the first-class
device. For example, as an example of the operating conditions,
there are the temperature and the humidity of an environment in
which the first-class device operates. Here, it is assumed that
information related to the operating conditions (hereinafter
referred to as "operating condition information") has been acquired
in advance as a part of the operation information. The operating
condition information may be acquired separately from the operation
information. In this case, the operating condition information may
be acquired only from the first-class device detected by
ACT102.
[0052] For example, the correlation determination unit 133
determines the presence or absence of a correlation based on a
correlation coefficient r calculated by the following equation
(1).
r = 1 n .times. i = 1 n .times. ( x i - x _ ) .times. ( y i - y _ )
1 n .times. i = 1 n .times. ( x i - x _ ) 2 .times. 1 n .times. i =
1 n .times. ( y i - y _ ) 2 ( 1 ) ##EQU00001##
[0053] For example, when the operating condition is temperature,
the used amount of the first-class component in the detection
period as x and the temperature as y are applied to the equation
(1). In the equation (1), x.sup.- (the meaning of a symbol with
-immediately above x) represents the average of x, and y.sup.- (the
meaning of the symbol with -immediately above y) represents the
average of y. Also, i (an integer of 1 or more) represents the
identification number of the first-class device. The correlation
determination unit 133 calculates the correlation coefficient r by
applying the operating condition information of all the
multifunction peripherals 2 detected as the first-class device to
the equation (1). The correlation determination unit 133 determines
that there is a correlation when the calculated correlation
coefficient r is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold
value, and determines that there is no correlation when the
calculated correlation coefficient r is less than the threshold
value.
[0054] In order to more reliably determine whether or not there is
a correlation, the correlation determination unit 133 may determine
whether or not there is a correlation, based on correlation
coefficients calculated for a plurality of different periods. For
example, when the detection period is about three months, the
detection period is divided into three periods every month, and a
correlation coefficient is calculated for each period. In this
case, for example, the correlation determination unit 133 may
determine that there is no correlation when all the correlation
coefficients in each period are equal to or smaller than a
threshold value (for example, within .+-.0.2). Since the
correlation coefficient is used to determine the presence or
absence of a correlation between the used amount of the target
component and the operating condition, the period for obtaining the
correlation coefficient and the detection period are not
necessarily the same. For example, for a component that is replaced
within the detection period and for which the recorded values after
the replacement are not sufficiently obtained, the correlation
coefficient may be obtained based on the recorded values for a
predetermined period retroactive from the date of replacement.
[0055] Here, it is assumed that there is no correlation between the
used amount of the first-class component and the operating
condition of the first-class device. In this case, it is considered
that the possibility that the change in the life of the target
component affects the operation of some first-class devices is
relatively low. Therefore, when it is determined that there is no
correlation for the first correlation (ACT104--NO), the life update
unit 134 determines an update value of the life in order to update
the life of the target component (ACT105).
[0056] Specifically, the life update unit 134 determines the update
value of the life of the target component based on the current used
amount of the target component in the first-class device. For
example, the life update value can be a representative value of
each used amount. As the representative value, any statistical
representative value such as an average value, a median value, a
maximum value, and a minimum value may be used. For example, the
maximum value may be set as the representative value when the
long-term operation of the component is prioritized, and the
minimum value may be set as the representative value when the
reduction of the risk due to the life update is prioritized.
[0057] On the other hand, it is assumed that there is a correlation
between the used amount of the first-class component and the
operating condition of the first-class device. In this case, it is
considered that the possibility that the change in the life of the
target component affects the operation of some first-class devices
is relatively high. Therefore, when it is determined that there is
a correlation for the first correlation (ACT104--YES), the life
update unit 134 ends the life update process without updating the
life of the target component.
[0058] With the component management device 1 according to the
first embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to
more safely update the life of the replaceable component of the
multifunction peripheral 2. Specifically, since the component
management device 1 determines the update value of the life based
on the operation records of the plurality of multifunction
peripherals 2, the life of each component can be updated to a more
appropriate value. Further, since the component management device 1
updates the life when there is no correlation between the used
amount of each component and the operating condition of the
multifunction peripheral 2, the life can be updated while avoiding
an excessive increase in operational risk. Further, with the
component management device 1 according to the first embodiment,
the lives of the plurality of multifunction peripherals 2 can be
updated collectively, and thus, the life can be updated and managed
more easily.
[0059] The life management by the component management device 1
according to the embodiment becomes more reliable as the operation
record of the multifunction peripheral 2 as the basis is obtained
in a more number of times. Therefore, it is preferable that the
number of the multifunction peripherals 2 to be managed by the
component management device 1 is large. Therefore, the component
management device 1 may be configured to communicate with an
unspecified number of multifunction peripherals 2 on the market via
a public network such as the Internet. The multifunction peripheral
2 "on the market" here means the multifunction peripheral 2 that is
being used by an end user. The component management device 1
configured as described above can acquire more operation
information about the multifunction peripheral 2. In this way, the
life of the replaceable component of the multifunction peripheral 2
can be continuously (for example, every month) updated to the
latest value based on the operation records of many devices on the
market.
[0060] The above effects mainly provide advantages in the
management of the multifunction peripheral 2 connected to the
network. However, the component management device 1 according to
the embodiment can provide a great advantage even in managing the
multifunction peripheral 2 not connected to the network.
[0061] For example, some users of the multifunction peripheral 2
refuse to connect the multifunction peripheral 2 to an external
communication line due to security concerns. In this case,
replacement of the components is performed only at the time of
regular maintenance or at the time of visiting for other
requirements. Therefore, the replacement of components in such a
case is basically based on the set life.
[0062] Further, even if the information on the multifunction
peripheral 2 can be acquired and the timing at which component
replacement is required can be predicted, not all users necessarily
replace components at that timing. For example, depending on the
user, the priority may be given to reducing visit costs of
maintenance staff and per-call maintenance costs. Due to such
circumstances, there are a certain number of components in the
market that are continuously used without being replaced even when
the used amount reaches the life.
[0063] However, even in such a case, the component management
device 1 according to the embodiment continuously updates and holds
the life of each component to an appropriate value based on the
operation information of the other multifunction peripherals 2.
Therefore, even in the case of the multifunction peripheral 2 not
connected to the network, the maintenance staff can refer to the
component management device 1 to update the life to an appropriate
life, for example, during regular maintenance. As described above,
with the component management device 1 according to the embodiment,
it is possible to appropriately and easily set the lives of
replaceable components for more multifunction peripherals 2. In
addition, the maintenance timing of each multifunction peripheral 2
is thereby optimized, and the operation cost can be reduced in the
entire market.
Second Embodiment
[0064] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional
configuration of a component management device 1a according to a
second embodiment. The component management device 1a is different
from the component management device 1 according to the first
embodiment in that a control unit 13a is provided instead of the
control unit 13. The control unit 13a is different from the control
unit 13 according to the first embodiment in that a detection unit
132a is provided instead of the detection unit 132. Further, the
control unit 13a is different from the control unit 13 according to
the first embodiment in that a correlation determination unit 133a
is provided instead of the correlation determination unit 133.
Further, the control unit 13a is different from the control unit 13
according to the first embodiment in that a life update unit 134a
is provided instead of the life update unit 134. Other
configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.
Therefore, in FIG. 6, the same configurations are denoted with the
same reference numerals as in FIG. 4, and the descriptions thereof
will be omitted. Here, for simplicity, the component management
device 1a is illustrated as one device, but the component
management device 1a may be configured by distributing individual
components to a plurality of devices.
[0065] The detection unit 132a is different from the detection unit
132 according to the first embodiment in that with respect to the
target component, the detection unit 132a also detects a
second-class component and a second-class device in addition to
detecting the first-class component and the first-class device.
Here, the second-class component is a component that has a failure
occurrence during the detection period among the components
corresponding to the target component. The second-class device is
the multifunction peripheral 2 including the second-class
component.
[0066] The correlation determination unit 133a is different from
the correlation determination unit 133 according to the first
embodiment in that with respect to each target component, the
correlation determination unit 133a determines the presence or
absence of a second correlation in addition to the presence or
absence of the first correlation. The second correlation is a
correlation between the operating condition of the second-class
device and the used amount of the target component of the
second-class device. The presence or absence of the second
correlation is determined in the same method as in the first
correlation.
[0067] The life update unit 134a is different from the life update
unit 134 according to the first embodiment in that the life update
unit 134a updates the life of the target component based on the
presence or absence of the second correlation in addition to the
presence or absence of the first correlation.
[0068] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of a
life update process executed by the component management device 1a
according to the second embodiment. Similarly to FIG. 5, for
simplicity, a case where a certain target component is detected
will be described. In reality, a plurality of types of components
can be detected as target components. In such a case, the following
processes may be performed for each target component. Also, in FIG.
7, the same reference numerals are denoted to the same processes as
in FIG. 5, the descriptions thereof will be omitted.
[0069] Also, ACT201 in FIG. 7 integrates the processes of detecting
the first-class component and the first-class device (hereinafter,
referred to as "first analysis process") into one. That is, ACT201
corresponds to ACT102 and ACT103 in FIG. 5.
[0070] On the other hand, the basic flow of the processes of
detecting the second-class component and the second-class device
(hereinafter referred to as "second analysis process") is the same
as that of the first analysis process. Therefore, here, the second
analysis process is described as ACT202 having the same process
configuration as ACT201, and the detailed description thereof will
be omitted.
[0071] First, in ACT202, the detection unit 132a detects the
second-class component and the second-class device based on the
operation information of each multifunction peripheral 2. For
example, the detection unit 132a detects a component that satisfies
the following conditions B1 to B3 as the second-class component
among components corresponding to the target component detected by
ACT101. Either of the conditions B2 and B3 may be selected.
[0072] [Condition B1] A failure related to itself occurs during the
detection period.
[0073] In this case, components that have a replacement record and
have a failure before or after the replacement also become
detection targets.
[0074] [Condition B2] Among all the components satisfying the
condition B1, the ratio of the component in which the failure
occurs after the used amount has exceeded the life is equal to or
more than a predetermined threshold value. Hereinafter, this
threshold value is referred to as a second threshold value.
[0075] [Condition B3] Among all the components satisfying the
condition B1, the ratio of the component in which the failure
occurs before the used amount exceeds the life is equal to or less
than a predetermined threshold value. Hereinafter, this threshold
value is referred to as a third threshold value.
[0076] Subsequently, the correlation determination unit 133a
obtains the first correlation, and the life update unit 134a
determines the life update value based on the determination result
of the first correlation (ACT104 and ACT105). Hereinafter, the life
update value determined here is referred to as a "first life update
value".
[0077] Subsequently, the correlation determination unit 133a
obtains the second correlation, and the life update unit 134a
determines the life update value based on the determination result
of the second correlation (ACT203 and ACT204). These processes are
the same processes as ACT104 and ACT105. Hereinafter, the life
update value determined here is referred to as a "second life
update value".
[0078] Here, it is assumed that there is no correlation between the
used amount of the second-class component and the operating
condition of the second-class device. In this case, it is
considered that the possibility that the change in the life affects
the operation of some second-class devices is relatively low.
Therefore, when it is determined that there is no correlation for
the second correlation (ACT203--NO), the life update unit 134a
determines a second life update value for the target component
(ACT204). In this case, similarly to the first life update value,
the life update unit 134a determines the second life update value
based on the current used amount of the second-class component in
the second-class device.
[0079] On the other hand, it is assumed that there is a correlation
between the used amount of the second-class component and the
operating condition of the second-class device. In this case, it is
considered that the possibility that the change in the life affects
the operation of some second-class devices is relatively high.
Therefore, when it is determined that there is a correlation for
the second correlation (ACT203--YES), the life update unit 134a
ends the life update process without determining the second life
update value.
[0080] Subsequently, the life update unit 134a determines a final
life value to be applied to the target component (hereinafter,
referred to as "applied life value") based on the first life update
value and the second life update value (ACT205). For example, the
life update unit 134a may adopt one of the first life update value
and the second life update value as the applied life value. For
example, when cost reduction is prioritized, the larger life update
value may be adopted as the applied life value. Further, for
example, when suppression of occurrence of a failure due to a
change in life is prioritized, a smaller life update value may be
adopted as the applied life value. Further, for example, the life
update unit 134a may set a value obtained based on the first life
update value and the second life update value as the applied life
value.
[0081] With the component management device 1a according to the
second embodiment configured as described above, it is possible to
more appropriately update the life of replaceable components of a
plurality of multifunction peripherals 2. Specifically, the
component management device 1a updates the life based on the
operation records of the component having a failure occurrence in
addition to the operation records of the component having no
failure occurrence. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately
update the life of a component that has a low possibility of
causing a failure.
[0082] More specifically, the component management device 1a can
update the life of a component that has a record of a failure
occurrence but has a high possibility that the used amount will
exceed the life. In addition, the component management device 1a
can update the life of a component that has a record of a failure
occurrence but has a low possibility that the used amount will not
exceed the life. With such a configuration, the component
management device 1a according to the second embodiment can more
appropriately update the life of the replaceable component of the
multifunction peripheral 2.
Modification Example
[0083] Hereinafter, a modification example common to the first and
second embodiments will be described.
[0084] The correlation determination unit 133 may determine whether
or not there is a correlation (first correlation) between the used
amount of the target component and the operating condition based on
whether or not there is a correlation between the used amount and a
plurality of operating conditions. For example, the correlation
determination unit 133 may determine that there is no first
correlation when no correlation with the used amount is found for
each of the plurality of operating conditions (for example,
temperature and humidity). In addition, when a correlation with the
used amount is found only in a specific operating condition among
the plurality of operating conditions, the life update unit 134 may
determine the life update value based on the used amount that does
not correspond to the operating condition. For example, a case
where a correlation with the used amount is found only at a
temperature of X.degree. C. or higher can be considered. In this
case, the life update unit 134 may extract the multifunction
peripheral 2 operating at a temperature lower than X.degree. C.
among the first-class devices and may determine the life update
value based on the current life of the extracted multifunction
peripheral 2. This concept may be applied to the second
correlation.
[0085] The detection unit 132 may detect the first-class component
for the multifunction peripheral 2 of the same model as a target.
For example, the model information of each multifunction peripheral
2 may be acquired as a part of the operation information, or may be
registered in the component management device 1 in advance. In this
case, the correlation determination unit 133 determines a
correlation for a component having a closer operating condition.
Further, in this case, the life update unit 134 determines the life
update value based on the used amount of the component having a
closer operating condition. Thereby, the component management
device 1 can determine a more appropriate life. This concept may be
applied to the second-class component.
[0086] The detection unit 132 may narrow down the first-class
devices to be detected in accordance with the release time of the
product. There are only a few models that have just been released
on the market, and in many of those models, the used amount of the
components does not reach the life. Therefore, by excluding such a
multifunction peripheral 2 from the targets of the first-class
device, the amount of calculation can be reduced and the
reliability of the life update value can be increased. The
components used in the multifunction peripheral 2 may be changed
due to a minor model change or the like. In this case, there are
multifunction peripherals 2 that use different components for the
same model. Therefore, in this case, information such as a lot and
a serial number may be used to detect the same model of
multifunction peripheral 2 that uses the same component. This
concept may be applied to the second-class device.
[0087] In addition, when detecting a component that has a record of
operating beyond the life, the detection unit 132 may narrow down
the components to be detected according to the length of the
operating record. For example, instead of the condition that there
is a record of operating beyond the life (even by one unit), a
condition that there is a record of operating beyond the life by a
certain value or more can be set. By doing so, the life can be
updated under more appropriate conditions.
[0088] In addition, although three months has been described as an
example of the detection period, the detection period may be
adjusted according to a variation factor of the used amount. For
example, when the use frequency and the operating environment of
the multifunction peripheral 2 change according to the season, the
detection period may be set to one year including all seasons.
[0089] The component management device 1 may store the initial
value of the life for each component of each model in advance, or
may acquire the initial value of the life from each multifunction
peripheral 2 as a part of the operation information. Further, the
component management device 1 may store the newly determined life
and use the stored life for the subsequent update processes. Also,
the target for which the component management device 1 manages the
life is not limited to the multifunction peripheral 2 and any other
device may be the target for the management of the life.
[0090] All or a part of each function of the component management
device 1 or the multifunction peripheral 2 according to the
embodiment may be realized using hardware such as an application
specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device
(PLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The program may
be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The
computer-readable recording medium is, for example, a portable
medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, and
a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built in a
computer system. The program may be transmitted via a
telecommunication line.
[0091] According to at least one embodiment described above, the
component management device according to the embodiment is a
component management device that manages a threshold value related
to the used amount of replaceable components, and includes a
detection unit, a correlation determination unit, and an update
unit. The detection unit detects a first-class component whose used
amount exceeds the threshold value and which is used without
causing a failure, based on component information related to the
used amount and failure information related to the failure occurred
with respect to the component in the device including the
component, and detects a first-class device that is a device
including the detected first-class component and not causing a
failure related to the first-class component. The correlation
determination unit determines the presence or absence of a
correlation with respect to a first correlation that is a
correlation between the used amount of the detected first-class
component and an operating condition of the first-class device.
When it is determined that there is no correlation for the first
correlation, the update unit determines a first update value that
is an update value of the threshold value based on the used amount
of the first-class component in the first-class device. As a
result, the component management device according to the embodiment
can reduce the error between the life set for each component and
the actual life, and can increase the reliability of the life of
the component. In addition, since the component management device
according to the embodiment manages an appropriate life, it is
possible to share an appropriate life with the multifunction
peripheral 2 that is not connected. Further, due to these
synergistic effects, the maintenance cost of the multifunction
peripheral 2 in the entire market can be reduced.
[0092] While some embodiments of the disclosure have been
described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example
only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.
These embodiments can be embodied in other various forms, and
various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without
departing from the gist of the disclosure. These embodiments and
modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the
disclosure, and are also included in the disclosure described in
the claims and the equivalents thereof.
[0093] "Decoloring" in the present embodiment means to make an
image formed with a color (including not only a chromatic color but
also an achromatic color such as white and black) different from
the background color of the paper visually invisible.
[0094] (In this embodiment, `decoloring` means to make it difficult
to recognize a color of an image formed on an image receiving
member after the image is formed on the image receiving member by a
recording material which has a different color from the color of
the image receiving material. The color of recording material may
be achromatic color including black or white, not limiting to
chromatic color. And in the following embodiment, `decoloring the
image` means `erasing the image`.)
[0095] While certain embodiments have been described, these
embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not
intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel
embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other
forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in
the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without
departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying
claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or
modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the
inventions.
* * * * *