JP2023127254A - Electronic apparatus, ordering method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device that reduces the error in the number of remaining days of use when the electronic device is not used irregularly. The present invention is an electronic device that calculates the remaining usage days of parts used in the electronic device, and when a preset period is an unused period when the electronic device is not used, a remaining usage days calculation unit that calculates the remaining usage days based on the past usage period excluding unused periods and the current actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate; An ordering department for ordering parts. [Selection diagram] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic device, an ordering method, and a program.

To predict when to replace various parts installed in electronic devices such as image forming apparatuses, the image forming apparatus calculates the number of remaining usable days (hereinafter referred to as "remaining days of use") for each part. There is. The image forming apparatus allows replacement parts to be ordered and delivered at an appropriate time by transmitting the number of remaining days of use to a monitoring information processing device or the like or displaying it on an operation panel.

Techniques have been devised to calculate the remaining usage days of various parts (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a system that detects whether or not an image forming apparatus has been used on a daily basis and predicts the number of regular office holidays, thereby determining the number of remaining days of use of a unit installed in the image forming apparatus. A technique for predicting is disclosed.

However, in the conventional technology, there is a problem that an error in the number of remaining days of use tends to occur when the electronic device is not used irregularly. For example, if electronic devices are not used for a long period of time due to suspension of work due to lockdown or malfunction of electronic devices, it becomes difficult to predict the days when electronic devices will not be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device that reduces the error in the number of remaining days of use when the electronic device is not used irregularly.

In view of the above problems, the present invention provides an electronic device that calculates the number of remaining days of use of parts used in the electronic device, and when a preset period is an unused period when the electronic device is not used, a remaining usage days calculation unit that calculates the remaining usage days based on the past usage period excluding the unused period and the current actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate, and when the usage remaining number of days is less than a threshold; The present invention is characterized by comprising an ordering section for ordering the parts.

It is possible to provide an electronic device that reduces the error in the number of remaining days of use when the electronic device is not used irregularly.

It is a figure which shows the prediction method of the number of remaining days of use when there is no unused period. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an error in the number of remaining days of use caused by a lockdown. It is a figure explaining the outline of the calculation method of the remaining days of use of this embodiment. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an equipment system. 1 is an example of a hardware block diagram of an image forming apparatus. 1 is an example of a hardware configuration diagram of an information processing device. 1 is an example of a functional block diagram showing in block form the functions of an image forming device and an information processing device included in the equipment system. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining whether a device is used or not, using a certain period as a unit, and calculating the number of remaining days of use based on the usage period excluding the unused period. It is a figure explaining the calculation method of the number of remaining days of use when determining an unused period for each week. It is an example of a flowchart figure explaining the judgment method of judging whether it is a usage period or an unused period for each week. It is an example of a flowchart figure explaining the judgment method of judging whether it is a usage period or an unused period for each month. It is an example of a flowchart figure explaining the judgment method of judging whether it is a usage period or an unused period for each period set by the user. It is an example of the flowchart figure explaining the process by which the remaining days of use calculation part calculates the number of remaining days of use.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image forming apparatus and an ordering method performed by the image forming apparatus will be described below as an example of a mode for carrying out the present invention with reference to the drawings.

<An example of how to predict the number of remaining days of use>
First, an example of a method for predicting the number of remaining days of use will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a method for predicting the number of remaining days of use when there is no unused period. In FIG. 1, the horizontal axis is the number of days, and the vertical axis is the usage rate of parts. The usage rate is a ratio of how many days (hours) the new part has been used to its lifespan (the number of days or hours of use of the new part), but it may simply be the number of days left to use the new part. Further, the usage rate is a value that can be exchanged with usage time.

The usage rate is zero immediately after parts are replaced, and the life span is the timing when the usage rate reaches 100%. The image forming apparatus calculates the slope of the predicted usage rate 12 in FIG. 1 from the current number of days of use of the component and the past accumulated usage rate, and predicts the number of days when the usage rate reaches the lifespan value. In FIG. 1, both the actual usage rate 11 and the predicted usage rate 12 are shown, and they almost match. By ordering replacement parts a few days before the image forming device reaches the end of its lifespan (seven days in the figure), users can smoothly replace parts that have reached the end of their lifespan without having to keep unnecessary stock of replacement parts. In this way, if there is no day when the image forming apparatus is not used, an appropriate order can be placed based on the predicted usage rate 12.

However, in recent corporate activities, the image forming apparatus 20 is not necessarily used continuously due to changes in work styles such as the suspension of work at offices due to city lockdowns and the spread of all employees working from home. There are situations where this is not the case. In this case, a situation may occur where orders are placed too early and the user ends up with excess inventory, or customer engineers are unable to deliver replacement parts before the end of the product's lifespan.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the error in the number of remaining days of use caused by the lockdown. Lockdown 201 occurred during the parts usage period. During the lockdown 201, the image forming apparatus 20 is hardly used. On the other hand, after the lockdown 201, the user used the image forming apparatus 20 at a faster pace than before the lockdown in order to catch up on work. Therefore, after the lockdown 201, the slope of the usage rate 11 is steeper than before the lockdown.

In this way, the number of remaining days of use calculated without assuming the occurrence of a lockdown incorrectly predicts the end of the lifespan. In the example shown in Figure 2, the predicted end-of-life date is P days later than the actual end-of-life date, so replacement parts are ordered later than the usage status, and even if the parts reach the end of their lifespans, the user cannot purchase replacement parts. A situation may arise in which you do not have it.

<How to calculate the remaining days of use in this embodiment>
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a method for calculating the remaining number of days of use according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a method for calculating the remaining number of days of use according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 20 determines whether each period is a used period or an unused period, and calculates the number of remaining days of use based on the used period excluding the unused period. In FIG. 3, the fourth period 202 from the left is an unused period. Therefore, the predicted usage rate for the fifth period 203 from the left is calculated excluding period 202. The image forming apparatus 20 determines whether the image forming apparatus 20 is used or not using a certain period, and predicts the number of remaining days using the number of days of use excluding that period.

In this way, by excluding the unused period of the image forming apparatus 20, it is possible to calculate the predicted number of remaining days that is close to the actual usage environment at the customer, and it is possible for customer engineers, etc. to deliver parts at a more appropriate timing. Become.

<About terms>
Parts are items that enable machines and equipment to perform their expected functions. A part may also be referred to as a part, component, unit, etc. Furthermore, the parts may include consumables and optional items. In the case of an image forming apparatus, the parts include toner cartridges, paper, and the like.

The preset period is a period of at least two days or more. The preset period may be a period on a calendar or an arbitrarily set period. Furthermore, the period does not have to be constant. In this embodiment, one week, one month, or a period set by the user will be used as an example.

The remaining number of days of use is the remaining number of days in which the electronic device or component can be used. In this embodiment, the number of remaining days of use may be calculated in terms of a period or in days.

<System configuration example>
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the equipment system 100. The device system 100 shown in FIG. 4 includes an information processing device 40 and an image forming device 20, and is communicably connected via a wide area network N such as the Internet. It is not necessary that the information processing device 40 and the image forming device 20 are always connected to the network N. Further, a customer support center 10 (terminal devices, etc. owned by the customer support center 10) is connected to the network N.

The image forming apparatus 20 is installed at a device installation location such as an office. Equipment installation locations include, for example, offices of companies and local governments, as well as factories, convenience stores, and public facilities, but the image forming apparatus 20 may be installed anywhere.

The image forming apparatus 20 is one of various electronic devices used by users, and forms an image on paper and outputs the image. The image forming apparatus 20 has printing methods such as an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, and a thermal transfer method, but the printing method does not matter. Further, the image forming device 20 may be called a printing device, a printer, an output device, or the like. Further, the image forming apparatus 20 may have multiple functions such as a scanner, a FAX transmission/reception, a printer, and a copy. In this case, the image forming apparatus 20 is called a multifunction peripheral or MFP (Multifunction Peripheral).

The image forming device 20 may also include a projector, electronic whiteboard, video conference terminal, digital signage, digital camera, HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machine, imaging device, sound collection device, medical device, network home appliance, game console, etc. , any equipment that requires parts replacement.

Note that the image forming apparatus 20 may be subject to a tenant contract. A tenant is an organization such as a company or a local government that has contracted to receive a service from a service provider (in this embodiment, a sales company of the image forming apparatus 20, etc.). In this case, the image forming apparatus 20 is registered with the information processing apparatus 40, and can receive services such as dispatch of a customer engineer, delivery and replacement of parts, etc. within the scope of the contract.

The information processing device 40 is realized by one or more computers, and receives information such as the number of remaining days of use of the image forming device 20, parts order requests, counter information, etc. via the network N. When the information processing device 40 receives the parts order request, it notifies the customer support center 10. The information processing device 40 may place an order based on the number of remaining days of use. The information processing device 40 performs billing processing for parts, etc., and bills the customer of the image forming device 20 at a fixed timing, such as at the end of the month. Note that the information processing device 40 stores counter information and can also determine the timing of maintenance.

The information processing device 40 may be realized by cloud computing or may be realized by a single information processing device 40. Cloud computing refers to a form in which resources on a network are used without being aware of specific hardware resources. The information processing device 40 may exist on the Internet or on-premises.

Terminal devices and the like are arranged in the customer support center 10. The terminal device may be a server, a mail receiving server, or the like. The customer support center 10 has various parts in stock, and in response to a parts delivery request from the information processing device 40 specifying a customer, a customer engineer or the like delivers the parts to the customer.

Note that the terminal device may be any general-purpose information processing device. The terminal device is, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), or the like.

<Hardware configuration example>
<<Image forming apparatus>>
FIG. 5 is an example of a hardware block diagram of the image forming apparatus 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 20 includes a controller 910, an IC card reader 920, an engine control section 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I/F 950.

Of these, the controller 910 includes a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, and a storage unit. The NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

Among these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 20. NB903 is a bridge for connecting CPU901, MEM-P902, SB904, and AGP bus 921, and is a memory controller that controls reading and writing to MEM-P902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and AGP target. has.

The MEM-P 902 consists of a ROM 902a that is a memory for storing programs and data that realize each function of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b that is used as a memory for developing programs and data, and for drawing when printing the memory. Note that the program stored in the RAM 902b is configured to be provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD. You may.

SB904 is a bridge for connecting NB903, PCI devices, and peripheral devices. The ASIC 906 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing that includes hardware elements for image processing, and has the role of a bridge that connects the AGP bus 921, the PCI bus 922, the HDD controller 908, and the MEM-C 907, respectively. This ASIC906 includes a PCI target and an AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of the ASIC906, a memory controller that controls the MEM-C907, and multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, etc. , a scanner section 931, a printer section 932, and a PCI unit that transfers data to and from a facsimile section via a PCI bus 922. Note that the ASIC 906 may have a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface.

MEM-C907 is a local memory used as a copy image buffer and code buffer. The HD 909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HD 909 controls data reading or writing to the HD 909 under the control of the CPU 901 . AGP bus 921 is a bus interface for graphics accelerator cards proposed to speed up graphics processing, and can speed up graphics accelerator cards by directly accessing MEM-P902 with high throughput. .

Further, the IC card reader 920 is equipped with an antenna 920a. The IC card reader 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Further, the engine control section 930 includes a scanner section 931, a printer section 932, and a facsimile section 933. The operation panel 940 also includes a panel display section 940a such as a touch panel that displays current setting values, a selection screen, etc., and accepts input from the operator, as well as displaying setting values for image forming conditions such as density setting conditions. Hard keys 940b are provided, including a numeric keypad for accepting instructions, a start key for accepting copy start instructions, and the like. The controller 910 controls the entire image forming apparatus 20, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, input from the operation panel 940, and the like. The scanner section 931 or the printer section 932 includes image processing sections such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

Note that the image forming apparatus 20 can sequentially switch and select the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. When a document box function is selected, the image forming apparatus 20 is in a document box mode, when a copy function is selected, it is in a copy mode, when a printer function is selected, it is in a printer mode, and when a facsimile mode is selected, it is in a facsimile mode.

Further, the network I/F 950 is an interface for data communication using the network N. IC card reader 920 and network I/F 950 are electrically connected to ASIC 906 via PCI bus 922.

<<Information processing device>>
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example hardware configuration of the information processing device 40. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the information processing device 40 is constructed by a computer, and includes a CPU 501, ROM 502, RAM 503, HD (Hard Disk) 504, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, display 506, and external device connections. It includes an I/F (Interface) 508, a network I/F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, an optical drive 514, and a media I/F 516.

Among these, the CPU 501 controls the overall operation of the information processing device 40 . The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501 such as IPL. RAM 503 is used as a work area for CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls reading and writing of various data to the HD 504 under the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, menu, window, characters, or images. External device connection I/F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The external device in this case is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a printer, or the like. The network I/F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, etc. for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 6.

Further, the keyboard 511 is a type of input means that includes a plurality of keys used for inputting characters, numbers, various instructions, and the like. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, and the like. The optical drive 514 controls reading and writing of various data to and from the removable optical storage medium 513. Note that the optical storage medium 513 may be a CD, DVD, Blu-Ray (registered trademark), or the like. The media I/F 516 controls reading or writing (storage) of data to a recording medium 515 such as a flash memory.

<About functions>
FIG. 7 is an example of a functional block diagram showing in block form the functions of the image forming device 20 and the information processing device 40 included in the device system 100.

<<Image forming apparatus>>
The image forming apparatus 20 includes a communication section 21, a display control section 22, an operation reception section 23, an image data generation section 24, a facsimile processing section 25, a printing section 26, an unused judgment section 27, and an unused/unused section 27. It has a number of days calculation section 28 and an ordering section 29. Each of these functional units is a function or means that is realized by the CPU 901 executing instructions included in one or more programs installed in the image forming apparatus 20. This program may be a web browser (web application) or a dedicated application (native application).

The communication unit 21 transmits and receives various information to and from the information processing device 40 . In this embodiment, the communication unit 21 transmits information such as the number of remaining days of use or the order for parts to the information processing device 40 .

The display control section 22 interprets screen information of various screens and displays it on the panel display section 940a. The operation accepting unit 23 accepts various user operations on various screens displayed on the panel display unit 940a.

If the application whose selection is accepted by the operation reception unit 23 is one that generates image data, the image data generation unit 24 scans the document with the scanner unit 931 and generates image data.

The facsimile processing unit 25 performs processing related to facsimile reception and transmission by the facsimile unit 933. Note that the facsimile processing unit 25 may generate an application execution event corresponding to the facsimile transmission source (FAX number).

The printing unit 26 converts the image data generated by the image data generation unit 24 or the print job sent from the PC into image data, and prints the image data on paper.

The unused determining unit 27 determines whether the image forming apparatus 20 is used or not every week, month, or period set by the user.

The remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the remaining usage days of various parts of the image forming apparatus 20 based on the past usage period and the increase in usage rate during the usage period, excluding the unused period. . Therefore, the unit of the remaining days of use is one week or one month. However, if usage or non-use is determined based on the period set by the user, the unit of remaining usage may be days.

The ordering unit 29 orders the information processing device 40 for replacement parts when the remaining number of days of use becomes less than a threshold value. The order destination may be the customer support center 10 or a production base. The threshold value is the sum of the number of days in which the remaining number of days of use is expected to be zero and the number of days required for delivery, and is, for example, seven days.

Note that the information processing device 40 may have the functions of the remaining days calculation unit 28 and the ordering unit 29.

<<Information processing device>>
The information processing device 40 includes a communication section 31, an order processing section 32, and a billing section 33. Each of these functional units is a function or means that is realized by the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 6 executing instructions included in one or more programs installed in the information processing device 40.

The communication unit 31 transmits and receives various information to and from the image forming apparatus 20 . In this embodiment, the communication unit 31 receives information such as the number of remaining days of use or the order for parts from the image forming apparatus 20 .

The order processing unit 32 orders replacement parts from the customer support center 10 or the like in response to an order request from the image forming apparatus 20.

Upon receiving the completion of parts delivery from the customer support center 10, the charging unit 33 charges the customer using the image forming apparatus 20 for the parts.

<Unused period based on a certain period>
Next, with reference to FIG. 8, an example of a certain period will be described regarding an unused period in units of a certain period. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method of determining whether a device is used or not, using a certain period as a unit, and calculating the number of remaining days of use based on the period of use excluding the unused period.

Note that the process of determining whether a certain period is a used period or an unused period will be explained with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating how to determine whether the image forming apparatus 20 is used or not used on a weekly basis. In FIG. 8(a), the number of days on the horizontal axis is divided into weeks. In FIG. 8A, the third week, fourth week, and eighth week are determined to be unused periods 210. Weekly judgment is a judgment method that can accommodate long non-business periods in normal corporate activities, such as summer vacation and winter vacation.

FIG. 8B is a diagram illustrating determining whether the image forming apparatus 20 is used or not used on a monthly basis. In FIG. 8(b), the number of days on the horizontal axis is divided into months. In FIG. 8B, the second month is determined to be the unused period 211. Monthly judgment is a judgment method that makes it possible to predict the number of remaining days of use, taking into account only the effects of lockdowns, long-term business closures, etc. This is advantageous when you want to operate a service without significantly changing the current predicted number of remaining days of use.

FIG. 8C is a diagram illustrating determining whether the image forming apparatus 20 is used or not used every number of days set by the user. In FIG. 8(c), the number of days on the horizontal axis is divided into irregular days set by the user. In FIG. 8C, three of these periods are determined to be unused periods 212. The determination based on the number of days set by the user can be adjusted to the unused period according to the user's usage environment. In addition, by setting the expected number of days in advance before starting a long vacation, it becomes possible to accurately determine the unused period.

<Example of calculation of remaining days of use>
An example of calculating the number of remaining days of use will be explained with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a method for calculating the number of remaining days of use when determining the unused period on a weekly basis. The remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the usage rate increase coefficients 220 to 227 from the increase in the usage rate in the past usage period and the number of usage periods, as shown in equation (1).

Usage rate increase coefficient = Total increase in usage rate (actual value) during past usage periods ÷ Number of usage periods... (1)
The usage rate increase factors 220-227 are the expected usage rate increases per week. Therefore, the usage rate increase factors 220 to 227 correspond to a predicted usage rate of 12 for one week.

For example, when the first week is over and it is determined that the usage period has ended, the usage rate increase coefficient 220 for the second week is as follows.

2nd week usage rate increase factor 220 = Total usage rate increase in 1st week ÷ Number of usage periods (1)
Once the usage rate increase coefficient 220 for the second week is known, the number of remaining days of usage at the end of the first week can be calculated. A method for calculating the number of remaining days of use using the usage rate increase coefficient 220 will be described later.

Next, when the second week is over and it is determined that the usage period has come, the usage rate increase coefficient 221 for the third week is as follows. Note that when it is determined that the usage period is over, the predicted usage rate 12 for the second week (the usage rate increase coefficient 220 for the second week) is added to the usage rate 11 for the first week.

3rd week usage rate increase coefficient 221 = Total usage rate increase in 1st and 2nd week ÷ Number of usage periods (2)
Once the usage rate increase coefficient 221 for the third week is known, the number of remaining usage days at the end of the second week can be calculated. However, since the third week was determined to be an unused period at the end of the third week, the predicted usage rate 12 remains constant during the third week. If the period is unused, the number of remaining days of use will not be calculated.

The usage rate increase coefficient 222 for the 4th week is calculated in the same way as the 3rd week, but since the 4th week was also determined to be an unused period at the end of the 4th week, the predicted usage rate for the 4th week is 12 remains constant. The usage rate increase coefficient 221 for the third week is used as the usage rate increase coefficient 223 for the fifth week at the end of the fourth week.

Next, when the fifth week is over and it is determined that the usage period has come, the usage rate increase coefficient 224 for the sixth week is as follows.

Usage rate increase factor for the 6th week 224 = Total usage rate increase in the 1st, 2nd, and 5th week ÷ Number of usage periods (3)
In this way, unused periods are excluded from the number of days used. In other words, the remaining usage days calculation unit 28 does not include the unused period in calculating the usage rate increase coefficient 220. Once the utilization rate increase coefficient 224 for the sixth week is known, it becomes possible to calculate the number of remaining days of use at the end of the fifth week. Note that when the fifth week is determined to be the usage period, the predicted usage rate 12 (usage rate increase coefficient 223) for the fifth week is added to the predicted usage rate 12 for the fourth week.

Next, when the sixth week is over and it is determined that the usage period has ended, the usage rate increase coefficient 225 for the seventh week is as follows.

7th week usage rate increase factor 225 = Total usage rate increase in 1st week, 2nd week, 5th week, and 6th week ÷ Number of usage periods (4)
Once the usage rate increase coefficient 225 for the seventh week is known, it becomes possible to calculate the number of remaining days of usage at the end of the sixth week. Note that if the sixth week is determined to be the usage period, the predicted usage rate 12 for the sixth week (usage rate increase coefficient 224) is added to the predicted usage rate 12 for the fifth week.

Next, when the seventh week is over and it is determined that the usage period has ended, the usage rate increase coefficient 226 for the eighth week is as follows.

8th week usage rate increase factor 226 = Total usage rate increase in 1st week, 2nd week, 5th week, 6th week, and 7th week ÷ Number of usage periods (5)
Once the usage rate increase coefficient 225 for the 8th week is known, the number of remaining usage days at the end of the 7th week can be calculated. Note that when the seventh week is determined to be the usage period, the predicted usage rate 12 for the seventh week (usage rate increase coefficient 225) is added to the predicted usage rate 12 for the sixth week.

However, since the eighth week was determined to be an unused period at the end of the eighth week, the predicted usage rate remains constant during the eighth week. The usage rate increase coefficient 226 for the 8th week is used as the usage rate increase coefficient 227 for the 9th week at the end of the 8th week. If the period is unused, the number of remaining days of use will not be calculated.

Note that even when the unused period is on a monthly basis as shown in FIG. 8(b), the remaining usage days calculation unit 28 can calculate the usage rate increase coefficient 220 in the same way as when it is on a weekly basis.

When the user arbitrarily sets the period as shown in FIG. 8C, the usage period is not constant, so the remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the usage rate increase coefficient 220 on a daily basis instead of on a period basis. For example, the usage rate increase coefficient for the fourth period 230 in FIG. 8(c) is calculated as follows.

Usage rate increase coefficient for 4th period = Total increase in usage rate in 1st period and 2nd period ÷ Total number of days in 1st period and 2nd period (14)

<<Calculation of remaining days of use>>
Next, a method of calculating the number of remaining days of use using the usage rate increase coefficient will be explained. In the example of FIG. 9, the remaining days of use calculation unit 28 can calculate the number of remaining days of use after the start of the week using the usage rate increase coefficient at the start of the week. The remaining number of days of use is the number of weeks until the usage rate, which is the lifespan, reaches 100%, so it is calculated using equation (2). In formula (2), the remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the remaining usage days in terms of period by subtracting the current predicted usage rate from the usage rate at the end of the lifespan and dividing by the usage rate increase coefficient. . Note that the predicted usage rate in equation (2) may be the actual usage rate.

Remaining days of usage (number of weeks) = (100 - predicted usage rate at the start of the week) / usage rate increase factor... (2)
The remaining number of days of use (number of weeks) predicts how many more weeks the part can be used. For example, if the number of remaining days (number of weeks) is one week or less, the ordering unit 29 can determine to place an order.

If the period of use or unused period is one month, the number of remaining days of use is in units of months, and is calculated by formula (3). Note that the predicted usage rate in equation (3) may be the actual usage rate.

Remaining days of usage (number of months) = (100 - predicted usage rate at the start of the month) / usage rate increase factor... (3)
The remaining number of days of use (number of months) predicts how many more months the part can be used. For example, if the remaining number of days of use (number of months) is 0.25 months or less, the ordering unit 29 can determine to place an order.

If the period of use or unused period is the period set by the user, the remaining number of days of use is in units of days and is calculated by equation (4). Note that the predicted usage rate in equation (4) may be the actual usage rate.

Remaining number of usage days (number of days) = (100 - predicted usage rate at the start of the period) / usage rate increase coefficient... (4)
Depending on the number of days remaining (number of months), it is predicted whether the part can be used in the future. For example, if the remaining number of days of use (number of months) is 7 days or less, the ordering unit 29 can determine to place an order.

<How to determine usage period and unused period>
When the unused determination unit 27 determines whether it is a used period or an unused period on a weekly basis, the unused date or unused date is determined on a daily basis, for example, depending on whether a certain number of sheets are printed per day or not. , there is a method of determining that the period is unused if all days in one week are unused days.

FIG. 10 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a method of determining whether the period is in use or in unused period for each week. The process in FIG. 10 is executed, for example, at a fixed time such as 24:00 every day.

The unused determination unit 27 obtains the number of sheets printed from 0:00 to 24:00 on that day (S1). For example, the unused determination unit 27 records the final counter number of the previous day, and sets the difference from the current counter number as the number of printed sheets.

Next, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether the number of printed sheets is greater than or equal to a threshold value (S2). The threshold value may be about 10% of the average number of sheets printed per day in the past days of use. This is because there are employees who work on holidays.

If the determination in step S2 is Yes, the unused determination unit 27 records the day as a usage date (S3).

If the determination in step S2 is No, the unused determination unit 27 records the day as an unused date (S4).

Next, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether a preset one week has elapsed (S5). One week is usually from Monday to Friday, from Monday to Saturday, from Monday to Sunday, etc., but the user may arbitrarily set one week. The unused determining unit 27 refers to the calendar and determines whether one week has passed.

If the determination in step S5 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether all of the days in a week are unused days (not even one day in a week is used) (S6). If the determination in step S5 is No, one week has not passed, so the process in FIG. 10 ends.

If the determination in step S6 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines the one week as an unused period (S7).

If the determination in step S6 is No, the unused determining unit 27 determines that the one week is the period of use (S8).

FIG. 11 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a method of determining whether the period is in use or in unused period for each month. In the description of FIG. 11, differences from FIG. 10 will be mainly explained. Steps S11 to S14 may be the same as those in FIG.

In step S15, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether a preset one month has passed (S15). A month usually runs from the 1st to the end of the month (28th, 30th, 31st), but the user may arbitrarily set the month. The unused determining unit 27 refers to the calendar and determines whether one month has passed.

If the determination in step S15 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether all days in one month are unused (S16).

If the determination in step S16 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines that the month is an unused period (S17).

If the determination in step S16 is No, the unused determining unit 27 determines that the month is the period of use (S18).

FIG. 12 is an example of a flowchart diagram illustrating a method for determining whether each period set by the user is a usage period or an unused period. In the explanation of FIG. 12, differences from FIG. 10 will be mainly explained. Steps S21 to S24 may be the same as those in FIG.

In step S25, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether the user-set period has elapsed (S25).

If the determination in step S25 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines whether all of the days set by the user are unused days (S26).

If the determination in step S26 is Yes, the unused determining unit 27 determines the period set by the user as an unused period (S27).

If the determination in step S26 is No, the unused determining unit 27 determines the period set by the user as the usage period (S28).

<Calculation process of remaining usage days>
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating a process in which the remaining days of use calculation unit 28 calculates the number of remaining days of use. The process in FIG. 13 is executed when the previous period ends. Note that the process in FIG. 13 may be the same regardless of the calculation period of the usage rate increase coefficient.

The remaining usage days calculation unit 28 obtains the increase in usage rate for each usage period in the past (S31).

The remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the usage rate increase coefficient at the start of the set period by using each usage rate of the past usage period in equation (1) (S32).

In addition, the remaining usage days calculation unit 28 calculates the remaining usage days (weekly, monthly, number of days) using the usage rate increase coefficient at the start of the period in equations (2) to (4) (S33). .

The ordering unit 29 determines whether the remaining number of days of use is less than a threshold (S34).

If the determination in step S34 is Yes, the ordering unit 29 orders the information processing device 40 for replacement parts (S35).

<Main effects>
As described above, in this embodiment, by excluding the unused period of the image forming apparatus 20, it is possible to calculate a predicted value of the number of remaining days that is close to the actual user usage environment, and it is possible to deliver a replacement unit at a more appropriate timing. becomes possible.

<Other application examples>
Although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. and substitutions can be added.

For example, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 7, the image forming apparatus 20 and the information processing apparatus 40 are divided according to their main functions in order to facilitate understanding of the processing. The present invention is not limited by the method of dividing the processing units or the names thereof. The processing of the image forming device 20 and the information processing device 40 can also be divided into more processing units depending on the processing content. Furthermore, one processing unit can be divided to include more processing.

Additionally, the devices described in the Examples are merely illustrative of one of multiple computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. In some embodiments, information processing apparatus 40 includes multiple computing devices, such as a server cluster. The plurality of computing devices are configured to communicate with each other via any type of communication link, including a network, shared memory, etc., to perform the processes disclosed herein.

Furthermore, a process executed by a predetermined unit of the information processing apparatus 40 may be executed by a plurality of devices included in the information processing apparatus 40. Furthermore, the information processing devices 40 may be combined into one server device, or may be divided into multiple devices.

Each function of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the term "processing circuit" as used herein refers to a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, or a processor designed to execute each function explained above. This includes devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (Digital Signal Processors), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), and conventional circuit modules.

20 Image forming device 21 Communication section 22 Display control section 23 Operation reception section 24 Image data generation section 25 Facsimile processing section 26 Printing section 27 Unused judgment section 28 Remaining days of use calculation section 29 Ordering section 40 Information processing device 100 Equipment system

JP2021-009246A

Claims (9)

An electronic device that calculates the number of remaining days of use of parts used by the electronic device,
If the preset period is an unused period when the electronic device is not used,
a remaining days of use calculation unit that calculates the number of remaining days of use based on the past usage period excluding the unused period and the current actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate;
an ordering department that orders the parts when the remaining number of days of use is less than a threshold;
An electronic device characterized by having. The preset period is one week,
comprising an unused determination unit that determines the one week as the unused period when it is not used for even one day out of seven days included in the one week;
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining days of use calculation unit calculates the remaining days of use on a weekly basis. The preset period is one month,
comprising an unused determination unit that determines the one month as the unused period when none of the days included in the one month are used;
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining days of use calculation unit calculates the remaining days of use on a monthly basis. The preset period is the period set by the user,
an unused determination unit that determines the period set by the user as the unused period if the device is not used for even one day among the days included in the period set by the user;
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the remaining days of use calculation unit calculates the remaining days of use by converting a period set by the user into a date. The remaining usage days calculation unit is
Calculate the usage rate increase factor for the next usage period by dividing the total usage rate increase in the past usage period by the number of usage periods,
2. The remaining usage days in units of the period are calculated by subtracting the actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate from the usage rate at the end of the lifespan and dividing by the usage rate increase coefficient. 3. The electronic device according to 3. The remaining usage days calculation unit is
Calculate the usage rate increase factor for the next usage period by dividing the total usage rate increase in the past usage period by the number of days included in the usage period,
According to claim 4, the remaining number of days of use is calculated in units of the number of days by subtracting the actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate from the usage rate that is the end of the lifespan and dividing by the usage rate increase coefficient. Electronic equipment listed. The electronic device is an image forming device,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the component is a toner cartridge or paper. An ordering method performed by an electronic device that calculates the number of remaining days of use of parts used by the electronic device,
If the preset period is an unused period when the electronic device is not used,
a step in which the remaining days of use calculation unit calculates the number of remaining days of use based on the past usage period excluding the unused period and the current actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate;
the ordering department orders the part if the remaining number of days of use is less than a threshold;
An ordering method characterized by having. Electronic equipment that calculates the remaining usage days of parts used by electronic equipment,
If the preset period is an unused period when the electronic device is not used,
a remaining days of use calculation unit that calculates the number of remaining days of use based on the past usage period excluding the unused period and the current actual usage rate or the current predicted usage rate;
an ordering department that orders the parts when the remaining number of days of use is less than a threshold;
A program to function as

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