Title: Office information system having a device which provides an operational message of the system when a specific event occurs
Abstract: An office information system having a device which provides a user with an operational message of the system is disclosed. In an embodiment of the office information system, a path record storage device stores a plurality of path records related to components of the system, each path record indicating a locating path needed to reach a location of a specific one of the components in the system when a failure related to the specific one of the components occurs. A failure location detecting device detects a location of a component in the system when a failure related to the component occurs. A reached location determining device reads a path record from the path record storage device when the location of the failure is detected, and determines a currently reached location in the system based on the path indicated by the path record. A message device generates, when the reached location is determined, an operational message needed for recovering the failure at a subsequent location in the path following the reached location.
Patent Number: 6,950,613 Issued on 09/27/2005 to Fujimoto, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Fujimoto; Jun-Ichiroh (Kanagawa, JP);
Ariyoshi; Takashi (Kanagawa, JP);
Kato; Yoshinaga (Kanagawa, JP);
Kitagawa; Hiroo (Kanagawa, JP);
Kojima; Yuichi (Kanagawa, JP);
Bin; Lu (Tokyo, JP);
Muroi; Tetsuya (Kanagawa, JP);
Sakayori; Tetsuya (Kanagawa, JP);
Sakuramata; Yoshifumi (Kanagawa, JP);
Takami; Junichi (Kanagawa, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
625538 |
| Filed:
|
July 24, 2003 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Jan 08, 1999[JP] | 11-002988 |
| Jan 20, 1999[JP] | 11-011374 |
| Jan 25, 1999[JP] | 11-015446 |
| Jan 26,
1999[JP] | 11-016836 |
| Jan 26, 1999[JP] | 11-017003 |
| Jan 28, 1999[JP] | 11-019557 |
| Feb 09,
1999[JP] | 11-030931 |
| Mar 11, 1999[JP] | 11-065466 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
399/8; 358/1.15; 399/9; 399/15 |
| Intern'l Class: |
G03G 015/00 |
| Field of Search: |
399/8,9,15,24,49
358/115
395/114
|
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| 5089848 | Feb., 1992 | Kusuda et al.
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| 5377017 | Dec., 1994 | Lam.
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| 5467169 | Nov., 1995 | Morikawa.
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| 5694528 | Dec., 1997 | Hube.
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| 5933677 | Aug., 1999 | Lee.
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| 6216113 | Apr., 2001 | Aikens et al.
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| 6487375 | Nov., 2002 | Ferrer et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 3-187567 | Aug., 1991 | JP.
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| 04-148754 | May., 1992 | JP.
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| 05-050719 | Mar., 1993 | JP.
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| 05-268335 | Oct., 1993 | JP.
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| 5-276259 | Oct., 1993 | JP.
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| 1998/-021385 | Jun., 1998 | KR.
| |
Primary Examiner: Tran; Hoan
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP
Parent Case Text
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/477,727, filed Jan.
5, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,095 which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Claims
1. An office information system comprising:
a communication device linked to a remote terminal via a network for telecommunications
between the system and the remote terminal;
an information processing device which produces a reconstructed image when an
image transmitted by the remote terminal is received by the communication device
via the network;
an output-data processing device which determines whether the reconstructed image
output from the information processing device is defective in image quality; and
a message device which supplies, when the reconstructed image is determined as
being defective, an error message, indicating that an error occurs in the outputting
of the image received at the system, to the communication device, so that the error
message is transmitted to the remote terminal via the network.
2. An office information system comprising:
a communication device linked to a remote terminal via a network for telecommunications
between the system and the remote terminal;
a printing device which produces a printed image;
an image-quality evaluation device which produces a result of evaluation of a
quality of the printed image every time the printed image is output by the printing
device; and
a storage device, coupled to the communication device, which stores the result
of evaluation output by the image-quality evaluation device, wherein a latest result
of the evaluation that is output by the image-quality evaluation device is stored
in the storage device, and said communication device transmits an operational message,
indicating the stored latest result of the evaluation, to the remote terminal via
the network when an image-quality message request from the remote terminal is received
at the communication device.
3. The office information system according to claim 2, wherein the communication
device is linked to a digital network.
4. The office information system according to claim 2, wherein the communication
device is linked to an analog telephone network, and said office information system
further comprises:
a voice recognition unit which recognizes a voice signal, sent from the remote
terminal via the network, as the image-quality message request; and
a voice synthesis unit which produces a synthesized voice signal indicating the
latest result of the evaluation output from the storage device.
5. An office information system comprising:
a communication device linked to a remote terminal via a network for telecommunications
between the system and the remote terminal;
a printing device which prints an image on a copy sheet;
a sheet-quality evaluation device which produces a result of evaluation of a
quality of the copy sheet every time the printed image is output by the printing
device; and
a storage device, coupled to the communication device, which stores the result
of evaluation output by the sheet-quality evaluation device, wherein a latest result
of the evaluation that is output by the sheet-quality evaluation device is stored
in the storage device, and said communication device transmits an operational message,
indicating the stored latest result of the evaluation, to the remote terminal via
the network when a sheet-quality message request from the remote terminal is received
at the communication device.
6. The office information system according to claim 5, wherein the communication
device is linked to a digital network.
7. The office information system according to claim 5, wherein the communication
device is linked to an analog telephone network, and said office information system
further comprises:
a voice recognition device which recognizes a voice signal, sent from the remote
terminal via the network, as being the sheet-quality message request; and a voice
synthesis device which produces a synthesized voice signal indicating the latest
result of the evaluation output from the storage device.
8. An office information system comprising:
an image processing device which prints a processed image, obtained from an original
image, on a copy sheet;
a self-diagnosis device which determines whether the printed image on the copy
sheet, output from the image processing device, is defective in image quality;
and
a voice output device which outputs a synthesized voice when the printed image
is determined as being defective, the synthesized voice indicating a result of
the determination by the self-diagnosis device.
9. The office information system according to claim 8, wherein the self-diagnosis
device detects whether lack of toner or lack of copy sheets in the image processing
device has occurred.
10. An office information system comprising:
a voice input device which accepts an input voice from a user so as to generate
an electrical signal corresponding to the input voice;
a voice recognition device which recognizes the electrical signal, produced by
the voice input device, as being an operational command input to the office information
system; and
a command execution device which executes an image forming operation on the office
information system based on the operational command recognized by the voice recognition
device, wherein the voice recognition device is configured to recognize the electrical
signal as being an operational command which sets an operating condition change
to the image forming operation, the operating condition change being represented
by a difference between a previously-set operating condition and a currently-set
operating condition.
11. The office information system according to claim 10, wherein the voice input
device includes a transmitter/receiver unit which receives an input voice from
the user so as to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the input voice.
12. The office information system according to claim 10, wherein the voice recognition
device is configured to recognize a plurality of voice segments included in the
input voice, as being respective operating conditions of an operational command.
13. The office information system according to claim 10, further comprising an
operating-condition input device which accepts a manually-indicated magnitude on
the operating-condition input device as an operating condition change to the image
forming operation.
14. An office information system comprising:
a user identifying device configured to authenticate a personal identification
by receiving a user ID;
an operational history storage device configured to store operational history
records for the system corresponding to each of the user ID; and
a customizing device configured to generate a customized operational message
of the system in accordance with the stored operational history records corresponding
to the user ID authenticated by said user identifying device.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to office information systems, such as
copiers, facsimiles or printers, and more particular to an office information system
having a device which provides a user (or a request source) with an operational
message of the office information system when an specific event occurs.
(2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 shows an enclosure of an office information system according to the related
art. This office information system is, for example, a copier, a facsimile or a printer.
In the office information system of FIG. 8, a liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panel
101 is provided on top of an enclosure
100, and an access door
102
is provided at a lower portion of the enclosure
100. The access door
102
is opened by the operator or user who wishes to look into the internal components
of the system for the purpose of repair or maintenance.
When a failure, such as paper jam or lack of toner, in the office information
system of the above type takes place, an image indicating a failure location in
the system is displayed on the LCD panel
101.
FIG. 9 shows an image of a failure location displayed on the LCD panel
100
of the office information system of FIG.
8. In the example of FIG. 9, a
paper jam occurs in the system and a location "B3" of the paper jam in the system
is indicated in the displayed image.
FIG. 10 shows an internal structure of the office information system of FIG.
8 when the access door
102 is opened and the internal components of the
system are looked into. As shown in FIG. 10, the office information system includes,
for example, a plurality of components at respective locations A
1, A
2,
B
1, B
2 and B
3.
The user views the image on the LCD panel
100, opens the access door
102,
and searches for the location of the paper jam in the actual system corresponding
to the location "B3" in the displayed image. If the location of the paper jam can
be found, the user performs a repairing or correcting operation on the related
component at the location "B3" so as to eliminate the failure from the system.
However, in the office information system of FIG. 8, a guidance message
which helps the user to recover the paper jam or lack of toner in the system is
only the image displayed on the LCD panel
101. Such a message is often inadequate
for the user to complete failure-recovery operations on the system, and this makes
it difficult to efficiently carry out the failure recovery.
For example, when the location "B3" of the failure indicated by the displayed
image is a concealed place within the system, finding the actual component related
to the failure in the system is difficult, or a considerable time and cost is needed
to find it. When a certain preliminary operation must be formed to reach the related
component at the location "B3" of the failure, the user is often unable to recognize
the need of the preliminary operation from the displayed image only. Therefore,
it is desirable that an office information system which ensures easy searching
and recognition of a location of a failure in the system and provides the user
with a failure-recovery operational message for efficient failure recovery is provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved office information
system in which the above-described problems are eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which ensures easy searching and recognition of a location of a failure
in the system and provides a user with a failure-recovery operational message that
allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which allows the setting of customized operational messages of the system
appropriate for individual users and increases the operability of the system for
the individual users by the use of the customized operational messages.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system having a communication device linked to a remote terminal via a network
for telecommunications between the system and the remote terminal, which safely
returns, when an image from the remote terminal is received at the system but an
error occurs in the outputting of a reconstructed image by the system, an error
message back to the remote terminal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system having a communication device linked to a remote terminal via a network
for telecommunications between the system and the remote terminal, which safely
returns, when a specific request from the remote terminal is accepted at the system,
an operational message related to image quality or sheet quality, back to the remote terminal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which ensures easy searching and recognition of a failure in the system
by using a result of a machine noise evaluation, and provides a user with an operational
message that allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which ensures easy recognition of lack of toner or lack of copy sheets in
the system by providing a user with a failure-detection voice message based on
a result of a self-diagnosis of the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which provides a user with an increased operability in the setting of operating
conditions and operating condition changes to an image forming operation being
executed on the office information system, and allows easy operating-condition
setting procedures for the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an office information
system which ensures improved man-machine interface which allows a user to easily
recognize an operational error in the system.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a path record storage device which stores a plurality
of path records related to components of the system, each path record indicating
a locating path needed to reach a location of a specific one of the components
in the system when a failure of the specific one of the components occurs; a failure
location detecting device which detects a location of a component in the system
when a failure related to the component occurs; a reached location determining
device which reads a path record from the path record storage device when the location
of the failure is detected, and determines a currently reached location in the
system based on the path indicated by the path record; and a message device which
generates, when the reached location is determined, an operational message needed
for recovering the failure at a subsequent location of the path following the reached location.
In the office information system of the present invention, the reached location
determining device reads a path record from the path record storage device when
the location of the failure is detected, and determines a currently reached location
in the system based on the path indicated by the path record, and the message device
generates, when the reached location is determined, an operational message needed
for recovering the failure at a subsequent location of the path following the reached
location. The office information system of the present invention is effective in
providing easy searching and recognition of a location of a failure in the system
and in providing the user with a failure-recovery operational message that allows
efficient failure recovery in the system.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a user identifying device which authenticates a personal
identification by receiving a user ID; a customizing device which generates a customized
operational message of the system appropriate for a user whose identification is
authenticated; and an operational history storage device which stores operational
history records of a number of users, each user having a different user ID, and
each history record indicating an operational characteristic of one of the number
of users, wherein the customizing device reads an operational history record of
the user, whose identification is authenticated, from the operational history storage
device, detects the operational characteristic of the user from the read history
record, and updates the customized operational message in accordance with the detected
operational characteristic.
In the office information system of the present invention, the customizing device
reads an operational history record of the user, whose identification is authenticated,
from the operational history storage device, detects the operational characteristic
of the user from the read history record, and updates the customized operational
message in accordance with the detected operational characteristic. The office
information system of the present invention is effective in setting the customized
operational messages of the system appropriate for individual users and in increasing
the operability of the system for the individual users by the use of the customized
operational messages.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a communication device linked to a remote terminal
via a network for telecommunications between the system and the remote terminal;
an information processing device which produces a reconstructed image when an image
transmitted by the remote terminal is received by the communication device via
the network; an output-data processing device which determines whether the reconstructed
image output from the information processing device is defective in an image quality;
and a message device which supplies, when the reconstructed image is determined
as being defective, an error message, indicating that an error occurs in the outputting
of the image by the system, to the communication device, so that the error message
is transmitted to the remote terminal via the network.
In the office information system of the present invention, the output-data processing
device determines whether the reconstructed image output from the information processing
device is defective in the image quality, and the message device supplies, when
the reconstructed image is determined as being defective, an error message, indicating
that an error occurs in the outputting of the image by the system, to the communication
device, so that the error message is transmitted to the remote terminal via the
network. The office information system of the present invention is effective in
safely transmitting an error message from the system to the remote terminal when
an error occurs in the outputting of the image by the system.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a communication device linked to a remote terminal
via a network for telecommunications between the system and the remote terminal;
a printing device which produces a printed image; an image-quality evaluation device
which produces a result of evaluation of a quality of the printed image every time
the printed image is output by the printing device; and a storage device, coupled
to the communication device, which stores the result of evaluation output by the
image-quality evaluation device, wherein a latest result of the evaluation that
is output by the image-quality evaluation device is stored in the storage device,
and the communication device transmits an operational message, indicating the stored
latest result of the evaluation, to the remote terminal via the network when an
image-quality message request from the remote terminal is received at the communication device.
In the office information system of the present invention, the latest result
of
the evaluation that is output by the image-quality evaluation device is stored
in the storage device, and the communication device transmits an operational message,
indicating the stored latest result of the evaluation, to the remote terminal via
the network when an image-quality message request from the remote terminal is received
at the communication device. The office information system of the present invention
makes it possible to provide the user on the remote terminal with the operational
message of the system when a specific request from the remote terminal is received.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a sound input device which accepts an input signal;
an acoustic signal detecting device which detects an acoustic signal from the input
signal accepted by the sound input device; a first evaluation device which determines
whether the detected acoustic signal is a noise signal or a speech signal; a speech
dictionary which stores reference feature patterns provided for a speech recognition;
a machine noise dictionary which stores reference noise patterns provided for a
noise/speech evaluation; a speech recognition device which recognizes, when the
detected acoustic signal is determined as being the speech signal, the speech signal
as being an operational request based on the reference feature patterns from the
speech dictionary; a second evaluation device which determines whether the noise
signal is acceptable based on the reference noise patterns from the machine noise
dictionary, when the detected acoustic signal is determined as being the noise
signal; a noise storage device which stores a machine noise signal; a noise storage
control device which allows the machine noise signal to be stored into the noise
storage device, based on a result of the determination of the noise signal by the
second evaluation device; and a sound output device which reproduces the noise
signal from the noise storage device.
In the office information system of the present invention, the second evaluation
device determines whether the noise signal is acceptable based on the reference
noise patterns from the machine noise dictionary, when the detected acoustic signal
is determined as being the noise signal. The noise storage control device allows
the machine noise signal to be stored into the noise storage device, based on a
result of the determination of the noise signal by the second evaluation device.
The sound output device reproduces the noise signal from the noise storage device.
The office information system of the present invention is effective in providing
easy searching and recognition of a failure in the system by using the result of
the machine noise evaluation, and in providing the user with an operational message
that allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: an image processing device which prints a processed
image, obtained from an original image, on a copy sheet; a self-diagnosis device
which determines whether the printed image on the copy sheet, output from the image
processing device, is defective in image quality; and a voice output device which
outputs a synthesized voice when the printed image is determined as being defective,
the synthesized voice indicating a result of the determination by the self-diagnosis device.
In the office information system of the present invention, the voice output device
outputs a synthesized voice when the printed image is determined as being defective,
the synthesized voice indicating a result of the determination by the self-diagnosis
device. The office information system of the present invention is effective in
providing easy recognition of lack of toner or lack of copy sheets in the system
by providing a user with a failure-detection voice message based on the result
of the self-diagnosis of the system.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: a voice input device which accepts an input voice
from a user so as to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the input voice;
a voice recognition device which recognizes the electrical signal, produced by
the voice input device, as being an operational command input to the office information
system; and a command execution device which executes an image forming operation
on the office information system based on the operational command recognized by
the voice recognition device, wherein the voice recognition device is configured
to recognize the electrical signal as being an operational command which sets an
operating condition change to the image forming operation, the operating condition
change being represented by a difference between a previously-set operating condition
and a currently-set operating condition.
In the office information system of the present invention, the voice recognition
device is configured to recognize the electrical signal as being an operational
command which sets an operating condition change to the image forming operation,
the operating condition change being represented by a difference between a previously-set
operating condition and a currently-set operating condition. The command execution
device executes an image forming operation on the office information system based
on the recognized operational command. The office information system of the present
invention is effective in providing an increased operability in the setting of
the operating conditions and the operating condition changes to the image forming
operation being executed on the office information system. It is possible for the
office information system of the present invention to ensure easy operating-condition
setting procedures for the user.
The above-mentioned objects of the present invention are achieved by an office
information system including: an operational event detecting device which determines
whether an operational error occurs in the system by detecting a plurality of predetermined
operational events in the system; and a voice message device which outputs a voice
message based on a result of the detection of the plurality of predetermined operational
events, the voice message being indicative of the occurrence of an operational
error in the system.
In the office information system of the present invention, the voice message
device
outputs a voice message based on a result of the detection of the plurality of
predetermined operational events, the voice message being indicative of the occurrence
of an operational error in the system. The office information system of the present
invention is effective in providing improved man-machine interface which allows
the user to easily recognize the operational error in the system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become
more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the office information system
according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining path records stored in a path record storage
device in the office information system of the present embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a message device in the office information
system of the present embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a message device in the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an operation control unit in the message device
of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an enclosure of an office information system according
to the related art;
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an image of a failure location displayed on an LCD
panel of the office information system of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the office information
system of FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the office information
system according to the invention;
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a user identifying device in the office information
system of the present embodiment;
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 14 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 15 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 16 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the office information system
according to the invention;
FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining a request-source information stored in the
office information system of FIG. 18;
FIG. 20 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the office information
system according to the invention;
FIG. 21 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 22 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 24 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 25 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 26 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 27 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment;
FIG. 28 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of the office information
system of the present embodiment linked to an analog telephone network;
FIG. 29 is a diagram for explaining another configuration of the office information
system of the present embodiment linked to a digital network;
FIG. 30 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of the office information
system of the present embodiment linked to an analog telephone network;
FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining a configuration of the office information
system of the present embodiment linked to an analog telephone network;
FIG. 32 is a block diagram of a fifth embodiment of the office information system
according to the invention;
FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example of a noise data stored In a noise storage
device of the office information system of FIG. 32;
FIG. 34 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 35 is a diagram showing an example of a noise data stored in a noise storage
device of the office information system of FIG. 34;
FIG. 36 is a block diagram of a sixth embodiment of the office information system
according to the invention;
FIG. 37 is a block diagram of a seventh embodiment of the office information
system according to the invention;
FIG. 38 is a diagram for explaining a relationship between voice inputs and
stored increments in the office information system of FIG. 37;
FIG. 39 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 40 is a diagram for explaining an operation of an operating-condition input
device in the office information system of FIG. 39;
FIG. 41 is a block diagram of an eighth embodiment of the office information
system according to the invention;
FIG. 42 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment;
FIG. 43 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment; and
FIG. 44 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A description will now be given of the preferred embodiments of the present invention
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the office information system
according to the invention. The office information system of this embodiment is
applicable to copier systems, facsimile systems or printer systems.
The office information system of FIG. 1 includes a path record storage device
1 which stores a plurality of path records related to components of the
system, each path record indicating a locating path needed to reach a location
of a specific one of the components in the system when a failure of the specific
one of the components occurs. A failure location detecting device
2 detects
a location of a component in the system when a failure related to that component
occurs. A reached location determining device
3 reads a path record from
the path record storage device
1 when the location of the failure is detected
by the failure location detecting device
2, and determines a currently reached
location in the system based on the path indicated by the path record. A message
device
4 generates, when the reached location is determined by the reached
location determining device
3, an operational message needed for recovering
the failure at a subsequent location of the path following the reached location.
For the sake of simplicity of description, suppose that the office information
system of the present embodiment includes an enclosure which is essentially the
same as the enclosure
100 shown in FIG.
8. That is, an LCD panel
is provided on top of the enclosure of the office information system of the present
embodiment, and an access door is provided at a lower portion of the enclosure.
Further, the office information system of the present embodiment includes a plurality
of internal components at respective locations A
1, A
2, B
1,
B
2 and B
3, as shown in FIG.
10. The operator on the office
information system of the present embodiment opens the access door and looks into
the components of the system for the purpose of repair or maintenance.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining path records stored in the path record storage
device
1 in the office information system of the present embodiment.
As described above, it is supposed that the office information system of the
present
embodiment includes the internal components at the respective locations A
1,
A
2, B
1, B
2 and B
3, as shown in FIG.
10.
As shown in FIG. 2, each path record stored in the path record storage device
1 indicates a failure location and its locating path. The locating path
is needed for the user (or the operator) to reach a location of a specific one
of the components in the system when a failure of the specific one of the components
occurs. The locating path means a list of the internal components of the system,
showing the route that the user has to take to find the location of the detected
failure in the system.
For example, when a failure of the component B
1 occurs, the path record
corresponding to the failure location B
1 in the path record storage device
1 indicates the locating path "B1" as shown in FIG.
2. This means
that the route the user has to take to find the location of the faulty component
B
1 is the component B
1 only. When a failure of the component B
3
occurs, the path record corresponding to the failure location B
3 in the
path record storage device
1 indicates the locating path "B2, B3" as shown
in FIG.
2. This means that the route the user has to take to find the location
of the faulty component B
3 is the components B
2 and B
3, and
that the user has to remove or move the component B
2 from the original position
before reaching the location of the faulty component B
3.
FIG. 3 shows an example of the message device
4 in the office information
system of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the message device
4
includes a plurality of optical-output indicators LA
1, LA
2, LB
1,
LB
2 and LB
3, which are provided adjacent to the respective internal
components A
1, A
2, B
1, B
2 and B
3 of the system.
The optical-output indicators are, for example, light-emitting diodes (LED). Each
of these optical-output indicators lights up (or blinks) in response to a light-on
signal that indicates a subsequent location of the locating path following the
reached location in the system.
In the office information system of FIG. 3, the message device
4 provides
the user with the operational message by outputting a light-on signal that is indicative
of a subsequent location of the locating path following the reached location in
the system. This light-on signal is output by the message device
4 to a
corresponding one of the optical-output indicators LA
1, LA
2, LB
1,
LB
2 and LB
3 of the system. Accordingly, the office information system
of the present embodiment is effective in providing easy searching and recognition
of a location of a failure in the system and in providing the user with a failure-recovery
operational message that allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
Alternatively, the message device
4 may provide the user with
the operational message by outputting a synthesized voice signal that is indicative
of a subsequent location of the locating path following the reached location in
the system. In this case, the message device
4 includes a voice synthesis
unit for generating the synthesized voice signal, and a speaker outputting a synthesized
voice in response to the voice signal.
A description will now be given of an operation of the office information system
of the present embodiment.
When a failure, such as paper jam or lack of toner, in the office information
system of the present embodiment occurs, an image indicating a failure location
in the system is displayed on the LCD panel on top of the enclosure of the system
in a manner similar to the example of FIG.
9. Suppose that a paper jam has
occurred at the location of the component B
3 in the system. The user views
the image on the LCD panel, opens the access door, and searches for the location
of the paper jam in the system corresponding to the location "B3" in the displayed
image. If the location of the paper jam can be found, the user performs a repairing
or correcting operation on the related component at the location "B3" so as to
eliminate the failure from the system.
In the above-mentioned case, the failure location detecting device
2 detects
the location of the faulty component B
3 in the office information system
of FIG. 1 when the paper jam occurs. The reached location determining device
3
reads a corresponding path record (or the locating path "B2, B3") from the path
record storage device
1 when the location of the failure is detected by
the failure location detecting device
2, and determines a currently reached
location in the system based on the path indicated by the path record. The message
device
4 generates, when the reached location is determined by the reached
location determining device
3, an operational message needed for recovering
the failure at a subsequent location of the path following the reached location.
Specifically, in the office information system of FIG. 3, when the
path record (or the locating path "B2, B3") is read from the path record storage
device
1, the reached location determining device
3 initially determines
the location of the access door as being the currently reached location in the
system. The message device
4 initially outputs a light-on signal to the
optical-output indicator LB
2 at the subsequent location B
2 in the
system. The optical-output indicator LB
2 lights up or blinks. If the user
removes or moves the component B
2 from the original position, the reached
location determining device
3 determines the location of the component B
2
as being the currently reached location in the system based on the path record.
The message device
4 outputs a light-on signal that is indicative of the
subsequent location B
3 of the locating path following the reached location
B
2 in the system. The message device
4 outputs the light-on signal
to the optical-output indicator LB
3. The optical-output indicator LB
3
lights up or blinks, which shows the location of the faulty component B
3
in the system for the user.
Also, in the case of the message device
4 which outputs a synthesized
voice signal in order to provide the user with the operational message, a similar
operation is carried out by the office information system of the present embodiment.
The message device
4 initially outputs a synthesized voice signal indicating
the location of the component B
2 in the system. If the user removes or moves
the component B
2 from the original position, the reached location determining
device
3 determines the location of the component B
2 as being the
currently reached location in the system based on the path record. The message
device
4 outputs a synthesized voice signal that is indicative of the subsequent
location B
3 of the locating path following the reached location B
2
in the system, which shows the location of the faulty component B
3 in the
system for the user. Accordingly, the office information system of the present
embodiment is effective in providing easy searching and recognition of a location
of a failure in the system and in providing the user with a failure-recovery operational
message that allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
Further, in the office information system of the present embodiment, the
message device
4 may be configured to provide the user with the operational
message by outputting both the light-on signal and the synthesized voice signal.
The use of such message device
4 makes it possible that the office information
system of the present embodiment provides easier searching and recognition of a
location of a failure in the system and allows more efficient failure recovery
in the system.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the above message device
4 in the office
information system of the present embodiment. This message device
4 is configured
to output both a light-on signal and a synthesized voice signal synchronized to
the light-on signal when a voice output mode of the system is selected by the user.
Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the message device
4 in this
embodiment includes a plurality of optical-output indicators, provided adjacent
to the respective internal components of the system, each of which lights up in
response to a light-on signal that indicates the subsequent location in the system.
The message device
4 further includes, as shown in FIG. 4, an operation
control unit
5, a voice synthesis unit
6, and a voice output unit
7. In synchronism with the light-on signal, the voice synthesis unit
6
generates a synthesized voice signal indicating a subsequent location of the locating
path following a reached location in the system. This synthesized voice signal
is supplied from the voice synthesis unit
6 to the voice output unit
7.
The voice output unit
7 is, for example, a speaker. The voice output unit
7 outputs a synthesized voice in accordance with the synthesized voice signal
output from the voice synthesis unit
6. The operation control unit
5
allows the voice synthesis unit
6 to generate the synthesized voice signal
when the voice output mode of the system is selected by the user. The operation
control unit
5 includes, for example, a selection switch. In the present
embodiment, when the selection switch on the operation control unit
5 is
turned on by the user, the voice output mode is selected.
In the office information system of the above-mentioned embodiment, when the
necessity
of the voice output mode on the system arises, the message device
4 can
output the synthesized voice signal synchronized to the light-on signal. On the
other hand, when the voice output mode is not selected by the user (or when the
selection switch is turned off by the user), the outputting of the synthesized
voice signal by the voice synthesis unit
6 is inhibited.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the operation control unit
5 in the message
device
4 of FIG.
4.
As shown in FIG. 5, the operation control unit
5 includes a voice input
unit
8 and a voice recognition unit
9. The voice input unit
8
converts an input voice from the user into an electrical signal. The voice recognition
unit
9 recognizes the electrical signal, produced by the voice input unit
8, as being the selection of the voice output mode.
The operation control unit
5 of FIG. 5 allows the voice synthesis unit
6 to generate the synthesized voice signal when the electrical signal is
recognized by the voice recognition unit
9 as being the selection of the
voice output mode, so that the subsequent location indicated by the synthesized
voice is provided to the user. The use of the operation control unit
5 of
FIG. 5 makes it possible that the user supplies the input voice to the voice input
unit
8 in order to select the voice output mode of the system, instead of
turning on the selection switch by hand.
FIG. 6 shows a variation of the office information system of the present embodiment.
The office information system of FIG. 6 further includes an internal antenna
21, a transmitter/receiver device
22, and a radio communication handset
23. The radio transmitter/receiver unit
22 is coupled to the message
device
4, and communicates with the radio communication handset
23
by a radio signal. In the office information system, when the transmitter/receiver
unit
22 receives an input radio signal from the handset
23, the input
radio signal indicating the selection of the voice output mode from the user, the
operation control unit
5 allows the voice synthesis unit
6 to generate
the synthesized voice signal, and when a synthesized voice is output from the message
device
5, the transmitter/receiver unit
22 transmits an output radio
signal carrying the synthesized voice to the handset
23.
In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the radio communication handset
23 is, for
example, a portable telephone. It is not necessary that the user stays adjacent
to the voice input unit
8 in the office information system, because of the
use of the portable telephone
23. The office information system of the present
embodiment is more effective in providing easy searching and recognition of a location
of a failure in the system and in providing the user with a failure-recovery operational
message that allows efficient failure recovery in the system.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment.
The office information system of FIG. 7 further includes a failure recovery message
device
10 in addition to the elements of the embodiment of FIG.
1.
The failure recovery message device
10 provides the user with a failure
recovery message that indicates whether or not the recovery of the failure in the
system is completed.
Specifically, the failure recovery message device
10 controls
the LCD panel on the top of the enclosure of the system, so that the failure recovery
message is displayed on the LCD panel, in order to notify the user of the completion
of the failure recovery in the system. Alternatively, the failure recovery message
device
10 may output a synthesized voice indicating that the recovery of
the failure in the system is completed. This enables the user to safely recognize
the completion of the failure recovery in the system.
Next, FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the office information
system according to the invention. The office information system of the present
embodiment is applicable to copier systems, facsimile systems or printer systems.
As shown in FIG. 11, the office information system of the present embodiment
includes
a user identifying device
21 and a customizing device
22. The user
identifying device
21 authenticates a personal identification by receiving
a user ID. The customizing device
22 generates a customized operational
message of the system appropriate for a user whose identification is authenticated
by the user identifying device
21.
The office information system of FIG. 11 is effective in setting the customized
operational messages of the system appropriate for individual users, and in increasing
the operability of the system for the individual users by the use of the customized
operational messages.
Specifically, in the present embodiment, the user identifying device
21 checks an IC card with a user ID recorded therein, and authenticates
a personal identification by using the user ID obtained from the IC card.
Alternatively, the user identifying device
21 may be configured
to accept a call from a portable telephone and receive a caller ID number from
the portable telephone. The user identifying device
21 of this embodiment
authenticates a personal identification by using the caller ID number obtained
from the portable telephone.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a user identifying device
21 in the office
information system of the present embodiment.
The user identifying device
21 of FIG. 12 includes a voice input unit
211 and a user verifying unit
212. The voice input unit
211
receives an input voice from a user, the input voice indicating a user ID of that
user. The user verifying unit
212 compares the input voice with a pre-recorded
user ID. When the input voice matches the pre-recorded user ID, the user verifying
unit
212 authenticates the personal identification of that user.
Alternatively, the user identifying device
21 may be configured
to receive a user ID which is manually inputted by the user on a control panel
(not shown) of the system.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a variation of the office information system of
the present embodiment. In FIG. 13, the elements which are essentially the same
as corresponding elements in FIG. 11 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The office information system of FIG. 13 includes a user identifying device
21
which authenticates a personal identification by receiving a user ID. A customizing
device
22 generates a customized one-touch-key or address message of the
system appropriate for a user whose identification is authenticated by the user
identifying device
21. A storage device
23 stores one-touch-key records
or address-note records of a number of users, each user having a different user
ID, and each record indicating one-touch-key data or address-note data of one of
the number of users. In this office information system, the customizing device
22 reads the one-touch-key record or the address-note record of the user,
whose identification is authenticated, from the storage device
23. The customizing
device
22 detects the one-touch-key data or the address-note data of the
user from the read record, and updates the customized one-touch-key or address
message in accordance with the detected data.
The office information system of the present embodiment is effective in setting
the customized one-touch-key or address messages of the system appropriate for
individual users, and in increasing the operability of the system for the individual
users by the use of the customized one-touch-key or address messages.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram of another variation of the office information system
of the present embodiment. In FIG. 14, the elements which are essentially the same
as corresponding elements in FIG. 11 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The office information system of FIG. 14 includes a user identifying device
21
which authenticates a personal identification by receiving a user ID. A customizing
device
22 generates a customized operational message of the system appropriate
for a user whose identification is authenticated by the user identifying device
21. An operational history storage device
27 stores operational history
records of a number of users, each user having a different user ID, and each history
record indicating an operational characteristic of one of the number of users.
In this office information system, the customizing device
22 reads an operational
history record of the user, whose Identification is authe
