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JP-7855336-B2 - Information processing system and information processing method

JP7855336B2JP 7855336 B2JP7855336 B2JP 7855336B2JP-7855336-B2

Inventors

  • 斉藤 浩一

Assignees

  • 株式会社サトー

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20211115

Claims (8)

  1. An information processing system including a printer connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) and an information processing device capable of communicating with the printer, The aforementioned printer is A first communication unit that receives packets via the LAN using a first communication method, A second communication unit that communicates with the information processing device via a mobile communication network using a second communication method different from the first communication method, A LAN analysis unit analyzes packets received by the first communication unit, It has, The aforementioned information processing device is In the event of a communication failure during communication via the aforementioned LAN, the analysis request unit, using the second communication method, requests the printer to analyze the packets via the mobile communication network using the LAN analysis unit. The system includes an acquisition unit that acquires the analysis results from the LAN analysis unit from the printer using the second communication method described above. Information processing system.
  2. The aforementioned analysis request specifies one of the multiple communication ports of the printer and requests analysis of packets received from the specified communication port. The LAN analysis unit analyzes packets received from the designated communication port. The information processing system described in claim 1.
  3. The information processing device has a status information acquisition unit that acquires printer status information indicating the status of the printer. An information processing system according to claim 1 or 2.
  4. The information processing device has a setting information acquisition unit that acquires printer setting information indicating the settings of the printer. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
  5. The information processing device has a setting change request unit that makes a setting change request to the printer to change the printer setting information, The printer has a modification unit that modifies the printer setting information in response to the setting change request. The information processing system described in claim 4.
  6. The aforementioned information processing device is Based on the analysis results obtained by the acquisition unit, a determination unit is provided to determine whether or not there is a communication error caused by the LAN. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
  7. After making the analysis request, the analysis request unit requests the printer to execute a command to check whether or not the packet will reach the destination of the communication by the first communication unit. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
  8. An information processing method between a printer connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) and an information processing device capable of communicating with the printer, The printer analyzes the packets received via the LAN using the first communication method. If a communication failure occurs in communication via the LAN , the information processing device will send a packet analysis request to the printer via the mobile communication network using a second communication method different from the first communication method. The printer transmits the results of the packet analysis to the information processing device via the mobile communication network. The information processing device obtains the packet analysis results from the printer. Information processing methods.

Description

This invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method. Various methods have been proposed to identify the cause of printer errors. Patent Document 1 describes a technique for accumulating error logs indicating the cause of a stoppage during image formation and outputting maintenance information, including the error logs, to an information processing device at predetermined intervals. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-92967 This figure shows the system configuration of an error analysis system according to one embodiment.This figure shows an example of packet analysis results in an error analysis system according to one embodiment.This is a functional block diagram of each device in one embodiment of an error analysis system.This figure shows an example of the data structure of a printer management database.This is a sequence chart showing the operation of an error analysis system according to one embodiment.This figure shows an example of screen transitions displayed on the administrator terminal in the first embodiment.This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on the administrator terminal in the first embodiment.This figure shows an example of the packet analysis results in the first embodiment.This figure shows an example of screen transitions displayed on the administrator terminal in the first embodiment.This figure shows an example of a network configuration for a user terminal and printer assumed in the second embodiment.This is a sequence chart showing the operation of the error analysis system in the second embodiment.This figure shows an example of a screen displayed on the administrator terminal in the second embodiment.This figure shows an example of the packet analysis results in the second embodiment. In this disclosure, "LAN (Local Area Network)" refers to any network of any size, as long as it is uniquely determined by a network address (subnetwork). The LAN may be a wired network or a wireless network. In the case of a wireless network, it may comply with standards such as IEEE 802a/b/g/j/n/ac/ad. In this disclosure, "mobile communication network" does not particularly limit its specifications and is not particularly limited as long as it conforms to a wireless communication system operated or planned to be operated by a mobile communication carrier. Examples of such wireless communication systems include wireless communication systems conforming to the IMT-2000 standard, commonly referred to as 3G; wireless communication systems conforming to the IMT-Advanced standard, commonly referred to as 4G; and wireless communication systems conforming to the IMT-2020 standard, commonly referred to as 5G. For example, when a user attempts to print a label from a LAN-connected printer using their terminal, an error may occur preventing the label from being printed. In such cases, if the printer is operating in a location difficult to access from the outside, it is necessary to remotely analyze the error of the LAN-connected printer to identify the cause of the error. One embodiment of the error analysis system (an example of an information processing system) includes a LAN analyzer (an example of a LAN analysis unit) installed on the printer to analyze packets received by the printer via the LAN. Furthermore, even in the event of a communication failure caused by the LAN, for example, the printer's analysis can be performed more appropriately by activating the printer's LAN analyzer from a server that can communicate with the printer via a line other than the LAN (e.g., a mobile communication network). Figure 1 shows an example of the system configuration of an error analysis system according to one embodiment. The error analysis system 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a user terminal 2, a printer 3 used by the user, a management server 5 (an example of an information processing device), and an administrator terminal 6. The LAN is the network used by the user. For example, an internal LAN established within the company to which the user belongs is an example of the LAN in Figure 1. The user terminal 2 can connect to the LAN via a router RT. The printer 3 is a printer connected to the LAN. User terminal 2 is an information processing terminal such as a computer device, tablet, or smartphone. User terminal 2 can send a label issuance command to printer 3 via LAN in response to user operations, causing printer 3 to issue labels. Upon receiving the label issuance command, printer 3 prints on the labels and issues (discharges) them. Printer 3 can communicate with, for example, user terminal 2 via LAN using a first communication method. Printer 3 can also communicate with management server 5 via a mobile communication network (MCN) and the Internet (IN) using a second communication method. Printer 3 can independently perform communication via LAN using the first communication method and communication via the mobile communication network (MCN) using the secon