Abstract:
There is provided an information processing device having: a distribution portion that distributes an update data to a client terminal updating, on the client terminal, a first manual information constituted as a structured document; a PDF generation portion that generates a PDF file having a second manual information updated with the update data; and a file storage portion that stores the PDF file generated by the PDF generation portion in a state allowing the client terminal which is a distribution destination of the update data to download the PDF file.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-057106 filed Mar. 19, 2013. 
       FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing system, and a computer readable medium. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2002-182811 discloses a software support system for supporting software to display a plurality of window screens on a screen of a computer such that processing may be performed on the respective window screens, the system including: ID acquisition portion that acquires an ID of the window screen currently being operated from among the unique IDs issued to the window screens; a user support database that accumulates support information pieces about the window screens in condition where they are correlated with the IDs unique to the window screens; search portion that searches the user support database based on the ID unique to the window screen currently being operated and acquired by the ID acquisition portion; and output portion that outputs the support information searched for. 
         [0004]    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 1999-316636 discloses a manual display device that displays an initial setting process of a printer by directly activating a setup guide from a main body of a PC and installs a reference guide into the PC main body and then executes it to reference help information etc. about the printer such that updated information etc. of this help information in a Web server may be referenced appropriately. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing device having: a distribution portion that distributes an update data to a client terminal updating, on the client terminal, a first manual information constituted as a structured document; a PDF generation portion that generates a PDF file having a second manual information updated with the update data; and a file storage portion that stores the PDF file generated by the PDF generation portion in a state allowing the client terminal which is a distribution destination of the update data to download the PDF file. 
         [0006]    According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an information processing system including a client terminal and an information processing device, wherein the information processing device has: a distribution portion that distributes an update data to the client terminal updating, on the client terminal, a first manual information constituted as a structured document; a PDF generation portion that generates a PDF file having a second manual information updated with the update data; and a file storage portion that stores the PDF file generated by the PDF generation portion in a state allowing the client terminal which is a distribution destination of the update data to download the PDF file, wherein the client terminal has: a structured document update portion that updates the manual information constituted as the structured document based on the update data distributed from the distribution portion; and a download portion that downloads the PDF file of the manual information stored in the file storage portion. 
         [0007]    According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a computer program that causes a computer to perform a method having: distributing an update data to a client terminal updating, on the client terminal, a first manual information constituted as a structured document; generating a PDF file having a second manual information updated with the update data; and registering the generated PDF file to a download site in a state allowing the client terminal which is a distribution destination of the update data to download the PDF file. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory diagram of an outline of a manual update system  1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an explanatory diagram of a configuration of the manual update system  1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a table illustrating a manual display screen  11 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a table illustrating an updated portion  13  of the manual display screen  11 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of a functional configuration of a local manual update program  30  of the manual update system  1 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of a functional configuration of a server manual update program  70  of the manual update system  1 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory flowchart of manual data update processing (S 10 ); 
           [0016]      FIG. 8A  is one example of a manual data configuration; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8B  is one example of a print-purpose manual file; 
           [0018]      FIG. 9  is one example of control information (Ini file); 
           [0019]      FIG. 10  is an example of information of manual change/addition/deletion/PDF data items for each driver or software version number; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is an explanatory flowchart of update processing (S 20 ) based on the control information; 
           [0021]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  are examples of selecting an FAQ menu  114  based on device history information; and 
           [0022]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  are examples of selecting the FAQ menu  114  based on call information. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0023]    The following will describe an embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings. 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is an explanatory diagram of the outline of a manual update system  1 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the manual update system  1 . 
         [0026]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the manual update system  1  of the present embodiment has user terminals  3 A to  3 C, peripheral devices  5 A to  5 B, a manual management device  7 , and a call information management device  9 . 
         [0027]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a user terminal  3  is a computer terminal made up of a central processing unit, a main storage device, an external storage device, an input unit, and a monitor. The user terminal  3  connects to the manual management device  7  via a network  8  and to a peripheral device  5  via a connection cable. 
         [0028]    The user terminal  3  is one example of a client terminal according to the invention such that a user of the user terminal  3  may view a manual on a manual display screen  11  (to be described later in  FIG. 4 ) of the user terminal  3 . The manual display screen  11  is the top page of a user interface configured to display manual information. 
         [0029]    Further, the user terminal  3  selects a display menu (FAQ menu  114  to be described later) which appears on the manual display screen  11  and suits the user and updates it to the manual display screen  11  that contains the selected display menu. To “select a FAQ menu  114 ” here portion to select it as the candidate for a menu to be displayed on the manual display screen  11 . An operation of the user to select a display menu (FAQ menu  114  to be described later) is referred to as a “selection operation” and distinguished from it. 
         [0030]    Moreover, the user terminal  3  collects device information based on which the display menu is selected. 
         [0031]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the user terminal  3  has a manual storage database  200  (manual storage DB 200 ). The manual storage DB 200  stores device information, manual data, and FAQ data. 
         [0032]    The device information refers to information about devices such as a software version number, an operation history, a device history, and an error log of the user terminal  3  or the peripheral device  5  (to be described later) or information about the device such as a manual version number of a manual stored in the user terminal  3 . The software version number refers to the version information of driver software or application software installed in the user terminal  3 . The operation history refers to the history of operations that the user performed on the user terminal  3  or the peripheral device  5 . For example, the operation history includes the history of operations on the application software. The operation history in this example refers to the history of operations on collaboration software such as a scanner driver or optical character recognition (OCR) software. The device history refers to the information inside a device except errors. Specifically, the device history refers to OS information of the operating system (OS) installed in hardware or information set to the OS or the peripheral device  5 . The error log refers to the history of errors occurring on the user terminal  3  or the peripheral device  5 . The manual version number refers to the version information of manual data stored in the manual storage DB 200 . The manual data refers to a manual of machines, tools, or application software which is converted into data (format in which a computer can record/process it). 
         [0033]    The peripheral device  5  is an external device connected to the user terminal  3 . The peripheral device  5  is, for example, a scanner or a printer connected to the user terminal  3  via a network or a cable. The peripheral device  5  in this example is a scanner connected to the user terminal  3  via a universal serial bus (USB). 
         [0034]    The call information management device  9  is a computer terminal for managing inquiry information by phone from the user and has server functions. The inquiry information is concerned with inquiries from the user about a device or software having a manual about it, and its concept includes, for example, contents themselves of inquiries by phone, answers to them, identification information to identify them, an inquiry frequency of the same inquiry contents, a frequency of helpful answering, an inquiry date, attributes of inquiry user (sex, age, or area), and their combinations. The call information management device  9  specifically manages such inquiry contents as contents of inquiries by phone from the user about a method of using the scanner or failures of the scanner. 
         [0035]    Information (call information) about inquiries by phone from the user contains at least a plurality of different questions from the user, each of which questions contains its contents, the number of times of calling, which is the number of times of questioning, an answer to it, and the number of helpful answers (hereinafter referred to as helpful answer count). Those information pieces are input into the call information management device  9  by, for example, an operator accepting a call. 
         [0036]    The manual management device  7  is a computer terminal having server functions and one example of an information processing device according to the invention. 
         [0037]    The manual management device  7  distributes to the user terminal  3  update data to update a manual (HTML version) stored in the user terminal  3 . Further, the manual management device  7  stores a manual for printing in condition where it can be downloaded and provides this printing manual in response to a request from the user terminal  3 . The printing manual, referred to here, is given in, for example, a PDF format, namely the portable document format developed by Adobe. 
         [0038]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the manual management device  7  has a manual management database  600  (manual management DB 600 ). The manual management DB 600  stores call information, FAQ data, manual data, updated manuals, and general/individual manual data. The manual management DB 600  is one example of file storage portion according to the invention. 
         [0039]    Call information is concerned with inquiries by phone and contains, for example, at least the number of times of calling and the helpful answer count which are extracted by the manual management device  7  from the call information management device  9 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  is a table illustrating the manual display screen  11 . 
         [0041]    As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the manual display screen  11  includes an updated portion  13  and a non-updated portion. The top page of the manual display screen  11  is made up of a top page configuration file. The top page configuration file is held by the user terminal  3 . Moreover, the top page configuration file is updated by a local manual update program  30  (to be described later). 
         [0042]      FIG. 4  is a table illustrating the updated portion  13  of the manual display screen  11 . 
         [0043]    As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the manual display screen  11  includes a manual update button  110 , display menu categories  112 A and  112 B, FAQ menus  114 A 1  to  114 A 4 , FAQ menus  114 B 1  to  114 B 4 , and a manual print button  116 . 
         [0044]    The manual update button  110  is configured to trigger starting of processing to update the manual display screen  11 . That is, if the manual update button  110  is pressed by the user, the user terminal  3  starts the processing to update the manual display screen  11 . 
         [0045]    The display menu category  112  gives classification titles of the classified FAQ menus  114  and, in this example, includes “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” and “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General”. 
         [0046]    The FAQ menus  114 A 1  to  114 A 4  are the FAQ menus  114  belonging to the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” menu  112 A. The FAQ menus  114 B 1  to  114 B 4  are the FAQ menus  114  belonging to the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General” menu  112 B. 
         [0047]    The manual print button  116  triggers starting of processing to print a manual. That is, if the manual print button  116  is pressed by the user, the user terminal  3  starts processing to print a manual. More specifically, if the manual print button  116  is pressed by the user, the user terminal  3  starts to download the printing manual and prints the downloaded printing manual. 
         [0048]      FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram of a functional configuration of the local manual update program  30  of the manual update system  1 . 
         [0049]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the local manual update program  30  has a device information collection portion  300 , a transmission portion  310 , a reception portion  320 , a structured document update portion  330 , a display portion  340 , and a download portion  350 . The local manual update program  30  is installed in the user terminal  3  via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, for example. 
         [0050]    In the local manual update program  30 , the device information collection portion  300  collects device information of the user terminal  3  or that of the peripheral device  5  connected to the user terminal  3 . 
         [0051]    Specifically, the device information collection portion  300  collects, at least, software version numbers, operation histories, device histories, error logs, and a manual version number of the user terminal  3  and the peripheral device  5  (scanner). 
         [0052]    The device information collection portion  300  of this example functions if the manual update button  110  on the manual display screen  11  is pressed by the user. The device information collection portion  300  stores the software version numbers, the operation history information, the device history information, the error logs, and the manual version number collected from the user terminal  3  and the peripheral device  5  (scanner) in the manual storage DB 200 . The device information collection portion  300  is one example of version number identification portion according to the invention. 
         [0053]    The transmission portion  310  transmits the device information (including the software version number and the manual version number) of the user terminal  3  or the peripheral device  5  collected by the device information collection portion  300  to the manual management device  7 . 
         [0054]    The reception portion  320  receives update data transmitted from the manual management device  7  and outputs the received update data to the structured document update portion  330 . 
         [0055]    The structured document update portion  330  updates manual information organized as a structured document, based on the update data distributed from the manual management device  7 . The structured document is a document file structured using tags etc., for example, an HTML file. 
         [0056]    Based on the update data input from the reception portion  320 , the structured document update portion  330  of this example updates and saves the to-be-viewed manual data (HTML version) which is stored in the manual storage DB 200 . 
         [0057]    The display portion  340  permits the user terminal  3  to display the manual display screen  11 . 
         [0058]    The display portion  340  of this example permits the user terminal  3  to display the manual display screen  11  based on the top page configuration file of the manual data updated in the structured document update portion  330 . 
         [0059]    The download portion  350  accesses the manual management device  7  to download a PDF file of the manual information as a printing manual. 
         [0060]    For example, the download portion  350  transmits a manual ID for identifying a manual to the manual management device  7 , and downloads the PDF file of a manual corresponding to this manual ID. 
         [0061]    Triggered by pressing of the manual print button  116  on the display screen  11  by the user, the download portion  350  of this example transmits the manual ID to the manual management device  7 , and downloads the PDF file of a manual that corresponds to the manual ID from the manual management device  7 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram of the functional configuration of a server manual update program  70 . 
         [0063]    As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the server manual update program  70  has a collection portion  700 , an information selection portion  710 , a structured document generation portion  720 , a transmission portion  730 , an identification information transmission/reception portion  740 , a PDF generation portion  750 , and a file transmission portion  760 . The server manual update program  70  is installed in the manual management device  7  via a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, for example. 
         [0064]    The collection portion  700  receives device information (including a software version number and a manual version number) transmitted from the user terminal  3 . Further, the collection portion  700  collects call information from the call information management device  9 . 
         [0065]    The collection portion  700  of this example collects a call count and a helpful answer count that correspond to an FAQ menu  114  selected by the information selection portion  710  (to be described later), from the call information management device  9 . Moreover, the collection portion  700  notifies the information selection portion  710  of the call information collected from the call information management device  9 . 
         [0066]    The information selection portion  710  selects an FAQ menu  114  to be displayed on the display screen  11 , based on the device information of the user terminal  3  or the peripheral device  5  and the call information. 
         [0067]    For example, the information selection portion  710  selects an FAQ menu  114  from the manual management DB 600  based on the device information collected by the collection portion  700 . 
         [0068]    The information selection portion  710  of this example selects FAQ menus  114  belonging to the display menu categories  112 A and  112 B from the manual management DB 600  based on a function use history and an error history which are contained in the device information collected by the collection portion  700  and a call count and a helpful answer count which are contained in the collected call information. 
         [0069]    The FAQ menus  114  selected on the basis of the device information are displayed on the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” menu  112 A and the FAQ menus  114  selected on the basis of the call information are displayed on the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General” menu  112 B. 
         [0070]    The information selection portion  710  notifies the structured document generation portion  720  of the selected FAQ menus  114 . Further, the information selection portion  710  notifies the identification information transmission/reception portion  740  (to be described later) of the manual ID of a manual to be updated. Moreover, the information selection portion  710  searches for manual data to be correlated with the manual ID posted from the identification information transmission/reception portion  740  (to be described later) and posts the resultantly obtained manual PDF data to the file transmission portion  760  (to be described later). 
         [0071]    The structured document generation portion  720  generates update data to update the manual data (HTML version) and adds the manual ID for identifying the manual corresponding to the update data to the updated data, namely the updated manual. 
         [0072]    For example, the structured document generation portion  720  generates manual data newly created and to be registered in the manual management DB 600 , edition-revised manual data, and a top page configuration file in the HTML format, generating updated data corresponding to the updated portion. 
         [0073]    The structured document generation portion  720  notifies the transmission portion  730  of the generated HTML-format updated data. The structured document generation portion  720  is one example of update portion according to the invention. 
         [0074]    The transmission portion  730  distributes the update data to update the manual information organized as a structured document on the user terminal  3 , to the user terminal  3 . 
         [0075]    The transmission portion  730  of this example transmits the update data generated by the structured document generation portion  720 , to the user terminal  3 . The transmission portion  730  is one example of distribution portion according to the invention. 
         [0076]    The identification information transmission/reception portion  740  transmits the manual ID of the manual (HTML version) to be updated with the update data distributed to the user terminal  3  from the transmission portion  730 , to this user terminal  3 . That is, the identification information transmission/reception portion  740  transmits the manual ID of the manual to be updated with the update data to the user terminal  3  and, if the manual print button  116  is pressed by the user, receives a manual ID posted from the download portion  350  and posts the received manual ID to the information selection portion  710 . 
         [0077]    The PDF generation portion  750  generates a PDF file in which manual information is contained which has the same contents as the manual information updated with the update data posted from the information selection portion  710 . 
         [0078]    For example, the PDF generation portion  750  converts a variable portion of the manual that is changed for each user terminal into a PDF file and integrates a PDF file of the converted variable portion and a PDF file of a fixed portion prepared beforehand to generate a PDF file of the manual updated for each user terminal. 
         [0079]    In this example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , a top page provides the variable portion which is updated for each user and the remaining portion provides the fixed portion, so that the PDF generation portion  750  converts only the top page of a manual generated by the structured document generation portion  720  into a PDF file, integrates the converted PDF file of the top page and the PDF file of the remaining portion prepared beforehand to generate a PDF file of the manual updated for each user terminal, and registers the generated PDF file of the manual in the manual management DB 600  in condition where it is correlated with the manual ID. 
         [0080]    The file transmission portion  760  reads the PDF file correlated with the manual ID received from the user terminal  3  from the manual management DB 600  and transmits the read PDF file to this user terminal  3 . 
         [0081]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory flowchart of processing to update an HTML version and a PDF version at the manual management device  7  (S 10 ). 
         [0082]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , having detected that the manual update button  110  is pressed by the user in step  100  (S 100 ), the user terminal  3  starts manual data update processing and shifts to processing in S 105 . 
         [0083]    In step  105  (S 105 ), the collection portion  700  collects a software version number, an operation history, a device history, an error log, and a manual version number which are transmitted from the user terminal  3  and posts them to the information selection portion  710 . Further, the collection portion  700  collects call information from the call information management device  9  and posts it to the information selection portion  710 . 
         [0084]    In step  110  (S 110 ), the information selection portion  710  compares the collected software version number to the most recent software version number stored in the manual management DB 600 . If these software version numbers agree, the manual data update processing (S 10 ) shifts to S 120  and, if they disagree, shifts to S 115 . 
         [0085]    In step  115  (S 115 ), the information selection portion  710  references an update table illustrated in  FIG. 10  and notifies the structured document generation portion  720  of change contents, addition contents, or deletion contents of a manual corresponding to the collected software version number. In this case, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the update table stores the change contents (portion to be replaced in the HTML version manual), the addition contents (portion to be added to the HTML version manual), the deletion contents (portion to be deleted from the HTML version manual), and PDF files of the manual which are updated in condition where they are correlated with the software version number. 
         [0086]    The structured document generation portion  720  creates HTML-format update data (data file illustrated in  FIG. 9 ) to update the manual based on the posted change contents, addition contents, or deletion contents of the manual. 
         [0087]    Moreover, the information selection portion  710  posts the created update data to the PDF generation portion  750 . 
         [0088]    In step  120  (S 120 ), the information selection portion  710  compares the collected manual version number to the most recent manual version number saved in the manual management DB 600 . If these manual version numbers agree, the manual data update processing (S 10 ) ends and, if they disagree, shifts to S 125 . 
         [0089]    In step  125  (S 125 ), the information selection portion  710  selects an FAQ menu  114  as the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” menu  112 A from the manual management DB 600  based on the operation history, the device history, and the error log and posts the selected FAQ menu  114  to the structured document generation portion  720 . 
         [0090]    In step  130  (S 130 ), the information selection portion  710  selects an FAQ menu  114  as the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General” menu  112 B from the manual management DB 600  based on the call information and posts the selected FAQ menu  114  to the structured document generation portion  720 . 
         [0091]    In step  135  (S 135 ), the structured document generation portion  720  creates HTML-format update data to update the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” menu  112 A based on the FAQ menu  114  selected in S 125 . Further, the structured document generation portion  720  creates HTML-format update data to update the “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General” menu  112 B based on the FAQ menu  114  selected in S 130 . 
         [0092]    In step  140  (S 140 ), the PDF generation portion  750  creates PDF data of the manual based on the update data posted from the information selection portion  710  and saves the created PDF data in the manual management DB 600  in condition where it is correlated with the manual ID. 
         [0093]    In step  145  (S 145 ), the transmission portion  730  transmits the update data generated by the structured document generation portion  720  to the user terminal  3 , while the identification information transmission/reception portion  740  transmits the manual ID of a manual corresponding to this update data to the user terminal  3 . 
         [0094]      FIG. 11  is an explanatory flowchart of HTML version update processing (S 20 ) at the user terminal  3 . 
         [0095]    As illustrated in  FIG. 11 , in step  200  (S 200 ), the structured document update portion  330  compares a version number indicated by “VL” contained in control information of the update data illustrated in  FIG. 9  to the version number of a manual saved in the manual storage DB 200 . 
         [0096]    The update processing (S 20 ) shifts to S 205  if these manual version numbers disagree and ends if they agree. 
         [0097]    In step  205  (S 205 ), the structured document update portion  330  confirms “CHG_PARA” in the control information. 
         [0098]    The update processing (S 20 ) shifts to S 210  if substitution file information is described in “CHG_PARA” and shifts to S 215  if it is not described. 
         [0099]    In step  210  (S 210 ), the structured document update portion  330  substitutes a file described in “CHG_PARA” in the control information for the existing file of a manual (HTML version) held in the manual storage DB 200 . 
         [0100]    In step  215  (S 215 ), the structured document update portion  330  confirms “ADD_PARA” in the control information. 
         [0101]    The update processing (S 20 ) shifts to S 220  if addition file information is described in “ADD_PARA” and shifts to S 225  if it is not described. 
         [0102]    In step  220  (S 220 ), the structured document update portion  330  adds a file described in “ADD_PARA” in the control information to a manual (HTML version) held in the manual storage DB 200 . 
         [0103]    In step  225  (S 225 ), the structured document update portion  330  confirms “DEL_PARA” in the control information. 
         [0104]    The update processing (S 20 ) shifts to S 230  if deletion file information is described in “DEL_PARA” and ends if it is not described. 
         [0105]    In step  230  (S 230 ), the structured document update portion  330  deletes a file described in “DEL_PARA” in the control information from a manual (HTML version) held in the manual storage DB 200 . 
         [0106]    In such a manner, the user terminal  3  updates only the HTML-version manual based on the update data and downloads the updated PDF-version manual from the manual management device  7  based on the manual ID posted from the manual management device  7 . 
         [0107]    Thus, the manual update system  1  can provide the user with the same manual for printing (PDF version) as the manual being viewed with a Web browser without imposing a burden of costs for converting the updated portion into a PDF (for example, costs for purchasing an application program for creating PDF files, processing loads and work time for generation of PDF files, etc.) on the side of the user. It is well suited, in particular, for a case where manual contents are updated for each of the users based on the version number of software. Similarly, it is well suited also for a case where the top page is dynamically updated as described later, on the basis of device information or call information. 
         [0108]      FIGS. 12A and 12B  are examples of selecting an FAQ menu  114  based on device history information. 
         [0109]    The information selection portion  710  outputs the number of function use history cases and the number of error history cases which correspond to an FAQ menu  114  based on device information collected by the collection portion  700 . From the output number of function use history cases and number of error history cases, a history total (sum total) is calculated. For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the number of function use history cases answering “Compression format and compression rate?” in an FAQ item list about read images is“2” without error histories, so that in this case the history total is “2”. In such a manner, the top four history totals calculated for each FAQ menu  114  are selected in a descending order. In  FIGS. 12A and 12B , the top four history totals are “&lt;Not enough memory!&gt; appeared when an image was made excellent while executing &lt;Conversion into Word document&gt;, &lt;Conversion into Excel document&gt;, or &lt;Conversion into Power Point document&gt;”, “Computer and mobile device (iPad/iPhone/iPad touch/Android terminal) cannot be connected to each other”, “File being thumb-nailed cannot be moved, resulting in error”, and “Some items cannot be recognized”, which provide results of selecting the FAQ menu  114 . The FAQ menu  114  selected on the basis of the device history information is displayed as “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), Individual” menu  112 A on the display screen  11 . 
         [0110]      FIGS. 13A and 13B  are examples of selecting a FAQ menu  114  based on call information. 
         [0111]    The information selection portion  710  outputs a call count and a helpful answer count which correspond to an FAQ menu  114  based on call information collected by the collection portion  700 . A call information total is calculated from the output call count and helpful answer count. For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the call count answering “Compression format and compression rate?” in an FAQ item list about read images is “1” and the helpful answer count for it is “15”, so that the call information total is “16” in this case. In such a manner, the top four call information totals calculated for each FAQ menu  114  are selected in a descending order. In  FIGS. 13A and 13B , the top four call information totals of “What are manuscript sizes that can be indicated?”, “Why do some manuscripts read have low recognition rate when executing &lt;Conversion into Word document&gt;, &lt;Conversion into Excel document&gt;, or &lt;Conversion into Power Point document&gt;”, “Is collaboration with iPad, iPhone, and iPad touch possible?”, and “File being thumb-nailed cannot be moved, resulting in error” are selected once. However, “File being thumb-nailed cannot be moved, resulting in error” is already selected as the FAQ menu  114  of  112 A and redundant and, therefore, provides the next-abundant call information total of “Where is file saved? And can it be saved in shared folder of network?”, which provides results of selecting the FAQ menu  114 . The FAQ menu  114  selected on the basis of the call information is displayed as “Frequently asked questions (Q&amp;A), General” menu  112 B on the display screen  11 . 
         [0112]    As described above, according to the manual update system  1  of the present embodiment, a manual can be updated in accordance with user-specific conditions (software version number, operation history, etc.), while the user terminal  3  can dynamically generate an updated manual (HTML version) based on update data distributed from the manual management device  7 . Further, if the user demands a printing manual, the user terminal  3  can download an updated manual (PDF version) from the manual management device  7  based on a manual ID posted from the manual management device  7 . 
         [0113]    Thus, the manual update system  1  can provide the user with the same manual for printing (PDF version) as the manual being viewed with a Web browser without imposing a burden of costs for converting the updated portion into a PDF (for example, costs for purchasing an application program for creating PDF files, processing loads and work time for generation of PDF files, etc.) on the side of the user. It is well suited, in particular, for a case where manual contents are updated based on the user-specific conditions such as a software version number and an operation history. 
         [0114]    The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.