Patent Publication Number: US-11659126-B2

Title: Image processing apparatus for displaying malfunctioning parts and selectable reference sounds

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of U.S. non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/180,880, filed on Feb. 22, 2021, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 17/003,903, filed on Aug. 26, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,070,702, issued on Jul. 20, 2021, which is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-230410, filed on Dec. 20, 2019, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-210580, filed on Dec. 18, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments described herein relate generally to an image processing apparatus, a method performed thereby, and a program stored on non-transitory computer readable medium. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventionally, there has been known an image processing apparatus that outputs a notification when a malfunction occurs. 
     When a malfunction occurs, it is common for some abnormal noise to be made by the image processing apparatus. A maintenance person or other operator may be able to hear this sound and identify the likely cause of the malfunction that has occurred in the image processing apparatus. However, generally, the image processing apparatus itself may be unable to repeat the sound for the maintenance person or otherwise provide a particularized notice to the maintenance person according to the sound associated with the malfunction. A non-specialist operation may be unable to sufficiently describe the sound that was associated with the malfunction. An operator could try to record the abnormal noise/sound. However, often due to security concerns or the like, recording of sounds being output from the image processing apparatus during its operation is usually not permitted. As a result, extra time may be required to identify the cause of the malfunction that has occurred in the image processing apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an external view of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a hardware diagram of an image processing apparatus. 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart of a process of transmitting first sound information selected by a user to another apparatus. 
         FIG.  4    is a flowchart of a process of transmitting first sound information selected by a user to another apparatus. 
         FIG.  5    is a diagram illustrating a report screen displayed on a display. 
         FIG.  6    is a diagram illustrating a search screen displayed on a display. 
         FIG.  7    is a diagram illustrating a selection screen displayed on a display. 
         FIG.  8    is a diagram illustrating a report screen including sound information selected by a user. 
         FIG.  9    is a diagram illustrating an information processing system according to a modified example of an embodiment. 
         FIG.  10    is a diagram illustrating a selection screen displayed on a display. 
         FIG.  11    is a diagram illustrating a selection screen displayed on a display. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     One or more embodiments provide an image processing apparatus capable of playing a sound selected in advance similar to an abnormal noise when a malfunction is detected. 
     An image processing apparatus in one embodiment includes a display device and a processor. The processor is configured to generate a first screen for display on the display device and on which one of a plurality of malfunctioning part candidates of the image processing apparatus and one of a plurality of timings at which a particular sound was output by the image processing apparatus that malfunctioned, are selectable, when a first malfunctioning part candidate and a first timing are selected on the first screen, generate a second screen for display on the display device and on which one or more reference sounds corresponding to the particular sound are selectable, and when one of the reference sounds is selected on the second screen, generate error information indicating the first malfunctioning part candidate and the selected reference sound. 
     Hereinafter, an image processing apparatus according to an example embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. 
     (Details of Image Processing Apparatus) 
     Hereinafter, with reference to  FIG.  1   , an image processing apparatus  100  will be described. 
       FIG.  1    is an external view illustrating the image processing apparatus  100  according to an embodiment. The image processing apparatus  100  is, for example, a device that performs image processing, such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP), a scanner, and a facsimile (FAX), for example. The image processing is a process related to an image. The image processing includes, for example, a process of forming an image on a sheet, a process of reading information about an image printed on a sheet, a process of recording (storing) the image information, and a process of transmitting an image to another apparatus. 
     The image processing apparatus  100  includes a display  110 , a control panel  120 , a printer unit  130 , a sheet storage unit  140 , and an image reading unit  150 . The printer unit  130  of the image processing apparatus  100  may be a device for fixing a toner image, or may be an ink jet type device. 
     The image processing apparatus  100  reads an image printed on a sheet, generates digital data, and generates an image file. The sheet is, for example, a document, a paper on which characters, images, or the like are printed, and the like. The sheet may be any medium as long as it can be read by the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     The display  110  is a display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display  110  displays various kinds of information related to the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     The control panel  120  includes a plurality of buttons. The control panel  120  receives an input for some operation made by a user. The control panel  120  outputs a signal corresponding to the operation made by the user to the control unit of the image processing apparatus  100 . The display  110  and the control panel  120  may be integrated into a touch-enabled display. 
     The printer unit  130  forms an image on the sheet based on the image information generated by the image reading unit  150  or the image information received through a communication path. The printer unit  130  forms an image by, for example, the following processing. An image forming unit of the printer unit  130  forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum based on image information. The image forming unit of the printer unit  130  forms a visible image by attaching a developer (e.g., a toner) to the electrostatic latent image. A transfer unit of the printer unit  130  transfers the visible image onto a sheet. A fixing unit of the printer unit  130  fixes the visible image on the sheet by heating and pressing the sheet. The sheet on which the image is formed may be a sheet stored in the sheet storage unit  140 , or may be a sheet manually fed by the user. 
     The sheet storage unit  140  stores sheets used for image formation in the printer unit  130 . 
     The image reading unit  150  reads image information from a sheet as brightness and darkness signals of light. The image reading unit  150  records the read image information. The recorded image information may be transmitted to another information processing apparatus via a network. The recorded image information may be formed on another sheet by the printer unit  130 . 
     (Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus) 
     Hereinafter, with reference to  FIG.  2   , a hardware configuration of the image processing apparatus  100  will be described. 
       FIG.  2    is a hardware diagram of the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     The image processing apparatus  100  includes a display  110 , a control panel  120 , a printer unit  130 , a sheet storage unit  140 , and an image reading unit  150 . The image processing apparatus  100  also includes a control unit  300 , a network interface  310 , a storage unit  320 , a memory  330 , and a sound output unit  340 . These units included in the image processing apparatus  100  are communicably connected to each other via a system bus. 
     The control unit  300  includes a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit  300  controls each unit of the image processing apparatus  100 . The control unit  300  executes a program(s) and consequently executes various types of processing according to program instructions or the like. The control unit  300  recognizes an instruction input by a user via the control panel  120 . That is, the control unit  300  recognizes an operation specified by the user via the control panel  120 . The control unit  300  executes control processing on the basis of the recognized instruction. 
     An image processing apparatus typically makes different noises depending on the malfunction that has occurred therein. A maintenance operator may be able to hear this abnormal noise and, based on previous experience, identify a cause of the malfunction. However, maintenance operator may not be on-site or otherwise unable to hear the noise when it occurs in the image processing apparatus. Thus, it may be difficult to provide the maintenance operator with information corresponding to the sound in a manner close enough to the abnormal sound for diagnostic purposes. For this reason, an operator may want to record the abnormal noise. However, recording is often not permitted for security reasons depending on the location where the image processing apparatus is installed. As a result, the operator sometimes needs extra time to identify the cause of the malfunction that has occurred in the image processing apparatus. In addition, such an abnormal noise often occurs only once in the image processing apparatus. In such a case, the operator may lose a chance to record the abnormal noise. 
     Therefore, the control unit  300  transmits, to another device, at least one of: first sound information corresponding to a first operation received by the control panel  120 , and first sound identification information specifying the first sound information, from among a plurality of pieces of sound information indicating different sounds from each other. This means that the user can select sound information indicating a sound similar to the abnormal noise that may occur when the image processing apparatus  100  malfunctions, and the image processing apparatus  100  can notify another apparatus of the selected sound information. Therefore, the image processing apparatus  100  can notify a sound selected by the user as a sound similar to the abnormal noise. In particular, when each of the plurality of pieces of sound information is information indicating the abnormal noise that can be heard from the image processing apparatus  100 , the image processing apparatus  100  can more reliably notify the other apparatus of the sound similar to the abnormal noise. 
     Additionally, even if each of the plurality of pieces of sound information is a sound that is different from the abnormal noise that occurs in the image processing apparatus  100 , the image processing apparatus  100  can notify another apparatus of a sound that the user thinks is similar to the abnormal noise. The first sound identification information may be any information as long as it is capable of identifying the first sound information, and is, for example, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) indicating a storage location of the first sound information on the Internet. The first sound identification information may be, for example, a file name of the first sound information. Hereinafter, as an example, a case will be described in which the control unit  300  transmits, to another apparatus, the first sound information corresponding to the first operation received by the control panel  120 , from among the plurality of pieces of sound information indicating the different sounds from each other. 
     The network interface  310  transmits and receives data to and from other devices. The network interface  310  operates as an input interface, and receives data transmitted from another device. In addition, the network interface  310  operates as an output interface, and transmits data to another device. 
     The storage unit  320  is, for example, an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or the like. The storage unit  320  stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit  320  stores a program(s) to be executed by the control unit  300 . The programs include, for example, firmware and application program. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  2   , the storage unit  320  stores n pieces of sound information S 1  to Sn. n may be any integer greater than or equal to two. The n pieces of sound information are examples of a plurality of pieces of sound information indicating different sounds from each other. It is desirable that some or all of the sound information S 1  to Sn indicate abnormal noises that may be heard from the image processing apparatus  100  when it malfunctions. This is because the user easily selects sound information indicating a sound similar to the abnormal noise from among the n pieces of sound information. The sound similar to the abnormal noise may be selected from a different sound from the noise that may be heard from the image processing apparatus  100 . For this reason, some or all of the sound information S 1  to Sn may indicate different sounds from the abnormal noises that may be heard from the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     The memory  330  is, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The memory  330  temporarily stores information used by the units of the image processing apparatus  100 . The memory  330  may store the image information read by the image reading unit  150 , a program(s) for operating each unit, and the like. 
     The sound output unit  340  is, for example, a speaker. The sound output unit  340  outputs a sound corresponding to a sound signal output from the image processing apparatus  100 . The sound output unit  340  may be a separate unit from the image processing apparatus  100 . In such a case, the sound output unit  340  is an external speaker. 
     (Process of Transmitting the First Sound Information Selected by the User to Another Device) 
     As described above, the image processing apparatus  100  can transmit the first sound information selected by a user to another apparatus. Therefore, in the following, a description will be given of a process of transmitting first sound information selected by a user to another apparatus among processes performed by the image processing apparatus  100 . 
       FIG.  3    and  FIG.  4    are flowcharts of processes of transmitting the first sound information selected by a user to another device. Hereinafter, a case will be described in which the control unit  300  has detected an operation for displaying a report screen before a process in ACT  110  illustrated in  FIG.  3    is performed. The report screen is a screen for the image processing apparatus  100  to accept an operation from a user. Specifically, the report screen is an image for the image processing apparatus  100  to accept error information from a user. The error information refers to information indicating a malfunction type that has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . Further, the operation may be performed by a button included in the control panel  120 . In addition, when the control panel  120  is a touch-enabled display, the operation may be performed by a software key displayed on the display  110 . 
     The control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display the report screen (ACT  110 ).  FIG.  5    is a diagram illustrating an example of the report screen displayed on the display  110 . 
     A screen P 1  illustrated in  FIG.  5    illustrates an example of the report screen. The screen P 1  includes, for example, images CB 1  to CB 3 , an image B 1 , and an image B 2 . 
     The image CB 1  is an image indicating a check box. Further, the image CB 1  is associated with paper jam occurrence information indicating that a paper jam has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . For this reason, in the example illustrated in  FIG.  5   , a character string “PAPER JAM” is shown next to the image CB 1 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image CB 1 , the check image is superimposed on the check box indicated by the image CB 1 . The check image is an image indicating that a selection operation has been performed on an image indicating a check box, such as the image CB 1 . If the selection is made, the control unit  300  includes the paper jam occurrence information associated with the image CB 1  in error information indicating an error that has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . The image CB 1  may be an image indicating another input form having a function similar to that of the check box. 
     The image CB 2  is an image indicating a check box. Further, the image CB 2  is associated with error occurrence information indicating that an error has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . Therefore, in the example illustrated in  FIG.  5   , a character string “ERROR OCCURRED” is shown next to the image CB 2 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image CB 2 , the check image is superimposed on the check box indicated by the image CB 2 . In the selection is made, the control unit  300  includes the error occurrence information associated with the image CB 2  in error information indicating an error that has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . The image CB 2  may be an image indicating another input form having a function similar to that of the check box. 
     The image CB 3  is an image indicating a check box. Further, in the image CB 3 , the abnormal sound generation information indicating that an abnormal noise has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . For this reason, in the example illustrated in  FIG.  5   , a character string “ABNORMAL NOISE MADE” is shown next to the image CB 3 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image CB 3 , the check image is superimposed on the check box indicated by the image CB 3 . In this example, the check image is superimposed on the check box indicated by the image CB 3 . The image CK illustrated in  FIG.  5    is an example of the check image. In such a case, the control unit  300  includes the abnormal sound generation information associated with the image CB 3  in error information when a malfunction that has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . The image CB 2  may be an image indicating another input form having a function similar to that of the check box. 
     The image B 1  is an image indicating a button. In addition, the image CB 3  is associated with the image B 1 . Specifically, when the check image is superimposed on the image CB 3 , the image B 1  becomes selectable. On the other hand, when the check image is not shown on the image CB 3 , the image B 1  is not selectable. 
     When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image B 1 , the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display a search screen instead of the report screen. The search screen is a screen for the image processing apparatus  100  to accept an operation from a user. Specifically, the search screen is a screen for the image processing apparatus  100  to accept from the user an operation of searching for a candidate of the sound information desired by the user from among the plurality of pieces of sound information. The image B 1  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     The image B 2  is an image indicating a button. When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image B 2 , the control unit  300  generates error information. A process for generating the error information by the control unit  300  will be described later. In such a case, after generating the error information, the control unit  300  controls the network interface  310  to transmit the generated error information to another apparatus. The other devices are, for example, an information processing terminal of a person who performs maintenance work of the image processing apparatus  100 , a server of a company that provides a maintenance service, a server of a sales source of the image processing apparatus  100 , and the like. The other apparatus may be another information processing apparatus. Further, the image B 1  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     After causing the report screen to be displayed on the display  110  in ACT  110 , the control unit  300  waits until an operation is received through the report screen (ACT  120 ). 
     If it is determined that an operation has been accepted via the report screen (ACT  120 , YES), the control unit  300  determines whether the received operation is a selection operation for the image B 2  (ACT  130 ). 
     If the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  120  is a selection operation for the image B 2  (YES in ACT  130 ), the control unit  300  performs the processing in ACT  260 . The processing in ACT  260  will be described later. 
     On the other hand, when the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  120  is not a selection operation for the image B 2  (ACT  130 , NO), the control unit  300  performs the processing in ACT  140 . That is, the control unit  300  determines whether the operation is a selection operation for the image B 1  (ACT  140 ). 
     If the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  120  is not a selection operation for the image B 1  (ACT  140  NO), the control unit  300  performs processing in accordance with the operation (ACT  230 ). More specifically, the operation is a selection operation one of the images CB 1  to CB 3 . Therefore, the control unit  300  performs a processing corresponding to the image selected from the images CB 1  to CB 3 . 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image CB 1 , the control unit  300  specifies the paper jam occurrence information as one of the information included in the error information. In addition, the control unit  300  superimposes the check image on the image CB 1 . Even in this case, if the check image is already superimposed on the image CB 1 , the control unit  300  re-determines the paper jam occurrence information as the information that is not included in the error information. Then, the control unit  300  deletes the check image superimposed on the image CB 1 . 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image CB 2 , the control unit  300  specifies the error occurrence information as one of the information included in the error information. In addition, the control unit  300  superimposes the check image on the image CB 2 . Even in the case where the check image is already superimposed on the image CB 2 , the control unit  300  re-identifies the error occurrence information as the information that is not included in the error information. Then, the control unit  300  deletes the check image superimposed on the image CB 2 . 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image CB 3 , the control unit  300  specifies the abnormal sound generation information as one of the information included in the error information. In addition, the control unit  300  superimposes the check image on the image CB 3 . In addition, the control unit  300  makes the image B 1  selectable. Even in such a case, if the check image is already superimposed on the image CB 3 , the control unit  300  re-identifies the abnormal sound generation information as the information that is not included in the error information. Then, the control unit  300  deletes the check image superimposed on the image CB 3 . Further, the control unit  300  makes the image B 1  un-selectable. 
     After the processing in ACT  230  is performed, the control unit  300  transitions to ACT  120 , and waits until an operation is received via the report screen. 
     On the other hand, if the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  120  is a selection operation for the image B 1  (ACT  140  YES), the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display the above-described search screen (ACT  150 ). Here, a search screen will be described.  FIG.  6    is a diagram illustrating an example of the search screen displayed on the display  110 . 
     A screen P 2  illustrated in  FIG.  6    illustrates an example of the search screen. The image P 2  includes, for example, an image PM 1 , an image PM 2 , and an image B 3 . 
     The image PM 1  is an image indicating a pull-down menu. Also, the image PM 1  is associated with a plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information indicating a candidate of a part where an error has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . For this reason, in the example illustrated in  FIG.  6   , a character string “MALFUNCTIONING PART” is shown next to the image PM 1 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PM 1 , the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display a list of the plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information associated with the image PM 1 . The user may select, from the list displayed on the display  110 , the malfunctioning part candidate information indicating a location where the user infers that a malfunction has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . When one of the plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information are selected by the user, the control unit  300  causes the image PM 1  to display the selected piece of malfunctioning part candidate information. In the example illustrated in  FIG.  6   , the control unit  300  causes the image PM 1  to display “MAIN BODY” as the selected malfunctioning part candidate information. 
     Here, the location of the image processing apparatus  100  indicated by each of the plurality of pieces of the malfunctioning part candidate information is, for example, a main body, a finisher, a document feeder, an external paper feeding cassette, or the like, but is not limited thereto. The “MAIN BODY” displayed on the image PM 1  illustrated in  FIG.  6    indicates the main body of the image processing apparatus  100 . Further, the image PM 1  may be an image showing another input form having a function similar to that of the pull-down menu. 
     The image PM 2  is an image indicating a pull-down menu. Further, the image PM 2  is associated with a plurality of pieces of timing candidate information indicating the candidates for the timing at which the error has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . For this reason, in the example illustrated in  FIG.  6   , a character string “OCCURRENCE TIMING” is shown near the image PM 2 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PM 2 , the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display a list of the plurality of pieces of timing candidate information associated with the image PM 2 . The user can select, from the list displayed on the display  110  in this way, timing candidate information indicating a timing at which the user infers that a malfunction has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 . When one of the plurality of pieces of timing candidate information is selected by the user, the control unit  300  causes the selected timing candidate information to be displayed in the image PM 2 . In the example illustrated in  FIG.  6   , the control unit  300  causes the image PM 2  to display “PRINTING” as the selected timing candidate information. 
     Here, the portions indicated by the plurality of pieces of timing candidate information are, for example, always during image reading, during printing, after printing, and the like, but are not limited thereto. The image PM 2  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the pull-down menu. 
     The image B 3  is an image indicating a button. When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image B 3 , the control unit  300  searches for sound information. More specifically, the control unit  300  searches for one or more pieces of sound information corresponding to the malfunctioning part candidate information displayed in the image PM 1  and the timing candidate information displayed in the image PM 2 , from the n pieces of sound information. For this reason, in each of the n pieces of sound information, one or more pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information and one or more pieces of timing candidate information are associated with each other. The control unit  300  may be configured to perform the search by comparing sounds learned in a machine learning model (e.g., neural network, deep learning, etc.) with the sound indicated by each of the plurality of sound information. In such a case, the malfunctioning part candidate information and the timing candidate information may not be associated with each of the plurality of pieces of sound information. For example, the control unit  300  may input all the pieces of sound information to the model after the selection operation is performed on the image B 3 , and extract one or more pieces of sound information corresponding to the piece of malfunctioning part candidate information and the piece of timing candidate information. Further, the image B 3  may be an image showing another input form having a function similar to that of the button. Further, the search for the sound information may be performed by a search server communicably connected to the image processing apparatus  100 . In such a case, the n pieces of sound information are stored in the search server. 
     After causing the search screen to be displayed on the display  110  in ACT  150 , the control unit  300  waits until an operation is received via the search screen (ACT  160 ). 
     If it is determined that an operation has been received via the search screen (ACT  160 , YES), the control unit  300  determines whether the received operation is a selection operation for the image B 3  (ACT  170 ). 
     If it is determined that an operation received in ACT  160  is not a selection operation for the image B 3  (ACT  160 , NO), the control unit  300  performs a process in accordance with the operation (ACT  240 ). More specifically, the operation is a selection operation on any one of the image PM 1  and the image PM 2 . For this reason, the control unit  300  performs a process corresponding to one of the image selected from the image PM 1  and the image PM 2 . 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image PM 1 , the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display a list of the plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information associated with the image PM 1 . In addition, when one of the plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information included in the list are selected by the user, the control unit  300  causes the selected malfunctioning part candidate information to be displayed in the image PM 1 . Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the malfunctioning part candidate information displayed in the image PM 1  among the plurality of pieces of malfunctioning part candidate information will be referred to as target malfunctioning part candidate information. 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image PM 2 , the control unit  300  causes the display  110  to display a list of the plurality of pieces of timing candidate information associated with the image PM 2 . In addition, when one of the pieces of timing candidate information included in the list is selected by the user, the control unit  300  causes the selected timing candidate information to be displayed in the image PM 2 . Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the timing candidate information displayed in the image PM 2  among the plurality of pieces of timing candidate information will be referred to as target timing candidate information. 
     After the processing in ACT  240  is performed, the control unit  300  transitions to ACT  160 , and waits until an operation is received via the search screen. 
     On the other hand, when the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  160  is a selection operation for the image B 3  (YES in ACT  170 ), the control unit  300  searches for sound information. That is, the control unit  300  searches for one or more pieces of sound information corresponding to the target occurrence location candidate information and the target timing candidate information from among the n pieces of sound information stored in the storage unit  320 . Then, a selection screen corresponding to the result of the search is displayed on the display  110  (ACT  180 ). The selection screen is a screen for the image processing apparatus  100  to accept from the user an operation for selecting the desired sound information from the result of the search.  FIG.  7    is a diagram illustrating an example of the selection screen displayed on the display  110 . 
     A screen P 3  illustrated in  FIG.  7    illustrates an example of the selection screen. In the screen P 3 , one or more pieces of sound information extracted from the n pieces of sound information are displayed as a result of the search for the sound information performed by the control unit  300 . The image P 3  shows four pieces of sound information extracted from n pieces of sound information. In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , the four pieces of sound information are sound information S 1 -S 4 . The pieces of sound information may be referred to as reference sounds. In this context, reference sounds are sounds established beforehand as potentially being output by an image forming apparatus upon the occurrence of various malfunctions. 
     An arrow in  FIG.  7    indicates the right direction and the left direction. In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image SB 1  is displayed on the right side of the sound information S 1 . The image SB 1  is an image indicating a button associated with the sound information S 1 . When the selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image SB 1 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 1  as the sound information desired by the user. The image SB 1  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image PB 1  is displayed on the left side of the sound information S 1 . The image PB 1  indicates a button associated with the sound information S 1 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PB 1 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal based on the sound information S 1  to the sound output unit  340 , and causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 1 . As a result, the user can hear what kind of sound the sound indicated by the sound information S 1  displayed as a result of the search is. The image PB 1  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image SB 2  is displayed on the right side of the sound information S 2 . The image SB 2  is an image indicating a button associated with the sound information S 2 . When the selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image SB 2 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 2  as the sound information desired by the user. The image SB 2  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image PB 2  is displayed on the left side of the sound information S 2 . The image PB 2  indicates a button associated with the sound information S 2 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PB 2 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal based on the sound information S 2  to the sound output unit  340 , and causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 2 . As a result, the user can hear what kind of sound the sound indicated by the sound information S 2  displayed as a result of the search is. The image PB 2  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image SB 3  is displayed on the right side of the sound information S 3 . The image SB 3  is an image indicating a button associated with the sound information S 3 . When the selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image SB 3 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 3  as the sound information desired by the user. The image SB 3  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image PB 3  is displayed on the left side of the sound information S 3 . The image PB 3  indicates a button associated with the sound information S 3 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PB 3 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal based on the sound information S 3  to the sound output unit  340 , and causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 3 . As a result, the user can hear what kind of sound the sound indicated by the sound information S 3  displayed as a result of the search is. The image PB 3  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image SB 4  is displayed on the right side of the sound information S 4 . The image SB 4  is an image indicating a button associated with the sound information S 4 . When the selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image SB 4 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 4  as the sound information desired by the user. The image SB 4  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     In the example illustrated in  FIG.  7   , an image PB 4  is displayed on the left side of the sound information S 4 . The image PB 4  indicates a button associated with the sound information S 4 . When a selection operation (e.g., click, tap, or the like) is performed on the image PB 4 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal based on the sound information S 4  to the sound output unit  340 , and causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 4 . As a result, the user can hear what kind of sound the sound indicated by the sound information S 4  displayed as a result of the search is. The image PB 4  may be an image showing another input form having the same function as that of the button. 
     As described above, in the selection screen, the user can select the sound information desired by the user from among the one or more pieces of sound information displayed as the search results. That is, the user can select, from among the one or more pieces of sound information, a sound similar to the abnormal noise occurred in the image processing apparatus  100  or the abnormal noise itself. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the image SB 1  to the image SB 4  will be collectively referred to as a selection button unless it is necessary to distinguish the images SB 1  to SB 4  from each other. In the selection screen, the user may be able to select a plurality of pieces of sound information. Hereinafter, as an example, a case in which the user can select one piece of sound information in the selection screen will be described. 
     After the selection screen is displayed on the display  110  in ACT  180 , the control unit  300  waits until an operation is received via the selection screen (ACT  190 ). 
     When it is determined that an operation has been received via the selection screen (ACT  190  YES), the control unit  300  determines whether the received operation is a selection operation for the selection button (ACT  200 ). 
     If it is determined that the operation received in ACT  190  is not a selection operation for the selection button (ACT  200 , NO), the control unit  300  performs a process in accordance with the operation (ACT  250 ). More specifically, the operation is a selection operation to any one of the image PB 1  to the image PB 4 . For this reason, the control unit  300  outputs, to the sound output unit  340 , a sound signal corresponding to the sound information associated with the image on which the selection operation has been performed among the images PB 1  to PB 4 . Accordingly, the control unit  300  causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information. 
     For example, when the image on which the selection operation has been performed is the image PB 1 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal corresponding to the sound information S 1  associated with the image PB 1  to the sound output unit  340 . Accordingly, the control unit  300  causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 1 . 
     Further, for example, when the image to which the selection operation has been performed is the image PB 2 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal corresponding to the sound information S 2  associated with the image PB 2  to the sound output unit  340 . Accordingly, the control unit  300  causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 2 . 
     Further, for example, when the image to which the selection operation has been performed is the image PB 3 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal corresponding to the sound information S 3  associated with the image PB 3  to the sound output unit  340 . Accordingly, the control unit  300  causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 3 . 
     Further, for example, when the image to which the selection operation has been performed is the image PB 4 , the control unit  300  outputs a sound signal corresponding to the sound information S 4  associated with the image PB 4  to the sound output unit  340 . Accordingly, the control unit  300  causes the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 4 . 
     After the processing in ACT  250  is performed, the control unit  300  transitions to ACT  190 , and waits until an operation is received via the selection screen. 
     On the other hand, if the control unit  300  determines that the operation received in ACT  200  is a selection operation for the selection button (ACT  200 , YES), the control unit  300  identifies the sound information (ACT  210 ). That is, the control unit  300  identifies the sound information associated with the selection button on which the selection operation has been performed as the sound information desired by the user. 
     For example, when the selection operation is made on the image SB 1 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 1  associated with the image SB 1  as the sound information desired by the user. 
     Further, for example, when the selection operation is made on the image SB 2 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 2  associated with the image SB 2  as the sound information desired by the user. 
     Further, for example, when the selection operation is made on the image SB 3 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 3  associated with the image SB 3  as the sound information desired by the user. 
     Further, for example, when the selection operation is made on the image SB 4 , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 4  associated with the image SB 4  as the sound information desired by the user. 
     After identifying the sound information desired by the user in ACT  210 , the control unit  300  causes the report screen including the identified sound information to be displayed (ACT  220 ).  FIG.  8    is a diagram illustrating an example of the report screen including sound information selected by a user. As shown in  FIG.  8   , the control unit  300  displays the sound information specified as the sound information desired by the user on the right hand side of the image B 1 . In the example illustrated in  FIG.  8   , the sound information specified by the control unit  300  as the sound information desired by the user is the sound information S 1 . 
     After the report screen is displayed in ACT  220 , the control unit  300  transitions to ACT  130 , and again determines whether the operation received via the report screen is a selection operation for the image B 2 . 
     When it is determined that the operation received via the report screen is a selection operation for the image B 2 , the control unit  300  transitions to ACT  260  as described above, and generates the error information. Here, the processing in ACT  260  will be described. 
     In ACT  260 , the control unit  300  identifies one or more images on which the selection operation has been performed among the images CB 1  to CB 3 . For example, the control unit  300  identifies an image in which an image indicating that a selection operation has been performed is superimposed on the image CB 1  to the image CB 3 . Then, the control unit  300  specifies information associated with the identified image as the information included in the error information. 
     For example, when the image CB 1  is identified as the image on which the selection operation has been performed, the control unit  300  specifies the paper jam occurrence information associated with the image CB 1  as the image included in the error information. 
     Further, for example, when the image CB 1  is identified as the image on which the selection operation has been performed, the control unit  300  specifies the error occurrence information associated with the image CB 2  as an image included in the error information. 
     Further, when the image CB 1  is identified as the image on which the selection operation has been performed, the control unit  300  specifies the abnormal sound generation information associated with the image CB 3  as the image included in the error information. In addition, the control unit  300  specifies the sound information displayed in the report screen as the information included in the error information. In the example illustrated in  FIG.  8   , the control unit  300  specifies the sound information S 1  as the information included in the error information. 
     In this way, the control unit  300  identifies the information included in the error information. Then, the control unit  300  generates error information including the specified information. 
     After generating the error information in ACT  260 , the control unit  300  controls the network interface  310  to transmit the error information to the above-described other apparatus (ACT  270 ), and ends the processing. 
     As described above, the control unit  300  controls the network interface  310  to transmit the sound information corresponding to the operation received by the control panel  120  among the n pieces of sound information (i.e., the sound information S 1  to the sound information Sn) indicating sounds different from each other to the other apparatus. This means that the user can select sound information indicating a sound similar to the abnormal noise that has occurred in the image processing apparatus  100 , and the image processing apparatus  100  can notify another apparatus of the selected sound information. Therefore, the image processing apparatus  100  can notify the sound selected by the user as a sound similar to the abnormal noise. In particular, when each of the n pieces of sound information is information indicating the abnormal sound that can be generated from the image processing apparatus  100 , the image processing apparatus  100  can more reliably notify the other apparatus of the sound similar to the abnormal noise. Also, even if each of the plurality of pieces of sound information is a sound that is different from the abnormal sound that can be generated from the image processing apparatus  100 , the image processing apparatus  100  can notify another apparatus of a sound that the user thinks is similar to the abnormal noise. 
     When the first sound identification information is transmitted to another apparatus, the control unit  300  performs the following processing in ACT  260 . That is, the control unit  300  generates, as the information to be included in the error information, the information for identifying the sound information specified as the information included in the error information as the first sound identification information. Then, the control unit  300  generates error information including the generated first sound identification information. In such a case, the control unit  300  may generate error information that does not include the sound information, and may generate error information including the sound information. 
     Modification Examples 
     Hereinafter, modified examples of an embodiment will be described. 
       FIG.  9    is a diagram illustrating an information processing system  500  according to a modification example. 
     The information processing system  500  includes the image processing apparatus  100  described above and an information processing apparatus  200 . 
     In the modification example, the storage unit  320  of the image processing apparatus  100  does not store the n pieces of sound information S 1  to Sn. Instead, the n pieces of sound information S 1  to Sn are stored in the information processing apparatus  200 . 
     For example, the information processing apparatus  200  may be the above-described search server. The information processing apparatus  200  may have a function as a search server, and may be another information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer (PC). In response to a request from the image processing apparatus  100 , the information processing apparatus  200  outputs sound information corresponding to the request to the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     For example, the information processing apparatus  200  performs a process related to the retrieval of the sound information in the processing of ACT  150  illustrated in  FIG.  3   . More specifically, in response to a request from the image processing apparatus  100 , the information processing apparatus  200  searches for the sound information associated with each of the target malfunctioning part candidate information and the target timing candidate information from among the n pieces of the sound information. Then, the information processing apparatus  200  outputs the information indicating the searched result to the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     In addition, in ACT  250  illustrated in  FIG.  4   , in response to a request from the image processing apparatus  100 , the information processing apparatus  200  outputs the sound information indicated by the request to the image processing apparatus  100 . For example, when a selection operation is performed on the image PB 1  illustrated in FIG.  7 , the image processing apparatus  100  outputs a request to acquire the sound information S 1  to the information processing apparatus  200 . In response to the request, the information processing apparatus  200  outputs the sound information S 1  to the image processing apparatus  100 . Accordingly, the image processing apparatus  100  can cause the sound output unit  340  to output the sound indicated by the sound information S 1 . 
     Further, the information processing apparatus  200  may be configured to, for example, perform the processing of ACT  260  and ACT  270  illustrated in  FIG.  3   . 
     In one modified example, instead of having the user select a malfunctioning part candidate of the information processing apparatus  100  via the image PM 1  in the screen as shown in  FIG.  6   , the control unit  300  may allow the user to select the malfunctioning part candidate via a selection screen shown in  FIG.  10   . The selection screen allows the user to select one or more parts where an error may have potentially occurred. 
       FIG.  10    is a diagram illustrating a screen image P 4  of such a selection screen. The image P 4  includes, for example, five images TB 1  to TB 5 . The image P 4  may include other images in place of or in addition to some or all of those five images. 
     The image TB 1  is an image of a button. The image TB 1  is associated with a text indicating an upper part of the image processing apparatus  100  as a malfunctioning part candidate. Such an upper part is, for example, between the top of the image processing apparatus  100  and the printer  130 , but is not limited to this. The upper part of the image processing apparatus  100  may include at least one of the top of the image processing apparatus  100  and the printer  130 , or it may not include both the top of the image processing apparatus  100  and the printer  130 . 
     When the image TB 1  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  changes the appearance of the image TB 1  (e.g., color, size, or the like) indicating that the image TB 1  has been selected. Further, by such an operation, the control unit  300  recognizes that the upper part of the image processing apparatus  100  has been selected as a malfunctioning part candidate. 
     The image TB 2  is also an image of a button. The image TB 2  is associated with a text indicating a lower part of the image processing apparatus  100  as a malfunctioning part candidate. Such a lower part is, for example, between the printer unit  130  and the lowermost portion of the image processing apparatus  100 , but is not limited thereto. In addition, the lower part of the image processing apparatus  100  may include at least one of the printer unit  130  and the lowermost portion of the image processing apparatus  100 , or may not include both the printer unit  130  and the lowermost portion of the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     When the image TB 2  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  changes the appearance of the image TB 2  (e.g., color, size, or the like) indicating that the image TB 2  has been selected. In such a case, the control unit  300  recognizes that the lower part of the image processing apparatus  100  has been selected as a malfunctioning part candidate. 
     The image TB 3  is an image of a button. The image TB 3  is associated with a text indicating a right side part of the image processing apparatus  100  as a malfunctioning part candidate. The part located on the right side of the image processing apparatus  100  is, for example, between: a virtual center line dividing the image processing apparatus  100  into the left and right bodies when viewed from the front of the image processing apparatus  100 , and the right end of the image processing apparatus  100 . Here, the front surface of the image processing apparatus  100  refers to the surface of the image processing apparatus  100  on which the sheet storage unit  140  is provided. The part located on the right side of the image processing apparatus  100  may include the right end of the image processing apparatus  100 , or may not include the right end of the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     When the image TB 3  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  changes the appearance of the image TB 3  (e.g., color, size, or the like). By such an operation, the control unit  300  recognizes that the right side part of the image processing apparatus  100  has been selected as a malfunctioning part candidate. 
     The image TB 4  is an image of a button. The image TB 4  is associated with a text indicating a left side part of the image processing apparatus  100  as a malfunctioning part candidate. The part located on the left side of the image processing apparatus  100  is, for example, between the virtual center line dividing the image processing apparatus  100  and the left end of the image processing apparatus  100 . The part located on the left side of the image processing apparatus  100  may include the left end of the image processing apparatus  100 , or may not include the left end of the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     When the image TB 4  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  changes the appearance of the image TB 4  (e.g., color, size, or the like). By such an operation, the control unit  300  recognizes that the left side of the image processing apparatus  100  has been selected as a malfunctioning part candidate. 
     The image TB 5  is an image of a button. When the image TB 5  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  controls the display  110  to display a screen image similar to the image P 2  (see  FIG.  6   ) instead of the image P 4 . Here, unlike the image P 2 , one or more malfunctioning part candidates that have been selected via the image P 4  are displayed or listed in a certain area of the screen. The control unit  300  may cause the display  110  to display the images P 2  and/or P 4  in any manner. 
     In one modified example, the control unit  300  may display a screen image P 5  shown in  FIG.  11    so that the user can select one or more malfunctioning part candidates instead of the image PM 1  illustrated in  FIG.  6   . 
     As shown in  FIG.  11   , the image P 5  includes, for example, two images TB 6  and TB 7 . Note that the image P 5  may include another image instead of one or both of these two images, or in addition to both of the images. 
     The image TB 6  shows the exterior of the image processing apparatus  100 . The image TB 6  includes a plurality of regions each corresponding to a part of the image processing apparatus  100 . For example, the printer unit  130  is associated with one of the regions in the image TB 6  where the printer unit  130  is actually installed. That is, a certain part X of the image processing apparatus  100  is associated with one of the regions in the image TB 6  where the part X is actually installed or located. When one or more regions are selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the regions), the control unit  300  recognizes that one or more parts of the image processing apparatus  100  associated with the selected regions have been selected as malfunctioning part candidates. 
     The image TB 7  is an image of a button. When the image TB 7  is selected by the user (e.g., by clicking or tapping the button), the control unit  300  controls the display  110  to display a screen image similar to the image P 2  shown in  FIG.  6   . Here, unlike the image P 2 , one or more malfunctioning part candidates that have been selected via the image P 5  are displayed in a certain area of the screen. The control unit  300  may cause the display  110  to display the images P 2  and/or P 5  in any manner. 
     When one or more malfunctioning part candidates are selected, the controller  300  generates error information indicating which part(s) is malfunctioning. Such error information may include at least one of malfunctioning part candidate information, timing information, and log information. Here, the log information indicates a log of the operations of the image processing apparatus  100  collected within a certain time period just before an error has occurred. The log information includes some or all of, for example, job information about one or more jobs executed in the period, a self-diagnosis code output by the image processing apparatus  100  in the period, one or more error codes output by the image processing apparatus  100  in the period, a change history of firmware in the period, and an on/off history of the power of the image processing apparatus  100  in the period. For example, the job information indicates a job for five-copy printing with color, double-sided, and 2-in-1 settings. For example, the self-diagnosis code indicates various setting values of the image processing apparatus  100 . 
     For example, the malfunctioning part candidate information is included in the error information when a selection(s) is made through the button PM 1  of the image P 2 , the buttons TB 1 -TB 4  of the image P 4 , or the regions in the image P 5 . In addition, the timing information is included in the error information when a selection is made on the button PM 2  of the image P 2 . Furthermore, in a case where the log information is included in the error information, the control unit  300  includes, for example, a log stored in the storage unit  320  during the period as the log information. The log is stored in the storage unit  320  according to any known method. The period may be a period up to 10 minutes before the selection operation is made in the image P 2 , but is not limited thereto. 
     More specifically, the abnormal noise in the above descriptions is a sound/noise different from a sound/noise generated by the image processing apparatus  100  that is operating correctly. In other words, the abnormal noise is a sound/noise generated from the image processing apparatus  100  when an abnormality occurs in the image processing apparatus  100 . For example, the abnormal noise is: (a) a sound/noise generated in addition to a “normal” sound generated by the image processing apparatus  100  that is working correctly, (b) a sound/noise generated instead of such a normal sound, or (c) a series of otherwise normal sounds for which a part of the series is missing. 
     As described above, the image processing apparatus  100  includes the control panel  120  that receives the operation and the control unit  300  that control the network interface  310  to transmit the first sound information (e.g., sound information S 1 ) corresponding to the first operation received by the control panel  120  (e.g., the selection operation for each of the images SB 1  to SB 4 ) from the plurality of pieces of sound information (e.g., the sound information S 1  to the sound information Sn) indicating the different sound from each other. Accordingly, the image processing apparatus  100  can notify a maintenance operator of the sound selected by the user as the sound similar to the abnormal noise. 
     A program for executing the function of any unit of the image processing apparatus  100  and the information processing apparatus  200  described above may be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, and the program may be read and executed by the computer system. The “computer system” herein includes hardware such as peripheral devices and an operating system (OS). The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a compact disk (CD) ROM, and a storage device such as an HDD built in the computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” includes a memory of a server or a client computer that stores a program received via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. 
     The program may be transmitted from a computer system in which the program is stored in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, a “transmission medium” for transmitting a program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network such as the Internet, or a communication line such as a telephone line. The program described above may be a program for realizing a part of the above-described functions. Further, the above program may be a differential file or program capable of realizing the above-described functions in combination with other files or programs. 
     While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.