Information providing system and analyzer

Abstract

An information providing system comprises an analyzer and an information server communicatively connected to the analyzer through a network, which stores coping information regarding apparatus abnormalities of the analyzer, and the analyzer obtains the coping information corresponding to the apparatus abnormalities that occur to the analyzer from the information server, and displays this coping information on a display unit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of an entire body of an information providing system directed to a particle analyzer for analyzing cells and bacteria contained in the urine, according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware structure of a controller.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of the analyzer in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4( a) is a view showing an example of a simple information database.

FIG. 4( b) is a view showing an example of a group identifying information database.

FIG. 4( c) is a view showing an example of a position information database.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of an information server.

FIG. 6( a) is a view exemplifying a coping information database directed to a user group.

FIG. 6( b) is a view exemplifying a coping information database directed to a service engineer group.

FIG. 6( c) is a view exemplifying the coping information database directed to a manufacturer group.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of an information providing system from activating the analyzer until a measurement of a sample becomes possible.

FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of a dialogue box for requiring log on, displayed on a display unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the information providing system when an analysis operation is executed.

FIG. 10 is a view showing an example of a help dialogue box.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of a window of a web browser displayed on the display unit.

FIG. 12 is a view showing other example of the window of a web browser displayed on the display unit.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the window of a browser when a key word is inputted in a search keyword input part on the window and showing a search result.

Claims

1. An information providing system comprising: an analyzer for analyzing a sample, having a memorywhich stores first coping information indicating a coping process for the analyzer; anda database apparatus communicatively connected to the analyzer through a network and storing second coping information indicating more detailed coping process than the first coping information, whereinthe analyzer comprises:a display unit;first obtaining means for obtaining the first coping information from the memory;first displaying means for displaying the first coping information obtained by the first obtaining means on the display unit;second obtaining means for obtaining the second coping information from the database apparatus; andsecond displaying means for displaying the second coping information obtained by the second obtaining means on the display unit.

2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the database apparatus stores a plurality of the second coping information individually corresponding to a plurality of groups previously divided based on predetermined attributes of operators of the analyzer, andthe second displaying means displays the second coping information corresponding to a group to which an operator of the analyzer belongs on the display unit.

3. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein the analyzer further comprises:identification information receiving means forreceiving identification information used for identifying the group to which the operator belongs; andidentifying means for identifying what group of the plurality of groups, the operator belongs to, based on the identification information received by the identification information receiving means,wherein the second obtaining means is configured to obtain the second coping information corresponding to the group, to which the operator belongs, identified by the identifying means from the database apparatus.

4. The information providing system according to claim 2, wherein the second coping information is respectively stored in storage positions in the database apparatus corresponding to status of the analyzer and the plurality of groups;the analyzer further has position information generating means for generating position information indicating a storage position that stores the second coping information corresponding to status of the analyzer and the group to which the operator of the analyzer belongs; andthe second obtaining means is configured to obtain the second coping information based on the position information generated by the position information generating means from the database apparatus.

5. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the first displaying means is configured to display a first screen including the first coping information and a second coping information request operation part on the display unit;the second obtaining means is configured to obtain the second coping information from the database apparatus, by receiving an operation of the second coping information request operation part displayed on the display unit; andthe second displaying means is configured to display a second screen including the second coping information on the display unit.

6. An information providing system comprising: an analyzer for analyzing a sample; anda coping information database that stores copinginformation respectively indicating coping processes for each of a plurality of groups previously divided based on predetermined attributes of operators of the analyzer, to cope with status of the analyzer, whereinthe analyzer comprises:a display unit;obtaining means for obtaining the coping information corresponding to status of the analyzer and a group to which an operator of the analyzer belongs from the coping information database; andcoping information displaying means for displaying the coping information obtained by the obtaining means on the display unit.

7. The information providing system according to claim 6, further comprising: a database apparatus having the coping information database, communicatively connected to the analyzer through a network,wherein the obtaining means obtains the coping information from the database apparatus.

8. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein the analyzer further comprises:identification information receiving means for receiving identification information used for identifying the group to which the operator belongs; andidentifying means for identifying what group of the plurality of groups, the operator belongs to, based on the identification information received by the identification information receiving means, whereinthe obtaining means is configured to obtain the coping information corresponding to the group, to which the operator belongs, identified by the identifying means from the coping information database.

9. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein the coping information is respectively stored in storage positions corresponding to the status of the analyzer and the plurality of groups;the analyzer further has position information generating means for generating position information indicating the storage position that stores the coping information corresponding to the status of the analyzer and the group to which the operator belongs; andthe obtaining means is configured to obtain the coping information based on the position information generated by the position information generating means.

10. The information providing system according to claim 6, wherein the analyzer further comprises first screen displaying means for displaying a first screen including a coping information request operation part on the display unit;the obtaining means is configured to obtain coping information from the coping information database, by receiving an operation of the coping information request operation part displayed on the display unit, andthe coping information displaying means isconfigured to display a second screen including the coping information on the display unit.

11. An analyzer for analyzing a sample, comprising: a display unit;a memory that stores first coping information indicating a coping process for the analyzer;first obtaining means for obtaining the first coping information from the memory;first displaying means for displaying the first coping information obtained by the first obtaining means on the display unit;second obtaining means for obtaining second coping information indicating a more detailed coping process than the first coping information from a database apparatus that stores the second coping information, communicatively connected to the analyzer through a network; andsecond displaying means for displaying the second coping information obtained by the second obtaining means on the display unit.

12. The analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the database apparatus stores a plurality of the second coping information individually corresponding to a plurality of groups previously divided based on predetermined attributes of operators of the analyzer; andthe second displaying means displays the second coping information corresponding to a group to which an operator of the analyzer belongs on the display unit.

13. The analyzer according to claim 12, further comprising: identification information receiving means for receiving identification information used for identifying the group to which the operator belongs; andidentifying means for identifying what group of the plurality of groups the operator belongs to, based on the identification information received by the identification information receiving means, whereinthe second obtaining means is configured to obtain the second coping information corresponding to the group, to which the operator belongs, identified by the identifying means from the database apparatus.

14. The analyzer according to claim 12, wherein the second coping information is respectively stored in storage positions in the database apparatus corresponding to status of the analyzer and the plurality of groups;the analyzer further has position information generating means for generating position information indicating the storage position that stores the second coping information corresponding to the status of the analyzer and the group to which the operator of the analyzer belongs; andthe second obtaining means obtains the second coping information based on the position information generated by the position information generating means from the database apparatus.

15. The analyzer according to claim 11, wherein the first displaying means is configured to display a first screen including the first coping information and a second coping information request operation part on the display unit;the second obtaining means is configured to obtain the second coping information from the database apparatus, by receiving the operation of the second coping information request operation part displayed on the display unit; andthe second displaying means is configured to display a second screen including the second coping information on the display unit.

16. An analyzer for analyzing a sample comprising: a display unit;obtaining means for obtaining coping information corresponding to status of the analyzer and a group to which an operator of the analyzer belongs, from a coping information database that stores the coping information; andcoping information displaying means for displaying the coping information obtained by the obtaining means on the display unit.

17. The analyzer according to claim 16, further comprising: identification information receiving means for receiving identification information used for identifying the group to which the operator belongs; andidentifying means for identifying what group of the plurality of groups the operator belongs to, based on the identification information received by the identification information receiving means, whereinthe obtaining means is configured to obtain the coping information corresponding to the group, to which the operator belongs, identified by the identifying means from the coping information database.

18. The analyzer according to claim 16, wherein the coping information is respectively stored in storage positions respectively corresponding to status of the analyzer and the plurality of groups;the analyzer further has position information generating means for generating position information indicating the storage position that stores the coping information corresponding to the status of the analyzer and the group to which the operator belongs; andthe obtaining means is configured to obtain the coping information based on the position information generated by the position information generating means.

19. The analyzer according to claim 16, further comprising: first screen displaying means for displaying a first screen including a coping information request operation part on the display unit, whereinthe obtaining means is configured to obtain the coping information from the coping information database, by receiving an operation of the coping information request operation part displayed on the display unit; andthe coping information displaying means is configured to display a second screen including the coping information on the display unit.

20. The analyzer according to claim 19, wherein the obtaining means is configured to obtain Web data indicating the second screen; andthe coping information displaying means is configured to display the second screen, based on the Web data obtained by the obtaining means on the display unit.