JP2004223966A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly manage the recording paper left neglected on paper discharge tray of an image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: When a receiver 301 receives print job data from a client PC 20, it sends print data in the received job data to an image forming unit 302, and extracts user information from the header information. An IC tag writer 303 writes the user information in an IC tag 70 on printing paper 60 which has been printed and in course of discharge to a paper discharge tray. An IC tag reader 304 regularly accesses the IC tag 70 on the printing paper 60 which is on the paper discharge tray and reads out the user information, and transmits the information to a controlling unit 305. The controlling unit 305 makes a displaying unit 308 to display the number and its user name of the printing paper 60 left neglected on the paper discharge tray, and sends an e-mail for drawing attention to a user who does not carry away one's printing paper 60 after a predetermined time via a notification unit 306. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a technique for managing recording sheets discharged to a discharge tray of the image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a printer is generally used in a large number of workplaces by being connected to a plurality of client PCs via a network.
In the use environment as described above, the distance between the client PC and the image forming apparatus is not far away, and in some cases, the user forgets to go to get the print paper output by the print job requested by the user. obtain. In this case, the output print paper is left on the paper discharge tray as it is, which causes trouble for other users who have issued the print job.
[0003]
In order to solve such a problem, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-150, a paper ejection detection sensor is installed in the paper ejection tray, and printing is performed on the paper ejection tray even after a certain period of time has passed since the paper was ejected to the paper ejection tray. A technique is disclosed in which, when a sheet is present, a notification is sent to a terminal of a user who has requested the print job via a network.
In Patent Document 2, a user stores his or her own ID code in an ID card having a wireless communication function, and the image forming apparatus also has a unit capable of communicating with the ID card. When the print job associated with is completed, the communication with the ID card is attempted to read the ID code. If the ID code cannot be read, it is determined that the user has moved far, the transmission output is increased, and the print job is terminated. There is disclosed a technology for notifying an ID card of the fact that the operation has been performed.
[0004]
Further, in Patent Document 3, the image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of outlets (bins) so that a user can specify an outlet from a terminal, and when the paper is discharged to the specified outlet. There is disclosed a technique for notifying a user's terminal that a print sheet has been discharged.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-260484 A
[0006]
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2000-318269 A
[0007]
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-2002-114430
[0008]
[Patent Document 4]
JP 2002-178615 A
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a print job of a subsequent user is executed before the fixed time elapses after the print job of one user ends, Even if the user removes the print paper output by his or her own print job, the image forming apparatus cannot determine which user's print paper has been removed. However, there is a problem that it is not possible to specify the print paper, and it is not possible to accurately manage the printing paper discharged thereafter.
[0010]
Further, according to the technology described in Patent Document 3, when there are more users than the number of outlets, one outlet must be shared by two or more outlets. In the case where print jobs of a plurality of users are discharged to the discharge port, if the recording paper relating to any one of the jobs is removed, it is unclear who the user of the remaining print paper is, As in the case of the above-mentioned Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is an inconvenience that the discharged print paper cannot be sufficiently managed.
[0011]
SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can appropriately manage recording sheets discharged to a paper discharge tray.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives input of image data, a user information obtaining unit that obtains information about a user who has input the image data, and the received image data. Image forming means for forming an image on a recording sheet provided with a non-contact type IC tag, writing means for writing the acquired information on the user into the non-contact type IC tag, A discharge tray for discharging the formed recording sheet, reading means for reading information about the user from a non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged on the discharge tray, and a user related to the user read by the reading means. Management means for managing the recording sheets discharged to the discharge tray based on the information.
[0013]
Here, the "accepting means for receiving input of image data" includes an image reading device such as a scanner, as well as a receiving unit for receiving print data transmitted from a client PC via a network. The "user information acquisition means" includes any means for acquiring information (user information) necessary to identify a user. For example, when inputting an ID code from the numeric keypad of the operation panel, the numeric keypad and its control unit serve as “accepting means”, and when the user information is held in a portable information terminal capable of wireless communication. , A wireless communication unit that acquires the information by wireless communication is an “accepting unit”.
[0014]
In addition, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives input of image data, a user information obtaining unit that obtains information about a user who has input the image data, and a non-contact type based on the received image data. Image forming means for forming an image on a recording sheet provided with an IC tag, first reading means for reading identification information of the recording sheet from a non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means, Storage means for associating and storing information about the user obtained by the user information obtaining means and identification information of the recording sheet; a discharge tray from which the recording sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is discharged; Second reading means for reading the identification information of the recording sheet from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged onto the tray, and the second reading means The information relating to the user associated with the recording sheet is obtained from the storage unit based on the identification information of the recording sheet read from the recording sheet, and the recording sheet discharged to the output tray based on the identification information and the information relating to the user corresponding thereto. And management means for managing the information.
[0015]
In addition, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a communication unit that communicates with a user terminal, and the management unit transmits, to the recording sheet, information regarding a state of leaving the discharged recording sheet via the communication unit. It is characterized in that it is transmitted to the associated user.
Here, "communication means for communicating with the user's terminal" includes, in addition to means for directly communicating with the user's terminal via a network (whether wired or wireless), communication means by e-mail, and Means for wirelessly communicating with a portable information terminal such as an IC card owned by the user is also included.
[0016]
Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the management means includes a display means for displaying information on the recording sheet discharged on the paper discharge tray and information on a user associated with the recording sheet. And
Still further, there is provided a remover information acquisition unit for acquiring information on a user who has removed a recording sheet from the paper discharge tray according to the present invention, wherein the management unit is configured to remove the information on the user acquired by the user information acquisition unit and remove the information. A warning unit that issues a warning when the content of the information about the user acquired by the user information acquisition unit is different.
[0017]
Here, the "remover information obtaining means" may be a means for receiving input of the remover's own user information, as in the above-mentioned "user information obtaining means", or may be portable information such as an IC card possessed by the remover. It may be means for reading the user information stored in the terminal.
The “warning” may be an audio warning such as a sound or a sound, or a visual warning such as blinking of a lamp or display of a warning text on a display unit.
[0018]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment in which an image forming apparatus according to the present invention is a multi-function digital copying machine (Multiple Function Peripheral: hereinafter simply referred to as “MFP”) will be described with reference to the drawings.
<First embodiment>
(1) Printer system configuration
First, an overall configuration of a printer system (hereinafter, simply referred to as “system”) including an MFP according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0019]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the present system. As shown in FIG. 1, the system includes an MFP 10, client PCs 20, 30, and a mail server 40, which are connected via a LAN (Local Area Network) 50.
Note that the number of MFPs, client PCs, mail servers, and the like is not limited to the number shown in FIG. In this example, for convenience, the mail server is a mail dedicated server installed in an in-house LAN or the like. However, when the LAN 50 is further connected to the Internet via a router, the mail server of the contract It may be a mail server of a provider.
[0020]
The MFP 10 is, for example, a digital color copier, and includes an automatic document feeder (ADF) 100, a scanner unit 200, a printer unit 300, and the like. And a print function for executing a print job in response to a request from the client PC 20 or 30.
[0021]
Further, an IC tag writer 303 is provided in the middle of a transport path (not shown) for discharging paper on which an image is formed in the printer unit 300, and an IC tag writer is provided near a paper discharge port for discharging paper onto a paper discharge tray 350. A tag reader 304 is provided.
The MFP 10 uses printing paper in which a non-contact IC tag is embedded, writes necessary information to the IC tag by the above-described IC tag writer 303 at the time of discharging, and performs non-contact of the paper on the discharge tray 350 by the IC tag reader 304. By reading the written information from the IC tag, the paper on the paper discharge tray is managed. Details will be described later.
[0022]
Here, the non-contact IC tag has a coil and an IC chip inside, receives radio waves emitted from a so-called IC tag reader / writer, and performs wireless communication by electromagnetic induction coupling. The communication method between the non-contact IC tag and the IC tag reader or writer is defined as an international standard such as ISO14443 or ISO15693, but is not limited to this.
[0023]
Recently, minute non-contact IC tags having a size of 0.4 mm square have also been made, and there is a tendency for further miniaturization and cost reduction. Hereinafter, this non-contact IC tag is simply referred to as “IC tag”.
At an easy-to-operate position on the front of the MFP 10, an operation panel OP including hard keys such as a start button and numeric keys and a display unit for displaying various messages and setting screens is installed.
[0024]
Each of the client PCs 20 and 30 and the mail server 40 is a personal computer including a CPU, a CPU main body including a RAM, a ROM, an EEPROM, a hard disk device (HDD), a monitor device, and input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse. In addition, a network communication program and other necessary control programs are installed, and are connected to another terminal or the MFP 10 by an existing communication protocol (such as TCP / IP) so that data can be transmitted / received to / from these terminals. I have.
[0025]
<Configuration of Printer Unit 300>
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of the printer unit 300 of the MFP 10.
As shown in the figure, the printer unit 300 includes a receiving unit 301, an image forming unit 302, an IC tag writer 303, an IC tag reader 304, a control unit 305, a notification unit 306, a warning unit 307, a display unit 308, and a user information receiving unit 309. Etc.
[0026]
The receiving unit 301 receives print job data from the client PC 20 or 30 via the LAN 50, and includes a LAN interface therein.
The data of the print job includes header information and print data for forming an image. The header information includes the IP address of the client PC 20 that is the source, the IP address of the MFP 10 that is the destination, the number of prints, and paper. A control command for instructing print conditions such as a size, and information on a user who has requested the print job (hereinafter, referred to as “user information”) are included.
[0027]
In this embodiment, the user name and e-mail address of the user who issued the print job are set as the user information. This header information is created by the printer driver installed in the client PCs 20 and 30, and is transmitted along with the print data.
The print data is transmitted from the client PCs 20 and 30 to the MFP 10 in, for example, a PDL (page description language) data format.
[0028]
Upon receiving the data of the print job, the receiving unit 301 transmits the print data to the image forming unit 302 and the user information to the IC tag writer 303.
The image forming unit 302 rasterizes the print data, performs necessary correction, and forms an image on the printing paper 60 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “print”).
[0029]
The IC tag writer 303 writes the user information in the case where the IC tag 70 is attached to the printing paper 60 passing through the paper discharge path.
The IC tag reader 304 accesses the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 at regular intervals (for example, every one minute), reads out the user information, and transmits the information to the control unit 305.
[0030]
The control unit 305 includes a CPU and a memory such as a ROM or a RAM, controls the operation of each unit of the printer unit 300, and controls the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 based on the user information sent from the IC tag reader 304. The user is notified, and the user PC 20 is notified of the information on the necessity of leaving the printing paper 60 via the notification unit 306, or the warning unit 307 generates a warning sound when the printing paper 60 is removed by an unauthorized user. (These processes are hereinafter referred to as “discharge management”), and also serves as a management unit for the printing paper 60 on the discharge tray 350.
[0031]
The "warning" by the warning unit 307 may be, as described above, a sound of a warning recorded in a voice ROM or the like, in addition to the warning sound, and, in some cases, a blinking lamp or a warning by a display unit. It may be a visual warning such as the display of a sentence.
The notification unit 306 receives the instruction from the control unit 305 and transmits the corresponding notification content as an e-mail to the user via the LAN 50. This e-mail is temporarily stored in a mailbox in the mail server 40, and when a user starts e-mail software and periodically checks the e-mail addressed to the user, his / her print paper on the output tray 350 is printed. It is possible to know the status of neglect of 60. At this time, it is very convenient if the user always activates the e-mail software so that the user can automatically check the e-mail addressed to the user at regular intervals.
[0032]
The display unit 308 displays the status of leaving the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 together with the user name according to an instruction from the control unit 305. In the present embodiment, the display unit of the operation panel OP also serves as the display unit, but may be different.
The user information receiving unit 309 is for inputting the user name before the user removes the print paper 60 related to the print job requested by the user from the paper output tray 350. It allows input from the panel OP.
[0033]
The operation of each unit described above will be described in detail when necessary in the following description of the control operation of the control unit 305.
<Control Operation in Control Unit 305>
Hereinafter, control contents of the print processing and the paper discharge management processing executed by the control unit 305 will be described with reference to flowcharts.
[0034]
(1) Printing process
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of a print process performed by the control unit 305 when a print request is received from a client PC.
When the print job is received from the client PC 20 or 30 by the receiving unit 301 (step S1), user information is obtained from the header information (step S2), and the user name is displayed on the display unit 308 (step S3). Thus, for example, a user who intends to perform a copy process in front of the MFP 10 can know which print job is being processed, which is convenient.
[0035]
Then, it instructs the image forming unit 302 to print on the printing paper 60 based on the received print data (step S4).
Next, it is determined whether the printing paper 60 that has been printed and is passing through the paper ejection path is an IC tag-attached paper (step S5).
Therefore, the control unit 305 causes the IC tag writer 303 to transmit a request signal to the printing paper 60 at a timing when the printing paper 60 passes through the paper discharge path. Is to be determined. The IC tag writer 303 has a short communication distance and has directivity, so that the printing paper in the paper cassette and the printing paper on the discharge tray 350 are not erroneously accessed. Is configured.
[0036]
If it is determined that the printing paper 60 passing through the paper discharge path is a paper with an IC tag (step S5: YES), the IC tag writer 303 is instructed and the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 is received by the receiving unit 301. Is written (step S6), and at the same time, information necessary for paper discharge management is registered in a paper discharge management table T1 in a memory in the control unit 305.
[0037]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the paper discharge management table T1.
User information is registered in each column of “user name” and “e-mail address”. In the “number of sheets” column, the final number of discharged sheets relating to the print job of the user is registered. This is because, for example, during the period from the start to the end of the print job, the passage of the sheet is detected by the sheet detection signal provided in the sheet discharge path, and when it is determined in step S5 that the sheet is the sheet with the IC tag, the 1 It can be obtained by counting up each sheet.
[0038]
In the “discharge time” column, the discharge time of the last page in each print job is registered with reference to the clock IC in the control unit 305. In the “discharge time” column, the printing paper 60 The time elapsed since the sheet was ejected to 350 is updated and registered every minute.
In the “status” column, the current status of the printing paper 60 is registered. If the printing paper 60 is still left on the paper output tray 350, the status is “leaving”. When the user has completely removed the device, "removal completed" is registered, and when it is determined that the user has been removed during the process or by a user other than a valid user, "removing" is registered (FIG. 8). , FIG. 9).
[0039]
Returning to FIG. 3, after registration in the paper discharge management table T1 in step S7, it is determined in step S8 whether printing of all sheets has been completed. If not completed, steps S4 to S7 are performed until completion. Are repeated, and then the control operation of the printing process is terminated.
(2) Paper discharge management processing
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the contents of the paper discharge management process periodically executed by the control unit 305.
[0040]
First, the IC tag reader 304 accesses the IC tag 70 attached to the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 (hereinafter, simply referred to as “printed matter” in order to avoid redundant description). Request that the user information held by them be transmitted (step S11).
The IC tag reader 304 also has a short communication distance and has directivity, so that the printing paper being discharged or the printing paper in the paper cassette is not erroneously accessed. I have.
[0041]
Next, it is determined whether the printed material has been removed from the paper output tray 350 after the previous access to the IC tag 70 (step S12). This determination is easily performed by totalizing the information from the IC tag 70 for the access in step S11 and comparing it with the information in the paper discharge management table T1. It should be noted that a plurality of IC tags 70 can be recognized almost simultaneously by known congestion control.
[0042]
Based on the above determination result, the content of the status column of the paper discharge management table T1 is updated. If it is determined in step S12 that the printed matter has not been removed from the paper output tray 350, the process proceeds to step S13, where the names of all the users who have been left as shown in FIG. It is displayed on the display unit 308.
Then, by searching the idle time column of the paper discharge management table T1, it is determined whether or not there is any printed material whose idle time has passed the predetermined time (step S14). If there is a printed material that has passed the predetermined time, the fact is notified to the user who issued the print job via the notification unit 306. At this time, for example, a message “Your printed matter is left on the output tray. Please remove it as soon as possible” is sent.
[0043]
In the present embodiment, an e-mail is used as the notification method, and the e-mail address of the user is read from the discharge management table T1, and the message is transmitted.
Here, assuming that the predetermined time is "10 minutes", in the example of FIG. 6, the message D is transmitted to the user D because the time of leaving the printed matter of the user D exceeds the predetermined time. become. The predetermined time is not limited to 10 minutes, and may be appropriately changed according to the use environment where the MFP 10 is placed. For example, if there are many users who use the MFP 10, the print job is frequently executed and the load of the printed matter on the paper output tray 350 is likely to increase in a short time. Is more desirable. At this time, if the predetermined time can be changed from the operation panel OP or the like, the usability becomes very good.
[0044]
If it is determined in step S12 that the printed matter has been removed from the paper discharge tray 350, the process proceeds to step S16, and the user information of the user who removed the printed matter is obtained.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the user inputs his / her own user name before removing his / her own printed matter. This input is performed by the user information receiving unit 309, and more specifically, a transparent touch panel is laminated on the surface of the display unit 308, and is configured so that input can be performed by touching a predetermined portion of the screen. I have.
[0045]
Now, when the user B stands in front of the MFP 10 in order to remove his or her own printed matter, the list of neglected persons described with reference to FIG. A message prompting the user to select a printed material to be printed is displayed. When the user B touches the column of his or her own printed material, the column is inverted as shown in FIG. Is B.
[0046]
On the other hand, when the printed material is removed from the paper output tray 350, it goes out of the communication range of the IC tag reader 304, so that there is no response from the IC tag 70, and thus it can be determined that the printed material has been removed from the paper output tray 350. As a result, the number in the “number of sheets” column of the paper discharge management table T1 decreases, so that it is possible to know which user's printed matter has been removed.
[0047]
Therefore, in step S17, the user information of the removed user is compared with the user information of the removed printed matter to determine whether they completely match (step S17).
If they completely match and all the number of sheets have been removed, a message indicating that "the printed matter has been removed by the correct user" is displayed for a certain period of time as shown in the message display section of FIG. Step S18).
[0048]
At this time, in addition to the above message, as shown in the list column of FIG. 8, "removal completed" may be displayed in the status column of the user B for a certain period of time, and then the column may be deleted. At the same time, information on the user B in the paper discharge management table T1 is also deleted.
The above message is also transmitted to user B by electronic mail (step S19).
[0049]
If it is determined in step S17 that the user information of the removed printed matter does not completely match the user information of the actually removed printed matter, the process proceeds to step S20, and the fact is displayed on the display unit 308. The message is displayed for a certain period of time (see the message column in FIG. 9), and a message having the same meaning is notified by e-mail to the user who is the correct publisher of the printed matter and the user who has accidentally removed the message (step S21).
[0050]
FIG. 9 shows a display screen of the display unit 308 in a case where the user B erroneously removes the printed matter of the user A and removes seven sheets of his / her own printed matter.
In the present embodiment, when it is determined that the printed matter has been removed by an incorrect user, a warning sound is output from the warning unit 307 in addition to the above-described notification and display, and a warning is issued to the user who has mistakenly removed the printed matter. (Step S22).
[0051]
Then, the IC tag reader 304 accesses the IC tag 70 to confirm whether or not the erroneously removed printed matter is returned (steps S23 and S24). Is displayed on the display unit 308, and the correct user is notified by e-mail (steps S25 and S26).
By using the printing paper 60 with the IC tag as described above, the printed matter on the paper output tray 350 can be accurately managed.
[0052]
<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the first embodiment, the IC tag writer 303 writes user information into the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 in the middle of discharging, and the IC tag reader 304 reads the user information from the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 on the discharging tray 350. Although the user information is read and the paper ejection management is executed, in the second embodiment, unique information (identification information) for identifying or specifying the individual IC tag 70 is provided at the manufacturing stage, for example. The identification information (the serial number is used as the identification information in the present embodiment as described later, but is not limited to this), and the user information is stored in association with the identification information. The paper discharge management is executed.
[0053]
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of printer unit 300 of MFP 10 according to the present embodiment. In this figure, components denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 indicate the same components, and therefore, different portions will be mainly described below.
As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, a correspondence management unit 310 is newly provided, and an IC tag writer A311 and an IC tag reader B312 are provided instead of the IC tag writer 303 and the IC tag reader 304.
[0054]
The IC tag writer A 311 is provided near the paper discharge path, reads out the serial number stored in the IC tag 70 of the paper 60 being discharged, and the IC tag reader B 312 is provided near the paper discharge tray 350. The serial number is read from the IC tag 70 of the paper 60 discharged onto the paper discharge tray 350. At this time, if there are a plurality of sheets discharged on the sheet discharge tray 350, the serial numbers are read one by one while controlling the congestion.
[0055]
The correspondence management unit 310 manages the user information related to the received print job in association with the serial number of the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 on which the user information is printed, and stores the correspondence in the internal memory as shown in FIG. The table T2 is stored.
When the receiving unit 301 receives a print job from the client PC, it extracts user information from its header and sends it to the correspondence management unit 310. The correspondence management unit 310 registers, for example, the user name in the correspondence table T2. Printing is performed on the printing paper 60 based on the print job, and when passing through the paper discharge path, the serial number is read from the IC tag 70 by the IC tag writer A311 and registered in the correspondence table T2 in association with the user name. Is done.
[0056]
As the IC tag writer A311, one having a short communication distance and high directivity is used so as not to erroneously communicate with the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 or the IC tag 70 of the printing paper in the paper cassette. .
The IC tag reader B 312 periodically accesses the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 on the paper output tray 350 after a predetermined time, reads out the serial number from each IC tag 70 while controlling the congestion, and controls the control unit 305. Notify. Based on the received serial number, the control unit 305 refers to the correspondence table T2 in the correspondence management unit 310 to determine which user's print job print job is left on the discharge tray 350. .
[0057]
It is desirable that the IC tag reader B312 also has a short communication distance and directivity so that it does not erroneously communicate with the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60 in the middle of discharging paper or the printing paper 60 in the paper cassette.
According to this embodiment, since only the serial number needs to be stored in the IC tag 70, the memory capacity of the IC chip can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment, and the cost can be reduced accordingly. It is possible.
[0058]
FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 are flowcharts showing the contents of the print processing and the paper discharge management processing in the present embodiment, respectively. In the figure, those denoted by the same step numbers as those in the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4 indicate the same processing contents.
First, in the flowchart of the printing process shown in FIG. 12, the flowchart of the printing process in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is different from the flowchart of the first embodiment in that step S30 is inserted between step S2 and step S3. The difference is that S31 and S32 are provided.
[0059]
That is, when the print job is received from the client PC 20 or 30 by the receiving unit 301 (step S1), user information is obtained from the header information (step S2), and the user name is registered in the correspondence table T2 (step S30). ), And display the same on the display unit 308 (step S3).
Then, the image forming unit 302 is instructed to print on the printing paper 60 based on the received print data (step S4), and it is determined whether or not the printing paper 60 passing through the paper discharge path is a paper with an IC tag. (Step S5).
[0060]
Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the control unit 305 transmits a request signal from the IC tag writer A 311 at the timing when the printing paper 60 passes through the paper discharge path, and receives a response from the IC tag 70. Is determined to be paper with an IC tag.
If it is determined that the printing paper 60 passing through the paper discharge path is paper with an IC tag, the serial number is read from the IC tag 70 by the IC tag writer A311 (step S31), and this is associated with the user name. To the correspondence table T2 (step S32).
[0061]
Then, the user name is registered in the paper discharge management table T1 in the memory of the control unit 305 (step S7).
Finally, in step S8, it is determined whether or not printing of all the sheets has been completed. If not, the processes from step S4 to step S7 are repeated until the printing is completed, and then the control operation of the printing process ends. .
[0062]
Next, regarding the paper discharge management processing of FIG. 13, when it is determined that the printed material has been removed from the paper discharge tray in step S12 compared to the flowchart of FIG. 4 in the first embodiment, the correspondence table T2 , A step S33 of acquiring the user name of the removed printed matter with reference to the above is added, so that the same operation and effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Other than that is the same as the flowchart of FIG. 4, and the description is omitted here.
[0063]
<Third embodiment>
In the first and second embodiments, it is necessary for the user who removes the printed material to input his or her own user name on the input screen shown in FIG. 6. However, the user forgets to input the user name, and Can be directly removed.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the user has an IC card storing his or her own user information, an MFP is provided with an IC card reader as a user information receiving unit, and when the user approaches the MFP 10 to remove a printed material, User information is automatically acquired from an IC card.
[0064]
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the printer unit 300 in this case. The difference from the first embodiment is that instead of the user information receiving unit 309 in FIG. 2, a user information receiving unit (IC card reader) for wirelessly communicating with an IC card 80 owned by the user to obtain user information. 313 is provided.
The user information receiving unit 313 periodically issues a request signal, and when there is a response from the approaching IC card, reads the user information and notifies the control unit 305.
[0065]
The communication distance of the user information receiving unit 313 is set to approximately 1 m so that the user information receiving unit 313 does not erroneously communicate with the IC card of a person passing by the vicinity, and does not communicate with the IC tag 70 of the printing paper 60. , An antenna having a high directivity so as to be able to communicate only with an IC card present on the operation side of the MFP 10, or a communication method different from the communication method adopted by the IC tag 70, the IC tag writer 303, and the IC tag reader 304 is used. It is desirable.
[0066]
As the wireless portable information terminal holding the user information, in addition to the above-mentioned IC card, an IC tag embedded in a batch may be used, and in some cases, a mobile phone having a wireless function such as Bluetooth may be used. Good. Of course, the type of the user information receiving unit 313 differs depending on what kind of wireless information terminal is adopted.
[0067]
As described above, in this embodiment, only the means for acquiring the user information of the user who removes the printed matter is different from that in the first embodiment. Is also substantially the same as that of the first embodiment, and will not be particularly described here.
Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the user information receiving unit 309 is replaced with the user information receiving unit 313 in the first embodiment has been described, but the user information receiving unit 309 is replaced in the configuration of the second embodiment. A user information receiving unit (IC card reader) may be used to obtain the user information of the user who removes the printed matter in the same manner as described above.
[0068]
<Modification>
As described above, the present invention has been described based on the embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the following modified examples can be considered.
(1) In the above-described embodiment, the receiving unit 301 that receives print data from a client PC via a network has been described as a means for receiving an input of image data from a user. It is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to the case where the discharge management of a printed matter of image data of a document read by the scanner unit 200 is performed. In this case, the scanner unit 200 can be regarded as an image data input receiving unit.
[0069]
(2) In the above embodiment, information (user information) regarding the user who has input the image data is included as header information of the print data, and therefore, the user information acquisition unit (user information acquisition unit) In the case where the scanner unit 200 is used as an image data input receiving unit, for example, a user name and an ID code are previously registered in an internal memory in association with the The user who wants to scan the user information inputs his / her ID code from the operation panel OP, or, as in the third embodiment, transmits the user information by wireless communication from an ID card or another portable information terminal. It may be acquired.
[0070]
Further, user information may be added to the original document itself. For example, the user information is displayed as a barcode in the margin of the document, and the barcode is read out at the time of scanning to obtain the user information, or the user information is embedded in the image of the document as an electronic watermark. Then, a method of reading this can be considered.
In addition, it is also possible to embed an IC tag in which user information is stored in the original document, and to install an IC tag reader near the ADF original tray, thereby reading the user information from the IC tag of the original document. It is possible.
[0071]
(3) The content of the user information does not necessarily need to include both the user name and the e-mail address as in the above-described embodiment, and only the e-mail address may be used as the user information. Alternatively, it may be an address on another network (for example, the IP address of a client PC). In addition, in the case of paper discharge management that does not notify the user and only displays the neglected status on the display unit (see (5) described later), the e-mail address and the IP address need not be included in the user information. It is sufficient that some identification information that can identify the user who issued the job is included.
[0072]
(4) In the above-described embodiment, an e-mail is used as a means for notifying the user of the state of leaving the printed matter, but the e-mail address may be a mobile phone e-mail address. Instead of an electronic mail, an appropriate communication protocol may be installed in the client PC and the MFP 10 so that messages can be directly transmitted and received between the two via the LAN 40.
[0073]
(5) In the above embodiment, the MFP has been described as an example, but the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is an image forming apparatus. Even an analog image forming apparatus that is not network compatible can only notify the user by e-mail or the like, and displays the status of leaving printed matter corresponding to the user name on its display, and displays the wrong user. As a result, a warning sound can be emitted when a printed material is removed, so that paper discharge management can be performed as long as it is possible.
[0074]
(6) In the above embodiment, the IC tag is embedded in the printing paper. However, the IC tag may be embedded in a transparent film sheet for OHP, for example. In the claims, the term “recording sheet” is used as a general concept including such printing paper and OHP sheets.
(7) The present invention can also be understood as a paper discharge management method in an image forming apparatus. In this case, for example, the contents of the invention of the paper discharge management method according to claim 1 include a receiving step of receiving input of image data, a user information obtaining step of obtaining information on a user who has input the image data, An image forming step of forming an image on a recording sheet provided with a non-contact type IC tag based on the received image data, a writing step of writing the acquired information on the user to the non-contact type IC tag, A reading step of reading information on the user from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged on the tray, and managing the recording sheet discharged on the discharge tray based on the information on the user read in the reading step. And a management step. It can be.
[0075]
Further, the present invention can be understood as a program for causing a computer in an image forming apparatus to execute the above-described paper discharge management method. Furthermore, the present invention can also be understood as a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, an MO, a DVD, a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, and a semiconductor memory. Can be
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, information about a user who has input image data is obtained, written on a non-contact type IC tag provided on a recording sheet, and stored on a discharge tray. The information related to the user is read from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged to the user, and based on the information, the recording sheet discharged to the discharge tray is managed. Whether the sheet is left on the discharge tray can be easily grasped, and accurate discharge management can be performed.
[0077]
Further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, information on the user who has input the image data is obtained, and the identification information is read from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet on which the image is formed, and the user information is read. The identification information is also read from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged on the paper discharge tray, and the corresponding image data is stored in the storage means. Since the information about the user who has input is input is specified, even with such a configuration, it is possible to easily understand which user's recording sheet related to the image forming job is left on the paper discharge tray. .
[0078]
Furthermore, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, there is provided communication means for communicating with the terminal of the user, and the information relating to the idle state of the ejected recording sheet is provided to the user associated with the recording sheet via the communication means. Since it is transmitted to the address, it is possible to prompt the corresponding user to immediately remove the recording sheet.
[0079]
Further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the information relating to the recording sheet discharged on the discharge tray and the information relating to the user associated with the recording sheet are displayed by the display means, so that the recording sheet is left unattended. The state becomes clear at a glance, and the user can perform an appropriate process by looking at the state.
Still further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, information about the user who has removed the recording sheet from the paper output tray is obtained, and information about the user who has input the image data and the content of the information about the user who has removed the recording sheet. When the user is different, a warning is issued, so that even if the user mistakenly removes a recording sheet related to another person's image forming job, the user can immediately notice it and prevent a mistake.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a printer system using an MFP according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer unit in the MFP.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating control of print processing executed by a control unit in the MFP.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing control contents of a sheet discharge management process executed by a control unit in the MFP.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a paper discharge management table stored in a memory in a control unit.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a message displayed on a display unit and a situation of leaving a printed material.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a display unit when a user designates a printed material to be removed;
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a display unit when a correct user removes a printed material.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen of a display unit when a printed material is incorrectly removed by an incorrect user.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer unit of an MFP according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table between a user name and a serial number stored in a memory in a correspondence management unit in the second embodiment.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating control of print processing executed by a control unit in the MFP according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the control contents of a paper discharge management process executed by a control unit in the MFP.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer unit of an MFP according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 MFP (image forming apparatus)
20, 30 Client PC
40 mail server
50 LAN
60 printing paper
70 IC tag
80 IC card
100 ADF
200 Scanner section
300 Printer section
301 Receiver
302 Image forming unit
303 IC tag writer
304 IC tag reader
305 control unit
306 Notification section
307 Warning section
308 Display
309 User information receiving unit
311 IC tag writer A
312 IC tag reader B
313 User information receiving unit
T1 discharge management table
T2 correspondence table

Claims (5)

Receiving means for receiving input of image data;
User information acquisition means for acquiring information about the user who has input the image data,
Image forming means for forming an image on a recording sheet provided with a non-contact type IC tag based on the received image data;
Writing means for writing the obtained information about the user to the non-contact type IC tag;
A discharge tray from which a recording sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit is discharged;
Reading means for reading information about the user from the non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged on the discharge tray;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a management unit configured to manage recording sheets discharged to a paper discharge tray based on information on a user read by the reading unit. Receiving means for receiving input of image data;
User information acquisition means for acquiring information about the user who has input the image data,
Image forming means for forming an image on a recording sheet provided with a non-contact type IC tag based on the received image data;
First reading means for reading identification information of the recording sheet from a non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means;
Storage means for storing information relating to the user acquired by the user information acquisition means and identification information of the recording sheet in association with each other,
A second tray for reading the identification information of the recording sheet from a non-contact type IC tag of the recording sheet discharged onto the discharge tray, and a discharge tray from which the recording sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming unit is discharged; Means,
The information relating to the user associated with the recording sheet is acquired from the storage unit based on the identification information of the recording sheet read by the second reading unit, and a paper output tray is acquired based on the identification information and the information relating to the user corresponding thereto. And a management unit for managing the recording sheets discharged to the image forming apparatus. A communication unit that communicates with a user terminal, wherein the management unit transmits, via the communication unit, information on a state of leaving the discharged recording sheet to a user associated with the recording sheet. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The management means includes:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display information regarding a recording sheet discharged onto a discharge tray and information regarding a user associated with the recording sheet. A remover information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a user who has removed the recording sheet from the discharge tray,
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the managing unit includes a warning unit that issues a warning when the information about the user acquired by the user information acquiring unit and the information about the user acquired by the remover information acquiring unit are different. The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4.

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