JP2023002374A - Terminal device, image forming apparatus, and system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a terminal device and the like that appropriately display a notification based on a signal received from an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A terminal device comprises: a receiving unit that receives a signal; a display; and a control unit. When receiving the signal from an image forming apparatus through the receiving unit, the control unit determines whether a server registering a job has the job registered by a user, and when the server has the job, displays, on the display, a notification indicating that the server has the job.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to terminal devices and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses that output (print) images have been widely used. Techniques have also been proposed to improve convenience for users of image forming apparatuses.

For example, from a terminal device such as a PC (personal computer), a print job is held in a server, a printing device that can optimally execute the print job is determined, and a user associated with the held print job is notified. techniques have been proposed.

JP 2019-53496 A

Here, when a print job is held in a server, the print job may be deleted when the print job holding period is exceeded. Therefore, when a user holds a print job in the server, it is necessary to notify the user that the print job is held. The technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200012 requires the management server to constantly monitor the status of a plurality of printing apparatuses on the network and to grasp the position of the user who holds the print job. As a result, there is a problem that the load on the management server increases.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a terminal device or the like that appropriately displays a notification based on a signal received from an image forming apparatus in view of the above-described problems.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a terminal device according to the present disclosure includes a receiver that receives a signal, a display, and a controller. When the signal is received, it is determined whether or not the job registered by the user exists in the server for registering the job, and if the job exists, a notification indicating that the job exists is displayed on the display unit. characterized by

An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a transmitting unit that receives a signal, a short-range wireless communication unit, an image forming unit that forms an image, and a control unit. When a request to acquire the job is received from the server that registers the job, the job is acquired from the server based on the request, and the job is processed via the image forming unit by executing the job. It is characterized by forming a corresponding image.

A system according to the present disclosure is a system including an image forming device and a terminal device, wherein the image forming device transmits a signal, and the terminal device receives the signal from the image forming device via short-range wireless communication. When the job is received, it is determined whether or not there is a job registered by the user, and if there is the job, a notification indicating that there is the job is displayed.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a terminal device or the like that appropriately displays a notification based on a signal received from an image forming apparatus.

It is a figure for explaining the whole system composition in a 1st embodiment. 4 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the first terminal device in the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of a server device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the data structure of user information in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of the data structure of job information in the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the functional structure of the 2nd terminal device in 1st Embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a data structure of a job list according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram for explaining the flow of processing in the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of processing in the second terminal device in the first embodiment; 4 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of processing in the server device in the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 1st embodiment. It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 1st embodiment. It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 1st embodiment. It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 1st embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow diagram for explaining the flow of processing in the second terminal device in the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flow chart for explaining the flow of processing in the server device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing in an image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment; It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 2nd embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flow diagram for explaining the flow of processing in the second terminal device in the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing in an image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment; It is a figure for explaining an example of operation in a 3rd embodiment.

An embodiment for carrying out the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples for explaining the present disclosure, and the technical scope of the invention described in the claims is not limited to the following descriptions.

[1. First Embodiment]
[1.1 Overall configuration]
A system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A system 1 of the present embodiment includes a first terminal device 10, a server device 20, an image forming device 30, and a second terminal device 40, as shown in FIG.

The first terminal device 10, the server device 20, the image forming device 30, and the second terminal device 40 are connected via a network NW. The network NW is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) that is a network that interconnects devices within a predetermined facility. The network NW may be an external network (WAN: Wide Area Network) such as the Internet.

Also, the image forming apparatus 30 transmits a beacon signal. The second terminal device 40 receives the beacon signal. Technologies such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) (registered trademark), for example, are used for transmission and reception of beacon signals.

The first terminal device 10 and the second terminal device 40 are information processing devices used by users who perform operations for outputting printed matter. The first terminal device 10 is configured by, for example, a computer (information processing device) such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a tablet. Moreover, the second terminal device 40 is particularly a portable device, and is configured by a computer (information processing device) such as a smartphone or a tablet, for example.

The server device 20 is an information processing device that provides a predetermined service. In this embodiment, the server device 20 provides a network print service, which is a service for managing jobs executed by the image forming device 30 . The server device 20 is configured by a computer (information processing device) such as a PC or a server. Note that the server device 20 may be configured by a plurality of information processing devices, or may be configured by a virtual server implemented on any information processing device.

The image forming apparatus 30 is an image forming apparatus capable of outputting a printed matter by forming (printing) an image on a recording medium such as recording paper. The image forming apparatus 30 may be an MFP (Multi-Function Printer/Peripheral) having multiple functions such as a copy function, a print function, a scanner function, and an e-mail transmission function.

[1.2 Functional configuration]
[1.2.1 Terminal device]
A functional configuration of the first terminal device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first terminal device 10 includes a control section 100 , a display section 140 , an operation section 150 , a storage section 160 and a communication section 190 .

The control unit 100 controls the entire first terminal device 10 . The control unit 100 implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 160, and is configured by one or a plurality of arithmetic units (for example, CPU (Central Processing Unit)). there is

The display unit 140 displays various information. The display unit 140 is configured by a display device such as an LCD (Liquid crystal display), an organic EL (electro-luminescence) display, a micro LED (Light Emitting Diode) display, or the like.

The operation unit 150 receives an operation by a user using the first terminal device 10 . The operation unit 150 is configured by an input device such as a touch sensor. A general detection method such as a resistive film method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or an electrostatic capacitance method may be used as a method for detecting an input in the touch sensor. Note that the first terminal device 10 may be equipped with a touch panel in which the display unit 140 and the operation unit 150 are integrally formed. Further, the operation unit 150 may be composed of various operation devices such as a mouse and a keyboard as long as the user can input information.

The storage unit 160 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the first terminal device 10 . The storage unit 160 is configured by, for example, a storage device such as an SSD (Solid State Drive), which is a semiconductor memory, or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

A content data storage area 162 is secured in the storage unit 160 as a storage area. The content data storage area 162 stores data of content (for example, images, documents, materials, etc.) to be operated such as display and editing in the first terminal device 10 . The content data storage area 162 stores files such as image files in JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) format and PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format, document files in PDF (Portable Document Format) format, and the like.

Furthermore, authentication information 164 is stored in the storage unit 160 . The authentication information 164 is information (for example, user ID and password) used for authentication when using the network print service provided by the server device 20 .

The communication unit 190 communicates with an external device such as the server device 20 via LAN or WAN. The communication unit 190 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) used in a wired/wireless LAN, LTE (Long Term Evolution) / LTE-A (LTE-Advanced) / LAA (License-Assisted Access using LTE) / 5G It consists of a communication module that can be connected to a line.

[1.2.2 Server Device]
A functional configuration of the server device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3 , the server device 20 is configured with a control section 200 , a storage section 260 and a communication section 290 .

The control unit 200 controls the entire server device 20 . The control unit 200 implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 260, and is configured by one or a plurality of arithmetic units (for example, CPU).

The storage unit 260 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the server device 20 . The storage unit 260 is configured by, for example, a storage device such as an SSD, which is a semiconductor memory, or an HDD.

The storage unit 260 secures a user information storage area 262 and a job information storage area 264 as storage areas.

The user information storage area 262 stores information (user information) of users who use the network print service provided by the server device 20 . As shown in FIG. 4, the user information includes, for example, a user ID (eg, "U0001") for identifying the user and a password (eg, "abc123") used for authenticating the user. be done.

The user ID is, for example, a character string composed of alphabets and numbers, but may be any information as long as it can uniquely identify the user information. The user ID is issued by the server device 20 when the user applies for use of the network print service provided by the server device 20 (at the time of user registration).

The job information storage area 264 stores information (job information) about jobs executed by the image forming apparatus 30 . As shown in FIG. 5, the job information includes, for example, a job ID (for example, "J0001") for identifying a job, a user ID (for example, "U0001") for identifying a user, and an image forming apparatus. 30 is print data (for example, "document_0001.pdf") that is data used when forming an image, and registration date and time indicating the date and time when the job was registered (stored) in the server apparatus 20 (for example, "2020/05 /25 12:00") is stored.

The user ID stored in the job information is information for identifying the user who registered the job. The job ID is, for example, a character string composed of alphabets and numbers, but may be any information as long as it can uniquely identify the job information. A job ID is issued by the server device 20 .

The print data is data including necessary information among the content data itself, data obtained by converting the content data into image data, data indicating print (output) settings, and the like. Note that the print data does not have to be stored in the job information. For example, a storage area for storing print data may be secured in the storage unit 260 or another device, and the print data may be stored in the storage area. In this case, the job information stores information (file path, device address, port number, etc.) necessary for identifying and acquiring the location where the print data is stored. The device address is the device's IP (Internet Protocol) address or MAC (Media Access Control address) address.

The communication unit 290 communicates with external devices such as the first terminal device 10 and the image forming device 30 . The communication unit 290 is configured by, for example, a communication device such as a NIC used in a wired/wireless LAN, or a communication module.

[1.2.3 Image forming apparatus]
A functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 30 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatus 30 includes a control unit 300, an image input unit 320, an image forming unit 330, a display unit 340, an operation unit 350, a storage unit 360, and a beacon signal transmission unit 380. , a short-range wireless communication unit 385 , and a communication unit 390 .

The control unit 300 controls the entire image forming apparatus 30 . The control unit 300 implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 360, and is configured by one or a plurality of arithmetic units (for example, CPU).

The control unit 300 functions as an image processing unit 302 and a beacon signal transmission control unit 304 by executing programs stored in the storage unit 360 .

An image processing unit 302 performs processing related to various images. For example, the image processing unit 302 executes sharpening processing and tone conversion processing on images and print data input by the image input unit 320 .

The beacon signal transmission control unit 304 controls transmission of beacon signals via the beacon signal transmission unit 380 . The beacon signal transmitted by the image forming apparatus 30 includes information used by the second terminal device 40 to identify the server device 20 in which the job is registered and to communicate with the server device 20 (server specific information). For example, the server identification information is the following information.
(1) Identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus 30 (for example, the serial number or manufacturing number of the image forming apparatus 30)
(2) Information used to communicate with the server device 20, such as the address and port number of the server device 20

The beacon signal may contain necessary information among the above-described information. The beacon signal transmission control unit 304 executes periodically (for example, every second) in parallel with the job execution processing executed by the control unit 300 .

Image input unit 320 inputs an image to image forming apparatus 30 . For example, the image input unit 320 is configured by a scanner device or the like capable of reading an image and generating image data. The scanner device converts an image into an electrical signal using an image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CIS (Contact Image Sensor), and quantizes and encodes the electrical signal to generate digital data.

Note that the image input unit 320 may be configured by an interface (terminal) for reading image data stored in a storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD card. Further, the image input unit 320 may input image data and print data from another device such as the first terminal device 10 via the communication unit 390 that connects with another device.

The image forming unit 330 forms (prints) an image on a recording medium such as recording paper. The image forming unit 330 is configured by, for example, a laser printer using an electrophotographic method.

The display unit 340 displays various information. The display unit 340 is configured by a display device such as an LCD, an organic EL display, a micro LED display, or the like.

Operation unit 350 receives an operation by a user who uses image forming apparatus 30 . The operation unit 350 is configured by an input device such as a touch sensor. A general detection method such as a resistive film method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or an electrostatic capacitance method may be used as a method for detecting an input in the touch sensor. Note that the image forming apparatus 30 may be equipped with a touch panel in which the display unit 340 and the operation unit 350 are integrally formed.

The storage unit 360 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the image forming apparatus 30 . The storage unit 360 is configured by, for example, a storage device such as an SSD, which is a semiconductor memory, or an HDD.

The storage unit 360 stores server information 362 . Further, the storage unit 360 reserves a job information storage area 364 as a storage area.

The server information 362 is information on the server device 20 . For example, the server information 362 stores information used for communicating with the server device 20, such as the address and port number of the server device 20. FIG.

The job information storage area 364 stores job information. The data structure of the job information stored in the job information storage area 364 is the same data structure as the job information stored in the server device 20 as shown in FIG.

The beacon signal transmission unit 380 transmits beacon signals. The beacon signal transmission unit 380 is configured by an antenna or the like for performing communication based on short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), for example. In this case, the beacon signal is transmitted based on a communication standard such as BLE. The beacon signal may be transmitted using wireless communication using UWB (Ultra Wide Band), or may be transmitted using wireless communication using Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

The short-range wireless communication unit 385 performs short-range wireless communication with other devices located around the image forming apparatus 30 . The short-range wireless communication unit 385 is configured by, for example, a communication device equipped with an antenna. The short-range wireless communication standard used by the short-range wireless communication unit 385 is a standard generally used for short-range communication, such as Bluetooth, BLE, NFC (Near Field Communication), ZigBee (registered trademark), and wireless USB. Any standard may be used, if any.

Note that the beacon signal transmission unit 380 may be included in the short-range wireless communication unit 385 . For example, the short-range wireless communication unit 385 may use BLE as the short-range wireless communication standard and transmit beacon signals using BLE.

The communication unit 390 communicates with an external device such as the server device 20 . The communication unit 390 is configured by, for example, a communication device such as a NIC used in a wired/wireless LAN, or a communication module.

[1.2.4 Second terminal device]
A functional configuration of the second terminal device 40 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the second terminal device 40 includes a control unit 400, a display unit 440, an operation unit 450, a storage unit 460, a beacon signal reception unit 480, a short-range wireless communication unit 485, and a communication unit 490 .

The control unit 400 controls the entire second terminal device 40 . The control unit 400 implements various functions by reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 460, and is configured by one or a plurality of arithmetic units (for example, CPU).

The display unit 440 displays various information. The display unit 440 is configured by a display device such as an LCD, an organic EL display, a micro LED display, or the like.

The operation unit 450 accepts operations of the user using the second terminal device 40 . The operation unit 450 is configured by an input device such as a touch sensor. A general detection method such as a resistive film method, an infrared method, an electromagnetic induction method, or an electrostatic capacitance method may be used as a method for detecting an input in the touch sensor. The second terminal device 40 may be equipped with a touch panel in which the display unit 440 and the operation unit 450 are integrally formed.

The storage unit 460 stores various programs and data necessary for the operation of the second terminal device 40 . The storage unit 460 is configured by, for example, a storage device such as an SSD, which is a semiconductor memory, or an HDD.

Storage unit 460 stores authentication information 462 and job list 464 . The authentication information 462 is information (for example, user ID and password) used for authentication when using the network print service provided by the server device 20 .

The job list 464 is a list of information on jobs executable by the image forming apparatus 30 . For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the job list 464 includes a job ID (eg, "J0001"), a print data name (eg, "document_0001.pdf"), and a registration date and time (eg, "05/25/2020"). 12:00") is a list of information associated with each job.

The beacon signal receiver 480 receives beacon signals. Beacon signal receiving unit 480 is configured by a device capable of receiving a beacon signal transmitted from image forming device 30 . For example, the beacon signal receiving unit 480 is configured with an antenna or the like for performing communication based on short-range wireless communication standards such as Bluetooth and BLE.

The short-range wireless communication unit 485 performs short-range wireless communication with other devices located around the second terminal device 40 . The short-range wireless communication unit 485 has the same configuration as the short-range wireless communication unit 385 of the image forming apparatus 30 . Also, the beacon signal receiving unit 480 may be configured to be included in the short-range wireless communication unit 485 .

The communication unit 490 communicates with an external device such as the image forming device 30 via LAN or WAN. The communication unit 490 is composed of, for example, a NIC used in a wired/wireless LAN, or a communication module connectable to LTE/LTE-A/LAA/5G lines.

[1.3 Flow of processing]
Next, processing executed by devices included in the system 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12. FIG. The processing described in FIGS. 9 to 12 is executed by the control unit of each device included in the system 1 of this embodiment reading out the program stored in the storage unit. It is assumed that user information is stored in the user information storage area 262 of the server device 20 in advance.

[1.3.1 Job information registration process]
First, with reference to FIG. 9, processing (preprocessing) executed by the devices included in the system 1 before the user performs a print operation will be described.

First, the beacon signal transmission control section 304 of the image forming apparatus 30 transmits a beacon signal via the beacon signal transmission section 380 (S1000). For example, the beacon signal transmission control unit 304 includes information (information about the server device 20) stored in the server information 362 in the beacon signal, thereby transmitting the information necessary for communicating with the server device 20 to the beacon signal. Send using Note that the beacon signal transmission control unit 304 may transmit the identification information of the image forming apparatus 30 in the beacon signal instead of the information of the server apparatus 20, or the information of the server apparatus 20 and the image forming apparatus 30 may be transmitted. The identification information may be included in the beacon signal and transmitted. Note that the beacon signal transmission control unit 304 periodically executes the process in S1000 in parallel with the process executed by the image forming apparatus 30 described with reference to FIG.

Subsequently, the control unit 100 of the first terminal device 10 acquires the user's print operation via the operation unit 150 (S1002). A print operation is an operation performed to execute printing, and is, for example, an operation of selecting content data stored in the content data storage area 162 or an operation of setting a printing method for the selected content data. is.

Subsequently, the control unit 100 generates print data based on the operation acquired in S1002, and transmits the print data together with the authentication information 164 to the server device 20 via the communication unit 190 (S1004). For example, in S1004, the control unit 100 converts the content data into image data that can be formed by the image forming apparatus 30, and generates print data including the converted image data and information on the printing method.

Subsequently, the control unit 200 of the server device 20 authenticates the user based on the authentication information 164 received from the first terminal device 10 (S1006). For example, if the user information storing the user ID and password included in the authentication information 164 received from the first terminal device 10 is stored in the user information storage area 262, the control unit 200 authenticates the user. .

When the user is authenticated, the control unit 100 stores (registers) job information (S1008). For example, the control unit 100 issues a job ID, and generates job information including the issued job ID, the user ID of the user authenticated in S1006, the print data received in S1004, and the registration date and time. , is stored in the job information storage area 264 .

[1.3.2 Processing of Second Terminal Device]
Next, processing executed by the second terminal device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the control unit 400 determines whether or not a beacon signal transmitted from the image forming apparatus 30 is received via the beacon signal receiving unit 480 (step S100). Here, in S1000 of FIG. 9, image forming apparatus 30 transmits a beacon signal including information of server apparatus 20 and identification information of image forming apparatus 30 via beacon signal transmitting section 380. FIG. Therefore, for example, when the control unit 400 receives a beacon signal via the beacon signal receiving unit 480 and the received beacon signal includes information on the server device 20 and identification information on the image forming device 30, image formation is performed. It is determined that a beacon signal has been received from the device 30 .

When receiving the beacon signal, the control unit 400 identifies the server device 20 based on the beacon signal and acquires information necessary for communicating with the server device 20 (step S100; Yes→step S102). . For example, the control unit 400 acquires information on the server device 20 by the following method.
(1) If the beacon signal contains information on the server device 20, the information on the server device 20 is directly obtained from the beacon signal.
(2) If the beacon signal includes the identification information of the image forming device 30, the information of the server device 20 corresponding to the image forming device 30 is acquired.

When the information of the server device 20 is acquired by the method (2), the control unit 400 stores, for example, a table in which the identification information of the image forming device 30 and the information of the server device 20 are associated in advance in the storage unit 460. Remember. In this case, the control unit 400 acquires the information of the server device 20 corresponding to the identification information included in the beacon signal by reading it from the table. Note that a device that manages information in which the identification information of the image forming device 30 and the information of the server device 20 are associated is connected to the network NW, and the control unit 400 receives the image forming information included in the beacon signal from the device. Information of the server device 20 corresponding to the identification information of the device 30 may be obtained.

If the controller 400 determines in step S400 that the beacon signal has not been received, it repeats the process of step S100 (step S100; No).

After acquiring the information of the server device 20, the control unit 400 transmits a job list request and the authentication information 462 to the server device 20 via the communication unit 490 based on the acquired information (step S104). A job list request is a request for acquiring a job list corresponding to a user (user of the second terminal device 40) identified by the user ID stored in the authentication information 462. FIG.

When the job list can be acquired, the control unit 400 displays a notification on the display unit 440 (step S106; Yes→step S108). The notification is, for example, to the user using the second terminal device that a beacon signal has been received from the nearby image forming device 30 or that unprocessed data can be output from the nearby image forming device 30 (unexecuted data can be output). This includes content that indicates what the job can do).

Subsequently, the control unit 400 determines whether or not the user has performed an operation for displaying the job list (job list display operation) (step S110). The job list display operation is, for example, an operation of selecting the notification displayed in step S108.

When the job list display operation is performed, the control unit 400 displays the job list on the display unit 440 (step S110; Yes→step S112). When the user performs an operation to select a job from the job list, the control unit 400 sends an acquisition request (first request) for acquiring the selected job to a beacon via the short-range wireless communication unit 485. The signal is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 30 that transmitted the signal (step S114; Yes→step S116).

Thus, the acquisition request is a request for causing the image forming apparatus 30 to acquire predetermined job information selected by the user from among the job information stored (registered) in the server apparatus 20 in S1008 of FIG. . The acquisition request includes, for example, a job ID. Information on the image forming apparatus 30 to which the acquisition request is sent may be stored in the second terminal device 40 in advance, or may be included in the beacon information so that it can be acquired by the second terminal device 40 . may

On the other hand, if the control unit 400 determines in step S110 that the job list display operation has not been performed, it determines whether or not the second terminal device 40 has approached the image forming device 30 (step S110; No → step S118). For example, the control unit 400 continues to receive the beacon signal via the beacon signal receiving unit 480, thereby continuously acquiring a value indicating the radio wave strength of the beacon signal (for example, RSSI: Received signal strength indication). At this time, the control unit 400 determines whether or not the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 has decreased based on the value indicating the radio wave intensity of the beacon signal. When the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 is reduced, the control unit 400 determines that the second terminal device 40 has come closer to the image forming device 30 .

When the second terminal device 40 approaches the image forming apparatus 30, the control unit 400 transmits a warm-up request (second request) to the image forming apparatus 30 via the short-range wireless communication unit 485. (step S118; Yes→step S120). A warm-up request is a request to make the image forming apparatus 30 ready for use. Further, when the warm-up request is transmitted, the control unit 400 may display a notification indicating that the warm-up request has been transmitted or that the image forming apparatus 30 is warming up on the display unit 440 .

If the control unit 400 determines in step S118 that the second terminal device 40 is not approaching the image forming apparatus 30, the process returns to step S110 (step S118; No→step S110). In this manner, the control unit 400 suppresses the process of transmitting the warm-up request to the image forming device 30 when the second terminal device 40 is not approaching the image forming device 30 .

If the job list could not be obtained in step S106, the control unit 400 ends the process shown in FIG. 10 (step S106; No). Examples of cases where the job list cannot be acquired include the following cases.
・When an error is returned from the server device 20 ・When communication with the server device 20 cannot be established ・When a response from the server device 20 cannot be received even after a predetermined time has passed

If the job list could not be obtained, the control unit 400 may display a notification or message indicating that the job list could not be obtained on the display unit 440 .

Further, when receiving an empty job list (a job list containing no job information) in step S106, the control unit 400 may end the process shown in FIG. Receiving an empty job list means that there is no job registered by the user of the second terminal device 40 in the server device 20 . Even in such a case, the second terminal device 40 receives the beacon signal transmitted from the image forming device 30 , and performs the process of displaying the notification or transmitting a warm-up request to the image forming device 30 . Suppresses processing that

[1.3.3 Server device processing]
Next, processing executed by the server device 20 will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . First, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the job list request and the authentication information 462 stored in the second terminal device 40 have been received from the second terminal device 40 via the communication unit 290 ( step S130).

When receiving the job list request and the authentication information 462, the control unit 200 authenticates the user based on the received authentication information 462 (step S130; Yes→step S132). For example, if the user information storing the user ID and password included in the authentication information 462 received from the second terminal device 40 is stored in the user information storage area 262, the control unit 200 authenticates the user. .

When the user is authenticated, the control unit 200 transmits the job list corresponding to the authenticated user to the second terminal device 40 that transmitted the job list request via the communication unit 290 (step S132; Yes → step S134). The job list corresponding to the authenticated user is a list containing information on jobs registered by the authenticated user. For example, control unit 200 reads from job information storage area 264 job information in which the user ID included in authentication information 462 received in step S130 is stored. Furthermore, based on the read job information, the control unit 200 generates a list in which the job ID, print data name, and registration date and time are associated with each job. Note that the control unit 200 sets the print data name based on the print data.

If the user cannot be authenticated in step S132, the control unit 200 transmits an error to the second terminal device 40 that transmitted the job list request via the communication unit 290 (step S132; No → step S136). ). For example, the control unit 200 transmits to the second terminal device 40 information indicating that user authentication has failed, such as an error message or an error value. If the control unit 200 does not receive the job list request and the authentication information 462 in step S130, it omits (skips) the above-described processes from step S132 to step S136 (step S130; No).

Subsequently, the control unit 200 determines whether or not a request for obtaining print data (print data request) has been received from the image forming apparatus 30 via the communication unit 290 (step S138). The print data request includes, for example, a job ID.

When receiving the print data request, the control unit 200 transmits the print data requested by the image forming apparatus 30 to the image forming apparatus 30 via the communication unit 290 based on the print data request (step S138; Yes→step S140). For example, control unit 200 reads job information stored with the job ID included in the print data request from among the job information stored in job information storage area 264 . Furthermore, the control unit 200 acquires print data stored in the read job information. The control unit 200 transmits the acquired print data to the image forming apparatus 30 . If the print data request is not received in step S138, the control unit 200 omits (skips) the above-described processing of step S140 (step S138; No).

[1.3.4 Image forming apparatus]
Next, processing executed by the image forming apparatus 30 will be described with reference to FIG. 12 . First, the control unit 300 determines whether or not an acquisition request has been received from the second terminal device 40 via the short-range wireless communication unit 385 (step S160). Here, the second terminal device 40 that has transmitted the acquisition request is the device that received the beacon signal transmitted by the image forming apparatus 30 in step S100 of FIG. 10 and executed the process of step S116.

When receiving the acquisition request, the control unit 300 transmits a print data request to the server device 20 via the communication unit 390 (step S160; Yes→step S162). For example, the control unit 300 acquires the job ID included in the acquisition request received in step S<b>160 , generates a print data request including the acquired job ID, and transmits the print data request to the server device 20 .

Subsequently, the control unit 300 acquires (receives) print data from the server device 20 via the communication unit 390 (step S164). Further, the control unit 300 executes a job (printing) for forming an image based on the acquired print data, thereby forming and outputting an image corresponding to the job (step S166). For example, control unit 300 executes printing by controlling image forming unit 330 in step S166. Note that, if the control unit 300 does not receive an acquisition request in step S160, it omits (skips) the above-described processing from step S162 to step S166 (step S160; No).

Subsequently, the control unit 300 determines whether or not a warm-up request has been received from the second terminal device 40 via the short-range wireless communication unit 385 (step S168). When receiving the warm-up request, the control unit 300 executes warm-up processing (step S168; Yes→step S170). The warm-up process is a process (recovery process) for putting the image forming apparatus 30 into a usable state (mode) when the image forming apparatus 30 is not in a usable state (mode) such as a sleep mode or a power saving mode. The control unit 300 executes, for example, a process of heating the fixing roller as the return process. If no warm-up request is received in step S168, control unit 300 omits (skips) the above-described processing of step S170 (step S168; No).

It should be noted that the devices included in the system 1 may change the order of the processes to be executed or add processes to be executed within a range consistent with the above description. For example, the control unit 400 of the second terminal device 40 continuously measures the radio wave intensity of the beacon signal, and compares the radio wave intensity of the beacon signal with the reference radio wave intensity. It may be continuously determined whether the is moving toward or away from the image forming device 30 . At this time, the control unit 400 may change the contents of the notification and the display method depending on whether the second terminal device 40 is approaching the image forming device 30 or not. By doing so, the user of the second terminal device 40 can grasp whether or not the user is approaching the image forming device 30 by looking at the notification.

[1.4 Operation example]
Next, an operation example in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16. FIG. First, with reference to FIG. 13, the outline of the operation will be described.

A user who desires printing performs a printing operation on the first terminal device 10 ((1) in FIG. 13). The first terminal device 10 acquires the print operation and transmits the print data and the authentication information 164 to the server device 20 ((2) in FIG. 13). The server device 20 performs user authentication and registers (stores) print data.

Next, while the user holds the second terminal device 40, the image forming device 30 moves to the vicinity of the installation location. Here, the image forming apparatus 30 transmits a beacon signal including server identification information ((3) in FIG. 13). The second terminal device 40 receives the beacon signal and displays the notification ((4) in FIG. 13).

On the other hand, the user may or may not operate the second terminal device 40 ((5) in FIG. 13). When the operation is performed, the second terminal device 40 receives the job list from the server device 20 identified based on the server identification information ((6) in FIG. 13).

Furthermore, the user selects a job from the job list for the second terminal device 40 . When the job is selected, the second terminal device 40 transmits an acquisition request to the image forming device 30 ((7) in FIG. 13). The image forming device 30 that has received the acquisition request transmits a print data request to the server device 20 ((8) in FIG. 13). As a result, the job to be executed is designated from the image forming apparatus 30 to the server apparatus 20 .

The server device 20 transmits the print data to the image forming device 30 based on the print data request ((9) in FIG. 13). As a result, the image forming apparatus 30 executes printing based on the print data.

By performing the operations from (1) to (9) in FIG. 13 described above, the user can execute printing on the image forming apparatus 30 simply by operating the second terminal device 40. becomes.

Further, if the second terminal device 40 can receive the beacon signal transmitted from the image forming device 30 , the second terminal device 40 can allow the user to operate the image forming device 30 . Accordingly, the user can cause the image forming apparatus 30 to print without moving to the vicinity of the image forming apparatus 30 or directly operating the image forming apparatus 30 .

On the other hand, the user does not have to operate the second terminal device 40 in (5) of FIG. 13 . In this case, when the user approaches the image forming device 30, the second terminal device 40 transmits a warm-up request to the image forming device 30 ((6-2) in FIG. 13).

As a result, the user who has registered the job in the server device 20 can cause the image forming device 30 to perform the warm-up process simply by approaching the image forming device 30 while holding the second terminal device 40 . . Since the image forming apparatus 30 has been warmed up in advance and has already started (is ready for use), the user can start image formation immediately after arriving at the installation location of the image forming apparatus 30 . The device 30 can now be used.

In this way, even if the user who registered the job in the server device 20 needs to come to the image forming device 30 , the image forming device 30 is configured to perform the job before the user gets to the image forming device 30 . A pre-operation (warm-up process) can be started. This also allows the user to reduce output latency.

On the other hand, even if there is a user who moves while holding the second terminal device 40 capable of receiving the beacon signal transmitted from the image forming device 30, in the following cases, the second terminal device 40 can receive the image forming device 30 is not sent a warm-up request.
- When the second terminal device 40 used by the user who registered the job did not approach the image forming apparatus 30 - When the second terminal device 40 used by the user who did not register the job approached the image forming apparatus 30 case

The above two cases are cases in which the user who desires printing is not near the image forming apparatus 30 . Thus, even if the beacon signal transmitted from the image forming apparatus 30 is received by the second terminal device 40, the warm-up request is not transmitted by itself.

In this manner, the second terminal device 40 transmits a warm-up signal based on whether or not the user using the second terminal device 40 has registered a job in the server device 20 . Therefore, the second terminal device 40 can avoid transmitting unnecessary warm-up signals.

Next, screens and notifications displayed on the display unit 440 of the second terminal device 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16. FIG. FIG. 14(a) is a diagram showing a screen W100 on which a notification E100 is displayed. By checking the notification E100, the user can know that there is unprocessed print data.

Here, the user can select the notification E100 by pressing the notification E100 as shown in (1) of FIG. 14(a). When the notification E100 is selected, the display unit 440 displays a screen W110 displaying a job list as shown in FIG. 14(b).

A list of job information is displayed on the screen W110. As the job information, for example, check boxes, print data names, and registration dates and times are displayed as shown in area E110 in FIG. 14B. The user can select print data by selecting a check box, as indicated at P110 in FIG. 14(b). One or more print data may be selectable.

Further, screen W110 includes a button B110 for executing printing. The user can cause the image forming apparatus 30 to execute a job (printing) for forming an image based on the selected print data by selecting the button B110 as shown at P112 in FIG. 14B. Become. Note that the screen W110 may include a button B112 for deleting the print data selected by the user.

FIG. 15 shows a screen W120 displaying a notification E120 indicating that warm-up is in progress. The screen shown in FIG. 15 is displayed on the display unit 440 of the second terminal device 40 after the second terminal device 40 has transmitted the warm-up request to the image forming device 30 . By checking the notification E120, the user can know that the image forming apparatus 30 is warming up.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of notification displayed on the display unit 440 of the second terminal device 40. As shown in FIG. In particular, FIGS. 16A to 16C are diagrams showing examples of notification when the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 is changed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16A, the shading of characters in the notification may be changed according to the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 . For example, when the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 is long, the letters of the notification are displayed lightly as indicated by E130. As shown at E132, the text of the notification may be displayed dark.

Also, as shown in FIG. 16B, the size of the characters in the notification may be changed according to the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 . For example, when the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 is long, the text of the notification is displayed in small size as indicated by E133, and as the second terminal device 40 approaches, the image forming devices 30, E134, As shown at E135, the text of the notification may be displayed in large size.

Also, as shown in FIG. 16C, the background color of the notification may change according to the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30. FIG. For example, when the distance between the second terminal device 40 and the image forming device 30 is long, the background color is displayed in blue (or light color) as shown at E136, and the closer the second terminal device 40 is, the more the image forming device is displayed. 30, E137, E138, the text of the notification may be displayed in large size.

Further, as shown in FIG. 16(d), information indicating that the beacon signal has been received from the second terminal device 40 may be included in the notification and displayed. The information indicating that the beacon signal has been received from the second terminal device 40 informs the user that the second terminal device 40 is nearby or that the second terminal device 40 that is present nearby can be used. (for example, that the power is on) can be grasped.

In the above description, the first terminal device 10 and the second terminal device 40 are different devices, but they may be the same device. Also, the image forming device 30 may provide the functions of the server device 20 .

Further, in the above description, the short-range wireless communication unit 385 of the image forming apparatus 30 and the short-range wireless communication unit 485 of the second terminal device 40 transmit and receive acquisition requests and warm-up requests. However, the acquisition request and warm-up request may be transmitted and received via a network via LAN or WAN using the communication unit 390 of the image forming apparatus 30 and the communication unit 490 of the second terminal device 40 .

According to this embodiment, the second terminal device receives a beacon signal transmitted from the image forming apparatus, and based on the received beacon signal, the second terminal device receives the job from the server device in which the job is stored. Get a job list of jobs registered by the user to use. In this case, the second terminal device displays a notification when the job list can be acquired. Thus, the second terminal device can display a notification indicating that there is a pending job based on the beacon signal transmitted from the image forming device in the vicinity of the second terminal device. Therefore, it is not necessary for the server device to constantly monitor the state of the image forming device (printing device) or to grasp the position of the user who held the print job. That is, according to the present embodiment, the second terminal device and the server device cooperate to appropriately provide the information of the image forming device and the notification to the user, without the server device executing a heavy-load process. be able to.

According to the present embodiment, the second terminal device stores information such as the job registration status, whether the user has operated the second terminal device, and whether the second terminal device has been brought closer to the image forming apparatus. Considering the state, the image forming apparatus is caused to perform warm-up processing. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when the user directly operates the image forming apparatus, the pre-operation can be started to make the image forming apparatus ready for use before the user arrives at the image forming apparatus. . At this time, the second terminal device executes the above-described processing based on having received server information from the image forming device through short-range wireless communication. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to use a server device for monitoring the position of the second terminal device.

On the other hand, if the user who registered the job is not near the image forming apparatus, or if the user has not registered the job even if the user is near the image forming apparatus, the second terminal apparatus performs image formation. Do not send a warmup request to the device. This allows the second terminal device to avoid sending unnecessary warm-up requests.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment receives print data from the server device based on an acquisition request transmitted from the second terminal device, and executes a job of forming (printing) an image based on the print data. do. Therefore, even if the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment cannot provide a user interface (UI) for receiving print data from the server device due to reasons such as low resolution of the display unit, the network print service can be provided to the user. can provide the functionality of Further, the user can cause the image forming apparatus to perform printing based on the print data without directly touching and operating the image forming apparatus.

[2. Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. Unlike the first embodiment, the second embodiment is an embodiment in which an acquisition request is transmitted not to the image forming apparatus but to the server apparatus. 6 of the first embodiment to FIG. 17, FIG. 10 of the first embodiment to FIG. 18, FIG. 11 of the first embodiment to FIG. 19, and FIG. 12 of the first embodiment. 20, respectively. Note that the same processes are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[2.1 Functional configuration]
In this embodiment, the system 1 includes an image forming device 32 instead of the image forming device 30 . FIG. 17 shows the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 32. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 17 , the image forming apparatus 32 does not include the short-range wireless communication unit 385 as compared with the image forming apparatus 30 . Therefore, although the image forming apparatus 32 can transmit beacon signals, it does not have a function (BLE function) for receiving requests via short-range wireless communication.

[2.2 Flow of processing]
Processing executed by the second terminal device 40, the server device 20, and the image forming device 32 in this embodiment will be described.

[2.2.1 Processing of Second Terminal Device]
Processing executed by the second terminal device 40 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 18 . In this embodiment, when a job is selected in step S114, the control unit 400 transmits a transmission request (third request) to the server device 20 via the communication unit 490 (step S200). A transmission request is a request for causing the server apparatus 20 to transmit a predetermined job to the image forming apparatus 32 . The transmission request includes, for example, a job ID and information on the image forming device 32 that has transmitted the beacon signal (for example, the address and identification information of the image forming device 32).

Further, in the present embodiment, when a job is selected in step S110, the control unit 400 turns off the screen display (step S110; No→step S202). For example, if the user does not operate for a predetermined time after displaying the notification in step S108, the control unit 400 determines that the job list display operation has not been performed. In this case, the control unit 400 turns off the backlight of the display unit 440 of the second terminal device 40, hides the notification, or displays the home screen or lock screen on the display unit 440.

[2.2.2 Server device processing]
Processing executed by the server device 20 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 19 . In this embodiment, the control unit 200 of the server device 20 determines whether or not a transmission request has been received from the second terminal device 40 via the communication unit 290 (step S230).

When receiving the transmission request, the control unit 200 acquires information necessary for communicating with the image forming apparatus 32, which is the transmission destination of the print data (step S232). The information of the image forming device 32 is, for example, information such as the address and port number of the image forming device 32 . For example, the control unit 200 acquires information about the image forming device 32 by the following method.
(1) If the transmission request includes information on the image forming apparatus 32, the control unit 200 directly acquires the information on the image forming apparatus 32 from the transmission request.
(2) If the transmission request includes the identification information of the image forming apparatus 32, the control unit 200 acquires information corresponding to the identification information.

When acquiring information about the image forming device 32 by the method (2), the control unit 300 creates a table that associates the identification information of the image forming device 32 with information such as the address of the image forming device 32, for example. It is stored in the storage unit 360 in advance. In this case, the control unit 300 acquires information corresponding to the identification information of the image forming apparatus 32 by reading it from the table.

Subsequently, the control unit 300 transmits print data to the image forming device 32 based on the information of the image forming device 32 acquired in step S232 (step S234). The processing in step S232 is the same as the processing in step S140 in the first embodiment. If the control unit 300 does not receive a transmission request in step S230, it omits (skips) the processes in steps S232 and S234 described above (step S230; No).

[2.2.3 Processing of Image Forming Apparatus]
Processing executed by the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 32 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the control unit 300 determines whether print data has been received from the server device 20 via the communication unit 390 (step S260).

When the print data is received from the server device 20, the control unit 300 executes a job (printing) for forming an image based on the print data (step S260; Yes→step S166). If the print data is not received, the control unit 300 omits (skips) the process of step S166 (step S260; No).

[2.3 Operation example]
An overview of the operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. (1) to (6) shown in FIG. 21 are the same as (1) to (6) shown in FIG. 13 of the first embodiment.

After the job list is transmitted from the server device 20 to the second terminal device 40 in (6) of FIG. 21 , the user selects a job from the job list for the second terminal device 40 . When the job is selected, the second terminal device 40 transmits a transmission request to the server device 20 ((7) in FIG. 21).

When receiving the transmission request, the server device 20 transmits the print data to the image forming device 32 based on the transmission request ((8) in FIG. 21). As a result, the image forming apparatus 32 executes printing based on the print data.

As described above, the second terminal device according to the present embodiment can cause the image forming device to execute a job by transmitting a transmission request to the server device instead of the image forming device. Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, based on the reception of print data from the server apparatus, simply executes a job for forming an image based on the print data, thereby providing the user with the functions of the network print service. can provide. At this time, the image forming apparatus does not directly communicate with the terminal device. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the job selected by the user is executed by the image forming apparatus even if the image forming apparatus does not have a function of performing short-range wireless communication.

[3. Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. The third embodiment is an embodiment in which, when beacon signals are received from a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the second terminal device selects an image forming apparatus to be processed from a plurality of image system apparatuses. 10 of the first embodiment is replaced with FIG. 22, and FIG. 12 of the first embodiment is replaced with FIG. 23, respectively. Note that the same processes are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that a plurality of image forming apparatuses 30 are connected to the network NW.

[3.1 Flow of processing]
[3.1.1 Processing of Second Terminal Device]
Processing executed by the second terminal device 40 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 22 . In this embodiment, after receiving a beacon signal in step S100, the control unit 400 determines whether or not a plurality of beacon signals have been received (step S300). For example, the control unit 400 determines whether beacon signals have been received from a plurality of image forming apparatuses 30 within a predetermined period of time (for example, one second) (step S300).

When receiving beacon signals from a plurality of image forming apparatuses 30, the control unit 400 identifies each of the image forming apparatuses 30 that have transmitted the beacon signals (step S300; Yes→step S302). For example, the image forming apparatus 30 transmits a beacon signal after including identification information for specifying the image forming apparatus 30 in the beacon signal. On the other hand, the control unit 400 identifies the image forming apparatus 30 by reading the identification information included in the beacon signal for each received beacon signal.

Subsequently, the control unit 400 acquires information about the server device 20 from one beacon signal (step S102), and further acquires a job list by executing the processes in steps S104 and S106.

Subsequently, when the job list can be acquired, the control unit 400 acquires information on the image forming apparatus 30 specified in step S302 (step S304). For example, the control unit 400 communicates with each of the image forming apparatuses 30 identified in step S<b>302 and receives information about the image forming apparatuses 30 from the image forming apparatuses 30 . At this time, the control unit 400 uses the information of the image forming apparatus 30 as the information of the specifications of the image forming apparatus 30 (print speed information, print quality information, etc.) and the status information of the image forming apparatus 30 (input job (waiting time until is executed, etc.).

Information on the image forming device 30 may be stored in the server device 20 . In this case, the control unit 400 acquires information about the image forming device 30 by communicating with the server device 20 . Information on the image forming device 30 may also be stored in the storage unit 460 of the second terminal device 40 . In this case, the control unit 400 acquires information about the image forming apparatus 30 by reading the storage unit 460 . Also, the information of the image forming device 30 may be included in the beacon signal transmitted by the image forming device 30 .

Subsequently, the control unit 400 selects one image forming apparatus 30 from among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 30 identified in step S302 (step S306). For example, the control unit 400 selects one image forming apparatus 30 by the following method.
Selecting the image forming apparatus 30 with the fastest printing speed Selecting the image forming apparatus 30 with the highest print quality Selecting the image forming apparatus 30 with the shortest waiting time until the job is executed

Note that the control unit 400 may select the image forming apparatus 30 by a method other than the method described above. Also, the control unit 400 may select the image forming apparatus 30 by combining the above-described methods. For example, if there are a plurality of image forming apparatuses 30 with the shortest waiting time until a job is executed, the control unit 400 further selects the image forming apparatus 30 with the fastest printing speed from those image forming apparatuses 30. .

Subsequently, the control unit 400 displays a notification regarding the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306 (step S308). Furthermore, the control unit 400 selects the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306 as the processing execution target for the processing from step S116 to step S120.

For example, in step S116, the control unit 400 transmits an acquisition request to the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306. Thereby, the control unit 400 can limit the image forming apparatus 30 to execute the job to one image forming apparatus 30 .

Also, in step S118, the control unit 400 determines whether or not the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306 is approached. When the controller 400 approaches the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306, in step S120, the controller 400 transmits a warm-up request to the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306. As a result, the control unit 400 can limit the image forming apparatus 30 to perform the warm-up process to one image forming apparatus 30, and the unnecessary warm-up process can be performed on the other image forming apparatuses 30. can be suppressed.

In this way, the control unit 400 transmits requests such as acquisition requests and warm-up requests only to the image forming apparatus 30 selected in step S306.

[3.1.2 Processing of Image Forming Apparatus]
Processing executed by the image forming apparatus 30 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the control unit 300 executes a notification operation when receiving an acquisition request (step S160; Yes→step S360). Control unit 300 also executes a notification operation when a warm-up request is received (step S168; Yes→step S362).

The notification operation is an operation of notifying the user of the location and state of the image forming apparatus 30 by outputting light or sound. For example, the image forming apparatus 30 blinks the display section 340 as the notification operation.

Note that the image forming apparatus 30 may include an output device (for example, a speaker) for outputting sound, and the notification operation may be performed by outputting the sound from the speaker. Further, the image forming apparatus 30 may include a light source (e.g., a lamp such as a light emitting diode) that can be turned on and off separately from the display unit 340, and may perform the notification operation by controlling the light source. .

If the control unit 400 determines in step S300 that it has not received a plurality of beacon signals, it performs the same processing as in the first embodiment (processing from step S102 to step S120 in FIG. 10).

Further, in the above description, the controller 400 of the second terminal device 40 selects one image forming device 30 based on the information of the image forming device 30 in step S306. However, the control unit 400 may select one image forming apparatus 30 after the user selects a job.

In this case, control unit 400 executes the process in step S308 after step S114, not after step S306. Further, the control unit 400 selects one image forming apparatus 30 according to the job selected by the user. For example, the control unit 400 narrows down the image forming apparatuses 30 capable of executing the job selected by the user, and then selects the image forming apparatus 30 based on the specifications and conditions of the image forming apparatuses 30 .

[3.2 Operation example]
An outline of the operation in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 24A is a screen displayed on the display unit 440 of the second terminal device 40, showing a screen W300 on which a notification E300 is displayed. The notification E300 may include the name E302 of the image forming apparatus 30 selected as a processing target and an explanation E304 regarding the notification operation of the image forming apparatus 30 . By confirming the name E302 and the description E304 of the image forming apparatus 30, the user can grasp the image forming apparatus 30 on which the job will be executed and the image forming apparatus 30 on which the warm-up process will be performed.

FIG. 24B is a diagram showing a case where one image forming apparatus 30 among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 30 is performing the notification operation. For example, when the operation of blinking the display unit 440 is performed as the notification operation, only the display unit of one of the image forming apparatuses 30 blinks as shown in FIG. . By finding the image forming apparatus 30 whose display section is blinking from among the plurality of image forming apparatuses 30, the user can find the image forming apparatus 30 on which the job is executed or the image forming apparatus 30 on which the warm-up process has been performed. can be identified.

Note that when the present embodiment is applied to the second embodiment, the image forming apparatus 32 may perform the notification operation after executing the processing in step S166 of FIG. That is, in this case, the image forming device 32 performs the notification operation via the server device 20 . By doing so, the user can identify the image forming apparatus 32 on which the job was executed.

According to the second terminal device of the present embodiment, even when receiving beacon signals from a plurality of image forming devices, it is possible to transmit a request to one image forming device. Further, according to the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, by executing a notification operation when a request is received, the user is notified that a job is being executed and that warm-up processing is being performed. can do.

[4. Modification]
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. That is, the technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by combining technical means appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention.

In addition, although the above-described embodiments are described separately for convenience of explanation, it is of course possible to combine them within the technically possible range. For example, the second embodiment and the third embodiment may be combined. In this case, the image forming apparatus executes the notification operation when receiving print data or when receiving a warm-up request. Thereby, the image forming apparatus can notify the user that the job has been executed and that the warm-up process is being performed.

In addition, the program that operates in each device in the embodiment is a program that controls the CPU and the like (a program that causes the computer to function) so as to implement the functions of the above-described embodiments. Information handled by these devices is temporarily stored in a temporary storage device (for example, RAM) during processing, and then stored in storage devices such as various ROMs (Read Only Memory) and HDDs. The data is read, corrected, and written by the CPU.

Here, as recording media for storing programs, semiconductor media (eg, ROM, non-volatile memory cards, etc.), optical recording media/magneto-optical recording media (eg, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), MO (Magneto Optical Disc), MD (Mini Disc), CD (Compact Disc), BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), etc.), magnetic recording media (e.g., magnetic tape, flexible disc, etc.), etc. . By executing the loaded program, the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized. In some cases, inventive features are realized.

When distributed to the market, the program can be stored in a portable recording medium for distribution, or transferred to a server computer connected via a network such as the Internet. In this case, of course, the storage device of the server computer is also included in the present invention. Moreover, the configuration in the embodiment described above is an example, and may be changed. For example, each device may be configured by a chip (SoC: System-on-a-chip) integrating a control unit and a communication unit.

1 system 10 first terminal device 100 control unit 140 display unit 150 operation unit 160 storage unit 162 content data storage area 164 authentication information 190 communication unit 20 server device 200 control unit 260 storage unit 262 user information storage area 264 job information storage area 290 communication unit 30 image forming apparatus 300 control unit 302 image processing unit 304 beacon signal transmission control unit 320 image input unit 330 image forming unit 340 display unit 350 operation unit 360 storage unit 362 server information 364 job information storage area 380 beacon signal transmission unit 390 communication unit 40 second terminal device 400 control unit 440 display unit 450 operation unit 460 storage unit 462 authentication information 464 job list 480 beacon signal reception unit 490 communication unit

Claims (9)

A receiving unit for receiving a signal, a display unit, and a control unit,
The control unit
determining whether or not there is a job registered by a user in a server for registering jobs when the signal is received from the image forming apparatus through the receiving unit;
A terminal device, wherein when the job exists, a notification indicating that the job exists is displayed on the display unit. further comprising a short-range wireless communication unit,
When the job exists, the control unit transmits a first request to acquire the job from the server to the image forming apparatus that transmitted the signal via the short-range wireless communication unit. The terminal device according to claim 1. The control unit
If there is the job, a second request for making the image forming apparatus ready for use is transmitted to the image forming apparatus via the short-range wireless communication unit when the image forming apparatus is approached, and the job is performed. 3. The terminal device according to claim 2, wherein the terminal device suppresses transmission of the second request when there is no . further comprising a communication unit,
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the job exists, the control unit transmits to the server via the communication unit a third request for transmitting the job from the server to the image forming apparatus. Terminal equipment as described. When the control unit receives the signals from a plurality of image forming apparatuses,
5. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein information of one image forming device selected from a plurality of image forming devices is displayed on the display unit. 6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the signal is received, the control unit displays information indicating that the signal has been received from the image forming apparatus on the display unit. Terminal equipment as described. A transmitting unit that transmits a signal, a short-range wireless communication unit, an image forming unit that forms an image, and a control unit,
The control unit
When a request to acquire a job registered in a server is received via the short-range wireless communication unit from a terminal device that has received the signal transmitted by the transmission unit, the job is acquired from the server based on the request. Acquired,
An image forming apparatus, wherein an image corresponding to the job is formed via the image forming unit by executing the job. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit performs a notification operation when receiving the request. A system including an image forming device and a terminal device,
The image forming device transmits a signal,
The terminal device
determining whether or not there is a job registered by a user when the signal is received from the image forming apparatus via short-range wireless communication;
A system characterized by displaying a notification indicating that the job exists, if the job exists.

Images