JP2001045207A - Image formating system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image forming system capable of solving various problems on a network in addition to a problem for automatically setting up an identification(ID) number in an image processor such as a copying machine. SOLUTION: The image forming system connects plural image forming devices 10 to a network N1, a certain image forming device 10 determines a server by mutually comparing the ID information of respective image forming devices 10 and transmits picture data through the network N1 to form an image. The ID information can be automatically set up by using an MAC address.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming system which solves various problems on a network, including a problem of automatically setting an identification number in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional copying machine is connected to a network and transmits image data to each other by tandem operation to form an image. In the copying machine that performs the tandem operation, a server (service providing) for centrally managing each copying machine is separately prepared, and manages transmission of image data between the copying machines.

In this conventional copying machine, a server for centrally managing each copying machine must be provided separately, and there is a load on facilities. A copier that performs a tandem operation by simply broadcasting the image data and sending the data to all the copiers can be considered, but it is not preferable because large image data flows through the entire network.

[0004] Therefore, there is a copying machine which can perform a tandem operation on a network without separately providing a server for centralized management.

In this copying machine, a resident communication program of each copying machine compares ID numbers (identification information) assigned to each copying machine, and determines one of the plurality of copying machines as a server. The determined copying machine manages another copying machine as a client as a server.

[0006]

However, the conventional tandem copier has the following problems.

A resident program of each copying machine compares ID numbers and determines a server from a plurality of copying machines. This server manages another copying machine as a client.
The setting of the ID number of the copying machine needs to be input and set by the user, and the input of the ID number is cumbersome and it is necessary to consider automatic setting.

A copying machine that performs this tandem operation includes:
When two or more networks provided with copiers that perform tandem operations are connected, it is necessary to smoothly perform tandem processing with copiers located on other networks that are farther away.

A copying machine that performs the tandem operation includes:
When two or more networks equipped with copiers that perform tandem operations are connected, the copier connected to the network may have a shorter tandem processing time due to the effects of other devices on the network. The case may not be constant. The user wants to keep track of how much tandem processing is progressing, but cannot grasp the situation without knowing the situation of the network. It is necessary to reduce user dissatisfaction in such cases.

Further, in the above-described copying machine that performs the tandem operation, when two or more networks provided with the copying machines that perform the tandem operation are connected, communication between the copying machines connected to the network is performed by another connected device. Could be eavesdropped on or transmitted false information. Processing commands (control instruction information) between copiers performing tandem operations
May be analyzed and misused, and in such a case, it may cause a malfunction, and it is necessary to increase the confidentiality of the communication contents so that the communication is not disturbed by other devices.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is an image forming system which has solved various problems on a network, including a problem of automatically setting an identification number in an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine. The purpose is to provide.

[0012]

Therefore, an image forming system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses compare the identification information provided for each image forming apparatus with a server. Is determined, and the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address in a tandem image forming system that transmits image data through a network to form an image.

Also, in the image forming system of the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for each of the image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data through an image forming apparatus, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the server performs an arbitration operation between copiers connected to two or more networks. To transmit image data.

Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data through an image forming apparatus, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus is capable of grasping a processing state on an operation panel. Was provided.

Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data and forms an image, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus transmits control instruction information used for exchanging information during a tandem operation. It was configured to encrypt.

FIG. 1 is an overall view for explaining an image forming system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a connection state of a copying machine 10 that performs a tandem operation, and a network N1 (in addition, an information device 20 is also connected) to which a plurality of copying machines 10A, 10B, 10C,. , A network N2 having the same configuration as the network N1, a network N1 and a network N2.
And a router R12 that enables communication between the respective copying machines 10.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a copying machine 10 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the copier 10 includes an Ethernet network controller (NIC) 11 connected to the common bus 1 and a copier 10.
, A scanner 13 for reading an image from a document, a printer 14 for forming an image signal as an image on a recording medium such as recording paper, and a storage unit 15
Image processing unit 16, processing status display 17,
A control unit 18 connected to these for controlling the whole;
Image reading and image formation are performed. The copier 10 can always execute a network resident communication program (hereinafter, referred to as a “tandem program”), and can exchange data using socket communication.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

First, the copying machine 10 which performs a tandem operation for automatically setting an ID number (identification number) will be described.

The copiers 10A, 10B, 10C... Exchange image data via the network N1 and perform communication, and operate a tandem program to convert arbitrary data to tandem programs of all the copiers 10 in the network. Delivery communication is possible.

An ID number unique to one network (eg, an IP address value in the Internet)
When a plurality of copying machines 10 having are connected, each ID number is compared by a tandem program,
For example, a server and a client are automatically determined with the smallest one as a server. Therefore, the ID number is automatically set.

A unique MAC address is added to each of the network devices NIC11. M
The AC address is represented by 48 bits (6 bytes) and is represented by M
The first 3 bytes from SB are OU determined for each manufacturer
The I code is used, and the remaining three bytes use a serial number that can be added by the manufacturer.

By the above-described automatic setting of the unique ID number, it is not necessary to manually set the ID number for each unit, and the trouble of inputting the ID number by the user can be eliminated.

A copying machine 1 that performs the above-described tandem operation
In the case of 0, communication is performed by TCP / IP when information and data are exchanged. In this case, a necessary IP address is converted using a serial number of each MAC manufacturer, thereby automatically identifying a unique IP address in the network. Can also be set.

If the IP address is a single network without a subnet using a private address area, up to about 16.77 million (2563) hosts can be handled, and a copying machine that performs tandem operation 10, a sufficient IP address space can be secured. For this conversion, for example, 00: 50: a for the private address network 10.0.0.0
Copy machine 1 having a MAC such as a: 00: 00: 01
0 indicates the IP value of the MAC value as 10.0.0.1 (the first byte is the first byte of the private address, and the next three bytes are the three bytes of the MAC serial number that can be added by the manufacturer). And the like.

It should be noted that TCP stands for Transmission
n Control Protocol (Transmission Control Protocol) is a communication protocol for ensuring that packets arrive correctly. IP is an Internet protocol.
Protocol (inter-network protocol) is a communication protocol for delivering a packet from a transmitting network to a receiving network.

Next, two or more networks N1, N2
The tandem processing of the copying machine 10 that performs a tandem operation and is connected to is described.

The copying machine 1 that performs tandem operation and is connected to two or more networks N1, N2,.
Even in the case of 0, since the server is determined by the ID number in each network, this server performs an arbitration operation between the copying machines and performs the arbitration operation between two or more networks N1 and N2.
. Can be transmitted, and tandem processing can be performed in consideration of ease of use for the user.

Next, the processing status display 17 of the copier 10 performing the tandem operation will be described.

In the copying machine 10 that performs the tandem operation, the processing execution time may not be constant due to delays in the tandem operation itself depending on network conditions.

For this purpose, the copying machine 10 performing a tandem operation
As shown in FIG. 2, the copying machine 10 is provided with a processing status display 17 so that the user does not complain about waiting for processing. The processing status display 17 displays the processing status so that the user can always grasp the processing status, and can prevent the user from being dissatisfied.

More specifically, the progress of the processing is graphically displayed on an operation panel on a liquid crystal display, a monitor, or the like, such as a numerical value such as a percentage, or a bar graph, so that the state up to the end of the processing can be grasped.

Further, the copying machine 10 that performs a tandem operation with encryption will be described.

The copier 10 that performs tandem operation on the networks N1, N2... Transmits control instruction information in the form of packets for exchanging information during tandem operation, and these are data strings handled in the tandem program. Is transmitted as it is in a packet, so that devices on the same network can intercept and analyze the contents.

If a packet in accordance with the tandem processing content is transmitted from another device (for example, the information device 20) to the copying machine 10 when the communication content is analyzed, it may cause a malfunction and a normal tandem operation is not performed. You cannot do it.

Therefore, the control instruction information is encrypted so that the contents of the packet cannot be determined by simply intercepting the packet. The control instruction information is a data string, and any encryption method can be applied. By encrypting this control instruction information, the confidentiality of the communication content can be improved without communication interruption by other devices.

As described above, the image forming system according to the embodiment of the present invention solves various problems on the network including the problem of automatic setting of identification information to an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine. Can be.

[0037]

According to the image forming system of the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification information provided for each of the image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data and forms an image, the identification information is configured to be automatically set by using a MAC address.
This eliminates the need to manually set a unique ID number for each unit, thereby eliminating the trouble of the user inputting the ID number.

Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data through an image forming apparatus, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the server performs an arbitration operation between copiers connected to two or more networks. Is performed to transmit image data, so that tandem processing can be performed in consideration of ease of use for the user.

Further, in the image forming system according to the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data through an image forming apparatus, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus is capable of grasping a processing state on an operation panel. , The processing status can be always grasped for the user, and the user can be prevented from being dissatisfied.

Further, in the image forming system of the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, and the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses. In a tandem image forming system that transmits image data and forms an image, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus transmits control instruction information used for exchanging information during a tandem operation. Since the encryption is used, communication is not obstructed by other devices, and the confidentiality of the communication contents can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view for explaining an image forming system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a copying machine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Common bus 10 Copier 11 NIC 17 Processing status display N1 network N2 network R12 router

Claims (4)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus is connected to a network, the image forming apparatus determines a server by comparing identification information provided for each image forming apparatus, and transmits image data through the network to form an image. The identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address in the tandem image forming system. 2. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a network; the image forming apparatuses determining a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses; In the tandem image forming system performing the above, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the server
An image forming system, which performs arbitration between copiers connected to two or more networks to transmit image data. 3. A plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, the image forming apparatuses determine a server by comparing identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses, and transmit image data through the network to form an image. In the tandem image forming system for performing the above, the identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus is provided with a processing status display means capable of grasping a processing status on an operation panel. Image forming system. 4. An image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network, the image forming apparatuses compare identification numbers provided for the respective image forming apparatuses, determine a server, transmit image data through the network, and perform image forming. The identification information is automatically set by using a MAC address, and the image forming apparatus encrypts control instruction information used to exchange information during a tandem operation. Image forming system.