JP2002044330A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device that displays an advertisement or a mail open to public on the Internet on its display only for a prescribed time slot while no image is formed. SOLUTION: A displayable time slot and a desired sales monetary amount are registered to the image forming device provided with an original feed section, an original platen, an image forming section and the display section in order to allow the display section to display an advertisement or a mail only for a prescribed time slot (S102, S103), the image forming device transmits the registered displayable time slot and desired sales monetary amount onto the Internet through a communication channel (S104), receives a purchase desired signal to allow the display section to display the advertisement or the mail for a prescribed time slot on the Internet, records the purchase desired time and the purchase desired monetary amount and permits the display section to display the received advertisement or mail on the display section when the recorded purchase desired time is within the registered time slot and the purchase desired monetary amount is equal to or higher than the registered desired sales monetary amount (S111).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a facsimile which displays an image of a received advertisement or mail on a display unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a facsimile, a display unit is enlarged and various images are displayed. For example, an image read by an image reading device or an image previously stored in a memory is displayed on a display unit before forming an image on a sheet, and the image is formed by a subsequent operation.

Further, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are set as a group, the image is transmitted to another image forming apparatus in the group, and the user moves to display an image received by another image forming apparatus. After displaying and confirming the image on the unit, image processing may be performed using the provided special function to form an image.

[0004]

In the above-described image forming apparatus, since the display unit is turned off and nothing is displayed except for the image forming operation, the image forming apparatus is not fully utilized by the user. there were.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of displaying an advertisement or mail published on the Internet on a display unit for a predetermined period of time while no image forming operation is performed. To provide.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention mainly employs the following configuration.

In an image forming apparatus provided with a document feeding section, a document table, an image forming section, a sheet feeding section, a sheet discharging section, and a display section, an advertisement or a mail is displayed on the display section for a predetermined time period. Register the displayable time period and desired sales amount, transmit the registered time period and the desired sales amount on the Internet through a communication line, and display an advertisement or mail on the Internet at a predetermined time period on the display unit. Receiving the purchase request signal to record the desired purchase time and the desired purchase amount, and the recorded desired purchase time is within the registered time zone, and the desired purchase amount is registered. An image forming apparatus that permits the display unit to display the received advertisement or mail when the desired sales price is equal to or higher than the desired sales price.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure for displaying an advertisement or an e-mail using the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a view schematically showing the structure of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration related to a control system of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 2A, a digital copying machine as an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an automatic document feeder bag (hereinafter, referred to as ADF) 1, an image forming unit 2, Double-sided unit 3, multiple paper supply units 4, ...
Are sequentially provided, and a paper discharge unit 5 is provided on the left side portion.

ADF1 is, as shown in FIG.
The image forming unit 2 is attached to the upper surface of the image forming unit 2 so as to be openable and closable. The image forming unit 2 includes a document table 6 made of a transparent glass plate on the upper surface. Below this platen 6,
A document reading unit (hereinafter, referred to as a scanner) 7 is provided, and the scanner 7 scans a document placed on a document table 6 to read image information drawn on the document. Will be

A reading document detecting sensor 2a for detecting the presence of a document on the document table 6 near the scanner 7.
However, at a corner position on the upper surface of the image forming unit 2,
An ADF open / close sensor 2b for detecting the open / closed state of the ADF 1 is provided.

ADF1 is, as shown in FIG.
On its upper surface, a document feed tray 1a and a document discharge tray 1b
An ADF document detection sensor 1 for detecting the presence or absence of a document on the tray 1a is provided on the document feed tray 1a.
c is attached. The sensor 1c outputs a signal that switches on when a document is placed on the document feed tray 1a and turns off when the document is not placed.

When the ADF open / close sensor 2b and the ADF original detection sensor 1c are both in the ON state, that is, when the ADF 1 is closed and a plurality of originals are stacked on the original feed tray 1a. In the operation mode in which the originals are copied and output, the lowermost original of the stacked originals is sent from the upper side of the original feed tray 1a to the lower surface of the ADF 1, that is, to the upper surface of the original table 6. Then, the document is temporarily stopped on the document table 6, the image is read by scanning by the scanner 7, and then sent out from the document table 6 to the document discharge tray 1b.

Such an operation is repeated until there are no more documents on the document feed tray 1a, that is, until the detection signal from the ADF document saving sensor 1c is turned off.
The ADF 1 is further provided with a function of reversing the original as an option.

The image forming section 2 includes a photosensitive drum, a developing device, and a fixing device (not shown) therein, and includes image information read by the scanner 7 and a received advertisement or a stored advertisement stored therein as described later. On the basis of the image information of the mail, an image is formed on the paper fed from the paper feeding units 4. The duplex unit 3 has a function of reversing a sheet on which an image is formed on one side in the image forming group 2 in the duplex mode, and feeds the reversed sheet to the image forming unit 2 again. Thus, copying is performed on both sides of the sheet.

A3, A4, B
In a copy operation, a cassette is provided for accommodating sheets of different sizes such as B4 and B5, and sheets are supplied to the image forming unit 2 one by one from a sheet supply unit 4 for accommodating sheets of a selected size.

Next, a configuration of a control system for controlling the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The control system 30 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a CPU) 31 that also functions as an output control unit for operation mode setting manual operation and operation setting, an emphasis processing control unit, and a processing unit at the time of mismatch. This CPU 31
Are connected via a data bus 37 to a program ROM 32, a data ROM (image storage means, for example, EPROM) 33, a data RAM 34, a nonvolatile storage means (hereinafter referred to as NVRAM) 35, and a hard disk 36.

The program ROM 32 stores a program for actually controlling the digital copying machine.
The data ROM 33 stores received advertisement or mail image data.

On the other hand, the image data read by the scanner 7 is stored in the RAM 34, and the contents set on the operation panel are stored in the NVRAM 35 which retains the stored data even when the power is turned off. The hard disk 36 stores read image data, received advertisement or mail image data, and the like, which are retained even when the power is turned off.

Further, the control of the scanner 7 by the CPU 31 and the transfer of image data read by the scanner 7 to the data RAM 34 are performed between the CPU 31 and the scanner control unit 40 via the scanner I / F 44. Further, communication of a command signal for starting the operation of the ADF 1 and a detection signal of the ADF original detection sensor 1c are performed.
CPU 31 and ADF control unit 4 via ADFI / F45
It is done by the question with 1.

The control system 30 is further provided with an external I / F 46 for communicating with external devices, and although not shown, a FAX modem I / F.
It also has. CP via this FAX modem I / F
The U31 can control a FAX modem, transmit image data from the digital copying machine through a public line, or receive image data from the outside.

Next, a description will be given of a system configuration for a flow of online sales of an advertisement using an image forming apparatus.

A sales agency that occupies, owns, or uses a digital copying machine and sells advertisements or the like by displaying advertisements or mails on the display unit of the digital copying machine may publish the advertisements or mails on the Internet, for example. To the company doing the image forming work with the digital copier,
The display unit is lent out only for a predetermined time period, and an advertisement or an e-mail is displayed. Instead, the loan must be paid to the designated account. Here, the seller transmits such information from the digital copying machine to the Internet in order to inform the advertisement or mail publishing company of lending and usage fees during a predetermined time period.

[0024] When a company that publishes advertisements or e-mails on the Internet determines that this will lead to an increase in the company's publicity, it sends a predetermined advertisement or e-mail and specifies the fee. Transfer to the account.

The seller confirms that the advertisement or e-mail has been received, and if the fee has been transferred to the designated account, transmits to the company that the contract has been established, The received advertisement or mail is displayed on a display unit of a predetermined image forming apparatus.

[0026] While displaying the advertisement or mail on the image forming apparatus, the selling agency transmits the advertisement or mail on the image forming apparatus by a display signal periodically transmitted from the apparatus via a public line. Confirm that it is displayed in.

Next, the operation of the control system configuration for displaying an advertisement or mail image on the display unit of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. This control procedure is assumed to be stored in advance in the program ROM 32 in FIG.

First, when an advertisement key on the operation panel of the digital copying machine is input (step 101), the display unit is rented out to advertise a product or the like of a company that discloses an advertisement or mail on the Internet. Time zone for displaying advertisements or e-mails (aml 0:00 to pm 5:00)
The contracted day of the week (Monday to Friday) is set by an input key (not shown) (step 102). Further, in the set time zone, a desired sales amount and an address name (or a company name) are also input with an input key (step 103), and transmitted on the Internet through a public line (step 1).
04). In other words, this is a flow in which the occupation, possession, or use of the digital copying machine informs the outside of the digital copying machine of the details in order to obtain a contract for performing an advertisement or the like on the display unit.

Further, in the image forming apparatus, for example, when a plurality of units in one building are grouped and set, a desired amount can be calculated based on the number of units in the group. Then, a plurality of units are sold as a group and the number of units is also transmitted. If the number and sales source are schools and public facilities, their names (schools and public facilities)
Is also transmitted over the Internet via a public line.

By doing so, for example, when an advertising company on the Internet wants to sell stationery, new product printers, personal computers, etc., the advertising power for certain users is surely improved. Even if the rental advertisement sales amount is set to a high value, it is expected that the number of users who want to use the advertisement will increase.

When the image forming apparatus is installed or the sales contract for the advertisement is canceled, the sales amount for displaying the advertisement or the like can be changed, and can also be changed depending on the day of the week.

If the advertisement key is not input in step 101, the process proceeds to the next step. If the start key on the operation panel is input (step 105), a prescan of the original is executed (step 106), and the CCD line is input. The presence / absence of the original, the type of the original, and the like are determined based on the image information from the sensor. As a result, if it is determined that there is no original, the process ends without doing anything. If it is determined that there is a document, the document is copied in the set copy mode (step 107).

The above algorithm (control procedure)
The same applies to the case where the DF is used, and a copy is performed in a set copy mode each time a document is brought one by one by the ADF. The above operations are executed as a series of copying operations until it is determined that there is no original.

When the image forming apparatus performs the image forming operation, the operation procedure for the image forming operation is displayed on the display unit with priority, even during the contracted time period. By doing so, there is no problem that the operation procedure is not understood. Further, when performing the image forming operation, this image forming apparatus reduces the image of the advertisement or the mail without erasing the image if it is in the contracted time zone, for example, to a part (corner) where nothing is displayed. It can also be displayed.

Next, if the start key for the image forming operation is not input in step 105, the process proceeds to the next step.
It is determined whether a sales contract for the time period has already been completed (step 108). If the contract has been made, the image forming apparatus is connected to the contractor via the public line, and displays the image data of the advertisement or mail received for a predetermined time period on the display unit (step 109).

The occupant, owner, or user of the image forming apparatus (a renter of an advertisement or the like) periodically displays the advertisement or mail on the image forming apparatus via the public line. , It is confirmed that the advertisement or the mail is displayed on the image forming apparatus.

Further, when the image forming apparatus cannot display the advertisement or the mail received due to the machine trouble, taking this into consideration, another image forming apparatus which is preferentially set in the group (for example, in the same building, (A device located at another location). By doing so, the contracted advertisement or mail is always displayed on the display unit of some image forming apparatus, so that the advertising power is not reduced. In addition, the contracted advertisement or email,
The information may be displayed on the display units of all the image forming apparatuses registered as a group.

This image forming apparatus can form an image on a sheet to obtain an image of the received advertisement or mail.

If a sales contract for the time period has not been made yet, a signal indicating that the user wants to purchase the time period is received on the Internet, and the desired time and amount of the purchase of an advertisement or the like are recorded in the recording means of the image forming apparatus. It is confirmed whether or not it has been performed (step 110). If it is determined in step 110 that the desired time and the amount of money are not recorded in the recording means, steps 101 to 110 are repeatedly executed until the desired time and the amount of money are recorded in the recording means.

If the desired time and the amount of money for purchase are recorded in the recording means at step 110, the process proceeds to the next step. It is checked whether the price is within the range and the purchase price is higher than the desired price of the advertisement lending destination registered in advance (step 111).

As a result, if any one of the conditions is not satisfied, a message that the contract is not established is sent to the advertisement purchase applicant on the Internet via a public line. If both of the conditions are satisfied, the desired purchase time and amount are stored in the recording means (step 112), and the data RO
In M33, reception of the image data of the advertisement or the mail via the public line is started.

When the received image is not suitable for an advertisement, the image forming apparatus gives a message to the effect that the image cannot be sold (for example, this image cannot be displayed on the display unit of the apparatus) and informs the purchaser of the advertisement. Reply.

When the reception of the advertisement or mail image data from the advertisement purchaser is completed, the process returns to the start position (step 113).

[0044]

According to the present invention, the advertisement or mail contracted and received on the display unit is displayed only for a predetermined time period.
This has the effect of increasing the advertising power as compared with a company that sells merchandise by advertisement or e-mail, for example, introducing a catalog of software (programs) and parts on the Internet via a public line.

A plurality of devices are set as a group,
The desired amount is automatically calculated based on the number of units in the group.
Even if the number increases to zero, the effect of easily determining the sales amount is achieved.

Further, when the advertisement or mail received cannot be displayed due to a machine trouble of the image forming apparatus, the advertisement or mail is transmitted to another image forming apparatus in a group registered in advance, so that the advertising power is reduced. There is no.

If the desired advertisement purchase time for displaying an advertisement or the like on the display unit is out of the time range registered in advance by the advertisement lending destination, a message to the effect that the product cannot be sold is returned to the advertisement purchaser as a message. It is possible to notify the purchase applicant of the review of the time zone.

Further, when the image forming apparatus is installed, the desired amount of money can be changed depending on the day of the week. For example, when Monday is distributed and many people use the image forming apparatus and the advertising power is high, other Tuesday to Friday The sales amount can be higher than that.

Also, when the sales contract is canceled, the advertisement lending destination can be changed in the desired amount. For example, in the case where the desired amount is too high in the first contract and the purchase applicant is not readily determined, The desired amount of money can be reduced so that the applicants for entering can be found immediately.

Further, depending on the received image, a message to the effect that the image cannot be sold is returned as a message to the advertisement buyer, so that the images to be contracted can be narrowed down.

Further, since an image (hard copy) can be formed to obtain an image of the received advertisement or mail,
The displayed advertisement or mail can be carried to a place where no image forming apparatus is provided.

Further, when performing the image forming operation, the image forming operation is prioritized even during the contracted time zone, so that the image forming operation is not hindered.

Further, when the image forming operation is performed, if the time period is a contracted time period, the image of the advertisement or the mail is reduced and displayed on the display unit. Therefore, even if the image forming operation is performed, the image is displayed. High advertising power.

Further, when one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is set as a group, the received advertisement or mail is displayed on the display units of all the image forming apparatuses in the group for a predetermined time. Since only the bands are displayed, the number of
The more you increase to 30 or 30, the better your advertising power will be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure for displaying an advertisement or mail using an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration related to a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Automatic document feeder 2 Image forming unit 3 Double-sided unit 4 Paper feed unit 5 Discharge unit 6 Document table 7 Document reading unit 30 Control system 31 CPU 32 Program ROM 33 Data ROM 34 RAM 35 Non-volatile storage means (NVRAM) 36 Hard disk 37 Data bus

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Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus including a document feeder, a document table, an image forming unit, a paper feeder, a paper discharge unit, and a display unit, wherein an advertisement or a mail is displayed on the display unit for a predetermined time period. Therefore, register the time zone that can be displayed and the desired sales amount,
The registered time zone and the desired sales amount are transmitted on the Internet through a communication line, and a purchase request signal for displaying an advertisement or mail on the display unit at a predetermined time zone on the Internet is received,
The desired purchase time and the desired purchase price are recorded, and the recorded desired purchase time is within the registered time zone, and the desired purchase price is equal to the registered desired sales price or the desired sales. An image forming apparatus, wherein when the amount is higher than the amount, displaying of the received advertisement or mail on the display unit is permitted. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is one of a plurality of apparatuses set as a group, and a desired sales amount is set based on the number of units in the group. An image forming apparatus, which is to calculate. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus displays an advertisement or a mail received due to a machine trouble when one of the plurality of apparatuses is set as a group. An image forming apparatus which transmits an advertisement or an e-mail to another image forming apparatus in a group registered in advance when the image forming apparatus is unable to do so. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus sends a message indicating that an advertisement or an e-mail cannot be sold when the desired purchase time is out of the registered time zone. An image forming apparatus that sends a reply to a purchaser. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the image forming apparatus is installed, a desired sales amount can be changed depending on a day of the week. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the sales contract is canceled, a desired sales amount is changed. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus responds to the purchaser with a message indicating that the image cannot be sold depending on the received advertisement or mail image. Image forming device. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes the image forming unit that forms an image to obtain a received advertisement or mail image. Forming equipment. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus gives priority to an image forming operation even during a time period when a display of an advertisement or a mail is contracted. Forming equipment. 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus displays an image of the advertisement or the mail on a display unit in a reduced size when the display of the advertisement or the mail is in a contracted time zone. An image forming apparatus. 11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is set as a group, a display unit of all the image forming apparatuses in the group is provided. An image forming apparatus for displaying a received advertisement or mail only for a predetermined time period.