JP2005216263A - Image formation support system, image forming device, and reproduction method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a support for sure reproduction by remarkably shortening a delivery time without incurring an artificial error in a step for delivering information for reproduction by automation. <P>SOLUTION: A CPU compares a plurality of recognition information stored in a nonvolatile memory (first storage means) of a device main body with the plurality of recognition information read into a RAM. If they are different as a result of the comparison, it is discriminated that a new unit is mounted, so that a means for controlling the image forming device main body such as the CPU transmits, to a management system, an ID related to manufacture, information required for reproduction, an operational history, and the like of an exchanged unit and an ID related to manufacture of the newly mounted unit. The management system transmits the related information to a computer of an associated section based on unit exchange information transmitted from the image forming device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming support system, an image forming apparatus, and a reproducing method, and more particularly, to an image forming support system, an image forming apparatus, and a reproducing method for making arrangements such as collection and reproduction of units constituting the image forming apparatus. .

Conventionally, as a support contractor for an image forming apparatus, units have been collected / regenerated and arranged in the following manner and timing.
(A) For a toner cartridge or a process cartridge that can be replaced by a customer, the customer replaces the unit with a replacement unit, and purchases a new unit if necessary. Alternatively, the customer has contacted the sales company or the collection company, etc. to request collection of the replacement unit or place an order for a new unit. The sales company was transported to the recycling plant when the quantity was a certain amount.
(B) Units that cannot be replaced by the customer were replaced by a serviceman, and the serviceman individually sent them to a recycling plant or collection center using a home delivery system.
If the service person asks the customer's wishes and needs to place an order, he / she contacts the sales company or makes arrangements using a portable terminal or an order terminal at the service center.

  In addition, a technique has been proposed in which toner cartridge information is collected and analyzed for each customer by a management device, a toner cartridge demand prediction calculation is performed, and a toner cartridge volume discount menu is created for each user (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

In addition, the information processing device installed in the production factory that recycles the parts, the information processing device installed in the assembly factory that uses the regenerated parts, and the server of the recycling management center are connected via a network, and the information is reproduced on the server. A recycling method has been proposed in which the types and quantities of possible parts are stored, and the types and quantities of reproducible parts are notified from the server to the information processing apparatus installed in the assembly factory (for example, a patent) Reference 2).
In paragraph No. 0011 of the description of Patent Document 2, it is disclosed that an operator at the disassembly / recycling factory determines whether the cartridge can be recycled by visually checking the deterioration of the cartridge.

In addition, related departments, local governments, etc. that manufacture and sell products, collect and process waste share information on waste via the network, and collect and transport waste based on information on waste sent by the dischargers. There has been proposed a technique for determining a method and confirming a waste disposal method / situation (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
JP 2002-32641 A JP 2003-30319 A JP 2003-89428 A

However, the conventional image forming apparatus support described above has the following problems.
The sales company looked at the machine information installed at the customer and the collected unit, and described and attached the information, for example, the number of used units, the version of the unit, the model used, etc., to the unit transported to the recycling factory. For this reason, information leakage, mistakes, time delays, etc. may occur. It also took time to write.

  Further, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the machine in which this unit is mounted, including the unit information, is not automatically notified to related departments at the same time as the unit replacement. Therefore, when reproducing, it is necessary to notify by other methods, and information leakage, mistakes, time delays, etc. may occur in the process. Also needed time to communicate.

  Further, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, it is disclosed that an operator visually checks the deterioration of the cartridge and determines whether or not it can be recycled. In many cases, it cannot be determined from the appearance alone, and quality and reliability problems may occur in the regenerated unit. In addition, as in the above-described Patent Document 1, there are problems that human error occurs and problems that require time to communicate.

  Further, the above-mentioned Patent Document 3 has a problem that an artificial error occurs and a problem that requires a notification time as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and does not cause human error in the process of transmitting information for reproduction by automation, dramatically shortens the notification time, and ensures reliable reproduction. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming support system, an image forming apparatus, and a reproducing method capable of realizing the support.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming support system according to a first aspect of the present invention is an image forming support system in which an image forming apparatus and a management system are connected via a network. Includes a control unit that controls the composite unit or / and unit constituting the image forming apparatus, a first storage unit that stores the above-described composite unit or / and unit-specific recognition information, and the composite unit or / And a second storage means disposed in the unit for storing the recognition information of the combined unit or / and the unit, and a comparison means for comparing the first storage means and the second storage means. If the result of comparison by the comparison means described above is different, the control means may add a composite unit or / and unit to the management system. And transmits a notification exchanged, the management system and transmitting the information composite unit information or unit exchanged to a predetermined destination computer involved in the waste regeneration.

  It is preferable that the predetermined transmission destination relating to the above-described waste recycling is at least one of a collection center, a recycling factory, a production factory, a warehouse, a distribution center, a collection and delivery vehicle, and a portable terminal.

  The composite unit described above is preferably at least one of a photoreceptor, a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and a toner cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus, or a combination thereof.

  It is preferable that the above-described composite unit and / or unit be configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus.

  The second storage means described above includes at least one of options installed in the paper feeding unit, the fixing unit, the image reading unit, the writing unit, the operation unit, the automatic document feeder, the registration device, the stapler, the power supply unit, and the image forming apparatus. It is preferably provided in one or a combination thereof.

The second storage means is preferably a contact type IC tag or a non-contact type IC tag provided with a nonvolatile storage unit.
The first storage means described above is preferably a nonvolatile storage means or a program storage means.

The management system described above is calculated by a number storage unit that stores the number of stored toner cartridges for each customer, a calculation unit that calculates the number of toner cartridges in each customer based on the transmitted replacement information, and a calculation unit. It is preferable to include ordering means for transmitting ordering information to the distribution center or the computer of the delivery vehicle when the number of stocks is less than a predetermined number.
The management system described above preferably updates the customer inventory information in the number storage means based on the ordering information from the ordering means.

  The management system described above has at least one of an abnormality history corresponding to the recognition information, a failure history, a usage status such as the number of copies, and component information to be exchanged for the recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit. It is preferable to provide reproduction information storage means for associating and storing reproduction information of one or a combination thereof.

  Based on the composite unit or / and unit exchange information transmitted from the management system, the composite unit or / and the unit, or the computer of the related department that produces or reproduces the image forming apparatus, Alternatively, it is preferable to make a production plan and a reproduction plan for the image forming apparatus and place an order for parts and units for ordering or production and reproduction.

  A reproduction method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a reproduction method in an image formation support system in which an image forming apparatus and a management system are connected via a network, and the image forming apparatus includes the image forming apparatus. Control unit for controlling the composite unit or / and unit constituting the apparatus, first storage unit for storing the above-described composite unit or / and unit recognition information, and the above-described composite unit or / and unit. And a second storage means for storing the recognition information of the combined unit or / and the unit, and a comparison means for comparing the first storage means and the second storage means, and the comparison means described above. If the results of the comparison are different, the control means sends to the management system that the complex unit or / and the unit has been replaced. The management system transmits the exchanged composite unit information or unit information to a predetermined transmission destination computer related to waste recycling, and the management system described above recognizes the recognition of the composite unit or / and the unit recognition information. The reproduction information of at least one of the abnormality history corresponding to the information, the failure history, the usage status such as the number of copies, and the component information to be replaced or a combination thereof is stored in association with each other, and the associated recognition information and reproduction are stored. Information is transmitted to a computer in a reproduction factory.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention stores a composite unit or / and a control unit that controls the unit constituting the image forming apparatus, and the above-described composite unit or / and unit recognition information. A first storage means; a second storage means arranged in the composite unit or / and the unit and storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit; a first storage means; And a comparison means for comparing the two storage means, and when the comparison results of the comparison means are different from each other, control is performed for a management system connected via a network and having a predetermined function related to waste recycling. The means is characterized in that the composite unit or / and the unit has been exchanged.

  It is preferable that the predetermined function related to the waste recycling described above is information transmission to at least one of a collection center, a recycling factory, a production factory, a warehouse, a distribution center, a collection and delivery vehicle, and a portable terminal.

  The composite unit described above is preferably at least one of a photoreceptor, a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and a toner cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus, or a combination thereof.

  It is preferable that the above-described composite unit and / or unit be configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus.

  The above-mentioned second storage means includes at least one of a paper feeding unit, a fixing unit, an image reading unit, a writing unit, an operation unit, an automatic document feeder, a registering device, a stapler, a power supply unit, or an option to be installed. It is preferable to be provided in the combination.

The second storage means is preferably a contact type IC tag or a non-contact type IC tag provided with a nonvolatile storage unit.
The first storage means described above is preferably a nonvolatile storage means or a program storage means.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to dramatically reduce the notification time and realize reliable support without causing human error in the process of transmitting information for reproduction by automation. Can do.

Next, an image forming support system, an image forming apparatus, and a reproducing method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the image forming support system according to the present embodiment, when a composite unit or / and a unit constituting an image forming apparatus are replaced, the image forming apparatus transmits information regarding the replacement to a predetermined supplier server in the management system. In this example, the management system transmits information indicating that the information has been exchanged to a related department such as a collection center, a recycling factory, or a distribution center.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are schematic configuration diagrams in which computers such as a collection center, a reproduction factory, and a distribution center are connected to an image forming apparatus and a management system via the Internet as an image forming support system of the present invention. Indicates.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the image forming support system according to the present invention includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a LAN and connected to a management system via the Internet. Connected to a computer in a production factory.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the image forming support system according to the present invention includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses according to the embodiments of the present invention connected to a LAN and connected to a management system via the Internet. It is configured to be connected to a distribution center, a warehouse, a collection and distribution vehicle computer, and a portable terminal.

  In this embodiment, an image forming apparatus 103, an image forming apparatus (printer) 104, and a personal computer 105 are connected to an in-house LAN, and through a firewall (Firewall: a function for preventing unauthorized intrusion from the outside) 113. A network system 131 connected to a router (Router) 111 and connected to the Internet by a router, an image forming apparatus 106 is connected to a LAN, a personal computer 107 is connected to a wireless LAN, a router (Router) 112, a cable modem 114 A system 132 connected to the Internet via the Internet, a network system 130 connected via the Internet, a system 101 for managing the network system 130, and a management system via the Internet. Service consignment company entrusted with maintenance of the image forming apparatus connected to the system, a collection center that collects the image forming apparatus and the replacement unit, a reproduction factory that reproduces the image forming apparatus, and a production factory that produces the image forming apparatus and the unit , A delivery vehicle that collects and delivers units, a delivery center that delivers units, a unit, a warehouse that stores image forming apparatuses, and a portable terminal of a salesman.

  The management system is replaced with a composite unit or unit. If the inventory of a customer's process cartridge, toner bottle, etc. is insufficient, the combined unit or / and the unit replaced with a collection and delivery vehicle or distribution center Management systems, warehouses, distribution centers, recycling factories, production factories, etc. that request delivery and replacement of combined units or / and units are exchanged with each other, producing production plans, ordering parts, units, An image forming apparatus is produced.

In the present embodiment, the next process is easy to understand, and the center is divided into individual processes. However, the recovery center and the recycling factory may be the same. Alternatively, the distribution center and the warehouse may be the same.
The present embodiment is a system using a LAN, but can be connected to the Internet using an analog modem, ADSL, or the like.

FIG. 3 shows the appearance of a full-color image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows an outline of the mechanism part of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows a system configuration diagram of the image forming apparatus.
Although not shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the image forming device 20 and the transfer cleaning unit 17, the fixing unit 25, the scanner unit 300, the automatic document feeder (ADF) 400, the paper feeding unit 43, and the writing unit of FIG. 21, the image reading unit 300, the operation unit unit 610 in FIG. 3, the option 700 (collation device), and the power supply unit 514 in FIG. 5 are provided with IC tags according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows the appearance of a full-color image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
This full-color image forming apparatus includes an automatic document feeder (ADF) 400, an operation board 610, a color scanner 300, a color printer 100, each unit of a paper feed table 200, and an option 700 (collating apparatus). It is configured with.

In the system controller board 501 (FIG. 5) in this apparatus, a LAN interface board connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) is installed. The system controller board 501 (FIG. 5) of this image forming apparatus can be connected to a communication network (Internet). Via the communication network, data can be exchanged by communicating with the management system of the management center shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (network LAN).
Also, a communication control device interface board 504 (FIG. 5) capable of exchanging data by communicating with the management system of the management center using an analog line is mounted.

FIG. 4 shows an outline of the mechanism part of the full-color image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
The printer 100 includes an intermediate transfer unit at the center, and the intermediate transfer unit includes an intermediate transfer belt 10 that is an endless belt. The intermediate transfer belt 10 is a multi-layer belt in which an elastic layer is provided on a base layer made of a material that hardly stretches, such as a fluorine resin with a small elongation, a rubber material with a large elongation, or a canvas. The elastic layer is formed, for example, by coating a fluorine-based resin or the like on the surface of fluorine-based rubber or acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer rubber to form a smooth coat layer.

The intermediate transfer belt 10 is wound around three support rollers 14 to 16 and is driven to rotate clockwise.
To the left of the second support roller 15 is an intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 17 that removes residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 10 after image transfer.

The intermediate transfer belt 10 between the first support roller 14 and the second support roller 15 has black (K), yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) along the moving direction. The image forming device 20 is composed of a photosensitive unit 40, a charger unit 18, a developing unit, and a cleaning unit for each color. The image forming device 20 includes an IC tag and is detachably attached to the printer main body. Yes.
Above the image forming apparatus 20, there is a writing unit 21 that irradiates each photosensitive drum of each color photosensitive unit with laser light for image formation.

  Below the intermediate transfer belt 10 is a secondary transfer unit 22. The secondary transfer unit 22 is arranged so that a secondary transfer belt 24 that is an endless belt is stretched between two rollers 23 and the intermediate transfer belt 10 is pushed up and pressed against the third support roller 16. is there. The secondary transfer belt 24 transfers the image on the intermediate transfer belt 10 onto a sheet. Next to the secondary transfer device 22, there is a fixing unit 25 for fixing the transferred image on the paper, and the paper on which the toner image has been transferred is fed there. The fixing unit 25 is a unit in which a heating and pressure roller 27 is pressed against a fixing belt 26 which is an endless belt. Below the secondary transfer unit 22 and the fixing unit 25, there is a sheet reversing unit 28 that sends out the paper immediately after the image is formed on the front surface and reverses the front and back to record the image on the back surface.

  When the start switch of the operation unit 610 is pressed, if there is a document on the document feeder 30 of the automatic document feeder (ADF) 400, the document is transported onto the contact glass 32. When there is no document in the ADF, in order to read a manually placed document on the contact glass 32, the scanner of the image reading unit 300 is driven, and the first carriage 33 and the second carriage 34 are read and scanned. Then, light is emitted from the light source on the first carriage 33 to the contact glass, and the reflected light from the document surface is reflected by the first mirror on the first carriage 33 toward the second carriage 34, and on the second carriage 34. The image is reflected on the mirror 36 and imaged on the CCD 36 as a reading sensor through the imaging lens 35. Based on the image signal obtained by the reading sensor 36, K, Y, M, and C color recording data are generated.

  Further, when the start switch is pressed, the rotational driving of the intermediate transfer belt 10 is started, the image forming preparation of each unit of the image forming device 20 is started, and the image forming sequence of each color image is started. Then, an exposure laser modulated based on each color recording data is projected onto the photosensitive drum for each color, and each color toner image is superimposed and transferred as a single image on the intermediate transfer belt 10 by each color image forming process. The When the leading edge of the toner image enters the secondary transfer unit 22, the sheet is sent to the secondary transfer unit 22 at a timing so that the leading edge enters the secondary transfer unit 22 at the same time. The upper toner image is transferred to the paper. The sheet on which the toner image has moved is sent to the fixing unit 25 where the toner image is fixed on the sheet.

  The above-described sheet is selectively rotated by driving one of the sheet feeding rollers 42 of the sheet feeding table 200, and the sheet is fed from one of the sheet feeding trays 44 provided in multiple stages in the sheet feeding unit 43. The sheet is separated, put into the conveyance roller unit 46, conveyed by the conveyance roller 47, guided to the conveyance roller unit 48 in the printer 100, and abutted against the registration roller 49 of the conveyance roller unit 48 and stopped. Is sent to the secondary transfer unit 22. Paper can also be fed by inserting paper on the manual feed tray 51. When the user is inserting paper onto the manual feed tray 51, the printer 100 drives the paper feed roller 50 to separate one sheet on the manual feed tray 51 and pulls it into the manual feed path 53. Stop at 49.

  The sheet discharged after receiving the fixing process in the fixing unit 25 is guided to the discharge roller 56 by the switching claw 55 and stacked on the discharge tray 57. Alternatively, the sheet is guided to the sheet reversing unit 28 by the switching claw 55, reversed there and led again to the transfer position, and the image is recorded also on the back surface, and then discharged onto the discharge tray 57 by the discharge roller 56.

On the other hand, the residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 10 after image transfer is removed by the intermediate transfer body cleaning unit 17 to prepare for image formation again.
In general, the registration roller 49 is often used while being grounded, but it is also possible to apply a bias voltage to remove paper dust from the paper. For example, a bias is applied using a conductive rubber roller. A conductive NBR rubber having a diameter of 18 mm and a thickness of 1 mm is used. The electrical resistance is about 109 Ωcm in volume resistance of the rubber material. Thus, the paper surface after passing through the registration roller 49 to which a bias is applied is slightly charged on the negative side. Therefore, in the transfer from the intermediate transfer belt 10 to the sheet, there are cases where the transfer conditions are changed and the transfer conditions are changed as compared with the case where no voltage is applied to the registration roller 49. A voltage of about −800 V is applied to the intermediate transfer belt 10 on the toner transfer side (front side), and a voltage of about +200 V is applied to the back side of the paper by the transfer roller 62.

FIG. 6 shows a photosensitive unit (PCU) and a developing unit that are employed in a tandem imaging system of a four-drum as a specific example of a composite unit.
The example shown in FIG. 6 shows examples of a composite unit (development unit) in which a development unit and a toner cartridge are integrated, and a composite unit (photoreceptor unit) in which a photosensitive member is integrated with cleaning and charging.

The photosensitive unit (PCU) and the developing unit are independent units for each color. The development units are incompatible with each color and cannot be interchanged, but the photosensitive unit is a common unit for the three colors.
Each developing unit and each photoconductor unit (PCU) can be replaced by releasing their stoppers.

Toner conveyance from the toner cartridge 270 to the developing unit 9 is performed by an air pump (not shown). In addition, an optical sensor (not shown) is incorporated in a conveying nozzle (not shown) to perform toner near-end detection (not shown).
The toner conveyed from the toner cartridge 270 to the developing unit 9 is agitated with the developer by two screws (conveying screw (left) 9B and conveying screw (right) 9C) and conveyed to the developing roller 31.

The amount of the agent (toner) on the developing roller is regulated by the developing doctor blade 90 and supplied onto the drum.
Further, a T sensor (toner density sensor) 9E is provided on the front side of the developing unit, and the toner density in the agent is detected to control the toner density.
Charging of the photosensitive drum 3 is performed by the charging roller 7. The charging roller 7 rotates in the opposite direction to the drum, and enables uniform charge on the drum surface. On the upper side of the charging roller 7, a charging cleaning row 7 </ b> A is attached in a state of being permanently installed with the charging roller 7, and the charging roller 7 is cleaned.

Untransferred toner on the photosensitive drum is collected by the cleaning blade 11B and the cleaning brush 11A. The cleaning blade 11B is attached in the counter direction with respect to the drum rotation direction, and is permanently installed with the drum.
The cleaning brush 11A rotates in the opposite direction to the drum, collects untransferred toner together with the blade, and sends it to the waste toner transport coil 11C side. The waste toner is transported from the waste toner transport coil 11C to the waste toner discharge port and collected by a waste toner bottle (not shown).

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, each developing unit is configured to be able to be pulled out by releasing the stopper.
In this embodiment, a substrate on which an IC tag is mounted, in which a nonvolatile memory is mounted, is incorporated in the developing unit. The IC tag stores information necessary for controlling each photosensitive unit (process cartridge unit), cartridge ID, date of manufacture, date of use, number of recycling, number of copies, current date, etc. ing.
Instead of the contact type printed circuit board on which the IC chip is mounted, a printed circuit board on which a non-contact type IC chip is mounted or a non-contact type IC tag may be mounted. Further, although the example shown in FIG. 7 is mounted on the developing unit, it may also be mounted on the photosensitive unit (PCU).

FIG. 8 shows an example of a unit in this embodiment in which an IC tag is mounted on a toner cartridge. The IC tag stores a toner lot, a filling amount, a filling time, a type (color color), a storage period, the number of recyclings, and the like.
Moreover, it is detachable so that a user exchange is possible.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a non-contact IC tag with a built-in CPU.
A communication interface between the non-contact communication unit 516 on the apparatus main body side and the non-contact communication unit 533 on the process cartridge side is shown.
The CPU 517 on the apparatus main body side and the non-contact communication means 516 are connected by a serial interface, and signals are transmitted and received between the non-contact communication means 516 and the main body CPU 517 by this serial communication interface.

The non-contact communication means 516 modulates a signal output from the CPU 517 on the main body side into a predetermined signal for transmission, and sends it to the transmission / reception antenna 532. The non-contact communication means 533 on the process cartridge side demodulates the reception signal received by the transmission / reception antenna 531 from a predetermined signal for transmission, changes to a parallel signal, and sends it to the CPU.
The same operation is performed when the CPU of the IC chip on the process cartridge side transmits data to the main body side by the non-contact communication means 533. The power supply rectifies the electromagnetic waves of the transmitting / receiving antenna 531 and supplies power.

The CPU reads / writes data from / to the EEPROM by a program stored in the ROM and external communication and a command from the outside.
The System Control Logic is a circuit that controls the inside of this IC chip.
The ROM is a memory (program storage means) that stores a program.
The RAM is a working memory for executing a program.

The EEPROM is a non-volatile memory (non-volatile storage means) that stores information necessary for controlling the process cartridge. Information necessary for this control includes, for example, image forming conditions such as exposure amount, charge amount, development bias, cartridge lot, date of manufacture, type, storage period identification number, date of start of use, number of copies, recycling The number of times, the upper limit of the number of times of recycling, the replacement time of the components of the cartridge, the toner lot, the date of manufacture, the filling amount, the filling time, the type, the storage period, the number of times of recycling, the upper limit of the number of times of recycling.
Further, in consideration of recycling and ruth, unit abnormalities such as T sensor abnormalities and charging abnormalities may be stored and used for checking when they are reused and for considering replacement of parts.
The E-EEPROM is a memory that stores a dedicated command for writing to the EEPROM.

  In this embodiment, a memory tag is mounted on the image forming unit shown in FIG. 4 that employs a tandem image forming system of four drums. This is mounted on all four drum image forming units (process cartridges), and the non-contact communication circuit 516 on the main body side is also provided with four circuits. In addition, as shown in FIG. 10, a single non-contact communication circuit on the main body side may be provided, and an address may be assigned to each (BYMC) process cartridge to transmit and receive signals.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a contact IC tag (contact IC chip) incorporating a CPU. (A) is a communication interface signal with the outside (main body CPU), and communication with the outside is performed by a communication protocol compliant with ISO7816.

The CPU reads / writes data from / to the EEPROM using a ROM (program) stored therein, in accordance with communication with the outside or a command from the outside.
I / O Port is a communication interface circuit of ISO7816-3.
The System Control Logic is a circuit that controls the inside of the IC chip.
The ROM is a memory (program storage means) that stores a program.
The RAM is a working memory for executing a program.

The EEPROM is a non-volatile memory (non-volatile storage means) that stores information necessary for controlling the process cartridge. The information necessary for this control includes, for example, image forming conditions such as exposure amount, charge amount, development bias, cartridge lot, date of manufacture, type, storage period, identification number, start date of use, number of copies, The number of times of recycling, the upper limit of the number of times of recycling, the replacement time of the components of the cartridge, the toner lot, the date of manufacture, the filling amount, the filling time, the type, the storage period, the number of times of recycling, the upper limit of the number of times of recycling, etc.
Further, in consideration of recycling and ruth, unit abnormalities such as T sensor abnormalities and charging abnormalities may be stored and used for checking when they are reused and for considering replacement of parts.
The E-EEPROM is a memory that stores a dedicated command for writing to the EEPROM.

FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a nonvolatile memory with a built-in watch.
The address bus is connected to the address bus of the controller's ASIC.
The data bus is connected to the ASIC data bus of the controller.
The chip enable signal is connected to a chip select signal obtained by decoding an address.
The output enable signal is connected to the RD signal output from the ASIC of the controller.
The write enable signal is connected to the WR signal of the ASIC of the controller.

The CPU reads and writes data in the SRAM by designating an address.
This NV-RAM includes a battery, and the internal SRAM is backed up by this battery.
It also has a built-in watch and operates with a built-in battery when no external power is supplied.
Time writing and reading are also performed by designating a predesignated address.

Next, a system configuration in the control of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. 5 described above.
The system of the image forming apparatus includes a controller board 501 that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus, an operation unit board 502 of the image forming apparatus connected to the control board 501, an HDD 503 that stores image data, and an analog line. Communication control device interface board 504, LAN interface board 505, and a general purpose PIC bus connected to the controller unit 506, IEEE1394 board, wireless LAN board, USB board, etc. 507 connected to the controller via the PCI bus Engine control board 510, I / O board 513 for controlling I / O of the image forming apparatus connected to the engine control board, scanner board (SBU) 511 for reading a copy original (image), and image data Written on the drum consists of LDB512 board or the like.

  A reading unit 300 that optically reads an original scans the original with an original illumination light source and forms an original image on the CCD 520. The original image, that is, the reflected light of light irradiation on the original is photoelectrically converted by the CCD 520 to generate R, G, B image signals.

  The CCD 520 in FIG. 5 is a 3-line color CCD, which generates EVENch / ODDch R, G, B image signals and inputs them to the analog ASIC on the SBU board. The SBU board includes an analog ASIC and a circuit that generates drive timings for the CCD and analog ASIC. The output of the CCD is sampled and held by a sample and hold circuit inside the analog ASIC, then A / D converted, converted into R, G and B image data, shading corrected, and output I / F (interface) At 520, the data is sent to an image data processor IPP (Image Processing Processor; hereinafter simply referred to as IPP) via an image data bus.

  The IPP performs separation generation (determination of whether an image is a character area or a photographic area: image area separation), background removal, scanner gamma conversion, filter, color correction, scaling, image processing, printer gamma conversion, and gradation processing. IPP is a programmable arithmetic processing means for performing image processing. The image data transferred from the SBU to the IPP is corrected by the IPP for signal deterioration due to quantization of the optical system and the digital signal (signal deterioration of the scanner system) and written in the frame memory 521.

  The system control board 501 includes a ROM that controls the CPU and the system controller board, a RAM that is a working memory used by the CPU, a lithium battery, an NV-RAM that includes an SRAM backup and a clock, and a system controller. An ASIC for controlling the CPU periphery, such as a system bus control of the board, frame memory control, and FIFO, and its interface circuit are mounted.

The system controller has functions of a plurality of applications such as a scanner application, a facsimile application, a printer application, and a copy application, and controls the entire system.
The input of the operation board 502 is decoded to display the setting of this system and the contents of its state.
The PCI bus is an image data bus / control command bus, and image data and control commands are transferred in a time division manner and connected to other units.

The communication controller device interface board 504 is a communication interface board between the communication control device and the controller 501. Communication with the controller 501 is connected by full-duplex asynchronous serial communication. The communication controller 522 is multi-drop connected according to the RS-485 interface standard.
Communication with the management system is performed via the communication controller device interface board 504.

  The LAN interface board 505 is connected to an in-house LAN (Internet). It is a communication interface board between the in-house LAN (Internet) and the controller, and is equipped with a PHY chip. The LAN interface board 505 and the controller are connected by standard communication interfaces of a PHY chip I / F and an I2C bus I / F. Communication with the management system is performed via the LAN interface board 505.

The HDD 503 is used as an application database that stores system application programs and device activation information of image forming process devices of the printer 100, and an image database that stores image data of read images and written images, that is, image data and document data. It is done.
Both the physical interface and the electrical interface are connected to the controller through an interface compliant with ATA / ATAPI-4.

The operation unit board 502 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, LCD, and an ASIC (LCDC) that controls key input, and performs display necessary for key input and operation through communication with the system controller 501. . A control program for the operation board 502 is written in the ROM that controls input reading and display output of the operation board 502. The RAM is a working memory used by the CPU.
The panel is operated to allow the user to input system settings, and the system settings and status are displayed to the user. The display and input are controlled.

  The black (B), yellow (Y), cyan (C), and magenta (M) write signals output from the work memory of the system controller 501 are the LDB (Laser Diode control Board) B, Y, M, Input to C LD writing circuit. The LD write circuit performs LD current control (modulation control) and outputs the result to each LD.

The engine control unit 510 mainly performs image creation control of the image forming apparatus, and includes a CPU, an IPP that performs image processing, a ROM that includes a program necessary to control copying and printing, a RAM that is necessary for the control, And NV-RAM.
The NV-RAM includes an SRAM and a memory that detects that the power is off and stores it in the EEPROM.
A serial interface is also provided for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the CPU that performs other controls.
The I / OASIC is an ASIC that controls a nearby I / O (counter, fan, solenoid, motor, etc.) on which an engine control board is mounted.

The I / O control board 513 and the engine control board 510 are connected via a synchronous serial interface.
The I / O control board 513 is equipped with a sub CPU, and performs I / O control of the image forming apparatus including analog control such as P sensor and T sensor. New unit detection is also performed when the door is opened and closed. When the door SW connected to the I / O board in FIG. 5 is opened, there is a possibility that the image forming unit (process cartridge) has been replaced, so confirmation is performed and the result is transmitted to the engine control unit.

The interface 515 with the IC tag is an interface circuit with the IC tag mounted on the composite unit or unit. Communication between the non-contact communication means 516 and the main body control unit is performed by an asynchronous serial interface. The non-contact communication means 516 modulates the signal output from the main body side into a predetermined signal for transmission and sends it to the transmitting / receiving antenna 532 of FIG. The non-contact communication means 533 on the unit side demodulates the received signal received by the transmission / reception antenna 531 from a predetermined signal for transmission, changes to a parallel signal, and sends it to the CPU.
The same operation is performed when transmitting from the CPU of the IC tag on the unit side to the main body side by non-contact communication means.

  The PSU 514 is a unit that supplies power for controlling the image forming apparatus. Commercial power is supplied by the main SW. Even when this main SW is turned on, the installation confirmation of the new composite unit or the new unit is performed.

Next, an operation for checking whether a new unit is installed in the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 13 is a control flow for checking whether a new composite unit or / and a unit has been installed in the image forming apparatus. In the case of a process cartridge, a toner cartridge, etc. that are installed with the door open, and after the power is turned off, / And is a control flow when the unit is mounted and the power is turned on after the unit is mounted. In the description on the flow, the combined unit or / and the unit are simply described as a unit.

  The CPU of the image forming apparatus checks whether the door is open. If it is open, the door open flag is set, then the communication with the non-volatile mounted on the unit is stopped, and then the power supply to the unit is stopped. If the door is not open, it is checked whether the door open flag is set (step S5).

When the door open flag is set, the CPU reads the recognition information into the RAM from the nonvolatile memory (second storage means) of each unit. This recognition information is information for specifying the unit, such as a serial number and a manufacturing-related ID.
Next, the CPU compares the plurality of pieces of recognition information stored in the nonvolatile memory (first storage unit) of the apparatus main body with the plurality of pieces of recognition information read into the RAM. As a result of comparison, if they are different, a new unit has been installed. Therefore, the manufacturing-related ID of the replaced unit, information necessary for reproduction, operation history, etc., and the manufacturing-related ID of the newly installed unit Is transmitted to the management system by means for controlling the image forming apparatus main body such as a CPU.
Next, power supply to the unit and communication with the nonvolatile memory are resumed, and then the door open flag and the power ON flag are cleared.

  If the door open flag is not set (step S5; NO), it is checked whether or not the power ON flag set in the initialization routine at the time of power ON (not shown) is set. If it has been set, a process of checking whether a new unit is installed (step S6) is performed. If it is not set, this control operation ends.

Next, an operation in which the management system transmits the exchanged unit information to the computer in the related department will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 14 is a control flow in which the management system transmits the related information to the computer in the related department based on the unit replacement information transmitted from the image forming apparatus.
First, it is checked whether there is unit replacement information from the image forming apparatus. If there is no exchange information, the control flow ends. When there is exchange information from the image forming apparatus, first, it is checked whether or not the collection center computer is connected to the management center network.

If connected, manufacture related ID of the replaced unit, for example, unit name, date of manufacture, version information, lot number, production factory, applicable model, etc., and recycle information Upper limit, replacement part information, operation history such as abnormality history, failure history, number of copies, etc. are transmitted to the computer of the collection center.
As described above, the management system, for the recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit, includes the abnormality history corresponding to the recognition information, the failure history, the usage status such as the number of copies, and the component information to be replaced. At least one or a combination of reproduction information is stored in association with each other.

Then, it is checked whether the computer of the reproduction factory is connected to the network of the management center. If connected, manufacture related ID of the replaced unit, for example, unit name, date of manufacture, version information, lot number, production factory, applicable model etc. The operation status history such as the upper limit, replacement part information, abnormality history, failure history, number of copies, etc. is transmitted to the computer in the reproduction factory. Next, it is checked whether the computer of the production factory is connected.
If connected, manufacture related ID of the replaced unit, for example, unit name, date of manufacture, version information, lot number, production factory, applicable model and abnormality history, failure history, number of copies, etc. Send the status history to the production plant. The production factory analyzes the abnormality history and failure history information and reflects them in the next unit manufacturing.

It then checks whether the warehouse computer is connected. If connected, the ID of the replaced unit, for example, the unit name, version information, lot number, applicable model, storage period, etc. is sent to the warehouse, and then it is checked whether the distribution center is connected. If connected, the ID of the replaced unit, for example, the unit name, version, lot number, applicable model, storage period, etc. is sent to the delivery center. Next, it is checked whether the collection and delivery vehicle is connected to the management center network.
If connected, manufacture related ID of the replaced unit, for example, unit name, date of manufacture, version information, lot number, production factory, applicable model, etc., and recycle information Upper limit, replacement part information, operation history such as abnormality history, failure history, number of copies, etc. are collected and transmitted to the delivery vehicle.

  Then, it is checked whether the mobile terminal is connected. If connected, the ID of the replaced unit, for example, the unit name, version information, lot number, applicable model, storage period, etc. is transmitted to the portable terminal, and this control flow ends.

  As described above, the computer of the related department that produces or reproduces the composite unit or / and the unit or the image forming apparatus can use the composite unit or / and the unit exchange information transmitted from the management system. A production plan and a reproduction plan for the unit or the image forming apparatus are performed, and parts and units for ordering or production and reproduction are ordered.

Next, a control flow of toner cartridge inventory management for each customer of the management system will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing control for managing the inventory of toner cartridges for each customer by the management system and placing an order when there is a shortage.
First, the management system checks whether there is unit replacement information from the image forming apparatus, and if not, the control flow ends. If there is, check whether the replacement information is toner cartridge information. If it is not toner cartridge information, inventory survey and order flow of other units are performed. When the toner cartridge is replaced, the toner cartridge inventory information of the customer corresponding to the replaced toner cartridge ID is read out from the storage means. Next, the customer's inventory number of toner cartridges is calculated from the exchanged number.

  Then, it is determined whether there is no problem in the number of stocks from the past usage status of the customer. If an order is necessary, an order for the toner cartridge and a request for collecting the replaced toner cartridge are transmitted to the distribution center or the delivery vehicle. Next, based on the ordered quantity, the customer's inventory quantity of toner cartridges is calculated and stored. If there is a stock quantity, the stock is calculated and stored based on the number of replaced toner cartridges, and this control flow ends.

Next, an operation in which the management system transmits information for reproducing the unit will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 16 is a flow in which the management system transmits information for reproducing the unit to the computer in the reproduction factory.

First, the management system checks whether unit replacement information is transmitted from the image forming apparatus. When unit replacement information is sent, information necessary for playback corresponding to the replacement unit recognition information stored in advance in the management system, such as abnormality history, failure history, number of copies, etc. The component information to be exchanged with the usage status of the unit is transmitted to the computer in the recycling plant together with the unit recognition information.
The reproduction factory receives this transmission, and performs reproduction processing based on the transmitted information.

Next, an operation in which the recycling factory arranges parts based on the unit replacement information will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 17 is a flow in which a recycling factory orders parts for regenerating a unit based on unit replacement information transmitted from the management system.

First, the production management system at the recycling factory checks whether unit replacement information is transmitted from the management system. When the replacement information of the unit is transmitted, the production management system of the regeneration factory checks whether replacement part information for regenerating the unit is transmitted from the management system. When replacement part information for reproduction is transmitted, the part is ordered from an affiliated company based on the information.
If there is no replacement part information, a replacement part is determined based on the number of copies, abnormality history, or failure history transmitted from the management system, the replacement part is ordered from an affiliated company, and this control flow ends.

As described above, according to the image forming support system of the present invention, the machine in which the device unit is mounted at the same time as the replacement of the device unit includes the information for reproducing the device unit directly to the management center. Since the data is transmitted, it is possible to improve the reliability of the data as compared with the case where the data is manually recorded or input, and to save the communication time and improve the efficiency.
In addition, each related department is required to produce a production plan or reproduction plan or order for an image forming apparatus with high accuracy and early, or parts for production and reproduction based on information of a composite unit or / and unit actually exchanged. Units can be arranged.
As described above, when the composite unit or / and the unit of the image forming apparatus is replaced, an image forming support system capable of reproducing the replaced composite unit or / and the unit with high reliability and ordering the unit is provided. can do.

The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in each flow description described above, the first nonvolatile memory is described. However, either the controller-side nonvolatile memory or the engine-side nonvolatile memory may be used.

It is a figure which shows the structural example when the management system as one Embodiment of this invention is connected to a collection center, a reproduction factory, and a production factory. It is a figure which shows the structural example when the management system as one Embodiment of this invention is connected to a delivery center, a warehouse, a collection | recovery and delivery vehicle, and a portable terminal. 1 is a front view showing an appearance of a color copying machine as an example of an image forming apparatus. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an outline of the mechanism of the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image processing system of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a unit configuration of a composite unit in which a photoconductor, a charging unit, and a cleaning unit are integrated, and a developing unit. It is a figure which shows the removal method of a developing unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a unit configuration in which an IC tag is mounted on a toner cartridge. It is a block diagram which shows the structure outline | summary using a non-contact-type IC tag. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the other structure outline | summary using a non-contact-type IC tag. It is a block diagram which shows the structure outline | summary using a contact-type IC tag. It is a block diagram which shows the outline | summary of the non-volatile memory which incorporated the timepiece. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for checking whether a new unit is installed in the image forming apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which the management system transmits the exchanged unit information to the computer of a related department. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of managing toner cartridge inventory for each customer in the management system. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which transmits the information for a management system to reproduce | regenerate a unit. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which a reproduction factory arranges parts based on unit replacement information.

Explanation of symbols

3 Photosensitive drum 7 Charging roller 7A Charging cleaning roller 9 Development unit 9B Conveying screw (left)
9C Conveying screw (right)
9E T sensor (toner density sensor)
90 Development Doctor Blade 11 Photosensitive Unit (PCU)
11A Cleaning Brush 11B Cleaning Blade 11C Waste Toner Conveying Coil 270 Toner Cartridge 10 Intermediate Transfer Belt 14-16 Support Roller 17 Intermediate Transfer Body Cleaning Unit 18 Image Making Related Equipment 20 Image Making Device 21 Writing Unit 22 Secondary Transfer Device 23 Roller 24 2 Next transfer belt 25 Fixing unit 26 Fixing belt 27 Pressure roller 28 Sheet reversing device 31 Developing roller 32 Contact glass 33 First carriage 34 Second carriage 35 Imaging lens 36 CCD
40 Photosensitive drum 42 Paper feed roller 43 Paper feed unit 44 Paper feed cassette 45 Separating roller 46 Paper feed path 47 Transport roller 48 Paper feed path 49 Registration roller 50 Paper feed roller 51 Manual feed tray 55 Switching claw 56 Paper discharge roller 57 Paper discharge tray

Claims (19)

An image forming support system in which an image forming apparatus and a management system are connected via a network,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A control unit for controlling the composite unit or / and the unit constituting the image forming apparatus;
First storage means for storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Second storage means disposed in the composite unit or / and the unit and storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Comparing means for comparing the first storage means and the second storage means,
If the comparison result is different, the control means transmits information indicating that the composite unit or / and the unit has been replaced to the management system, and the management system is a computer at a predetermined destination related to waste recycling. An image forming support system for transmitting composite unit information or unit information exchanged to each other.   The image according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined transmission destination related to the waste recycling is at least one of a collection center, a recycling factory, a production factory, a warehouse, a distribution center, a collection and delivery vehicle, and a portable terminal. Formation support system.   The composite unit is at least one of a photoreceptor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a toner cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus, or a combination thereof. 3. The image forming support system according to 1 or 2.   4. The image forming support system according to claim 1, wherein the composite unit and / or the unit is configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus. 5.   The second storage means includes at least a paper feeding unit, a fixing unit, an image reading unit, a writing unit, an operation unit, an automatic document feeder, a registration device, a stapler, a power supply unit, and an option mounted on the image forming apparatus. 5. The image forming support system according to claim 4, wherein the image forming support system is provided in one or a combination thereof.   6. The image forming support system according to claim 1, wherein the second storage unit is a contact type IC tag or a non-contact type IC tag provided with a nonvolatile storage unit.   The image forming support system according to claim 1, wherein the first storage unit is a non-volatile storage unit or a program storage unit. The management system includes:
Number storage means for storing the number of stored toner cartridges for each customer;
Calculation means for calculating the number of toner cartridges in each customer based on the exchange information transmitted;
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ordering unit that transmits ordering information to a distribution center or a computer of a delivery vehicle when the number of stocks calculated by the calculation unit is equal to or less than a predetermined number. 2. An image forming support system according to item 1.   9. The image forming support system according to claim 8, wherein the management system updates customer inventory information in the number storage unit based on the ordering information by the ordering unit.   The management system has at least one of an abnormality history corresponding to the recognition information, a failure history, a usage status such as the number of copies, and component information to be replaced with respect to the recognition information of the composite unit or / and unit. 10. The image forming support system according to claim 1, further comprising reproduction information storage means for storing the reproduction information of one or a combination thereof in association with each other.   Based on the composite unit or / and the unit exchange information transmitted from the management system, the composite unit or / and the computer of the related department that produces or reproduces the unit or the image forming apparatus 11. The image formation according to claim 1, wherein a production plan and a reproduction plan for the unit or the image forming apparatus are performed, and parts or units for ordering or production and reproduction are ordered. Support system. A reproduction method in an image forming support system in which an image forming apparatus and a management system are connected via a network,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A control unit for controlling the composite unit or / and the unit constituting the image forming apparatus;
First storage means for storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Second storage means disposed in the composite unit or / and the unit and storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Comparing means for comparing the first storage means and the second storage means,
If the comparison result is different, the control means transmits information indicating that the composite unit or / and the unit has been replaced to the management system, and the management system is a computer at a predetermined destination related to waste recycling. Send exchanged unit information or unit information to
The management system has at least one of an abnormality history corresponding to the recognition information, a failure history, a usage status such as the number of copies, and component information to be replaced with respect to the recognition information of the composite unit or / and unit. A reproduction method characterized by storing reproduction information of one or a combination thereof in association with each other and transmitting the associated recognition information and reproduction information to a computer in a reproduction factory. A control unit for controlling the composite unit or / and the unit constituting the image forming apparatus;
First storage means for storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Second storage means disposed in the composite unit or / and the unit and storing recognition information of the composite unit or / and the unit individually;
Comparing means for comparing the first storage means and the second storage means,
When the comparison results of the comparison means are different, the control means is replaced with the composite unit or / and the unit for a management system having a predetermined function related to waste recycling connected via a network. An image forming apparatus that transmits a message.   14. The predetermined function related to waste recycling is information transmission to at least one of a collection center, a recycling factory, a production factory, a warehouse, a distribution center, a collection and delivery vehicle, and a portable terminal. The image forming apparatus described.   The composite unit is at least one of a photoreceptor, a charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a toner cartridge mounted on the image forming apparatus, or a combination thereof. The image forming apparatus according to 13 or 14.   16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the composite unit or / and the unit are configured to be detachable from the image forming apparatus.   The second storage means includes at least one of a paper feeding unit, a fixing unit, an image reading unit, a writing unit, an operation unit, an automatic document feeder, a registering device, a stapler, a power supply unit, or an option mounted thereon. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the image forming apparatus is provided in a combination.   18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second storage unit is a contact type IC tag or a non-contact type IC tag including a nonvolatile storage unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first storage unit is a non-volatile storage unit or a program storage unit.

Images