JP2006168064A - Information managing system and information managing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce time and effort for retrieving information on components applicable to some other purposes by using an exclusive database system. <P>SOLUTION: An information managing system inserts a component into a printing apparatus for printing an image and judges the component to be usable or not. The information managing system has an information processing means capable of reading and writing in a non-contact way using an electric wave, a reading-out means reading out a plurality of component-inherent information stored in the information processing means, an analyzing means analyzing a plurality of information read out by the reading-out means, a displaying means displaying the information analyzed by the analyzing means on a displaying part in a forming apparatus, a printing means printing the information analyzed by the analyzing means, a judging means judging whether the component is used or not based on the information analyzed by the analyzing means, and a setting means setting the component under a usable condition when the single component is used in the forming apparatus by the judging means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for managing information on parts constituting a copying machine, and in particular, an information management system and an information management method capable of providing diversion information when diverting a part already mounted on a product to another product About.

  Up to now, information management of the parts that make up a copier has been made by associating the part number corresponding to each part by printing it on a database such as a management ledger, or by attaching a management plate. Yes. Many management ledgers are performed using a database system using a computer, and there is no such mechanism for manufactured products, and those managed by another system are generally used.

In response to recent environmental problems, manufacturers are actively using parts that make up products. For this reason, in many manufacturing industries such as copiers, product design is often performed on the assumption that parts constituting the product or a module in which parts are assembled (for example, drums and toner) can be used for other products. It has become to. In such a situation, if you want to reuse a component or module that can still be reused using the system as described above, or if you want to know whether it can be reused, manage the product once. The reusable product is searched by searching for the part number in the management database and by referring to the product information that uses the part number (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2003-311739 A

  Generally, in factories that dismantle parts, unlike the factories that manufacture products, the database that manages the products is not directly connected to the dismantling line. In many cases, it takes time and effort. In particular, the used products brought into factories to be dismantled are rarely organized by product, such as at the time of manufacturing, and the database system introduced in the prior art must be searched for each product. If there are modules that can be used for multiple products, the man-hours for searching and organizing them will be enormous.

  The present invention reduces the labor of searching for such divertable component information using a dedicated database system, that is, reducing the man-hour by determining whether the component itself can be diverted by connecting it to the product as it is. The purpose is to let you.

The present invention has the above object.
In an information management system that inserts a part into a printing device that prints an image and determines whether the part can be used.
Information processing means capable of reading and writing in specific contact using radio waves, reading means for reading a plurality of component specific information stored in the information processing means, and analysis for analyzing a plurality of information read by the reading means Means for displaying information analyzed by the analyzing means on a display unit in the forming apparatus, printing means for printing the information analyzed by the analyzing means, and information analyzed by the analyzing means. And determining means for determining whether or not to use the component, and setting means for setting the component to a usable state when the single component is used in the forming apparatus. In addition, it is possible to read and write specific contact using radio waves in an information management system that inserts parts into a printing device that prints images and changes the contents of the parts information Information processing means, part selection means for selecting a part to be registered, and parts selected by the part selection means are added as specific information of the part to the storage area in the information processing means of the selected part It is characterized by having content selection means for selecting desired content, the above-described component selection means, and confirmation means for confirming the content selected by the content selection means.

  In the present invention, it is possible to determine whether the divertable part can be diverted by connecting the divertable part itself to the product without searching for such divertable part information using a dedicated database system. For this reason, it is possible not only to save the trouble of searching for the product from the database, but also to use it as it is depending on the state of the single component. Furthermore, even when assuming users who have purchased multiple products, it is determined whether or not the products that have reached the end of their lives can be used simply by transferring those that can still be reused to other products, instead of discarding them as they are. Therefore, it can be easily confirmed and used without special assistance from a manufacturer such as a service person.

  In addition, when a part of a product currently in use can be used in another product, the information can be written into the IC chip from the copying machine main body.

  Furthermore, in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to confirm and additionally input such information via a network.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

[First Embodiment]
An overall configuration of an information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present invention, a copying machine will be described as an example, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this product form.

  A reader unit (image input device) 200 optically reads a document image and converts it into image data. The reader unit 200 includes a scanner unit 210 having a function for reading a document and a document feeding unit 250 having a function for transporting a document sheet.

  A printer unit (image output device) 300 conveys recording paper, prints image data as a visible image thereon, and discharges the recording paper out of the device. The printer unit 300 includes a paper feed unit 310 having a plurality of types of recording paper cassettes, a marking unit 320 having a function of transferring and fixing image data onto the recording paper, and sorting and stapling the printed recording papers. And a paper discharge unit 330 having a function of outputting to

  The control device 110 is electrically connected to the reader unit 200 and the printer unit 300, and is further connected to host computers 401 and 402 via the network 400.

  The control device 110 controls the reader unit 200 to read image data of a document, and controls the printer unit 300 to output the image data to a recording sheet to provide a copy function. Further, the scanner function that converts image data read from the reader unit 200 into code data and transmits the code data to the host computer via the network 400, converts the code data received from the host computer via the network 400 into image data, A printer function for outputting to the printer unit 300 is provided.

  The operation unit 150 is connected to the control device 110, is configured with a liquid crystal touch panel, and provides a user I / F for operating the image input / output system.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the reader unit 200 and the printer unit 300. The document feeding unit 250 of the reader unit feeds the documents one by one onto the platen glass 211 in order from the top, and discharges the documents on the platen glass 211 after the document reading operation is completed. When the document is conveyed onto the platen glass 211, the lamp 212 is turned on, and the movement of the optical unit 213 is started to expose and scan the document. Reflected light from the original at this time is guided to a CCD image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 218 by mirrors 214, 215, 216 and a lens 217. Thus, the scanned image of the original is read by the CCD 218.

  A reader image processing circuit unit 222 performs predetermined processing on the image data output from the CCD 218 and outputs the processed image data to the control device 110 via the scanner I / F 140.

  A printer image processing circuit unit 352 outputs an image signal sent from the control device 110 to the laser driver via the printer I / F 145.

  A laser driver 317 of the printer unit 300 drives the laser light emitting units 313, 314, 315, and 316, and laser light corresponding to the image data output from the printer image processing unit 352 is emitted to the laser light emitting units 313, 314, and 315. , 316 emit light. This laser light is irradiated to the photosensitive drums 325, 326, 327, 328 by mirrors 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347, 348, 349, 350, 351, and the photosensitive drums 325, 326, 327, 328, A latent image corresponding to the laser beam is formed at 328. Reference numerals 321, 322, 323, and 324 are developing units for developing a latent image with black (Bk), yellow (Y), cyan (C), and magenta (M) toners, respectively. The toner is transferred to a sheet and printed out in full color.

  A sheet fed from one of the sheet cassettes 360 and 361 and the manual feed tray 362 at a timing synchronized with the start of laser beam irradiation is attracted onto the transfer belt 334 via the registration roller 333 and conveyed. Then, the developer attached to the photosensitive drums 325, 326, 327, and 328 is transferred to the recording paper. The recording paper on which the developer is placed is conveyed to the fixing unit 335, and the developer is fixed on the image recording paper by the heat and pressure of the fixing unit 335. The recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 335 is discharged by the discharge roller 336, and the paper discharge unit 370 sorts the recording paper by bundling the discharged recording paper and staples the sorted recording paper.

  If double-sided recording is set, the recording paper is conveyed to the discharge roller 336, and then the rotation direction of the discharge roller 336 is reversed and guided to the refeed conveyance path 338 by the flapper 337. The recording sheet guided to the refeed conveyance path 338 is fed to the transfer belt 334 at the timing described above.

<Configuration of IC chip>
FIG. 3 shows an example of an IC chip configuration. In general, an IC chip can be wireless / wired as a communication mode. Here, the configuration of the wireless IC chip will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wireless IC chip has a form in which an IC chip portion 501 and an antenna portion 502 are inserted into a resin formed in a rectangular parallelepiped plate shape. Since the thickness of the chip is less than 1 mm, it is a size that does not hinder the mechanical configuration even when the chip is mounted on a component constituting the copying machine. The method for forming the wireless IC chip is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-276458, and the details are omitted. The communication distance of the wireless IC chip 500 is within 1 m, and the communication speed is 10 to 20 msec / byte.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the IC chip unit 501 includes a power supply unit 510, a demodulation unit 511, an instruction decoding unit 512, a control unit 514, a modulation unit 516, a clock generation unit 517, an input / output unit 518, and a memory unit 519. .

  The power supply unit 510 is connected to the antenna unit 502, receives a power signal from the antenna unit 502, and accumulates the received power signal as electric charges. In addition, power is supplied to each component of the wireless IC chip 500.

  Demodulation section 511 selects a signal having a specific frequency from the received power, extracts a pulse signal wave from the selected signal, and outputs the extracted signal wave to instruction decoding section 512.

  The instruction decoding unit 512 receives a pulse signal wave from the demodulation unit 511. The received pulse signal wave is decoded to extract the instruction and operand, and the extracted instruction and operand are output to the control unit 514. The command to be extracted includes a synchronization signal transmission command, an access request command, and an access command.

  The control unit 514 receives an instruction and an operand from the instruction decoding unit 512. These commands include a synchronization signal transmission command, an access request command, and an access command. When receiving the synchronization signal transmission command, the control unit 514 continuously receives the synchronization signal wave from the 5 demodulation unit 511, extracts the synchronization signal included in the received synchronization signal wave, receives the clock from the clock generation unit 517, and receives it. A synchronization signal wave that repeatedly includes a synchronization signal synchronized with the synchronization signal extracted based on the received clock is generated.

  The input / output unit 518 receives an access command and access information from the control unit 514. An access instruction includes a Read instruction and a Write instruction. When the access instruction is a Read instruction, the access information includes a physical address and the number of read bytes. When the access instruction is a Write instruction, the access information Includes the physical address, the number of bytes to be written, and the contents to be written.

  The antenna unit 502 is a receiving antenna, receives radio waves, converts the received radio waves into power signals, and outputs the power signals to the demodulation unit 511 and the power supply unit 510.

<Part information confirmation method>
In this embodiment, a photosensitive drum 325 that is a replacement part of the printer unit 300 will be described as an example. In this embodiment, it is assumed that there are a copying machine A whose copying machine body is still usable and a copying machine B that has already reached the product life as a copying machine. It is assumed that the photosensitive drum 600 that has not reached the end of its life is used in the copying machine A.

  FIG. 6 is a simplified structural diagram of the photosensitive drum described in this embodiment. The photosensitive drum 600 includes a photosensitive portion 605 that is sensitive to light, gear portions 601 and 602 in which the drum itself is driven using a gear according to a control signal of the copying machine, and non-photosensitive portions 603 and 604 that are not exposed to light. A wireless IC chip is embedded in the non-photosensitive portion 603 and has the above-described chip configuration. FIG. 7 shows a flow of inserting a usable photosensitive drum 600 into the copying machine A and confirming whether or not it is usable.

  First, the photosensitive drum is replaced with a used one of the printer unit 300 (S7001). After the replacement, the operation unit 150 enters a communication mode for communicating with the wireless IC chip (S7002). When entering the communication mode, the operation unit 150 displays a list of replaceable modules as shown in FIG. 8, and displays a selection screen for parts to be replaced (S7003).

  A predetermined number of replaceable modules are displayed at a display location 809 in the operation unit 150. FIG. 8 shows that there are a total of 20 replaceable modules, of which 7 can be displayed at a time. The module can be selected by touching buttons 801 and 802. In this embodiment, drum (cyan) 810 is selected. If the selected module is acceptable, touching the button 806 displays information regarding the drum (cyan) 810 on the operation unit 150.

  The displayed contents are stored in advance in the memory unit 519 in the wireless IC chip 500, and product information when this module is originally used is read from an unwritable area. The read contents are received from a receiving unit (not shown) in the printer unit 300, and the information is transferred / decoded to the control device 100 and displayed on the operation unit 150.

  As described above, the life information is displayed on the display 803 as the detailed information of the module (S7004), and is displayed on the status screen 811 by touching the button 806. The status screen 811 informs that 2000 sheets have been used for a lifetime of 30,000 sheets. As this information, information on the use of the drum is appropriately described at a predetermined timing in a writable area in the memory unit 519 in the wireless IC chip 500. This write timing may be the timing when the power is turned off, or may be described for each power saving mode or each JOB.

  Product information that can be diverted is displayed on the screen 803 (S7005). When the button 806 is touched, the status screen 811 displays a group of products that can be diverted (not shown).

  When the setting SW 808 is touched after the product group is displayed, the screen of 809 is changed as shown in FIG. 9, and a screen asking whether the replacement module can be used is displayed (S7006). When used, the button 806 may be touched, and when not used, or when the process is restarted from the beginning, it is avoided by touching the cancel button 807.

  When the above setting is completed, the operation unit 150 transitions to the screen shown in FIG. 10, and sets optimum process conditions for maintaining good image quality in order to set the inserted drum in a usable state (S7007). ) End the communication mode with the wireless IC chip 500 (S7008), and end the confirmation and setting of the component information. As an optimal process condition, for example, FIG. 20 shows a gradation curve set according to the durable number of photosensitive drums. In the case of the present embodiment, since it is 2000 durable parts, the durable number: 1500 to 20000 2001 is automatically selected.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, description of the same configuration as that of the first embodiment will be omitted, and different portions will be described. In the present embodiment, the process for outputting the detailed information shown in the first embodiment to the printer will be described with reference to FIG.

  Sequences S8001 to S8005 for displaying detailed information using the wireless IC chip 500 are basically the same as S7001 to S7005 shown in FIGS. Here, different processes after S8006 will be described.

  When the operation unit 150 finishes displaying the detailed information such as the diverted product and presses the setting SW 808 shown in FIG. 8, the operation unit screen transitions to the operation unit screen shown in FIG. 12, and prompts whether to print the detailed content (S8006). To print detailed information, when the button 906 is touched, the control device 110 expands the detailed information read from the wireless IC chip 500, makes a print request to the printer unit 300, and prints ( S8007). When printing is not performed with respect to the screen state of FIG. 12, a print job is not generated by touching the button 907, and processing is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Subsequently, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, description of the same configuration as in the first and second embodiments will be omitted, and different portions will be described.

  In the present embodiment, a process for additionally registering compatible product information for a currently installed reusable module will be described. FIG. 13 shows the processing flow of this embodiment.

  First, the control unit 110 displays an operation unit screen for entering a registration operation on the operation unit 150, and causes the administrator to select a module (S9001). Subsequently, the operation unit 150 transitions to a screen for selecting a registration module. FIG. 14 shows a module selection screen. In this embodiment, additional information is registered in the drum (cyan) 710. The drum (cyan) 710 is selected with the buttons 701 and 702 (S9002), and touching the button 706 starts communication with the wireless IC chip 500 associated with the drum (cyan) (S9003).

  When communication is started, the screen transitions to a screen showing the content to be additionally registered as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, a reusable product is registered in the diversion information 703.

  The content registration is switched to a screen for inputting a product list by touching a button 706 (FIG. 16). In FIG. 16, the character string touched on the display unit 970 can be displayed by touching the input character (S9004).

  When the input is completed, the input is ended by inputting a button 971. When canceling the input, it can be canceled by touching the button 972. When the button 971 is pressed, the content confirmation screen as shown in FIG. 17 is displayed (S9005). In FIG. 17, the contents input in FIG. 16 are reflected on the status screen 711.

  If there is no problem with the above contents, touching the setting SW 708 ends the communication mode with the wireless IC chip 500 (S9006), and changes to a state of operating as a normal copying machine.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following, description of the same configuration as in the first, second, and third embodiments will be omitted, and different portions will be described.

  In the first, second, and third embodiments, the operation itself is realized by the device of the information management system 100. In this embodiment, a case where operation is performed by a remote PC 401 or 402 will be described.

  The basic processing flow for attaching the photosensitive drum shown in the first embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. In the first embodiment, all information is accessed and managed by the operation unit 150 of the main body. However, in this embodiment, the information of the operation unit 150 is stored in the PC 401 as shown in FIG. 18 by RUI (Remote User Interface). Alternatively, the HTML document can be displayed on the screen similar to that shown in FIG. 8 on the 402 by the HTML protocol. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a basic processing flow on the client (browser) side and the server side.

  The client side represents the PC 401 or the PC 402, and the server side represents the information management system 100. The client side starts from S100, waits for user URL input in S101, transmits an HTTP command in S102 after input, waits for reception of a response in S103, formats and displays an HTML document in S104 after reception, and ends one session. On the other hand, the server side starts from S200, waits for reception of an HTTP command in S201, determines whether it is a CGI activation request in S202 after reception, and if YES, analyzes CGI parameters in S203, activates a CGI program in S204, End one session. If it is not a CGI activation request in S202, the designated resource file is returned as a response, and one session is terminated.

  By exchanging the above commands, the processing described in the first, second, and third embodiments can be realized by communication between the PC 401 or PC 402 and the information management system 100. At this time, what has been executed by touching the screen with the operation unit 150 is realized by selecting with a mouse (not shown) or the like, and for inputting detailed information, a keyboard ( (Not shown).

It is a block diagram which shows the whole structure of this apparatus. It is an external view of the reader part and printer part of this apparatus. It is an external view of a wireless IC chip. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a wireless IC chip. It is an example of an address map of a memory used in a wireless IC chip. FIG. 2 is a simplified structural diagram of a photosensitive drum described in the present embodiment. It is a processing flow which confirms the usable state demonstrated in 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 1st Embodiment. It is a processing flow which confirms the usable state demonstrated in 2nd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 2nd Embodiment. It is a processing flow which confirms the usable state demonstrated in 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 3rd Embodiment. It is an example of the operation part 150 screen demonstrated in 4th Embodiment. It is a communication flow of RUI demonstrated in 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the gradation curve set according to the durable number of photosensitive drums demonstrated in 1st Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

401, 402 PC
200 Reader device 300 Printer device 100 Information management system 110 Controller 150 Operation unit 210 Scanner unit 250 Document feed unit 310 Marking unit 360 Paper feed unit 370 Paper discharge unit

Claims (12)

In an information management system that inserts a part into a printing device that prints an image and determines whether the part can be used.
Information processing means that can read and write with specific contact using radio waves,
Reading means for reading a plurality of component-specific information stored in the information processing means;
Analyzing means for analyzing a plurality of information read by the reading means;
Display means for displaying information analyzed by the analysis means;
Printing means for printing the information analyzed by the analyzing means;
A determination means for determining whether to use the component based on the information analyzed by the analysis means;
When the single unit part is used in the forming apparatus by the determining unit, the information includes: a setting unit that sets an optimum usable state based on the information analyzed by the analyzing unit. Management system.   The information management system according to claim 1, wherein the analysis unit decodes information by a control unit in the printing apparatus.   The information management system according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a display unit in a printing apparatus.   2. The information management system according to claim 1, wherein the display means is a display means of a terminal connected to the inside of the printing apparatus via a network.   The display means is realized by being transmitted by the HTTP protocol from the control means in the printing means through the Web server means in the printing means in response to an HTTP command from the host computer. The information management system according to claim 4. In an information management system that inserts a component into a printing device that prints an image and changes the content of the component information.
Information processing means that can read and write with specific contact using radio waves,
Parts selection means for selecting parts to be registered,
Content selection means for selecting content to be added as specific information of a part to the storage area in the information processing means of the selected part for the part selected by the part selection means;
An information management system comprising: the component selection means; and a confirmation means for confirming the content selected by the content selection means.   7. The information management system according to claim 6, wherein the confirmation unit is a confirmation unit in a printing apparatus.   7. The information management system according to claim 6, wherein the confirmation means is confirmation means for a terminal connected to the inside of the printing apparatus via a network.   The confirmation unit is realized by being transmitted by the HTTP protocol from the control unit in the printing unit through the Web server unit in the printing unit in response to an HTTP command from the host computer. The information management system according to claim 6. In an information management method for inserting a part into a printing device for printing an image and judging whether the part can be used,
Information processing steps that can be read and written using specific radio waves,
A reading step of reading a plurality of component specific information stored in the information processing step;
An analysis step for analyzing a plurality of pieces of information read by the reading step;
A display step for displaying the information analyzed in the analysis step on a display unit in the forming apparatus;
A printing step for printing the information analyzed in the analysis step;
A determination step for determining whether to use the component based on the information analyzed in the analysis step;
An information management method comprising: a setting step of setting the component in a usable state when the single component is used in the forming apparatus by the determining step.   The information management method according to claim 10, wherein the analyzing step decodes information in a control step in the printing apparatus. In an information management method for inserting a component into a printing device for printing an image and changing the content of the component information,
Information processing steps that can be read and written using specific radio waves,
Part selection step for selecting parts to be registered,
A content selection step for selecting content to be added as specific information of a component to the storage area in the information processing means of the selected component for the component selected in the component selection step;
An information management method comprising: a component selection step; and a confirmation step for confirming the content selected in the content selection step.