JP2006256118A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a content set in a particular image forming device and the state used last to be used in another image forming device. <P>SOLUTION: When a setting executed in the image forming device is accumulated in a server for every user, and user authentication is carried out when the user uses the image forming device on a network managed by the server, the user setting information optimum for the image forming device is set in the image forming device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus configured to be connected to each other via a server and a network line.

Various settings for performing operations such as printing in a conventional image forming apparatus such as a printer need to be set for each printer in an operation unit such as a printer in advance. These settings are, for example, the settings for the printed matter, the magnification that determines enlargement / reduction, etc., whether to print on both sides or one side, the selection of the paper cassette including manual feed designation, paper size designation, bookbinding printing, printed matter There are sorts and so on. In addition, as a network setting, an address book setting for registering an address of a destination computer used for transmitting an image read using a scanner or the like to a computer or the like using a network service such as E-mail. Etc. Further, as a setting for storing an image in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, there is a box setting or the like. By using these settings appropriately, the user designates the printing form and obtains the desired printed matter.
JP 2003-345540 A

  However, the conventional image forming apparatus has the following problems.

  The contents set for obtaining the printed matter intended by the user exist as set by the user immediately after the use of the image forming apparatus. However, once another user uses, the above settings are for other users. When printing with the same settings, it was necessary to reset from the beginning. Also, when using after setting by another user, the print result intended by the user may not be obtained without checking all the settings.

  Further, when one user uses an image forming apparatus such as a plurality of printers, it is necessary to make the same setting for each of the plurality of printers. If this setting is different, a result unintended by the user may be obtained. This is not printing by simply specifying one of a number of setting items, but by selecting multiple items from a number of setting items and combining the settings, the user can print his or her favorite print. It is because it is going.

  Also, in order to perform the same print settings in other image forming apparatuses such as printers, it is necessary to make settings from the beginning as well. However, if the image forming apparatus used at this time is of a different model from the previously used image forming apparatus However, since the display method of the operation unit is different, it is difficult to easily obtain the print setting desired by the user. Due to the same problem, when the apparatus is replaced, it is necessary to make various settings for the new image forming apparatus from the beginning.

  Also, since most of the settings are common to all users, it is impossible to set the setting items such as address book that you do not want to be known for each user. There was a trouble of erasing after using.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in order to solve the above-described problem, in an image forming apparatus connected to a server via a network line, a user is registered in the server, and an image existing on the same network used by the registered user is used. The setting information of the forming apparatus is centrally managed by the server, and based on this information, the setting information of the user is displayed on the operation unit in the image forming apparatus, so that the registered user can share the set contents every time. It can be used between image forming apparatuses on the same network, and user operability is improved.

  In order to solve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises the following arrangement.

  That is, an image forming apparatus connected to a server via a network line, wherein the image forming apparatus receives user recognition means for recognizing a user who uses the image forming apparatus, and user information connected to the network. User information transmitting means for transmitting user information recognized by the user recognition means to the server to be stored, and the server that has received the user information transmitted by the transmitting means are identified by the user specified by the user information User setting information acquisition means for receiving from the server user setting information previously set in the image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus connected to the network, and the image forming apparatus receives the received Based on the user setting information, the image forming apparatus is recognized by the user recognition unit. Comprising personalization means to personalize each.

  By using the present invention, in an image forming apparatus connected to a server via a network line, a user who uses the image forming apparatus is registered in the server, and an image existing on the network used by the registered user is used. The server can manage the personalized data of the forming apparatus. By using this personalized data in common in the image forming apparatus on the same network as the server, the user can use the same setting in common between the image forming apparatuses every time, and the operability of the user is remarkably improved. It becomes possible.

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

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus of the present invention and its surrounding environment. In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 and the server 10 are connected via a network 14, and personalized information described later is transmitted / received via the network 14. In addition to the image forming apparatus 100 and the server 10, an image forming apparatus 11 and an image forming apparatus 12 can be connected to the network 14. These devices can also transmit and receive personalized information to and from the server 10 via the network 14. An information processing apparatus 13 is also connected to the network 14 as an external apparatus that generates a print job and sends the print job to the image forming apparatus 100.

  Next, the internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. A print job transmitted from the information processing apparatus 13 to the external interface 105 via the network 14 is temporarily held in the volatile RAM 103 by the CPU 101. It is assumed that the print job used in this embodiment is composed of PDL data described in a page description language (hereinafter referred to as “PDL”). The PDL data read from the volatile RAM 103 is expanded into raster image data and written again into the volatile RAM 103. The developed image data is read from the volatile RAM 103 and sent to the printing unit 107 to form an image.

  The ROM 102 is a non-rewritable memory whose contents do not volatilize even when the power is turned off. The ROM 102 is used to hold a program and fixed data, and processing by the CPU 101 is executed based on the program. The volatile RAM 103 is an inexpensive and rewritable memory whose contents are volatilized when the power is turned off, and is used to hold temporary data. The nonvolatile RAM 104 is a relatively expensive rewritable memory whose contents do not volatilize even when the power is turned off, and is used to hold data that should be stored for a relatively long period of time. The external interface 105 is a network interface card (hereinafter referred to as NIC) connected to the network 14, and there are various types depending on the form of the network 14. The operation unit 106 is used by the operator to perform settings related to the image forming apparatus 100 in front of the apparatus, and to display information for notifying the operator of the state of the apparatus. Reference numeral 108 denotes a CPU bus that connects the above components.

  The printing unit 107 has a plurality of functions such as color printing / monochrome printing, single-sided printing / double-sided printing, printing at each paper size, and plain paper / OHP paper.

  Various settings for receiving these print jobs, developing raster image data, and forming an image are conventionally set in the image forming apparatus 100 using the operation unit 106 or the like. Use the one specified in each print job sent from the apparatus 13, or use the browser software such as Internet Explorer on the information processing apparatus 13 to access the image forming apparatus 100 from the network 14. I was using what I set. In the present invention, in addition to these means, means for drawing out various settings from the server 10 to which the image forming apparatus 100 described later is connected to the network is added.

  Various settings using the operation unit 106 and the like are held in the nonvolatile RAM 104 so that they do not disappear even when the image forming apparatus 100 is turned off. On the other hand, various settings instructed during each print job sent from the information processing apparatus 13 and various settings acquired from the server 10 may be erased when the image forming apparatus 100 is turned off. Stored in the RAM 103.

  Next, in this embodiment, a flow when the user uses the image forming apparatus 100 such as a printer will be described with reference to FIG. First, the user starts using the image forming apparatus 100 for printing in step S201. Next, in step S202, the display screen 20 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100 in FIG. This display screen is a screen for inquiring a user who uses the image forming apparatus 100 whether or not to personalize this apparatus. By pressing the “Yes” button on the screen 21, this display screen is displayed. The image forming apparatus 100 transitions to step S203, which is a mode for performing personalization. By pressing the “No” button on the screen 22, the image forming apparatus 100 transitions to step S 212, and enters a normal mode that is shared and used by all users. The transition state from step S212 then transitions to step S213, and when the user completes the process such as printing, the process transitions to step S214, and the user process ends.

  When the “Yes” button 21 is selected in step S202 and the process proceeds to step S203, the display screen 30 shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100 in FIG. This display screen 30 is a screen that prompts the user to input a user ID and a password that can uniquely identify the user in order for the image forming apparatus 100 to acquire user information for personalization. With respect to the user ID and password, it is possible to uniquely identify the user by using another method such as fingerprint authentication. Moreover, regarding the user ID, a value registered in advance may be displayed in the form of a list, and the user to use may be selected.

  Using the user ID and password input in step S203, the process proceeds to step S204. In step S <b> 204, the image forming apparatus 100 inquires of the server 10 whether information regarding the input user ID exists. If the user ID exists on the server 10, the process proceeds to step S <b> 205 and user setting information is acquired from the server 10. If it does not exist, the process proceeds to step S207, and a process for registering a user is performed.

  In step S204, as an example of a means for inquiring the user ID and password to the server 10 and a method of receiving reply data from the server 10 in step S205, a network packet is created and these data are transmitted to and received from the server 10. A method for doing this will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 5A is a network packet diagram in step S204. The network packet can be roughly divided into a packet header part necessary for network routing and a packet data part including actual data. In the packet of FIG. 5A, 301 is a header portion including a network address, and 302 is a data portion including actual data. The network address of the destination server 10 and the network address of the image forming apparatus 100 are stored in 301, and using this information, the packet reaches the server 10, which is a target device existing on the network 14. become.

  The actual data to be transmitted is 302, which includes data such as 303-306. 303 and 304 are the user ID and password input in step S203. Reference numerals 305 and 306 denote a device name and a product type, which are data necessary for personalization described later. The device name is a value unique to the device on the network that can be changed by the user, and the product type is a product name value specified by the vendor.

  The server 10 receives this packet, performs user authentication from 303 and 304, and determines transmission data to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 100 with reference to 305 and 306 when the user can be identified. FIG. 5B shows data to be transmitted. It is the same as FIG. 5A in that a network packet is used.

  FIG. 5B includes a header portion 401 and a data portion 402, and data such as 403 to 412 exists in the data portion 402. 403 to 406 are the same values as 303 to 306 in FIG. 5A, but 407 to 412 are data that the server 10 has accumulated for each user. When any one of the image forming apparatuses on the network 14 is used, the image forming apparatus transmits to the server 10, and this data is user personalized data.

  In this embodiment, the user page information that the user can have individually as 407, the last page that is the page information that the user previously displayed as 408, the destination address book registered by the user as 409, and the user as 410 Printing history 411, box information set by the user as 411, and 412 as additional information for storing information to be notified from the server 10 to the image forming apparatus 100. When such a network packet reaches the image forming apparatus 100, the image forming apparatus 100 acquires the network packet in S205, and performs personalization by using the acquired data in the future.

  Using the data portions 407 to 412 of the acquired packet, the user setting state is set in the image forming apparatus 100 in S206. The set information is the last page displayed on the address book, history, box, and operation unit 106 when the user last used any of the image forming apparatuses on the network 14. Is accurately reproduced.

  Also, the user page indicated by reference numeral 501 in FIG. 6 is reproduced. The user page is a page created for the user to easily use the image forming apparatus. In step S206, there may be an item in which the previous setting data acquired from the server 10 cannot be used in the current image forming apparatus 100 due to a difference in model or the like. In such a case, the item that cannot be used is grayed out or not displayed to notify the user that the item cannot be used. Further, for such items, a function that is close in the image forming apparatus 100 may be searched and replaced with this function.

  The user page 501 has two functions, a shortcut 502 and a registration operation 503. Each of 502 and 503 is composed of three buttons. The name buttons 504 and 505, which are the first buttons, display the shortcut name and registration operation name set by the user. By pressing this button, the registered function can be used. By pressing the registration buttons 506 and 507 which are the second buttons, it is possible to set the name button name and the operation when the name buttons 504 and 505 are pressed, and this is the third button. By pressing the delete buttons 508 and 509, it is possible to delete all the contents set in the registration buttons 506 and 507.

  In the shortcut 502, among the many pages that can be displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100, a name button is used for a page that is frequently used by the user, a page that has a deep page hierarchy, and cannot be easily reached. By registering it in 504 and pressing this name button 504, the registration page as described above can be displayed by a single operation. In operation registration 503, frequently used print settings and operations are registered once in the name button 505, and when the same setting is used again, the registered various kinds of operations can be performed simply by pressing the set name button 505. This is a function capable of setting the setting in the image forming apparatus 100. This function can also be set by pressing the registration button.

  In addition, when the user previously used any one of the image forming apparatuses on the same network 14, the page that was displayed on the operation unit when the use of the image forming apparatus was ended is currently used. There is also a function of displaying on the 100 operation units 106.

  Next, a method for managing personalized data of the image forming apparatus on the server 10 and a method for transmitting these data to the image forming apparatus will be described.

In the present embodiment, the following four types of personalized data management method of the image forming apparatus will be described.
1. Management is performed for each image forming apparatus.
2. Manage by model.
3. Manage information for each monochrome and color machine.
4). Centrally manages information of all image forming apparatuses.

  Hereinafter, 1 to 4 will be described in order.

  Management for each image forming apparatus 1 will be described. The personalization information for each image forming apparatus is referred to from the data 306 product type received in step S204 from the image forming apparatus 100, and the data is transmitted as it is. If there is no data relating to the image forming apparatus, a default value for each image forming apparatus set on the server 10 is transmitted.

  The management for each model will be described. From the data 306 product type received in step S204 from the image forming apparatus 100, the model is discriminated and the personalized data of the model is referred to. The data received from the image forming apparatus 100 and the personalized data on the server 10 are used last time. The difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus is stored in the additional information 412 and transmitted. The difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus used last time is the mounting state of the option unit in each image forming apparatus. If there is no data regarding this model, a default value for each model set on the server 10 is transmitted. This additional information 412 is displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100 and notifies the user of a functional difference from the previous environment.

  3 for managing information for each monochrome machine and color machine. From the data 306 product type received from the image forming apparatus 100 in step S204, the monochrome machine and the color machine are identified, the personalized data for each monochrome machine or color machine is referred to, the data received from the image forming apparatus 100 and the server 10, the difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus used last time is stored in the additional information 412 and transmitted. The difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus used last time is the mounting status of the option unit and the model information of the image forming apparatus at the previous use. If there is no personalized data relating to a monochrome machine or a color machine, a default value for each monochrome machine or color machine set on the server 10 is transmitted. This additional information 412 is displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100 and notifies the user of a functional difference from the previous environment.

  The information management of all the image forming apparatuses 4 will be described. The personalized data on the server 10 is referred to from the data 306 product type received in step S204 from the image forming apparatus 100, and the difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus used last time is determined from the data received from the image forming apparatus 100 as 412. Store in additional information and send. The difference from the environment of the image forming apparatus used last time is the mounting status of the option unit, the model information of the image forming apparatus at the previous use, and the difference information between the monochrome machine and the color machine. If there is no personalized data, the default value set on the server 10 is transmitted. This additional information 412 is displayed on the operation unit 106 of the image forming apparatus 100 and notifies the user of a functional difference from the previous environment.

  In step S209, the user performs processing such as printing using the personalized image forming apparatus 100. When the user finishes the process, the process proceeds to step S210, where the screen 600 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed, and an inquiry is made as to whether or not to end the use of the image forming apparatus 100. When the user finishes using the image forming apparatus 100, the user presses the “Yes” button 601 in FIG. Then, the process proceeds to step S211. If the “No” button 602 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S209, and the user continues to use the image forming apparatus 100. When the use of the image forming apparatus 100 is finished, personalized data set by the user is transmitted to the server 10 in step S211.

  A network packet structure for transmitting personalized data set by the user to the server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Information set in the image forming apparatus 100 for items 801 to 812 is stored as transmission data and transmitted to the server 10. For the additional information 812, the option status of the image forming apparatus 100, model information, whether it is a monochrome machine or a color machine, and the like are set. The server 10 manages the received data between 801 to 812 for each user by using any one of the personalized data management methods 1 to 4 described above. When this process ends, the process proceeds to step S214, and the process on the image forming apparatus 100 ends.

  Next, processing when a user is not registered in the server 10 will be described. In step S204, when the user information does not exist on the server 10, the process proceeds to step S207 to register the user. If it is not necessary to register the user, the process proceeds to step S212. If user registration is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S208, and the user is registered in the server 10. When the registration process ends, the process proceeds to step S209. At this time, the personalization information transmitted from the server is default, and this default value is set on the server 10 in advance. After the default values are set, the user personalizes to create his own settings.

  In the personalized data setting method, the personal information setting software is used from the information processing apparatus 13 on the network 14 to the server 10 in addition to the user setting using the operation unit 106 on the image forming apparatus 100. May be set.

  As described above, the server 10 manages information set by the user in the image forming apparatus 100, and the information set once can be used in all the image forming apparatuses existing on the same network 14. Become.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus of the present invention and its surrounding environment. 4 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a message displayed on the operation unit of the printer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a message displayed on the operation unit of the printer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining data for transmitting / receiving personalized information to / from a server by image forming layer replacement in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a message displayed on the operation unit of the printer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a message displayed on the operation unit of the printer in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining data for transmitting / receiving personalized information to / from a server by image forming layer replacement in an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Server 11 Image forming apparatus 12 Image forming apparatus 13 Information processing apparatus 14 Network 100 Image forming apparatus 101 CPU
102 ROM
103 volatile RAM
104 Nonvolatile RAM
105 External Interface 106 Operation Unit 107 Printing Unit 108 CPU Bus

Claims (8)

  An image forming apparatus connected to a server via a network line, wherein the image forming apparatus stores user recognition means for recognizing a user who uses the image forming apparatus and user information connected to the network. User information transmission means for transmitting user information recognized by the user recognition means to the server, and the server that has received the user information transmitted by the transmission means, the user specified by the user information has previously User setting information acquisition means for receiving from the server user setting information set in the image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus connected to the network, and the image forming apparatus receives the user setting For each user who recognizes the image forming apparatus by the user recognition unit based on information Image forming apparatus further comprising a personalization unit to personalize.   When the user finishes using the image forming apparatus personalized by the personalization means, ending means for ending personalization of the image forming apparatus, and user personalization for transmitting the personalized information to the server after the ending means The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an information transmission unit.   The personalization means can use the personalization information transmitted by the other image forming apparatus connected to the server via the network line in common with a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the personalizing unit includes a unit that sets the user information data received by the receiving unit to a usable state in the image forming apparatus.   The personalized information includes print setting information customized to the user's intended state, personal information of the user, and option information of the image forming apparatus in the operation device in which the user changes the settings of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The personalization information includes information registered as a macro of various operation records set by the user in the image forming apparatus, and display information displayed on the operation apparatus at the end. 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 5 above.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information used for the user recognition unit is a user ID and a password, and the user information transmission unit includes the user ID and the password. .   The display means is characterized in that when there is no function to display due to the difference in the model used last time, or when the display screen itself does not exist, these functions are hidden or grayed out, or displayed approximately by a similar function. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

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