JP2007301782A - Image forming apparatus and image forming program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To immediately reflect set information of the preference of a user when setting of an apparatus is changed or another apparatus is utilized. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with a receiving means (operating part/displaying part 15) for receiving the set information for forming an image, a connecting opening 18 fitting a conveyable recording medium 100 so as to be freely removable, and a controlling means (system controlling part 10) for storing the set information received by the receiving means in the conveyable recording medium 100 when the conveyable recording medium 100 is fitted to the connecting opening 18. In addition, this invention relates to the image forming apparatus 1 equipped with the connecting opening 18 to which the conveyable recording medium 100 is fitted so as to be freely removable, and the controlling means (the system controlling part 10) for performing a control which automatically reads out the set information recorded in the conveyable recording medium 100 and uses the set information as the set information for forming the image when the conveyable recording medium 100 is fitted to the connecting opening 18. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming program that can easily use setting information for image formation.

  When a plurality of users share one image forming apparatus, the usage environment is usually slightly different for each user. In such a case, conventionally, an operation to be used is registered in advance in the target image forming apparatus for each user, and before using the image forming apparatus, the registered user environment is selected and used. is doing.

  Further, in the “customization information automatic setting system, program and storage medium” described in Patent Document 1, the ID card storing the ID information is recognized in a non-contact manner, and the customization information corresponding to the read ID information is obtained. It is set as operation information of the main device, and the operation method of the main device is changed according to the set operation information, so that the user can use the target device in an optimum state.

JP 2003-131775 A

  However, in any technique, it is necessary to previously register setting information suitable for the user's preference in the main body device or other devices (servers or the like) connected to the network for each user. For this reason, if user setting information is not registered in the main device or in another device connected to the network, it cannot be read and needs to be newly registered. Therefore, when a new image forming apparatus is introduced, or when the image forming apparatus is not connected to another apparatus such as a server, the setting information must be registered each time, which is convenient for the user. It is not an environment.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems. That is, the present invention accepts the receiving means for accepting setting information for image formation, the connection port for detachably attaching the portable recording medium, and the receiving means when the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port. The image forming apparatus includes control means for storing the setting information in a portable recording medium.

  Further, the present invention provides a connection port for detachably attaching a portable recording medium, and when a portable recording medium is attached to the connection port, the setting information recorded on the portable recording medium is automatically read out. And an image forming apparatus including a control unit that performs control using the setting information as setting information for image formation.

  Further, the present invention includes a step of receiving setting information for image formation, and a step of detecting that the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port and storing the received setting information in the portable recording medium. An image forming program provided.

  The present invention also includes a step of detecting that a portable recording medium is attached to the connection port, and a case where it is detected that the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port, and is recorded on the portable recording medium. An image forming program comprising: a step of automatically reading setting information; and a step of reflecting the read setting information as setting information for image formation.

  According to the present invention, there are the following effects. That is, it is possible to quickly and easily present an initial operation for work different from other users or work involving complicated processing. Further, since the customization information is automatically stored when the user uses the apparatus, it is possible to omit the work of previously registering optimization of the operation method. Even when the device changes or when the device is not connected to the network, the operation of registering the operation method for the device can be omitted and the same operating environment can be provided at any time.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. In this embodiment, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory is taken as an example of the portable recording medium, but the same applies to other portable recording media.

  In other words, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a multi-function machine that can read, copy, and fax a document image, for example, a system control unit 10, an image storage unit 11, a scanner 12, a printer 13, a fax unit 14, and an operation. A display / display unit 15, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 16, an image processing unit 17, a connection port 18 of the portable recording medium 100, and an interface 19.

  The System control unit 10 is a part that performs overall control processing of the image forming apparatus 1. Operation control relating to recording of setting information on the portable recording medium 100 and reading of setting information from the portable recording medium 100, power-off control, and the like, which are features of the present embodiment, are also performed here.

  The image storage unit 11 is a part for storing image data read from the scanner 12 or received image data. For example, a hard disk drive is used. The Scanner 12 is a part that reads a document image with a predetermined resolution. The Printer 13 is a print engine portion that prints and outputs an image on a sheet with a predetermined resolution. The FAX unit 14 is a part that performs facsimile communication of image data via a public line network (PSTN network / ISDN network).

  The operation unit / display unit 15 is a user interface part having various operation keys and a display for operating the apparatus, and for example, a touch panel display is used. The operation unit / display unit 15 serves as a means for receiving user interface settings and image processing conditions according to user preferences. The RAM 16 is a memory that stores system data, communication information, and the like.

  The image processing unit 17 is a part that performs processing such as encoding, decoding, enlargement, and reduction of image data. The connection port 18 is a part for connecting the portable recording medium 100 in a detachable manner. The interface 19 is a part that inputs / outputs information to / from the portable recording medium 100 connected to the connection port 18. The portable storage medium 100 is a memory that stores image data, edited image data, and output instruction parameters. For example, a USB memory is used.

  In the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, user-preferred setting information is recorded on the portable recording medium 100 for various processes performed by the scanner 12, the printer 13, and the FAX unit 14 and various image processes performed by the image processing unit 17. A feature is that the process of reading the setting information recorded in the portable recording medium 100 and reflecting it in the apparatus can be executed only by connecting the portable recording medium 100.

  For this reason, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, user setting information is received prior to performing various processes, and when the portable recording medium 100 is connected, this is recorded on the portable recording medium 100. When the user connects the portable recording medium 100 to the connection port 18 prior to performing various processes, the setting information is automatically read from the portable recording medium 100 and reflected on the apparatus. become.

  Here, the process of storing the setting information in the portable recording medium 100 and the process of automatically reading the setting information from the portable recording medium 100 are realized by a program process executed by the System control unit 10. Hereinafter, these program processes will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing for storing the setting information. In the following description, reference numerals not shown in FIG. 2 refer to FIG. First, the image forming apparatus 1 accepts an operation by a user prior to performing a predetermined process (step S11). That is, the user operates the operation unit / display unit 15 to input desired setting information. Examples of the setting information include information on a user interface screen for performing image formation, image processing parameters for performing image formation, and information indicating an operation procedure performed by the user.

  For example, in the information on the user interface screen, the screen display for setting the process (service) often used by the user is set as the main screen, and the setting items that are not frequently used are selected on the sub screen instead of the main screen. The screen setting information according to each user's preference, such as setting as described above.

  Also, image processing parameters for image formation include image size reading, paper size selection, paper tray selection, type of image processing to be executed (emphasis, color correction, etc.) and various image processing parameters. This is a setting condition for image formation performed from output to output.

  The operation procedure performed by the user is information indicating the flow of button operations selected by the user until a predetermined process is executed.

  Next, the system control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 analyzes the setting information received by the operation unit / display unit 15 (step S12). In this analysis, the contents (various setting items) of the setting information received before and the setting information received this time are analyzed statistically and temporally. For example, when there is a plurality of setting information such as analyzing the frequency of various setting items of the setting information received so far, determining the most frequent one, or sorting by the time (date and time) when the setting information was received Judge the handling of. It is assumed that what kind of handling is set in the image forming apparatus 1 in advance or set by a user's selection.

  Here, as an example of performing statistical analysis, when there is a paper size to be output as an item of setting information for image formation, the most selected paper size received in the past is recorded. set to target. Further, such statistical analysis and temporal analysis may be applied together. For example, in the case of the paper size shown above, if there are a plurality of paper sizes that have been received in the past and have the same frequency, the latest reception time (date and time) is selected as the recording target.

  Instead of such statistical and temporal analysis, the various setting items accepted at that time may be combined into one and recorded on the portable recording medium 100 as setting information.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the setting information is recorded (step S13). This determination depends on whether a message prompting whether or not to record is displayed on the operation unit / display unit 15 and waiting for acceptance by the user, or according to information set in the image forming apparatus 1 in advance. If not recorded, the process is terminated. If recorded, the setting information analysis result is recorded in the portable recording medium 100 (step S14). The setting information may be recorded as it is together with the analysis result of the setting information.

  Thereby, the setting information input by the user is recorded on the portable recording medium 100. If there is a portable recording medium 100 on which this setting information is recorded, the user can immediately use the same setting content on another device, or other users can change the setting even on the same device. If you are, you can immediately change to your own settings.

  The setting information recording process shown in FIG. 2 may be performed together with the image forming process instructed by the user. In this case, after receiving the setting information input by the user in step S11 shown in FIG. 2, an image forming process is performed using the setting information, and after this process is completed, the processes after step S12 are performed. Thereby, when a series of image forming processes are performed and the process is completed, the setting information is recorded on the portable recording medium 100.

  Next, reading of setting information recorded on the portable recording medium 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of processing for reading the setting information. In the following description, reference numerals not shown in FIG. 3 refer to FIG. The user first connects the portable recording medium 100 to the connection port 18 in order to use the portable recording medium 100 on which the setting information is recorded in the setting information recording process (see FIG. 2) described above. The process shown in FIG. 3 is automatically executed by this connection.

  When the system control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 1 detects that the portable recording medium 100 is connected to the connection port 18 (step S21), the system control unit 10 executes a process of automatically reading the setting information from the portable recording medium 100. (Step S22). Here, it is determined whether or not there is setting information in the portable recording medium 100 (step S23). If there is no setting information, a normal specified value set in advance in the image forming apparatus 1 is reflected as setting information. Is performed (step S24).

  On the other hand, when the setting information is recorded on the portable recording medium 100, the setting information is read from the portable recording medium 100, and the read setting information is reflected as the setting information of the image forming apparatus 1. (Step S25).

  Here, when a plurality of setting information is recorded on the portable recording medium 100, the System control unit 10 reads all the setting information and displays a message as to which setting information to select on the operation unit / display unit 15. Process to receive the selection by the user, process to analyze the plurality of setting information and read the most frequent setting information, and the most recently recorded one of the plurality of setting information Perform the reading process.

  When the analysis result of the setting information is recorded on the portable recording medium 100, the analysis result is read and reflected as setting information. For example, when the size of the sheet to be output is recorded as the analysis result, the size is read and reflected in the setting information of the image forming apparatus 1.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user's favorite setting information is automatically recorded in the portable storage medium 100, and the user's usage environment can be automatically set when the apparatus is used next time. Even if the setting information is not registered in the forming apparatus 1 or other apparatuses connected to the network, the user can use the favorite setting information at any time.

  In the above example, the setting information is simply recorded on the portable recording medium 100. However, when recording the setting information, the setting information is recorded in association with the user identification code and the personal identification number (or both of them). You may do it. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 that reads the contents of the portable recording medium 100 can accept the user's identification code and personal identification number (or both) before reading them and read them only when they can be collated. It is possible to prevent unauthorized use of the recorded contents of the portable recording medium 100.

  In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 has been described as an example. However, even in an information processing apparatus having a user interface, the setting information such as screen information and various processing conditions received by the user interface is portable recording medium. The present invention can also be applied to the case of recording to 100 or reading from the recorded portable recording medium 100 for use.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a system configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the process which memorize | stores setting information. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of the process which reads setting information.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 2 ... Image processing apparatus, 10 ... System control part, 11 ... Image storage part, 12 ... Scanner, 13 ... Printer, 14 ... FAX part, 15 ... Operation part / display part, 16 ... RAM, 17 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Image processing part, 18 ... Connection port, 19 ... Interface, 20 ... System control part, 21 ... Image storage part, 22 ... Operation part / display part, 23 ... RAM, 24 ... Image processing part, 25 ... Connection port, 26 ... Interface, 100 ... Portable recording medium

Claims (12)

Accepting means for accepting setting information for image formation;
A connection port for detachably attaching a portable recording medium;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that stores setting information received by the receiving unit in the portable recording medium when the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when there are a plurality of the setting information, the control unit performs control to store the most frequently used setting information in the portable recording medium. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when there are a plurality of the setting information, the control unit performs control to store the setting information received most recently among the setting information in the portable recording medium. A connection port for detachably attaching a portable recording medium;
Control in which when the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port, the setting information recorded on the portable recording medium is automatically read and the setting information is used as setting information for image formation. And an image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit reads the setting information having the highest frequency when there are a plurality of setting information recorded on the portable recording medium. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when there are a plurality of setting information recorded on the portable recording medium, the control unit reads setting information recorded most recently. 5. 5. The control unit according to claim 4, wherein when the setting information is not stored in the portable recording medium, the control unit performs control to use a preset initial value as setting information for image formation. Image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting information is information on a user interface screen for performing the image formation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting information is an image processing parameter for performing the image formation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting information is information indicating an operation procedure performed by a user. Receiving setting information for image formation;
An image forming program comprising: detecting that a portable recording medium is attached to a connection port; and storing the received setting information in the portable recording medium. Detecting that a portable recording medium is attached to the connection port;
When detecting that the portable recording medium is attached to the connection port, automatically reading setting information recorded on the portable recording medium;
A step of reflecting the read setting information as setting information for image formation.

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