JP2009078411A - Image forming apparatus and its management system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a plurality of image forming apparatuses to stop all at once or to enable management working such as setting and changing related to stopping of the image forming apparatuses to be carried out all at once. <P>SOLUTION: For instance, when an external force such as vibration added from outside or impact is detected in one image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1-ID6 connected to a server for management CS via a network NW, external force detection information of the one image forming apparatus is reflected on other image forming apparatuses through the server for management CS. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus configured to detect an external force applied to the apparatus and stop an image forming operation, and a management system thereof.

Generally, in various image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers, there is a risk of causing image formation defects by affecting the image writing operation, fixing operation, and the like when subjected to external vibrations or impacts. Therefore, conventionally, the image forming apparatus has a function of detecting that an external force such as vibration or impact is applied to the apparatus, and the image forming operation is stopped when the external force such as vibration or impact is detected. For example, the following Patent Document 1 proposes such a configuration. In the apparatus according to the proposal, an external force such as vibration or impact applied to the apparatus is detected by an appropriate detection unit such as an acceleration sensor, and an image is detected from the image formation control unit that has received the external force detection signal generated by the detection. A configuration is employed in which an image forming operation such as an exposure writing operation in a laser scanner or a fixing operation in a thermal fixing unit is stopped by issuing an operation prohibition command to the forming unit.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-19558

  However, since the conventional image forming apparatus configured as described above is configured to complete the operation from the detection of the applied external force to the stop in one apparatus, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are included. Even when connected to an appropriate network, it is impossible to notify other image forming apparatuses that an external force has been received by any of the image forming apparatuses. That is, in the conventional apparatus, it is not possible to perform management work such as operation stop processing for stopping a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the network network in a batch, and setting and change related to the operation stop processing in a batch. There is a problem. This is particularly problematic when the external force detection means is not provided in a part of the image forming apparatus connected to the network.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention is capable of collectively stopping a plurality of image forming apparatuses and performing management operations such as setting and changing related to stopping of the image forming apparatuses. An object is to provide a forming apparatus and a management system thereof.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a desired image is formed on an appropriate recording medium, and image forming control means for detecting an external force applied to the apparatus and stopping the image forming operation is provided. In the image forming apparatus, the image formation control unit is connected to a management server via an appropriate network as a client, and the image formation control unit detects the external force when detecting the external force. When the operation prohibition command based on the detection of external force issued from the management server is received via the network network, the received operation prohibition command is transmitted to the management server via the network network. A configuration is adopted in which the image forming operation is stopped based on this.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, when an external force is detected in, for example, one image forming apparatus among a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the external force detection information in the one image forming apparatus is used for management. The operation of a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to clients in the network even if there is an image forming apparatus that does not have an external force detection means in the network, which is reflected through the server to other image forming apparatuses. Management operations such as stop processing and settings and changes related to the operation stop processing are collectively executed.

  In addition, the image formation control unit according to the present invention receives the operation prohibition command and notifies the user that the image formation operation is stopped, and stops the image formation operation by a user input operation. It is possible to have a configuration having a function that can cancel the state.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, it is clearly and easily confirmed by the user that the image forming operation has been stopped by receiving an external force, and the image forming operation is determined by the user's subsequent determination. It can be resumed easily and quickly.

  In addition, the image formation control unit according to the present invention has a function of temporarily completing an image formation operation that is being accepted or being executed when the operation prohibition instruction is received, and then shifting the image formation operation to a stop state. It can be configured.

  According to this embodiment having such a configuration, the image forming operation in the image forming apparatus is not stopped halfway, so that the image forming operation can be performed economically without waste. Yes.

  In the present invention, a plurality of image forming apparatuses including at least one image forming apparatus having the above-described configuration are provided, and the plurality of image forming apparatuses are respectively connected to the management server via an appropriate network. When the image formation control means provided in at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses detects an external force applied to the apparatus, a signal related to external force detection is sent to the management server. The management server receives a signal related to the external force detection, and outputs an operation prohibition command to the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the signal related to the external force detection. Is possible.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, when an external force is detected in, for example, one image forming apparatus among a plurality of image forming apparatuses, detection information in the one image forming apparatus is used for management. Management operations such as operation stop processing of multiple image forming devices connected to the network via the server and reflected in other image forming devices through the server, and settings and changes related to the operation stop processing are executed in a batch. It has become.

  In the present invention, the image formation control means provided in each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses outputs a signal related to the external force detection to the management server when the external force applied to the apparatus is detected. It is possible to adopt a configuration for determining whether or not. The management server according to the present invention outputs the operation prohibition command to the plurality of image forming apparatuses when receiving a signal related to the external force detection issued from any of the plurality of image forming apparatuses. It is possible to adopt a configuration for determining whether or not.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, the magnitude of the external force detected by any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the network by the client is in a state where the other image forming apparatuses are stopped. Therefore, useless operation stop processing is surely prevented from being performed.

  In addition, the management server according to the present invention can be configured to have a function of issuing an operation resuming command for canceling the stop state of the image forming operation to each image forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, the restart of the image forming operation in a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to the network by clients is efficiently performed collectively in response to a command from the management server. It has become.

  Further, it is possible to employ a configuration in which an image forming control unit provided in only a part of the plurality of image forming apparatuses according to the present invention detects an external force applied to the apparatus. .

  According to the present invention having such a configuration, a part of the image forming apparatus having the external force detection function is used to stop the operation of the image forming apparatus that is connected to the network network but does not have the external force detection function. Management operations such as settings and changes related to the processing and the operation stop processing are executed collectively.

  As described above, according to the present invention, in one image forming apparatus among a plurality of image forming apparatuses connected to a management server via a network, external force such as vibration and impact applied from the outside is applied. If detected, the external force detection information in the one image forming apparatus is reflected on the other image forming apparatus through the management server, so that a plurality of images connected to the network by clients are connected. Management operations such as operation stop processing of the forming apparatus and settings and changes related to the operation stop processing can be executed in a lump, and the usefulness of the image forming apparatus and its management system can be greatly improved.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, in the image forming apparatus management system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the image forming control provided in each of a plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 including copying machines, printers, and the like constituting the client. Means (not shown) are respectively connected to the router RT that relays network communication as a client. The image forming control means in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 connected to the router RT is client-connected to the management server CS via an appropriate network NW such as a local area network or the Internet. Yes.

  As described above, various requests are issued to the management server CS from the image formation control means provided in the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 connected to the management server CS by clients. The management server CS appropriately responds, and various commands and information are transmitted from the management server CS to the image formation control means of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6.

  At this time, as the above-described image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6, various apparatuses configured to form a desired image on an appropriate recording medium such as a copying machine or a printer can be employed. However, a schematic structure of a digital copying machine as an example of an image forming apparatus will be described. Here, the digital copying machine is an apparatus provided with a printer, such as a scanner for image reading, a communication function for performing communication via FAX or LAN, and in the following embodiments, the recording method is electrophotography. It shall be a method.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of a schematic configuration of hardware of the digital copying machine. The digital copying machine adopting the electrophotographic method shown in this figure adopts a so-called in-cylinder discharge method, and is an upper part of the apparatus main body 1 composed of a substantially rectangular apparatus casing. A document table 3 is provided via a paper discharge unit 2.

  The document table 3 is provided with a scanner (CIS unit) 4 of a scanning optical device constituting image reading means. The scanner 4 is provided with an irradiation lamp for irradiating a document (not shown) on the document table 3 with scanning light and an image sensor for reading reflected light from the document. The document table 3 is provided with an operation unit operated by a user, and an automatic document feeding unit (ADF) 3a is provided to be openable and closable so as to cover the document table 3 from above. Yes. This automatic document feeder unit (ADF) 3a stops the illumination lamp of the scanner 4 at a predetermined position, and reads the document while feeding the document on the document table 3, thereby feeding the document through for reading (sheet through). (DF) and a pressure plate that presses the document when the document placed at a predetermined position on the document table 3 is read while moving the scanner 4.

  In addition, a paper discharge unit 2 based on the above-described in-body discharge method is provided below the document table 3 provided with the scanner (scanning optical device) 4, and further through the paper discharge unit 2. On the lower side, an image forming unit 5 and a paper feeding unit 6 are disposed inside the apparatus main body 1.

  The image forming unit 5 includes a photosensitive drum 51 as an image carrier that rotates clockwise in the figure, and uniformly charges the photosensitive drum 51 around the photosensitive drum 51 along the rotation direction. An electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 51, a laser emitter 53 that modulates image information from the charger 52 and the scanner 4 and exposes the scanning light to the photosensitive drum 51 to form an electrostatic latent image. A developing device 54 that supplies toner to the toner to form a toner image, and a transfer unit that is arranged in the middle of the paper conveyance path and transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 51 to the paper side as a recording medium A transfer roller 55, a cleaning device 56 that removes, collects, and discharges toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 51 after transfer are sequentially arranged.

  Further, a fixing device 57 for thermally melting and fixing the toner image on the paper is disposed in the paper conveyance path extending toward the paper discharge unit 2 disposed above the transfer roller 55. The sheet conveyance path extending upward from the exit of the fixing device 57 is connected to the paper discharge unit 2 described above. The paper discharge unit 2 is provided with a paper discharge tray 22 via a post-processing device 21 and the like, and a reverse conveyance mechanism 23 and the like for forming a double-sided image.

  In addition, a sheet feeding unit 6 that feeds a sheet-like recording medium such as a sheet cut into a predetermined size is disposed below the image forming unit 5 described above. In the paper feed unit 6, paper feed cassettes 61 for storing sheets of cut recording media for each size are arranged so as to overlap in a plurality of stages, and are attached to the apparatus main body so as to be detachable. The sheets stacked in the sheet feeding cassette 61 are sent to the sheet feeding path side by the rotation of the sheet feeding roller 62 and are abutted against the nip portion of the registration roller 63 provided in the sheet feeding path. It is configured to be sent to the image forming area facing the above-described photosensitive drum 51 while taking an appropriate timing.

  Further, a manual paper feed tray 64 is provided so as to project outward from the apparatus main body 1, and a paper feed conveyance path extending from each of the paper feed mechanisms 61 to 64 is connected to the photosensitive drum 51 described above. The roller 55 extends upward toward an image forming area which is a transfer area facing the roller 55.

  On the other hand, the image forming control means (not shown) provided in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 (see FIG. 1) composed of copiers and the like having such a configuration are connected via an appropriate network NW as described above. The client is connected to the management server CS. Of these image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6, three units denoted by reference numerals ID1 to ID3 are provided with an external force detection mechanism (not shown) as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-19558. It has been. The external force detection mechanism includes, for example, an acceleration sensor attached to the laser emitter 53 and the fixing device 57 described above, and includes vibrations added to various devices such as the laser emitter 53 and the fixing device 57. An external force such as an impact is detected by the acceleration sensor.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the image forming control means provided in only a part of the plurality (six) of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 includes the external force applied to the apparatus. The other image forming apparatuses ID4 to ID6 are not provided with the above-described acceleration sensor (external force detection mechanism) and have a function of detecting the external force applied to the apparatus. Absent.

  As described above, the acceleration sensors (external force detection mechanisms) arranged in some of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 have the same configuration in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3. When an external force such as vibration or impact is detected, an appropriate external force detection signal is output from the acceleration sensor, and the external force detection signal is converted into a digital signal before being input to an image formation control means (not shown). It has become.

  The image formation control means that receives the external force detection signal based on the external force such as vibration and impact described above and captures the external force detection signal into the inside forms the signal level value (magnitude) of the captured external force detection signal for the image forming apparatus. It has a function of comparing with a preset reference level value of external force. When the signal level value of the external force detection signal exceeds the reference level value, it is determined that the external force at that time is excessive vibration or impact. The image formation control unit has a function of outputting a signal related to the external force detection signal, in this embodiment, a signal level value of the external force detection signal to the management server CS via the network NW. ing.

  The external force detection operation by the image formation control means provided in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 as described above is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, as shown in the figure, first, the image forming control means of each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 is maintained in a state in which the output state of the acceleration sensor provided in each is constantly monitored. When an external force detection signal is output from the acceleration sensor when the signal is received, the signal level value (input value) of the external force detection signal is compared with a predetermined value (reference value). When the signal level value of the external force detection signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined value [Yes in step A01], it is determined that the degree of impact of the applied external force is large. The signal level value is output to the management server CS via the network NW described above to be notified [step A02].

  On the other hand, the management control means (not shown) provided in the management server CS detects external force generated from any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 via the network NW. It has a function of receiving the signal level value of the signal. The management control means provided in the management server CS has a function of comparing the signal level value of the external force detection signal received and taken in with a preset reference level value of the external force. If the signal level value of the external force detection signal exceeds the reference level value, it is determined that the external force at that time is excessive vibration or impact. In that case, an operation prohibition command for switching the image forming operation to the stopped state as necessary is issued to all or a part of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 whose image forming operation is to be stopped. It is configured to output via NW.

  At this time, the reference level value of each image forming apparatus relating to the signal level value of the external force detection signal is the various apparatus conditions such as the weight and size of each image forming apparatus ID1 to ID6 or the difference in structure as described above. However, the setting value of the reference level value can be changed for each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 by an operation on the management server CS. In this way, the setting can be easily changed for each user or for each image forming apparatus, and the apparatus can be used quickly without stopping the entire image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 as much as possible. This makes it possible to respond well to the request.

  In the management control means of the management server CS having such a configuration, for example, a control operation as shown in FIG. 4 is executed. First, as described above, when the signal level value of the external force detection signal is issued from any one of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3, the information on the impact based on the signal level value of the external force detection signal is stored in the management server CS. Received by the image formation control means [Yes in step B01]. Next, whether or not the impact level expressed as the signal level value of the external force detection signal taken into the management server CS is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (reference value) is the management control means of the management server CS [Step B02].

  If there is an image forming apparatus whose impact level is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (reference value) [Yes in step B02], these image forming apparatuses have excessive vibration, impact, etc. It is determined that the image forming operation should be stopped in response to the external force, and therefore, from the management control unit of the management server CS to the image forming apparatus whose impact level is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (reference value). On the other hand, an operation prohibition command for the image forming operation is transmitted [step B03].

  On the other hand, the operation prohibition command issued from the management control unit of the management server CS as described above is received by the image formation control unit provided in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 via the network NW. The image forming control means of each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 that has received the operation prohibition command has a function of stopping the image forming operation based on the received operation prohibition command. It has a function to temporarily complete an image forming operation that is being accepted or being executed at the time of reception, and after completing an image forming operation that is in the middle, the next image forming operation is shifted to a stop state. It is configured.

  The image forming control means provided in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 is in a stopped state when the image forming operation is switched to the stopped state by receiving the above-described operation prohibition command. It has a function to notify the user that it is. As a specific means for notifying the stop state of the image forming operation, for example, a display unit of a display operation unit provided in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 is used. In that case, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, “abnormal impact is detected and the image forming operation is in a stopped state” or “prompt to confirm whether the device is normal”. Etc. are displayed on the display unit of the display operation unit.

  Further, the operation display units of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 described above are provided with key means for releasing the stop state of the image forming operation by a user input operation. When the user performs an input operation through the key means, and the image forming control means receives the operation resuming command, the image forming control means has a function of enabling the image forming operation to be stopped. Yes.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, each image forming apparatus ID1 to ID6 is configured to return the image forming operation to a resumable state when the user performs a release operation. It is also possible to provide the above-described management server CS side with a function of canceling the operation stop state. In this case, an operation restart command is issued from the management server CS toward each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6, and the stopped state of each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 is released based on the operation restart command. The operation will be executed.

  Thus, in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 that has received the operation prohibition instruction from the management server CS, for example, a control operation as shown in FIG. 5 is executed. That is, as shown in the figure, when an operation prohibition command is received from the management server CS in each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 [Yes in step C01], each of the image prohibition commands received. The image forming control means of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 determines whether or not an image forming operation is currently being performed [step C02].

  If the image forming operation is being performed [Yes in step C02], the image forming operation that is being accepted or being executed when the operation prohibiting instruction is received from the management server CS is temporarily completed [step C03]. . When the image forming operation is not in progress [No in Step C02] or after the current image forming operation is completed [Yes in Step C03], the image forming operation is stopped according to the operation prohibition command received from the management server CS as described above. The state is switched to [Step C04], and the state is shifted to a state in which no further image forming operation is possible. As a result, as will be described later, for example, the stop state of one image forming apparatus is reflected in all the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 that need to stop the image forming operation, and the image forming operation is collectively prohibited. Will be.

  Next, the image forming control means of each of the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 notifies the image forming apparatus ID1 that the image forming operation is stopped based on the operation prohibition command described above (see FIG. 6). Performed in the display operation unit provided in the ID6 [Step C05].

  Further, when an input operation for canceling the stopped state of the image forming operation is performed through a key operation by the user thereafter [Yes in Step C06], the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 are returned to the normal state [Step C07]. As a result, the image forming operation is returned to a resumable state.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when an external force is detected in, for example, one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 connected to the network to the client, the image forming operation is stopped. The one image forming apparatus ID1 to ID3 of the stopped state is reflected on the other image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 through the management server CS. As a result, since the image forming operations in the other image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 are similarly shifted to the stopped state, the operation stop processing of the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 connected to the network to the client, Management operations such as settings and changes related to operation stop processing are executed in a batch.

  At this time, in particular, in this embodiment, the user is notified that the image forming operation is stopped upon receipt of the operation prohibiting command, and therefore the image forming operation is stopped by receiving an external force. This is clearly and easily confirmed by the user. In addition, since the image forming operation is stopped by the user's input operation, the image forming operation can be easily and quickly restarted by the user's subsequent determination.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, when the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 receive the operation prohibition command from the management server CS, the image forming apparatus ID1 to ID6 once completes the image forming operation that is being accepted or being executed and then shifts to the stop state. Since it has the function, the image forming operation in the image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 is not stopped in a halfway state, and the image forming operation is economically performed without waste.

  In the present embodiment, the magnitude of the external force detected by any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID3 connected to the network NW by clients is determined by the other image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6. Since the image forming apparatus ID1 to ID3 or the management server CS determines whether the image is in the stopped state, the unnecessary operation stop process is surely prevented. It is like that.

  In this embodiment, the restart of the image forming operation in the plurality of image forming apparatuses ID1 to ID6 connected to the network NW by the client is efficiently performed collectively by the operation resuming command issued from the management server CS. To be done.

  As mentioned above, although the embodiment of the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Nor.

  For example, each of the above-described embodiments applies the present invention to a copying machine, but the present invention can be similarly applied to other image forming apparatuses such as a printer and a facsimile machine.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention can be widely applied to a wide variety of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, and facsimile machines.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional explanatory view schematically showing the overall structure of a copying machine employed as an example of an image forming apparatus used in the image forming apparatus management system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of an external force detection operation executed in each image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an overview of a stop processing operation executed in the management server shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of a stop / restart operation of an image forming operation executed in each image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory plan view schematically illustrating an example of a message displayed on the operation display unit when the image forming apparatus is stopped.

Explanation of symbols

ID1 to ID6 Image forming device RT router NW network network CS management server

Claims (8)

An image forming apparatus that forms a desired image on an appropriate recording medium and includes an image forming control unit that detects an external force applied to the apparatus and stops an image forming operation.
The image formation control means is connected to a management server via a suitable network as a client,
When the external force is detected, the image formation control unit outputs a signal related to the external force detection to the management server via the network, or an operation prohibition command based on external force detection issued from the management server. An image forming apparatus configured to stop an image forming operation based on the received operation prohibiting command when received via the network.   The image forming control means receives the operation prohibiting command and notifies the user that the image forming operation is in a stopped state, and can release the stopped state of the image forming operation by a user input operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The image forming control unit has a function of temporarily completing an image forming operation that is being accepted or being executed when the operation prohibiting command is received, and then shifting the image forming operation to a stop state. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of image forming apparatuses including at least one image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a management server via an appropriate network. Each connected to a client,
The image formation control means provided in at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses has a function of outputting a signal related to external force detection to the management server when detecting an external force applied to the apparatus. ,
The management server is configured to receive a signal related to the external force detection and to output an operation prohibition command to the plurality of image forming apparatuses based on the signal related to the external force detection. Management system for image forming apparatus.   Whether or not an image formation control unit provided in at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses outputs a signal related to the external force detection to the management server when the external force applied to the apparatus is detected. The image forming apparatus management system according to claim 4, further comprising a determination function.   The management server has a function of determining whether or not to output the operation prohibition command to the plurality of image forming apparatuses when a signal related to the external force detection is received. Item 5. The image forming apparatus management system according to Item 4.   5. The image forming apparatus management system according to claim 4, wherein the management server has a function of issuing an operation resuming command for canceling the stop state of the image forming operation to each image forming apparatus.   The image forming control means provided in only a part of the plurality of image forming apparatuses is configured to detect an external force applied to the apparatus. 5. The management system for an image forming apparatus according to 4.

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