JP2014021633A - Image formation device, network system and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify a user that changing a layout can suppress power consumption of the whole system.SOLUTION: An image formation device can mutually communicate with another image formation device via a network and can execute an operation for maintaining the quality of an image. In the image formation device, a controller acquires environment information and specification information on the image formation device (S02), and obtains total power consumption information when each image formation device executes the operation, for each layout candidate of each image formation device on the basis of the acquired environment information and specification information (S04). The controller selects a layout candidate having the minimum total power consumption information from the obtained information as an optimum layout (S04). A user is notified of the optimum layout.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a network system, and a program capable of notifying a user of an appropriate layout of a plurality of image forming apparatuses.

  Conventionally, there are cases where a plurality of image forming apparatuses installed in the same space such as an office are connected to a network and exchange information with each other. Among such network systems, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, for example, there is an apparatus that selects an image forming apparatus capable of executing a print job with the most energy saving.

  Further, as described in Patent Documents 2 and 3, there is also a network system capable of presenting a layout in which power can be used efficiently as a system from the performance and actual usage of a plurality of image forming apparatuses.

JP 2009-169664 A JP 2003-108353 A JP 2011-59861 A

  By the way, the image forming apparatuses connected to the network are installed in different places even in the same space. Therefore, the environment (temperature and / or humidity) that affects each image forming apparatus differs depending on the installation location. As a result, each image forming apparatus executes processing (for example, stabilization control) for maintaining the quality of the printed matter according to the environment in which the image forming apparatus is installed.

  Some image forming apparatuses execute the stabilization control and the like, and some do not execute the stabilization control even under the same environment.

  However, the stabilization control and the like are executed at a timing that the user is not aware of. Therefore, the user has a high probability of continuing to use each image forming apparatus without changing the power consumption of each installation location.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, a network system, and a program capable of notifying a user that the power consumption of the entire system can be suppressed by changing the layout.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is directed to an image forming apparatus that is communicably connected to another image forming apparatus via a network. Each of the other image forming apparatuses and the self apparatus can execute an operation for maintaining the image quality. The image forming apparatus acquires an environment information and specification information of each of the image forming apparatuses, and each of the image forming apparatuses executes the operation based on the environment information and the specification information acquired by the acquisition means. Calculating means for obtaining the total power consumption information for each layout candidate of each image forming apparatus, and selecting the layout candidate having the minimum total power consumption information from those obtained by the calculation means as the optimum layout Selecting means, and the user is notified of the optimum layout selected by the selecting means.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, each of the above means is provided in a network system. A third aspect of the present invention is a program that causes a computer device to execute the above-described steps.

  According to each aspect described above, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus, a network system, and a program that can notify the user that the power consumption of the entire system can be suppressed by changing the layout.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a network system according to each embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the image forming apparatus which concerns on 1st embodiment. 6 is a diagram illustrating a set of absolute humidity and the number of printed sheets for each installation place of the image forming apparatus. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a set of an environmental threshold and a number threshold for each image forming apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the prediction execution frequency of 1st and 2nd stabilization control for every combination of an image forming apparatus and an installation place. It is a figure which illustrates the total value of the frequency | count of execution of the 1st and 2nd stabilization control for every layout candidate. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates the optimal layout information displayed on the terminal device of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the network system to which the server apparatus was connected. It is a sequence diagram which shows the communication procedure in the network system of FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a combination of a system speed and first and second power consumption amounts for each image forming apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the prediction execution frequency | count of 1st and 2nd stabilization control for every combination of an image forming apparatus and an installation place. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a total power consumption for each installation place of an image forming apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the total power consumption for every layout candidate. It is a figure which illustrates the average temperature for every installation place, and the number of printed sheets. FIG. 6 is a diagram in which an ambient temperature range and execution timing of fixing PPM control are linked for each image forming apparatus. FIG. 9 is a diagram in which an ambient temperature range and an average delay time at the time of execution of fixing PPM control are associated with each image forming apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the frequency | count of execution for every combination of an image forming apparatus and an installation place. It is a figure which illustrates the total value of average delay time for every layout candidate.

(Introduction)
In FIG. 1, a network system 1 is laid in an office space, for example, and includes at least one image forming apparatus (host) 2a, at least one (two in the figure) image forming apparatuses 2b and 2c, and a terminal apparatus 3. And a network 4 for connecting them so that data communication is possible. In the office space, the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are currently installed in different locations I to K. Hereinafter, this is referred to as the current layout.

  The image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are, for example, MFPs (Multi-Function Peripherals) or the like, and in order to create a full color printed matter, as shown in FIG. It has.

  An imaging unit (hereinafter abbreviated as IU) 50A, 50B, 50C, and 50D for Y, M, C, and Bk is detachably attached to the main body device 11. The IUs 50A to 50D include photosensitive drums 51A to 51D, chargers 52A to 52D, and developing units 53A to 53D. The chargers 52A to 52D charge the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D that are rotated by a driving force of a motor (not shown).

  The main unit 11 further includes an exposure unit 54. The exposure unit 54 irradiates the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D with light beams for the respective colors Y, M, C, and Bk. As a result, electrostatic latent images of corresponding colors are formed on the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D.

  The developing devices 53A to 53D supply the corresponding color toners contained therein to the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D. As a result, toner images of corresponding colors are formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D.

  In the main unit 11, an intermediate transfer belt 60 that can rotate in the direction of arrow α is stretched between the driving roller 60a and the driven roller 60b above the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D. On the rotating intermediate transfer belt 60, toner images carried by the photosensitive drums 51A to 51D are sequentially transferred, and as a result, a full-color composite toner image is generated.

  The main body device 11 further includes a secondary transfer roller 61. The secondary transfer roller 61 is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 60 to form a transfer nip.

  In the supply device 12, a plurality of unprinted recording media are stacked on the supply tray. The supply roller takes out the recording medium one by one from the supply tray, and sends it out to the conveyance path R indicated by the one-dot chain line.

  The recording medium sent out from the supply device 12 to the conveyance path R is abutted against the timing roller pair 70 and temporarily stops. The timing roller pair 70 sends out the temporarily stopped recording medium toward the transfer nip so as to match the timing at which the composite toner image is sent to the transfer nip.

  The synthetic toner image is conveyed to the transfer nip while being supported by the intermediate transfer belt 60. The composite toner image is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 60 to the recording medium by the action of the transfer bias voltage applied to the secondary transfer roller 61.

  The fixing device 71 heats and presses the recording medium that has passed through the transfer nip to fix the synthetic toner image on the recording medium. The recording medium is discharged from the fixing device 71 to a discharge tray provided outside the main body device 11 via a discharge roller pair (not shown).

  The main device 11 further includes a controller 80. The controller 80 includes a microcomputer, a memory, and the like, and controls each unit of the corresponding image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c.

(First embodiment)
In the first embodiment, a program including the processing procedure shown in FIG. 3 is stored in the ROM or the like of the image forming apparatus (host) 2a. The controller 80 of the image forming apparatus 2a (hereinafter referred to as the controller 80a) executes this program, acquires a set of environment information and specification information from the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c, and creates optimum layout information. The controller 80 a transmits the created optimum layout information to the terminal device 3 via the network 4.

  In FIG. 3, the controller 80a determines whether or not the current timing is information acquisition (S01). The information acquisition timing is predetermined, for example, every month. If No in S01, the process returns to S01. On the other hand, if Yes, the controller 80a acquires a set of environmental information and specification information from the image forming apparatuses 2b and 2c via the network 4. In addition, the controller 80a acquires environment information and specification information of the image forming apparatus 2a (S02).

  The environmental information includes the absolute humidity and the number of printed sheets at each installation location I, J, K. The absolute humidity and the number of printed sheets are, for example, numerical values from the previous acquisition of information to the current time, that is, the most recent month.

  First, absolute humidity will be described. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c includes an absolute humidity sensor in the main body apparatus 11 of its own apparatus. Each absolute humidity sensor detects absolute humidity at a predetermined timing (for example, every 24 hours), and outputs the detected value to the corresponding controller 80. The controller 80 has accumulated detection values for the last month, and calculates an average value of these detection values as absolute humidity.

  Next, the number of printed sheets will be described. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c includes a counter for the number of printed sheets, and each controller 80 holds the counter value as the number of printed sheets for the most recent month.

FIG. 4A illustrates a set of absolute humidity and the number of printed sheets for each installation location. For example, in the installation location I, the absolute humidity is 18 g / m ³ and the number of printed sheets is 500. In the current layout, the controller 80a acquires environmental information of the installation locations I to K from the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c.

  The specification information is a combination of the system speed, the environmental threshold value, and the sheet number threshold value in the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c.

  The system speed is an index indicating the productivity of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c, and indicates how many sheets can be printed per minute.

  The environmental threshold is a value indicating the execution condition of the first stabilization control, and is, for example, a threshold for absolute humidity. The first stabilization control is performed to maintain the image quality, and is, for example, processing for correcting the maximum density of the synthetic toner image transferred to the recording medium. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c executes the first stabilization control when the detected value of the absolute humidity sensor in the own apparatus exceeds the environmental threshold of the own apparatus.

  The number threshold is a value indicating the execution condition of the second stabilization control, and is a threshold for the number of printed sheets. The second stabilization control is performed to maintain the image quality, and is, for example, a process for correcting the gradation of the synthetic toner image transferred to the recording medium. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c executes the second stabilization control every time the number of prints in the own apparatus reaches the printing threshold of the own apparatus.

FIG. 4B illustrates a set of system speed, environmental threshold value, and sheet number threshold value for each image forming apparatus 2. Regarding the image forming apparatus 2b, the system speed is 40 ppm, the environmental threshold is 9 g / m ³ , and the number threshold is 400 sheets.

  Based on the environmental information and specification information acquired in S02, the controller 80a predicts the number of times the first and second stabilization controls are performed when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at the locations I to K. Also for the image forming apparatuses 2b and 2c, the controller 80a predicts the number of executions of the first and second stabilization controls (S03). The number of executions of the first and second stabilization controls is determined according to the following expressions (1) and (2) in S03.

Number of executions of first stabilization control = absolute humidity ÷ environmental threshold (1)
Number of executions of second stabilization control = number of printed sheets / threshold for number of sheets (2)

  FIG. 4C illustrates the predicted number of first and second stabilization controls for each combination of the image forming apparatus 2 and the installation location. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at the location J, the number of executions of the first stabilization control is one, and the number of executions of the second stabilization control is four.

  Based on the number of executions obtained in S03, the controller 80a obtains a total value of the number of executions of the first and second stabilization controls for each layout candidate of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c, and among the obtained total values. The layout candidate having the minimum value is selected from (S04).

  FIG. 4D shows the total number of executions as an example of total power consumption information for each layout candidate. For example, when the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are installed in the locations I to K, the total number of execution times is obtained by adding the values with * in FIG.

  Following S04, the controller 80a determines whether or not there are a plurality of layout candidates having the smallest total value (S05). If NO, the controller 80a transmits the layout candidate having the minimum value as the optimum layout information to the terminal device 3 via the network 4 (S06).

  If YES is determined in S05, the controller 80a selects one of the target layout candidates (S07). In S07, for example, a layout layout with a smaller number of movements of the image forming apparatus 2 with respect to the current layout is selected from a plurality of target layout candidates.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 4D, there are two layout candidates whose total number of executions is 11 times. The first is a layout in which the image forming apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c are installed at the locations I, K, and J, and the second is the image forming apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c at the locations K, I, and J. The layout is to be installed. Further, as described above, in the current layout, the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are installed at the locations I to K. Therefore, in the first layout candidate, it is necessary to move the two image forming apparatuses 2. In the second layout candidate, it is necessary to move all the image forming apparatuses 2. Therefore, in this example, the first layout candidate is selected in S07.

  Following S07, the controller 80a transmits the layout candidate selected in S07 to the terminal device 3 as optimum layout information in S06.

  The terminal device 3 is a personal computer, for example, and displays the optimum layout information sent from the image forming device 2a on a display included in the terminal device 3 and presents it to the user. FIG. 5 shows an example of the optimum layout information displayed on the terminal device 3.

  In the network system 1, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 2 having different specifications are installed at different places in the same space. As the number of first and second stabilization controls executed by each image forming apparatus 2 increases, the power consumption of the network system 1 increases. Further, in most cases, these stabilization controls are executed without the user's knowledge. Therefore, depending on the layout of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c, there is a possibility that power is wasted in the network system 1 without the user's knowledge.

  Against this background, in the network system 1, the image forming apparatus (host) 2 a receives the optimal layout information that minimizes the total number of predicted times of the first and second stabilization controls via the terminal device 3. To inform. As a result, the user can know a layout in which power can be used efficiently.

(First modification)
In the above description, the optimum layout information is displayed on the display of the terminal device 3. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the optimum layout information may be displayed on another display such as a display provided in the image forming apparatus 2a.

(Second modification)
In the above description, the process shown in FIG. 3 has been executed by the image forming apparatus 2a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the process of FIG. 3 may be executed by another device connected to the network 4. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, the server device 9 is connected to the network 4. The server device 9 executes the program and transmits information acquisition requests to the image forming devices 2a to 2c as shown in FIG. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2 a to 2 c returns a set of the environment information and the specification information of the own apparatus to the server apparatus 9 in response to the information acquisition request to the own apparatus. The server device 9 creates optimum layout information based on the received set of environment information and specification information, and displays the optimum layout information on the terminal device 3.

(Third modification)
The program may be distributed in a state stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Further, it may be stored in a server device on the network so that it can be downloaded to the image forming apparatus 2 via the Internet or a network.

  The first to third modified examples similarly apply to the following second and third embodiments.

(Fourth modification)
In the above description, the first stabilization control is executed when the absolute humidity exceeds the environmental threshold. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c includes a temperature sensor in the main body apparatus 11, the first stabilization control may be executed based on the output value of the temperature sensor.

(Second embodiment)
In the second embodiment, a program having the processing procedure shown in FIG. 8 is stored in the ROM or the like of the image forming apparatus 2a. In FIG. 8, the controller 80a determines whether or not the current timing is information acquisition (S21).

  If No, S21 is executed again. On the other hand, if Yes in S21, the controller 80a acquires a set of environmental information and specification information from each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c (S22).

  The specification information is a combination of the system speed, the environmental threshold, the number threshold, the first power consumption, and the second power consumption in the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c. The first and second power consumption amounts are power amounts consumed when the first and second stabilization controls are executed once. Note that the environment information, the system speed, the environment threshold value, and the sheet number threshold value are as described in the first embodiment, and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

  FIG. 9A illustrates a combination of system speed and first and second power consumption for each image forming apparatus 2. Illustration of the environmental threshold and the number threshold is omitted. Regarding the image forming apparatus 2b, the system speed is 40 ppm, the first power consumption is 2.4 Wh, and the second power consumption is 1.5 Wh.

  The controller 80a predicts the number of times the first and second stabilization controls are executed when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at the locations I to K based on the environmental information and specification information acquired in S22. Also for the image forming apparatuses 2b and 2c, the controller 80a predicts the number of executions of the first and second stabilization controls (S23). The number of executions of the first and second stabilization controls is as described in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 9B illustrates the predicted number of first and second stabilization controls for each combination of the image forming apparatus 2 and the installation location. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at the location J, the number of times of execution of the first stabilization control is two, and the number of times of execution of the second stabilization control is four.

  Based on the number of executions obtained in S23, the controller 80a obtains the total power consumption by the first and second stabilization controls for each installation location of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c (S24).

  FIG. 9C illustrates the total power consumption for each installation location of the image forming apparatus 2. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at locations I, J, and K, the total power consumption is 6.7 Wh, 13.4 Wh, and 11.7 Wh.

  The controller 80a further obtains the total power consumption by the first and second stabilization controls for each layout of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c (S25).

  FIG. 9D shows the total power consumption for each layout as an example of the total power consumption information. For example, when the image forming apparatuses 2a, 2b, and 2c are installed at locations I, J, and K, the total power consumption is 28.3 Wh.

  Next, the controller 80a may be configured such that the difference between the system speed of the image forming apparatus 2 installed at the same place after the layout change is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold with respect to the system speed of the image forming apparatus 2 currently installed at a certain place. It is determined whether or not there is (S26).

  For example, it is assumed that the predetermined threshold is 30 ppm, and further that the image forming apparatus 2 a having a system speed of 50 ppm is currently installed at the location I. Under this assumption, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 2c having a system speed of 20 ppm is installed in the place I after the layout change. Under this assumption, the productivity of the image forming apparatus 2 at the place I is too low before and after the layout change, and the user is confused.

  In order to suppress the user's confusion, if the controller 80a determines Yes in S26, the controller 80a includes a layout candidate (see FIG. 9D) that includes a product whose productivity exceeds a predetermined threshold before and after the layout change at the same installation location. A thing is removed (S27).

  After S27 or when it is determined No in S26, the controller 80a selects a layout that minimizes the total power consumption from the layout candidates of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c (S28), and selects the optimum. The layout information is transmitted to the terminal device 3 (S29). Similarly to the first embodiment, the terminal device 3 displays the received optimum layout information (see FIG. 5) on its own display.

  In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the user can know the layout in which power can be used efficiently.

(Third embodiment)
In the third embodiment, the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c perform fixing PPM control as control for maintaining image quality. The fixing PPM control is a control for decreasing the productivity by increasing a printing interval in continuous printing when the temperature of the end portion of the fixing device 71 rises above a predetermined temperature. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the fixing device 71 from being damaged. However, when the fixing PPM control is executed, the productivity is lowered and the printing time is extended. As a result, the power consumption is increased. Therefore, in the third embodiment, a program for executing the following processing is stored in the ROM or the like of the image forming apparatus 2a in order to determine a layout in consideration of power consumption by the fixing PPM control.

  The controller 80a acquires a set of environmental information and specification information from the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c at the information acquisition timing.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the environmental information includes the average temperature and the number of printed sheets at the installation locations I to K. The average temperature and the number of printed sheets are, for example, numerical values from the previous acquisition of information to the current time, that is, the most recent month. Each of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c includes a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor detects the ambient temperature and outputs it to the controller 80 at a predetermined timing (for example, every 24 hours). The controller 80 accumulates the detected values of the temperature sensor for the last month, and calculates the average value of the detected values as the average temperature.

  Note that the number of printed sheets is the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  The first specification information is a value indicating the execution condition of the fixing PPM control. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 10B, the ambient temperature range and the execution timing of the fixing PPM control are set for each image forming apparatus 2. Is the information linked to The execution timing is indicated by the number of printed sheets. Hereinafter, this number of printed sheets is referred to as a reference number of printed sheets. For example, regarding the image forming apparatus 2a, every time 100 sheets are printed if the ambient temperature is 15 ° C. or less, 150 sheets are printed if the ambient temperature is over 16 ° C. and 20 ° C. or less. Each time, fixing PPM control is executed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, the second specification information is information in which the ambient temperature range and the average delay time when executing the fixing PPM control are linked for each image forming apparatus 2. For example, regarding the image forming apparatus 2a, when the fixing PPM control is executed at an ambient temperature of 15 ° C. or less, the average delay time is 15 seconds, and the fixing PPM control is performed at an ambient temperature of more than 16 ° C. and 20 ° C. or less. When executed, the average delay time is 10 seconds.

  The first and second specification information as described above is obtained in advance by experiments or the like when developing the image forming apparatus 2a and the like.

  When the environment information and the specification information as described above are acquired, the controller 80a predicts the number of times the fixing PPM control is executed when the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are installed at the locations I to K. The predicted number of executions of fixing PPM control is obtained according to the following equation (3).

    Estimated number of executions of fixing PPM control = number of printed sheets / reference number of printed sheets at average temperature of recent month (3)

  Here, the number of printed sheets and the average temperature of the last month are included in the environmental information. Further, the reference print number corresponding to the average temperature included in the environmental information is acquired from the first specification information.

  FIG. 10D illustrates the number of execution predictions for each combination of the image forming apparatus 2 and the installation location. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2a is installed at the location J, the predicted number of executions is four.

  Further, the controller 80a further multiplies each predicted execution count by the corresponding average delay time in the second specification information. Thereafter, the controller 80a obtains the total value of the average delay time of the fixing PPM control for each layout candidate of the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c, and selects the layout candidate having the minimum value from the obtained total values as the optimum layout information. It is transmitted to the terminal device 3 and displayed.

  In FIG. 10E, the total value of the average delay time for each layout candidate is shown as an example of the total power consumption information. For example, when the image forming apparatuses 2a to 2c are installed at the locations I to K, the total average delay time is 341 seconds.

  In the third embodiment, the optimal layout information that minimizes the total value of the average delay times is notified to the user. As a result, the user can know a layout in which power can be used efficiently.

(First modification)
In the above description, fixing PPM control has been described as an example of control for maintaining image quality. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control for maintaining the image quality may be tacking control.

  The tacking control is a control for leaving a printing interval when a predetermined number of recording media are discharged to the paper discharge tray during duplex printing. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the toner on the back surface of the recording medium discharged first and the surface of the recording medium discharged next from sticking to each other on the paper discharge tray during duplex printing. According to the tacking control, the more the recording medium is ejected to the paper ejection tray per unit time, the more difficult the heat is to escape, so that the tacking is easier. Therefore, a decrease in productivity due to tacking control is disadvantageous when the system speed is high.

  Also in the case of the tacking control, the controller 80a performs the same processing using the same information (see FIGS. 10A to 10C) as the fixing PPM control so that the user can know the optimum layout. Become.

  The image forming apparatus, the network system, and the program according to the present invention can notify a user of a layout capable of suppressing power consumption in the entire system, and are suitable for a copying machine, a printer, and the like in addition to the MFP.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Network system 2a, 2b, 2c Image forming apparatus 3 Terminal apparatus 4 Network 9 Server apparatus 80, 80a Controller

Claims (11)

An image forming apparatus that is communicably connected to another image forming apparatus via a network,
Each of the other image forming apparatus and its own apparatus can execute an operation for maintaining the image quality,
Acquisition means for acquiring environmental information and specification information of each of the image forming apparatuses;
Calculation means for obtaining total power consumption information for each layout candidate of each of the image forming apparatuses based on the environment information and the specification information acquired by the acquisition means;
A selection unit that selects a layout candidate having the minimum total power consumption information from those obtained by the calculation unit as an optimal layout, and
An image forming apparatus in which a user is notified of an optimum layout selected by the selection unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the total power consumption information is a predicted value of the number of execution times of the operation by each of the image forming apparatuses.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects a layout candidate having a minimum total power consumption information as an optimum layout and having a small number of movements of each image forming apparatus before and after the layout change. .   The said selection means does not select the layout candidate which installs the image forming apparatus in which productivity falls more than a predetermined reference value compared with before a layout change in the same place before and after a layout change. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation is image stabilization control.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the environmental information is any one of temperature, humidity, and number of printed sheets in each of the image forming apparatuses. The operation has two types of first stabilization control for correcting the maximum density of the image and second stabilization control for correcting the gradation of the image.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the image forming apparatuses executes the first stabilization control based on temperature or humidity, and executes the second stabilization control based on the number of printed sheets.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation is fixing PPM control or tacking control.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the environmental information is a temperature in each of the image forming apparatuses. A network system capable of communicating with each other via a network and capable of communicating with a plurality of image forming apparatuses capable of executing an operation for maintaining image quality,
Acquisition means for acquiring environmental information and specification information of each of the image forming apparatuses;
Calculation means for obtaining total power consumption information for each layout candidate of each of the image forming apparatuses based on the environment information and the specification information acquired by the acquisition means;
A selecting means for selecting a layout candidate having the minimum total power consumption information from those obtained by the calculating means as an optimum layout;
A network system comprising: notification means for notifying a user of the optimum layout selected by the selection means. In a network system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses capable of performing operations for maintaining image quality can communicate with each other via a network,
An acquisition step of acquiring environmental information and specification information of each of the image forming apparatuses;
A calculation step of obtaining total power consumption information for each layout candidate of each image forming apparatus based on the environment information and the specification information acquired in the acquisition step, for each of the image forming apparatuses.
A selection step of selecting a layout candidate having the minimum total power consumption information from those obtained in the calculation step as an optimal layout;
A program for causing a computer device to execute a notification step of notifying a user of the optimum layout selected in the selection step.

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