JP2017087524A - Printed matter conveyance system, method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printed matter conveyance system which can convey a printed matter output by an image formation device to a user regardless of a condition of a floor surface.SOLUTION: There is provided a printed matter conveyance system including: one or more image formation devices; one or more unmanned flying objects loaded with a conveyance case for conveying printed matters output by the image formation device; and an information processing device receiving a printing job from one or more user terminals. The information processing device includes: a user information generation part which generates user information including a conveyance destination of the printed matter related to a user of a transmission source of the printing job and authentication information of the user; a printing request part which transmits the printing job and the printing request including the generated user information to the image formation device; and a conveyance request part which transmits the conveyance request designating the image formation device to which the printing request is transmitted as a reception destination to the unmanned flying object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a printed material conveyance system, method, and program.

  Conventionally, in a large office where many desks are gathered on one floor, many people find it troublesome to go to the printing machine installed far away from their seats.

  In this regard, Patent Document 1 discloses a transport device that loads printed matter output from a printing machine, travels on the floor of an office, and delivers it to a user.

  However, in the case of the transport apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the applicable environment is limited because a correspondingly large space without an obstacle is required on the floor surface.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems in the prior art, and provides a printed material conveyance system that can convey a printed material output by an image forming apparatus to a user regardless of the state of the floor surface. With the goal.

  As a result of earnestly examining the configuration of a printed material conveyance system that can convey a printed material output by an image forming apparatus to a user regardless of the situation of the floor surface, the present inventor has conceived the following configuration, and It came to.

  That is, according to the present invention, one or more image forming apparatuses, one or more unmanned air vehicles equipped with a transport case for transporting printed matter output from the image forming apparatus, and a print job from one or more user terminals. And a user information for generating user information including a destination of the printed matter related to the user who is the transmission source of the print job and user authentication information. A generating unit; a print request unit that transmits the print request including the print job and the generated user information to the image forming apparatus; and a transport request that designates the image forming apparatus that has transmitted the print request as a receiving destination. A transfer request unit that transmits to the unmanned air vehicle, and the image forming apparatus waits for the unmanned air vehicle to arrive and includes the print request included in the received print request. The print control unit that executes the job and discharges the printed matter related to the print job into a transport case mounted on the unmanned air vehicle, and the unmanned flight that has received the user information included in the received print request A user information transmission unit that transmits to the body, the unmanned air vehicle locks the key of the transport case after the discharge of the printed matter is completed, and the transport destination included in the received user information A printed material conveyance system is provided that includes a conveyance case control unit that performs user authentication based on the authentication information included in the user information and unlocks the key of the conveyance case when the user authentication is successful.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a printed material conveyance system that can convey a printed material output from an image forming apparatus to a user regardless of the floor surface condition.

The figure which shows the system configuration | structure of the printed matter conveyance system of this embodiment. The figure which shows the drone of this embodiment. The figure which shows the conveyance case mounted in the drone of this embodiment. The figure which shows the take-off and landing platform of the drone of this embodiment. The functional block diagram of the printed matter conveyance system of this embodiment. The figure which shows the table which the management server of this embodiment manages. The floor plan of the office where the printed matter conveyance system of this embodiment is applied. The sequence diagram of the process which the printed matter conveyance system of this embodiment performs. The figure which shows the service screen which the management server of this embodiment provides. The flowchart which shows the process which the management server of this embodiment performs. 6 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the MFP and the drone of the present embodiment. The state transition diagram of MFP and drone of this embodiment. The sequence diagram of the process which the printed matter conveyance system of this embodiment performs. The figure which shows a mode that a drone lands on the take-off and landing platform. The figure which shows a mode that a drone lands on a takeoff landing base and a base. The hardware block diagram of the printed matter conveyance system 1000 of this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated with embodiment, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned later. In the drawings referred to below, the same reference numerals are used for common elements, and the description thereof is omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of a printed material conveyance system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the printed material conveyance system 1000 according to the present embodiment includes one or more image forming apparatuses 10, one or more unmanned air vehicles 20, a management server 30, and one or more user terminals 40. The apparatuses are connected to each other via a network 50 so that they can communicate with each other. Note that the network 50 includes at least a LAN (both wired and wireless), and may include a WAN (Internet, VPN, etc.).

  The image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is a network-compatible image forming apparatus, and is an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is referred to as an MFP 10.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 of the present embodiment is a flying object capable of autonomous flight that plays a role of transporting the printed matter output by the MFP 10, and is a multicopter in the present embodiment. Hereinafter, the unmanned air vehicle 20 of the present embodiment is referred to as a drone 20.

  The management server 30 of the present embodiment is an information processing apparatus that centrally receives print jobs from one or more user terminals 40, requests the MFP 10 to process the print jobs received from the user terminals 40, and outputs the output from the MFP 10. It plays a role of requesting the drone 20 to convey the printed matter.

  The user terminal 40 of this embodiment is an information processing apparatus that transmits a user's print job to the management server 30. 1 illustrates a desktop PC as the user terminal 40, the user terminal 40 may be a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or the like.

  The system configuration of the printed material conveyance system 1000 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the configuration of the drone 20 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 2A is a side view of the drone 20 of the present embodiment. The drone 20 of the present embodiment is a multicopter in which four rotors (rotary blades) are arranged radially. As shown in FIG. 2A, the drone 20 has four feet 21, and a transport case 22 is mounted so as to be fixed to the four feet 21.

  In the present embodiment, a dedicated base 60 is assigned to each drone 20, and each drone 20 waits at the base 60 except when the printed material is transported. FIG. 2B is a view of the drone 20 waiting at the base 60 as viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2 (b), a charging terminal 23 is provided at the tip of the foot 21 of the drone 20, and charging is performed while waiting at the base 60. A storage battery (not shown) mounted on the drone 20 is charged via an electrode 62 that contacts the terminal 23. In addition, the base 60 includes a shredder 64 that is a paper cutting device just below the landing position of the drone 20, as indicated by a broken line in FIG.

  Here, the conveyance case 22 mounted on the drone 20 will be described. FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the transport case 22 as viewed from above, and FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the transport case 22 as viewed from below. The transport case 22 is a case for storing the printed material output by the MFP 10 and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that matches the maximum size of the printed material to be transported, as shown in FIGS. In the present embodiment, a door 22a that opens and closes up and down is provided on the end surface of one short side of the transport case 22, and doors 22b and 22b that open and close in a kannon manner are provided on the bottom surface of the transport case 22. The door 22a and the door 22b are both opened and closed by an actuator (not shown).

  The door 22a of the transport case 22 is locked and unlocked by an appropriate key mechanism (not shown).

  A short-range communication unit 24 is provided below the door 22a as a unit for the drone 20 and the MFP 10 to communicate with each other. Note that the near field communication here is a concept including near field communication (NFC) such as Felica (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) and infrared communication.

  Further, a display 26, an IC card reader 27, and a reception completion button 28 are provided on the upper surface of the transport case 22. Note that the above-described actuators (not shown) for opening and closing the doors 22a and 22b, a key mechanism (not shown) for locking and unlocking the doors 22a, a short-range communication means 24, a display 26, and an IC card reader 27. Both the reception completion button 28 and the reception completion button 28 are connected to a computer mounted on the main body of the drone 20 in a wired or wireless manner.

  The configuration of the drone 20 of the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the configuration of the takeoff / landing platform of the drone 20 will be described.

  FIG. 4A shows the takeoff / landing platform 70 of the drone 20 installed adjacent to the MFP 10 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, a discharge destination sorting unit 12 is attached to the MFP 10. Here, the paper discharge destination sorting unit 12 is a unit for sorting the paper discharge destination for each function (copy, fax, etc.) selected by the user, and the function of the “printed material transport service” provided by this system is selected. In such a case, the printed matter is discharged from the discharge outlet on the side surface of the MFP 10 in the direction indicated by the white arrow.

  In the present embodiment, the takeoff / landing platform 70 is disposed adjacent to the side surface of the MFP 10 on the paper discharge outlet side, and the drone 20 is landed on the upper surface 70a of the takeoff / landing platform 70 and discharged from the paper discharge destination sorting unit 12. Receive the printed material. Here, the take-off and landing platform 70 is provided with a guide portion 72 and a stopper 74 for guiding the drone 20 to the landing position. 4A, the stopper 74 is provided with short-range communication means 76 having the same communication standard as the short-range communication means 24 provided in the transfer case 22 described above. The means 76 is communicably connected to a controller (not shown) of the MFP 10 main body.

  On the other hand, FIG. 4B shows the takeoff / landing platform 80 of the drone 20 installed at the transport destination of the printed matter. The takeoff / landing platform 80 is installed, for example, adjacent to the desk of the user who requests printing, and the user receives the printed matter from the transport case 22 mounted on the drone 20 that has landed on the upper surface 80 a of the takeoff / landing platform 80.

  The configuration of each device configuring the printed material conveyance system 1000 of the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the functional configuration of each device configuring the present system will be described based on the functional block diagram shown in FIG.

  First, the functional configuration of the management server 30 will be described. The management server 30 includes a user authentication unit 301, a request destination determination unit 302, a user information generation unit 304, a print request unit 306, a transport request unit 308, and an information management unit 310.

  The user authentication unit 301 is a functional unit for executing authentication of a user who logs in to the “printed material transport service” provided by the present system.

  When there are two or more combinations of the MFP 10 and the drone 20, the request destination determination unit 302 requests the MFP 10 to request processing of the print job received from the user terminal 40 and the drone 20 to request conveyance of the printed material related to the print job. Is a functional means for determining.

  The user information generation unit 304 is a functional unit for generating user information including a transport destination of a printed matter related to a user who has requested the print job received from the user terminal 40 and authentication information of the user.

  The print request unit 306 is a functional unit for transmitting to the MFP 10 a print request including the print job received from the user terminal 40 and the user information generated by the user information generation unit 304.

  The transport request unit 308 is a functional unit for transmitting to the drone 20 a transport request specifying the MFP 10 that has transmitted the print request as a consignee.

  The information management unit 310 is a functional unit for managing information regarding the user, the MFP 10, and the drone 20. In the present embodiment, the information management unit 310 manages the three information tables shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6A shows the user management table 500. As shown in FIG. 6A, the user management table 500 includes a field 501 for storing a user ID, a field 502 for storing a user name, a field 503 for storing a login password, and a user. Field 504 for storing the authentication information and a field 505 for storing the coordinates of the transport destination of the printed material.

  Here, the authentication information stored in the field 504 is authentication information used for user authentication when the user receives a printed matter from the drone 20, and in this embodiment, authentication information stored in an IC card possessed by the user. Is stored in the field 504. In the present embodiment, the field 505 stores the position coordinates of the takeoff / landing platform 80 installed adjacent to the user's desk related to the user ID. In the following, the position of the takeoff / landing platform 80 may be simply referred to as a “transport destination”.

  FIG. 6B shows an MFP management table 600. As shown in FIG. 6B, the MFP management table 600 stores a field 601 for storing the device ID, a field 602 for storing the IP address of the MFP 10, and coordinates of the consignee of the printed matter. Field 603. In the present embodiment, the field 603 stores the position coordinates of the takeoff / landing platform 60 installed adjacent to the MFP 10 related to the device ID. In the following, the position of the takeoff / landing platform 60 may be simply referred to as a “consignee”.

  FIG. 6C shows a drone management table 700. As shown in FIG. 6C, the drone management table 700 includes a field 701 for storing the flying object ID and a field 702 for storing the IP address of the drone 20.

  Next, the functional configuration of the drone 20 will be described. The drone 20 is configured to include an autonomous flight control unit 202, a current position response unit 203, an information display unit 204, an arrival notification unit 205, and a transport case control unit 206, and each functional unit is configured by a computer mounted on the drone 20. Realized.

  The autonomous flight control unit 202 is a functional means for controlling the autonomous flight movement of the drone 20, and controls the four rotors so that the drone 20 flies at a preset altitude and is set by the user. Land on the ground. Here, since the drone 20 in this embodiment presupposes that it flies indoors where GPS signals do not reach, the autonomous flight control unit 202 applied an appropriate indoor position positioning technique to acquire its own position. It has positioning means. Examples of the indoor positioning technique here include Wi-Fi positioning (three-point positioning based on radio wave intensity), Beacon positioning, IMS (Indoor Messaging System), and the like.

  The current position response unit 203 is a functional means for transmitting the self-position of the drone 20 at the time of receiving the inquiry to the management server 30 as a response in response to the inquiry from the request destination determination unit 302 of the management server 30. .

  The information display unit 204 is a functional unit for displaying various types of information regarding the conveyed product (printed material) on the display 26 on the upper surface of the conveyance case 22.

  The arrival notification unit 205 is a functional unit for notifying the MFP 10 designated as the consignee in the transport request received from the management server 30 that it has arrived.

  The transport case control unit 206 is a functional unit for opening and closing the door of the transport case 22 and unlocking the door key.

  Next, the functional configuration of the MFP 10 will be described. The MFP 10 includes an operation state response unit 102, a print control unit 104, and a user information transmission unit 106.

  In response to the inquiry from the request destination determination unit 302 of the management server 30, the operation state response unit 102 uses information indicating the operation state of the device of the MFP 10 at the time of receiving the inquiry (hereinafter referred to as operation state information) as a response. It is a functional means for transmitting to the management server 30.

  The print control unit 104 is a functional unit for controlling the execution of various processes related to printing, such as a print job process and a return process from the power saving mode.

  The user information transmission unit 106 is a functional unit for transmitting user information received from the management server 30 to the arriving drone 20.

  The functional configuration of each device configuring the printed material conveyance system 1000 according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, processing performed by each device configuring the system will be specifically described. In the following description, the case where the present system is applied to the office 2000 having the floor plan shown in FIG. 7 will be described as an example.

  Here, first, the environment of the office 2000 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in the office 2000, three MFPs 10a, 10b, and 10c are installed, and takeoff and landing platforms 70 (MFP_1, MFP_2, and MFP_3) are installed adjacent to each MFP 10. In addition, 48 desks are installed in the office 2000, and take-off / landing platforms 80 (USER_1 to USER_48) are installed adjacent to each desk. Further, in the office 2000, three drones 20a, 20b, and 20c are provided as printed material transport personnel, and bases 60 (BASE_1, BASE_2, BASE_3) for waiting for each drone 20 are installed. In the present embodiment, an environment map of the office 2000 shown in FIG.

  In the office 2000, the user terminal 40 may be a desktop PC installed on the user's desk, or may be a notebook PC, a tablet PC, a smartphone, or the like carried by the user. On the other hand, the management server 30 may be an in-house server installed at an appropriate location in the office 2000, an external server installed on the Internet, or three MFPs 10a, 10b, 10c. The function of the management server 30 may be mounted on any one of the servers.

  Based on the sequence diagram shown in FIG. 8, the flow from when the user logs in to the “printed material transport service” provided by the present system until the drone 20 departs toward the consignee, assuming the office 2000 environment described above. explain.

  A user who wants to use the “printed material transport service” provided by this system accesses the management server 30 from his / her user terminal 40, and his / her account information (user ID, user ID, (Password) is entered to log in to the “printed material transport service” (S1). In response to this, the user terminal 40 transmits a login request including the input account information (user ID, password) to the management server 30 (S2). The user authentication unit 301 of the management server 30 performs user authentication by checking the account information (user ID, password) included in the login request against the values of the fields 501 and 503 of the user management table 500 (S3), and the authentication is successful. If so, allow the user to log in.

  A user who has successfully logged in selects a file to be printed via the print file selection screen shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the print file selection screen allows a plurality of files to be selected for printing. When the user selects one or more files on the screen and clicks the print button ( (S4) The user terminal 40 generates a print job for the selected one or more files and transmits it to the management server 30 (S5).

  When the management server 30 receives a print job from the user terminal 40, the request destination determination unit 302 determines the MFP 10 that requests processing of the print job and the drone 20 that requests transport of the printed matter related to the print job (S6). . Hereinafter, the process executed by the request destination determination unit 302 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, in step 101, the user management table 500 (see FIG. 6A) is searched using the user ID of the login user who is the transmission source of the received print job as a key, and the transport destination associated with the user ID from the field 505 is searched. Get the position coordinates.

  In step 102, the IP addresses of the three MFPs 10a, 10b, and 10c installed in the office 2000 are acquired from the MFP management table 600 (see FIG. 6B), and the operation status information is obtained for each address. An inquiry of (information indicating the operating state of the device of the MFP 10) is transmitted.

  On the other hand, the operating state response unit 102 of each MFP 10 executes the flow shown in FIG. 11A and responds to the above-described inquiry from the management server 30. That is, the presence or absence of the inquiry of the operation state information from the management server 30 is monitored (step 201, No), and the operation state information is generated in response to receiving the inquiry from the management server 30 (step 201, Yes). (Step 202), and the generated “operation status information” is transmitted to the management server 30 (Step 203).

  In step 202, operating state information is generated according to the operating state of the MFP 10 at the time of receiving the inquiry. Here, when the power is turned on, the MFP 10 transitions to any one of three types of operation states (printing, standby mode, power saving mode) shown in FIG. Here, “printing” means a state in which the MFP 10 holds one or more incomplete print jobs, and “standby mode” means a new print job while maintaining the temperature of the fixing unit. This means that the printer is in a standby state (that is, a state where printing can be started immediately without a return time), and the “power saving mode” is a state where the heater of the fixing unit is turned off to save power, and printing is performed. It means a state that requires a predetermined return time before starting.

  In the present embodiment, the three types of operating states shown in FIG. 12A can be set as the items of “operating status information”, and “printing” can be further set as the “number of waiting jobs” item. Can do. In this case, in step 202, the operating state (including the number of waiting jobs) of the MFP 10 at the time of receiving the inquiry is generated as operating state information.

  In the present embodiment, the time at which the MFP 10 can start processing a new print job at the time of receiving an inquiry from the management server 30 in step 202 (hereinafter referred to as “printable start time”) It may be generated as “status information”. Specifically, when the state is shifted to “printing” when the inquiry is received, the scheduled time for completion of all print jobs including the job waiting for printing is set as “printable start time”. In addition, when a transition is made to “standby mode” when an inquiry is received, the current time is set to “printable start time”. Furthermore, when the mode is shifted to the “power saving mode” when the inquiry is received, a time obtained by adding a predetermined return time (for example, 10 seconds) to the current time is set as a “printable start time”.

  Returning to FIG. In step 103, the IP addresses of the three drones 20a, 20b, and 20c deployed in the office 2000 are acquired from the drone management table 700 (see FIG. 6C), and the current position of each address is obtained. Send inquiry.

  On the other hand, the current position response unit 203 of each drone 20 responds to an inquiry from the management server 30 by executing the flow shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, each drone 20 transitions to one of the four types of operating states (conveying, returning, waiting, and leaving) shown in FIG. Yes.

  Here, “transporting” means that the requested transport has not been completed, and “returning” means returning to the base 60 after the transport is completed. “Medium” means waiting for a new transportation request at the base 60, and “being detached” means receiving a new transportation request because the remaining capacity of the storage battery of the drone 20 is low. It means the state that can not be.

  The current position response unit 203 monitors whether or not its operating state has transitioned to either “standby” or “returning” (No in step 301), and “standby” or “returning”. If there is a transition to any of the above (Yes in Step 301), the presence / absence of an inquiry about the current position from the management server 30 is monitored (No in Step 302). Then, in response to receiving an inquiry about the current position from the management server 30 (step 302, Yes), the current position is calculated (step 303), and the calculated current position is transmitted to the management server 30 (step). 304).

  Returning to FIG. In step 104, after waiting for a response from the MFP 10 and the drone 20 for a predetermined period, it is determined whether or not there is a response from the one or more MFPs 10 and the one or more drones 20 (step 105). For example, when all three drones 20 are in the “transporting” or “leaving” state at the time of inquiry, a response from the drone 20 cannot be obtained. In this case, the determination result in step 105 is no and the processes in steps 102 to 104 are repeated.

  On the other hand, when there is a response from one or more MFPs 10 and one or more drones 20 (step 105, Yes), the process proceeds to step 106. In step 106, a combination of the MFP 10 and the drone 20 that can convey the printed matter to the conveyance destination earliest among the responses is determined as a request destination.

In step 106, the requested combination can be determined by solving the combination optimization problem using an arbitrary algorithm. Specifically, under the constraints defined by the following (1) to (3), the optimum combination with the objective function as the time required for the drone 20 to receive the printed matter from the MFP 10 and arrive at the transport destination The combination problem of MFP 10 and drone 20 that minimizes the objective function is obtained.
(1) Location coordinates of transport destination acquired in step 101 (2) “Operation status information” acquired from MFP 10 and location coordinates of consignee related to MFP 10 (3) “Current position” acquired from drone 20

  In the present embodiment, this combination optimization problem can be solved by, for example, the brute force method. In this case, the above-described required time is set for all combinations including one or more MFPs 10 that responded to the inquiry in step 101 and one or more drones 20 that responded to the inquiry in step 102. The element of the set (MFP 10, drone 20) for which the shortest required time is calculated is determined as the request destination.

  Again, returning to the sequence diagram shown in FIG.

  Subsequently, the user information generation unit 304 of the management server 30 generates user information relating to the user who has transmitted the print job (S7). Specifically, the user information generation unit 304 searches the user management table 500 (see FIG. 6A) using the user ID of the login user who is the transmission source of the received print job as a key, and associates it with the user ID. Obtained “user name”, “authentication information”, and “conveyance destination coordinates”. Further, the user information generation unit 304 generates a list of file names related to the received one or more print jobs as a “printed material list”, and “user name”, “authentication information”, “conveyance destination”, “printed material list”. The user information including is generated.

  Subsequently, the print request unit 306 of the management server 30 generates a print request including the received one or more print jobs and the user information generated in S7, and generates the generated print for the request destination MFP 10 determined in S6. A request is transmitted (S8). In response to this, the print control unit 104 of the MFP 10 temporarily stores one or more print jobs included in the received print request in a predetermined temporary storage area, and the user information transmission unit 106 receives the received user information. Is temporarily stored in the temporary storage area (S9). On the other hand, if the operation state of the print control unit 104 is “power saving mode” at this time, the print control unit 104 immediately returns to prepare for printing (return from the sleep state, turn on the heater of the fixing unit, etc. ) Is executed (S10).

  Subsequently, the transport request unit 308 of the management server 30 generates a transport request including the position coordinates of the “consignee” related to the MFP 10 as the request destination determined in S6, and generates the transport request for the drone 20 determined in S6. A transport request is transmitted (S11). On the other hand, the drone 20 receives a transport request from the management server 30 while waiting at the base 60 or while returning to the base 60. The autonomous flight control unit 202 of the drone 20 that has received the transport request from the management server 30 sets the “consignee” included in the received transport request as the destination, and departs toward the destination.

  The flow from when the user logs in to the “printed material transport service” until the drone 20 departs to the consignee has been described. Subsequently, after the drone 20 arrives at the consignee, the transport is finished and the base 60 The flow up to the return to will be described based on the sequence diagram shown in FIG.

  FIG. 14 shows a state in which the drone 20 arrives at the consignee and lands on the takeoff / landing platform 70 installed adjacent to the MFP 10. In the present embodiment, when the drone 20 lands on the takeoff / landing base 70, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 14, the short distance communication means 24 provided in the transport case 22 and the stopper 74 of the takeoff / landing base 70 are provided. When the near field communication unit 76 (the near field communication unit 76 is communicably connected to the controller of the MFP 10) approaches, the near field communication is established between the drone 20 and the MFP 10. In response to this, the transport case control unit 206 of the drone 20 opens the door 22a of the transport case 22 and prepares for receiving the cargo, and the arrival notification unit 205 transmits the arrival notification to the MFP 10 via the established short-range communication. (S13).

  Upon receiving the arrival notification from the drone 20, the print control unit 104 of the MFP 10 reads out the print job stored in the previous S9 (see FIG. 8) from the temporary storage area (S14), and executes the printing process (S15). At this time, if there are a plurality of print jobs stored in S9, the MFP 10 continuously processes all the print jobs and discharges the output printed matter into the transport case 22 through the discharge destination sorting unit 12. Paper is made (S15).

  The user information transmission unit 106 of the MFP 10 responds to the completion of paper discharge related to all print jobs, and the drone 20 via the short-range communication described above with the user information stored in S9 (see FIG. 8). (S16). In response to this, among the user information received by the information display unit 204 of the drone 20, the “user name” and the “printed material list” are stored in a temporary storage area managed by the user, and the transport case control unit 206 receives “authentication information”. Is stored in a temporary storage area managed by the autonomous flight control unit 202, and the autonomous flight control unit 202 sets “transport destination” as the destination (S17).

  Further, the transport case control unit 206 closes the door 22a of the transport case 22 and locks the door 22a (S18). Thereafter, the drone 20 departs toward the “conveyance destination” that is the set destination.

  FIG. 15A shows a state where the drone 20 arrives at the transport destination and landes on the take-off / landing platform 80 installed adjacent to the user's desk. In the present embodiment, in response to the drone 20 landing on the takeoff / landing platform 80, the information display unit 204 of the drone 20 stores the “user name” and “printed material list” stored in S17 from the temporary storage area. As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 15 (a), it is displayed on the display 26 as "consignee" and "breakdown". In response, when the user who is the consignee holds his or her IC card over the IC card reader 27 (S19), the transport case control unit 206 includes the authentication information read from the user's IC card by the IC card reader 27, User authentication is performed by collating the "authentication information" stored in the previous S17 (S20).

  As a result, if the authentication information matches and the authentication is successful, the transport case control unit 206 unlocks the door 22a of the transport case 22 (S21), and opens the door 22a so that the printed matter can be taken out. In response to this, when the user receives the printed matter stored in the transport case 22 and presses the reception completion button 28 (S22), in response to this, the autonomous flight control unit 202 of the drone 20 Set the coordinates of 60 as the destination, and return to the base 60. On the other hand, if the authentication fails, the transport case control unit 206 does not unlock the door 22a of the transport case 22. Also in this case, the autonomous flight control unit 202 sets the coordinates of its own base 60 as the destination and returns to the base 60.

  FIG. 15B shows the drone 20 landing on its own base 60. When the drone 20 fails to authenticate and returns to the base 60, the transport case control unit 206 opens the doors 22 b and 22 b of the transport case 22 in response to landing on the base 60, and enters the transport case 22. The stored printed matter is thrown into the shredder 64 and discarded. The input printed material is automatically cut by the shredder 64.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the printed material is conveyed using the drone 20 that flies and moves autonomously in the air, the MFP 10 can be used even in an environment where a large space cannot be secured on the floor surface. The output printed matter can be quickly conveyed to the user.

  Further, in this embodiment, the MFP 10 does not perform printing until the drone 20 arrives, so there is no worry that the printed matter is taken away by another person near the MFP 10.

  Further, in the present embodiment, instead of the management server 30 notifying the drone 20 directly of the transport destination, the transport server is informed of the transport destination via the MFP 10, so that by chance, another unplanned drone 20 comes to the MFP 10 to receive the cargo. Even in the case where the paper is jammed, the printed matter is delivered to the correct transport destination by the other drone 20.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the MFP 10 executes the return process before the drone 20 arrives as necessary, so that the waiting time of the user can be minimized. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when there are a plurality of MFPs 10 and drones 20, and two or more combinations of the MFP 10 and the drone 20 are possible, the combination of the MFP 10 and the drone 20 that can transport the printed matter to the transport destination earliest. Therefore, the waiting time of the user can be minimized.

  In this embodiment, since user authentication is performed when a printed material is delivered to the user, the printed material can be reliably delivered to the person who requested the conveyance. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the user authentication fails, the drone 20 automatically discards the printed matter, so that information leakage is prevented.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A various design change is possible.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which user authentication when unlocking the transport case 22 is performed using an IC card held by the user is shown. However, manual input of a personal identification number and password, face image authentication by a camera, User authentication may be performed by other known methods such as biometric authentication.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the drone 20 returns to the base 60 in response to the user pressing the reception completion button 28 of the transport case 22 has been shown. However, the transport case 22 detects the removal of the printed matter. By providing an appropriate sensor, the drone 20 may automatically return to the base 60 after the user takes out the printed matter from the transport case 22.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the takeoff / landing platform 70 of the drone 20 is installed adjacent to the side surface of the MFP 10 as a receiver is shown. However, when the MFP 10 includes a finisher, the takeoff / landing platform 70 of the drone 20 is used. It may be installed adjacent to the side surface.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the take-off / landing platform 70 installed adjacent to the user's desk is used as the transport destination has been described. However, the user can manage the position coordinates of an arbitrary place in the office as the transport destination. It can be registered in the table 500 (field 505).

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, when two or more combinations of the MFP 10 and the drone 20 are possible, an example in which the combination of the MFP 10 and the drone 20 that can transport the printed matter to the transport destination earliest is determined as the request destination. However, if the waiting time of the user is not considered, the MFP 10 and the drone 20 that are the request destinations may be selected at random.

  Finally, the hardware configuration of each apparatus constituting the printed material conveyance system 1000 of this embodiment will be described based on the hardware configuration diagram shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, the controller (computer) of the MFP 10 includes at least a processor 150 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, a ROM 151 that stores a boot program, a firmware program, and the like, and an execution for executing the program. A RAM 152 that provides space, an auxiliary storage device 153 for storing an operating system (OS), various applications, and the like, an external connection interface 154 for connecting external devices such as the short-range communication means 76, and an operation panel 159 And the like, a printer engine 156 for executing print processing, a scan engine 157 for executing scan processing, and a network interface 158 for connecting to a network.

  As shown in FIG. 25B, the computer mounted on the drone 20 includes at least a processor 250 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, a ROM 251 that stores a boot program, a firmware program, and the like, and a program for executing the program. A RAM 252 that provides an execution space, an auxiliary storage device 253 for storing an operating system (OS), various applications, and the like, a short-range communication means 24, an IC card reader 27, an actuator 258 for opening and closing the doors 22a and 22b, etc. An external connection interface 254 for connecting an external device, an input / output interface 255 for connecting the display 26, the reception completion button 28, and the like, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) constituting a part of the network 50 Wireless network And a wireless interface 256 for connecting to the over-click.

  As shown in FIG. 16C, the computer (information processing apparatus) functioning as the management server 30 includes at least a processor 350 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, a ROM 351 that stores a boot program, a firmware program, and the like, and a program A RAM 352 that provides an execution space for executing, an auxiliary storage device 353 for storing an operating system (OS) and various applications, an external connection interface 354 for connecting an external input / output device, and an input / output An interface 355 and a network interface 358 for connecting to the network 50 are provided.

  Note that each function of the above-described embodiment can be realized by a device-executable program described in C, C ++, C #, Java (registered trademark), and the like. The program of this embodiment includes a hard disk device, a CD-ROM. , MO, DVD, flexible disk, EEPROM, EPROM and the like can be stored and distributed in a device-readable recording medium, and can be transmitted via a network in a format that other devices can.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and as long as the operations and effects of the present invention are exhibited within the scope of embodiments that can be considered by those skilled in the art. It is included in the scope of the present invention.

10. Image forming apparatus (MFP)
12 ... discharge destination sorting unit 20 ... unmanned air vehicle (drone)
21 ... Foot 22 ... Transport case 22a, 22b ... Door 23 ... Charging terminal 24 ... Short-range communication means 26 ... Display 27 ... IC card reader 28 ... Receipt completion button 30 ... Management server 40 ... User terminal 50 ... Network 60 ... Airfield (base)
62 ... Electrode 64 ... Shredder 70 ... Takeoff / landing platform 72 ... Guide unit 74 ... Stopper 76 ... Short range communication means 80 ... Takeoff / landing platform 102 ... Operating state response unit 104 ... Print control unit 106 ... User information transmission unit 150 ... Processor 151 ... ROM
152 ... RAM
153 ... Auxiliary storage device 154 ... External connection interface 155 ... I / O interface 156 ... Printer engine 157 ... Scan engine 158 ... Network interface 159 ... Operation panel 250 ... Processor 251 ... ROM
252 ... RAM
253 ... Auxiliary storage device 254 ... External connection interface 255 ... Input / output interface 256 ... Wireless interface 258 ... Actuator 350 ... Processor 351 ... ROM
352 ... RAM
353 ... Auxiliary storage device 354 ... External connection interface 355 ... Input / output interface 358 ... Network interface 202 ... Autonomous flight control unit 203 ... Current position response unit 204 ... Information display unit 205 ... Arrival notification unit 206 ... Transport case control unit 301 ... User authentication unit 302 ... Request destination determination unit 304 ... User information generation unit 306 ... Print request unit 308 ... Transport request unit 310 ... Information management unit 500 ... User management tables 501,502,503,504,505 ... Field 600 ... MFP management Tables 601, 602, 603 ... Field 700 ... Drone management tables 701, 702 ... Field 1000 ... Printed material conveyance system 2000 ... Office

JP 2003-128207 A

Claims (11)

One or more image forming apparatuses, one or more unmanned air vehicles equipped with a transport case for transporting printed matter output by the image forming apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that receives a print job from one or more user terminals A printed material transport system,
The information processing apparatus includes:
A user information generation unit that generates user information including a transport destination of the printed matter related to the user of the transmission source of the print job and the authentication information of the user;
A print request unit that transmits a print request including the print job and the generated user information to the image forming apparatus;
A transport request unit that transmits a transport request designating the image forming apparatus that has transmitted the print request as a consignee, to the unmanned air vehicle,
Including
The image forming apparatus includes:
Printing that waits for the unmanned air vehicle to arrive, executes the print job included in the received print request, and discharges a printed matter related to the print job into a transport case mounted on the unmanned air vehicle A control unit;
A user information transmission unit that transmits the user information included in the received print request to the unmanned air vehicle that has arrived;
Including
The unmanned air vehicle is
After the discharge of the printed matter is completed, the key of the transport case is locked, and user authentication is performed based on the authentication information included in the user information at the transport destination included in the received user information. A transport case control unit for unlocking the key of the transport case when successful,
including,
Printed material transport system. The print control unit
If the device has transitioned to a power saving mode when receiving the print job from the information processing device, a return process is executed before the unmanned air vehicle arrives.
The printed matter conveyance system according to claim 1. The transfer case controller is
When the user authentication fails at the transport destination, the printed matter stored in the transport case is put into a cutting device and discarded.
The printed material conveyance system according to claim 1 or 2. The information processing apparatus includes:
When there are two or more combinations of the image forming apparatus and the unmanned air vehicle, an image forming apparatus that requests processing of the print job and a request for determining an unmanned air vehicle that requests conveyance of the printed matter related to the print job Including the predetermining part,
The request destination determination unit
The image forming apparatus which inquires the operating state information indicating the operating state of the apparatus to two or more of the image forming apparatuses, inquires the current position of the two or more unmanned air vehicles, and has responded to the operating state information. And the image forming apparatus capable of transporting the printed matter to the transport destination earliest based on the operating state information and the current position from among the combinations of the unmanned air vehicles that responded to the current position Determine the unmanned aircraft combination as the request destination,
The printed matter conveyance system according to claim 1. The request destination determination unit
The unmanned air vehicle receives the printed material from the image forming apparatus under the constraint conditions defined by the transport destination, the operating state information related to the image forming apparatus, and the current position related to the unmanned air vehicle. Solving a combination optimization problem with an objective function as a time required to reach the transport destination, and determining a combination of the image forming apparatus and the unmanned air vehicle that minimizes the objective function as a request destination;
The printed material conveyance system according to claim 4. One or more image forming apparatuses, one or more unmanned air vehicles equipped with a transport case for transporting printed matter output by the image forming apparatus, and an information processing apparatus that receives a print job from one or more user terminals A method performed in a printed material transport system, comprising:
The information processing apparatus is
Generating user information including a transport destination of a printed matter related to a user who is a transmission source of the print job and authentication information of the user;
Transmitting a print request including the print job and the generated user information to the image forming apparatus;
Transmitting a transport request designating the image forming apparatus that has transmitted the print request as a consignee to the unmanned air vehicle;
Run
The image forming apparatus includes:
A step of waiting for the unmanned air vehicle to arrive, executing the print job included in the received print request, and discharging a printed matter relating to the print job into a transport case mounted on the unmanned air vehicle When,
Transmitting the user information included in the received print request to the unmanned air vehicle that has arrived;
Run
The unmanned air vehicle is
After the discharge of the printed matter is completed, the key of the transport case is locked, and user authentication is performed based on the authentication information included in the user information at the transport destination included in the received user information. If successful, performing a step of unlocking the key of the transport case;
Method. Including a step of executing a return process before the unmanned air vehicle arrives when the apparatus is in the power saving mode when the print job is received from the information processing apparatus,
The method of claim 6. Including the step of throwing the printed matter stored in the transport case into the cutting device and discarding when the user authentication fails at the transport destination;
The method according to claim 5 or 6. The information processing apparatus is
When there are two or more combinations of the image forming apparatus and the unmanned air vehicle, determining an image forming apparatus that requests processing of the print job and an unmanned air vehicle that requests transportation of the printed matter related to the print job Because
The image forming apparatus which inquires the operating state information indicating the operating state of the apparatus to two or more of the image forming apparatuses, inquires the current position of the two or more unmanned air vehicles, and has responded to the operating state information. And the image forming apparatus capable of transporting the printed matter to the transport destination earliest based on the operating state information and the current position from among the combinations of the unmanned air vehicles that responded to the current position Further including the step of determining a combination of unmanned air vehicles as a request destination,
The method according to claim 6. The information processing apparatus is
The unmanned air vehicle receives the printed material from the image forming apparatus under the constraint conditions defined by the transport destination, the operating state information related to the image forming apparatus, and the current position related to the unmanned air vehicle. The method further includes the step of solving the combination optimization problem using the time required to reach the transport destination as an objective function and determining the combination of the image forming apparatus and the unmanned air vehicle that minimizes the objective function as a request destination. ,
The method of claim 9.   The program for making a computer perform each step of the method as described in any one of Claims 6-10.