JP2021052309A - Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and image forming program - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve appropriate operation of an image forming apparatus that is expected to be used while connected to a support server and improvement in convenience for a user, when the image forming apparatus is cut off from a network.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: an image forming unit; a communication interface unit; an operation display unit that receives a user's operation input; a storage unit; and a control unit that, when communication with a support server is not established, causes the operation display unit to display the possibility that maintenance work using the support server may be limited and the influence of the limitation of the maintenance work on the operation of the image forming apparatus, and causes the storage unit to store information for support that is newly generated after the last transmission of information for support to the support server. In response to establishment of communication between the support server and the communication interface unit, the control unit controls the communication interface unit to transmit read-out information for support to the support server.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that can be connected to a network.

In recent years, image forming devices (for example, printers, multifunction printers, or multifunction printers) are connected to a support server via the Internet, and maintenance services such as billing, supply of consumables, and failure diagnosis are performed under the control of the support server. In such maintenance, it is premised that the image forming apparatus periodically transmits the diagnostic information of its own machine to the server. From this point of view, for example, Patent Document 1 describes the image forming apparatus when the usage status such as the counter information of the printed page cannot be transmitted due to an unexpected reason such as operation in an area where the communication environment is poor or a communication failure due to an unexpected situation. A technique for restricting the use is proposed. Specifically, Patent Document 1 provides after a predetermined grace period, except when a usage status response of a license can be received from a management device (corresponding to a support server). By limiting the use of the image forming apparatus, the user cannot use the image forming apparatus.

International Publication No. 2016/158393

However, in the prior art, the use of the image forming apparatus is uniformly restricted except when the usage status response of the license can be received from the support server. Therefore, for example, when a communication failure outside the network of the user or a failure occurs in the support server, the use of the image forming apparatus is uniformly restricted even if there is no problem in the system on the user side. In particular, in the case of communication failure due to the occurrence of a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake, such lack of flexibility may significantly impair user convenience. On the other hand, the use of the image forming apparatus in a state where communication with the support server is not possible is expected to bring disadvantages to the user.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and in an image forming apparatus that is supposed to be used in a state of being connected to a support server, an appropriate image forming apparatus at the time of disconnection from the network is appropriate. The purpose is to improve operation and user convenience.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention receives an operation input of a user, an image forming unit that forms an image on an image forming medium based on image data, a communication interface unit that establishes communication with a support server via the Internet, and an operation input of a user. If communication between the operation display unit, the storage unit, and the support server is not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the limitation of the maintenance work is an image. It is provided with a control unit that displays the influence on the operation of the forming device on the operation display unit and stores the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server. The control unit reads the newly generated support information from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication between the support server and the communication interface unit, and controls the communication interface unit to read the information. The support information provided is transmitted to the support server.

The image forming method of the present invention accepts an image forming step of forming an image on an image forming medium based on image data, a communication interface step of establishing communication with a support server via the Internet, and a user's operation input. If the operation display process and communication with the support server are not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the limitation of the maintenance work is the operation of the image forming apparatus. The control step includes a control step of displaying the influence on the operation display process in the operation display process and storing the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server. , The newly generated support information is read from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication with the support server in the communication interface process, and the read support is controlled by controlling the communication interface process. Information is transmitted to the support server.

The image forming program of the present invention has an image forming unit that forms an image on an image forming medium based on image data, a communication interface unit that establishes communication with a support server via the Internet, and an operation display that accepts user's operation input. If communication with the unit, the storage unit, and the support server is not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the restriction of the maintenance work is the limitation of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus functions as a control unit that displays the influence on the operation on the operation display unit and stores the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server. The control unit reads the newly generated support information from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication between the support server and the communication interface unit, and controls the communication interface unit to read the reading. The provided support information is transmitted to the support server.

According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus that is supposed to be used while connected to a support server, it is possible to properly operate the image forming apparatus and improve user convenience when disconnecting from the network. be able to.

It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure of the image formation system 10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the wake-up process which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the content of the IP address acquisition process which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the processing content of the 2nd operation mode which concerns on one Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the display example of the operation display part in the 2nd operation mode which concerns on one Embodiment. A display example of the operation display unit at the time of receiving a fax in the second operation mode according to one embodiment is shown.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an image forming system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system 10 includes an image forming device 100 as a multifunction peripheral (MFP), a smartphone 200, and a plurality of personal computers (simply also referred to as PCs) 300. The image forming system 10 is connected to a support server 700 via a hub 500 and a router 600 constituting a local area network (also simply referred to as a network) LAN and the Internet. In this example, the hub 500 is assumed to be a repeater hub that relays signals to all nodes as they are.

The support server 700 stores a management database (also called a management DB) 710, and manages a large number of image forming devices used by a large number of users. The management database 710 stores the number of printed pages and other billing information of each of the plurality of image forming devices including the image forming apparatus 100, supply management information of consumables, diagnostic data for providing maintenance services such as failure diagnosis, and the like. ing. The supply management information of consumables is used to determine the supply timing of consumables such as toner, and automatic ordering of consumables is possible.

The smartphone 200 includes a control unit 210, an operation display unit 230, a storage unit 240, and a communication interface unit 250. The smartphone 200 can be connected to the image forming apparatus 100 via the access point (also simply referred to as AP) 400 or by Wifi-Direct.

The image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 110, an image forming unit 120, an operation display unit 130, a storage unit 140, a communication interface unit (also referred to as a communication I / F unit) 150, and an image reading unit 160. I have. The communication interface unit 150 includes a wired communication processing unit 151, a Wifi communication processing unit 152, a Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153, and a fax communication processing unit 154. The communication interface unit 150 further has a connector (not shown) for outputting data to a storage medium such as a USB memory.

The image reading unit 160 reads an image on a document and generates image data. The image forming unit 120 can form an image on the image forming medium in a plurality of operation modes including a copying mode and a network mode. The copying mode is an operation mode in which an image is formed based on the image data generated by the image reading unit 160. The network mode is an operation mode in which an image is formed based on a print job (also referred to as an image formation job) acquired via a network LAN.

The wired communication processing unit 151 executes communication on an Ethernet (registered trademark) via a wired network LAN. The access point 400, the plurality of personal computers 300, and the router 600 are connected to the wired communication processing unit 151 via a wired network LAN. The Wifi communication processing unit 152 executes wireless communication with the smartphone 200 via the access point 400.

The router 600 has a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server function, and assigns IP addresses to each of the devices 100, 200, and 300 as DHCP clients connected to the network LAN by dynamic allocation. When assigning an IP address, the period during which the IP address is valid (lease period) is specified, and the DHCP client renews it before the lease period expires. The router 600 can reassign an IP address whose lease period has expired to another DHCP client without being renewed.

The Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153 makes the image forming apparatus 100 function as an access point and executes direct wireless communication with the smartphone 200. The Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153 is set so that the image forming apparatus 100 is set as the group owner and can be connected to the smartphone 200 with a preset fixed IP address. In this embodiment, a wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11) is used for the wireless communication function. The Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153 is also referred to as a direct wireless communication unit.

The FAX communication processing unit 154 is capable of constantly transmitting and receiving facsimiles via a telephone line. The image forming apparatus 100 is installed in an office or a restaurant, for example, and is in a power-on state (sleep state) even when the office or the like is on a non-working day such as a holiday in order to enable transmission and reception of facsimiles at all times.

The control units 110 and 210 include main storage means such as RAM and ROM, and control means such as MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, the control units 110 and 210 have controller functions related to interfaces such as various I / O, USB (universal serial bus), bus, and other hardware. The control units 110 and 210 control the entire image forming apparatus 100 and the smartphone 200, respectively.

The storage units 140 and 240 are storage devices including a hard disk drive, a flash memory, etc., which are non-temporary recording media, and control programs (including image forming programs) and data of processes executed by the control units 110 and 210, respectively. Remember. The operation display units 130 and 230 function as a touch panel, display various menus as input screens, and accept user operation inputs.

The storage unit 140 includes a trusted device list and a MAC address list as identification information of each device. The trusted device list includes the SSID (Service Set Identifier) of each device that is permitted to wirelessly communicate with the image forming apparatus 100. In the trusted device list, the SSID of a mobile terminal (for example, a specific smartphone 200) that can be used for accessing the support server 700 is registered in advance. The MAC address list includes the MAC address (Media Access Control addless) of each device that is permitted to wirelessly communicate with the image forming apparatus 100. In the MAC address list, the MAC address of a mobile terminal (for example, a specific smartphone 200) that can be used for accessing the support server 700 is registered in advance.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the contents of the wake-up process according to the embodiment. This wakeup process is typically executed by an image forming apparatus 100 connected to a network LAN that turns off the power of the hub 500 or the router 600 from the viewpoint of security and power saving.

In step S100, the image forming apparatus 100 is in the sleep state. In the sleep state, the image forming apparatus 100 can wake up in response to the reception of the facsimile, form the received contents as an image on the printing paper, and output the received contents as a printed matter.

In step S200, the image forming apparatus 100 receives the user's operation input. Specifically, the user opens the platen cover (not shown) for placing the original on the platen (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 100, for example. The image forming apparatus 100 detects the operation of the platen cover as an operation input of the user and starts the IP address acquisition process (step S300).

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the contents of the IP address acquisition process (step S300) according to the embodiment. In step S310, the wired communication processing unit 151 of the communication interface unit 150 transmits the FLP burst to the entire network LAN via the hub 500. FLP burst is a signal transmitted according to the standard (10Base-T) of 10 Megabit Ethernet (registered trademark).

The FLP burst is composed of 33 pulses. The odd-numbered pulses are clock pulses for timing the pulses. The even-numbered pulse is the data pulse. The data pulse represents a transmission method supported by the device (wired communication processing unit 151 in this example). The transmission method is a combination of transmission speed and transmission mode (full-duplex or half-duplex). Full-duplex is a communication method that can send and receive data from both sides at the same time in two-way communication. Half-duplex is a communication method that enables bidirectional communication in which data can be transmitted and received in only one direction at a time, and bidirectional communication is possible in a time-division manner.

Specifically, the data pulse is, for example, a combination of 10 megabit Ethernet (registered trademark) standard and transmission mode, a combination of 100 megabit Ethernet (registered trademark) standard and transmission mode, and 1000 megabit Ethernet (registered trademark). ) And the combination of the transmission modes, the bit of the corresponding (eventh) position pulse is 1 (with pulse). As a result, the FLP burst can transmit the transmission method supported by the transmission source to the device on the other side.

In step S320, when it is determined that the modular connector (for example, RJ-45: not shown) of the wired communication processing unit 151 is physically connected to the network (router 600 in this example), the process is stepped. If the process proceeds to S330 and it is determined that the device is not physically connected to the network, the process proceeds to step S370.

When both the hub 500 and the router 600 are operating and the FLP burst is returned, the wired communication processing unit 151 determines that the image forming apparatus 100 is physically connected to the network. On the other hand, if at least one of the hub 500 and the router 600 is inactive (for example, the power is off) and the FLP burst is not returned within the preset time, the wired communication processing unit 151 causes the image forming apparatus 100. Is not physically connected to the network.

In step S330, the wired communication processing unit 151 starts the auto-negotiation processing. In auto-negotiation processing, the communication interface unit automatically selects the highest priority transmission method supported by both the FLP burst source (router 600 in this example) and the wired communication processing unit 151. select. In this example, it is assumed that 100BASE-T (full duplex) is selected as the transmission method as a result of the auto-negotiation process.

In step S340, the wired communication processing unit 151 executes the communication circuit setting process. In the communication circuit setting process, the wired communication processing unit 151 sets the communication circuit to 100BASE-T (full duplex) selected in the auto-negotiation process for communication with the router 600.

In step S350, the wired communication processing unit 151 executes the IP address request processing. In the IP address request processing, the wired communication processing unit 151 broadcasts the DHCPDISCOVER message in the network LAN. The DHCPDISCOVER message is a message for searching for a DHCP server.

The router 600 having a DHCP server function functions as a DHCP server and broadcasts a DHCPOFFER message in a network LAN as a response to a DHCPDISCOVER message. The DHC POFFER message contains an IP address and other information (setting parameters such as subnet mask and DNS). In this example, the router 600 assumes that the IP address lease period is set within 24 hours, for example 20 hours. As a result, the wired communication processing unit 151 needs to update the IP address every day.

In step S360, the wired communication processing unit 151 executes the IP address acquisition process. In the IP address acquisition process, the wired communication processing unit 151 receives and analyzes the DHCPOFFER message, sets the IP address leased in the DHCPOFFER message to the IP address of the wired communication processing unit 151 of the image forming apparatus 100, and sets the DHCPOFFER message. Perform communication settings using other information obtained from. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 enables Internet communication via the router 600 based on the TCP / IP protocol.

As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 can be estimated based on the acquisition of the IP address that the image forming apparatus 100 can be connected to the support server 700 as needed. On the contrary, it can be estimated that the image forming apparatus 100 cannot connect to the support server 700 until the IP address is acquired.

In this way, whether or not the image forming apparatus 100 can connect to the support server 700 without communicating with the support server 700 as long as there is no failure of the support server 700 or a communication failure of the Internet. Can be judged. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 determines whether or not the user-side system (image forming system 10 and network LAN) can be connected to the support server 700 without increasing the communication load of the support server 700. You will be able to do it.

When it is determined that the image forming apparatus 100 is not physically connected to the network, the image forming apparatus 100 transmits an FLP burst every fixed time (for example, several seconds) elapses (step S370). As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 is in a state of being able to communicate with the support server 700 without being excessively delayed according to the start of operation of the hub 500 and the router 600.

In step S400, when the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 has acquired the IP address, the operation mode of the image forming apparatus 100 is set to the first operating mode (step S500), and the IP address is acquired. If not, the process proceeds to step S600. The first operation mode is a state in which the image forming apparatus 100 can be normally used without any particular limitation in a state where the support server 700 can be supported and the network LAN is available, that is, all kinds of jobs. Is in an acceptable state.

In step S600, the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 sets the operating mode of the image forming apparatus 100 to the second operating mode. The second operation mode is an operation mode for using the image forming apparatus 100 in a state where the support server 700 cannot receive support and the network LAN cannot be used. The second operating mode has more limited functions available than the first operating mode.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the second operation mode (step S600) according to the embodiment. In step S610, the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 attempts to connect with Wifi-Direct. In this example, it is assumed that the identification information (for example, SSID and MAC address) of the smartphone 200 is registered in advance in the trusted device list for access to the support server 700.

The Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153 of the communication interface unit 150 broadcasts a packet called a beacon. The beacon is transmitted for a certain period of time, for example, at intervals of 100 msec. The beacon packet includes the SSID of the image forming apparatus 100, the beacon transmission interval, channel (frequency) information, a list of supported transfer speeds, and the like. The beacon packet further contains data representing information that is requested to be used for accessing the support server 700.

When the user has a pre-registered smartphone 200, the operation display unit 230 of the smartphone 200 displays a pop-up display (not shown) as a push notification in response to the reception of the beacon, and sends the support server 700 to the support server 700. A pop-up display indicates that Wifi-Direct communication is requested for access.

The Wifi-Direct communication processing unit 153 of the image forming apparatus 100 attempts to establish Wifi-Direct communication with the smartphone 200. In Wifi-Direct communication, a preset fixed IP address is used as the IP address of the image forming apparatus 100. Wifi-Direct communication is an example of P2P direct wireless communication.

The control unit 110 determines whether or not the smartphone 200 is permitted to access the support server 700 based on the identification information of the smartphone 200, and if it is determined that the smartphone 200 is permitted, the control unit 110 passes through the support server 700. Access the support server 700. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 can transmit the support information to the support server 700 via the smartphone 200.

When the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 can access the support server 700 via the smartphone 200, the process of steps S620 to S650 is skipped by the interrupt process, and the process is changed to step S660. Proceed. On the other hand, the control unit 110 executes the processes of steps S620 to S650 until the support server 700 can be accessed via the smartphone 200.

In step S620, the control unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100 executes the toner remaining amount detection. In step S630, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the remaining amount of toner is less than the preset threshold value Th. When the remaining amount of toner is less than the threshold value Th, the control unit 110 displays the number of remaining printable sheets (step S640). In this example, it is assumed that the threshold Th is set to 5000 pages in A4 conversion.

When the image forming apparatus 100 has a calendar function, the setting of the threshold value Th can be determined in advance according to, for example, the number of consecutive days of holidays. Specifically, the system administrator sets the page to 500, for example, when assuming two non-working days on the weekend, and when assuming three non-working days on the weekend, for example. If you set it to 700 pages and assume 9 consecutive holidays such as Obon and the year-end and New Year holidays, you can set it to 2000 pages, for example.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of the operation display unit in the second operation mode according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A is an explanatory diagram showing a wake-up screen in the second operation mode. The operation display unit 130 has a user interface screen 131 and a start button 132. On the user interface screen 131, a text display T1 for calling attention to the fact that the user interface is not connected to the network LAN and an OK icon 133 are displayed.

The text display T1 indicates to the user that the user is "not connected to the network LAN" and indicates that the functions using the network such as "printing from the computer" and "transmission processing of scan data" are restricted. It shows that FAX transmission / reception is possible. The user can transition the display screen of the operation display unit 130 to the next display screen (FIG. 5B) by touching the OK icon 133. The scan data transmission process is a process of transmitting image data (for example, pdf data) generated by scanning a document by the image reading unit 160 to a specific personal computer 300.

FIG. 5B is an explanatory diagram showing the remaining printable number of sheets display in the second operation mode. On the user interface screen 131, a text display T2 for alerting the user regarding the remaining amount of toner and an OK icon 133 are displayed.

The text display T2 indicates to the user that "the remaining amount of toner is 460 pages in terms of A4", and it is possible to entrust the user to determine whether or not to make the image forming apparatus 100 perform copy output. In the text display T2, if the toner is used up, even if the image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the network LAN on a working day (for example, Monday), the toner arrives on the next day (for example, Tuesday), and the image is displayed. It shows the possibility that downtime will occur in the forming apparatus 100.

This allows the user to preferentially use, for example, another image forming apparatus, if any. Furthermore, the user can perform a copy process of, for example, about 200 pages, and then temporarily turn on the power of the hub 500 or router 600, which is turned off from the viewpoint of power saving, to transmit support information. Is. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 can transmit the support information to accelerate the arrival of the toner.

In this way, the image forming apparatus 100 can appropriately provide the user with a situation regarding the transmission of the support information. Therefore, the user can take appropriate actions depending on the situation. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 enables the appropriate operation of the image forming apparatus 100 without unduely affecting the maintenance work using the support server 700, thereby improving the appropriate operation of the image forming apparatus and the convenience of the user. Improvements can be achieved.

In step S650, the image forming apparatus 100 starts accumulating support information. The accumulation of the support information is a process of storing (accumulating) the support information such as the page count for billing and the failure diagnosis information in the operation in the copy mode in the storage unit 140. The support information to be stored is the support information newly generated after the last transmission of the support information to the support server 700. The support information is immediately transmitted to the support server 700 after the image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the network LAN (see step S700 described later).

In step S660, the image forming apparatus 100 is in a state in which a specific job can be accepted in response to a touch by the user of the OK icon 133. The specific job acceptable state is a state in which a job that can be executed can be accepted without using the network LAN. The specific job acceptable state is, for example, a state in which the image forming unit 120 is permitted to operate in the copy mode and the operation in the network mode is restricted.

In this example, disconnection of the image forming apparatus 100 from the network LAN is assumed or planned in advance, and reconnection to the network LAN is also planned. Therefore, even if the image forming apparatus 100 is used in a state of being temporarily disconnected from the network LAN, the maintenance of the image forming apparatus 100 is not excessively adversely affected.

FIG. 6 shows a display example of the operation display unit 130 at the time of receiving a fax in the second operation mode according to the embodiment. The operation display unit 130 has a user interface screen 131 and a start button 132. On the user interface screen 131, "In addition to the text display T3 and the OK icon 133 for notifying that the FAX has been received from the company A, the registration terminal icon 134, the USB icon 135, the print icon 136, and the storage icon are displayed. 137 and the scroll icon 138 are displayed. The scroll icon 138 is an icon for scrolling the display of the user interface screen 131 to preview the contents of the FAX.

The text display T3 indicates to the user that "the remaining amount of toner is 420 pages in terms of A4", and entrusts the user to determine whether or not the image forming apparatus 100 should print out the received fax. Can be done. The text display T3 further indicates that there are four options for responding to fax reception. Specifically, "send mail to the registered terminal" in response to a touch to the registered terminal icon 134, "data output to a USB memory" in response to a touch to the USB icon 135, and print icon 136. "Print output" in response to the touch of the storage icon 137 and "storage in the storage unit 140" in response to the touch of the storage icon 137 are available as options.

The mail transmission to the registered terminal is a process of converting the received contents of the fax into, for example, a pdf file, and immediately transmitting the mail to the pre-registered terminal after the image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the network LAN. The data output to the USB memory is a process of converting the received contents of the FAX into, for example, a pdf file and writing it to a storage medium such as a USB memory using a connector (not shown) included in the communication interface unit 150. The print output is a process in which the image forming unit 120 forms an image representing the received contents of the fax on the image forming medium and outputs the image.

When the image forming apparatus 100 does not accept the user input until the preset time elapses, the control unit 110 automatically executes "storage in the storage unit 140", and FIG. 6 shows. Set the display screen to the wakeup screen. As a result, the user can receive the fax at the time of wake-up of the image forming apparatus 100, and either "send mail to the registered terminal", "output data to the USB memory", or "print output". You can know that the combination is feasible. The combination can be realized by, for example, touching the registration terminal icon 134 and the print icon 136 to invert them, and then touching the OK icon 133.

The image forming apparatus 100 automatically stores the report output that prints out the management state as data (for example, text data) in the storage unit 140. As a result, the image forming apparatus 100 can suppress the consumption of toner. Such switching to the process of suppressing toner consumption may be executed, for example, when the remaining amount of toner is less than a preset threshold value Th (or another threshold value Th). For report output, for example, the same processing as receiving a fax can be performed.

In step S700 (see FIG. 2), the image forming apparatus 100 reconnects to the network (that is, as a trigger) in response to the connection to the network LAN (acquisition of the IP address), for example, on the day after the non-operating day (for example, Monday). Perform time processing. In the network reconnection processing, the image forming apparatus 100 warms up the fixing unit (not shown) for processing that requires connection to the network LAN, for example, transmission of scan data or mail transmission to a fax registration terminal. You can also run inside.

The image forming apparatus 100 further transmits the support information stored in the storage unit 140 to the support server 700. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 may transmit data representing the operation contents of the image forming apparatus 100 when the network is not connected to the system administrator.

As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment enables flexible operation of the image forming apparatus at the time of disconnection from the network, realizes a highly robust system, and can secure the convenience of the user. .. The image forming apparatus 100 can realize smooth operation of the image forming apparatus at the time of disconnection assumed in advance from the network especially on non-working days such as holidays.

In particular, when the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment acquires an IP address and confirms the normal operation of the network LAN, that is, when there is no problem in the system on the user side, a failure occurs in the support server 700 or the Internet side. Even so, the use of the image forming apparatus 100 is permitted without limitation including printing from the personal computer 300. As a result, when the image forming apparatus 100 is allowed to be used under the control of the support server 700, the image forming apparatus 100 can be highly robust and can be operated in a user-friendly manner even in the event of a large-scale disaster or the like.

The present invention can be implemented not only in the above embodiment but also in the following modifications.

Modification 1: In the above embodiment, the display of the number of remaining printable sheets is displayed when the IP address cannot be acquired, but it may be displayed when there is no response from the support server 700. In this way, the user can operate an image forming apparatus using a network LAN (for example, printing from a personal computer) while acquiring information on the possibility that the supply of consumables may be delayed due to a failure of the support server 700 or a communication failure. It can be realized.

Modification 2: In the above embodiment, the supply of toner to the user is shown as an example of maintenance work, but failure detection is also included, for example. Specifically, for example, when an abnormality is detected in the image forming apparatus 100 by the abnormality detection function of the control unit 110, it should be left for a while to observe the progress, or it will be a serious failure unless it is repaired immediately. It is assumed that it may not be possible to determine whether or not the support server 700 is used.

In such a case, the image forming apparatus 100 may be configured to display a display requesting the user to secure the connection to the support server 700 on the operation display unit 130. As described above, in the present invention, when communication with the support server 700 is not established, maintenance work using the support server (including automatic ordering of toner and printing paper, for example) may be restricted. It suffices that the operation display unit 130 displays the fact that the limitation of maintenance work affects the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 (including downtime caused by running out of toner, for example).

Modification 3: In the above embodiment, the router 600 has a DHCP server function, but a server having a DHCP server function may be provided in the network. The network having a DHCP server function may be a network having a node having a DHCP server function.

Modification 4: In the above embodiment, the smartphone 200 is used as a mobile terminal, but for example, a tablet or a notebook PC can also be used as a mobile terminal.

10 Image forming system 100 Image forming device 110, 210 Control unit 120 Image forming unit 130, 230 Operation display unit 140, 240 Storage unit 150, 250 Communication interface unit 500 Hub 600 Router 700 Support server

Claims (5)

An image forming unit that forms an image on an image forming medium based on image data,
A communication interface that establishes communication with the support server via the Internet,
An operation display unit that accepts user operation input and
Memory and
If communication with the support server is not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the influence of the restriction on the maintenance work on the operation of the image forming apparatus. A control unit that is displayed on the operation display unit and stores the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server.
With
The control unit reads the newly generated support information from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication between the support server and the communication interface unit, and controls the communication interface unit to read the information. An image forming device that transmits the support information to the support server. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
The communication interface unit transmits a beacon containing the identification information of the image forming apparatus, receives the beacon, and establishes direct wireless communication with the mobile terminal in response to a request from a pre-registered mobile terminal. Has a direct wireless communication unit
The direct wireless communication unit is an image forming device that transmits the read support information to the support server via the mobile terminal. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further
Equipped with an image reader that reads the image on the document and generates image data.
The communication interface unit can communicate with the support server via a network having a DHCP server function, acquires an IP address by the DHCP server function of the network, and uses the IP address to communicate with the support server. Establish communication,
The control unit operates the image forming apparatus in the first operation mode based on the acquisition of the IP address, and has a function that can be used more than the first operation mode until the acquisition of the IP address. The image forming apparatus is operated in the second operation mode in which the image is limited.
The image forming unit forms an image in a plurality of modes including a copying mode in which an image is formed based on the image data and a network mode in which an image is formed based on an acquired image forming job acquired via the network. Form an image on the medium,
The second operation mode is an image forming apparatus in which the operation of the image forming unit in the network mode is restricted. An image forming step of forming an image on an image forming medium based on image data,
A communication interface process that establishes communication with the support server via the Internet,
The operation display process that accepts user operation input and
If communication with the support server is not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the influence of the restriction on the maintenance work on the operation of the image forming apparatus. A control step of displaying in the operation display process and storing the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server.
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The control step reads the newly generated support information from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication with the support server in the communication interface step, and controls the communication interface step to read the reading. An image forming method for transmitting the support information provided to the support server. An image forming unit that forms an image on an image forming medium based on image data,
Communication interface section that establishes communication with the support server via the Internet,
Operation display unit that accepts user operation input,
If communication with the storage unit and the support server is not established, the maintenance work using the support server may be restricted, and the limitation of the maintenance work affects the operation of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus is made to function as a control unit that displays the influence on the operation display unit and stores the newly generated support information in the storage unit after the last transmission of the support information to the support server.
The control unit reads the newly generated support information from the storage unit in response to the establishment of communication between the support server and the communication interface unit, and controls the communication interface unit to read the information. An image forming program that transmits the support information to the support server.

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