JP7176399B2 - Paper brand management system, image forming apparatus, paper brand management method and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention is a paper brand management system capable of managing the brand of paper used in image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and multi-function digital multifunction machines called MFPs (Multifunction Peripherals) and placing orders. The present invention relates to an apparatus, a paper brand management method, and a program.

Conventionally, there has been known a system in which the amount of paper used in the image forming apparatus as described above is managed by a management device, and when the amount of paper used reaches a predetermined value, the corresponding brand of paper is automatically ordered. . In this system, when new paper is to be used, it is necessary to register the paper brand in advance in the management device. was

However, when the user manually registers a new paper, if there is an error in the brand to be registered, there is a possibility that the paper different from the paper originally intended to be ordered will be ordered.

On the other hand, in order to print under printing conditions that are optimal for the characteristics of the paper, a technology has been considered that uses an optical sensor or the like to discriminate the characteristics of the paper. In Patent Document 1, measurement data detected using an optical sensor is collated with a database, a conformance rate is calculated from the difference, and the brand with the maximum value is determined as the detected paper brand, and the optimal Techniques for determining development and transfer conditions have been proposed. Further, Patent Document 2 describes that various sensors are used to discriminate brands.

JP 2015-34810 A JP 2014-117922 A

However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, when obtaining conditions for development and transfer, even if the paper brand is different from the paper brand that is actually used, the brand that maximizes the conformity ratio is selected as the used brand. Therefore, printing can be performed under conditions close to the optimum by discriminating paper brands with almost the same characteristics.

Moreover, even with the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200023, the paper brand cannot be discriminated with high accuracy, and it is difficult to place an appropriate paper order.

Thus, conventionally, there has been a problem in terms of accuracy in registering a brand that matches the brand of paper used in a management device that can place an order for paper.

The present invention has been made in view of such a technical background, and is capable of registering a brand that accurately matches the brand of paper used in a management device capable of ordering paper. An object of the present invention is to provide a paper brand management system, an image forming apparatus, a paper brand management method, and a program.

The above object is achieved by the following means.
(1) a characteristic detection unit provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting the characteristics of the paper; a storage unit provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the type of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; and a notification means for notifying a user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction means, wherein the registration means registers the paper brand notified by the notification means. A paper brand management system , wherein a paper brand selected by a user from among the brands is registered in the management/ordering means .
(2) The paper brand management system according to the preceding item 1, wherein when the paper brand is uniquely extracted by the extraction means, the registration means registers the paper brand in the management/ordering means.
(3) a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting the characteristics of the paper; a storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the type of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; registration means for registering the detected paper brand in the management/ordering means, wherein the extraction means fails to extract a matching paper brand as a result of comparing the detected characteristics of the paper with the paper information. and extracting, as the paper brand of the paper, a paper brand whose value calculated from values weighted for each characteristic of the paper exceeds a threshold value for determining that the paper brand matches. system.
(4) The paper brand management system according to any one of the preceding items 1 to 3, wherein the extracting means notifies the user of paper brands in descending order of values calculated from values weighted for each characteristic of paper.
(5) The paper brand management system according to (3) or (4) above, wherein the weighting coefficient is determined by the detection accuracy of the characteristic detection means.
(6) Paper size detecting means for detecting the size of paper, wherein the extracting means detects the paper whose characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information and whose size is detected by the paper size detecting means. 6. The paper brand management system according to any one of the preceding paragraphs 1 to 5, which extracts the paper brand of paper that matches the size of .
(7) characteristic detection means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of the paper; storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the type of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; and registration means for registering the selected paper brand in the management/ordering means, and the paper characteristics are paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness for each paper brand. A paper brand management system characterized by being at least one of the following:
(8) a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of the paper; a storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the type of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; registering means for registering the selected paper brand in the managing/ordering means, registration information in which the characteristics of the paper and the paper brand are associated is registered in the managing/ordering means, and the extracting means A paper brand in which the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means all match the characteristics in the registration information is extracted, and when a paper brand in which all the characteristics match are extracted, the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means. A paper brand management system characterized by comprising determination means for determining that the paper brand is
(9) The paper brand management system according to the preceding item 8, when the extracting means does not extract all matching paper brands, the determination means determines that the paper brand is not registered in the management/ordering means. .
(10) The extracting means, in the case where all the matching paper brands are not extracted, the paper whose value calculated from the weighted value for each characteristic of the paper exceeds the threshold for determining that it is the matching paper brand. When the brand is extracted, the determination means determines that the extracted paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means, and when it is not extracted, the determination means determines that the paper brand is 9. The paper brand management system according to the preceding item 8, wherein it is determined that the paper brand is not registered in the management/ordering means.
(11) The above item 9 or 10, wherein, when the determination means determines that the paper brand is not registered in the management/ordering means, the user is notified of the necessity of registration in the management/ordering means. Paper brand management system.
(12) The storage means also stores the purchase history information of the paper brand in association with the paper brand, and the extraction means extracts the paper whose characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information and has a purchase record. 1. The paper brand management system according to the preceding item 1, wherein the paper brand is prioritized and notified to the user.
(13) a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting the characteristics of the paper; a storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the brand of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; a registering means for registering the selected paper brand in the managing/ordering means; a plurality of the characteristic detecting means are provided, and a priority order is set for each characteristic detecting means; A paper characterized by extracting a paper brand based on the characteristics of the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having a higher rank, and performing extraction by replacing the priority of the other characteristic detecting means based on the extraction result. Stock management system.
(14) a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of the paper; a storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally and storing paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the brand of paper are associated; extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information; management/ordering means for managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and for ordering paper of that brand according to the usage status; a registering means for registering the selected paper brand in the managing/ordering means; a plurality of the characteristic detecting means are provided, and a priority order is set for each characteristic detecting means; A paper characterized by extracting a paper brand based on the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having a higher rank, and determining the weighting coefficients of the other characteristic detecting means based on the extraction result to perform the extraction. Stock management system.
(15) Paper detected by the characteristic detecting means using characteristic detecting means for detecting the characteristic of the sheet and sheet information in which the characteristic of the sheet and the brand of the sheet are associated and stored in the own apparatus or an external storage means. and a management/ordering means provided in the device itself or externally, wherein the paper usage status is checked for each paper brand. and a registering means for registering the paper brand extracted by the extracting means in a management/ordering means capable of managing and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage situation, and the paper extracted by the extracting means a notification means for notifying the user of the brand;
and wherein the registering means registers the paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified by the notifying means in the managing/ordering means.
(16) A property detecting step of detecting the property of the paper executed by the property detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus, and the property of the paper and the brand of the paper are associated and stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means. An extracting step executed by an extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or the outside using the paper information obtained, wherein the characteristics of the paper detected in the characteristic detecting step match the characteristics in the paper information. and a management/ordering means provided outside the image forming apparatus or the outside manages the usage status of paper for each brand of paper, and the paper of that brand according to the usage status. a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in the management/ordering means, which is executed by an image forming apparatus or a registration means provided outside the image forming apparatus; and a notification step of notifying a user of the paper brand received by the user, wherein the registration step causes the management/ordering means to register the paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified by the notification step. A paper brand management method in a paper brand management system characterized by:
(17) A characteristic detection step for detecting the characteristics of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of the paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; A registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering paper of that brand depending on the situation, and a notification step of notifying the user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction step. and causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute a process of causing the computer to register the paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified in the notification step in the management/ordering means in the registration step. program to run.
(18) A characteristic detection step of detecting the characteristic of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of the paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering the paper of that brand depending on the situation; If a matching paper brand cannot be extracted as a result of comparing the obtained paper characteristics with the paper information, it is determined that a value calculated from a weighted value for each paper characteristic is the matching paper brand. A program for causing the computer to execute a process of extracting a paper brand exceeding a threshold value as the paper brand of the paper.
(19) A characteristic detection step of detecting the characteristics of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; A program for causing a computer of an image forming apparatus to execute a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering paper of that brand depending on the situation,
A program wherein the characteristics of paper are at least one of paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness for each paper brand.
(20) A characteristic detection step of detecting the characteristic of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of the paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extracting step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering the paper of that brand according to the situation, causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute the registration step, and causing the management/ordering means to perform is registered information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated with each other, and in the extracting step, the paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting step are all matched with the characteristics in the registered information, and the paper brands are extracted. a program for causing the computer to execute a process of judging that the paper brand is registered in the managing/ordering means when a paper brand that matches all of the paper brands is extracted.
(21) A characteristic detection step for detecting the characteristics of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of the paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering the paper of that brand depending on the situation; A priority is set for each characteristic detection step, and in the extraction step, the paper brand is extracted based on the characteristics of the characteristics of the paper detected in the characteristic detection step with the higher priority, A program for causing the computer to execute a process of performing extraction by changing the priority order of other characteristic detection steps based on the extraction result.
(22) A characteristic detection step of detecting the characteristics of the paper, and paper information stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means in association with the characteristics of the paper and the brand of the paper, and the characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics match the characteristics in the paper information; causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of ordering the paper of that brand depending on the situation; are provided, and a priority is set for each characteristic detection step. A program for causing the computer to execute a process of determining weighting coefficients of other characteristic detection steps based on and performing extraction.

According to the invention described in the preceding item (1), paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated is pre-stored in the storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or outside. When the characteristics of the paper are detected by the characteristics detection means provided in the image forming apparatus, one or more paper brands whose detected characteristics of the paper match the characteristics of the paper information stored in the storage means are extracted. be done. Then, the extracted paper brands are registered in a management/ordering means capable of managing the paper usage status for each paper brand and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status.

In other words, the characteristics of the paper detected by the image forming apparatus are compared with the paper information stored in the storage means as a database, so that the paper brands with matching characteristics are registered in the management/ordering means. A paper brand that highly accurately matches the used paper brand can be registered in the management/ordering means, and appropriate management and ordering can be performed.

In addition, the extracted paper brand is notified to the user, and the paper brand selected by the user from the notified paper brands is registered in the management/ordering means, so that the user can confirm the notified paper brand. to register an appropriate paper brand.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 2 ), when a paper brand is uniquely extracted, the paper brand is registered in the managing/ordering means.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 3 ), when a matching paper brand is not extracted as a result of comparing the characteristics with the paper information, the values calculated from the weighted values for each paper characteristics are matched. Since the paper brands exceeding the threshold for judging that they are the paper brands to be used are extracted, it is possible to register the paper brands that are highly likely to match the paper brands whose characteristics are detected in the management/ordering means. .

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 4 ), the paper brand is notified to the user in descending order of the value calculated from the values weighted for each paper characteristic, so that the user can easily confirm and select the paper brand. Become.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 5 ), it is possible to determine the weighting coefficient according to the detection accuracy of the characteristic detection means.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 6 ), the paper brand of the paper whose characteristics match the characteristics of the paper information and whose size detected by the paper size detection means matches is extracted. The paper brand can be extracted with high accuracy.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 7 ), the characteristics of the paper in the paper information include paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness for each paper brand. At least one of them is stored and compared with the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristics detecting means.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 8 ), a paper brand whose characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means are all identical to the characteristics of the paper information registered as registration information in the management/ordering means are extracted. In this case, it is determined that the paper brand has already been registered in the management/ordering means, so there is no need to re-register the extracted paper brand in the management/ordering means.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 9 ), if paper brands that match all are not extracted, it is determined that the paper brands are not registered in the management/ordering means, so only paper brands with higher accuracy are selected. can be registered.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 10 ), when no matching paper brand is extracted, the value calculated from the values weighted for each paper characteristic sets a threshold value for determining that the paper brand matches. If the paper brand is extracted, it is determined that the extracted paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means, and if it is not extracted, it is determined that the paper brand is not registered. be.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 11 ), when it is determined that the paper brand is not registered in the management/ordering means, the user is notified of the necessity of registration in the management/ordering means. A paper brand registration operation can be performed as necessary.

According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph ( 12 ), the storage means also stores the purchase history information of the paper brand in association with the paper brand, and when the paper brand is extracted, the characteristics of the paper match the characteristics in the paper information, Moreover, paper brands with a purchase record are preferentially notified.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 13 ), a plurality of characteristic detecting means are provided, and priority is set for each characteristic detecting means, and the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having the higher priority are evaluated. The paper brand is extracted based on the characteristics, and the extraction is performed by changing the priority of the other characteristic detection means based on the extraction result. Therefore, the paper brand is extracted according to the optimum priority of the characteristic detection means. A paper brand can be extracted with higher precision.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 14 ), a plurality of characteristic detecting means are provided, and a priority is set for each characteristic detecting means, and the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having the higher priority are evaluated. The paper brand is extracted based on the characteristics, and the extraction is performed by determining the weighting coefficients of the other characteristics detection means based on the extraction result, so the paper brand can be extracted with higher accuracy.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 15 ), the characteristics of the paper detected by the device are compared with the paper information stored in the storage means as a database. By being registered in the ordering unit, the image forming apparatus can register in the management/ordering unit a paper brand that highly accurately matches the brand of paper used.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 16 ), the characteristics of the paper detected by the image forming apparatus are compared with the paper information stored in the storage means as the database, so that the paper brands with matching characteristics are managed. - By registering in the ordering means, it is possible to register in the management/ordering means a paper brand that precisely matches the brand of paper used.

According to the invention described in the preceding item ( 17 ), using the detection step of detecting the characteristics of the paper, and the paper information in which the characteristics of the paper and the brand of paper are associated and stored in the image forming apparatus or an external storage means, an extracting step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detection step match the characteristics in the paper information; causing the computer of the image forming apparatus to execute a registration step of registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction step in a management/ordering means capable of managing the usage status and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status. be able to.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a paper brand management system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. (A) is a diagram showing an example of paper information stored and accumulated in a database server, and (B) is a diagram showing purchase history information. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus; 8 is a flow chart showing another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus; 9 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus; 9 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus; 7 is a flow chart showing a process for determining whether or not the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing another process for determining whether or not the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server; FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus; 9 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a paper brand management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. This paper brand management system includes an image forming apparatus 1 , a database server 2 and a management/ordering server 3 .

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a display section 11, an operation section 12, a storage section 13, a calculation section 14, a media sensor 15, a control section 16, a communication section 17, an image reading section 18, an image forming section 19, and the like.

The display unit 11 displays and notifies information to the user according to instructions from the control unit 16, or displays extracted paper brand candidates, and is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display panel.

The operation unit 12 includes, for example, a touch panel formed on the surface of the display unit 11, and receives instructions from the user. For example, the paper brand selected by the user is specified from among the paper brand candidates displayed on the display unit 11 and notified to the control unit 16 .

The storage unit 13 stores data such as parameters used for controlling the image forming apparatus 1 and operation programs of the image forming apparatus. , the priority of each media sensor, and the like. Weighting, priority, etc. will be described later.

According to an instruction from the control unit 16 , the calculation unit 14 compares the information stored in the database server 2 and/or the management/ordering server 3 with the detection result of the paper characteristics by the media sensor 15 . Alternatively, a value is calculated from the comparison result and the weighting coefficient, and compared with a predetermined threshold value. Alternatively, the priority of each media sensor 15 is changed, and the weighting coefficient is changed.

The media sensor 15 corresponds to characteristic detecting means, and determines the characteristic of the paper conveyed to the printing position in order for the image forming section 19 to print an image on the paper. The media sensor 15 includes an optical sensor and an ultrasonic sensor for detecting basis weight, a paper thickness sensor for detecting paper thickness, a capacitance sensor for detecting the capacitance of paper, and a paper size. and/or a camera for detecting surface characteristics and the like. Also, a plurality of these sensors may be provided. Sensors other than the paper size sensor are installed on the paper transport path, for example, near registration rollers for adjusting the transport timing of the paper to the transfer unit. Also, the paper size sensor is installed in the paper feed cassette.

The communication unit 17 communicates with the database server 2 or the management/ordering server 3 according to an instruction from the control unit 16 to acquire information.

The control unit 16 includes a CPU 161 and a RAM 162 , and the CPU 161 operates according to an operation program stored in the storage unit 13 and loaded into the RAM 162 to control the entire image forming apparatus 1 . Specifically, it performs control for realizing original functions such as copying and printing of the image forming apparatus 1 . Furthermore, in this embodiment, controls for extracting paper brands and registering them in the management/ordering server 3 are performed, and these controls will be described later.

The image reading unit 18 reads an image of a document set on a document platen (not shown) and converts it into image data. It prints print data transmitted from a terminal device or the like on a sheet of paper.

The database server 2 is composed of, for example, a personal computer, and paper information is stored and accumulated in advance. For example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the paper information is stored in association with paper characteristics for each of the paper brands a, b, . . . At least one of paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness is stored as paper characteristics, and this information can be rewritten from the outside. . The database server 2 also stores a paper purchase history as shown in FIG. 2(B) as needed. The paper purchase history includes the date of purchase and the number of sheets purchased for each of the paper brands a, b, . Every time a paper is purchased, a new purchase history is written.

The management/ordering server 3 is composed of, for example, a personal computer, and stores and accumulates registration information. As with the paper information stored in the database server 2 and shown in FIG. 2(A), the registered information has one or more paper brands associated with paper characteristics. The properties of the paper are the same as those in the paper information. The registration information also includes a purchase history similar to the purchase history shown in FIG. 2(B) stored in the database server 2 . A new purchase history is written each time a paper is purchased.

Further, the management/ordering server 3 manages the usage status including the number of sheets used in the image forming apparatus 1 and the number of sheets in stock for each paper brand based on the usage history information transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 . In addition, the management/ordering server 3 can place an order with a paper vendor or other ordering party by designating a paper brand. there is The information used for ordering includes the current number of sheets in stock, the remaining number of sheets to be ordered, the number of sheets to be ordered at one time, information on the orderer, and the like.

1 shows an example in which the database server 2 and the management/ordering server 3 are provided outside the image forming apparatus 1, at least one of the database server 2 and the management/ordering server 3 The image forming apparatus 1 may have the function. Further, when the database server 2 and the management/ordering server 3 are provided outside the image forming apparatus 1, the database server 2 and the management/ordering server 3 may be composed of one server.

Next, the operation of the paper brand management system shown in FIG. 1 will be described, centering on the operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The operations shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 3 and 4 and subsequent figures are executed by the CPU 161 of the control unit 16 of the image forming apparatus 1 operating according to the operation program stored in the storage unit 13 or the like.

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives a print instruction, in step S01 of FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 starts feeding paper, and in step S02, the media sensor 15 starts detecting the characteristics of the fed paper. .

After the paper information is acquired from the database server 2 in step S03, the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 are compared with the paper information acquired from the database server 2 in step S04. Specifically, for example, the paper thickness in step S05, the grammage in step S06, and the transmittance in step S07 are each compared with the characteristics in the paper information. Then, in step S08, a paper brand whose all characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 match the characteristics of the paper information is extracted as a candidate for the paper brand.

Next, in step S09, the extracted paper brand candidates are displayed on the display unit 11 to notify the user, prompting the user to select a paper brand, and accepting any brand candidate selected by the user. Next, in step S10, the management/ordering server 3 is made to register the paper brand selected by the user by instructing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

Thus, in this embodiment, the media sensor 15 detects the characteristics of the paper, compares the detected characteristics with the characteristics of the paper information stored in the database server 2, and selects one or more papers with matching characteristics. of paper brands are extracted. Then, the extracted paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 .

That is, since the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 of the image forming apparatus 1 are compared with the paper information stored in the database server 2, the paper brands with matching characteristics are registered in the management/ordering server 3. Therefore, it is possible to register in the management/ordering means a paper brand that highly accurately matches the brand of paper used, so that appropriate management and ordering can be performed.

In addition, the extracted paper brand is notified to the user, and the paper brand selected by the user from the notified paper brands is registered in the management/ordering server 3, so that the user can select the notified paper brand. It is possible to confirm and register an appropriate paper brand.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. This example shows the processing when no paper brand candidates are extracted or when one paper brand is extracted.

Since steps S01 to S08 are the same as steps S01 to S08 in FIG. 3, the same step numbers are given and description thereof is omitted.

In step S11, as a result of extracting paper brands, it is determined whether or not candidate paper brands have been extracted. If extracted (YES in step S11), the process proceeds to step S14. If not extracted (NO in step S11), in step S12, a weighted value is added to the comparison result for each characteristic. In step S13, candidates for which the addition result exceeds a preset threshold for determining that the sheets are the same are extracted as candidates, and then the process proceeds to step S14.

In step S14, it is determined whether there is one paper brand candidate, that is, whether the paper brand candidate is uniquely determined. If it is uniquely determined (step S14 YES), the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 in step S16. If there are a plurality of paper brands extracted as candidates and they cannot be uniquely determined (NO in step S14), in step S15, the plurality of paper brand candidates are displayed on the display unit 11 to notify the user, and the user It prompts the user to select a paper brand, and accepts the user's selection of one of the brand candidates. Next, in step S6, the user instructs the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand selected by the user, thereby causing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

Calculation of the weighted value for each characteristic of the paper in step S12 is performed as follows. That is, an error rate representing the detection accuracy for each type of media sensor 15 and a weighting coefficient k* (* indicates a number defined for each media sensor 15) are set for each error rate. The comparison result x* between the characteristic by the sensor 15 and the characteristic stored in the database server 2 is calculated by the following formula as "1" when they match and "0" when they do not match.

z1=k1.x1+k2.x2+k3.x3+...
Paper brand candidates are extracted depending on whether the value calculated here exceeds a preset threshold value. The threshold to be set may be changeable by the user.

By performing such processing, as a result of comparing the characteristics of the detected paper and the paper information in the database server 2, even if a matching paper brand cannot be extracted, paper with a high possibility of matching Brands can be registered in the management/ordering server 3 .

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. In this example, the media sensor 15 detects the characteristics other than the paper size and the paper size, and compares these detection results with the paper information stored in the database server 2. FIG.

Since steps S01 to S08 are the same as steps S01 to S08 in FIG. 3, the same step numbers are given and description thereof is omitted.

In step S21, the paper size of the paper brand extracted by comparing the characteristics other than the paper size is compared with the paper size detection result. 11 to notify the user, prompt the user to select a paper brand, and accept any brand candidate selected by the user. Next, in step S23, the management/ordering server 3 is made to register the paper brand selected by the user by instructing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

In this manner, since the paper size is compared in addition to the paper characteristics other than the paper size, the paper brand can be extracted with higher accuracy.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. This example shows the processing when a plurality of paper brand candidates are extracted.

Since steps S01 to S08 are the same as steps S01 to S08 in FIG. 3, the same step numbers are given and description thereof is omitted.

In step S31, as a result of extracting the paper brand, it is determined whether or not there is only one paper brand candidate, that is, whether or not the paper brand candidate is uniquely determined. If it is uniquely determined (step S31 YES), the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 in step S34. If there are a plurality of paper brands extracted as candidates and they cannot be uniquely determined (NO in step S31), in step S32, a weighted value is added to the comparison result for each characteristic. Then, in step S33, the candidate paper brands are displayed on the display unit 11 in descending order of the added result to notify the user, and the user is urged to select a paper brand. Accept this. Next, in step S34, the management/ordering server 3 is made to register the paper brand selected by the user by instructing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

Calculation of the weighted value for each characteristic of the paper in step S32 is performed as follows. That is, a weighting coefficient k1* (* indicates a number defined for each media sensor 15) is set for each error rate representing the detection accuracy of each type of media sensor 15, and the detected characteristics are stored in a database. A weighting factor k2* for each position is set for the characteristic value in the paper information in the server 2, and the calculated value z2 is the weighting factor k1* for each error rate and the weighting factor for each position. The results obtained by multiplying k2* are added as follows.

z2=k11.k21+k12.k22+k13.k23+...
Then, a paper brand having a large calculated value is preferentially displayed.

As described above, in this embodiment, the user is notified of the paper brand in descending order of the values calculated from the weighted values for each paper characteristic, so that the user can easily confirm and select the paper brand.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the process of determining whether the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 or not.

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives a print instruction, in step S41 of FIG. 7, the image forming apparatus 1 starts feeding paper. acquisition).

In step S<b>43 , registration information is acquired from the management/ordering server 3 , and the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 are compared with the registration information acquired from the management/ordering server 3 . Specifically, for example, the paper thickness in step S44, the basis weight in step S45, and the transmittance in step S46 are each compared with the characteristics in the registered information. Then, in step S47, it is determined whether or not all the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 match the characteristics of the registered information. judge as a brand.

In step S47, if the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 do not match even one of the characteristics of the registered information (NO in step S47), in step S49, it is determined that the paper brand is not registered. Then, in step S50, the necessity of registration is displayed on the display unit 11 to notify the user.

When the user desires registration, the image forming apparatus 1 performs the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. Register for 3.

Thus, in this embodiment, since it is determined whether or not the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3, there is no need to re-register the paper brand that has already been registered.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing another process for determining whether or not the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 .

Since steps S41 to S47 are the same as steps S41 to S47 in FIG. 7, the same step numbers are given and description thereof is omitted.

In step S47, it is determined whether or not all the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 match the characteristics of the registered information. to decide.

On the other hand, in step S47, if even one of the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 does not match the characteristics of the registered information (NO in step S47), in step S51, the comparison result is weighted for each characteristic. add the value. The weighting of the comparison results is the same as that explained in step S12 of FIG. Then, in step S52, it is determined whether or not the addition result exceeds a preset threshold for determining that the sheets are the same. If the result of the addition exceeds the threshold (YES in step S52), it is determined that the paper brand is already registered in step S53. If the result of the addition does not exceed the threshold (NO in step S52), it is determined as an unregistered paper brand in step S54. Then, in step S55, the necessity of registration is displayed on the display unit 11 to notify the user.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. This example shows the processing when a plurality of paper brand candidates are extracted by referring to the paper purchase history.

Since steps S01 to S08 are the same as steps S01 to S08 in FIG. 3, the same step numbers are given and description thereof is omitted.

In step S61, it is determined whether or not there is only one paper brand candidate as a result of the paper brand extraction, that is, whether or not the paper brand candidate is uniquely determined. If it is uniquely determined (step S61 YES), the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering server 3 in step S64. If there are a plurality of paper brands extracted as candidates and they cannot be uniquely determined (NO in step S61), in step S62, information on the purchase record of each paper brand is obtained from the database server 2 and compared, and in step S63. The user is notified by preferentially displaying the candidate of the paper brand with the purchase record on the display part 11, the user is urged to select the paper brand, and when the user selects one of the brand candidates, it is accepted. Next, in step S64, the management/ordering server 3 is instructed to register the paper brand selected by the user, thereby causing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

As described above, in this embodiment, the user is notified of paper brands that have been purchased with priority, so that the user can easily confirm and select the paper brands.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing still another example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. In this example, the paper brand is extracted based on the priority of each media sensor 15 .

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives a print instruction, in step S71 of FIG. 10, the image forming apparatus 1 starts feeding paper, and in step S72, the media sensor 15 starts detecting the characteristics of the fed paper. .

After the paper information is acquired from the database server 2 in step S73, the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 having the higher priority are compared with the paper information acquired from the database server 2 in step S74.

Next, in step S75, it is checked whether or not the comparison of all the detected characteristics has been completed. The priority is determined, and the characteristic detected by the media sensor with the highest priority among the remaining media sensors 15 is compared with the sheet information on the database server 2 side. This process is repeated, and when the comparison of all the characteristics is completed (YES in step S75), in step S77, all the characteristics detected by the media sensor 15 match the paper information on the database 2 side. It is extracted as a paper brand candidate for the paper.

In step S78, the extracted paper brand candidates are displayed on the display unit 11 to notify the user, and the user is urged to select a paper brand. Next, in step S79, the management/ordering server 3 is made to register the paper brand selected by the user by instructing the management/ordering server 3 to register the paper brand.

An example of the method of setting the priority for each media sensor 15 described above will be described below. In this example, an ultrasonic sensor, a paper thickness sensor, and a basis weight sensor are used as the media sensor 15 to determine the paper brand. The type of sensor used is not limited to this. As the initial setting values of the priority, the ultrasonic sensor, the paper thickness sensor, and the basis weight sensor are set in order from the highest priority. First, an ultrasonic sensor is used to determine whether the object used is an envelope. When the paper is determined to be an envelope, the priority of the paper thickness sensor is set to the second highest as an initial setting value. , the priority order of the paper thickness sensor and the basis weight sensor is exchanged, and the basis weight sensor is compared first. Alternatively, the paper thickness sensor may be set so as not to perform comparison. If it is determined that the type of paper is not an envelope, the priority order is not changed from the initial setting value, but the comparison is performed and the paper brand is determined.

Alternatively, the paper brand may be extracted by determining the weighting coefficient for each media sensor 15 . An example of the method is shown. In this example, an ultrasonic sensor, a paper thickness sensor, and a basis weight sensor are used to determine the type of paper. The type of sensor used is not limited to this. As the initial setting value of the priority, the priority of the ultrasonic sensor is set to be the highest. It is determined whether or not the used object is an envelope according to the detection result of the ultrasonic sensor. If it is determined to be an envelope, the variation in paper thickness at the time of detection will be greater than that of the basis weight sensor. Set a high weighting when comparing information. Alternatively, the paper thickness sensor may be set so as not to perform comparison. If it is determined that the envelope is not an envelope, the weighting coefficients of the paper thickness sensor and basis weight sensor are not changed, but comparison is performed to determine the paper brand.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 compares the paper characteristics detected by the media sensor 15 with the paper information stored in the database server 2 . The image forming apparatus 1 may transmit the characteristics of the paper to the database server 2, and the database server 2 may compare the received characteristics of the paper with the paper information to extract candidate paper brands. In this case, the database server 2 may transmit the extraction result to the image forming apparatus 1, and the image forming apparatus 1 may display the received extraction result on the display unit 11 to notify the user to make a selection.

In addition, although the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not the paper brand has already been registered in the management/ordering server 3, the image forming apparatus 1 determines whether or not the characteristics of the paper detected by the media sensor 15 are managed/ordered. The information may be transmitted to the server 3, and the management/ordering server 3 may compare the characteristics of the received paper and the registration information to determine whether the paper brand has been registered. In this case, the management/ordering server 3 transmits the determination result to the image forming apparatus 1, and if the image forming apparatus 1 is unregistered, the display unit 11 displays whether or not registration is necessary to notify the user and prompt the user to make a selection. It is good as

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 image forming apparatus 11 display unit 12 operation unit 13 storage unit 14 calculation unit 15 media sensor 16 control unit 161 CPU
162 RAMs
17 communication unit 2 database server 3 management/ordering server

Claims (22)

a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
notification means for notifying the user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction means;
with
The paper brand management system , wherein the registration means registers the paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified by the notification means in the management/ordering means . 2. The paper brand management system according to claim 1, wherein when a paper brand is uniquely extracted by said extraction means, said registration means registers said paper brand in said management/ordering means. a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
with
When the extracting means fails to extract a matching paper brand as a result of comparing the detected paper characteristics with the paper information, the extracting means selects a matching paper with a value calculated from a weighted value for each paper characteristic. A paper brand management system, wherein a paper brand exceeding a threshold value for determining that the paper is a brand is extracted as the paper brand of the paper. 4. The paper brand management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein said extraction means notifies the user of paper brands in descending order of values calculated from values weighted for each paper characteristic. 5. The paper brand management system according to claim 3 , wherein said weighting coefficient is determined by the detection accuracy of said characteristic detection means. Equipped with paper size detection means for detecting the size of paper,
1-, wherein said extracting means extracts a paper brand of paper whose characteristics of the detected paper match the characteristics in said paper information and whose size matches the size of paper detected by said paper size detecting means. 5. The paper brand management system according to any one of 5. a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
with
A paper brand management system, wherein the paper characteristics are at least one of paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness for each paper brand. a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
with
registration information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated with each other is registered in the management/ordering means;
The extracting means extracts a paper brand whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means are all identical to the characteristics in the registration information,
A paper brand management system, comprising determination means for determining that the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means when a paper brand that matches all is extracted. 9. The paper brand management system according to claim 8 , wherein, when the extracting means does not extract all matching paper brands, the determination means determines that no paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means. The extracting means extracts a paper brand whose value calculated from values weighted for each characteristic of the paper exceeds a threshold value for determining that the paper brand matches when all matching paper brands are not extracted. If extracted, the determination means determines that the extracted paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means, and if not extracted, the determination means determines that the paper brand is the management/ordering means. 9. The paper brand management system according to claim 8 , wherein it is determined that the paper brand is not registered in the ordering means. 11. The paper brand according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein when the determining means determines that the paper brand is not registered in the managing/ordering means, the user is notified of necessity of registration in the managing/ordering means. management system. The storage means also stores purchase history information of the paper brand in association with the paper brand,
2. The paper brand management system according to claim 1 , wherein said extracting means preferentially notifies a user of a paper brand of paper whose characteristics match the characteristics of said paper information and which have been purchased. a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
with
A plurality of the characteristic detection means are provided, and a priority order is set for each characteristic detection means,
The extracting means extracts the paper brand based on the characteristics of the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having the higher priority, and exchanges the priority of the other characteristic detecting means based on the extraction result to perform the extraction. A paper brand management system characterized by: a characteristic detecting means provided in the image forming apparatus for detecting characteristics of paper;
storage means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for storing paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated;
extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means match the characteristics in the paper information;
a management/ordering means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or externally for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means in the management/ordering means;
with
A plurality of the characteristic detection means are provided, and a priority order is set for each characteristic detection means,
The extracting means extracts the paper brand based on the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting means having the higher priority, and determines the weighting coefficients of the other characteristic detecting means based on the extraction result to perform the extraction. A paper brand management system characterized by: a characteristic detection means for detecting characteristics of paper;
One or a plurality of paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting means that match the characteristics in the paper information, using paper information that is associated with paper characteristics and paper brands and stored in the device itself or in an external storage means. an extracting means for extracting individual paper brands;
Management/ordering means provided in the apparatus itself or outside, capable of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status, registration means for registering the paper brand extracted by the extraction means;
notification means for notifying the user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction means;
with
The image forming apparatus , wherein the registration means registers the paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified by the notification means in the management/ordering means . a characteristic detection step of detecting characteristics of a sheet, which is executed by characteristic detection means provided in the image forming apparatus;
An extracting step executed by an extracting means provided in the image forming apparatus or the outside using paper information stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated with each other, wherein the characteristics an extraction step of extracting one or a plurality of paper brands whose characteristics of the paper detected in the detection step match the characteristics of the paper information;
a management step of managing the usage status of paper for each brand of paper and ordering the paper of that brand according to the usage status;
a registration step of causing the management/ordering means to register the paper brand extracted in the extraction step, which is executed by a registration means provided in the image forming apparatus or outside;
a notification step of notifying a user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction step;
with
A paper brand management method in a paper brand management system , wherein in said registration step, a paper brand selected by a user from among the paper brands notified in said notification step is registered in said management/ordering means . a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
a notification step of notifying a user of the paper brand extracted by the extraction step;
is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus,
A program for causing the computer to execute, in the registration step, a process of registering in the management/ordering means a paper brand selected by the user from among the paper brands notified in the notification step . a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus,
In the extracting step, if a matching paper brand cannot be extracted as a result of comparing the detected paper characteristics with the paper information, the value calculated from the weighted value for each paper characteristic is the matching paper. A program for causing the computer to execute a process of extracting, as the paper brand of the paper, a paper brand exceeding a threshold value for determining that the paper is a brand. a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
A program for causing a computer of an image forming apparatus to execute
A program wherein the characteristics of paper are at least one of paper size, basis weight, paper thickness, glossiness, smoothness, reflectance, transmittance, and whiteness for each paper brand. a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus,
registration information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated with each other is registered in the management/ordering means;
The extracting step extracts a paper brand whose paper characteristics detected by the characteristic detecting step are all identical to the characteristics in the registered information,
A program for causing the computer to execute a process of judging that the paper brand is registered in the management/ordering means when a paper brand that matches everything is extracted. a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus,
A plurality of the characteristic detection steps are provided, and a priority is set for each characteristic detection step,
In the extraction step, the paper brand is extracted based on the characteristics of the characteristics of the paper detected in the high-priority characteristic detection step, and based on the extraction result, the priorities of the other characteristics detection steps are changed to perform extraction. A program for causing the computer to execute a process to be performed. a characteristic detection step for detecting characteristics of the paper;
Using paper information in which paper characteristics and paper brands are associated and stored in an image forming apparatus or an external storage means, the characteristics of the paper detected by the characteristic detecting step are one or an extraction step of extracting a plurality of paper brands;
The paper extracted by the extracting step is stored in the image forming apparatus or the outside and managed by the managing/ordering means that manages the usage status of the registered brand of paper and can order the brand of paper according to the usage status. a registration step of registering a brand;
is executed by the computer of the image forming apparatus,
A plurality of the characteristic detection steps are provided, and a priority is set for each characteristic detection step,
In the extraction step, the paper brand is extracted based on the characteristics of the paper detected in the high-priority characteristic detection step, and a weighting factor for the other characteristics detection step is determined based on the extraction result to perform the extraction. A program for causing the computer to execute a process to be performed.

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