JP7423993B2 - Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and setting method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, and a setting method, and more particularly to a technique for correcting the output of a toner density sensor filled in a developing unit installed in an image forming apparatus.

A developing unit installed in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is filled with a two-component developer containing toner and carrier. The developer unit applies developer to an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member such as a photoreceptor drum, thereby visualizing the electrostatic latent image and forming a toner image.

Here, when the toner concentration of the developer in the developing device unit decreases, the toner image becomes thinner, which becomes a factor in degrading the image quality. Furthermore, if the toner concentration of the developer in the developing device unit increases, there is a possibility that a plume of toner will be generated inside the image forming apparatus, which may cause damage to the inside of the apparatus. Therefore, the developer unit is equipped with a toner concentration sensor for detecting the toner concentration of the developer filled inside. Then, the image forming apparatus performs toner replenishment control from the toner bottle to the developer unit based on the toner concentration detected by the toner concentration sensor, and maintains the toner concentration of the developer in the developer unit at an appropriate value. ing.

However, there are individual differences in toner density sensors, and there are also variations within a certain range in the mounting position with respect to the developing unit. Therefore, the toner density output from the toner density sensor includes a certain error. In order to perform toner replenishment control for the developing unit with high precision, it is necessary to correct this error.

Conventionally, as a method for correcting the output of a toner concentration sensor, a new developer unit was filled with developer with a predetermined toner concentration (for example, 8%), and the toner concentration sensor installed in the developer unit was used to measure the amount. A technique is known in which toner density is stored as correction information in a nonvolatile memory (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In this conventional technology, when a developing unit is installed in an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus reads correction information set at the time of factory shipment from a nonvolatile memory installed in the developing unit, and uses that correction information. Correct the output of the toner density sensor based on the toner density sensor.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-56774 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-56638

However, the conventional technique described above has the disadvantage that it is necessary to mount a nonvolatile memory in the developing unit, which increases the cost of the developing unit.

The present invention has been made to improve the above-mentioned conventional disadvantages, and provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that can correct the output of a toner density sensor without increasing the cost of the developing unit. The purpose is to provide a setting method.

The invention according to claim 1 provides an image forming apparatus having a removable developing unit equipped with a toner concentration detecting means for detecting the toner concentration of a developer filled therein; an image forming system comprising: a server that holds correction information for correcting the output of the toner density detection means, wherein the image forming apparatus communicates directly or indirectly with the server; According to the present invention, the correction information is acquired from the server, and the toner density detected by the toner density detection means after the developing device unit is installed is corrected based on the correction information. It is.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the image forming system according to the first aspect, the image forming apparatus acquires an image including identification information given to the developing unit, and sends the identification information to the server based on the image. information, and the server transmits the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means installed in the developer unit to the image forming apparatus based on the identification information. be.

The invention according to claim 3 is the image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a mobile terminal that communicates with the image forming apparatus, and the mobile terminal includes identification information given to the developing unit. An image is photographed and the image is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus notifies the server of the identification information based on the image, and the server uses the developing device based on the identification information. This configuration is characterized in that the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means mounted in the unit is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.

The invention according to claim 4 is the image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a mobile terminal that communicates with the server, and wherein the mobile terminal displays an image including identification information given to the developer unit. and notifies the server of the identification information based on the image, and the server, based on the identification information, transmits the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means mounted in the developer unit to the server. This configuration is characterized in that the information is transmitted to an image forming apparatus.

The invention according to claim 5 provides an image forming apparatus having a removable developing unit equipped with a toner concentration detecting means for detecting the toner concentration of a developer filled therein. A setting method for making settings for correction, the method comprising: obtaining correction information from a predetermined server for correcting the output of the toner concentration detection means installed in the developing unit; This configuration is characterized by comprising a setting step of storing and setting the correction information acquired in the correction information acquisition step in a predetermined storage means.

The invention according to claim 6 is the setting method according to claim 5 , further comprising an identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information for identifying the individual developer unit, and the correction information acquisition step includes the step of acquiring identification information for identifying the individual developer unit. The correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means installed in the developing device unit is acquired from the server by transmitting the identification information acquired in the identification information acquisition step to the server. It is configured to do this.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the setting method according to the sixth aspect, the identification information acquisition step includes an image acquisition step of acquiring an image including the identification information given to the developing unit, and the correction information The acquisition step is characterized in that the identification information included in the image acquired by the image acquisition step is transmitted to the server.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the setting method according to the seventh aspect, the image forming apparatus includes a document reading unit that reads a document and generates image data, and the image acquisition step includes obtaining information from the document reading unit. This configuration is characterized in that the image including the identification information is acquired.

The invention according to claim 9 is the setting method according to claim 7 , wherein the image forming apparatus includes a photographing means for photographing an image, and the image obtaining step includes acquiring the image including the identification information from the photographing means. This is a configuration characterized by acquiring the following.

The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that, in the setting method according to claim 7 , the image acquisition step acquires the image including the identification information from a mobile terminal with which the image forming apparatus can communicate. be.

According to the present invention, since it is not necessary to mount a nonvolatile memory in the developing unit, it becomes possible to appropriately correct the output of the toner concentration sensor without increasing the cost of the developing unit.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration example of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a developing device unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing output characteristics of a toner concentration sensor. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration example of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control mechanism by a controller of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of a developer unit and a box in which the developer unit is packed. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of correction information setting processing performed in the controller. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a detailed processing procedure of identification information acquisition processing. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation process in an image forming apparatus and a server. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of toner density adjustment processing performed in a controller. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of an image forming system in a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of an image forming system in a third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of an image forming system in a fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, common elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations thereof will be omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 is configured as a multifunctional device, such as an MFP (Multifunction Peripherals), which has a scanning function, a printing function, and a copying function. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a printer section 1a at the bottom of the main body, and a scanner section 1b at the top of the main body.

The printer section 1a forms an image on a sheet material 9 such as printing paper using an electrophotographic method and outputs the image. The printer section 1a is capable of forming color images in tandem. The printer unit 1a operates when a print job is performed in the image forming apparatus 1, and forms an image on the sheet material 9 based on image data to be printed included in the print job.

The scanner unit 1b optically reads a document and generates image data corresponding to an image recorded on the surface of the document. The scanner unit 1b operates when a scan job is performed in the image forming apparatus 1, reads a document set by a user, and generates image data.

First, the configuration of the scanner section 1b will be explained in detail. The scanner section 1b includes a document reading section 5 located at the bottom and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 6 located at the top. The document reading section 5 is a main part of the scanner section 1b that includes a built-in mechanism for optically reading an image of a document and generating image data. The automatic document conveyance section 6 automatically conveys documents one by one to a position where the document reading section 5 reads images. By operating in synchronization with each other, the document reading section 5 and the automatic document conveying section 6 can continuously automatically read a plurality of documents.

The automatic document conveyance section 6 includes a document placement section 51 , a document conveyance path 52 , a plurality of rollers 53 , and a document discharge section 54 . The plurality of rollers 53 transport the originals set on the original document placement section 51 one by one along the original transport path 52 and discharge them to the original ejection section 54 .

The original reading unit 5 includes a first imaging unit 40 that reads an image of the original when the original transported by the automatic original transport unit 6 passes a predetermined reading position, and a first imaging unit 40 that reads the original placed on a platen glass 42. It has a second imaging section 41. When reading an image of a document transported by the automatic document transport section 6, the document reading section 5 drives the first imaging section 40 to perform a document reading operation. Further, when reading an image of a document placed on the platen glass 42 by the user, the document reading section 5 drives the motor 43 to move the second imaging section 41 attached to the slider 44 in a predetermined scanning direction. By moving it, the image of the entire document is read. Note that the document reading section 5 may have only one imaging section by sharing the first imaging section 40 and the second imaging section 41, in which case the slider 44 is moved by the automatic document transport section 6. It is extended to a position where the image of the transported document can be read.

Next, the configuration of the printer section 1a will be explained in detail. The printer section 1a includes a conveying section 2, an image forming section 3, and a fixing section 4 inside the apparatus main body, and conveys sheet materials 9 stored in a lower paper feed cassette 8 one by one. A color image or a monochrome image is formed on the sheet material 9, and the sheet material 9 is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 16 from an upper discharge port 15. Further, the printer section 1a includes a controller 7 inside the main body of the apparatus. This controller 7 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1, and controls not only the operation of the printer section 1a but also the scanner section 1b. Note that the controller 7 only needs to be provided inside the image forming apparatus 1, and is not limited to being provided inside the printer section 1a.

The conveyance section 2 is for conveying the sheet material 9, and includes a paper feed cassette 8, a pickup roller 10, a paper feed section 11, a conveyance path 12, a registration section 13, and a secondary transfer roller 14. have. The paper feed cassette 8 is a container that accommodates a bundle of a plurality of sheet materials 9. The pickup roller 10 picks up the uppermost sheet material 9 from the bundle of sheet materials 9 housed in the paper feed cassette 8 and sends it out to the paper feed section 11 . However, the pickup roller 10 may send out a plurality of sheets 9 to the downstream side of the paper feed cassette 8. The paper feed section 11 extracts only the topmost sheet material 9 from one or more sheets of sheet material 9 sent out by the pickup roller 10 and supplies it to the conveyance path 12 on the downstream side.

The conveyance path 12 is a path for conveying the sheet material 9 in the direction of arrow F2. The sheet material 9 conveyed through the conveyance path 12 is subjected to skew correction in the registration section 13 . The registration section 13 includes a pair of rollers, and the pair of rollers are driven in synchronization with the timing at which the toner image formed by the image forming section 3 moves to the position of the secondary transfer roller 14. , the sheet material 9 subjected to the skew correction is conveyed to the position of the secondary transfer roller 14. The toner image formed in the image forming section 3 is transferred to the sheet material 9 when it passes the position of the secondary transfer roller 14, and then the toner image transferred to the paper surface is fixed when it passes through the fixing section 4. Processing is performed. The fixing unit 4 performs heat treatment and pressure treatment as a fixing treatment on the sheet material 9 being conveyed. As a result, the toner image is fixed on the sheet material 9. The sheet material 9 on which the toner image has been fixed in the fixing section 4 is discharged from the discharge port 15 onto the paper discharge tray 16 .

The image forming section 3 forms toner images of four colors, Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), on the sheet material 9 passing through the position of the secondary transfer roller 14. This configuration allows the toner images of these four colors to be transferred simultaneously. The image forming unit 3 includes a plurality of toner bottles 19 (19Y, 19M, 19C, 19K) corresponding to each color, and a plurality of image forming units 20 (20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K) corresponding to each color. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of exposure sections 25 (25Y, 25M, 25C, 25K) and a transfer unit 30.

The transfer unit 30 includes a pair of rollers 31 and 32 arranged at a predetermined interval, an endless belt, and an intermediate transfer belt 33 suspended between the pair of rollers 31 and 32. A plurality of primary transfer rollers 34 (34Y, 34M, 34C, 34K) disposed inside the transfer belt 33 at a position facing each image forming unit 20, and for removing toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. and a cleaning section 35, which are assembled into an integral unit.

Among the pair of rollers 31 and 32, one roller 31 is a drive roller that is connected to and rotationally driven by a drive shaft provided inside the apparatus main body, and when the drive shaft is rotationally driven, the intermediate transfer belt 33 is circularly moved in the direction of arrow F1. The other roller 32 is attached to a driven shaft provided inside the apparatus main body, and is driven to rotate as the intermediate transfer belt 33 circulates. These pair of rollers 31 and 32 are installed at positions separated by a predetermined distance inside the main body of the apparatus while applying a constant tension to the intermediate transfer belt 33. The roller 31 is installed on the drive shaft so as to face the secondary transfer roller 14 , and is pushed onto the intermediate transfer belt 33 with the intermediate transfer belt 33 sandwiched between the roller 31 and the secondary transfer roller 14 . Applying pressure. The roller 31 pinches and presses the sheet material 9 conveyed from the registration section 13 between the intermediate transfer belt 33 and the secondary transfer roller 14, thereby forming a toner image on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. is secondarily transferred onto the sheet material 9.

The cleaning unit 35 is held in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 at a position facing the roller 32, and removes toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 that circulates in the direction of arrow F1.

The image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K corresponding to each color are provided below the transfer unit 30, and the exposure sections 25Y, 25M, 25C, 25K corresponding to each color are provided in the image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20K. It is provided at a position further below 20C and 20K. The toner bottles 19Y, 19M, 19C, and 19K are arranged above the transfer unit 30, and supply developer containing toner of each color to each of the image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K.

The image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K have the same configuration, and only use different toner colors. That is, each image forming unit 20Y, 20M, 20C, 20K includes an image carrier 21 configured as a photosensitive drum, a charging section 22 arranged around the image carrier 21, a developing unit 23, The cleaning blade 24 is also provided. Note that hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K, they may be collectively referred to as the image forming units 20.

The image carrier 21 has a photosensitive layer on the drum surface, and is rotated clockwise (clockwise) while in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 33 to which transfer pressure is applied by the primary transfer roller 34 of the transfer unit 30, for example. Rotate to. A cleaning blade 24, a charging section 22, and a developing unit 23 are arranged around the image carrier 21 along the rotation direction thereof. The charging section 22 includes a charging roller that contacts the surface of the image carrier 21, and charges the surface of the image carrier 21 to a predetermined charge. The exposure section 25 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the image carrier 21 by exposing the photosensitive layer charged by the charging section 22 to light based on image data to be printed. A certain gap is formed between the charging section 22 and the developing unit 23 so that light from the exposure section 25 can reach the surface of the image carrier 21 .

The developer unit 23 is filled with a two-component developer containing toner and carrier, and supplies the developer to the surface of the image carrier 21 to visualize the electrostatic latent image with the toner. As a result, a toner image is formed on the surface of the image carrier 21. The toner image formed on the image carrier 21 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 33 at a position where it contacts the intermediate transfer belt 33 . A bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the charged toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier 21 is applied to the primary transfer roller 34, and the toner image formed on the surface of the image carrier 21 due to electrostatic force is applied to the primary transfer roller 34. can be primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 33.

Each of the image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K cooperates with the respective primary transfer rollers 34Y, 34M, 34C, and 34K to transfer toner images of each color onto the intermediate transfer belt 33 that circulates in the direction of arrow F1. The primary transfer is performed by sequentially overlapping the images. Therefore, when the intermediate transfer belt 33 passes the most downstream image forming unit 20K, a color image in which toner images of four colors are superimposed is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. Note that when forming a monochrome image on the sheet material 9, the image forming units 20Y, 20M, and 20C do not operate, and only the image forming unit 20K corresponding to K (black) operates to apply K to the intermediate transfer belt 33. A monochrome image is formed using only the toner.

When the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 33 passes through a position facing the secondary transfer roller 14, it comes into contact with the sheet material 9 conveyed by the conveyance section 2, and a secondary image is formed on the surface of the sheet material 9. transcribed. The secondary transfer roller 14 is provided at a position facing the roller 31 with the intermediate transfer belt 33 in between, and when the toner image primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 33 comes into contact with the sheet material 9, the charged toner The toner image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet material 9 by applying a bias voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner image.

Even after the toner image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet material 9 at the position of the secondary transfer roller 14, some toner may remain on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. Such residual toner circulates together with the intermediate transfer belt 33 while remaining attached to the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33. When the intermediate transfer belt 33 passes through the cleaning section 35, the residual toner is removed from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 33 by a cleaning blade or a cleaning brush provided in the cleaning section 35.

Further, in each of the image forming units 20Y, 20M, 20C, and 20K, even after the toner image formed on the image carrier 21 is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 33, toner remains on the surface of the image carrier 21. Sometimes. Such residual toner advances toward the cleaning blade 24 as the image carrier 21 rotates, and is removed from the surface of the image carrier 21 by the cleaning blade 24 .

Next, the developing unit 23 will be explained. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the developing unit 23. As shown in FIG. The developing unit 23 is a unit in which the interior of the housing 60 is filled with a two-component developer containing toner and carrier as described above, and supplies the developer to the surface of the image carrier 21 . The developing unit 23 is a type of consumable item, is removable from the image forming unit 20, and is replaced with a new unit as necessary. When the developing unit 23 is formed separately from the image forming unit 20, it may be made detachable from the image forming section 3. That is, the developing unit 23 is configured to be detachable from the main body of the image forming apparatus 1.

A replenishment port 60a for replenishing the inside of the housing 60 of the developer unit 23 with developer supplied from the toner bottle 19 is formed at a predetermined position. Therefore, when the developer unit 23 is installed in the apparatus main body, the developer unit 23 can be replenished with the developer supplied from the toner bottle 19 through the replenishment port 60a. In the case of a new developing unit 23, the filling space inside the housing 60 is filled with a developer having a predetermined toner concentration before shipment from the factory.

As shown in FIG. 2, the developing unit 23 includes a developing sleeve 61, a supply screw 62, and a stirring screw 63 inside a housing 60. Further, the developing unit 23 includes a partition wall 65 inside the casing 60. The partition wall 65 is for dividing an upper space in which the developing sleeve 61 and the supply screw 62 are arranged, and a lower space in which the stirring screw 63 is arranged. Note that the upper space and lower space divided by the partition wall 65 communicate with each other at both end portions of the supply screw 62 and the stirring screw 63, so that the developer can be moved.

The developing sleeve 61 is disposed in an upper space divided by the partition wall 65, and a portion thereof is exposed to the outside from the housing 60. The exposed portion of the developing sleeve 61 is arranged at a constant distance from the surface of the image carrier 21 . Further, when the developing unit 23 is attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1, the rotating shaft 61a of the developing sleeve 61 is coupled to a motor provided in the main body of the apparatus, and the developing sleeve 61 is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction. The developing sleeve 61 supplies the developer supplied from the supply screw 62 to the surface of the image carrier 21 by rotating in a predetermined direction.

The supply screw 62 is one of the screws that stirs the developer. The supply screw 62 is arranged parallel to the developing sleeve 61 and has a rotating shaft 62a that is rotationally driven by a motor of the main body of the apparatus. The supply screw 62 supplies the developer to the developing sleeve 61 while conveying the developer supplied from the lower space along the longitudinal direction of the developing sleeve 61 when the rotating shaft 62a is driven and rotates in a predetermined direction. do.

The stirring screw 63 is also one of the screws that stirs the developer. The stirring screw 63 is arranged parallel to the supply screw 62 and has a rotating shaft 63a that is rotationally driven by a motor of the apparatus main body. Note that the stirring screw 63 may be driven by a motor separate from the supply screw 62, or may be driven by the same motor. However, in terms of circulating the developer inside the housing 60, it is preferable that the stirring screw 63 and the supply screw 62 are driven to rotate in opposite directions.

The stirring screw 63 rotates in a predetermined direction, thereby stirring the developer and conveying it along the longitudinal direction of the screw. Thereby, the toner contained in the developer can be triboelectrically charged. The stirring screw 63 stirs the developer in the lower space (stirring space) of the developing device unit 23, and then pumps the developer into the upper space through a portion communicating with the upper space at one end side of the partition wall 65.

The developing sleeve 61 has a magnetic member on its inner peripheral side, and the magnetic member captures the charged toner on the sleeve surface. The developing sleeve 61 rotates to supply the toner captured on the sleeve surface to the surface of the image carrier 21 . When the ratio of toner to carrier in the housing 60 decreases, less developer is captured on the sleeve surface, resulting in abnormal density. Therefore, in order to maintain the ratio of toner and carrier in a constant state, stirring is performed in the developing device unit 23 by the supply screw 62 and the stirring screw 63.

The developing unit 23 also includes a toner concentration sensor 66 and a plurality of vibration members 68 attached to the outer wall of the housing 60. The toner concentration sensor 66 is a sensor (toner concentration detection means) that measures the toner concentration of the developer filled inside the housing 60.

Each of the plurality of vibrating members 68 is for stirring the developer, similarly to the supply screw 62 and the stirring screw 63. The plurality of vibrating members 68 are arranged, for example, on the outer wall of the housing 60 near the stirring screw 63 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the stirring screw 63. For example, each vibrating member 68 is constituted by a vibrating motor. A vibration motor is a motor that generates vibrations by rotating an output shaft equipped with a vibrator. The plurality of vibration members 68 vibrate the outer wall of the housing 60 to apply vibration to the developer inside the housing 60 and stir the developer. Therefore, the developer is subjected not only to the stirring action by the supply screw 62 and the stirring screw 63 but also to the stirring action by the vibrating member 68.

In particular, when the developing device unit 23 is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, the toner may be in a coagulated state inside the housing 60. If the toner is in an aggregated state, the toner concentration sensor 66 cannot accurately measure the toner concentration inside the housing 60. Therefore, the plurality of vibrating members 68 can loosen the aggregated toner by stirring the developer together with the supply screw 62 and the stirring screw 63.

The toner concentration sensor 66 is provided, for example, on the outer wall of the housing 60 near the stirring screw 63. The toner concentration sensor 66 is a sensor that detects the toner concentration (ratio of toner and carrier) of the developer filled in the housing 60. The toner concentration sensor 66 is configured by, for example, a Colpitts oscillation circuit. The Colpitts oscillation circuit is an LC-tuned oscillation circuit consisting of one coil and two capacitors, and the oscillation frequency is determined by the capacitance of the two capacitors and the inductance of the coil. Therefore, the toner concentration sensor 66 configured by the Colpitts oscillation circuit outputs a change in coil inductance caused by a change in the ratio of toner to carrier in the housing 60 as a change in oscillation frequency.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the output characteristics of the toner concentration sensor 66. The toner concentration sensor 66 outputs a frequency proportional to the toner concentration within the developer unit 23, as shown as an output characteristic G1 in FIG. For example, in the case of a new developing device unit 23, the inside of the housing 60 is filled with a developer having a predetermined toner concentration D1 (for example, 8%) in advance at the time of shipment from the factory. Therefore, when the developer in the housing 60 is sufficiently stirred at the time of shipment from the factory, the output value of the toner concentration sensor 66 has a frequency (output value) corresponding to the predetermined toner concentration D1. For example, the toner concentration sensor 66 with the output characteristic G1 shown in FIG. Output.

However, there are individual differences in the toner concentration sensor 46, and these individual differences cause variations in output characteristics. Further, variations in the mounting position of the toner concentration sensor 46 also cause variations in the output characteristics. For example, even if the output characteristic of the toner concentration sensor 66 installed in a certain developer unit 23 is the output characteristic G1 shown in FIG. The characteristic may be the output characteristic G2 shown in FIG. 3 or the output characteristic G3. In other words, even if the developer filled in the housing 60 has a predetermined toner concentration D1, if the developer unit 23 is changed, the output value output from the toner concentration sensor 66 will be different.

Therefore, when the developer unit 23 installed in the image forming apparatus 1 is replaced, the toner concentration sensor 66 output values need to be corrected.

In this embodiment, for example, when the developing device unit 23 is shipped from the factory, the housing 60 is filled with a developer having a predetermined toner concentration (for example, 8%), and the toner concentration sensor 66 outputs an output when the toner is sufficiently loosened. Measure the value and save the output value as correction information on a server on the cloud such as the Internet. When the developing unit 23 is replaced, the image forming apparatus 1 obtains correction information corresponding to the developing unit 23 installed in the apparatus main body from the server and corrects the output value of the toner density sensor 66. configured.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration example of an image forming system 100 including the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. This image forming system 100 includes a correction information registration device 110 installed in a factory 101 that manufactures developing unit 23, a server 120 installed on a cloud 102 such as the Internet, and an image forming system installed in a customer's office 103. The forming device 1 is configured to include a forming device 1.

In the factory 101, before the developer unit 23 is shipped, the correction information registration device 110 and the developer unit 23 are connected, and the correction information registration device 110 receives information from the toner concentration sensor 66 mounted on the developer unit 23. The output value to be output can be obtained. In this state, when the developer filled in the housing 60 of the developer unit 23 is sufficiently stirred, the correction information registration device 110 causes the toner concentration sensor 66 to measure the toner concentration, and the toner concentration sensor 66 measures the toner concentration. The output value output from the concentration sensor 66 is acquired. Then, the correction information registration device 110 transmits the output value to the server 120 as correction information 77. At this time, the correction information registration device 110 transmits identification information (for example, serial number, etc.) for identifying the developer unit 23 to the server 120 together with the correction information 77.

The server 120 includes a storage device 121 composed of a hard disk drive (HDD), solid state drive (SSD), or the like. When the server 120 receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the correction information registration device 110 of the factory 101 and the identification information of the developing device unit 23, the server 120 associates them with each other and stores them in the storage device 121. That is, the image forming system 100 stores in the server 120 the correction information 77 that is measured when the developing unit 23 is shipped from the factory. Note that the server 120 stores correction information 77 corresponding to each of the plurality of developer units 23.

On the other hand, the developing unit 23 with the correction information 77 registered in the server 120 is shipped from the factory 101 . The developer unit 23 is transported to the customer's office 103 through various transportation and storage processes, and is installed in the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 .

When the developer unit 23 is attached to the apparatus main body, the image forming apparatus 1 acquires identification information of the developer unit 23 and transmits a request 79 including the identification information to the server 120 . The request 79 is a command that requests the server 120 for correction information 77 corresponding to the developing unit 23 installed in the image forming apparatus 1 . Therefore, upon receiving the request 79 from the image forming apparatus 1, the server 120 specifies the correction information 77 to be transmitted based on the identification information included in the request 79, and sends the specified correction information 77 to the image forming apparatus 1. Send.

Upon acquiring the correction information 77 from the server 120, the image forming apparatus 1 stores the correction information 77 in its internal memory. Then, the image forming apparatus 1 uses the correction information 77 stored in the internal memory to correct the output value of the toner density sensor 66 mounted on the developing unit 23 mounted on the main body of the apparatus. According to such a configuration, the developing unit 23 does not need to be equipped with a nonvolatile memory for storing the correction information 77, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a control mechanism by the controller 7 of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 includes a controller 7, an operation panel 73, a camera 74, a communication interface 75, the above-mentioned scanner section 1b, and the above-mentioned printer section 1a. Further, the controller 7 includes a CPU 70, a memory 71, and an input/output interface 72. The CPU 70 is a hardware processor that reads and executes a program 76 stored in a memory 71. The memory 71 is a nonvolatile storage device configured by, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD). The input/output interface 72 is an interface that connects the controller 7, the operation panel 73, the camera 74, the communication interface 75, the scanner section 1b, and the printer section 1a.

The operation panel 73 serves as a user interface when a user uses the image forming apparatus 1, and includes a display section 73a and an operation section 73b. The display section 73a is composed of, for example, a color liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The operation unit 73b includes, for example, touch panel keys, push button keys, etc., and accepts input operations by the user.

The camera 74 is provided, for example, at a position near the operation panel 73, and is a photographing means for photographing an image of the surroundings of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the camera 74 can take a facial image of the user who uses the image forming apparatus 1 in order to perform facial authentication of the user. However, the image taken by the camera 74 is not limited to the user's face image. That is, the camera 74 photographs an image of the surroundings of the image forming apparatus 1 based on a photographing instruction from the controller 7 .

The communication interface 75 is for connecting the image forming apparatus 1 to a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) and communicating with an external device. The form of communication by the communication interface 75 may be either wired communication or wireless communication, and it does not matter if it is possible to perform both wired and wireless communication. For example, controller 7 can receive print jobs via communication interface 75. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 can also communicate with the server 120 via the communication interface 75.

The scanner section 1b is provided with the document reading section 5 as described above. Further, a developer unit 23 is attached to the printer section 1a. Although FIG. 5 shows only one developer unit 23 in the printer section 1a, it is actually possible to install a plurality of developer units 23 corresponding to the four colors of Y, M, C, and K. .

The CPU 70 of the controller 7 functions as a correction information setting section 80, a toner density adjustment section 84, and a job control section 88 by reading and executing the program 76 from the memory 71.

The correction information setting section 80 functions in response to detecting that the developing device unit 23 installed in the main body of the apparatus is pulled out and the developing device unit 23 is not installed. This is a processing section that sets correction information 77 corresponding to the unit 23. The correction information setting section 80 includes an identification information acquisition section 81 and a correction information acquisition section 83.

The identification information acquisition unit 81 is a processing unit that acquires identification information of the developing unit 23 installed in the apparatus main body. This identification information acquisition section 81 includes an image acquisition section 82. The image acquisition unit 82 is a processing unit that acquires an image including identification information of the developing unit 23.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the developing device unit 23 is shipped from the factory 101 while being packed in a box body 49 such as a cardboard box. Further, at the time of factory shipment, a sheet 78 on which identification information of the developing unit 23 is written is attached to the box 49 or the main body of the developing unit 23. Note that the identification information written on the sheet 78 may be coded information such as a bar code or a two-dimensional code, or may be information expressed as a character string such as alphanumeric characters.

The image acquisition unit 82 acquires an image including identification information given to the developing unit 23. For example, the image acquisition unit 82 drives the camera 74 to capture an image including the box 49 and the sheet 78 attached to the main body of the developer unit 23, thereby generating an image including the identification information of the developer unit 23. get. Further, the image acquisition unit 82 drives the document reading unit 5 to read an image including the sheet 78 from the box 49 set by the user, and acquires an image including the identification information of the developer unit 23. Also good.

For example, when the image acquisition unit 82 detects that the developer unit 23 is not attached, it displays an image of the sheet 78 on the display unit 73a of the operation panel 73 using the camera 74 or the document reading unit 5. Display an identification information request message prompting you to do so. Based on this identification information request message, the user can perform an operation to photograph the sheet 78 using the camera 74 or the document reading section 5. As a result, the image acquisition section 82 can acquire an image including the identification information of the developing unit 23 via the camera 74 or the document reading section 5.

When the image acquisition unit 82 acquires an image including identification information, the identification information acquisition unit 81 extracts identification information from the image including identification information by analyzing the image. For example, if the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 82 includes a barcode or two-dimensional code, the identification information acquisition unit 81 decodes the barcode or two-dimensional code and extracts the identification information. Furthermore, if the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 82 includes a character string, the identification information acquisition unit 81 extracts the identification information by subjecting the image to character recognition processing such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition). .

Furthermore, the identification information acquisition unit 81 is not limited to acquiring identification information from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 82. For example, the identification information acquisition section 81 may acquire the identification information of the developing unit 23 based on a user operation performed on the operation section 73b of the operation panel 73. In this case, the identification information acquisition unit 81 displays an identification information request message prompting the user to input identification information on the display unit 73a of the operation panel 73, and acquires the identification information based on the user's operation on the operation unit 73b.

When the identification information acquisition section 81 acquires the identification information of the developing device unit 23, the correction information acquisition section 83 then functions. The correction information acquisition unit 83 generates a request 79 to be transmitted to the server 120 based on the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 81. The correction information acquisition unit 83 then communicates with the server 120 via the communication interface 75, sends a request 79 to the server 120, and acquires correction information 77 from the server 120. That is, the identification information acquisition section 81 acquires the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information of the new developing unit 23. Upon acquiring the correction information 77 from the server 120, the correction information acquisition unit 83 stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as information for correcting the output value of the toner density sensor 66 of the new developing unit 23. do. At this time, the correction information acquisition section 83 deletes the correction information 77 of the used developer unit 23 that has been removed from the apparatus main body. Note that the memory 71 stores correction information 77 corresponding to each of the plurality of Y, M, C, and K developing units 23.

The toner concentration adjustment section 84 is a processing section that adjusts the toner concentration of the developer filled in the developing device unit 23. When the developer unit 23 is attached to the main body of the apparatus, the toner concentration adjustment section 84 drives the supply screw 62, the stirring screw 63, and the vibration member 68 for at least a predetermined period of time to remove the developer filled in the developer unit 23. Stir. As a result, the toner filled in the developing unit 23 becomes loose. The toner concentration adjustment section 84 measures the toner concentration when the toner in the developer unit 23 is sufficiently loosened, and adjusts the developer in the developer unit 23 so that it maintains a constant toner concentration. The toner density adjustment section 84 includes a measured value acquisition section 85 , a correction section 86 , and a replenishment control section 87 .

The measured value acquisition section 85 acquires the measured value of the toner concentration output from the toner concentration sensor 66 when the toner is sufficiently loosened, and outputs it to the correction section 86 . The correction unit 86 reads the correction information 77 stored in the memory 71 and corrects the measured value of the toner density obtained by the measured value obtaining unit 85 based on the correction information 77. As a result, variations in output characteristics caused by individual differences in the toner concentration sensor 66 or installation errors can be canceled, and the accurate toner concentration of the developer filled in the developer unit 23 can be detected.

When the measured value of toner concentration is corrected by the correction unit 86, the replenishment control unit 87 determines whether it is necessary to replenish toner from the toner bottle 19 to the developing device unit 23 based on the corrected toner concentration. . For example, if the corrected toner density is below a predetermined value, the replenishment control unit 87 determines that toner replenishment is necessary. When determining that toner replenishment is necessary, the replenishment control section 87 replenishes toner from the toner bottle 19 to the developing device unit 23 . Thereby, the toner concentration of the developer filled in the developing device unit 23 can be maintained at a constant value (for example, 8%).

The toner density adjustment section 84 performs the toner density adjustment as described above as an initial operation immediately after the developing unit 23 is installed, and also performs it each time a print job is executed in the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the toner density adjustment section 84 performs the above-described toner density adjustment for each of the plurality of Y, M, C, and K developing units 23.

The job control unit 88 controls job execution in the image forming apparatus 1 . For example, when a print job is received in the image forming apparatus 1, the job control section 88 drives the printer section 1a based on the print job. As a result, each of the above-mentioned parts in the printer section 1a operates, a toner image corresponding to the image included in the print job is formed, and printing on the sheet material 9 is performed.

Next, the processing procedure performed in the controller 7 will be explained. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of correction information setting processing performed in the controller 7. Note that the correction information setting process shown in FIG. 7 is a process that is repeatedly performed in the controller 7 at regular time intervals. When the controller 7 starts this process, it determines whether it has detected that any one of the plurality of developer units 23 is in a non-installed state (step S10). If all the developer units 23 are in the installed state (NO in step S10), the process by the controller 7 ends. On the other hand, if it is detected that any one of the plurality of developer units 23 is not installed (YES in step S10), the controller 7 prohibits the job control unit 88 from executing the print job. (Step S11). Thereby, it is possible to avoid a printing operation being performed in a state where the developing device unit 23 is not installed. However, the controller 7 can accept print jobs even when execution of print jobs is prohibited.

When the controller 7 prohibits execution of the print job, it displays an identification information request message on the display section 73a of the operation panel 73 (step S12). In other words, the controller 7 prompts the user to input identification information of the developing unit 23 that is newly installed in the apparatus main body. At this time, the controller 7 displays a message indicating that identification information may be input using any of the document reading section 5, camera 74, and operation section 73b, and accepts the selection operation by the user. .

Subsequently, the controller 7 executes identification information acquisition processing (step S13). FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a detailed processing procedure of the identification information acquisition process (step S13). The controller 7 determines whether the input mode of the identification information selected by the user is a reading operation by the scanner section 1b (original reading section 5) (step S20). If the reading operation is performed by the scanner unit 1b (YES in step S20), the controller 7 drives the document reading unit 5 of the scanner unit 1b (step S21), and acquires an image including the identification information of the developer unit 23 ( Step S22).

Further, if the input mode of the identification information selected by the user is not a reading operation by the scanner unit 1b (NO in step S20), the controller 7 determines that the input mode of the identification information selected by the user is photography by the camera 74. It is determined whether or not (step S23). If the image is captured by the camera 74 (YES in step S23), the controller 7 drives the camera 74 (step S24) and acquires an image including the identification information of the developer unit 23 (step S25).

When the controller 7 acquires the image including the identification information in step S22 or S25, it analyzes the image (step S26) and extracts the identification information of the developing unit 23 (step S27).

Further, if the identification information input mode selected by the user is not shooting using the camera 74 (NO in step S23), the controller 7 displays a mode for manually inputting the identification information on the display section 73a of the operation panel 73. An input screen is displayed (step S28), and identification information of the developing unit 23 is input based on the user's operation on the operation section 73b (step S29). Through the processing described above, the controller 7 can acquire the identification information of the developing unit 23.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 7, upon acquiring the identification information of the developing device unit 23, the controller 7 transmits a request 79 including the identification information to the server 120 (step S14). Thereafter, the controller 7 waits until it receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the server 120 (step S15). When the controller 7 receives the correction information 77 (YES in step S15), the controller 7 stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as the correction information 77 for the developing unit 23 newly installed in the apparatus main body (step S15). S16).

Next, the controller 7 displays a message allowing installation of the developing device unit 23 on the display section 73a of the operation panel 73 (step S17). In other words, the controller 7 prompts the user to attach a new developing unit 23 to the main body of the apparatus. When the controller 7 detects that a new developer unit 23 has been installed in the apparatus main body (YES in step S18), it permits execution of the print job (step S19). Note that, when the controller 7 detects that the developer unit 23 is attached, the controller 7 drives the supply screw 62, stirring screw 63, and vibration member 68 for at least a predetermined period of time to sufficiently stir the developer filled in the developer unit 23. Execution of the print job may be permitted later.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation process in the image forming apparatus 1 and the server 120. When the image forming apparatus 1 detects that the developing unit 23 is not installed (process P10), it acquires identification information of the developing unit 23 newly installed in the apparatus main body (process P11). The image forming apparatus 1 then transmits a request 79 including the identification information of the developing unit 23 to the server 120 (process P12).

When the server 120 receives the request 79 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1, it searches for the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information (process P13). The server 120 then reads out the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information from the storage device 121 (process P14) and transmits it to the image forming apparatus 1 (process P15).

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the server 120, it stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as the correction information 77 of the newly installed developing unit 23 (process P16). .

Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is able to obtain correction information 77 for correcting the output of the toner density sensor 66 installed in the new developing unit 23 via the server 120. . Therefore, there is no need to mount a nonvolatile memory for storing the correction information 77 in each developing device unit 23.

Next, FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of toner density adjustment processing performed by the controller 7. As shown in FIG. Note that the toner density adjustment process shown in FIG. 10 can be performed, for example, at the timing when it is detected that the developing device unit 23 is attached to the apparatus main body, at the timing when execution of a print job is started in the image forming apparatus 1, or at the timing when execution of a print job is started in the image forming apparatus 1. This is performed at an arbitrary timing while a print job is being executed in the image forming apparatus 1. When the controller 7 starts this process, the controller 7 performs a process of stirring the developer by driving the supply screw 62, stirring screw 63, and vibration member 68 for at least a predetermined period of time (step S30). After sufficiently stirring the developer, the controller 7 obtains the toner concentration measured by the toner concentration sensor 66 (step S31). Next, the controller 7 reads the correction information 77 stored in the memory 71 (step S32), and corrects the toner density obtained from the toner density sensor 66 based on the correction information 77 (step S33). Then, the controller 7 executes toner replenishment control from the toner bottle 19 to the developing device unit 23 based on the corrected toner concentration (step S34). By performing such toner concentration adjustment processing at a predetermined timing, the controller 7 can maintain the toner concentration of the developer filled in the developing device unit 23 at a constant state.

As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which the developing device unit 23 in which the toner concentration sensor 66 for detecting the toner concentration of the developer filled inside is mounted is detachable. The image forming apparatus 1 obtains correction information 77 from a predetermined server 120 for correcting the output of the toner density sensor 66 installed in the developing unit 23 . Based on the correction information 77 acquired from the server 120, the image forming apparatus 1 corrects the toner density detected by the toner density sensor 66 after the developer unit 23 is installed. According to such an image forming apparatus 1, there is no need to mount a non-volatile memory for storing the correction information 77 in the developing unit 23, which is replaced as appropriate, so that the cost of the developing unit 23 can be reduced. It becomes possible to appropriately correct the output of the toner concentration sensor 66 without increasing the toner concentration.

In particular, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment acquires an image including identification information individually assigned to each developing unit 23 by using the scanner section 1b or the camera 74, and acquires the identification information from the image. can be automatically extracted and obtained. Therefore, the user can input identification information to the image forming apparatus 1 simply by taking an image of the developing unit 23 using the scanner section 1b or the camera 74. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 has the advantage of being able to reduce the operational burden on the user.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the correction information 77 from the server 120 using a mobile terminal 150 owned by a user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of the image forming system 100 in this embodiment. An image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 1, a server 120, and a mobile terminal 150. The image forming apparatus 1 is similar to that described in the first embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 can communicate with the mobile terminal 150 by wire or wirelessly, for example, via the communication interface 75. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 may communicate with the mobile terminal 150 by short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, the server 120 is also similar to that described in the first embodiment.

The mobile terminal 150 is a device that has a photographing function using a camera and a communication function. Furthermore, a cooperation application that operates in cooperation with the image forming apparatus 1 is installed on the mobile terminal 150, and when the cooperation application is started, a photographed image taken by the photographing function can be sent to the image forming apparatus 1. .

Next, the operation of the image forming system 100 will be explained. Similar to the first embodiment, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that the developer unit 23 is not installed (process P20), it prohibits execution of the print job (process P21).

Next, the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperation application, and the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperative application, and then the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperation application, and then the user affixes the image to the box 49 of the developing unit 23 that is newly attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 or to the main body of the developing unit 23. The sheet 78 is photographed using the photographing function of the mobile terminal 150 (process P22). Then, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 acquires the photographed image 91 photographed by the photographing function, and transmits the photographed image 91 to the image forming apparatus 1 (process P23). Thereby, the image forming apparatus 1 can acquire an image including the identification information of the developing device unit 23 from the mobile terminal 150.

Upon acquiring the photographed image 91, the image forming apparatus 1 performs image analysis on the photographed image 91 (process P24), and acquires identification information of the developing device unit 23 from the photographed image 91 (process P25). The image forming apparatus 1 then transmits a request 79 including the identification information of the developing device unit 23 to the server 120 (process P26).

When the server 120 receives the request 79 transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1, it searches for the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information (process P27). The server 120 then reads out the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information from the storage device 121 (process P28) and transmits it to the image forming apparatus 1 (process P29).

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the server 120, it stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as the correction information 77 of the newly installed developing unit 23 (process P30). . Thereafter, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that a new developing unit 23 is installed in the apparatus main body (process P31), it permits execution of the print job (process P32).

In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment acquires an image including the identification information of the developing device unit 23 from the mobile terminal 150, and similarly to the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the image including the identification information of the developing unit 23, and uses the correction information 77 stored in the server 120 as in the first embodiment. can be acquired via the network and set as correction information 77 for correcting the output of the toner density sensor 66 installed in the new developing unit 23. Therefore, there is no need to mount a nonvolatile memory for storing the correction information 77 in each developer unit 23, and the developer unit 23 can be provided at low cost.

Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment can acquire an image including identification information from the mobile terminal 150 owned by the user. That is, the image acquisition unit 82 of the controller 7 in this embodiment can acquire an image including identification information from the mobile terminal 150. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment may not include the scanner section 1b and camera 74 as described in the first embodiment. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment may be a dedicated printer having only a printing function.

Furthermore, in the above description, an example has been described in which a photographed image 91 is transmitted from the mobile terminal 150 to the image forming apparatus 1, and a process is performed in which the image forming apparatus 1 extracts identification information from the photographed image 91. However, the process of extracting identification information from the photographed image 91 may be performed by the mobile terminal 150. In this case, the mobile terminal 150 will transmit the identification information extracted from the photographed image 91 to the image forming apparatus 1. Then, the image forming apparatus 1 transmits a request 79 including the identification information obtained from the mobile terminal 150 to the server 120, and obtains correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information from the server 120.

Note that the configuration and operation of this embodiment other than the above-mentioned points are the same as those described in the first embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, another form will be described in which the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the correction information 77 from the server 120 using a mobile terminal 150 owned by a user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of the image forming system 100 in this embodiment. The image forming system 100 of this embodiment is configured to include an image forming apparatus 1, a server 120, and a mobile terminal 150, similarly to the second embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 is similar to that described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. The mobile terminal 150 is similar to that described in the second embodiment. Further, the server 120 is similar to that described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment. However, in this embodiment, some of the functions of the image forming apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment, more specifically, some of the functions of the correction information setting section 80, are installed in the mobile terminal 150.

The operation of the image forming system 100 in this embodiment will be described. Similar to the first and second embodiments, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that the developing unit 23 is not installed (process P40), it prohibits execution of the print job (process P41).

Next, the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperation application, and the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperative application, and then the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperation application, and then the user affixes the image to the box 49 of the developing unit 23 that is newly attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 or to the main body of the developing unit 23. The sheet 78 is photographed using the photographing function of the mobile terminal 150 (process P42). Thereby, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 can acquire a photographed image photographed by the photographing function. Upon acquiring the photographed image, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 performs image analysis on the photographed image (process P43), and acquires identification information of the developing unit 23 (process P44). Then, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 generates a request 79 including the identification information of the developing unit 23, and transmits the request 79 to the server 120 (process P45).

When the server 120 receives the request 79 sent from the mobile terminal 150, it searches for the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information (process P46), and reads out the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information from the storage device 121 ( process P47). The server 120 then transmits the correction information 77 to the mobile terminal 150 that is the source of the request 79 (process P48).

When the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 receives the correction information 77 from the server 120, it transfers the correction information 77 to the image forming apparatus 1 (process P49). Thereby, the image forming apparatus 1 can acquire the correction information 77 corresponding to the new developing unit 23 via the mobile terminal 150.

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the server 120 via the mobile terminal 150, the image forming apparatus 1 stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as the correction information 77 of the newly installed developing unit 23. (process P50). Thereafter, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that a new developing unit 23 has been installed in the apparatus main body (process P51), it permits execution of the print job (process P52).

In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment acquires the correction information 77 stored in the server 120 via the network and applies it to the new developing unit 23, similarly to the first and second embodiments. It can be set as correction information 77 for correcting the output of the installed toner density sensor 66. Therefore, there is no need to mount a nonvolatile memory for storing the correction information 77 in each developer unit 23, and the developer unit 23 can be provided at low cost.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 is configured to acquire the identification information of the developing device unit 23 from the captured image, and to acquire the correction information 77 based on the identification information from the server 120. Therefore, even if the communication interface 75 of the image forming apparatus 1 is connected only to a local network and is not connected to a wide area network such as the Internet, a new developing unit 23 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1. There is an advantage that the corresponding correction information 77 can be appropriately set.

Note that the configuration and operation of this embodiment other than the above-mentioned points are the same as those described in the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, still another form will be described in which the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the correction information 77 from the server 120 using a mobile terminal 150 owned by a user, such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of the image forming system 100 in this embodiment. The image forming system 100 of this embodiment is configured to include an image forming apparatus 1, a server 120, and a mobile terminal 150, similarly to the second embodiment and the third embodiment. However, in this embodiment as well, some of the functions of the image forming apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment, more specifically, some of the functions of the correction information setting section 80, are installed in the mobile terminal 150.

The operation of the image forming system 100 in this embodiment will be described. Similar to each of the embodiments described above, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that the developing device unit 23 is not installed (process P60), it prohibits execution of the print job (process P61).

Next, the user operates the mobile terminal 150 to start the cooperative application. When the cooperative application is activated on the mobile terminal 150, the mobile terminal 150 starts communication with the image forming apparatus 1. When the image forming apparatus 1 becomes capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 150, it transmits device information 92 regarding itself to the mobile terminal 150 (process P92). This device information 92 includes network information regarding the network to which the image forming device 1 is connected, address information for accessing the image forming device 1, and the like.

Then, the user uses the mobile terminal 150 to attach the box body 49 of the developing unit 23 that is newly attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 or the sheet 78 affixed to the main body of the developing unit 23 to the mobile terminal 150. Photographing is performed using the photographing function of No. 150 (process P63). Thereby, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 can acquire a photographed image photographed by the photographing function. Upon acquiring the photographed image, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 performs image analysis on the photographed image (process P64), and acquires identification information of the developing unit 23 (process P65). The cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 generates a request 79 including the identification information of the developing unit 23, and transmits the request 79 to the server 120 (process P66). At this time, the cooperative application of the mobile terminal 150 adds the device information 92 received in advance from the image forming device 1 to the request 79. Thereby, the server 120 can start communication with the image forming apparatus 1 based on the device information 92 added to the request 79.

When the server 120 receives the request 79 transmitted from the mobile terminal 150, it searches for the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information (process P67), and reads out the correction information 77 corresponding to the identification information from the storage device 121 ( process P68). The server 120 then transmits the correction information 77 to the image forming apparatus 1 based on the device information 92 added to the request 79 (process P69).

When the image forming apparatus 1 receives the correction information 77 transmitted from the server 120, it stores the correction information 77 in the memory 71 and sets it as the correction information 77 of the newly installed developing unit 23 (process P70). . Thereafter, when the image forming apparatus 1 detects that a new developing unit 23 has been installed in the apparatus main body (process P71), it permits execution of the print job (process P72).

In this way, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment acquires the correction information 77 stored in the server 120 via the network by using the mobile terminal 150 and adjusts the amount of toner installed in the new developing unit 23. It can be set as correction information 77 for correcting the output of the concentration sensor 66. Therefore, there is no need to mount a nonvolatile memory for storing the correction information 77 in each developer unit 23, and the developer unit 23 can be provided at low cost.

Further, in this embodiment, there is no need for the image forming apparatus 1 to transmit the identification information of the developing unit 23 to the server 120. Therefore, there is an advantage that the processing load on the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.

Note that the configuration and operation of this embodiment other than the above-mentioned points are the same as those described in the first embodiment, second embodiment, or third embodiment.

(Modified example)
Several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the contents described in each of the above embodiments, and various modifications are applicable.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the image forming apparatus 1 or the mobile terminal 150 performs a process of extracting identification information from an image including the identification information of the developing unit 23. However, the server 120 may perform the process of extracting identification information from an image that includes identification information. In this case, the image forming apparatus 1 or the mobile terminal 150 can notify the server 120 of the identification information of the developing unit 23 by directly transmitting the image including the identification information to the server 120.

Further, in the above embodiment, the sheet 78 on which identification information of the developing device unit 23 is written is attached to the box 49 or the main body of the developing device unit 23 at the time of shipment from the factory. However, the box body 49 is generally discarded after the developing unit 23 is taken out, and the developing unit 23 installed in the image forming apparatus 1 is once removed from the image forming apparatus 1 and then reinstalled. By the time I do, there are no more left. Therefore, it is preferable that the sheet 78 be attached to at least the main body of the developing device unit 23. If the sheet 78 is attached to the main body of the developing unit 23, the identification information written on the sheet 78 can be obtained even if it is once removed from the image forming apparatus 1 and then reinstalled. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 1 can appropriately set the correction information 77 when the developing unit 23 is reinstalled.

For example, in an office environment where a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1 are installed, if it becomes necessary to replace the developing unit 23 installed in one image forming apparatus 1, another image forming apparatus that is used less frequently may be replaced. The developer unit 23 attached to the image forming apparatus 1 may be removed and attached to an image forming apparatus 1 that needs to be replaced as a temporary substitute. In this way, even if the developing unit 23 that is not new is installed in the image forming apparatus 1, if the sheet 78 is attached to the main body of the developing unit 23, the image forming apparatus 1 By acquiring the identification information of the developing device unit 23, the correction information 77 can be appropriately set.

Further, the identification information given to the developer unit 23 is not necessarily limited to what is written on the sheet 78, and may be directly printed on the main body of the developer unit 23.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 is a color machine capable of performing color printing. However, the image forming apparatus 1 is not limited to a color machine, and may be a monochrome-only machine.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the case where the program 76 is installed in advance in the controller 7 of the image forming apparatus 1 is exemplified. However, the program 76 may be installed in the controller 7 via the communication interface 75, for example. In this case, the program 76 is provided in a downloadable form via the Internet or the like. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to this, and the program 76 may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM or a USB memory.

1 Image forming device 5 Original reading section (original reading means)
7 Controller 23 Developing unit 66 Toner concentration sensor (toner concentration detection means)
74 Camera (photography means)
75 Communication interface (communication means)
77 Correction information 80 Correction information setting section 81 Identification information acquisition section (identification information acquisition means)
82 Image acquisition unit (image acquisition means)
83 Correction information acquisition unit (correction information acquisition means)
84 Toner density adjustment section 85 Measured value acquisition section 86 Correction section (correction means)
87 Supply control unit 120 Server 150 Mobile terminal

Claims (10)

an image forming apparatus having a removable developing unit equipped with a toner concentration detecting means for detecting the toner concentration of a developer filled therein;
a server that holds correction information for correcting the output of the toner density detection means installed in the developer unit;
An image forming system comprising:
The image forming apparatus includes:
The correction information is obtained from the server by direct or indirect communication with the server, and based on the correction information, the toner concentration detection means detects the correction information after the developing unit is installed. An image forming system characterized by correcting detected toner density. The image forming apparatus acquires an image including identification information given to the developer unit, and notifies the server of the identification information based on the image,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the server transmits the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means mounted in the developing unit to the image forming apparatus based on the identification information. Formation system. a mobile terminal that communicates with the image forming apparatus;
It further has
The mobile terminal photographs an image including identification information given to the developer unit and transmits the image to the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus notifies the server of the identification information based on the image,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the server transmits the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means mounted in the developing unit to the image forming apparatus based on the identification information. Formation system. a mobile terminal that communicates with the server;
It further has
the mobile terminal photographs an image including identification information given to the developer unit, and notifies the server of the identification information based on the image;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the server transmits the correction information corresponding to the toner density detection means mounted in the developing unit to the image forming apparatus based on the identification information. Formation system. In an image forming apparatus having a removable developing unit equipped with a toner concentration detection means for detecting the toner concentration of a developer filled therein, settings for correcting the output of the toner concentration detection means. A method,
a correction information acquisition step of acquiring correction information for correcting the output of the toner density detection means installed in the developer unit from a predetermined server;
a setting step of storing and setting the correction information acquired in the correction information acquisition step in a predetermined storage means;
A setting method characterized by having the following. an identification information acquisition step of acquiring identification information for identifying the individual developer unit;
It further has
The correction information acquisition step transmits the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition step to the server, so that the correction information corresponding to the toner concentration detection means installed in the developer unit is transmitted to the server. 6. The setting method according to claim 5 , wherein the setting method is obtained from a server. The identification information acquisition step includes an image acquisition step of acquiring an image including the identification information given to the developer unit,
7. The setting method according to claim 6 , wherein the correction information acquisition step transmits the identification information included in the image acquired by the image acquisition step to the server. The image forming apparatus includes a document reading unit that reads a document and generates image data,
8. The setting method according to claim 7 , wherein said image acquisition step acquires said image including said identification information from said document reading means. The image forming apparatus includes a photographing means for photographing an image,
8. The setting method according to claim 7 , wherein the image acquisition step acquires the image including the identification information from the photographing means. 8. The setting method according to claim 7 , wherein the image acquiring step acquires the image including the identification information from a mobile terminal with which the image forming apparatus can communicate.

Images