JPH06178366A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To select operation display which is suited to a user by setting plural modes to a display means and switching them by information communication without contacting from a controlling device. CONSTITUTION:At the time of using a copying device 2, the user approaches the device 2 in the state of carrying with the noncontact controlling device 1. The device 1 repeates the transmission of a usage requirement signal and the reception of a usage permission signal and the device 2 receives the usage requirement signal. Then, when the intensity level of the usage requirement signal from the device 1 is over a fixed value, the device 2 transmits the permission signal to the device 1 so that communication between the devices 1 and 2 is attained. Then, the control part 6 of the device 1 reads operation setting mode information out of a storage part 3 to send it from a transmission part 4 to the device 2. When received information is different from an initial operation setting mode, the device 2 requires switching by a mode switching key to switch mode information in accordance with it. This can set an operation display mode so as to select display which is suited the user.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming system having an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a contact type management system using a storage medium such as an IC card or a magnetic card has been used to manage the use of a copying apparatus. In this management system, information such as a user's identification number, the number of copies, and a use setting mode is magnetically stored in a storage medium, and the user uses this storage medium every time he or she uses the copying machine. The card is inserted into a card reader or the like, and each of the above information is taken into the copying apparatus.

Further, in the conventional copying apparatus, when the apparatus is used, common information is displayed to all users to convey an operating state, operation guidance and the like.

[0004]

However, in the contact type management system as described above, the user needs to insert the storage medium into the copying machine every time the copying machine is used. Also, the correspondence pattern for the user is 1
Since there are only two patterns, if the user is not accustomed to the copying machine, there is a problem that it may not be possible to know how to operate with only the information such as the working state provided by the copying machine. It was

It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system capable of selecting an operation display suitable for a user using a portable management device which is easy to handle.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a plurality of operation display modes are set on the display means of an image forming apparatus, and the operation display modes are non-contact information from a management apparatus which can be individually carried by a user. It is adapted to be switched by communication.

[0007]

1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a non-contact type management apparatus 1 and a copying apparatus 2 in a first embodiment of the present invention.

The non-contact type management device 1 includes a storage unit 3 in which mode information and the like for operation display are stored, a transmission unit 4 for transmitting the mode information and the like, and a reception unit 5 for receiving the mode information and the like.
It has the control part 6 which controls each above-mentioned part.

The non-contact type management device 1 has a size of, for example, a slightly thick IC card, and is configured as a small wireless communication device that can be freely carried.

On the other hand, the copying apparatus 2 has a transmitter 7 for transmitting mode information and a receiver 8 for receiving mode information.
An operation unit 9 provided with various function setting keys 12, cursor keys 13, mode switching keys 14, etc., a display unit 10 for displaying the state of the device, operation display, etc., and a control unit 11 for controlling the above-mentioned units. have.

In this embodiment, the operation setting mode of the copying apparatus 2 includes a normal mode and a menu mode. In the normal mode, function setting is performed by direct function selection with various function setting keys 12 on the operation unit 9,
The set function information is displayed on the display unit 10.

In the menu mode, function setting is performed using the display section 10 and the cursor key 13. That is, a list of set functions is displayed on the display unit 10, and the user can perform interactive function selection using the cursor keys 13 in addition to direct function setting using the function setting keys 12.

In the initial state, the non-contact type management apparatus 1 stores one of two operation setting modes, and the copying apparatus 2 is initially set to one of the two operation setting modes.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the copying apparatus 2 having the above-mentioned configuration, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the flow of processing of the non-contact type management apparatus 1.

When using the copying machine 2, the user approaches the copying machine 2 while carrying the non-contact type management apparatus 1. At this time, the non-contact type management device 1 transmits a use request signal (S201) and waits for a use permission signal (S202).
The copying apparatus 2 receives the use request signal (S101).

Here, when the strength level of the use request signal received from the non-contact type management apparatus 1 in the copying apparatus 2 exceeds a certain value (S102), the copying apparatus 2 transmits the use permission signal (S103). However, communication between the non-contact type management apparatus 1 and the copying apparatus 2 becomes possible.

When the communication between the apparatuses becomes possible, first, in the non-contact type management apparatus 1, the control section 6 reads the operation setting mode information from the storage section 3, and the transmission section 4 transmits the mode information to the copying apparatus 2 ( S203). On the other hand, in the copying machine 2, the mode information received by the receiving section 8 (S104) is sent to the control section 11, and the obtained mode information is different from the initial operation setting mode of the copying machine 2. In this case (S105), the operation setting mode of the copying apparatus 2 is changed to
Switching is performed according to the obtained mode information (S106).

When the user makes a request for switching the operation setting mode while using the copying apparatus 2, first, the switching request is issued by the mode switching key 14 on the operation unit 9 of the copying apparatus 2 ( S107). The control unit 11 switches the operation setting mode of the copying apparatus 2 according to the issued switching request (S108), and transmits the mode information after switching from the transmission unit 7 to the contactless management apparatus 1 (S10).
9).

In the non-contact type management device 1, the receiving section 5
The mode information (S205) received at (S204) is sent to the control unit 6, and the control unit 6 stores the obtained mode information in the storage unit 3 (S206).

Here, when the copying apparatus 2 is in use, the copying apparatus 2 periodically transmits a use continuation signal to the non-contact type management apparatus 1 (S110), and the non-contact type management apparatus 1 transmits the use continuation signal. After the reception (S207), the reception completion signal is transmitted to the copying apparatus 2 (S208).

At this time, the copying machine 2 receives the data (S1
11) Reply from the non-contact type management device 1 (S20)
8) When the intensity level of the received reception completion signal becomes lower than a certain value (S112) and the copying operation of the copying apparatus 2 is completed (S113), the copying apparatus 2 determines that the copying operation is completed and requests the usage again. The signal is ready to be received.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the non-contact type management device 15 and the copying device 16 in the second embodiment.

The non-contact type management device 15 includes a storage unit 17 in which error display mode information and the like are stored, a transmission unit 18 for transmitting the mode information and the like, and a reception unit 19 for receiving the mode information and the like. And a control unit 20 that controls the respective units.

The non-contact type management device 15 in the second embodiment is also constructed as a small radio communication device having the same form as the first embodiment.

On the other hand, the copying apparatus 16 has a transmitting section 21 for transmitting mode information and the like, a receiving section 22 for receiving mode information and the like, and an operation section 23 provided with a mode switching key 28 and the like.
And a display unit 24 having a message display unit 26 and an error location display unit 27, and a control unit 25 for controlling each of the above units.
And have.

The flow of processing in the copying apparatus 16 and the flow of processing in the non-contact type management apparatus 15 in the above-described configuration are the same as those in the copying apparatus 16 in the first embodiment (FIG. 2), non-contact. This is the same as the processing flow (FIG. 3) in the expression management device 1.

The error display mode of the copying machine 16 includes a normal mode and a detailed mode. In the normal mode, when a jam error occurs, the error display cause is displayed on the message display unit 26, and the error occurrence place is displayed on the error place display unit 27. In the detailed mode, the error location display section 27 displays the error location as in the normal mode, and the message display section 26 displays the cause of the error and the processing procedure for the jam error.

The non-contact type management device 15 stores one of two error display modes as an initial setting, and the copying machine 16 is similarly initialized to one of the two error display modes. .

The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

When using the copying apparatus 16, the user approaches the copying apparatus 16 while carrying the non-contact type management apparatus 15. At this time, the non-contact type management device 15 transmits the use request signal (S201) and waits for the use permission signal (S2).
02) is repeated, and the copying apparatus 16 receives the use request signal (S101).

Here, when the strength level of the use request signal from the non-contact type management device 15 received by the copying device 16 becomes higher than a certain value (S102), the copying device 16 is executed.
Transmits a use permission signal (S103), and communication between the non-contact type management device 15 and the copying device 16 becomes possible.

When communication between the devices is started, first, in the non-contact type management device 15, the control unit 20 reads the operation setting mode information from the storage unit 17, and the transmission unit 18 transmits the mode information to the copying device 16. (S203). On the other hand, in the copying machine 16, the receiving unit 22 receives the data (S10
4) The mode information sent to the control unit 25 is sent to the control unit 25.
If the obtained mode information is different from the initial error display mode of the copying apparatus 16 (S105), the error display mode of the copying apparatus 16 is switched according to the obtained mode information (S106).

If there is a request from the user to change the error display mode, first, a switching request is issued by the mode switching key 28 on the operation unit 23 of the copying machine 16 (S107). The control unit 25 switches the error display mode of the copying apparatus 16 according to the issued switching request (S108), and transmits the mode information after switching to the transmission unit 2
1 to the non-contact type management device 15 (S109).

In the non-contact type management device 15, the mode information (S205) received by the receiving unit 19 (S204).
To the control unit 20, and the control unit 20 stores the obtained mode information in the storage unit 17 (S206).

Here, when the copying machine 16 is in use, the copying machine 16 periodically transmits a use continuation signal to the non-contact type management apparatus 15 (S110), and the non-contact type management apparatus 1
After receiving the use continuation signal (S207), 5 transmits a reception completion signal to the copying apparatus 16 (S208).

At this time, the copying machine 16 receives (S
111), a reply is sent from the non-contact type management device 15 (S2
When the intensity level of the received reception completion signal 08) becomes smaller than a certain value (S112) and the copying operation of the copying apparatus 16 has been completed (S113), the copying apparatus 16 determines that the usage is completed and requests the usage again. The signal is ready to be received.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the non-contact type management device 29 and the copying device 30 in the third embodiment.

The non-contact type management device 29 has a transmission section 31 for transmitting ID information and the like, and a control section 32 for controlling this.

The non-contact type management device 29 in the third embodiment also has the same form as that of the first embodiment, except that it does not have a mode information storage unit or a reception unit.
It is even smaller and thinner. Hereinafter, this non-contact type management device is referred to as a non-contact ID card.

On the other hand, the copying apparatus 30 includes a receiving unit 33 that receives ID information and the like, and a storage unit 3 that stores mode information and the like.
4, a function setting key 38, a cursor key 39, a mode switching key 40, and the like, an operation unit 35, a display unit 36 for performing various displays, and a control unit 37 for controlling the above respective units.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the copying apparatus 30, and FIG. 7 is a non-contact ID card 29.
3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing of FIG.

When using the copying machine 30, the user carries the non-contact ID card 29 and approaches the copying machine 30. At this time, the control unit 32 of the contactless ID card 29 is transmitting the registered ID information from the transmitting unit 31 (S
301).

On the other hand, the copying machine 30 is in the standby state,
The receiving unit 33 receives the ID information (S401). Here, I received by the copying apparatus 30
When the signal strength level of D information becomes larger than a certain value (S
402), the copying machine 30 is ready for use. At that time, in the copying machine 30, the control unit 37 receives the received I
In accordance with the D information (S403), the error display mode information is read from the storage unit 34 and the error display mode of the copying machine 30 is set (S404).

When the user requests to change the error display mode while using the copying machine 30, a mode switching request is issued from the mode switching key 40 on the operation unit 35 of the copying machine 30 (S405). The control unit 37 switches the error display mode based on the issued switching request (S40
6) The error display mode after switching is stored in the storage unit 34 (S407).

Here, when the copying machine 30 is in use, the copying machine 30 regularly receives the ID information from the contactless ID card 29 (S408), and the received I information is received.
The signal strength level of D information becomes smaller than a certain value (S4
09), and when the copy operation is completed (S41)
In 0), the copying machine 30 determines that the use is completed and enters the standby state again.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

For example, as in the above embodiment, the contactless ID
In a system for managing a copying machine using a card, when the copying machine detects a signal from a contactless ID card,
Since the function to turn on the power and set the mode is realized exclusively, in order to use the copying machine,
If you go to the installation place, the copying machine is already in use, and if you do not go to that place, such as going to search for another copying machine, you will not know whether the copying machine is in use. It was very bad.

Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, the contactless ID
Information on unused copying machines is displayed on the card display. As a result, the operator can know the unused copying machine in advance and can use the target copying machine without walking around as before.

FIG. 8 shows a non-contact type I in this fourth embodiment.
It is a front view showing the appearance of the D card 101.

The contactless card 101 of this embodiment is an example using radio waves. On the surface of the main body case of the non-contact ID card 101, a display unit 102 for various displays, a card on / off switch 103, a signal transmitting / receiving unit 104,
Search start button 105 for searching an unused copying apparatus
A display clear key 106 and keys 108 and 109 for moving the cursor 107 up and down in the display section 102.
Consists of. Then, the signal is transmitted from the transmitting unit 104 only when the switch 103 is on.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the internal circuit of the contactless ID card 101.

The battery 116 is the contactless ID card 10
The power source is No. 1 and the switch 103 turns on / off the power supply. The oscillating unit 114 creates a signal of frequency f from the electric power supplied from the battery 116, and causes the transmitting antenna 112 to transmit a radio signal through the transmission control unit 111 in response to a command from the controller 110. Further, the reception antenna 113 receives a signal from the copying apparatus, and the reception controller 11
Enter in 5. The controller 110 controls each signal and the display unit 102.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the structure of the copying apparatus 100 according to the fourth embodiment. The image forming unit 118 will not be described in detail here, and particularly, the non-contact I
A portion for exchanging signals with the D card 101 will be described.

From the copying apparatus 100 to the contactless ID card 10
The signal transmission / reception unit to 1 is almost the same as the transmission / reception unit of the non-contact ID card. Power is supplied from the power supply 117 and the oscillator 120 generates a signal of frequency f ′,
In response to a command from 19, the transmission antenna 123 transmits a radio signal through the transmission controller 121. The signal from the contactless ID card 101 is received by the reception antenna 124 and input to the controller 119 through the reception control unit 122.

Here, as an example, as shown in FIG.
A contactless ID card 128 and three copying machines 125-
Consider the case where there is 127, the copying apparatus 125 and the copying apparatus 127 are on standby, and the copying apparatus 126 is in operation.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged front view showing the external appearance of the non-contact ID card 128.

A user holding this contactless ID card 128 can search the unused copying apparatus by using the contactless ID card 1
Turn on the power supply 129 of 28 and the search switch 130.
Then, the search signal is radiated as a radio wave from the transmission antenna 112 through the transmission control unit 111 of the card.

The copying machines 125, 126, 127 which have received the signals at the respective receiving sections 124, 122 judge the state of their own by the controller 119, and the copying machines 125, 126.
Since 27 is in standby, each controller 119 transmits a signal indicating that it is available and a signal indicating its installation location via the transmitters 120, 121, 123.

If necessary, the copying machine 126 in operation
It is also possible to transmit a signal indicating that it is in use.

The contactless ID card 128 receives these signals at the receiving section (113, 115). At this time, 2
Although two signals are input at the same time, the reception controller 115 and the controller 110 judge one signal at a time. And
The information is displayed on the display unit 102 of the ID card.
For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a display such as "PPC1 (Room A) available" or "PPC2 (C room available)" is displayed. There are many copying machines that can be used, and the display unit 133
If it cannot be displayed all at once, all information can be obtained by operating the cursor 132 and scrolling the screen. It should be noted that copying device information that cannot be displayed is stored in a reception input buffer (not shown) in the controller, and when the screen is scrolled in response to the operation of the cursor 107, the information is output. By the way, when there is no usable copying apparatus, a message "all copying apparatuses are in use" stored in the memory in advance is displayed on the display unit 1.
33. FIG. 13 shows a non-contact type I showing this display example.
It is a front view of a D card. All of these controls are controlled by the controller 110.

When performing a new search, if the clear key 131 is pressed and the search key 130 is turned on again, the above operation is repeated and new information can be obtained. Clear key 1
When 31 is pressed and the controller 110 detects it, the controller 110 erases the display of the display unit 133, moves the cursor 107 to the upper left (home position) of the display unit 133, and receives the reception input buffer in the controller 110. Erase all the contents of.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operation from the depression of the search switch of the contactless ID card to the reception of a signal from the copying machine.

The controller 110 uses the power switch 10
When 3 is turned on, it constantly monitors whether or not the search key 105 is pressed (S2), and when it is detected that it is turned on,
A search signal is transmitted from the antenna 12 (S3). At the same time, a predetermined timer (not shown) is started (S
4).

Then, whether or not there is a received signal from the copying apparatus is monitored (S5), and when the received signal is detected, the timer is first reset (S6), and the reception controller 115 outputs signals one by one to the controller 110. It is taken into the receiving buffer (S7). Then, as much information as can be displayed is displayed on the display unit 102 (S8), and continues to be displayed until the clear key 106 is pressed (S9). When the clear key 106 is pressed, all the display on the display unit 102 is erased and reception The contents of the buffer are also cleared (S10). Then, the transmission of the search signal is turned off (S11), and the process returns to S1.

If the received signal is not detected in S5, it is determined whether or not the timer time has passed a predetermined time (S12). If not, the process returns to S5.
When the time has passed, the timer is reset (S13) and S1
Return to.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the copying machine from the detection of the contactless ID card search signal to the returning of the signal for all of the plurality of copying machines.

First, the search signal from the ID card is constantly monitored (S15), and when the search signal is detected, the copying apparatus judges whether the copying machine is in the copying operation (S16). , The name, the installation location, and the usable signal stored in advance in the memory are transmitted (S17). Also,
If the copying apparatus is in operation in S16, a prestored name, installation location and unusable signal are transmitted (S18).
Both S17 and S18 perform transmission while the search signal is being detected.

When the search signal is no longer detected, the transmission is stopped (S19, S20) and the process returns to S14.

Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the contactless ID card according to the fifth embodiment. The contactless ID card of this embodiment is provided with a signal strength detection unit 148 in addition to the configuration shown in FIG.

The signal strength detection unit 148 detects the signal received by the reception antenna 145 for each frequency by the reception control unit 146, detects the strength of each signal, and sends it to the controller 47. The controller 147 reorders those data signals according to intensity. Then, the copying apparatus information having the highest signal strength is displayed on the display unit 149.
That is, the user can get the closest available copying device information from his location. The display example is shown in FIG. If the copying device is insufficient for its copy mode, the user can press the cursor key "↓" on the contactless ID card to
The next candidate copying device information can be obtained.

18 and 19 are contactless IDs of this embodiment.
It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a card.

In FIG. 18, first, it is constantly monitored whether or not the search key is pressed (S41), and when the search key is pressed, a search signal is transmitted (S42). Then, a predetermined timer is started (S43). Then, it is monitored whether or not the received signal is detected (S44), and if detected, the timer is reset and the process proceeds to the subroutine SUB (FIG. 19) (S45, S46).

When the received signal is not detected in S44, it is determined whether the timer has passed a predetermined time (S5
0), and if it has elapsed, reset the timer (S5
1) and returns to S40. If the predetermined time has not elapsed in S50, the process further returns to S44 and shifts to detection of a received signal.

Upon returning from the subroutine, it is monitored whether or not the clear key has been pressed (S47). If the clear key has been pressed, the display on the display unit 149 and the contents of the receiving buffer are cleared (S48). Then, the search signal is turned off (S49), and the process returns to S40.

Next, the subroutine SUB shown in FIG. 19 will be described.

The received signal data is read and the signal strength is also checked (S53), and the received data is rearranged according to the signal strength (S54). Then, "the nearest copying device" stored in advance in the memory (not shown) of the controller is displayed (S55), and the name and installation position of the copying device having the strongest signal strength are displayed (S56). Then, it is monitored whether or not the cursor key is pressed (S5
7) When it is detected that the button has been pressed, the "next candidate" stored in advance in the memory of the controller is displayed (S5).
8) The name and installation position of the copying machine having the strongest received signal strength next to the copying machine currently displayed are displayed.

If the cursor key is not pressed in S57,
In S56, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the display was started (S60). If it has not elapsed, the process proceeds to S57, and if it has elapsed, the subroutine ends (S61).

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the contactless card 201 in this embodiment.

This non-contact card 201 receives a radio wave, a display section 202 for displaying positional information, a known global positioning system (GPS) 204 for calculating the absolute position of the card 201 by a radio wave from a satellite, and a radio wave. 205 for receiving, and a receiving unit 206 for receiving radio waves
And a control unit 207 that controls the above respective units.

FIG. 21 is a front view showing the appearance of the card 201.

As shown in the figure, in this card 201, a display section 202 is formed over almost the entire one side, and a graphic of a map showing position information is displayed on this display section 202. Further, on this map, "C" indicates the position of the copying machine, and "Y" indicates the position of the card 201.

The card 201 is provided with an azimuth symbol 220 indicating north and south. Further, a compass 221 is attached. Therefore, by matching the directions of the azimuth symbol 220 and the azimuth magnet 221, it is possible to match the actual topography with the map displayed on the display unit 202.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing the structure of the copying apparatus 208.

The copying apparatus 208 includes an image forming section 209 for forming an image, a display section 210 for displaying various information such as an image forming mode, a key input 211 for inputting the image forming mode, map information and a copying apparatus. Storage unit 212 storing the position information of the above, a transmission unit 213 for transmitting the map information and the position information of the copying apparatus, a transmission antenna 214 connected to the transmission unit 213, and a control unit 21 for controlling the above.
5 and.

The map information, as the target area, is 300 m north, 300 m south, 350 m east, 350 m west of the copying machine.
It is a rectangle of m. Further, the position information of the copying machine is represented by north latitude and east longitude.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the copying machine 208.

First, when the copying machine 208 is powered on (S501), initialization is performed (S502), and the standard mode is set as the image forming mode. Here, the image forming mode is changed by key input (S503) (S504), and the start key is pressed (S5).
05), image formation is performed based on the set image formation mode (S506).

Whether or not an image is being formed,
Every three seconds (S507), the position information and the map information of the copying machine stored in the storage unit 212 are continuously transmitted.
Is being transmitted to the card 201 (S508).

Next, FIG. 24 is a flow chart showing the operation of the card 201.

When the card 201 receives the radio wave from the copying machine 208 (S602), the card 201 stores the position information and the map information of the copying machine 208 (S603). On the other hand, the global positioning system 204 constantly seeks the north latitude and east longitude of the card itself (S604). Then, the map information is displayed on the display unit 202, and the image formation position information and the card position are displayed on the map (S60).
5).

In this way, the card position on the map displayed on the display unit 202 is changed every 3 seconds according to the walking of the user, and the user reaches the place where the copying machine is located without hesitation. be able to.

Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the contactless card 301 in this embodiment.

This non-contact card 301 has a display unit 302 for displaying position information, a global positioning system (GPS) 304 for calculating the absolute position of the card 201 by a radio wave from a satellite, and a radio wave receiving unit. It has an antenna 305, a reception unit 306 that receives radio waves, and a control unit 307 that controls the above units.

FIG. 26 is a front view showing the appearance of the card 301.

As shown in the figure, the card 301 has a display portion 302 formed on substantially the entire one surface thereof as in the sixth embodiment. An arrow indicating the position of the copying machine is displayed on the display portion 302. And the distance message is displayed.

The card 301 is provided with an azimuth symbol 320 indicating north and south and an azimuth magnet 321. Therefore, the azimuth code 320 and the azimuth magnet 321
By making the directions of (1) and (2) match, the direction of the arrow displayed on the display unit 302 and the actual direction of the copying apparatus can match.

FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing the structure of the copying apparatus 308.

The copying apparatus 308 includes an image forming section 309 for forming an image, a display section 310 for displaying various information such as an image forming mode, a key input 311 for inputting the image forming mode, and the copying apparatus 308 and absolute. A global positioning system (GPS) 315 that calculates a position by a radio wave from a satellite, a storage unit 312 that stores position information of a copying device, a transmission unit 313 that transmits position information of the copying device, and this transmission unit 313. And a control unit 316 that controls the above.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the copying machine 308.

First, when the copying machine 208 is powered on (S701), initialization is performed (S702), and the standard mode is set as the image forming mode. Here, the image forming mode is changed by key input (S703) (S704), and when the start key is pressed (S7).
05), image formation is performed based on the set image formation mode (S706).

Whether or not an image is being formed,
Every 3 seconds (S707), the global positioning system 315 constantly obtains the absolute position of the north latitude and east longitude of the copying machine itself (S708). Then, the transmission unit 313 transmits the absolute position information of this copying apparatus to the card 301.
(S709).

Next, FIG. 29 is a flow chart showing the operation of the card 301.

When the card 301 receives the radio wave from the copying apparatus 308 (S802), it stores the absolute position information of the copying apparatus 308 (S803). On the other hand, global
The positioning system constantly seeks the north latitude and east longitude of the card itself (S804). Then, the direction and distance from the card 301 to the copying apparatus 308 are obtained from the absolute position of the copying apparatus 308 and the absolute position of the card 301 (S805). Then, this direction and distance are calculated as shown in FIG.
It is displayed on the display unit 302 in the format shown in (S80).
6).

In this way, the arrow and the distance displayed on the display unit 302 are changed every 3 seconds according to the walking of the user, and the user can reach the place where the copying machine is located without hesitation. it can.

[0111]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention.
According to the present invention, the non-contact type management device can transfer data to and from the image forming device to be managed in a non-contact manner, and can be used in a plurality of operation display modes of the image forming device. The operation display mode suitable for the user can be set, and the operability can be improved.

Further, according to claims 5 to 7 of the present invention, the user of the image forming apparatus can know the usage status without moving to the installation location of each image forming apparatus. Can efficiently use an unused image forming apparatus without walking around and searching for an unused apparatus.

According to the eighth and ninth aspects of the present invention, the position information of the image forming apparatus is displayed on the card even if the user does not know where the image forming apparatus is installed. Can reach the location of the image forming apparatus without hesitation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an image forming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an image forming system in a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an image forming system in a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing the outer appearance of an ID card according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ID card of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a copying machine according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing a display example of an ID card in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a front view showing a display example of an ID card in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an operation in the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ID card according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing a display example of an ID card in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an operation in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an operation in the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing the structure of a card according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a front view showing a display example of a card in the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing the structure of a copying apparatus according to the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an operation in the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing the structure of a card according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a front view showing a display example of a card in the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 27 is a block diagram showing the structure of a copying apparatus according to the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 28 is a flow chart showing the operation of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing an operation in the seventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 15, 29 ... Non-contact type management apparatus, 2, 16, 30, 125-127, 208 ... Copying apparatus, 3, 34, 212, 312 ... Storage section, 4, 7, 18, 21, 31, 213, 313 ... Sending unit, 5, 8, 19, 22, 33, 206 ... Receiving unit, 6, 11, 25, 32, 37, 207, 215, 21
0, 316 ... Control unit, 9, 23, 35 ... Operation unit, 10, 24, 36, 102, 149, 202, 210,
310 ... Display unit, 101, 201, 301 ... Contactless card, 110, 119, 147 ... Controller, 111, 121, 141 ... Transmission control unit, 115, 122, 146 ... Reception control unit, 148 ... Signal strength detection unit, 204, 315 ... GPS, 209, 309 ... Image forming section, 211, 311 ... Key input section.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G03G 15/00 102 H04B 1/59 7170-5K

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An image including display means for displaying various kinds of information, switching means for switching a plurality of operation display modes in the display means, and communication means for transmitting and receiving the mode information of the operation display modes in a non-contact manner. Forming device;
A non-contact type management device comprising a communication unit for transmitting and receiving the mode information in a contactless manner and a storage unit for storing the mode information, and switching the operation display mode of the display unit of the image forming apparatus according to the mode information. An image forming system having. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a level detecting unit that detects an intensity level of a signal received by the communication unit. 3. A display means for displaying various information, a switching means for switching a plurality of operation display modes in the display means, a storage means for storing mode information of the operation display mode, and ID information in a non-contact manner. An image forming apparatus having a receiving means for receiving; a non-contact type management apparatus having a transmitting means for transmitting the ID information in a non-contact manner, and switching the operation display mode of the display means of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the ID information; An image forming system comprising: 4. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a level detecting unit that detects an intensity level of a signal received by the receiving unit. 5. A signal wave generating means for generating a signal wave of a predetermined frequency, a communication means for transmitting and receiving the signal wave, a display means for displaying according to the signal wave, the signal wave generating means, and the communication. Means and a control means for controlling the display means; a transmitting / receiving means for transmitting / receiving the signal wave, a signal wave generating means for generating a signal wave of a predetermined frequency, and an image forming means for forming an image. And an image forming apparatus provided with the image forming apparatus, wherein the communication unit of the card communicates with the image forming apparatus,
The image forming system, wherein the control unit of the card detects an unused image forming apparatus and displays information of the unused image forming apparatus on the display unit of the card. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus has a storage unit for storing information indicating an installation position of the image forming apparatus, and an unused image is displayed according to an instruction from the card. An image forming system characterized in that information of the forming apparatus and information indicating its installation position are transmitted as a signal wave, and the card also displays information indicating the installation position on the display means of the card according to the signal wave. . 7. The card according to claim 5, wherein the card has a detection unit that detects the intensity of a signal from the image forming apparatus, and detects a signal wave received by the card when detecting an unused image forming apparatus. An image forming system, wherein information indicating the installation position of the image forming apparatus having the highest strength is displayed on the display means of the card. 8. An image forming system having an image forming apparatus and a card, wherein the image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit for forming an image, a storage unit for storing the position of the own unit, and a unit for storing the stored unit. The card includes a transmitting unit that transmits position information, the card includes a receiving unit that receives the position information transmitted by the image forming apparatus, a detecting unit that detects a position of the card, a position of the image forming apparatus, and a card. And a display unit that displays the position of the image forming system. 9. An image forming system having an image forming apparatus and a card, wherein the image forming apparatus forms an image, an image forming unit, a detecting unit for detecting the position of the own unit, and a detecting unit of the detected own unit. The card includes a transmitting unit that transmits position information, the card includes a receiving unit that receives the position information transmitted by the image forming apparatus, a detecting unit that detects a position of the card, a position of the image forming apparatus, and a card. And a display unit that displays the position of the image forming system.