JPH06233046A - Interface device for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To set a job mode without operating the inputting means of an image forming device or directly inputting necessary data by a user carrying an ID card. CONSTITUTION:This device is equipped with a means 2 which receives ID code information returned from a transponder 11, a means 3 which decodes a prescribed ID code from the ID code information received by the transmitting and receiving means 2, a means 4 which stores history data corresponding to the ID code, and a priority job discriminating means 5 which discriminates a priority job from the history data corresponding to the decoded ID code, and designate a job mode to an image forming device job mode setting means 6. Thus, the desired job can be set only by performing access to the picture forming device by the user.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine,
The image forming apparatus is arranged to intervene with the user of the image forming apparatus and determine the job desired by the user without contacting the operation unit of the image forming apparatus and set the job waiting state. Regarding the interface device.

When an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine is used,
The normal use method is for the user to set the mode of the desired job from the operation unit, enter the job, and execute the job. However, usually 70-80%
Jobs are fixed, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of the work by registering the job with a high hit rate as a priority job. Performing the job mode setting operation is complicated and causes a decrease in the movable ratio of the image forming apparatus.

In recent years, in an organization such as a company, an employee or the like carries an identification means such as a so-called I / D card for recognizing each individual, and the I / D card or the like is used to enter or leave the building. 2. Description of the Related Art A management system for leaving a room, managing the use of OA equipment, managing lunch payment, and managing other individual work has become widespread. This type of I / D card is not only used as a personal identification code recording means for employees or the like, but also has a built-in active device such as a so-called IC so that necessary data can be exchanged via a reader / writer. The systems that have been adopted are also popular.

It is also conceivable that a non-contact type utilization system in which data is transmitted / received to / from a host computer by interposing radio waves / electromagnetic waves or the like is also possible. In addition, O
As a non-contact type utilization system in the field of A-equipment, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid- Open No. 2-7244, information is wirelessly transmitted between a card-sized terminal device and a host computer. It is designed to transmit data, or character information is propagated in the air using wireless, etc., and the signal received by the display device is restored to character information and stored in memory, and this is displayed on the display means. JP-a-58-204863 JP are known.

[0005]

In the prior art in which data is transmitted and received between the terminal device and the host computer via the above-mentioned radio or the like, the data is simply transmitted and received between the terminal device and the host computer. . In the above-mentioned conventional technique, it is necessary to involve a person in the information transmission / reception operation on either side of the terminal device and the host computer. There is no technical idea of transmitting / receiving information about a terminal device that rarely does and processing or editing the information.

It should be noted that the use of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine is recommended.
There is also known a system of managing with an / D card, but in this system, an I key is used as a use permission key of the image forming apparatus.
The D / D card is used, and the I / D card is passed through a card reader provided in the image forming apparatus to read the recorded data. An object of the present invention is to transmit data held by a user who carries an I / D card without operating the input means of the image forming apparatus to directly input necessary data, and based on this data. An object of the present invention is to provide an interface device of an image forming apparatus that sets a job mode of the image forming apparatus.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ID equipped with a transponder 11 which returns predetermined ID code information in response to reception of an inquiry signal, as shown in FIG. The user 100 who carries the card 1 and the image forming apparatus 300 intervene between the user 100 and
In the interface device 200 of the image forming apparatus, which determines the requested job without directly inputting, and sets the image forming apparatus 300 to the requested job mode,
Transmitting / receiving means 2 for transmitting question information corresponding to the approach of the user 100 carrying the ID card 1, and receiving the ID code information returned from the tin spawner 11 in response to the question information, and the transmitting / receiving means. ID received in 2
ID code decoding means 3 for decoding a predetermined ID code from the code information, history data storage means 4 for storing the history data in correspondence with the ID code, and history data corresponding to the ID code decoded by the ID code decoding means 3. And a priority job determination means 5 for designating a job mode to the job mode setting means 6 of the image forming apparatus 300.

Further, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a user 100 carrying an ID card 1 equipped with a transponder 11 for returning predetermined ID code information in response to reception of an inquiry signal and an image forming apparatus. In the interface device 200 of the image forming apparatus, which intervenes between the ID card 1 and the image forming apparatus 300, determines the requested job without setting the user directly and sets the image forming apparatus to the requested job mode. The transmission / reception means 2 which transmits the question information in response to the approach of the user 100 carrying the cell phone and receives the ID code information returned from the transponder 11 in response to the question information, and the transmission / reception means 2 receives the information. When there are plural pieces of ID code information, the level judgment means 31 for judging the one having a large signal level and the level judgment means 31 Corresponding to the ID code decoded by the ID code decoding means 4, and the ID data decoding means 3 for decoding the ID code of the data determined to be The image forming apparatus 300 is provided with a priority job determining unit 5 that determines a priority job from the history data and specifies the job mode in the job mode setting unit 6 of the image forming apparatus 300.

[0009]

The transponder 11 mounted on the I / D card 1 carried by the user 100 receives the interrogation signal transmitted from the image forming apparatus 200 side, and in response to this reception, the transponder 11 is transmitted to the I / C card 100 side. The stored predetermined ID code information is returned to the image forming apparatus 200 side.

The image forming apparatus 200 has a user I / D.
The history data corresponding to the code is stored, the past job data of the user of the carried I / D code is taken out, the job of the user is estimated as a request job from the job history, and the request is made. The image forming apparatus 300 is set to the job mode. Therefore, the user only needs to access the image forming apparatus and can immediately use the image forming apparatus in which the desired job is set without operating the operation unit of the image forming apparatus.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of an interface device of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in which 1 is an I / D card, 11 is a transponder,
Reference numeral 2 is a transmission / reception means, 3 is an I / D code decoding means, 4 is history data storage means, 41 is an I / D data table, 42 is a history data table, 5 is a priority job determination means, and 6 is a job mode setting means. .

Reference numeral 100 is a user, 200 is an interface device, and 300 is an image forming apparatus. In the figure, the I / D card 1 carried by the user 100 stores I / D code information for identifying the user, and in response to a question signal transmitted from the image forming apparatus 200. , The above I / D code information is returned.

The image forming apparatus 200 is a transmission / reception unit 2 for transmitting / receiving information to / from an I / D card, and an I / D code decoding unit for decoding the I / D code returned from the I / D card 1. 3, based on the history data storage means 4 and the history data table 42 including an I / D data table 41 for storing I / D codes and a history data table 42 for storing respective history data corresponding to each I / D code The job determination unit 5 determines the priority job of each user.

As the judgment items of the above-mentioned priority jobs, there are users having a large past copy amount (monthly, weekly, daily, etc.), employee number order, job order, department order, work type order, and the like. To be The job mode determined by the job determination unit 5 is given to the job mode setting unit 6 of the image forming apparatus 300, and the image forming apparatus 3 is set to the mode of the job.
Set 00.

That is, when the user 100 carrying the I / D card 1 approaches the image forming apparatus 300, the transponder 11 of the I / D card 1 is excited by the excitation signal transmitted from the transmitting / receiving means 2 of the interface device 200. Then, the stored I / D code information is transmitted. This I / D code information is received by the transmitting / receiving means 2 and
The / D code decoding means 3 decodes the I / D code of the user. The decoded I / D code is I / D stored in the I / D data table 41 of the history data storage means 4.
The history data associated with the I / D code that is collated with the D code group is read from the history data table 42 and passed to the priority job determination means 5.

The priority job determination means 5 determines the most frequent job among the jobs executed by the user in the past from the passed history data, and sets this as the desired job and sets the job mode of the image forming apparatus 300. Pass to means 6.
The job mode setting unit 6 sets the image forming apparatus 300 to the mode of the passed job.

With this configuration, the user 1
00 only approaches or accesses the image forming apparatus 300, and the interface apparatus 200 sets the image forming apparatus 300 to a desired job mode.
You can execute your own job quickly. If the user's job desires a past history, that is, a job other than the job most likely to be executed by the user,
The job mode may be reset from the operation unit provided in the image forming apparatus 300.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining another embodiment of the interface device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 correspond to the same functional parts, and 31 is a level judging means. The embodiment shown in the figure has a configuration in which a job priority determination processing function is loaded when a plurality of users simultaneously or sequentially access the image forming apparatus.

That is, the I / D code decoding means 3 of the interface device 200 receives the I / D received by the transmitting / receiving means 2.
It is configured to include the level determination means 31 of the received signal from the / D card, and the priority order of the users is determined according to the determination of the level determination means 31. For example, if multiple users access at the same time before executing a job, or if another user accesses while a user is executing a job, the priority order of the multiple users is determined and the priority of the users is determined. Set the job mode in descending order, or if the job of the other user has a high priority, interrupt the running job and execute the job of the other user. It has a priority determination function.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining a concrete configuration of each embodiment of the interface device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in which 12 is a power supply circuit, 13 is an RF coil,
Reference numeral 14 is an oscillation circuit, 15 is an RF coil, 16 is a code generator, 21 is an RF transmission circuit, 22 and 24 are RF coils, 2
3 is a receiving circuit, 40 and 62 are RAMs, 50 is an interface control circuit, 60 is an image forming apparatus control circuit (machine control circuit), and 61 and 70 are R.
OM, 80 is a keyboard I / O control circuit, 81
Is a keyboard constituting the operation unit, and 90 is a display device.

In the figure, an interface control circuit 50 has a data processing function such as I / D code decoding means and priority job determination means in each of the above embodiments,
The I / D data table and the history data table are RA
It is stored in M40. And the interface 200
After the power of the image forming apparatus (machine) is turned on, the RF transmitting circuit 21 always oscillates a predetermined RF wave and transmits it as an inquiry signal from the RF coil 22.

The user 100 accesses the image forming apparatus 300 and uses the RF of the I / D card as the electric field of the inquiry signal.
When the coil 13 enters, the power supply circuit 12 is activated by this interrogation signal to excite the oscillation circuit 14, and the I / D code information of the user from the code generator 16 is transmitted to the RF coil 1.
5 is transmitted to the RF coil 24 and is received by the receiving circuit 23.

The received I / D code information is input to the interface control circuit 50, and the desired job mode of the user is determined from the I / D data stored in the RAM 70 and the history data thereof. The determined job mode, the user name, and the like are displayed on the display device 90 to be used for the user's confirmation and the like, and the machine control circuit 60 is given a job mode setting command.
The image forming apparatus 300 is set to the job mode via the RS232C interface 63.

The user 100 confirms his / her job from the contents of the job displayed on the display device 90, and if the desired job mode is set, the job mode is executed as it is, but it happens that he / she desires a different job. In this case, the job is executed after the desired job mode is input from the keyboard 81. The ROM 40 of the interface control circuit 50 stores data necessary for the processing operation of the interface device 200, such as an operation program of a CPU forming the interface control circuit. Further, the ROM 61 and the RAM 62 of the machine control circuit 60 store data necessary for processing operations such as an operation program of the CPU constituting the machine control circuit 60.

The operation of the job processing in the configuration of each of the above embodiments will be described below with reference to the flow chart. 4 and 5 are flow charts for explaining the basic job processing operation of each of the embodiments of the present invention. In the figure, when the power of the image forming apparatus provided with the interface device of the present invention is turned on, the setup cycle S-1 of the interface device and the image forming apparatus is started. That is, the ROM 70 of the interface control circuit 50 and the ROM 61 of the machine control circuit 60 shown in FIG. 2 are checked (S-101), the RAMs 40 and 62 are checked (S-102), and various input / output (I / O) checks are performed. (S-103) is performed, and the "READY" display indicating the standby state is displayed on the display unit of the operation unit (S-2).

In this state, when the user approaches (user access) (S-3), the I / D code transmitted from the I / D card of the user is recognized, and then the I / D code is added to the I / D code. It is determined whether the user has a history (S-
4). If there is a history, the priority job is checked based on the history data (S-5), the image forming apparatus is set to the priority job, and "Job-in-READY" is set.
/ User name "is displayed (S-6).

Then, the job is started by the user's job start operation (for example, document setting, number setting, etc.) (S-
7), the job execution cycle starts (S-8). This job execution cycle is machine start (M / C start) (S-801), job execution (S-802), M / C
It consists of C-stop (S-803). When the job execution cycle ends, the history saving cycle (S-
9) is started. This history storage cycle is RAM7
A history rewriting operation (S-901) for updating the history data stored in 0 and a history output operation (S-902) for transferring the rewritten history to the centralized management center.
Note that this history output operation is unnecessary when the image forming apparatus is installed alone. When this cycle is completed, the job of the user ends.

If there is no history of the user in S-4 (that is, the user does not have the history data), the user is instructed to input the I / D code (S-13), and the user gives this instruction. Then, the user inputs his / her I / D code from the keyboard (S-14). If the input I / D code is legitimate, go to S-6 (S-15), and if it is an invalid I / D code, display an unavailable message (S-16). finish.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining a job processing operation for determining a priority user when a plurality of users access before job-in in each of the above-described embodiments of the present invention, from step (S-1). Up to (S-3), it is the same as that described in FIGS. If there is a user access (S-3), it is determined whether or not the number of accesses is only one (S-31), and if the user access is 1, the same process as in FIG. 4 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the number of accesses is 2 or more, the reception level (detection output level of the reception signal) of each access is checked (S
-321), the highest level among them is determined to be a priority user (S-322), and thereafter, the same as the above (S-4).
The following processing is performed.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the job processing operation for determining the priority user when another user accesses during the job execution in each of the embodiments of the present invention. After the in (S-7),
When it is determined that there is user access (S-301), the priority user is checked based on the priority item (S-3).
02), if the user has a lower priority than the user who is currently executing the job, the standby display and the standby time are displayed if necessary (S-18). On the other hand, if it is determined that the user has a higher priority than the user who is currently executing the job (S-
303), check the history of the user (S-40
1) If there is a history, the priority job is checked (S-501), the job being executed is interrupted to suspend the job being executed (S-19), and the jobs of other users are executed. Therefore, the job is brought into (S-7).

After the job of the other user is completed and the history data is saved (S-19), it is judged whether or not the job of the previously suspended user is restarted (S-19). -17), if restarted, the job execution cycle (S-
Return to 8). If there is no history of other users who have accessed in (S-401), I / D code input instruction (S-1301), I / D code input (S-140)
1), I / D code correctness judgment (S-1501),
Job interruption processing in progress with I / D code OK (S-19)
Becomes

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining another job processing operation for determining a priority user when another user accesses during execution of a job in each of the above-described embodiments of the present invention. When another user who has an urgent job accesses the job during execution, the job of that user is preferentially executed.

In FIG. 7, the job-in (S
-7) When another user having an urgent job places his / her I / D card on a predetermined tray of the image forming apparatus as a result, and the interface apparatus determines that there is user access (S-301). ), The new user's I /
Check the received signal level from the D card (S-32
1) Based on the determination (S-323) that the received signal level of the new user is higher than the signal level received from the I / D card of the user who is executing the job, the presence / absence of the history is determined (S). -401).

When it is determined that the new user has a history, the priority job is checked (S-501), the in-execution job interruption process is performed (S-19), and the job is in (S-7). . Then, after the jobs of other users are completed and the history data is saved (S-19), it is determined whether or not the jobs of the previously suspended user are restarted (S-17). If it is restarted, the process returns to the job execution cycle (S-8).

If there is no history of the other user who accessed in (S-401), I / D code input instruction (S-1301), I / D code input (S-140).
1), I / D code correctness judgment (S-1501),
Job interruption processing in progress with I / D code OK (S-19)
Becomes By the processing modes described above, it is possible to process a job according to the wishes of the user who accesses the image forming apparatus.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A user can immediately execute a desired job simply by approaching the image forming apparatus without directly inputting the job mode setting information to the image forming apparatus. Since a job being executed can be interrupted and interrupt processing can be performed, it is possible to provide a so-called more friendly and familiar “image forming apparatus with sensitivity”.

By giving the OA equipment such as the image forming apparatus a sensitivity, it is possible to create a sense of unity between the human and the machine, and further, the history data of the user is concentrated and deviated at the center, and Not only the accumulation of data, but also the usage status of the image forming apparatus in group units and office units can be grasped, and the efficiency of work can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an interface device of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating another embodiment of the interface device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a more specific configuration of each embodiment of the interface device of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial flow chart for explaining a basic job processing operation of each of the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial flow chart following FIG. 4 for explaining the basic job processing operation of each of the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a job processing operation for determining a priority user when a plurality of users access before job-in in each of the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining a job processing operation for determining a priority user when another user accesses during job execution in each of the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart for explaining another job processing operation for performing priority user determination when another user accesses during job execution in each of the embodiments of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... I / D card, 11 ... Transponder, 2 ... Transmitting / receiving means, 3 ... I / D code decoding means, 4 ... History data storage means, 41 ...・ ・
I / D data table, 42 ... History data table, 5 ... Priority job determination means, 6 ... Job mode setting means, 12 ... Power supply circuit, 13 ...
RF coil, 14 ... Oscillation circuit, 15 ... RF
Coil, 16 ... Code generator, 21 ... RF
Transmitter circuit, 22, 24 ... RF coil, 23 ...
.Reception circuit, 31 ... Level determination means, 40, 62
··· RAM, 50 ··· interface control circuit, 60 ··· image forming device control circuit (machine control circuit), 61, 70 ··· R
OM, 80 ... ・ Keyboard I / O control circuit, 81 ... ・ Keyboard constituting operation unit, 90 ・
... Display device, 100 ..., User, 20
0 ... Interface device, 300 ... Image forming device.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An intermediary between an image forming apparatus and a user carrying an ID card equipped with a transponder that returns predetermined ID code information in response to an inquiry signal, without direct input by the user. In the interface device of the image forming apparatus that determines the requested job and sets the image forming apparatus to the requested job mode, the question information is transmitted in response to the approach of the user carrying the ID card, A transmission / reception means for receiving the ID code information returned from the transponder in response to the question information, and a predetermined I based on the ID code information received by the transmission / reception means.
The ID code decoding means for decoding the D code, the history data storage means for storing the history data in correspondence with the ID code, and the priority job by judging the priority job from the history data corresponding to the ID code decoded by the ID code decoding means. An interface device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a job mode setting means of the image forming apparatus; and priority job determining means for designating a job mode. 2. An intermediary between a user carrying an ID card equipped with a transponder that returns predetermined ID code information in response to the reception of an inquiry signal and an image forming apparatus, without direct input by the user. In the interface device of the image forming apparatus that determines the requested job and sets the image forming apparatus to the requested job mode, the question information is transmitted in response to the approach of the user carrying the ID card, A transmitting / receiving means for receiving the ID code information returned from the transponder in response to the question information; and a level determining means for determining a large signal level when the ID code information received by the transmitting / receiving means is plural. , The ID code decoding means for decoding the ID code of the level judged to be large by the level judging means, and the history data. The priority data is stored based on the history data storage means for storing the D code and the history data corresponding to the ID code decoded by the ID code decoding means, and the job mode is specified in the job mode setting means of the image forming apparatus. An interface device for an image forming apparatus, comprising: priority job determination means.