Image forming system and image forming apparatus

• US 20060039707A1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mima, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,349,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/23
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0075 Low-paper indication, i.e. indicating the state when copy material has been used up nearly or completely
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17546 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5079 for maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5083 for scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/553 Monitoring or warning means for exhaustion or lifetime end of consumables, e.g. indication of insufficient copy sheet quantity for a job
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1235 caused by end of consumables, e.g. paper, ink, toner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1275 Print workflow management, e.g. defining or changing a workflow, cross publishing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1282 High volume printer device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

Provided is an image forming system and an image forming apparatus capable of reliably reporting information relating to a remaining amount of consumables to an operator without increasing the number of operations of the operator of the image forming system. The image forming system connects a variety of kinds of managers such as a process control manager, an order receiving/original receiving manager, and a message manager, and post-treatment devices such as MFPs, a cutting machine, and a saddle stitch bookbinding device, via a network. The message manager reads the remaining amount of paper sheets of an applicable printer device from a consumption degree table which is stored in an HDD; computes an expected amount of consumption of the paper sheet of the applicable printer device to be consumed due to execution of a job; and when the remaining amount of the paper sheet is below 0 as a result of subtraction of the expected consumption amount of the paper sheet from the remaining amount of the paper sheet, displays on a UI a warning message indicating that an operator maintenance is necessary.

Claims

1. An image forming system for forming an image by using a plurality of consumables, comprising:

an image forming apparatus;

a receiving unit configured to receive information related to a remaining amount of the plurality of consumables from the image forming apparatus;

a reporting unit configured to make a report in relation to a remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables; and

a setting unit configured to set a prescribed timing for performing the report by the reporting unit,

wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the remaining amount of a first consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a first prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and a second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

2. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the remaining amount of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the remaining amount of the second consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a second prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and the second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

3. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to at least one of a timing at which power is turned on to the image forming apparatus and a timing at which the power is turned off to the image forming apparatus.

4. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the image forming apparatus executes an image forming job for forming the image over a plurality of pages; and

the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to at least one of a timing before the image forming job is started by the image forming apparatus and a timing at which the image forming job is ended by the image forming apparatus.

5. An image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses;

wherein the reporting unit makes the report in relation to the remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables related to the plurality of image forming apparatuses.

6. An image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit configured to cause the setting unit to make a selection of the first consumable and the second consumable the report on which is to be made, from among the plurality of consumables.

7. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to a plurality of different timings; and

the selection unit selects the consumable the report on which is to be made at each of the plurality of different timings.

8. An image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display the report made by the reporting unit in relation to the remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables.

9. An image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount by execution by the image forming apparatus of the image forming job for forming the image over a plurality of pages,

wherein the reporting unit makes the report in relation to the remaining amount of the consumable which has been determined to reach the prescribed amount, in a case where the determination unit determines that one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount.

10. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the remaining amount of the first consumable is the remaining amount related to the first consumable installed in the image forming apparatus; and

the remaining amount of the second consumable is the remaining amount related to the second consumable installed in the image forming apparatus.

11. An image forming system according to claim 9, further comprising a job management unit configured to manage the image forming job to be executed by the image forming system,

wherein the determination unit determines whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount by the execution by the image forming apparatus of the image forming job controlled by the job control unit.

12. An image forming system according to claim 11, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount, in response to reception by the job management unit of a new image forming job.

13. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the remaining amount of the first consumable is an inventory of the first consumable;

the remaining amount of the second consumable is an inventory of the second consumable; and

the reporting unit makes a report in relation to the inventory of the first consumable and the second consumable, in a case where the receiving unit receives information indicating that the inventory of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the inventory of the second consumable reaches the second prescribed amount, in accordance with the occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

14. An image forming system according to claim 13, further comprising a delivery management unit configured to manage information on delivery time of the first consumable and the second consumable,

wherein the reporting unit makes a report in relation to the inventory of the first consumable and the second consumable, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the inventory of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the inventory of the second consumable reaches the second prescribed amount and where the delivery time managed by the delivery management unit is after a prescribed time, in accordance with the occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

15. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the image forming apparatus comprises a paper sheet supply unit configured to supply the paper sheet for forming the image thereon,

wherein at least one of the plurality of consumables is the paper sheet supplied by the paper sheet supply unit.

16. An image forming system according to claim 15, wherein:

the image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit configured to form the image on the paper sheet using a developer,

wherein at least one of the plurality of consumables is the developer for forming the image on the paper sheet by the image forming unit.

17. An image forming system according to claim 15, wherein:

the image forming apparatus comprises a staple device for joining a plurality of paper sheets one to another by performing a staple processing using a joining member to the plurality of paper sheets on which the image is formed;

at least one of the plurality of consumables is the joining member used by the staple device.

18. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by using a plurality of consumables, the apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect information related to a remaining amount of the plurality of consumables;

a reporting unit configured to make a report in relation to a remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables; and

a setting unit configured to set a prescribed timing for performing the report by the reporting unit,

wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the detecting unit detects that the remaining amount of a first consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a first prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and a second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the remaining amount of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the remaining amount of the second consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a second prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and the second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to at least one of a timing at which power is turned on to the image forming apparatus and a timing at which the power is turned off to the image forming apparatus.

21. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, which executes an image forming job for forming the image over a plurality of pages,

wherein the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to at least one of a timing before the image forming job is started by the image forming apparatus and a timing at which the image forming job is ended by the image forming apparatus.

22. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a selection unit configured to cause the setting unit to make a selection of the first consumable and the second consumable the report on which is to be made, from among the plurality of consumables.

23. An image forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein:

the setting unit sets the prescribed timing to a plurality of different timings; and

the selection unit selects the consumable the report on which is to be made at each of the plurality of different timings.

24. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a display unit configured to display the report made by the reporting unit in relation to the remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables.

25. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount by execution by the image forming apparatus of the image forming job for forming the image over a plurality of pages,

wherein the reporting unit makes the report in relation to the remaining amount of the consumable which has been determined to reach the prescribed amount, in a case where the determination unit determines that one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount.

26. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the remaining amount of the first consumable is the remaining amount related to the first consumable installed in the image forming apparatus; and

the remaining amount of the second consumable is the remaining amount related to the second consumable installed in the image forming apparatus.

27. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a management unit configured to manage the image forming job to be executed by the image forming apparatus; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount, by execution by the management unit of a plurality of image forming jobs managed by the management unit,

wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the determination unit determines that one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount, makes the report in relation to the remaining amount of the consumable which has been determined to reach the prescribed amount.

28. An image forming apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the determination unit determines whether or not one of the remaining amount of the first consumable and the remaining amount of the second consumable reaches the prescribed amount, in response to reception by the job management unit of a new image forming job.

29. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein:

the remaining amount of the first consumable is an inventory of the first consumable;

the remaining amount of the second consumable is an inventory of the second consumable; and

the reporting unit makes a report in relation to the inventory of the first consumable and the second consumable, in a case where the detecting unit detects that the inventory of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the inventory of the second consumable reaches the second prescribed amount, in accordance with the occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

30. An image forming apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the reporting unit makes a report in relation to the inventory of the first consumable and the second consumable, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the inventory of the first consumable reaches the first prescribed amount and the inventory of the second consumable reaches the second prescribed amount and where delivery time of the first consumable and the second consumable is after a prescribed time, in accordance with the occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

31. An image forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a paper sheet supply unit configured to supply the paper sheet for forming the image thereon, wherein at least one of the plurality of consumables is the paper sheet supplied by the paper sheet supply unit.

32. An image forming apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising an image forming unit configured to form the image on the paper sheet using a developer, wherein at least one of the plurality of consumables is the developer for forming the image on the paper sheet by the image forming unit.