Image forming system, user interface device and image forming apparatus

• US 20070279678A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,808,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00109 Remote control of apparatus, e.g. by a host

Abstract

An image forming system includes an image forming apparatus and a user interface device. The image forming apparatus forms an image on a recording material. The user interface device is connected to the image forming apparatus. The user interface device accepts a user'"'"'s input, outputs the input to the image forming apparatus and displays information based on data input from the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus sends a notification to the user interface device before the image forming apparatus executes a process of changing one operation mode to another operation mode. The process of changing includes disconnecting communication between the image forming apparatus and the user interface device. The user interface device displays information corresponding to the notification received from the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material; and

a user interface device connected to the image forming apparatus, the user interface device that accepts a user'"'"'s input, outputs the input to the image forming apparatus and displays information based on data input from the image forming apparatus, wherein;

the image forming apparatus sends a notification to the user interface device before the image forming apparatus executes a process of changing one operation mode to another operation mode, the process

including disconnecting communication between the image forming apparatus and the user interface device, and

the user interface device displays information corresponding to the notification received from the image forming apparatus.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the process includes changing from a normal mode to a power-saving mode.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the process includes at least one of changing from a normal mode to a download mode and changing from a normal mode to a diagnostics mode.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein when the user interface device receives from the image forming apparatus the notification indicating that the image forming apparatus will execute the process of changing and then the user interface device does not establish the communication with the image forming apparatus after a predetermined time elapses since the receiving of the notification, the user interface device displays that anomaly occurs in the image forming apparatus or in the communication between the user interface device and the image forming apparatus.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein when the connection between the user interface device and the image forming apparatus is disconnected without the user interface device receiving the notification from the image forming apparatus, the user interface device displays that anomaly occurs in the image forming apparatus or in the communication between the user interface device and the image forming apparatus.

6. A user interface device comprising:

an input accepting section that accepts a user'"'"'s input;

a transmission/reception section connected to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, the transmission/reception section that transmits to the image forming apparatus the user'"'"'s input accepted through the input accepting section and receives data from the image forming apparatus;

a detection section that detects connection between the image forming apparatus and the transmission/reception section; and

a display section that displays that the image forming apparatus is turned on, when the detection section detects the connection between the image forming apparatus and the transmission/reception section.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein:

the detection section further detects disconnection of the connection between the transmission/reception section and the image forming apparatus, and

the display section displays that the image forming apparatus is turned off.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming section that forms an image on a recording material;

an operation accepting section that accepts a user'"'"'s operation instruction;

a communication section that communicates with an external device; and

a control section, wherein when the operation accepting section accepts a predetermined operation instruction including disconnecting communication between the communication section and the external device, the control section notifies through the communication section to the external device that the communication is disconnected and then disconnects the communication.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined operation instruction is an instruction of turning off the image forming apparatus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined operation instruction is an instruction of restarting the image forming apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined operation instruction is an instruction of causing the image forming apparatus to change from one operation mode to another operation mode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined operation instruction is the instruction of causing the image forming apparatus to change from a normal mode to a power-saving mode.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined operation instruction includes the instruction of causing the image forming apparatus to change from a normal mode to at least one of a download mode and a diagnostics mode.