IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM INCLUDING IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR OUTPUTTING RECORDING MEDIA ON WHICH IMAGES ARE FORMED, AND POST-PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR SORTING RECORDING MEDIA OUTPUTTED FROM IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

• US 20200133599A1
• Filed: 10/29/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIBUYA, Teppei
• Granted Patent: US 11,163,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/58 and automatically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5111 Printing; Marking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/45 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/60 Coupling, adapter or locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/11151 with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/1124 pivotable, details therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/115 Cover
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/121 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/332 Superposed compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2408/113 with variable location in space of the bins relative to a stationary in-feed path
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/412 of user, e.g. user code
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/51 Presence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/512 Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/515 Absence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/22 removable or interchangeable
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/24 multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1222 Increasing security of the print job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1238 Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1264 by assigning post-processing resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 : Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

Provided is an image forming system capable of reliably preventing others from removing and taking printed matter even though printing is executed beforehand. The confidential notation reading unit reads a confidential notation. The user storage tray has a structure from which outputted printed matter cannot be removed unless the opening/closing door is opened. The locking mechanism locks the opening/closing door. The sorting mechanism sorts the printed matter outputted from the image forming apparatus and outputs the printed matter to either the open tray or the user storage tray. The sorting control unit outputs printed matter to which a confidential notation is not added to the open tray, and outputs a printed matter to which a confidential notation is added to the user storage tray, respectively.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus that outputs a recording media on which an image is formed; and

a post-processing apparatus that sorts the recording media that is outputted from the image forming apparatus;

wherein

the image forming apparatus comprises;

a confidential notation generating unit for generating a confidential notation that includes user information for identifying a user; and

a confidential notation addition control unit for adding the confidential notation to the recording media; and

the post-processing apparatus comprises;

a confidential notation reading unit for reading the confidential notation added to the recording media;

an open tray from which anyone may remove recording media that has been outputted;

a user storage tray having a structure from which the outputted recording media cannot be removed unless an opening/closing door is opened;

a locking mechanism for locking the opening/closing door;

a sorting mechanism that sorts the recording media outputted from the image forming apparatus and outputs the recording media to either the open tray or the user storage tray; and

a sorting control unit that controls the sorting mechanism to output the recording media to which a confidential notation is not added to the open tray, and output the recording media to which a confidential notation is added to the user storage tray, respectively.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein

the post-processing apparatus comprises:

an input unit for receiving input of authentication information;

a user authenticating unit that executes user authentication according to the authentication information inputted from the input unit; and

an unlocking control unit that controls the locking mechanism to unlock the opening/closing door of the user storage tray in a case where the user authenticating unit is successful in authenticating a user identified by the user information.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2, further comprising:

an administrator storage tray having a structure in which the outputted recording media cannot be removed unless the opening/closing door is opened;

wherein

the sorting mechanism sorts the recording media outputted from the image forming apparatus and outputs the recording media to any one of the open tray, the user storage tray, and the administrator storage tray;

the sorting control unit, in a case where the confidential notation is added to the recording media and there is no empty user storage tray, controls the sorting mechanism to output the recording media to the administrator storage tray; and

the unlocking control unit, in a case where the user authenticating unit is successful in authenticating the administrator, controls the locking mechanism to unlock the opening/closing door of the administrator storage tray.

4. A post-processing apparatus for sorting recording media outputted from an image forming apparatus, comprising:

a confidential notation reading unit for reading a confidential notation added to the recording media;

an open tray from which anyone may remove the recording media that has been outputted;

a user storage tray having a structure from which the outputted recording media cannot be removed unless an opening/closing door is opened;

a locking mechanism for locking the opening/closing door;

a sorting mechanism that sorts the recording media outputted from the image forming apparatus and outputs the recording media to either the open tray or the user storage tray; and

a sorting control unit that controls the sorting mechanism to output the recording media to which a confidential notation is not added to the open tray, and output the recording media to which a confidential notation is added to the user storage tray, respectively.