INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, CONTROL SYSTEM, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS THAT CHANGE STATE OF IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS IN ACCORDANCE WITH NUMBER OF PERSONS PRESENT IN AREA WHERE IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS IS INSTALLED

• US 20200137252A1
• Filed: 10/22/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: WADA, Minoru
• Application Number:
  US16/659,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20200137252A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00326 with a data reading, recognizing or recording apparatus, e.g. with a bar-code apparatus arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus G11B31/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0097 Storage of instructions or parameters, e.g. customised instructions or different parameters for different user IDs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a storage device that stores installation area information indicating an area where an image forming apparatus is installed; a communication device; and a control device. The control device functions as a controller that, in accordance with the number of persons present per area obtainable based on detection information acquired by an entry and exit detecting device, determines, per area indicated by the installation area information, a state of the image forming apparatus installed in each area, and transmits a command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into the determined state, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus installed in each of the areas. The controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into a predetermined state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus that manages an image forming apparatus installed in a building having a plurality of areas, the information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores installation area information indicating an area where the image forming apparatus is installed, of the plurality of areas;

a communication device that makes communication with an external apparatus; and

a control device that includes a processor and functions as a controller when the processor executes a control program, the controller, in accordance with the number of persons present per area obtainable based on detection information acquired by an entry and exit detecting device provided per area and detecting entering and exiting of the respective areas, determining, per area indicated by the installation area information, a state of the image forming apparatus installed in each area, and transmitting a command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into the determined state, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus installed in each of the areas,

wherein the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into a predetermined state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the number of persons present in the area is a preset first threshold value or lower, the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus installed in the area into a first power saving mode, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in accordance with the number of persons present per area and the number of occupants in a whole of the building that are obtainable based on the detection information acquired by the entry and exit detecting device, the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into the predetermined state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area and the number of occupants in the whole of the building decreases, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus installed in each of the areas.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

when the number of persons present in the area is a preset first threshold value or lower and the number of occupants in the whole of the building is not more than a second threshold value previously set so as to be not less than the first threshold value, the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus installed in the area into a first power saving mode, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus, and

when the number of persons present in the area is the first threshold value or lower and the number of occupants in the whole of the building is above the second threshold value, the controller does not transmit the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus installed in the area into the first power saving mode, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

when the number of persons present in the area is the first threshold value or lower, and the number of occupants in the whole of the building is above the second threshold value and also is not more than a third threshold value previously set so as to be greater than the second threshold value, the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus installed in the area into a preset second power saving mode, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus, the second power saving mode being a mode that consumes more power than the first power saving mode.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control device further functions as:

an area detector that, when the communication device receives apparatus state information indicating a power on state of the image forming apparatus and being transmitted from the image forming apparatus, detects an area where a person is present as an area having possibility that the image forming apparatus is installed, on a basis of the detection information acquired by the entry and exit detecting device; and

an area identifier that, on a basis of results of one or more than two times of the detection by the area detector, narrows the area having possibility that image forming apparatus is installed down to one, and identifies the area where the image forming apparatus is installed as the area that has narrowed down,

wherein the controller rewrites the installation area information stored in the storage device into the information indicating the area identified by the area identifier.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

when the number of persons present in the area is the first threshold value or lower and the number of occupants in the whole of the building is the second threshold value or lower, the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus installed in the area into the first power saving mode, under which the image forming apparatus is on a power off state, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus.

8. A control system comprising:

an entry and exit detecting device;

an information processing apparatus; and

a plurality of image forming apparatuses,

wherein the entry and exit detecting device detects entering and exiting per area, in a building having a plurality of areas,

wherein the information processing apparatus includes;

a storage device that stores installation area information indicating an area where an image forming apparatus is installed, of the plurality of areas;

a communication device that makes communication with an external apparatus; and

a control device that includes a processor and functions as a controller when the processor executes a control program, the controller, in accordance with the number of persons present per area obtainable based on detection information acquired by the entry and exit detecting device, determining, per area indicated by the installation area information, a state of the image forming apparatus installed in each area, and transmitting a command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into the determined state, via the communication device, to the image forming apparatus installed in each of the areas,

wherein the controller transmits the command notice for changing the state of the image forming apparatus into a predetermined state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases and

wherein the image forming apparatus includes;

an image forming apparatus side controller that changes the state of the image forming apparatus in accordance with the command notice transmitted from the information processing apparatus; and

an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium.

9. An image forming apparatus installed in a building having a plurality of areas,

the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium; and

a control device that includes a processor and functions as a controller when the processor executes a control program, the controller, in accordance with the number of persons present in an area, of the plurality of areas, obtainable based on detection information acquired by an entry and exit detecting device detecting entering and exiting of the area where the image forming apparatus is installed, changing a state of the image forming apparatus into a predetermined state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a storage device that stores installation area information indicating each area where the image forming apparatus is installed and each area where other image forming apparatus is installed, respectively;

a communication device that makes communication with an external apparatus;

a control device that includes a processor and functions as a controller when the processor executes a control program, the controller, in accordance with the number of persons present per area obtainable based on detection information acquired by an entry and exit detecting device provided per area and detecting entering and exiting of the respective areas, changing, per area indicated by the installation area information, a state of the image forming apparatus and a state of other image forming apparatus that are installed in the respective areas; and

an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium,

wherein the controller determines the state of the image forming apparatus to be a preset first state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases, determines the state of other image forming apparatus to be a preset second state where power consumption is more reduced, as the number of persons present in the area decreases, and on a basis of the installation area information stored in the storage device, the controller changes the state of the image forming apparatus into the first state determined, and transmits a command notice for changing the state of the other image forming apparatus into the second state determined, via the communication device, to the other image forming apparatus.