Image forming apparatus displaying information that is received from an external device and is directed to a user

• US 9,094,547 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Daisuke, Tsukamoto, Yasushi, Nishino, Tetsuya, Matsumae, Keisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Demeter, Hilina K
• Application Number:
  US13/482,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20120307279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00095 Systems or arrangements for the transmission of the picture signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00472 using a pop-up window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00474 outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00514 for individual users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• 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 image forming apparatus includes a display device, an operation device, an information-for-display reception unit, and a display control unit. The display device displays information for display. The operation device is receives input of an operation by a user. The information-for-display reception unit receives the information for display from an external device. The display control unit controls the display device, and causes the display device to display the information for display when the information for display received by the information-for-display reception unit is directed to the user.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a display device configured to display information for display;

an operation device configured to receive input of an operation from a user;

a storage device that stores the information for display,

an information-for-display reception unit configured to (a) receive the information for display from an external device, (b) cause the storage device to store the information for display, (c) receive alternative information for display that is associated with the state identification information, and (d) cause the storage device to store the alternative information for display; and

a display control unit configured to (a) control the display device, (b) cause the display device to display the information for display, when the information for display received by the information-for-display reception unit is directed to the user, (c) cause the display device to display the information for display stored in the storage device, (d) cause the display device to display fixed information for display that is stored in the storage device and is associated with state identification information on a state that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, on the display device, (e) determine whether or not the alternative information for display is stored in the storage device, (f) cause the display device to display the alternative information for display when determining that the alternative information for display is stored, and (g) cause the display device to display the fixed information for display when determining that the alternative information for display is not stored.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a login reception unit configured to receive login of the user,

wherein the display control unit is further configured to cause the display device to display the information for display, when the identification information associated with the information for display received by the information-for-display reception unit matches the identification information received by the login reception unit.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an identification information transmission unit configured to transmit the identification information received by the login reception unit to the external device,

wherein the external device is configured to transmit, when receiving the identification information, the information for display associated with the identification information to the information-for-display reception unit.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a printer configured to perform a print process based on print data;

a print data reception unit configured to receive the print data from the external device; and

a print control unit configured to control the printer, wherein;

the display control unit is further configured to cause the display device to display existence of the print data, when identification information associated with the print data received by the print data reception unit matches the identification information received by the login reception unit; and

the print control unit is further configured to cause the printer to perform the print process by an instruction via the operation device.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit is further configured to cause the display device to display information for an operation for inputting the instruction.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the fixed information for display includes information for causing the user to place an order of a consumable in the image forming apparatus; and

the display control unit is further configured to cause the display device to display the fixed information for display when an amount of the consumable is equal to or smaller than a specified value.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising an information transmission unit configured to transmit order placement information that includes an order placement of the consumable to the external device,

wherein the information transmission unit further configured to transmit the order placement information to the external device by an instruction in the fixed information for display via the operation device.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the alternative information for display includes information for informing the user that the order placement of the consumable has been transmitted.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the alternative information for display includes information for informing the user of a scheduled arrival date of the consumable.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the display control unit is further configured to update the alternative information for display to new alternative information for display; and

the new alternative information includes information for informing the user of the change of the scheduled arrival date of the consumable.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is further configured to update the alternative information for display to new alternative information for display.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information-for-display input unit configured to input the information for display that is displayed on a web browser of the external device; and

a web page creation unit configured to create a web page including the input information for display in response to a request received from the web browser.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the web page creation unit is further configured to create the web page including the information for display with at least one of setting information on the image forming apparatus and state information on the image forming apparatus.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a login reception unit configured to receive login of the user via the web browser,

wherein the web page creation unit is further configured to create the web page including the information for display associated with identification information received by the login reception unit, when identification information associated with the request received from the web browser matches the identification information received by the login reception unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim l, wherein:

the fixed information for display includes information for causing the user to request for a service person; and

the display control unit is further configured to cause the display device to display the fixed information for display when a specified error occurs in the image forming apparatus.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising an information transmission unit configured to transmit service request information that includes a request for the service person to the external device,

wherein the information transmission unit is further configured to transmit the service request information by an instruction in the fixed information for display via the operation device.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the specified error includes that a specified malfunction that is recovered by restarting the image forming apparatus occurs a specified number of times or more.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the alternative information for display includes information for informing the user that the request for the service person has been transmitted.