Image forming system and image forming apparatus

• US 10,956,098 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2019
• Issued: 03/23/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakatsuka, Shinji, Kowaka, Makoto, Okamoto, Hironori, Kishida, Kentaro, Tazuke, Koichiro, Yamamoto, Masakazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zheng, Jacky X
• Application Number:
  US16/665,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20200133589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 358 114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/121 Facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1234 Errors handling and recovery, e.g. reprinting G06F3/1261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing

Abstract

An image forming system includes a plurality of processing apparatuses. An image forming apparatus includes an image forming section, storage, an acquiring section, a first specifying section, a receiver, a second specifying section, and a notifying section. The storage stores therein a position of each of the processing apparatuses. The acquiring section acquires state information from each of the processing apparatuses. The state information indicates whether a corresponding one of the processing apparatuses is in a normal function state or a malfunction state. The first specifying section specifies, from among the processing apparatuses, a malfunctioning processing apparatus for which the malfunction state is indicated by the state information. The second specifying section specifies a relative position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus with respect to a mobile terminal device. The notifying section notifies of specific information relating to the relative position specified by the second specifying section.

Claims

1. An image forming system comprising

a plurality of processing apparatuses each configured to process a sheet, wherein

one of the processing apparatuses is an image forming apparatus,

the image forming apparatus includes:

an image forming section which forms an image on the sheet;

storage which stores therein a position of each of the processing apparatuses;

an acquiring section which acquires state information from each of the processing apparatuses, the state information indicating whether a corresponding one of the processing apparatuses is in a normal function state or a malfunction state;

a first specifying section which specifies, from among the processing apparatuses, a malfunctioning processing apparatus for which the malfunction state is indicated by the state information;

a receiver which receives position information indicating a position of a mobile terminal device from the mobile terminal device;

a second specifying section which specifies a relative position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus with respect to the mobile terminal device; and

a notifying section which notifies of specific information relating to the relative position specified by the second specifying section,

the first specifying section specifies two or more malfunctioning processing apparatuses,

the second specifying section specifies a position of a malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device among the two or more malfunctioning processing apparatuses, and

the notifying section notifies of the specific information including the position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the notifying section transmits the specific information to the mobile terminal device.

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

the mobile terminal device, wherein

the mobile terminal device includes:

a terminal transmitter which transmits the position information to the image forming apparatus;

a terminal receiver which receives the specific information from the image forming apparatus; and

a display section which displays an image exhibiting the specific information.

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

each of the processing apparatuses includes a display section, and

the notifying section controls the display section based on the specific information.

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

when the state information of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device indicates the normal function state after the notifying section has notified of the specific information indicating the position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device,

the receiver receives the position information from the mobile terminal device,

the second specifying section specifies the position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device among the malfunctioning processing apparatuses other than the malfunctioning processing apparatus for which the normal function state is indicated by the state information, and

the notifying section notifies of the specific information indicating the position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device.

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

the processing apparatuses each have identifiers, and

the specific information that the notifying section notifies of is specific information in which an identifier of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device is differentiated from an identifier of a malfunctioning processing apparatuses which are not closest to the mobile terminal device.

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

the normal function state is a state in which a jam has not occurred in the corresponding one of the processing apparatuses, and

the malfunction state is a state in which a jam has occurred in the corresponding one of the processing apparatuses.

8. The image forming system according to claim 7, wherein

each of the processing apparatuses includes:

a conveyor mechanism which conveys the sheet; and

a sensor which detects occurrence of a jam in the conveyor mechanism.

9. An image forming apparatus which is one of a plurality of processing apparatuses which process a sheet, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming section configured to form an image on the sheet;

storage configured to store therein a position of each of the processing apparatuses;

an acquiring section configured to acquire state information from each of the processing apparatuses, the state information indicating whether a corresponding one the processing apparatuses is in a normal function state or a malfunction state;

a first specifying section configured to specify, from among the processing apparatuses, a malfunctioning processing apparatus for which the malfunction state is indicated by the state information;

a receiver configured to receive position information indicating a position of a mobile terminal device from the mobile terminal device;

a second specifying section configured to specify a relative position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus with respect to the mobile terminal device; and

a notifying section configured to notify of specific information relating to the relative position specified by the second specifying section, wherein

the first specifying section specifies two or more malfunctioning processing apparatuses,

the second specifying section specifies a position of a malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device among the two or more malfunctioning processing apparatuses, and

the notifying section notifies of the specific information including the position of the malfunctioning processing apparatus which is closest to the mobile terminal device.