Image processing apparatus

• US 20040141200A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuhara, Kenji, Minami, Takeshi, Mishima, Nobuhiro, Otake, Toshihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,812,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1258 by updating job settings at the printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1267 Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

In order to provide a more user-friendly image processing apparatus, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus that is able to obtain information stored in a contactless IC tag embedded in the document paper, for example, and search for related information based on the obtained information, and display the related information on a display screen like the liquid crystal display panel in the control panel.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a reader that reads information, by radio communication, from a device located within a predetermined area;

a first controller that performs a search for a file related to the read information;

a display; and

a second controller that controls the display to change a display screen to one showing a result of the search.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the device is a sheet of paper in which a contactless IC tag is embedded.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, being connected to a network, wherein

the first controller performs the search for the related file in an external file server connected via the network to the image processing apparatus.

4. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, being a multi-functional peripheral equipped with a plurality of processing functions.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

a selection of a function out of the plurality of processing functions is made on the display screen showing the result of the search.

6. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

the plurality of processing functions includes a printing function, and

the image processing apparatus further comprises

a writer that, at a time of printing on a sheet of paper, writes information into a contactless IC tag embedded in the sheet of paper.

7. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the device is either an IC card or a mobile phone in which a contactless IC tag is embedded.

8. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a reader that reads information from a document being set;

a first controller that performs a search for one or more files related to the read information;

a display; and

a second controller that controls the display to change a display screen to one showing a list of the related files resulting from the search.

9. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein

a contactless IC tag is embedded in the document.

10. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, being connected to a network, wherein

the first controller performs the search for the related files in an external file server connected via the network to the image processing apparatus.

11. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, being a multi-functional peripheral equipped with a plurality of processing functions.

12. The image processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein

a selection of one related file out of the related files and a selection of one function out of the plurality of processing functions to be applied to the selected related file are made on the display screen showing the list of the related files.

13. The image processing apparatus of claim 11, wherein

the plurality of processing functions includes a printing function, and

the image processing apparatus further comprises

a writer that, at a time of printing on a sheet of paper, writes information into a contactless IC tag embedded in the sheet of paper.

14. The image processing apparatus of claim 13, being connected to a network, wherein

the writer writes the information into the contactless IC tag according to an instruction from a computer connected via the network to the image processing apparatus.

15. The image processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the information to be written by the writer is specified on a side of the computer.

16. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein

the information read from the document shows a location of each of the related files.

17. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein

when the reader fails to read information from the document, the second controller does not control the display to change the display screen.

18. The image processing apparatus of claim 8, further comprising an automatic document feeder, and

the reader reads information from a document being set on the automatic document feeder.

19. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a reader that reads information from a document being set;

a first controller that performs a search for a file related to the read information;

a display;

a second controller that controls the display to show the related file in a selectable form;

a start button that commences one or more of processing functions when operated;

a third controller that, when the start button is operated while the related file shown is not selected, processes the set document itself.

20. The image processing apparatus of claim 19, including at least a copying function, wherein

the third controller processes the set document by making a copy thereof.