JP2001265180A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: In an image forming system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses, an image forming system capable of acquiring user information recorded in each image forming apparatus with an arbitrary image forming apparatus is provided. . A digital P input from an operation unit 308 is provided.
The user information acquisition request of PC-2 is transmitted to digital PPC-2 through SCSI. In response to the user information acquisition request, the system controller 603 operates the memory unit 6
The user information stored in 04 is similarly transmitted to the digital PPC-1 via SCSI. The system controller 303 of the digital PPC-1 can solve the problem by displaying the acquired user information on the operation unit 308.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses, and relates to a connecting operation in which a single image forming apparatus can share a printing operation with a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The present invention relates to an image forming system that can be performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the prior art, there is an image forming apparatus capable of performing a connecting operation in which an operation of copying one original to 100 sheets is performed by two connected image forming apparatuses. When the operation of copying one document to 100 sheets by the linking operation is executed by two image forming apparatuses (assuming that one image forming apparatus prints 50 sheets at a time), copying is performed by one sheet. Copy in half the time.

Further, when an image forming apparatus is used, a user / department ID (Identification identifier) is input to count the usage of the image forming apparatus for each user / department. In general, an operation method of charging each user or department is generally implemented.

In an environment where a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected as a network, when charging is managed by the above-described operation method, generally, all charging management apparatuses separate from the image forming apparatuses are connected to the network. In many cases, the operation of counting the amount of use of the image forming apparatus is performed at once.

[0005] However, in the case where billing is managed by a single image forming apparatus, the totaling amount for each user / department related to the image forming apparatus is calculated by a tallying apparatus by user / department ID mounted inside the image forming apparatus. Charge management based on this is possible.

In two or more image forming apparatuses capable of connecting operation, it is possible to exchange counter information for each user / department ID counted in each image forming apparatus by a conventional technique. . Therefore, when the user / department ID registered in each image forming apparatus matches,
Each image forming apparatus sends a user /
By having the counter information for each department ID transmitted, even if there is no separate charging management device from the image forming device connected to the network, the usage amount of each user / department of the image forming device connected to the network can be reduced. It was possible to count.

[0007] A similar prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-9.
In the case where each of a plurality of networked digital copiers has user restricting means as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8038, it is possible to permit one digital copier to restrict the user of another digital copier. A network system for a copying machine has been proposed.

[0008]

However, in the above-described image forming apparatus network system, when one user performs a totaling operation, the user goes to the place where each image forming apparatus exists and transfers the user to one image forming apparatus. /
Unless the counter information for each department ID is transmitted, there is a problem that the counter information of each image forming apparatus constituting the network cannot be totaled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one image forming apparatus is used when user / department IDs registered in each image forming apparatus constituting an image forming apparatus network system match. In step (1), counter information for each user / department ID of each image forming apparatus constituting the network is obtained and displayed on the operation panel.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system in which printing on transfer paper enables the use amount of each user / department to be managed by one image forming apparatus without a separately provided management apparatus.

[0010]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses.
Identification means for identifying users who have used each user / department on the same basis in all image forming apparatuses constituting the image forming system, and recording means for recording the number of uses for each user identified by the identification means Acquiring means for acquiring the number of uses for each user / department recorded on any one of the image forming apparatuses by the recording means, and display means for displaying the number of uses for each user / department acquired by the acquiring means And an image forming system comprising:

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the totalization of the number of uses for each user / department recorded by the recording means of all the image forming apparatuses constituting the image forming system is performed. The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a unit.

The invention described in claim 3 is the first or second invention.
In the invention described in (1), the number of times of use for each user / department displayed by the display means is printed by the printing means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, when it is not possible to acquire the number of uses for each user / department, the fact is displayed on a display means. It is characterized by.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 17 show an embodiment of the image forming system according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, a resource means a functional unit shared by a plurality of applications.

FIG. 1 shows an internal configuration diagram of one digital PPC constituting a digital PPC system applied as an embodiment of the present invention. When a print key 34 on the operation unit 30 is pressed, a document bundle placed on a document table 2 in an automatic document feeder (hereinafter, referred to as an ADF) 1 is moved to a lowermost position. The original is fed to a predetermined position on the contact glass 6 by the feed roller 3 and the feed belt 4.

After reading the image data of the document on the contact glass 6 by the reading unit 50, the read document is discharged by the feed belt 4 and the discharge roller 5. Further, when the next document is detected on the document table 2 by the document set detection 7, the document is fed onto the contact glass 6 in the same manner as the previous document. The feed roller 3, the feed belt 4, and the discharge roller 5 are driven by a motor.

The transfer sheets stacked on the first tray 8, the second tray 9, and the third tray 10 are supplied to the first sheet feeding device 11,
Paper is fed by the second paper feeder 12 and the third paper feeder 13, and is transported by the vertical transport unit 14 to a position where it comes into contact with the photoconductor 15. The image data read by the reading unit 50 is written on the photoconductor 15 by the laser from the writing unit 57 and
, A toner image is formed.

The toner image on the photoconductor 15 is transferred while the transfer paper is being conveyed by the conveyance belt 16 at the same speed as the rotation of the photoconductor 15. Thereafter, the image is fixed by the fixing unit 17, and is discharged to the finisher 100 which is a post-processing device by the discharge unit 18.

The finisher 100, which is a post-processing device, can guide the transfer paper conveyed from the paper discharge unit 18 of the main body separately to the direction of the stacker conveyance roller 102 and the direction of the staple conveyance roller 105. By switching the switching plate 101 upward, the sheet can be discharged to the stacker discharge tray 104 via the transport roller 103, and the switching plate 1
01 is switched downward, the staple transport roller 10
The sheet can be conveyed to the staple tray 108 via the trays 5 and 107.

The transfer paper stacked on the staple tray 108 is discharged every time one sheet is discharged.
As a result, the end faces of the paper are aligned, and the sheets are bound by the stapler 106 when a part of the copying is completed. Stapler 1
The transfer paper group bound at 06 is stored in the stapling completed paper discharge tray 110 by its own weight.

On the other hand, the stacker discharge tray 104 is a discharge tray that can move back and forth. The stacker discharge tray 104 that can move back and forth moves back and forth for each document or for each copy sorted by the image memory.
This sorts copy paper that is simply discharged.

When images are formed on both sides of the transfer paper, the transfer paper fed from each of the paper discharge trays 8 to 10 is not guided to the paper discharge tray side, but is branched for path switching. By setting the claw 112 on the upper surface, the sheet is temporarily stocked in the double-sided sheet feeding unit 111.

Thereafter, the transfer paper stocked in the duplex paper supply unit 111 is re-fed from the duplex paper supply unit 111 in order to transfer the toner image formed on the photosensitive member 15 again, and is used for path switching. The branch claw 112 is set on the lower surface, and is guided to the paper discharge tray 104. As described above, the double-sided paper feeding unit 111 is used when an image is created on both sides of the transfer paper.

The photoconductor 15, the conveyor belt 16, the fixing unit 17, the paper discharging unit 18 and the developing unit 27 are driven by a main motor (not shown), and each of the paper feeding units 11 to 13 is driven by a main motor (not shown). The paper unit is driven by being transmitted to and driven by a paper feed clutch. The vertical transport unit 14 is driven by the drive of a main motor (not shown) transmitted and transmitted by an intermediate clutch.

FIG. 2 shows the operation unit 30. The operation unit 30 has a liquid crystal touch panel 31, a numeric keypad 32, a clear / stop key 33, a print key 34, and a mode clear key 35. The liquid crystal touch panel 31 has a function key 37, the number of copies, a state of the digital PPC, and user billing information. Is displayed.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31. When the operator touches the key displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31, the key indicating the selected function is inverted to black. If the details of the function have to be specified (for example, a variable magnification value in the case of variable magnification), a key is touched to display a detailed function setting screen. Since the liquid crystal touch panel 31 uses a dot display, it is possible to graphically display an optimum display at that time.

In FIG. 3, a message area 201 displays a message such as “Ready to copy” or “Please wait”, and a copy number display unit 202 displays the number of sheets set. Can automatically select the adjustment function of the image density.

By pressing the automatic paper selection key 204, the user can select a function for automatically selecting the transfer paper, and by pressing the sort key 208, the copied paper is partially aligned in the page order. By pressing the stack key 207, it is possible to specify processing for sorting copies by page, and it is possible to specify processing for binding sheets sorted by the staple key 206 one by one.

The magnification can be set to the same magnification with the same magnification key 205, the enlargement / reduction magnification can be set with the variable magnification key 212, the double-sided key 211 can be used to set the double-sided mode,
A binding margin mode or the like is set with the movement key 210. The mode in which the stamp or date is selected is shaded.

Hereinafter, an operation from reading an image of a document to forming the latent image on the recording surface will be described with reference to FIG. A latent image is a potential distribution formed by converting an image of a document into optical information and irradiating the image onto the photoconductor 15.

The reading unit 50 is constituted by an optical scanning system on a contact glass 6 on which an original is placed. The optical scanning system includes an exposure lamp 51, a first mirror 52, and a lens 5.
3. It is composed of a CCD image sensor 54 and the like. The exposure lamp 51 and the first mirror 52 are fixed on a first carriage (not shown), and the second mirror 55 and the third mirror 56 are fixed on a second carriage (not shown).
When reading a document image, the first carriage and the second carriage are mechanically scanned at a relative speed of 2: 1 so that the optical path length does not change.

The optical scanning system is driven by a scanner drive motor (not shown). The document image is read by the CCD image sensor 54, converted into an electric signal, and processed. By moving the lens 53 and the CCD image sensor 54 in the left-right direction in FIG. 1, the image magnification changes. The positions of the lens 53 and the CCD image sensor 54 in the left and right direction are set corresponding to the designated magnification.

The writing unit 57 comprises a laser output unit 58, an imaging lens 59 and a mirror 60. Inside the laser output unit 58, a rotating polygon mirror which rotates at high speed at a high speed by a laser diode as a laser light source and a motor. (Polygon mirror).

The laser light emitted from the laser output unit 58 is polarized by a polygon mirror that rotates at a constant speed, passes through an imaging lens 59, is turned back by a mirror 60, and forms a focused image on the photosensitive member 15. . The polarized laser light is exposed and scanned in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the direction in which the photoconductor 15 rotates, and records the image signal output from the selector 64 of the image processing unit line by line. The main scanning is repeated at a predetermined cycle corresponding to the rotation speed of the photoconductor 15 and the recording speed, so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 15.

As described above, the laser beam output from the writing unit 57 is applied to the photoconductor 15 of the image forming system. Although not shown, a beam sensor for generating a main scanning synchronization signal is disposed at a position near one end of the photoconductor 15 where the laser beam is irradiated. Based on the main scanning synchronization signal, a control signal for controlling image recording start timing in the main scanning direction and for inputting and outputting an image signal described later is generated.

The configuration of the image processing section (image reading section and image writing section) will be described below with reference to FIG. The light emitted from the exposure lamp 51 irradiates the original surface, the reflected light from the original surface is imaged by an imaging lens (not shown), received by the CCD image sensor 54, photoelectrically converted, and converted by the A / D converter 61. It is converted to a digital signal. The image signal converted into the digital signal is subjected to shading correction by a shading correction 62, and then MTF correction and γ correction are performed by an MTF γ correction 63.

The selector 64 switches the destination of the image signal to the variable magnification 71 or the memory controller 65. The image signal that has passed through the variable magnification 71 is enlarged or reduced in accordance with the variable magnification and sent to the writing unit 57.

Image signals can be bidirectionally input and output between the memory controller 65 and the selector 64. Although not particularly shown in FIG. 8, the image processing unit (IPU) includes a reading unit 5.
In addition to image data input from 0, image data input from outside (for example, data output from a data processing device such as a personal computer) can be processed.
A function of selecting input / output of a plurality of data can be performed.

The CPU 68 sets the memory controller 65 and the like and controls the reading unit 50 and the writing unit 57. The ROM 69 stores a program for driving the CPU 68, and the RAM 70 stores image data. More CPU
Reference numeral 68 denotes an image memory 6 via the memory controller 65.
6 can be written and read.

The image signal for one page in the selector 64 based on FIG. 10 will be described below.
/ FGATE indicates the validity period of one page of image data in the sub-scanning direction. / LSYNC is a main scanning synchronization signal for each line, and the image signal becomes valid at a predetermined clock after this signal rises. / LGATE
Indicates that the image signal in the main scanning direction is valid. These signals are synchronized with the pixel clock VCLK,
Data of one pixel is sent for one cycle of CLK.
The image processing unit (IPU) has separate / FGATE /, LSYNC, / LGAT for each of image input and output.
E and VCLK generation mechanisms enable various image input / output combinations.

The relationship between the memory controller 65 and the image memory 66 shown in FIG. 8 will be described below in detail with reference to FIG. The memory controller 65 has a block of an input data selector 101, an image synthesis 102, a primary compression / decompression 103, an output data selector 104, and a secondary compression / decompression 105. The setting of control data in each block is performed by the CPU 68. Addresses and data in FIG. 8 indicate image data.
Data and addresses connected to 8 are not shown.

The image memory 66 includes a primary storage device 106 and a secondary storage device 107. The primary storage device 106 controls the D so that data writing to the memory or data reading from the memory at the time of image output is performed at high speed substantially in synchronization with the transfer speed of the input image data.
A memory such as a RAM that can be accessed at high speed is used.
The primary storage device 106 is configured to be able to divide into a plurality of areas according to the size of the image data to be processed and to simultaneously execute input and output of image data (interface unit with the memory controller 65).

Inputting image data into each divided area,
To enable the outputs to be executed in parallel, the interface with the memory controller 65 is connected by two sets of address and data lines for reading and writing. As a result, while an image is input (written) to the area 1,
An operation of outputting (reading) an image can be further performed.

The secondary storage device 107 is a large-capacity memory for storing data for synthesizing and sorting input images. If elements that can be accessed at high speed are used for both the primary storage device 106 and the secondary storage device 107, data processing can be performed without distinction between primary and secondary, and control becomes relatively simple. Although the speed of access to the secondary storage device 107 is not so high because of the high cost of the element capable of performing the operation, an inexpensive and large-capacity recording medium is used, and the processing of input / output data is performed via the primary storage device 106. Configuration.

By configuring the image memory 66 as described above, it is possible to provide a digital PPC having an inexpensive and relatively simple configuration capable of processing such as input / output, storage, and processing of a large amount of image data. Will be possible.

The outline of the operation of the memory controller 65 will be described below. First, the operation of inputting an image, that is, storing the image in an image memory will be described. The input data selector 101 selects one of the image memories 66 from among the plurality of data.
The image data to be written to the next storage device 106 is selected.

The image data selected by the input data selector 101 is supplied to an image synthesizing unit 102 and is synthesized with data stored in the image memory 66 in advance.
The image data processed by the image synthesis 102 is compressed by the primary compression / decompression 103, and the data after compression is 1
The data is written to the next storage device 106. Primary storage device 106
Is further compressed by the secondary compression / decompression 105 as necessary, and then stored in the secondary storage device 107.

At the time of image output, image data stored in the primary storage device 106 is read. When the image to be output is stored in the primary storage device 106,
The image data is decompressed by the primary compression / decompression 103, and the decompressed data or the data obtained by performing image synthesis of the decompressed data and the input data is output to the output data selector 10.
4. Select and output.

The image combining unit 102 combines the data in the primary storage unit 106 with the input data (has a function of adjusting the phase of the image data) and selects the output destination of the combined data (image output, primary storage unit 106). Write-back to both, and simultaneous output to both output destinations). If the image to be output is not stored in the primary storage device 106, the output target image data stored in the secondary storage device 107 is expanded by the secondary compression / expansion 105, and the data after expansion is After being written to the primary storage device 106, it is output by the above-described image output operation.

The operation reservation means that the copying operation cannot be started while the fixing machine is being heated in the copying machine, but the mode setting and the setting of the original are completed and the reservation is made. This is a function that automatically starts a copy operation at a point in time. In this embodiment, the operation can be reserved during the fixing heating. However, any other operation that can be operated with the passage of time is eligible. It is considered that the LCT tray is rising, the polygon motor rotation stabilizes, the toner is being supplied, or the like.

Hereinafter, a hardware configuration based on the hardware configuration example of the digital PPC according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4 will be described. The hardware configuration examples shown in FIG. 4 are the image reading unit 301, the image writing unit 302, the system controller 303, the memory unit 304, and the user restriction device 30 in both the hardware configuration example-1 and the hardware configuration example-2.
6, a human body detection 307, a CSS (remote diagnosis device) 309, and a clock 305, and a memory unit 304
Are the compression block 304a and the DRAM block 30
4b and a DMA block 304c.

In the example shown in Hardware Configuration Example-1, the CPU that controls the control system is a system controller 3
03 is only the CPU 303a incorporated in the system controller 03, and in the example shown in the hardware configuration example-2, the system controller 3
03, the image writing unit 302, the image reading unit 301, and the memory unit 304, and can be freely configured by transmitting a command from the system controller 303 to each controller via a control signal line.

The memory unit 304 is necessary only when executing a memory function, and is not necessary only when executing a normal copy function. Clock 30
Step 5 is necessary only when executing a weekly timer function for booting or shutting down the machine at a specific time.

The human body detection 307 is necessary only when executing a function of automatically canceling the preheating mode when a user approaches the machine in the preheating mode. CSS
(Remote diagnosis device) 309 is a device for performing a remote diagnosis. Specifically, when a machine error occurs, the machine automatically notifies a service center or changes the execution state / use state of the machine from a remote place. Because it is for monitoring,
It only needs to be mounted when such a function is required.

A DRAM 304c in the memory unit 304 shown in FIG. 4 stores an image signal read by the image reading unit 301, and is stored in the image writing unit 302 in response to a request from the system controller 303. Image data can be transferred. The compression block 304a has a compression function such as MH, MR, and MNR, and compresses an image once read, thereby improving the use efficiency of a memory (DRAM). The image is rotated by changing the address read from the image writing unit 302 and its direction.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of a digital PPC system when the present invention is implemented. In FIG. 5, eight digital PPCs are configured as a network, but the number of connected digital PPCs is not limited.

An example of a hardware configuration for realizing the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The hardware configuration of one digital PPC as shown in FIG.
The hardware configuration is almost the same as that shown in the hardware configuration example-1. The following description is based on the example of digital PPC-1.

In the memory unit 304, a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) as a network means and a network means for transferring the read image to a network or storing image data from the network in a DRAM block 304 b in the memory unit 304. Use a SCSI controller.

As a matter of course, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) is used as physical means for network communication means, and OSI (Open System Interface) is used for data communication.
e) Various means such as using TCP / IP communication of the reference model are conceivable. In addition, by using the configuration as shown in FIG. 6, not only image data transfer, but also
Control commands and setting commands such as an in-machine status notification of each machine existing on the network and a remote output command described later are also transferred.

The operation of transferring an image read by the digital PPC-1 to the image writing section 602 of the digital PPC-2 will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a software conceptual diagram of the digital PPC-1 and the digital PPC-2 shown in FIG.

A copy application 401 and a copy application 701 shown in FIG. 7 are applications for executing a copy sequence for executing a copy operation, and an input / output control 409 and an input / output control 710 are for performing logical / physical conversion of data. Layer (device driver)
Operation controller 404 and operation controller 704
Is a layer for executing an MMI (Man Machine Interface) (a layer for performing LCD display, LED on / off, key input scan, and the like at a logical level). The peripheral controller 405 and the peripheral controller 705 are an automatic duplex unit, a sorter, and the like. This is a layer that controls a peripheral device mounted on a digital PPC such as an ADF at a logical level. Image forming apparatus controller 406, image forming apparatus controller 706, image reading apparatus controller 407, and image reading apparatus controller 70
7, memory unit 408 and memory unit 708
Is as described above.

The daemon process 402 is a digital PPC
-2 when a print request is issued from the memory unit 3
The application exists to read image data stored in the image forming apparatus 04 and transfer the image data to the image forming apparatus. Before the daemon process 402 reads an image from the memory unit 304 and executes a print operation, the image transfer from the digital PPC-2 must be completed.

When the digital PPC-1 shown in FIG. 7 executes a copying operation using its own resources, an image forming apparatus, an image reading apparatus, and, if necessary, a peripheral device,
Each resource of the memory unit is requested to the system control 403. The system control 403 arbitrates the right to use the resource in response to the request from the copy application 401 and notifies the copy application 401 of the arbitration result (usability or non-usability). In a state where the digital PPC-1 is not connected to the network, the resources are in a state where the copy application can occupy the resources, so that the immediate copying operation is executed.

When executing a print operation using the resources of the digital PPC-2, the system control 703 is requested to use the resources. Digital PPC-2
The system control 703 arbitrates resources according to the request and notifies the digital PPC-1 of the result.

When the right of use is granted, the application executes image reading, and when image storage in the memory unit 304 is completed, the digital PP is transmitted via the SCSI.
The image is transferred to the memory unit 604 of C-2. When the image transfer is completed, after transmitting various conditions (printing port, paper discharging port, number of prints, etc.) for executing printing to the daemon process 702 of the digital PPC-2, a print start command is transmitted. Upon receiving the print start command, the daemon process 702 of the digital PPC-2 receives the print start command, and the system controller 603 of the digital PPC-2.
Is requested to start printing, and the remote output is executed by the system controller 603.

The digital PP by the digital PPC-1
When the C-2 memory unit 604 is used,
The application of the memory unit 604 of the digital PPC-2 becomes unusable. (When a plurality of digital PPCs are connected on a network as shown in FIG. 5, applications of digital PPCs other than digital PPC-1 are disabled.)

The operation of the present invention of a digital PPC system composed of two units is schematically described below. 12, 13, and 14, numbers surrounded by round frames represent user / department-specific IDs, and numbers surrounded by rectangular frames represent the number of transfer materials used by the user / department. In FIG. 17, the underlined left number indicates the user / department ID, and the right number indicates the number of sheets used.

The user / department ID is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31.
When the "other device" button is pressed after the other usage information is displayed, the user code of the other connected digital PPC as shown in FIG. 13 is displayed. By pressing the “total” button in FIG. 13, the result of aggregation for each user code shown in FIG. 14 is displayed on the operation unit 30.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. One digital P
PC-1 displays usage information for each user / department ID. Thereafter, when the “total” button is pressed, the digital PPC-2 is notified of the user code and the counter value request. Wait for a digital PPC-2 counter request response for a fixed time. If a response is returned within a predetermined time (TI), digital PPC-1 and digital PPC-2 as shown in FIG. User /
The result of counting the counter values divided into section IDs is displayed.

If there is no response within a certain time, the digital P
It is considered that the PC-2 is not operating because the power is turned off or the like, and a warning is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 14, when the “print list” button is pressed, the totalized usage amounts for the two user / department IDs as shown in FIG. 17 are printed on transfer paper, and the process ends. .

Although a network composed of two digital PPCs has been described for simplicity, any number of image forming apparatuses can be used as long as the image forming system is composed of image forming apparatuses that can be connected. However, it is possible to implement the present invention.

The usage information of any one of the image forming apparatuses connected as described above is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one of the image forming apparatuses, so that one person is connected to the network. When collecting the usage information of the image forming apparatuses, only the operation of the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus is performed, and the usage information of each image forming apparatus for each user / department ID is collected. Can be displayed above.

Further, the result of summing up the usage amounts of all the connected image forming apparatuses is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus, so that the user can display the usage amount information of all the image forming apparatuses. It is not necessary to perform the totaling afterwards, and the totalized result can be obtained only by operating the liquid crystal touch panel 31.

Further, since the result of summing up the usage amounts of all the linked image forming apparatuses can be printed only by operating the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus, the summed up and displayed result is obtained. It is not necessary to copy the image on paper or the like by handwriting of the user, which is very convenient.

Further, if the usage information for each user / department ID cannot be totaled because one of the connected image forming apparatuses is turned off, for example, because the main power is turned off, the information of the image forming apparatus cannot be obtained. Since it is displayed, the possibility that the counting result is incorrect is reduced.

[0077]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the usage information of any one of the connected image forming apparatuses is the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus.
Is displayed, even when collecting the usage information of the image forming apparatus connected to the network by one person,
Only by operating the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one of the image forming apparatuses, the usage amount information for each user / department ID of each image forming apparatus can be displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31.

According to the invention described in claim 2, according to claim 1
According to the invention described in (1), the result of totaling the usage amounts of all the connected image forming apparatuses is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus, so that the user can use the usage information of all the image forming apparatuses. It is not necessary to perform tallying after the operation is performed, and the tallyed result can be obtained only by operating the liquid crystal touch panel 31.

According to the invention described in claim 3, according to claim 1
Or in the invention described in 2, the result of summing up the usage amounts of all the connected image forming apparatuses is printed only by operating the liquid crystal touch panel 31 of one image forming apparatus. There is no need to copy the displayed result on paper or the like by handwriting of the user, which is very convenient.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, any one of the connected image forming apparatuses is connected to the user because the main power supply is turned off or the like. If the usage amount information for each department ID cannot be totaled, a message indicating that the information of the image forming apparatus is not available is displayed, and the possibility that the totaling result is erroneous is reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a digital PPC constituting a digital PPC according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation unit 30 of the digital PPC shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen of an operation unit 30.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration in a conventional digital PPC.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a configuration of a digital PPC system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a hardware configuration inside two digital PPCs constituting a digital PPC system according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an example showing a software configuration of a digital PPC constituting a digital PPC system according to the present invention.

8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing unit in the digital PPC shown in FIG.

9 is a diagram showing details of a memory controller 65 and an image memory 66 in FIG. 9 in particular; FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a clock signal for an image signal for one page in the selector 64.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a remote diagnosis system.

FIG. 12 is an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 when acquiring count information of a digital PPC operated by a user.

FIG. 13 is an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 when acquiring count information of a digital PPC different from a digital PPC operated by a user.

FIG. 14 is an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 as a result of summing up usage information of all image forming apparatuses connected to the network.

FIG. 15 is an example of a screen displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 31 when count information of a digital PPC different from a digital PPC operated by a user is not available.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an operation example up to obtaining count information different from digital PPC operated by a user.

17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document on which the display screen illustrated in FIG. 14 is printed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 30 Operation Unit 31 LCD Touch Panel 32 Numeric Keypad 33 Clear / Stop Key 34 Print Key 35 Mode Clear Key 37 Function Key 38 Initial Setting Key 201 Message Area 202 Number of Copies Display 203 Automatic Density Key 204 Automatic Paper Selection Key 205 1: 1 Key 206 Staple Key 207 Stack key 208 Sort key 209 Print key 210 Erase / Move key 211 Double-sided key 212 Zooming key 301 Image reading unit 302 Image writing unit 303 System controller 304 Memory unit 305 Clock 306 User limiter 307 Human body detection 308 Operation unit 309 CSS 301a CPU 302a CPU 303a CPU 304a Compression block 304b DRAM block 304c DMA block 304d CP 304e SCSI controller 601 image reading unit 602 the image writing unit 603 the system controller 604 memory unit 605 604a compressed block clock 606 user restriction equipment 607 human body detection 608 operation unit 609 CSS 603a CPU 604b DMA block 604c DRAM block 605e SCSI Controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (reference) H04N 1/00 G03G 21/00 392 F term (reference) 2C061 AP07 HH03 HJ07 HK04 HK11 HK15 HN02 HN15 2H027 DA45 EJ04 EJ05 EJ06 EJ08 EJ09 EJ13 EJ15 FD10 GB07 GB12 5B021 AA19 EE04 KK00 NN18 PP04 5C062 AA05 AB22 AB23 AC04 AC05 AC58 AC60 AF07 9A001 JJ28 JJ35 LL09

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses, wherein the image forming apparatuses are connected to a user / user on the same basis in all image forming apparatuses constituting the image forming system.
Identification means for identifying a user used by each department, recording means for recording the number of sheets of transfer material used for each user identified by the identification means, and any one of the image forming apparatuses by the recording means An image processing apparatus comprising: an acquisition unit for acquiring the number of used transfer materials for each user / department to be recorded; and a display unit for displaying the number of times of use for each user / department acquired by the acquisition unit. Forming system. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a totaling unit that totalizes the number of used transfer materials for each user / department recorded by the recording unit of all the image forming apparatuses included in the image forming system. The image forming system according to claim 1. 3. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the number of used transfer materials for each user / department displayed by the display unit is printed by the printing unit. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the number of used transfer materials for each user / department cannot be obtained, the fact is displayed on the display unit. system.