Image forming apparatus incorporating information detector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10073396-B2
Application number	US-201715445023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an information obtainer, a memory, a candidate determining unit, and an image forming device. The information obtainer obtains feature information from the target recording medium. The memory stores at least one set of recording medium information regarding the target recording medium associated with the feature information and at least one set of image forming condition information corresponding to the recording medium information. The recording medium information is identification information. The candidate determining unit determines a candidate recording medium information from the recording medium information stored in the memory based on the feature information of the target recording medium obtained by the information obtainer. The image forming device forms an image on the target recording medium based on the image forming condition information in the memory according to the candidate recording medium information determined by the candidate determining unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
an information detector configured to obtain feature information for a target sheet;
a memory configured to store at least one set of sheet information regarding the target sheet associated with the feature information, the at least one set of sheet information being identification information that is discriminated from another sheet;
a control panel including an input device configured to receive input information from a user; and
at least one processor configured to,
determine whether a candidate sheet information from the at least one set of sheet information is stored in the memory based on the feature information of the target sheet obtained by the information detector,
in response to the candidate sheet information being stored in the memory,
display, on the control panel, the candidate sheet information, and

receive, via the input device, the input information indicating a selected one of the candidate sheet information displayed on the control panel, and
in response to the candidate sheet information not being stored in the memory,
display, on the control panel, a message indicating that the candidate sheet information is not stored in the memory.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the memory includes:
a first memory configured to store the at least one set of sheet information, the feature information corresponding to the at least one set of sheet information, and the image forming condition information; and
a second memory configured to receive from the first memory and store the candidate sheet information, the feature information and the image forming condition information corresponding to the candidate sheet information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the candidate sheet information includes a name of the target sheet.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the candidate sheet information includes a type of the target sheet.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to revise the candidate sheet information, the feature information, and the image forming condition information stored in the first memory.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to add the candidate sheet information, the feature information, and the image forming condition information to the first memory.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the feature information of the target sheet is sent to the second memory when no candidate sheet information based on the feature information obtained by the information detector is found from at least one set of the candidate sheet information stored in the first memory.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to set the candidate sheet information and the image forming condition information with respect to the feature information of the target sheet sent to the second memory.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the candidate sheet information, the feature information and the image forming condition information corresponding to new candidate sheet information based on information stored in the second memory is additionally stored in the first memory.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store the candidate sheet information, the feature information and the image forming condition information corresponding to the candidate sheet information.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the memory is configured to store at least one set of image forming condition information corresponding to the sheet information for the target sheet.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on the target sheet based on the at least one set of image forming condition information in the memory according to the candidate sheet information.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on the target sheet, wherein
the target sheet with the image is different when compared to the feature information of the target sheet obtained by the information detector.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on the target sheet, wherein
the target sheet with the image is same sheet when compared to the feature information of the target sheet obtained by the information detector.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the image forming condition information stored in the second memory.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the image forming condition information stored in the second memory is additionally stored in the first memory.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the candidate sheet information includes a print setting to form the image on the target sheet.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
multiple sheet containers to contain sheets, wherein
the candidate sheet information, the feature information and the image forming condition information corresponding to the candidate sheet information are set for each of the sheet containers, and
an image forming device is configured to perform image formation based on the image forming condition information set to one of the sheet containers that contains the target sheet to be printed.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein
the control panel is configured to select one of the sheet containers, and
the image forming device is configured to perform image formation based on the image forming condition information set to the one of the sheet containers selected in the control panel.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to notify when no candidate sheet information based on the feature information obtained by the information detector is found from at least one set of the candidate sheet information stored in the memory.

21. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control panel includes a display window, and
the at least one processor is configured to display, in the display window, one of the candidate sheet information and a message indicating that the candidate sheet information is not stored in the memory.

Assignees

• Kobayashi Yukifumi
• Makino Hideyo
• Ofuchi Tetsuya
• Nishimura Takayuki
• Sekino Yasuyuki
• Matsumoto Tohru
• Takenaga Noriaki
• Nakayama Satoshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Yukifumi
• Makino Hideyo
• Ofuchi Tetsuya
• Nishimura Takayuki
• Sekino Yasuyuki
• Matsumoto Tohru
• Takenaga Noriaki
• Nakayama Satoshi

Classifications

• H04N1/00734

  Optical detectors · CPC title

• G06K15/1868

  for fitting to an output condition, e.g. paper colour or format · CPC title

• B41J29/00

  Details of, or accessories for, typewriters or selective printing mechanisms not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title

• G06K15/4065

  Managing print media, e.g. determining available sheet sizes (feeding means G06K15/16) · CPC title