Image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10423213-B2
Application number	US-201816044989-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2018
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area. A processor of the apparatus is configured to determine whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received by the communication interface from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area; and
a processor configured to determine whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received by the communication interface from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter,
wherein when the portable terminal is determined to have been within the detection area for a first period of time, the processor is configured to shift to the operable state.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus includes the transmitter.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the transmitter to transmit a signal to the portable terminal including information identifying the image forming apparatus.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the transmitter to transmit within the detection area a signal having a signal strength greater than a threshold value.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the portable terminal is one of a smartphone, a wearable terminal, a mobile phone or a tablet PC.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein after the processor shifts to the operable state, the processor is configured to execute login processing.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the portable terminal is determined to have left the detection area before a first period of time, the processor is configured to terminate monitoring of the portable terminal.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to hold identification information of a user, wherein
when identification information of the user contained in the proximity information is coincident with the identification information of the user stored in the memory, the processor is configured to be logged into by the user specified by the coincident identification information.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area; and
a processor configured to determine whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received by the communication interface from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter, wherein the processor is configured to shift from the sleep state to the operable state when a portable terminal entering the detection area is determined to exist in the detection region even after a setting time elapses.

10. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area; and
a processor configured to determine whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received by the communication interface from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter,
wherein when leaving information including user information indicating that the user leaves the detection area is received by the communication interface from the portable terminal, when a user indicated by the user information contained in the leaving information is in a login state, the processor is configured to perform a logout operation,
wherein after the processor performs a logout operation, when the portable terminal is determined to have left the detection area for a period of time, the processor is configured to shift to the sleep state.

11. A method of operating an image forming apparatus, comprising:
communicating with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area; and
determining whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter,
wherein when the portable terminal is determined to have been within the detection area for a first period of time, shifting to the operable state.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising controlling the transmitter to transmit a signal to the portable terminal including information identifying the image forming apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 11 ,
wherein when identification information of a user contained in the proximity information is coincident with the identification information of the user stored in a memory, logging into by the user specified by the coincident identification information.

14. A method of operating an image forming apparatus, comprising:
communicating with a portable terminal capable of receiving a signal from a transmitter in a detection area;
determining whether to shift to an operable state from a sleep state based on user information contained in proximity information when the proximity information, containing the user information indicating that a user enters the detection area, is received from the portable terminal receiving a signal from the transmitter; and
shifting from the sleep state to the operable state when the portable terminal entering the detection area is determined to exist in the detection region even after a setting time elapses.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Takahashi Toshiharu

Classifications

• H04W4/021

  Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences · CPC title

• H04N1/00896

  using a low-power mode, e.g. standby · CPC title

• H04N1/00888

  Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N1/00315

  with a radio transmission apparatus (with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W) · CPC title

• H04N1/00082

  Adjusting or controlling (interrupting an operation H04N1/00915; inhibiting an operation H04N1/00925) · CPC title