Image forming system, image forming apparatus, and information processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11418668-B2
Application number	US-202117317758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2021
Priority date	May 25, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

An image forming system includes: an image forming apparatus; and a recording material information detecting apparatus provided outside the image forming apparatus, wherein the recording material information detecting apparatus includes a recording material information detector that detects recording material information about a recording material, and the image forming apparatus includes: an image former; an operation detector; and a hardware processor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus; and
a recording material information detecting apparatus provided outside the image forming apparatus,
wherein
the recording material information detecting apparatus includes
a recording material information detector that detects recording material information about a recording material, and
the image forming apparatus includes:
an image former that forms an image on the recording material;
an operation detector that detects an operation performed on a recording material supplier that supplies the recording material to the image former;
a memory; and
a hardware processor that causes the memory to store the recording material information set and associated with each recording material supplier of a plurality of the recording material suppliers from which the operation has been detected, in an order in which the operation detector has detected the operation performed on the plurality of the recording material suppliers, in accordance with an order in which the recording material information detector has detected a plurality of pieces of the recording material information.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein
the memory stores:
a first table that stores a plurality of pieces of the recording material information collectively detected from a plurality of the recording materials at a predetermined timing by the recording material information detector, in the order in which the recording material information detector has detected the plurality of pieces of the recording material information; and
a second table that stores an order in which the recording material suppliers were operated, and
the hardware processor sets the recording material information on the recording material suppliers, to match the order of the recording material information stored in the first table with the order of the recording material suppliers stored in the second table.

3. The image forming system according to claim 2 , wherein
the predetermined timing is before a job is executed by the image former to form an image on the recording material, and
the recording material information detected by the recording material information detector within a predetermined time from the predetermined timing is stored in the first table.

4. The image forming system according to claim 2 , wherein
the hardware processor is capable of accepting a batch registration mode in which a plurality of pieces of the recording material information is collectively registered in a plurality of the recording material suppliers, and, when accepting the batch registration mode, sets the recording material information detected by the recording material information detector on the recording material suppliers detected by the operation detector.

5. The image forming system according to claim 2 , wherein
the order in which the recording material suppliers were operated is an order in which the recording material suppliers were closed after opened, the second table storing the order.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5 , wherein
the order in which the recording material suppliers were operated is an order in which the recording material suppliers in an open state were closed.

7. The image forming system according to claim 5 , wherein
the hardware processor compares the number of pieces of the recording material information stored in the first table with the number of the recording material suppliers stored in the second table, and changes the recording material information to be set on the recording material suppliers, depending on whether the number of the recording material suppliers is equal to or larger than the number of pieces of the recording material information, or whether the number of the recording material suppliers is smaller than the number of pieces of the recording material information.

8. The image forming system according to claim 7 , wherein,
when the number of the recording material suppliers detected by the operation detector is the same as the number of pieces of the recording material information, the hardware processor sets the recording material information stored in the first table, in the order in which the recording material suppliers were stored into the second table.

9. The image forming system according to claim 7 , wherein,
when the number of the recording material suppliers stored in the second table is smaller than the number of pieces of the recording material information stored in the first table, the hardware processor outputs a warning.

10. The image forming system according to claim 7 , wherein
the recording material supplier includes a size detector that detects a size of the recording material to be set in the recording material supplier, and,
when the number of the recording material suppliers stored in the second table is larger than the number of pieces of the recording material information stored in the first table, and a plurality of the recording material suppliers for which the size detector has detected the same size of the recording material is stored in the second table, the hardware processor sets the same recording material information on the plurality of the recording material suppliers.

11. The image forming system according to claim 10 , wherein,
when the recording material set in one of the recording material suppliers runs out during execution of a job, the hardware processor switches to another one of the recording material suppliers, and sets the same recording material information as the recording material information set on the one of the recording material suppliers on the another one of the recording material suppliers, the another one of the recording material suppliers having an automatic switching function that supplies the recording material set in another one of the recording material suppliers without stopping the job.

12. The image forming system according to claim 7 , wherein
the image forming apparatus includes a display, and,
when the number of pieces of the recording material information stored in the first table differs from the number of the recording material suppliers stored in the second table, the hardware processor causes the display to display a confirmation screen indicating the recording material information automatically set on the recording material suppliers.

13. The image forming system according to claim 7 , further comprising
a machine learner that acquires second recording material information set on a second recording material supplier provided in a second image forming apparatus, and machine-learns the second recording material supplier on which the second recording material information is set, the second recording material information being acquired from the second image forming apparatus,
wherein the machine learner acquires the recording material information detected by the recording material information detecting apparatus provided for the image forming apparatus, and recommends, to the image forming apparatus, information about the recording material supplier on which the acquired recording material information can be set, the recording material supplier being provided in the image forming apparatus.

14. The image forming system according to claim 13 , wherein
the image forming apparatus sets the recording material information detected by the recording material information detecting apparatus, on the recording material supplier recommended by the machine learner.

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

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Ogasawara Sayaka
• Konishi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• H04N1/00766

  Storing data · CPC title

• H04N1/00779 Primary

  Adjusting settings, e.g. mode, feeding rate or type of paper · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• H04N1/00623

  Selectively inputting media from one of a plurality of input sources, e.g. input trays · CPC title

• H04N1/00724

  Type of sheet, e.g. colour of paper or transparency · CPC title