Patent Grant
8643864
This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0129124, filed on Dec. 22, 2009 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus and an error guide offering method thereof, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus and an error guide offering method thereof which offers an error guide to a plurality of errors occurring from the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms an image on a document. The image forming apparatus may include a printer, a photocopier, a facsimile, a multi-function device which has at least two functions, etc.
Recently, demand for an image forming apparatus as an office automation device performing not only a document print function but also a scanning function and a faxing function has increased. Accordingly, the image forming apparatus has been developed to provide extended functions with high performance.
As the functions of the image forming apparatus become various, the type of errors which may occur from the image forming apparatus increases and a measure taken by a user for the errors is complicated.
To enable a user to easily take measures for the error, a method of offering an error guide through a user interface (UI) as a text or graphic provided in the image forming apparatus is used.
However, if the error guide is offered through the UI as above, the conventional image forming apparatus provides sequential measures for each of a plurality of errors.
Thus, a user repeats the same error guide to a plurality of errors, causing inefficiency and wasting time unnecessarily.
Accordingly, one or more exemplary embodiments provide an image forming apparatus and an error guide offering method thereof which offers an error guide integrating a common procedure in errors guides to a plurality of errors occurring from the image forming apparatus, and processes the errors efficiently and reduces waste of time.
The foregoing and/or other aspects may be achieved by providing an error guide offering method of an image forming apparatus which includes a display unit to display a user interface (UI) offering an error guide to an error, the method including: detecting the error from the image forming apparatus; determining whether the error occurs from a plurality of locations; determining whether error guides to the error occurring from the plurality of locations have a common procedure; displaying a first error guide to a first error; displaying a second error guide to a second error instead of returning to a standby mode upon a completion of the processing of the error according to the first error guide; processing the second error according to the second error guide, the displaying the second error guide including displaying a common procedure in the first and second error guides.
The first and second errors which have the common procedure may be selectively processed.
The method may further include displaying a type of the error and a location where the error occurs.
The first error guide and the second error guide may be displayed in the preset order of priority in processing the first and second errors which have the common procedure.
The detecting the error and confirming the completion of the processing of the error may be performed by a sensor within the image forming apparatus.
A next procedure may be displayed if the completion of processing the error is confirmed by the sensor.
Another aspect is achieved by providing an image forming apparatus which provides a user interface (UI) offering an error guide to an error, the image forming apparatus including: a display unit which displays thereon a UI offering a guide to the error; a storage unit which stores therein an error guide to the error; a controller which determines whether the error occurs from a plurality of locations upon a detection of the error, determines whether a common procedure exists in error guides to the errors occurring from the plurality of locations based on the stored error guide, controls the display unit to display thereon a first error guide to a first error, and controls the display unit to display thereon a second error guide to a second error instead of returning to a standby mode upon a completion of processing the first error according to the first error guide, and the controller controlling the display unit to firstly display a common procedure in the first error guide and the second error guide.
The first and second errors which have the common procedure may be selectively processed.
The display unit may display thereon a type of the error and a location where the error occurs.
The display unit may display thereon the first error guide and the second error guide in a preset order of priority in processing the first and second errors which have the common procedure.
The detection of the error and the confirmation of the processing of the error may be performed by a sensor within the image forming apparatus.
The display unit may display a next procedure if the processing of the error is confirmed by the sensor.
The above and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Below, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings so as to be easily realized by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art. The exemplary embodiments may be embodied in various forms without being limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Descriptions of well-known parts are omitted for clarity, and like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
As shown therein, the image forming apparatus 100 according to the exemplary embodiment includes a user input unit 110, a display unit 120, an image forming unit 130, a storage unit 140, a communication unit 150 and a controller 160. The image forming apparatus 100 may further include a fax unit 170 and an image scanner 180 as in
The image forming apparatus 100 may further include a sensor which is provided in each element and senses an error. For example, a plurality of sensors may be provided in each of paper feeding paths to detect a jam while a sensor may be provided in a cartridge mounting part to sense a residual amount of a toner. The image forming apparatus 100 may sense an error and confirm the processing of the error through the sensor therein. The sensing result of the sensor is transmitted to the controller 160.
The user input unit 110 receives data or a command from a user.
The user input unit 110 includes an input button 111 (hereinafter, to be also called “hard key” or “key pad”) provided in the image forming apparatus 100 or a touch screen 112 (hereinafter, to be also called “touch panel” or “touch pad”) which receives a user's command by touch.
The input button 111 includes a number key such as 0, 1, 2, . . . , and 9, a special key such as * and #, a function key corresponding to various functions of the image forming apparatus 100 and a menu key to set the environment of the image forming apparatus 100.
The touch screen 112 may include a graphic user interface (GUI) (hereinafter, to be also called “user interface (UI)”) which is generated by an execution of a predetermined application and displayed on the display unit 120 to receive a user's input by touch.
A user may perform a log-in process inputting an ID and a password assigned for each user account through the user input unit 110. The log-in process includes an administrator log-in process in which setting and change of all of the environments of the image forming apparatus 100 is available without an additional access limit.
If a user log-in process or an administrator log-in process is performed, the image forming apparatus 100 identifies and permits a user. According to the embodiment, a user includes an administrator.
The display unit 120 displays thereon a setting and operation status of the image forming apparatus 100. Upon an occurrence of an error, the display unit 120 may display thereon a UI screen offering an error guide. The display unit 120 may display thereon a UI screen offering an error guide to a type of the error and a location of the error.
The display unit 120 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a driver (not shown) to drive the LCD.
In the image forming apparatus 100, the user input unit 110 may include a GUI icon to be selected by a user through a touch screen of the display unit 120. The user input unit 110 and the display unit 120 may be provided as a single configuration rather than separate configurations.
In the image forming apparatus 100, the single configuration of the user input unit 110 and the display unit 120 is also called an operation panel equipment (OPE).
The image forming unit 130 forms an image on at least one sheet of paper based on print data and performs a print operation according to a print command. The print operation includes a print operation for received fax data, a print operation to copy a scanned document, and a print operation for print data received from the outside through a host apparatus or print data stored in an inside (hard disk drive) or outside (USB memory stick) of the image forming apparatus 100.
The storage unit 140 stores therein various print data for a print operation, fax data for a fax transmission, image data scanned by the image scanner 180, data received from an external device 201 including a server or the host apparatus or a PC connected through the communication unit 150, various setting information of the image forming apparatus 100 through the user input unit 110, user certification information set for each user account, usage authorization information, etc. The storage unit 140 may further store therein fax data which are received from an external fax machine 202 through the fax unit 170.
The storage unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 100 further stores therein information on an error guide to an error occurring from the image forming apparatus 100. The stored information on the error guide is displayed on the display unit 120 as a UI such as a text or graphic.
More specifically, the stored information on the error guide may include a plurality of UI information sequentially provided to a user corresponding to the occurred errors. The plurality of UI information may include UI (e.g., open and close front door) which may be offered in common for a plurality of errors.
The storage unit 140 includes an internal storage medium such as an HDD, or an external or portable storage medium such as a USB memory, a memory card (memory stick, CF card, and a MMC), and a memory card slot.
The communication unit 150 performs a data communication with the host apparatus or the external device 201 including a server, and receives print data in a predetermined print language from the outside.
The communication unit 150 may include a wired/wireless network communication module which is connected with the external device such as the host apparatus 201 by a local connection or in a network by a predetermined protocol, or an interface (e.g., USB port) connected to a portable storage medium such as a USB memory or an interface which is connected to the HDD.
The communication unit 150 may perform a scan to host function or a scan to server function to transmit a scan image to the host apparatus or the external device 201 by a predetermined protocol or perform a scan to email function to transmit the scan image to the outside or perform a scan to USB function to store the scan image in a USB memory.
The fax unit 170 may include a fax communication module (e.g., modem) which converts image data generated by the image scanner 180 into a fax signal and transmits the fax signal to an external fax machine 202 (including a multi-function device having a fax function) by using a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or receives a fax signal from the external fax machine 202.
The image scanner 180 scans a target document and generates scan data. The target document may include a document, a photo, a film, etc. The image scanner 180 may include a photo converter such as charge-coupled device (CCD) and contact image sensor (CIS) and an image processor which generates an image from a document by using a signal output from the photo converter. The image scanner 180 may further include a scan motor to drive the photo converter and the image processor, and a guide.
The scan data which are scanned by the image scanner 180 may be changed into a fax signal and transmitted to the external fax machine 202 by the fax unit 170.
The controller 160 controls the image forming apparatus 100 as a whole.
More specifically, upon a detection of an error from the image forming apparatus 100, the controller 160 determines whether the errors are plural, and if so, determines whether there is a common procedure in error guides to a plurality of errors. If the common procedure exists, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI offering the error guide integrating the common procedure.
The plurality of errors includes errors which occur from a plurality of locations in the image forming apparatus 100. The plurality of errors includes errors which are plural at the time where the controller 160 detects one of them without limitation to a plurality of errors which occur simultaneously.
That is, as the image forming apparatus 100 provides various functions, it may perform a normal operation even in the case of an error occurring from some functions. The image forming apparatus 100 according to the present invention may provide an error guide one time to a plurality of errors occurring at different periods of time.
For example, the controller 160 may detect an occurrence of a toner empty error while detecting an occurrence of a jam error.
Upon a detection of the jam error, the controller 160 may detect an additional error through a sensor (e.g. toner amount sensor) provided in each element of the image forming apparatus 100.
If the jam error is detected, the controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's selection on a detection of the additional error, and detect the additional error through the sensor within the image forming apparatus 100 according to a user's selection of the displayed UI.
If it is determined that a plurality of errors have occurred, i.e., that two errors of jam and toner empty have occurred according to the results of the detection on the additional error, the controller 160 identifies whether there is any common procedure in the error guides stored in the storage unit 130 corresponding to the plurality of errors occurred.
For example, the jam and toner empty errors as shown in
Then, the controller 160 integrates the common procedure as in
For example, let's say the jam error is a first error and a toner empty error is a second error. The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a first error guide to the first error. Upon a completion of processing the error according to the first error guide, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display thereon a second error guide to the second error instead of returning to a standby mode. The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to firstly display the common procedure of the first and second error guides.
The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon the first and second error guides that have the common procedure, in a preset order of priority, in processing the first and second errors.
For example, errors which block the image forming apparatus 100 to perform its function, i.e., toner empty, jam and motor errors may take priority over other errors. In the case of the jam error, it may be divided into jam 0, jam 1 and jam 2 depending on a location of the error and the priority may be set for the errors. Information on the preset priority is stored in the storage unit 130.
More specifically, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to sequentially display thereon a “open front door” procedure of the image forming apparatus 100 as a UI screen 20 as in (a) to (c) in
The controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display thereon the first error guide, a process of removing the jam, as a UI screen 20 as in (d) and (e) in
The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's confirmation (i.e., feedback) on the completion of the removal of the jam as in (f) in
If the image forming apparatus 100 is configured to automatically determine the removal of the jam by the sensor, the process of displaying the confirmation UI as in (f) in
If the sensor senses that the jam is not removed properly or a user selects a No button in (f) in
As above, if the action for the first error (jam error) among the plurality of errors is completed, the controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI for a user to select whether to proceed with the action for the second error (toner empty error) as in (g) in
If a user selects the Yes button 22 of the UI in (g) in
If a user selects the No button of the UI in (g) in
The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's confirmation (i.e., feedback) on the completion of the cartridge replacement as in (j) in
If the image forming apparatus 100 is configured to automatically determine a removal of an old cartridge and a mounting of a new cartridge by a sensor, the process of displaying the confirmation UI as in (j) in
If the sensor senses that the cartridge is not replaced properly or if a user selects the No button in (j) in
Also, the process of displaying the UI for a user to select whether to detect the additional error as in (g) in
As shown in (d) to (j) in
That is, the image forming apparatus 100 controls the display unit to offer the error guide integrating the common procedure in the error guides to the plurality of errors, i.e., open and close front door procedure as in (a) to (c) and (k) to (m) in
Thus, the common procedure in the error guides to the errors is provided one time without repetition thereof.
Further, a user may selectively process the first and second errors which have the common procedure.
The image forming apparatus 100 may determine whether the errors are plural and offer the error guide integrating the common procedure of the errors guides to the plurality of errors by receiving a user's selection on the detection of the additional error.
For example, while offering the error guide to the jam error, the controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's selection on the detection of the additional error.
The controller 160 may detect an additional error through the sensor according to a user's selection, i.e. by a user's selection of the Yes button 24 from the UI in (g) in
Namely, the case where a jam error occurs from a part of the paper feeding path followed by another jam from another path may fall within the exemplary embodiment in
If it is determined that the errors are plural, i.e., errors occur from two locations according to the detection result on the additional error, the controller 160 determines whether there is a common procedure in the error guide to the plurality of errors.
For example, a plurality of jam errors in
Then, the controller 160 integrates the common procedure as in
More specifically, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display the “open front door” procedure of the image forming apparatus 100 as the UI screen 20 as in (a) to (c) in
The controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display thereon the process of removing the jam from a first area as the first guide to the first error as the UI screen 20 as in (d) and (e) in
The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's confirmation (i.e., feedback) on the completion of the removal as in (f) in
If the image forming apparatus 100 is configured to automatically determine the removal of the jam from the first area by a sensor, the process of displaying the confirmation UI as in (f) in
If the sensor senses that the jam is not removed properly or if a user selects the No button in (f) in
Upon the completion of processing the jam error from the first area as the first error of the plurality of errors, the controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI for a user to select whether to proceed with the detection of the additional error as in (g) in
If a user selects the Yes button 22 of the UI in (g) in
If a user selects the No button of the UI in (g) in
The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to display thereon a UI to receive a user's confirmation (i.e., feedback) on the completion of the removal of the jam from the second area as the second error.
As shown in (d) to (j) in
That is, the image forming apparatus 100 controls the display unit 120 to offer the error guide integrating the common procedure in the error guides to the plurality of errors, i.e., the “open and close front door” procedure, as in (a) to (c) and (k) to (m) in
Accordingly, the common procedure for the jam errors occurring from the plurality of locations may not be repeated unnecessarily.
In the exemplary embodiment in
In the exemplary embodiment in
With the foregoing configuration, a process of offering the error guide of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to
As shown therein, the controller 160 may detect the error of the image forming apparatus 100 through the sensor (S10).
If the error is detected at operation S10, the controller 160 determines whether the error(s) is plural (S11). The plurality of errors means errors occurring from the plurality of locations. The controller 160 may detect the additional error through the sensor of the image forming apparatus 100 and receive a user's selection on the detection of the additional error.
If it is determined at operation S11 that the errors are plural, the controller 160 may determine whether there is the common procedure in the error guides to the plurality of errors (S12).
If it is determined at operation S12 that the common procedure exists, the controller 160 offers the error guide integrating the common procedure through the UI (S13). The controller 160 may control the display unit 120 to sequentially offer the error guides to the plurality of errors through the UI, except for the common procedure. If one of the plurality of errors is processed, the controller 160 may display a UI for a user to confirm the completion of the processing of the error.
If it is determined at operation S12 that the common procedure does not exist, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to sequentially offer the error guides to the plurality of errors through the UI (S14).
If it is determined at operation S11 that the errors are not plural, i.e., if only a single error occurs, the controller 160 controls the display unit 120 to display thereon the UI illustrating the error guide to the single error (S15).
As described above, an image forming apparatus and an error guide offering method thereof according to the present invention offers an error guide integrating a common procedure to a plurality of errors occurring from the image forming apparatus, and efficiently processes the error and reduces waste of time.
Although a few exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2009-0129124 | Dec 2009 | KR | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110149330 A1 | Jun 2011 | US |
