Patent Application
20230043412
Embodiments described herein relate generally to an image forming apparatus, a paper feed cassette system, and methods related thereto.
If the paper feed cassette is connected to an image forming apparatus, the paper feed cassette is mounted to the image forming apparatus using a dedicated sheet metal or the like. In the related art, the image forming apparatus is provided with a contact portion that comes into contact with the paper feed cassette if the paper feed cassette is correctly mounted. It is determined whether the paper feed cassette is correctly mounted to the image forming apparatus in response to the state of such a contact portion. However, due to deterioration with time or the like, even if the paper feed cassette is correctly mounted, the image forming apparatus may not be able to recognize the mounting of the paper feed cassette. In such a case, it is likely that the image forming apparatus cannot feed paper from the paper feed cassette. Such a problem is a problem common to all the devices mounted on the image forming apparatus.
In general, according to one embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a detachable device, an antenna, and a control unit. The detachable device is a device that is attachable to and detachable from the own apparatus, and includes a wireless tag. An antenna receives a wireless signal from the wireless tag if the detachable device is mounted. The control unit determines that the detachable device is mounted to the own apparatus based on the wireless signal received by the antenna.
Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus of the embodiment is described with reference to the drawings.
The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a sheet using a developer such as a toner. The developer is fixed to the sheet by heating. The sheet is, for example, paper or label paper. The sheet may be any material as long as the image forming apparatus 100 can form an image on the surface thereof.
The display 110 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic Electro Luminescence (EL) display. The display 110 displays various kinds of information relating to the image forming apparatus 100.
The image forming unit 130 forms an image on the sheet based on image information generated by the image reading unit 200 and image information received via a communication path. The image forming unit 130 includes, for example, a developing device 10, a transfer device 20, and a fixing device 30. The image forming unit 130 forms an image, for example, by the following process. The developing device 10 of the image forming unit 130 forms an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor drum based on the image information. The developing device 10 of the image forming unit 130 adheres a developer to the electrostatic latent image to form a visible image. Specific examples of the developer include a toner. Examples of toner include decolorable toner, a non-decolorable toner (general toner), and a decorative toner. The toner is stored, for example, in a toner container such as a toner cartridge and supplied to the developing device 10.
The transfer device 20 of the image forming unit 130 transfers the visible image onto the sheet. The fixing device 30 of the image forming unit 130 fixes a visible image to the sheet by heating and pressurizing the sheet. The sheet on which the image is formed may be a sheet contained in the sheet containing unit 140 or may be a sheet that is manually fed.
The sheet containing unit 140 contains a sheet used for forming an image in the image forming unit 130.
The paper feed cassette 141 is a device (detachable device) that is attachable to and detachable from the image forming apparatus 100. The paper feed cassette 141 includes a space for containing a sheet inside. The paper feed cassette 141 includes a wireless tag 142. The wireless tag 142 is a wireless tag using a Radio Frequency IDentifier (RFID) technique, and also referred to as an RF tag. The wireless tag 142 stores a specified value (hereinafter, referred to as a “specific value”) in advance. The specific value may be, for example, a value given at the time of manufacturing the wireless tag 142. The specific value is stored in, for example, a storage device (for example, a Read Only Memory (ROM)) of the wireless tag 142. The specific value may be recorded in the wireless tag 142 as a non-rewritable value. If the information is read from the tag reader 143, the wireless tag 142 transmits a specific value stored in the storage device. The specific value may be a value stored in the header instead of the payload in such transmission.
The cassette mounting unit 149 contains the paper feed cassette 141. The cassette mounting unit 149 may be provided with a guide that determines a traveling direction of the paper feed cassette 141 if the paper feed cassette 141 is mounted.
The wireless tag 142 is provided so that a point where the normal line of the mounting surface intersects with the image forming apparatus 100 moves if the paper feed cassette 141 is moved for mounting. In other words, the wireless tag 142 is provided so that the axis of the moving direction if the paper feed cassette 141 is moved for mounting and the normal line of the mounting surface are not parallel but substantially orthogonal to each other. The wireless tag 142 may be provided, for example, on the side surface of the paper feed cassette 141 or on the bottom surface thereof.
The front surface of the image forming apparatus 100 is defined as the surface provided with an insertion port for the paper feed cassette 141. In this case,
The tag reader 143 is provided on the cassette mounting unit 149 of the image forming apparatus 100. The tag reader 143 reads information from the wireless tag 142 positioned inside a communication range 144. For example, the tag reader 143 reads a specific value from the wireless tag 142 positioned inside the communication range 144. The communication range 144 of the tag reader 143 may be set as a narrow range. For example, the communication range 144 may be embodied by configuring the tag reader 143, for example, with a narrow directional antenna.
More specifically, as illustrated in
The storage unit 150 is configured with a storage device such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 150 stores data required if the image forming apparatus 100 operates. The storage unit 150 may temporarily store data of an image formed by the image forming apparatus 100. The storage unit 150 may store the attribute table.
The control unit 160 is configured with a processor such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and a memory. The control unit 160 reads and executes a program stored in advance in the storage unit 150. The control unit 160 controls the operation of each device provided in the image forming apparatus 100.
The image reading unit 200 reads image information to be read based on brightness and darkness of light. The image reading unit 200 records the read image information. The recorded image information may be transmitted to another information processing device via a network. The recorded image information may be used for forming an image on the sheet by the image forming unit 130. The image reading unit 200 may include an ADF.
If the tag reader 143 receives a wireless signal from the wireless tag 142 (ACT 101-YES), the control unit 160 determines that the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted (ACT 104). The control unit 160 refers to the attribute table based on the received specific value. If the received specific value is not registered in the attribute table (ACT 105-NO), the control unit 160 outputs an error. For example, the control unit 160 causes the display 110 to display a character string or an image indicating an error (ACT 106). At this time, the control unit 160 may cause the display 110 to display a character string or an image indicating that the unregistered paper feed cassette 141 is mounted.
If the received specific value is registered in the attribute table (ACT 105-YES), and if an instruction or setting for displaying the attribute information is not made (ACT 107-NO), the control unit 160 waits for an operation by the user without executing any particular process. If the instruction or setting for displaying attribute information is made (ACT 107-YES), the control unit 160 causes the display 110 to display a character string or an image indicating the attribute information registered in the attribute table in association with a specific value (ACT 108).
In the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment configured as described above, whether the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted to the image forming apparatus 100 is determined based on wireless communication. Specifically, if the wireless tag 142 provided on the paper feed cassette 141 and the tag reader 143 provided on the cassette mounting unit 149 can communicate with each other, it is determined that the paper feed cassette is correctly mounted. Since the determination is made based on wireless communication, the deterioration over time or the like is hardly received as compared with the case where the mounting is determined based on the physical contact of the device. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 can more accurately determine that the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted.
The wireless tag 142 is provided so that the point where the normal line intersects with the image forming apparatus 100 moves if the paper feed cassette 141 is moved for mounting. The tag reader 143 is provided so that the wireless tag 142 is positioned inside the communication range 144 if the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted. The tag reader 143 is configured, for example, by setting directivity to be narrow. With this configuration, the wireless tag 142 can be configured not to be positioned inside the communication range 144 until the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted (for example, while moving). Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 can more accurately determine that the paper feed cassette 141 is correctly mounted.
With this configuration, the amount of hardware (particularly the processor) required to communicate with the wireless tag 142 can be reduced.
A device provided with the wireless tag 142 does not have to be limited to the paper feed cassette 141. The wireless tag 142 may be provided in any device mounted to the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the wireless tag 142 may be provided to the post-processing device. For example, the wireless tag 142 may be provided to a toner container such as a toner cartridge. For example, the wireless tag 142 may be provided to the photoconductor drum. For example, the wireless tag 142 may be provided to a large-capacity paper feed cassette. For example, the wireless tag 142 may be provided to a document feeder. In any case, the tag reader 143 or the antenna 145 is provided so that the wireless tag 142 is positioned within the communication range if each device is correctly mounted to the image forming apparatus 100.
While certain embodiments have been described these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms: furthermore various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein maybe made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the invention.
