Patent Application
20170237869
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing system.
An image processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit, a display unit, an input unit, and an image processing unit. The communication unit receives information related to at least one processing condition for image processing stored in and specified with a terminal device. The display unit displays a screen in which the at least one processing condition received by the communication unit is displayed. The input unit, when a user wishes to change the at least one processing condition displayed in the display unit, allows the user to input a different processing condition to which the user wishes to change the displayed processing condition. The image processing unit performs the image processing.
Exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein:
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.
Initially, a general configuration of an image processing system 1 according to the present exemplary embodiment is described.
As illustrated in
Although the image processing apparatuses 2A and 2B are illustrated in
The image processing apparatuses 2 perform image processing, have the functions of, for example, scanning, printing, copying, facsimileing, and so forth, and output images by forming the images on recording media such as sheets of paper. Here, the image processing apparatuses 2 receive printing jobs from the mobile terminals 3, operation terminals 4, and so forth, and perform printing processes in accordance with the received printing jobs. The printing job is data that serves as a unit of a printing process performed by the image processing apparatuses 2. The printing job includes image data of a printing object and a control instruction, in which settings in the printing process are described.
The mobile terminals 3 are portable computing devices and serve as an example of terminal devices. Processing conditions for image processing performed by the image processing apparatuses 2 are created with the mobile terminals 3 and transmitted from the mobile terminals 3 to the image processing apparatuses 2. The mobile terminals 3 use, for example, smart phones, tablet personal computers (PCs), notebook PCs, and the like.
The operation terminals 4 are computing devices used when the user performs an operation such as reading or editing on a document file. The operation terminals 4 use, for example, notebook PCs, desktop PCs, and the like. Also, the operation terminals 4 may use portable computing devices such as smart phones.
The administrative server 5 is a computing device that stores various data processed by the image processing system 1.
The network 6 is a communication apparatus used for inter-device information communication among the image processing apparatuses 2, the operation terminals 4, and the administrative server 5. Examples of the network 6 include a local area network (LAN).
In the present exemplary embodiment, wireless communication is performed by using a short range wireless communication (for example, near field communication (NFC)) and a communication standard different from and faster than the short range wireless communication (for example, wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct) between the image processing apparatuses 2 and the mobile terminals 3. The NFC refers to a wireless communication standard with which the communication range is limited to about 10 cm. The Wi-Fi Direct refers to a standard by which Wi-Fi capable terminals are directly communicated with one another, and each Wi-Fi capable device has a function of operating as an access point. The access point refers to a relay device that wirelessly relays communication between devices. Generally described, any one of plural Wi-Fi capable devices participating in a Wi-Fi Direct network actually operates as the access point, thereby direct communication is performed between the device operating as the access point and the other Wi-Fi capable devices.
Also with the Wi-Fi Direct, communication devices participating in a certain network are defined as peer-to-peer (P2P) devices and this network is defined as a P2P group. In a P2P group, a P2P device actually operating as the access point is defined as a P2P group owner, and P2P devices other than the P2P group owner are defined as P2P device clients. Each of the P2P devices detects P2P devices that may be connected to the Wi-Fi Direct network by transmitting/receiving signals to/from other P2P devices, and the P2P group owner is selected from among the plural P2P devices.
In the present exemplary embodiment, the image processing apparatuses 2 function as the P2P group owners. Also with the Wi-Fi Direct, typically, an upper limit of the number of P2P device clients simultaneously connected to a P2P group owner is determined. In the present exemplary embodiment, the upper limit of the number of mobile terminals 3 simultaneously connected to one of the image processing apparatuses 2 via the Wi-Fi Direct connection is, for example, three.
In the above-described image processing system 1, the user may transmit printing jobs from the mobile terminals 3 or the operation terminals 4 to the image processing apparatuses 2 via the network 6 or via the Wi-Fi Direct wireless communication to perform printing with the image processing apparatuses 2.
Alternatively, the user may go to a location where the image processing apparatuses 2 is installed to scan (read images of) or copy an original document. An image having been read may be transmitted by facsimile through the network 6 or a public telecommunication network (not illustrated).
The administrative server 5 may manage printing jobs to be performed by the image processing apparatuses 2, appropriately reorder the printing jobs, and transmit the printing jobs to the image processing apparatuses 2. In this case, the administrative server 5 functions as a print server. The administrative server 5 may manage files so as to share the files among the mobile terminals 3 and the operation terminals 4. In this case, the administrative server 5 functions as a file server.
The image processing apparatus 2 includes an image reading device 100 and an image forming device 200. The image reading device 100 reads an image of an original document. The image forming device 200 forms an image on a recording medium (sheet of paper). The image processing apparatuses 2 also includes a controller 300 and a user interface (UI) 400. The controller 300 controls operations of the entire apparatus. The UI 400 outputs instructions received from the user to the controller 300 and notifies the user of information received from the controller 300. Furthermore, the image processing apparatuses 2 includes a wireless interface (referred to as wireless I/F hereafter) 500 and an NFC interface (referred to as NFC I/F hereafter) 600. The wireless I/F 500 performs wireless communication with the mobile terminals 3 via the Wi-Fi Direct connection. The NFC I/F 600 performs NFC communication with the mobile terminals 3.
The image reading device 100 is disposed in an upper portion of the image processing apparatus 2. The image forming device 200 is disposed below the image reading device 100. The controller 300 is disposed in the image forming device 200. The UI 400 is disposed in an upper central portion on the front side of the image processing apparatus 2, that is, on the front side of a central portion of an image reading unit 110, which will be described later, of the image reading device 100. Furthermore, the wireless I/F 500 is disposed at a left end on the front side of an upper portion of the image processing apparatus 2, and the NFC I/F 600 is disposed in the upper portion of the image processing apparatus 2.
The image reading device 100 is initially described. The image reading device 100 includes the image reading unit 110 and a document transport device 120. The image reading unit 110 reads an image of an original document. The document transport device 120 transports the original document to the image reading unit 110. The document transport device 120 is disposed in an upper portion of the image reading device 100. The image reading unit 110 is disposed in a lower portion of the image reading device 100.
The document transport device 120 includes a document loader 121 and a document output unit 122. The original document is loaded in the document loader 121. The original document transported from the document loader 121 is ejected to the document output unit 122. The document transport device 120 transports the original document from the document loader 121 to the document output unit 122. The document transport device 120 is also referred to as an auto document feeder (ADF).
The image reading unit 110 includes a platen glass 111, a radiation unit 112, a light guide unit 113, and an imaging lens 114. The radiation unit 112 radiates light to an original document surface to be read (image surface). The light guide unit 113 guides light L, which has been radiated from the radiation unit 112 to the original document surface to be read and reflected by the original document surface to be read. The imaging lens 114 forms an optical image of the light L guided by the light guide unit 113. The image reading unit 110 also includes a detector 115 and a signal processing unit 116. The detector 115 includes a photoelectric transducer such as a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor that performs photoelectric conversion on the light L, the image of which is formed by the imaging lens 114, and detects the formed optical image. The signal processing unit 116 is electrically connected to the detector 115. An electrical signal obtained by the detector 115 is transmitted to the signal processing unit 116.
The image reading unit 110 reads an image of the original document transported by the document transport device 120 and an image of the original document placed on the platen glass 111.
Next, the image forming device 200 is described.
The image forming device 200 includes an image forming section 20, a sheet supply section 60, a sheet ejection unit 70, and an inversion and transport unit 80. The image forming section 20 forms an image on a sheet of paper. The sheet supply section 60 supplies a sheet of paper, which is denoted by P, to the image forming section 20. The sheet ejection unit 70 ejects the sheet P, on which an image has been formed by the image forming section 20. The inversion and transport unit 80 inverts the sheet P, on one side of which an image has been formed by the image forming section 20, and transports the sheet P again to the image forming section 20.
The image forming section 20 includes four image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The equally spaced image forming units 21 are arranged substantially parallel to one another. Each of the image forming units 21 includes a photoconductor drum 22, a charger 23, and a developing device 24. The charger 23 uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 22. The developing device 24 develops an electrostatic latent image, which has been formed by laser radiation, with toner of a predetermined color component for visualization. The laser radiation is performed by an optical unit 50, which will be described later. The image forming section 20 also includes toner cartridges 29Y, 29M, 29C, and 29K that each supply the toner of a corresponding one of the colors to the developing device 24 of a corresponding one of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K.
The image forming section 20 includes the optical unit 50 disposed below the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K. The optical unit 50 radiates laser light to the photoconductor drums 22 of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K. The optical unit 50 includes the following components, which are not illustrated: a semiconductor laser; a modulator; a polygon mirror that deflects and scans the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser; a glass window that allows the laser light to pass therethrough; and a frame that encloses the components.
The image forming section 20 also includes an intermediate transfer unit 30, a second transfer unit 40, and a fixing device 45. The intermediate transfer unit 30 performs multi-transfer, by which the toner images of the colors formed on the photoconductor drums 22 of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K are transferred onto an intermediate transfer belt 31. The second transfer unit 40 transfers the toner images superposed on the intermediate transfer unit 30 onto the sheet P. The fixing device 45 fixes the toner images formed on the sheet P by heating and applying pressure to the toner images.
The intermediate transfer unit 30 includes the intermediate transfer belt 31, a drive roller 32, and a tension roller 33. The drive roller 32 drives the intermediate transfer belt 31. The tension roller 33 applies constant tension to the intermediate transfer belt 31. The intermediate transfer unit 30 also includes plural (four in the present exemplary embodiment) first transfer rollers 34 and a backup roller 35. The first transfer rollers 34 oppose the respective photoconductor drums 22 with the intermediate transfer belt 31 pinched therebetween and are used to transfer the toner images formed on the photoconductor drums 22 onto the intermediate transfer belt 31. The backup roller 35 opposes a second transfer roller 41, which will be described later, through the intermediate transfer belt 31.
The intermediate transfer belt 31 is looped over plural rotating members such as the drive roller 32, the tension roller 33, the plural first transfer rollers 34, the backup roller 35, and driven rollers 36. The intermediate transfer belt 31 is driven in a circulating path at a predetermined speed in an arrow direction by the drive roller 32, which is rotated by a drive motor (not illustrated). The intermediate transfer belt 31 is formed by, for example, molding rubber or resin.
The intermediate transfer unit 30 also includes a cleaner 37 that removes residual toner and the like from the intermediate transfer belt 31. The cleaner 37 removes the residual toner, paper dust, and the like from the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 31 after the toner images have been transferred.
The second transfer unit 40 includes the second transfer roller 41 disposed at a second transfer position. The second transfer roller 41 is pressed against the backup roller 35 through the intermediate transfer belt 31, so that the images are transferred onto the sheet P through second transfer. The second transfer position is formed by the second transfer roller 41 and the backup roller 35, which opposes the second transfer roller 41 through the intermediate transfer belt 31. The toner images having been transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 31 are transferred onto the sheet P at the second transfer position.
The fixing device 45 fixes the images (toner images), which have been transferred onto the sheet P through the second transfer by the intermediate transfer unit 30, onto the sheet P by heat and pressure applied with a heating fixing roller 46 and a pressure roller 47.
The sheet supply section 60 includes sheet containing units 61, feed rollers 62, a transport path 63, and transport rollers 64, 65, and 66. The sheet containing units 61 contain the sheets P, on which images are formed. The feed rollers 62 feed the sheets P contained in the sheet containing units 61. The sheets P fed by the feed rollers 62 are transported through the transport path 63. The sheets P fed by the feed rollers 62 are transported to the second transfer position by the transport rollers 64, 65, and 66 disposed along the transport path 63.
The sheet ejection unit 70 includes a first stacking tray 71 provided above the image forming section 20 and a second stacking tray 72 provided between the first stacking tray 71 and the image reading device 100. The sheet P, on which an image has been formed by the image forming section 20, is placed on the first stacking tray 71. The sheet P, on which the image has been formed by the image forming section 20, is placed on the second stacking tray 72.
The sheet ejection unit 70 also includes a transport roller 75 on the downstream of the fixing device 45 in a transport direction and a switching gate 76 provided on the downstream of the transport roller 75 in the transport direction. The transport roller 75 transports the sheet P onto which the toner images have been fixed. The switching gate 76 switches the transport direction of the sheet P. The sheet ejection unit 70 also includes a first ejection roller 77 on the downstream of the switching gate 76 in the transport direction. The first ejection roller 77 ejects the sheet P transported to one side (right side in
The inversion and transport unit 80 has an inversion and transport path 81 beside the fixing device 45. The sheet P is inverted and transported through the inversion and transport path 81 by rotating the transport roller 78 in a direction opposite to a direction in which the sheet P is ejected to the second stacking tray 72. Plural transport rollers 82 are provided along this inversion and transport path 81. The sheet P transported by these transport rollers 82 are fed to the second transfer position again by the transport rollers 82.
The image forming device 200 includes a device frame 11 and a device housing 12. The device frame 11 directly or indirectly supports the image forming section 20, the sheet supply section 60, the sheet ejection unit 70, the inversion and transport unit 80, and the controller 300. The device housing 12 is mounted on the device frame 11 to serve as an exterior of the image processing apparatus 2.
The device frame 11 includes a reading device support portion 13, in which the components such as the switching gate 76, the first ejection roller 77, the transport roller 78, and the second ejection roller 79 are disposed. The reading device support portion 13 extends in the up-down direction and supports the image reading device 100 on a lateral end side of the image processing apparatus 2. The reading device support portion 13 cooperates with a rear portion of the device frame 11 to support the image reading device 100.
Other than controlling of operations of the entire image processing apparatus 2, the controller 300 performs image processing such as color correction and scale correction on image data input thereto, and generates image data having undergone the image processing.
The controller 300 actually uses a computing device that includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and so forth. That is, the CPU executes a variety of software such as an operating system (OS) and application programs. The RAM is used as, for example, a work memory for the CPU. The ROM stores various programs to be executed by the CPU. The CPU loads the programs stored in the ROM or the like to the RAM and executes the loaded programs so as to implement the functions of the image processing apparatus 2. The controller 300 may include a magnetic disk device, which stores image data and so forth used in image forming operations, such as a hard disk drive (HDD).
The UI 400 uses a touch panel in which various information is displayed and with which operational input by the user is received. Here, the UI 400 includes a display and a position detection sheet. The display displays various information. The position detection sheet detects a position touched by a finger, a stylus, or the like. A device that detects a touched position may use any device such as a device that performs detection in accordance with a pressure applied when the device is touched, a device that performs detection in accordance with static electricity of a touched object. An input device such as a display and a keyboard may be used instead of the touch panel.
The wireless I/F 500 includes an antenna for wireless communication with the mobile terminals 3 via the Wi-Fi Direct connection. The wireless I/F 500 functions as a communication interface through which various data is transmitted to and received from the mobile terminals 3.
The NFC I/F 600 includes an antenna for the NFC communication with the mobile terminals 3. The NFC I/F 600 functions as a communication interface through which various data is transmitted to and received from the mobile terminals 3.
The image processing apparatus 2 having a configuration as described above operates as follows.
For example, when copying or printing is performed by the image forming device 200, the image forming device 200 operates as follows.
The controller 300 performs predetermined image processing on image data of an original document for copying read by the image reading device 100 and image data for printing received from the mobile terminals 3, the operation terminals 4, or the administrative server 5. The image data, on which the image processing has been performed, is converted into color gradation data of four colors, which are yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), and is output to the optical unit 50.
In the optical unit 50, the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser (not illustrated) in accordance with the received color gradation data is directed to the polygon mirror through an f-θ lens (not illustrated). In the polygon mirror, the laser light incident thereupon is modulated in accordance with the gradation data of the colors, deflected and scanned, and radiated to the photoconductor drums 22 of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K through an imaging lens (not illustrated) and plural mirrors (not illustrated).
Electrostatic latent images are formed on the photoconductor drums 22 of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K when the surfaces of the photoconductor drums 22, which have been charged by the charger 23, are exposed to and scanned by the laser light. The formed electrostatic latent images are developed into toner images of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) in the respective image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K. The toner images formed on the photoconductor drums 22 of the image forming units 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21K are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 31 serving as an intermediate transfer body through multi-transfer.
In the sheet supply section 60, the feed roller 62 is rotated at timing adjusted to image formation, thereby picking up the sheet P contained in one of the sheet containing units 61 and transporting the sheet P through the transport path 63 with the transport rollers 64 and 65. After that, the transport roller 66 is rotated at timing adjusted to a movement of the intermediate transfer belt 31, on which the toner images have been formed, thereby transporting the sheet P to the second transfer position formed by the backup roller 35 and the second transfer roller 41. At the second transfer position, the toner images of four colors superposed with one another are gradually transferred in a sub-scanning direction onto the sheet P being upwardly transported with a contact pressure and a predetermined electric field. The sheet P, onto which the toner images of the colors have been transferred, is subjected to a fixing process, in which heat and pressure are applied, in the fixing device 45, ejected from the fixing device 45, and placed on the first stacking tray 71 or the second stacking tray 72.
When duplex printing is requested, the sheet P, on one side of which the image has been formed, is transported into the inversion and transport unit 80 so as to be inverted and fed to the second transfer position again. Toner images are transferred onto another side of the sheet P at the second transfer position, and the transferred images are fixed to the sheet P by the fixing device 45. After that, the sheet P, on both sides of which the images have been formed, is ejected and placed on the first stacking tray 71 or the second stacking tray 72.
Image data of an original document read by the image reading device 100 may be stored in the controller 300 without being printed by the image forming device 200. Also, the image data may be transmitted to the mobile terminals 3, the operation terminals 4, or the administrative server 5 via the network 6 or the Wi-Fi Direct connection. Also, the image data may be transmitted from the controller 300 to an external device by facsimile.
As described above, the mobile terminals 3 are the portable computing devices and each include the CPU, the RAM, the ROM, and so forth. The CPU loads the various programs stored in the ROM and the like to the RAM so as to execute the OS and various software. In the case of the mobile terminal 3, such various software may be referred to as apps.
The mobile terminal 3 may include a storage device such as, for example, an HDD or a flash memory. The HDD or the flash memory stores input data to the various software, output data from the various software, and the like. The mobile terminal 3 may also include an input device such as a keyboard or a mouse.
In the present exemplary embodiment, the mobile terminal 3 further includes components described below.
Specifically,
Here, the illustrated mobile terminal 3 is a so-called smart phone. A touch panel is adopted as an image display device. Thus, the mobile terminal 3 includes a liquid crystal panel 3a and a position detection unit (not illustrated). The liquid crystal panel 3a displays information such as contents as an image in a predetermined region as illustrated in
As illustrated in
With the image processing system 1 having the above-described configuration, when the user wishes to, for example, copy the original document, the user initially goes to a location where the image processing apparatus 2 is installed. Then, the user in front of the image processing apparatus 2 operates the UI 400 to set the processing conditions (for example, parameters such as the resolution, the sheet size, and the enlargement/reduction ratio), under which the original document is copied, and press a start button (not illustrated) to copy the document. Thus, in the case where another user is using the image processing apparatus 2, even when the user who wishes to copy the original document goes to the installation location of the image processing apparatus 2, the user waits without performing any operation until the other user ends his or her operation.
As the mobile terminal 3 has been sophisticated, a function has been proposed to reduce the occurrence of such a problem. With this feature, the processing conditions for copying are preset with the mobile terminal 3, and the processing conditions are transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 to the image processing apparatus 2 when the image processing apparatus 2 is ready for the copying, thereby allowing the copying to be immediately started.
However, the user may wish to change the processing conditions having been preset with the mobile terminal 3 immediately before the user starts copying after the user has gone to the installation location of the image processing apparatus 2. In such a case, in the related art, there is no consideration for changing the processing conditions with the image processing apparatus 2. Thus, the processing conditions are changed only by resetting the processing conditions with the mobile terminal 3. This is inconvenient for the user.
In the present exemplary embodiment, the occurrence of this problem is reduced by allowing the user to change the processing conditions with the image processing apparatus 2 even after the user has gone to the installation location of the image processing apparatus 2.
The configuration of the image processing apparatus 2 to realize such a feature is described below.
As illustrated in
The Wi-Fi connection unit 701 is a functional unit that performs wireless communication via the Wi-Fi Direct connection on the image processing apparatus 2 side. The Wi-Fi connection unit 701 corresponds to the wireless I/F 500 illustrated in
The NFC connection unit 702 is a functional unit that performs wireless communication via the NFC connection on the image processing apparatus 2 side. The NFC connection unit 702 corresponds to the NFC I/F 600 illustrated in
The image processing apparatus-side controller 703 controls the Wi-Fi connection unit 701, the NFC connection unit 702, the image processing unit 704, the display unit 705, and the input unit 706. The image processing apparatus-side controller 703 corresponds to the controller 300 illustrated in
The image processing unit 704 is a functional unit that processes an image. The image processing unit 704 of the present exemplary embodiment corresponds to at least one of the image forming device 200 that forms an image and the image reading device 100 that reads an image of an original document.
Thus, the processing conditions referred to here mean the processing conditions for image processing performed by either or both of the image forming device 200 and the image reading device 100. Specifically, the processing conditions includes at least one of the following (a) to (c): (a) conditions for forming an image with the image forming device 200; (b) conditions for reading an image with the image reading device 100; and (c) conditions for outputting information of an image read by the image reading device 100 to an external device. In this case, the outputting of information of the read image to the external device corresponds to transmission by facsimile.
In the present exemplary embodiment, image information (image data) for forming an image with the image processing unit 704 is received not by the NFC connection unit 702 but by the Wi-Fi connection unit 701. The reason for this is that a communication speed of the Wi-Fi Direct connection is generally higher than that of the NFC connection, and accordingly, the image information is transmitted at a higher speed with the Wi-Fi Direct connection than that with the NFC connection when transmitting data such as image information, the data size of which tends to be increased. In contrast, it is unlikely that a problem arises when the NFC connection is used to transmit the processing conditions, the data sizes of which are generally small.
The display unit 705 is a functional unit that displays the processing conditions received by the NFC connection unit 702.
The input unit 706 is a functional unit that, when the user wishes to change the processing conditions displayed in the display unit 705, allows the user to input different processing conditions, to which the user wishes to change the currently displayed processing conditions. In the present exemplary embodiment, when the NFC connection unit 702 receives the processing conditions, a screen displayed in the display unit 705 is switched to a screen that displays the processing conditions. This screen, where the processing conditions are displayed, also allows the user to change the processing conditions. When the user wishes to change the processing conditions while checking the processing conditions displayed in the display unit 705, the user inputs the different processing conditions, to which the user wishes to change the displayed processing conditions, by using the input unit 706.
The display unit 705 and the input unit 706 correspond to the UI 400 illustrated in
The Wi-Fi connection unit 801 is a functional unit that performs communication via the Wi-Fi Direct connection on the mobile terminal 3 side. The Wi-Fi connection unit 801 corresponds to the wireless I/F F3b illustrated in
The NFC connection unit 802 is a functional unit that performs communication via the NFC connection on the mobile terminal 3 side. The NFC connection unit 802 corresponds to the NFC I/F F3c illustrated in
The mobile terminal-side controller 803 controls the Wi-Fi connection unit 801 and the NFC connection unit 802. The mobile terminal-side controller 803 corresponds to the CPU, the RAM, and the ROM in the mobile terminal 3.
The display unit 804 is a functional unit that displays information such as contents as an image in the mobile terminal 3 and corresponds to the liquid crystal panel 3a illustrated in
Next, operations of the image processing apparatus 2 and the mobile terminal 3 are described.
The operations of the image processing apparatus 2 and the mobile terminal 3 are described below with reference to
Initially, the user operates the mobile terminal 3 to set the processing conditions for copying the original document with the image processing apparatus 2 (step S101). The user operates while checking the screen displayed in the display unit 804 of the mobile terminal 3.
Actually, the user starts up an application program for setting these processing conditions in the mobile terminal 3, and uses the application program to set the processing conditions. Specifically, when the application program for setting the processing conditions is started up, the screen illustrated in
In this case, the screen switches to that illustrated in
Thus, the processing conditions for copying with the image processing apparatus 2 may be set with the mobile terminal 3.
Then, when the user taps an “OK” button while the screen illustrated in
Referring back to
Actually, the user holds the mobile terminal 3 over the NFC I/F 600 of the image processing apparatus 2 while the screen illustrated in
When the NFC connection unit 702 receives the processing conditions on the image processing apparatus 2 side, the image processing apparatus-side controller 703 switches the screen displayed in the display unit 705 to a screen displaying the processing conditions (step S103).
Next, the image processing apparatus-side controller 703 determines whether or not the start button has been pressed for starting copying (step S104).
If the start button has not been pressed, (NO in step S104), whether or not the user has input a change in the processing conditions from the input unit 706 (step S105). If a change in the processing conditions has been input (YES in step S105), the processing conditions are changed and the screen displayed in the display unit 705 is updated to a screen displaying the changed processing conditions (step S106). Then, the processing returns to the step S104. If a change in the processing conditions has not been input (NO in step S105), the processing returns to step S104.
When the user sets the original document and presses the start button (YES in step S104), the original document is copied by the image processing unit 704 (step S107).
Actually, in the image processing apparatus 2, the screen illustrated in
The screen illustrated in
In the present exemplary embodiment, the screen displayed in the UI 400 may be changed to that as illustrated in
Out of
When the user sets the original document in accordance with the instructions represented in
In the example described in detail above, the processing conditions may be changed with the UI 400 of the image processing apparatus 2 after the processing conditions have been transmitted from the mobile terminal 3 to the image processing apparatus 2 via the NFC connection or when the processing conditions are not set again with the mobile terminal 3. That is, when the user transmits the processing conditions to the image processing apparatus 2 via the NFC connection, the user is usually in front of the image processing apparatus 2. In view of this fact, the processing conditions are made to be changeable on the image processing apparatus 2 side. In this case, operation for setting the processing conditions is easier with the image processing apparatus 2 than with the mobile terminal 3, and accordingly, convenience for the user is improved.
Although the communication unit of the image processing apparatus 2 is the NFC connection unit 702 that performs NFC communication in the above-described example, the communication unit is not limited to this. For example, the mobile terminal 3 and the image processing apparatus 2 may communicate with each other via infrared connection or Bluetooth (trade mark) connection so as to transmit and receive the processing conditions.
In
Furthermore, although the image forming device 200 uses an electrophotographic system in the above-described example, the image forming device 200 may use an ink jet method.
In the above-described example, information related to the processing conditions for image processing is received via the wireless communication by the NFC connection unit 702 on the image processing apparatus 2 side. However, the reception of the information related to the processing conditions on the image processing apparatus 2 side is not limited to this. For example, the information related to the processing conditions may be transmitted from the operation terminals 4 and the administrative server 5 in
The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents. Obviously, from the description in the following claims, changed or modified forms of the foregoing exemplary embodiment are included in the technical scope of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-135335 | Jun 2014 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/533,222, filed Nov. 5, 2014, which is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-135335, filed Jun. 30, 2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14533222 | Nov 2014 | US |
| Child | 15582885 | US |
