SIMULATING SYSTEM, SIMULATING APPARATUS, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND SIMULATING METHOD

Abstract

A simulating system having: a data retrieving device which time-sequentially retrieves a control value which is outputted from a control system in an image forming apparatus to a controlled system and an input value inputted from the controlled system to the control system as a control result; a data storing device which stores a time-series data group including a plurality of control values and the input values corresponding to the control values; and a simulating device which simulates the control result of the image forming apparatus corresponding to the control value outputted to the controlled system in accordance with an algorithm, wherein a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of the control values included in the time-series data group has been implemented.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a construction of an image forming apparatus constructing a simulating system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a construction of a controller unit 200 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a construction of a digital image processing portion 212 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a connecting state between an external I/F (interface) 213 in FIG. 2 and external apparatuses.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control unit architecture in the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a construction in the case of constructing printer control firmware 514 onto a PC 600.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a construction of a simulating apparatus constructed on the PC.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the printer control firmware 514 and a monitor & analysis module 702 assembled in the control unit architecture in the image forming apparatus.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are graphs each showing a relation between a control output value x and an input value y corresponding to a control result and its approximate expression.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a series of operations in a range from collection of time-series data regarding inputs/outputs of control in the image forming apparatuses connected to a network to simulation of the image forming apparatus using the collected time-series data.

Claims

1. A simulating system comprising: a data retrieving device which time-sequentially retrieves a control value which is outputted from a control system in an image forming apparatus to a controlled system and an input value which is inputted from said controlled system to said control system as a control result of said controlled system by said control value;a data storing device which stores a time-series data group including a plurality of said control values which have time-sequentially been retrieved by said data retrieving device and the input values corresponding to said control values; anda simulating device which simulates the control result of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus corresponding to the control value which is outputted to said controlled system in accordance with an algorithm to identify the operation of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus,wherein a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in the time-series data group stored in said data storing device has been implemented in said algorithm of said simulating device.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an arithmetic operating device which obtains the correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in said time-series data group on the basis of the time-series data group stored in said data storing device.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said data retrieving device and said data storing device are assembled in said image forming apparatus,said simulating device and said arithmetic operating device are assembled in a computer which can communicate with said image forming apparatus, andsaid arithmetic operating device obtains the time-series data stored in said data storing device by the communication between said computer and said image forming apparatus.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said arithmetic operating device obtains a function for approximating said correlation as a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in said time-series data group on the basis of the time-series data group stored in said data storing device.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an output device which outputs the control result simulated by said simulating device.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said simulating device identifies the operation of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus under a same control environment as that by said control system of said image forming apparatus.

7. A simulating apparatus for simulating the operation of an image forming apparatus having a data retrieving device which time-sequentially retrieves a control value which is outputted from a control system to a controlled system and an input value which is inputted from said controlled system to said control system as a control result of said controlled system by said control value and a data storing device which stores a time-series data group including a plurality of said control values which have time-sequentially been retrieved by said data retrieving device and the input values corresponding to said control values, comprising a simulating device which simulates the control result of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus corresponding to the control value which is outputted to said controlled system in accordance with an algorithm to identify the operation of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus,wherein a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in the time-series data group stored in said data storing device has been implemented in said algorithm.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising: a data retrieving device which time-sequentially retrieves a control value which is outputted from a control system to a controlled system and an input value which is inputted from said controlled system to said control system as a control result of said controlled system by said control value; anda data storing device which stores a time-series data group including a plurality of said control values which have time-sequentially been retrieved by said data retrieving device and the input values corresponding to said control values,wherein a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in said time-series data group is used when the control result of said controlled system by the control value which is outputted from said control system to said controlled system is simulated by a simulating device.

9. A simulating method comprising: a data retrieving step of time-sequentially retrieving a control value which is outputted from a control system in an image forming apparatus to a controlled system and an input value which is inputted from said controlled system to said control system as a control result of said controlled system by said control value;a data storing step of storing a time-series data group including a plurality of said control values which have time-sequentially been retrieved in said data retrieving step and the input values corresponding to said control values into a storing device; anda simulating step of simulating the control result of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus corresponding to the control value which is outputted to said controlled system in accordance with an algorithm to identify the operation of said controlled system of said image forming apparatus,wherein a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in the time-series data group stored in said storing device has been implemented in said algorithm.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising an arithmetic operating step of obtaining the correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in said time-series data group on the basis of the time-series data group stored in said storing device.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein in said arithmetic operating step, a function for approximating said correlation is obtained as a correlation between each of the control values and the input value corresponding to each of said control values included in said time-series data group on the basis of the time-series data group stored in said storing device.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising an output step of outputting said simulated control result.