Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To notify a user of establishment of a wireless LAN connection on an image forming apparatus when establishing the wireless LAN connection through NFC communication that requires the user to hold a portable terminal over a predetermined position.SOLUTION: Through NFC communication in which a user holds a portable terminal over an image forming apparatus to communicably connect the portable terminal with the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus transmits connection information for a wireless LAN connection to the portable terminal (S1). When the image forming apparatus establishes the wireless LAN connection with the portable terminal in accordance with the transmission of the connection information (Yes in S2), notifies the user of "the establishment of the wireless LAN connection" (S3). Subsequently, transmission and reception of data between the portable terminal and the image forming apparatus can also be performed by wireless LAN communication. After the establishment of the wireless LAN connection, the image forming apparatus ends the NFC communication. In this way, the image forming apparatus notifies the user of the establishment of the wireless LAN connection, and the user can thereby grasp the timing to move the portable terminal away from the image forming apparatus.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine having a plurality of these functions.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, "Near Field Communication" (hereinafter referred to as NFC) has been widely used as a communication standard for short-range wireless communication. And products that apply NFC to pairing and user authentication for supporting communication standards capable of high-speed wireless communication compared to NFC such as WiFi (registered trademark) have emerged. Pairing refers to a communication procedure for transmitting and receiving device information (connection information) for wireless communication between devices. By bringing devices corresponding to NFC close to each other, the user can automatically perform complicated connection settings for wireless communication corresponding to a communication standard different from NFC (for example, WiFi) in these devices (Patent Document 1). When such pairing between devices is performed by NFC communication, subsequent communication is automatically taken over from NFC communication to wireless communication such as WiFi (so-called handover).

[0003] Recently, technologies for handover using the above-described NFC communication have also begun to be implemented in image forming apparatuses such as multifunction machines and printers. As an example, an NFC tag in which connection information for WiFi communication such as an SSID, an IP address, and a MAC address is written in advance is provided in the image forming apparatus. Pairing between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is performed when the user holds a mobile terminal corresponding to NFC communication and WiFi communication at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus. Then, using NFC communication, establishment of WiFi connection between the mobile terminal and the image forming apparatus is performed. When the WiFi connection is established, the image forming apparatus can perform an image forming operation of receiving image data from the mobile terminal by WiFi communication, for example, and outputting an image on a recording material based on the received image data.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-231156 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] By the way, in the case of NFC communication, in order for the user not to interrupt the communication, it is necessary to keep the mobile terminal held over the image forming apparatus. However, conventionally, when a WiFi connection is established by NFC communication, the user cannot recognize that the WiFi connection has been established in the image forming apparatus, and it has been difficult to determine whether the current communication status is due to NFC communication or WiFi communication. Therefore, there are users who keep the mobile terminal held over the image forming apparatus, and during that time, it has been difficult to operate the mobile terminal. Thus, in response to the establishment of a WiFi connection by NFC communication, that is, the establishment of communication ability, it has been desired to notify the user of the establishment of the WiFi connection in the image forming apparatus, but such a thing has not yet been proposed.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that notifies the user of the establishment of a WiFi connection with a mobile terminal in response to the establishment of the WiFi connection with the mobile terminal when the establishment is performed by NFC communication. [Means for Solving the Problems]

[0007] An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, and includes a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus, a storage device that stores a control program executed by the control unit, a first communication unit that communicates with the portable communication terminal according to a first communication method based on the portable communication terminal being held at a predetermined position, and a second communication unit that wirelessly communicates with the portable communication terminal according to a second communication method having a wider communication range than the first communication method. The first communication unit has a memory that stores connection information for connecting the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit. The portable communication terminal transmits a signal requesting output of the connection information to the first communication unit. The first communication unit outputs the connection information to the portable communication terminal according to the first communication method based on the signal transmitted by the portable communication terminal. The portable communication terminal can communicate with the second communication unit based on the connection information. After the image forming apparatus enables communication between the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit, the image forming apparatus notifies the user that the portable communication terminal may be moved away from the predetermined position. The first communication unit is configured to communicate with both an active type electronic module including the portable communication terminal and a passive type electronic module.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, in response to the first communication method enabling communication between the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit that performs wireless communication according to the second communication method, the image forming apparatus can notify that communication between the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit has become possible.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. First, the schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. The image forming apparatus 1 is a general multi-function device having various functions such as a copying function, a scanning function, and a printing function, for example.

[0011] The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment enables user authentication by performing NFC communication between the portable terminal 6 (portable communication terminal) and the image forming apparatus 1. When the image forming apparatus 1 authenticates the user, the user can use the image forming apparatus 1. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment enables wireless LAN connection between the portable terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 by NFC communication. Thereby, for example, transmission and reception of data having a large data amount such as image data (information related to image formation) in the portable terminal 6 are taken over by a wireless LAN such as WiFi (registered trademark), and an image based on this image data can be output by the image forming apparatus 1. Alternatively, it may be setting data (information related to image formation) such as the type and size of the recording material S, not limited to image data.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a device main body 1a having an image forming unit 11 (see FIG. 3) as an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording material S inside, an operation panel 2 provided on the front surface of the device main body 1a, a human sensor 15, and the like. Examples of the recording material S include sheets such as paper, plastic film, and cloth. The operation panel 2 is for inputting operation instructions by a user such as a user.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an intermediate tandem type image forming apparatus that forms an image by transferring four-color toners of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) onto an intermediate transfer belt and then transferring the image onto a recording material S. In the following description, members using the above-mentioned toners of each color are appended with Y, M, C, and K as subscripts. However, since the configurations and operations of each member are substantially the same except for the different colors of the toners used, for the same configuration, the configuration for forming a representative yellow toner image will be described, and the descriptions of the configurations of other colors will be omitted.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming unit 11 for forming an image on the recording material S. The image forming unit 11 includes photosensitive drums 301Y, 301M, 301C, 301K, charging rollers 302Y, 302M, 302C, 302K, developing devices 303Y, 303M, 303C, 303K. Further, it includes primary transfer rollers 305Y, 305M, 305C, 305K, a laser scanner unit 398, an intermediate transfer belt 306, a secondary transfer roller 316, a secondary transfer counter roller 312, and the like.

[0015] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an image reading unit 10 for reading an image of a document. The image reading unit 10 is composed of a reader 10a and an ADF 10b. The reader 10a optically reads an image of a document placed on a placement table (not shown) formed of a glass plate and converts it into image data. The ADF 10b automatically conveys a document stacked on a document tray 10b1 and reads the image. The ADF 10b is rotatably supported, and by rotating the ADF 10b and opening it upward, access to the placement table of the reader 10a becomes possible.

[0016] On the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, an operation panel 2 is provided that enables settings related to image formation and settings related to image reading. In the case of this embodiment, the operation panel 2 is provided on the front side of the image reading unit 10. Therefore, the user can easily operate the operation panel 2. The operation panel 2 includes an operation display unit 20a that displays information and enables input of information and commands to the apparatus by touch operation, keys 20b for inputting numerical values, etc., and an exterior cover 20c. As will be described in detail later, the operation display unit 20a can display software keys and input information and issue commands to the apparatus by touching (performing a touch operation) them. The keys 20b as a manual input unit are hardware keys (physical keys) that can input information and issue commands to the apparatus by physically pressing them. Note that the keys 20b may be omitted.

[0017] The user can input information such as numerical values and issue commands to the apparatus by operating the operation display unit 20a or the keys 20b. Then, settings related to image formation, such as the size of the recording material S for image formation and the setting of the number of image formation sheets, and settings related to image reading, such as the setting of the original size, can be performed.

[0018] Next, the image forming operation by the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. When forming an image, first, an image forming job signal is input to the control unit 3 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the feed roller 311 and the conveyance roller 385 as shown in FIG. 3 rotate, and the recording material S loaded and stored in the cassette 310 is sent out to the registration roller 386. Next, the recording material S is fed into a secondary transfer unit formed from the intermediate transfer belt 306 stretched between the secondary transfer roller 316 and the secondary transfer counter roller 312 at a predetermined timing by the registration roller 386.

[0019] On one hand, in the image forming unit 11, first, the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y is charged by the charging roller 302Y. After that, the laser scanner unit 398 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y with laser light according to the image signal of the original image read by the image reading unit 10, or an image signal sent from an external device such as a personal computer. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y. Then, the developing device 303Y attaches yellow toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y, and a yellow toner image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y. The toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 301Y is primarily transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 306 by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer roller 305Y.

[0020] By the same process, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are also formed on the photosensitive drums 301M, 301C, and 301K. Then, by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer rollers 305M, 305C, and 305K, these toner images are superposed and transferred onto the yellow toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 306. As a result, a full-color toner image corresponding to the image signal is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 306.

[0021] After that, the intermediate transfer belt 306 is driven to move circularly by receiving a driving force from the driving roller 317, and the full-color toner image is sent to the secondary transfer section. Then, by applying a secondary transfer bias to the secondary transfer roller 316 in the secondary transfer section, the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 306 is transferred onto the recording material S.

[0022] Next, the recording material S onto which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to heating and pressure treatment in the fixing device 315, whereby the toner image on the recording material S is fixed to the recording material S. After that, the recording material S onto which the toner image has been fixed is discharged to the discharge section 307 by the discharge roller 313.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4, inside the operation panel 2 (within the operation panel), there is provided an NFC tag unit 4 for performing NFC communication as short-range wireless communication with a mobile terminal (external device) 6 held by the user. The NFC tag unit 4 is composed of an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves and an IC chip for controlling NFC communication, as will be described in detail later, and performs NFC communication, which is short-range wireless communication, with a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a contactless wireless communication standard that uses electromagnetic waves of 13.56 MHz.

[0024] In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a human sensor 15 for detecting a user approaching the apparatus. The human sensor 15 is disposed, for example, on the front surface of the apparatus main body 1a, and detects the presence of a person in front of the image forming apparatus 1. Note that the human sensor 15 may be provided on the operation panel 2. For example, the human sensor 15 may be disposed inside a slit formed in the exterior cover 20c of the operation panel 2, and ultrasonic waves may be transmitted through the slit and the reflected waves may be received to detect the user.

[0025] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a wireless LAN communication unit 5 for performing wireless LAN communication with the mobile terminal 6. LAN is an abbreviation for "Local Area Network". The NFC tag unit 4 and the wireless LAN communication unit 5 are connected to a control unit 3 that controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 via an interface.

[0026] The mobile terminal 6 is a portable device such as a smartphone or a tablet computer and has functions of NFC communication and wireless LAN communication. The user performs wireless communication with the image forming apparatus 1 using the mobile terminal 6 and causes the image forming apparatus 1 to execute various processes.

[0027] [Control Unit] Next, the system configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a CPU 7, a RAM (memory) 8 in which data used by the CPU 7 for calculation is temporarily stored, and a ROM (storage device) 13 in which various programs are stored. The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an HDD 104 in which software related to the control of the image forming apparatus 1, various settings, and stored documents are stored.

[0028] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a network interface 106 that transmits and receives data to and from external devices via a LAN, and a wireless LAN communication unit (wireless LAN interface) 5 that transmits and receives data to and from external devices via wireless LAN communication. The image forming apparatus 1 further includes an operation unit interface 105 that relays input data from the operation panel 2 and image data to be displayed on the operation panel 2.

[0029] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a power control unit 170 that receives an instruction from the CPU 7 and switches the supply and stop of power to a specific device. The power control unit 170 controls a power supply device 160 that receives power from a commercial power supply and converts it into power used by each device to supply power. The power control unit 170 controls the supply and stop of power to the operation panel 2, the network interface 106, the wireless LAN communication unit 5, the image processing unit 150, the image reading unit 10, the image forming unit 11, and the human presence sensor 15. Each of the above-described devices, the NFC tag unit 4, and the human presence sensor 15 are interconnected via a system bus 114.

[0030] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes an image processing unit 150 that performs image processing. The image processing unit 150 includes a RIP 110, a device interface 111, a printer image processing unit 112, and a scanner image processing unit 113, which are interconnected via an image bus 115. The image bus 115 and the system bus 114 are connected via an image bus interface 109, and the image bus interface 109 relays and converts the data structure between the image bus 115 and the system bus 114.

[0031] RIP110 is a raster image processor that converts page description language (PDL) code and display lists into bitmap images. The scanner image processing unit 113 performs image processing such as correction and resolution conversion on the image data read by the image reading unit 10. The printer image processing unit 112 performs image processing such as correction and resolution conversion on the image data of the image formed by the image forming unit 11.

[0032] The image reading unit 10 is connected to the image bus 115 via the scanner bus 116 and the device interface 111. The image forming unit 11 is connected to the image bus 115 via the print bus 117 and the device interface 111. The device interface 111 adjusts the timing for transmitting the image data received from the image reading unit 10 to the image bus 115 and the timing for transmitting the image data from the image bus 115 to the image forming unit 11.

[0033] [Hardware Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus] Next, the detailed relationship among the control unit 3, the operation panel 2, and the human sensor 15 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a part of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an operation panel 2, an image reading unit 10 that reads a document and generates image data, an image forming unit 11 that executes image forming processing based on the image data, a two-dimensional barcode generation unit 12, a storage device (ROM) 13 that stores various information, and the like. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an NFC tag unit 4 as a first communication unit that performs the above-described NFC communication and a wireless LAN communication unit 5 as a second communication unit, which are arranged inside the operation panel 2. These units are connected to the control unit 3 via an interface.

[0034] The control unit 3 includes a CPU 7, a memory (RAM) 8, and a timer 9, and controls the operations of each part. The CPU 7 reads and executes the program 14 stored in the storage device 13. The program 14 is a program that causes the control unit 3 to function for performing various processes described later. The memory 8 is for storing temporary data and the like associated with the execution of the program by the CPU 7. The timer 9 is for measuring time when the control unit 3 performs various processes. Also, as will be described later, the control unit 3 also functions as an authentication unit that authenticates the user based on NFC communication.

[0035] The operation panel 2 includes an operation display unit 20a for performing operations by the user as described above, keys 20b (see FIG. 2), an operation sound generation unit 2c, an operation panel microcomputer 2d, a light emitting unit 2e, and an NFC tag unit 4. The operation display unit 20a has a display unit 2a and an operation input unit 2b as an operation unit. The display unit 2a is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel and can display various information. The display unit 2a can display an image on the liquid crystal panel by receiving, for example, image data from the control unit 3 through a transfer line for image data (not shown). Also, the display unit 2a can display information related to image formation, such as various conditions when printing the recording material S (for example, paper), such as the number of printed sheets, the size of the printing paper, and color / monochrome.

[0036] The operation input unit 2b is a touch panel or the like arranged on the display unit 2a, and information can be input by a touch operation. In the present embodiment, the operation input unit 2b is a touch panel that displays software keys displayed on the display unit 2a and can input information by a touch operation. The operation sound generation unit 2c as a sound generation unit is for generating various operation sounds associated with user operations and notification sounds for notifying the user of the communication status. The light emitting unit 2e is, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or the like for displaying the state of the device by blinking or lighting of light or for notifying the user of the communication status. The operation panel microcomputer 2d controls these and communicates with the control unit 3.

[0037] The NFC tag unit 4 performs NFC communication with an external device (a mobile terminal 6 in this embodiment) based on the NFC communication standard (the first communication method), and performs data input / output between the mobile terminal 6 and the control unit 3. The NFC tag unit 4 of this embodiment is composed of an IC for RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and operates as an NFC tag.

[0038] The human presence sensor 15 can detect the presence of a person within a predetermined area around the image forming apparatus 1. The human presence sensor 15 of this embodiment is a sensor that detects a person or an object in front of the image forming apparatus 1, and sends a detection signal to the operation panel microcomputer 2d. For example, when the human presence sensor 15 detects a person while the image forming apparatus 1 is in the sleep mode, the control unit 3 causes the operation panel 2 to display a touch screen for holding the mobile terminal 6 at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus 1 (see FIG. 13). At this time, the state of the image forming apparatus 1 is shifted from the sleep mode to the standby state.

[0039] The wireless LAN communication unit 5 performs wireless LAN communication processing with an external device (a mobile terminal 6 in this embodiment) based on the wireless LAN standard (the second communication method), and performs data input / output between the mobile terminal 6 and the control unit 3. Specifically, the wireless LAN communication unit 5 performs transmission and reception processing of data packets according to the wireless LAN communication procedure. The wireless LAN standard is a standard for wireless communication with a wider communication range and higher communication speed than the NFC communication standard. Note that the wireless LAN communication unit 5 of this embodiment supports a wireless LAN direct mode such as WiFi Direct.

[0040] In the wireless LAN direct mode, by operating the wireless LAN communication unit 5 as a wireless LAN access point (soft access point), wireless LAN communication can be performed with an external device such as the mobile terminal 6 without going through an external wireless LAN access point.

[0041] The two-dimensional barcode generation unit 12 encodes the set data into a two-dimensional barcode (QR code: registered trademark) as an authentication image, and generates an image of the two-dimensional barcode. The generated two-dimensional barcode image is displayed on the display unit 2a of the operation panel 2 so that the user can read this two-dimensional barcode image using the mobile terminal 6. Note that the authentication image is an image that can be read by the camera 38 (see FIG. 9) of the mobile terminal 6 and is an image including information for the image forming apparatus 1 to authenticate the user. In the present embodiment, the authentication image is a two-dimensional barcode, but it is not limited to the two-dimensional barcode as long as it is such an image. Further, in the present embodiment, the two-dimensional barcode generation unit 12 may be omitted.

[0042] [Hardware Configuration of NFC Tag Unit] Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the hardware configuration of the NFC tag unit 4 in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. The NFC tag unit 4 includes an NFC tag control unit 21, a memory 22, an RF control unit 23, an RF interface unit 24, an RF field detection unit 25, a loop antenna 26, and the like.

[0043] The NFC tag control unit 21 controls each unit of the NFC tag unit 4, and performs input / output of data to / from the control unit 3 via an interface. The NFC tag control unit 21 has a tag read interrupt generation unit 21a.

[0044] The tag read interrupt generation unit 21a generates an interrupt signal when NFC data is read from or written to the mobile terminal 6 by NFC communication with the mobile terminal 6. The interrupt signal of the tag read interrupt generation unit 21a is output to the control unit 3.

[0045] The memory 22 accumulates data written from the control unit 3 or the mobile terminal 6 as NFC tag data, and is assumed to be configured by a non-volatile memory. Further, the data written in the memory 22 can be read by the control unit 3.

[0046] When the RF control unit 23 performs NFC communication with an external device (in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 6), it performs modulation and demodulation processing of electromagnetic waves for RF communication. RF is an abbreviation for "Radio Frequency".

[0047] When the RF interface unit 24 performs NFC communication with an external device (in this embodiment, the mobile terminal 6), it performs electromagnetic coupling by receiving the radiation of electromagnetic waves, and performs reception and transmission processing of electromagnetic waves.

[0048] The RF field detection unit 25 detects an electromagnetic field (RF field) while the RF interface unit 24 is receiving the radiation of electromagnetic waves in NFC communication with an external device. Specifically, it is assumed that the RF field detection unit 25 detects the power (energy) of the electromagnetic wave. Note that the detection signal of the RF field detection unit 25 is output to the control unit 3.

[0049] The loop antenna 26 is an antenna for performing NFC communication with an external device. In this embodiment, it receives the radiation of electromagnetic waves from the mobile terminal 6, performs electromagnetic coupling, and is formed in a loop coil shape for communication by electromagnetic waves.

[0050] In this embodiment, the NFC tag unit 4 performs electromagnetic coupling by receiving the radiation of electromagnetic waves from the mobile terminal 6, and operates by receiving power supply by the electromotive force generated by this electromagnetic coupling. Note that the memory 22, the RF control unit 23, and the RF interface unit 24 are assumed to be controlled by the NFC tag control unit 21.

[0051] [Operation Panel] Next, the operation display unit 20a of the operation panel 2 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the operation display unit 20a is equipped with an NFC antenna, and from the lowermost layer, the display unit 2a, the operation input unit 2b which is a touch panel, and the loop antenna 26 which is an NFC antenna are superimposed and arranged in this order. A protective glass (not shown) may be arranged on the outermost side.

[0052] That is, in the operation display unit 20a, a display unit 2a such as a liquid crystal is disposed in the lower layer. The display unit 2a and the operation panel microcomputer 2d (see FIG. 6) are connected by a Flexible Flat Cable (hereinafter abbreviated as FFC) not shown. Above the display unit 2a, an operation input unit 2b such as a touch panel is disposed. In the operation panel 2, the upper side means the side where the user performs a touch operation.

[0053] The operation input unit 2b may be a resistive or capacitive touch panel, or may have an optical structure. In this embodiment, a 4-wire resistive touch panel is used. Electrodes are disposed on four sides of the touch panel of the operation input unit 2b, and each electrode is connected to the operation panel microcomputer 2d via a connector such as a Flexible Printed Circuit (hereinafter abbreviated as FPC).

[0054] Above the operation input unit 2b, a loop antenna 26 which is an NFC antenna pattern is disposed. The operation input unit 2b and the loop antenna 26 are transparent or translucent films, and the image displayed on the display unit 2a is visible from above the loop antenna 26.

[0055] In this embodiment, the loop antenna 26 is configured as one antenna pattern, but it may be configured by a plurality of antenna patterns. The loop antenna 26 is also connected to the RF interface unit 24 via a connector such as an FPC.

[0056] The loop antenna 26 has the best sensitivity when disposed above the operation input unit 2b in communication with the mobile terminal 6. For this reason, in this embodiment, the loop antenna 26 is disposed so as to cover above the operation input unit 2b. Note that the position of the loop antenna 26 is not limited to this, and for example, it may be between the display unit 2a and the operation input unit 2b. Further, the loop antenna 26 and the operation input unit 2b may be integrally configured.

[0057] In this embodiment, the loop antenna 26, which is an antenna for performing NFC communication, is arranged within the operation panel 2 and above the display unit 2a so as to overlap with the display unit 2a. For this reason, although details will be described later, a touch screen (see FIG. 13) for guiding the user to hold the mobile terminal 6 at a predetermined position within the display range on the operation panel 2 can be displayed on the display unit 2a. Then, the user can perform NFC communication by holding the mobile terminal 6 above the operation panel 2.

[0058] [Hardware Configuration of Mobile Terminal] Next, with reference to FIG. 9, the hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 6 will be described. The mobile terminal 6 includes a control unit 31, an operation panel 34, a storage device 35, an NFC_R / W unit 36, a wireless LAN communication unit 37, a camera 38, a two-dimensional barcode analysis unit 39, and the like. The control unit 31 controls the mobile terminal 6 and is composed of a CPU 32 and a memory 33. The CPU 32 reads and executes various programs stored in the storage device 35. The memory 33 stores temporary data and the like associated with the execution of programs by the CPU 32.

[0059] The operation panel 34 is configured to input operation instructions by the user. That is, the operation panel 34 is composed of a display unit 34a configured by a liquid crystal panel for displaying various information and an operation input unit 34b such as a touch panel on the display unit 34a. In addition, an operation sound generation unit 34c for generating various operation sounds associated with operations is also provided. The storage device 35 stores the various programs described above.

[0060] The NFC_R / W unit 36 performs NFC communication with an external device (the image forming apparatus 1 in this embodiment) based on the NFC communication standard, and performs data input / output performed between the image forming apparatus 1 and the control unit 3. The NFC_R / W unit 36 of this embodiment operates as an NFC reader / writer. That is, it reads and writes data by NFC communication.

[0061] The wireless LAN communication unit 37 performs communication processing with an external device (the image forming apparatus 1 in the present embodiment) based on the wireless LAN standard, and performs data input / output processing performed between the image forming apparatus 1 and the control unit 31. The wireless LAN communication unit 37 in the present embodiment performs processing of wireless LAN communication based on the wireless LAN standard. Specifically, it performs transmission and reception processing of data packets according to the wireless LAN communication procedure.

[0062] The camera 38 is a camera for imaging. The two-dimensional barcode analysis unit 39 analyzes the read two-dimensional barcode to acquire the data of the two-dimensional barcode. Although not shown, the portable terminal 6 includes a power supply configuration necessary for a portable terminal, such as a battery and a power control unit. In the present embodiment, the camera 38 and the two-dimensional barcode analysis unit 39 may be omitted.

[0063] [Hardware Configuration of NFC_R / W Unit] Next, the hardware configuration of the NFC_R / W unit 36 in the portable terminal 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The NFC_R / W unit 36 includes an NFC_R / W control unit 41, an RF control unit 42, an RF interface unit 43, a loop antenna 44, and the like.

[0064] The NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls each part of the NFC_R / W unit 36, and performs data input / output to the control unit 31 via an interface. The RF control unit 42 performs modulation and demodulation processing of electromagnetic waves for RF communication when performing NFC communication with an external device. The RF interface unit 43 radiates electromagnetic waves to perform electromagnetic coupling and performs reception and transmission processing of electromagnetic waves when performing NFC communication with an external device.

[0065] The loop antenna 44 is an antenna for performing NFC communication with an external device. In the present embodiment, it is formed in a loop coil shape to radiate electromagnetic waves to the image forming apparatus 1, perform electromagnetic coupling, and perform communication by electromagnetic waves. Note that the RF control unit 42 and the RF interface unit 43 are controlled by the NFC_R / W control unit 41.

[0066] [NFC Communication] Next, with reference to FIGS. 7, 9, and 10, the operation in which the NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6 performs electromagnetic coupling with the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1 and reads the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4 by NFC communication will be described. Note that, assuming that the detailed communication protocol of NFC communication conforms to the NFC communication standard, the following describes the outline of the operation of NFC communication by electromagnetic coupling.

[0067] First, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the NFC_R / W unit 36 performs a polling operation for reading the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4. The polling operation is one of the control methods for smoothly coordinating a plurality of devices and software. In response to the user bringing the mobile terminal 6 close to the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1, the NFC_R / W unit 36 starts the polling operation.

[0068] The NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls the RF control unit 42 to modulate an electromagnetic wave based on the NFC communication standard in order to transmit command data for reading the NFC tag. This modulated wave is provided to the RF interface unit 43. The NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls the RF interface unit 43 to transmit the provided modulated wave.

[0069] The transmitted modulated wave is provided from the RF interface unit 43 to the loop antenna 44 and radiated as an electromagnetic wave. An RF field (electromagnetic field) is formed in the vicinity of the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4 by this radiated electromagnetic wave, and the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4 are electromagnetically coupled.

[0070] In the NFC tag unit 4, when the loop antenna 26 receives electromagnetic wave radiation, the electromagnetic wave is received. The received electromagnetic wave is brought to the RF interface unit 24, and the RF interface unit 24 generates an electromotive force by electromagnetic coupling. Due to this electromotive force, the NFC tag unit 4 obtains power and operates. At the same time, the electromagnetic wave received by the RF interface unit 24 is brought to the RF control unit 23.

[0071] The NFC tag control unit 21 controls the RF control unit 23 to demodulate the modulated electromagnetic wave brought to the RF control unit 23 to obtain demodulated data. The NFC tag control unit 21 obtains the demodulated data and detects that this is command data for reading NFC tag data.

[0072] Therefore, the NFC tag control unit 21 reads the data written as NFC tag data in the memory 22 and transfers it to the RF control unit 23 as response data for the command data. The NFC tag control unit 21 controls the RF control unit 23 to modulate an electromagnetic wave based on the NFC communication standard to transmit the response data that is NFC tag data, and this modulated wave is brought to the RF interface unit 24.

[0073] The NFC tag control unit 21 controls the RF interface unit 24 to transmit the brought modulated wave. The transmitted modulated wave is brought from the RF interface unit 24 to the loop antenna 26 and radiated as an electromagnetic wave. At this point, the NFC tag control unit 21 generates an interrupt signal by the tag read interrupt generation unit 21a, assuming that the transmission of the NFC tag data as response data has been completed in response to the reception of the command data for reading the NFC tag data.

[0074] On the other hand, in the NFC_R / W control unit 41, the loop antenna 44 receives an electromagnetic wave modulated based on the response data radiated from the NFC tag control unit 21. The received electromagnetic wave is brought to the RF control unit 42 via the RF interface unit 43.

[0075] The NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls the RF control unit 42 to demodulate the modulated electromagnetic wave provided to the RF control unit 42 to obtain demodulated data. Then, the NFC_R / W control unit 41 notifies the control unit 31 that the reading of the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4 has been completed. At the same time, the NFC_R / W control unit 41 transfers the read NFC tag data to the control unit 31.

[0076] When the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1 acquires the data of the NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6, only the data output side and the data reading side are reversed, and the communication method is the same.

[0077] FIG. 11(b) is a diagram showing the detection output of the RF field detection unit 25 of the NFC tag unit 4 when the above-described NFC_R / W unit 36 reads the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4. When the mobile terminal 6 approaches the image forming apparatus 1, as described above, the NFC_R / W unit 36 radiates an electromagnetic wave to form an RF field between the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4. While the NFC tag unit 4 is receiving the electromagnetic wave, the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4 can perform NFC communication through electromagnetic coupling. In the NFC tag unit 4, the electromagnetic wave received by the loop antenna 26 is provided to the RF field detection unit 25 via the RF interface unit 24. The RF field detection unit 25 outputs an RF field detection "ON" signal 52 when detecting the power (energy) of the electromagnetic wave, and outputs an RF field detection "OFF" signal 51 when not detecting the power (energy) of the electromagnetic wave.

[0078] Normally, in order to read the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4 by the NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6, the mobile terminal 6 performs NFC communication by a polling operation that periodically radiates electromagnetic waves. In that case, in order to reduce power consumption, the mobile terminal 6 does not constantly radiate electromagnetic waves, but instead periodically radiates electromagnetic waves at a predetermined time interval (referred to as a polling interval) to perform NFC communication for reading NFC tag data. And when the user brings the mobile terminal 6 close to the image forming apparatus 1 (specifically, the NFC tag unit 4), the RF field detection unit 25 can detect the power of the electromagnetic waves radiated according to the polling interval. Therefore, while the mobile terminal 6 is close to the image forming apparatus 1 and the NFC tag unit 4 is receiving electromagnetic waves, the RF field detection unit 25 generates an RF field detection "ON" signal 52 at the polling interval.

[0079] After that, when the user moves the mobile terminal 6 away from the image forming apparatus 1 (specifically, the NFC tag unit 4), the RF field detection unit 25 does not detect the power of the electromagnetic waves, so it continues to output an RF field detection "OFF" signal 51.

[0080] The transition of the output of the RF field detection unit 25 will be further described. FIG. 11(c) is a diagram showing the output of the RF field detection unit 25 when the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4 is successfully read by the mobile terminal 6. FIG. 11(d) is a diagram showing the output of the RF field detection unit 25 when the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4 cannot be successfully read by the mobile terminal 6.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 11(c), when the mobile terminal 6 is close to the image forming apparatus 1, the RF field detection unit 25 of the NFC tag unit 4 outputs an RF field detection "ON" signal 52 at a polling interval. Accordingly, the NFC_R / W unit 36 reads NFC tag data. If the mobile terminal 6 is not close to the image forming apparatus 1, the RF field detection unit 25 of the NFC tag unit 4 outputs an RF field detection "OFF" signal 51. Thus, during the time t1 when the mobile terminal 6 is close, the RF field detection "ON" signal 52 is generated at a polling interval by the RF field detection unit 25, and then, when the mobile terminal 6 is separated from the image forming apparatus 1, the RF field detection "OFF" signal 51 is output.

[0082] When the mobile terminal 6 is close to the image forming apparatus 1, the RF field detection unit 25 of the NFC tag unit 4 outputs an RF field detection "ON" signal 52 at a polling interval. Here, the NFC_R / W unit 36 reads NFC tag data by polling, but if there is an obstacle in NFC communication, the reading of the NFC tag data is not completed normally. In this case, as shown in Fig. 11(d), the RF field detection unit 25 continuously outputs an RF field detection "ON" signal 52 at a polling interval during the time t2 when the mobile terminal 6 is close.

[0083] As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can perform handover to continue subsequent data transmission and reception via wireless LAN or the like by performing pairing with the mobile terminal 6 by NFC communication. That is, the user can automatically cause those devices to perform complicated settings for wireless LAN connection only by bringing the mobile terminal 6 close to the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 authenticates the user who has the mobile terminal 6 and performs a wireless LAN connection with this mobile terminal 6.

[0084] Here, information such as IDs and passwords, which is setting information for user authentication (personal authentication), is stored in the storage device 35 of the mobile terminal 6. The NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6 outputs the above-described setting information read from the storage device 35 as NFC tag data in response to a read from the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1. Thereby, the image forming apparatus 1 can acquire the setting information necessary for personal authentication and authenticate the user who possesses the mobile terminal 6.

[0085] On the other hand, connection information for performing the wireless LAN direct mode, such as an SSID, an encryption key, and an IP address, is stored in the storage device 13 of the image forming apparatus 1. The connection information such as the SSID, the encryption key, and the IP address read from the storage device 13 is written in the memory 22 of the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1. The NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1 outputs the above-described connection information read from the memory 22 as NFC tag data in response to a read from the NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6. Thereby, the mobile terminal 6 can acquire the connection information necessary for wireless LAN connection, and the image forming apparatus 1 can authenticate the user who possesses the mobile terminal 6 and perform a wireless LAN connection with this mobile terminal 6.

[0086] As described above, in the case of this embodiment, when the user brings the mobile terminal 6 corresponding to NFC communication close to the NFC tag unit 4 on the image forming apparatus 1 side, the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 acquire connection information for personal authentication and wireless LAN connection (for example, WiFi connection). Then, the image forming apparatus 1 automatically performs settings for personal authentication and WiFi connection, and terminates NFC communication after the establishment of the WiFi connection. Thereafter, the image forming apparatus 1 can automatically perform data transmission and reception with the mobile terminal 6 by WiFi communication.

[0087] By the way, conventionally, when the mobile terminal 6 is held in front of the image forming apparatus 1, the user has no means of grasping from the image forming apparatus 1 whether NFC communication is in progress or the state where data transmission / reception by WiFi communication is already possible. Therefore, as described above, the user has no choice but to keep the mobile terminal 6 held in front of the image forming apparatus 1, during which it is difficult for the user to operate the mobile terminal 6. Thus, in view of such a point in the present embodiment, by notifying the user that the WiFi connection has been established on the side of the image forming apparatus 1, the user can separate the mobile terminal 6 from the image forming apparatus 1 and operate it. Hereinafter, the "connection establishment process" of the present embodiment for realizing such control will be described.

[0088] [Connection Establishment Process] The operation of the CPU 7 of the control unit 3 for notifying the user of the establishment of the WiFi connection will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 using the flowchart of FIG. 12. The "connection establishment process" shown in FIG. 12 is executed by the CPU 7 of the image forming apparatus 1 in response to the mobile terminal 6 being brought close to the image forming apparatus 1 by the user and the start of NFC communication between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1.

[0089] Before describing the "connection establishment process", the "touch screen" indicating the position where the user holds the mobile terminal 6 in front of the image forming apparatus 1 for performing NFC communication between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 13 shows the "touch screen". The "touch screen" shown in FIG. 13 displays a target mark indicating the position where the user holds the mobile terminal 6. In the present embodiment, since the loop antenna 26 of the NFC tag unit 4 for performing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 6 is disposed inside the operation panel 2, the target mark is displayed inside the operation panel 2. Note that the screen shown in FIG. 13 is an example, and any display may be used as long as the position where the user holds the mobile terminal 6 can be understood. Also, the "initial screen" to be pre-displayed on the mobile terminal 6 when bringing it close to the image forming apparatus 1 will be described later (see FIG. 19(a)).

[0090] Regarding the "connection establishment process" (connection mode), as shown in FIG. 12, when NFC communication is started, the CPU 7 transmits connection information necessary for wireless LAN direct communication to the mobile terminal 6 (S1). After transmitting the connection information, the CPU 7 determines whether a wireless LAN connection between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 has been established (S2). When a wireless LAN connection between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 has been established (Yes in S2), the CPU 7 notifies the user that the wireless LAN connection has been established in the image forming apparatus 1 (S3). As a method of notifying the user that the wireless LAN connection has been established in the image forming apparatus 1, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, a sound may be generated from an operation sound generation unit 2c (such as a speaker) provided on the operation panel 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the light emission state of the light emission unit 2e (such as an LED) of the operation panel 2 may be changed by lighting or flashing the light emission unit 2e. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16(a), the display state of the display unit 2a of the operation panel 2 may be changed by displaying "Connection with the terminal has been established" or the like on the display unit 2a. By doing so, the user can understand that the wireless LAN connection between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 has been established. At this time, the CPU 7 may also cause the wireless LAN connection establishment to be displayed on the mobile terminal 6 (see the "WiFi connection notification screen" shown in FIG. 19(b) described later). Also, in the case of this embodiment, even after the wireless LAN connection with the image forming apparatus 1 has been established, data transmission and reception by NFC communication can be performed between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 (see FIG. 17 described later). In that case, after establishing the wireless LAN connection between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 and notifying the mobile terminal 6 that the wireless LAN connection has been established by NFC communication, as shown in FIG. 16(b), it is displayed on the display unit 2a that the mobile terminal 6 may be separated from the image forming apparatus 1.

[0091] On the other hand, when the wireless LAN connection with the mobile terminal 6 has not been established (No in S2), the CPU 7 determines whether or not to repeat the retry process of resending the connection information to the mobile terminal 6 a predetermined number of times (S4). If the retry process has not been repeated a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time (No in S4), the CPU 7 returns to the process of step S1 to resend the connection information to the mobile terminal 6 (retry process). If the wireless LAN connection with the mobile terminal 6 has not been established despite repeating the retry process a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time (Yes in S4), the CPU 7 notifies the user by, for example, displaying the failure to establish the wireless LAN connection due to NFC communication on the display unit 2a (S5).

[0092] In the process shown in FIG. 12, an example in which all controls are executed by the CPU 7 has been described. However, the transmission of the connection information (S1 in FIG. 12) may be executed by the NFC tag control unit 21 according to the instruction of the CPU 7.

[0093] The method for determining whether or not the wireless LAN connection with the mobile terminal 6 by the CPU 7 described above (see S2 in FIG. 12) will be described with reference to FIG. 17 while referring to FIGS. 6, 7, 9, and 10. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the communication procedure of NFC communication and WiFi communication between the image forming apparatus 1 and the mobile terminal 6 in the present embodiment. However, here, the case where a polling signal is transmitted from the mobile terminal 6 side to the image forming apparatus 1, that is, the case where the NFC_R / W unit 36 of the mobile terminal 6 starts the polling operation will be described as an example.

[0094] First, when the mobile terminal 6 approaches the NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1, the mobile terminal 6 (specifically, the NFC_R / W unit 36) performs a polling operation (S1000) to read the NFC tag data of the NFC tag unit 4. By performing the polling operation, the mobile terminal 6 is communicably connected to the image forming apparatus 1 without competing with other systems (for example, mobile terminals other than the mobile terminal that is brought close). In the image forming apparatus 1, the NFC tag unit 4 is activated in response to the polling operation being performed by the mobile terminal 6. Then, in the mobile terminal 6, the NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls the RF control unit 42 to modulate an electromagnetic wave based on the NFC communication standard. This modulated wave is transmitted to the RF interface unit 43, and the RF interface unit 43 radiates it as an electromagnetic wave via the loop antenna 44. An RF field is formed in the vicinity of the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4 by this radiated electromagnetic wave, and the NFC_R / W unit 36 and the NFC tag unit 4 are electromagnetically coupled. Thereby, NFC communication is started.

[0095] After the start of NFC communication, in the image forming apparatus 1, the loop antenna 26 receives the electromagnetic wave radiated from the mobile terminal 6. The received electromagnetic wave is transmitted to the RF interface unit 24, and the RF interface unit 24 generates an electromotive force by electromagnetic coupling. The NFC tag unit 4 operates by obtaining power with this electromotive force. At the same time, the electromagnetic wave received by the RF interface unit 24 is transmitted to the RF control unit 23.

[0096] The NFC tag control unit 21 controls the RF control unit 23 to demodulate the electromagnetic wave transmitted to the RF control unit 23 to obtain demodulated data. By obtaining the demodulated data, the NFC tag control unit 21 can detect that a read request for NFC tag data has been made from the mobile terminal 6. When the NFC tag control unit 21 detects that a read request for NFC tag data has been made, it reads out the connection information (SSID, encryption key, IP address) written as NFC tag data in the memory 22 and transfers it to the RF control unit 23.

[0097] The NFC tag control unit 21 controls the RF control unit 23 and modulates the transferred connection information based on the NFC communication standard. The modulated connection information is radiated as electromagnetic waves (response data) via the RF interface unit 24 and the loop antenna 26 (S1001). In response to the completion of the transmission of the response data, the NFC tag control unit 21 generates an interrupt signal by the tag read interrupt generation unit 21a.

[0098] Then, in the mobile terminal 6, the electromagnetic waves (response data) radiated from the image forming apparatus 1 are received by the loop antenna 44. The received electromagnetic waves are transmitted to the RF control unit 42 via the RF interface unit 43. The NFC_R / W control unit 41 controls the RF control unit 42 to demodulate the electromagnetic waves transmitted to the RF control unit 42 and obtain demodulated data. Thereafter, in the mobile terminal 6, the control unit 31 is notified that the NFC_R / W control unit 41 has read the connection information from the image forming apparatus 1. At the same time, the NFC_R / W control unit 41 transfers the read connection information to the control unit 31.

[0099] When the mobile terminal 6 acquires connection information from the image forming apparatus 1 by NFC communication, it transmits a "connection request" (predetermined signal) for WiFi connection to the image forming apparatus 1 based on the acquired connection information (S1002). Generally, in wireless communication such as WiFi, a communication network is formed by connecting a WiFi-compatible terminal to an access point that serves as a relay point. In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 corresponds to the access point, and the mobile terminal 6 corresponds to a WiFi-compatible terminal. Here, for example, when there are a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1 that serve as access points, the mobile terminal 6 must select which image forming apparatus 1 (access point) to connect to. The user needs to cause the mobile terminal 6 to identify the image forming apparatus 1 to which the mobile terminal 6 is to be connected, and the "SSID" serves as the identification label at that time. When the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 are not connected by NFC communication, the user needs to select and transmit the "SSID" corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1 to be connected from among the plurality of "SSIDs" displayed on the mobile terminal 6. In this regard, as in the present embodiment, when connected by NFC communication, the "SSID" corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1 that the user desires to connect to is automatically acquired by NFC communication, so that the user does not need to manually select the "SSID".

[0100] When the image forming apparatus 1 is identified by the "SSID", next, a WiFi connection is established between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1. For this purpose, an encryption key is required. The encryption key is for encrypting the communication content. When the user manually selects the "SSID", the encryption key also needs to be manually input. In the present embodiment, the encryption key is also included in the NFC tag data, similar to the "SSID". Therefore, when the user touches the mobile terminal 6 to the NFC tag unit 4, in addition to the "SSID", the encryption key is also sent from the image forming apparatus 1 to the mobile terminal 6.

[0101] Also, in this embodiment, information regarding the IP address of the image forming apparatus 1 is also included in the NFC tag data. Therefore, the portable terminal 6 can know the address of the image forming apparatus 1 on the network by acquiring the NFC tag data.

[0102] As described above, when the authentication (user authentication) of the portable terminal 6 by the image forming apparatus 1 is completed, the image forming apparatus 1 establishes a WiFi connection with the portable terminal 6. Then, when the image forming apparatus 1 establishes the WiFi connection, the image forming apparatus 1 transmits a WiFi communication "connection response" to the "connection request" (S1002) of the WiFi connection from the portable terminal 6 to the portable terminal 6 by NFC communication (S1003). The CPU 7 determines that the wireless LAN connection has been established when transmitting the "connection response" to the portable terminal 6, and ends the NFC communication after transmitting the "connection response". In this way, WiFi communication is started at the stage where authentication using the SSID and the encryption key is performed, but in that state, NFC communication still continues to transmit the "connection response" to the portable terminal 6. Then, the CPU 7 ends the NFC communication at the timing when the transmission of the "connection response" to the portable terminal 6 is completed. After the transmission of the "connection response" is completed, the CPU 7 displays on the display unit 2a that the portable terminal 6 may be separated from the image forming apparatus 1 as described above (see FIG. 16(b)). In the case of this embodiment, if the CPU 7 does not receive a "connection request" from the portable terminal 6 within a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds or less) after transmitting the connection information a plurality of times, the wireless LAN connection cannot be established.

[0103] Note that the configuration is not limited to the one in which the polling operation is performed from the portable terminal 6 to the image forming apparatus 1 as described above, and a configuration in which the polling operation is performed from the image forming apparatus 1 to the portable terminal 6 may be used. Therefore, the case of the configuration in which the polling operation is performed from the image forming apparatus 1 to the portable terminal 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 18(a) to 18(c).

[0104] As an electronic module capable of wireless communication with the image forming apparatus 1, in addition to the mobile terminal 6, for example, an ID card can be mentioned. When the mobile terminal 6 performs NFC communication by the NFC_R / W unit 36, it is a so-called active type electronic module that radiates electromagnetic waves using the power of the built-in battery. On the other hand, since the ID card does not have a built-in battery, it cannot radiate electromagnetic waves using its own power. The ID card is a so-called passive type electronic module that radiates electromagnetic waves using the received electromagnetic wave as an energy source when performing NFC communication. Depending on whether the electronic module is the above-described active type or passive type, the polling operation is different.

[0105] As already described, the polling operation is one of the control methods for smoothly coordinating a plurality of devices and software, and the image forming apparatus 1 can detect electronic modules such as the mobile terminal 6 and the ID card within the communicable distance by the polling operation. As shown in Fig. 18(a), an output operation of outputting a polling signal for detecting an electronic module and a monitoring operation of monitoring reception of a response signal from the electronic module to the polling signal for a predetermined time are set as one set, and these operations are repeated a predetermined number of times. Therefore, during the polling operation, the polling signal is output at a predetermined output interval. Hereinafter, the period during the polling operation, that is, the period during which the polling signal is output and the electronic module is detected, is referred to as the "detection period".

[0106] The NFC tag unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 1 receives response data from the electronic module when an electronic module enters within the communicable distance of the NFC tag unit 4 during the detection period. Here, when the electronic module that has entered within the communicable distance of the NFC tag unit 4 is a passive type (for example, an ID card, etc.) and when it is an active type (for example, the mobile terminal 6), the reception timing of the response data received by the NFC tag unit 4 is different. The reception timing of the response data is the period from when the polling signal is output until the response data corresponding to the polling signal is received.

[0107] For example, when the ID card receives a polling signal, it outputs response data as a reflected wave of the polling signal. In this case, when the ID card enters the communicable range of the NFC tag unit 4, the period from when the NFC tag unit 4 outputs a polling signal until it receives response data is as shown in Fig. 18(b). On the other hand, since the mobile terminal 6 is a device that transmits response data using its own power, unlike a passive electronic module, it does not need to output response data immediately after receiving a polling signal. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 18(c), when the mobile terminal 6 enters the communicable range of the NFC tag unit 4, the period from when the NFC tag unit 4 outputs a polling signal until it receives response data is longer than in the case of the ID card. Note that when the NFC tag unit 4 receives response data from the electronic module during the polling operation, it interrupts the polling operation and passes on each process for subsequent NFC communication to the CPU 7.

[0108] In response to receiving response data from the electronic module, the NFC tag unit 4 transmits the SSID and encryption key to the electronic module. Since the capacity of these data is small, they can be transmitted by NFC communication. The electronic module performs a handover connection to WiFi using the SSID and encryption key received from the NFC tag unit 4. When a "connection request" for WiFi communication is made from the electronic module and then the image forming apparatus 1 transmits a "connection response" to the electronic module, the CPU 7 determines that the WiFi connection has been established and notifies the establishment of the WiFi connection.

[0109] Here, an example of user operation using the mobile terminal 6 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 19(a) to 19(d) while referring to FIG. 9. FIG. 19(a) is an initial screen displayed on the mobile terminal 6 (specifically, the display unit 34a) when an application program is launched on the mobile terminal 6 to perform NFC communication. At this time, the mobile terminal 6 is radiating electromagnetic waves to perform a polling operation. In the present embodiment, a "Cancel" button is displayed on the initial screen. When the "Cancel" button is touched by the user, the mobile terminal 6 stops radiating electromagnetic waves for the polling operation, and the application program is terminated. Also, when the display of "Searching for MFP" in FIG. 19(a) starts, the application program is automatically terminated when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the display.

[0110] FIG. 19(b) is a "WiFi Connection Notification Screen" displayed on the display unit 34a in response to the establishment of a WiFi connection between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1. That is, the "WiFi Connection Notification Screen" is temporarily displayed on the display unit 34a when the CPU 32 of the mobile terminal 6 receives a "Connection Response" from the image forming apparatus 1. When this screen is displayed, the user can confirm on the mobile terminal 6 side that a WiFi connection between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 has been established. As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 generates a notification sound for notifying the user that the WiFi connection has been established at the timing of transmitting the "Connection Response" to the mobile terminal 6. Therefore, after the notification sound is generated from the image forming apparatus 1, the "WiFi Connection Notification Screen" shown in FIG. 19(b) is displayed on the mobile terminal 6. However, since this time difference is several ms, it is almost simultaneous in the user's perception.

[0111] After the display of the "WiFi connection notification screen" shown in Fig. 19(b), the display of the mobile terminal 6 automatically transitions to the "Job selection screen" shown in Fig. 19(c). The "Job selection screen" is a screen for allowing the user to select a job to be executed. On the "Job selection screen" shown in Fig. 19(c), there are two buttons for selecting either the job of "Import" or "Print" as an example of the job, and one button for "End the application". Note that the types of jobs displayed on the job selection screen and the number of buttons displayed corresponding thereto are not limited to two. Jobs other than "Import" and "Print" may be selectable, or a specification may be adopted in which other jobs can be selected in addition to these jobs.

[0112] Here, the "Import" job and the "Print" job that can be executed on the image forming apparatus 1 using the application program in the present embodiment will be briefly described. The "Import" job is a function for causing the image forming apparatus 1 to read a document (so-called document scanning) and storing the image data of the read document in the mobile terminal 6. The image forming apparatus 1 uses the image reading unit 10 (see Fig. 2) to read a document. That is, when the "WiFi connection notification screen" shown in Fig. 19(b) is displayed and the user confirms that the WiFi connection between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 has been established, the document to be imported into the mobile terminal 6 is set in the image reading unit 10. Thereafter, when the user touches the "Import" button on the job selection screen shown in Fig. 19(c), the reading of the document by the image reading unit 10 is started. Then, when the reading of the document is completed, the image forming apparatus 1 transmits the image data of the read document to the mobile terminal 6 by WiFi communication. The mobile terminal 6 stores the image data of the document received from the image forming apparatus 1 by WiFi communication in the memory 33.

[0113] The "Print" job is a function for printing the image data stored in the mobile terminal 6 by the image forming apparatus 1. When the user touches the "Print" button on the job selection screen shown in Fig. 19(c), the display of the mobile terminal 6 transitions to the "Data Selection Screen" shown in Fig. 19(d). The "Data Selection Screen" is a screen that displays a list of image data printable using the image forming apparatus 1. On this "Data Selection Screen", the user can select the image data to be printed. When the image data is selected, the selected image data is transmitted from the mobile terminal 6 to the image forming apparatus 1 via WiFi communication. The image forming apparatus 1 starts an image forming job in response to receiving the image data from the mobile terminal 6, and forms an image on the recording material S based on the received image data. In this way, the user can print photos, documents, etc. stored in the memory 33 and the storage device 35 of the mobile terminal 6. Since wireless communication such as WiFi communication has a larger data amount that can be communicated per unit time than short-range wireless communication such as NFC communication, it is possible to transmit and receive image data with a large data amount such as photos and documents in a relatively short time. When the "Exit Application" button on the "Job Selection Screen" shown in Fig. 19(c) is touched, the launched application program is terminated.

[0114] Note that the user operations using the mobile terminal 6 after WiFi communication are not limited to the above-described example. For example, when an application program is launched on the mobile terminal 6, the "Job Selection Screen" shown in Fig. 19(c) may be displayed on the mobile terminal 6. In this case, for example, it is assumed that the "Print" button on the job selection screen is touched by the user. Then, after the user selects the image data to be printed (see Fig. 19(d)), it is assumed that the mobile terminal 6 is brought close to the operation panel 2 (see Fig. 6) of the image forming apparatus 1. Then, in response to the mobile terminal 6 being brought close to the operation panel 2, NFC communication and WiFi communication are performed as described above, and an image based on the selected image data is formed on the recording material S. In this case, since the user only needs to select the image data to be printed and then bring the mobile terminal 6 close to the operation panel 2, such an operation is simple.

[0115] As described above, in this embodiment, when the user brings the mobile terminal 6 close to the image forming apparatus 1, an NFC connection is established between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1, and the mobile terminal 6 receives connection information for WiFi connection stored in the NFC tag from the image forming apparatus 1. Based on the received connection information, the mobile terminal 6 establishes a WiFi connection with a wider communication range and higher communication speed than NFC with the image forming apparatus 1. Thereafter, data transmission and reception between the mobile terminal 6 and the image forming apparatus 1 are performed by WiFi communication. In the image forming apparatus 1, NFC communication is terminated after the establishment of the WiFi connection. At this time, the user is notified that it is no longer necessary to bring the mobile terminal 6 close. As a result, the user can separate the mobile terminal 6 from the image forming apparatus 1 even during data transmission and reception by WiFi communication, making it easier to operate the mobile terminal 6.

[0116] <Other Embodiments> In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the loop antenna 26 of the NFC tag unit 4 for performing NFC communication with the mobile terminal 6 is disposed within the operation panel 2 has been described (see FIG. 7). However, the loop antenna 26 may be outside the operation panel 2. For example, it may be provided at a position adjacent to the operation panel 2. In this case, it is preferable to perform a display indicating the position where the loop antenna 26 is disposed as a predetermined position for holding the mobile terminal 6 over the display unit 2a of the operation panel 2.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0117] 1... Image forming apparatus, 2... Operation panel, 2a... Display unit, 2b... Operation input unit (operation unit), 2c... Sound generation unit (operation sound generation unit), 2e... Light emitting unit, 3... Control unit, 4... First communication unit (NFC tag unit), 5... Second communication unit (wireless LAN communication unit), 6... Mobile communication terminal (mobile terminal), 11... Image forming unit (image forming unit), 26... Loop antenna (antenna)

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, A control unit that controls the image forming apparatus; A storage device in which a control program to be executed by the control unit is stored; a first communication unit that communicates with the mobile communication terminal according to a first communication method when the mobile communication terminal is held over a predetermined position; a second communication unit that performs wireless communication with the mobile communication terminal according to a second communication method having a wider communication range than the first communication method, the first communication unit has a memory in which connection information for connecting the mobile communication terminal and the second communication unit is stored, the portable communication terminal transmits a signal to the first communication unit to request output of the connection information; the first communication unit outputs the connection information to the portable communication terminal in accordance with the first communication method based on the signal transmitted by the portable communication terminal; the portable communication terminal is capable of communicating with the second communication unit based on the connection information, the image forming apparatus notifies a user that the portable communication terminal may be moved away from the predetermined position after communication between the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit is enabled; The first communication unit is configured to communicate with both an active electronic module including the mobile communication terminal and a passive electronic module.

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. a display unit that notifies a user that the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other based on the fact that the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other and displays a screen that notifies the user that the portable communication terminal may be moved away from the predetermined position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

3. The display unit displays a screen showing the predetermined position.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

4. the display unit displays a screen including a message prompting the user to hold the mobile communication terminal over the predetermined position.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2,

5. the image forming apparatus includes an operation unit having the first communication unit, the display unit, and a mark indicating the predetermined position; the mark is located below the message in the vertical direction of the screen displayed on the display unit; 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

6. a light-emitting unit that emits light to notify a user that the mobile communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other based on the fact that the mobile communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

7. The light emitting unit changes a light emitting state based on the fact that the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

8. The image forming apparatus further includes an operation unit having a display unit that displays information about image forming conditions and the light emitting unit, The light-emitting unit is provided below the display unit in a vertical direction of a screen displayed on the display unit.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6,

9. and a sound generating unit configured to generate a sound to notify a user that the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other based on the fact that the portable communication terminal and the second communication unit are able to communicate with each other.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

10. the image forming apparatus includes an operation unit having a display unit that displays settings related to image forming conditions and the sound generating unit; In a vertical direction of a screen displayed on the display unit, a part of the sound generating unit is provided above the display unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9,

11. the first communication method is NFC, The first communication unit outputs the connection information stored in the memory by an electromotive force generated by an electromagnetic wave emitted by the mobile communication terminal.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

12. the image forming apparatus includes a human presence sensor that detects the presence of a person, and a display unit that displays settings related to image forming conditions; The display unit displays a screen showing the predetermined position based on the detection of a person by the human presence sensor.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

13. the first communication unit includes an antenna for performing short-range wireless communication with the mobile communication terminal, the image forming apparatus includes an operation unit having a display unit that displays settings related to image forming conditions and the antenna; the antenna is wired so that at least a portion of the antenna overlaps with the display unit when the display unit is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the display unit; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

14. When the mobile communication terminal and the second communication unit are not able to communicate with each other even though the mobile communication terminal is held over the predetermined position, a user is notified that the mobile communication terminal and the second communication unit are not able to communicate with each other.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

15. the first communication method is NFC; 20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18,

16. The second communication method is WiFi Direct communication.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

17. The first communication unit operates by receiving power from an electromotive force generated by an electromagnetic wave irradiated from the mobile communication terminal.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

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