Image forming apparatus and image forming system

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that aim to improve the development efficiency of image forming apparatuses with different installed functions.SOLUTION: A binary file 171 is a program that controls hardware that realizes the functions installed in an image forming apparatus 100. The binary file 171 is a program that controls hardware installed in the image forming apparatus. A function activation configuration file 172 is a shell script file that describes the operating conditions and various settings of the binary file 171. Firmware 17, which includes the binary file 171 and the function activation configuration file 172, is configured to be compatible with multiple image forming apparatuses with different installed functions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system that print images on paper. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals equipped with functions such as scanning, printing, copying, and facsimile often have different functions depending on the model.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes an image forming device that assigns identification information to each specific function that the image forming device has, and if the release information obtained to release the execution restriction on the program that realizes the specific function corresponds to the identification information, the image forming device releases the execution restriction on the program to realize the specific function, thereby selectively realizing specific functions according to the user's wishes.

[0004] Patent Document 2 describes a technique relating to an image forming system and device that can maintain highly accurate time without using broadcast packets that may reduce the processing capacity of the image forming device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-043179 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-088416 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] When developing multiple multifunction devices with different built-in functions, sharing hardware across multiple models offers many benefits in terms of development time, costs, and parts procurement. Similarly, sharing software also reduces the effort required to implement and verify duplicated functions. However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, users must select the functions they want to enable, making it impossible to share software across multiple image forming devices with different built-in functions, and thus development efficiency cannot be improved.

[0007] The present invention aims to improve the development efficiency of a plurality of models of image forming apparatuses with different built-in functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that prints images, and is equipped with a memory unit that stores firmware for the image forming apparatus, and a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus, wherein the firmware includes a binary file that controls hardware that realizes the functions installed in the image forming apparatus, and a function activation config file that indicates the operating conditions of the binary file, and when the image forming apparatus is started, the control unit reads the binary file and the function activation config file of the firmware, and executes the binary file by reflecting the conditions described in the function activation config file in the binary file.

[0009] The image forming system of the present invention comprises the image forming device and a server described above, and the image forming device and the server are capable of sending and receiving data via a network, wherein the server stores the binary files and function activation config files corresponding to each model of the image forming device, the image forming device further comprises a communication unit for sending and receiving data, the communication unit downloads the binary files and function activation config files from the server in accordance with instructions from the control unit, and the memory unit updates and stores the downloaded binary files and function activation config files. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the binary file and function activation configuration file are configured to be compatible with multiple models of image forming devices with different built-in functions, thereby reducing the time and labor required for development and improving development efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus and the image forming system. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of creating a binary file. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of creating firmware. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing a flow at the time of starting up the image forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An image forming apparatus and an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The image forming apparatus in this embodiment is a printer, a copier, a scanner, or a multifunction peripheral having these functions.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus and an image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 100, a server 200, and a network N, such as the Internet, to which the image forming apparatus 100 and the server 200 are connected. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a control unit 11, an input receiving unit 12, an image reading unit 13, an image forming unit 14, a communication unit 15, and a memory unit 16. The input receiving unit 12 includes hard keys, such as an enter key and a start key, for confirming various operations and settings, and a display unit 121. The display unit 121 displays an operation screen, messages, and the like. The display unit 121 may be integrated with a touch panel.

[0014] The image reading unit 13 is equipped with a scanner or the like and reads an image of a document to obtain image data. The image forming unit 14 prints, on paper, the image data obtained by the image reading unit 13 and the image data received by the communication unit 15 from an external device. The image forming unit 14 is equipped with an electrophotographic image forming mechanism and prints images on paper. The communication unit 15 is composed of a communication module or the like and transmits and receives various data to and from external devices such as a server 200 and a computer via a network N such as the Internet.

[0015] The storage unit 16 is a large-capacity storage device made up of an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores image data, various programs, data tables, etc. The storage unit 16 stores firmware 17. The firmware 17 is software that controls the hardware that constitutes the image forming apparatus 100, and is made up of a binary file 171 and a function activation configuration file 172.

[0016] The binary file 171 is a program that controls hardware that realizes the functions installed in the image forming apparatus 100. The function activation configuration file 172 is a shell script file that describes the operating conditions and various settings of the binary file 171.

[0017] Generally, companies develop multiple models of image forming devices, ranging from models equipped with only basic functions to models equipped with multiple functions. In the past, when developing multiple image forming devices with different functions, separate software was created for each model with the same functions, which required a considerable amount of time and effort for software development. While it is known that standardizing hardware across multiple models offers many benefits in terms of development time, cost, and parts procurement, standardizing software can also reduce development time and labor, as well as verification efforts.

[0018] Therefore, a binary file that supports function control for all models is created, and the conditions and settings corresponding to the functions installed on each model are written in a function activation configuration file. This allows the binary file to execute processing (controlling the hardware corresponding to the model's functions) reflecting the settings corresponding to the model's functions through the function activation configuration file, making it possible to realize different functions depending on the model while standardizing the program. In other words, by writing the operating conditions and settings for multiple models with different functions in the function activation configuration file, it is possible to support multiple models with different functions with a single binary file.

[0019] The function activation config file is composed of environment variables including IF statements, and the environment variables are set based on the model name of the image forming device 100 (a number assigned to each model separated by the installed functions) when the image forming device 100 is started. Therefore, the function activation config file only describes the operating conditions and settings of binary files that control hardware that realizes functions installed in some models, which can be determined by the model name of the image forming device 100. In other words, the function activation config file does not include settings related to binary files that realize functions installed in all models of image forming devices.

[0020] The function activation configuration file is a rewritable file. After image forming apparatus 100 is installed, if a user requests a change to the functions installed in image forming apparatus 100, a service technician or the like can respond to the request by rewriting the function activation configuration file, for example, by operating input receiving unit 12.

[0021] The control unit 11 is composed of a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), etc. The processor is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc. The control unit 11 functions as a control unit 111 when the processor executes a control program stored in the ROM, etc. The control unit 111 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0022] When image forming apparatus 100 starts up, control unit 111 activates functions by reading and executing firmware 17 from storage unit 16. If binary file 171 does not contain a program whose operating conditions are specified by function activation configuration file 172 and which should be executed, control unit 111 displays an error message on display unit 121. Furthermore, if binary file 171 or function activation configuration file 172 is corrupted, or if binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 do not operate normally because their versions are different, control unit 111 displays an error message on display unit 121.

[0023] Server 200 is a server used to store and share data, and provides services to all models of image forming devices, including image forming device 100. Server 200 stores binary files 21 and function activation configuration files 22 used by each model of image forming device, including image forming device 100.

[0024] The binary file 21 and function activation configuration file 22 stored in the server 200 are designed and supported by a computer 9 in the software development department of the image forming apparatus 100. When the binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 stored in the image forming apparatus 100 need to be modified, an engineer uploads the modified binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 from the computer 9 to the server 200, the control unit 111 of the image forming apparatus 100 causes the communication unit 15 to download the modified binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 from the server 200, and the memory unit 16 updates and stores these files.

[0025] Furthermore, if the binary file 171 or function activation configuration file 172 stored in the image forming apparatus 100 is corrupted or does not operate normally because the binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 are different versions of each other, the control unit 111 of the image forming apparatus 100 downloads the correct binary file 171 or function activation configuration file 172 from the server 200, and the storage unit 16 updates and stores these files. This makes it possible to provide the appropriate binary file 171 and function activation configuration file 172 even after the image forming apparatus 100 has been installed at the user's location.

[0026] Next, the creation of binary files (including binary file 171 and binary file 21) will be described. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the flow of creating binary files. First, regarding the functions and hardware provided for each model, developed model group characteristic information D11 is given as input data, make conditions are set (S11), and developed model group make setting data D12 is created. Furthermore, compile settings are made using the developed model group characteristic information D11 (S12), and developed model group compile setting data D13 is created.

[0027] Next, the make conditions are set in accordance with the development model group make setting data D12, and the compile switch is referenced using the development model group compile setting data D13 (S13 and S14), and the preprocessor (S15) and compile (S16) are executed, and a binary file D14 is generated by link processing (S17).

[0028] Next, the creation of firmware 17 will be explained. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of creating firmware. First, using target function specification information D21, files and data to be packaged as firmware are selected (S21), and a function activation configuration file D22 (including function activation configuration file 172 and function activation configuration file 22) is created (S22).

[0029] Furthermore, the binary file D14 is acquired (S23), and files other than the binary file to be packaged in the firmware are collected (S24), and a firmware package D23 is created (S25).

[0030] Next, the startup of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of startup of the image forming apparatus 100. First, the control unit 111 retrieves the firmware package D23 and the function activation configuration file D22 (S31, S32) and sets the function activation conditions (S33). In other words, the control unit 111 performs processing to activate software modules that operate the functions installed in the image forming apparatus 100. This processing makes it possible to execute functions according to the specifications of the image forming apparatus 100, and the control unit 111 starts up the image forming apparatus 100 (S34).

[0031] As explained above, by configuring the binary file 171 and the function activation configuration file 172 to be compatible with multiple models of image forming device 100 with different built-in functions, the time and effort required for development can be reduced, and development efficiency can be improved.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible. In addition, in the above embodiment, the configuration and processing shown in the above embodiment using Figures 1 to 4 are merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it is not intended that the present invention be limited to these configurations and processing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1. Image forming system 100 Image forming device 11 Control unit 111 Control Unit 12 Input reception section 121 Display section 13 Image reading unit 14 Image forming unit 15 Communications Department 16 Memory section 17 Firmware 171 Binary Files 172 Feature Activation Config File 200 servers 21 Binary Files 22 Feature Activation Config File 9. Computers N Network

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, a storage unit that stores firmware for the image forming apparatus; a control unit that controls the image forming apparatus, the firmware includes a binary file that controls hardware that realizes a function installed in the image forming apparatus, and a function activation configuration file that indicates an operating condition of the binary file; When the image forming device is started, the control unit reads the binary file and the function activation configuration file of the firmware, and executes the image forming device by reflecting the conditions described in the function activation configuration file in the binary file.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function activation configuration file indicates operating conditions of the binary file that controls hardware that realizes functions installed in some models of the image forming apparatus among all models of the image forming apparatus.

3. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the function activation configuration file is a rewritable file.

4. Further comprising a display unit for displaying an image, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the binary file does not contain a program that the function activation configuration file specifies as an operating condition and that should be executed, the control unit causes the display unit to display an error message.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the control unit fails to read the function activation configuration file from the storage unit, the control unit displays an error message on the display unit.

6. An image forming system comprising the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a server, wherein the image forming apparatus and the server can transmit and receive data via a network, the server stores the binary file and the function activation configuration file corresponding to each model of the image forming apparatus; the image forming apparatus further includes a communication unit for transmitting and receiving data; An image forming system in which the communication unit downloads the binary file and the function activation configuration file from the server in accordance with instructions from the control unit, and the control unit updates and stores the downloaded binary file and function activation configuration file in the memory unit.

7. An image forming system as described in claim 6, wherein if the program to be executed according to the operating conditions indicated in the function activation configuration file is not included in the binary file, the control unit of the image forming device causes the communication unit to download a binary file containing the program from the server, and updates and stores the binary file in the memory unit.

8. The image forming system described in claim 6, wherein, when the control unit of the image forming device fails to read the function activation configuration file, the control unit causes the communication unit to download a normal function activation configuration file from the server, and updates and stores the function activation configuration file in the memory unit.

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