Image forming apparatus, image forming system, mounting propriety determination method, and program

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, a mounting propriety determination method, and a program that can prevent mounting of a non-adapted unit to suppress the occurrence of an image defect and a failure.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a reading section (image reading section 12) that reads information on a mounting source body issued from a mounting source of a unit to be mounted and attached to the unit; an acquisition section (control section 11) that acquires a condition in mounting the unit; and a determination section (control section 11) that determines whether the information on the mounting source body read by the reading section matches the condition acquired by the acquisition section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an attachment possibility determination method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a desire to eliminate wasteful waste in order to realize a recycling-oriented society. Some image forming devices are collected, refurbished, and sold again as recycled machines. Refurbished machines can reuse used units that have remaining life and are removed from the image forming device main body to be discarded. Therefore, used units are removed from the image forming device main body to be discarded and stored as inventory.

[0003] When workers reuse stored used units in refurbished machines, they must select used units that are compatible with the refurbished machine. Compatibility can be determined from the appearance of the parts, information recorded on paper, RFID tags, etc. The information recorded on paper and RFID tags are attached to used units during management.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which identifier information is stored in the memory of a cartridge to be installed in a main body device, and whether the cartridge is compatible with a printing unit is determined based on the identifier information. In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, if the cartridge is incompatible with the printing unit, printing operations can be stopped until the cartridge is replaced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-296786 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, the development unit (drum unit), which is one type of used unit, is a common component across multiple models with different print speeds and functions. The drum unit mixes toner and carrier when it is installed in the target device. The TCR (toner-carrier mixture ratio) standard value for the drum unit is determined based on the print speed (PPM) of the device it is installed in. The drum unit mixes toner and carrier based on the determined TCR standard value. Therefore, once a new drum unit is used in one device, it cannot be reused in a device with a different print speed. If a drum unit used in another device is used in a device with a different print speed, normal image quality cannot be guaranteed and the output image will be incorrect. As with the drum unit mentioned above, even if the appearance, shape, and model are compatible with the target recycled machine, there are cases where it cannot be used in the target machine due to its usage history and characteristics. Because it is difficult for workers to notice the incompatible condition, they end up using the recycled machine with the incompatible used unit installed. This results in issues such as inefficiency due to rework and losses due to breakdowns in the recycled machine.

[0007] The configuration described in Patent Document 1 has a cartridge shape that can be installed in multiple models. However, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 cannot prevent incorrect installation in a used unit that can be installed in multiple models when new, but once installed, the installation destinations are limited (restricted).

[0008] The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an attachment possibility determination method, and a program that can prevent the attachment of an incompatible unit and suppress the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The invention described in claim 1 has been made to achieve the above object, In the image forming apparatus, a reading unit that reads information on the device that is issued by the device that the unit is attached to and that is attached to the device; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0010] The invention described in claim 2 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, the information about the source main body is the printing speed of the source main body; The condition is characterized by the printing speed of the main body to which the printer is to be attached.

[0011] The invention described in claim 3 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, the information on the main body to which the attachment is made is the model name of the main body to which the attachment is made, The condition is characterized by being the model name of the main body to which the device is to be attached.

[0012] The invention described in claim 4 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 2, the unit is a drum unit, The drum unit is characterized in that it is a part in which the mixture ratio of toner and carrier is determined according to the printing speed of the main body to which it is attached after it is installed in an unused state.

[0013] The invention described in claim 5 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The information on the main body to which the device is attached is recorded on a paper medium.

[0014] The invention described in claim 6 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The information on the main body to which the device is attached is a two-dimensional code printed on a paper medium.

[0015] The invention described in claim 7 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, the information on the source main body is RFID information, The reading unit is a dedicated reader capable of reading the RFID information.

[0016] The invention described in claim 8 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The information on the device from which the device is attached is USB memory information.

[0017] The invention described in claim 9 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 5 or 6, The reading unit is an image reading unit of the device itself.

[0018] The invention described in claim 10 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The device is characterized by comprising a notification unit that notifies the result of the determination by the determination unit.

[0019] The invention described in claim 11 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The determination unit determines whether or not the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit when the power of the destination main body is turned on.

[0020] The invention described in claim 12 is the image forming apparatus described in claim 1, The judgment unit is characterized in that when the power of the destination main body is turned off, it judges whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the conditions acquired by the acquisition unit, and stores the judgment result in a memory unit.

[0021] The invention described in claim 13 is An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and an external processing device that communicates information between the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus, The external processing device includes: a reading unit that reads information on a source body of a unit that is attached to the unit and that is issued by the source of the unit to be attached to the image forming apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit in the image forming apparatus; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0022] The invention described in claim 14 is 1. A method for determining whether a unit can be attached to an image forming apparatus, the method comprising: reading information on a unit-attached body of an image forming apparatus, the information being issued by the unit-attaching source of the unit and attached to the unit; an acquisition step of acquiring conditions for mounting the unit; a determination step of determining whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired in the acquisition step; Includes:

[0023] The invention described in claim 15 is a computer of an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads information on a main body of a mounting source that is issued by the mounting source of the unit to be mounted and attached to the unit; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the attachment source main unit read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; This is a program that functions as a [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, the installation of an incompatible unit can be prevented, thereby suppressing the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control structure of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of how used drum units and paper sheets are stored in association with each other. [Figure 4] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for a refurbishment mode. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 11, an image reading unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a memory unit 14, an operation panel 15, and a communication unit 16.

[0028] The control unit 11 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc. First, the CPU reads out various processing programs stored in the ROM in response to an instruction signal and loads the programs into the RAM. The instruction signal is received as an operation signal input from the operation unit 152 or via the communication unit 16. Next, the CPU comprehensively controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 in cooperation with the various programs loaded into the RAM.

[0029] The image reading unit 12 reads an image of a document placed on a document table or an automatic document feeder (ADF), not shown, and obtains an image signal. Specifically, the image reading unit 12 scans and exposes the image of the document using the optical system of a scanning exposure device, reads the reflected light using a line image sensor, and obtains an image signal. The image signal is subjected to processes such as A / D conversion, shading correction, and compression, and then input to the control unit 11 as image data. Note that the image data input to the control unit 11 is not limited to that read by the image reading unit 12. For example, it may be image data received from an external device (not shown) via the communication unit 16. The image reading unit 12 reads information about the device that is attached to the unit and issued by the device where the unit is attached. That is, the image reading unit 12 functions as a reading unit of the present invention. The device where the unit is attached is the device (image forming device) from which the unit is removed after being attached.

[0030] The image forming unit 13 forms an image made up of four colors, C, M, Y, and K, on ​​a sheet of paper in accordance with the pixel values ​​of the four colors of each pixel of the image-processed original image. The image forming unit 13 includes four writing units 131, an intermediate transfer belt 132, a secondary transfer roller 133, a fixing unit 134, and the like.

[0031] The four writing units 131 are arranged in series (tandem) along the belt surface of the intermediate transfer belt 132 and form images of the respective colors C, M, Y, and K. Each writing unit 131 has the same configuration, except for the color of the image it forms. Each writing unit 131 includes an optical scanning unit 131a, a photoconductor 131b, a developing unit 131c, a charging unit 131d, a cleaning unit 131e, and a primary transfer roller 131f. The photoconductor 131b, developing unit 131c, charging unit 131d, and cleaning unit 131e together form a drum unit U1, which is a removable unit. The drum unit (unit) U1 is a part whose mixture ratio of toner and carrier is determined according to the printing speed of the device to which it is attached after it is installed in an unused state.

[0032] When forming an image, each writing unit 131 first charges the photoconductor 131b using the charging unit 131d. Next, each writing unit 131 scans the photoconductor 131b with a light beam emitted from the optical scanning unit 131a based on the original image, forming an electrostatic latent image. Next, each writing unit 131 supplies a color material such as toner using the developing unit 131c to develop the image. As a result, an image (toner image) is formed on the photoconductor 131b. The images formed on the photoconductor 131b by each writing unit 131 are sequentially superimposed and primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 132 by the respective primary transfer rollers 131f. As a result, images of each color are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 132. The intermediate transfer belt 132 is an image carrier that rotates while being wound around multiple rollers. After the primary transfer, each writing unit 131 removes color material remaining on the photoconductor 131b using the cleaning unit 131e.

[0033] Paper is fed to the image forming unit 13 in time with the image on the rotating intermediate transfer belt 132 reaching the position of the secondary transfer roller 133. Paper is fed to the image forming unit 13 from the manual feed tray T1 or the paper feed tray T2. One of the pair of secondary transfer rollers 133 is in pressure contact with the intermediate transfer belt 132. The other roller of the pair constitutes one of the multiple rollers that wrap around the intermediate transfer belt 132. The image is secondarily transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 132 onto the paper fed to the image forming unit 13 by the pressure of the secondary transfer roller 133. The paper with the secondarily transferred image is transported to the fixing unit 134, where it is fixed, and then discharged to the paper output tray T3. The fixing process is a process in which the fixing roller 134a applies heat and pressure to the paper to fix the image to the paper. When forming images on both sides of the paper, the paper is conveyed to a reversing path 135 to reverse the paper surface, and then the paper is fed again to the position of the secondary transfer roller 133 .

[0034] The storage unit 14 is a non-volatile storage means configured by an HDD, an SSD, etc. The storage unit 14 stores various programs, various setting data, etc. in a manner that allows the control unit 11 to read and write the data.

[0035] The operation panel 15 includes a display unit 151 that displays various information to the worker, and an operation unit 152 that accepts operation inputs from the worker.

[0036] The display unit 151 is configured with a color liquid crystal display or the like, and displays an operation screen and the like in accordance with a display control signal input from the control unit 11. The operation screen includes, for example, various setting screens, various buttons, and the operating status of each function.

[0037] The operation unit 152 includes a touch panel provided on the screen of the display unit 151 and various hard keys arranged around the screen of the display unit 151. When a button displayed on the screen is pressed with a finger, a touch pen, or the like, the operation unit 152 first detects the X and Y coordinates of the pressed point of force as a voltage value. Next, the operation unit 152 outputs an operation signal associated with the detected position to the control unit 11. Note that the touch panel is not limited to a pressure-sensitive type and may be, for example, an electrostatic type or an optical type. When a hard key is pressed, the operation unit 152 outputs an operation signal associated with the pressed key to the control unit 11. An operator can operate the operation unit 152 to make settings related to image formation, issue paper transport instructions, and stop the device. Settings related to image formation include, for example, image quality settings, magnification settings, application settings, output settings, and paper settings.

[0038] The communication unit 16 has a communication IC, a communication connector, etc., and is an interface that connects the image forming apparatus 10 to a communication network. The communication unit 16 transmits and receives various information to and from external devices connected to the communication network using a predetermined communication protocol under the control of the control unit 11. The communication unit 16 can also input and output various information via USB.

[0039] In this embodiment, a case where a used drum unit U1 is installed in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described as an example. Generally, used units are stored with information about the used unit attached. The information about the used unit includes, for example, information about the used unit itself (identification information and remaining life information) and information about the device to which it is attached (printing speed information). When the information about the used unit is recorded on paper media, for example, the "used unit" and a "paper sheet on which the information about the used unit is printed as a two-dimensional code" are linked and stored. FIG. 3 shows an example of how a used drum unit U1 and a paper sheet P are linked and stored. Methods for recording information on paper media include, for example, handwriting, printing on plain paper or a sticker sheet, and printing a two-dimensional code. An example of the two-dimensional code is a QR code (registered trademark). In this embodiment, a QR code is used as an example of a two-dimensional code.

[0040] Next, the control of image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 4. The example shown in Fig. 4 illustrates the control when a yellow drum unit U1 that was installed in a 50-sheet machine is installed in a 35-sheet machine. The 50-sheet (35-sheet) machine is an image forming apparatus 10 with a printing speed of 50 (35) ppm. The control in Fig. 4 is initiated when control unit 11 of image forming apparatus 10 detects that an operator has selected to activate the refurbishment mode via operation unit 152.

[0041] First, the control unit 11 displays a screen G1 for the refurbishment mode on the operation panel 15 (display unit 151) (step S1). FIG. 5 shows an example of the screen G1 for the refurbishment mode. The screen G1 for the refurbishment mode has an installation unit selection area E1 in which a plurality of buttons indicating the installed units are arranged. The installation unit selection area E1 has a plurality of buttons indicating units that can be installed, such as a button B1 indicating a yellow drum unit (Y). The screen G1 for the refurbishment mode also has a QR code reading button B2 and a start key B3.

[0042] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a button indicating an installed unit has been selected on the refurbishment mode screen G1 (step S2). Here, it determines whether or not the button B1 indicating the yellow drum unit (Y) has been selected. Figure 5 shows a state in which the button B1 indicating the yellow drum unit (Y) has been selected. If the control unit 11 determines that the button indicating the attached unit has been selected (step S2: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S3. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the button indicating the attached unit has not been selected (step S2: NO), the control unit 11 repeats the process of step S2 until the button is selected.

[0043] The worker selects the button indicating the installed unit, and then places the paper associated with the installed unit in the image reading unit 12. Next, the worker selects the QR code reading button B2 on the refurbishment mode screen G1. Next, the worker presses the start key B3 on the refurbishment mode screen G1. This causes the QR code printed on the paper placed in the image reading unit 12 to be read. Information related to the installed unit is recorded in the QR code.

[0044] In step S3, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the information read by the image reading unit 12 has been acquired. The information read by the image reading unit 12 is information related to the installed unit. The information related to the installed unit includes information about the unit itself and information about the main body from which the unit is installed. The information about the unit itself is, for example, the identification information (type information) and remaining life information of the unit (here, the yellow drum unit). The information about the main body from which the unit is installed is, for example, the print speed of the main body from which the unit is installed (here, 50 ppm). When the control unit 11 determines that the information read by the image reading unit 12 has been acquired (step S3: YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S4. On the other hand, when the control unit 11 determines that the information read by the image reading unit 12 has not been acquired (step S3: NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S8.

[0045] In step S4, the control unit 11 acquires the conditions for installing the unit. That is, the control unit 11 functions as an acquisition unit of the present invention. The conditions for installing the unit are, for example, the print speed (here, 35 ppm) of the main body to which the unit is to be installed (here, the image forming apparatus 10 (own device)).

[0046] Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the information read by the image reading unit 12 matches the condition acquired in step S4 (step S5). That is, the control unit 11 functions as a determination unit of the present invention. If the control unit 11 determines that the information read by the image reading unit 12 matches the condition acquired in step S4 (step S5: YES), the control unit 11 proceeds to the next step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 11 determines that the information read by the image reading unit 12 does not match the condition acquired in step S4 (step S5: NO), the control unit 11 proceeds to step S7.

[0047] In this embodiment, the information read by image reading unit 12 (printing speed of source main body) is 50 ppm. The condition acquired in step S4 (printing speed of destination main body) is 35 ppm. In this case, control unit 11 determines that the information read by image reading unit 12 does not match the condition acquired in step S4.

[0048] In step S6, the control unit 11 carries out a process of transferring information about the unit itself. As a result, information about the used drum unit U1 is transferred to the storage unit 14 of the image forming device 10. This allows image formation processing to be carried out using the installed unit. At this time, control unit 11 may cause the determination result in step S5 to be displayed on display unit 151. For example, control unit 11 causes display unit 151 to display that the yellow drum unit selected on operation panel 15 can be installed.

[0049] In step S7, control unit 11 causes operation panel 15 (display unit 151) to display (notify) the determination result in step S5. In this case, display unit 151 functions as a notification unit of the present invention. For example, control unit 11 causes display unit 151 to display that the yellow drum unit selected on operation panel 15 cannot be installed. This allows the operator to cancel the installation of the yellow drum unit.

[0050] In step S8, control unit 11 causes operation panel 15 (display unit 151) to display (notify) that an error has occurred in the information acquisition. For example, control unit 11 causes display unit 151 to display a message such as "Information related to the installed yellow drum unit (Y) cannot be acquired." Thereafter, control unit 11 proceeds to step S3.

[0051] 4 may be performed at a timing different from when the operator activates the refurbishment mode. For example, the control shown in Fig. 4 may be performed when the power of the destination main body (image forming apparatus 10 (own device)) is turned on. That is, when the power of the destination main body is turned on, control unit 11 may determine whether the information of the source main body read by image reading unit 12 matches the condition acquired in step S4. 4 may be performed when the power of the destination main body is turned off. In this case, the determination result is stored in the memory unit 14. This allows the determination result to be notified when the power of the destination main body is turned on. That is, when the power of the destination main body is turned off, the control unit 11 may determine whether the information of the source main body read by the image reading unit 12 matches the condition acquired in step S4, and store the determination result in the memory unit 14. Furthermore, when the power supply of the main body to which the device is to be attached is turned off, the control shown in FIG. 4 may be carried out.

[0052] As described above, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a reading unit (image reading unit 12), an acquisition unit (control unit 11), and a determination unit (control unit 11). The reading unit reads information about the source main body that is issued by the source of the unit to be attached and attached to the unit. The acquisition unit acquires the conditions for attaching the unit. The determination unit determines whether the information about the source main body read by the reading unit matches the conditions acquired by the acquisition unit. Therefore, according to the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not a unit can be installed when the unit is installed, thereby preventing the installation of an incompatible unit and suppressing the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions.

[0053] The source main body information is the printing speed of the source main body, and the condition is the printing speed of the destination main body. This makes it possible to prevent the installation of a unit that cannot be used in a device with a different printing speed from that of the device itself, thereby reducing the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions.

[0054] The unit is a drum unit, which is a part that determines the mixture ratio of toner and carrier depending on the printing speed of the main body to which it is attached after it is installed in an unused state. This prevents the installation of a drum unit that cannot be used in a device with a different printing speed from the device to which it is attached, thereby reducing the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions.

[0055] The information on the source main body is information recorded on a paper medium, for example, two-dimensional code information printed on a paper medium. Therefore, the information on the source main body can be easily read by the reading unit, and therefore, when a unit is attached, it can be easily determined whether or not the unit can be attached.

[0056] The reading unit is an image reading unit of the device itself. Therefore, when a unit is to be attached, the device itself can determine whether or not the unit can be attached, thereby preventing increases in costs and the workload of the worker.

[0057] The device also includes a notification unit (display unit 151) that notifies the user of the result of the determination by the determination unit. Therefore, when a unit is to be mounted, the operator can be notified of the result of the determination as to whether or not the unit can be mounted. Therefore, if an incompatible unit is mounted, the operator can remove the unit.

[0058] Furthermore, when the power supply of the destination main unit is turned on, the determination unit determines whether or not the information of the source main unit read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether an incompatible unit is attached when the device is used, and it is therefore possible to prevent the device from being used with an incompatible unit attached.

[0059] In addition, when the power of the destination main body is turned off, the judgment unit judges whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the conditions acquired by the acquisition unit, and stores the judgment result in the memory unit 14. Therefore, when the device is used, the determination result of whether or not an incompatible unit is attached can be read out and notified, thereby preventing the device from being used with an incompatible unit attached.

[0060] Although the present invention has been specifically described above based on the embodiments thereof, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be modified within the scope of the present invention.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is exemplified and described as being realized by the image forming apparatus 10 alone, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention may be realized by an image forming system 1 including the image forming apparatus 10 and the external processing apparatus 20.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 6, the image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 10 and an external processing apparatus 20. The apparatuses constituting the image forming system 1 are connected to a communication network N. Specifically, the communication network N is the Internet, a telephone line network of a telecommunications carrier, a mobile phone communication network, or the like. Note that the image forming apparatus 10 has the same configuration as in the embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0063] The external processing device 20 is a terminal device such as a desktop PC or a notebook PC. The external processing device 20 communicates information between the image forming device 10 and the image forming device 10. The external processing device 20 includes a control unit 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit 23, a storage unit 24, a communication unit 25, and a hand scanner 26.

[0064] The control unit 21 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit 21 performs overall control of the operations of each unit of the external processing device 20 in cooperation with the CPU and program data expanded in a working area of ​​the RAM. The program data is stored in the ROM and the storage unit 24.

[0065] The operation unit 22 includes, for example, a keyboard having character input keys, number input keys, etc., a pointing device such as a mouse, etc. The operation unit 22 receives operation input from the operator and outputs an operation signal corresponding to the operation input to the control unit 21.

[0066] The display unit 23 includes a display such as an LCD, and displays an image based on the display control signal output from the control unit 21 on the display screen.

[0067] The storage unit 24 is configured by, for example, a HDD, a semiconductor memory, etc. The storage unit 24 stores data such as program data and various setting data in a manner that allows the control unit 21 to read and write data.

[0068] The communication unit 25 is a communication interface having a communication IC, a communication connector, etc. Under the control of the control unit 21, the communication unit 25 performs data communication via the communication network N using a predetermined communication protocol.

[0069] The hand scanner (reader) 26 determines the RFID information carried on the RFID tag based on the amplitude and frequency shift or phase shift of the electromagnetic wave reflected by the RFID tag. In other words, the hand scanner 26 is a dedicated reader capable of reading RFID information.

[0070] In the above embodiment, information recorded on a paper medium is used as an example of the information on the source device, but this is not limited to this. For example, in addition to information recorded on a paper medium, RFID information may also be used. In this case, the worker uses the hand scanner 26 to read the RFID information carried on the RFID tag attached to the unit. This allows the information on the source main body to be easily read, and therefore, when a unit is attached, it can be easily determined whether or not the unit can be attached.

[0071] In the image forming system 1, the control unit 21 of the PC 20 functions as an acquisition unit and a determination unit of the present invention. For example, the control unit 21, as an acquisition unit, acquires the conditions for mounting a unit that the image forming apparatus 10 has acquired and transmitted. Furthermore, control unit 21 functions as a determination unit to determine whether or not the information on the source main body read by hand scanner 26 matches the acquired conditions. The determination result may be displayed on the display unit 23 of the PC 20 or on the display unit 151 of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the printing speed of the source main unit is described as an example of the information about the source main unit, but this is not limited to this. For example, the model name of the source main unit may be included in addition to the printing speed of the source main unit. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the printing speed of the destination main unit is described as an example of the condition for installing a unit, but this is not limited to this. For example, the model name of the destination main unit may be included in addition to the printing speed of the destination main unit. This makes it possible to prevent the installation of a unit that cannot be used in a device with a different model name from the device to which it is installed, thereby reducing the occurrence of image defects and malfunctions.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the method of notifying the determination result in step S5 has been described by way of example as a method of displaying the result on the display unit 151, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a beep or sound may be output from an audio output unit (not shown). Furthermore, the determination result may be transmitted from the communication unit 16 to an external device.

[0074] In the above embodiment, information recorded on a paper medium is used as an example of the information on the device from which the information is attached, but this is not limited to this. For example, in addition to information recorded on a paper medium, information on a USB memory may also be used. In this case, the information can be read by inserting a USB memory into a device slot in the communication unit 16 (communication unit 25) of the image forming apparatus 10 (external processing device 20). This allows the information on the source main body to be easily read, and therefore, when a unit is attached, it can be easily determined whether or not the unit can be attached.

[0075] In addition, the detailed configuration and operation of each device constituting the image forming apparatus can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Image forming system 10 Image forming device 11 Control unit (acquisition unit, determination unit) 12 Image reading unit (reading unit) 13 Image forming unit 131 Writing section 131a Optical scanning unit 131b Photoreceptor 131c Development section 131d Charging part 131e Cleaning Department 131f Primary transfer roller 132 Intermediate transfer belt 133 Secondary transfer roller 134 Fixing section 134a Fuser roller 135 Reverse Route 14 Storage section 15 Operation panel 151 Display section (notification section) 152 Operation section 16 Communications Department 20 External processing device 21 Control unit (acquisition unit, determination unit) 22 Control section 23 Display section 24 Memory section 25 Communications Department 26 Hand scanner (reading unit) N Communication Network T1 manual feed tray T2 Paper Tray T3 Output Tray U1 Drum unit (unit)

Claims

1. a reading unit that reads information on the device that is issued by the device that the unit is attached to and that is attached to the device; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. the information about the source main body is the printing speed of the source main body; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is a printing speed of a main body to which the image forming apparatus is to be attached.

3. the information on the main body to which the attachment is made is the model name of the main body to which the attachment is made, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the condition is a model name of a main body to which the image forming apparatus is to be attached.

4. the unit is a drum unit, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drum unit is a part whose mixture ratio of toner and carrier is determined according to the printing speed of the main body to which the drum unit is to be attached after being installed in an unused state.

5. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information about the mounting body is recorded on a paper medium.

6. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the mounting body is two-dimensional code information printed on a paper medium.

7. the information on the source main body is RFID information, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reader is a dedicated reader capable of reading the RFID information.

8. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information on the device to which the image forming apparatus is attached is information on a USB memory.

9. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the reading unit is an image reading unit of the apparatus itself.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a notification unit that notifies the result of the determination by the determination unit.

11. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the conditions acquired by the acquisition unit when the power of the destination main body is turned on.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the judgment unit judges whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the conditions acquired by the acquisition unit when the power of the destination main body is turned off, and stores the judgment result in a memory unit.

13. An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and an external processing device that communicates information between the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus, The external processing device includes: a reading unit that reads information on a source body of a unit that is attached to the unit and that is issued by the source of the unit to be attached to the image forming apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit in the image forming apparatus; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; An image forming system comprising:

14. 1. A method for determining whether a unit can be attached to an image forming apparatus, the method comprising: reading information on a unit-attached body of an image forming apparatus, the information being issued by the unit-attaching source of the unit and attached to the unit; an acquisition step of acquiring conditions for mounting the unit; a determination step of determining whether the information of the source main body read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired in the acquisition step; A method for determining whether or not a device can be worn.

15. a computer of an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads information on a main body of a mounting source that is issued by the mounting source of the unit to be mounted and attached to the unit; an acquisition unit that acquires conditions for mounting the unit; a determination unit that determines whether the information of the attachment source main unit read by the reading unit matches the condition acquired by the acquisition unit; A program to function as a

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