Image forming system, image forming method and program

Abstract

To avoid the occurrence of a malfunction in an image forming function due to replacement of a substrate. [Solution] The HVPS 12 includes a storage unit 126 that stores board characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the HVPS 12 obtained from the results of an operation check test. The multifunction device 10 includes a controller 16 that controls the operation of the HVPS 12 and an HDD 20 that stores currently valid board characteristic information for the HVPS 12. When the multifunction device 10 is started, the controller 16 compares the board code included in the board characteristic information read from the installed HVPS 12 with the board code included in the currently valid board characteristic information. If they do not match, the controller 16 determines that the HVPS 12 has been replaced and updates the currently valid board characteristic information with the board characteristic information read from the HVPS 12. When executing an image forming function, the controller 16 controls the operation of the HVPS 12 by referring to the currently valid board characteristic information.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, in order to comply with BCPs (Business Continuity Plans), for example, parts to be installed in devices such as multifunction peripherals are sometimes procured from multiple suppliers. The parts procured include electronic components such as resistors, transistors, and coils, as well as integrated circuits, and the circuit boards to be installed in the devices are manufactured by incorporating these parts.

[0003] However, even if these components have the same specifications, there may be slight differences in performance depending on the manufacturer. Therefore, even if boards are manufactured based on the same design, each board may have its own characteristics.

[0004] One of the boards mounted on an image forming device is the HVPS (High Voltage Power Supply). The HVPS supplies high voltage to the image forming device that executes the image forming process, such as charging, developing, and transferring. Depending on the components mounted on the HVPS, differences can occur in, for example, the rise time. These differences are the characteristics of the HVPS.

[0005] Suppose that for some reason the HVPS is replaced with an equivalent one. In this case, even if the HVPS is operated with the same parameter values ​​as before the replacement, anomalies that did not occur before the replacement, such as image quality anomalies due to changes in color density or color cast, may occur after the replacement. One possible cause of this is the difference in the components installed in the HVPS.

[0006] Therefore, the device on which the substrate is mounted may need to adjust the parameter values ​​used for controlling the operation so as to match the characteristics of the newly mounted substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-197142 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] As described above, when a circuit board installed in an image forming system is replaced, a maintenance technician performs an operation check test to check whether any problems occur with the image forming function. If any problems occur, it is necessary to adjust the parameter values ​​referenced when executing the image forming function so that they match the characteristics of the installed circuit board. However, this adjustment work is tedious for the maintenance technician.

[0009] An object of the present invention is to avoid the occurrence of malfunctions in the image forming function due to replacement of the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The image forming system of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a processor, which acquires characteristic information of a substrate from the substrate on which it is mounted, determines whether the substrate has been replaced by comparing the acquired characteristic information of the substrate with characteristic information of a substrate held as currently valid characteristic information, and if replacement of the substrate is detected, updates the currently valid characteristic information with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate, and when executing an image forming function, controls the operation of the replaced substrate by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that it comprises a storage means for storing characteristic information of the substrate, and when the processor detects replacement of the substrate, it registers the acquired characteristic information in the storage means.

[0012] Furthermore, when the output characteristics of the substrate can be expressed linearly, the characteristic information of the substrate includes information indicating the slope and intercept of the linearity.

[0013] The substrate characteristic information includes setting values ​​of parameters that indicate the characteristics of the substrate.

[0014] The substrate is a high-voltage power supply substrate.

[0015] The image forming method of the present invention is characterized in that a processor acquires characteristic information of a substrate from the substrate on which it is mounted, determines whether the substrate has been replaced by comparing the acquired characteristic information of the substrate with characteristic information of a substrate held as currently valid characteristic information, and if replacement of the substrate is detected, updates the currently valid characteristic information with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate, and when executing an image forming function, controls the operation of the replaced substrate by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information.

[0016] The program of the present invention enables a computer to perform the following functions: acquire characteristic information of a substrate from the substrate mounted thereon; determine whether the substrate has been replaced by comparing the acquired characteristic information of the substrate with characteristic information of a substrate held as currently valid characteristic information; update the currently valid characteristic information with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate if replacement of the substrate is detected; and control the operation of the replaced substrate by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information when performing an image forming function. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the inventions set forth in claims 1, 6 and 7, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of problems in the image forming function due to replacement of the substrate.

[0018] According to the invention as set forth in claim 2, it is possible to create a database of characteristic information of substrates that have been mounted on a substrate.

[0019] According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, the characteristic information can be generated with a small amount of data.

[0020] According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, the characteristic information of the substrate can be indicated by parameter values ​​that are referenced when the image forming function is executed.

[0021] According to the invention as set forth in claim 5, the image forming function that operates using the high voltage from the high-voltage power supply board can be operated normally. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a block configuration of a multifunction peripheral according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing the processing performed when replacing an HVPS in this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the operating specifications of the HVPS in this embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the data configuration of the substrate characteristic information of the HVPS in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a block configuration of a multifunction peripheral 10 according to the present embodiment. The multifunction peripheral 10 is an example of an image forming device equipped with various functions such as a printing function, a copying function, and a scanning function. The multifunction peripheral 10 according to the present embodiment can be realized with a general hardware configuration. That is, the multifunction peripheral 10 includes components that form a computer, such as a processor, storage means such as a ROM, a RAM, and a HDD, a user interface such as an operation panel, and a communication interface, as well as various boards such as a scanner, a printer, and an HVPS for realizing each of the above functions.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows the device configuration of the multifunction peripheral 10, including an HVPS 12, an image forming device 14, a controller 16, a memory 18, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 20, which are used to explain this embodiment.

[0026] The HVPS 12 is a high-voltage power supply device that supplies high voltage to some of the devices constituting the multifunction peripheral 10, such as the imaging device 14. The HVPS 12 includes a booster 122, a controller 124, and a memory 126. The booster 122 is formed by a power conversion circuit and converts low-voltage power into high-voltage power. More specifically, the booster 122 boosts a 24V voltage generated by a low-voltage power supply (LVPS) (not shown) from a commercial power source (e.g., 100V) to a high voltage of 1 kV or more. The controller 124 includes a processor and controls the operation of the booster 122 and other components included in the HVPS 12. The memory 126 is formed by an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EPPROM) and stores part characteristic information, component part information, and board characteristic information, which will be described in detail below. Note that these three pieces of information are collectively referred to as "various information." Various pieces of information are written to the storage unit 126 during the manufacturing process of the HVPS 12.

[0027] The image forming device 14 includes devices such as a photosensitive drum and a laser that perform image forming processes such as charging, developing, and transferring performed by the multifunction device 10, and realizes image forming functions such as forming an image on a medium. The image forming device 14 operates using a high voltage supplied from the HVPS 12. The controller 16 includes a processor, ROM, RAM, etc., and controls the operation of the multifunction device 10. The memory 18 temporarily stores various pieces of information read from the storage unit 126 of the HVPS 12. The HDD 20 stores the various pieces of information temporarily stored in the memory 18 so that they can be reused as needed.

[0028] Here, the information handled in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the various types of information mentioned above include part characteristic information, component information, and board characteristic information.

[0029] Component characteristic information is information set for each component and indicates the characteristics of that component. Components are electronic components mounted on a substrate, such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, transformers, and coils. Component characteristic information is generated by associating a component code, which is identification information for identifying the component, with the component's type (e.g., resistor) and information indicating the component's characteristics. The information indicating the characteristics can be expressed in terms of specifications, performance, and the like. However, even when manufactured based on the same standards, each component may have its own unique characteristics, commonly referred to as "quirks," depending on the manufacturer, raw materials, and the like. In this embodiment, in addition to characteristics common to the component type, so-called standard-level characteristics, objective data indicating the unique characteristics of each component is treated as information indicating the component's characteristics.

[0030] The component information is information set for each board, and indicates the configuration of the parts mounted on that board. The component information is generated by associating the part codes of the parts mounted on that board with a board code (which may be a serial number, etc.), which is identification information for identifying the board. The part codes are set in the part characteristic information.

[0031] The board characteristic information is information set for each board, and indicates the characteristics of the board. The board characteristic information is generated by associating the board code of the board with the type of the board and information indicating the characteristics of the board. The information indicating the characteristics of the board will be described later.

[0032] Incidentally, the circuit board may be replaced as necessary. The HVPS 12 is a type of circuit board, and it takes a certain amount of time for it to be able to output 1 kV to the imaging device 14. If we refer to the time required to be able to output 1 kV as the "rise time," then the rise time of the replaced HVPS 12 may be 60 ms, while the rise time of the replaced HVPS 12 may be 50 ms. Such a difference may be due to differences in the components installed in the HVPS 12. In other words, even if the replaced HVPS 12 and the replaced HVPS 12 are manufactured with the same component configuration, differences in the rise time may occur due to the influence of the characteristics of the installed components (the "habits" mentioned above). This may result in problems such as deterioration of image quality. Therefore, when replacing the HVPS 12 installed in the multifunction peripheral 10, it is necessary to operate the replaced HVPS 12 in a way that matches its characteristics.

[0033] In addition, as a parameter other than the rise time mentioned above, for example, if the AC offset in the charging process changes, it may affect fog in the image (image quality defect) / BCO (image defect, photoconductor life). Also, if the DC response in the charging / developing process changes, it may affect fog (increased toner consumption) / BCO (photoconductor life).

[0034] In this embodiment, it is possible to prevent problems that may occur when the HVPS 12 is replaced. As described above, when the HVPS 12 is replaced, the characteristics of the HVPS 12 may change before and after replacement due to the influence of the installed components. In other words, if a difference in operation occurs between the replaced HVPS 12 and the replaced HVPS 12 when the replaced HVPS 12 is operated, it is necessary to control the operation of the replaced HVPS 12 to eliminate this difference. The controller 16 in the multifunction device 10 controls the operation of the HVPS 12 by sending control signals to the HVPS 12, and various information, particularly board characteristic information, is referenced when controlling this operation.

[0035] The following describes the operations and processes to be performed to avoid problems occurring in the multifunction device 10 after the HVPS 12 has been replaced, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0036] The flowchart shown in Fig. 2 can be broadly divided into tasks and processes performed in the manufacturing process of the board, i.e., the HVPS 12 ("board manufacturing process" in Fig. 2), and tasks and processes performed in the process of replacing the HVPS 12 in the multifunction device 10 ("board replacement process" in Fig. 2). Note that this embodiment assumes a case in which the HVPS 12 already installed in the multifunction device 10 is replaced, but the process flow shown in Fig. 2 can also be applied to the case in which a new multifunction device 10 is manufactured.

[0037] First, in the manufacturing process of the HVPS 12, component characteristic information of the components that make up the newly manufactured HVPS 12 is acquired (step S111). Information about each component in the HVPS 12 may be obtained, for example, by acquiring component specifications from the component manufacturer, etc., and converting them into electronic data as necessary. Next, component information is created by linking the components of the HVPS 12 to the board code assigned to the new HVPS 12 (step S112).

[0038] An operation check test is then performed on the HVPS 12 for inspection purposes, etc., and the results obtained from this operation check test can be used as setting values ​​for the parameters such as the rise time described above. Therefore, the board characteristic information is created from the execution results of the operation check test (step S113).

[0039] The part characteristic information, component information, and board characteristic information obtained in steps S111 to S113 are written and stored in the storage unit 126 by a ROM writer or the like. In this way, various information about the HVPS 12 is stored in the storage unit 126 of the HVPS 12 before the HVPS 12 is produced and shipped (step S114).

[0040] The purpose of the substrate manufacturing process in this embodiment is to store various types of information about the HVPS 12 in the storage unit 126 of the HVPS 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, the procedures and methods for acquiring the various types of information do not need to be limited to those described above. For example, the information to be included in the various types of information may be collected or created using a general information processing device (not shown), or may be created using a dedicated device or tool.

[0041] The above description assumes the case where a new HVPS 12 is manufactured. However, replacing parts installed in an existing HVPS 12 also falls under the category of new manufacturing. In this case, the information required to be registered in the storage unit 126 of the new HVPS 12 may be obtained from the storage unit 126 of the existing HVPS 12.

[0042] Thereafter, the worker removes the HVPS 12 to be replaced from the multifunction device 10 and installs the newly manufactured HVPS 12.

[0043] When the power is turned on to the multifunction device 10 after the HVPS 12 is replaced, the controller 16 reads and acquires various pieces of information from the storage unit 126 of the HVPS 12 (step S121). The controller 16 temporarily stores the acquired various pieces of information in the memory 18.

[0044] Incidentally, various types of information about the pre-replacement HPVS 12, namely, part characteristic information, component information, and board characteristic information, are stored in the HDD 20. The various types of information about the pre-replacement HPVS 12 are held as currently valid information.

[0045] The controller 16 reads the board code of the HVPS 12 before replacement stored in the HDD 20. The board code is included in the component information and board characteristic information. The controller 16 then compares the currently valid board code (i.e., the board code of the HVPS 12 before replacement) with the board code acquired from the HVPS 12 (i.e., the board code of the HVPS 12 after replacement). If the board codes match, this means that the HVPS 12 has not been replaced. The board replacement process shown in FIG. 2 is performed every time the multifunction device 10 is powered on. In other words, since this process is performed every time the multifunction device 10 is powered on, there is a possibility that the HVPS 12 has not been replaced. Therefore, if the board codes match (Y in step S123), the controller 16 determines that the HVPS 12 has not been replaced and terminates the process. In this case, the controller 16 simply continues to control the operation of the HVPS 12 by referring to various currently valid information.

[0046] On the other hand, if the board codes do not match, this means that the HVPS 12 was replaced while the multifunction peripheral 10 was powered off. If replacement of the HVPS 12 is detected (N in step S123), the controller 16 updates the currently valid HVPS 12 from the previous HVPS 12 to the new HVPS 12 (step S124). Specifically, the controller 16 updates the currently valid various information with the various information acquired from the HVPS 12 in step S121 (step S125). In other words, the controller 16 rewrites the currently valid various information of the previous HVPS 12 with the new HVPS 12. As a result, when executing the image forming function, the controller 16 controls the operation of the new HVPS 12 based on the board characteristic information of the new HVPS 12, in other words, the updated currently valid board characteristic information.

[0047] In this embodiment, various information about the HVPS 12 that is currently valid is registered in the HDD 20. The various information is then managed by overwriting and saving the currently valid information about the HVPS 12. However, the information management is not limited to this method.

[0048] For example, the various information acquired from the HVPS 12 in step S121 is stored in the HDD 20 as history information of the acquired various information. The currently valid various information of the HVPS 12 may be identified from the various information included in this history information using a flag or the like. Alternatively, a board code, which is information that can uniquely identify the HVPS 12, may be separately stored and managed as currently valid identification information of the HVPS 12. In this case, in step S122, this separately stored board code may be compared with the board code included in the various information acquired from the HVPS 12 in step S121. If the various information acquired from the HVPS 12 is stored in the HDD 20, in step S121, only the board code is read from the HVPS 12, and only if the comparison of the board codes results in a mismatch (N in step S123), the various information is read from the storage unit 126 of the HVPS 12.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the HVPS 12 is equipped with a memory unit 126 for storing various pieces of its own information. The memory unit 126 is formed of a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM. When the HVPS 12 is equipped in the multifunction device 10, the operation of the HVPS 12 is controlled in accordance with various pieces of information, particularly board characteristic information indicating the characteristics of the HVPS 12, read by the multifunction device 10 from the memory unit 126. Here, the data structure of the board characteristic information in this embodiment will be described.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a diagram conceptually illustrating the operating specifications of the HVPS 12 in this embodiment. The operating specifications of the HVPS 12 indicate the results of operation in accordance with the characteristic information of the HVPS 12, and therefore can be said to indicate the characteristics of the HVPS 12. FIG. 3 also illustrates the relationship between the output voltage and the instruction value to the HVPS 12. The output voltage is an example of a parameter for controlling the operation of the HVPS 12. The instruction value to the HVPS 12 is information indicating the content of an instruction from the controller 16 to the HVPS 12. The controller 16 sends the instruction value to the control unit 124 of the HVPS 12 as a control signal for controlling the operation of the HVPS 12.

[0051] In the case where the relationship between the possible values ​​of the parameters in the HVPS 12 and the instruction values ​​to the HVPS 12 can be expressed by a linear approximation as shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the substrate characteristic information of the HVPS 12 is generated so as to include information indicating the slope p and intercept q of the linear function (i.e., the linear function). b =p b x+q b shows the characteristics of the HVPS12 before replacement. The approximation formula y a =p a x+q a indicates the characteristics of the HVPS 12 after replacement. Note that only one piece of board characteristic information that is currently valid is held as valid information used to control the operation of the HVPS 12, but for ease of explanation, Figure 3 also shows the board characteristic information of the HVPS 12 before replacement.

[0052] For example, when the controller 16 requests the HVPS 12 to output 1 kV in order to operate the imaging device 14, the controller 16 determines an instruction value for the HVPS 12 by referring to the board characteristic information shown in Fig. 3 and sends the determined value to the control unit 124 of the HVPS 12, thereby instructing the HVPS 12 to output 1 kV. b For example, the duty ratio is set to 50%. On the other hand, for the replaced HVPS12, the indicated value I aFor example, the duty ratio is set to 60%.

[0053] In this embodiment, even if the same parameter value, in this example, is set to output a voltage of 1 kV, it is possible to set a different instruction value from that of the replaced HVPS 12 depending on the characteristics of the replaced HVPS 12. As a result, the image forming method of this embodiment can prevent problems from occurring even when the replaced HVPS 12 is replaced with one having different characteristics.

[0054] Incidentally, if the operating specifications of the HVPS 12, i.e., the relationship between possible parameter values ​​and the instruction values ​​given to the HVPS 12 in response to those parameter values, can be approximated linearly, then board characteristic information can be constructed with an extremely small amount of data, such as slope p and intercept q. However, depending on the characteristics of each HVPS 12, linear approximation as shown in Figure 3 is not always possible. Therefore, another method for setting board characteristic information in the HVPS 12 will be described using Figure 4.

[0055] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the data configuration of the board characteristic information of the HVPS 12 in this embodiment. In the board characteristic information shown in FIG. 4, a set value for each parameter indicating the characteristics of the HVPS 12 is associated with the set value and set for each HVPS 12. In FIG. 4, A, B, C, ... are board codes for each HVPS 12. When a new HVPS 12 is manufactured, a new board code is assigned to the HVPS 12 after the part replacement, as well as when some of the parts mounted on the HVPS 12 are replaced. In other words, even if HVPSs 12 have the same specifications, different board codes are assigned to them if the parts mounted on them are different.

[0056] In this embodiment, the board is specified as HVPS12, so the board type is omitted in the table shown in Figure 4, but if boards other than HVPS12 are included, the board type must be set for each HVPS12.

[0057] "Rise time," "fall time," and "AC offset" are parameters for the HVPS 12. For example, in Figure 4, the parameter "rise time" is set to a (ms) for the HVPS 12 with board code "A," b (ms) for the HVPS 12 with board code "B," and c (ms) for the HVPS 12 with board code "C," indicating the characteristics of each HVPS 12.

[0058] These parameter values ​​are characteristic values ​​of each parameter determined in the operation check test for each HVPS 12 (performed in step S113 in FIG. 2). The machine performance shown in FIG. 4 indicates the degree of potential malfunction of the HVPS 12 determined in the operation check test or other tests. For example, the density monotonically increases as the AC offset increases, and the values ​​are set to reflect this relationship. While FIG. 4 uses x, y, and z for convenience, information indicating the correspondence with the parameters is also set depending on the type of machine performance. The machine performance indicates the results when the operation of the HVPS 12 is controlled according to the HVPS characteristics shown in FIG. 4, and is not data used to control the operation of the HVPS 12.

[0059] In Figure 4, for the sake of convenience, the board characteristic information of multiple HVPSs 12 is shown together, but the multifunction device 10 stores the board characteristic information corresponding to any one of the HVPSs 12 as the currently valid board characteristic information.

[0060] For example, if an HVPS 12 with a board code "A" (hereinafter also referred to as "HVPS-A") is installed in the multifunction device 10, the controller 16 acquires the rise time "a" of the HVPS-A by referencing the board characteristic information stored in the HDD 20 when determining the parameters for the rise time of the HVPS-A. The controller 16 then instructs the HVPS-A to start operation at a timing that takes into account the rise time "a" of the HVPS-A. Specifically, when executing an image formation function, if a voltage of, for example, 1 kV is to be input to the imaging device 14, the controller 16 instructs the HVPS-A to output a voltage of 1 kV "a" ms before the timing of the input.

[0061] As described above, when the characteristic of a parameter can be expressed by a single parameter value, the board characteristic information can be set in a table format as shown in FIG.

[0062] In the above explanation, the "output voltage" that can be approximated linearly is used as an example, and the "rise time" and the like are used as examples of parameters that cannot be approximated linearly, but whether the characteristics of the HVPS 12 can be approximated linearly is not necessarily determined by the type of parameter, and may depend on the HVPS 12. For example, depending on the HVPS 12, the rise time characteristics of the HVPS 12 related to the rise time may be able to be approximated linearly, such as 40 ms when outputting a voltage of 1.2 kV, 50 ms when outputting a voltage of 1.4 kV, and 60 ms when outputting a voltage of 1.6 kV.

[0063] In this embodiment, each process is executed by a computer. The computer may execute these processes by a processor, a program, or a combination thereof. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a computer for specific applications, a system such as a workstation, or other hardware element capable of executing a program.

[0064] The processor may be composed of one or more pieces of hardware, and the type of hardware is not limited. For example, the processor may be composed of hardware such as a programmable logic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a dedicated circuit for executing specific processes such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Processing Unit). The processor also has various units or means for executing various processes in the present embodiment. The type of hardware may also be a combination of different types of hardware. When multiple pieces of hardware are configured to execute one or more processes of a certain processor, the multiple pieces of hardware may exist in devices physically separated from each other or in the same device. In any of the embodiments, the order of the processes performed by the processor is not limited to the order described above and may be changed as appropriate. The hardware may be composed of an electric circuit or the like, which is a combination of circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0065] Furthermore, the present embodiment may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, microcode, or a combination thereof. Software, firmware, and microcode may be configured by a program. A program may also be, for example, a group of program modules, each function of which may be implemented by a processor configured to perform the respective function. The program may be program code or multiple code segments stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (e.g., storage media or other storages). The program may be stored in multiple non-transitory computer-readable media that reside in physically separate devices. A program code or a code segment may represent a procedure, a function, a subprogram, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a software package, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures, or program statements. A program code or a code segment may be connected to another code segment or a hardware circuit by sending or receiving information, data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents.

[0066] (Addendum) (((1))) a processor; The processor: Acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; determining whether the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; When the replacement of the substrate is detected, the currently valid characteristic information is updated with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate; When performing an image forming function, the operation of the replaced substrate is controlled by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information. An image forming system comprising: (((2))) a storage means for storing characteristic information of the substrate; When the processor detects the replacement of the substrate, it registers the acquired characteristic information in the storage means. The image forming system according to (((1))) is characterized in that (((3))) The image forming system described in (((1))) or (((2))) is characterized in that, when the output characteristics of the substrate can be expressed linearly, the characteristic information of the substrate includes information indicating the slope and intercept of the linearity. (((4))) The image forming system according to ((1)) or ((2)) is characterized in that the characteristic information of the substrate includes setting values ​​of parameters that indicate the characteristics of the substrate. (((5))) The image forming system according to any one of (((1))) to (((4))), wherein the substrate is a high-voltage power supply substrate. (((6))) The processor: Acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; determining whether the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; When the replacement of the substrate is detected, the currently valid characteristic information is updated with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate; When performing an image forming function, the operation of the replaced substrate is controlled by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information. An image forming method comprising: (((7))) On the computer, A function to acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; A function of determining whether or not the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; a function of updating the currently valid characteristic information with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate when the replacement of the substrate is detected; a function of controlling the operation of the replaced substrate by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information when performing an image forming function; A program to achieve this.

[0067] According to the inventions described in (((1))), (((6))), and (((7))), it is possible to avoid the occurrence of malfunctions in the image forming function due to replacement of the substrate. According to the invention described in (((2))), it is possible to create a database of characteristic information of substrates that have been mounted on a computer. According to the invention described in (((3))), characteristic information can be generated with a small amount of data. According to the invention described in (((4))), the characteristic information of the substrate can be indicated by parameter values ​​that are referenced when the image forming function is executed. According to the invention described in (((5))), the image forming function that operates using the high voltage from the high-voltage power supply board can be operated normally. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 multifunction device, 12 HVPS, 14 imaging device, 16 controller, 18 memory, 20 HDD, 122 boost unit, 124 control unit, 126 storage unit.

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: Acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; determining whether the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; When the replacement of the substrate is detected, the currently valid characteristic information is updated with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate; When performing an image forming function, the operation of the replaced substrate is controlled by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information. An image forming system comprising:

2. a storage means for storing characteristic information of the substrate; When the processor detects the replacement of the substrate, it registers the acquired characteristic information in the storage means.

2. The image forming system according to claim 1.

3. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein, when the output characteristics of the substrate can be expressed linearly, the characteristic information of the substrate includes information indicating a slope and an intercept of the linearity.

4. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information of the substrate includes setting values ​​of parameters that indicate the characteristics of the substrate.

5. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is a high-voltage power supply substrate.

6. The processor: Acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; determining whether the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; When the replacement of the substrate is detected, the currently valid characteristic information is updated with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate; When performing an image forming function, the operation of the replaced substrate is controlled by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information. An image forming method comprising:

7. On the computer, A function to acquire characteristic information of the board from the board on which it is mounted; A function of determining whether or not the substrate needs to be replaced by comparing the acquired substrate characteristic information with substrate characteristic information currently held as valid characteristic information; a function of updating the currently valid characteristic information with the acquired characteristic information of the substrate when the replacement of the substrate is detected; a function of controlling the operation of the replaced substrate by referring to the updated currently valid characteristic information when performing an image forming function; A program to achieve this.

Images