Information processing device, method for controlling the information processing device, and program

Abstract

The objective is to provide an information processing device, a control method for the information processing device, and a program that can acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the production of printed materials in a manner that allows for the separation of directly emitted carbon dioxide and by-effected carbon dioxide. [Solution] The CPU 205 of the image forming apparatus 101 records the execution time for each process performed by the image forming apparatus 101, uses the power consumption obtained using this record to obtain the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each process performed by the image forming apparatus 101, obtains the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the consumables of the image forming apparatus 101 separated by the type of process performed by the image forming apparatus 101, and uses these carbon dioxide emissions to obtain the total amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the image forming apparatus 101.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method for the information processing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to visualize the environmental load situation, efforts have been made to obtain the emission amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. Also in the field of image forming apparatuses, from the viewpoint that power is consumed and toner, paper, etc. are used when a printed product is generated, several mechanisms for obtaining the emission amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide have been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for obtaining the usage amounts of color materials / sheets and the amount of electric power based on document data at the time of image formation and job information defining the mode of image formation, and calculating an environmental load value from these pieces of information.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in commercial printing / industrial printing, a business operator generates a printed product based on document data received from a client. At this time, carbon dioxide emissions occur not only when the printed product is generated, but also during the preparation of the image forming apparatus (for example, preparation of heating and paper) and when dealing with abnormalities such as jams. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions presented to the client includes not only the amount of carbon dioxide directly emitted during the generation of the printed product, which many clients desire, but also the amount of carbon dioxide secondarily emitted during the generation of the printed product, which has been a problem.

[0005] In this specification, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted directly refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted only during job execution. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted directly includes, for example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the power consumption of the image forming apparatus during the production of printed materials, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the consumption of consumable parts such as the fuser, and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the use of toner and paper. In contrast, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted secondarily refers to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted at times other than during job execution, and this includes carbon dioxide emissions that would not normally occur during the production of printed materials. Therefore, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted secondarily includes, for example, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the warming up of the image forming apparatus before job execution, and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted due to the power consumption of the image forming apparatus while processing is interrupted due to an error during job execution.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. The present invention aims to provide an information processing device, a control method for the information processing device, and a program that can acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the production of printed products in a manner that allows for the separation of directly emitted carbon dioxide and by-effected carbon dioxide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the information processing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: recording means for recording the execution time for each process performed in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system including the image forming apparatus; first acquisition means for acquiring carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the amount of power consumed using the records made by the recording means; second acquisition means for acquiring carbon dioxide emissions from consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, separated by the type of process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system; and third acquisition means for acquiring carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the first acquisition means and the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the second acquisition means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the production of printed materials can be obtained in a manner that allows for the separation of directly emitted carbon dioxide and by-effectly emitted carbon dioxide. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] This block diagram shows an example of the hardware configuration of each component in an image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of a power consumption table, which represents the power consumption in watts for each processing step of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of a table used when obtaining carbon dioxide emissions data. [Figure 5A] This flowchart shows the process for obtaining carbon dioxide emissions from the printing equipment of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 5B] This is a flowchart showing the printing process. [Figure 6A] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the operating status of the printing device of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 6B] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing equipment in an image forming apparatus. [Figure 6C] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing equipment in an image forming apparatus. [Figure 6D] This figure shows an example of a screen displaying the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing equipment in an image forming apparatus. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram of an image forming system. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of a book-cutting and binding machine. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of a power consumption table, which displays the power consumption in watts for each process of a cutting and binding machine. [Figure 10]It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a carbon dioxide emission server. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing the flow of acquiring carbon dioxide emissions performed by a carbon dioxide emission acquisition server. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing an example of a data sheet that partially extracts and represents the operation information of each device in an image forming system. [Figure 13A] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. [Figure 13B] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. [Figure 13C] It is a diagram showing an example of a screen of a carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. [Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the configurations described in each embodiment. For example, each part constituting the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that can exhibit the same function. Also, an arbitrary component may be added. Also, any two or more configurations (features) among the embodiments can be combined. Also, not all combinations of the features described in each embodiment are essential for the solution means of the present invention. Also, the features of each embodiment can be appropriately modified or changed according to the specifications of the device to which the present invention is applied and various conditions (usage conditions, usage environment, etc.).

[0011] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6D.

[0012] [Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus 101. The image forming apparatus 101 is composed of multiple devices with different functions to enable complex printing processes. Specifically, the image forming apparatus 101 includes a printing device 102, an inserter 103, an inspection device 104, a large-capacity stacker 105, and a finisher 106. The printing device 102 is a device that prints on paper. The printing device 102 prints on paper transported from paper feed decks 111 and 112 located below it, using toner. In the first embodiment, paper is used as an example of the printing medium, but other materials may be used. The paper feed decks 111 and 112 can accommodate various types of paper. The user can set information about the paper stored in each paper feed deck 111 and 112 (for example, paper size and paper type) on the touch panel 113 of the printing device 102. The touch panel 113 has an operating section and a display (display section). The display of the touch panel 113 shows setting information of the image forming apparatus 101 and the processing status of jobs.

[0013] Each paper feed deck 111 and 112 is capable of separating only the top sheet of paper from the paper it contains and sending it to the paper transport path 114. Developing stations 115-118 use colored toners Y, M, C, and K to form a toner image in order to create a color image. The toner image formed in developing stations 115-118 is first transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 119. Furthermore, as the intermediate transfer belt 119 rotates clockwise on the paper surface in Figure 1, the toner image is transferred at the secondary transfer position 120 to the paper that has passed through the paper transport path 114.

[0014] The fuser unit 121 has a pressure roller and a heating roller. In the fuser unit 121, the toner is melted / pressed as the paper passes between each roller, fixing the toner image to the paper. After passing through the fuser unit 121, the paper is transported through the paper transport path 122 to the paper transport path 123. Depending on the type of paper, further melting / pressing may be required for toner fixing. In this case, after passing through the fuser unit 121, the paper is transported through the paper transport path 124, which is above the paper transport path 122, to the second fuser unit 125. In the second fuser unit 125, the paper undergoes additional melting / pressing and is then transported through the paper transport path 126 to the paper transport path 123. If the print mode is duplex, the paper is transported to the paper inversion path 127, inverted, and then transported through the duplex transport path 128 to the secondary transfer position 120 where the second image is transferred.

[0015] The inserter 103 is a device for inserting paper, and can insert paper at any position into a series of sheets of paper transported from the printing device 102. The inserter 103 brings the paper fed in the inserter tray 131 through the paper transport path 132 and merges it into the transport path 133. This allows the inserter 103 to transport the series of sheets of paper transported from the printing device 102 to the subsequent device while inserting paper at any position. The paper that has passed through the inserter 103 is transported to the inspection device 104.

[0016] The inspection device 104 reads an image of the paper transported from the inserter 103 and compares the read image with a reference image to check whether printing was performed correctly. Inside the inspection device 104, cameras 141 and 142 are arranged facing each other. Camera 141 is for reading the top surface of the paper, and camera 142 is for reading the bottom surface of the paper. The inspection device 104 can check whether the image printed by the printing device 102 was printed correctly by reading an image of the paper using cameras 141 and 142 when the paper that has passed through the paper transport path 143 reaches a predetermined position. Paper that is determined to have a problem as a result of the inspection is separated from paper that is determined to be normal and then discharged.

[0017] The high-capacity stacker 105 is a device capable of stacking a large amount of paper. The high-capacity stacker 105 has a stack tray 151 for stacking paper determined to be normal. When paper determined to be normal by the inspection device 104 is input to the high-capacity stacker 105 via the paper transport path 152, it is loaded onto the stack tray 151 via the paper transport path 153. Furthermore, the high-capacity stacker 105 has an escape tray 154 as an output tray. The escape tray 154 is an output tray used to discharge paper determined to have problems by the inspection device 104. When paper is to be discharged to the escape tray 154, it is discharged via the paper transport path 152, then the paper transport path 155, and then the escape tray 154. When the high-capacity stacker 105 transports paper to a subsequent device, it transports the paper via the paper transport path 156.

[0018] The inversion unit 157 inverts the paper. The inversion unit 157 is used when loading paper into the stack tray 151. When paper is loaded into the stack tray 151, the inversion unit 157 inverts the paper once so that the orientation of the paper at the time of input is the same as the orientation of the paper at the time of output. When paper is transported to the escape tray 154 or a subsequent device, the paper is ejected without flipping, so the inversion operation by the inversion unit 157 is not performed.

[0019] The finisher 106 is a device that applies finishing processing to the transported paper according to the function specified by the user. Specifically, the finisher 106 has finishing functions such as stapling (single-point / double-point binding), punching (two-hole / three-hole), and saddle-stitch binding. The finisher 106 has output trays 161 and 162. Paper is discharged into the output tray 161 via the paper transport path 163. However, the finisher 106 cannot perform finishing processing such as stapling on the paper transport path 163. When performing finishing processing such as stapling, the finisher 106 transports the paper to the processing unit 165 via the paper transport path 164.

[0020] When the finishing function specified by the user is executed in the processing unit 165, the paper is discharged to the output tray 162. Both the output trays 161 and 162 can be raised and lowered. Therefore, the finisher 106 can also discharge the paper that has been finished in the processing unit 165 to the output tray 161 by lowering the output tray 161. If saddle stitching is specified, a series of sheets of paper are stapled in the center by the saddle stitching processing unit 166, then folded in half to form a saddle-stitched book. Furthermore, the saddle-stitched book is loaded onto the saddle-stitched book tray 168 via the paper transport path 167. The saddle-stitched book tray 168 is configured as a belt conveyor. The saddle-stitched book bundles loaded onto the saddle-stitched book tray 168 are transported to the left.

[0021] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of each device in the image forming apparatus 101. In addition to the printing apparatus 102, inserter 103, inspection device 104, large-capacity stacker 105, and finisher 106 described above, the image forming apparatus 101 also has a communication cable 200. First, the hardware configuration of the printing apparatus 102 will be described. The printing apparatus 102 has a communication I / F 201, LAN I / F 202, video I / F 203, HDD 204, CPU 205, memory 206, operation unit 207, and display 208. Furthermore, the printing apparatus 102 has a document exposure unit 209, laser exposure unit 210, image formation unit 211, fixing unit 212, and paper feeding unit 213. In the printing apparatus 102, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 214.

[0022] Communication I / F201 is connected to inserter 103, inspection device 104, high-capacity stacker 105, and finisher 106 via communication cable 200. Communication I / F201 handles communication for the control of each device. LANI / F202 receives print commands by connecting to a print server (not shown) via a network (not shown). LANI / F202 is also connected to a job history server (not shown). This allows LANI / F202 to communicate job history information and other data.

[0023] In this case, the printing device 102 may automatically assign a job ID to identify the job history information, or it may accept a specification from a print server or input from a user to set the job ID. Also, when the printing device 102 receives a job from a print server or the like, it may associate and record the job identifiers of each process related to the printed output, or it may instruct a job using the same job ID. The job history information includes information about the job requester. The CPU 205 also stores this information as job-related information in the HDD 204.

[0024] The video interface 203 is connected to a PC or external controller (not shown) that generates printable images (not shown) via a video cable (not shown). This allows the video interface 203 to communicate rasterized image data and other information. The HDD 204 is a storage device where programs and data are stored. The CPU 205 comprehensively controls image processing and printing based on the programs stored in the HDD 204. The memory 206 is a storage device that stores programs and image data necessary for the CPU 205 to perform various processes, and operates as a work area. The operation unit 207 receives input of various settings and operation instructions from the user. The display 208 shows setting information and job processing status of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0025] The document exposure unit 209 reads the document when using the copy or scan function. In this process, the document exposure unit 209 reads the document data by illuminating the paper placed by the user with an exposure lamp and capturing an image with a CCD camera. The laser exposure unit 210 is a device that performs primary charging and laser exposure in order to irradiate the photosensitive drum with laser light in order to transfer the toner image. In the laser exposure unit 210, first, primary charging is performed to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum to a uniform negative potential. Next, the laser driver irradiates the photosensitive drum with laser light, adjusting its reflection angle with a polygon mirror. As a result, the negative charge in the irradiated area is neutralized and an electrostatic latent image is formed.

[0026] The image-forming unit 211 is a device for transferring toner to paper and consists of a developing unit, a transfer unit, a toner supply unit, etc., and transfers toner from the photosensitive drum to the paper. In the developing unit, negatively charged toner from the developing cylinder is attached to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum, making it visible. In the transfer unit, primary transfer is performed by applying a positive potential to the primary transfer roller to transfer the toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum to the transfer belt, and secondary transfer is performed by applying a positive potential to the secondary transfer outer roller to transfer the toner on the transfer belt to the paper. The fixing unit 212 is a device for dissolving and fixing the toner on the paper to the paper using heat and pressure, and consists of a heating element, a fixing belt, a pressure belt, etc. The paper feeding unit 213 has rollers and various sensors for feeding paper. In the paper feeding unit 213, the paper feeding operation and transport operation are controlled by the rollers and various sensors.

[0027] Next, the hardware configuration of the inserter 103 will be described. The inserter 103 has a communication interface 221, a CPU 222, a memory 223, and a paper feed control unit 224. In the inserter 103, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 225. The communication interface 221 is connected to the printing device 102 via a communication cable 200. As a result, the communication interface 221 performs the communication necessary for control. The CPU 222 performs various controls necessary for paper feeding according to the control program stored in the memory 223. The memory 223 is a storage device in which the control program is stored. The paper feed control unit 224 controls the feeding and transport of paper fed by the inserter 103 itself and paper transported from the printing device 102, while controlling the rollers and various sensors based on instructions from the CPU 222.

[0028] Next, the hardware configuration of the inspection device 104 will be described. The inspection device 104 has a communication interface 231, a CPU 232, a memory 233, and an imaging unit 234. In the inspection device 104, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 235. The communication interface 231 is connected to the printing device 102 via a communication cable 200. As a result, the communication interface 231 performs the communication necessary for control. The CPU 232 performs various controls necessary for inspection according to the control program stored in the memory 233.

[0029] Memory 233 is a storage device that stores control programs and other information. Regarding the information stored in memory 233, for example, the inspection device 104 may have a LAN interface and communicate with a server or PC that instructed the printing to be executed via an internal LAN. The imaging unit 234 photographs the transported paper based on instructions from the CPU 232. The CPU 232 inspects the paper by analyzing the image captured by the imaging unit 234. The CPU 232 stores the history of the inspection results and settings in memory 233, and reads a reference image from memory 233 when accessing screen operations or settings.

[0030] Next, the hardware configuration of the high-capacity stacker 105 will be described. The high-capacity stacker 105 has a communication interface 241, a CPU 242, a memory 243, and a paper ejection control unit 244. In the high-capacity stacker 105, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 245. The communication interface 241 is connected to the printing device 102 via a communication cable 200. As a result, the communication interface 241 performs the communication necessary for control. The CPU 242 performs various controls necessary for paper ejection according to the control program stored in the memory 243. The memory 243 is a storage device in which the control program is stored. The paper ejection control unit 244 controls the transport of the transported paper to the stack tray 151, the escape tray 154, or the subsequent finisher 106 based on instructions from the CPU 242.

[0031] Next, the hardware configuration of the finisher 106 will be described. The finisher 106 has a communication interface 251, a CPU 252, a memory 253, a paper ejection control unit 254, and a finishing processing unit 255. In the finisher 106, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 256. The communication interface 251 is connected to the printing device 102 via a communication cable 200. As a result, the communication interface 251 performs the communication necessary for control. The CPU 252 performs various controls necessary for finishing and paper ejection according to the control program stored in the memory 253. The memory 253 is a storage device in which the control program is stored. The paper ejection control unit 254 controls the transport and ejection of paper based on instructions from the CPU 252. The finishing processing unit 255 controls finishing processes such as stapling, punching, and saddle stitching performed on the inspected paper based on instructions from the CPU 252.

[0032] [Power Consumption Table for Image Forming Equipment] Figure 3 is an example of a power consumption table showing the power consumption in watts for each process of the image forming apparatus 101. In the power consumption table (standard table) in Figure 3, the power consumption for each device is specified for power-on processing, standby, sleep level 1, sleep level 2, sleep recovery processing, and power-off processing. Sleep level 1 and sleep level 2 represent the processing stages of the sleep state (power-saving state), and the power consumption or sleep recovery time differs. For each device except the printing device 102, the power consumption for through-pass processing is also specified. Through-pass processing is a process in which no processing is performed within the device, and the paper is passed directly to the next device.

[0033] The power consumption for the printing device 102 is also specified for monochrome and color printing. The power consumption for the inserter 103 is also specified for insertion. The power consumption for the inspection device 104 is also specified for inspection. The power consumption for the large-capacity stacker 105 is also specified for stacking, injection, and escape processing. The power consumption for the finisher 106 is also specified for stapling, punching, and binding.

[0034] The CPU 205 of the printing device 102 acquires the power consumption for each process using the power consumption and execution time specified for each process in the power consumption table in Figure 3, for processes in standby mode, sleep level 1, and sleep level 2. Furthermore, for processes other than standby mode, sleep level 1, and sleep level 2, the CPU 205 of the printing device 102 acquires the power consumption for each process using the power consumption and execution count specified for each process in the power consumption table in Figure 3. The execution count is set to a predetermined time per execution. This is the same in the second embodiment. In addition, the CPU 205 of the printing device 102 (first acquisition means) acquires the carbon dioxide emissions for each process using the power consumption for each process acquired in this manner and known conversion techniques.

[0035] Since power supply voltages and currents differ from country to country, it is advisable to prepare multiple power consumption tables that take these factors into account and allow for switching between them. Furthermore, while attaching power meters to each device for measuring power consumption would allow for more accurate acquisition of carbon dioxide emissions, this would increase the cost of the image forming apparatus 101, and therefore is not adopted in the first embodiment. These points also apply to the power consumption table shown in Figure 9, which will be described later in the second embodiment.

[0036] [Carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper] Figure 4(a) shows an example of a conversion table used when obtaining carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper. Carbon dioxide emissions vary depending on the printed output, and are particularly dependent on the amount of toner and paper used. There are several prior art methods for obtaining toner usage, but in the first embodiment, toner usage is obtained from the signal values ​​when monochrome or color images are formed at developing stations 115-118. Furthermore, the obtained toner usage is converted to carbon dioxide emissions according to the conversion table in Figure 4(a).

[0037] Regarding paper, for the paper size and type set for the paper deck 111 and 112 in which the used paper was stored, the number of sheets of paper used (amount used) is converted to carbon dioxide emissions according to the conversion table in Figure 4(a). In this regard, the conversion table in Figure 4(a) allows for obtaining more detailed carbon dioxide emissions by specifying not only the carbon dioxide emissions for standard paper, i.e., for each standard type of paper, but also the carbon dioxide emissions for specific types of paper, i.e., for each specific product. Note that the carbon dioxide emissions for each type of paper for specific products may be provided in advance, or they may be made available for users to add / edit later.

[0038] [Carbon dioxide emissions from consumable parts] Figure 4(b) shows an excerpt of the conversion table used to obtain carbon dioxide emissions from consumable parts. Since consumable parts are consumed each time printing is performed and require appropriate action such as replacement at a certain point, the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of paper are specified in the conversion table in Figure 4(b) based on the number of sheets they can withstand until replacement. Therefore, the number of sheets of paper used (usage) is converted to the carbon dioxide emissions of consumable parts according to the conversion table in Figure 4(b). Note that in the conversion table in Figure 4(b), carbon dioxide emissions are specified for each consumable part in order to enable the acquisition of detailed carbon dioxide emissions. However, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of paper may also be specified for one or more groups of consumable parts.

[0039] [Carbon dioxide emissions from printing equipment] Figure 5A is a flowchart showing the flow of acquiring carbon dioxide emissions from the printing device 102. The series of processes (control method of the information processing device) in the flowchart of Figure 5A are realized by the CPU 205 (computer) reading the program stored in the HDD 204, loading it into memory 206, and executing it. When the flowchart of Figure 5A starts, in step S501, the CPU 205 determines whether it has received a power-on instruction. This determination is made based on the detection result of the operation of the power switch (not shown) of the printing device 102. This is also the case in step S521, which will be described later. If the CPU 205 determines that it has not received a power-on instruction, the process returns to step S501. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that it has received a power-on instruction, the process proceeds to step S502. At this time, the CPU 205 starts the power-on process. In step S502, the CPU 205 records the start time of the power-on process in the HDD 204.

[0040] In step S503, the CPU 205 performs startup processing. This startup processing includes starting the control program, checking the operation of hardware such as the roller motor, and controlling the temperature of the fuser unit 121 and the second fuser unit 125 (including warming up). The CPU 205 also sends power-on instructions via the communication cable 200 to the inserter 103, inspection device 104, large-capacity stacker 105, and finisher 106, in addition to the printing device 102. In step S504, the CPU 205 performs image adjustment processing. This image adjustment processing involves adjustments that include printing operations if necessary. The image adjustment processing is a known technique; therefore, a detailed explanation of the image adjustment processing is omitted.

[0041] In step S505, the CPU 205 records the end time of the power-on process to the HDD 204. In step S506, the CPU 205 records the start time of standby to the HDD 204. In step S507, the CPU 205 determines whether the conditions for transitioning to sleep have been met. This determination is made based on conditions pre-set by the operation unit 207. If the CPU 205 determines that the conditions for transitioning to sleep have been met, the process proceeds to step S508. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that the conditions for transitioning to sleep have not been met, the process proceeds to step S515, which will be described later. In step S508, the CPU 205 records the end time of standby to the HDD 204.

[0042] In step S509, the CPU 205 records the start time of sleep mode in the HDD 204. In step S510, the CPU 205 performs sleep transition processing. As a result, the printer 102 enters power-saving mode. In step S511, the CPU 205 determines whether a sleep wake-up instruction has been received. This determination is made based on user operation instructions received by the operation unit 207. If the CPU 205 determines that a sleep wake-up instruction has not been received, the process returns to step S511. As a result, the printer 102 enters a state of waiting for a sleep wake-up instruction. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that a sleep wake-up instruction has been received, the process proceeds to step S512. In step S512, the CPU 205 performs sleep wake-up processing. During the sleep wake-up processing, temperature control and image adjustment processing of the fuser unit 121 and the second fuser unit 125 are performed.

[0043] In step S513, the CPU 205 records the end time of sleep on the HDD 204. In step S514, the CPU 205 records the start time of standby on the HDD 204. After that, the process returns to step S507. In step S515, the CPU 205 determines whether it has received a job execution instruction. This determination is made based on user operation instructions received by the operation unit 207, or print instructions from a print server, etc. If the CPU 205 determines that it has received a job execution instruction, the process proceeds to step S516. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that it has not received a job execution instruction, the process proceeds to step S521, which will be described later. In step S516, the CPU 205 records the end time of standby on the HDD 204. In step S517, the CPU 205 records the start time of the job on the HDD 204. In step S518, the CPU 205 performs the print process.

[0044] Figure 5B is a flowchart showing the flow of the printing process. When the printing process starts, in step S531, the CPU 205 performs image formation processing. In step S532, the CPU 205 determines whether the paper was output correctly in the image formation process. If the CPU 205 determines that the paper was output correctly in the image formation process, the process proceeds to step S533. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that the paper was not output correctly in the image formation process, that is, if some kind of abnormality occurs, the process proceeds to step S535, which will be described later.

[0045] In step S533, the CPU 205 (second acquisition means) records the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper / consumable parts (consumables) used when the paper was successfully output during the image forming process in the HDD 204, according to the conversion table in Figures 4(a) and 4(b) (second acquisition step). In step S534, the CPU 205 determines whether all pages in the job have been completed. If the CPU 205 determines that all pages in the job have been completed, the process returns to the flowchart in Figure 5A and proceeds to step S519 described later. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that all pages in the job have not been completed, the process returns to step S531. Thus, each process shown in the flowchart in Figure 5B is repeated until all pages in the job have been completed.

[0046] In step S535, the CPU 205 records the start time of the job interruption on the HDD 204. In step S536, the CPU 205 records the start time of the error processing on the HDD 204. In step S537, the CPU 205 determines whether the error has been cleared. If the CPU 205 determines that the error has not been cleared, the process returns to step S537. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that the error has been cleared, the process proceeds to step S538. In step S538, the CPU 205 (second acquisition means) records the carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper / consumable parts as error emissions on the HDD 204 according to the conversion table in Figures 4(a) and 4(b) (second acquisition step). A specific example of this is the carbon dioxide emissions from waste paper due to errors such as jams. In step S539, the CPU 205 records the end time of the error processing on the HDD 204. In step S540, the CPU 205 records the end time of the job interruption to the HDD 204. Then, the process returns to step S531. This allows the image formation process to resume.

[0047] Returning to the explanation of Figure 5A, in step S519, the CPU 205 records the job completion time to the HDD 204. In step S520, the CPU 205 records the standby start time to the HDD 204. After that, the process returns to step S507. In step S521, the CPU 205 determines whether it has received a power-off command. If the CPU 205 determines that it has not received a power-off command, the process returns to step S507. On the other hand, if the CPU 205 determines that it has received a power-off command, the process proceeds to step S522.

[0048] In step S522, the CPU 205 records the standby end time to the HDD 204. In step S523, the CPU 205 records the power-off process start time to the HDD 204. In step S524, the CPU 205 performs the power-off process. In step S525, before all control programs are terminated by the power-off process, the CPU 205 records the power-off process end time to the HDD 204. After that, the flowchart in Figure 5A ends.

[0049] In this way, the CPU 205 (recording means) records the time of each process for obtaining the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing device 102 (recording process). The CPU 205 also records the carbon dioxide emissions of toner / paper / consumable parts in the printing device 102, separating them by the type of process (in this case, whether the process is an error or not). Furthermore, the CPU 205 obtains the execution time and number of executions for each process from the time records of each process, and based on the execution time and number of executions for each process and the power consumption table in Figure 3, obtains the carbon dioxide emissions for each process as described above. Furthermore, the CPU 205 adds the carbon dioxide emissions for each process and the carbon dioxide emissions of toner / paper / consumable parts to obtain the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing device 102.

[0050] [Carbon dioxide emissions from imaging equipment] The CPU 205 acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of each device in the image forming apparatus 101 other than the printing apparatus 102, in the same manner as acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing apparatus 102. Furthermore, the CPU 205 (third acquisition means) adds up the carbon dioxide emissions of each device in the image forming apparatus 101 to acquire the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the production of printed products by the image forming apparatus 101 (third acquisition step).

[0051] In this case, the CPU 205 can use the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 101 to obtain the carbon dioxide emissions from the image forming apparatus 101 that occur only during job execution, i.e., emissions directly emitted during the production of printed materials (first emissions). Similarly, the CPU 205 can use the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus 101 to obtain the carbon dioxide emissions from the image forming apparatus 101 that occur outside of job execution, i.e., emissions incidentally emitted during the production of printed materials (second emissions).

[0052] As mentioned above, the main entity responsible for acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101 is the CPU 205 of the printing apparatus 102 (information processing device). However, the main entity responsible for acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101 is not limited to the CPU 205 of the printing apparatus 102, but may be any of the CPUs 222, 232, 242, or 252 of the other devices in the image forming apparatus 101 besides the printing apparatus 102. In this case, the device having the CPU that is the main entity responsible for acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101 corresponds to the information processing device of the present invention. For the sake of simplicity, the following explanation will be limited to the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing apparatus 102 among the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101.

[0053] [Display of carbon dioxide emissions from printing equipment (short term)] The following describes how the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing device 102 are displayed, with reference to Figures 6A to 6D. Figure 6A is a diagram showing an example of a screen displaying the operating status of the printing device 102. The CPU 205 displays the screen in Figure 6A on the touch panel 113 display based on the time records of each process described in the flowcharts in Figures 5A and 5B. 601 is a data sheet showing the operating status of the printing device 102. 602 is a drop-down menu (fourth UI component) for selecting a specific period. 603 is a button for displaying carbon dioxide emissions. 604 is a button for closing the screen.

[0054] The information displayed in datasheet 601 is based on the times recorded in each flowchart in Figures 5A and 5B during the specific period selected in the dropdown menu 602. For example, the start time (9:00) of the power-on process for NO.1 is recorded in step S502, and the end time (9:05) is recorded in step S505. The start time (9:08) of the job process for NO.3 is recorded in step S517, and the end time (9:40) is recorded in step S519. The start time (9:52) of the error processing for NO.6 is recorded in step S536, and the end time (10:03) is recorded in step S539. The CPU 205 obtains the job ID and client based on the information about the job. The CPU 205 also obtains the execution time and number of executions for each process based on the difference between the start time and end time for each process.

[0055] Figures 6B to 6D show examples of screens representing the carbon dioxide emissions of the printing device 102. The CPU 205 displays each of the screens in Figures 6B to 6D on the touch panel 113 display. In this case, the CPU 205 displays each of the screens in Figures 6B to 6D based on the records of the time of each process in the flowcharts in Figures 5A and 5B, and the records of carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper / consumable parts for a specific period selected by the drop-down menu 602. The screen in Figure 6B is displayed on the touch panel 113 display when button 603 on the screen in Figure 6A is pressed. 605 is a display area that shows the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions of the printing device 102 in terms of items, numerical values, and a pie chart. 606 is a radio button (second UI component) (third UI component) for selecting only one item shown in the display area 605. 607 is a data sheet that shows details such as the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions for the item selected by radio button 606. Button 608 is for printing the report.

[0056] 609 is a checkbox (first UI component) for hiding system emissions. Note that radio button 606 and checkbox 609 may be other UI components. When checkbox 609 is checked, the screen shown in Figure 6C is displayed on the touch panel 113 display. 610 is a display area that shows the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions from the printing device 102 when system emissions are hidden, using items, numerical values, and a pie chart. In the screens of Figures 6B and 6C, "system emissions" (second emissions) refers to carbon dioxide emissions other than during job execution, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted incidentally during the production of printed materials. Therefore, in the display area 605 of the screen in Figure 6B, the numerical value "58" corresponding to the "System" item indicates the carbon dioxide emissions from the printing device 102 other than during job execution. Also, when checkbox 609 is checked and the screen shown in Figure 6C is displayed, only carbon dioxide emissions during job execution, that is, emissions directly emitted during the production of printed materials (first emissions), are displayed.

[0057] The CPU 205 obtains the carbon dioxide emissions for each job based on the carbon dioxide emissions converted from the power consumption during job processing, the carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper / consumable parts, and job-related information, as shown in the datasheet 601 on the screen in Figure 6A. The CPU 205 further obtains the carbon dioxide emissions for each job requester based on the job-related information. In this way, carbon dioxide emissions only during job execution, that is, emissions directly emitted in the production of printed deliverables, are obtained separately for each job and each job requester. The CPU 205 also obtains the carbon dioxide emissions from processes other than job processing (power-on processing, standby, sleep, error processing, power-off processing) as system emissions, as shown in the datasheet 601 on the screen in Figure 6A. Based on these obtained results, the CPU 205 (display means) displays the display area 605 and datasheet 607 on the screen in Figure 6B, and displays the display area 610 and datasheet 607 on the screen in Figure 6C.

[0058] In this way, the CPU 205 can acquire and display carbon dioxide emissions specific to the job and client, using the display area 610 of the screen shown in Figure 6C, that is, emissions directly emitted during the production of printed materials. This prevents the image forming apparatus 101 from presenting the client with excessive carbon dioxide emissions that include emissions outside of job execution, i.e., emissions incidentally emitted during the production of printed materials. Furthermore, the CPU 205 outputs the contents of the screen shown in Figure 6B or Figure 6C as a report printout in response to the button 608 being pressed. The CPU 205 may also send electronic data of the operating status and carbon dioxide emissions to a print server or other device via LANI / F202.

[0059] [Display of carbon dioxide emissions from printing equipment (long term)] When a specific period is switched using the dropdown menu 602 in Figures 6A to 6C, the period for which carbon dioxide emissions are acquired and displayed is also changed to the specific period switched in the dropdown menu 602. In this respect, if the specific period is changed on a daily basis, it makes sense for the carbon dioxide emissions to be displayed on a job basis, as shown in the screens of Figures 6B and 6C. However, when the specific period is changed to a relatively long unit, such as a month, the meaning of displaying carbon dioxide emissions on a job basis diminishes. Therefore, if the specific period switched in the dropdown menu 602 is a relatively long unit, the CPU 205 displays the screen shown in Figure 6D on the touch panel 113 display, which summarizes the carbon dioxide emissions of all jobs for that period.

[0060] Datasheet 611 shows the execution time and carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed by the printing device 102. Datasheet 612 shows the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions from the printing device 102, broken down into job cumulative emissions, toner consumption, consumable parts emissions, power emissions, and paper emissions. Datasheet 611 shows the carbon dioxide emissions for job processing (first emissions), and further divides the system emissions (second emissions) into carbon dioxide emissions for power OFF / ON processing, standby, sleep, and error processing. This allows the user to see how much carbon dioxide was emitted for each process during a specific period selected using the dropdown menu 602.

[0061] [summary] In the first embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 101 acquires the carbon dioxide emissions from the image forming apparatus 101 by acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions due to power consumption for each process and by acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions due to toner / paper / consumable parts separated by the type of process. As a result, the image forming apparatus 101 can acquire the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the production of printed products, in a manner that can be separated into the amount of carbon dioxide emitted directly and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted secondarily.

[0062] <Second Embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 7 to 13C. In the first embodiment, a configuration was described in which the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus 101 were acquired by the printing apparatus 102 of the image forming apparatus 101. On the other hand, many businesses in commercial printing / industrial printing use multiple image forming apparatuses or post-processing apparatuses for binding and surface finishing together with the image forming apparatus. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a method will be described in which multiple image forming apparatuses and post-processing apparatuses are managed together and the carbon dioxide emissions of each apparatus are acquired. Note that the differences from the first embodiment will be described in the second embodiment. Accordingly, in the second embodiment, components identical to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0063] [Image Forming System Configuration and Power Consumption Table] Figure 7 is a block diagram of the image forming system 701. The image forming system 701 has three image forming machines 101, a cutting and binding machine 702, and a carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 (information processing device). In the image forming system 701, the three image forming machines 101, the cutting and binding machine 702, and the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 are connected by a network 704. Hereinafter, when referring to the three image forming machines 101 and the cutting and binding machine 702 excluding the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 collectively, they will be described as "each device of the image forming system 701". In the second embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, three identical image forming machines 101 are connected to the network 704, but other image forming machines different from the image forming machines 101 may also be connected. Also, the cutting and binding machine 702 is an example of a post-processing device, and other post-processing devices may be used.

[0064] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the cutting and binding machine 702. The cutting and binding machine 702 is a general three-sided trimmer capable of cutting paper in three directions. In the cutting and binding machine 702, the device section for cutting paper is provided with transport sections 801-803, a cutter section 804 for cutting paper, a press section 805 for fixing paper, a stopper section 806, and a waste box 807. The cutting and binding machine 702 neatly aligns the edges of the bound paper stack by cutting the paper to a predetermined length with the cutter section 804. In addition, the device section for feeding and discharging paper in the cutting and binding machine 702 is provided with a paper feed roller 808, a paper feed tray 809, a paper discharge roller 810, and a paper discharge tray 811.

[0065] The following describes the paper cutting process in the cutting and binding device 702. Paper is fed from the paper feed tray 809 by the paper feed roller 808, and then transported to the cutting position by the transport units 801 and 802, where the paper position is adjusted by the stopper unit 806. With the paper fixed in place by the press unit 805, the cutter unit 804 is lowered to cut the paper. The cut paper generated during this cutting process falls into the waste box 807 by its own weight and is stored there. In addition to the cutter unit 804, the cutting and binding device 702 is also equipped with cutter units (not shown) on the front and back sides in the direction of paper transport. This allows the cutting and binding device 702 to perform not only edge cutting but also three-sided cutting.

[0066] Furthermore, the cutter unit 804 has an adjustment mechanism for the cutting position in the paper transport direction, allowing adjustment of the cutting position from the edge of the paper. In addition, the cutter units located on the front and back sides in the paper transport direction each have an adjustment mechanism for the cutting position in the width direction of the paper, allowing adjustment of the cutting position from both the front and back sides in the paper transport direction. After cutting, the paper passes through the transport unit 803 and is then discharged into the paper output tray 811 by the paper output roller 810. Although the paper cutting process has been explained here using an example where a single sheet of paper is fed, the paper may be cut after multiple sheets have been fed, or the paper may be cut in bundles.

[0067] Figure 9 shows an example of a power consumption table representing the power consumption of the cutting and binding machine 702 for each process in watts. In the power consumption table (standard table) in Figure 9, the power consumption of the cutting and binding machine 702 is specified for the power ON process, standby, cutting process, and power OFF process. In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the power consumption for the standby process is obtained from the power consumption specified for that process in the power consumption table in Figure 9 and the execution time of that process. On the other hand, for the power ON process, cutting process, and power OFF process, the power consumption for each process is obtained from the power consumption specified for each process in the power consumption table in Figure 9 and the number of executions for each process. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide emissions for each process are obtained using the power consumption for each process obtained in this way and known conversion techniques.

[0068] Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703. The carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 includes a CPU 1001, memory 1002, HDD 1003, LAN interface 1004, operation unit 1005, and display unit 1006. In the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703, each of the above-mentioned components is connected via a system bus 1007. The CPU 1001 comprehensively performs processing such as receiving job history information and operation information from each image forming apparatus 101 and cutting and binding apparatus 702, and acquiring carbon dioxide emissions, according to the programs and data stored in the HDD 1003.

[0069] Memory 1002 operates as a work area. HDD 1003 is a storage device that stores programs, data, and carbon dioxide emission acquisition application software (hereinafter abbreviated as "carbon dioxide emission acquisition application") necessary for the CPU 1001 to perform various processing. LANI / F 1004 is connected to each image forming apparatus 101 and cutting and binding apparatus 702 via network 704. Through this, LANI / F 1004 communicates job history information and operation information. The CPU 1001 stores this information as job-related information in HDD 1003. Operation unit 1005 is a device for receiving various settings input and operation instructions from the user. Display unit 1006 displays information such as the carbon dioxide emission acquisition application being executed by the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703.

[0070] [Acquisition and display of carbon dioxide emissions in image forming systems] Referring to Figures 11 to 13C, the acquisition and display of carbon dioxide emissions performed by the carbon dioxide emissions acquisition server 703 will be explained. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of carbon dioxide emissions acquisition performed by the carbon dioxide emissions acquisition server 703. Figures 12(a), (b), and (c) are examples of data sheets showing excerpts of the operating information of each device in the image forming system 701. Each data sheet in Figures 12(a) and (b) shows the operating information of any two of the three image forming machines 101. Note that each device in the image forming system 701 acquires its operating information through processing equivalent to the flowchart processing in Figures 5A and 5B described in the first embodiment.

[0071] Figures 13A to 13C show examples of screens for a carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. Each screen in Figures 13A to 13C is displayed on the display unit 1006 of the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703. The UI components of each screen in Figures 13A to 13C are operated by the operation unit 1005 of the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703. Note that each screen in Figures 13A to 13C may also be displayed on an information processing device (not shown) connected to the network 704. A detailed explanation of Figures 13A to 13C will be provided later.

[0072] The series of processes (control method for the information processing device) shown in the flowchart of Figure 11 are realized by the CPU 1001 (computer) reading the program stored in the HDD 1003, loading it into memory 1002, and executing it. The flowchart in Figure 11 is triggered by the execution of the carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. When the flowchart in Figure 11 is started, in step S1101, the CPU 1001 (recording means) collects job-related information such as operation information as shown in Figure 12 from each device of the image forming system 701 (recording step). At this time, the CPU 1001 (second acquisition means) also collects carbon dioxide emissions from toner / paper / consumable parts (consumables) from each device of the image forming system 701 along with the operation information (second acquisition step).

[0073] In step S1102, the CPU 1001 determines whether an acquisition error has occurred. Cases that result in an acquisition error include, for example, when the power to each device of the image forming system 701 is turned off, or when there is some kind of problem with network communication. If the CPU 1001 determines that an acquisition error has occurred, the process proceeds to step S1103. On the other hand, if the CPU 1001 determines that no acquisition error has occurred, the process proceeds to step S1104, which will be described later. In step S1103, the CPU 1001 records the device of the image forming system 701 that has experienced an acquisition error to the HDD 1003.

[0074] In step S1104, the CPU 1001 acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of each device in the image forming system 701 using the job-related information, such as operational information, and the carbon dioxide emissions of toner, paper, and consumable parts collected in step S1101. This also acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming system 701. The CPU 1001 (first acquisition means) (third acquisition means) performs the acquisition in step S1104 in the same manner as in the first embodiment (first acquisition step) (third acquisition step). In step S1105, the CPU 1001 acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of each job in the image forming system 701 using the job-related information, such as operational information, and the carbon dioxide emissions of toner, paper, and consumable parts collected in step S1101. The CPU 1001 further acquires the carbon dioxide emissions for each job client based on the job-related information.

[0075] In this way, the CPU 1001 acquires carbon dioxide emissions only during job execution, that is, emissions directly emitted from the production of printed materials, separated by job and by job client. Therefore, the carbon dioxide emissions only during job execution, that is, emissions directly emitted from the production of printed materials, can be displayed separately by job and by job client, as shown in Figure 13C. This prevents the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 from presenting job clients with excessive carbon dioxide emissions that include emissions other than those during job execution, that is, emissions incidentally emitted from the production of printed materials.

[0076] In the second embodiment, No. 10 in Figure 12(a) and No. 5 in Figure 12(b) share the same record: Job ID = Job C and Client = Company B. This is because, in order to shorten the printing time, Job C was divided and fed into two image forming machines 101. Therefore, the CPU 1001 aggregates the carbon dioxide emissions for Job C and displays the carbon dioxide emissions for Job C in the display area 1313 on the screen in Figure 13C. Also, No. 3 in Figure 12(b) and No. 3 in Figure 12(c) share the same record: Job ID = Job D and Client = Company D. This indicates that the printed output produced by image forming machine 101 corresponding to image forming machine B was post-processed by the cutting and binding machine 702. Therefore, the CPU 1001 aggregates the carbon dioxide emissions for Job D and displays the carbon dioxide emissions for Job D in the display area 1313 on the screen in Figure 13C and in the datasheet 1314.

[0077] Returning to the explanation of Figure 11, in step S1106, the CPU 1001 updates the display of the screen shown on the display unit 1006 from among the screens in Figures 13A to 13C. In step S1107, the CPU 1001 determines whether it has received a display update instruction. This determination is made based on the detection result of pressing button 1307 on each screen in Figures 13A to 13C. If the CPU 1001 determines that it has received a display update instruction, that is, if it has detected that button 1307 has been pressed, the process returns to step S1101. As a result, information collection, acquisition of carbon dioxide emissions, and display updates are performed again. On the other hand, if the CPU 1001 determines that it has not received a display update instruction, that is, if it has not detected that button 1307 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1108.

[0078] In step S1108, the CPU 1001 determines whether it has received a command to terminate the carbon dioxide emission acquisition application. This determination is made based on user instructions received by the operation unit 1005. If the CPU 1001 determines that it has not received a command to terminate the carbon dioxide emission acquisition application, the process returns to step S1107. On the other hand, if the CPU 1001 determines that it has received a command to terminate the carbon dioxide emission acquisition application, the flowchart in Figure 11 terminates.

[0079] The screen in Figure 13A is an example of a screen that displays the operating information of each device in the image forming system 701. 1301 is a datasheet that displays the operating information of one of the devices in the image forming system 701. The CPU 1001 obtains the job ID and client based on the job information. 1302 is a dropdown menu (fourth UI component) for selecting a specific period. The dropdown menu 1302 allows the user to switch the period for which the operating information displayed in the datasheet 1301 is shown. 1303 is a dropdown menu (fifth UI component) for selecting one of the devices in the image forming system 701. The dropdown menu 1303 allows the user to switch which device's operating information is displayed in the datasheet 1301.

[0080] Button 1304 is for displaying the carbon dioxide emissions for each device in the image forming system 701. When button 1304 is pressed, the screen shown in Figure 13B is displayed on the display unit 1006. Button 1305 is for displaying the carbon dioxide emissions for each job in the image forming system 701. When button 1305 is pressed, the screen shown in Figure 13C is displayed on the display unit 1006. Button 1306 is for closing the screen. Button 1307 is for refreshing the screen display.

[0081] Figure 13B shows an example of a screen displaying the carbon dioxide emissions of the device selected in the dropdown menu 1303. In addition to the dropdown menus 1302 and 1303 and buttons 1305 to 1307, the screen in Figure 13B includes a display area 1308, radio buttons 1309, a datasheet 1310, a checkbox 1311, and a button 1312. The display area 1308 is an area that displays the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions for the device selected in the dropdown menu 1303 for the specific period selected in the dropdown menu 1302, using items, numerical values, and a pie chart. Radio buttons 1309 are UI components (second UI component) (third UI component) for selecting only one item shown in the display area 1308. The datasheet 1310 is a sheet that shows details such as the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions for the specific period selected in the dropdown menu 1302, for the item selected in radio buttons 1309.

[0082] Checkbox 1311 (first UI component) is a UI component used to hide system emissions. In the screen shown in Figure 13B, "system emissions" (second emissions) refers to carbon dioxide emissions other than during job execution, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted incidentally during the production of printed materials. Therefore, in the display area 1308, the number "10" displayed in relation to the "system" item indicates the carbon dioxide emissions of the cutting and binding machine 702 other than during job execution. When checkbox 1311 is checked, the display related to system emissions is removed, and only carbon dioxide emissions during job execution, that is, emissions directly emitted during the production of printed materials (first emissions), are displayed.

[0083] In this way, the CPU 1001 (display means) displays the system emissions and the carbon dioxide emissions that occur only during job execution, that is, the emissions directly emitted by the generation of printed output (first emissions), separately in the display area 1308. Note that the radio buttons 1309 and checkboxes 1311 may be other UI components. Button 1312 is a UI component for outputting the screen display content as a report print.

[0084] Figure 13C shows an example of a screen displaying carbon dioxide emissions for each job of the image forming system 701. The screen in Figure 13C includes a dropdown menu 1302, buttons 1304, 1306, 1307, 1312, and radio buttons 1309, as well as a display area 1313 and a datasheet 1314. The display area 1313 is a display area that shows the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions during job execution only for a specific period selected in the dropdown menu 1302, that is, emissions directly emitted from the production of print deliverables, using items, numerical values, and a pie chart.

[0085] Datasheet 1314 is a datasheet that shows details such as the breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions for a specific period selected in the dropdown menu 1302, for the item selected in radio button 1309. In the image forming system 701, if a job is divided and fed into each image forming apparatus 101, the display area 1313 and datasheet 1314 will display the total carbon dioxide emissions for each job in each image forming apparatus 101, as described above. This is also the case in the image forming system 701 when the printed output produced by the image forming apparatus 101 is post-processed by the cutting and binding apparatus 702.

[0086] [summary] As described above, the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 is connected to each image forming apparatus 101 and the cutting and binding apparatus 702, which serves as a post-processing apparatus, in the image forming system 701. Furthermore, the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming system 701 by acquiring carbon dioxide emissions due to power consumption for each process and by acquiring carbon dioxide emissions due to toner / paper / consumable parts separated by the type of process. In this way, the carbon dioxide emission acquisition server 703 can acquire the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming system 701, that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in the production of printed products, in a manner that allows for the separation of directly emitted carbon dioxide and by-effectly emitted carbon dioxide.

[0087] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. Furthermore, the present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0088] Each embodiment of the disclosure includes the following configurations, methods, and programs. (Configuration 1) Recording means for recording the execution time for each process performed in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system including the image forming apparatus, A first acquisition means that uses the amount of power consumed obtained using the records made by the recording means to acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, A second acquisition means for acquiring carbon dioxide emissions from consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, separated by the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising: a third acquisition means for acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the first acquisition means and the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the second acquisition means. (Configuration 2) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 1, wherein the first acquisition means also uses a specified table in which power consumption is specified for each process performed by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system to acquire the amount of power consumed. (Configuration 3) The information processing device according to Configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the second acquisition means acquires the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system by using a conversion table that converts the amount of consumables used by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system into carbon dioxide emissions. (Configuration 4) The information processing apparatus according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or image forming system separately into a first emission amount directly emitted in the production of printed products of the image forming apparatus or image forming system and a second emission amount secondly emitted in the production of printed products of the image forming apparatus or image forming system, depending on the type of processing performed on the image forming apparatus or image forming system. (Configuration 5) The information processing device according to Configuration 4, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the first discharge amount separately for each job introduced into the image forming apparatus or image forming system by referring to information relating to the jobs introduced into the image forming apparatus or image forming system. (Configuration 6) The information processing device according to Configuration 4 or 5, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the first discharge amount separately for each client of the job submitted to the image forming apparatus or the image forming system by referring to information relating to the job submitted to the image forming apparatus or the image forming system. (Configuration 7) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 4, characterized in that it comprises a display means that displays the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system divided into a first emission and a second emission on a display unit. (Configuration 8) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 7, characterized in that the display means displays a first UI component on the display unit for the user to cause the display means to display only the first emissions. (Configuration 9) The information processing device according to Configuration 7 or 8, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system and displays the first discharge amount separately for each job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system on the display unit. (Configuration 10) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 9, wherein the display means displays a second UI component on the display unit for the user to select the job for which the breakdown of the first emissions is to be displayed. (Configuration 11) The information processing device according to any one of Configurations 7 to 9, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system and displays the first discharge amount separately for each client of the job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system on the display unit. (Configuration 12) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 11, wherein the display means displays a third UI component on the display unit for the user to select the client of the job for which the breakdown of the first emissions is to be displayed. (Configuration 13) The information processing apparatus according to any one of Configurations 7 to 12, characterized in that the display means displays the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or image forming system on the display unit, limited to the minutes of a specific period during which processing was performed in the image forming apparatus or image forming system, by referring to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or image forming system. (Configuration 14) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 13, characterized in that the display means displays a fourth UI component for the user to select the specific period on the display unit. (Configuration 15) The information processing apparatus according to any one of Configurations 7 to 14, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming system and displays the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming system on the display unit, limited to the emissions of a specific device included in the image forming system. (Configuration 16) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 15, characterized in that the display means displays a fifth UI component for the user to select the specific device on the display unit. (Method 1) A recording step of recording the execution time for each process performed in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system including the image forming apparatus, A first acquisition step involves using the amount of power consumed obtained using the records made in the aforementioned recording step to acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, A second acquisition step is to acquire the carbon dioxide emissions from consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, separated by the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system. A control method for an information processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a third acquisition step of acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the carbon dioxide emissions acquired in the first acquisition step and the carbon dioxide emissions acquired in the second acquisition step. (Program 1) A program that causes a computer to execute each of the means of the information processing device described in any one of Configurations 1 to 16. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0089] 101 Image forming apparatus (information processing apparatus) 205 CPU (recording means) (first acquisition means) (second acquisition means) (third acquisition means) 701 Image Forming System 703 Carbon Dioxide Emission Acquisition Server (Information Processing Device) 1001 CPU (recording means) (first acquisition means) (second acquisition means) (third acquisition means)

Claims

1. A recording means for recording the execution time for each process performed in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system including the image forming apparatus, A first acquisition means that uses the amount of power consumed obtained using the records made by the recording means to acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, A second acquisition means for acquiring carbon dioxide emissions from consumables of the image forming apparatus or image forming system, separated by the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus or image forming system, An information processing apparatus characterized by comprising: a third acquisition means for acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the first acquisition means and the carbon dioxide emissions acquired by the second acquisition means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the first acquisition means acquires the amount of power consumption using a specified table which specifies the power consumption for each process performed by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second acquisition means acquires the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using a conversion table that converts the amount of consumables used by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system into carbon dioxide emissions.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or image forming system separately into a first emission amount directly emitted in the production of printed products of the image forming apparatus or image forming system, and a second emission amount secondly emitted in the production of printed products of the image forming apparatus or image forming system, depending on the type of processing performed on the image forming apparatus or image forming system.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the first discharge amount separately for each job fed into the image forming apparatus or image forming system by referring to information regarding the jobs fed into the image forming apparatus or image forming system.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the third acquisition means acquires the first discharge amount separately for each client of the job submitted to the image forming apparatus or the image forming system by referring to information regarding the job submitted to the image forming apparatus or the image forming system.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a display means for displaying the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, divided into a first emission and a second emission, on a display unit.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the display means displays a first UI component on the display unit for the user to cause the display means to display only the first emission amount.

9. The information processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system and displays the first discharge amount separately for each job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system on the display unit.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the display means displays a second UI component on the display unit for the user to select the job for which the breakdown of the first emissions is to be displayed.

11. The information processing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system and displays the first discharge amount separately for each client of the job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system on the display unit.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the display means displays a third UI component on the display unit for the user to select the client of the job for which the breakdown of the first emissions is to be displayed.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the display means displays on the display unit the amount of carbon dioxide emissions from the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, limited to the portion of a specific period during which processing was performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, by referring to information relating to a job fed into the image forming apparatus or the image forming system.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the display means displays a fourth UI component for the user to select the specific period on the display unit.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the display means refers to information relating to a job fed into the image forming system and displays the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming system on the display unit, limited to the emissions of a specific device included in the image forming system.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, characterized in that the display means displays a fifth UI component for a user to select a specific device on the display unit.

17. A recording step which records the execution time for each process performed in an image forming apparatus or an image forming system including the image forming apparatus, A first acquisition step involves using the amount of power consumed obtained using the records made in the recording step to acquire the amount of carbon dioxide emissions for each process performed in the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, A second acquisition step is to acquire the carbon dioxide emissions from consumables of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system, separated by the type of processing performed by the image forming apparatus or the image forming system. A control method for an information processing apparatus, characterized by comprising: a third acquisition step of acquiring the carbon dioxide emissions of the image forming apparatus or the image forming system using the carbon dioxide emissions acquired in the first acquisition step and the carbon dioxide emissions acquired in the second acquisition step.

18. A program for causing a computer to execute each of the means of the information processing apparatus described in claim 1.

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