Reusability determination system and reusability determination program

Abstract

The challenge is to provide a reuse determination system that can appropriately determine whether an image forming apparatus can be reused based on the user's usage. [Solution] The reuse determination system 100 comprises an information acquisition unit 10 that acquires user usage information 2, a second determination criterion setting unit 20 that sets a second determination criterion according to a first determination criterion that has been classified in stages in advance based on the acquired usage information 2, a determination unit 30 that determines whether or not the image forming apparatus 200 or a unit built into the image forming apparatus 200 satisfies the set second determination criterion, and a candidate determination unit 40 that determines a candidate for reuse of the image forming apparatus 200 based on the determination result by the determination unit 30.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a reuse determination system and a reuse determination program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to realize a recycling society, it has been required to effectively utilize resources and eliminate wasteful disposal. For example, in the technical field of image forming apparatuses, necessary maintenance is performed on the image forming apparatuses collected from offices and the like, and they are reused as "refurbished machines" that are completed products after maintenance.

[0003] A system etc. for determining the reuse destination of a unit removed from an image forming apparatus to be discarded based on the remaining life of the unit has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). Thereby, it becomes possible to allocate a usable unit to another image forming apparatus suitable for reuse without performing waste disposal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, it has not been possible to determine an appropriate reuse destination of an image forming apparatus according to the usage status of the user of the destination based only on information regarding the remaining life of the unit.

[0006] For example, a printable number is set in advance for each unit incorporated in an image forming apparatus, such as 60,000 sheets for a fixing unit and a belt unit, and 120,000 sheets for a roller unit. Note that these printable numbers are merely examples and are not limited thereto.

[0007] If the threshold for determining the remaining lifespan of a unit that is deemed reusable is set to 30% or higher, then an image forming apparatus containing a fixing unit with a remaining lifespan of 31% will be deemed reusable.

[0008] However, if the above image forming machine is installed for a user with a high monthly print volume, the remaining lifespan of the unit will quickly fall below the threshold mentioned above. Furthermore, it will not take long from the time the image forming machine is installed until the remaining lifespan requiring unit replacement reaches 0%. As a result, unit replacement work may occur soon after the image forming machine is installed, which can be a source of dissatisfaction for users.

[0009] In this specification, the "remaining lifespan" of a unit in an image forming apparatus is expressed as a percentage by subtracting the actual number of prints made so far by using the image forming apparatus (e.g., 30,000 sheets) from the number of printable sheets of each unit when new (e.g., 60,000 sheets), dividing by the number of printable sheets, and then multiplying by 100.

[0010] In the example above, the remaining lifespan is (60000 - 30000) ÷ 60000 × 100 = 50%. The larger the remaining lifespan, the longer the period until each unit needs replacing.

[0011] The present invention aims to provide a reuse determination system and reuse determination program that can appropriately determine whether an image forming apparatus can be reused based on the usage status of the user of the image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above problem, the reuse determination system described in claim 1 is: The system comprises: an information acquisition unit that acquires user usage information; a second judgment criterion setting unit that sets a second judgment criterion according to a first judgment criterion that has been classified in stages in advance based on the acquired usage information; a judgment unit that determines whether the image forming apparatus and / or a unit built into the image forming apparatus meets the set second judgment criterion; and a candidate determination unit that determines a candidate for reuse of the image forming apparatus based on the determination result by the judgment unit.

[0013] The invention described in claim 2 is a reuse determination system described in claim 1, The aforementioned usage information includes the number of images used per month, which represents the user's actual usage of the image forming apparatus.

[0014] The invention described in claim 3 is a reuse determination system described in claim 2, The aforementioned number of pages used includes at least one of the following: the number of copies, prints, faxes received, faxes sent, and scanner scans per month in the image forming apparatus.

[0015] The invention described in claim 4 is a reuse determination system described in claim 1, The second criterion is set based on the remaining lifespan of the unit.

[0016] The invention described in claim 5 is a reuse determination system described in claim 1, The second criterion is set based on the number of years of use of the image forming apparatus.

[0017] The invention described in claim 6 is a reuse determination system according to claim 4 or 5, The second criterion is set within a range that includes an upper limit and a lower limit.

[0018] The invention described in claim 7 is a reuse determination system described in claim 1, The system further comprises a criteria adjustment unit that allows arbitrary adjustment of at least one of the first and / or second criteria.

[0019] The invention according to claim 8 is the reuse determination system according to claim 1, wherein Based on the determination result by the determination unit, an apparatus extraction unit that extracts the image forming apparatus having a large number of the units satisfying the second determination criterion from the image forming apparatuses excluded from the reuse candidates, and an exchange unit built in the extracted image forming apparatus and selecting an exchange unit for exchanging the unit not satisfying the second determination criterion.

[0020] The invention according to claim 9 is the reuse determination system according to claim 4, wherein The apparatus further includes an apparatus selection unit that selects the image forming apparatus having the minimum total remaining life of the units from the image forming apparatuses that have become reuse candidates by the candidate determination unit.

[0021] The reuse determination program according to claim 10 causes a computer to function as an information acquisition unit that acquires user usage information, a second determination criterion setting unit that sets a second determination criterion according to a first determination criterion classified in advance based on the acquired usage information, a determination unit that determines whether an image forming apparatus and / or a unit built in the image forming apparatus satisfies the set second determination criterion, and a candidate determination unit that determines a reuse candidate for the image forming apparatus based on the determination result by the determination unit.

[0022] The invention according to claim 11 is the reuse determination program according to claim 10, wherein The image forming apparatus functions as the computer.

Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether an image forming apparatus can be reused based on usage information of a user who uses the image forming apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the schematic system configuration of the reuse determination system of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing flow of a reuse determination system. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a judgment criteria table. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the remaining lifespan of the fixing unit, belt unit, and roller unit. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the remaining lifespan of the fixing unit, belt unit, and roller unit. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the remaining lifespan of the fixing unit, belt unit, and roller unit. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of the processing flow of a reuse determination system that includes a device extraction means. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] Embodiments of the reuse determination system and reuse determination program of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following illustrated examples.

[0026] 1. Reuse determination system Figure 1 shows an overview of the system configuration in the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the reuse determination system 100 is mainly configured using terminal device 1.

[0027] Terminal device 1 is connected to database server 101 via communication network N. Database server 101 consists of a usage information database 3, an inventory device database 4, and an inventory unit database 5.

[0028] The usage information database 3 collects and stores usage information 2 related to the usage status and usage history of the user's image forming apparatus 200 in a database. The inventory equipment database 4 manages the inventory of refurbished image forming apparatuses and image forming apparatuses that are candidates for reuse. The inventory unit database 5 manages the inventory of replacement units that can be assigned to other image forming apparatuses.

[0029] Terminal device 1 can obtain various information, such as usage information 2, from database server 101 via communication network N.

[0030] Terminal device 1 has the function of acquiring remaining life information 6 related to the remaining life of multiple units 210 etc. built into the image forming apparatus 200, either directly or indirectly from the image forming apparatus 200 (see Figure 1).

[0031] In the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment, the terminal device 1 can be a computer terminal such as a well-known personal computer. The database server 101 can be a cloud server built in a cloud environment.

[0032] By installing and starting the reuse determination program 102 of the present invention on the terminal device 1, the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment is constructed on the terminal device 1.

[0033] The terminal device 1 is not limited to the computer terminal described above, but can use various information and communication terminals such as well-known tablet terminals and smartphone terminals. By installing the reuse determination program 102 as an application on the information and communication terminal, the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment can be built on the information and communication terminal.

[0034] All or part of the functions of terminal device 1 may be implemented on the image forming apparatus 200. All or part of the functions of terminal device 1 may be implemented on the cloud or on a well-known server connected to the communication network N. For example, by implementing all or part of the functions of the reuse determination system 100 on the image forming apparatus 200, it is possible to easily check whether or not the material can be reused at the installation site, such as an office.

[0035] The database server 101 is not limited to one built on the cloud, but may use any well-known server equipment. Furthermore, the usage information database 3, etc., may be stored in a storage unit configured inside the terminal device 1.

[0036] Terminal device 1 can be installed by a management company that performs maintenance on image forming machines collected from offices, etc., and manages them as refurbished image forming machines. The management company also removes usable units from the collected image forming machines and manages them as inventory for replacement units.

[0037] The reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment is implemented on the image forming apparatus 200 recovered from offices, etc., using a terminal device 1 installed at the management and operation company.

[0038] The timing for determining whether the image forming apparatus 200 can be reused is not particularly limited. For example, the reuse determination can be made when the apparatus is collected from an office or the like and delivered to the management and operation company mentioned above. Alternatively, after the collected image forming apparatus 200 is delivered to the management and operation company, it may be stored in a warehouse or the like, and the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment may be executed when a new user who will be the recipient of the shipment is determined.

[0039] 2. Configuration of the reuse determination system and the processing flow of reuse determination As shown in Figure 1, the terminal device 1 constituting the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment mainly comprises an information acquisition unit 10, a second determination criterion setting unit 20, a determination unit 30, and a candidate determination unit 40. Furthermore, the terminal device 1 also comprises a criterion adjustment unit 50, a device extraction unit 60, a replacement unit selection unit 70, and a device selection unit 80 as other components.

[0040] The following describes the configuration of terminal device 1 and the processing flow for determining reuse, referring to the flowchart in Figure 2.

[0041] The information acquisition unit 10 has the function of acquiring usage information 2 regarding the usage status and usage history of the image forming apparatus 200 from the usage information database 3 (information acquisition means S1).

[0042] In other words, once a new customer is determined, the system retrieves usage information 2, including the user's past usage history and performance of the image forming apparatus 200, from the usage information database 3.

[0043] Usage information 2 includes information such as the number of pages printed and copies made per month when the user has used the image forming apparatus in the past. For example, this usage information 2 can be obtained using the counter function installed in the image forming apparatus 200.

[0044] The reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment exemplifies a case where the terminal device 1 acquires information regarding the number of images used per month in the past use of the image forming apparatus 200 as usage information 2 of a user who has been selected as a new delivery destination.

[0045] The second judgment criterion setting unit 20 has the function of setting a first judgment criterion 21 that has been pre-classified in stages based on the usage information 2 acquired by the information acquisition unit 10 (information acquisition means S1) (first judgment criterion setting means S2). Furthermore, the second judgment criterion setting unit 20 has the function of setting a second judgment criterion 22 according to the set first judgment criterion 21 (second judgment criterion setting means S3a, S3b, S3c).

[0046] Based on the monthly printing volume of the user's use of the image forming apparatus 200, which is included in the acquired usage information 2, a first judgment criterion 21 is set, which is pre-classified in stages.

[0047] The reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment employs a three-stage classification setting of "large," "medium," and "small" according to the user's monthly page views (PV), as shown in the determination criteria table 23 in Figure 3.

[0048] As shown in Figure 3, the monthly print volume included in Usage Information 2 is classified as "Large" if it is 5,000 pages or more, "Medium" if it is 2,000 pages or more but less than 5,000 pages, and "Small" if it is less than 2,000 pages. Here, in parts of Figures 2 and 3, the monthly print volume is shown using the abbreviation "PV (Print Volume)".

[0049] Furthermore, the judgment criteria table 23 has the second judgment criteria 22 set to correspond to the classification of the first judgment criterion 21 on the horizontal axis. The second judgment criterion 22 can be set for several different cases in relation to the first judgment criterion 21.

[0050] For example, in the judgment criteria table 23 of Figure 3, "remaining life (1)" is shown as an example of the second judgment criterion 22. In other words, the conditions that the remaining life of the unit 210 etc. built into the image forming apparatus 200 must satisfy are set in accordance with the stepwise classification of "large," "medium," and "small" of the first judgment criterion 21.

[0051] In the case of remaining life (1), corresponding to "Large" in the first judgment criterion 21, the second judgment criterion 22 is set to "The remaining life (LF) of the unit is 70% or more." Similarly, corresponding to "Medium" in the first judgment criterion 21, the second judgment criterion 22 is set to "The remaining life of the unit is 50% or more," and corresponding to "Small" in the first judgment criterion 21, the second judgment criterion 22 is set to "The remaining life of the unit is 30% or more." Here, in parts of Figures 2 and 3, the remaining life is shown using the abbreviated notation "LF (Lifee)."

[0052] The reuse determination system 100 sets a second determination criterion 22 according to a pre-set determination criterion table 23, after the first determination criterion setting means S2 has processed the setting of a first determination criterion 21 based on the usage information 2. (Second determination criterion setting means S3a, S3b, S3c)

[0053] The determination unit 30 has the function of determining whether each unit (fixing unit 210, belt unit 220, roller unit 230) included in the image forming apparatus 200 to be determined satisfies the second determination criterion 22 (determination means S4).

[0054] As previously explained, the terminal device 1 acquires the remaining lifespan information 6 for each unit 210, etc., of the image forming apparatus 200 that is subject to determination.

[0055] Then, if all units 210 etc. in the image forming apparatus 200 to be judged satisfy the second judgment criterion 22 (YES in the judgment means S4), the image forming apparatus 200 containing those units 210 etc. is determined to be a candidate for reuse (candidate determination means S5). The image forming apparatus 200 is registered as a candidate for reuse in the inventory device database 4 of the database server 101.

[0056] The candidate determination unit 40 has the function of determining a candidate for reuse based on the determination result by the determination unit 30 (determination means S4) (candidate determination means S5).

[0057] On the other hand, if at least one unit 210, etc. does not meet the second determination criterion 22 (NO in determination means S4), the image forming apparatus 200 is excluded from the candidates for reuse and proceeds to the processing of the replacement unit selection means S6.

[0058] The replacement unit selection unit 70 has the function of selecting a replacement unit from the inventory unit database 5 of the database server 101 to replace a unit 210, etc. that does not meet the second judgment criterion 22 (replacement unit selection means S6).

[0059] Even if an image forming apparatus 200 is not selected as a candidate for reuse, it can be registered and used as a reusable image forming apparatus 200 by selecting a replacement unit that meets the second criterion 22 from the inventory unit database 5 and assigning it to the image forming apparatus 200.

[0060] Based on the above processing, it is determined whether or not the image forming apparatus 200 can be reused. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the image forming apparatus 200 can be reused based on two criteria: a first criterion 21 set based on the usage information 2 and a second criterion 22 set in accordance with the first criterion 21.

[0061] This makes it possible to determine a more appropriate candidate for reuse of the image forming apparatus 200 based on user usage information 2, whereas previously the reuse of the image forming apparatus 200 was determined solely by the remaining lifespan of the unit.

[0062] Furthermore, even image forming apparatus 200 that were not initially considered for reuse can be registered and managed as reuse candidates by assigning appropriate replacement units. This allows for the effective use of resources.

[0063] In the reuse determination system 100 of this embodiment, the usage information 2 is the number of pages used per month (monthly print count), but is not limited to this. As already explained, the usage information 2 can appropriately use information based on the past usage history of the user of the image forming apparatus 200, other than the monthly print count.

[0064] Furthermore, the usage figures included in Usage Information 2 may include, for example, the number of copies, prints, faxes received, faxes sent, and scanner scans per month. This allows for a detailed understanding of the user's usage patterns and performance, enabling the acquisition of highly accurate Usage Information 2.

[0065] The second criterion 22 can also be set to include upper and lower limits. For example, as shown in “Remaining Life (2)” of the criterion table 23 in Figure 3, the remaining life can be specified within the range of the upper and lower limits.

[0066] For example, consider the cases of image forming apparatuses A, B, and C, where the remaining lifespans of the fixing unit 210, belt unit 220, and roller unit 230 are as shown in Figure 4-6. Figure 4-6 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing the remaining lifespans of each unit 210 etc. built into the image forming apparatus 200.

[0067] In this case, if the first criterion 21 is "large" based on the usage information 2 described above, the second criterion 22, "the remaining lifespan (LF) of the unit is 70% or more," is set. Therefore, only the image forming apparatus B in Figure 5, which satisfies the condition that the remaining lifespan of all units is 70% or more, is selected as a candidate for reuse.

[0068] On the other hand, if the first criterion 21 is "medium," the second criterion 22, "the remaining lifespan of the unit is 50% or more," is set. Therefore, the two image forming apparatuses A and B shown in Figures 4 and 5, which satisfy the condition that the remaining lifespan of all units is 50% or more, are selected as candidates for reuse.

[0069] Furthermore, if the first criterion 21 is "small," the second criterion 22, "the remaining lifespan of the unit is 30% or more," is set. Therefore, the three image forming apparatuses A, B, and C shown in Figure 4-6, which satisfy the condition that the remaining lifespan of all units is 30% or more, are selected as candidates for reuse.

[0070] As described above, if the upper and lower limits are not set in the second criterion 22, there is a possibility that multiple image forming apparatuses 200 will be selected as candidates for reuse, making it difficult to determine which of the multiple image forming apparatuses 200 is the most suitable candidate for reuse.

[0071] Therefore, the second criterion 22 is set to include upper and lower limits. For example, if the first criterion 21 is "medium," the second criterion 22 is set to "the remaining lifespan of the unit is 50% or more and less than 70%." As a result, only image forming apparatus A in Figure 4 becomes a candidate for reuse.

[0072] By setting the second criterion 22 to include upper and lower limits, it becomes possible to select the most appropriate image forming apparatus for reuse from among multiple image forming apparatuses, according to the user's usage conditions.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the second judgment criterion 22 is set as the remaining life (1) or remaining life (2) related to the remaining life of the unit 210, etc., but it is not limited to this. For example, the second range criterion 22 may be set based on the number of years of use of the image forming apparatus 200 to be judged (see judgment criterion table 23 in Figure 3). In other words, the second judgment criterion 22 is not limited to judgment criteria for units, but may also be judgment criteria for the image forming apparatus itself.

[0074] In this case, corresponding to the "large" value of the first criterion 21, the second criterion 22 can be set to the condition that the image forming apparatus 200 has been in use for less than two years. Subsequently, the second criterion 22 can be set to the condition that the usage period is two years or more but less than four years, corresponding to the "medium" value, and to the condition that the usage period is four years or more, corresponding to the "small" value.

[0075] If the image forming apparatus 200 has a short service life, the damage to each unit 210, etc., will naturally be less, and the risk of malfunctions will be lower. Therefore, it is preferable to install it for users with a high monthly printing volume.

[0076] On the other hand, if the image forming apparatus 200 is used for a long period of time, the wear and tear on each unit 210, etc., will increase, and it may not be suitable for installation by users with a high monthly printing volume. For this reason, it is preferable to consider users with a low monthly printing volume as candidates for reuse of the image forming apparatus 200.

[0077] The reference adjustment unit 50, which constitutes the terminal device 1, has the function of being able to arbitrarily adjust at least one of the first judgment criterion 21 and / or the second judgment criterion 22.

[0078] In other words, by adjusting the above-mentioned upper and lower limits related to the first criterion 21 and / or the second criterion 22 to arbitrary values, it is possible to select an image forming apparatus 200 suitable for users who are expected to use it in special usage situations. For example, for users who mainly print postcard-sized documents, the first criterion 21 and / or the second criterion 22 can be set to conditions suitable for this purpose.

[0079] The device extraction unit 60 has the function of extracting image forming apparatuses 200 that have been excluded from the candidates for reuse from among the image forming apparatuses 200 that have a large number of units that satisfy the second judgment criterion 22, based on the judgment result by the judgment unit 30 (device extraction means S7).

[0080] The image forming apparatus 200 is composed of multiple units 210, etc. Therefore, it is conceivable that the determination unit 30 may exclude the image forming apparatus 200 from the list of candidates for reuse in many cases. For example, it is conceivable that all units 210, etc. do not meet the second determination criterion 22. On the other hand, it is conceivable that only one or a few of the multiple units 210, etc. do not meet the second determination criterion.

[0081] Therefore, among the image forming apparatuses 200 that have been excluded from the list of candidates for reuse, those with a large number of units that satisfy the second criterion 22, for example, image forming apparatuses 200 in which 50% or more of the total number of units satisfy the second criterion 22, are extracted.

[0082] As shown in Figure 7, the extraction process by the device extraction unit 60 (device extraction means S7) is performed between the determination process by the determination unit 30 (determination means S4) and the replacement unit selection process by the aforementioned replacement unit selection unit 70 (replacement unit selection means S6). This allows for efficient selection of replacement units.

[0083] The device selection unit 80 has the function of selecting the image forming apparatus 200 from among the image forming apparatuses 200 that have been designated as candidates for reuse by the candidate determination unit 40, the image forming apparatus 200 in which the total remaining lifespan of multiple units 210, etc., is minimized (device selection means S8).

[0084] For example, if the three image forming machines A, B, and C shown in Figure 4-6 are selected as candidates for reuse, it may be difficult to determine which image forming machine should be delivered to the user.

[0085] In this case, the image forming apparatus 200 with the minimum total remaining lifespan across multiple units 210, etc., can be selected as a candidate for reuse. For example, the total remaining lifespans of the fixing unit 210, belt unit 220, and roller unit 230 of image forming apparatuses A, B, and C in Figure 4-6 are as follows.

[0086] In other words, the total remaining lifespan of image forming apparatus A is "198%", the total remaining lifespan of image forming apparatus B is "278%", and the total remaining lifespan of image forming apparatus C is "195%".

[0087] Therefore, in the above case, the device selection unit 80 (device selection means S8) selects the image forming apparatus C, which has the smallest total remaining lifespan of "195%", as a suitable candidate for reuse. As a result, the image forming apparatus 200 containing the unit with the short remaining lifespan is installed by the user sooner, enabling the effective use of resources.

[0088] As described above, the reuse determination system and reuse determination program of the present invention can determine a candidate image forming apparatus 200 for reuse based on two determination criteria, the first determination criterion 21 and the second determination criterion 22.

[0089] Furthermore, by adjusting the first and second criteria 21 and 22 to arbitrary values, it is possible to effectively determine an image forming apparatus 200 suitable for a new customer as a candidate for reuse.

[0090] In addition, from among multiple candidate image forming apparatuses 200 for reuse, a more suitable image forming apparatus 200 can be selected based on the total value of units 210, etc. Even image forming apparatuses 200 that have been excluded from the candidates for reuse can be made into candidate image forming apparatuses for reuse by replacing the units that did not meet the second judgment criterion 22 with replacement units. [Industrial applicability]

[0091] The reuse determination system and reuse determination program of the present invention can be useful in management and operation companies that perform maintenance and inspections of image forming apparatus. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0092] 1 Terminal device 2 Usage information 3. Usage Information Database 4. Inventory Equipment Database 5. Inventory Unit Database 6 Remaining life information 10 Information acquisition department 20 Second judgment criterion setting section 21 First judgment criterion 22 Second judgment criterion 23. Judgment Criteria Table 30 Judgment section 40 Candidate Selection Department 50 Standard adjustment section 60 Equipment extraction part 70 Replacement Unit Selection Section 80 Equipment selection department 100 Reuse Determination System 101 Database Server 102 Reuse Determination Program 200 Image forming apparatus 210 Fuser Unit 220 Belt Unit 230 Roller Unit N Communication Network S1 Information acquisition means S2 First judgment criterion setting means S3a, S3b, S3c Second Judgment Criterion Setting Method S4 Judgment Method S5 alternative decision-making method S6 Exchange Unit Selection Method S7 device extraction method S8 device selection method

Claims

1. An information acquisition unit that acquires user usage information, A second judgment criterion setting unit sets a second judgment criterion according to a first judgment criterion that has been classified in stages in advance, based on the acquired usage information, A determination unit that determines whether an image forming apparatus and / or a unit built into the image forming apparatus satisfies the set second determination criteria, Based on the determination result by the determination unit, a candidate determination unit determines a candidate for reuse of the image forming apparatus. A reuse determination system equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned usage information is The reuse determination system according to claim 1, which includes the number of images used per month by the user in the image forming apparatus.

3. The number of sheets used is, The reuse determination system according to claim 2, comprising at least one of the monthly number of copies, prints, faxes received, faxes sent, and scanner scans in the image forming apparatus.

4. The second criterion mentioned above is: The reuse determination system according to claim 1, which is set based on the remaining lifespan of the unit.

5. The second criterion mentioned above is: The reuse determination system according to claim 1, which is set based on the number of years of use of the image forming apparatus.

6. The second criterion mentioned above is: The reuse determination system according to claim 4 or 5, which is set within a range that includes an upper limit and a lower limit.

7. The reuse determination system according to claim 1, further comprising a criterion adjustment unit capable of arbitrarily adjusting at least one of the first determination criterion and / or the second determination criterion.

8. Based on the determination result by the determination unit, an apparatus extraction unit extracts from the image forming apparatuses that have been excluded from the candidates for reuse the image forming apparatuses that have a large number of units that satisfy the second determination criterion, A replacement unit selection unit is provided with the image forming apparatus that has been extracted and is used to replace the unit that does not meet the second judgment criterion. The reuse determination system according to claim 1, further comprising the above.

9. The reuse determination system according to claim 4, further comprising a device selection unit that selects from among the image forming apparatuses that have been selected as candidates for reuse by the candidate determination unit the image forming apparatus that has the minimum total remaining lifespan of the units.

10. A reuse determination program that causes a computer to function as an information acquisition unit that acquires user usage information, a second determination criterion setting unit that sets a second determination criterion according to a first determination criterion that has been classified in stages in advance based on the acquired usage information, a determination unit that determines whether the image forming apparatus and / or a unit built into the image forming apparatus meets the set second determination criterion, and a candidate determination unit that determines a candidate for reuse of the image forming apparatus based on the determination result by the determination unit.

11. The image forming apparatus is The reuse determination program according to claim 10, which functions as the computer.

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