Image forming system, method, image forming apparatus, and server apparatus

Abstract

SOLUTION: An image formation system includes: an image formation device that exists in a user environment, which forms an image on a recording medium using consumable materials in a storage device; an inhibition mechanism that can inhibit the consumable materials from being supplied from the storage device to the image formation device or inhibit the storage device from being inserted into the image formation device; a part that obtains an intrinsic code of the storage device, in a state where the inhibition mechanism inhibits the consumable material from being supplied or the storage device from being inserted thereinto; a server device that is present at a remote environment and performs authentication of the storage device on the basis of the code obtained by the obtaining part; a first control part that when the authentication is successfully performed, switches the inhibition mechanism so that the consumable materials can be supplied or the storage device can be inserted thereinto; and a second control part that sets, on the image formation device, data on settings related to the storage device which are received from the server device when the authentication is successfully performed.EFFECT: To be able to set data on settings which are suitable for a storage device or consumable materials which are supplied, and be able to reduce manufacturing cost for the storage device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 22

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an image forming system, a method, an image forming apparatus, and a server apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming devices such as copiers, printers, and facsimile receivers form images on recording media using developers such as toner or ink and consumable components such as photosensitive drums. When these consumables run out or reach the end of their remaining life, users can continue using the image forming device by replacing the cartridge or replenishing the consumables from an external device. Compared to the widely used removable cartridge system, a replenishing system that connects a device such as a replenishing pack to the image forming device only when replenishing is advantageous in terms of cost and environmental impact. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a system in which a cylindrical container containing toner is connected to a printer and the toner is replenished from the container to the printer.

[0003] Image forming devices are known that incorporate memory into devices such as cartridges or refill packs and perform advanced control based on information read from the memory. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which data indicating the remaining amount of toner in a toner cartridge is stored in the memory of the cartridge, and when the data indicates a low toner level, the user is prompted to timely order a new cartridge. Patent Document 3 discloses a technology in which a printer reads a random number from the memory of a cartridge inserted into the printer, and enables the supply of toner from the cartridge if authentication based on the random number is successful in a server device. The printer described in Patent Document 1 also performs authentication based on authentication data read from the memory of the containing device, but this authentication is limited to local authentication by a single printer. Patent Document 4 discloses a technology in which image formation operation history information is stored in the memory of a cartridge inserted into the printer, and the conditions of the image formation process are variably controlled based on the history information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 046338 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-090384 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-030667 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-091098 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The local authentication described in Patent Document 1 only enables relatively simple device management based on information already known to the image forming device (e.g., compatibility between the device and the storage device). On the other hand, storing various information such as remaining amount data, random numbers, and operation history in the storage device's memory, as described in Patent Documents 2 to 4, enables advanced control, but increases the cost of the device and the running costs borne by the user. Running costs could be minimized if the device were not equipped with memory and functions such as authentication and control of operating conditions were omitted. However, this could result in disadvantages to the user, such as images not being formed under conditions appropriate for the storage device or the supplied consumables, resulting in reduced image quality.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein seeks to eliminate or mitigate at least one of the above-mentioned disadvantages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect, an image forming system is provided that includes: an image forming apparatus that exists in a user environment and forms an image on a recording medium using a consumable item stored in a storage device; a deterrent mechanism disposed in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus, the deterrent mechanism being capable of deterring the supply of the consumable item from the storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of the storage device into the image forming apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires a code unique to the storage device when the deterrent mechanism is deterring the supply of the consumable item or the insertion of the storage device; a server apparatus that exists in a remote environment and performs authentication of the storage device based on the code acquired by the acquisition unit; a first control unit that exists in the user environment and switches the deterrent mechanism to a state that allows the supply of the consumable item or the insertion of the storage device if the authentication performed by the server apparatus is successful; and a second control unit that exists in the user environment and configures the image forming apparatus with configuration data related to the storage device received from the server apparatus if the authentication performed by the server apparatus is successful. Corresponding methods, an image forming apparatus, and a server apparatus are also provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to a first configuration example. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal physical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first configuration example. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of the configuration of a supply path according to a first configuration example. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the configuration of a storage section and its surroundings according to a first configuration example. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of a schematic configuration of a supply pack according to a first configuration example. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining opening and closing of the discharge tray according to the first configuration example. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a supply pack is connected to a toner receiving portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a deterrent mechanism for locking the operation of the opening and closing mechanism. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to a second configuration example. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the image forming apparatus of FIG. 10 with the front cover open. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the operation of a suppression mechanism of an image forming apparatus according to a second configuration example. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a setting management table that holds setting data. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of the setting management table for holding setting data. [Figure 16]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating a database when registering a device. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of updating a database when a device is delivered. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a schematic processing flow related to device registration. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing some examples of a general process flow related to providing a contained device to a user. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a schematic processing flow when a accommodated device is used based on pre-use authentication. [Figure 23] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of authentication processing executed by the management server. [Figure 24] 10 is a flowchart showing a first example of the flow of a lock control process executed by the image forming apparatus. [Figure 25] 10 is a flowchart showing a second example of the flow of the lock control process executed by the image forming apparatus. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a message that may be displayed on the screen when setting data is reflected in the image forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0010] <1. System Overview> First, an overview of an image forming system will be described using Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an image forming system 1 according to an embodiment. Referring to Fig. 1, the image forming system 1 includes user environments E1a and E1b and a remote environment E2.

[0011] An image forming apparatus 100a is installed in a user environment E1a. In the user environment E1a, a user Ua possesses a user terminal 400a and uses the image forming apparatus 100a. The image forming apparatus 100a and the user terminal 400a are connected to a local network N1a, which may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). The local network N1a is connected to an external network N2, which may be, for example, the Internet or a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

[0012] The image forming apparatus 100a is a replenishment-type image forming apparatus. That is, the image forming apparatus 100a forms an image on a recording medium using toner replenished from a device temporarily connected to the apparatus and stored inside the apparatus. FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a user Ua holding a replenishment pack 200a. When the toner inside the image forming apparatus 100a runs out, the user Ua connects the replenishment pack 200a to the image forming apparatus 100a and replenishes toner from the replenishment pack 200a to the image forming apparatus 100a. The replenishment pack 200a is a type of storage device that stores consumables for image formation.

[0013] An image forming device 100b is installed in a user environment E1b. In the user environment E1b, a user Ub owns a user terminal 400b and uses the image forming device 100b. The image forming device 100b and the user terminal 400b are connected to a local network N1b, which may be, for example, a LAN. The local network N1b is connected to an external network N2.

[0014] Image forming apparatus 100b is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium using consumables housed in a removable cartridge. In the example of FIG. 1, cartridge 200b has already been inserted into image forming apparatus 100b. When cartridge 200b reaches the end of its life, user Ub removes old cartridge 200b from image forming apparatus 100b and inserts new cartridge 200c into image forming apparatus 100b. Cartridges 200b and 200c are a type of storage device that houses consumables for image formation.

[0015] A management server 300 is installed in the remote environment E2. The remote environment E2 is connected to local networks N1a and N1b via an external network N2. Each of the local networks N1a, N1b and the external network N2 may include any number of network devices of any type, such as routers, switches, gateways, wireless access points, and base stations.

[0016] In the following description, the image forming apparatus 100 a When it is not necessary to distinguish between the image forming apparatus 100 and the cartridges 200b, 200c, the alphabet at the end of the reference numeral is omitted, and they are collectively referred to as the image forming apparatus 100. Furthermore, the refill pack 200a and the cartridges 200b, 200c are collectively referred to as the storage device 200. The same applies to the user terminals 400a and 400b (user terminal 400) and other components.

[0017] In this specification, an example will be mainly described in which the image forming apparatuses 100a and 100b are printers (also called laser printers) that form images by electrophotography, but the technology according to the present disclosure can also be applied to other types of printers, such as inkjet printers, etc. Generally speaking, the technology according to the present disclosure can be widely applied to image forming apparatuses in general, such as copiers, printers, facsimile receivers, and multifunction machines, regardless of whether they are monochrome or color.

[0018] The management server 300 is a server device for managing the use of the accommodated devices 200 in the image forming apparatus 100. The management server 300 may be a device for centrally managing the usage status of each image forming apparatus and accommodated device by multiple users. The management server 300 may be implemented as an application server, a database server, or a cloud server using, for example, a high-performance general-purpose computer.

[0019] The functions of the management server 300, which will be described in detail later, may be provided by a single device, or may be provided by multiple physically separate devices working together. Also, some of the databases described as being held by the management server 300 may be held by a device separate from the management server 300 (for example, another database server).

[0020] The user terminal 400 is a terminal device that provides a user with a user interface for supporting the device management function of the management server 300. The user terminal 400 may be a general-purpose terminal device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a PC (Personal Computer), or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The image forming apparatus 100 may also provide a user with a user interface.

[0021] In this embodiment, each storage device 200 is assigned a unique code for uniquely identifying the storage device 200. FIG. 1 shows a code 201a assigned to a refill pack 200a, a code 201b assigned to a cartridge 200b, and a code 201c assigned to a cartridge 200c (collectively referred to as a code 201). The code 201 may be referred to as, for example, a manufacturing number, a serial number, or a device identifier. The code 201 is printed on the surface of each storage device 200 or on the packaging of each storage device 200 in a format that is optically readable by a user or a user terminal 400. Examples of optically readable formats include a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional QR code (registered trademark). The code 201 read by a user or the user terminal 400 is transmitted to the management server 300 and can be used for device management, which will be described later.

[0022] In FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 is configured to operate in two user environments. E 1a, E Although an example including one user environment E1b and one remote environment E2 is shown, the configuration of the image forming system 1 is not limited to this example. For example, any number of user environments and remote environments may exist within the system, and any number of image forming apparatuses may be installed in each user environment.

[0023] <2. Configuration example of image forming device> In this section, two examples of the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 12. As non-limiting examples, the image forming apparatus 100a according to the first configuration example is a replenishment-type monochrome laser printer. The image forming apparatus 100b according to the second configuration example is a cartridge-type color laser printer.

[0024] <2-1. First configuration example> Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of an image forming apparatus 100a according to a first configuration example. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal physical configuration of the image forming apparatus 100a. The image forming apparatus 100a forms an image on a recording medium based on input image data. The recording medium here can include various media made of different materials, such as paper, plastic film, envelopes, sheets, and cloth.

[0025] In the following description, the height direction of the image forming apparatus 100a when the image forming apparatus 100a is installed on a horizontal surface is referred to as the Z direction. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction and parallel to the rotation axis direction (main scanning direction) of the photosensitive drum 44 (described later) is referred to as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction is referred to as the Y direction.

[0026] <2-1-1. Appearance of the device> The housing of the image forming apparatus 100a includes a front cover 20 (see FIG. 3), an exterior cover 21, a rear cover 22, and an output tray 82 (see FIG. 2). A handle 23 is provided on the rear cover 22. The front cover 20 is provided on one side of the image forming apparatus 100a so as to be openable and closable, and protects a processing circuit 90 (described later). The rear cover 22 is provided on the other side of the image forming apparatus 100a so as to be openable and closable. A user can grasp the handle 23 of the rear cover 22 to open the rear cover 22, thereby exposing a portion of the transport path along which the recording medium is transported, and perform maintenance work such as clearing a jam or replacing a unit. FIG. 2(A) shows the rear cover 22 in a closed state, and FIG. 2(B) shows the rear cover 22 in an open state.

[0027] <2-1-2. Internal configuration of the device> Referring to FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 100a includes a paper feed tray 25, a feeding unit 30, an image forming unit 40, a fixing unit 70, a pair of discharge rollers 80, and a processing circuit 90. The feeding unit 30 feeds a recording medium toward the image forming unit 40. The image forming unit 40 forms an image on the recording medium using toner, which is a consumable material. Note that the toner may also be called a developer, and an image formed using the toner may also be called a toner image or a developer image. The fixing unit 70 fixes the image formed by the image forming unit 40 onto the recording medium. The pair of discharge rollers 80 discharges the recording medium processed by the fixing unit 70 to a discharge tray 82.

[0028] The image forming section 40 includes a process unit 41, a scanner unit 42, and a transfer roller 43. The process unit 41 includes a photosensitive drum 44, a developing roller 45, a cleaning unit 46, a charging roller 47, and a storage section 48. The process unit 41 may be fixed to the main body of the image forming apparatus 100a or may be removable.

[0029] The photosensitive drum 44 is an image carrier and has a photosensitive layer formed of an organic photosensitive material on a drum-shaped substrate. The photosensitive drum 44 is rotated in the direction R1 in the figure by a motor. A charging voltage is applied to the charging roller 47 by a high-voltage power supply, and the charging roller 47 is pressed against the photosensitive drum 44, uniformly charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. The scanner unit 42 irradiates the photosensitive drum 44 with laser light in accordance with input image data, exposing the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the input image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. Note that the scanner unit 42 may irradiate the photosensitive drum 44 with light from an LED array instead of laser light.

[0030] The developing roller 45 is rotatably supported by a storage unit 48. The storage unit 48 stores toner. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 48 may further include a supply roller that applies the toner stored in the storage unit 48 to the surface of the developing roller 45. A developing voltage is applied to the developing roller 45 by a high-voltage power supply. When the toner carried by the developing roller 45 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 44, the toner is transferred from the developing roller 45 to the drum surface in accordance with the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. This develops a toner image from the electrostatic latent image.

[0031] The feeding section 30 has a pickup roller 32, a separation roller pair 33, and a conveying roller pair 34. The pickup roller 32 is located above the paper feed tray 25, picks up one recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as a sheet) from a stack of recording media P stacked on the paper feed tray 25, and sends it toward the separation roller pair 33. The separation roller pair 33 separates the sheet from the stack and conveys it toward the conveying roller pair 34. The conveying roller pair 34 conveys the sheet toward a transfer nip between a transfer roller 43 and a photosensitive drum 44. A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 43 from a high-voltage power supply, and the transfer roller 43 transfers the toner image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44 onto the sheet conveyed to the transfer nip.

[0032] The sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported along a transport path and reaches a fixing unit 70. The fixing unit 70 has a heating roller 71, a pressure roller 72, and a fixing heater 73. The heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 heat and pressurize the sheet as it passes through the nip between these rollers. This melts the toner particles and then fixes them, fixing the toner image to the sheet. After passing through the fixing unit 70, the sheet is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 80 from a discharge port 81 to a discharge tray 82. A cleaning unit 46 is disposed near the photosensitive drum 44. The cleaning unit 46 cleans the photosensitive drum 44 by scraping off any toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44.

[0033] The processing circuit 90 includes electronic components 91, 92, 93, and 94 mounted on a substrate. For example, the electronic component 91 may be a processor, the electronic component 92 may be a program memory, the electronic component 93 may be an input / output device, and the electronic component 94 may be a non-volatile data memory. The input / output device may include a communication interface. When a job instructing image formation is input to the image forming apparatus 100a, an image formation operation based on input image data received from, for example, an external computer is initiated. During the image formation operation, as described above, the charging roller 47 performs a charging operation to charge the photosensitive drum 44. The scanner unit 42 performs an exposure operation to expose the photosensitive drum 44 to light and form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 44. The developing roller 45 performs a developing operation to supply toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 44 to develop the toner image. The transfer roller 43 performs a transfer operation to transfer the toner image to a recording medium. The fixing unit 70 performs a fixing operation to fix the toner image to the recording medium by heating the toner image on the recording medium. The processing circuit 90 operates as a controller for controlling such image forming operations.

[0034] <2-1-3. Detailed configuration of the storage unit> Next, a more specific example of the configuration related to the storage unit 48 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a supply path of the image forming apparatus 100a. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of the storage unit 48 and its surroundings. Referring to FIG. 4, the storage unit 48 constitutes a part of the toner supply unit 101. The toner supply unit 101 has the storage unit 48 and a toner receiving unit 110. The toner receiving unit 110 includes a cylindrical member 112, a main body shutter 116, and a connecting member 120. The toner receiving unit 110 further includes a ring member 111, which will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9, but the ring member 111 is omitted in FIG. 4 to illustrate the other components. The internal space of the cylindrical member 112 communicates with the storage unit 48 via a side opening 115 and a hollow connecting member 120. The main body shutter 116 serves as an opening / closing mechanism that can open and close the toner supply path from a supply pack 200a (described later) to the storage unit 48. A protrusion 117 is formed on the inner surface of the main body shutter 116 .

[0035] 5 shows the state in which supply pack 200a is connected to toner receiving section 110, along with a cross section of storage section 48 and its surrounding configuration. Supply pack 200a is temporarily connected to image forming apparatus 100a when toner, which is a consumable material, is supplied to image forming apparatus 100a. When main body shutter 116 is opened, a supply path extending from supply pack 200a to storage section 48 through connecting member 120 is opened. With the supply path open, toner released from supply pack 200a is replenished to storage section 48 through the supply path.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5 , an agitating member 60 having a shaft 60a disposed along the X direction and a blade 60b rotating around the shaft 60a is provided inside the storage unit 48. The blade 60b is driven to rotate by a motor 65. The rotation of the blade 60b agitates the toner in the storage unit 48 and causes it to reach the developing roller 45. The agitating member 60 may have a spiral member instead of the blade 60b. The agitating member 60 may have the role of scraping the toner from the developing roller 45 and circulating the toner within the storage unit 48, thereby homogenizing the toner in the storage unit 48.

[0037] The storage unit 48 is further provided with a remaining amount detection unit 61. The remaining amount detection unit 61 is a sensor for detecting the amount of toner remaining in the storage unit 48. The remaining amount detection unit 61 includes a light emitter 61a and a light receiver 61b. The light emitter 61a emits light that travels through the storage unit 48 along an optical axis Q1. The light receiver 61b is disposed opposite the light emitter 61a and receives the light emitted from the light emitter 61a. Note that if the light is guided by, for example, a light guide tube, the light receiver 61b does not necessarily have to be disposed opposite the light emitter 61a. The light emitter 61a may be, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED, or may be a halogen lamp or fluorescent lamp. The light receiver 61b may be, for example, a phototransistor, a photodiode, or an avalanche photodiode.

[0038] The light receiver 61b outputs a light detection signal having a signal level that depends on the amount of light received. The light detection signal is input to the processing circuit 90 after, for example, analog-to-digital conversion. The processing circuit 90 may estimate the remaining amount of toner based on, for example, the proportion of time during which light from the light emitter 61a is blocked (by toner) relative to a certain time window while the toner is being agitated. The remaining amount of toner may be detected or estimated by any method, without being limited to the above-described exemplary configuration of the remaining amount detection unit 61. For example, the remaining amount of toner may be estimated by subtracting the cumulative amount of toner used since the previous toner replenishment from the total amount of toner used at the time of the previous toner replenishment. The processing circuit 90 may also derive the amount of toner used based on statistical values ​​related to image formation operations, such as the number of recording media consumed by printing or pixel counts.

[0039] <2-1-4. Supply Pack Composition> FIG. 6 shows an example of the schematic configuration of the replenishing pack 200a. In this configuration example, the replenishing pack 200a includes a storage section 211, a nozzle 212, and a pack shutter 214. The storage section 211 may be configured as, for example, a hollow tube or pouch to store toner. The storage section 211 is pre-filled with toner. The storage section 211 may be, for example, a bag made of easily deformable plastic. However, the storage section 211 is not limited to this example, and may be made of any material such as resin, paper, or vinyl, and may have any shape such as a bottle, cylinder, or box.

[0040] The nozzle 212 is an interface with the toner receiving unit 110 of the image forming apparatus 100a. The inside of the nozzle 212 is in communication with the inside of the storage unit 211. An opening 213 for discharging the toner to the outside is formed on the side of the nozzle 212. The opening 213 is normally closed by a pack shutter 214.

[0041] The pack shutter 214 is a cylindrical member concentric with the nozzle 212 and disposed radially outward of the nozzle 212. The pack shutter 214 has an opening 214c. A portion of the edge forming the opening 214c constitutes a drive transmission surface 214b. During toner replenishment, the pack shutter 214 rotates relative to the nozzle 212 so that the opening 213 of the nozzle 212 overlaps with the opening 214c of the pack shutter 214, thereby opening the toner discharge path that was previously blocked by the pack shutter 214. As will be described later, the drive transmission surface 214b is a surface that receives a force that rotates the pack shutter 214. FIG. 6(A) shows a state in which the toner discharge path is blocked, and FIG. 6(B) shows a state in which the toner discharge path is open. A seal member 231 that normally covers the opening 213 of the nozzle 212 may further be disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the pack shutter 214. The seal member 231 prevents toner from leaking from the replenishing pack 200a when toner is not being replenished.

[0042] <2-1-5. Toner Refill> Next, the connection of the supply pack 200a to the toner receiving section 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 7, the discharge tray 82 is configured to be openable and closable around an opening / closing axis disposed on the housing along the X direction. In the example shown in FIG. 7A, the discharge tray 82 is in a closed state, and sheets discharged from the discharge port 81 are discharged onto the discharge tray 82 in this state. In the example shown in FIG. 7B, the discharge tray 82 is in an open state, and in this state, the supply port 114 of the toner receiving section 110 is exposed. That is, in this configuration example, the discharge tray 82 also serves as a shielding member that shields the supply port 114. A user can connect the supply pack 200a to the toner receiving section 110 by lifting and opening the discharge tray 82 as shown in FIG. 7B and inserting the nozzle 212 of the supply pack 200a into the exposed supply port 114 as shown on the left in FIG. 8.

[0043] The right side of Figure 8 shows an enlarged view of the supply pack 200a connected to the toner receiving portion 110. A ring member 111 that surrounds the periphery of the supply port 114 is rotatably supported on the top surface of the cylindrical member 112. The ring member 111 has a lever 111b that is gripped by the user and a protrusion 111d shown by a dotted line in the figure. The protrusion 111d engages with a drive transmission surface 214b of the pack shutter 214 of the supply pack 200a inserted into the toner receiving portion 110. The drive transmission surface 214b also engages with a protrusion 117 (see Figure 4) of the main body shutter 116. When a user operates lever 111b to rotate ring member 111 around the central axis, a force generated in the rotational direction is transmitted from protrusion 111d to drive transmission surface 214b of pack shutter 214, and then from drive transmission surface 214b to protrusion 117 of main body shutter 116. This causes main body shutter 116 and pack shutter 214 of supply pack 200a to rotate in conjunction with ring member 111, and after a rotation of, for example, 90 degrees, the toner supply path can be opened. When the supply path is opened, toner contained in storage portion 211 of supply pack 200a is injected from opening 213 of nozzle 212 into toner receiver 110, passes through connecting member 120, and is supplied to storage portion 48. Note that the rotation of ring member 111 can be restricted by a restricting member (not shown) so that it does not rotate beyond a predetermined upper limit angle.

[0044] Although the above describes an example in which the toner supply path is opened by a rotational force generated by a user operating lever 111b, the closing and opening of the supply path may be performed without relying on user operation. As an example, image forming apparatus 100a may include a pack sensor that detects that supply pack 200a is connected to toner receiving portion 110, and a drive motor that generates a drive force for rotating ring member 111. In this example, processing circuit 90 may operate the drive motor, and rotate ring member 111 with the rotational force of the drive motor to open the supply path, on the condition that the pack sensor detects that supply pack 200a is connected to toner receiving portion 110.

[0045] The opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the supply path is not limited to the mechanism using the rotating shutter described above. Instead of a rotating shutter, a shutter that can move linearly may be used, or a mechanism other than a shutter, such as a valve, may be used. The opening / closing mechanism may be provided in at least one of the storage device such as the supply pack 200a and the image forming apparatus. That is, the supply path from the storage device to the image forming apparatus may always be open on one side of the storage device or the image forming apparatus, and may be opened or closed only on the other side. Alternatively, the supply path may be opened or closed on both the storage device and the image forming apparatus, as in the above example. A sensor may also be provided to detect the user's operation of the opening / closing mechanism or the state (open or closed) of the opening / closing mechanism.

[0046] In this configuration example, the opening / closing mechanism described above is configured so that its operation can be inhibited (and the inhibition can be released) by a inhibiting mechanism described in the next section. The inhibiting mechanism may also be provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus. A leakage prevention member such as a lid or cap to prevent toner leakage may be attached to the supply port 114 of the image forming apparatus 100a or the opening 213 of the supply pack 200a. Such a leakage prevention member may be freely removable by the user at any time.

[0047] <2-1-6. Preventing toner replenishment> The ring member 111 of the image forming apparatus 100a may be locked under normal circumstances so as not to rotate even when a user applies force to it. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a deterrent mechanism for locking the rotation of the ring member 111. FIG. 9 illustrates the toner receiving unit 110 as viewed from inside the apparatus (in the Z direction) so that an example of the internal configuration of the toner receiving unit 110 can be understood in more detail. The toner receiving unit 110 includes, for example, a lock unit 130. The lock unit 130 has a rod-shaped lock member 132 that is supported at one end by a shaft 131 and is rotatable about the shaft 131. The ring member 111 also has a protrusion 111k. Under normal circumstances, the elastic force of a spring (not shown) within the lock unit 130 biases a tip 133 of the lock member 132, on the side opposite the shaft 131, in a direction away from the lock unit 130, thereby positioning the tip 133 on the rotational path of the protrusion 111k of the ring member 111. Therefore, even if the user attempts to rotate the ring member 111 clockwise in the figure (Rc direction in the figure), the tip 133 of the locking member 132 interferes with the protrusion 111k, preventing the ring member 111 from rotating, and the opening / closing mechanism of the supply path is locked in the closed state (see Figure 9(A)).

[0048] The lock unit 130 further includes, for example, a solenoid (not shown) for rotating the lock member 132 in a direction opposite to the elastic force of the spring. The solenoid is temporarily energized during a period when toner replenishment from the replenishment pack 200a to the image forming apparatus 100a is permitted, and the suction force rotates the lock member 132. When the solenoid is energized and the lock member 132 rotates, the tip 133 of the lock member 132 retracts from the rotational path of the protrusion 111k of the ring member 111 (see FIG. 9B). As a result, the user can rotate the ring member 111 clockwise in the figure, which unlocks the opening and closing mechanism of the replenishment path. The locking and unlocking of the opening and closing mechanism can be controlled by the processing circuit 90.

[0049] In the first configuration example, the configuration of the deterrent mechanism that locks and unlocks the opening / closing mechanism is not limited to the above example, and may be any mechanical, electromagnetic, electrical, or software mechanism. For example, the locking member 132 may be driven by a motor or other type of actuator instead of a solenoid. When an opening / closing mechanism that operates under computer control without relying on user operation is employed, locking and unlocking of the opening / closing mechanism may be achieved simply by program code.

[0050] As shown on the right side of FIG. 8, an indicator 125 is provided near the ring member 111. The indicator 125 indicates to the user whether the opening / closing mechanism is in a locked state or an unlocked state. The indicator 125 may be configured, for example, with an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) provided inside the housing and a window that transmits light from the LED. When the indicator 125 shows that the opening / closing mechanism is in an unlocked state, the user can rotate the ring member 111 to open the supply path.

[0051] <2-2. Second configuration example> <2-2-1. Appearance of the device> FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the appearance of an image forming apparatus 100b according to the second configuration example. The housing of the image forming apparatus 100b includes an exterior cover 151 and a front cover 152, and a handle 153 is provided on the front cover 152. For example, the lower edge of the front cover 152 is hingedly connected to the exterior cover 151 at both ends. A user can open the front cover 152 by grasping the handle 153 and pulling it forward. When the front cover 152 is opened, for example, an insertion path for a cartridge 200b into the image forming apparatus 100b is opened. A rear cover (not shown) is provided on the rear side of the housing of the image forming apparatus 100b, opposite the front cover 152. The rear cover may also be openable and closable. For example, a user can open the rear cover to expose the transport path inside the housing and clear a jam that occurs on the transport path.

[0052] FIG. 11 shows the state in which the front cover 152 of the image forming apparatus 100b is open, exposing the insertion path for the cartridge 200b. With the front cover 152 open, a user can remove the old cartridge from the image forming apparatus 100b and insert a new cartridge into the image forming apparatus 100b. In the example of FIG. 11, the cartridge 200b includes process units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K, one for each of the four color components. In other words, the cartridge 200b is a process cartridge. Each process unit of the process cartridge 200b may include, for example, a storage unit containing toner, as well as one or more of an image carrier, a charging member, and a developing member.

[0053] A sensor flag 155 is provided at one end of the upper edge of the front cover 152. An open / close sensor 156 is provided at a position on the housing side corresponding to the position of the sensor flag 155 when the front cover 152 is closed. As an example, the open / close sensor 156 may be a photointerrupter that senses light that may be blocked by the sensor flag 155, and outputs a sensor signal indicating whether the front cover 152 is closed or open to the processing circuit 90 of the image forming apparatus 100b.

[0054] <2-2-2. Preventing cartridge insertion> A pin receiving member 161 is disposed at the other end of the upper side of front cover 152 of image forming apparatus 100b. A lock pin 162 is disposed at a position on the housing side corresponding to the position of pin receiving member 161 when front cover 152 is closed. The pin receiving member 161 and lock pin 162 constitute a lock unit 160.

[0055] FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the rotation axis of the front cover 152 to explain an example of the operation of the lock unit 160. In the example of FIG. 12, the front cover 152 in the closed state is shown by a solid line, and the front cover 152 in the open state is shown by a dashed line. The pin receiving member 161, which moves together with the front cover 152, forms a cavity with one open end for receiving the lock pin 162 together with the inner surface of the front cover 152. The lock pin 162 may be, for example, a rod-shaped member having a diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the cavity formed by the pin receiving member 161. The side surface of the lock pin 162 facing the front cover is inclined so that the width in the short direction of the cross section of the lock pin 162 along the YZ plane gradually narrows toward the bottom end.

[0056] The lock pin 162 normally protrudes in the direction D1 in the figure due to the elastic force of a spring (not shown) or gravity. When the front cover 152 is closed, the lock pin 162 is inserted into the pin receiving member 161, and even if the user pulls the front cover 152 in the Y direction, the lock pin 162 prevents the front cover 152 from rotating. Therefore, the rotation of the front cover 152 is inhibited. Conversely, when the user attempts to close the front cover 152 while the front cover 152 is open, the pin receiving member 161 abuts against the lock pin 162 and pushes its inclined surface upward. This allows the pin receiving member 161 to pass the position of the lock pin 162, allowing the user to close the front cover 152.

[0057] Lock unit 160 further includes, for example, a solenoid (not shown) for retracting lock pin 162 in the direction opposite to direction D1. The solenoid is temporarily energized during the period when cartridge insertion (or cartridge replacement) is permitted. When lock pin 162 is retracted by energizing the solenoid, lock pin 162 does not prevent front cover 152 from rotating, allowing a user to freely open front cover 152 and insert a cartridge into image forming apparatus 100b.

[0058] In the second configuration example, the configuration of the deterrent mechanism for deterring cartridge insertion is not limited to the above example. For example, instead of a mechanism that restricts the opening and closing of a cover, a mechanism that blocks the cartridge insertion path may be used as the deterrent mechanism. For example, the cartridge insertion path may be blocked by a movable shutter or stopper. Such a deterrent mechanism may prevent movement of the cartridge in the insertion direction while always allowing movement of the cartridge in the removal direction. The movable member of the deterrent mechanism (e.g., the lock pin, shutter, or stopper described above) may be driven by a motor or other type of actuator instead of a solenoid. In other words, the deterrent mechanism may be any mechanical, electromagnetic, electrical, or software mechanism. In cases where the cartridge is inserted or removed by computer control without relying on user operation, the locking and unlocking of the deterrent mechanism may be achieved simply by program code.

[0059] In the following description, a state in which the supply of consumables from a storage device (supply pack 200a in the first configuration example) to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of a storage device (cartridge 200b in the second configuration example) into the image forming apparatus is possible is referred to as an unlocked state. Also, a state in which the supply of consumables from a storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of a storage device into the image forming apparatus is restricted and not possible is referred to as a locked state.

[0060] <2-2-3. Internal configuration of the device> The image forming function of the image forming apparatus 100b may be configured similarly to that of the image forming apparatus 100a described above, except that the image forming section has a group of units that form toner images of four color components for color printing. The four color components may be, for example, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). The toner images of the four color components are not transferred directly from the four photosensitive drums to a sheet, but are instead primarily transferred from the four photosensitive drums to an intermediate transfer belt in a sequentially overlapping manner, and then are secondarily transferred together from the intermediate transfer belt to a sheet.

[0061] The image forming apparatus 100b also includes a processing circuit 90, which may include a processor, volatile and nonvolatile memory, input / output devices, and a communication interface. The processing circuit 90 operates as a controller for controlling image forming operations, which may include one or more of a charging operation, an exposure operation, a development operation, a transfer operation, and a fixing operation. The cartridge 200b inserted into the image forming apparatus 100b may have a detection unit that detects the remaining amount of toner, similar to the remaining amount detection unit 61 described with reference to FIG. 5. Additionally or alternatively, the detection unit of the cartridge 200b may detect indicators that affect the degree of wear of components, such as the sensitivity or rotation distance of the photosensitive drum, or the drive time or voltage application time of other components. The processing circuit 90 of the image forming apparatus 100b may estimate the remaining life of the cartridge 200b (also referred to as the remaining cartridge amount) based on the indicator values ​​obtained from the detection unit.

[0062] <3. Management Server Configuration Example> Local authentication of storage devices in individual image forming apparatuses only allows for relatively simple device management based on information already known to the image forming apparatus. Equipping storage devices with memory capable of storing a variety of information would enable more advanced control using information read and written to the memory. However, incorporating memory increases the development and manufacturing costs of the storage devices, which in turn increases the running costs borne by users. In this embodiment, a management server 300 operating in a remote environment is employed to achieve advanced device management and control that takes into account contracts and other factors while avoiding the need to incorporate memory into storage devices. The management server 300 manages or controls the use of each storage device 200 in the image forming apparatus 100 in each user's environment.

[0063] 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 300 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 13, the management server 300 includes a communication interface 301, a memory 302, a management database 303, and a processing circuit 304.

[0064] (1) Communication interface The communication interface (I / F) 301 is an interface (also referred to as a communication unit) through which the management server 300 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication I / F 301 communicates with the image forming device 100 and the user terminal 400 present in the user environment. The communication I / F 301 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.

[0065] (2) Memory The memory 302 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory, such as Read Only Memory (ROM) or Random Access Memory (RAM), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. The memory 302 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 302 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuitry 304 and various data.

[0066] (3) Management database The management database (DB) 303 consists of a group of tables for managing the use of the accommodated devices 200 in one or more image forming apparatuses 100 under the management of the image forming system 1. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13 , the management DB 303 includes an account table 310, an apparatus registration table 320, a delivery device table 330, and a setting management table 340.

[0067] The account table 310 is a table that holds information about the accounts of users who use the refill packs 200a provided by the image forming system 1. The account table 310 may include, for example, one or more of the following information items: "User ID" ·"password" ·"name" ·"email address" ·"address" Contract Type Payment Method The "user ID" is identification information for uniquely identifying each user account. The "password" is used for user authentication when a user logs in to the system. The "name" represents the user name of each account. The user name may be displayed on the screen after login, and may be used as the address when the accommodated device 200 is delivered. The "address" may be used as the address when the accommodated device 200 is delivered. The "email address" may be used when the system sends various notifications to each user via email. The "contract type" represents the type of contract each user has with the business operator that operates the image forming system 1. The provision management unit 360, described later, may determine when the accommodated device 200 should be delivered to each user depending on the user's contract type. The "payment method" is information regarding the means by which the price of the accommodated device 200 provided to each user will be paid.

[0068] The device registration table 320 is a table that holds information about the image forming devices registered as each user's device in the image forming system 1. The device registration table 320 may include, for example, one or more of the following information items: ·"Owner" ·“Device ID” "Device Type" "Registration date" ·"status" ·“Survival” The "owner" indicates the account of the user who owns or manages each image forming device by the "user ID" registered in the account table 310. The "device ID" is identification information for uniquely identifying each image forming device. The pair of the "owner" and the "device ID" indicates the association between each user account and at least one image forming device registered as the device of the user who owns the account. Two or more image forming devices may be associated with one user account. The "device type" indicates the type of each image forming device. The "registration date" indicates the date when the "device ID" of each image forming device was registered in the device registration table 320. The "status" is status information related to verification of whether each image forming device is actually installed in the user environment of the "owner." At the time of initial registration of the "device ID," the "status" indicates "unverified." Once verification is complete, the "status" may change to "verified." The "remaining amount" indicates the latest estimated remaining amount of toner or cartridge in each image forming device. For example, the "remaining amount" may be expressed as a percentage. For cartridge-type image forming apparatus 100b, if the cartridge is not inserted or is removed, the "remaining level" column may be blank.

[0069] The delivery device table 330 is a table that holds information about the storage devices that have been shipped to each user. The delivery device table 330 may include, for example, one or more of the following information items: "Contractor" "Device ID" ·"type" "Shipping date" ·"status" ·“Usage date” The "Contractor" indicates the user account to which each cartridge was provided by the "User ID" registered in the account table 310. The "Device ID" is identification information for uniquely identifying each storage device. A pair of the "Contractor" and the "Device ID" indicates an association between each user account and at least one storage device provided to the user who owns that account. As each user repeatedly uses the image forming device 100, the number of storage devices associated with one user account in the delivery device table 330 increases. The "Type" indicates the type of each storage device or the consumables stored in each storage device. The "Shipped Date" indicates the date each storage device was shipped to the "Contractor." The "Status" is status information regarding the use of each storage device. For example, at the time of shipping, the "Status" indicates "Unused." Once each storage device arrives in the user's environment, is authenticated, and is connected to or used with the device, the "Status" can change to "Used" or "In Use." The "Use Date" indicates the date each storage device was used. Instead of the device registration table 320, the delivery device table 330 may have the data item of "remaining degree" described above.

[0070] The setting management table 340 is a table for storing setting data related to individual storage devices, which should be set in the image forming apparatus when forming an image using consumables in the storage device. As an example, the setting data is stored in association with at least one of the individual storage device and the type of the storage device. As a further example, the setting data may be stored in further association with at least one of the individual storage device and the type of the image forming apparatus.

[0071] FIG. 14 shows two examples of the configuration of the setting management table 340. In the example of FIG. 14(A), the setting management table 340 has data items such as a device ID 341 and first setting item 345-1 to n-th setting item 345-n. The device ID 341 indicates the individual device contained in each record by the "device ID" registered in the delivery device table 330. The first setting item 345-1 to n-th setting item 345-n are data items for storing the values ​​of n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1) operating parameters referenced in the image forming operation. The operating parameters here may include, for example, one or more of a charging voltage, a developing voltage, a transfer voltage, an exposure light amount, a fixing temperature, and a fixing pressure.

[0072] 14(B), the setting management table 340 has data items such as a device type 342 and first setting item 345-1 through n-th setting item 345-n. The device type 342 indicates the type of stored device associated with each record by the "type" registered in the delivery device table 330. The type of stored device may be distinguished by any combination of attributes such as the supply method, amount stored, composition, production lot, manufacturer, and production date of the consumable product.

[0073] 15 shows two further examples of the configuration of the setting management table 340. In the example of FIG. 15(A), the setting management table 340 has data items such as a device ID 341, a device type 343, and first setting item 345-1 through n-th setting item 345-n. In this case, each record in the setting management table 340 is uniquely identified by the combination of the device ID 341 and the device type 343. The device type 343 indicates the type of image forming device associated with each record by the "device type" registered in the device registration table 320. The type of image forming device may be distinguished by any combination of attributes such as the supply method of consumables, model number, manufacturer, and manufacturing date.

[0074] 15(B), the setting management table 340 has data items such as a device type 342, an apparatus type 343, and a first setting item 345-1 to an n-th setting item 345-n. In this case, each record of the setting management table 340 is uniquely identified by a combination of the device type 342 and the apparatus type 343.

[0075] Although not shown, as another example of table configuration, the setting management table 340 may have a "device ID" as a data item indicating the individual image forming device associated with each record, instead of the device type 343 shown in FIG. 15(A) or 15(B).

[0076] Regardless of which of the above-described configuration examples is adopted, the values ​​of each operating parameter are determined based on the results of product testing so that variations in the optimal values ​​resulting from changes in the conditions (manufacturing conditions and environmental conditions) during the manufacturing of the accommodated device are absorbed. Then, before providing each accommodated device to a user, the required records can be registered in the setting management table 340 in advance.

[0077] (4) Processing circuit The processing circuitry 304 may include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and provides various functions of the management server 300 by executing computer programs stored in the memory 302. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 13 , the processing circuitry 304 may function as a data management unit 350, a provision management unit 360, and an authentication unit 370.

[0078] The data management unit 350 manages the registration and updating of data in the management DB 303. The data management unit 350 may display a screen on the user terminal 400 for accepting input of account information to be registered in the account table 310, receive the entered account information via the communication I / F 301, and register the account information in the account table 310. Similarly, the data management unit 350 may display a screen on the user terminal 400 for accepting input of device information about an image forming device owned by each user, receive the entered device information via the communication I / F 301, and register the device information in the device registration table 320. These input screens may be provided in any format, such as a web page, an input form, or an application screen. Typically, the input of device information may be accepted while the user is logged in to the system after successful user authentication using the user ID and password stored in the account table 310.

[0079] For example, the data management unit 350 may perform simple verification of whether the device information registered in the device registration table 320 is actually installed in the user environment of the corresponding user. For example, when a user logs in to the system and enters device information for the image forming device 100 into an input screen, the data management unit 350 presents the user with a message prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on the image forming device 100. The predetermined operation may be, for example, pressing a specific physical button on the image forming device 100 or touching a button on a GUI (Graphical User Interface). The message presented to the user may include content prompting the user to power on the image forming device 100 (in case the image forming device 100 is powered off). When the user performs the operation as prompted on the image forming device 100, the image forming device 100 transmits a device ID identifying the image forming device to the management server 300. The data management unit 350 waits for reception of the device ID from the image forming device 100 until a predetermined period has elapsed since the presentation of the message. If the data management unit 350 receives a device ID identical to the device ID entered by the user from the image forming device 100 before the timeout, the data management unit 350 determines that the image forming device 100 identified by the device ID is actually installed in the user environment. For devices for which verification has not yet been completed, the data management unit 350 sets the value of "status" in the device registration table 320 to "unverified," and for devices for which verification has been completed, the data management unit 350 sets the value of "status" in the device registration table 320 to "verified."

[0080] In this embodiment, data management unit 350 also manages updates to the "remaining amount" value in device registration table 320. For example, data management unit 350 receives remaining amount information from registered image forming device 100, relating to the remaining amount of toner in storage unit 48 of the device or the remaining amount of toner in an inserted cartridge, via communication I / F 301. Then, data management unit 350 updates the "remaining amount" value, which is status information relating to the remaining amount, based on the received remaining amount information.

[0081] The provision management unit 360 manages the provision of the accommodated device 200 to the user of the image forming system 1. For example, the provision management unit 360 monitors the occurrence of a trigger event that triggers the provision of the accommodated device 200 to the user.

[0082] An example of a trigger event may be a purchase of a storage device by a user. For example, when an order for the storage device is accepted on a website that sells products including refill packs and cartridges (i.e., when an individual contract is concluded), the provision management unit 360 may start providing the storage device to the purchaser, that is, the user.

[0083] Another example of a trigger event is the arrival of a provision timing based on a contract with a user. For example, a certain user may have a subscription contract with a business operator to purchase a certain number of accommodated devices periodically (e.g., once a month or once every few months). When it is determined that the time to provide the next accommodated device has arrived for such a user, the provision management unit 360 may start providing the accommodated device to the user.

[0084] Another example of a trigger event may be detection of a decrease in the remaining amount of toner or cartridges in an image forming device 100 registered in the device registration table 320. For example, a user may have an automatic purchasing contract with a business operator under which the user will automatically receive a new storage device when the remaining amount of toner or cartridges in the image forming device 100 he or she owns decreases. In this case, the provision management unit 360 may monitor the "remaining amount" value in the device registration table 320 for the user's registered image forming device 100, and may begin providing the user with a storage device when it is determined that the value falls below a predetermined threshold. Additionally or alternatively, a trigger event for the automatic purchase of a storage device may be detection of the number of operations (e.g., the number of jobs executed or the cumulative number of recording media consumed) of the registered image forming device 100 reaching a threshold. Additionally or alternatively, a trigger event for the automatic purchase of a storage device may be detection of the use of a storage device previously provided to the user. For example, the provision management unit 360 may start providing a new storage device when the value of "status" in the delivery device table 330 for a storage device that has already been provided to a user who has entered into an automatic purchase contract changes from "unused" to "used" or "in use."

[0085] By periodically or automatically providing the user with a new accommodated device 200 in response to the detection of these trigger events, the possibility of the image forming device 100 becoming unusable due to a lack of remaining capacity at a time unexpected by the user can be reduced.

[0086] The provision management unit 360 can determine which of the above-mentioned trigger events to monitor for each user based on the content of the "contract type" in the account table 310. When the provision management unit 360 determines that a trigger event has occurred for a certain user, it allocates a new accommodated device 200 to the user and sends a message to a delivery person instructing the delivery of the allocated accommodated device 200. In addition, the provision management unit 360 adds a new record indicating the user ID of the delivery destination user and the device ID of the allocated accommodated device 200 to the delivery device table 330, and registers the association between the user account and the accommodated device 200 in the management DB 303. The "shipping date" in the delivery device table 330 can be set to the date on which the accommodated device 200 is shipped, and the "status" and "usage date" can be set to "unused" and blank as default values, respectively.

[0087] The authentication unit 370 performs user authentication (e.g., password authentication) when a user logs in to the system, and also performs authentication (hereinafter referred to as pre-use authentication) to authorize use of a contained device 200 that is about to be used in the image forming apparatus 100. The pre-use authentication may include determining whether use of the contained device 200 is permitted (e.g., whether the contained device 200 was provided to the user through a legitimate route). As described with reference to FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, a unique code 201 for uniquely identifying each contained device 200 is assigned to the contained device 200. The code 201 is printed, for example, on each contained device 200 or its packaging in a format readable by a user or a user terminal 400. The authentication unit 370 receives the code of the contained device 200 that is about to be used from a code acquisition unit present in the user environment and performs pre-use authentication based on the received code. How the code of the contained device 200 is acquired in the user environment will be described later with several examples.

[0088] As an example, the code 201 may be equal to the device ID of each of the containing devices 200. In this case, the authentication unit 370 may use the received code as is for pre-use authentication. As another example, the code 201 may be generated by encoding the device ID of each of the containing devices 200. In this case, the authentication unit 370 may use the device ID derived by decoding the code 201 for pre-use authentication.

[0089] The pre-use authentication may include determining whether the accommodated device 200 identified based on the code 201 corresponds to the user account of the logged-in user. For example, the authentication unit 370 checks whether an association between the device ID based on the code 201 and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the delivery device table 330. If this association is registered in the delivery device table 330, the authentication unit 370 may determine that the accommodated device 200 to be used corresponds to the user's user account. In this way, verifying the association between the accommodated device 200 and the user account can prevent an accommodated device 200 obtained without complying with the contract from being used in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0090] Additionally or alternatively, the pre-use authentication may include determining whether the image forming apparatus 100 (hereinafter also referred to as the target apparatus) on which the accommodated device 200 is to be used corresponds to the user account of the logged-in user. For example, the authentication unit 370 presents a message to the user attempting to use the accommodated device 200, prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on the target apparatus. Again, the predetermined operation may be, for example, pressing a specific physical button on the image forming apparatus 100 or touching a button on the GUI. When the user performs the prompted operation on the image forming apparatus 100, the image forming apparatus 100 transmits a device ID identifying the image forming apparatus 100 to the management server 300. The authentication unit 370 waits for reception of the device ID from the image forming apparatus 100 until a predetermined period has elapsed since the presentation of the message. Then, the authentication unit 370 checks whether an association between the device ID received from the image forming apparatus 100 before the timeout and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the device registration table 320. If this association is registered in device registration table 320, authentication unit 370 can determine that the target device corresponds to the user account of the logged-in user. In this way, by making the target device being registered as a user's device a condition for successful authentication, it is possible to promote the registration of device information in the database. Furthermore, by receiving the device ID from image forming device 100, management server 300 can reliably recognize the target device and send subsequent control commands to the target device.

[0091] In response to the predetermined operation, authentication unit 370 may receive the latest remaining amount information together with the device ID from image forming device 100. Then, if the received remaining amount information indicates that the toner or cartridge has sufficient remaining life, authentication unit 370 may refuse to replenish toner from a refill pack or insert a cartridge into image forming device 100. This makes it possible to prevent excessive toner from being replenished into image forming device 100, or to prevent a cartridge in use from being removed and discarded even though it still has sufficient remaining life.

[0092] Additionally or alternatively, the pre-use authentication may include determining whether the containing device 200 identified based on the code 201 is unused based on the value of "status" in the delivery device table 330. For example, the authentication unit 370 may refer to a record in the delivery device table 330 for a device ID based on the code 201, and if the value of "status" is "unused," allow the containing device 200 to be used. On the other hand, if the value of "status" in the referenced record is not "unused," the authentication unit 370 may refuse to use the containing device 200.

[0093] Additionally or alternatively, the pre-use authentication may include determining whether the containing device 200 identified based on the code 201 is a genuine product compatible with the target device. Here, a genuine product refers to a product that meets the terms of a contract concluded between a user and a business. For example, if a regular purchase contract (also called a subscription contract) is concluded, the product provided to the user based on the regular purchase contract may be a genuine product. To determine whether a product is genuine, the device registration table 320 may include the model number of each image forming device as an additional data item, and the delivery device table 330 may include the model number of each device as an additional data item. Furthermore, the management DB 303 may include an additional table that indicates the model numbers of one or more containing devices compatible with each image forming device model number. In this case, the authentication unit 370 may permit use of the containing device 200 only if the target device and the containing device 200 are determined to be compatible with each other based on their respective model numbers.

[0094] As described above, at least one of the contained device 200 and the image forming apparatus 100 includes a deterrent mechanism that can deter the contained device 200 from supplying consumables to the image forming apparatus 100 or the contained device 200 from being inserted into the image forming apparatus 100. In principle, this deterrent mechanism is maintained in a locked state unless the pre-use authentication described above is successful. If the pre-use authentication is successful, the authentication unit 370 transmits a result of successful authentication or an unlock command to the image forming apparatus 100 via the communication I / F 301, thereby causing the image forming apparatus 100 to switch the state of the deterrent mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state. The unlock command for the image forming apparatus 100 may be transmitted directly from the management server 300 to the image forming apparatus 100. Alternatively, the user terminal 400, which receives a result of successful authentication from the management server 300, may transmit the unlock command to the image forming apparatus 100. If the pre-use authentication fails because any of the above conditions is not satisfied, the authentication unit 370 transmits a result of the authentication failure to the image forming apparatus 100 or the user terminal 400 via the communication I / F 301. The authentication unit 370 may display a message indicating the cause of the authentication failure (for example, an inappropriate device, an unregistered device, or a used device) on the screen of either device.

[0095] When the deterrent mechanism is unlocked based on the authentication result, and toner is replenished from the refill pack 200a or the cartridge 200b is inserted, the remaining toner amount or cartridge remaining amount indicated by the remaining amount information of the image forming device 100 increases. As described below, the image forming device 100 detects an increase in the remaining toner amount or cartridge remaining amount and transmits the remaining amount information to the management server 300. The data management unit 350 receives this remaining amount information via the communication I / F 301 and updates the value of the “remaining amount” in the device registration table 320. Furthermore, if the received remaining amount information indicates an increase in the remaining amount, the data management unit 350 changes the “status” of the corresponding record in the delivery device table 330 to “used” or “in use.” This allows the authentication unit 370 to deny reuse of the same contained device 200 based on the status information. Furthermore, the provision management unit 360 can assign a new contained device 200 to a user upon detecting the use of the contained device 200.

[0096] In response to a successful pre-use authentication of the accommodated device 200 or a change in the status of the accommodated device 200, the authentication unit 370 reads out the setting data registered in the setting management table 340 in association with the accommodated device 200. Then, the authentication unit 370 provides the read setting data to the image forming apparatus 100. The setting data may be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 100 together with the unlock command described above, or may be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 100 separately from the unlock command.

[0097] As one example, the setting data provided to the image forming apparatus 100 may be data associated with the device ID of the successfully authenticated contained device 200, and indicating optimal operating parameter values ​​for the individual contained device 200. As another example, the setting data provided to the image forming apparatus 100 may be data associated with the device type of the successfully authenticated contained device 200, and indicating operating parameter values ​​suitable for the type of the contained device 200. By providing such setting data to the target apparatus and having it set up for image formation operations, the target apparatus can form high-quality images without being affected by changes in the conditions at the time of manufacturing the contained device to be used.

[0098] As another example, the setting data provided to the image forming apparatus 100 may be data indicating operational parameter values ​​associated with a combination of the device ID or device type of the successfully authenticated accommodated device 200 and the device ID of the target apparatus. As yet another example, the setting data provided to the image forming apparatus 100 may be data indicating operational parameter values ​​associated with a combination of the device ID or device type of the successfully authenticated accommodated device 200 and the device type of the target apparatus. By providing such setting data to the target apparatus and configuring it for image formation operations, the target apparatus can form higher quality images according to operational parameter values ​​that are suited to the operating characteristics unique to the target apparatus.

[0099] 16 and 17, updating of the contents of the management DB 303 along a typical processing flow will be described below. FIG. 16 shows an example of updating the device registration table 320 when registering a device. The upper part of FIG. 16 shows an account table 310 having a user ID 311 and a name 312 as data items. Other data items in the account table 310 are omitted from the figure. The middle part of FIG. 16 shows the device registration table 320 having an owner 321, a device ID 322, a device type 323, a registration date 324, a status 325, and a remaining life 326 as data items. In the example of FIG. 16, the account of a user identified by a user ID "U01" (hereinafter referred to as user U01) has already been registered in the account table 310. In addition, an image forming device identified by a device ID "D00" has already been registered in the device registration table 320 as user U01's device.

[0100] User U01 installs a new image forming device (hereinafter referred to as device D01) identified by device ID "D01" in the user environment. When user U01 inputs device information for device D01 via an input screen provided by management server 300, management server 300 adds a record for the device information for device D01 to device registration table 320. The owner 321 of the added record indicates "U01," device ID 322 indicates "D01," device type 323 indicates "P2," registration date 324 indicates the date of registration, status 325 indicates "unverified," and remaining degree 326 is blank.

[0101] Furthermore, the user U01 performs an operation for device registration on the newly installed device D01, for example, following a message displayed on the screen. The device D01 pre-stores its own device ID "D01," and transmits device information including this device ID to the management server 300 in response to an operation by the user. If the device ID thus received matches the device ID entered by the user U01, the data management unit 350 changes the value of the status 325 of the record added to the device registration table 320 from "unverified" to "verified," as shown in the lower part of FIG. 16.

[0102] Figure 17 shows an example of updating the delivery device table 330 when a device is delivered. The top section of Figure 17 shows the contents of the account table 310, similar to that of Figure 16. The middle section of Figure 17 shows the delivery device table 330, which has the following data items: contractor 331, device ID 332, type 333, shipping date 334, status 335, and date of use 336. In the example of Figure 17, a storage device identified by device ID "C01" has already been provided to user U01, and the storage device has been authenticated and already been used.

[0103] In response to detecting one of the trigger events described above, the provision management unit 360 newly allocates a storage device identified by device ID "C11" (hereinafter referred to as device C11) to user U01. The provision management unit 360 also adds a record to the delivery device table 330 for managing the status of the allocated device C11. The added record has subscriber 331 set to "U01," device ID 332 set to "C11," type 333 set to "T1," shipping date 334 set to the date of shipping, status 335 set to "unused," and usage date 336 set to blank.

[0104] When authentication by the authentication unit 370 is successful and use of device C11 begins, the target device reports an increase in remaining capacity to the management server 300. Based on this report, the data management unit 350 changes the value of the status 335 of the record added to the delivery device table 330 from "unused" to "used," and adds the date on which the increase in remaining capacity was reported to the use date 336.

[0105] <4. Example of user terminal configuration> 18 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal 400 according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 18, the user terminal 400 includes a communication I / F 411, a memory 412, a camera 413, an input device 414, a display device 415, and a processing circuit 416.

[0106] The communication I / F 411 is an interface through which the user terminal 400 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication I / F 411 communicates with the image forming apparatus 100 present in the user environment and the management server 300 present in a remote environment. The communication I / F 411 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. If the communication I / F 411 is a wireless communication interface, the communication I / F 411 may be, for example, a WLAN interface for communicating with a WLAN access point or a cellular communication interface for communicating with a cellular base station. Although FIG. 18 shows only a single communication I / F 411, the user terminal 400 may include multiple different communication modules for communicating with the image forming apparatus 100 and the management server 300, respectively. Communication between the user terminal 400 and the image forming apparatus 100 may be performed using a communication protocol for connecting peripheral devices, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0107] The memory 412 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory such as ROM or RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. The memory 412 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 412 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuit 416 and various data.

[0108] The camera 413 is a module capable of capturing an image or video of an object. In an embodiment described below, the camera 413 is used to optically read the code 201 unique to the receiving device 200.

[0109] The input device 414 is used as a user interface for accepting operations and information input by a user. The input device 414 may include, for example, one or more of a touch sensor, a keypad, a keyboard, a pointing device, and a microphone. In an embodiment described below, the code 201 unique to the containing device 200 is input by the user via the input device 414.

[0110] The display device 415 is used to display images and information and may be configured with, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode).

[0111] The processing circuitry 416 may include, for example, a CPU, and provides various functions of the user terminal 400 by executing computer programs stored in the memory 412. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 18, the processing circuitry 416 may function as an apparatus control unit 420, a code acquisition unit 430, and an application unit 440. Note that although this specification mainly describes only functions related to managing the use of the accommodated devices 200 in the image forming apparatus 100, the processing circuitry 416 may also provide the user with many other functions that a user terminal typically has.

[0112] The device control unit 420 controls image formation and other operations performed in the image forming apparatus 100. The device control unit 420 may include driver software for the image forming apparatus 100. For example, the device control unit 420 detects one or more devices available to the user terminal 400 present in the user's environment and presents a list of the detected devices to the user on the screen of the display device 415. The device control unit 420 may obtain the status of each device (e.g., power on / off status, remaining capacity information, etc.) and present the obtained status to the user. When the user selects the image forming apparatus 100 and instructs printing, the device control unit 420 transmits a print job including image data of the image to be printed to the image forming apparatus 100 and causes the image forming apparatus 100 to print the image.

[0113] The code acquisition unit 430 acquires the code 201 unique to the storage device 200 that the user intends to use in a state in which the inhibiting mechanism of the image forming apparatus 100 inhibits the supply of consumables from the storage device 200 or the insertion of the storage device 200. As an example, if the code 201 is an optically readable code printed on the storage device 200 or its package (e.g., wrapping or a piece of paper enclosed with the storage device 200), the code acquisition unit 430 may optically read the code 201 using the camera 413. As another example, if the code 201 is a code that can be read manually (e.g., visually), the code acquisition unit 430 may have the user input the code 201 using the input device 414 and acquire the input code 201.

[0114] The application unit 440 may be an application for device management that operates in cooperation with the management server 300. The application unit 440 may be a web browser. For example, the application unit 440 displays an account information input screen on the display device 415 when a new user account is registered or when a change occurs. When account information is entered on the account information input screen, the application unit 440 transmits the received account information to the management server 300 via the communication I / F 411. Furthermore, when the image forming apparatus 100 is installed in the user environment, the application unit 440 displays a device information input screen on the display device 415. When device information is entered on the device information input screen, the application unit 440 transmits the received device information to the management server 300 via the communication I / F 411.

[0115] Furthermore, the application unit 440 may provide a user who wishes to use the accommodated device 200 in the image forming apparatus 100 with a user interface for requesting the management server 300 to execute pre-use authentication. For example, when a button for requesting authentication is operated by the user, the application unit 440 activates the code acquisition unit 430 to acquire a code unique to the accommodated device 200, and transmits the acquired code 201 to the management server 300 via the communication I / F 411. The application unit 440 may transmit the code 201 to the management server 300 as part of a request for permission to use the device. Furthermore, the application unit 440 may transmit the code 201 to the management server 300 as part of a request for unlocking the deterrent mechanism.

[0116] In one embodiment, the application unit 440 may send a transmission request to the image forming apparatus 100 to request that the image forming apparatus 100 transmit a device ID required for pre-use authentication by the management server 300 to the management server 300. In another embodiment, the application unit 440 may cause the display device 415 to display a message prompting the user to perform an operation on the image forming apparatus 100 to transmit the device ID.

[0117] When pre-use authentication is performed by management server 300 based on code 201 unique to accommodated device 200, application unit 440 receives the result of the pre-use authentication from management server 300. If the authentication result indicates success of the pre-use authentication, application unit 440 may cause device control unit 420 to send an unlock command to image forming apparatus 100 to unlock the deterrent mechanism. Note that if the command is sent directly from management server 300 to image forming apparatus 100, user terminal 400 does not need to send the command to image forming apparatus 100.

[0118] The application unit 440 displays the result of the pre-use authentication received from the management server 300 on the display device 415. As an example, if the storage device 200 is a refill pack, when the result of the pre-use authentication indicates successful authentication, the user connects the refill pack to the image forming apparatus 100 and operates the opening / closing mechanism that was blocking the refill path. This opens the refill path, allowing toner to be refilled from the refill pack to the image forming apparatus 100. At this time, the inhibiting mechanism of the image forming apparatus 100 is in an unlocked state, so the user's operation to open the refill path is not hindered. As another example, if the storage device 200 is a cartridge, when the result of the pre-use authentication indicates successful authentication, the user inserts a new cartridge into the image forming apparatus 100 (for example, after opening the front cover and removing the old cartridge as necessary). At this time, the inhibiting mechanism of the image forming apparatus 100 is in an unlocked state, so the cartridge replacement operation is not hindered. If the result of the pre-use authentication indicates authentication failure, the user may retry the pre-use authentication after taking appropriate measures, depending on the cause of the failure that may be displayed on the screen, or may give up using the accommodation device 200 for the time being. At this time, the image forming apparatus 100 keeps the inhibiting mechanism in the locked state.

[0119] <5. Example of functional configuration of image forming device> Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment. Referring to Fig. 19, the image forming apparatus 100 includes a communication I / F 11, a memory 12, a user I / F 13, an image forming unit 40, a suppression target 50, a suppression mechanism 55, a processing circuit 90, and a setting storage unit 95. From a functional standpoint, the processing circuit 90 can mainly function as a print control unit 96 and a lock control unit 97.

[0120] The communication I / F 11 is an interface through which the image forming apparatus 100 communicates with other devices. For example, the communication I / F 11 communicates with a user terminal 400 present in the user environment and a management server 300 present in a remote environment. The communication I / F 11 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. If the communication I / F 11 is a wireless communication interface, the communication I / F 11 may be, for example, a WLAN interface or a cellular communication interface. Note that while FIG. 19 shows only a single communication I / F 11, the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided with multiple different communication modules for communicating with the user terminal 400 and the management server 300, respectively.

[0121] The memory 12 may include any type of storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. The memory 12 may also include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The memory 12 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuit 90 and various data. The memory 12 pre-stores, for example, a device ID (also referred to as device identification information) that uniquely identifies the image forming device 100.

[0122] The user I / F 13 may include an input device for accepting user operations and information input, and a display device for displaying images and information. For example, the user I / F 13 may include one or more of a touch panel, a keypad, a button, a switch, a microphone, and a speaker. The user I / F 13 may be treated as an operation terminal integrated into the image forming apparatus 100. In an embodiment, the user I / F 13 may be used to accept input of a code 201 unique to the accommodation device 200.

[0123] If the image forming apparatus 100 is a refill-type apparatus, the inhibiting object 50 may be, for example, the opening / closing mechanism (including, for example, the ring member 111 and the main body shutter 116) or a part thereof described in relation to the image forming apparatus 100a. In this case, the inhibiting mechanism 55 corresponds to the locking unit 130 described above and can inhibit the supply of toner from the refill pack to the image forming apparatus 100 (for example, inhibit the operation or automatic activation of the opening / closing mechanism). If the image forming apparatus 100 is a cartridge-type apparatus, the inhibiting object 50 may be, for example, the cartridge insertion path described in relation to the image forming apparatus 100b. In this case, the inhibiting mechanism 55 corresponds to the locking unit 160 described above and can inhibit the insertion of a cartridge into the image forming apparatus 100 (for example, block the cartridge insertion path or restrict the movement of the cartridge along the insertion path). Removal of the cartridge from the image forming apparatus 100 may or may not be inhibited.

[0124] The image forming unit 40, under the control of the print control unit 96, consumes consumables in the accommodation device 200 to form an image on a recording medium. The image forming unit 40 is typically composed of multiple components that operate in coordination with each other. Each component of the image forming unit 40 operates according to the value of the corresponding operating parameter included in the setting data stored in the setting storage unit 95.

[0125] The setting storage unit 95 has a memory area for storing setting data related to the storage device 200 authorized for use with the image forming apparatus 100, received from the management server 300. For example, the characteristics (e.g., resistance value) of consumable materials in the storage device 200 are not necessarily uniform across multiple devices and have individual differences. Such individual differences can be inspected and quantified through testing before the device is shipped. The setting data here is determined in advance to absorb the effects of such individual differences on the image forming operation, and is stored in a database accessible by the management server 300. The image forming apparatus 100 can receive such setting data from the management server 300. The setting data can be a set of operating parameter values, such as the charging voltage of the charging roller 47, the developing voltage of the developing roller 45, the transfer voltage of the transfer roller 43, the exposure light amount of the scanner unit 42, and the fixing temperature and fixing pressure of the fixing unit 70.

[0126] At the time of shipment of the image forming apparatus 100, the image forming apparatus 100 may store a developer usable by the image forming unit 40 or may have a usable cartridge already inserted. In this case, the setting storage unit 95 may store initial setting data related to the consumable materials usable at the time of shipment. The initial setting data may be read from the setting storage unit 95 and used by the image forming unit 40 in an image forming operation before pre-use authentication is successful.

[0127] For example, in the setting storage unit 95, the above-described initial setting data may be overwritten in the same storage area by setting data received from the management server 300 after successful pre-use authentication. In this case, the storage area of ​​the setting storage unit 95 only needs to be large enough to store one set of setting data, thereby saving memory resources. Furthermore, in an image formation operation, the same operating parameters are consistently read from the same address in memory, making it easier to implement the image formation operation.

[0128] In one variation, the setting storage unit 95 may have a first storage area for storing setting data received from the management server 300 and a second storage area for storing default setting data that can be used before pre-use authentication is successful. By storing default setting data separately from setting data that becomes available upon successful authentication, it is possible to avoid situations in which image formation is not possible even when consumables are available due to irregular conditions, such as loss of a code or a communication failure. In this variation, when a special user operation (e.g., on the image forming apparatus 100 or the user terminal 400) is detected, the pre-use authentication may be exceptionally omitted and the inhibiting mechanism may be unlocked. Furthermore, a special user operation may be performed to allow the use of an accommodated device that does not support authentication based on a device-specific code. The special user operation may be, for example, a button operation in a predetermined pattern or the entry of a passcode. However, in this case, setting data appropriate for the accommodated device or consumables being used is not provided, and high-quality images may not necessarily be formed.

[0129] The print control unit 96 controls the settings and operation for image formation by the image forming unit 40. For example, if pre-use authentication performed by the management server 300 is successful, the print control unit 96 receives setting data related to the permitted contained device 200 from the management server 300 via the communication I / F 11 and stores the received setting data in the setting storage unit 95. Then, when a print job is accepted, the print control unit 96 controls the image forming unit 40 to form an image on a recording medium based on input image data specified in the print job. At this time, the print control unit 96 reads the setting data stored in the setting storage unit 95 and uses the read setting data to control the image formation operation of the image forming unit 40. This setting data indicates operating parameter values ​​determined so that operating conditions appropriate for each contained device or consumable item are used, and can be updated each time a new contained device is used. Therefore, even if the developer is replenished or the cartridge is replaced, the image forming apparatus 100 can continue to use optimal operating conditions for forming high-quality images.

[0130] The setting data stored in the setting storage unit 95 may indicate a difference value from a predetermined reference value (e.g., an initial value) rather than an absolute value of each operating parameter. In this case, the print control unit 96 uses, for each operating parameter, a value obtained by adding the difference value read from the setting storage unit 95 to the reference value, to control the image forming unit 40. Additionally or alternatively, the setting data may indicate a coefficient value by which the reference value of each operating parameter should be multiplied. In this case, the print control unit 96 uses, for each operating parameter, a value obtained by multiplying the reference value by the coefficient value read from the setting storage unit 95, to control the image forming unit 40.

[0131] The lock control unit 97 controls switching of the restraining mechanism 55 between a locked state and an unlocked state. For example, when a predetermined input signal is detected, the lock control unit 97 transmits the device ID stored in the memory 12 to the management server 300. The device ID transmitted to the management server 300 may be used to verify whether the image forming device 100 identified by the device ID specified by the user for device registration is actually installed in the user's environment. The device ID transmitted to the management server 300 may also be used by the management server 300 to perform pre-use authentication. The lock control unit 97 may transmit the latest remaining amount information to the management server 300 together with the device ID.

[0132] In one embodiment, the input signal that triggers the transmission of the device ID is a received signal (e.g., a transmission request requesting the transmission of the device ID) received from the user terminal 400 via the communication I / F 11. In this case, the lock control unit 97 reads the device ID from the memory 12 in response to receiving the transmission request, and transmits the read device ID to the management server 300. In another embodiment, the input signal that triggers the transmission of the device ID is a user input signal (e.g., an operation signal indicating that a predetermined button has been operated) detected via the user I / F 13. In this case, the lock control unit 97 reads the device ID from the memory 12 in response to detecting the user input signal, and transmits the read device ID to the management server 300.

[0133] After transmitting the device ID to the management server 300 for pre-use authentication, the lock control unit 97 waits for a predetermined standby period to receive an unlock command, which is a control signal based on the result of the pre-use authentication. If the unlock command is received before the standby period expires, the lock control unit 97 transitions the inhibiting mechanism 55 from the locked state to the unlocked state in accordance with the unlock command (for example, by energizing the solenoid described above). In other words, if the pre-use authentication performed by the management server 300 is successful, the lock control unit 97 switches the inhibiting mechanism 55 to a state in which the supply of consumables or the insertion of a storage device 200 is possible.

[0134] If the standby period expires without receiving an unlock command (i.e., if a timeout occurs), the lock control unit 97 ends the standby for the command. For example, the standby for the unlock command may be performed by temporarily opening a specific receiving port of the communication I / F 11. In this way, by only waiting for a control signal from the outside for a limited period triggered by the detection of a predetermined input signal, the risk of unauthorized operation of the image forming apparatus 100 by a malicious third party can be minimized. In addition, the image forming apparatus 100 or the communication I / F 11 can be put into a sleep state during periods other than the standby period to reduce power consumption.

[0135] If an unlock command is received before the expiration of the standby period, the lock control unit 97 may maintain the inhibiting mechanism 55 in an unlocked state for a predetermined unlocked period from the receipt of the command, and transition the inhibiting mechanism 55 to the locked state again after the expiration of the unlocked period.

[0136] The print control unit 96 controls the remaining amount detection unit 61 to detect the remaining amount of toner inside the image forming apparatus 100 or the remaining amount of cartridge, for example, when an image forming operation is performed, when toner is replenished from a supply pack, or when a cartridge is inserted. The remaining amount detection unit 61 reports the detected remaining amount of toner or cartridge to the print control unit 96. The print control unit 96 reports remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount detected in this manner to the management server 300 via the communication I / F 11. The remaining amount report may be sent to the management server 300 via the user terminal 400 instead of being sent directly to the management server 300.

[0137] As described above, the management server 300 can detect an increase in the remaining amount of toner or cartridge based on the remaining amount information, thereby learning that the contained device 200 that has been successfully authenticated before use has been used by a user. Note that instead of the management server 300, the image forming device 100 or the user terminal 400 may determine an increase in the remaining amount and send a notification signal to the management server 300 indicating that the contained device 200 has been used.

[0138] <6. Processing flow> In this section, examples of several processing flows that can be executed in the image forming system 1 according to this embodiment will be described using the sequence diagrams of Figures 20 to 22 and the flowcharts of Figures 23 to 25. In the following description, processing steps will be abbreviated as S (step).

[0139] <6-1. Registering device information> Fig. 20 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a schematic process flow related to device registration. The sequence shown in Fig. 20 mainly involves image forming device 100, management server 300, and user terminal 400. It is assumed that user account information has already been registered in account table 310 of management DB 303 before the sequence starts.

[0140] First, in S11, the user enters a user ID and password into a login screen provided by, for example, the application unit 440 of the user terminal 400. In S12, the application unit 440 transmits the entered user ID and password to the management server 300 for login. In S13, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 300 performs user authentication based on the user ID and password received from the user terminal 400. Here, it is assumed that the user authentication is successful and login to the system is established. The subsequent processing in FIG. 20 is performed while the login session continues.

[0141] At S14, the user inputs device information including the device ID of image forming device 100 installed in the user environment into a device information input screen provided by application unit 440, for example. At S15, application unit 440 transmits a device registration request including the input device information to management server 300. At S16, data management unit 350 registers the device information included in the received device registration request in device registration table 320. At S17, data management unit 350 instructs application unit 440 to display a message prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on image forming device 100, and the message is displayed on display device 415.

[0142] In S21, the user performs a predetermined operation on the user I / F 13 of the image forming apparatus 100. Then, in S22, the lock control unit 97 of the image forming apparatus 100 reads the apparatus ID from the memory 12 and transmits apparatus information including the read apparatus ID to the management server 300. In S23, the data management unit 350 compares the apparatus ID included in the apparatus information received from the image forming apparatus 100 with the apparatus ID registered in the apparatus registration table 320 in S16. If these apparatus IDs match, the data management unit 350 updates the corresponding "status" value in the apparatus registration table 320 to "verified." In S24, the data management unit 350 notifies the application unit 440 of the user terminal 400 of the results of this verification. The application unit 440 displays the notified verification results on the screen.

[0143] <6-2. Providing storage devices> 21 is a sequence diagram showing several examples of a schematic process flow related to the provision of a contained device to a user. The sequence shown in FIG. 21 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 100, the management server 300, and the user terminal 400. The provision management unit 360 of the management server 300 continuously monitors the occurrence of a trigger event that triggers the provision of the contained device 200 to the user. Here, a first example of a trigger event will be a decrease in remaining capacity, a second example will be an order for the contained device 200 by a user, and a third example will be the arrival of the provision timing based on a subscription contract.

[0144] In a first example, in S31, the print control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 100 detects the remaining amount of toner or cartridge inside the apparatus, for example, when an image forming operation is performed. Here, it is assumed that the detected remaining amount is below a remaining amount threshold that triggers the provision of a new contained device 200. In S32, the print control unit 96 reports remaining amount information indicating the detected remaining amount to the management server 300. In S33, the provision management unit 360 of the management server 300 recognizes that the remaining amount of toner or cartridge in the image forming apparatus 100 is low and allocates a new contained device 200 to the user who owns the image forming apparatus 100. Allocating the contained device 200 to the user may include adding a new record to the delivery device table 330 indicating the user ID and a device ID that identifies the contained device 200. In addition, the provision management unit 360 sends a message to a delivery person instructing the delivery of the allocated contained device 200. When the new accommodated device 200 is delivered to the user, the provision management unit 360 transmits a delivery notification to the user terminal 400 in S34.

[0145] In the second example, in S36, the user accesses a website that sells the contained devices 200, for example, using the user terminal 400, and places an order for a new contained device 200. In S37, the user terminal 400 transmits order information indicating, for example, the type and number of the ordered contained devices 200 to the management server 300. In S38, the provision management unit 360 of the management server 300 allocates a specified number of contained devices 200 to the user who is the purchaser in response to receiving the order information. Furthermore, the provision management unit 360 transmits a message to the delivery person instructing the delivery of the allocated contained devices 200. When the contained devices 200 are shipped to the user, the provision management unit 360 transmits a shipping notification to the user terminal 400 in S39.

[0146] In the third example, in S41, the provision management unit 360 determines that the time has come to provide the accommodated device 200 to a user who has concluded a subscription contract. In S42, the provision management unit 360 allocates a new accommodated device 200 to the user for whom the time has come to provide the accommodated device 200. The provision management unit 360 also transmits a message to a delivery person instructing the delivery of the allocated accommodated device 200. When the accommodated device 200 is delivered to the user, the provision management unit 360 transmits a delivery notification to the user terminal 400 in S43.

[0147] <6-3. Use of the storage device based on authentication> Fig. 22 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a schematic process flow when a contained device is used based on pre-use authentication. The sequence shown in Fig. 22 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 100, the management server 300, and the user terminal 400. It is assumed that a new, unused contained device 200 has been delivered to the user environment before the sequence starts.

[0148] First, in S60, the user enters a user ID and password on the login screen. In S61, the application unit 440 of the user terminal 400 transmits the entered user ID and password to the management server 300. In S62, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 300 performs user authentication based on the user ID and password received from the user terminal 400. Here, it is assumed that the user authentication is successful and login to the system is established. The subsequent processing in FIG. 22 is performed while the login session continues.

[0149] In S65, the application unit 440 activates the code acquisition unit 430 in response to an operation by the user. The code acquisition unit 430 acquires the code 201 unique to the accommodated device 200, for example, by optically reading it using the camera 413 or by accepting a user input. Next, in S66, the application unit 440 transmits an unlock request including the code 201 acquired by the code acquisition unit 430 to the management server 300.

[0150] In response to receiving the unlock request, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 300 starts pre-use authentication. S67 is the first stage of pre-use authentication, in which the authentication unit 370 determines whether the accommodated device 200 identified by the code 201 included in the unlock request corresponds to the account of the logged-in user by referring to the delivery device table 330. In this case, since the accommodated device 200 corresponds to the user account, it is assumed that the first stage of authentication is successful. In response to the success of the first stage of authentication, in S68 the authentication unit 370 instructs the application unit 440 to display a message prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on the target device, and the message is displayed on the display device 415.

[0151] In S72, the user performs a predetermined operation on the user I / F 13 of the image forming apparatus 100, which is the target apparatus. In S73, the lock control unit 97 then reads the apparatus ID from the memory 12 and transmits apparatus information including the read apparatus ID to the management server 300. In S74, the second stage of pre-use authentication is performed. Based on the apparatus ID included in the received apparatus information, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the target apparatus corresponds to the user account of the logged-in user by referencing the apparatus registration table 320. Since the image forming apparatus 100 corresponds to the user account, the second stage of authentication is also successful. In S75, the authentication unit 370 notifies the user terminal 400 of the successful authentication result in response to the success of the pre-use authentication. In S76, the authentication unit 370 transmits an unlock command to the image forming apparatus 100 to unlock the deterrent mechanism 55 of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0152] In S77, the lock control unit 97 of the image forming apparatus 100 switches the state of the deterrent mechanism 55 from the locked state to the unlocked state in response to receiving the unlock command from the management server 300. In S78, the user replenishes toner from a new contained device 200 to the image forming apparatus 100, or inserts (or replaces) a new contained device 200 into the image forming apparatus 100. In S79, the print control unit 96 detects the remaining amount of toner or cartridge inside the image forming apparatus 100 and reports the remaining amount information to the management server 300. In S80, in response to receiving the remaining amount information, the data management unit 350 of the management server 300 updates the value of "remaining amount" in the record of the device registration table 320 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 100. In addition, the data management unit 350 changes the "status" of the record of the delivery device table 330 corresponding to the new contained device 200 to "used" or "in use." On the other hand, when a predetermined unlock period has elapsed since the reception of the unlock command, the lock control unit 97 of the image forming apparatus 100 switches the state of the restraining mechanism 55 from the unlock state to the lock state in S81.

[0153] In S82, the authentication unit 370 obtains, from the setting management table 340, setting data associated with the accommodated device 200 that has been successfully authenticated before use, and transmits the obtained setting data to the image forming apparatus 100. The setting data transmitted here may be data associated with the combination of the accommodated device 200 and the image forming apparatus 100 that is the target device. In S83, the print control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 100 updates the settings of the operating conditions of the image forming unit 40 with the setting data received from the management server 300 (stores the setting data in a predetermined storage area of ​​the setting storage unit 95). In S84, the authentication unit 370 notifies the user terminal 400 that the setting data has been updated in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0154] As described above, only the pre-use authentication for the accommodated device 200 in S67 may be performed, and the pre-use authentication for the image forming apparatus 100 in S74 may be omitted. In this case, the user operation in S72 and the transmission of the apparatus information in S73 may also be omitted. However, if the image forming apparatus 100 is powered off, the image forming apparatus 100 cannot receive the unlock command from the management server 300, so the management server 300 may instruct the user to power on the image forming apparatus 100 in S68.

[0155] 22 shows an example in which the code 201 unique to the accommodated device 200 is transmitted from the user terminal 400 to the management server 300, and the device ID of the image forming device 100 is transmitted from the image forming device 100 to the management server 300, but this embodiment is not limited to this example. For example, the code 201 unique to the accommodated device 200 may be transferred from the user terminal 400 that acquired the code 201 to the image forming device 100, and may be relayed to the management server 300 by the image forming device 100 together with the device ID of the image forming device 100.

[0156] <6-4. Authentication process> Fig. 23 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of authentication processing executed by the management server 300. The authentication processing in Fig. 23 corresponds to the processing executed by the authentication unit 370 of the management server 300 in S62 to S76 of Fig. 22. This authentication processing can be realized, for example, by the processing circuit 304 executing a computer program stored in advance in the memory 302 of the management server 300.

[0157] First, in S111, the authentication unit 370 receives the user ID and password entered on the login screen. Next, in S113, the authentication unit 370 executes user authentication based on the received user ID and password. Here, it is assumed that the user authentication is successful, and the processing flow when the user authentication fails will be omitted.

[0158] Next, in S115, the authentication unit 370 receives a code 201 unique to the accommodated device 200 acquired in the user environment. Next, in S117, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the accommodated device 200 identified based on the received code 201 corresponds to the user account of the logged-in user. For example, if an association between the device ID based on the received code 201 and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the delivery device table 330, the accommodated device 200 is determined to be a valid device, and the process proceeds to S121. On the other hand, if an association between the device ID based on the received code 201 and the user ID of the logged-in user is not registered in the delivery device table 330, the process proceeds to S119.

[0159] In S119, the authentication unit 370 determines that the accommodated device 200 is not a proper product provided through a legitimate route, and sends an authentication result notification to the user terminal 400 indicating that use of the accommodated device 200 is not permitted and that pre-use authentication has failed.

[0160] In S121, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the status of the accommodated device 200 identified by the received code 201 is "unused" by referring to the delivery device table 330. If the status is "unused," the process proceeds to S125. On the other hand, if the status is not "unused," the process proceeds to S123.

[0161] In S123, the authentication unit 370 determines that the accommodated device 200 is not unused and therefore does not permit use of the accommodated device 200. In this case, the authentication unit 370 transmits to the user terminal 400 an authentication result notification indicating that use of the accommodated device 200 is not permitted and that the pre-use authentication has failed.

[0162] If the accommodated device 200 identified by the received code 201 is a valid and unused product, in S125 the authentication unit 370 instructs the user to perform a predetermined operation on the target device (for example, by displaying a message on the screen). Next, in S127, the authentication unit 370 receives device information including a device ID from the image forming device 100, which is the target device. Next, in S 12 In step S139, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the target device identified by the received device ID has already been registered (or has already been registered and verified) as a device of the logged-in user. For example, if the association between the received device ID and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the device registration table 320, the target device has already been registered as a device of the logged-in user, and the process proceeds to step S133. On the other hand, if the association between the received device ID and the user ID of the logged-in user is not registered in the device registration table 320, the target device has not been registered as a device of the logged-in user, and the process proceeds to step S131.

[0163] In S131, the authentication unit 370 determines that the target device is not registered as a device of the logged-in user and therefore does not permit use of the accommodated device 200 in the target device. In this case, the authentication unit 370 transmits an authentication result notification to the user terminal 400 indicating that the pre-use authentication has failed due to the device not being registered.

[0164] In S133, the authentication unit 370 determines that the target device is registered as the device of the logged-in user and therefore permits use of the accommodated device 200 in the target device. In this case, the authentication unit 370 transmits an unlock command to switch the inhibiting mechanism 55 of the image forming device 100 to the unlocked state, and transmits an authentication result notification indicating successful authentication to the user terminal 400. Next, in S135, the authentication unit 370 (or the data management unit 350) receives a remaining amount report from the image forming device 100 indicating that the remaining amount of toner or cartridge has increased. Next, in S137, the authentication unit 370 obtains setting data related to the accommodated device 200 (or the combination of the accommodated device 200 and the image forming device 100) from the setting management table 340 and transmits the data to the image forming device 100. Then, the authentication process of FIG. 23 ends.

[0165] As described above, instead of transmitting the setting data to the image forming apparatus 100 in S137, the authentication unit 370 may transmit the setting data to the image forming apparatus 100 together with the unlock command in S133. Furthermore, the authentication unit 370 may transmit a notification to the user terminal 400 indicating that the setting data has been transmitted to the image forming apparatus 100 (or that the settings have been successfully updated in the image forming apparatus 100). When the user terminal 400 learns through this notification that the settings suitable for the accommodated device 200 have been configured in the image forming apparatus 100, the user terminal 400 may display, for example, a message 425 as shown in FIG. 26 on the display device 415. The image forming apparatus 100 may also display a similar message on the screen of the user I / F 13.

[0166] <6-5. Lock control processing> This section describes two examples of the flow of the lock control process executed by image forming apparatus 100. The first example corresponds to the first configuration example of image forming apparatus 100 described above, in which the use of refill pack 200a is controlled in image forming apparatus 100a. The second example corresponds to the second configuration example of image forming apparatus 100 described above, in which the use of cartridge 200b is controlled in image forming apparatus 100b.

[0167] (1) First example Fig. 24 is a flowchart showing a first example of the flow of the lock control process. The lock control process in Fig. 24 corresponds to the process executed by the lock control unit 97 of the image forming apparatus 100a in S72 to S83 of Fig. 22. This lock control process can be realized, for example, by the processing circuitry 90 executing a computer program stored in advance in the memory 12 of the image forming apparatus 100a.

[0168] First, in S211, the lock control unit 97 detects a predetermined input signal. The input signal here may be, for example, an ID transmission request received from the user terminal 400 via the communication I / F 11, or a user input signal detected via the user I / F 13. In S213, in response to the detection of the predetermined input signal, the lock control unit 97 reads out a device ID from the memory 12 and transmits device information including the read device ID to the management server 300. Next, in S215, the lock control unit 97 starts waiting for reception of an unlock command, which is a control signal based on the result of pre-use authentication.

[0169] In S217, the lock control unit 97 determines whether a predetermined standby period has expired, for example, by referring to the value of a timer that starts when standby mode begins. If the standby period has expired, the process proceeds to S243. On the other hand, if the standby period has not expired, the process proceeds to S219.

[0170] In S219, the process branches depending on whether an unlock command has been received from the management server 300. If an unlock command has been received from the management server 300, the process proceeds to S221. If an unlock command has not been received, the process returns to S217.

[0171] In S221, the lock control unit 97 transitions the inhibiting mechanism 55 from the locked state to the unlocked state in accordance with the unlock command received from the management server 300. For example, the lock unit 130 is activated, allowing the user to operate the opening / closing mechanism. Next, in S223, the lock control unit 97 waits until the unlock period expires, for example, using a timer that starts upon transition to the unlocked state. During this time, in S225, the lock control unit 97 monitors the user's operation of the opening / closing mechanism. When the user operates the opening / closing mechanism and the supply path is opened, the process proceeds to S227.

[0172] In S227, the lock control unit 97 sends an operation notification indicating that the supply path has been opened to the management server 300. Also, in S229, the remaining amount detection unit 61 detects the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48. Then, in S231, the print control unit 96 reports the remaining amount of toner detected by the remaining amount detection unit 61 to the management server 300. The detection and reporting of the remaining amount of toner in S229 and S231 may be repeated until it is determined in S233 that the unlock period has expired.

[0173] If it is determined in S223 or S233 that the unlock period has expired, the lock control unit 97 transitions the restraining mechanism 55 from the unlock state to the lock state in S235.

[0174] Next, in S237, the lock control unit 97 waits to receive setting data related to the replenishment pack 200a for which pre-use authentication has been successful. While waiting to receive setting data, the lock control unit 97 determines in S239 whether the standby period has expired, for example by referencing the value of a timer. If the standby period has expired, the process proceeds to S243. If setting data is received from the management server 300 before the expiration of the standby period, the process proceeds to S241. Note that the waiting for setting data here may start after a message indicating that replenishment has been successful (for example, the management server 300 has recognized an increase in the amount of remaining toner and updated the status of the replenishment pack 200a) is received from the management server 300.

[0175] In S241, the lock control unit 97 passes the setting data received from the management server 300 to the print control unit 96. The print control unit 96 stores the received setting data in the setting storage unit 95. Next, in S243, the lock control unit 97 ends waiting for signals and data. Then, the lock control process in FIG. 24 ends.

[0176] In this way, when the toner supply from the supply pack 200a is completed and the setting data stored in the setting memory unit 95 is updated, each component of the image forming unit 40 will operate according to the operating parameters suitable for the new toner when a subsequent print job is executed.

[0177] (2) Second example Fig. 25 is a flowchart showing a second example of the flow of the lock control process. The lock control process in Fig. 25 corresponds to the process executed by the lock control unit 97 of the image forming apparatus 100b in S72 to S83 of Fig. 22. This lock control process can be realized, for example, by the processing circuitry 90 executing a computer program stored in advance in the memory 12 of the image forming apparatus 100b.

[0178] The processing steps S211 to S219 related to sending device information and waiting for an unlock command may be similar to the first example of Fig. 24, and therefore will not be described again here. When an unlock command is received from the management server 300 in S219, the processing proceeds to S222.

[0179] In S222, the lock control unit 97 transitions the inhibiting mechanism 55 from the locked state to the unlocked state in accordance with the unlock command received from the management server 300. For example, the lock unit 160 is activated, allowing the user to access the cartridge insertion path. Next, in S223, the lock control unit 97 waits until the unlock period expires, for example, using a timer that starts upon transition to the unlocked state. During this time, in S226, the lock control unit 97 monitors whether the user has removed an existing cartridge or inserted a new cartridge. When the user has inserted a new cartridge, the process proceeds to S230.

[0180] In S230, the remaining amount of the cartridge inserted into the image forming device 100b is detected. Then, in S232, the print control unit 96 reports the detected remaining amount of the cartridge to the management server 300. Thereafter, in S236, the lock control unit 97 transitions the inhibiting mechanism 55 from the unlocked state to the locked state.

[0181] Next, in S237, the lock control unit 97 waits to receive setting data related to the cartridge that has been successfully authenticated before use. While waiting to receive setting data, the lock control unit 97 determines in S239 whether the standby period has expired, for example by referencing the value of a timer, and if the standby period has expired, the process proceeds to S243. If setting data is received from the management server 300 before the standby period expires, the process proceeds to S241.

[0182] In S241, the lock control unit 97 passes the setting data received from the management server 300 to the print control unit 96. The print control unit 96 stores the received setting data in the setting storage unit 95. Next, in S243, the lock control unit 97 ends waiting for signals and data. Then, the lock control process in FIG. 25 ends.

[0183] In this way, once the insertion of a new cartridge into image forming device 100b is completed and the setting data is updated, when a job is subsequently executed, each component of image forming unit 40 will operate according to operating parameters appropriate for the new cartridge and the consumable materials contained therein.

[0184] <7. Summary> Various embodiments, examples, and modifications of the technology according to the present disclosure have been described above using FIGS. 1 to 26 . According to the above-described embodiments, a deterrent mechanism capable of deterring the supply of consumables from a storage device to an image forming apparatus or the insertion of a storage device into an image forming apparatus is provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus. A unique code for the storage device to be used is acquired by a terminal in the user's environment, and the acquired code is transmitted to a server device in a remote environment. The server device performs authentication to permit use of the storage device in the image forming apparatus based on the code. If the authentication is successful, the deterrent mechanism switches to a state allowing the supply of consumables or the insertion of the storage device, and setting data related to the storage device is provided from the server device and set in the image forming apparatus. Therefore, under circumstances where the use of the storage device is confirmed to be legitimate, setting data appropriate for the storage device or the supplied consumables can be set for image formation in the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, since the storage device does not need to be equipped with a large-capacity or high-performance memory, the manufacturing cost of the storage device can be reduced, thereby also reducing the running costs borne by the user. In addition, the use of the accommodated device and the provision of setting data can be permitted or denied by taking into account conditions that are difficult to determine by the image forming device alone, such as the correspondence between the accommodated device and the user account, or the correspondence between the target device and the user account.

[0185] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the setting data related to the storage device is data associated with at least one of the identity and type of the storage device. Therefore, by providing such setting data from the server device, even if conditions that affect the characteristics of the device or consumables change during the manufacturing process of the storage device, the image forming apparatus can perform optimal image formation operations regardless of such changes. As an example, the setting data related to the storage device may also be data associated with at least one of the identity and type of the image forming apparatus. In this case, optimal operating parameters for the combination of the storage device and the image forming apparatus being used are set in the image forming apparatus, allowing for higher-quality printed images to be provided to the user. By preventing the use of storage devices that have failed authentication and providing appropriate setting data, it is possible to reduce the risk of malfunction and extend the product's lifespan.

[0186] According to the above-described embodiment, the code unique to the device is an optically readable code printed on the device or its packaging, or a code manually readable by a user. Therefore, the user can easily obtain the code and request authentication using a UI or a camera provided on a user terminal or an operation terminal of the image forming apparatus before physically connecting or inserting the device.

[0187] 1, the user uses the user terminal 400 that is separate from the image forming apparatus 100, but the functions of the user terminal 400 described above may be integrated into the image forming apparatus 100. That is, an operation terminal additionally provided in the image forming apparatus 100 may provide a code acquisition function similar to that of the code acquisition unit 430 of the user terminal 400 described above and a UI function similar to that of the application unit 440.

[0188] The embodiments, examples, and variants described herein may be combined with each other in any manner, and the features and advantages described in connection with one example may be applied to any embodiment, example, and variant unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0189] <8. Other embodiments> The above-described embodiment can also be realized in the form of a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program, or by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0190] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 1: image forming system, 100, 100a, 100b: image forming device, 11: communication interface (communication unit), 13: user interface, 40: image forming unit, 50: inhibition target, 55: inhibition mechanism, 96: print control unit (second control unit), 97: lock control unit (first control unit), 200, 200a, 200b, 200c: storage device (supply pack / cartridge), 201, 201a, 201b, 201c: code, 300: management server (server device), 301: communication interface (communication unit), 303: management DB (database), 370: authentication unit, 400: user terminal, 420: device control unit, 430: code acquisition unit, E1a, E1b: user environment, E2: remote environment

Claims

1. an image forming device that exists in a user environment and forms an image on a recording medium using consumables in a storage device; a restricting mechanism provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus, which is capable of restricting the supply of the consumables from the storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of the storage device into the image forming apparatus; an acquisition unit that acquires a code unique to the storage device while the inhibiting mechanism inhibits the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the storage device; a server device that exists in a remote environment and performs authentication for the accommodated device based on the code acquired by the acquisition unit; a first control unit that exists in the user environment and that switches the inhibiting mechanism to a state that allows the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the containing device when the authentication performed by the server device is successful; a second control unit that exists in the user environment and that, when the authentication performed by the server device is successful, sets, in the image forming device, setting data related to the accommodated device received from the server device; An image forming system comprising:

2. the image forming apparatus, a storage unit that stores the setting data related to the accommodated device received from the server device; The imaging system of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The storage unit includes a first storage area for storing the setting data related to the accommodated device received from the server device; a second storage area for storing default setting data that can be used before the authentication is successful; The imaging system of claim 2 , further comprising:

4. 3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the memory unit has a memory area that stores initial setting data at the time of shipment of the image forming device, and the memory area is overwritten with the setting data related to the accommodated device received from the server device.

5. 5. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the setting data related to the storage device is data associated with at least one of the individual storage device and the type of the storage device.

6. The image forming system according to claim 5 , wherein the setting data related to the accommodation device is data further associated with at least one of the identity of the image forming device and the type of the image forming device.

7. The server device receives user account information; The authentication performed by the server device includes determining whether the containing device identified by the code has a correspondence relationship with the account indicated by the account information. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The image forming system includes: a database indicating an association between each account and at least one containing device provided to the user having the account; further comprising The server device determines that the containing device has a correspondence relationship with the account when the containing device identified by the code is associated with the account indicated by the account information in the database. The image forming system according to claim 7 .

9. the image forming apparatus, device identification information for identifying the image forming device is stored in advance, transmitting the device identification information to the server device when a predetermined input signal is detected; The authentication performed by the server device further includes determining whether the image forming device identified by the device identification information has a correspondence relationship with the account. The image forming system according to claim 8 .

10. the database further indicates an association between each account and at least one image forming device registered as a device of a user having the account; the server device determines that the image forming device has a correspondence relationship with the account when the image forming device identified by the device identification information in the database is associated with the account indicated by the account information; The image forming system according to claim 9 .

11. 11. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the storage device is a device that is temporarily connected to the image forming apparatus when the consumable product is supplied to the image forming apparatus.

12. 11. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the containing device is a cartridge that is inserted into the image forming apparatus.

13. the image forming apparatus, a charging operation for charging the image carrier; an exposure operation of exposing the image carrier to light to form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier; a developing operation of supplying a developer to the electrostatic latent image to develop a developer image; a transfer operation of transferring the developer image onto the recording medium; and a fixing operation of fixing the developer image on the recording medium by heating the developer image on the recording medium; and forming an image on the recording medium by performing one or more of the following operations:

13. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the setting data includes at least one operation parameter used in the one or more operations.

14. The image forming system according to claim 13 , wherein the containing device is a process cartridge including a member that performs at least one of the one or more operations.

15. the code is an optically readable code printed on the receiving device or on the packaging of the receiving device; The acquisition unit acquires the code by optically reading the code. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. 15. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the code input by a user via a user interface.

17. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a user terminal equipped with the acquisition unit and a communication unit that transmits the code acquired by the acquisition unit to the server device.

18. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the image forming device comprises the acquisition unit, a communication unit that transmits the code acquired by the acquisition unit to the server device, and one or both of the first control unit and the second control unit.

19. 1. A method for managing the use of consumables in a storage device in an image forming apparatus, comprising: a restricting mechanism is provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus, the restricting mechanism being capable of restricting the supply of the consumables from the storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of the storage device into the image forming apparatus; The image forming device is present in a user environment, The method comprises: While the inhibiting mechanism inhibits the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the storage device, acquiring a code unique to the storage device by an acquiring means present in the user environment; transmitting the acquired code from the acquisition means to a server device located in a remote environment; performing authentication of the accommodated device based on the received code by the server device; When the authentication performed by the server device is successful, the image forming device switches the inhibiting mechanism to a state in which the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the storage device is permitted; If the authentication performed by the server device is successful, transmitting setting data related to the accommodated device from the server device to the image forming device and causing the image forming device to store the setting data; A method comprising:

20. An image forming apparatus installed in a user environment, an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium using consumable materials in the storage device; a storage unit that stores setting data used for image formation by the image forming unit; a processing circuit that controls a suppression mechanism that can suppress the supply of the consumables from the storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of the storage device into the image forming apparatus; a communication interface for communicating with a server device in a remote environment; Equipped with The processing circuitry While the inhibiting mechanism inhibits the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the storage device, acquiring a code unique to the storage device and transmitting the acquired code to the server device via the communication interface; If the authentication of the accommodated device performed by the server device based on the transmitted code is successful, Switching the inhibiting mechanism to a state in which the supply of the consumable material or the insertion of the storage device is possible; storing setting data related to the accommodated device received from the server device via the communication interface in the storage unit; Image forming device.

21. A server device for managing the use of consumables in a storage device in an image forming apparatus, At least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus includes a suppression mechanism capable of suppressing the supply of the consumables from the storage device to the image forming apparatus or the insertion of the storage device into the image forming apparatus; the image forming device exists in a user environment, and the server device exists in a remote environment; the server device includes a communication interface and a processing circuit; The processing circuitry receiving a code unique to the storage device from a device present in the user environment via the communication interface while the inhibiting mechanism is inhibiting the supply of the consumable product or the insertion of the storage device; performing authentication of the containing device based on the received code; If the authentication of the containing device is successful, causing the image forming apparatus to switch the state of the inhibiting mechanism to a state in which the supply of the consumable material or the insertion of the containing device is possible; transmitting setting data related to the accommodation device to the image forming apparatus via the communication interface; Server device.

Images