Image forming apparatus equipped with a wireless control unit

Abstract

To solve such a problem that it may be difficult for an operator who is at a position apart from an image formation apparatus to visually recognize a patrol lamp depending on an installation state of the image formation apparatus in the image formation apparatus which can be operated via wireless communication by a wireless operation unit.SOLUTION: A light emission unit which indicates that jam is occurring in an image formation apparatus is provided in a wireless operation unit in addition to a patrol lamp.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that can be operated by wireless communication using an operation unit.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the commercial printing industry, digital printing technologies using electrophotographic technologies such as on-demand printing (or print-on-demand, POD, etc.) have become common. In on-demand printing, an operator checks input data provided by a customer on a client PC and sets an image forming apparatus, outputs printed materials, and delivers them according to the delivery date required by the customer. As business support in the work process of an operator outputting printed materials, there is a known technology that can check the status of each image forming apparatus (printing progress, remaining paper amount, remaining toner amount, etc.) using a printer driver application of a client PC or the like (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] On the other hand, some image forming apparatuses are provided with means for displaying the status such as a pat lamp in order to notify an operator of the status of the apparatus such as paper jam, paper out, toner out, etc. (see Patent Document 2). Generally, a pat lamp has a plurality of lighting parts, and each lighting part lights up in a different color. For example, in the case of a pat lamp having three lighting parts, the upper stage lights up red to notify an error, the middle stage lights up yellow to notify a warning, and the lower stage lights up green to notify that image formation based on an input job is in progress.

[0004] When the pat lamp of the image forming apparatus lights up yellow (warning), an operator checks the status of the image forming apparatus from a printer driver application or checks it on the operation unit of the image forming apparatus in order to check the content of the warning. After the operator checks the warning content, if the remaining paper amount is low, the operator goes to the paper tray to fetch replenishing paper and replenishes the paper.

[0005] Thus, operators are responsible for operating the equipment based on the status notifications from the warning lights, and for meeting the customer's requirements for print quality and delivery time. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the risk of problems such as missing status notifications and delaying paper replenishment. To minimize this risk, there are proposals to increase the flexibility of the installation of the status notification device and improve its usability. (See Patent Document 3) This design features a wireless configuration where the status notification device is separate from the printer itself. This increases installation flexibility, allowing the device to be placed in a location where status notifications can be easily checked. The physical fixed installation of the status notification device has been a constraint on business operations, and this is an example where eliminating physical placement constraints is proposed as a direction for technological advancement. Furthermore, device configurations that allow operation via mobile devices are also becoming common use cases that free users from physical constraints, enabling operation regardless of location.

[0006] Thus, in the commercial printing industry, there is a demand for on-demand printing equipment equipped with functions and mechanisms to support the work of operators, and this has become one of the differentiating factors for equipment providers. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-235755 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-131812 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-34310 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] For example, medium-sized and larger commercial printing service providers operate multiple image forming machines. These machines are often over 10 meters long, and various design considerations are made to their placement depending on the floor structure. Even if an image forming machine has a warning light, the operator may not always be in a position to see the warning light of the machine they are operating. Other image forming machines may obstruct the view, making it difficult to see the warning light of their own machine, or pillars or other obstructions on the floor may make it difficult to see.

[0009] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to improve the reliability of abnormality notification to the operator by providing abnormality notification not only by a warning light but also by an operation unit at a location away from the image forming apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The image forming system according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on paper, the image forming apparatus having a warning light unit that lights up according to the state of the image forming apparatus, and a wireless operation unit that is connected to the image forming apparatus by wireless communication and operated by a user, the wireless operation unit having a light-emitting part that emits light, A control unit that controls the illumination of the warning light unit and the illumination of the light-emitting part, Equipped with, The control unit further includes a timing means for timing the flashing period of the warning light unit, and the control unit controls the flashing period of the light-emitting unit according to the timing means. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the reliability of anomaly notification to the operator can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] An example of a system configuration for a status notification system that notifies the status of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the configuration of an image forming apparatus for a status notification system. [Figure 3] A diagram showing the configuration of a police light. [Figure 4]Schematic block diagram of an image forming apparatus provided with a status notification system. [Figure 5] Schematic block diagram of a client PC. [Figure 6] Diagram showing the configuration of a wireless operation unit. [Figure 7] Diagram showing the external appearance of the wireless operation unit. [Figure 8] Diagram showing the charging communication IF of the wireless operation unit and the installation state of the wireless operation unit. [Figure 9] Sequence diagram showing the communication sequence among the client PC, the image forming apparatus, and the wireless operation unit. [Figure 10] An example of a screen of the Patrump management application. [Figure 11] An example of a screen of the Patrump management application. [Figure 12] An example of the lighting of the status notification LED of the wireless operation unit and the LCD display. [Figure 13] Flowchart showing the processing flow of the client PC. [Figure 14] Flowchart showing the processing flow of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 15] Flowchart showing the operation flow of the wireless operation unit.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, first, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings together with the operation at the time of image formation. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described below are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those, unless otherwise specifically described. For example, the image forming apparatus described in the present embodiment means an apparatus including not only a multifunction printer or an on-demand printer using an electrophotographic method but also an apparatus using an inkjet method.

[0014] FIG. 1 is an example of a system configuration of a status notification system that notifies the status of an on-demand printer (image forming apparatus) in the present embodiment.

[0015] The status notification system for notifying the status of the image forming apparatus in this embodiment consists of multiple image forming apparatuses 10, 11, and 12, a client PC 20, and a wireless operation unit 150, and is wirelessly connected via LAN 30 and WIFI access point 40.

[0016] Image forming apparatuses 10, 11, and 12 are image forming apparatuses that process various image input data and produce printed output.

[0017] LAN30 is a local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) that connects multiple image forming machines 10, 11, and 12 and client PCs 20. The Wi-Fi access point 40 functions as a wireless relay terminal to communicate wirelessly with the wireless control unit 150 and devices connected to LAN30. Note that the wireless control unit 150 referred to here means a dedicated terminal for operating the image forming machine, and does not refer to electronic devices such as smartphones or tablet devices whose primary purpose is to operate the image forming machine. The wireless control unit 150 and the image forming machine are not limited to being connected via a wireless LAN router, but can also be connected by a direct communication method that does not involve a wireless LAN router, such as Wi-Fi Direct communication. Adopting a direct communication method has the advantage of improving security and reducing capital investment in equipment such as the installation of communication equipment.

[0018] The printer driver controlled by the client PC 20 operated by the operator creates a print job for printing and sends it to one of the image forming apparatuses 10, 11, or 12. The image forming apparatuses 10, 11, and 12 analyze the print job received from the client PC 20 and print the image onto paper.

[0019] Furthermore, by using printer drivers and applications running on client PC 20, operators can check the progress of print jobs in image forming apparatuses 10, 11, and 12, as well as the remaining amounts of paper, toner, etc.

[0020] The client PC 20 or the image forming apparatus 10, 11, or 12 is equipped with a charging and communication interface unit 180 for charging the battery of the wireless control unit 150 and for wired communication connection.

[0021] A key feature of the status notification system of the present invention is that, when a change in the status of the image forming apparatus 10, 11, or 12 occurs, the wireless operation unit 150 is equipped with a notification LLED (Figure) that lights up in conjunction with the illumination of the warning light 900 shown in Figure 2. The warning light is a tower-type lamp and is screw-fastened to the outer cover of the image forming apparatus. The operator can remove the warning light from the outer cover by unscrewing it. In other words, the warning light in this embodiment is a warning light unit that can be attached to and removed from the image forming apparatus. The warning light unit may also be sold as an optional device. That is, after purchasing the image forming apparatus, the user can purchase and install the warning light as an add-on unit.

[0022] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 equipped with a status notification system in this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 10 in this embodiment forms an image on paper based on image data transmitted from a document reader 100 connected to the main unit or from a host device such as a PC.

[0023] The image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment is a four-tandem type image forming apparatus 10. The first, second, third, and fourth image forming units PY, PM, PC, and PK each form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black images on an intermediate transfer belt 509, which is an intermediate transfer body. As the intermediate transfer belt 509 moves in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2 and passes through each image forming unit PY to PK, the images of each color from each image forming unit PY to PK are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 509. A recorded image is then obtained by transferring the superimposed multi-layer toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 509 to a printing medium.

[0024] In the following embodiments, the configurations of each image forming unit PY, PM, PC, and PK are substantially identical except for the difference in development color. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, the subscripts Y, M, C, and K, which were used to indicate that an element belongs to one of the image forming units PY to PK, will be omitted, and the element will be described collectively as "image forming unit P."

[0025] The document transport device 110 transports documents placed on the document tray 111 one by one, starting from the first page, and transports them to the document glass 114 via a curved path. There are two methods for scanning single-sided documents. The first method is a fixed document scanning mode in which the document is scanned by transporting the trailing edge of the document to the scanning position R1 on the document glass 114 and stopping there, then moving the scanner unit 121 from left to right. The second method is a transported document scanning mode in which the document is transported to the scanning position R1 at a constant scanning speed, and the document is scanned while the scanner unit 121 is fixed at the scanning position R1. The two methods for scanning single-sided documents described above discharge the scanned documents into the output tray 112. For scanning double-sided documents, the scanner unit 121 scans the front side, and the optical unit 113 located inside the document transport device 110 scans the back side. The optical unit 113 contains an image sensor and a light source, etc., which are not shown. The image of the original document read by the image sensor 123 via the lens 122 is processed and sent to the exposure control unit 503 of the printer unit 500 via the controller unit 300.

[0026] The image forming unit P has a photosensitive drum 501 which is a drum-shaped photoreceptor that carries an electrostatic latent image according to the image information. A charging roller 502 which serves as a charging device, an exposure device 503 which consists of a laser exposure optical system, a developing device 504, a primary transfer member 505, and a cleaning device 506 are provided on the outer circumference of the photosensitive drum 501. Toner of each color is supplied from a toner cartridge 507 to the developing device 504. An intermediate transfer belt 509 is wrapped around multiple rollers and rotates in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2. A primary transfer member 505 is positioned opposite each photosensitive drum 501 via the intermediate transfer belt 509. A secondary transfer member 510 is provided opposite one of the rollers around which the intermediate transfer belt 509 is wrapped.

[0027] During image formation, the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 501 is first uniformly charged by the charging roller 502. Next, the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 501 is scanned and exposed by the exposure device 503 according to the image information signal, thereby forming an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 501. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 501 is then revealed as a toner image using the developing device 504 with toner from the developer.

[0028] The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 501 is first transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 509 at the primary transfer nip N1 where the intermediate transfer belt 509 and the photosensitive drum 501 come into contact, by the action of the primary transfer bias voltage applied to the primary transfer member 505. For example, when forming a four-color full-color image, toner images are transferred sequentially from each photosensitive drum 501 to the intermediate transfer belt 509, starting from the image forming unit PY, and a multi-layer toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 509 in which the four toner images are superimposed.

[0029] Any toner or other deposits remaining on the photosensitive drum 501 after the primary transfer process are collected by the cleaning device 507. This prepares the photosensitive drum 501 for the next image forming process. In addition, any toner or other deposits remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 509 after the secondary transfer process are removed by the intermediate transfer body cleaner 508.

[0030] The developing device 504 also detects the remaining toner amount using the piezoelectric sensor S1. The piezoelectric sensor S1 periodically notifies the device control unit 400 of the remaining toner amount. Meanwhile, the printing paper contained in the feed cassettes 511 and 512 is transported by transport rollers to the secondary transfer nip, where the intermediate transfer belt 509 and the secondary transfer member 510 come into contact, in synchronization with the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 509. The multi-layered toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 509 is then transferred onto the printing paper at the secondary transfer nip N2 by the action of the secondary transfer bias voltage applied to the secondary transfer member 509.

[0031] Subsequently, the paper separated from the intermediate transfer belt 509 is transported to the fuser unit 520. The toner image transferred to the printing paper is heated and pressurized by the fuser unit 520, melting and mixing it, and then fixed onto the printing paper. After that, the printing paper is discharged to the inserter unit 600 by the transport rollers.

[0032] Furthermore, paper feed cassettes 511 and 512 detect the remaining amount of paper using sensors 521 and 522, respectively. Sensors 521 and 522 periodically notify the device control unit 400 of the remaining paper amount. The inserter unit 600 inserts color printed output materials as covers or interleavings during binding. The stacker unit 700 stores the printed output materials. When stacker tray 711 is full, output is sent to stacker tray 712. Fullness of stacker tray 711 is detected by sensor 721. Similarly, when stacker tray 712 is full, sensor 722 detects this.

[0033] The manuscript paper fed into the finisher 800 is processed by the operator using the control unit 200, including cutting, binding, hole punching, and folding, before being ejected. The manuscript paper set in the inserter unit 600 is sent to the stacker unit 700 and ejected to the output tray according to the aforementioned paper path.

[0034] The warning light 900 is a warning light used to notify the operator of the status of the image forming apparatus 10, such as a warning light. The warning light 900 has multiple illuminated parts. For example, in a configuration with three illuminated parts, the first illuminated part lights up red when an error occurs, such as a paper jam or when the toner or paper runs out. The second illuminated part lights up green when normal printing is in operation. The third illuminated part lights up yellow as a warning when the toner or paper levels are low.

[0035] Figure 3 shows the configuration of the warning light 900 in this embodiment. The warning light 900 in this embodiment has five lighting units. Each lighting unit has built-in LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905. The warning light 900 can light up and flash LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 simultaneously, and it is also possible to light up and flash each LED 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 individually.

[0036] Furthermore, LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 of the Patrol Lamp 900 can light up in multiple colors. The number of segments in each segment can also be changed. Here, "lighting section" refers to the combination of an LED (an example of a light source) and the cover surrounding it. The cover is transparent and allows light emitted from the LED to pass through. To give the lighting section color, the light source itself can be colored, or the cover can be colored. By coloring the cover, even if the light emitted from the light source is white light, the light that passes through the cover will appear to have color. JIS standards are used to define color. For example, when representing "red" using the L*a*b color space, colors within ±10% of the standardized "red" in terms of lightness, hue, and saturation are defined as "red." Other colors such as yellow and green are defined similarly.

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 10 equipped with a status notification system according to this embodiment. The image forming apparatus 10 consists of an image reading unit 100, an operation unit 200, a controller unit 300, a device control unit 400, a printer unit 500, an inserter unit 600, a stacker unit 700, a paper output tray unit 800, and a warning light 900.

[0038] The controller unit 300 is connected to the image reading unit 100, the operation unit 200, the device control unit 400, and the warning light 900. The controller unit 300 includes a CPU 311, RAM 312, ROM 313, LAN controller 314, LAN I / F (an example of a receiving unit) 315, power control unit 316, image processing unit 317, HDD 318, and general-purpose I / F 319. Although the LAN I / F 315 is given as an example of a receiving unit, the LAN I / F 315 does not only have the function of receiving signals from the wireless operation unit 150. For example, it also has the function of transmitting signals from the LAN I / F 315 to the wireless operation unit 150.

[0039] When the operator powers on the image forming apparatus 10, the CPU 311 receives power from the power control unit 316, reads boot data from the ROM 313, and loads application data from the HDD 318 into the RAM 312 to start up. During the startup of the image forming apparatus 10, the CPU 311 controls the LED control unit 910 via the general-purpose I / F unit 319 to make the warning light 900 blink green according to the startup progress. For example, when the startup progress is 50%, if the warning light 900 has a 5-stage configuration, the progress of one stage will be 20%, and LEDs 904 and 905 will light up green, and LED 903 will blink green. When startup is complete, the CPU 311 controls the LED control unit 910 via the general-purpose I / F unit 319 to light up all LEDs 901 to 905 of the warning light 900.

[0040] The operator creates a print job from the customer's submitted data and sends it from the client PC 20 to the image forming apparatus 10. The submitted data is received via the LAN I / F 315 and LAN controller 314 of the image forming apparatus 10. The received submitted data is temporarily stored in the HDD 318 via RAM 312 by the CPU 311, and after image processing is performed by the image processing unit 317, the printer unit 500 performs the printing process via the system bus. At this time, the warning light 900 blinks green according to the progress of printing, just as it did at startup.

[0041] The device control unit 400 is connected to the controller unit 300, the printer unit 500, the inserter unit 600, the stacker unit 700, and the output tray unit 800. The device control unit 400 notifies the controller unit 300 of errors and warnings such as paper jams and paper shortages from the printer unit 500, the inserter unit 600, the stacker unit, and the output tray unit 800.

[0042] The printer unit 500 is connected to the controller unit 300 via a system bus to receive video data. The printer unit 500 is also connected to the device control unit 400 and notifies the device control unit 400 when it detects a paper jam, toner depletion, or remaining paper quantity.

[0043] The inserter unit 600 notifies the device control unit if it detects a paper jam or the remaining amount of paper to be inserted. The stacker unit 700 notifies the device control unit if it detects a paper jam or if stackers 711 and 712 are full. The output tray unit 800 notifies the device control unit if it detects a paper jam or if the output tray is full. In this way, the printer unit 500, inserter unit 600, stacker unit 700, and output tray unit 800 each function as detection means for detecting a paper jam and determination means for determining whether or not a paper jam has been detected. These units are a type of element that constitutes the transport path. In other words, the detection means provided in the transport path detect the state of the paper, such as its orientation and position, in the transport path and determine whether or not a paper jam has occurred. In this way, each detection means determines whether or not a paper jam has occurred based on the detection state when it detects the paper.

[0044] The patrol lamp 900 consists of an LED control unit 910 and LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905. The LED control unit 910 is connected to the controller unit 300 via a general-purpose I / F 319 such as USB. Each of the LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 is capable of emitting light in three RGB colors and is connected to the LED control unit 910 by separate control lines for each RGB color.

[0045] The LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 in accordance with the light color instructions and the on / off / flashing instructions from the controller unit 300. When flashing, the flashing cycle can be controlled using a real-time clock or other timing means provided in the LED control unit to synchronize the flashing interval and timing.

[0046] Furthermore, the controller unit 300 can connect to a wireless LAN access point 40 via the LAN 30, enabling it to receive operation inputs and send and receive information necessary to update the display on the operation screen. Information necessary for LED lighting control, which is notified by the warning light 900, can also be sent to the wireless control unit 150.

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the client PC 20. The CPU 21 is the CPU unit that controls the entire client PC 20. The RAM 22 is the RAM unit used by the CPU 21 to store temporary data when executing applications, etc. The ROM 23 is the ROM unit that stores the boot program executed by the CPU unit 201.

[0048] LAN-I / F24 is a network interface unit that handles low-layer level connections with LAN30. HDD26 is an HDD unit that stores system software and application configuration data necessary for the client PC20 to operate.

[0049] The power control unit 27 is a power control unit that controls the power supplied to each block within the client PC 20. The operation unit 28 is an operation unit that includes buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), etc.

[0050] The operator of this system uses the control unit 28 to check the display output from the client PC 20 using the LCD and to input data to the client PC 20 using buttons, a keyboard, and a mouse, thereby operating the client PC 20.

[0051] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the wireless control unit 150. The wireless control unit 150 includes a charging input unit 41 and a battery 42, an operation panel power switch 44, and a power control unit 43, with the CPU 46 of the control unit 45 performing power control. It also includes a touch panel 52 that accepts user input, and a touch panel controller 51 determines the operator's input coordinates and notifies the CPU 46. The wireless control unit 150 further includes an operation sound generation unit 53 that generates sound in accordance with the operator's operations, a status display unit 54 that controls and notifies the operator of the status of the on-demand printing device, and a display unit 51. The display unit 51 displays image data, for example, an LCD. Each of these units is connected to the CPU 46 via an interface.

[0052] The control unit 45 of the wireless control unit 150 is equipped with a CPU 46, RAM 48, and ROM 49, and controls the operation of each part of the wireless control unit 150 based on the program stored in the ROM 49. The RAM 48 is for storing temporary data and other information associated with the execution of the program by the CPU 46.

[0053] ROM 49 stores the startup program and various settings for the wireless control unit, as well as data necessary for control when the unit returns from power-saving mode. Specifically, this necessary data includes a list of connectable on-demand printing devices and data to be output to the display unit 51. RAM 48 is used for storing temporary data such as image data received from the image forming apparatus 1 and displayed on the display unit 51. NIC (Network Interface Controller) 47 controls communication when wirelessly communicating with the image forming apparatus (10, 11, 12) or when connecting to the Wi-Fi access point 40. NIC 47 is also an example of a transmitter that sends signals to the receiver of the image forming apparatus. Details of the connection will be explained later. The CPU 46 switches between outputting images generated by the wireless control unit 150 or outputting image data received via NIC 47 for output to the display unit 51. The CPU 46 may receive and switch the output image, or an external selector for the output image may be provided to switch it.

[0054] The wireless control unit 150 has multiple power modes, and the CPU 46 performs control to reduce power consumption. If there is no input to the wireless control unit 150 for a certain period of time, or if the user instructs the system to switch to power-saving mode, the CPU 46 makes a decision and stops the image output to the display unit 51 and the power supply to the LCD. Alternatively, pressing the operation panel power switch 44 may also be interpreted as an instruction to switch to power-saving mode. In that case, it is necessary to distinguish between a power-off instruction and an instruction to switch to power-saving mode based on the duration the operation panel power switch 44 is pressed. For example, a power-off instruction can be determined if the duration is 5 seconds or more, and an instruction to switch to power-saving mode can be determined if the duration is 5 seconds or less. At that time, if it is a power-off instruction, a confirmation of power-off may be displayed on the display unit 51. The method of switching communication with the image forming apparatus 1 when the CPU 46 switches to power-saving mode will be explained in detail later. When user input is detected, the CPU 46, or directly, sends a signal to the power control unit 43 to return the image forming apparatus from power-saving mode to normal power mode. User input includes, for example, input from the touch panel 52 or pressing the operation panel power switch 44. Unlike the power switch 44 on the control panel, which is used to switch to power-saving mode and the power-off command, the CPU 46 detects when the power switch 44 is pressed and switches to normal operation mode. If the power switch 44 on the control panel is pressed for a certain period of time, such as 5 seconds, even after switching to normal operation mode, the CPU 46 starts the power-off process or displays a power-off confirmation message on the display unit 51. When the CPU 46 detects the operator's input and switches to normal operation mode, it outputs an image stored in the ROM 49 or the like to the display unit 51. The display of the image will be explained in detail later, but it displays a list of on-demand printing devices that can be connected to the wireless control unit 150. The CPU 46 then determines the on-demand printing device selected by the user from the coordinates input from the touch panel 52 and sends an instruction to the target on-demand printing device via the NIC 47 to return from power-saving mode to normal mode.

[0055] The wireless control unit 150 includes status notification LEDs (LEDs 151-159) for representing multiple status notifications and an LED control unit 56 for controlling these LEDs. The status notification LEDs are an example of light-emitting units. The status display control unit 54, based on instructions from the CPU 46, instructs the LED control unit 56 on the color of the light emitted and controls on, blinking, and off. When blinking, the blinking period can be controlled by timing means such as a real-time clock provided in the LED control unit, and the blinking timing can be synchronized.

[0056] Figure 7 shows an example of the external appearance of the wireless operation unit 150 that constitutes the status notification system in this embodiment.

[0057] Figure 7(A) shows the front-side components of the wireless control unit 150. It is equipped with an LCD screen 173 consisting of a touch panel 52 and a display unit 51, which allow touch operation for necessary operations such as setting the functions of the on-demand printing device 150 and issuing print commands. In addition to icons placed on the home screen for issuing print commands, the LCD screen 173 can provide the operator with information such as a battery status display icon 170 that shows the battery level and charging status of the wireless control unit, a communication type icon 171, and an identification ID 174 of the on-demand printing device it is communicating with. The wireless control unit 150 is equipped with a power button 44 for power operation, and power on, shutdown, and transition to power-saving mode can be controlled by selecting the duration of pressing this button (e.g., long press). In power-saving mode, only the backlight of the LCD screen 173 can be turned off. In addition, LEDs (151-159) are provided as means of providing information other than the LCD screen 173. The on-demand printing devices (10, 11, 12) are equipped with the same number of status notification LEDs (151-155) capable of displaying the same color scheme as the warning lights 900. These LEDs 151-155 are examples of the first to fifth light-emitting units. For example, the first light-emitting unit illuminates in response to the illumination of the first light-emitting unit of the warning light 900, and the second light-emitting unit illuminates in response to the illumination of the second light-emitting unit of the warning light 900. The device also includes an LED 156 indicating the status of the main power supply, an LED 157 notifying an error state, an LED 158 notifying function execution or memory access status, and a battery level notification LED 159. When the LCD screen 173 is not displayed, such as in a power-saving state, the status can be determined by these LED status notification means.

[0058] Here, for example, the "Print" icon is an example of an execution icon. When the "Print" icon is touched by the operator, an execution signal is sent from the wireless control unit 150 to the image forming apparatus. The execution signal is a signal that causes the printer unit 500 to perform a print operation, that is, to cause the image forming unit to perform image forming. The start of image forming here refers to, for example, the start of rotation of the photosensitive drum, the start of driving of the polygon motor, or the start of rotation of the intermediate transfer belt.

[0059] Figure 7(B) shows the components on the back of the wireless control unit 150. The status notification LEDs (151-159) are positioned so that they can be seen from the back as well. This is an example of considering the placement of the notification LEDs so that status notifications of the image forming apparatus are not missed regardless of the orientation of the wireless control unit. Other embodiments are also acceptable as long as the arrangement ensures that the status notification LEDs are not in a blind spot when viewed from the operator.

[0060] Figure 8(A) shows a charging and communication interface unit 180 that serves as both a charging interface for the wireless control unit 150 and a wired communication interface. It is equipped with a communication interface 181 for connecting to on-demand printing devices (10, 11, 12). For example, it is an interface compliant with a standard that combines power supply and communication, such as USB-TypeC. It is also equipped with a connector 183 for connecting the wireless control unit 150 and the charging and communication interface unit. In addition, it is equipped with an LED 182 that indicates the communication connection and charging status.

[0061] When the wireless control unit 150 is connected via this power receiving communication interface, power supply and charging control are performed according to the remaining charge of the battery 42. Furthermore, the communication path with the on-demand printing devices (10, 11, 12) can be switched to a wired connection. This switching of communication connection means and the setting changes can be performed on the (not shown) control panel screen of the wireless control unit 150.

[0062] Figure 8(B) shows the state when connected to the charging and communication IF unit. The power supply status can be recognized by the status of icon 170, which indicates the power supply status to the wireless operation unit 150. In the illustration, it shows the charging status of the battery. In addition, the wired and wireless connection types can be recognized by icon 171, which can identify the communication method. In the illustration, it shows a wired connection.

[0063] Figure 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating the communication procedure from the startup of the status notification system in this embodiment to the control of the warning light illumination for status notification of the on-demand printing device. Figure 9 shows the communication process and its sequence between the client PC 20, the image forming apparatus 10, and the wireless operation unit 150. The client PC 20 performs the following processing for multiple connectable image forming apparatuses at startup.

[0064] In S601, the client PC 20 is started and the warning light management application is started. First, the power control unit 27 detects that the power switch (not shown) has been turned ON by the operator and supplies power to each block in the client PC 20. Next, when power is supplied from the power control unit 27, the CPU 21 reads the boot data from ROM 23, loads the warning light management application data from HDD 26 into RAM 22, and starts the application. As a result, the client PC 20 starts up and the warning light management application starts.

[0065] In S602, the image forming apparatus 10 is started up. Specifically, when the power control unit 316 detects that the operator has turned on a power switch (not shown), it supplies power to each block within the image forming apparatus 10.

[0066] Next, when power is turned on by the power control unit 316, the CPU 311 reads boot data from the ROM 313, loads the data for the application that controls each block in the image forming apparatus 10 from the HDD 318 into the RAM 312, and starts up.

[0067] In S603, the wireless control unit 150 is started up. Specifically, first, when the power control unit 43 detects that the power switch 172 has been turned ON by the operator, it supplies power to each block within the wireless control unit 150.

[0068] Next, when power is supplied to the CPU 46 from the power supply control unit 43, it reads the boot data from the ROM 49, loads the data for the application that controls each block in the wireless control unit 150 into the RAM 48, and starts up the application.

[0069] In S604, the CPU 21 of client PC 20 reads the model configuration information and IP addresses of multiple registered image forming machines 10, 11, and 12 from the data of the warning light management application running in RAM 22.

[0070] Next, CPU21 checks, via LAN-IF24 and LAN30, whether the image forming machines 10, 11, and 12 that were read are running, in standby mode, and connected to the network, using their IP addresses.

[0071] In S604, the CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 first receives a connection confirmation inquiry from the client PC 20 via LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314.

[0072] Subsequently, the CPU 311 sends a connection confirmation response to the client PC 20 via LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314 to notify the image forming apparatus 10 that it has finished starting up and to provide connection information with the wireless control unit 150 (step S607).

[0073] The wireless control unit 150 performs a connection check by having the CPU 46 read the IP address information of the connected image forming apparatus from the RAM 48 via the NIC 47 (step S605). Next, the CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 sends a connection check response to the wireless control unit (step S606).

[0074] In S608, the CPU 21 of the client PC 20 transmits the settings for turning on the warning lights to the image forming apparatus 10 via LAN-IF24 and LAN30, based on the settings received by the warning light management application shown in Figure 10.

[0075] In S608, the CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 receives the lighting settings from the client PC 20 via LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314, and records them in RAM 312 or HDD 318.

[0076] After confirming its connection with the on-demand printing device 10, the wireless control unit 150 loads the warning light illumination setting information recorded by the on-demand printing device 10 and records it in its RAM 48 or ROM 49. When the image forming apparatus 10 detects a state change notified by the CPU 311 as the state of the printer, it reads the warning light illumination setting from RAM 312 or HDD 318 and sends a warning light illumination setting instruction to the LED control unit 910 of the warning light 900 via the general-purpose I / F 319. Upon receiving the warning light illumination setting instruction, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received illumination setting instruction (step S610).

[0077] The CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 notifies the client PC 20 of the lighting status of the warning light as instructed to the LED control unit 910 in response to the warning light lighting setting instruction from the client PC 20 (step S612).

[0078] In step S611, the CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 notifies the wireless control unit of the status of the illuminated warning light, which it has instructed the LED control unit 910 to do (step 611). The wireless control unit 150 lights up the status notification LEDs (151, 152, 153, 154, 155) based on the content of the notification of the warning light status received by the CPU 46 from the on-demand printing device and the warning light lighting settings loaded from the on-demand printing device 10 (step S613).

[0079] Figure 9 shows an example of an operation sequence illustrating the features of the status notification system of the present invention. Setting information for the status LEDs on the wireless control unit to light up in conjunction with the status notification LEDs of the on-demand printing devices 10, 11, and 12 is transmitted between the devices constituting the system. Furthermore, it is sufficient if the on-demand printing devices are configured to control the lighting of these LEDs according to their status. The example shown is not limited to the illustration. For example, the warning light management application on the client PC side may be configured to be launched by the wireless control unit 150 and capable of issuing warning light setting instructions.

[0080] Figure 10 shows an example of the screen of the warning light management application running on client PC 20. Figure 10(A) is the display screen 70 of the warning light management application.

[0081] Display area 71 is the registered equipment display area, where information such as the model number and IP address of image forming machines registered as targets to be managed by the patrol lamp management application is displayed.

[0082] Display area 72 is an area that displays the illumination status of the warning lights notified in step S612 of Figure 9 from the image forming apparatus that is registered as a managed device in the warning light management application.

[0083] The patrol lamp illumination status display area 72 is divided into five sections, corresponding from top to bottom to LEDs 901 to 905 of the status display unit 900. For example, if the illumination status of the patrol lamp notified by S612 is that LED 901 is lit green and LED 905 is blinking red, the top section of the patrol lamp illumination status display area 72 will be lit green, corresponding to LED 901, and the bottom section will be blinking red, corresponding to LED 905. 73 is a batch illumination setting area for setting illumination settings and display content for all image forming machines registered as managed devices in the patrol lamp management application at once.

[0084] Display area 74 is a lighting setting area where the operator can select whether to turn on, blink, or turn off the warning lights of image forming machines registered as managed devices in the warning light management application. By selecting one of the following options from the lighting setting area, the operator can instruct the registered image forming machine's warning light to turn on, blink, or turn off.

[0085] Display area 75 is a display setting area where you can select whether to display the status, job progress, toner level, or paper level for the warning lights of image forming machines registered as managed items in the warning light management application.

[0086] By selecting one of the following from the display settings area—"Status Display," "Job Progress," "Toner Level," or "Paper Level"—the operator can instruct the registered image forming machine's warning light to display either the status, job progress, toner level, or paper level.

[0087] When "Status Display" is selected, the warning light illuminates the LED as shown in Figure 11(A) below to indicate the operating status of the connected image forming machine.

[0088] When "Job Progress" is selected, the warning light illuminates an LED as shown in Figure 11(B) below, visually indicating the progress of the job being executed by the connected image forming machine.

[0089] When "Toner Level" is selected, the warning light illuminates an LED as shown in Figure 11(C) below, visually displaying the toner level of the connected image forming machine.

[0090] When "Paper remaining" is selected, the warning light illuminates an LED as shown in Figure 11(D) below, visually displaying the paper remaining status of the connected image forming machine.

[0091] Figure 10(B) shows area 76, which is an individual lighting setting area for setting individual lighting settings and display content for image forming devices registered in the patrol lamp management application.

[0092] The batch lighting setting area 72 in Figure 10(A) and the individual lighting setting area 76 in Figure 10(B) can be switched using tabs, allowing the operator to choose whether to perform batch lighting settings or individual lighting settings.

[0093] When the operator sets the lighting settings for all registered image forming machines at once in the batch lighting setting area 72, the client PC 20 sends a batch lighting setting instruction to all image forming machines 10, 11, and 12. Furthermore, when the operator sets the lighting settings for registered image forming machines individually in the individual lighting setting area 76, the client PC 20 sends individual lighting setting instructions only to the image forming machines for which settings were made.

[0094] Figure 10(C) shows the control unit setting area 77 for configuring the control unit to link the wireless control unit connected to the image forming apparatus registered in the warning light management application with the control of the warning light illumination. The control unit setting area 77 allows the user to select whether or not to illuminate the LED of the wireless control unit in conjunction with the warning light of the on-demand printing device. It also includes an external control unit linkage area 79 and an LCD sleep setting area 80 for configuring power saving settings for the wireless control unit. In the LCD sleep setting area, the user can select whether or not to display notification content on the LCD screen when the warning light illuminates. If "Warning light linked LCD display" is selected, the notification content can be displayed along with the LED illumination when a status notification for illuminating the warning light is issued. An example of the warning light linked LCD display screen is shown in Figure 12. The warning light of the on-demand printing device 10 illuminates as a status notification that "the cyan toner level is below 10%", and in conjunction with this illumination, the status notification LED 151 of the wireless control unit 150 illuminates, and the status notification content is displayed as a message on the LCD screen 402. This "warning light-linked LCD display" 77 is ideally kept off under normal circumstances to conserve power in the battery-powered wireless control unit. However, it can be selected as an additional feature to the LED-based notification method, allowing the LCD display to be activated as needed.

[0095] Here, using Figure 11, we will explain a specific example of when the patrol light is turned on when instructed to do so on the screen of the patrol light management application.

[0096] Figure 11(A) is an example of the "Status Display" described in the display setting area 75 of Figure 10. The "Status Display" shows the operating status of the image forming apparatus by lighting up a green LED when the image forming apparatus is operating normally, lighting up a yellow LED when there is a warning such as low toner or paper levels, and lighting up a red LED when there is an error.

[0097] Figure 11(B) shows an example of the "job progress display" described in display setting area 75 of Figure 10. For example, if the job progress is 20% complete, only LED 901 will light up in white, and the other LEDs will be off. If the job progress is 80% complete, LEDs 901, 902, 903, and 904 will light up in white, and LED 905 will be off. In this way, the job progress display visually shows the job progress of the image forming apparatus by illuminating LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 according to the progress of the job being printed by the image forming apparatus.

[0098] Figure 11(C) shows an example of the "toner level display" described in display setting area 75 of Figure 10. For example, if the toner level for only the Cyan color is below 20%, as shown in Figure 11(C), LED 901 will light up in Cyan color, LEDs 902 to 903 will turn off, and LED 905 will light up in white to indicate that the Cyan toner level is 20%.

[0099] For example, if the toner level for only one color, Magenta, is below 20%, then, as shown in Figure 11(C), LED901 will light up in Magenta color, LEDs 902 to 903 will turn off, and LED905 will light up in white to indicate that the Magenta toner level is 20%.

[0100] Furthermore, if the toner levels for both Cyan and Magenta are simultaneously below 20%, the LED indicating that the Cyan toner level is below 20% will be lit, and the LED indicating that the Magenta toner level is below 20% will be blinked at 1-second intervals, thereby indicating that the toner levels for both Cyan and Magenta are simultaneously below 20%.

[0101] In this way, the toner level indicator allows for a visual display of the toner level of the image forming apparatus by illuminating LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 according to the remaining toner level of the image forming apparatus.

[0102] Figure 11(D) shows an example of the "Paper Remaining Amount Display" described in display setting area 75 of Figure 10. For example, if the remaining amount of paper used in a job is 20% or less, as shown in Figure 11(D), LED 901 will light up in white, LEDs 902 to 903 will turn off, and LED 905 will light up in white. In this way, the paper remaining amount display visually shows the remaining amount of paper in the image forming apparatus by illuminating LEDs 901, 902, 903, 904, and 905 according to the amount of paper remaining in the image forming apparatus.

[0103] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing a series of processes on the client PC 20 side, from when the operator operates the client PC 20 to launch the warning light management application shown in Figure 10, to receiving the setting for the warning light to illuminate, notifying the image forming apparatus, and then terminating the warning light management application.

[0104] On S901, the CPU 21 of client PC 20 reads the model configuration information and IP addresses of multiple registered image forming machines 10, 11, and 12 from the data of the warning light management application (Figure 10) which is deployed and running in RAM 22.

[0105] Furthermore, CPU 21, via LAN-IF 24 and LAN 30, checks whether the image forming machines 10, 11, and 12 have finished starting up, are in standby mode, and are connected to the network, by sending an email to their IP addresses.

[0106] As a specific example of a connection verification method, if the network standard is Ethernet (trademark), the connection can be verified by sending an ARP request (Address Resolution Protocol) to the IP addresses of the image forming apparatuses 10, 11, and 12 and checking whether or not a response is received.

[0107] In S902, CPU21 checks via LAN-IF24 and LAN30 whether there is a response to the connection confirmation in S901 from at least one of the registered image forming machines. If there is no response (No in S902), processing returns to S901. If there is a response from at least one machine (Yes in S902), processing proceeds to S903.

[0108] In S903, CPU21 reads the patrol lamp lighting setting information corresponding to the image forming machine that responded, from the information on the patrol lamp lighting settings and display settings set in the patrol lamp management application stored on HDD318.

[0109] The information regarding the flashing light settings described here refers to the settings set by the operator in the flashing light setting area 74 of Figure 10(A), which determine whether the light is "on," "flashing," or "off."

[0110] Furthermore, the information regarding the display settings of the warning light described here refers to the settings set by the operator in the display setting area 75 of Figure 10(A) to display "status," "job progress," "toner level," or "paper level."

[0111] In S904, CPU21 transmits the lighting setting information and display setting information read by S903 to the IP address of the image forming apparatus that responded, via LAN-IF24 and LAN30.

[0112] At S905, CPU21 checks whether the lighting settings and display settings of the image forming apparatus that responded in the warning light management application have been changed. If the lighting settings and display settings of the image forming apparatus that responded have been changed (Yes at S905), the process proceeds to S903. If the lighting settings and display settings of the image forming apparatus that responded have not been changed (No at S905), the process proceeds to S906.

[0113] In S906, CPU21 checks if there has been a new response from an image forming machine that was previously unresponsive and registered in the patrol lamp management application.

[0114] In cases where an image forming machine registered in the patrol light management application that was previously unresponsive suddenly starts responding, it could be because the operator has turned on the power or because the machine has woken up from sleep mode.

[0115] If a response is received from an unresponsive aircraft (Yes in S906), proceed to S903. If no new response is received from an unresponsive aircraft (No in S906), proceed to S907.

[0116] At S907, CPU21 terminates processing if the patrol light management application has been terminated (Yes at S907). If the patrol light management application has not been terminated (No at S907), CPU21 proceeds to 905.

[0117] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the processes on the image forming apparatus 10 side, from when the operator turns on the power and the image forming apparatus 10 starts up, to when it receives the lighting settings transmitted by the client PC 20 via S904, and then when it is powered off and shut down.

[0118] In S1001, the image forming apparatus 10 is started up. Specifically, when the power control unit 316 detects that the operator has turned on a power switch (not shown), it supplies power to each block within the image forming apparatus 10.

[0119] Next, when power is turned on by the power control unit 316, the CPU 311 reads boot data from the ROM 313, loads the data for the application that controls each block in the image forming apparatus 10 from the HDD 318 into the RAM 312, and starts up.

[0120] In S1002, the CPU 311 of the image forming apparatus 10 first checks whether it has received a connection confirmation request from the client PC 20 via LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314. If a connection confirmation request has been received from the client PC 20 (Yes in S1002), the process proceeds to S1003. If there is no connection confirmation request from the client PC 20 (No in S1002), the process proceeds to S1017.

[0121] In S1003, the CPU 311 sends a connection confirmation response to the client PC 20 via LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314 to notify that the image forming apparatus 10 has finished starting up.

[0122] In S1004, CPU311 checks whether it has received the instruction to turn on the warning light from client PC20, which was sent in S904, via LAN30, LAN-I / F315, and LAN controller314. If the instruction to turn on the warning light is received (Yes in S1004), the process proceeds to S1005. If the instruction to turn on the warning light is not received (No in S1004), the process proceeds to S1022.

[0123] In S1005, CPU311 determines whether the patrol light setting received in S1004 is an "off" instruction. If the received patrol light setting is "off", the process proceeds to S1023. If the received patrol light setting is "on" or "flashing", the process proceeds to S1024.

[0124] Next, the CPU 311 determines whether a status notification event for the on-demand printing device 10 has occurred (step S1024).

[0125] Next, CPU 311 determines whether the display setting for the warning light received in S1004 is a "status display" instruction (step S1006). If the received warning light display setting is a "status display" instruction (Yes in S1006), the process proceeds to S1022. If the received warning light display setting is not a "status display" instruction (No in S1006), the process proceeds to S1007.

[0126] In S1007, CPU311 determines whether the display setting of the warning light received in S1004 is "job progress," "paper information," or "toner information." If the received warning light display setting is "job progress," processing proceeds to S1008. If the received warning light display setting is "paper information," processing proceeds to S1010. If the received warning light display setting is "toner information," processing proceeds to S1012.

[0127] In S1008, CPU311 calculates the progress of the print job in progress based on the number of pages printed for the print job in progress obtained from HDD318 and the number of pages that have finished printing for the print job in progress obtained from device400.

[0128] In S1009, CPU311, based on the print job progress information calculated in S1008 and the instruction to "on" or "flashing" received in S1004, sends a signal to LED910 of the warning light 900 via general-purpose I / F319 to set the warning light to turn on.

[0129] Upon receiving a signal to light up the warning light, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received signal setting instructions.

[0130] In S1010, the CPU 311 obtains information on the remaining paper quantity in all paper cassettes from the device control unit 400.

[0131] In S1011, CPU311, based on the remaining paper information of the paper cassette used for the print job obtained in S1010 and the instruction to "light up" or "blink" received in S1004, sends a signal to LED910 of the warning light 900 via general-purpose I / F319 to set the warning light to light up.

[0132] Upon receiving a signal to light up the warning light, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received signal setting instructions.

[0133] In S1012, the CPU 311 obtains the remaining toner amount information for each toner from the device control unit 400.

[0134] In S1013, CPU311, based on the remaining toner information for each toner obtained in S1010, specifically the toner color whose remaining amount is 20% or less, and the instruction to "light up" or "blink" received in S1004, sends a signal to LED910 of the warning light 900 via the general-purpose I / F319 to set the warning light to light up.

[0135] Upon receiving a signal to light up the warning light, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received signal setting instructions.

[0136] In S1014, the CPU 311 determines whether a certain amount of time has elapsed since the warning light was displayed and lit, as instructed to the LED control unit 910 in S1009, S1011, and S1013. If a certain amount of time has elapsed (Yes in S1014), the process proceeds to S1023. If a certain amount of time has not elapsed (No in S1014), the process proceeds to S1015.

[0137] Next, the CPU 311 notifies the client PC 20 of the display and illumination status of the warning light, which was instructed to the LED control unit 910 in steps S1009, S1011, and S1013, via the LAN 30, LAN-I / F 315, and LAN controller 314. It also notifies the wireless operation unit 150 of the warning light illumination status (step S1015).

[0138] In S1016, CPU311 checks if the power switch (not shown) has been turned OFF by the operator. If the power is OFF (Yes in S1016), the process terminates. If the power is not OFF (No in S1016), the process proceeds to S1017.

[0139] In S1017, the CPU 311 checks with the device control unit 400 to see if any event has occurred in the image forming apparatus 10 that should change the illumination of the warning light. An example of an event that should change the illumination of the warning light is when the toner or paper level falls below 20%, and the status changes from "normal operation" to "warning state". Another example of an event that should change the illumination of the warning light is when a paper jam occurs and the status changes from "normal operation" or "warning state" to "error state". If an event that should change the illumination of the warning light has occurred (Yes in S1017), the process proceeds to S1022. If no event that should change the illumination of the warning light has occurred (No in S1017), the process proceeds to S1004.

[0140] In S1018, the CPU 311 first checks with the device control unit 400 to see if the status of the image forming apparatus 10 is "operating normally," "warning state," or "error state."

[0141] Next, the CPU 311, based on the confirmed status of the image forming apparatus 10, sends a signal to the LED 910 of the warning light 900 via the general-purpose I / F 319 to set the warning light to turn on.

[0142] Upon receiving a signal to light up the warning light, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received signal setting instructions.

[0143] In S1019, CPU311 checks if the power switch (not shown) has been turned OFF by the operator. If the power is OFF (Yes in S1019), the process terminates. If the power is not OFF (No in S1019), the process proceeds to S1002.

[0144] In S1022, the CPU 311 first checks with the device control unit 400 to determine whether the status of the image forming apparatus 10 is "operating normally," "warning state," or "error state." An example of "operating normally" is normal printing operation. An example of "warning state" is when the toner or paper levels are low. An example of "error state" is when a paper jam occurs or when the toner or paper runs out.

[0145] Next, the CPU 311, based on the confirmed status of the image forming apparatus 10, sends a signal to the LED 910 of the warning light 900 via the general-purpose I / F 319 to set the warning light to turn on.

[0146] Upon receiving a signal to light up the warning light, the LED control unit 910 controls LEDs 901 to 905 according to the received signal setting instructions.

[0147] In S1023, the CPU 311 sends a command to the LED 910 of the patrol lamp 900 to turn off the patrol lamp via the general-purpose I / F 319. Upon receiving the command to turn off the patrol lamp, the LED control unit 910 controls the LEDs 901 to 905 to turn off.

[0148] By illuminating the warning lights based on information set in the warning light control application on the client PC, the operator can more easily understand what information they want to check and which image forming machine that information pertains to.

[0149] Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the wireless control unit 150 in this implementation. It shows the operation flow from the process of the wireless control unit 150 being powered on and started up, through the operation process of notifying the status, to the power being turned off. The operations shown in this flowchart are executed by the CPU 46, a component of the wireless control unit 150, based on the program stored in the RAM 48.

[0150] First, the wireless control unit 150 is started up (step S1101). When the power control unit 43 detects that the power button 44 is pressed, power is supplied from the battery 42 to each component within the wireless control unit 150 (step S1101). Once power is supplied, boot data, application data, and user setting data as needed are sequentially read from the ROM 49, loaded into the RAM 48, and started up. At this point, the wireless control unit 150 is ready to provide its functions.

[0151] Next, the system accepts the operator's settings input and establishes a communication connection to the on-demand printing devices (10, 11, 12) via the wireless control unit 150 (step 1102). This communication connection accepts the operation settings and connection execution by specifying the model name and IP address information of the connected image forming device on an operation screen that is not shown. Once the connection is executed, a connection inquiry is sent to the on-demand printing device 150.

[0152] Next, the response to the connection inquiry is checked (step S1103). Upon receiving a response from the on-demand printing device 150, the response includes warning light setting information. If a response is received from the on-demand printing device 150 (step S1103-Yes), the next step is to check whether the warning light illumination setting information has been updated (step S1104). This involves comparing whether the warning light setting information has been updated by the warning light management app shown in Figure 10 with the information in ROM 49 where previously received warning light setting information is recorded (step S1104). If it is determined that the warning light setting information has been updated (step S1104-Yes), the information in ROM 49 is recorded to be updated (step S1105). If it has not been updated (step S1104-NO), the information in ROM 49 is not updated.

[0153] Next, it is checked whether a status notification event notification for the on-demand printing device 150~ has been received (step S1106). This determines whether information has been received indicating a change in the status of the on-demand printing device's warning light, based on the warning light illumination setting information. This change includes both the occurrence and resolution of the notified event.

[0154] Next, the status notification LED on the wireless control unit 150 is controlled to light up (step S1107). This control is performed based on the warning light setting information stored in the ROM 49 and the status notification received from the on-demand printing device 150.

[0155] Next, if the flashing light-linked LCD display setting is configured (step S1108-YES), a status notification is displayed on the LCD screen as shown in Figure 12 (step S1113). This flashing light-linked LCD display setting is based on the settings in the LCD sleep setting area (Figure 10(C)-80) of the flashing light management application shown in Figure 10.

[0156] Next, it is determined whether the SLEEP transition setting has been accepted (step S1109). If the conditions for transitioning to the power-saving mode provided by the wireless control unit 150 are met, such as when explicitly operated by the power switch 44 (step S1109-YES), the LCD screen is turned off (step S1110). Note that the control of turning off the LCD screen and the control of turning on the warning light are independent, and the LED lighting state is maintained when transitioning to SPEEP. After the LCD screen verification, it enters a state notification event notification waiting state (step S1106).

[0157] If the SLEEP transition setting is not accepted (step S1109-No), it is determined whether the power has been turned off (step S1111). If the power has not been turned off (step S1109-No), the system transitions to waiting for a status notification event (step S1106). If the power has been turned off (step S1111-YES), when the power off operation is accepted by the power switch on the wireless control unit 150, the information temporarily stored in RAM 48 is saved to ROM and the power supply is stopped.

[0158] As described above, the present invention enables the status notification LED of the wireless control unit to light up or blink in conjunction with a warning light indicating the status of the image forming apparatus. [Explanation of symbols]

[0159] 10. On-demand printing press with status notification system 20 client PCs 900 patrol lights

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on paper, the image forming apparatus having a warning light unit that lights up according to the state of the image forming apparatus, A wireless control unit connected to the image forming apparatus by wireless communication and operated by a user, the wireless control unit having a light-emitting part that emits light, A control unit that controls the illumination of the warning light unit and the illumination of the light-emitting part, Equipped with, The control unit further includes a timing means for timing the flashing period of the warning light unit, The control unit controls the flashing period of the light-emitting unit according to the period measured by the timing means. An image forming system characterized by the following features.

2. The aforementioned patrol lamp unit has a first lighting section and a second lighting section that lights up in a different color from the first lighting section. The light-emitting unit comprises a first light-emitting unit and a second light-emitting unit that emits light in a different color from the first light-emitting unit. The first light-emitting unit lights up in synchronization with the lighting of the first lighting unit. The second light-emitting unit lights up in synchronization with the lighting of the second lighting unit. The image forming system according to claim 1.

3. The first light-emitting part lights up in the same color as the first lighting part. The second light-emitting part lights up in the same color as the second lighting part. The image forming system according to claim 2, characterized in that it is as described above.

4. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the wireless communication is Wi-Fi Direct communication.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the warning light unit is detachably fixed to the outer cover of the image forming apparatus by screws.

Images