Supply management system and supply control method

Abstract

To solve the problem in a case where the replenishment of a consumable material is allowed or restricted, local authentication by an image forming device is not preferable for the purpose of managing the use state of the image forming device or the consumable material by a user under some contract condition.SOLUTION: A replenishment management system includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a code present in a user environment and unique to an accommodating device accommodating a consumable material to be consumed for image formation; an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening / closing a replenishment path for the consumable material from the accommodating device to an image forming device and disposed in at least one of the accommodating device and the image forming device; a server device present in a remote environment and configured to authenticate the accommodating device, based on the code acquired by the acquisition unit; and a control unit present in the user environment and allowing the opening / closing mechanism to open the replenishment path for the consumable material or allowing the replenishment path to be opened by the opening / closing mechanism, when the authentication performed by the server device is successful.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a supply management system and Supply control method In the law and is related thereto.

Background Art

[0002] Image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and facsimile receivers consume consumables such as toner or ink to form an image on a recording medium. When the consumable runs out, the user replaces the used cartridge with a new cartridge or replenishes the consumable from a pack containing the consumable into the tank of the image forming apparatus. Compared with the widely used detachable cartridge system, the replenishment method of connecting a device such as a replenishment pack to the image forming apparatus only at the time of replenishment and replenishing (for example, injecting) the consumable into the apparatus has advantages such as low cost and low environmental impact. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a mechanism for connecting a cylindrical storage device containing toner to a printer and replenishing toner from the storage device to the printer.

[0003] There is known an image forming apparatus that mounts a memory on a device such as the above-described cartridge or replenishment pack and performs advanced information processing based on information read from this memory. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for storing data indicating the remaining amount of toner in the cartridge in the memory of the toner cartridge and prompting the user to place an order for the cartridge in a timely manner when the data indicates a decrease in the toner remaining amount. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for the printer to read a random value from the memory of the cartridge mounted on the printer and enabling the supply of toner from the cartridge when authentication based on the random value is successful in the server device. The printer described in Patent Document 1 also performs authentication based on authentication data read from the memory of the storage device, but the authentication is limited to local authentication by a single printer. [[ID=二十一]] [[ID=二十二]]

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 046338 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-090384 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-030667 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] Local authentication using an image forming apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 can verify the compatibility between the housing device and the image forming apparatus. However, in applications such as managing the usage of the image forming apparatus or consumables by a user under certain contractual conditions, local authentication alone may not be sufficient. It is conceivable that it may be difficult to permit or restrict the replenishment of consumables by considering conditions other than device compatibility that are unknown to the image forming apparatus. On the other hand, if various information such as remaining amount data and random numbers described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 is to be stored in the device's memory, the cost of the device will increase, and the running costs borne by the user will increase. If the device is not equipped with memory and functions such as authentication management or remaining amount management are omitted, running costs will be minimized. However, in this case, the user will suffer disadvantages such as failure, malfunction or degradation of image quality due to the use of non-standard consumables or devices, or depletion of consumables at unexpected times.

[0006] The technology relating to this disclosure aims to eliminate or mitigate at least one of the aforementioned inconveniences. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] From one perspective, a replenishment management system includes an image forming apparatus to which a storage device containing consumables consumed for image forming is detachably attached, and a server device that communicates with the image forming apparatus via a network, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a storage unit for storing the consumables replenished from the storage device, detection means for detecting the amount of the consumables in the storage unit, and communication means for transmitting information regarding the amount of the consumables detected by the detection means to the server device, and the server device, upon receiving the information regarding the amount of the consumables from the image forming apparatus, assigns a new storage device to the image forming apparatus, to which a code identifying the new storage device is assigned. And the database, Equipped with, When the server device assigns the new storage device to the image forming apparatus, it associates the code with the image forming apparatus and registers status information in the database indicating that the new storage device is unused. The supply management system further includes an acquisition means for acquiring the code assigned to the new storage device when the new storage device delivered by the operator operating the supply management system is mounted on the image forming apparatus, and an authentication means for receiving the code acquired by the acquisition means and performing authentication of the new storage device based on the received code. The authentication means determines that the authentication is successful if the new storage device identified by the code is associated with the image forming apparatus in the database and the status information corresponding to the code is unused. The image forming apparatus further includes a control means that, when the authentication performed by the authentication means is successful, permits the replenishment of the consumables from the new storage device to the storage unit. The server device updates the status information for the new storage device identified by the code to information indicating it has been used, when the information regarding the amount of consumables received from the image forming apparatus indicates an increase in the amount of consumables in the storage unit. A supply management system is provided. A corresponding supply control method is also provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] A schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal physical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of a consumable supply route according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] A schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of a storage unit and its surrounding area according to one embodiment. [Figure 5]Schematic perspective view for explaining an example of the schematic configuration of a supply pack according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] Explanatory drawing for explaining the opening and closing of a discharge tray according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] Explanatory drawing showing the state where a supply pack is connected to a toner receiving part. [Figure 8] Explanatory drawing for explaining an example of a locking mechanism for locking the operation of an opening and closing mechanism. [Figure 9] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management server according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] Explanatory drawing for explaining an example of the update of a database at the time of device registration. [Figure 12] Explanatory drawing for explaining an example of the update of a database at the time of pack delivery. [Figure 13] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] Block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] Sequence diagram showing an example of the general processing flow related to device registration. [Figure 16] Sequence diagrams showing some examples of the general processing flow related to the provision of a supply pack to a user. [Figure 17] Sequence diagram showing an example of the general processing flow according to the first example at the time of consumable supply. <00,supply pack to a user. [Figure 17] Sequence diagram showing an example of the general processing flow according to the first example at the time of consumable supply. [Figure 18] Flowchart showing an example of the authentication processing flow executed by a management server. [Figure 19] s Flowchart showing an example of the lock control processing flow executed by an image forming apparatus. [Figure 20] Sequence diagram showing an example of the general processing flow according to the second example at the time of consumable supply. [Figure 21] )]] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply management system according to a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 22] Schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 23] Schematic diagram for explaining the connection between the supply pack and the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 24] Block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 25] Sequence diagram showing an example of the general processing flow during consumable supply in the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out 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 invention according to the claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these plurality of features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Further, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <1. Description of the Image Forming Apparatus of the Supply Method> In this section, the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus of the supply method will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In the following description, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 which is a monochrome laser printer is exemplified, but the technology according to the present disclosure is also applicable to other types of printers such as color laser printers and inkjet printers. Generally speaking, the technology according to the present disclosure is widely applicable to general image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, facsimile receivers, and multifunction devices.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the external appearance of an image forming apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal physical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a monochrome laser printer that forms an image on a recording medium based on input image data. The recording medium here may include various media of different materials, such as paper, plastic film, envelopes, sheets, and cloth.

[0012] In the following description, the height direction of the image forming apparatus 1 when it is installed on a horizontal surface will be defined 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, which will be described later, will be defined as the X direction. The direction perpendicular to both the X and Z directions will be defined as the Y direction.

[0013] <1-1. Appearance of the device> The housing of the image forming apparatus 1 includes a front cover 20 (see Figure 2), an outer cover 21, a rear cover 22, and an output tray 82 (see Figure 1). A handle 23 is provided on the rear cover 22. The front cover 20 is provided on one side of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be openable and closable, and protects the processing circuit 90, which will be described later. The rear cover 22 is provided on the other side of the image forming apparatus 1 so as to be openable and closable. By grasping the handle 23 on the rear cover 22 and opening the rear cover 22, the user can expose a part of the transport path through which the recording medium is transported and the process unit 41, and perform maintenance work such as clearing jams or replacing the process unit 41. Figure 1(A) shows the rear cover 22 in the closed state, and Figure 1(B) shows the rear cover 22 in the open state.

[0014] <1-2. Internal Configuration of the Device> Referring to Figure 2, the image forming apparatus 1 comprises 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 the recording medium P toward the image forming unit 40. The image forming unit 40 consumes toner, a consumable material, to form an image (toner image) on the recording medium. The fixing unit 70 fixes the image formed by the image forming unit 40 onto the recording medium P. The discharge roller pair 80 discharges the recording medium P processed by the fixing unit 70 to the discharge tray 82.

[0015] The image forming unit 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 unit 48. The process unit 41 may be fixed to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1, or it may be removable.

[0016] The photosensitive drum 44 is an image carrier and has a photosensitive layer formed of an organic photoreceptor on a drum-shaped substrate. The photosensitive drum 44 is rotated in the R direction in the figure by a motor. The charging roller 47 is charged with a charging voltage by a high-voltage power supply and pressed against the photosensitive drum 44 to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. The scanner unit 42 irradiates the photosensitive drum 44 with laser light according to the input image data to expose the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44 corresponding to the input image. The scanner unit 42 may also irradiate the photosensitive drum 44 with light from an LED array instead of laser light.

[0017] The developing roller 45 is rotatably supported by a storage unit 48. The storage unit 48 stores toner. Although not shown in Figure 2, the storage unit 48 may further have a supply roller that applies the toner stored in the storage unit 48 to the surface of the developing roller 45. The developing roller 45 is subjected to a developing voltage by a high-voltage power supply. When the toner carried on 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 according to the potential distribution on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44. This develops a toner image from the electrostatic latent image.

[0018] The feeding unit 30 includes a cassette 31, a pickup roller 32, a pair of separation rollers 33, and a pair of transport rollers 34. A bundle of recording media P is loaded onto the cassette 31. The cassette 31 is removable from the housing of the image forming apparatus 1. The pickup roller 32 picks up the recording media P in the cassette 31 and feeds the recording media P toward the pair of separation rollers 33. The pair of separation rollers 33 separates one recording media P and transports it toward the pair of transport rollers 34. The pair of transport rollers 34 transports the recording media P toward the transfer nip between the transfer roller 43 and the photosensitive drum 44. The transfer roller 43 is subjected to a transfer voltage from a high-voltage power supply and transfers the toner image developed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44 to the recording media P that has been transported toward the transfer nip.

[0019] The recording medium P onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported along the transport path and reaches the fuser unit 70. The fuser unit 70 has a heating roller 71, a pressure roller 72, and a fuser heater 73. The heating roller 71 and the pressure roller 72 heat and pressurize the recording medium P as it passes through the nip between these rollers. As a result, the toner particles melt and then solidify, fixing the toner image onto the recording medium P. After passing through the fuser unit 70, the recording medium P is discharged from the discharge port 81 to the discharge tray 82 by the discharge roller pair 80. The cleaning unit 46 is located near the photosensitive drum 44. The cleaning unit 46 cleans the photosensitive drum 44 by scraping off the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 44.

[0020] The processing circuit 90 has a group of electronic components 91, 92, and 93 arranged on the substrate. For example, electronic component 91 may be a processor, electronic component 92 may be a memory, and electronic component 93 may be an input / output device. The input / output device may also include a communication interface. When a job instructing the image forming apparatus 1 to form an image is input, the image forming process is started based on input image data received, for example, from an external computer. In the image forming process, as described above, the scanner unit 42 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 44 according to the input image data, the developing roller 45 develops a toner image from this electrostatic latent image, and the toner image is transferred to the recording medium P by the transfer roller 43. The processing circuit 90 operates as a controller to control this image forming process.

[0021] <1-3. Detailed configuration of the storage section> Next, a more specific example of the configuration related to the storage unit 48 will be described using Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of the configuration of the consumable supply path of the image forming apparatus 1. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of the storage unit 48 and its surroundings. Referring to Figure 3, the storage unit 48 constitutes part of the toner supply unit 100. The toner supply unit 100 has the storage unit 48 and the toner receiving unit 110. The toner receiving unit 110 includes a cylindrical member 112, a main shutter 116, and a connecting member 120. The toner receiving unit 110 further includes a ring member 111, which will be explained in detail using Figures 6 to 8, but the ring member 111 is omitted in Figure 3 for the purpose of showing 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 shutter 116 serves as an opening and closing mechanism that can open and close the supply path for consumables (in this case, toner) from the supply pack 200 (described later) to the storage unit 48. A protrusion 117 is formed on the inner surface of the main shutter 116.

[0022] Figure 4 shows the toner receiving section 110 connected to the replenishment pack 200, along with a cross-section of the storage section 48 and its surrounding components. The replenishment pack 200 is an example of a storage device that contains consumables consumed for image formation. When the main shutter 116 is opened, the replenishment path extending from the replenishment pack 200 to the storage section 48 through the connecting member 120 is opened. With the replenishment path open, toner released from the replenishment pack 200 is supplied to the storage section 48 through the replenishment path.

[0023] Inside the storage section 48, as shown in Figure 4, there is an agitator 60 having a shaft 60a arranged along the X direction and a blade 60b that rotates around the shaft 60a. The blade 60b is driven and rotated by a motor 65. The rotation of the blade 60b agitates the toner in the storage section 48 and reaches the developing roller 45. The agitator 60 may also have a helical member instead of a blade 60b. The agitator 60 may also have the role of uniformizing the toner in the storage section 48 by scraping the toner from the developing roller 45 and circulating the toner within the storage section 48.

[0024] A remaining amount detection unit 61 is further provided in the storage unit 48. The remaining amount detection unit 61 is a sensor for detecting the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48. The remaining amount detection unit 61 has a light emitter 61a and a light receiver 61b. The light emitter 61a emits light that travels through the inside of the storage unit 48 along the optical axis Q1. The light receiver 61b is positioned 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 positioned opposite the light emitter 61a. The light emitter 61a may be, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED, or a halogen lamp or fluorescent lamp. The light receiver 61b may be, for example, a phototransistor, photodiode, or avalanche photodiode.

[0025] 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 being converted, for example, from analog to digital. The processing circuit 90 may estimate the remaining amount of toner based, for example, on the ratio of the time during which the light from the light emitter 61a is blocked (by the toner) to a certain time window while the toner is being stirred. However, the remaining amount of toner is not limited to the configuration example of the remaining amount detection unit 61 described above, and may be detected or estimated by any method. For example, the remaining amount of toner may be estimated by subtracting the cumulative amount used since the last toner replenishment from the total amount at the time of the last toner replenishment. The processing circuit 90 may derive the amount of toner used based on statistical values ​​related to image forming operations, such as the number of recording media consumed by printing or the pixel count.

[0026] <1-4. Contents of the Supply Pack> Figure 5 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a refill pack 200. In this configuration example, the refill pack 200 comprises 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 house the toner, which is a consumable material. 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, it is not limited to this example, and the storage section 211 may be made of any material such as resin, paper, or vinyl, and may have any shape such as a bottle, cylinder, or box.

[0027] The nozzle 212 is the interface portion with the toner receiving section 110 of the image forming apparatus 1. The inside of the nozzle 212 is in communication with the inside of the storage section 211. An opening 213 for releasing toner to the outside is formed on the side of the nozzle 212. The opening 213 is normally closed by a pack shutter 214.

[0028] The pack shutter 214 is a cylindrical member concentric with the nozzle 212 and is disposed radially outward from 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. When toner is replenished, 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 blocked by the pack shutter 214. As will be described later, the drive transmission surface 214b is the surface that receives the force that rotates the pack shutter 214. Figure 5(A) shows the state in which the toner discharge path is blocked, and Figure 5(B) shows the state in which the toner discharge path is open. A sealing member 231 that normally shields the opening 213 of the nozzle 212 may be further disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the pack shutter 214. The sealing member 231 prevents toner from leaking out of the toner pack 200 when it is not time to replenish the toner.

[0029] <1-5. Replenishing Consumables> Next, the connection of the replenishment pack 200 to the toner receiving unit 110 will be explained using Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figure 6, the discharge tray 82 is configured to be openable and closable around an opening / closing axis arranged in the housing along the X direction. In the example of Figure 6(A), the discharge tray 82 is in the closed state, and the recording medium P discharged from the discharge port 81 is discharged onto the discharge tray 82 in this state. In the example of Figure 6(B), the discharge tray 82 is in the open state, and in this state, the replenishment port 114 of the toner receiving unit 110 is exposed. That is, in this configuration example, the discharge tray 82 also serves as a shielding member that shields the replenishment port 114. The user can connect the replenishment pack 200 to the toner receiving unit 110 by lifting and opening the discharge tray 82 as shown in Figure 6(B) and inserting the nozzle 212 of the replenishment pack 200 into the exposed replenishment port 114 as shown on the left in Figure 7.

[0030] The right side of Figure 7 shows a magnified view of the toner receiving section 110 with the replenishment pack 200 connected. The ring member 111 surrounding the replenishment port 114 is rotatably supported on the top surface of the cylindrical member 112. The ring member 111 has a lever 111b that is grasped by the user, and a projection 111d shown by a dotted line in the figure. The projection 111d engages with the drive transmission surface 214b of the pack shutter 214 of the replenishment pack 200 inserted into the toner receiving section 110. The drive transmission surface 214b also engages with the projection 117 (see Figure 3) of the main shutter 116. When the user operates the lever 111b to rotate the ring member 111 around its central axis, the force generated in the rotational direction is transmitted from the projection 111d to the drive transmission surface 214b of the pack shutter 214, and further transmitted from the drive transmission surface 214b to the projection 117 of the main shutter 116. As a result, the main shutter 116 and the pack shutter 214 of the replenishment pack 200 rotate in conjunction with the ring member 111, and the toner replenishment path can be opened after, for example, a 90-degree rotation. When the replenishment path is opened, the toner stored in the storage section 211 of the replenishment pack 200 is injected from the opening 213 of the nozzle 212 into the toner receiving section 110, passes through the connecting member 120, and is replenished to the storage section 48. The rotation of the ring member 111 can be restricted by a regulating member (not shown) to prevent rotation exceeding a predetermined angle limit.

[0031] In the above example, the toner supply path is opened by a rotational force generated when the user operates the lever 111b. However, the closing and opening of the supply path may be performed independently of user operation. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may include a pack sensor that detects that the supply pack 200 is connected to the toner receiving section 110, and a drive motor that generates a driving force to rotate the ring member 111. In this example, the processing circuit 90 may activate the drive motor on the condition that the connection of the supply pack 200 to the toner receiving section 110 is detected by the pack sensor, and rotate the ring member 111 with the rotational force of the drive motor to open the supply path.

[0032] The opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the supply route is not limited to the mechanism using a rotating shutter described above. Instead of a rotating shutter, a shutter that can move in a linear direction may be used, or a mechanism other than a shutter, such as a valve, may be used. Furthermore, the opening and closing mechanism only needs to be provided on at least one of the storage device, such as the supply pack 200, and the image forming apparatus. That is, the supply route from the storage device to the image forming apparatus may be always open on one side of the storage device and the image forming apparatus, and open and closed only on the other side. Alternatively, the supply route may be open and closed on both the storage device and the image forming apparatus, as in the example described above. In addition, sensors may be provided to detect user operation of the opening and closing mechanism or to detect the state of the opening and closing mechanism (open or closed).

[0033] The opening and closing mechanism described above may be prevented from operating (either by user operation or automatically) by a locking mechanism, which will be described in the next section. Similar to the opening and closing mechanism, the locking mechanism may also be provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus. A leak prevention member, such as a lid or cap, may be attached to the replenishment port 114 of the image forming apparatus 1 or the opening 213 of the replenishment pack 200 to prevent toner leakage. Such leak prevention members may be freely removable by the user at any time.

[0034] <1-6. Locking and unlocking the opening / closing mechanism> The ring member 111 of the image forming apparatus 1 may be locked in place so that it does not rotate even if force is applied by the user. Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a locking mechanism for locking the rotation of the ring member 111. Figure 8 shows the toner receiving section 110 as viewed from inside the apparatus (towards the Z direction) so that an example of the internal configuration of the toner receiving section 110 can be understood in more detail. The toner receiving section 110 includes, for example, a locking unit 150. The locking unit 150 has a rod-shaped locking member 152 that is supported at one end by an axis 151 and is rotatable about the axis 151. The ring member 111 also has a projection 111k. Normally, the elastic force of a spring (not shown) inside the locking unit 150 biases the tip 153 opposite to the axis 151 away from the locking unit 150, thereby positioning the tip 153 on the rotational trajectory of the projection 111k of the ring member 111. Therefore, even if the user attempts to rotate the ring member 111 clockwise in the figure (in the Rc direction in the figure), the tip 153 of the locking member 152 obstructs the projection 111k, preventing the rotation of the ring member 111, and thus locking the opening and closing mechanism of the supply path in the closed position (see Figure 8(A)).

[0035] The locking unit 150 further includes a solenoid (not shown) for rotating, for example, the locking member 152 in the opposite direction to the elastic force of the spring. The solenoid is temporarily energized during the period when toner supply from the supply pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1 is permitted, and its attractive force rotates the locking member 152. When the solenoid is energized and the locking member 152 rotates, the tip 153 of the locking member 152 retracts from the rotational trajectory of the projection 111k of the ring member 111 (see Figure 8(B)). As a result, the user can rotate the ring member 111 clockwise in the figure, that is, the opening and closing mechanism of the supply path is unlocked. The locking and unlocking of this opening and closing mechanism can be controlled by the processing circuit 90. Various examples of conditions under which the opening and closing mechanism is unlocked will be described in the following sections.

[0036] The configuration of the locking mechanism for locking and unlocking the opening and closing mechanism is not limited to the examples described above, and may be any mechanical, electromagnetic, electrical, or software-based mechanism. For example, the locking member 152 may be driven by a motor or other type of actuator instead of a solenoid. If an opening and closing mechanism operated by computer control without relying on user operation is employed, the locking and unlocking of the opening and closing mechanism may be achieved simply by program code.

[0037] As shown on the right of Figure 7, an indicator 125 is provided near the ring member 111. The indicator 125 indicates to the user whether the opening / closing mechanism described above is in a locked or unlocked state. The indicator 125 may consist of, for example, an LED (Light-Emitting Diode) provided inside the housing and a window that transmits light from the LED. When the indicator 125 indicates that the opening / closing mechanism is in an unlocked state, the user can rotate the ring member 111 to open the supply path.

[0038] <2. Supply Management System (First Embodiment)> The toner replenishment system described in Patent Document 1 determines whether to start replenishing toner from a storage device connected to the image forming apparatus based on local authentication. However, simple local authentication can only verify the compatibility between the image forming apparatus and the storage device, and it is difficult to permit or restrict replenishment by considering other conditions, such as whether the replenishment is being performed by a registered user under a certain contract. In image forming apparatuses that use a replenishment system, which are attracting attention because they are low-cost and have a low environmental impact, expanding the conditions verified by local authentication would lead to increased device complexity and cost, potentially undermining the original advantages of the replenishment system. Therefore, in the first embodiment described in this section, a mechanism is introduced that involves a server device operating in a remote environment in managing the replenishment of consumables to the image forming apparatus.

[0039] <2-1. System Overview> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply management system 300 according to the first embodiment. Referring to Figure 9, the supply management system 300 includes an image forming apparatus 1, a management server 301, and a user terminal 401.

[0040] The image forming apparatus 1 is installed in a user environment E1 where a user resides. The user terminal 401 is also located in the user environment E1 and is owned by the user. The image forming apparatus 1 and the user terminal 401 are connected to a local network N1, which may be, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). The management server 301 is installed in a remote environment E2. The remote environment E2 is connected to the local network N1 via an external network N2. The external network N2 may be, for example, the Internet or a VPN (Virtual Private Network). Each of the local network N1 and the external network N2 may include any number of network devices of any kind, such as routers, switches, gateways, wireless access points, and base stations.

[0041] In user environment E1, the user utilizes the image forming apparatus 1. As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 consumes toner as a consumable to form an image on a recording medium. When the toner stored in the image forming apparatus 1 runs out, the user connects a replenishment pack 200, which is a storage device containing toner, to the image forming apparatus 1 and replenishes the toner from the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1. If the replenishment pack 200 becomes empty and there is no spare replenishment pack 200 in user environment E1, the image forming apparatus 1 cannot be used the next time the toner runs out. In this embodiment, the management server 301 remotely manages the usage status of the image forming apparatus 1 and replenishment pack 200 by each user in order to prevent such a situation.

[0042] The management server 301 is a server device for managing the replenishment of toner from the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1. The management server 301 may also be a device for centrally managing the usage status of each image forming apparatus and consumables by multiple users. The management server 301 may be implemented as an application server, database server, or cloud server using, for example, a high-performance general-purpose computer. The user terminal 401 is a terminal device that provides the user with a user interface to support the replenishment management function of the management server 301. The user terminal 401 may be a general-purpose terminal device such as a smartphone, mobile phone, PC (Personal Computer), or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). The image forming apparatus 1 may also provide the user with a user interface.

[0043] The functions of the management server 301, which will be explained in detail later, may be provided by a single device, or by multiple physically separate devices cooperating with each other. Furthermore, a portion of the database, which will be described as being maintained by the management server 301, may be maintained by a separate device (for example, another database server).

[0044] In this embodiment, each supply pack 200 is assigned a unique code 201 for uniquely identifying the supply pack 200. The code 201 may be referred to as, for example, a manufacturing number, serial number, or pack identifier. The code 201 is printed on the surface of the housing 211 of each supply pack 200, or on the packaging of each supply pack 200, in a format that can be read manually by the user or optically by the user terminal 401. An optically readable format may include, for example, a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional QR code (registered trademark). The code 201 read by the user or by the user terminal 401 is transmitted to the management server 301 and can be used for supply management as described later.

[0045] <2-2. Example of Management Server Configuration> Figure 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server 301 according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 10, the management server 301 includes a communication interface (I / F) 311, a memory 312, a management database (DB) 313, and a processing circuit 314.

[0046] Communication I / F 311 is an interface for the management server 301 to communicate with other devices. For example, communication I / F 311 communicates with the image forming apparatus 1 and the user terminal 401 located in the user environment E1. Communication I / F 311 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface.

[0047] The memory 312 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory like ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory), an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. The memory 312 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The memory 312 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuit 314, and various data.

[0048] The management DB 313 consists of a set of tables for managing the supply of consumables to one or more image forming machines under the management of the supply management system 300. More specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the management DB 313 includes an account table 320, a machine registration table 330, and a delivery pack table 340.

[0049] The account table 320 is a table that holds information about the accounts of users who utilize the supply packs 200 provided by the supply management system 300. The account table 320 may include one or more of the following information items, for example: • "User ID" ·"password" ·"name" ·"email address" ·"address" • "Contract Type" • Payment methods "User ID" is identification information used to uniquely identify each user account. "Password" is used for user authentication when a user logs into the system. "Name" represents the username of each account. The username may be displayed on the screen after logging in and may be used as the recipient name when shipping the replenishment pack 200. "Address" may be used as the destination when shipping the replenishment pack 200. "Email address" may be used when sending various notifications from the system to each user via email. "Contract type" represents the type of contract each user has with the operator of the replenishment management system 300. The provision management unit 360, described later, may determine when to ship the replenishment pack 200 to each user, depending on the user's contract type. "Payment information" is information regarding how the payment for the replenishment pack 200 provided to each user will be settled.

[0050] The device registration table 330 is a table that holds information about image forming machines registered in the supply management system 300 as each user's device. The device registration table 330 may include one or more of the following information items, for example: ·"Owner" ·“Device ID” • "Registration date" ·"status" • "Toner level" "Owner" indicates the user account that owns or manages each imaging device, as registered in the account table 320, using the "User ID". "Device ID" is identification information that uniquely identifies each imaging device. The pair of "Owner" and "Device ID" indicates the association between each user account and at least one imaging device registered as the device of the user who has that account. More than one imaging device may be associated with a single user account. "Registration Date" indicates the date on which the "Device ID" of each imaging device was registered in the device registration table 330. "Status" indicates the status regarding the verification of whether each imaging device is actually installed in the user environment of the "Owner". At the time of initial registration of the "Device ID", the "Status" shows "Unverified", and once verification is complete, the "Status" may change to "Verified". "Toner Level" indicates the latest toner level value detected and reported by each imaging device. For example, "Toner Level" may be expressed as a percentage.

[0051] The delivery pack table 340 is a table that holds information about the supply packs sent to each user. The delivery pack table 340 may include one or more of the following information items: • "Contractor" • "Pack ID" • "Shipping date" ·"status" ·“Usage date” The "Contractor" indicates the user account to which each refill pack was delivered, using the "User ID" registered in the account table 320. The "Pack ID" is identification information to uniquely identify each refill pack. The pair of "Contractor" and "Pack ID" indicates the association between each user account and at least one refill pack provided to the user with that account. Since each user consumes toner repeatedly, the number of refill packs associated with a single user account in the delivery pack table 340 increases over time. The "Shipping Date" indicates the date each refill pack was shipped to the "Contractor". The "Status" indicates whether each refill pack has been used to replenish toner in the image forming apparatus. At the time of shipping, the "Status" is "Unused," and once each refill pack arrives in the user environment, is authenticated, and toner is replenished, the "Status" may change to "Used." The "Usage Date" indicates the date each refill pack was used to replenish toner.

[0052] The processing circuit 314 may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and by executing computer programs stored in memory 312, it provides various functions of the management server 301. More specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the processing circuit 314 can function as a data management unit 350, a provision management unit 360, and an authentication unit 370.

[0053] The data management unit 350 manages the registration and updating of data in the management DB 313. The data management unit 350 may display a screen on the user terminal 401 to accept input of account information to be registered in the account table 320, receive the entered account information via the communication I / F 311, and register it in the account table 320. Similarly, the data management unit 350 may display a screen on the user terminal 401 to accept input of device information for image forming apparatuses owned by each user, receive the entered device information via the communication I / F 311, and register it in the device registration table 330. These input screens may be provided in any format, such as a web page, input form, or application screen. Typically, the acceptance of device information input may occur during the period when user authentication using the user ID and password stored in the account table 320 is successful and the user is logged into the system.

[0054] Specifically, in this embodiment, the data management unit 350 may perform a simple verification of whether the device information registered in the device registration table 330 is actually installed in the user environment of the corresponding user. For example, when a user logs into the system and enters the device information of the image forming apparatus 1 into the input screen, the data management unit 350 presents the user with a message prompting them to perform a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1. The predetermined operation may be, for example, pressing a specific physical button on the image forming apparatus 1 or touching a button on the GUI (Graphical User Interface). Additionally or alternatively, the message sent here may include a prompt to turn on the power of the image forming apparatus 1 (if it is off). When the user performs the operation on the image forming apparatus 1 as prompted, the image forming apparatus 1 sends a device ID that identifies itself to the management server 301. The data management unit 350 waits for the receipt of the device ID from the image forming apparatus 1 until a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the presentation of the above message. The data management unit 350 then determines that if it receives a device ID identical to the device ID entered by the user from the image forming apparatus 1 before the timeout, the image forming apparatus 1 identified by that device ID is actually installed in the user's environment. The data management unit 350 sets the "Status" value in the device registration table 330 to "Unverified" for devices before the verification is complete, and sets the "Status" value in the device registration table 330 to "Verified" for devices after the verification is complete.

[0055] In this embodiment, the data management unit 350 also manages the updating of the "toner level" value in the device registration table 330. For example, the data management unit 350 receives remaining amount information regarding the remaining amount of consumables in the storage unit 48 of the registered image forming apparatus 1 via the communication I / F 311. Based on the received remaining amount information, the data management unit 350 updates the status information regarding the remaining amount of consumables, i.e., the "toner level" value in the device registration table 330.

[0056] The supply management unit 360 manages the provision of supply packs 200 to users of the supply management system 300. For example, the supply management unit 360 monitors for the occurrence of trigger events that trigger the provision of supply packs 200 to users.

[0057] An example of a trigger event may be a user's purchase of a replenishment pack 200. The supply management unit 360 may, for example, begin providing the replenishment pack 200 to the user who purchased it when an order for the replenishment pack 200 is accepted (i.e., an individual contract is concluded) on a website that sells consumables for image formation.

[0058] Another example of a trigger event is the arrival of a delivery timing based on a contract with a user. For example, suppose a user has a subscription contract with a service provider to purchase a certain number of replenishment packs 200 periodically (for example, once a month or every few months). The delivery management unit 360 may start providing the replenishment packs 200 to such user when it determines that the timing for the next replenishment pack 200 delivery has arrived.

[0059] Another example of a trigger event is the detection of a decrease in the toner level in the image forming apparatus 1 registered in the device registration table 330. For example, suppose a user has entered into an automatic purchase agreement with a service provider to automatically receive a new replenishment pack 200 when the toner level in their image forming apparatus 1 decreases. In this case, the provision management unit 360 may monitor the "toner level" value in the device registration table 330 for the user's registered image forming apparatus 1, and if it determines that the toner level has fallen below a predetermined threshold, it may start providing the replenishment pack 200 to the user. Additionally or alternatively, a trigger event for the automatic purchase of a replenishment pack 200 may be the reaching of a threshold for the number of operations of the registered image forming apparatus 1 (e.g., the number of jobs executed, or the cumulative number of records consumed). Additionally or alternatively, a trigger event for the automatic purchase of a replenishment pack 200 may be the detection of the use of a replenishment pack 200 previously provided to the user. For example, the supply management unit 360 may monitor the "status" of the supply pack 200 already provided to users who have entered into an automatic purchase agreement, and may start providing the supply pack 200 when the value changes from "unused" to "used".

[0060] By providing the user with a new replenishment pack 200 periodically or automatically in response to the detection of these trigger events, the possibility of the image forming apparatus 1 becoming unusable due to the depletion of consumables at an unexpected time can be reduced.

[0061] The supply management unit 360 can determine which of the trigger events described above to monitor for each user based on the contents of the "Contract Type" in the account table 320. When the supply management unit 360 determines that a trigger event has occurred for a user, it assigns a new supply pack 200 to that user and sends a message to the delivery person instructing them to deliver the assigned supply pack 200. The supply management unit 360 also adds a new record to the delivery pack table 340 showing the user ID of the recipient user and the pack ID that identifies the assigned supply pack 200, and registers the association between the user account and the supply pack 200 in the management DB 313. The "Shipping Date" in the delivery pack table 340 may be set to the date the supply pack 200 is shipped, and the "Status" and "Usage Date" may be set to "Unused" and blank as initial values, respectively.

[0062] The authentication unit 370 performs user authentication (e.g., password authentication) when a user logs into the system, as well as authentication to authorize the replenishment of a replenishment pack 200 that is to be used for toner replenishment (hereinafter referred to as pre-replenishment authentication). Pre-replenishment authentication may include determining whether the replenishment pack 200 is eligible for use (e.g., whether it was provided to the user through legitimate channels). As illustrated with Figure 9, in this embodiment, a unique code 201 is assigned to each replenishment pack 200 to uniquely identify it. The code 201 is printed, for example, on each replenishment pack 200 or its packaging in a format readable by the user or the user terminal 401. The authentication unit 370 receives the code of the replenishment pack 200 to be used for replenishment from a code acquisition means present in the user environment E1, and performs pre-replenishment authentication based on the received code. Several examples of how the code of the replenishment pack 200 is acquired in the user environment E1 will be explained later.

[0063] For example, code 201 may be equal to the pack ID of each supply pack 200, in which case the authentication unit 370 may use the received code as is for pre-supply authentication. As another example, code 201 may be generated by encoding the pack ID of each supply pack 200, in which case the authentication unit 370 may use the pack ID derived by decrypting code 201 for pre-supply authentication.

[0064] Pre-replenishment authentication may include determining whether the replenishment pack 200 identified based on code 201 has a corresponding relationship with the logged-in user's user account. For example, the authentication unit 370 checks whether an association between the pack ID based on code 201 and the logged-in user's user ID is registered in the delivery pack table 340. If this association is registered in the delivery pack table 340, the authentication unit 370 can determine that the replenishment pack 200 to be used for replenishment has a corresponding relationship with the user account of the user who intends to replenish. By verifying the correspondence between the replenishment pack 200 and the user account in this way, it is possible to prevent replenishment packs 200 obtained without a contract from being used for the replenishment of consumables.

[0065] Additionally or alternatively, pre-replenishment authentication may include determining whether the image forming apparatus 1 to which consumables are to be replenished has a corresponding relationship with the user account of the logged-in user. For example, the authentication unit 370 presents a message to the user intending to replenish, prompting them to perform a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1 to which the replenishment is to be performed. Here, the predetermined operation may be, for example, pressing a specific physical button on the image forming apparatus 1 or touching a button on the GUI. When the user performs the operation on the image forming apparatus 1 as prompted, the image forming apparatus 1 transmits a device ID that identifies itself to the management server 301. The authentication unit 370 waits for the receipt of the device ID from the image forming apparatus 1 until a predetermined period has elapsed since the presentation of the above message. The authentication unit 370 then checks whether the association between the device ID received from the image forming apparatus 1 before the timeout and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the device registration table 330. If this association is registered in the device registration table 330, the authentication unit 370 can determine whether the image forming apparatus 1 to which the replenishment is to be performed has a corresponding relationship with the user account of the logged-in user. In this way, by making it a condition for successful authentication that the replenishment destination device is already registered as the user's device, the registration of device information in the database can be facilitated. Furthermore, by receiving the device ID from the image forming apparatus 1, the management server 301 can reliably recognize the device that the user is trying to replenish toner with, and can then send subsequent control commands (for example, the unlock command or release command described later) to that replenishment destination device.

[0066] In accordance with the above-described predetermined operation, the authentication unit 370 may receive remaining toner information from the image forming apparatus 1, along with the apparatus ID. If the received remaining toner information indicates that there is sufficient toner remaining, the authentication unit 370 may refuse to supply toner to the image forming apparatus 1. This prevents the image forming apparatus 1 from being supplied with an excessive amount of toner.

[0067] Additionally or alternatively, pre-supply authentication may include determining whether the supply pack 200 identified based on code 201 has been used, based on the "Status" value in the delivery pack table 340. For example, the authentication unit 370 may refer to the record of the pack ID based on code 201 in the delivery pack table 340, and if the "Status" value is "Unused," it may permit the supply pack 200 to be used for supply. On the other hand, if the "Status" value of the referenced record is "Used," the authentication unit 370 may refuse to allow the supply pack 200 to be used for supply. In this way, by making the unused status of the supply pack 200 a condition for successful authentication, unauthorized or accidental reuse of the supply pack 200 can be prevented.

[0068] Additionally or alternatively, pre-supply authentication may include determining whether the supply pack 200 identified based on code 201 is a genuine product compatible with the receiving device. For determining genuineness, the device registration table 330 may have the model number of each image forming machine, and the delivery pack table 340 may have the model number of each supply pack as additional data items. The management DB 313 may also have an additional table showing the model numbers of one or more supply packs compatible with each model number of an image forming machine. In this case, the authentication unit 370 may permit the use of the supply pack 200 for supply only if it is determined that both the receiving device and the supply pack 200 are compatible based on their respective model numbers.

[0069] As described above, at least one of the replenishment pack 200 and the image forming apparatus 1 is equipped with an opening / closing mechanism that can open and close the replenishment path for consumables. This opening / closing mechanism is normally locked by a locking mechanism so that it is not opened. When the pre-replenishment authentication described above is successful, the authentication unit 370 transmits a result of successful authentication to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication I / F 311, allowing the image forming apparatus 1 to open the replenishment path using the opening / closing mechanism (i.e., causing the locking mechanism to unlock the opening / closing mechanism). In the case where the opening / closing mechanism in the image forming apparatus 1 is operated by computer control without relying on user operation, the authentication unit 370 may, instead of unlocking the opening / closing mechanism, cause the opening / closing mechanism of the image forming apparatus 1 to open the replenishment path for consumables. The unlock command (or open command) to the image forming apparatus 1 may be transmitted directly from the management server 301 to the image forming apparatus 1. Alternatively, the user terminal 401, which has received a result of successful authentication from the management server 301, may transmit the unlock command (or open command) to the image forming apparatus 1. If the pre-replenishment authentication fails due to any of the above conditions not being met, the authentication unit 370 transmits an authentication failure result to the image forming apparatus 1 or the user terminal 401 via the communication interface 311. The authentication unit 370 may also display a message indicating the cause of the authentication failure (for example, an improper pack, unregistered device, or used pack) on the screen of either device.

[0070] Based on the authentication result, the opening / closing mechanism is unlocked, the supply route is opened, and toner is supplied from the supply pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1, increasing the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48 of the image forming apparatus 1. As described later, the image forming apparatus 1 detects the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48 and transmits the remaining amount information to the management server 301. The data management unit 350 receives this remaining amount information via the communication interface 311 and updates the "Toner Remaining Amount" value in the device registration table 330. In addition, if the received remaining amount information indicates that the toner remaining amount has increased, the data management unit 350 changes the "Status" of that supply pack 200 in the delivery pack table 340 to "Used". This makes it possible for the authentication unit 370 to not permit the reuse of the supply pack 200 based on its status information if the same supply pack 200 is subsequently attempted to be reused. Furthermore, the provision management unit 360 can allocate a new supply pack 200 to the user in response to the detection of the use of the supply pack 200.

[0071] The following describes how to update the contents of the management DB 313 according to a typical processing flow, using Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 shows an example of updating the device registration table 330 when a device is registered. The upper part of Figure 11 shows the account table 320, which has user ID 321 and name 322 as data items. Other data items of the account table 320 are omitted in the figure. The middle part of Figure 11 shows the device registration table 330, which has owner 331, device ID 332, registration date 333, status 334, and toner level 335 as data items. In the example of Figure 11, the account of the user identified by user ID "U01" (hereinafter referred to as user U01) is already registered in the account table 320. Also, the image forming apparatus identified by device ID "D00" is already registered in the device registration table 330 as the device of user U01.

[0072] User U01 installs a new image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as apparatus D01) identified by apparatus ID "D01" in user environment E1. When user U01 enters the apparatus information for apparatus D01 via an input screen provided by management server 301, management server 301 adds a record for apparatus D01's apparatus information to apparatus registration table 330. The added record shows the owner 331 as "U01", apparatus ID 332 as "D01", registration date 333 as the date registration took place, status 334 as "unverified", and toner level 335 as "0%".

[0073] Furthermore, user U01 performs the operation to register the newly installed device D01, for example, by following a message displayed on the screen. Device D01 has its own device ID "D01" stored in advance and sends device information, including this device ID, to the management server 301 in response to the user's operation. If the received device ID matches the device ID entered by user U01, the data management unit 350 changes the value of the status 334 of the record added to the device registration table 330 from "unverified" to "verified," as shown in the lower part of Figure 11.

[0074] Figure 12 shows an example of updating the delivery pack table 340 during pack delivery. The upper part of Figure 12 shows the contents of the account table 320, similar to Figure 11. The middle part of Figure 12 shows the delivery pack table 340, which has the data items Contractor 341, Pack ID 342, Shipment Date 343, Status 344, and Usage Date 345. In the example in Figure 12, a replenishment pack identified by Pack ID "P01" has already been provided to user U01, and this replenishment pack has been used.

[0075] In response to the detection of one of the trigger events described above, the supply management unit 360 assigns a new supply pack identified by pack ID "P11" (hereinafter referred to as supply pack P11) to user U01. The supply management unit 360 also adds a record to the delivery pack table 340 to manage the status of the assigned supply pack P11. In the added record, the contractor 341 is "U01", the pack ID 342 is "P11", the shipping date 343 is the date the shipment is made, the status 344 is "in transit", and the usage date 345 is left blank.

[0076] Once authentication by the authentication unit 370 is successful and toner is supplied from the replenishment pack P11 to the replenishment destination device, the replenishment destination device reports the increase in toner level to the management server 301. Based on this report, the data management unit 350 changes the value of the status 344 of the record added to the delivery pack table 340 from "in transit" to "used" and adds the date on which the increase in toner level was reported to the usage date 345.

[0077] <2-3. Example of User Terminal Configuration> Figure 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a user terminal 401 according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 13, the user terminal 401 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.

[0078] The communication interface 411 is an interface for the user terminal 401 to communicate with other devices. For example, the communication interface 411 communicates with the image forming apparatus 1 located in the user environment E1 and the management server 301 located in the remote environment E2. The communication interface 411 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. If the communication interface 411 is a wireless communication interface, it 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 Figure 13 shows only a single communication interface 411, the user terminal 401 may have multiple different communication modules for communicating with the image forming apparatus 1 and the management server 301, respectively. Communication between the user terminal 401 and the image forming apparatus 1 may be performed using a peripheral device connection communication protocol such as Bluetooth® or USB (Universal Serial Bus).

[0079] Memory 412 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory like ROM or RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. Memory 412 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Memory 412 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuit 416, and various data.

[0080] Camera 413 is a module capable of capturing images or videos of a subject. In one embodiment described later, camera 413 is used to optically read a code 201 specific to the supply pack 200.

[0081] The input device 414 is used as a user interface for receiving user operations and information input. The input device 414 may include, for example, one or more of a touch sensor, keypad, keyboard, pointing device, and microphone. In one embodiment described later, a code 201 specific to the supply pack 200 is entered by the user via the input device 414.

[0082] The display device 415 is used to display images and information. The display device 415 may consist of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode).

[0083] The processing circuit 416 may be, for example, a CPU, and by executing a computer program stored in the memory 412, it provides various functions of the user terminal 401. More specifically, as shown in Figure 13, the processing circuit 416 may function as a device control unit 420, a code acquisition unit 430, and an application unit 440. In this specification, only functions related to the management of supplying consumables to the image forming apparatus 1 are mainly described, but the processing circuit 416 may also provide the user with many other functions that a user terminal generally has.

[0084] The device control unit 420 controls image forming and other operations performed in the image forming apparatus 1. The device control unit 420 may include driver software for the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the device control unit 420 detects one or more devices available to the user terminal 401 in the user environment E1 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 acquire the status of each device (e.g., power on / off, toner level, etc.) and present the acquired status to the user. When the user selects the image forming apparatus 1 and instructs printing, the device control unit 420 sends a print job containing image data of the image to be printed to the image forming apparatus 1 and causes the image forming apparatus 1 to print the image.

[0085] The code acquisition unit 430 acquires a code 201 specific to the refill pack 200 that the user intends to use to replenish consumables. For example, if the code 201 is an optically readable code printed on the refill pack 200 or its packaging (e.g., wrapping or enclosed paper slips), the code acquisition unit 430 may optically read the code 201 using the camera 413. In another example, if the code 201 is a code that can be read manually (e.g., through vision), the code acquisition unit 430 may have the user input the code 201 using the input device 414 and acquire the input code 201.

[0086] The application unit 440 may be an application for supply management that operates in conjunction with the management server 301. The application unit 440 may also 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 changes occur. When account information is entered on the account information input screen, the application unit 440 transmits the received account information to the management server 301 via the communication interface 411. In addition, when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed in the user environment E1, the application unit 440 displays an apparatus information input screen on the display device 415. When apparatus information is entered on the apparatus information input screen, the application unit 440 transmits the received apparatus information to the management server 301 via the communication interface 411.

[0087] Furthermore, the application unit 440 may provide a user interface to a user who wishes to replenish consumables from the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1, for requesting pre-replenishment authentication from the management server 301. For example, when the authentication request button is operated by the user, the application unit 440 activates the code acquisition unit 430 to acquire a code unique to the replenishment pack 200, and transmits the acquired code 201 to the management server 301 via the communication interface 411. The application unit 440 may also transmit the code 201 to the management server 301 as part of a request for permission to replenish consumables. Alternatively, the application unit 440 may also transmit the code 201 to the management server 301 as part of a request for opening the replenishment route (or unlocking the opening / closing mechanism).

[0088] In one embodiment, the application unit 440 may send a transmission request to the image forming apparatus 1 to send the device ID required for pre-replenishment authentication by the management server 301 to the management server 301. In another embodiment, the application unit 440 may cause the display device 415 to display a message prompting the user to perform an operation to transmit the device ID in the image forming apparatus 1.

[0089] When pre-replenishment authentication is performed by the management server 301 based on the code 201 unique to the replenishment pack 200, the application unit 440 receives the result of the pre-replenishment authentication from the management server 301. If the authentication result indicates success in pre-replenishment authentication, the application unit 440 may have the device control unit 420 send an unlock command to unlock the opening / closing mechanism or an open command to open the replenishment path to the image forming apparatus 1. Note that if these commands are sent directly from the management server 301 to the image forming apparatus 1, the user terminal 401 does not need to send these commands to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0090] The application unit 440 displays the pre-replenishment authentication result received from the management server 301 on the display device 415. For example, if the pre-replenishment authentication result indicates success, the user can connect the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1, open the supply path by operating the opening / closing mechanism that was blocking the supply path for consumables, and replenish the consumables from the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1. At this time, since the opening / closing mechanism is unlocked by the image forming apparatus 1, the user's operation to open the supply path is not hindered. Note that the connection of the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1 may be performed before the pre-replenishment authentication request or after successful authentication. As described above, instead of the user operating the opening / closing mechanism, the image forming apparatus 1 may automatically operate the opening / closing mechanism. If the pre-replenishment authentication result indicates authentication failure, the user can either retry the pre-replenishment authentication after taking appropriate action, or give up on replenishing the consumables for the time being, depending on the cause of failure which may be displayed on the screen. At this time, the opening and closing mechanism remains locked by the image forming apparatus 1, or the supply path remains blocked without the opening and closing mechanism being automatically activated.

[0091] <2-4. Example of an image forming apparatus configuration> Figure 14 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 14, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a communication interface 11, a memory 12, a user interface 13, an image forming unit 40, an opening / closing mechanism 51, a locking mechanism 52, and a processing circuit 90.

[0092] The communication interface 11 is an interface for the image forming apparatus 1 to communicate with other devices. For example, the communication interface 11 communicates with a user terminal 401 located in the user environment E1 and a management server 301 located in the remote environment E2. The communication interface 11 may be a wired communication interface or a wireless communication interface. If the communication interface 11 is a wireless communication interface, it may be, for example, a WLAN interface or a cellular communication interface. Although only a single communication interface 11 is shown in Figure 14, the image forming apparatus 1 may have multiple different communication modules for communicating with the user terminal 401 and the management server 301, respectively.

[0093] Memory 12 may include any type of storage medium, such as semiconductor memory like ROM or RAM, an optical disk, or a magnetic disk. Memory 12 may also include a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. Memory 12 stores one or more computer programs executed by the processing circuit 90, and various data. Memory 12 pre-stores, for example, an apparatus ID (also called apparatus identification information) that uniquely identifies the image forming apparatus 1.

[0094] The user interface 13 may include an input device for receiving user operations and information input, and a display device for displaying images and information. For example, the user interface 13 may include one or more of a touch panel, keypad, buttons, switches, microphone, and speaker. The user interface 13 may be treated as an operation terminal integrated with the image forming apparatus 1. In one embodiment, the user interface 13 may be used to receive input of a code 201 specific to the supply pack 200.

[0095] As explained with reference to Figure 2, the image forming unit 40 consumes the toner stored in the storage unit 48 to form an image on the recording medium. The opening / closing mechanism 51 is a mechanism that can open and close the supply path 50 from the supply pack 200 connected to the toner receiving unit 110 to the storage unit 48. The ring member 111 including the lever 111b and protrusion 111d, the pack shutter 214 of the supply pack 200, and the main body shutter 116 described above are examples of the opening / closing mechanism 51. The locking mechanism 52 is a mechanism for preventing (i.e., locking) the user's operation of the opening / closing mechanism 51 or the automatic operation of the opening / closing mechanism 51, and for releasing (unlocking) the prevention. The locking unit 150 described above is an example of the locking mechanism 52.

[0096] From a functional standpoint, the aforementioned electronic components 91, 92, and 93 of the processing circuit 90 can primarily function as a print control unit 95 and a lock control unit 96. The print control unit 95 controls the image formation operation of the image forming unit 40. For example, when a print job is received from an external device via the communication I / F 11, the print control unit 95 controls the image forming unit 40 to form an image on the recording medium based on the input image data included in the print job.

[0097] The lock control unit 96 controls the locking and unlocking of the opening / closing mechanism 51 by the lock mechanism 52. For example, when a predetermined input signal is detected, the lock control unit 96 transmits the device ID stored in the memory 12 to the management server 301. The device ID transmitted to the management server 301 may be used to verify whether the image forming apparatus 1 identified by the device ID specified by the user for device registration is actually installed in the user's user environment E1. The device ID transmitted to the management server 301 may also be used by the management server 301 to perform pre-replenishment authentication. Along with the device ID, the lock control unit 96 may also transmit remaining toner information indicating the latest toner level to the management server 301.

[0098] In one embodiment, the input signal that triggers the transmission of the device ID is a received signal (for example, a transmission request requesting the transmission of the device ID) received from the user terminal 401 via the communication interface 11. In this case, the lock control unit 96 reads the device ID from the memory 12 in response to the receipt of the transmission request and transmits the read device ID to the management server 301. In another embodiment, the input signal that triggers the transmission of the device ID is a user input signal (for example, an operation signal indicating that a predetermined button has been operated) detected via the user interface 13. In this case, the lock control unit 96 reads the device ID from the memory 12 in response to the detection of the user input signal and transmits the read device ID to the management server 301.

[0099] The lock control unit 96 transmits the device ID to the management server 301 for pre-replenishment authentication, and then waits for a predetermined waiting period for the reception of an unlock command, which is a control signal based on the result of the pre-replenishment authentication. If the lock control unit 96 receives an unlock command before the end of the waiting period, it causes the lock mechanism 52 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51 according to the unlock command. For example, the lock control unit 96 may energize the solenoid of the lock unit 150 to rotate the lock member 152 as shown in the example in Figure 8(B). This allows the user to rotate the main shutter 116 and the pack shutter 214 of the replenishment pack 200 together with the ring member 111 to open the replenishment path 50. If the image forming apparatus 1 is configured to automatically operate the opening / closing mechanism 51, the lock control unit 96 may wait for the reception of an open command instead of an unlock command, and open the replenishment path 50 by operating the opening / closing mechanism 51 according to the received open command.

[0100] The lock control unit 96 terminates waiting for an unlock or release command if the waiting period expires without receiving an unlock or release command (i.e., a timeout occurs). For example, waiting for an unlock or release command may be performed by temporarily opening a specific receiving port of the communication I / F 11. In this way, by waiting for an external control signal only for a limited period triggered by the detection of a predetermined input signal, the risk of unauthorized operation of the image forming apparatus 1 by a malicious third party can be minimized. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 1 can be put into a sleep state during periods other than the waiting period to reduce its power consumption.

[0101] If an unlock command or release command is received by the lock control unit 96 before the expiration of the standby period, the lock control unit 96 may maintain the opening / closing mechanism 51 in the unlocked state for a predetermined unlock period from the time of receiving the command, and then lock the opening / closing mechanism 51 again after the expiration of the unlock period. In the example of Figure 8, even if the solenoid is de-energized while the opening / closing mechanism 51 is in the open state, the ring member 111 can still rotate counterclockwise. For example, after the opening / closing mechanism 51 is unlocked, the user rotates the ring member 111 clockwise in the figure to open the supply path, thereby starting the supply of consumables. After the supply of consumables is finished, the user rotates the ring member 111 counterclockwise to close the supply path. When the solenoid is de-energized and the rotation position of the ring member 111 is returned to its original position, the tip 153 of the lock member 152 returns to the position shown in Figure 8(A) by the elastic force of the spring. As a result, even if the user attempts to open the supply path by rotating the ring member 111 clockwise again, the rotation of the ring member 111 is prevented by the locking member 152. In this way, the opening / closing mechanism 51 can be relocked. It should be noted again that the configuration shown in Figure 8 is merely one example of the opening / closing mechanism 51 and the locking mechanism 52, and any other configuration may be adopted.

[0102] The print control unit 95 controls the remaining toner detection unit 61 to detect the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48, for example, when an image forming operation is performed and when consumables are replenished. For example, while the toner stored in the storage unit 48 is being stirred by the stirring member 60, the remaining toner detection unit 61 emits light from the light emitter 61a and acquires a light detection signal from the light receiver 61b. The remaining toner detection unit 61 then estimates the remaining toner amount based on the acquired light detection signal and reports the estimated remaining toner amount to the print control unit 95. The print control unit 95 reports the remaining toner amount information, which indicates the remaining toner amount detected in this way, to the management server 301 via the communication interface 11. The toner amount report may be sent to the management server 301 via the user terminal 401 instead of being sent directly to the management server 301.

[0103] When toner is replenished, the toner level increases. As described above, the management server 301 can detect the increase in the toner level based on the remaining toner information, thereby knowing that the replenishment pack 200, which was successfully authenticated before replenishment, has been used by the user. Alternatively, instead of the management server 301, the image forming apparatus 1 or the user terminal 401 may detect the increase in the toner level and send a notification signal to the management server 301 indicating that the replenishment pack 200 has been used.

[0104] <2-5. Processing Flow> This section describes some examples of processing flows that can be executed in the supply management system 300 according to this embodiment, using the sequence diagrams in Figures 15 to 17 and the flowcharts in Figures 18 to 20. In the following description, a processing step will be abbreviated as S (step).

[0105] <2-5-1. Registering device information> Figure 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a general processing flow related to device registration. The sequence shown in Figure 15 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 1, the management server 301, and the user terminal 401. Prior to the start of the sequence, it is assumed that the user's account information has already been registered in the account table 320 of the management DB 313.

[0106] First, in S11, the user enters their user ID and password on the login screen provided by, for example, the application unit 440 of the user terminal 401. In S12, the application unit 440 sends the entered user ID and password to the management server 301 for login. In S13, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 performs user authentication based on the user ID and password received from the user terminal 401. Here, it is assumed that user authentication is successful and login to the system is established. The subsequent processing in Figure 15 takes place while the login session is ongoing.

[0107] In S14, the user enters device information, including the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1 installed in the user environment E1, into the device information input screen provided, for example, by the application unit 440. In S15, the application unit 440 sends a device registration request containing the entered device information to the management server 301. In S16, the data management unit 350 registers the device information included in the received device registration request in the device registration table 330. In S17, the data management unit 350 instructs the application unit 440 to display a message prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on the image forming apparatus 1, and this message is displayed by the display device 415.

[0108] In S21, the user performs a predetermined operation on the user interface 13 of the image forming apparatus 1. Then, in S22, the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1 reads the device ID from the memory 12 and sends the device information, including the read device ID, to the management server 301. In S23, the data management unit 350 compares the device ID included in the device information received from the image forming apparatus 1 with the device ID registered in the device registration table 330 in S16. If these device IDs match, the data management unit 350 updates the corresponding "status" value in the device registration table 330 to "verified". In S24, the data management unit 350 notifies the application unit 440 of the user terminal 401 of the results of this verification. The application unit 440 displays the notified verification results on the screen.

[0109] <2-5-2. Provision of supply packs> Figure 16 is a sequence diagram showing several examples of the general processing flow related to the provision of replenishment packs to users. The sequences shown in Figure 16 mainly involve the image forming apparatus 1, the management server 301, and the user terminal 401. The provision management unit 360 of the management server 301 continuously monitors for the occurrence of trigger events that trigger the provision of replenishment packs 200 to users. Here, the first example of a trigger event is a decrease in toner level, the second is an order for a replenishment pack 200 by the user, and the third is the arrival of the provision timing based on the regular purchase contract.

[0110] In the first example, the print control unit 95 of the image forming apparatus 1 detects the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48 in S31, for example, when an image forming operation is performed. Here, it is assumed that the remaining amount of toner is below a threshold that triggers the provision of a new replenishment pack 200. In S32, the print control unit 95 reports the detected toner amount information to the management server 301. In S33, the provision management unit 360 of the management server 301 recognizes that the toner level of the image forming apparatus 1 is low and assigns a new replenishment pack 200 to the user who owns the image forming apparatus 1. Assigning a replenishment pack 200 to a user may include adding a new record to the delivery pack table 340 that shows the user ID and the pack ID that identifies the replenishment pack 200. The provision management unit 360 also sends a message to the delivery person instructing them to deliver the assigned replenishment pack 200. When a new supply pack 200 is shipped to a user, the supply management unit 360 sends a shipping notification to the user terminal 401 in S34.

[0111] In the second example, in S36, the user accesses a website selling the replenishment pack 200 using, for example, a user terminal 401, and places an order for a new replenishment pack 200. In S37, the user terminal 401 sends order information to the management server 301, for example, indicating the type and quantity of the ordered replenishment pack 200. In S38, the supply management unit 360 of the management server 301, upon receiving the order information, allocates the specified number of replenishment packs 200 to the user, who is the purchaser. The supply management unit 360 also sends a message to the delivery person instructing them to deliver the allocated replenishment pack 200. When the replenishment pack 200 is shipped to the user, the supply management unit 360 sends a shipping notification to the user terminal 401 in S39.

[0112] In the third example, in S41, the supply management unit 360 determines that the time for supplying a replenishment pack 200 has arrived for a user who has a regular purchase contract. In S42, the supply management unit 360 allocates a new replenishment pack 200 to the user for whom the time for supply has arrived. The supply management unit 360 also sends a message to the delivery person instructing them to deliver the allocated replenishment pack 200. When the replenishment pack 200 is shipped to the user, the supply management unit 360 sends a shipping notification to the user terminal 401 in S43.

[0113] <2-5-3. Certification and replenishment of consumables (First example)> Figure 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a general processing flow in the first embodiment when replenishing consumables. The sequence shown in Figure 17 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 1, the management server 301, and the user terminal 401. Prior to the start of the sequence, it is assumed that an unused new replenishment pack 200 has been delivered to the user environment E1.

[0114] First, in S60, the user enters their user ID and password on the login screen. In S61, the application unit 440 of the user terminal 401 sends the entered user ID and password to the management server 301. In S62, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 performs user authentication based on the user ID and password received from the user terminal 401. Here, it is assumed that user authentication is successful and login to the system is established. The subsequent processing in Figure 17 takes place while the login session is ongoing.

[0115] In S65, the application unit 440 activates the code acquisition unit 430 in response to user operation. The code acquisition unit 430 acquires the code 201 unique to the supply pack 200, for example, by optically reading it using the camera 413, or by accepting user input. Then, in S66, the application unit 440 sends an unlock request including the code 201 acquired by the code acquisition unit 430 to the management server 301.

[0116] The authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 initiates pre-supply authentication upon receiving an unlock request. S67 is the first stage of pre-supply authentication, in which the authentication unit 370 determines whether the supply pack 200 identified by code 201 included in the unlock request corresponds to the login user's account by referring to the delivery pack table 340. Here, since the supply pack 200 corresponds to the user account, the first stage of authentication is assumed to be successful. In response to the success of the first stage of authentication, the authentication unit 370 instructs the application unit 440 in S68 to display a message prompting the user to perform a predetermined operation on the supply destination device, and this message is displayed by the display device 415.

[0117] In S72, the user performs a predetermined operation on the user interface 13 of the image forming apparatus 1, which is the device to be resupplied. Then, in S73, the lock control unit 96 reads the device ID from the memory 12 and sends the device information, including the read device ID, to the management server 301. S74 is the second stage of pre-resupply authentication, and the authentication unit 370 determines whether the image forming apparatus 1, the device to be resupplied, has a corresponding relationship with the user account of the logged-in user, based on the device ID included in the received device information, by referring to the device registration table 330. Here, since the image forming apparatus 1 has a corresponding relationship with the user account, the second stage of authentication is also assumed to be successful. In response to the success of pre-resupply authentication, the authentication unit 370 notifies the user terminal 401 of the authentication success result in S75. Also, in S76, the authentication unit 370 sends an unlock command to the image forming apparatus 1 to unlock the lock mechanism 52 of the image forming apparatus 1 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51.

[0118] In S77, the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1, upon receiving an unlock command from the management server 301, causes the lock mechanism 52 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51. In S78, the unlocked opening / closing mechanism 51 is operated by the user (or automatically activated), the supply path 50 is opened, and consumables are supplied from the supply pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1. In S79, the print control unit 95 detects the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48 and reports the remaining amount information to the management server 301. In S80, the data management unit 350 of the management server 301 updates the "Toner Remaining Amount" value in the record of the device registration table 330 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1 upon receiving the remaining amount information. The data management unit 350 also changes the "Status" of the record of the delivery pack table 340 corresponding to the used supply pack 200 to "Used".

[0119] On the other hand, when the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1 receives an unlock command or a predetermined unlock period has elapsed since the opening / closing mechanism 51 was unlocked, in S81 the opening / closing mechanism 51 is locked again.

[0120] As mentioned above, only the pre-replenishment authentication for the replenishment pack 200 in S67 may be performed, and the pre-replenishment authentication for the image forming apparatus 1 in S74 may be omitted. In this case, the user operation in S72 and the transmission of device information in S73 may also be omitted. However, if the power to the image forming apparatus 1 is off, the image forming apparatus 1 cannot receive an unlock command from the management server 301, so the management server 301 may instruct the user to turn on the power to the image forming apparatus 1 in S68.

[0121] <2-5-4. Authentication Process> Figure 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the authentication process performed by the management server 301. The authentication process in Figure 18 corresponds to the process performed by the authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 in steps S62 to S76 of Figure 17. This authentication process can be realized, for example, by having the processing circuit 314 execute a computer program that is pre-stored in the memory 312 of the management server 301.

[0122] 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 performs user authentication based on the received user ID and password. Here, we assume that user authentication is successful, and the processing flow in the case of user authentication failure is omitted.

[0123] Next, in S115, the authentication unit 370 receives a code 201 unique to the replenishment pack 200 acquired in the user environment E1. Then, in S117, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the replenishment pack 200 identified based on the received code 201 has a correspondence with the user account of the logged-in user. For example, if the association between the pack ID based on the received code 201 and the user ID of the logged-in user is registered in the delivery pack table 340, it is determined that the replenishment pack 200 is an item that can be authorized for use (for example, one provided through a legitimate route), and the process proceeds to S121. On the other hand, if the association between the pack ID based on the received code 201 and the user ID of the logged-in user is not registered in the delivery pack table 340, it is determined that the replenishment pack 200 is not an item that can be authorized for use, and the process proceeds to S119.

[0124] In S119, the authentication unit 370 determines that the supply pack 200 is not an item that can be authorized for use, and therefore determines that it will not authorize the replenishment of consumables from the supply pack 200. In this case, the authentication unit 370 sends an authentication result notification to the user terminal 401 indicating that the supply pack 200 is not authorized for use and that pre-replenishment authentication has failed.

[0125] In S121, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the status of the supply pack 200 identified by the received code 201 is "unused" by referring to the delivery pack table 340. If the status is "unused", the process proceeds to S125. On the other hand, if the status is "used", the process proceeds to S123.

[0126] In S123, the authentication unit 370 determines that the supply pack 200 has already been used and therefore does not permit the replenishment of consumables from that supply pack 200. In this case, the authentication unit 370 sends an authentication result notification to the user terminal 401 indicating that pre-replenishment authentication failed because the supply pack 200 has been used.

[0127] If the replenishment pack 200 identified by the received code 201 is eligible for use and is unused, in S125 the authentication unit 370 instructs the user to perform a predetermined operation on the replenishment device (for example, by displaying a message on the screen). Next, in S127 the authentication unit 370 receives device information, including the device ID, from the image forming apparatus 1, which is the replenishment device. Next, in S129 the authentication unit 370 determines whether the replenishment device identified by the received device ID is registered as the device of the logged-in user. For example, if the association between the received device ID and the logged-in user's user ID is registered in the device registration table 330, the replenishment device is registered as the device of the logged-in user, and the process proceeds to S133. On the other hand, if the association between the received device ID and the logged-in user's user ID is not registered in the device registration table 330, the replenishment device is not registered as the device of the logged-in user, and the process proceeds to S131.

[0128] In S131, the authentication unit 370 determines that the supply destination device is not registered as the device of the logged-in user, and therefore does not authorize the supply of consumables to that device. In this case, the authentication unit 370 sends an authentication result notification to the user terminal 401 indicating that pre-supply authentication failed due to the device not being registered.

[0129] In S133, the authentication unit 370 determines that the replenishment destination device is registered as the device of the logged-in user, and therefore authorizes the replenishment of consumables from the replenishment pack 200 to the image forming apparatus 1, which is the replenishment destination device. In this case, the authentication unit 370 sends an unlock command to the lock mechanism 52 of the image forming apparatus 1 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51, and also sends an authentication result notification indicating successful authentication to the user terminal 401. Although not shown in Figure 18, as described above, in S133, the authentication unit 370 may authorize the replenishment of consumables to the replenishment destination device only if the remaining toner information indicates that the toner level of the replenishment destination device is below a predetermined remaining threshold.

[0130] <2-5-5. Lock Control Processing> Figure 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the lock control process performed by the image forming apparatus 1. The lock control process in Figure 19 corresponds to the process performed by the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1 in steps S72 to S81 of Figure 17. This lock control process can be realized, for example, by the processing circuit 90 executing a computer program that is pre-stored in the memory 12 of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0131] First, in S211, the lock control unit 96 detects a predetermined input signal. This input signal may be, for example, an ID transmission request received from the user terminal 401 via the communication interface 11, or a user input signal detected via the user interface 13. In S213, in response to the detection of the predetermined input signal, the lock control unit 96 reads the device ID from the memory 12 and sends the device information, including the read device ID, to the management server 301. Next, in S215, the lock control unit 96 starts waiting to receive an unlock command, which is a control signal based on the result of pre-replenishment authentication.

[0132] In S217, the lock control unit 96 determines whether a predetermined waiting period has expired by, for example, referring to the value of a timer that starts at the start of the waiting period. If the waiting period has expired, the process proceeds to S237. On the other hand, if the waiting period has not expired, the process proceeds to S219.

[0133] In S219, the process branches depending on whether or not an unlock command is received from the management server 301. If an unlock command is received from the management server 301, the process proceeds to S221. If no unlock command is received, the process returns to S217.

[0134] In S221, the lock control unit 96 instructs the lock mechanism 52 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51 in accordance with the unlock command received from the management server 301. Next, in S223, the lock control unit 96 waits until the unlock period expires, for example, by using a timer that starts when the opening / closing mechanism 51 is unlocked. During this time, in S225, the lock control unit 96 monitors the user's operation of the opening / closing mechanism 51. When the user operates the opening / closing mechanism 51 and the supply path 50 is opened, the process proceeds to S227.

[0135] In S227, the lock control unit 96 sends an operation notification to the management server 301 indicating that the replenishment route 50 has been opened. 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 95 reports the remaining amount of toner detected by the remaining amount detection unit 61 to the management server 301. 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.

[0136] If it is determined in S223 or S233 that the unlock period has expired, in S235 the lock control unit 96 causes the lock mechanism 52 to relock the opening / closing mechanism 51. Also, in S237 the lock control unit 96 stops waiting for control signals from external devices. Then the lock control process shown in Figure 19 ends.

[0137] <2-5-6. Certification and replenishment of consumables (Second example)> Figure 20 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a general processing flow related to the second embodiment during consumable replenishment. The sequence shown in Figure 20 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 1, the management server 301, and the user terminal 401. Prior to the start of the sequence, it is assumed that an unused new replenishment pack 200 has been delivered to the user environment E1.

[0138] Steps S60 to S62, which are processing steps related to login and user authentication, may be the same as in the first embodiment shown in Figure 17, so a further explanation is omitted here.

[0139] In S65, the code acquisition unit 430 of the user terminal 401 is activated in response to user operation and acquires a code 201 unique to the supply pack 200. Then, in S69, the device control unit 420 sends a code notification containing the code 201 acquired by the code acquisition unit 430 to the image forming apparatus 1. In response to receiving the code notification, the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1 sends an unlock request to the management server 301 in S70, which may include the notified code 201 and device information including the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0140] Alternatively, instead of sending a code notification including code 201 to the image forming apparatus 1 in S69, the user terminal 401 may send an unlock request including code 201 to the management server 301 and an ID transmission request (without code 201) to the image forming apparatus 1. In this case, the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1, upon receiving the ID transmission request, sends device information including the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1 to the management server 301, as shown in S73 of Figure 17.

[0141] The authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 initiates pre-replenishment authentication upon receiving an unlock request. In S71, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the replenishment pack 200, identified by code 201 included in the unlock request, corresponds to the login user's account by referring to the delivery pack table 340. Here, it is assumed that the replenishment pack 200 has an appropriate correspondence to the user account. Next, in S74, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the image forming apparatus 1 to be resupplied corresponds to the login user's user account based on the device ID included in the unlock request by referring to the device registration table 330. Here, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 1 has an appropriate correspondence to the user account. Therefore, pre-replenishment authentication is successful. In response to the success of pre-replenishment authentication, the authentication unit 370 notifies the user terminal 401 of the authentication success result in S75. Also, in S76, the authentication unit 370 sends an unlock command to the locking mechanism 52 of the image forming apparatus 1 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51.

[0142] Steps S77 to S81, which are processing steps after the transmission of the unlock command, may be the same as in the first embodiment shown in Figure 17, so a further explanation is omitted here.

[0143] In the first embodiment shown in Figure 17, a code 201 unique to the replenishment pack 200 is transmitted from the user terminal 401 to the management server 301, while a device ID identifying the image forming apparatus 1, which is the replenishment destination device, is transmitted from the image forming apparatus 1 to the management server 301. Therefore, there is no need to send and receive the code 201 between the user terminal 401 and the image forming apparatus 1, and the above mechanism can be realized with relatively low development costs. In the second embodiment shown in Figure 20, the code 201 unique to the replenishment pack 200 is transferred from the user terminal 401, which acquired the code 201, to the image forming apparatus 1, and relayed to the management server 301 along with the device information of the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, the user does not need to operate the image forming apparatus 1 to trigger the transmission of the device ID, and the operational burden on the user for pre-replenishment authentication is reduced.

[0144] <2-6. Variant Example> Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a supply management system 300b according to a modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, the functions of the user terminal 401 described above are substantially integrated into the image forming apparatus 1. Referring to Figure 21, the supply management system 300b includes the image forming apparatus 1b and the management server 301.

[0145] The image forming apparatus 1b is installed in a user environment E1 where a user is present. The image forming apparatus 1b may have basically the same configuration as the image forming apparatus 1 described above, except that it is additionally equipped with an operation terminal 402. The operation terminal 402 provides a code acquisition function similar to the code acquisition unit 430 of the user terminal 401, and a UI function similar to the application unit 440 of the user terminal 401. The operation terminal 402 may be used, for example, to accept input of account information and to accept input of a code 201 specific to the supply pack 200. When the operation terminal 402 accepts input of the code 201, the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1b sends an unlock request via the communication I / F 11 to the management server 301, which may include the input code 201 and device information including the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1b. Then, based on the results of pre-replenishment authentication performed by the management server 301, the lock control unit 96 either causes the opening / closing mechanism 51 to open the consumable supply route 50, or unlocks the opening / closing mechanism 51 to enable the opening of the supply route 50.

[0146] These modifications make it possible to reduce development costs by omitting the transmission and reception of code 201 between the user terminal 401 and the image forming apparatus 1, and to reduce the user's operational burden by omitting the operation required to trigger the transmission of the apparatus ID.

[0147] <2-7. Summary of the First Embodiment> According to the first embodiment described in this section, an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the supply route for consumables from a storage device containing consumables consumed for image formation to an image forming apparatus is provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, a code unique to the storage device to be used for consumable replenishment is acquired by a terminal in the user environment, and the acquired code is transmitted to a server device in a remote environment. Authentication to authorize the replenishment of consumables from this storage device is then performed by the server device based on the above code. If this authentication is successful, the supply route for consumables is opened by the opening / closing mechanism, or the opening / closing mechanism is made capable of opening the supply route. Therefore, the replenishment of consumables can be authorized or denied by taking into account conditions that are difficult for the image forming apparatus alone to determine, such as the existence of a correspondence between the storage device and the user account, or the existence of a correspondence between the replenishment destination device and the user account.

[0148] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the code unique to the containment device is an optically readable code or a code that can be manually read by the user, printed on the device or its packaging. Therefore, the code can be easily obtained using the terminal's user interface or camera. In this case, the need to equip each containment device, which is consumed one after another, with memory to store the code is eliminated, thus reducing the running costs borne by the user.

[0149] In this section, an example has been mainly described in which the management server 301 performs pre-replenishment authentication in response to an unlock request from a user terminal 401 or image forming apparatus 1 located in the user environment E1. However, this embodiment is not limited to such an example. For example, the management server 301 may, in response to a verification request that may include a code unique to the replenishment pack 200, verify the association between the user account and the replenishment pack 200 and send a verification result notification to the user terminal 401 or image forming apparatus 1. In this case, the user terminal 401 or image forming apparatus 1 that receives the verification result notification may decide whether or not to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51 based on the notified verification result.

[0150] Furthermore, this section mainly describes an example in which the "status" of the corresponding record in the delivery pack table 340 is changed to "used" in response to a remaining toner amount report sent from the image forming apparatus 1 to the management server 301 after toner replenishment. However, this embodiment is not limited to such an example. For example, the trigger for the status change may be the detection of a predetermined user operation. More specifically, in one modified example, first, the user terminal 401 or the image forming apparatus 1 displays a message on the screen asking the user whether toner replenishment is complete. When toner replenishment is complete, the user operates the input device 414 of the user terminal 401 or a (physical or GUI) button on the image forming apparatus 1 to respond that replenishment is complete. In response to the detection of such user operation, the user terminal 401 or the image forming apparatus 1 sends a replenishment completion notification to the management server 301. In response to receiving this replenishment completion notification, the management server 301 may change the "status" of the corresponding record in the delivery pack table 340 to "used". In other modifications, a lever position sensor for detecting the position of lever 111b may be additionally provided to the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 may then send a replenishment completion notification to the management server 301 when the lever position sensor detects that lever 111b has returned to its original position. Upon receiving this replenishment completion notification, the management server 301 may change the "status" of the corresponding record in the delivery pack table 340 to "used".

[0151] <3. Supply Management System (Second Embodiment)> In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which a code unique to the containment device is provided in a form that is optically readable or manually readable by a user. In the second embodiment described in this section, an example is described in which a code unique to the containment device is stored in a memory installed in the containment device.

[0152] <3-1. System Overview> Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply management system 300c according to the second embodiment. Referring to Figure 22, the supply management system 300c includes an image forming apparatus 1c, a management server 301, and a user terminal 401.

[0153] The image forming apparatus 1c is installed in a user environment E1 where a user resides. The user terminal 401 is also located in the user environment E1 and is owned by the user. The image forming apparatus 1c and the user terminal 401 are connected to a local network N1, which may be a LAN, for example.

[0154] In user environment E1, the user utilizes the image forming apparatus 1c. The image forming apparatus 1c consumes toner as a consumable to form an image on a recording medium. When the toner stored in the image forming apparatus 1c is depleted, the user connects a replenishment pack 200c, which is a storage device containing toner, to the image forming apparatus 1c and replenishes the toner from the replenishment pack 200c to the image forming apparatus 1c. In this embodiment, each replenishment pack 200c is assigned a unique code for uniquely identifying the replenishment pack 200c. The replenishment pack 200c may be configured in the same way as the replenishment pack 200 described above, except that it includes a memory chip (hereinafter referred to as a memory tag) that stores the code assigned to it. The image forming apparatus 1c may be configured in the same way as the image forming apparatus 1 described above, except that it additionally includes a configuration for reading the code from the memory tag of the replenishment pack 200c.

[0155] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the replenishment pack 200c and the image forming apparatus 1c according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 23, the replenishment pack 200c comprises a housing section 211, a nozzle 212, a pack shutter 214, and a memory tag 230. The memory tag 230 is disposed, for example, at the tip of the nozzle 212. Meanwhile, a tag terminal 130 is disposed on the bottom surface of the cylindrical member 112 of the toner receiving section 110 of the image forming apparatus 1c. The tag terminal 130 electrically contacts the output terminal of the memory tag 230 when the replenishment pack 200c is connected to the toner receiving section 110. Through this electrical contact between terminals, the image forming apparatus 1c can read the information stored in the memory tag 230 of the replenishment pack 200c.

[0156] <3-2. Example of an image forming apparatus configuration> Figure 24 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1c according to this embodiment. Referring to Figure 24, the image forming apparatus 1c includes a communication interface 11, a memory 12, a user interface 13, an image forming unit 40, an opening / closing mechanism 51, a locking mechanism 52, a processing circuit 90, and a tag terminal 130. From a functional standpoint, the processing circuit 90 can mainly function as a print control unit 95 and a lock control unit 196.

[0157] The lock control unit 196 controls the locking and unlocking of the opening / closing mechanism 51 by the lock mechanism 52, similar to the lock control unit 96 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. Here, only the differences between the lock control unit 96 and the lock control unit 196 will be explained.

[0158] When the lock control unit 196 detects the connection of the replenishment pack 200c (for example, using a sensor not shown), it reads a code unique to the replenishment pack 200c from the memory tag 230 of the replenishment pack 200c via the tag terminal 130. The lock control unit 196 also reads the device ID that uniquely identifies the image forming apparatus 1c from the memory 12. The lock control unit 196 then sends an unlock request containing the code unique to the replenishment pack 200c and the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1c to the management server 301 via the communication interface 11. Prior to or after sending the unlock request, the user enters their user ID and password via the user interface 13, and if user authentication is successful, they log in to the system. The management server 301 performs the pre-replenishment authentication described above using the user ID of the logged-in user, as well as the code and device ID received from the image forming apparatus 1c.

[0159] The lock control unit 196 transmits the device ID to the management server 301 for pre-replenishment authentication, and then waits for a predetermined waiting period for the receipt of an unlock command, which is a control signal based on the result of the pre-replenishment authentication. If the unlock command is received before the end of the waiting period, the lock control unit 196 causes the lock mechanism 52 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51 in accordance with the unlock command. If the waiting period expires without receiving a command from the management server 301, the lock control unit 196 terminates waiting for a command.

[0160] <3-3. Processing Flow> Figure 25 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a general processing flow when replenishing consumables in this embodiment. The sequence shown in Figure 25 mainly involves the image forming apparatus 1c and the management server 301. Prior to the start of the sequence, it is assumed that an unused new replenishment pack 200 has been delivered to the user environment E1.

[0161] First, in S51, the user enters their user ID and password on the login screen provided, for example, by the user I / F 13 of the image forming apparatus 1c. In S52, the lock control unit 196 sends the entered user ID and password to the management server 301 for login. In S53, the authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 performs user authentication based on the user ID and password received from the image forming apparatus 1c. Here, it is assumed that user authentication is successful and login to the system is established. The subsequent processing in Figure 25 takes place while the login session is ongoing.

[0162] In S54, the user connects the replenishment pack 200c to the image forming apparatus 1c, and this connection is detected by the lock control unit 196. Next, in S55, the lock control unit 196 reads a code unique to the replenishment pack 200c from the memory tag 230 of the replenishment pack 200c via the tag terminal 130. Next, in S70, the lock control unit 196 sends an unlock request to the management server 301, which may include the code read from the memory tag 230 and device information including the device ID of the image forming apparatus 1.

[0163] The authentication unit 370 of the management server 301 initiates pre-replenishment authentication upon receiving an unlock request. In S71, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the replenishment pack 200c, identified by the code included in the unlock request, corresponds to the login user's account by referring to the delivery pack table 340. Here, it is assumed that the replenishment pack 200c has an appropriate correspondence to the user account. Next, in S74, the authentication unit 370 determines whether the image forming apparatus 1c corresponds to the login user's user account based on the device ID included in the unlock request by referring to the device registration table 330. Here, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus 1c has an appropriate correspondence to the user account. Therefore, pre-replenishment authentication is successful. In response to the success of pre-replenishment authentication, in S76, the authentication unit 370 sends an unlock command to the image forming apparatus 1c to unlock the lock mechanism 52 of the image forming apparatus 1c, instructing it to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51.

[0164] In S77, the lock control unit 196, in response to receiving an unlock command from the management server 301, causes the lock mechanism 52 to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51. In S78, the unlocked opening / closing mechanism 51 is operated by the user (or automatically activated), the supply path 50 is opened, and consumables are supplied from the supply pack 200c to the image forming apparatus 1c. In S79, the print control unit 95 detects the remaining amount of toner in the storage unit 48 and reports the remaining amount information to the management server 301. In S80, the data management unit 350 of the management server 301 updates the "Toner Remaining Amount" value in the record of the device registration table 330 corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1c in response to receiving the remaining amount information. The data management unit 350 also changes the "Status" of the record of the delivery pack table 340 corresponding to the used supply pack 200c to "Used".

[0165] On the other hand, when the lock control unit 196 of the image forming apparatus 1c receives an unlock command or a predetermined unlock period has elapsed since the opening / closing mechanism 51 was unlocked, it locks the opening / closing mechanism 51 again in S81.

[0166] <3-4. Summary of the second embodiment> According to the second embodiment described in this section, an opening / closing mechanism capable of opening and closing the supply route for consumables from a storage device containing consumables consumed for image formation to an image forming apparatus is provided in at least one of the storage device and the image forming apparatus. A code unique to the storage device to be used for consumable replenishment is read from the storage device to the image forming apparatus, and the read code is transmitted to a server device in a remote environment. Authentication to authorize the replenishment of consumables from this storage device to the image forming apparatus is then performed by the server device based on the above code. If this authentication is successful, the supply route for consumables is opened by the opening / closing mechanism, or the opening / closing mechanism is made capable of opening the supply route. Therefore, the replenishment of consumables can be authorized or denied, taking into account conditions that are difficult for the image forming apparatus alone to determine, such as the existence of a correspondence between the storage device and the user account, or the existence of a correspondence between the image forming apparatus and the user account.

[0167] In this embodiment as well, instead of performing pre-replenishment authentication in response to an unlock request, the management server 301 may perform verification of the association between the user account and the replenishment pack 200 in response to a verification request. In this case, the user terminal 401 or the image forming apparatus 1, upon receiving a verification result notification from the management server 301, may determine whether or not to unlock the opening / closing mechanism 51 based on the notified verification result.

[0168] Furthermore, in this embodiment as well, the change of the "status" of the delivery pack table 340 to "used" may be performed in response to the detection of a predetermined user operation, instead of reporting the remaining quantity. The user operation here may be a reaction to a question on the screen, or it may be an operation on the opening / closing mechanism 51 detected by the lever position sensor.

[0169] The first and second embodiments described herein, as well as various other embodiments and modifications, may be combined in any way. Features and effects described in relation to a particular example are applicable to any embodiment, example, and modification unless otherwise explicitly stated.

[0170] <4. Other Embodiments> The above embodiment can also be implemented in the form of a process in which a program that implements one or more functions is supplied to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

[0171] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0172] 1,1b,1c: Image forming apparatus, 11: Communication interface (communication unit), 13: User interface (communication unit), 40: Image forming unit, 48: Storage unit, 50: Replenishment route, 51: Opening / closing mechanism, 52: Locking mechanism, 61: Remaining quantity detection unit, 96,196: Lock control unit (control unit), 200,200c: Replenishment pack (storage device), 201: Code, 230: Memory tag (memory), 300,300b,300c: Replenishment management system, 301: Management server (server device), 311: Communication interface (communication unit), 313: Management DB (database), 401: User terminal, 402: Operation terminal (acquisition unit), 420: Device control unit (control unit), 430: Code acquisition unit (acquisition unit), E1: User environment, E2: Remote environment

Claims

1. A supply management system comprising an image forming apparatus to which a storage device containing consumables consumed for image forming is detachably attached, and a server device that communicates with the image forming apparatus via a network, The image forming apparatus is A storage unit for storing the consumables supplied from the aforementioned storage device, A detection means for detecting the amount of the consumable material in the storage unit, A communication means for transmitting information regarding the amount of the consumable material detected by the detection means to the server device, Equipped with, The server device is When the image forming apparatus receives the information regarding the amount of the consumables, the assignment means assigns the new storage device, to which a code identifying the new storage device is assigned, to the image forming apparatus. database and Equipped with, When the server device assigns the new storage device to the image forming apparatus, it associates the code with the image forming apparatus and registers status information in the database indicating that the new storage device is unused. The aforementioned supply management system further, When the new storage device delivered by the operator operating the supply management system is mounted on the image forming apparatus, an acquisition means for acquiring the code assigned to the new storage device, Authentication means that receives the code obtained by the acquisition means and performs authentication for the new housing device based on the received code, Includes, The authentication means determines that the authentication is successful if the new storage device identified by the code is associated with the image forming apparatus in the database and the status information corresponding to the code is unused. The image forming apparatus further, If the authentication performed by the authentication means is successful, a control means permits the supply of the consumables from the new storage device to the storage unit. Equipped with, When the server device receives information from the image forming apparatus regarding the amount of consumables, which indicates an increase in the amount of consumables in the storage unit, it updates the status information for the new storage device identified by the code to information indicating that it has been used. Supply management system.

2. The server device further comprises the authentication means, and receives user account information. The authentication performed by the authentication means includes determining whether the new containment device identified by the code corresponds to the account indicated by the account information. The supply management system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned database is An association exists between each account and at least one storage device provided to the user who has that account. The authentication means determines that the new containment device, identified in the database by the code, is associated with an account indicated by the account information, and that the new containment device has a correspondence with the account. The supply management system according to claim 2.

4. The image forming apparatus is The system has pre-stored device identification information for identifying the aforementioned image forming apparatus. When a predetermined input signal is detected, the communication means transmits the device identification information along with the information regarding the amount of the consumable to the server device. The authentication performed by the authentication means further includes determining whether the image forming apparatus identified by the apparatus identification information has a corresponding relationship with the account. The supply management system according to claim 3.

5. The database further indicates the association between each account and at least one image forming apparatus registered as the device of the user who has that account. The authentication means determines that the image forming apparatus has a correspondence with the account when the image forming apparatus identified by the apparatus identification information in the database is associated with the account indicated by the account information. The supply management system according to claim 4.

6. The authentication means causes the authentication to fail if the status information corresponding to the code indicates that it has been used. A supply management system according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

7. The information relating to the amount of the consumables is information relating to the remaining amount of the consumables in the storage unit. The server device is The remaining amount information newly received from the image forming apparatus is compared with the value of the remaining amount of the consumable material in the storage unit stored in the database, and if the value indicated by the newly received remaining amount information is greater than the value stored in the database, the status information for the new storage device identified by the code is updated to indicate that it has been used. The supply management system according to claim 6.

8. The supply management system according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control means waits for a predetermined period of time for the reception of a control signal based on the authentication result after the device identification information has been transmitted to the server device in response to the detection of the predetermined input signal.

9. The code is an optically readable code printed on the new housing device or the package of the new housing device. The acquisition means acquires the code by optically reading the code. A supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the acquisition means acquires the code input by the user via a user interface.

11. The code is stored in a memory located in the new housing device. The acquisition means acquires the code by reading the code from the memory of the new storage device. A supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. The supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the supply management system includes a user terminal equipped with the acquisition means.

13. The supply management system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the supply management system includes the image forming apparatus comprising the acquisition means and the control means.

14. A supply management system includes an image forming apparatus to which a storage device containing consumables consumed for image forming is detachably attached, and a server device that communicates with the image forming apparatus via a network, wherein a supply control method for controlling the supply of the consumables to the image forming apparatus, The image forming apparatus includes a storage unit for storing the consumables supplied from the storage device, The aforementioned supply control method is: The image forming apparatus transmits information regarding the amount of the consumables in the storage unit to the server device, When the server device receives the information regarding the amount of consumables from the image forming apparatus, it assigns a code to identify the new storage device to the new storage device, and then assigns the new storage device to the image forming apparatus. When the server device assigns the new storage device to the image forming apparatus, it associates the code with the image forming apparatus and registers status information in the database indicating that the new storage device is unused. When the new storage device delivered by the operator of the supply management system is installed in the image forming apparatus, the code assigned to the new storage device is acquired, The authentication of the new housing device is performed based on the acquired code, In the authentication described above, the authentication is considered successful if the new storage device identified by the code is associated with the image forming apparatus in the database and the status information corresponding to the code is unused. If the authentication is successful, the image forming apparatus shall permit the replenishment of the consumables from the new storage device to the storage unit, When the information regarding the amount of consumables transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the server device indicates an increase in the amount of consumables in the storage unit, the server device updates the status information for the new storage device identified by the code to information indicating that it has been used. A supply control method, including a supply control method.

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