JP3726522B2 - Image forming apparatus management system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a copying machine and the like, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus management system that collects a fee according to the number of images formed by a prepaid card.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a copying machine that uses a prepaid card and collects a fee according to the number of copies is known. In the prepaid card, the frequency according to the fee paid at the time of card purchase is recorded, and when the copier is used, the prepaid card is inserted into a card reading / writing device provided in the copier. When copying with the copying machine is completed, the card reader / writer updates the frequency recorded on the prepaid card by subtracting the frequency corresponding to the number of copies from the frequency of the prepaid card, and ejects the prepaid card. To do. Further, when the frequency of the prepaid card becomes 0, the prepaid card becomes unusable.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, an image forming apparatus management system such as a copying machine that manages the number of sheets (charging method) using a prepaid card does not cause a problem of exceeding the budget, and is considered to continue to be used in the future. In recent years, with the advancement of copying machines, it has become possible to functionally separate the document reading unit and the paper printing unit, and simultaneously execute a plurality of tasks (in this case, document reading and paper printing) A pre-read mode in which a document is read for the next job while printing for the previous job is provided, and a plurality of jobs can be processed in parallel.
[0004]
In the prior art, when the prepaid card is removed from the card reading / writing device, the copying machine is stopped and copying is prohibited at that time. Therefore, as described above, when the copying machine has a pre-reading mode in which all the originals are read and then copied (printed), the operation proceeds to the printing operation for the already read original and the next original can be read. Even if it is, the previous user cannot remove his / her prepaid card until printing is completed, so the next user cannot insert his / her prepaid card into the card reading / writing device and read the original. There was a drawback.
[0005]
In other words, in the prior art, in order to insert the prepaid card into the card reading / writing device in order to make a pre-reading reservation for the next user, the previous user's prepaid card must be removed from the card reading / writing device. Must not. However, the conventional technique has a problem that the operation cannot be continued because the copying machine stops when the prepaid card is removed.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus management system that can simultaneously process a plurality of jobs by a plurality of people using different prepaid cards.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, in the invention described in claim 1, image formation permission / image for an image forming apparatus capable of simultaneously executing a plurality of tasks separated based on the frequency recorded on the prepaid card. In the image forming apparatus management system that controls the prohibition of formation, the card insertion means into which the prepaid card is inserted, and the frequency recorded in the prepaid card inserted into the card insertion means are recorded in the image forming apparatus. A frequency updating unit that updates based on the scheduled number of image formations, a permission unit that permits the image forming apparatus to start operation if the frequency updated by the frequency updating unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and the frequency update And a card ejecting means for ejecting the prepaid card whose frequency has been updated by the means from the card inserting means. To.
[0008]
According to this invention, when the prepaid card is inserted into the card insertion means, after the frequency of the prepaid card is updated by the frequency update means, the prepaid card is immediately discharged by the card discharge means, Image formation by a prepaid card can be accepted. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously process a plurality of jobs by a plurality of people using different prepaid cards.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A. Configuration of Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the card reading / writing device 1 detects the insertion of a prepaid card in which the frequency according to the fee paid at the time of card purchase is recorded, reads the information (frequency) recorded in the prepaid card, and information (Frequency, start date and time) is written, and the prepaid card is discharged.
[0010]
Next, the control device 2 includes a calculation unit 3, a time measuring unit 4, a storage unit 5, and the like. The arithmetic unit 3 calculates the number of copies according to the number of copies and the number of copies set by the user on the copier 7 side, which will be described later, or writes to the prepaid card when the copying operation on the copier 7 side stops halfway. The correction frequency for correcting the correction frequency is calculated. The timer 4 measures the current time.
[0011]
The storage unit 5 is composed of a storage medium such as a rewritable RAM. The copy number value storage area 5a for storing the number of copies calculated by the calculation unit, and the current time measured by the timing unit are stored in a prepaid card. It has a start date and time storage area 5b that stores it as a start date and time (copy start date and time) for identification.
[0012]
The display device 6 displays a message supplied from the control device in order to prompt the user to operate the prepaid card such as insertion of the prepaid card.
[0013]
In the copying machine 7, a document reading unit (not shown) and a paper printing unit (not shown) are functionally separated, and a plurality of jobs can be processed simultaneously. The display device 8 displays a message prompting the user to place a document on the document reading unit in the copying machine 7, the number of copies input to the user from an operation unit (not shown), or a job in the copying machine 7 being stopped halfway. Error message etc. are displayed.
[0014]
B. Operation of Embodiment Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the control device 2. FIG.
First, according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the control device 2 displays a message such as “Please insert a card” on the display device 6 and the display device 8 in step Sa1. Next, in step Sa2, it is determined whether or not a prepaid card has been inserted into the card reading / writing device 1. If a prepaid card has been inserted, the process proceeds to a card insertion process in step Sa4. On the other hand, when the prepaid card is not inserted, the process proceeds to step Sa3.
[0015]
In step Sa3, based on the notification signal from the copying machine 7, it is determined whether or not the copying operation has been completed. This is a process for determining whether or not printing of a job in which a document has already been read is completed, and only when the job is completed, the process proceeds to the copying end process in step Sa5. On the other hand, when the job already performed is not completed or when the job is not performed, the process returns to step Sa1, and the processes of steps Sa1 to Sa5 described above are repeatedly executed.
[0016]
When copying, the user first looks at the message “Please insert a card” in the display device 6 and the display device 8 and confirms that no other user has already inserted a prepaid card. A prepaid card is inserted into the reading / writing device 1. Thereafter, the bundle of documents to be copied is placed in a document reading section (not shown) of the copying machine 7, and after inputting the copy conditions such as the number of copies, the number of copies, and single side / double side, the start button is pressed.
[0017]
The copying machine 7 supplies to the control device 2 copying conditions such as the number of copies and the number of copies input by the user. In addition, when the prepaid card is inserted into the card reading / writing device 1, the control device 2 executes the above-described card insertion processing in step Sa4. In the card insertion processing, first, in step Sb1 shown in FIG. 3, the number of copies is calculated by the arithmetic unit 3 from the number of copies and the number of copies supplied from the copying machine 7, and stored in the copy number value storage area 5a of the storage unit 5. To do. For example, if the number of documents is 10 and the number of copies is 5, the number of copies is 10 × 5 = 50.
[0018]
In step Sb2, the control device 2 calculates a value obtained by subtracting the number of copies “50” from the frequency of the prepaid card currently inserted in the card reading / writing device 1 by the calculation unit 3, and reads the card into the prepaid card. Write by the writing device 1 Next, in step Sb3, the control device 2 acquires the current time measured by the time measuring unit 4, writes it as a (copy) start date and time into the prepaid card by the card reading / writing device 1, and stores the storage unit 5 Is stored in the start date and time storage area 5b. The start date and time is used as identification information for identifying whether the prepaid card inserted in the card reading / writing device 1 is a correction target card at the time of frequency correction described later.
[0019]
Next, in step Sb4, the prepaid card is discharged by the card reading / writing device 1. In step Sb5, it is determined whether or not the remaining frequency of the prepaid card is “0” or less. If the remaining frequency is “0” or less, the process proceeds to step Sb6, where “the frequency is insufficient. “Please insert a new card” is displayed on the display device 6 and the display device 8. In step Sb7, it is determined whether or not a new prepaid card has been inserted into the card reading / writing device 1. When the prepaid card is inserted into the card reading / writing device 1, the process returns to step Sb2, and the above-described steps Sb2 to Sb5 are repeatedly executed.
[0020]
On the other hand, if the remaining number of prepaid cards is not “0” or less, the process proceeds to step Sb8 to instruct the copying machine 7 to start a job. Then, the process ends, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. The copying machine 7 reads a bundle of documents placed on a document reading unit (not shown), stores the read document image data in a predetermined storage unit, and then prints and outputs it from an output unit (not shown). At this time, the copying machine 7 sends a count-up signal to the control device 2 at the timing of discharging the printed paper. Each time the control device 2 receives the count-up signal, it subtracts “1” from the value stored in the copy number value storage area 5 a of the storage unit 5.
[0021]
As a result of the processing described above, the frequency of the prepaid card has already been reduced by the number of copies. Further, since the prepaid card has already been ejected from the card reading / writing device 1, if the document reading at the document reading unit of the copying machine 7 has been completed, another user can copy the document. In addition, it is possible to insert an own prepaid card and read a document by a document reading unit (not shown). That is, when the other user inserts a prepaid card, the above-described process shown in FIG. 3 is performed in the same manner.
[0022]
On the other hand, when the job in the copying machine 7 is completed, the above-described copying end process in step Sa5 shown in FIG. 2 is executed. In the copy end process, first, in step Sc1 shown in FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not the job is normally completed. Whether or not the job has been completed normally can be determined by the value stored in the copy number value storage area 5a of the storage unit 5a being "0", or the job can be normally completed from the copier. You may make it transmit the signal which shows that it carried out. If the job is normally completed, the process is terminated without doing anything, and the process returns to the process shown in FIG. That is, when the process ends normally, the frequency correction process for the prepaid card is not performed.
[0023]
On the other hand, if the job does not end normally, for example, if the copying operation is jammed, or if the copying operation is interrupted by a stop button or cancel button, the process proceeds to step Sc2, and “the frequency is corrected. A message such as “Please enter” is displayed on the display device 6 and the display device 8.
[0024]
Next, in step Sc3, it is determined whether or not a prepaid card has been inserted into the card reading / writing device 1. When the prepaid card is inserted into the card reading / writing device 1, the process proceeds to step Sc4, where the start date and time written in the inserted prepaid card and the start date and time storage area 5b of the storage unit 5 are stored. The start date and time are compared, and in step Sc5, it is determined whether or not the card is a prepaid card to be corrected based on whether both match.
[0025]
If it is not the correction target prepaid card, for example, if it is another user's prepaid card, the process returns to step Sc2 and prompts again to insert the correction target prepaid card. On the other hand, if it is a prepaid card to be corrected, the process proceeds to step Sc6, and the value (number of sheets not printed out) stored in the copy number value storage area 5a of the storage unit 5 is used as the frequency of the prepaid card. Add and write. Thereby, it is not necessary to charge (collect) the number of sheets that have not been printed out. In step Sc7, the card reading / writing device 1 discharges the prepaid card.
[0026]
If a prepaid card is forcibly ejected by pressing a take-out button (not shown) provided in the card reading / writing device 1, if there is a job during document reading, the job is stopped. On the other hand, for a job that has already been read or a print job that has not started, the job is continued.
[0027]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when the prepaid card is inserted into the card insertion means, the frequency of the prepaid card is updated by the frequency update means, and then immediately after the prepaid card is discharged by the card discharge means. Since the card is discharged and image formation by another prepaid card can be accepted, there is an advantage that a plurality of jobs using different prepaid cards can be simultaneously processed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an operation (main routine) by a control device 2;
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an operation (card insertion process) by the control device 2;
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation (copying end process) by the control device 2;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Card reader / writer (card insertion means, card ejection means)
2 Control device (frequency update means, permission means)
3. Calculation unit (frequency update means, permission means, subtraction means, prompting means, correction means, discrimination means)
4 Timekeeping section 5 Storage section (storage means)
5a Copy number storage area (storage means)
5b Start date storage area 6 Display device (reminder)
7 Copying machine 8 Display device

Claims (3)

In an image forming apparatus management system for controlling image formation permission / prohibition of image formation for an image forming apparatus capable of simultaneously executing a plurality of functions separated functions based on the frequency recorded in the prepaid card,
Card insertion means for inserting the prepaid card;
Frequency update means for updating the frequency recorded in the prepaid card inserted in the card insertion means based on the image formation scheduled number of sheets in the image forming apparatus;
Permission means for permitting the image forming apparatus to start an operation if the frequency updated by the frequency update means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
An image forming apparatus management system comprising: a card discharge unit that discharges the prepaid card whose frequency is updated by the frequency update unit from the card insertion unit. Storage means for storing the image formation scheduled number of sheets in the image forming apparatus for the prepaid card inserted in the card insertion means;
Subtracting means for subtracting one image formation scheduled number stored in the storage means by one each time image formation for one page in the image forming apparatus is completed;
A prompting means for urging the user to insert the prepaid card ejected by the ejecting means into the card inserting means again when image formation in the image forming apparatus is terminated halfway;
When the prepaid card is inserted into the card insertion means in response to the prompt by the prompting means, the correction means corrects the frequency of the prepaid card based on the value stored in the storage means. The image forming apparatus management system according to claim 1. 3. The image forming apparatus management system according to claim 2, further comprising: a discriminating unit that discriminates whether or not the prepaid card inserted in the card insertion unit is a prepaid card to be corrected.

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