JPH10151829A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Problem] To provide an image forming system capable of obtaining printing at the same resolution many times and in a short time. An identification code assigning unit assigns an identification code corresponding to a print image for each page or print job, and stores the identification code in a storage unit of the image forming apparatus. When the identification code is received by the connected terminal adapter device, the identification code is received from the I / F unit 2, a print image corresponding to the identification code is taken out from the storage unit 4, and printing processing is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for creating image data typified by a personal computer, and receives image data from an information processing apparatus typified by a printer, converts the image data into a print image, and performs print processing. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system in which a terminal adapter device that performs speed conversion or protocol conversion and performs data communication with an external device wirelessly or by wire is combined.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional image forming apparatus, a printer,
When image data is received from an information processing device such as a personal computer or a host, a print image is formed based on the image data, and the number of copies specified by the information processing device or the like is printed.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus 21 includes an I / F section 22 for receiving image data from the outside, and an image data received by the I / F section 22. A data conversion unit 23 for converting the image data into data for printing; a storage unit 24 for storing a program required for controlling the image forming apparatus 21 and a font required for the data conversion unit 23; And a control unit 26 that controls these units.

[0004]

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, after performing the print processing, in order to erase all the data related thereto, in order to obtain the same image, a print command is again issued from the information processing apparatus. Must be issued,
If the image data is not stored on a floppy disk or hard disk, the printed paper must be copied with a copier, and the data must be recreated with an information processing device to take advantage of the high resolution. was there.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has one or more information processing apparatuses for creating image data, and receiving and printing image data from the information processing apparatus. Image formation formed by connecting, via a network, one or more image forming apparatuses that convert to an image and perform print processing, and a terminal adapter apparatus that can perform speed conversion or protocol conversion and perform data communication with an external device wirelessly or by wire. In the system, the image forming apparatus includes an identification code assigning unit that assigns an identification code to each page of a print image or each print job, a storage unit that stores a print image and an identification code corresponding thereto, and a readable / writable card. With a card insertion section that serves as an insertion slot for writing an identification code or an identification code and related information to a card inserted into the insertion section of the card When the terminal adapter device receives the data of the identification code from the external device, the identification code is transmitted to one or more image forming apparatuses, and the print image corresponding to the identification code is transmitted from the image forming apparatus in which the identification code is stored. This is an image forming system which is taken out of a storage unit and print-processed by an image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus.

With this configuration, the same image data can be printed many times simply by transmitting the data of the identification code from the external device to the terminal adapter device by wire or wirelessly. Moreover, if the card inserted with the identification code and the related information is inserted into the image forming apparatus and read into an external device, the data can be transmitted without inputting the identification code.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an I / F unit 2, a data conversion unit 3, a storage unit 4, a print processing unit 5, a control unit 6, an identification code. An application unit 7 and a card insertion unit 8 are provided.

The I / F unit 2 is connected to a network bus line, and receives image data desired to be printed from the information processing device and data of an identification code from the terminal adapter device. The data conversion unit 3 is a unit that converts the image data received by the I / F unit 2 into data that can be printed by the print processing unit 5. The identification code providing unit 7
This is a part for assigning an identification code in correspondence with a print image for each page or each print job (that is, for each file). The information included in the identification code may be a printer serial number, a document serial number, a password, or the like, and the information may be given as characters, numbers, symbols, or a combination thereof.

The storage unit 4 includes a program necessary for controlling the entire image forming apparatus 1, a print image to be printed by the print processing unit 5 such as a font required by the data conversion unit 3, and an identification code providing unit 7. This is a part for storing an identification code corresponding to the given print image. Print processing unit 5
Is a part for printing a print image formed by the data conversion unit 3 and an identification code corresponding thereto on a transfer material. The control unit 6 is a part that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1.

The card insertion section 8 is an insertion slot into which a readable / writable card can be inserted. When the card is inserted, the identification code given by the identification code giving section 7 is written on the card as data. The written identification code may be stored until the capacity is full.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system according to the present invention. The image forming system comprises a bus line 11 provided with a plurality of information processing apparatuses 12, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 1, and a terminal adapter apparatus 13.

According to the present invention, in order for the image forming apparatus 1 to store the print image and the corresponding identification code in the storage unit 4 and to write the identification code on the card inserted in the card insertion unit 8. If it is necessary to print again, simply insert the card into an external device, read it, select the desired identification code and send it to the terminal adapter device 14, via the I / F unit 2. Thus, a print image corresponding to the identification code can be taken out from the storage unit 4 and printing can be performed any number of times.

When the terminal adapter device 14 is connected to a public line, any external device may be used as long as it can insert a card and can connect to a telephone line or communicate with a base station. Such information processing devices, telephones, mobile phones, and mobile terminals may be used.
When the terminal adapter device 14 is wirelessly received,
What is necessary is just to be able to insert a card and transmit wirelessly. For example, a wireless cordless telephone may be used. Further, the external device may be configured to be integrated with the card, so that it is not necessary to insert the card into the external device after inserting the card into the main device 1.

After the print image corresponding to the identification code is extracted from the storage unit 4, print processing may be performed by an image forming apparatus having the storage unit 4. To another image forming apparatus,
The print processing may be performed by another image forming apparatus.

In this embodiment, the case where the identification code is not printed on the transfer material but is written on the card has been described. However, when the print image is printed by the print processing unit 5, the identification code is also printed. It may be. By doing so, it is possible to know which image data the identification code corresponds to by looking at the transfer material, and it is possible to greatly reduce the selection time when selecting the identification code with an external device.

Further, at the same time when the identification code is written on the card inserted into the card insertion section 8, the related information of the print image corresponding to the identification code, for example, title, document number, document name, data creation date, creator ( User name) or a file name of an external device such as a personal computer may be written. In this way, when the card is inserted into an external device, related information can be known together with the identification code, and the selection time can be greatly reduced when selecting the identification code with the external device.

Further, after the printing according to the command from the external device is completed, a message of the printing completion is transmitted from the terminal adapter device 13 to the external device, so that the user of the external device can perform printing even when not near the image forming apparatus. Can be confirmed whether or not is completed. In addition, the printed identification code is transmitted together with the print completion message, and the external device stores the identification code, so that the same can be used again when printing the same code, and the reception history is used for the electronic filing system. be able to.

[0018]

As described above in detail, according to the image forming system of the present invention, an identification code is added to a print image, and the print image and the identification code corresponding to the print image are stored.
To provide an image forming system that can be printed at the same resolution many times and in a short time because a print command can be issued by the identification code, and is particularly effective when employed in a color printer. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an image forming system of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a conventional image forming apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 21: Image forming apparatus 2, 22: I / F section 3, 23: Data conversion section 4, 24: Storage section 5, 25: Print processing section 6, 26: Control section 7: Identification code adding section 8: Card Insertion section 11: Bus line 12: Information processing device 13: Terminal adapter device

Claims (1)

[Claims] An information processing apparatus for generating image data; an image forming apparatus for receiving image data from the information processing apparatus, converting the image data into a print image, and performing print processing; In an image forming system, which is formed by connecting a network to a terminal adapter device that can perform data conversion with a wireless or wired device by performing a conversion or a protocol conversion, the image forming device is provided for each page of a print image or for each print job. An identification code assigning unit that assigns an identification code to the storage unit that stores the print image and the identification code corresponding to the print image, and a card insertion unit that serves as an insertion slot for a readable / writable card. The identification code, or the identification code and related information can be written to the card inserted into the insertion portion, and from the external device with the terminal adapter device When receiving the data of another code, the identification code is transmitted to one or more image forming apparatuses, and a print image corresponding to the identification code is taken out of a storage unit from the image forming apparatus in which the identification code is stored. An image forming system that performs print processing by an image forming apparatus or another image forming apparatus.