JP7574618B2 - Image forming apparatus, update method, program, and information processing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming device, an update method, a program, and an information processing system.

Business management systems that use fax are known. For example, when a trading company receives an order for a product from a customer by fax, it first inquires about the delivery date to one or more manufacturers, and if the delivery date responses from each manufacturer to the inquiry meet the customer's needs, the trading company sends a fax to the customer to notify the customer that the order has been completed. The above is just one example, and various processes are carried out according to the product, such as ordering, inquiry, securing inventory, and response notification, as part of a series of business flows from receiving the order to completing the order.

When fax documents are used in such a series of business flows, technology has been devised to manage the fax documents (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a system in which information on order documents is entered into a core system, an order ID is issued, and the issued order ID is then assigned to document information (purchase orders, manufacturer responses, etc.) that matches the entered information, and if there are multiple documents in a processed folder that have been assigned the same order ID, they are archived.

However, conventional technology has a problem in that it is not possible to update information related to image data received by an image forming device. For example, a user may execute a workflow using a fax document (image data) received by the user, such as in an order placement and receipt task using fax documents. In this case, it is necessary to determine whether to execute a workflow and, if so, where in the workflow to start, depending on the order status of the received fax document. However, conventionally, users have had to manually manage the order status of fax documents, which made the process complicated.

To alleviate this problem, there is already technology that uses a separate PC (Personal Computer) solution to manage document status, but most fax users have few opportunities to use a PC, making it difficult to utilize.

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an image forming device that can update information related to image data.

In view of the above problems, the present invention is an image forming device that manages information related to image data, and includes a communication control unit that receives the image data, an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit, a print control unit that prints the image data with the identification information formed on it on a sheet-like member, a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information, and an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit, wherein the identification information of the image data, the information, and the sender that sent the image data are associated with each other, and the communication control unit sends a message to the sender associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit that the information has been updated, and the image data of the sheet-like member read by the reading unit .

It is possible to provide an image forming device that can update information related to image data.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outline of an information processing system. FIG. 1 is an example of an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a transmitter or a receiver. FIG. 2 is an example of a functional block diagram illustrating functions of a transmitter or a receiver in a block form. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus and an information processing apparatus. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a unique ID list managed by an update unit; 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of document information stored in an information storage unit; FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed when a receiver receives image data. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process in which a receiver updates an order status. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an order status update document selection screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document information error screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the order status update document selection screen. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a document setting screen displayed when the document reading button in FIG. 13 is pressed. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a read success screen that is displayed when the execute button in FIG. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information is successful (order status is not registered). FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a read failure screen that is displayed when the execute button in FIG. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information fails. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a read success screen that is displayed when the execute button in FIG. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information is successful (order status is "received"). FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a read success screen that is displayed when the execute button in FIG. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information is successful (order status is not registered). FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a read success screen that is displayed when the execute button in FIG. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information is successful (order status is accepted). FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a document list screen displayed when the list selection button in FIG. 13 is pressed. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing an example of a confirmation screen displayed when document A is selected on the document list screen of FIG. 20 . FIG. 22 is a diagram showing an example of a document list screen displayed when the Yes button is pressed in FIG. 21 .

Below, an information processing system and an update method performed by the information processing system will be described with reference to the drawings as an example of a form for implementing the present invention.

<Outline of the information processing system according to this embodiment>
1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an outline of the operation of an information processing system. In the following description, an image forming apparatus that transmits a fax may be referred to as a transmitter 10, and an image forming apparatus that receives the fax may be referred to as a receiver 30.
(1) The transmitter 10 transmits image data to the receiver 30 using a fax communication protocol via a public line or a network. The receiver 30 receives the image data and stores the image data in a non-volatile storage medium such as a HDD mounted in the receiver 30 or in an information processing device 50 such as a cloud server. The receiver 30 can also print the image data on paper.
(2) The user of the receiver 30 can select stored image data from the screen of the image forming device and perform operations such as display, printing, transfer, or deletion. The user can also fax image data obtained by scanning printed materials and received image data.

In such a system, when the image forming apparatus (receiver 30 in FIG. 1) of this embodiment receives image data, it embeds a unique ID in the image data using an image code such as a QR code (registered trademark). In addition, the image forming apparatus records the following document information in association with the unique ID.
- Order status - Reception date and time - Number of pages received - Fax number of the recipient (sender), etc. Therefore, the image forming device can identify the document information by reading the embedded unique ID. When the user takes some action on the fax document according to the business flow and then sends the fax document, the image forming device can update the order status based on the unique ID. In other words, status management can be performed within the multifunction device. When sending a fax document, the image forming device can identify the recipient based on the unique ID and send the fax.

<Terminology>
A fax is a system or act of sending and receiving images between remote locations using a communication line. It is also called a facsimile. For example, a dedicated device is connected to a telephone line, which reads documents and other originals and sends them to the other party's device, which receives and prints them. A fax device uses an optical reader to convert the original document into data as a collection of black and white dots, converts this into an audio signal, and sends it to the other party's fax device. When the fax device receives the signal, it prints it on paper using its built-in printer and notifies the user that it has been received. In recent years, there are devices and programs that allow faxing over the Internet or on a computer. Note that faxes can also be called FAX or fax machine.

The identification information formed in the image data is the identification information of the image data transmitted in one transmission (from connection to disconnection). Therefore, the number of pages varies. In this embodiment, the identification information formed in the image data is described by the term unique ID.

The sheet-like member may be any medium that the image forming device can use for printing. The sheet-like member may be, for example, paper.

Information about image data indicates in which process of the business flow (processing steps) corresponding to the image data (document received by fax) it is being processed. In this embodiment, there are two processes: receiving order and completed order (two processes). The number of processes is not limited to two. There may be three or more, and there may be unique processing corresponding to the fax document. In the case of three or more, the processes transition in sequence. In this embodiment, the processes are called order states. For example, in the case of three or more processes, possible order states include order acceptance, task A, task B, and completed order.

Updating means changing the previous order status to a different order status.

<System configuration example>
Fig. 2 is an example of an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system 100. The information processing system 100 has one or more transmitters 10 and one or more receivers 30A, 30B communicably connected via a public line W or a network N. An information processing device 50 is also connected to the network N. Fig. 2 only shows devices mainly used in the description of this embodiment, and the system may have devices other than those shown (e.g., a firewall, etc.). Hereinafter, any one of the receivers 30A and 30B will be referred to as "receiver 30".

A public line is primarily a telephone line, and is used when the transmitter 10 and receiver 30 occupy the line to transmit image data (fax documents). On the other hand, fax transmission and reception using the network N allows messages to be sent and received via the Internet without using a telephone line. This type of fax transmission and reception method is called Internet fax. Since Internet fax does not use a public line, it is advantageous in terms of communication costs. However, since messages are sent via the Internet with Internet fax, it is recommended that messages be encrypted when sending important information.

In Internet fax, the transmitter 10 transmits image data of the message to be sent as an attachment to an e-mail. Therefore, in Internet fax, the transmitter 10 transmits image data using the e-mail mechanism, and the receiver 30 receives the image data using the e-mail mechanism.

In this embodiment, the transmitter 10 may transmit image data using either the public line W or the network N. In this way, transmitting image data based on the fax transmission method is sometimes called fax transmission, and the transmitted image data is sometimes called a fax document.

Network N has network 1 to which transmitter 10 is connected, and network 2 to which receivers 30A and 30B are connected. Note that the network configuration shown in the figure is merely an example.

The transmitter 10 is an information processing device that transmits image data as a fax. Such a transmitter 10 is called a fax device. When sending a fax using a public line, the user inputs a fax number. With Internet fax, the message (scanned image data) is sent as an attachment to an e-mail, so the sender specifies the destination by e-mail address when sending.

The transmitter 10 reads (scans) a document prepared by the sender to generate image data. Therefore, it is preferable that the transmitter 10 has a scanner function. A device with a scanner function is called a reading device or scanner device. The transmitter 10 may have not only a scanner function, but also a telephone line type facsimile function, a copy function, a printer function, etc., and such a device with multiple functions is called a multifunction device or MFP (Multi-function Peripheral/Product/Printer).

The device that creates the image data may be a digital still camera or a digital video camera. The transmitter 10 may not accept the input of image data, but may acquire image data from an external source. The device that creates the image data may, for example, read image data from a storage medium such as a USB memory, may receive image data as a video conference terminal, or may acquire handwritten data written on an electronic whiteboard as image data. The device that creates the image data may also transmit image data generated as a PC (Personal Computer), acquired image data, or stored image data.

The receiver 30 has a fax function that receives image data via the public line W or email. Since it is desirable for the receiver 30 to print this image data, it is preferable for the receiver 30 to have a printer function. A device with a fax function is called a fax device. A device with a printer function is called a printer, printing device, or image forming device. It may have other functions, and the receiver 30 may be a multifunction device or MFP like the transmitter 10. Also, the receiver 30 does not need to have a printer function in business flows that do not print fax documents.

The information processing device 50 is a computer having one or more PCs. In this embodiment, the information processing device 50 is mainly used as a data storage location. The information processing device 50 on the network may be called a server. A server is a computer or software that performs the function of providing information and processing results in response to requests from clients. The information processing device 50 may exist on the Internet or on-premise. If it exists on the Internet, it is preferable that it supports cloud computing. Cloud is a term used when no specific hardware resource is intended.

<Hardware configuration example>
<<Example of hardware configuration of information processing device>>
Fig. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the information processing device 50. As shown in Fig. 3, the information processing device 50 is constructed by a computer, and includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, a RAM 503, a HD 504, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) controller 505, a display 506, an external device connection I/F (Interface) 508, a network I/F 509, a bus line 510, a keyboard 511, a pointing device 512, a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disk Rewritable) drive 514, and a media I/F 516.

Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire information processing device. The ROM 502 stores programs used to drive the CPU 501, such as IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area for the CPU 501. The HD 504 stores various data such as programs. The HDD controller 505 controls the reading or writing of various data from the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The display 506 displays various information such as a cursor, menu, window, character, or image. The external device connection I/F 508 is an interface for connecting various external devices. In this case, the external device is, for example, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a printer. The network I/F 509 is an interface for data communication using the network N. The bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3.

The keyboard 511 is a type of input means equipped with multiple keys used to input characters, numbers, various instructions, etc. The pointing device 512 is a type of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving the cursor, etc. The DVD-RW drive 514 controls the reading and writing of various data from the DVD-RW 513, which is an example of a removable recording medium. Note that the DVD-RW 513 is not limited to a DVD-RW, and may be a DVD-R or the like. The media I/F 516 controls the reading and writing (storing) of data from the recording medium 515, such as a flash memory.

<<Example of transmitter and receiver hardware configuration>>
Fig. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30. In Fig. 4, an image forming device is an example of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30. As shown in Fig. 4, the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30 includes a controller 910, a short-range communication circuit 920, an engine control unit 930, an operation panel 940, and a network I/F 950.

Of these, the controller 910 has a CPU 901, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 902, a north bridge (NB) 903, a south bridge (SB) 904, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 906, a local memory (MEM-C) 907, which is a storage unit, a HDD controller 908, and a HD 909, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 903 and the ASIC 906 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 921.

Of these, the CPU 901 is a control unit that performs overall control of the transmitter 10 or receiver 30. The NB 903 is a bridge that connects the CPU 901 with the MEM-P 902, the SB 904, and the AGP bus 921, and has a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 902, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

The MEM-P 902 is composed of a ROM 902a, which is a memory for storing programs and data that realize the various functions of the controller 910, and a RAM 902b, which is used for expanding the programs and data, and as a drawing memory during memory printing. The programs stored in the RAM 902b may be provided by recording them in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

SB904 is a bridge for connecting NB903 with PCI devices and peripheral devices. ASIC906 is an IC (Integrated Circuit) for image processing applications that has hardware elements for image processing, and acts as a bridge connecting AGP bus921, PCI bus922, HDD controller908, and MEM-C907. This ASIC906 is composed of a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that is the core of ASIC906, a memory controller that controls MEM-C907, multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that rotate image data using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between scanner unit931 and printer unit932 via PCI bus922. In addition, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE 1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface may be connected to the ASIC 906.

MEM-C907 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer. HD909 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. HD909 controls the reading and writing of data from and to HD909 under the control of CPU901. AGP bus921 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphic processing, and by directly accessing MEM-P902 with high throughput, the graphics accelerator card can be made faster.

The short-range communication circuit 920 also includes a short-range communication circuit antenna 920a. The short-range communication circuit 920 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

The engine control unit 930 is further composed of a scanner unit 931 and a printer unit 932. The operation panel 940 has a panel display unit 940a such as a touch panel that displays the current setting values and a selection screen, etc., and receives input from the operator, and hard keys 940b consisting of a numeric keypad that receives setting values for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions, and a start key that receives a copy start instruction. The operation panel 940 also has a storage medium mounting unit 940c for mounting a storage medium. The controller 910 controls the entire transmitter 10 or receiver 30, and controls, for example, drawing, communication, and input from the operation panel 940. The scanner unit 931 or printer unit 932 includes an image processing unit such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

The transmitter 10 or receiver 30 can sequentially switch between the document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on the operation panel 940. The transmitter 10 or receiver 30 goes into document box mode when the document box function is selected, into copy mode when the copy function is selected, into printer mode when the printer function is selected, and into facsimile mode when the facsimile mode is selected.

The network I/F 950 is an interface for data communication using the network N. The short-range communication circuit 920 and the network I/F 950 are electrically connected to the ASIC 906 via the PCI bus 922.

<About the function>
Fig. 5 is an example of a functional block diagram showing functions of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30 in a block form. The transmitter 10 or the receiver 30 has a screen control unit 11, a print control unit 12, an information storage unit 13, an image data accumulation unit 14, a communication control unit 15, a reading unit 16, an identification information formation unit 17, an update unit 18, a unique ID determination unit 19, and a setting unit 20. These functions of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30 are functions or means realized by the CPU 901 of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30 shown in Fig. 4 executing a program stored in the HD 909 or the like and controlling the hardware of the transmitter 10 or the receiver 30.

The communication control unit 15 uses a fax communication protocol to send and receive image data (fax documents). Fax communication protocols include G3, Super G3, G4, etc. For example, G3 uses an analog line, has a horizontal and vertical resolution of 200 dpi, and uses MH (Modified Huffman coding) or MR (Modified Read) compression. Super G3 uses MMR (Modified Modified Read) or JBIG (joint bi-level image experts group) compression. G4 uses an ISDN line and has a resolution of 400 dpi. For Internet fax, there are methods such as T.37 Simple Mode (email method), T.37 Direct SMTP (IP address method), and T.38 (FoIP).

The image data storage unit 14 stores the image data received by the communication control unit 15 in a non-volatile storage medium such as the HD 909. This image data contains an image code that encodes a unique ID.

The screen control unit 11 displays stored image data and document information, and performs operations such as printing, transferring, and deleting, as well as displays warnings, etc. The screen control unit 11 also accepts user operations on various screens.

The print control unit 12 controls the output of stored image data and received image data from the printer unit 932. The printing method may be either electrophotographic or inkjet.

The reading unit 16 optically reads the sheet-like material and generates image data. Therefore, if an image code is formed on the sheet-like material, the image code can also be read. The reading unit 16 also decodes the image code to obtain a unique ID, etc.

The identification information forming unit 17 embeds a unique ID in the image data received by the communication control unit 15. Note that embedding does not mean invasively, but rather means forming a unique ID on the paper in a reusable state.

The setting unit 20 displays various setting screens and accepts user settings. For example, the setting unit 20 accepts settings for the storage destination of image data and document information. The setting unit 20 also holds the settings.

The update unit 18 updates the order status of the document information based on the unique ID formed in the image data transmitted by the receiver 30. That is, when the user completes the work based on the fax document related to the order and returns the fax document, the update unit 18 updates the order status. The update unit 18 manages information related to the image data in the information storage unit 13. The update unit 18 can display information stored in the information storage unit 13, such as the current order status.

The information storage unit 13 stores document information, such as the date and time of receipt of a fax document or the number of pages of image data received, in the HDD 504 (an example of a storage means).

The unique ID determination unit 19 compares the unique ID read by the reading unit 16 with the order ID managed by the update unit 18, and determines whether the unique ID is a registered unique ID.

While FIG. 5 shows a configuration in which the receiver 30 stores image data and document information, as shown in FIG. 6, the information processing device 50 may store image data and document information. FIG. 6 shows a functional block diagram of the receiver 30 and information processing device 50 in the information processing system 100. In FIG. 6, the information processing device 50 (an example of a storage means) has an information storage unit 13 and an image data accumulation unit 14. Furthermore, the information processing device 50 has a communication unit 21, and the receiver 30 has a communication unit 22. By communication between the communication units 21 and 22, the information processing device 50 can accumulate image data received by the receiver 30 in the image data accumulation unit 14. Furthermore, the information processing device 50 can store document information in the information storage unit 13.

In addition, since the image data may contain confidential information, it may be stored in the receiver 30 rather than the information processing device 50. Alternatively, the user may be able to set whether the information storage unit 13 and the image data accumulation unit 14 are to be constructed in the information processing device 50 or the receiver 30, respectively. Furthermore, the information processing device 50 is not limited to a server, and may be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) on the network, or may be an image forming device separate from the receiver 30.

For ease of explanation, the following explanation will be based on the configuration shown in Figure 6.

<Information managed by the Update Department>
7 is a diagram illustrating the unique ID list managed by the update unit 18. The update unit 18 manages registered unique IDs. "Registered" means that the receiver 30 has received image data and assigned a unique ID that does not overlap. Image data having an ID that is not registered in the unique ID list is not subject to the business flow.

<Information managed by the information storage unit>
8 is a diagram illustrating document information stored in the information storage unit 13. The document information is information for managing image data received by the receiver 30. The document information has the following items: reception date and time, number of received sheets, recipient, order status (information related to image data), and unique ID.
Reception date and time: The reception date and time is the date and time when the receiver 30 received the image data.
Number of received sheets: The number of received sheets is the number of pages of image data.
· Recipient: The recipient is the fax number of the transmitter 10 (the fax sender).
・Order status: The order status indicates the current process of the order. There are two statuses: Order in progress and Order completed. Order in progress refers to the state where if some work, such as placing an order, is required to receive the order, the work has not been completed (it will be blank immediately after receiving the image data). Order completed refers to the state where the work required to receive the order has been completed.
Unique ID: The unique ID is identification information of the image data formed in the image data.

In this way, the information storage unit 13 stores information such as the reception date and time, number of sheets, recipient, order status, and unique ID information. Since the unique ID is included in the image data stored in the image data storage unit 14, the receiver 30 can determine the correspondence between the image data and document information. Similarly, the receiver 30 can identify document information that matches the unique ID extracted from the image code formed on the read sheet-like member.

<Operation procedure when receiving image data>
FIG. 9 is an example of a flow chart illustrating a process performed when the receiver 30 receives image data.

First, when image data specifying the fax number of the receiver 30, etc. is transmitted from the transmitter 10, the communication control unit 15 of the receiver 30 starts receiving the image data (S1).

When the communication control unit 15 receives all the image data, the identification information forming unit 17 assigns a unique ID and embeds the unique ID in the received image data (S2). The unique ID may be, for example, a sequential number or a date and time. This embedding method may be, for example, a two-dimensional code or a barcode, or numbers or letters such as an identification number.

After embedding the unique ID is complete, the communication control unit 15 determines the processing to be performed on the received image data. If the setting unit 20 is set to store the received image data (Yes in S3), the communication control unit 15 stores the received image data in the image data storage unit 14 (S4). The communication control unit 15 may store the image data in the image data storage unit 14 of the information processing device 50.

Next, the communication control unit 15 determines whether the setting unit 20 has been set to print (S5), and if printing has been set, causes the print control unit 12 to print the received image data (S6).

If the received image data is set not to be stored, the print control unit 12 prints the received image data after reception is complete (S6).

After the received image data has been printed or stored, the communication control unit 15 determines whether the document information is to be saved in the receiver 30 or the information processing device 50 (S7). This determination is also determined by the settings in the setting unit 20.

If it is set to be saved in the information processing device 50, the communication control unit 15 saves one record's worth of document information in the information processing device 50 as shown in FIG. 8 (S8). Document information such as the date and time of receipt, the number of sheets received, the recipient, the order status, and the unique ID embedded by the identification information formation unit 17 is saved in the information storage unit 13. Note that the order status immediately after receiving the image data is "receiving."

If it is set to be saved in the receiver 30, the communication control unit 15 saves one record's worth of document information in the receiver 30 as shown in FIG. 8 (S9).

<Operation procedure when updating order status>
Next, the process in which the receiver 30 updates the order status will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is an example of a flow chart illustrating the process in which the receiver 30 updates the order status. The user performs a routine task on the fax document stored in the image data storage unit 14 or the printed fax document. For example, the user checks the delivery date, transfers the document to a relevant department, or files the document. As a result, the user performs the order completion process.

The screen control unit 11 displays a screen having a menu inquiring about the "document for which the order status is to be updated" and accepts the user's selection (S11). An example of this screen is shown in FIG. 11.

The user presses the order completion button or the accumulated document on the screen displayed by the screen control unit 11. The screen control unit 11 accepts this operation and starts updating the order status for each individual ID.

The update unit 18 determines whether the document selected by the user on the screen of FIG. 11 is an accumulated document (S12).

If the user has not selected a stored document, the user has pressed the order completion button, and the pressing of the order completion button causes the reading unit 16 to read the document (sheet-like material) set in the ADF or the pressure plate (S13). This document is a printed fax document with an embedded unique ID.

If the user has selected a stored document, the reading unit 16 reads the image data stored in the image data storage unit 14 (S14). The user selects one image data item for which he or she wishes to change the order status from the image data stored in the image data storage unit 14.

In both steps S13 and S14, the reading unit 16 obtains the unique ID embedded in the image data.

Next, the update unit 18 obtains information from the setting unit 20 as to whether the document information is to be saved in the information processing device 50 or the receiver body, and determines the save destination of the document information (S15).

The update unit 18 acquires a list of unique IDs from the information processing device 50 if the unique IDs are managed by the information processing device 50 according to the settings of the setting unit 20. The unique ID determination unit 19 searches the list of unique IDs for one that is the same as the unique ID embedded in the image data (S16).

Depending on the settings, the update unit 18 acquires a list of unique IDs from the receiver 30 if the list is managed by the receiver 30. The unique ID determination unit 19 searches the list of unique IDs for one that is the same as the unique ID embedded in the image data (S17).

If the acquired unique ID is not present in the list of unique IDs (No in S18), the screen control unit 11 determines that a matching error has occurred and displays a document management error on the screen (S19). In other words, it is determined that the image data to be processed is not subject to this business flow.

If the list of unique IDs includes the unique ID embedded in the image data (Yes in S18), the unique ID determination unit 19 obtains the document information associated with the unique ID from the information storage unit 13. The document information is obtained from either the information processing device 50 or the receiver 30, depending on the setting of the setting unit 20. The unique ID determination unit 19 checks whether the document information of the image data to be updated is normal (S20). That is, the unique ID determination unit 19 checks whether the number of sheets of the order document read by the reading unit 16 is the same as when it was received, whether the order status is "on order", etc. The unique ID determination unit 19 also checks whether the number of sheets of the image data stored in the image data storage unit 14 is the same as the number of sheets of the document information, whether the order status is "on order", etc. If they do not match, it is highly likely that the user is trying to send a fax document different from the received fax document.

If an abnormality occurs in the document information, the screen control unit 11 displays a document information error in the same way as when a matching error occurs (S21). An example of a screen displaying a document information error is shown in FIG. 12.

If the document information is normal, the communication control unit 15 obtains the destination (sender) from the information storage unit 13, and sends a message that the order has been completed (that the information on the image data has been updated) along with the image data (read from the sheet-like member or stored in the image data storage unit 14) to the sender (hence the transmitter 10) by fax (S22).

If the sending of the fax document indicating the order has been completed successfully (Yes in S23), the update unit 18 changes the order status to "order completed" (S25).

If the transmission is not completed (No in S23), the screen control unit 11 displays a document transmission error on the screen (S24).

In this way, the receiver 30 can update the order status of a fax document based on the unique ID of the fax document for which order processing has been completed.

<Screen example>
11 shows an example of an order status update document selection screen 200. The order status update document selection screen 200 has a message 201 asking "Which document do you want to update the order status for?", an order completion command button 202, and an accumulated document button 203. The order completion command button 202 and the accumulated document button 203 are displayed so that either one can be selected.
Order completion command button 202...The document information associated with the unique ID of the image data generated by the receiver 30 by reading the document is updated. The order completion command button 202 is an example of a display that accepts an update of the order status of the image data identified by the unique ID formed on the sheet-like material printed by the print control unit 12.
Stored document button 203...The document information associated with the unique ID of the image data (stored in the image data storage unit 14) received from the transmitter 10 is to be updated. The stored document button 203 is an example of a display that accepts an update of the order status of the image data stored in the image data storage unit 14.

In addition, since there may be multiple image data stored in the image data storage unit 14, when the stored document button 203 is pressed, the screen control unit 11 may display thumbnails of the image data of the stored documents, search buttons based on the received date and time, etc.

12 is an example of a document information error screen 310. The document information error screen 310 has a message 311 saying "The number of scanned sheets does not match the number of sheets in the document information," a continue button 312, and an end button 313.
Continue button 312: The continue button 312 is a button for the user to forcibly continue updating the order status. Therefore, when the continue button 312 is pressed, the receiver 30 can transmit the image data to the transmission source even if the number of image data sheets does not match or the order status is not currently being received.
End button 313: The end button 313 is a button for ending the process of FIG. 10 without updating the order status.

<Screen transition example>
An example of screen transition will be described below.

As shown in Fig. 13, the order status update document selection screen 200 is not limited to the form shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 13 shows a modified example of the order status update document selection screen 200. The order status update document selection screen 200 in Fig. 13 has a message 204 saying "Please select the method for specifying the document to update the order status", a document read button 205, and a list selection button 206.
Message 204 . . . The message 204 is a message that prompts the user to select a method for specifying a document.
Document reading button 205...The document reading button 205 is a button for selecting a method for identifying a document by having the receiver 30 read the document using the ADF or by obtaining identification information by setting the document on a pressure plate and reading it.
List selection button 206 . . . The list selection button 206 is a button for allowing the receiver 30 to display a list of stored documents on the operation panel 940 and for allowing the user to select a document from the list.

Fig. 14 is an example of a document setting screen 240 that is displayed when the document reading button 205 in Fig. 13 is pressed. The document setting screen 240 has a message 207 saying "Please set the document to be read and press the execute button", two image diagrams 208 and 209, and an execute button 210.
Message 207: The message 207 prompts the user to place a document on the ADF or on the platen.
Image diagram 208 . . . The image diagram 208 is an image diagram showing a method of setting an original on the ADF.
Image diagram 209: The image diagram 209 is an image diagram showing a method of setting an original on the pressure plate.
Execute button 210: The execute button 210 is a button that the user presses to cause the receiver 30 to start reading.

When the execute button 210 is pressed and the ADF paper sensor is ON, the receiver 30 determines that the user has placed a document in the ADF, and the ADF transports the paper and performs reading. When the execute button 210 is pressed and the ADF paper sensor is OFF, the receiver 30 reads the original document placed on the pressure plate.

15 is an example of a read success screen 250 that is displayed when the execute button 210 in FIG. 14 is pressed and the reading of the identification information is successful (the order status is not registered). The read success screen 250 has a message 211 and a close button 212.
Message 211: Message 211 is a message indicating that if the order status of the document corresponding to the identification information read by the receiver 30 (document A in the example shown in the figure) was not registered, the order status of document A has been updated to “on order.”
Close button 212: When the close button 212 is pressed, the screen displayed on the operation panel 940 returns to the screen shown in FIG. 11 or 13, or the home screen.

Note that Figure 15 shows the case where the number of processes is two.

Fig. 16 is an example of a read failure screen 255 that is displayed when the execute button 210 in Fig. 14 is pressed and reading of the identification information fails. The read failure screen 255 has a message 213, two image diagrams 208 and 209, and an execute button 210.
Message 213: Message 213 is a message that notifies the user that the receiver 30 was unable to acquire the identification information.

Note that the image diagrams 208 and 209 and the execute button 210 are the same as those in FIG. 14, but the image diagrams 208 and 209 may be omitted.

17 is an example of a read success screen 260 that is displayed when the execute button 210 in FIG. 14 is pressed and the reading of the identification information is successful (the order status is "received"). The read success screen 260 has a message 214 and a close button 212.
Message 214: Message 214 is a message indicating that if the order status of the document corresponding to the identification information read by the receiver 30 (document A in the example shown in the figure) was "on order," the order status of document A has been updated to "order completed."

The close button 212 is the same as in Figure 15. Figure 17 shows the case where the number of processes is two.

18 is an example of a read success screen 270 (in the case of three processes) that is displayed when the execute button 210 in FIG. 14 is pressed and the reading of the identification information is successful (the order status is not registered). The read success screen 270 has a message 215 and a close button 212.
Message 215: Message 215 is an example message indicating that the order status of the document (document A in this example) corresponding to the identification information read by receiver 30 has been updated to “Received” when the order status of document A was not registered.

The close button 212 is the same as in FIG. 15. FIG. 18 shows the case where the number of processes is three. When the number of processes is three, the process proceeds in the following order: Reception → Work A → Work B → Order Completion.

19 is an example of a read success screen 280 that is displayed when the execute button 210 in FIG. 14 is pressed and the reading of the identification information is successful (the order status is "Accepted"). The read success screen 280 has a message 216 and a close button 212.
- Message 216...Message 216 is a message indicating that when the order status of the document corresponding to the identification information read by the receiver 30 (document A in the example shown in the figure) was "received," the order status of document A has been updated to "Work A."

The close button 212 is the same as in Figure 15.

Fig. 20 is an example of a document list screen 290 that is displayed when the list selection button 206 in Fig. 13 is pressed. The document list screen 290 has a message 217 saying "Please select the document to update the order status", a document table 218, and a close button 212.
Message 217: The message 217 prompts the user to select a document for updating the order status.
Document table 218: A list of stored documents. Each document can be selected.

The close button 212 is the same as in Figure 15.

Fig. 21 is an example of a confirmation screen 300 that is displayed when document A is selected on the document list screen of Fig. 20. The confirmation screen 300 has a message 219 asking "Do you want to update document A to 'Order in progress'?", a Yes button 220, and a No button 221.
Message 219: The message 219 is a message for asking the user to confirm that the order status of the selected document is to be updated. Since document A has not been registered, it will be updated while the document is being ordered.
Yes button 220: When the Yes button 220 is pressed, the receiver 30 updates the order status of the document.
No button 221 . . . When the No button 221 is pressed, the receiver 30 does not update the order status of the document and returns to FIG.

Figure 22 is an example of a document list screen 290 that is displayed when the Yes button 220 is pressed in Figure 21. Figure 22 has the same configuration as Figure 20. However, compared to Figure 20, the order status of document A has been updated to On Order, and the order status update date has been updated to the date of update.

<Major Effects>
According to this embodiment, the image forming device reads the embedded unique ID, and after the user takes some action on the fax document received, the status of the received fax document is updated and status management is performed within the multifunction device. Also, the image forming device can identify the recipient based on the unique ID and send the fax.

<Other application examples>
The above describes the best mode for carrying out the present invention using examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples in any way, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the configuration examples shown in Figures 5, 6, etc. in the above embodiments are divided according to the main functions in order to make it easier to understand the processing of the information processing system 100. However, the present invention is not limited by the manner in which each processing unit is divided or the names of each processing unit. The information processing system 100 can also be divided into even more processing units depending on the processing content. It can also be divided so that one processing unit includes even more processes.

Each function of the above-described embodiments can be realized by one or more processing circuits. In this specification, the term "processing circuit" includes a processor programmed to execute each function by software, such as a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, and devices such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSP (digital signal processor), FPGA (field programmable gate array), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each function described above.

Furthermore, the devices described in the examples represent only one of several computing environments for implementing the embodiments disclosed herein.

Furthermore, the receiver 30 can be configured to share the disclosed process steps, e.g., FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, in various combinations. Also, the elements of the transmitter 10 and the receiver 30 can be integrated into a single server device or can be separated into multiple devices.

In addition, the transmitter 10 and the receiver 30 are not limited to image forming devices, as long as they are devices equipped with a communication function. The transmitter 10 and the receiver 30 may be, for example, a PJ (Projector), an electronic blackboard (electronic whiteboard), an output device such as digital signage, a HUD (Head Up Display) device, industrial machinery, an imaging device, a sound collection device, medical equipment, a network home appliance, an automobile (Connected Car), a notebook PC (Personal Computer), a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a game console, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a digital camera, a wearable PC, or a desktop PC.

10 Transmitter 30 Receiver 50 Information processing device 100 Information processing system

JP 2015-210768 A

Claims (11)

An image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data,
A communication control unit that receives the image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit,
Identification information of the image data, the information, and a source that transmitted the image data are associated with each other;
An image forming apparatus characterized in that the communication control unit sends to the sender associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit a message that the information has been updated and image data of the sheet-like material read by the reading unit . An image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data,
A communication control unit that receives the image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
a screen control unit that displays a display that accepts an update of the information of the image data, the display being specified by the identification information formed on the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit;
When the display is pressed, the reading unit reads the sheet-like material . an image data storage unit that stores image data received by the communication control unit;
the screen control unit displays a display for accepting updates of information related to the image data stored in the image data storage unit;
When an instruction to update information on the image data stored in the image data storage unit is received,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the update section updates the information associated with the identification information included in the image data stored in the image data storage section. the screen control unit displays a display that accepts updates of information related to image data identified by the identification information formed on the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit; and
a display for accepting updates of information regarding the image data stored in the image data storage unit;
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein image data for updating the information is switched in response to the received display. The identification information of the image data, the information, the transmission source, and the number of sheets of the image data received by the communication control unit are associated with each other;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a screen control unit outputs an error when the number associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit differs from the number of the sheet-like material read by the reading unit. 1. A method for updating information relating to image data, performed by an image forming apparatus that manages the information, comprising:
A communication control unit receives image data;
An identification information forming unit forms identification information in the image data received by the communication control unit;
a step of a print control unit printing the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit reading the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquiring the identification information;
an updating unit updating the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
Identification information of the image data, the information, and a source that transmitted the image data are associated with each other;
An update method characterized in that the communication control unit sends a message to the sender associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit that the information has been updated and image data of the sheet-like material read by the reading unit . 1. A method for updating information relating to image data, performed by an image forming apparatus that manages the information, comprising:
A communication control unit receives image data;
An identification information forming unit forms identification information in the image data received by the communication control unit;
a step of a print control unit printing the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit reading the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquiring the identification information;
an updating unit updating the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
a screen control unit displays a display for accepting an update of the information of the image data, the display being specified by the identification information formed on the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit;
An updating method, comprising the steps of : when the display is pressed, the reading unit reads the sheet-like member . An image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data,
A communication control unit that receives image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an updating unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
Identification information of the image data, the information, and a source that transmitted the image data are associated with each other;
The communication control unit is a program for transmitting to the sender associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit a message that the information has been updated and image data of the sheet-like material read by the reading unit . An image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data,
A communication control unit that receives image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
a screen control unit that displays a display for accepting an update of the information of the image data, the display being specified by the identification information formed on the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit ;
A program for causing the reading unit to read the sheet-like member when the display is pressed . An information processing system in which an image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data and an information processing apparatus can communicate with each other via a network,
A communication control unit that receives image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit,
Identification information of the image data, the information, and a source that transmitted the image data are associated with each other;
An information processing system characterized in that the communication control unit sends to the sender associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit a message that the information has been updated and image data of the sheet-like material read by the reading unit . An information processing system in which an image forming apparatus that manages information related to image data and an information processing apparatus can communicate with each other via a network,
A communication control unit that receives image data;
an identification information forming unit that forms identification information on the image data received by the communication control unit;
a print control unit that prints the image data on which the identification information is formed on a sheet-like member;
a reading unit that reads the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit and acquires the identification information;
an update unit that updates the information associated with the identification information acquired by the reading unit;
a screen control unit that displays a display that accepts an update of the information of the image data, the display being specified by the identification information formed on the sheet-like member printed by the print control unit;
An information processing system, wherein when the display is pressed, the reading unit reads the sheet-like member .

Images