Image forming apparatus and image forming system
View Patent ↗An image forming apparatus includes: an image forming unit configured to form images based on image data transmitted from information processing apparatus of users including registered users and unregistered users; a setting unit configured to set permission information for each user based on a log of the image forming and limit information; a first judging unit configured to determine whether user identification information is attached to image data; a second judging unit configured to determine, based on the permission information that is set for an unregistered user, whether to permit execution of image forming of the image data, when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is not attached to the image data.
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a reception unit operable to receive image data from information processing apparatus used by users including registered users and unregistered users;
an image forming unit configured to form images based on the image data;
a generation unit operable to generate history information relating to an execution history of the image forming unit;
a first storage operable to store the history information and user identification information corresponding to the history information;
a second storage operable to store limit information about each user for limiting the execution of image forming by the image forming unit;
a setting unit operable to set permission information for each user based on the history information and the limit information, the permission information showing whether or not to permit the execution of image forming by the image forming unit;
a first judging unit operable to determine whether the user identification information is attached to the image data when receiving the image data from the reception unit;
a second judging unit operable to determine, based on the permission information that is set for an unregistered user, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data, when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is not attached to the image data; and
a controller operable to instruct the image forming unit to execute image forming of the image data, when the second judging unit determines to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is operable to instruct the generation unit to generate the history information and to store in the first storage the generated history information with the user identification information of the unregistered user corresponding to the generated history information.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is attached to the image data, the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information that is set for the user identification of a registered user, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the second storage is operable to store therein the limit information corresponding to each of the user identification information of a registered user and the user identification information of the unregistered user, and
the setting unit is operable to set the permission information based on the history information and the limit information for each of the registered user and the unregistered user identification information.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the user identification information of the each of the registered user and the unregistered user is a PIN (Personal Identification Number).
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the history information includes a number of image-formed sheets,
the limit information includes an upper limit of the number of image-formed sheets,
the setting unit includes:
a comparison determination unit operable to compare the number of image-formed sheets and the upper limit and to determine whether the number of image-formed sheets is less than the upper limit, for each user, and
an execution unit operable to set, when the comparison determination determines that the number of image-formed sheets is not less than the upper limit, the permission information as a prohibition of execution of the image forming.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the image data includes apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus,
the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an acquisition unit operable to acquire the apparatus identification information from the image data, when the first judging unit determines that no user identification information is attached the image data and the second judging unit determines to permit execution of image forming of the image data; wherein
the controller stores the history information with the acquired apparatus identification information in the first storage, and
the setting unit sets the permission information of the unregistered user corresponding to the apparatus identification information.
8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
when the acquisition unit acquires the apparatus identification information, the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information corresponding to the apparatus identification information, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is attached to the image data, the acquisition unit acquires the apparatus identification information from the image data and the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information corresponding to the apparatus identification information, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the apparatus identification information is a name of the information processing apparatus.
11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the apparatus identification information is a user name of the user using the information processing apparatus.
12. An image forming system, comprising:
an image forming apparatus including:
a reception unit operable to receive image data from information processing apparatus used by users including registered users and unregistered users;
an image forming unit configured to form images based on the image data; and
a generation unit operable to generate history information relating to an execution history of the image forming unit,
a server including:
a server acquisition unit communicatable with the image forming apparatus and operable to acquire user identification information and the history information from the image forming apparatus;
a first storage operable to store the history information and the user identification information corresponding to the history information;
a second storage operable to store limit information of each user for limiting the execution of the image forming of the image forming apparatus; and
a setting unit operable to set in the image forming apparatus permission information for each user based on the history information and the limit information, the permission information showing whether or not to permit the execution of the image forming of the image forming apparatus, wherein
the image forming apparatus further comprises:
a first judging unit operable to determine whether the user identification information is attached to the image data when receiving the image data from the reception unit;
a second judging unit operable to determine, based on the permission information that is set for an unregistered user, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data, when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is not attached to the image data; and
a controller operable to instruct the image forming unit to execute the image forming of the image data, when the second judging unit determines to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
13. An image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein
the controller is operable to instruct the generation unit to generate the history information,
the server acquisition unit is operable to acquire the generated history information, and
the first storage is operable to store therein the acquired history information with the user identification information of the unregistered user corresponding to the generated history information.
14. An image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein
when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is attached to the image data, the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information that is set for the user identification of an registered user, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
15. An image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein
the second storage is operable to store therein the limit information corresponding to each of the user identification information of the registered user and the user identification information of the unregistered user, and
the setting unit is operable to set the permission information based on the history information and the limit information corresponding to each of the user identification information of the registered user and the user identification information of the unregistered user.
16. An image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein
the history information includes a number of image-formed sheets,
the limit information includes an upper limit of the number of image-formed sheets,
the setting unit includes:
a comparison determination unit operable to compare the number of image-formed sheets and the upper limit for each user and to determine whether the number of image-formed sheets is less than the upper limit,
an execution unit operable to set, when the comparison determination determines that the number of image-formed sheets is not less than the upper limit, the permission information as a prohibition of execution of the image forming.
17. An image forming system according to claim 12 , wherein
the image data includes an apparatus identification information of the information processing apparatus,
the image forming apparatus further comprises:
an apparatus acquisition unit operable to acquire the apparatus identification information from the image data, when the first judging unit determines that no user identification information is attached the image data and the second judging unit determines to permit execution of image forming of the image data; wherein
the server acquisition unit acquires the acquired apparatus identification information from the image forming apparatus,
the first storage stores therein the acquired apparatus identification information with the history information,
the setting unit sets the permission information of the unregistered user corresponding to the apparatus identification information.
18. An image forming system according to claim 17 , wherein
when the apparatus acquisition unit acquires the apparatus identification information, the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information corresponding to the apparatus identification information, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data.
19. An image forming system according to claim 17 , wherein
when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is attached to the image data, the apparatus acquisition unit acquires the apparatus identification information from the image data and the second judging unit determines, based on the permission information corresponding to the apparatus identification information, whether or not to permit to execute image forming of the image data.
20. An image forming system according to claim 13 , wherein
the user identification information of the each of the registered user and the unregistered user is a PIN (Personal Identification Number).