Image forming apparatus and image forming system
An image forming apparatus includes a communication part that performs communication with an external device; an image processing part that processes image data that is received by the communication part and that is for forming an image; an image forming part that forms an image of the image data processed in the image processing part; and a power supply controller that controls power supplied to the communication part, the image processing part, or the image forming part. The communication part includes a memory part that stores status information of the image forming apparatus, and a server part that performs communication with the external device, and the power supply controller supplies power to only the communication part in a power saving mode during a standby period, and the server part responds to a status information reference request and a status information update request from the external device.
1. An image forming apparatus that is configured using status information, comprising:
a communication part that includes a memory part that stores the status information of the image forming apparatus, and a server part that performs communication with, and receives image data and a status information update request from an external device, the status information update request including status information update data for the status information;
an image processing part that processes the image data that is received by the communication part;
an image forming part that forms an image of the image data processed by the image processing part; and
a power supply controller that controls power supplied to the communication part, the image processing part and the image forming part during a normal mode, wherein
the power supply controller terminates the power supplied to the image processing part and the image forming part, and supplies the power to only the communication part during a power saving mode,
when the server part receives the status information update request from the external device during the power saving mode, the status information update data of the received status information update request is stored in the memory part, and
when the power saving mode is shifted to the normal mode, the communication part modifies the status information stored in the memory part using the status information update data stored in the memory part and configures the image forming apparatus using the modified status information in which the status information update data has been reflected.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the memory part stores a client application object to be sent to the external device, and
the communication part is configured to accept a first reference request, which is a request to send the client application object, and a second reference request, which is a request to send the status information.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the communication part sends, upon acceptance of the second reference request, the status information and the status information update request that has not been reflected in the status information.
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a device controller that controls the communication part, the image processing part, the image forming part and the power supply controller, wherein
the device controller creates, and stores in the memory part, a status information object that represents the status information of the image forming apparatus in the normal mode under which image formation is allowed, and
the communication part sends the status information object stored in the memory part and the status information update request that has not been reflected in the status information, when status information reference request is received from the external device in a state where operation of the image processing part is restricted under the power saving mode.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the client application object causes the status information update request to be reflected in the status information sent by the communication part, and causes the status information in which the status information update requested is reflected to be outputted, and
the communication part sends the status information and the status information update request that has not been reflected in the status information, after the client application object stored in the memory part is sent, when the status information reference request is received from the external device in a state where the operation of the image processing part is restricted under the power saving mode.
6. An image forming system, comprising:
the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
the external device that communicates with the image forming apparatus, wherein
the external device includes:
a receiving part that receives a client application object,
a display part that analyzes the received client application object and displays at least a part of the status information,
an input part that accepts a modification to the status information displayed on the display part, and
a sending part that sends the status information update request accepted via the input part to the image forming apparatus.
7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the communication part includes a network controller part that compares time of the status information of the image forming apparatus with time of status information retained in the communication part,
the client application object causes the status information of the image forming apparatus to be sent to the external device if the status information retained in the communication part is older than the status information of the image forming apparatus in view of the time of the status information of the image forming apparatus and the time of the status information retained in the communication part, and
the client application object causes the status information retained in the communication part to be sent to the external device if the status information retained in the communication part is not older than the status information of the image forming apparatus in view of the time of the status information of the image forming apparatus and the time of the status information retained in the communication part.
8. An image forming apparatus that is configured using status information, comprising:
a communication part that performs communication with an external device via a network, the communication part including a memory that stores the status information of the image forming apparatus;
an image processing part that performs a process for forming an image;
an image forming part that forms the image on a recording medium based on the process for forming the image by the image processing part; and
a power supply controller that supplies power to the communication part, the image processing part and the image forming part during a normal mode and that supplies the power to only the communication part during a power saving mode without supplying the power to the image processing part and the image forming part, wherein
the communication part sends a client application object to the external device upon acceptance of an access requested from the external device,
the communication part sends the status information to the external device upon receipt of a status information acquisition request from the external device through the client application object,
when the communication part receives a status information update request from the external device through the client application object during the power saving mode, the communication part modifies the status information stored in the memory, and
when the power saving mode is shifted to the normal mode, the image forming apparatus is configured using the modified status information stored in the memory.
9. A network controller for controlling communication between an image forming apparatus that is configured using status information, and an external device, comprising:
a network controller part for receiving and responding to requests from the external device;
a program storage part in communication with the network controller part for storing a program utilized by the network controller part for receiving and responding to the requests from the external network device; and
a memory for storing the status information of the image forming apparatus to enable the status information be received from and sent to the external network device while the image forming apparatus is in a power saving mode, wherein
while the image forming apparatus is in the power saving mode:
the memory stores a client application object utilized for communication sending the status information to and receiving a status information update request from the external device, and
the network controller:
sends the client application object to the external device upon acceptance of an access requested from the external device,
sends the status information to the external device upon receipt of a status information acquisition request from the external device through the client application object, and
receives the status information update request from the external device through the client application object and modifies the status information stored in the memory based on the received status information update request, and
when the power saving mode is shifted to a normal mode, the image forming apparatus is configured using the modified status information stored in the memory.
10. The network controller according to claim 9 , wherein
the network controller part, the program storage part and the memory are located within the image forming apparatus.
11. The network controller according to claim 9 , wherein
only the network controller part, the program storage part and the memory receive power supply while the image forming apparatus is in the power saving mode.
12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the status information of the image forming apparatus that is stored in the memory part is modified based on the status information update data.
13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the status information of the image forming apparatus that is stored in the memory is modified based on the status information update request.
14. The network controller according to claim 9 , wherein
the network controller modifies the status information stored in the memory based on the status information update request.
15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when a status information acquisition request is received from the external device, the status information in which the status information update data has been reflected is sent to the external device.
16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
when a status information acquisition request is received from the external device, the status information in which the status information update request has been reflected is sent to the external device.