US 10,540,122 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus and image forming system

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorToyokazu Aoki

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a printer unit; at least one of a copier unit and a facsimile unit; a lockable tray with a lock, to store a recording medium; an image formation controller to control at least one of the printer unit, the copier unit, and the facsimile unit in response to a request from a user. In response to a print request for printing using the lockable tray, the image formation controller determines whether the print request is from a user authorized to use the lockable tray based on association information between the lockable tray and the user authorized, and causes the printer unit to perform printing when the print request is from the user authorized. When the request is directed to the copier or facsimile unit, the image formation controller prohibits the copier or facsimile unit from performing printing using the lockable tray.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

at least one of a copying device and a facsimile device;
an interface configured to interface with a terminal device;
a printing device configured to print a print image on recording medium;
a plurality of trays including at least one unlockable tray and at least one lockable tray, the at least one unlockable tray configured to store unsecured recording medium of the recording medium, and the at least one lockable tray configured to store secured recording medium of the recording medium, the at least one lockable tray including a lock;
a memory configured to store information indicating at least which of the plurality of trays is the at least one lockable tray;
and
an image formation controller configured to,
determine, based on the information, which of the plurality of trays are the at least one lockable tray,
generate a display associated with selecting one of the plurality of trays such that selection of the at least one lockable tray is disabled for the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device,
receive a print request from a user of the terminal device,
determine, based on the information, whether the user is authorized to use the at least one lockable tray in printing,
cause the printing device to perform printing of the print image onto the secured recording medium in the at least one lockable tray in response to the print request being from the user authorized to use the at least one lockable tray in printing, and
cause the printing device to perform printing of the print image from the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device onto the unsecured recording medium in a selected one of the at least one unlockable tray in response to receipt of the print image from the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device.

10 more elements

An image forming system comprising:

an image forming apparatus including:
at least one of a copying device and a facsimile device,
a printing device configured to print a print image on recording medium,
a plurality of trays including at least one unlockable tray and at least one
lockable tray, the at least one unlockable tray configured to store unsecured recording medium of the recording medium, and the at least one lockable tray configured to store secured recording medium of the recording medium, the at least one lockable tray including a lock,
a memory configured to store information indicating at least which of the plurality of trays is the at least one lockable tray, and
an image formation controller configured to,
determine, based on the information, which of the plurality of trays are the at least one lockable tray,
generate a display associated with selecting one of the plurality of trays such that selection of the at least one lockable tray is disabled for the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device,
receive a print request from a user,
determine, based on the information, whether the user is authorized to use the at least one lockable tray in printing;
and
cause the printing device to perform printing of the print image onto the secured recording medium in the at least one lockable tray in response to the print request being from the user authorized to use the at least one lockable tray in printing, and
cause the printing device to perform printing of the print image from the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device onto the unsecured recording medium in a selected one of the at least one unlockable tray in response to receipt of the print image from the at least one of the copying device and the facsimile device;
and
a terminal device including a printer driver configured to generate the print request such that the print request generated by the printer driver includes, at least, the print image, a selected tray, and user identification information for identifying the user being a source of the print request.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/015,840Filed 22 Jun 2018
Priority: JP 2017-14128220 Jul 2017
Published: US 2019/0026049 A124 Jan 2019
Granted: 21 Jan 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06F 3/1205
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management: resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings,…
G03G 15/6508
Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor: automatic supply devices interacting with the rest of the apparatus, e.g. selection of a…
G06F 3/122
Reducing or saving of used resources, e.g. avoiding waste of consumables or improving usage of hardware resources: with regard to computing…
G06F 3/1222
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: increasing security of the print job