Image forming apparatus, method for controlling image forming apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorYuki Koike
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit storing sheets each including a wireless tag, a printer, a communication device, and a controller for controlling the printer to convey a first sheet, acquiring first strengths of signals from a first tag on a first sheet during the conveyance of the first sheet and second strengths from tags not sheets being conveyed. Based on the acquired strengths, the controller determines a threshold value for distinguishing between sheets being conveyed and not being conveyed. The controller then controls the communication device to write information to a tag on a sheet being conveyed based on the threshold value.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a first sheet storage unit in which a plurality of sheets each with a wireless tag can be stored;
- a printer unit configured to convey a sheet along a conveyance path;
- a wireless tag communication device configured to communicate with wireless tags;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- control the printer unit to convey a first sheet along the conveyance path for image formation,
- control the wireless tag communication device to detect a plurality of radio signal strengths from the first wireless tag during the conveyance of the first sheet and a plurality of radio signal strengths for wireless tags of sheets not being conveyed by the printer unit,
- determine a threshold value of radio signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag on a sheet being conveyed along the conveyance path from wireless tags on sheets not being conveyed along the conveyance path based on the detected plurality of radio signal strengths from the first wireless tag and the detected plurality of radio signal strengths for wireless tags on sheets not being conveyed by the printer unit, and
- control the printer unit to convey a second sheet and control the wireless tag communication device to write to a second wireless tag on the second sheet when a radio signal strength from the second wireless tag is to equal or exceeds the threshold value.
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
- conveying a first sheet with a first wireless tag along a conveyance path;
- acquiring a plurality of first strengths for radio signals received from the first wireless tag during the conveyance of the first sheet;
- acquiring a plurality of second strengths of radio signals received from a second wireless tag of second sheet of a first sheet storage unit during the conveyance of the first sheet;
- determining a threshold value for distinguishing a sheet being conveyed along the conveyance path from a sheet not being conveyed along the conveyance path based on the acquired first and second strengths;
- and
- conveying a third sheet and writing information to a third wireless tag of the third sheet when a third strength of a radio signal received from the third wireless tag equals or exceeds the determined threshold value.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that when executed causes an image forming apparatus to perform a method comprising:
- conveying a first sheet along a conveyance path;
- acquiring a plurality of first radio signal strengths from a first wireless tag on the first sheet during the conveyance of the first sheet along the conveyance path;
- acquiring a plurality of second radio signal strengths from wireless tags on sheets not being conveyed along the conveyance path during the conveyance of the first sheet;
- determining a threshold value of radio signal strength for distinguishing a wireless tag on a sheet being conveyed along the conveyance path from wireless tags on sheets not being conveyed along the conveyance path based on the acquired first and second radio signal strengths;
- and
- conveying a second sheet and then writing information to a second wireless tag on the second sheet when a radio signal strength from the third wireless tag is equal to or exceeds the threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.