US 12,250,349 B2Granted

Method for controlling image forming system and wireless operation unit

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorDaisuke Suga

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Abstract

A method for controlling an image forming system including a wireless operation unit having a third wireless communication unit, an acquiring unit that acquires status information of the image forming apparatuses, and a display that displays the status information of the image forming apparatuses includes a connection process in which the third wireless communication unit connects individually to each of a first wireless communication unit of a first image forming apparatus and a second wireless communication unit of a second image forming apparatus via wireless communication without a wireless LAN router, an acquisition process in which the acquiring unit acquires the status information of the first image forming apparatus and the status information of the second image forming apparatus individually, and a display process in which the display displays the status information of the first image forming apparatus and the status information of the second image forming apparatus.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for controlling an image forming system including

a first image forming apparatus that has a first wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication and that is configured to form an image on a sheet based on image data,
a second image forming apparatus that has a second wireless communication unit configured to perform wireless communication and that is configured to form an image on a sheet based on image data, and
a wireless operation unit having a third wireless communication unit capable of wirelessly communicating with the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit, an acquiring unit configured to acquire, via wireless communication, status information, which is information on a status of the first image forming apparatus and a status of the second image forming apparatus, and a display configured to display the status information acquired by the acquiring unit, the method comprising:
a connection process in which the third wireless communication unit connects individually to each of the first wireless communication unit and the second wireless communication unit via wireless communication without a wireless LAN router;
a first acquisition process to acquire first status information regarding statuses of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus;
a first display process to display the first status information regarding the statuses of the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus acquired in the first acquisition process;
a selecting process of receiving a selection of one image forming apparatus from among the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus;
a second acquisition process to acquire second status information which includes different information from the first status information and which pertains to the one image forming apparatus selected from among the first image forming apparatus and the second image forming apparatus;
and
a second display process to display the second status information acquired by the second acquisition process.

7 more elements

An image forming system including,

a plurality of image forming apparatuses, each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses being configured to form an image on a sheet;
and
a wireless operation unit wirelessly connectable to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses,
wherein the wireless operation unit includes a display unit that accepts operations by a user and displays an image,
the display unit displays a first screen indicating each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses that can be wirelessly connected to the wireless operation unit, and
the first screen includes first status information, which is information regarding a status of each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses displayed on the first screen,
wherein at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses displayed on the first screen is selectable by the user, and
the display unit displays a second screen showing second status information including status information different from the first status information with respect to an image forming apparatus selected by the user from among the plurality of image forming apparatuses displayed on the first screen.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/481,767Filed 5 Oct 2023 · continuation
Priority: JP 2021-00708720 Jan 2021
Published: US 2024/0040047 A11 Feb 2024
Granted: 11 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04N 1/00129
Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture…:…
H04N 1/00477
Output means: indicating status, e.g. of a job
G06F 3/1204
Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management: resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic…
G06F 3/1229
Specifically adapted to use a particular technique: printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels

Family

Application17/571,669Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Jan 2022
US 2024/0040047 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Feb 2024
US 11,818,308 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2022/0232134 A1Published application
US 12,250,349 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.