US 2006/0039707 A1 · Image forming system and image forming apparatus

Abstract

Provided is an image forming system and an image forming apparatus capable of reliably reporting information relating to a remaining amount of consumables to an operator without increasing the number of operations of the operator of the image forming system. The image forming system connects a variety of kinds of managers such as a process control manager, an order receiving/original receiving manager, and a message manager, and post-treatment devices such as MFPs, a cutting machine, and a saddle stitch bookbinding device, via a network. The message manager reads the remaining amount of paper sheets of an applicable printer device from a consumption degree table which is stored in an HDD; computes an expected amount of consumption of the paper sheet of the applicable printer device to be consumed due to execution of a job; and when the remaining amount of the paper sheet is below 0 as a result of subtraction of the expected consumption amount of the paper sheet from the remaining amount of the paper sheet, displays on a UI a warning message indicating that an operator maintenance is necessary.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An image forming system for forming an image by using a plurality of consumables, comprising:

an image forming apparatus;
a receiving unit configured to receive information related to a remaining amount of the plurality of consumables from the image forming apparatus;
a reporting unit configured to make a report in relation to a remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables;
and
a setting unit configured to set a prescribed timing for performing the report by the reporting unit,
wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the receiving unit receives the information indicating that the remaining amount of a first consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a first prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and a second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

3 more elements

An image forming apparatus for forming an image by using a plurality of consumables, the apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit configured to detect information related to a remaining amount of the plurality of consumables;
a reporting unit configured to make a report in relation to a remaining amount of at least one of the plurality of consumables;
and
a setting unit configured to set a prescribed timing for performing the report by the reporting unit,
wherein the reporting unit, in a case where the detecting unit detects that the remaining amount of a first consumable related to the plurality of consumables reaches a first prescribed amount, makes a report in relation to the remaining amount of the first consumable and a second consumable, in accordance with occurrence of the prescribed timing set by the setting unit.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming system and image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image forming system and image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32