# US 2014/0153039 A1 · Image forming apparatus, image forming system, and recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153039 A1 - Document ID: US20140153039A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/910,170 - Filed: 2013-06-05 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-19 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Naoko SASASE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153039A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/1203: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management} - G06F 3/1226: {Discovery of devices having required properties} - G06F 3/1231: {Device related settings, e.g. IP address, Name, Identification} - G06F 3/1292: {Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing} - H04N 1/00307: {with a mobile telephone apparatus (constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00)} - H04N 1/32117: {in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] (for mode signalling H04N1/333)} - H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception - H04N 2201/3253: Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data - H04N 2201/3278: Transmission - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image forming system comprises an external terminal and an image forming apparatus. The external terminal has a position information detection part for detecting terminal position information which is position information of the external terminal and a transmitting part capable of transmitting the terminal position information. The image forming apparatus has a communication part for receiving the terminal position information which is position information of the external terminal from the external terminal and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of the image forming apparatus on the basis of the terminal position information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming system comprising: an external terminal; and an image forming apparatus, wherein said external terminal has a position information detection part for detecting terminal position information which is position information of said external terminal; and a transmitting part capable of transmitting said terminal position information, said image forming apparatus has a communication part for receiving said terminal position information which is position information of said external terminal from said external terminal; and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, said communication part receives a plurality of terminal position information from at least one external terminal, and said acquisition part acquires an average value of a plurality of terminal positions included in said plurality of terminal position information as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received from a first external terminal by communication in accordance with a first communication mode and second terminal position information received from a second external terminal or said first external terminal by communication in accordance with a second communication mode having a maximum communication distance longer than that of said first communication mode, and said acquisition part calculates a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information and acquires said weighted average value as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein said first communication mode is a proximity communication mode in which communication can be performed only when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a proximity state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein said first communication mode and said second communication mode are each a non-proximal communication mode in which communication can be performed even when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a non-proximity state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming system according to claim 4, wherein said first communication mode includes short-range wireless communication, and said second communication mode includes communication via wireless LAN. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received from a first external terminal together with a scan job and second terminal position information received from a second external terminal or said first external terminal together with a print job, and said acquisition part calculates a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information and acquires said weighted average value as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one external terminal includes a plurality of external terminals, said image forming apparatus further having a determination part for determining whether each of said plurality of external terminals is present in the same network or not on the basis of coidentity between a network address part of an IP address of each of said plurality of external terminals and a network address part of an IP address of said image forming apparatus, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received by communication with a first external terminal which is determined to be present in the same network as said image forming apparatus and second terminal position information received by communication with a second external terminal which is not determined to be present in the same network as said image forming apparatus, and said acquisition part acquires a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions as said apparatus position information with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition part acquires said apparatus position information in response to an inquiry about said apparatus position information transmitted from said external terminal, and said communication part transmits said apparatus position information acquired by said acquisition part to said external terminal. ### Claim 9 An image forming system comprising: an external terminal; and an image forming apparatus, wherein said external terminal has a position information detection part for detecting terminal position information which is position information of said external terminal; and a transmitting part capable of transmitting said terminal position information, said image forming apparatus has a communication part for receiving said terminal position information which is position information of said external terminal from said external terminal; and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, said terminal position information includes first terminal position information received from said external terminal by communication in accordance with a proximity communication mode in which communication can be performed only when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a proximity state, and said acquisition part acquires said first terminal position information itself as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein said acquisition part acquires said apparatus position information in response to an inquiry about said apparatus position information transmitted from said external terminal, and said communication part transmits said apparatus position information acquired by said acquisition part to said external terminal. ### Claim 11 An image forming apparatus comprising: a communication part for receiving terminal position information which is position information of an external terminal from said external terminal; and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, wherein said communication part receives a plurality of terminal position information from at least one external terminal, and said acquisition part acquires an average value of a plurality of terminal positions included in said plurality of terminal position information as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received from a first external terminal by communication in accordance with a first communication mode and second terminal position information received from a second external terminal or said first external terminal by communication in accordance with a second communication mode having a maximum communication distance longer than that of said first communication mode, and said acquisition part calculates a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information and acquires said weighted average value as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first communication mode is a proximity communication mode in which communication can be performed only when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a proximity state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said first communication mode and said second communication mode are each a non-proximal communication mode in which communication can be performed even when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a non-proximity state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said first communication mode includes short-range wireless communication, and said second communication mode includes communication via wireless LAN. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received from a first external terminal together with a scan job and second terminal position information received from a second external terminal or said first external terminal together with a print job, and said acquisition part calculates a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information and acquires said weighted average value as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said at least one external terminal includes a plurality of external terminals, said image forming apparatus further having a determination part for determining whether each of said plurality of external terminals is present in the same network or not on the basis of coidentity between a network address part of an IP address of each of said plurality of external terminals and a network address part of an IP address of said image forming apparatus, wherein said plurality of terminal position information include first terminal position information received by communication with a first external terminal which is determined to be present in the same network as said image forming apparatus and second terminal position information received by communication with a second external terminal which is not determined to be present in the same network as said image forming apparatus, and said acquisition part acquires a weighted average value of said plurality of terminal positions as said apparatus position information with a weight of said first terminal position information set to be larger than that of said second terminal position information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said acquisition part acquires said apparatus position information in response to an inquiry about said apparatus position information transmitted from said external terminal, and said communication part transmits said apparatus position information acquired by said acquisition part to said external terminal. ### Claim 19 An image forming apparatus comprising: a communication part for receiving terminal position information which is position information of an external terminal from said external terminal; and an acquisition part for acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, wherein said terminal position information includes first terminal position information received from said external terminal by communication in accordance with a proximity communication mode in which communication can be performed only when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a proximity state, and said acquisition part acquires said first terminal position information itself as said apparatus position information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The image forming apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said acquisition part acquires said apparatus position information in response to an inquiry about said apparatus position information transmitted from said external terminal, and said communication part transmits said apparatus position information acquired by said acquisition part to said external terminal. ### Claim 21 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for recording therein a computer program to be executed by a computer embedded in an image forming apparatus to cause said computer to perform the steps of; a) receiving terminal position information which is position information of an external terminal from said external terminal; and b) acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, wherein a plurality of terminal position information are received from at least one external terminal in said step a), and an average value of a plurality of terminal positions included in said plurality of terminal position information is acquired as said apparatus position information in said step b). ### Claim 22 A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for recording therein a computer program to be executed by a computer embedded in an image forming apparatus to cause said computer to perform the steps of; a) receiving terminal position information which is position information of an external terminal from said external terminal; and b) acquiring apparatus position information which is position information of said image forming apparatus on the basis of said terminal position information, wherein said terminal position information includes first terminal position information received from said external terminal by communication in accordance with a proximity communication mode in which communication can be performed only when a transmitting unit and a receiving unit are in a proximity state, and said first terminal position information itself is acquired as said apparatus position information in said step b).