Image forming apparatus, and control program and operation method thereof
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKenta MORIZUMI
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Abstract
According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus includes a decoloring unit that performs decoloring processing on an image formed on a sheet using decolorable material. An image forming unit forms an image on a sheet. A reuse tray can receive a sheet. A new sheet tray can receive a sheet. A processor performs processing to determine whether to convey a sheet from the reuse tray or the new sheet tray to the image forming unit to form an image thereon. When it is determined that the sheet is conveyed from the reuse tray, the processor controls the decoloring unit to perform the decoloring processing on the sheet, and update a rewards account of the user.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a decoloring unit configured to perform decoloring processing on an image formed on a sheet using decolorable material;
- an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
- a reuse tray configured to receive a sheet;
- a new sheet tray configured to receive a sheet;
- and
- a processor configured to perform processing to:
- determine whether to convey a sheet from the reuse tray or the new sheet tray to the image forming unit to form an image thereon,
- when it is determined that the sheet is conveyed from the reuse tray, control the decoloring unit to perform the decoloring processing on the sheet, and update a rewards account of the user.
An image forming system comprising:
- an image processing device including:
- a reuse tray configured to receive a sheet,
- a new sheet tray configured to receive a sheet,
- a decoloring unit configured to perform decoloring processing on an image formed on a sheet using decolorable material,
- an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, and
- a processor configured to perform processing to:
- determine whether to convey a sheet from the reuse tray or from the new sheet tray to the image forming unit to form an image thereon, and
- when it is determined to convey the sheet from the reuse tray to the image forming unit, control the decoloring unit to perform the decoloring processing on the sheet before conveying the sheet to the image forming unit;
- and
- a server configured to perform processing to update a rewards account of the user when the image forming unit forms an image on the sheet conveyed from the reuse tray.
A method for providing image forming services to a user of an image forming apparatus having a decoloring unit, an image forming unit, a reuse tray and a new sheet tray, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether to convey a sheet from the reuse tray or from the new sheet tray to the image forming unit to form an image thereon;
- when it is determined to convey the sheet from the reuse tray to the image forming unit, controlling the decoloring unit to perform the decoloring processing on the sheet before conveying the sheet to the image forming unit;
- controlling the image forming unit to form an image on the sheet that was subject to the decoloring processing;
- and
- when the image forming unit forms an image on the sheet that was subject to the decoloring processing, updating a rewards account of the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.