IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

An image forming system 100 includes a terminal 10, an image forming apparatus 20, and a network repeater 30. The image forming apparatus 20 includes a writer 24 that writes identification information of the network repeater 30 to a wireless communication tag 22. The terminal 10 includes a display device 12 that presents the identification information read from the wireless communication tag 22, a terminal's communication device 16 that is allowed to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus 20, and a transmitter 14 that transmits, to the image forming apparatus 20, the identification information selected by a user and an encryption key entered by the user. The image forming apparatus 20 configures a connection with the network repeater 30 based on the identification information and the encryption key transmitted from the terminal 10.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-64036, filed on Apr. 11, 2023. The contents of this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to an image forming system and an image forming method.

A configuration device has been proposed to wirelessly connect an electronic device to a network using a mobile terminal with a near-field communication function.

An electronic device is configured so that a mobile terminal writes the information required for configuration to a wireless communication tag provided by the electronic device.

SUMMARY

An image forming system according to an aspect of the present disclosure include a terminal, an image forming apparatus, and a network repeater. The terminal allows a user to use. The image forming apparatus allows the user to use. The image forming apparatus includes a wireless communication tag. The network repeater allows the image forming apparatus to connect to and communicate over a network. The network repeater includes a network repeater's communication device that transmits identification information identifying the network repeater. The image forming apparatus includes a writer that writes the identification information received to the wireless communication tag. The terminal includes a reader, a display device, a terminal's communication device, an input device, and a transmitter. The reader reads the identification information from the wireless communication tag. The display device presents the identification information read by the reader. The terminal's communication device is allowed to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus. The input device receives an encryption key that is information associated with the identification information and required for connection with the network repeater. The transmitter transmits, to the image forming apparatus, the identification information selected by the user from one or more pieces of identification information presented on the display device and the encryption key entered by the user. The image forming apparatus configures a connection with the network repeater based on the identification information and the encryption key transmitted from the transmitter of the terminal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that elements which are the same or equivalent are labeled with the same reference signs in the drawings and description thereof is not repeated.

Configuration of Image Forming System

A configuration of an image forming system100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference toFIG.1.FIG.1is a block diagram that depicts the configuration of the image forming system100.

The image forming system100includes a terminal10that allows users to use an image forming apparatus20, and a network repeater30that allows the image forming apparatus20to connect to and communicate over a network.

In the present embodiment, the terminal10is a smartphone. However, examples thereof may further include a tablet terminal and a personal computer (PC). Typical examples of the image forming apparatus20include a network printer and a multi-function peripheral (MFP). Examples of the network repeater30include an access point and a wireless local area network (LAN) router.

The image forming apparatus20is allowed to connect to and communicate over a network. Because of this, users are required to use the terminal10to make settings for connecting the image forming apparatus20to the network repeater30. In the present embodiment, the communication between the image forming apparatus20and the network repeater30is performed by communication using a wireless LAN, specifically by Wi-Fi® communications technology.

The network repeater30includes a network repeater's communication device32and a network repeater's controller34. The network repeater's communication device32is allowed to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20over the wireless LAN. Because of this, the network repeater's communication device32includes a wireless LAN interface (I/F).

The network repeater's communication device32transmits identification information identifying the network repeater30(arrow1). Specifically, the identification information is transmitted within a service area of the wireless LAN of the network repeater30. The identification information includes a service set identifier (SSID) of the network repeater30. SSID functions as the name given to a wireless LAN signal transmitted from the network repeater30. The network repeater's controller34controls and causes the network repeater's communication device32to transmit the identification information.

The image forming apparatus20includes a wireless communication tag22that allows users to use, an image forming apparatus's communication device28, a writer24, and an image forming apparatus's controller26.

In the present embodiment, the wireless communication tag22is a near-field communication (NFC) tag. Examples other than the NFC tag may include a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag.

The image forming apparatus's communication device28receives the identification information transmitted from the network repeater's communication device32. The image forming apparatus's communication device28is allowed to connect to and communicate with other devices. As will be described in more detail below, the image forming apparatus's communication device28is configured to connect to the terminal10by communication using a wireless LAN, specifically by a Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method. Wi-Fi DIRECT® is one of Wi-Fi communications modes and allows terminals10to connect directly to and communicate with each other without the network repeater30.

The writer24writes the identification information received by the image forming apparatus's communication device28to the wireless communication tag22. Specifically, the identification information is stored in an integrated circuit (IC) chip included in the wireless communication tag22.

Here, wireless LANs generally provide several radio bands simultaneously to prevent interference or the like. A symbol is therefore added at the end of a common SSID, thereby making it possible to identify respective pieces of identification information on radio bands. For example, “_A” or the like is added at the end of SSID in the case of 2.4 GHz band (IEEE 802.11b/g/n), while “_G” or the like is added at the end of SSID in the case of 5 GHz band (IEEE 802.11ac/a). For example, the image forming apparatus's communication device28receives respective pieces of identification information on different radio bands. In this case, the writer24writes the respective pieces of identification information on all the different radio bands to the wireless communication tag22.

Similarly, to prevent interference or the like, wireless LANs generally provide several channels for each of the radio bands. In this case as well, a symbol is added at the end of a common SSID, thereby making it possible to identify respective channels. For example, “_A-1” or the like is added at the end in the case of 1 ch of 2.4 GHz band, while “_A-2” or the like is added at the end in the case of 2 ch of 2.4 GHz band. For example, the image forming apparatus's communication device28receives respective pieces of identification information on different channels. In this case, the writer24writes the respective pieces of identification information on all the different channels to the wireless communication tag22.

The image forming apparatus's controller26controls respective processes of units in the image forming apparatus20. Here, respective pieces of identification information on different radio bands or different channels as described above may be included in pieces of identification information received by the image forming apparatus's communication device28. In this case, the image forming apparatus's controller26may be configured to control the order in which the writer24writes the pieces of identification information received to the wireless communication tag22.

Specifically, a rule is determined in advance as to the order in which each frequency band's identification information or each channel's identification information is written to the wireless communication tag22. The image forming apparatus's controller26controls the writer24to write each piece of identification information to the wireless communication tag22according to the rule determined.

The terminal10includes a reader11, a display device12, an input device13, a transmitter14, a terminal's communication device16, a terminal's controller15, and storage17.

The reader11reads identification information from the wireless communication tag22(arrow2). Specifically, the reader11uses near-field communication technology to read identification information written to the wireless communication tag22. More specifically, the terminal10(with NFC-compatible I/F) is brought close to the wireless communication tag22(NFC tag) to generate an induced current between both of them. The induced current enables mutual communication, so that the identification information stored in the IC chip of the wireless communication tag22is read. Note that the reader11reads all the respective pieces of identification information on the different radio bands and the different channels, described above.

The display device12presents the respective pieces of identification information read by the reader11. In the present embodiment, the terminal10is a smartphone. The display device12is typically a display (touch panel). The display device12also functions as an input device and allows users to operate while touching with his or her finger. The display device12presents each piece of identification information in a user-selectable manner. For example, in the presence of pieces of identification information, the display device12presents a list of the pieces of identification information for a user to select from. Note that the display device12presents all the respective pieces of identification information on the different radio bands and the different channels, described above. In this case, the display device12may be configured to present each piece of identification information in the order in which the writer24of the image forming apparatus20writes each piece of identification information to the wireless communication tag22.

The input device13allows users to enter an encryption key through. The encryption key is information associated with identification information and required for connection with the network repeater30.

The input device13is typically a display (touch panel) that also serves as the display device12. The input device13allows users to enter, therethrough, an encryption key associated with identification information. The encryption key is set on the network repeater30side as a security measure in the connection between the image forming apparatus20and the network repeater30.

The terminal's communication device16allows the terminal10and the image forming apparatus20to connect to and communicate with each other wirelessly. Specifically, the terminal's communication device16performs wireless communication by Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method described above. Note that the terminal's communication device16may use other wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth®.

The transmitter14transmits identification information and an encryption key to image forming apparatus20. Here, the identification information is identification information selected by a user from one or more pieces of identification information presented on the display device12. The encryption key is an encryption key entered by the user. Specifically, the user selects identification information of the network repeater30that the user wishes to connect with the image forming apparatus20, from each piece of identification information presented on the display device12in a selectable manner. The user then enters an encryption key associated with the identification information selected through the input device13. The transmitter14transmits the encryption key entered to the image forming apparatus20through the terminal's communication device16(arrow3)

The identification information and the encryption key are transmitted to the network repeater30through the terminal's communication device16from the transmitter14of the terminal10, thereby enabling the image forming apparatus20to connect to and communicate with the network repeater30(arrow4).

As described above, the network repeater's communication device32transmits identification information identifying the network repeater30(arrow1).

The writer24writes the identification information transmitted by the network repeater30to the wireless communication tag22.

The reader11reads identification information from the wireless communication tag22(arrow2). The display device12presents one or more pieces of identification information read. A user selects identification information of the network repeater30to be connected to the image forming apparatus20, from identification information presented on the display device12. The user also enters an encryption key associated with the identification information through the input device13.

The terminal's communication device16enables the terminal10to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20(arrow3). The transmitter14transmits the identification information selected by the user and the encryption key entered by the user to the image forming apparatus20(arrow3). The image forming apparatus20configures the connection with the network repeater30using the identification information and encryption key transmitted (arrow4).

In the image forming system100according to the present embodiment, writing to the wireless communication tag22is performed by the image forming apparatus20. Information written is then read by the terminal10. Information required to configure the connection is then transmitted with the terminal10allowed to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20. This approach enables the image forming apparatus20to connect to the network repeater30by using the terminal10even in the configuration in which the wireless communication tag22is prohibited from writing from outside the image forming apparatus20.

A configuration of an image forming system100in the presence of a plurality of network repeaters30will now be described with reference toFIG.2.

InFIG.2, three network repeaters30exist. Network repeaters30A,30B, and30C include network repeater's communication devices32A,32B, and32C, respectively. The network repeater's communication devices32A,32B, and32C transmit different pieces of identification information using radio waves of the wireless LAN (arrows1A,1B, and1C).

An image forming apparatus's communication device28receives respective pieces of identification information transmitted from the network repeater's communication devices32A,32B, and32C. An image forming apparatus's controller26acquires the identification information while acquiring information on radio signal strength transmitted from each network repeater30in the wireless LAN, from the image forming apparatus's communication device28. The image forming apparatus's controller26ranks each piece of identification information in descending order of radio signal strength.

The image forming apparatus's controller26then causes a writer24to write each piece of identification information of the network repeaters to a wireless communication tag22in descending order of radio signal strength.

That is, in the presence of connectable network repeaters30, the writer24writes each piece of identification information of the network repeaters30to the wireless communication tag22in descending order of radio signal strength from each network repeater30.

A reader11of a terminal10reads each piece of identification information written to the wireless communication tag22. A terminal's controller15causes a display device12of the terminal10to present each piece of identification information read by the reader11in the order in which the writer24of the image forming apparatus20has written to the wireless communication tag22.

That is, the display device12presents each piece of identification information in the order in which each piece of identification information has been written to the wireless communication tag.

In the present embodiment, the terminal10of the image forming system100presents respective pieces of identification information of the network repeaters30A,30B, and30C in the descending order of radio signal strength. This approach enables users to easily select a network repeater30with strong radio signal strength.

A configuration for easily configuring the communication between a terminal10and an image forming apparatus20will now be described with reference toFIG.3.FIG.3is a schematic block diagram that depicts the configuration of an image forming system100that allows users to easily configure the communication between the terminal10and the image forming apparatus20on the terminal10side.

Here, the communication method between the terminal10and the image forming apparatus20is a Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method. The image forming apparatus20is a device compatible with the Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method. In the case of the communication using the Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method, if one device supports the Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications method, the other device can communicate with the one device via a normal Wi-Fi communication I/F.

Allowing the terminal10, from this side, to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20by the Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications requires transmitting authentication information for the image forming apparatus20from the terminal10to the image forming apparatus20.

In the image forming system100ofFIG.3, a writer24of the image forming apparatus20writes the authentication information for the image forming apparatus20to a wireless communication tag22. Here, the authentication information includes image forming apparatus's identification information for identifying the image forming apparatus20and an image forming apparatus's encryption key required for the connection with the image forming apparatus20.

A reader11of the terminal10then reads the image forming apparatus's identification information and the image forming apparatus's encryption key (arrow2).

A terminal's communication device16connects the terminal10to the image forming apparatus20with the communication therebetween allowed by the Wi-Fi DIRECT® communications, based on the image forming apparatus's identification information and encryption key read by the reader11(arrow3).

In the image forming system100according to the present embodiment, users do not have to enter the authentication information for the image forming apparatus20on the terminal10side. This approach enables the terminal10to easily connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20.

A configuration for omitting entry of an encryption key in a terminal10will now be described with reference toFIG.4.FIG.4is a schematic block diagram that depicts the configuration of an image forming system100in the presence of a history of connections with the terminal10made in the past by a network repeater30.

The image forming system100ofFIG.4allows the terminal10to connect to and communicate with the network repeater30. InFIG.4, the network repeater30that allows users to use is each network repeater30that corresponds to the history of connections with the terminal10made in the past by. (dashed arrow5) The terminal10ofFIG.4stores an identification information history in the storage17. The identification information history includes respective pieces of identification information of network repeaters30in the history of connections with the terminal10in the past. The terminal10also stores an encryption key history associated with the identification information history in the storage17.

That is, the storage17is allowed to connect to and communicate with network repeaters30. The storage17stores the identification information history about network repeaters30in a history, which the terminal10includes, of connections made in the past by the terminal10and the encryption key history associated with the identification information history.

A terminal's controller15checks whether or not the identification information of a network repeater30selected by a user is present in the identification information history. When the identification information of the network repeater30selected by the user is present in the identification information history, a transmitter14of the terminal10extracts and transmits an encryption key associated with the identification information selected, from the encryption key history, to an image forming apparatus20through a terminal's communication device16(arrow3). The image forming apparatus20uses the encryption key received to connect with the network repeater30(arrow4).

That is, when the identification information selected by the user is present in the identification information history, the transmitter14extracts the encryption key associated with the identification information selected, from the encryption key history and transmits the encryption key extracted to the image forming apparatus20.

In the present embodiment, the image forming system100eliminates the need for users to enter encryption keys into the terminal10. This approach enables users to easily connect the image forming apparatus20to a network.

Process Flow of Image Forming System

A network configuration method performed by an image forming system100will now be described with reference toFIG.5.FIG.5is a flow chart that depicts an overall process of the image forming system100.

An image forming apparatus20first shifts a network connection mode to a Wi-Fi connection-only mode (Step S11). That is, the image forming apparatus20enables an I/F for a wireless LAN.

The image forming apparatus20then receives the identification information of a network repeater30transmitted from the network repeater30. Specifically, SSID is received as the identification information by the image forming apparatus20(Step S12). Note that in the presence of a plurality of network repeaters30, the image forming apparatus20may be configured to receive respective pieces of identification information transmitted by the network repeaters30.

The image forming apparatus20writes network repeater's30identification information received to a wireless communication tag22(Step S13). Note that in the presence of a plurality of network repeaters30, the image forming apparatus20may be configured to write respective pieces of identification information of the network repeaters30to the wireless communication tag22in descending order of signal strength acquired from each of the network repeaters30.

Assumed that a Wi-Fi DIRECT® connection between the image forming apparatus20and a terminal10is carried out with the image forming apparatus20being as a master device. In this case, the image forming apparatus20may be configured to further write image forming apparatus's identification information and encryption key to the wireless communication tag22.

The terminal10reads identification information written to the wireless communication tag22(Step S21). The terminal10configures a Wi-Fi DIRECT® connection, thereby enabling the communication between the terminal10and the image forming apparatus20(Steps S22and S14).

At this time, assumed that the image forming apparatus's identification information and encryption key have been written to the wireless communication tag22. In this case, the terminal10may be configured to automatically configure a Wi-Fi DIRECT® connection between the terminal10and the image forming apparatus20based on the image forming apparatus's identification information and encryption key read.

The terminal10presents identification information read on a display device12of the terminal10(Step S23). At this time, assumed that the terminal10reads respective pieces of identification information of network repeaters30. In this case, the terminal10may be configured to present the respective pieces of identification information read on the display device12in the order in which the respective pieces of identification information have been read.

A user selects identification information of a network repeater30to be used for a connection between the image forming apparatus20and the network repeater30from the identification information of each network repeater30presented on the terminal10.

The terminal10transmits network repeater's30identification information selected by the user to the image forming apparatus20(Step S25). The image forming apparatus20receives the network repeater's30identification information (Step S15).

Here, a terminal10is allowed to connect to a network repeater30. The terminal10also stores therein an identification information history of network repeaters30connected therewith in the past and an encryption key history associated with the identification information history.

A user selects a network repeater30in the history connected with the terminal10in the past (Yes in Step S26). In this case, the terminal10extracts an encryption key associated with identification information selected by the user, from the encryption key history stored in the terminal10. The terminal10then transmits the encryption key extracted to the image forming apparatus20(Step S29). A process of the terminal10then ends (END). The image forming apparatus20receives the encryption key transmitted (Step S16).

A user selects no network repeater30in the history connected with the terminal10in the past (No in Step S26). In this case, the user enters an encryption key associated with the identification information selected by the user into the terminal10(Step S28). The terminal10transmits the encryption key entered to the image forming apparatus20(Step S29). The image forming apparatus20receives the encryption key transmitted (Step S16).

The image forming apparatus20configures the connection with the network repeater30based on network repeater's30identification information and encryption key received (Step S17). A process of the image forming apparatus20then ends (END).

In an image forming system100as described above, a network repeater30transmits identification information identifying the network repeater30. An image forming apparatus20writes the identification information transmitted to a wireless communication tag22. A terminal10reads the identification information from the wireless communication tag22. The terminal10also presents the identification information read.

The terminal further transmits identification information and an encryption key to the image forming apparatus20. Here, the identification information is identification information selected by a user from one or more pieces of identification information presented. The encryption key is an encryption key entered by the user and is required for connection with the network repeater30. The image forming apparatus20then configures the connection with the network repeater30based on the identification information and the encryption key received from the terminal10.

According to a method implemented in an image forming system100as described above, writing to a wireless communication tag22is performed by an image forming apparatus20. Information written is then read by a terminal10. Information required for connection configuration is then transmitted with the terminal10allowed to connect to and communicate with the image forming apparatus20. It is therefore possible to connect the image forming apparatus20to a network repeater30by using the terminal10even in configuration where the wireless communication tag22prohibits writing from outside the image forming apparatus20.

The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. The present disclosure may be implemented in various manners within a scope not departing from the essence thereof. The drawings illustrate each constituent element mainly in a schematic manner to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure. Aspects such as the thickness, length, number, and interval of each constituent element illustrated in the drawings may differ in practice for convenience of drawing preparation. Further, the material, shape, or dimensions of each constituent element or the like described in the above embodiments is merely an example that does not impose any particular limitations and may be altered in various ways as long as such alterations do not substantially deviate from the effects of the present disclosure.