Patent Publication Number: US-2010110481-A1

Title: Host apparatus connected to image forming apparatus, image forming system comprising the same and modifying method of background for image forming apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0109369, filed on Nov. 5, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present general inventive concept relate to a host apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system comprising the same and a modifying method of a background for the image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a host apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus which modifies a background by using identification (ID) information of the image forming apparatus, an image forming system comprising the same and a modifying method of a background for the image forming apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An image forming apparatus forms an image to be printed on paper. The image forming apparatus includes a printer, a photocopier, a facsimile, a multi-function device having at least two functions, etc. 
     Recently, an image forming apparatus which includes a display unit, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), has been launched. 
     The display unit displays thereon a background including text informing of various information such as a manufacturer, a model name, a service center or an operation status, or diagrams and background images. The background may include a graphic user interface (GUI) which is generated by execution of a driver or an additional application, and includes a menu item to be inputted by a user. 
     The image forming apparatus may display information and an operation status thereof through the background and receive a user&#39;s command through the menu item. 
     However, if the menu item should be modified due to change in part of information of the image forming apparatus or due to updated functions, the background of the display unit should also be modified accordingly. 
     Thus, a conventional image forming apparatus receives the modified background through a network or a local connection and displays the received background on the display unit. 
     However, while a need for modification of the background occurs with respect to all of a plurality of identical image forming apparatuses, a user should modify the background of the image forming apparatuses one by one according to the conventional modifying method of a background. Such a modification process wastes time and costs, and causes inconvenience to a user with repetitive operations. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present general inventive concept provides a host apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus which determines whether to modify a background according to identification (ID) information of the image forming apparatus, transmits a modified background to at least one image forming apparatus according to a determination result to save time and costs and provides convenience to a user, an image forming system comprising the same and a modifying method of a background for the image forming apparatus. 
     Additional features and/or utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present general inventive concept. 
     The foregoing and/or other features of the present general inventive concept can be achieved by providing a modifying method of a background for at least one image forming apparatus which is connected to a host apparatus, the modifying method including: receiving identification (ID) information of at least one image forming apparatus; determining whether to modify the background by the host apparatus with at least one ID information; and transmitting at least one modifiable background corresponding to at least one image forming apparatus if a modification of the background is required. 
     The modifying method may include storing the modifiable background. 
     The modifying method may include requesting the ID information to at least one image forming apparatus to modify at least one background. 
     The host apparatus may include a server for administrating a background. 
     The ID information may include at least one of a device ID, model information and version information of the background of the image forming apparatus. 
     The background may include at least one of a background image, a menu item, a model name, a manufacturer and service center contact information. 
     The modifying method may include setting a group including at least one image forming apparatus, and the transmitting the modifiable background may include transmitting the modifiable background to at least one image forming apparatus included in the set group. 
     The setting the group may include setting a plurality of groups, and the transmitting the modifiable background may include transmitting a modifiable background to the image forming apparatus included in the plurality of groups corresponding to the group of the image forming apparatus. 
     The foregoing and/or other features of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a host apparatus which is connected with at least one image forming apparatus, the host apparatus including: a communication unit which receives identification (ID) information of at least one image forming apparatus; a storage unit which stores therein at least one modifiable background corresponding to at least one image forming apparatus; and a controller which determines whether to modify the background by using the at least one received ID information, and controls the communication unit to transmit at least one modifiable background stored in the storage unit to the image forming apparatus if a modification of the background is required. 
     The controller may control the communication unit to request the ID information to at least one image forming apparatus to modify at least one background. 
     The host apparatus may include a server to administrate a background. 
     The ID information may include at least one of a device ID, model information and version information of the background of the image forming apparatus. 
     The background may include at least one of a background image, a menu item, a model name, a manufacturer and service center contact information. 
     The host apparatus may include an input unit which sets a group including at least one image forming apparatus, and the communication unit may transmit the modifiable background to at least one image forming apparatus included in the set group. 
     The input unit may set a plurality of groups, and the communication unit may transmit a modifiable background to the image forming apparatus included in the plurality of groups corresponding to the group of the image forming apparatus. 
     foregoing and/or other features of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming system which includes a host apparatus and at least one image forming apparatus, the image forming system including: the host apparatus including a first communication unit to receive ID information of at least one image forming apparatus; a first storage unit to store therein at least one modifiable background corresponding to at least one image forming apparatus; and a first controller to request ID information to the image forming apparatus, to determine whether to modify the background by using the received ID information in response to the request, and to control the first communication unit to transmit at least one modifiable background stored in the storage unit to the image forming apparatus if a modification of the background is required, and the image forming apparatus including a second communication unit to transmit ID information to the host apparatus; and a second controller to control the second communication unit to transmit ID information of the image forming apparatus to the host apparatus according to the request for the ID information and to receive the modifiable background from the host apparatus. 
     The image forming apparatus may include a display unit, and the second controller may apply the background received from the host apparatus to the display unit. 
     The image forming apparatus may include a second storage unit, and the second controller may store in the second storage unit the background received from the host apparatus. 
     The foregoing and/or other features of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing a method of managing backgrounds of a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the method including determining through received ID information whether at least one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses requires updating, and based on the determination, transmitting at least one modifiable background to a corresponding one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses to update the respective background. 
     The determining whether at least one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses requires updating can be performed through a common host apparatus which sends a request for the ID information to each of the image forming apparatuses connected thereto. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and/or other aspects of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a background according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an image forming system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart of a modifying method of a background according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept will be described with reference to accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like elements and repetitive descriptions will be avoided as necessary. 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a host apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     The host apparatus  100  according to the embodiment of  FIG. 1  is connected with an image forming apparatus  200  in a wired/wireless network or local connection and performs data communication with at least one image forming apparatus  200 . The host apparatus  100  may include a personal computer (PC) or a server, i.e., a server for administrating a background of an image forming apparatus  200 , (i.e., a user interface and/or other information). 
     As shown therein, the host apparatus  100  includes an input unit  110 , a display unit  120 , a storage unit  130 , a communication unit  140  and a controller  150 . 
     The input unit  110  receives various commands from a user. More specifically, a user may input a command through the input unit  110  to transmit a background to at least one image forming apparatus  200 . 
     As an example, the input unit  110  receives an ID and a password for a user login. The controller  150  authenticates a user through the input user ID and password. Here, the host apparatus  100  may execute a login without any additional access limit in an administrator mode in which setting and modification of all environments of the image forming apparatus  200  are available. After executing the login operation in the administrator mode, the host apparatus  100  may access the image forming apparatus  200  remotely and modify the background (i.e., user interface) of the accessed image forming apparatus  200 . The host apparatus  100 , which is logged-in in the administrator mode, acts as a server to provide administration of a background. 
     The input unit  110  may include a keyboard, a mouse, etc., as an input device of the host apparatus  100  and may include a graphic user interface (GUI) which is generated by execution of a driver or an additional application and displayed on the display unit  120  to receive a user&#39;s input. The display unit  120  displays thereon predetermined current background information of the accessed image forming apparatus  200  and a modifiable background, for a user. Then, a user may determine whether to apply a new background to the accessed image forming apparatus  200  through the input unit  110  corresponding to the displayed current background information. The host apparatus  100  transmits at least one modifiable background to the accessed image forming apparatus  200  according to the determination result. 
     The display unit  120  may include a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a driver (not shown) to drive the LCD. 
     The storage unit  130  stores therein identification (ID) information of the accessed image forming apparatus  200  which is connectable to the host apparatus  100 , and at least one modifiable background corresponding to the ID information. Here, the ID information may include at least one of a device ID, model information  200  and version information of the background of the image forming apparatus  200 . 
     Here, the model information includes information on a model name of the image forming apparatus  200 . For example, if the storage unit  130  stores therein a modifiable background corresponding to the image forming apparatus  200  in a model name starting with SPP, the host apparatus  100  may determine whether to transmit a modifiable background depending on the model information of the image forming apparatus  200  that is connectable to the host apparatus  100 . 
     The storage unit  130  may further store therein version information of a current background of the image forming apparatus  200 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example of a background  20  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the background  20  which is displayed on a display unit  220  (refer to  FIG. 3 ) of the image forming apparatus  200  includes a text or a diagram corresponding to a menu item  21  to select a function of the image forming apparatus  200 , a manufacturer and a model name  22  or service center contact information  23 . The background  20  may further include a background image which is displayed on a background of the menu item  21  and the text or diagram. Here, the menu item  21  may further include various sub items displayed depending on selection of the menu item  21  in  FIG. 2  as well as items to select functions of scanning, copying, etc. as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     Meanwhile, the background according to the present embodiment may further include a GUI which is generated by execution of a driver or an additional application and provided for a user&#39;s input. Then, the background  20  which is displayed in the image forming apparatus  200  displays various information and operation status of the image forming apparatus  200 . 
     The storage unit  130  can include a built-in storage medium such as a hard disc drive (HDD) or an external or portable storage medium such as a universal serial bus (USB) memory, or a memory card (memory stick, CF card or MMC). 
     The communication unit  140  performs wired/wireless communication with the image forming apparatus  200 . More specifically, the communication unit  140  transmits the modifiable background stored in the storage unit  130  to the image forming apparatus  200 . 
     The communication unit  140  may request ID information from the image forming apparatus  200  and receive the ID information from the image forming apparatus  200  in response to the request according to a control of the controller  150 . The controller  150  determines whether to modify the background of the accessed image forming apparatus  200  with the received ID information, and transmits the modified background to the image forming apparatus  200  based on a determination result. Here, the request may include at least one of a unicast, a broadcast and a multicast. 
     The communication unit  140  may include a wired/wireless communication module to be connected to the image forming apparatus  200  through a local connection or a network with a predetermined protocol, or a USB port which is connected to a portable storage medium such as a USB memory. 
     The controller  150  controls the host apparatus  100  as a whole. More specifically, the controller  150  controls the communication unit  140  to request ID information from the image forming apparatus  200  to determine whether to modify the background of the accessed image forming apparatus  200  and receive the requested ID information. The controller  150  determines whether to modify the background according to the received ID information, and controls the communication unit  150  to transmit the modifiable background stored in the storage unit  130  to the accessed image forming apparatus  200  based on the determination result. 
     If the storage unit  130  stores therein version information of the current background of the accessed image forming apparatus  200 , the controller  150  may determine whether to modify the background and transmit the modifiable background to the accessed image forming apparatus  200  according to the result without requesting the ID information from the image forming apparatus  200 . 
     Meanwhile, according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the controller  150  may uniformly transmit a modifiable background to a plurality of image forming apparatuses which satisfies a predetermined condition. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an image forming system  10  including a host apparatus  100  and a plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  according to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the image forming system  10  according to the present embodiment includes a host apparatus  100  and a plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n.    
     The host apparatus  100  includes a PC or a server, i.e., a server to administrate a background, which can include, as described above, menu items, contact information, model name, a GUI, etc. The plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  may include a printer connectable to a network, a multi-function device performing at least two functions, etc. 
     In the exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the configurations performing the same functions may have the same numerals, and description on the elements may commonly apply to the exemplary embodiments in  FIGS. 1 and 3 . 
     The host apparatus  100  according to the embodiment of  FIG. 3  is connected with the plurality of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  through a first communication unit  140 , and receives ID information from each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n . Here, the ID information may include at least one of model information and version information of a currently displayed background of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n.    
     The first controller  150  determines at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  to modify a background  20  thereof based on received ID information. Here, the first display unit  120  may display the received ID information corresponding to each of the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n , and a user may determine whether to modify the background of each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  through the first input unit  110 . 
     Here, the first controller  150  compares the received ID information with ID information of a background of the first storage unit  130 . That is, if a version of the background stored in a predetermined image forming apparatus  200  is lower than that of a background of the first storage unit  130 , the first controller  150  determines to transmit a modifiable background to that image forming apparatus. 
     If a reason for changing the background of a specific image forming apparatus occurs (e.g. added functions) and the received model information conforms to model information of the background of the first storage unit  130 , the first controller  150  determines to transmit the modifiable background to that specific image forming apparatus. For example, the first controller  150  may determine to transmit the modifiable background only to image forming apparatuses having a model name starting with SPP, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n , according to the received model information. 
     The first controller  150  transmits the modifiable background to at least one image forming apparatus, whose background is determined to be changed, based on the determination result as above. The transmitted modifiable background is stored in the first storage unit  130  in advance together with the corresponding ID information. 
     Here, if the modified background is transmitted to the plurality of image forming apparatuses, the transmission process above uniformly applies to those image forming apparatuses. Accordingly, the image forming system  10  (see  FIG. 1 ) determines the modification of the background and performs the transmission operation to the plurality of image forming apparatuses at a single time, instead of performing repetitive transmission operations to each of the image forming apparatuses according to the determination of modifying the background with respect to the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n . Thus, time and costs may be saved and user convenience may be improved. 
     The ID information may be requested periodically, randomly or by a user (administrator). 
     If the ID information are requested by an administrator, i.e., if a manufacturer (administrator) of the image forming apparatuses intends to modify the background of image forming apparatuses in a specific model only or image forming apparatuses using a specific version only, the host apparatus  100  requests the ID information to each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n.    
     For example, if the image forming apparatuses of a specific model are upgraded and a new menu item is added to the background, if a logo of the manufacturer or a service center contact information change, or if a new background image is updated, the host apparatus  100  (see  FIG. 3 ) requests ID information from each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n , and selectively transmits the modifiable background to the image forming apparatuses of a specific model only, image forming apparatuses including a specific model name or image forming apparatuses using a previous background only, according to the received ID information. 
     If the host apparatus  100  acts as a server and the first storage unit  130  stores therein ID information about image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  connectable to the host apparatus  100 , the host apparatus  100  may directly transmit the modifiable background to specific image forming apparatuses without requesting the ID information to the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  and without receiving the requested ID information therefrom. 
     According to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, whether to modify the background of the respective image forming apparatuses is determined automatically by the first controller  150  rather than by a user&#39;s selection, and only the determination result may be displayed on the first display unit  120 . 
     According to another exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, it may be requested from the host apparatus  100  that the background in one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  be modified, and the modified background may be uploaded to the host apparatus  100  together with ID information. The host apparatus  100  determines whether to apply the background uploaded to one image forming apparatus to another image forming apparatus, and transmits the background to at least one image forming apparatus according to the determination result. 
     The host apparatus  100  according to embodiments of the present general inventive concept may modify the background of all of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  connected to the host apparatus  100 . 
     The plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  transmits ID information through a respective communication unit (i.e.  240 ) provided in each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  if the host apparatus  100  requests the ID information. 
     If the modified background is transmitted to a predetermined image forming apparatus  200 - 1  through a second communication unit  240  among the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n , according to the determination result of the host apparatus  100 , a second controller  250  stores the received background in a second storage unit  130  and changes the background of the second display unit  220  into the stored background. 
     Here, the background may be stored or modified by a user&#39;s selection through a second input unit  210 . 
     The image forming apparatus  200 - 1  further includes an image forming unit  260  which forms an image on at least one sheet of paper based on print data according to a print command. Here, the print includes a print to copy a document after a scanning process, a print of received fax data and a print of print data received from the outside through the host apparatus  100  including a server or stored in an HDD or USB memory. 
     The host apparatus  100  according to an exemplary embodiment may set at least one group including at least one image forming apparatus to be connected to the host apparatus  100 . Accordingly, the host apparatus  100  may uniformly transmit a modifiable background to a plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  included in a predetermined group if the image forming apparatuses included in the predetermined group is plural. 
     If a plurality of groups is set in the image forming system  10  of  FIG. 1 , the host apparatus  100  may transmit a modifiable background to the image forming apparatus corresponding to the group including the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n . For example, a first background may be transmitted to an image forming apparatus included in a 1F general affair group, and a second background, which is different from the first background, may be transmitted to an image forming apparatus included in a 2F support group. In the same method, if eight groups from Ga to Ha are set in the image forming system  10 , each background designated may be transmitted to the eight groups. In some cases, the same modifiable background may be transmitted to at least two of the eight groups. 
     Hereinafter, in the host apparatus  100  with the foregoing configuration and the image forming system  10  including the same, a modifying process of a background for the image forming apparatus  200  will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
     As shown therein, the host apparatus  100  may request ID information from at least one of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  connectable to the host apparatus  100  to modify the background (operation S 110 ). Here, the ID information includes at least one of a device ID, model information and version information of a background of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n.    
     The host apparatus  100  receives the ID information from at least one of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  in response to the request made at operation S 110  (operation S 120 ). Here, if the host apparatus  100  acts as a server and stores ID information of at least one of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  in advance, the request and reception processes at operations S 110  and S 120  may be omitted. 
     The host apparatus  100  determines whether to modify the background by using the ID information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  with the ID information (operation S 130 ). Here, the host apparatus  100  may display the ID information for each of the image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n  for a user&#39;s selection or determine the image forming apparatus, whose background is to be modified, regardless of a user&#39;s selection. The background  20  may include at least one of a background image, a menu item, a model name, a manufacturer and service center contact information. 
     The host apparatus  100  transmits the modifiable background to at least one image forming apparatus  200 - 200 - n , whose background is determined to be changed, on the basis of the determination result (operation S 140 ). Here, the background may include a background that is uploaded to the host apparatus  100  from one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n.    
     The regarding image forming apparatus  200 - 200 - n  applies the transmitted modifiable background determined at operation S 130  to the background of the second display unit  220  (operation S 150 ). Here, the second controller  250  of the regarding image forming apparatus  200 - 200 - n  may store the transmitted modifiable background in the second storage unit  230  of the regarding image forming apparatus  200 . 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept, the host apparatus  100  determines whether to modify the background according to the ID information of the plurality of image forming apparatuses  200 - 1 ,  200 - 2 , . . . and  200 - n , transmits the modified background to at least one image forming apparatus according to the determination result to save time and costs, and provides convenience to a user in modifying the background. 
     As described above, a host apparatus connected to one or more image forming apparatuses, an image forming system comprising the same and a modifying method of a background for the image forming apparatuses according to the various embodiments allows the host apparatus connected to the one or more image forming apparatuses to determine whether to modify a background according to ID information of each image forming apparatus, transmit the modifiable background to at least one image forming apparatus according to the result to save time and costs and to provide convenience to a user. 
     Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.