1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus operating system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, electronic apparatuses such as copying machine installed in convenience stores and the like are occasionally used by unspecified persons and the functions thereof are limited to basic ones such as a function for assigning the number of copies or a function for changing magnification, to facilitate operations so that anyone can readily operate the electronic apparatuses. On the other hand, there has been a trend to provide multi functions to copying machines for office use or household use, and accordingly customers' demand for provision of multi functions for the electronics apparatuses installed in the convenience stores and the like is enhanced, thus requiring multi-functional copying machines having simplified operability.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2003-107962 discloses an image forming apparatus operating system capable of operating with a cellular phone. The image forming apparatus operating system provides a short-distance radio transmission data communication apparatus employing a radio communication technique called Bluetooth in a copying machine and a cellular phone, respectively, to allow communication therebetween, thereby enabling the cellular phone to operate the copying machine. Even though there are differences in key arrangements and operations of operation parts of the copying machines having different types or functions, it is possible to operate the copying machine from a single operation part of the cellular phone, thus facilitating the operation of the copying machine.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2003-94777 discloses an image forming apparatus that performs user identification by a cellular phone. The image forming apparatus communicates by radio waves with a portable terminal such as a cellular phone to obtain a user name and an identification ID for user identification. This allows the user identification without forcing a user to input the user name and the identification ID every time an image is printed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2004-297440 discloses an identification apparatus in which an imaged identification code is employed. The identification apparatus transmits the identification code such as a bar code that has been imaged by a digital camera or the like, to an identification code decoder, and determines whether registration of the identification code that has been transmitted exists or not. This enables the user identification without using an expensive bar code reader, whereby allowing identification using the identification code even at stores having a small number of customers, or the like.
Technique disclosed in JP-A 2003-107962 is aimed at operating an image forming apparatus using a cellular phone to facilitate operation of the image forming apparatus. However, in order to allow the communication between the image forming apparatus and the cellular phone, there is a problem that a short-distance radio transmission data communication apparatus employing a radio communication technique such as Bluetooth needs to be provided in the image forming apparatus and the cellular phone, respectively. Moreover, unfortunately, the image forming apparatus can be operated not only by a person adjacent to the image forming apparatus, but also by a person in an area where it is possible to communicate therewith by using a short-distance radio transmission data communication apparatus. This can cause a problem that the use of the image forming apparatus by the person in the area may disturb the use of the image forming apparatus by the person adjacent thereto.
Technique disclosed in JP-A 2003-94777 is aimed at obtaining a user name and an identification ID from a portable terminal to perform user identification. But disadvantageously the user name and the identification code need to be previously registered in the image forming apparatus and the portable terminal. Similarly, technique disclosed in JP-A 2004-297440 is aimed at performing identification by an identification code such as a bar code that has been imaged by a digital camera or the like. But unfortunately an identification code needs to be previously registered in an identification apparatus.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds