Image forming apparatus

Abstract

An image forming apparatus including a wireless tag communication device to write data to, and read data from, a wireless tag attached to a sheet. An image forming device in the apparatus is configured to form an image on the sheet. A controller in the apparatus is configured to determine whether a writing of data to a wireless tag was successful based on a notification from the wireless tag communication device and generate investigation support information if the writing was not successful and control the image forming device to form an investigation support image corresponding to the investigation support information if the writing was not successful.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a wireless tag communication device configured to write data to, and read data from, a wireless tag attached to a sheet;   an image forming device configured to form an image on the sheet; and   a controller configured to:
 determine whether a writing of data to a wireless tag was successful based on a notification from the wireless tag communication device; 
 generate investigation support information when the writing was not successful; and 
 control the image forming device to form an investigation support image corresponding to the investigation support information when the data writing is not successful. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the investigation support image is formed on the sheet to which the wireless tag is attached if the writing of data to the wireless tag was not successful. 
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the investigation support image includes a two-dimensional code encoding at least a part of the investigation support information. 
     
     
         4 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the investigation support information includes error summary information and error detail information containing information not in the error summary information. 
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the investigation support image includes text of the error summary information and text of the error detail information. 
     
     
         6 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the investigation support image includes text of the error summary information and a two-dimensional code encoding at least a part of the error detail information. 
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the error summary information includes an error code identifying a specific error event, and   the error detail information includes a storage location at which an error occurred during the writing of data, the storage location being associated with the error code, the write data, and the read data.   
     
     
         8 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the controller is further configured to obscure confidential information included in the write data or the read data, and   the error detail information includes the write data with the obscured confidential information, the read data, and information indicating whether the write data and the read data match.   
     
     
         9 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the confidential information included in the write data is a password for locking the wireless tag. 
     
     
         10 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive image data associated with the data written to the wireless tag, and control the image forming device to form an image based on the image data when the data writing is successful. 
     
     
         11 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the image forming device does not form the investigation support image when the data writing is successful. 
     
     
         12 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the wireless tag communication device includes an antenna positioned to transmit and receive signals for data writing and reading to the sheet before the sheet is conveyed for forming the image on the sheet. 
     
     
         13 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the image forming device uses toner for forming images on the sheet. 
     
     
         14 . The image forming system according to  claim 1 , wherein the image forming device uses an ink ribbon for forming images on the sheet. 
     
     
         15 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
 an image forming device configured to form an image on a sheet; and   a controller configured to:
 receive, from a wireless tag communication device, read data from a wireless tag attached to the sheet; 
 determine whether a writing of data to the wireless tag was successful based on a notification from the wireless tag communication device; 
 generate investigation support information if the data writing is determined to be not successful; and 
 control the image forming device to form an investigation support image on a sheet, the investigation support image corresponding to the investigation support information if the data writing is determined to be not successful. 
   
     
     
         16 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the investigation support image is formed on the sheet with the wireless tag attached thereto when the writing of data was not successful. 
     
     
         17 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the investigation support image includes a two-dimensional code encoding at least a part of the investigation support information. 
     
     
         18 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the investigation support information includes error summary information and error detail information containing information not in the error summary information. 
     
     
         19 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the investigation support image includes text of the error summary information and a two-dimensional code encoding at least a part of the error detail information. 
     
     
         20 . A method for controlling an image forming apparatus comprising:
 receiving, from a wireless tag communication device, data that has been read from a wireless tag attached to a sheet;   determining whether a writing of data to the wireless tag was successful based on a notification from the wireless tag communication device;   generating investigation support information when the data writing was not successful; and   controlling an image forming device to form an investigation support image on a sheet when the data writing was not successful, the investigation support image corresponding to the investigation support information.