JPH08204892A - Information processing apparatus and information processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus that improves the efficiency of using a bin in a mail box sorter and that can easily identify the sender of the output paper stored in the storage unit. To do. [Structure] The sorter control CPU 32 includes each bin 23-1.
Paper sensor 25-1 for detecting the presence / absence of paper in 23-12
25-12, the automatic storage section selecting means for changing the storage section designated by the storage section designation command and the storage section on the display section of the storage section selected by the automatic storage section selecting means. And a display unit for displaying the storage section number designated by the section designation command.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing apparatus having an output paper sorting device (mail box sorter) for sorting and storing output paper output from an image output device such as a copying machine, a facsimile or a printer. It is about the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an information processing apparatus having a mail box sorter which is connected to an external device such as a computer and a facsimile on a network and sorts and stores the output paper, a place for storing the output paper from the external device by driver software. It is known that a (bin) can be designated.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional information processing apparatus, when a bin is designated from an external device, only the storage start position and the number of sorting sections are designated, and therefore, one sheet of paper is used. However, if it remains in the bin, the storage start position cannot be specified and storage is prohibited. This has been a factor that reduces the efficiency of using the bottle in the mail box sorter.

Further, despite the fact that a plurality of network users share and use the mailbox sorter,
Since the display unit is not provided in each storage unit, the sender of the output paper stored in the storage unit is often unknown.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention improves the efficiency of using the bottle in the mail box sorter, and
An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method capable of easily distinguishing a sender of output paper stored in a storage unit.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the information processing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention visualizes an input image from an external device connected to a network on a paper surface to output an output paper. Image forming means for forming, storage section designation command receiving means for receiving a storage section designation command issued from the external device, a plurality of storage sections for storing output sheets from the image forming means, and the storage section designation In the information processing device, there is provided an information processing device including a sorting and storing means for sorting the output paper into the storing portions based on a command, and a paper detecting means provided in each of the storing portions and detecting the presence or absence of the paper in the storing portion. Based on the detection result of the storage section designation command, the automatic storage section selection means for changing the storage section designated by the storage section designation command, and the storage section designated by the storage section designation command in the storage section selected by the automatic storage section selection means. And it has a display means for displaying the part number.

In the information processing apparatus of the second invention, in each of the first inventions, a display unit for displaying both the ID number representing the external device or the user and the storage unit number is provided in each storage unit. It is a thing.

In the information processing apparatus of the third invention, in the above-mentioned second invention, when the storage unit designation command is received from the external device, the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command sends the ID. ID presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not the ID has a number, and when the ID presence / absence determining means determines that the external device or the user does not have the ID number, prompts the user to input the ID number. It has an ID number registration means.

The information processing method according to the fourth aspect of the present invention includes an image forming process for visualizing an input image from an external device connected to a network on a paper surface to form an output paper, and the external device. In an information processing method for executing a sorting and storing process for sorting the output paper into a plurality of storing units based on a storing unit designation command, the storing unit is based on the presence / absence information of the paper in each storing unit during the sorting and storing process. A display for displaying the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command in the storage unit selected by the automatic storage unit selection process after performing the automatic storage unit selection process for changing the storage unit designated by the designation command The processing is executed.

An information processing method according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the information processing method according to the fourth aspect, wherein the display processing displays the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command and, at the same time, transmits the storage unit designation command to the external device. An ID number representing a device or a user is displayed.

In the information processing method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the above-mentioned fifth aspect, when the storage unit designation command is received from the external device, the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command receives the ID. An ID presence / absence determining process for determining whether or not a user has a number, and when the ID presence / absence determining process determines that the external device or the user does not have an ID number, the user is prompted to enter the ID number. The ID number registration process is executed.

[0012]

With the above arrangement, according to the information processing apparatus of the first invention, the automatic storage section selection means changes the storage section designated by the storage section designation command based on the detection result of the paper detection means, and displays it. The means displays the storage section number designated by the storage section designation command in the storage section selected by the automatic storage section selection means. As a result, the problem that the storage is prohibited only by leaving one sheet of paper as in the past is solved,
Moreover, the storage unit for storing the output paper from the external device is assigned to the flexidel without being influenced by the storage unit designated by the user of the external device, and the mail box sorter is provided to each member of the network user. It is possible to flexibly apply the personalized bottles of.

According to the information processing apparatus of the second invention, since the display section displays both the ID number representing the external device or the user and the storage section number, the output paper stored in the storage section is displayed. The sender and owner can be easily identified.

According to the information processing apparatus of the third invention, the ID
The presence / absence determining means, when receiving the storage section designation command from the external device, determines whether the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage section designation command has an ID number, and has the ID number. When it is determined that there is no ID, the ID number registration means prompts the user to input the ID number. This improves the registration rate of the external device or the ID number of the user.

According to the information processing method of the fourth aspect of the invention, the automatic storage section selecting process for changing the storage section designated by the storage section designation command is performed based on the presence / absence information of the paper in each storage section, and then Since the display processing for displaying the storage section number designated by the storage section designation command on the storage section selected in the automatic storage section selection processing is executed, the storage section for storing the output paper from the external device is It is possible to flexibly assign the mail box sorter to the individual dedicated bin of the mail box sorter for each member of the network user without depending on the storage portion designated by the user of the external device.

According to the information processing method of the fifth invention, the display processing displays the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command and, at the same time, indicates the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command. Since the ID number is displayed, the sender of the output paper stored in the storage section can be easily identified.

In the information processing method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the storage section designation command is received from the external device, it is determined whether the external apparatus or the user who has transmitted the storage section designation command has an ID number. However, when it is determined that the user does not have the ID number, the input of the ID number is prompted, so that the registration rate of the ID number of the external device or the user is improved.

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of an information processing system including an information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is a network such as a LAN. In this network 10, a copying machine 12 to which a mailbox sorter 11 is connected and a computer terminal 1 are connected.
3, 14, a computer terminal 15 to which a scanner 16 is connected, a facsimile 17, and a printer 18 are connected.

On such a network 10,
The image is a copy machine 12, computer terminals 13, 14, 1.
5, it is possible to output from the facsimile 17 or the printer 18, and the line communication with the outside is the facsimile 1
Performed by 7. Further, the copying machine 12 is configured to read an image or output an image independently.
Further, the computer terminal 15 and the computer terminal 13 capable of capturing the image of the scanner 16 have driver software capable of driving all the devices on the network of this system, and transmit the image via the line of the facsimile 17. It is possible.

Further, a document created on the computer terminal 13 or the computer terminal 15 can be printed by the printer of the copying machine 12 and then stored in a predetermined storage portion (described later) of the mail box sorter 11, or The image read by the copying machine 12 is transferred to the computer terminal 1
It is also possible to edit with 5 and output from the printer 18.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the mail box sorter 11 shown in FIG.

In the figure, 21 is a mail box sorter 11.
It is the output paper entrance from the device located further upstream,
The output sheet entrance 21 has a single sheet conveying path 22.
Are in communication. A plurality of output paper storage units (bins) 23-1 to 23-2 are provided on the downstream side of the single sheet conveying path 22.
3-12, and a bundle transport unit 24 that transports a bundle of sheets is provided between the output paper inlet 21 and the bins 23-1 to 23-12.

The single sheet is branched by a flapper (not shown) via the single sheet conveying path 22 and stored in each designated storing section, and the mail box sorter 11 is also provided.
When the sheet bundle by finishing is conveyed further upstream, after being delivered to the bundle conveying unit 24, the bundle conveying unit 24 moves up and down to store the sheet bundle in the designated storage section. Has become.

The bins 23-1 to 23-12 have paper sensors 25-1 to 25 for detecting the presence / absence of paper in the bins.
-12 and display units 26-1 to 26-12 for displaying ID numbers of users or external devices, storage unit numbers, and storage unit undesignated bins (non-sort bins), respectively. The paper sensors 25-1 to 25-12 output High (“1”) when paper is present in the storage portion, and output Low (“0”) when paper is absent. In addition, the display unit 26-1
Numerals 26-12 indicate numbers or characters or marks other than numbers and are composed of liquid crystal or light emitting diodes.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between the CPU in the copying machine 12 and the CPU in the mailbox sorter 11 in FIG.

In the figure, reference numeral 31 is an external device control CPU provided inside the main body of the copying machine 12, and 32 is a sorter control CPU provided inside the mail box sorter 11.

The external device control CPU 31 includes an external device,
That is, it is a CPU that controls the computer terminals 13, 14, 15, the facsimile 17, and the printer 18, and sends a control signal from the copying machine body to the sorter control CPU 3.
Send to 2. Further, the external device control CPU 31
In addition to controlling the print standby status, the usage status of the network 10, the usage bin status, the output paper count, the output paper form (single sheet or a bundle), and the number of copies, the external device connected to the network 10 It has a function of receiving the issued storage unit designation command for designating the output paper storage unit.

On the other hand, the sorter control CPU 32 is a CPU that communicates with the main body of the copying machine and controls the mailbox sorter 11, and grasps the presence / absence of paper in each bin 23-1 to 23-12, and Each bin 23-1 to 23-1
The output papers stored in 2 are total counted. Further, in response to the storage section designation command sent from the external device control CPU 31, control is performed to keep the productivity by the storage sorting operation to the maximum.

Further, the sorter control CPU 32 issues a storage section designation command based on the paper detection information from the paper sensors 25-1 to 25-12 for detecting the presence / absence of paper in each of the bins 23-1 to 23-12. An automatic storage section selecting means for changing the specified storage section and a display means for displaying the storage section number specified by the storage section designation command on the display section of the storage section selected by the automatic storage section selecting means. Have

Next, the operation (information processing method) of this embodiment will be described.

First, the actual storing operation will be described.

An initial state is a state in which there is no paper in the mail box sorter 11. From this initial state, the computer terminal 13 outputs the image created by the computer terminal to the copying machine 12 and performs 6-minute sorting from 5 bins (storage unit 23-5) to 10 bins (storage unit 23-10). And

In this state, for example, when an image is sent from the facsimile 17 that does not have a function of issuing a storage section designation command, output paper is output through the copying machine 12 and stored in the mail box sorter 11, Empty 1 bin (storage unit 23-1) to 4 bins (storage unit 23-4), or 11 bins (storage unit 23-11) to 12 bins (storage unit 2)
It will be stored in any of 3-12) (non-sword bin setting process).

Furthermore, when the computer terminal 15 outputs the image created by itself to the copying machine 12 and, for example, sorts 5 sheets of output paper and stores them in the mail box sorter 11, 3 bins (storage unit 23- 3) and 4 bins (storage 23
-4) When there are only two empty bins, as shown in FIG. 4, three copies in three bins and two copies in four bins are sorted by one copy each by shifting the stacking place (book). Operation that forms the feature of the invention: This is called offset sorting (loading position control sorting). The number of copies to be offset-sorted and the number of used bins are determined by the sorter control CPU 32 based on a predetermined determination standard (see FIG. 7).

In order to carry out such a storing operation, the following software processing is executed in this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the entire output paper storage processing in this embodiment, and this routine is executed by the sorter control CPU 32.

First, when the copying machine 12 and the mail box sorter 11 are powered on, the sorter control CPU 32
Monitors for a storage part designation command transmitted from an external device on the network 10 (step S11).

Next, in step S12, it is determined whether or not a storage section designation command is received when an image is input from an external device. As a result, when the storage section designation command is received, the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S13, bin allocation processing, which will be described later, is executed. Then, for the bins uniquely allocated by the sorter control CPU 32 by this bin allocation process, the allocation state is displayed on the display units 26-1 to 26-12 of each bin as shown in FIG. 6 (step S14). ), And ends this routine.

On the other hand, there is no output of the storage unit designation command from the external device, for example, when the external device does not have the storage unit designation command or when the storage unit designation command is not issued, and therefore the image input of the external device is performed. If the storage section designation command is not received at this time (step S12), a non-sword bin setting process described later is executed (step S14), and a non-sword bin display (see FIG. 6) is performed on the determined non-sword bin (step S15). , This routine ends. The non-sort bin of this embodiment is set to the 11th bin, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, and its display is “no sor”.
t ”.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the bin allocation process (step S13) shown in FIG.

First, in step S21, it is determined whether or not the number of bins or the number of sorting units designated by the received storage unit designation command is larger than the number of empty bins without a user. The number of paper bottles 25-1 to 25-25
The sorter control CPU 32 has previously recognized the information from -12. If the number of designated bins or the number of sorted copies is smaller than the number of empty bins, the process proceeds to step S22, and as normal sorting, bins are assigned according to the bin position designated by the storage unit designation command or the number of sorted copies. The bin in which the output paper can be stored is determined in advance by the sorter control CPU 32 and notified to the external device.

On the other hand, if the number of designated bins or the number of designated sorting units is larger than the number of empty bins, it becomes impossible to physically store one copy for each bin (usually, one copy for each bin). (Storing), and the process proceeds to step S23 and thereafter to execute the above offset sort. First, in step S23, a value obtained by subtracting the number of empty bins from the designated number of copies is stored as n, then the designated number of copies is divided by n stored in step S23, and the value is stored as k.

The number of copies to be stored in each bin is the sum of this K value and 1. Here, if the number of (k + 1) copies exceeds the number of bins that can be stored, the physical storage becomes impossible. Therefore, in step S25, the number of (k + 1) copies and the maximum number of sheets stored per bin are compared. When the result indicates that the number of (k + 1) copies exceeds the maximum number of sheets that can be stored in one bin, the process proceeds to step S26, a warning indicating that sorting is impossible is returned to an external device on the network, and sorting is not possible is displayed. In step S25, if the number of (k + 1) copies is less than or equal to the maximum number of sheets to be stored per bin, the process proceeds to step S27 to sort by the offset sort.

FIG. 8 is an overall flow chart showing the non-sword bin setting process (step S14) in FIG. 5, FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the bin empty state determination routine in FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a non-sort bin determination routine in FIG. It is a flowchart showing.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the non-sword bin setting process, a bin empty state determination block for determining the presence or absence of output paper in each of the bins 23-1 to 23-12 (step S4).
1) and a non-sort bin determination block (step S42) that determines a non-sort bin based on the determination result of the bin empty state determination block are sequentially performed.

In the bin empty state determination routine shown in FIG.
First, in step S51, the bin number is stored as n and the number of bins is stored as nmax.
Therefore, if there is paper, S = 1; if there is no paper, S =
Remember 0. Then, n = 0 is set (step S5
2) and further increment to n = n + 1 (step S53).

In step S54, it is determined whether or not there is paper in the current bin of interest (S = 1) based on the information from the paper sensor of that bin. If there is paper as a result, step S55
If there is no paper, go to step S56.

In step S55, "1" data is set assuming that there is paper in the current bin of interest (S1 (n) =
1) In step S56, "0" data is set because there is no paper in the current bin of interest (S1 (n) =
0).

Then, the process proceeds to step S57, it is determined whether the above-mentioned bin empty state determination has been performed for all the bins (n> nmax + 1), and if there are undetermined bins, the process returns to step S53 and all the bins are determined. If it has been done for the bin, this routine ends.

In the non-sort bin determination routine shown in FIG. 10, first, the non-sort bin is stored as S (n) (step S61), n = 0 is set (step S62), and further incremented to n = n + 1 (step). S
63).

Then, the following steps S64 to S68 are executed in order to research the state that the bin of interest has no paper and the bins on the upper and lower sides have paper.

At step S64, the current bin of interest is
There is paper in the previous bin empty state determination routine (S1).
It is determined whether or not (n) = 1), and if it is a bin with no paper, the process proceeds to step S65.

At step S65, 1 of the current target bins is selected.
The upper bin is a bin with paper (S1 (n-1) =
It is determined whether or not 1), and if there is paper, the process proceeds to step S66, and there is paper in the bin immediately below the current bin of interest (S1).
It is determined whether (n + 1) = 1). S1 in step S66
If (n + 1) = 1, the bin of interest has no paper, and the bins above and below are bins with paper. Therefore, the bin of interest is determined as the non-sort bin (Sn (n) = n) (step S67). , This routine ends.

In step S64, S1 (n) =
1, S1 (n-1) = 0 in step S65, or S1 (n + 1) = 0 in step S66.
If it is, it proceeds to step S68, and it is determined whether or not all the bins have been determined (n> nmax + 1). If there are undetermined bins, the process returns to step S63 and performed for all the bins. If so, this routine ends.

As described above, in this embodiment, the bin for storing the output paper from the network terminal (external device) can be flexibly assigned without being influenced by the number of copies designated by the network user, and the mail box sorter 11 It is possible to improve the efficiency of using the inner bin.

11 (a) and 11 (b) are block diagrams showing the configuration of the main part of the information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In the first embodiment, the offset sort bin was determined using the software program.
In this embodiment, the offset sort bin is determined by hardware.

Reference numeral 41 in the figure (a) is a comparator, 42.
Is a shift register, 43 is a counter, and 44 to 47 are subtractors. In the figure (b), 48 is a decoder, 49 is a multiplier, and 50 is a comparator.

The paper sensor 2 is input to the comparator 41.
Each bin 23-1 detected by 5-1 to 25-12
The output paper presence / absence status within 23 to 12-12 is input, and a pulse for one clock is input to the shift register 42 for each bin, and the output is shifted according to the number of clocks. The number of clocks is counted by the counter 43, and the numerical value counted by the counter 43 is the number of bins in which no paper is stored.

The pulse for one clock input to the shift register 42 is physically the mail box sorter 11
Corresponding to 1 bin, and the paper-free bin of the mail box sorter 11 is searched by sequentially shifting the pulse of 1 clock.

Further, the number of copies of the offset sort is determined by subtracting the numerical value of the counter 43 by the subtractors 44 to 47 from the designation of the number of copies from the network 10, and whether or not the subtraction is negative is determined from the subtracters 44 to 47. Is taken out.

The decoder 4 receives the plurality of borrow signals.
The number of offset sorts by decoding with 8,
That is, it is converted into a subset code and sent to the sorter control CPU 32. Further, the multiplier 49 monitors the maximum number of sheets to be stored in the storage section by multiplying the number of copies by the number of copies in one copy. If the maximum number of stored sheets is exceeded, the comparator 50 outputs an alarm signal ALARM.

As shown in FIG. 6, the offset sort bins thus determined include the bin user ID and
The number of copies determined from the subset code is displayed on the display unit 26-1.
~ 26-12 is displayed.

[0067]

As described in detail above, according to the information processing apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, the automatic storage unit that changes the storage unit designated by the storage unit designation command based on the detection result of the paper detection unit. Since the storage unit has the selection unit and the display unit for displaying the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command in the storage unit selected by the automatic storage unit selection unit, the storage unit for storing the output paper from the external device. Can be assigned to the flexidel without being influenced by the storage portion designated by the user of the external device. As a result, it is possible to flexibly apply the personalized bin of the mail box sorter to each member of the network user, so that the sender of the output paper stored in the storage can be easily identified. Furthermore, since the problem that storage is prohibited only by leaving one sheet of paper as in the past is solved,
The efficiency of using the bottle in the mail box sorter can be improved.

According to the information processing apparatus of the second invention, in the first invention, a display unit for displaying both the ID number representing the external device or the user and the storage unit number is provided in each storage unit. Since each of them is provided, the sender and owner of the output paper stored in the storage unit can be easily identified.

According to the information processing apparatus of the third invention, in the second invention, when the storage unit designation command is received from the external device, the external device or user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command is ID presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not it has the ID number, and when the ID presence / absence determining means determines that the external device or the user does not have the ID number, inputs the ID number. ID number registration means for urging the user to enter the ID of the external device or user
It is possible to improve the registration rate of numbers.

According to the information processing method of the fourth aspect of the invention, the automatic storage section selecting process for changing the storage section designated by the storage section designation command is performed based on the presence / absence information of the paper in each storage section, Since the display process for displaying the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command in the storage unit selected in the automatic storage unit selection processing is executed, the storage unit for storing the output paper from the external device is The flexible device can be assigned to the external device without being influenced by the storage portion designated by the user. As a result, since it is possible to flexibly apply the individual dedicated bottle of the mail box sorter to each member of the network user, it is possible to easily identify the sender of the output paper stored in the storage unit. Further, since the problem that the storage is prohibited only by leaving one sheet of paper as in the conventional case is solved, it is possible to improve the efficiency of using the bottle in the mail box sorter.

According to the information processing method of the fifth invention, in the fourth invention, the display processing displays the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command and at the same time transmits the storage unit designation command. Since the ID number indicating the external device or the user is displayed, the sender or the owner of the output paper stored in the storage can be easily identified.

According to the information processing method of the sixth invention, in the above-mentioned fifth invention, when the storage unit designation command is received from the external device, the external device or user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command ID presence / absence determination processing for determining whether or not the user has the ID number, and input of the ID number when it is determined by the ID presence / absence determination processing that the external device or the user does not have the ID number. Since the ID number registration process for prompting the user is executed, it is possible to improve the registration rate of the ID number of the external device or the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention.

2 is an external view of the mail box sorter 11 shown in FIG.

3 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between a CPU of a copying machine 12 and a CPU of a mail box sorter 11 in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing offset sorting according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an entire output paper storage process in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of an allocation state in the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a bin allocation process shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an entire output paper storage operation when a storage section designation command is not received.

9 is a flowchart showing a bin empty state determination routine in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a non-sort bin determination routine in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Network 11 Mailbox Sorter 12 Copier 13, 14, 15 Computer Terminal 16 Scanner 17 Facsimile 18 Printer 23-1 to 23-12 Storage Section 25-1 to 25-12 Paper Sensor 31, 32 CPU

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Shizuo Hasegawa 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image forming means for visualizing an input image from an external device connected to a network on a paper surface to form an output sheet, and a storage for receiving a storage section designation command issued from the external device. Set designation command receiving means, a plurality of storage sections for storing output sheets from the image forming section, sorting storage section for sorting the output sheets into the storage sections based on the storage section designation instruction, and each storage section. In an information processing device having a paper detection unit provided in each of the storage units for detecting the presence or absence of paper in the storage unit, an automatic storage for changing the storage unit designated by the storage unit designation command based on the detection result of the paper detection unit. An information processing apparatus comprising: a section selecting unit; and a display unit for displaying the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designating instruction in the storage unit selected by the automatic storage unit selecting unit. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the storage units is provided with a display unit for displaying both the ID number representing the external device or the user and the storage unit number. 3. An ID presence / absence determining means for determining whether or not the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage section designation command has the ID number when the storage section designation command is received from the external device. And an ID number registration unit that prompts the user to enter an ID number when the ID presence / absence determining unit determines that the external device or the user does not have an ID number. The information processing device described. 4. An image forming process for visualizing an input image from an external device connected to a network on a paper surface to form an output sheet, and the storage unit designation command issued from the external device. In an information processing method for performing a sorting storage process for sorting output paper into a plurality of storage units, a storage unit designated by the storage unit designation command based on the presence / absence information of paper in each storage unit during the sorting storage process. After performing the automatic storage unit selection process of changing the storage unit, a display process for displaying the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command in the storage unit selected in the automatic storage unit selection process, Information processing method. 5. The display processing displays the storage unit number designated by the storage unit designation command, and at the same time displays an ID number indicating an external device or a user who has transmitted the storage unit designation command. The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein: 6. An ID presence / absence determining process for determining whether or not the external device or the user who has transmitted the storage section designation command has the ID number when the storage section designation command is received from the external device. And an ID number registration process that prompts the user to input an ID number when it is determined by the ID presence / absence determination process that the external device or the user does not have an ID number. 5. The information processing method described in 5.