JP2000137413A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an image possible to be formed in applying the optimum image forming condition and recording paper by preventing the operation efficiency from lowering, at the case of the facsimile reception during the time of copying or the print processing. SOLUTION: A user of this image forming device is supposed, to check a job execution flag (S300), to judge whether jobs are entirely completed or not (S302), and to judge, provided that the jobs are not entirely completed, whether a condition of the job under execution at present is in a manual feeding mode or not among conditions thereof (S304), and moreover to judge the processing timing, when it is not the manual feeding mode (S306). Meanwhile, when it is the processing timing, reception data of the facsimile are recorded/output in interrupt on the present job (S308). When judged that it is not the processing timing in the step S306, it is supposed to return to step S300. Besides, when judged as the manual feeding mode in step S304, the received data are recorded/ output after the completion of present job.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having both an image forming function such as copying and a printer and a facsimile function, and more particularly, to a method for receiving a facsimile during an image forming operation by the image forming function. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of interrupting a facsimile receiving operation during an image forming operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, digital copiers and digital printers that convert an original image into a digital signal and then visualize the digital signal to form an image can share a recording function part with a facsimile machine. It is commercially available as a so-called digital multifunction peripheral having both functions of a copier or a printer and a facsimile function. This digital multifunction peripheral has an advantage that it is economical because the recording portion is shared by the copying / printing function and the facsimile function.

[0003] As a reference technical document of an apparatus having both functions of a copier, a printer, and the like and a facsimile function, for example, a "composite machine" disclosed in JP-A-6-133120 is known. Have been. This involves initializing the parameters related to image formation for each of the copy, printer, and facsimile functions, and if there is a function switching request during the operation of the set function, the currently set function is set. The function is switched after the job is completed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-303179 discloses that when facsimile reception occurs during copying, the facsimile reception processing is interrupted during the copy processing so as not to hinder the copy processing. Is known.

[0005]

However, such a conventional image forming apparatus is disclosed in
In the case of JP-A-133120, if the image creation parameters in the copy function, the printer function, and the facsimile function are different, there is a restriction that the user cannot go to the next function unless the current job is completed. Also,
In the case of the same function, it is good to perform jobs in order because it is not possible to simply assign priorities, but it is better to perform facsimile functions with other functions, especially when the status of the receiving side is not known from the destination. In this case, there is a problem that reception is delayed even in an emergency, and facsimile reception is further greatly delayed when a large amount of printing is performed by a copy or a printer.

Further, in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-303179, it is possible to interrupt a print job when a facsimile is received. However, since there was no regulation on the image forming condition setting that allows interruption, for example, when copying, the thick paper is passed from the manual feed tray and the fixing temperature is set to be too high,
The image formation speed is slow because it is in high resolution mode,
Even if the fixing temperature is set to be too low, facsimile reception is attempted under normal settings, or facsimile reception is performed according to image forming conditions of a print job in progress.

Therefore, in the above description, when facsimile reception is to be performed under conditions suitable for ordinary paper,
It is necessary to set the fixing temperature to an appropriate value or to return the image forming speed to the original value. Further, when returning to the original print job after facsimile reception is completed, it is necessary to reset the print job conditions. For this reason, there has been a problem that the productivity of copy, print job or facsimile reception is significantly reduced.

In the above description, the facsimile reception may be performed using ordinary paper, but the reception process is performed using the paper used in the print job at that time.
For example, if special paper such as thick paper or colored paper is used, the paper is wasted. In particular, when copying using special paper as described above, the number of copies required for the copy is often set, so if it is used for interrupted facsimile reception, paper There was a problem of shortage. Further, when the size of the paper used in the print job is different from the size of the paper used in the facsimile reception, there is a problem that the above method cannot be adopted in the first place.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and when facsimile reception is performed during copying or print processing, interruption of facsimile reception is performed at a timing that does not change image forming conditions as much as possible, thereby improving work efficiency. It is an object of the present invention to prevent deterioration, always record facsimile data under optimum image forming conditions, and to enable recording and sorting of recording paper for copying, printing, and facsimile receiving.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has at least one of a copying or printing function and a facsimile function, and the copying or printing function is provided. If facsimile reception is received by the facsimile function during an image forming operation by any of the functions, the image forming apparatus capable of interrupting the facsimile receiving operation during the image forming operation, If an image forming operation by any of the functions of the printer is performed under conditions different from the image forming conditions at the time of facsimile reception, interruption of the facsimile receiving operation is prohibited until a series of image forming operations under the conditions is completed. Things.

According to this, when an image forming operation by the copying or printer function is performed under a condition different from a normal image forming condition at the time of facsimile reception, the facsimile is performed until a series of image forming operation under the condition is completed. Enabled to interrupt the receiving operation. Therefore, inefficient work such as changing the image forming conditions for facsimile reception during the image forming operation by the copy or printer function, performing an interrupt process, and returning to the image forming conditions performed by the copy or printer function again is avoided. can do. Further, since facsimile reception can be performed with optimal image forming conditions and paper, an optimal image can be obtained. Further, even if special paper is set in the image forming operation by the copying or printer function, the special paper is not wasted by facsimile reception, and shortage of the special paper can be prevented.

The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
In the image forming apparatus described in the above, the image forming condition for inhibiting the interruption of the facsimile reception is that the fixing temperature in the fixing step of the copying or the printer is different from the fixing temperature in the normal image forming used at the time of the facsimile reception. is there.

According to this, when the fixing temperature in the fixing step of the copying or printer is different from the fixing temperature at the time of facsimile reception, the interruption of the facsimile reception is prohibited, thereby improving the work efficiency and Since an image can be formed at an optimum fixing temperature at the time of facsimile reception, an optimum image free from offset and fixing failure can be obtained.

[0014] The invention according to claim 3 provides the invention according to claim 1.
In the image forming apparatus according to (1), the image forming condition for inhibiting the interruption of facsimile reception is that the copying or the image forming operation of the printer is performed in a high image quality mode slower than a normal image forming speed used at the time of facsimile reception. If you are.

According to this, when the copying or image forming operation of the printer is performed in the high image quality mode which is slower than the normal image forming speed used at the time of facsimile reception, the interruption of the facsimile reception is prohibited. , Work efficiency can be improved.

Further, the invention according to claim 4 is the same as the invention according to claim 3.
In the image forming apparatus described in (1), if facsimile reception is performed while the image forming operation of the copying or the printer is performed in the high image quality mode, reception is performed by interrupting in the high image quality mode according to the number of received facsimile. Or,
This is to determine whether or not to interrupt facsimile reception until a series of image forming operations in the high image quality mode is completed.

According to this, when facsimile reception is performed while an image forming operation is being performed in the high image quality mode, the high image quality mode is maintained if the number of received faxes is equal to or less than the predetermined number (N ₁ ). By receiving the interrupt, the facsimile can be quickly received without substantially affecting the copying or the image forming operation of the printer. If the number of received faxes exceeds a predetermined number (N ₁ ), interrupts are prohibited so that the copying or image forming operation of the printer is not affected, and the image forming speed is reduced. Inefficient facsimile reception operation such as performing facsimile reception for a long time in the high image quality mode can be avoided. The number of received faxes (N ₁ ), which is a reference for determining whether to interrupt facsimile reception or not, can be arbitrarily changed according to various conditions. It is desirable to adopt a value (number of sheets) that enables processing with high productivity.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a digital copying machine suitable for applying the image forming apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital copying machine includes a scanner 100, a copying machine main body 101, and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 102.

Hereinafter, the detailed configuration of each unit in FIG. 1 will be described. The copier main body 101 includes an optical writing unit 103, a photosensitive drum 120 and an image forming unit 104, a developing unit 105, a paper feeding unit 106, a double-sided reversing and conveying unit 107, a fixing unit 108, a paper discharging unit 109, and the like. Become.

First, regarding the configuration of the scanner 100,
110 is a contact glass made of transparent glass on which a document (not shown) is placed, and 111 is a contact glass 11
Exposure lamp 112 using a fluorescent lamp or the like to illuminate the original on top
The first reflection mirror leading to 13, 113 is the first reflection mirror 1
A second reflecting mirror for guiding the reflected light from the second mirror 12 to the next third reflecting mirror 114; an imaging lens 114 for forming the reflected light from the second reflecting mirror 113 on the next CCD 116;
A C 116 converts the reflected light of the document into an electric signal by performing photoelectric conversion.
It is a CD.

In the above description, the exposure lamp 111,
The first reflection mirror 112 is a first scanner that is integrally formed with a support (not shown) and moves at a constant speed.
The second reflection mirror 113 and the third reflection mirror 114
The second scanner is configured to move following the first scanner at half the speed of the first scanner.

In the scanner 100 configured as described above, the original set on the contact glass 110 is optically scanned by the first scanner and the second scanner.
The reflected light is transmitted to the first to third reflecting mirrors 112 to 1.
By 14, it is guided to the next imaging lens 115, and the imaging lens 115 forms an image on the CCD 116. CCD1
The reflected light focused on 16 is converted into an analog electric signal (image signal), subjected to image processing such as amplification, A / D conversion, and shading correction, and output to the next processing circuit.

Next, regarding the configuration of the optical writing unit 103 in FIG. 1, a mirror 117 is provided on the side surface of the regular polyhedron and rotates at high speed to scan a laser beam.
Reference numeral 118 denotes a polygon motor serving as a driving source for rotating the polygon mirror 117 at high speed, and 119 denotes a reflection mirror for guiding a laser beam to the photosensitive drum 120 side.

In the optical writing unit 103 configured as described above, a laser beam modulated according to the image signal processed by the scanner 100 is oscillated by an LD unit (not shown). The laser beam having this certain angle is converted into a parallel light beam by a collimator lens (not shown), further shaped by an aperture (not shown), and compressed in a sub-scanning direction by a cylinder lens (not shown) to form a polygon mirror. 117. The laser beam applied to the polygon mirror 117 rotating at high speed is reflected by the reflection mirror 119 and is applied to the photosensitive drum 120 for exposure.

Next, an image forming unit 104 shown in FIG. 1 includes a photosensitive drum 120 having a photosensitive layer formed on its surface, and a charging charger 121 for charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 120.
After the surface of the photosensitive drum 120 is charged by the charging charger 121, the laser beam from the optical writing unit 103 is applied to the photosensitive drum 1.
By irradiating the 20 surfaces, it is possible to form an electrostatic latent image in which the potential of the irradiated portion is lowered.

Next, the developing section 105 shown in FIG. 1 includes a developing roller 122 for adhering toner to the photosensitive drum 120 based on a developing process, and a toner cartridge 123 for containing and supplying toner. Then, a bias voltage of −500 to −600 V is applied to the developing roller 122 with respect to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 120, and the toner charged to (−) is charged to the photosensitive drum 12.
It is made visible by attaching it to the electrostatic latent image on the zero plane.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 125 denotes a transfer charger for transferring a visual image on the photosensitive drum 120 to the conveyed recording paper; and 126, a transfer charger 12
5 is a separation charger that is configured integrally with the photosensitive drum 120 and that separates the recording paper that is in close contact with the photosensitive drum 120 by AC static elimination. Reference numeral 127 denotes a cleaning unit for removing residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 120 after the transfer process.
Reference numeral 8 denotes a separation claw which contacts the photosensitive drum 120 with a small force to assist the separation of the recording paper, and 129 denotes an eraser for erasing charges outside the image area.

Further, with respect to the paper supply unit 106 in FIG. 1, 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d include a paper supply tray for storing and setting recording paper for each size.
Reference numerals 1a, 131b, 131c, and 131d denote paper feed rollers for feeding recording paper one sheet at a time, 132 a registration roller for conveying the fed recording paper to a transfer unit at a predetermined timing, and 133 a transfer / separation. This is a transport belt that transports the subsequent recording paper. In the first embodiment, the manual feed tray 2
By manually feeding the desired recording paper using 01, an image can be formed on a special recording paper other than the paper feed trays 130a to 130d.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the fixing unit 108 in FIG. 1 has a built-in heater 211, and the fixing roller 135 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 211. A pressure roller 136 is provided so as to be urged to apply a predetermined pressure. Here, the fixing roller 1
A thermistor 210 for detecting the temperature of the heater 35 is provided.
Of the fixing roller 135 by ON / OFF control of the
Can be maintained at a desired temperature. This fixing temperature must be set higher when using thick paper, and conversely, when using normal-thickness recording paper or thinner paper. Must be set lower than this.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the paper feeding unit 109
A first discharge tray 140 and a second discharge tray 141 are provided. Reference numerals 142 and 143 denote paper discharge branch claws for switching the conveyance path of the recording paper after the fixing process. Also, 1
44 is a main motor that drives the entire apparatus.

The photosensitive drum 12 configured as described above
0, the image forming unit 104, the sheet feeding unit 106, and the fixing unit 10
8. The operation of the paper discharge unit 109 will be described.

The copier body 101 has a paper feed tray 130
a, 130b, 130c, and 130d are removably loaded. Paper feed roller units 131a, 131b, 131c, 1
The recording paper fed by 31 d
2 and is conveyed to the photosensitive drum 120 at a predetermined timing.

The photosensitive drum 120 is driven to rotate clockwise. At this time, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 120 is transferred by the transfer charger 125 onto the recording paper conveyed to the photosensitive drum 120. Is transferred to the photosensitive drum 120 and the recording paper is brought into close contact with the photosensitive drum 120.
26, it is separated electrostatically. After that, the recording paper is transported by the transport belt 133 to the fixing roller 135 and the pressure roller 1.
By being conveyed to the nip 36, the fixing toner is fixed only on the recording paper. On the other hand, the residual toner is removed from the photosensitive drum 120 after the transfer process by the cleaning unit 127, and the residual charges are removed by the charge removing lamp (not shown), and the photosensitive drum 120 enters a standby state in preparation for the next copying process.

Further, the double-sided reversing conveyance section 107 in FIG.
The two-sided tray 145 for re-feeding the recorded recording paper, the reversing path 146 for reversing the recording paper, the two-sided paper input path 147, and the recording paper provided in the two-sided paper input path 147 are double-sided according to the size. Double-sided branch claws 148, 1 leading to the tray 145
49, and can perform a double-sided copy operation.

Next, the automatic document feeder (A) shown in FIG.
DF) 102 includes a document feeder 150 capable of setting a plurality of originals to be copied, a paper feed roller 151 for feeding out the originals set on the document feeder 150 one by one, and a paper feed roller 151. A transport belt 152 that transports the sent document to a predetermined position on the contact glass 110 and a paper discharge tray 153 that discharges the document after the completion of the copying process are provided.

The operation of the automatic document feeder (ADF) 102 is as follows. A plurality of documents set on the document feed table 150 are fed one by one by rotation of a feed roller 151, and Contact glass 1 by rotation
It is transported to the predetermined position of No. 10 and stops. Thereafter, the above-described exposure operation is performed, and image formation is performed. When a predetermined number of copy processes are completed, the document on the contact glass 110 is discharged to the discharge tray 153 by the rotation of the transport belt 152.

As described above, the automatic document feeder (ADF)
Reference numeral 102 denotes a document that is sequentially conveyed one by one onto the contact glass 110 in each copy cycle, and the copying process is automatically performed.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the control circuit of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The present system includes a system control unit 160 that controls the entire system of the image forming apparatus, a print control unit 161 that performs print processing, an operation control unit 162 that performs initial settings, mode settings, and display thereof, and the like. D to control paper feeding and discharging
It is composed of six blocks: an F control unit 163, an image reading control unit 164 that executes reading control from the scanner 100, and a Fax control unit 165 that executes facsimile communication. Each block has a CPU for independently executing control, and is connected to each other through a communication line.

The print control unit 161 shown in FIG. 2 includes a plurality of image memories 166 provided for storing image data.
And a sequence controller 167 for controlling ON / OFF timing of each load in the printing process, and an LD modulator 1 for controlling an LD unit for generating a laser beam.
68 and a paper feed control unit 169 that controls the paper feed unit 106. Further, the operation control unit 162 includes a key input unit for performing a processing mode and necessary settings, and a display unit for displaying the processing mode and the state of the apparatus by using an LED, an LCD, or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG.
The ax control unit 165 is an NC that controls connection with a telephone line.
U170 and MODEM17 for modulating and demodulating communication data
1 and a buffer memory 17 for storing received data.
2, when the image data in the buffer memory 172 is expanded and stored in the image memory 166;
Data decompression / compression unit 173 for compressing data for transmitting the image data stored in the facsimile to the facsimile
And

In FIG. 3, the fax control CPU 1
A communication port 181 and a control RAM 182
183 is a ROM, and 184 is an image data input / output unit.

In the execution of the printing process in the image forming apparatus described above, image formation on one sheet of recording paper is defined as one unit (this is called a print job).

Next, a description will be given of a case where the present invention is implemented using an image forming apparatus as a multifunction machine configured as described above. A feature of the first embodiment is that, when an image is formed on a recording sheet by a copying or printing operation, the recording sheet to be used is a normal sheet feeding tray 130a, 130b, 130.
c, 130d or the manual feed tray 20
If a facsimile is received during the copying or printing operation depending on whether it is supplied from 1 or not, an interrupt process is performed to output the received data, or the receiving data is output after a series of copying or printing operations is completed. The point is that the user can select whether to perform processing depending on the situation.

For example, special paper is often passed through the manual feed tray 201, and most of the special paper is thick paper, and it is often difficult for toner to be fixed to the paper depending on the state of the paper surface. For this reason, when the manual tray 201 is generally used, the normal paper feed trays 130a, 130b, 13
The fixing temperature is set to be higher (for example, to increase the temperature by about 15 deg) than when the recording paper is supplied from 0c and 130d.

In the case where special paper supplied from a manual feed tray is used for copying or printing, the output processing of received data of a facsimile using a normal fixing temperature and recording paper is interrupted, and image forming is performed. Wait until the conditions (here, fixing temperature) drop to the normal fixing temperature,
When the normal fixing temperature is reached, the received data must be output, then the fixing temperature must be raised again to a temperature suitable for specialty paper, and the previous copying or printing operation must be continued. I had to.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus is controlled as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, in step S300, the job execution flag is checked. This job execution flag means that if there is a waiting job that has not been processed yet in the job registration process, the job execution flag is set, so it is determined whether there is a waiting job by checking for the presence of the job execution flag. can do. Then, step S3
At 02, it is determined whether or not all the processes have been completed.

If it is determined that the processing has not been completed, the condition of the currently executing job is checked in step S304. For example, facsimile reception is performed during a print job, and output processing of received data is a waiting job, and normal paper trays 130a, 130b, 1
If the print job is being performed on the recording paper supplied from 30c and 130d, it is not in the manual feed mode, and it is determined in the next step S306 whether or not the processing timing is reached. Here, if it is determined that it is the processing timing, the current job is interrupted and the facsimile reception data is output (step S308). Step S
If it is determined in 306 that it is not the processing timing, the process returns to step S300 and the above processing is repeated.

When a facsimile is received during a print job using special paper passed from the manual feed tray 201, the fixing temperature, which is an image forming condition, is set higher than the normal temperature. Therefore, the output process of the facsimile reception data is not performed until the job is completed. That is, control is performed so that the fixing temperature is lowered when the current job is completed, and the received data is printed out when the normal fixing temperature is reached. The image forming conditions at this time include conditions other than the fixing temperature.
This is a normal condition in which recording paper is supplied from the paper feed tray.

In the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, when the fixing temperature is lowered, the heater 211 is simply turned off, and the other mechanical parts are moved. If it takes a long time to lower the temperature due to a reason such as a small size, the cooling efficiency may be increased by stopping the machine, and the time required for cooling may be reduced.

In the facsimile reception process in the above flowchart, the facsimile control CPU 180 shown in FIG. 3 temporarily stores the facsimile reception data transmitted from the communication partner device in the buffer memory 172 via the NCU 170 and the MODEM 171. When the reception of one page of data is completed, the received data is decompressed by the image data decompression / compression block 173, and the image memory 166 of the print control unit via the image data input / output unit 184 (see FIG. 2).
Is forwarded to The image data stored in the image memory 166 is subjected to image formation by the same process as the copy process.

When the transfer of the image data to the image memory 166 is completed, the fax control CPU 180 outputs a print request command to the system control unit 160. The system control unit 160 creates a print job and outputs a prunto request command to a print control CPU (not shown).

In the above-mentioned flowchart, an interruption process when a facsimile is received during the copying or printing process will be described. When a facsimile is received during the copying or printing process, the received data is converted into image data and stored in the image memory 166 as described above. Image memory 1 used at this time
Reference numeral 66 denotes an image memory not used for copying or printing. In the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, when a facsimile is received during a copy or print process, the copy or print process is performed by the manual feed tray 201.
Instead, if the paper is fed from the paper feed tray and the processing timing is matched, an interrupt is immediately performed and recording is output.

The operation is as follows.
When the facsimile reception is completed and the image data has been transferred to the image memory 166, a print request command is output to the system control unit 160. System control unit 160
Receives a print request from the fax control CPU 180, and creates a print job as described above. If a print request can be accepted by a print control CPU (not shown), a print request command is immediately output, so that facsimile received data can be recorded and output even during copying or print processing. If the paper is fed from the manual feed tray 21 (step S304), the recording and output of the received data is performed after the copying or printing process is completed.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, if the fixing temperature in the copying or fixing step of the printer is different from the fixing temperature used at the time of facsimile reception, the facsimile reception is performed on the way. The prohibition of interrupts for recording and outputting the received data also prevented the work efficiency from being improved, and the facsimile received data could always be image-formed using the optimal fixing temperature and recording paper. An optimal image free from defects and the like can be obtained.

In the first embodiment, it is assumed that the fixing temperature of the used image forming apparatus is set to be high only in the manual feed mode. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the image forming apparatus is in the manual feed mode. Determined whether or not to interrupt the recording output of facsimile reception data, but more precisely, determine whether or not the fixing temperature is set to a high setting, and thereby determine whether or not to immediately execute the interrupt processing It is better to do that.

(Embodiment 2) The image forming apparatus used in Embodiment 2 is designed to increase the writing density due to the demand for high image quality when forming an image on recording paper by copying or printing. This is an image forming apparatus that achieves high resolution by reducing the forming speed. For example, if the image forming speed is reduced to half by using a writing optical system capable of writing at 600 dpi, writing can be performed at 1200 dpi which is twice the resolution. If this principle is used, the processing speed will be slow, but high image quality can be obtained without using a high-performance polygon motor or laser, and there is no need to increase the cost of the writing optical system. Alternatively, it is often used in such multifunction devices.

The second embodiment is characterized in that, when a facsimile reception is received while a copying or printing operation is being performed in the image forming apparatus in a high image quality mode (hereinafter, also referred to as a high resolution mode), a high image quality mode is always set. After a series of copying or printing operations is completed, facsimile reception data is recorded and output.

This is because, when the high image quality mode is selected in the copying or printing operation, not only the image forming speed is reduced (here, the image forming speed is reduced by half), but also the condition of the image forming section and the fixing condition are fixed. Needs to be changed from the normal case. For example, in the case of the fixing condition, the fixing temperature is lower than the normal temperature, and the amount of heat applied to the paper per unit time is reduced by means such as reducing the nip amount between the fixing roller 135 and the pressure roller 136. The total amount of heat applied to one sheet of paper must be substantially the same as in a normal case, so that normal fixing can be performed. In this case, the fixing method is often used because it is a simple method to lower the fixing temperature. However, a normal image quality mode is sufficient for recording and outputting facsimile reception data. Even if recording and outputting is performed in a high image quality mode, there is no problem in image quality, but the processing speed is correspondingly reduced. In particular, when recording and outputting a large amount of received data, the time loss becomes large, and an interruption is performed during copying and printing operations so that facsimile received data is not recorded and output in the high image quality mode. is there.

In the second embodiment, the image forming apparatus is controlled as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, in step S400, the job execution flag is checked as in the case of the first embodiment, and step S402 is performed.
It is determined whether or not all the processes have been completed.

If it is determined that the processing has not been completed, it is determined in step S404 whether or not the copy or print processing currently being performed is being performed in the high image quality mode.

In step S404, if the copy or print process currently being executed is performed in the normal image quality mode, no loss occurs in the processing time even if the facsimile reception data is interrupted and recorded and output. Then, in the next step S406, the conditions of the currently executing job are confirmed. Here, normal paper feed trays 130a, 130b,
If the print job is being performed on the recording paper supplied from 130c and 130d, it is not in the manual feed mode, and it is determined in the next step S408 whether or not the processing timing is reached. Here, if it is determined that the processing timing is reached, the facsimile reception data is recorded and output by interrupting the current job (step S410). Step S40
If it is determined in step 8 that it is not the processing timing, the process returns to step S400 and the above processing is repeated.

If it is determined in step S404 that the copy or print process that is currently being performed is being performed in the high-quality mode, the processing of the facsimile reception data is performed after the job being processed in the high-quality mode ends. Record and output. Here, after the print job is completed, the machine is temporarily stopped and the fixing roller 135 shown in FIG.
Then, the temperature is raised by using the heater 211 until the temperature reaches the normal fixing temperature, and then the facsimile reception data is recorded and output in the normal mode. In this case, the temperature control of the fixing roller 135 is controlled so that the temperature information detected by the thermistor 210 is fed back to maintain the predetermined temperature.

In step S406, if a facsimile is received while a print job is being performed using the special paper passed from the manual feed tray 201 in the normal image quality mode, the facsimile reception is performed in the first embodiment. For the same reason as described above, the recording and output of the facsimile reception data is not performed until the job is completed.

The above-described facsimile reception processing and interruption processing when facsimile reception is performed during copying or printing processing are described in the first embodiment.
The description is omitted because it is the same as described above.

As described above, according to the second embodiment, if copying or printing is performed in the high image quality mode lower than the normal image forming speed used at the time of facsimile reception, the facsimile is always performed. The recording and output of the received data is prohibited by the interrupt processing, and the received data is output after a series of copying or printing in the high image quality mode is completed, so that the work efficiency can be improved.

(Embodiment 3) The image forming apparatus used in the present embodiment 3 is similar to the above-described embodiment 2 when forming an image on a recording sheet by copying or printing. This is an image forming apparatus that achieves high resolution by reducing the forming speed.

The feature of the third embodiment is that if facsimile reception is accepted while copying or printing operation is being performed in the image forming apparatus in the high image quality mode,
Instead of uniformly prohibiting the interruption as in the second embodiment, according to the number of received faxes, if the number of received faxes is small, the interrupt is performed in the high image quality mode and the received data is recorded and output. Only when the number of print operations is large, the received data is recorded and output after the end of a series of copying or printing operations.

This is because there is no problem in image quality even if facsimile reception data is output in the high image quality mode when the high image quality mode is selected in the copy or print operation. This is because the loss of time due to the high image quality mode is small, and since it is desired to view the received facsimile data as soon as possible, it is more advantageous to recognize the interruption only when the number of received faxes is smaller than a certain number.

In the third embodiment, the image forming apparatus is controlled as shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, in step S500, the job execution flag is checked as in the case of the first embodiment.
It is determined whether or not all the processes have been completed.

If it is determined that the processing has not been completed, it is determined in step S404 whether or not the copy or print processing currently being performed is being performed in the high image quality mode.

If the currently executed copy or print processing is being performed in the normal image quality mode in step S504, no processing time is lost even if the facsimile reception data is interrupted and recorded and output. For this reason, the condition of the job currently being executed is confirmed in the next step S506 in order to perform the interrupt processing. Here, when a print job is performed with recording paper supplied from the normal paper feed trays 130a, 130b, 130c, and 130d,
Since it is not the manual feed mode, it is determined in step S508 whether or not it is processing timing. If it is determined that the processing timing is reached, the facsimile reception data is recorded and output by interrupting the current job (step S510). If it is determined in step S508 that it is not the processing timing, the process returns to step S500 and the above processing is repeated.

If it is determined in step S504 that the currently executed copy or print processing is being performed in the high image quality mode, the number of received facsimile machines is detected in step S512. If the detected number of received sheets is smaller than the predetermined number (N ₁ ), it is more advantageous to perform the interrupt processing.
The process proceeds to 08, where an interrupt process is performed in the high image quality mode. If the number of received images detected in step S512 is equal to or larger than the predetermined number (N ₁ ), the interrupt processing increases the rate of loss of processing time and reduces the advantage, so that the processing is performed in the high image quality mode. The facsimile reception data is recorded and output after the current job is completed. Also in this case, after the print job is completed, the machine is temporarily stopped, the temperature is increased using the heater 211 until the temperature of the fixing roller 135 in FIG. The facsimile reception data is recorded and output. In this case, the temperature of the fixing roller 135 is controlled so that the temperature information detected by the thermistor 210 is fed back to maintain the temperature at a predetermined value.

In step S506, if a facsimile is received while a print job is being performed using the special paper passed from the manual feed tray 201 in the normal image quality mode, the process proceeds to step S506. As in the case, the recording and output of the facsimile reception data is not performed until the job is completed.

Further, the facsimile reception processing described above,
The interrupt processing when a facsimile is received during the copy or print processing has been described in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, when facsimile reception is performed while an image forming operation is being performed in the high image quality mode, the number of facsimile receptions becomes equal to the predetermined number (N _1). In the following cases, the facsimile reception can be performed quickly with almost no influence on the image forming operation of copying or printing by receiving the interruption in the high image quality mode.

If the number of received sheets exceeds a predetermined number (N ₁ ), interrupts are prohibited so as not to affect the copying or image forming operation of the printer and to perform an inefficient facsimile. The receiving operation can be avoided.

In the third embodiment, the number of received faxes (N ₁ ), which is a reference for determining whether or not to interrupt facsimile reception, is not specified. This is because there is no fixed optimal value because the values that increase the productivity most vary according to the data. However, according to the experience of the present inventors, it is often the case that the productivity is highest when the number of received data (N ₁ ) is from one to several.

[0079]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention (claim 1), the image forming operation by the copy or printer function is performed under conditions different from the normal image forming conditions at the time of facsimile reception. In this case, the interruption of the facsimile receiving operation is prohibited until the series of image forming operations under the conditions is completed, so the image forming condition is changed to the facsimile receiving image during the image forming operation by the copy or printer function. Inefficient operations such as interrupt processing and returning to the image forming conditions performed by the copying or printer function can be avoided. Further, since facsimile reception can be performed with optimal image forming conditions and paper, an optimal image can be obtained. Further, even if special paper is set in the image forming operation by the copying or printer function, the special paper is not wastefully consumed by facsimile reception, so that shortage of the special paper can be prevented.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention (Claim 2)
According to the present invention, when the fixing temperature in the copying process or the fixing process of the printer is different from the fixing temperature at the time of facsimile reception, interruption of facsimile reception is prohibited, so that work efficiency is improved and facsimile reception is improved. At times, it is possible to form an image at an optimum fixing temperature, and it is possible to obtain an optimum image free from offset and fixing failure.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention (Claim 3)
According to the above, when the copying or the image forming operation of the printer is performed in the high image quality mode which is slower than the normal image forming speed used at the time of the facsimile reception, the interruption of the facsimile reception is prohibited. Efficiency can be improved.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention (claim 4)
According to the above, when facsimile reception is performed while an image forming operation is being performed in the high image quality mode, if the number of received facsimile is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the image is interrupted and received in the high image quality mode. Therefore, facsimile reception can be performed quickly with little effect on the copying or image forming operation of the printer. If the number of received faxes exceeds a predetermined number, interrupts are prohibited.Therefore, it does not affect the copying or image forming operation of the printer, so that inefficient facsimile receiving operation can be avoided. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a digital copying machine suitable for applying an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a control circuit of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a fax control unit in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view illustrating fixing temperature control in a fixing unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 scanner 101 copier main body 102 automatic document feeder (ADF) 108 fixing unit 135 fixing roller 136 pressure roller 160 system control unit 161 print control unit 165 fax control unit 180 fax control CPU 210 thermistor 211 heater

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having at least one of a copying or printing function and a facsimile function, and performing an image forming operation by any of the copying or printing functions.
An image forming apparatus capable of interrupting a facsimile reception operation during the image forming operation when facsimile reception is received by the facsimile function, wherein the image forming operation by any of the copying or printer functions is performed by facsimile. An image forming apparatus characterized in that, when the image forming operation is performed under a condition different from the image forming condition at the time of reception, interruption of a facsimile receiving operation is prohibited until a series of image forming operations under the condition is completed. 2. An image forming condition for inhibiting interruption of facsimile reception is that a fixing temperature in a fixing step of the copying or printer is different from a fixing temperature in a normal image forming used at the time of facsimile reception. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The image forming condition for inhibiting interruption of facsimile reception is that the copying or image forming operation of the printer is performed in a high image quality mode lower than a normal image forming speed used at the time of facsimile reception. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 4. When facsimile reception is performed while the copying or image forming operation of the printer is being performed in the high image quality mode, whether the image is interrupted and received in the high image quality mode according to the number of received facsimile, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein it is determined whether or not interruption of facsimile reception is prohibited until a series of image forming operations in the high image quality mode is completed.