JP2001301245A - Method of storage printing and image-forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable different kinds of transfer papers from a transfer paper used in normal printing for a front cover as a partition paper to be utilized in storage printing. SOLUTION: In the image-forming apparatus which can print a plurality of files to be printed in a designated order after temporarily storing the files, the files to be printed are taken from outside and stored in an image memory. A user is enabled to select from the stored plurality of files in an order in which the user desires to print. The user can select the transfer paper for the front cover to be inserted before each file as the partition paper by designating a paper feed stage. In accordance with the indication from the user, selected files are printed in the selected order while the transfer paper of the selected paper feed stage is inserted as the front cover. Moreover, the user is enabled to select items that the user wishes to print to the front cover from file information related to each file. The selected items of the file information of each file are printed in a predetermined from to the front cover.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printer,
More specifically, a method of temporarily storing a plurality of files to be printed and then printing the stored files in a designated order (hereinafter, referred to as stored printing or stored printing) and an image forming method using this method Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as scanners (image reading apparatuses), copiers, facsimile apparatuses, and printers used in office work have common elements such as an image capturing function and a printing function. A device that integrates some (or all) of these devices has become commercially available. Since all of these devices have a printing function but are beyond the range of a printer, the devices other than a single scanner are also referred to as an image forming device including a printer. Such an image forming apparatus is connected to a host device such as a personal computer that outputs image information via a parallel interface or a network, and is used as a printing terminal device of the host device (hereinafter, simply referred to as “host”). When a user issues a print command to a print target at a host, print information to be printed and print control information necessary for printing are sent from the host device to the image forming apparatus in response to the command, and a storage device such as a hard disk is And the stored print information is sequentially printed on transfer paper immediately or in the order of reception. Hereinafter, the print information and the print control information are collectively referred to as a print file. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus that stores a plurality of print files to be printed input from a host or a scanner and processes the stored print files as a series of images connected in a designated printing order (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-27492). )It has been known. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-139800 discloses that, when a plurality of print files are continuously printed, a cover sheet is inserted before the printed transfer paper bundle of each print file to form a partition sheet, and printing is performed on the partition sheet. An image forming apparatus that prints date / time data of a file is disclosed. However, if the paper is the same type of paper as the normal transfer paper, the break between print files is difficult to understand. Further, there is a case where it is desired to print information other than the date and time on the partition paper, but such a case is inconvenient.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, when printing a plurality of stored print files in a single print job,
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which the type of partition paper attached before each print file can be selected by designating a transfer paper tray. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of designating information to be printed on partition paper with an operation unit at the time of printing.

[0004]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage printing method for temporarily storing a plurality of files to be printed in an image forming apparatus and then printing the files in a designated order. Yes, importing the file from the outside, storing the captured file, allowing the user to select from the plurality of stored files in the order of printing, and inserting before each file as a partition paper Causing the user to select a cover to be specified by specifying a paper feed source; and, in response to an instruction from the user, inserting the transfer paper of the selected paper feed source as the cover and selecting the selected file. Are printed in the order selected. This makes it possible to use a different type of transfer paper than the transfer paper used for normal printing on the cover as the partition paper, so that it is easy to distinguish between files. 3. The storage printing method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of allowing the user to select an item that the user wants to print on the cover from file information on each file, and wherein the printing step includes: Printing the selected item of file information on the cover in a predetermined format. For this reason, it is possible to print the necessary contents on the cover. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the step of capturing includes a step of capturing from a host computer connected to the image forming apparatus. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the storage printing method according to any one of the first to third aspects, the step of capturing includes a step of capturing from a scanner unit of the image forming apparatus.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having a function of temporarily storing a plurality of files to be printed and then printing the files in a designated order. Means for accumulating the files, means for allowing a user to select from the plurality of accumulated files in the order of printing, and use of a cover inserted before each file as a partition sheet by designating a paper feed stage Means to allow the person to choose,
In accordance with an instruction from a user, a printing unit is provided which prints the selected files in a selected order while inserting transfer sheets of a selected paper feed stage as the cover. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means for allowing the user to select an item that the user wants to print on the cover from file information on each file, and The printing means includes means for printing the selected item of the file information of each file on the cover in a predetermined format. An image forming apparatus according to a seventh aspect is the fifth aspect.
(6) In the image forming apparatus as described in (6), the fetching means includes a fetching means from a host computer connected to the image forming apparatus. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, the capturing unit includes a unit configured to capture from a scanner unit of the image forming apparatus.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. When the same element is shown in a plurality of drawings, the same reference numeral is given.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of a computer network including an image forming apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention has a LAN (local area network).
It is connected to a plurality of host computers 120 via a 112 and a parallel IF (interface) 114 of the Centronics standard. However, the image forming apparatus 100
It is not always necessary to connect a plurality of hosts, and even when only one host is used, the image forming apparatus 100 utilizing the features of the present invention can be used. Image forming apparatus 10
0 denotes a scanner unit 50 for reading an original,
Alternatively, a printing unit 57 that prints print information received from the host 120, a plurality of types of transfer paper used for printing are separately stored in respective trays, and a paper supply unit 8 that supplies necessary transfer paper, and a user An operation unit 38 for operating the device 100 is provided. In addition, each host 120 includes a printer driver (not shown) corresponding to the image forming apparatus 100 (not shown).

FIG. 2 shows the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG.
1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an image processing system according to one embodiment. The image processing system of the image forming apparatus 100 includes the above-described scanner unit 50;
AN controller 52; parallel IF controller 54 for providing an interface with parallel IF 114; management for generating print image data from print information fetched from scanner unit 50, LAN controller 52 and parallel IF controller 54 and storing the print image data in an image memory. Image data management unit 60; central controller 20 for controlling the entire image processing system; printing unit 57 for printing image data;
It comprises a paper feed section 8 and an operation section 38. The image data management unit 60 includes an image memory 66 and a memory management unit 65. The central controller 20 is a CPU (central processing unit)
68, ROM (read only memory) 69 and RAM
(Random access memory) 70. The operation unit 38 includes a display unit 37 and input keys as shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, the input keys include at least copy 32, storage copy 33, print 34, and start 35 keys. Copy 32, accumulated copy 33
The print 34 is a three-member alternative, and only one of them can be turned on. It is assumed that the copy 32 is on in the initial state.

Hereinafter, the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 will be described. As described above, each host 120 using the image forming apparatus 100 includes printer driver software (not shown) corresponding to the image forming apparatus 100. When the user issues a print command for a document created by any application in the host 100, the printer driver displays a dialog box as shown in FIG. A “Print” button 122 and a “File registration” button 124 are displayed in the upper right part of the dialog box in FIG. When the user clicks the print 122 after inputting necessary data in the dialog box, the document is sent to the image forming apparatus 100 and immediately printed. When the file registration 124 is clicked, the document is sent to the image forming apparatus 100, and is stored and printed together with another print file in FIG.
Is stored in the image memory 66. At the bottom of the dialog box, there is provided an input field 126 for entering a comment to be printed on the cover. As a result, the user can use, for example, “p. 15” as necessary on the cover of the document (this is used as a partition between the document and the document printed before this document during storage printing). 17 can be replaced at a later date. Hereinafter, an operation of registering a plurality of print files in the image forming apparatus 100 and performing storage printing or storage printing will be described. As described in the previous paragraph, in order to register (or accumulate) a print file in the image forming apparatus 100 for accumulation printing, in addition to registering a file from the host 120, an image is acquired from the scanner unit 50 of the image forming apparatus 100. May be. When the image forming apparatus 100 includes a modem and has a facsimile function, the received facsimile image may be stored in the image memory 66 and registered as a print file.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing various data used by the CPU 68 in the process of storing and printing. In FIG. 5, data indicated by a double-lined frame is not data that is externally provided to the image forming apparatus 100 but data that is automatically generated by the image forming apparatus 100 itself. FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating a structure of a print file information record generated from print control information of a registered print file every time a print file is registered in the image forming apparatus 100. A collection of print file information records 130 forms a print file information table (not shown). Each print file information record 130 includes a print file number 131 and a print file name 13 assigned in the order received by the image forming apparatus 100.
2, the user name 133, the registration date and time 134, the number of pages 135 constituting the print file, and fields such as the comment 126 input by the user when issuing the file registration command. FIG. 5B shows the number of print file information records 130 currently in the above-described print file information table, that is, the number 140 of registered files. Next, an actual print file registration process will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 68 when a command is received from the host 120, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of storing image information in the memory 66 when print information is received in a print file registration state. It is. In FIG.
When any command is received from the host 120, the CP
U68 determines whether it is a print file registration command (step 201). If the print file registration command is, the print file information record 130 in which only the new print file number is written is added to the print file information table (step 202). The “new print file number” at this time is a number following the largest print file number already registered in the print file information table. Next, a flag (not shown) is set, and a transition is made to a print file registration state (step 203). The print file registration status is print information (image) from the host 120.
Is a state for accumulating data. Initialize a page counter (not shown) for counting the number of pages of print information (for example, 0
Clear, etc.) (step 204), and the number of registered files is 1
40 is incremented (step 205). If the command is not a print file registration command in step 201, it is determined in step 207 whether or not the command is a user name command (step 207).
In step 8, it is determined whether the print file is registered. If so, the user name is stored in the user name field 133 of the print file information record 130. If the print file is not registered, it is ignored as an invalid command. Thereafter, similarly, while checking whether or not the print file is currently registered, the file name is registered (steps 210 to 212).
The print file information record 130 is completed by registering the date and time (time) (steps 213 to 215). When the print file registration end command is received (step 216), the print file registration state is released (step 217). With this release command, the registration of the current print file in the print file information table ends.

In FIG. 7, if there is print information (image data) received from the host 120, an image for one page is developed so that printing and memory storage can be performed (steps 220 and 221). Then, it is determined whether or not the print file is registered (step 222). If the print file is registered, the developed image data is stored in the image memory 66 under the print file name 132 of the print file information record 130 (steps 225 and 226), and the page counter is incremented (step 22).
7). If it is not in the registered state (step 222), a normal print operation is executed (steps 223, 224).
In this embodiment, the same bitmap data as the image data at the time of printing is compressed and stored even when storing. When the printing operation is performed from the memory, the printing operation can be performed without the image development time, and the productivity at the time of printing can be improved. If this point is not considered, external image data can be stored as it is.

Referring to FIG. 8 and FIG.
An operation of reading a document from the server and storing (or registering) the document as a print file will be described. Since the document thus captured is once stored and then copied, it can be said that the document is "accumulated copy". When the storage copy key 33 of the operation unit 38 is pressed,
In step 230 of FIG. 8, a list of the currently registered print files is displayed as shown in FIG. 9, and any of “print” 150, “read” 151, or “cancel” 152 is selected as the next process. Let it. If the user selects reading in step 231, step 202
A print file information record 130 in which only a new print file number is written is added to the print file information table in the same manner as that described above, and a screen for executing an accumulation operation from the scanner as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed (step 2).
32). The user name and print file name of this file are automatically set to "SCANNER" and "SCA" as shown in FIG.
N01 ". If there are multiple files, they are named so that the file names can be distinguished. When the user wants to change the user name or file name automatically set in this way, the user presses a “edit read file information” display button 154 to edit the file information displayed in FIG. (Not shown). At this time, any text can be input as a comment. The read file information input in this manner is managed as a print file information record 130 in the same manner as in the case of a print file received from the host 120. Set each mode,
By pressing the start key 35, the reading operation (FIG. 11) is started. Next, a flag (not shown) is set to shift to a print file registration state (step 2).
33). The print file registration state is a state for accumulating print information (images) fetched from outside. The above-described page counter (not shown) is initialized (for example, cleared to 0) (step 234), and the number of registered files becomes 14
0 is incremented (step 235). In step 236, it is determined whether the "end" display button has been pressed. If pressed, the scanner file (ie, print file) registration state is canceled in step 237, and the routine exits. If the decision result in the step 231 or 236 is NO, the process leaves the routine as it is.

When the start key 35 of the operation unit 38 is pressed while the scanner file registration screen shown in FIG.
In step 240 of FIG. 11, CPU 68 determines whether or not there is a document on a document table (not shown) of scanner 50. If not, exit this routine immediately. If there is a document, it is determined whether or not it is in a scanner file registration state (241). If the scanner file is not registered, the process immediately exits from the routine. If the scanner file is registered, the original is read by operating the scanner, and the read image is stored in the memory (step 24).
2). At this time, when the document storage is completed (step 2
43), increment the page counter (step 244). As long as there is a document (step 245), the process returns to step 241. When there is no document, the process exits from this routine. In this case, the display is the same as the scanner file registration screen of FIG. 10. At this point, if the “end” button 153 is pressed (or touched (hereinafter simply referred to as “press”)), FIG. Return to the print file list display screen. Further, if there is a document file to be read from the scanner, the same process can be repeated by pressing the read button 151 again.

If the user wants to perform storage printing, the registered print files are designated in the order of printing, so that the designated print file is highlighted and the rightmost "" of the selected print file is displayed. The number indicating the printing order is inserted in the column of “Order”. In this case, it goes without saying that the print file can be specified regardless of whether it is sent from the host 120 or taken in from the scanner. Before making this specification, if there is a group of print files that have already been specified and should be printed in a separate print job,
A print job record 160 as shown in FIG. 5C is created in such a print file group, and is distinguished by a serial number called a print job number 162.
Therefore, as described above, when the print file is designated, the print job record 160 is generated, and the print job number 1
62 and the print file list 168 in which the print file numbers 131 are arranged in the printing order are automatically written. In the image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention, each page in the print file has the print file number as the upper 1 byte and the page number with the first page being 0 as the lower 1 byte.
It is managed by byte image number. Access to the memory unit is controlled by this image number. For example, the image numbers of the first five pages of the print file of print file number 2 are 512 (0200H) and 513 (0201) from the front.
H), 514 (0202H), 515 (0203H), 51
6 (0204H). Therefore, when printing a plurality of print files in one print job, the image number is determined from the print file number (upper 1 byte) and the page number (lower 1 byte) in the order specified in the print file list 168. Then, printing or copying is performed as a group of images for the number of pages managed in the print file list 168. When the print button 150 is pressed after designating the print file on the screen of FIG. 9, the screen changes to the display of FIG.
Here, when the “file cover” button 155 is pressed, the screen changes to a cover print information / cover paper feed stage designation screen of FIG.

Referring to FIG. 13, the user selects whether to perform cover printing or not, and selects “Yes”. If “Yes” is selected, “File name”, “User name”, “Storage date and time”,
Any number of print items corresponding to the fields of the print file information record 130 such as “number of pages” and “comment” can be selected. In the example of FIG. 13, a setting (ie, selection) for printing only the print file name 132 on the cover sheet
Has been made. The cover print code 166 is written in the print job record 160 of FIG. The bits forming the cover print code 166 written at this time correspond to the fields starting from the second field (print file name 132) of the print file information record 130 in order from the LSB as shown in FIG. . Therefore, the cover printing code 166
Is generated by setting the corresponding bit to 1 for each field after the print file name 132 of the print file information record 130 if the value of the field is to be printed, and to 0 if not printing. Is done. Next, the user selects whether or not to use the same cover sheet as the partition sheet as the transfer sheet used for printing the print file. When different transfer papers are used, a paper feed stage (that is, a tray) in which desired transfer papers are stored is selected. Here, the set contents are set in the cover sheet feeding stage field 164 of the print job record 160. For example, if the same transfer paper is used, zero is set, and if a tray is specified, a tray number is set.

FIG. 14 shows an operation example in the case where storage printing of the print job record 160 set as described above is executed. In FIG. 14, the print file pointer indicating the current file in the print file list 168 of the print job record 160 is set to 1 (step 259). It is determined whether the value of the cover paper feed stage field 164 is 0 (step 260). If it is zero, the transfer paper is taken out from the normal paper feed stage for transfer paper (step 261). If it is not zero, the transfer paper is removed from the paper feed stage associated with the value of the cover paper feed stage field 164 (step 262). Following step 261 or 262, print job record 1
The field value of the print file information 130 specified by the cover print code 166 is printed on transfer paper in a predetermined format. This is inserted as the cover.

Next, the print file number is read from the print file list 168 of the print job record 160 using the print file pointer (264). The page number 135 of the print file information record 130 specified by the read print file number is held as the number of print pages of the current print file (step 265). A print page counter for counting the number of printed pages is cleared to 0 (step 266). Next, whether or not the value of the print page counter has reached the above-mentioned number of print pages (that is, whether or not they are equal)
A determination is made (step 267). If they have not reached (not equal), one page is printed (step 268). The printing page counter is incremented (step 26)
9) After that, the process returns to step 267. If the decision result in the step 267 is YES, the process proceeds to a step 270, where the print file pointer is incremented. Then, it is determined whether all print file numbers in the print file list 168 have been processed (step 271). If there is an unprocessed file number, the process returns to step 261. When all the processes have been performed, the accumulation printing process ends. The above is merely an example of the embodiment for the description of the present invention. Therefore, various changes, modifications or additions to the above-described embodiment in accordance with the technical idea or principle of the present invention are
It is easy for those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, but should be construed in accordance with the appended claims.

[0017]

According to the present invention, a user can select a cover sheet to be inserted before each file as a partition sheet by designating a paper feed stage, so that a transfer sheet used for normal printing on a cover sheet as a partition sheet can be selected. Transfer paper of a type different from paper can be used, and it becomes easy to distinguish between files. Since the user can select an item that the user wants to print on the cover from the file information on each file, it is possible to print the necessary contents on the cover.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a part of a computer network including an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an image processing system according to an embodiment of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a dialog box displayed by a printer driver in response to a print command issued by a host.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing various data used by the CPU in the process of storing and printing.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a CPU when a command is received from a host.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of storing one page of image information in a memory when there is print information received from a host.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example executed when a storage copy key of the operation unit is pressed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a print file list display screen displayed when a storage copy key on a display unit is pressed.

10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed when a “read” display button on the print file list display screen in FIG. 9 is pressed.

11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed when a start key is pressed while the screen of FIG. 10 is displayed.

12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed when a “print” display button is pressed after designating a print file on the print file list display screen in FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a cover print information / cover paper feed stage selection screen displayed when a “file cover” display button is pressed on the screen of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation performed when storage printing is instructed from a cover print information / cover paper feed stage selection screen in FIG. 13;

[Description of References] 8 paper feed unit, 20 central controller, 32 to 34 input keys, 35 start key, 37 display unit, 38 operation unit, 50 scanner unit, 52 LAN controller,
54 parallel IF controller, 57 printing unit, 60
Image data management unit, 65 memory management unit, 66 image memory, 68 CPU, 69 ROM, 70 RAM,
100 image forming apparatus, 112 LAN (local area network), 114 parallel interface,
120 Host computer.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A storage printing method for temporarily storing a plurality of files to be printed in an image forming apparatus and then printing the files in a designated order, comprising: a capturing step of capturing the file from outside; and storing the captured file. Making the user select from the plurality of stored files in the order of printing, and causing the user to select a cover to be inserted before each file as a partition sheet by designating a paper feed stage. A printing step of printing the selected files in a selected order while inserting a transfer sheet of a selected paper feed stage as the cover sheet in response to an instruction from a user. Printing method. 2. The storage and printing method further includes a step of allowing the user to select an item that the user wants to print on the cover from file information on each file, and wherein the printing step includes: 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising printing the selected item of the file information on the cover in a predetermined format. 3. The storage and printing method according to claim 1, wherein the capturing step includes capturing from a host computer connected to the image forming apparatus. 4. The storage printing method according to claim 1, wherein said capturing step includes a step of capturing from a scanner unit of said image forming apparatus. 5. An image forming apparatus having a function of temporarily storing a plurality of files to be printed and then printing the files in a designated order, wherein the capturing unit captures the files from outside, and stores the captured files. Means, means for allowing a user to select from a plurality of stored files in the order in which he / she wants to print, and means for allowing the user to select a cover sheet to be inserted before each file as a partition sheet by designating a sheet feeding stage. And printing means for printing the selected files in the selected order while inserting the transfer paper of the selected paper feed stage as the cover in accordance with an instruction from the user. An image forming apparatus comprising: 6. The image forming apparatus further includes means for allowing the user to select an item that the user wants to print on the cover from file information on each file, and the printing means includes: 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising means for printing the selected item of the file information of each file on the cover in a predetermined format. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said capturing means includes means for capturing from a host computer connected to said image forming apparatus. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said capturing means includes means for capturing from a scanner section of said image forming apparatus.