JP2003101710A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that it was difficult to confirm that a job was not executed in an image forming device having a plurality of functions. SOLUTION: An image forming device stores a job which was not executed and displays a list along with a reason irrespective of the kind of jobs. Further, the list can be printed. Further, it is possible to reply to a device which issued the job the effect that the job was not executed. Thus, it is possible to confirm at one time the job which was not executed, to know a reason that the job was not executed, and to immediately cope with a malfunction when the image forming device malfunctions. Further, it can be confirmed by the device also which issued the job that the job was not executed.

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 a facsimile function, an external input / output function such as a computer and a scanner, and particularly an image forming apparatus capable of confirming a job which has not been executed regardless of the type of the job. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A digital copying machine as an image forming apparatus exposes an image on the surface of a photosensitive member to form a latent image, a developing device for developing the latent image with toner, and a toner for transferring the toner onto a transfer sheet. Equipped with a transfer device, a fixing device that fixes the toner to the transfer paper, and a sorter that arranges the transfer paper on which the image is formed in a predetermined state, and various instructions such as designation of the number of copies and enlargement / reduction on the upper surface. Display the contents on the screen,
It has a screen operation unit for inputting from the screen.

As the screen operation unit, for example, a liquid crystal screen having an input mechanism having a pressure sensitive sensor made of a transparent electrode on the surface has been used, and buttons and various contents are displayed on the display screen made of the liquid crystal screen. By pressing the surface of the display screen corresponding to the position of the displayed button, the pressure-sensitive sensor senses that the button displayed on the display screen has been pressed and the input is made.

In recent years, a function of connecting an input / output device such as a computer or a scanner to the image forming apparatus, printing and outputting image information transmitted from these devices, and sending out the image read by the reading unit to the computer or the like. It is known that the image transmission / reception can be transmitted / received to / from another facsimile machine via a telephone line in the case of having a facsimile function or further having a facsimile function.

The job history of each of these functions is displayed on the screen operation unit for each function. In other words, in the facsimile function, the reception results sent from other fax machines and the transmission results sent to other fax machines are displayed together with the results that were not actually sent / received as a reception record or transmission record. To be done. For example,
When a transmission result is selected from the list display selection screen as shown in FIG. 4, the transmission result list is displayed on the display screen as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, on the display screen of the transmission result, the transmission date and time, the shortened number of the destination, the number of pages, and the transmission result are displayed in eight lines.

In the same manner, the functions of a computer, a scanner, etc. connected to the image forming apparatus can also be used as print records or read records for print jobs sent to the image forming apparatus or jobs sent from the image forming apparatus. It is displayed along with information about the job that was canceled for some reason.

It is also known that the image forming apparatus is provided with a hard disk for storing image information and the like sent from various output devices so that a large amount of information can be processed.

[0008]

However, when various functions are connected to the image forming apparatus, there is a screen for confirming the result of the job performed for each of those functions. There was no function to check the results of jobs that were not executed on the entire device.

For example, when the hard disk (HD) of the image forming apparatus is full and the job is canceled midway while trying to execute the printing process, the display screen of the screen operation unit is filled with HD. Is displayed and the processing is interrupted. The interruption of the process is stored in the print result list, and can be confirmed by displaying the list. However, when another job is started from the suspended state, the suspended display that has been displayed until then is erased and replaced with the display of the processing of the next job. Therefore, even when looking at the screen operation unit later, it was not possible to confirm that the previous job was interrupted because the HD was full and the previous job had already been displayed.
Therefore, the reason for the interrupted job was not clarified, and further, it was difficult to deal with the problem because the interrupted job was not known.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems. That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that allows a detailed reason of a job that has not been executed in the image forming apparatus to be known later regardless of the function of the job.

[0011]

According to the present invention, in order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus is constructed as follows.

That is, in the image forming apparatus, various jobs that have not been executed are stored in the storage means together with the reason why they have not been executed, and a list is displayed as necessary. At that time, detailed reason and user information that can be identified by the user of the job are displayed or can be printed and output. Among the reasons to be displayed, the reason why it was not executed, the date and time, the name that can confirm the person who tried to execute the job, etc.
The file name, the name of the other party in case of transmission, the IP address, the telephone number, the box number at the time of scanning, etc. are included.

As a result, the jobs that have not been executed can be displayed at any time together with the reason why they have not been executed by a list regardless of the type of the job. Correspondence can be taken at any time. In addition, since it is stored in the storage means, it can be displayed again at any time even after another job is started and disappears from the display screen.

Further, the fact that the job has not been executed may be returned to the device that issued the job that has not been executed. Then, the user who issued the job can immediately confirm that the issued job was not executed by the image forming apparatus.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of a digital copying machine 2 as an image forming apparatus.

The digital copying machine 2 includes a scanner section 20.
A control unit 22, an image forming unit 24, a paper feeding unit 26,
It is composed of a fixing unit 28, a paper discharge unit 30, a switch unit 3 as a screen operation unit having various input switches, and the like, and the scanner unit 20 reads an image and performs a copying operation.

Further, the digital copying machine 2 has a facsimile function and a connection function with a computer, a scanner, etc., and changes the contents of the operation to send an image by facsimile or sent from another facsimile device. It can receive and print transmitted images, send and receive to and from a connected computer, and process images from an image reader (scanner) (neither shown).

The image forming section 24 comprises a photoconductor 42, a toner supply section 48, etc., and an image read by the scanner section 20 on the photoconductor 42 by the exposure device 46, an image received from a facsimile machine, or a connected computer. A latent image of an image from a scanner (neither is shown) is formed, and an image developed with toner is formed on the transfer paper sent from the paper supply unit 26. The toner image formed on the transfer paper is fixed by the fixing unit 28, and the fixed transfer paper is ejected from the paper ejection unit 30.

The scanner section 20 is installed on the upper part of the digital copying machine 2, and is a stationary original reading section 34 for reading a fixed original, which is installed on the right side of FIG.
And a moving document reading unit 35 which is installed on the left side and reads the document while reading it from the document placing unit 3.
A reading mechanism 8 common to both is provided so as to be movable downward. The reading mechanism 8 includes a lamp 12 which is a light source means, a mirror mechanism 14, and a photoelectric converter 16 which is a detecting means including a CCD for recognizing the reflected light from the mirror mechanism 14. It should be noted that in FIG. 5, the lamp 12 and the mirror mechanism 14 are provided as two components of the stationary document reading unit 34 and the moving document reading unit 35.
Although it is described in several places, it is actually one.

The original is read as a digital signal,
The read image signal is sent to the control unit 22. In the case of copying, an image signal is sent from the control unit 22 to the image forming unit 24 for immediate print processing, in the case of facsimile transmission, the read image is transmitted via a telephone line, and in the case of distribution to a computer. The image is delivered to the computer.

As shown in FIG. 5, the image forming section 24 includes a corona charger 41, a photosensitive drum 42, an exposure section 46 including a laser, a developing section 48, a transfer charger 49, and a separation charger 51. The cleaning unit 50 and the like form an image from the sent image signal and print on the paper from the paper feed unit 26. The paper feeding unit 26 accommodates various sizes of paper and supplies a predetermined size to the image forming unit 24 according to an instruction from the control unit 22.

The corona charger 41 is, for example, a scoroton charger, and the photosensitive drum 4 is provided prior to the latent image forming process.
2 is uniformly charged to a predetermined voltage, for example -600v.

Further, in the image forming section 24, the photosensitive drum 42 is formed by coating a photosensitive layer on the surface of a cylindrical base material made of aluminum or the like having a diameter of 80 mm, for example. Drum 42
Encoder that detects the rotation phase of (not shown)
Is equipped with. The photosensitive layer has a film thickness of 15 to 30 μm, a dielectric constant of 2.0 to 5.0, and the base material is grounded. The photosensitive drum 42 rotates at a speed of 280 mm / sec, for example, and the rotational phase of the photosensitive drum 42 is measured and controlled by the encoder. The photosensitive drum 42 is uniformly charged by the corona charger 41 while being rotated, and is then exposed by the exposure unit 46 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface.

In the exposure section 46, the laser beam emitted from the laser is reflected by the polygon mirror and is irradiated onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 42 via an optical system such as an f-θ lens. The polygon mirror rotates at a constant number of rotations, the main scanning of the laser beam is performed by the rotation, and the sub-scanning is performed by the rotation of the photosensitive drum 42. The formed electrostatic latent image is visualized by the toner in the developing unit 48.

The developing section 48 has a developer inside and forms a magnetic brush. The developer is composed of a toner of a polyester material having an average particle diameter of 8.5 μm and a ferrite coating carrier having an average particle diameter of 60 μm, and the toner concentration is controlled to 4 to 6%.

The toner is transferred from the photosensitive drum 42 onto the transfer paper by the transfer charger 49, and the transfer paper on which the toner is transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 42 by the separation charger 51 and sent to the fixing device 28 to be fixed. It

The transfer charger 49 is installed so as to face the photosensitive drum 42, and the charge is discharged from the back side of the transfer paper layered on the photosensitive drum 42 that electrostatically carries the toner image, thereby transferring the toner image. Transfer toner to paper. Transfer charger 4
9 is preferably a scorotron discharger, but may be a corotron charger, a charging roller, or the like.

The separation charger 51 is a scorotron discharger,
Alternatively, the transfer paper, which is composed of a corotron charger, a charging roller, and the like and is adsorbed on the photosensitive drum 42, is destaticized to separate the transfer paper from the photosensitive drum 42.

The toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 42 without being transferred is collected by the cleaning unit 50. The cleaning unit 50 includes a blade that contacts the photosensitive drum 42, scrapes off toner, dust, and the like adhering to the surface of the photosensitive drum 42, and stores the scraped toner and dust in the toner box.

Furthermore, the electrical history of the photosensitive drum is erased by the pre-exposure lamp, and the next printing cycle starts. The fixing device 28 applies pressure and heat to the transfer paper on which the toner image is adhered to fix the toner on the transfer paper by welding.

The sorter unit 30 is a discharge mechanism for discharging the printed transfer paper in a predetermined state.

The switch section 3 is a liquid crystal display device installed on the upper surface of the digital copying machine 2 and having an input mechanism. Various operation buttons are displayed on the display screen of the switch unit 2, and when pressure is applied to a portion corresponding to the position of the button with a finger or the like, a pressure-sensitive sensor for pressure detection including a transparent electrode (not shown). Senses and recognizes that such a button has been pressed.

The switch section 3 displays an initial screen when the operation of the digital copying machine 2 is started. On the initial screen,
A plurality of copy start buttons, switching buttons for instructing enlargement / reduction of print images, designation of print paper, designation of the number of prints, or change of operation contents are displayed.

The digital copying machine 2 has a facsimile function and a connection function with a computer in addition to the copying operation as described above, and when a job is executed by using these functions, the execution of the job is stored at any time. Further control unit 2
2 stores the content of the unprocessed job that was not executed in an attempt to be executed in the storage unit together with the reason of the failure that was not executed. Then, the control unit 22 creates a list of unexecuted jobs regardless of the types of jobs, and causes the switch unit 3 to display the list.

The switch unit 3 is provided with a display button (not shown) for displaying an unprocessed job which has not been executed. When the display button is pressed, it is stored in the storage means on the display screen and has not been executed. Display the contents related to the job as a list.

For example, the transmission result of facsimile transmission is displayed as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when a button for displaying a job that has not been executed is selected and pressed from the selection screen of the switch unit 3, a list of unprocessed jobs shown in FIG. 1 is displayed. In this unprocessed job list, jobs that have not been output are displayed for all jobs regardless of the job type. The contents include the type of job (mode), the reason why it was not output, the name of the job, and the identification name (user name, file name, IP address,
For example, a telephone number. ).

Further, a scroll button and a print start button (print) 4 are displayed at the bottom of the list.
When a predetermined field is highlighted with the scroll buttons 5 or 6 and the print button 4 is pressed in that state, the list and the details of the factors of the unprocessed job are printed.

For example, when the digital copying machine 2 receives a print job from a computer (such as an output device) connected to the digital copying machine 2, if the normal processing is performed, a predetermined printing processing is performed and then output. . On the other hand, when the capacity of the hard disk of the digital copying machine 2 is exceeded, it becomes impossible to store a job sent from a computer or the like, and even if a print job is received, the job processing is interrupted. In that case, the reason for the interruption is stored in the storage unit together with the reason.

Similarly, in the facsimile function, even if reception is not normally completed or transmission is not possible, the contents thereof are stored in the storage means together with the reason. Thus, in any of the functions, when the job is not executed, the fact is sequentially stored in the storage unit together with the reason why the job cannot be executed. The specific contents to be stored are the mode of the job such as the printer, the scanner, the computer, the date and time of the job execution, the reason why the job was not completed, the contents of the transmission or reception partner, and the like. Further, this memory is retained even when the sub power supply of the digital copying machine 2 is cut off.

Further, if the job that has not been executed is a job sent from another device such as a computer, the job sent from the digital copying machine 2 to the other computer that sent the job is executed. It is possible to send a notification that there has been no. The notification is performed automatically or by pressing the corresponding field from the list display, and this notifies the other side device such as the facsimile machine or the computer connected to the digital copying machine 2 that the job has not been executed. To do.

Next, the list display of unprocessed jobs in the facsimile of the digital copying machine 2 will be specifically described.

When the image is read by the digital copying machine 2 and the image is transmitted by facsimile, the information of the transmission result together with the date and time of the facsimile transmission, the name of the transmission partner, the telephone number, etc., that is, the transmission was performed normally or was interrupted. This information is stored in the storage means. Further, when the message is not transmitted, the message is processed by the panel management unit as shown in FIG. 2, and it is judged from the contents of the message whether or not it is an unprocessed job.
Detailed information such as the reason why the data cannot be transmitted is also stored. Such work is similarly performed when the image is transmitted / received to / from the computer, when the image is read by the scanner and transmitted to the digital copying machine 2, or when the image is received from another facsimile machine by using the facsimile function. Then, if there is a job that has not been executed by any of the functions, it is stored as an unprocessed job together with the detailed reason for the job.

When the user feels that one job input to the digital copying machine 2 is not output even though the other processes are normally performed, he presses the button for displaying the unprocessed job list. Then, the jobs that have not been executed are displayed as a list on the switch unit 3 regardless of their functions.
It is possible to confirm from the list whether the input job has been interrupted. Further, the detailed reason why it has not been executed can be known by displaying it on the switch unit 3 or by printing it by the digital copying machine 2, and it is possible to cope with the malfunction of the digital copying machine 2.

When the receiving process is not completed in the facsimile reception, the facsimile machine which displays the list similarly or the detailed reason is displayed and the facsimile machine which has transmitted the facsimile from the list display screen. You can reply to.

In the above example, the image forming apparatus is a digital copying machine. However, the image forming apparatus is not limited to this, and the display screen is a liquid crystal screen.
An RT or other display device may be used.

[0047]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to store the jobs that have not been executed for each function regardless of the type of the jobs, and to display the list of the stored information of the jobs that have not been executed. It is possible to check the list of jobs that have not been executed in any of the jobs, and it is possible to easily check the reason why they have not been executed, the user name of the job, and the like. As a result, for example, it is possible to easily confirm a defect of the image forming apparatus such as an excess of the hard disk capacity and take measures against it.

By printing a list of jobs that have not been executed, it is possible to confirm the detailed reason by printing out even when the display of the screen operation unit is narrow.

Since the fact that the job has not been executed can be returned to the device that issued the job that has not been executed,
Even a user at a remote place can immediately know that the issued job has not been executed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flowchart.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a flowchart.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional display screen.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Digital copier 3 switch part 8 Exposure mechanism 20 Scanner 22 Control unit 24 Image forming section 26 Paper Feed Section 28 fixing unit 30 Paper output section 41 Charger 42 photosensitive drum 48 Development Department 49 Transfer charger 50 cleaning unit 51 Separation charger 53 Fixer

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) G06F 3/12 B41J 29/00 TF term (reference) 2C061 AP07 BB10 CQ05 CQ14 CQ33 CQ34 HH03 HJ07 HK11 HN02 HN15 HV01 HV32 HV35 HV48 5B021 AA01 AA02 AA05 AA19 BB10 CC04 PP05 PP06 QQ04 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB20 AB23 AC55 AE15 AF06 AF07 AF12 BA00

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A pressure-sensitive sensor is provided on an upper surface of a display screen, and when the position corresponding to a button displayed on the display screen is pressed, the pressure-sensitive sensor senses the input indicating that the button is pressed. In an image forming apparatus having a display device having a mechanism and a transmission / reception function capable of receiving and transmitting to / from another apparatus, when there is a job that has not been executed by the image forming apparatus,
An image forming apparatus having a function of storing the unexecuted jobs and displaying a list of the unexecuted jobs on the display device. 2. The image forming according to claim 1, wherein the list of the unexecuted jobs includes a reason why the job was not executed and user identification information of the job. apparatus. 3. A pressure sensor is provided on the upper surface of the display screen, and when the position corresponding to the button displayed on the display screen is pressed, the pressure sensor senses it and inputs that the button is pressed. In an image forming apparatus having a display device having a mechanism and a transmission / reception function capable of receiving and transmitting to / from another apparatus, when there is a job that has not been executed by the image forming apparatus,
A list of the unexecuted jobs is displayed on the display device, and when the unexecuted job is a job from the other device, the other device is notified that the job has not been executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a function of printing out a list of the jobs. 5. The other device is at least one of a facsimile device, a computer, and a scanner.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of items 1 to 4.