JP2001156972A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device, with which a display part can be effectively utilized when a power source is turned on or power saving mode is canceled. SOLUTION: In ordinary state, the operation information of equipment is displayed on the display screen of the display part provided on the image forming device. During standby time when the power source is turned on or power saving mode is canceled, the routine message of 'plases wait for a while' on a portion R and 'under starting' on a portion S are displayed. Besides, the introduction of a new product or image information of trademark is displayed on a portion P. Information such as sales shop, agency, telephone number thereof and name of a person in charge is displayed on a portion Q.

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 structure in which a display unit is effectively used when a power supply is turned on or an energy saving mode is released.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an auto document feeder (A) is used for a copying machine and a facsimile machine having a copying function.
DF) or a flatbed type document mounting table for reading is provided. The ADF is for continuously and automatically feeding a large number of documents to be read to an optical reading system to continuously read an image from each document surface.

The flatbed type document placing table has a cover glass as a transparent document supporting plate, and a user places one document to be read at a predetermined position on the cover glass. Each of them is placed one by one and read by an optical reading system. Such a reading method using a flat bed type document table is generally called book reading. The cover glass as the document supporting plate as described above is provided with a flatbed scanner (FB) together with an optical reading system.
S).

When copying an original with such a multifunction machine, a reading mode (resolution) corresponding to the number of copies and the type of the original (image information of ordinary characters or figures or a photograph) is used.
Is specified, and then the start button is pressed to start reading the original, and the copy is printed on the specified number of recording sheets.

By the way, in consideration of recent environmental problems, in this type of image forming apparatus, an attempt has been made to reduce power consumption as much as possible. For example, the power supply to the display unit and the printer heater is stopped by performing a predetermined setting by a key operation or a timer, and the image forming apparatus is operated in a low power mode (hereinafter referred to as an energy saving mode). Power consumption is reduced.

In the image forming apparatus, a certain time is required from when the power is turned on until the printer heater reaches a predetermined temperature. In addition, when the energy saving mode is set as described above, the setting of the energy saving mode is released, and when the printer heater is operated again, it takes a certain time until the copy printing becomes possible. In need.

[0007]

As described above, when the power is turned on or when the energy saving mode is released, it takes a certain period of time before copy printing can be performed on recording paper. During this standby time, a message such as "Please wait" is displayed on the display unit, but there is a problem that the display unit cannot be effectively used during the standby time.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide an image forming apparatus configured to effectively use a display unit when power is turned on or when an energy saving mode is released.

[0009]

The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, comprising: an operation unit having input means; a display unit on which operation information is displayed; a control unit; An image forming apparatus that requires a standby time before an operable state is provided, wherein information other than the operation information is set and registered in the storage unit, and the information is displayed during the standby time. This is achieved by adopting a configuration in which the information is displayed in a section.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the information other than the operation information displayed on the display unit during the standby time includes arbitrary image information. It is characterized by.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the information other than the operation information displayed on the display unit during the standby time includes:
It is characterized by selecting from a plurality of pieces of information registered in the storage unit in advance.

According to the first aspect of the invention, information other than the operation information is set and registered in the storage unit, and the other information is displayed on the display unit during the standby time. Therefore, useful information can be provided to the user during the standby time, and an advertisement effect can be obtained, so that the display unit can be effectively used.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the image information which is the image information is displayed on the display section, the user can clearly recognize the information visually.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, information optimum for the user can be selected from a plurality of pieces of information registered in the storage unit in advance and displayed on the display unit.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This image forming apparatus 1 is embodied as a copy / facsimile multifunction peripheral.
In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus case 2, a press cover 3, and a document feeding section 4.

The device case 2 incorporates an optical reading system (OP). Although details of the optical reading system are not shown, a lamp serving as a light source and a reflection mirror are mounted on a moving frame driven by a stepping motor, and a condenser lens and an image pickup device (CCD) for reading an image. ) Is fixed in the device case 2. A transparent cover glass 8 is mounted on the upper surface of the apparatus case 2 as a support plate on which a document to be read is placed. The cover glass 8 constitutes an FBS together with a lamp serving as a light source and a reflection mirror attached to the moving frame of the optical reading system.

The device case 2 incorporates an optical reading system (OP). Although the details of the optical reading system are not shown, a lamp 9 serving as a light source and a reflection mirror are attached to a moving frame driven by a step motor, and a condensing lens and an image pickup device for image reading ( (CCD) is fixed in the apparatus case 2. The lamp 9 serving as a light source reciprocates in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrow S).

A transparent cover glass 8 is mounted on the upper surface of the apparatus case 2 as a support plate on which an original to be read is placed when used in the FBS mode. The cover glass 8 constitutes an FBS together with a lamp 9 serving as a light source and a reflection mirror attached to the moving frame of the optical reading system.

The holding lid 3 includes a substrate 5, a paper feed tray 6, and a discharge tray 7, and is attached to the upper end of the apparatus case 2 by a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed. That is, the holding lid 3 functions as an opening / closing plate that opens and closes the cover glass 8. The document feeder 4 is a main component of the ADF, and takes in a document to be read from the paper feed tray 6 and reverses the document. Subsequently, the document to be read is transported in the document feeding section 4, and when passing through the light transmitting plate, the image of the document to be read is read by the optical reading system and discharged to the discharge tray 7.

Next, the document feeder 4, which is a main component of the ADF, will be described. At the entrance of the document feeder 4,
Document width detecting sensors 41 are arranged at a predetermined pitch. In the document feeder 4, a feed roller 4a and a separation roller 4b for taking in the uppermost document to be read on the paper feed tray 6 are provided. A paper feed auxiliary roller 4c is provided beside the feeding roller 4a, and the driving force from the feeding roller 4a is transmitted by a belt 4d.

The sheet feeding auxiliary roller 4c is rotated in the same direction as the sheet feeding roller 4a by the driving force transmitted from the belt 4d with the rotation of the sheet feeding roller 4a, and is lowered to feed the sheet. The sheet comes in contact with the upper surface of the uppermost document to be read on the paper tray 6 to assist paper feeding by the feed roller 4a. Feeding roller 4a
A transport roller 4e and a pair of driven rollers 4f, 4g are provided downstream of the separation roller 4b.

In the ADF mode, the feeding roller 4a
The original to be read, which has been taken into the original feeding unit 4 by the separation roller 4b, is conveyed by a transport roller 4e and a pair of driven rollers 4
After being conveyed while being held between f and 4g and turned over, it passes over the light transmitting plate 4k. The image of the document to be read is read by the optical reading system through the light transmitting plate 4k.

The document to be read that has passed over the light transmitting plate 4k is conveyed by a pair of discharge rollers 4h and 4i, and
j and is discharged onto the discharge tray 7. A document sensor 41 that detects that a document has been set is provided at the leading end of the paper feed tray 6. This original sensor 4l
Is configured using, for example, a photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram showing a control section of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Next, this block diagram will be described. The control unit 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU)
21, Network control unit (NCU) 2
2. Modem 23, image memory 24, RAM 25, ROM
26, display unit 27, operation unit 28, reading unit 29, recording unit 3
0, an interface (I / F) 31 is provided.

Network control unit (NC
U) 22 controls closing and opening of the telephone line L, and detects sending and receiving of dial pulses corresponding to the fax number of the other party. The modem 23 modulates and demodulates transmission and reception data. Image memory (image memory)
Reference numeral 24 temporarily stores received image data and image data (image data) read by the optical reading system.

The RAM 25 functions as a work area for storing temporary data and the like obtained by the arithmetic processing according to the control program. The ROM 26 stores various control programs necessary for controlling the operation of the apparatus. This control program also includes a processing routine for black-and-white reversal processing when printing image data of a document on recording paper, as described later.

The display unit 27 includes a liquid crystal display panel and a light emitting diode (LED), and displays various information such as an operation state of the apparatus. In addition, the display unit 27 displays a mark for selecting whether the input of the document size is to be performed automatically or manually. Further, the display screen is constituted by a touch panel so that items (for example, paper size of recording paper) necessary for operating the image forming apparatus can be selected.

The operation unit 28 has various keys necessary for operating the apparatus, such as a numeric keypad, a copy / communication key, and a start key. The copy / communication key is for selecting the function of the copy / facsimile multifunction machine between the copy mode and the facsimile communication mode. A key for setting the energy saving mode, a key for releasing the energy saving mode, and the like are also provided.

The reading section 29 is constituted by an optical reading system. The recording unit 30 is composed of an electrophotographic printer, and stores received image data and image data read by an optical reading system.
Recording is performed on recording paper of a fixed size supplied from a paper cassette (not shown). An external computer 32 is connected to the interface (I / F) 31.

In the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, the copy print standby time (hereinafter simply referred to as standby time) when the power is turned on or when the energy saving mode is released.
Further, by displaying image information of a product and character information such as a store name of the product on a liquid crystal display panel or the like of the display unit, the display unit is effectively used. Next, examples of image information and character information displayed on the display unit during the standby time will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table of character information stored in the memory. In FIG.
The (a) column is numbered. Also, the store name is given in the column (b), the telephone number is given in the column (c), and the name of the person in charge is given in the column (d). If the telephone number of the store or the name of the person in charge is changed, the columns (c) and (d) are rewritten as appropriate. Also,
When a new store is added, information about the store is added to columns (a) to (d). In the column (b), the name of the agency may be given in addition to the name of the dealer.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of character information displayed on the display unit when the number 1 is selected from a plurality of registered character information as shown in FIG. The contents of (b) to (d) of FIG. 3 correspond to (b) to (b) of FIG.
(D).

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of image information and character information displayed on the display unit during the standby time. FIG.
In the above example, the message "Please wait for a while" in the R portion and the message "Starting" in the S portion are messages of fixed form sentences that have been conventionally displayed.

In the portion P, image information such as a product or a trademark is displayed. Products include model names and ad text (catch-free
Z) can also be added. In the part of Q, the message of the store, the telephone number, and the name of the person in charge shown in FIG.

In the Q part, contact information in case of failure or emergency can be displayed. It is also possible to display the company name (user name) of the product delivery destination. As described above, in the P and Q portions of the display screen, useful information such as image information for introducing a new product or the like and the name of the store is displayed.
The service to the user during the waiting time can be improved.

The image information and the character information displayed on the display unit during the standby time can be stored in, for example, an interface (I
/ F) 31 using a computer 32 connected to the computer. Image information and character information created by using the computer 32 are registered in the RAM 25 shown in FIG. It is also possible for the user to set arbitrary image information and character information, register them in the RAM 25, and display them on the display unit during the standby time. The image information and the character information are changed and displayed periodically, for example, every month, so that more effective service can be provided.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for setting image information and character information displayed on the display unit. Next, this flowchart will be described.

(1) In step S1, the processing program is started. In step S2, an agent or a dealer is selected from a list prepared in advance, and the name of the selected agent or dealer is selected. Is stored in the column (b) of the table described in FIG. 2 set in the memory. The process of step S2 may be a process of newly creating the name of the agency or the store.

(2) Next, in step S3, the contact information (telephone) corresponding to the selected store is stored in the column (c) of the table. Subsequently, in the process of step S4, the name of the person in charge corresponding to the selected store is stored in the column (d) of the table.

Next, in step S5, the image information to be displayed in the portion P of the display screen shown in FIG. 1 is selected and stored in the memory, and the processing program ends in step S6. In the process of step S5, image information such as a product or a trademark is set in advance as image data and is appropriately selected from the image data. However, image information newly read by a scanner or the like may be used. good.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure by the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Next, this flowchart will be described.

(1) The power is turned on in step S10, and the display unit and the operation unit are initialized in step S11. Next, in the process of step S12, the image information and the character information about the store as described in FIG. 1 are displayed on the display screen of the display unit.

(2) Subsequently, the printer heater is turned on in the processing of step S13, and then various control elements are initialized in the processing of step S14. Each of these control elements is mounted on a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). In the block diagram of FIG. 5, the LSI includes, for example, a modem 2
3. a read image processor provided in the reading unit 29;
Components such as a recording image processor and an image memory 24 provided in the recording unit 30 are arranged.

The image memory 24 uses a DRAM backed up by a battery, and the power of the DRAM is switched from the battery to the commercial power when the commercial power is turned on. At this time, a sum check operation is performed to determine whether or not data stored in the DRAM has changed. Since the DRAM has a capacity of, for example, about 8 Mbytes, it takes a long time for the sum check operation. This operation is also executed in the process of step S14.

(3) Next, in the process of step S15, it is determined whether or not the heater temperature has reached the fixing temperature.
If the result of this determination is N (hereinafter abbreviated as N), the loop processing of step S15 is repeated. If the determination result of step S15 becomes YES (hereinafter abbreviated as Y) due to the passage of time, the process exits the loop processing and proceeds to step S15.
The processing shifts to step 16.

(4) In the process of step S16, copy
Display the standby screen. In this copy standby screen display,
For example, with the message "You can copy"
Paper selection key, set copy magnification (100%
Etc.) are displayed. Therefore, step S1
The information displayed in the process 6 is different from the information displayed in the process in step S12 during the standby time.

(5) Next, the timer is started in the processing of step S17, and subsequently, it is determined whether or not the energy saving key is on in the processing of step S18. If the result of this determination is N, then it is determined in step S19 whether the timer has expired. If the decision result in the step S19 is N, the process shifts to a step S20 to determine whether or not another operation key is input. If the determination result is N, the process returns to step S18, and the process returns to step S18.
The loop processing of step S20 is repeated.

(6) Step S18 when the energy saving key is on
When the determination result of step S19 is Y, and when the timer time is up and the determination result of step S19 is Y,
Next, the flow shifts to the process of step S21, where the energy saving mode is set as the printer heater off and the display section off. Subsequently, it is determined in step S22 whether or not the key is the energy-saving release key.

(7) If the decision result in the step S22 is N, the loop processing in the step S22 is repeated. If the determination result of step S22 becomes Y, the process exits from the loop process and shifts to the process of step S12 to display image information and character information on the display screen.

(8) If the judgment result in the step S20 becomes Y, the process exits the loop process and shifts to the process in the step S23. In the process of step S23, a process corresponding to the operation key, that is, a copy or fax process is performed. Then, the process returns to step S16, and the above-described copy standby screen is displayed.

[0051]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, information other than the operation information is set and registered in the storage unit, and the other information is displayed on the display unit during the standby time. it's shown. Therefore, useful information can be provided to the user during the standby time, and an advertisement effect can be obtained, so that the display unit can be effectively used.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the image information as the image information is displayed on the display section, the user can clearly recognize the information visually.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, information optimal for the user can be selected from a plurality of pieces of information registered in the storage unit in advance and displayed on the display unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an image and data displayed on a display screen within a standby time in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a table stored in a memory.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of data displayed on a display screen.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the image reading and recording apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a control unit of the image reading and recording apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image reading and recording apparatus 3 Cover lid 8 Cover glass 20 Control unit 21 Central processing unit (CPU) 25 RAM 27 Display unit 28 Operation unit 29 Reading unit 30 Recording unit 31 Interface (I / F) 32 Computer OP Optical reading system

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an operation unit having an input unit; a display unit on which operation information is displayed; a control unit; and a storage unit, and requiring a standby time before an operable state is achieved. An image forming apparatus configured to set information other than the operation information, register the information in the storage unit, and display the information on the display unit during the standby time. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information other than the operation information displayed on the display unit during the standby time includes arbitrary image information. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information other than the operation information displayed on the display unit during the standby time is selected from a plurality of pieces of information registered in a storage unit in advance. The image reading device according to claim 1.