JP2002019234A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image recorder capable of improving a use efficiency of the recorder without changing a recording condition even when the recording is disabled in a certain condition. SOLUTION: A main control section 11 monitors presence or absence of a recording material on a recording material holding section 16 in a recording section 15 and presence or absence of a recording paper in a paper holding section 17 and allows the recording section 15 to perform the recording in accordance with a designated condition. When, for example, a recording paper in a designated size runs out during the recording in a recording job, a recording job using the other size of paper is executed in advance when the job is stored in an image memory 21. When a color recording material except a black color one runs out during the color recording, a recording job designated by monochrome printing is executed in advance. As a result, it is possible to execute the recording in the available recording job until the recording paper or the recording material is supplied so that the recorder can be efficiently operated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image on a recording medium by designating recording conditions from a plurality of types of conditions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some image recording apparatuses are capable of loading sheets of a plurality of sizes, of which a sheet size to be used is selected and an image is recorded.
At this time, if images of a plurality of pages are recorded, the paper of the selected size may run out. In such a case, recording has conventionally been stopped at that point. In this case, if other size paper is loaded,
Recording using paper of another size is possible. However, until the paper of the missing size is replenished, all recording thereafter cannot be performed, and the utilization efficiency of the apparatus has been reduced.

As a countermeasure when paper of a size at the time of recording is exhausted, it has been considered that an image is recorded using paper of another size loaded. However, it is often considered undesirable that recording is performed on paper of a different size in the middle. In particular, if the paper is automatically changed to another size during copying, inconvenience often occurs.

Recently, an image recording apparatus capable of performing color recording has been developed. As color materials such as toner and ink,
Usually, a black color material and other three or more color color materials are used. When performing color recording, the amount of color material used for each color varies depending on the color tone of the image to be recorded.
For example, it may occur that only one of the color materials is lost. Thus, even if one of the color materials is lost, a monochrome image using, for example, a black color material can be recorded. However, in the conventional image recording apparatus, if even one of the color materials of a plurality of colors disappears, all recording cannot be performed until the color material is replenished. Replenishment of recording materials such as toner and ink can be replaced or replenished immediately if you have a spare,
In the case of placing an order, there has been a situation that the service cannot be used for one to several days.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. Even when recording under certain conditions becomes impossible, the utilization efficiency of the apparatus can be improved without changing the recording conditions. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording apparatus which improves the image quality.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium under a plurality of types of designated conditions. Control means for causing the recording means to record an image in accordance with the condition, and for causing the recording means to record another image which specifies a recordable condition when recording under the condition cannot be performed. is there. With such a configuration, even if recording cannot be performed under that condition while recording is being performed under a certain condition, if recording is possible under another condition, another recording condition is specified. Images can be recorded. As a result, when recording cannot be performed under the conditions during recording as in the past, it is possible to avoid a situation in which all subsequent recordings cannot be performed, and to efficiently use the image recording apparatus. Become.

For example, the size of a recording medium can be specified as a condition. When a recording medium of a certain size cannot be used when a certain size is specified for recording, a recording medium of another size is used. The recording of another image specified under the condition of using is performed. As a result, another image can be recorded until the recording medium of the unusable size becomes usable, for example, by replenishing the recording medium. Therefore, the image recording apparatus can be effectively operated.

For example, color printing or monochrome printing can be designated as a condition. If color printing cannot be performed while an image is being recorded by designating color printing, another condition designated as monochrome printing is set. Is recorded. Thereby, for example, one of color materials
Even if the connection is lost, monochrome recording can be continued. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the image recording apparatus cannot be used at all until the missing color material is replenished, and the image recording apparatus can be effectively used.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a facsimile apparatus including an embodiment of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 11 is a main control unit, 12 is a display unit,
13 is an operation unit, 14 is a reading unit, 15 is a recording unit, 16 is a recording material holding unit, 17 is a paper holding unit, 18 is a LAN interface, 19 is an NCU, 20 is a modem, 21 is an image memory, 22 is a RAM, 23 is a ROM, 24 is a bus, 31 is a computer, and 32 is a LAN.

A main control unit 11 controls the entire apparatus, operates each unit, and records an image transmission / reception function, a copy function, and data transmitted from an external computer 31.
Various functions such as a printing function are realized. Further, it may have a function of receiving an image or transferring an image read by the reading unit 14 to an external computer 31 or a function of transmitting data transmitted from the external computer 31 to an image. In particular, the main control unit 11 stores the image received by facsimile by the image receiving function, the image read by the reading unit 14 by the copy function, and the image sent from the external computer 31 by the PC printing function. 15 to control recording and output. At the time of these recordings, various conditions such as recording paper size and color recording or monochrome recording are set, and the main control unit 11 controls the recording unit 1 according to these conditions.
5 is controlled. In addition, while recording is being performed by the recording unit 15 in accordance with such set conditions, there may be a case in which the recording paper of the condition-set size runs out, or the recording material runs out. The main control unit 11 detects these, displays an error on the display unit 12, and stops the recording operation being performed. If there is an image that can be recorded on the remaining size of recording paper or recording material, the recording process for that image is performed. Until the recording paper is loaded or the recording material is replenished, the control is performed so that only the image recording under the condition that can be performed by the recording paper or the recording material of the remaining size is performed.

The display unit 12 can display various information such as a message to the user, a message indicating the state of the apparatus, and operation guidance. In particular, when the recording paper of the size specified during image recording runs out,
When the recording material runs out, an error display is performed according to an instruction from the main control unit 11. At this time, it can be displayed that recording is possible only with recording paper of another size or another recording material.

The operation unit 13 is used when the user makes various settings and instructions. For example, at the time of the copy function, it is possible to set various conditions such as selection of recording paper and selection of color or monochrome in addition to the number of copies. In the operation unit 13, various other inputs,
Settings can be made.

The reading section 14 reads an image on a document under the control of the main control section 11. As the reading unit 14,
Various image reading devices such as an image scanner and a digital camera can be applied.

The recording unit 15 stores the received image, the reading unit 14
According to the control of the main control unit 11, the image read in step S1 and the image of the data sent from the external computer 31 and the like are recorded on the recording paper under the designated conditions. As a recording method, various methods such as an electrophotographic method, an ink jet method, a thermal transfer method, and a thermal recording method can be adopted. In this example, the recording unit 15 is provided with a paper holding unit 17 capable of storing recording papers of a plurality of sizes (including directions), and the recording paper of any size can be selectively selected according to designated conditions. Used. Further, information indicating the recording paper size, information indicating the presence or absence of the recording paper, and the like are output from each of the paper holding units 17, and the main control unit 11 can acquire such information. Further, the recording unit 15 has a recording material holding unit 16 that stores a recording material for recording an image on recording paper. The recording material is, for example, a toner in the case of an electrophotographic system, or an ink in the case of an ink jet system. Here, it is assumed that the recording unit 15 can perform color recording,
It is assumed that the recording material holding unit 16 contains a black recording material and a plurality of other color recording materials. Information indicating the presence or absence of these recording materials is output, and the main control unit 11 is configured to be able to acquire such information.

The LAN interface 18 is a LAN 32
And communicates with an external computer 31 or the like, and receives, for example, data to be recorded by the recording unit 15.
Of course, communication with other various network devices is also possible, and various devices may be connected on the LAN 32. The LAN interface 18 may be constituted by various interfaces to which an external computer 31 is connected.

The NCU 19 controls a line to communicate with an external device. The modem 20 modulates and demodulates image data to be transmitted and received. These NCU 19 and modem 2
0 can be used to perform facsimile transmission and reception using a telephone line.

The image memory 21 stores image data to be transmitted and received, image data read by the reading unit 14,
An image for recording data transmitted from the computer 31 or the like via the AN interface 18 and other images and data being processed are stored. When storing an image, the image may be stored as it is or may be stored in a compressed state. The stored image to be recorded by the recording unit 15 is stored in association with conditions for recording the image, for example, the size of the recording paper to be used, and whether the recording is color recording or monochrome recording. Have been.

The RAM 22 is used when it is necessary to store data in the processing of the main control unit 11 and other units.
It should be noted that the information on the recording condition associated with the image to be recorded may be stored in the RAM 22. The ROM 23 stores a program that defines the operation of the main control unit 11, fixed data, and the like.

The bus 24 includes a main control unit 11, a display unit 12,
Operation unit 13, reading unit 14, recording unit 15, LAN interface 18, NCU 19, modem 20, image memory 2
1, RAM22, ROM23, etc. are interconnected,
Data transfer between them is enabled. of course,
In addition to these, various devices such as an external storage device are connected to the bus 2.
4 may be connected.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of an example of a facsimile apparatus including an embodiment of the image recording apparatus of the present invention. Here, as an example, processing relating to control during recording, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described.
As a specific example, description will be given assuming that an image in which conditions for performing color printing using A3 size recording paper are set is recorded. A group of images to be printed on one or more pages is called a print job, and is stored in the image memory 21 as needed for each print job.

When the recording job is stored in the image memory 21, the recording process is started. First, one of the recording jobs is selected, and in S41, the recording unit 15 records one page (one recording sheet) on recording paper in accordance with the conditions set in the recording job. In this example, color recording is performed on one A3 recording sheet.

After recording for one sheet of recording paper, it is determined in S42 to S44 whether or not recording can be continued. Note that any of S42 to S44 may be determined first. In S42, it is determined whether or not the selected recording paper is present in the recording paper holding unit 17 based on information indicating the recording paper size, information indicating the presence or absence of the recording paper, and the like. Also,
In S43, it is determined whether or not a black recording material exists in the recording material holding unit 16 in the recording unit 15. Further, in S44, it is determined whether or not a color recording material of a color other than black exists in the recording material holding unit 16 in the recording unit 15. S42
The recording paper selected in the step exists in the recording paper holding unit 17,
In S43 and S44, all the recording materials are stored in the recording material holding unit 1.
6, color recording can be performed using the selected recording paper. In S45, the end of the recording job is determined, and if an image of an unrecorded page remains,
Returning to S41, an unrecorded image is recorded. When the images of all pages of the recording job have been recorded, the recording process for the recording job ends. At this point, if another recording job is stored in the image memory 21, one of them may be selected and the above-described processing may be performed again.

In S42, when the selected recording paper does not exist in the recording paper holding unit 17, that is, when the paper runs out, the recording of the image of the recording job which is currently performing the recording process is interrupted. You. Then, in S51, an error display for instructing replenishment of the selected recording paper is displayed on the display unit 12. In this example, a message such as “Please replenish A3 paper” is displayed on the display unit 12.
Is displayed, and the user is instructed to replenish the recording paper of A3 size because the recording paper has run out. At the same time, S52
, The display unit 12 indicates that recording using recording paper of another size is possible. Normally, the display unit 12
Is a user who executes a process using the reading unit 14, and a function using the recording unit 15 is a copy function. For this reason, for example, in this example, a message such as "copying other than A3 is possible" is displayed on the display unit 12 to notify the user that copying using recording paper of a size other than A3 is possible. With such a display, another user who has attempted to make a copy using recording paper of a size other than the A3 size can know that an interrupt copy is possible and can perform a copy operation.

In S53, A3 is stored in the image memory 21.
It is determined whether or not there is a recording job in which recording paper of a size other than the size is specified as a condition. In S54,
As described above, it is determined whether or not the user has performed the copy operation without using the A3-size recording paper by displaying the message in S52 or the like. Either of S53 and S54 may be determined first. If there is a recording job in the image memory 21 that specifies recording paper other than A3 size as a condition, or if the user performs a copy operation without using A3 size recording paper, in S55,
A recording process using a recording sheet other than A3 size is performed. Examples of the recording job in the image memory 21 include an image received by facsimile by the image receiving function, an image recording data sent from an external computer 31 or the like via the LAN interface 18, and the like. There are also images read in parallel from the reading unit 14 by the copy function during the printing of the previous print job. The copy operation without using the A3 size can be performed by an operation such as an interrupt copy.

After the recording process using the recording paper of a size other than the A3 size which is out of paper is performed in this manner, S4
Return to 2. Further, there is no recording job in which the recording paper other than the A3 size is specified as the condition in the image memory 21, and
Further, even when the user does not perform a copy operation that does not use A3 size recording paper, the process returns to S42. S42
If the A3 size recording paper has been replenished before returning to
It is possible to restart the stopped recording job.
If the A3 size recording paper has not been replenished when returning to S42, the processing of S51 to S55 is repeated.

In step S43, it is determined whether or not a black recording material exists in the recording material holding unit 16 in the recording unit 15.
If there is no black recording material, other recording processes cannot normally be executed. Therefore, in S61, for example, if the recording method is the electrophotographic method, an error message such as “Please supply black toner” is displayed on the display unit 12 to notify the user that the black recording material has run out. , And returns to S43 to wait for the supply of the black recording material. When the supply of the black recording material is detected in S43, the state returns to the recordable state.

Here, all the recording processes are stopped when the black recording material runs out, but when the user is aware of the deterioration of the image quality, a color recording material of a color other than black is used. It is also possible to configure to perform black recording by using this.

Further, in S44, if any of the color recording materials of colors other than black has run out in the recording material holding unit 16 in the recording unit 15, color recording cannot be continued. The image recording for the recording job being processed is interrupted. In step S71, an error display for instructing replenishment of the color recording material is displayed on the display unit 12. In this example, for example, if the recording system is the electrophotographic system, a message such as "Please replenish the color toner" or "Please replenish the XX color toner" is displayed on the display unit 12 and the color toner runs out. The user is instructed to resupply. At the same time, in S72, the fact that monochrome recording is possible is displayed on the display unit 12. Also in this case, since the user who refers to the display is a user who uses the copy function, a message such as "black and white copy is possible" is displayed on the display unit 12, for example, and monochrome copy is possible. To the user. With such a display, another user who has attempted to make a monochrome copy knows that the interrupt copy is possible and can perform the copy operation.

In S73, it is determined whether or not there is a recording job in the image memory 21 designated as a condition for monochrome recording. In S74, it is determined whether or not the user has performed a monochrome copy operation by displaying the message in S72 as described above. Either of S73 and S74 may be determined first. If there is a print job in the image memory 21 that specifies monochrome recording as a condition, or if the user has performed a monochrome copy operation, monochrome recording processing is performed in S75. Examples of the recording job in the image memory 21 include an image received by facsimile by the image receiving function, an image recording data sent from an external computer 31 or the like via the LAN interface 18, and the like. There are also images read in parallel from the reading unit 14 by the copy function during the printing of the previous print job. The monochrome copy operation can be performed by, for example, an operation such as an interrupt copy.

After the monochrome recording is performed in this manner, the process returns to S44. Further, even when there is no print job specified in the image memory 21 under the condition of monochrome printing, and the user does not perform a monochrome copy operation, the process returns to S44. If the color recording material has been replenished before returning to S44, the stopped recording job can be restarted. If the A3 size recording paper has not been replenished when returning to S44, the process proceeds to S44.
The processing from 71 to S75 is repeated.

In this example, after the monochrome recording is performed, or when there is no recording job designated on the condition that the monochrome recording is performed in the image memory 21 and the user does not perform the monochrome copying operation, , S44. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the process may return to step S42 to determine other conditions. In this case, duplicate errors may occur, such as the absence of the color recording material and the absence of A3 size recording paper. Even in such a case, if there is a recording job that can be recorded within the range of the remaining conditions, and if a copy within the range of the remaining conditions is instructed, the recording process according to the specified conditions is performed. Can be performed.

In the above-described operation example, a case has been described in which, as a specific recording condition of a recording job, a condition of using A3-size recording paper and performing color recording is set. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in S42, the set recording paper size may be determined. If monochrome recording is designated, the recording process can be continued without color recording material. is there. Further, the conditions to be set are not limited to the recording paper size and the presence or absence of the recording material.For example, if the image recording apparatus is equipped with a sorter or a stapler function, whether or not the operation of those functions is possible.
Various condition settings are possible. Also in this case, when any of the conditions is no longer satisfied, the execution of the print job being executed can be interrupted, and a print job that can be executed under conditions other than the condition that is not satisfied can be executed first.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example including an embodiment of the image recording apparatus of the present invention. Figure 1 above
In the example shown in (1), an example is shown in which the image recording apparatus of the present invention is applied to a facsimile apparatus.
A copy machine having no communication function without providing the CU 19 and the modem 20 can be configured. Also, LAN
A multifunction peripheral without the interface 18 or a copy machine without the communication function can also be configured. In FIG. 3, NCU 19 and modem 20, and L
The figure shows an example in which the AN interface 18 is not provided and a copy machine is configured. When the recording paper or recording material runs out during copying, the copy can be temporarily stopped, and an interruption copy that does not use the lost recording paper or recording material can be received.

Further, the apparatus may be configured as an apparatus having no reading unit 14 together with the NCU 19 and the modem 20 and having only an image recording function. Images and data may be input via a LAN interface 18 or another interface from, for example, a computer directly or indirectly connected via a network or the like. The present invention can be applied to various configurations other than the above.

[0035]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, even if recording cannot be performed under a certain condition while recording is performed under a certain condition, recording can be performed under another condition. If so, it is possible to record another image in which recording conditions are specified. For example, even when recording paper of a predetermined size runs out, another image recording using recording paper of another size can be performed. Further, for example, even when the color recording material other than black runs out during color recording, another image recording designated for monochrome recording can be performed. As a result, at the time when recording cannot be performed under the conditions during recording as in the related art, it is possible to avoid a situation where all recording is not possible, and it is possible to efficiently use the image recording apparatus. There is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a facsimile apparatus including an embodiment of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of an example of a facsimile apparatus including an embodiment of the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another example including an embodiment of the image recording apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11: Main control unit, 12: Display unit, 13: Operation unit, 14 ...
Reading unit, 15: recording unit, 16: recording material holding unit, 17: paper holding unit, 18: LAN interface, 19: NC
U, 20: modem, 21: image memory, 22: RAM,
23 ... ROM, 24 ... Bus, 31 ... Computer, 32
... LAN.

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image recording apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium under a plurality of designated conditions, a recording means for recording an image on the recording medium, and an image recorded on the recording means in accordance with designated conditions. An image recording apparatus comprising: a control unit that causes the recording unit to record another image that specifies a recordable condition when recording under the condition cannot be performed and when recording under the condition cannot be performed. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the size of the recording medium can be designated as the condition, and the control unit designates, when the recording medium of a certain size cannot be used, the use of a recording medium of another size as a condition. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is configured to record an image. 3. A color printing or a monochrome printing can be designated as the condition, and the control unit causes the recording unit to record an image designated under the monochrome printing condition when the color printing cannot be performed. The image recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein