JP2006123421A - Printer and print job management device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control the rearrangement of print jobs for saving energy. <P>SOLUTION: This printer comprises a fixing section 9 for thermally fixing an unfixed image formed according to a received print job on paper, a wait matrix 4 to which the received print jobs are registered, and a job management section 3. The job management section 3 determines a fixing target temperature of the fixing section 9 based on the information of the print jobs and rearranges the order of the print jobs in the wait matrix 4 to be in the order of fixing target temperatures of the print jobs. The print jobs are processed in the rearranged order in the wait matrix 4. It is possible to carry out the rearrangement of the print jobs in a prescribed condition about a print job which is received after starting the printing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat-fixing type printing apparatus and a print job management apparatus that manages print jobs of such a printing apparatus.

  Conventionally, when a plurality of print jobs are given to a printing apparatus, a plurality of print jobs are managed so that productivity is not impaired even if print jobs having different paper quality are mixed, Some change the processing order according to the paper quality information (see Patent Document 1).

  Further, in order to prevent an excessive increase in temperature at the end of the fixing unit due to the continuous passage of narrow paper, when the first size width is smaller than the second size width, the second is placed in the queue of the first size print job. Some re-register size print jobs (see Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, in order to improve the throughput of the printing apparatus, there has been proposed a method in which the job processing order is rearranged so that job processing that matches the designation by the control command is continuously performed (see Patent Document 3).
JP 2002-251106 A JP 2002-356041 A JP 2001-162909 A

  By the way, in a printing apparatus having a fixing device for fixing an image onto a sheet using heat, a large part of the power consumption of the entire device depends on the fixing device. In the fixing device, the fixing unit is maintained at an appropriate temperature (temperature control temperature) by controlling a heater. The target temperature control temperature (fixing target temperature) must be changed for each print job in accordance with the type and size of paper to be used, the number of sheets to be passed, and the like. For this reason, when the print job changes, even if the fixing temperature is controlled to be higher, the job immediately after that is changed to a lower temperature control, and the next job is controlled to a higher temperature. It was.

  As described above, the conventional print job management does not consider the energy loss in the fixing unit when the print job is changed. In the prior art described in Patent Document 1, the processing order of the print job is changed according to the detected temperature of the fixing unit and the paper quality information. For example, the paper quality specified in the currently executing print job is compared. If there is another print job that uses paper with a small heat capacity when the thermal heat capacity is large, the current print job is interrupted and the other print job is interrupted to improve productivity. It is the purpose.

  In recent years, so-called earth-friendly products that take into account energy savings and the like have been demanded for office equipment, and this has been reflected in various standards.

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and an object thereof is to provide a printing apparatus and a print job management apparatus that perform control for rearranging print jobs from the viewpoint of energy saving.

  A printing apparatus according to the present invention includes a queuing unit that registers a plurality of received print jobs in a printing apparatus including a fixing unit that thermally fixes an unfixed image formed based on a received print job to a sheet. Job management means for rearranging the order of print jobs in the queuing means in order of fixing target temperatures of each print job, and printing means for processing the print jobs in the order rearranged in the queuing means. And

  The job management unit manages the processing order of a plurality of print jobs when processing a plurality of print jobs. Specifically, when performing job management control such that multiple jobs are received and processed before the start of the printing operation, the fixing target temperatures of the requested print jobs are compared and arranged in descending order of the fixing target temperature. The replacement process is performed and the printing operation is started.

  In such job management, the job management means, when a specified time has elapsed since the reception of the first print job received in a state where printing processing is not being performed, the first print job in the queue means. Start printing. Alternatively, when the total number of print jobs of the print job in the queue means exceeds the specified number in a state where no print processing is performed, printing of the first print job in the queue means is started.

  When the job management unit receives a new print job during the printing process, and the fixing target temperature of the new print job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the print job being printed by a specified temperature or more, for example, an interrupt process Thus, the print job being printed can be interrupted and the new print job can be executed.

  The job management means is configured to perform printing during the printing process under a predetermined condition even when the fixing target temperature of the new print job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the printing job being printed by a specified temperature or more. It is also possible not to interrupt job printing. The predetermined condition is, for example, a case where even if the job execution order is changed until the job being printed is interrupted, the change becomes meaningless. Or, it is a case where effective use of the residual heat cannot be expected so much by interrupting the job being printed and changing the execution order.

  A print job management apparatus according to the present invention is a print job management apparatus that receives a print job and outputs a print job print request to a heat fixing type printing apparatus, and registers a plurality of received print jobs. Queue means, print job storage means for storing received print jobs, job management means for rearranging the order of print jobs in the queue means in order of fixing target temperatures of each print job, and And a transmission unit that sequentially outputs a print request of each print job to the printing apparatus.

  This print job management device is a device that receives a print job from a host computer, for example, via a communication network, manages the print job, and outputs a print job print request to the print device. This is the same as the above except that the above management is performed.

  According to the present invention, the print processing is performed by rearranging the processing order of the print jobs in order from the highest fixing target temperature in consideration of the thermal efficiency for the plurality of requested print jobs. The remaining heat of the control can be fully utilized in the next print job to perform the fixing heating control, so that the heated heat is not wasted and an efficient printing process can be performed. As a result, there is an effect of reducing wasteful energy consumption.

  Further, since the heating amount of the fixing device can be gradually reduced, it is advantageous in terms of internal temperature rise, and as a result, damage to the device itself can be reduced, and the effect that the device is not unnecessarily shortened can be expected.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of a printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The printing apparatus includes a job management control unit 5, a print control unit 6, a conveyance unit 7, an image formation / transfer unit 8, a fixing unit 9, an application unit 10, a sensor unit 11, and an operation panel 20.

  The job management control unit 5 receives and manages a print job from a network workstation or personal computer, or an external device such as a facsimile machine or an image reading device, and instructs the print control unit 6 to print the job. And includes a reception interface 1, a reception buffer 2, a job management unit 3, and a job queue 4. The reception interface 1 receives a print job from an external device and stores it in the reception buffer 2. The job management control unit 5 is connected with an operation panel 20 including a display unit that provides information to the user and an input unit through which the user inputs instruction information to the printing apparatus as a user interface.

  The job management unit 3 reads out the print jobs stored in the reception buffer 2 one by one, “determination of print target temperature”, “determination of where to enter the job queue”, “job to the determined queue location” "Incorporation", "Extract jobs sequentially from the queue and instruct print control", "Determine whether to interrupt a new job during printing", "Receive information from print controller 6". The processing of the job management unit 3 can be realized by program control by a central processing unit (CPU).

  The job queue 4 is composed of storage devices such as “semiconductor memory such as RAM”, “magnetic tape”, and “magnetic disk” that store print jobs as a queue in accordance with the job management unit 3, and constitutes the queue means of the present invention. To do.

  The print control unit 6 is a control unit of the print engine. The print control unit 6 passes through the conveyance unit 7 that conveys the paper according to the print job, the image formation / transfer unit 8 that forms a toner image and places the toner image on the paper, and the image formation / transfer unit 8. The fixing unit 9 for fixing the image on the sheet by pressing and heating is controlled. The fixing unit 9 includes a pressure unit, a heating unit, and a temperature detection unit.

  An application unit 10 such as a finisher and optional paper discharge, and a sensor unit 11 are also connected to the print control unit 6. The sensor unit 11 generally includes sensors for paper detection, paper size detection, full discharge detection, toner detection, waste toner detection, and the like. Depending on the application, a sensor for needle detection, punch dust detection, and the like may be provided. Including.

  More specifically, the printing apparatus, for example, carries a latent image corresponding to print data when processing a print job including temperature control information regarding a fixing target temperature and print data to be printed on a recording sheet, such as a photoconductor. Form on the body. For example, the image forming / transfer unit 8 scans and exposes the photosensitive member with a light beam corresponding to the print data, thereby forming a latent image corresponding to the print data on the photosensitive member, and developing the toner with a developing device. An image, that is, a toner image is formed on an image carrier, and this is transferred onto a recording sheet by a transfer device. In such an image forming apparatus, the fixing unit 9 fixes the image on the recording paper by pressurizing and heating the recording paper on which the image is transferred. The temperature of the fixing unit 9, for example, the surface temperature of the fixing unit, is detected by a temperature detecting means constituted by a thermistor or the like.

  The operation will be described below in the present embodiment.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of job rearrangement before print processing executed by the job management unit 3 in the present embodiment. The job reception buffer 20 before rearrangement in FIG. 2 may be the reception buffer 2 in FIG. 1, or another storage device that has moved jobs from the reception buffer 2. In this example, job1 to job5 are received as five print jobs. The paper type (including paper quality) and the fixing target temperature of each print job are 190 ° C. for plain paper for job 1 and job 2, 185 ° C. for OHP paper, job 4 for postcard 210 ° C., and job 5 for cardboard 200 ° C. . When a plurality of jobs (jobs) stored in the receiving buffer 20 are registered in the job queue 4, they are rearranged according to the fixing target temperature of the job. “Register” means storing in a storage device. Note that the job queue 4 does not necessarily store the entire print job. For example, it is sufficient if the print order of each print job can be managed by storing a pointer or the like indicating the print job. In the present embodiment, the prints are rearranged so as to be printed first from the one with the higher fixing temperature, and registered in the queue 4.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the job management unit 3 in this embodiment. This process is realized by the CPU of the job management unit 3 reading and executing a control program stored in a memory (not shown) in the printing apparatus. The same applies to the processing of FIG. 6 described later.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 3, after accepting a print job by turning on the apparatus power in step S11, the queue is cleared in step S12, and the print job is waited in step S13.

  If no print job has arrived in step S13, the elapsed time since the first job was accepted in step S14 is checked. If the specified time has not been reached, the process returns to step S13. This specified time is a predetermined time in which waiting for the first job any longer will cause the user to wait more than necessary. When the specified time is reached, the process proceeds to step S18, and printing of the first job is started.

  If a new job is received in step S13, the fixing target temperature of the new job and the requested number of prints are confirmed in step S15. The fixing target temperature is determined by a known method based on the contents of the job, for example, the designated paper type, the number of prints, the print mode, and the like.

  Next, in step S16, the fixing target temperature of the print job in the queue 4 is compared with the fixing target temperature of the new job, and the new job is registered in the queue 4 so that the print jobs are arranged in descending order of the fixing target temperature.

  In step S17, the total print request number including the print request number of the new job is confirmed, and if it is equal to or more than the specified number, the printing in step S18 is started. The specified number of sheets is a predetermined number of sheets that triggers the start of printing. If the number of sheets is too small, the effect of the present invention is diminished, and conversely if the number of sheets is too large, the user is excessively waited. . Therefore, an appropriate specified number of sheets is set by comparing and considering such conflicting items.

  Note that the user may be able to variably set the specified time in step S14 and the number of determinations in step S17.

  According to the present embodiment, when a plurality of print jobs are processed, the jobs are rearranged in descending order of the fixing target temperature, so that efficient heat fixing can be performed and wasteful energy consumption can be reduced.

  The rearrangement at the time of job reception has been described above, but it is also possible to rearrange print jobs even after starting the printing process.

  4 and 5 are diagrams showing the rearrangement of print jobs in the job queue 4 during the printing process. FIG. 4 shows a case where jobs 1 to 5 are stored in the queue 4 and a new job 6 is received during the printing process of the first job 4 among them. At this time, the job is rearranged by comparing the fixing target temperature of the new job (job 6) with all the jobs in the job queue 4. As a result, in this example, job 6 is registered after job 5 and before job 1.

  In the example of FIG. 5, a case where the fixing target temperature of the new job (job 6) is higher than that of job 4 currently being printed is shown. In such a case, the processing of the job currently being printed (job 4) is interrupted, the new job is positioned at the head, and printing is started.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the job management unit 3 when a new job is added after the printing process described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 is started.

  In step S21, reception of a print job is started. First, the queue is cleared in step S22, and a print job is waited in step S23. If no print job has been received, the elapse of time since the first job reception is confirmed in step S24. If the specified time has not been reached, the process returns to step S23. If the specified time has been reached, printing is started (S25).

  If a new job has come in step S23, it is checked in step S26 whether printing is in progress. If printing is not in progress, the target fixing temperature and the required number of sheets for the new job are checked in step S27. Next, in step S28, the fixing target temperature of the queued job is compared with the fixing target temperature of the new job, and the new job is registered in the queue so that the jobs are arranged in descending order of the fixing target temperature. In step S29, the total number of requested prints including the requested number of prints for the new job is confirmed. If the number is greater than the specified number, printing in step S30 is started.

If the printing process is being performed in step S26, it is confirmed in step S31 whether the difference between the fixing target temperature of the print job and the fixing target temperature of the new job is equal to or higher than the specified temperature. If the difference exceeds the specified temperature, the condition (1) is checked in step S32. Here, the condition of determination (1) corresponds to a situation in which even if the job execution order is changed until the job being printed is interrupted, the change is meaningless, and includes, for example, one of the following: It is.
1) The paper output stack is full 2) If the requested number of new jobs and printing jobs are printed, the output stack is predicted to be full 3) The required number of new jobs and printing jobs is printed 4) Waste toner is full 5) Job being printed is an interrupt job 6) Staple operation is requested for new job 7) No needle 7) No toner 8) New job Is required for punching operation but punch waste is full 9) There are multiple paper discharge ports, but there are no paper discharge ports that can be used (for example, there are empty paper discharge ports, If it seems to be)
10) There is no request sheet for a new job. 11) When the difference between the estimated processing time of the print job and the estimated processing time of the new job is less than the specified time. 12) The user of the new job is not permitted to print. During recovery

  If the condition is satisfied in step S32, in step S35, the jobs in the queue excluding “executed job” and “suspended job” (if any) and the new job in descending order of the fixing target temperature. Register a new job in the queue so that

If the condition is not satisfied in the determination (1), the condition of the determination (2) is checked in step S33. Here, the condition of the determination (2) is a case where the condition does not correspond to the condition of the determination (1), and the effective use of the residual heat can be expected so much by interrupting the job being printed and changing the execution order. This corresponds to the situation, and includes, for example, one of the following.
1) The paper width of the job being executed and the new job are the same 2) The number of sheets that can be output per minute conversion of the job being executed and the new job is the same 3) Whether the priority of the new job is the same as the priority of the job being executed Higher 4) no condition

  If the condition in step S33 is satisfied, the job being executed is interrupted in step S34 so that the job being executed is restarted next to the new job. If the condition in step S33 is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S35.

  However, when printing of a job currently being printed is interrupted and a new job is executed first, the remaining number of jobs being printed may be considered. For example, when the remaining number of sheets is very small, printing of the job being processed is continued as it is, and new jobs are positioned in the next order.

  Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows an example in which a plurality of print jobs are rearranged by the printing apparatus. In the system shown in FIG. 7, one (or a plurality of) printing apparatuses (printers) 75 are shared by the print job management apparatus 70. In this case, the print job management apparatus 70 includes a print job management apparatus 70 that accepts a print job from each host computer 71 and gives a print job to the printer 75. The host computer 71, the printer 75, and the print job management apparatus 70 are connected to each other via a communication network 73.

  FIG. 8 shows a configuration example of the print job management apparatus 70. The print job management apparatus 70 stores a reception interface 701 that receives a print job from each host computer 71 via a communication network 73, a reception buffer 702 that temporarily stores the received print job, and a plurality of print jobs. The job management unit 703 stores in the job queue 704 based on the fixing target temperature of the print job stored in the queue 704, the reception buffer 702, and the first print job in the queue 704, in that order, via the communication network 73. A transmission interface 705 for transmitting to the printer 75 is provided.

  The management of the queue 704 by the job management unit 703 is the same as that in the embodiment shown in FIG.

  According to the present embodiment, the present invention can be realized in a print job management apparatus that collectively manages print jobs from a plurality of host computers on a communication network.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications and changes other than those mentioned above can be made. For example, the print job rearrangement operation may be provided as one operation mode that can be selected by the user.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a main part of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of job rearrangement before print processing executed by a job management unit in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart showing the control operation of the job management part in embodiment of this invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of rearranging print jobs in a job queue during print processing. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of rearranging print jobs in a job queue during print processing. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control operation of a job management unit when a new job is added after the printing process described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 is started. It is a figure which shows the system configuration | structure which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a print job management apparatus in the system of FIG. 7.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,701 Reception interface 2,702 Reception buffer 3,703 Job management part 4,704 Queue storage memory 6 Print control part 10 Application part 11 Sensor part 70 Print job management apparatus

Claims (10)

In a printing apparatus including a fixing unit that heat-fixes an unfixed image formed based on a received print job on paper,
Queuing means for registering a plurality of received print jobs;
Job management means for rearranging the order of print jobs in the queuing means in the order of fixing target temperatures of each print job;
And a printing unit that processes the print jobs in the order rearranged by the queuing unit.   The job management means starts printing the first print job in the queuing means when a specified time has elapsed since the reception of the first print job received in a state where no print processing is being performed. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.   The job management means starts printing of the first print job in the queue means when the total number of print jobs of the print job in the queue means exceeds a specified number without performing print processing. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   When a new print job is received during the printing process, the job management unit is in the middle of the printing process when the fixing target temperature of the new printing job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the printing job being printed by a specified temperature or more. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print job is interrupted and the new print job is executed.   The job management means is configured to perform printing during the printing process under a predetermined condition even when the fixing target temperature of the new print job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the printing job being printed by a specified temperature or more. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the printing of the job is not interrupted. A print job management apparatus that receives a print job and outputs a print job print request to a thermal fixing type printing apparatus,
Queuing means for registering a plurality of received print jobs;
Print job storage means for storing received print jobs;
Job management means for rearranging the order of print jobs in the queuing means in the order of fixing target temperatures of each print job;
A print job management apparatus comprising: a transmission unit that outputs a print request of each print job to the printing apparatus in the rearranged order.   The job management means outputs a print request for the first print job in the queuing means when a prescribed time has elapsed since the reception of the first print job received in a state where print processing is not being performed. The print job management apparatus according to claim 6.   The job management means starts printing of the first print job in the queue means when the total number of print jobs of the print job in the queue means exceeds a specified number without performing print processing. 8. The print job management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the print job management apparatus is a print job management apparatus.   When a new print job is received during the printing process, the job management unit is in the middle of the printing process when the fixing target temperature of the new printing job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the printing job being printed by a specified temperature or more. The print job management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the print job is interrupted and the new print job is executed.   The job management means is configured to perform printing during the printing process under a predetermined condition even when the fixing target temperature of the new print job is higher than the fixing target temperature of the printing job being printed by a specified temperature or more. The print job management apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the job printing is not interrupted.

Images