JP2007030476A - Printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing system which increases the printing speed in a double-face printing from a paper feeding port for which a large amount of printing papers can be set, and prevents curling or a forcible paper discharge of printing papers resulting from a delay in the paper feeding from occurring in a double-face printing from a paper feeding port by manual feeding sheet by sheet. <P>SOLUTION: When the double-face printing is executed, the double-face printing is executed by a one-sheet stay alternative paper feeding when the paper feeding port such as a manual paper feeding port for which printing papers have to be refilled sheet by sheet is designated. Also, the double-face printing is executed by two-sheet stay alternate paper feeding when the paper feeding port such as a cassette for which a plurality of sheets of printing papers can be set at one time is designated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing system in which print data created by application software (such as a word processor) of an external device such as a host computer is transmitted to a printer to perform a printing operation.

  There is a printer that can perform double-sided printing by two-sheet stay alternating feeding (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When double-sided printing is performed, after the first side is printed, before the second side starts printing, the front end and the rear end of the paper are reversed and then the paper is transported to the photosensitive drum, so-called refeeding is performed. This is necessary, and in double-sided printing with one sheet stay alternating feeding, printing cannot be performed during this time, so the printing speed is slow. In double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding, in order to solve this problem, the printing speed is not slowed by printing another sheet by using the above reversal and refeeding time. I am doing so. Therefore, the print page order is 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5, 8, 7,. In the case of paper, they are 2, 4, 1, 6, 3, 8, 5, 10,.

As described above, double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding has a higher printing speed, so in conventional printers that can perform double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternate feeding, the paper feed port, paper type, etc. Regardless of the printing conditions, double-sided printing was always performed by alternately feeding two sheets.
JP 2001-277606 A

  In a paper feed port such as a cassette that can set a large amount of paper at a time, double-sided printing by two-sheet stay alternate feeding is effective because the printing speed is high. However, in a so-called manual feed slot that can feed only one sheet, the user has to feed one sheet at a time, so the timing for setting sheets may be delayed in some cases. There is no particular problem with double-sided printing with single-sheet stay alternating feeding, but with double-sided printing with double-sheet stay alternating feeding, paper that has been printed on only one side stays in the printer (in the duplex unit) until the user feeds it. Will be. If the paper stays in the printer, it dries and curls due to the heat inside the printer, or if the paper stays for a certain period of time, the printer forcibly ejects the paper (printed on the back side only) due to a timeout. There is a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional example. The double-sided printing from a paper feeding port capable of setting a large amount of paper has a high printing speed, and the double-sided printing from a single paper feeding port has a paper feeding speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system that does not cause paper curl or forced paper discharge due to paper delay.

  [1] In order to achieve the above object, the printing system of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is,
A so-called cassette paper feed port connected to the host computer via a bidirectional interface, capable of double-sided printing by alternating single-sheet feed and double-sheet stay alternate feed, and capable of setting a plurality of sheets in the feed port. In a printing system consisting of a printer equipped with a so-called manual feed slot that can only set paper one by one,
The host computer
Means for specifying duplex printing;
A means for specifying the paper feed port;
Means for determining whether the paper feeding port designated by the means is a paper feeding port that can set a plurality of sheets or can set only one sheet;
When a paper feed port capable of setting a plurality of sheets is specified by the determination unit, double-sided printing is performed by two-sheet stay alternating feeding, while a paper feed port capable of setting only one sheet at a time is specified. In the case, means for executing double-sided printing by one-sheet stay alternate feeding,
Have

  [2] In order to achieve the above object, the printing system of the present invention has the following configuration.

That is,
When a so-called multi-tray that can be printed unconditionally regardless of the paper size and paper type is designated as a paper feed port, it has means for executing double-sided printing by alternate staying of single sheets.

  [3] In order to achieve the above object, the printing system of the present invention comprises the following arrangement.

That is,
The user can specify whether the duplex printing method is a two-sheet stay alternating paper feed or a one-sheet stay alternating paper feed in units of paper feed ports.

  According to the present invention, the double-sided printing from the paper feed port capable of setting a large amount of paper has a high printing speed, and the double-sided printing from the single-sheet manual paper feeding port has a paper curl or forced due to a paper feed delay. It is possible to prevent paper discharge.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Description of Laser Beam Printer (Fig. 1)]
Before describing the configuration of this embodiment, the configuration of a color laser beam printer to which this embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 711 denotes a scanner, a laser output unit (not shown) for converting an image signal into an optical signal, a polygon mirror 712 of a polyhedron (for example, octahedron), a motor (not shown) for rotating the mirror 712, and f. / Θ lens (imaging lens) 713 and the like. Reference numeral 714 denotes a reflection mirror that changes the optical path of the laser beam, and 715 denotes a photosensitive drum. The laser beam emitted from the laser output unit is reflected by one side of the polygon mirror 712 and linearly scans the surface of the photosensitive drum 715 rotating in the direction of the arrow through the f / θ lens 713 and the mirror 714 (raster). Sukiyan). As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the document image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 715.

  Reference numeral 717 denotes a primary charger, 718 denotes an overall exposure lamp, 723 denotes a cleaner unit that collects residual toner that has not been transferred, and 724 denotes a pre-transfer charger. These members are arranged around the photosensitive drum 715. ing.

  Reference numeral 726 denotes a developing unit that develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 715 by laser exposure, and has the following configuration. Reference numerals 731Y, 731M, 731C, and 731Bk are developing sleeves that are in direct contact with the photosensitive drum 715 and directly develop the toner. These sleeves 731Y to 731Bk, toner hoppers 730Y to 730Bk, and screws 732 are disposed around the rotation axis P of the developing unit.

  Note that the symbols Y, M, C, and Bk of the above-described constituent elements indicate colors. That is, “Y” is yellow, “M” is magenta, “C” is cyan, and “Bk” is black. When forming a yellow toner image, yellow toner development processing is performed at the position shown in FIG. When a magenta toner image is formed, the developing unit 726 is rotated around the axis P in the drawing so that the developing sleeve 731M in the magenta developing unit is in contact with the photosensitive member 715. Cyan and black development work in the same way.

  Reference numeral 716 denotes a transfer drum for transferring a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 715 to a sheet. Reference numeral 719 denotes an actuator plate for detecting the moving position of the transfer drum 716, and reference numeral 720 is close to the actuator plate 719. , A position sensor for detecting that the transfer drum 716 has moved to the home position, 725 is a transfer drum cleaner, 727 is a paper pressing roller, 728 is a slow charger, and 729 is a transfer charger. Reference numerals 720, 725, 727, and 729 are disposed around the transfer roller 716.

  On the other hand, reference numerals 735 and 736 denote sheet feeding cassettes for storing sheets (paper sheets), reference numerals 737 and 738 denote feeding rollers for feeding sheets from the cassettes 735 and 736, and reference numerals 739, 740 and 741 denote timings for feeding and conveying. The sheet fed and conveyed via these is guided to the paper guide 490 and wound around the transfer drum 716 while the tip is held by a gripper described later, and the process proceeds to the image forming process. Note that which of the paper feed cassettes 735 and 736 is selected is determined by an instruction from a main control unit (not shown), and only the selected paper feed roller rotates.

  With the above configuration, full-color printing with four colors of YMCK is realized.

[Description of Printer Control System (FIG. 2)]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer control system according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, a color laser beam printer (FIG. 1) will be described as an example. As long as the functions of the present invention are executed, the present invention may be used for a single device, a system composed of a plurality of devices, or a system in which processing is performed via a network such as a LAN. It goes without saying that the invention can be applied.

  In the figure, reference numeral 3000 denotes a host computer, which has a CPU 1 for executing document processing in which figures, images, characters, tables (including spreadsheets) and the like are mixed based on a document processing program stored in a ROM 3 program ROM. The CPU 1 generally controls each device connected to the system bus 4.

  The ROM 3 program ROM stores a control program of the CPU 1 as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, and the font ROM of the ROM 3 stores font data used for the document processing. The data ROM of the ROM 3 stores various data used when the document processing or the like is performed. Reference numeral 2 denotes a RAM which functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 1.

  A keyboard controller (KBC) 5 controls key input from a keyboard 9 or a pointing device (not shown). Reference numeral 6 denotes a CRT controller (CRTC) which controls display on a CRT display (CRT) 10.

  Reference numeral 7 denotes a memory controller (MC), which accesses the external memory 11 such as a hard disk (HD) or floppy (registered trademark) disk (FD) for storing a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, edit files, and the like. To control. A printer controller (PRTC) 8 is connected to the printer 1000 via a predetermined bidirectional interface (interface) 21 and executes communication control processing with the printer controller unit 1001.

  The CPU 1 executes, for example, an outline font rasterization process on the display information RAM set on the RAM 2 to enable WYSIWYG on the CRT 10. The CPU 1 opens various windows registered based on commands instructed by a mouse cursor (not shown) on the CRT 10 and executes various data processing.

  In the printer 1000, reference numeral 12 denotes a printer CPU, which comprehensively controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 29 based on a control program stored in a program ROM of the ROM 13, and controls the printing unit interface 16. An image signal as output information is output to a printing unit (printer engine) 17 connected via the printer. The CPU 12 can communicate with the host computer via the input unit 18 and is configured to notify the host computer 3000 of information in the printer.

  Reference numeral 19 denotes a RAM that functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 12, and is configured so that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM connected to an expansion port (not shown). The RAM 19 is used as a drawing memory for storing image data received from the host computer, a video signal ON / OFF information storage area, other work areas, and the like.

  Reference numeral 17 denotes an operation panel on which the switches for operation, an LED display, and the like are arranged. A memory controller (MC) 30 controls access to a hard disk (HDD) 31 that stores bitmap data received from the host computer.

  In the LBP (printer) 1000 having the above configuration, a processing operation by the control unit of the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the host computer of the present invention.

  In the figure, reference numeral 3000 denotes a host computer described with reference to FIG. An operating system 201 manages hardware included in the host computer 3000 and software such as an application 202, a printer driver 203, a language monitor 204, and a port driver 205.

  The application 202 is software such as a word processor, and creates and prints a document in accordance with an instruction from the operator. A printer driver 203 receives a print command issued by the application 202 via the operating system 201, and converts the print command into a printer command interpretable by the language monitor 204 and the printer 1000.

  A language monitor 204 receives a printer command output from the printer driver 203 and transmits it to the printer 1000 via the port driver 205. A port driver 205 transmits a printer command output from the language monitor 204 to the printer 1000 via, for example, a USB interface, and outputs the printer command to the language monitor 204 when a status is received from the printer 1000. A printer 1000 performs printing according to a printer command received from the port driver 205.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the printer 1000.

  In the figure, reference numeral 301 denotes a host interface such as a USB interface, which receives a printer command from the host computer 3000. A FIFO memory 302 stores image data received from the host interface 301. The decoding circuit 303 decodes the image data stored in the FIFO memory 302 and outputs it to the printer engine 304. The printer engine 304 is a laser beam printer engine, which is composed of, for example, a one-chip CPU, and controls the network interface 301, the FIFO memory 302, the decoding circuit 303, and the printer engine 304.

  Hereinafter, the printing operation will be described.

  When the user operates the application 202 on the host computer 3000 side to instruct printing, a print command is passed from the application 202 to the printer driver 203 via the operating system 201. The printer driver 203 converts the image data into image data based on a print command issued from the application 202 and compresses the compressed image data. A job information command for instructing whether double-sided printing is performed, the number of copies to be printed, a paper size, It is output together with a paper type, a paper feed port, a paper discharge port, a page information command for specifying the line length and the number of lines of image data, an end command for indicating the end of the page, and a job end command for notifying the end of the job.

  In double-sided printing, there are two types of long-side binding and short-side binding depending on whether the side to be bound is long or short, so-called vertical feeding in which paper is fed from the short side with long side binding, and the short side In the case of so-called lateral feeding in which paper is fed from the long side by binding, the image on the back surface needs to be rotated by 180 degrees. Therefore, the printer driver 203 determines in advance according to the binding direction and the paper feeding method when necessary. Rotates 180 degrees. In this embodiment, the face-down tray is always designated as the paper discharge destination.

  When the printer command is output, the operating system 201 sequentially delivers the output printer command to the language monitor 204. The language monitor 204 sequentially transmits the received printer commands to the printer 1000. Note that the language monitor 204 transmits a status request command to acquire the status of the printer 1000 before transmitting the image data command to the printer 1000, and confirms that the image data command can be transmitted.

  When receiving the image data command, the control circuit 305 stores the image data in the FIFO memory 302. When receiving the page end command, the control circuit 305 instructs the printer engine 304 to start printing. When instructed to start printing, the printer engine 304 feeds paper and requests output of image data when the paper reaches a predetermined position. When image data output is requested, the decoding circuit 303 reads the compressed image data from the FIFO memory 302 and outputs the decoded original image data to the printer engine 304. At this time, the image data read from the FIFO memory 302 is removed from the FIFO memory 302.

  The language monitor 204 also releases the corresponding page memory when the acquired printer status indicates that the printing of the page is completed. If the acquired printer status indicates an error, the language monitor 204 also attempts to retransmit from a sheet including a page that has not been printed normally. Here, the sheet corresponds to one sheet of paper, and is composed of one page in single-sided printing and two pages in double-sided printing.

  When the printer commands for all pages of the job have been transferred in this way, the language monitor 204 waits for the printing of all the sheets of the job, and when the printing of all the sheets of the job is completed, the job is terminated.

  The print command received via the operating system 201 is converted into a printer command interpretable by the language monitor 204 and the printer 1000. A language monitor 204 receives a printer command output from the printer driver 203 and transmits it to the printer 1000 via the port driver 205. A port driver 205 transmits a printer command output from the language monitor 204 to the printer 1000 via, for example, a USB interface, and outputs the printer command to the language monitor 204 when a status is received from the printer 1000. A printer 1000 performs printing according to a printer command received from the port driver 205.

  Here, the printing order in double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding will be described.

  When performing double-sided printing, it is necessary to perform so-called re-feeding, in which the paper is transported to the photosensitive drum after the front and rear edges of the paper are reversed after the back side is printed and before the front side printing is started. In the case of single-sided double-sided printing, printing cannot be performed during this time, so the printing speed is slow. In double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding, in order to solve this problem, the printing speed is not slowed by printing another sheet using the above-described reversal and refeeding time. Like that. Specifically, printing is performed according to the following rules.

  -Print two pages of another sheet between the back side printing and the front side printing of the same sheet.

  ・ Back side printing and front side printing are performed alternately.

  However, although the page corresponding to the transmission order 2 is the surface of the sheet preceding the sheet 1, since such a page does not exist, printing cannot be performed, and time is spent during this time.

  In addition, the page corresponding to the transmission order 7 is the back side of the sheet 4, but when such a page does not exist, printing cannot be performed, and time is spent during this time.

  ・ When performing double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding, the upper limit of the sheet length is limited by the length of the paper transport path, etc. For example, two-sheet stay alternate feeding for paper longer than A4 landscape feed Cannot be printed on both sides. In such a case, double-sided printing is performed with one sheet staying.

  • When performing double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding, sheets with different paper sizes or paper types cannot be mixed and printed.

  The print page order in each print mode is as follows.

1) Single-sided printing 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 → 8 → 9 → 10

2) Double-sided printing by alternating one-sheet stay 2 → 1 → 4 → 3 → 6 → 5 → 8 → 7 → 10 → 9

3) Double-sided printing by two-sheet stay alternating feeding 2 → 4 → 1 → 6 → 3 → 8 → 5 → 10 → 7 → 12

[Description of host computer operation]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control procedure in the host computer of this embodiment. This program is stored in the ROM 3 and is executed under the control of the CPU 1.

  First, it waits for printing to be executed in step S11. When printing is executed, the process advances to step S12 to determine whether or not the print job is designated for duplex printing. Whether or not the job is double-sided printing can be determined by double-sided printing information specified in the parameter of the job start command issued prior to the print data. It is not limited and any method can be used.

  If double-sided printing is not designated, the process proceeds to step S18, and since the executed print job is single-sided printing, the language monitor 204 sets the transmission order of print data (to the printer) generated by the printer driver 203 to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on, and the print data is transmitted to the printer in the order of the print pages set in step S 19, thereby executing a single-sided print job.

  On the other hand, if double-sided printing is designated in step S12, the process proceeds to step S13, where the paper feed port designated by the print job is a so-called manual paper feed port that can feed only one sheet at a time, or a plurality of sheets of paper are fed at once. It is determined whether it is a paper feed port such as a so-called cassette that can be set. You can refer to the paper feed port for the print job because the paper feed port is specified in the parameter of the job start command issued prior to the print data. Is not limited to this, and any method may be used.

  If the manual paper feed port is designated as the paper feed port, the process proceeds to step S14, where it is determined that the print job being executed is “double-sided printing by single-sheet stay alternating feed”, and the single-sheet stay alternating feed. Issues a paper duplex printing designation command to the printer. In step S15, the language monitor 204 sets the transmission order of print data generated by the printer driver 203 (to the printer) to be 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5,..., And in step S19. By transmitting the print data to the printer in the order of the set print pages, a double-sided print job is executed by alternating one-sheet stay.

  If it is determined in step S13 that the paper supply port is not a manual paper supply port and a paper supply port such as a cassette capable of setting a plurality of sheets of paper at the same time is specified, the process proceeds to step S16 to execute printing. The job is determined to be “double-sided printing by two-sheet stay alternating feeding”, and a two-sheet stay alternating feeding double-sided printing designation command is issued to the printer. In step S17, the language monitor 204 sets the transmission order of the print data generated by the printer driver 203 (to the printer) to be 2, 4, 1, 6, 3, 8,..., And in step S19. By transmitting the print data to the printer in the order of the set print pages, a double-sided print job using two-sheet stay alternating feeding is executed.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, when double-sided printing is performed, one sheet is supplied when a sheet feeding port such as a manual sheet feeding port that needs to be replenished one by one is designated. Double-sided printing by staggered alternate paper feed is performed, and when a paper feed port capable of setting a plurality of sheets of paper such as a cassette is designated at the same time, double-sided printing by staggered alternate paper feed is executed. Therefore, double-sided printing from the cassette is a two-sheet stay alternating feed, so it is fast, and double-sided printing from the manual feed slot is a single-sheet stay alternating feed, so even if there is a delay in the user's paper supply operation, the printer Since the paper does not stay in the machine for a long time, there is an effect of preventing the paper from drying and curling due to heat in the machine, and the printer from forcibly discharging the paper staying in the machine due to timeout.

  In the first exemplary embodiment, when a double-sided printing job is executed, if a manual paper feed port that can set only one sheet at a time is specified, double-sided printing by alternate staying one sheet is performed.

  In the second embodiment, when a multi-tray is designated instead of the manual sheet feeding port, double-sided printing is performed by one-sheet staying alternate feeding. With the multi-tray, the paper setting guide can be moved freely, so it is possible to set not only standard paper such as A4 and B5, but also paper of any size. Since the type (media type) can be set (paper feeding), various sheets may be set in the multi-tray.

  Here, in double-sided printing with two-sheet stay alternating feeding, after printing the first side, it temporarily stays in a high-temperature printer, so curling of thin paper or special paper that is sensitive to heat, etc. May occur. For this reason, when printing from multi-tray, where thin paper or special paper that is sensitive to heat may be fed, double-sided printing is performed automatically by one-sheet staggered alternating printing, so that the heat remaining in the printer This has the effect of avoiding curling of the paper due to the influence of the above.

  In the first and second embodiments, whether to perform double-sided printing by one-sheet stay alternating feeding or two-sheet staying alternate feeding is fixedly selected by a sheet feeding port designated by printing.

  However, in the third embodiment, the user can specify whether the double-sided printing method is one-sheet stay alternating feed or two-sheet stay alternate feed for each sheet feed port. The designation method may be designated by the operation unit of the printer main body. However, the designation method is not limited to this, and any designation method may be used such as designation on the UI of the host computer.

It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the color laser beam printer (LBP) in the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the printer control system containing LBP of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the host computer of this invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the host computer in Example 1 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1,12 CPU
2,19 RAM
3,13 ROM
4,29 System bus 5 KBC
6 CRTC
7,30 MC
8 PRTC
9 Keyboard 10 CRT
11 External memory 16 Printing section I / F
17 Print Mechanism Unit 18 Input Unit 21 Bidirectional Interface 31 HDD
110 Operation unit panel 1000 Printer 1001 Printer controller unit 3000 Host computer

Claims (3)

A so-called cassette paper feed port connected to the host computer via a bidirectional interface, capable of double-sided printing by alternating single-sheet feed and double-sheet stay alternate feed, and capable of setting a plurality of sheets in the feed port. In a printing system consisting of a printer equipped with a so-called manual feed slot that can only set paper one by one,
The host computer
Means for specifying duplex printing;
A means for specifying the paper feed port;
Means for determining whether the paper feeding port designated by the means is a paper feeding port that can set a plurality of sheets or can set only one sheet;
When a paper feed port capable of setting a plurality of sheets is specified by the determination unit, double-sided printing is performed by two-sheet stay alternating feeding, while a paper feed port capable of setting only one sheet at a time is specified. In the case, means for executing double-sided printing by one-sheet stay alternate feeding,
A printing system comprising:   2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein when a so-called multi-tray that can be printed unconditionally regardless of a paper size and a paper type is designated as a paper feed port, one sheet stay alternating feeding A printing system comprising means for executing double-sided printing according to the above.   3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the user can specify whether the duplex printing method is a two-sheet stay alternating paper feed or a one-sheet stay alternating paper feed in units of paper feed ports. Printing system to do.

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