JP2007174065A - Image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus control method and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form an image in various output forms in a simple and easy manner without the need for sequentially changing settings when the image with different output forms is formed. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus for forming an image and executing a post processing on the basis of an operating condition included in an execution request (job) includes: a job storage means for storing a plurality of execution requests (jobs) including the operating condition; and a control means for automatically executing the other execution request (job) made to correspond to the one execution request after the execution of the one execution request (job) stored in the storage means. Further, the control means automatically executes the plurality of execution requests (jobs) on the basis of the same image data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus control method, and a program, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus that performs a plurality of jobs on the same print document, an image forming apparatus control method, and a program.

  Technology relating to a so-called image forming apparatus in which image data read by a scanner, original image data supplied from a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”), a printer that performs printing on recording paper, a copier, or the like, or a combination thereof. In recent years, image forming apparatuses capable of outputting printed matter in various output forms such as printing and post-processing as well as forming an image on recording paper or the like have been developed. For example, double-sided printing as a printing process, a page division function for reducing and consolidating a multi-page document on, for example, one sheet of recording paper, and the post-processing processes include a sorting function, a stapling function, and a punching function. Function, folding function to booklet, etc. are raised.

When using these functions, the user sets a desired function in advance on the operation panel or the like, and then reads the document with a scanner or the like. For example, when different output forms such as duplex printing and page division are desired for one document, the user first sets the duplex printing function on the operation panel, and then presses the print start button to Scanning is performed and double-sided printing is performed. When duplex printing is completed, the user operates the operation panel again to change the setting to the page division function. After that, page division printing is performed by pressing the print start button in the same manner as in duplex printing. Further, for example, the output form can be set when printing image data supplied from a host device such as a PC. Patent Document 1 discloses an invention related to changing the setting of a multifunction device, and discloses a print system that allows the setting of an output form to be changed from the host side or the operation panel of the multifunction device.
JP 2000-188657 A

  By the way, in order to change the setting of the printing mode as described above, it is troublesome to sequentially change the setting. That is, when printing in a plurality of output forms is desired for one document, it is necessary to change the settings for each output form via the operation panel and sequentially scan the document. In addition, scanning can be saved once and the original image data can be saved on a recording medium such as a hard disk. However, it is inconvenient to re-set each time the output format is changed. is there.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. The object of the present invention is to easily and easily use various output forms without changing the sequential setting when forming images with different output forms. It is to perform image formation.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus that performs image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set.
Storage means for storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
And a control unit that automatically executes another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request stored in the storage unit is executed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect,
The control means, when making the other execution request, makes the other execution request based on the same image data as the image data used in the previous execution request.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The plurality of execution requests stored in the storage means include different operating conditions.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus control method for performing image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set.
Storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
And automatically executing another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request is executed among the plurality of stored execution requests.

The invention according to claim 5 is a computer program for controlling an image forming apparatus that performs image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set.
A function of storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
A function of automatically executing another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request among the plurality of stored execution requests is executed is realized.

  According to the first, fourth, and fifth aspects of the present invention, a plurality of execution requests are set in association with each other, and the control unit automatically executes one execution request out of the plurality of execution requests set. In order to make another execution request, a plurality of execution requests can be executed automatically and continuously. Conventionally, in order to execute a plurality of operating conditions, setting of operating conditions included in one execution request, acquisition of document image data, execution of image forming processing and post-processing based on the operating conditions, second execution request For example, resetting the operating conditions, acquiring the document image data, performing image forming processing and post-processing based on the operating conditions, etc. It took time and effort. According to the present invention, it is not necessary to set each job again after a single operation condition setting, and the execution request is set when a plurality of output forms are processed in order to automatically perform a plurality of execution requests. This has the effect of greatly reducing the effort required.

  According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, when the control unit performs a plurality of execution requests associated with each other, a plurality of execution requests are performed based on the same image data. This is suitable for image formation in the output form. For example, in the case where three types of output forms are desired for one type of original document, such as a single-page consolidated print, a double-sided stapled print, and a simple sorted print, conventionally, one execution request is set. The original document data was acquired, and the image forming process and post-processing according to the job were performed. On the other hand, in the present invention, all execution requests including operation conditions corresponding to a desired output form are first set, and thereafter, document image data is acquired, image forming processing according to the first execution request, and subsequent Execute the process. Thereafter, another execution request (corresponding to the first execution request) is automatically performed, and image forming processing and post-processing are executed based on the same document image data. Accordingly, it is possible to significantly reduce the time and labor for setting the operation condition for each execution request and the time for acquiring the document data for each execution request (for example, the time for setting the document again in the reading device or the like) and suitable image formation and post-processing. There is an effect that can be performed.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the image forming unit 2 is shown by omitting the front body cover in order to show a schematic configuration inside.
The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image forming unit 2 and a post-processing unit 3. The image forming unit 2 includes an automatic document feeder 4, a scanner unit 5, an image forming unit 6, a control unit 7, an operation unit 8, a display unit 9, and paper feed trays 10a, 10b, and 10c. When the user places a document on the automatic document feeder 4 and operates the start button via the operation unit 8, the document is appropriately conveyed to the scanner unit 5 and the document image is read. The document image read by the scanner unit 5 is transmitted to the control unit 7 as image data, subjected to various processes, and transmitted to the image forming unit 6. In the image forming unit 6, predetermined recording paper is conveyed from a paper feed tray 10 a, 10 b, or 10 c that is preliminarily filled with recording paper of various sizes, and image formation is performed. The recording paper on which image formation has been performed is transported to the post-processing unit 3 by a recording paper transport unit 11 including transport rollers and guide rails.
The acquisition of image data is not limited to the configuration in which a document is read by the scanner unit 5, and image formation is performed based on image data transmitted from a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”) to be described later via the network N. It can also be performed (see FIG. 2).
The post-processing unit 3 performs stapling processing, saddle stitching processing, folding processing, punching processing as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4E on the recording paper and the like after image formation discharged from the image forming unit 6. After-treatment is performed.

Next, the functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.
The image forming apparatus 1 includes a control unit 7, a post-processing unit 3, an image forming unit 2, an operation unit 8, a display unit 9, a scanner unit 5, and an I / F 33. The image forming apparatus 1 can transmit and receive data to and from consumer personal computers (hereinafter referred to as “PCs”) 100a and 100b via a network N such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Image formation processing can also be performed by receiving image data and a print request signal from the PCs 100a and 100b. The image forming apparatus 1 can perform printing with various printing patterns. As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3B, functions such as double-sided printing, page division (2 divisions and 4 divisions), and a function for reversing the ascending or descending order of pages printed on one recording medium for bookbinding processing, etc. Have.

The control unit 7 includes a control unit 15, a storage unit 20, and an image processing unit 25. The control unit 15 further includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 16 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 17. The CPU 16 expands a program designated from various programs stored in the storage unit 20 in the RAM 17 as a work area in accordance with various instructions input from the operation unit 8 and data input from the I / F 33. Various processes are executed in cooperation with the program, and the processing results are stored in a predetermined area of the RAM 17. In the present embodiment, control of “job reservation setting processing” and “job reservation processing” described later is performed.
Here, the job is executed by the image processing unit 25, the image forming unit 2, and the post-processing unit 3, which will be described later, based on operation conditions indicating the types of image forming processing and post-processing performed by the image forming apparatus 1. An execution request that requests

The RAM 17 is a storage medium that is composed of rewritable semiconductor elements and in which data is temporarily stored. A program area for developing a program to be executed by the CPU 16 and a data area for storing various processing results by the CPU 16 are formed.
In the “job reservation setting process”, a job setting table 19 for managing various output forms relating to image formation and post-processing input through the operation unit 8 by a user operation is provided. Based on the set value, a control instruction signal is transmitted to the image forming unit 6 and the post-processing unit 3. FIG. 4 shows an example of the data format of the job setting table 19. As shown in FIG. 5, parameters are set corresponding to each operation condition item. First, as basic setting items, “number of copies” to be printed is 1 copy, “copy mode” is single-sided printing on one side of the document (“single side> single side” in the figure), “density” is automatically set, “background” “Processing” is 0, “Magnification” is vertical / 1,000,000 and horizontal 1,000 (that is, equal magnification), “Tray number” of the tray storing the designated paper is the first tray, “Paper size” is A4, The “paper type” is set to OHP paper. As a special setting, there is no setting for “Aggregation Method” to consolidate multiple pages of original data on a single recording medium, “Original Setting Direction” is upward, “Double Side Close Direction” is not set, and “Special Original Setting” is The normal document, “original size”, is a normal document, and staple (stopped at one place) is set as a finishing mode for post-processing. The specific number and type of each of these operating conditions are used for convenience of explanation, and are not limited to these and can be set as appropriate.

  In the “job reservation setting process”, a plurality of job setting tables 19 as shown in FIG. 5 are set in accordance with user input, and execution requests for processes based on the plurality of job setting request tables 19 are set (that is, associated with each other). )Remember. In the “job reservation processing”, a plurality of types of output in different forms are performed based on image data obtained by one scanning by sequentially executing the jobs stored as the set. Specifically, first, the control unit 15 refers to the first job setting table 19 and reads document image data from the storage unit 20 based on the setting data of this data table. Next, the control signal and the setting data of the job setting table 19 are transmitted to the image forming unit 2, the post-processing unit 3, and the like. The image forming unit 2 and the post-processing unit 3 perform image forming processing and post-processing based on these control signals and setting data. Next, the control unit 15 refers to the second job setting table 19 and reads the same document image data from the storage unit 20 again, and processes control signals and second job settings corresponding to the settings in the job setting table 19. The setting data in the table 19 is transmitted to the image forming unit 2, the post-processing unit 3, and the like. By repeating the above, a plurality of forms are automatically output to one document image data.

  The image processing unit 25 includes an image processing DSP (Digital Signal Processor) that performs various data processing on the document image data transmitted from the control unit 15. In accordance with the processing control signal transmitted from the control unit 15, when the one-sheet aggregation function or the page division function is activated, the image data is converted into rasterized image data as print data to be aggregated on one recording medium. Perform processing. Thereafter, the image data subjected to the image processing according to the processing control signal of the control unit 15 is transmitted to the image forming unit 2.

  The storage unit 20 includes a ROM 21 and a memory 22. The ROM 21 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and stores various programs executed by the CPU 16, data, and the like. In the present embodiment, a job reservation setting processing program 23 and a job reservation processing program 24 which are application programs of “job reservation setting processing” and “job reservation processing” are stored.

  The memory 22 is composed of a volatile memory such as a non-volatile memory DRAM (Dynamic RAM) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SRAM (Static RAM), and the image data acquired by the scanner unit 5 or the PC 100a or the like via the I / F 33. Various information such as image data transmitted from 100b is stored. The I / F 33 is connected to the network N and transmits / receives various information such as image data to / from an external terminal. The memory 22 is provided with various data storage areas such as a compressed image data memory area and a page memory area, and is stored in a predetermined memory area according to the type (including data format) of the image data to be captured and the data processing process. Is done. For example, the compressed image data memory stores the compressed image data supplied from the scanner unit 5 via a data compression circuit (not shown). When the compressed image data is output (image formation), the image data expanded via a data expansion circuit (not shown) or the like is stored in the page memory and sequentially transmitted to the image forming unit 2.

  The post-processing unit 3 includes a finisher control unit 40 that controls the post-processing unit 3, a punch unit 42 that performs post-processing according to a control instruction signal of the finisher control unit 40, a flat stitching stopper 43, a stapler 44, a folding knife 45, and the like. Composed.

  The operation unit 8 includes various operation buttons such as a numeric button for setting the number of prints, a start button for starting printing, and the like, and outputs an operation signal generated by the button operation to the CPU 16. The operation unit 8 is configured by a touch panel integrated with the display unit 31, and can set a post-processing function and the like by an operation on the display unit 9.

  The display unit 9 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Various setting screens, device status display, operation status of each function, etc. are displayed on the display screen in accordance with display signal instructions input from the CPU 16. Further, as described above, it is configured by a touch panel and displays post-processing functions and the like. Hereinafter, a display example of the display unit 9 when the “job reservation process” is started will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 6A shows a standby state screen 50 when the display unit 9 is in a standby state. The basic setting display area 51 includes a density setting area 56 for setting a print density, a paper setting area 57 for setting a paper size and the like, a magnification setting area 58, a printing surface setting area 59 for setting single-sided printing or double-sided printing, A finish button 61 for performing settings related to post-processing such as a stapling function and a booklet function and a multiple job output button 60 for instructing start of transition to “job reservation setting processing” are displayed. Further, when setting an aggregation function or a special document, a screen for setting these functions is displayed on the aggregation / original setting display tab 54 instead of the basic setting display area 51. Similarly, by pressing the document image quality setting display tab 55, a display for setting the document image quality is performed. The job status display area 53 is a list showing job groups that are waiting to be executed while the image forming apparatus 1 is executing a specific job.

  When the user presses the multiple job output button 60, the “job reservation setting process” is started. Thereafter, each setting area and button described above are operated to make a desired setting. Also, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the multiple job output button 60 is pressed, a job setting in-progress screen 70 displaying a job reservation completion button 71 instead of the multiple job output button 60 is displayed. The user makes a temporary setting decision by pressing the job reservation completion button 71 after making a desired setting.

By pressing a job reservation completion button 71 shown in FIG. 6B, a reservation job content confirmation screen 80 shown in FIG. On the reserved job content confirmation screen, setting content related to basic settings, setting content related to aggregation and document image quality, and setting content related to finishing (post-processing) are displayed. The user can confirm each setting content. Further, a reservation list button 81, a continuation button 82, and an end button 83 are displayed. When the continuation button 82 is pressed, the screen returns to the job setting in-progress screen 70 in FIG. At this time, the first job content is determined and stored in the job setting table 19 of the RAM 17.
In the state where the screen is returned to the job setting screen 70, the user sets the operation condition of the second job. When the setting is completed, the job reservation completion button 71 is pressed. Thereafter, a reserved job content confirmation screen 80 shown in FIG. 7A is displayed, and the content can be confirmed. Such a series of setting operations is repeated to sequentially set the desired output form.
When the setting of all output forms is completed, the end button 83 shown in FIG. As a result, settings of all output forms desired by the user are stored in the job setting table 19 of the RAM 17. That is, a series of job sets is registered.

When the reservation list button 81 shown in FIG. 6A is pressed, a job confirmation screen 90 shown in FIG. 7B is displayed on the display unit 9. On the job confirmation screen 90, a display showing an outline of the contents of each job that has been set as “job reservation setting processing” is performed. While setting up multiple jobs, you can check the contents of the jobs set up to that point. Furthermore, a screen showing details of the operating conditions as shown in FIG. 7A can be displayed by pressing the details button 92. If a predetermined job is selected and the delete button 91 is pressed, the selected job can be deleted.
When the arrow button 93 is pressed, the reservation list scrolls up and down, and a portion that cannot be displayed on the display unit 9 can be displayed.
When the confirmation is completed, the user presses the close button 94 to return to the reserved job content confirmation screen 80 shown in FIG.

The operation of the image forming apparatus 1 having the above configuration and “job reservation processing” will be described. FIG. 8 shows a processing procedure of the image forming apparatus 1.
When the user sets a desired document on the automatic document feeder 4 and presses a plurality of job output buttons 60 (see FIG. 6A) displayed on the display unit 9, the control unit 15 is stored in the ROM 21. The job reservation setting processing program 23 is read and “job reservation processing” is started. That is, the display control of the job setting in-progress screen 70, the reserved job content confirmation screen 80 and the job confirmation screen 90, the operation signal control in each of these screens, the operation conditions of each job based on the operation signals, etc. Storage control and the like are performed (step S101).

  When the control unit 15 receives the processing start signal by the user's operation after the job setting corresponding to all output forms is completed (step S102), the control unit 15 starts feeding the document set on the automatic document feeder 4, The scanner unit 5 captures the document image and stores the document image data in the storage unit 20 (memory 22) (step S103).

  Next, the job setting table 19 developed in the RAM 17 is read and referenced (step S104), and image data and various control instruction signals are sent to the image processing unit 25, image formation according to the operating conditions set for the first job. The data is transmitted to the unit 2 and / or the post-processing unit 3 (step S105).

  The control unit 15 receives the image data and the control instruction signal in step S105, and performs image processing, image formation, and / or post-processing in the image forming unit 2 and / or the post-processing unit 3 (step S106).

  When the processing of the first job is completed, the control unit 15 refers to the job setting table 19 and determines whether or not the reservation job set as a set is the above (step S107). If there is another job to be set (step S107: YES), the process returns to step S104 and the next job is executed. The processing from step S104 to step S107 is repeated until all the jobs to be set are executed.

  If it is determined in step S107 that all jobs have been executed (step S107: YES), the control unit 15 deletes the image data stored in the memory 22 (step S108) and ends the process.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 to which the present invention is applied, a plurality of jobs having various operating conditions can be set, and a plurality of jobs can be formed by performing image formation and post-processing according to the set jobs. Jobs can be executed automatically and continuously. Conventionally, in order to execute a plurality of jobs having different operation conditions, the operation conditions for each job, such as setting the operation conditions of one job, executing it, resetting the operation conditions of the second job, executing, etc. It took time and effort to repeat setting and execution. According to the image forming apparatus 1 in the present embodiment, it is not necessary for the user to perform one operation condition setting via the operation unit 8. For this reason, when jobs having different operating conditions are automatically executed, and processing with different output forms is performed, there is an effect that the labor for resetting the job is greatly reduced.

  Also, when executing a plurality of set jobs, image formation and post-processing are performed using document image data stored in the memory 22 at the time of execution of the first job, so that one type of document is output in a plurality of output forms. This is suitable for the image formation and the like, and the trouble of resetting the document on the reading device 4 can be saved. For example, if you want a single-page original, a single-sided print, a double-sided stapled print, and a simple sorted print, you would conventionally set up one job and read the original. Then, the image formation and post-processing according to the job were performed. On the other hand, the image forming apparatus 1 sets a plurality of jobs first, and then presses a processing start button or the like to read an original, and executes image formation and post-processing according to the first job. Thereafter, the second job is automatically read, and image formation and post-processing are executed based on the same document image data. Therefore, it is possible to significantly reduce the time and labor for setting operation conditions for each job and the time for setting a document for each job, and to perform suitable image formation and post-processing.

  Although the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the various examples described above.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. It is the schematic diagram which showed the example of the printing pattern produced by the image forming method which can be processed with the image forming apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is the schematic diagram which showed the sample of the printed matter etc. which were produced by the post-processing which can be processed with the image forming apparatus to which this invention is applied. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a job setting table of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a standby state screen displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a job setting screen displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram showing an example of a standby state screen reserved job content confirmation screen displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing an example of a job confirmation screen displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image forming unit 3 Post-processing unit 4 Automatic document feeder 5 Scanner part 6 Image forming part 7 Control unit 8 Operation part 9 Display part 10a, 10b, 10c Paper feed tray 11a Recording paper conveyance part 15 Control part 16 CPU
17 RAM
18 Buffer 19 Job setting table 20 Storage unit 21 ROM
22 Memory 23 Job reservation setting processing program 24 Job reservation processing program 25 Image processing unit 30 Operation unit 31 Display unit 33 I / F
40 Finisher Control Unit 42 Punch Unit 43 Flat Stitch Stopper 44 Stapler 45 Folding Knife 50 Standby State Screen 51 Basic Setting Display Area 52 Paper Setting Button 53 Job Status Display Area 54 Aggregation / Original Setting Display Tab 55 Original Image Quality Setting Display Tab 56 Density Setting Area 57 Paper setting area 58 Magnification setting area 59 Printing surface setting area 60 Multiple job output button 61 Finish button 70 Job setting in progress screen 71 Saddle stitching setting screen 72 Job reservation complete button 80 Reserved job content confirmation screen 81 Reserved list button 82 Continuation button 83 End button 90 Job confirmation screen 91 Delete button 92 Detail button 93 Arrow button 94 Close button 100a, 100b PC
N network

Claims (5)

In an image forming apparatus that performs image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set,
Storage means for storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that automatically executes another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request stored in the storage unit is executed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
When the other execution request is made, the control unit makes the other execution request based on the same image data as the image data used in the previous execution request. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The image forming apparatus, wherein the plurality of execution requests stored in the storage unit include different operating conditions. In an image forming apparatus control method for performing image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set,
Storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
An image forming apparatus comprising: automatically executing another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request is executed among the plurality of stored execution requests Control method. A computer that controls an image forming apparatus that performs image forming processing and post-processing according to an execution request in which operating conditions to be executed are set.
A function of storing a plurality of execution requests in association with each other;
A program for realizing a function of automatically executing another execution request associated with the execution request after one execution request is executed among the plurality of stored execution requests.

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