JP2007264072A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus having a function for displaying operation guidance and constituted so that an operator can understand the whole of operation procedure even if he (she) does not view the operation guidance successively. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus has a function for displaying the outline of the operation guidance in accordance with the state of the apparatus and a function for displaying the detailed guidance, and enables the operator to select whether the detailed operation guidance is displayed further after displaying the outline of the operation guidance. Alternatively, the display of the detailed operation guidance is stopped by key operation or the like while displaying the detailed operation guidance, and then the guidance showing the outline is displayed again. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having display means for displaying operations.

  In general, in this type of image forming apparatus, a display device including a liquid crystal display is provided on the front surface of the apparatus, and the next operation content is displayed as operation guidance for each operation.

  For example, in the operation guidance when setting continuous paper, when the operator sets continuous paper in the feeder of the image forming apparatus and presses the paper set switch of the operation unit, the line feed motor is driven to feed the continuous paper, When the predetermined feed is completed, a message prompting the user to press the setting function switch for changing the setting value of the image forming apparatus such as the page length is displayed.

When the pressing of the setting function switch is detected, the mode shifts to the setting registration mode, and guidance for the next operation is displayed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 08-142426 A

  However, in the above-described conventional guidance display method of the image forming apparatus, there is a problem that the operator has to look at the operation guidance in order and cannot easily grasp the entire operation procedure.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. That is, in an image forming apparatus having a display unit that displays operation guidance according to the state of the apparatus, an outline of the operation guidance according to the state of the apparatus is displayed, and then detailed operation guidance is displayed.

  According to the present invention as described above, after displaying the outline of the operation guidance according to the state of the device, the detailed operation guidance is displayed, so it is possible to easily grasp the entire contents of the necessary operation procedure according to the device state. can do.

  In the following, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, using a widely used LED color printer as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the element common to drawing.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment, when a failure occurs, an operation summary such as a recovery procedure is displayed as guidance, and then detailed guidance is displayed.

(Constitution)
(Configuration of the entire device)
FIG. 1 is an external view of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. The apparatus includes a main body housing 1, a top cover 2 that opens upward, and a front panel 3 that opens to the front side. A printing medium (hereinafter referred to as “printing medium”) is placed under the front panel 3. The paper feed tray 4 to be inserted is stored. An operation unit 7 is installed on the front side of the top cover 2, and the upper surface of the top cover 2 is a stacker 6, and a printed print medium is discharged onto the stacker 6 through a discharge roller 5 on the back side of the apparatus. The

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the top cover 2 and the front panel 3 are opened. Under the top cover 2, an image drum cartridge 9 and an LED head 8 for each color of black, yellow, magenta, cyan (hereinafter abbreviated as “K”, “Y”, “M”, “C”) are mounted. The fixing device 10 is mounted on the back side of the apparatus.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the printing and transport system. At the time of printing, first, the print media accumulated in the paper feed tray 4 is pulled out one by one by the paper feed roller 12, and is placed on the transport belt 11 through the guidance roller 13. The image drum cartridge 9 arranged side by side on the transport belt 11 is an integrated unit of the photosensitive drum 9a and the toner supply mechanism, and a latent image corresponding to the lighting or extinguishing pattern of the LED head 8 is formed on the photosensitive drum 9a. Then, the charged toner adheres on the latent image, and this toner is transferred to the print medium. Then, the print medium is transported on the transport belt 11 and sent to the fixing device 10. The fixing device 10 heats and presses to melt the transferred toner and fix it on the print medium.

  FIG. 4 is an overview diagram showing the configuration of the operation unit 7. It comprises a display section 7a capable of displaying characters and figures, and an operation section 7 on which operation keys such as an UP key 7b, a DOWN key 7c, a BACK key 7d, an ENTER key 7e, a CANCEL key 7f, and a HELP key 7g are arranged.

  The UP operation key 7b and the DOWN key 7c are used to call the setting operation screen and change the options. The ENTER key 7e is used to confirm the selection, and the BACK key 7d is used to move to the previous setting operation screen. The CANCEL key 7f is used to interrupt printing or cancel each operation, and the HELP key 7g is used to call up a guidance display for an operation method.

(Configuration of print controller)
FIG. 5 is a print control block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. A print control unit 20 includes a microprocessor, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output port, a timer, and the like. The print data and control commands are received from the host device, and the entire print unit is sequence-controlled to perform a printing operation. . Further, the print control unit 20 determines the transport speed of the print medium, and performs transport control of the print medium based on the determined medium transport speed.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes an I / F control unit that transmits print information to the host device, analyzes a command input from the host device, and processes print data received from the host device. 22, image processing for performing PDL rendering, color matching, RGB → CMYK conversion, resolution conversion, UCR processing, gamma conversion, halftoning, and the like for print data received from the host device via the I / F control unit 21. And a data processing unit comprising a memory for storing image-processed data.

  An operation unit 7 includes the display unit 7a for displaying the state of the image forming apparatus and the above-described switches 7b to 7g for giving an instruction from the operator to the image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 24 denotes a plurality of sensors that detect the conveyance position of the print medium, a sensor that detects the temperature and humidity in the apparatus, and a sensor for density measurement. The output of each sensor is input to the print control unit 20.

  A charging voltage control unit 25 applies a voltage to each charger in accordance with an instruction from the printing control unit 20 and performs control for charging the surface of each photosensitive drum 9a. The charging voltage control unit 25 controls the voltage applied to each charger in the image drum cartridge 9.

  Reference numeral 26 denotes an exposure control unit, which performs control for irradiating the surface of each photosensitive drum 9a with light by each LED head 8 in accordance with image data stored in a memory in the data processing unit. The exposure control unit 26 performs control for transmitting image data to each head at a predetermined timing.

  Reference numeral 27 denotes a developing voltage control unit for attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image generated by each LED head 8 on the surface of each photosensitive drum 9a, and performs control for applying a voltage to each developing unit. . The developing voltage control unit 27 controls the voltage applied to each developing device. Then, a toner image is formed on the portion exposed by each LED head 8.

  Reference numeral 28 denotes a transfer voltage control unit for transferring the toner image generated on the surface of each photosensitive drum 9a to a print medium conveyed by the conveyance belt 11, and upon receiving an instruction from the print control unit 20, the image drum cartridge 9 Control for applying a voltage to each transfer unit is performed. The transfer voltage control unit 28 controls the voltage applied to each transfer device in the image drum cartridge 9 and sequentially transfers the toner images formed by the respective developing devices to the print medium.

  Reference numeral 29 denotes a drum motor control unit for driving the photosensitive drums 9a, the chargers, and the developing units, and drives and controls the motors. A fixing control unit 30 controls the fixing device 10 and controls the temperature of each unit in accordance with an instruction from the printing control unit 20. In the temperature control, the temperature of each part is detected by a thermistor, the heater is turned on / off, heated to a constant temperature, and when the temperature reaches a predetermined temperature, the fixing motor is driven to rotate.

  Reference numeral 31 denotes a motor control unit of a motor (not shown) for driving the paper feed roller 12, the transport roller 13, and the transport belt 11 for feeding and transporting the print medium from the paper feed tray 4.

(Operation)
(State transition)
With the above configuration, the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment operates as follows. First, the outline of this operation will be described using a guidance display transition diagram. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating transition of contents displayed on the display unit 7a of the operation unit 7 when the life of the conveyor belt comes and prompts the operator to replace it.

  First, the printing control unit 20 counts the number of rotations of the conveyor belt 11, and when this count value reaches a predetermined value, displays a life error of the conveyor belt 11 and a message prompting replacement (state G01, error). Display X). In this case, since the printing process cannot be continued, subsequent print requests are not accepted.

  When the operator depresses the DOWN key 7c in the error display X, an overview guidance X indicating an overview of the error recovery procedure is displayed on the display unit 7a (state G02). Here, when the HELP key 7g is pressed, guidance X indicating the details of the error recovery procedure is displayed on the display unit 7a. The transition of the detailed guidance X is shown in screens 1a to 1f in FIG.

  The detailed guidance X automatically switches and displays a diagram showing each scene of the operation at a predetermined time interval. For example, the display may be switched at intervals of about 2 seconds as shown in FIG. When the error recovery procedure has been displayed to the end, the screen returns to the display screen of the overview guidance X of the caller state G02.

  On the other hand, when the operator presses the UP key 7b on the overview guidance X display screen (state G02), the screen returns to the error display X screen (state G01) in state G01.

  When the operator opens the top cover 2, which is the first step of the error recovery procedure, on the error display X screen (status G01) or the overview guidance X display screen (status G02), the print control unit 20 detects it. In addition to the life error of the conveyor belt 11, the error display indicating that the cover is open is switched (state G03, error display Y).

  When the operator presses the DOWN key 7c on the error display Y screen, an overview guidance Y indicating an overview of the error recovery procedure in the state G03 is displayed on the display unit 7a (state G04). Here, when the HELP key 7g is pressed, the guidance Y indicating the details of the error recovery procedure in the state G03 is displayed on the display unit 7a. In the case of this example, the detailed guidance Y in this case is the same as the screens 1a to 1f of FIG.

  Similarly to the detailed guidance X for the error recovery procedure in the state G01, the detailed guidance Y for the error recovery procedure in the state G03 displays a series of screens automatically switched at predetermined time intervals. When the display of the detailed guidance Y is terminated, the display returns to the overview guidance Y display screen (state G04).

  When the operator presses the UP key 7b, the screen returns to the error display Y screen (status G03). On the error display Y screen (state G03) or the overview guidance Y display screen (state G04), when the print control unit 20 detects that the operator has replaced the transport belt 11 and closed the top cover 2 according to the guidance, The error state is canceled and the fact that the print preparation is completed is displayed on the display unit 7a, and the guidance display process is terminated (state G05).

(Control action)
Next, the operation related to the guidance display of the print control unit 20 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the operation flowcharts of FIGS. 8 and 9. First, the print control unit 20 obtains the number of rotations of the belt from the number of rotations of the transport motor, and cumulatively adds the cumulative number of rotations Be1 (step S11).

  Then, the accumulated rotational speed Be1 is compared with the rotational life bemax of the conveyor belt 11 stored in advance, and when Be1 is longer than bemax (step S12), 0 is written in the variables m and n as an initial setting (step S13).

  Here, the variable m is a control variable for setting whether to display the error display X or Y (left side in FIG. 6) or the summary guidance X or Y (right side in FIG. 6). When “1” is selected, it means that summary guidance (or detailed guidance) is displayed. The variable n is a control variable for determining whether to display summary guidance or detailed guidance. When “0”, summary guidance is displayed, and when “1”, detailed guidance is displayed. That means.

  Returning to the operation flowchart again, next, the value of the variable m is determined (step S14). If m is 0, a conveyor belt life error is displayed on the display unit 7a of the operation unit (step S15, FIG. 6). State G01). When the print control unit 20 determines that the Down key 7c has been pressed (step S16), it writes 1 in the variable m (step S17) and detects that the top cover 2 has been opened (step S18). The operation proceeds to the connector C in the operation flowchart of FIG.

  On the other hand, if the variable m is 1 in step S14, the process proceeds to step S19 for determining whether to display the overview guidance X or the detailed guidance X. If the variable n is 0, the state G02 is displayed in step S20. The summary guidance X is displayed. When the variable n is 1, the detailed guidance X on the screens 1a to 1f in FIG. 7 is displayed (step S21).

  When the display of the detailed guidance X ends (step S21), 0 is written in the variable n (step S22). Next, when the print controller 20 detects that the Down key 1c has been pressed (step S23), it writes 1 to the variable n in step S14, returns to step S19, and displays the detailed guidance X again in step S21. It performs (step S24).

  On the other hand, when it is detected that the Up key 7b is pressed (step S25), 0 is written in the variable m (step S26), the process proceeds to step S18, and when the opening of the top cover 2 is detected, the operation flowchart of FIG. To the connector C.

  When the processing shifts to the connector C in FIG. 9, the print control unit 20 determines the value of the variable m (step S <b> 27), and when m is 0, the print control unit 20 displays the display on the operation unit 7. The conveyor belt life error and the cover open are displayed on the section 7a (step S28, state G03 in FIG. 6).

  When the print controller 20 determines that the Down key 7c has been pressed (step S29), it writes 1 in m (step S30). Then, when the print control unit 20 detects that the top cover is closed (step S31), the process proceeds to step S40, and if not, the process proceeds to step S27.

  On the other hand, if the variable m is 1 in step S27, the process proceeds to step S32 for determining whether to display the summary guidance Y or the detailed guidance Y, and determines the value of the variable n. When 0, the overview guidance Y of the state G04 in FIG. 6 is displayed (step S33), and when the variable n is 1, the detailed guidance Y of the screens 1a to 1f of FIG. 7 is displayed (step S34). When the display of the guidance Y is completed, 0 is written in the variable n (step S35).

  When the print controller 20 detects that the Down key 7c has been pressed (step S36), it writes 1 in the variable n (step S37), returns to step S32, and displays the detailed guidance Y again in step S34. I do. On the other hand, when it is detected that the Up key 7b is pressed (step S38), 0 is written in the variable m (step S39), and the process proceeds to step S31.

  Then, when the top cover close is detected in step S31, the print control unit 20 determines whether or not the new conveyor belt 11 has been replaced (step S40). If it is determined that the belt has been replaced, the belt cumulative rotation speed Be1. Is reset to 0 (step S41), and the conveyor belt life error is canceled. On the other hand, when it is determined that the new conveyor belt 11 has not been replaced, the process proceeds to the connector D in FIG. 8 and the process proceeds to step S14, and an error display is performed according to the values of the variables m and n as described above. , Summary guidance display or detailed guidance display.

(Effect of Example 1)
As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment, the outline of the operation guidance corresponding to the state of the apparatus is displayed, or the details of the operation guidance are further displayed. It can be easily grasped.

  As a result, a savvy operator can perform the operation only with the outline of the operation guidance without looking at the details of the operation guidance. The details can be seen, so that a reliable operation can be performed.

  The image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is configured such that during the detailed guidance display, the display of the detailed guidance is stopped and the summary guidance can be displayed.

(Constitution)
The configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that according to the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted for the sake of brevity.

(Operation)
(State transition)
With the above configuration, the image forming apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment operates as follows. First, the outline of this operation will be described using a guidance display transition diagram. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the transition of the content displayed on the display unit 7a of the operation unit 7 when the life of the conveyor belt comes and the operator is prompted to replace it, as in the first embodiment. In addition, since the states G11, G13, and G15 in the same figure are the same as that of Example 1, the description is simplified.

  First, the printing control unit 20 counts the number of rotations of the conveyor belt 11, and when this count value reaches a predetermined value, a life error of the conveyor belt 11 is displayed and a message prompting replacement is displayed (status G11, error). Display X).

  Then, when the operator depresses the DOWN key 7c in the error display, the outline guidance X indicating the outline of the error recovery procedure is displayed on the display unit 7a (state G12). Here, when the HELP key 7g is pressed, guidance X indicating the details of the error recovery procedure is displayed on the display unit 7a. The transition of the detailed guidance X is shown in screens 1a to 1f in FIG.

  Detailed guidance X is automatically switched and displayed at predetermined time intervals. For example, the display may be switched at intervals of about 2 seconds as shown in FIG. When the error recovery procedure is completely displayed, the process returns to the state G11 which is a screen before displaying the detailed guidance X with a predetermined time delay. For example, as shown in the figure, a weight of about 5 seconds may be provided.

  At this time, when any operation is performed by the operator on each screen of the detailed guidance X, the screen returns to the display screen (state G12) of the overview guidance X.

  When the UP key 7b is pressed on the overview guidance X display screen (state G12), the screen returns to the error display X screen (state G11). On the error display X screen (status G11) or the overview guidance X display screen (status G12), the operator opens the top cover 2 which is the first step of the error recovery procedure, and the print control unit 20 detects it. Then, in addition to the life error of the conveyor belt 11, the error display indicating that the cover is open is switched (state G13 / error display Y).

  When the operator depresses the DOWN key 7c in the error display Y in the state G13, the general guidance Y indicating the outline of the error recovery procedure in the state G13 is displayed on the display unit 7a (state G14). Here, when the HELP key 7g is pressed, the guidance Y indicating the details of the error recovery procedure in the state G13 is displayed on the display unit 7a. The detailed guidance Y in this case is the same as the screens 1a to 1f in FIG.

  As with the detailed guidance X for the recovery procedure described above, the display of the detailed guidance Y for this recovery procedure automatically displays a series of screens at predetermined time intervals and displays the error recovery procedure to the end. When finished, after a predetermined time delay, the process returns to the state G14 which is the first operation screen of the error recovery procedure which is the screen before displaying the detailed guidance.

  At this time, when any operation is performed by the operator on each screen of the detailed guidance Y, the screen returns to the overview guidance Y display screen (state G14).

  When the operator presses the UP key 7b, the screen returns to the error display Y screen in the state G13. When it is detected on the display screen of the error display Y or the overview guidance Y that the operator replaces the conveyor belt 11 according to the guidance and closes the top cover 2, the display unit displays that the error state is canceled and the print preparation is completed. 7a is displayed and the guidance display process is terminated (state G15).

(Control action)
Next, the control operation related to the guidance display of the print control unit 20 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the operation flowchart of FIG. Note that, except for the detailed guidance display process of step S21 and step 34, it is the same as the guidance display operation described in the first embodiment with reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. Is omitted.

  That is, in the guidance display operation of the second embodiment, when the HELP key 7g is pressed in the state G12 or G14 in FIG. 10, the processing shown in FIG. 12 is performed.

  First, the detailed guidance screen 2a is displayed (step S51). When the print control unit 20 detects that any key of the operation unit 7 is pressed (step S52), the variable n is cleared to 0 (step S63), and when the detailed guidance X is displayed, The process proceeds to step S19 in FIG. 8, and when the detailed guidance Y is displayed, the process proceeds to step S32 in FIG. Then, since n is 0, the outline guidance X or Y in step S20 or S33 in FIG. 8 is displayed according to the determination in step S19 or S32 in FIG.

  Returning to FIG. 12 again, if no key press on the operation unit 7 is detected, the screen 2b is displayed as the next guidance (step S53). Hereinafter, similarly, when an arbitrary key is pressed during the guidance display, the processing from step S63 is performed, and when no key is pressed, detailed guidance is displayed in order to determine the presence or absence of key input (step S63). After displaying the last detailed guidance screen 2f (S53 to S60) (step S61), after waiting for a predetermined time Td (step S62), the process returns to the call destination and ends the detailed guidance display processing. As described with reference to the detailed guidance display transition diagram of FIG. 11, the wait time Td is preferably about 5 seconds.

  By doing as described above, the overview guidance can be displayed again by any key operation and displayed easily without displaying the detailed guidance X or Y, even during the display.

(Effect of Example 2)
According to the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment described above, since the display of the detailed guidance is stopped and the outline of the guidance can be displayed while the detailed guidance is displayed, the detailed guidance is added to the effect of the first embodiment. In the middle of the display, the summary guidance can be displayed again and confirmed, and the detailed guidance can be displayed again easily.

<< Other modifications >>
In the description of the above embodiment, the screen is automatically switched at a predetermined time interval in the detailed guidance display, but each screen of the detailed guidance is advanced or returned by the operation of the UP key 7b and the DOWN key 7c. You may do it.

  Alternatively, the detailed guidance screen is switched after a lapse of a predetermined time, and automatic switching of the screen is stopped when any key is pressed, and the general guidance is displayed from the detailed guidance display by an operation other than pressing the key such as opening the cover. You may make it return to.

  Alternatively, in the above description of the embodiment, the detailed guidance display is switched by a predetermined key operation during the overview guidance display. However, the display may be automatically switched to the detailed guidance display after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  As described above, the present invention can be widely used in an image forming apparatus having a function of displaying operation guidance.

1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first exemplary embodiment (a state where a top cover or the like is opened). FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printing mechanism of the image forming apparatus of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating print control of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a state transition diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. 6 is a display screen transition diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is an operation flowchart of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment. FIG. 10 is a state transition diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment. FIG. 10 is a display screen transition diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an operation flowchart of the image forming apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

7 Operation unit 7a Display unit 7b UP key 7c DOWN key 7d BACK key 7g HELP key 20 Print control unit 24 Various sensors

Claims (8)

In an image forming apparatus having display means for displaying operation guidance according to the state of the apparatus,
A selection means for selecting operation guidance to be displayed;
Display means for displaying the operation guidance selected by the selection means,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the selection unit selects a detailed operation guidance after selecting an outline of the operation guidance according to the state of the apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects an outline of the operation guidance, and selects the detailed operation guidance after a predetermined time elapses. An operation unit for performing an operation for switching the operation guidance is provided,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects the detailed operation guidance when receiving an operation of the operation unit after displaying an outline of the operation guidance.   The display means stops the display of the operation guidance when receiving the operation of the operation section while the detailed operation guidance is being displayed, and the selection means operates the operation section while the detailed operation guidance is being displayed. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein upon receipt, the outline of the operation guidance is selected again.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detailed operation guidance is data that displays an operation method in a graphic form.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit sequentially switches the contents of the detailed operation guidance after a predetermined time has elapsed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit sequentially switches the detailed operation guidance when receiving an operation of the operation unit.   The operation guidance corresponding to the state of the apparatus is the operation guidance corresponding to one or more of jammed media, consumable life, forgetting to set the drum cartridge, poor feed tray setting, and out of media. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is data.

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