JP2007307815A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correctly perform a judgement for whether a new job is made to cut in or not during the execution of a job. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming device executes an image forming process in the order of jobs of which the execution has been demanded. The image forming device is equipped with a job processing amount measuring means which measures the processing amount of a job being executed, and a controlling means which judges whether the cutting in of a new job which is demanded during the execution of the job to the job being executed is allowed or not. The controlling means allows the cutting in of the new job to the job being executed when the execution amount of the job being executed, which has been measured by the job processing amount measuring means, is a specified amount or lower. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that executes an image forming process, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a function of interrupting and executing a new job during execution of a job.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multifunction machine, during job execution, processing of the job is temporarily interrupted, and a new job is interrupted to execute image forming processing. An image forming apparatus having an interrupt function has been put into practical use.

As this type of conventional image forming apparatus, for example, when there are a plurality of stored print data, print data with a predetermined number of pages or less is preferentially printed (for example, see Patent Document 1). ) Or, if the number of unprocessed jobs is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, or if the remaining time until the completion of print processing for a job being executed is greater than or equal to a predetermined time, a new job interrupt is permitted and unprocessed It is also known that a new job is not permitted to be interrupted when the number of times is less than a predetermined number or when the remaining time is less than a predetermined time (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-215351 A JP 2000-168163 A

  As described above, in the conventional image forming system described above, it is necessary to predict the remaining time and the remaining number of jobs currently being executed, but it is extremely difficult to accurately perform the prediction. Therefore, there is a possibility that the remaining time is actually more than the predetermined time, but it is erroneously determined that it is less than the predetermined time, and the interruption of the new job is not permitted, or the opposite is wrong. There was a problem.

  In addition, in the conventional image forming system described above, in order to predict the number of unprocessed jobs, it is necessary to temporarily store all image data in the apparatus before performing the image forming process. Since the prediction result depends on the setting of size, resolution, etc., the above problem is more serious.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus capable of accurately determining whether or not a new job is to be interrupted during job execution. Is.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that executes image forming processing in the order of jobs requested to be executed, the job processing amount measuring unit that measures the processing amount of the job being executed, Control means for judging whether or not to permit interruption of the job being executed for a new job requested during execution of the job, the control means being measured by the job processing amount measurement means When the execution amount of the job being executed is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, the interruption of the new job to the job being executed is permitted.

  The job processing amount measuring unit measures an elapsed time from the start of image forming processing of the job, and the control unit measures the elapsed time of the job being executed measured by the job processing amount measuring unit. When the time is less than a predetermined time, the interruption of the new job to the job being executed may be permitted.

  Further, the job processing amount measuring unit measures the number of processed sheets from the start of the image forming process of the job, and the control unit determines whether the number of processed jobs being executed measured by the job processing amount measuring unit is If the number is less than or equal to the predetermined number, the interruption of the new job to the job being executed may be permitted.

  Further, the information regarding the predetermined amount may be added to the interrupt request for the new job.

  According to the present invention, based on the job execution amount measured by the job processing amount measuring means, it is determined whether to permit interruption of a new job, and the remaining time and the remaining number of jobs are predicted. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether or not to interrupt a new job during job execution.

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

  First, an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Here, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is connected to a plurality of host computers (not shown) such as a personal computer via a communication network 2 such as a local area network (LAN). A control unit 3 for controlling the operation of each unit is provided. Although not particularly illustrated, the control unit 3 includes a CPU, a ROM for storing a control program executed by the CPU, a RAM for temporarily storing various data and programs, and the like.

  The control unit 3 includes a job receiving unit 4 that receives a job from the host computer via the communication network 2, a printing unit 5 that prints the job received by the job receiving unit 4 on output paper, A timer is started when the printing unit 5 starts print processing of a job, a timer control unit 6 that measures an elapsed time, a job storage unit 7 that stores a job, and information and jobs related to the elapsed time from the start of printing processing The job information management unit 8 for storing information for specifying the transmission source of the printer, the interrupt request receiving / replying unit 9 for receiving a print interrupt request and returning whether or not an interrupt is possible in response to the interrupt request, a touch panel, a start key , And an operation unit 10 provided with a numeric keypad and the like.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following description, a case where print processing execution requests are transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 in the order of job A and job B will be described as an example.

  When job A is transmitted from the host computer to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication network 2, in the image forming apparatus 1, the job receiving unit 4 receives the job A, and the printing unit 5 receives the job A. Execution of the printing process is started (S101). When the printing unit 5 starts the printing process for job A in this way, the timer control unit 6 starts the timer, measures the elapsed time after the start of the printing process, and the job information management unit 8 monitors the elapsed time. (S102).

  In this state, when a new job B interrupt request is transmitted from the host computer to the image forming apparatus 1 via the communication network 2, the interrupt request receiving / transmitting unit 9 in the image forming apparatus 1. The job B interrupt request is received (S103). Upon receiving this interrupt request, the control unit 3 reads the elapsed time at the time of receiving the interrupt request and a predetermined time set in advance from the job information management unit 8 and compares them (S104).

  As a result, when the control unit 3 determines that the elapsed time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time, the print processing of the job A is temporarily stopped, and the print data for the remaining pages of the job A is stored in the job storage unit. 7 (S105). Then, the control unit 3 permits the interruption of the new job B to the job A, the interrupt request reception / transmission unit 9 transmits an interrupt permission response to the host computer, and the job reception unit 4 receives the job B. Then, the printing unit 5 executes the printing process for job B (S106). Thereafter, when the execution of the printing process for job B is completed, the printing unit 5 executes the remaining printing process for job A (S107).

  On the other hand, if the control unit 3 determines in step 104 that the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time, the printing unit 5 continues the printing process for job A as it is (S108). Then, the control unit 3 rejects the interruption of the new job B to the job A (S109), and the interrupt request reception / transmission unit 9 transmits an interrupt rejection response to the host computer. However, in this case, the job receiving unit 4 receives the job B and stores it in the job storage unit 7. After that, when the execution of the printing process for job A is completed, the printing unit 5 executes the printing process for job B stored in the job storage unit 7 (S110).

  Next, an image forming apparatus 11 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus. For simplification of description, in the following description, components equivalent to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. The detailed explanation is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the number of processed sheets from the start of the image forming process of the job is used as the job execution amount. A sheet number control unit 12 is provided. The job information management unit 8 stores information on the number of processed sheets from the start of the printing process.

  In such an arrangement, in the image forming apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, when the printing unit 5 starts executing the printing process of job A (S201), the number of sheets The control unit 12 activates the counter, measures the number of processed sheets after starting the printing process, and the job information management unit 8 monitors the number of printed sheets (S202).

  In this state, when a new job B interrupt request is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 11, in the image forming apparatus 11, the interrupt request receiving / transmitting unit 9 receives the job B interrupt request ( In step S203), upon receiving this interrupt request, the control unit 3 reads the number of processed sheets at the time of receiving the interrupt request and a predetermined number set in advance from the job information management unit 8, and compares them (S204).

  As a result, when the control unit 3 determines that the number of processed sheets is equal to or less than the predetermined number, the print processing of the job A is temporarily stopped, and the print data for the remaining pages of the job A is stored in the job storage unit. 7 (S205), and thereafter, the image forming apparatus 11 performs the same operation as in the case of the first embodiment described above (S206, S207).

  On the other hand, if the control unit 3 determines in step 204 that the number of processed sheets has exceeded the predetermined number, the printing unit 5 continues the printing process of job A as it is (S208). The device 11 performs the same operation as in the case of the first embodiment described above (S209, S210).

  As described above, according to each of the embodiments described above, since there is no unstable factor such as predicting the remaining time or the remaining number of jobs being executed, the remaining time (or remaining number) is actually set to a predetermined time ( There is no risk of accidentally judging that the time is less than the predetermined time (or the predetermined number) and not allowing the interruption of a new job, or making the opposite determination. . Further, it is not necessary to store all the image data once in the apparatus before the image forming process is performed, and the determination result of the control unit 3 is not affected by the setting of the paper size, resolution, and the like. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately determine whether or not to interrupt a new job during job execution.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Control part 6 Timer control part 11 Image forming apparatus 12 Sheet number control part

Claims (4)

An image forming apparatus that executes image forming processing in the order of jobs requested to be executed,
A job processing amount measuring means for measuring the processing amount of the job being executed;
Control means for determining whether or not to permit interruption of the job being executed for a new job requested during execution of the job;
And the control unit permits the interruption of the new job to the job being executed when the execution amount of the job being executed measured by the job processing amount measurement unit is a predetermined amount or less. An image forming apparatus. The job processing amount measuring unit measures an elapsed time from the start of image forming processing of the job, and the control unit measures the elapsed time of the job being executed measured by the job processing amount measuring unit for a predetermined time. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an interruption of the new job to the job being executed is permitted in the following cases. The job processing amount measuring unit measures the number of processed sheets from the start of image forming processing of the job, and the control unit is configured to determine whether the number of processed jobs being executed measured by the job processing amount measuring unit is a predetermined number. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an interruption of the new job to the job being executed is permitted in the following cases. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the predetermined amount is added to an interrupt request for the new job.

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