JP2007331322A - Image forming apparatus and image formation program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it easy to search for an error-generated page after printing in an image forming apparatus without paper shifting function. <P>SOLUTION: An image processing part 3 forms image data in units of one pages from a printing job, designates a paper feeding stage used for printing the image data among paper feeding stages (first and second cassettes 13 and 15 and a manual insertion tray 17) where printing papers of different sizes are set, and outputs the paper feeding stage together with the image data. The image processing part 3 detects the error page where the image data cannot be obtained. An error information recording part 7 records error information. An engine controlling part 5 controls a printing engine 11 in printing on the basis of the image data and designation data of the paper feeding stage. An error processing part 9 controls the engine controlling part 5 to print the error information subsequently to printing of the printing job when the paper cannot be supplied to a position of the error page on the basis of the error information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming program. For example, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a facsimile machine, a printer, or a combination of these, and an improvement of the image forming program.

  In an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, when printing a document of a plurality of pages, if an error occurs in the image data of a halfway page, it is convenient to easily find the page in which the error has occurred after printing.

  Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-338308 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration that makes it easy to find such an error occurrence page after printing.

This is an image forming apparatus provided with an image inspection means for performing image inspection on a page basis after printing, and does not reject a page that has failed to be printed and sets only information necessary for recovery to a storage medium for continuous printing. In this case, the printing paper is shifted and discharged at the location where the error page exists, and it is easy to find the page position where printing failed from the printing paper that has been shifted and discharged. In other words, the paper that has been shifted and discharged is caused to function as a “bookmark”.
JP 2004-338308 A

  However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1 described above, a function and structure for shifting and ejecting printing paper is necessary in order to make it easier to find the presence and location of error pages that have failed to be printed from shifted printing paper. Therefore, it is difficult to put it into practical use with a relatively inexpensive copy machine or the like that does not have a shift function, and there is a demand for improvement in such an inexpensive copy machine or the like.

  In addition, in a copier or the like, for example, when only one type of A4-size paper feed tray can be installed, or when there is a plurality of paper feed trays, a special device is required. is there.

  The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming program that make it easy to find an error page after continuation of printing without mounting a paper shift function.

  In order to solve such a problem, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention outputs image data for each page obtained by image processing of a print job, detects a page from which this image data cannot be obtained, and sets it as the error page. An image processing unit that outputs the error information, an engine control unit that controls printing of the print engine based on image data from the image processing unit, an error information recording unit that records error information from the image processing unit, and An error processing unit that performs print control of the engine control unit so as to print error information in the error information recording unit following printing of the print job when paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on error information in print control; It has.

  In the present invention, the error information may include at least an error page number.

  In the present invention, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the error processing unit prints a plurality of the error information.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be configured such that the error processing section prints the error information when a predetermined period has elapsed since the printing of the print job.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the error processing unit prints out the error information when the input destination of the print job is changed.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, the error processing unit may be configured to print control error information when the number of printed pages of the print job exceeds a predetermined number of pages.

  In the image forming program according to the present invention, the image data is output to a control computer that controls printing of image data for each page obtained by image processing of a print job on a sheet of a predetermined paper feed stage, and Image processing for detecting a page for which data cannot be obtained and outputting it as error information relating to the error page, engine control processing for controlling the print engine based on image data from the image processing, and error information from the image processing Error information recording process that records the error, and when the paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information in the print control, the error information in the error information record is printed following the printing of the print job. Processing.

  The image forming apparatus and the image forming program according to the present invention include, from the image processing unit, image data for each page obtained by performing image processing on a print job, and error information regarding an error page for which the image data cannot be obtained. The engine control unit prints the print engine based on the image data from the image processing unit, the error information recording unit records the error information from the image processing unit, and the error processing unit Then, when the paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information during the print control, the engine control unit is controlled to print the error information in the error information record following the printing of the print job. Even if the paper shift function is not installed or there are no plural paper feed stages, it is easy to find an error page after continuing printing.

  In the configuration in which the error information includes at least the error page number, the error page can be accurately searched after the printing is continued without the paper shift function or without inserting the paper as a “bookmark” at the error page position.

  In the configuration in which the error processing unit prints the plurality of error information, it is easy to find an error page even if a plurality of error pages occur.

  Further, in the configuration in which the error processing unit prints the error information when a predetermined period has elapsed after printing the print job, even if there are a plurality of print jobs, each error information is automatically printed. Is possible.

  Furthermore, even when the error processing unit prints error information when the input destination of the print job is changed, each error information can be automatically printed.

  Further, in the configuration in which the error processing unit prints error information when the number of printed pages of the print job exceeds a predetermined number of pages, it is possible to prevent unnecessary printing for a print job with a small number of printed pages.

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

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. The image forming program according to the present invention will be described in the process of describing the image forming apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus 1 includes an image processing unit 3, an engine control unit 5, an error information recording unit 7, an error processing unit 9, a print engine 11, a first cassette 13, a second cassette 15, and a manual feed tray 17. It is configured.

  The image forming apparatus 1 may have a configuration in which a copier, a facsimile machine, a printer, or the like is formed in addition to those configurations. However, since it is not a main part of the present invention, description and illustration are omitted.

  The image processing unit 3 performs image processing on the input print job in accordance with a predetermined page description grammar and the like, assembles and forms image data for each page for each page, and supplies paper corresponding to the printing paper used for printing the image data. It has a function of forming paper feed stage designating data for designating the paper stages, that is, the first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 described above and outputting them to the engine control unit 5 together with image data. .

  The designation of a paper feed stage such as the first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 is attached to an external print job or an operation panel (see FIG. Not shown.)

  The image processing unit 3 has a function of detecting whether image data is obtained by assembling each image data for each page. A page where no image data is obtained is set as an error page. It has a function of outputting error information including an error occurrence location) to the error processing unit 9.

  In the present invention, as an example in which error information is output without obtaining image data, when there is an input print job exceeding the capacity of a frame memory (not shown) for assembling image data in units of one page and the memory overflows This is an error that is detected until image data for one page is assembled, such as when there is data corruption or data loss due to the occurrence of static electricity, and does not include paper errors during paper transport.

  The engine control unit 5 has a function of controlling the print engine 11 based on page unit image data, paper feed stage designation data, and other control data.

  The print engine 11 has a printing function for transferring, fixing, and ejecting paper in the process of feeding and transporting printing paper from the designated first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17. The engine control unit 5 has a function of controlling each of the paper feed mechanism, paper transport mechanism, image transfer mechanism, and fixing mechanism of the print engine 11 based on the image data, the paper feed stage designation data, and other control data. Have.

  Note that the transport mechanism, the image transfer mechanism, and the fixing mechanism themselves in the print engine 11 are conventionally known and are not essential parts of the present invention, and thus illustration and detailed description thereof are omitted.

  The first and second cassettes 13 and 15 and the manual feed tray 17 are conventionally known paper feed stages in which a plurality of printing sheets are set and mounted on an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

  Different sizes of paper, for example, A4 size paper is set in the first cassette 13, B4 size paper is set in the second cassette 15, and A3 size paper is set in the manual feed tray 17. Paper is fed. The paper size of the manual feed tray 17 can be changed.

  The error information recording unit 7 is, for example, a first or second paper source that is not used for printing a print job among the paper feed trays on which different paper sizes are set, that is, the first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17. For the second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 (error page paper feed stage), a RAM or the like that records in advance the priority order of the paper feed stage of the paper to be inserted at the error page position as error information, which will be described later. Based on a request from the unit 9, it has a function of outputting the paper feed tray of the priority order to the error processing unit 9.

  The error information recording unit 7 is configured to store and store the error paper feed stages from the operation panel or the like via the image processing unit 3, for example.

  The priority order is the designated priority order of the paper feed stage of the paper inserted as “bookmark” at the page position where the error occurred during printing. For example, the paper size, thickness, color, A paper feed stage in which these papers are set is set in advance in the order of papers having different textures such as materials.

  For example, when the first cassette 13 is designated for printing a print job, the manual feed tray 17 and the second cassette 15 are set in this order. A configuration in which the plurality of priorities are combined and set is also possible.

  In addition to the functions described above, the error information recording unit 7 also functions as an error location recording area for storing the error occurrence page number as error information under the control of the image processing unit 3 when an error page is detected. When a plurality of error occurrence pages are detected, they have a function of storing them in ascending order, for example.

  As described above, the error information includes the priority order information of the “bookmark” insertion paper feed stage, the error page number, and the like.

  When receiving error information from the image processing unit 3, the error processing unit 9 receives immediately preceding paper feed stage information from the engine control unit 5, fetches priority order information from the error information recording unit 7, and uses this priority order information. Based on this, for example, designation information designating, for example, the manual feed tray 17 different from the first cassette 13 on which the print paper for the image data is set is output to the engine control unit 5, and the paper from the manual feed tray 17 is set to the corresponding error page position. It has the function of controlling the engine control unit 5 to be inserted.

  The error processing unit 9 designates and controls the second cassette 15 in the next order in cooperation with the engine control unit 5 when there is no sheet in the manual feed tray 17.

  The paper to be inserted at the position corresponding to the error page is ejected without being transferred or fixed by the print engine 11 and inserted as a “bookmark” between the preceding and succeeding printed paper. Is an error page insertion mode (error bookmark insertion mode).

  The error processing unit 9 prints the error occurrence page in the error information recording unit 7 following the printing of the print job when the sheet cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information from the image processing unit 3. It has a function of controlling the engine control unit 9. For convenience, this operation is referred to as an error location notification mode.

  As a case where the paper cannot be fed to the error page position, there is a case where there is no paper feed stage other than the paper feed stage for print job printing, or there is a case where the paper is out.

  Therefore, when the paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information, the engine control unit 5 prints the error occurrence page in the error information recording unit 7 on the same print paper after printing the print job. The print engine 11 has a function of controlling printing so that the paper is discharged.

  The error information recording unit 7 is set to execute the error location notification mode when the print job is a predetermined number or more, for example, a print job of several tens of pages or a plurality of copies.

  The error processing unit 9 is configured not to execute the error location notification mode in response to a cancel instruction from an input unit such as an operation panel.

  The above-described image processing unit 3, engine control unit 5, error information recording unit 7, error processing unit 9, and the like include a CPU that performs various arithmetic operations, a ROM that stores an operation program for the CPU, data during control computation, and priority. It is formed by a microcomputer or the like comprising a RAM and an interface for storing the order, etc., and can be shared by a microcomputer or the like mounted on the image forming apparatus 1 that forms a copier, a facsimile machine, a printer, or a composite machine thereof.

  Next, the operation of the above-described image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

  When the program starts (Start), the error location area (error information recording unit 7) is cleared in step S1 of FIG. 2, image formation and printing processing is performed in units of one page in step S2, and an error is detected in step S3. It is determined whether a page has occurred.

  If the image data is formed normally and step S3 is NO, the process proceeds to step S11 in FIG. 3. If an error page is generated and step S3 is YES, an error page insertion mode (error bookmark) is set in step S4. It is determined whether or not (insert mode) is set.

  If the error page insertion mode is not set and step S4 is NO, the process proceeds to step S10. If the error page insertion mode is set and step S4 is YES, the immediately preceding paper feed stage information is set in step S5. Confirm.

  In step S6, the priority order of the paper feed stages to be inserted into the error page position is acquired. In step S7, a paper feed stage that matches the priority order is searched. In step S8, the presence or absence of a paper feed stage that matches the priority order is determined. Determine.

  If there is no matching paper feed stage and step S8 is NO, the process proceeds to step S10. If a matching paper feed stage exists and step S8 is YES, an error from the paper feed stage is detected in step S9. The sheet is fed for the page and inserted into the corresponding position (page), and the process proceeds to step S11 in FIG.

  If there is no matching paper feed stage and step S8 is NO, the error occurrence location (page) is recorded in the error information recording unit 7 in step S10, and the process proceeds to step S11 in FIG.

  In step S11 in FIG. 3, it is determined whether or not a series of print jobs has been completed. If the printing has not been completed and the answer is NO, the process returns to step S2 in FIG. 2, and steps S2 to S11 described above are repeated.

  If printing is completed and step S11 in FIG. 3 is YES, it is determined whether or not the error location notification mode is set in step S12. If the error location notification mode is not set, the determination is NO and the processing ends (End). If the error location notification mode is set and step S12 is YES, the presence / absence of error occurrence location recording is determined in step S13.

  If there is no record of the error occurrence location in the error information recording section 7 and step S13 is NO, the process ends (End). Whether or not printing is to be performed is determined.

  If the printing is not over the set number and the step S14 is NO, the process ends (End). If the printing is over the set number and the step S14 is YES, the error occurrence page is printed in the step S15. End (End).

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the first and second cassettes 13 and 15 and the manual feed tray 17 (paper feed stage) on which sheets of different sizes are set, and one page on which a print job is image-processed. Outputs unit image data and paper feed stage designation data for designating a paper feed stage corresponding to the printing paper used for printing image data among these paper feed stages, and detects error pages for which no image data is available Printing is performed based on the image processing unit 3, the error information recording unit 7 that stores in advance the priority order of the paper feed stages as the error page paper feed stage, the image data from the image processing unit 3, and the paper feed stage designation data. When the error page is detected by the engine control unit 5 that controls printing of the engine 11 and the image processing unit 3, the paper is fed from the paper feed stage of the order based on the priority order of the error information recording unit 7. And it includes an error processing unit 9 for controlling the engine control unit 5 to insert the error page position as "bookmark".

  In addition, the error processing unit 9 prints the error occurrence page in the error information recording unit 7 following the printing of the print job when the sheet is not fed to the error page position based on the error information from the image processing unit 3. It is formed so as to control the engine control unit 5.

  Therefore, when an error page for which image data cannot be obtained is detected, an error page for which a paper different from the print paper of the print job is set in the first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 is set. When the paper feed stage is specified according to the priority order and the paper in the error page paper feed stage is inserted into the corresponding error page position, but the paper is not fed from the error page paper feed stage, the error page is printed. The

  Therefore, in the relatively inexpensive image forming apparatus 1 that does not have a shift function, even if an error page occurs during printing, the error page position can be confirmed very easily from a printed matter obtained by continuing printing. The error page position can be checked very easily even when a paper feed stage other than the paper feed stage used for printing the print job is not provided or when it is provided or the paper is out of paper.

  Further, when the number of printed pages of the print job exceeds a predetermined number or number of pages, the error occurrence page is printed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unnecessary printing for a print job with a small number of printed pages.

  In addition, if the error information record 7 is formed so that a plurality of error information can be recorded, it is easy to check the error occurrence page even if a plurality of error pages occur.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the error information to be printed following the printing of the print job is not limited to the error page, and the object of the present invention can be achieved if at least the error page is included. .

  Further, the timing at which the error processing unit 9 prints the print job and then prints the error page is not limited to immediately after printing the print job.

  For example, it is configured to control the error information between print jobs, or only the print operation is put on hold due to a data tradition delay even during print job printing. If, for example, the input destination of the print job is changed from a copier to online input, the error information may be controlled to be printed when a predetermined period has passed since the print job was printed. The error processing unit 9 may be formed together.

  In such a configuration, it is possible to print error information by effectively using the interval between print jobs, and it is possible to save printing time for error information.

  By the way, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the error information recording unit 7 for storing in advance the priority order of the error page paper feed stages on which sheets of different sizes are set is provided. The error information recording unit 7 is not necessarily configured to store the priority order of the error page paper feed stages in advance.

  That is, the object of the present invention can be achieved by forming the error processing unit 9 so as to print an error page when error page feeding is not performed.

  However, in the configuration in which the priority order is stored in advance as described above, the first is used for printing, except for the priority setting of the manual feed tray 17 on which paper having a size larger than the printing paper is set as the error page paper feed stage. The first and second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 other than the second cassettes 13 and 15 or the manual feed tray 17 can be designated.

  Furthermore, not only the paper size but also paper feed stages of different colors, paper having different textures such as thickness and material can be designated as error page paper feed stages.

  In short, if you specify paper feed trays with different paper forms and paper setting directions, you can easily use various “bookmark” papers inserted at the error page position, which has the advantage of expanding the range of use. is there.

  By the way, referring to the image forming program according to the present invention, in the block diagram configuration of FIG. 1 described above, printing control is performed on the image data for each page obtained by performing the image processing of the print job on the paper in a predetermined paper feed stage. Image processing that outputs the image data to a control computer, detects a page from which the image data cannot be obtained, and outputs it as error information relating to the error page, and a print engine based on the recorded image data by the image processing Engine control processing for print control, error information recording processing for recording error information from the image processing, and when paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information during the print control, the print job An error process for controlling printing of error information in the error information record is executed following printing.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a multi-function machine equipped with a copying machine, a facsimile, a printer, or the like, and is suitable for various devices.

1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image forming apparatus according to FIG. 1. It is a flowchart following the flowchart of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Image processing part 5 Engine control part 7 Error information recording part 9 Error processing part 11 Print engine 13 1st cassette (paper feed stage)
15 Second cassette (paper feed stage)
17 Bypass tray (paper feed tray)

Claims (7)

An image processing unit that outputs image data for each page obtained by image processing of a print job, detects a page for which the image data cannot be obtained, and outputs the page as error information relating to the error page;
An engine control unit for controlling printing of the print engine based on the image data from the image processing unit;
An error information recording unit for recording the error information from the image processing unit;
When the paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information in the print control, the engine control unit is controlled to print the error information in the error information recording unit following the printing of the print job. An error processing unit to
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error information includes at least an error occurrence page number. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error processing unit controls printing of the plurality of error information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error processing unit prints the error information when a predetermined period has elapsed after the printing of the print job. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error processing unit prints the error information when an input destination of the print job is changed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the error processing unit prints the error information when the number of printed pages of the print job exceeds a predetermined number of pages. One page of image data obtained by image processing of the print job is transferred to a control computer that controls printing on paper in a predetermined paper feed stage.
Image processing for outputting the image data and detecting a page from which the image data cannot be obtained and outputting it as error information relating to the error page;
An engine control process for controlling the print engine based on the image data obtained by the image process;
An error information recording process for recording the error information from the image processing;
An error process for controlling printing of the error information in the error information record following printing of the print job when paper cannot be fed to the error page position based on the error information in the print control;
An image forming program for executing

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