JP2008023891A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that an image output timing cannot be decided by one image output operation and a further instruction for performing print operation has to be provided, in an image forming device attaining energy saving by collective printing. <P>SOLUTION: A printer driver program can select, in printing, normal printing or energy saving printing in which standby print jobs are printed continuously by converting the print jobs in bit map data and storing the jobs in a standby state, after transmitting the jobs to the image forming device. In case of the energy saving printing, the print timing is selected by the condition of the time, the number of pages and empty memory: when the condition is attained, the standby jobs are continuously printed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of saving power by controlling the timing of printing print data.

  In an image forming apparatus, particularly an electrophotographic printing apparatus, a large amount of electric power is consumed particularly in a fixing unit in order to thermally fix toner. If the print request is not continuous but arrives at indefinite time intervals, the normal mode in which the printing unit can be operated and the power saving mode in which the power to the printing unit is cut off are repeated, and the fixing unit is The cycle of temperature rise and room temperature is repeated, which consumes a lot of power.

  As a conventional technique for suppressing these, at least one power saving mode for suppressing power consumption such as a preheating mode and a sleep mode is provided in addition to the normal operation mode, and reception (or input) of image data to be recorded in the power saving mode. ) Occurs, the received data is held in the image memory while maintaining the power saving mode of the device, and the copying operation or printing operation is instructed by the user from the operation unit, etc., and the device shifts to a printout ready state. In such a case, there is a method of using this opportunity to output the received data held in the image memory (see Patent Document 1).

  However, in this method, it is necessary to set the timing of image output after once performing the operation of image output.

JP 2000-318265 A

  A problem to be solved is that in an image forming apparatus that realizes energy saving by performing printing together, it is impossible to determine the timing of image output by a single image output operation.

  An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a data input unit that inputs data for image output, an image data conversion unit that converts data received by the data input unit into data for image output, and an image for image output It has a normal mode in which power is supplied to the output unit and the image output unit and image output is possible, and an energy-saving mode in which power consumption to the image output unit is cut off and power consumption is suppressed, and switching between these modes is controlled. In the image forming apparatus having the control unit, the control unit is characterized in that the control unit outputs an image according to an image output timing specified in advance in the data for image output received by the data input unit.

  The image forming system according to the present invention includes the image forming apparatus and an information terminal on which a print data generation program capable of designating an image output timing is designated by a user.

  An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a data input unit that inputs data for image output, an image data conversion unit that converts data received by the data input unit into data for image output, and an image for image output It has a normal mode in which power is supplied to the output unit and the image output unit and image output is possible, and an energy-saving mode in which power consumption to the image output unit is cut off and power consumption is suppressed, and switching between these modes is controlled. In the image forming apparatus including the control unit, the control unit is characterized in that the control unit outputs an image according to an image output timing specified in advance in the data for image output received by the data input unit. The timing of image output can be determined by one image output operation.

  Since the image forming system of the present invention includes the image forming apparatus and an information terminal equipped with a print data generation program capable of designating an image output timing according to a user's designation, the image forming operation is performed once. This makes it possible to determine the timing of image output.

  In the image forming apparatus, the problem that the image output timing cannot be determined by a single image output operation is realized by specifying the image output timing in the print data generation program.

[Constitution]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus and an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The image forming apparatus 101 includes a scanner 111 (data input unit), an operation panel unit 113, a control unit 115, an image data conversion unit 117, a network I / F (interface) 119 (data input unit), and a printing unit 121 (image output unit). ) Function block.

  The scanner 111 reads a document and forms image data. The scanner 111 works as a data input unit together with the network I / F 119.

  The operation panel unit 113 includes a display panel and a touch panel, and displays the state of the image forming apparatus to the user and receives input from the user.

  The control unit 115 controls each functional unit and records and saves programs and data. It also compresses and decompresses image data and saves the data.

  The image data conversion unit 117 converts print data written in a page description language sent from the PC 201 into bitmap data for the printing unit 121 to execute printing.

  A network I / F 119 is connected to a PC (Personal Computer) 201 through the network to exchange print data, and functions as a data input unit.

  The printing unit 121 includes a print engine, a fixing device, and a paper supply / discharge mechanism, and performs printing.

  The PC 201 (information terminal) is connected to the image forming apparatus through a network, and includes a printer driver program 211 (print data generation program) to generate print data and transmit it to the image forming apparatus.

[flowchart]
The operation flow of the printer driver in the PC 201 (information terminal) will be described using the flowchart of FIG. 2 and the operation screen of the printer driver of FIG.

  When there is a print request on the PC, the flowchart of FIG. 2 starts to operate, and in S11, it is set whether the printing is normal printing or energy saving printing.

  In S13, it is determined whether printing is normal printing. If it is normal printing, the operation proceeds to S17, print data is generated in S17, data is transmitted to the image forming apparatus under normal printing conditions in S19, and printing is performed immediately.

  If the determination in S13 is energy saving printing, the operation proceeds to S15, and the printing conditions are set in S15.

  The setting of printing conditions in S15 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 which is a diagram of a printer driver setting screen.

  When printing is executed as shown in FIG. 3, the printer driver program generates the dialog box 301 shown in FIG. The dialog box 301 includes items 311 for designating the paper size, number of copies, paper orientation, and the like for printing, a normal print execution button 321 for normal printing (printing is performed quickly), and an energy saving print execution button. 323 and a cancel button 325 are arranged.

  In the case of energy saving printing, radio buttons 331, 333, and 335 for specifying conditions for starting printing are arranged.

  With the radio button 331, the printing start time or printing end time is set. In this case, when another print job is already set at a certain time, the time may be indicated as a default, and the job content and the number of pages may be displayed.

  When the print start time is set and there are a plurality of print jobs starting at the same time, the image forming apparatus continuously performs printing in the order in which the jobs are generated from the start time.

  When the print end time is set, the time required for printing is calculated from the number of print pages so that the print ends at the same end time, and printing is started earlier than the end time for the time required for printing. If there is a single print job that ends at the same time, calculate the print time for the number of print pages for that job. If there are multiple print jobs, print time based on the number of print pages for all those jobs. Calculate

  With the radio button 333, printing is executed when the print waiting data in the image forming apparatus exceeds the specified number of pages.

  With the radio button 335, printing is executed when the amount of free memory in the image forming apparatus falls below a specified value.

  By inputting which of the printing start conditions is specified and clicking the energy saving print execution button 323, print data is generated (S17), and the generated data is displayed together with the conditions specified in S15. It is transmitted to the forming apparatus (S19).

  This completes the operation of the printer driver on the PC.

  Next, the operation on the image forming apparatus 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When print data is transmitted from the PC 201 to the image forming apparatus 101, the operation of the program starts.

  In step S21, the image forming apparatus 101 receives print data.

  In S23, it is determined whether the transmitted print data is normal printing or energy saving printing.

  If it is normal printing, the operation proceeds to S25. If it is energy saving printing, the operation proceeds to S29.

  In the case of normal printing, in S25, the received print data is converted into bitmap data to be printed by the printing unit 121 of the image forming apparatus.

  In S27, the bitmap data is sent to the printing unit 121 to execute printing, and the printing operation is terminated.

  In the case of energy-saving printing, first, in S29, it is confirmed whether or not there is an amount of memory necessary for storing bitmap data for printing. If there is no room in the memory, the process proceeds to S25, where bitmap data conversion and printing are performed in the same way as normal printing.

  If there is a margin in the memory in S29, the operation proceeds to S31, and it is determined what is the execution condition of the printing timing included in the received print data.

  If the execution condition is time, the operation proceeds to S33.

  If the execution condition is the number of pages, the operation proceeds to S35.

  If the execution condition is the amount of free memory, the operation proceeds to S37.

  In S33, the control unit 115 is set so that printing starts or ends at the set time according to the set condition in the received data. In this case, by setting a plurality of jobs as printing start or printing end at the same time, standby jobs are continuously printed.

  In S35, in accordance with the set condition in the received data, when the total number of pages in the job waiting to be printed on the image forming apparatus exceeds the specified page, control is performed so that the pages of those jobs are continuously printed. The unit 115 is set.

  In S37, in accordance with the set condition in the received data, the control unit 115 is configured to continuously print jobs in the print standby state when the free memory falls below a specified ratio (percentage) or amount (number of bytes). Set.

  After completing the setting of the print timing state, the operation proceeds to S39, and the received print data is converted into a bitmap.

  In S41, the bitmap converted data in the previous step is compressed and saved.

  In S43, it is determined whether or not the printing conditions set in S33, S35, or S37 have been achieved, and the state is monitored and waited until it is achieved.

  If the condition is achieved in S43, the operation proceeds to S45 to decompress the bitmap data.

  In S47, printing is executed and a series of operations is terminated.

[Effect of Example]
In the image forming apparatus and the image forming system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  In normal printing, when print execution is performed, the print data sent to the image forming apparatus is printed if printing is possible immediately, and if a print job is being executed, it is printed as soon as the preceding job is completed. If the printer is not ready for printing in the energy saving mode, the printer switches from the energy saving mode to the normal mode, supplies power to the fuser, etc., raises the temperature, and then prints when the printer is ready for printing. To do.

  In this case, printing is performed by converting print data written in the page description language generated on the PC in the image forming apparatus into bitmap data that can be printed by the printing unit of the image forming apparatus. Depending on the print data, the time required for bitmap conversion is slower than the printing speed, so printing at the linear speed (the fastest printing) is not possible, and the bit map remains heated while fixing high power consumption parts such as the fuser. In some cases, power conversion is wasted due to waiting for data conversion.

  In the case of energy-saving printing, the print data sent from the PC is temporarily converted into bitmap print data by the image forming device and then saved, and continuously according to the specified conditions (print time, number of pages waiting for printing, amount of free memory) Therefore, it is possible to print at linear speed without repeating the cycle between the temperature rise of the fuser and room temperature, and to print data that has already been converted to bitmap data. It became possible to curb consumption.

1 is a functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus and a PC (Example 1). 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a printer driver (first embodiment). FIG. 6 is a condition setting screen for a printer driver (first embodiment). 3 is a flowchart of the operation of the image forming apparatus (first embodiment).

Explanation of symbols

101 Image forming apparatus 111 Scanner (data input unit)
115 Control Unit 117 Image Data Conversion Unit 119 Network I / F (Data Input Unit)
201 PC (information terminal)
211 Printer driver (print data generation program)

Claims (4)

A data input unit for inputting data for image output, an image data conversion unit for converting data received by the data input unit into data for image output, an image output unit for image output,
A control unit for controlling switching between the normal mode in which power is supplied to the image output unit and image output is possible, and an energy saving mode in which power consumption to the image output unit is cut off and power consumption is suppressed. In an image forming apparatus having
The image forming apparatus, wherein the control unit outputs an image in accordance with an image output timing specified in advance in the data for image output received by the data input unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
The timing of the control unit is determined when the time specified in the data for image output received by the data input unit or the number of output pages of data waiting for output exceeds the specified number of pages or the amount of free memory in the image forming apparatus An image forming apparatus characterized in that image output is started when the value falls below a specified amount. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing of the control unit is such that image output is performed such that data waiting for output ends image output at a specified time. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
An image forming system comprising: an information terminal equipped with a print data generation program capable of designating image output timing according to a user designation.

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