JP2010054990A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance usability for a user at a low cost by facilitating the retrieval of an object printed matter printed under an instruction by the user from sheets S stacked on a discharge tray 6. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes: the discharge tray 6; a display part; an input/output part allowing communication with one or a plurality of external terminals, receiving print data from the terminals, and accepting notification data indicating that the object printed matter P as the printed matter of a print job based on the print data is to be picked up; a storage part 82 storing at least a transmission source terminal of the print data, the order of the printing, and the number of printed sheets as a print log for each print job; and a control part 8 controlling the display of the display part. When an input part of the input/output part accepts the notification data, the control part 8 refers to the print log, and causes the display part to display the position of the object printed matter P corresponding to the terminal transmitting the notification data, from among the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction machine, a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine.

  In general, an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a multifunction peripheral, or a copier that outputs printed matter discharges printed sheets to a discharge tray, a sorter, or the like. A plurality of printed sheets are stacked on the discharge tray or the like, and each user takes out his / her printed matter from the discharge tray or the like. In general, an image forming apparatus such as a printer is shared by a plurality of people such as each department or each floor. Therefore, an invention such as Patent Document 1 is presented.

Specifically, Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of storage units (sorters), notification means (flashing lighting of LEDs) provided in each storage unit, storage means for storing correspondence information between the user and the storage unit, A mechanism control unit that guides the recording sheet to the corresponding user storage unit, and an RF tag reading unit that communicates with an RF tag (wireless IC tag), and user information obtained by the RF tag reading unit matches the information in the storage unit There is described an image forming apparatus including a determination unit that determines whether or not and a control unit that operates a corresponding notification unit when the user information stored in the determination unit matches. With this configuration, when a user holding an RF tag having ID information approaches the image forming apparatus and enters within a distance where the RF tag can be read, information for identifying the user is read from the RF tag and assigned to the user. If there is a recording sheet in the storage unit, it is notified by light or the like, so that the user can easily notice it. (See Patent Document 1: Claim 1, paragraph [0008], FIG. 4 etc.).
JP-A-2005-272080

  In a printer that is used jointly, if multiple people print at almost the same time and the printed sheets are stacked on the discharge tray, it does not know where the target print is, and the target print It is necessary to search among the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. For example, if 100 sheets are stacked on the discharge tray and only one target print is included, it is very troublesome to find the target print, which is inconvenient for the user.

  Certainly, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has an advantage that it has a plurality of storage units (sorters) and can easily find the target printed matter by the notification means. However, in order for the user to enjoy the convenience of the invention described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a sorter having a plurality of storage units, which imposes a large cost burden on the user and is not realistic. . In addition, the number of bins in the sorter is finite, and the bins are not always assigned to all sharers of the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, the invention described in Patent Document 1 requires an RF tag for each individual and an RF tag reading means for communicating with the individual tag, which also imposes a burden on the user. is there. That is, the cost (cost) required to make it easy to find the target printed matter is too large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art. It is easy for a user to easily find a printed matter for which he / she has instructed printing from sheets stacked on a discharge tray at a low cost. The issue is to improve the performance.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an image forming apparatus according to a first aspect includes a discharge tray on which sheets discharged from the apparatus can be stacked, a display unit provided in a part of the casing of the apparatus, and one or more external devices. That can communicate with other terminals, accepts print data including image data to be printed sent from each of the terminals, and notifies the user that he / she wants to pick up a target print which is a print job based on the print data An input / output unit that receives data from each terminal, at least a print data transmission source terminal for each print job, a printing order, a storage unit that stores the number of prints as a print log, and a display unit A control unit that controls display, and when the input unit receives the notification data, the control unit refers to the print log and loads the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. Of the position of the objective printed matter corresponding to the terminal that sent the notification data was to be displayed on the display unit.

  According to this configuration, the control unit refers to the print log and causes the display unit to display the position of the target printed material related to the terminal that transmitted the notification data among the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. Even if an apparatus having a plurality of trays is not provided, it is easy to find a target printed matter for which the user has instructed printing. Moreover, the target printed matter whose position is displayed by the display unit can be specified only by transmitting notification data from the terminal, and a special device for specifying the target printed matter such as an RF tag reader is not necessary.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, a detection body is provided for detecting the amount of sheets stacked on the discharge tray, and the display unit displays the position of the target printed matter. When the detection unit detects that the sheet is removed from the discharge tray due to a change in the sheet stacking amount, the control unit stops displaying the position of the display unit and Thus, the log corresponding to the print job of the target printed matter is deleted from the storage unit.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to automatically recognize that the target printed matter has been taken from the discharge tray and automatically stop the display on the display unit. Further, the control unit deletes the log corresponding to the print job of the target printed matter from the print log in the storage unit, so that the variation of the stacked sheets is reflected and the position display of the other target printed matter is accurately performed. be able to.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a warning sound generating unit that emits a warning sound, and the detection body is configured to load a sheet without transmitting the notification data from the terminal. In the case where the decrease is detected, the control unit causes the warning sound generation unit to emit a warning sound. According to this configuration, when the detection body detects a decrease in the sheet stacking amount without transmitting notification data from the terminal, the control unit causes the warning sound generation unit to emit a warning sound. Can be prevented and the security of the image forming apparatus can be improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the invention, the display unit is provided with a plurality of light sources arranged in parallel along a sheet stacking direction, and the light source projects the ejected sheets. Arranged on the wall surface to be applied or the surface adjacent to the wall surface so as to divide the height in the sheet stacking direction from the lowest stacking position to the highest stacking position in the stacking of sheets on the discharge tray by the number of the light sources, When displaying the position of the printed matter, the light source arranged at the stage to which the target printed matter belongs is turned on or blinked. According to this configuration, since the light source arranged at the stage to which the target printed matter belongs is turned on or blinked, the arrangement position of the light source corresponds to the position of the target printed matter, and the user can easily find the target printed matter.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the fourth aspect, the light source emits light in a plurality of colors, the notification data is transmitted from a plurality of terminals, and the positions of the plurality of target prints are displayed. When it is necessary to carry out at the same time, the light source changes the emission color of the light source for each target printed matter. Although it is not impossible to display the position of a plurality of types of target prints at the same time even if the emission colors of all the light sources are one color, it is confusing. According to this configuration, the emission color of the light source is changed for each target print, The display unit can simultaneously and clearly display different positions. In addition, in order to avoid confusing display, it is not necessary to take a measure for limiting the number of target prints to be displayed, and the user does not wait until the position of the target print is displayed.

  The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the display section has a switch for switching display contents, and when the switch is pressed, which one of the stages In order to further display whether the target printed matter exists at the position, one step is further divided into layers according to the number of the light sources, and the light sources in the layer to which the target printed matter belongs are turned on or blinked. According to this configuration, when the switch is pressed, the light source in the hierarchy to which the target printed material belongs is turned on or blinked, so that the target printed material in one stage can be confirmed, and the detailed position of the target printed material is known. be able to.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the inventions of the fourth to sixth aspects, when the position of the target printed matter is displayed, if the target printed matter is stacked in a plurality of stages, the stage to which the target printed matter belongs The top and bottom light sources are turned on or blinking, and the light sources sandwiched between the top and bottom of the stage to which the target print belongs belong to blink if the top and bottom light sources are lit. When the uppermost and lowermost light sources are blinking, they are turned on.

  According to this configuration, when a large number of sheets (for example, several hundred sheets) are printed and as a result, the target printed matter is stacked across a plurality of stages, the highest and lowest light sources at the stage to which the target printed matter belongs. And the light source between them has a difference between lighting and blinking, so that the user can easily recognize that the target printed matter extends over a plurality of stages. That is, the user can immediately determine that the sorting and sorting of the printed materials of the self and others should be performed at the stage to which the highest and lowest light sources that are blinking or lit belong.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the present invention, the display unit is a display panel having a display screen. According to this configuration, since the display unit is a display panel, it is possible to perform detailed position display of the target printed matter.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the first to eighth aspects of the invention, the detection body detects a distance from an installation position to a sheet stacked on the discharge tray, and / or The mass sensor detects the weight of the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. This configuration shows an example of the detection body, and can reliably detect that the sheet has been removed from the discharge tray.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the first to ninth aspects of the invention, the control unit is configured to start from the sheets stacked on the discharge tray to the terminal that has transmitted the notification data from the input / output unit. Confirmation data for confirming that the target printed matter has been taken is transmitted, and the input / output unit obtains response data for the confirmation data.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to confirm afterwards that the user has removed his / her intended printed matter. By allowing the user to perform such a confirmation operation, when the instruction display of the target printed material is duplicated, the user can be given an opportunity to confirm that the printed material has been mistakenly taken.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily find and take out a target sheet from the stacked sheets without using a large-scale device and using only one discharge tray.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, each element such as configuration and arrangement described in this embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention and is merely an illustrative example.

(Schematic configuration of image forming apparatus)
First, an outline of an electrophotographic printer 1 (corresponding to an image forming apparatus) according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from the upper right.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 according to this embodiment includes a sheet supply unit 2, a sheet conveyance path 3, an image forming unit 4, a fixing unit 5 and the like from below.

  The sheet supply unit 2 is provided at the lowermost part of the printer 1 and accommodates a plurality of sheets S of various sizes (A4, B5, etc.) such as copy sheets (for example, 500 sheets). The sheet supply unit 2 is provided with a paper feed roller 21 on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction. The uppermost sheet S abuts on the sheet feeding roller 21, and the sheet feeding roller 21 is rotationally driven by a driving device (not shown) such as a motor at the time of sheet feeding to feed the sheet S one by one to the sheet conveyance path 3. Send it out.

  The sheet conveyance path 3 conveys the sheet S from the sheet supply unit 2 through the image forming unit 4 to a discharge tray 6 on which the sheet S discharged from the apparatus can be stacked. Therefore, the sheet conveying path 3 is provided with a conveying roller pair 31 that is rotationally driven by a driving mechanism (not shown), a registration roller pair 32 that sends the sheet S to the image forming unit 4 at a proper timing, and the like.

  The image forming unit 4 is arranged at the center left position in the printer 1 in FIG. 1 and print data (image data to be printed, setting data such as sheet size) transmitted from the user terminal 9 (see FIG. 3). Etc.), a toner image of an image to be formed is formed and transferred to the sheet S. Specifically, the image forming unit 4 includes a photosensitive drum 41, a charging device 42 around it, an exposure device 43, a developing device 44, a transfer roller 45, a cleaning device 46, and the like. The toner image forming process will be described. First, the photosensitive drum 41 is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 1), and the charging device 42 charges the photosensitive drum 41. The exposure device 43 scans and exposes the charged photosensitive drum 41 by irradiating light (for example, laser light) based on the printing data, and forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the printing data on its peripheral surface. Form. The developing device 44 supplies the charged toner to the electrostatic latent image, and develops the electrostatic latent image as a toner image. The transfer roller 45 is rotatably supported and presses against the photosensitive drum 41 to form a nip. When the sheet S and the toner image enter the nip, a voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 45, and the toner image is transferred to the sheet S. The cleaning device 46 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 41 in FIG. 1 and removes and collects residual toner, dust, and the like on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 41.

  In the present embodiment, the fixing unit 5 mainly includes a heating roller 51 incorporating a heater and a pressure roller 52 in pressure contact therewith. The sheet S enters the nip between the heating roller 51 and the pressure roller 52. As a result, the toner image is pressurized and heated, and the toner image is fixed on the sheet S. The sheet S after the completion of fixing is conveyed upward, and is discharged from the discharge port 34 to the discharge tray 6 by the discharge roller pair 33.

  Next, the external appearance of the printer 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 1 of this embodiment has a discharge tray 6 on the top surface, and printed sheets S are stacked one by one on the discharge tray 6 (in FIG. 2, from the discharge port 34). The sheet discharge direction is indicated by an arrow). And the surface of the housing | casing 1c in which the discharge port 34 is provided is the wall surface 1a parallel to a perpendicular direction. The discharge tray 6 is inclined downward toward the discharge port 34, and the sheet S discharged by this inclination hits the wall surface 1a with its own weight.

  A display panel 7 (corresponding to a display unit) including LEDs 71 (Light Emitting Diodes) as a plurality of light sources is provided on a part of the housing 1c of the apparatus, that is, on the side surface 1b on the front side adjacent to the wall surface 1a. (In this embodiment, 10 LEDs). The display panel 7 indicates the position of the printed matter (hereinafter referred to as “target printed matter P”), which is the purpose for which the user instructs printing, among the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6 (details will be described later). .

  Specifically, the LEDs 71 juxtaposed in the vertical direction on the display panel 7 can use LEDs having a plurality of colors (for example, red, green, blue, yellow, etc.). Further, the position of the lowest LED 71 in the display panel 7 substantially coincides with the height of the discharge tray 6 adjacent to the wall surface 1a (the lowest position in sheet stacking). Further, the position of the uppermost LED 71 in the display panel 7 substantially coincides with the height position (position of the discharge port 34) of the uppermost sheet S on which the sheet S can be stacked on the discharge tray 6.

(Hardware configuration of printer 1)
Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, the printer 1 of this embodiment is provided with a control unit 8 for controlling the entire operation of the printer 1 and controlling the display of the display panel 7. The control unit 8 is provided with a CPU 81 as a central processing unit. The CPU 81 also instructs lighting of the LEDs 71 of the display panel 7. The control unit 8 includes a storage unit 82 including a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), and a flash ROM. The ROM and flash ROM store programs and data necessary for performing various controls. The RAM temporarily expands control programs and data, print data, and the like.

  An I / F circuit 83 connected to the sheet supply unit 2, the sheet conveyance path 3, the image forming unit 4, the fixing unit 5, and the display panel 7 is provided, and the control unit 8 is connected to the I / F circuit 83. Control the operation of each part. The control unit 8 is connected to an I / F circuit 84 (corresponding to an input / output unit) having various connectors, sockets, and the like. A plurality of user terminals 9 (for example, personal computers) and the control unit 8 can communicate (for convenience, only three user terminals 9 are shown in FIG. 3). Note that printer driver software is installed in each user terminal 9 to communicate with the printer 1 and enable printing. The I / F circuit 84 receives print data including image data transmitted from the user terminal 9. Thereby, the printer 1 of this embodiment can print in the form shared by many users. Further, regarding the present invention, the I / F circuit 84 functions as an input / output unit that receives notification data indicating that a target printed material P, which is a printed material of a print job based on printing data, is to be obtained (details will be described later).

  Here, lighting of the display panel 7 will be described. In addition to the plurality of LEDs 71 (only one LED 71 block is shown for the sake of convenience), the display panel 7 of the present embodiment controls the current supplied to each LED 71 in order to perform ON / OFF switching control of the LEDs 71 actually. A display control circuit 72 is provided. For example, the display control circuit 72 of the present embodiment is configured by a control IC, a semiconductor element for switching current supply to each LED 71 (for example, an FET or a bipolar transistor), and the like. Then, the control unit 8 instructs the display control circuit 72 about the emission color and the LED 71 to be turned on, and the display control circuit 72 turns on each LED 71 based on the instruction. In addition, the display control circuit 72 can maintain the lighting state of each LED 71 by maintaining the current flowing to each LED 71, or increase / decrease the current flowing to the LED 71 at a certain timing to blink each LED 71. be able to.

  The storage unit 82 stores, as a print log, the history of a print job instructed to be printed as print data transmitted from each user terminal 9 to the I / F circuit 84, that is, to the control unit 8. Can do. For example, as the contents of the print log, at least information (for example, a network address or a terminal name) for specifying the user terminal 9 that is the transmission source of the print data corresponding to each print job, the order in which each print job was performed, each print The number of prints in the job, the transmitted print data name (image data file name), and the like can be included. Note that, for example, other information such as the printing time may be included in the print log and stored in the storage unit 82.

  In addition, the printer 1 of the present embodiment includes a warning sound generator 85 in, for example, the housing 1c in order to transmit an error or abnormality to the user (details of usage will be described later). For example, the warning sound generator 85 can be a generating circuit including an IC and a speaker for generating a beep sound and a sound based on an instruction from the controller 8. For example, the warning sound generator 85 can be controlled by a control circuit. Based on an instruction from the unit 8, a buzzer or a bell that operates can be used. That is, the warning sound generator 85 is not particularly limited as long as it can generate a warning sound.

(Display panel 7)
Next, an example of the position display of the target printed matter P on the display panel 7 will be shown using FIG. FIG. 4 shows an example of display on the display panel 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention, (a) shows an example of display on the display panel 7 when performing one position display, and (b) An example of the display when the number of target prints P is large is shown, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the display when the target prints P straddle two stages.

  First, the arrangement of the LEDs 71 of the discharge tray 6 of the printer 1 of the present embodiment and the display panel 7 of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in each drawing of FIG. 4, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, a plurality of printed sheets can be stacked on the discharge tray 6 as a bundle. Specifically, in each drawing of FIG. 4, a height H1 from the bottom surface position of the discharge tray 6 at a position connected to the wall surface 1a to the lower edge of the discharge port 34 is a height at which the sheets S can be stacked.

As an example, if the discharge tray 6 of the present embodiment is plain paper (printer recommended paper, for example, a paper thickness of about 60 to 110 g / m ² ), about 500 sheets can be stacked. The printer 1 can print other sheets such as thick paper, an OHP sheet, and a postcard. However, in the description of this embodiment, a case where printing is performed using only one type of the most common plain paper will be described.

  In the present embodiment, a total of ten LEDs 71 are provided on the display panel 7, and the LEDs 71 are arranged so that the heights H <b> 1 in sheet stacking are equally divided by the LEDs 71 (see FIG. 4 (a), the boundary of each stage is indicated by a two-dot chain line). Therefore, one LED 71, that is, one stage corresponds to 50 sheets by simple calculation. Note that the number of sheets per stage is appropriately determined depending on the number of LEDs 71 and the amount of sheets S that can be stacked on the discharge tray 6. That is, the display panel 7 is provided with a plurality of LEDs 71 in parallel along the sheet stacking direction, and the LEDs 71 are arranged on the wall surface 1a against which the discharged sheet S is abutted or on the surface adjacent to the wall surface 1a by the discharge tray 6. In the sheet stacking, the height in the sheet stacking direction from the lowest stacking position to the highest stacking position is arranged in stages according to the number of LEDs 71. When displaying the position of the printed matter, it is arranged in the stage to which the target printed matter P belongs. LED 71 lights up or blinks.

  In the present invention, the position of the target printed matter P that the user intends to take out is displayed. Specifically, if there is information for specifying the target printed matter P, the display panel 7 can indicate which portion of the stacked sheets S has the target printed matter P. Then, as information for specifying the target print P, it is transmitted from the user terminal 9 that has sent the print data to the printer 1 and instructed to print, and notifies the printer 1 that the target print P is to be picked up (hereinafter, “ Notification data ”) and a print job history (print log) stored in the storage unit 82 are used.

  This notification data is transmitted from each user terminal 9 to the printer 1 using printer driver software, and the network address of the user terminal 9 that has transmitted the print data in order to identify the target print P (print job), or the print data Information about the job (for example, the number of printed sheets, the printing date and time, the printing time, the file name of the printing data, etc.) is included, and the control unit 8 selects the target printed matter P whose position is displayed on the display panel 7 based on the notification data. Identify.

  FIG. 4A is an example of position display when one target printed matter P for which position display is performed is specified. In each of FIGS. 4A and 4B, among the stacked sheets S, the hatched portion is the target printed matter P that the user wants to take out. In FIG. 4A, the target printed matter P exists in the stage of the third LED 71 from the bottom among the LEDs 71 that grade the height H1. In FIG. 4A, the boundary of each stage of the LED 71 is indicated by a two-dot chain line with respect to the height H1 (to avoid complexity, only the boundary of each stage is shown in FIG. 4A).

  For example, if one stage of the LED 71 corresponds to 50 sheets, it is located in the range of 100 sheets or more and less than 150 sheets from the bottom of the discharge tray 6 in FIG. In other words, when the control unit 8 refers to the print log in the storage unit 82, the target printed matter P corresponding to the notification data is 100 sheets or more from the first sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6 in the printing order. Since it has been confirmed that printing has been performed within the range below, the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P belongs to the stage of the third LED 71 from the bottom.

  As a result, the control unit 8 instructs the display control circuit 72 of the display panel 7 to turn on the third LED 71 from the bottom. As a result, as indicated by the shaded area in FIG. 4A, the third LED 71 from the bottom is turned on (may be blinked). That is, when the notification data is received by the I / F circuit 84, the control unit 8 refers to the print log and corresponds to the user terminal 9 that has transmitted the notification data among the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6. The position of the printed material P is displayed on the display panel 7.

  Next, FIG. 4B will be described. FIG. 4B is an example of a display when the number of target prints P is equal to or greater than the number of LEDs 71 in one stage. Then, the target printed matter P in FIG. 4B is present at the stage of the stacked sheets S from the second LED 71 from the bottom to the fourth LED 71 from the bottom. For example, if one stage of the LED 71 corresponds to 50 sheets, in FIG. 4B, the target printed matter P is positioned in the range of 50 sheets or more and less than 200 sheets from the bottom of the discharge tray 6. To do. In other words, when the control unit 8 refers to the print log in the storage unit 82, the target printed matter P corresponding to the notification data is in the range of 50 sheets or more and less than 200 sheets from the first sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6. Since it is confirmed that the target printed matter P has been printed, the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P belongs to the second to fourth LED 71 stages from the bottom.

  As a result, the control unit 8 instructs the display control circuit 72 of the display panel 7 to illuminate the second to fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom. For example, since the target printed matter P occupies all the stages of the third LED 71 from the bottom, the control unit 8 turns on the third LED 71 from the bottom. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, the second and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom are part of the portion occupied by the target printed matter P. Therefore, the control unit 8 gives an instruction to the display control circuit 72 that the second and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom should blink. As a result, the user only needs to sort the printed matter of another person at the stage of the second and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom. Note that the second and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom may be turned on, and the third LED 71 may be blinked. That is, when displaying the position of the target printed matter P, if the target printed matter P is stacked across a plurality of stages, the highest and lowest LEDs 71 of the stage to which the target printed matter P belongs are lit or blinked, and the target printed matter P The LED 71 sandwiched between the top and bottom of the stage to which the LED belongs is flashed if the top and bottom LEDs 71 are lit, and is lit if the top and bottom LEDs 71 are flashing.

  Next, FIG. 4C will be described. FIG. 4C is an example of a display when the target printed matter P to be taken out straddles two LED 71 stages. In the example of FIG. 4C, the target printed matter P is located at the stage of the third and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom. For example, if one stage of the LED 71 corresponds to 50 sheets, the target printed matter P is located in the range of 100 sheets or more and less than 200 sheets from the bottom of the discharge tray 6 in FIG. In other words, when the control unit 8 refers to the print log in the storage unit 82, the target printed matter P corresponding to the notification data straddles the boundary between the third and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom (for example, the 150th sheet). It is confirmed that a plurality of sheets have been printed, and the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P belongs to the third and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom.

  As a result, the control unit 8 instructs the display control circuit 72 of the display panel 7 to illuminate the third and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom. However, for example, since not all of the stages of each LED 71 are occupied by the target printed matter P, the control unit 8 causes the third and fourth LEDs 71 from the bottom to blink (may be lit).

  Next, detection and processing of the target printed matter P being taken out from the sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for detecting that the target printed matter P has been taken out from the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In the printer 1 of this embodiment, in order to improve the security of the printer 1 and to appropriately display the position for the notification data that arrives after the sheet S is taken out from the discharge tray 6, the printed matter on the discharge tray 6 Detect what has been taken. In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, for example, a distance measuring sensor is used as a sensor in order to detect that a printed matter has been taken from the sheet S on the discharge tray 6 from a change in the stacking amount of the sheets S on the discharge tray 6. S1 (one of the detection bodies) and a mass sensor S2 (one of the detection bodies) are used.

  First, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance measuring sensor S1 is arranged at the upper end portion of the wall surface 1a and measures the distance from the sensor to the measurement object (the uppermost sheet S on the discharge tray 6). The smaller the number of sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6, the longer the distance from the distance measuring sensor S1 to the uppermost sheet S on the discharge tray 6. On the other hand, the more sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6, the shorter the distance from the distance measuring sensor S1 to the uppermost sheet S on the discharge tray 6.

  As the distance measuring sensor S1, a light emitting unit (for example, a laser diode) that irradiates light to a measurement object, a plurality of light receiving elements (for example, photodiodes) arranged in parallel so as to receive the reflected light, and light received A signal output circuit indicating the position of the light receiving element, which is calculated using the principle of triangulation and calculates the distance to the object to be measured can be used. Further, the distance measuring sensor S1 may be an optical pulse type sensor that uses the round trip time of the pulsed light applied to the measurement object for distance measurement.

  For example, the mass sensor S <b> 2 is provided below the discharge tray 6 and measures the total weight of the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6. In general, the smaller the number of sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6, the lighter the total weight of the sheets S, and the greater the number of sheets S, the heavier the total weight. For example, as the mass sensor S2, a sensor that includes a pressure-sensitive element (piezoelectric body) and detects a change in the amount of sheets stacked on the discharge tray 6 as a change in pressure may be used. In addition, as the mass sensor S2, a sensor that detects the weight of the sheet S from the pressure applied to the discharge tray 6 using a strain gauge (strain gauge) may be used.

  Then, output voltage (current) values of the distance measuring sensor S1 and the mass sensor S2 are input to the control unit 8, and output values of the sensors are stored in the storage unit 82. For example, if there is a change in the output value of each sensor, it can be detected that the sheet S has been taken from the bundle of sheets S on the discharge tray 6. In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, both the distance measuring sensor S1 and the mass sensor S2 are provided so that the sheet amount variation on the discharge tray 6 can be detected with high accuracy. However, it is not always necessary to provide both. You may make it provide only one side.

  If it is detected that the sheet S has been taken out (taken out) and the notification data is not transmitted and the position of the target printed matter P is not displayed, a third party can obtain the printed matter from the printer 1 without permission. It is thought that it was taken out. Therefore, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, at this time, the control unit 8 causes the warning sound generation unit 85 to warn and notify the danger of taking out the printed matter of a third party by using a beep sound or voice. That is, the printer 1 of the present embodiment includes a warning sound generation unit 85 that emits a warning sound. When each sensor detects a decrease in the sheet stacking amount without transmitting notification data from the user terminal 9, the control unit 8 Causes the warning sound generator 85 to emit a warning sound. As a result, confidential leaks can be prevented and the security of the printer 1 can be improved.

  On the other hand, if it is detected that the sheet S has been taken and the notification data is transmitted first and the position of the target printed matter P is being displayed, the user can remove the sheet S from the loaded sheet S. It can be determined that the intended printed matter P has been taken out or is being taken out. Thereby, the control unit 8 ends the position display of the display panel 7 (LED 71 is turned off) to eliminate waste, and, for example, deletes the log related to the extracted target printed matter P from the print log.

  That is, when the display panel 7 displays the position of the target printed matter P and each sensor detects that the sheet S is removed from the discharge tray 6 due to a change in the sheet stacking amount, the control unit 8 The position display on the display panel 7 is stopped and the log corresponding to the print job of the target printed matter P is deleted from the print log in the storage unit 82. Thereby, when the state change of the sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6 is reflected in the print log and the next notification data is transmitted, the position display of the target printed matter P can be accurately performed. A flag indicating that the target printed matter P has been properly taken from the discharge tray 6 may be set without deleting the log.

  Next, display on the display panel 7 when a plurality of pieces of notification data are simultaneously transmitted to the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of display on the display panel 7 when a plurality of notification data is simultaneously transmitted to the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  When the printer 1 is shared, print data may be simultaneously transmitted from the plurality of user terminals 9 to the printer 1. Thereafter, a plurality of notification data may be transmitted to the printer 1 and the position display of the target print P may need to be overlapped.

  First, FIG. 6A is an example of a position display in the case where three pieces of notification data are transmitted, each target printed matter P is located at a different stage, and the LEDs 71 to be lit are different from each other. In the present embodiment, since the LEDs 71 can emit a plurality of colors, the position of the target printed matter P with respect to each notification data is displayed in different colors. That is, each LED 71 emits light in a plurality of colors, notification data is transmitted from a plurality of user terminals 9, and when it is necessary to simultaneously display the positions of a plurality of target prints P, the LEDs 71 are provided for each target print P. The emission color of the LED 71 is changed.

  FIG. 6A shows that the LEDs 71 are lit in different colors by making the shades of the LEDs 71 different. In addition, in order to notify which user's target printed matter P belongs to which stage of the LED 71 that emits light in which color, the control unit 8 notifies each user terminal 9 of the emission color, and each user receives each user terminal You may confirm with the display of 9. In addition, if the LED 71 that emits light in a plurality of colors cannot be used due to cost or the like, the number of blinks may be varied to provide a difference.

  Next, FIG. 6B shows a display panel in which two pieces of notification data are transmitted and the target printed matter P corresponding to these pieces of notification data belongs to the same stage, so that the LEDs 71 at the same position are lit. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a display of 7. FIG. For example, when two users transmit notification data from each terminal and both target prints P are located at the same LED 71 stage (in this example, the fifth LED 71 stage from the bottom), the control unit 8 switches the emission color of the LED 71 at regular intervals. Thereby, the two users can recognize that the target printed matter P that the user wants to take out belongs to the same stage.

  Next, based on FIG. 7, a more detailed position display using the display panel 7 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a more detailed position display using the display panel 7 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  First, in FIG. 7A, the hatched portion of the sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6 is the target printed matter P to be taken out, and is located at the position corresponding to the third LED 71 from the bottom. It shows that the target printed matter P exists. 7B is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a broken line in FIG. 7A. According to FIG. 7B, the position of the target printed matter P in the stage of the third LED 71 from the bottom. Can be confirmed.

  A two-dot chain line in FIG. 7B indicates a boundary when the stage of the third LED 71 from the bottom is further divided into ten layers equal to the number of the LEDs 71. For example, if there are 50 sheets per stage, there will be 5 sheets per layer. In this example, the target printed matter P occupies an area from the bottom to the fourth to seventh layers. Accordingly, the target printed matter P exists at positions of 15 or more and 35 or less, counting from the first sheet of the third LED 71 stage. In other words, when the control unit 8 refers to the print log in the storage unit 82, the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P is 115 sheets or more from the first sheet S stacked on the discharge tray 6 in the printing order, 135 The controller 8 confirms that printing has been performed within the range of the sheet or less, and the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P exists in the third to seventh layers from the bottom in the third LED 71 from the bottom. to decide.

  The display panel 7 of this embodiment is provided with a switch SW for displaying the determination result. FIG. 7C shows a display after the switch SW is pressed from the position display of the first target printed matter P shown in FIG. For example, in FIG. 7B, in the fourth and seventh layers from the bottom, the portion occupied by the target printed matter P is a part, so when the switch SW is pressed, the fourth and seventh LEDs 71 from the bottom blink. Let On the other hand, since all the target printed matter P occupies the fifth and sixth layers from the bottom, the fifth and sixth LEDs 71 from the bottom are turned on. The combination of lighting and flashing may be reversed.

  That is, the display panel 7 of this embodiment has a switch SW for switching display contents, and when the switch SW is pressed, it further displays at which position in one stage the target printed matter P exists. One stage is further divided into hierarchies by the number of LEDs 71, and the LEDs 71 of the hierarchy to which the target printed matter P belongs are turned on or blinking. Thereby, the user can obtain detailed position information of the target printed matter P in one stage.

  Next, the confirmation operation of the printer 1 for each user terminal 9 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is an example of a confirmation screen 10 displayed on the display of the user terminal 9.

  In the printer 1 of this embodiment, the distance sensor S1 or the like detects a change in the sheet amount on the discharge tray 6 and confirms whether the target printed matter P has been taken. However, when the position of the target printed matter P is displayed with respect to a plurality of notification data, the printer 1 may not be able to determine whether or not all the target printed matter P have been taken. Further, for example, when the target printed matter P is only the uppermost one of the sheets S on the discharge tray 6, the change amount of the sheet S on the discharge tray 6 is too small, and the change in the sheet amount is detected by the distance measuring sensor S1. Etc. may not be detected. In addition, the user may forget to take the target printed matter P, and may not be able to go for convenience.

  In such a case, if the position display of the target printed matter P is continued indefinitely, even if a third party carries away the printed matter from the printer 1, the warning sound generating unit 85 does not operate. In other words, if the position display of the target printed matter P continues for a long time, it is not preferable for security. Further, since the LED 71 continues to emit light, extra power consumption continues. Further, if the LED 71 continues to blink, it may be bothersome for the human eye and may cause discomfort.

  In view of this, the printer 1 of the present embodiment cannot detect that the target printed matter P has been taken by each sensor even after a predetermined time has elapsed, or always sends the notification data to the user terminal 9 that is the transmission source. Send confirmation data to confirm that it was taken. Upon receiving the confirmation data, the user terminal 9 displays a confirmation screen 10 as shown in FIG. In addition, in order to specify the target printed matter P to be confirmed, a file name or a printing date / time may be displayed.

  In this confirmation screen 10, a Yes button B1 and a No button B2 are arranged, and if the Yes button B1 is pressed, the fact is transmitted as response data from the user terminal 9 to the I / F circuit 84 of the printer 1, and control is performed. The unit 8 stops the corresponding position display (LED 71 is turned off). On the other hand, when the No button B2 is pressed, the fact is transmitted as response data from the user terminal 9 to the I / F circuit 84 of the printer 1, and for example, the control unit 8 continues the position display for the time being. That is, the control unit 8 sends confirmation data for confirming that the target printed matter P has been taken from the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6 to the user terminal 9 that has transmitted the notification data from the I / F circuit 84. The I / F circuit 84 obtains response data for the confirmation data.

  However, from the above viewpoint, it is not preferable to continue displaying the position of the display panel 7 for an excessively long time. Therefore, when the response data indicating that the No button B2 is pressed is obtained, the printer 1 again performs the user terminal. The confirmation data is transmitted to 9 and the confirmation screen 10 is displayed again. In addition, when the confirmation data is transmitted (after the confirmation screen 10 is displayed on the user terminal 9), response data is not input to the printer within a predetermined time (arbitrarily set, for example, several tens of seconds to several minutes). (When there is no response), or when the confirmation data transmission to the user terminal 9 exceeds a predetermined number of times (for example, 1 to 10 times), the control unit 8 stops displaying the position of the target printed matter P, for example, A message screen 11 indicating that the position display is stopped is displayed as shown in FIG. Thereby, the position display of the target printed matter P of the display panel 7 over a long time is prevented.

  Next, an example of the display control flow of the display panel 7 of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a display control flow of the display panel 7 of the printer 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the start of FIG. 9 includes transmission of print data (image data, print setting data, etc.) from a plurality of user terminals 9 to the printer 1, the printer 1 executes a print job, and the executed print job Is stored as a print log.

  Next, the control unit 8 confirms whether or not notification data indicating that the user terminal 9 is going to obtain the print job result (target printed matter P) printed by the printer 1 is sent (step # 1). If the notification data is not transmitted (No in Step # 1), the control unit 8 confirms whether or not the sheet amount of the discharge tray 6 has changed with the distance measuring sensor S1 or the like (Step # 2). If there is (Yes in Step # 2), the control unit 8 generates a warning sound in the warning sound generation unit 85, for example, enters an error state, and this control relating to the position display of the target printed matter P ends (Step 3 # →). End). On the other hand, if there is no change (No in step # 2), the process returns to step # 1.

  On the other hand, if the notification data is transmitted (Yes in step # 1), the control unit 8 refers to the print log, turns on and blinks the LED 71 of the display panel 7 corresponding to the notification data, and displays the position of the target printed matter P. Is performed (step # 4). Next, the control unit 8 confirms whether the current position display is only one type (step # 5). The flow in the present invention shown in FIG. 9 may be executed for each notification data when there are a plurality of notification data at the same time.

  If there is only one type of current position display (Yes in step # 5), the discharge tray is within an estimated time (for example, ten to several minutes, which can be set as appropriate) where the user is expected to take the target printed matter P. 6 is confirmed whether there is a change in the sheet amount (step # 6). If the sheet amount varies within the predicted time (Yes in Step # 6), the control unit 8 determines that the target printed matter P has been taken out, ends the position display (Step # 7), and determines from the print log. The log portion corresponding to the notification data is deleted (step # 8), and the process returns to the state of waiting for the notification data (return to step # 1).

  If the current position display is not only one type (No in Step # 5) and if there is no change in the sheet amount of the discharge tray 6 within the predicted time (No in Step # 6), it is confirmed whether the target printed matter P has been taken out. Therefore, the control unit 8 transmits confirmation data for confirming that the target printed matter P has been taken out to the user terminal 9 that has transmitted the notification data (step # 9). As a result, the confirmation screen 10 is displayed. Next, the control unit 8 confirms whether or not response data as a response to the confirmation data is transmitted from the user terminal 9 side within a predetermined time (step # 10).

  If the control unit 8 does not receive response data for the confirmation data from the user terminal 9 within a predetermined time (No in step # 10), the position display on the display panel 7 takes a long time. The control unit 8 notifies the end of the position display on the display panel 7 through the I / F circuit 84 (step # 11), and ends the position display for the notification data on the display panel 7 (step # 11). 12) Return to the state of waiting for the arrival of the notification data (return to step # 1). On the other hand, if the response data is transmitted from the user terminal 9 (Yes in step # 10), the control unit 8 confirms whether the content of the response data has already taken out the target printed matter P (step #). 13).

  If the response data has already taken out the target printed matter P (Yes in Step # 13), the log portion corresponding to the notification data is deleted from the print log (Step # 14), and the LED 71 is turned on. Since there is no need, the control unit 8 ends the display of the position of the target printed matter P (step # 12), and similarly returns to step # 1. On the other hand, if the content indicates that the target printed matter P has not yet been taken out (No in step # 13), the control unit 8 relates to the target printed matter P and the cumulative number of confirmation data transmissions is a predetermined number of times (for example, 1 to 1). 10 times) or more (step # 15). If the number of times is greater than or equal to the predetermined number (Yes in step # 15), the position display continues for a long time, and the control unit 8 informs the user terminal 9 that the position display on the display panel 7 has been completed. (Step # 16), and then the control unit 8 stops the position display (to step # 12). On the other hand, if the number is less than the predetermined number (No in Step # 15), the control unit 8 determines that the position display on the display panel 7 is not so long, and transmits confirmation data to the user terminal 9 again (Step # 9). What)

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a display panel of the printer 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the printer 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from the upper right. (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a display of the display panel 77 (equivalent to a display part) which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Here, the display unit is different from the first embodiment in which the display panel 7 uses a plurality of LEDs 71, but the second embodiment is different in that a display panel 77 is provided as a display unit. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, the points that are fundamentally different from the first embodiment are referred to, and the other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description and illustration are omitted.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10A, the display panel 77 of this embodiment is provided at the same position as that of the first embodiment, but is different in that it is a display panel 77 having a display screen. That is, in the present embodiment, the display panel 77 is provided on the side surface 1b of the wall surface 1a connected to the discharge tray 6 in the housing 1c and has a display screen along the sheet stacking direction. For example, a liquid crystal panel can be used as the display panel 77, but there is no particular limitation as long as the display panel 77 can be attached to the printer 1 (organic EL panel or the like). If a liquid crystal panel is attached, the display control circuit 72 is constituted by a liquid crystal driver IC or the like. The display panel 77 may be a mono color display or a color display.

  An example of display on the display panel 77 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 10B, the hatched portion is the target printed matter P to be taken out from the sheet bundle on the discharge tray 6. For example, the pixels of the display panel 77 corresponding to the position of the target printed matter P and the thickness in the height direction are displayed in black, for example. In other words, the position display of the target printed matter P is displayed, for example, in a band shape or a line shape. Note that the band-like and linear portions may blink.

  The display panel 77 has a large number of pixels and can display more freely than the LED 71. For example, it can display numbers, characters, and symbols. Therefore, as indicated by “45” in FIG. 10B, it is possible to display the number of target printed matter P, highlight the position display with arrows, and the like. Furthermore, if the display panel 77 has a large number of pixels and a large amount of information can be displayed, for example, referring to the print log, as shown in FIG. 10B, the file name of the print data (image data, etc.) The address of the transmission source terminal may be displayed. If it is necessary to display a plurality of target prints P at the same time, the position may be displayed at the same time, or the display contents of the display panel 77 may be switched for each target print P every one to several seconds.

  Thus, according to the present invention shown in the first and second embodiments, the control unit 8 refers to the print log and transmits the notification data among the sheets S stacked on the discharge tray 6. Since the position of the target printed matter P with respect to the user terminal 9 (terminal) is displayed on the display panel 7 (display unit), the target printed matter instructed to be printed by the user without providing a device having a plurality of discharge trays 6 such as a sorter. It becomes easy to find P. Further, the target printed matter P whose position is displayed by the display unit can be specified only by transmitting notification data from the terminal, and a special device for specifying the target printed matter P such as an RF tag reader is not necessary. Further, since the detection body (for example, the distance measuring sensor S1 and the mass sensor S2) automatically recognizes that the target printed matter P has been taken from the discharge tray 6, the display on the display unit is automatically stopped. Can do. Further, since the control unit 8 deletes the log corresponding to the print job of the target print P from the print log in the storage unit 82, the change of the stacked sheets S is reflected, and the position of the other target print P is reflected. Display can be performed accurately.

  In addition, when the detection body detects a decrease in the sheet stacking amount without transmitting notification data from the terminal, the control unit 8 causes the warning sound generation unit 85 to emit a warning sound. Can be taken away. Accordingly, the security of the image forming apparatus can be improved. Further, by transmitting the confirmation data to each terminal, it can be confirmed afterwards that the user has removed his intended printed matter P. By causing the user to perform such a confirmation operation, when the instruction display of the target printed matter P is duplicated, the user can be given an opportunity to confirm a mistake in taking the printed matter, and security can be improved.

  In particular, according to the first embodiment, the LED 71 arranged at the stage to which the target printed matter P belongs is turned on or blinked. Therefore, the arrangement position of the LED 71 corresponds to the position of the target printed matter P, and the user can It becomes easy to find the printed matter P. In addition, although it is not impossible to display the positions of a plurality of types of target prints P at the same time even if the emission colors of all LEDs 71 are one color, the display is confusing. In this embodiment, the light emission of the LEDs 71 for each target print P Since the color is changed, the display unit can display different positions clearly overlapping at the same time. Further, in order to avoid confusing display, it is not necessary to take a measure for limiting the number of target printed matter P to be displayed, and the user does not wait until his position is displayed. Further, when the switch SW is pressed, the LED 71 in the hierarchy to which the target printed matter P belongs is turned on or blinked, so that the target printed matter P can be confirmed within one stage, and the detailed position of the target printed matter P is known. be able to. Further, when a large number of sheets (for example, several hundred sheets) are printed and the target printed matter P is stacked in a plurality of stages, the highest and lowest LEDs 71 of the stage to which the target printed matter P belongs, Since the LED 71 in the meantime has a difference between lighting and blinking, the user can easily recognize that the target printed matter P extends over a plurality of stages. In addition, the user can immediately determine that the sorting and sorting of the printed materials of the self and others should be performed at the stage where the uppermost and lowermost LEDs 71 belong, which are blinking or lit. Furthermore, in particular, according to the second embodiment, since the display unit includes the display panel 77, the position of the target printed matter P can be displayed in detail.

Hereinafter, other embodiments will be described.
(1) Although the case where printing is performed using plain paper has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to a case where printing is performed on a sheet (thick paper, OHP sheet, etc.) other than plain paper. For example, the printer driver software specifies the type of paper on which printing is to be performed, and the number of converted sheets of plain paper (for example, 1.5 sheets of thick paper is converted to plain paper) is stored in the storage unit 82 in advance. In addition, the CPU 81 can calculate the conversion and specify the position of the target printed matter P on the discharge tray 6.
(2) Although the printer has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention can be applied to other image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine and a multifunction machine by appropriately providing the display panel 7.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is applicable to an image forming apparatus capable of stacking a plurality of sheets on a discharge tray.

1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. It is the typical perspective view which looked at the printer concerning a 1st embodiment from diagonally upper right. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a printer according to a first embodiment. An example of the display on the display panel which concerns on 1st Embodiment is shown, (a) shows an example of the display of the display panel in the case of performing one position display, (b) shows the target printed matter An example of display when the number of sheets is large is shown, and (c) is a schematic diagram showing an example of display when the target printed matter extends over two stages. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration for detecting that a target printed matter is taken out from a sheet S stacked on a discharge tray according to the first embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the display of a display panel when several notification data are transmitted simultaneously to the printer which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the more detailed position display using the display panel which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is an example of the confirmation screen displayed on the display of a user terminal. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of display control of the display panel of the printer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (A) is the perspective view which looked at the printer which concerns on 2nd Embodiment from diagonally right upper direction. (B) is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the display of the display panel which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer (image forming apparatus) 1c Case 1a Wall surface 6 Discharge tray 7 Display panel (display part) 71 LED (light source)
77 Display Panel 8 Control Unit 82 Storage Unit 85 Warning Sound Generation Unit 84 I / F Circuit (Input / Output Unit) 9 User Terminal (Terminal)
P Target printed matter S Sheet S1 Ranging sensor (one of the detection bodies) S2 Mass sensor (one of the detection bodies)
SW switch

Claims (10)

A discharge tray on which sheets discharged from the apparatus can be stacked;
A display unit provided in a part of the housing of the device;
Enables communication with one or more external terminals, receives print data including image data to be printed transmitted from each of the terminals, and captures a target print that is a print job based on the print data. An input / output unit for receiving notification data to go to each terminal,
At least for each print job, a storage unit that stores the print data transmission source terminal, the order of printing, and the number of prints as a print log;
A control unit for controlling the display of the display unit,
When the input unit receives the notification data,
The control unit refers to the print log, and causes the display unit to display a position of a target printed matter corresponding to the terminal that has transmitted the notification data among sheets stacked on the discharge tray. Image forming apparatus. A detector for detecting the amount of sheets stacked on the discharge tray;
When the display unit displays the position of the target printed matter and the detection body detects that a sheet has been removed from the discharge tray due to a change in the sheet stacking amount,
2. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops displaying the position of the display unit, and deletes the log corresponding to the print job of the target printed matter from the print log in the storage unit. Image forming apparatus. It has a warning sound generator that emits a warning sound,
When the detection body detects a decrease in the sheet stacking amount without transmitting the notification data from the terminal,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the warning sound generation unit to emit a warning sound. The display unit is provided with a plurality of light sources in parallel along the sheet stacking direction,
The light source has a height in a sheet stacking direction from a lowest stacking position to a highest stacking position in the stacking of sheets on the discharge tray on a wall surface to which discharged sheets are abutted or a surface adjacent to the wall surface. Arranged to be divided into stages by number,
When displaying the position of printed matter,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source disposed at a stage to which the target printed matter belongs is turned on or blinked. The light source emits light in a plurality of colors,
When there is a transmission of the notification data from a plurality of terminals, and it is necessary to display the positions of the plurality of target prints simultaneously,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light source changes a light emission color of the light source for each target printed matter. The display unit has a switch for switching display contents,
When the switch is pressed, in order to further display at which position in one stage the target printed matter is present, one step is further divided into layers according to the number of the light sources, and the light source in the layer to which the target printed matter belongs. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein is lit or blinking. When displaying the position of the target printed matter, if the target printed matter is stacked across a plurality of stages,
The uppermost and lowermost light sources in the stage to which the target printed matter belongs are turned on or blinking, and the light sources sandwiched between the uppermost and lowermost stages in the stage to which the target printed matter belongs are the uppermost and lowermost light sources. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image forming apparatus flashes when the lighting state is on, and lights up when the uppermost and lowermost light sources are flashing.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display unit is a display panel having a display screen.   The detector is a distance measuring sensor that detects a distance from an installation position to a sheet stacked on the discharge tray, and / or a mass sensor that detects the weight of the sheet stacked on the discharge tray. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8.   The control unit causes the input / output unit to transmit confirmation data for confirming that the target printed matter has been taken from the sheets stacked on the discharge tray to the terminal that has transmitted the notification data. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the entry output unit obtains response data for the confirmation data.