JP2011064940A - Image forming apparatus and control method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an output result desired by a user, while improving operability of the user; and to provide a control method for the image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: Mismatch of the kind of a paper sheet specified by a print job and a paper sheet set in a printer is detected, an alternative paper sheet which can be used for the print job is retrieved and the result is displayed on a panel operation part 104. When an instruction to execute the print job by using the alternative paper is made by the user, printing is executed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that prints an image on a sheet based on a print job.

  A commonly used image forming apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a printer) receives print job data transmitted from a host computer in response to a user print instruction, analyzes the print job data, and creates print data. Then, printing is executed. At this time, the operation of the printer is determined according to the print settings such as the paper type and print quality set in the print job data, and the print operation is performed.

  The printer can handle plain paper, coated paper, various other types of paper, and various sizes of paper, and a user sets paper of a type suitable for his printing purpose in the printer in advance. Various prints can be performed by transmitting print job data specifying the paper type set in the printer in the print settings to the printer.

  In this case, a mismatch may occur between the paper set in the printer and the one specified in the print job.

  When such a mismatch occurs, a printing operation is temporarily stopped with a status of “error”, or printing is forcibly executed when the degree of mismatch is in an allowable range.

  In order to avoid an error that has occurred, to continue printing, and to make the output result of each print job more favorable, a technique for changing the print conditions specified in the print job is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-276119 A (page 4, FIG. 6)

  By the way, in the conventional printer, in order to execute printing after printing is temporarily stopped as “error” when mismatch is detected, the user can replace the paper set in the printer with the one specified in the print job or Change to a new paper type.

  However, it is difficult for the user to grasp the types of paper that can be handled by the printer, such as plain paper, coated paper, and other various paper types. For this reason, it is difficult for the user to appropriately determine which paper type is attached to the printer and the “error” can be canceled and printing can be executed.

  Further, when the printing operation is continued regardless of the occurrence of mismatch, printing is executed with a sheet set in the printer in advance. This can result in results that are far from the expected printing results.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of obtaining an output result desired by a user while improving user operability, and a control method therefor.

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus that executes printing based on a received print job, and detects a mismatch between the paper type specified in the received print job and the paper set in the image forming apparatus. Mismatch detection means, paper information registration means for registering information on paper set in the image forming apparatus, and substitute paper that can be used in a received print job from information registered in the paper information registration means An alternative sheet search means for searching for an image, a presentation means for presenting the substitute sheet searched by the substitute sheet search means, and a print job using the substitute sheet presented by the presenting means And an image forming apparatus having control means for controlling to execute a print job using the substitute sheet.

  According to the present invention, information on the paper set in the image forming apparatus is managed, and when a paper type mismatch occurs, an alternative paper selected from them is presented to the user. The effect that it can improve property is produced.

1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a printer PR1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a management flowchart of information on paper set in the printer PR1. In Example 1, it is a figure which shows an example of the registered data. 6 is a flowchart of an operation after the printer PR1 receives a print job. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of the search condition in the said Example.

  The mode for carrying out the invention is the following embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a printer PR1 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

  The printer PR1 is an example of an image forming apparatus, and includes a ROM 101, a CPU 102, a RAM 103, a panel operation unit 104, a nonvolatile memory 105, an IF unit 106, a printing unit 107, and a paper information management unit 108. Have.

  The ROM 101 stores a program for operating the printer. The CPU 102 executes a control program stored in the ROM 101 and temporarily stores information, files, and the like necessary for executing the program in the RAM 103. The panel operation unit 104 is used for the user to make various settings and display the contents. The nonvolatile memory 105 stores various setting information and information such as paper set in the printer. The IF unit 106 is a communication interface for connecting to an external host PC, and receives a print job through this interface. The printing unit 107 prints an image on a sheet. A paper information management unit 108 manages information on paper used in the printer PR1. The system bus 109 is used to connect each unit.

  The CPU 102 is an example of mismatch detection means for detecting a mismatch between the paper type specified in the print job and the paper set in the printer PR1. The non-volatile memory 105 is an example of a sheet information registration unit that registers information of a sheet set in the printer PR1. The paper information management unit 108 is an example of paper information management means for managing the paper information registered by the paper information registration means. The CPU 102 is an example of an alternative sheet search unit that searches for an alternative sheet that can be used in the received print job from information registered in the sheet information registration unit.

  The panel operation unit 104 is an example of a presentation unit that presents the substitute sheet searched by the substitute sheet search unit. The presenting means displays the search result by the substitute sheet search means on a display unit provided in the image forming apparatus. The CPU 102 is an example of a control unit that controls to execute a print job using the substitute sheet when instructed to execute the print job using the substitute sheet presented by the presenting unit.

  The substitute sheet search means has search condition setting means for setting search conditions. The panel operation unit 104 is an example of a display unit that displays a search result obtained by the substitute sheet search unit.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for managing information on the paper set in the printer PR1. This flowchart shows the flow of processing performed when the CPU 102 executes a control program (computer program) stored in the ROM 101.

  When a sheet is set in the printer PR1, the printer PR1 acquires information on the set sheet (S201). The paper information acquired here is information such as paper type, size, remaining amount, and cost. The sensor reads the information recorded in advance on the paper to acquire the information on the paper, and the information input by the user via the panel operation unit 104 of the printer PR1 is used to acquire the information on the paper. Information may be acquired. The paper type information acquired in step S201 is transmitted to the paper information management unit 108 (S202).

  Upon receipt of the paper information, the paper information management unit 108 analyzes the received data. If the information is related to an unregistered paper, the paper information management unit 108 newly registers the information. Update (S203). In step S <b> 204, when paper information such as the remaining amount of paper set in the printer PR <b> 1 changes due to execution of a print job, the printer PR <b> 1 transmits the changed information to the paper information management unit 108. Upon receiving the changed paper information, the paper information management unit 108 updates the registered paper information (S205).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of registered data in the first embodiment. According to the above procedure, the printer PR1 itself can grasp and manage information about the paper used in the printer PR1.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation after the printer PR1 receives a print job. This flowchart shows the flow of processing performed when the CPU 102 executes a control program (computer program) stored in the ROM 101. When the printer PR1 receives a print job from the host computer, it is determined whether or not the paper type set in the printer PR1 matches the paper type specified in the print job (S401). If it is determined that the paper type set in the printer PR1 matches the paper type specified in the print job, the printer PR1 executes printing as it is (S408).

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the paper type set in the printer PR1 does not match the paper type specified in the print job and is a paper mismatch, the paper set in the printer PR1 is substituted and printed. It is determined whether or not execution is possible (S402). If it is determined that the sheet can be replaced, it is selected whether to print on the set sheet or to pause and display the replaced sheet (S403). This selection may be set in advance, or may be selected via the panel operation unit 104 when a paper mismatch occurs.

  If it is determined in step S402 that printing cannot be performed, or if it is selected to display a substitute sheet in step S403, based on the information in the sheet information management unit 108, the user can select a sheet that has been used in the past. Then, a replaceable sheet is searched (S404). When the search for substitutable paper is completed, the search result is displayed on the panel operation unit 104, for example, and notified to the user (S405). In step S406, whether or not to replace the sheet is received from the user via the panel operation unit 104. If the paper is not exchanged, the printer PR1 stops the substitute paper search process (S407). On the other hand, when the paper is replaced, the procedure after step S401 is started again for the newly set paper.

  Next, a procedure for presenting an alternative paper type will be described with an example of setting alternative paper type search conditions. An alternative paper type is searched from paper registered in the paper information management unit 108. Also, the user can set conditions for searching for alternative paper types. Examples of search conditions that can be set are the remaining paper amount, the paper cost, and the paper size. In addition, priority can be set for each condition.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of setting search conditions in the above embodiment. For example, if a substitute paper type for a print job having a printing condition of “semi-glossy paper / ISO A1” is searched under the conditions shown in FIG. 5, the search is first performed based on “cost” which is the highest priority condition. If the information registered in the paper information management unit 108 is the information shown in FIG. 3, it is the paper with IDs 1 and 3 that satisfies the condition. Next, the search result is narrowed down under the condition of “paper remaining amount” having the highest priority. Since it is set so as to present the sheet having the maximum remaining amount, the corresponding sheet type (the sheet type having the maximum remaining sheet amount) is a sheet having an ID of 3. Therefore, glossy paper with ID 3 is displayed on the panel operation unit 104 as an alternative paper type.

  According to the above embodiment, the alternative paper type is presented from the paper types registered in the paper information management unit 108 (the paper types that have been used in the printer PR1 in the past). Can be improved.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the user can set the conditions for searching for substitute sheets and the priority between the conditions. For example, a sheet with a large remaining amount is used preferentially, or the cost By avoiding the use of expensive paper, it is possible to suppress generation of useless costs.

PR1 ... Printer,
101 ... ROM,
102 ... CPU,
104 ... Panel operation unit,
108: Paper information management unit.

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus that executes printing based on a received print job,
Mismatch detection means for detecting a mismatch between the paper type specified in the received print job and the paper set in the image forming apparatus;
Paper information registration means for registering information on paper set in the image forming apparatus;
An alternative paper search means for searching for an alternative paper usable in the received print job from the information registered in the paper information registration means;
Presenting means for presenting the substitute sheet retrieved by the substitute sheet retrieving means;
Control means for controlling to execute a print job using the substitute sheet when instructed to execute the print job using the substitute sheet presented by the presenting means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,
An image forming apparatus comprising search condition setting means for setting a search condition, wherein the substitute sheet search means searches for a substitute sheet according to the search condition set by the search condition setting means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The presenting means displays a search result by the substitute sheet search means on a display unit provided in the image forming apparatus. A control method of an image forming apparatus that executes printing based on a received print job,
A mismatch between the paper type specified in the received print job and the paper set in the image forming apparatus is detected;
Search for substitute paper that can be used in the received print job,
Present the retrieved replacement paper,
A control method for an image forming apparatus, characterized in that when an instruction is given to execute a print job using the presented alternative paper, the print job is controlled to be executed using the alternative paper.   A computer program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 4.

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