JP2011142449A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a copying machine capable of checking the brightness of a light source without preventing the quick start of scanning of an original document and without allowing printing ahead of image data recording in high-speed copying for performing original document scanning and printing in parallel. <P>SOLUTION: A carriage 240 having a light source 241 executes first lamp checking at a first position facing a reference plate 236 of an ADF 230, and if a result is not good, the carriage is moved to execute second lamp checking at a second position. If the result of first lamp checking is good, high-speed copying is executed. If the result of second lamp checking is good, the carriage is directly moved from the second position to the position facing an original document platen to execute high-speed copying or normal copying. Otherwise, the copying is stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a copying machine.

  A copying machine generally includes an image reading unit and a scanner control unit that controls the image reading unit, an image forming unit and a printer control unit that controls the image forming unit, and a main control unit that controls the scanner control unit and the printer control unit. ing. The image reading unit scans a document and reads an image, and executes document scanning processing for recording data of the image in a memory. The image forming unit executes a print process for forming an image on a sheet material based on the image data obtained by the image reading unit.

  By providing the scanner control unit, the printer control unit, and the main control unit independently, the software independence of each control unit is increased, so that the productivity of software that realizes advanced control is improved.

  The image reading unit includes a carriage that scans a document placed on the document table by moving in a predetermined sub-scanning direction below the document table made of a light-transmitting material. The document table is generally called a flat bed. The carriage is a unit in which a light source and a mirror formed so as to extend in the main scanning direction are integrated. The carriage is supported so as to be able to reciprocate in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. Light from the light source in the carriage passes through the document table and is reflected by the document, and reflected light from the document is redirected by the mirror in the carriage and guided to the light receiving element. The reflected light from the original includes information on the original image.

  The normal image reading unit includes a first carriage in which the light source and the first mirror are integrated, and a plurality of second light beams that redirect the light reflected by the first mirror and guide the light to the light receiving element. A second carriage integrated with a mirror. The second carriage is interlocked with the first carriage in the sub-scanning direction so as to maintain a constant optical path length from the first mirror to the light receiving element.

  When the brightness of the light source in the carriage is insufficient, normal image data cannot be obtained. If the copy process is executed in a state where the brightness of the light source is insufficient, the developer and the sheet material are wasted. Therefore, the image reading unit executes a lamp check for checking the brightness of the light source when receiving an instruction to start the document scanning process from the main control unit, and confirms that the brightness of the light source is normal. The document is scanned after confirmation.

  The lamp check is a process of projecting the light of the light source onto a reference surface other than the document and determining whether the light source is good or not based on the intensity of reflected light from the reference surface obtained by the light receiving element. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the image forming unit stops the printing process when the result of the lamp check is an error. The reference surface is, for example, a uniform color surface such as white, light yellow, or light gray.

  In the copying machine, an ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) is provided on a document cover that is supported so that the upper side of the document table can be opened and closed. In a copying machine provided with an ADF, the carriage is opposed to a carriage movement scan that scans a document placed on the document table (flat bed) while moving in the sub-scanning direction, and a document conveyance path in the ADF. This is also used for document movement scanning for stopping the position and scanning the document being conveyed. A reading window made of a light transmissive material is provided in a part of the document transport path in the ADF, and the light from the light source in the carriage is irradiated to the document through the reading window, and the reflected light from the document is And return to the mirror of the carriage through the reading window.

  In the copying machine provided with the ADF, the carriage is stopped at a position facing the reading window in the ADF in a standby state so that the document movement scan can be started quickly. Hereinafter, the position of the carriage facing the reading window provided in a part of the document transport path in the ADF is referred to as an ADF position.

  The reference surface is formed in a portion of the ADF facing the reading window of the document transport path. The portion of the document transport path facing the reading window reaches when light from the light source of the carriage at the ADF position passes through the reading window when the document is not transported in the ADF. Part. As a result, when the carriage is present at the ADF position, which is a standby position, the lamp check can be quickly performed without moving the carriage. The member on which the reference surface is formed in the ADF is shown as a white document guide plate 29 in Patent Document 1.

  The copying machine also has application copy functions such as a reverse copy function and an aggregate copy function. The reverse copy function is a function for outputting an image obtained by inverting an image of a document to the sheet material. The collective copy function is a function for outputting images obtained by reducing and arranging a plurality of original images on one sheet material. Many of such application copy functions can be performed only after all the necessary image data is prepared after the original scanning process for one or a plurality of originals is completed. For this reason, the copying machine compresses the image data obtained by the original scanning process for one or a plurality of originals by encoding and stores them in the memory, and then decodes the image data. The print processing is executed based on the data obtained in this way.

  On the other hand, in a copying machine, FCOT (First Copy Output Time) is regarded as an important performance index. The FCOT is the time from when the copy start operation is detected until the first copied sheet material is output. The copying machine has a function of executing a high-speed copy process different from the normal copy process in order to shorten the FCOT. In the high-speed copying process, the document scanning process by the image reading unit and the printing process by the image forming unit are performed in parallel. The high-speed copying process starts the conveyance of the sheet material without waiting for the completion of the document scanning process for one page of the document, so that the FCOT is shortened.

  In the high-speed copying process, the image data obtained by the document scanning process is recorded in a memory without being encoded, and the printing process is executed using the unencoded image data. Thereby, the time for encoding and decoding is omitted, and the copy processing can be speeded up.

JP 2008-109652 A

  Incidentally, in principle, the document cover is completely closed at the start of copying, but a copy start operation may be performed in a state where the document cover is not completely closed. For example, when copying is performed in a state where a thick document such as a book is placed on the document table, and a user places a thick document (such as a hand) on the document placed on the document table. It is possible that copying is performed while holding down.

  When the lamp check is performed in a state where the carriage is stopped at the ADF position, if the original cover is not completely closed, an abnormality of the light source is detected even if the light source is normal. That is, in the lamp check with the carriage stopped at the ADF position, a normal check result means that the light source is normal, but an abnormal check result does not necessarily indicate that the light source is abnormal. There was a problem of not meaning.

  On the other hand, it is conceivable that the lamp check is performed in a state where a fixed reference surface is provided in a portion that is not displaced by opening and closing of the document cover, and the carriage is stopped at a position facing the fixed reference surface. However, in that case, it is necessary to move the carriage between the ADF position and the position facing the fixed reference surface every time the lamp check is executed. Therefore, even when the document cover is closed, there is a problem that the document scanning process cannot be started promptly.

  The above problem is particularly noticeable when the high-speed copy process is performed. That is, when the document scanning process including the lamp check and the printing process are executed in parallel, the time required for the carriage to move for the lamp check is determined by recording the necessary image data in the memory. However, the print processing is preceded. If the print processing is preceded, a non-image sheet material or a sheet material lacking a part of a necessary image is output.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent a quick start of a document scanning process when a document cover is closed in a copying machine, and to perform a document scanning process and a printing process in parallel for shortening the FCOT. In this case, it is possible to check the brightness of the light source for scanning the document while preventing a problem that the print process precedes the recording of the image data.

The copying machine according to the present invention includes the constituent elements shown in the following (1) to (5), and a plurality of control units included in the constituent elements are described in the following (6) to (10). Perform the indicated process.
(1) The first component is a document cover that is supported so that the upper side of the document table can be opened and closed, and that is provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF).
(2) The second component includes a light source that projects light on the document and a part of a light guide that guides reflected light from the document to a light receiving element, and moves in the sub-scanning direction along the document table. In a state where the document cover is supported, the automatic document feeder stops and waits at a first position facing a first reference surface formed in a part of the document conveyance path in the automatic document conveyance device. It is a carriage.
(3) The third component is a first control unit that controls the carriage and controls a document scanning process for recording image data obtained by the light receiving element in a memory.
(4) The fourth component conveys the sheet material from the supply position to the discharge position through the image forming position, and stores the image data recorded in the memory with respect to the sheet material passing through the image forming position. A second control unit that controls a print process for forming an image based on the image data;
(5) The fifth component is a third control unit that controls the first control unit and the second control unit.
(6) The third control unit issues a command for a high-speed copy process in which the document scan process and the print process are performed in parallel under a predetermined condition when a predetermined copy start operation is detected. Output to 1 control unit.
(7) Upon receiving the high-speed copy processing command, the first control unit turns on the light source of the carriage that stops at the first position, and starts from the first reference surface detected by the light receiving element. The first lamp check process for detecting the quality of the light source based on the intensity of the reflected light is executed and the result of the first lamp check process is output to the third control unit.
(8) The first control unit fixes the carriage from the first position to a position closer to the document table than the first position when the result of the first lamp check process is not good. The light source is moved to a second position facing the second reference surface and the light source of the carriage is turned on, and the light source is based on the intensity of the reflected light from the second reference surface detected by the light receiving element. A second lamp check process for detecting whether the lamp is good or bad is executed and the result of the second lamp check process is output to the third control unit.
(9) When the result of the first lamp check process is good or when the result of the second lamp check process is good, the second control unit proceeds to control of the document scanning process. Then, when neither the result of the first lamp check process nor the result of the second lamp check process is satisfactory, the process does not shift to the control of the document scanning process.
(10) When the third control unit obtains a result of the first lamp check process indicating that the light source is good from the first control unit, the third control unit issues a command for the high-speed copy process to the second control. A first process to be output to a unit, and when the result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source is good is obtained from the first control unit, the first process and the One of the second processes for outputting a normal copy process command for performing the printing process after the document scanning process to the second control unit is executed, and the light source is good from the first control unit. When the result of the second lamp check process to the effect is not obtained, a third process for interrupting the copy process is executed.

  In the copying machine according to the present invention, the second control unit may move the carriage from the second position to the document table when the result of the second lamp check process is good. It is conceivable to shift to the control of the document scanning process by moving straight to the position.

In the copying machine according to the present invention, the first control unit and the second control unit may execute the following processes (11) to (14), respectively.
(11) Upon receiving the high-speed copy processing command, the first control unit encodes image data obtained by the light receiving element in the document scanning processing when the result of the first lamp check processing is satisfactory. The data is recorded in the memory without being converted.
(12) Upon receiving the high-speed copy process command, the second control unit reads the image data that has not been encoded from the memory and performs the print process.
(13) Upon receiving the high-speed copy processing command, the first control unit encodes image data obtained by the light receiving element in the document scanning processing when the result of the second lamp check processing is satisfactory. And recorded in the memory.
(14) Upon receiving the normal copy process command, the second control unit performs the print process using the decoded image data recorded in the memory.

  Further, the copying machine according to the present invention separately includes the memory in which the image data not encoded by the first control unit is recorded and the memory in which the image data encoded by the first control unit is recorded. It is possible to prepare for this.

  According to the present invention, the brightness of the light source for document scanning is checked at least once before the document scanning process corresponding to the high-speed copy process is performed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the copy process from being performed while the light source is defective. Here, the high-speed copy process is a process in which the document scan process and the print process are performed in parallel to shorten the FCOT. On the other hand, the normal copy process different from the high-speed copy process is a process in which the document scan process and the print process are sequentially performed.

  According to the invention, the carriage stands by at a position facing the first reference surface provided in the document transport path in the ADF. When the document cover is closed, the quality of the light source is reliably detected by the first lamp check process that is not accompanied by the movement of the carriage. Accordingly, when the document cover is closed and the light source is normal, the document scanning process is promptly performed through the first lamp check process from the time when the copy start operation is detected. The high-speed copy process with a short FCOT is possible.

  According to the present invention, when the document cover is not closed, the quality of the light source is reliably detected by the second lamp check process accompanied by the movement of the carriage. The second lamp check process is a process of checking the brightness of the light source by reflecting the light of the light source to the second reference surface provided at a fixed part. Therefore, the quality of the light source can be reliably detected. If the result of the second ramp check process is good, either the high-speed copy process or the normal copy process is executed. Therefore, when the original cover is not closed, the inconvenience that the copy process is not executed although the light source is normal is solved.

  Further, the high-speed copy process command to the second control unit that controls the print process is output after confirming that the result of the first lamp check process or the second lamp check process is good. Is done. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a problem that the print process precedes the recording of the image data by the document scan process while the lamp check process is performed twice.

  The second position, which is the position of the carriage when the second lamp check process is performed, moves from the first position, which is the starting point, to a position facing the document table. It is a position in the middle of the route. Therefore, when the result of the second lamp check process is satisfactory, the carriage goes straight from the second position to the third position facing the document table, so that the document scanning process is quickly performed. And the FCOT is shortened. Further, when the high-speed copy is performed after confirming that the result of the second ramp check process is good, the FCOT is shortened as compared with the case where the normal copy is performed.

  Further, when the first control unit and the second control unit perform the high-speed copy process using unencoded image data, the high-speed copy process is executed at a higher speed. On the other hand, if the first control unit and the second control unit perform the normal copy process while performing compression and decoding by encoding image data, the capacity of the memory can be suppressed.

  In addition, the memory (first memory) in which unencoded image data is recorded and the memory (second memory) in which encoded image data are recorded are provided separately, thereby providing the following effects. Is obtained. That is, by adopting a memory having a high access speed as the first memory, the high-speed copy process is executed at a higher speed. Further, by adopting a relatively inexpensive large-capacity memory as the second memory, various application copy functions can be realized at a relatively low cost.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a copying machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of a scanning range of a carriage in the copying machine 1 as viewed from below. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a scanner unit showing a change in the position of a carriage in the copying machine. FIG. 2 is a side view of the copying machine 1 showing how a document cover is opened and closed. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of main parts related to control in the copying machine 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a first example of high-speed copy processing in the copying machine 1. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of normal copy processing in the copying machine 1. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a second example of high-speed copy processing in the copying machine.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are examples embodying the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

  First, an overall configuration of a copying machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a cross-sectional view shown in FIG. The copying machine 1 is an electrophotographic copying machine. The copying machine 1 reads an image from a document, records image data in a memory, conveys a sheet material from a paper feed cassette to an output tray through an image forming position, and also transfers the sheet material to the sheet material passing through the image forming position. On the other hand, an image based on the image data recorded in the memory is formed as a toner image. The sheet material is a medium such as paper or PET sheet on which an image is transferred.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine 1 includes an image forming unit 100 and an image reading unit 200. The image forming unit 100 includes a paper feed cassette 101, a paper feed roller 110, a registration roller 120, an image transfer unit 130, a fixing device 140, a paper discharge roller 150, a paper discharge tray 103, and the like. The copying machine 1 is a so-called multi-function machine that functions not only as a copying machine but also as a printer and a facsimile machine.

  In the image forming unit 100, the paper feed cassette 101 is a container that stores a plurality of sheet materials 2. The sheet feeding roller 110 is a roller that feeds the sheet material 2 stored in the sheet feeding cassette 101 one by one to a predetermined sheet conveying path 102. The registration rollers 120 are a pair of rollers that hold the sheet material 2 fed by the paper feed roller 110 and feed the sheet material 2 to the image transfer unit 130 at a predetermined timing. The position of the paper feed cassette 101 is an example of the supply position of the sheet material 2.

  The image transfer unit 130 is a device that transfers the toner image to the sheet material 2 while further conveying the sheet material 2 conveyed from the registration roller 120 to the fixing device 140 in the subsequent stage. The image transfer unit 130 includes a photoconductive drum as an image carrier and a plurality of devices arranged around the photoconductive drum. A charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, a cleaning device, and the like are disposed around the photosensitive drum.

  The fixing device 140 is a device that fuses the toner transferred to the sheet material 2 to the sheet material 2 while further conveying the sheet material 2 conveyed from the image transfer unit 130 to the subsequent stage. The fixing device 140 includes a heat roller in which a heater is included, a pressure roller that is in pressure contact with the heat roller, and a fixing temperature sensor 141 that detects the surface temperature of the heat roller.

  The paper discharge roller 150 is a roller for discharging the sheet material 2 conveyed from the fixing device 140 to the paper discharge tray 103. The position of the paper discharge tray 103 is a discharge position of the sheet material 2. The paper discharge roller 150 also functions as a turnback roller that reverses and conveys the sheet material 2 on which an image is formed on one side for double-sided printing. Further, the copying machine 1 includes an openable and closable sheet tray supported so that a part of the side surface of the main body can be opened and closed, and the sheet material 2 can be supplied from the openable and foldable sheet tray. Here, descriptions of the double-sided printing and the openable sheet tray are omitted.

  The image reading unit 200 is an apparatus that reads an image from a document, generates image data, and records the image data in a memory. The image reading unit 200 includes a document cover unit 210 and a scanner unit 220 that are unitized.

  The scanner unit 220 which is a lower unit in the image reading unit 200 includes a document table 221, a first reading window 222, a shading correction plate 223, a first carriage 240, a second carriage 250, a condensing lens 260, and a light receiving element. 270 and a carriage scanning mechanism 280. On the other hand, the document cover 210 which is an upper unit in the image reading unit 200 is provided with a document tray 211, a document discharge tray 212, a document pressing unit 213 and an ADF 230. The ADF 230 has a document conveyance path 231 formed therein, and includes a document supply mechanism 232, a document conveyance roller 233, a second reading window 234, and a document discharge roller 235.

  FIG. 4 is a side view of the copying machine 1 showing how the document cover 210 is opened and closed. 4A shows a state in which the original cover unit 210 is closed, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the original cover unit 210 is opened. As shown in FIG. 4, a hinge 219 provided on the back side of the main body of the copying machine 1 supports the document cover portion 210 so as to be rotatable. As a result, the document cover part 210 provided with the ADF 230 is supported so that the upper side of the document table 221 can be opened and closed.

  Further, the document cover unit 210 is provided with an open / close sensor 290 that detects an open state and a closed state of the document cover unit 210. The open / close sensor 290 is, for example, a push button switch or a limit switch. The main body of the copying machine 1 is provided with an operation unit 311 including a copy start button and a display unit 312 for displaying various information.

  In the ADF 230 shown in FIG. 1, the document supply mechanism 232 supplies the documents placed on the document tray 211 to the document transport path 231 one by one. The document transport roller 233 takes over from the document supply mechanism 232 and transports the document along the document transport path 231. Further, the document discharge roller 235 discharges the document sent by the document transport roller 233 to the document discharge tray 212.

  A part of the document transport path 231 is provided with the second reading window 234 that is an opening formed extending in the main scanning direction. In addition, the first reading window 222 which is a light-transmitting member such as a glass plate is provided in the portion of the scanner unit 220 facing the second reading window 234. Further, a reference plate 236 that also serves as a document conveyance guide is provided in a portion of the document conveyance path 231 that faces the second reading window 234 across the document passage route. The lower surface of the reference plate 236 has a uniform color such as white, light yellow, or light gray so as to reflect the light of the light source 241. The lower surface of the reference plate 236 is an example of the first reference surface.

  FIG. 2 is a view of the scanning range of the first carriage 240 as viewed from below. In FIG. 2, the vertical direction is the main scanning direction, and the horizontal direction is the sub-scanning direction. In FIG. 2, a part of the scanning range of the first carriage 240 is not shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the first carriage 240 is supported so as to be movable in the sub-scanning direction over the entire range of the document table 221 and a range located below the ADF 230 adjacent thereto. The first reading window 222, which is a translucent member, is provided at a position facing the second reading window 234 within a range corresponding to the lower side of the ADF 230.

  Further, the shading correction plate 223 is fixed between the document table 221 and the first reading window 222. The surface of the shading correction plate 223 also has a uniform color such as white, light yellow, or light gray. The surface of the shading correction plate 223 is an example of the second reference surface.

  Hereinafter, FIG. 1 will be referred to again. The document table 221 is a translucent member such as a glass plate, on which a document is placed. The first carriage 240 is a unit in which a light source 241 and a first mirror 242 formed to extend in the main scanning direction are integrated. The light source 241 projects the document placed on the document table 221 from below. The first mirror 242 is a part of a light guiding optical system that guides reflected light from the document to the light receiving element 270. In FIG. 1, the depth direction is the main scanning direction.

  The first carriage 240 is supported by the carriage scanning mechanism 280 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the sub-scanning direction along the lower surface of the document table 221. The sub-scanning direction is a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, and is the left-right direction in FIG. The light from the light source 241 in the first carriage 240 passes through the document table 221 and is reflected by the document, and the reflected light from the document is redirected by the first mirror 242 in the first carriage 240. The light is guided to the light receiving element 270 through two second mirrors 251 and 252. The condenser lens 260 is disposed in the optical path to the light receiving element 270. The reflected light from the original includes information on the original image.

  The second carriage 250 is a unit in which two second mirrors 251 and 252 that redirect the light reflected by the first mirror 242 and guide the light to the light receiving element 270 are integrated. The second carriage 250 is supported by the carriage scanning mechanism 280 so as to reciprocate in the sub-scanning direction. The second carriage 250 is interlocked with the first carriage 240 in the sub-scanning direction so as to keep the optical path length from the first mirror 242 to the light receiving element 270 constant. More specifically, the second carriage 250 moves at a half speed in the same direction as the first carriage 240 in the sub-scanning direction.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the scanner unit 220 showing changes in the positions of the first carriage 240 and the second carriage 250. As shown in FIG. 3A, the first carriage 240 stops at a first position facing the first reading window 222 and stands by. The first position is a position facing the lower surface of the reference plate 236 formed in a part of the document transport path 231 in the ADF 230 when the document cover part 210 is closed. This first position is the home position of the first carriage 240.

  The first position is an initial position of the first carriage 240 when the document scanning process is performed. In order to improve the quality of the read image, the first carriage 240 needs to be positioned at the initial position with high accuracy. Therefore, the copying machine 1 includes a sensor (not shown) that detects the presence of the first carriage 240 at the first position, and the carriage scanning mechanism 280 is configured based on the detection result of the sensor. The first carriage 240 is positioned at the first position.

  When the light source 241 is turned on while the first carriage 240 is stopped at the first position, the intensity of light detected by the light receiving element 270 is determined when the original cover 210 is closed. And the case where the document cover part 210 is opened is greatly different. When the document cover 210 is closed, the light from the light source 241 passes through the first reading window 222 and the second reading window 234 and is reflected by the lower surface of the reference plate 236. The reflected light is incident on the light receiving element 270 through the first mirror 242 and the like. Therefore, the light receiving element 270 detects the light intensity corresponding to the brightness of the light from the light source 241.

  On the other hand, when the document cover 210 is opened, the light from the light source 241 passes through the first reading window 222 and is emitted outside the apparatus, and does not reach the light receiving element 270. Therefore, the light detection intensity by the light receiving element 270 is at a very low level close to zero. As described above, in the state where the first carriage 240 is stopped at the first position, the result of the lamp check process shows a correct result only when the document cover part 210 is closed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first carriage 240 is moved to a second position between the first position and the position facing the document table 221 by the carriage scanning mechanism 280. Sometimes it is positioned. The second position is a position facing the shading correction plate 223 fixed to a portion closer to the document table 221 than the first position. As described above, the surface of the shading correction plate 223 is an example of the second reference surface.

  When the light source 241 is turned on while the first carriage 240 is stopped at the second position, the intensity of light detected by the light receiving element 270 is determined when the original cover 210 is closed. And the case where the original cover 210 is opened. Therefore, in a state where the first carriage 240 is stopped at the second position, the result of the lamp check process shows a correct result regardless of the state of the document cover unit 210.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the first carriage 240 is located below the document table 221 in order to scan the document 3 placed on the document table 221 by the carriage scanning mechanism 280. It is moved in the range.

  From the above, it can be considered that the lamp check process is always performed in a state where the first carriage 240 is present at the second position. In that case, each time the document scanning process is performed, the first carriage 240 needs to be moved, so that the rapid document scanning process is impaired, which is contrary to the shortening of the FCOT.

  Further, when the opening / closing sensor 290 detects that the document cover 210 is opened, it is possible that the lamp check process is not performed. In this case, there is a possibility that the copy process may be executed even though the light source 241 is defective, and there arises a problem that the developer and the sheet material are wasted. Therefore, the copying machine 1 performs the lamp check process according to the situation. The detailed description is described later in this specification.

  Next, with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 5, the configuration of the main parts related to control in the copying machine 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the copying machine 1 includes a main control unit 310, an operation unit 311, a display unit 312, a first image memory 313, a second image memory 314, a scanner control unit 320, a printer control unit 330, a facsimile. A control unit 340 and a network control unit 350 are provided.

  The operation unit 311 includes a start button 3111 that generates a copy start event, other operation buttons, a touch panel, and the like, and is a device that is operated by a user to input information. The display unit 312 includes a liquid crystal panel and an LED lamp, and is a device that displays various types of information.

  The first image memory 313 is a memory in which unencoded image data is recorded, and is a memory that can be accessed at high speed, such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The second image memory 314 is a memory in which image data compressed by encoding is recorded. The second image memory 314 is a memory having a larger capacity than the first image memory 313, although the accessible speed is lower than that of the first image memory 313. The second image memory 314 is, for example, a flash memory.

  The scanner control unit 320 is a processor that controls the movement of the first carriage 240 and the turning on and off of the light source 241 in the first carriage 240. Further, the scanner control unit 320 records image data obtained by the light receiving element 270 in one or both of the first image memory 313 and the second image memory 314. That is, the scanner control unit 320 is a processor that controls document scanning processing. The document scanning process is a process of recording the image data in one or both of the first image memory 313 and the second image memory 314 while scanning the document 3 by the first carriage 240 and reading the image. is there.

  The printer controller 330 is a processor that controls the paper feed roller 110, the registration roller 120, the image transfer unit 130, the fixing device 140, the paper discharge roller 150, and the like. That is, the printer control unit 330 is a processor that controls print processing. In the print processing, an image is applied to the sheet material 2 based on image data recorded in the first image memory 313 or the second image memory 314 by the image reading unit 200 or image data obtained from an external device. It is a process to form.

  The facsimile control unit 340 is a processor that transmits and receives facsimile data to and from other facsimile apparatuses via a telephone line. For example, the facsimile control unit 340 controls an NCU (Network Control Unit) and a modem (not shown) to perform dial-up processing to a partner station and negotiation processing for determining a communication method with the partner station. .

  The network control unit 350 is a processor that transmits and receives data to and from an external device such as a personal computer through a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) compliant with IEEE 802.3, which is a standard, and the Internet. .

  The main control unit 310 is a processor that detects an operation input to the operation unit 311, outputs display information to the display unit 312, and controls other control units 320, 330, 340, and 350. The main control unit 310 controls the scanner control unit 320 and the printer control unit 330 to execute a copy process. When the copier 1 functions as a printer, the network control unit 350 executes a process for receiving image data from an external computer instead of the document scanning process by the image reading unit 200. Similarly, when the copying machine 1 performs a receiving process as a facsimile apparatus, the facsimile control unit 340 performs an incoming process from another facsimile apparatus through a telephone line instead of the original scanning process by the image reading unit 200. And image data reception processing.

  When the operation of the start button 3111 is detected, the copying machine 1 may perform normal copy processing or high-speed copy processing depending on the situation. In the normal copy process, image data obtained by the original scan process for one or a plurality of originals 3 is compressed by encoding and stored in the second image memory 314. After the scan process is completed, This is a process for executing the print process based on data obtained by decoding the image data stored in the second image memory 314.

  On the other hand, the high-speed copy process is a copy process for further shortening the FCOT. In the high-speed copying process, the document scanning process by the scanner unit 220 and the printing process by the image forming unit 100 are performed in parallel. By the high-speed copy process, the conveyance of the sheet material 2 is started without waiting for the completion of the original scan process for one page of the original 3, so that the FCOT becomes shorter. In the high-speed copy process, the image data obtained by the document scan process is recorded in the first image memory 313 without being encoded. In the printing process, the unencoded image data is used. Thereby, the time for encoding and decoding is omitted, and the copy processing can be speeded up.

  Next, an example of a copy processing procedure executed by the copying machine 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. The copy process is realized by the main control unit 310 controlling the scanner control unit 320 and the printer control unit 330. In addition, the main control unit 310 realizes the copy process by executing a predetermined control program. In the following description, S11, S12,..., S57 represent process procedure identification codes. The copy process is started when the main control unit 310 detects a pressing operation of the start button 3111.

  First, the procedure of the first example of the process when the high-speed copy process is executed after the operation of the start button 3111 is detected will be described with reference to FIG.

  When the operation of the start button 3111 is detected, the main control unit 310 first determines whether or not the state of the apparatus satisfies a predetermined high-speed copy requirement (S11). The high-speed copy requirement includes the following three requirements. The first high-speed copy requirement is that the copy condition set by the user before the start button 3111 is operated satisfies a predetermined requirement. The first high-speed copy requirement is that the copy condition is set such that the print process can be started without waiting for completion of image reading for one page of the document 3. For example, it is an example of the first high-speed copy requirement that the copy condition setting does not include application copy settings such as reverse copy, rotation copy, and consolidated copy.

  The second high-speed copy requirement is that the image forming unit 100 is ready to execute the print processing. A specific example of the second high-speed copy requirement is that the temperature detected by the fixing temperature sensor 141 is equal to or higher than a preset lower limit temperature. The fixing device 140 takes a relatively long time to raise its temperature to a temperature necessary for fixing the image. Therefore, it is included in the requirement of the high-speed copy processing that the detection temperature of the fixing temperature sensor 141 is sufficiently high.

  The third high-speed copy requirement is that the image reading unit 200 can immediately execute the scan process. A specific example of the third high-speed copy requirement is that the first carriage 240 is stopped at the first position, and that the free space of the first image memory 313 is equal to or larger than a preset lower limit size. It is to be.

  If the high-speed copy requirement is satisfied, the main control unit 310 outputs an image scan command for high-speed copying to the scanner control unit 320 (S12).

  Meanwhile, the scanner control unit 320 monitors the input of an image scan command from the main control unit 310 (S21). When the image scan command is input, the scanner control unit 320 executes a first lamp check process described below. (S22). Further, the scanner controller 320 outputs the result of the first lamp check process to the main controller 310 (S22). The image scan command whose input is monitored in step S21 is the image scan command for high-speed copying and the image scan command for normal copying described later.

  In the first lamp check process, the light source 241 of the first carriage 240 that stops at the first position is turned on, whereby reflected light from the lower surface of the reference plate 236 detected by the light receiving element 270 is detected. This is processing for detecting the quality of the light source 241 based on the intensity. When the intensity of reflected light from the lower surface of the reference plate 236 is within a preset appropriate range, the light source 241 is determined to be good (normal), and otherwise, the light source 241 is not good. It is determined as (non-normal). The first position is a stop position of the first carriage 240 shown in FIG.

  Further, when the result of the first lamp check process is satisfactory, the scanner control unit 320 determines that the command input in step S21 is the high-speed copy image scan command and a normal copy scan command to be described later. (S24). When the command received from the main control unit 310 is the high-speed copy image scan command, the scanner control unit 320 uses the first image memory 313 to scan the document corresponding to the high-speed copy process. The process is executed (S25).

  In the document scanning process corresponding to the high-speed copy process, the scanner control unit 320 first secures a reserved area of a predetermined size in the first image memory 313. Subsequently, the scanner control unit 320 executes the document scanning process using the first image memory 313. Specifically, the scanner control unit 320 controls the carriage scanning mechanism 280 to move the first carriage 240 in the sub scanning direction along the document table 221. The scanner control unit 320 records the image data in the first image memory 313 while scanning the document 3 placed on the document table 221 with the first carriage 240 to read the image. At this time, the scanner control unit 320 records the image data obtained by the light receiving element 270 in the first image memory 313 without encoding.

  If the command received from the main control unit 310 is an image scan command for normal copying, which will be described later, the scanner control unit 320 executes processing corresponding to the command (28, S29). Details thereof will be described later in this specification with reference to FIG.

  Meanwhile, the main control unit 310 acquires the result of the first lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320 and determines whether the result is good (S13). When the main control unit 310 obtains a good result of the first lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, the main control unit 310 outputs a high-speed copy print command to the printer control unit 330 (S14). ).

  Further, the printer control unit 330 monitors whether the high-speed copy print command or the normal copy print command is input from the main control unit 310 (S31, S32). When the high-speed copy print command is input, the printer controller 330 executes the print process corresponding to the high-speed copy process using the first image memory 313 (S33, S34). The processing of the printer control unit 330 when a normal copy print command is input will be described later in this specification with reference to FIG.

  In the printing process corresponding to the high-speed copying process, the printer control unit 330 first starts conveying the sheet material 2 (S33). The printer control unit 330 controls the paper feed roller 110 and the registration roller 120 to convey the sheet material 2 from the paper feed cassette 101 to the positions of the image transfer unit 130 and the fixing device 140. Further, the printer controller 330 executes the print process by controlling the image transfer unit 130 and the fixing device 140 (S34). This printing process is started after the document scanning process in step S25 is started and before the document scanning process is completed. The main control unit 310 adjusts the waiting time from the output of the image scan command (S12) to the output of the print command (S14) so that the printing process of step S33 is started at such timing.

  In step S <b> 34, the printer control unit 330 performs the printing process based on the image data recorded in the first image memory 313 by the scanner unit 220. The image data recorded in the first image memory 313 is not encoded or decoded. By this printing process, a toner image is formed on the sheet material 2 passing through the image transfer unit 130 and the fixing device 140. When the printing process is completed, the printer control unit 330 releases the storage area secured in the first image memory 313.

  On the other hand, when the result of the first lamp check process (S32) is not good, the scanner control unit 320 executes the second lamp check process shown below and outputs the check result to the main control unit 310. (S26). The second lamp check process is based on the intensity of light detected by the light receiving element 270 by moving the first carriage 240 to the second position and turning on the light source 241 of the first carriage 240. This process determines whether the light source 241 is good or bad. The intensity of the light detected in the second lamp check process is the intensity of the reflected light from the surface of the shading correction plate 223 arranged at a position closer to the document table 221 than the first position. The second position is the position of the first carriage 240 shown in FIG. The second lamp check process is not executed when the result of the first lamp check process is good.

  After the second lamp check process is executed, the scanner controller 320 determines whether the result of the second lamp check process is good (S27). Then, the scanner control unit 320 executes the document scanning process corresponding to the normal copy process on the condition that the result of the second lamp check process (S26) is good (S28). In the document scanning process, the second image memory 314 is used. When the result of the second lamp check process is good, the scanner control unit 320 causes the first carriage 240 to go straight from the second position to a position (third position) facing the document table. Thus, the process proceeds to the document scanning process control (S28). It is conceivable that the scanner control unit 320 performs the second lamp check process by temporarily stopping the first carriage 240 at the second position for a very short time. The scanner control unit 320 may perform the second lamp check process while the first carriage 240 passes the second position without stopping the first carriage 240 at the second position. Conceivable.

  In the document scanning process (S28) corresponding to the normal copy process, the scanner control unit 320 first secures a reserved area of a predetermined size in the second image memory 314. Subsequently, the scanner control unit 320 executes the document scanning process using the second image memory 314. Specifically, the scanner control unit 320 controls the carriage scanning mechanism 280 to move the first carriage 240 in the sub scanning direction along the document table 221. The scanner controller 320 records the image data in the second image memory 314 while scanning the document 3 placed on the document table 221 by the first carriage 240 to read the image. At this time, the scanner control unit 320 compresses the image data obtained by the light receiving element 270 by encoding, and records the encoded data in the second image memory 314.

  When the document scanning process in step S28 is completed, the scanner control unit 320 outputs a completion notification to the main control unit 310 (S29). This completion notification is a notification that the document scanning process corresponding to the normal copy process has been completed.

  If the result of the second lamp check process is not good, the scanner control unit 320 ends the process without performing the document scan process (S27).

  On the other hand, if the result of the first lamp check process obtained in step S13 is not good, the main control unit 310 acquires the result of the second lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, and the result is It is determined whether or not it is good (S15). Then, the main control unit 310 waits for the completion notification to be input from the scanner control unit 320 when the favorable result of the second lamp check process is obtained from the scanner control unit 320 (S16). . When the completion notification is input, the main control unit 310 outputs a normal copy print command to the printer control unit 330 (S17).

  On the other hand, when the normal copy print command is input, the printer control unit 330 executes the print process corresponding to the normal copy process using the second image memory 314 (S35, S36).

  In the print process corresponding to the normal copy process, the printer control unit 330 first starts transporting the sheet material 2 as in step S33 (S35). Further, the printer control unit 330 executes the print process by controlling the image transfer unit 130 and the fixing device 140 (S36). This printing process is started after the document scanning process in step S28 is completed.

  In step S <b> 36, the printer control unit 330 performs the printing process based on the image data recorded in the second image memory 314 by the scanner unit 220. The image data recorded in the second image memory 314 is encoded by the scanner control unit 320. Therefore, the printer control unit 330 decodes and uses the image data recorded in the second image memory 314. By this printing process, a toner image is formed on the sheet material 2 passing through the image transfer unit 130 and the fixing device 140. When the printing process is completed, the printer control unit 330 releases the storage area secured in the second image memory 314.

  If the result of the second lamp check process obtained in step S15 is not good, the main control unit 310 executes a predetermined error process (S18) and ends the process. This error process is an example of control for interrupting the copy process. In this error processing, a notification that the light source 241 is abnormal is output through the display unit 312 and an alarm sound output unit (not shown).

  Further, when the state of the apparatus does not satisfy the high-speed copy requirement, the main control unit 310 executes normal copy processing control shown in FIG. 7 (S19). Details thereof will be described later with reference to FIG.

  As described above, when the operation of the start button 3111 is detected, the main control unit 310 performs the document scanning process and the printing process under the condition that the high-speed copy requirement is satisfied. Are output to the scanner control unit 320 (S12). Thereby, the control of the high-speed copy process is started.

  When the result of the first lamp check process (S22) is good, the main controller 310 continues the high-speed copy process (S14). However, even if the main control unit 310 starts control of the high-speed copy process, if the result of the first lamp check process (S22) is bad, the result of the second lamp check process is good. Therefore, the control content is switched to the normal copy processing control (S17).

  That is, when the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the first lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is good from the scanner control unit 320 (S13), the main control unit 310 issues a command for the high-speed copy process to the printer. It outputs to the control part 330 (S14). Further, when the main control unit 310 obtains a result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is good from the scanner control unit 320 (S15), the main control unit 310 issues a command for the normal copy process to the printer. It outputs to the control part 330 (S17). The normal copy process is a copy process in which the print process is performed after the document scan process is completed. Further, when the main control unit 310 obtains a result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is not good from the scanner control unit 320 (S15), the error process for interrupting the copy process. Is executed (S18).

  Also, the scanner control unit 320 performs the document scanning process only when the result of the first lamp check process (S22) is good or when the result of the second lamp check process (S26) is good. (S25, S28). Further, the scanner control unit 320 does not shift to the control of the document scanning process when the result of the first lamp check process (S22) and the result of the second lamp check process (S26) are not good ( S27).

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a description will be given of a processing procedure when the normal copy process is executed without starting the high-speed copy process after the operation of the start button 3111 is detected. Note that the control procedure shown in FIG. 7 differs from the control procedure shown in FIG. 6 only in the control procedure of the main control unit 310. That is, in FIG. 7, the control procedure of the scanner control unit 320 and the printer control unit 330 is the same as the control procedure shown in FIG. Further, the processing of step S11 of the main control unit 310 is the same in FIG. 6 and FIG.

  When the operation of the start button 3111 is detected, the main control unit 310 first determines whether or not the state of the apparatus satisfies the high-speed copy requirement (S11). If the high-speed copy requirement is not satisfied, the main control unit 310 outputs an image scan command for normal copying to the scanner control unit 320 (S41).

  On the other hand, as described with reference to FIG. 6, when the image scan command is input, the scanner control unit 320 executes the first lamp check process and the first lamp check process to the main control unit 310. The result is output (S22).

  Further, when the result of the first lamp check process is satisfactory, the scanner control unit 320 determines that the command input in step S21 is the image scan command for high speed copying, the scan command for normal copying, (S24). When the command received from the main control unit 310 is the normal copy image scan command, the scanner control unit 320 uses the second image memory 314 to scan the original corresponding to the normal copy process. Processing is executed (S28). The description of the process in step S28 has already been given.

  Meanwhile, the main control unit 310 acquires the result of the first lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, and determines whether or not the result is good (S42). The main control unit 310 waits until the completion notification is input from the scanner control unit 320 when the favorable result of the first lamp check process is obtained from the scanner control unit 320 (S44). Further, after the completion notification is input, the main control unit 310 outputs the normal copy print command to the printer control unit 330 (S45). The processes in steps S44 and S45 are the same as the processes in steps S16 and S17 described above.

  Further, as described above, the printer control unit 330 monitors whether the high-speed copy print command or the normal copy print command is input from the main control unit 310 (S31, S32). When the normal copy print command is input, the printer control unit 330 uses the second image memory 314 to execute the print process corresponding to the normal copy process (S35, S36). The contents of the print process corresponding to the normal copy process are as described above.

  On the other hand, when the result of the first lamp check process (S32) is not good, the scanner controller 320 executes the second lamp check process and outputs the check result to the main controller 310 (S26). ).

  In addition, after the second lamp check process is executed, the scanner control unit 320 corresponds to the normal copy process on the condition that the result of the second lamp check process is good as described above. The original scanning process is executed (S28). In the document scanning process, the second image memory 314 is used. Further, the scanner controller 320 outputs the completion notice to the main controller 310 after the document scanning process is completed (S29).

  If the result of the second lamp check process is not good, the scanner control unit 320 ends the process without performing the document scan process (S27).

  On the other hand, if the result of the first lamp check process obtained in step S42 is not good, the main control unit 310 acquires the result of the second lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, and the result is It is determined whether or not it is good (S43). When the main control unit 310 obtains a satisfactory result of the second lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, the main control unit 310 waits for input of the completion notification (S44), and after the completion notification is input. The normal copy print command is output (S45).

  On the other hand, when the normal copy print command is input, the printer control unit 330 executes the print process corresponding to the normal copy process using the second image memory 314 (S35, S36). The contents of the processes in steps S35 and S36 are as described above.

  If the result of the second lamp check process obtained in step S43 is not good, the main control unit 310 executes the error process (S18) and ends the process. The contents of this error processing are as described above.

  In the copying machine 1, the brightness of the light source 241 for document scanning is checked at least once before the document scanning process (S25) corresponding to the high-speed copying process is performed (S22). ). Then, the document scanning process and the printing process are controlled according to the check result. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the copy process from being performed while the light source is defective.

  In the copying machine 1, the first carriage 240 stands by at a position facing the reference plate 236 provided on the document transport path in the automatic document transport device 230. When the document cover 210 is closed, the quality of the light source 241 is reliably detected by the quick first lamp check process that does not involve the movement of the first carriage 240 (S22). Accordingly, when the document cover 210 is closed and the light source 241 is normal, the document scan process (S24) is performed through the first lamp check process from the time when the operation of the start button 3111 is detected. ) And the print process (S34), and the high-speed copy process with a short FCOT is possible.

  In the copying machine 1, when the document cover 210 is not closed, the quality of the light source 241 is reliably detected by the second lamp check process accompanied by the movement of the first carriage 240 (S26). . The second lamp check process can reliably detect the quality of the light source 241 regardless of the state of the document cover 210. Therefore, for example, when the start button 3111 is operated in a state where the document cover portion 210 is not completely closed, an erroneous determination as to whether the light source 241 is good or not is performed only by the first lamp check process. Is prevented.

  In the copying machine 1, if the result of the second lamp check process is good, the normal copy process is executed (S28, S36). Therefore, the inconvenience that the copy process is not executed when the original cover 210 is not completely closed even though the light source 241 is normal is solved.

  In addition, when the open / close sensor 290 detects that the document cover 210 is closed, it can be considered that the quality of the light source 241 is determined only by the first lamp check process. However, the detection result of the opening / closing sensor 290 is erroneously detected when a user or a document or the like accidentally contacts the opening / closing sensor 290 or when the document cover unit 210 is slightly opened. There is a case. Accordingly, even when it is detected that the document cover unit 210 is closed, it is preferable that the second lamp check process is performed if the result of the first lamp check process is not satisfactory.

  The high-speed copy process command (S14) to the printer control unit 330 is output after it is confirmed that the result of the first lamp check process is good. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a problem that the print process precedes the recording of the image data by the document scan process while the lamp check process is performed twice.

  The second position is a position in the middle of a path along which the first carriage 240 moves from the first position as a starting point to a position facing the document table 221. Therefore, when the result of the second lamp check process is good, the first carriage 240 goes straight from the second position to the position (third position) facing the document table, thereby The document scanning process is started immediately, and the FCOT is shortened.

  In addition, the high-speed copy process is performed at a higher speed by performing the high-speed copy process using image data that is not encoded. On the other hand, the capacity of the second image memory 314 can be reduced by performing the normal copy process with compression and decoding by encoding image data.

  Further, in the copying machine 1, the first image memory 313 in which unencoded image data is recorded and the second image memory 314 in which encoded image data are recorded are provided separately. . By adopting a memory having a high access speed as the first image memory 313, the high-speed copy process is executed at a higher speed. In addition, by adopting a relatively inexpensive large-capacity memory as the second image memory 314, various application copy functions can be realized at a relatively low cost.

  Next, the procedure of the second example of the process when the high-speed copy process is executed after the operation of the start button 3111 is detected will be described with reference to FIG. In the copy processing procedure shown in FIG. 8, the processing procedures of the scanner control unit 320 and the printer control unit 330 are the same as those shown in FIG. That is, in the second example, only the control procedure of the main control unit 310 is different from the procedure of the first example shown in FIG. Hereinafter, in the description of the second example, only portions different from the first example (FIG. 6) will be described.

  When the operation of the start button 3111 is detected, the main control unit 310 first determines whether or not the high-speed copy requirement is satisfied, similarly to step S11 (S51). When the high-speed copy requirement is satisfied, the main control unit 310 outputs the high-speed copy image scan command to the scanner control unit 320 as in step S12 (S52).

  Further, similarly to step S13, the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the first lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, and determines whether or not the result is good (S53). When the main control unit 310 obtains a good result of the first lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, the main control unit 310 sends the high-speed copy to the printer control unit 330 in the same manner as in step 14. A print command is output (S54).

  On the other hand, if the result of the first lamp check process obtained in step S53 is not good, the main control unit 310 acquires the result of the second lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, and the result is It is determined whether or not it is good (S55). When the main control unit 310 obtains a good result of the second lamp check process from the scanner control unit 320, the main control unit 310 outputs a print command for high-speed copying to the printer control unit 330 ( S54). In other words, in the second example, the main controller 310 determines that the print command for high-speed copying is good if either the result of the first lamp check process or the result of the second lamp check process is good. Is output (S54).

  If the result of the second lamp check process obtained in step S55 is not good, the main control unit 310 executes the error process in the same manner as in step S18 (S56) and ends the process.

  Further, when the state of the apparatus does not satisfy the high-speed copy requirement, the main control unit 310 executes normal copy processing control shown in FIG. 7 (S57). The details are as described above.

  In the second example, when the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the first lamp check process indicating that the light source 421 is good from the scanner control unit 320 (S53), and the scanner control When the result of the second lamp check processing indicating that the light source 421 is not good is obtained from the unit 320 (S55), the same control as in the first example is performed (S54, S56).

  On the other hand, in the second example, when the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is good from the scanner control unit 320, the high-speed copy process is performed. A command is output to the printer controller 330 (S54, S55). In this regard, the second example is different from the first example.

  Also in the second example, the same effect as in the first example can be obtained. Further, in the second example, when the result of the first lamp check process is not good, the high-speed copy is performed after confirming that the result of the second lamp check process is good. As a result, when the result of the second lamp check process is satisfactory, the second example has a shorter FCOT than the first example in which the normal copy process is performed.

  In the embodiment described above, the main control unit 310 confirms that the result of the second lamp check process is good when the result of the first lamp check process is not good. The print processing command is output to the printer control unit 330.

  However, it is also conceivable that the main control unit 310 outputs the high-speed copy print command to the printer control unit 330 without waiting for the result of the first lamp check process to be output. In this case, when the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the first lamp check process indicating that the printing process is not good, the main control unit 310 outputs a command for temporarily interrupting the printing process to the printer control unit 330. In response to this, the printer control unit 330 stops the registration roller 120 to stop the conveyance of the sheet material 2 before the sheet material 2 reaches the image transfer unit 130. As a result, the sheet material 2 stops at the position of the registration roller 120. Then, the main control unit 310 instructs the printer control unit 330 to resume the temporarily interrupted printing process when the result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is good is obtained. Is output. The output of the command for resuming the print processing is the normal output at the time when the print command for high-speed copying when the satisfactory result of the second lamp check processing is obtained or when the completion notification is obtained. A print command for copying can be considered. In response to this, the printer control unit 30 resumes the instructed printing process with the position of the registration roller 120 as the conveyance start position of the sheet material 2.

  When the main control unit 310 obtains the result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source 241 is not good, the main control unit 310 outputs a print process stop command to the printer control unit 330. In this case, the printer control unit 330 performs control to discharge the sheet material 2 to the sheet discharge tray 103 without performing image transfer on the sheet material 2. In this example, when the result of either one of the first lamp check process and the second lamp check process is good, the FCOT is further shortened. However, if the result of the second lamp check process is not good, the non-image sheet material 2 is discharged.

  The present invention is applicable to a copying machine.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copier 2 Sheet material 3 Original 100 Image forming part 101 Paper feed cassette 102 Sheet material conveyance path 103 Paper discharge tray 110 Paper feed roller 120 Registration roller 130 Transfer unit 140 Fixing device 141 Fixing temperature sensor 150 Paper discharge roller 200 Image reading part 210 Document Cover Unit 211 Document Tray 212 Ejection Tray 213 Document Pressing Unit 219 Hinge 220 Scanner Unit 221 Document Table 222 First Reading Window 223 Shading Correction Plate 230 Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
231 Document conveyance path 232 Document supply mechanism 233 Document conveyance roller 234 Second reading window 235 Document discharge roller 236 Reference plate 240 First carriage 241 Light source 242 First mirror 250 Second carriage 251 252 Second mirror 260 Condensing lens 270 Light reception Element 280 Carriage scanning mechanism 290 Open / close sensor 310 Main control unit 311 Operation unit 312 Display unit 313 First image memory 314 Second image memory 320 Scanner control unit 330 Printer control unit 340 Facsimile control unit 350 Network control unit 421 Light source 3111 Start button S11 , S12,..., S57 step

Claims (4)

A document cover which is supported so that the upper side of the document table can be opened and closed, and an automatic document feeder is provided;
A light source that projects light on the document and a part of a light guide that guides reflected light from the document to a light receiving element are provided, supported so as to be movable in the sub-scanning direction along the document table, and the document cover is closed A carriage that stops and stands by at a first position opposite to a first reference surface formed in a part of the document transport path in the automatic document feeder in the state of being placed;
A first control unit for controlling the carriage and controlling a document scanning process for recording image data obtained by the light receiving element in a memory;
A sheet material is conveyed from the supply position to the discharge position via the image forming position, and a printing process for forming an image on the sheet material passing through the image forming position based on the image data recorded in the memory is controlled. A second control unit,
A copier comprising a first control unit and a third control unit for controlling the second control unit,
The third control unit issues a command for a high-speed copy process in which the document scan process and the print process are performed in parallel under a predetermined condition when a predetermined copy start operation is detected. Output against
Upon receiving the high-speed copy processing command, the first control unit turns on the light source of the carriage that stops at the first position, and reflects light from the first reference surface detected by the light receiving element. Executing a first lamp check process for detecting the quality of the light source based on the intensity of the light, and outputting a result of the first lamp check process to the third control unit,
The second control unit fixes the carriage from the first position to a position closer to the document table than the first position when the result of the first lamp check process is not good. The light source of the carriage is turned on, and the quality of the light source is determined based on the intensity of the reflected light from the second reference surface detected by the light receiving element. Executing a second lamp check process to be detected and outputting a result of the second lamp check process to the third control unit;
When the result of the first lamp check process is good or when the result of the second lamp check process is good, the second control unit proceeds to control of the document scanning process, and When neither the result of the first lamp check process nor the result of the second lamp check process is good, the process does not shift to the control of the document scan process,
When the third control unit obtains a result of the first lamp check process indicating that the light source is good from the first control unit, the third control unit sends a command for the high-speed copy process to the second control unit. The first process and the document scanning process are performed when the first lamp output is executed and the result of the second lamp check process indicating that the light source is good is obtained from the first control unit. One of the second processes for outputting a normal copy process command for performing the print process to the second control unit after the end of the first control unit, indicating that the light source is not good from the first control unit A copying machine, wherein a third process for interrupting a copy process is executed when a result of the second lamp check process is obtained.   The second control unit scans the document by moving the carriage from the second position to a third position facing the document table when the result of the second lamp check process is satisfactory. The copying machine according to claim 1, which shifts to control of processing. The first control unit that has received the high-speed copy process command does not encode the image data obtained by the light receiving element in the document scanning process when the result of the first lamp check process is satisfactory. In the memory,
The second control unit that has received the high-speed copy processing instruction reads the image data that has not been encoded from the memory, performs the print processing,
The first control unit that has received the high-speed copy processing instruction encodes image data obtained by the light receiving element in the document scanning processing when the result of the second lamp check processing is good, and Record in memory,
3. The copier according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit that has received the normal copy process command performs the print process using the decoded image data recorded in the memory.   4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: the memory in which image data not encoded by the first control unit is recorded and the memory in which image data encoded by the first control unit is recorded. A copying machine as described in any of the above.

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