JP2014125318A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer having a plurality of paper feeding portions, which provides a technique that can expect paper feeding from an appropriate paper feeding tray while suppressing time and labor of a user.SOLUTION: A printer 100 changes the order of priority for opened/closed paper feeding trays 51-53 to the highest priority on condition that open/close sensors 61-63 detect the opening and closing of the paper feeding trays 51-53, and further determines a paper feeding execution tray for executing paper feeding according to the priority. Then, size of the paper fed from the paper feeding execution tray is obtained in a conveyance path 11 by a paper sensor 77. Thus, the size of the paper fed from the paper feeding execution tray is obtained. Further, the detected size of the paper is stored in tray information 35 as the paper size of the paper feeding execution tray.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus including a plurality of paper feed trays.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printing apparatuses including a plurality of paper feed trays that store paper are known. As a technology of such a printing apparatus, for example, when priority is given to the paper feed trays and there are a plurality of paper feed trays having the same size, the paper is fed from the paper feed trays determined according to the priority. The technology to carry in is known.

  Further, as a technology for recognizing the size of paper stored in a paper feed tray by a printing apparatus, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image recording apparatus having a plurality of paper cassettes (paper feed trays). A technique for displaying a message prompting the user to input a paper size when the is opened is disclosed.

JP 2003-107964 A

  However, the conventional technique described above has the following problems. That is, as in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the user is prompted to set the paper feed tray each time the paper feed tray is opened or closed, it is troublesome for the user. Even if a message is displayed, the user does not always set the paper size. If the paper size is not set, the possibility of selecting an inappropriate paper feed tray increases.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that is a printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feeding units and that can expect paper feeding from an appropriate paper feeding tray while reducing the labor of the user.

  In order to solve this problem, a printing apparatus includes a plurality of paper feed trays that store paper, an open / close detection unit that detects opening and closing of each of the paper feed trays, and paper fed from each of the paper feed trays. A sheet conveyance path, a printing unit that prints an image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path, and a rank storage unit that stores the priority order of each of the sheet feeding trays that perform sheet feeding A size storage unit that stores the size of paper set in each of the paper feed trays, an acquisition unit that acquires the size of paper fed from each of the paper feed trays to the paper transport path, and a control unit; The control unit is configured to determine, according to the priority order, a determination process for determining an execution tray that is the paper feed tray for performing paper feeding, and acquisition of the paper fed from the execution tray by the acquisition unit Set the specified size in the execution tray. The specific tray which is the detected paper feed tray is set on the condition that the size storage unit stores the size of the paper to be processed and the opening / closing detection unit detects the opening / closing of the paper feed tray. It is characterized by executing change processing for changing to the highest priority.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification changes the priority order of the paper feed trays detected to be opened / closed on the condition that the opening / closing detector detects the opening / closing of the paper feed tray. Then, the execution tray for executing paper feeding is determined according to the priority order. Further, the size of the paper fed from the execution tray is acquired by the acquisition unit, and the acquired size is stored in the storage unit as the size of the paper set in the execution tray. The priority may be manually changeable by the user, or may not be changeable by the user. In addition, the setting of the paper size for each paper feed tray may be manually set by the user, or may not be set by the user. The execution timing of the change process may be on condition that the opening / closing of the paper feed tray is detected. For example, the change processing may be executed immediately after the detection of the opening / closing of the paper feed tray, It may be executed before printing.

  That is, in the printing apparatus disclosed in this specification, when the paper feed tray is opened and closed, the paper feed tray is automatically changed to the highest priority. Accordingly, since paper is fed from the paper feed tray at an early stage, the size of the paper actually stored in the paper feed tray can be obtained early. Furthermore, the paper size set in the paper feed tray can be updated according to the obtained paper size. That is, even if there is no setting operation by the user, the size of the opened / closed paper feed tray is updated early. As a result, selection of an appropriate paper feed tray can be expected for subsequent printing.

  The control unit may execute post-change processing for changing the priority order of the specific tray to a pre-change order after paper is fed from the specific tray that has been changed to the top by the change processing. Good. In this way, after the size of the paper feed tray is updated by paper feed from the opened and closed paper feed trays, the priority order is restored. After obtaining the paper size, it is preferable to restore the priority order because it is more likely to match the user's intention. Note that the timing of returning to the order before the change may be after completion of conveyance of one sheet or after completion of execution of one job.

  Further, the control unit changes the paper feed tray to be detected by the open / close detection unit on the condition that the open / close detection unit has changed from a state in which the open / close of the paper feed tray cannot be detected to a state in which the open / close detection can be detected. It is preferable to execute an impossible return changing process for changing to the highest priority. During the period when the open / close detection unit is in the undetectable state, it is not possible to recognize whether the paper feed tray to be detected has been opened or closed. In other words, since there is a possibility that the paper feed tray has been opened and closed while it cannot be recognized, it is desirable to change the paper feed tray to the highest priority order and acquire the paper size. The undetectable state corresponds to, for example, a power-off state, a sleep mode, and a failure state.

  Further, the printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification includes a paper detection unit that detects whether or not there is paper in each of the paper feed trays. In the change process, the opening / closing is detected by the open / close detection unit. When the paper detection unit detects no paper for the paper feed tray, the priority order of the paper feed trays should not be changed. If the paper feed tray is opened and closed with no paper, there is a high possibility that paper of the same size will be stored. For this reason, it is unlikely that inappropriate paper is fed without changing the priority order and updating the paper size, and it is preferable to avoid changing the priority order and avoid complicated control.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification further includes a jam detection unit that detects whether or not a paper jam has occurred in the paper conveyance path. In the change process, the jam detection unit detects the paper jam. If the opening / closing detection unit detects the opening / closing of the sheet feeding tray during the period, the priority order of the sheet feeding tray may not be changed. When the paper feed tray is opened and closed in a state where a paper jam has occurred, it is unlikely that paper of different sizes will be stored. For this reason, it is unlikely that inappropriate paper is fed without changing the priority order and acquiring the paper size, and it is preferable not to change the priority order and avoid complicated control.

  Further, the control unit executes the change process in response to the start of print control in the printing unit, and in the change process, the opening / closing detection unit detects opening / closing of the plurality of paper feed trays. In this case, the priorities of the plurality of paper feed trays may be changed so as to be in order from the highest order according to the priorities stored in the order storage unit. By executing the change process at the start of printing control, the priority order of the opened and closed paper feed trays is collectively changed regardless of the order of opening and closing of the paper feed trays. For example, unlike when changing processing is triggered by opening / closing detection, the priority order is not the latest opening / closing order, so it is highly likely that the order matches the user's intention. The reference priority order may be an initial priority order or a priority order at the start of print control.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification further includes a frequency storage unit that stores frequency information that is information related to a paper feed frequency of the paper feed tray. In the change process, the open / close detection unit includes a plurality of the opening / closing detection units. When opening / closing of the sheet feeding tray is detected, the priority order of the plurality of sheet feeding trays may be changed to higher rank as the sheet feeding frequency is higher based on the frequency information. It can be expected that priority is given to a paper feed tray having a high paper feed frequency in accordance with the actual situation. The frequency information includes, for example, the number of paper feeds, the number of executions for each job, and the most recent usage time.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification further includes a frequency storage unit that stores frequency information that is information related to the paper feed frequency of the paper feed tray. In the change process, a paper feed is performed based on the frequency information. It is preferable that the priority order is not changed for the paper feed tray whose frequency is equal to or lower than the threshold value. For a paper feed tray with a low paper feed frequency, there is little need to recognize the paper size at an early stage. Therefore, it is preferable not to change the priority order and to avoid complication of control.

  In the determination process, the execution tray may be determined in accordance with the priority order from the paper feed trays having the same size as the size set in the print data. In this way, a paper feed tray having the same size as that set in the print data is set as the execution tray. Therefore, printing on paper that does not match the print data can be avoided, and wasteful printing can be expected to be reduced.

  According to the present invention, it is a printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feed units, and a technology that can expect paper feed from an appropriate paper feed tray while reducing the effort of the user is realized.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of tray information. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of printing processing according to a first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an order change process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of tray information. It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of tray information. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an execution tray determination process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a post-change process. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of printing processing according to a second embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the execution tray determination process at the time of printing.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a printer having an image forming function.

[Printer configuration]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 according to this embodiment includes a printing unit 10 that prints an image on a sheet, and an operation panel 40 on an upper surface. The printing unit 10 includes a process unit 5 that forms a toner image on a sheet by a known electrophotographic method, a conveyance belt 7 that conveys the sheet along the process unit 5, and a fixing unit that fixes the formed toner image on the sheet. 8 and. The operation panel 40 includes a liquid crystal display and a group of buttons including a start key, a stop key, a numeric keypad, and the like. This operation panel 40 enables display of operation status and input operation by the user.

  A plurality of paper feed trays are provided below the printer 100 to store paper used for image formation. The printer 100 according to this embodiment has three trays A51, B52, and C53 as paper feed trays. The tray A51, tray B52, and tray C53 can be opened and closed individually. Note that the printer 100 cannot directly detect the size of the sheets stored in the respective trays A51, B52, and C53. The tray A51, the tray B52, and the tray C53 are an example of a plurality of paper feed trays.

  Each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 is provided with paper feed rollers 71, 72, and 73 that draw out the stored paper to the transport path 11. The paper used for printing in the printing unit 10 is fed from one of the tray A 51, the tray B 52, and the tray C 53, and is conveyed to the process unit 5 through the conveyance path 11. In FIG. 1, the conveyance path 11 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. The conveyance path 11 is an example of a paper conveyance path.

  Further, in the transport path 11, transport rollers 74 and 75 for transporting paper and a paper sensor 77 for detecting the presence or absence of paper at the detection position are provided. The detection position of the paper by the paper sensor 77 is downstream of all the paper feed rollers 71, 72, 73 and upstream of the process unit 5 of the printing unit 10 in the paper transport direction. Then, the printer 100 can acquire the size in the transport direction of the paper being transported from the paper transport speed at the detection position of the paper sensor 77 and the detection result of the paper sensor 77. The paper sensor 77 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[Electrical configuration of printer]
Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 100 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, and a nonvolatile storage unit 34. The printer 100 further includes a printing unit 10, an operation panel 40, a network interface 37, and a paper sensor 77, and is controlled by the CPU 31. The network interface 37 is connected to a LAN or the like.

  The printer 100 further includes various detection units. Each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 is provided with an open / close sensor for detecting whether the paper is in an open state or a closed state, and a paper presence / absence sensor for detecting whether or not there is paper in the paper feed trays 51 to 53. Yes. The open state of the paper feed tray is a state in which the paper feed tray is pulled out from the own apparatus. The printer 100 cannot feed paper from the open paper feed tray. The closed state is a state in which the paper feed tray is attached to the apparatus.

  Specifically, the printer 100 includes an open / close sensor 61 that detects opening / closing of the tray A51, an open / close sensor 62 that detects opening / closing of the tray B52, and an open / close sensor 63 that detects opening / closing of the tray C53. Further, the printer 100 includes a paper presence sensor 65 that detects the presence of paper in the tray A51, a paper presence sensor 66 that detects the presence of paper in the tray B52, and a paper presence sensor 67 that detects the presence of paper in the tray C53. have.

  The printer 100 detects the open state from the state in which the open / close sensors 61 to 63 detect the closed state of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 to be detected, and when the open state is detected again, the printer 100 Detects opening and closing. Hereinafter, the paper feed tray whose opening / closing is detected is referred to as an opened / closed tray. The open / close sensor 61, the open / close sensor 62, and the open / close sensor 63 are examples of an open / close detection unit. Each of the paper presence sensor 65, the paper presence sensor 66, and the paper presence sensor 67 is an example of a paper detection unit.

  Further, the printer 100 includes a jam detection unit 69 that detects that the paper is jammed somewhere in the conveyance path 11. The jam detection unit 69 may detect a paper conveyance failure by cooperation of paper sensors or the like at a plurality of locations. For example, when paper jam is detected based on the time from the start of paper feeding from each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 until the paper sensor 77 detects the paper, the paper sensor 77 detects the jam. It also serves as the detection unit 69.

  The ROM 32 stores various control programs for controlling the printer 100, various settings, initial values, and the like. The RAM 33 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read, or as a storage area for temporarily storing data. The CPU 31 controls each component of the printer 100 while storing the processing result in the RAM 33 or the nonvolatile storage unit 34 in accordance with the control program read from the ROM 32. The CPU 31 is an example of a control unit.

  Further, the non-volatile storage unit 34 stores tray information 35 including information regarding each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53. As shown in FIG. 3, the tray information 35 stores priority order, paper size, paper feed frequency, priority after opening and closing, and status information for each paper feed tray. For example, the priority order may be information on the order of use of the paper feed trays set by the user, or may be the order of the initial state set in advance in the printer 100. The printer 100 feeds paper from each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 according to the stored contents of the priority order when the paper feed tray is not designated in the print instruction.

  The paper size is information on the size of the paper stored in each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53. The paper size may be set by the user or may be acquired by the printer 100 using the paper sensor 77. The paper feed frequency is frequency information relating to the frequency of paper feed from each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53. Examples of the paper feed frequency include the number of paper feeds, the number of uses for each job, and the order of paper feed back from the most recent paper feed tray. In the example of FIG. 3, information on whether the paper feeding frequency is higher or lower than a predetermined threshold is stored as frequency information.

  The post-open / close priority is temporary order information used in place of the priority after the opening / closing of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 is detected. The status is information as to whether or not each of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 has been opened and closed. The contents in the initial state of the priority after opening and closing may be the same as the priority. Details of the priority and state after opening and closing will be described later. The tray information 35 of the nonvolatile storage unit 34 is an example of a rank storage unit, a size storage unit, and a frequency storage unit.

[Print processing]
[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, the procedure of the process for realizing the printing operation by the printer 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the printing process of the first embodiment will be described. In the printing process of the first embodiment, when at least one of tray A51, tray B52, and tray C53, which are paper feed trays, is opened / closed, the priority order after opening / closing the paper feed tray is changed to the highest order. included.

  This printing process is executed by the CPU 31 when the main power of the printer 100 is input or when the printer 100 returns from the sleep mode. The sleep mode is a state in which power supply to a part of the printer 100 is stopped for power saving. The printer 100 cannot print in the sleep mode and does not feed paper from the paper feed tray.

  In the printing process, first, it is determined whether one of the open / close sensors 61 to 63 has recovered from the undetectable state (S101). The undetectable state is a state in which the open / close sensors 61 to 63 cannot detect the open / close of the paper feed trays 51 to 53. For example, the open / close sensors 61 to 63 during the sleep mode of the printer 100 correspond to the undetectable state. If it is determined that there are the open / close sensors 61 to 63 recovered from the undetectable state (S101: Yes), the rank changing process is performed using the paper feed trays 51 to 53 that are the detection targets of the recovered open / close sensors 61 to 63 as target trays. Is executed (S102).

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there are no open / close sensors 61 to 63 recovered from the undetectable state (S101: No), among the paper feed trays 51 to 53, there is a tray whose open / close is detected by the open / close sensors 61 to 63. Whether or not (S103). When the CPU 31 determines that there is an opened / closed tray (S103: Yes), the CPU 31 executes the order changing process using the opened / closed tray as the target tray (S102).

  Next, the order changing process executed in S102 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The order change process is a process for changing the priority order after opening / closing of the target tray, which is the detection target of the open / close sensor, to the top when there is an open / close sensor that has recovered from the undetectable state or has detected open / close. It is. This processing is processing when there is one target tray.

  In the order change process, first, it is determined whether or not the printer 100 is in a paper jam state (S201). If a paper jam is detected by the jam detection unit 69 when opening / closing is detected by the open / close sensors 61 to 63, it is determined that the paper jam has occurred. If it is determined that the paper jam has occurred (S201: Yes), there is a high possibility that the paper feed trays 51-53 have been opened and closed simply to recover from the paper jam. Therefore, the order changing process is terminated without changing the priority order after opening / closing the target tray.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the sheet is not jammed (S201: No), it is determined whether or not the target tray has no sheet (S203). When the open / close sensors 61 to 63 detect the open / close of the target tray, when the open / closed sensors 65 to 67 detect the presence / absence of the paper in the target tray, it is determined that there is no paper. . If it is determined that there is no paper (S203: Yes), there is a high possibility that the tray has been opened and closed to replenish paper. If the paper is simply opened and closed for paper replenishment, the possibility of changing the paper size is low. Therefore, when the target tray is out of paper, the order changing process is terminated without changing the priority order after opening and closing of the target tray.

  If it is determined that there is paper in the target tray (S203: No), the priority after opening / closing of the target tray is changed to the top (S204). For this purpose, the CPU 31 stores a provisional priority order with the target tray as the highest order in the post-open / close priority order column (see FIG. 3) in the tray information 35. Further, the fact that the state of the target tray is after opening and closing is stored (S205). Further, the non-target trays are also sequentially lowered based on the priority after opening / closing, and the priority after opening / closing is determined and stored in order from the second place (S206). Since the priority order after opening and closing of all trays is determined, the order changing process is terminated.

  FIG. 3 shows an example in which all trays are not opened and closed. In this example, the same information as the priority order is stored as the priority order after opening and closing. As will be described later, when there is no tray whose state is after opening and closing, the information on the priority after opening and closing is not used, so any content may be used. Then, for example, when the tray C53 is opened / closed from the state shown in FIG. 3, the temporary order is stored in the post-open / close priority order column as shown in FIG. That is, the priority after opening / closing of the tray C53 is changed to “1”, and the state of the tray C53 is changed to “after opening / closing”. Furthermore, the priority after opening / closing of the other paper feed trays 51 and 52 is determined based on the priority. The priority column is not changed.

  In the order change process, not only the target tray to be changed to the highest level but also the priority order after opening / closing of the target tray is determined. If there is a tray that has been opened and closed, the paper feed trays 51 to 53 to be fed are determined based on the priority order after opening and closing instead of the priority order. For example, when the uppermost paper feed trays 51 to 53 run out during printing, paper is fed in order from the next paper feed tray 51 to 53.

  Returning to FIG. 4, since the order changing process in S <b> 102 has been completed, the process proceeds to S <b> 104 to determine whether a print instruction has been received. Further, when it is determined that there is no target tray that has been recovered from the undetectable state by the open / close sensors 61 to 63 (S103: No), it is determined whether a print instruction has been received (S104). . If it is determined that the print instruction has not been received (S104: No), it is determined whether the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105).

  For example, when the user presses the power switch, the power is turned off. Further, for example, when a state where there is no instruction input or print data reception by the user continues for a predetermined time or longer, the sleep mode is set. If it is determined that the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105: Yes), the printing process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power is not turned off or the sleep mode is not set (S105: No), the process returns to S101. Then, S101 to S105 are repeated to receive a print instruction, or to wait until the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set.

  If any of the paper feed trays 51 to 53 is opened and closed again during standby, the order changing process is executed again. For example, when the tray C53 is opened / closed from the state shown in FIG. 3 and a temporary order is stored in the post-open / close priority column as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. The priority after opening / closing of the tray A51 opened / closed later becomes “1”, and the priority after opening / closing of the tray C53 opened / closed first is changed to “2”. In the status column, “after opening / closing” is stored for both tray A51 and tray C53.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that a print instruction has been received (S104: Yes), execution tray determination processing is executed (S106). Next, the execution tray determination process executed in S106 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When execution of the execution tray determination process is started, the CPU 31 determines whether or not a paper feed tray is specified in the print instruction (S301). When the paper feed tray is designated by the user (S301: Yes), the designated tray is determined as the execution tray (S302). When there is a user instruction, it is better to use the tray specified by the user regardless of the priority order of the paper feed trays.

  If the paper feed tray is not specified in the print instruction (S301: No), it is determined whether or not there is a paper feed tray 51-53 whose state is after opening / closing with reference to the tray information 35 (S301: No). S303). When it is determined that there is no paper tray 51 to 53 after opening / closing (S303: No), the execution tray is determined based on the priority order among all trays. That is, the paper feed trays 51 to 53 whose selected paper size is the same as the paper size of the print data are selected, and the paper feed trays 51 to 53 having the highest priority are determined as execution trays. (S304). If there is no tray of the same size, for example, printing may be interrupted and a warning displayed. Furthermore, the trays below the next level are determined based on the priority order. When the execution tray is determined, the execution tray determination process ends.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there are the paper feed trays 51 to 53 that have been opened and closed (S303: Yes), the execution tray is determined with priority on the paper feed trays 51 to 53 that have been opened and closed. Therefore, it is determined whether or not there are paper feed trays 51 to 53 whose state is after opening and closing and whose set paper size is the same as the paper size of the print data (S305). If it is determined that there are no paper feed trays 51 to 53 that satisfy this condition (S305: No), priority is given to the paper feed trays 51 to 53 whose paper size matches the print data even if the state is not open / closed. To determine the execution tray (S304). Furthermore, the trays below the next are determined based on the priority after opening and closing. Then, the execution tray determination process ends.

  If it is determined that there are paper feed trays 51 to 53 whose state is after opening and closing and the set paper size is the same as the paper size of the print data (S305: Yes), the tray is Determine the execution tray. If there are a plurality of paper feed trays 51 to 53 that satisfy these conditions, the paper feed trays 51 to 53 with the highest priority after opening and closing are determined as execution trays (S306). Furthermore, the trays below the next are determined based on the priority after opening and closing. Then, the execution tray determination process ends.

  Returning to FIG. 4, since the execution tray determination process of S106 is completed, printing is performed (S107). That is, the CPU 31 feeds paper from the paper feed trays 51 to 53 determined as the execution tray, and causes the printing unit 10 to perform printing based on the print data. When the paper is fed for printing, the paper sensor 77 detects the fed paper and acquires the paper size using the information on the conveyance speed (S108). Note that S108 is substantially executed in parallel with the execution of S107.

  When the printing is finished, the CPU 31 executes a change process after changing the information related to the execution tray in the tray information 35 (S109). Subsequently, the post-change process executed in S109 will be described with reference to FIG. In the post-change process, the CPU 31 rewrites the tray information 35 for the tray determined as the execution tray.

  Specifically, the paper size of the execution tray is updated to the paper size acquired in S108 of FIG. 4 (S401). At this time, if the paper size set so far is different from the paper size acquired in S108, the user may be notified of the update. For example, an error message may be sent to the user who executed display or printing on the operation panel 40.

  Next, it is assumed that the execution tray is not opened or closed (S402). Furthermore, the post-open / close priority column is changed based on the post-open / close priority and priority (S403). For example, if there is another tray that has been opened / closed, the priority after opening / closing the tray is set to the highest. Alternatively, when there are no more trays in the opened / closed state, the contents of the priority order after opening / closing may be the same as the priority order. Further, if necessary, information on the feeding frequency of the execution tray is changed (S404). In addition, the procedure of S401-S404 is not restricted to this, You may perform in any order and may be performed in parallel. This completes the post-change process.

  Returning to FIG. 4, since the post-change process in S109 is completed, it is determined whether the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105). If it is determined that the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105: Yes), the printing process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power is not turned off or the sleep mode is not set (S105: No), the process returns to S101. This completes the printing process.

  As described above, in the printing process according to the first embodiment, paper is preferentially fed from the opened / closed tray even if there is no setting operation by the user, and the paper size of the opened / closed paper feed tray is updated early. . For example, even when a paper having a size different from the set size is stored in the opened / closed tray, the change in size is notified, so that the user can quickly notice and expect appropriate measures. Furthermore, after the paper size information is updated, the state of the fed tray is no longer after the opening / closing, and is returned to the priority after opening / closing before the change. Therefore, after the confirmation of the paper size, the priority order after opening and closing that meets the user's expectations is preferable.

[Second form]
Next, the procedure of the printing process according to the second embodiment for realizing the printing operation by the printer 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the printing process of the second form, the process of changing the priority after opening / closing of the paper feed tray to the highest order is executed after receiving the print instruction. In this regard, even if there is no print instruction, this is different from the first embodiment executed every time the tray is opened and closed. The same processes as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  First, as in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not there are open / close sensors 61 to 63 recovered from the undetectable state (S101), and whether or not there is an open / closed tray (S103). In this embodiment, when there is a recovered open / close sensor 61-63 or when there is an open / closed tray, only the status column of the tray information 35 is rewritten first.

  That is, when it is determined that there are recovered open / close sensors 61 to 63 (S101: Yes), the paper feed trays 51 to 53 to be detected by the recovered open / close sensors 61 to 63 are target trays, and The state is changed after opening and closing (S502). If it is determined that there is an opened / closed tray (S103: Yes), the opened / closed paper feed trays 51 to 53 are target trays, and the state of the target tray is changed after opening / closing (S502).

  Next, it is determined whether or not a print instruction has been received (S104). If it is determined that a print instruction has not been received (S104: No), it is determined whether the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105). If it is determined that the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105: Yes), the printing process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power is not turned off or the sleep mode is not set (S105: No), the process returns to S101. And it repeats the determination of S101, S103, S104, and S105, and waits. That is, in this embodiment, the CPU 31 only changes the status column of the tray information 35 while not receiving a print instruction, and does not change the priority after opening / closing.

  If it is determined that a print instruction has been received (S104: Yes), the tray information 35 is referred to and it is determined whether or not there are paper trays 51 to 53 whose states have been opened and closed (S506). If it is determined that there are no paper feed trays 51 to 53 that are in the opened / closed state (S506: No), the execution tray is determined according to the print instruction or the priority order of the tray information 35 (S507). That is, when a paper feed tray is specified in the print instruction, the print instruction is given priority. If no tray is specified in the print instruction, the execution tray is determined based on the tray information 35, as in S304 of the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there are paper feed trays 51 to 53 that are in the opened / closed state (S506: Yes), the paper trays 51 to 53 are opened and closed so that the opened / closed tray is given priority. Determine priority. For this purpose, a print execution tray determination process is executed (S509). Next, the print time execution tray determination process executed in S509 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In the execution tray determination process at the time of printing, first, as in the execution tray determination process of the first embodiment (see FIG. 8), it is determined whether or not a paper feed tray is specified in the print instruction (S301). When the paper feed tray is designated by the user (S301: Yes), the designated tray is determined as the execution tray (S302). When the execution tray is determined, the printing execution tray determination process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if there is no instruction from the user (S301: No), it is determined whether there is a tray whose paper size is the same as the size of the print data among the trays whose states are after opening and closing (S601). ). If it is determined that there is no tray having the same size as the print data size after the open / close state (S601: No), the paper size is the print data size even if the state is not open / closed. Priority is given to the same size tray. That is, the tray having the highest priority among the trays having the same paper size as the print data size is determined as the execution tray (S602). When the execution tray is determined, the order of other trays is determined (S603), and the execution tray determination process for printing is terminated. The trays below the next level are determined based on the priority order.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there is a tray whose state is the same as the size of the print data after the open / close state (S601: Yes), it is determined whether there are a plurality of trays satisfying these two conditions. Judgment is made (S604). If it is determined that there is only one tray that satisfies these two conditions (S604: No), the corresponding tray is determined as the execution tray (S605). That is, a tray whose state is after opening and closing and whose paper size is the same as the size of the print data is set as the execution tray. When the execution tray is determined, the order of other trays is determined (S603), and the execution tray determination process for printing is terminated.

  If it is determined that there are a plurality of trays whose states are the same as the size of the print data after the open / close state (S604: Yes), the tray with the highest priority among them is determined as the execution tray. (S606). That is, the tray with the highest priority among all trays opened and closed by the execution of printing is set as the execution tray. Unlike the first mode in which the post-open / close priority column is changed each time the switch is opened / closed, in this embodiment, the execution tray is determined regardless of the opening / closing sequence. When the execution tray is determined, the order of other trays is determined (S603), and the execution tray determination process for printing is terminated.

  Returning to FIG. 10, the paper is fed from the execution tray determined in the printing execution tray determination process in S509, and printing is executed. As in the first mode (see FIG. 4), printing is executed (S107), and the paper size of the execution tray is acquired (S108). Further, post-change processing is executed (S109). Then, it is determined whether the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105). If it is determined that the power is turned off or the sleep mode is set (S105: Yes), the printing process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined that the power is not turned off or the sleep mode is not set (S105: No), the process returns to S101. This completes the printing process.

  As described above, in the printing process of the second form, similarly to the first form, even if there is no setting operation by the user, paper is fed preferentially from the opened and closed trays, The paper size is updated early. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, after receiving a print instruction, the execution tray is determined based on the priority order of all the paper feed trays that have been opened and closed. That is, since the execution tray is determined regardless of the opening / closing order of the sheet feeding trays 51 to 53, there is a high possibility that it matches the user's intention.

  As described above in detail, the printer 100 according to the present embodiment opens and closes the opened and closed sheet feeding trays 51 to 53 on the condition that the opening and closing sensors 61 to 63 detect the opening and closing of the sheet feeding trays 51 to 53. Change the post priority to the top. Further, the execution tray for executing paper feeding is determined according to the priority after opening and closing. Then, the size of the paper fed from the execution tray is acquired by the paper sensor 77 in the transport path 11. Thereby, the size of the paper fed from the execution tray is acquired. Further, the acquired paper size is stored in the tray information 35 as the paper size of the execution tray. That is, paper is preferentially fed from the opened and closed paper feed trays 51 to 53, and the paper size of the tray is automatically set. Therefore, the paper sizes of the opened and closed paper feed trays 51 to 53 are updated early without waiting for a setting operation by the user. Therefore, the printer 100 having a plurality of paper feed trays 51 to 53 can be expected to feed paper from the appropriate paper feed trays 51 to 53 while reducing the time and effort of the user.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is not limited to a printer, and can be applied as long as it has a function of feeding and printing from any of a plurality of trays, such as a copying machine, a multifunction machine, and a FAX. The printing method of the printing unit 10 is not limited to the electrophotographic method, and may be an ink jet method. The present invention can be applied to an apparatus capable of color printing and an apparatus dedicated to monochrome printing.

  Further, for example, in the above embodiment, after executing printing, the post-opening / closing priority order is returned to the priority order in S403 of the post-change process (FIG. 9), but it is not always necessary to return it. However, the return is preferable for the user who prints the paper feed trays 51 to 53 as the automatic selection because it conforms to the user's intention. Also, the execution tray feed frequency need not be changed (S404).

  In the apparatus in which the plurality of open / close sensors 61 to 63 cannot be detected when the main power is off or in the sleep mode, the plurality of paper feed trays are not detected when the power is turned on or when the sleep mode is restored. It becomes the recovered target tray. In such an apparatus, it is desirable to implement the second embodiment. In the case of implementing the first embodiment, in the order changing process of FIG. 5, for example, the priority order among the target trays may be determined based on the priority order.

  Also, for example, when there are a plurality of trays to be prioritized after opening and closing in the printing execution tray determination process (FIG. 11) of the second form (Yes in S604), the information on the paper feeding frequency is used instead of the priority order. The execution tray may be determined based on this. That is, in S606, a tray with a high sheet feeding frequency may be determined as an execution tray. Also in the first embodiment, when there are a plurality of target trays, the order may be determined using the information on the paper feeding frequency.

  Further, for example, when the paper feeding frequency of the opened / closed tray is equal to or lower than the threshold value, the priority after opening / closing of the tray may not be changed to higher. For example, reference is made to the paper feed frequency of the target tray in at least one of the steps S101 and S103 of the first type printing process (FIG. 4) and S101 and S103 of the second type printing process (FIG. 10). To do. If the paper feed frequency is equal to or less than the threshold, it may be determined as No, not the target tray. In this way, in a tray with a low sheet feeding frequency, the priority after opening / closing is not changed to higher rank even if the tray is opened / closed. A tray with a low paper feeding frequency is less likely to recognize the paper size at an early stage. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid complication of control.

  Further, for example, in the execution tray determination process (FIG. 8) or the print execution tray determination process (FIG. 11), it is not necessary to determine whether the paper size is the same as the print data size (S305, S601). Good. That is, the opened and closed tray may be used preferentially regardless of the paper size.

  For example, also in the second embodiment, a tray that is opened and closed in a state where a paper jam or no paper is detected may not be opened and closed. That is, after S502 in FIG. 10, it may be after opening and closing only when there is no paper jam or no paper.

  Further, for example, when the information on the paper size of the execution tray stored in the tray information 35 is different from the paper size acquired at the time of printing, an indication to update the paper size on the operation panel 40 is displayed. May be performed. Alternatively, the user may be inquired whether or not to update the paper size.

  Further, for example, the execution timing of the post-change process may be after the printing of one sheet is finished or after the printing of one job is finished.

  Also, for example, when a paper feed tray is specified in the print instruction, the print instruction is given priority even if there is a paper tray that has been opened and closed, but this is not restrictive. Even if the tray is specified in the print instruction, paper may be fed preferentially from the opened / closed tray. That is, S301 in the execution tray determination process (FIG. 8) and the print execution tray determination process (FIG. 11) may be omitted.

  The processing disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, a plurality of CPUs, hardware such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing disclosed in the embodiment can be realized in various modes such as a recording medium or a method recording a program for executing the processing.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printing part 11 Conveyance path 31 CPU
34 Nonvolatile storage unit 35 Tray information 51, 52, 53 Paper feed tray 61, 62, 63 Open / close sensor 69 Jam detection unit 71, 72, 73 Paper presence sensor 77 Paper sensor

Claims (9)

A plurality of paper feed trays for storing paper,
An open / close detector for detecting the open / close of each of the paper feed trays;
A paper transport path that is a transport path for paper fed from each of the paper feed trays;
A printing unit that prints an image on a sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path;
An order storage unit for storing priorities of the respective paper feed trays that perform paper feeding;
A size storage unit for storing the paper size set in each of the paper feed trays;
An acquisition unit for acquiring a size of a sheet fed from each of the sheet feeding trays to the sheet conveyance path;
A control unit;
With
The controller is
A determination process for determining an execution tray which is the paper supply tray for executing paper supply according to the priority order;
A setting process for storing, in the size storage unit, the size of the paper fed from the execution tray acquired by the acquisition unit as the size of the paper set in the execution tray;
A change process for changing the specific tray, which is the detected paper feed tray, to the top of the priority order on the condition that the open / close detection unit detects the opening / closing of the paper feed tray;
The printing apparatus characterized by performing. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller is
After the sheet is fed from the specific tray that has been changed to the highest level by the change process, a post-change process is executed to change the priority of the specific tray to the order before the change. . In the printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The controller is
On the condition that the opening / closing detection unit has changed from a state in which the opening / closing of the sheet feeding tray cannot be detected to a state in which it can be detected, the sheet feeding tray to be detected by the opening / closing detection unit A printing apparatus characterized by executing an impossible return changing process to be changed. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A paper detector for detecting whether or not there is paper in each of the paper feed trays;
In the changing process, when the paper detection unit detects the absence of paper for the paper feed tray whose opening / closing is detected by the open / close detection unit, the priority order of the paper feed tray is not changed. Printing device. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A jam detecting unit for detecting whether or not a paper jam has occurred in the paper transport path;
In the changing process, when opening / closing of the paper feed tray is detected by the open / close detection unit during a period when paper jam is detected by the jam detection unit, the priority order of the paper feed tray is not changed. A printing apparatus characterized by the above. In the printing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5,
The control unit executes the change process in response to the start of printing control in the printing unit,
In the change process, when the open / close detection unit detects the opening / closing of a plurality of the paper feed trays, the priority order of the plurality of paper feed trays is determined according to the priority order stored in the order storage unit. A printing apparatus that is changed in order from the top. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A frequency storage unit that stores frequency information that is information related to the paper feed frequency of the paper feed tray;
In the change process, when the opening / closing detection unit detects the opening / closing of a plurality of the sheet feeding trays, the priority order of the plurality of sheet feeding trays is determined based on the frequency information. A printing apparatus characterized by changing to a higher rank. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A frequency storage unit that stores frequency information that is information related to the paper feed frequency of the paper feed tray;
In the changing process, the priority order is not changed for the paper feed tray having a paper feed frequency equal to or less than a threshold based on the frequency information. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
In the determining process, the execution tray is determined in accordance with the priority order from the sheet feeding trays having the same size as the size set in the print data.

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