JP2015174756A - Image formation apparatus and unlocking method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable even a non-administrator user to replenish an image formation apparatus, including a paper feed tray with a lock mechanism, with sheets before the image formation apparatus runs out of sheets.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus 1 includes: paper feed trays 16a, 16b, ...; lock mechanisms 15a, 15b, ..., which lock the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, ..., so as to disable sheets stored in the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, ..., to be taken out; residual quantity detection parts 17a, 17b, ..., which detect the remaining quantities of sheets stored in the paper feed trays 16a, 16b, ..., locked by the lock mechanisms 15a, 15b, ...; and a control part 10 which performs processing to unlock the paper feed tray 16a, 16b, ..., whose remaining quantity meets the condition that the remaining quantity of the paper feed tray is less than a predetermined quantity.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an unlocking method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including a paper feed tray with a lock mechanism and an unlocking method for unlocking the image forming apparatus.

  In general, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and multi-function machines to which functions other than the copy function are added are used to supply a large amount of recording paper instead of or in addition to the manual feed tray. A tray is provided. Further, the image forming apparatus has a charging function and may be installed in a public facility such as a convenience store or a school. In this case, the user pays a usage fee and uses the copy function and print function of the image forming apparatus.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus may be installed in a public facility or the like. For this reason, it is necessary to take measures against theft of the paper stored in the paper feed tray. Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism for locking a paper feed tray (paper feed cassette) in order to protect special paper such as securities from theft.

  Further, regarding such a lock, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for monitoring the states of a plurality of paper feed trays and releasing the lock when the plurality of paper feed trays are in a predetermined error state. Yes. Here, the predetermined error refers to an error that needs to be dealt with by pulling out the paper feed tray due to a paper jam or the like.

JP 2004-292144 A JP 2007-210257 A

  However, in the prior art including the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, even when paper is replenished with some paper remaining, it is necessary for the administrator to always release the lock. The burden is increased for the manager who is. Therefore, there is a demand for an image forming apparatus that allows a non-administrator user to replenish paper before the paper runs out.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including a paper feed tray with a lock mechanism, even for a non-administrator user before paper runs out. It is possible to perform replenishment.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first technical means of the present invention includes a paper feed tray and a lock mechanism that locks the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be taken out. An image forming apparatus that detects a remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism, and the remaining amount of the paper feed tray is less than a predetermined amount. And a control unit that executes a process of enabling unlocking of the paper feed tray when the condition is satisfied.

  According to a second technical means of the present invention, in the first technical means, a setting as to whether or not to execute the processing when the condition is satisfied and / or a setting of the predetermined amount are performed by an operation of an administrator. It is characterized by having a setting unit for execution.

  According to a third technical means of the present invention, in the second technical means, the plurality of paper feed trays are provided, and the setting unit executes the processing when the condition is satisfied for each of the paper feed trays. The setting of whether or not and / or the setting of the predetermined amount can be executed.

  According to a fourth technical means of the present invention, in any one of the first to third technical means, the paper processing tray further includes another paper feed tray that cannot perform the process.

  According to a fifth technical means of the present invention, in the technical means according to any one of the first to fourth technical means, the control unit, after the process, has a remaining amount of the paper feed tray other than the predetermined amount. When the amount exceeds a predetermined value, the lock of the paper feed tray that is the target of the processing is resumed.

  According to a sixth technical means of the present invention, there is provided an unlocking method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a paper feed tray; and a lock mechanism that locks the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be removed. A detection step of detecting a remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism; and a control unit of the image forming apparatus. And a release step of executing a process for enabling the lock of the paper feed tray when the condition that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray is below a predetermined amount is satisfied.

  According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus provided with a paper feed tray with a lock mechanism, even a non-administrator user can replenish paper before running out of paper.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of an external appearance of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1A. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of unlocking processing in the image forming apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1B. It is a block diagram which shows the example of 1 structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a lock setting process in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an external view illustrating an example of an operation unit in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an unlock setting UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an unlocking UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lock UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG. 4. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of a setting UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a lock release process executed in an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lock release setting UI image displayed in a lock setting process executed before the lock release process of FIG. 8.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus having an image forming function (printing function), such as a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a copy function, a printer function, a facsimile function, and the like, a printer device, a facsimile device, and a copy device. Machine. Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating an appearance example of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1A.

  As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 10 that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1, paper feed trays 16 a to 16 e, and paper remaining in each paper feed tray. The remaining amount detection units 17a, 17b,. . . For each paper feed tray, lock mechanisms 15a, 15b,... That lock the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be taken out. . . And a printing unit 13 that performs printing by forming an image on a sheet. The paper feed tray 16 e is a large capacity paper feed tray that can be added as an option of the image forming apparatus 1.

  In the following, the lock mechanisms 15a, 15b,. . . , Paper feed trays 16a, 16b,. . . , Remaining amount detection units 17a, 17b,. . . May be described as a lock mechanism 15, a paper feed tray 16, and a remaining amount detection unit 17. In FIG. 1A, the remaining amount detection unit 17 and the paper feed tray 16 are illustrated in a separated position, but actually, the remaining amount detection unit 17 is provided inside or adjacent to the paper feed tray 16. Yes.

  In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 illustrated here communicates with an operation unit 11 that receives an operation input from a user, a document reading unit 12 that optically reads an image of a document, an external personal computer (PC), and the like. And a communication unit 14.

Hereinafter, each component will be described in detail.
The control unit 10 stores a control program (firmware) for controlling the entire image forming apparatus 1 in the program storage area, and performs various controls by operating the control program. For example, the control unit 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a work area, and a control device such as a storage device that stores the control program and various settings. It can also be mounted as an integrated circuit / IC (Integrated Circuit) chip set. Examples of the storage device include a flash ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc., and a storage unit (not shown) such as an HDD for storing images Can also be used.

  The operation unit 11 includes a key operation unit 11a and a touch panel unit 11b. The user can input setting values and execute processing when using the image forming apparatus 1 from the operation unit 11. The key operation unit 11a is a hardware key for receiving a user operation.

  The touch panel unit 11b includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display, and a touch sensor unit that detects a touch operation on the display area of the display unit by the user. Examples of the sensor provided as the touch sensor unit include a capacitance type sensor and a resistance film type sensor.

  A UI (User Interface) image is displayed on the display unit. When a touch is detected on the displayed UI image by the touch sensor unit, the control unit 10 controls the UI image corresponding to the touch position. The processing indicated by the image is executed, and the UI image is changed as necessary.

  The document reading unit 12 is a portion that is provided on the lower surface of a document table on which a document (paper) to be read is placed, and that optically reads a document image on the sheet placed on the document table. be called. The image forming apparatus 1 can also be provided with an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) on the document table. The ADF is a device for automatically conveying a document, and an image of the automatically conveyed document is read by the document reading unit 12. Of course, the document reading unit 12 may be separately provided in the ADF. Here, the ADF includes devices called SPF (Single Pass Feeder) and RSPF (Reversing Single Pass Feeder).

  The printing unit 13 directly inputs image data from the document reading unit 12 or inputs image data after image processing is performed on the image data from the document reading unit 12 by an image processing unit (not shown), and the image is input. Print on printing paper. Examples of the printing method in the printing unit 13 include an electrophotographic method and an inkjet method.

  The communication unit 14 is a communication interface that is connected to, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) and receives a print job from a PC, and performs communication of electronic mail data and Internet FAX via the Internet. The Internet FAX transmits and receives a file indicating transmission / reception contents attached to an electronic mail.

  The paper feed tray 16 has a cassette shape so that paper can be taken in and out by being pulled out from the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 and is also called a paper feed cassette or a paper feed magazine. In addition to the present embodiment, an example in which a plurality of paper feed trays 16 are basically provided will be described in the embodiments described later, but the same applies to the case where only one is provided. . Of course, the image forming apparatus 1 may be provided with a manual feed tray, but this manual feed tray is not subject to locking by the lock mechanism 15.

  The lock mechanism 15 is a mechanism that individually locks each paper feed tray 16 so that paper cannot be taken in and out, and any physical mechanism may be used. For example, the lock mechanism 15a is a mechanism that locks the paper feed tray 16a, and the lock mechanism 15b is a mechanism that locks the paper feed tray 16b. The lock may be executed by control from the control unit 10. That is, when a certain paper feed tray 16 is to be locked, the control unit 10 issues a lock instruction to the lock mechanism 15 corresponding to the paper feed tray, thereby locking the paper feed tray 16 to the lock mechanism 15. To do.

  In the image forming apparatus 1, the lock can be released only by the operation of the administrator of the image forming apparatus 1 except for an automatic release process and a release permission process described later. The administrator is a user who is given a predetermined authority (including at least an unlocking authority). Whether the user is an administrator or a non-administrator user may be determined by inputting an ID and password from the operation unit 11 or using an authentication card such as an IC card.

  The remaining amount detection unit 17 is a sensor that individually detects the remaining amount of paper stored in each paper feed tray 16. The remaining amount detection unit 17 may detect the remaining amount of the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism 15. However, the remaining amount detection unit 17 may be controlled to execute the remaining amount detection regardless of the locked / unlocked state.

  As a main feature of the present invention, the control unit 10 refers to the detection result of the remaining amount detection unit 17, and when the condition that the remaining amount of the sheet supply tray 16 falls below a predetermined amount, the sheet supply tray 16 Execute the process that makes it possible to release the lock. This process includes, in addition to the automatic release process, for example, a process for permitting the release (referred to as a release permission process).

  The automatic release process refers to a process of releasing the lock of the paper feed tray when the above conditions are satisfied. For example, when the remaining amount detection unit 17b detects that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray 16b is less than a predetermined amount, the lock mechanism is configured so that the control unit 10 receives the detection result and unlocks the paper feed tray 16b. 15b is instructed.

  The release permission process is not a process of releasing the lock at the moment when the remaining amount falls below the predetermined amount as in the automatic release process, but when the condition that the remaining amount falls below the predetermined amount is satisfied, Is a process for permitting (enabling) a lock release operation (for example, an operation from the touch panel unit 11b).

  More preferably, when the above conditions are satisfied, the user first recognizes that the remaining amount has decreased by inquiring whether to release the lock, and unlocks for the first time when an unlock instruction is received from the user. You may do it. For example, when the remaining amount detection unit 17b detects that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray 16b is less than a predetermined amount, the control unit 10 receives the detection result and determines whether or not the lock release is performed on the paper feed tray 16b. A UI image (not shown) to be inquired is displayed on the touch panel unit 11b, and the lock mechanism 15b is instructed to unlock the paper feed tray 16b only when an operation to be executed is received from the user. The release permission process may be permitted for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) (accepting the unlocking operation) or may be permitted until it is confirmed that a sheet is added without being divided as the predetermined time. Also good.

  Next, an example of the unlocking process in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the unlocking process in the image forming apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1B.

  First, the control unit 10 determines whether or not a print instruction has been received by a user operation from the operation unit 11 or a print job from an external PC (step S1). Instructed to execute the printing (step S2). User operations from the operation unit 11 include a copy instruction and a print instruction for a file stored in a storage unit (not shown). In the former case, the control unit 10 also instructs the document reading unit 12 to perform a document reading process. become.

  After the process of step S2 is started or before the start of step S2, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the paper feed tray 16 for paper used for printing is the target of the automatic release process (step S3). In the case of NO, the process is terminated as it is after the process of step S2.

  If YES in step S3, the control unit 10 instructs the remaining amount detection unit 17 for detecting the remaining amount of the target paper feed tray 16 to detect and detect the remaining amount (step S3). S4). The control unit 10 determines whether there is a tray in which the remaining amount of paper is less than a predetermined amount among the target paper feed trays 16 (step S5). Even when the printing process in step S2 is completed, if NO in step S5, the process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in the case of YES in step S5, the control unit 10 instructs the lock mechanism 15 corresponding to the lower sheet feeding tray 16 to release the lock, causes the lock mechanism 15 to be unlocked (step S6), and ends the process. . Actually, when the lock is released in the middle of printing, printing is resumed by the user storing the paper or by storing the paper and pressing the start key of the operation unit 11 or the like. It will be.

  In this case, regardless of whether the user is an administrator or a non-administrator user, the user can re-lock by pressing the start key. Of course, it can also be configured so that the administrator must relock. This is because there is a case where it is desired to store as much as possible at this opportunity, for example, when the paper feed tray 16 is a large capacity tray. The administrator pulls out the paper feed tray 16 and confirms it (for example, press the OK key). Just re-lock.

  As described above, by automatically unlocking the paper feed tray 16 that has run out of paper, it is possible for non-administrators to efficiently feed paper while preventing paper theft from the paper feed tray 16. It is possible to replenish paper, and even when performing a large amount of printing, paper can be replenished in advance before the paper runs out. Although the automatic release process has been described, when the release permission process is applied, the lock release operation can be accepted for the paper feed tray 16 whose remaining paper amount is low. In this case as well, paper can be efficiently replenished by a person other than the administrator while preventing paper theft from the paper feed tray 16. As described above, according to the present invention, paper is prevented from being stolen, and even if the administrator does not directly replenish the paper, the user who has acquired the paper from a predetermined paper storage area or the administrator receives the paper. The user can refill the paper.

<Second Embodiment>
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is configured such that an administrator can set the automatic release process. Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described, but the description of the same points as the first embodiment will be omitted.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 a according to the present embodiment includes a setting unit 10 a that performs various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 by the operation of the administrator in the image forming apparatus 1 of FIG. 1A. . In FIG. 3, the setting unit 10 a is provided in the control unit 10, and an example in which an operation by an administrator from the operation unit 11 is input and setting is performed is given. Of course, the setting unit 10 a may be provided outside the control unit 10.

  In the present embodiment, the above various settings include a setting as to whether or not to execute the automatic release processing when the above conditions are satisfied, and / or the setting of the predetermined amount. In addition, when only the setting of the predetermined amount is included, it is assumed that the automatic release processing is executed. Of course, as described in the first embodiment, the above-described various settings may include a setting as to whether or not to lock the paper feed tray 16. In the case where a plurality of paper feed trays 16 are provided as illustrated, by providing a paper feed tray that does not lock itself, it is possible to use the paper feed tray by inserting paper only when necessary.

  Next, an example of the unlock setting process, which is a pre-process of the unlock process in the image forming apparatus 1a, will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the lock setting process in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 5 is an external view showing an example of the operation unit in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 3, and FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C are an unlock setting UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the UI image for cancellation | release, and the UI image for lock | rock. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of the setting UI image displayed in the lock setting process of FIG.

  The unlock setting process in the image forming apparatus 1a is included in a setting process (lock setting process) related to the lock (tray lock) of the paper feed tray 16. The lock setting process is started when the setting unit 10a receives a predetermined setting operation regarding the tray lock from the operation unit 11 (step S11). An example of such a setting operation will be described with reference to FIG. 5 with specific examples of the key operation unit 11a and the touch panel unit 11b.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the key operation unit 11a may be provided with a power key, a power saving key, a home screen transition key (home transition key) 11c, and the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and other keys such as a start key for starting copying and a number key group for inputting numbers may be provided. Moreover, as a UI image displayed on the said display part of the touchscreen part 11b as an initial screen, UI image 20 shown in FIG. 5, etc. are mentioned, for example.

  The UI image 20 uses functions provided in the image forming apparatus 1 such as a copy function selection key (copy mode selection key) 21, an E-mail function selection key 22, a FAX function selection key 23, and an Internet FAX function selection key 24. Keys to be displayed are selectable by the user. In addition, a setting key 25 for making a transition to a screen for various settings including a lock setting process is also displayed on the UI image 20 so as to be selectable by the user. It should be noted that, for example, the UI image can be changed by a hardware key pressing operation, such as the home shift key 11c. In order to use the function selected by the FAX function selection key 23, the image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a FAX communication unit that transmits and receives a FAX image via a printing unit, a telephone line, etc. (not shown). Good.

  When the setting key 25 is selected in the UI image 20, a transition is made to a UI image (not shown) for various settings, and a key for transitioning to a lock setting UI image is displayed therein. When the key is selected, the setting unit 10a displays a lock setting UI image (not shown) as a setting screen when the administrator ID has already been logged in (step S14). If the administrator ID is not logged in, prior to step S14, the control unit 10 (or setting unit 10a) displays and inputs a UI image requesting an ID / password (step S12), and the ID And the password match (step S13). If YES, the process proceeds to step S14. If NO, an error is displayed (step S15), and the process ends.

  In the lock setting UI image, for example, keys for transitioning to UI images 60, 63, and 64 as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C, respectively, are displayed. The processing following step S14 differs depending on which key is selected.

  The UI image 60 is a UI image for unlocking setting, and displays a check box 61 for checking whether or not to execute the automatic unlocking process, and a remaining amount input field 62 for unlocking. When the UI image 60 is closed by selecting the home transition key 11c or an OK key (not shown) provided separately in the UI image 60 with the check box 61 checked, the setting unit 10a All locked paper feed trays 16 are set as targets for automatic release processing.

  When the UI image 60 is similarly closed while a value (for example, 1 to 99%) is input in the input field 62, the setting unit 10a sets the above value as a condition for executing the automatic release processing. If only the remaining amount is input and the check box 61 is not checked, the processing may be performed assuming that the check box 61 is checked. If no value is entered in the input field 62, a predetermined value (for example, 10%) may be set as the remaining amount corresponding to that field.

  The UI image 63 is a UI image that accepts an operation for forcibly releasing the lock of all the paper feed trays 16, and a “NO” key 63a and a “YES” key 63b are displayed in a selectable manner. When the “No” key 63a is selected, the setting unit 10a returns to the previous screen without releasing the lock. When the “Yes” key 63b is selected, the setting unit 10a forcibly locks all the paper feed trays 16. The lock mechanism 15 is instructed to be released.

  The UI image 64 is a UI image that accepts an operation for forcibly locking all the paper feed trays 16, and a “Yes” key 64a and a “No” key 64b are displayed in a selectable manner. When the “yes” key 64a is selected, the setting unit 10a instructs the lock mechanism 15 to forcibly lock all the paper feed trays 16. When the “no” key 64b is selected, the setting unit 10a performs a lock process. Return to the previous screen without performing a new operation.

  Subsequent to step S14, the setting unit 10a determines whether a forced release operation or a forced lock operation has been performed (step S16). The forcible release operation refers to an operation in which a key for displaying the UI image 63 is selected and the “Yes” key 63b is selected. The forcible lock operation refers to an operation in which a key for displaying the UI image 64 is selected and the “Yes” key 64a is selected. In the case of YES in step S16, all the paper feed trays 16 are unlocked for the forced release operation, all the paper feed trays 16 are locked for the forced lock operation (step S17), and the process is terminated. . In the processes in steps S16 and S17, the forcible release operation and the forcible lock operation are described as the same step for simplification of the drawings. However, in actuality, after determining whether or not one operation is performed, the other operation is performed. It is only necessary to determine whether or not there is an operation and execute the process (forced release / forced lock) for which the operation has been performed.

  In the case of NO in step S16, the setting unit 10a determines whether or not a key for displaying the UI image 60 has been selected for setting input related to the automatic release processing (step S18). If YES in step S18, the setting unit 10a accepts an operation from the operation unit 11 and inputs the operation content (step S19). After step S19 and in the case of NO in step S18, the setting unit 10a determines whether or not a setting end operation has been performed (step S20). In the case of NO, the setting unit 10a returns to step S16 and waits for the setting operation. The setting end operation refers to an operation in which, for example, the home shift key 11c or a separately provided “end” key (not shown) is selected.

  If YES in step S20, the setting unit 10a determines whether or not the check box 61 is checked on the UI image 60 and an input value exists in the input field 62 (step S21). If NO in step S21 (if only the check box 61 is checked), the setting unit 10a sets the remaining amount to be unlocked to 10% (step S22) and stores the set value (step S23). The process is terminated. On the other hand, if YES in step S21, the input value (20% in the example of FIG. 6A) is stored as the remaining amount to unlock (step S23), and the process is terminated. In addition, in the case of YES in step S20, the case where the setting is completed without inputting anything on the UI image 60 is included, but in this case, the processing may be ended as it is and the illustration is omitted.

  After the setting is made in this way, the actual printing execution process as described with reference to FIG. 2 is performed. However, in the case of the present embodiment, the determination in step S3 is executed with reference to not only the information about which paper feed tray 16 is the paper supply source, but also the contents set by the setting unit 10a. become.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1a according to the present embodiment, whether or not the administrator performs the automatic unlocking process depending on the type of paper stored in the paper feed tray 16 or the remaining amount is reached. You can set what to do in case. For example, only paper feed trays that store plain paper are subject to automatic release processing, while paper trays that store value-added paper such as envelopes and special paper such as securities and New Year's cards are subject to automatic release processing. You can also avoid it.

  In addition, when a plurality of paper feed trays 16 are provided as illustrated here, the setting unit 10a sets, for each paper feed tray 16, whether or not to execute automatic release processing when the above conditions are satisfied, and It is preferable that the predetermined amount can be set. For example, the UI image 70 illustrated in FIG. 7 may be displayed instead of the UI image 60 in FIG. 6A. The UI image 70 is a UI image for unlock setting for each paper feed tray 16, and for each paper feed tray 16, check boxes 71 a to 71 d for checking whether or not to execute automatic release processing and unlocking are released. The remaining amount input fields 72a to 72d are displayed. Other points are the same as those of the UI image 60.

  In the UI image 70, a setting example is shown in which automatic release processing is executed when the remaining amounts of the trays 1, 2, and 3 become 15%, 20%, and 0% (empty), respectively. In this example, an example in which a total of four paper feed trays are provided is given, but it is only necessary that all paper feed trays to be locked can be set.

  Further, in the image forming apparatus 1a (or the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment), a paper feed tray that cannot be locked may be provided separately, and the locking itself is possible. A paper feed tray that cannot execute the above may be provided separately. In that case, the lock may be released only by the operation of the administrator. For example, the optional paper feed tray 16e shown in FIG. 1B may be assigned as such a paper feed tray that cannot be locked or automatically released.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the automatic release process has been described as an example, but instead, the release permission process may be applied to allow the administrator to set the release permission process. Furthermore, the administrator may be able to select either the automatic release process or the release permission process for each tray or for all trays in common.

<Third Embodiment>
A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the unlocking process executed in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, an example of re-locking by pressing the start key regardless of whether the user is a manager or a non-administrator user is given. In the embodiment, the lock is resumed after the automatic release processing. Hereinafter, although this embodiment is described, the description of the same points as those of the first and second embodiments is omitted.

  In FIG. 1A or 3, the control unit 10 according to the present embodiment performs the automatic release processing when the remaining amount of the paper feed tray 16 becomes equal to or more than the predetermined amount after the automatic release processing. Control is performed so as to resume the lock of the paper feed tray 16 that is the target of the above.

  First, processing similar to steps S1 to S6 in FIG. 2 is performed (steps S31 to S36), and following step S36, processing of step S37 is executed. However, if NO in step S33, the process ends. If NO in step S35, the process of step S37 is executed.

  In step S37, the control unit 10 determines whether or not there is a paper feed tray 16 that has been unlocked by the processing in steps S31 to S36. If NO in step S37, the process ends. If YES in step S37, the control unit 10 controls an open / close sensor (not shown) to determine whether the corresponding paper feed tray 16 has been opened or closed (step S38). If the lock has been released but has not been opened / closed, this means that no sheet has been added, so step S38 will wait until the answer is YES.

  At the stage of YES in step S38, the control unit 10 instructs the remaining amount detection unit 17 for detecting the remaining amount of the corresponding paper feed tray 16 to detect and detect the remaining amount (step S39). ). The control unit 10 determines whether or not the remaining amount of paper in the corresponding paper feed tray 16 exceeds the other predetermined amount (step S40). If NO in step S40, the process returns to step S38.

  On the other hand, in the case of YES in step S40, the control unit 10 instructs the lock mechanism 15 corresponding to the paper feed tray 16 that has exceeded to be locked (step S41), and ends the process. Actually, when the lock is released in the middle of printing and the sheet is added and relocked, printing is resumed by pressing the start key of the operation unit 11 or the like.

  With the above processing, even when the paper tray 16 is not fully stored at one time, such as a large capacity paper feed tray 16, even when the paper feed tray 16 is temporarily closed and the paper is picked up, the other predetermined amount (for example, It is possible to prevent re-locking until 80%).

  The other predetermined amount is preferably settable by an administrator. Such an example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of an unlock setting UI image displayed in the unlock setting process executed before the unlock process in FIG.

  The UI image 90 is obtained by adding input fields 73 a to 73 d of remaining amounts to be re-locked for each paper feed tray 16 in the UI image 70. When the UI image 90 is closed while a value (for example, 20% to 100%) is input in the input fields 73a to 73d, the setting unit 10a sets the above value as a re-lock condition after the automatic release processing. To do. The input fields 73a to 73d only need to be able to input only values larger than the input fields 72a to 72d, respectively. However, for example, it is possible to input only values larger than a predetermined value such as 20%. preferable. Further, in the UI image 90, if there is a field in which the value is not input among the input fields 73a to 73d, a predetermined value (for example, 80%) may be set as the remaining amount corresponding to the field. Other points are the same as those of the UI images 60 and 70.

  In the UI image 90, when the remaining amounts of the trays 1, 2, and 3 become 15%, 15%, and 0% (empty), the automatic release processing is executed, and the remaining amounts are 30%, 40%, and 20%, respectively. An example of setting to re-lock if it becomes is given. In this example, an example in which a total of four paper feed trays are provided is given, but it is only necessary that all paper feed trays to be locked can be set.

  In the present embodiment, the automatic release process is described as an example, but the same applies to the case where the release permission process is applied. After the release permission process, when the opening / closing of the corresponding tray is detected, the lock may be resumed if the remaining amount of paper is detected and exceeded.

<Configuration example common to the first to third embodiments>
A recording medium (non-temporary recording medium) on which software program codes for realizing the functions in the various embodiments described above are recorded is supplied to the image forming apparatus, and a computer such as a microprocessor or DSP in the image forming apparatus The object of the present invention is also achieved by executing the program code. That is, the present invention can adopt a form as a program code or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program code is recorded. Examples of the recording medium include various media such as an optical disk such as a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a memory card, and a hard disk. The program code can be downloaded from the Internet and executed, or received from a broadcast wave and executed.

  Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has been described above. However, as described in the processing procedure, the present invention prevents the paper feed tray and the paper stored in the paper feed tray from being taken out. A form as a lock releasing method in an image forming apparatus provided with a lock mechanism for locking the paper feed tray can also be adopted. In this unlocking method, the remaining amount detection unit of the image forming apparatus detects the remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism, and the control of the image forming apparatus A release step of executing a process for enabling the lock of the paper feed tray when the remaining amount of the paper feed tray is less than a predetermined amount. Other application examples are the same as those described for the image forming apparatus, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  In other words, the program code itself is a lock mechanism that locks the paper feed tray and the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be removed. And a program for causing a computer of a control unit of the image forming apparatus to execute the program. Here, the unlocking process includes a detection step of detecting a remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism, and a condition that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray is less than a predetermined amount. A release step for executing a process for enabling the lock of the paper feed tray. Other application examples are the same as those described for the image forming apparatus, and a description thereof will be omitted.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a ... Image forming apparatus, 10 ... Control part, 10a ... Setting part, 11 ... Operation part, 11a ... Key operation part, 11b ... Touch panel part, 11c ... Home transfer key, 12 ... Document reading part, 13 ... Printing part , 14 ... communication unit, 15, 15a, 15b ... lock mechanism, 16, 16a, 16b, 16c, 16d, 16e ... paper feed tray, 17, 17a, 17b ... remaining amount detection unit, 20 ... UI image.

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus comprising: a paper feed tray; and a lock mechanism that locks the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be removed.
A remaining amount detection unit that detects a remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism; and a condition that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray is less than a predetermined amount. An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that executes a process for enabling unlocking of the paper tray.   The setting part which performs the setting whether to perform the said process when the said conditions are satisfy | filled and / or the setting of the said predetermined amount is provided with the operation of an administrator, The characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus. A plurality of the paper feed trays;
The setting unit can execute setting of whether or not to execute the process and / or setting of the predetermined amount when the condition is satisfied for each of the sheet feeding trays. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another sheet feeding tray incapable of performing the processing.   When the remaining amount of the paper feed tray becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined amount after the processing, the control unit resumes locking the paper feed tray subjected to the processing. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. An unlocking method for an image forming apparatus, comprising: a paper feed tray; and a lock mechanism that locks the paper feed tray so that the paper stored in the paper feed tray cannot be removed.
A detection step in which a remaining amount detection unit of the image forming apparatus detects a remaining amount of paper stored in the paper feed tray locked by the lock mechanism;
A release step in which the control unit of the image forming apparatus executes a process of enabling the lock of the paper feed tray when the condition that the remaining amount of the paper feed tray falls below a predetermined amount;
An unlocking method characterized by comprising:

Images