JP2017129645A - Image formation apparatus, control program of image formation apparatus and control method of image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

CONSTITUTION: An in-drum discharge type image formation apparatus (10) includes: an in-drum discharge part 16 which is provided between an image formation part (12) and an image reading part (14), and to which a sheet formed with an image by the image formation part (12) is discharged; a see-through type touch panel display 50 which is provided on the front side of the image reading part (14) and above the in-drum discharge part (16) and can be switched between the transmission state and the non-transmission state; and a CPU (62) which switches the touch panel 50 between the transmission state and the non-transmission state.EFFECT: Even when an operation unit is provided on the upper side of the in-drum discharge part, a storage medium discharged to the in-drum discharge part can be visually recognized to prevent the storage medium from being left behind.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus control program, and an image forming apparatus control method, and more particularly to, for example, an in-cylinder discharge type including an image forming unit and an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus control program, and an image forming apparatus control method.

  An example of a background art image forming apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707. The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus in which an image reading unit and a recording sheet creating unit are arranged vertically and a recording sheet discharging unit is provided between the two parts. Further, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a lower part of the image forming apparatus including the recording paper discharge unit protruding the recording paper discharge part to the front side of the upper part, and the recording paper discharge unit. The front part is exposed, and the control panel is provided in the exposed part.

  In the in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the recording paper creating unit is larger than the image reading unit because it contains more components than the image reading unit. For the purpose of effectively using the space generated by the difference in size between the recording paper creating unit and the image reading unit, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, on the front side of the image reading unit, the in-body discharge unit There is an image forming apparatus provided with a control panel including a display above.

JP-A-6-135615 JP-A-2015-057623

  However, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, since the display is provided so as to cover the in-cylinder discharge portion when viewed from the position of the user's eyes (diagonally above), the display becomes an obstacle to the user. However, there is a problem that the recording medium discharged to the in-body discharge portion cannot be visually recognized, and the storage medium is easily forgotten.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a novel image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus control program, and an image forming apparatus control method.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing forgetting to remove the storage medium discharged to the in-cylinder discharge portion.

  A first invention is an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having an image forming unit and an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, and includes an in-cylinder discharge unit, a display, and a control unit. The in-body discharge unit is provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and the recording medium on which the image is formed by the image forming unit is discharged. The display is a see-through display that is provided on the front side of the image reading unit and above the in-cylinder discharge unit, and can be switched between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in which the in-cylinder discharge unit is visible. is there. This display is transparent in the transmissive state, and the other side of the display can be seen through. On the other hand, in the non-transparent state, the display has a software key image for receiving various settings or a print instruction from the user, a scanned image, an image received (acquired) from an external computer and a storage medium, and various types of images. A message etc. is displayed. The control unit switches the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state.

  According to the first aspect, when the display is in the transmissive state, the user can visually recognize the recording medium discharged to the in-body discharge portion. In this way, even when a display is provided above the in-cylinder discharge part, the storage medium discharged to the in-cylinder discharge part can be visually recognized, and forgetting to remove the storage medium is prevented. Can do.

  A second invention is an image forming apparatus according to the first invention, and the control unit switches the display from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state when a print job in the image forming unit is started.

  According to the second aspect, since the display is in the non-transparent state before the print job is started, the user can set the print job while looking at the operation screen displayed on the display. In addition, when the print job is started and the paper is discharged to the in-cylinder discharge unit, the display is in a transparent state, so that the user can see the paper discharged to the in-cylinder discharge unit and forget to remove the paper. Can be prevented. That is, the display can be appropriately switched between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state.

  A third invention is an image forming apparatus according to the first invention, and the control unit switches the display from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state when the print job in the image forming unit is completed.

  According to the third aspect, after the print job is completed, information about the setting of the print job or information about the progress of the print job can be displayed on the display, and the usability of the image forming apparatus is improved. Can do.

  A fourth invention is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third inventions, further comprising determination means for determining whether or not there is a recording medium discharged to the in-cylinder discharge portion, and the control The unit switches the display from the transmission state to the non-transmission state when the determination unit determines that there is no recording medium in the in-cylinder discharge unit when the display is in the transmission state.

  According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when it is determined that there is no paper in the in-cylinder discharge portion, the display is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state, so that when the paper in the in-cylinder discharge portion is properly taken out The user can confirm that he / she has not forgotten to remove the paper depending on whether or not the display is in the non-transmissive state. On the other hand, when the paper in the in-cylinder discharge portion is not taken out, the display is maintained in the transparent state, so that it is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the paper.

  A fifth invention is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth inventions, further comprising a touch panel provided to overlap the display, and the control unit is configured so that the display is in a transmissive state. When a touch operation is detected on the touch panel, the display is switched from the transparent state to the non-transparent state.

  According to the fifth invention, when the user wants to cancel the print job or to change the setting of the print job, by performing a touch operation, the software key or the like is displayed on the display, and various operations are performed. Can be made possible.

  A sixth aspect of the invention is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, further comprising a hardware key, and the control unit has the hardware key when the display is in a transparent state. When operated, the display is switched from a transmissive state to a non-transmissive state.

  According to the sixth invention, when the user wants to cancel the print job or to change the setting of the print job, the software key is displayed on the display by operating the hardware key. Can be operated.

  A seventh invention is an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, wherein the control unit switches between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in a part of the display.

  According to the seventh aspect, the user can visually recognize the paper discharged to the in-cylinder discharge portion, and can prevent the user from forgetting to remove the paper. In addition, information about print job settings, information about the progress of print jobs, and the like can be displayed on the display, and the usability of the image forming apparatus can be improved.

  The eighth invention is provided between the image forming unit, the image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and an image is formed by the image forming unit. An in-cylinder discharge unit for discharging the recording medium, and a front side of the image reading unit, which is provided above the in-cylinder discharge unit, and has a transmission state and a non-transmission state in which the in-cylinder discharge unit is visible. A control program for an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having a see-through type display that can be switched between, wherein the computer of the image forming apparatus switches the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state To function as.

  The ninth invention is provided between the image forming unit, the image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and an image is formed by the image forming unit. An in-cylinder discharge unit for discharging the recording medium, and a front side of the image reading unit, which is provided above the in-cylinder discharge unit, and has a transmission state and a non-transmission state in which the in-cylinder discharge unit is visible. A method for controlling an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having a see-through display that can be switched between, wherein a computer of the image forming apparatus switches the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state.

  Also in each of the eighth and ninth inventions, forgetting to remove the storage medium can be prevented as in the first invention.

  According to the present invention, forgetting to remove the storage medium can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of the external configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is a side view of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 viewed from the left side. FIG. 3A is a top view of an example of the configuration of the operation unit as viewed from above. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing a configuration of a touch panel display. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 6A is an illustrative view showing an example of a touch panel display in a non-transparent state, and FIG. 6B is an illustrative view showing an example of a touch panel display in a transparent state. FIG. 7 is an illustrative view showing one example of a memory map of the RAM shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a part of an example of control processing of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is another part of the control process of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and is a flowchart subsequent to FIG. FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing one example of a touch panel display in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control processing of the image forming apparatus in the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control processing of the image forming apparatus in the third embodiment.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of the external configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is a side view of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the left side.

  Referring to FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a cylinder discharge type image forming in which a cylinder discharge unit 16 is formed between an image forming unit 12 and an image reading unit 14. The apparatus includes an operation unit 18 provided as a separate unit on the front side of the image reading unit 14. As will be described later, the image forming apparatus 10 forms a multicolor or single color image on a predetermined sheet (recording medium) based on the image data read by the image reading unit 14, and the sheet on which the image is formed. Is discharged to the in-body discharge section 16. In the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 is a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a copying function, a printer function, a scanner function, a facsimile function, and the like.

  In the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 and its constituent members are defined in the front-rear direction (depth direction) with the front surface of the image forming apparatus 10 on which the operation unit 18 is provided as the front surface. 10 and the left-right direction (lateral direction) of its constituent members are defined as directions when the front surface of the image forming apparatus 10 is viewed from the front.

  First, the basic configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming unit 12 and an image reading unit 14 provided above the image forming unit 12.

  The case of the image forming unit 12 includes a first connection case 12a formed on the upper right side and a second connection case 12b formed on the upper side on the back side, and these first connection case 12a and second connection case 12b. The image reading unit 14 is supported by the housing 12b. As a result, an in-cylinder discharge unit 16, which is an in-cylinder space in which image-formed paper is accommodated, is formed between the upper surface of the image forming unit 12 and the lower surface of the image reading unit 14.

  Although not shown, the image forming unit 12 includes an exposure unit, a developing device, a photosensitive drum, a charger, an intermediate transfer belt, a transfer roller, a fixing unit, and the like. The image forming unit 12 forms an image by electrophotography on a sheet conveyed from a sheet feeding cassette 20 or the like disposed below the image forming unit 12. That is, the image forming unit 12 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum according to the image data with a charger, an exposure unit, and the like, and the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is developed with toner by the developing unit. Image. Further, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto a sheet by an intermediate transfer belt and a transfer roller, and the toner image transferred onto the sheet is thermally fixed by a fixing unit. Thereafter, the paper on which the image has been formed is discharged from the discharge port 22 formed in the first connection housing 12a to the in-body discharge unit 16. Note that the image data for forming an image on a sheet is image data read by the image reading unit 14, image data transmitted from an external computer, or the like.

  The image reading unit 14 includes a casing 24 having a document placement table formed of a transparent material on the upper surface. In the housing 24, a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an imaging lens, a line sensor, and the like are provided. The image reading unit 14 exposes the document surface with a light source, and guides reflected light reflected from the document surface to the imaging lens by a plurality of mirrors. Then, the reflected light is imaged on the light receiving element of the line sensor by the imaging lens. The line sensor detects the luminance or chromaticity of the reflected light imaged on the light receiving element, and generates image data based on the image on the surface of the document. As the line sensor, a charge coupled device (CCD) or a contact image sensor (CIS) is used.

  The bottom surface of the in-cylinder discharge unit 16 is defined by the upper surface of the casing of the image forming unit 12, and the top surface of the in-cylinder discharge unit 16 is defined by the lower surface of the casing 24 of the image reading unit 14. The right side surface and the back surface of 16 are defined by the side surface of the first connection housing 12a and the side surface of the second connection housing 12b. That is, the front side and the left side of the in-body discharge unit 16 are opened. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the in-cylinder discharge portion 16 receives the image-formed paper discharged from the discharge port 22 and detects the presence or absence of the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26. A discharge sensor 36 is provided. However, the discharge tray 26 corresponds to the upper surface portion of the housing of the image forming unit 12.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a document pressing cover 30 is attached to the upper surface of the image reading unit 14 via a hinge or the like disposed on the back side so as to be freely opened and closed. The document pressing cover 30 is provided with an ADF (automatic document feeder) 34 that automatically feeds documents placed on the document placing tray 32 one by one to the image reading position of the image reading unit 14. It is done.

  Further, the housing 24 of the image reading unit 14 includes a housing protrusion 24 a that protrudes forward from the front surface of the document pressing cover 30. That is, the front end portion of the housing 24 projects forward from the front surface of the document pressing cover 30. An operation unit 18 is provided on the left side of the front surface of the casing 24 of the image reading unit 14. That is, the operation unit 18 is provided on the front side of the image reading unit 14 and above the in-body discharge unit 16. The operation unit 18 is also called an operation device or an operation panel, and is formed in a horizontally long rectangular plate shape. The operation unit 18 is provided so as to be inclined downward toward the front side so that the user can easily see the upper surface (the upper surface of the operation panel). However, the operation unit 18 is attached to the housing of the image reading unit 14 so as to be rotatable about its upper end.

  In addition, a control unit including a CPU 62 (see FIG. 5) that controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 10 is provided at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus 10. The control unit transmits a control signal to each part of the image forming apparatus 10 according to an input operation to the operation unit 18 by the user, etc., and causes the image forming apparatus 10 to execute various operations or is connected to be communicable. Send data to and receive data from other devices.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 18 is provided above the in-cylinder discharge portion 16 and protrudes to the front side. However, there is a problem that the in-cylinder discharge portion 16 cannot be visually recognized, and it is easy to forget to remove the paper.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, the operation unit 18 is configured by a see-through type touch panel display 50 that can be switched between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state, and a frame body 180 that covers the periphery of the touch panel display 50. I made it. For this reason, when the touch panel display 50 is in a transmissive state, the user can visually recognize the in-body discharge unit 16.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the operation unit 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3A is a top view of an example of the configuration of the operation unit 18 as viewed from the top surface side. FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing a configuration of the touch panel display 50.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the operation unit 18 includes a touch panel display 50, a home key 52, and a frame 180 that covers the peripheral edge of the touch panel display 50.

  The frame body 180 has a rectangular opening 180a at the center thereof. The touch panel display 50 is provided so as to close the opening 180 a of the frame body 180. Home key 52 is provided on the right side of touch panel display 50. Although not shown in the drawing, the electrical components (components) of the operation unit 18 including the components constituting the touch panel display 50 are accommodated in the frame body 180.

  The touch panel display 50 includes a display 50a such as a see-through liquid crystal display or a see-through organic EL display capable of switching between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state, and a touch panel integrated display configured by a touch panel 50b provided to overlap the display 50a. It is. The touch panel display 50 is provided on substantially the entire surface excluding the peripheral portion (frame body 180) of the operation unit 18.

  The touch panel display 50 (display 50a) is in a transparent state in the transmissive state, and its rear side can be seen through the touch panel display 50. On the other hand, in the non-transparent state, the touch panel display 50 is like an image of a software key for receiving various settings or a print instruction from the user, a scanned image, or an image received (acquired) from an external computer and a storage medium. A preview image and various messages may be displayed. Therefore, the rear side cannot be seen through the touch panel display 50 in the non-transmissive state.

  The touch panel display 50 of the first embodiment is capable of color display. As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, the see-through display 50a has a horizontally long rectangular plate shape in the case of color display. Transparent light guide plate 502, a liquid crystal panel 504 provided on the front surface (upper surface) side of transparent light guide plate 502, including a liquid crystal shutter, and a plurality of light sources 506 arranged along the side edge of transparent light guide plate 502. doing.

  The liquid crystal shutter included in the liquid crystal panel 504 can be switched between an open state that transmits light and a closed state that blocks light. The plurality of light sources 506 are respectively attached to the frame body 180 so as to be arranged side by side on the left and right side edges of the transparent light guide plate 502. The light source 506 can emit light of three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). However, the transparent light guide plate 502 is provided with a diffusion region 502 a that diffuses light from the light source 506 and a non-diffusion region 502 b that does not diffuse light from the light source 506. In this case, the non-diffusion area 502b can only be displayed in transparent and single colors, for example, monochrome display.

  With the display 50a configured as described above, the transmission state and the non-transmission state can be switched by using the feed sequential method. The feed sequential method divides the time for which the display displays an image for one screen into three, and controls the opening and closing of the liquid crystal shutter in synchronization with light emission of the three colors of light from the light source 506. In this method, color display is performed by switching the color of light emitted to the light source. Specifically, in the diffusion region 502a, the diffusion region 502a is made transparent by opening the liquid crystal shutter with the light emission of the light source 506 stopped. That is, the diffusion region 502a is in a transmissive state. On the other hand, by opening the liquid crystal shutter in a state where the light source 506 emits light of any color, the light emitted from the light source 506 is diffused in the diffusion region 502a, and an image colored in the diffusion region 502a is obtained. Is displayed. That is, the diffusion region 502a is in a non-transmissive state. In the non-diffusion region 502b as well, the non-diffusion region 502b is in a transmissive state by opening the liquid crystal shutter with the light emission of the light source 506 stopped.

  When the diffusion region 502a of the touch panel display 50 is set in a range corresponding to the opening 180a of the frame body 180, the transmission state and the non-transmission state of the touch panel display 50 are switched by switching between the transmission state and the non-transmission state in the diffusion region 502a. Can be switched.

  Although illustration is omitted, when the see-through display 50a for monochrome display is used for the operation unit 18, a display in which a reflection plate provided on the back side is removed from the reflection type liquid crystal display can be used.

  As the touch panel, not only a surface acoustic wave method using a piezoelectric sensor but also other methods such as a capacitance method, a resistance film method, an electromagnetic induction method, and an infrared method can be used.

  The home key 52 is a hardware key (operation switch or operation key) using a capacitance type switch. The home key 52 is a key for displaying a home screen on the touch panel display 50. However, the home screen is a screen (basic screen) that displays the main menu, and is used to display software key images for selecting copy, print, facsimile, and scan functions, and setting screens for each function. The software key image is displayed.

  The home key 52 may be provided in a portion other than the operation unit 18 in the image forming apparatus 10. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 shifts (sets) the image forming apparatus 10 from the normal state (normal mode) to the power saving state (power saving mode), or shifts (returns) from the power saving state to the normal state. Other hardware keys such as a power saving key for turning on / off the main power of the image forming apparatus 10 may be provided.

  Further, when a hardware key is provided instead of the software key image displayed on the home screen or the like by enlarging the frame 180, the touch panel need not be provided.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 5, image forming apparatus 10 includes a CPU 62. The CPU 62 is connected to the image forming unit 12, the image reading unit 14, the RAM 64, the touch panel control circuit 54, the display control circuit 56, the home key detection circuit 58, and the discharge sensor 36 via the bus 60. A touch panel 50 b is connected to the touch panel control circuit 54, a display 50 a is connected to the display control circuit 56, and a home key 52 is connected to the home key detection circuit 58.

  The CPU 62 governs overall control of the image forming apparatus 10. The RAM 64 is used as a work area and a buffer area for the CPU 62.

  The touch panel control circuit 54 applies necessary voltage or the like to the touch panel 50b, and when a touch operation (touch input) within the effective touch range is detected on the touch panel 50b, touch coordinates indicating the position of the touch input. Data is output to the CPU 62.

  The display control circuit 56 includes a GPU, a VRAM, and the like. Under the instruction of the CPU 62, the GPU uses the image generation data stored in the RAM 64 to display display image data for displaying various screens on the display 50a. The data is generated in the VRAM, and the generated display image data is output to the display 50a. The display control circuit 56 also controls the liquid crystal shutter and the light source 506 included in the liquid crystal panel 504 under the instruction of the CPU 62 to switch between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state.

  The home key detection circuit 58 outputs an operation signal or operation data corresponding to the operation of the home key 52 described above to the CPU 62.

  The discharge sensor 36 is a general-purpose optical sensor. For example, when a reflective optical sensor is used as the discharge sensor 36, the discharge sensor 36 includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. When there is no paper in the discharge tray 26, the light output from the light emitting unit is not reflected, and no reflected light is incident on the light receiving unit. Therefore, the discharge sensor 36 is turned off, and data indicating that it is turned off is output to the CPU 62. On the other hand, when there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26, the light output from the light emitting unit is reflected by the sheet, and the reflected light is incident on the light receiving unit. Therefore, the discharge sensor 36 is turned on, and data indicating that it is turned on is output to the CPU 62. Based on the output of the discharge sensor 36, the CPU 62 determines whether there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26. However, the discharge sensor 36 may be a mechanical sensor including an actuator instead of the optical sensor.

  Note that the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 5 is merely an example, and need not be limited to this.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 6 (A) and FIG. 6 (B), the switching operation of the touch panel display 50 between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state will be described. 6A is an illustrative view showing an example of the touch panel display 50 in a non-transparent state, and FIG. 6B is an illustrative view showing an example of the touch panel display 50 in a transparent state. However, in FIG. 6 (A) and FIG. 6 (B), the figure which looked at the operation unit 18 from the front is shown.

  Until the print job in the image forming unit 12 is started, the touch panel display 50 is in a non-transparent state, and an operation screen 1800 as shown in FIG. The operation screen 1800 displays a plurality of software keys (icons) for receiving various settings or a copy instruction from the user. Accordingly, by pressing (touching) a software key displayed on the operation screen 1800, the user can give various settings or an instruction to start a print job.

  Here, the print job refers to a job such as a copy job or a print job that forms and outputs an image on paper, and is set by a user who uses the image forming apparatus 10. For example, in the case of a copy job, an image corresponding to a document set on the document placing table or the document placing tray 32 of the image reading unit 14 is printed on paper. For a print job, the image forming apparatus 10 receives image data transmitted from an external PC or the like, and an image corresponding to the received image data is printed on paper.

  In the case of a copy job, the print job is started when the user presses a software key for accepting copy start on the touch panel display 50. If it is a print job, the print job is started when the image forming apparatus 10 receives print job data including image data transmitted from an external PC or the like and a print instruction for the image data.

  When the print job is started, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state. When the touch panel display 50 is switched to the transmissive state, the rear side can be seen through the touch panel display 50 as shown in FIG. Therefore, since the user can visually recognize the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26, forgetting to remove the paper can be prevented.

  In addition, after the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transparent state to the transparent state, and after the print job is completed, when the sheet is exhausted from the discharge tray 26, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transparent state to the non-transparent state. . Therefore, the user can also confirm that there is no forgetting to remove the paper depending on whether or not the touch panel display 50 is in the non-transmissive state.

  Furthermore, a predetermined input such as when a paper jam or out of toner occurs before the print job is completed, or when the user touches the touch panel display 50 or the home key 52 is pressed. When there is an operation, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state. Thus, the reason why the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state when a failure occurs is to display a notification image or the like on the touch panel display 50 to notify that the failure has occurred. Further, when the user touches the touch panel display 50 (when a touch operation is detected) or when the home key 52 is pressed (operated), the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transparent state to the non-transparent state, for example, This is because when a user cancels a print job, a software key or the like is displayed on the touch panel display 50 to enable an operation to cancel the print job. Another reason is that the user may change the setting of the print job or check the progress status of the print job.

  The above-described operation of the image forming apparatus 10 is realized by the CPU 62 executing a control program stored in the RAM 64. Specific processing will be described later with reference to a flowchart.

  FIG. 7 is an illustrative view showing one example of a memory map 70 of the RAM 64 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the RAM 64 includes a program storage area 72 and a data storage area 74. The control program is stored in the program storage area 72 of the RAM 64 as described above. The control program includes a print program 72a, a display program 72b, an operation detection program 72c, a discharge detection program 72d, a transmission control program 72e, and the like.

  The print program 72a is a program for executing a print job for forming a multi-color or single-color image on a recording medium (paper) in accordance with image data read by the image reading unit 14 or image data transmitted from an external computer. It is.

  The display program 72b is a program for displaying various screens such as an operation screen on the touch panel display 50.

  The operation detection program 72c acquires touch coordinate data output from the touch panel control circuit 54 and operates various icons included in various screens such as an operation screen displayed on the touch panel display 50 (display 50a). It is a program for detecting. The operation detection program 72 c is also a program for detecting operation data output from the home key detection circuit 58.

  The discharge detection program 72d is a program for determining whether or not there is a sheet discharged to the discharge tray 26 according to the data output from the discharge sensor 36.

  The transparency control program 72e is a program for switching the touch panel display 50 from the non-transparent state to the transparent state depending on whether a print job is started. Further, the transmission control program 72e displays the touch panel display 50 depending on whether there is a sheet discharged to the discharge tray 26, whether a failure has occurred, or whether an operation input has been detected. It is also a program for switching from the transparent state to the non-transparent state.

  Although not shown, the program storage area 72 also stores programs for selecting and executing various functions provided in the image forming apparatus 10.

  In the data storage area 74 of the RAM 64, operation input data 74a, operation screen data 74b, image data 74c, and the like are stored.

  The operation input data 74a is touch coordinate data detected (acquired) according to the operation detection program 72c or / and operation data of the home key 52, and is stored in time series.

  The operation screen data 74b is image data for an operation screen 1800 including a plurality of software keys displayed on the touch panel display 50.

  The image data 74c is image data corresponding to, for example, image data read by the image reading unit 14 or image data transmitted from an external computer. However, the image data is read by the image reading unit 14 or read from the HDD or the like and developed (stored) in the RAM 64.

  Although illustration is omitted, the data storage area 74 stores other data necessary for execution of the control program such as operation data from the home key 52, or a timer (counter) necessary for execution of the control program. And a register is provided.

  8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the control processing of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. This control process is executed when a print job is set in the image forming apparatus 10. However, before the control process is executed, the touch panel display 50 is in a non-transparent state.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the control process is started, the CPU 62 controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 10 and starts a print job in step S1. However, the CPU 62 executes print processing according to the print job in parallel with the control processing shown in FIGS. Subsequently, in step S3, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state, and the process proceeds to step S5. However, in step S3, the entire touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state. That is, the light emission of all the light sources 506 is stopped and all the liquid crystal shutters are opened.

  In step S5, it is determined whether the print job is completed. If “NO” in the step S5, that is, if it is determined that the print job is not ended, the process proceeds to a step S11 described later. On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S5, that is, if it is determined that the print job is completed, the process proceeds to a step S7.

  In step S7, it is determined whether or not there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26. That is, it is determined whether or not the sheet discharged to the discharge tray 26 has been taken out. Here, the CPU 62 determines whether there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26 according to the data output from the discharge sensor 36.

  If “YES” in the step S7, that is, if it is determined that there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26, the process returns to the same step S7 as it is. On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S7, that is, if it is determined that there is no sheet in the discharge tray 26, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state in a step S9, and the control process is ended. . However, in step S9, the entire touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state.

  If “NO” in the step S5, as shown in FIG. 9, it is determined whether or not a trouble such as a paper jam or out of toner has occurred during the execution of the print job in a step S11. If “YES” in the step S11, that is, if it is determined that a problem has occurred, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state in a step S13. At this time, a notification image or the like for notifying that a problem has occurred is displayed on the touch panel display 50. Thereafter, in step S15, it is determined whether the print job has been resumed. If “NO” in the step S15, that is, if it is determined that the print job is restarted, the process returns to the same step S15. On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S15, that is, if it is determined that the print job is restarted, the process proceeds to a step S31 described later.

  If “NO” in the step S11, that is, if it is determined that no trouble has occurred, it is determined whether or not there is an input operation in a step S17. Here, it is determined whether or not there is an input operation such as touching the touch panel display 50 or pressing the home key 52. If “NO” in the step S17, that is, if it is determined that there is no input operation, the process returns to the step S5 in FIG. On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S17, that is, if it is determined that there is an input operation, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state in a step S19.

  Thereafter, in step S21, it is determined whether an instruction to cancel the print job is given. Here, it is determined whether a software key for accepting cancellation of a print job is touched among the software keys displayed on the touch panel display 50. If “YES” in the step S21, that is, if it is determined that an instruction to cancel the print job is issued, the print job is stopped in a step S23, and whether there is a sheet in the discharge tray 26 in the step S25 in FIG. Judge whether. If “YES” in the step S25, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state in a step S27, and the process returns to the step S7. On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S25, the control process is ended.

  Returning to FIG. 9, if “NO” in the step S21, that is, if it is determined that an instruction to cancel the print job is not issued, it is determined whether or not there is an input operation for a predetermined time in a step S27. If “NO” in the step S27, the process returns to the step S21. On the other hand, if “YES” in the step S27, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transmissive state to the transmissive state in a step S31, and the process returns to the step S5 in FIG.

  According to the first embodiment, the operation unit 18 is configured by the see-through touch panel display 50 that can be switched between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state, and the frame body 180 that covers the peripheral portion of the touch panel display 50. I made it. Thus, even when the touch panel display 50 is provided above the in-body discharge unit 16, the user can visually recognize the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26 when the touch panel display 50 is in the transmissive state. It is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the paper.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, since the touch panel display 50 is in the non-transparent state before the print job is started, the user sets the print job while looking at the operation screen 1800 displayed on the touch panel display 50. be able to. Further, when the print job is started and the paper is discharged to the discharge tray 26, the touch panel display 50 is in a transparent state, so that the user can visually recognize the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26 and forget to remove the paper. Can be prevented. That is, the touch panel display 50 can be appropriately switched between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when it is determined that there is no paper in the discharge tray 26 when the print job is completed, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transmissive state to the non-transmissive state. When the paper is properly taken out, the user can confirm that the user has not forgotten to take out the paper depending on whether or not the touch panel display 50 is in the non-transmissive state.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the touch panel display 50 is in the transparent state, when the touch operation is detected or when the home key 52 is operated, the touch panel display 50 is not transparent from the transparent state. For example, when the user wants to cancel the print job or change the setting of the print job, the software key or the like is displayed on the touch panel display 50 to enable the operation of the image forming apparatus 10. be able to.

In the first embodiment, when the print job is started, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transparent state to the transparent state. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the touch panel display 50 is switched from the non-transparent state to the transparent state when data indicating that the first sheet in the print job is discharged to the discharge tray 26 and is turned on from the discharge sensor 36 is input. May be. Further, for example, when the print job is finished, the touch panel display 50 may be switched from the non-transparent state to the transparent state. In this way, information about print job settings, information about print job progress, and the like can be displayed on the display, and usability of the image forming apparatus 10 can be improved.
[Second Embodiment]
The image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment can switch between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in a part of the touch panel display 50. When a print job is started, a part of the touch panel display 50 is changed from the non-transmissive state. Since it is the same as the image forming apparatus 10 of the first embodiment except that it is switched to the transmissive state, the contents different from those of the first embodiment will be described, and redundant description will be omitted.

  FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing one example of a touch panel display 50 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, in the second embodiment, the remaining range (hereinafter referred to as “switching range”) 1804 of the touch panel display 50 excluding the display range 1802 set in part is in a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state. Can be switched between. When the print job is started, the switching range 1804 is switched to the transparent state. Since the switching range 1804 is provided on the discharge port 22 side, the discharge port 22 side of the discharge tray 26 can be visually recognized. For this reason, even when the paper size is small, it becomes easier for the user to visually recognize the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26, so that it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to remove the paper.

  In the display range 1802, for example, when there are a plurality of print jobs, information about each print job is displayed in time series. Although not shown, the display range 1802 includes information such as the number of read originals and the number of sheets to be printed, information on print job settings, information on the progress of the print job, and the like. May be displayed.

  Further, when the print job is finished and the sheet is exhausted from the discharge tray 26, the switching range 1804 is switched to the non-transparent state. That is, the entire touch panel display 50 is in a non-transparent state. When the entire touch panel display 50 is in a non-transparent state, an operation screen 1800 as shown in FIG. 6A is displayed on the touch panel display 50.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control process of the image forming apparatus 10 in the second embodiment. Note that the control process of the second embodiment is only partially different from the control process of the first embodiment, and therefore, only a portion including a portion different from the control process of the first embodiment is illustrated. Hereinafter, the control process of the CPU 62 in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11, but the processes in steps S1, S5 to S9 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Are omitted or briefly described.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when starting the control process, the CPU 62 starts a print job in step S1, switches a part of the touch panel display 50 from the non-transparent state to the transparent state in step S51, and proceeds to step S5. .

  According to the second embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, when the touch panel display 50 is in the transmissive state, the user can visually recognize the paper discharged to the discharge tray 26, and forget to remove the paper. Can be prevented.

Further, according to the second embodiment, even when the touch panel display 50 is in the transparent state, information about the setting of the print job or information about the progress of the print job can be displayed in the display range 1802. Usability of the image forming apparatus 10 can be improved.
[Third embodiment]
The image forming apparatus 10 according to the third embodiment can switch between the transmissive state and the non-transmissive state in a part of the touch panel display 50. When a print job is started, the entire touch panel display 50 is transmissive from the non-transmissive state. Image formation in the first or second embodiment except that when a print job is added after switching to the state, a part of the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transparent state to the non-transparent state. Since it is the same as the apparatus 10, contents different from the first embodiment or the second embodiment will be described, and redundant description will be omitted.

  In the third embodiment, when a print job is started and the print job is added after the entire touch panel display 50 is changed from the non-transparent state to the transparent state as shown in FIG. As shown, the portion corresponding to the display range 1802 set in the partial range is switched to the non-transmissive state. The display range 1802 displays information about the print job currently being executed, information about the added print job, and the like.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control process of the image forming apparatus 10 in the third embodiment. It should be noted that the control process of the third embodiment is only partially different from the control process of the first embodiment, and therefore, only a portion including a portion different from the control process of the first embodiment is illustrated. Hereinafter, the control process of the CPU 62 in the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 12, but the processes in steps S1 to S9 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Omitted or briefly described.

  As shown in FIG. 11, when the control process is started, the CPU 62 switches the touch panel display 50 from the non-transparent state to the transparent state in Step S3, and determines whether or not a print job has been added in Step S71. If “YES” in the step S71, that is, if it is determined that a print job has been added, a part of the touch panel display 50 is switched from the transparent state to the non-transparent state in a step S73, and the process proceeds to the step S5. On the other hand, if “NO” in the step S71, that is, if it is determined that a print job is not added, the process proceeds to a step S5 as it is.

  According to the third embodiment, when a print job is added, information about the added print job and the like can be displayed in the display range 1802, and the usability of the image forming apparatus 10 can be improved. .

  Note that the specific numerical values, screen configurations, and the like given in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed according to actual products.

  Moreover, as long as the same result is obtained for each step of the flowchart shown in the above-described embodiment, the processing order can be changed as appropriate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming apparatus 12 ... Image forming part 14 ... Image reading part 18 ... Operation unit 50 ... Touch panel display 50a ... Display 50b ... Touch panel 62 ... CPU

Claims (9)

An in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having an image forming unit and an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit,
An in-cylinder discharge unit that is provided between the image forming unit and the image reading unit and that discharges a recording medium on which an image is formed by the image forming unit;
A see-through type display that is provided on the front side of the image reading unit and above the in-cylinder discharge unit, and is switchable between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in which the in-cylinder discharge unit is visible; An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that switches the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the display from a non-transmissive state to a transmissive state when a print job in the image forming unit is started.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the display from a non-transmissive state to a transmissive state when a print job in the image forming unit is completed. A judgment means for judging whether or not there is a recording medium discharged in the in-cylinder discharge section;
The control unit switches the display from a transmission state to a non-transmission state when the determination unit determines that there is no recording medium in the in-cylinder discharge unit when the display is in a transmission state. The image forming apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3. It further includes a touch panel provided on the display,
5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the display is in a transparent state, the control unit switches the display from a transparent state to a non-transparent state when a touch operation is detected on the touch panel. Image forming apparatus. A hardware key,
6. The image according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the display from a transparent state to a non-transparent state when the hardware key is operated when the display is in a transparent state. Forming equipment.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in a part of the display. An image forming unit, an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, and the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and a recording medium on which an image is formed by the image forming unit are discharged. A see-through type that is provided on the front side of the in-cylinder discharge unit and above the in-cylinder discharge unit and is switchable between the in-cylinder discharge unit transmitting state and the non-transmitting state. A control program for an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having a display,
A control program for an image forming apparatus that causes a computer of the image forming apparatus to function as control means for switching the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state. An image forming unit, an image reading unit disposed above the image forming unit, and the image forming unit and the image reading unit, and a recording medium on which an image is formed by the image forming unit are discharged. The in-cylinder discharge unit and the front side of the image reading unit are provided above the in-cylinder discharge unit and can be switched between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in which the in-cylinder discharge unit is visible. A control method for an in-cylinder discharge type image forming apparatus having a transparent see-through display,
A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, wherein the computer of the image forming apparatus switches the display between a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state.

Images