JP2020086065A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can receive a change in settings even during execution of a job.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 comprises an image processing unit 80, an image forming unit 40, receiving units 111, 112, 113, and a control unit 100. The control unit 100 has an application determination unit 106 that monitors the operation of the image processing unit 80 and the image forming unit 40 and checks the progress of a job. The application determination unit 106 determines whether to change the settings of the job under execution based on the checked progress of the job and the details of a change in settings received by the receiving unit 111.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on paper.

Generally, an image forming apparatus sets a job on the operation display unit and presses an execution button to start the job. After the job was started, the job setting change was not accepted. Therefore, if the user presses the Execute button with the wrong job settings, it is necessary to discard the started job and set the job again, and the printed matter output with the wrong job settings and the job again. The time to set and print was wasted.

Therefore, as an image forming apparatus capable of changing a job, there is, for example, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-242242. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-242242, a predetermined number of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming unit are collected and an image forming apparatus having a staple processing unit or a punch processing unit for each number of copies sets staple processing or punch processing during a print job. Alternatively, a technique provided with a selection unit for canceling is described.

JP, 2002-108139, A

However, the only job change that can be performed by the technique described in Patent Document 1 is stapling or punching, which is post-processing after image formation. Therefore, it has been impossible to change the setting to double-sided printing after executing the job in single-sided printing or to change the setting such as adding a stamp after executing the job.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can accept a setting change even while a job is being executed.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image processing unit, an image forming unit, a receiving unit, and a control unit. The image processing unit performs image processing on the image data based on the set job. The image forming unit forms an image on a sheet based on the image data and the job processed by the image processing unit and executes the job. The reception unit receives a setting change for the execution content of the job during execution of the job. The control unit controls the image processing unit and the image forming unit based on the content of the job. The control unit also has an application determination unit that monitors the operations of the image processing unit and the image forming unit and confirms the progress status of the job. The application determination unit determines whether to change the setting of the job being executed, based on the confirmed progress status of the job and the content of the setting change received by the reception unit.

According to the image forming apparatus having the above configuration, the setting change can be accepted even while the job is being executed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of setting change control during job execution in the image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In each figure, common members are designated by the same reference numerals. The present invention is not limited to the following modes.

1. Embodiment 1-1. Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus First, the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “this example”) will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 of this example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a fed sheet S based on the set job and image data. The image forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms an image on a sheet S by, for example, an electrophotographic method. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 is a tandem type color image forming apparatus in which four color toners of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (Bk) are superposed.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a document conveying section 10, a sheet feeding section 21, a sheet conveying section 22, an image reading section 30, an image forming section 40, a fixing section 70, a sheet reversing section 26, and a sheet discharging section. 27 and an input unit 60. The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a main controller 100, which is an example of a control unit, and an image processing unit 80 (see FIG. 2 ).

The document transport unit 10 has a document transport table 11, and a transport roller and a transport guide (not shown). The document conveying unit 10 conveys the documents set on the document conveying table 11 one by one to the reading position of the image reading unit 30 by a plurality of rollers and a conveyance guide. The image reading unit 30 reads an image of the document conveyed by the document conveying unit 10 or the document placed on the document table, and generates an image signal.

The paper feeding unit 21 is arranged in the lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a plurality of paper feeding units 21 are provided according to the size of the paper. Paper is stored in the paper feed unit 21. The paper is fed by the paper feed unit 21 and sent to the transport unit 23. Then, the sheet S transported to the transport unit 23 is transported to the image forming unit 40 by the transport unit 23.

The image forming unit 40 includes, for example, image forming units 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K for a plurality of colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, etc.). Then, the image forming section 40 forms a color toner image on the sheet S by the four image forming units 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K.

Further, a fixing unit 70 that fixes the formed toner image on a sheet is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 40 in the transport direction. Then, the sheet S having the image fixed by the fixing section 70 is conveyed to the sheet reversing section 26 or the sheet discharging section 27 by the conveying section 23. The sheet reversing unit 26 reverses the front and back or front and back of the sheet S and conveys the sheet S to the image forming unit 40 again. The paper discharge unit 27 discharges the conveyed paper S to the outside of the apparatus main body.

When face-up paper ejection is performed, the paper S is conveyed from the fixing unit 70 to the paper ejection unit 27 and ejected by the paper ejection unit 27. The sheet S is conveyed from the fixing section 70 to the sheet reversing section 26 when face-down sheet ejection and double-sided image formation in single-sided image formation are performed.

When face-down sheet ejection is performed, the sheet S is inverted by the sheet reversing unit 26 and is conveyed to the sheet ejection unit 27. When performing double-sided image formation, the front and back of the paper S are reversed by the paper reversing unit 26 and the paper S is conveyed again to the image forming unit 40.

In addition, a post-processing device that folds the paper S or performs stapling processing or the like on the paper S may be arranged downstream of the paper discharge unit 27.

1-2. Configuration Example of Control System Next, a configuration example of the control system of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the image forming apparatus 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a main controller 100 that is an example of a control unit and a storage 105 that is an example of a storage unit. The main controller 100 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 for storing programs executed by the CPU 101, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 used as a work area of the CPU 101. And a flash memory 104.

A hard disk drive (HDD) as a mass storage device is applied as the storage 105. Further, as the ROM 102, an electrically erasable programmable ROM is usually used.

The main controller 100 is connected to the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, the image forming unit 40, the fixing unit 70, the paper feeding unit 21, and the storage 105 via the system bus, and the entire apparatus is operated based on the input job. Control.

The storage 105 stores image data of a document image read by the image reading unit 30 and stores output image data and the like. The image reading unit 30 optically reads a document image and converts it into an electric signal. For example, when reading a color original, image data having luminance information of 10 bits for each RGB is generated per pixel.

The image data generated by the image reading unit 30 and the image data transmitted from a PC (personal computer) showing an example of an external device connected to the image forming apparatus 1 via a communication unit 63 described later are the image processing unit. It is sent to 80 and image processing is carried out.

The image processing unit 80 performs image processing such as shading correction, image density adjustment, and image compression on the received image data as necessary. Then, the data subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit 80 is stored in the RAM 103 of the main controller 100.

The image forming unit 40 receives the image data subjected to the image processing by the image processing unit 80, and forms an image on a sheet based on the image data.

The main controller 100 also has an application determination unit 106. The application determining unit 106 is connected to the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40. The application determining unit 106 monitors the operation status of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40 during the execution of the job. The application determination unit 106 confirms the progress status of the job from the operation statuses of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40. Then, the application determination unit 106 determines whether or not the setting of the job can be changed, based on the progress status of the job and the implementation details of the changed job.

The input unit 60 has an operation display panel 61, a voice input unit 62, and a communication unit 63. The operation display panel 61 is a touch panel including a display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic ELD (Electro Luminescence Display). The operation display panel 61 is connected to the main controller 100 via the first reception unit 111.

The operation display panel 61 displays an instruction menu for the user, information regarding the acquired image data, and the like. Further, the operation display panel 61 is provided with a plurality of keys, and the user inputs by operating the keys. Then, the operation display panel 61 outputs an input signal of data such as various instructions, characters, and numbers to the first reception unit 111. The first receiving unit 111 outputs the input signal received from the operation display panel 61 to the main controller 100.

The voice input unit 62 is connected to the main controller 100 via the second reception unit 112. The voice input unit 62 receives the voice of the user and converts it into an electric signal. Then, the voice input unit 62 outputs the converted input signal to the second reception unit 112. The second receiving unit 112 outputs the input signal received from the voice input unit 62 to the main controller 100. As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present example, it is possible to set the job and operate the apparatus by the voice of the user.

The communication unit 63 transmits/receives information to/from an external device connected to the image forming apparatus 1, such as a personal computer or a mobile information terminal. The communication unit 63 is connected to the main controller 100 via the third reception unit 113. Then, the communication unit 63 outputs the information input from the external device to the third reception unit 113. The third reception unit 113 outputs the input signal received from the communication unit 63 to the main controller 100. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 of the present example can perform job setting and device operation by Web API (Web Application Programming Interface).

In this example, a personal computer is used as the external device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a facsimile device or other various devices can be used as the external device.

2. Example of Setting Change Control During Execution of Job Next, an example of setting change control during execution of a job in the image forming apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of setting change control during job execution.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the main controller 100 determines whether or not a job is currently being executed (step S11). In the process of step S11, when the main controller 100 determines that the job is not being executed (NO determination in step S11), the setting change control ends.

In the process of step S11, when the main controller 100 determines that the job is being executed (YES determination in step S11), the “change setting” on the operation display panel 61 is operated, and a voice or an instruction input by the WebAPI is input. It is determined whether it has been performed (step S12). Here, the instruction input by “voice” is an instruction input by which the user changes the setting by voice through the voice input unit 62. Further, the instruction input by “WebAPI” is an instruction input for changing the setting by the external device via the communication unit 63.

In the process of step S12, when the main controller 100 determines that the instruction has not been input (NO determination in step S12), the process returns to the process of step S11, and it is determined whether or not the job is executed.

When the main controller 100 determines that an instruction has been input in the process of step S12 (YES determination in step S12), the setting change input in the process of step S12 is an operation using the operation display panel 61. It is determined whether or not (step S13). In the processing of step S13, the main controller 100 determines whether or not the setting change has been received by the first reception unit 111 connected to the operation display panel 61.

In the process of step S13, when the main controller 100 determines that the setting change is not an operation using the operation display panel 61 (NO determination in step S13), it is determined whether the setting change is voice input or WebAPI. It is determined (step S14). In the process of step S14, the main controller 100 accepts the setting change in the process of step S12 by the second accepting unit 112 connected to the voice input unit 62 or the third accepting unit 113 connected to the communication unit 63. Judge whether or not.

In the process of step S14, when the main controller 100 determines that the setting change is not voice input or WebAPI (NO determination in step S14), the input process in step S12 is determined to be an error, and the setting change in step S11 is performed. Return to processing.

Here, for example, when a job to which a stamp is added is input in the process of step S12, it is necessary to set the stamp type and stamp position. Therefore, in the process of step S14, when the main controller 100 determines that the setting change is voice input or WebAPI, that is, the second accepting unit 112 or the third accepting unit 113 accepts (YES determination in step S14), The main controller 100 determines whether or not additional setting input is necessary (step S15).

In the process of step S15, when the main controller 100 determines that the additional setting input is not necessary (NO determination of step S15), the main controller 100 performs the process of step S18. In addition, in the process of step S15, when the main controller 100 determines that additional setting input is necessary (YES determination in step S15), the main controller 100 performs the process of step S16 described below.

Further, in the process of step S13, when the main controller 100 determines that the setting change has been accepted by the operation using the operation display panel 61, that is, the first accepting unit 111 (YES determination in step S13), the process of step S16 described later. I do.

In the process of step S16, the main controller 100 stops the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and temporarily stops the execution of the job. Next, the main controller 100 accepts voice, Web API, or detailed setting change from the operation display panel 61 (step S17). That is, the main controller 100 receives the detailed setting change by the first receiving unit 111, the second receiving unit 112, or the third receiving unit 113.

In the process of step S17, when a detailed setting change is input from the voice, the WebAPI, or the operation display panel 61, the main controller 100 performs the process of step S18.

In the process of step S18, the application determining unit 106 of the main controller 100 determines whether or not the setting can be changed based on the progress status of the current job (step S18). Note that the application determination unit 106 monitors the operation status of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40 during the execution of the job to confirm the progress status of the job. Then, in the processing of step S18, the application determination unit 106 determines whether or not the setting can be changed based on the input content of the setting change and the progress status of the job.

In the process of step S18, when the application determination unit 106 determines that the setting can be changed (YES determination in step S18), the main controller 100 changes the setting of the job being executed (step S19), which will be described later. The process of step S23 is performed. When the application determination unit 106 determines that the setting cannot be changed in the process of step S18 (NO determination in step S18), the main controller 100 stops the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 and executes the job. Is once stopped (step S20).

Once the execution of the job is temporarily stopped in the process of step S20, the main controller 100 accepts the execution of discarding the job (step S21). Note that the reception process in step S21 may be any of voice, WebAPI, and operation display panel 61. For example, the main controller 100 displays information prompting the user via the communication unit 63 on the display unit of the external device or the operation display panel 61 whether or not to discard the job. Alternatively, the main controller 100 audibly prompts the user to cancel the job.

Next, the main controller 100 determines whether or not execution of discarding the job has been performed (step S22). In the process of step S22, when the main controller 100 determines that the execution of discarding the job has been performed (YES determination in step S22), the main controller 100 discards the job and ends the setting change control.

In the process of step S22, when the main controller 100 determines that it is input that the job should not be discarded (NO determination in step S22), the process of step S23 is performed.

Here, during the setting change control, the job may be stopped by the processing of step S16 or step S20. Therefore, in the process of step S23, the main controller 100 determines whether or not the job is currently stopped.

In the process of step S23, when the main controller 100 determines that the job is stopped (YES determination in step S23), the main controller 100 restarts the job (step S24) and returns to the process of step S11. In addition, in the processing of step S23, when the main controller 100 determines that the job is not stopped (NO determination in step S23), the main controller 100 continues the execution of the job (step S25), and returns to the processing of step S11. Then, when the job being executed ends, the setting change control also ends.

When the setting of the job is changed in the process of step S19, the execution content of the job in the processes of step S24 and step S25 is the setting changed in the process of step S19.

3. Specific example of setting change 3-1. First Example Next, a determination example of whether or not the setting change in the above-described setting change control is possible will be described.
First, a case of changing to double-sided printing during execution of a job for single-sided printing by copying will be described.
The image forming apparatus 1 starts a job and conveys the original set on the original conveyance table 11 to the image reading unit 30. Then, the image reading unit 30 reads the document. At this time, for example, when the user changes the job setting from single-sided printing to double-sided printing by voice through the voice input unit, the main controller 100 receives the setting change by the second reception unit 112.

Note that changing the job from single-sided printing to double-sided printing does not require additional setting input. Therefore, in the process of step S15 shown in FIG. 3, the main controller 100 makes a NO determination. As a result, in the case of a setting item in which the operation is completed by one input, the changing process is executed without stopping the job. As a result, the working time can be shortened.

Next, in the process of step S18, the application determining unit 106 monitors the operation status of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40, and confirms the progress status of the job. The application determining unit 106 determines that the setting change is applicable when the document is being read by the image reading unit 30 and the job has not progressed until the image forming processing by the image forming unit 40. Then, the main controller 100 changes the job setting from single-sided printing to double-sided printing and continues the job.

However, when the current job has proceeded to the image forming operation by the image forming unit 40, the application determining unit 106 determines that the setting cannot be changed. Then, the main controller 100 asks the user whether to discard the job being executed.

When changing from single-sided printing to double-sided printing, if the current job is up to the image processing operation by the image processing unit 80, the application determination unit 106 determines that the change in husband is applicable.

3-2. Second Example Next, a case will be described in which the setting of adding a confidential stamp, for example, to the upper right of the paper is changed during execution of a job for forming an image by copying.
The image forming apparatus 1 starts a job and conveys the original set on the original conveyance table 11 to the image reading unit 30. Then, the image reading unit 30 reads the document. At this time, when the user operates the operation display panel 61 to instruct the change to add the stamp, the main controller 100 accepts the setting change by the first accepting unit 111.

In addition to the step ON/OFF setting, it is necessary to set the stamp type, the stamp position, and the stamp addition setting. Therefore, the main controller 100 temporarily stops the job in the process of step S16. Then, in the process of step S17, detailed setting changes from the user are accepted.

Next, in the process of step S18, the application determining unit 106 monitors the operation status of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40, and confirms the progress status of the job. The application determination unit 106 determines that the setting change is applicable when the document is being read by the image reading unit 30 and the job has not progressed until the image processing operation by the image processing unit 80. Then, the main controller 100 changes the setting of the job being executed to “stamp ON, stamp type: confidential, stamp position: upper right” and executes the job.

However, when the current job has proceeded to the image processing operation by the image processing unit 80, the application determining unit 106 determines that the setting cannot be changed. Then, the main controller 100 asks the user whether to discard the job being executed.

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 of this example, the application determining unit 106 monitors the operations of the image reading unit 30, the image processing unit 80, and the image forming unit 40, and confirms the progress status of the job. , Settings can be changed while the job is running. As a result, it is possible to eliminate wasteful paper by executing the wrong job and time for executing the job again.

It should be noted that the number and the number of copies of the paper on which the image is formed, the color setting, the aggregation setting for combining a plurality of pages into one paper, the scaling, double-sided/single-sided, the size and type of the paper on which the image is formed, the density, and the original Setting items such as size, presence of watermark (watermark) and stamp, scan transmission for sending image data by stopping copying to form an image, and change of destination of scan transmission include the progress of the job by the document read by the image reading unit 30. The setting can be changed until the reading operation of. However, if the job has proceeded to the image processing operation by the image processing unit 80, the setting cannot be changed.

The setting items such as the number and the number of sheets of paper on which an image is formed, color settings, and double-sided/single-sided can be changed as long as the progress status of the job is up to the image processing operation by the image processing unit 80. However, if the job has proceeded to the image forming operation by the image forming unit 40, the setting cannot be changed.

Heretofore, the embodiments of the image forming apparatus have been described, including the effects thereof. However, the image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention described in the claims.

In the above-described embodiment, the color image is formed by using four sets of image forming units, but the image forming apparatus according to the present invention forms a single color image by using one image forming unit. It may be configured.

Further, although an example in which an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is used as the image forming apparatus has been described, the invention is not limited to this, and an ink jet type image forming method in which an image is formed by ejecting ink toward a paper sheet. It can also be applied to a device.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the image reading unit 30 for reading the original set on the original conveyance table 11 is provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a single-function printer having no image reading unit 30, a facsimile machine having a communication function with a telephone line, and other various image forming apparatuses.

In the case of an image forming apparatus that does not have the image reading unit 30, the application determining unit 106 monitors the operation status of the image processing unit 80 and the image forming unit 40 and confirms the progress status of the job. Then, the application determination unit 106 determines whether or not the setting change can be applied based on the operation statuses of the image processing unit 80 and the image forming unit 40 and the content of the setting change received by the reception unit.

Furthermore, in the above-described exemplary embodiment, an example in which three types of receiving units, that is, the first receiving unit 111, the second receiving unit 112, and the third receiving unit 113 are provided as the receiving units, has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Not something. For example, the receiving unit may be only the first receiving unit 111, the second receiving unit 112, or the third receiving unit 113, or the first receiving unit 111, the second receiving unit 112, and the third receiving unit 113. You may further provide the 4th reception part which receives the input signal by the method different from.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image forming apparatus, 10... Original document conveyance part, 11... Original document conveyance stand, 21... Paper feed part, 22... Paper conveyance part, 23... Conveyance part, 26... Paper reversal part, 27... Paper ejection part, 30... Image Reading unit, 40... Image forming unit, 60... Input unit, 61... Operation display panel, 62... Voice input unit, 63... Communication unit, 70... Fixing unit, 80... Image processing unit, 100... Main controller (control unit) , 105... Storage (storage unit), 106... Application determining unit, 111... First receiving unit, 112... Second receiving unit, 113... Third receiving unit

Claims (4)

An image processing unit that performs image processing on the image data of the set job,
An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and executes the job based on the image data and the job that the image processing unit has performed image processing,
A receiving unit that receives a setting change for the execution content of the job during execution of the job,
A control unit that controls the image processing unit and the image forming unit based on the content of the job,
The control unit has an application determination unit that monitors the operations of the image processing unit and the image forming unit and confirms the progress status of the job,
The application determination unit is an image forming apparatus that determines whether or not to change the setting of the job being executed, based on the confirmed progress status of the job and the content of the setting change received by the reception unit. An image reading unit that reads an image of a document, generates the image data, and sends the generated image data to the image processing unit,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application determination unit monitors the operations of the image reading unit, the image processing unit, and the image forming unit to check the progress status of the job. An operation display panel where keys are operated by the user,
A voice input unit for receiving the user's voice,
A communication unit that transmits and receives information by an external device and WebAPI,
The reception unit is
A first receiving unit that receives an input signal from the operation display panel and outputs the input signal from the operation display panel to the control unit;
A second receiving unit that receives an input signal from the voice input unit and outputs the input signal from the voice input unit to the control unit;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a third receiving unit that receives an input signal received by the communication unit and outputs an input signal from the communication unit to the control unit. The control unit is
When the setting change is received by the first receiving unit, the job is temporarily stopped,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the job is temporarily stopped when the setting change is received by the second receiving unit or the third receiving unit and it is determined that additional setting input is necessary.

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