JP2021017002A - Image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image formation apparatus which can perform selection of a printing mode considering the behavior of a user.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus 10 for executing printing by converting received printing data into a bitmap-developed raster image comprises: a human sensor part 18 which detects a human existing in a set detection area; and a mode selection part 20 which sets a spool printing mode for starting printing after converting all the pages into a raster image when the printing data is received, and switches to a normal printing mode for sequentially printing the pages converted into the raster image when a human is detected by the human sensor part 18 before finishing the conversion of all the pages into the raster image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a spool printing mode in which printing is executed after creating a raster image of all pages.

In a print control device for printing the received print data on continuous paper, the processing time for bitmap-expanding the received print data is calculated, and the bitmap-expanded print data is normally printed based on the calculated processing time. A technique for determining whether to print sequentially in a mode or to print after storing in a storage means in a spool print mode has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-114565

However, in the prior art, the user's behavior is not taken into consideration when selecting the print mode. For example, if the spool print mode is selected even though the user has come to pick it up, the waiting time in front of the device becomes long.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of selecting a print mode in consideration of user behavior.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that converts received print data into a raster image developed by bitmap and executes printing, and is a human sensor that detects a person existing in a set detection area. When the unit and the print data are received, the spool print mode is set to start printing after converting all pages to a raster image, and the human sensor is set before the conversion to raster images for all pages is completed. It is characterized by including a mode selection unit for switching to a normal print mode for sequentially printing pages converted into a raster image when a person is detected by the unit.

According to the present invention, in consideration of the user's behavior, the spool print mode can be selected when the user does not come to pick up, and the normal print mode can be selected when the user comes to pick up. The print mode can be selected in consideration of.

It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the 1st Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the mode selection operation in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the 2nd Embodiment of the image forming apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the mode selection operation in the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the configurations showing the same functions.

(First Embodiment)
The image forming apparatus 10 of the first embodiment is connected to a terminal device 30 such as a personal computer via a network 40 such as a LAN or the Internet, referring to FIG.

The image forming apparatus 10 is an image forming apparatus having an image forming function of a copier, a multifunction device, or the like, and when it receives print data from the terminal device 30, it converts the print data into a raster image developed by bitmap and executes printing. To do. The image forming apparatus 10 includes a normal printing mode in which pages converted into a raster image are sequentially printed, and a spool printing mode in which printing is started after converting all pages into a raster image.

With reference to FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, an operation unit 12, a document reading unit 13, a storage unit 14, an image processing unit 15, an image forming unit 16, and a communication unit 17. It is provided with a motion sensor unit 18.

The operation unit 12 is a user interface including a touch panel and various operation keys such as a numeric keypad, a reset key, a stop key, and a start key, and functions as a display unit and an input unit.

The document scanning unit 13 is a scanner that irradiates a document fed by a document feeding device (not shown) or a document placed on a platen glass with light, receives the reflected light, and reads the document image. Is.

The storage unit 14 is a storage means such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and functions as an image storage unit that stores a raster image obtained by developing a bitmap of print data.

The image processing unit 15 is a means for performing predetermined image processing, and for example, image processing such as enlargement / reduction processing, density adjustment, and gradation adjustment is performed.

The image forming unit 16 includes, for example, a photoconductor drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a fixing unit, and records the formed image on recording paper.

The communication unit 17 has a function of transmitting and receiving various data to and from the terminal device 30 via a network 40 such as a LAN or the Internet.

The motion sensor unit 18 detects a person existing in the detection area (within the distance L1) set in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus 10. For the motion sensor unit 18, for example, an infrared sensor can be used. The infrared sensor receives infrared rays radiated by the human body temperature at the light receiving unit, and can detect the distance to the image forming apparatus 10 by the infrared light receiving intensity. An ultrasonic sensor or a capacitance sensor can also be used as the motion sensor unit 18.

The control unit 11 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. A control program for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 10 is stored in the ROM. The CPU of the control unit 11 reads the control program stored in the ROM and expands the control program in the RAM to control the entire device.

Further, the control unit 11 functions as a mode selection unit 20. When the mode selection unit 20 receives the print data from the terminal device 30, the mode selection unit 20 selects either the normal print mode or the spool print mode according to the presence or absence of a person located in the detection area.

Next, the mode selection operation by the mode selection unit 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
When the print data from the terminal device 30 is received (step S101), the control unit 11 functions as the mode selection unit 20 and sets the print mode to the spool print mode (step S102). As a result, the conversion of the print data to the raster image is started, and the printing is started after all the pages are converted into the raster image.

Next, the mode selection unit 20 monitors the detection of a person in the detection area by the motion sensor unit 18 (step S103) and the completion of conversion to the raster image for all pages (step S104).

If a person in the detection area is detected by the motion sensor unit 18 in step S103 before the conversion to the raster image for all pages is completed, the mode selection unit 20 switches the print mode to the normal print mode. The setting (step S105) is performed, and the mode selection operation is terminated. In this case, printing is started sequentially from the converted raster image. As a result, it is possible to keep the user who came to get the print from waiting as much as possible.

When the conversion to the raster image for all pages is completed in step S104 without detecting the person in the detection area by the motion sensor unit 18, the mode selection unit 20 ends the mode selection operation as it is. In this case, since the image forming unit 16 can be continuously moved to print all the pages at once, the operating time related to the total image forming can be shortened, and an energy saving effect can be expected.

(Second Embodiment)
The image forming apparatus 10a of the second embodiment is set to the image forming apparatus 10a with a person existing in the detection area A (within the distance L1) set in the image forming apparatus 10a, referring to FIG. It is provided with a motion sensor unit 18a capable of detecting a person existing in the detection area B (within the distance L2) closer than the detection area A in two steps.

Further, the control unit 11 functions as a mode selection unit 20a, determines whether or not the person located in the detection area is a user who has come to pick up the printed matter, and determines which of the normal print mode and the spool print mode. Select.

For the motion sensor unit 18a, for example, an infrared array sensor can be used. Infrared rays radiated by the body temperature of a person are received by light receiving units arranged in a line shape or a matrix, and the position of the person and the distance from the image forming apparatus 10a can be detected by the distribution of the infrared light receiving intensity. An ultrasonic sensor or a capacitance sensor can also be used as the motion sensor unit 18a.

Next, the mode selection operation by the mode selection unit 20a will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
When the print data from the terminal device 30 is received (step S101), the control unit 11 functions as the mode selection unit 20 and sets the print mode to the spool print mode (step S102). As a result, the conversion of the print data to the raster image is started, and the printing is started after all the pages are converted into the raster image.

Next, the mode selection unit 20a monitors the detection of a person in the detection area A by the motion sensor unit 18 (step S201) and the completion of conversion to the raster image for all pages (step S104).

If the human sensor unit 18 does not detect a person in the detection area A and the conversion to the raster image for all pages is completed in step S104, the mode selection unit 20 ends the mode selection operation as it is. In this case, since the image forming unit 16 can be continuously moved to print all the pages at once, the operating time related to the total image forming can be shortened, and an energy saving effect can be expected.

If a person in the detection area A is detected by the motion sensor unit 18 in step S201 before the conversion to the raster image for all pages is completed, the mode selection unit 20a is the detection area by the motion sensor unit 18. The detection of a person in B (step S202) and the passage of a preset predetermined time X are monitored (step S203). The predetermined time X is set to an estimated time for a person approaching to operate the image forming apparatus 10a to reach the detection area B via the detection area A.

When the predetermined time X elapses in step S203 without the human sensor unit 18 detecting the person in the detection area B, the mode selection unit 20 switches the print mode to the normal print mode and sets it (step S105). ), Ends the mode selection operation. In this case, since it is considered that the user who came to pick up the print is waiting in the detection area A slightly away from the image forming apparatus 10a, the print is started sequentially from the converted raster image. As a result, it is possible to keep the user who came to get the print from waiting as much as possible.

If a person in the detection area B is detected by the motion sensor unit 18 in step S202 before the elapse of the predetermined time X, the mode selection unit 20a receives the operation by the operation unit 12 (step S204), and in advance. The passage of the set predetermined time Y is monitored (step S205). The predetermined time Y is set to an estimated time until a person who comes into the detection area B operates the operation unit 12.

When the predetermined time Y elapses in step S205 without accepting the operation by the operation unit 12, the mode selection unit 20 switches the print mode to the normal print mode and sets it (step S105), and ends the mode selection operation. In this case, since it is considered that the user who has come to pick up the print is waiting in the detection area B near the image forming apparatus 10a, the print is started sequentially from the converted raster image. As a result, it is possible to keep the user who came to get the print from waiting as much as possible.

If the operation unit 12 accepts the operation in step S204 before the elapse of the predetermined time Y, the mode selection unit 20a ends the mode selection operation as it is. In this case, since it is determined that the person who approaches the image forming apparatus 10a is not the user who came to pick up the print, the spool print mode is maintained.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 is set to convert the received print data into a raster image developed by bitmap and execute the print. The human sensor unit 18 that detects a person existing in the detection area and the spool print mode that starts printing after converting all pages to a raster image when print data is received are set to all pages. If a person is detected by the human sensor unit 18 before the conversion to the raster image of the minute is completed, the mode selection unit 20 is set by switching to the normal print mode in which the pages converted to the raster image are sequentially printed. And have.
With this configuration, the user's behavior can be taken into consideration, and the spool print mode can be selected if the user does not come to pick it up, and the normal print mode can be selected if the user comes to pick it up. You can select the printed mode. Therefore, when it is considered that the user is not waiting, spool printing can be performed to shorten the engine operating time as much as possible to save energy. Then, the user who comes to get the print can keep waiting as much as possible by the normal print.

Further, in the present embodiment, the motion sensor unit 18a is in the detection area B (second detection area) closer to the person existing in the set detection area A (first detection area) and the detection area A. The mode selection unit 20a detects a person in the detection area A by the motion sensor unit 18a, and then the motion sensor unit 18a detects the person in the detection area B. When the preset predetermined time X (first predetermined time) elapses without being detected, the normal print mode is switched to the setting. The predetermined time X is set to an estimated time for a person approaching for operation to reach the detection area B via the detection area A.
With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the approaching person is a user who has come to pick up the print and is waiting in the detection area A slightly away from the image forming apparatus 10a, and the user who has come to pick up the print. You can keep waiting as much as possible.

Further, in the present embodiment, the operation unit 12 for receiving the operation is provided, and the mode selection unit 20a receives the operation by the operation unit 12 after the person in the detection area B is detected by the motion sensor unit 18a. When the preset predetermined time Y (second predetermined time) elapses, the normal print mode is switched to the setting. The time Y is set to an estimated time until a person who comes into the detection area B operates the operation unit 12.
With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether or not the approaching person is a user who has come to pick up the print and is waiting in the detection area B near the image forming apparatus 10a, and as much as possible the user who has come to pick up the print. You can't wait.

It is clear that the present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Further, the number, position, shape, etc. of the constituent members are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be a suitable number, position, shape, etc. for carrying out the present invention. In each figure, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

10, 10a Image forming device 11 Control unit 12 Operation unit 13 Document reading unit 14 Storage unit 15 Image processing unit 16 Image forming unit 17 Communication unit 18, 18a Human sensor unit 20, 20a Mode selection unit 30 Terminal device 40 Network

Claims (5)

It is an image forming device that converts the received print data into a raster image developed by bitmap and executes printing.
A motion sensor that detects a person existing in the set detection area,
When the print data is received, the spool print mode is set to start printing after converting all pages to a raster image, and a person is detected by the motion sensor unit before the conversion to raster images for all pages is completed. An image forming apparatus comprising: a mode selection unit for switching and setting a normal print mode for sequentially printing pages converted into a raster image when is detected. The motion sensor unit detects a person existing in the set first detection area and a person existing in the second detection area closer to the first detection area at a two-step distance.
The mode selection unit is set in advance without detecting a person in the second detection area by the motion sensor unit after the person in the first detection area is detected by the motion sensor unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first predetermined time elapses, the normal print mode is switched to the setting. 2. The first predetermined time is set to an estimated time for a person approaching for operation to reach the second detection area via the first detection area. The image forming apparatus described. Equipped with an operation unit that accepts operations
When a preset second predetermined time elapses after the motion sensor unit detects a person in the second detection area without accepting the operation by the operation unit, the mode selection unit may perform the operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the image forming apparatus is switched to a normal print mode and set. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second predetermined time is set to an estimated time until a person who comes into the second detection area operates the operation unit.

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