JP2021087123A - Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can properly correct printing position deviation registered to sheet attribute data, especially, to provide an image forming apparatus in which sheet data is managed so that the amount of correction of printing position deviation and a sheet size are in a corresponding relationship.SOLUTION: A printer (100) comprises a paper feed stage (140) that can manage stored sheets by using sheet size information and sheet attribute data, and at the occurrence of an event for registering an adjustment value of a printing position to the sheet attribute data to which the sheet size information is not set, registers the adjustment value to copied sheet attribute data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus for adjusting an image forming position with respect to a print medium and a control method thereof. The image forming apparatus is used as a copier, a printer, a fax machine, and other devices having functions related to image forming.

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus has been known that adjusts a printing position (image forming position) with respect to a printing medium so that an image is formed at an intended position on a printing medium (for example, paper or sheet). In such a device, for example, by adjusting the printing position in double-sided printing, the printing positions of the images on the front side and the back side of the printing medium can be aligned. Further, such a device can print an image so that it does not overlap with the ruled line by adjusting the printing position when printing the image on a printing place (preprinted paper or the like) on which the ruled line is printed in advance. it can.

Examples of the method of adjusting the print position include a method of forming a front / back adjustment mark on paper, scanning the front / back adjustment mark, and applying a correction amount obtained based on the scan result at the time of printing (Patent Documents). 1). The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates the correction value from the amount of deviation of the front and back adjustment marks with respect to the design value, and adjusts the image forming positions on both sides based on the correction value to adjust the front and back of the image. Do.

Further, in Patent Document 1, the correction amount is registered for the paper data for each paper name recorded in the paper library by using a database called a paper library that records and manages the basis weight and the material for each paper name. Can be done. If the correction amount is registered for each paper data, the paper is set in the paper feed stage, and the paper data is associated with the paper feed stage when printing using the paper feed stage. Printing that reflects the correction amount registered in is possible.

JP-A-2018-124455

By the way, an image forming apparatus that employs a paper library as in Patent Document 1 may be used without intentionally setting paper size information for paper data. For example, the same paper data in which the paper size is not specified may be set in the paper feed stage 1 in which A4 paper is set and the paper feed stage 2 in which A3 paper is set. This usage method has an advantage that paper having the same attributes other than the paper size can be easily managed with one paper data.

However, when registering the correction amount for print position deviation in the paper data and using it, it is desirable that the paper size can be specified. This is because the amount of print misalignment is the amount of correction caused by the cut shape of each cut paper, so if the same amount of correction is applied to paper cut by different cutting methods, such as paper of different sizes, the amount of print misalignment will occur. This is because there is a risk of worsening.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of appropriately correcting a print position deviation registered in paper attribute data. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus in which paper data is managed so that a correction amount of print position deviation and a paper size have a corresponding relationship.

According to the present invention, in an image forming apparatus including a paper storage unit capable of managing stored paper using paper size information and paper attribute data, printing is performed on one paper attribute data for which paper size information is not set. According to the occurrence of the event for registering the position adjustment value, the further paper attribute data created based on the one paper attribute data and the paper attribute data in which the adjustment value and one paper size are registered are input. It is characterized by having a means for obtaining it.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of appropriately correcting the print position deviation registered in the paper attribute data. In particular, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus in which paper data is managed so that the correction amount of print position deviation and the paper size have a corresponding relationship.

Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image formation system Schematic diagram showing the configuration of the image forming unit Schematic diagram showing the layout configuration of the printing device Schematic diagram showing an interface for an operator to operate on a paper library Schematic diagram showing an interface screen for an operator to edit paper attributes Diagram illustrating the transition of the paper library Schematic diagram showing an adjustment image used for print position adjustment A diagram showing a list of methods for calculating the amount of print position deviation from the measured values of the adjustment image. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a paper type setting status screen, and FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a modified example of the paper type setting status screen. Diagram showing the print position adjustment screen Diagram of a flowchart showing the operation of a printing device Diagram of the flowchart showing the adjustment value update process Diagram showing the application screen of the host computer Diagram explaining the relationship between each process in real-time adjustment Sequence diagram showing a series of real-time adjustment flow Diagram illustrating the transition of the paper library Sequence diagram when inputting the amount of print position deviation in a paper profile of unspecified size Diagram of flowchart in the reception process of adjustment value change Diagram of sequence when accepting input of adjustment value FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the paper feed stage setting.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration for realizing the present invention is not limited to the configuration described here. Some of the configurations described to the extent that similar effects can be obtained may be omitted or replaced with equivalents.

<Image formation system>
An image forming system including a plurality of devices will be described as an example of a configuration that is a prerequisite for carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration of an image forming system. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the present embodiment includes a printing device 100 (image forming device, MFP) and a host computer 101 (information processing device, PC). Further, the printing device 100, the host computer 101, and the like are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other by a communication line 105 (for example, LAN). In the image forming system of this embodiment, the host computer 101 and the printing device 100 are connected on a one-to-one basis, but an image forming system in which a plurality of each device is connected may be used.

The host computer 101 can acquire input information from an operator by an input device (not shown), create a print job to be transmitted to the printing device 100, and transmit the information to the printing device 100.

The printing device 100 includes a controller board 110, an operation panel 120, a scanner 130, a paper feeding device 140, a printer engine 150, and a reading device 160. Each configuration of the printing apparatus 100 is communicably connected to each other via a bus 116.

The controller board 110 is a control unit that performs various data processing and controls the operation of the printing apparatus 100. The operation panel 120 is an LCD that displays information and a touch-on sensor that detects touch operations, and is an operation unit that receives various operations from an operator by a touch panel method. The scanner 130 is a reading unit that scans a document document using an optical sensor and acquires scanned image data. The paper feed device 140 is a paper feed unit (paper storage unit) composed of a plurality of paper feed stages. Various types of printing paper can be stored in each paper feed stage. Each paper feed stage has a sensor (not shown) that determines whether or not paper is placed in the paper feed stage, and if paper is placed, it is at the top of the stored paper. It is possible to separate only one sheet of paper and transport it to the printer engine 150. The printer engine 150 is an image forming unit that physically prints image data on printing paper. The reading device 160 controls to read the print result 170 printed by the printer engine 150 and feed it back to the controller board 110. Details of the reading device 160 will be described later with reference to FIG.

<Controller>
Next, the configuration of the controller board 110 will be described. The I / O control unit 111 is a communication unit that controls communication with an external network. The ROM 112 is a memory for storing various control programs. The RAM 113 is a memory for reading and recording a control program stored in the ROM 112. The CPU 114 is a processor that executes a control program read into the RAM 113 and collectively controls an image signal and various devices. The HDD 115 is a storage medium used for the purpose of temporarily or long-term holding a large amount of data such as image data and print data. The modules are connected to each other via the system bus 116. Further, the system bus 116 connects the controller box and each device in the printing device 100 to each other. The RAM 113 also functions as a main memory and a work memory of the CPU 114. The control program and operating system are stored in the HDD 115 in addition to the ROM 112. Further, it may have an NVRAM (not shown) and store the printing device mode setting information from the operation panel 120.

<Printer engine>
Next, the configuration of the printer engine 150 will be described. The image forming unit 151 includes a developing unit 152, a photoconductor drum 153, and a transfer belt 154. The image forming unit 151 forms a toner image on the periphery of the photoconductor drum 153 using the developing unit 152 according to the image data generated by the controller board 110, and is formed on the printing paper conveyed on the transfer belt 154. Transfer the toner image. The details of the image forming unit 151 will be described later with reference to FIG. The fixing unit 155 fixes the toner image transferred to the printing paper by the image forming unit 151. The fixing unit 155 includes a pressure roller and a heating roller (not shown), and the paper passes between the rollers to melt and crimp the toner to fix the toner image on the printing paper.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the configuration of the image forming unit 151. As shown in the figure, the developing unit 152 is arranged so as to face the photoconductor drum 153, and the inside thereof is divided into a developing chamber 202 and a stirring chamber 203 by a partition wall 201 extending in the vertical direction. A non-magnetic developing sleeve 204 that rotates in the direction of the arrow is arranged in the developing chamber 202, and a magnet 205 is fixedly arranged inside the developing sleeve 204. The developing sleeve 204 carries and conveys a layer of a two-component developer (including a magnetic carrier and a non-magnetic toner) whose layer thickness is regulated by a blade 206, and the developer is applied to the photoconductor drum 153 in a developing region facing the photoconductor drum 153. To develop the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum 153. In order to improve the development efficiency, that is, the rate of applying toner to the electrostatic latent image, a development bias voltage in which a DC voltage is superimposed on an AC voltage is applied to the development sleeve 204. Developer stirring screws 207 and 208 are arranged in the developing chamber 202 and the stirring chamber 203, respectively. The screw 207 stirs and conveys the developer in the developing chamber 202. The screw 208 agitates and conveys the toner 213 supplied by the rotation of the transfer screw 212 from the toner discharge port 211 of the toner supply tank 210 and the developer 214 already in the developing unit 152 to make the toner concentration uniform. The partition wall 201 is formed with a developer passage (not shown) that allows the developing chamber 202 and the stirring chamber 203 to communicate with each other at the front and back ends in FIG. The developer in the developing chamber 202 whose toner is consumed by the development and whose toner concentration is lowered is moved from one of the developing agent passages into the stirring chamber 203 by the conveying force of the screws 207 and 208. The developer whose toner concentration has been restored in the stirring chamber 203 is configured to be moved into the developing chamber 202 from the other developing agent passage.

The photoconductor drum 153 is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure. Around the photoconductor drum 153, a primary charger 220 that uniformly charges the photoconductor drum 153, a developing unit 152, a transfer charger 221 that transfers the developed visible toner image to printing paper, and a drum cleaner 222 are photosensitive. They are sequentially arranged in the body drum rotation direction.

An image exposure device 223 is provided above the photoconductor drum 153. The image exposure device 223 is composed of a semiconductor laser, a polygon mirror, a reflector, etc., receives an input of a digital pixel signal (video data) corresponding to an image converted into a digital signal by the controller board 110, and corresponds to the signal. Irradiate a modulated laser beam. The image exposure apparatus 223 irradiates the laser beam between the primary charger 220 and the developing unit 152 so as to scan in the direction of the bus of the photoconductor drum 153, and exposes the drum surface of the photoconductor drum 153 to perform electrostatic latent. It is designed to form an image. After that, by rotating the photoconductor drum 153, the electrostatic latent image is developed into a visible toner image by the developing unit 152.

An endless transfer belt 154 that conveys printing paper in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing is stretched between a plurality of rollers and arranged below the photoconductor drum 153. The printing paper fed from the paper feed device 140 is fed from the right side of the transfer belt 154, and is supported on the transfer belt 154 by the action of the adsorption charger 230 which is installed facing the transfer belt 154 to the left side. Be transported. When the printing paper passes between the photoconductor drum 153 and the transfer charger 221, the visible toner image developed on the photoconductor drum 153 is transferred to the printing paper by the action of the transfer charger 221. The printing paper on which the toner image is transferred is separated from the transfer belt 154 by the static elimination charger 231 and conveyed to a fixing unit 155 (not shown). The toner remaining on the photoconductor drum 153 after the toner is transferred to the printing paper is removed by the drum cleaner 222.

<Paper feed device>
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the printer engine 150 and the reading device 160 on the paper transport path. The printer engine 150 has a paper feed stage 1 (140-1), a paper feed stage 2 (140-2), a paper feed stage 3 (140-3), and a paper feed stage 4 (140-4) that function as a paper feed device 140. ), It has a paper feed stage 5 (140-5). For example, A4 paper is set in the paper feed stage 1, and for example, A3 paper is set in the paper feed stage 2. Then, the paper is fed from the paper feed stage having the corresponding paper according to the print content to be executed. Toner is transferred to the upper surface of the fed paper through the paper transport path 316, and then the toner is fixed by the fixing unit 155. At the time of single-sided printing, the paper is discharged as it is to the outside of the printer engine 150. In this example, since the reading device 160 is connected, the paper is conveyed to the paper transport path 313 of the reading device 160. At the time of double-sided printing, the paper is conveyed to the double-sided transfer path 317, and after reversing, returns to the sheet transfer path 316, prints on the back surface, and is conveyed to the paper transfer path 313 on the reader 160.

<Reading device>
The reading device 160 includes a reading controller unit 310, a paper detection sensor 311 and a line sensor 312. The printed matter to be read (paper on which the adjustment image is formed) passes over the paper transport path 313, and the printed matter is detected by the paper detection sensor 311. The paper transport path 313 is composed of a black paper transport belt (transport means). By using a black paper transport belt, the paper detection sensor 311 catches the edge of the white printed matter passing through the paper transport path 313 and detects the presence or absence of the printed matter.

Further, a plurality of the paper detection sensors 311 are installed side by side in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and the presence or absence of printed matter is detected at each position to obtain the passing time. The reading controller unit 310 calculates the skew angle of the printed matter from the conveying speed of the paper conveying belt based on the change information of the presence or absence of the printed matter sent from each paper detection sensor 311 and the passing time of the leading paper edge of the printed matter. Next, using the signal that detects the presence or absence of paper as a trigger, the reading controller unit 310 controls the line sensor 312 to read the image data of the printed matter. Two line sensors 312 are installed above and below the paper transport path so that the front surface and the back surface can be read. Then, the correction value information calculated from the skew angle of the printed matter calculated earlier and the adjustment mark included in the image data read by the line sensor is transmitted to the controller board 110.

(Example 1)
In the image forming system having the configurations described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the first embodiment, an event occurs in which the adjustment value of the print position deviation is manually input to the paper profile in which the paper size is not specified. Then, in this event, in the first embodiment, a paper profile in which the paper size is specified is created.

<Usage sequence>
First, the overall flow of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram when the amount of print position deviation is input to the paper profile of which the size is not specified. As shown in FIG. 17, in this embodiment, the main exchanges are performed between the user, the printing device 100, and the host computer 101.

When the paper profile registration instruction is given in step 1701 (hereinafter referred to as S1701 or the like), the printing apparatus 100 registers the paper profile A in which the paper size is not specified in S1702.

In S1703, when the user gives an instruction to register in the paper feed stage, in S1704, the printing apparatus 100 registers the paper profile A in the paper feed stage 1 and the paper feed stage 2. At this time, since the size of the paper profile A is not specified, it can be used together in the paper feed stage 1 and the paper feed stage 2.

In S1705, the user gives an input instruction for the amount of print position deviation for the paper profile A. At this time, it is essential to input the paper size information. Here, A4 size is specified.

In S1706, the printing apparatus 100 duplicates the paper profile A (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1") and creates the paper profile B (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A4").

In S1707, the printing apparatus 100 applies the input print position deviation amount to the paper profile B to update the information.

In S1708, the printing apparatus 100 searches for a paper feed stage in which the paper profile A is registered and in which the size (here, A4) input at the time of inputting the print position deviation amount is registered. Here, since the paper feed stage 1 is applicable, the paper profile B is registered in the paper feed stage 1.

In S1709, the paper profile A is instructed to input the amount of print position deviation. At this time, it is essential to input the paper size information. Here, A3 size is specified.

In S1710, the printing apparatus 100 duplicates the paper profile A (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1") and creates the paper profile C (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A3").

In S1711, the printing apparatus 100 applies the input print position deviation amount to the paper profile C to update the information.

In S1712, the printing apparatus 100 searches for a paper feed stage in which the paper profile A is registered and in which the size (here, A3) input at the time of inputting the print position deviation amount is registered. Here, since the paper feed stage 2 is applicable, the paper profile C is registered in the paper feed stage 2.

In this embodiment, the paper profile and the paper feed stage are registered as described above. Then, using this registered information, image formation is performed as follows.

In S1713, the user gives an execution instruction to the host computer 101 for the print job 1 that specifies the paper feed stage 1 and the print job 2 that specifies the paper feed stage 2.

In S1714, the host computer 101 transmits the print job 1 and the print job 2 to the printing device 100.

In S1715, the printing apparatus 100 executes the print job 1 using the paper in the paper feed stage 1. At this time, the paper profile B registered in the paper feed stage 1 is read out, and the print position shift amount is applied to the execution of the print job 1.

In S1716, the printing apparatus 100 executes the print job 2 using the paper in the paper feed stage 2. At this time, the paper profile C registered in the paper feed stage 2 is read out, and the print position shift amount is applied to the execution of the print job 2.

In S1717, the printing apparatus 100 provides the deliverables generated by the execution of the print job 1 and the print job 2.

<Editing the paper library>
Information (paper profile) of paper used for printing in the printing apparatus 100 is managed by an operator (user) using a database called a paper library. When registering a paper profile as in S1701 and S1702, the paper library is edited. The paper library is stored in the HDD 115 or the RAM 113, and is read / written by each software module as needed. The detailed configuration of the paper library will be described with reference to FIG. 6 described later.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an interface for the operator to operate the paper library. The screen 400 represents the entire interface screen displayed on the operation panel 120 by the CPU 114. The screen 400 includes a paper list 410, a new addition button 420, an edit button 421, a delete button 422, and a selection button 423.

The paper list 410 is an area for displaying a list of papers stored in the paper library. In the paper list 410, paper attributes as shown in rows 411 to 416 are presented as ancillary information for each paper. Column 411 represents the paper name of each paper. The paper name is a name specified by an operator or the like so that the papers can be distinguished from each other. Rows 412 and 413 represent the sub-scanning direction paper length and the main scanning direction paper length for each paper, respectively. Column 414 represents the basis weight of each sheet. Row 415 represents the front surface of each paper. Here, the front surface property is an attribute that expresses the physical characteristics of the front surface of the paper. For example, there is a "coat" in which the front surface is coated to increase the glossiness, and an "emboss" in which the front surface is uneven. .. Column 416 represents the color of each paper (the color of the paper itself). On the operation panel 120, the operator can select the paper by touching the place where any paper is displayed in the paper list 410. The selected paper is highlighted (thick frame display). FIG. 4 shows that "XYZ papermaking color 81" is selected as an example. If the number of paper types recorded in the paper library is larger than the number that can be displayed at one time in the paper list 410, the information on the paper that does not fit is arranged outside the screen. Information on paper outside the screen can be displayed by using the scroll bar 417.

The new addition button 420 is a button for adding new paper to the paper library. The edit button 421 is a button for editing the paper attributes of the paper selected in the paper list 410. The delete button 422 is a button for deleting the paper selected in the paper list 410 from the paper library. The selection button 423 is a button for registering the paper selected in the paper list 410 in the paper feed stage.

When the new addition button 420 is selected, the paper attribute edit screen of the registration paper is displayed, and after inputting the attribute information, the paper attribute data named "ABC Paper Recycling 1" can be registered. In this embodiment, as described in S1701 and S1702, the information in columns 412 and 413 can be left blank, that is, the paper attribute data can be registered without specifying the paper size.

When the paper attribute data is registered, the paper library is updated. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a paper library stored in the HDD 115 or the like. Although a schematic diagram is used here for explanation, the paper library is actually stored as digital information such as XML and CSV.

Lines 601 to 605 are information fields for each paper registered in the paper library. Columns 611 to 629 represent the paper attributes specified by the operator for each paper. Column 611 represents the paper name. Rows 612 to 615 are paper attributes indicating the physical characteristics of the paper, and represent the paper length in the sub-scanning direction, the paper length in the main scanning direction, the basis weight, and the front surface, respectively. Column 616 indicates the color of the paper, and column 617 indicates whether the paper is preprinted paper.

Rows 618 and 619 represent the amount of print position deviation with respect to the front side and the back side of each paper, respectively. When the paper attribute data is newly registered on the paper library, or when the print position is not adjusted even if the paper is registered, the initial value is used as the print position shift amount. Here, the initial value of each item is "0". Column 620 represents the adjustment value of the voltage of the secondary transfer. The secondary transfer voltage is finely adjusted to the optimum voltage according to the characteristics such as the basis weight and front surface of the paper, so that an appropriate amount of toner is adsorbed on the paper.

<Registration of paper feed stage>
When registering the paper feed stage as in S1703 and S1704, the paper type setting status screen is used. FIG. 9A is a diagram showing a situation before inputting the amount of print position deviation on the paper type setting status screen. FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a situation after inputting the amount of print position deviation on the paper type setting status screen. The screen 900 is composed of a paper feed stage information 901, a print position adjustment button 902, a print position adjustment button 902, a paper registration button 903, an automatic adjustment ON button 904, and an automatic adjustment OFF button 905. The print position adjustment button 902, the automatic adjustment ON button 904, and the automatic adjustment OFF button 905 are not the main points of this embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

The paper feed stage information 901 is an area for displaying information on the paper type and size registered in each paper feed stage. The paper feed stage information 901 includes information areas for the paper feed stage 1 (140-1) to the paper feed stage 5 (140-5). The information area 906 is an information area for the paper feed stage 1 (140-1), and the information area 907 is an information area for the paper feed stage 2 (140-2). In each information area, the paper size detected by the paper size detection sensor included in each paper feed stage is registered. You may call the paper size change menu 908 and manually specify the paper size. In any case, the paper is recognized as an effective paper feed stage only when the paper can be managed using the paper attribute data and the paper size.

The paper registration button 903 is a button for registering a paper type in the selected paper feed stage. When the paper registration button 903 is pressed after selecting the desired paper feed stage information area from the paper feed stage information 901, the paper attribute editing screen 400 is displayed. Then, when the selection button 423 is pressed, the paper selected in FIG. 4 is registered in the information area in the paper feed stage selected in FIG. 9.

In FIG. 9A, “ABC Paper Recycling 1”, “ABC Paper Recycling 1”, and “DEF Paper Embossed Paper” are shown in this order for the paper feed stage 1 (140-1) to the paper feed stage 5 (140-5). "A-1", "DEF papermaking coated paper P-1", and "XYZ papermaking color 81" are registered. Further, "A4", "A3", "12x18inch", "A4", and "11x17inch" size papers are set in this order for the paper feed stages 1 to 5. That is, as shown in S1704, the paper profile "ABC Paper Recycling 1" whose size is not specified is registered for the paper feed stages (paper feed stage 1, paper feed stage 2) in which the size of the loaded paper is different. ing.

<Input of print position deviation amount>
When manually inputting the print position deviation amount as in S1705, the paper attribute editing screen is used. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an interface screen for the operator to edit the paper attributes. The screen 500 represents the entire interface screen displayed on the operation panel 120 by the CPU 114. The screen 500 is displayed by selecting the desired paper on the screen 400 and then selecting the edit button 421.

The input fields 501 to 504 are text boxes for inputting the paper attributes of the paper name, the sub-scanning direction paper length, the main scanning direction paper length, and the basis weight, respectively. Numerical values can be freely input in the input fields 502 and 503, but when a specific combination of numerical values is input, it is recognized as a standard size. For example, a combination of 297 mm × 210 mm is recognized as A4 size, and a combination of 420 mm × 297 mm is recognized as A3 size. If it is not a combination of specific numerical values input in the input fields 502 and 503, it is recognized as an irregular size.

Input to the text box is performed by a software keyboard (not shown), a numeric keypad provided on the operation panel 120, or the like. The input field 505 is a combo box for designating the front side of the paper. In the input field 505, it is possible to specify one from the list of front faces that can be supported by the pre-registered printing apparatus 100. The input field 506 is a combo box for designating the color of the paper. In the input field 506, one can be specified from the list of colors registered in advance. The operator uses the input field 506 to select one of the closest colors as the paper color. The input field 507 is a check box for designating whether or not the paper is preprinted paper. If the paper is preprinted, the operator checks input field 507.

The input field group 509 is a plurality of text boxes for inputting various parameters related to the amount of print misalignment.

The notification 510 is a message prompting the input of the paper length (input to the input fields 502 and 503) when registering the print position deviation amount. The notification 510 is displayed, for example, when a value other than the initial value is input to the input field group 509 and the input fields 502 and 503 are blank. It should be noted that this is one form, and the notification 510 may be always displayed.

When the edit end button 520 is pressed, the paper attributes input at that time are confirmed and saved in the paper library. In this embodiment, when the paper length is edited according to the input of the print position deviation amount, the paper attributes are fixed for the paper profile duplicated from the original paper profile and saved in the paper library.

If a value other than the initial value is input to the input field group 509 and the input fields 502 and 503 are blank and the edit end button 520 is pressed, the notification 510 is emphasized and the screen 500 is displayed. You may redisplay it. Further, when a value other than the initial value is input to the input field group 509 and the input fields 502 and 503 are blank, the edit end button 520 may be grayed out so that the button cannot be pressed.

When the paper attribute to be pressed is confirmed, the edit end button 520 closes the screen 500 and returns to the paper attribute edit screen 400.

The cancel button 521 is a button for canceling the paper attribute editing process. When the cancel button 521 is pressed, the screen 500 is closed and the screen returns to the paper attribute editing screen 400 without editing the paper library.

Here, the print position shift amount represents the position shift amount from the ideal print position, and in this embodiment, the right angle correction amount, the keystone correction amount, the skew correction amount, the lead position, the side position, the main scanning magnification, and the like. It consists of items of sub-scanning magnification.

At the time of actual printing, the printing apparatus 100 adjusts based on these print position shift amounts and the secondary transfer voltage adjustment amount so as to cancel the print position shift amount so as to print at the print position with an ideal density. Print. The right angle correction amount represents the amount of deviation between the squareness of the printing direction in the secondary scanning direction and the printing direction with respect to the paper. As an example, an ideal perpendicular line is calculated for a straight line printed in the secondary scanning direction, and the ideal perpendicular line is calculated. It is expressed using the amount of deviation between the perpendicular line and the straight line printed in the main scanning direction. The trapezoidal correction amount represents the amount of expansion and contraction of the paper, and as an example, a straight line printed from the printing start position on the paper to the rear end of the sub-scanning in the sub-scanning direction and the position of the rear end of the main scanning of the paper in the sub-scanning direction. It is expressed using the amount of deviation from the straight line printed up to the rear end of the sub-scan. The lead position and side position represent the amount of print position deviation in the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction with respect to the paper, respectively. The lead position is adjusted by changing the print start position of the image starting from the paper edge at the beginning of the paper transport direction, and the side position is adjusted by changing the print start position of the image starting from the paper edge on the left side in the paper transport direction. Specifically, it is realized by adjusting the irradiation start timing of the laser beam to be irradiated from the image exposure apparatus 223 to the photoconductor drum 153. The sub-scanning direction magnification represents the deviation of the image length in the sub-scanning direction (magnification with respect to the ideal length). Specifically, the sub-scanning direction magnification is adjusted by controlling the driving speed of the transfer belt 154. The main scanning direction magnification represents the deviation of the image length in the main scanning direction (magnification with respect to the ideal length). Specifically, the main scanning direction magnification is adjusted by controlling the clock frequency of the laser beam when the digital image signal is modulated into the laser beam in the image exposure apparatus 223.

<Control flow>
The flow of display control of the screen 500 will be described. FIG. 18 is a diagram of a flowchart in the process of accepting the adjustment value change. The control shown in this flowchart is executed by the controller board 110. Specifically, the CPU 114 realizes the above control by expanding the program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executing the program.

In S1801, the controller board 110 detects that the edit button 421 has been selected.

In S1802, the controller board 110 causes the display unit of the operation panel 120 to display the paper attribute editing screen 400.

In S1803, the controller board 110 receives an editing instruction of paper attributes such as input to input fields 501 to 509.

In S1804, the controller board 110 detects that the edit end button 520 is pressed.

In S1805, the controller board 110 confirms whether or not the adjustment item (for example, the amount of print position deviation) depending on the paper size has been changed. If YES, the process proceeds to S1806, and if NO, the process proceeds to S1810. In S1810, the controller board 110 saves the edited contents and ends the process.

In S1806, it is determined whether or not the paper length information (secondary scanning direction paper length, main scanning direction paper length) is input as the paper attribute. If YES, the process proceeds to S1807, and if NO, the process returns to S1802.

In S1807, the controller board 110 temporarily saves any edits other than the adjustment items depending on the paper size (for example, edits of the input field 508 which is the secondary transfer voltage adjustment field) in the paper library.

In S1808, the controller board 110 duplicates the paper profile to be edited (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1"). When duplicating the paper profile, "_paper size" is added to the original paper name to make it identifiable. For example, when "ABC Paper Recycling 1" is duplicated with the paper length entered as 210 x 297, a paper profile named "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A4" is created. Then, the changed contents of the adjustment items (for example, the amount of print position deviation) depending on the paper size are applied to the created paper profile and saved in the paper library. A screen for confirming with the user may be displayed before registering the paper name.

In S1809, the controller board 110 searches for the registration destination paper feed stage of the created paper profile. The target paper feed stage is a paper feed stage in which the paper profile that is the copy source is registered and the size information matches. Here, since "ABC Paper Recycling 1" is registered in the paper feed stage 1 in "A4" size, "ABC Paper Recycle 1_A4" is registered in the paper feed stage 1. A screen for confirming with the user may be displayed before registering the paper feed stage.

By applying the above-mentioned control to S1706, S1707, S1710, and S1711, the contents of the paper library transition from the upper table to the lower table in FIG. 6, for example. That is, the state in which the paper profile "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A4" of line 606 and the paper profile "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A3" of line 607 created based on the paper profile of line 601 "ABC Paper Recycling 1" are added. Become. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, the paper type setting status screen changes from the screen 900 to the screen 910. On the screen 910, it is confirmed that the paper profile set in the information area 906 is changed to "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A4" and the paper profile set in the information area 907 is changed to "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A3". can do.

<Remarks>
As described above, in the present embodiment, when the adjustment item depending on the size is input to the paper profile in which the size is not specified, the editing cannot be completed without inputting the paper size. As a result, in this embodiment, an inappropriate paper profile having adjustment items depending on the paper size is not registered even though the paper size is not specified. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of image defects due to the use of such an inappropriate paper profile.

Further, according to the present embodiment, when the adjustment item depending on the size is input to the paper profile in which the size is not specified, the user can be prompted to input the paper size.

Further, in this embodiment, when the adjustment item depending on the size is input to the paper profile whose size is not specified, the paper profile is duplicated and the input contents are reflected in the duplicated paper profile. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the unspecified size paper profile remains, so that the user can use the unspecified size paper profile as needed.

Further, in this embodiment, when the paper profile is duplicated, size information is automatically added to the paper name. This allows the user to identify similar paper profiles created by duplication, according to this embodiment.

Further, in this embodiment, when the paper profile is duplicated, the paper feed stage of the registration destination is automatically searched. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to save the user's trouble of registering the newly created paper profile in the paper feed stage.

(Example 2)
In the image forming system having the configurations described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the second embodiment, an event occurs in which an input instruction for a print position deviation amount based on image measurement is given to a paper profile in which the paper size is not specified. In the second embodiment, a paper profile with a specified paper size is created at this event.

<Usage sequence>
First, the overall flow of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram when inputting a print position deviation amount based on image measurement to a paper profile whose size is not specified. As shown in FIG. 19, in this embodiment, the main exchanges are performed between the user, the printing device 100, and the host computer 101.

In S1901 to S1904, the paper profile and the paper feed stage are registered. Since these processes are the same as those of S1701 to S1704, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In S1905, the user gives an instruction to automatically measure the print position deviation amount for the paper feed stage 1. At this time, it is essential to specify the paper feed stage. Here, the paper feed stage 1 in which the paper profile A (for example, “ABC Paper Recycling 1”) is registered in A4 size is designated.

In S1906, the printing apparatus 100 feeds A4 size paper from the designated paper feed stage and prints the adjustment image.

In S1907, the printing apparatus 100 performs a reading process of the printed adjustment image. The printed adjustment image is conveyed to the reading device 160 and read there, or is ejected from the printing device 100 and then set in the scanner 130 by the user and read.

In S1908, the printing apparatus 100 displays the reading result of the adjustment image on the operation panel 120. Here, the image of the adjustment image read as the reading result may be displayed, or the parameters obtained based on the reading result may be displayed.

In S1909, after confirming the reading result, the user gives an instruction to reflect the obtained adjustment value. The steps of S1908 and S1909 may be omitted. That is, following the reading of the adjustment image, the process may be promoted so as to automatically reflect the obtained print position deviation amount.

In S1910, the printing apparatus 100 duplicates the paper profile A (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1") and creates the paper profile B (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A4").

In S1911, the printing apparatus 100 applies the acquired print position deviation amount to the paper profile B to update the information.

In S1912, the printing apparatus 100 registers the paper profile B in the paper feed stage 1 which is the paper feed stage used for printing the adjustment image.

In S1913, the user gives an instruction to automatically measure the print position deviation amount for the paper feed stage 2. At this time, it is essential to specify the paper feed stage. Here, the paper feed stage 2 in which the paper profile A is registered in A3 size is designated.

In S1914, the printing apparatus 100 feeds A3 size paper from the designated paper feed stage and prints the adjustment image.

In S1915, the printing apparatus 100 performs a reading process of the printed adjustment image. The printed adjustment image is conveyed to the reading device 160 and read there, or is ejected from the printing device 100 and then set in the scanner 130 by the user and read.

In S1916, the printing apparatus 100 displays the reading result of the adjustment image on the operation panel 120. Here, the image of the adjustment image read as the reading result may be displayed, or the parameters obtained based on the reading result may be displayed.

In S1917, after confirming the reading result, the user gives an instruction to reflect the obtained adjustment value. The steps of S1916 and S1917 may be omitted. That is, following the reading of the adjustment image, the process may be promoted so as to automatically reflect the obtained print position deviation amount.

In S1918, the printing apparatus 100 duplicates the paper profile A (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1") and creates the paper profile C (for example, "ABC Paper Recycling 1_A3").

In S1919, the printing apparatus 100 applies the acquired print position deviation amount to the paper profile C to update the information.

In S1920, the printing apparatus 100 registers the paper profile C in the paper feed stage 2, which is the paper feed stage used for printing the adjustment image.

In this embodiment, the paper profile and the paper feed stage are registered as described above. Then, using this registered information, the image forming process described in S1921 to S1925 is performed. Since these processes are the same as those of S1713 to S1717, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

<Print position adjustment screen>
The processes described in S1905, S1908, S1909, S1913, S1916, and S1917 are performed using the print position adjustment screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a print position adjustment screen.

The print position adjustment screen 1000 is a screen displayed on the operation panel 120. The print position adjustment screen 1000 is displayed on the screen 900 when the print position adjustment button 902 is pressed. The print position adjustment screen 1000 includes a paper feed stage selection box 1001, a reading result area 1002, a print measurement button 1005, a print button 1006, a measurement button 1007, an apply button 1003, and a cancel button 1004.

The paper feed stage selection box 1001 is a combo box for designating the paper feed stage used for printing the adjustment image. In the combo box, five paper feed stages from the paper feed stage 1 to the paper feed stage 5 shown in FIG. 9 can be selected, and the paper type registered in the paper feed stage is also displayed.

The reading result area 1002 is an area for displaying various parameters of the paper obtained as a result of reading the adjustment image.

The print measurement button 1005 is a button for collectively instructing the printing of the adjustment image and the reading of the adjustment image. When the print measurement button 1005 is selected, the paper is conveyed from the paper feed stage specified in the paper feed stage selection box 1001, an adjustment image is formed on the paper by the image forming unit 151, and the image is read by the reading device 160. Be done.

The print button 1006 is a button for instructing the printing of the adjustment image. When the print measurement button 1005 is selected, the paper is conveyed from the paper feed stage specified in the paper feed stage selection box 1001, the adjustment image is formed on the paper by the image forming unit 151, and the paper is discharged to the outside of the machine. To.

The measurement button 1007 is a button for instructing the reading of the adjustment image. When the measurement button 1007 is selected, the adjustment image set in the scanner 130 is read, and the read result is displayed as the information of the paper feed stage specified in the paper feed stage selection box 1001.

The apply button 1003 is a button for instructing the update of the print position deviation amount. When the apply button 1003 is selected, the print position deviation information corresponding to the reading result area 1002 is registered as the information of the paper feed stage specified in the paper feed stage selection box 1001. Then, the screen 900 is displayed.

The cancel button 1004 is a button for canceling the print position adjustment process. When the cancel button 1004 is selected, the screen 900 is displayed without updating the paper profile.

<Image for adjustment>
The adjustment image used for image measurement will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an adjustment image used for printing position adjustment.

The image surface 700 represents the front surface of the printed adjustment image (predetermined image, test image, mark, pattern, chart). The image surface 701 represents the back surface of the same adjustment image as the image surface 700. Symbols 710 and 711 are images printed on the adjustment image so that the operator can identify the transport direction and the front surface / back surface of the adjustment image.

In FIG. 7, the paper transport direction is represented by an arrow, and below that, whether it is the front surface (front surface) or the back surface (back surface) is represented by characters. However, these images are not indispensable information and may be configured not to be printed. For example, this information is not required when the printed adjustment image is read by a reading device. In this embodiment, this information is arranged so that the operator can perform an appropriate operation when reading an image using the scanner 130.

The mark 720 represents a mark printed at a specific position in the adjustment image. The mark 720 is formed of a color toner having a large difference in reflectance with respect to ordinary paper. In this embodiment, the mark 720 is formed of black toner. The mark 720 is printed in a total of eight places on each of the four corners of the front side and the back side of the adjustment image. If the printing position is ideal, the mark 720 is arranged so as to be printed at a position separated from the edge of the paper by a certain distance. By measuring the relative position of the mark 720 on the adjustment image, the amount of deviation of the print position can be obtained. In this embodiment, the portions represented by (A) to (V) in FIG. 7 are measured. (A) and (B) are the length in the sub-scanning direction and the length in the main scanning direction of the adjustment image, respectively, and the ideal length is the paper length defined in the paper library. (C) to (V) are the distances from the mark 720 to the nearest paper edge.

<Calculation of print position deviation amount>
Next, a method of calculating the amount of print position deviation from the measured measurements (A) to (V) will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a method of calculating the amount of print position deviation from the actually measured values of (A) to (V). Items 801 to 812 are items representing the amount of print position deviation. Items 801 to 806 represent a lead position, a side position, a main scanning magnification, a sub-scanning magnification, a right angle correction amount, and a keystone correction amount with respect to the front surface, respectively. Items 807 to 812 represent a lead position, a side position, a main scanning magnification, a sub-scanning magnification, a right angle correction amount, and a trapezoidal correction amount with respect to the back surface, respectively.

Column 820 represents a calculation formula for calculating the measured value of each corresponding item from the actually measured values of (A) to (V) shown in FIG. 7. The lead position is the average value of the distances ((C) and (E), and (K) and (M)) from the paper edge at the beginning of the paper transport direction to the corresponding correction marker. The side position is the average value of the distances ((F) and (J), and (N) and (R)) from the paper edge on the left side with respect to the paper transport direction to the corresponding correction marker. The main scanning magnification is the average value of the distances between the correction markers arranged on the same scanning line in the main scanning direction. The sub-scanning magnification is the average value of the distances between the correction markers arranged on the same scanning line in the sub-scanning direction. The right-angle correction amount is the amount of deviation ((S)) of the correction marker on the rear end side of the reading in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the perpendicular line of the straight line connecting the correction markers arranged on the same scanning line in the main scanning direction on the reading front end side. It is the average value of (T) and (U) and (V)). The keystone correction amount is the difference in the distances between the correction markers arranged on the same scanning line in the sub-scanning direction.

Column 821 is an ideal value for each corresponding item, where mark 720 is ideally printed at a position 1 cm away from the corresponding paper edge. In this case, the ideal values of the lead position and the side position are 1 cm. The ideal value of the main scanning magnification is a value obtained by subtracting 2 cm from the main scanning direction paper length of the paper registered in the paper library. The ideal value of the sub-scanning magnification is a value obtained by subtracting 2 cm from the sub-scanning direction paper length of the paper registered in the paper library.

Column 822 represents a calculation formula for calculating the final print position deviation amount of each item from the corresponding measured value and the ideal value. The amount of print position deviation between the lead position and the side position is calculated by subtracting the ideal value from the measured value (unit: mm). The amount of print misalignment of the main scan magnification and the sub scan magnification is calculated by subtracting the ideal value from the measured value and dividing by the ideal value (unit:%). As for the right angle correction amount and the trapezoidal correction amount, the measured values are used as they are as the correction amount. Each calculated print position shift amount is managed by the paper library shown in FIG.

The actual measurement methods (A) to (V) include a method in which the operator actually measures with a ruler and the like, and a method in which the adjustment image is calculated from the image scanned by the scanner 130 by image analysis. However, in this embodiment, a method of calculating by image analysis from an image read by a reading device 160 on a paper transport path connected to the subsequent stage of the printer engine 150 is used. In the method of calculating from the scanned image by the reading device, first, the adjustment image that has passed through the line sensor 312 is scanned. Subsequently, the paper edge of the adjustment image and the edge of the mark 720 (the boundary between the paper base and the mark 720) are detected from the density difference in the scanned image. Then, the lengths (A) to (V) are calculated from the detected paper edge and the edge of the mark 720.

<Control flow>
The process when the print measurement button 1005 is selected on the print position adjustment screen 1000 will be described. Here, the processing when the print button 1006 and the measurement button 1007 are selected will be omitted. FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a flowchart for automatically measuring the amount of print position deviation. The control shown in this flowchart is executed by the controller board 110. Specifically, the CPU 114 realizes the above control by expanding the program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executing the program.

In S2001, the controller board 110 causes the operation panel 120 to display the print position adjustment screen 1000 as shown in FIG.

In S2002, the controller board 110 receives an instruction to change the paper feed stage by the selection box 1001 via the operation panel 120.

In S2003, the controller board 110 determines whether or not the paper feed stage instructed to be changed is a valid paper feed stage, and if it is invalid (NO), returns the selection box 1001 to the state before the change instruction, and if it is valid. (YES) advances the process to S2004. Here, the effective paper feed stage is a paper feed stage in which the paper profile is registered and the paper size is registered.

In S2004, the controller board 110 receives an execution instruction by the print measurement button 1005 via the operation panel 120.

In S2005, the controller board 110 conveys the paper from the paper feed stage designated by the selection box 1001 and causes the image forming unit 151 to form an image for adjustment.

In S2006, the controller board 110 acquires a scanned image of the adjustment image printed on the paper from the scanning device 160.

In S2007, the controller board 110 updates the print position adjustment screen 1000 so that each column of the reading result area is in a state where the measurement result is input. The value of each column of the reading result area 1002 may be manually changed by the user from this state.

In S2008, the controller board 110 determines whether the input via the operation panel 120 is the selection of the apply button 1003 or the selection of the cancel button 1004. When the cancel button 1004 is selected (NO), the flow ends. When the apply button 1003 is selected (YES), the process proceeds to S2009.

In S2009, the controller board 110 calculates the print position deviation amount (adjustment value) using the acquired reading result. The method of calculating the print position deviation amount is as described with reference to FIG.

In S2010, the controller board 110 determines whether or not the paper size information is registered in the paper profile associated with the paper feed stage selected in the selection box 1001. If YES, the process proceeds to S2013. If NO, the process proceeds to S2011. In S2013, the controller board 110 updates the paper profile with the calculated adjustment value, saves the paper profile, and ends the flow.

In S2011, the controller board 110 duplicates the paper profile associated with the paper feed stage selected in the selection box 1001. Then, the duplicated paper profile is updated with the calculated adjustment value. At this time, the paper length information is input to the duplicated paper profile based on the paper size information registered in the paper feed stage.

In S2012, the controller board 110 associates the duplicated paper profile with the paper feed stage selected in the selection box 1001 and ends the flow.

<Remarks>
As described above, in this embodiment, the adjustment image is printed using the paper feed stage associated with the paper profile of which the size is not specified. Then, when the adjustment value is acquired from the reading result, the paper profile associated with the paper feed stage is duplicated, and the input content is reflected in the duplicated paper profile. As a result, the unspecified size paper profile remains, so that the user can use the unspecified size paper profile as needed.

In this embodiment, the paper feed stage to which the paper profile is linked and the paper size is registered is treated as an effective paper feed stage. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation in which the adjustment image is unnecessarily printed even though the print position shift amount cannot be registered (should not be registered).

(Example 3)
In the image forming system having the configurations described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, in the third embodiment, an event occurs in which a series of image forming is performed using the paper feed stage in which the paper profile in which the paper size is not specified is registered. In the third embodiment, a case where a paper profile with a specified paper size is created during this event will be described. In particular, a case where the paper size is switched during the execution of a series of jobs will be described.

<Usage sequence>
In this embodiment, real-time adjustment is performed in which the amount of print misalignment is measured and the result is fed back during the execution of the print job. FIG. 15 is a sequence diagram showing a series of flow of real-time adjustment. In the figure, first, in S1501, the user gives a paper profile registration instruction to the printing apparatus 100. Here, the paper profile registration instruction shall consist of a series of operation flows for setting and registering attribute information related to the paper type in the paper library described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 described above. Next, in S1502, the printing apparatus 100 registers the paper profile (paper profile A) instructed in S1501 in the paper library. Here, it is assumed that the paper profile A does not include information on the paper size. Next, in S1503, the user gives an instruction to register the paper feed stage to the printing apparatus 100. Here, the paper feed stage registration instruction shall consist of a series of operation flows for setting and registering the paper type for each paper feed stage of the printing apparatus 100, as described with reference to FIG. 9 above. .. Next, in S1504, the printing apparatus 100 sets and registers the paper profile (paper profile A) instructed in S1503 in each paper feed stage. Here, it is assumed that the paper profile A is set and registered as the paper type profile in each of the paper feed stage 1 (paper size A4) and the paper feed stage 2 (paper size A3).

Next, in S1505, the user operates the host computer 101 to give a print instruction regarding the print job. Upon receiving the print instruction, the host computer 101 transmits a print job to the printing device 100 in S1506. Here, in the print job, in addition to the image data to be printed, the paper feed stage or paper type (paper profile) used for printing, the paper size, the number of sheets to be printed, the instruction for double-sided or single-sided printing, and the instruction for cutting printing. It shall contain various information necessary for printing such as. Here, it is assumed that the image data of the mixed paper size A4 / A3 is included in the print job and the cutting designation is made. Therefore, the printing device 100 reads the print position adjusting mark (predetermined image) formed in the margin area around the image formed on the output paper of the print job, and is formed on the paper from the reading result. Adjust the amount of image shift. Upon receiving the print job, the printing apparatus 100 starts executing the print job.

First, the printing apparatus 100 starts A4 size print output and determines to perform real-time adjustment on the paper (real-time adjustment paper size determination timing 1). Regarding the print output of the paper, the printing device 100 performs each process of feeding / printing (S1508), reading the output result by the reading device 160 (S1509), and feeding back the print position deviation amount adjustment value limited to A4 size (S1510). To execute. Specifically, a paper profile for which the size is not specified is duplicated to create a paper profile for A4 size, and the adjustment value is updated for the paper profile. Then, the updated adjustment value is reflected in the print content in real time.

Here, the processes S1508 to S1510 are repeatedly executed until the output paper size is switched.

Next, the printing apparatus 100 starts the A3 size print output and decides to perform real-time adjustment on the paper (real-time adjustment paper size determination timing 2). Regarding the print output of the paper, the printing device 100 performs each process of feeding / printing (S1511), reading the output result by the reading device 160 (S1512), and feeding back the print position deviation amount adjustment value limited to A3 size (S1513). To execute. Specifically, a paper profile for which the size is not specified is duplicated to create a paper profile for A3 size, and the adjustment value is updated for the paper profile. Then, the updated adjustment value is reflected in the print content in real time.

When the print output of all the pages related to the print job is completed by executing S1508 to S1513, the printing apparatus 100 ends the execution of the print job in S1514. Then, in S1515, the user acquires the output product of the print job.

<Real-time adjustment>
The relationship between reading and feedback in real-time adjustment will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the output order of the output paper in the real-time adjustment, the reading process of the output image by the reading device 160, and the feedback of the print position deviation amount adjustment value to the paper library. The figure shows a flow of performing real-time adjustment for a print job with mixed paper size (paper size 1, paper size 2) of the same paper type (paper type A). In the figure, the printing device 100 reads out the print position shift amount adjustment value from the paper library on both the front side and the back side of the paper size 1, and reads the print position shift amount adjustment value limited to the paper size 1 to the paper library. Feedback will be provided. Next, the print position deviation adjustment value is read from the paper library on both the front side and the back side of the paper size 2, and the print position deviation adjustment value limited to the paper size 2 is fed back to the paper library.

<Printing application>
The real-time adjustment described above is performed when the use of the function is specified by the user. In the flow described with reference to FIG. 15, in the steps S1505 and S1506, the use is specified by the application executed on the host computer. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an application screen of the host computer. FIG. 13 is an application screen displayed on the operation panel 120. FIG. 13A is a job printing application screen 1300. The job print application screen 1300 is composed of a print job list 1310 and a job action 1320. The print job list 1310 is a screen for displaying the print jobs received from the host computer 101. In the print job list 1310, the number of pages, the number of copies to be printed, and the single-sided / double-sided setting, which are typical settings of the job, are displayed for each job. In the job action 1320, the action for the job displayed in the print job list 1310 is displayed. The job action 1320 is composed of a print button 1321, a RIP button 1322, a print position adjustment button 1323, and a job property button 1324. The print button 1321 is a button for printing a job selected from the print job list 1310 with the printing device 100. The RIP button 1322 is a button for rendering the job selected from the print job list 1310 by the printing device 100. The print position adjustment button 1323 includes a check box, and is a button for selecting whether to print an adjustment image on the paper margin and perform adjustment in a job selected from the print job list 1310. When the print position adjustment button 1323 is checked, the print position adjustment flag is added when the print button 1321 is pressed, and the print data is transmitted to the printing device 100. Then, the print position adjustment flag is added, and the print data is printed with an adjustment image (predetermined image, test image, mark, pattern) in the margin of the paper at the time of printing by the printing apparatus 100, and real-time adjustment is executed. .. The job property button 1324 is a button for displaying the print settings of the job selected from the print job list 1310. When the job property button 1324 is pressed, a job setting list (not shown) is displayed. In the job setting list, in addition to the number of copies to be printed and the single-sided / double-sided setting, there are items related to the print paper setting for each page.

When a job is not selected from the print job list 1310, the print button 1321, the RIP button 1322, the print position adjustment button 1323, and the job property button 1324 are grayed out and cannot be pressed.

<Control flow>
The flow of control performed by the printing apparatus 100 when the real-time adjustment is executed will be described. In the steps S1507 to S1514 of FIG. 15, the printing apparatus 100 performs the control as shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram of a flowchart showing the adjustment value update process. The control shown in this flowchart is executed by the controller board 110. Specifically, the CPU 114 realizes the above control by expanding the program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executing the program.

In S1201, the controller board 110 receives the print data transmitted from the host computer 101 according to the instruction of the operator and accepts it as a print job.

In S1202, the controller board 110 determines whether or not the print position adjustment is specified for the received print job. If YES, the process proceeds to S1203, and if NO, the process proceeds to S1210.

In S1203, the controller board 110 renders the print data (PDL data) and develops the user's image data on the RAM 113.

In S1204, the controller board 110 draws an adjustment image in the margin portion of the image data on the RAM 113.

In S1205, the controller board 110 acquires an image correction value from the paper profile set in the selected paper feed stage, and performs image correction based on the image correction value on the image data on the RAM 113. Then, the printer engine 150 is made to print using the corrected image data.

In S1206, the controller board 110 reads the printed adjustment image with the reading device 160 and acquires the image.

In S1207, the controller board 110 analyzes the acquired image and calculates the amount of print position deviation using the method described with reference to FIG.

In S1208, the controller board 110 updates the paper library using the calculated print position shift amount. Specifically, the adjustment value is updated for the paper profile registered in the paper feed stage used for printing the adjustment image. At this time, if the paper size of the registered paper profile is not specified, the paper profile is duplicated using the size information registered in the paper feed stage. Then, the adjustment value acquired for the duplicated paper profile is updated. The updated print position shift amount is used as a correction value in subsequent printing. The details of S1120 will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S1209, the controller board 110 ends the job when all the pages of the PDL data input by the user have been output. If all the pages have been output and the output has not been completed, the process returns to S1112 and the rendering, printing, and adjustment processing are continued. In this way, the print position shift amount can be acquired for each page and reflected in subsequent printing. Here, the process is continued even if the size of the next page is different from the size of the previous page. For example, after processing an A4 size page, it is possible to continuously process an A3 size page. If the job executed in this way has a mixed page size, the paper profile can be duplicated for each size in S1208.

In S1210, the controller board 110 renders the print data (PDL data) and develops the user's image data on the RAM 113.

In S1211, the controller board 110 acquires an image correction value from the paper profile set in the selected paper feed stage, and performs image correction based on the image correction value on the image data on the RAM 113. Then, the printer engine 150 is made to print using the corrected image data.

<Remarks>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, even in the real-time adjustment in which the paper profile of which the size is not specified is used, the adjustment value of the print position deviation amount acquired during the real-time adjustment is registered in the paper profile. Can be done.

Further, according to this embodiment, even in the real-time adjustment in which the size-unspecified paper profile is mixed and used, the adjustment value of the print position deviation amount acquired during the real-time adjustment can be registered in the paper profile. it can.

(Other Examples)
The present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various modifications (including organic combinations of each example) are possible based on the gist of the present invention, and these are excluded from the scope of the present invention. is not it. That is, all the configurations in which each of the above-described examples and modifications thereof are combined are also included in the present invention.

The present invention supplies a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by the processing to be performed. It can also be realized by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

Examples 1 to 3 are based on the premise that only one size of print misalignment is retained for one paper profile. However, one paper profile may be able to retain the amount of print misalignment of a plurality of paper sizes. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a transition of the paper library. Since the upper table in FIG. 16 is the same as that in FIG. 6, the description is omitted.

Line 1601 shows the information of "ABC Paper Recycling 1" updated from the state of line 601. As can be seen from the description of the print position shift amount (front side) in the row 618 and the print position shift amount (back side) in the row 619, here, information on the print position shift amount of a plurality of sizes is registered for one paper profile. There is. When the paper name of the paper used for printing is "ABC Paper Recycling 1" and the paper size is "A4", the amount of print misalignment described in "[A4]" in columns 618 and 619 is used. When the paper name of the paper used for printing is "ABC Paper Recycling 1" and the paper size is "A3", the amount of print misalignment described in "[A3]" in columns 618 and 619 is used.

When the paper name of the paper used for printing is "ABC Paper Recycling 1" and the paper size is other than "A3" and "A4", the amount of print misalignment described by "[-]" in columns 618 and 619 is Will be adopted. Then, after that, the amount of print position deviation of the paper size is added as needed. When this method is adopted, it is not necessary to duplicate the paper profile.

In the third embodiment, when the print position adjustment flag is given to the print job transmitted from the host computer 101, the print position automatic adjustment (real-time adjustment) is performed. That is, whether or not to automatically adjust the print position is specified on the application of the host computer 101. However, it may be possible for the printing apparatus 100 to specify whether or not to automatically adjust the printing position. The screen 900 shown in FIG. 9A includes a print position automatic adjustment ON button 904 and a print position automatic adjustment OFF button 905. When the button 904 is selected after selecting the paper feed stage on the screen 900, a flag is set so that the print position is automatically adjusted when printing is performed using the paper feed stage. If the button 905 is selected after selecting the paper feed stage, a flag is set so that the print position is not automatically adjusted when printing is performed using the paper feed stage. Then, for example, the determination of S1202 is performed using this flag.

In the third embodiment, a case where the print position automatic adjustment can be applied to a size mixed loading job has been described. However, it is not always necessary to support mixed size loading because the processing becomes complicated when mixed size loading is supported. For example, the print position shift amount may be updated only for a part of the plurality of sizes. In this case, between S1203 and S1204 in FIG. 12, it is determined whether or not the paper size is the same as the paper size for which adjustment has already been executed. If YES, the process proceeds to S1204, and if NO, S1209 You can skip the process until. When updating the print position deviation amount only for a part of the plurality of sizes, it is desirable to inform the user to that effect. The processing when the size mixed loading job is not supported will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of job reception processing of the printing apparatus. The control shown in this flowchart is executed by the controller board 110. Specifically, the CPU 114 realizes the above control by expanding the program stored in the ROM 112 into the RAM 113 and executing the program.

In S1101, the controller board 110 receives the print job transmitted from the host computer 101 according to the instruction of the user.

In S1102, the controller board 110 determines whether or not the job has the print position adjustment designation. If YES, the controller board 110 proceeds to S1104, and if NO, proceeds to S1103.

In S1103, the controller board 110 processes as a normal print job.

In S1104, the controller board 110 confirms the paper profile set in the print job, and determines whether or not the paper profile has not been specified in size. Then, it is determined whether or not there are a plurality of paper feed stages in which the paper profile is registered and the paper size designation is different. When the paper profile used for the print job is a paper profile whose size is not specified and is registered in a plurality of paper feed stages having different sizes (YES), the controller board 110 proceeds to S1106. If the controller board 110 does not (NO), the process proceeds to S1105.

In S1105, the controller board 110 adds an adjustment image to the paper margin, prints out a user input job, and executes the adjustment operation.

In S1106, the controller board 110 causes the operation panel 120 to display a warning screen. This warning screen includes a message that the automatic print position adjustment is reflected on only one paper size. On this warning screen, it is possible to specify the continuation of the job and the cancellation of the job.

The meanings of the abbreviations described in the specification are as follows.

The ASIC is an Application Special Integrated Circuit.
CSV stands for Comma Separated Value.
The CPU is a Central Processing Unit.
FAX is a faxile.
HDD stands for Hard Disk Drive.
LAN is a Local Area Network.
The LCD is a Liquid Crystal Display.
The MFP is a Multi Function Peripheral.
NVRAM is Non-Volatile RAM.
A PC is a Personal Computer.
PDL is Page Description Language.
RAM is Random-Access Memory.
RIP is a Raster image processor.
ROM is a Read Only Memory.
XML stands for Extreme Markup Language.

100 Printing device 114 CPU
115 HDD
120 Operation panel 160 Reader

Claims (13)

In an image forming apparatus provided with a paper storage unit capable of managing stored paper using paper size information and paper attribute data.
Further paper attribute data created based on the one paper attribute data according to the occurrence of an event for registering the adjustment value of the print position for one paper attribute data for which the paper size information is not set. An image forming apparatus comprising a means for acquiring paper attribute data in which the adjustment value and one paper size are registered. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event is an event in which the one paper attribute data is designated as a registration destination of an adjustment value manually input by a user. An image forming part that forms an image on paper,
A reader that can read the paper on which the image is formed, and
A means for causing the image forming unit to execute a process of forming an image for adjustment on the paper conveyed from the paper storage unit.
It has a means for causing the reading unit to read the paper on which the adjustment image is formed and the paper set by the user.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the event is an event for registering an adjustment value acquired based on a result read by the reading unit with respect to the one paper attribute data. .. An image forming part that forms an image on paper,
A reader that can read the paper on which the image is formed, and
A means for causing the image forming unit to execute a process of forming an image for adjustment on the paper conveyed from the paper storage unit.
It has a means for causing the reading unit to read the paper conveyed from the image forming unit and on which the adjustment image is formed.
The event is characterized in that the adjustment value acquired in a series of processing steps of reading the paper image-formed by the image forming unit by the reading unit is registered with respect to the one paper attribute data. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. A display unit that displays information and
It has a means for displaying the screen for accepting the manual input on the display unit.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the screen includes a message prompting input of a paper size. A display unit that displays information and
It has a means for displaying the screen for accepting the manual input on the display unit.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the screen is a screen that accepts registration of adjustment values in a state where a paper size is input. A display unit that displays information and
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a means for displaying information based on the reading result of the reading unit on the display unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a predetermined image is formed on an edge portion of a paper in which an image is formed by the image forming portion in the series of processing steps. A display unit that displays information and
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for displaying a screen for receiving a designation as to whether or not to acquire the adjustment value in the series of processing steps on the display unit. A communication unit that can communicate with external devices,
A stage for acquiring print data via the communication unit,
The second aspect of claim 2, wherein the setting information indicating whether or not to acquire the adjustment value in the series of processing steps has a means for determining whether or not the setting information is associated with the acquired print data. Image forming device. The adjustment value according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the adjustment value includes at least one of a right angle correction amount, a trapezoidal correction amount, a lead position, a side position, a main scanning magnification, and a sub scanning magnification. The image forming apparatus described. In a control method of an image forming apparatus including a paper storage unit capable of managing stored paper using paper size information and paper attribute data,
Further paper attribute data created based on the one paper attribute data according to the occurrence of an event for registering the adjustment value of the print position for one paper attribute data for which the paper size information is not set. A control method comprising a step of acquiring paper attribute data in which the adjustment value and one paper size are registered. To a computer of an image forming apparatus equipped with a paper storage unit that can manage stored paper using paper size information and paper attribute data.
Further paper attribute data created based on the one paper attribute data according to the occurrence of an event for registering the adjustment value of the print position for one paper attribute data for which the paper size information is not set. A program characterized by executing a step of acquiring paper attribute data in which the adjustment value and one paper size are registered.

Images