JP2024069395A - Image formation apparatus, management apparatus and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a job determined to be defective to be grasped in an image formation apparatus which can determine the defect of an image on a transfer medium.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus includes: an image formation unit which forms an image on a transfer medium on the basis of a job; and a control unit which manages the job and can present the history of the job that has been already output. The control unit acquires the reading result obtained by reading the image on the transfer medium, determines whether the image is defective on the basis of the reading result, and presents the job that has been determined to be defective in an identifiable manner in the history presentation of the job that has been already output when the image is determined to be defective.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

This invention relates to an image forming device, a management device, and a program that can determine defects in an image on a transfer medium.

In the field of image forming devices that print images on paper, one of the issues is how to check whether the output printout is printed correctly. For this reason, various methods have been proposed for checking the quality of the image on the printout.
For example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-233696, when a print job is output, page data is extracted as a sample, and the extracted page data can be displayed on a display, making it possible to check the output printed matter by comparing it with the sample. However, this has the drawback that the user must be glued to the machine to check the printed matter by comparison, making it difficult to operate.

Patent Document 2 also discloses a method of reading an image of an output printout with a scanner, reducing the image to generate a thumbnail, and printing out the thumbnail after the job output is complete. With the technology in Patent Document 2, even when multiple jobs are output, the wear can be checked collectively after the job output is complete, allowing for efficient wear checks without reducing productivity. However, a drawback is that it is difficult to detect wear with high accuracy using reduced thumbnails.

JP 2007-152882 A JP 2006-168157 A

Incidentally, as a method for determining the quality of a printed matter, a system has been proposed in which an image printed by an image forming device is read by a downstream wear detection sensor (scanner, etc.) and the image data for printing is compared with the read image data, thereby automatically detecting printed matter that has become worn (defective) due to poor printing, etc.
Such systems can automatically detect wear, but when inspecting an image where wear has been detected after the job output has been completed, there is a problem in that it is difficult to confirm information about the wear, such as which job the wear was detected in.

The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an image forming device, a management device, and a program that can easily identify jobs that have been determined to be defective when a defect in an image on a transfer medium is determined.

That is, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, a first embodiment is
an image forming unit that forms an image on a transfer medium based on a job;
a control unit that manages the jobs and enables a history of jobs that have already been output to be presented;
The control unit acquires the reading result of reading the image on the transfer medium, judges whether the image is defective based on the reading result, and if the image is judged to be defective, presents the job judged to be defective in an identifiable manner in the presentation of the history of jobs that have already been output.

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, further comprising a display unit for displaying information,
The control unit is characterized in that it presents a history of jobs that have already been output by displaying it on the display unit.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the control unit presents the history of jobs that have already been output by printing on a transfer medium.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the control unit presents the history of jobs that have been output by transmitting it to the outside.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is that in the above aspect of the invention, the control unit, when presenting the history of output jobs, presents the job information of output jobs that have been determined to be defective by adding identification information.

Another embodiment of the image forming device of the invention is characterized in that in the above embodiment, the identification information includes one or more of a mark, a color indication, and a background color indicating a defect.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is that in the above aspect of the invention, the control unit is capable of presenting the history of output jobs by adding information on the occurrence rate of defects to the job information of output jobs that have been determined to be defective.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the control unit is capable of presenting the job information of a job that has been determined to be defective by adding wear information.

Another aspect of the invention of the image forming device is characterized in that in the above-mentioned invention, the waste information includes one or more of the page number where the defect occurred, the number of copies, the location where the defect occurred, and the defective image.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the waste information is presented in addition to the detailed presentation of the job that was determined to be defective.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the control unit can indicate whether or not a job in which a defect occurred has been confirmed when presenting the history of jobs that have already been output.

In another aspect of the image forming apparatus of the invention of the above aspect, the control unit is capable of displaying information on the display unit using a plurality of tabs,
In the case where the history of jobs that have already been output is displayed in one tab, when the image is determined to be defective, the tab that displays the history of jobs that have already been output is displayed so as to be distinguishable from other tabs.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is that in the above aspect of the invention, the control unit causes the tab to flash when the tab is to be displayed in an identifiable manner.

Another aspect of the image forming device invention is the invention of the above aspect, characterized in that the control unit is capable of extracting and presenting jobs that have been determined to be defective when presenting the history of jobs that have already been output.

Another aspect of the image forming device of the invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect, it is provided with an image reading unit that reads the image on the transfer medium.

A first aspect of the management device of the present invention includes a management control unit that manages jobs and is capable of presenting a history of jobs in which an image has been formed on a transfer medium by an image forming device based on the jobs,
The management control unit acquires the reading result of reading the image on the transfer medium, judges whether the image is defective based on the reading result, and if the image is judged to be defective, presents the job judged to be defective in an identifiable manner in the presentation of the history of jobs that have already been output.

A first aspect of the program of the present invention is a program executed by a control unit that manages jobs and is capable of presenting a history of jobs in which an image has been formed on a transfer medium by an image forming apparatus based on the jobs, the program comprising:
A step of acquiring a reading result of reading an image on a transfer medium;
determining whether the image is defective based on the reading result;
and presenting a history of jobs that have already been output.
When the image is judged to be defective, the job judged to be defective is presented in an identifiable manner when presenting a history of jobs that have already been output.

Another aspect of the invention of the program is characterized in that in the above aspect, the presentation of the job is one or more of display, printing, and external transmission.

According to the present invention, it is possible to identify jobs that are determined to be defective when presenting the history of jobs that have already been output, and it is possible to easily check for wear even when checking for wear after the output of a job has been completed.

1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a mechanical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a job output history display screen. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the job output history display screen. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the job output history display screen. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the job output history display screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a ticket details display screen for an output job. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen displaying a job waste output history list. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for adding wear information to output job information and displaying the added wear information. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for displaying a job list. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for blinking a tab of a job list when wear is detected.

An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the mechanical configuration of an image forming apparatus 1. As shown in FIG.
The image forming apparatus 1 includes, in that order from the upstream side in the paper transport direction, an apparatus main body 10, a relay device 20, and a reading device 30. Each device is mechanically and electrically connected, enabling communication between the devices and transport of paper.

The configuration of the image forming device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above configuration, and may further include other devices. For example, a paper feeder that feeds paper may be provided in front of the device main body 10, and a post-processing device may be provided in the rear of the reading device 30. The image forming device 1 may also be configured by only the device main body 10, and an image forming system may be configured together with the relay device 20 and the reading device 30. Also, in the present invention, the reading device does not have to be mechanically connected in-line to the image forming device, as long as the reading results can be obtained by the image forming device.

The device main body 10 is provided with an operation unit 140 at the top of the housing, which displays information and accepts operation input. The operation unit 140 has a touch panel type LCD 141 that can display various operation screens. The LCD 141 corresponds to the display unit and operation unit of the present invention.

The upper part of the housing of the device main body 10 is further provided with an automatic document feeder (ADF) 135. The automatic document feeder (ADF) 135 can automatically feed a document set therein, and the fed document is read by a CCD of the scanner unit 130.
Furthermore, a platen glass 137 is provided on the upper portion of the apparatus main body 10, and an original can also be read by placing the original on the platen glass.
The scanner unit 130 is used to read an original document, but can also be used to read an image of an output printout. In this case, the scanner unit 130 corresponds to a reading device.

A main body paper feed section 12 for storing paper is provided at the bottom side of the device main body. The main body paper feed section 12 can supply the stored paper to a transport path 13.
The paper corresponds to the transfer medium of the present invention. Note that the material of the transfer medium of the present invention is not limited to paper, and transfer media made of cloth or plastic can also be used.

A transport path 13 is provided inside the device main body 10. Transport rollers are provided around the transport path 13, and the transport rollers are driven to transport paper supplied from the main body paper feed unit 12 along the transport path 13.

An image forming unit 11 is provided in the middle of the conveying path 13 .
The image forming unit 11 has a photoconductor 11a for each color, and around the photoconductor 11a for each color, a charger 11b, an exposure unit 11c, a development unit 11d, and a cleaning unit 11e are provided in this order in a counterclockwise direction. The photoconductor 11a is in contact with the intermediate transfer belt 11f between the development unit 11d and the cleaning unit 11e. In the figure, the photoconductor, charger, exposure unit, and development unit provided for one color are given reference numerals, and the photoconductors, chargers, exposure units, and development units for the other colors have the same structure and are provided along the intermediate transfer belt.

The intermediate transfer belt 11f can come into contact with the paper on the transport path 13 at the secondary transfer portion 11g. A fixing unit 11h is provided on the transport path 13 at a position downstream of the secondary transfer portion 11g in the transport direction.
When forming an image on paper, the surface of the photoconductor 11a is charged by the charger 11b, and then a latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor 11a by the exposure unit 11c. The formed latent image is then developed into a toner image by the development unit 11d. The toner image on the photoconductor 11a is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 11f. These operations are also performed on the photoconductors 11a for other colors, and the toner images of each color are superimposed and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 11f. The toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 11f is transferred to paper in the secondary transfer unit 11g, and the transferred image on the paper is heated and fixed by the fixing unit 11h.

Downstream of the fixing unit 11h, a reversing conveying path 13a branches off from the conveying path 13. The reversing conveying path 13a is provided with a reversing section 13b, where the front and back sides of the paper fed into the reversing section are reversed. The downstream side of the reversing conveying path 13a joins the conveying path 13 at a position upstream of the image forming section 11.
When an image is formed on the back side of the paper, the paper that has passed through the fixing unit 11h is introduced into the reversing conveying path 13a, and the front and back of the paper are swapped in the reversing section 13b, and the paper is returned to the upstream side of the conveying path 13 in an inverted state, and an image is formed on the back side of the paper in the image forming section 11.
When only the paper is to be turned over, the paper is introduced into the reversing transport path 13a and transported in the inverted state to the transport path 13 downstream of the fixing device 11h.
When the paper is not turned over or an image is not formed on the back side, the paper is conveyed straight as it is without being sent to the reversing conveying path 13a.

The transport path 13 is connected to a transport path 23 of a relay device 20 in the subsequent stage, and the paper discharged from the device main body 10 is transported to the transport path 23 of the relay device 20. In the relay device 20, the paper is reversed in the transport path 23 as necessary and transported downstream.
In the relay device 20, the transport path 23 is connected to a transport path 33 of the reading device 30 in the subsequent stage, and the paper that has passed through the relay device 20 is introduced into the reading device 30 in the subsequent stage.

The reading device 30 is provided with, in the middle of the conveying path 33, in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the paper, an image reading unit 31 that reads an image on the bottom surface of the paper, an image reading unit 32 that reads an image on the top surface of the paper, and a colorimeter 34 that measures the color of the top surface of the paper. The image reading unit 31 reads an image on the bottom surface of the paper fed on the conveying path 33, the image reading unit 32 reads an image on the top surface of the paper fed on the conveying path 33, and the colorimeter 34 measures the color of the image on the top surface of the paper fed on the conveying path 33.
The image reading units 31 and 32 can be configured with, for example, a line sensor such as a CMOS sensor or a CCD sensor. The read data acquired by the image reading units 31 and 32 and the colorimeter 34 is sent to the control CPU 113 as the read result, and is used for determining image defects (waste) and various adjustments. The paper discharged from the reading device 30 is discharged to a paper discharge tray (not shown).

In this embodiment, the image reading units 31 and 32 are provided in the reading device 30, but the location of the image reading units is not limited to being provided in the reading device, and the image reading units may be provided, for example, in the device main body 10 or the relay device 20.

Next, the functional blocks of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.
The image forming apparatus 1 mainly comprises a digital copier main body having a control block 110, a scanner unit 130, an operation unit 140, and a printer unit 150, and an image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 that processes image data input/output between the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 and an external device 4. The external device 4 is connected to the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 via a network 3.

The control block 110 has a PCI bus 112 connected to an image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160. A DRAM control IC 111 is connected to the PCI bus 112, and an image memory 120 made of a DRAM is connected to the DRAM control IC 111.
The image memory 120 is composed of a compression memory 121 for storing compressed image data, and a page memory 122 for storing uncompressed data for image formation.

A controller IC 118 is connected to the PCI bus 112, and a HDD 127 is connected to the controller IC 118. The controller IC 118 controls the writing and reading of data to the HDD 127, and the HDD 127 can store image data acquired from the external device 4 and image data read by the scanner unit 130. It is also possible to store programs, parameters, etc. in the HDD 127.

The control block 110 includes a control CPU 113. The control CPU 113 is configured with a CPU and storage units such as a ROM and a RAM, and a DRAM control IC 111 is connected to the control CPU 113.
A non-volatile memory 115 that stores data in a non-volatile manner is connected to the control CPU 113. Various programs, setting data, parameters, etc. that operate each part of the image forming apparatus 1 are stored in the non-volatile memory 115, and the control CPU 113 reads out the programs stored in the non-volatile memory 115 to control each part of the image forming apparatus 1.

In addition, the non-volatile memory 115 stores a program for displaying the output history of a job, a program for determining whether an image is defective based on the results of reading the image on paper, a program for calculating the detection rate of defects (waste) in a job, operating parameters, etc.
The method of determining whether an image is defective is not particularly limited, and known methods such as pattern matching can be used, and a threshold value for determining whether an image is defective can be set. The threshold value may be changeable by the user.

Furthermore, the non-volatile memory 115 stores job output history information, information on the contents of detected defects (waste), and the like in a readable and writable manner, and the control CPU 113 can perform control so as to display the history information based on the history information and wear information stored in the non-volatile memory 115. The history information can be displayed on the operation unit 140, printed on a transfer medium, or transmitted to the outside. Note that the information on wear may be stored in association with the job output history information.
In this embodiment, the control CPU 113 and the program executed by the control CPU 113 constitute the control unit of the present invention. The storage location of the program is not particularly limited in the present invention, and the program may be stored in the HDD 127, for example, or may be distributed by being stored in a movable and removable storage medium.

The control CPU 113 is further connected to an RTC 125 (date and time data generating device). The RTC 125 operates as a clock within the computer and can transmit date and time data to the control CPU 113.

A scanner control unit 132 of the scanner unit 130 is connected to the control CPU 113 so as to be capable of serial communication.
The scanner unit 130 has a CCD 131 that optically reads an image on a sheet of paper, and a scanner control unit 132 that controls the entire scanner unit. The scanner control unit 132 is controlled by the control CPU 113, and can read an image on the CCD 131. The scanner control unit 132 is composed of a CPU, a program that runs on the CPU, etc. The read image data is subjected to a predetermined process in the reading processing unit 116.

An operation unit control unit 142 of an operation unit 140 is further connected to the control CPU 113 so as to be capable of serial communication.
The operation unit 140 has an LCD 141 that displays information, and an operation unit control unit 142 that controls the entire operation unit 140. The operation unit control unit 142 receives instructions from the control CPU 113 and controls the display and operation input on the LCD 141. The operation unit control unit 142 is configured by the CPU and a program that runs on the CPU.

The control CPU 113 is further connected to a printer control unit 152 of the printer unit 150 .
The printer unit 150 includes an LD 151 and a printer control unit 152. The LD 151 is included in the exposure unit 11c in Fig. 1. The LD 151 forms a latent image on the photoconductor 11a based on image data processed by the writing processing unit 123.
The printer control unit 152 receives control commands from the control CPU 113 and controls the printer unit 150. The control CPU 113 can therefore control image forming operations, paper transport, and the like.
The printer unit 150 is made up of the image forming unit 11, a paper feed tray, a mechanism for transporting paper, and the like.

The DRAM control IC 111 is connected to a read processing section 116 , a write processing section 123 , and a compression/decompression IC 117 .
The reading processing unit 116 performs predetermined processing such as A/D conversion and shading on image data read by the scanner unit 130 or the like.
The write processing unit 123 converts and corrects the data into data suitable for image formation in the image forming unit 11 .
The compression/decompression IC 117 compresses image data or decompresses compressed image data. The compressed image data is stored in the compression memory 121 of the image memory 120 or in the HDD 127.

A DRAM control IC 161 of an image processing unit (print and scanner controller) 160 is connected to the PCI bus 112 .
In the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 , an image memory (DRAM) 162 , a controller control unit 163 , and a LAN control unit 164 are connected to a DRAM control IC 161 , and the LAN control unit 164 is connected to a LAN interface 165 .
The LAN interface 165 is connected to a network 3 , and an external device 4 is connected to the network 3 .

The PCI bus 112 is further connected to an I/O 128. The I/O 128 is a port for communicating with devices other than the device main body 10, and through the I/O 128, the control CPU 113 can obtain, as the reading result, image data read by, for example, the image reading units 31 and 32 or the colorimeter 34 of the reading device 30.

The external device 4 includes an external control unit 400 that controls the external device 4, and an external display unit 410 that displays information.
The external control unit 400 is configured with a CPU, a storage unit, a program operated by the CPU, etc., and the external display unit 410 is configured with an LCD, etc. The external display unit 410 may be capable of displaying the history of output jobs.
The external device 4 can function as a terminal, and may also function as a management device that manages at least jobs of the image forming apparatus 1. The management device may instruct and control image formation in the image forming apparatus. When the image forming apparatus 1 is controlled by the external device 5, the program of the present invention is stored and executed in the external device control unit 400. It is also possible to cause the external display unit 410 to function as the display unit of the present invention.
Further, in addition to the external device 4, the image forming apparatus 1 can be connected to a display device, a remote device, and the like via a network.

Next, the basic operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
First, a procedure for storing image data in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
When an image of an original is read by scanner unit 130, the image data read by scanner unit 130 is sent to read processing unit 116 where predetermined processing is performed. The processed image data is sent to compression/decompression IC 117 via DRAM control IC 111, and compression processing is performed in compression/decompression IC 117. The compressed image data is stored in compression memory 121 or HDD 127. The stored image data is managed as a job by control CPU 113 together with printing conditions.

When acquiring image data from the outside, for example when acquiring image data from external device 4, the image data is received by the LANIF of image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160, and then temporarily stored in image memory (DRAM) 162 via LAN control unit 164. The image data stored in image memory (DRAM) 162 is then read out under the control of DRAM control IC 161, and sent sequentially via DRAM control IC 111 to compression/decompression IC 117 for compression processing. The compressed image data is stored in compression memory 121 or HDD 119 via DRAM control IC 111, and is managed by control CPU 113 in the same manner as above.

When image forming apparatus 1 outputs an image, image data stored in compression memory 121 or HDD 119 is sent to compression/expansion IC 117 via DRAM control IC 111 to expand the image data, and the expanded image data is repeatedly expanded to LD 154A by write processing unit 123. After that, LD 151A forms a latent image on a photoconductor based on the image data, and the image is formed on paper through development, transfer, fixing, etc. in image forming unit 11 to obtain a printed matter. The output job is managed by control CPU 113 and is readably stored in non-volatile memory 115 or HDD 127 as an output job.
In addition, a tab for a job that has been output is created in the operation unit 140, and a list of the history of the job that has been output is displayed in this tab. This tab may be displayed at the top when another tab overlaps and the tab is pressed, or a tab displaying a list of the history of the job that has been output may be automatically displayed at the top when the output of the job is completed.

The paper is then transported to the reading device 30 via the relay device 20. In the reading device 30, if an image is formed on one side of the paper, that is, the back side, the image is read by the image reading unit 31, and if an image is formed on one side of the paper, that is, the front side, the image is read by the image reading unit 32. If images are formed on both sides of the paper, the images are read by the image reading units 31 and 32. Furthermore, if the image is to be measured by the colorimeter 34, the paper is transported so that the side to be measured is the upper side, and the colorimeter 34 measures the color.
The results of reading by the image reading units 31, 32 and the colorimeter 34 are transmitted from the reading device 30 to the apparatus main body 10, and the results of reading are acquired by the control CPU 113 via the I/O 128. The control CPU 113 adjusts the image and determines whether there is any wear based on the results of reading.

Next, we will explain the operation of displaying jobs that include waste in an identifiable manner in the output history display when waste is detected. The history may be presented automatically at a specified time, such as after the job is completed, or may be presented based on a user operation.

The control CPU 113 judges whether there is a defect in the image by comparing the read result read by the reading device 30 with the print image data, etc. However, if an image defect (wear) is detected, the user must check the worn image, and from the viewpoint of productivity, it is desirable for the user to check the wear collectively after the output of all jobs is completed. Therefore, even when multiple jobs are output, it is required to be able to easily check which job and where the wear was detected among the created products.
In this embodiment, when wear is detected, the job containing the wear is displayed in an identifiable manner on the display screen of the job output history, and further, the wear information is added to the job history and displayed on the display screen of the job output history, making it possible to easily check the wear information.

As a method for identifiably presenting a job in which waste has been detected in the output history, for example, there is a method for adding a mark to the display of the job in which waste has been detected. The mark corresponds to the identification information of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing an example of an output history display screen. This screen may be displayed on the LCD 141 of the operation unit 140, or on the external display unit 410 of the external device 4, or on a display unit of another device connected to the network 3. The same applies to other operation screens.

In the display screen 1400 in FIG. 3, the output history tab 1411 in the job list tab 1410 is selected, and the output history list 1420 is displayed on the display screen of the output history tab 1411. On the right side of the output history list 1420, a details button 1430 for displaying detailed information about the job and a waste list display button 1440 for extracting only jobs for which waste has been detected are displayed and can be pressed.

The output history display list 1420 has a wear detection display field 1421 that indicates whether or not wear has been detected. In this example, for a job with a file name of "test 002", a mark 1422 is displayed in the wear detection display field 1421. The display of the mark 1422 allows the user to understand that the job "test 002" contains wear.
In addition, although "*" is used as the mark in Fig. 3, the type of mark is not particularly limited in the present invention, and other types of symbols may be used. Furthermore, instead of displaying a mark, the display color or background color of a job in which wear is detected may be changed to indicate that the job contains wear. In this case, the display color or background color corresponds to the identification information of the present invention. Note that two or more of displaying a mark, changing the color of the characters, and changing the background color may be performed simultaneously.

Furthermore, when presenting the output history, in addition to a mark indicating that the job is one in which waste was detected, the rate at which waste occurred may also be presented.
FIG. 4 shows a display screen 1500 when the waste detection rate is displayed on the output history screen, and an output history list 1520 is displayed on the display screen of an output history tab 1511.
A details button 1530 is an operation button for displaying detailed information about a job, and a waste list display button 1540 is an operation button for extracting only jobs in which waste has been detected.
4, a mark 1522 is displayed in a wear detection display field 1521 at the beginning of the job with the file name "Test 004", and a wear detection rate 1524 is displayed in a wear detection rate display field 1523. Here, "15/200" is displayed, indicating that 15 images out of 200 images were detected as worn.
By adding the wear detection rate to the output history display, the user can easily understand the wear detection rate, determine the priority of wear confirmation, and predict machine failure if the wear detection rate is high. The wear detection rate may be displayed as a percentage, etc.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen 1600 when the waste detection rate is displayed as a percentage.
In the display screen 1600, an output history list 1620 is displayed on the display screen of an output history tab 1611. A details button 1630 is an operation button for displaying detailed information about a job, and a waste list display button 1640 is an operation button for extracting only jobs in which waste has been detected.
5, for the job "Test 005", a mark 1622 indicating that wear has been detected is displayed in a wear detection display field 1621, and further, a wear detection rate 1624 is displayed in a wear detection rate display field 1623, indicating that the wear detection rate is 40%. A details button 1630 is an operation button for displaying detailed information about the job, and a wear list display button 1640 is an operation button for extracting only jobs in which wear has been detected.
4 and 5, both the wear detection display field and the wear detection rate are displayed, but only the wear detection rate may be displayed. In this case, the occurrence of wear in the job can be understood by the display of the wear detection rate, and the wear detection rate corresponds to the identification information of the present invention.

Furthermore, in another embodiment, when displaying the output history, the job in which the waste was detected is displayed together with information on whether or not the waste image was confirmed.
6, an output history list 1720 is displayed on the display screen of an output history tab 1711 on a display screen 1700. A details button 1730 is an operation button for displaying detailed information about a job, and a waste list display button 1740 is an operation button for extracting only jobs in which waste has been detected.
Furthermore, in the display scene 1700, a mark 1722 is displayed in a wear detection display field 1721 for the job with the file name "test 002", and a check mark 1725 is displayed for the job with the file name "test 006". The display in the wear detection display field indicates that wear has been detected in the jobs "test 002" and "test 006".

However, on this screen, the "*" mark added to the "Test 002" job indicates that the user has not confirmed the waste, and the check mark added to the "Test 006" job indicates that waste has occurred and that the user has confirmed it. Whether the waste has been confirmed can be checked, for example, by the user pressing a confirmation button on the details display screen in FIG. 7, which will be described later, and when it is selected that the waste has been confirmed, the "*" mark is changed to a check mark. Also, when the details button is pressed in the list of the corresponding job, it may be set to confirmed as having been confirmed.
By displaying that the waste has been checked, the user can easily understand that the checking work or checking action has been performed.

In addition, in the present invention, when displaying the output history, it is possible to add wear information to the information of a job that has been output and determined to be defective and display it. Information on the content of the wear includes, for example, the page number or number of copies on which the wear was detected, and information on the location where the wear occurred. This information makes it easy to grasp the location where the wear was detected. The wear information can be displayed on a details screen corresponding to the output job. The details screen corresponds to the detailed display of the job in the present invention.

Fig. 7 shows a job details screen 1800. The job details screen 1800 is displayed by selecting a specific job and pressing the details button 1430, 1530, 1630 or the details button 1730 on the display screens 1400, 1500, 1600 or 1700 in Figs. 4 to 6.
In FIG. 7, the screen is displayed by selecting the job "Test 002" on the display screen 1400 or the display screen 1700 and then pressing the details button 1400 or the details button 1700.

In the job details screen 1800, along with the basic settings, paper settings, and output settings of the job, wear information 1810 is displayed. The wear information includes the page number (page 1 and page 5) on which wear was detected and the position of the wear within the page (the lower right of the image for page 1, and the upper right of the image for page 5). Note that the wear information displayed as history information is not limited to the page number and the position of the wear, and the number of copies on which wear was detected or the scanned image of the page on which wear was detected may be displayed as a thumbnail.
In the output history information, by adding the worn-out information to the information of the job determined to be worn out and displaying it, the user can easily check the worn-out image.

In addition, on the job details screen 1800, a waste confirmation button 1820 displayed at the bottom right of the waste information 1810 is a button for indicating that the user has confirmed the waste. When the user presses the waste confirmation button 1820 after checking the waste image, a mark indicating that the waste confirmation has been performed is added on the output history display screen. For example, as shown in the example of FIG. 6, for a job for which the waste confirmation button has been pressed, the "*" mark is changed to a check mark. Note that a separate column for waste confirmation may be provided to display whether confirmation has been performed. The confirmation display makes it possible for the user to easily understand whether the waste image has been confirmed.
It should be noted that, on the job details screen for a job in which no image defects have occurred, no information is displayed in the wear information, and the wear confirmation button can be grayed out, etc. Also, the wear confirmation button may not be displayed.
When confirmation of the waste information or pressing of the waste confirmation button is completed on the job details screen 1800, pressing a close button 1821 allows the user to return to the history display screen.

When a waste list display button 1440, 1540, 1640 or a waste list display button 1740 is pressed on the display screen 1400, 1500, 1600 or the display screen 1700, only jobs for which waste has occurred can be extracted from the output history information and displayed as an output list.
8 can display only jobs for which waste has occurred as a waste output history list 1900. This display makes it easy to understand jobs for which waste has occurred. For example, when there are many jobs that have been output, the occurrence of waste can be easily understood by collectively displaying only jobs for which waste has occurred.

Next, a procedure for adding waste information to information on a job that has already been output and displaying it on the history display screen will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 9. The following procedure is executed under the control of the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 or the external control unit 410 that manages the image forming apparatus 1.
First, an image printed on a sheet based on a job is read (step s1), and it is determined whether or not there is a defect (waste) in the image (step s2). As a method of determination, for example, the read image is compared with the print image data, and if there is a predetermined difference between the two, it can be determined that there is waste.

If the image is determined to be worn (step s2, Yes), the wear information is added to the information of the output job (step s3). The wear information includes information indicating the presence or absence of wear, the page number including the worn image, the position of the wear, the data of the worn image, the wear detection rate, and the like. After step s3, the job information is written in the output history (step s4), and the procedure is terminated. When displaying the output history, a mark indicating that the job is one in which wear has been detected may be added, or the detection rate of the wear may be indicated. Alternatively, the position of the wear or the number of pages may be displayed as the wear information, or a wear confirmation button may be displayed in the history, and when the user confirms the wear image and presses the wear confirmation button, the display on the history screen may be changed, and the display content of the wear information on the history display screen is not particularly limited.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the read image is not a waste (step s2, No), the process proceeds to step s4, where the job information is entered in the output history, and the procedure ends.
According to the above procedure, since the waste information is added to the job information in the output history, it becomes possible to check the waste information on the output history screen.

Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1, a waste list that extracts only jobs for which waste has been detected can be presented on the output history display screen.
3, when the waste list display button 1440 is pressed, only the job "test 002" for which waste has been detected is displayed. This allows the user to easily understand the waste jobs.

10 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure for displaying the waste list. The following procedure is performed by the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 or the external control unit 400 of the external device 4.
When the waste list display button is pressed on the job output history display screen (step s10), it is determined whether the job in the output history list has waste information (step s11). If there is waste information (step s11, Yes), only job information with waste is extracted (step s12), and the job with waste information is entered in the waste list (step s13). Then, the procedure ends. On the other hand, if the job in the output history list does not contain waste information (step s11, No), the procedure ends.
According to the above procedure, only jobs for which waste has been detected can be extracted and presented as a waste list, allowing the user to easily understand which jobs contain waste and easily check the waste.

Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 1, when a wear is detected, the display of the output history or confirmation of the wear information may be prompted. For example, in a case where the display screen displays information using multiple tabs and one of the multiple tabs displays the history of jobs that have already been output, when a defect is detected, the tab including the job history is displayed in an identifiable manner. For example, the tab including the job history is flashed.
4, when wear is detected, the job list tab 1410 is caused to blink, thereby making it possible to prompt the user to confirm when wear is detected.
In the above description, only the job list tab is made to blink, but the present invention is not particularly limited to the area to be blinked, and for example, the output history tab may be made to blink. The notification method does not have to be blinking, and for example, the notification may be made by changing the color of the tab. The present invention is not particularly limited to the timing at which the tab is made to blink, and the tab may be made to blink when wear is detected, or after the output of the job for which wear is detected is completed.

The procedure for the operation of blinking the tab when wear is detected will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 11. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the image forming apparatus 1 or the external control unit 400 of the external device 4.
The image printed on the paper is read (step s20), and it is determined whether the image is worn (defective) (step s21). If the image is worn (step s21, Yes), the job list tab is made to blink (step s22), and the procedure ends. If the image is not worn (step s21, No), the procedure ends without making the job list tab blink.
According to the above procedure, when wear is detected, it is possible to notify the user that wear has occurred.

In the above embodiments, the history information is described as being displayed on the display unit, but in the present invention, the output history is not limited to being displayed, and can be presented in various ways. For example, the history information may be printed on paper, or may be transmitted to an external device. At the transmission destination, the history information can be displayed or printed. Transmission destinations include display devices such as external devices and terminals, and remote devices.

The present invention has been described above based on the above embodiment, but the above description does not limit the scope of the present invention, and appropriate modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Reference Signs List 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Network 4 External apparatus 10 Apparatus main body 11 Image forming section 13 Conveying path 20 Relay apparatus 30 Reading apparatus 31 Image reading section 32 Image reading section 33 Conveying path 34 Colorimeter 100 Control section 113 Control CPU
125 I/O
140 Operation unit 150 Printer unit 1400 Display screen 1411 Output history tab 1420 Output history list 1421 Wear detection display field 1422 Mark 1430 Details button 1440 Wear list display button 1500 Display screen 1511 Output history tab 1520 Output history list 1521 Wear detection display field 1522 Mark 1523 Wear detection rate field 1530 Details button 1540 Wear list display button 1600 Display screen 1611 Output history tab 1620 Output history list 1621 Wear detection display field 1622 Mark 1623 Wear detection rate field 1700 Display screen 1711 Output history tab 1720 Output history list 1721 Wear detection display field 1722 Mark 1723 Wear detection rate field 1725 Check mark 1800 Job details screen 1900 Display screen 1920 Waste output history list

Claims (18)

an image forming unit that forms an image on a transfer medium based on a job;
a control unit that manages the jobs and enables a history of jobs that have already been output to be presented;
The control unit obtains the reading result of reading the image on the transfer medium, determines whether the image is defective based on the reading result, and if the image is determined to be defective, presents in an identifiable manner the job determined to be defective in the history presentation of jobs that have already been output. A display unit for displaying information is provided.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit presents a history of jobs that have already been output by displaying the history on the display unit. The image forming device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control unit presents the history of jobs that have already been output by printing on a transfer medium. The image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control unit presents the history of jobs that have already been output by transmitting it to an external device. The image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the control unit, when presenting the history of output jobs, adds identification information to the job information of output jobs that have been determined to be defective and presents it. The image forming device according to claim 5, characterized in that the identification information includes one or more of a mark indicating a defect, a color indication, and a background color. The image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the control unit is capable of presenting the history of output jobs by adding information on the occurrence rate of defects to the job information of output jobs that have been determined to be defective. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the control unit is capable of adding wear information to the job information of a job determined to be defective and presenting it. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the waste information includes one or more of the page number on which the defect occurred, the number of copies, the location of the defect, and the defective image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the waste information is presented in addition to detailed information about a job that has been determined to be defective. The image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the control unit is capable of indicating whether or not a job in which a defect occurred has been confirmed when presenting the history of jobs that have already been output. The control unit is capable of displaying information on a display unit using a plurality of tabs,
An image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that, when displaying a history of jobs that have been output in one tab, when the image is determined to be defective, the tab that displays the history of jobs that have been output is displayed in a manner that is distinguishable from other tabs. The image forming device according to claim 12, characterized in that the control unit, when displaying the tab in an identifiable manner, displays the tab in a blinking manner. The image forming device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the control unit is capable of extracting and presenting jobs determined to be defective when presenting the history of jobs that have already been output. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising an image reading unit that reads an image on a transfer medium. a management control unit that manages jobs and is capable of presenting a history of jobs in which an image has been formed on a transfer medium by an image forming device based on the jobs;
The management control unit obtains the reading results of reading the image on the transfer medium, determines whether the image is defective based on the reading results, and if the image is determined to be defective, presents the jobs that were determined to be defective in an identifiable manner in the presentation of the history of jobs that have already been output. A program executed by a control unit capable of managing jobs and presenting a history of jobs in which an image has been formed on a transfer medium by an image forming apparatus based on the jobs, the program comprising:
A step of acquiring a reading result of reading an image on a transfer medium;
determining whether the image is defective based on the reading result;
and presenting a history of jobs that have already been output.
and when the image is determined to be defective, the program displays the job determined to be defective in an identifiable manner when displaying a history of jobs that have already been output. The program according to claim 17, characterized in that the job presentation is one or more of display, printing, and external transmission.

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