JP2965342B2 - Color image processing system - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a color image processing system including a storage device for storing color image information and a color printer engine.

[Conventional technology]

In a color image processing system including a storage device for storing color image information and a color printer engine, when continuous page printing is to be performed, the color toners (magenta, yellow, cyan, and black) to be used for print processing are insufficient. In such a case, the paper supply state is set at that point in time at which toner supply is awaited, or the setting is made to print out to the last page while the toner is insufficient.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, when toner shortage is detected, toner replenishment is awaited, and when printing is performed continuously for a plurality of sheets, the subsequent pages cannot be printed out even though the toner-insufficient color is not used. .

In addition, if the printout is continued despite the toner shortage, the output of the color cannot be completely guaranteed. Therefore, the color is output in a lightened state and the cause of the lightening can be notified. No, the same page reprint request by the operator could not be restricted.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and selectively prints printable pages while comparing and comparing the received color print information of continuous pages with the developer state of each color of a color printer engine. It is an object of the present invention to provide a color image processing system capable of continuing color printing as much as possible while avoiding a state in which color printing cannot be performed and managing the color printing state.

[Means for solving the problem]

A color image processing system according to the present invention analyzes color component information of color image information received in a page unit in a storage device and developer remaining state information of each color of a color printer engine to execute color printing of each page. Determining means for determining the possibility; selecting a printable page from the color image information received in the storage device based on the determination result by the determining means, and giving priority to the color image information of the corresponding page to the color printer engine And a print page selecting means for transferring.

A management unit for automatically registering predetermined management information for a non-printed page in the color image information received based on the determination result by the determination unit in a predetermined storage medium; and storing the management information based on an input management report output request. Output means for outputting predetermined management information automatically registered in the medium.

[Action]

In the present invention, when the color image information for each page is received, the determination unit stores the color component information of the color image information received for each page in the storage device and the developer remaining amount state information of each color of the color printer engine. Is analyzed to determine the feasibility of color printing of each page, and the print page selecting means selects a printable page from the color image information received in the storage device based on the determination result, and selects the color of the corresponding page. It is possible to cause the color printer engine to transfer the image information preferentially, so that the color image information of the page that can be printed with the remaining amount of the developer of each color of the color printer engine is continued as much as possible.

Further, when the determination by the determination unit is performed, the management unit automatically registers predetermined management information for the non-printing page in the color image information received based on the determination result in the storage medium, and further outputs the input unit. In response to a management report output request, predetermined management information automatically registered in the storage medium is output, and it is possible to notify the remaining amount of the developer of each color of the color printer engine and the information of the non-printing page.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an external configuration of a color image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes a storage device main body that holds bitmap data, and stores color image information received according to a predetermined data format. Keep large capacity.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a power switch, and reference numeral 3 denotes a display, which displays the status of the storage device main body 1. Reference numeral 4 denotes a key input device, 6 denotes a digital copier main body having a printer function, and 7 denotes a scanner, which is configured to be able to read a color document by color separation.
Reference numeral 8 denotes an output tray on which the output paper subjected to the color image processing and discharged is placed. Reference numeral 9 denotes a paper feed cartridge which stores recording paper. IF is a video interface cable, which enables communication between the storage device main unit 1 and the digital copying device main unit 6.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the storage device main body 1 shown in FIG. 1. Reference numeral 11 denotes a CPU according to a control procedure (including a flowchart shown in FIG. 7 described later) stored in a ROM 14. Each device connected to the bus 18 is generally controlled.

A RAM 15 stores bitmap data and the like. Note that a backup circuit (not shown) can function as a nonvolatile memory.

A data receiving device 16 receives data transmitted from the host. A data transmission device 17 transmits a video signal to the printer engine. The bus 18 functions as a system bus that transfers data, addresses, and control signals to each unit. In addition, 12 is a display, and 13 is a key input device.

In the color image processing system configured as described above, when the color image information for each page is received, the determination means (CPU 11 in this embodiment) receives the color image information for each page in the storage device (provided in the data receiving device 16). The color component information of the obtained color image information and the remaining amount of developer state information of each color of the color printer engine (the main body 6 of the digital copying machine) are analyzed to determine the feasibility of color printing of each page, and a print page selecting means. (In this embodiment, the CPU 11) selects a printable page from the color image information received in the storage device based on the determination result and causes the color image information of the corresponding page to be preferentially transferred to the color printer engine;
It is possible to continue color image information of a page that can be printed with the remaining amount of developer of each color of the color printer engine as long as possible.

Further, when the determination by the determination means is performed, the management means stores predetermined management information for the non-printing page in the color image information received based on the determination result in the storage device (in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2). Based on the management report output request that is automatically registered in RAM 15) and output means is input
By outputting predetermined management information automatically registered in the RAM 15, it is possible to notify the remaining amount of the developer of each color of the color printer engine and the information of the non-printing page.

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram for explaining a control configuration of the storage device main body 1 shown in FIG. 2. Reference numeral 31 denotes a data processing unit, which comprises a data receiving unit 32, a data processing unit 33, and a data output unit 34. Then, the color image information input from the host computer or the like is subjected to predetermined data processing, and a predetermined video signal (Y, M, C, BK) is output to the color printer engine.

A task management unit 35, an engine management unit 36, and a hardware control unit (BIOS) 37 control each device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a management table constructed in the RAM 15 shown in FIG. 2. Reference numeral 41 denotes a management table, which includes a host ID 41a, a print count 41b, an attribute 41c, and the like. Print count 41b, attribute 4
1c is managed.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a detailed configuration of the attribute 41c shown in FIG. 4, and has a configuration in which a determination bit is set based on the remaining amount of developer (status signal) of each color received from the color printer engine. ing.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a first output example of a management table constructed in the RAM 15 shown in FIG.
Each page shows a corresponding page, a state in which unprintable color information and a predetermined warning message are output.

Hereinafter, the color image information print processing operation in the color image processing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure for printing color image information in the color image processing system according to the present invention. Note that (1) to (16) indicate each step.

First, when data for one page (one screen) is received (1), the presence or absence of each color component (Y, M, C, BK) in the color image information for one page is detected (2). RA shown in Fig. 2
It is set in the management table constructed in M15 (3).

Next, it is determined whether or not yellow (Y) is included in the color component (4). If YES, the presence / absence of yellow toner is determined based on the status obtained from the printer engine side (5). Is set in the simple table for each ID corresponding to the host (6), and the process returns to step (1).

On the other hand, NO in step (4) and YE in step (5)
In the case of S, it is determined whether or not magenta (M) is included in the color component (7). If YES, the presence or absence of magenta toner is determined based on the status obtained from the print engine (8). Sets in the management table that no printout is performed for each ID corresponding to the host (9), and returns to step (1).

On the other hand, NO in step (7) and YE in step (8)
In the case of S, it is determined whether or not cyan (C) is included in the color component (10). If YES, the presence or absence of cyan toner is determined based on the status obtained from the printer engine (1).
1) If NO, printout is not set in the management table for each ID corresponding to the host in the management table (12), and the process returns to step (1).

On the other hand, NO in step (10) and YE in step (11)
In the case of S, it is determined whether or not black (BK) is included in the color component (13). If the determination is YES, the presence or absence of black toner is determined based on the status obtained from the printer engine (14). In this case, the fact that printing is not to be performed is set in the management table for each ID corresponding to the host in the management table (15), and the process returns to step (1).

Next, the management report created in the management table constructed in the RAM 15 is printed out (16), and the process returns to step (1).

This makes it possible to skip an image containing a color component that has run out of toner without printing it out. Since an image that does not use the component is printed out, even when a plurality of pages are continuously printed, the printing process can be continuously performed while avoiding the interruption of the printing.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the color image information of the corresponding page is skipped and the printing process is performed when the toner has run out has been described. However, the steps (6), (9), (12), (15) After the execution, the printing process is executed without returning to the step (1). When the report key of the key input device 4 shown in FIG. 2 is pressed after the printing process, as shown in FIG. Such a management report may be printed. This makes it possible to confirm whether the image contains a color that has run out of toner and improves the reliability of the output result.

Further, after the processing shown in FIG. 7, the operator replenishes the unprintable color toner according to the management report, and then accesses the management report in the RAM 15 shown in FIG. A configuration may be adopted in which a page skipped without being printed is printed out again. As a result, it is possible to efficiently automate recovery due to running out of toner.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, the present invention analyzes the color component information of the color image information and the remaining amount of the developer of each color of the color printer engine, which are received by the storage device in page units, and can execute color printing of each page. A color image information of a corresponding page is preferentially transferred to a color printer engine while selecting a printable page from the color image information received in the storage device based on the result of the determination by the determination means; Print page selection means for performing color image information printing for each page even if a color printing disabled state occurs due to the remaining amount of developer of each color of the color printer engine. While determining, the color image printing process can be continuously continued while selecting a printable page. Therefore, the color printing process is not immediately interrupted when the color printing cannot be performed as in the related art, the printing process of the received color image information can be continued as much as possible, and the printing process efficiency can be greatly improved.

A management unit for automatically registering predetermined management information for a non-printed page in the color image information received based on the determination result by the determination unit in a predetermined storage medium; and storing the management information based on an input management report output request. Since output means for outputting the predetermined management information automatically registered in the medium is provided, it is possible to easily grasp the non-print processing target page information of the received color image information and the developer color to be supplied.
Therefore, even if the color image information printing process is continued for all the received pages, it is possible to easily identify a page that may impair the print quality and to provide the user with information effective for the reprinting process. To play.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an external configuration of a color image processing system showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the storage device main body shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a control block diagram for explaining a control configuration of the storage device main body shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a management table constructed in the RAM shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the detailed configuration of the attribute shown in FIG. 4, and FIG.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first output example of a management table constructed in the RAM shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a color image information printing processing procedure in the color image processing system according to the present invention; FIG. 8 is shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second output example of a management table constructed in a RAM. In the figure, 1 is a storage device main body, 2 is a power switch, 3 is a display, 4 is a key input device, 6 is a digital copying device main body,
11 is a CPU, 12 is a display, 13 is a key input device, 14 is a ROM, 15
Is RAM, 16 is data receiver, 17 is data transmitter, 18
Is a bus.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ⁶ Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification symbol FI G03G 21/00 510 B41J 3/00 D (56) References JP-A-64-16660 (JP, A) JP-A-1-157855 JP-A-58-107567 (JP, A) JP-A-54-84744 (JP, A) JP-A-62-116948 (JP, A) JP-A-4-116571 (JP, A) JP-A-61-151576 (JP, A) JP-A-61-141456 (JP, A) JP-A-61-61182 (JP, A) JP-A-63-109060 (JP, A) JP-A-60-233666 ( JP, A) JP-A-1-285962 (JP, A) JP-A-2-162374 (JP, A) Patent 2788537 (JP, B2) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03G 21/00 370-540 G03G 13/01 G03G 15/01 B41J 2/525

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] In a color image processing system comprising a storage device for storing color image information and a color printer engine, color component information of color image information received by the storage device in page units and color component information of each color of the color printer engine are provided. Determining means for analyzing the remaining developer state information to determine the feasibility of color printing of each page; and performing printing from the color image information received in the storage device based on the determination result by the determining means. A print page selecting unit for transferring color image information of a corresponding page to the color printer engine with priority while selecting a page. 2. A management means for automatically registering predetermined management information for a non-printing page in color image information received based on a result of determination by a determination means in a predetermined storage medium; 2. The color image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit configured to output the predetermined management information automatically registered in the storage medium based on the information.