JP3119019B2 - Copier - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine, and more particularly to a copying machine capable of accurately measuring the time required for copying.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the counting of the operation time of a copying machine is performed by using a circuit which is turned on for a predetermined time in response to a copy operation start signal as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-59771. There is a method to operate. Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 3-52742 discloses a technique for determining the operation time of the apparatus by storing the print start time and end time of a copying machine.

[0003]

In the conventional operation time counting method as described above, the operation time related to the copy setting such as the original set, the magnification, and the paper selection before the copy is started is not considered, and the actual operation time is not considered. There was a problem that the work time required for copying was not accurately counted.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and to provide a copying machine capable of accurately counting the work time required for copying.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an operation detecting means for detecting an operation of a user, and a copy start detecting means for detecting an initial operation for a copy operation based on an output of the operation detecting means. , Based on the output of the operation detecting means,
End detection means for detecting the end of the copy operation, and start measuring the operation time according to the output of the copy start detection unit,
Timer means for measuring work time for stopping measurement in accordance with the output of the end detection means.

[0006]

With such a means, it is possible to accurately count the work time required for copying. Therefore, if the work time is multiplied by the labor cost per hour, the labor cost required for the copy work can be calculated, and the cost required for the copy work can be comprehensively calculated.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a multifunction peripheral including a copy function to which the present invention is applied. This multifunction machine combines the functions of a copier, a facsimile, and a printer into one device.

The CPU 1 controls the entire multifunction peripheral according to a program stored in the ROM 2. The RAM 3 stores image information or various control data. Panel 4
Is composed of, for example, a panel switch for inputting various kinds of instruction information by a user, and a display device such as an LCD display device for displaying the state of the device, input key information, and the like.

The clock circuit 5 is backed up by a battery and always holds current time information.
It can be read from PU1 at any time. SRA
M6 is also backed up by a battery, and stores reservation information set externally, various information such as a labor cost unit price table or operation information, calculated labor cost information, and the like.

The printer 7 prints image information data. The scanner 8 reads a document and outputs image information data.
The card interface 9 is a drive device and an interface circuit for an information recording medium capable of writing and reading information such as a magnetic card and an IC card.

The communication control unit 10 includes, for example, an N for a telephone line.
It comprises a UC, a modem, a communication control circuit, etc., and performs facsimile communication control. The bus 11 connects each circuit in the device. Although not shown, an interface circuit with the host or an external storage device such as a hard disk or a floppy disk may be provided.

Next, the outline of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram schematically showing the operation of the embodiment including the present invention. The operation detection unit 20 monitors the state of the panel, the automatic automatic feeder (ADF), the platen cover, the card reader, and the like, and outputs operation information when any operation is performed. This operation information is also input to a copy operation unit (not shown), and copying is performed.

The copy start detecting unit 21 detects the start of the copy operation by detecting, for example, that the user has operated a use tray selection key on the panel in order to perform the copy operation. Output. The end detecting unit 22 detects the end of copying, for example, when the user presses a stop key on the panel, and outputs end information to the timer 22.

When the timer 23 receives the start information from the copy start detecting section 21, it does nothing if it is already running, but starts the timer if it is not running. Further, the operation is stopped by the end information from the end detection unit 22, and the timing information is output to the calculation unit 26.

On the other hand, a user inputs a user code or a user group code from a panel or by a card before performing a copying operation. Unit price determination unit 24
Outputs unit price information per hour by referring to a preset unit price table 25 based on the user code or reading unit price data from the card.

The arithmetic unit 26 multiplies the time information from the timer 23 by the hourly unit price information from the unit price determining unit 24, and outputs the labor cost required for the copying operation. Storage unit 27
Stores labor cost data for each copy operation. Output unit 28
Outputs the information stored in the storage unit 27 to the outside by means such as printing with a printer or displaying the information on a panel display device. The operation unit 26
May be directly output to the output unit 28.

According to the present invention, of these functional blocks,
Mainly, the functions from the operation detection unit 20 to the timer 23 are characterized, and these functions make it possible to accurately count the work time required for copying.

Next, the operation will be described in more detail. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. In step S1, it is checked whether or not any operation for starting copying has been performed. If no operation has been performed, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, for example, by checking whether or not the report output switch has been pressed, it is checked whether or not there has been a labor cost report output instruction. If there is no report instruction, the process returns to step S1.

In step S1, if any copy start operation is detected, the flow shifts to step S3 to check whether the timer is operating. If not, the process proceeds to step S4, and the timer is started.

In step S5, the user is caused to input a code of a user or a group such as a section to which the user belongs. This code may be input from a panel switch, or may be read from a magnetic card or the like in which the code is stored. Then, a unit price table stored in advance is searched from the input user code or the like, and a unit price per hour of the user is determined. Note that unit price information may be stored in a card and read from there.

Thereafter, actual copy processing is performed, and in step S6, it is checked whether or not a copy end operation has been performed. The end operation is detected by, for example, pressing a stop (end) key, removing an original from the ADF, removing output paper, or removing a card. In addition, when no operation is performed for a predetermined time, it may be regarded as the end.

When the end operation is performed, step S7
Then, stop the timer. In step S8, the unit price determined in step S5 is read. In step S9, the unit price read in step S8 is multiplied by the count time of the timer to calculate the labor cost required for copying. In step S10, the calculated personnel cost is stored in a memory together with the date, time, user name, and the like.

On the other hand, if there is a report output instruction in step S2, the process proceeds to step S11, and in step S11, the personnel cost data stored in the memory is developed into a report format and printed out. Then, the contents of the memory are cleared. By such processing, a report of the labor cost data for each copy operation is obtained. The measurement time itself may be stored and output.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. This flowchart shows steps S1 and S2 in FIG. 3 in more detail, and FIG.
Point B connects to points A and B in FIG.

In step S20, it is checked whether any panel switch has been pressed, and if it has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S21. In step S21, it is checked whether the pressed switch is an operation related to a copy operation. Switches related to the copy operation include, for example, a copy function selection key, a tray selection key, a copy number setting key, a user code input key, and a magnification setting key.

If the switch pressed in step S21 is an operation relating to a copy operation, the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG. 3 via point A. If the switch is not an operation relating to a copy operation, step S22 is performed. Move to Step S22 is the same as step S2 in FIG. 3, and it is checked whether or not there is an instruction to output a labor cost report. If there is an output instruction, the process goes to step S11 in FIG. If there is no instruction, the process returns to step S20. In addition, a process may be added to automatically output a report when a predetermined date and time is reached or when the remaining amount of the personnel cost data storage memory becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

If it is determined in step S20 that the panel switch has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S23.
In step S23, it is checked whether or not the ADF sensor has detected that a document has been set. If the document has been set, the process proceeds to point A. If not, step S24 has occurred. Move to

In step S24, it is checked whether or not the sensor detects that the platen cover for manually reading the document has been opened. If the sensor detects that the platen cover has been opened, the process proceeds to point A. If not, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, it is checked whether or not a card storing a user code such as an ID card has been set in the card reader. If the card has been set, the process proceeds to point A. Is Step S
Return to step 20 to continue monitoring the operation.

With the above processing, the timer can be started immediately when any operation for starting copying is performed, and the working time can be accurately measured. Note that all of the condition determinations in steps S20, S23, S24, and S25 are not necessary, and any one of them or a combination of any two or three may be used.

Although the embodiment has been described above, the report information can be transferred to a remote facsimile or a host in the case of a multifunction peripheral. In the present embodiment, an example of a multifunction peripheral has been described. However, it is apparent that the present invention can be implemented in a copy only machine.

Also, an example has been shown in which time is measured by a timer, but the start and end times of the copy operation are recorded.
The work time may be obtained from the time difference.

[0033]

According to the copying machine of the present invention as described above, the working time required for copying can be accurately counted. Therefore, if the work time is multiplied by the labor cost per hour, the labor cost required for the copy work can be accurately calculated.

Further, by detecting the operation of inserting the ADF, the platen cover, and the card, it is possible to accurately detect the start of the work even when there is no setting by the panel.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a multifunction peripheral including a copy function.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an outline of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing details of the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CPU, 2 RAM, 3 ROM, 4 panel, 5
... clock circuit, 6 ... SRAM, 7 ... printer, 8 ... scanner, 9 ... card interface, 10 ... communication control unit,
11 bus, 20 operation detection unit, 21 copy start detection unit, 22 end detection unit, 23 timer, 24 unit price determination unit, 25 unit price table, 26 arithmetic unit, 27 storage unit, 28 unit Output section

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Komachi 3-7-1, Fuuchi, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Prefecture Inside Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yasushi Sakashita 3-7-1, Fuuchi, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Fuji Xerox Inside (72) Inventor Yukio Nakazawa 3-7-1, Fuuchi, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Prefecture Inside Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor ▲ Kadashi ▼ Ken Satoshi 3-7-1, Funai, Iwatsuki-shi, Saitama Fuji Xerox Shares In-company (56) References JP-A-4-333864 (JP, A) JP-A-6-251218 (JP, A) JP-A-55-87158 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. . ^7, DB name) H04N 1/00 - 1/00 108 G03G 21/00 370 - 540

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] An operation detecting means for detecting an operation of a user, a copy start detecting means for detecting a first operation for a copy operation based on an output of the operation detecting means, and an output of the operation detecting means. An end detection unit that detects the end of the copy operation, and a work time measurement unit that starts measuring the operation time according to the output of the copy start detection unit and stops the measurement according to the output of the end detection unit. A copying machine characterized by comprising: 2. The operation detecting means detects at least an operation of a panel switch, and the copy start detecting means detects an operation of any of the panel switches for a copy operation. 2. The copying machine according to claim 1, wherein the copier recognizes that the first operation has been performed. 3. The operation detecting means detects at least that a document is set in the automatic document feeder, and the copy start detecting means detects that a document is set in the automatic document feeder. 2. The copying machine according to claim 1, wherein it is recognized that a first operation for a copying operation has been performed. 4. The operation detecting means detects that at least the platen cover has been opened, and the copy start detecting means detects that the first operation for the copying operation has been performed by opening the platen cover. The copier according to claim 1, wherein the copier is recognized as having been performed. 5. The operation detecting means detects at least that a card has been set in a card reading device, and the copy start detecting means has a function of copying a card by setting the card in the card reading device. 2. The copying machine according to claim 1, wherein it is recognized that the first operation for the operation has been performed.