JP3220135B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that forms an image using a plurality of recording materials based on image data input from an external device.

[Related Art] Normally, a printing apparatus connected to a host computer (or a terminal device) via a bidirectional communication line is configured to transmit various statuses to the host computer.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-described conventional example, the ink consumption (or the remaining amount) of the apparatus is transmitted as a status even though each state of the apparatus is transmitted as a status. The data is not transmitted to the host computer because it depends on the type of figure or character to be processed and is not constant.

Therefore, the user cannot easily know that the ink has run out on the host computer, and has to check the indicator of the ink cartridge. In particular, in the case of a color printing apparatus, since a plurality of color inks are used, it is very troublesome to check the state of each ink.

In addition, since the user cannot know the amount of ink consumed, especially in the case of color printing, replenishment of a different cycle for each color can be performed only when the ink runs out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus capable of notifying a user of the remaining state of each of a plurality of recording agents so that the user can accurately grasp the timing of replenishing each of the plurality of recording agents. .

Further, an image forming unit capable of transmitting data indicating the degree of the remaining amount of the plurality of recording agents in detail and appropriately to an external device for notifying the user of the remaining state of each of the plurality of recording agents. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus having the following.

[Means for Solving the Problems] and [Operation] In order to achieve the above object, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a communication unit for performing bidirectional communication with an external device, and image data input from the external device. An image forming unit for forming an image using a plurality of recording agents, and applying a current to each of the plurality of recording agents to detect a degree of a remaining amount of each of the plurality of recording agents from a voltage and a resistance value. Detecting means for outputting integer value data indicating the degree, and in order to notify a user of the degree of the remaining amount of each of the plurality of recording materials, the plurality of recording materials detected by the detecting means. The integer value data indicating the degree of each remaining amount, together with an identification digital code for identifying the type of the recording agent corresponding to each integer value data, the communication unit as digital data indicating the integer value data, respectively Through the external equipment The data is transmitted to the device.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Description of Configuration (FIG. 1)> FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 in the embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the printing apparatus 1 in the embodiment is connected to an external device 2 such as a terminal device or a host computer via a bidirectional communication line such as RS-232C. And the printing device 1
Is an output unit 11 that performs color printing on output paper using each ink of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black).
An ink remaining amount detection unit 12 for detecting the remaining amount of YMCK ink used by the output unit 11 for each color, and an ink remaining amount detection unit
An ink information unit 13 for storing each of the remaining YMCK ink amounts detected by the unit 12; a transmission unit 14 for transmitting the ink remaining amount information stored in the ink information unit 13 to the external device (host computer) 2; And a control unit 15 for controlling the entire apparatus 1.

The control unit 15 includes a CPU that performs control in accordance with a processing procedure (program) described later, a ROM that stores the processing procedure and various control data, and a work that the CPU uses when executing the processing. It is composed of a RAM composed of areas such as areas, various tables and flags, and their peripheral circuits.

<Description of Processing Procedure (FIGS. 2 and 3)> The processing procedure executed by the control unit 15 of the printing apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be described below in accordance with the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. explain.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for generating ink remaining amount information for each color, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart for transmitting the ink remaining amount information to the host computer 2.

First, to generate the remaining ink information, in step S21 shown in FIG. 2, the remaining ink information of the Y ink detected by the remaining ink detecting unit 12 is input. The detection of the remaining amount of the ink is performed by a method using a plurality of sensors as shown in FIG. 4 or a method of calculating from the weight of the ink as shown in FIG. It is performed by an optimal method such as a method of calculating from a resistance value. The detection by the remaining ink amount detection unit 12 is performed for each of the Y, M, C, and K inks.

Then, in step S22, the input ink remaining amount information is changed from "0" to "100" as shown in FIG. 6B, for example.
6 and stored in the area of the ink information section 13 corresponding to each of Y, M, C, and K as shown in FIG. 6 (a). This conversion to an integer value is performed in an appropriate manner that is most suitable for the detection method described above.

That is, in steps S23 and S24, the remaining amount information of the M ink is
In steps S25 and S26, the remaining amount information of the C ink is used.
After inputting from 12 and converting it into a desired integer value, it is stored in the ink information section 13 in the form shown in FIG.

Here, when the processing of each of Y, M, C, and K is completed, the processing is returned to step S21, the above processing is repeated, and the latest ink remaining amount information is always stored in the ink information unit 13.

Next, at step S31 shown in FIG. 3, information about the remaining amount of Y ink is read from the ink information unit 13 at the step S31 shown in FIG. 3, and at the next step S32, the amount of Y ink is transmitted via the transmission unit 14. The remaining amount is transmitted to the host computer 2.

The ink remaining amount data is transmitted after being converted into transmission information in a format as shown in FIG. In the figure,
The command code 71 is a one-byte code for identification assigned according to the type of information to be transmitted, and a different code is used for each of Y, M, C, and K. The parameter 72 is obtained by converting the remaining ink amount information in the form shown in FIG. 6A into an ASCII code, and the terminator 73 is a 1-byte code indicating the end of the information.

The transmission of information at this time is performed according to a transmission protocol specific to a bidirectional line, and the form of the transmission information shown in FIG. 7 is defined in advance with the host computer 2.

That is, in Steps S33 and S34, the remaining amount information of the M ink is
At steps S35 and S36, the remaining ink amount information is transmitted, and at steps S37 and S38, the remaining ink amount information is transmitted.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, steps S31 to S are executed.
By repeating steps up to 38, the latest ink remaining amount information can always be transmitted to the host computer 2.

The host computer 2 notifies the operator of the remaining ink amount information transmitted from the printing apparatus 1 by an appropriate means (such as CRT display).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can know the remaining ink amount for each color by detecting the remaining ink amount of each of the plurality of colors and transmitting the information on the remaining ink amount to the host computer. In addition to this, it is possible to easily recognize the timing of refilling the ink for each color on the host computer.

Therefore, the user can replenish the remaining ink before the ink runs out.

Further, in this embodiment, a case where full-color printing is performed using a plurality of color inks has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is applied to a printing apparatus that performs printing using toner, for example. It is also possible. In that case, the same effect can be obtained by appropriately detecting the remaining amount of toner.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the user is provided with information on the remaining state of each of the plurality of recording agents so that the user can accurately grasp the timing of replenishing each of the plurality of recording agents. The data indicating the degree of the remaining amount of the plurality of recording agents is transmitted in detail and appropriately to an external device which can notify the user and further notifies the user of the remaining state of the plurality of recording agents. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a printing apparatus in an embodiment, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for generating an ink remaining amount in the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an ink remaining amount in the embodiment. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the principle of detecting the remaining amount of ink in the embodiment, and FIG. 6 (a) is data on the remaining amount of ink in the embodiment. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a range in which the remaining ink data in the embodiment is converted into an integer value, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a case where the remaining ink amount in the embodiment is transmitted. It is a figure showing transmission information. In the drawing, 1 ... printing device, 2 ... host computer, 11 ... output unit, 12 ... ink remaining amount detecting unit, 13 ... ink information unit,
14 ... display unit, 15 ... control unit.

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A communication unit configured to perform bidirectional communication with an external device; an image forming unit configured to form an image using a plurality of recording materials based on image data input from the external device; Detecting means for detecting the degree of the remaining amount of each of the plurality of recording agents from the voltage and the resistance value, and outputting integer value data indicating the degree; In order to notify the user of the degree of the remaining amount of each, the integer value data indicating the degree of the remaining amount of each of the plurality of recording agents detected by the detection means, each integer value data of the corresponding recording agent An image processing apparatus, comprising: transmitting digital data indicating the integer value data to the external device via the communication unit together with an identification digital code for identifying a type. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means for storing data indicating a degree of a remaining amount of each of said plurality of recording materials detected by said detection means.