JP3264470B2 - Composite image copying machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling an image copying apparatus, for example, a digital copying machine having a complex function such as a facsimile function and a printer function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, multifunctional copying machines have been used in which multifunctional functions such as a facsimile function and a printer function are added to a copying machine in addition to a simple copying function. Since such a multifunction copying machine has a plurality of functions by itself, it has the advantage of not taking up space, and has become widely used.

In such a multifunction peripheral, means for adjusting between the functions is required. In addition to adjusting means between normal copying and application functions such as facsimile function and printer function, adjusting function between machine start function such as facsimile reception data output and copy and application function selected by user. Is also required.

Further, there is a function such as a facsimile receiving function that needs to be operated during copying or during execution of another application function, and it is necessary to consider this point as an inter-application adjustment function.

[0005]

As a similar machine, a personal computer or the like has a concept of foreground job / background job JOB. The foreground job JOB receives an input from a keyboard, operates by a user operation, The background JOB has a system configuration that can be moved regardless of user operations such as print output.

When this concept is applied to a digital multifunction copier, a function that does not affect other functions, such as a facsimile receiving function, is referred to as a background job JOB, and other functions that operate only one function at a time are foregrounded. This is a ground job, which is considered to be the target of the inter-application adjustment function. In considering this inter-application adjustment function, it is strongly required that the user operation be easily understood.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to connect a function for adjusting between applications with an operator input device (operation panel) to use the operation panel as an exclusive resource, thereby facilitating user operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a composite image copying apparatus that realizes an inter-application adjustment function.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a multifunction copier which, when receiving a facsimile, when other functions are operating, requests an interruption, and when the request cannot be entered,
An object of the present invention is to provide a composite image copying apparatus in which each function is output after the operation of another function is completed, and each function can be used efficiently.

[0009]

According to the present invention, in a composite image copying apparatus having a facsimile function and a printer function, a display means for displaying each function to a user and a function displayed on the display means are used. who has selected the selection means can be set request mode of the function, in response to a request from the selecting means, a mode setting means for setting a desired function mode, the copy mode to copy operation is completed, eliminating possible selection of another mode of the selection means, the facsimile mode, when the printer mode, to be processed by said function completion, is provided an application between functional adjustment means to prevent further selection of other modes Achieves the first object, and furthermore, transmits data for facsimile reception.
Data storage means to store and received facsimile
Output request means for requesting the output of the data,
Processing of other functions when output request
If the function has not been performed, the output is performed as it is and the processing of other functions is performed.
If the request is suspended, issue a suspend request
Output means for outputting the data if received, and the interruption request
Data for facsimile reception when
Temporarily store the data in the data storage means,
Output means for outputting after completion of other processing
And the output means or the post-standby output means
During output, a message to that effect is displayed by the display means.
This achieves the second object .

[0010]

According to the present invention, the user selects a desired function mode from the functions displayed on the display means by the selection means. Then, in response to this selection, the mode setting means sets the mode. At this time, the inter-application function adjustment means prevents the selection means from selecting another mode while working in the copy mode, and if the processing is not completed during the processing in the facsimile mode or the printer mode, the processing is terminated. Adjust so that the mode cannot be selected. And
When a facsimile is received, the output requesting means
Request output. In response to this request, the output means
If the function has not been performed, output
If the function is being processed, issue a suspend
If it is, output it as it is. When a request for suspension cannot be made
Temporarily stores the data in the data storage means, and continuously
Issue an output request. When the other function process is completed,
After-machine output means outputs the data. In these outputs
Will indicate this on the display means and notify the user of the facsimile
Notifies that data is being received.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a composite image copying apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a digital composite image copying apparatus having a facsimile function and a printer function. FIG. 2 shows a system configuration diagram of the digital composite image copying apparatus.

The image copying function executing means 13 shown in FIG.
Is realized by a copier engine controller 21, a printer 22, a scanner 23, and an operation panel 24.

The facsimile function executing means 14 shown in FIG.
2. The copier engine controller 21 and the printer 2 shown in FIG.
2, realized by the scanner 23, the operation panel 24, and the facsimile controller 26.

The printer function execution means 15 shown in FIG.
Copier engine controller 21, printer 22, operation panel 24, printer controller 27, input device 2
8 is realized.

The inter-application adjusting means 12 shown in FIG.
Is realized by software on the application controller 25 in FIG.

The operator input means 11 of FIG. 1 is realized by the copier engine controller 21, operation panel 24, and application controller 25 of FIG.

Next, each component shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

The printer 22 prints image information on paper. The scanner 23 reads an image on a recording sheet as digital image data.

The copier engine controller 21 controls the printer 22 and the scanner 23 and controls the image copying function. A liquid crystal display (hereinafter, referred to as LCD) having a touch panel function and some hard buttons are set on the operation panel 24, so that the operator can convey a function he / she wants to use to the apparatus side, and conversely, the operator can check the state of the apparatus. The so-called device that informs or acts as an interface for the operator.

The liquid crystal display of the operation panel 24 is controlled by the copier engine controller 21 in the normal state (during the image copying mode), and is controlled by the application controller 25 when the application function is used. The facsimile controller 26 and the printer controller 27 control a facsimile function and a printer function, respectively.

The input device 28 is used when reading data to be output by the printer function. The application controller 25 includes an image copying function, a facsimile function,
By coordinating the printer functions, it is possible to realize multiple functions on one device.

Next, the operation of the composite image copying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, when the power is turned on or when the application function is not used (in a normal state in the image copy mode) ,
The facsimile and printer function selection buttons are displayed on the LCD on the operation panel 24 by the copier engine controller 21.

When the operator selects one of these buttons, a notification is issued to the application controller 25 through the engine driver 32 shown in FIG. The application controller 25 activates the facsimile application 34 or the printer application 35 depending on the type of notification. This makes it possible to change the mode of the apparatus to facsimile or printer by selecting an operator button.

During the copying operation, the copy
Until the operation is completed, the operator cannot press the function selection button. At the time of moving to an application such as a facsimile or a printer, the display on the LCD changes to each mode, so that the facsimile,
Buttons of a printer or the like are not displayed and cannot be shifted to another mode. In other words, in order to move to other modes, it requires Ru Oh to end once its function.
In this way, mode selection is determined as possible or not, so that the operator can select a desired mode without confusion.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

First, when a facsimile is received,
The facsimile application 34 in FIG. 3 issues a use request of the printer 22 to the application controller 25. When other functions are not used by the operator, the application controller 31 immediately permits the facsimile application 34 to use the printer 22, and the received image is printed out.

When another function is used by the operator, the application controller 25 receiving the use request of the printer 22 processes the currently executed function (the image processing function by the printer application 34 or the engine controller 35). Request for suspension. If the facsimile output has a higher priority than the current processing and can be interrupted, the output is interrupted and the application controller 25 is notified of the interruption. And
The application controller 25 permits the facsimile application 34 to use the printer 22, prints out the received image, and after the end, resumes the interrupted function. The procedure of this process is shown in FIG.

If the current processing is not interrupted and the facsimile application 35 cannot obtain permission to use the printer 22, the received data is stored in the facsimile reception data storage means and the facsimile application 34 The request is continuously issued to the application controller 31 for a certain period of time. The data stored in the facsimile reception storage unit is printed out when the use of the printer 22 is permitted, by interrupting or terminating the current function. The procedure of this process is shown in FIG.

During the printout, an output-in-progress display is displayed on the LCD, so that the operator can understand that the output is being performed.

[0032]

According to the present invention, the inter-application function adjusting means of the composite image copying apparatus makes it impossible to select another mode with the selecting means while working in the copying mode. , The user cannot operate the combined function without confusion, because other modes cannot be selected , and when the facsimile is received, other functions cannot be interrupted, and the output means When the output is not possible, the data is temporarily stored in the data storage unit, and after the other processing is completed, the output is performed by the output unit after standby, so that each function can be used efficiently. Further, since the display means indicates that facsimile reception is being performed, the user can know that reception data is being output.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a digital image copying apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of the digital image copying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of the digital image copying apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a procedure of processing according to a second embodiment of the present invention .

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 operator input means 12 inter-application adjustment means 13 image copy function execution means 14 facsimile function execution means 15 printer function execution means 21 copier engine controller 22 printer 23 scanner 24 operation panel 25 application controller 26 facsimile controller 27 printer controller 28 input device 32 Engine driver 33 Engine controller 34 Facsimile application 35 Printer application

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] In a composite image copying apparatus having a facsimile function and a printer function, a display means for displaying each function to a user, a user selecting a function displayed on the display means, and Selecting means capable of requesting a mode setting; mode setting means for setting a desired function mode in response to a request from the selecting means; and selecting other modes by the selecting means until the copying operation in the copy mode is completed . eliminating possible selection, facsimile mode, when the printer mode, if processing by the function is terminated, and the inter-application function adjusting means to prevent further selection of other modes, data storage for storing data for facsimile reception means
Request to output the data when a facsimile is received
Output request means and other functions when there is an output request from this output request means
If the processing has not been performed, output
If the function is being processed, issue a suspend request
Output means for outputting the data if the interrupt request is input, and facsimile reception when the interrupt request is not input.
Data is temporarily stored in the data storage means,
Output request, and wait for output after other processing is completed.
After-machine output means, and output by the output means or the post-standby output means.
Wherein the display means displays the fact.