JP3425289B2 - Copier / Facsimile MFP - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multifunction copier / facsimile machine having at least a copying function and a facsimile function. 2. Description of the Related Art Recently, an image forming apparatus having many functions such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile has been developed. In such an apparatus, a plurality of applications share resources such as a paper feeding unit, a printer, a paper discharging unit for discharging paper after printing, and a duplex unit for re-feeding paper after single-sided printing to the printer. . In such a device,
The time zone for duplex printing in the copy mode and the time zone for duplex printing in the facsimile mode may overlap. Therefore, in a digital copying machine system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-350771, a right to use a duplex unit is given to one of a copying application and a facsimile application. Further, in the multi-function image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-66929, a shared resource is used by giving priority to a facsimile or printer application that receives external data over a copying application. . [0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-35077
In the digital copier system described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1 (1993) -1995, an operation is required to grant the right to use the duplex unit to one of the copying application and the facsimile application. The operation of switching to the facsimile mode is troublesome. In addition, if the user sets the right of use when receiving an instruction to print data from outside in duplex mode while performing duplex printing in the copy mode, the user loses time to know urgent facsimile reception contents. There is a risk. In the multi-function image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-66929, when a copy operation is performed by designating double-sided printing, an instruction to print data in two-sided printing is received from outside. In this case, since the right to use the duplex unit is given to the facsimile application, the internal copying operation must be interrupted every time external data is received, which is inconvenient. In particular, when a bin sorter is used to sort a plurality of pages of printed matter and copy a plurality of copies, the interruption of the copying operation is extremely troublesome. According to the present invention, there is provided a copying machine comprising:
A multi-function facsimile machine shares resources between a copying application and a facsimile application such as a paper feeding unit, a printer, a paper discharging unit for discharging paper after printing, and a duplex unit for re-feeding paper after single-sided printing to the printer. In a copier / facsimile multifunction peripheral, a time measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from the time of facsimile reception, a duplex unit monitoring means for monitoring whether or not a copying application uses a duplex unit at the time of facsimile reception, and a duplex unit monitoring means at the time of facsimile reception. Duplex printing execution means that outputs facsimile reception data by duplex printing when duplex printing is specified and the duplexing unit is not used by the copying application, and duplex printing is specified when facsimile receiving, and the duplexing unit is used by the copying application If you have Time measured by between measuring means comprises a single-sided printing execution means for outputting the single-sided printing received facsimile data when the overtime.
Therefore, if duplex printing is designated and external data is received while duplex printing is being executed in the copy mode, duplex printing in the copy mode is preferentially executed. If double-sided printing is still being performed in the copy mode even after the specified time has elapsed since the facsimile reception, the facsimile reception data is output by executing single-sided printing. An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing the internal mechanism of the copier / facsimile multifunction peripheral, FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation unit, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an overall control system, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing unit. FIG. 5 and FIG. 5 are block diagrams showing the flow of images at the time of facsimile transmission / reception, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the setting process of the right to use the duplex unit, and FIGS. 7 to 9 are flowcharts showing the processes during the duplex unit use. . First, an internal mechanism of the multifunction peripheral 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The apparatus book 2 includes an ADF (automatic document feeder) 3, a scanner 4, a printer 5, a paper feed tray 6 as a paper feed unit, a duplex unit 7, a bin sorter 8 as a paper discharge unit, and the like. Further, the apparatus main body 2 is placed on a bank 9 which is a paper feeding unit. Hereinafter, each configuration and function will be described. In the ADF 3, documents placed on a document feeder 31 having side guides are sent out one by one from a lower layer by a feed roller 32, and are conveyed to the upper surface of a contact glass 41 of the scanner 4 to form an image. After reading, the sheet is discharged onto a sheet discharge tray 35 by a belt 33 and a sheet discharge roller 34. When reading a double-sided original, the original on the contact glass 41 after reading the one-sided image is inverted by an inversion claw (not shown) whose direction has been switched just before the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 35. And contact glass 4 again
1 and re-feed. After reading the second image,
The reversing claw is returned to the original orientation, and the belt 33 and the discharge roller 34
As a result, the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 35. In the scanner 4, the contact glass 4
The original on top is illuminated by an exposure lamp 42, a reflected image from the original is deflected by a plurality of mirrors, and an image is formed on a full-color CCD 44 by a lens 43. In the printer 5, the outer periphery of the photosensitive member 51 is charged, and based on an image read by the scanner 4,
Alternatively, an electrostatic latent image is formed by exposing the photoconductor 51 based on data transmitted from the outside by facsimile communication. The black image is exposed by a deflection scanning type exposure device 52 to form an electrostatic latent image, and is developed by a developing device 53. The red (second color) image is exposed by a line type exposure device 54 to form an electrostatic latent image. A latent image is formed and is developed by the developing device 55. The developed image on the photoreceptor 51 is transferred to paper by a transfer belt 56,
The sheet is conveyed to the fixing device 57 to fix the transferred image.
The sheet after the transfer is discharged to the bin sorter 8, and in the case of double-sided printing, the sheet discharged from the fixing device 57 is turned by the separation claw 58, and is temporarily stored in the double-sided unit 7 via the reversing path 71. . The duplex unit 7 reverses the sheet guided by the reversing passage 71 into an S-shape when rotated clockwise, and re-feeds the inverted sheet to the printer 5 when rotated counterclockwise. It has a roller 72 and a separation roller 73 that comes into contact with the transport roller 72 to prevent double feeding of sheets. The paper feed tray 6 is provided with a paper feed roller 61 for separating and pulling out sheets stacked inside one by one. The bank 9 includes a plurality of paper feed trays 9.
a, and a paper feed roller 91 that separates and pulls out the sheets stacked inside the paper feed tray 9a one by one. Further, on one side of the apparatus main body 2 and one side of the bank 9, there are provided vertical transport units 62 and 92 for guiding the paper from the paper feed trays 6 and 9 a or the duplex unit 7 to the printer 5. Therefore, any of the paper feed trays 6, 9
a or paper supply from the duplex unit 7 is selected. Next, FIG. 2 shows the operation unit 10. At the center of the operation unit 10, a liquid crystal display unit 101 of 400 × 256 dots and a touch panel (not shown) are provided. The liquid crystal display unit 101 displays a copy and a facsimile. The user operates the device according to the display. Switching between copying and facsimile is performed by function switching keys 102 and 103. Liquid crystal display unit 101
On the right side of the figure, a numeric keypad 104, a clear / stop key 105, a start key 106, and a program key 10 commonly used in the copy mode and the facsimile mode, respectively.
7, various keys such as a job recall key 108, a mode clear / preheat key 109, and an interrupt key 110, and a pause / redial key 111, abbreviated key 112, and a reception key 113 used in the facsimile mode are arranged. On the left side of the liquid crystal display unit 101, an initialization key 114, a guidance key 115, and an LCD volume 116 are arranged in addition to the function switching keys 102 and 103 described above.
To the left, a display unit 117 dedicated to facsimile mode
Is provided. The display unit 117 is provided with an LED group 118 for displaying, for example, a memory full state during communication, and a liquid crystal display unit 119 for displaying a communication state in 40 characters (20 characters × 2 lines). Next, FIG. 3 shows the entire control system. The control system of the copier / facsimile multifunction machine 1 includes an operation unit controller 120 for performing various key input controls of the operation unit 10, a main controller 121 for performing a paper conveyance system and a process control of the printer 5, and an image control / scanner 4. An image processing controller 122 for controlling reading, an ADF controller 123 for controlling the ADF 3, a sorter controller 124 for controlling the bin sorter 8, a paper tray controller 125 for controlling the paper trays 6 and 9a, facsimile transmission / reception management and files It comprises a FAX controller 126 for management, a G3 controller 127 for controlling the G3 or G4 protocol, a G4 controller 128 and the like. Next, the configuration of the image processing unit 130 will be described with reference to FIG. The image processing controller 12
The second CPU 122a is a main controller 121
Receives a read start instruction from the scanner control circuit 13
Give instructions to one. The scanner control circuit 131 drives and controls the scanner 4. That is, the exposure lamp 4
2, the document surface is exposed, the motor 132 is driven to move the optical system in the sub-scanning direction, and reading is started after the position of the optical system is detected by the position sensor 133. At this time, a sub-scanning valid period signal FGATE (active at the start of reading, negative at the end of reading) is generated and sent to the timing control circuit 134. In the timing control circuit 134, the image synchronization clock CLK, the main scanning synchronization signal LSYN
C. Generate and output a main scanning enable signal LGATE. The flow of the image processing is as follows. The image of the original DS is formed on the full-color CCD 44, and the CCD 44
The analog image signal separated into green and blue is amplified by the signal processing circuit 135, the light amount is corrected, and the A / D converter 13
The digital signal is converted into a digital multi-valued signal by 6, corrected by a shading correction circuit 137, and sent to an image processing unit 138. The image processing unit 138 performs basic image processing such as MTF correction, γ correction, black image generation, binary processing, and multi-value processing, and digital-specific image processing such as scaling, editing, and marker detection. Data DATA0-7, color data D
ATAC is output. The image data output from the image processing unit 138, the synchronization signal output from the timing control circuit 134, and the write reference signal PMSYNC are input to the image selector 139. In the case of copying, the black image is written in the writing control unit 14.
0 to the exposing unit 52, and the color image is sent from the writing control unit 141 to the exposing unit 54, and the exposing units 52, 5
An image is formed on the photoconductor 51 by the exposure of No. 4. When performing FAX transmission, image data is transferred from the image selector 139 to an image memory 121a (see FIG. 5) provided inside the main controller 121. The FAX reception output is input to the image selector 139 together with the image data and the synchronization signal after the data received from the line is expanded and expanded in the image memory 121a, and the exposure devices 52 and 54 write the electrostatic latent image. Is performed. Here, FIG. 5 shows the flow of an image at the time of facsimile transmission / reception. At the time of FAX image accumulation and transmission, the image data read by the scanner 4 is transferred to the image processing controller 12.
After various image processings are performed in step 2, the image selector 139
From the image memory 121 of the main controller 121
a. Thereafter, the data is compressed into the specified compression code (MH, MR, MMR) by the compression / expansion device 121b, and the SAF memory 126 on the FAX controller 126 is provided.
a. At this time, if it is more efficient to transmit the data stored in the image memory 121a while rotating the data horizontally or B5 horizontally, the image memory 121a may be used.
When the data is passed from a to the compression / expansion unit 121b, the rotator 121c is used to rotate and compress the image. S
The data stored in the AF memory 126a is transferred to a line buffer 127a in the G3 controller 127, compressed again by a compression / expansion unit 127b in accordance with the mode of the receiver, and then NCU (network control) via a modem 127c. (Unit) 127d. Also in the case of G4, the data is transferred to the line buffer 128a in the G4 controller 128, compressed again by the compression / decompression device 128b according to the mode of the receiver, and
It is transmitted via the DN control unit 128c and the transformer 128d. At the time of FAX reception and printing, data sent from the line is stored in the SFA memory 126a via the NCU 127d and the modem 127c. The stored data is stored in the compression / expansion unit 1 of the main controller 121.
The image is expanded by the image memory 21b and expanded on the image memory 121a. If it is more efficient to rotate and print in A4 landscape or B5 landscape or the like during decompression, rotate the image using the rotator 121c when passing data from the compression / decompression unit 121b to the image memory 121a. Perform stretching.
The data expanded on the image memory 121a is sent to the image processing controller 122, and the image selector 139
Is passed to the writing control units 140 and 141, and printing is performed. When receiving a facsimile and performing double-sided printing in the facsimile mode, the right to use the double-sided unit 7 is given to the facsimile application. May or may not be used,
An object of the present invention is to prevent a situation in which the currently executed duplex copying operation is suddenly interrupted by the exclusive function of facsimile reception as an internal task. For this purpose, the following configuration is provided in addition to the configuration described above. 1) A time measuring means (not shown) for measuring the elapsed time from the time of facsimile reception. 2) A double-sided unit monitoring means for monitoring whether or not a copying application uses the double-sided unit 7 at the time of facsimile reception. 6, st. 6-3, and FIG.
-2, st. 8-2, corresponding to st9-2 in FIG. 9) 3) Double-sided printing for outputting facsimile received data by double-sided printing when double-sided printing is specified at the time of facsimile reception and the copy application does not use the double-sided unit 7 Execution means (st. 7-3 in FIG. 7, s in FIG. 8)
t. 8-3, FIG. 4) When double-sided printing is specified at the time of facsimile reception and the copying application uses the double-sided unit 7, when the time measured by the time measuring means exceeds a specified time, the facsimile reception data is single-sided. One-sided printing executing means for outputting by printing (corresponding to st.8-5 in FIG. 8) The operation of the above configuration will be described below. As shown in FIG. 6, first, for the duplex unit 7, the presence or absence of a usage right request is determined by st. (Step) A determination is made at a predetermined timing in 6-1. st. If it is determined in 6-1 that there is no request for the usage right, the usage right is released to the facsimile application. In this state, the right to use the duplex unit 7 is given to the facsimile application as soon as facsimile reception is performed and double-sided printing is specified. st. In 6-1, the request for the right to use the duplex unit 7 is confirmed. If it is determined in step 6-3 that the duplex unit 7 is not in use by the copying application, the process proceeds to st. 6-4, the use right is given to the facsimile application. 6-3
If the duplex unit 7 is determined to be in use by the copy application at st. In 6-5, the use right is rejected to the facsimile application. Next, the process of executing double-sided printing will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. In 7-1, it is determined that there is a request for the right to use the duplex unit 7, and st. If it is determined in step 7-2 that the usage right is not being used by the copy application, the process proceeds to st. At 7-3, a duplex printing execution process in the facsimile mode is performed. [0027] By the way, the double-sided printing in the copy mode as an internal business, also said that the priority than the double-sided printing in the facsimile mode, taking into account that there is a risk of losing the time to know the emergency of facsimile received content, this According to the present invention, when duplex printing is still performed in the copy mode even after the specified time has elapsed from the time of facsimile reception, the facsimile reception data is output by executing single-sided printing. That is, as shown in FIG. 8-
1, it is determined that there is a request for the right to use the duplex unit 7, and st. If it is determined in 8-2 that the usage right is not being used in the copy application, s
t. At 8-3, a duplex printing execution process in the facsimile mode is performed. The processing so far is the same as the processing shown in FIG. st. In step 8-3, it is determined that the duplex unit 7 is being used by the copy application, and
t. 8-4, during the period in which the elapsed time from the time of facsimile reception is determined to be within the specified time, the steps are looped until the request for the right to use the duplex unit 7 is secured. If it is determined in step 8-4 that the specified time has been exceeded, the facsimile application is given the right to use the resources such as the paper feeding system, the printer 5, the bin sorter 8 without giving the right to use the duplex unit 7, and s
t. In step 8-5, simplex printing is executed based on the facsimile reception data. In this case, the copying application and the facsimile application share the printer 5 with each other using the open time. Further, as a reference example, in the case where it exceeds the specified time from the time of facsimile reception Note duplex printing in the copy mode is being performed, it is conceivable to issue a warning to the operator in preparation for facsimile reception . Therefore, in place of the single-sided printing execution unit, when double-sided printing is specified at the time of facsimile reception and the copy application uses the double-sided unit 7, the time measured by the time measuring unit exceeds a specified time. A warning means (corresponding to st. 9-5 in FIG. 9) for issuing a warning is provided. Hereinafter, the operation will be described. As shown in FIG. In 9-1, it is determined that there is a request for the right to use the duplex unit 7, and st. If it is determined in step 9-2 that the usage right is not being used in the copy application, the process proceeds to st. 9-3
, A double-sided printing execution process in the facsimile mode is performed. The processing so far is the same as the processing shown in FIG. st. 9-3, it is determined that the duplex unit 7 is being used by the copy application, and st. 9-4
In the period in which it is determined that the elapsed time from the reception of the facsimile is within the specified time, the steps are looped until the request for the right to use the duplex unit 7 is secured.
t. If it is determined in step 9-4 that the specified time has been exceeded, the process of st. In step 9-4, a warning is output to urge the operator to interrupt the copying operation at a sharp place. According to the first aspect of the present invention, when double-sided printing is performed in the copy mode and data from the outside is received by designating the double-sided printing, the present invention is applied to the copy mode. Since the two-sided printing is preferentially executed, the trouble of interrupting the two-sided printing in the copy mode every time a facsimile is received can be eliminated, and the usability in the copy mode can be improved. Also, if two-sided printing is still being performed in the copy mode even after the specified time has elapsed from the time of facsimile reception, the facsimile reception data is output by executing one-sided printing. Can be prevented from losing the time to know. [0032]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view showing an internal mechanism of a multifunction peripheral including a copier and a facsimile according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of an operation unit. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an entire control system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing unit. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a flow of an image at the time of facsimile transmission / reception. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a setting process of a right to use a duplex unit. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating each process during use of the duplex unit. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating each process during use of the duplex unit. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating each process during use of the duplex unit. [Description of Signs] 5 Printers 6, 9 Paper feed unit 7 Duplex unit 8 Paper discharge unit st. 6-3, 7-2, 8-2, 9-2 Double-sided unit monitoring means st. 7-3, 8-3, 9-3 Double-sided printing execution means st. 8-5 Single-sided printing execution means st. 9-5 Warning means

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims 1] Resources such as a paper supply unit, a printer, a paper discharge unit for discharging printed paper, and a duplex unit for re-feeding paper after single-sided printing to the printer. Copy machine shared between copy application and facsimile application
In a multifunction facsimile machine, a time measuring means for measuring the elapsed time from the time of facsimile reception, a double-sided unit monitoring means for monitoring whether or not a copying application uses a double-sided unit when receiving a facsimile, and a duplex printing when receiving a facsimile. The duplex application execution means that outputs facsimile reception data by duplex printing when the copy application does not use the duplex unit and the duplex application is specified when receiving the facsimile, and the copy application uses the duplex unit A copier / facsimile multifunction machine, comprising: a single-sided printing execution unit that outputs facsimile reception data by single-sided printing when the time measured by the time measuring unit exceeds a specified time.