JP4318275B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus used by being connected to a computer or the like, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus capable of easily detecting a command of a problem source when a failure occurs.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, with the widespread use of personal computers and the like, the fields of use of image forming apparatuses used under the name thereof have expanded, and image forming apparatuses having various functions according to the respective fields are known.
[0003]
An example of the internal configuration of this image forming apparatus will be described using the printer 2 which is a laser printer in FIG. The printer 2 is connected to a host machine (personal computer) 3 having a hard disk 18 and the like under management, and includes a controller 1, an OP panel 4, a printer 15, and a machine power (power supply controller) 16.
The engine 15 electrostatically forms an image on the photoconductor based on the video signal and control information from the controller 1 and feeds transfer paper from the paper feed unit to form an image.
An operation panel (OP panel) 4 is a switch unit that can change the printer status display, mode, and printing conditions.
[0004]
The controller 1 is a control mechanism that converts print data input from the host machine 3 into video data and outputs it to the printer 15 in accordance with the set control mode and the control code (command) from the host machine 3. This module includes a host I / F 5, a program ROM 6, a font ROM 7, a panel I / F 78, a CPU 9, a RAM 10, an NV-RAM 11, an engine I / F 12, a network I / F 13, and a disk I / F 14.
[0005]
The host I / F 5 is an interface that receives a control signal and data transmitted from the outside (host machine 3) and transmits a status signal to the host machine 3.
The CPU 9 performs data processing according to the program contents of the program ROM 6.
The RAM 10 is used as a work area for the CPU 9, a data reception buffer from the host machine 3, an image development area after processing, and the like.
The NV-RAM 11 is a non-volatile memory that can hold data regardless of whether the power is on or off.
The font ROM 7 is a memory that holds several types of fonts used for printing.
The engine I / F 12 is an interface that transmits a control signal to the printer engine 15 and receives a status signal from the engine 15.
The network I / F 13 is an interface for LAN or Internet connection.
[0006]
When the host machine 3 transfers commands and print data to the printer 2, these commands and data are input to the host I / F 5 and stored in the RAM 10. The CPU 9 interprets each command and data stored in the RAM 10, converts the print data into page data for each page when actually printing, and stores the page data in the RAM 10.
[0007]
Next, the CPU 9 sends a print signal for starting the printing mechanism to the engine 15 via the engine I / F 12. Upon receiving this signal, the printer engine 15 turns on a motor such as a photosensitive member or a laser unit, and starts preparation for laser emission or the like.
[0008]
The printer engine 15 that has been prepared outputs a vertical synchronization signal that prompts the start of printing. The controller 1 sends the page data to the engine 15 in synchronism with this vertical synchronization signal.
[0009]
In the engine 15, the image formation control unit transfers page data to the laser unit, and the laser unit generates laser light according to the transferred data. The laser beam is irradiated onto the photoconductor, and the photoconductor is exposed to form a latent image.
[0010]
Next, development is performed with a development bias applied to the development group, the latent image is visualized, and a visible image is generated on the photoreceptor. Next, the transfer paper is stopped from the paper cassette, and a transfer bias is applied to the transfer machine at the timing when the image is placed on the transfer paper, and the visible image is transferred to the transfer paper.
[0011]
Finally, a visible image is fixed on the transfer paper while the transfer paper passes through the fixing device to obtain a print result.
[0012]
However, when the image cannot be formed normally as described above, it is necessary to check (debug) which command causes the failure.
On the other hand, for example, in order to assist this debugging work, an image forming apparatus having a function of printing data received from a host machine as it is in hexadecimal numbers without executing it is known. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-019275, a program received from a host machine is printed by converting a program received from the host machine into a command format of the image forming apparatus instead of only hexadecimal digits. The prior art of making a program understandable at a glance is disclosed.
[0013]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, even using the above-described prior art, it is extremely difficult for a user to detect a command causing a failure from among a large number of commands.
[0014]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus that facilitates a user's debugging work by taking a log when a preset command is input. To do.
[0015]
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that makes it easy to detect a fault command by a user by ignoring a specific command to enable image formation.
[0016]
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that eliminates unnecessary image formation by making it possible to select whether or not to execute a command when a paper discharge selection command is input during debugging.
[0017]
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of easily verifying a drawing trace in a page by enabling image formation so that a user can grasp the drawing order performed by the position movement command. To do.
[0018]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention forms an image based on input data and a command that is a control signal. It has log collecting means that detects whether it is input and the number of commands and logs the detection result. When a pre- registered command is input, it ignores the pre-registered command and registers in advance An image is formed based on a command other than the received command, and the log collecting unit deletes the detection result of the previously registered command when the previously registered command is input.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0026]
[First image forming apparatus]
A first image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus having means for generating image data, means for generating control information for the image forming apparatus, and means for externally storing image information and control information. Therefore, the presence / absence of a specific command and the number of the commands are detected from the received data, and the detection result has a bag function by detecting a data failure whose summary can be confirmed in a log. That is, an image forming apparatus that forms an image from input data and commands, a means for detecting whether a set command has been input and the number of commands, a means for logging a detection result, Have In other words, it logs when a set command is entered. Note that it is not necessary to log the number of commands. That is, it is not necessary to take a log of only whether or not the above command has been input, and to take a log of how many times the command is included in the input image data and a log of the total number of inputs.
[0027]
As shown in FIG. 1, when data and a command are input, the image forming apparatus performs printing as usual and simultaneously logs whether a preset command is input. This operation will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0028]
The user sets a command to be detected from the host machine (step S1 / YES) as a specific command (step S2), and transmits it to the image forming apparatus as verification data together with the data to be verified (step S3).
When the set-up command is found (step S4 / YES), the image forming apparatus describes the count in the summary history (step S5). That is, take a log. This process is continued until the data is completed (step S6).
[0029]
As a result, the data to be attached (data created by the application or data created by the driver) is transmitted to the image forming apparatus without being changed, and is normally printed. That is, command verification (log collection) can be performed simultaneously with normal printing. In other words, if the user sets a command to be detected and sends verification data, the command is recorded in the summary, so that command verification can be performed, and the data is printed as usual. .
In addition, it is possible to verify commands without connecting a monitor or debugger equipment outside the system or in the middle of a communication path. In other words, it is possible to find commands while printing normally.
Of course, this log can be viewed by the user. Any method can be adopted as the browsing method. For example, the image forming apparatus may print this log or display it on a display panel (not shown). Further, this log may be displayed on the host machine.
[0030]
[Second image forming apparatus]
The second image detection apparatus can form an image in a state where an arbitrary command cannot be used. That is, an image can be formed by ignoring a preset command. In this case, the command to be ignored may be set by the user in advance or may be set by the image forming apparatus. Furthermore, when the first image forming apparatus has the function, an arbitrary command may be set based on the log (detection result).
[0031]
In this way, by deleting (or ignoring) only a specific command and printing, it is possible to verify the command due to the print failure without interrupting data transmission. In other words, when a failure occurs, the image forming apparatus forms an image based on a command other than the command so that the user can grasp whether there is a problem with the set (or set) command. Become. If the failure continues even if the command is ignored, other commands can be set to narrow down the command that is the failure source.
[0032]
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, if “kanji designation command” and “double designation command” are set as commands to be ignored (deleted), the image forming apparatus ignores these commands and forms an image.
[0033]
As described above, the second image forming apparatus may have the function of the first image forming apparatus, that is, the command log collecting function. In this case, the image forming apparatus ignores (does not execute) the “kanji designation command” and the “double designation command”, and does not log these commands. Hereinafter, this operation will be described with reference to FIG.
[0034]
When there is a command to be detected on the host machine (step S11 / YES), the user sets the command (step S12) and transmits data to be verified to the image forming apparatus (step S13).
When the image forming apparatus needs to take a log (step S14 / YES) and detects an ignoring (deleting) command (step S15 / YES), it counts this in the summary history (step S16). Then, the next command is received (step S17). This process is continued until the end of data (step S18).
As described above, when narrowing down causes, printing is performed by deleting an arbitrary command, so that the cause command can be confirmed as it is (normal printing).
[0035]
[Third image forming apparatus]
If the detected command is a paper discharge command, the third image forming apparatus can select whether or not to print the page. That is, when the input command is a paper discharge command, the user is allowed to select whether or not to execute the command. The user may make this setting in advance. The image forming apparatus may be selectable. For example, it may be set not to execute when a failure occurs.
In this way, by selecting whether to execute the paper discharge selection command, it is possible to reduce unnecessary printing such as a failure that requires a large amount of printing. This is especially effective when you do not want to output any more.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 5, the third image forming apparatus may have the function of the first or / and second image forming apparatus. An operation example in this case will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0037]
When there is a command to be detected on the host machine (step S21 / YES), the user sets the command (step S22) and transmits data to be verified to the image forming apparatus (step S23).
If there is a paper discharge command (step S24 / YES), the image forming apparatus selects whether or not to perform paper discharge processing (refer to the setting if already set; step S25). If it is set to discharge paper (step S25 / YES), paper discharge processing is performed (step S26). Thereafter, the count is written in the summary history (step S27), and the next command is received (step S28). This process is continued until the data is finished (step S29).
As described above, when the specific command is a paper discharge command, it is possible to select whether or not to print (discharge) the page. Therefore, it is possible to verify the cause of the failure while reducing unnecessary printing. Become.
[0038]
[Fourth Image Forming Apparatus]
The fourth image forming apparatus is characterized in that when a position movement command is input, an image can be formed by adding a mark or the like to the movement position by the command. That is, when a movement position command is input, an image can be formed so that the user can grasp the drawing start order.
[0039]
The image forming apparatus normally draws image data and print data on a sheet in a predetermined order. In general, drawing is performed from the upper left of the paper. However, when a movement position command is input, drawing is performed in the order instructed by the command.
However, since the user does not see all of the completed image forming process, it cannot be determined whether the image is formed according to the movement position command.
Therefore, this image forming apparatus provides the user with a printed matter in which the drawing trace in the page is obvious by marking (number order) at each printing position so that the drawing order can be understood.
In particular, since the drawing order in the page may be caused by a failure, it is easier for the user to identify the problem by printing by marking the position movement order.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 7, the fourth image forming apparatus may have the functions of the first, second, and / or third image forming apparatus. This operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0041]
When there is a command to be detected on the host machine (step S31 / YES), the user sets the command (step S32) and transmits data to be verified to the image forming apparatus (step S33).
When the image forming apparatus detects a position movement command (step S34 / YES), it prints the mark point (step S35). That is, an image is formed so that the user can grasp the drawing order. Then, the count is written in the summary history (step S36), and the next command is received (step S37). This process is continued until the data is finished (step S38).
[0042]
Note that the first to fourth image forming apparatuses perform normal image forming processing in normal times. However, the above processing may be executed even during normal times. The above description shows only one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not construed as being limited thereto.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, command verification can be performed simultaneously with normal printing without connecting a debugger device or the like.
[0044]
Further, according to another invention, it is possible to narrow down the cause command of the failure while performing almost normal printing.
[0045]
According to another invention, in the case of a paper discharge command, it is possible to determine the cause of the failure while reducing unnecessary printing.
[0046]
According to another invention, even when the drawing order in a page is caused by a failure, it becomes easy to specify the cause.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an operation of recording a command log by an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a command log recording operation of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an operation performed by the image forming apparatus according to the present invention ignoring an arbitrary command.
4 is a flowchart for explaining an image forming process of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a verification debugging operation when the image forming apparatus according to the present invention receives a paper discharge command.
6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation when the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 5 receives a paper discharge command.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a verification debugging operation when a position movement command is input to the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.
8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation when the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 7 receives a position movement command.
FIG. 9 illustrates an internal configuration example of the image forming apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Controller 2 Printer 3 Host machine 4 OP panel 5 Host I / F
6 Program ROM
7 Font ROM
8 Panel I / F
9 CPU
10 RAM
11 NV-RAM
12 Engine I / F
13 Network I / F
14 Disc I / F
15 Printer (Engine)
16 Machine power 17 Hard disk 18 Hard disk

Claims (1)

An image forming apparatus that forms an image based on input data and a command that is a control signal,
The image forming apparatus includes a log collecting unit that detects whether or not a set command is input and the number of the commands, and logs a detection result, and when a previously registered command is input It said ignoring previously registered command, an image is formed on the basis of a command other than the previously registered command,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the log collecting unit deletes a detection result of the pre-registered command when the pre-registered command is input.

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