JP4377928B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine.

  In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, or multifunction machines equipped with all of these functions have become widespread, and have become necessities as office equipment in companies. In addition, such an image forming apparatus is provided with a plurality of paper feed cassettes for storing papers of various different sizes such as A4, B4, and A3 sizes, and has an optimum size according to the size of the printed matter. There are many models that can print by selecting paper.

  For example, when the image data is received by facsimile, the vertical and horizontal lengths required for printing the image data are calculated, and if the size fits in, for example, A4 size, A4 size paper is selected, Printing is executed. In the case of copying, the user can determine the size of the document and manually select the optimum size paper for printing (copying).

  By the way, when performing these printings, there is often a situation (out of paper) in which a specific paper feed cassette is empty because the paper has been used up, and printing cannot be performed on an optimal size paper. In such a situation, for example, the fact that the paper is out is displayed on the touch panel or the like of the image forming apparatus, for example, and the user is generally urged to replenish the paper cassette with the optimal size paper.

However, in the case of urgent printing or the like, the following means can be adopted. That is, a paper having a size closest to the optimum size is selected and printing is performed on the paper. An image forming apparatus employing such means is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below.
JP-A-6-247000

  Incidentally, facsimile reception records as shown in FIG. 4 (a), maintenance / inspection records as shown in FIG. 4 (b), and the like are stored in the image forming apparatus.

  This facsimile reception record records, for example, a reception date and time, a transmission source facsimile number, an image ID, and the like, and is used for the purpose of proving that a specific document (for example, contract document) has been received. In addition, the maintenance inspection record records, for example, the date and time when the toner is replenished, and is used for the purpose of inquiring of an inspection company when there is a problem in printing.

  In order to use for these purposes, it is necessary to print the facsimile reception record, the maintenance inspection record, etc., and it is usually printed automatically by a user instruction or periodically.

  Of course, it is possible that the optimal size of the paper has run out during the printing of these records, but the technology of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 cannot cope with this, and the user replenishes the optimal size of paper. The conventional method is to wait for the printing until it is done.

  However, as described above, there are cases where it is not possible to wait for the above replenishment, for example, in a situation where it is necessary to prove whether or not a contract document has been received. Further, as described above, when these records are automatically printed on a regular basis, it is convenient for office management to print in some form even if there is no optimum size paper. As a result, when the image forming apparatus cannot be used for some reason such as a power failure, it is possible to cope with the necessity of such recording, or to avoid a case where unprinted print data is lost due to a failure or the like. Is possible.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and even when the paper is out of print, the facsimile reception record and the like are printed surely and clearly, thereby improving the convenience and safety of office management. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can be improved.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.
First, the present invention is premised on an image forming apparatus including a plurality of paper feed cassettes that store a plurality of sizes of paper.

  In such an image forming apparatus, when printing a printed matter that must be printed (hereinafter referred to as “essential printed matter”), there is provided search means for searching for the presence or absence of a sheet of a size that conforms to the essential printed matter. Here, the essential printed matter refers to a printed matter relating to the image forming apparatus that the user recognizes as necessary to be printed, such as a facsimile reception record and a maintenance inspection record as described above.

When there is no paper, a selection unit that selects a paper larger than the paper (hereinafter referred to as “semi-compliant paper”) and a printing unit that prints the essential printed matter on the semi-compliant paper are provided. . Thereby, the essential printed matter is surely printed on some kind of paper. The selection can be performed based on a user instruction. A management means for managing the selection frequency for each paper size may be provided, and the selection means may automatically select the order conforming paper based on the frequency. As a result, the image forming apparatus learns and preferentially uses the semi-conforming paper preferred by the user, so that the paper size can be standardized, for example, filing of essential printed materials becomes simple. Further, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes that store papers of a plurality of sizes and a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the papers stored in the paper feed cassettes. In the image forming apparatus, when printing an essential printed matter that is a printed matter that must be printed according to a user instruction, based on the vertical and horizontal lengths necessary for printing the data of the essential printed matter and the detection unit, Search means for searching for the presence / absence of paper of a size suitable for the required printed matter, and paper of a size suitable for the required printed matter when the search means finds that there is no paper of a size suitable for the required printed matter. When there are multiple sizes of semi-conforming paper as candidates for the semi-conforming paper, which is a larger size paper, a plurality of sizes of semi-conforming paper can be selected on the touch panel, and a selection operation from the user is accepted. Selecting means for selecting semi-conforming paper of one size, and printing the essential printed matter on semi-conforming paper of the size selected by the selecting means. Comprising a printing unit, when the selection means for selecting a quasi-fit sheets of a predetermined size, the frequency of selection of the semi-fit sheet, and a management means for managing every size of the quasi-fit sheet. Further, when the essential printed matter is automatically printed periodically, the retrieving means retrieves whether or not there is a paper having a size suitable for the essential printed matter, and the selecting means retrieves the essential printed matter as a result of the retrieval by the retrieving means. If there is no paper of a size suitable for the above-mentioned management means, the management means is inquired about the size of the paper. Upon receipt of the inquiry from the selection means, the means is configured to notify the selection means of the size of the semi-conforming paper having the highest frequency based on the frequency for each size of the semi-conforming paper being managed. Can do.

  Further, it is possible to provide an authentication means for performing user authentication so that the management means manages the frequency for each user. According to this, since the preferred semi-conforming paper is selected corresponding to each user, the filing described above is further simplified.

  In addition, the printing unit can enlarge the essential printed matter to the size of the semi-conforming paper and print the essential printed matter that is easy to see according to the needs of the user.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to improve the convenience of office management and the safety by printing the facsimile reception record and the like surely and clearly even when the paper runs out. Can be planned.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention. In this embodiment, the present invention is embodied as a digital multi-function peripheral which is a form of an image forming apparatus.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the present embodiment. When a user prints a document using a multifunction machine, the document is placed on, for example, the document table 103 and a print instruction is given to the operation buttons on the touch panel 302 provided near the document table 103. When the instruction is given, printing is performed by operating the following sections (drive sections).

  In the image reading unit 101, the light emitted from the light source 104 is reflected by the document placed on the document table 103, and is guided to the image sensor 108 such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) by mirrors 105, 106, and 107. The image sensor 108 photoelectrically converts the received light to generate image data of the document. In this manner, the image data of the document is read by the image reading unit 101.

  The photosensitive drum 109 provided in the image forming unit 102 rotates in a predetermined direction at a constant speed, and around the charger 110, the exposure unit 111, the developing unit 112, and the transfer around the periphery in order from the upstream side in the rotation direction. A device 113 and the like are arranged. The charger 111 uniformly charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 109. The exposure device 111 irradiates light according to the image data read by the image reading unit 101, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 109. The developing unit 112 attaches toner to the electrostatic latent image formed by the exposure unit 111 and forms a toner image on the photosensitive drum 109. The transfer unit 113 transfers the toner image on the photosensitive drum 109 onto a sheet. In this way, the series of processes is performed in the image forming unit 102 as the photosensitive drum 109 rotates.

  Further, when performing printing, the image forming unit 102 draws one sheet from any one of the sheet feeding cassettes 114 to the conveyance path L using the pickup roller 115. Each sheet cassette 114 stores sheets of different sizes, and sheets of a size selected by the user according to the application are fed. The sheet pulled out on the conveyance path L is sent between the photosensitive drum 109 and the transfer unit 113 by the conveyance roller 116 and the registration roller 117.

  When the sheet passes between the heating roller 119 and the pressure roller 120 in the fixing device 118, the visible image is fixed on the sheet by heat and the pressing force on the sheet. In order to perform the fixing appropriately, the heat amount of the heating roller is optimally set according to the paper size. The image forming unit 102 discharges the paper that has passed through the fixing device 118 to the paper discharge tray 121.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram related to control of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the present embodiment.

  The multifunction device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 202, a ROM (Read On 7 Memory) 203, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 204, and a driver 205 corresponding to each driving unit in the above printing. They are connected via a bus 206.

  The CPU 201 uses, for example, the RAM 202 as a work area, executes a program stored in the ROM 203, the HDD 204, etc., and transmits and receives data and commands to and from the driver 205 based on the execution result, as shown in FIG. The operation of each driving unit is controlled. Further, each means (shown in FIG. 3) to be described later other than the above-described drive unit operates as each means when the CPU 201 executes the program.

FIG. 3 is a software configuration diagram of the multifunction peripheral 100 according to the present embodiment.
The RAM 202 or HDD 204 must be printed, as typified by the facsimile reception record and maintenance inspection record (see FIG. 4) of the MFP 100, as described in the above “Problems to be Solved by the Invention”. Data of printed matter (hereinafter referred to as “essential printed matter”) is stored. The facsimile reception record and the maintenance inspection record are examples of the essential printed matter, and the essential printed matter may include other printed matter relating to the multifunction peripheral 100 that the user recognizes as necessary to be printed.

  This indispensable printed matter can be printed by giving an instruction from the touch panel 302 when the user deems it necessary. In addition, even if the user does not give instructions, it can be automatically printed periodically (for example, when each of these records reaches 10 records), and these methods can be used together. It is.

  Therefore, first, a case where this essential printed matter is printed according to a user instruction will be described. When the user instructs printing of the essential printed matter from the touch panel 302, first, the search unit 301 selects a paper suitable for the printing in the paper cassette 114 based on the vertical and horizontal lengths necessary for printing the data of the essential printed matter. Search for it.

  In this embodiment, FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 show that three paper feed cassettes 114 are provided. For example, A4, B4, and A3 size papers are placed in these three paper feed cassettes 114. Assume that each is stored. Each paper feed cassette 114 is provided with detection means 311 such as an optical sensor and a position sensor, for example, and the search means 301 searches for the presence / absence of sheets of these sizes based on a signal generated by the detection means 311. be able to.

  If the paper suitable for the printing is, for example, A4 size, the selection unit 303 selects A4 size paper from the paper feed cassette 114, and the printing unit 305 prints the essential printed matter on the paper.

  However, if it is determined as a result of this search that there is no A4 size paper (out of paper), the selection means 303 selects a paper larger than this paper (hereinafter referred to as “semi-compliant paper”). Then, the printing unit 305 prints the essential printed matter on the semi-conforming paper. In this case, even if there is a sheet smaller than A4 size, it is not selected as a semi-conforming sheet. This is because there is a possibility that the end of the essential printed matter cannot be printed with a small sheet.

  In this example, there are two types of paper, B4 size and A3 size, as semi-conforming paper candidates. Therefore, the selection unit 303 displays on the touch panel 302 that these two types of paper are present. Then, the user operates the touch panel 302 to instruct the selection unit 303 to select, for example, B4 size paper. Then, the selection unit 303 selects a B4 size paper from the paper feed cassette 114, and the printing unit 305 prints an essential printed matter on the paper. Thus, even if there is no suitable size paper, the essential printed matter is always printed.

  Here, the selection unit 303 notifies the management unit 304 that a B4 size sheet has been selected as the semi-conforming sheet. Then, as the semi-conforming paper selection operation is repeated, which size paper is often selected, that is, the selection frequency can be managed by the management unit 303 for each paper size. .

  Therefore, using this fact, a case where an essential printed matter is automatically printed periodically will be described.

  As described above, for example, when the number of facsimile reception records reaches ten, the retrieval unit 301 retrieves whether or not there is a sheet in the sheet feeding cassette 114 that is suitable for printing the essential printed matter, as described above. If the paper suitable for this printing is, for example, A4 size, the selection means 303 selects A4 size paper from the paper feed cassette 114, and the printing means 305 prints the essential printed matter on this paper.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no A4 size paper as a result of this search, the selection unit 303 instructs the management unit 304 to determine which size is the most frequently selected paper as a semi-conforming paper in the past. Inquire. Then, the management unit 304 notifies the selection unit 303 of the paper size having the highest frequency based on the frequency for each paper size managed as described above.

  If this size is, for example, B4 size, the selection means 303 selects B4 size paper as the semi-conforming paper. Then, the printing unit 305 prints the essential printed matter on the semi-conforming paper. By configuring (programming) the selection means 303 in this way, the multifunction device 100 learns and uses preferentially compatible paper preferred by the user, and can unify the paper size. Easier filing.

  Further, if an authentication unit 306 for performing user authentication is provided, the following can also be performed. When the user described first selects semi-conforming paper according to an instruction, for example, a user ID and a password are input from the touch panel 302, and the authentication unit 306 performs user authentication. When the user who has been authenticated selects and designates a semi-conforming paper from the touch panel 302 in the same manner as described above, the user ID is notified to the management unit 304 together with the size of the selected paper.

  In this way, the management unit 304 can manage the frequency with which the semi-conforming paper is selected for each user, and even when the essential printed matter is automatically printed, the semi-conforming paper of your choice corresponding to each user. The above filing and the like are further simplified.

  Further, it is possible to program the printing unit 305 so that the printing unit 305 enlarges and prints the essential printed matter to the size of the semi-conforming paper, and creates an easy-to-see essential printed matter according to the user's needs. be able to.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably and clearly print a facsimile reception record or the like even when the paper is out.

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention can improve the convenience and safety of office management by reliably and clearly printing an essential printed matter such as a facsimile reception record even when the paper is out. it can. In addition, the image forming apparatus learns and preferentially uses a semi-conforming paper that the user prefers, and for example, filing of essential printed materials becomes simple. Therefore, it is useful as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a multifunction machine, or the like.

1 is a schematic diagram of an overall configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram relating to control of the multifunction peripheral according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a software configuration diagram of the multifunction machine according to the present embodiment. The figure which shows the example of an essential printed matter.

Explanation of symbols

100 MFP (image forming device)
101 Image reader
102 Image forming unit
103 Document table
104 Light source
105,106,107 mirror
108 Image sensor
109 Photosensitive drum
110 Charger
111 Exposure unit
112 Developer
113 Transfer device
114 Paper cassette
115 Pickup roller
116 Transport roller
117 Registration Roller
118 Fixing device
119 Heating roller
120 Pressure roller
121 Output tray
201 CPU
202 RAM
203 ROM
204 HDD
205 drivers
206 Internal bus
301 Search means
302 Touch panel
303 Selection method
304 Control measures
305 Printing means
306 Authentication means
311 Detection means

Claims (3)

In an image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of paper feed cassettes that store paper of a plurality of sizes; and a detection unit that detects the presence or absence of paper stored in each paper feed cassette .
The user instruction, when printing is to print the required printed material is always required prints, and the length and width required for printing data of the required printed matter, on the basis of the above detection means, adapted to those said essential printed matter Search means for searching for the presence or absence of paper of a size to be
As a result of the search by the search means, if there is no paper of a size that matches the required print, a plurality of sizes are selected as candidates for semi-match paper that is larger than the paper that matches the required print. When semi-conforming paper is present, a selection unit that displays semi-conforming paper of a plurality of sizes on the touch panel so as to select one size semi-conforming paper by accepting a selection operation from the user;
Printing means for printing the essential print on the semi-conforming paper of the size selected by the selection means ;
A management means for managing the frequency of selection of the semi-conforming paper for each size of the semi-conforming paper when the selecting means selects the semi-conforming paper of a predetermined size ;
The search means searches for the presence / absence of a paper having a size suitable for the required print when the required print is automatically printed periodically.
The selection means inquires of the management means about the paper size and receives the semi-conformance paper size from the management means when there is no paper of a size suitable for the required printed matter as a result of the search by the search means. Then select the semi-conforming paper of the received size,
When the management means receives the inquiry from the selection means, the management means notifies the selection means of the size of the semi-conforming paper with the highest frequency based on the frequency for each size of the semi-conforming paper being managed. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an authentication unit that performs user authentication, wherein the management unit manages the frequency for each user. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit prints the essential printed matter by enlarging the size of the semi-conforming paper.

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