JP4648147B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of confirming user menu settings.

  The image forming apparatus has menus divided into group items such as “print menu”, “system configuration menu”, and “memory menu” so that various settings of the apparatus can be selected from an operation panel provided on the apparatus. ing. These menus are composed of a plurality of menu items. For example, in the case of the “print menu”, the menu is composed of items such as “number of copies”, “paper tray”, “resolution”, “edit size”, and the like. Yes. Further, as one of means for confirming these menu items and the current setting status of the menu items, a function of printing the menu items and the current setting values of the menu items on a sheet of paper as a medium is provided. . This printing is called “menu map printing”. Menu map printing is convenient not only for confirming the current setting status of each menu item, but also for laying out and printing out so that the tree structure of the menu can be understood. Menu map printing is output from a printer when the user performs a predetermined operation from the operation panel of the printer (see Patent Document 1).

Such menu map printing is a function that is useful when a manufacturer investigates the cause in the company when various types of trouble occur, such as when a printing result intended by the user cannot be obtained. That is, when starting the investigation of the cause of various failures, the manufacturer first requests the user to print a menu map of the printer in which the failure has occurred, and reads the menu map print result (paper medium) with a scanner or the like. In addition, the results of reading were sent as electronic files. However, in this method, the user is forced to perform complicated operations such as converting the menu map print result (paper medium) into an electronic file.
JP-A-2005-14547

  The problem to be solved is that, when various failures occur, the manufacturer temporarily executes menu map printing to the user and sends the printing result (paper medium) in an electronic file. Therefore, the user is forced to perform complicated work.

The present invention is an image forming apparatus that is communicably connected to a host apparatus and capable of printing out setting information of its own apparatus, an instruction acquisition unit that acquires a predetermined operation instruction, and a command acquired by the instruction acquisition unit An instruction analysis unit that analyzes various data, a device information memory unit that stores the setting information, and the device information when the instruction analysis unit detects a data storage instruction command of the setting information. Based on the setting information read from the memory unit, print data for printing out the setting information is generated, and the data generation unit that stores the print information in the memory unit, and the instruction analysis unit instructs the data transfer of the setting information. Upon detection of the command, the print data stored in the memory unit to mainly characterized in that it comprises a data transfer unit for transferring to the host device.
Further, another invention is an information processing system in which a host device and an image forming apparatus capable of printing out the setting information of its own device are communicably connected, and the host device instructs the data storage of the setting information. And a command for instructing data transfer of the setting information to the image forming apparatus at respective timings, and the image forming apparatus includes an instruction acquiring unit for acquiring the command from the host apparatus; An instruction analysis unit that analyzes the command acquired by the instruction acquisition unit, a memory unit that stores various data, a device information memory unit that stores the setting information, and an instruction storage unit that stores the setting information When the command is detected, print data for printing the setting information is generated based on the setting information read from the device information memory unit, and the memory And a data transfer unit that transfers the print data stored in the memory unit to the host device when the instruction analysis unit detects a command for data transfer instruction of the setting information. It is characterized by.

  A host device connected to the network can generate and acquire a PDL (page description language) format menu map print job from a remote image forming apparatus, so that the menu map print result (paper medium) can be obtained. There is an effect that the manufacturer can confirm the menu setting of the user by the menu map print result (paper medium) without forcing the user to perform complicated operations such as reading with a scanner, converting it to an electronic file, and sending it to the host device. obtain.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the first embodiment.
As illustrated, the printer 102 according to the first embodiment includes a data receiving unit 103, a data analyzing unit 104, a data creating unit 105, a print image generating unit 106, a printing unit 107, an operation panel unit 108, and the like. A delivery unit (data transmission unit) 109, a memory unit 110, and a device information memory unit 111. In the following, the details of each component will be described mainly with respect to the function of the host device 101 confirming user menu settings from the printer 102.

The data receiving unit 103 is a part that sends received data received from the host apparatus 101 via the network 100 to the data analyzing unit 104.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of received data.
As shown in the figure, the received data 1 includes a control command group 2 and a print data group (emulation data) 3.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the data analysis unit 104 receives the reception data 1 (FIG. 2) from the data reception unit 103, analyzes the control command group 2 (FIG. 2), and displays the print data group 3 (FIG. 2) as a command. The print image generation unit 106 distributes to a predetermined emulation according to the above.

  The data creation unit 105 accepts a menu print request from the data analysis unit 104, and reads out device setting information stored in advance in the device information memory unit 111 based on the menu print request from the operation panel unit 108. This is a part for creating a print job for menu map printing in PDL (page description language) that can be printed out and storing it in the memory unit 110.

  The print image generation unit 106 is a part that reads the print job stored by the data generation unit 105 from the memory unit 110, develops it into a bitmap, and stores it in the memory unit 110 again. This print job is created in PDL (page description language) that can be printed out by the print image generation unit 106.

  The printing unit 107 is a part that reads out the print data expanded in a bitmap stored in the memory unit 110 based on an instruction from the print image generation unit 106 and prints it out.

The operation panel unit 108 is a part in which a user instructs execution of printing (here, menu map printing).
FIG. 3 is an external view of the operation panel.
As shown in the figure, the operation panel unit 108 has an operation panel 201 for a user to instruct execution of menu map printing. A display panel 202 and a switch 203 are arranged on the operation panel 201. After the user presses the MENU button of the switch 203, the user instructs execution of menu map printing that appears on the display board 202 following a predetermined operation.

  Returning to FIG. 1, when the delivery unit (data transmission unit) 109 accepts the menu data transmission instruction signal from the data analysis unit 104, print data in PDL (page description language) format stored in the memory unit 110 is received. This is a part that is read from the memory unit 110 and sent to the host apparatus 101 via the network 100.

The memory unit 110 is a volatile storage medium such as a RAM that stores a print job created in a PDL format that can be printed out and bitmap data expanded into a bitmap.
The device information memory unit 111 is a nonvolatile storage medium such as an EEPROM that stores device setting (menu) information.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation procedure of each component of the printer according to the first exemplary embodiment integrated with the host apparatus 101. The host device 101, the transfer unit 109, the data receiving unit 103, the data analyzing unit 104, and the data creating unit 105 are shown in the horizontal axis direction, and the progress of the operation procedure is shown in the vertical axis direction. Hereinafter, the operation of the host apparatus 101 for confirming the user menu setting from the printer 102 will be mainly described in order of steps from step S1-1 to step S1-13.

Step S1-1
The host apparatus 101 (FIG. 1) sends a data file describing a menu map print job storage command to the printer 102 (FIG. 1) as a memory storage instruction by a transmission / reception program (not shown) owned internally.

Step S1-2
The data receiving unit 103 accepts the memory storage instruction sent from the host device 101 (FIG. 1) as received data of the printer 102 (FIG. 1). Further, the received data is transferred to the data analysis unit 104.

Step S1-3
The data analysis unit 104 analyzes the received data and detects a menu map print job storage command.

Step S1-4
The data analysis unit 104 instructs the data creation unit 105 to create a menu map print job.

Step S1-5
The data creation unit 105 reads the device setting information corresponding to the menu setting stored in the device information memory unit 111 (FIG. 1), and generates data (menu map print job) for menu map printing as a print image generation unit 106 ( FIG. 1) is created in a PDL (page description language) that can be printed and stored in the memory unit 110 (FIG. 1). However, when the print image generation unit 106 (FIG. 1) is equipped with a plurality of emulations, the print image generation unit 106 (PDL) corresponding to the emulation selected by the user or predetermined emulation is used.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of the menu map print job.
As shown in the figure, the menu map print job is mainly composed of repetition of a font designation command, a coordinate designation command, and a text character string.

Step S1-6
The data creation unit 105 notifies the data analysis unit 104 of the storage address of the menu map print job stored in the memory unit 110 (FIG. 1).

Step S1-7
The host apparatus 101 (FIG. 1) sends a data file describing a menu map print job read command to the printer 102 (FIG. 1) as a delivery instruction by a transmission / reception program (not shown) owned internally.

Step S1-8
When receiving a delivery instruction (hereinafter referred to as received data), the data receiving unit 103 delivers the received data to the data analyzing unit 104.

Step S1-9
The data analysis unit 104 analyzes the received data and detects a menu map print job read command.

Step S1-10
Based on the menu map print job storage command, the data analysis unit 104 adds the storage address of the menu map print job already notified from the data creation unit 105 and prints the menu map to the host device 101 to the transfer unit 109. Instruct the job to be returned.

Step S1-11
The delivery unit 109 reads a menu map print job created in PDL (page description language) at the address destination received from the data analysis unit, and configures a transmission packet.

Step S1-12
The delivery unit 109 returns the transmission packet to the host device 101 (FIG. 1).

Step S1-13
The host apparatus 101 (FIG. 1) receives a menu map print job received from the printer 102 (FIG. 1) by an internal transmission / reception program (not shown) and stores it in a file.

  However, after receiving the storage address in step S1-6, the data analysis unit 104 instructs the transfer unit 109 to return a storage end notification, and the transfer unit 109 sends a storage end notification to the host device 101. Alternatively, the read command may be transmitted after the host apparatus 101 receives the storage end notification.

  As a result, the menu map print job (file) acquired by the host apparatus 101 (FIG. 1) from the printer 102 (FIG. 1) is described in a predetermined PDL (page description language) installed in the printer 102. The same menu map print result (paper medium) can be obtained by using another printer (for example, a printer in-house) equipped with the same PDL (page description language) as the printer 102 (FIG. 1).

  Note that by mounting a plurality of PDLs on the printer 102 (FIG. 1) and causing the host device 101 (FIG. 1) to select a predetermined PDL from the plurality of PDLs, the host device 101 (FIG. 1) The same menu map print result (paper medium) can be obtained even if a company printer having only other PDLs is used.

  As a user menu setting confirmation means, the printer 102 (FIG. 1) can pass menu setting information in a predetermined format to the host apparatus 101 (FIG. 1) even if the menu map printing result obtained by the above method is not used. In this case, the host device 101 (FIG. 1) analyzes and visually expresses information passed from the printer 102 (FIG. 1) based on the predetermined format. A dedicated program is required. Furthermore, if this is to be printed on a paper medium, it is necessary to create a PDL job. The fork printer 102 (FIG. 1) requires a dedicated program for creating the predetermined format. However, the dedicated program is unnecessary according to the present invention.

  In addition, if the menu map print result, both the manufacturer and the user can have a common understanding, for example, if the cause of the failure is in the menu settings, the manufacturer should speak with the user based on the menu map print result. Can eliminate misrecognition of both. In addition, since the menu map print result has the same configuration as the MENU display, confirmation, change request, etc. on the MENU display are facilitated.

  In addition, for a printer having a plurality of emulations, a print job can be obtained by appropriate emulation by including an emulation designation command in the menu map print job storage command. In this case, the emulation specification command is recognized by the data analysis unit, and the data analysis unit instructs the data creation unit based on the recognized emulation. The data creation unit creates a menu map print job corresponding to a plurality of emulations.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to generate and acquire a menu map print job in a PDL (page description language) format of the user's printer at a remote location from the host device of the manufacturer connected to the network. become able to do. As a result, the manufacturer can change the menu setting by the user to the menu map print result (paper medium) without forcing the user to perform complicated operations such as reading the menu map print result (paper medium) with a scanner and sending it as an electronic file. The effect that it can confirm with is acquired.

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the second embodiment.
As illustrated, the printer 200 according to the second embodiment includes a data reception unit 103, a data analysis unit 104, a data creation unit 105, a print image generation unit 106, a printing unit 107, and an operation panel unit 708. A mail transmission unit (data transmission unit) 709, a memory unit 110, and a device information memory unit 111. Only differences from the first embodiment will be described below. The same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The operation panel unit 708 is a part where the user instructs execution of printing (here, menu map printing). In particular, in this embodiment, this is a part that allows the user to select whether to print out a menu map print job or to send an e-mail. That is, when the menu map printing execution by the user is detected, a predetermined display is made on the display board 202 (FIG. 3), and when the print output is requested, the SELECT key 203 (FIG. 3) is pressed and e-mail transmission is requested. Asks for pressing of CANCELkey. Further, it is also a part that instructs the data creation unit 105 to create a menu map print job based on the selection result.

  When the user is requested to send an e-mail via the operation panel unit 708, the mail transmission unit 709 stores the menu map print job created in PDL stored in the memory unit 110 in the form of an attached file in the mail server 601. This is a part for sending an e-mail to a predetermined E-Mail address via the.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the second embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an operation procedure of each component of the printer according to the second exemplary embodiment integrated with the mail server 601. The mail server 601, the mail transmission unit 709, the operation panel unit 708, the data creation unit 105, and the print image generation unit 106 are represented in the horizontal axis direction, and the progress of the operation procedure is represented in the vertical axis direction. The operation procedure in which the menu map print job is sent from the printer 200 for both the case of requesting print output and the case of requesting e-mail transmission input to the operation panel unit 708 by the user will be described below in steps S2-1 to S2. Description will be made in order of steps up to -9.

Step S2-1
The operation panel unit 708 detects execution of menu map printing by the operation of the operation panel 201 (FIG. 3) by the user.

Step S2-2
The operation panel unit 708 prompts the user to press the SELECT key 203 (FIG. 3) when requesting print output via the display board 202 (FIG. 3), and presses the CANCEL key when requesting e-mail transmission. And waits for its choice.

Step S2-3
When any of the above items is selected by the user, the operation panel unit 708 instructs the data creation unit 105 to create a menu map print job.

Step S2-4
The data creation unit 105 reads the device setting information corresponding to the menu setting stored in the device information memory unit 111 (FIG. 6), and prints the print data (menu map print job) for menu map printing as the print image generation unit 106. (FIG. 6) is created in a PDL (page description language) that can be printed and stored in the memory unit 110 (FIG. 6). However, if the print image generation unit 106 (FIG. 6) is equipped with a plurality of emulations, the print image generation unit 106 (PDL) corresponding to the emulation selected by the user or predetermined emulation is used.
As shown in FIG. 5, the menu map print job is mainly composed of repetition of a font designation command, a coordinate designation command, and a text character string.

Step S2-5
The data creation unit 105 notifies the operation panel unit 708 of the storage address of the menu map print job stored in the memory unit 110 (FIG. 6).

Step S2-6
When e-mail transmission is selected by the user selection, the operation panel unit 708 prints the menu map to the e-mail transmission unit 709 with the storage address of the menu map print job already notified by the data creation unit 105. An instruction is given to send the job as an attached file to the host apparatus 101 (FIG. 6).

Step S2-7
The mail transmission unit 709 creates a mail to the host apparatus 101 (FIG. 6) with the menu map print job stored in the memory unit 110 (FIG. 6) as an attached file.

Step S2-8
The mail transmission unit 709 transmits the created mail to the mail server 601.

Step S2-9
If the print output is selected by the user selection, the operation panel unit 708 adds the menu map print job storage address already notified by the data creation unit 105 to the print image generation unit and sends the menu map print job. The conventional menu map printing operation is executed by instructing the image generation.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a menu map print result.
This figure shows a result of printing out on a paper medium by the printing unit 107 (FIG. 6) based on the menu map print job shown in FIG. When there are many menu setting items, there may be a plurality of items.

  In the above description, when the print output is requested to the display board 202 (FIG. 3), the SELECT key 203 (FIG. 3) is requested to be pressed. When the e-mail transmission is requested, the CANCEL key is requested to be pressed. E-mail transmission is often the wrong choice. In order to eliminate such inconvenience, SELECT key 203 (FIG. 3) and CANCEL key may be pressed simultaneously in the case of e-mail transmission.

  In many cases, the e-mail transmission address is preset in the printer apparatus. However, after “e-mail transmission” is selected by user selection, a “destination mail address” may be inquired and the user may be input.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the user selects the e-mail transmission, the menu map print job of the PDL format of the user printer is electronically transmitted to the manufacturer's host device via the manufacturer's mail server connected to the network. The attached file is sent by email. Therefore, the manufacturer can obtain the same menu map print result (paper medium) as that printed by the user printer by sending the attached file of the e-mail to the printer owned by the manufacturer. As a result, the manufacturer can change the user menu setting to the menu map print result (paper medium) without forcing the user to perform complicated operations such as reading the menu map print result (paper medium) with a scanner and sending it as an electronic file. The effect that it can confirm with is acquired.

  In the first embodiment, it cannot be applied when the user's network environment blocks access by a firewall. However, in the second embodiment, since an e-mail is used, there is no access failure due to the firewall. Printing results can be obtained. In addition, since a transmission / reception program as in the first embodiment is not required, in the case of a printer capable of direct printing from mail data, the mail transmission destination is set to, for example, a manufacturer printer, so that it can be directly performed without using a PC. Print MENU can be obtained.

  Although the case where the present invention is applied to the printer has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this example. That is, the present invention can be applied to a facsimile machine and a copying machine.

2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of Embodiment 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing of received data. FIG. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of the first embodiment. It is a block diagram of a menu map print job. FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of Embodiment 2. It is explanatory drawing of a menu map printing result.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Network 101 Host apparatus 102 Printer 103 Data receiving part 104 Data analysis part 105 Data preparation part 106 Print image generation part 107 Printing part 108 Operation panel part 109 Delivery part (data transmission part)
110 Memory Unit 111 Device Information Memory Unit

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus that is communicably connected to a host device and capable of printing out the setting information of its own device,
An instruction acquisition unit for acquiring a predetermined operation instruction;
An instruction analysis unit for analyzing the command acquired by the instruction acquisition unit;
A memory unit for storing various data;
A device information memory unit for storing the setting information;
When the instruction analysis unit detects a data storage instruction command for the setting information, print data for printing out the setting information is created based on the setting information read from the device information memory unit, and the memory unit stores the print data. A data creation unit to store;
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a data transfer unit that transfers the print data stored in the memory unit to the host device when the instruction analysis unit detects a command for data transfer instruction of the setting information . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print data is in a PDL (Page Description Language) format . The data creation unit
The print data in a plurality of types of PDL formats can be created, and the print data is created in the PDL format specified in the data storage instruction command and stored in the memory unit. Image forming apparatus. An information processing system in which a host device and an image forming apparatus capable of printing out the setting information of its own device are connected to be communicable,
The host device is
A transmission unit that transmits the setting information data storage instruction command and the setting information data transfer instruction command to the image forming apparatus at each timing;
The image forming apparatus includes :
An instruction acquisition unit for acquiring the command from the host device;
An instruction analysis unit for analyzing the command acquired by the instruction acquisition unit;
A memory unit for storing various data;
A device information memory unit for storing the setting information;
When the instruction analysis unit detects a data storage instruction command for the setting information, print data for printing out the setting information is created based on the setting information read from the device information memory unit, and the memory unit stores the print data. A data creation unit to store;
When the instruction analysis unit detects a data transfer instruction command of the setting information, a data transfer unit that transfers the print data stored in the memory unit to the host device;
An information processing system comprising: The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the print data is in a PDL format. The transmission unit of the host device is
A data storage instruction command including a designation command for designating the type of PDL format of the created print data is transmitted;
The data creation unit of the image forming apparatus includes:
A plurality of types of print data in PDL format can be created, and the print data is created in the PDL format designated by the designation command and stored in the memory unit
The information processing system according to claim 5.

Images