JP4862410B2 - Image forming apparatus and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium, and an image forming system including a host device that inputs a command to the image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system capable of executing processing corresponding to a state.

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a printer provided with a host device such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) and an image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium such as paper in response to a command from the host device. Have been proposed. In this type of image forming system, it is proposed that a client as a host device requests status information from a printer server, and an error message or the like is displayed on a client display device based on the status information ( For example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-202223 A

  However, with the technology described in the above-mentioned publication, it is impossible to execute more advanced processing by merely displaying the content of an error that has occurred in the printer as a message. SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus and an image forming system capable of executing advanced processing related to the state of an image forming unit.

An image forming apparatus of the present invention made to achieve the above object is an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit having a conveying unit that forms an image on a recording medium and conveys the recording medium. A plurality of detecting means for detecting the state of the image forming means, including a durability detecting means for detecting the durability of the conveying means, and an error history detecting means for detecting an error history in the image forming apparatus. the detection means and a detection result of the durability detecting means, by performing a logical operation in accordance with the conditional expressions are predetermined using a detection result of the error history detection means, having different three kinds calculating means for obtaining an arithmetic result, according to the three kinds of operation results of said arithmetic means, and a processing section for executing different three types, comprising the.

In the image forming apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, the durability of the image forming unit including the conveying unit that forms an image on the recording medium and conveys the recording medium is detected. Detecting by a plurality of detection means including a detection means and an error history detection means for detecting an error history in the image forming apparatus, and further using a detection result of the durability detection means and a detection result of the error history detection means the calculating means in response to conditional expressions are predetermined Te by logical operation, it is possible to obtain the computation result of different three types. Then, the processing means, according to the three kinds of operation result of the arithmetic means executes processing of different three types. For this reason, in the present invention, it is possible to execute processing according to the logical operation result (logical sum, logical product, etc.) of detection results by a plurality of detection means, and by extension, advanced processing relating to the state of the image forming means. Can be executed. Furthermore, it is possible to execute a process such as notification corresponding to a case where the transport unit needs to be replaced (for example, when an error occurs frequently in the transport unit whose durability is lowered). The arithmetic means is not limited to a direct logical operation of the detection results of the detection means, but may be a logical operation after performing four arithmetic operations on the detection results.

An image forming system according to the present invention includes an upper apparatus and an image forming unit having an image forming unit that forms an image on a recording medium in response to a command from the upper apparatus and conveys the recording medium. An image forming system comprising: a forming apparatus; a plurality of detecting means for detecting a state of the image forming means; a durability detecting means for detecting the durability of the conveying means; and the image forming apparatus. A plurality of detection means including an error history detection means for detecting an error history, a detection result of the durability detection means, and a detection result of the error history detection means. Correspondingly by logical operations, arithmetic means for obtaining three kinds computation result of different respective processing means according to the three kinds of operation results of said arithmetic means executes processing of different three types It is characterized by having a.

In the image forming system of the present invention configured as described above, the image forming unit of the image forming apparatus includes a conveying unit that forms an image on the recording medium in accordance with a command from the host apparatus and conveys the recording medium. . In the image forming system of the present invention, the state of the image forming means includes a plurality of durability detecting means for detecting the durability of the conveying means and an error history detecting means for detecting an error history in the image forming apparatus. detected by the detecting means, further the detection result of the durability detecting means, by logical operation by the computing means according to conditional expressions are predetermined using the detection result and, error history detection means, different from each other it is possible to obtain three kinds computation result of. Then, the processing means, according to the three kinds of operation result of the arithmetic means executes processing of different three types. For this reason, in the present invention, it is possible to execute processing according to the logical operation results (logical sum, logical product, etc.) of the detection results by the plurality of detection means, and as a result, the state of the image formation means of the image forming apparatus Advanced processing can be performed. Furthermore, it is possible to execute a process such as notification corresponding to a case where the transport unit needs to be replaced (for example, when an error occurs frequently in the transport unit whose durability is lowered). The arithmetic means is not limited to a direct logical operation of the detection results of the detection means, but may be a logical operation after performing four arithmetic operations on the detection results. The conditional expression may be settable by the user.

  Further, the image forming system of the present invention does not limit whether each of the units other than the image forming unit is provided in the host device or the image forming apparatus, but the arithmetic unit and the processing unit are provided in the host device. May be. The detection unit and the calculation unit may be provided in the image forming apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples. Needless to say, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the following examples, and can take various forms as long as they belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[Overview of image forming system]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of an image forming system as an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the user side network of this embodiment, three printers 1, 2, 3 as image forming apparatuses are connected to a personal computer 70 as a host apparatus via a hub 80 via a LAN. Yes. The hub 80 is connected to the manufacturer-side network hub 180 via the Internet, and can communicate with the manufacturer-side personal computer 170 via the hub 180.

[Description of Configuration of Printer 1]
Next, FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printer 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of the printer 1. The printer 2 is configured in substantially the same manner as the printer 1, and the basic mechanism of the printer 3 is the same as that of the printers 1 and 2. The hub 80 is not limited to a laser printer whose configuration is described below, and may be connected to various printers such as an inkjet printer and a dot impact printer.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 1 includes a feeder unit 4 for feeding paper 99, a multi-purpose tray 14, and a process unit 18 for forming an image on the fed paper 99 in a main body case 1a. And a fixing device 19 and the like. The printer 1 is configured such that an optional tray 41 can be added as an option below the feeder unit 4. Hereinafter, in the printer 1, the side (left side in FIG. 2) where the multipurpose tray 14 is attached to the main body case 1a is referred to as “front portion”, and the multipurpose tray 14 is also attached to the main body case 1a. The side opposite to the side is the “rear part”.

[Description of configuration of feeder unit 4]
As shown in FIG. 2, the feeder unit 4 includes a main body paper feed tray 6 that is detachably attached to the bottom of the main body case 1 a, a paper pressing plate 8 provided in the main body paper feed tray 6, A sheet feeding roller (hereinafter referred to as a main body sheet feeding roller) 12 and a separation pad 13 are provided above one end of the sheet feeding tray 6. Between the main body paper supply roller 12 and the image forming position P (the contact portion between the photosensitive drum 23 and the transfer roller 25, that is, the transfer position at which the toner image on the photosensitive drum 23 is transferred to the paper 99). The conveyance path 7 formed in a curved shape is arranged.

  The paper pressing plate 8 can hold the paper 99 in a laminated form, and is supported so as to be swingable at the far end with respect to the main body feed roller 12, so that the near end moves up and down. It is configured to be possible, and is biased upward by a spring 8a from the back side. The separation pad 13 is disposed so as to face the main body paper feed roller 12, and a pad 13a made of a member having a large friction coefficient is pressed toward the main body paper feed roller 12 by a spring 13b.

  On the other hand, the conveyance path 7 is formed in a curved shape by arranging a pair of guide plates 7 a and 7 b for guiding the wide surface of the paper 99. Further, in this conveyance path 7, in order from the upstream side of the sheet conveyance, the main body sheet feeding roller 12, a pair of conveyance rollers 11 including a pair of driving rollers and driven rollers, and a pair of conveyances including a pair of driving rollers and driven rollers. A pair of registration rollers 9, which are arranged immediately before the roller 10 and the image forming position P and are composed of a pair of a driving roller and a driven roller, are arranged at appropriate intervals.

  In the feeder unit 4 configured as described above, the uppermost sheet 99 of the sheets 99 stacked on the sheet pressing plate 8 is pressed toward the main body feed roller 12, and the main body feed roller After being sandwiched between the main body paper supply roller 12 and the separation pad 13 by the rotation of 12, the paper is fed one by one. The fed sheet 99 is conveyed by the conveying roller 11 and then sequentially sent to the conveying roller 10 and the registration roller 9 so that the sheet 99 is sent to the image forming position P after a predetermined registration.

[Description of Configuration of Multipurpose Tray 14]
A multi-purpose tray 14 for supplying paper 99 by manual feed or automatic paper feeding and a paper 99 stacked on the multi-purpose tray 14 are fed to the front side of the main body case 1a above the feeder unit 4. A multi-purpose-side paper feeding mechanism 15 for paper is provided. The multi-purpose-side paper feed mechanism 15 includes a multi-purpose-side paper feed roller 15a and a multi-purpose-side paper feed pad 15b, and a spring 15c disposed on the back side of the multi-purpose-side paper feed pad 15b provides a multi-purpose side paper feed roller 15a. The sheet feeding pad 15b is pressed toward the multipurpose sheet feeding roller 15a. In addition, the multi-purpose side paper feed mechanism 15 includes a pair of transport rollers 15d including a pair of a driving roller and a driven roller.

  In the multi-purpose tray 14 configured as described above, after the sheets 99 stacked on the multi-purpose tray 14 are sandwiched between the rotating multi-purpose side feed roller 15a and the multi-purpose side feed pad 15b. Each sheet is fed and sent to the registration roller 9 through a pair of conveying rollers 15d.

[Description of Configuration of Scanner Unit 17]
The scanner unit 17 is disposed on the lower surface side of the paper discharge tray 36 in the upper part of the main body case 1a, and includes a laser light emitting unit (not shown), a polygon mirror 20 that is rotationally driven, lenses 21a and 21b, a reflecting mirror 22, and the like. The photosensitive drum 23 in the process unit 18 is made to pass or reflect a laser beam corresponding to the image data emitted from the laser emitting unit in the order of the polygon mirror 20, the lens 21a, the reflecting mirror 22, and the lens 21b. Irradiated on the surface of the substrate by high-speed scanning.

[Description of Configuration of Process Unit 18]
The process unit 18 includes a drum cartridge having a photosensitive drum 23 as an electrostatic latent image carrier, a scorotron charger 37, a transfer roller 25, and the like, and a developing cartridge 24 that is detachably attached to the drum cartridge. Has been. The developing cartridge 24 includes a toner container 26, a developing roller 27, a layer thickness regulating blade 28, a toner supply roller 29, and the like.

  The toner storage unit 26 is filled with a positively charged non-magnetic single-component polymerized toner as a developer, and the toner is supplied to the developing roller 27 by the toner supply roller 29. At this time, the toner supply roller 29 In addition, the toner charged positively between the developing roller 27 and the developing roller 27 and the toner supplied onto the developing roller 27 is thinned to a constant thickness by the sliding of the layer thickness regulating blade 28 as the developing roller 27 rotates. It is carried on the developing roller 27 as a layer. On the other hand, the rotating photosensitive drum 23 is arranged to face the developing roller 27, the drum body is grounded, and the surface thereof is a positively chargeable photosensitive layer composed of an organic photosensitive material such as polycarbonate. It is formed by.

  In the printer 1, the residual toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 after the toner image is transferred to the paper 99 by the transfer roller 25 is recovered by the developing roller 27, and the residual toner is recovered by a so-called cleanerless system. I am doing so. If the residual toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 is collected by such a cleaner-less method, it is not necessary to provide a cleaning device such as a blade or a storage unit for waste toner, so that the device configuration is simplified, reduced in size and cost. Can be reduced.

  The scorotron charger 37 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 23 at a predetermined interval so as not to contact the photosensitive drum 23. The scorotron charger 37 is a positively charged scorotron charger that generates corona discharge from a charging wire such as tungsten, and is configured to uniformly charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 to a positive polarity. ing.

  The surface of the photosensitive drum 23 is first uniformly charged positively by the scorotron charger 37 as the photosensitive drum 23 rotates, and then exposed by high-speed scanning of the laser beam from the scanner unit 17. Then, an electrostatic latent image based on the image data is formed.

  Next, the electrostatic charge formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 when the positively charged toner carried on the developing roller 27 comes into contact with the photosensitive drum 23 by the rotation of the developing roller 27. The latent image, that is, the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 that is uniformly positively charged, is supplied to an exposed portion that is exposed to a laser beam and the potential is lowered, and is visualized by being selectively carried. As a result, a toner image is achieved.

  The transfer roller 25 is disposed below the photosensitive drum 23 so as to face the photosensitive drum 23, and is supported by the drum cartridge so as to be rotatable in the clockwise direction in FIG. The transfer roller 25 is configured such that a metal roller shaft is covered with a roller made of an ion conductive rubber material, and at the time of transfer, a transfer bias (transfer forward bias) is applied from a transfer bias application power source. Has been. Therefore, the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 23 is transferred to the paper 99 at the image forming position P described above while the paper 99 passes between the photosensitive drum 23 and the transfer roller 25. .

[Description of Configuration of Fixing Device 19]
As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing device 19 as a fixing unit is disposed downstream of the process unit 18 in the conveyance direction, and is disposed so as to press one heating roller 31 and the heating roller 31. The pressure roller 32 and a pair of conveying rollers 33 provided on the downstream side thereof are provided. The heating roller 31 is made of a metal such as aluminum, and includes a heater such as a halogen lamp for heating. The toner transferred onto the paper 99 in the process unit 18 is transferred to the heating roller 31 and the pressure roller 32 by the paper 99. Heat-fixed while passing between. Thereafter, the paper 99 is transported by the transport roller 33 by the transport roller 34 and the paper discharge roller 35 in the rear paper discharge path in the main body case 1 a, and then discharged onto the paper discharge tray 36.

[Configuration of Exchange Detection Unit 38]
When image formation with toner (hereinafter also referred to as printing) is performed as described above, the toner in the toner storage unit 26 is consumed. Therefore, the toner storage unit 26 as a consumable is replaced by opening the upper surface of the main body case 1a. Is done. The printer 1 includes the following replacement detection unit 38 in order to detect that the toner storage unit 26 has been replaced.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the replacement detection unit 38 and its surroundings. An arrow A in FIG. 4 indicates the attaching / detaching direction of the toner containing portion 26. The toner storage unit 26 is rotatably provided with an agitator (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2) for agitating the toner filled therein, and one end of the rotating shaft 26a of the agitator is provided at one end of the toner storage unit 26. A gear 26b exposed to the outside is fixed.

  Further, two guide pins 26c and 26c protrude in the vertical direction on the side surface of the toner accommodating portion 26 on the side where the gear 26b is exposed, and the moving member 39 is moved in the vertical direction (arrow) by the guide pins 26c and 26c. In a direction parallel to A). That is, the moving member 39 is provided with a guide hole 39a that is long in the vertical direction, and the guide pins 26c and 26c are fitted in the guide hole 39a so that the moving member 39 can move up and down.

  The moving member 39 is disposed at the raised position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 when the toner storage unit 26 is new. A rack portion 39b is formed on the lower side of one side portion of the moving member 39. The first tooth tip on the lower side of the rack portion meshes with the gear 26b, so that the moving member 39 is brought into such a raised position. Be placed. That is, the moving member 39 is in the raised position indicating that the toner containing portion 26 is new against the descent behavior due to its own weight by the initial engagement of the rack portion 39b with the gear 26b having a predetermined load resistance. It is arranged.

  The frame 1b of the printer 1 is provided with an exchange detection unit 38 made of a photo interrupter incorporating a light emitting element and a light receiving element. In addition, the exchange detection part 38 is provided along the movement runway of the moving member 39, as shown in FIG. Further, the moving member 39 is provided with a shielding plate portion 39c disposed at a position that shields the optical path of the replacement detection portion 38 when it is in the raised position. For this reason, when the shielding plate part 39c is in the raised position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the exchange detection unit 38 outputs a low signal, and when there is no shielding plate part 39c, it is high (HIGH). ) Signal is output. Immediately after the toner storage unit 26 is replaced with a new one, the replacement detection unit 38 outputs a low signal because the shielding plate 39c blocks the optical path of the photo interrupter constituting the replacement detection unit 38 in this way. . FIG. 5 shows a state in which the moving member 39 is placed at such a position.

  After the replacement of the toner container 26, the main body case 1a is closed, and when image formation is started as described above, the agitator is driven for a predetermined time by the first warm-up. Then, the gear 26b also rotates in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 4 integrally with the agitator, and this gear 26b feeds the rack portion 39b to forcibly lower the moving member 39 at the raised position.

  When the moving member 39 is lowered and the rack portion 39b is separated from the gear 26b, the moving member 39 continues to descend by its own weight and is stopped at the position shown in FIG. That is, the moving member 39 moves from the raised position shown in FIG. 5 to the lowered position shown in FIG. After the moving member 39 falls to the lowered position, the moving member 39 remains held at the lowered position, and it is substantially impossible to move and return it to the raised position. This is because even if the moving member 39 shown in FIG. 6 is inadvertently raised, the rack portion 39b hits the gear 26b having a predetermined load resistance.

  The moving member 39 is provided with the same shielding plate portion 39d with the shielding plate portion 39c interposed therebetween, and this shielding plate portion 39d is shown in FIG. 6 when the moving member 39 is moved to the lowered position. Are disposed at positions that block the optical path of the exchange detector 38. That is, when image formation is started and the moving member 39 is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position, the output of the replacement detection unit 38 changes from low to high to low within a predetermined time. When an old toner container 26 or a toner container 26 used halfway, that is, a non-new toner container 26 is mistakenly or remounted, the upper shielding plate part 39d from the beginning is the optical path of the replacement detector 38. Is always low from the beginning.

[Description of Configuration of Optional Tray 41]
Returning to FIG. 2, the option tray 41 that can be added below the feeder unit 4 has the same internal structure as the feeder unit 4. That is, the optional tray 41 has an additional paper feed tray 46 that is detachably attached to the bottom of the option tray 41, and a paper pressing plate that has one end swingably supported on the bottom surface of the additional paper feed tray 46 and is biased by a spring 48a. 48, a paper feed roller (hereinafter referred to as an additional paper feed roller) 52 and a separation pad 53 provided above the other end of the paper pressing plate 48. The separation pad 53 is disposed to face the additional paper feed roller 52, and a pad 53a made of a member having a large friction coefficient is pressed toward the additional paper feed roller 52 by a spring 53b.

  Further, in the main body paper feed tray 6 mounted on the feeder unit 4, a path through which the paper 99 can pass in the vertical direction between the swing range of the paper pressing plate 8 and the front handle 6 a. 6b is formed. Further, a pair of conveying rollers 54 including a pair of a driving roller and a driven roller are disposed below the passage 6b. For this reason, when the main body paper feed tray 6 of the feeder unit 4 is disposed at a regular position (a position where the paper 99 can be fed to the transport path 7 by the main body paper feed roller 12), the optional tray 41 can be additionally supplied. The paper 99 fed by the paper roller 52 one by one is transported by the pair of transport rollers 54 and then sent to the transport path 7 by the transport roller 11 through the passage 6b. Further, a handle portion 46 a is also provided on the front side of the additional paper feed tray 46 in the same manner as the feeder portion 4.

[Explanation of user side network control system]
Next, the control system of the user side network will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the printer 1 temporarily stores various data such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 61 that executes various calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 62 that stores a control program, and the like. A random access memory (RAM) 63 is provided. The CPU 61 is also connected with an NVRAM 64 and a hard disk device (HDD) 65 that are not erased even if the power switch is turned off, and a printer port interface (directly connected to the personal computer 70). Printer port I / F) 66, LAN interface (LAN I / F) 67 for connecting to the above-mentioned LAN, operation keys 90 and display panel 91 (see FIG. 3) provided on the surface of the main body case 1a, and the above-mentioned The various actuators of the mechanism from the various trays 6, 14, 46 to the paper discharge tray 36 and the detection unit (hereinafter collectively referred to as an image forming unit 93) are connected. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation key 90 is a known one having a plurality of arrow keys, an execution key, a cancel key, a numeric keypad, and the like.

  Returning to FIG. 7, the personal computer 70 also includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72, and a RAM 73. The CPU 71 includes a hard disk device (HDD) 74, an operation unit 75 such as a keyboard and a mouse, a display unit 76 such as a liquid crystal display, and the printer 1. A printer port interface (printer port I / F) 77 for direct connection and a LAN interface (LAN I / F) 78 for connection with the LAN described above are connected. As described above, the printer 1 and the personal computer 70 are connected via the LAN through the LAN interface 67, the hub 80, and the LAN interface 78. However, like the printer 3 shown in FIG. Direct connection via 66 and 77 is allowed.

[Description of processing in the control system]
Next, processing executed in the control system will be described. First, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the control system of the printer 1. This process is periodically executed every predetermined time.

  When the process is started, it is first determined in S100 (S represents a step: the same applies hereinafter) whether or not a print command is input from the personal computer 70. If there is no print command (S100: N), the process is once terminated, and if there is a print command (S100: Y), the warm-up described above is executed in S101. In subsequent S102, it is determined whether or not the toner storage unit 26 has been replaced with a new one based on whether or not the output of the replacement detection unit 38 has changed from low to high to low during warming up. If it is exchanged for a new one (S102: Y), the exchange date and time is registered in S103 and the process proceeds to S106. If not exchanged (S102: N), the process proceeds to S106 as it is. That is, in S103, the current date and time is detected based on the clock built in the CPU 61, and the date and time is registered in a predetermined area of the NVRAM 64 as the replacement date and time of the toner storage unit 26.

  In S <b> 106, printing corresponding to the print command input from the personal computer 70 is executed while counting the number of dots of pixels formed on the photosensitive drum 23 by the scanner unit 17. In subsequent S107, the process waits until printing is completed (S107: N). When printing is completed (S107: Y), the remaining amount of toner in the toner storage unit 26 is calculated from the counted number of dots in S108. . In subsequent S109, the remaining amount of toner is registered in a predetermined area of the NVRAM 64, and the process is temporarily terminated.

  That is, the amount of toner consumed by the printing process can be calculated from the number of dots counted in S106. Therefore, in S108, a toner amount preset for the new toner storage unit 26 or a value obtained by subtracting the consumption amount from the remaining toner amount registered in the NVRAM 64 in the previous processing of S109 is a toner remaining amount. Calculated as a quantity.

  Next, processing executed on the personal computer 70 will be described. First, in the personal computer 70, processing necessary for management, such as a warning regarding the states of the printers 1, 2, and 3 (further printers may be connected) is set. When the user starts a predetermined application stored in the HDD 74, a screen as illustrated in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display unit 76 based on the application. This screen has a printer name display unit 101 that displays the printer names (Printer 1, Printer 2, Printer 3) of the printers 1, 2, and 3 connected to the personal computer 70. When one printer is selected, Parameters that can be acquired from the printer are displayed on the parameter display unit 102. The user inputs a conditional expression obtained by performing four arithmetic operations or logical operations on a desired parameter displayed on the parameter display unit 102 to the conditional expression display unit 103, and clicks the “Next” button 104 when the input is completed.

  Then, a screen as illustrated in FIG. 10 is displayed on the display unit 76, and an operation when the conditional expression is satisfied can be set. For example, if an application address is input to the execution path display unit 107, the application stored at the address is automatically executed when the conditional expression is satisfied. If text is input to the body display unit 108, the text is displayed on the display unit 76 as a message when the conditional expression is satisfied. Thus, the user registers in advance the conditional expression and the operation when the condition is satisfied.

  Such registration can be performed by selecting a plurality of printers among the printers 1 to 3 at the same time and registering them by changing the conditional expression for each printer. By performing such registration, the personal computer 70 is provided with a table in which printer names are associated with conditional expressions and operations. When a plurality of conditional expressions and operations are associated with one printer, priority order may be set for the conditional expressions and operations.

  Next, FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing executed on the personal computer 70 based on such settings. This process is executed for each of the printers 1, 2, and 3 every predetermined time, and when a print command is input from the personal computer 70 to the printer according to the setting of the conditional expression, or from the printer It is executed by an interrupt when an error is notified.

  When the process is started, first, in S1, the printer name and the parameters described above are acquired from the printer via the LAN. In the process of S1, information on whether or not an error has occurred in the printer is also acquired in consideration of the case where the target printer does not have a function of automatically notifying the personal computer 70 of the error. . In subsequent S2, it is determined whether or not the parameter has been acquired. If the parameter has not been acquired (S2: N), the process is temporarily terminated.

  If the parameter can be acquired (S2: Y), a conditional expression corresponding to the printer name is retrieved from the table in the subsequent S3, and whether a conditional expression corresponding to the printer name is registered in S4. Is judged. If the conditional expression is not registered (S4: N), the process is temporarily terminated as it is, and if it is registered (S4: Y), then in S5, the conditional expression is added to the personal computer 70 (PC) side. It is determined whether or not the setting for using the held parameter is made. If the setting for using the parameters of the personal computer 70 has been made (S5: Y), it is determined in the subsequent S6 whether or not the parameters have been acquired. If the parameters have not been acquired, the processing is temporarily terminated.

  If it is determined in S6 that the parameters have been acquired (S6: Y), or if it is determined in S5 that the parameters of the personal computer 70 are not used (S5: N), in S7, the target printer or personal computer The operation according to the conditional expression is executed using the various parameters acquired from 70, and the process is temporarily ended.

[Conditional expression and specific example of operation 1]
Here, for example, when the target printer (for example, the printer 1) is set to display a warning when the expiration date of the toner is approaching and the remaining amount of toner is high, the following processing is executed in S7. The FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing in detail the processing of S7 in that case.

  When such processing is executed, in S1 described above, the toner replacement date and time (see S103 in FIG. 8) and the remaining amount of toner (see S109 in FIG. 8) are acquired as parameters from the target printer. . Therefore, in the process of S7, as shown in FIG. 12, first, in S11, the information (the replacement date and the remaining amount of toner) acquired in S1 and stored in the memory (RAM 73) of the personal computer 70 is stored. To be acquired.

  In subsequent S12, the difference between the replacement date and the current date is calculated and compared with the period set in the conditional expression to determine whether or not the set period or more has elapsed from the toner replacement date. If it has not elapsed (S12: N), the process is once terminated, and if it has elapsed (S12: Y), in S13, the remaining amount of toner exceeds the amount set in the conditional expression. It is determined whether or not there is. When the remaining amount of toner is less than that amount (S13: N), the process is temporarily terminated, and when the remaining amount of toner is equal to or greater than the set amount (S13: Y), a preset message is displayed at S14. Then, the process is temporarily terminated.

  For example, when text as illustrated in FIG. 10 is input to the body display unit 108, a dialog as illustrated in FIG. 13 is displayed on the screen of the display unit 76 in S14. By this display, the user can know that the toner of the printer needs to be used immediately, and can take measures such as preferential use of the printer. Further, in the present embodiment, the user can set the threshold value of the parameter for performing the warning based on an original determination criterion, and convenience is improved. Furthermore, it is possible to create a conditional expression by combining the above parameters with the parameters held on the personal computer 70 side, which further improves convenience.

  This process can be executed in the same manner when the target printer is an ink jet printer. For example, it is recommended that the product be used up within a predetermined period of time after installation (for example, 5 A warning can be generated when the remaining amount of ink that has passed more than (months) is a predetermined amount or more (for example, 70% or more). Also, in laser printers and ink jet printers, if the toner container 26 or ink cartridge is directly provided with a barcode indicating the expiration date, the expiration date read from the barcode is compared with the current date and time. You can also give a warning.

[Specific example of conditional expression and operation 2]
Next, conditional expressions and operations corresponding to a decrease in the durability of paper supply parts such as the main body paper feed tray 6 will be described. In order to execute this process, it is necessary to execute the following process on the printer side (for example, the printer 1). FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing processing executed by the printer 1 in this example. This process is periodically executed every predetermined time.

  When the process is started, first, in S200, it is determined whether or not a print command is input from the personal computer 70. If there is no print command (S200: N), the process is temporarily terminated. If there is a print command (S200: Y), printing according to the setting is executed in S201. In the subsequent S202, the number of printed sheets printed in the process of S201 is counted for each tray. That is, it is divided into the main body paper feed tray 6, the multi-purpose tray 14, and the additional paper feed tray 46, and the number of printed sheets is counted.

  In the subsequent S203, the count value is subtracted from the durability of the paper supply parts registered in the predetermined area of the NVRAM 64 for each tray. In S204, it is determined whether an error has occurred during printing in S201. The If no error has occurred (S204: N), the process is temporarily terminated, and if an error has occurred (S204: Y), the position where the error has occurred is detected in S205. In subsequent S206, error information corresponding to the position detected in S205 is created, and in S207, it is determined whether or not the error history exceeds the storage upper limit. That is, the number of error information that can be registered as an error history is defined in the NVRAM 64, and it is determined whether or not the upper limit is exceeded by adding the error information created in S206.

  If the error history exceeds the storage upper limit (S207: Y), the oldest error information is deleted in S208, and if the storage upper limit is not exceeded (S207: N), the process proceeds to S209. To do. In S209, the error information created in S206 is registered in the NVRAM 64 as the latest error history, and the process is temporarily terminated.

  The error history and the durability created in this way can be used as the above parameters, and can also be printed out by sending a predetermined command to the printer 1. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the printout result. In FIG. 15, RAY 1 represents the main body paper feed tray 6, RAY 2 represents the additional paper feed tray 46, and MPTRAY represents the multi-purpose tray 14.

  Next, when such an error history and durability are acquired in the process of S1 of FIG. 11 described above and a conditional expression using these parameters is searched in S3, the following process is executed in S7. Is done. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing in detail the processing of S7 in that case.

  As shown in FIG. 16, in this process, first, in S21, the information (the error history and the durability) acquired in S1 and stored in the memory (RAM 73) of the personal computer 70 is acquired. In subsequent S22, it is determined whether or not an error has occurred in the target printer (for example, printer 1). If no error has occurred (S22: N), the process is temporarily terminated.

  On the other hand, if an error has occurred (S22: Y), the error history is analyzed in S23, and in the following S24, the same type of errors that are currently occurring are more than a predetermined number (for example, 10). Whether or not it is included in the error history. If it is not included (S24: N), the process is once terminated, and if it is included (S24: Y), the durability of the consumable part (in this case, the tray) where the error occurred in S25. Compared with default upper and lower limits. If the durability is equal to or greater than the upper limit value, it is determined in S31 that the consumable is initially defective. If the durability is equal to or less than the lower limit value, it is determined in S32 that the replacement time for the consumable is determined. If it is a value other than, it is determined in S33 that the cause is other than the initial failure and the replacement time.

  If it is determined in S31 or S32 that the consumable is an initial failure or replacement time, the process proceeds to S35, and it is determined whether or not the setting is informed to the manufacturer (may be a sales company). Is done. If it is set to contact the manufacturer (S35: Y), the contents determined in S31 or S32 and the information obtained from the memory of the personal computer 70 are sent to the manufacturer (or sales company) by e-mail in S36. The process proceeds to S37. If it is not set to contact the manufacturer (S35: N), the process directly proceeds to S37 without passing through S36.

  In S37, the determined content is displayed on the display unit 76, and the process is temporarily terminated. For example, when the initial failure is determined in S31, a dialog as illustrated in FIG. 17A is displayed, for example. When the replacement time is determined in S32, the replacement is illustrated in FIG. 17B, for example. A dialog will be displayed. If it is determined in S33 that the cause is other than the initial failure or the replacement time, the process directly proceeds to S37 without passing through S35 and S36, and a dialog to that effect is displayed. As described above, in the present embodiment, when it is necessary to replace the consumables, the user can be well informed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to freely set what operation (processing) is executed when a conditional expression is established based on a unique criterion. Moreover, since a logical operation can be incorporated into the conditional expression, advanced processing relating to the printer state can be executed.

In the above embodiment, the image forming unit 93 is the image forming unit, the replacement detection unit 38 and the processes of S106, S108, S202, S203, S204, S205, and S206 are the detecting unit, and S12, S13, S24, and S25. Is the processing means, the processing of S14, S36, S37 is the processing means, the replacement detection unit 38 is the expiration date detection means, the processing of S106, S108 is the remaining amount detection means, the main body paper feed tray 6, multipurpose The tray 14 and the additional paper feed tray 46 correspond to the conveying means, the processes in S202 and S203 correspond to the durability detection means, and the processes in S204, S205, and S206 correspond to the error history detection means, respectively. Further, in the process of S206, for example, the dialog shown in FIG. 17A, for example, when it is determined as an initial failure, and the replacement time, for example, illustrated in FIG. 17B, for example. The display of such a dialog and the display of a dialog to that effect when it is determined that the cause is something other than the initial failure or the replacement time corresponds to an example of processing means for executing three types of processing.

  Further, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the setting of conditional expressions and logical operations may be executed by the printer 1, and all processes including notification to the user or manufacturer may be executed by the printer 1. However, in the latter case, in order to directly notify the manufacturer from the printer 1, it is necessary that the printer 1 has an IP address and includes a communication means such as a NIC. In the latter case, the present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus that does not have a host device such as a facsimile machine and a copier. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to a laser printer but also to various image forming apparatuses such as an ink jet printer and a dot impact printer and an image forming system using the image forming apparatus.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of an image forming system as an embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing showing the structure of the printer of the system. It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the printer. It is a perspective view showing the replacement detection part of the printer, and its peripheral configuration. It is explanatory drawing showing operation | movement of the replacement | exchange detection part. It is explanatory drawing showing operation | movement of the replacement | exchange detection part. It is a block diagram showing the structure of the control system of the said system. It is a flowchart showing the process performed with the said printer. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the conditional expression setting screen in the personal computer of the said system. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the operation | movement setting screen in the personal computer. It is a flowchart showing the process performed with the said personal computer based on the setting. It is a flowchart showing a part of the processing in detail. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates the dialog displayed by the process. It is a flowchart showing the modification of the process performed with the said printer. It is explanatory drawing which illustrates printout results, such as the durability of the printer. It is a flowchart showing a part of process performed with the said personal computer in the modification in detail. It is explanatory drawing showing the dialog displayed by the process.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2, 3 ... Printer 4 ... Feeder part 6 ... Main body feed tray 14 ... Multipurpose tray 17 ... Scanner unit 18 ... Process unit 23 ... Photoconductor drum 24 ... Development cartridge 25 ... Transfer roller 26 ... Toner storage part 38 ... Replacement detection unit 39 ... Moving member 39c, 39d ... Shield plate 41 ... Optional tray 46 ... Additional paper feed tray 67, 78 ... LAN interface 70, 170 ... Personal computer 75 ... Operation unit 76 ... Display unit 80, 180 ... Hub 93 ... Image forming unit 99 ... paper 101 ... printer name display unit 102 ... parameter display unit 103 ... conditional expression display unit 107 ... execution path display unit 108 ... text display unit

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming means for have a conveying means for forming an image on a recording medium, for conveying the recording medium,
A plurality of detection means for detecting the state of the image forming means, including: a durability detection means for detecting the durability of the transport means; and an error history detection means for detecting an error history in the image forming apparatus. A plurality of detection means;
Obtaining a detection result of the durability detecting means, a detection result, depending on the condition which is predetermined with by logical operation, arithmetic results of different three types of the error history detection means Computing means for
Processing means in accordance with the three kinds of operation results of said arithmetic means executes processing of different three types,
An image forming apparatus comprising: An image forming system comprising: a host device; and an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit having a transport unit that forms an image on a recording medium in accordance with a command from the host device and transports the recording medium. There,
A plurality of detection means for detecting the state of the image forming means, including: a durability detection means for detecting the durability of the transport means; and an error history detection means for detecting an error history in the image forming apparatus. A plurality of detection means;
Obtaining a detection result of the durability detecting means, a detection result, depending on the condition which is predetermined with by logical operation, arithmetic results of different three types of the error history detection means Computing means for
Processing means in accordance with the three kinds of operation results of said arithmetic means executes processing of different three types,
An image forming system comprising:   The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the conditional expression can be set by a user.   4. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the arithmetic unit and the processing unit are provided in the host device.   4. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the detecting unit and the calculating unit are provided in the image forming apparatus.