JP5217905B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that handles print jobs having various attributes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a printing apparatus that manages the execution order of jobs requested to be printed.

  Conventionally, in a printing apparatus that handles print jobs having various attributes such as copy, PC print, and FAX print, those print requests are generated asynchronously. In the printing apparatus, the order of jobs to be printed is determined according to a predetermined rule, and printing processing is performed in the determined order.

A technique for ranking print jobs is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151867. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151561 discloses several techniques related to rules regarding the job processing order, such as prohibiting the activation of a printer job during the image recording period of a copy job when a plurality of jobs are input.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-161479

  However, the conventional printing apparatus described above has the following problems. That is, only jobs with the same attribute that satisfy a specific condition may be preferentially processed. In that case, it causes dissatisfaction. For example, when a large number of print job requests are generated by one user, the job queue that stores the print job information in the print job of the user can become full. In this case, other users cannot register the print job, which creates an unfair feeling.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional printing apparatus described above. That is, the problem is to provide a printing apparatus that avoids a situation in which only jobs with one attribute are processed and jobs with other attributes are not processed.

  In order to solve this problem, a printing apparatus has a job list that stores information of a job requested to be printed and a job that has the same attribute as the job requested to be registered in the job list. A registration unit for registering when a predetermined amount or more is not registered, and a printing unit for printing jobs registered in the job list in a predetermined order. It is a feature.

  In the printing apparatus of the present invention, a restriction amount for restricting registration of jobs having the same attribute to the job list is set. The target of the “specified amount” may be, for example, an available memory capacity or the number of registrations registered in the job list. When the printing device accepts a print request, it acquires the attributes of the job that accepted the print request. If a job with the same attribute as the job is registered in the job list for more than the specified amount, the printing device It is not registered in the list.

  That is, the printing apparatus of the present invention does not register more than a specified amount of jobs with the same attribute. For this reason, even if jobs with one attribute continue, jobs with the same attribute are not registered in large quantities in the job list. Therefore, jobs with other attributes can be printed early. In other words, the situation where only jobs with the same attribute are processed can be avoided, and the reduction of dissatisfaction can be expected.

  In the printing apparatus of the present invention, it is better to select job attributes according to the function that requested the job. The function corresponds to, for example, PC printing, copying, and FAX printing. By restricting registration to the job list for each function, even if it concentrates on one function, other jobs can be used early. As a result, the dissatisfaction of users requesting other jobs is alleviated. Also, job attributes may be selected by the user who requested the job. By restricting registration to the job list for each user, even if one user requests a large number of jobs, other users can use it early.

  Further, it is better that the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a setting unit that sets a prescribed amount. That is, by making the specified amount settable by the user, the user's intention can be reflected and the usability is improved.

  In addition, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a second job list that stores information on jobs that have not been registered in the job list by the registration unit. It is better to extract jobs that can be registered in the list from the second job list and register the extracted jobs in the job list. That is, the information of the job that is rejected to be registered in the job list is left in the second job list and can be re-registered in the job list. As a result, the user does not have to re-request the job that has not been registered.

  In addition, the printing apparatus of the present invention is preferably provided with a changing unit that changes the value of the specified amount so as to increase the number of jobs that can be registered when printing is impossible. In a state where printing is suspended due to an error or no paper, the job does not leave the job list. Therefore, it becomes easy to reach the specified amount. Therefore, by temporarily increasing the prescribed amount as an exception measure, registration refusal due to reaching the prescribed amount is avoided as much as possible.

  Further, it is better that the registration unit of the printing apparatus of the present invention sets a prescribed amount value for each job attribute. That is, the priority differs for each job attribute. Therefore, a more appropriate operation can be achieved by setting a prescribed amount for each job attribute.

  In addition, it is better that the registration unit of the printing apparatus of the present invention has attributes that are not subject to registration restrictions. In other words, some jobs received by the printing apparatus have extremely high priority, such as FAX printing and administrator user jobs. It is preferable not to restrict registration for such jobs.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus that avoids a situation in which only jobs with one attribute are processed and jobs with other attributes are not processed.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a printing apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is applied to a multi function peripheral (MFP) that handles print jobs having various attributes such as copying, PC printing that is a print performed in response to an instruction from a PC, and FAX printing that is a print that has been received by FAX. Is applied.

[Overall configuration of MFP]
As shown in FIG. 1, MFP 100 according to the embodiment includes an image forming unit 10 that prints an image on a sheet, and an image reading unit 20 that reads an image of a document. Further, on the front side of the image reading unit 20, an operation panel 40 including a display unit 41 formed of a liquid crystal display and a button group 42 including a start key, a stop key, a numeric keypad, and the like is provided. 40 enables operation status display and user input operation.

  The image forming unit 10 forms an image based on image data sent from an information terminal device such as a personal computer (PC) or image data of a document read by the image reading unit 20, and prints the image on paper. . The image forming method may be an electrophotographic method or an ink jet method. Further, it may correspond to a color image or may be dedicated to a monochrome image. The MFP 100 of this embodiment is an electrophotographic color image forming apparatus.

  The image reading unit 20 reads the image of the document set on the document table and creates image data of the document. In addition, the image reading unit 20 includes an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) that automatically conveys a document at a position that is the top of the MFP 100, and can continuously read a plurality of documents.

  The MFP 100 has a function of handling print jobs having various attributes such as copying, PC printing, and FAX printing. These print jobs are asynchronously sent to the MFP 100 when the user operates the operation panel 40, from an information processing apparatus such as a PC via a network, or from a partner FAX apparatus via a communication line. The MFP 100 prints the received print job in a predetermined order. Print information at the time of print processing and error information when an error occurs are stored in the memory as history information. Details of the processing order of the print job will be described later.

[Electric configuration of MFP]
Next, the electrical configuration of the MFP 100 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the MFP 100 includes a control unit 30 including a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, an NVRAM 34, an ASIC 35, a network interface 36, and a FAX interface 37. The ASIC 35 of the control unit 30 is electrically connected to the image forming unit 10, the image reading unit 20, the operation panel 40, and the like.

  The CPU 31 executes arithmetic operations for realizing various functions such as an image reading function and an image forming function in the MFP 100, and is the center of control. The ROM 32 stores various control programs for controlling the MFP 100, various settings, initial values, and the like. The RAM 33 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read or as a storage area for temporarily storing image data. An NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM) 34 is a non-volatile storage means and is used as a storage area for storing various settings or image data.

  The CPU 31 stores each processing result in the RAM 33 or the NVRAM 34 in accordance with a control program read from the ROM 32 and signals sent from various sensors, and turns on each component of the MFP 100 (for example, lighting timing of the exposure apparatus constituting the image forming unit 10). , A driving motor (not shown) for various rollers constituting the paper conveyance path, and a moving motor (not shown) for the image sensor unit constituting the image reading unit 20 are controlled.

  The network interface 36 is connected to a network such as the Internet, and enables connection with an information processing apparatus such as a PC. The FAX interface 37 is connected to a telephone line and enables connection with a destination FAX apparatus. Jobs can be exchanged via the network interface 36 or the FAX interface 37.

[Job Management]
Next, the job management function of MFP 100 will be described. Various jobs such as copying, FAX printing, and PC printing are input to the MFP 100 asynchronously. The MFP 100 manages the print processing order of received jobs.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the MFP 100 has a plurality of queues prepared for each job attribute, and two types of job lists for managing the job execution order. Job attributes are distinguished by, for example, types of functions such as copying, PC printing, and FAX printing, and types of users such as an administrator, a registrant, and a guest. In MFP 100 of this embodiment, a queue is provided for each function. Specifically, it has a copy queue 53C for registering copy jobs, a FAX print queue 53F for registering FAX print jobs, and a PC print queue 53P for registering PC print jobs. As the job list, an execution job list 51 (an example of a job list) that manages the execution order of jobs registered in the queues 53C, 53F, and 53P, and jobs that could not be registered in the execution job list 51 are managed. And an unregistered job list 52 (an example of a second job list).

  In each of the queues 53C, 53F, and 53P, a limit value (an example of a specified amount) that defines the number of registrations that can be registered in the execution job list 51 is set. The limit value is managed by a limit value table 55 as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the limit value of the copy queue 53C is 5, the limit value of the FAX print queue 53F is unlimited, and the limit value of the PC print queue 53P is 6. The FAX print queue 53F actually has an upper limit value depending on the memory capacity, and is not registered without limitation, but is not subject to restriction processing (details will be described later), so it is set to unlimited. . This limit value is an example and is not limited to this.

  As a limit value, a common limit value may be provided for all attributes, but processing priority is often different for each job attribute. Therefore, by setting limit values for each job attribute, more appropriate operation can be achieved.

  In MFP 100, the limit value of each queue 53C, 53F, 53P can be set by the user. For example, a setting screen (an example of a setting unit) as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display unit 41 of the MFP 100, and the limit value is input by operating the operation panel 40. The input value is reflected in the limit value table 55. Thereby, it can be customized according to the user's needs.

  The execution job list 51 manages the execution order of jobs registered in the queues 53C, 53F, and 53P as a list. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, information on various jobs is registered in the execution job list 51, and printing processing is performed in the registration order. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, the copy 1 job registered at the top is being printed, and when the copy 1 job ends, the copy 1 job is deleted from the execution job list 51. Then, the FAX print 1 job is printed at the head.

  The registration order of the execution job list 51 is basically the order in which jobs are received, and new jobs are added to the end of the list. However, there are exceptions in the following cases. That is, since a limit value is set for each attribute, more jobs than the limit value cannot be registered. Therefore, when the number of registered jobs for a certain attribute exceeds the limit value, the job with that attribute is registered in the unregistered job list 52. FIG. 7 shows an example of the unregistered job list 52. For example, if five copy jobs are already registered in the execution job list 51, the sixth and later copy jobs are registered in the unregistered job list 52. The The registration order in the unregistered job list 52 is the order in which jobs are received. When a job is deleted from the execution job list 51, a registerable job is extracted from jobs registered in the unregistered job list 52, and the job is transferred to the execution job list 51.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of registration of the execution job list 51 and a transition example of registration from the unregistered job list 52 to the execution job list 51. The example in FIG. 8 focuses on copy jobs and omits registration examples of jobs with other attributes. Assume that jobs are received in the order of the numbers attached to the characters “copy” in FIG.

  First, FIG. 8A shows a state in which five copy jobs that are copy limit values are already registered in the execution job list 51. On the other hand, it is assumed that no copy job is registered in the unregistered job list 52. In this state, if an attempt is made to register the sixth copy job, which is the sixth copy job, the copy limit value is exceeded, and the job cannot be registered in the execution job list 51. Therefore, the copy 6 job is registered in the unregistered job list 52 as shown in FIG. The copy 6 job is not printed if it is registered in the unregistered job list 52.

  Thereafter, when the print processing of the copy 1 job which is the first job of the copy jobs registered in the execution job list 51 is completed, the copy 1 job is deleted from the execution job list 51. As a result, the number of registered copy jobs is four, and one vacancy is generated before the limit value. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8C, the copy 6 job registered in the unregistered job list 52 moves to the execution job list 51 and is deleted from the unregistered job list 52. As a result, the copy 6 job can be printed.

[Job registration process]
Next, a procedure of MFP 100 that realizes the above-described job management function will be described. First, registration processing (an example of a registration unit) of a job queue group and a job list when a job is received will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. This process is executed every time MFP 100 receives a job request.

  First, it is determined whether or not the storage area of the MFP 100 has sufficient free space for storing the job data of the accepted job request (S101). That is, it is determined whether or not the data can be stored in the storage area. If the free space is insufficient (S101: NO), the reception of job data is rejected (S111), and this process is terminated. Specifically, in the process of S111, for example, an error message is displayed and an error log is recorded.

  If the free space is sufficient (S101: YES), the job data is received and stored in the RAM 33 or NVRAM 34 (S102). Next, the attribute of the accepted job is acquired (S103). Then, the job information is registered in a queue suitable for the acquired attribute (S104).

  Next, the registered number of jobs having the same attribute as the attribute acquired in S103 is acquired from the execution job list 51 (S105). Then, it is determined whether or not the number of registrations is smaller than the attribute limit value acquired in the process of S103 (S106). That is, it is determined whether or not registration in the execution job list 51 is possible.

  If the registered number is smaller than the limit value (S106: YES), the received job information is registered in the execution job list 51 (S107). On the other hand, if the registered number is equal to or greater than the limit value (S106: NO), it is determined whether the attribute of the received job is FAX printing (S121). If the attribute is not FAX printing (S121: NO), the received job information is registered in the unregistered job list 52 (S122).

  On the other hand, if the attribute is FAX printing (S121: YES), the received job information is registered in the execution job list 51 (S107). In other words, some job attributes have extremely high priority, such as FAX printing. Therefore, it is preferable not to restrict registration for such attributes. Therefore, in the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment, if the job attribute is FAX printing, it is registered in the execution job list 51 regardless of the limit value.

[Job execution processing]
Next, job execution processing (an example of a printing unit) that executes jobs in the order of registration in the execution job list 51 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is periodically executed at a predetermined timing.

  First, it is determined whether or not a job is registered in the execution job list 51 (S201). If there is no registration (S201: NO), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if registered (S201: YES), an execution target job is selected from the execution job list 51 (S202).

  Here, the execution job selection process of S202 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the information of the first registered job (first job) is acquired from the execution job list 51 (S301). Then, the attribute of the acquired job is acquired (S302).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the attribute of the acquired job is FAX printing (S303). If the attribute is FAX printing (S303: YES), the job is determined as an execution target job (S321). That is, a FAX print job having a high processing priority is set as an execution target with priority over other jobs.

  On the other hand, if the attribute is not FAX printing (S303: NO), it is determined whether there is a next job (S304). If there is no next job (S304: NO), the head job is acquired again (S311), and the head job is determined as an execution target job (S321). If there is a next job (S304: YES), information on the next registered job is acquired (S305), the process returns to S302, and the processes from S302 onward are repeated.

  That is, in the execution job selection process of S202, if there is a FAX print job in the execution job list 51, the FAX print job is determined as an execution target job. Thus, priority processing can be performed for a job having a very high priority. On the other hand, if the FAX print job is not registered, the head job is determined as the execution target job. As a result, jobs other than FAX printing are executed in the order of registration.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 10, the printing process of the execution target job determined in the process of S202 is performed (S203). Then, it is determined whether printing has been completed (S204). When printing is completed (S204: YES), the registration of the printed job is deleted from the execution job list 51 (S205).

  Next, an executable job is extracted from the unregistered job list 52 (S206). Here, the executable job extraction process of S206 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, it is determined whether or not job information is registered in the unregistered job list 52 (S401). If there is no job information (S401: NO), this process ends without extracting the job.

  On the other hand, if there is job information (S401: YES), information on the first registered job (first job) is acquired from the unregistered job list 52 (S402). Then, the attribute of the acquired job is acquired (S403). Then, among the jobs registered in the execution job list 51, the registered number of jobs having the same attribute as the attribute acquired in the process of S403 is acquired (S404). Then, it is determined whether or not the number of registrations is smaller than the limit value of the same attribute (S405). That is, it is determined whether registration to the execution job list 51 is possible.

  When the registration number is smaller than the limit value (S405: YES), the acquired job is determined as an executable job (S411). On the other hand, if the registration number is equal to or greater than the limit value (S405: NO), it is determined whether there is a next job (S406). If there is no next job (S406: NO), this process is terminated without extracting the job. If there is a next job (S406: YES), information on the next registered job is acquired (S407), the process returns to S403, and the processes after S403 are repeated.

  In other words, in the executable job extraction process of S206, whether or not each job registered in the unregistered job list 52 can be registered in the executable job list 51 is determined in order from the top job. When it is determined that registration is possible, the job is determined as an executable job. On the other hand, if there is no job that can be registered in the execution job list 51, it responds that there is no executable job.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 10, it is determined whether or not an executable job has been extracted by the process of S206 (S207). If an executable job is extracted (S207: YES), the extracted job is registered at the end of the execution job list 51 (S208). Then, the job information is deleted from the unregistered job list 52 (S209). As a result, information on executable jobs is moved from the unregistered job list 52 to the executed job list 51. When the executable job is not extracted (S207: NO) or after the executable job is moved, the process returns to S201, and the processes after S201 are repeated.

  On the other hand, if printing has not been completed (S204: NO), it is determined whether or not printing is stopped by jam processing or the like (S211). If printing is not stopped (S211: NO), the process returns to S204 and waits for the end of the printing process.

  When printing is stopped (S211: YES), the limit value of each attribute is increased by the predetermined number of jobs (S212, an example of a changing unit). That is, in a state where printing is suspended due to an error or no paper, the job does not leave the execution job list 51. Therefore, it is easy to reach the limit value. Therefore, the limit value is temporarily increased as an exceptional measure. As a result, registration refusal when the limit value is reached is avoided as much as possible.

  After increasing the limit value, the process waits until the error is cleared and printing becomes possible (S213). After printing becomes possible, the limit value is restored (S214). And it returns to the process of S204 and repeats the process after S204.

  As described in detail above, when the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment receives a print request, the MFP 100 receives the print request and acquires the job attribute. The job having the attribute is not registered in the execution job list 51 that manages the printing order. That is, the MFP 100 stores the job data of the job that has received the print request in the memory, but the registration in the execution job list 51 that determines the print order is limited by the number of registrations of the same attribute. For this reason, even if jobs with one attribute continue, jobs with the same attribute are not registered in the execution job list 51 in large quantities. For this reason, even if a large number of jobs with the same attribute continue, jobs with other attributes can be interrupted in the execution job list 51. For example, even if PC print jobs are continuously requested, a copy job can be interrupted. Therefore, jobs with other attributes can be printed early. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where only jobs having the same attribute are processed, and to expect a reduction in dissatisfaction.

  In addition, the MFP 100 leaves the information of the jobs that are rejected to be registered in the execution job list 51 in the unregistered job list 52. When the job registration is deleted from the execution job list 51, jobs that can be registered in the execution job list 51 are extracted from the unregistered job list 52 and registered in the execution job list 51. That is, re-registration to the execution job list 51 is automatically performed. As a result, there is no need to re-request a job that has not been registered.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is applicable not only to MFPs but also to copiers, scanners, fax machines, and the like that can handle print jobs with various attributes.

  In the embodiment, the number of registrations is set as a limit value indicating whether registration is possible in the execution job list 51. However, the limit value is not limited to the number of registrations. For example, a capacity limit for the total data size may be set for each attribute.

  In the embodiment, FAX printing is preferentially processed. However, this process is a process that can be selected as an option. That is, there is no need to have a configuration for preferentially printing a specific job as in the embodiment.

  In the embodiment, after the printing process is completed, the jobs in the unregistered job list 52 are moved to the execution job list 51. However, the movement of the unregistered job list 52 is not limited to this timing. For example, even when the user manually deletes a job waiting for execution, the job in the unregistered job list 52 may be moved.

  In the embodiment, attention is paid to functions as job attributes, and a queue is prepared for each function. However, the attributes are not limited to functions. For example, paying attention to the user who requested the job as an attribute, a queue may be prepared for each user. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, a table 56 in which limit values are set for each user may be prepared. Furthermore, for the administrator user (for example, user A), it is preferable that the limit value is increased to make it difficult to receive registration restrictions. Alternatively, the administrator user's job may not be subjected to registration restrictions of limit values as in the FAX printing of the embodiment. Also, job requests from unregistered users are registered as non-attribute users. Unregistered users may be more likely to receive registration restrictions by reducing the limit value.

  As another attribute, for example, paying attention to the type of paper feed tray, a queue may be prepared for each paper feed tray. As a result, for example, even if a certain paper feed tray is out of paper and print job requests continue to accumulate, a job specifying another paper feed tray can be printed.

  In the embodiment, for jobs with attributes other than FAX printing, printing processing is performed in the time series registered in the execution job list 51, but the printing order is not limited to this. For example, priorities may be set for attributes, and printing processing may be performed in the order of the attributes.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a multifunction machine according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration in job management of a multifunction peripheral. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of the registration restriction table according to function. It is a figure which shows the example of the setting screen of a limit value. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of registration of an execution job list. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of registration of an unregistered job list. It is a figure which shows the example of management of an execution job list and an unregistered job list. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of job registration processing of the multifunction machine. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of job execution processing of the multifunction machine. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of an execution job selection process of the multifunction machine. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of executable job selection processing of the multifunction peripheral. It is a figure which shows the example of a setting of the registration restriction table classified by user.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming part 20 Image reading part 30 Control part 40 Operation panel 41 Display part 51 Execution job list 52 Unregistered job list 55 Limit value table 100 MFP

Claims (8)

A job list that stores information about jobs requested for printing;
If a job with the same attribute as the job is registered in the job list for a specified amount or more, a job with the same attribute as the job is specified in the job list. A registration unit for registering in the job list even if a job having an attribute different from that of the job is registered in the job list ,
A second job list for storing information on jobs not registered in the job list by the registration unit;
A printing unit that prints the jobs registered in the job list in a predetermined order, and does not perform printing until the jobs registered in the second job list are registered in the job list ;
The registration unit, if you delete the registered job from the job list, a registrable jobs on the job list extracted from the second job list, to register the extracted job to the job list, wherein Rukoto A printing device. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit selects job attributes according to a function that requested the job. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit selects job attributes according to a user who requested the job. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A printing apparatus comprising a setting unit for setting the prescribed amount. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
A printing apparatus comprising: a changing unit that changes the value of the specified amount so as to increase the number of jobs that can be registered when printing is impossible. In the printing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5 ,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit sets the value of the specified amount for each job attribute. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The printing apparatus, wherein the registration unit has attributes that are not subject to registration restrictions. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The printing apparatus, wherein the printing unit processes jobs registered in the job list in chronological order.

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