JP5239584B2 - Printer with temperature and humidity monitoring function - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function capable of monitoring ambient environment by measuring temperature and humidity, ensuring reliability in device operation, ensuring image quality and saving energy.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, printers having various structures such as an ink jet printer and a laser printer are known. By the way, this type of printer is known to have a structure in which a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and the like are provided in order to ensure reliability in device operation and ensure print quality (for example, patents). Reference 1).

JP-A-2005-7749 JP 2004-167789 A

  However, conventional printers are configured to detect ambient environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity, and to give a warning when the temperature falls below or above a predetermined condition. Therefore, it cannot be said that the reliability of the printing is ensured and the printing quality can be secured.

  In particular, the temperature and humidity described above are different in summer, winter, etc., and the use environment of the printer varies depending on the cooling and heating at that time, and it is possible to cope with such a situation. desired.

  Furthermore, recently, it has been desired to ensure the quality of the printer image as described above, and also to save energy and ecology when using this type of printer. There is a need to take measures that can be resolved.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and maintains a good image quality regardless of the surrounding environment such as temperature and humidity, and is a temperature having an effect of preventing claims due to use under an inappropriate environment. The object is to obtain a printer with a humidity monitoring function.

In order to achieve the above-described object, an aspect of the printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function of the present invention is as follows.
Sensor means for measuring temperature and humidity inside the printer, clock means for knowing year / month / day / hour / minute / second, storage means for measuring temperature / humidity at regular time intervals and storing it together with year / month / day / hour / minute / second, and display and means, the image quality assurance temperature line, energy saving temperature line, and the temperature data stored in the storage means, and displays on the display unit, wherein the temperature data is the image quality assurance temperature line or the energy saving temperature line If there outside is constituted as a warning displayed on the display means, characterized in that.

In order to achieve the above-described object, one aspect of the printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function of the present invention includes a sensor means for measuring temperature and humidity, a clock means for knowing the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second in the printer. Storage means for measuring temperature and humidity at time intervals and storing them together with year, month, day, hour, minute, second, and display means, and displaying the image quality assurance humidity line and humidity data stored in the storage means on the display means At the same time, when the humidity data is outside the image quality assurance humidity line, the display means is configured to display a warning, and the image quality assurance humidity line can be set to different values in summer and winter. to, characterized in that.

  As described above, according to the printer with temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention, the room temperature / humidity is measured by the installed temperature / humidity sensor, the year / month / day / hour / minute / second are confirmed by the clock means, the image quality guarantee line, the energy saving By displaying the line, temperature, humidity, etc. over time, not only will the user be aware of energy saving and ecology, but also by letting the user know the temperature and humidity range that can maintain good image quality, There is an effect of preventing complaints caused by use in an inappropriate environment.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, using the above-described components, the temperature / humidity range in which the image quality of the printer can be maintained satisfactorily and the energy-saving cooling temperature in summer (or the energy-saving heating temperature in winter) are compatible with room temperature, By monitoring whether there is humidity, the LCD displays a line that can maintain good image quality (image quality line), an energy-saving temperature line (eco line), and temperature measured at regular intervals, for example in the summer If the room temperature is lower than the energy-saving cooling temperature (example: 25 ° C), there is a possibility of overcooling, and if the room temperature exceeds the energy-saving heating temperature (example: 23 ° C) in winter Can be overheated, so a warning can be displayed along with the graph display, and if the image quality is outside the range of temperature and humidity where good image quality can be maintained There are advantages such as it is possible to perform warning display with graphical display.

  1 to 3 show an embodiment of a printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the printer of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an I / F controller and an operation panel, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the printer of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer characterizing the present invention, and 2 denotes a personal computer (PC) to which the printer apparatus 1 is connected.

  Inside the printer 1 is an I / F controller (interface controller) 3 that receives data from the PC 2 via USB or LAN. An operation panel 4 is connected to the I / F controller 3.

  Data received from the PC 2 is drawn in an SDRAM (to be described later) in the I / F controller 3 and output to the head controller 5 as video data via the ASIC. The head controller 5 outputs video data to LED heads corresponding to Y, M, C, and K, respectively.

The engine controller 6 is connected to output devices such as a motor and a high-pressure unit and input devices such as a front door sensor and a toner presence / absence sensor.

  The temperature / humidity sensor 10 which is a key device of the present invention is also connected to the engine controller 6, and the temperature and humidity are converted into digital signals by an A / D converter in the CPU. This signal is used to change the output voltage setting of the previous high-voltage unit in order to stabilize the image quality.

  The I / F controller 3 and the engine controller 6 communicate with each other by a command / status signal. When the I / F controller 3 requests, the temperature / humidity data can be received from the engine controller 6.

  As is apparent from FIG. 2, the I / F controller 3 includes a PHY for connecting to a PC via a LAN, an SDRAM for mainly drawing video data, a USB LSI for connecting to a PC via a USB, FLASH memory for storing programs, ASIC for outputting video data to the engine, RTC (real-time clock) 14 as a clock means for measuring the date and time, which is another key device of the present invention, and the like is there.

  Further, the date / time data and the temperature / humidity data are stored in the EEPROM 15 which is a storage means.

  The I / F controller is connected to the operation panel 4, and the operation panel 4 is equipped with a graphic LCD 12, which is a display means that is the third key device of the present invention.

  Here, the temperature / humidity sensor 10 which is the key device of the present invention and the fixing device which is the largest heat source of the printer engine in the printer 1 are in the positional relationship as shown in FIG. 3, and the heat of the fixing device is not related as much as possible. The temperature / humidity sensor 10 is arranged at the position.

  FIG. 4 is a graph showing a temperature and humidity range in which good image quality is obtained when the printer 1 is used. Here, the humidity ranges from 35% to 70% and the temperature ranges from 15 ° C to 28 ° C. Of course, the printer 1 cannot be used in other ranges, but the image quality at the time of printing may be lowered.

FIG. 5 is a diagram in which a line that is said to be overcooling during the summer is added to FIG. 4 described above, and here, 25 ° C. or less is represented as overcooling. Therefore, between 25 ° C. ~ 28 ° C., it can be said that the area that is compatible with the energy saving (= ecology) and image quality.

FIG. 6 is a diagram in which a line that is said to be overheated during the winter season is added to FIG. 4 described above, and here, 23 ° C. or higher is represented as overheating. Thus, between 15 ° C. ~ 23 ° C. is said to area that is compatible with the energy saving (= ecology) and image quality.

Here, the time from when to when is summer, and from when to when is winter, it can not be said simply even within Japan. Further, the above-described overcooling line and overheating line are not unique.
Therefore, these values can preferably be variably depending on the region such as the printer 1 is used.

  According to the present invention, these values can be set in the reference data storage area of FIG. These values are stored in the EEPROM 15, which is a storage means.

  The EEPROM 15 is provided with a plurality of temperature / humidity data storage areas (see FIG. 7) described later, and is stored together with the measured year / month / day / hour / minute / second. This area is a storage area for 100 cases, for example, and is stored by a ring buffer method. If the number exceeds 100, the oldest data is deleted, and the 101st data is stored in the deleted area.

FIG. 8 is a display example of the graphic LCD 12 which is a display means in the printer 1 of the present invention, and represents the case of summer.
Here, the broken line of the image quality line is a line at 28 ° C., and the broken line of the eco line is a line at 25 ° C.

  In this example, the temperature change for three days on August 20, 21, and 22 is displayed in a graph. The reason why the line is interrupted is that the printer 1 is turned off at night and there is no data. Further, since the temperature on the 22nd (displayed date and time) is lower than the eco-line, not only the graph display but also “Let's be careful about excessive cooling” is displayed as shown in the figure.

FIG. 9 is a display example of the graphic LCD 12 of the printer 1 of the present invention, and represents the case in winter.
Here, the broken line of the eco line is a 23 ° C. line, and the broken line of the image quality line is a 15 ° C. line.

  In this example, the temperature change for three days on January 15th, 16th and 17th is displayed in a graph. In addition, since the temperature on the 17th (displayed date and time) is higher than the eco-line, not only the graph display but also “Let's pay attention to overheating” is displayed as shown.

FIG. 10 is a display example of the graphic LCD 12 of the printer 1 of the present invention, and shows cases other than summer and winter, that is, spring and autumn.
Here, in this case, the eco line rather than the upper quality line: 28 ° C. line and the lower 15 and ° C. line is shown.

In the printer 1 with the temperature and humidity monitoring function as described above, the program of the I / F controller 3 for realizing the present invention will be described based on the flowcharts of FIG.
That is, FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the temperature / humidity data acquisition / storage process.

  According to the present invention, when the power is turned on, a timing start process is performed in S101, and it is first determined in S102 whether one hour has elapsed. Then, after 1 hour, a command is issued to the engine control 6 in S103, temperature and humidity data is acquired from the engine controller 6, and the A / D converted value is returned to the I / F controller 3 as a status signal. .

Further, the current year / month / day / hour / minute / second is obtained from the RTC 14 in S104, the oldest data in the temperature / humidity data storage area of the EEPROM 15 is erased in S105, and the year obtained above in the erased area of the EEPROM 15 in S106. month, day, hour, minute, and second values of the temperature, to store the value of the humidity. At that time, the temperature stores a corrected value obtained by subtracting the difference (3 ° C.) between the room temperature and the in-machine temperature.
In this way, the data is stored in the EEPROM 15 by the ring buffer method shown in FIG.

Thereafter, as is apparent from S101 to S106, the temperature and humidity data are stored in the EEPROM 15 every hour after the power is turned on.
Here, the reason for waiting for one hour from turning on the power is to measure the temperature as accurately as possible.
In particular, immediately after the power is turned on, it is unclear whether the previous printer was completely cold or was warmed to some extent and then turned off and then turned on again, so the value at that time is not adopted.

  In addition, it has been experimentally confirmed that after the power is turned on, the in-machine temperature gradually rises and saturates at a value of about room temperature + 3 ° C. after about 1 hour. Therefore, subtracting 3 ° C. from the measured temperature means room temperature.

FIG. 12 shows a display process on the graphic LCD 12.
First, the current year / month / day / hour / minute / second is acquired from the RTC 14 (S201).
Next, it is determined whether the season is summer (S202) or winter (S203). This is determined based on the date data of “Area for storing start date in summer” to “Area for storing end date in winter” in the reference data storage area of FIG. That is, if it is between “summer start date” and “summer end date”, it is determined as summer, and if it is between “winter start date” and “winter end date”, it is determined as winter.

Then, if it is determined that summer, and displays the quality line (high temperature side) and Eco line (cooling limit) the LCD12 in S204.
This is based on the value of the area for storing the upper limit temperature of quality assurance reference data storage area in FIG. 7, the value of the area for storing the temperature too much in summer cooling the reference data storage area in FIG. 7, the To do.

  Next, temperature data is read from the temperature / humidity data storage area of the EEPROM 15 and plotted on the LCD 12 (S205). This is performed based on the values in the temperature / humidity data storage area of FIG. The example does not use humidity data.

Next, the data plotted on the LCD 12 is linearly interpolated to display a broken line (S206).
According to the present invention, since a strict temperature measuring device is not provided, the graph is also displayed by simple linear interpolation.

Next, is the latest temperature below the Ecoline (cooling lower limit)? Is determined (S207).
In the case of YES, the LCD 12 displays “Let's be careful about overcooling” (S208).

In the example of FIG. 8, since the latest temperature on August 22 is equal to or lower than the eco line, this operation is performed.
Next, is the latest temperature higher than the image quality line (high temperature side)? Is determined (S209).
In the case of the example of FIG. 8, it is natural that NO, so the following S210 is skipped.

The basic concept is the same in the winter season (S211 to S217) and in other cases (S218 to S224).
In the winter season, the reference temperature employs the value of the area for storing the overheated temperature in winter in FIG. 7 and the value of the area for storing the lower limit temperature for image quality guarantee.

  In the case other than summer and winter, the reference temperature employs the value of the area for storing the upper limit temperature for image quality guarantee and the value for the area for storing the lower limit temperature for image quality guarantee in FIG.

  According to the above-described configuration, the room temperature / humidity can be measured by the mounted temperature / humidity sensor 10, and the year / month / day / hour / minute / second can be understood by the RTC 14 as the mounted clock means. Further, the temperature and humidity of one day (or several days) can be displayed as a line graph with the lapse of time by the dot matrix display LCD 12 as a display means.

  According to the present invention, using the above-described components, the temperature and humidity range in which the image quality of the printer 1 can be maintained satisfactorily and the range in which the energy-saving cooling temperature in summer (or the energy-saving heating temperature in winter) is compatible. Monitors whether there is humidity, and displays a line (image quality line) that can maintain good image quality and an energy-saving temperature line (eco line) on the LCD, and a line graph of temperature measured at regular time intervals. it can.

  Therefore, in summer, when the room temperature is lower than the energy-saving cooling temperature (for example, 25 ° C.), there is a possibility of overcooling, so a warning is displayed together with a graph display. In winter, when the room temperature exceeds the energy-saving heating temperature (for example, 23 ° C.), there is a possibility of overheating, so a warning is displayed together with a graph display. Further, when the image quality is outside the range of temperature and humidity where good image quality can be maintained, a warning is displayed together with a graph display.

In other words, as described above, according to the present invention, whether the operating environment of the printer, that is, the office environment is within a range in which both the energy is monitored and the image quality is appropriately maintained according to the season being monitored. It is possible to determine whether or not and display a warning together with a graph display.

  And according to the above structure, it becomes a user's energy saving and ecological awareness. In accordance with this, there is also an advantage that claims can be prevented due to use in an inappropriate environment by letting the user know the temperature range in which the image quality can be kept good.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the structure described in the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that the shape, structure, and the like of each part constituting the printer 1 can be appropriately modified and changed.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper and lower limits of the temperature and the measured temperature are displayed on the graphic LCD 12 mainly from the viewpoint of energy saving. However, from the viewpoint of image quality, as shown in FIG. The upper and lower limits and the measured humidity may be displayed on the graphic LCD 12.

  That is, in the examples up to FIG. 12, the humidity has not been mentioned. Temperature is an important factor from the viewpoint of energy saving, but it can be said that the effect of humidity rather than temperature is greater on the image quality of the printer.

Such a humidity check is performed according to the procedure shown in FIG.
If the humidity is outside the image quality guarantee range, the graphic LCD 12 displays “image quality guarantee humidity is exceeded”, “image quality guarantee humidity is below” (S301, S302; S303). , S304).

According to such a configuration, the present invention monitors the temperature / humidity, and the printer operating environment, that is, the office environment within a range where both energy saving and image quality can be appropriately maintained according to the monitored season. It is possible to determine whether or not there is a warning and display a warning together with the graph display.

Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the energy saving of the user, becomes the awareness of ecology, in accordance with this, the temperature humidity range capable of maintaining the image quality good by get to know the user, under adverse environmental There is also an effect of preventing claims by using.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an I / F controller and an operation panel in the printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function of FIG. 1. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function of the present invention. It is the graph which showed the temperature and humidity range in which favorable image quality is obtained in using a printer. The line in FIG. 4 is added with a line said to be overcooling during the summer. 5 is a graph in which a line that is said to be overheated during the winter season is added to the graph of FIG. 4. It is a figure which shows the reference | standard data storage area and temperature / humidity data storage area which are memorize | stored in a memory | storage means. In the printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention, the graphic LCD display example represents a summer season. In the printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention, the display example of the graphic LCD represents a case in winter. In the printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention, the graphic LCD display example represents a case other than summer and winter. 4 is a flowchart of a temperature / humidity data acquisition / storage process in the printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention. 6 is a flowchart showing display processing on a graphic LCD in the printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function according to the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows another embodiment of the printer with a temperature / humidity monitoring function according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... PC (personal computer), 3 ... I / F controller, 4 ... Operation panel, 5 ... Head controller, 6 ... Engine controller, 10 ... Temperature / humidity sensor (sensor means), 12 ... Graphic LCD (display) Means), 14... RTC (clock means; real time clock), 15... EEPROM (storage means).

Claims (4)

Inside the printer
Sensor means for measuring temperature and humidity;
Clock means to know the date and time
Storage means for measuring temperature and humidity at regular time intervals and storing them together with year, month, day, hour, minute and second;
Display means;
With
The image quality guarantee temperature line, the energy saving temperature line, and the temperature data stored in the storage means are displayed on the display means,
When the temperature data is outside the image quality guarantee temperature line or the energy saving temperature line, the display unit is configured to display a warning.
A printer with temperature and humidity monitoring function. The temperature-humidity monitoring function-equipped printer according to claim 1,
The image quality guarantee temperature line and the energy-saving temperature line are configured so that different values can be set in summer and winter, and the start date and end date in summer and winter can also be set. Function printer. Inside the printer
Sensor means for measuring temperature and humidity;
Clock means to know the date and time
Storage means for measuring temperature and humidity at regular time intervals and storing them together with year, month, day, hour, minute and second;
Display means;
With
While displaying the humidity data stored in the image quality guarantee humidity line and the storage means on the display means,
When the humidity data is outside the image quality assurance humidity line, the display means is configured to display a warning,
The image quality assurance humidity line can set different values in summer and winter,
A printer with temperature and humidity monitoring function. In the printer with a temperature and humidity monitoring function according to claim 3,
The quality assurance humidity line summer season, winter start date, temperature and humidity with the monitoring function printer, characterized in that the settable construction also end date.

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