JP6369326B2 - Image forming apparatus, image forming system, image forming control method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming control method, and a program.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image forming system in which an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet is connected to a post-processing apparatus that performs various post-processing (for example, stapling, folding, and cutting) on a sheet after image formation. Are known.

  In the image forming apparatus, when a toner image is fixed on a sheet, an appropriate fixing temperature (fixing set temperature) exists for each sheet type. For example, plain paper has a lower fixing set temperature than thick paper. If the fixing temperature is too high, there is a problem that the toner adheres to the fixing roller. On the other hand, when the fixing temperature is too low, there is a problem that the toner is not fixed on the paper. Therefore, when the paper type is switched (for example, switching from thick paper to plain paper), it is general to wait for the printing operation until the fixing temperature becomes appropriate (fixed set temperature). The standby time for switching the fixing temperature is a factor that reduces productivity.

FIG. 8 shows an example of productivity reduction when printing on paper of different paper types in one job. In the example shown in FIG. 8, one job (job A) is composed of seven thick sheets (pages 1, 4, 7) and four plain sheets (pages 2, 3, 5, 6). Printing processing is performed on the paper.
As shown in FIG. 8, at the timing when the paper type is switched (between page 1 and page 2, between page 3 and page 4, between page 4 and page 5, and between page 6 and page 7), respectively. Standby times h1 to h4 for switching the fixing temperature are generated.

As a method for preventing the above-described decrease in productivity, a method using an insert device is known.
As shown in FIG. 9, the image forming system 2 according to the prior art is a system in which an image forming apparatus main body 101 is connected in series with an insert device 201 and a stapling device 301.
The image forming apparatus main body 101 includes paper feed trays T14 to T16 that store paper. Plain paper is stored in the paper feed tray T14, and thick paper is stored in the paper feed tray T16.

Next, the operation in the image forming system 2 according to the prior art will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, it is assumed that printing processing is performed based on job A shown in FIG. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 10 illustrates a case where job A prints two copies of print data having the same content.
First, the print data of job A is divided for each print data having the same fixing set temperature. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10A, job A is divided into job A1 for printing only on thick paper and job A2 for printing only on plain paper.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 10B, an image is formed on three thick paper sheets stored in the paper feed tray T16 (job A1), and the paper is placed on the paper discharge tray T33 of the stapling apparatus 301. The discharged printed sheets (pages 1, 4, and 7) are stored in the sheet insertion tray T24 of the insert device 201 as they are.
Next, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 10C, an image is formed on four plain papers stored in the paper feed tray T14 (job A2), and the print conveyed to the insert device 201 is printed. The printed sheets (pages 1, 4, and 7) stored in the sheet insertion tray T24 are inserted into the completed sheets (pages 2, 3, 5, and 6) in the order of pages, and discharged to the discharge tray T33.
With the above processing, the waiting time for switching the fixing temperature is reduced, so that it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity.

However, in the method using the above-described insert device, there is a problem that when a jam occurs during printing, the subsequent page becomes a jam interrupt sheet.
Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, if a jam occurs on page 2 (plain paper) while printing the print data of job A2 (here, transporting to page 6), page 2 and the subsequent page Pages 3 to 6 are jam interruption sheets.
When the jam interrupted paper recovery operation is performed after the jam interrupted paper is removed by the user, the page 4 that is the printed paper (inserted paper) of the job A1 is removed as the jam interrupted paper. Page 4 must be the first sheet in the sheet insertion tray T24. However, since the top sheet of the sheet insertion tray T24 is not the page 4 to be recovered, but the page 7, there is a problem that if the recovery operation is performed in this state, the page order is out of order and the page becomes out of order.

Therefore, in the case of a job that uses an inserter, a technique is disclosed in which the recovery operation for an interrupted job is not automatically restarted, thereby preventing overwriting or missing pages (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, since it is possible to wait for the user's response without automatically restarting the recovery operation, page misalignment can be suppressed.
In addition, a technique is disclosed in which, at the start of printing in the insert mode, a sheet other than the leading sheet among the inserted sheets is discharged to the sub-tray to prevent a typo or missing page (see, for example, Patent Document 2). According to the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the recovery operation is started by automatically detecting the leading edge of the insertion sheet, it is possible to save the user from having to reset the page and to prevent page error.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-210754 JP 2001-220053 A

However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 requires a user to manually reset the leading sheet of the insertion sheet, which is troublesome. Further, since the inserted sheet removed as the jam interrupted sheet cannot be interpolated, there is a problem that the number of copies is less than desired by the user.
In addition, the technique described in Patent Document 2 requires a detection mechanism for automatically detecting the leading edge of the insertion sheet, which increases the cost. Further, similarly to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the inserted paper removed as the jam interruption paper cannot be interpolated, and there is a problem that the number of copies desired by the user is insufficient.

  An image forming apparatus, an image forming system, and an image forming control method capable of suppressing the number of missing pages and missing pages without requiring user trouble and cost and capable of printing a desired number of copies And to provide a program.

The invention described in claim 1 has been made to achieve the above object,
In the image forming apparatus,
An image forming unit that executes a job and forms an image on a sheet;
A dividing unit for dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage control unit for storing job data of the first divided job in a storage unit after an image is formed on a sheet by executing a first divided job by the image forming unit;
A storage unit for storing insert paper on which an image is formed by executing the first divided job;
An insertion control unit that inserts an insert sheet stored in the storage unit between sheets formed with an image by the second divided job during execution of the second divided job;
A detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a jam;
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job that is caught in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation An interpolation control unit that re-executes the second divided job interpolated by the unit from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam and forms an image on a sheet;
It is characterized by providing.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect,
A determination unit that determines whether a sheet on which an image of a page specified by the specifying unit is formed is stored when the interpolation control unit forms the image on the sheet by the image forming unit;
A display control unit that causes the display unit to display a screen for requesting the user to set the paper when the determination unit determines that the paper is not stored;
Is further provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The dividing unit divides the job based on a fixing set temperature at the time of image formation.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect,
The dividing unit divides the first divided job into a second divided job having a higher fixing set temperature during image formation than the first divided job.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect,
The division unit divides the first divided job into a second divided job having a smaller number of pages than the first divided job.

The invention described in claim 6
An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that executes a job to form an image on a sheet, and an insert device that inserts an insert sheet stored in a storage unit while the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit is conveyed An image forming system comprising:
The image forming apparatus includes:
A dividing unit for dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage control unit for storing job data of the first divided job in a storage unit after an image is formed on a sheet by executing a first divided job by the image forming unit;
During execution of the second divided job, an insert sheet on which an image has been formed by executing the first divided job stored in the storage unit is inserted between sheets on which an image has been formed by the second divided job. An insertion control unit;
A detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a jam;
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job that is caught in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation An interpolation control unit that re-executes the second divided job interpolated by the unit from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam and forms an image on a sheet;
It is characterized by providing.

The invention described in claim 7
An image forming control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
Dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A step of storing the job data of the first divided job in the storage unit after the first divided job is executed by the image forming unit that executes the job and forms an image on the sheet to form the image on the sheet. When,
During the execution of the second divided job, the insert paper stored in the storage unit for storing the insert paper image-formed by the execution of the first divided job is inserted between the papers image-formed by the second divided job. Step to insert into,
Detecting the occurrence of a jam;
Identifying the page of the first divided job involved in the jam when the occurrence of the jam is detected during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the identified page is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image forming unit Causing the interpolated second divided job to be re-executed from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam to form an image on the paper;
including.

The invention according to claim 8 provides:
Computer
A dividing means for dividing a job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage that stores the job data of the first divided job in the storage unit after the first divided job is executed by the image forming unit that executes the job and forms an image on the sheet to form an image on the sheet. Control means,
During the execution of the second divided job, the insert paper stored in the storage unit for storing the insert paper image-formed by the execution of the first divided job is inserted between the papers image-formed by the second divided job. Insertion control means for inserting into,
Detection means for detecting the occurrence of jam,
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job involved in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation Interpolation control means for causing the second divided job interpolated by the section to be re-executed from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam to form an image on a sheet;
It is a program to make it function as.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress overprints and missing pages without incurring user effort and costs, and it is possible to print the number of copies desired by the user.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an image forming system according to an exemplary embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus main body according to the present exemplary embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating job division determination processing of the image forming apparatus main body according to the present exemplary embodiment. It is an image figure which shows an example of the recovery operation | movement after jam generation. 6 is a flowchart illustrating job division printing processing of the image forming apparatus main body according to the present exemplary embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating job division printing processing of the image forming apparatus main body according to the present exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of productivity reduction when printing on paper of different paper types in one job. It is a figure which shows an example of the structure which reduces the standby | waiting time for switching fixing temperature. It is an image figure which shows an example of the operation | movement which reduces waiting time. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that jam occurred.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system in which an image forming apparatus main body 100 is connected in series with an insert device 200 and a stapling device 300.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus main body 100 includes a control unit 110, an operation display unit 120, an image reading unit 130, an image forming unit 140, a fixing unit 150, and a paper transport unit 160. The insert device paper conveyance unit 170, the storage unit 180, and the communication unit 190 are configured to be connected to each other via a bus.

  The control unit 110 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. The CPU of the control unit 110 reads out system programs and various processing programs stored in the ROM, expands them in the RAM, and centrally controls the operations of the respective units of the image forming apparatus main body 100 according to the expanded programs.

The operation display unit 120 includes a display unit 121 and an operation unit 122.
The display unit 121 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or the like, and displays various operation buttons, device status display, operation status of each function, etc. on the display screen in accordance with an instruction of a display signal input from the control unit 110. Do.
The operation unit 122 includes various keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key, receives a key operation by a user, and outputs an operation signal to the control unit 110. The operation unit 122 has a pressure-sensitive (resistive film pressure type) touch panel in which transparent electrodes are arranged in a grid pattern so as to cover the upper surface of the LCD of the display unit 121, and XY of a power point pressed by a finger or a touch pen The coordinates are detected by a voltage value, and the detected position signal is output to the control unit 110 as an operation signal. Note that the touch panel is not limited to a pressure-sensitive type, and may be another electrostatic type, an optical type, or the like.

  The image reading unit 130 includes a light source, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, an A / D converter, and the like. The image reading unit 130 forms an image of reflected light of the light scanned from the light source to the document and photoelectrically converts the reflected light. The image is read, the read image is A / D converted, and the obtained image data is output to the image forming unit 140.

  The image forming unit 140 forms an image on a recording medium such as a recording sheet based on the image data input from the image reading unit 130. As an image forming method by the image forming unit 140, any known method such as an electrophotographic method, an ink jet method, a thermal transfer method, or the like can be adopted.

  The fixing unit 150 includes a heating roller that heats the sheet on which the toner image is transferred by the image forming unit 140 and a pressure roller that pressurizes the sheet, and fixes the toner image on the sheet by heating and pressing.

  The paper transport unit 160 controls a transport roller for transporting paper, feeds the paper stored in the paper feed trays T11 to T13 to the image forming unit 140 and the fixing unit 150, and after image formation and fixing The paper is discharged to the insert device 200. Note that plain paper is stored in the paper feed tray T11, and thick paper is stored in the paper feed tray T13.

  The insert device paper transport unit 170 controls a transport roller for transporting paper in the insert device 200, feeds the paper stored in the paper insertion trays T21 to T23 of the insert device 200, and supplies the paper to the stapling device 300. Discharge.

  The storage unit 180 is configured by a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, HDD (Hard Disc Drive), or the like, and stores a system program that can be executed by the image forming apparatus main body 100, various processing programs that can be executed by the system program, and these various processing programs. Data used for execution, processing result data calculated by the control unit 110, and the like are stored. Further, the storage unit 180 stores the print mode instructed via the operation unit 122 and the image of the original read by the image reading unit 130 in association with each other.

  The communication unit 190 includes a modem, a LAN adapter, a router, and the like, and is an external device such as a PC (Personal Computer) connected to a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the stapling device 300. The communication unit 360 is controlled to receive image data, status information, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the insert device 200 includes paper insertion trays (storage units) T <b> 21 to T <b> 23, and discharges the insertion paper (insert paper) stored in the paper insertion trays T <b> 21 to T <b> 23 from the image forming apparatus main body 100. Between multiple sheets of paper.
In the paper insertion trays T21 and T23, partition paper as insert paper is stored in advance. The paper insertion tray T22 stores printed paper (insert paper) for job A1.

The stapling device 300 performs side stitching on the paper discharged from the insert device 200 as necessary, and discharges the paper to the paper discharge tray T31. The stapling device 300 has a straight paper discharge function for discharging the paper discharged from the insert device 200 to the paper discharge tray T31, a sub-tray discharge function for discharging the paper discharged from the insert device 200 to the sub-tray T32, and an insert. And a stapling function for discharging the paper to the paper discharge tray T31 after executing a desired stapling process on the paper discharged from the apparatus 200 by the flat stitching unit 350.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stapling apparatus 300 includes a control unit 310, a first paper transport unit 320, a second paper transport unit 330, a third paper transport unit 340, a flat binding unit 350, And a communication unit 360, and each unit is connected via a bus.

  The control unit 310 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. The CPU of the control unit 310 reads the system program and various processing programs stored in the ROM, expands them in the RAM, and centrally controls the operations of the respective units of the stapling apparatus 300 according to the expanded programs.

The first paper transport unit 320 controls a transport roller for transporting the paper, and discharges the paper discharged from the insert device 200 to the paper discharge tray T31 (straight paper discharge function).
The second paper transport unit 330 controls a transport roller for transporting the paper, and discharges the paper discharged from the insert device 200 to the sub-tray T32 (sub-tray discharge function).
The third paper transport unit 340 controls a transport roller for transporting the paper, performs a desired stapling process on the paper ejected from the insert device 200 by the flat stitching unit 350, and then ejects the paper to the paper ejection tray T31. (Staple function).

  The flat binding unit 350 performs a desired stapling process on the paper conveyed by the third paper conveyance unit 340. For example, the side binding unit 350 performs side binding at one or more predetermined positions of the sheet bundle.

  The communication unit 360 includes a modem, a LAN adapter, a router, and the like. The communication unit 360 performs communication control with an external device such as a PC connected to a communication network such as a LAN or WAN, or with the communication unit 190 of the image forming apparatus main body 100. Receive data and status information.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus main body 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, an example will be described in which job A for printing a plurality of print data (forming an image) by image forming unit 140 is divided into two groups (job A1 and job A2).

The overall operation of the image forming apparatus main body 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the control unit 110 performs processing (job division determination processing) for determining whether or not the job A needs to be divided (step S101).

Hereinafter, the job division determination process in step S101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the fixing set temperature needs to be switched in the job A (step S201). Specifically, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the print data for job A includes print data having a different fixing set temperature, and if it is determined that the print data includes, it is necessary to switch the fixing set temperature. Judge that there is. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the print data of job A is a print with different fixing set temperatures such as print data for thick paper (pages 1, 4, 7) and print data for plain paper (pages 2, 3, 5, 6). Since the data is included, it is determined that the fixing set temperature needs to be switched.
If it is determined that it is necessary to switch the fixing set temperature (step S201: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S202.
On the other hand, if it is determined that it is not necessary to switch the fixing set temperature (step S201: NO), it is determined that the job A does not need to be divided, and the process proceeds to step S102 in FIG.

Next, the control unit 110 substitutes 0 for X, which is a value indicating the page number (step S202).
Next, the control unit 110 adds 1 to X (step S203).
In the case of processing immediately after step S202, X is set to 1 (X = 0 + 1 = 1).
On the other hand, in the case of processing immediately after step S208, which will be described later, 1 is finally added to X set in step S203, and the page number is updated.

Next, the control unit 110 reads information on a page having a page number X (hereinafter, page X) (step S204). The information on page X read in step S204 includes at least information on the fixing set temperature (paper type).
Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the fixing setting temperature of the page X corresponds to the group 1 based on the information of the page X read in step S204 (step S205). Here, the group is an identification number set for each fixing set temperature. In the present embodiment, the fixing setting temperature for thick paper is set as group 1, and the fixing setting temperature for plain paper is set as group 2. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 5, it is determined that the print data for thick paper (pages 1, 4, 7) falls under group 1, and the print data for plain paper (pages 2, 3, 5, 6) It is determined that it does not correspond to group 1 (corresponds to group 2).
If it is determined that it corresponds to group 1 (step S205: YES), page X is assigned to job A1 (first divided job) (step S206). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5A, pages 1, 4, and 7 are assigned to job A1.
On the other hand, if it is determined that it does not correspond to group 1 (step S205: NO), page X is assigned to job A2 (second divided job) (step S207). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5A, pages 2, 3, 5, and 6 are assigned to job A2.
That is, the control unit 110 functions as a dividing unit of the present invention.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether all pages of job A have been assigned to job A1 or job A2 (step S208).
If it is determined that all the pages have been allocated (step S208: YES), it is determined that the job A needs to be divided, and the process proceeds to step S102 in FIG.
On the other hand, when it is determined that at least one page is not allocated (step S208: NO), the process proceeds to step S203, and 1 is added to X to update the page number.

Next, in step S102 in FIG. 3, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the job A needs to be divided based on the result of the job division determination process in step S101. Specifically, the control unit 110 determines that the job A needs to be divided when it is determined in step S208 in FIG. 4 that all pages of the job A are allocated to the job A1 or the job A2, If it is determined in step S201 in FIG. 4 that it is not necessary to switch the fixing set temperature, it is determined that the job A need not be divided.
If it is determined that the job A needs to be divided (step S102: YES), a process for dividing and printing the job A (job division printing process) is performed (step S103).
On the other hand, if it is determined that the job A does not need to be divided (step S102: NO), the print data of the job A is printed as it is (normal printing) (step S104).

Hereinafter, the job division printing process in step S103 will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIGS.
First, the control unit 110 prints the print data of job A1 (step S301). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the thick paper stored in the paper feed tray T13 is fed, and the thick paper print data (pages 1, 4, and 7) assigned to job A1 in step S206 of FIG. 4 is printed. Is done.
Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not a jam has occurred during printing of the job A1 (step S302).
If it is determined that a jam has occurred (step S302: YES), processing for returning the print target of job A1 to the page where the jam has occurred is performed in order to reprint (recover) the page from which the jam has occurred (step S303). ). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S301, and job A1 is printed from the page where the jam has occurred.
On the other hand, when it is determined that no jam has occurred (step S302: NO), the process proceeds to step S304.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the printing of the job A1 is completed (step S304).
If it is determined that printing of job A1 is completed (step S304: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S305.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the printing of the job A1 is not completed (step S304: NO), the process proceeds to step S301, and the printing of the job A1 is continued.

  Next, the control unit 110 stores print data (job data) of all pages of the job A1 in the storage unit 180 (step S305). The print data includes a print mode and image data. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, print data (pages 1, 4, and 7) of all pages of job A1 are stored in the storage unit 180. Note that, when printing a plurality of copies (two copies in this embodiment) of the same content of print data in one job A1, only the print data of the first copy is stored. That is, the control unit 110 functions as a storage control unit of the present invention.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not the printed paper (insert paper) of the job A1 is set in predetermined paper insertion trays T21 to T23 (here, the paper insertion tray T24) of the insert device 200 (Step S1). S306). For example, the control unit 110 causes the display unit 121 to display a screen for requesting the user to set the printed paper (pages 1, 4, and 7) of the job A 1 on the paper insertion tray T 24, and the user sets the job A 1 on the screen. When it is detected that an input indicating that the process is completed is performed, it is determined that the input is set.
When it determines with having been set to the insert apparatus 200 (step S306: YES), it transfers to the following step S307.
On the other hand, when it determines with not being set to the insert apparatus 200 (step S306: NO), the process of step S306 is repeated until it sets.

Next, the control unit 110 prints the print data of job A2 (step S307). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, plain paper stored in the paper feed tray T11 is fed and the plain paper print data (pages 2, 3, 5,...) Assigned to job A2 in step S207 of FIG. 6) is printed.
At this time, the control unit 110 moves the insert device paper transport unit 170 while transporting the printed paper (pages 2, 3, 5, 6) of the print data of the job A2 printed in step S307 in the insert device 200. Control is made to insert printed sheets (pages 1, 4, and 7) of the print data of job A1 set in the sheet insertion tray T24. That is, the control unit 110 functions as an insertion control unit of the present invention.

Next, the control unit 110 determines whether or not a jam has occurred during printing of the job A2 (step S308). That is, the control unit 110 functions as a detection unit of the present invention.
If it is determined that a jam has occurred (step S308: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S309.
On the other hand, when it is determined that no jam has occurred (step S308: NO), the process proceeds to step S314.

Next, in order to reprint (recover) the page from which the jam has occurred, the control unit 110 performs processing for returning the print target of the job A2 to the page in which the jam has occurred (step S309).
Next, the control unit 110 determines whether the paper on which job A1 is fed from the paper insertion tray T24 of the insert device 200 is included in the paper on which printing is interrupted due to the occurrence of a jam (jam interrupted paper). It is determined whether or not (step S310). For example, as shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 5C, when a jam occurs on page 2 in a state where printing processing has been started for pages 1 to 6, pages out of pages 2 to 6 that become jam interrupted sheets 4 is fed from the paper insertion tray T24, it is determined that the printed paper of job A1 is included. That is, the control unit 110 functions as a specifying unit of the present invention.
If it is determined that the printed sheet of job A1 is included (step S310: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S311.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the printed sheet of job A1 is not included (step S308: NO), it is determined that reprinting of job A1 is unnecessary, and the process proceeds to step S307, where recovery is performed due to a jam. The job A2 is printed from the first page of the required page.

  Next, the control unit 110 reads out the print data of the page that has been jammed from the print data of all the pages of the job A1 stored in the storage unit 180 in step S305 and has become jammed paper, and the job A2 Is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order (step S311). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5D, since page 4 of job A1 is discarded as jammed paper, the print data of page 4 is read out and a predetermined position (page) in the page order related to job A2. 3 and page 5). That is, the control unit 110 functions as an interpolation control unit of the present invention. As a result, only the number of copies (here, one copy) of the print data of the page that has become the jam interrupt sheet of job A1 is reprinted.

Next, the control unit 110 stores printing paper (here, thick paper) for printing the print data of the job A1 in predetermined paper feed trays T11 to T13 (here, paper insertion tray T13) of the image forming apparatus main body 100. It is determined whether or not (step S312). That is, the control unit 110 functions as a determination unit of the present invention.
If it is determined that the printing paper for job A1 is stored (step S312: YES), the process proceeds to step S307, and job A2 is printed from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered due to a jam.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the printing paper for job A1 is not stored (step S312: NO), the process proceeds to the next step S313.

  Next, the control unit 110 warns that the printing paper for job A1 is not stored, and causes the display unit 121 to display a screen requesting the user to set the printing paper for job A1 (step S313). That is, the control unit 110 functions as a display control unit of the present invention. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S312, and it is determined again whether or not the printing paper for job A1 is stored.

If it is determined in step S308 that a jam has not occurred during printing of job A2, control unit 110 determines whether printing of job A2 has been completed (step S314).
When it is determined that the printing of the job A2 is completed (step S314: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S315.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the printing of job A2 is not completed (step S314: NO), the process proceeds to step S307 and the printing of job A2 is continued.

  Next, the control unit 110 deletes the print data of all pages of the job A1 from the storage unit 180 (step S315).

As described above, the image forming apparatus (image forming apparatus main body 100) according to the present embodiment includes the image forming unit 140 that executes a job to form an image on a sheet, and the dividing unit that divides the job into a plurality of divided jobs. After the first divided job (job A1) is executed by the (control unit 110) and the image forming unit 140 and an image is formed on the sheet, the job data of the first divided job is stored in the storage unit 180. During execution of the storage control unit (control unit 110), the storage unit (sheet insertion tray T22) for storing the insert sheet on which the image is formed by the execution of the first divided job, and the second divided job (job A2). An insertion control unit (control unit 110) that inserts the insert paper stored in the storage unit between sheets formed with an image by the second divided job, and a detection unit (control unit 1) that detects the occurrence of a jam. 0) and a specifying unit (control unit 110) that specifies the page of the first divided job that is caught in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job. Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit 180, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image forming unit 140 An interpolation control unit (control unit 110) that re-executes the interpolated second divided job from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered due to a jam and forms an image on a sheet.
Therefore, according to the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically interpolate the insert paper wound in the jam, so that it is possible to suppress the tampering and missing pages without the user's trouble and cost. At the same time, the number of copies desired by the user can be printed.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment determines whether or not the sheet on which the image of the page specified by the specifying unit is formed is stored when the interpolation control unit forms the image on the sheet by the image forming unit 140. When the determination unit (control unit 110) determines that the sheet is not stored by the determination unit, the display control unit (control unit 110) displays a screen for requesting the user to set the sheet on the display unit 121. And further comprising.
Therefore, according to the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically notify the user of a shortage of print paper necessary for reprinting the print data of the first divided job that has been caught in the jam. It is possible to suppress the situation in which the insert paper cannot be interpolated due to the shortage of paper, and it is possible to perform appropriate printing work more reliably.

  Further, according to the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, since the dividing unit divides the job based on the fixing setting temperature at the time of image formation, the waiting time for switching the fixing temperature can be shortened. A decrease in productivity can be suppressed.

  As mentioned above, although concretely demonstrated based on embodiment which concerns on this invention, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the summary.

For example, in the above embodiment, thick paper print data (pages 1, 4, 7) is assigned to job A1, and plain paper print data (pages 2, 3, 5, 6) is assigned to job A2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other words, the plain paper print data may be assigned to the job A1, and the thick paper print data may be assigned to the job A2. By assigning the plain paper print data to the job A1, the plain paper print data is printed first, and then the thick paper print data is printed. Since plain paper has a lower fixing temperature than thick paper, it is necessary to increase the fixing temperature when printing thick paper print data. However, it takes less time to increase the fixing temperature than to reduce the fixing temperature. It is preferable to print plain paper print data having a low fixing set temperature first.
As described above, by dividing the job A into the job A1 and the job A2 having a higher fixing set temperature at the time of image formation than the job A1, the waiting time for switching the fixing temperature can be further shortened. Thus, it is possible to further suppress a decrease in productivity.

In the above embodiment, when the job A is divided into the job A1 and the job A2, the number of print data (number of pages) assigned to each is not particularly limited, but is not limited thereto. That is, the side with the larger number of pages may be assigned to job A1, and the side with the smaller number of pages may be assigned to job A2. By assigning the side with the larger number of pages to the job A1, the job A2 with the smaller number of pages is printed after the job A1 with the larger number of pages is printed first. By printing the job A1 with a large number of pages first, the printed sheet with the larger number of pages is set as the insert sheet in the sheet insertion tray T24 of the insert device 200, and the printed sheet with the smaller number of pages is inserted. During the conveyance in the apparatus 200, the printed sheet having the larger number of pages set in the sheet insertion tray T24 is inserted. That is, since the printed sheet having the larger number of pages is arranged on the downstream side of the conveyance path, the probability that the printed sheet having the larger number of pages is caught in the jam is reduced.
As described above, dividing the job A into the job A1 and the job A2 having a smaller number of pages than the job A1 reduces the probability of the insert paper being caught in the jam, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the jam. And stable printing work can be performed.

  In the above embodiment, when reprinting the print data of the job A1 that has been caught in the jam, only the number of copies that have been caught in the jam is reprinted. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible to print more than the number of copies wound in the jam and stock it so that it can be used immediately when a jam occurs next time.

  In the above embodiment, when it is determined that the printing paper for job A1 is not stored, a warning to that effect is made and a screen requesting the user to set the printing paper for job A1 is displayed on the display unit 121. However, it is not limited to this. That is, the above screen may not be displayed on the display unit 121. Further, for example, a speaker that can output sound may be provided, and instead of displaying the above screen on the display unit 121, sound may be output from the speaker. Alternatively, the sound may be output from the speaker at the same time as being displayed on the display unit 121.

  In the above embodiment, the case where job A is divided into two groups (job A1 and job A2) in the job division determination process shown in FIG. 4 is described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. is not. In other words, as long as the number of paper insertion trays of the insert device 200 can be increased, it can be divided into any number of groups of three or more.

  Further, in the above embodiment, when the print data of job A is divided according to the fixing set temperature, it is divided according to the paper type (plain paper or thick paper), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the image may be divided according to the amount of paper curl, or may be divided depending on whether or not a print mode (for example, gloss mode) is set.

  Moreover, each aspect shown in this application can also be grasped | ascertained as a method, a program, etc. As for the category of the method or program, the “part” indicated in the category of the apparatus is appropriately replaced with, for example, “process”, “step”, and “means”. In addition, the order of processes and steps is not limited to the one directly specified in the present application, and the order can be changed, or a part of processes can be collectively or changed to be executed one by one at any time.

  In addition, the detailed configuration of each apparatus constituting the image forming system and the detailed operation of each apparatus can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming system 100 Image forming apparatus main body (image forming apparatus)
110 control unit (dividing unit, storage control unit, insertion control unit, detection unit, identification unit, interpolation control unit, determination unit, display control unit)
120 Operation Display Unit 121 Display Unit 122 Operation Unit 130 Image Reading Unit 140 Image Forming Unit 150 Fixing Unit 160 Paper Conveying Unit 170 Insert Device Paper Conveying Unit 180 Storage Unit 190 Communication Unit 200 Insert Device 300 Staple Device 310 Control Unit 320 First Paper Conveying section 330 Second sheet conveying section 340 Third sheet conveying section 350 Flat binding sections T11 to T13 Paper feed trays T21 to T23 Paper insertion tray (storage section)
T31 Paper discharge tray T32 Sub tray

Claims (8)

An image forming unit that executes a job and forms an image on a sheet;
A dividing unit for dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage control unit for storing job data of the first divided job in a storage unit after an image is formed on a sheet by executing a first divided job by the image forming unit;
A storage unit for storing insert paper on which an image is formed by executing the first divided job;
An insertion control unit that inserts an insert sheet stored in the storage unit between sheets formed with an image by the second divided job during execution of the second divided job;
A detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a jam;
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job that is caught in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation An interpolation control unit that re-executes the second divided job interpolated by the unit from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam and forms an image on a sheet;
An image forming apparatus comprising: A determination unit that determines whether a sheet on which an image of a page specified by the specifying unit is formed is stored when the interpolation control unit forms the image on the sheet by the image forming unit;
A display control unit that causes the display unit to display a screen for requesting the user to set the paper when the determination unit determines that the paper is not stored;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dividing unit divides the job based on a fixing set temperature at the time of image formation.   4. The image according to claim 3, wherein the dividing unit divides the image into the first divided job and a second divided job having a fixing setting temperature higher during image formation than the first divided job. 5. Forming equipment.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the division unit divides the first divided job into a second divided job having a smaller number of pages than the first divided job. An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that executes a job to form an image on a sheet, and an insert device that inserts an insert sheet stored in a storage unit while the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit is conveyed An image forming system comprising:
The image forming apparatus includes:
A dividing unit for dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage control unit for storing job data of the first divided job in a storage unit after an image is formed on a sheet by executing a first divided job by the image forming unit;
During execution of the second divided job, an insert sheet on which an image has been formed by executing the first divided job stored in the storage unit is inserted between sheets on which an image has been formed by the second divided job. An insertion control unit;
A detection unit for detecting the occurrence of a jam;
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job that is caught in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation An interpolation control unit that re-executes the second divided job interpolated by the unit from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam and forms an image on a sheet;
An image forming system comprising: An image forming control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
Dividing the job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A step of storing the job data of the first divided job in the storage unit after the first divided job is executed by the image forming unit that executes the job and forms an image on the sheet to form the image on the sheet. When,
During the execution of the second divided job, the insert paper stored in the storage unit for storing the insert paper image-formed by the execution of the first divided job is inserted between the papers image-formed by the second divided job. Step to insert into,
Detecting the occurrence of a jam;
Identifying the page of the first divided job involved in the jam when the occurrence of the jam is detected during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the identified page is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image forming unit Causing the interpolated second divided job to be re-executed from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam to form an image on the paper;
An image forming control method. Computer
A dividing means for dividing a job into a plurality of divided jobs;
A storage that stores the job data of the first divided job in the storage unit after the first divided job is executed by the image forming unit that executes the job and forms an image on the sheet to form an image on the sheet. Control means,
During the execution of the second divided job, the insert paper stored in the storage unit for storing the insert paper image-formed by the execution of the first divided job is inserted between the papers image-formed by the second divided job. Insertion control means for inserting into,
Detection means for detecting the occurrence of jam,
A specifying unit that specifies a page of the first divided job involved in the jam when the detection unit detects the occurrence of a jam during the execution of the second divided job;
Based on the job data of the first divided job stored in the storage unit, the page specified by the specifying unit is interpolated to a predetermined position in the page order related to the second divided job, and the image formation Interpolation control means for causing the second divided job interpolated by the section to be re-executed from the first page of the page that needs to be recovered by the jam to form an image on a sheet;
Program to function as.

Images