JPH06337559A - Copying machine and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To change the previously set value of the number of copied sheets only by easy operation in a copying machine capable of forming copied images for plural sheets from one original. CONSTITUTION:Ten keys 31 provided in an operation part 3 have a function as a copied sheet number input means for inputting the number of copied sheets, and a part functioning as a copied sheet number setting counter storing the number of copied sheets inputted from the ten keys 31 is provided in the RAM 23 of a control part 2. Then, a start key 32 which can be depressed at an optional time is provided in the operation part 3. A CPU 21 being a control means sets to increase the value in the copied sheet number setting counter in the case of detecting that the start key is depressed in the midst of copying operation, and it sets to start the copying operation in the case of detecting that the start key 32 is depressed in a state where the copying operation is ready to start.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images on one original and a control method thereof, and particularly, to easily change a copy number set value. Regarding what you can do.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a general copying machine is capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images for one original. When making a plurality of copies with such a copying machine, the number of copies required is input using the ten-key pad provided on the control panel, and the number of copies is set accordingly. After that, when the start key is pressed, the copy operation is started, and repeated copy images are formed. Then, the number of times of copying executed is counted, the copying is repeated by the same number as the set value of the number of copies, and then the copying operation is ended.

[0003]

However, in the conventional general copying machine, once the number of copies is set and the start key is pressed once, the set value of the number of copies cannot be changed. Therefore, when it is desired to add the number of copies, it is necessary to wait until the set number of copies is completed, set the number of copies again, and press the start key to restart the copy operation.

In consideration of such inconvenience, a copying machine in which the set number of sheets can be changed even after the start key is pressed once is proposed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-19256. However, in this copying machine, when changing the set number, the new set number must be input with the ten keys. Such a copying machine is convenient for making a large change in the set number of sheets, but when adding one or two copies, enter the number of set sheets plus the additional number. Therefore, there is a demand for a method that can change the set number of sheets with a simpler operation.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is a copying machine capable of changing a preset value of the number of copies by a simple operation and its control. Is to provide a method.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a copying machine capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images for one original. A copy number input means for setting the number of copies, a copy number setting counter for holding the copy number input by the copy number input means, and a start key which can be depressed by an operator at any time, When the start key is pressed during the copying operation of the copying machine, the set value held in the copy number setting counter is increased each time the copying key is pressed, and the copying machine is ready to start the copying operation. And a control means for controlling the copy operation to be started when the start key is pressed at a certain time.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a control method for a copying machine capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images for one original, a preset copy number set value is stored. , When the start key is pressed while the copier is ready to start the copy operation, the copy operation starts, and when the start key is pressed while the copier is in the copying operation, the copy operation is repeated each time the key is pressed. The number-of-sheets setting value is increased, and the number of copies performed each time one copy operation is completed and the number-of-copys setting value are compared to determine whether the copy operation is continued or finished.

In the copying machine according to the first aspect, the control means may increase the set value of the copy number setting counter even when the start key is pressed during warm-up. Further, when the start key is pressed in a state other than the copy operation, the copy ready state, and the warm-up state as described above, for example, when the start key is pressed, other processing such as shifting to the copy ready state is performed. You can also set Claim 2
In the control method of the copying machine described in (1), the copy sheet number setting value may be increased even when the start key is pressed during warm-up.

[0009]

In the copying machine according to the first aspect, the required number of copies is inputted from the copy number input means and set in the copy number setting counter. Then the copy is ready,
When the start key is pressed in the standby state, the copy operation is started, and copy images are successively formed. If the operator wants to add the number of copies while performing this copy operation, the operator presses the start key. When the start key is pressed, the control means increases the set value held in the copy number setting counter by a predetermined value, for example 1. Therefore, when the start key is pressed a plurality of times, a value corresponding to the number of times the start key is pressed is added to the set value. The copy operation of the copying machine is repeated until the same number of copy images as the set value increased as described above are formed. As a result, even after the copying operation is started, the operator can increase the number of copies simply by pressing the start key.

In the control method of the copying machine according to the second aspect,
After setting the required number of copies, the copy operation is started by pressing the start key. After that, when the start key is continuously pressed, the copying machine is in the copying operation, so that the copy number setting value is increased. When the formation of one copy image is completed, "1" is added to the counter value of the number of copies executed, and this value is compared with the set value of the number of copies at the completion of one copy. Then, when the set value of the number of copies is large, the copying operation is subsequently performed, and when the both values are the same, the copying operation is ended. Therefore, the set number of copies can be increased by pressing the start key before the copying operation is completed, and the number of copies can be arbitrarily increased only by pressing the start key.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a copying machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. The copying machine includes an image forming unit 1, a control unit 2 for controlling the image forming unit, and an operation unit 3 having an input unit and a display device for an operator to input necessary data. Although not shown in the figure, a document reading unit for reading a document is provided. Image forming section 1
Are a photoconductor 10 capable of holding a latent image due to a difference in charging potential on the surface thereof, a charger 11 for uniformly charging the photoconductor around the photoconductor 10, and a latent image is formed by irradiating the photoconductor 10 with image light. Writing device 12, developing device 13 that visualizes a latent image by attaching toner to it, and transfer device 1 that transfers the toner image to a sheet.
4. It has a cleaning device 15 for cleaning the surface of the photoconductor after transfer. Further, a paper feeding device 16 that feeds the paper from the paper tray 17 to the transfer position, a paper transport device 18 that transports the paper after the transfer, and a fixing device 19 that pressurizes and heats the paper on which the toner image has been transferred. And have.

The control unit 2 includes a CPU 21 and a ROM 2
2 and a RAM 23 are used, and the CPU 21 serves as a control device for controlling the image forming unit and an arithmetic device for performing necessary arithmetic processing. In addition, the clocking device 24 having a crystal oscillator is provided for performing a predetermined interrupt process at a constant time interval. The RAM 23 has an area for storing set values such as a copy mode and a copy condition, an area functioning as a copy number setting counter, and a flag area in which a flag bit is set by a key operation provided on the operation unit. Further, the content of the processing performed by the CPU 21 is set in the ROM 22. Input / output of signals between the control unit 2 and the image forming unit 1 or the operation unit 3 is performed via the input / output device 25. A numeric keypad 31, a start button 32, a density setting button 33, and a magnification setting button 3 that allow various data to be input to the operation unit 3.
4, a display device 35 such as an LCD is provided.

FIG. 2 is a state transition diagram of the above copying machine. When the power switch of this copying machine is turned on, initialization 41 is performed and warm-up state 4
It becomes 2. In this state, the fixing device 19 and the like are heated to a state where copying is possible, and when heating is completed, the state shifts to the standby state 43. The standby state is a state in which the copy operation can be started at any time. When the start key 32 is pressed in this state, the print state 44 is entered. This print state is a state in which the copy operation is being performed, and when the copy operation is completed, the state returns to the standby state 43. If the start key 32 is not pressed in the standby state 43, the power saving timer operates,
When the predetermined time has elapsed, the power save state 45 is entered. The power save state is a state in which the copy operation cannot be started immediately, but the copy operation can be started in a relatively short time. By maintaining this state, the power consumption is reduced. When any key of the operation unit 3 is pressed in the power save state 45, the standby state 43 is entered.

Next, a control method of the above copying machine, which is an embodiment of the invention described in claim 2, will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7. When making a copy with the above copying machine, the copy mode is set by inputting necessary data from the operation unit 3 (ST
1) Further, conditions such as density and magnification are set. Also, 1
The number of copies is set to determine how many copies are to be obtained for one original (ST2). This copy number set value has a default value of "1" and is set to "1" if the set value is not input. The set number of copies is stored in the RAM 23. When the above setting is completed, the state where the start key is pressed is awaited, but it is also possible to redo the setting by pressing the clear key (ST3).

With this operation, the CPU 21 is set to perform interrupt processing every 2 msec based on the clock signal from the clock device 24. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing this interrupt processing. When the interrupt process is started, the register data is saved (ST11), the hot line scan process (ST12), the motor interface scan process (ST13), and the port output process (ST14) are performed to interrupt the interrupt process. The number of times is counted up (ST15). When this counter is less than 5, the data is restored in the register and the interrupt processing is terminated. When the value of the counter is 5, the sensor scanning process (ST16), the key scanning process (ST17),
Serial scan processing (ST18) and diagnostic check (ST19) are performed, and then the counter is cleared. That is, the processing from ST16 to ST19 is performed when the value of the counter reaches 5.
It will be performed every 10 msec. The key scanning process (ST17) scans the state of the keys in the operation unit 3, and sets a flag bit corresponding to the pressed key in the flag area, as shown in FIG.

When the flag corresponding to the start key in the flag RAM area is set, the start key-on process is performed (ST5 shown in FIG. 3). FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the start key-on process. When the start key is pressed, it is first determined whether or not it is in the warm-up state (ST31). In the warm-up state, the copy number setting counter is incremented by "1" (S
(T32), the start key-on process ends. If it is not in the warm-up state, it is next determined whether or not it is in the standby state (ST33). If it is in the standby state, it shifts to the print state (ST34), and the copy process is started (ST35). If it is not in the standby state, it is next determined whether or not it is in the print state (ST36). In the print state, the copy number setting counter is incremented by "1" (ST37), and the start key-on processing ends. If it is not in the print state, it is next determined whether or not it is in the power save state (ST38). If it is in the power save state, it shifts to the standby state (ST39). If it is not in the power save state, the start key-on processing is ended as it is.

In the start key-on process described above, when a copy process activation command is issued (ST35), the copy process shown in FIG. 7 is executed. The copy process can be terminated by pressing the stop key (ST41) even after the operation is started. When the copy process is started and the stop key is not pressed, the set value of the copy number setting counter is displayed on the display unit 3 of the operation unit 3.
5 is displayed (ST42). Subsequently, the value of the execution copy number counter is counted up (ST43), the difference between the values of the copy number setting counter and the execution copy number counter is calculated, and the remaining copy number is displayed (ST44). Then, the image forming unit 1 starts the operation and forms one copy (ST45). Every time one copy is formed, the value of the execution copy number counter is compared with the value of the copy number setting counter (ST46). If the value of the execution copy number counter is smaller than the value of the copy number setting counter, the above copy processing is performed. Repeat the action. When the value of the execution copy number counter is equal to the value of the copy number setting counter, the copy processing is ended. When the end of the copy process is detected (ST7 shown in FIG. 3), a series of copy operations is completed.

Under this control, after the number of copies is set by the ten keys 31 of the operation unit 3, the start key is first pressed to start the copy operation, and the start key is pressed a plurality of times until the copy operation is completed. Copying is performed by adding the number of times the start key is pressed to the set value of the number of copies. If the start key is pressed multiple times without setting the number of copies with the ten keys 31, the copy operation is started by pressing the first start key if the state is the standby state, and the number of copies is pressed by pressing the start key after the second time. The setting value is increased from the default value "1" by the number of times, including the first press of the start key,
The same number of copies as the number of times the start key is pressed is executed. When the copying machine is in the warm-up state, the number of copies is set, or the start key is pressed multiple times without setting the number of copies, and the set number is added in advance for that number of times, and the standby state is set. At that time, the set number of copies are executed.

[0019]

As described above, in the copying machine according to the first aspect and the method of controlling the copying machine, even after the start key is once pressed and the copying operation is started,
Each time the start key is pressed, the copy number setting value is increased and the number of copies is controlled to be the same as the copy number setting value.Therefore, it is set even after the start operation is started by pressing the start button once. The number of sheets can be changed with only a simple operation. Further, even before the copying operation is started, the number of copies can be set only by the start key without using the ten keys, and the operability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a copying machine that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a state transition diagram of the copying machine shown in FIG.

3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the copying machine shown in FIG.

4 is a flowchart of interrupt processing performed during the operation of the flow shown in FIG.

5 is a conceptual view of a flag area of the copying machine shown in FIG.

6 is a flowchart of the start key-on process shown in FIG.

7 is a flow chart of copy processing in the copying machine shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Image Forming Section 2 Control Section 3 Operating Section 10 Photoconductor 11 Charging Device 12 Writing Device 13 Developing Device 14 Transfer Device 15 Cleaning Device 16 Paper Feeding Device 17 Paper Tray 18 Paper Transporting Device 19 Fixing Device 24 Timing Device 32 Start Key 35 Display apparatus

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a copying machine capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images for one original, a copy number input means for setting the number of copies, and an input by the copy number input means A copy number setting counter that holds the number of copies that have been made, a start key that the operator can press down at any time, and if the start key is pressed during the copying operation of the copying machine, Control means for increasing the set value held in the copy number setting counter so as to start the copy operation when the start key is pressed while the copying machine is in the ready state for starting the copy operation; A copying machine characterized by having. 2. A method of controlling a copying machine capable of continuously forming a plurality of copy images on one original, wherein a preset copy number setting value is stored, and the copying machine performs a copying operation. When the start key is pressed in the ready state to start, the copy operation is started, and when the start key is pressed during the copying operation of the copying machine, the copy number set value is increased each time it is pressed, A control method for a copying machine, characterized in that the number of copies performed each time one copy operation is completed and the set value of the number of copies are compared to determine whether the copy operation is continued or ended.