JPH08204866A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To clearly partition recording paper on which a facsimile (FAX) image or the like is formed and outputted. CONSTITUTION: This image forming device consists of an image forming means provided with a reader part 1 and a printer part 2 and capable of forming an image on a recording medium and an external device part 3 provided with a FAX part 4 for inputting/outputting an image formation signal, a file part 5, an external storage device 6, a computer interface part 7, a core part 10 for controlling respective functions, and so on. An image signal inputted from the FAX part 4 is temporarily stored in an image memory part 9, an image is formed by the image forming means while controlling image forming order and partitioning paper is sent out and arranged in each partition of an image formation output.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a facsimile function which is connected to an external device to send and receive an image signal to form an image on a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of facsimile devices, personal computer devices, etc. are connected to a recording device such as a digital copying machine which reads an original image by an original reading portion, forms an image on a recording paper by a printer portion, and sends it out. 2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses having a composite function of performing recording on recording paper even by input are becoming popular due to rationalization of office equipment.

In the digital copying machine having the above-mentioned facsimile function, each time a facsimile (hereinafter referred to as FAX) document is received, the size and orientation of the recording sheet are determined by the received image signal and the image is formed and sent out.

[0004]

In the image forming apparatus in which the FAX function is combined with the digital copying machine, the maximum A3 size can be obtained.
A4 portrait original transmission and reception, which is the main part of the current FAX, such as image formation of A3 original documents by using a variety of copier applications with functional configurations such as reading size originals, multiple output sheets, and rotating output of documents Compared with, the combination of sending and receiving sizes is wider. In this way, the output of the received document, which has become popular, is output every time it is received, but the output receiver without a sorter accumulates the recorded paper irrespective of the size in the order of reception,
There is a problem that it is difficult to distinguish each received document, and it becomes troublesome to organize the operator who handles the received document.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and provides an image forming apparatus capable of appropriately performing image formation by an image signal from an external device and preventing confusion of recorded sheets. It is intended to be provided.

[0006]

Therefore, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention selects and supplies a size and orientation of a document reading unit for reading a document image and outputting an image signal and a recording medium having a plurality of sizes. An image forming unit having a paper feeding unit for paper and a printer unit for forming an image on a recording medium; An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit for controlling the image formation by the image forming unit, wherein the control unit temporarily stores and stores the input image signal, controls the image forming order, and forms the image by the image forming unit. The characteristic configuration is intended to achieve the above object.

In the image forming apparatus having the above structure,
According to the configuration, the control means feeds and places a separation sheet from the paper feeding means in a non-recording manner for each division of image formation, and the control means displays the image signal stored in the storage means as an image. It is an object of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned object by a configuration characterized in that an image is formed by the image forming means by controlling the recording medium to be formed in order of increasing size.

[0008]

With the above-described structure, when a FAX reception document is received, it is stored in a mode in which it is stored without printing immediately after setting a time or forcibly outputting, and then image formation is started. By detecting the reception size at the time of
It is possible to output the data in the order of 4, A4 portrait, and A4 landscape, and to add a delimiter for each document.

Further, the document can be separated by providing a separating sheet and sending and placing it for each output of the document.

[0010]

1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is an image input device for converting an original into image data (hereinafter referred to as a reader unit), 2 is a plurality of kinds of recording paper cassettes, and image data is visible on the recording paper by a print command. An image output device (to be referred to as a printer unit hereinafter) 3 which forms an image and sends it out is an external device unit electrically connected to the reader unit 1 and has various functions.

The external device unit 3 includes a fax unit 4, a file unit 5, an external storage device 6 connected to the file unit 5, a computer interface unit 7 for connecting to a computer and a LAN, and information from the computer. Formatter unit 8 and reader unit 1 for forming a visible image
An image memory unit 9 for accumulating information from the computer or temporarily accumulating information sent from the computer,
And a core unit 10 for controlling each of the above functions.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2. The structure and operation will be described below.

The originals stacked on the original feeding device 101 are sequentially conveyed one by one onto the original table glass surface 102. When the original is conveyed to a predetermined position on the glass surface 102,
The lamp 103 of the scanner unit is turned on, and the scanner unit 104 moves to illuminate the document. The reflected light of the document is input to a CCD image sensor unit (hereinafter referred to as CCD) 109 via mirrors 105, 106, 107 and a lens 108.

The reflected light of the original document applied to the CCD 109 is photoelectrically converted here. The converted electric signal is subjected to various kinds of image processing in the image processing unit 110,
It is sent to an external switching circuit (not shown).

The external switching circuit is a selector that switches a signal from the reader unit 1 to the printer unit 2 or the external device unit 3. Further, it also functions to connect to the printer unit 2 by selecting either the signal from the reader unit 1 or the signal from the external device unit 3.

In the external switching circuit of the image processing section 110, the electric signal connected to the printer section 2 is converted into an optical signal modulated by the exposure control section 201 to be converted into a photoconductor 202.
Is irradiated. The latent image formed on the photoconductor 202 by the irradiation light is developed by the developing device 203. Developed image 203
The transfer paper is conveyed from the transfer paper stacking unit 204 or 205 at the same timing as the leading edge of the
The developed image is transferred. The transferred image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing unit 207, and then discharged from the paper output unit 208 to the outside of the apparatus. The transfer paper output from the paper output unit 208 is discharged to each bin when the sort function is working in the sorter 220 or to the highest bin of the sorter when the sort function is not working. .

Next, a method for outputting sequentially read images on both sides of one output sheet will be described.

After the output sheet fixed by the fixing section 207 is once conveyed to the sheet discharge section 208, the conveying direction of the sheet is reversed and the transfer sheet transfer section for re-feeding 210 is conveyed through the conveying direction switching member 209. Transport to. When the next manuscript is prepared,
The original image is read in the same manner as in the above process, but the transfer paper is fed from the re-transferred transfer paper stacking section 210, so that two original images are output on the front and back sides of the same output paper. can do.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the structure of the operation panel in the reader unit 1.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 301 denotes a display unit which displays operating states, messages and the like. In addition, the display unit 30
The surface of 1 is a touch panel, and it works as a selection key by touching the surface. 302 is a numeric keypad,
This is a key for entering numbers. Reference numeral 303 denotes a start key, and the operation is started by pressing this key.

Next, the operation of the embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS.

First, in FIG. 4, after the power is turned on, initialization is performed (s401). The operation mode selection key is displayed on the display section 301 of the operation panel, and the mode is selected by touching the panel above the selection key.

It is determined whether the selected mode is the copy mode (s402), and if it is the copy mode, jump to step A.

When the copy mode is not selected, it is judged whether it is the fax transmission mode (s403), and when it is the fax transmission mode, the process jumps to step B.

When the fax transmission mode is not selected, it is judged whether it is the file mode (s404),
In file mode, jump to step C.

When the file mode is not selected, it is judged whether or not it is the input mode from the computer interface (s405). When it is the input mode from the computer interface, the process jumps to step D.

When the input mode from the computer interface is not detected, it is judged whether it is the fax reception mode (s406). When it is the fax reception mode, the process jumps to step E.

When the fax reception mode is not detected, the process returns to the judgment s402 of the copy mode,
The selection mode determination from s402 to s406 is repeated.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart to be followed when the copy mode is selected in step s402 of FIG.

First, initialization of the copy operation is performed (s501), and the keys 301,
302 is set, copy conditions are set (s502), and input of the start key 303 is awaited (s503).

When the start key is pressed, the document is read by the reader unit 1 (s504) and the printer unit 2 prints (s505). This operation is as described above with reference to FIG. 2. After the printing is completed, the process returns to the initial setting (s401) in the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart to be followed when the fax transmission mode is selected in step S403.

First, initialization settings for fax transmission are performed (s601), and the key 30 input from the operation panel is entered.
1, 302 is read, fax transmission conditions are set (s602), and the input of the start key 303 is waited (s6).
03).

When the start key is pressed, the document is read by the reader unit 1 (s604) and the image data is sent to the fax unit 4. The fax unit 4 performs fax transmission according to the set format and the determined protocol (s6).
05). After the transmission is completed, the process returns to the initial setting (FIG. 4, s401).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart when the fax is received in step s406.

First, fax reception is performed by the fax unit 4 (s901), and it is determined whether the printer unit 2 is operating (s902). If not, the printer unit 2 is activated.
The data is sent to and printed (s903).

If the printer unit 2 is in operation in s902, it is stored in the hard disk of the fax unit 4 (s904), and is printed out when the printer unit 2 is not in operation (s902, s903). After the printing is completed, the process returns to the initial setting (FIG. 4, s401).

The above-described modes are selected by the selection key 30 on the operation panel.
The operation is performed by selecting 1 or receiving by the fax unit 4, or by detecting an external command at the computer interface unit 7.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a digital copying machine of Embodiment 1 having the configuration and operation control of the above embodiment.

A plurality of cassettes for output paper are provided, each containing A3, B4, A4 length, A4 width, and A4 width (colored paper). Here, the A4 landscape (colored paper) is provided for use as a break for each document.

When the FAX is pressed on the operation panel of FIG. 3, a process selection display appears as shown in FIG. 9 (A). Here, if "registration management" is selected, the management content appears as shown in FIG. 9B, so "sort reception" is selected here. Then, when the sort reception mode is turned ON in the display shown in FIG. 10A and the reception time is desired to be set,
Set the time as shown in 0 (B).

When the sort reception mode is selected, the received document is accumulated in the memory within the set time or waiting for the output instruction. Then, when the set time has passed or when an output instruction is input, output of the received document is started from a document having a large paper size, and finally output is performed for each size as shown in FIG. Can be attached.

(Embodiment 2) "Separation output" is selected from the management contents shown in FIG. 9B. As shown in FIG. 12, the break output mode is turned on. Next, as shown in FIG. 13, a cassette used as a partition is selected. Here, "A4
Select the bottom "A4 landscape" cassette containing colored paper in "Landscape".

When the division output mode is selected as described above, each time a FAX received document is received, it is output from the cassette in which the division sheet is designated, and the division for each document is added.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, FA
A "sort reception mode" is provided at the time of X reception, and an image is formed by separating each paper size. Alternatively, the received document can be easily organized by sending out and placing a separator sheet for separating the documents in the "separation output mode", and by forming images in order of larger size.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing configurations of a reader unit and a printer unit.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of an operation panel of a reader unit.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a copying operation according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a fax transmission according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart when a fax is received in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an external perspective view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a process selection display example of the operation panel according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of setting by the operation panel according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of output for each size according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an output mode according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of output mode setting according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Reader Unit 2 Printer Unit 3 External Device Unit 4 Fax Unit 5 File Unit 6 External Storage Device 7 Computer Interface Unit 8 Formatter Unit 9 Image Memory Unit 10 Core Unit for Controlling Each Function

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Taku Sugiura 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hideyuki Ozaki 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Kya Non-Incorporated (72) Inventor Kento Utsunomiya 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Keiji Inaba 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. Within

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A document reading unit for reading a document image and outputting an image signal, a paper feeding unit for feeding paper by selecting a size and orientation of a recording medium having a plurality of sizes, and a printer unit for forming an image on the recording medium. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit having the image forming unit; The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the control means temporarily stores and stores the input image signal and controls the image forming order to form an image by the image forming means. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit feeds and places a separation sheet from the sheet feeding unit in a non-recording manner for each division of image formation. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the image signals stored in the storage unit in order of increasing size of a recording medium on which an image is formed to perform image formation by the image forming unit. The image forming apparatus according to item 1.