JPH11161450A - Image forming device connection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute all print jobs to the end without interrupting printing operation in a whole system even when a state to stop printing such as paper jamming or non-paper error occurs at any one of plural image forming devices in the middle of printing requested to be executed. SOLUTION: When any problem occurs at a multifunction copy (MF) machine 1 and printing is disabled, the MF machine 1 switches the output destination of image data on pages read later to a mass storage device 1a inside the machine itself and continues the read of originals. After all the originals are completely read, image data on non-printed pages are read out of the mass storage device 1a and transmitted to an adjacent MF machine 2 together with a processing request command. When the MF machine 2 can deal with that request, printing is performed by itself but when that request can not be dealt with, the processing request command and image data received from the MF machine 1 are dispatched to an adjacent MF machine 3.

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 connecting system in which a plurality of digital copying machines and printers or a multi-function copying machine having a copy function, a printer function and a facsimile function are connected. When any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses cannot continue the print output due to a paper jam, a paper-out error, or the like, a request is made to other image forming apparatuses to print out unprinted image data. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus connection system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an image forming apparatus connection system in which a plurality of multifunction copying machines (hereinafter, referred to as MF machines) are connected to each other via a communication cable. According to this type of system, image data read by one MF machine can be shared and printed out by a plurality of MF machines, so that a large number of documents can be printed in a short time.

[0003]

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus connection system, when printing a document which takes a long time to print all, when the operator performs a print output operation start operation, the operator performs a print operation from the copy room. When I left and looked at the timing and returned to get the output result, it was said that one of the image forming apparatuses constituting the system was stopped in the middle of printing due to paper jam or paper out error etc. There are many cases. In such a case, it is necessary to eliminate the cause of the error such as paper jam and restart the print output operation of the unprinted image data, so that the printing time is further lengthened. In order to solve such a problem, in recent years, the operating state of the MF
A system has been put into practical use that can notify a personal computer or the like installed at a location distant from the machine installation location and display it on a monitor screen. According to this type of system, the operator checks the progress of the printing process on his or her desk, and can immediately cope with an error such as a paper jam. However, even in the case of such a system, in order to print a large number of documents at night,
After the operator performs a print output operation start operation,
It doesn't make much sense if you return home.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a system in which any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting a system outputs a print output such as a paper jam or a paper-out error during a print job requested to be executed. Even if a situation arises in which the print job needs to be interrupted, the other print jobs can take over the interrupted print job, so that the entire system can reliably execute all print jobs without interrupting the printing operation. It is to provide a forming device connection system. According to a second aspect of the present invention, when a print job execution request is issued to one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting a system, the print function of the image forming apparatus is already being used for another purpose. However, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus connection system that can execute all print jobs to the end without interrupting a printing operation as a whole system by taking over the print job by another image forming apparatus. . According to a third aspect of the present invention, any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system may stop the printing operation when the discharge section of the printed paper is full and the printing operation is stopped during the requested print job. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus connection system that can execute all print jobs to the end without interrupting the printing operation as a whole system by taking over the print job.

[0005]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of image forming apparatuses for processing input image data and printing and outputting the image data; In the system, each image forming apparatus
If a situation arises in which print output should be stopped in the middle of a print job requested to be executed, the output destination of subsequently input image data is switched to a large-capacity storage device, and the large-capacity storage By having a function of requesting a printout of unprinted image data stored in the apparatus, any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system can cause a paper jam in the middle of a requested print job. Even if there is a situation where print output needs to be interrupted, such as a paper-out error or a paper-out error, the print job that has been interrupted is taken over by the other image forming devices, so that the entire system can execute all print jobs without interrupting the print operation. It can be executed to the end without fail. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus connection system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses that process input image data and print out the image data are connected, each of the image forming apparatuses receives a print job execution request. If the printing function is already in use for another purpose at the time of switching, the output destination of the subsequently input image data is switched to the mass storage device and stored in the mass storage device for the other image forming apparatuses. Has a function of requesting a printout of unprinted image data that has been printed, so that any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system can be used when the print job execution request is issued. Even if the printing function is already being used for another purpose, the printing operation is interrupted as a whole system by the other image forming apparatus taking over the print job. And no and to reliably execute all of the print jobs to the end. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus linking system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses that process input image data and print and output the image data are connected to each other. If the paper output section of the printed paper becomes full during the
It has a function of switching the output destination of image data input thereafter to the mass storage device and requesting other image forming devices to print out unprinted image data stored in the mass storage device. Thus, even if one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system stops the printing operation due to a full discharge of the printed paper in the middle of the requested print job, the other image forming apparatuses By taking over the print job, all the print jobs can be executed to the end without interrupting the printing operation as a whole system.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus connection system according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the image forming apparatus connecting system of this embodiment is configured by connecting three MF machines 1, 2, and 3 via a communication cable 4. Each MF machine 1, 2, 3
Each has a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function, and further has a function of transmitting a processing request command to another MF machine via the communication cable 4, and a function of transmitting image data to request output, and the like. MF
It has a function of receiving a processing request command and image data requested to be output from the device. In addition, each MF machine 1, 2,
3 is a large-capacity storage device 1a, 2a,
3a are respectively incorporated.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. Each MF machine 1, 2, 3
For example, whether the print job requested to be executed is being executed (S1), whether a paper jam or a paper-out error has occurred, or whether a plurality of applications have simultaneously requested the use of the same resource (double-sided tray, staple, etc.). It monitors whether any problem has occurred (S
2) If it is determined that printout cannot be performed on the own device due to some problem (Yes in S2), the output destination of the image data input thereafter is set to the mass storage device 1 in the own device.
a, 2a, and 3a (S3), and the execution of the print job is continued. That is, in the MF machine where the problem occurred,
Thereafter, the printing operation is not actually performed, but the operation of reading the original image and the operation of capturing the image data from the external device are continued even after the problem occurs, and the read image data and the like are transferred to the mass storage device. Stored. After the print job is completed (S4), that is, when all the originals have been read and the image data has been stored in the mass storage device,
Requests the other MF machines to print out the image data of the unprinted pages stored in their large-capacity storage device.

For example, if a problem occurs in the MF machine 1 during a copying operation of a document consisting of a plurality of pages and printing cannot be performed, the MF machine 1 determines the output destination of image data of pages read thereafter. Switch to the large-capacity storage device 1a in the own device, and continue reading the original. And
After the reading of all the originals is completed, the image data of the unprinted page is read from the large-capacity storage device 1a and transmitted to the adjacent MF machine 2 together with the processing request command. The MF machine 2 that has received the processing request command performs the print output by itself if it can respond to the request, and copies the processing request command and the image data received from the MF machine 1 if it cannot respond to the request. Hand it over to the MF machine 3 next to it. As described above, any one of the plurality of MF machines 1, 2, and 3 constituting the system has a problem in which print output, such as a paper jam or a paper-out error, must be interrupted during a print job requested to be executed. In this case, by requesting the interrupted print job to another MF machine, the entire system can execute all print jobs without stopping as much as possible without interrupting the printing operation.

When a print job execution request is issued to one of the MF machines 1, 2, and 3, even if the print function of the MF machine is already in use for another purpose, the image data is Are output to the mass storage devices 1a, 2a,
3a, the operation of reading a document image, the operation of taking in image data from an external device, and the like are executed. When the image data requested to be printed has been stored in the large-capacity storage device, the other MF device is By requesting printout of image data of unprinted pages stored in the large-capacity storage device, the entire system executes all print jobs without stopping as much as possible without interrupting the printing operation can do. MF machine 1,
Even if the printing operation is stopped because one of the print jobs 2 and 3 becomes full in the middle of the print job, the output destination of the image data is set to the large-capacity storage device 1a in its own device. Switching to 2a and 3a, an operation of reading a document image and an operation of capturing image data from an external device are executed, and when the image data requested to be printed is stored in the large-capacity storage device, the other MF machines are By requesting the printout of the image data of the unprinted pages stored in the own mass storage device, the entire system does not stop all the print jobs as much as possible without interrupting the printing operation. Can be run with In this embodiment, a system configuration in which three MF machines 1, 2, and 3 are interconnected via a communication cable 4 has been described as an example. However, four or more MF machines are interconnected. It may be a system or a system in which two MF machines are interconnected. Further, the system is not limited to the MF machine, and may be a system in which a copy machine, a printer, and the like are interconnected.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be exhibited. According to the image forming apparatus connection system of the first aspect, any one of a plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system outputs a print output such as a paper jam or a paper out error during a print job requested to be executed. Even if a situation that should be interrupted occurs, another image forming apparatus takes over the interrupted print job,
The entire system can reliably execute all print jobs to the end without interrupting the printing operation. Also,
According to the image forming apparatus connection system of the second aspect,
One of the plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system may perform other image forming even if the printing function of the image forming apparatus is already in use for another purpose when the print job execution request is issued. Since the apparatus takes over the print job, the entire system can reliably execute all print jobs to the end without interrupting the printing operation. According to the image forming apparatus connection system according to the third aspect, any one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses constituting the system fills up the discharge section of the printed sheet in the middle of the print job requested to be executed. Therefore, even if the printing operation is stopped and the other image forming apparatuses take over the printing job, all the printing jobs can be reliably executed to the end without interrupting the printing operation as a whole system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram conceptually illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus connection system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation content of the embodiment of the image forming apparatus connection system according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3,... MF machine (image forming apparatus) 1a, 2a, 3a, large-capacity storage device 4, communication cable

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus linking system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses that process input image data and print and output the image data, wherein each image forming apparatus outputs a print output in the middle of a print job requested to be executed. When a situation to stop occurs, the output destination of the subsequently input image data is switched to the large-capacity storage device, and the other image forming apparatuses are notified of the unprinted image data stored in the large-capacity storage device. An image forming apparatus connection system having a function of requesting print output. 2. An image forming apparatus linking system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses that process input image data and print and output the image data are connected to each other. If the printing function is being used for the purpose, the output destination of the subsequently input image data is switched to the large-capacity storage device, and the unprinted image data stored in the large-capacity storage device for the other image forming apparatuses. An image forming apparatus connection system having a function of requesting print output of image data. 3. An image forming apparatus linking system in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses that process input image data and print and output the image data are connected to each other. When the paper output unit becomes full and the printing operation is stopped, the output destination of the image data input thereafter is switched to the large-capacity storage device, and the other image forming apparatuses are stored in the large-capacity storage device. An image forming apparatus connection system having a function of requesting a print output of unprinted image data.