JPH11231727A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an easy-to-use composite machine by facilitating copying operation and reducing the chance of making a mistake of the copying by switching a standby state for print mode to a standby state for copy mode when an event characteristic of copying such as the opening or closure of a document feeder and the detection of a document on a platen is detected. SOLUTION: When an operator operates a mode key 3 to select the copy mode, the copy mode is entered. To enter the copy mode, not only the operation of the mode key 3, but also the detection of whether or not an event characteristics of copying such as the detection of the opening or closure of the ADF by an ADF opening/closure detection SW4, the detection of a document by a document detection sensor 5, and the detection of operation of a quantity setting key 6 is done is performed. When an event characteristic of copying is detected, the copy mode is entered. When a copy button is pressed, copying operation starts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has an image forming apparatus, in particular, a copying function for reading an original and reproducing the original image and a printer function for forming an image based on image data introduced from an external device such as a computer. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called multifunction device having a copying function and a printer function is now widely spread and used. A conventional multifunction peripheral is provided with a mode switching button, and can be used as a copier from a state where it can be used as a copier by operating the button, or from a state where it can be used as a printer. It is configured to switch to a state. Some conventional multifunction devices are configured so that the print mode has priority. When the power switch is turned on, the printer enters the print mode standby state, and when copying is completed, the print mode standby state is automatically set. It is configured to enter. Therefore, when performing copying, the operator operates the switch button for switching to the copying mode, and then starts copying.

[0003]

In the multifunction machine, the switching operation is performed in this manner, thereby adding an operation which is not provided in the single function machine having only the copying function, and the number of operations is increased as compared with the single function machine. Some aspects are not good. In other words, the number of operations increases, which is troublesome. In addition, there is a possibility that the machine does not move even if the original is placed on the platen and the copy button is pressed, which may cause confusion. .

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems in a multifunction peripheral and provide a multifunction peripheral that is easy to use.

[0005]

The object of the present invention is as follows.
A first mode in which an image is formed based on image data input from the outside, and a second mode in which a document is read and an image is formed based on image data obtained by reading, and In an image forming apparatus in which mode switching between the first and second modes is performed, the image forming apparatus is normally in a standby state in which image formation can be performed in the first mode, and in addition to the mode switching by the selection unit, The image forming apparatus is characterized by switching from the standby mode of the first mode to the standby mode of the second mode when a phenomenon specific to image formation in the second mode is detected. .

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A copying / printing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in the drawings will be described below. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control program of this embodiment.

When the power switch is turned on and the preparation operation such as heating of the fixing device is completed, the copying / printing machine according to the present embodiment enters a standby state (printer mode idling) where it can operate in the print mode. Therefore, when a "print" command is input from an external device such as a computer in this state, the machine starts a printing operation. Further, in this state, the machine does not enter the copying operation by simply pressing the copy button.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG.
An ADF for detecting the opening / closing operation of a document feeder for supplying a document denoted by reference numeral 4 to an exposure position and discharging the document after exposure, which is a mode key for selecting a copy mode or a print mode denoted by reference numeral 4
When a phenomenon peculiar to a copy / printer machine is detected by the open / close detection SW, a document detection sensor indicated by 5, a copy number setting key indicated by 6, and the like, the control unit 1 controls these input signals. The image forming unit 2 is controlled based on. That is, the control unit 1 receives these input signals,
The image forming unit 2 in the print mode standby state is switched to the copy mode standby state.

In image formation started in response to a command from an external device such as a computer, setting of the number of prints,
The setting of image forming conditions such as selection of recording paper and setting of resolution are all performed from an external device through a network, and are not performed by touching the copy / printer and directly operating the copy / printer.

On the other hand, in copying, preparation operations for copying, such as setting of copying conditions, are performed by directly operating a machine, such as by operating an operation panel of a copying / printer.

That is, a phenomenon caused by an operation directly performed on a copying machine / printer is a phenomenon that does not occur in printing but occurs uniquely in copying. The following examples enumerate such phenomena unique to copying.

The original is placed on the original platen. The original is placed on the original supply tray of the automatic original transporter. The opening and closing operation of the automatic original transporter. The setting of the copy magnification. The designation of the transfer paper size. Set the number of copies using the numeric keypad ・ Set the copy density using the density setting button ・ Set the image quality such as Fine, Super Fine etc. ・ Set the copy mode such as Single-sided → Single-sided, Single-sided → Double-sided → Single-sided, Double-sided → Double-sided ・ Group, Setting of finishing mode such as sorting and stapling ・ Setting of various applied functions such as inter-sheet, black and white reversal, and composition ・ Job memory setting ・ Memory copy setting (If you want to copy multiple pages in a book, etc. A mode in which the operation can be performed in preparation for copying, or when these phenomena caused by the operation are detected. The printer switches from the copy mode to the copy mode standby state.

An ADF opening / closing switch 4 is a switch which is turned on / off in accordance with the opening / closing of the document feeder. In the conventional copying machine, there is an ADF mode and a mode in which a document is placed on a document table and copying is performed. What is used for the switching of the data is used. The document detection sensor indicated by 5 is an optical sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a document on a document table or a sensor for detecting a document on a document supply plate of the automatic document feeder. When either the document on the document table or the document on the document supply tray of the automatic document feeder is detected, a signal indicating that there is a document is output.

FIG. 2 shows a control program for the mode switching.

In a normal state, the print mode is idling in step S1. In this state, the printing operation starts immediately after the print command signal is input from the external device. Then, in this state, the copying operation is not performed only by pressing the copy button.

When the operator operates the mode key to select a copy mode, that is, when the operation in step S2-1 is performed, the copy mode is entered (S3). In step S3, not only the operation of the mode key, but also the opening / closing operation of the document feeder, that is, the step of detecting by the ADF opening / closing detection SW4 that the ADF opening / closing shown in S2-2 has been performed. It is detected whether or not a phenomenon peculiar to the copying described above has occurred, such as a step of detecting a document, a step of S2-3, and a step of detecting that the number setting key 7 of S2-n has been operated. S2-1,. . . S2-n
In any one of the above, when Y, that is, a phenomenon peculiar to copying is detected, the mode shifts to the copy mode (S3).

By shifting to the copy mode, the machine shifts to a state of receiving a signal of the copy button, and when the copy button is pressed, the machine starts a copy operation (steps S4 and S6). If copying is not performed within a predetermined time after shifting to the copy mode, that is, if the copy button is not pressed, the process returns to the print mode (S5).

After the copying operation has been performed (S6), a copy idling state is set (S7). After a copy idling, that is, a state where the copy operation can be started when the copy button is operated, continues for a predetermined time, Return to the print mode (S8).

In a multifunction machine having both functions of a printer and a copying machine, the reading operation of the original image and the image forming operation are performed separately. That is, image data obtained by image reading is temporarily stored in a memory, and image formation is performed by reading out the image data stored in the memory. Therefore, it is possible to read an image while forming an image in the print mode. Step S6
The copying operation indicated by includes image reading and image formation. However, the image reading operation in step S6 may be executed in parallel with image formation in the print mode during image formation.

[0020]

According to the present invention, when a phenomenon that does not occur in printing, such as opening and closing of a document feeder and detection of a document on a document table, and that is peculiar to copying is detected, the printing mode is changed from a standby state to a copy mode. Is switched to the standby state, so that it is not always necessary to perform a mode selection operation when performing copying, so that the copying operation is simplified and an opportunity to make a mistake in the copying operation is obtained. And an easy-to-use copy / printer is realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a control program according to the embodiment.

[Description of Signs] 1 control unit 2 image forming unit 3 mode key 4 ADF open / close detection SW 5 document detection sensor 6 number setting key

Claims (7)

[Claims] A first mode for forming an image based on image data input from the outside, a second mode for reading an original, and forming an image based on image data obtained by reading, and The first,
In the image forming apparatus in which mode switching of the second mode is performed, the image forming apparatus is normally in a standby state in which image formation can be performed in the first mode. An image forming apparatus that switches from the standby state of the first mode to the standby state of the second mode when a phenomenon specific to image formation in the mode is detected. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific phenomenon is that a document is placed at a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific phenomenon is that an image forming condition is set on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific phenomenon is the opening / closing of an automatic document feeder. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: returning to the standby state of the first mode if image formation in the second mode is not performed within a predetermined time after switching to the standby state of the second mode. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. 6. The image according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus switches to a standby state of the first mode after a lapse of a predetermined time after image formation is performed in the second mode. Forming equipment. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein image reading in the second mode is performed in parallel with image formation in the first mode.