JPH11275278A - Multifunctional device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multifunctional device capable of surely printing out image data even in the case of wide printing width when printing out the read image or image data received through a telephone line. SOLUTION: When printing out the image data or print data of color data and when printing out print data stored in a memory for printer, the color print data of printing width L1 or the print data for printer of printing width L1 are prepared in a print buffer and the color printing or monochromatic printing of printing width L1 is performed by a printing part. Besides, when these image data are monochromatic data, the monochromatic print data of the printing width L2 are prepared in the print buffer and the monochromatic printing of the printing width L2 is performed by the printing part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-function device having various functions such as a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function. In this case, by expanding the print width in the main scanning direction, it is possible to print out image data having a print width wider than the print width of color data, and to print the image data received via a telephone line. However, the present invention relates to a multifunctional device capable of reliably outputting a print even in a wide print width.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various functions such as a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function are mounted on one apparatus, and each function can be performed by one apparatus. Various devices have been proposed.

In such a multifunctional apparatus, image data such as monochrome data and color data is printed on a print medium by a recording head having a plurality of color ink discharge ports and a black ink discharge port provided outside the color ink discharge ports. Is done. Thus, if the image data to be printed out when executing the copy function and the facsimile function is monochrome data, the image data is printed out in monochrome, and if the image data is color data, it is printed out in color. Since the print output of monochrome and color image data in each of these functions is printed out by the same recording head, the size and weight of the multifunction device can be reduced.

[0004]

However, when the image data read at the time of executing the copy function or the image data received at the time of executing the facsimile function is monochrome data, the image data having a print width wider than the print width of the color data is obtained. In some cases, the print width in the main scanning direction of the print output of the conventional multi-function device is the same as that of the color data print output even if the image data is monochrome data. There is a problem that image data of monochrome data exceeding the width cannot be printed out. Also, the image data of monochrome data received from a foreign country may have a print width wider than the print width in the main scanning direction normally used in Japan, and in such a case, the image data of monochrome data exceeding the print width may be printed. There is a problem that cannot be output.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. In a so-called multi-function device (multi-function device), when a copy function and a facsimile function are executed, image data is converted to monochrome. In the case of data, by expanding the print width in the main scanning direction, it is possible to print out image data having a print width wider than the print width of color data, and to output image data received via a telephone line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multi-function device capable of reliably outputting a print even if the print width is wide.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a multi-function device which stores at least image data received via a communication unit in a storage unit and prints the image data on a print medium by a printing unit. A multi-function device having a facsimile function to perform and a copy function of storing image data read through an image reading unit in a storage unit and printing the same on a print medium by a printing unit, wherein the printing unit prints the ink with the ink. The recording head includes a plurality of color ink ejection ports arranged in a main scanning direction and a black ink ejection port arranged outside the color ink ejection ports in the main scanning direction. And determining means for determining whether the image data is monochrome data or color data, and determining that the image data is monochrome data,
The printing apparatus is characterized in that control means is provided for performing printing using only black ink and controlling the printing width in the main scanning direction to be set to a printing width wider than when printing color data.

According to the multi-function device of the first aspect having the above features, at least a facsimile function of storing image data received via the communication unit in the storage unit and printing the image data on a print medium by the printing unit. A copy function of storing image data read through the image reading unit in the storage unit and printing the image data on a print medium by the printing unit. The recording head mounted on the printing unit has a plurality of color ink ejection ports and a black ink ejection port located outside the color ink ejection ports in the main scanning direction. When the image data is determined to be monochrome data by the determination unit, the image data is printed by the control unit using only black ink, and the printing width in the main scanning direction is larger than when printing the color data. Is also set to a wide print width. Thus, when the copy function and the facsimile function are executed, if the image data read through the image reading unit is monochrome data, the print width in the main scanning direction is extended to be larger than the print width of the color data. It is possible to print out image data with a wide printing width, and it is possible to print out even if the printing width of image data received via a telephone line is wider than the printing width of color data. It becomes possible.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the multifunction device according to the first aspect, the storage unit is configured to store the image data as print data of a predetermined print width, Setting means for setting the predetermined print width to a first print width when the image data is color data; and setting means for setting the predetermined print width to a second print width when the image data is monochrome data. Features.

According to the multi-function device according to the present invention, the image data is stored in the storage unit as print data of a predetermined print width. When the image data is color data, it is stored as print data of a first print width, and when the image data is monochrome data, it is stored as print data of a second print width. Thus, the second print width can be set wider than the first print width,
When the image data read through the image reading unit or the image data received through the telephone line or the like is monochrome data, print out to a second print width wider than the first print width in the case of color data. Becomes possible.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the multi-function device according to the first or second aspect, the black ink ejection port is provided on a home position side of the recording head in a main scanning direction. The second printing width is further extended to the home position side than the first printing width.

According to the multi-function device according to the third aspect having such a feature, in the multi-function device according to the first or second aspect, the black ink ejection port is provided in the main scanning direction of the recording head. The second print width is provided on the home position side and is extended to the home position side from the first print width. Therefore, when the image data is monochrome data without changing the design of the printing unit, It is possible to print out up to a second print width that is wider than the first print width in the case of data.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the multi-function device according to the third aspect, further comprising a printing medium mounting means capable of mounting a printing medium having a width in the main scanning direction wider than the second printing width. It is characterized by having.

According to the multi-function device of the fourth aspect having such a feature, in the multi-function device of the third aspect, a print medium having a width in the main scanning direction larger than the second print width can be mounted. Therefore, the print data stored in the storage unit at the second print width can be reliably printed out by the print unit.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a multifunctional device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied for an image forming apparatus. First,
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.
It will be described based on. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. Note that the image forming apparatus 1 has various functions such as a facsimile function, a copy function, and a printer function as a normal printer.

Referring to FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2. An operation panel 3 on which various buttons are arranged, an original placing section 4, and recording paper of various sizes are provided on an upper surface of the apparatus main body 2. A cassette insertion portion 5 into which a paper cassette (not shown) that accommodates the sheets in a stacked state is inserted.

Here, a liquid crystal (LCD) display 6 is disposed on the upper left side (upper left side in FIG. 1) of the operation panel 3, and a lower side (in FIG. 1,
On the lower left side), numerical buttons 7 of “0” to “9”, function buttons 7A for selecting respective functions, and the like are arranged. The liquid crystal display 6 displays various messages, for example, a telephone number when the facsimile function is executed, an operation command message when the copy function or the printer function is executed, and a message according to the necessity of each function. The numeric button 7 is a button for inputting a telephone number at the time of the facsimile function and inputting the number of copies at the time of executing the copy function. Further, a function execution button 8 is arranged at the lower right corner. The function execution button 8 is pressed during execution of a facsimile function such as a facsimile transmission and a copy function, and the facsimile transmission and the copy function are selectively executed based on the press.

The original placing section 4 is a section on which a facsimile original to be transmitted to the other party at the time of the facsimile function and a copy original at the time of the copy function are placed. These originals are transferred from the original placing section 4 to the apparatus main body 2. And the original data is read via the reading unit 19 (see FIG. 2). Thereafter, the document is discharged to a document discharge section 9 provided on the front side of the apparatus main body 2. Here, when the copy function is executed, the reading unit 1 is operated as described above.
The document data read via the printer 9 is printed via a printing unit 20 (see FIG. 2) on recording paper fed from a paper cassette inserted into the cassette insertion unit 5. The recording paper on which the document data has been printed is discharged onto a recording paper discharge unit 10 provided below the document discharge unit 9. The image data received via the communication unit 16 (see FIG. 2) is printed on a recording paper fed from a paper cassette (not shown) inserted into the cassette insertion unit 5 via the printing unit 20. Is printed on

Further, an RS232C for an interface 17 (see FIG. 2) for communicating with an external personal computer is provided at a rear portion of the apparatus main body 2 (not shown).
And the like are provided. The image forming apparatus 1 is connected to an external personal computer via the interface terminal, and prints data for executing a printer function into the image forming apparatus 1.

Next, a control system of the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the control system of the image forming apparatus 1 includes a CPU 15, a communication unit 16, an interface (PC I / F) 17 with a personal computer, a reading unit 19, a printing unit 20, a ROM 21, an operation unit 22, a display unit. 23, a RAM 24 and the like. And
The CPU 15, the communication unit 16, the interface 17 with the personal computer, the reading unit 19, the printing unit 20, the ROM 2
1, the operation unit 22, the display unit 23, and the RAM 24 are mutually connected by a bus line. Further, a telephone line 25 is connected to the communication unit 16. An external personal computer (PC) 18 is connected to the interface 17 with the personal computer. Further, the RAM 24 stores a fax
It has a transmission / reception memory 24A, a copy memory 24B, a printer memory 24C, a print buffer 24D, and the like.

The CPU 15 controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 according to a control program stored in the ROM 21. The communication unit 16 includes an NCU (network control device), a modem, and the like, and is connected to the telephone line 25 to transmit and receive image data and the like. PC interface 17 is RS2
32C, etc., connected to an external personal computer 18
And communication of print data and the like. The reading section 19 reads a document taken in from the document placing section 4 and outputs it as digital data. The printing unit 20 includes an ink jet head 30 (see FIG. 3) and the like.
The image data and print data are printed by selectively discharging ink droplets from 0A, 30B, 30C, and 30D (see FIG. 3) onto print paper. The ROM 21 is a memory for storing a print processing program described later, various programs and parameters necessary for controlling the image forming apparatus 1, and the like. The operation unit 22 includes a numeric button 7, a function button 7A
And the like to input various operation instructions. The display unit 23 is configured by the liquid crystal display 6 and the like, and displays guidance at the time of operation, a state of the apparatus, and the like. RAM 24
Is a memory for temporarily storing various data calculated via the CPU 15, received image data, image data read by the reading unit 20, print data input from the outside, and the like. FAX transmission / reception memory 2
4A constitutes a memory used for storing image data received via the communication unit 16 and storing image data for transmission when the facsimile function is executed. Copy memory 24
B constitutes a memory used for storing image data read by the reading unit 20 when the copy function is executed. The printer memory 24C has an interface 17
This is a memory used for storing print data input from an external personal computer 18 via the PC. Print buffer 24D
Is a memory used for storing print data output to the printing unit 20.

The communication section 16 constitutes communication means,
The reading unit 19 forms an image reading unit. Also, RA
M24 forms a storage unit. The ink jet head 30 constitutes a recording head. Further, a printing medium mounting means is constituted by a paper cassette (not shown) and the cassette inserting portion 5. Then, the CPU 15 determines whether the image data is monochrome data or color data, and, if it determines that the image data is monochrome data, prints only the black ink and sets the print width in the main scanning direction. And control means for controlling the print width to be set wider than when printing color data.

Next, the printing unit 20 of the image forming apparatus 1
The printing operation and printing width of the ink jet type head 30 constituting the above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing each positional relationship, printable width, and the like of the printing operation of the ink jet head 30 according to the present embodiment. The ink jet type head 30 is mounted on a carriage slidably mounted on a guide roller shaft suspended in the main scanning direction of the printing unit 20, and this carriage is driven by a CPU 15 via a wire or the like by drive control of a stepping motor or the like. By controlling the movement in the main scanning direction, ink is ejected on recording paper to perform printing while reciprocating in the main scanning direction.

First, as shown in FIG. 3, the ink jet head 30 is located at the home position before the start of the printing operation (upper left in FIG. 3). 3 in the main scanning direction (Fig. 3
(Middle, lower left), printing starts. Further, printing can be performed while moving in the main scanning direction to the final printing position (lower right side in FIG. 3). And when taking in new recording paper,
After moving to the final printing position, the printer moves in the main scanning direction to the paper suction position (upper right side in FIG. 3), stops, and takes in recording paper. In addition, the ink jet head 30 is provided with a black ink discharge port 30A, a yellow ink discharge port 30B, a cyan ink discharge port 30C, and a magenta ink discharge port 30D in a horizontal line on the surface on the recording paper side. The ink ejection ports 30A, 30B, 30C, and 30D are sequentially provided in a horizontal row from the home position side.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the movable range of the ink jet head 30 is the moving distance L3 from the black ink ejection port 30A at the home position to the black ink ejection port 30A at the paper suction position. The monochrome printable range is from the black ink ejection port 30A at the printing start position to the black ink ejection port 3 at the printing end position.
0A, the print width L2 (in the present embodiment, L2 is about 2
50 mm). The color printable range is a print width L1 (in the present embodiment, L1 is about 206 mm) from the magenta ink discharge port 30D at the print start position to the black ink discharge port 30A at the print end position. Therefore,
The maximum print width L2 capable of monochrome printing is larger than the maximum print width L1 capable of color print by the distance between the black ink ejection port 30A and the magenta ink ejection port 30D (in the present embodiment,
About 44 mm). Further, a paper cassette (not shown) is configured to be capable of setting paper of each width up to a maximum recording paper width L4 (L4 is approximately 260 mm in this embodiment), which is slightly wider than the printing width L2. Further, each sheet is set so as to be shifted to the printing final position side (the dotted line position on the right side in FIG. 3).

Thus, in the case of this embodiment, it is possible to set A4 size (210 × 297 mm) paper during color printing. In monochrome printing, the letter size (8.5 x 11 inches) and legal size (8.5 x 11 inches) are used.
14 inches) and COM10 size (9.5 x 4.1)
Inch) paper can be set.

Next, a printing process in the facsimile function and the copy function performed in the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
5 is a flowchart of a printing process of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment at the time of the facsimile function and the time of the copy function.

First, as shown in FIG. 4, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1, the received image data stored in the facsimile transmission / reception memory 24A,
When printing out image data stored in the copy memory 24B or print data stored in the printer memory 24C, it is determined whether the image data or print data is monochrome data or color data. If the print data to be printed out is color image data or print data (S1: YES), the print width L1 is substituted into the effective range L of the print data stored in the print buffer 24D, and the RAM 24 (S
2). That is, the print width L1 forms a first print width. Next, the moving distance L3 is substituted for the effective range of the carriage movement, that is, the print head movable length LL at the time of print output, and stored in the RAM 24 (S3).

Next, in step S4, the effective range L of the print data stored in the RAM 24 is read, and the image data or print data having the width of the effective range L, that is, the width of the print width L1, is transmitted to the facsimile transmission / reception memory. 24
A, copy memory 24B, or printer memory 24
The print data is sequentially read from C and stored as print data in the print buffer 24D. Thereby, the printing width L in the main scanning direction is obtained.
One color print data is created. Then, RAM2
4 is read, and the movable length at the time of print output of the carriage is L.
3, the movement control in the main scanning direction is performed, and the color print data stored in the print buffer 24D is sequentially read and output to the printing unit 20, and the yellow ink ejection port of the ink jet head 30 is set. 30B, cyan ink ejection port 30C, and magenta ink ejection port 3
From 0D, ink of each color is ejected onto recording paper to perform color printing.

When the print data to be printed out is monochrome image data or print data (S1:
NO), it is determined whether or not the print data is stored in the printer memory 24C (S5). Then, in the case of the print data stored in the printer memory 24C (S5: YES), the processing after S2 is executed.

In S5, when the monochrome image data stored in the facsimile transmission / reception memory 24A or the copy memory 24B is printed out (S5).
5: NO), the print width L2 is substituted into the effective range L of the print data stored in the print buffer
(S6). That is, the print width L2 forms a second print width. Next, the movement distance L3 is substituted for the effective carriage movement range, that is, the print head movable length LL at the time of print output, and stored in the RAM 24 (S7).

Next, in S4, the effective range L of the print data stored in the RAM 24 is read, and the image data having the width of the effective range L, ie, the width of the print width L2, is stored in the facsimile transmission / reception memory 24A or The data is sequentially read from the copy memory 24B and stored in the print buffer 24D as print data. As a result, monochrome print data having a print width L2 in the main scanning direction is created. continue,
Print head movable length L stored in RAM 24
L is read, the movable length of the carriage at the time of print output is set to L3, the movement control in the main scanning direction is performed, and the monochrome print data stored in the print buffer 24D is sequentially read. Output to the printing unit 20, and the black ink ejection port 3 of the ink jet head 30
From 0A, black ink is ejected onto the recording paper to perform monochrome printing.

As described in detail above, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the facsimile transmission / reception memory 24A
When the received image data stored in the printer and the read image data stored in the copy memory 24B are printed out, the image data and print data are color data, and the printer memory 24C To print out the print data stored in
1: YES, S5: YES), print width L1 (see FIG. 3)
Is generated in the print buffer 24D and is output to the printing unit 20. Then, color printing or monochrome printing with the printing width L1 is performed by the printing unit 20 (S2, S3,
S4). The received image data stored in the fax transmission / reception memory 24A, the copy memory 24B
(S1: NO, S5: N) when the image data of the read image data stored in
O), monochrome print data of a print width L2 (see FIG. 3) is created in the print buffer 24D and output to the printing unit 20. Then, monochrome printing of the printing width L2 is performed by the printing unit 20 (S6, S7, S4).

Therefore, when the copy function and the facsimile function are executed, if the image data read through the reading unit 19 is monochrome data, the printing width in the main scanning direction is set to L2, so that the printing of the color data is performed. It is possible to print out image data having a print width wider than the width L1, and even if the print width of image data received via a telephone line or the like is wider than the print width L1 of color data, In the case of monochrome image data, image data up to the print width L2 can be reliably printed out. Further, the black ink ejection port 30A of the ink jet head 30 is
Since the print width L2 provided at the home position in the main scanning direction of 0 and capable of monochrome printing is extended to the home position side than the print width L1 capable of color printing, the design of the printing unit 20 must be changed. When the image data is monochrome data, the print width L for color data is
It is possible to print out up to a print width L2 wider than 1. Further, recording paper having a width in the main scanning direction larger than the printing width L2 can be mounted on a paper cassette (not shown).
The print data stored in the print buffer 24D with the print width L2 can be reliably printed out via the print unit 20.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the copy function and the facsimile function are executed, when the image data is monochrome data, the print width in the main scanning direction is extended to increase the print width of the color data. It is possible to print out image data with a wider print width, and to print out reliably even if the print width of image data received via the telephone line is wider than the print width of color data. Capable of providing a multifunction device capable of performing the above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a positional relationship, a printable width, and the like of a printing operation of the ink jet head according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a printing process in the facsimile function and the copy function of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 image forming apparatus 2 apparatus main body 3 operation panel 4 document placing section 6 liquid crystal display 7 numeric button 7A function button 8 function execution button 15 CPU 17 interface 18 personal computer 20 printing section 24 RAM 24A fax transmission / reception memory 24B copy memory 24C printer Memory 24D Print buffer 30 Inkjet head 30A Black ink discharge port 30B Yellow ink discharge port 30C Cyan ink discharge port 30D Magenta ink discharge port

Claims (4)

[Claims] At least a facsimile function of storing image data received via a communication unit in a storage unit and printing it on a print medium by a printing unit, and storing image data read through the image reading unit in the storage unit A multifunction device having a copy function of printing on a printing medium by a printing unit, wherein the printing unit includes a recording head that discharges ink onto the printing medium, and the recording head is disposed in a main scanning direction. Determining means for determining whether the image data is monochrome data or color data, comprising: a plurality of color ink ejection ports; and a black ink ejection port arranged outside the color ink ejection ports in the main scanning direction. If the image data is determined to be monochrome data, printing is performed using only black ink, and the printing width in the main scanning direction is set to be larger than when printing color data. Multifunction apparatus characterized by comprising a control means for controlling to set have print width. 2. The storage unit is configured such that the image data is stored as print data of a predetermined print width. When the image data is color data, the predetermined print width is set to a first print width. 2. The multi-function apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit that sets the predetermined print width to a second print width in the case of monochrome data. 3. The printing head according to claim 1, wherein the black ink ejection port is provided on a home position side of the recording head in a main scanning direction, and the second print width is extended to the home position side from the first print width. The multi-function device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. The multi-function apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a print medium mounting unit capable of mounting a print medium having a width in the main scanning direction wider than the second print width.