JPH1178135A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform printing smoothly without waiting transmission of a print data from a host when an apparatus required for sheet handling can not be used. SOLUTION: When a paper feed control section 13 and a paper discharge control section 14 designated by a host 1 or an operating panel can not be used, a print operation control section 17 receives a print data from the host 1 and stores the print data in a print page image data memory section 18. When the paper feed control section 13 and the paper discharge control section 14 are ready for use, the image data is read out from the print page image data memory section 18 to be printed.

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 for forming an image based on print data sent from a host, and is particularly suitable for a printer, a multifunction machine having a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function. Image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus of this type, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-143826, for example, print information currently being processed is determined while determining the priority of print information sent from a plurality of hosts. Save to the auxiliary storage memory,
A method of restoring has been proposed. As another conventional apparatus, a method has been proposed in which the order of print information sent from a plurality of hosts is displayed and the user changes the print order, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-265670, for example. I have.

[0003] By the way, the configuration of a printer device is roughly as follows: a printer main body necessary for performing printing on paper;
Consists of peripheral devices to facilitate paper handling by the user. Peripheral devices include, for example, various paper feed trays, various paper output trays, double-sided trays, staplers, and the like. Examples of paper handling by a user include, for example, instructions on a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray, double-sided printing designation, rear-side discharge designation, and sorting. -Stack designation, staple designation, paper designation scaling printing, paper shift and rotation designation, etc.

[0004] In such a printer device, when a specific portion of the printer main body or a peripheral device is broken or missing, it should be presented to the user in the form of printing restrictions. The user has also agreed upon the start of printing. However, even if the peripheral device is temporarily unavailable, the user may not be able to know it at the start of printing. In such a case, if printing is performed contrary to the user's intention, the printed matter becomes unnecessary or confused. Therefore, in order to obtain a printed material as intended by the user, the peripheral devices necessary for the printed material must be available for the print job.

Conventionally, when the paper handling apparatus specified by the host or the operation panel cannot be used, a busy signal is transmitted from the printer to the host so that the host waits for transmission of print data. .

[0006]

However, in the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, transmission of print data by the host is made to wait when a device necessary for paper handling is unavailable, so that the subsequent printing operation is affected. For example, there is a problem that the host cannot transmit next print data that does not require special paper handling.

[0007] In a multifunction peripheral having a plurality of applications such as a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function, an interleave printing function between applications is known. According to this function, for example, printer printing can be performed in the interval during copy printing. In this case, if copy printing or facsimile printing is performed while printer printing is interrupted halfway, paper handling adjustment is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus capable of performing printing smoothly without waiting for transmission of print data by a host when an apparatus necessary for paper handling is unavailable. The purpose is to provide.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means is to receive print data sent from a host, develop the print data into image data for printing, and execute the processing based on the image data. In an image forming apparatus for printing on paper by a printing mechanism, image storage means for storing image data, paper feeding means for feeding paper to the printing mechanism, and paper printed by the printing mechanism. When the paper discharging means for discharging paper and the paper feeding means or paper discharging means specified by the host or the operation panel cannot be used, print data sent from the host is received and developed into image data for printing. The image data is stored in the image storage means, and when the paper supply means or the paper discharge means can be used, the image data is read out from the image storage means and printed. Characterized in that a control means for controlling.

The second means is such that the control means in the first means further disables the paper supply means or the paper discharge means specified by the host or the operation panel during the print job from the host. In this case, the printing of the print job is interrupted, and the remaining print data of the print job sent from the host is continuously received and developed into image data for printing. The image data is stored in an image storage unit, and when the paper supply unit or the paper discharge unit can be used, the remaining image data is read from the image storage unit and controlled to resume printing. .

[0011] A third means is that the control means in the second means causes the paper supply means or the paper discharge means instructed by the host or the operation panel to be in the middle of the current print job from the host by another application. If we suspend printing by using the
It is characterized in that the remaining paper whose printing has been resumed is discharged onto the paper discharge tray discharged before the interruption, and the paper of the other application is controlled to be discharged onto another paper discharge tray.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a page image data file for printing in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining a printing operation by the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 describes in detail a “print job output process in a storage device” of FIGS. 4 and 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining another printing process.

The image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 shows a multifunction peripheral having a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function as an example. The print data receiving unit 11 receives the print data transmitted from the host 1, and the print data expanding unit 12 expands the print data received by the print data receiving unit 11 into page image data. Paper feed transport controller 13
And the paper discharge transport control unit 14 respectively execute paper handling relating to paper feeding to the plotting unit 15 and paper discharging from the plotting unit 15.
3. The paper discharge transport control unit 14 and the plotting unit 15 for paper are commonly used by the copy function, the facsimile function, and the printer function.

The multi-function unit 16 has a scanner and the like for a copy function operation and a transmission and reception unit for a facsimile function operation. The print data expanded by the print data expansion unit 12, the print data read by the scanner of the multi-function unit 16 during the copy function operation, and the print data received by the facsimile reception unit of the multi-function unit 16 during the facsimile function operation After being written into the print page image data storage unit 18 under the control of the print operation control unit 17, or through the storage unit 18, printing is performed by the plot unit 15. The operation panel input / display controller 19 is used to control an operation panel on which a user performs a predetermined operation.

The printing page image data file stored in the storage unit 18 is composed of sheet handling conditions and page image data for each job ID as shown in FIG. The operation panel 19a controlled by the operation panel input / display control unit 19 includes “printable”, “online”, “printing standby”, and a print page image data storage unit 18 as shown in FIG. The stored print job “6 /
4, 13:20, job 1 (both sides) ", and the current print state (indicated by an underline in the figure).

The print job stored in the print page image data storage section 18 can be scrolled and displayed by using the cursor keys 21 and 22, and the print job stored in the print page image data storage section 18 can be displayed. The waiting print job can be forcibly printed by the “forced print” key 23. At the time of the "forced printing", printing is performed under paper handling conditions different from those specified by the host or the operation panel 19a.

The operation will be described with reference to FIGS. First, print data is received from the host 1 (step S
1) Then, the print data is analyzed and developed into image data (step S2). Next, it is determined whether or not the job has been completed (step S3). If the job has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S4. If the job has been completed, the process branches to step S11. In step S4, it is determined whether it is a page break or not.
If it is not a break, the process returns to step S1 to continue receiving the remaining print data, while if it is a page break, the process proceeds to step S5.

In step S5, the page image data for printing is determined, and it is determined whether the data of the current job exists in the storage device 18 (step S6). If No, the process proceeds to step S7. If the answer is Yes, the process branches to step S10 to store the page image data for printing in the storage device 18. In step S7, it is determined whether or not the sheet handling by the sheet transport control unit 13 and the discharge transport control unit 14 instructed by the host 1 or the operation panel 19a is OK. If OK, the process proceeds to step S8. If not, the flow branches to step S9. In step S8, the paper is transported by the paper feed transport control unit 13 and the paper discharge transport control unit 14 designated by the host 1 or the operation panel 19a to print one page, and then the process returns to step S1 to print the next page. Continue receiving data.

In step S7, if the sheet handling by the sheet feeding and transport control unit 13 and the sheet discharging and transporting control unit 14 specified by the host 1 or the operation panel 19a is not OK, the directory entry of the current job ID is deleted in step S9. Then, the page image data is created as a file in the storage device 18 (step S1).
0), and then return to step S1 to continue receiving print data. Therefore, if the data of the current job exists in the storage device 18 in step S6, the page image data is stored in the storage device 18 without printing.
If the paper handling is not OK in step S7, a directory entry of the current job ID is created and the storage device 1 is printed without printing page image data.
8 is stored.

In the "print job output process in the storage device" in step S11, as shown in detail in FIG. 5, first, a directory entry of the print job is determined (step S21), and then whether or not there is a corresponding print job is determined. (Step S22), and if there is, step S22
23, and if not, step S shown in FIG.
It returns to 12. In step S23, the first page image data file of the job is acquired from the storage device 18, and then it is determined whether or not the sheet handling specified by the host 1 or the operation panel 19a is OK (step S24). Proceeds to step S25, and if not, returns to step S12 shown in FIG.

In step S25, the sheet is conveyed to print one page, and then the printed page image data file is deleted from the storage device 18 (step S26). Next, it is determined whether or not there is a remaining page image data file of the job (step S27).
Then, the remaining page image data file is printed, and if not, the process proceeds to step S28 to delete the directory entry of the print job from the storage device 18, and then returns to step S12 shown in FIG. In step S12, it is determined whether or not printing has been completed normally.
In the case of, the process returns to step S11. On the other hand, in the case of Yes, this process ends.

Next, another printing process will be described with reference to FIG. First, as in the case shown in FIG. 4, print data is received from the host 1 (step S31), and then the print data is analyzed and developed into image data (step S3).
2). Next, it is determined whether or not the job is completed (step S
33) If not completed, the process proceeds to step S34, while if completed, the process branches to step S45. In step S34, it is determined whether or not it is a page break. If not, the process returns to step S31 to continue receiving print data. On the other hand, if it is a page break, the process proceeds to step S35.

In step S35, the page image data for printing is determined, and it is determined whether or not the data of the current job exists in the storage device 18 (step S36). If Yes, the process proceeds to step S37. , No, the process proceeds to step S39. In step S37, the “print job output process in the storage device” shown in detail in FIG. 5 is executed, and then it is determined whether or not the printing has been completed normally (step S38). If Yes, the process proceeds to step S39. ,
On the other hand, if No, the process proceeds to step S44.

In step S39, it is determined whether or not the sheet handling by the sheet transport controller 13 and the sheet discharge controller 14 specified by the host 1 or the operation panel 19a is OK. If OK, the process proceeds to step S40. , On the other hand,
If not, the flow branches to step S42. In step S40, the paper feed transport control unit 13 and the paper discharge transport control unit 14
To print one page, and then reserve a paper discharge destination (step S41), and then return to step S31 to continue receiving print data.

In step S42, it is determined whether or not the data of the current job exists in the storage device 18 (step S4).
2) In the case of Yes, the process proceeds to step S44,
If No, the process proceeds to step S43. Step S43
Then, a directory entry for the current job ID is created, and the process proceeds to step S44. In step S44, page image data is created as a file in the storage device 18, and then the process returns to step S31 to continue receiving print data.

In step S45, the "print job output process in the storage device" shown in FIG. 5 is executed. Then, it is determined whether or not the printing has been completed normally (step S46). Proceeds to step S47, and if No, returns to step S45. Step S
At 47, the paper discharge destination is opened, and then this processing is terminated.
In the “print job output process in the storage device” in steps S37 and S45, as much as possible based on the priority order, the remaining sheets whose printing has been resumed are discharged onto the discharge tray discharged before the interruption. Also, the paper of another application is discharged onto another discharge tray.

[0027]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the paper feeding means or the paper discharging means designated by the host or the operation panel cannot be used, the print data sent from the host is received. Since the printing is resumed when the paper feeding means or the paper discharging means can be used, printing can be performed smoothly without waiting for transmission of print data by the host.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the paper supply means or the paper discharge means designated by the host or the operation panel becomes unavailable during the current print job from the host, the print job is not executed. While the printing is interrupted, the remaining print data of the print job sent from the host is continuously received and stored, and the remaining image data becomes available when the paper feeding means or the paper discharging means can be used. Since the printing of the data is restarted, the printing can be performed smoothly without waiting for the transmission of the print data by the host.

According to the third aspect of the invention, based on the priority order, as much as possible, the remaining sheets whose printing has been resumed are discharged onto the discharge tray that was discharged before the interruption, and other applications can be used. Since the paper is discharged onto another discharge tray, it is possible to prevent the paper for each application from being mixed on the discharge tray.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a page image data file for printing in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a display example in the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a printing operation performed by the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining in detail “print job output processing in a storage device” in FIGS. 4 and 6;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating another printing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Host 11 Print data receiving part 12 Print data development part 13 Paper feed conveyance control part 14 Paper discharge conveyance control part 15 Plotter part 16 Other functions (copy / FAX) part 17 Printing operation control part 18 Print page image data storage part 19 Operation Panel input / display control unit

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 1/21 H04N 1/21

Claims (3)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus receives print data sent from a host, expands the print data into image data for printing, and prints the image data on a sheet based on the image data. An image storage unit for performing a printing operation, a paper feeding unit for feeding paper to the printing mechanism, a paper discharging unit for discharging paper printed by the printing mechanism, and a host or operation panel instructed by a host or an operation panel. When the paper feeding means or the paper discharging means cannot be used, print data sent from the host is received and expanded into image data for printing, the image data is stored in the image storage means, Control means for reading out image data from the image storage means and performing printing when the means or paper discharge means can be used. Forming apparatus. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit configured to perform printing of the print job when the paper supply unit or the paper discharge unit designated by the host or the operation panel becomes unavailable during a print job from the host. At the same time as the interruption, the remaining print data of the print job sent from the host is continuously received and developed into image data for printing, the image data is stored in the image storage means, and the 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the paper means or the paper discharge means becomes usable, the remaining image data is read from the image storage means and controlled to resume printing. 3. The control unit interrupts printing in the middle of a current print job from a host by using the paper feeding unit or paper discharging unit designated by a host or an operation panel by another application. If possible, based on the priority order, discharge the remaining paper that has resumed printing onto the discharge tray that was discharged before the interruption and discharge the paper for the other application onto another discharge tray as much as possible based on the priority order. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control is performed so as to perform the control.