JP2003330325A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To simplify the processing of a printer controller,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of improving job efficiency while providing high-quality images. An engine control unit (202) sequentially stores a plurality of image forming process conditions for each page in a print registration memory in accordance with an instruction from a printer controller (201), and controls an electrophotographic process based on the stored image forming process conditions. It was configured to do so.

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 plurality of printing process conditions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus expands image code data sent from an external device such as a host computer into bit data necessary for printing by a printer, and a printer controller for reading internal information of the printer and displaying it. And a printer engine control unit for notifying the printer controller of printer internal information while controlling the operation according to the instruction of the printer controller.

When printing from an external device, a printer controller that develops image data issues a print instruction to an engine control unit, and the engine control unit that receives the print instruction feeds paper from a predetermined paper feed port. When the electrophotographic process is initialized and printing becomes possible, the image data transmitted from the external device is printed while synchronizing with the printer controller in the vertical direction.

This type of image forming apparatus can specify a plurality of process conditions in order to cope with various paper types and environments. For example, a fixing high temperature mode for fixing thick paper or fixing thin paper. It is possible to make settings corresponding to the paper type, such as the fixing low temperature mode. This is set by issuing a mode change instruction from the printer controller to the printer engine control unit.

[0005]

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus as described above, the printer controller does not accept the mode change instruction from the printer controller unless the inside of the printer engine is in the standby state. Every time I changed, I had to check if the printer engine was in the standby state, and the process became complicated. In addition, when jobs with different process conditions continue, the printer engine once enters a standby state for each job, and it takes time to print out.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and makes it possible to simplify the processing of the printer controller and provide a high quality image while improving the job efficiency. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, the above object is to form an image on a photosensitive member, develop the latent image with a developing material, and transfer the visualized image to recording paper. Means, a thermal fixing means for fixing the developer transferred to the recording paper, an engine control portion for controlling a mechanical portion of the electrophotographic process such as a conveying means for conveying the recording paper on an in-machine conveying path, and developing image data. An image forming apparatus having a printer controller having at least two or more process condition setting means for designating an image forming process condition to an engine control unit corresponding to each page of print data developed together with The engine control unit can sequentially store a plurality of image forming process conditions page by page in the print registration memory according to an instruction from the printer controller. It is achieved by providing a Do printing registration means, and an image forming process control means for performing control on the basis of the image forming process conditions stored in the printing registration memory. According to the second aspect of the invention, comparing means for comparing the image forming process conditions of the pages registered before and after in the registration memory, and the inter-page for switching the process processing operation between the pages according to the comparison result by the comparing means. This is achieved by providing a processing judgment means.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the inter-page processing determining means restarts the print processing operation of the subsequent page after finishing the print processing operation of the previous page according to the comparison result of the comparing means. Alternatively, it is achieved by determining whether or not the print processing operation of the succeeding page is continued after the preceding page.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the interpage processing judging means changes the image forming process condition of the previous page to the image processing condition of the succeeding page between the pages in accordance with the comparison result of the comparing means. Alternatively, it is achieved by determining whether to continue the print processing operation of the succeeding page to the preceding page.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) Of the image forming apparatus, a printer will be described as an example. The printer has a mechanism as shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, 101 is a photosensitive drum which is an electrostatic carrier, 102 is a semiconductor laser as a light source, 103 is a rotary polygon mirror rotated by a scanner motor 104, and 105 is emitted from the semiconductor laser 102.
A laser beam scans the photosensitive drum 101.

Reference numeral 106 denotes a charging roller for uniformly charging the photosensitive drum 101, and 107 denotes the photosensitive drum 101.
A developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed above with toner. Reference numeral 108 denotes a transfer roller for transferring the toner image developed by the developing device 107 onto a predetermined recording sheet, 1
Reference numeral 09 is a fixing device for fusing the toner transferred onto the recording paper with heat.

Of the image forming apparatuses, a printer will be described as an example. The printer has a mechanism as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 1, 101 is a photosensitive drum which is an electrostatic carrier, 102 is a semiconductor laser as a light source, 103 is a rotary polygon mirror rotated by a scanner motor 104, and 105 is a laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 102. It is a laser beam scanning over.

Reference numeral 106 denotes a charging roller for uniformly charging the photosensitive drum 101, and 107 denotes the photosensitive drum 101.
A developing device for developing the electrostatic latent image formed above with toner. Reference numeral 108 denotes a transfer roller for transferring the toner image developed by the developing device 107 onto a predetermined recording sheet, 1
Reference numeral 09 is a fixing device for fusing the toner transferred onto the recording paper with heat.

Reference numeral 110 denotes a cassette feeding roller which feeds a sheet from a cassette having a function of identifying the size of the recording sheet and sends it to the conveying path by rotating once, and 111 has a function of identifying the size of the recording sheet. Not a manual paper feed roller that feeds paper from the manual paper feed port (MP tray) to the transport path. Reference numeral 112 denotes an optional cassette paper feed roller for feeding the recording paper from the optional cassette having a function of identifying the size of the recording paper to the conveyance path,
Reference numeral 113 denotes a paper feed roller of an envelope feeder that feeds recording sheets one by one from an envelope feeder that can be attached and detached and can stack only envelopes to the conveying path. Denoted at 114 and 115 are conveyance rollers for conveying the recording paper fed from the cassette or the optional cassette.

Reference numeral 116 is a pre-feed sensor for detecting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the fed sheet, 117 is a pre-transfer roller for feeding the conveyed sheet to the photosensitive drum 101,
Reference numeral 18 denotes a top sensor for synchronizing the image writing (recording / printing) to the photosensitive drum 101 and the sheet conveyance for the fed sheet and measuring the length of the fed sheet in the conveying direction. Is. Reference numeral 119 is a paper discharge sensor for detecting the presence or absence of paper after fixing, and 120 is a discharge roller for discharging the paper after fixing to a face down (FD) tray 127.

Reference numeral 121 denotes a flapper for switching the destination of the printed sheet (delivery to a tray or removable double-sided unit), and 122 for switching the flapper to transport the sheet transported to the removable double-sided unit to the reversing unit. Conveying rollers, 123 is a reversing sensor for detecting the leading edge / rear edge of the sheet conveyed to the reversing section, and 124 is a sheet for reversing the sheet by sequentially operating forward / reverse rotation to feed the sheet to the re-feeding section It is the re-feeding roller.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a control system for controlling such a mechanical section. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 201 denotes a printer controller for developing image code data sent from an external device such as a host computer (not shown) into bit data necessary for printing by the printer, and reading internal information of the printer and displaying it. .

Reference numeral 202 denotes a printer engine control unit for controlling the operation of each unit of the printer engine in accordance with an instruction from the printer controller 201 and notifying the printer controller 201 of printer internal information.
Reference numeral 203 denotes a paper conveyance control unit that drives / stops a motor / roller or the like to convey recording paper in accordance with an instruction from the printer engine control unit 202. Reference numeral 204 denotes a printer for performing high voltage output control in each process such as charging, development, and transfer. This is a high-voltage control unit that operates according to instructions from the engine control unit 202. An optical system control unit 205 controls driving / stopping of the scanner motor 104 and lighting of a laser beam according to an instruction from the engine control unit 202. Reference numeral 207 denotes a fixing device control unit that drives / stops energization of the fixing heater in accordance with an instruction from the printer engine control unit.

Reference numeral 208 denotes a removable optional cassette control unit that drives / stops the drive system in accordance with instructions from the printer engine control unit 202, and informs the printer engine control unit 202 of the presence / absence of paper and paper size information. To do.

Reference numeral 209 denotes a control unit of a detachable double-sided unit, which inverts and re-feeds sheets according to an instruction from the printer engine control unit 202, and at the same time notifies the engine control unit 202 of the state.

Reference numeral 210 denotes a control unit of a removable envelope feeder, which drives / stops the drive system according to an instruction from the printer engine control unit 202 and notifies the printer engine control unit 202 of the presence / absence of paper. A communication control unit 212 performs 16-bit serial communication with the printer controller 201. For the 16-bit command data transmitted by the printer controller 201, the communication control unit 212 uses information inside the engine according to the command content. To 16-bit status data. The engine control unit 202 performs processing according to the command content from the printer controller received by the communication control unit 212.

When performing printing, the printer controller 201 issues a print reservation command and a print command to the engine control unit 202 for each print page.
The print reservation command is a command transmitted from the printer controller 201 to the engine control unit 202 in the order of pages to be printed. I that received this command
The D registration control unit 210 registers each printing process condition at that time in the ID registration area allocated for each ID. FIG. 3 illustrates the memory contents of a CPU (not shown) that stores the registration contents and the ID registration area in this embodiment. In this embodiment, ID registration is possible for 6 pages.

The paper feed control unit carries out the paper feed / transport operation from the designated and designated paper feed port in the order of ID reservation. For example, when a print reservation command is received in a state in which a cassette having a function of identifying the size of recording paper is specified in the paper feed port, the following paper feeding operation is started at the process speed in the designated state. The paper feed roller 110 is rotated once to pick up one sheet of paper loaded in the cassette,
The pick-up paper is conveyed by driving the conveying rollers 4 and 115. When the pre-feed sensor 116 detects the leading edge of the conveyed sheet, the driving of the conveying rollers 114 and 115 is stopped, and the sheet conveyance is stopped. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet fed from the cassette is fed to the predetermined position between the pre-feed sensor 116 and the pre-transfer roller 117.

The print command is the printer controller 20 which has completed the development of print data received from an external device such as a host computer (not shown) into bitmap data.
A command 1 is transmitted to the engine control unit 202.
Upon receiving the print command, the engine control unit 202 starts up the scanner motor, starts up the fixing device, and initializes the electrophotographic process. When the initialization of the electrophotographic process is completed, the driving of the conveyance rollers 114 and 115 is restarted, When the print reservation command is received, the conveyance of the sheet that has been conveyed to a predetermined position is restarted. Then top sensor 1
When 18 detects the leading edge of the sheet, the printing operation is started while synchronizing with the printer controller 201 in the vertical direction. Each control unit performs control under the process conditions registered in the ID registration area such as image formation and fixing, and discharges the paper to the specified paper discharge port. When continuously printing a plurality of pages, the print command for the succeeding paper is transmitted from the printer controller 201 to the engine control unit 202 after the vertical synchronization of the preceding paper is performed. Although the print command for the succeeding paper cannot be transmitted in advance of the vertical synchronization signal, the print reservation command can transmit a plurality of pages asynchronously with the vertical synchronization.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the control sequence of the ID registration control section 212.

At power-on, the ID registration control unit sets 0 in the ID registration counter PC and the ID number No in S401. The ID registration counter PC is set to 1 in the paper conveyance control unit.
Decremented when page printing is completed. The ID number No indicates the holding area of the registration memory. If No = 1 when the reservation command is received, the process condition is held in the ID1 registration area. The reservation command is accepted at any time in S402, and when the reservation command is received, S
At 403, it is confirmed whether the ID registration counter PC has reached 5. If the value is 5, it means that there is 6 pages of unprinted data, so that the printer controller is notified that the reservation is impossible in step S405. If it is less than 5, it is confirmed in S404 whether the ID number No is 6 or not. If it is 6, the number has overflowed, so 0 is set in S406. If it is less than 6, the process condition currently instructed by the printer controller is held in the IDNo registration memory in S407, and the ID number No is incremented. During continuous printing, S402 to S407 are repeated.

The printer controller issues a command instructing the process mode before issuing the reservation command for each page.

As described above, in the present embodiment, each control unit of the printer engine performs control under the process condition held in the ID registration memory, so that the printer controller issues the process mode command regardless of the state of the printer engine. It is possible to easily specify the process mode for each page.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a printer controller in this embodiment. The schematic configuration diagram is the same as that of the first embodiment, and is omitted.

Reference numeral 501 denotes the I registered by the ID registration control unit.
A process condition comparison unit that compares the process conditions of the previous and next pages of the D registration memory, and an inter-page process determination unit 502 that determines switching of inter-page control based on the process condition comparison result.

FIG. 6 shows the printer controller 201
9 is a flowchart of a control sequence of an interpage process determination unit 502 in a state where a print reservation command of D0 and ID1 is received.

The ID registration memory stores and holds the process mode when each print reservation command is issued, and the data contents are the paper feed port, process speed, and paper ejection port 3 modes shown in FIG. is there.

After the printer controller receives the print command for ID0, it waits for the paper of ID0 to reach the top sensor in S601. When the paper reaches the top sensor, the data is read from the registration memory of ID1 (S
602) and S603, the transfer speeds are compared. If ID0 and ID1 do not match here, ID is given in S611.
When the printer engine 0 is discharged to the FD tray 127, the printing operation is completed, and the printer engine is in the standby state (S612), each process mode is set to the contents stored in the ID1 registration memory in S613. After the setting is completed, the I
The paper feed operation of D1 is permitted, and the engine control unit registers the ID 1
The print operation is performed according to the memory settings.

When the transport speeds match, the sheet feed port is changed to the sheet feed port of ID1 without entering the standby state (S604), and the sheet transport control unit is allowed to feed the sheet of ID1 (S605).

Then, after the trailing edge of the paper of ID0 passes through the paper discharge sensor (S606), a predetermined time elapses in S607, and the paper is set to the paper discharge port of ID1 (S608).

When a plurality of pages are printed, the same steps are repeated for each preceding and following ID.

When printing a plurality of pages in this way, the engine control unit determines whether the printer engine is once put in standby by comparing the process modes stored in the ID registration memory at the time of reservation with the front and rear IDs. Therefore, when the process conditions are matched or the items which do not need to be put in the standby state, the succeeding paper can be continuously fed.

(Third Embodiment) In the present embodiment, a schematic configuration diagram and a control block diagram are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore omitted.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the control sequence of the interpage processing judgment unit 502 in the state where the print reservation commands of ID0 and ID1 are received from the printer controller 201 in this embodiment.

The ID registration memory stores and holds the process mode when each print reservation command is issued. The contents of the data are the same as in the second embodiment. The paper mouth 3 mode.

After the printer controller receives the print command for ID0, it waits for the paper of ID0 to reach the top sensor in S801. When the paper reaches the top sensor, the data is read from the registration memory of ID1 (S
In 802) and S803, the transport speed is compared. Here, if the transport speed Vid0 of ID0 and the transport speed Vid1 of ID1 match, the ID continues in S811.
The above-described processing of S604 and thereafter for performing the printing operation 1 is performed. Next, in S804, the transport speed Vi of ID0
If d0 is faster than the transport speed Vid1 of ID1, the above-described processing of S611 and the following steps for temporarily setting the printer engine to the standby state is performed in S812. Where I
D0 transport speed Vid0 is ID1 transport speed V
If it is later than id1, the sheet feed port is changed to the sheet feed port of ID1 without entering the standby state (S805).
After that, when the trailing edge of the sheet of ID0 passes through the discharge sensor (S806), the setting is changed to the conveyance speed of ID1 (S807), and the sheet conveyance control unit is allowed to feed ID1 (S808). ).

Then, in S809, after a predetermined time elapses, it is set to the discharge port of ID1 (S810).

In this way, when printing a plurality of pages, by comparing the process modes stored in the ID registration memory at the time of reservation with the front and rear IDs, it is possible to adjust the paper feed timing of the subsequent pages between pages at a predetermined timing. By changing the process conditions suitable for the succeeding page, it becomes possible to continue the printing process for the succeeding paper without entering the standby mode. As a result, the start-up time of the scanner motor and the drive system motor can be shortened, and efficient printing can be performed even when different process conditions continue.

[0044]

According to the present invention, the printer engine control unit automatically controls the process mode based on the memory contents registered at the time of reservation, so that the processing of the printer controller can be simplified.

Further, when printing a plurality of pages, the printer engine control unit compares the process modes stored in the ID registration memory at the time of reservation with the front and rear IDs, and whether the engine control unit once puts the printer engine in standby or not. It is possible to make a determination, and it is possible to continue feeding and conveying the succeeding paper when the process conditions match or for items that do not need to be put in the standby mode.

Even when the process conditions are different, by adjusting the paper feed timing of the succeeding paper between pages and changing the process condition suitable for the succeeding page at a predetermined timing, the succeeding pages can be continuously processed without entering the standby mode. It becomes possible to print the paper.

As a result, the start-up time of the scanner motor and the drive system motor can be shortened, and efficient printing can be performed even under different process conditions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an ID registration memory and a memory layout diagram of a CPU in the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an ID registration control unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a page processing determination unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration of an ID registration memory according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a page processing determination unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

101 photosensitive drum 102 Semiconductor laser 107 developing machine 108 transfer roller 109 fixing roller

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An image forming means for forming a latent image on a photoconductor, developing the latent image with a developing material and transferring the visualized image to a recording sheet, and fixing the developing material transferred to the recording sheet. An engine control unit that controls a mechanical unit of an electrophotographic process, such as a heat fixing unit and a conveying unit that conveys the recording paper on an in-machine conveying path, develops image data, and controls an engine corresponding to each page of the developed print data. An image forming apparatus having a printer controller having at least two or more process condition setting means for designating an image forming process condition to a copy unit, wherein the engine control unit receives a plurality of instructions according to an instruction from the printer controller. A print registration means capable of sequentially storing the image forming process conditions page by page in the print registration memory, and the print registration memory. An image forming apparatus, comprising an image forming process control means for performing control on the basis of the image forming process conditions. 2. Comparing means for comparing the image forming process conditions of the pages registered before and after the registration memory, and inter-page processing judging means for switching the process processing operation between pages according to the comparison result by the comparing means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The page-to-page processing judging means, after finishing the printing processing operation of the previous page, in accordance with the comparison result of the comparing means,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein it is determined whether the print processing operation of the subsequent page is restarted or whether the print processing operation of the subsequent page is to be continued to the previous page. 4. The inter-page processing determination means adjusts the paper feed timing of the subsequent page between pages according to the comparison result of the comparison means, changes to the image processing condition of the subsequent page, and continues to the previous page. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the print processing operation of the subsequent page is performed. 5. The image forming process condition includes any one of a fixing mode, a charging mode, a transfer mode, a developing mode and a sheet conveying speed.
The image forming apparatus described in 3 and 4.