JP2012138869A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To easily know the contents of print setting information held in print data.
When the number of selected print data is one and printing is executed by changing the content of print setting information held by the print data, the control unit prints the print data held by the selected print data The setting information is compared with the initial setting stored in the initial setting storage unit, and for the different items, the display control unit reflects the contents of the print setting information held by the print data in the icon part of the item, Do not display the icon.
[Selection] Figure 11

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a document box for accumulating and storing image data.

  As described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, recent digital multi-function peripherals have a document box for storing and storing image data read by a scanner and document data transmitted from an external device such as a personal computer. Is popular. In this type of image forming apparatus, data stored in a document box can be printed, transmitted by facsimile, or transmitted to a personal computer.

JP 2004-021390 A JP 2004-227476 A

  Generally, document data transmitted from a personal computer is stored in a document box with print setting information such as double-sided printing or stapling added. When printing such document data, you can print by changing the print setting information originally held, but you want to know the contents of the print setting information originally held by the user It is necessary to display the item operation screen by performing key operations, and it is inconvenient because the contents of the print setting information cannot be immediately obtained.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus that can easily know the contents of print setting information held in print data. .

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus for storing and storing print data, a print receiving means for receiving selection input of print data stored in the storage means, and printing an image on paper. When the image forming unit and the print accepting unit accept a selection input of one print data holding the print setting information, the print setting information is used as it is, or the print setting information is changed and printed. A setting change accepting unit that accepts a selection input as to whether or not to perform, an initial value storage unit that stores an initial value of print setting information of the apparatus main body, and the setting change accepting unit changes the print setting information held by the print data And receiving a selection input for printing, a determination unit for determining whether the print setting information is different from the print setting information stored in the initial value storage unit, and the setting change When the accepting unit accepts a selection input for printing by changing the print setting information held by the print data, the print setting screen is displayed on the display unit, and the determination unit holds the print setting held by the print data. When it is determined that the information and the print setting information stored in the initial value storage means are different, the display control means for displaying the setting contents of the print setting information held in the print data for the different print setting items in the print setting screen And a print setting reception unit that receives a print setting setting input via the print setting screen, and the setting change reception unit receives a selection input for printing using the print setting information held by the print data as it is. The print setting information is used to cause the image forming unit to print the print data, and the print data is retained. Print control for controlling the image forming unit to print the print data using the print setting received by the print setting receiving unit when the print setting information received by the print setting information is received. Means.

  According to this configuration, when the print setting information is changed and printing is desired, items different from the initial value of the print setting information (different from the default) among the contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the user can immediately know the contents of the print setting information held by the print data through the display unit (screen), and the convenience when changing the print setting information is enhanced.

  A second aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein, for the same setting item in the stored print setting information, a part representing the setting item is displayed as an icon. For the different setting items, the setting contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed without displaying an icon.

  According to this configuration, among the contents of the print setting information held by the print data, the same item as the initial value of the print setting information (same as the default) is displayed as an icon, and the different item (different from the default) is displayed as a setting content. Therefore, the user can know visually the contents of the print setting information held by the print data in an easy-to-understand manner.

  According to the present invention, when the print setting information is changed and printing is desired, items different from the initial value of the print setting information (different from the default) of the contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the user can immediately know the contents of the print setting information held by the print data through the display unit (screen), and the convenience when changing the print setting information is enhanced.

1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of an internal structure of an image forming apparatus. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus. The figure for demonstrating the data structure in a box. The figure which showed an example of the operation display part. The figure for demonstrating the data structure of an initial setting memory | storage part. The flowchart which showed the flow of the printing process of the data memorize | stored in the box. The flowchart which showed the flow of the printing process of the data memorize | stored in the box following FIG. The figure which showed the list screen of the box name of a box. The figure which showed the list screen of the data preserve | saved at the box. The figure which showed the screen which receives the selection input of whether to use the print setting information which print data hold | maintain. The figure which showed the print setting screen. The figure which showed the conventional print setting screen.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the internal structure of an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 can be applied to, for example, a digital multifunction machine having a copy, printer, and facsimile function. The image forming apparatus 1 is a tandem system, and includes an apparatus main body 100 and an image reading unit 200 disposed on the apparatus main body 100.

  The image reading unit 200 reads an image (character, figure, photograph, etc.) with a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or the like and outputs it as image data. The image reading unit 200 has a function of reading a color image. As a result, copying and facsimile transmission can be performed.

  The apparatus main body 100 includes a sheet storage unit 110, an image forming unit 130, and a fixing unit 160.

  The paper storage unit 110 is disposed at the lowermost part of the apparatus main body 100 and includes a paper tray 111 that can store a bundle of paper P. The paper tray 111 is inserted into the apparatus main body 100 and attached. When the paper P is replenished, the paper tray 111 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 100. In the bundle of sheets P stored in the sheet tray 111, the uppermost sheet P is fed out toward the sheet conveyance path 115 by driving the pickup roller 113. The paper P is transported to the image forming unit 130 through the paper transport path 115.

  The image forming unit 130 forms a toner image on the conveyed paper P. The image forming unit 130 includes a magenta unit 133M, a cyan unit 133C, a yellow unit 133Y, and a black unit 133K, which are arranged in the order in which the toner images are transferred to the transfer belt 131. These units have the same configuration, and a magenta unit 133M will be described as an example.

  The magenta unit 133M includes a photosensitive drum 135 and an exposure device 137. Around the photosensitive drum 135, a charger 139, a developing device 141, and a cleaner 143 are arranged. The charger 139 uniformly charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 135. The exposure device 137 generates light corresponding to magenta data among image data (image data output from the image reading unit 200, image data transmitted from a personal computer, image data received by facsimile, etc.), and uniformly. Irradiate the circumferential surface of the charged photosensitive drum 135. As a result, an electrostatic latent image having a magenta pattern is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 135. In this state, by supplying magenta toner from the developing device 141 to the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 135, a toner image having a magenta pattern is formed on the peripheral surface.

  The transfer belt 131 can move clockwise while being sandwiched between the photosensitive drum 135 and the primary transfer roller 145. A toner image having a magenta pattern is transferred from the photosensitive drum 135 to the transfer belt 131. The magenta toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 135 is removed by the cleaner 143. The above is the description of the magenta unit 133M.

  Above the magenta unit 133M, the cyan unit 133C, the yellow unit 133Y, and the black unit 133K, containers that store toner of corresponding colors, that is, a magenta toner container 147M, a cyan toner container 147C, and a yellow toner. A container for toner 147Y and a container for black toner 147K are arranged. Each color developing device 141 is supplied with toner from a corresponding container.

  As described above, a magenta pattern toner image is transferred to the transfer belt 131, and a cyan pattern toner image is transferred onto the toner image. Similarly, a yellow pattern toner image and a black pattern toner are transferred. The image is transferred in layers. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the transfer belt 131. In this way, a color toner image is formed on the transfer belt 131 by transferring the toner image of each color pattern superimposed on the transfer belt 131. The color toner image is transferred by the secondary transfer roller 149 onto the paper P conveyed from the paper storage unit 110 described above.

  The sheet P on which the color toner image is transferred is sent to the fixing unit 160. The fixing unit 160 has a structure in which a fixing belt 165 is hung on a heating roller 161 and a fixing roller 163. The fixing belt 165 is sandwiched between the fixing roller 163 and the pressure roller 167. The paper P onto which the color toner image is transferred is sandwiched between these rollers. Thus, heat and pressure are applied to the color toner image and the paper P, and the color toner image is fixed to the paper P. The paper P is discharged to a paper discharge tray 169.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a storage unit 100, an image reading unit 200, an image forming unit 130, a control unit 300, an operation display unit 400, and a communication unit 500 are connected to each other via a bus. The image forming unit 130 and the image reading unit 200 have been described with reference to FIG.

  The storage unit 100 is formed of a storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory, for example. The storage unit 100 accumulates and stores image data read by the image reading unit 200, document data received by the communication unit 500 from a personal computer, and the like as print data. Is stored in the document box group 110. The data stored in the box 111 can be printed at any time, and can correspond to various functions such as batch printing for printing a plurality of data at once, management of a print job, and a preview function. Further, the boxes 111 can be properly used for each user, each group, each department, or the like.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the data configuration of the box 111. The print data stored in the box 111 may include data that holds print setting information and data that does not. In general, document data sent from a personal computer or the like is sent together with print setting information such as paper size, double-sided printing, and stapling specification set by the user on the personal computer, so this print setting information is added to the document data. This is because the image data read by the image reading unit 200 is saved without adding print setting information. In the case of FIG. 3, the file aaa and the file bbb hold print setting information, but the file ccc and the file ddd do not hold print setting information.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation display unit 400. The operation display unit 400 is provided with operation keys including hard keys. Specifically, a start key 401, a numeric keypad 402, a stop key 403, a reset key 404, a function switching key 405 for switching between copy, printer, scanner, and facsimile are provided. A document box key 407 is a key used when an operation related to a document box described later is performed.

  The operation display unit 400 is provided with a display panel 406 having a touch panel function. The display panel 406 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an ELD (Electronic Luminescent Display), or the like, and displays various operations and operation contents, as well as operation keys including soft keys. The display panel 406 detects the touch position and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 300 when the user performs a touch operation.

  The communication unit 500 includes a facsimile communication unit 501 and a network I / F unit 503. The facsimile communication unit 501 includes an NCU (Network Control Unit) for controlling connection of a telephone line with a destination facsimile and a modulation / demodulation circuit for modulating / demodulating a signal for facsimile communication, and is connected to the telephone line 505. A network I / F unit 503 is a communication interface circuit for executing communication with a terminal device such as a personal computer connected to the LAN 507, and is connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) 507.

  The control unit 300 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), an image memory, and the like. The CPU executes control necessary for operating the image forming apparatus 1 on the hardware constituting the image forming apparatus 1. The ROM stores software necessary for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The RAM is used for temporary storage of data generated during execution of software, storage of application software, and the like. The image memory temporarily stores image data (image data output from the image reading unit 200, document data received by the communication unit 500, and the like).

  The control unit 300 includes a display control unit 301, a print control unit 302, and an initial setting storage unit 303. The display control unit 301 controls the display panel 406 to display messages such as various operations and operation contents, and operation keys. The print control unit 302 performs print control on the image forming unit 130 when printing the print data stored in the box 111.

  The initial setting storage unit 303 stores a default value (initial value) of print settings of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the stored contents of the initial setting storage unit 303. The initial setting storage unit 303 stores, as default values, frequently used print setting values such as paper selection, reduction / enlargement, density, duplex / split, page aggregation, staple / punch, and the like. The default value stored in the initial setting storage unit 303 is stored in advance before, for example, factory shipment.

  Hereinafter, a method for printing one piece of print data that holds print setting information will be described in detail. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the flow of print processing of print data stored in the box 111 according to the present embodiment. When the user presses the document box key 407 of the operation display unit 400 (step S11; YES), the display control unit 301 displays the screen 600 on the display panel 406 (step S12). FIG. 8 shows a box list screen 600 stored in the document box group 110. The user selects a desired box from the boxes displayed on the screen 600 using the touch panel function.

  Thereafter, when the “open” key 602 is selected by the user (step S13; YES), the display control unit 301 displays a screen 610 shown in FIG. 9 (step S14). FIG. 9 shows a list screen 610 of print data stored in the box selected on the screen 600. The user selects data to be printed from the print data displayed on the screen 610. Further, in response to the touch operation by the user, the display control unit 301 displays a check mark in the check box 611 of the selected print data.

  When the selection of the print data is completed and the “print” key 612 is selected by the user (step S15; YES), the print control unit 302 reads the selected print data from the box 111 and stores it in the RAM or the like included in the control unit 300. Temporary storage. Then, the control unit 300 determines the number of selected print data (step S16). When the number of selected print data is plural (step S16; plural), the control unit 300 performs another process. In brief, the control unit 300 temporarily stores a plurality of selected print data in a RAM, and each print data is printed according to the print setting information held.

  On the other hand, when the number of selected print data is one (step S16; one), the display control unit 301 causes the display panel 401 to display a screen 620 as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a screen 620 that accepts a selection input as to whether or not to use print setting information held by print data. A key 621 is a key that is selected when printing is performed using the print setting information held in the print data as it is. A key 622 is a key selected when printing is performed by changing the contents of the print setting information held in the print data.

  When the user selects the key 621 (step S17; NO), the print control unit 302 does not change the print setting information of the print data temporarily stored in the RAM, and when the start key 401 is subsequently pressed ( In step S19; YES), the print control unit 302 outputs the print data temporarily stored in the RAM to the image forming unit 130 to execute printing. As a result, the image forming unit 130 prints the print data using the print setting information held by the print data. That is, printing is performed using the print setting information held in the print data as it is (step S20). On the other hand, when the user selects the key 622 (step S17; YES), the display control unit 301 causes the display panel 401 to display a print setting screen 630 as shown in FIG. FIG. 11 shows a print setting screen 630 displayed when the print setting information is changed and printed.

  Conventionally, when the user wants to change the print setting information and print, a print setting screen 640 as shown in FIG. 12 is displayed, and a predetermined key operation is required to know the contents of the print setting information held in the print data, which is troublesome. It was. For example, in order to know “paper size” in the print setting information of the file aaa shown in FIG. 3, the user selects the paper selection icon of the setting icon 641, and the setting contents for the first time on the paper selection screen displayed next. I was able to know. As described above, the user cannot immediately know the print setting information held by the file aaa, which is inconvenient.

  Therefore, the control unit 300 compares the print setting information held in the file aaa with the default value stored in the initial setting storage unit 303 to determine whether the setting contents are different. When the setting contents are different, the display control unit 301 displays the different items by reflecting the contents of the print setting information held in the file aaa in the icon part of the items, and does not display the icons.

  Since the file aaa holds print setting information “A4 horizontal, double-sided, stapling”, the display control unit 301 sets the paper selection icon “A4 horizontal” among the setting icons 631 of the print setting screen 630, and the double-sided / divided icon. The contents of the print setting information are represented with “double-sided” and the staple / punch icon as “staple”, and marks corresponding to the contents are also displayed. Icons of items having the same contents as the print setting information and default values held in the file aaa, that is, the reduction / enlargement icon 631a, the density icon 631b, and the page aggregation icon 631c are displayed as icons. In this way, the contents of the print setting information held by the print data are compared with the default values, and the contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed without displaying icons for different items. By doing so, the user can visually understand the contents of the print setting information held by the print data in an easily understandable manner.

  When the user selects, for example, the density icon 631b on the print setting screen 630, the display control unit 301 displays a density setting screen (not shown). The user performs density adjustment via this density setting screen. When the user wants to change the contents of the print setting information held by the file aaa, the user selects the function tab 632 according to the contents to be changed. When the function tab 632 is selected, the display control unit 301 displays a setting screen corresponding to the type of the selected tab. For example, when the user wants to change the paper to “A4 vertical” instead of “A4 horizontal”, the user selects the “original / paper / finish” tab of the function tab 632. When this tab is selected, the display control unit 301 displays a paper selection screen (not shown). The user can change the paper setting via the paper selection screen.

  The display panel 406 having a touch panel function detects a touch position and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 300 when the user performs a touch operation. The print control unit 302 temporarily stores the detection signal in the RAM based on the detection signal. The print setting information of the print data being changed is changed (step S18). Here, “change the print setting information” means that the print control unit 302 changes the print setting information of the print data temporarily stored in the RAM to the print setting information set in step S19.

  When the user presses the start key 401 (step S19; YES), the print control unit 302 outputs the print data temporarily stored in the RAM to the image forming unit 130 to execute printing. As a result, the image forming unit 130 prints the print data using the print setting information held by the print data. That is, the print data is printed with the print setting changed in step S18 (step S20).

  As described above, when the print setting information is to be changed and printed, the control unit 300 compares the contents of the print setting information held in the print data with the initial settings stored in the initial setting storage unit 303. For the different items, the display control unit 301 displays the contents of the print setting information held by the print data without displaying the icons. By doing so, the user can visually understand the contents of the print setting information held by the print data in an easy-to-understand manner, and the convenience when changing the print setting information is enhanced.

1 Image Forming Apparatus 100 Storage Unit 110 Document Box Group 111 Box (Storage Unit)
130 Image forming unit (image forming means)
200 Image Reading Unit 300 Control Unit (Judgment Unit)
301 Display control unit (display control means)
302 Print control unit (print control means)
303 Initial setting storage unit (initial value storage means)
400 Operation display unit (print accepting means, setting change accepting means, print setting accepting means)
401 Display panel (display unit)
500 Communication unit

Claims (2)

Storage means for accumulating and storing print data;
Print accepting means for accepting a selection input of print data stored in the storage means;
Image forming means for printing an image on paper;
When the print accepting unit accepts selection input of one print data holding the print setting information, whether to print using the print setting information as it is, or whether to change the print setting information and print A setting change accepting means for accepting a selection input;
Initial value storage means for storing an initial value of the print setting information of the apparatus main body;
Whether or not the print setting information and the print setting information stored in the initial value storage unit are different when the setting change receiving unit receives a selection input for changing the print setting information held in the print data and printing. A judging means for judging
When the setting change accepting unit accepts a selection input for changing the print setting information held by the print data and printing, a print setting screen is displayed on the display unit, and the judging unit holds the print data. When it is determined that the print setting information to be stored is different from the print setting information stored in the initial value storage unit, the setting contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed in the print setting screen for different print setting items. Display control means;
Print setting receiving means for receiving a print setting setting input via the print setting screen;
When the setting change accepting unit accepts a selection input for printing using the print setting information held in the print data as it is, the image forming unit is caused to print the print data using the print setting information. When the print setting information held by the print data is changed and the selection input for printing is received, the print setting received by the print setting receiving unit is used to print the print data to the image forming unit. Print control means for performing control to perform printing;
An image forming apparatus.   The display control unit displays, as an icon, a portion representing the setting item for the same setting item in the print setting information stored in the print data and the print setting information stored in the initial value storage unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting contents of the print setting information held by the print data are displayed without displaying icons for different setting items.

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