JP2007276282A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently perform a color printing processing which matches the characteristic of a color printer apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 1 comprises an ink residual-quantity control means 22 for controlling the residual quantity of the ink of the color printer apparatus 3 of inkjet type and a toner residual-quantity control means 24 for controlling the residual quantity of the toner of the color printer apparatus 4 of electrophotography type. If the ink residual-quantity control means 22 judges the ink residual quantity to be a threshold value or more, the printing processing is performed with the color printer apparatus 3 of inkjet type. If the ink residual-quantity control means 22 judges the ink residual quantity to be less than the threshold and the toner residual-quantity control means 24 judges the toner residual quantity to be more than the threshold, the printing processing is performed by the color printer apparatus 4 of electrophotography type. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of outputting a color image, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including an ink jet color printer apparatus and an electrophotographic color printer apparatus.

  In recent years, in the field of image forming apparatuses such as copiers, facsimile machines, and multi-function machines, it is possible to output color images using a plurality of colors of toner and ink in accordance with the diversification and sophistication of user requests. A type of image forming apparatus has been developed.

As one of the conventional image forming apparatuses of this type, for example, a composite printer apparatus having a color printer apparatus under a monochrome printer apparatus has been proposed. In this composite printer apparatus, monochrome printing is performed by the monochrome printer apparatus. When both monochrome printing and color printing are performed, after the color printing process is performed by the color printer apparatus, the monochrome printer apparatus is further processed. Thus, monochrome printing processing is performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-10-198106

  However, in the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, the color printing process is performed only by the color printer apparatus. Therefore, when the remaining amount of ink in the color printer apparatus is insufficient, the ink is replenished. Until then, the color printing process had to be stopped, and it was difficult to perform the printing process efficiently.

  In addition, since the same color printer apparatus performs color printing processing regardless of whether the document data type is image data or text data, there is a problem in that color printing processing that matches the characteristics of the color printer apparatus cannot be performed. there were.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides an image forming apparatus capable of performing a printing process efficiently and performing a color printing process suitable for the characteristics of the color printer apparatus. It is intended.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus including an ink jet color printer apparatus and an electrophotographic color printer apparatus. An ink remaining amount managing means for managing, and a toner remaining amount managing means for managing the remaining amount of toner in the electrophotographic color printer apparatus, and the remaining ink amount management if the remaining ink amount is equal to or greater than a threshold value When the means determines, the ink-jet color printer apparatus executes a printing process, and the ink remaining amount management means determines that the remaining amount of ink is less than a threshold value. If the remaining toner amount management means determines that the remaining amount is equal to or greater than the threshold, print processing is performed on the electrophotographic color printer device. And characterized in that.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, when the remaining ink management unit determines that the remaining amount of ink is less than the threshold value, the remaining toner amount is determined to be less than the threshold value. If the amount management means determines, the printer may further comprise ink and toner shortage notifying means for stopping the printing process and notifying that the remaining amount of ink and toner is insufficient.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention further includes document data analysis means for analyzing whether or not the image data or text data is included in the document data, and the image data includes the image data. When the document data analysis means determines, the document data analysis means determines that text data is included in the document data by causing the inkjet color printer apparatus to execute the printing process of the image data. Alternatively, the text data printing process may be executed by the electrophotographic color printer apparatus.

  According to the present invention, when the ink of any color is insufficient, the apparatus for performing the color printing process is switched to the electrophotographic printer apparatus. Since there is no need to stop the printing process, the printing process can be performed efficiently.

  Also, for image data in document data, an inkjet printer device performs color printing processing, while for text data in document data, an electrophotographic printer device performs color printing processing, and each printer Since color printing processing suitable for the characteristics of the apparatus can be performed, it is possible to perform printing processing taking advantage of the advantages of the ink jet and electrophotographic printer apparatuses.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a printer controller of the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a sheet feeding device 2, an inkjet color printer device 3, and a laser color printer device 4 stacked in order from the bottom. The paper discharge tray 5 is formed on the upper surface of the laser color printer 4.

  The paper feed device 2 includes a paper feed cassette 6 that stores paper, a transport unit (not shown) that separates and transports the paper in the paper feed cassette 6, and a first paper discharge port 7 formed on the upper surface. .

  The ink jet type color printer apparatus 3 includes a first paper receiving port 8 formed at a position corresponding to the first paper discharge port 7 on the lower surface, an ink jet color printing unit 9, black (K) cyan (C), and magenta. (M), light cyan (LC), light magenta (LM), and an ink tank portion 10 having inks of six colors of yellow (Y), and a second paper discharge port 11 formed on the upper surface.

  The laser type color printer device 4 includes a second paper receiving port 12 formed at a position corresponding to the second paper discharge port 11 on the lower surface, a laser color printing unit 13, black (K), cyan (C), A toner unit 14 having four colors of magenta (M) and yellow (Y) toner, a fixing unit 15 for fixing the toner image transferred to the paper, and a third paper discharge unit 16 formed on the upper surface are provided. ing.

  The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with a printer controller 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer controller 20 includes an ink control unit 21 that controls ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10 during printing processing, and an ink remaining amount that manages the remaining amount of ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10. A management unit 22; a toner control unit 23 that controls toner of each color of the toner unit 14 during printing processing; a toner remaining amount management unit 24 that manages the remaining amount of toner of each color of the toner unit 14; A system state management unit 25 that determines a printer device to perform printing processing based on information on the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank unit 10 from the information 22 and information on the remaining amount of toner in the toner unit 14 from the toner remaining amount management unit 24; Based on the determination made by the document data analysis unit 26 that analyzes whether image data or text data is included in the data, and the system state management unit 25. Is constituted by a print processing unit 27 to execute the printing process to each printer 3, 4 come.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, when document data is transmitted from the user to the image forming apparatus 1, the document data analysis unit 26 analyzes whether or not image data or text data is included in the document data (S101). In addition, the remaining ink management unit 22 calculates the remaining amount of ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10 and acquires the calculation result as remaining ink information, and the remaining toner management unit 24 sets the remaining amount of each color in the toner unit 14. The remaining amount of ink is calculated, and the calculation result is acquired as toner remaining amount information (S102).

  If the document data analysis unit 26 determines that image data is included in the document data as a result of the analysis by the document data analysis unit 26 in step 101 (Y in S103), the next step 104 is performed. The remaining ink management unit 22 determines whether or not the remaining amount of ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. As a result, when it is determined that the remaining amount of ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10 is less than the threshold value, the remaining ink management unit 22 transmits the information to the system state management unit 25, and the system state management unit 25 notifies the user that the remaining amount of ink is insufficient (S105), and proceeds to the next step 106.

  On the other hand, if the document data analysis unit 26 determines that image data is not included in the document data in the step 103 (N in S103), the steps 103, 104, and 105 are skipped, and the step 106 is performed. Proceed to

  When the remaining ink management unit 22 determines in step 104 that the remaining amount of ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the system state management unit 25 performs the image data printing process. In accordance with the determination, the print processing unit 27 instructs the ink-jet color printer apparatus 3 to execute the print processing of the image data.

  In response to this command, the ink-jet color printer apparatus 3 transports the sheet from the sheet feeding cassette 6 of the sheet feeding apparatus 2 through the first sheet discharge port 7 and the first sheet receiving port 8. Then, based on the image data analyzed by the document data analysis unit 26, the ink control unit 21 controls ink of each color in the ink tank unit 10, and the inkjet color printing unit 9 performs color printing processing on the paper. (S107).

  Thereafter, when the printing process of the image data by the ink jet type color printer apparatus 3 is completed, in the next step 108, the document data analysis unit 26 determines whether or not the text data is included in the document data. As a result, when the document data analysis unit 26 determines that the text data is not included in the document data (N in S103), the printing process is terminated, and the text data is included in the document data. If the document data analysis unit 26 determines that there is (Yes in S103), the process proceeds to step 106.

  In step 106, the toner remaining amount management unit 24 determines whether the remaining amount of toner of each color in the toner unit 14 is equal to or greater than a threshold value. As a result, when the remaining toner amount management unit 24 determines whether the remaining amount of toner of each color in the toner unit 14 is less than the threshold, the information is transmitted to the system state management unit 25, and the system state management unit 25 The user is notified that the remaining amount of toner is insufficient (S109). As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 stops the printing process until at least one of the ink tank unit 10 and the toner unit 14 is replenished with ink or toner (S110). Start processing.

  On the other hand, when the remaining toner amount management unit 24 determines in step 106 that the remaining amount of toner of each color in the toner unit 14 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the system state management unit 25 performs the text data printing process. In accordance with the determination, the print processing unit 27 instructs the laser color printer apparatus 4 to execute the text data printing process.

  In response to this command, the laser-type color printer device 4 receives the paper that has passed through the interior of the ink-jet type color printer device 3 from the paper feed cassette 6 of the paper feed device 2 in the second paper discharge port 11 and the second paper discharge port 11. It is conveyed through the paper receiving port 12. Then, based on the text data analyzed by the document data analysis unit 26, the toner control unit 23 controls the toner of each color of the toner unit 14, and the laser color printing unit 13 performs a color printing process on the paper. After (S111), the printing process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, when any color ink in the ink tank unit 10 is insufficient, the apparatus that performs the color printing process is the laser type printer apparatus. Since the color printing process does not need to be stopped during ink replenishment, the printing process can be performed efficiently.

  For image data in the document data, the inkjet printer device 3 for color high image quality printing with six colors of ink is caused to perform color printing processing, while for text data in the document data, a laser method is used. The printer apparatus 4 can perform color printing processing, and can perform color printing processing that matches the characteristics of each printer apparatus. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently print a fine image with high quality, and it is possible to perform a printing process that takes advantage of the advantages of the ink jet type and laser type printer apparatuses.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the laser printer device 4 is combined with the ink jet printer device 3 has been described. However, this is merely an example, and the present invention is applied to the ink jet printer device 3. The present invention is also applicable to a combination of other types of electrophotographic printer devices such as LED (Light Emitting Diode) printer devices.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the ink jet printer device 3 is provided with the ink tank portion 10 composed of six colors of ink. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the black Other ink jet printers, such as an ink jet printer device for color high image quality printing, which has an ink tank portion composed of four colors of ink (K), cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) The present invention can also be applied to an image forming apparatus including the apparatus.

1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a printer controller of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 3 Inkjet printer device 4 Laser printer device 22 Ink remaining amount management unit 24 Toner remaining amount management unit 25 System state management unit 26 Document data analysis unit

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus including an inkjet color printer device and an electrophotographic color printer device,
Ink remaining amount management means for managing the remaining amount of ink in the inkjet color printer device;
Toner remaining amount managing means for managing the remaining amount of toner in the electrophotographic color printer device;
And the ink remaining amount management means determines that the ink remaining amount is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and causes the ink-jet color printer device to execute a printing process, and the ink remaining amount is less than the threshold value. If the remaining ink management unit determines that there is a toner, and the remaining toner management unit determines that the remaining amount of toner is equal to or greater than a threshold, printing is performed on the electrophotographic color printer device. An image forming apparatus characterized by causing processing to be executed. When the remaining ink management unit determines that the remaining amount of ink is less than the threshold, and the remaining toner management unit determines that the remaining amount of toner is less than the threshold, printing is performed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an ink and toner shortage notifying unit that stops processing and notifies that the remaining amount of ink and toner is short. Document data analyzing means for analyzing whether or not image data or text data is included in the document data, and when the document data analyzing means determines that the document data includes image data, When the document data analysis unit determines that the text data is included in the document data when the ink-jet color printer apparatus executes the printing process of the image data, the electrophotographic color printer apparatus The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a print process of the text data is executed.

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