JP2014008626A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a printing apparatus that can be expected to make an early transition to a power saving mode when a condition for shifting from a power supply mode to a power saving mode is satisfied.
The printer can cope with at least two printing conditions with different printing speeds, and further has a power supply mode and a power saving mode with different power supply states. If the printer performs a printing process when the condition for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied, the printer shifts from the power supply mode to the power saving mode after completing the printing process. Furthermore, when the printer satisfies the above transition condition, if the printing process is being performed under the first condition where the printing speed is slow, the printer switches to the second condition where the printing speed is faster than the first condition.
[Selection] Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a power saving mode for reducing power consumption. More specifically, the present invention relates to print control when a transition condition for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied.

  Conventionally, in order to realize power saving in printing devices, power consumption is reduced by restricting power supply to some components from a power supply mode that does not restrict power supply while the device is not in use. Some transition to power saving mode.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus having a low power consumption mode (corresponding to a power saving mode) that suppresses power consumption in a standby state. This image forming apparatus accepts a user input of a transition instruction for shifting to the low power consumption mode, and when the transition instruction is received, the apparatus is in a standby state and does not satisfy a restriction condition for prohibiting the mode transition. Transition to low power consumption mode on condition.

JP 2001-255968 A

  However, the conventional technique described above has the following problems. That is, when the transition condition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied, if the printing process is continuing, the completion of the printing process is awaited. For this reason, if the printing process takes time, the transition to the power saving mode is also delayed.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional printing apparatus described above. That is, the problem is to provide a printing apparatus that can be expected to make an early transition to the power saving mode when the conditions for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode are satisfied.

  A printing apparatus designed to solve this problem includes a first condition and a second condition that is faster than the first condition as printing conditions, and performs printing according to the set conditions. A power supply mode for supplying power to each component of the device, and a power saving mode for reducing the power consumption of the device as compared with that in the power supply mode. If the printing unit does not perform the printing process when the conditions for shifting to the power saving mode are satisfied, the printing unit shifts from the power supply mode to the power saving mode, and the printing unit performs the printing process. In the case where the printing unit completes the printing process, the transition unit for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode, and the printing unit when the transition condition is satisfied, On condition If during the printing process, is characterized in that it comprises a switching unit for switching the printing condition to said second condition.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification corresponds to at least two printing conditions having different printing speeds. The printing speed is a speed determined by the number of printings per unit time. The printing condition may be a condition set in the job or a condition set in the apparatus. The printing apparatus disclosed in this specification has a power supply mode and a power saving mode with different power supply states, and performs a printing process when the transition condition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied. If the print processing has been completed, the power supply mode is shifted to the power saving mode after the printing process is completed. Furthermore, when the printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification satisfies the above-described transition condition, if the printing process is being performed under the first condition, the printing apparatus switches to the second condition where the printing speed is faster than the first condition.

  That is, when the printing apparatus disclosed in this specification satisfies the transition condition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode and the printing process is being performed under the first condition, the printing condition is set to the first printing speed. Switch to the second condition, which is faster than the condition. As a result, the completion of the current printing process is accelerated, and as a result, an early transition to the power saving mode can be expected.

  The second condition may be that the sheet conveyance speed is faster than the first condition. For example, if the printing apparatus has a silent function for reducing noise by reducing the sheet conveying speed, it can be expected that the sheet conveying speed can be increased by disabling the silent function. The printing speed can be increased by increasing the sheet conveyance speed.

  The printing unit includes a plurality of process units for forming an image on a sheet, and as a print mode, a color printing mode using all of the plurality of process units, and at least one of the plurality of process units is specified. There are monochrome printing modes that use the process section, and each process section is provided movably between a restriction position where image formation is restricted and an unrestricted position where image formation is not restricted. In the color printing mode, All of the plurality of process units are arranged at the non-restricted position. In the monochrome printing mode, the specific process unit is arranged at the non-restricted position, and the other process units are arranged at the restricted position. The condition is that the color print mode is automatically switched if the image to be printed is color, and the monochrome print mode is automatically switched if it is monochrome. Automatic setting to obtain a valid, and in the second condition, may the automatic setting is invalid. Switching the arrangement of process parts takes time. For this reason, the switching of the process part during the printing process by the automatic setting is prohibited, thereby suppressing the decrease in the printing speed.

  In the second condition, the color printing mode may be fixed. Printing color data in monochrome print mode has a large effect on image quality. Therefore, fixing the color printing mode can suppress the influence on the image quality.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification is a sheet that divides the sheet output from the printing unit and the sheet output from the printing unit into predetermined units. A partition for outputting the separation sheet to the placement unit, the output of the separate sheet by the partition is permitted in the first condition, and the output of the separate sheet by the partition in the second condition. Should not be allowed. For example, a job unit or a copy number unit corresponds to the predetermined unit. The output of the separate sheet delays the start of printing of the next page and delays the completion of printing. Therefore, under the second condition, the printing process can be completed early by not permitting the output of the separate sheet.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification may have a plurality of sheet conveyance paths, and the second condition may be that the sheet conveyance path is shorter than the first condition. When there are a plurality of paper discharge trays and paper feed trays, a plurality of transport paths exist depending on the combination of the paper discharge tray and the paper feed tray. In this case, the printing speed can be increased by shortening the transport path.

  Further, the printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification has a skip function for omitting printing of blank page data, the skip condition is invalid for the first condition, and the skip function is for the second condition. It should be effective. By omitting the printing of blank page data, that is, by printing the next page without printing the page of blank page data, the start of printing the next page can be accelerated. Therefore, in the second condition, the print function can be completed early by enabling the skip function.

  The printing device disclosed in the present specification includes an acquisition unit that acquires a remaining number of times of printing until the printing unit completes the printing process when the transition condition is satisfied, and the switching unit includes: When the remaining number of printings acquired by the acquisition unit is less than a threshold value, the printing condition may not be switched even if the printing unit is performing the printing process under the first condition. If the remaining number of times of printing is small, there is a high possibility that the printing process will be completed early without switching the printing conditions. Therefore, a print result desired by the user can be obtained by completing the printing process without switching the conditions.

  The printing apparatus disclosed in the present specification further includes a reception unit that receives a user input of a shift instruction for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode, and the switching unit is configured so that the reception unit receives the shift instruction. If the printing unit is performing the printing process under the first condition when the transition condition is satisfied by the acceptance, the printing condition may be switched to the second condition. When the transition condition is not an indirect condition such as a timer event but a direct condition such as acceptance of a user input, there is a tendency that the degree of urgency to promptly shift to the power saving mode is high. For this reason, it is desirable to complete the printing process by switching the printing conditions when the user input of the migration instruction is accepted.

  Further, the printing device disclosed in the present specification includes a determination unit that determines whether there is a standby job that is a job waiting to start printing when the transition condition is satisfied; When it is determined that there is, it is preferable to include a pre-printing switching unit that switches the printing condition to the second condition. Even if printing is not in progress, if there is a standby job, it is not possible to shift to the power saving mode until the execution of the standby job is completed. Therefore, in order to complete the printing process of the standby job at an early stage, it is desirable to switch to the second condition.

  Also, in this specification, there are a first condition and a second condition whose printing speed is faster than the first condition as printing conditions. A power supply mode for supplying power to each of the components, and a power saving mode for reducing the power consumption of the device as compared with that in the power supply mode, from the power supply mode to the power saving mode. If the printing unit is not performing the printing process when the transition condition is satisfied, the power supply mode is shifted to the power saving mode, and the printing unit is performing the printing process. , Whether there is a transition unit that shifts from the power supply mode to the power saving mode after the printing unit completes the printing process, and a standby job that is a job waiting to start printing when the transition condition is satisfied Whether or not And a pre-printing switching unit that switches the printing condition to the second condition when the determination unit determines that there is the standby job. Yes.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus that can be expected to make an early transition to the power saving mode when the condition for shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of the printer illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a process unit (a developing device is in an unrestricted position) of the printer illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a process unit (a developing device is in a restricted position) of the printer illustrated in FIG. 2. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of an electric power feeding control system. It is a figure which shows the relationship between various modes and an electric power feeding condition. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the power saving mode transfer process concerning embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the high speed condition database which memorize | stores the fastest setting of the conditions of printing. It is a figure which shows the example of a switching of printing conditions.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a printing apparatus according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a color printer capable of adding an optional paper feed tray and an optional paper discharge tray.

[Entire printer configuration]
As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 100 according to the present embodiment includes a main body unit 10 that performs printing, and an additional paper feeding unit 910 that includes at least one paper feeding tray that stores sheets before being printed by the main body unit 10. , And an additional paper discharge unit 920 having at least one paper discharge tray for storing sheets printed on the main body unit 10. The main body unit 10 accommodates a process cartridge serving as a print engine. The additional paper feeding unit 910 is detachably attached to the lower surface of the main body unit 10 from the main body unit 10. The additional paper discharge unit 920 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the main body unit 10 from the main body unit 10.

  The main body 10 has, at its bottom, a paper feed tray 91 that accommodates a sheet before printing so that its print surface faces upward (hereinafter, “standard paper feed tray 91” for distinction from the additional paper feed unit 910). And). Further, the main body 10 has a paper discharge tray 92 (hereinafter referred to as “additional paper discharge unit 920” for placing a printed sheet (printed material) on its upper surface so that the printed surface faces downward. Standard discharge tray 92 ”).

  Further, on the upper surface of the main body 10, there is provided an operation panel 40 including a display unit 41 formed of a liquid crystal display and a button group 42 including an OK button, a cancel button, a numeric keypad, a user authentication button, and the like. . The operation panel 40 enables display of the operation status and input operation by the user.

  In addition to the button group 42 of the operation panel 40, a power switch 55 (an example of a receiving unit) that switches a power supply state is provided on the upper surface of the main body 10. The printer 100 has a power supply mode in which power is supplied to all the components and a power saving mode in which the power supply to some components is restricted to reduce power consumption. doing. When the power switch 55 is pressed, the printer 100 switches to the power saving mode if it is in the power supply mode, and switches to the power supply mode if it is in the power saving mode. Details of each mode will be described later.

  The printer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a three-stage sheet tray group as the additional sheet feeding unit 910. In this embodiment, the paper feed trays constituting the paper feed tray group are designated as a first additional paper feed tray 911, a second additional paper feed tray 912, and a third additional paper feed tray 913 from the top to the bottom. . Note that the additional sheet feeding unit 910 is not limited to a three-stage sheet discharge tray. That is, it may be 2 stages or less, or 4 stages or more.

  Further, in the printer 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, the additional paper discharge unit 920 includes a one-stage additional paper discharge tray 921. Note that the additional paper discharge unit 920 is not limited to a single-stage paper discharge tray. That is, as with the extension sheet feeding unit 910, a plurality of stages may be used.

[Internal configuration of printer]
Next, the internal configuration of the main body 10 of the printer 100 will be described with reference to FIG. A main body 10 of the printer 100 forms a toner image by electrophotography, transfers a toner image to a sheet (an example of a printing unit), and a fixing unit that fixes unfixed toner after transfer onto the sheet. The apparatus 61 includes various rollers (for example, a paper feed roller 71, a registration roller 72, and a paper discharge roller 73) used for sheet conveyance. Further, the additional paper feeding unit 910 includes a paper feeding roller 711 that picks up a sheet from the first additional paper feeding tray 911, a paper feeding roller 712 that picks up a sheet from the second additional paper feeding tray 912, and a third additional paper feeding. A sheet feeding roller 713 that picks up a sheet from the tray 913 is provided. Further, the additional paper discharge unit 920 includes a paper discharge roller 731 for carrying out the sheet to the additional paper discharge tray 921.

  In the main body 10 of the printer 100, a sheet stored in a standard paper feed tray 91 located at the bottom passes through a paper feed roller 71, a registration roller 72, a process unit 60, and a fixing device 61, and passes through a paper discharge roller 73. A substantially S-shaped conveyance path 75 (a chain line in FIG. 2) is provided so as to be guided to the standard paper discharge tray 92 through the intermediate discharge path 92.

  In addition, a conveyance path 76 is provided in the printer 100 so that a sheet before printing is carried from the additional sheet feeding unit 910 and guided to a predetermined process unit 60. Specifically, the sheets stored in the first additional paper feed tray 911 are guided to the transport path 76 by the paper feed roller 711 and merge with the transport path 75. Alternatively, the sheets stored in the second additional paper feed tray 912 are guided to the transport path 76 by the paper feed roller 712 and join the transport path 75. The sheets stored in the third additional paper feed tray 913 are guided to the transport path 76 by the paper feed roller 713 and merge with the transport path 75.

  In addition, a conveyance path 77 is provided in the printer 100 so that the printed sheet is carried into the additional paper discharge unit 920 and guided to the additional paper discharge tray 921. Specifically, the sheet branched from the conveyance path 75 and carried into the additional paper discharge unit 920 via the conveyance path 77 is guided to the additional paper discharge tray 921 by the paper discharge roller 731.

  The process unit 60 can form a color image, and process units corresponding to cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) colors are arranged in parallel. Specifically, a process unit 60C that forms a C-color image, a process unit 60M that forms an M-color image, a process unit 60Y that forms a Y-color image, and a process unit that forms a K-color image 60K. The process units 60C, 60M, 60Y, and 60K are arranged at a certain distance from each other in the paper transport direction.

  FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the process unit 60K. The process unit 60K forms a toner image by a well-known electrophotographic method, and includes a photoreceptor 1 that rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 3, a charging device 2 that uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor 1, An exposure device 3 that exposes the surface of the photoreceptor 1 to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing device 4 that develops the electrostatic latent image with toner, and a toner image on the photoreceptor 1 is transferred to a sheet. And a transfer device 5. The process units 60C, 60M, and 60Y have the same configuration as the process unit 60K.

  In the process unit 60K, the surface of the photoreceptor 1 is uniformly charged by the charging device 2. Thereafter, exposure is performed with light from the exposure device 3, and an electrostatic latent image of an image to be formed on the sheet is formed. Next, toner as a colorant is supplied to the photoreceptor 1 via the developing device 4. Thereby, the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor 1 is visualized as a toner image.

  The printer 100 takes out the sheets placed one by one on the paper feed tray designated by the user or the paper feed tray automatically selected by the printer 100, and conveys the sheets to the process unit 60. Then, the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 1 of the process unit 60 is transferred to the sheet by the transfer device 5. Thereafter, the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 61, and the toner image is thermally fixed to the sheet. Then, the sheet after fixing is discharged to a paper discharge tray designated by the user or a paper discharge tray automatically selected by the printer 100.

  The printer 100 can perform color printing and monochrome printing. When color printing is performed, the process units 60C, 60M, 60Y, and 60K are used, and a monochrome image formed by each process unit is superimposed on the sheet to form a color image. On the other hand, when performing monochrome printing, only the process unit 60K is used. In this case, in the process units 60C, 60M, and 60Y other than the process unit 60K, as shown in FIG. 4, the developing device 4 is moved to a position away from the photosensitive member 1 to limit image formation. When color printing is performed after monochrome printing, the developing device 4 of the process units 60C, 60M, and 60Y is returned to the position where it is in pressure contact with the photoreceptor 1 as shown in FIG. 3, and image formation is performed.

[Electrical configuration of printer]
Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the printer 100 of this embodiment includes an image forming unit 20, an operation panel 40, a power supply control system 50 that controls the supply of power to various components, and a control that controls the image forming unit 20. And a USB interface 35 and a network interface 36 that serve as communication interfaces for connecting to an external device. The power switch 55 is included in the power supply control system 50.

  The control unit 30 includes a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, and an NVRAM (Non Volatile RAM) 34. The ROM 32 stores firmware, which is a control program for controlling the printer 100, various settings, initial values, and the like. The RAM 33 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read or as a storage area for temporarily storing image data.

  The CPU 31 (an example of a transition unit, a switching unit, an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a pre-printing switching unit) stores the processing results in the RAM 33 or the NVRAM 34 in accordance with a control program read from the ROM 32 and signals sent from various sensors. Each component of the printer 100 is controlled.

  The USB interface 35 is an interface that enables communication with other devices. For example, when a USB memory is connected to the USB interface 35, the printer 100 can read and output image data stored in the USB memory. The connection destination of the USB interface 35 is not limited to the USB memory, and may be a personal computer (PC), for example.

  Similarly to the USB interface 35, the network interface 36 is an interface that enables communication with other devices. The printer 100 can receive and output image data from an external device connected via the network interface 36, for example, similarly to the USB interface 35.

  Note that the connection between the printer 100 and the external device is not limited to the form via the USB interface 35 or the network interface 36. For example, when the printer 100 has a wireless communication interface, data communication with an external device may be performed by wireless communication. In addition, when a FAX interface is provided, data communication can be performed via a telephone line.

  The image forming unit 20 includes components for printing an image on a sheet, and includes the process unit 60, the fixing device 61, and various rollers that convey the sheet. A drive motor 21 for driving various rollers is also included.

[Power supply control]
Next, power supply control of the printer 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the printer 100 includes a power supply unit 51, a switch circuit 52 that distributes power supplied from the power supply unit 51 to various components of the printer 100, and various types of switch circuits 52. And a power supply control unit 53 that controls opening and closing of the switch.

  The power supply unit 51 is connected to a commercial power supply or a battery and is configured by a circuit that converts the power into appropriate power, and supplies the converted power to various components of the printer 100. The switch circuit 52 switches whether to supply power to various components of the printer 100 according to the mode. Specifically, the printer 100 includes a power supply system to the image forming unit 20, a power supply system to the control unit 30, a power supply system to external interfaces (USB interface 35 and network interface 36 in this embodiment), and a power supply to the operation panel 40. There are various power systems. The switch circuit 52 switches on / off of power feeding to various power supply systems.

  Here, the modes of the power supply control system 50 will be described. The power supply control system 50 has a power saving mode for cutting off power supply to each power supply system and reducing power consumption, and a power supply mode for supplying power to all power supply systems. FIG. 7 shows the relationship between each mode and the power supply status. In FIG. 7, “◯” means that power is supplied, and “×” means that power is not supplied. As shown in FIG. 7, in the power supply mode, power is supplied to all of the image forming unit 20, the control unit 30, the operation panel 40, the external interface, and the power switch 55, thereby enabling a printing operation. Immediately after the printer 100 is activated, it operates in the power supply mode.

  In addition, when operating in the power supply mode, if the condition for shifting to the power saving mode is satisfied, the mode shifts to the power saving mode. In the power saving mode, power supply to the image forming unit 20, the control unit 30, the operation panel 40, and the external interface is cut off. As a result, the printing operation becomes impossible, and the power consumption is suppressed as compared with the power supply mode. On the other hand, even in the power saving mode, power supply to the power supply control unit 53 is continued. The power supply control unit 53 includes a sensor that detects whether the power switch 55 is turned on or off, and accepts a user operation of the power switch 55 even in the power saving mode. When operating in the power saving mode, if the condition for shifting to the power supply mode is satisfied, the mode shifts to the power supply mode.

  In this embodiment, the transition conditions for the printer 100 to transition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode are issued at the time set as the pressing of the power switch 55, the reception of a transition command from an external device such as a PC, and the transition time. There are three timer event receptions, and if one of them is satisfied, the power supply mode shifts to the power saving mode. On the other hand, in the power saving mode, power is not supplied to the external interface or the operation panel 40. Therefore, the only transition condition for the printer 100 to shift from the power saving mode to the power supply mode is to press the power switch 55.

  The power supply control unit 53 inputs a signal for turning on / off the power supply to various power supply systems to the switch circuit 52 in accordance with the above-described mode. The power supply control unit 53 and the power switch 55 are directly supplied with power from the power supply unit 51 and operate even in the power saving mode. Therefore, the output signal from the power switch 55 can be monitored and the switch circuit 52 can be controlled even in the power saving mode.

  In addition, the power supply control unit 53 notifies the control unit 30 that there has been an input of the power switch 55 when, for example, an input of the power switch 55 is received during the power supply mode. The control unit 30 determines that the condition for shifting to the power saving mode is satisfied by receiving this notification. The control unit 30 executes various shutdown processes such as data protection when shifting to the power saving mode, waits for completion of the shutdown process and completion of the job being printed, and then saves the power supply control unit 53. Allow transition to power mode. The power supply control unit 53 switches the mode to the power saving mode after the transition to the power saving mode is permitted.

[Power saving mode transition processing]
Next, the procedure of the power saving mode transition process for realizing the switching operation to the power saving mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the power saving mode transition process of this embodiment, when the mode is shifted to the power saving mode, the printing condition is switched to quickly shift to the power saving mode. The power saving mode transition process is executed by the CPU 31 when the transition condition to the power saving mode is satisfied during operation in the power supply mode.

  In the power saving mode transition process, first, it is determined whether or not the condition when the condition for shifting to the power saving mode is satisfied is a direct instruction by a user input (S101). Specifically, in this embodiment, when the power switch 55 is pressed or a transfer command is received from an external device such as a PC, it is determined that there is a direct instruction by user input, and when there is a timer event, It is determined that there is no direct instruction by user input.

  If it is not a direct instruction by the user input (S101: NO), that is, in the case of a timer event, it is unlikely that the user strongly desires the transition to the power saving mode, and the urgency of the transition to the power saving mode is also low. It tends to be low. Therefore, the process proceeds to S121 without switching the printing conditions. The printing conditions will be described later. The details after S121 will also be described later.

  On the other hand, when the instruction is a direct instruction by user input (S101: YES), there is a high possibility that the user strongly desires the transition to the power saving mode, and the degree of urgency of the transition to the power saving mode tends to be high. Therefore, it is determined whether or not the image forming unit 20 is performing a printing operation (S102). If the image forming unit 20 is not performing a printing operation (S102: NO), the process proceeds to S108 without switching the printing conditions.

  If the image forming unit 20 is performing a printing operation (S102: YES), the remaining number of printed sheets that is the remaining number of printed sheets of the job being printed is acquired (S103, an example of an acquiring unit). Then, it is determined whether or not the remaining number of printed sheets is greater than a threshold value (S104). If the remaining number of printed sheets is equal to or less than the threshold (S104: NO), there is a high possibility that the printing process will be completed early without switching the printing conditions. Therefore, the process proceeds to S108 without switching the printing conditions.

  If the remaining number of prints is greater than the threshold value (S104: YES), the current setting value of the printing condition of the print job being printed is acquired (S105). Then, for each setting item of the printing condition, it is determined whether or not the current setting value can be changed to a value that can increase the printing speed (S106). If there is no setting item that can increase the printing speed (S106: NO), the process proceeds to S108 without switching the printing conditions. When there is even one setting item that can increase the printing speed (S106: YES), the current setting value of the corresponding setting item is switched to a value that increases the printing speed (S107, an example of a switching unit). .

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the printer 100 stores in the ROM 32 a database (hereinafter referred to as “high-speed condition DB 321”) that stores a setting value at which the printing speed is the highest for each setting item of the printing condition. I remember it. In the high speed condition DB 321 of this embodiment, setting items of color setting, separate sheet, silent conveyance, paper feed tray, paper discharge tray, and blank page skip are registered, and the fastest setting of each setting item is stored. .

  The color setting is a setting for whether or not to perform color printing, and is set to one of color, monochrome, and automatic. Color is a setting that performs color printing for all pages, monochrome is a setting that performs monochrome printing for all pages, and automatic is a setting that the printer 100 automatically switches between color printing and monochrome printing for each page. is there. Color settings are stored in the job. When the color setting is automatic, the printer 100 frequently switches between color printing and monochrome printing when color pages and monochrome pages are mixed in a print job. When switching between color printing and monochrome printing, it is necessary to move the developing device 4 to a restricted position (see FIG. 4) during monochrome printing and to a non-restricted position (see FIG. 3) during color printing. It takes time to move the developing device 4. Therefore, by setting the color setting to color or monochrome and restricting the movement of the developing device 4, a decrease in printing speed can be suppressed as compared with the automatic setting. Therefore, the fastest color setting is color or monochrome. Whether the setting after switching is set to color or monochrome may be in accordance with the print setting when the power switch 55 is pressed. Color is displayed during color printing, and monochrome is printed during monochrome printing. Set to.

  A separate sheet is a sheet inserted in units of jobs or copies. In this embodiment, a separate sheet is inserted when ON is set, and a separate sheet is not inserted when OFF is set. The setting of the separate sheet is stored in the printer 100. When a separate sheet is inserted, the start of printing of the next page is delayed by the insertion operation of the separate sheet. Therefore, by setting so as not to insert a separate sheet, the printing process is completed at an early stage as compared with the case of inserting a separate sheet. Therefore, the fastest setting for the separate sheet is OFF.

  Silent conveyance is a function that slows down the rotation speed of various rollers for conveying sheets and suppresses noise associated with sheet conveyance. In this embodiment, when ON is set, the rotational speed of various rollers is slowed down, and when OFF is set, the rotational speed of various rollers is not slowed down. The setting for silent conveyance is stored in the printer 100. When the rotational speed of various rollers is slowed down by silent conveyance, the sheet conveyance speed decreases, and the printing speed decreases accordingly. Therefore, the printing speed is increased by setting not to perform silent conveyance. Accordingly, the fastest setting for silent conveyance is OFF.

  The paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray are settings for which paper feed tray the sheet is carried in and to which paper discharge tray the sheet is discharged. The length of the sheet conveyance path is determined by the combination of the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray. The settings for the paper feed tray and paper discharge tray are stored in the job. In this embodiment, the standard paper feed tray 91 has the shortest transport length to the process unit 60, and the standard paper discharge tray 92 has the shortest transport length from the process unit 60. Therefore, the conveyance path 75 that feeds paper from the standard paper feed tray 91 and discharges it to the standard paper discharge tray 92 via the process unit 60 has the shortest conveyance length. The printing speed tends to increase as the transport length decreases. Therefore, the fastest settings for the paper feed tray and paper discharge tray are standard. Note that if the standard paper feed tray 91 is in a state where paper cannot be fed, such as no paper, or the standard paper discharge tray 92 is in a state where paper cannot be ejected, such as full paper, , A tray having the shortest transport distance with the process unit 60 may be set.

  Blank page skipping is a function for omitting printing of a page to be printed if it is a blank page. In this embodiment, blank page skip is executed when ON is set, and blank page skip is not executed when OFF is set. The blank page skip setting is stored in the printer 100. When blank page skip is executed, the sheet for the blank page is not transported and printing of the next page is started. Therefore, the more blank pages, the faster the print speed compared to when blank page skip is not performed. Become. Therefore, the fastest setting for skipping blank pages is ON.

  The configuration of the high speed condition DB 321 is not limited to this. For example, the number of items is not limited to this, and at least one item may be registered. Further, as described above, even if the printing conditions are the items set in the printer 100 (separate sheet, silent conveyance, skip blank page), the items set in the job (color setting, paper feed tray, discharge tray) Paper tray). Also, the items are not limited to these, and other items may be registered. As another item, for example, whether or not correction processing related to image quality is performed corresponds. Since the execution of the correction process causes a delay in the printing operation, it can be expected that the printing speed is increased by restricting the execution of the correction process.

  In the determination of S106, it is determined whether or not the current setting is the same as the fastest setting for each setting item whose fastest setting is registered in the high speed condition DB 321, and if it is not the same, it is determined that the speed can be increased. Then, the setting item determined to be capable of speeding up is switched to the fastest setting stored in the high speed condition DB 321 in S107.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of switching printing conditions. In FIG. 10, (before switching) is the current setting content acquired in S105. When this current setting content is compared with the fastest setting of the high speed condition DB 321 shown in FIG. 9, the color setting, the silent conveyance, and the paper feed tray are different, and the other items are the same. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10 (after switching), the color setting, the silent conveyance, and the paper feed tray are switched to the content of the fastest setting.

  Note that when there are a plurality of setting items that can be speeded up, the setting switching in S107 may be performed by switching at least one of them, for example, switching all of them or one. . Higher speed can be expected as there are more setting items to be switched. On the other hand, the smaller the setting items to be switched, the more the printing result desired by the user is obtained.

  Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG. 8, after S107, it is determined whether there is a standby job that is a print job that has been received by the printer 100 and is a job before printing is started (S108, an example of a determination unit). In other words, even when there is a standby job, it is not possible to shift to the power saving mode until the printing process of the standby job is completed. Therefore, it is preferable to switch the print setting for the standby job.

  Therefore, if there is a waiting job (S108: YES), the current setting value of the printing condition is acquired as in S105 (S109), and the current setting value is printed for each setting item of the printing condition as in S106. It is determined whether or not the value can be changed to a value capable of increasing the speed (S110). If there is even one setting item that can increase the printing speed (S110: YES), the current setting value of the corresponding setting item is switched to a value that increases the printing speed as in S107 (S111). , An example of a pre-printing switching unit). After S111, or when there is no setting item that can increase the printing speed (S110: NO), or when there is no standby job (S108: NO), the process proceeds to S121.

  In step S121, it is determined whether printing of all print jobs has been completed. If it is not completed, that is, if a printing operation is in progress (S121: NO), it waits for the completion of the print job. When printing of all print jobs is completed (S121: YES), shutdown processing is executed as preparation before shifting to the power saving mode (S123). Thereafter, the power supply control unit 53 is instructed to permit the shift to the power saving mode (S124, an example of the shifting unit), and the power saving mode shifting process is ended.

  As described above in detail, the printer 100 according to the present exemplary embodiment has a printing condition that can increase the printing speed when the printing process is being performed when the transition condition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is satisfied. Switch to a setting that increases the printing speed. As a result, the completion of the current printing process is accelerated, and as a result, an early transition to the power saving mode can be expected.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the printing apparatus is not limited to a printer, and can be applied to any apparatus having a printing function, such as a copier, a FAX apparatus, or a multifunction machine. Also, the printing method is not limited to the electrophotographic method, and may be an ink jet method. Further, the printer is not limited to a color printer, and may be a monochrome printer.

  Further, in the embodiment, when the image formation of the process units 60C, 60M, and 60Y is restricted, the developing device 4 is separated from the photosensitive member 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the photoreceptor 1 and the transfer device 5 may be separated from each other.

  In the embodiment, the mode representing the power supply state is switched between the two modes of the power supply mode and the power saving mode, but there may be three or more modes. For example, the power supply mode of this embodiment (the mode in which power is supplied to all power supply systems) is set to the ready mode, and power is supplied to at least one power supply system before the transition from the ready mode to the power saving mode. The sleep mode may be provided in which the power supply is continued and power supply is continued in at least one power supply system.

  In the embodiment, in the color setting, either color or monochrome is selected according to the current printing condition, but the color may be set without being limited to the current printing condition. If monochrome is selected, even if there is color data, it will be printed in monochrome and the image quality will deteriorate. To avoid this problem, the fastest setting may be fixed to color.

  Further, in the embodiment, switching of the printing condition is prohibited when the condition when the condition for shifting to the power saving mode is satisfied is not a direct instruction by user input, but the prohibiting condition is limited to this. is not. For example, when the user is not in the vicinity of the printer 100, there is a possibility that an early transition to the power saving mode is not desired. Accordingly, it may be determined whether or not the user is near the printer 100, and if the user is not near, the switching of the printing condition may be prohibited. Whether or not the user is near the printer 100 can be determined to be near if the operation on the operation panel 40 is within a predetermined time, for example. In the embodiment, the printing condition is not switched when the remaining number of printed sheets is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, but the printing condition may be switched even when the remaining number of printed sheets is equal to or smaller than the threshold value.

  In addition, the printer 100 according to the embodiment may prohibit the reception of a new job after satisfying the condition for shifting to the power saving mode. In this case, since a new print job is not received after the conditions for shifting to the power saving mode are satisfied, the print job that is a standby job is a print job that was received before the conditions for shifting to the power saving mode were satisfied. Limited to. For this reason, the load of switching the printing conditions related to the standby job is reduced.

  In the embodiment, conditions that may occur even during a printing operation, such as direct instructions by user input and timer events, are listed as transition conditions to the power saving mode. It is not limited to these. For example, the transition condition may be that a time when there is no printing operation and no user operation is a certain time or more. In this case, in the power saving mode transition process, since the condition when the condition for shifting to the power saving mode is satisfied is not a direct instruction by user input (S101: NO), naturally, the printing condition is switched. Absent.

  The processing disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, a plurality of CPUs, hardware such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing disclosed in the embodiment can be realized in various modes such as a recording medium or a method recording a program for executing the processing.

20 Image forming unit 40 Operation panel 50 Power supply control system 60 Process unit 100 Printer

Claims (11)

As printing conditions, there are a first condition and a second condition having a printing speed faster than the first condition, and a printing unit that performs a printing process according to the set condition;
A power supply mode for supplying power to each component of the own device; and a power saving mode for reducing the power consumption of the own device as compared with the power supply mode. When the printing unit does not perform the printing process when the condition for shifting to the mode is satisfied, the power supply mode is shifted to the power saving mode, and the printing unit performs the printing process. A transition unit that transitions from the power supply mode to the power saving mode after the printing unit has completed the printing process;
A switching unit that switches the printing condition to the second condition if the printing unit is in the printing process under the first condition when the transition condition is satisfied;
A printing apparatus comprising: The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second condition is that a sheet conveyance speed is faster than the first condition. In the printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The printing unit includes a plurality of process units for forming an image on a sheet, and as a print mode, a color printing mode using all of the plurality of process units, and at least one specific process among the plurality of process units And monochrome printing mode that uses
Each process unit is provided movably between a restriction position where image formation is restricted and an unrestricted position where image formation is not restricted. In the color printing mode, all of the plurality of process parts are located at the unrestricted position. In the monochrome printing mode, the specific process unit is arranged at the non-restricted position, and the other process unit is arranged at the restricted position.
The first condition is effective to automatically switch to the color print mode if the image to be printed is color, and to the monochrome print mode if the image is monochrome, and the second condition is to A printing apparatus, wherein automatic setting is invalid. The printing apparatus according to claim 3,
In the second condition, the printing apparatus is fixed to the color printing mode. In the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A placement section for placing a sheet output from the printing section;
A partition that outputs a separate sheet, which is a sheet that partitions the sheet output to the placement unit in a predetermined unit, to the placement unit;
With
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output of the separate sheet by the partition unit is permitted under the first condition, and the output of the separate sheet by the partition unit is not permitted under the second condition. In the printing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5,
There are multiple sheet transport paths,
The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second condition is that a sheet conveyance path is shorter than the first condition. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
It has a skip function that skips printing blank data.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first condition is that the skip function is invalid, and the second condition is that the skip function is valid. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
An acquisition unit for acquiring a remaining number of times of printing until the printing unit completes the printing process when the transition condition is satisfied;
When the remaining number of printings acquired by the acquisition unit is less than a threshold, the switching unit does not switch the printing conditions even if the printing unit is performing the printing process under the first condition. A printing apparatus characterized by the above. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A reception unit that receives a user input of a transition instruction to shift from the power supply mode to the power saving mode;
The switching unit sets the printing condition to the first condition if the printing unit is performing the printing process under the first condition when the receiving unit has received the transfer instruction and satisfies the transfer condition. A printing apparatus characterized by switching to two conditions. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a standby job that is a job waiting to start printing when the transition condition is satisfied;
If the determination unit determines that there is the standby job, a pre-printing switching unit that switches the printing condition to the second condition;
A printing apparatus comprising: As printing conditions, there are a first condition and a second condition having a printing speed faster than the first condition, and a printing unit that performs a printing process according to the set condition;
A power supply mode for supplying power to each component of the own device; and a power saving mode for reducing the power consumption of the own device as compared with the power supply mode. When the printing unit does not perform the printing process when the condition for shifting to the mode is satisfied, the power supply mode is shifted to the power saving mode, and the printing unit performs the printing process. A transition unit that transitions from the power supply mode to the power saving mode after the printing unit has completed the printing process;
A determination unit that determines whether or not there is a standby job that is a job waiting to start printing when the transition condition is satisfied;
If the determination unit determines that there is the standby job, a pre-printing switching unit that switches the printing condition to the second condition;
A printing apparatus comprising:

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