JP3093401B2 - Image forming system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming system such as a laser printer system, a high-performance copying system, and a facsimile system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming system as described above has been proposed in which an optional peripheral device is connected to an image forming apparatus main body so that the system can be expanded. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-105159, there is a copying apparatus which constitutes a system by selectively coupling peripheral device modules (peripheral devices) to a copying machine main body according to required functions. In addition, for example,
As disclosed in JP-A-212948, a plurality of load devices (peripheral devices) are connected to an image forming apparatus main body, and transmission and reception of information therebetween is performed by serial communication using optical communication.

[0003]

However, in the above-described image forming system, if the peripheral device connected to the image forming apparatus main body is not specified in advance, a change in the state of the peripheral device cannot be sufficiently performed. Could not be displayed. In other words, since the image forming apparatus main body controls the display content of the display device, the functions of peripheral devices connected to the image forming apparatus main body are expanded, and when the display content is changed, It was necessary to change the control program on the image forming apparatus main body side accordingly.

Further, there are desired peripheral devices to be displayed and priority of contents for each user. However, these priorities are determined by a combination of peripheral devices connected to the image forming apparatus main body. The only way to achieve the desired is to change the control program on the image forming apparatus main body side. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to enable sufficient display of a change in the state of a peripheral device without specifying the peripheral device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus main body having a display device and a peripheral device optionally connected thereto. It is characterized by the following. That is, the image forming apparatus main body
A plurality of said peripheral devices are connected to, its each of its peripheral
Respectively, means for transmitting the display control code indicating the contents to be displayed on the display device of the image forming apparatus main body to the image forming apparatus main body, to be displayed on the display device of the image forming apparatus main body Means for transmitting a code indicating the urgency of the contents to the main body of the image forming apparatus, and means for setting priorities corresponding to the peripheral devices in the main body of the image forming apparatus; Of the display control codes transmitted from each of the peripheral devices based on the priority and the code indicating the urgency transmitted from each of the peripheral devices. Means for selecting a display control code indicating the content.

[0006]

[Action] In the image forming system according to the present invention, the image type
A plurality of peripheral devices are connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus , and each of the peripheral devices transmits a display control code indicating contents to be displayed on a display device of the main body of the image forming apparatus. Therefore, even if the display contents (contents to be displayed) are changed due to a function expansion of the peripheral device or the like, the control program on the image forming apparatus main body side does not need to be changed accordingly. That is, even if the peripheral device is not specified, a change in the state of the peripheral device can be sufficiently displayed.

Furthermore, each of the above respective peripheral device transmits a code indicating the urgency of the content to be displayed by the image forming apparatus main body of the display device to the image forming apparatus main body, an image forming apparatus main body, each peripheral When the priority corresponding to each device is set, based on the priority and the code indicating the urgency transmitted from each peripheral device, the display control code transmitted from each peripheral device is used. Among them, a display control code indicating the content to be displayed in preference to the display device is selected . Therefore, a combination range and a selection range of the peripheral devices are widened. In addition, restrictions on existing models (restrictions on display of a newly added function because display contents are restricted) are reduced, and development efficiency of peripheral devices is increased. Further, as the display control code indicating the content to be displayed prior to the display device of the image forming apparatus main body, the priority corresponding to each peripheral device is assigned to the image forming apparatus main body so that the one desired by the user is selected. Since it can be set, the usability by the user is improved.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus main body 1, two peripheral devices, that is, a paper feeding device 20 capable of feeding a large amount of paper and a printed paper And a paper discharge device 30 that discharges and sorts a large amount of paper.

The image forming apparatus main body 1 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a "CPU") for controlling the image forming apparatus main body 2, a ROM storing fixed data such as programs, and a memory 3 comprising a readable and writable RAM. , An I / O port 4 for controlling input / output of signals between the sequence devices 8 and the DIP switch 9, a display I / F (interface) 5 for controlling input / output of signals to / from the display device 10,
A main body control unit 7 including a communication I / F 6 for controlling the input and output of signals between the paper feeding device 20 and the paper discharging device 30 via a serial communication line; sequence devices 8 such as sensors and motors; A switch 9 and a display device 10 are provided.

The paper feeding device 20 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a “CPU”) 21 for controlling the paper feeding device, a ROM 22 storing fixed data such as a program and the like, a memory 22 comprising a readable and writable RAM, Equipment 26
A paper feed controller 25 comprising an I / O port 23 for controlling the input and output of signals between the image forming apparatus 1 and a communication I / F 24 for controlling the input and output of signals to and from the image forming apparatus main body 1 via a serial communication line. And sequence devices 26 such as sensors and motors.

The paper discharge device 30 includes a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as a "CPU") 31 for controlling the paper discharge device, a ROM 32 storing fixed data such as programs and a read / write RAM 32, and a sequencer. Equipment 36
A paper discharge control unit 35 comprising an I / O port 33 for controlling the input and output of signals between the image forming apparatus 1 and a communication I / F 34 for controlling the input and output of signals to and from the image forming apparatus main body 1 via a serial communication line. And sequence devices 36 such as sensors and motors.

Normally, when the image forming apparatus main body 1 transmits a status request command to a peripheral device (the paper feeding device 20 or the paper discharging device 30), the peripheral device receiving the status request command returns a status code.

When the status of the peripheral device is to be displayed on the display device 10 of the image forming apparatus main body 1, the peripheral device receives a status request command transmitted from the image forming apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. Then, a display request code is sent back to the image forming apparatus main body 1 instead of the status code. Upon receiving the display request code from the peripheral device, the image forming apparatus main body 1 transmits a display content confirmation command (display code transmission request command) to each of the peripheral devices. Upon receiving the display content confirmation command from the image forming apparatus main body 1, the peripheral device transmits a display code packet (display control code) indicating the display content to the image forming apparatus main body 1.

This display code packet is composed of a 2-byte header and a display code (ASCII code) of a specified number of bytes as shown below. Header part: 2 bytes 1st byte: Code indicating the type of display bit7-4: Unused bit3-0: Urgency code (0 to 16: 16 is the maximum urgency, 0 is display cancellation) 2nd byte: Total of display codes Number of bytes (1 to 255) Display code portion: 1 byte or more and 255 bytes or less 3rd byte or more: Display code FIG. 3 shows an example of the display code packet.

Next, the main body control section 7 of the image forming apparatus main body 1
The above-described communication control will be described more specifically with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The routine shown in FIG. 4 is started when called by a main routine (not shown), and first transmits a status request command to a peripheral device.
After that, when a display request code is received from the peripheral device,
A display code transmission request command is transmitted to the peripheral device,
When the header portion of the display code packet is received from the peripheral device, the emergency code of the 1st byte of the header portion is checked.

If the emergency code is not "0",
In other words, if the value is "1" or more, the first
The display priority code (indicating the priority of the status display) of the peripheral device that transmitted the header portion is added to the byte, and the sum is stored in the memory 3. Then, the 2nd byte of the received header portion is stored in the internal counter of the CPU 2. Set to a certain display code counter. Here, the display priority code is DIP
It can be set and changed by the switch 9. For example, when it is desired to prioritize three peripheral devices, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the DIP switch 9 is composed of six switches, and the priority or display inhibition can be set and changed by a combination of on / off of two switches corresponding to each peripheral device.

Thereafter, when the display code portion (1 byte) following the header portion is received, it is stored in the memory 3 (the same area as the header portion), and then the display code counter is decremented (-1). It is determined whether or not the count value of the display code counter is "0". If the count value is not "0", the next display code portion (for one byte) is received and the above processing is repeated thereafter. When the value becomes "0", the process returns to the main routine. In this embodiment, a sheet feeding device 20 is attached to the image forming apparatus main body 1.
And the two peripheral devices of the paper discharge device 30 are connected, so that the above-described processing is performed for each of the peripheral devices.

When the display code packets of the paper feeding device 20 and the paper discharging device 30 are stored in the memory 3, the main body control section 7 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 starts the routine of FIG. 6 by calling from the main routine. . First, each 1st byte (urgency code) A1, A2 of each display code packet is compared, and if A1> A2, the paper feeder 2
The display code portion of the display code packet received from 0 is sent to the LCD display of the display device 10 to be displayed. If A1> A2 is not satisfied, it is determined whether or not A2 = "0". If A2 = "0", the display code portion of the display code packet received from the sheet discharging device 30 is displayed as it is. The data is sent to the LCD display of the device 10 to be displayed.

The display control will be described more specifically.
The priority of the status display of the sheet feeding device 20 is “1” (“0”).
1 ″), the priority of the status display of the paper discharge device 30 is “2”
When the display code packet transmitted from the paper feeding device 20 is set to (10), the display code packet is 07, 10, 4C, 43, 49, 54, 20, 4D, 4F, 54, 4F, 5R, 20,45,52,52,4F, 52 (L, C, I, T,, M, O, T, O, R,, E, R, R, O,
R) The display code packet transmitted from the paper output device 30 is 05, 11, 4F, 55, 54, 50, 55, 54, 20, 43, 4F,
56, 45, 52, 20, 4F, 50, 45, 4E (O, U, T, P, O, T,, C, O, V, E, R,, O, P, E, N) The priority of each status display is as follows: sheet feeding device 20: sheet discharging device 30 = 07 + 01: 05 + 02
The LCD code of the display device 9 displays a motor error (LCIT MOTOR ERROR) of the paper feed device as shown in FIG. 7A by the display code portion of the paper feed device (LCIT) 20.

The display code packet transmitted from the paper feeding device 20 is 03, 10, 4C, 43, 49, 54, 20, 50, 41, 50, 45, 52, 20, 45, 4D, 50, 54,59 (L, C, I, T,, P, A, P, E, R,, E, M, P, T, Y) The display code packet transmitted from the paper output device 30 is 05, 11 , 4F, 55,54,50,55,54,20,43,4F, 56,45,52,20,4F, 50,45,4E (O, U, T, P, U, T,, C, O, V, E, R,, O, P, E, N), the priority of each status display is as follows: paper feeder 20: paper discharger 30 = 03 + 01: 05 + 02
The output code portion of the paper discharge device 30 indicates that the output cover is open (OUTPUT COVER OPEN) on the LCD display of the display device 9 as shown in FIG. 7B.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a change in the state of a peripheral device can be sufficiently displayed without specifying the peripheral device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a command protocol according to the present invention in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display code packet transmitted from the paper feeding device 20 and the paper discharging device 30 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of communication control according to the present invention by the main body control unit 6 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram relating to the DIP switch 9 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing display control according to the present invention by a main body control section 6 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example by the display device 10 of FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Image Forming Apparatus Main Body 2, 21, 31
CPU 3,22,32 Memory 4,23,33
I / O port 5 Display I / F 6, 24, 34
Communication I / F 7 Main body control unit 9 DIP switch 10 Display device 20 Paper feed device 25 Paper feed control unit 30 Paper discharge device 35 Paper discharge control unit

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-2-217280 (JP, A) JP-A-2-300770 (JP, A) JP-A-2-261688 (JP, A) JP-A-63-132078 (JP) , A) JP-A-2-301818 (JP, A) JP-A-2-88257 (JP, A) JP-A-62-1540 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB Name) B41J 29/00 B41J 29/38 B41J 29/42 G06F 3/12

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An image forming apparatus main body having a display device;
With peripherals optionally connected to it
In the configured image forming system,A plurality of the peripheral devices are connected to the image forming apparatus main body.
And Each of them For peripheral devicesRespectivelyTable of the image forming apparatus main body
Display control code indicating the content to be displayed on the display device
Means for transmitting to the image forming apparatus main bodyAnd the image forming apparatus
Indicates the urgency of the content to be displayed on the display
Means for transmitting a code to the image forming apparatus main body.
And the peripheral devices are attached to the image forming apparatus main body.
Means for setting priorities respectively corresponding to
Therefore, the set priority and each of the peripheral devices
Based on the transmitted urgency level code,
Of the display control code respectively transmitted from the peripheral device.
A table indicating the contents to be displayed in preference to the display device.
Means for selecting an indication control code andCharacterized by the provision of
Image forming system.