JPH10142872A - Image recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform sorting in any circumstances while utilizing a housing device as much as possible by performing sorting operation in the case of discriminating that the sorting by the housing device is possible and controlling so that the reading order of an image stored in a storage means may be a specified order in the case of discriminating that the sorting is impossible. SOLUTION: By feeding documents piled on a document feeder 101 to a document platen glass surface 102 and moving a scanner unit 104, the document on the surface 102 is read and accumulated and stored in an image memory part. Next, whether or not a sorting mode is set is discriminated. In the case the sorting mode is set, whether or not the document can be ejected to the bin of a sorter 400, that is, whether a sensor does not detect the recording paper on the bin is discriminated. In the case the recording paper does not exist in the bin, the sorting is performed by the sorter 400, and in the case the recording paper exists, the sorting is performed by controlling the reading order of the image stored in the image memory part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus to which a storage apparatus having a plurality of storage sections for storing sheets on which images are formed can be mounted, and an image recording method in the image recording apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image recording apparatus such as a copying machine, a sheet on which a series of images are recorded is sorted by bins of a sorter in order to obtain the sheets in a sorted state.

[0003]

In such a conventional copying machine, the sort mode is prohibited during interrupt copying or when sheets remain in the bin of the sorter. Therefore, it is inconvenient to sort sheets on which a plurality of copies have been recorded when interrupt copying or when sheets remain in the sorter bin. In particular, this is a serious problem when one image recording apparatus is frequently used by a plurality of users.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention relates to an image recording apparatus in which a storage device having a plurality of storage sections for storing sheets formed with images can be mounted, and a storage means for storing images. Recording means for recording an image on a sheet, determining means for determining whether or not sheets can be sorted by the storage device, and when the determination means determines that sorting by the storage device is possible, the recording means First control means for causing a plurality of sheets to be recorded to be sorted by the plurality of storage units of the storage device, and when the determination unit determines that the sorting by the storage device is impossible, the sheet is stored in the storage unit. And a second control unit for performing sorting by controlling the reading order of the read images.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus to which a storage device having a plurality of storage portions for storing sheets on which images have been formed can be mounted. A recording unit that records an image on a sheet, a determination unit that determines whether the sheet can be sorted by the storage device, and the storage unit that is the same when the determination unit determines that the sheet can be sorted by the storage device. The first control means for repeating the reading of the image of the page the number of times equal to the set number of copies, and sequentially performing the reading for the images of all the pages, and when the determination means determines that sorting by the storage device is impossible, the storage means Second control means for sequentially reading out images of successive pages, and repeating the readout for a number of times equal to the set number of copies. There is provided an image recording apparatus.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a reader unit that converts a document into image data, 2 denotes a printer that has a plurality of types of recording paper cassettes, and that outputs image data as visible images on recording paper in response to print commands, and 3 denotes a reader unit It is an external device electrically connected to and has various functions. The external device 3 includes a fax unit 4, a file unit 5, an external storage device 6 connected to the file unit 5, a computer interface unit 7 for connecting to a computer and a LAN, and information from the computer as a visible image. Formatter unit 8 for performing
An image memory unit 9 for storing information from the reader unit 1 and temporarily storing information sent from a computer, a core unit 10 for controlling the above functions, and the like are provided. The printer unit 2 includes a reader unit 1, a fax unit 4,
Images from the file unit 5, the formatter unit 8, and the computer interface unit 7 can be recorded on recording paper.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2. The configuration and operation will be described below.

The originals stacked on the original feeding device 101 are sequentially conveyed one by one onto the original platen glass surface 102. When the document is transported to a predetermined position on the glass surface 102,
The scanner unit lamp 103 is turned on, and the scanner unit 104 moves to irradiate the original. The reflected light of the original is
The light is input to a CCD image sensor unit 109 (hereinafter, referred to as a CCD) via mirrors 105, 106, and 107 and a lens. The reflected light or transmitted light of the document irradiated on the CCD 109 is photoelectrically converted here. The converted electric signal is sent to the image processing unit 110.

The image processing section 110 performs image processing set by various operation sections. The external switching circuit is a selector that switches a signal from the reader unit 1 to the printer unit 2 or the external device 3. Further, it also has a function of selecting either the signal from the reader unit 1 or the signal from the external device 3 and connecting to the printer unit 2.

In an external switching circuit of the image processing unit 110, the electric signal connected to the printer unit 2 is converted into an optical signal modulated by the exposure control unit 201, and
Is irradiated. The latent image formed on the photoconductor 202 by the irradiation light is developed by the developing device 203. The recording paper is conveyed from the recording paper cassette 204 or 205 at the same time as the leading end of the developed image, and the developed image is transferred to the recording paper in the transfer unit 206. After the transferred image is fixed on the recording paper by the fixing unit 207, the image is discharged from the paper discharge unit 208 to the outside of the apparatus. The recording paper discharged from the paper discharge unit 208 is passed to the sorter 400.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the sorter 400. 40
A receiving unit 1 receives a recording sheet from the sheet discharging unit 208.
Reference numerals 409 to 416 denote sorter bins (trays) which sort the recording paper received by the receiving unit 401 into bins 409 to 416 by flappers 402 to 408 and rollers (not shown). The bins 411 to 416 are mainly used for sorting a plurality of sets of recording paper by the sorter 400, and
Reference numerals 9 and 410 denote when discharging only one copy of the recording paper, when discharging the recording paper on which the image received by the fax unit 4 is recorded, and when discharging the recording paper using the image input through the computer interface unit 7. Used. 417
Is a sensor for detecting that the recording paper on the bins 411 to 416 remains. The sorter 400 is detachable from the printer 2 and the detachment of the sorter 400 is detected by the sensor 211.

Next, a method for recording an image on both sides of a recording sheet will be described. After the recording paper fixed by the fixing unit 207 is once conveyed to the middle of the paper discharge unit 208, the conveyance direction of the recording paper is reversed, and the recording paper is re-fed by the flapper 209.
Conveyed to 10. When the next image recording preparation is made, the recording paper is fed from the re-feeding unit 210 and
04, 205, and joins the photoconductor 202,
An image is recorded by the transfer unit 206 and the like. Thereby, an image is recorded on both sides of the recording paper.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an operation panel 300 provided in the reader unit 1. A display unit 301 displays an operation state and a message. The surface of the display unit 301 is a touch panel, and functions as a selection key by touching the surface. Numeral 302 is a key for inputting the number of copies. Reference numeral 303 denotes a start key, and operation is started by pressing this key. 304
Is an interrupt key that works when interrupting another print job during one print job. A copy mode, a fax mode, a file mode, and a printer mode can be designated using the touch panel of the display unit 301. The display unit 30
A sorter key can be used to set / cancel the sort mode.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart in the image forming system. First, the numeric key 30
Set the number of copies set in step 2 (step S
1) A variable N is initialized to 0 (step S2). Next, the original loaded on the original feeder 101 is fed onto the original glass platen 102 (step S3), and the scanner unit 104 is moved to read the original on the original glass plate 102 (step S4). Is stored in the image memory unit 9 (step S5). Then, a variable N for counting the number of documents is incremented (step S).
6) It is determined whether there is an unread original loaded on the original feeder 101 (step S7). If there is any unread original, the process proceeds to step S3 to feed / read the original.
Continue remembering. If reading of all originals on the original feeder 101 has been completed in step S7, it is next determined whether or not the sort mode is set by the sorter key of the display unit 301 (step S8). Whether it can be discharged to the bins 411 to 416 of the sorter 400, that is, the sensor 417
It is determined whether or not a recording paper is detected above (step S9).

In step S9, the sensor 417 detects the bin 411
If the recording paper on 416 is detected, step S1
0, the memory paper is sorted and the recording paper is binned 410
Discharge to First, the bin 410 is selected (step S1).
0), the contents of the variable N, that is, the number of originals, are set in the variable J (step S11). Then, the image memory unit 9
Is read out and stored in the printer unit 2 (step S12), and the variable J is decremented (step S13). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the variable J is 0 (step S14).
Proceed to 2 and repeat the above operation. If the variable J is 0 in the determination in step S14, the variable S is decremented (step S15), and it is determined whether the variable S is 0 (step S16). If not, the process proceeds to step S11.
If the variable S is 0 in step S16, the operation ends.
As a result, a plurality of sets of recording paper are discharged to one bin, but are stacked in the bin in a sorted state, so that sorting is easy.

In step S9, the sensor 417 detects the bin 411
If no recording paper is detected on steps S416 to S416
Then, the sorter 400 sorts the recording paper by the sorter 400. First, the contents of the variable S are set in the variable J (step S17). Then, the bin (410 + J) is selected (step S18), and the N-th bin stored in the image memory unit 9 is selected.
The page document image is read and recorded by the printer unit 2 (step S19), and the variable J is decremented (step S19).
20). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the variable J is 0 (step S21). If not, the process proceeds to step S18, and the above operation is repeated. If J is 0 in the determination in step S21, the variable N is decremented (step S22), and it is determined whether or not the variable N is 0 (step S23). If not, the process proceeds to step S17. In step S23, the variable N
If the value is 0, the operation ends.

If it is determined in step S8 that the mode is not the sort mode, the flow advances to step S24 to discharge the recording paper to the bin 409 without performing sorting. First, the bin 409 is selected (step S24), and the variable J is set to the variable S.
Is set (step S25). Then, the document image of the Nth page stored in the image memory unit 9 is read out and recorded by the printer unit 2 (step S26).
Is decremented (step S27). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the variable J is 0 (step S28). If not, the process proceeds to step S26, and the above operation is repeated. If the variable J is 0 in the determination in step S28, the variable N is decremented (step S29), and it is determined whether the variable N is 0 (step S30).
Proceed to step 25 and repeat the above operation.

As described above, in this embodiment, if no recording paper is present in the bin of the sorter 400 at the start of image formation, the sorter 400 sorts the recording paper, and if so, the image memory 9 sorts the recording paper. Sorting can be enabled in any situation while utilizing as much as possible 400.

(Second embodiment) In the first embodiment described above,
In step S9, depending on the detection result of the sensor 417, it is controlled whether to proceed to step S10 or to step S17. In step S9, it is determined whether or not the sorter 400 is mounted by the sensor 211, and the sorter 400 is mounted. If so, the process proceeds to step S17, and if not, the process proceeds to step S11.

Thus, at the start of image formation, the sorter 40
When 0 is mounted, sorting is performed by the sorter 400, and when not mounted, sorting is performed by the image memory unit 9. When the sorter is not mounted, a simple tray is mounted.
It is configured to detect separately from 0.

(Third Embodiment) Steps S17 to S2
It is possible to provide a step of determining whether or not the interrupt key 304 has been pressed during the processing of step 3, and if the interrupt key 304 is pressed, the number of copies for interrupt copying is set, and then the process proceeds to step S10. .

[0022] Thus, a plurality of copies of the recording paper can be obtained in a sorted state for the interrupt copy process. When proceeding to Yes in step S16, the process returns to steps S17 to S23 before the interruption.

The control in each of the above-described embodiments is performed by the control unit CONT1 and the core unit 10 in the reader unit 1.

The program for executing the above-described control is a medium readable by the control unit, that is, a medium such as a ROM, a CD-ROM, a RAM, a floppy disk,
It is stored on a hard disk or the like. Further, this program can be downloaded from a remote place by communication via a public line and stored in a RAM, a hard disk, a floppy disk or the like.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is determined whether or not sorting by the storage device is possible, and if it is determined that sorting by the storage device is possible, the sorting operation is performed by the storage device. If it is determined that sorting by the storage device is not possible, the reading order of the images stored in the storage means is controlled in a predetermined order, so that sorting can be performed in any situation while using the storage device as much as possible.

Further, according to the present invention, it is determined whether or not sorting by the storage device is possible, and when it is determined that sorting by the storage device is possible, reading of the image of the same page from the storage means is equal to the set number of copies. Repeat this number of times, this reading is performed for the images of all pages, and if it is determined that sorting by the storage device is impossible, reading of images of successive pages is sequentially performed from the storage means, and this reading is repeated the same number of times as the set number of copies, The recording can be performed in the sortable page order regardless of whether or not the sorting function of the storage device is used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a reader and a printer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sorter.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an operation panel.

FIG. 5 is a control flowchart of the image forming system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reader part 2 Printer part 9 Image memory part 400 Sorter

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus to which a storage device having a plurality of storage portions for storing sheets on which images are formed can be mounted, a storage device for storing an image, a recording device for recording an image on a sheet, and the storage device. Determining means for determining whether sheets can be sorted by the device; and, if the determining means determines that the sheets can be sorted by the storage device, the plurality of sheets to be recorded by the recording device in a plurality of positions in the storage device. A first control unit for causing the storage unit to perform a sorting operation, and when the determination unit determines that sorting by the storage device is impossible, the reading order of the images stored in the storage unit is controlled in a predetermined order. And a second control unit for performing sorting. An image recording apparatus, comprising: 2. A storage device comprising: a detection unit configured to detect whether a sheet is present in the plurality of storage units; wherein the determination unit is configured to perform sorting by the storage device when the detection unit does not detect the presence of a sheet. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the detection unit detects the presence of the sheet, it is determined that sorting by the storage device is impossible. 3. A storage device for detecting whether or not the storage device is mounted on the image recording device, wherein the determination device is configured to detect the storage device when the detection device detects the mounting of the storage device. 2. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that sorting by the storage device is possible, and when the detection unit detects that the storage device is not mounted, sorting by the storage device is not possible. 4. A detecting means for detecting whether or not another image forming interrupt instruction has been issued during the sorting operation by said storage device, wherein said determining means determines whether or not said detecting means has issued an interrupt instruction. 2. The image according to claim 1, wherein it is determined that sorting by the storage device is possible until the storage device is detected, and that sorting by the storage device is not possible when the detection unit detects an interrupt instruction. Recording device. 5. An image recording apparatus in which a storage device having a plurality of storage sections for storing sheets formed with images is mountable, a storage unit for storing an input image, and an image read from the storage unit being stored in the sheet. Recording means for recording; determining means for determining whether or not the sheets can be sorted by the storage device; if the determination means determines that the sheets can be sorted by the storage device, an image of the same page is stored from the storage means. A first control unit that repeats reading the number of times equal to the set number of copies, and sequentially performs the reading for images of all pages; and when the determining unit determines that sorting by the storage device is impossible, the reading of consecutive pages from the storage unit is performed. A second control means for sequentially reading the image and repeating the reading the number of times equal to the set number of copies. apparatus. 6. A detecting means for detecting whether or not a sheet is present in the plurality of storage units, wherein the determining means is capable of sorting by the storing device when the detecting means does not detect the presence of a sheet. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the detection unit detects the presence of a sheet, it is determined that sorting by the storage device is impossible. 7. A storage device for detecting whether or not the storage device is mounted on the image recording apparatus, wherein the determination unit is configured to detect the mounting of the storage device when the detection unit detects the mounting of the storage device. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein it is determined that sorting by the storage device is possible, and when the detection unit detects that the storage device is not mounted, sorting by the storage device is not possible. 8. A detecting means for detecting whether or not another image forming interrupt instruction is given during the sorting operation by the storage device, wherein the determining means is adapted to execute the interrupt instruction. 6. The image according to claim 5, wherein it is determined that sorting by said storage device is possible until said storage device is detected, and it is determined that sorting by said storage device is impossible when said detection means detects an interrupt instruction. Recording device. 9. An image recording method in an image recording apparatus to which a storage device having a plurality of storage portions for storing sheets on which images are formed can be mounted, wherein an input image is stored in a storage device; Recording the read image on the sheet; determining whether the sheet can be sorted by the storage device; and determining from the storage unit that the determination step determines that the sheet can be sorted by the storage device. Repeating the reading of the image of the page the number of times equal to the set number of copies, and sequentially performing the reading for the images of all the pages; and when it is determined in the determining step that sorting by the storage device is not possible, the reading of successive pages from the storage unit is performed. Sequentially reading images and repeating the reading the number of times equal to the set number of copies. An image recording method. 10. A detecting step for detecting whether or not a sheet is present in the plurality of storage units, wherein the determining step determines that the storage device can sort the sheet if no sheet is detected in the detecting step. 10. The image recording method according to claim 9, wherein if the presence of a sheet is detected in the detecting step, it is determined that sorting by the storage device is impossible. 11. A step of detecting whether or not the storage device is mounted on the image recording device. In the determining step, when the mounting of the storage device is detected in the detection step, the determination is made by the storage device. 10. The image recording method according to claim 9, wherein it is determined that sorting is possible, and if the non-attachment of the storage device is detected in the detection step, it is determined that sorting by the storage device is not possible. 12. A step of detecting whether or not another image forming interrupt instruction has been issued during the sorting operation by the storage device. In the determining step, the detecting step includes the step of detecting the interrupt instruction. 10. The image recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein sorting is determined by the storage device until the storage device is detected, and sorting by the storage device is determined to be impossible when an interrupt instruction is detected in the detection step. Method.