KR20050054092A - Apparatus and method capable of adjusting duplex printing function - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a duplex printing function adjusting device and method. The printer driver unit provides a user interface window for setting the type of paper on which the print data is printed and a print mode for printing the print data, and the input unit sets the type of the paper and the print mode through the user interface window, The printer driver converts the document into printable print data when printing is requested from the input unit, but the set print mode is the first print mode in which the set is automatically printed on both sides of the paper, and a paper jam occurs in which the set paper is stored. If included in the available paper, the first print mode is switched to one of the second print mode for printing on both sides of the paper and the third print mode for printing only on one side of the paper by a user's manual operation. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a paper jam that may occur when a paper having a thickness of more than the first reference value or less than the second reference value passes through the duplex printing apparatus.

Description

Apparatus and method capable of adjusting duplex printing function}

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for adjusting the duplex printing function, and more particularly, to prevent a paper jam that may occur when a paper having a thickness greater than or equal to the first reference value or less than or equal to the second reference value passes through the duplex printing apparatus. The present invention relates to a duplex printing function adjusting device and a method for adjusting a printing mode.

A printer is an image forming apparatus for converting print data transmitted from a user terminal such as a computer into bitmap data to perform a print job. Mostly, a printer performs a simplex printing that forms an image only on one end of a sheet of paper.

Recently released printers, however, involve simplex printing as well as duplex printing to form images on both sides of the paper. A printer performing duplex printing is provided with a duplexer (duplexer) for forming an image on one side of a sheet of paper and then inverting the sheet of paper to form an image on the other side. When duplex printing is selected through the user interface (UI) of the printer driver in the user terminal, the printer forms an image on one side of the paper and passes the duplexer to form an image on the other side of the paper. do.

Such conventional printers generally perform duplex printing using thin paper having a thickness within a predetermined value. This is because when a thick paper, such as an OHP film, passes through the duplex printing device, the thick paper is sharply bent on the printing path of the duplex printing device so that the conveyance of the paper is prevented and a paper jam occurs as a result. However, in some cases, duplex printing is performed using thick paper due to a user's mistake. In such a case, a conventional printer performs duplex printing even when the paper is thick, thereby causing a paper jam in the printer. do. In addition, there is a problem that the paper normally printed on one side of the paper cannot be used due to the paper jam.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to adjust the duplex printing function and the adjustment method that can prevent the paper jam that occurs when the paper having a thickness greater than the first reference value or less than the second reference value passes through the duplex printing apparatus in advance. To provide.

In order to solve the above technical problem, the apparatus for adjusting a duplex printing function according to the present invention is a printer that provides a user interface window for setting the type of paper on which predetermined print data is printed and the print mode for printing the print data. A driver unit; And an input unit for setting the type of the paper and the print mode through the user interface window and requesting printing of the document, wherein the printer driver prints the document when the printing is requested from the input unit. Convert the printable data to printable data, and if the set print mode is the first print mode to be automatically printed on both sides of the paper, and the set paper is included in the pre-stored paper jam-capable paper, the first print mode may be Thereby switching between the second printing mode for printing on both sides of the paper and the third printing mode for printing only on one side of the paper.

Preferably, the storage unit is stored paper jam occurrence possible paper; And a communication unit which transmits the converted print data, the set paper type, and the set print mode to an external printing apparatus.

In addition, the paper jam generation possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper.

On the other hand, in order to solve the technical problem as described above, the duplex printing function adjusting method according to the present invention, after the type of paper on which a predetermined document is printed and the print mode for printing the document is set, the printing of the document is requested. step; Converting the document into printable print data; If the set print mode is a first print mode for automatically printing on both sides of the paper, checking the type of the set paper; If the type of the checked paper is included in the preset paper jam occurrence possible paper, the second print mode for printing the first print mode on both sides of the paper by a user's manual operation and the printing on only one side of the paper Switching to one of the third print modes; And transmitting the converted print data and identification information of the switched print mode to an external printing apparatus.

Preferably, the paper jam generation possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper.

On the other hand, to solve the above technical problem, the duplex printing function adjusting method according to the present invention, the step of receiving the print data converted to be printable from the user terminal; Checking a print mode of the print data; If the identified print mode is a first print mode that automatically prints on both sides of the paper, detecting a type of paper on which the print data is shaped; If the detected type of paper is included in the preset paper jam occurrence possible paper, a second printing mode for printing the first printing mode on both sides of the paper by a user's manual operation, and a second printing mode for printing only one side of the paper. Switching to one of three print modes; And printing the print data in the switched print mode.

More specifically, the paper jam generation possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the present invention in more detail.

1 is a view schematically showing a printer system to which a duplex printing function adjusting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 1, a printer system according to the present invention includes a user terminal 100 and a printer 200. First, Fig. 1 shows only blocks related to the duplex printing function of print data according to the present invention, and the illustration of other blocks is omitted.

The user terminal 100 is a device that generates data to be printed and transmits the data to the printer 200 through a predetermined communication network 300. For example, the user terminal 100 may include a host computer incorporating a driver related to the printer 200. Examples of the communication network 10 may include a local area network and a router such as a hub, or an internet network. The printer 200 is shared and available to a plurality of user terminals, and is an external printing apparatus for printing print data transmitted from the user terminal 100.

First, the user terminal 100 includes a user interface unit 110, a display unit 120, a main storage unit 130, a sub storage unit 140, an application program unit 150, a printer driver unit 160, and a spooler ( 170, a terminal communication unit 180, and a terminal control unit 190.

The user interface 110 applied as an input unit applies a key input signal according to a user's key operation to the terminal controller 190 to be described later. As the user interface 110, a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like may be applied. In the present invention, the user interface unit 110 outputs a print request signal for a predetermined document and a selection signal for a predetermined print mode among a plurality of print modes by the user's selection to the terminal controller 190.

Here, the plurality of print modes include an automatic duplex printing mode applied to the first printing mode, a manual duplex printing mode applied to the second printing mode, and a single-sided printing mode applied to the third printing mode. The automatic duplex printing mode is a mode that automatically prints on both sides of the paper using a duplexer. The manual duplex printing mode prints on both sides of a sheet of paper. In this mode, the paper is printed on the other side of the paper by changing the printing direction, and the single-sided printing mode is a mode in which only one side of the paper is printed.

The display unit 120 is a general monitor and displays an operating state of the user terminal 100 under the control of the terminal controller 190.

The main storage unit 130 is a nonvolatile memory in which various control programs necessary for implementing the functions of the user terminal 100 are stored.

The sub storage unit 140 classifies and stores paper having a high possibility of a paper jam according to the type of paper on which the document is printed. The paper jam refers to a phenomenon in which paper is caught on the printing unit 240 of the printer 200 so that a print job cannot be performed. Paper jam occurrence possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper. For example, when the thickness of the paper exceeds the first reference thickness value or below the second reference value, the paper is classified and stored as a paper jam occurrence possible paper.

The types of paper are, for example, bond paper, coarse paper, OHP, thick paper, color paper, card stock, and the like. Among them, bond paper, thick paper, and OHP are classified and stored as paper jam-producing paper.

The application program unit 150 is provided with an application program for generating various documents.

The printer driver 160 provides a printing condition setting screen (not shown) for setting printing conditions for a document created through an application program. In the present invention, a printing condition setting screen (not shown) includes a paper type selection menu for selecting a paper type and a print mode selection menu for selecting a predetermined print mode.

In addition, when the printer driver 160 wants to print a document created by an application program, the printer driver 160 converts the print target data constituting the document into print data recognizable by the printer 200. At this time, the printer driver 160 checks the type of paper on which the document is printed, if the current print mode is set to the automatic duplex printing mode.

The printer driver 160 determines whether the automatic duplex printing mode is forcibly switched to a predetermined mode among the manual duplex printing mode and the single-sided printing mode based on the identified paper type to determine the final printing mode.

In detail, the printer driver 160 checks the type of paper by the paper selected by the user interface unit 110 in the paper type selection menu of the printing condition setting screen provided by the printer driver 160. The printer driver 160 may set the automatic two-sided printing mode to the manual two-sided printing mode and the one-sided printing mode if the type of the checked paper is included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper stored in the sub storage unit 140. Force switch to mode. The forced mode is the final print mode.

On the other hand, the printer driver 160 determines that the automatic duplex printing mode initially set as the final print mode when the type of the checked paper is not included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper stored in the sub storage unit 140.

When the final print mode is determined, the printer driver unit 160 prints the print condition information (for example, PJL data) including the converted print data (for example, PDL data) and identification information of the final print mode. 170).

The spooler 170 is a program that manages spooling of print data provided from the printer driver 160, and provides the print data to the terminal communication unit 180 according to the processing speed of the printer 200. In general, the spooler 170 provides print data in units of pages.

The terminal communication unit 180 includes a plurality of ports (for example, a network port and a parallel port), and predetermined ports of the plurality of ports are connected to the printer 200 and the user terminal 100 so as to communicate with each other. The terminal communication unit 180 transmits the print data of the document created through the application program and the printing condition information set in the printer driver 160 to the printer 200.

The terminal controller 190 controls the overall operation of the user terminal 100 according to the control program stored in the main storage unit 130. As an example, when a print request for a predetermined document is received from the user interface unit 110, the terminal controller 190 converts the print target data of the document into printable print data and then transmits the print driver to the printer 200. The unit 160, the spooler 170, and the terminal communication unit 180 are controlled.

The printer 200 includes an operation panel unit 210, a printer communication unit 220, an emulator 230, a printing unit 240, a ROM 250, a RAM 260, and a printer control unit 270.

The operation panel unit 210 includes a plurality of operation keys for selecting and setting a function supported by the printer 200, and an input unit (not shown) and a printer control unit for applying the selected operation key signal to the printer control unit 270. A display unit (not shown) that displays an operating state of the printer 200 under the control of 270 is provided.

The printer communication unit 220 is a communication interface provided to communicate with the user terminal 100. The printer communication unit 220 receives print data transmitted from the user terminal 100 through the terminal communication unit 180 and the communication network 300.

The emulator 230 generates bitmap data after performing rendering on the print data received through the printer communication unit 220. The printing unit 240 performs a printing operation of printing the bitmap data generated under the control of the printer control unit 270 on the recording paper. In particular, the printing unit 240 includes a duplex printing apparatus (duplexer) for performing automatic / manual duplex printing.

The ROM 250 stores various control programs necessary to implement the functions of the printer 200, and the RAM 260 stores various data generated during the operation of the printer 200.

The printer controller 270 controls the overall operation of the printer 200 according to a control program stored in the ROM 250. For example, the printer controller 270 controls the emulator 230 and the printer 240 to convert the print data transmitted from the user terminal 100 into bitmap data and then print.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method for adjusting a duplex printing function of the printer system shown in FIG. 1.

1 and 2, when a user wants to print a predetermined document, the user requests a display of a printing condition setting screen (not shown) using the user interface 110. When a printing condition setting screen (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 120, the user may use the user interface unit 110 to print the automatic duplex mode and other printing conditions (for example, the number of prints, the printing range, the paper type, etc.). ) Is set (S210).

After the step S210 is performed, when the print request is received, the printer driver 160 converts the print target data constituting the predetermined document into print data recognizable by the printer 200 (S220 and S230).

In addition, the printer driver 160 checks the type of paper on which the document is printed in order to prevent a paper jam (S240). This is because the current print mode is set to the automatic duplex printing mode, in order to prevent a situation in which a paper jam may occur when a paper suitable for the duplex printing mode is inserted into the printer 200. In step S240, the printer driver 160 checks the type of paper by the paper selected by the user interface unit 110 in the paper type selection menu of the printing condition setting screen.

If the type of paper checked in step S240 is included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper stored in the sub storage unit 140, the printer driver 160 may set the automatic duplex printing mode to manual duplex printing mode and single-sided printing mode. Forcibly switching to the set mode to determine the final print mode (S250, S260).

When step S260 is performed, the terminal controller 190 sends the terminal communication unit 180 to transmit the print condition information including the print data output to the printer driver 160 and identification information of the final print mode to the printer 200. Control (S270).

Thus, the printer 200 prints the print data transmitted from the user terminal 100 in accordance with the print condition information including the final print mode. Here, the final printing mode is any one of the manual duplex printing mode and the single-sided printing mode determined in step S260. That is, when the manual duplex printing mode is determined as the final printing mode in step S260, the printer 200 performs manual duplex printing on the paper identified in step S240 inserted by the user. In addition, when the single-sided printing mode is determined as the final printing mode in step S260, the printer 200 prints only on the end face of the paper identified in step S240 in step S460.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S250 that the type of paper is not included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper, the printer driver 160 prints the print condition information including the print data and the identification information of the automatic duplex printing mode. The terminal communication unit 180 is controlled to be transmitted to (S280). As a result, the printer 200 performs automatic duplex printing on the print data transmitted from the user terminal 100.

On the other hand, if the type of paper identified in step S240 of FIG. 2 is included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper classified and stored in the sub storage unit 140, the printer driver 160 prints to allow the user to set the final print mode. The mode selection menu can be provided. As a result, the printing mode forcibly switched in step S260 is forcibly switched to the mode selected by the user among the manual duplex printing mode and the single-sided printing mode.

3 is a view schematically showing a printer system to which a duplex printing function adjusting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 3, the printer system according to the present invention includes a user terminal 300 and a printer 400. First, Fig. 2 shows only blocks related to density adjustment of print data according to the present invention, and the illustration of other blocks is omitted.

First, the user terminal 300 includes a user interface 310, a display 320, a main storage 330, an application program 340, a printer driver 350, a spooler 360, and a terminal communication unit 370. And a terminal controller 380.

The user interface unit 310, the display unit 320, the main storage unit 330, the application program unit 340, the spooler 360, the terminal communication unit 370, and the terminal control unit 380 illustrated in FIG. 3 are illustrated in FIG. 1. Performs operations similar to those of the user interface unit 110, the display unit 120, the main storage unit 130, the application program unit 150, the spooler 170, the terminal communication unit 180, and the terminal control unit 190 shown in FIG. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

However, when a print request for a predetermined document is requested from the user interface unit 210, the printer driver 350 converts the predetermined document into print data recognizable by the printer 400. The printer driver 350 outputs print condition information including the converted print data and identification information of the predetermined print mode. As a result, the printer 400 receives the print condition information including the converted print data and identification information of the predetermined print mode.

The printer 400 may include an operation panel unit 410, a printer communication unit 420, a paper detection unit 430, a ROM 440, a RAM 450, an emulator 460, a printing unit 470, and a printer control unit ( 480).

First, the operation panel unit 410, the printer communication unit 420, the ROM 440, the RAM 450, the emulator 460, the printing unit 470, and the printer control unit 480 illustrated in FIG. 3 are illustrated in FIG. 1. Since the operation panel 210, the printer communication unit 220, the emulator 230, the printing unit 240, the ROM 250, the RAM 260, and the printer control unit 270 shown in FIG. Omit.

The paper detector 430 detects a type of paper inserted into a paper cassette (not shown) of the printing unit 470. Sensor. After the print data is transmitted from the user terminal 300, if there is a paper type detection request from firmware to be described later, the paper detection unit 430 detects the paper type under the control of the printer control unit 480 and detects the detection signal. Outputs

The ROM 440 stores various control programs necessary to implement the functions of the printer 400. In the present invention, the ROM 440 includes a firmware storage unit 442 and a sub storage unit 444. The firmware storage unit 442 stores firmware that supports a function of adjusting a print mode of the print data, and the sub storage unit 444 stores paper jam occurrence papers according to the type of paper on which the document is printed. .

In detail, when print data and print condition information are transmitted from the user terminal 300, the firmware stored in the firmware storage unit 442 checks the print mode set on the print condition setting screen of the user terminal 300. Confirmation of the print mode can be confirmed by print mode identification information included in the print condition information.

If the automatic duplex printing mode is set as a result of the check, the firmware requests the printer control unit 480 to detect the type of paper inserted in the paper cassette (not shown). Therefore, the paper detector 430 detects the type of paper under the control of the printer controller 480, and the detected signal is provided to the firmware.

The firmware checks the paper type according to the detected signal, and if the checked paper type is included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper stored in the sub storage unit 444, the automatic duplex printing mode is set to manual duplex printing mode and single-sided printing. Forcibly switch to the preset mode among the print modes. Then, the firmware determines the forced switch mode as the final print mode. On the other hand, if the identified paper type is not included in the paper jam occurrence possible paper classified and stored in the sub storage unit 444, the firmware determines the initial automatic duplex printing mode as the final printing mode.

When the final print mode is determined, the printer controller 480 controls the emulator 460 and the printer 470 to generate and print bitmap data corresponding to the final print mode.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of adjusting a duplex printing function of the printer system shown in FIG. 3.

3 and 4, first, the user terminal 300 converts a document to be printed into print data and outputs the converted document. That is, when print data and printing condition information are received from the user terminal 300 through the communication network 30 such as LAN and the printer communication unit 420, the firmware checks whether the print mode of the print data is the automatic duplex printing mode ( S410, S420).

If it is confirmed in the automatic duplex printing mode in step S420, the firmware checks the type of paper inserted in the paper feed cassette (not shown) (S430). The type of paper can be confirmed by the detection signal output from the paper detection unit 430.

If the identified paper type is included in the paper jam occurrence paper stored in the sub storage unit 444, the firmware forcibly switches the print mode from the automatic duplex printing mode to the preset one of the manual duplex printing mode and the single-sided printing mode. To determine the final print mode (S440, S450).

When the final print mode is determined in step S450, the printer controller 480 controls the emulator 460 and the print unit 470 to generate and print bitmap data corresponding to the final print mode (S460). That is, when the manual duplex printing mode is determined as the final printing mode in step S450, the printing unit 470 performs manual duplex printing on the thick paper inserted by the user in step S460. In addition, when the single-sided printing mode is determined as the final printing mode in step S450, the printing unit 470 prints only on the end face of the paper identified in step S430.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the type of paper checked in step S440 is not included in the paper jam-prone paper, the printer controller 480 generates an emulator 460 to generate and print bitmap data corresponding to the automatic duplex printing mode. ) And the printing unit 470 (S470).

As a result, the printer 400 prints the print data transmitted from the user terminal 300, but adjusts the print mode according to the type of paper to print. As a result, when a sheet having a high probability of a paper jam is inserted while the automatic duplex printing mode is set, the paper jam phenomenon can be prevented by changing the print mode.

As described so far, according to the apparatus and method for adjusting the duplex printing function according to the present invention, it is possible to restrict the path in which paper having a thickness greater than or equal to the reference value enters the duplex printing apparatus. That is, if the thick paper or thin paper is inserted in the printer when the automatic duplex mode is set, the entry path of the paper can be regulated by adjusting the automatic duplex mode to the manual duplex mode or the single-sided printing mode. The rate of paper jams can be prevented. In addition, by preventing paper jams in advance, it is also possible to reduce the number of sheets of paper discarded by preventing the paper which has been normally printed on one surface from being unusable.

Although the present invention has been described in detail through the representative embodiments, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications without departing from the scope of the present invention with respect to the embodiments described above. Will understand. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims below and equivalents thereof.

1 is a view schematically showing a printer system to which a duplex printing function adjusting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a method of adjusting a duplex printing function of the printer system shown in FIG. 1;

3 is a view schematically showing a printer system to which a duplex printing function adjusting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied, and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method of adjusting a duplex printing function of the printer system shown in FIG. 3.

Description of the main parts of the drawing

100: user terminal 110: user interface unit

120: display unit 140: sub storage unit

150: application unit 160: printer driver unit

180: terminal communication unit 190: terminal control unit

200: printer 220: printer communication unit

230: emulator 240: printing unit

270 printer control

Claims (7)

A printer driver unit providing a user interface window for setting a type of paper on which predetermined print data is printed and a print mode for printing the print data; And And an input unit for setting the type of the paper and the print mode through the user interface window and requesting printing of the document. The printer driver unit converts the document into printable print data when the printing is requested from the input unit, but the set print mode is a first print mode in which the printer is automatically printed on both sides of the paper, and a paper jam occurs in which the set paper is stored. If the paper is included in the paper, the first printing mode is switched to one of a second printing mode for printing on both sides of the paper by a user's manual operation and a third printing mode for printing only on one side of the paper. Duplex printing adjuster. The method of claim 1, A storage unit for storing the paper jam occurrence possible paper; And And a communication unit which transmits the converted print data, the set paper type, and the set print mode to an external printing device. The method of claim 1, The paper jam occurrence possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper, characterized in that the duplex printing function adjustment apparatus. Requesting printing of the document after setting a type of paper on which a predetermined document is printed and a print mode for printing the document; Converting the document into printable print data; If the set print mode is a first print mode for automatically printing on both sides of the paper, checking the type of the set paper; If the type of the checked paper is included in the preset paper jam occurrence possible paper, the second print mode for printing the first print mode on both sides of the paper by a user's manual operation and the printing on only one side of the paper Switching to one of the third print modes; And And transmitting the converted print data and the identification information of the switched print mode to an external printing apparatus. The method of claim 4, wherein The paper jam generation possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper, characterized in that the printing method for adjusting the duplex printing. Receiving print data converted to be printable from a user terminal; Checking a print mode of the print data; If the identified print mode is a first print mode that automatically prints on both sides of the paper, detecting a type of paper on which the print data is shaped; If the detected type of paper is included in the preset paper jam occurrence possible paper, a second printing mode for printing the first printing mode on both sides of the paper by a user's manual operation, and a second printing mode for printing only one side of the paper. Switching to one of three print modes; And And printing the print data in the switched printing mode. The method of claim 6, The paper jam generation possible paper is classified and stored based on at least one of the thickness of the paper and the material of the paper, characterized in that the printing method for adjusting the duplex printing.