Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling discharge of printed sheets as a sheet bundle, a sheet discharge control apparatus, and a storage medium, and more particularly to a method of controlling discharge of a set desired number of printed sheets as a sheet bundle, a sheet discharge control apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
There has been known a sheet discharge control system that conveys a plurality of printed sheets, which have been printed by an MFP as a sheet discharge control apparatus, from the MFP to a stacker apparatus as a sheet discharge unit, and stores the conveyed sheets in the stacker apparatus. In this sheet discharge control system, the MFP performs print processing on the number of sheets to be printed, which is set by a user, and conveys the set number of printed sheets to the stacker apparatus, wherein the conveyed printed sheets are stored. Here, a technique for acquiring printed sheets conveyed from the MFP to the stacker apparatus as a bundle of sheets of a desired sheet count has been proposed e.g. in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-277339. In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-277339, the MFP divides print processing to be performed on the total number of sheets to be printed, based on the desired sheet count which is set by the user, and whenever execution of each divided print processing operation is completed, the stacker apparatus discharges the printed sheets of the desired sheet count as a sheet bundle. This enables the user to acquire the printed sheets of the desired sheet count as a sheet bundle.
However, in the sheet discharge control system described above, there is a case where the user cannot acquire the printed sheets of the desired sheet count as a sheet bundle. For example, if the number of printed sheets stored in the stacker apparatus does not reach the desired sheet count of printed sheets for a print processing operation, the printed sheets stored in the stacker apparatus remains in the stacker apparatus without being discharged from the stacker apparatus. However, thereafter in this state, if a new print processing operation is executed based on the setting of another desired sheet count which is set by the user, this brings about a situation in which two types of printed sheets, which have been printed by two print processing operations different from each other, are mixed in the stacker apparatus. As a result, in either of the two print processing operations, the user cannot acquire the printed sheets of a desired sheet count as a sheet bundle.
The present invention provides a method of controlling discharge of printed sheets, which makes it possible to acquire printed sheets of a desired sheet count as a sheet bundle, a sheet discharge control apparatus, and a storage medium.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling discharge of printed sheets, which is applied in performing printing, based on a print job including print processing on sheets of a desired sheet count set by a user, on a plurality of sheets, by a printing apparatus, conveying the plurality of sheets on which the printing has been performed from the printing apparatus to a sheet discharge unit, and storing the printed sheets in the sheet discharge unit, the method comprising determining whether or not printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit, detecting the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit, and discharging the stored printed sheets from the sheet discharge unit as a sheet bundle when the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit is equal to the desired sheet count, wherein said discharging includes discharging the printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit from the sheet discharge unit, when it is determined, in a case where the set desired sheet count has been changed, that the printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit.
In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet discharge control apparatus that performs control of discharge of printed sheets from a sheet discharge unit, in performing printing, based on a print job including print processing on sheets of a desired sheet count set by a user, on a plurality of sheets, by a printing apparatus, conveying the plurality of sheets on which the printing has been performed from the printing apparatus to the sheet discharge unit, and storing the printed sheets in the sheet discharge unit, the sheet discharge control apparatus comprising a determination unit configured to determine whether or not printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit, a sheet count detection unit configured to detect the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit, and a sheet discharge control unit configured to discharge the stored printed sheets from the sheet discharge unit as a sheet bundle when the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit is equal to the desired sheet count, wherein the sheet discharge control unit discharges the printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit from the sheet discharge unit, when it is determined, in a case where the set desired sheet count has been changed, that the printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit.
In a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable control program for causing a computer to execute a method of controlling discharge of printed sheets, which is applied in performing printing, based on a print job including print processing on sheets of a desired sheet count set by a user, on a plurality of sheets, by a printing apparatus, conveying the plurality of sheets on which the printing has been performed from the printing apparatus to a sheet discharge unit, and storing the printed sheets in the sheet discharge unit, wherein the method comprises determining whether or not printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit, detecting the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit, and discharging the stored printed sheets from the sheet discharge unit as a sheet bundle when the number of printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit is equal to the desired sheet count, wherein said discharging includes discharging the printed sheets stored in the sheet discharge unit from the sheet discharge unit, when it is determined, in a case where the set desired sheet count has been changed, that the printed sheets are stored in the sheet discharge unit.
According to the present invention, it is possible to acquire printed sheets of a desired sheet count as a sheet bundle.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).
The present invention will now be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing embodiments thereof.
In the present embodiment, although a description will be given of a case where the present invention is applied to an MFP as a sheet discharge control apparatus, this is not limitative, but the present invention can be applied to various apparatuses, insofar as it is an apparatus that is capable of controlling discharge of sheets from a sheet discharge unit.
Referring to
Referring to
The controller 201 controls the components connected via the system bus 211 by executing various control programs stored in the storage section 202. The storage section 202 stores the various control programs executed by the controller 201 and various data. The interface section 203 performs data communication with the interface section 215 of the client PC 102. In the present embodiment, the interface section 203 acquires print data for performing a print job from the interface section 215. The print data includes data of PDL (Page Description Language), such as PS (PostScript), PCL (Printer Control Language), or LIPS (LBP Image Processing System). The data reception section 204 transmits the print data acquired by the interface section 203 to the storage section 202 or the interpreter section 205. The interpreter section 205 analyzes the received print data, and converts the print data to intermediate data of a format which can be read by the renderer section 206. The renderer section 206 generates image data which can be read by the printer engine 209 based on the intermediate data converted from the print data by the interpreter section 205. The scanner section 207 reads an original set on an original platen glass, not shown, to thereby acquire image information, and generates image data which can be read by the printer engine 209 based on the acquired image information. The image data storage section 208 stores the image data generated by the renderer section 206 or the scanner section 207. The printer engine 209 performs a print job based on the stored image data. The UI section 210 is a user interface, and various settings are made by a user's operation of the UI section 210. In the present embodiment, various setting information, described hereinafter, included in the print data can be changed by a user's operation of the UI section 210.
The controller 212 of the client PC 102 controls the components connected via the system bus 217 by executing various control programs stored in the storage section 213. The storage section 213 stores the various control programs executed by the controller 212 and various setting information set by the user. The printer driver section 214 generates execution data for causing the MFP 101 to execute various processing. In the present embodiment, the printer driver section 214 generates print data based on the various setting information stored in the storage section 213. The interface section 215 performs data communication with the interface section 203. The display section 216 displays setting screens for setting various setting information. In the present embodiment, the display section 216 displays a print setting menu 300 shown in
The print setting menu 300 shown in
Referring to
The sheet feed cassettes 502a to 502d each store sheets for printing. The original reading section 503 reads an original set on the original platen glass, not shown, to thereby acquire image information. The stacker apparatus 501 performs sheet discharge processing for printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101. In the present embodiment, when the stacker apparatus 501 performs a sheet bundle discharge process, described hereinafter, if the number of printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101 reaches a sheet count to which the sheet count setting 401 is set (hereinafter referred to as the “discharged sheets-setting count”) (desired sheet count), the stacker apparatus 501 discharges the printed sheets as a sheet bundle formed by printed sheets of the discharged sheets-setting count. The tray 504 receives printed sheets discharged from the MFP 101 one by one. The stacker 505 stores the printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101. In the present embodiment, the printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101 are stored in the stacker 505 until the number of printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101 reaches the discharged sheets-setting count.
The stacker apparatus 501 includes a lift table 601, an eject table 602, a sheet count sensor 603, and a sheet sensor 604, which are provided in the stacker 505. The lift table 601 is provided in a manner capable of lifting and lowering, and the eject table 602 is provided in a horizontally ejectable manner. Printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101 are stacked on the lift table 601. The eject table 602 is horizontally ejected to thereby discharge a sheet bundle formed by the stacked printed sheets from the stacker apparatus 501. The sheet count sensor 603 is provided at a location from which it can sense printed sheets stacked on the lift table 601, and detects the number of printed sheets stacked on the lift table 601. The sheet sensor 604 is provided at a location from which it can sense printed sheets stacked on the eject table 602, and detects whether or not any printed sheets are stacked on the eject table 602.
First, the stacker apparatus 501 stacks printed sheets conveyed from the MFP 101 on the lift table 601 (see
The print-and-discharge control process in
Referring to
In the present example, if the number of printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 has not reached the discharged sheets-setting count during the printing operation executed based on the acquired print data, the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 remain in the stacker 505 without being discharged therefrom, but after that, if the various setting information of the print data, i.e. the discharged sheets-setting count is changed by a user's operation of the UI section 210, and a new printing operation based on the print data in which the discharged sheets-setting count has been changed (hereinafter referred to as the “setting-changed print data”) is performed, this causes a situation where the two types of printed sheets, which have been printed based on the two different print data items, are mixed in the stacker 505. As a result, it is impossible to acquire, from neither of the two print operations, a sheet bundle of printed sheets of the discharged sheets-setting count.
To cope with this, in the print-and-discharge process in
Referring to
If it is determined in the step S803 that the discharged sheets-setting count has been changed, the controller 201 determines, based on the detection results acquired in the step S802, whether or not printed sheets are stored in the stacker 505 (step S804). In the present embodiment, when the discharged sheets-setting count has been changed, before starting a printing operation to be performed on a plurality of sheets by the MFP 101 based on the setting-changed print data, the controller 201 checks whether or not printed sheets printed based on the print data based on which printing was performed (hereinafter referred to as the “preceding print data”) before printing based on the setting-changed print data remain in the stacker 505. Note that in either of a case where the detection result from the sheet count sensor 603 indicates that the number of printed sheets stacked on the lift table 601 is equal to or larger than 1, and a case where the detection result from the sheet sensor 604 indicates detection of any printed sheet stacked on the eject table 602, it is determined that printed sheets are stored in the stacker 505. However, as a variation, a sheet sensor may be additionally provided at a location from which it can sense printed sheets stacked on the lift table 601, for detecting any printed sheet stacked on the lift table 601, and the detection result from this sheet sensor may be acquired in the step S802 for use in the determination in the step S804.
If it is determined in the step S804 that the printed sheets are stored in the stacker 505, the controller 201 judges that the printed sheets printed based on the preceding print data remain in the stacker 505, and determines whether or not the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 can be discharged (step S805). In the present embodiment, if the printed sheets are stacked on only one of the lift table 601 and the eject table 602 as shown e.g. in
If it is determined in the step S805 that the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 can be discharged, the controller 201 discharges all of the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 as a sheet bundle, as shown in
If it is determined in the step S805 that the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 cannot be discharged, the controller 201 causes the UI section 210 to display a message notifying that the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 cannot be discharged (step S807), and returns to the step S805.
If it is determined in the step S803 that the discharged sheets-setting count has not been changed, or if it is determined in the step S804 that the printed sheets are not stored in the stacker 505, the controller 201 executes the step S808 without executing the steps S805 to S807, followed by terminating the present process.
Referring to
If it is determined in the step S903 that the stacked sheet count parameter X is not equal to the set sheet count parameter X_MAX, the controller 201 determines whether or not the printed sheet count parameter P is not larger than a total printed sheet count parameter P_MAX corresponding to the number of sheets set by the print sheet count setting 304 included in the print data (step S904).
If it is determined in the step S904 that the printed sheet count parameter P is not larger than the total printed sheet count parameter P_MAX, the controller 201 judges that all of the sheets have not been printed, and acquires image data from the image data storage section 208 (step S905). Then, the controller 201 converts the acquired image data to video data, transmits the video data to the printer engine 209 (step S906), and causes the printer engine 209 to perform printing on a sheet fed from one of the sheet feed cassettes 502a to 502d based on the video data (step 907). Then, the controller 201 causes the printed sheet to be conveyed to the stacker 505 of the stacker apparatus 501 (step S908), adds 1 to the printed sheet count parameter P (step S909), adds 1 to the stacked sheet count parameter X (step S910), and returns to the step S903.
If it is determined in the step S903 that the stacked sheet count parameter X is equal to the set sheet count parameter X_MAX, the controller 201, which judges that the printed sheets of the discharged sheets-setting count have been stored in the stacker 505, discharges all of the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 as a sheet bundle formed by the printed sheets of the discharged sheets-setting count (step S911) (sheet discharge control step), and returns to the step S902.
If it is determined in the step S904 that the printed sheet count parameter P is larger than the total printed sheet count parameter P_MAX, the controller 201 judges that all of the sheets have been printed, and terminates the present process.
According to the above-described processes in
Although in the above-described processes in
In the print-and-discharge process described with reference to
According to the print-and-discharge process in
To cope with this, in the variation in
The variation in
Referring to
If it is determined in the step S803 that the discharged sheets-setting count has been changed, the controller 201 determines, based on the user identification information included in the print data, whether or not a user who has instructed execution of the print job based on the setting-changed print data (hereinafter referred to as the “setting-changed print job”) is the same user who has instructed execution of the print job based on the preceding print data (hereinafter referred to as the “preceding print job”) (step S1001).
If it is determined in the step S1001 that the user who has instructed execution of the setting-changed print job is the same user who has instructed execution of the preceding print job, the controller 201 proceeds to the process for discharging sheets of a set sheet count in the step S808. Here, in the case where the user who has instructed execution of the setting-changed print job is the same user who has instructed execution of the preceding print job, it can be considered that although the sheet discharge setting information is different, the contents to be printed by execution of the print jobs based on the respective setting-changed print data and preceding print data are the same, and hence the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 by executing the preceding print job are inhibited from being discharged. That is, in the present embodiment, the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 by executing the preceding print job are made use of as part of the printed sheets which are to be stored in the stacker 505 by executing the setting-changed print job.
If it is determined in the step S1001 that the user who has instructed execution of the setting-changed print job is not the same user who has instructed execution of the preceding print job, the controller 201 judges that the printed sheets stored in the stacker 505 by executing the preceding print job cannot be used as part of the printed sheets which are to be stored in the stacker 505 by executing the setting-changed print job, and hence proceeds to the step S804.
If it is determined in the step S803 that the discharged sheets-setting count has not been changed, the controller 201 executes the step S808, followed by terminating the present process.
According to the variation of the print-and-discharge process described with reference to
Further, according to the variation of the print-and-discharge process described with reference to
Embodiment(s) of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-080940 filed Apr. 10, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2015-080940 | Apr 2015 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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8514449 | Tanaka | Aug 2013 | B2 |
8914852 | Itogawa | Dec 2014 | B2 |
8985580 | Ozaki | Mar 2015 | B2 |
9333782 | Hashimoto | May 2016 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2010277339 | Dec 2010 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20160297214 A1 | Oct 2016 | US |