JP2017198766A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus that, even when print jobs are continuously input thereto, can execute essentially necessary calibration and maintain the image quality of printed matters.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: means that receives print jobs; means that, when a condition is satisfied in which one or both of the number of times calibration is cancelled and the number of sheets on which print processing is performed is(are) set in advance, request the cancelled calibration between the sheets in a print job; and control means that controls the execution of the calibration according to the request.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing system, and a calibration method, and more particularly to calibration execution timing control relating to printing characteristics of the printing apparatus.

  In a printing apparatus, depending on the printing environment such as temperature and humidity, for example, printing characteristics such as color appearance and gradation of a printed color image may change. Such a change in printing characteristics may also be changed by attaching or detaching components constituting the printer, such as replacement of a toner cartridge. Furthermore, the printing characteristics change depending on the change of each element of the printer with time. In response to such a change in printing characteristics, conventionally, calibration is a process for changing the content of a gamma correction table in image processing, for example, based on density information obtained by printing a predetermined patch and measuring it. It is done.

  This calibration is performed at regular intervals such as when the printing apparatus is turned on or when a predetermined number of sheets are printed. For this reason, the user may feel that the print job is not processed for the printer and waits for execution of printing. There is a problem that the printing process is awaited by executing the calibration, and as a result, it takes a long time for the user to obtain the printed matter.

  In order to solve the above problem, there is a method for issuing a calibration invalidation instruction when a short-time print process is set in a print job so that the calibration is not executed during the print job process. It has been proposed (Patent Document 1). According to the above, since the calibration is invalidated and only the print job is performed, it is solved that the user is waiting.

JP 2008-210166 A

  However, the method of Patent Document 1 has the following problems. In other words, in the case of a so-called intermittent job (a series of print jobs in which print jobs generated for each file are spaced apart from each other) in which a plurality of print jobs are continuously printed, the first print job and the second print job A so-called general job connection is performed in which the print jobs are linked printing operations.

  That is, calibration is not executed between the first print job and the second print job. For this reason, when a print job is continuously input, the originally necessary calibration is canceled one after another, which causes a problem that the image quality of the printed matter may be impaired.

In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes:
The means for receiving a print job and the number of times the calibration was canceled and / or the number of print processes, or both, when the preset conditions are met, cancel the calibration between the sheets in the print job. It is characterized by comprising means for requesting execution of calibration, and control means for controlling execution of calibration according to the request.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which processing of a print job is awaited by executing calibration and to maintain image quality.

Schematic cross-sectional view of electrophotographic color image forming apparatus FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a host computer that constitutes a printer control system. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus (printer) that constitutes a printer control system. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of the process at the time of printing in a host computer. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining details of processing in a printer driver. It is a figure which shows the paper interval control space | interval according to the frequency | count of cancellation of calibration. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of calibration control processing in the printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a sheet interval control interval according to the number of calibration cancellations according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
Conventionally, an apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 is used as a color image forming apparatus.

  The developing means includes a magenta toner developing device 3M, a cyan toner developing device 3C, a yellow toner developing device 3Y, and a black toner developing device 3K. The rotary developing device 3 is rotatably supported by a rotation support device (not shown), and the color toner developing device described above sequentially faces the photosensitive drum 4 and development with each color toner is performed.

  In the developing unit, the photosensitive drum 4 is rotationally driven at a predetermined angular velocity, and the surface of the photosensitive drum is uniformly charged by the charger 8. Next, an electrostatic latent image of the first color is formed on the photosensitive drum 4 by exposing and scanning the laser beam with an exposure device that is ON / OFF controlled according to image data of the first color (for example, magenta). It is developed and visualized by the first color magenta toner developing device 3M. The visualized first toner image is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer member 5.

  The transfer process is repeated for other toners (yellow, cyan, black) in the same manner, and each time a toner image of each color toner contained in each developer is sequentially transferred onto the intermediate transfer member 5 and laminated. Secondary transfer is collectively performed on the recording material 6 fed from the paper feeding unit, and is discharged to the outside of the apparatus through a fixing process by the fixing device 7 to be a full color print.

  A specific pattern is formed in a non-image area during an image forming operation, the density of the pattern is read, and an operation of a circuit that determines an image forming condition such as a γLUT for each image forming operation based on the read density value. There is known a method of correcting by changing.

  Further, the image forming apparatus is designed to be stably operated with a plurality of calibrations. Specifically, calibration for creating or updating a gamma correction table in image processing is performed. In addition, potential calibration for setting the photosensitive drum potential to a predetermined value, developer calibration for setting the toner charge in the developing device to a predetermined value, and transfer calibration for setting the transfer setting to a predetermined value. And registration calibration for correcting image color misregistration.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the host computer that constitutes the printer control system according to the present embodiment.

  The host computer 100 has the following configuration.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a CPU that executes various processes based on various programs such as a document processing program, and controls the following units in an integrated manner. Reference numeral 102 denotes a RAM which functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 101. Reference numeral 103 denotes a ROM which stores various data such as font data used for document processing in addition to an operating system program (hereinafter referred to as OS) which is a control program of the CPU 101. A system bus 104 connects the following units in addition to the CPU 101, the RAM 102, and the ROM 103.

  A keyboard controller 105 controls user input from a keyboard 109 or a pointing device (not shown). A display controller 106 controls display on the display 110 such as a CRT or a liquid crystal. Reference numeral 107 denotes an external memory I / F, which is an interface for accessing the external memory 111 such as a hard disk or a floppy (registered trademark) disk. The external memory 111 stores a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, edit files, printer drivers, and the like.

  Reference numeral 108 denotes a printer I / F, which is connected to the printer 200 shown in FIG. 3 via a network 150 such as a LAN or an interface capable of bidirectional communication such as USB, and transmits a print job and receives printer information. Controls communication with the printer 200. In the host computer 100, WYSIWYG on the display 110 is made possible by the CPU 101 executing, for example, outline font development (rasterization) processing on the display information RAM set on the RAM 102.

  Further, the CPU 101 opens various windows registered based on commands instructed by a mouse cursor (not shown) on the display 110 and executes various data processing. As a result, when executing desired printing, the user can open a window relating to print settings, and set the print processing method for the printer driver, including printer settings and print mode selection.

FIG. 3 shows an image forming apparatus (printer) constituting the printer control system according to the present embodiment.
It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of.

  The printer 200 has the following configuration.

  Reference numeral 201 denotes a CPU that executes various processes based on various programs such as a calibration control program and controls the following units in an integrated manner. Reference numeral 202 denotes a RAM which functions as a main memory and work area of the CPU 201, and is also used as an output information development area and an environment data storage area. Further, an NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM) for storing printer mode setting information and the like may be provided.

  A ROM 203 stores various data such as font data in addition to the control program of the CPU 201. A system bus 204 connects the following units in addition to the CPU 201, the RAM 202, and the ROM 203. An input / output unit 205 performs communication processing with the host computer 100 shown in FIG. 2 such as reception of a print job and transmission of printer information via a network 150 such as a LAN.

  A printing unit I / F 206 is an interface for outputting an image signal to a printing unit (printer engine) 208 that forms an image on a recording medium (paper or the like). A memory I / F 207 is an interface for accessing the memory 210 such as a hard disk or a floppy (registered trademark) disk. The memory 210 stores font data, an emulation program, form data, and the like. Further, a plurality of memories 210 may be provided, and a plurality of external memories storing an optional font card, a program for interpreting a printer control language having a different language system, etc. in addition to the built-in font may be connected.

  An operation unit 209 includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel, and is provided with a switch, an LED display, and the like for a user to input various instructions.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an outline of typical printing processing executed in the host computer 100.

  The application 301, the graphic engine 302, the printer driver 303, the system spooler 304, and the language monitor 305 exist as files stored in a storage unit (external memory 111) such as a hard disk. That is, these are program modules that are loaded into the RAM 102 and executed. The application 301 and the printer driver 303 can be added to a hard disk or the like via the network 150 or the like.

  An application 301 stored in a hard disk or the like is loaded into the RAM 102 and executed. When the application 301 instructs the printer 200 to print, output (rendering) is performed using the graphic engine 302 that is similarly loaded into the RAM 102 and executed.

  The graphic engine 302 loads a printer driver 303 prepared for each printer 200 from the hard disk or the like to the RAM 102, and converts the output of the application 301 (print data) into a control command for the printer 200 using the printer driver 303. The converted control command is transmitted to the system spooler 304 loaded into the RAM 102 by the OS. The system spooler 304 loads the language monitor 305 from a hard disk or the like, and transmits the converted control command to the language monitor 305. The control command is output to the printer 200 via the language monitor 305 and the printer interface 108.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating details of processing in the printer driver 303 of the present embodiment. The contents described below are realized by a program stored in a hard disk or the like being read into the RAM 102 and executed by the CPU 101. More specifically, in response to a document print instruction from the application 301, the printer driver 303 is read out to the RAM 102 via the graphic engine 302, and is executed by the CPU 101.

  When a print job is received from the graphics engine 302, the printer engine 303 performs processing to convert it to a print job of a print control command called PDL (Page Description Language) (hereinafter referred to as “PDL command”).

  Next, the printer engine 303 determines whether the printer 200 is set to cancel the execution of calibration. As a setting method here, it is conceivable to select whether to cancel the execution of calibration using a check box in a print setting dialog box.

  In addition to such a method, for example, the determination may be made by using information (setting contents other than the calibration setting in the print setting) specifying the printing mode included in the print job. Specifically, color printing or monochrome printing, or the printing mode is a draft mode (mode for realizing high-speed printing with reduced resolution) or an N-up mode (a mode in which a plurality of pages of data are laid out and printed on one page) ) Or the like. Generally, in the case of monochrome printing, draft mode, and Nup mode, it is considered that the necessity for executing calibration is low.

  Accordingly, when these are selected, it is possible to save the user's trouble concerning the execution of calibration by assuming that the setting for canceling the execution of calibration is always made.

  Then, the printer engine 303 adds a flag (hereinafter referred to as “calibration cancel flag”) instructing to cancel the execution of calibration for the print job in accordance with the setting contents in the calibration setting as described above. To do. In other words, when the execution cancellation of the calibration is set in the printer 200 by the user, the printer engine 303 performs a process of adding a calibration cancel flag to the print job of the PDL command. The print job of the PDL command to which the calibration cancel flag is added (or not added) is sent to the system spooler.

  In addition to the above information, the print job includes user information that can specify the user who has instructed printing. The user information includes, for example, user name and IP address information acquired from the host computer that issued the print instruction.

  Next, processing in the printer 200 when a print job as described above is received from the host computer will be described. The contents described below are realized by a program stored in a storage unit (memory 210) such as a hard disk being read into the RAM 202 and executed by the CPU 201.

  In addition to the above, the calibration that was scheduled when the print job was received in the default state may be canceled and the print job may be set to have priority. In this case, it is not necessary to determine whether or not to attach a calibration cancel flag to the print job, and all accepted print jobs have the same value as the calibration cancel flag.

  Normally, the printer 200 can be set to perform calibration each time the power is turned on, taking into consideration the possibility that the environment of the printer engine 208 has changed while the power is turned off. It is like that. However, since it is conceivable that the user wants to execute printing immediately after the power is turned on to obtain a printed matter, it is possible to set so that the execution of calibration after the power is turned on is postponed.

  Specifically, the print job received immediately after the power is turned on is prioritized and the setting for canceling the execution of calibration is stored in the RAM 202 or the like. Even when the power is turned on, the print job arrives within a predetermined time. In such a case, control is performed so that calibration is not executed. As a result, the calibration is not executed immediately after the power is turned on, and the calibration is executed after a predetermined time has elapsed. Therefore, the print job can be processed immediately after the power is turned on.

  Calibration canceled in this case is automatically executed after the print job is completed. In the case of so-called intermittent jobs (a series of print jobs with a gap between print jobs generated for each file) for printing a plurality of print jobs in succession, the first print job and the second print A so-called general job connection is performed in which jobs are linked to printing operations. That is, calibration is not executed between the first and second. For this reason, calibration is executed after the job connected job is completed.

  However, job connection may occur one after another, and calibration cancellation may not be executed indefinitely. Therefore, in this case, in order to maintain the print quality, the printer 200 is set so that calibration is executed during a print job (so-called inter-sheet calibration) when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Examples of this condition include the following.

The number of times calibration is canceled When the above conditions are satisfied, it is determined that calibration is necessary, and settings for requesting execution of calibration are stored in the RAM 202.

  Specifically, it is determined in FIG. 6 whether 100 sheets have been passed since the previous control or whether the calibration is canceled once, twice, three times, four times or more. As shown in FIG. 6, when the calibration is canceled once, the sheet interval control interval is shortened to 80 sheets, and the sheet interval control interval is sequentially decreased after the second, third, and fourth times.

  Naturally, the printer 200 includes various devices (for example, a temperature / humidity sensor) and various functions (for example, a processing sheet counter, a calibration execution interval, and the like necessary for determining whether or not the predetermined condition is satisfied. Execution date and time).

  In the printer 200 that has been set as described above regarding the execution of calibration, how the print job with the calibration cancel flag added is processed and how execution of the calibration is controlled will be described in detail below. To do.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of calibration control processing in the printer 200.

  When a power button (not shown) is pressed by the user, in step 601, the CPU 201 starts an activation process.

  In step 602, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the above-described calibration execution request has been made. If there is a calibration execution request, the process proceeds to step 603. On the other hand, if the predetermined condition for the calibration execution request is not satisfied and there is no calibration execution request, the process proceeds to step 604.

  In step 603, the CPU 201 confirms the setting contents regarding the execution of calibration at the time of turning on the power described above, and determines whether or not the calibration cancel setting is set. If calibration cancellation is set, the process proceeds to step 604. If the calibration cancel setting is not set, the process proceeds to step 614.

  In step 604, calibration cancellation is executed.

  In step 605, the CPU 201 determines whether there is a PDL command print job transmission from the host computer 100, that is, whether a PDL command print job has been received. If a print job is received from the host computer 100, the process proceeds to step 606. On the other hand, if no print job has been received, the process proceeds to step 609.

  In step 606, the CPU 201 determines whether or not the calibration cancellation flag is included, and determines whether or not to cancel the calibration. If the calibration cancel flag is included, the process proceeds to step 607. On the other hand, if the calibration cancel flag is not included, the process proceeds to step 608.

  In step 607, the CPU 201 turns calibration cancellation on according to the calibration cancellation flag.

  In step 608, the CPU 201 expands the print job of the PDL command into image data that can be handled by the printer engine 208, sends this to the printer engine 208, and executes printing.

  In step 609, the CPU 201 determines again whether or not there is a calibration execution request. If there is a calibration execution request, the process proceeds to step 610. On the other hand, if there is no calibration execution request, the process returns to step 605.

  In step 610, the CPU 201 executes the inter-sheet calibration during the print job as requested by the calibration execution. In step 611, the CPU 201 executes calibration.

  The execution of calibration is controlled by the processing as described above. That is, the execution of calibration is controlled according to the calibration cancel flag, and even when various print jobs are intermittently submitted, the print job processing is executed without delay.

  For example, even in the following cases, the print job is appropriately processed. That is, consider a case where 15 print jobs of 10 print jobs are received. It is assumed that there is a calibration cancel flag when the power is turned on and the calibration when the power is turned on is canceled. When 10 print jobs are received continuously, the jobs are connected, and the print jobs are processed without entering calibration until the 80th print job.

  The calibration execution flag is requested in the post-rotation of the 80th sheet that was set to input calibration. However, since 10 print jobs have been received, the jobs are further linked. Calibration is then cancelled. At that time, the number of calibration cancellations is counted as the first time. Therefore, the sheet interval control interval is set to 70 sheets.

  Ten print jobs are processed, and the calibration execution flag remains on the 90th sheet, but since another 10 print jobs are received, the jobs are further linked. At this point, the number of cancellations is two. Therefore, the sheet interval control interval is set to 60 sheets. Since 10 print jobs have been received, the jobs are further linked. With respect to the 130th sheet in total, the number of cancellations starts with the 80th sheet from which calibration has been canceled as a starting point, and when the 50th sheet is reached, calibration that is originally input at the 80th sheet is executed between sheets. Although the number of cancellations has reached 6, the cancellation can be postponed and the print job can be obtained quickly by inserting calibration between sheets.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when a plurality of print jobs are intermittently input after the power is turned on, a situation in which calibration is executed and the print job processing is not waited between them is not caused. The user can quickly get the printed material.

(Embodiment 2)
In the second embodiment, by further adding a predetermined condition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the print quality is maintained and the user waits. In addition, description is simplified or abbreviate | omitted about the part which is already mentioned Embodiment 1 and 2, and suppose that it demonstrates centering on a difference point here. Add the number of prints to the predetermined conditions.

  For example, even in the following cases, the print job is appropriately processed. That is, consider a case where 15 print jobs of 10 print jobs are received. It is assumed that there is a calibration cancel flag when the power is turned on and the calibration when the power is turned on is canceled.

  The print jobs are sequentially processed up to eight print jobs, that is, up to the 80th sheet. The number of calibration cancellations is added for each job from the 80th sheet onward. On the 90th sheet after completion of the 9th job, since the number of sheets to be passed is 10 and the calibration is canceled once, starting from the 80th sheet that should have been calibrated, the interval between sheet control is 70 sheets. At the 100th sheet after the 10th job is completed, the number of sheets to be passed is 20 and the number of cancellations is 2. Therefore, the interval between sheet control is 50 sheets. Since the 110th sheet of the 11th job is canceled 30 times and 3 times, the sheet interval control interval is 30 sheets.

  Since 30 sheets have passed since the 80th sheet at this time, the canceled calibration is executed between the 110th sheet. In this case, since the paper interval control interval is determined from the result of taking into account the number of sheets to be passed and the number of cancellations, it is possible to execute finer calibration according to the size of the print job of the user.

  In this way, it is possible to finely maintain the print quality not only by the number of calibration cancellations but also by the number of print processes.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the sheet interval control interval can be varied depending on the number of sheets to be passed and the number of calibration cancellations, and the function is improved.

(Other examples)
The present invention can also be realized by executing the following processing. That is, software (program) that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus reads the program. It is a process to be executed.

101 photosensitive drum, 104 developing device, 1 two-component developer,
3a first conveying screw, 3b second conveying screw, 6 developing sleeve,
6m non-rotating magnet roller fixed in the developing sleeve, 5 regulating member,
202 Restriction member holding block

Claims (2)

  The means for receiving a print job and the number of times the calibration was canceled and / or the number of print processes, or both, when the preset conditions are met, cancel the calibration between the papers in the print job. An image forming apparatus comprising: means for requesting execution of calibration; and control means for controlling execution of calibration according to the request.   The means for receiving a print job and the number of times the calibration was canceled and / or the number of print processes, or both, when the preset conditions are met, cancel the calibration between the papers in the print job. It is characterized by comprising means for requesting execution of calibration, control means for controlling execution of the calibration according to the request, and changing means for changing the execution frequency of calibration between sheets in a print job. Image forming apparatus.