Information processing system, program product, and information processing method

Abstract

Provided are an information processing system, a program product, and an information processing method, the information processing system comprising at least one processor that performs: a process for interrupting continuous printing of a printed matter when a printed matter having an unqualified inspection result is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is performed on a plurality of printed matter; and when the action of discharging the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter after the unqualified printed matter to the removing part is not enough, the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter after the unqualified printed matter are discharged to the main body discharging part, the main body discharging part discharges the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter. The continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, a program product, and an information processing method. The present invention can also be applied to a program and a program product. Background Art

[0002] The following patent document 1 discloses an inspection system for inspecting the quality of printed materials, the inspection system comprising: an inspection component for inspecting the quality of the printed material based on a comparison between a scanned image obtained by scanning the printed material and a reference image; a display control component for displaying a screen for accepting a first mode for accepting an inspection result of the printed material without switching the paper discharge end of the printed material and a second mode for accepting an inspection result of the printed material without switching the paper discharge end of the printed material, and a second mode for accepting an inspection result of the printed material through the screen; and a control component for controlling the paper discharge end of the printed material based on the inspection result obtained by the inspection component and the mode accepted by the accepting component.

[0003] Patent document 2 discloses an inspection device that compares a reference image with a printed matter to inspect the printed matter, and the inspection device comprises: a control mechanism that exclusively controls an inspection mode as the inspection, wherein the inspection mode switches to a mode of a paper discharge end of a printed matter where a defect is confirmed, and an inspection operation of inspecting a printed matter consisting of multiple printed matters or an inspection type of inspecting sequential printed matters.

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-165020

[0005] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-146528 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, a program product, and an information processing method that improve user convenience compared to a situation in which when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result is generated in the middle of continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on multiple printed materials and the continuous printing is interrupted, the restart position of the continuous printing is fixed.

[0007] The information processing system described in the first embodiment comprises at least one processor, which performs the following processing: when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result is generated in the middle of continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on multiple printed materials, the continuous printing of the printed materials is interrupted; and when it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material that has been printed after the unqualified printed material to the removal section and the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material are discharged to the main body discharge section, the continuous printing of the printed material is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

[0008] The information processing system according to the second aspect is the information processing system according to the first aspect, further comprising an input unit for inputting the restart page, wherein the processor performs processing for receiving the restart page input by the user from the input unit after the continuous printing is interrupted.

[0009] In the information processing system described in the third embodiment, in the information processing system described in the second embodiment, the processor performs the following processing: a selection screen is displayed on the input unit, which allows selection of any one of the starting page of the unqualified printed matter and the undischarged pages after the subsequent printed matter that can be discharged to the main discharge unit as the restart page, the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter, and the starting page of the number of copies for which a print instruction is issued, including the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter.

[0010] In the information processing system described in the fourth embodiment, in the information processing system described in the third embodiment, the processor performs the following processing: when the user issues a restart instruction without specifying a restart page, as an initial setting, the continuous printing is restarted from the first page of the unqualified printed matter discharged to the main body discharge section and the undischarged pages after the subsequent printed matter.

[0011] In the information processing system according to the fifth aspect, in the information processing system according to the second aspect, the processor performs processing for accepting the arbitrary restart page from the user.

[0012] In the information processing system according to the sixth aspect, in the information processing system according to the fifth aspect, the processor performs processing for displaying information of the defective printed matter on a display unit.

[0013] The information processing system described in the 7th mode is an information processing system described in any one of the 1st to 6th modes, wherein the processor performs the following processing: when the unqualified printed material is generated, when the printed material of the entire page of the job is discharged to the main discharge portion and the number of qualified printed materials as a result of the inspection is inconsistent with the discharge number, a screen for accepting input of the restart action of the continuous printing is displayed on the input portion.

[0014] The information processing system according to the eighth aspect is the information processing system according to the seventh aspect, wherein the continuous printing can be resumed by tracing back to a page before the last page corresponding to the last printed material among the plurality of printed materials discharged to the main body discharge unit.

[0015] The information processing system described in the 9th mode is an information processing system described in any one of the 1st to 8th modes, wherein the processor performs the following processing: when the action of discharging the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter to the removal section is not timely, the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section; and after receiving the user's restart instruction, the continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page.

[0016] The program product described in the 10th method records an information processing program for causing a computer to perform the following processing: when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result is generated in the middle of continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on multiple printed materials, the continuous printing of the printed materials is interrupted; and when it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material that has been printed after the unqualified printed material to the removal section and the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material are discharged to the main discharge section, the continuous printing of the printed material is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

[0017] The information processing method described in the 11th embodiment includes the following steps: when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result is generated in the middle of continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on multiple printed materials, the continuous printing of the printed materials is interrupted; and when it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material that has been printed after the unqualified printed material to the removal section and the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed material are discharged to the main body discharge section, the continuous printing of the printed materials is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] The information processing system according to the first aspect improves user convenience compared to a system in which the position for resuming continuous printing is fixed when a printed material with an inspection result of failure is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on a plurality of printed materials and the continuous printing is interrupted.

[0020] According to the information processing system of the second aspect, user convenience is improved compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page in advance before interrupting continuous printing.

[0021] According to the information processing system according to the third aspect, the user can more easily designate a restart page than when the user simply inputs an arbitrary page.

[0022] According to the information processing system according to the fourth aspect, user convenience is improved compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page each time continuous printing is interrupted.

[0023] According to the information processing system according to the fifth aspect, it is possible to flexibly respond to the user's desire, compared to a case where only one of a plurality of presented restart pages is selected.

[0024] According to the information processing system according to the sixth aspect, the user can designate a restart page without viewing the defective printed material ejected to the main ejection unit.

[0025] According to the information processing system of the seventh aspect, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is always performed from the first page when the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result does not match the number of printed materials discharged by the main discharge unit.

[0026] According to the information processing system according to the eighth aspect, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is always performed from the first page.

[0027] According to the information processing system of the ninth aspect, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is immediately restarted from a restart page designated by the user.

[0028] The program product according to the tenth aspect improves user convenience compared to a case where the restart position of continuous printing is fixed when a printed material with an inspection result of failure is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on a plurality of printed materials and the continuous printing is interrupted.

[0029] According to the information processing method described in the eleventh aspect, when a printed material with an unacceptable inspection result is generated during continuous printing of a plurality of printed materials while quality inspection is being performed, user convenience is improved compared to a case where the restart position of continuous printing is fixed when continuous printing is interrupted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.

[0031] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of an image forming system according to the first embodiment;

[0032] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment;

[0033] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment;

[0034] Figure 4 This figure explains the operation of the image forming system according to the first embodiment, and shows an example in which, when a printed material with an inspection result indicating failure is generated, the failed printed material and subsequent printed materials are discharged to an ejection tray;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the operation of the image forming system according to the first embodiment, and illustrates an example in which the operation of removing a defective printed material and subsequent printed materials fails in time, and the defective printed material and subsequent printed materials are discharged to the discharge tray;

[0036] Figure 6 This figure shows an error screen and a selection screen for specifying a page restart position on the operation panel of the image forming system according to the first embodiment when an inspection failure occurs;

[0037] Figure 7 A diagram showing the relationship between a method for confirming a defective printed material, removal of the printed material from the discharge tray, a user-desired restart page, and a designated restart page in the image forming system according to the first embodiment;

[0038] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing in the image forming system according to the first embodiment;

[0039] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image forming system of the comparative example;

[0040] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the image forming system of the comparative example;

[0041] Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a setting screen for designating exclusion in an operation panel of an image forming system according to a comparative example;

[0042] Figure 12This figure shows the relationship between a method of confirming defective printed materials, removal of printed materials from the discharge tray, a user-desired restart page, and an actual restart page in an image forming system of a comparative example.

[0043] Explanation of symbols

[0044] 10-image forming system (an example of an information processing system), 26-exclusion tray (an example of a removal unit), 30-ejection tray (an example of a main body ejection unit), 32-operation panel (an example of an input unit), 34-display unit, 51-CPU (an example of a processor), 112-selection screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Furthermore, for ease of description, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0046] [First embodiment]

[0047] Figure 1 It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of an image forming system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0048] (Overall Structure of Image Forming System)

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the image forming system 10 includes a printing device 12, an inspection device 14, and a post-processing device 16. Furthermore, the image forming system 10 includes a control device 50 (see FIG. 1 ) for controlling each unit of the image forming system 10. Figure 2 ). In addition, the image forming system 10 is an example of an information processing system.

[0050] (Printing device)

[0051] The printing device 12 includes a storage unit 20 for storing paper. Although not shown, the storage unit 20 includes multiple storage trays for storing different types of paper. The printing device 12 has a printing function for printing an image on paper supplied from any of the storage trays. Note that paper is an example of a recording medium.

[0052] The printing device 12 may be a structure having an electrophotographic printing mechanism that prints an image on paper using toner, or a structure having an inkjet printing mechanism that forms an image by ejecting ink onto paper. Figure 2 ) inputs print data (image data) and various operation commands, and the printing device 12 prints an image on one side or both sides of a paper. The printed matter with the image printed on the paper is supplied to the inspection device 14.

[0053] (Inspection device)

[0054] The inspection device 14 has a function for inspecting the print quality of the received printed paper (i.e., printed matter) after receiving it from the printer 12. The inspection device 14 determines whether the printed matter received from the printer 12 has any abnormalities such as folded corners, printed dirt, or misalignment. After inspecting the printed matter, the inspection device 14 supplies the printed matter to the post-processing device 16.

[0055] Specifically, the inspection device 14 receives a reference image, such as a raster image, generated based on print data (image data) printed on paper from the printer 12. Furthermore, the inspection device 14 includes a scanner 22 that optically reads the image of the printed material received from the printer 12, and an inspection unit 24 that inspects an inspection image, such as a raster image, based on the image read by the scanner 22. The inspection device 14 compares the reference image received from the printer 12 with the inspection image based on the image read by the scanner 22, and determines whether any abnormality exists in the printed material.

[0056] After inspecting the printed matter, the inspection device 14 supplies the printed matter to the post-processing device 16 .

[0057] (Post-processing device)

[0058] The post-processing device 16 performs post-processing on the printed matter inspected by the inspection device 14. Examples of post-processing include folding, stapling, punching, and bookleting. The processing content of the post-processing device 16 can be modified as appropriate.

[0059] The post-processing device 16 also includes an ejection tray 26 located on the upper portion of the post-processing device 16 housing and an ejection tray 30 located on the side of the housing. The ejection tray 26 is an example of a removal unit. The ejection tray 30 is an example of a main ejection unit. If the inspection device 14 determines that a printed material contains an abnormality, the control device 50 determines the inspection result as unacceptable and ejects the printed material to the ejection tray 26. On the other hand, if the inspection device 14 determines that the printed material contains no abnormality, the control device 50 determines the inspection result as acceptable and ejects the printed material to the ejection tray 30.

[0060] The post-processing device 16 performs post-processing on the printed material and then discharges it to the discharge tray 30. Furthermore, if the inspection result of the printed material indicates that the printed material is unqualified, the post-processing device 16 may discharge the printed material to the rejection tray 26 without performing post-processing on the printed material. Alternatively, the post-processing device 16 may discharge the unqualified printed material to the rejection tray 26 after performing post-processing on the printed material.

[0061] (Continuous Printing)

[0062] The image forming system 10 has a continuous printing function. This continuous printing function allows, for example, the printing of multiple printed materials while simultaneously inspecting print quality. Specifically, in continuous printing, the printing device 12 prints images on multiple sheets of paper sequentially fed from the storage unit 20, and the printed materials with the images are sequentially inspected in the inspection device 14. Printed materials that pass the inspection in the inspection device 14 then undergo post-processing in the post-processing device 16 and are discharged onto the discharge tray 30.

[0063] (Hardware Structure of Image Forming System)

[0064] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming system 10 .

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown, the image forming system 10 includes a control device 50. The control device 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 51, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 52, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 53, a memory 54, an input / output interface (I / F) 55, and a communication interface (I / F) 56. These components are connected to each other via a bus 59 so as to be communicable with each other.

[0066] The CPU 51 is a central processing unit (CPU) that executes various programs and controls various components. The CPU 51 is an example of a processor. The CPU 51 reads programs from the ROM 52 or memory 54 and executes them using the RAM 53 as a workspace. In this embodiment, the ROM 52 or memory 54 stores an information processing program. The CPU 51 controls the various components described above and performs various calculations according to the information processing program stored in the ROM 52 or memory 54.

[0067] The ROM 52 stores various programs and data. The RAM 53 temporarily stores programs and data as a work area. The memory 54 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0068] The input / output interface 55 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information with peripheral devices of the control device 50. The input / output interface 55 is connected to the operation panel 32, display unit 34, printer 12, inspection device 14, and post-processing device 16, respectively, and can transmit and receive information with each component. Alternatively, the image forming system 10 of the present invention can be directly connected to at least one of the operation panel 32, display unit 34, printer 12, inspection device 14, and post-processing device 16 via the bus 59.

[0069] Communication interface 56 is an interface for communicating with a network. Standards such as Ethernet (registered trademark), FDDI, and Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be used. Examples of networks include the Internet and wired or wireless networks. For example, image forming system 10 is connected to a server (not shown) via communication interface 56 and can communicate information with the server.

[0070] The operation panel 32 displays an operation screen, and the user performs input operations from the operation screen. The operation panel 32 is an example of an input unit. As an example, the operation panel 32 is a touch panel UI (user interface), which is a touch panel display with a touch panel superimposed on a liquid crystal display. The user performs input operations from the operation panel 32, thereby operating the printer 12, the inspection device 14, the post-processing device 16, etc. As an example, in the image forming system 10, the operation panel 32 is located on the upper front side of the housing of the printer 12.

[0071] The display unit 34 displays various information. For example, the display unit 34 is comprised of a liquid crystal display (LCD) that is larger than the operation panel 32. For example, the display unit 34 displays an inspection result screen showing the inspection results of the inspection device 14. Examples of the inspection result screen include scanned images of rejected printed materials. Although not shown in the figure, for example, the display unit 34 is provided on the upper portion of the housing of the printer 12.

[0072] In addition, in the present embodiment, the operation panel 32 and the display unit 34 are separated, but instead, the operation panel 32 and the display unit 34 may be configured by a single component.

[0073] (Functional Structure of Image Forming System)

[0074] Figure 3 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the image forming system 10 .

[0075] like Figure 3As shown, the control device 50 of the image forming system 10 includes a print control unit 71, an inspection control unit 72, an inspection information acquisition unit 73, a discharge port switching unit 74, a discharge port information acquisition unit 75, a restart page reception unit 76, an operation control unit 77, and a display control unit 78 as functional components. Each functional component is implemented by the CPU 51 reading an information processing program stored in the ROM 52 or the memory 54, expanding it in the RAM 53, and executing it.

[0076] The printing control unit 71 controls the printing device 12 (see Figure 1 Specifically, the print control unit 71 obtains print request information such as the print image (print data), paper size, and number of prints based on the print request input from the operation panel 32, and notifies the printing device 12 of the same. Furthermore, the print control unit 71 notifies the printing device 12 of the user settings (including exclusion information or restart page information) input from the operation panel 32. Furthermore, the print control unit 71 sends an action instruction to the printing device 12 in accordance with the user settings. In accordance with the action instruction, the printing device 12 sequentially supplies paper from the corresponding storage tray of the storage unit 20, and performs continuous printing of images based on the print data on multiple sheets of paper. The printing device 12 prints out multiple printed materials and supplies them to the inspection device 14.

[0077] Furthermore, if a printed material that is found to be unacceptable by the inspection result of the inspection device 14 is generated during continuous printing, the print control unit 71 interrupts the continuous printing of the printed material by the printer 12 .

[0078] The print control unit 71 then resumes continuous printing of printed materials by the printer 12 in response to a restart instruction from the operation panel 32. For example, the print control unit 71 resumes continuous printing of printed materials from the restart page designated by the user on the operation panel 32. Here, the term "user" is an example of a user, and the "restart page" is an example of a restart page designated by the user.

[0079] The inspection control unit 72 controls the inspection device 14 (see Figure 1etc.) actions. Specifically, the inspection control unit 72 controls the actions of the scanning unit 22 and the inspection unit 24 in the inspection device 14. The inspection control unit 72 receives the print data sent from the printing control unit 71 as a reference image. The inspection control unit 72 sends the inspection instruction and the print data (reference image) to the inspection device 14 together. The inspection device 14 reads the printed matter printed out in the printing device 12 through the scanning unit 22, and generates an inspection image such as a raster image based on the read image. The inspection device 14 performs the inspection of the printed matter based on the inspection unit 24 according to the inspection instruction of the inspection control unit 72. In the inspection unit 24, by comparing the inspection image with the reference image, it is determined whether there is an abnormality in the printed matter, that is, whether the printing quality of the printed matter is qualified or not. For example, the inspection unit 24 determines whether there are abnormalities such as folded corners, printing contamination, and misalignment by comparing the inspection image with the reference image.

[0080] If the printed material is determined to have no abnormality, the inspection unit 24 determines that the printed material is acceptable. If the printed material is determined to have an abnormality, the inspection unit 24 determines that the printed material is unacceptable. Information on the inspection result of the inspection unit 24 is sent to the inspection control unit 72.

[0081] The inspection information acquisition unit 73 acquires information on the inspection result from the inspection control unit 72. Specifically, the inspection information acquisition unit 73 acquires information indicating that the inspection result of the printed material is acceptable and information indicating that the inspection result of the printed material is unacceptable as information on the inspection result of the inspection unit 24.

[0082] The discharge port switching unit 74 switches the discharge port of the printed material between the discharge tray 30 and the rejection tray 26 based on the inspection result information acquired by the inspection information acquiring unit 73. Specifically, the discharge port switching unit 74 switches the discharge port of the printed material to one conveying path (not shown) leading to the discharge tray 30 and to another conveying path (not shown) leading to the rejection tray 26.

[0083] If the inspection result of the printed matter by the inspection unit 24 is acceptable, the discharge port switching unit 74 switches the discharge port of the printed matter to the discharge tray 30 .

[0084] On the other hand, if the inspection result of the printed matter by the inspection unit 24 is unacceptable, the discharge port switching unit 74 switches the discharge port of the unacceptable printed matter and subsequent printed matters to the rejection tray 26 .

[0085] For example, Figure 4As shown, during continuous printing, if a printed material (printed material P2) is produced by the inspection device 14 and fails inspection, not only the failed printed material but also the subsequent printed material (printed material P3) that has been processed after the failed printed material is discharged to the ejection tray 26. The processed printed material includes all paper that has been on the paper transport path (paper transport path) from the storage unit 20 until it has been inspected by the inspection device 14. At this time, the continuous printing of printed materials in the image forming system 10 is interrupted.

[0086] exist Figure 4 In the example shown, if the user inputs a restart instruction from the operation panel 32, continuous printing will resume from the print that failed the inspection (printed product P2). Then, the print that passed the quality inspection by the inspection device 14 is discharged to the discharge tray 30. This is because if only the failed print (printed product P2) is discharged to the discharge tray 26 and the subsequent printed product (printed product P3) is discharged to the discharge tray 30, the page order of the printed products will be disturbed on the discharge tray 30.

[0087] The discharge end information acquisition unit 75 acquires discharge end information of the printed material actually discharged. Specifically, the discharge end information acquisition unit 75 acquires discharge end information of whether the printed material is actually discharged to the discharge tray 30 or the ejection tray 26 .

[0088] For example, sensors (not shown) for detecting printed matter are provided on the discharge tray 30 and the ejection tray 26. The ejection end information acquisition unit 75 acquires information about printed matter actually ejected to the discharge tray 30 using the sensors provided on the discharge tray 30. The information about the printed matter actually ejected to the discharge tray 30 includes information about the page number of the plurality of sheets of paper printed by the printer 12.

[0089] Furthermore, the discharge end information acquisition unit 75 acquires information about the printed matter actually discharged onto the discharge tray 26 using a sensor provided on the discharge tray 26. For example, the information about the printed matter actually discharged onto the discharge tray 26 includes information about the page number of the plurality of sheets of paper printed by the printing device 12.

[0090] For example, if the inspection unit 24 takes time to complete the printed material quality inspection and the inspection is not completed within the specified time, the discharge port switching unit 74 cannot switch the printed material's discharge port. Furthermore, the operation of switching the transport paths between the discharge tray 30 and the rejection tray 26 requires time for the discharge port switching unit 74 to switch the printed material's discharge port. Therefore, if the inspection unit 24 determines that the printed material is unqualified, the discharge port switching unit 74 may not switch the discharge port to the rejection tray 26 in time. If the discharge port switching unit 74 fails to switch the discharge port in time, the printed material that has failed the inspection and subsequent printed materials that have been printed after the failed material are discharged to the discharge tray 30. Furthermore, the print control unit 71 forcibly interrupts continuous printing.

[0091] For example, Figure 5 As shown, during continuous printing, when a printed product with an unacceptable inspection result (printed product P2) is generated in the inspection device 14, there may be a time delay for the discharge end switching unit 74 to switch the discharge end to the discharge tray 26. In this case, the unacceptable printed product (printed product P2) and the subsequent printed product (printed product P3) that has been printed after it are discharged to the discharge tray 30.

[0092] The discharge end information acquisition unit 75 acquires information about the printed material (printed materials P1 to P3) actually discharged to the discharge tray 30. As described above, the information about the printed material actually discharged to the discharge tray 30 includes information about the page number of the plurality of sheets printed by the printer 12.

[0093] The restart page accepting unit 76 accepts a restart page designated by the user. The restart page is the restart position when the printer 12 resumes continuous printing after the continuous printing by the printer 12 is interrupted.

[0094] For example, the resume page reception unit 76 receives a resume page when the printer 12 resumes continuous printing after the printer 12 has interrupted continuous printing, as a result of a user input operation on the operation panel 32 .

[0095] The operation control unit 77 controls the operation panel 32. For example, the operation control unit 77 transmits user settings (including exclusion settings) entered through the operation panel 32 to the print control unit 71. For example, the operation control unit 77 displays an error screen on the operation panel 32 indicating that the exclusion of unqualified printed materials has not been completed in a timely manner or an operation screen for the user to enter a restart page.

[0096] For example, when a printed material (printed material P2) with an unqualified inspection result is generated and the ejection to the ejection tray 26 fails (see Figure 5 ),like Figure 6 As shown, an error screen 102 related to inspection failure and elimination failure is displayed on the operation panel 32. The error screen 102 includes inspection failure information 103 indicating the page number (page 2) on which the inspection failure (i.e., unacceptable printed material) occurred, and elimination failure information 104 indicating elimination failure. The error screen 102 also includes a set button 102A for setting a restart page, a cancel button 102B for suspending continuous printing, and a restart button 102C for restarting continuous printing.

[0097] For example, when the user presses the setting button 102A on the error screen 102, a selection screen 112 for specifying a restart page is displayed on the operation panel 32. Selection screen 112 includes, for example, a checkbox 112A for selecting "Leading of undischarged sheets," a checkbox 112B for selecting "Beginning of copies including NG sheets (check defective sheets)," a checkbox 112C for selecting "NG sheets and beyond," and a checkbox 112D for selecting "Custom." The user can select any of checkboxes 112A, 112B, 112C, and 112D on selection screen 112.

[0098] Here, the sheet is an example of paper. The "undischarged sheet head" is an example of the head page of the undischarged pages after the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter discharged to the discharge tray 30. For example, Figure 5 In the example shown, the sheets after the failed print (printed product of P2) and the subsequent print (printed product of P3) discharged to the discharge tray 30 are not discharged, so the "head of undischarged sheets" is the fourth page (sheet of P4). The "head of the set including NG sheets" is an example of the head page of the set including the page corresponding to the failed print out of the number of copies for which the print instruction was issued. For example, Figure 5 In the example shown, the number of copies for which a print instruction was issued is 2, and the copy including the page corresponding to the unqualified printed material (printed material of P2) is the first copy. Therefore, the "beginning of the copy including the NG sheet" is the first page of the first copy, that is, the first page of the paper (paper of P1). The "NG sheet" is an example of a page corresponding to the unqualified printed material. For example, Figure 5 In the example shown, the failed printout (printout P2) corresponds to page 2, so "NG Sheet" is set to pages 2 (P2) and later. That is, when "NG Sheet" is selected, continuous printing resumes from page 2 (P2).

[0099] The user specifies a restart page by selecting any one of the check box 112A, the check box 112B, and the check box 112C on the selection screen 112 .

[0100] By selecting "Customize" checkbox 112D, the user can specify any copies using first specifying section 124A and any pages using second specifying section 124B. Custom-specified copies and pages are examples of arbitrary restart pages that can be specified by the user. By specifying a restart page using selection screen 112, restart page accepting section 76 accepts the user's specified restart page, as described above.

[0101] For example, in the selection screen 112, the check mark 112A for the leading edge of the unejected sheet is selected in the initial setting. For example, in the selection screen 112, when the user presses the restart button 102C without specifying the restart page (i.e., when the restart is instructed), the leading edge of the unejected sheet (in the Figure 6 In the example shown, the unejected paper P4) restarts continuous printing.

[0102] Furthermore, when unqualified printed materials are generated, there is a case where all pages of printed materials of the job are discharged to the discharge tray 30, and the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result is inconsistent with the number of discharged materials. Although not shown in the figure, for example, when unqualified printed materials are generated on page 6, there is a case where all pages of printed materials of the job, i.e., 9 pages, are discharged to the discharge tray 30, and the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result (8 sheets) is inconsistent with the number of discharged materials (9 sheets). In this case, the operation control unit 77 can display a screen on the operation panel 32 for receiving input for the restart action of continuous printing. Furthermore, continuous printing can be resumed by tracing back to the page (e.g., 6 pages) before the last page (e.g., 9 pages) corresponding to the last copy of the printed materials among the multiple printed materials discharged to the discharge tray 30.

[0103] The display control unit 78 controls the display screen of the display unit 34. For example, the display control unit 78 displays the inspection result screen, which is the result of the quality inspection by the inspection device 14, on the display unit 34. For example, the display control unit 78 displays a scanned image of a failed printed material read by the scanner unit 22 on the display unit 34 as the inspection result screen.

[0104] (Structure and Problems of Image Forming System of Comparative Example)

[0105] Here, the configuration and problems of an image forming system according to a comparative example will be described.

[0106] like Figure 9As shown, the image forming system 510 of the comparative example includes a printing device 512, an inspection device 514, and a post-processing device 516. The printing device 512 has a plurality of storage trays 520 for storing paper, and prints an image on paper supplied from any of the plurality of storage trays 520.

[0107] Image forming system 510 includes an ejection tray 526 located above inspection device 514 and an ejection tray 540 located to the side of post-processing device 516. Inspection device 514 inspects the quality of printed materials and determines whether the inspection results are acceptable or unacceptable. Printed materials that pass inspection device 514 and are deemed unacceptable are ejected to ejection tray 526. Printed materials that pass inspection device 514 and are deemed acceptable are ejected to ejection tray 540.

[0108] For example, in continuous printing, when a printout with an unqualified inspection result (printout P6) is generated in the inspection device 514, the unqualified printout and subsequent printouts that have been printed after the printout (printouts P7 to P9) are discharged to the exclusion tray 526.

[0109] Then, if Figure 10 As shown, in the inspection device 514, continuous printing (reprinting) is restarted from the printed matter (printed matter of P6) whose inspection result is unqualified. Figure 10 As indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure, the printed matter (printed matter of 6p) inspected and found acceptable by the inspection device 514 and subsequent printed matters (printed matters of P7 to P11) inspected and found acceptable are discharged to the discharge tray 540 .

[0110] Figure 11 FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a setting screen 550 displayed on the operation panel 532 of the image forming system 510. Figure 11 As shown, on setting screen 550, when a printed material with an unacceptable inspection result (i.e., an inspection failure) is generated, it is specified whether to exclude or not exclude it. An "Exclude" checkbox 553 is displayed in upper area 552 of setting screen 550. When checkbox 553 is selected, the unacceptable printed material and subsequent printed materials are ejected to the exclusion tray 526.

[0111] When "Exclusion" is specified, multiple selection parts 555 for specifying the action after exclusion are displayed in the lower area 554 of the setting screen 550. By selecting any of the multiple selection parts 555, for example, automatic recovery (i.e., restart), interruption without automatic recovery, and the action after interruption can be selected. For example, Figure 11In the example shown, "Interrupt without automatic resumption" is selected, and "Wait for user action" is selected as the post-interruption action. Consequently, continuous printing is resumed when the user initiates a restart instruction. Continuous printing is set (i.e., fixed) to resume from the beginning of the paper not yet discharged to discharge tray 540 (i.e., the beginning of the undischarged paper).

[0112] In the image forming system 510, during continuous printing, when a printed material with an inspection result of failure is generated in the inspection device 514, the failed printed material may not be discharged to the discharge tray 526 in time. For example, when a printed material with an inspection result of failure (printed material P2) is generated, the failed printed material (printed material P2) and the subsequent printed material (printed material P3) that has been printed after the failed printed material are discharged to the discharge tray 540 (the same as the one in the previous example). Figure 5 Same as the example shown).

[0113] Figure 12 : is a diagram showing the position of the restart page when an unqualified printed material is generated. Figure 12 As shown, there are two methods for confirming unqualified printed materials: a method in which the user confirms the inspection result screen of the display unit (omitted from the figure) and a method in which the user directly confirms the printed materials with the naked eye. In the method of confirming based on the inspection result screen, the user confirms the inspection result screen, so there are no printed materials removed from the discharge tray 540. In the method of directly confirming printed materials, there are printed materials removed from the discharge tray 540. This is because the user takes out the printed materials from the discharge tray 540 and confirms the printed materials with the naked eye. For example, there are cases in which a whole set of printed materials (printed materials P1-P3) is removed from the discharge tray 540, and cases in which printed materials after the unqualified printed materials are removed from the discharge tray 540 (i.e., printed materials P2-P3 after the unqualified paper). Here, the unqualified printed materials refer to subsequent printed materials that include the unqualified printed materials and continue after the unqualified printed materials (i.e., printed materials after the unqualified printed materials).

[0114] The restart page desired by the user is the first page of the undischarged sheets (paper P4) when no printed material has been removed from the discharge tray 540, but is different in other situations. For example, if a set of printed materials (printed materials P1-P3) has been removed from the discharge tray 540, the restart page desired by the user is the first page of the set (paper P1). Furthermore, if printed materials after a failed print have been removed from the discharge tray 540 (i.e., printed materials P2-P3 after the failed paper), the restart page desired by the user is the failed paper (paper P2).

[0115] In the image forming system 510, when the user performs a restart instruction operation, continuous printing is fixed to be restarted from the unejected paper, that is, the beginning of the unejected sheet (paper P4). Therefore, the actual restart page becomes the beginning of the unejected sheet (paper P4).

[0116] Thus, when continuous printing is restarted in image forming system 510, the page the user expects to restart may differ from the page actually restarted. Since continuous printing is restarted from the beginning of the undischarged sheet (P4 paper), there is the issue of page confusion when, for example, the user removes printed materials from discharge tray 540. Therefore, the user needs to return printed materials removed from discharge tray 540 to the discharge tray 540 in order, which takes time.

[0117] (Specify the restart page)

[0118] Figure 7 This diagram shows an example of a restart page designated by the user when a defective printed material is generated in the image forming system 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0119] like Figure 7 As shown, there are two methods for confirming unqualified printed materials: a method in which the user confirms based on the inspection result screen displayed on the display unit 34 and a method in which the user directly confirms the printed materials with the naked eye. In the method of confirming based on the inspection result screen, the user confirms the inspection result screen of the display unit 34, so no printed materials are removed from the discharge tray 30. In the method of directly confirming the printed materials, there are printed materials removed from the discharge tray 30. For example, there is a method in which a whole set of printed materials is removed from the discharge tray 540 (in Figure 5 In the example shown, the printed matter of P1-P3) and the printed matter after the defective paper is removed from the discharge tray 540 (in Figure 5 In the example shown, the print of P2 and the subsequent print, ie, the print of P3, are unacceptable.

[0120] When no printed materials have been removed from the discharge tray 30, the user's desired restart page is the beginning of the undischarged sheets (paper P4). In this case, the user can specify the position of the restart page as the beginning of the undischarged sheets (paper P4) using the selection screen 112 of the operation panel 32. When a complete set of printed materials (printed materials P1-P3) has been removed from the discharge tray 540, the user's desired restart page is the page at the beginning of the set (paper P1). In this case, the user can specify the position of the restart page as the page at the beginning of the set (paper P1) using the selection screen 112 of the operation panel 32. Furthermore, when printed materials after the rejected paper has been removed from the discharge tray 540 (i.e., the rejected P2 print and the subsequent print, i.e., the P3 print)), the user's desired restart page is the rejected paper (paper P2). In this case, the user can specify the position of the restart page as the rejected paper (paper P2) using the selection screen 112 of the operation panel 32.

[0121] (Function of the First Embodiment)

[0122] Next, the operation of the image forming system 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0123] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing the flow of information processing performed by the control device 50 of the image forming system 10 according to the first embodiment. In the image forming system 10, the CPU 51 reads an information processing program for generating target information from the ROM 52 or the memory 54, expands it in the RAM 53, and executes it, thereby performing information processing.

[0124] In the image forming system 10 , when a continuous printing operation is started while quality inspection is being performed on a plurality of printed materials, the following information processing is performed.

[0125] The CPU 51 determines whether an error has occurred that cannot be eliminated in time (step S201). Specifically, when the quality inspection of the printed matter by the inspection device 14 produces a printed matter that is unqualified, and the unqualified printed matter is not discharged to the elimination tray 26 in time, the CPU 51 determines that an error has occurred. For example, Figure 5 As shown, when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result (printed material P2) is generated, and the unqualified printed material and the subsequent printed materials that have been printed (printed materials P2-P3) are discharged to the discharge tray 30 due to insufficient time for elimination, the CPU 51 determines that an error has occurred.

[0126] When an error that cannot be corrected in time has not occurred (step S201 : No), the CPU 51 waits until an error that cannot be corrected in time occurs.

[0127] If an error that cannot be corrected in time occurs (step S201 : YES), the CPU 51 interrupts the continuous printing (step S202 ).

[0128] The CPU 51 displays an error screen on the operation panel 32 (step S203). For example, when an unqualified printed material (printed material of P2) is generated and the ejection to the ejection tray 26 fails (refer to FIG. Figure 5 ),like Figure 6 As shown, the CPU 51 displays an error screen 102 on the operation panel 32. The error screen 102 includes inspection failure information 103 indicating the page number of the failed printed material (printed material P2) and other information, and elimination failure information 104 indicating that elimination failed. The user can view the scanned image of the failed printed material (printed material P2) and other information on the display unit 34 based on the inspection failure information 103 displayed on the error screen 102.

[0129] The CPU 51 determines whether there is a designation of a restart page position (step S204). Figure 6 As shown, if the user presses the setting button 102A, a selection screen 112 is displayed on the operation panel 32. In the selection screen 112, when the user specifies the restart page, the CPU 51 determines that the position of the restart page has been specified. In the selection screen 112, the user can specify the restart page (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0130] If a page position for restart is specified (step S204: YES), the CPU 51 restarts continuous printing from the sheet at the position specified by the user (step S205). For example, if the user selects the checkbox 112C on the selection screen 112, continuous printing restarts from the second sheet (paper P2) corresponding to the unacceptable printed material (printed material P2).

[0131] If the position of the restart page is not specified (step S204: No), the CPU 51 restarts the continuous printing from the beginning of the undischarged sheet (step S206). For example, in the error screen 102, if the user does not press the set button 102A but presses the restart button 102C, the beginning of the undischarged sheet is selected as the initial setting. Figure 5 In the example shown, the fourth page following the printed material (printed material P1-P3) discharged to the discharge tray 30 becomes the first of the undischarged sheets. Therefore, continuous printing resumes with the fourth sheet (paper P4). This concludes the processing by the information processing program in charge of the control device 50 of the image forming system 10.

[0132] In addition, Figure 8In the flowchart shown, when an error occurs that cannot be corrected in time, CPU51 interrupts continuous printing. Instead, it can be set as follows: when a printed material with an unqualified inspection result is generated, continuous printing is interrupted, and when an error occurs that cannot be corrected in time, an error screen is displayed.

[0133] In the image forming system 10 described above, when a print is produced during continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on multiple printed materials and a print is found to be unqualified, the CPU 51 interrupts the continuous printing of the printed materials. Furthermore, if the unqualified print and subsequent printed materials that have already been processed are not discharged to the discharge tray 26 in time, and the unqualified print and subsequent printed materials are discharged to the discharge tray 30, the CPU 51 resumes the continuous printing of the printed materials from the page restart position specified by the user.

[0134] Therefore, in the image forming system 10 , when a print with an unacceptable inspection result is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on a plurality of printed materials and the continuous printing is interrupted, the restart position of the continuous printing is fixed, thereby improving user convenience.

[0135] For example, in Figure 12 In the comparative example shown, the restart page is fixed to the beginning of the unejected sheet, and thus may be different from the restart page desired by the user. In contrast, in the image forming system 10, the user specifies the restart page (refer to Figure 7 ), continuous printing can be restarted from the page the user desires to restart. Therefore, even if the user removes a portion of the printed material from the discharge tray 30, page confusion is unlikely to occur. Furthermore, since the user can adjust the page at which continuous printing will be restarted without having to return the printed material removed from the discharge tray 30 to the corresponding position on the discharge tray 30, user convenience is improved.

[0136] Furthermore, the image forming system 10 includes an operation panel 32 for inputting a restart page. After the continuous printing is interrupted, the CPU 51 receives the restart page input by the user through the operation panel 32. Therefore, the image forming system 10 improves user convenience compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page in advance before the continuous printing is interrupted.

[0137] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10, the CPU 51 displays a selection screen on the operation panel 32, which allows the user to select, as a restart page, any one of the first page of the undischarged pages after the failed printed matter and the subsequent printed matter discharged to the discharge tray 30, the page corresponding to the failed printed matter, and the first page of the copy including the page corresponding to the failed printed matter among the number of copies for which the print instruction was issued. For example, the CPU 51 displays the selection screen on the operation panel 32. Figure 6The selection screen 112 shown is displayed on the operation panel 32 , and all the above-mentioned restart pages can be designated. Therefore, in the image forming system 10 , the user can more easily designate a restart page than when the user simply inputs an arbitrary page.

[0138] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10, when the user issues a restart instruction without specifying a restart page, the CPU 51 restarts continuous printing from the first page of the undischarged pages after the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter discharged to the discharge tray 30 as an initial setting. The first page of the undischarged pages has the same meaning as the first page of the undischarged sheet, for example (see Figure 6 ). Therefore, in the image forming system 10, user convenience is improved compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page each time when continuous printing is interrupted.

[0139] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10 , the CPU 51 accepts any restart page from the user. Therefore, the image forming system 10 can more flexibly respond to the user's wishes than in a case where the user simply selects one from a plurality of presented restart pages.

[0140] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10 , the CPU 51 displays information about the defective printed material on the display unit 34 . Therefore, in the image forming system 10 , the user can designate a restart page without viewing the defective printed material discharged to the discharge tray 30 .

[0141] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10, when unacceptable printed materials are generated, if all pages of the printed materials of the job are discharged to the discharge tray 30 and the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result does not match the discharge number, the CPU 51 displays a screen on the operation panel 32 for accepting input for resuming continuous printing. Therefore, in the image forming system 10, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is always executed from the first page when the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result does not match the discharge number on the discharge tray 30.

[0142] Furthermore, in the image forming system 10, continuous printing can be resumed by tracing back to a page before the last page corresponding to the last printed product among the plurality of printed products discharged to the discharge tray 30. Therefore, in the image forming system 10, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is always performed from the first page.

[0143] Furthermore, in image forming system 10, if it is not possible to eject unacceptable printed materials and subsequent printed materials that have already been printed to eject tray 26, CPU 51 ejects the unacceptable printed materials and subsequent printed materials to eject tray 30. Furthermore, upon receiving a user's restart instruction, CPU 51 resumes continuous printing of the printed materials from the user-specified restart page. Therefore, in image forming system 10, user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is immediately resumed from the user-specified restart page.

[0144] 〔other〕

[0145] The information processing system of the present invention is not limited to the image forming system 10 described in the first embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0146] The processing of the image forming system 10 described above can also be realized by a dedicated hardware circuit. In this case, it can be executed by a single hardware or by a plurality of hardwares.

[0147] Furthermore, the program that operates the image forming system 10 can be provided on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory device, a floppy disk, or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or can be provided online via a network such as the Internet. In this case, the program recorded on the computer-readable recording medium is typically transferred to a memory or storage device and stored there. Furthermore, the program can be provided as a standalone application software or incorporated into the software of each device of the image forming system 10 as a function of the system.

[0148] Furthermore, although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0149] [Note]

[0150] Regarding the above embodiment, the following supplementary notes are further disclosed.

[0151] (1) An information processing system comprising at least one processor,

[0152] The processor performs the following processing:

[0153] When a printed product with an unqualified inspection result is generated during the continuous printing of a plurality of printed products while quality inspection is being performed on the printed products, interrupting the continuous printing of the printed products; and

[0154] When it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter that has been printed after the unqualified printed matter to the removal section and the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

[0155] (2) The information processing system according to (1), comprising:

[0156] An input unit for inputting the restart page,

[0157] The processor performs the following processing:

[0158] After the continuous printing is interrupted, the restart page is received from the input unit by the user.

[0159] (3) The information processing system according to (2), wherein

[0160] The processor performs the following processing:

[0161] A selection screen is displayed on the input unit, which allows selection of any one of the following: the first page of the unqualified printed matter and the undischarged pages after the subsequent printed matter that are discharged to the main discharge unit; the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter; and the first page of the number of copies for which a print instruction is issued, including the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter.

[0162] (4) The information processing system according to (3), wherein

[0163] The processor performs the following processing:

[0164] When the user issues a restart instruction without designating a restart page, the continuous printing is restarted from the first page of the undischarged pages after the failed printed material and the subsequent printed material discharged to the main discharge unit as an initial setting.

[0165] (5) The information processing system according to (2), wherein

[0166] The processor performs the following processing:

[0167] The restart page is accepted based on the user's discretion.

[0168] (6) The information processing system according to (5), wherein

[0169] The processor performs the following processing:

[0170] Information on the defective printed matter is displayed on a display unit.

[0171] (7) The information processing system according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein

[0172] The processor performs the following processing:

[0173] When the unqualified printed material is generated, when the printed material of all pages of the job is discharged to the main discharge unit and the number of printed materials that are qualified according to the inspection result is inconsistent with the discharge number, a screen for accepting input for the restart action of the continuous printing will be displayed on the input unit.

[0174] (8) The information processing system according to (7), wherein

[0175] The continuous printing can be restarted by tracing back to a page before the last page corresponding to the last printed material among the plurality of printed materials discharged to the main body discharge unit.

[0176] (9) The information processing system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein

[0177] The processor performs the following processing:

[0178] When it is not possible to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter to the removal portion in time, discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter to the main body discharge portion; and

[0179] After receiving a restart instruction from the user, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page.

[0180] (10) An information processing program for causing a computer to execute the following processing:

[0181] When a printed product with an unqualified inspection result is generated during the continuous printing of a plurality of printed products while quality inspection is being performed on the printed products, interrupting the continuous printing of the printed products; and

[0182] When it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter that has been printed after the unqualified printed matter to the removal section and the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

[0183] According to the information processing system described in (1), user convenience is improved compared to a case where a printout with an unqualified inspection result is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is being performed on a plurality of printed materials and the continuous printing is interrupted, and the restart position of the continuous printing is fixed.

[0184] According to the information processing system described in (2), user convenience is improved compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page in advance before continuous printing is interrupted.

[0185] According to the information processing system described in (3), the user can more easily designate a restart page than when the user simply inputs an arbitrary page.

[0186] According to the information processing system described in (4), user convenience is improved compared to a case where the user specifies a restart page each time when continuous printing is interrupted.

[0187] According to the information processing system described in (5), it is possible to flexibly respond to the user's desire compared to a case where only one of a plurality of suggested restart pages is selected.

[0188] According to the information processing system described in (6), the user can designate a restart page without viewing the defective printed matter ejected to the main body ejection unit.

[0189] According to the information processing system described in (7), user convenience is improved compared to the case where continuous printing is always performed from the first page when the number of printed materials that pass the inspection result does not match the discharge number in the main body discharge unit.

[0190] According to the information processing system described in (8), user convenience is improved compared to the case where continuous printing is always performed from the first page.

[0191] According to the information processing system described in (9), user convenience is improved compared to a case where continuous printing is immediately restarted from a restart page designated by the user.

[0192] According to the information processing program described in (10), user convenience is improved compared to the case where the restart position of continuous printing is fixed when a printed material with an inspection result of failure is generated during continuous printing while quality inspection is performed on multiple printed materials and continuous printing is interrupted.

[0193] The above-described embodiments of the present invention are provided for the purpose of illustration and explanation. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention do not fully and exhaustively include the present invention, and do not limit the present invention to the disclosed embodiments. It is obvious that various modifications and variations are self-evident to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The present embodiment is selected and described in order to most easily explain the principles of the present invention and its application. Thus, other technical personnel in this field can understand the present invention through various modifications optimized for specific uses of the assumed various embodiments. The scope of the present invention is defined by the above claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising at least one processor, The processor performs the following processing: When a printed product with an unqualified inspection result is generated during the continuous printing of a plurality of printed products while quality inspection is being performed on the printed products, interrupting the continuous printing of the printed products; and When it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter that has been printed after the unqualified printed matter to the removal section and the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, comprising: An input unit for inputting the restart page, The processor performs the following processing: After the continuous printing is interrupted, the restart page is received from the input unit by the user.

3. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: A selection screen is displayed on the input unit, which allows selection of any one of the following: the first page of the unqualified printed matter and the undischarged pages after the subsequent printed matter that are discharged to the main discharge unit; the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter; and the first page of the number of copies for which a print instruction is issued, including the page corresponding to the unqualified printed matter.

4. The information processing system according to claim 3, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: When the user issues a restart instruction without designating a restart page, the continuous printing is restarted from the first page of the undischarged pages after the failed printed material and the subsequent printed material discharged to the main discharge unit as an initial setting.

5. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: The restart page is accepted based on the user's discretion. The information processing system according to claim 5 , wherein: The processor performs the following processing: Information on the defective printed matter is displayed on a display unit.

7. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: When the unqualified printed material is generated, when the printed material of all pages of the job is discharged to the main discharge unit and the number of printed materials that are qualified according to the inspection result is inconsistent with the discharge number, a screen for accepting input for the restart action of the continuous printing will be displayed on the input unit.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein: The continuous printing can be restarted by tracing back to a page before the last page corresponding to the last printed material among the plurality of printed materials discharged to the main body discharge unit.

9. The information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The processor performs the following processing: When the action of discharging the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter to the removal portion is not timely, discharging the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter to the main body discharge portion; and After receiving a restart instruction from the user, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page.

10. A program product having recorded thereon an information processing program for causing a computer to execute the following processing: When a printed product with an unqualified inspection result is generated during the continuous printing of a plurality of printed products while quality inspection is being performed on the printed products, interrupting the continuous printing of the printed products; and When it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter that has been printed after the unqualified printed matter to the removal section and the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

11. An information processing method comprising the following steps: When a printed product with an unqualified inspection result is generated during the continuous printing of a plurality of printed products while quality inspection is being performed on the printed products, interrupting the continuous printing of the printed products; and When it is too late to discharge the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter that has been printed after the unqualified printed matter to the removal section and the unqualified printed matter and the subsequent printed matter are discharged to the main discharge section, continuous printing of the printed matter is restarted from the restart page specified by the user.

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