Image formation apparatus, image formation method and program

Abstract

To reduce user's time and effort when restricting printing using a specific sheet feeding stage.SOLUTION: An image formation apparatus comprises a plurality of sheet feeding units, printing means which prints an image on a sheet, and restricting means which receives an instruction from a user and restricts printing by the printing means using at least one of the plurality of sheet feeding units. The restricting means is characterized in that, when the same information as information indicating the type of sheet set in the sheet feeding unit under printing restriction according to the instruction from the user is set in the sheet feeding unit not under printing restriction, printing by the printing means using the sheet feeding unit is restricted without receiving the instruction from the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] To prevent special printing paper from being used for normal printing, there is a technique for specifying the paper feed tray to be used in advance and switching between permission and prohibition of use (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP Patent Publication No. Hei 8-248709 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, it is possible to restrict printing using a paper feed tray specified by the user. This restriction on use requires a user instruction, and for example, when loading a new paper feed tray with the same type of paper as that loaded in a paper feed tray that has already been restricted from printing, the user must issue an instruction to restrict printing using the new paper feed tray, which is time-consuming.

[0005] The present invention aims to reduce the user's effort when restricting printing using a specific paper feed tray. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that it has a plurality of paper feed units, a printing means for printing an image on paper, and a restriction means for receiving instructions from a user and restricting printing by the printing means using at least one of the plurality of paper feed units, and the restriction means restricts printing by the printing means using that paper feed unit without accepting the instruction from the user by setting the same information indicating the type of paper set in a paper feed unit that is not restricted from printing by the instruction from the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the user's effort when restricting printing using a specific paper feed tray. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] System configuration diagram in the embodiment [Figure 2] 1 is a hardware block diagram and a software configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a hardware block diagram and a software configuration diagram of a print control device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the contents of the paper feed determination process of the printing process in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the setting status of each paper feed tray in the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a paper-out error screen of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a paper feed tray reservation setting screen of the image forming apparatus in the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a top screen of a paper management application according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] Flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray in a paper management application in the first embodiment [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a list of paper information that can be set in the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] Flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray in a paper management application in the second embodiment [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a list of paper information that can be set in an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a paper feed tray reservation setting screen in the third embodiment. [Figure 14] Flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray in a paper management application according to the fourth embodiment [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a confirmation dialog when setting a paper feed tray reservation in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] Flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray in a paper management application according to the fifth embodiment [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a confirmation dialog when setting a paper feed tray reservation in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] Flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray in a paper management application according to the sixth embodiment DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a multifunction peripheral (digital multifunction peripheral / MFP / Multi Function Peripheral) with a printing function is used as an example. The image forming apparatus of the present invention is not limited to a multifunction peripheral, and may be a single-function printer such as an SFP (Single Function Peripheral). [Example]

[0010] <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a printing system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0011] The printing system 100 includes an image forming apparatus 103 and a print control apparatus 102. The printing system 100 is communicably connected to a client computer 101. The client computer 101 and the print control apparatus 102 are communicably connected via a local area network (LAN) 110 using an Ethernet cable 109. The print control apparatus 102 and the image forming apparatus 103 are connected via an image / video cable 107 and a control cable 108. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 103 is not directly connected to the LAN 110. The image forming apparatus 103 and the client computer 101 communicate via the print control apparatus 102. The image forming apparatus 103 may be connected to the LAN 110. In other words, the image forming apparatus 103 may be directly communicably connected to the client computer 101. The client computer 101 launches an application to issue print instructions to the printing system 100. The print control apparatus 102 performs image processing in cooperation with the image forming apparatus 103.

[0012] The image forming device 103 is a multifunction device with various functions, and is capable of not only processing images from the client computer 101 and the print control device 102, but also copying data read by the scanner unit 104 and sending it to a shared folder. When scanning an image with the scanner unit 104, various instructions are accepted from the user via various keys on the operation panel 105. The operation panel 105 also displays various information such as the scan status via the panel. A paper discharge unit 106 receives paper on which an image has been formed and discharges the received paper.

[0013] The print control device 102 has a controller 300 and a display unit 111, and information about the print control device 102 is displayed on the display unit 111. A user operates the hardware operation button unit 112 of the print control device 102 to operate the information displayed on the display unit 111. The information displayed on the display unit 111 is used to display the minimum information required to operate the print control device 102 (such as power supply operation and IP address confirmation). Furthermore, an external display device 113, keyboard 114, and pointing device 115 are connected to the print control device 102. In the first embodiment, the printing system 100 is described assuming that the print control device 102 and the image forming device 103 are separate systems. However, the processing of the print control device 102 may be contained within the image forming device 103, eliminating the need to physically locate the print control device 102. The external display device 113 may also have a position input device function such as a touchpad and function as the pointing device 115.

[0014] Multiple paper feed units 116-1 to 116-8 (collectively referred to as paper feed units 116) connected to image forming apparatus 103 are devices that store paper to be used for printing, and when a print instruction is received, one paper feed tray is selected and paper is fed from the selected paper feed tray. Note that the number of paper feed units 116 increases or decreases depending on optional configurations connected to image forming apparatus 103.

[0015] FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 103. As shown in FIG.

[0016] The controller 200 includes a CPU 201, which loads a control program stored in a ROM 203 or an external storage device 211 into a RAM 202 and executes the loaded program to comprehensively control various devices connected to a system bus 204. The CPU 201 also outputs image signals as output information to a printing unit (print engine) 210 connected via a printing interface 207, and receives image signals input from a scanner 213 connected via a reading interface 212. The CPU 201 also controls a paper feed unit 116 connected to the print engine 210 and acquires the status of the paper feed unit 116 via the printing interface 207. The CPU 201 is also capable of communicating with the print control device 102 via a LAN controller 206 and a control cable 108. The RAM 202 mainly functions as the CPU 201's main memory, work area, etc. Access to an external storage device 211, such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or an IC card, is controlled by a disk controller (DKC) 208. The hard disk stores application programs, font data, form data, etc. It is also used as a job storage area for temporarily spooling print jobs and externally controlling the spooled jobs. It also stores image data input from the scanner unit 104 and image data of print jobs as BOX data, and is used as a BOX data storage area for printing. In the first embodiment, an HDD is used as the external storage device 211, and various logs such as a job log and an image log are stored. The operation panel 105 is connected to the controller 200 via an operation panel interface 205, and a user can input various information using software keys or hardware keys. The non-volatile memory 209 stores various setting information set from a terminal via the operation panel 105 or the network 110. The video interface 214 receives image data from the print control device 102.

[0017] 2B is a block diagram illustrating the software configuration of the image forming apparatus 103. The functions of the units shown in FIG. 2B are achieved by the CPU 201 executing a program loaded in the RAM 202.

[0018] The system software that controls the image forming apparatus 103 includes a UI control unit 252, a paper management unit 253, a paper feed tray management unit 254, a network control unit 255, a job management unit 256, a print control unit 257, and a setting management unit 258. The UI control unit 252 controls the screens displayed by the printing system. The UI control unit 252 can control the switching of the display units of text and paper sizes displayed on the operation panel 105 according to the system settings. The paper management unit 253 manages paper information in a table format. Table elements include paper type, paper name, basis weight, paper size, width, height, color, surface properties, and characteristics. The paper feed tray management unit 254 is involved in setting paper information for the paper feed unit 116 via the print interface 207 and print engine 210.

[0019] The network control unit 255 controls communication with the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306, and with the print control apparatus 102 over the control cable 108 via the LAN controller 206. The job management unit 256 manages the print processing sequence and the order of jobs. The job management unit 256 manages jobs received from the print control apparatus 102 and controls print jobs received via the LAN controller 206 or the video interface 214. The print control unit 257 controls the print engine 210 to print print jobs received by the job management unit 256 on paper loaded in the paper feed unit 116. The setting management unit 258 manages system settings related to the paper management system. System settings include, for example, the language setting for the text displayed on the screen of the paper management system and the unit system (millimeters or inches) for displaying paper sizes.

[0020] FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the print control apparatus 102 according to the first embodiment.

[0021] The controller 300 includes a CPU 301, which loads a control program stored in a ROM 303 or an external storage device 309 into a RAM 302 and executes the loaded program to control various devices connected to a system bus 304. The CPU 301 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 103 via a LAN controller 306 and a control cable 108. The CPU 301 can also communicate with the client computer 101 and the image forming apparatus 103 on the network via a LAN controller 307 and a LAN 110. The RAM 302 mainly functions as the CPU 301's main memory, work area, etc. Access to the external storage device 309, such as a hard disk (HDD) or an IC card, is controlled by a disk controller (DKC) 308. The hard disk stores application programs, font data, form data, etc., and temporarily spools print jobs. The spooled jobs are processed by a raster image processor (RIP) and then used as a job storage area for resaving. An operation unit interface 305 controls the operation button unit 112 through which the user inputs various information, and the interface between the display unit 111 that presents information to the user and the controller 300. A video interface 310 transmits RIP-processed image data to the image forming apparatus 103. A keyboard controller (KBC) 311 performs processing related to input of information from the keyboard 114 and pointing device 115. A display control unit 312 has an internal video memory, and performs drawing in the video memory according to instructions from the CPU 301, and outputs the image data drawn in the video memory as a video signal to the display device 113.

[0022] 3B is a block diagram illustrating the software configuration of the print control device 102 according to the first embodiment. The functions of the units shown in FIG. 3B are achieved by the CPU 301 executing a program loaded in the RAM 302.

[0023] System software 351 that controls the print control device 102 includes a UI control unit 352, a paper management unit 353, a paper feed tray management unit 354, a network control unit 355, a job management unit 356, and a settings management unit 357. The UI control unit 352 controls the screens displayed by the printing system. The UI control unit 352 can control the switching of the display units for the text and paper sizes displayed on the screen in accordance with the system settings. The paper management unit 353 communicates with the image forming device 103 and manages the acquired paper information in table format. Table elements include the paper ID, paper name, basis weight, paper size, width, height, color, surface properties, and characteristics.

[0024] The network control unit 355 controls communication with the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306, and with the client computer 101 on the network 110 via the LAN controller 307. The job management unit 356 manages the print processing sequence and the order of jobs. The job management unit 356 manages jobs received by the print control apparatus 102, and controls data transfer to print the received jobs to the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306 or the video interface 310. The setting management unit 357 manages system settings related to the paper management system. System settings include, for example, the language setting for the text displayed on the screen of the paper management system and the unit system (millimeters or inches) for displaying paper sizes.

[0025] The flowchart showing an example of the paper feed determination process of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 4 will be described.

[0026] First, the CPU 201 acquires the setting information for the print job stored in the external storage device 211 (S401). The setting information for the print job includes the sheet size and sheet type required for printing, paper feed tray setting information, and setting information indicating the use of a reserved paper feed tray. This setting information is included in the print job if the user specifies the use of a reserved paper feed tray when setting up the print job. Conversely, if the user does not specify the use of a reserved paper feed tray when setting up the print job, the setting information is not included in the print job. Next, the CPU 201 acquires the paper feed tray information stored in the external storage device 211 (S402). The paper feed tray information is setting information set for each paper feed tray shown in FIG. 5. The CPU 201 copies the acquired paper feed tray information to create a paper feed tray candidate list, and the paper feed tray candidate list is used to identify paper feed trays that are candidate paper feed trays in subsequent processing (S403).

[0027] Next, in S404, CPU 201 switches the next operation depending on the settings regarding the use of the reserved paper feed tray for the print job acquired in S401. The setting screen for using the reserved paper feed tray will be described later with reference to FIG. 8. If the print job includes information indicating that the reserved paper feed tray will be used, the process proceeds to S405. In S405, CPU 201 rearranges the paper feed tray candidate list created in S403 so that paper feed trays with a reservation status 506 of "reserved" are at the top of the list. This makes it possible to give priority to reserved paper feed trays when selecting the optimal paper feed tray (S408), which will be described later. Note that in the process of S408, paper feed trays that are not "reserved" may be excluded from the candidates rather than rearranging the lists in order of priority.

[0028] The paper feed tray setting status shown in FIG. 5 will now be described. The paper feed tray setting status includes the sheet size (502), sheet type (503), paper ID (504), remaining sheet quantity (505), and reservation status (506) set for each paper feed tray (501), and manages information about the paper set in the paper feed tray. This data is stored in the non-volatile memory 209, and is read and written by the CPU 301 as needed. Specifically, it is used when displaying information about each paper feed tray on the operation panel 105 or changing settings. Information about each paper feed tray is set using the paper list information shown in FIG. 10. The paper list information is stored in advance in the ROM 203 of the image forming apparatus, and is read and used by the CPU 201. The paper information list is composed of a paper ID 1001, a name 1002, a size 1003, a basis weight 1004, a surface property 1005, and a shape 1006. Note that 1001 to 1006 are merely examples, and other parameters indicating paper attributes may also be included. This field is used when changing paper feed tray information on the operation panel 105 or when changing paper feed tray information using a paper management application (described later). When a user operation is performed to change paper feed tray information, the CPU 201 writes the paper information specified from the paper list information into the paper feed tray setting status. Specifically, the paper ID 1001 is written to the paper ID 504, the name 1002 is written to the sheet type 503, and if the size 1003 is "any," the sheet size 502 is the size specified by the user or the size automatically detected by the paper feed tray. The remaining sheet amount 505 indicates the remaining amount detected by each paper feed tray on a five-level scale. The reservation status 506 will be described later. While not all of the paper list information is written into the paper feed tray setting status, because the paper ID 504 and the paper ID 1001 are linked one-to-one, it can be referenced as needed. The paper list information may be formatted so that the user can add or delete new paper, in which case additions and deletions can be made using the non-volatile memory 209.

[0029] On the other hand, if the job is set to "do not use" the reserved paper feed tray, the process proceeds to S406, where paper feed trays with a reservation status 506 set to "reserved" are deleted from the paper feed tray candidate list. In other words, printing is prevented from being performed using a reserved paper feed tray (restricted from use). For example, when the paper feed tray reservation status is as shown in FIG. 5, if the print job is set to not use the reserved paper feed tray, paper feed tray 1, i.e., paper feed unit 116-1, is deleted from the paper feed tray candidate list. On the other hand, if the print job is set to use the reserved paper feed tray, no paper feed tray is deleted from the paper feed tray candidate list. This means that a paper feed tray with a reservation status 506 set to "reserved" can only be used for printing by jobs set to "use" the reserved paper feed tray. In other words, a paper feed tray with a printing restriction can be used for printing based on a print job that includes information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed tray, but cannot be used for printing based on a print job that does not include information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed tray.

[0030] In this embodiment, the determination of whether to print using a reserved paper feed tray (a paper feed tray for which printing is restricted) is made based on the presence or absence of information included in the print job indicating that the reserved paper feed tray is to be used. However, this is not limiting. For example, the determination may be made based on whether the print instruction is from the same user who reserved (restricted) the paper feed tray. In this case, the CPU 201 stores the identification information of the user who reserved the paper feed tray in the external storage device 211 and determines whether the stored identification information matches the user identification information included in the received print job. If they match, printing using the reserved paper feed tray is permitted. If they do not match, printing using the reserved paper feed tray is prohibited. Examples of prohibition include removing the reserved paper feed tray from candidates for automatic paper feed tray selection, as in the process of S406, or canceling the execution of the print job if information specifying the paper feed tray to be used for the print job (the reserved paper feed tray) is included. In other words, a paper feed tray for which printing is restricted can be used for printing based on a print instruction from the specific user who reserved the paper feed tray, but cannot be used for printing based on a print instruction from a user other than the specific user.

[0031] Further, examples of prohibition when a user other than the user who reserved the paper feed tray is logged in to the image forming apparatus 103 include the following: On a print setting screen for a copy function or the like, on a screen for selecting a paper feed tray to be used for printing, a button for selecting a paper feed tray reserved by a user other than the currently logged-in user may be grayed out. Alternatively, the button may not be grayed out, and settings may not be accepted even if selected. In other words, a screen that is displayed when a user other than the specific user who reserved the paper feed tray is logged in to the image forming apparatus and that is used to select a paper feed tray to be used for printing is displayed in such a way that a paper feed unit with printing restrictions cannot be selected.

[0032] Next, CPU 201 references the paper feed stage setting information from the setting information of the print job acquired in S401, and deletes all paper feed stages other than the specified one from the paper feed stage candidate list (S407). The paper feed stage setting information is the specified paper feed stage information. If a specific paper feed stage is specified in the paper feed stage setting information, all paper feed stages other than the specified one are deleted from the paper feed stage candidate list, and if automatic selection is set, no paper feed stages are deleted from the paper feed stage candidate list.

[0033] Next, the CPU 201 selects the most suitable paper feed tray from those remaining in the paper feed tray candidate list (S408). Specifically, the paper feed tray candidate list is searched for, starting from the first paper feed tray, to determine whether there is a paper feed tray holding sheets that match the sheet size and sheet type required for printing described in the setting information of the print job. In S409, the next process is switched depending on the paper feed tray search results. If a paper feed tray is found, that paper feed tray is notified to the flow of the subsequent stage (S410), and the paper feed determination process ends. Here, the first paper feed tray found is set as the paper feed tray to be used for the job.

[0034] On the other hand, if it is determined in S409 that a paper feed tray cannot be found, in S411 the CPU 201 displays an out-of-paper error screen 601 shown in Fig. 6 on the operation panel 105 via the operation panel interface 205. The out-of-paper error screen 601 displays information (size and type) about the sheet required to continue the print job, and a message 609 indicating a paper feed tray in which that sheet can be placed. The available paper feed tray is searched for from the paper feed tray candidate list after the processing of S407.

[0035] The error screen displayed in step S409 may be the same if there is no suitable paper feed tray, or may be switched depending on the conditions. For example, if the print job is set to "not use" the reserved paper feed tray but the paper feed tray specified in the print job is a reserved paper feed tray, information indicating that the paper feed tray specified in the job is reserved may be displayed. At this time, a message 609 or the like may also be displayed. Furthermore, if the print job is set to "not use" the reserved paper feed tray but no paper feed tray is specified in the print job, but the only paper feed tray identified from the sheet size specified in the print job is a reserved paper feed tray, a different screen may be displayed. Specifically, this is a screen including a message indicating that all paper feed trays containing the specified sheet size are reserved. In this case, a message 609 or the like may also be displayed. Furthermore, if the print job is set to "use" the reserved paper feed tray and the paper feed tray specified in the print job is a reserved paper feed tray but no paper is loaded in that paper feed tray, the error screen 601 in FIG. 6 may be displayed.

[0036] When the error screen 601 in FIG. 6 is displayed, the user can perform one of the following operations. Place the sheet (B4, cardboard 1 in FIG. 6) described in the message 609 in the paper feed tray (cassette 3 in FIG. 5) described in the message 609 to resolve the out-of-paper error. Press any of the paper feed tray selection buttons 602 to 606 to forcibly continue the process with a sheet and paper feed tray different from those specified in the message 609. Pressing the stop button 610 stops the print job.

[0037] The CPU 201 waits for one of the above operations to be performed by the user. If there is any change in the state of the paper feed tray (S412), it is assumed that the user may have installed paper, and the process proceeds to S402 to search for the optimal paper feed tray again. A change in the state of the paper feed tray means a change in the size of the sheets placed in a specific paper feed tray, or a change in the size or type of sheets set in the paper feed tray.

[0038] Furthermore, if an instruction from the user via the operation panel 105 is detected (S413), the process proceeds to S414, where the next process is switched according to the instruction. If any of the buttons 602 to 606 is selected and the OK button 611 is selected, the selected paper feed tray is notified to the subsequent flow (S410), and the paper feed determination process ends. On the other hand, if pressing the stop button 610 is detected, the printing process itself ends (S415).

[0039] If it is determined in step S409 that there is no optimal paper feed tray, the execution of the print job may be canceled, thereby preventing the execution of a job that does not specify the use of a reserved paper feed tray and that uses a paper feed unit that specifies a reserved paper feed tray.

[0040] By performing the above process, it is possible to prevent the reserved paper feed tray from being automatically selected when executing a job that does not specify the use of the reserved paper feed tray. Furthermore, when executing a print job that does not specify the use of the reserved paper feed tray, if the paper feed tray set for that job is a reserved paper feed tray, an error is displayed, preventing the reserved paper feed tray from being used by mistake. In other words, it is possible to prevent paper from being used for printing other than the intended purpose. Furthermore, because the reservation of a paper feed tray is performed independently of the execution of a print job, the reservation is not automatically canceled even after the execution of the job is completed, and the paper feed tray can be reserved for the long term.

[0041] 7 shows a paper feed tray reservation screen 701 for displaying and changing the status of paper feed tray reservation, which is displayed on the operation panel 105 of the image forming apparatus 103. When the user instructs the operation panel 105 to display this screen, the CPU 201 displays it on the operation panel 105 via the operation panel interface 205. The paper feed tray reservation screen 701 has buttons indicating the paper size and type set for the paper feed trays 116-1 to 116-8, as well as whether the paper feed tray reservation is ON 702 or OFF 703. Buttons 702 and 703 also serve as setting buttons for paper feed tray reservation, and can be switched by pressing ON or OFF. When an OK button 704 is pressed, the CPU 201 updates the reservation status 506 according to the states of 702 and 703.

[0042] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a top screen 800 of a paper management application executed by the print control apparatus 102 according to the first embodiment.

[0043] The top screen 800 shows an example of a screen displaying information about the paper feed tray of the image forming apparatus 103 connected to the print control apparatus 102. The top screen 800 is rendered in its video memory in accordance with instructions from the CPU 301, and the image data rendered in the video memory is output as a video signal to the display device 113 for display.

[0044] When the paper management application is launched, it acquires the device configuration information of the image forming apparatus 103 and displays the correct image according to this option information. FIG. 8 shows eight connected paper feed trays. Reference numerals 810 to 817 denote paper feed tray buttons corresponding to each paper feed tray. Paper feed tray reservation buttons 820 to 827 are buttons for instructing the user to reserve the corresponding paper feed tray. Icons such as 824 indicate that the corresponding paper feed tray is reserved, while icons such as 827 indicate that the corresponding paper feed tray is not reserved. To reserve a paper feed tray, the CPU 301 acquires the setting information and paper feed tray information for each paper feed tray shown in FIG. 5 stored in the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306 and control cable 108, and displays the information based on the reservation status 506. The CPU 301 switches the display of the paper feed tray reservation buttons 820 to 827 when the paper management application is launched or when a reservation status change notification is received from the image forming apparatus 103. Pressing one of the paper feed stage reservation buttons 820 to 827 enables the reservation to be switched ON / OFF. When the CPU 301 detects that a user has pressed one of the paper feed stage reservation buttons 820 to 827, it instructs the image forming apparatus 103 to change the paper feed stage reservation status via the LAN controller 306 and the control cable 108. In response to this, the image forming apparatus 103 changes the reservation status 506. The reserved paper management application creates and displays these paper feed stage buttons based on the paper feed stage information of the image forming apparatus 103 acquired upon startup. The paper feed stage buttons have an area for displaying information such as the name of the paper set for the paper feed stage and the amount of paper remaining. When the status of a paper feed stage is changed in the image forming apparatus 103 and a paper feed stage status change event is received from the image forming apparatus 103, the CPU 301 reacquires the paper feed stage information. The CPU 301 then redraws the display area of ​​the paper feed stage button according to the acquired paper feed stage information.

[0045] The paper list button 801 is a button that issues an instruction to display the paper list screen 830. In the first embodiment, when the paper list button 801 is pressed, the CPU 301 displays the paper list screen 830 in the foreground. The settings button 802 is a button that issues an instruction to display a screen for changing the system settings of the paper management application. When the settings button 802 is pressed, the CPU 301 displays the current system settings in accordance with the system settings saved in the external storage device 309.

[0046] 9 is a flowchart for reserving paper feed trays for the same type of paper all at once using the paper management application in embodiment 1. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301. A program stored in the ROM 303 is read and executed.

[0047] In S901, it is determined whether any of the paper feed stage reservation buttons 820 to 827 has been pressed. If it is determined in S901 that the paper feed stage reservation button has been pressed, in S902 the paper ID set for the reserved paper feed stage is acquired. That is, from the paper feed stage information shown in FIG. 5, the paper ID 504 is acquired from the paper feed stage information for which the paper feed stage reservation button was pressed in S901. The paper ID 504 is a predetermined value as shown in the paper information list in FIG. 10, is stored in ROM 203 of the image forming apparatus 103, and is information indicating the type of paper. S903 to S906 are the flow for reserving a paper feed stage for paper with the same ID as the paper feed stage reservation button pressed in S901.

[0048] In steps S903 to S906, a determination is made for all paper feed trays provided in the image forming apparatus 103. In step S904, a determination is made as to whether paper having the same ID as the paper ID acquired in step S902 is loaded in the paper feed tray. That is, a determination is made as to whether the paper ID 504 is the same value. If it is determined in step S904 that the paper ID is the same, the process proceeds to step S905. If it is determined in step S904 that the paper ID is not the same, the process proceeds to step S906. In step S905, a paper feed tray reservation is automatically made for the paper feed tray in which paper determined to have the same paper ID is loaded, without receiving a reservation instruction from the user. As described above, when the CPU 301 detects that the user has pressed one of the paper feed tray reservation buttons 820 to 827, the paper feed tray reservation status is changed to the image forming apparatus 103 via the LAN controller 306 and the control cable 108. In step S906, the process ends once the determination of all paper feed trays has been completed.

[0049] Furthermore, although this flow starts processing when a user issues a paper feed tray reservation instruction, this is not limited to this. For example, changing information indicating the paper type set for a paper feed tray can result in the same paper information as that of an already reserved paper feed tray. In such cases, to reduce the user's effort, the paper feed tray is automatically reserved. Specifically, when a user changes the paper information for a paper feed tray to the same paper information as that set for an already reserved paper feed tray, CPU 201 automatically executes reservation processing for the paper feed tray whose paper information has been changed. In other words, when the same information indicating the paper type set for a paper feed tray that has printing restrictions imposed by a user instruction is set for a paper feed tray that has no printing restrictions, printing using that paper feed tray is restricted without receiving the instruction from the user.

[0050] In the above description, the processing when reserving a paper feed tray via the print control device 102 has been described as an example, but the CPU 201 also executes processing similar to steps S901 to S906 when a paper feed tray is reserved using the screen of the image forming device 103 as shown in Fig. 7. In this case, selecting the paper feed tray reservation button corresponds to selecting the button 702 indicating ON for a certain paper feed tray in Fig. 7.

[0051] 9, the process simply ends with automatically executing the paper feed tray reservation process, but CPU 201 may also be configured to display information indicating that the paper feed tray has been automatically reserved (printing using the paper feed tray is restricted) on operation panel 105. In other words, the same information indicating the paper type set for a paper feed tray that has been restricted from printing by a user instruction is set for a paper feed tray that has not been restricted from printing, thereby restricting printing using that paper feed tray without receiving the instruction from the user. Furthermore, CPU 201 may display information indicating that printing using that paper feed tray is restricted on operation panel 105.

[0052] As described above, when the paper feed stage reservation button is pressed, a paper feed stage reservation is also made for paper with the same paper ID, making it possible to reserve a paper feed stage for the same paper with fewer operations. In this embodiment, the paper feed stage reservation has been described, but canceling a reservation also makes it possible to cancel a paper feed stage reservation for the same paper with fewer operations by canceling it for paper with the same paper ID. [Example]

[0053] In the first embodiment, when the paper feed tray reservation button was pressed, the reserved paper feed trays with the same paper ID were set, but in the first embodiment, paper with a range of basis weights was included in basis weight 1004. For example, if paper with a basis weight of 80 gsm is loaded in paper feed unit 1 and paper with a basis weight of 100 gsm is loaded in paper feed unit 2, the paper loaded in the paper feed units is different, but both are set to plain paper 1. In this case, it is conceivable that one paper is reserved but the other is not. In consideration of this, the second embodiment aims to perform batch setting of paper feed tray reservations when the paper is uniquely determined.

[0054] 11 is a flowchart for reserving paper feed trays for the same type of paper all at once using the paper management application in the first embodiment. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301. A program stored in the ROM 303 is read and executed. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301 in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0055] S1101 to S1104 are the same as S901 to S904 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described further. In S1105, it is determined whether the paper ID of the paper feed tray for which the paper feed tray reservation button was pressed in S1102 is 10,000 or greater. In the paper information list of FIG. 12 , which is pre-stored in ROM 203 of the image forming apparatus 103, an ID of 10,000 or greater is set for paper for which the name 1202, size 1203, basis weight 1204, surface property 1205, and shape 1206 are all uniquely determined. Based on the value of this ID 1201, it is possible to determine whether the paper is uniquely determined or whether the paper has a range of basis weights, etc. Note that the determination of whether the paper is uniquely determined is merely an example, and the determination may be made by comparing all of the values ​​1202 to 1206, or another method may be used. For example, it may be determined that the same paper information is set if the basis weight and surface property values ​​match, regardless of the paper ID. That is, the determination in S904 in the first embodiment may be replaced with a determination using the basis weight and surface property values. Also, the determination may be made using only the basis weight or only the surface property.

[0056] If the paper ID is 10000 or greater in S1105, that is, if the paper is uniquely determined, proceed to S1106. If the paper ID is less than 10000 in S1105, that is, if the paper is not uniquely determined, proceed to S1107. S1106 and S1107 are the same as S905 and S906, and therefore will be omitted.

[0057] As described above, it is possible to reserve multiple paper feed stages for the same paper only if the paper feed stage reservation button is set so that the corresponding paper is uniquely determined when the button is pressed. [Example]

[0058] In the first and second embodiments, a method for collectively reserving paper feed trays in which the same paper is set has been described. However, there may be cases in which you do not want to reserve a paper feed tray for the same paper every time. For example, you may have paper loaded in paper feed unit 1, but the same paper loaded by another user in another paper feed tray, and you want to reserve a paper feed tray only for the paper loaded by you. In view of this, the third embodiment aims to enable switching between collective setting and individual setting.

[0059] FIG. 13 shows an example of a screen displayed by the CPU 301, which controls the paper management application, when it detects that the setting button 802 has been pressed in the third embodiment. The batch setting switch 1301 is a switch that switches between reserving paper feed trays for the same paper type collectively or individually. When the OK button 1302 is pressed, the CPU 301 stores information about the batch setting switch 1301 in the RAM 302. If the batch setting switch 1301 is stored as ON and the paper feed tray reservation button is pressed, the flowcharts of the first and second embodiments are executed. That is, paper feed tray reservations are collectively set for the same paper type. If the batch setting switch 1301 is stored as OFF and the paper feed tray button is pressed, only the paper feed tray reservation for that paper feed tray is set. Note that in this embodiment as well, the screen of FIG. 13 may be displayed on the operation panel 105 of the image forming apparatus 103, rather than the print control device 102 displaying the screen of FIG. 13.

[0060] As described above, by providing a switch for selecting whether or not to make a batch paper feed tray reservation for the same paper, it is possible to switch between making batch paper feed tray reservations for the same paper or setting them individually for each paper feed tray depending on the situation. [Example]

[0061] In the third embodiment, whether or not to collectively reserve paper feed trays for the same paper must be set in advance, which is inconvenient if you want to decide which setting to use each time. In view of this, the fourth embodiment aims to enable the user to decide whether or not to collectively reserve paper feed trays for the same paper when pressing the paper feed tray reservation button.

[0062] FIG. 14 is a flowchart for reserving paper feed trays collectively for the same type of paper using the paper management application in the fourth embodiment. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301. A program stored in the ROM 303 is read and executed. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301, as in the first embodiment. S1401 is the same as S901 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described. S1402 displays the paper feed tray collective reservation dialog 1501 shown in FIG. 15. S1403 determines whether the OK button 1502 or the Cancel button 1503 has been pressed. If the OK button 1502 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S1404. If the Cancel button 1503 has been pressed, the process ends. S1404 to S1408 are the same as S902 to S906, and therefore will not be described.

[0063] In the above description, the CPU 301 of the print control apparatus 102 executes the process of the flow in FIG. 14, but the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 103 may execute the process of the flow in FIG.

[0064] As described above, by selecting whether to reserve a paper feed stage for the same paper when the paper feed stage reservation button is pressed, it becomes easier to select whether to reserve a paper feed stage for the same paper each time a paper feed stage is reserved. Note that although this embodiment has been described based on the first embodiment, it can also be realized in the second embodiment. [Example]

[0065] In the fourth embodiment, when the paper feed tray reservation button is pressed, a dialog box is displayed asking whether to reserve all paper feed trays at once for the same paper, but there may be cases where only some paper is selected, rather than all of it. For example, when the paper type cannot be uniquely determined, such as the aforementioned plain paper 1, the paper actually loaded may differ even with the same settings.

[0066] In view of this, the fifth embodiment aims to display a list of paper feed trays for the same paper when reserving a paper feed tray, and reserve the selected paper feed tray.

[0067] FIG. 16 is a flowchart for reserving paper feed trays for the same type of paper collectively using the paper management application in the fifth embodiment. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301. A program stored in the ROM 303 is read and executed. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301, as in the first embodiment. S1601 to S1602 are similar to S901 to S902 in the first embodiment, and therefore will not be described. In S903 to S906 in the first embodiment, a paper feed tray reservation was made when the paper was determined to be the same paper, but in S1603 to S1606 in the fifth embodiment, a paper feed tray reservation is not made, and the paper feed tray numbers of the paper determined to be the same paper are temporarily stored in RAM 302. In S1607, a paper feed tray collective setting screen such as that shown in FIG. 17 is displayed, which includes the paper feed tray list stored in S1605. A selectable paper feed tray collective reservation dialog 1701 displays a list 1702 of paper feed trays set for the same paper. In addition, an OK button 1703 and a cancel button 1704 are also provided. The settings of the paper feed tray list 1702 may be all ON or all OFF when the selectable paper feed tray batch reservation dialog 1701 is opened, and may be changed depending on the reservation status of the paper feed tray at that time. In S1608, it is determined whether the OK button 1703 has been pressed. If it is determined in S1608 that the OK button 1703 has been pressed, the process proceeds to S1609. If the cancel button 1704 has been pressed in S1608, the process ends. In S1609, a paper feed tray reservation is executed for the paper feed trays shown in 1702 that have been checked.

[0068] In the above description, the CPU 301 of the print control apparatus 102 executes the process of the flow in FIG. 16, but the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 103 may execute the process of the flow in FIG.

[0069] As described above, by presenting paper feed trays for the same paper as candidates for batch setting when executing paper feed tray reservation, it is possible to batch reserve any of the paper feed trays for the same paper each time a paper feed tray reservation is made. [Example]

[0070] In the first to fifth embodiments, the case where the paper feed stage reservation button is pressed has been described, but it is also possible that, for example, paper feed stage 1 has already been reserved, but the same paper is also set and used in another paper feed stage. In other words, in the first to fifth embodiments, if the same paper is to be reserved and used in a paper feed stage later, rather than when the paper feed stage reservation button is pressed, the user must press the paper feed stage reservation button again. In view of this, the sixth embodiment aims to reduce the number of operations for reserving a paper feed stage when the same paper as that in the reserved paper feed stage is set in another paper feed stage.

[0071] 18 is a flowchart for reserving a paper feed tray for the same type of paper all at once using the paper management application in the sixth embodiment. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301. A program stored in the ROM 303 is read and executed. This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301, as in the first embodiment. S1801 detects whether the paper information for any of the paper feed units 116-1 to 116-8 has been changed. If it is determined in S1801 that the paper feed tray information has been changed, the process proceeds to S1802. In S1802, the ID of the paper set in the paper feed tray changed in S1801 is acquired. In other words, the ID of the changed paper ID 504 is acquired. In S1803 to S1806, it is determined for all paper feed trays whether the same paper as the paper feed tray changed in S1801 has been reserved for the paper feed tray. In S1804, it is determined whether paper with the same paper ID as the paper feed tray whose paper feed tray information was changed in S1801 has been set. If it is determined in S1804 that the paper is the same paper, the process proceeds to S1805. If it is determined in S1804 that the paper is not the same, the process proceeds to step S1806. In S1805, it is determined whether the paper feed tray determined to be the same paper in S1804 is reserved. If it is determined in S1805 that the paper feed tray is reserved, the process proceeds to S1807. If it is determined in S1805 that the paper feed tray is not reserved, the process proceeds to S1806. In S1807, the paper feed tray whose paper feed tray information was changed in S1801 is reserved.

[0072] In the above description, the CPU 301 of the print control apparatus 102 executes the process of the flow in FIG. 18, but the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 103 may execute the process of the flow in FIG.

[0073] As described above, if the same paper has been reserved as a paper feed stage when the paper feed stage information is changed, reserving the paper feed stage whose paper feed stage information has been changed can reduce the number of operations required when reserving and using the same paper in a different paper feed stage later.

[0074] As another example of the sixth embodiment, the sheets determined to be the same may be limited to those that can be uniquely determined, as in the second embodiment. As another example of the sixth embodiment, a screen may be provided that allows a user to set whether to reserve a paper feed tray when the same paper is loaded in advance, as in the third embodiment. As another example of the sixth embodiment, a dialog box may be displayed asking whether to reserve a paper feed tray when there is a paper feed tray reserved for the same paper when the paper is changed, as in the fourth embodiment. In addition, in the first to sixth embodiments, a paper feed tray that is used to temporarily place paper, such as a manual feed tray, or a paper feed tray that is used to place insertion paper, such as an inserter, may be excluded.

[0075] <Other embodiments> The present invention can be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 102 Printing control device 103 Image forming device 116 Paper feed section

Claims

1. A plurality of paper feed units; a printing means for printing an image onto a sheet of paper; a limiting unit that receives an instruction from a user and limits printing by the printing unit using at least one of the plurality of paper feed units; The image forming device is characterized in that the restriction means restricts printing by the printing means using a paper feed unit that is not restricted from printing by the instruction from the user, by setting the same information indicating the type of paper set in the paper feed unit that is restricted from printing by the instruction from the user to a paper feed unit among the multiple paper feed units that is not restricted from printing.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper feed unit for which the restriction means restricts printing by the printing means can be used for printing based on print instructions from a specific user, but cannot be used for printing based on print instructions from a user other than the specific user.

3. The image forming device according to claim 2, characterized in that the screen displayed when a user other than the specific user is logged in to the image forming device for selecting a paper feed unit to be used for printing by the printing means is displayed in such a way that it is not possible to select a paper feed unit for which printing by the printing means is restricted by the restriction means.

4. Further comprising a display means, 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said display means displays said screen.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the paper feed unit for which the restriction means restricts printing by the printing means can be used for printing based on a print job that includes information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed tray, but cannot be used for printing based on a print job that does not include the information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed unit.

6. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the type of paper is a paper ID.

7. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information indicating the type of paper is the basis weight and surface properties of the paper.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the restriction means restricts printing by the printing means using a paper feed unit that is not restricted from printing, without accepting the instruction from the user, because the same information indicating the type of paper set in the paper feed unit that is restricted from printing by the instruction from the user has been set in a paper feed unit among the multiple paper feed units that is not restricted from printing, and displays information indicating that printing using that paper feed unit is restricted.

9. a printing step of printing the image onto paper; a limiting step of receiving an instruction from a user and limiting printing by the printing step using at least one paper feed unit of a plurality of paper feed units; The image forming method is characterized in that the restriction process restricts printing by the printing process using a paper feed unit that is not restricted from printing by the instruction from the user, by setting the same information indicating the type of paper set in the paper feed unit that is restricted from printing by the instruction from the user to a paper feed unit among the multiple paper feed units that is not restricted from printing.

10. The image forming method according to claim 9, characterized in that the paper feed unit for which printing by the printing process is restricted in the restriction process can be used for printing based on print instructions from a specific user, but cannot be used for printing based on print instructions from a user other than the specific user.

11. The image forming method according to claim 10, characterized in that the screen displayed when a user other than the specific user is logged in to the image forming device for selecting the paper feed unit to be used for printing by the printing process is displayed in such a way that it is not possible to select a paper feed unit for which printing by the printing process is restricted in the restriction process.

12. Further comprising a display step, The image forming method according to claim 11, wherein the display step displays the screen.

13. The image forming method according to claim 9, characterized in that a paper feed unit that is restricted from printing by the printing process in the restriction process can be used for printing based on a print job that includes information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed unit, but cannot be used for printing based on a print job that does not include the information indicating the use of the restricted paper feed unit.

14. 10. The image forming method according to claim 9, wherein the information indicating the type of paper is a paper ID.

15. 10. The image forming method according to claim 9, wherein the information indicating the type of paper is the basis weight and surface properties of the paper.

16. The image forming method of claim 9, characterized in that the restriction process restricts printing by the printing process using a paper feed unit that is not restricted from printing, without accepting the instruction from the user, because the same information indicating the type of paper set in the paper feed unit that is restricted from printing by the instruction from the user has been set in a paper feed unit among the multiple paper feed units that is not restricted from printing, and displays information indicating that printing using that paper feed unit is restricted.

17. A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the image forming method according to any one of claims 9 to 16.

Images