Printing system, its control method, and program

Abstract

If printing is started without checking the charge adjustment value for static elimination, static elimination control may be performed on the sheet with an inappropriate charge adjustment. [Solution] A printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, comprising: acquisition means S101 which acquires from a management means which manages the adjustment value of the static elimination bias for static elimination processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process; setting means which set a setting value of the amount of static elimination at the operation unit of the static elimination device; and notification means which notifies a message to prompt the user to confirm the setting value of the amount of static elimination at the operation unit, wherein the notification means, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means and the setting value of the amount of static elimination by the setting means differ when the printing process is started, notifies a message prompting the user to confirm the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing system having a static elimination function for eliminating static electricity on a charged sheet, a control method thereof, and a program.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] A recording medium used for printing work (hereinafter referred to as "sheet") is conveyed in a state charged with static electricity due to residual charge in the process of an electrophotographic process, or slight friction with conveyance rollers and guides generated during sheet conveyance. This static electricity may cause sheets to adhere to each other. Plain paper and the like have low electric resistance of the sheet itself, charges easily move within the sheet, and the charge amount itself is small, so that the static electricity is eliminated quickly. However, sheets using synthetic resin (plastic) such as thick paper, synthetic paper, and coated paper have high electric resistance of the sheet itself, and charge transfer within the sheet hardly occurs. As a result, sheets such as synthetic paper and coated paper tend to be more easily charged and more likely to retain electric charges. It is also generally known that such sheets are susceptible to the influence of the environment, particularly humidity, and that an environment with lower humidity makes the sheets more likely to be charged with static electricity due to a reduced amount of electric discharge into the air.

[0003] If post-processing is performed in a state where sheets are adhered to each other, not only will the sheet alignment process be affected and the quality of post-processing will deteriorate, but there is also a possibility of inducing a jam (JAM) due to a paper feed failure or a conveyance failure during post-processing. Therefore, in order to prevent such risks from occurring, it is desirable to eliminate static electricity from the sheets after the printing process before performing post-processing. Accordingly, a proposal has been made to apply a voltage to a pair of conveyance rollers positioned downstream in the sheet conveyance direction to cancel out the electric charges charged on the sheets (see Patent Document 1).

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0004]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

[0005] The conventional static electricity removal method described above, which involves applying voltage to a transport roller (hereinafter referred to as "static removal roller"), works by applying a charge opposite to the charge on the sheet via the static removal roller, thereby canceling out the static electricity. Therefore, the amount of static electricity removed by the static removal roller (the application of the opposite charge to the sheet to the static removal roller) must be adjusted according to the amount of charge on the sheet. In other words, there is an optimal charge adjustment value for static electricity removal depending on the printing environment, such as humidity, and the type of sheet. Furthermore, if a user were to start printing without checking the charge adjustment value for static elimination, there is a possibility that static elimination control would be performed on the sheet with an inappropriate charge adjustment value set. In such a case, the sheet would actually become charged, potentially leading to further sticking of the sheet.

[0006] Regarding the optimal charge adjustment value for static elimination, a hardware-adjustable configuration, such as a setting dial, would allow for direct adjustment while checking the results, making adjustment easier. However, providing a hardware adjustment function that can handle multiple types of sheets is difficult from an operability standpoint, so adjustments would have to be limited to a single type of sheet. On the other hand, a software-adjustable configuration that manages the charge adjustment value for each sheet in a list would allow for adjustments to multiple types of sheets, but would make adjustments more cumbersome for materials like plain paper that are easily affected by environmental factors and require frequent adjustments. It is desirable to achieve a balance between these two configurations in a user-friendly way. This disclosure is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a mechanism that allows the charge adjustment value for the sheet to be adjusted both in hardware and software. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure relates to a printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring an adjustment value of the static elimination bias for static elimination processing of a sheet for each type of sheet used in the printing process; a setting means for setting a setting value of the amount of static elimination at the operation unit of the static elimination device; and a notification means for notifying a message to prompt the user to confirm the setting value of the amount of static elimination at the operation unit, wherein the notification means, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means differs from the setting value of the amount of static elimination set by the setting means, notifies a message prompting the user to confirm the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, by notifying the user that it is necessary to check the settings of the static elimination device's adjustment dial, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of situations in which static elimination is performed on the sheet with inappropriate static elimination settings, both in terms of hardware and software. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the overall configuration of the system in this embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing system of this embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating a cross-section of the printing system of this embodiment. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the operating section of the printing device included in the printing system of this embodiment. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the operating section of the static elimination device included in the printing system of this embodiment. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram of the static elimination process in the static elimination device of this embodiment. [Figure 7] A screen for referencing and modifying the sheet database via a sheet data management system. [Figure 8] Flowchart of the printing process in Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Adjustment dial confirmation screen of Embodiment 1. [Figure 10]Flowchart of processing for prompting the user of Embodiment 2 to confirm the setting value of the static elimination device. [Figure 11] Adjustment dial confirmation screen of Embodiment 2. [Modes for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solving means of the invention.

[0011] [Embodiment 1] • Overall system configuration Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a system illustrating one embodiment of the present invention. The system of the present embodiment includes a printing system 1000 and a PC 102 which is a client computer, and these are interconnected via a network 101. Here, "PC" is an abbreviation for Personal Computer. The PC 102 can transmit code data (page description language), which is a print job, to the printing system 1000 via the network 101.

[0012] • Hardware configuration of the printing system Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the printing system 1000. The printing system 1000 includes a printing apparatus 100, which is a portion enclosed by a dashed line in the figure, and a sheet processing apparatus 200. Note that any number of sheet processing apparatuses 200 can be connected to the printing apparatus 100. The sheet processing apparatus 200 of the present embodiment will be described using an example composed of a static elimination apparatus 200-3a and a saddle stitch bookbinding machine 200-3b. Further, in the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 100 is described by taking an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral) having a plurality of functions such as a copy function and a printer function as an example. However, the printing apparatus 100 may be a single-function type printing apparatus having only a copy function or only a printer function. In the present embodiment, as an example, the printing system 1000 is assumed to include various constituent elements described below.

[0013] The printing system 1000 is configured such that sheet processing for sheets printed by the printing apparatus 100 can be executed by the sheet processing apparatus 200 connected to the printing apparatus 100. However, it is also possible to configure the printing system 1000 with only the printing apparatus 100 without connecting the sheet processing apparatus 200. The static elimination apparatus 200-3a is configured to be communicable with the printing apparatus 100, and can receive an instruction from the printing apparatus 100 to execute static elimination processing as described later. The static elimination operation unit 220 has a configuration as shown in FIG. 5 described later, and a user can perform settings for the static elimination apparatus 200-3a via the static elimination operation unit 220. Note that the user may be allowed to perform settings for the static elimination apparatus 200-3a via a main body operation unit 204 described later. The saddle stitch bookbinding machine 200-3b is configured to be communicable with the printing apparatus 100, and can receive an instruction from the printing apparatus 100 to execute saddle stitch bookbinding processing described later.

[0014] (Printing Apparatus) The scanner unit 201 reads an image on a document, converts it into image data, and transfers the image data to other units. The external I / F 202 transmits and receives data to and from external devices connected to the network 101. The printer unit 203 prints an image based on the input image data onto the sheet. As shown in Figure 4, the main unit operation unit 204 consists of a touch panel unit 401 and a hard key input unit 402, through which it receives instructions from the user. The main unit operation unit 204 also displays various information on the touch panel unit 401.

[0015] The CPU 205 comprehensively controls the processing and operation of various units within the printing system 1000. Specifically, it controls the operation of the printing device 100 and the sheet processing device 200 connected to it. Here, "CPU" stands for Central Processing Unit. ROM207 stores various computer programs executed by CPU205. For example, ROM207 stores programs that cause CPU205 to execute various processes in the flowchart described later, and display control programs necessary to display various setting screens described later. ROM207 also stores programs that allow CPU205 to interpret PDL code data received from PC102 and convert it into raster image data. In addition, ROM207 stores boot sequences, font information, and other data. Here, "ROM" stands for Read Only Memory and "PDL" stands for Page Description Language.

[0016] RAM208 stores image data and PDL code data sent from the scanner unit 201 and external I / F 202, various programs loaded from ROM 207, and setting information. RAM208 also stores information about the sheet processing device 200 (such as the type and function of the sheet processing device 200 connected to the printing device 100). The CPU 205 can use this information about the sheet processing device 200 stored in RAM208 for control. Here, "RAM" stands for Random Access Memory. The HDD (hard disk drive) 209 consists of a hard disk and a drive unit for reading and writing data to the hard disk. The HDD 209 is a large-capacity storage device for storing image data that is input from the scanner unit 201 and compressed by the compression / decompression unit 210. Based on user instructions, the CPU 205 can print the image data stored in the HDD 209 using the printer unit 203. The HDD 209 can also be used as a spooler, and the CPU 205 can manage PDL code data received from the PC 102 as print jobs and store them in the HDD 209. The CPU 205 can also manage the print jobs stored in the HDD 209 and can obtain the number of stored print jobs and the setting information applied to the print jobs. Alternatively, other storage devices such as SSDs (Solid State Drives) or eMMCs (embedded Multi Media Cards) may be used instead of or in conjunction with the HDD.

[0017] The compression / decompression unit 210 performs compression and decompression operations on image data stored in the RAM 208 and HDD 209 using various compression methods such as JBIG and JPEG. The sheet data management unit 211 manages information on control parameters used when printing sheets, priority information for static elimination control parameters, and information on the impact of environmental changes, for each sheet type and even for each sheet brand. Examples of control parameters include information such as the sheet's basis weight, surface properties, voltage adjustment value during transfer, and adjustment value for the static elimination bias during static elimination control. Although it is depicted in this block diagram, the sheet data management unit 211 is actually a database that stores sheet information tables, and this database itself is stored on the HDD 209.

[0018] In the sheet information table (not shown) above, the "Name" column contains the name of the sheet, such as "plain paper," "synthetic paper," or "thick paper." The "Basis Weight" column contains the basis weight, which represents the thickness of the sheet. The "Size" column contains the size of the sheet. The "Surface Properties" column contains information related to the surface properties of the sheet, such as "high-quality paper" or "polypropylene." The "Features" column contains information related to the features of the sheet. The "Environmental Change Impact" column contains the magnitude of the change in charge amount when the environment changes. The "Static Elimination Bias Adjustment" column contains parameter information necessary for adjustment, such as specific adjustment values. Furthermore, the sheet data management unit 211 has a dedicated screen for viewing and editing the contents of the sheet information table. An example of this dedicated screen is shown in Figure 7. The printing system 1000 is configured so that the user can call up a setting screen for each sheet via the main unit operation unit 204. Upon receiving this call, the CPU 205 displays the sheet parameter list screen 801 shown in Figure 7(a) on the touch panel unit 401 of the main unit operation unit 204.

[0019] <Parameter List Screen> The parameter list screen 801 has fields 802 that display each parameter and its current setting value, and each parameter is equipped with a [Change] button that can be pressed to change its setting value. For example, if the user presses the [Change] button 803 to change the parameter for adjusting the static elimination bias, the CPU 205 displays the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 shown in Figure 7(b) on the touch panel 401 of the main unit operation unit 204. The CPU 205 then acquires the sheet type for each paper feed stage used for printing and obtains the static elimination control parameter information set for that sheet via the sheet data management unit 211. Among the information related to adjusting the static elimination bias, the adjustment value for the static elimination bias is acquired and stored in the RAM 208.

[0020] <Static elimination bias adjustment screen> The static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 has a field that displays the current static elimination bias adjustment value 805, an input button 806 for inputting an increase or decrease in the setting value, and an [OK] button 807 for saving the entered setting value to a storage area such as RAM 208. Furthermore, the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 also has a [Cancel] button 808 for exiting the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 without saving the static elimination bias adjustment value 805 to a storage area such as RAM 208.

[0021] The static elimination bias adjustment value 805 is displayed as the static elimination bias adjustment value stored in RAM 208 by the CPU 205 via the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 shown in Figure 7(b) above. The bias voltage for the static elimination process to be performed by the static elimination device 200-3a, described later, can then be set for this sheet. In this embodiment, the bias voltage for the static elimination process set here is not a direct voltage value [kV], but rather a setting of intensity levels in the range of 0 to 99. In actual operation, for example, a voltage of 0.1 [kV] per level 1 is applied to the static elimination roller based on this setting. The units and configurable ranges of the settings shown here are only examples and are not limited to these. As another example of parameters, the environmental change impact item allows you to set environmental change impacts mainly related to humidity, taking into account the moisture content of the sheet. The settings shown here are stored in the HDD209 via the sheet data management unit 211.

[0022] The CPU 205 can access the sheet information table via the sheet data management unit 211, and is configured to obtain characteristic information of the sheet to be printed and parameter information used for print control. As will be described in more detail later, the printing system 1000 of this embodiment is a printing system that has a static elimination device whose static elimination function can be changed.

[0023] • Detailed configuration of the printing system Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a cross-section of a printing device 100 and a sheet processing device 200 connected to the printing device 100. The sheet processing device 200 of this embodiment consists of a static eliminator 200-3a and a saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b. (Printing device) First, let me explain the printing device 100. The automatic document feeder (ADF) 301 separates the stack of documents placed on the stacking surface of the document tray, page by page, starting from the first page, and transports them onto the document glass for scanning by the scanner 302.

[0024] The scanner 302 reads the image of the document transported on the document glass and converts it into image data using a CCD. The rotating polyhedron mirror (polygon mirror, etc.) 303 receives a light ray, such as laser light, which is modulated according to the image data, and irradiates the photosensitive drum 304 with reflected scanning light via a reflective mirror. The latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 304 by laser light is developed by toner, and the toner image is transferred to the sheet material attached to the transfer drum 305. A full-color image is formed by sequentially performing this series of image formation processes for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) toners. After four image formation processes, the sheet material on the transfer drum 305 with the full-color image formed is separated by the separation claw 306 and transported to the fuser 308 by the pre-fixing transporter 307.

[0025] The fuser unit 308 is composed of a combination of rollers and belts, and incorporates a heat source such as a halogen heater to melt and fix the toner on the sheet material onto which the toner image has been transferred, using heat and pressure. The paper discharge flapper 309 is configured to pivot around a pivot axis and defines the direction of conveyance of the sheet material. When the paper discharge flapper 309 is pivoting clockwise in the figure, the sheet material is conveyed straight and discharged outside the machine by the paper discharge roller 310. The CPU 205 controls the printing device 100 to perform single-sided printing through the sequence described above. (Double-sided printing) On the other hand, when forming an image on both sides of the sheet material, the paper discharge flapper 309 swings counterclockwise in the figure, and the sheet material changes its path downward and is fed to the double-sided transport section. The double-sided transport section includes a reversing flapper 311, a reversing roller 312, a reversing guide 313, and a double-sided tray 314.

[0026] The reversing flapper 311 swings around its pivot axis, defining the direction of conveyance of the sheet material. When processing a double-sided printing job, the CPU 205 controls the reversing flapper 311 to swing counterclockwise in the diagram, feeding the sheet, which has been printed on the first side by the printer unit 203, to the reversing guide 313 via the reversing roller 312. Then, with the rear end of the sheet material held by the reversing roller 312, the reversing roller 312 is temporarily stopped, and the reversing flapper 311 continues to swing clockwise in the diagram. At the same time, the reversing roller 312 is rotated in the opposite direction. This causes the sheet to switch back and be conveyed, and the sheet is guided to the double-sided tray 314 with its rear and front ends swapped.

[0027] The sheet material is first loaded into the double-sided tray 314, and then the re-feed roller 315 feeds the sheet material back to the register roller 316. At this time, the sheet material is fed with the side opposite to the first transfer process facing the photosensitive drum. Then, in the same process as described above, the second image is formed on the second side of the sheet. After images are formed on both sides of the sheet material, the sheet is discharged from inside the printing device 100 to the outside of the machine via the paper discharge roller 310 after a fixing process.

[0028] The CPU 205 controls the printing device 100 to perform double-sided printing through the sequence described above. Note that the control described here for performing double-sided printing is only one example and is not limited to this. The printing device 100 also has a paper feeding section for storing the sheets required for printing. The paper feeding section includes paper cassettes 317 and 318 (each capable of holding, for example, 500 sheets), a paper deck 319 (each capable of holding, for example, 5000 sheets), and a manual feed tray 320. The paper cassettes 317 and 318 and the paper deck 319 can be used to separately set various sheets of different sizes and materials in each paper feeding section. The manual feed tray 320 can also be used to set various sheets, including special sheets such as OHP sheets.

[0029] (static eliminator) Next, we will explain the static elimination device 200-3a. Figure 5 illustrates the static elimination operation unit 220 of the static elimination device 200-3a. The mode setting switch 601 in Figure 5 switches whether or not to perform static elimination by the static elimination device 200-3a (ON / OFF). The CPU 205 controls the system to execute the static elimination process described later only when this switch is ON. Furthermore, the adjustment dial 602, which is composed of a thumb rotary switch, adjusts the strength of the static elimination control performed when the mode setting switch 601 is ON, and is controlled by the CPU 205 so that it is only effective when the mode setting switch 601 is ON. The adjustment value of the static elimination bias, which is the strength of the static elimination control set by the adjustment dial 602, can be adjusted in the same units as the adjustment value set by the current adjustment value 805 on the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 mentioned above.

[0030] -Static removal treatment- Here, the static elimination process performed by the static elimination device 200-3a will be explained using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating how static elimination is performed by the static elimination device 200-3a on a sheet that has been printed by the printing device 100.

[0031] First, the sheet 701 is transported via the transport path 704 to the developing and transferring section, which consists of a photosensitive drum 304 and a transfer drum 305, where toner is placed on the sheet. The charged toner 702 placed on the sheet is negatively charged, and after being fixed through the fuser 308, the sheet is transported to the static elimination device 200-3a with the print surface 703 side negatively charged. The static elimination device 200-3a is equipped with a positively charged static elimination roller 322, and applies a positive charge to the negatively charged print surface 703 by contact elimination with the static elimination roller 322, thereby eliminating the charged state. However, it is assumed that some negative charge that could not be removed by the static elimination process with the static elimination roller 322, or conversely, positive charge that has been added, remains on the sheet 705 after passing through the static elimination roller. Therefore, the static elimination device 200-3a discussed in this embodiment is further configured to include an ionizer 323 downstream of the static elimination roller 322. The ionizer 323 is a device that generates corona discharge by applying voltage to electrode needles equipped within the device, and uses the resulting ions to eliminate static charge. In this way, rough static removal is performed by the static removal roller 322, and then the remaining charge is regulated by the ionizer 323, so that the sheet 707 discharged from the static removal device 200-3a after static removal treatment is decharged.

[0032] Please note that the static electricity removal treatments described here are only a few examples and are not limited to these methods. Now, let's return to the explanation using the cross-sectional view in Figure 3. The static elimination device 200-3a has a static elimination roller 322 and a pair of rollers. Sheets transported to the static elimination device 200-3a are held between both rollers while being transported, and rough static elimination is performed by the static elimination roller 322. Subsequently, the sheets are transported out of the device by the transport roller 324, and the remaining charge is removed by the ionizer 323.

[0033] (Saddle-stitch binding machine) Next, I will explain the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b. Sheet processing using the 200-3b saddle-stitch binding machine includes, for example, saddle-stitch binding, punching, cutting, shift paper output, folding, and stapling. Here, these jobs are referred to as "saddle-stitch binding jobs."

[0034] When processing a saddle-stitch binding job, the CPU 205 first transports the sheets of the job printed by the printing device 100 to the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b, and then the CPU 205 has the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b perform the sheet processing for the job. The CPU 205 then has the printed materials of the saddle-stitch binding job, which have been processed by the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b, held at the output destination Z of the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b. There are multiple output destination candidates for output destination Z. This is because the saddle-stitch binding machine 200-3b can perform multiple types of sheet processing, and this is used when separating the output destination for each type of sheet processing. In this embodiment, the detailed transport procedure for the saddle-stitch binding job is omitted from the explanation.

[0035] • Printing process Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating the printing process of the first embodiment. The process shown in this flowchart is realized by the CPU 205 loading programs stored in ROM 207, HDD 209, etc., into RAM 208 and executing them. This process is started when a print job is submitted to the printing system 1000. In S101, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 interprets the settings of the submitted print job and selects the optimal paper feed unit to obtain the type of sheet to be used for printing. Furthermore, the adjustment value of the static elimination bias set for that sheet is obtained via the sheet data management unit 211.

[0036] In S102, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 determines whether the static elimination bias adjustment value obtained in S101 is set. If it is determined that the static elimination bias adjustment value is set for the sheet (Yes in S102), the process proceeds to S103. If it is determined that the static elimination bias adjustment value is not set for the sheet, i.e., the static elimination bias adjustment value is "0" (No in S102), the process proceeds to S108. (If the static elimination bias adjustment value is set) In S103, the CPU 205 obtains the static elimination amount setting value of the adjustment dial 602 of the static elimination operation unit 220 of the static elimination device 200-3a. In S104, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 determines whether the static elimination amount setting for the adjustment dial 602, which was obtained in S103, has been set. If the adjustment dial has been set (Yes in S104), the process proceeds to S105. Furthermore, if the adjustment dial is not set, that is, if the adjustment dial is set to "0" (No in S104), the process proceeds to S108. In this case, the static elimination process is performed based on the static elimination bias adjustment value obtained from the sheet data management unit 211 in S101.

[0037] In S105, the adjustment value for the static elimination bias set on the sheet obtained in S101 is compared with the setting of the adjustment dial obtained in S103 to determine if the values ​​are the same. If the values ​​are the same (Yes in S105), the processes in S106 and S107 described later are skipped and the process proceeds to S108. In this way, by skipping the processes in S106 and S107 described later when the values ​​are the same, the process avoids prompting the user for unnecessary confirmation. On the other hand, if the values ​​are different (No in S105), the process proceeds to S106. In S106, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 displays a print start confirmation screen 901, as illustrated in Figure 9, on the main unit operation panel 204 of the printing device 100, informing the user that it is necessary to check the settings of the static eliminator.

[0038] <Print Start Confirmation Screen> Figure 9 is an example of the print start confirmation screen 901. On the print start confirmation screen 901, the CPU 205 of the printer 100 displays a message 902 to the user indicating that they need to check the adjustment dial of the static eliminator, and notifies them to confirm whether they want to continue printing. The user checks the setting of the adjustment dial 602 of the static eliminator, and if necessary they change the setting, they press the [Continue Printing] button 903 to continue printing. Through such a screen, the printing system 1000 is configured to allow the user to confirm the setting of the adjustment dial of the static eliminator. In S107, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 determines whether the [Continue Printing] button 903 has been pressed on the print start confirmation screen 901 shown in Figure 9. If it determines that the [Continue Printing] button 903 has not been pressed (the answer in S107 is No), it waits until it is pressed.

[0039] On the other hand, if it is determined that the [Continue Printing] button 903 has been pressed (if the answer is Yes in S107), the CPU 205 of the printer 100 proceeds to S108. In S108, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 resumes the printing process in accordance with the instruction to start printing and executes printing. In S109, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 performs static elimination on the printed sheet according to the settings of the static elimination operation unit 220. If the process proceeds to S109 via S107, the adjustment value of the static elimination bias and the setting of the adjustment dial are different. In this case, the CPU 205 instructs the static elimination device 200-3a to set the setting of the adjustment dial 602 as the bias value of the static elimination roller 322, and proceeds to S110. In S110, the CPU 205 of the printer 100 determines whether the print job is complete or not. If the print job is not yet complete (the result in S110 is No), the CPU 205 of the printer 100 returns to S108. On the other hand, if the print job is completed (if the answer is Yes in S110), the CPU 205 of the printer 100 terminates the processing of this flowchart.

[0040] [Embodiment 2] Embodiment 1 described a process for displaying a confirmation message 902 for the static elimination device adjustment dial to the user when the printing process is executed. Embodiment 2 describes a method for performing confirmation when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias is changed separately from the printing process. The process of Embodiment 2 will be described below. • Printing process Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating the process in Embodiment 2 that prompts the user to confirm the static elimination device settings. This flowchart is implemented by the CPU 205 loading programs stored in ROM 207, HDD 209, etc., into RAM 208 and executing them. When the user presses the [Change] button 803 on the parameter list screen 801 on the touch panel unit 401, the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 shown in Figure 7(b) is displayed, and the static elimination bias setting value 805 is changed by operating the input button 806. This process is then executed when the user presses the [OK] button 807. However, it is not executed when the [Cancel] button 808 is pressed.

[0041] In S201, the CPU 205 obtains the set value of the static elimination amount, which is the setting status of the adjustment dial 602 of the static elimination operation unit 220 of the static elimination device 200-3a. In S202, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 determines whether the adjustment dial setting obtained in S201 has been applied. If the adjustment dial setting has been applied (Yes in S202), the CPU 205 proceeds to S203. If the adjustment dial setting has not been applied, i.e., the setting of the adjustment dial is "0" (No in S202), this process is terminated.

[0042] In S203, the adjustment value for the static elimination bias set on the sheet is compared with the setting on the adjustment dial obtained in S201 to determine if the values ​​are the same. The adjustment value for the static elimination bias set on the sheet is obtained by referring to the value of the static elimination bias adjustment value stored in RAM208 by CPU205, as explained in Figure 7(b). If the values ​​are the same (Yes in S203), the processes in S204 and S205 described later are skipped and this process ends. In this way, if the values ​​are the same, the processes in S204 and S205 described later are skipped to avoid prompting the user for unnecessary confirmation. On the other hand, if the values ​​are different (No in S203), CPU205 proceeds to S204. In S204, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 displays a screen 1101 for checking the static elimination device settings, as illustrated in Figure 11, on the main unit operation panel 204 of the printing device 100, informing the user that it is necessary to check the static elimination device settings.

[0043] <Screen for checking the settings of the static eliminator> Figure 11 is an example of the confirmation screen 1101 for the static elimination device settings. On the static eliminator setting confirmation screen 1101, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 displays a message 1102 to the user indicating that it is necessary to check the adjustment dial of the static eliminator, thereby notifying the user to check the setting value of the static eliminator. The user checks the setting of the static eliminator's adjustment dial 602, and if necessary, changes the setting. Once the user has finished checking the static eliminator's setting, they press the [Confirmation Complete] button 1103. Through this screen, the printing system 1000 is configured to allow the user to confirm the setting of the static eliminator's adjustment dial. In S205, the CPU 205 of the printing device 100 determines whether the [Confirmation Complete] button 1103 has been pressed on the static elimination device setting value confirmation screen 1101 shown in Figure 11. If it determines that the [Confirmation Complete] button 1103 has not been pressed (the answer in S205 is No), it waits until it is pressed.

[0044] On the other hand, if the CPU 205 of the printer 100 determines that the [Confirmation Complete] button 1103 has been pressed (Yes in S205), it terminates this process. At this point, the user can change the setting of the adjustment dial 602 to "0" after receiving the message in S204, that is, to a state where the adjustment dial is not set. In this case, the CPU 205 adopts the static elimination bias setting value 805 set from the static elimination bias adjustment screen 804 in Figure 7(b) and terminates this process. The CPU 205 then instructs the static elimination device 200-3a to set the static elimination bias setting value 805 as the bias value of the static elimination roller 322. On the other hand, if the setting value of the adjustment dial 602 is not set to "0", that is, if the adjustment dial is set, the CPU 205 instructs the static elimination device 200-3a to set the setting value of the adjustment dial 602 as the bias value of the static elimination roller 322. Subsequently, when a print job is submitted to the printing system 1000, the CPU 205 performs static elimination processing on the printed sheet using the specified static elimination bias value.

[0045] As described above, by controlling the printing system 1000 including the static elimination device 200-3a, a message is displayed prompting the user to check the adjustment dial setting of the static elimination device when an adjustment value for the static elimination bias is set for the sheet in question. This allows for printing with the appropriate amount of static elimination by raising user awareness. Furthermore, it prevents situations where static elimination is performed with an inappropriate amount set by the adjustment dial. In other words, it reduces the risk of static elimination control being performed while the sheet used for printing is in an inappropriate charge state. It should be noted that the structure and content of the various data described above are not limited to those mentioned, and it goes without saying that they can be composed of various structures and contents depending on the use and purpose.

[0046] (Other examples) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and by having one or more processors in the computer of that system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. This embodiment includes the following configurations, methods, and programs.

[0047] (Composition 1) A printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, An acquisition means that obtains the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for static discharge processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process from a management means, The operating unit of the static elimination device includes a setting means for setting a set value for the amount of static elimination, The control unit has a notification means that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The printing system is characterized in that, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means and the static elimination amount set by the setting means differ when the printing process is started, the notification means notifies a message prompting confirmation of the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process. (Configuration 2) The printing system according to Configuration 1, characterized in that, if the set value of the static discharge amount set by the acquisition means and the set value set by the setting means are the same, the printing system is controlled to execute the printing process without notifying the notification means to prompt the user to confirm the set value of the static discharge amount when the printing process is started. (Composition 3) If the set value for the static discharge amount and the adjustment value for the static discharge bias are the same, the static discharge process will be executed using the adjustment value for the static discharge bias. A printing system according to configuration 1 or 2, characterized by the above. (Composition 4) If the static discharge amount setting by the setting means is 0, the static discharge process will be executed using the static discharge bias adjustment value acquired by the acquisition means without notification by the notification means. A printing system according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized by the above. (Composition 5) When the user confirms the message from the notification means, the static elimination device performs static elimination processing based on the static elimination amount set by the setting means. The printing system according to configuration 4, characterized by the features described above. (Composition 6) A printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, A first setting means for setting a management means for managing the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for static discharge processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process, The operation unit of the static elimination device includes a second setting means for setting a set value for the amount of static elimination, The control unit has a notification means that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The notification means, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias is set in the management means by the first setting means, notifies the user to check the static elimination amount setting value in the operation unit if the adjustment value of the static elimination bias differs from the setting value of the static elimination amount set by the second setting means. A printing system characterized by the following features. (Method 1) A control method for a printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, An acquisition process is performed by obtaining the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for the static discharge treatment of each sheet type used in the printing process from a management means, A setting step of setting a set value for the amount of static elimination at the operating unit of the static elimination device, The operation unit has a notification step that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The notification step, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means differs from the static elimination amount set by the setting means at the start of the printing process, notifies a message prompting confirmation of the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process. A method for controlling a printing system, characterized by the features described above. (Method 2) A control method for a printing system having a static elimination device having a first setting means for setting a control means for managing the adjustment value of the static elimination bias for static elimination processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process, and a second setting means for setting a set value of the amount of static elimination at the operation unit, A control method for a printing system, characterized in that when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias is changed in the management means by the first setting means, if the adjustment value of the static elimination bias and the setting value of the static elimination amount set by the second setting means are different, the method includes a notification step to prompt the user to check the setting value of the static elimination amount in the operation unit. (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to execute the printing system control method described in Method 1 or 2. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0048] 100 Printing equipment 200-3a Static eliminator 601 Mode setting switch 801 Parameter List Screen

Claims

1. A printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, An acquisition means that obtains the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for static discharge processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process from a management means, The operating unit of the static elimination device includes a setting means for setting a set value for the amount of static elimination, The control unit has a notification means that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The printing system is characterized in that, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means and the static elimination amount set by the setting means differ when the printing process is started, the notification means notifies a message prompting confirmation of the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process.

2. The printing system according to claim 1, further comprising a control means that, if the set value of the static discharge amount set by the acquisition means and the set means are the same, controls the system to execute the printing process without notifying the notification means to prompt the user to confirm the set value of the static discharge amount when the printing process is started.

3. If the set value for the static discharge amount and the adjustment value for the static discharge bias are the same, the static discharge process will be executed using the adjustment value for the static discharge bias. The printing system according to feature 2.

4. If the static discharge amount setting by the setting means is 0, the static discharge process will be executed using the static discharge bias adjustment value acquired by the acquisition means without notification by the notification means. The printing system according to feature 1.

5. When the user confirms the message from the notification means, the static elimination device performs static elimination processing based on the static elimination amount set by the setting means. The printing system according to feature 1.

6. A printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, A first setting means for setting a management means for managing the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for static discharge processing of sheets for each type of sheet used in the printing process, The operation unit of the static elimination device includes a second setting means for setting a set value for the amount of static elimination, The control unit has a notification means that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The notification means, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias is set in the management means by the first setting means, notifies the user to check the static elimination amount setting value in the operation unit if the adjustment value of the static elimination bias differs from the setting value of the static elimination amount set by the second setting means. A printing system characterized by the following features.

7. A control method for a printing system having a static elimination device in which the setting value of the static elimination process can be changed, An acquisition process is performed by obtaining the adjustment value of the static discharge bias for the static discharge treatment of each sheet type used in the printing process from a management means, A setting step of setting a set value for the amount of static elimination at the operating unit of the static elimination device, The operation unit has a notification step that notifies the user of a message prompting them to confirm the set value of the static elimination amount, The notification step, when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias acquired by the acquisition means differs from the static elimination amount set by the setting means at the start of the printing process, notifies a message prompting confirmation of the setting value of the setting means and confirms the continuation of the printing process. A method for controlling a printing system, characterized by the features described above.

8. A control method for a printing system having a static elimination device having a first setting means for setting an adjustment value for the static elimination bias of the sheet static elimination process for each type of sheet used in the printing process, and a second setting means for setting a set value for the amount of static elimination at the operation unit, A control method for a printing system, characterized in that when the adjustment value of the static elimination bias is changed in the management means by the first setting means, if the adjustment value of the static elimination bias and the setting value of the amount of static elimination set by the second setting means are different, the method includes a notification step to prompt the user to check the setting value of the amount of static elimination in the operation unit.

9. A program for causing a computer to execute the printing system control method described in claim 7 or 8.

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