Printing apparatus, method for controlling the printing apparatus, and program

Abstract

To shorten printing time in duplex printing.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 includes: a cutting part (10) for cutting a printing medium into n equal parts; and a control unit (100). When the page count of page image included in print data is not evenly divisible by 2n, the control unit (100) executes first cutting processing of cutting a printing medium to be printed with a final page image that is a page image equivalent to the final page number in the print data with the cutting part (10) in the first transportation processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus, a control method for the printing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, some printing apparatuses such as image forming apparatuses are equipped with a cutting unit for cutting a printing medium. Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a printing apparatus that generates two printed media by performing a printing process on a printing medium and then cutting the printed medium at the cutting unit, and discharges the printed media.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not disclose duplex printing in which printing processes are performed on both the front surface and the back surface of a printing medium.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to shorten the printing time during duplex printing.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: an image printing unit that prints page images on a printing medium based on print data which includes multiple page images that are image data for one page; a first transport unit that transports the printing medium on which the page images have been printed by the image printing unit along a first transport direction which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to a discharge unit; a second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a cutting unit that is located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cuts the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more); and a control unit. The control unit performs the following: a first transport process for transporting the printing medium in the first transport direction by the first transport unit and printing the page image on the surface of the printing medium; a second transport process for transporting the printing medium in the second transport direction by the second transport unit after the first transport process and printing the page image on the back of the printing medium; an image printing process for printing the page images on the front and back of the printed medium in the image printing unit such that the page images printed on the front and back of the cut printing medium discharged to the discharge unit are in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially according to the order in which they are discharged to the discharge unit; and, if the number of pages of the page images included in the print data is not divisible by 2n, a first cutting process for cutting the printing medium on which the final page image, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data, is printed, during the first transport process.

[0007] To solve the above problems, a control method for a printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: an image printing unit that prints page images on a printing medium based on print data which includes multiple page images that are image data for one page; a first transport unit that transports the printing medium on which the page images have been printed by the image printing unit along a first transport direction which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to a discharge unit; a second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a cutting unit that is located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cuts the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more); and a control unit, wherein the control method for a printing apparatus comprises: a first transport process for transporting the printing medium in the first transport direction by the first transport unit and printing the page images on the surface of the printing medium; and the 1. After the transport process, the second transport unit transports the printing medium in the second transport direction and performs a second transport process for printing the page image on the back side of the printing medium. 2. An image printing process is performed in which the image printing unit prints the page images on the front and back sides of the cut printing medium discharged to the discharge unit in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially according to the order in which they are discharged to the discharge unit. 3. If the number of pages of the page images printed on the printing medium is not divisible by 2n, a first cutting process is performed in which the printing medium on which the final page image, which corresponds to the last page number of the print data, is printed is cut by the cutting unit during the first transport process.

[0008] To solve the above problems, a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a program for controlling a printing apparatus comprising: an image printing unit that prints page images on a printing medium based on print data which includes multiple page images that are image data for one page; a first transport unit that transports the printing medium on which the page images have been printed by the image printing unit along a first transport direction which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to a discharge unit; a second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a cutting unit located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cutting the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more); and a control unit, wherein the program includes a first transport process for transporting the printing medium in the first transport direction by the first transport unit and printing the page images on the surface of the printing medium, and the first transport After the feeding process, the control unit is instructed to perform a second transport process for transporting the printing medium in the second transport direction by the second transport unit and printing the page image on the back side of the printing medium; an image printing process for printing the page images on the front and back sides of the cut printing medium discharged to the discharge unit in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and in the order in which the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially according to the order in which they are discharged to the discharge unit; and a first cutting process for cutting the printing medium with the final page image, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data, during the first transport process if the number of pages of the page images printed on the printing medium is not divisible by 2n. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of this disclosure, the printing time during double-sided printing can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a printing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus. [Figure 3]This block diagram shows the electrical configuration of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the paper before cutting and the first and second sheets of paper after cutting. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an overview of the printing method when the print data includes page images for four pages. [Figure 6] This diagram shows an overview of the printing method when the print data includes page images for three pages. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an overview of the printing method when the print data contains page images for two pages. [Figure 8] This diagram shows an overview of the printing method when the print data includes page images for 5 pages. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the contents of the print data and the order in which the page images will be printed on the paper. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows the control flow by the control unit of the printing apparatus according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the first printing process. [Figure 12] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the second printing process. [Figure 13] Figure 10 is a flowchart of the third printing process. [Figure 14] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the fourth printing process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] [One Embodiment] Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a printing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1. In the following description, the printing apparatus 1 is exemplified as a monochrome printer that performs image printing of monochrome images, but this embodiment is not limited thereto, and for example, it may be a color printer that performs image printing of full-color images.

[0012] Further, the printing apparatus 1 is a multifunction printer (MFP) having a plurality of functions such as a scanning function, a printing function, a copying function, and a fax function. In the following description, based on the state of FIG. 1 in which the printing apparatus 1 is installed for use, the up-down, left-right, and front-back directions of the printing apparatus 1 are defined.

[0013] 〔Overview of Printing Apparatus 1〕 As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 has an outer container in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Further, the printing apparatus 1 constitutes an inkjet printer that performs an image printing process on a sheet P, which is an example of a printing medium of the present disclosure, by discharging ink, for example, with respect to print data specified by a print job. In addition to this description, the printing apparatus 1 may be, for example, a laser printer that records an image on the sheet P by an electrophotographic method. Further, the printing medium is not limited to a paper medium such as the sheet P, and may also be, for example, a resin medium made of plastic such as an OHP sheet.

[0014] 〔Configuration of Printing Apparatus 1〕 As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 20 is formed in the front surface of the printing apparatus 1. A feeding tray 21 and a discharging tray 22 are detachably arranged in the opening 20. The feeding tray 21 is a tray for accommodating a plurality of sheets P, and the upper surface thereof is open. In the example shown in FIG. 1, two feeding trays 21 are arranged side by side vertically. For example, sheets P of A4 size are accommodated in the upper feeding tray 21. On the other hand, sheets P of A3 size are accommodated in the lower feeding tray 21.

[0015] As also shown in FIG. 2, above the upper feeding tray 21, a discharging tray 22, which is an example of a discharging portion, is arranged. The discharging tray 22 is a tray for accommodating the sheet P, the first sheet P1, and the second sheet P2 discharged by a conveying roller 66, and the upper surface thereof is open. In the example shown in FIG. 2, for the sake of convenience of explanation, the lower feeding tray 21 is not shown.

[0016] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, a setting unit 122 with a display screen is provided on the front of the printing device 1. The setting unit 122 consists of, for example, a touch panel, and is configured to allow the user to make various settings related to printing on the printing device 1 by touch operation. The setting unit 122 accepts settings for the size of the paper P and whether or not to perform the cutting process. The information set by the setting unit 122 is output to the control unit 100 (see Figure 3).

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the printing apparatus 1 includes a feed roller 23, a first transport path R1, transport rollers 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, a first flap 46, a second flap 48, a second transport path R2, and a cutting section 10. Transport rollers 60, 62, 64, and 66 are examples of the first transport section. Transport rollers 64, 66, and 68 are examples of the second transport section. The number of rollers provided in the first transport path R1 and the second transport path R2 can be changed as appropriate; for example, transport roller 66 may be omitted.

[0018] The feed roller 23 is a roller for feeding the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 to the transport start position V of the first transport path R1. The feed roller 23 is rotatably supported at the front end of the feed arm 24. The feed arm 24 is rotatably supported on a shaft 25 supported by the frame of the printing device 1. The feed roller 23 rotates in the forward direction when driven by the feed motor 107 (Figure 3). As the feed roller 23 rotates in the forward direction, the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 is fed one sheet at a time to the transport start position V of the first transport path R1.

[0019] The first transport path R1 extends upward from the rear end of the feed tray 21, curves in the region demarcated by guide members 41 and 42, passes through the position of the printing unit 3, extends linearly in the region demarcated by guide members 43, 44 and 45, and is a path leading to the discharge tray 22. In this application, the first transport direction D1 refers to the direction in which the paper P on which the image has been printed by the printing unit 3 is discharged to the discharge tray 22, that is, the direction from the printing unit 3 toward the discharge tray 22. The second transport direction D2 refers to the transport direction of the paper P in the direction opposite to the first transport direction D1.

[0020] Specifically, the first transport path R1 is a transport path for transporting the paper P in the first transport direction D1, and the second transport path R2 is a transport path for transporting the paper P, which has been switched back from the first transport path R1, in the second transport direction D2. The paper P transported in the second transport direction D2 is transported to the first transport path R1 after being flipped once on both sides at the merging position W. This allows the printing unit 3 to print a page image on the back side of the paper P. In the following description, the process of transporting the paper P in the second transport direction D2 may be referred to as the switchback process SB. The switchback process SB is a part of the second transport process in this disclosure.

[0021] A transport roller 60 is positioned upstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1 along the first transport path R1. A pinch roller 61 is positioned opposite the lower part of the transport roller 60. The transport roller 60 is driven by a transport motor 108 (see Figure 3). The pinch roller 61 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 60. As the transport roller 60 and pinch roller 61 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P is gripped by the transport roller 60 and pinch roller 61 and transported to the printing unit 3.

[0022] The printing unit 3 is located between the transport rollers 60 and 62 in the first transport path R1 and prints an image onto the paper P. The printing unit 3 is an example of an image printing unit. The printing unit 3 includes a carriage 31, a recording head 32, nozzles 33, and a platen 34. The recording head 32 is mounted on the carriage 31. Multiple nozzles 33 are provided on the underside of the recording head 32. The recording head 32 ejects ink droplets from the nozzles 33. The platen 34 is a rectangular plate-shaped member on which the paper P is placed. As the carriage 31 moves relative to the paper P supported by the platen 34, the nozzles 33 selectively eject ink droplets, thereby printing an image onto the paper P.

[0023] The carriage 31 is driven by the carriage motor 109 (Figure 3) and moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the first transport direction D1, that is, in the width direction of the paper P. The control unit 100 prints an image on the paper P by repeatedly performing an image printing process, in which ink is ejected from the nozzle 33 while the transport of the paper P is stopped, and an image re-printing process, in which the transport rollers 60 and 62 are driven to transport the paper P by a predetermined amount of line re-printing.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, a transport roller 62 is positioned downstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1 on the first transport path R1. A spur roller 63 is positioned opposite the top of the transport roller 62. The transport roller 62 is driven by a transport motor 108 (Figure 3). The spur roller 63 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 62. As the transport roller 62 and the spur roller 63 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P is gripped by the transport roller 62 and the spur roller 63 and transported downstream in the first transport direction D1.

[0025] Furthermore, a transport roller 64 is positioned downstream of the transport roller 62 in the first transport direction D1 in the first transport path R1. A spur roller 65 is positioned opposite the top of the transport roller 64. The transport roller 64 is driven by a transport motor 108. The spur roller 65 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 64. When the transport roller 64 and the spur roller 65 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P is gripped by the transport roller 64 and the spur roller 65 and transported toward the cutting section 10. On the other hand, when the transport roller 64 and the spur roller 65 rotate in the reverse direction, the paper P is gripped by the transport roller 64 and the spur roller 65 and transported toward the second transport path R2 along the lower surface of the first flap 46.

[0026] A first flap 46 is provided between the transport roller 62 and the transport roller 64 in the first transport path R1. The first flap 46 is positioned near a branching position Y opposite the guide member 43. The first flap 46 is supported by a platen 34 so as to be rotatable between a first state and a second state. In the first state, shown by a solid line in Figure 2, the first flap 46 contacts the guide member 43 and closes the first transport path R1. On the other hand, in the second state, shown by a dotted line in Figure 2, the first flap 46 is positioned lower than in the first state and is separated from the guide member 43, allowing the paper P being transported in the first transport direction D1 to pass through.

[0027] Furthermore, the first flap 46 is biased upward by a coil spring 47. One end of the coil spring 47 is connected to the first flap 46, and the other end is connected to the platen 34. When the first flap 46 is biased by the coil spring 47, it enters a first state, and its front end comes into contact with the guide member 43.

[0028] The cutting unit 10 is located between the transport roller 64 and the transport roller 66 in the first transport path R1. The cutting unit 10 is located downstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1. The cutting unit 10 is a well-known cutter mechanism and has a pair of upper and lower blades and a cutter carriage, and cuts the paper P with the upper and lower blades. Specifically, the cutting unit 10 cuts the paper P at a predetermined position in the width direction by moving the cutter carriage in the width direction of the paper P. The cutting unit 10 cuts the paper P into n equal parts. Note that the cutting unit 10 may have a configuration having only one of the upper or lower blades.

[0029] A transport roller 66 is positioned downstream of the cutting section 10 in the first transport direction D1 of the first transport path R1. A spur roller 67 is positioned opposite the top of the transport roller 66. The transport roller 66 is driven by a transport motor 108 (Figure 3). The spur roller 67 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the transport roller 66. As the transport roller 66 and the spur roller 67 rotate in the forward direction, the paper P, the first paper P1, and the second paper P2 are transported by the transport roller 66 and discharged to the discharge tray 22.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, a second flap 48 is rotatably positioned at the junction W of the first transport path R1 and the second transport path R2. Specifically, the second flap 48 is rotatable between a first state, shown by a solid line in Figure 2, and a second state, shown by a dotted line in Figure 2. When the second flap 48 is in the first state, the second flap 48 and the guide member 42 constitute a part of the second transport path R2. When the second flap 48 is in the second state, the second flap 48 and the guide member 41 constitute a part of the first transport path R1.

[0031] A register sensor 120 is provided upstream of the transport roller 60 in the first transport path R1. The register sensor 120 is a sensor that detects when the front or rear end of the paper P passes the contact point with the transport roller 60. As the register sensor 120, a sensor with an actuator that swings when the paper P comes into contact with it, or an optical sensor, etc., can be used.

[0032] The register sensor 120 outputs an ON signal when the paper P is passing the register sensor 120's position, and an OFF signal when the paper P is not passing the register sensor 120's position. In other words, it outputs an ON signal from the moment the front end of the paper P reaches the register sensor 120's position until the rear end of the paper P passes the register sensor 120's position, and an OFF signal at all other times. The detection signal from the register sensor 120 is output to the control unit 100.

[0033] Furthermore, the transport roller 60 is equipped with a rotary encoder 121 (Figure 3) that detects the rotation of the transport roller 60. The rotary encoder 121 outputs a pulse signal to the control unit 100 in accordance with the rotation of the transport roller 60. The rotary encoder 121 has an encoder disk and an optical sensor. The encoder disk rotates together with the rotation of the transport roller 60. The optical sensor reads the rotating encoder disk and generates a pulse signal, which is then output to the control unit 100.

[0034] The second transport path R2 is a path demarcated by guide members 71, 72, and 73, and transport rollers 68 and pinch rollers 69, etc. The second transport path R2 branches off from a branching point Y upstream of the transport roller 64 in the first transport path R1 and connects to a merging point W upstream of the printing unit 3 in the first transport direction D1 in the first transport path R1. This enables double-sided printing, which prints images on both sides of the paper P.

[0035] [Electrical configuration of printing device 1] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the printing apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 3, in addition to the parts described above, the printing apparatus 1 includes a feed motor 107, a transport motor 108, a carriage motor 109, a control unit 100, and a communication unit 110.

[0036] The control unit 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an EEPROM 104 (registered trademark), and an ASIC 105, all connected by an internal bus 106. The ROM 102 stores programs for the CPU 101 to control various operations. The RAM 103 is used as a storage area for temporarily recording data and signals used by the CPU 101 when executing the above programs, or as a work area for data processing. The EEPROM 104 stores setting information that should be retained even after the power is turned off. Based on the control program read from the ROM 102, the control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107, transport motor 108, carriage motor 109, recording head 32, and cutting unit 10, etc.

[0037] The ASIC105 is connected to a feed motor 107, a transport motor 108, a carriage motor 109, a recording head 32, a cutting unit 10, a communication unit 110, a register sensor 120, a rotary encoder 121, and a setting unit 122. The ASIC105 supplies drive current to the feed motor 107, the transport motor 108, and the carriage motor 109. The control unit 100 controls the rotation of the feed motor 107, the transport motor 108, and the carriage motor 109, for example, by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 100 ejects ink droplets from the nozzle 33 by applying a drive voltage to the vibrating element of the recording head 32. The ASIC 105 is also connected to a register sensor 120 and a rotary encoder 121. The control unit 100 then detects the state of the printing device 1 based on the signals output from the register sensor 120 and the rotary encoder 121.

[0039] Specifically, the control unit 100 detects that the paper P has passed the contact point with the transport roller 60 based on the detection signal output from the register sensor 120. The control unit 100 detects the amount of rotation of the transport roller 60 based on the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 121. The control unit 100 also estimates the amount of paper P transported in the first transport path R1 based on the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder 121 after the register sensor 120 outputs an ON signal.

[0040] The communication unit 110 includes, for example, a USB interface, a LAN interface, and a communication interface. A USB memory stick, USB cable, etc., is connected to the USB interface. External devices of the printing device 1 (e.g., a computer terminal) are connected to the LAN interface via a LAN cable. External devices such as personal digital assistants are connected to the communication interface via a wireless network.

[0041] When the control unit 100 receives a print job via the communication unit 110, it controls each part of the printing device 1 to perform image printing processing to print the print data specified by the print job onto the paper P. The control unit 100 also performs cutting processing of the paper P, image printing processing to achieve double-sided printing, etc., according to the received print job.

[0042] [Example of operation of printing device 1] Next, an example of the operation of the printing device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. In the following description, the cutting process for cutting the printing paper P and the image printing process for achieving double-sided printing on the printing paper P will be mainly described. Furthermore, in the following description, the case in which an A4 size sheet of paper P is cut into an A5 size first sheet of paper P1 and a second sheet of paper P2 will be used as an example. That is, in this embodiment, the cutting unit 10 will be described as dividing the paper P into two equal parts (n=2).

[0043] (Regarding the cutting process) Figure 4 shows the paper P before cutting and the first paper P1 and second paper P2 after cutting. Figure 4 shows an example of cutting paper P, which is not being transported in the second transport direction D2, into the first paper P1 and the second paper P2. The arrow in Figure 4 indicates the first transport direction D1. As shown in Figure 4, paper P is cut at the cutting unit 10, separating it into the first paper P1, which corresponds to the first half in the first transport direction D1, and the second paper, which corresponds to the second half in the first transport direction D1. In the following description, the process of cutting paper P into the first paper P1 and the second paper P2 may be referred to as the cutting process CU.

[0044] The paper AP, first paper AP1, and second paper AP2 shown in the foreground of Figure 4 represent the front surfaces of paper P, first paper P1, and second paper P2, respectively. The paper PP, first paper PP1, and second paper PP2 shown in the background of Figure 4 represent the back surfaces of paper P, first paper P1, and second paper P2, respectively. Here, in this application, the front surface refers to the surface on which the page image is printed by the printing unit 3 on paper P transported from the feed tray 21. That is, the front surface is the surface that can be printed by the printing unit 3 without performing the switchback process SB. In this application, the back surface is the surface opposite to the front surface. That is, the back surface is the surface that can be printed by the printing unit 3 by performing the switchback process SB.

[0045] Paper P can print two pages' worth of page images on its front and two pages' worth on its back. In other words, it is possible to print four pages' worth of page images (2n) on one sheet of paper P. Paper P has printable areas F1 to F4, each capable of printing one page's worth of page image. Each printable area F1 to F4 corresponds to the size of A5 paper. Each printable area F1 to F4 is defined as follows.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the first printing area F1 and the second printing area F2 are areas on the surface of the paper P. The first printing area F1 corresponds to the first half of the first transport direction D1 in the paper P that has not undergone switchback processing SB. The second printing area F2 corresponds to the second half of the first transport direction D1 in the paper P that has not undergone switchback processing SB.

[0047] The third printing area F3 and the fourth printing area F4 are the areas on the back side of the paper P. The third printing area F3 is the area corresponding to the latter half of the first transport direction D1 in paper P that has not undergone switchback processing SB. The third printing area F3 is the area directly opposite the second printing area F2. The fourth printing area F4 is the area corresponding to the first half of the first transport direction D1 in paper P that has not undergone switchback processing SB. The fourth printing area F4 is the area directly opposite the first printing area F1.

[0048] (Regarding image printing processing) The printing method in the image printing process performed by the printing device 1 will be described below. The printing unit 3 prints a page image on paper P based on the print data. The print data includes multiple page images, which are image data for one page. The multiple page images included in the print data correspond to the order of the page numbers. Here, in this application, the page number indicates the order of the page images included in the print data. The page number does not indicate the number printed on paper P.

[0049] Based on the received print data, the printing device 1 causes the printing unit 3 to print the page images on the front and back of the first sheet of paper P1 and the second sheet of paper P2 discharged into the discharge tray 22 in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and so that the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially according to the order in which they are discharged into the discharge tray 22 (hereinafter, this printing method is referred to as double-sided reverse printing). In this double-sided reverse printing, the page images to be printed for each printing area F1 to F4 of the sheet of paper P are determined so that the first page of the print data is printed on the back of the second sheet of paper P2, which is discharged last. With this double-sided reverse printing, the image of the first page of the print data can be printed on the topmost second sheet of paper P2 stacked in the discharge tray 22. Furthermore, with this double-sided reverse printing, the page images printed on the front and back of the first sheet of paper P1 and the second sheet of paper discharged into the discharge tray 22 are printed in page number order from top to bottom. Therefore, the user does not need to rearrange the sheets of paper P discharged into the discharge tray 22 in page number order.

[0050] The printing method for double-sided reverse printing in this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 to 8. For the sake of explanation, in Figures 5 to 8, the cutting process CU will be described as being performed after the image printing process, which prints the page image on either the front or back surface of the paper P, is completed. However, the relationship between the cutting process CU and the image printing process is not limited to the order shown in Figures 5 to 8. Furthermore, in Figures 5 to 8, the page image of the first page of the print data will be referred to as page image G1, the page image of the second page as page image G2, the page image of the third page as page image G3, the page image of the fourth page as page image G4, and the page image of the fifth page as page image G5, and these will be described below.

[0051] Refer to Figure 5 to explain the printing method when the print data contains page images for four pages. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the printing method when the print data contains page images for four pages. The print data contains page images G1 to G4 corresponding to pages 1 to 4.

[0052] First, the printing unit 3 prints page image G2 and page image G4 onto the surface of the paper P transported from the feed tray 21. The printing unit 3 prints page image G2 in the first printing area F1. That is, page image G2 is printed first on the paper P. After that, the printing unit 3 prints page image G4 in the second printing area F2. Page image G4, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data (hereinafter referred to as the final page image), is printed on the surface of the paper P.

[0053] After the page image is printed on the front surface of the paper P, a switchback process SB is performed. After the switchback process SB, the printing unit 3 prints page images G1 and G3 on the back surface of the paper P. The printing unit 3 prints page image G3 in the third printing area F3. Then, the printing unit 3 prints page image G1 in the fourth printing area F4. In other words, page image G1 is printed last on the paper P.

[0054] After the page image G1 is printed on the back of the paper P, the cutting process CU is performed. The first paper P1 is discharged into the output tray 22 before the second paper P2. That is, the first paper P1 is discharged first. The second paper P2 is discharged into the output tray 22 following the first paper P1. That is, the second paper P2 is discharged second (nth) time. The page images G1 to G4 printed on the front and back of the first paper P1 and the second paper P2 are printed in order of page number, and the page numbers decrease sequentially as they are discharged into the output tray 22. In other words, the page images printed on both sides of the first paper P1 and the second paper P2 stacked in the output tray 22 are in order of page number from top to bottom.

[0055] The example shown in Figure 5 corresponds to the case where four pages of page images are printed on a single sheet of paper P. That is, if the number of page images in the print data is 5 pages (2n+1) or more, after receiving the print job, the page images will be printed on the second and subsequent sheets of paper P transported from the feed tray using the printing method shown in Figure 5. In this case, the page image for the first page is the page image with the smallest page number printed on the sheet of paper P, and the page images for pages 2 through 4 are the page images with page numbers that follow from the smallest page number.

[0056] With the above configuration, the paper P is not cut during front-side printing. Therefore, when printing on the back side of the cut paper P, the first cut paper P1 and the second cut paper P2 are not transported with a gap between them. This makes it possible to shorten the printing time during double-sided printing.

[0057] Referring to Figure 6, the case where the print data includes page images for three pages will be explained. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the printing method when the print data includes page images for three pages. Reference numeral 1000 in Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the printing method according to this embodiment. The print data includes page images G1 to G3 corresponding to pages 1 to 3.

[0058] As shown by reference numeral 1000 in Figure 6, first, the printing unit 3 prints page images G2 and G3 on the surface of the paper P transported from the feed tray 21. The printing unit 3 prints page image G3 in the first printing area F1. That is, page image G3 is printed on the paper P first. The printing unit 3 prints page image G2 in the second printing area F2. Page image G3, corresponding to the last page number of the print data, is printed on the surface of the paper P.

[0059] After the page image is printed on the surface of the paper P, a cutting process CU is performed. The first paper P1 is discharged into the output tray 22 before the second paper P2. That is, the first paper P1 is discharged first. After the first paper P1 is discharged, a switchback process SB is performed. After the switchback process SB, the printing unit 3 prints the page image G1 on the back of the second paper P. The printing unit 3 prints the page image G1 in the third printing area F3. That is, the page image G1 is printed last on the paper P (second paper P2). After the page image G1 is printed on the second paper P2, the second paper P2 is discharged into the output tray 22. That is, the second paper P2 is discharged second (nth).

[0060] The page images G1 to G3 printed on the front and back of the first sheet P1 and the second sheet P2 are printed in order of page number, with the page numbers decreasing sequentially as they are discharged into the output tray 22. In other words, the page images printed on both sides of the first sheet P1 and the second sheet P2 stacked in the output tray 22 are arranged in order of page number from top to bottom.

[0061] The example shown in Figure 6 is a printing method when the number of page images to be printed on paper P is 3. In other words, in the case of a 2-part division (n=2), when the number of page images included in the print data is divided by 4, the remainder is 3, and this corresponds to the printing method for paper P on which the page image corresponding to the last page number is printed. That is, it is the printing method for paper P that is first transported from the feed tray 21 after the print job is received.

[0062] Referring to Figure 7, the case where the print data contains page images for two pages will be explained. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the printing method when the print data contains page images for two pages. Reference numeral 1002 in Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the printing method according to this embodiment. The print data contains page image G1 for the first page and page image G2 for the second page.

[0063] As shown by reference numeral 1002 in Figure 7, first, the printing unit 3 prints the page image G2 onto the surface of the paper P transported from the feed tray 21. The printing unit 3 prints the page image G2 in the second printing area F2. That is, the page image G2 is printed on the paper P first. The page image G2 corresponding to the last page number of the print data is printed on the surface of the paper P.

[0064] After the page image G2 is printed on the surface of the paper P, the cutting process CU is performed. The first paper P1 is discharged to the discharge tray 22 before the second paper P2. That is, the first paper P1, which does not have a page image printed on its surface, is discharged first. The front and back surfaces of the first paper P1 do not have a page image printed on them. After the first paper P1 is discharged, the switchback process SB is performed on the second paper P2. Then, the printing unit 3 prints the page image G1 on the back surface of the second paper P2. The printing unit 3 prints the page image G1 in the third printing area F3. That is, the page image G1 is printed last on the paper P (second paper P2).

[0065] After page image G1 is printed on the back of the second sheet of paper P2, the second sheet of paper P2 is ejected into the output tray 22. The second sheet of paper P2 is ejected second (nth). The page images G1 and G2 printed on the front and back of the second sheet of paper P2 ejected into the output tray 22 are printed in order of page number, and the page numbers decrease sequentially as the sheets are ejected into the output tray 22.

[0066] The example shown in Figure 7 illustrates a printing method when the number of page images to be printed on a sheet of paper P is 2. In other words, when the sheet is divided into two sections (n=2), if the remainder when the number of page images included in the print data is divided by 4 is 2, then the sheet of paper P to be printed corresponds to the page image corresponding to the last page number. That is, it is a printing method for the sheet of paper P that is first transported from the feed tray 21 after the print job is received.

[0067] Referring to Figure 8, we will now explain the case where the print data contains page images for 5 pages. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the printing method when the print data contains page images for 5 pages. Reference numeral 1004 in Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the printing method according to this embodiment. The print data contains page images G1 to G5 corresponding to pages 1 to 5.

[0068] As shown by reference numeral 1004 in Figure 8, first, after receiving a print job, the printing unit 3 prints the page image G5 on the surface of the first sheet of paper P (hereinafter referred to as paper FP in Figure 8) transported from the feed tray 21. The printing unit 3 prints the page image G5 in the second printing area F2 of paper FP. The page image G5 corresponding to the last page number of the print data is printed on the surface of paper FP.

[0069] After the page image G5 is printed on the surface of the paper FP, the cutting process CU is performed. The first paper FP1 is ejected to the output tray 22 before the second paper FP2. That is, the first paper FP1, which does not have a page image printed on its surface, is ejected first. After the first paper P1 is ejected, the second paper FP2 is ejected next. That is, the second paper FP2 is ejected second (nth). The first paper FP1 and the second paper FP2 are ejected without undergoing the switchback process SB.

[0070] After the second sheet of paper FP2 is ejected, paper P is transported from the feed tray 21. In Figure 8, the paper P transported after paper FP will be referred to as paper SP. The remaining page images of the print data, i.e., page images G1 to G4, are printed on paper SP. The method for printing the page images on paper SP is the same as the method shown in Figure 5, so the explanation is omitted.

[0071] The page image G5 printed on the front surface of the second sheet FP2, and the page images G1 to G4 printed on the front and back of the first sheet SP1 and the second sheet SP2, are printed in order of page number, and the page numbers decrease sequentially as they are discharged into the output tray 22. In other words, the page images printed on both sides of the first sheet P1 and the second sheet P2 stacked in the output tray 22 are in order of page number from top to bottom.

[0072] The reverse-order double-sided printing described above can be achieved by printing the page images included in the print data in a specific order. The order in which the page images are printed will differ depending on the number of page images to be printed. Furthermore, the order in which the page images are printed will also differ depending on the format of the print data received by the printing device 1. In such cases, it is necessary to perform a process to rearrange the order of the page images to be printed within the internal processing of the printing device 1.

[0073] Using Figure 9, the process performed by the control unit 100 to achieve double-sided reverse order printing will be explained. Figure 9 is a diagram showing the contents of the print data and the order in which the page images are printed on the paper P. In Figure 9, it is assumed that the print data contains page images for 5 pages. In this embodiment (when n=2), double-sided reverse order printing can be achieved by printing the page images in the order of page 5, page 2, page 4, page 3, and page 1 (see Figure 8). Hereinafter, the order in which the page images included in the print data are printed on the incoming paper P will be referred to as the printing order.

[0074] In Figure 9, reference numeral 1006 shows print data containing page images arranged in page number order. The print data DA1 shown to the left of reference numeral 1006 is an example of print data included in a print job received by the printing device 1. As shown in reference numeral 1006, print data DA1 includes image data A to E. Image data A is the page image of page 1, image data B is the page image of page 2, image data C is the page image of page 3, image data D is the page image of page 4, and image data E is the page image of page 5. In other words, image data A to E in print data DA1 are data arranged in page number order.

[0075] The control unit 100 analyzes the contents of the print data DA1. From the analysis results, the control unit 100 obtains the number of pages of the page images included in the print data DA1 and the page numbers of the page images included in the print data DA1. Based on the obtained number of pages, the control unit 100 determines whether the order of image data A to E in the print data DA1 is suitable for reverse double-sided printing. Since the order of image data A to E in the print data DA1 is not suitable for reverse double-sided printing, the control unit 100 rearranges image data A to E in the print data DA1 to a printing order suitable for reverse double-sided printing.

[0076] As shown to the right of reference numeral 1006 in Figure 9, the control unit 100 sets the image data A to E of the print data DA1 to a print order PO1 suitable for double-sided reverse printing. That is, the control unit 100 rearranges the print order in the order of image data E, image data B, image data D, image data C, and image data A. This enables double-sided reverse printing.

[0077] In Figure 9, reference numeral 1007 indicates print data containing page images arranged in an order suitable for the printing sequence of double-sided reverse printing. Print data DA2, shown to the left of reference numeral 1007, is an example of print data included in a print job received by the printing device 1. Print data DA2 includes image data A to E. Image data A is the page image of page 5, image data B is the page image of page 2, image data C is the page image of page 4, image data D is the page image of page 3, and image data E is the page image of page 1. In other words, image data A to E in print data DA2 are data arranged in an order suitable for the printing sequence of double-sided reverse printing.

[0078] The control unit 100 analyzes the contents of the print data DA2 and obtains the page number of the page images included in the print data DA2 and the page number of the page images included in the print data DA1. Since the order of image data A to E in the print data DA2 is a suitable printing order for double-sided reverse printing, the control unit 100 sets the order of image data A to E in the print data DA2 as the printing order PO2. In other words, the control unit 100 does not perform any process to rearrange the printing order.

[0079] Reference numeral 1008 in Figure 9 shows print data when multiple page images are included in a single image data. Print data DA3, shown to the left of reference numeral 1008, is an example of print data included in a print job received by the printing device 1. In this embodiment, image data A to C included in print data DA3 are image data corresponding to A4 size paper. Image data A includes the page image of page 1 and page 2. Image data B includes the page image of page 3 and page 4. Image data C includes the page image of page 5 and a blank image. The page images of pages 1 to 5 included in image data A to C are image data corresponding to A5 size paper. The blank image represents the portion of the print data that does not contain an image to be printed.

[0080] The print data DA3 control unit 100 processes the page images contained in each of the image data A to C, since each of the image data A to C contains multiple page images. The control unit 100 divides image data A into image data A1 (page image of page 1) and image data A2 (page image of page 2). Similarly, the control unit 100 divides image data B and image data C, dividing image data B into image data B1 (page image of page 3) and image data B2 (page image of page 4), and image data C into image data C1 (page image of page 5) and image data C2 (blank image).

[0081] The control unit 100 analyzes the contents of the print data DA3 and obtains the number of pages in the page images included in the print data DA3 and the page numbers in the page images included in the print data DA1. The page images included in image data A to C of the print data DA3 are data arranged in order of page number. Therefore, the control unit 100 needs to rearrange the page images included in image data A to C of the print data DA1 into a printing order suitable for reverse double-sided printing.

[0082] The control unit 100 divides the image data A to C of the print data DA3 as described above, and sets the divided image data in a print order PO3 suitable for double-sided reverse printing. That is, the control unit 100 sets the print order in the order of image data C1, image data A2, image data B2, image data B1, and image data A1. This makes it possible to achieve double-sided reverse printing.

[0083] The control unit 100 may also analyze whether the last page image included in the print data is a blank page image. The page images in the print data may include blank page images that do not contain any images to be printed. If the control unit 100 analyzes that the last page image in the print data is a blank page image, it sets the print order excluding the blank page image. That is, the control unit 100 prints excluding the blank page image. The page immediately preceding the blank page image is considered the last page of the print data.

[0084] As an example, let's assume that print data DA4 (not shown) contains page images for 6 pages. The page images in print data DA4 include images to be printed on pages 1 through 5, but not on page 6. In this case, the control unit 100 analyzes print data DA4 and rearranges the printing order, excluding the page image for the last page, page 6. That is, the last page of print data DA4 is considered to be page 5. The page images of print data DA4 are printed in the order of page 5, page 2, page 4, page 3, and page 1.

[0085] According to the above configuration, in the image printing process, page images excluding blank pages included in the print data are printed on paper P. Therefore, the time required to transport blank pages can be reduced. This reduces the printing time when printing on both sides. Note that the printing device 1 may obtain the number of page images included in the print data in advance before receiving the print data as described above.

[0086] (Regarding reducing printing time) As mentioned above, in reverse double-sided printing, if the number of page images in the print data is not a multiple of 4 (2n), there will be blank areas on the paper P on which the last page image of the print data is printed. These blank areas represent wasted paper transport, increasing the printing time. As shown in the following comparative example, wasting paper transport can also increase the number of switchback processes during printing. Therefore, there are concerns such as deterioration of the transport motor 108 and an increase in paper dust. In this respect, there was room for improvement in reverse double-sided printing.

[0087] The reduction in printing time made possible by the printing method of this disclosure will be explained in comparison with the comparative examples shown in Figures 6 to 8. Reference numeral 1001 in Figure 6 is a diagram showing an overview of a printing method as a comparative example. Reference numeral 1003 in Figure 7 is a diagram showing an overview of a printing method as a comparative example. Reference numeral 1005 in Figure 8 is a diagram showing an overview of a printing method as a comparative example.

[0088] In the comparative example shown in the above-mentioned diagram, the page images printed in print areas F1 to F4 are predetermined. More specifically, the second smallest page number among the page images printed on paper P is printed in print area F1. The fourth smallest page number among the page images printed on paper P is printed in print area F2. The third smallest page number among the page images printed on paper P is printed in print area F3. The smallest page number among the page images printed on paper P is printed in print area F4.

[0089] In the comparative example, page image G2 is printed in print area F1 of paper P. Page image G4 is printed in print area F2 of paper P. Page image G3 is printed in print area F3 of paper P. Page image G1 is printed in print area F4 of paper P.

[0090] Referring to reference numeral 1001 in Figure 6, a comparative example will be described for a case where the print data contains page images for three pages. After printing the page image G2 on the print area F1 on the front surface of the paper P, a switchback process SB is performed. After the switchback process SB, page images G3 and G1 are printed on the print areas F3 and F4 on the back surface of the paper P, respectively. Then, a cutting process CU is performed, and the first paper P1 and the second paper P2 are discharged into the output tray 22.

[0091] As described above, the page image to be printed is determined for each print area F1 to F4. In the comparative example shown by reference numeral 1001 in Figure 6, the cutting process SB cannot be performed until the switchback process SB has been executed. Therefore, transporting print area F2, where no page image is printed, is a waste of transport and also causes the printing time to increase.

[0092] In contrast, according to the printing method of this embodiment shown by reference numeral 1000 in Figure 6, the cutting process CU is performed before the switchback process SB is performed. With the above configuration, only the second sheet of paper P2, which is ejected second, can undergo the second transport process. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the second transport process on the first sheet of paper P1, which is transported before the second sheet of paper P2 that is ejected second. In other words, the amount of paper P transported is reduced by the amount of the printing area F4 (corresponding to the printing area F2 of reference numeral 1001). This makes it possible to shorten the double-sided printing time.

[0093] The comparative examples shown by reference numeral 1003 in Figure 7 and reference numeral 1005 in Figure 8 are the same as reference numeral 1001 in Figure 6. As shown by reference numeral 1003 in Figure 7, the cutting process CU is executed after the switchback process SB is executed. In contrast, according to the printing method of this embodiment shown by reference numeral 1002 in Figure 7, the cutting process CU is executed before the switchback process SB is executed. Also, the page image G2 is printed on the surface of the paper P corresponding to the second paper P2. With the above configuration, the page image G2 is printed on the printing area of ​​the surface of the second paper P2 which is discharged second. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform the second transport process on the first paper P1 which is transported before the second paper P2 which is discharged second. That is, the amount of paper P transported is reduced by the amount of the printing area F4 (corresponding to the printing area F2 of reference numeral 1003). This makes it possible to shorten the double-sided printing time.

[0094] In Figure 8, reference numeral 1005 indicates the printing method for page images G1 to G4 on paper SP, which is the same as the printing method in this embodiment shown by reference numeral 1004. The difference lies in the printing method for page image G5 on paper FP. In Figure 8, reference numeral 1005 indicates that page image G5 is the page image with the smallest page number among the page images printed on paper P. Therefore, page image G5 is printed in the print area F4.

[0095] As shown by reference numeral 1005 in Figure 8, for paper FP, a cut process CU is performed after a switchback process SB is executed. In contrast, according to the printing method of this embodiment shown by reference numeral 1004 in Figure 8, the page image G5 is printed on the print area F2 of paper FP, and then the cut process CU is executed. Furthermore, according to the printing method of this embodiment, the page image G5 is printed on the surface of the portion of paper P corresponding to the second paper P2. With the above configuration, the first paper P1 and the second paper P2, which are divided into two equal parts, can be discharged to the discharge tray 22 without performing a second transport process. Therefore, the amount of paper transported can be reduced by the amount of the second transport process. That is, the amount of paper P transported is reduced by the amount of the print area F3 and print area F4 (corresponding to the print area F1 and print area F2 of reference numeral 1005). This makes it possible to shorten the printing time when printing on both sides.

[0096] Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the final page is printed on the surface of the paper P. That is, the paper P on which the final page image is printed can be cut during surface printing. Therefore, the first paper P1 or the second paper P2 on which the first page is printed can be discharged without the second transport process. This makes it possible to shorten the printing time during double-sided printing.

[0097] Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, when two or three page images are printed on a sheet of paper P, the second transport process is performed only on the second sheet of paper P2, which is the second to be discharged and requires printing of page images on the reverse side. Therefore, the first sheet of paper P1, which does not require printing of page images on the reverse side, can be discharged to the discharge tray 22 without undergoing the second transport process. This makes it possible to shorten the printing time when printing on both sides.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the first sheet of paper P1, which does not have a page image printed on its surface, is discharged to the output tray 22 without undergoing the second transport process. Therefore, the amount of paper transported can be reduced by the amount of the first sheet of paper P1 that would otherwise be subjected to the second transport process. This makes it possible to shorten the printing time when printing on both sides.

[0099] [Control flow by the control unit] The control flow by the control unit 100 of the printing device 1 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 10 to 14. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the control flow by the control unit 100 of the printing device 1. Figure 11 is a flowchart of the first printing process S2 in Figure 10. Figure 12 is a flowchart of the second printing process S4 in Figure 10. Figure 13 is a flowchart of the third printing process S6 in Figure 10. Figure 14 is a flowchart of the fourth printing process S7 in Figure 10.

[0100] In the following flowchart, for each page image printed on a single sheet of paper P, the page image with the smallest page number will be referred to as the first page image, the page image following the first page image will be referred to as the second page image, the page image following the second page image will be referred to as the third page image, and the page image following the third page image will be referred to as the fourth page image.

[0101] As shown in Figure 10, first, when the control unit 100 receives a print job, it determines whether the number of pages in the page images included in the print data of the print job is a multiple of 4 (2n) (S1). If the number of pages is a multiple of 4 (S1: YES), it proceeds to the first printing process (S2). The first printing process S2 corresponds to the printing method when the number of page images to be printed on paper P is 4.

[0102] The first printing process S2 will be described with reference to Figure 11. As shown in Figure 11, the control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107 and the transport motor 108 to start transporting the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 (S11). In step S11, the paper P is transported to the printing unit 3.

[0103] Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the second page onto the first printing area F1 on the surface of the paper P (S12). After S12, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the fourth page onto the second printing area on the surface of the paper P (S13). In this disclosure, the first transport process corresponds to the process from step S11 to step S13.

[0104] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport motor 108 to transport the paper P in the second transport direction D2 (S14). Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the third page on the third printing area F3 on the back side of the paper P (S15). After step S15, the control unit 100 controls the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P at the cutting position CL (S16). Step S16 corresponds to the second cutting process in this disclosure. Subsequently, the control unit 100 discharges the first paper P1 of the first paper P1 and second paper P2 of the paper P cut in step S15 to the discharge tray 22 (S17).

[0105] Next, the control unit 100 prints the image of the first page on the fourth printing area F4 on the back of the paper P (S18). The second transport process in this disclosure corresponds to the process from step S14 to step S18. After step S18, the control unit 100 discharges the second paper P2 into the discharge tray 22 (S19). The discharge process in this disclosure corresponds to the processes in steps S17 and S19. After step S19, the first printing process S2 is terminated. Returning to Figure 10, the process proceeds to step S8 after the first printing process S2. Details of step S8 will be described later.

[0106] As shown in Figure 10, if the number of pages in step S1 is not a multiple of 4 (S1: NO), the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the control unit 100 determines whether the remainder is 3 when the number of pages of the page images included in the print data of the print job is divided by 4. If the remainder when the number of pages is divided by 4 in step S3 is 3 (S3: YES), the process proceeds to the second printing process S4. The second printing process S4 corresponds to the printing method when the number of page images to be printed on paper P is 3.

[0107] Referring to Figure 12, the second printing process S4 will be described. As shown in Figure 12, the control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107 and the transport motor 108 to start transporting the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 (S21). Step S21 is the same process as step S11 described above.

[0108] Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the third page on the first printing area F1 on the surface of the paper P (S22). In step S22, the page images of odd-numbered pages are printed on the first printing area F1. After step S22, the control unit 100 controls the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P at the cutting position CL (S23). Step S23 corresponds to the first cutting process in this disclosure. Subsequently, the control unit 100 discharges the first paper P1 of the first paper P1 and second paper P2 cut in step S23 to the discharge tray 22 (S24).

[0109] Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the second page on the second printing area F2 on the surface of the paper P (S25). In this disclosure, the first transport process corresponds to the process from step S21 to step S25. Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport motor 108 to transport the second paper P2 in the second transport direction D2 (S26). In step S26, the second paper P2 is switched back and transported in the second transport direction D2.

[0110] Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the first page onto the third printing area F3 on the back of the paper P (S27). In this disclosure, the second transport process corresponds to the process from step S26 to step S27. After step S27, the control unit 100 discharges the second paper P2 into the discharge tray 22 (S28). In this disclosure, the discharge process corresponds to the processes in steps S24 and S28. After step S28, the second printing process S4 is terminated. Returning to Figure 10, after the second printing process S4, the process proceeds to step S8, which will be described later.

[0111] As shown in Figure 10, if the remainder when the number of pages is divided by 4 in step S3 is not 3 (S3: NO), the process proceeds to step 5. In step 5, the control unit 100 determines whether the remainder is 2 when the number of pages of the page images included in the print data of the print job is divided by 4. If the remainder when the number of pages is divided by 4 in S5 is 2 (S5: YES), the process proceeds to the third printing process S6. The third printing process S6 corresponds to the printing method when the number of page images to be printed on paper P is 2.

[0112] Referring to Figure 13, the third printing process S6 will be described. As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107 and the transport motor 108 to start transporting the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 (S31). In step S31, the paper P is transported so that the cutting position CL of the paper P is located at the cutting position X in the cutting unit 10. That is, the first printing area F1 of the paper P is not printed with the page image.

[0113] Next, the control unit 100 controls the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P at the cutting position CL (S32). Step S32 corresponds to the first cutting process in this disclosure. Subsequently, the control unit 100 discharges the first paper P1 of the first paper P1 and second paper P2 cut in step S32 to the discharge tray 22 (S33). Subsequently, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the second page on the second printing area F2 on the surface of the paper P (S34). The first transport process in this disclosure corresponds to the process from step S31 to step S34.

[0114] Next, the control unit 100 controls the transport motor 108 to transport the second sheet of paper P2 in the second transport direction D2 (S35). Step S35 is the same process as step S26 of the second printing process S4. Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the first page on the third printing area F3 on the back side of the sheet of paper P (S36). In this disclosure, the second transport process corresponds to the process from step S35 to step S36. After step S36, the control unit 100 discharges the second sheet of paper P2 into the discharge tray 22 (S37). In this disclosure, the discharge process corresponds to the processes in steps S33 and S37. After step S37, the third printing process S6 is completed. Returning to Figure 10, after the third printing process S6, the process proceeds to step S8, which will be described later.

[0115] As shown in Figure 10, if the remainder when the number of pages is divided by 4 in step S5 is not 2 (S5:NO), the process proceeds to the fourth printing process S7. The fourth printing process S7 corresponds to the printing method when the number of page images to be printed on paper P is 1. The fourth printing process S7 will be explained with reference to Figure 14.

[0116] As shown in Figure 14, first, the control unit 100 controls the feed motor 107 and the transport motor 108 to start transporting the paper P contained in the feed tray 21 (S41). Step S41 is the same process as step S31 of the third printing process S6. Next, the control unit 100 controls the cutting unit 10 to cut the paper P at the cutting position CL (S42). Step S42 corresponds to the first cutting process in this disclosure. Subsequently, the control unit 100 discharges the first paper P1 of the first paper P1 and second paper P2 cut in step S42 to the discharge tray 22 (S43).

[0117] Next, the control unit 100 controls the printing unit 3 to print the page image of the first page onto the second printing area F2 on the surface of the paper P (S44). In this disclosure, the first transport process corresponds to the process from step S41 to step S44. After step S44, the control unit 100 discharges the second paper P2 into the discharge tray 22 (S45). In this disclosure, the discharge process corresponds to the processes in steps S43 and S45. After step S45, the fourth printing process S7 is completed. Returning to Figure 10, the process proceeds to step S8 after the fourth printing process S7.

[0118] As shown in Figure 10, in step S8, the control unit 100 determines whether all page images included in the print data have been printed (S8). If not all page images have been printed (S8: NO), the control unit 100 executes the first print process S2. If all page images have been printed (S8: YES), the control unit 100 terminates the process.

[0119] With the above configuration, the first and second sheets of paper P and P2, which do not need to have a page image printed on the reverse side after cutting, can be discharged to the output tray 22 without performing the second transport process, while the first and second sheets of paper P1 and P2, which do need to have a page image printed on the reverse side after cutting, can undergo the second transport process. Therefore, the amount of paper transported can be reduced by the amount of the first and second sheets of paper P1 and P2, which do not need to have a page image printed on the reverse side after cutting. This makes it possible to shorten the printing time when printing on both sides.

[0120] [Examples of implementation using software] The functions of the printing apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as "the apparatus") can be realized by a program that causes the apparatus to function as a computer, and by a program that causes each control block of the apparatus (particularly each part included in the control unit 100) to function as a computer.

[0121] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., memory) as hardware for executing the program. By executing the program using this control device and storage device, the functions described in each of the embodiments are realized.

[0122] The above program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media, not temporary ones. These recording media may or may not be provided by the above device. In the latter case, the program may be supplied to the above device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0123] Furthermore, some or all of the functions of each of the above control blocks can also be realized by logic circuits. For example, an integrated circuit in which logic circuits functioning as each of the above control blocks are formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, it is also possible to realize the functions of each of the above control blocks by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0124] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0125] 1 Printing device, 3 Printing section, 10 Cutting section, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 Conveyor rollers, 100 Control unit

Claims

1. An image printing unit prints multiple page images, which are image data for one page, onto a printing medium based on print data, A first transport unit transports the printed medium on which the page image has been printed in the image printing unit along a first transport direction, which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to the discharge unit. A second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction, A cutting unit is located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cuts the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more), Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, The first transport unit transports the printing medium in the first transport direction, and a first transport process is performed to print the page image on the surface of the printing medium. After the first transport process, the second transport unit transports the printing medium in the second transport direction, and a second transport process is performed to print the page image on the back surface of the printing medium. An image printing process in which the image printing unit prints the page images on the front and back surfaces of the printed medium after cutting, which is discharged to the discharge unit, in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and in the order in which the pages are discharged to the discharge unit, such that the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially. If the number of pages of the page images included in the print data is not divisible by 2n, a first cutting process is performed in which the printing medium on which the final page image, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data, is printed is cut by the cutting section during the first transport process. A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the number of pages is 2n+1 or more, after receiving the print data, a second cutting process is further performed in which the printing medium that follows the printing medium on which the final page image is printed is cut into n equal parts at the cutting section during the second transport process.

3. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the final page image is printed on the surface of the printing medium during the image printing process.

4. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the image printing process described above, if the number of page images to be printed on the printing medium is 2, the final page image is printed on the surface of the portion of the printing medium that corresponds to the nth cut printed medium that is ejected, for which the final page image is printed.

5. The control unit, Further, a discharge process is performed in which the printing medium cut in the first cutting process is discharged to the discharge unit by the first transport unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, for the nth printed medium to be discharged, the discharge process is performed after the second transport process.

6. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the image printing process described above, if the number of page images to be printed on the printing medium is 3, the final page image is printed on the surface of the portion of the printing medium on which the final page image is printed that corresponds to the (n-1)th cut printed medium discharged, and the page image corresponding to the page number immediately preceding the final page image is printed on the surface of the portion of the printing medium that corresponds to the nth cut printed medium discharged.

7. The control unit, Further, a discharge process is performed in which the printing medium cut in the first cutting process is discharged to the discharge unit by the first transport unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, for the nth printed medium to be discharged, the discharge process is performed after the second transport process is performed.

8. The control unit, Further, a discharge process is performed in which the printing medium cut in the first cutting process is discharged to the discharge unit by the first transport unit. In the image printing process described above, if the number of page images to be printed on the printing medium is 1, the final page image is printed on the surface of the portion of the cut printing medium that is ejected as the nth item. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the discharge process is performed on the printing medium cut into n equal parts by the first cutting process without performing the second transport process.

9. The control unit, Further, a discharge process is performed in which the printing medium cut in the first cutting process is discharged to the discharge unit by the first transport unit. For printed media that have been cut in the first cutting process and do not have the page image printed on their surface, the discharge process is performed without performing the second transport process. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

10. The control unit, The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the image printing process, if the page image corresponding to the last page number among the plurality of page images included in the print data is a blank page image which is a blank image data, the page image with the page number immediately preceding the blank page image is considered the last page image and the page image is printed on the printing medium.

11. A control method for a printing apparatus comprising: an image printing unit that prints page images on a printing medium based on print data that includes multiple page images, which are image data for one page; a first transport unit that transports the printing medium on which the page images have been printed by the image printing unit along a first transport direction which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to a discharge unit; a second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a cutting unit located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cutting the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more); and a control unit, wherein The first transport unit transports the printing medium in the first transport direction, and a first transport process is performed to print the page image on the surface of the printing medium. After the first transport process, the second transport unit transports the printing medium in the second transport direction, and a second transport process is performed to print the page image on the back surface of the printing medium. An image printing process in which the image printing unit prints the page images on the front and back surfaces of the printed medium after cutting, which is discharged to the discharge unit, in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and in the order in which the pages are discharged to the discharge unit, such that the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially. If the number of pages of the page image to be printed on the printing medium is not divisible by 2n, a first cutting process is performed in which the printing medium on which the last page image, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data, is printed is cut by the cutting section during the first transport process. A method for controlling a printing apparatus, characterized by performing the following:

12. A program for controlling a printing apparatus comprising: an image printing unit that prints page images on a printing medium based on print data that includes multiple page images, which are image data for one page; a first transport unit that transports the printing medium on which the page images have been printed by the image printing unit along a first transport direction which is the direction in which the printed medium is discharged to a discharge unit; a second transport unit that transports the printing medium in a second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction; a cutting unit located downstream of the image printing unit in the first transport direction and cutting the printing medium into n equal parts (where n is an integer of 2 or more); and a control unit. The first transport unit transports the printing medium in the first transport direction, and a first transport process is performed to print the page image on the surface of the printing medium. After the first transport process, the second transport unit transports the printing medium in the second transport direction, and a second transport process is performed to print the page image on the back surface of the printing medium. An image printing process in which the image printing unit prints the page images on the front and back surfaces of the printed medium after cutting, which is discharged to the discharge unit, in the order of the page numbers specified by the print data, and in the order in which the pages are discharged to the discharge unit, such that the page numbers of the page images decrease sequentially. If the number of pages of the page image to be printed on the printing medium is not divisible by 2n, a first cutting process is performed in which the printing medium on which the last page image, which is the page image corresponding to the last page number of the print data, is printed is cut by the cutting section during the first transport process. A program characterized by causing the control unit to execute the following.

Images