JPH05199352A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To obtain a facsimile device capable of notifying an operator of an appropriate time for cleaning a dirt on a reading surface of a contact image sensor (CIS). [Structure] The accumulating unit 2 accumulates the number of originals that pass through the CIS 25. When the accumulated value exceeds the predetermined value, the notification unit 3 causes the LCD 41 to display a display prompting cleaning. When the releasing unit 4 detects the cleaning operation or the releasing operation of the CIS 25 by the cleaning sheet, the releasing unit 4 initializes the display of the LCD 41 and the accumulated value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile machine equipped with a contact image sensor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 shows, for example, Mitsubishi Electric Technical Report Vol. 63, No. 1
No. 2 (1989) P. FIG. 54 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of the conventional facsimile apparatus shown in 54. In the figure,
Reference numeral 21 is an original setting table on which originals are placed, 22 is an automatic paper feeding unit for feeding a plurality of set originals one by one, 23 is an original presence sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an original, and 24 is a leading edge of the original. A document detection sensor for detecting the trailing edge, 25 is a contact image sensor (hereinafter referred to as CIS) for reading the content of the document, 26 is a feed roller, 27 is a reading roller, and 28 is a document discharge roller.

Further, 31 is a recording paper, 32 is a thermal head for recording the received image on the recording paper 31, 33 is the recording paper 31.
Cutter unit for cutting, 34 is platen roller, 3
Reference numeral 5 is a recording paper discharge roller.

Reference numeral 41 is an LCD for displaying various displays to the operator, 42 is a substrate on which an electric circuit is mounted, and 43 is a power source.

Next, the operation will be described. When the operator sets an original on the original setting table 21 and performs a predetermined operation for transmission on an operation unit (not shown), the control unit, which is a part of the electric circuit, causes the original presence sensor 23 to operate. After confirming that the output is in the enabled state, the transmission motor (pulse motor,
(Not shown) is provided with a fast-forwarding pulse. Then, the original is fed to the CIS 25 side by the automatic paper feeding unit 22 and the paper feeding roller 26.

At this time, the control unit stops the pulse supply to the transmission motor when the leading edge of the document reaches the position of the CIS 25 after reaching the position of the document detection sensor 24. After that, the content of the original is read by the CIS 25, and is transmitted as a signal of a predetermined format through the read control circuit, the coding circuit, the modem and the network control section which are a part of the electric circuit. During this time,
The read control circuit or the encoding circuit supplies pulses to the transmission motor.

In the control unit, the trailing edge of the document is the document detection sensor 2
When the position of No. 4 is reached and the position of the subsequent CIS 25 is reached, control for stopping the reading operation is performed. When a plurality of originals are set on the original setting table 21, the above processing is repeated.

When a document is read over a large number of documents, the document reading surface of the CIS 25 becomes dirty. This stain causes poor image quality such as black streaks in the transmitted image. Therefore, the CIS 25 needs to be cleaned at a predetermined time.

FIG. 6 shows a method for cleaning the CIS 25 shown in the FA-70 instruction manual (published by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in December 1990). When cleaning, the operator first
Using the cleaning kit 51, a cleaning liquid 52 containing alcohol as a main component is attached to the cleaning sheet 53.
Apply.

Next, the cleaning sheet 53 is set on the document setting table 21. Then, the operator presses a predetermined switch on the operation unit 44. Then, the control unit controls the feeding of the cleaning sheet 53 and ejects it from the ejection side. Since the cleaning liquid 52 applied to the cleaning sheet 53 contacts the CIS 25, the CIS 25 is cleaned.

[0011] Normally, the operator is instructed that a cleaning operation is required periodically, for example, every other month. Therefore, the operator or the maintenance staff cleans the CIS 25 once a month or the like. In any case, it is left to the operator to manage the cleaning timing.

[0012]

Since the conventional facsimile apparatus is configured as described above, the operator himself has to recognize the cleaning time, which is troublesome. If cleaning is neglected, poor image quality is likely to occur, and if poor image quality occurs, the received image output to the other party (reception) side becomes difficult to read. In general, the operator on the transmitting side cannot recognize the image quality defect and often knows it only after being pointed out by the operator on the receiving side. In such a case, there was a problem that the deteriorated images had been sent to a large number of other parties before receiving the indication.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a facsimile apparatus which can present an appropriate cleaning time of the CIS to the operator and which makes it unnecessary to manage the cleaning time by the operator himself. The purpose is to

[0014]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus in which an accumulating section for accumulating the number of documents passing through the CIS and an accumulating section based on the output of the document detecting sensor. If the cumulative number exceeds the specified value,
A notification unit for instructing the display unit to output a display indicating that the CIS needs to be cleaned is provided.

Further, in the facsimile apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, based on the output of the document detecting sensor, the CI
An image that gives to the recording section an image indicating that the CIS needs to be cleaned when the cumulative number of originals passing through S is accumulated and the cumulative number of sheets in the cumulative section exceeds a predetermined value. And a generator.

[0016]

According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the notifying section compares the total number of originals with a predetermined value preset as the number of sheets required to be cleaned, and if the total number of sheets exceeds the predetermined value. , Display output on the display unit.

Further, the image generating section in the second aspect of the present invention compares the total number of originals with a predetermined value which is preset as the number of sheets required to be cleaned, and the total number of originals reaches a predetermined value. If it exceeds the limit, the recording unit is made to perform recording output.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a control unit that controls the entire apparatus, 2 is an accumulation unit that accumulates the number of documents, 3 is a notification unit that instructs the LCD (display unit) 41 to output a cleaning display, and 4 is a cleaning sheet. A release unit 5 for recognizing a specific pattern and performing a release process is a ROM in which a program and fixed data are set, and 6 is a RAM.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a CPU which realizes the control unit 1, the accumulation unit 2, the notification unit 3 and the cancellation unit 4. However, specifically, those respective units are realized by the programs in the CPU 20 and the ROM 5. Reference numeral 7 is an E ² PROM or a battery backup RAM for storing the total number of originals.
Is a non-volatile memory such as.

Reference numeral 8 is a read control circuit for performing a predetermined processing such as binarization processing on the output of the CIS 25, 9 is a code decoding circuit for performing encoding and decoding, and 10 is a thermal head (recording section) 32. Recording control circuit.

Reference numeral 11 is a modem for performing predetermined modulation / demodulation, 12 is a network control unit for connecting a telephone line 17, 13 is an operation unit control circuit for controlling the keypad 14 and LCD 41 on the operation unit 44, and 15 is original detection. I / O port for interfacing with the output of the sensor 24, 16 is a CPU
There are 20 buses.

Next, the operation will be described. The operation of reading a document is the same as in the conventional case, and therefore, the operation of displaying a message prompting cleaning will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

At the time of transmission or copy operation, the control unit 1
Recognizes the leading edge and the trailing edge of each document based on sensor outputs obtained through the document detection sensor 24 and the I / O port 15. In addition, an area in which the cumulative value of the number of documents is set is secured in the non-volatile memory 7.

Therefore, when the accumulating section 2 is informed by the control section 1 that the trailing edge of the original has been recognized or that the trailing edge of the original has reached the CIS 25, the cumulative value is incremented by one. When the control unit 1 manages the total number of transmitted originals or the total number of copied originals during one transmission or one copy operation,
When the transmission is completed or the copy operation is completed, the total number of sheets is controlled by the control unit 1.
Alternatively, the number may be added to the total value (step ST1).

At the end of transmission or at the end of the copy operation, the number of originals that have passed the CIS 25 during the operation is added to the cumulative value. Therefore, the notification unit 3 extracts the cumulative value from the nonvolatile memory 7 and compares the cumulative value X with the predetermined value A (step ST2). The predetermined value A is
When the number of originals indicated by the value passes through the CIS 25, the CIS 25 is generally considered to be contaminated to the extent that cleaning is required, and is set in advance.

If the cumulative value X exceeds the predetermined value A, a display prompting cleaning is output (step S).
T3). That is, the notification unit 3 instructs the operation unit control circuit 13 to display a message to that effect (for example, “CLEAN THE I / S!”), And the operation unit control circuit 13 then displays the display on the LCD 41. The cumulative value X
If the value does not exceed the predetermined value A, the fact is not displayed. Therefore, the LCD 41 displays an initial setting screen (for example, date and time display) that should be displayed during standby (step ST7).

The operator can clean the CIS 25 by the method shown in FIG. 6 by looking at the display prompting the cleaning. Further, in this case, the cleaning sheet 53 has a predetermined pattern printed in advance. Then, when the cleaning sheet 53 passes through the CIS 25, the releasing unit 4 obtains an image signal for the cleaning sheet 53 via the contact image sensor 25 and the reading control circuit 8.

The canceling unit 4 determines whether or not the same pattern as the predetermined pattern preset in the ROM 5 or the like exists in the image signal. When the pattern is present in the image signal, it is determined that cleaning has been performed (step ST4), the LCD display is returned to the initial setting screen, and the cumulative value in the nonvolatile memory 7 is reset. Yes (step ST6).

Incidentally, the releasing operation may be prepared in consideration of the case where the releasing section 4 cannot detect the pattern or the case where the operator judges that the cleaning is not necessary. That is, when an operation is performed using a predetermined key on the keypad 14 of the operation unit 44, the release unit 4 recognizes the operation and sets L
The CD is displayed and the total value is initialized.

Further, the display prompting the cleaning is continued until the pattern detection or cancellation operation is performed, but if an operation to start a new transmission or copy operation is performed during that time, the new operation is started. You may do it.

Example 2. In the above embodiment, the LCD
Although a display for prompting cleaning is displayed on 41 to notify the operator of that fact, this embodiment shows a display applicable to a low-priced device without an LCD.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes an image generation unit that performs control to output a report that prompts cleaning.

The operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The operation of the accumulator 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment (steps ST1 and ST2). When the cumulative value X exceeds the predetermined value A, the image generation unit 18 performs report output control (step ST13).

That is, a predetermined print content (for example, "C
LEAN THE I / S! )) Is taken out from the ROM 5 and is developed into an image. Then, the image is given to the recording control circuit 10. The recording control circuit 10 energizes the thermal head 32 for the image. As a result, the print content is recorded on the recording paper. The operator sees the record and knows that the CIS 25 should be cleaned.

The operation of the canceling section 4 is similar to that of the first embodiment (steps ST4, ST5, S).
T6). However, in the reset process of step ST6, in this case, only the cumulative value is reset.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the facsimile machine accumulates the number of documents passing through the CIS, and when the accumulated value exceeds a predetermined value, the display unit Alternatively, since the output for prompting the cleaning of the CIS is output to the recording unit, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of the cleaning time management of the operator and reduce the possibility that the image quality defect due to the dirt of the CIS occurs. It is effective. Further, according to the invention described in claim 2, there is the above effect even when there is no display section.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation when a display prompting cleaning of the thing shown in FIG. 1 is performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a facsimile apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when outputting a report that prompts cleaning of the thing shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of a facsimile device.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a CIS cleaning method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Accumulation part 3 Notification part 18 Image generation part 24 Original detection sensor 25 Contact image sensor (CIS) 32 Thermal head (recording part) 41 LCD (display part)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A facsimile apparatus comprising: a contact image sensor for reading the contents of an original; an original detection sensor for detecting the presence of an original sent to the contact image sensor; and a display section for displaying various information to an operator. At
An accumulator that accumulates the number of documents that pass through the contact image sensor based on the output of the document detection sensor, and a display unit that displays when the cumulative number of sheets in the accumulator exceeds a predetermined value. A facsimile device, comprising: a notification unit for instructing output of a cleaning display for the contact image sensor. 2. A facsimile apparatus comprising a contact image sensor for reading the contents of an original, an original detection sensor for detecting the presence of an original sent to the contact image sensor, and a recording unit for recording and outputting the original. Based on the output of the detection sensor, an accumulating section for accumulating the number of documents passing through the contact type image sensor, and when the cumulative number of sheets in this accumulating section exceeds a predetermined value, the contact section is adhered to the recording section. A facsimile apparatus, comprising: an image generation unit that gives a display image prompting cleaning of the mold image sensor.