JPH0769657B2 - Copying device - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improving the operability of copiers with numerous features.

[Prior Art] Recent copying machines are equipped with various functions to meet the demands of all users. By operating the keys on the operation board of the copying machine, copying can be performed in any desired state. Machine can be set. For this type of setting, for example, 1%
There are various settings such as unit scaling, copy paper size in automatic copy paper selection, copy mode setting, auto reset function time setting, and copier power on / off time setting. The complexity of this kind of function tends to continue to increase.

When the functions are complicated in this way, it is difficult to operate because the operator is required to check various states and perform frequent key operations before setting the copying machine to the required state. By the way, all functions are required to meet the demands of all users, but for individual users, only some of the many functions are frequently used. Therefore, various states and various priorities set at the time of initial setting of the copying machine are determined by the contents of the non-volatile read / write memory, and the contents of the memory can be arbitrarily rewritten by the user. By storing the most frequently used operation mode in the memory, various status confirmations and key operations can be omitted or reduced.

However, when the data is registered and the stored contents are displayed in the memory, the operation is extremely difficult without proper input means and display means. For example, when performing this kind of operation using an operation board of a normal copying machine, a numeric keypad is used as an input means and a numerical display is used as a display means. When it becomes complicated, there is no choice but to perform operations by alternately referring to the positions of the keys on the numeric keypad, the display contents of the numerical display and the correspondence table. Therefore, an input operation error is likely to occur at the time of setting.

In order to simplify this kind of registration and display operation, expensive hardware such as a two-dimensional display, a display controller, a full keyboard, etc. and software for controlling them are required. In order to improve operability, it is necessary to display guidance, etc., which requires a huge amount of software. When the software becomes huge, a special memory for storing the data has to be newly added, and the software development cost also becomes huge.

That is, in any case, in order to improve the operability of the copying machine, a large increase in the device cost is inevitable.

[Object of the Invention] An object of the present invention is to improve the operability of a copying machine without significantly increasing the apparatus cost.

[Configuration of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the copying apparatus of the present invention includes a copying unit (50); a non-volatile read / write memory unit (130); a communication control unit (160, 170); Electrical connection means (J1A, J2A) for detachably connecting at least one of the devices; and means (G1) for initializing the setting of the copying means according to the stored contents of the nonvolatile read / write memory means, the electrical connection Means (G9) for identifying the type of the device by referring to a signal input from the device connected to the means, and a first device from the device when a specific type of device is connected to the electrical connection means. Means (G12, G13, G14) for reading data from the non-volatile read / write memory means in response to an instruction and outputting it to the equipment, when the equipment of a specific type is connected to the electrical connection means From the first Means for the data output from the instrument in response to an instruction update data in the nonvolatile read-write memory means (G15, G16, G17) including the control means (100);
Equipped with.

Note that the symbols shown in the above parentheses are reference numerals of corresponding elements in the examples to be described later, but each component of the present invention is limited to only specific elements in the examples. It is not something that will be done.

According to this, regarding complicated processing such as display of operation procedures, display of stored contents, designation of update contents, various explanations, etc., which is necessary when the operator refers to, updates, etc. the setting contents or performs maintenance. All can be performed by a personal computer or the like connected to the electrical connection means, and if such a function is provided in the personal computer, the control means of the copying machine responds to the judgment of the command sent from the communication control means and the result thereof. It is only necessary to read / write the memory and perform data transmission / reception processing. Therefore, it is not necessary to specially provide expensive hardware (display device, input device, and memory) and enormous software in the copying machine for referring and updating the memory contents, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the copying machine cost. . Since there are relatively few opportunities to refer to, update, and maintain the settings,
The user does not need to have a personal computer or the like connected to the copying machine, and may be carried by a service person as needed. Further, if the signal standards are unified, one device (personal computer) can be used for various copying machines of different models, and the cost for maintenance can be reduced.

By the way, in recent copying machines, a sorter is often connected for automatic collation or automatic sorting, and an automatic document feeder (ADF) is often connected for automatically setting a document. These peripheral devices and the copying machine main body are generally configured to be detachably connectable via an electric cable and a connector. Further, among these devices, there are many cases where commands such as RS-232C are communicated by serial signal transmission to exchange commands and status data. Therefore, the copying machine main body is provided with a communication control means and a connector for signal transmission in advance. However, it is not necessary to connect the sorter and the ADF when referring to or updating the setting contents or performing maintenance.

Therefore, in the present invention, a device such as a personal computer is connected using a communication control means and an electrical connection means (connector) that are provided in advance for the sorter or ADF. Therefore, different control codes are assigned to the sorter and ADF and other devices, and the copier body determines the type of control code to be input, and determines whether the device connected at that time is the sorter or ADF. Identify automatically. This eliminates the need to newly add the communication control means and the electrical connection means as constituent elements.

Embodiments Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one type of copying machine embodying the present invention and a portable personal computer (that is, a handheld computer) connected thereto. Referring to FIG. 1, the copying machine includes a sorter 600 and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 70.
Has 0. The automatic document feeder 700 is the ADF transport unit 1
It is divided into a and ADF feeder 1b. The sorter 600 is equipped with one output tray 22 and 20-stage sorter bins 23.

Documents are automatically fed one by one from the document setting unit 3 and sent to the document reading position. The document that has been read is discharged to the document discharge unit 4. The optical scanning system for reading the original image is equipped with an illuminating lamp 5, a lens 6, a dustproof cover 7 and a number of mirrors. Light according to the original image read by the optical scanning system is formed on the photosensitive drum 8.

Around the photosensitive drum 8, a charger 9 and a developing device 1 are provided.
1, a pre-transfer charge removing unit 12, a transfer unit 14, a cleaning unit 15, etc. are provided. Therefore, the surface of the photoconductor drum 8 is charged to a uniform high potential by the charging charger 9 and then irradiated with light according to the original image, whereby the potential distribution according to the original image, that is, an electrostatic latent image is generated. It is formed. This electrostatic latent image is
When passing through the developing device 11, the toner is visualized. The visualized toner image is transferred by the transfer unit 14 onto a predetermined copy paper supplied from the paper feeding system. The copy paper onto which the toner image has been transferred passes through the fixing device 16 to be fixed, and is guided to the sorter 600 through a predetermined paper discharge path. The copying machine of this embodiment is capable of double-sided copying and has a reversing unit 17 in the paper discharge path.

The paper feed system has two paper feed trays 19 and 20, and a double-sided tray 18.
Equipped. Copy sheets are taken out one by one from the selected one of these three trays, and are sent to the photosensitive drum 8 by the registration roller 13 in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum, that is, the timing of the copy process. .

The personal computer 800 is equipped with a liquid crystal display 870 and a keyboard 880 that display a large number of characters. 890
Is a cable for data transmission.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the electric circuit of the copying machine shown in FIG. Please refer to FIG. The copying machine main body 50 includes a control device 100, a scanner unit 210, a fixing unit 220, and a high-voltage power supply unit 23.
0, paper feed unit 240, driver 250, various motors 260, various solenoids 270, various clutches 280, operation board 300, various sensors 400, power supply unit 500 and the like are provided.

The control unit 100 includes a microprocessor 110, read-only memory 120, read / write memory 130, I / O port 140, A / D
A converter 150 and communication control units 160 and 170 are provided. The communication control units 160 and 170 are RS-232C (serial data transmission) specifications. Further, a part of the read / write memory 130 is composed of a memory of a C-MOS structure with low power consumption, and a battery backup circuit (not shown) is connected to the power source of the memory to be a non-volatile memory.

Connectors J1A and J2A are connected to the communication control units 160 and 170, respectively. The connectors J1A and J2A are normally connected to the connector J1B of the sorter 600 and the connector J2B of the ADF700, respectively, but the personal computer 800 can also be connected. That is, connector J1B is connector J
When it is disconnected from 1A, you can connect the connector (JC) of personal computer 800 to connector J1A.
When 2B is removed from the connector J2A, the connector of the personal computer 800 can be connected to the connector J2A.
A communication control unit (not shown) is provided inside the sorter 600 and the ADF 700, respectively.

FIG. 3 shows an electric circuit of the personal computer 800. Referring to FIG. 3, the device includes a microprocessor 810, a read only memory 820, a read / write memory,
0, display control unit 840, communication control unit 850, I / O port 860, liquid crystal display 870, keyboard 880, etc. are provided. The communication control unit 850 has RS-232C (serial data transmission) specifications and is connected to the connector JC. In this example, the liquid crystal display 870 has 80 characters x 6 lines of Japanese characters,
The alphabet etc. can be displayed.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this example, a connector J1A to which a sorter is normally connected and a connector J2A to which an ADF is connected are normally used.
Is shared with the personal computer 800, it is necessary to change the operation of the copying machine according to the type of equipment connected to each connector.

Therefore, in this embodiment, different values are assigned to the control code used for the sorter and ADF and the control code used for the personal computer. As a result, the control device 100 of the main body of the copying machine can check the value of the data received by the communication control unit 160 or 170 to determine which device sent the data.

The following Table 1, Table 2 and Table 3 show the sorter 600 of the embodiment.
Sent to the copier body 50, the copier body 50 is a sorter 600
And a signal sent from the personal computer 800 to the copying machine main body 50. In addition, in these tables, the code (numerical value) of each signal is represented by a hexadecimal code.

4a and 4b show the general operation of the control device 100 of FIG. The operation of the control device 100 will be described with reference to the drawings. When the power is turned on, the initial settings are performed. In this initial setting, various operation modes of the copying machine are initialized, and the contents set here are stored in advance in the non-volatile memory area of the memory 130.

Next, the state reading of various switches and various sensors, key input processing, communication processing, display processing and other standby processing are sequentially performed (G2). Then, these processes are repeated until copying becomes possible, and when copying becomes possible, it waits until the print start key is turned on (G4). Then, when the print start key is turned on, copy processing (similar to the conventional copying machine) is performed (G5), and when one copy is completed, the number of copies is compared with the set number. Until they match
Repeat the copy process.

When the communication control unit 160 or 170 has received data when the copy process is not performed, that is, in the standby state,
Check it (G9). If the received data is the X-ON code (11: see Table 3) requesting the connection of the personal computer 800, the process proceeds to step G10 and waits until the next data is received. When the data is received, the data is checked (G11), and if it is other than the X-OFF code (13: see Table 3), the process proceeds to the process shown in FIG. 4b to perform the process according to the identification result.

That is, if it is a memory display code (44: see Table 3), it will receive 2 bytes of data, load the contents of the memory with the contents (16 bits) of the received data as an address, and load the loaded data. Send to personal computer 800. If it is the memory rewrite code (memory update code 53: see Table 3), it will receive 3 more bytes of data and write it to the memory whose address is the contents (16 bits) of the 1st and 2nd bytes of the received data. Stores 3 bytes of data.

If it is an input port read code (49: see Table 3), it further receives 1 byte of data, reads the state of the input port specified by the data, and sends the data to the personal computer 800. If it is the output port set code (4F: see Table 3), the data of 2 bytes is further received and the value of the 2nd byte is output to the output port specified by the value of the 1st byte of the received data. .

Therefore, according to an instruction from the personal computer 800, it is possible to read the contents of any memory, update the contents of any memory, read any input port, and set any output port.

Then, when any code is received, the process returns to step G10 again, the next data is received, and the same processing as above is repeated. If the received data is an X-OFF code,
The process proceeds to step G2 and returns to the normal process. That is, this copying machine does not perform the copying operation from the reception of the X-ON code until the reception of the next X-OFF code.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic operation when the personal computer 800 executes the copying machine control program. The copying machine control program is stored in advance in a part of the read-only memory 820 of the personal computer 800, and by setting the computer to the execution mode by designating the program, the computer 800 executes the processing shown in FIG. To execute.

Referring to FIG. When the program starts, a connection request code (X-ON: 11) is first transmitted to the control device 100 of the copying machine. If a transmission error occurs here, "connection error" is displayed on the display unit 870 and the program ends.
If the connection request code is successfully transmitted, the process proceeds to step H5 to display the work menu. Here, the screen shown in FIG. 6a is displayed.

That is, it is displayed that any one of "mode set", "maintenance" and "end" can be designated. Therefore, the operator (service person) inputs 1, 2, or 3 by key (H6). When 1 or 2 is keyed in, step H8
Go to and display the work menu again. Here, a different screen is displayed according to the input value. In other words, when 1 is input, it means that "mode set" has been designated, so 6b
The screen shown in FIG. 6c is displayed, and when 2 is input, the screen is shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, when "mode set" is designated, the auto reset time setting, the copy magnification setting in the initial state, the copy density setting in the initial state, the double-sided mode / single-sided mode setting in the initial state, the initial setting You can set the copy paper size in the status, the power on / off time of the copier, the sorter operation mode (sort, stack or normal mode) in the initial status, and the ADF operation mode in the initial status. .

When "Maintenance" is specified, the number of paper jam occurrences at each past position of the copying machine is displayed, the number of copies for each past copy paper size is displayed, and the fixing temperature information is displayed.
Exposure lamp voltage information display, memory content display / update,
Input port status display and output port set are available.

The operator specifies which processing is to be performed by key input (H9). If the designation is other than the end of processing, the subsequent operation procedure is displayed according to the content of the designated processing (H11). After that, a predetermined process is performed according to the procedure determined for each designated process. In each process, when it is necessary to display the memory contents (H14), the memory display code 44 is transmitted to the copying machine main body 50 (H18), and when it is necessary to rewrite the memory contents (H15), the memory update code 53 is sent to the copying machine. When it is necessary to send to the main body 50 and read the input port status (H16), the input port read code 49 will be sent to the copying machine main body 50.
And the need for an output port set arises (H1
7) Send the output port set code 4F to the copier body 50.

For example, when it is desired to update the copy paper size setting in the initial state, the screen shown in FIG. 6a is displayed immediately after the program is started, so 1 is input by the key. Then the first
The screen shown in Fig. 6b is displayed. Then, enter 5 to select the copy paper size setting mode. If you select this mode, you can select various paper sizes (for example, A
5, B5, B4, A4, A3, etc.) and the correspondence table of the numerical values to be input for each of them are displayed on the display device 870, and the numerical value of the desired size is keyed in.

Then, a confirmation message "Do you want to register?" Is displayed. If you input 1 to the message, the memory update process is performed, and if you enter 0, the process is terminated without updating the memory. In the program data, the address information of the memory that stores each information is prepared in advance as a table, and when displaying or updating the memory contents, refer to the table and correspond to the target information. The memory address information to be obtained is obtained and the memory address is transmitted to the copying machine main body 50. When updating the memory contents, newly stored data is also transmitted after the address information.

When the above processing is completed, the menu screen shown in FIG. 6b is displayed again, and other mode settings are possible. If 9 is entered in that state, the menu screen shown in FIG. 6a is displayed, and the maintenance process can be selected.

Here, for example, when it is desired to check the recording of paper jam, 2 is keyed in to select the maintenance process. Then, the screen shown in FIG. 6c is displayed. Then, 1 is keyed in. As a result, the paper jam check is selected. When this process is selected, the personal computer
The 800 obtains each address information of the memory that stores the number of paper jams at each predetermined position in the copying machine by referring to the table in the program and transmits it to the copying machine 50, and the contents of the memory. After receiving, the paper jam data at other positions are sequentially read in the same manner. When the reading of all the data is completed, all the pieces of paper jam information are displayed as a table on the display 870.

When this display ends, key input is awaited, and when any key is pressed, the processing ends and the menu screen of FIG. 6c is displayed. In this state, another maintenance process can be selected. In the memory display / update mode in the maintenance process, as in the case of the mode set, the contents of a predetermined memory are read and displayed, and the contents of the memory are updated, but the addressing method is different.

That is, in the case of the mode set, each address of the memory area (nonvolatile memory) previously allocated for the mode set is registered as a table, and the type of the mode set (for example, copy magnification, copy density, copy paper size, etc.) is registered. ), The microprocessor refers to the table to automatically generate the address information, but in the maintenance process, the operator directly inputs the address information by key input.

Therefore, the former cannot access the memory in the area not registered in the table in spite of the easy operation, and the latter can access the memory of any address in spite of the difficulty in the operation.

In the maintenance process, you can access any I / O port. The only difference from the operation of accessing the memory is the designation of the address. That is,
The memory address is 16 bits, but the port address is specified by 8 bits.

[Effect] As described above, according to the present invention, various modes set in the initial state of the apparatus can be arbitrarily changed according to the request of each user, so that operability is good. Since a personal computer or the like can be used to change the initial state, the change operation can be simplified. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide most of the hardware and software for changing the initial state in the main body of the copying machine, the cost of the copying machine does not increase. Furthermore, since a device such as a personal computer can be connected using a connector for connecting a sorter or an ADF, it is almost unnecessary to add hardware to carry out the present invention, and the manufacturing cost hardly increases.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the internal structure of a copying machine of one type embodying the present invention and a personal computer connected thereto. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit of the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electric circuit of the personal computer 800. FIGS. 4a and 4b are flowcharts showing the schematic operation of the control device 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of a predetermined program of the personal computer 800. 6a, 6b, and 6c are front views showing display examples on the liquid crystal display 870, respectively. 5: Illumination lamp, 6: Lens 8: Photosensitive drum, 9: Charger charger 11: Developing device, 14: Transfer unit 15: Cleaning unit, 16: Fixing device 50: Copying machine main body (copying device) 100: Control device ( Control means) 130: read / write memory (nonvolatile read / write memory means) 160,170: communication control unit (communication control means) 600: sorter 700: automatic document feeder 800: personal computer J1A, J2A: connector (electrical connection means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A copying means; a non-volatile read / write memory means; a communication control means; an electrical connection means for detachably connecting the communication control means and at least one of a plurality of types of devices; and the non-volatile read / write memory means. Means for initializing the setting of the copying means according to the stored contents, means for identifying the type of the equipment by referring to a signal input from the equipment connected to the electrical connection means, specific to the electrical connection means Means for reading data from the nonvolatile read / write memory means and outputting it to the equipment in response to a first instruction from the equipment when the equipment of the type is connected; A means for updating the data in the nonvolatile read / write memory means with the data output by the equipment in response to the second instruction from the equipment when the equipment is connected. A copying machine including control means;