JPS6036583B2 - How to control the number of copies in a copier - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention enables a copying machine using a microcomputer system to interrupt or cancel a copy cycle at any time during a repeat, and at the same time, to copy an arbitrary number of sheets after the interruption. Regarding the copy count control method, which enables easy counting of the number of uncopied pages when an interruption occurs, especially when making multiple copies from the same original, it is possible to copy other originals in an emergency. This paper proposes a method for controlling the number of copies that is suitable for cases where copying machines are often required to be used.

Conventionally, in order to make multiple copies, mechanical relay control uses a mechanical counter to control repeats, and logic control uses normal counter and comparator outputs to control the control logic. It is set to match the repeat cycle, and when an emergency interrupt is used, the past beat control must be stopped and the remaining number of sheets must be set again. The sheet count control method of the present invention solves this inconvenience by stopping counting at an arbitrary number of sheets when using an interrupt, and continuing copying the remaining number of sheets after the interrupt is used. For shared use of a copier, especially when making multiple copies from the same original, it is possible to make emergency or small copies at any time, or to switch back to standard mode due to an interrupt that occurs during variable magnification mode. The aim is to automatically switch from standard mode to variable magnification mode, and automatically switch from sheet mode to book mode, thereby eliminating waiting time and operational hassles for users. do.

Next, the method for controlling the number of copies according to the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a microcomputer system for explaining a sheet count control method in a copying machine using the microcomputer system of the present invention. In the drawing, 1 is a central processing unit, 2 is a ROM
(read-only memory), 3 is a RAM (random access memory), 4 is an input/output control device, 5 is an interface circuit, and 6 is a copy number counter for setting, counting, and displaying the number of copies. The counter sections SI and S2 are switches for a count interrupt signal and a count cancel signal, respectively. The central processing unit 1 sequentially reads microprograms written in the ROM 2 and executes predetermined sequence processing, while controlling necessary input/output operations.

During this time, the necessary data exchange between the central processing unit and the external device is performed through the input/output control unit 4 and the interface circuit 5, and changes from variable magnification mode to standard mode.
You can automatically switch from standard mode to variable magnification mode, from sheet mode to book mode, or from book mode to sheet mode. The external devices in the case of FIG. 1 include a charging section, an exposure section, a developing section, a fixing section, and other mechanical sections, and the signals input from these external devices to the central processing unit 1 through the interface circuit 5 are ,
Start signal, print signal (for one sheet), paper, temperature, density, and other various detection signals, mode switching signal, various sequence timing signals, and the number of copies necessary to carry out the copy number counting control method of the present invention. Print signal given from counter section 6 (for repeat)
and a count stop signal, as well as a count interrupt signal and a count cancel signal provided by switches SI and S2. The central processing unit 1 supplies control signals and other output signals to each external device according to these input signals.

The copy count control method of the present invention will be explained in detail later, and first a general explanation of a copying machine using a microcomputer system will be given. Note that the RAM 3 is an external additional memory for temporarily storing data and the like required by the central processing unit 1.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of main parts of the central processing unit 1 shown in FIG. 1.

In the drawing, 2 is a ROM, 10 is an address register called a program counter, 11 is an adder, 12 is an instruction register, 13 is a decoder, 14 is a condition determination circuit, and 15 is an AND gate circuit. The logical address of ROM 2 is specified from address register 1, and the read microinstruction is set in instruction register 12. The contents of this instruction register 12 are decoded by a decoder 13 to become a predetermined control signal, and processing corresponding to this microinstruction is executed. During this time, the contents of the address register 10 are multiplied by 1 by the adder 11 and stored again in the address register 10, and preparations are made to designate the next read address from the ROM 2. Further, when a conditional branch microinstruction is set in the instruction register 12, the decoded output of that specific field is given to the condition determination circuit 14.

Various states of the external device are input as signals under test to the condition judgment circuit 14 through the interface circuit 5. When the signal under test designated by the decoded output is in a predetermined state, the condition judgment circuit 14 AND gate circuit 15 is energized. As a result, the contents of the field specifying the branch destination address in the instruction register 12 are set in the address register 10, and the program is partitioned. FIG. 3 shows a microcomputer system for sequence control of a copying machine in order to explain the concept of the copy count control method of the present invention. - FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing control signals when applied to a system. The details are shown in FIG. In the copy count control method of the present invention, the repeat print signal or copy stop signal given from the copy number counter section 6 shown in FIG. A count cancel signal is input to the microcomputer from the outside as a control signal to control its running.

First, when the operator sets the number of copies using an external digital switch or the like, the value of this set number is stored in the register of the copy number counter section 6, and the counter is used every copy cycle to count the number of copies. For example, the value of the copy count number to which the copy 9E paper signal is input is stored. The copy number counter section 6 generates a report print signal until the set number of copies and the copy count number match, and when they match, generates a copy stop signal. When interrupts are used, a count interruption signal is given from the interface circuit 5 to the central processing unit 1 through the input/output control unit 4 by operating the switch SI, and the central processing unit 1 continues to copy In addition to interrupting the cycle report, the system automatically switches from pervert mode to standard mode, from standard mode to variable magnification mode, or from sheet mode to book mode using an interrupt signal as necessary. , the counter data of the copy number counter unit 6 is temporarily input to the register of the central processing unit 1 and stored. When using interrupts, you can freely select whether to copy one sheet or multiple sheets. When interrupt use is finished and the previously interrupted copying of uncopied sheets is restarted, various modes are switched as necessary using data temporarily stored outside the register of the central processing unit 1. Manufacturing control is performed automatically, and the data signal is given to the counter of the copy number counter section 6 to continue the remaining copies.

Therefore, it is very convenient to use interrupts, which are often necessary when using a copying machine in a cooperative manner.

As described above, in the copy number count control method of the present invention, the copy interruption signal interrupts the repetition of the copy cycle that has been continuing until now, and the copy count data is stored in the central processing unit 1 or the RAM of the external memory.
3, etc., and after the interrupt usage is finished, the data returns to the previous various modes, and a data signal is given to the copy counter to finish copying the initial set number of sheets. .

In this way, since the copy cycle and other operations of the central processing unit 1 can be controlled from the outside, the control is reliable, and furthermore, copying can be interrupted any number of times at any time during the process of copying a large number of sheets. Since automatic mode switching when changing the magnification and switching from sheet mode to book mode can be performed automatically, the excellent effect of significantly improving the functions of the copying machine can be achieved. The switch S2 is used to generate a count cancel signal when copying the initial set number of sheets is stopped midway, and the copy count data input to the register of the central processing unit 1 is cleared.

In other words, this count cancel signal clears the uncopied data of the initially set number of copies before the interruption, and clears the uncopied data of the interrupted number of copies after the interruption. become.
Therefore, by using this switch S2, even if an interrupt is used or if no interrupt is used, even if you temporarily leave the copier for other purposes during the copying process, other operators will not be inconvenienced. It has no effect. Therefore, the functionality of the copying machine is further increased. Next, in a copying machine using the microcomputer system as explained in FIGS. 1 to 3, the processing flow when implementing the copy count control method described above is shown in FIG. 4 along with the operation of the central processing unit. show.

The center of FIG. 4 shows the operation flow of the central processing unit 1, the left side shows a group of signals input from an external device to the central processing unit 1 through the interface circuit 5, and the right side shows the central processing unit 1.
This is a group of output signals that are similarly applied to an external device through the interface circuit 5. 1 to 5 in the figure are connected to corresponding locations, but the connecting lines are omitted in FIG. 4 to simplify the drawing. In principle, the process of a copying machine goes through the steps of charging, exposure, development, transfer, and fixing - the copying cycle ends.

This will be explained one by one with reference to FIG. The operation of the copy machine is
The process starts when the power is turned on and a start signal is given to the central processing unit 1.

The start signal on the left side of FIG. 4 shows this input signal. Then, in step 1, an output signal is provided to an external device.

The right side is an output signal, and this output signal drives each load by setting and resetting the flip-flop circuit. These input/output devices include a board M.2 necessary for the central processing unit 1 to process according to the program. and Device M. is determined in advance.

The output signals generated by the chip 1 are a blower motor ON signal and a fixing heater ON signal, which rotate the blower motor and turn on the heater. In addition, in this state where the fixing temperature has not risen sufficiently, copying is not possible yet, and a red lamp ON signal for lighting a red lamp indicating that copying is not possible is also generated as an output signal. In the next step 2, the central processing unit 1 searches that the temperature has reached a value that allows fixing, and then proceeds to step 3 and issues a reload signal, turning off the red lamp and turning on the green lamp.

In this state, the operator sets the number of copies to be made on an external counter.

When set, the copy count signal is independent of central processing unit flow. Next, turn the print switch to O.
In step 4, the central processing unit 1 searches for input of a print signal and proceeds to step 5.

In step 5, the red lamp is turned on and the green lamp is turned off to indicate that the copy cycle has started.

Then, the main motor rotates, and the transfer corona, static elimination corona, and static elimination lamp are turned on. Next, the photoreceptor is cleaned using a timer for 3 seconds. This timer is provided inside the central processing unit 1. In step 6,
After the exposure lamp and the charging corona are turned on and the 0.9 sand timer operates and times out, the process proceeds to step 7, where the paper feed solenoid is operated and the transfer paper is fed.

In step 8, the central processing unit 1 checks the carriage start signal, and in step 9 the paper feed solenoid is activated.
FF and turn on the optical system forward clutch.

The carriage then begins scanning. In step 10, a return signal is generated by moving the carriage to the end and pressing a microswitch, and this return signal is researched by the central processing unit 1.

In step 11, the exposure lamp, charging corona, and optical system forward clutch are turned OFF, and the optical system reverse clutch is turned ON to reverse the carriage.

In step 12, a home position signal is generated by the microswitch that detects that the carriage has returned to the home position, and the central processing unit 1 searches for this signal and proceeds to the next step 13. In step 13, the reverse clutch is turned FF and the carriage is stopped.

In step 14, the count interrupt signal given by the external switch SI is checked, and if this external signal is input, each mode is automatically switched and jumps from step 3 to step 17; if not, step 1
Proceed to step 5.

In step 15, the count cancel signal given by the external switch S2 is checked, and if this external signal is present, the process similarly jumps from 3 to step 17; if not, the process skips to 2 and proceeds to step 16. .

In step 16, a check is made to see if a count stop signal from the external counter section 6 is received.

If this count stop signal is not input, it means repeat, so jump to step 4 and repeat the copy cycle from step 6. This operation continues until a count interrupt signal, a count cancel signal, or a count stop signal is applied from the outside after the initial set number of copies has been completed.
When a predetermined number of copies have been completed, a flag indicating a count stop is raised from the external counter 6, and when this is detected in step 16, the process skips to step 17.

In step 17, the transfer corona, the static elimination corona, and the static elimination lamp are turned off.

Next, in step 1 8, if the power is not turned off, 6
The process jumps to step 4 and waits in step 4 until there is a print signal.

When the power is turned off, the operation of the copying machine ends. As explained in detail above, in the copy count control method of the present invention, the external counter section 6 controls the repetition of copy cycles or automatic switching of various modes in a copying machine using a microcomputer system, and this repeat or If you want to interrupt or cancel the automatic switching of various modes at any time, a count interruption signal or a count cancellation signal is input to step 14 or step 15 using an external switch SI or S2, and the central processing unit 1 This allows you to control your running.

Furthermore, depending on the repeat print signal given afterwards, the interrupted copy cycle can be restarted in the standard mode with an interrupt during zooming, automatically return from the standard mode to the above mode, or print the sheet again. It is possible to automatically switch from mode to book mode, or from book mode to sheet mode, and so on until the number of uncopied copies is obtained. External signals such as these repeat print signals, count stop signals, count interruption signals, and count cancel signals are input to the accumulator of the central processing unit 1 through the interface circuit 5, but in this case, they are input to bit D7 of the accumulator. Alternatively, each external signal may be input as data and processed.

As described above, by using the copy number counting control method of the present invention, the control operation of a copying machine using a microcomputer system can be ensured, and interruptions during joint use of a copying machine can be avoided, especially when multiple copies are made from the same original stripe. Emergency or small numbers of copies can be made at any time while copying, which eliminates waiting time and troublesome operations for both users.Furthermore, it is easy to use when leaving the copier for other purposes while copying. In addition, since the copying machine does not cause any inconvenience to other users, it is possible to achieve an excellent effect of significantly improving the usage efficiency of the copying machine.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a microcomputer system for explaining the copy number counting control method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of main parts of the central processing unit 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing control signals given to the microcomputer system to explain the concept of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a copying machine using the microcomputer system when implementing the present invention. In the drawing, 1 is a central processing unit, 2 is a ROM, 3 is a RAM, 4 is an input/output control device, 5 is an interface circuit, 6 is a copy number counter section, 10 is an address counter, 11 is an adder, and 12 is an instructor. 13 is a decoder, 14 is a condition judgment circuit,
15 is an AND gate circuit, SI is a switch for a count interruption signal, and S2 is a switch for a count cancel signal. Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a copying machine using a microcomputer system, the repeat of a copy cycle is controlled by a signal given from a copy number counting means, and the repeat is interrupted or canceled by a count interruption signal and a count cancel signal given by an external switch. At the same time, the count data of the copy number counting means is temporarily stored in the microcomputer by the count interruption signal, arbitrary new count data is stored in its place, and a copying operation is performed using this new count data; A copy count control method for a copying machine, characterized in that after the copying operation is completed, the temporarily stored count data is stored again in the microcomputer and the copying operation is performed.