JP6143002B2 - Image forming apparatus, image forming system, image forming method, and image forming control program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming system, an image forming method, and an image forming control program that operate in a plurality of operating states and different machine configurations to form an image.

In copiers, facsimiles, printers, and multifunction devices that combine these functions that form images on paper, control target loads (output signals from motors, clutches, etc.) that transport the paper, sensor signals that indicate the behavior of the paper, etc. Collected as a log in time series. When a JAM or trouble occurs, the log can be acquired via a network or the like, and the log can be used as a clue for specifying the cause of the trouble.
For example, as disclosed in Cited Document 1, when an error occurs during job execution, there is one that stores log information in which input / output information and time information are associated with each other in a storage device.

  In recent years, there is a tendency to add another tray to the main body for a user who desires mass printing. As shown in FIG. 3, a large large-capacity paper feed tray 200 is added beside the image forming apparatus 1, or another large-capacity paper feed tray is further added upstream of the image forming apparatus 1 in the sheet conveyance direction. There are also things. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of large-sized large-capacity paper feed trays 200, 210, and 220 can be connected. If you connect a large-capacity paper feed tray to the image forming device, you can continue feeding from another large-capacity paper feed tray even if you are replacing paper in any of the large-capacity paper feed trays. Time is greatly reduced.

JP 2007-015332 A

  However, the larger the large-capacity paper feed tray as described above, the longer the path for transporting paper, and the more inputs and outputs such as motors, clutches, and paper detection sensors are required. The number of input / output signals to be sampled in series increases, and the log sampling function becomes highly loaded. Further, as the distance from the main body of the image forming apparatus increases, the number of sheets existing on the conveyance path of the apparatus increases, and the number of sheets to be controlled increases, so that the CPU during print control becomes a heavy load. End up.

  As described above, as machine functions have been improved in recent years, the machine configuration has increased and the productivity has increased, and the number of transfer sheets existing on the transport path of the apparatus has increased, and the objects to be controlled have increased. As a result, there is a problem that this log collection is a heavy load on the CPU, and the real-time property necessary for the original mechanical control quality cannot be secured.

  The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and it is possible to suitably collect data necessary to identify the cause when a failure occurs while ensuring the real-time property necessary for mechanical control (machine control). One of the purposes is to do.

That is, among the image forming apparatuses of the present invention, the first aspect of the present invention is an image forming apparatus that can be operated by a plurality of operating states and / or different machine components.
A control unit that controls a plurality of control loads to perform an image forming operation, and samples a signal related to an operation state or / and an internal state;
A storage unit that readablely stores a log that associates sampling data and time information in the sampling,
The priority of the signal to be sampled is preset according to the mode combination,
The control unit determines a sampling target in order of the priority based on a combination of modes according to the operation state or / and the machine configuration unit, and switches the signal to be the sampling target. To do.

  The image forming apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the control unit is responsive to the operation state or / and a control load degree required for an image forming operation determined by the mechanical component. The switching is performed.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the installation of the mechanical component can be changed.

  In the image forming apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the control unit switches the number of the signals to be sampled in the switching.

  An image forming apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to fourth aspects of the present invention, the control unit switches a cycle for performing the sampling in the switching.

  The image forming apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, wherein the controller is not mounted with an external device that can be connected to the image forming apparatus as the mechanical component. In this case, the signal in the external device that is not mounted is not sampled.

  The image forming apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, wherein the control unit increases a sampling cycle in a low-speed driving mode in which an image forming operation is performed at a low speed. It is characterized by.

The image forming apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, wherein the signal to be sampled is set in advance corresponding to the operation state and / or the mechanical component. And
The control unit performs the switching based on the operation state or / and the setting according to the machine configuration unit.

  The image forming apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects of the present invention, wherein the control unit outputs the signal related to the double-sided path in the single-sided mode in which image formation is performed on one side of the paper. The sampling is not performed.

  The image forming apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the control unit has a control load degree in the control unit in the selection of the operation state or / and the mechanical component. The signal to be sampled is determined at the maximum of the range of the signal that can be sampled by the control unit when the maximum is reached.

An image forming apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, further comprising an operation unit capable of performing an operation input related to the setting.

In the image forming apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, the control unit prioritizes a control load on a side close to a position where a sheet to be fed is stored. It is characterized by sampling.

In the image forming apparatus of the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to twelfth aspects of the present invention, the control unit leaves a notice that sampling has not been performed for the control load that was not sampled in the log. It is characterized by that.

An image forming system according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention includes the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the present invention and an external device that is a part of the mechanical component, An external device is communicably connected.

An image forming system according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the image forming system according to the fourteenth aspect , wherein the external device is an external paper feed unit.

An image forming method according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention is an image forming method using an image forming apparatus capable of operating in a plurality of operating states and / or different machine components.
When performing image forming operation by controlling a plurality of control loads, and sampling a signal related to the operation state or / and the internal state ,
In the order of priority set in advance according to the combination of modes, the sampling target is determined according to the operating state or / and the machine component, and the signal to be sampled is switched,
A log in which sampling data in the sampling is associated with time information is stored so as to be readable.

The image forming method according to a seventeenth aspect of the present invention is the image forming method according to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, wherein the switching is performed according to the operation state or / and the degree of control load required for the image forming operation determined by the machine component. It is characterized by.

In the image forming method of the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, in the sixteenth or seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the signal that can be sampled when the degree of control load is maximized in the operation state and / or the selection of the mechanical component. The signal to be sampled is determined at the maximum of the range.

An image forming control program according to a nineteenth aspect of the present invention performs an image forming operation by controlling a plurality of control loads in an image forming apparatus operable by a plurality of operation states and / or different machine components, And / or an image forming program for operating a control unit that samples a signal related to an internal state,
Switching the signal to be sampled by determining a sampling target according to the operation state or / and the machine component in the order of priorities set according to a combination of modes ;
And a step of storing in a readable manner a log in which sampling data and time information in the sampling are associated with each other.

In the image forming control program of the twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, in the step of switching the signal, the control load degree required for the image forming operation determined by the operation state or / and the machine component unit According to the above, the switching is performed.

Step image formation control program of the present invention of a 21, in the present invention of the nineteenth or twentieth, which obtains the operating state and / or the mechanical components to obtain a control load degree necessary for the image forming operation It is characterized by providing.

Image forming control program of the present invention is the first 22, in any one of the present invention of the first 19 to 21, capable of sampling the operating state and / or said maximum control load degree previously made by the mechanical components the The step of determining a signal to be sampled at the maximum of a signal range is provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively collect data necessary to identify the cause when a failure occurs while securing real-time properties necessary for mechanical control and the like. There is.

1 is an overall view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, it is a figure which shows a control block. Similarly, it is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming system in which a large-capacity paper feed tray is installed in the image forming apparatus. Similarly, it is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming system in which a large-capacity paper feed tray is connected to the image forming apparatus main body. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the table in which the text data of the log were stored. Similarly, it is a figure which shows the timing chart of a log. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a switching procedure of an acquisition signal for sampling and the number of acquisition signals. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for switching the sampling period according to the speed. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing sampling from a signal having a high priority. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for changing the priority order of sensors depending on the presence or absence of a subsequent sheet. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for determining the number of signals that can be acquired according to printing conditions. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for determining the priority order of signal groups according to printing conditions. Similarly, it is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing sampling from signals of a signal group having a high priority.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a central sectional view of the entire image forming apparatus and shows a mechanical configuration. The configuration will be described below.
The image forming apparatus 1 is provided with a scanner unit 130 including a CCD 131 shown in FIG. 2 and a casting type automatic document feeder (ADF) (not shown) on the upper side of the image forming apparatus main body 1a. An original image can be read through the original reading slit glass 32.
In addition, on the upper side of the image forming apparatus main body 1a, an operation unit 140 including a touch panel is provided at a position where the platen glass 31 is not located, so that an operation and information display by an operator can be performed. The operation unit 140 constitutes an operation unit and also serves as a display unit. In the present invention, the operation unit and the display unit can be configured separately.

  The image forming unit 10 includes photoconductors 11C, 11M, 11Y, and 11K (hereinafter collectively referred to as photoconductors 11) prepared for respective colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and the like). Writing units 13C, 13M, 13Y, and 13K (including charging units 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K (hereinafter collectively referred to as charging unit 12) and LDs on the peripheral portions of the photoreceptors 11C, 11M, 11Y, and 11K (hereinafter collectively referred to as the charging unit 12). Hereinafter, when collectively referred to as a writing unit 13), developing units 14 C, 14 M, 14 Y, and 14 K (hereinafter collectively referred to as developing unit 14) are disposed, and the photosensitive member charged by the charger 12. The surface of the photoconductor 11 is subjected to image exposure by the writing unit 13 based on the image information of the document recorded in the image memory or the like. It is formed. The latent image is developed by the developing unit 14 to become a toner image. The toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16, and is transferred from the intermediate transfer belt 16 to a sheet conveyed on the conveyance path 22 by the secondary transfer roller 18. The transferred paper is heated and fixed by the fixing device 19 and an image forming output (printing) is performed on the paper discharge unit.

Further, in the image forming unit 10, corresponding to the respective photoreceptors 11C, 11M, 11Y, and 11K, the rotational direction side of the contact position with the intermediate transfer belt 16 and the rotational direction of the chargers 12C, 12M, 12Y, and 12K. On the opposite side, cleaning units 15C, 15M, 15Y, and 15K (hereinafter, collectively referred to as cleaning unit 15) that remove residual toner by contacting the photoreceptors 11C, 11M, 11Y, and 11K are disposed. . In addition, cleaning is performed to remove residual toner on the intermediate transfer belt 16 on the rotation direction side with respect to the sheet transfer position of the intermediate transfer belt 16 and on the rotation direction opposite side with respect to the transfer positions with the photoconductors 11C, 11M, 11Y, and 11K. Part 17 is arranged.
Each of the photosensitive members 11 is rotated by a drive motor (not shown), and the intermediate transfer belt 16 is also driven by a drive motor (not shown).

In the image forming apparatus 1, a plurality of paper feed trays 21 that store sheets are disposed below the image forming unit 10. The conveyance path 22 extends from each paper feed tray 21 to the image forming unit 10 and further from the image forming unit 10 to the paper discharge unit.
A pair of registration rollers 23 that abut the paper and correct the inclination are disposed on the conveyance path 22.
In the transport path 22, the paper stored in the paper feed tray 21 is fed and transported to the secondary transfer roller 18 through the registration roller 23. The secondary transfer roller 18 transfers a color image or a monochrome image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 onto a sheet. The toner image on the paper is fixed to the paper on which the image has been transferred by applying heat and pressure in the fixing device 19.

  The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a paper reversing conveyance path 24. The image-fixed paper is guided from the fixing device 19 to the paper reversing conveyance path 24 and turned upside down to be discharged face-down or in double-side mode. It is possible to form an image on both sides. The sheet reversal conveyance path 24 merges with the conveyance path 22 on the upstream side of the registration roller 23 and can recirculate the sheet. The paper reversal conveyance path 24 corresponds to a double-side path.

FIG. 2 is an overall block diagram of an image forming system including a circuit block of the image forming apparatus 1 that is a digital multifunction peripheral (copier, printer, scanner) and a post-processing apparatus (FNS unit) 170 that is an external apparatus. . The contents will be described in detail below.
The image forming apparatus 1 processes image data input from a terminal (PC) 2 via a LAN 3 and a digital copier body including a control block 110, a scanner unit 130, an operation unit 140, and a printer unit 150, or the scanner unit 130. An image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 that enables transfer of the image data obtained in (1) to the terminal (PC) 2 through the LAN 3.

  The control block 110 has a PCI bus 112 connected to the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160, and a DRAM control IC 111 is connected to the PCI bus 112. An image memory composed of a compression memory 120 and a page memory 121 is connected to the DRAM control IC 111. The compression memory 120 is a memory for storing compressed image data, and the page memory 121 is a memory for temporarily storing uncompressed image data to be printed before image formation.

The image data acquired by the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 is transmitted to the DRAM control IC 111 through the PCI bus 112 along with the printing operation.
The control block 110 includes a control CPU 113, and the DRAM control IC 111 is connected to the control CPU 113.
The control CPU 113 is connected to a non-volatile memory 115 composed of a flash memory or the like. The nonvolatile memory 115 stores initial print setting information of the image forming apparatus 1, machine setting information such as process control parameters, user setting values, operation states, and / or sampling targets corresponding to the maximum control load degree in the machine configuration. The number, period, priority of the object to be sampled, etc. are stored in advance. The non-volatile memory 115 stores an image formation control program of the present invention for operating the control CPU 113. Note that the maximum control load degree in the operating state and / or the machine configuration can be measured in advance in the corresponding configuration or the same type of device to obtain a measurement result. The number and cycle of signals that can be sampled at the maximum control load can be determined, and the number and cycle of signals can be determined within the maximum range of control load that can be sampled.

  The control CPU 113 can read nonvolatile data in the nonvolatile memory 115 and can write desired data in the nonvolatile memory 115. The control CPU 113 can control the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the machine setting information, the print setting information, and the like, and can perform a correction operation. Further, the control CPU 113 manages the machine state of the image forming apparatus 1 and the external apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus 1 and can grasp the change in the machine state in the image forming apparatus and the image forming system. The change corresponds to the change of the operation state and the internal state of the present invention. The control CPU 113 performs image formation control such as job management control based on image data stored in the compression memory 120 and data related to jobs. Therefore, the control CPU 113 can grasp the operation state such as the operation mode at the time of image formation. The control CPU 113 has a function as a control unit of the present invention. Further, the control CPU 113 is connected to a time measurement unit (not shown), and can acquire time information. The image forming control program of the present invention operates on the control CPU 113 of the present invention. The image formation control program is stored in a ROM (not shown) and can be read and activated when the apparatus is operated.

The scanner unit 130 includes a CCD 131 that performs optical reading and a scanner control unit 132 that controls the entire scanner unit 130. The scanner control unit 132 is connected to the control CPU 113 so that serial communication is possible, and the scanner unit 130 is controlled by the control CPU 113. The CCD 131 is connected to a reading processing unit 116 that processes image data read by the CCD 131, and the reading processing unit 116 is connected to a DRAM control IC 111 so as to be controllable.
Further, in order to read a plurality of originals by the scanner unit 130, an unillustrated casting type automatic original feeder (ADF) is provided.

The operation unit 140 includes an LCD 141 configured as a touch panel that serves as both a display unit and an operation unit, and an operation unit control unit 142 that controls the entire operation unit. The operation unit control unit 142 performs serial communication with the control CPU 113. Connected as possible.
In the operation unit 140, under the control of the control CPU 113, input of machine settings such as output condition setting and operation control condition in the image forming apparatus 1 and setting input of paper information (size, paper type) of each paper feed tray are performed by the LCD 141. And desired information such as warnings can be displayed. In addition, the operation unit 140 can set the sampling target, the operating state and / or the sampling target corresponding to the maximum control load level in the machine configuration, the sampling target priority, and the like. It may be.

The DRAM control IC 111 is connected to a compression IC 118 that compresses image data and a decompression IC 125 that decompresses compressed image data. The writing processing unit 126 is connected to the image forming unit 10 including the LD 152 of the printer unit 150 (corresponding to the writing unit 13 in FIG. 1) and the like, and performs processing of write data used for the operation of the LD 152.
In addition to the image forming unit 10, the printer unit 150 includes a paper transport unit including a paper feed tray 21 and a transport path 22.

  In addition, the printer unit 150 includes a printer control unit 151 that controls the entire printer unit 150 (paper feeding, image formation, paper discharge, post-processing, and the like). The printer control unit 151 is connected to the control CPU 113 described above. ing. The printer control unit 151 operates according to a control command from the control CPU 113 to control the printer unit 150. Further, the post-processing device (FNS unit) 170 is controlled via the printer control unit 151. That is, the printer unit 150 is controlled by an instruction from the control CPU 113, and the control CPU 113 controls conveyance of paper and image formation.

  In addition, the printer control unit 151 can sample input / output signals such as conveyance and image formation related to image formation and operation states according to instructions from the control CPU 113, and can transmit and receive signals to and from the control CPU 113. That is, the control CPU 113 and the printer control unit 151 cooperate to function as a control unit of the present invention. Note that the sampling data obtained through the printer control unit 151 can be associated with the time information acquired by the time measurement unit by the control CPU 113 and stored in a readable manner in the nonvolatile memory 115 or the HDD 127 as log data. The nonvolatile memory 115 and the HDD 127 in which log data is stored correspond to the storage unit of the present invention.

  A DRAM control IC 161 of the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 is connected to the PCI bus 112 to which the DRAM control IC 111 is connected. When the image forming apparatus 1 is used as a network printer or a network scanner, the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160 forms image data from an apparatus connected to the LAN 3, such as a terminal (PC) 2. The image data received by the apparatus 1 or image data acquired by the scanner unit 130 is transmitted to a terminal (PC) 2 connected to the LAN 3 or the like.

In the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160, an image memory 162 composed of a DRAM or the like is connected to the DRAM control IC 161. In the image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160, the DRAM control IC 161, a controller control CPU 163 for controlling the entire image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160, and a LAN interface 165 are connected to a common bus. . The LAN interface 165 is connected to the LAN 3.
A hard disk (HDD) 127 is connected to the PCI bus 112. The hard disk (HDD) 127 is connected to image data acquired by the scanner unit 130 and an image processing unit (print & scanner controller) 160. Image data generated by the terminal (PC) 2 or the like is stored.

Next, the basic operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
First, a procedure for storing image data in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
When the scanner unit 130 reads an image of a document and generates image data, the scanner unit 130 optically reads the document image from the document by the CCD 131. At this time, the operation of the CCD 131 is controlled by the scanner control unit 132 that receives a command from the control CPU 113. The image read by the CCD 131 is subjected to data processing by the reading processing unit 116, and the processed image data is compressed by the compression IC 118 by a predetermined method, and the compressed memory 120 or a hard disk (HDD) is compressed via the DRAM control IC 111. 127 is stored. Image data stored in the compression memory 120 or the hard disk (HDD) 127 can be managed as a job by the control CPU 113. When image data is stored in the hard disk (HDD) 127, the image data once stored in the compression memory 120 is sent to the hard disk (HDD) 127 via the DRAM control IC 111.

  When acquiring image data from the outside, for example, image data transmitted from the terminal (PC) 2 or the like through the LAN 3 is stored in the image memory 162 by the DRAM control IC 161 via the LAN interface 165. Data in the image memory 162 is temporarily stored in the page memory 121 via the DRAM control IC 161, the PCI bus 112, and the DRAM control IC 111. The data stored in the page memory 121 is sequentially sent to the compression IC 118 via the DRAM control IC 111 and subjected to compression processing, and stored in the compression memory 120 and the hard disk (HDD) 127 via the DRAM control IC 111, as described above. Management by the control CPU 113 is performed. When image data is stored in the hard disk (HDD) 127, the image data once stored in the compression memory 120 is sent to the hard disk (HDD) 127 via the DRAM control IC 111.

  When the image forming apparatus 1 outputs an image, that is, when used as a copying machine or a printer, the image data stored in the compression memory 120 is sent to the decompression IC 125 via the DRAM control IC 111 to decompress and decompress the data. The sent data is sent to the write processing unit 126, and the LD 152 performs writing on the photoconductor 11. When image data stored in the hard disk (HDD) 127 is used, the image data stored in the hard disk (HDD) 127 is temporarily stored in the compression memory 120 via the DRAM control IC 111 and stored in the compression memory 120. The stored image data is sent to the decompression IC 125 via the DRAM control IC 111 to decompress the data, and the decompressed data is sent to the write processing unit 126 as described above.

  In the printer unit 150, each unit is controlled by the printer control unit 151 that receives a command from the control CPU 113. In the image forming unit 10, the toner image written on the photoconductor 11 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16, and then transferred to the paper supplied by the paper feed tray 21, and fixed by the fixing device 19. The sheet is conveyed from the sheet feeding tray 21 through the conveyance path 22, the sheet is brought into contact with the registration roller 23 to correct skewing, the sheet position is measured by a sheet position measurement unit (not shown), and the registration roller 23 is used as necessary. Deviation correction is performed by swinging. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed to the image forming unit 10 and image formation is performed as described above.

The paper on which single-sided printing or double-sided printing has been performed is conveyed to a post-processing device (FNS unit) 170 via a conveyance path 22 via a fixing conveyance roller, and if post-processing is designated, post-processing is performed and no post-processing is required. In this case, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray as it is. When there are a plurality of reserved jobs, the image output is sequentially performed according to the setting order. In addition, the sheet on which only one side is printed by duplex printing is sent to the sheet reversal conveyance path 24 after passing through the fixing device 19, and the front and back are reversed, and then sent to the upstream side of the image forming unit 10 to the other side. The image is formed on the side and sent to the post-processing device (FNS unit) 170.
In the photoreceptor 11, after the toner image is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16, the residual toner is removed by the cleaning unit 15. Similarly, in the intermediate transfer belt 16, after the toner image is transferred onto the paper, the residual toner is removed by the cleaning unit 17.

  Further, the control CPU 113 acquires signals relating to the operation and the internal state via the printer control unit 151, and stores them in the nonvolatile memory 115, the HDD 127, and the like so as to be readable as a log together with time elements.

In the above-described embodiment, the image forming system in which the post-processing device (FNS unit) 170 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1 has been described. Proposals have been made to increase the number of trays. As shown in FIG. 3, an image forming system in which a large-capacity paper feed tray 200 is connected to the upstream side of the image forming apparatus 1 in the paper conveyance direction can be obtained. Although not shown, it is possible to further add one or more sheet feed trays to the lower stage of the image forming apparatus main body. The large-capacity paper feed tray 200 corresponds to an external paper feed unit, and is a part of a machine component selected during operation. Depending on whether or not the large-capacity paper feed tray 200 is used, the machine components used in operation differ. Further, when the large-capacity paper feed tray 200 is not connected, the signal sampling in the large-capacity paper feed tray may not be performed.
The large-capacity paper feed tray 200 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 1 through a communication unit (not shown), and can transmit and receive data to and from each other such as an operation state and a signal related to internal information. When an external apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus 1, the installation state is grasped and the machine configuration that can be operated is grasped by the control CPU 113.

Furthermore, an image forming system in which a plurality of large-capacity paper feed trays are connected to the image forming apparatus can be provided. FIG. 4 shows an image forming system in which large-capacity paper feed trays 200, 210, and 220 are connected to the image forming apparatus 1. Even if the paper is being exchanged in any of the paper feed trays, the paper can be fed from another paper feed tray to continue printing, and downtime is greatly reduced.
These large-capacity paper feed trays 200, 210, and 220 correspond to external paper feed units, and are part of a machine component that is selected during operation. Depending on whether or not the large-capacity paper feed trays 200, 210, and 220 are used, the machine components used in operation differ. Note that each large-capacity paper feed tray 200, 210, and 220 can communicate with the image forming apparatus 1 by a communication unit (not shown), and can transmit and receive data to and from each other. When an external apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus 1, the installation state is grasped and the machine configuration that can be operated is grasped by the control CPU 113.
When any of the large-capacity paper feed trays 200, 210, and 220 is not connected in the apparatus configuration as described above, the sampling of the signal in the unmounted large-capacity paper feed tray may not be performed.
When sampling is performed, the side near the tray to be fed can be preferentially set as a sampling target.

Next, a log acquired by sampling will be described. The log includes time series information and input / output information.
FIG. 5 shows a log data table converted into text. The time stamp at the start of printing is set to 0, and thereafter, the time stamp is incremented every time. This time stamp corresponds to the time information of the log and can be obtained by measurement of the time measuring unit.

Although not shown, there is header information that the text data is a log at the top of the log, and the header information includes information such as the time per time stamp count and what signal the collected signal is. Contains. The values of the input / output information shown in FIG. 5 are values obtained by sampling the values of the feed motor, the feed clutch, and the feed sensor port from the rightmost value in the input / output information numeric string. Note that the information to be sampled may not be a port value, but may be an internal flag, for example, and if it is binary data, a timing chart can be obtained.
Sampling repeats holding a time stamp and input / output information when a value is acquired at a predetermined cycle and there is a change. The sampling period depends on the required accuracy of mechanical control. When it is desired to control the paper conveyed at 400 mm / s in units of 1 mm, a resolution of at least 2.5 msec is desirable by simple calculation.

  FIG. 6 shows a timing chart of the log of FIG. It shows that the paper feed motor and the paper feed clutch are driven according to the required specifications, and in response to the result, the paper is conveyed and passed through the paper feed sensor. For example, if this log is reproduced in the timing chart when JAM occurs in the vicinity of these control loads, the ON / OFF timing of the paper feed sensor is different from the assumption, or the paper feed clutch is not turned on. The cause of JAM can be easily identified.

(Change the target acquisition signal and the number of acquisition signals according to the operation mode)
Originally, even if the paper conveyance path is not used depending on the operation mode, it is desirable to leave all input / output information in the log because abnormalities can be detected early if the input / output behavior is abnormal. However, since there is a limit to the ability of the control unit to process and all input / output cannot be sampled, it is desirable to limit the load on the path necessary for the cause analysis when JAM occurs.
For example, the control unit of the present invention can automatically switch the signal to be sampled according to which tray is in the sheet feeding mode. Since the path after the image forming process is basically the same regardless of which tray is fed, switching in the mode is limited to the vicinity of the input / output near the feeding section. In the image forming apparatus main body, the lower tray has a longer paper conveyance path length than the upper tray, and the input / output to be controlled increases, so the number of acquired signals also increases.
In the single-sided mode, the signal in the double-sided conveyance path is not sampled in order to reduce the load on the control unit regardless of JAM or trouble determination.
However, not sampling means that the priority order is lowered, and as shown in another section, the sampling period is lowered and sampling is performed when there is room for the number of signals that can be sampled. Good.
If the paper feed option is not installed, the input / output signals do not make sense, so sampling is not performed (priority is not dropped, and sampling is not performed).

Next, a procedure for changing the sampling target range and the number of targets according to the paper feed tray to be used will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
Based on the settings such as the printing conditions, it is determined whether the paper is being fed from the upper tray of the main body (step s1). In the mode using the upper tray of the main body (step s1, Y), the sampling target is switched to the upper tray motor, upper tray clutch, upper feed sensor, and upper vertical transport sensor (step s2), and the procedure is completed. To do.

When the sheet feeding is not in the mode using the upper tray of the main body, or in the mode using the lower tray in the main body here (step s1, N), the sampling target is the lower tray motor, the lower tray clutch, and the lower sheet feeding sensor. Then, the procedure is switched to the lower vertical conveyance sensor and the upper vertical conveyance sensor (step s3), and the procedure is terminated.
In the switching when the tray to be fed is changed, the path after the image forming process is the same regardless of which tray is fed, so switching in the mode is limited to the vicinity of the input / output near the feeding unit. The lower tray is longer than the upper tray of the image forming apparatus 1, and the input / output to be controlled is increased. Therefore, the number of acquired signals is increased.

(Change the target acquisition signal and the number of acquisition signals according to the speed mode)
Next, switching of signals to be sampled when the image forming operation speed (conveyance speed) is changed will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
In order to stabilize the fixing property when the paper type or the basis weight is changed, the conveyance speed is changed to a low speed (for example, a half speed). First, it is determined whether the mode is the high speed mode (step s10). If the high-speed mode is selected (step s10, Y), the sampling period is switched at an interval of 2.5 milliseconds (step s11), and the process ends. When the mode is not the high speed mode (step s10, N), the sampling cycle is switched at intervals of 5 milliseconds (step s12), and the process is terminated.
For example, when a paper moving at 400 msec is controlled at 1 mm, a resolution of 2.5 msec is required, but when it is reduced to 200 msec, the resolution may be 5 msec. In this case, the sampling resolution is lowered. By reducing the resolution, it is possible to sample signals that have not been subject to sampling due to lower priority. In this case, all signals may be sampled at 5 msec, or half a signal may be sampled every 2.5 msec.

In addition, when switching the sampling signal based on the operation state or the internal state, it is possible to determine the number of signals and the period that can be acquired based on the processing capability of the control unit.
Along with the cost reduction, there is a tendency that an expensive CPU having a high processing capacity is not used for the control unit. When it is desired to control a paper moving at 400 msec with an accuracy of 1 mm, a resolution of 2.5 msec is required. However, since high resolution other than the paper conveyance control is not required, an inexpensive CPU is used. A high-accuracy cyclic handler of 5 msec and a low-accuracy cyclic handler of 5 msec are generated, and each control is assigned according to each required accuracy so that each cycle does not fail. Therefore, the number of signals that can be sampled is determined from the remaining CPU load while maintaining the original real-time mechanical control.
For example, the sheet feeding tray, color / monochrome, single-sided / double-sided mode is changed in each combination, the maximum value of the CPU load is measured, and the number of signals that can be acquired is determined as shown in Table 1.
Basically, since the number of devices to be moved in the color mode is larger than that in the monochrome mode, the CPU load increases. In the duplex mode, the farther the tray, the greater the number of sheets staying in the machine, and the more the control is increased, the more the CPU load tends to increase.
Depending on the combination of paper type and basis weight, the low speed mode is selected. In the low-speed mode, the number of signals that can be acquired is doubled in order to halve the sampling period. Further, in the case of a large size sheet, the number of sheets staying in the machine is reduced and the CPU load can be afforded, so the number of signals that can be acquired may be increased by 2.

As described above, the sampling target and the number vary depending on the operating state and the machine configuration to be operated.
For example, the priority is given in 5 levels (5 is the highest), 5 is important for JAM judgment, such as a paper transport sensor, 4 is the critical timing system clutch, 3 is the internal state of the software, and the timing is severe For example, the number of motors is 2, and the number of motors that are not severe in timing is 1. For example, a sample that tends to be a hint for JAM analysis is preferentially collected.

A procedure for performing sampling in accordance with the priority order will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
Along with the start of printing, it is determined whether there is the number of signals that can be collected (step s20). If there is no signal that can be collected (step s20, N), sampling is forcibly terminated (step s24), and the process is terminated.
On the other hand, if there is the number of signals that can be collected (step s20, Y), sampling for one object is instructed (step s21), and 1 is subtracted from the number of signals that can be collected (step s22). Next, it is determined whether or not all signal sampling has been performed (step s23). If all signal sampling has been performed (step s23, Y), the processing is terminated. If all signal sampling has not been performed (step s23, N). For the next object, the process returns to step s20 and continues.
For signals that have not been collected, make sure that they have not been collected, and avoid confusion during log analysis. In the log text, “0” indicating Low, “1” indicating High, and “−” indicating that no further sampling is performed can be set to three values.

In addition, JAM does not occur in the vicinity after the last sheet has passed, so after the last sheet has passed, the priority order is set to 1 even for the transport sensor, and a signal close to the sheet is prioritized. Like that. The procedure will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed under the control of the control CPU 113.
It is determined whether there is a succeeding sheet as a sampling target (step s30). If there is a succeeding sheet, the process ends (step s30, Y). If there is no succeeding sheet (step s30, N), the highest priority is given. The value is lowered to 1 (step s31), and the process is terminated.

Next, an example in which groups of input / output signals are determined for each tray mode, priorities are assigned to the groups, and priorities are assigned to individual input / output signals in the group will be described.
The priority for the group is given by ABCD (A is the highest, D is not collected) and is switched according to the mode. Priorities for input / output signals are given in five levels (5 is the highest), 5 are important for JAM judgment, such as a paper transport sensor, 4 is a transport system clutch with strict timing, and 3 is a software internal state. For example, 2 is used for a severe motor, and 1 is used for a motor whose timing is not severe, so that a sample that tends to be a hint for JAM analysis is preferentially collected.

  First, regardless of the selected tray or duplex mode, the control load and sensor signals on the transport path are collected in a group (group 1) and the entire group is set to the highest priority (A).

(I / O signal group 1 that must be collected (priority is always the highest A))
JAM judgment (soft internal state)
Timing sensor Paper transport motor output signal Timing clutch output signal Loop sensor input signal Loop motor output signal Photoconductor motor output signal (black)
Development drive motor output signal (black)
Transfer belt motor Secondary transfer crimp release motor output signal Secondary transfer crimp release sensor input signal Fixing motor output signal Fixing entrance paper sensor input signal Fixing exit paper sensor input signal Fixing roller press release motor output signal Fixing roller press release sensor input signal body Input / output of paper discharge sensor input signal, etc.

  Further, in the case of the color mode, the output signals (YMC) of the photoreceptor motor and the development drive motor are added to the group 1. Next, the input / output signal group (group 2) of the double-sided path is shown. The priority of group 2 is high for the double-sided mode and low for the single-sided mode.

(Double-sided path I / O signal group 2)
Double-sided paper feed sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Double-sided conveyance motor output signal Double-sided conveyance clutch output signal 1, 2, 3

Next, an input / output signal group for each tray mode is shown. In general, the longer the path, the more input / output signals.
Depending on the tray mode, the group priority will be switched.

(Input / output signal group 3 in the upper tray mode of the main unit)
Main body tray motor output signal Upper tray clutch output signal Upper paper feed sensor input signal Upper vertical feed sensor input signal

(Main body lower tray mode I / O signal group 4)
Main body tray motor output signal Lower tray clutch output signal Lower paper feed sensor input signal Lower vertical transport sensor input signal Upper vertical transport sensor input signal

(Large-capacity tray 1 mode I / O signal group 5)
First station paper feed motor output signal First station paper feed clutch output signal First station paper feed sensor input signal First station transport motor output signal First station transport clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1st transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

(Large capacity tray 2 mode I / O signal group 6)
Second station paper feed motor output signal Second station paper feed clutch output signal Second station paper feed sensor input signal First station transport motor output signal First station transport clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1st transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Second transfer motor output signal Second transfer clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Second transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

(Large capacity tray 2 mode I / O signal group 7)
Third station paper feed motor output signal Third station paper feed clutch output signal Third station paper feed sensor input signal First station transport motor output signal First station transport clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1st transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Second transfer motor output signal Second transfer clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Second transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Third transfer motor output signal Third transfer clutch output signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Third transfer sensor input signal 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Next, the procedure for determining the number of signals that can be collected according to the combination of modes will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
As the printing conditions are set, the number of signals that can be acquired according to the tray mode, color mode, and duplex mode is acquired from the table shown in Table 1 (step s40). Next, it is determined whether the vertical paper size is 300 mm or more (step s41). If the vertical sheet size is 300 mm or more (step s41, Y), 2 is added to the number of signals that can be acquired because the number of sheets in the machine is reduced and there is room in the control unit (step s43). On the other hand, if the vertical paper size is not 300 mm or more (step s41, N), or after step s43, it is determined whether the high-speed mode is selected (step s42). If it is not the high speed mode (N in step s42), the sampling cycle is halved and the number of signals that can be acquired is doubled, and the process ends. If it is the high speed mode (Y in step s42), the process ends.

Next, a procedure for assigning priorities to the input / output signal groups according to the combination of modes will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
When the printing condition is determined, the group 1 is set to the priority order A (step s50), and it is determined whether the printing condition is the color mode (step s51). In the color mode (step s51, Y), the photosensitive member motor YMC output signal and the phenomenon drive motor YMC output signal are added to the group 1 signal group (step s52), and the process proceeds to step s53. If the printing condition is not the color mode, here, if it is the monochrome mode (step s51, N), the process proceeds to step s53.
In step s53, it is determined whether or not the printing condition is the duplex mode (step s53). If it is the duplex mode (step s53, Y), the group 2 is determined as the priority order B (step s55), and the process proceeds to step s56. If it is not the double-sided mode, here the single-sided mode is set (step s53, N), group 2 is determined as priority C (step s54), and the process proceeds to step s56.
In step s56, the group corresponding to the paper feed tray to be used is set to priority order B, and the group corresponding to the paper feed tray that is not used is determined to be priority order C (step s56). If the large-capacity paper feed tray is not installed, the group corresponding to the tray is determined as the priority order D (step s57), and the process is terminated.

Next, a procedure for sampling from a group having a high priority according to the mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is executed by the control unit of the present invention.
Printing is started by a predetermined operation input, and sampling is started for the group of priority A (step s60). Further, it is determined whether there is the number of signals that can be collected (step s61). If there is no number of signals that can be collected (step s61, N), sampling is forcibly terminated (step s67), and the process is terminated.

When there is the number of signals that can be collected (step s61, Y), sampling is performed for the signal with the highest priority that has not been acquired among the priority groups with the next highest priority (step s62), and the signals that can be acquired. 1 is subtracted from the number (step s63). It is determined whether all the signals included in the selected priority group have been sampled (step s64). If all the signals have not been sampled (step s64, N), the next included in the selected priority group is determined. Returning to step s61, the same processing is performed for signals having a high priority.
When all the signals included in the selected priority group are being sampled (step s64, Y), the sampling target is dropped to the next lower priority group (step s65), and the priority of the group is D. Is determined (step s66). If the priority group is lowered to D (step s66, Y), the process is terminated, and if the priority group is not lowered to D (step s66, N), the step is performed for the priority group whose rank is lowered. Returning to s61, the same processing is performed.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to the content of the said embodiment, A suitable change is possible unless it deviates from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 1a Image forming apparatus main body 10 Image forming part 11, 11C, 11M, 11Y, 11K Photoconductor 12, 12C, 12M, 12Y, 12K Charger 13, 13C, 13M, 13Y, 13K Writing part 14, 14C, 14M, 14Y, 14K Phenomenon unit 15, 15C, 15M, 15Y, 15K Cleaning unit 19 Fixing device 21 Paper feed tray 22 Transport path 23 Registration roller 24 Paper reversal transport path 113 Control CPU
115 Nonvolatile memory 127 HDD
140 Operation unit 150 Printer unit 151 Printer control unit 152 LD
170 FNS section 200 Large capacity sheet tray 210 Large capacity sheet tray 220 Large capacity sheet tray

Claims (22)

In an image forming apparatus capable of operating with a plurality of operating states or / and different machine components,
A control unit that controls a plurality of control loads to perform an image forming operation, and samples a signal related to an operation state or / and an internal state;
A storage unit that readablely stores a log that associates sampling data and time information in the sampling,
The priority of the signal to be sampled is preset according to the mode combination,
The control unit determines a sampling target in order of the priority based on a combination of modes according to the operation state or / and the machine configuration unit, and switches the signal to be the sampling target. Image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the switching according to a degree of control load necessary for the image forming operation determined by the operation state and / or the mechanical component.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machine component can be installed and changed.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the number of the signals to be sampled in the switching.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches a cycle for performing the sampling in the switching.   6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the external device that can be connected to the image forming apparatus is not mounted as the mechanical component, the control unit does not sample the signal in the external device that is not mounted. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the low-speed drive mode in which the image forming operation is performed at a low speed, the control unit lengthens a sampling cycle. The signal to be sampled is set in advance corresponding to the operating state or / and the machine component,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs the switching based on the operation state or / and the setting according to the machine configuration unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not sample the signal related to the double-sided path in a single-sided mode in which image formation is performed on one side of a sheet. .   The control unit is the sampling target at the maximum of the range of the signal that can be sampled by the control unit when the control load degree in the control unit is maximized in the selection of the operation state and / or the machine component. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a signal to be determined is determined. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit capable of inputting an operation related to the setting. The image according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the control unit prioritizes a control load on a side close to a position where a sheet to be fed is stored, as a sampling target. Forming equipment. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the control unit leaves a log indicating that sampling has not been performed for a control load that has not been sampled. And an image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein an external device which is part of the mechanical component, characterized in that said image forming apparatus and the external device is communicatively connected An image forming system. The image forming apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the external apparatus is an external sheet feeding unit. In an image forming method using an image forming apparatus capable of operating with a plurality of operating states or / and different machine components,
When performing image forming operation by controlling a plurality of control loads, and sampling a signal related to the operation state or / and the internal state ,
In the order of priority set in advance according to the combination of modes, the sampling target is determined according to the operating state or / and the machine component, and the signal to be sampled is switched,
An image forming method, wherein a log in which sampling data in the sampling is associated with time information is stored in a readable manner. 17. The image forming method according to claim 16, wherein the switching is performed in accordance with the operation state or / and the degree of control load required for the image forming operation determined by the machine component. The signal to be sampled is determined by the maximum of the range of the signal that can be sampled when the degree of control load is maximized in the selection of the operation state and / or the machine component. The image forming method according to claim 16 or 17 . A control unit that performs image forming operation by controlling a plurality of control loads in an image forming apparatus that can be operated by a plurality of operation states or / and different machine components, and that samples signals relating to the operation state or / and internal state An image forming program for operating
Switching the signal to be sampled by determining a sampling target according to the operation state or / and the machine component in the order of priorities set according to a combination of modes ;
An image forming control program comprising: a step of storing a log in which sampling data in the sampling is associated with time information in a readable manner. 20. The image forming according to claim 19 , wherein in the step of switching the signal, the switching is performed in accordance with the operation state or / and a degree of control load required for an image forming operation determined by the machine component. Control program. The acquired operation state and / or the mechanical components, the image formation control program according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that it comprises the step of obtaining control loads degree necessary for the image forming operation. The step of determining a signal to be sampled is determined at the maximum of the range of the signal that can be sampled in the operating state or / and the maximum control load degree in the machine component. The image formation control program according to any one of claims 19 to 21 .

Images