JP7536482B2 - Information processing method, information processing program, information processing device, information processing system, and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing method, an information processing program, and an information processing system for an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device.

Patent document 1 describes a configuration in which an image forming device that forms images, such as a laser beam printer, has multiple paper output trays.

For example, when an image is formed on the top surface of a sheet, there is an output tray that is an output section where the sheet passes through a transport path that turns the sheet over after the image is formed, and the sheet is discharged with the image side facing down. If the face is the side on which the image is formed, this output tray is called a face-down (hereinafter also referred to as FD) tray because the sheet is discharged with the face facing down. On the other hand, when an image is formed on the top surface of a sheet, there is an output tray that is an output section where the sheet passes through a transport path that does not turn the sheet over after the image is formed, and the sheet is discharged with the image side facing up. This output tray is called a face-up (hereinafter also referred to as FU) tray because the sheet is discharged with the face facing up.

The FU tray may be configured to be openable and closable. In this configuration, when the FU tray is closed, it serves as a guide to the FD tray, and when it is open, it does not serve as a guide to the FD tray but serves as an output tray on which sheets can be loaded.

The user can select the sheet output section depending on the application. If the sheet output section selected by the user does not match the open/closed state of the FU tray, the open/closed state of the FU tray is notified to the user.

Patent Publication 2015-110455

However, image forming devices do not always allow the user to specify a sheet discharge section. If the user is unable to specify a sheet discharge section, the notification as shown in Patent Document 1 will not be possible. In such a situation, it is desirable to notify the user of a message encouraging the user to switch the open/closed state of the FU tray.

The invention of this application was made in consideration of the above situation. It aims to notify a message prompting the user to switch the open/closed state of the FU tray depending on the type of sheet specified.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
a first discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a first discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-down with the image formed by the image forming means facing downward;
a second paper discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
an information processing method for an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device, the second paper discharge unit being a guide unit that guides sheets to the first paper discharge unit when in the closed state position, and being a sheet discharge unit that can stack sheets without guiding sheets to the first paper discharge unit when in the open state position,
an input step of inputting the type of sheet based on an instruction from a user ;
an acquiring step of acquiring information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state from the image forming apparatus ;
a transmitting step of transmitting image information to the image forming device;
When the type of the sheet input in the input step is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and when the information that the second sheet discharge unit is in a closed state is acquired in the acquisition step,
and an output step of outputting a message prompting a user to switch the second paper discharge section to an open position before image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prompt the user to switch the open/closed state of the FU tray before sending image information to the image forming device, depending on the type of sheet input.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of the radius of curvature of the transport path from the paper feed tray 101 and the MP tray 140; FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an example of the radius of curvature of the transport path to the FU tray 116 and the paper discharge tray 115; FIG. 1A is a control block diagram of an entire printer control system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1B is a control block diagram of hardware related to sheet transport control according to the first embodiment; (a) Configuration diagram of print processing (b) Block diagram showing the functions of an application 404 in the first embodiment (a) Table for selecting paper type in the first embodiment (b) Table for printing operation in the first embodiment 1A to 1F are explanatory diagrams of messages related to the first embodiment. Flowchart of processing related to the first embodiment Flowchart of processing according to the second embodiment (a) Detailed setting screen for printing operation (b) Message window displayed when FU recommended paper is selected A block diagram showing the functions of a printer controller 213 according to a third embodiment. Flowchart of processing related to the third embodiment Flowchart of processing related to the fourth embodiment

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention of the claims, and all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention.

<Image Formation Process>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the photosensitive drum 122 is composed of an organic photosensitive body or an amorphous silicon photosensitive body, and is rotated clockwise at a predetermined peripheral speed (process speed). The peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 122 is uniformly charged to a predetermined polarity and potential by a charging roller 123. Then, exposure is performed by the laser light output from the optical device 109 being reflected by the laser light reflecting mirror 108 and irradiating the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 122. This exposure forms an electrostatic latent image.

The image processing for forming an electrostatic latent image will be outlined with reference to FIG. 3. First, the printer controller 213 modulates (on/off conversion) the image information input from the host computer 200 into an image signal. The printer controller 213 transmits the image signal to the engine controller 301. The optical device 109 irradiates laser light based on this image signal. Hereinafter, the image information here will be referred to as the first image information, and the image signal will be referred to as the second image information. Although the first image information and the second image information have been described as being different, they may be the same.

The electrostatic latent image thus formed on the photosensitive drum 122 corresponding to the desired image is developed into a toner image by the developer 121 attaching toner charged to the same polarity as the charge applied by the charging roller 123.

Next, sheets are fed one by one from the paper feed tray 101 by the paper feed roller 102 and the separation roller 103, and are transported via the transport roller 104 to the transport roller 105. At this time, the sheets stacked on the paper feed tray 101 are fed through a paper feed transport path that transports the sheets to the transport roller 105 with their top faces facing down. This paper feed transport path is also referred to as the first paper feed transport path. The paper feed tray 101 is also referred to as the first paper feed section.

The toner image developed on the photosensitive drum 122 is then transferred to the sheet. At this time, the transfer roller 107 transfers the toner image from the photosensitive drum 122 to the sheet by supplying a charge of the opposite polarity to the toner from the back surface of the sheet. The sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred in this manner is separated from the photosensitive drum 122 and transported to the fixing device 130. In the fixing device 130, the toner image on the sheet is fixed to the sheet by heat from the heater 132 and pressure from the fixing nip that the fixing device 130 constitutes. The sheet onto which the toner image has been fixed is discharged to the FU tray 116 or the discharge tray 115.

Next, a case where a sheet is fed from the MP tray 140 (Multi-Purpose tray) for manually feeding a sheet as another sheet feeding section will be described. The MP tray 140 may be called a multi-purpose tray. The MP tray 140 is an openable member that can be switched between an open state and a closed state. In the closed state, it is in a position that closes the feed port for feeding a sheet from the MP tray 140 provided in the image forming apparatus 100, and in the open state, it is in a position that opens the feed port for feeding a sheet from the MP tray 140. When feeding a sheet from the MP tray 140, the MP tray 140 is opened and the sheet is loaded. The MP feed roller 142 transports the sheet loaded on the MP tray 140 to the MP separation roller 143. The MP separation roller 143 separates the transported sheet into one sheet and transports it to the transport roller 105. The sheet conveyed to the conveying roller 105 is conveyed to the photosensitive drum 122. After being conveyed to the photosensitive drum 122, like the sheet fed from the paper feed tray 101, the toner image is formed and fixed on the sheet, and the sheet is discharged to the FU tray 116 or the paper discharge tray 115. At this time, the sheets stacked on the MP tray 140 are fed through a paper feed conveying path that conveys the sheets to the conveying roller 105 with their top faces facing up while stacked. The paper feed conveying path at this time is also referred to as a second paper feed conveying path. The MP tray 140 at this time is also referred to as a second paper feed section.

In this embodiment, the MP tray 140 is manually opened and closed, but the MP tray 140 may be opened and closed automatically. In this case, the MP tray 140 is automatically opened and closed by providing a drive source such as an MP tray opening and closing motor 331 and an MP tray opening and closing motor input circuit 319 as shown in FIG. 3(b).

The first and second feed conveying paths have different radii of curvature. The radii of curvature of each feed conveying path are explained using the schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 2A and specific numerical examples. FIG. 2A shows that the MP tray 140 is open. When a sheet is fed from the feed tray 101, the sheet passes through the separation roller 103 and then is conveyed through the conveying path that passes through the conveying roller 104. The radius of curvature of this conveying path is, for example, R80 (80 mm). On the other hand, when a sheet is fed from the MP tray 140, the sheet passes through the MP separation roller 143 and then is conveyed through the conveying path that passes through the conveying roller 105. The radius of curvature of this conveying path is, for example, R800 (800 mm). Here, the conveying path from the feed tray 101 and the conveying path from the MP tray 140 are compared using an example of the numerical value of the radius of curvature. The minimum radius of curvature of the sheet transport path when the sheet is fed from the paper feed tray 101 is smaller than the minimum radius of curvature of the sheet transport path when the sheet is fed from the MP tray 140.

For this reason, when stiff sheets such as cardboard or envelopes are fed from the paper feed tray 101, they pass through a transport path with a small radius of curvature, which creates a high transport resistance and can lead to transport problems or paper jams. Therefore, when feeding from the MP tray 140, the sheet is not transported through a transport path with a small radius of curvature, which can prevent transport problems and paper jams.

Next, the sheet discharge section will be described. The image forming device 100 has a discharge tray 115 for face-down discharge (hereinafter also referred to as FD discharge) and an FU tray 116 for face-up discharge (hereinafter also referred to as FU discharge), and the discharge transport paths for sheets to each discharge tray are different.

The discharge transport path to the discharge tray 115 is the transport path through which the sheet travels from the FU roller 111 through the FD roller 112 until it is stacked on the discharge tray 115. The discharge transport path to the discharge tray 115 is also referred to as the first discharge transport path. When a sheet with an image formed on its upper surface is transported along the first discharge transport path, it is discharged to the discharge tray 115 with the image surface facing down (face down) (FD).

The FU tray 116 is an opening/closing member that can be switched between an open position and a closed position. When the FU tray 116 is in the closed position, it serves as a guide section that guides sheets to the discharge tray 115. When the FU tray 116 is in the open position, it serves as a discharge tray on which sheets can be loaded without serving as a guide section that guides sheets to the discharge tray 115.

The discharge transport path to the FU tray 116 is the transport path from the FU roller 111 to when the sheet is loaded onto the FU tray 116. The discharge transport path to the FU tray 116 is also referred to as the second discharge transport path. When a sheet with an image formed on its upper surface is transported along the second discharge transport path, it is discharged to the FU tray 116 with the image surface facing upward (face up) (FU).

The FU tray open/close sensor 117 functions as a detection means for detecting whether the FU tray 116 is open or closed.

The first discharge conveying path and the second discharge conveying path have different radii of curvature. The radii of curvature of each discharge conveying path will be described using the schematic cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 2B and specific numerical examples. In FIG. 2B, the FU tray 116 is shown in an open state by a dotted line. When the FU tray 116 is closed, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 2B, the sheet passes through the FU roller 111, is conveyed through a conveying path that passes through the FD roller 112, and is discharged to the discharge tray 115. The radius of curvature of this conveying path is, for example, R75 (75 mm). On the other hand, when the FU tray 116 is open, the sheet passes through the FU roller 111, is conveyed through a conveying path as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2B, and is discharged to the FU tray 116. The radius of curvature of this conveying path is, for example, R400 (400 mm). Here, the transport path to the discharge tray 115 and the transport path to the FU tray 116 are compared using an example of a numerical value for the radius of curvature. The minimum value of the radius of curvature of the sheet transport path formed when the FU tray 116 is closed is smaller than the minimum value of the radius of curvature of the sheet transport path formed when the FU tray 116 is open.

For this reason, when stiff sheets such as cardboard or envelopes are discharged from the FD, the heat received from the heater 132 remains on the sheet as it passes through a transport path with a small radius of curvature, which may cause the sheet to curl. Also, if the transport path has a small radius of curvature, the transport resistance is large and this may result in transport problems or paper jams. Therefore, by opening the FU tray 116, the sheet is no longer transported through a transport path with a small radius of curvature, which can prevent the sheet from curling.

Returning to FIG. 1, a fixing sensor 110 is provided in front of the FU roller 111. When performing double-sided printing, a predetermined time after the rear end of the fixed sheet passes the fixing sensor 110, the rotation direction of the FD roller 112 is reversed and the sheet is transported to the double-sided transport path L1 by the FD roller 112. The sheet transported to the double-sided transport path L1 is re-fed by the re-feed roller 114 and re-transported to the transport roller 105. The sheet re-transported to the transport roller 105 has a toner image transferred to the back side, fixed, and discharged to the paper output tray 115.

In this way, when double-sided printing is performed, the sheet passes through a transport path with a small radius of curvature while the heat received from the heater 132 remains on the sheet, just as when it is discharged from the FD. For this reason, when double-sided printing is performed on stiff sheets such as cardboard or envelopes, the sheet may curl. For this reason, double-sided printing is not recommended for stiff sheets such as cardboard or envelopes. Note that if the FU tray 116 is left open when double-sided printing is performed, the transport path from the FU roller 111 to the FD roller 112 will be lost, making double-sided printing impossible.

In this embodiment, the case where the FU tray 116 is opened and closed manually is described, but the FU tray 116 may be opened and closed automatically. In this case, the FU tray 116 is opened and closed automatically by providing a drive source such as an FU tray opening and closing motor 330 and an FU tray opening and closing motor input circuit 320 as shown in FIG. 3(b). Automatic opening and closing will be described later.

<Printer Control System Configuration>
3A is a block diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the printer control system of this embodiment. As long as the functions of this embodiment can be executed, this embodiment can be applied to a single device, a system consisting of multiple devices, or a system in which processing is performed by connecting via a network such as a LAN or WAN.

In FIG. 3(a), the host computer 200 includes a CPU 201. The CPU 201 executes document processing including a mixture of figures, images, characters, tables (including spreadsheets, etc.) based on a document processing program stored in the program ROM of the ROM 203 or in the external memory 210. In this embodiment, the CPU 201 processes image information using an application 401, a graphics engine 402, and a printer driver 403, as shown in FIG. 4(a), for example. Detailed processing will be described later.

The CPU 201 performs overall control of each device connected to the main bus 204. The program ROM of the ROM 203 or the external memory 210 stores an operating system program (hereinafter referred to as OS) which is the control program of the CPU 201. The font ROM of the ROM 203 or the external memory 210 stores font data and the like used during the above-mentioned document processing. The data ROM of the ROM 203 or the external memory 210 stores various data used during the above-mentioned document processing and the like. The RAM 202 functions as the main memory, work area, etc. of the CPU 201.

The keyboard controller 205 controls key input from a keyboard 208 or a pointing device (not shown). The display controller 206 controls the display on a display 209. The user inputs the desired printing operation to the host computer 200 by performing operations such as selecting a printing operation using the keyboard 208 or a pointing device (not shown) as an input means.

The disk controller 207 controls access to external memory 210, such as a hard disk (HD) or a flexible disk (FD), which stores the boot program, various applications, font data, user files, edit files, printer control command generation programs (hereinafter referred to as printer drivers), etc.

The CPU 201 executes a process of expanding (rasterizing) the outline font to the display information RAM set on the RAM 202, for example. The rasterizing process enables WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) on the display 209. WYSIWYG means that the CPU 201 displays the final result on the display 209, so that the user can edit while checking the final result. The CPU 201 also opens various windows registered based on commands instructed by the user using a mouse cursor (not shown) on the display 209, and executes various data processing. When executing printing, the user opens a window related to print settings and sets the printer settings and the print processing method for the printer driver, including the selection of the print mode. The image information generated by such processing is output from the host computer 200 to the printer device 212.

The printer device 212 is the image forming device 100 shown in FIG. 1, and forms an image on a sheet based on image information input from the host computer 200 according to the electrophotographic process described above. The printer controller 213 is controlled by the CPU 214. The CPU 214 outputs an image signal, which is second image information, to the printing unit (printer engine) 221 connected to the main bus 204 based on a control program stored in the program ROM of the ROM 216. The program ROM of the ROM 216 stores the control program of the CPU 214. The font ROM of the ROM 216 stores font data used when generating the output information, and the data ROM of the ROM 216 stores information used on the host computer.

The CPU 214 can communicate information with the host computer 200 using the bidirectional interface (interface) 211 via the input unit 218, and notifies the host computer 200 of information in the printer device 212. At this time, the input unit 218 functions as a receiving means for receiving information including, for example, the first image information from the host computer 200.

The RAM 215 functions as the main memory and work area of the CPU 214, and is configured so that the memory capacity can be expanded by an optional RAM (not shown) connected to an expansion port (not shown). The RAM 215 is used as an output information expansion area, an environmental data storage area, an NVRAM, etc. The operation panel 222 is provided with switches and LED displays for operation.

The printer device 212 in this embodiment may be connected to an external memory (not shown) as an option. This external memory (not shown) stores font data, emulation programs, form data, etc. Furthermore, the printer device 212 in this embodiment may be able to connect multiple external memories (not shown) that store, in addition to the built-in fonts, option cards, and programs that interpret printer control languages of different language systems.

Figure 3(b) is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration related to sheet transport control as a software function realized by the printing unit 221 of this embodiment. The printing unit 221 is controlled by a CPU 302. The CPU 302 controls the printing unit 221 by computer programs stored in a ROM 303 and a RAM 304 that function as storage units. The CPU 302 and the MPU (not shown) may also have multiple processors such as multi-core processors, and the printing unit 221 may be controlled by the multiple processors.

The storage unit of the engine controller 301 is composed of one or more memories such as ROM 303 and RAM 304, and stores various information such as computer programs for performing various operations described below and communication parameters for wireless communication. Note that the storage unit in this embodiment may be memories other than ROM 303, RAM 304, etc. The storage unit in this embodiment may be a storage medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, or a DVD.

The CPU 302 communicates with the ROM 303, the RAM 304, and the I/O port 306 via a communication bus 305. The CPU 302 executes a program stored in the ROM 303, obtains the results of calculations performed during execution, and stores the results of calculations in the RAM 304. The CPU 302 also controls the printing unit 221 based on the program stored in the ROM 303.

The drive of the transport motor 321 is controlled via the transport motor drive circuit 311 and the I/O port 306. The transport motor 321 drives to rotate the photosensitive drum 122, the transport roller 105, and the re-feed roller 114. The transport motor 321 also serves as the drive source for the feed roller 102 and the separation roller 103, and drives the feed roller 102 and the separation roller 103 when the feed solenoid 322 is turned ON. The transport motor 321 also serves as the drive source for the MP feed roller 142 and the MP separation roller 143, and drives the MP feed roller 142 and the MP separation roller 143 when the MP tray solenoid 328 is turned ON. The feed solenoid 322 is switched ON/OFF via the feed solenoid drive circuit 312 and the I/O port 306.

The double-sided motor 323 is driven via the double-sided motor drive circuit 313 and the I/O port 306, and drives to rotate the FD roller 112. The discharge motor 324 is controlled to be driven via the discharge motor drive circuit 314 and the I/O port 306. The discharge motor 324 drives to rotate the fixing roller 131 and pressure roller 133 of the fixing device 130, and the FU roller 111. The MP tray solenoid 328 is switched ON/OFF via the MP tray solenoid drive circuit 318 and the I/O port 306.

The paper presence/absence detection result detected by the fixing sensor 110 is transmitted to the CPU 302 via the fixing sensor input circuit 316 and the I/O port 306. The open/closed state of the FU tray 116 detected by the FU tray open/close sensor 117 is transmitted to the CPU 302 via the FU tray open/close sensor input circuit 317 and the I/O port 306.

The FU tray opening/closing motor 330 is controlled to be driven via the FU tray opening/closing motor input circuit 320 and the I/O port 306. The FU tray opening/closing motor 330 is driven to open and close the FU tray 116. Similarly, the MP tray opening/closing motor 331 is controlled to be driven via the MP tray opening/closing motor input circuit 319 and the I/O port 306. The MP tray opening/closing motor 331 is driven to open and close the MP tray 140.

As described above, with the configuration described using FIG. 3, the host computer 200 sends information regarding image formation to the printer device 212 in accordance with instructions from the CPU 201. The information regarding image formation sent from the host computer 200 to the printer device 212 includes the type of sheet on which the image is formed (hereinafter referred to as paper type) and the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing. The printer device 212 performs an image formation process based on the information regarding image formation received from the host computer 200. The printer device 212 that performs such an image formation process and the host computer 200 can be collectively referred to as an image forming system.

In this case, the host computer 200 is an information processing device such as a PC or a smartphone, and is capable of communicating with the printer device 212.

<Block diagram showing printing process>
4A is a block diagram showing print processing in a host computer 200 to which a printing device such as a printer is directly connected or connected via a network. Using FIG. 4A, the print processing executed by a CPU 201 in the host computer 200 to which a printer device 212 of this embodiment is connected will be described.

The application 401, the graphic engine 402, the printer driver 403, and the application 404 exist as files stored in the external memory 210. These files are program modules that are loaded into the RAM 202 by the OS or a module that uses the OS module, and are executed by the CPU 201. The application 401 and the printer driver 403 can be added to the floppy disk of the external memory 210, a CD-ROM (not shown), or the HD of the external memory (not shown) of the printer device 212 via a network (not shown).

For example, application 401 stored in external memory 210 is loaded into RAM 202 by the OS and executed by CPU 201. When CPU 201 uses application 401 to perform printing processing, it executes graphic engine 402, which is loaded into RAM 202 by the OS and made executable, to output (draw) the first image information described above. When CPU 201 uses graphic engine 402 to output (draw) the first image information, OS loads printer driver 403 prepared for each printer device from external memory 210 into RAM 202 and makes it executable.

Next, a case where the CPU 201 sets the output of the application 401 to the printer driver 403 will be described. The CPU 201 outputs a GDI (Graphic Device Interface) function output from the application 401 to the graphic engine 402. The CPU 201 converts the GDI function into a DDI (Device Driver Interface) function using the graphic engine 402, and outputs the DDI function to the printer driver 403. The CPU 201 converts the DDI function output from the graphic engine 402 into, for example, a PDL (Page Description Language) using the printer driver 403. The PDL is a control command that can be recognized by the printer controller 213 of the printer device 212.

The CPU 201 executes the application 404 loaded into the RAM by the OS, and outputs the printer control command converted by the printer driver 403 to the input unit 218 of the printer controller 213 as first image information. At this time, the first image information is converted into an image signal, which is second image information for drawing an electrostatic latent image, for example by turning a laser on and off, before being output from the printer controller 213 to the printing unit 221.

FIG. 4B is a block diagram showing the functions when the program of application 404 is loaded into RAM 202 by the OS and executed by CPU 201. Application 404 mainly functions as a UI unit 405, a setting unit 406, and a transmission/reception unit 407.

When the application 404 functions as the UI unit 405, the UI unit 405 functions as an output unit. When the UI unit 405 functions as an output unit, it displays information required for the user to complete input of information related to image formation on the display 209. At this time, for example, when the user inputs information related to image formation in a combination described below, a warning (hereinafter also referred to as a message) to the user set by the setting unit 406 is displayed on the display 209. The message displayed at this time may be, for example, a message content as shown in FIG. 6(b) and may be displayed on the display 209 as shown in (c) to (f). These messages do not necessarily have to be displayed on the display 209, and for example, the message content as shown in FIG. 6(b) may be notified to the user by voice using a reading function. Also, for example, the message content as shown in FIG. 6(b) may be notified to the user by the light emission pattern of an LED lamp.

When the application 404 functions as the setting unit 406, for example, if the user inputs information related to image formation in a combination described below, a flag is set. Based on this flag, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209. Specifically, this combination is a combination of the paper type information input by the user, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, and the detection result by the FU tray open/close sensor 117 (hereinafter also referred to as the open/close state of the FU tray 116).

When the application 404 functions as the transmission/reception unit 407, it communicates information between the host computer 200 and the printer controller 213. Through this communication, the transmission/reception unit 407 functions as an acquisition unit and acquires the detection result by the FU tray open/close sensor 117, which is a detection unit that detects the open/close state of the FU tray. Also, through this communication, the transmission/reception unit 407 functions as a transmission unit and transmits information related to image formation (also called a print job) to the printer controller 213. When acquiring the detection result by the FU tray open/close sensor 117, there is a first transmission process for transmitting information to request the detection result and a reception process for receiving the detection result. The transmission of the print job is executed in a second transmission process that is different from the first transmission process. The second transmission process is executed, for example, after the user completes the detailed settings of the printing operation and closes the detailed setting screen of the printing operation. In the second transmission process, the print job is transmitted from the host computer 200 to the printer controller 213 and is received by the input unit 218, which is a receiving unit.

<About stiff sheets such as thick paper and envelopes, FD output/FU output, and double-sided printing>
In the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment, the radius of curvature of the conveying path from the FU roller 111 located immediately downstream of the fixing device 130 to the discharge tray 115 is small. Therefore, when a stiff sheet such as thick paper or an envelope is discharged from the discharge tray 115 or when double-sided printing is performed, the sheet is likely to curl because it passes through a conveying path with a small radius of curvature before the heat remaining in the sheet cools down. For the above reasons, it is more preferable for stiff sheets such as thick paper or an envelope to be FU-discharged to the FU tray 116 through a conveying path with a large radius of curvature rather than being FD-discharged to the discharge tray 115 through a conveying path with a small radius of curvature. In addition, it is more preferable to avoid double-sided printing of stiff sheets such as thick paper or an envelope through a conveying path with a small radius of curvature.

In this embodiment, the above-mentioned curling of the sheet is prevented. To achieve this, the UI unit 405 notifies the user of a message based on the paper type information included in the information related to image formation specified by the user and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the transmission/reception unit 407.

In this embodiment, paper with a basis weight of 200 g/ ^m2 or more is referred to as thick paper. If thick paper passes through a conveyance path with a small radius of curvature and is printed on both sides or discharged to the discharge tray 115, there is a high possibility that the sheet will curl for the reasons described above. On the other hand, in the case of paper with a basis weight of less than 200 g/ ^m2 (hereinafter referred to as plain paper), there is a low possibility that the sheet will bend even if it passes through a conveyance path with a small radius of curvature and is printed on both sides or discharged to the discharge tray 115.

For the above reasons, in this embodiment, stiff sheets such as cardboard and envelopes are defined as FU discharge recommended sheets, which are recommended for discharge to the FU tray 116. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when selecting a paper type, FU discharge recommended sheets are defined as paper type 2, and plain paper (other than FU discharge recommended sheets), which may be discharged not only to the FU tray 116 but also to the discharge tray 115, is defined as paper type 1. FU discharge recommended sheets include, for example, cardboard, envelopes, label paper, glossy paper, and glossy paper. Also, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when selecting double-sided/single-sided printing in a print job, single-sided printing is defined as print operation 1, and double-sided printing is defined as print operation 2.

<Combination of Print Job and Open/Closed State of FU Tray 116 and Displayed Message Content>
The paper type information, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, the open/close state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the transmitting/receiving unit 407, and the message contents displayed on the display 209 of the host computer 200 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. A detailed process when the setting unit 406 actually selects and sets a message will be described later.

When the user specifies paper recommended for FU output, double-sided printing should be avoided for the reasons described above, so even if the user specifies double-sided printing, the printing is automatically changed to single-sided printing. In the case of this combination of specifications, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209 to the effect that "Double-sided printing is not recommended for this paper type. If printing is performed, single-sided printing will be performed," as shown, for example, in (1) of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 6(c). At this time, the content displayed as the message is not limited to this. For example, it may display "Changing to single-sided printing." The message displayed at this time is displayed when the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1. For this reason, hereinafter this is referred to as the double-sided prohibition message.

When the FU tray 116 is closed with the same combination of specifications, as shown in (2) of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 6(d), in addition to the double-sided prohibition message, a message to the effect that "Please open the FU tray 116" is displayed on the display 209. At this time, the contents of the message to be displayed are not limited to this. For example, some users may not know that paper types such as thick paper and envelopes are recommended for FU paper ejection, or may not know that the FU tray 116 is an opening and closing member. In this case, for example, "This paper type is recommended for FU paper ejection. Please open the FU tray" may be displayed, or a picture that shows that "the FU tray 116 can be opened" may be displayed. In addition, a message such as "The FU tray 116 is closed" that informs the user of the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 itself may be displayed. The message to be displayed at this time is displayed when the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1. For this reason, hereinafter, it is referred to as the FU tray 116 open message.

When the user specifies FU discharge recommended paper and single-sided printing, for the reasons mentioned above, it is preferable for the paper to be discharged to the FU tray 116 via a transport path with a large radius of curvature, rather than being discharged to the paper output tray 115 via a transport path with a small radius of curvature. At this time, if the FU tray 116 is open, no message is displayed. On the other hand, if the FU tray 116 is closed, a message stating "Please open the FU tray 116" is displayed on the display 209, as shown in (4) of Figure 6(b) and Figure 6(f). This message is similar to the content of the FU tray 116 open message mentioned above, so a description will be omitted.

Next, a case where the user specifies a paper type other than FU discharge recommended paper and double-sided printing will be described. At this time, if the FU tray 116 is open, the double-sided transport path will disappear and double-sided printing will not be possible. Therefore, if the FU tray 116 is open, a message to the effect that "Please close the FU tray 116" is displayed on the display 209 as shown in (3) of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 6(e). At this time, the content displayed as the message is not limited to this. For example, it may be displayed as "The FU tray 116 is open." The message displayed at this time is displayed when the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1. For this reason, hereinafter, this is referred to as the FU tray 116 close message.

As described above, the setting unit 406 selects and sets a message according to the combination of paper type information, the double-sided/single-sided printing selection state, and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the transmission/reception unit 407. The UI unit 405 displays the set message on the display 209, thereby notifying the user of the operation required for the printer device 212 to execute the printing operation desired by the user.

<Message Notification According to Combination of Information Regarding Image Formation Specified by User>
The following describes a process performed by the CPU 201 using the application 404 to notify the user of a message in accordance with a combination of information related to image formation designated by the user, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when the host computer 200 receives a command from the user to start detailed settings of the printing operation, the process proceeds to S100. In S100, the UI unit 405 displays a detailed settings screen of the printing operation on the display 209, and the detailed settings of the printing operation start, and the process proceeds to S101. The detailed settings screen of the printing operation is, for example, a screen as shown in FIG. 9, and has tabs such as basic settings, advanced settings, and automatic settings. When the basic settings tab is selected, for example, the paper size, print orientation, number of copies, paper type, resolution, double-sided printing, booklet printing, single-sided printing, and paper feed method can be set. In this detailed settings screen of the printing operation, the user completes the detailed settings of the printing operation and presses the OK button, and the detailed settings screen of the printing operation ends. In this embodiment, a combination of the paper type setting in the basic settings tab and the double-sided/single-sided printing setting is used. If the user does not select double-sided/single-sided printing, the first printing operation (single-sided printing) is selected as the initial setting.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected paper type 1 (paper type other than FU output recommended paper) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S110. In S110, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S115. In S115, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation on the print operation detailed setting screen and pressed the OK button.

In S110, when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of duplex/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S111. In S111, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S112, when the transmission/reception unit 407 does not acquire the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (when the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S114. In S114, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for duplex printing, and proceeds to S115. In S115, the UI unit 405 waits until it receives information that the user has completed the detailed setting of the print operation in the detailed setting screen of the print operation and pressed the OK button. In S112, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), the process proceeds to S113. In S113, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S115.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected paper type 2 (paper recommended for FU output) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S106.

In S106, the transmitting/receiving unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S107, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 acquires the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), proceed to S108. In S108, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 0 to display a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and proceeds to S115. In S107, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 does not acquire the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), proceed to S109. In S109, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 to display a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S115.

In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (double-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the setting unit 406 sets a double-sided prohibition flag to 1 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S104. In S104, the setting unit 406 changes the print operation to print operation 1 (single-sided printing), and the process proceeds to S106. S106 to S115 have been described above, so description thereof will be omitted.

In S115, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation on the print operation detail setting screen and pressed the OK button. If the UI unit 405 has not acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation and pressed the OK button (No), the print operation detail setting screen continues to be displayed, and steps S101 to S114 are repeated. This allows the user to continue setting the print operation detail.

When the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has completed inputting the print operation and pressed the OK button (Yes), the process proceeds to the next step. In the next step, the process goes through steps S116 to S119, and performs processing according to whether or not various flags have been set by the setting unit 406 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation.

When the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 (S116) and the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S117) in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the UI unit 405 displays the message (2) in S120. The message (2) is, for example, a message as shown in (2) of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 6(d), and the contents of the two messages, the double-sided prohibition message and the FU tray 116 open message, described above, are displayed.

When the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided printing prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S116) but does not set the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S117), the UI unit 405 displays the message (1) in S121. The message (1) is, for example, a message such as that shown in FIG. 6(b) (1) or FIG. 6(c), and displays the contents of the double-sided printing prohibition message described above.

If the setting unit 406 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S116) and sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S118), the UI unit 405 displays the message (3) in S122. The message (3) is, for example, a message as shown in (3) of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 6(e), and displays the contents of the FU tray 116 close message described above.

When the setting unit 406 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 (S116), does not set the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S118), and sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S119) in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the UI unit 405 displays the message (4). The message (4) is, for example, a message such as that shown in FIG. 6(b) (4) or FIG. 6(f).

In steps S120 to S123, the UI unit 405 displays the various messages described above on the display 209, covering a portion of the print operation detail setting screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(a). In addition, the various messages displayed at this time include an OK button, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(c) to FIG. 6(f).

In S124, the UI unit 405 continues to display various messages on the display 209 until it acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user. In S124, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user (Yes), in S125, the setting unit 406 sets the flag to 0. The setting unit 406 may also set the flag to 0 when a certain time has passed since the various messages were displayed, in addition to when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user. When the setting unit 406 sets the flag to 0, the UI unit 405 erases the various messages that were displayed on the display 209. At the same time as erasing the various messages, the UI unit 405 erases a detailed setting screen for the printing operation, such as that shown in FIG. 9, and proceeds to S126.

In addition, if the setting unit 406 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 (S116), does not set the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S118), and does not set the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S119) in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the process proceeds to S126. At this time, the UI unit 405 does not display any message on the display 209.

In S126, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. The process does not proceed to the next step until the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. If the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed (Yes), the process proceeds to S127. In S127, the transmission/reception unit 407 transmits image information to the printer controller 213. As for the various messages from S120 to S123, the UI unit 405 displays various messages on the display 209 before the transmission/reception unit 407 transmits the first image information to the printer controller 213.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user goes to the printer device 212 and performs the operations instructed by the messages displayed by the UI unit 405 in S120 to S123. For example, if the UI unit 405 displays an FU tray 116 open message in S123, it is assumed that the user manually opens the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, when a print operation is executed with a print job specified by the user, the user is notified of the necessary operations. Therefore, even if the user does not manually open the FU tray 116, if the UI unit 405 acquires information in S124 that the OK button has been pressed by the user, the process proceeds to the next step, and the print operation can finally be executed. In this way, in this embodiment, whether the FU tray 116 is opened or closed depends on the user's convenience.

Here, we will describe possible situations in which the user presses the OK button without opening the FU tray 116, even though the FU tray 116 open message was displayed in S123.

For example, even if a user specifies paper recommended for FU output, the user may accept that the sheet may curl due to double-sided printing or output to the output tray 115. Also, when the user installs the image forming device 100, if the side on which the FU tray 116 is located is placed close to the wall, the user may find it difficult to open and close the FU tray 116. In this case, the user may not mind the sheet curling if he or she has to reach into the gap between the image forming device 100 and the wall to open the FU tray 116. In this case, even if the UI unit 405 displays a FU tray 116 open message, the user may press the OK button without performing any operation on the printer device 212. In this case, space can be saved by keeping the FU tray 116 closed.

In addition, in this embodiment, various messages are displayed after the UI unit 405 acquires information when the user completes inputting the print operation in the print operation detail setting screen and presses the OK button. However, S115 may be moved between S126 and S125, and processing may be such that if the answer to the branch in S124 is No, the processing returns to S100. With this processing, the setting unit 406 can set the corresponding message each time the user changes the print operation settings in the print operation detail setting screen, and the UI unit 405 can display the message on the display 209.

In this embodiment, when the UI unit 405 acquires information resulting from the user inputting the print operation in the print operation detail setting screen, the CPU 201 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. However, S115 may be moved between S100 and S101, and if the branch at S115 is No, the process may return to S100, and if the branch at S124 is No, the process may return to S100. With this process, the UI unit 405 acquires information resulting from the user completing the input of the print operation in the print operation detail setting screen and pressing the OK button, and then the CPU 201 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. After the CPU 201 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116, the setting unit 406 sets a corresponding message, and the UI unit 405 can display the message on the display 209.

Furthermore, when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected paper type 2 in the paper type selection on the detailed setting screen for the printing operation in this embodiment, it displays a message on the display 209, such as that shown in FIG. 9B. For example, a message is displayed encouraging the user to change the paper feed method to the MP tray 140 and feed sheets manually. When the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button provided in this message, it erases the message. When the message disappears, the user can continue to set detailed settings for the printing operation, such as double-sided/single-sided printing.

Summary of the First Embodiment
As described above, in this embodiment, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209 according to a combination of paper type information, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, and the open/close state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the transmission/reception unit 407. This improves usability because a message can be displayed only when a user operation is required according to the open/close state of the FU tray 116. Also, by the user performing the necessary operation on the printer device according to the combination of print jobs, it is possible to prevent curling of FU discharge recommended paper and the inability to perform double-sided printing.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, whether or not the user opens or closes the FU tray 116 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 405 is up to the user. Also, a case was described in which the process proceeds to the next step when the user presses the OK button in the message. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the process does not proceed to the next step until the CPU 201 detects an opening or closing operation of the FU tray 116 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 405. This makes it possible to prevent FU discharge recommended paper from curling and to prevent double-sided printing from becoming impossible.

The following describes the process performed by the CPU 201 using the application 404 to notify the user of a message in accordance with a combination of information related to image formation input by the user, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 8. The same configuration as in the previous embodiment is given the same number and description is omitted. The image formation process and hardware configuration are also the same as in the first embodiment, so description is omitted. In this embodiment, each time the user changes the print operation specification in the print operation detailed setting screen, the setting unit 406 sets the corresponding message, and the UI unit 405 displays the message on the display 209.

First, when the host computer 200 receives a command from the user to start detailed settings of the print operation, the process proceeds to S100. In S100, the UI unit 405 displays a detailed settings screen for the print operation on the display 209, thereby starting detailed settings of the print operation, and the process proceeds to S101.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected paper type 1 (paper type other than FU output recommended paper) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S110. In S110, if print operation 1 (single-sided printing) is selected in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S115. In S115, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation on the print operation detailed setting screen and pressed the OK button.

In S110, when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of duplex/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S111. In S111, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S112, when the transmission/reception unit 407 does not acquire the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (when the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S206. In S206, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for duplex printing, and the process proceeds to S115. In S115, the UI unit 405 waits until it receives information that the user has completed the detailed setting of the print operation in the detailed setting screen of the print operation and pressed the OK button. In S112, if the transmission/reception unit 407 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), proceed to S205.

In S205, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing, and the UI unit 405 displays the FU tray 116 close message on the display 209, and the process returns to S111. When the process returns to S111, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. At this time, S111, S112, and S205 are repeated until the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 in S112 that "FU tray 116 is closed" (until the state becomes No).

The UI unit 405 may also erase the FU tray 116 close message when it acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user, or when a certain amount of time has passed since the FU tray 116 close message was displayed. At this time, the setting unit 406 does not yet release the FU tray 116 close flag. For this reason, even if the UI unit 405 erases the message, the OK button in the detailed setting screen for the print operation or the button that the user presses to execute printing may not be enabled. The same configuration may also be used for the FU tray 116 open message described below in this embodiment.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected paper type 2 (recommended paper for FU discharge) in the paper type selection on the detailed setting screen of the printing operation, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected printing operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the detailed setting screen of the printing operation, the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S106. In S106, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S107, if the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), the process proceeds to S203. In S203, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 0 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S115. In S107, if the transmission/reception unit 407 does not obtain a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S204. In S204, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the UI unit 405 displays the FU tray 116 open message on the display 209, and the process returns to S106. When the process returns to S106, the transmission/reception unit 407 obtains the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. At this time, the process does not proceed to S115 until the transmission/reception unit 407 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 in S107 (until the state becomes Yes).

In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of duplex/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S200. In S200, the setting unit 406 sets the duplex prohibition flag to 1 to indicate that duplex printing is prohibited, the UI unit 405 displays a duplex prohibition message on the display 209, and the process proceeds to S201. In S201, until the setting unit 406 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button of the duplex prohibition message (while the result is No), the UI unit 405 continues to display the duplex prohibition message on the display 209 in S200. In S201, if the setting unit 406 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button of the duplex prohibition message (if the result is Yes), the process proceeds to S202, sets the duplex prohibition flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S104. In S104, the setting unit 406 changes the printing operation to single-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S106. Since S106 to S115 have been described above, the description will be omitted.

In S115, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation on the print operation detail setting screen and pressed the OK button. If the UI unit 405 has not acquired information that the user has completed inputting the print operation and pressed the OK button in S115 (No), the process returns to S101 and the print operation detail setting screen continues to be displayed. This allows the user to continue setting the print operation details.

In S115, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has completed inputting the print operation and pressed the OK button (Yes), the process proceeds to S126. In S126, the UI unit 405 closes the print operation detail setting screen, for example as shown in FIG. 9, and proceeds to S127.

In S126, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. The process does not proceed to the next step until the UI unit 405 has acquired information in S126 that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. If the UI unit 405 has acquired information in S126 that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed (Yes), the process proceeds to S127. In S127, the transmission/reception unit 407 transmits image information to the printer controller 213.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user will go to the printer device 212 and perform the operation instructed by each message in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 405. For example, if the UI unit 405 displays an FU tray 116 open message in S204, it is assumed that the user will manually open the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 may also be controlled automatically.

When the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically opened in part (A) between S204 and S106, and the FU tray 116 is automatically closed in part (B) between S205 and S111.

Here, we will explain the drive that automatically opens and closes the FU tray 116. The image forming apparatus 100 is equipped with a drive unit on the hinge (not shown) side when the FU tray 116 is opened and closed. This drive unit has an FU tray opening and closing motor 330, which is a drive source that can rotate forward and backward. A reduction gear train (not shown), which is a drive transmission means, transmits the drive of the FU tray opening and closing motor 330 to a hinge opening and closing shaft (not shown) and a hinge lift shaft (not shown), thereby opening and closing the FU tray 116.

<Summary of the second embodiment>
As described above, in this embodiment, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209 according to a combination of the paper type information, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, and the open/close state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the transmission/reception unit 407. Also, a case has been described in which the user performs a necessary operation on the printer device according to the message displayed by the UI unit 405, and the CPU 201 does not proceed to the next step until it detects the opening/closing operation of the FU tray 116. This makes it possible to prevent the FU discharge recommended paper from curling and the inability to perform double-sided printing. In addition, by automatically controlling the opening/closing of the FU tray 116, it is not necessary for the user to go to the printer device 212 and manually operate the FU tray 116. Therefore, even if the installation position of the host computer 200 and the installation position of the printer device 212 are far away from each other, it is possible to prevent the FU discharge recommended paper from curling and the inability to perform double-sided printing.

Third Embodiment
In the first and second embodiments, the CPU 201 uses the application 404 to notify a message only when a user operation is required, depending on the combination of the print job specified by the user and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. Also, a case where the user can both input a print job and check a message on the host computer 200 is described. In this embodiment, a case where the CPU 214 displays various messages as described above on the main body display 145 in accordance with the print job information received from the host computer 200 in the printer controller 213 is described. Also, the CPU 214 can communicate information with the host computer 200 using the bidirectional interface (interface) 211 via the input unit 218, and notifies the host computer 200 of information in the printer device 212, etc. For this reason, the message displayed on the main body display 145 may also be displayed on the display 209.

Even if the image forming apparatus 100 does not have a main display 145, the user can check the message on the display 209 of the host computer 200, such as a PC or a smartphone. The image forming apparatus 100 may also be equipped with a device that emits sound, and the message content, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), may be notified by sound. The image forming apparatus 100 may also be equipped with an LED lamp, and the message content, for example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), may be notified by a pattern such as the lamp lighting up, blinking, or changing color.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the functions when CPU 214 loads a control program stored in the program ROM of ROM 216 or an external memory (not shown) into RAM 205 and executes it. At this time, printer controller 213 mainly functions as UI unit 501 and setting unit 502. At this time, the functions of UI unit 501 and setting unit 502 are the same as those of UI unit 405 and setting unit 406. Note that the processing executed by CPU 214 in this embodiment may also be executed by CPU 302. At this time, CPU 302 loads a control program stored in the program ROM of ROM 304 or an external memory (not shown) into RAM 303 and executes it.

The process performed by the CPU 214 when notifying the user of a message in accordance with a combination of print jobs received from the host computer 200 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11. The same configuration as in the previous embodiment will be assigned the same numbers and description will be omitted. In addition, the image formation process and hardware configuration are also the same as in the previous embodiment, so description will be omitted.

In S300, when the printer controller 213 receives print job information from the host computer 200, the process proceeds to S301. In S301, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected paper type 1 (paper type other than FU output recommended paper) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S310. In S310, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S315 and subsequent steps.

In S310, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of double-sided/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S311. In S311, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S312, if the CPU 214 does not acquire the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S314. In S314, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing, and proceeds to steps S315 and onward. In S312, if the CPU 214 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), the process proceeds to S313. In S313, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to steps S315 and onward.

In S301, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected paper type 2 (paper recommended for FU output) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S302. In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S304. In S304, the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S306.

In S306, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S307, if the CPU 214 acquires the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 that "the FU tray 116 is open" (Yes), the process proceeds to S308. In S308, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 0 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to steps S315 and onward. In S307, if the CPU 214 does not acquire the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 that "the FU tray 116 is open" (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S309. In S309, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S315.

In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (double-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S303. In S303, the setting unit 502 sets a double-sided prohibition flag to 1 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S305. In S305, the setting unit 502 changes the print operation to print operation 1 (single-sided printing), and the process proceeds to S306. S306 to S309 have been described above, so description thereof will be omitted.

In steps S315 and after, the next step branches depending on whether the setting unit 502 has set a flag.

When the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 (S315) and the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S316) in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the UI unit 501 displays the message (2) in S319. The message (2) is, for example, a message as shown in (2) of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 6(d), and the contents of the two messages, the double-sided prohibition message and the FU tray 116 open message, described above, are displayed.

When the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided printing prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S315) but does not set the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S316), the UI unit 501 displays the message (1) in S320. The message (1) is, for example, a message as shown in FIG. 6(b) (1) or FIG. 6(c), and displays the contents of the double-sided printing prohibition message described above.

If the setting unit 502 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S315) and sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S317), the UI unit 501 displays the message (3) in S321. The message (3) is, for example, a message as shown in (3) of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 6(e), and the contents of the FU tray 116 close message described above are displayed.

When the setting unit 502 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S315), does not set the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S317), and sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S318), the UI unit 501 displays the message (4). The message (4) is, for example, a message such as that shown in FIG. 6(b) (4) or FIG. 6(f).

In steps S319 to S321, the UI unit 501 displays the various messages described above on the main body display 145, the display 209, or both. In addition, the various messages displayed at this time include an OK button, as shown in Figures 6(c) to 6(f), for example.

In S323, the UI unit 501 continues to display various messages on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209 until the UI unit 501 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user. In S323, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user (Yes), the setting unit 502 sets the flag to 0 in S324. The setting unit 502 may also set the flag to 0 when a certain time has passed since the various messages were displayed, in addition to when the UI unit 501 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user. When the setting unit 502 sets the flag to 0, the UI unit 501 erases the various messages that were displayed on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, and proceeds to S325.

In addition, if the setting unit 502 does not set the double-sided prohibition flag to 1 in the detailed setting screen for the print operation (S315), does not set the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 (S317), and does not set the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 (S318), the process proceeds to S325. At this time, the UI unit 501 does not display any message on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209.

In S325, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 501 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. The process does not proceed to the next step until the UI unit 501 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed. If the UI unit 501 has acquired information that the button the user presses to execute printing has been pressed (Yes), the process proceeds to S326. In S326, the CPU 214 starts printing.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user goes to the printer device 212 and performs the operation instructed by each message in response to the messages displayed by the UI unit 501 in S319 to S321. For example, if the UI unit 501 displays the FU tray 116 open message in S320, it is assumed that the user manually opens the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, when a print operation is executed with a print job specified by the user, the user is notified of the necessary operation. Therefore, even if the user does not manually open the FU tray 116, if the UI unit 501 acquires information in S323 that the OK button has been pressed by the user, the process proceeds to S326 via S324 and S325, and the CPU 214 starts printing. In this manner, in this embodiment, whether the FU tray 116 is opened or closed is at the user's discretion.

Here, we will describe possible situations in which the user presses the OK button without opening the FU tray 116, even though the FU tray 116 open message was displayed in S320.

For example, even if a user specifies paper recommended for FU output, the user may accept that the sheet may curl due to double-sided printing or output to the output tray 115. Also, when the user installs the image forming device 100, if the side on which the FU tray 116 is located is placed close to the wall, the user may find it difficult to open and close the FU tray 116. In this case, the user may not mind the sheet curling if he or she has to reach into the gap between the image forming device 100 and the wall to open the FU tray 116. In this case, even if the UI unit 501 displays a FU tray 116 open message, the user may press the OK button without performing any operation on the printer device 212. In this case, space can be saved by keeping the FU tray 116 closed.

<Summary of the Third Embodiment>
As described above, in this embodiment, the CPU 214 controls the printer device 212 according to a combination of the paper type information received from the host computer 200, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the CPU 214. A case has been described in which the CPU 214 displays various messages as described above on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209. This improves usability because a message can be notified only when a user operation is required according to the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. In addition, by the user performing the necessary operation on the printer device according to the combination of print jobs, it is possible to prevent curling of FU discharge recommended paper and the inability to perform double-sided printing.

Fourth Embodiment
In the third embodiment, the user decides whether or not to open or close the FU tray 116 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 501, and the process proceeds to the next step when the user presses the OK button. In the present embodiment, the process does not proceed to the next step until the CPU 214 detects an opening or closing operation of the FU tray 116 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 501. This makes it possible to prevent FU discharge recommended paper from curling and to prevent double-sided printing from becoming impossible.

In the printer controller 213, the CPU 214 controls the printer device 212 in response to the print job information received from the host computer 200. Below, the process performed by the CPU 214 when displaying the various messages described above on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. 12. The same configuration as in the previous embodiment will be assigned the same numbers and description will be omitted. In addition, the image formation process and hardware configuration are also the same as in the first embodiment, so description will be omitted. Note that the process performed by the CPU 214 in this embodiment may be performed by the CPU 302.

In S300, when the printer controller 213 receives print job information from the host computer 200, the process proceeds to S301. In S301, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user has selected paper type 1 (paper type other than FU output recommended paper) in the paper type selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S310. In S310, if print operation 1 (single-sided printing) is selected in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the print operation detailed setting screen, the process proceeds to S327. In S327, the CPU 214 starts printing.

In S310, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of double-sided/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S311. In S311, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S312, if the CPU 214 does not acquire the detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S407. In S407, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S327. In S327, the CPU 214 starts printing. In S312, if the CPU 214 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), the process proceeds to S406.

In S406, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to display a message prompting the user to close the FU tray 116 for double-sided printing. The UI unit 501 then displays a FU tray 116 close message on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209, and the process returns to S311. When the process returns to S311, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. At this time, S311, S312, and S406 are repeated until the CPU 214 acquires the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 in S312 that "FU tray 116 is closed" (until the state becomes No).

The UI unit 501 may also erase the FU tray 116 close message when it acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user, or when a certain time has passed since the FU tray 116 close message was displayed. At this time, the setting unit 502 does not yet release the FU tray 116 close flag. For this reason, even if the UI unit 501 erases the message, the OK button in the detailed setting screen for the print operation or the button that the user presses to execute printing may not be enabled. The same configuration may also be used for the FU tray 116 open message in the following explanation of this embodiment.

In S301, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected paper type 2 (recommended paper for FU discharge) in the paper type selection on the detailed setting screen of the printing operation, the process proceeds to S302. In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected printing operation 1 (single-sided printing) in the double-sided/single-sided printing selection on the detailed setting screen of the printing operation, the process proceeds to S401. In S401, the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0 to indicate that double-sided printing is prohibited, and the process proceeds to S306. In S306, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S307, if the CPU 214 acquires a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (Yes), the process proceeds to S404. In S404, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 0 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S327. In S307, if the CPU 214 does not obtain a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (if the FU tray 116 is closed) (No), the process proceeds to S405. In S405, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 for displaying a message prompting the user to open the FU tray 116. Then, the UI unit 501 displays the FU tray 116 open message on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209, and the process returns to S306. When the process returns to S306, the CPU 214 obtains the open/close state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. At this time, the process does not proceed to S327 until the CPU 214 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 in S307 (until the state becomes Yes).

In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected print operation 2 (duplex printing) in the selection of duplex/single-sided printing in the detailed setting screen of the print operation, the process proceeds to S400. In S400, the setting unit 502 sets the duplex prohibition flag to 1 to display that duplex printing is prohibited, and the UI unit 501 displays a duplex prohibition message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, and proceeds to S402. In S401, until the setting unit 502 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button of the duplex prohibition message (while the result is No), the UI unit 501 continues to display the duplex prohibition message on the display 209 in S200. In S401, if the setting unit 502 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button of the duplex prohibition message (if the result is Yes), the process proceeds to S403, sets the duplex prohibition flag to 0, and proceeds to S305. In S305, the setting unit 502 changes the printing operation to single-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S306. Since S306 to S327 have been described above, the description will be omitted.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user will go to the printer device 212 and perform the operation instructed by each message in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 501. For example, if the UI unit 501 displays the FU tray 116 open message in S405, it is assumed that the user will manually open the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 may also be controlled automatically.

When the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically opened in part (C) between S405 and S306, and the FU tray 116 is automatically closed in part (D) between S406 and S311.

<Summary of the Fourth Embodiment>
As described above, in this embodiment, the CPU 214 controls the printer device 212 according to a combination of the paper type information received from the host computer 200, the selection state of double-sided/single-sided printing, and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 acquired by the CPU 214. The case where the CPU 214 displays various messages as described above on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209 has been described. This improves usability because a message can be notified only when a user operation is required according to the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. In addition, by the user performing a necessary operation on the printer device according to the combination of print jobs, it is possible to prevent curling of FU discharge recommended paper and the inability to perform double-sided printing. In addition, by automatically controlling the opening and closing of the FU tray 116, it is not necessary for the user to go to the printer device 212 and manually operate the FU tray 116. Therefore, even if the installation position of the host computer 200 and the installation position of the printer device 212 are far away from each other, a printing operation according to the user's intention can be executed.

100 Image forming apparatus 115 Paper discharge tray 116 FU tray 117 FU tray open/close sensor

Claims (30)

an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
a first discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a first discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-down with the image formed by the image forming means facing downward;
a second paper discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
an information processing method for an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device, the second paper discharge unit being a guide unit that guides sheets to the first paper discharge unit when in the closed state position, and being a sheet discharge unit that can stack sheets without guiding sheets to the first paper discharge unit when in the open state position,
an input step of inputting the type of sheet based on an instruction from a user;
an acquiring step of acquiring information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state from the image forming apparatus;
a transmitting step of transmitting image information to the image forming device;
When the type of the sheet input in the input step is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and when the information that the second sheet discharge unit is in a closed state is acquired in the acquisition step,
and an output step of outputting a message prompting a user to switch the second paper discharge section to an open position before image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus. The information processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the image forming device has a detection means for detecting whether the second paper discharge unit is open or closed. The information processing method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the input step, in addition to the type of sheet, single-sided printing or double-sided printing is input. When the type of the sheet inputted in the input step is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit and double-sided printing is inputted, in the output step,
The information processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising: outputting a message informing the user that double-sided printing is not recommended for the input sheet type, and informing the user that the printing should be changed to single-sided printing. When the type of sheet is input in the input step,
5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the obtaining step, information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state is obtained. When the type of sheet is input in the input step,
In the acquiring step, after acquiring information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state,
6. The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein in the outputting step, a message is outputted to prompt the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. After the input step and before the transmission step,
5. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein in the obtaining step, information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state is obtained. When the type of sheet is input in the input step,
After the input step and before the transmission step,
According to information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state acquired in the acquiring step,
8. The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein in the outputting step, a message is outputted to prompt the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the information processing device does not transmit image information to the image forming device during the output process. The message output in the output step is
The input step outputs the sheet type so as to cover a part of the screen on which the sheet type is input,
10. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein when the message output in the output step is closed, the screen in which the sheet type is input in the input step is also closed. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the output of the message prompting the second paper discharge unit to switch to the open state continues from when the message prompting the second paper discharge unit to switch to the open state is output until information that the second paper discharge unit is in the open state is acquired in the acquisition process. The image forming apparatus includes:
a first sheet feeding unit in which sheets are stacked,
a first paper feed section that conveys the sheets stacked in the first paper feed section to the image forming means through a first paper feed conveying path with the upper surface of the sheets stacked in the first paper feed section facing downward;
a second sheet feeding section in which sheets are stacked,
a second paper feed section that conveys the sheets stacked in the second paper feed section to the image forming means through a second paper feed conveying path with the upper surface of the sheets stacked in the second paper feed section facing upward;
An information processing method of an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device, comprising:
When the input type of the sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit, when the type of the sheet is input in the input step,
13. The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: selecting the second sheet feed unit as a sheet feed unit; and outputting a message to prompt the user to load sheets on the second sheet feed unit. A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 12 . an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
a first discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a first discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-down with the image formed by the image forming means facing downward;
a second paper discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device, the second discharge unit being a guide unit that guides sheets to the first discharge unit when in the closed position, and being a sheet discharge unit on which sheets can be stacked without guiding sheets to the first discharge unit when in the open position;
an input means for inputting a sheet type based on an instruction from a user;
an acquiring unit that acquires information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state from the image forming apparatus;
a transmitting means for transmitting image information to the image forming apparatus;
When the type of the sheet input by the input means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit, and the acquisition means acquires that the second discharge unit is in the closed state,
and an output means for outputting a message to prompt a user to switch the second paper discharge section to an open position before image information is transmitted to the image forming device by the transmission means. 15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the input means inputs single-sided printing or double-sided printing in addition to the type of sheet. When the type of the sheet input by the input means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit and double-sided printing is input, the output means
16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising: a message outputting a notification that double-sided printing is not recommended for the input sheet type, and a notification that the input sheet type will be changed to single -sided printing. When the type of sheet is input by the input means,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the acquiring means acquires information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state. When the type of sheet is input by the input means,
After the acquiring means acquires information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state,
18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the output means outputs a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. After the input by the input means is completed, and before the image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission means,
17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the acquiring means acquires information indicating whether the second paper ejection unit is in an open state or a closed state. After the input by the input means is completed, and before the image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus by the transmission means,
According to the information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state acquired by the acquiring means,
20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the output means outputs a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. 21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein image information is not transmitted to the image forming apparatus while the output means is outputting a message. The message output by the output means is
The sheet type is output so as to cover a part of the screen on which the sheet type is input by the input means,
21. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when the message output by said output means is closed, the screen on which the sheet type is input by said input means is also closed. from when the output means outputs a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper ejection unit to the open state until when the acquisition means acquires information that the second paper ejection unit is in the open state;
23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the output means continues to output a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to the open state. The information processing device according to any one of claims 14 to 22, characterized in that the acquisition means continues to output a message prompting the user to switch the second paper ejection section to the closed state until it acquires information that the second paper ejection section is in the closed state . The image forming apparatus includes:
a first sheet feeding unit in which sheets are stacked,
a first paper feed section that conveys the sheets stacked in the first paper feed section to the image forming means through a first paper feed conveying path with the upper surface of the sheets stacked in the first paper feed section facing downward;
a second sheet feeding section in which sheets are stacked,
a second paper feed section that conveys the sheets stacked in the second paper feed section to the image forming means through a second paper feed conveying path with the upper surface of the sheets stacked in the second paper feed section facing upward;
An information processing apparatus capable of communicating with an image forming apparatus, comprising:
When the type of the sheet input by the input means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit, when the type of the sheet is input by the input means,
23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising: a step of selecting the second sheet feed unit as a sheet feed unit; and outputting a message for prompting the user to load sheets on the second sheet feed unit. an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
a first discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a first discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-down with the image formed by the image forming means facing downward;
a second paper discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
the second discharge section, when in the closed position, serves as a guide section that guides sheets to the first discharge section, and, when in the open position, serves as a sheet discharge section on which sheets can be stacked without guiding sheets to the first discharge section;
a detection means for detecting whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state;
An image forming apparatus comprising:
The image processing device is capable of communicating with an information processing device having a transmission means for transmitting image information including a sheet type inputted in response to an instruction from a user,
a receiving means for receiving image information including the type of the sheet from the information processing device;
When the type of the sheet received by the receiving means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and the detection means detects that the second sheet discharge unit is in the closed state,
2. An image forming apparatus comprising: an output unit that outputs a message for urging a user to switch the second paper discharge unit to the open position. until the detection means detects information that the second paper discharge unit is in the open state.
27. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26 , wherein the output means continues to output a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to the open state. 27. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the output means continues to output a message to prompt the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to the closed state until the detection means detects information that the second paper discharge unit is in the closed state. 29. The image forming apparatus according to claim 26, wherein conveyance of the sheet is not started until the receiving means receives the image information. an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
a first discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a first discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-down with the image formed by the image forming means facing downward;
a second discharge section in which the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed via a second discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward;
an input means for inputting a sheet type based on an instruction from a user;
and acquiring information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state as a detection result of the detection unit,
the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
an information processing system, wherein the second discharge unit serves as a guide unit that guides sheets to the first discharge unit when in the closed position, and serves as a sheet discharge unit that can stack sheets without guiding sheets to the first discharge unit when in the open position,
When the type of the sheet input by the input means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and the acquisition means acquires that the second sheet discharge unit is in the closed state,
and an output unit that outputs a message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position.

Images