JP7547064B2 - 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 becomes part of the transport path to the FD tray, and when it is open, it is not part of the transport path to the FD tray and serves as a paper 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 are not always able to input the sheet discharge section. For example, if the sheet discharge section cannot be input, the notification as described in Patent Document 1 cannot be made. Even if the sheet discharge section cannot be input, it is desirable for the sheet to be discharged to the discharge section to which the user wants to discharge the sheet.

The invention of this application has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances. It aims to notify the user of the recommended paper output section based on the input sheet type, and to display a message that allows the user to select the paper output section for the sheets to be output.

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 through 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 a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed through a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward, the information processing method of an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device,
an input step of inputting the type of sheet;
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 discharge unit,
a first output step of outputting a first message before image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, notifying the user that the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge section and inquiring whether to discharge the input sheet to the first discharge section or the second discharge section;
13. An information processing method comprising:

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to notify the user of the recommended paper output section according to the type of sheet input before the transport of the input sheet begins, and to allow the user to select the paper output section for the sheet to be output.

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 (double-sided printing/single-sided printing) in the first embodiment; (c) Table for paper discharge section (FD discharge/FU discharge) in the first embodiment. 1A and 1B are explanatory diagrams of messages relating to the first and second embodiments; 1A to 1F are explanatory diagrams of messages relating to the first and second embodiments. Flowchart of processing related to the first embodiment Flowchart of processing related to the first embodiment Flowchart of processing according to the second 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 third 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 scope of the invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are 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 irradiating the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 122 with laser light output from the optical device 109, which is reflected by the laser light reflecting mirror 108. 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 first image information, and the image signal will be referred to as 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 opening/closing 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 paper feed conveying path and the second paper feed conveying path have different radii of curvature. The radii of curvature of each paper feed conveying path will be described 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 paper 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 paper 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.

In this embodiment, the FU tray 116 does not necessarily have to be an opening/closing member that can be switched between an open position and a closed position. For example, a member such as a flapper may be used to control whether the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 115 (FD) or to the FU tray 116 (FU).

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. 2 and specific numerical examples. In FIG. 2, 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. 2, 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. 2, 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 transport problems or paper jams may occur. Therefore, by opening the FU tray 116, the sheet is no longer transported through a transport path with a small radius of curvature, which prevents 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 the external memory 210. The external memory 210 is a hard disk (HD), a flexible disk (FD), etc. The external memory 210 stores a boot program, various applications, font data, user files, edit files, a printer control command generation program (hereinafter referred to as a printer driver), 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 a bidirectional interface (interface) 212 via an 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 include 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. The storage unit in this embodiment may be a memory such as ROM 303 or RAM 304. 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 status of single-sided/double-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.

Application 401, graphic engine 402, printer driver 403, and application 404 exist as files stored in external memory 210. These files are program modules that are loaded into RAM 202 by the OS or a module that uses the OS module, and executed by CPU 201. Application 401 and printer driver 403 can be added to the floppy disk of external memory 210, a CD-ROM (not shown), or the HD of external memory (not shown) of 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 that is loaded into RAM 202 by the OS and made executable, thereby outputting (drawing) the above-mentioned first image information. 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 later, 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 FIGS. 7(a) 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 regarding 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 single-sided/double-sided printing, and the selection state of the paper output unit.

When the application 404 functions as the transmitting/receiving unit 407, it communicates information between the host computer 200 and the printer controller 213. Through this communication, the transmitting/receiving unit 407 functions as a transmitting means and transmits information related to image formation (also called a print job) to the printer controller 213. The print job transmission process is executed, for example, after the user has completed detailed settings for the printing operation and closed the detailed settings screen for 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 means.

<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 according to the paper type information included in the image formation information input by the user and the selection status of single-sided/double-sided printing.

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. 5A, 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. 5B, when selecting single-sided/double-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. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(c), when selecting a paper output section in a print job, FD output (output to output tray 115) is defined as output section 1, and FU output (output to FU tray 116) is defined as output section 2.

<Combination of paper type information and single-sided/double-sided printing selection status and displayed message>
The paper type information, the selection state of single-sided/double-sided printing, the selection state of the paper discharge unit, 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.

If the user selects paper recommended for FU output, double-sided printing should be avoided for the reasons described above, so even if the user selects double-sided printing, the printing is automatically changed to single-sided printing. In the case of this combination of selections, 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. 7(a). 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.

If the user selects paper recommended for FU discharge and single-sided printing, there is a possibility that the sheet will curl if it is discharged to the discharge tray 115 via a transport path with a small radius of curvature. Therefore, it is preferable that paper recommended for FU discharge is discharged to the FU tray 116 via a transport path with a large radius of curvature. However, some users may not know that paper types such as thick paper or envelopes are recommended for FU discharge, or that the FU tray 116 is an opening and closing member. Therefore, a message such as "This paper type is recommended for FU discharge" may be displayed.

In addition, even if a user selects paper recommended for FU output, they may accept that the sheet will curl when it is output to the output tray 115. In addition, when the user installs the image forming apparatus 100, if the side on which the FU tray 116 is located is placed close to a wall, it may be difficult for the user to open and close the FU tray 116. In this case, the user may accept that the sheet will curl and may not reach into the gap between the image forming apparatus 100 and the wall to open the FU tray 116. In this way, whether the user wants to output the sheet to the output tray 115 or to the FU tray 116 depends on the user's convenience.

Therefore, for example, as shown in [2] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(b), the user is notified that the paper type selected is recommended for FU discharge. In addition, a message may be displayed asking the user whether he or she wishes to discharge the sheet to the discharge tray 115 or the FU tray 116. The message displayed at this time is displayed when the setting unit 406 sets the discharge unit selection flag to 1. For this reason, hereafter this message will be referred to as the discharge unit selection message.

When the user selects to discharge the sheet to the FU tray 116 in response to the discharge section selection message, for example, as shown in [3] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(c), a message may be displayed saying "Please open the FU tray 116." Also, a picture may be displayed so that the user can recognize that "the FU tray 116 will be opened." The message displayed at this time is displayed when the setting section 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1. For this reason, hereafter this is referred to as the FU tray 116 open message.

When the user selects to discharge the sheet to the discharge tray 115 in response to the discharge section selection message, for example, as shown in [4] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(d), a message may be displayed saying "Please close the FU tray 116." Also, a picture may be displayed so that the user can recognize that "the FU tray 116 will be closed." The message displayed at this time is displayed when the setting section 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1. For this reason, hereafter this message will be referred to as the FU tray 116 close message.

Next, a case where the user selects a paper type other than FU discharge recommended paper and double-sided printing will be described. If the FU tray 116 is open, the double-sided transport path disappears, making double-sided printing impossible. Therefore, when the user selects double-sided printing, as described above in the explanation of the FU tray 116 close message, for example, a message to the effect that "Please close the FU tray 116" is displayed on the display 209 as shown in [4] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(d). 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.

The discharge section selection message described above may be referred to as the first message, and the process of the first output means outputting the first message may be referred to as the first output process. The FU tray 116 open message and the FU tray 116 close message may be referred to as the second message, and the process of the second output means outputting the second message may be referred to as the second output process. The double-sided prohibition message may be referred to as the third message, and the process of the third output means outputting the third message may be referred to as the third output process. The functions of the first output means, the second output means, and the third output means may be performed by the UI unit 405, or the functions of the first output means, the second output means, and the third output means may be performed by separate means.

As described above, the setting unit 406 selects and sets a message according to the combination of paper type information, the selection status of single-sided/double-sided printing, and the selection status of the paper output unit. 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 on Image Formation Selected 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 selected 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. 10, 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 and the single-sided/double-sided printing setting in the basic settings tab is used. Note that if the user does not select single-sided/double-sided printing, single-sided printing is selected as the initial setting.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that a paper type other than FU recommended paper has been selected by the user in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S110. In S110, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that single-sided printing has been selected in the single-sided/double-sided printing selection, the process proceeds to S112. In S112, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S113. In S113, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the printing operation in the detailed setting screen for the printing operation and pressed the OK button.

In S110, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S111. In S111, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S113.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected FU output recommended paper in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected single-sided printing in the single-sided/double-sided printing selection, the process proceeds to S104. In S104, 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 S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1, and the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the setting unit 406 changes the printing operation to single-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S106.

In S106, the user performs single-sided printing on paper recommended for FU discharge, and it is up to the user whether they want to discharge the sheet to the discharge tray 115 or the FU tray 116.

Then, the setting unit 406 sets the paper discharge unit selection flag to 1. The UI unit 405 then notifies the user that the paper type selected by the user is paper recommended for FU discharge. The UI unit 405 also displays a paper discharge unit selection message on the display 209 as a first message inquiring whether the user wishes to discharge the sheet to the paper discharge tray 115 or the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S107.

In S107, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected FD output in the selection of the output unit, the process proceeds to S108. In S108, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to output the sheet to FD, and the process proceeds to S113.

In S107, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected FU paper ejection in the paper ejection unit selection, the process proceeds to S109. In S109, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 to eject the sheet by FU, and the process proceeds to S113.

In S113, 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 S112 are repeated. This allows the user to continue setting the details of the print operation. When returning from S113 to S101, the setting unit 406 sets the flag that was set to 1 up to S113 to 0, and then returns to S101.

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 S114 to S118, 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.

If the setting unit 406 determines in S114, S115, or S116 that flag 1 is not set in the print operation details setting screen, no message is displayed. Then, for example, the print operation details setting screen as shown in FIG. 10 is cleared, and the process proceeds to S125.

If the setting unit 406 determines in S114 and S115 that flag 1 is not set in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, and determines in S116 that flag 1 is set, the UI unit 405 displays the message [3] in S119. The message [3] is, for example, a message such as that shown in [3] in FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(c), and displays the contents of the FU tray 116 open message described above.

If the setting unit 406 determines in S114 that flag 1 is not set in the detailed setting screen for the print operation, and determines in S115 that flag 1 is set, the UI unit 405 displays the message [4] in S120. The message [4] is, for example, a message such as [4] in FIG. 6(b) or a message such as that shown in FIG. 7(d), and displays the contents of the FU tray 116 close message described above.

If the setting unit 406 determines that flag 1 has been set in S114 or S117 on the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the UI unit 405 displays the message [5] in S121. The message [5] is, for example, the message [5] in FIG. 6(b) or the message shown in FIG. 7(e), and displays the contents of the two messages, the aforementioned double-sided printing prohibited message and the FU tray 116 open message.

If the setting unit 406 determines that flag 1 has been set in S114, S117, or S118 on the detailed setting screen for the print operation, the UI unit 405 displays the message [6] in S122. The message [6] is, for example, a message like the one shown in [6] in FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(f), and displays the contents of the two messages, the aforementioned double-sided printing prohibited message and the FU tray 116 close message.

If the setting unit 406 determines in S114 and S117 that flag 1 is set in the print operation detail setting screen, and determines in S118 that flag 1 is not set, no message is displayed. Then, for example, the print operation detail setting screen as shown in FIG. 10 is cleared, and the process proceeds to S125.

In steps S119 to S122, 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. 10(a). In addition, the various messages displayed at this time include an OK button, for example, as shown in FIG. 7(a) to FIG. 7(f).

In S123, 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 S123, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the OK button has been pressed by the user (Yes), the setting unit 406 sets the flag to 0 in S124. 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 this time, the UI unit 405 erases the detailed setting screen for the print operation as shown in FIG. 10, for example, at the same time as erasing the various messages, and proceeds to S125.

In S125, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has pressed a button to execute printing. The process does not proceed to the next step until the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has pressed a button to execute printing. If the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has pressed a button to execute printing (Yes), the process proceeds to S126. In S126, the transmission/reception unit 407 transmits image information to the printer controller 213. As for the various messages from S119 to S122, 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 S119 to S122. For example, if the UI unit 405 displays the FU tray 116 open message in S119, 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 input 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 that the OK button has been pressed by the user in S125, 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.

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, S113 may be moved between S124 and S125, and processing may be such that if the answer is No at the branch of S113, the process returns to S101, and if the answer is No at the branch of S125, the process 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.

Furthermore, when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected FU discharge recommended paper in the paper type selection in this embodiment, it displays a message on the display 209, such as that shown in FIG. 10(b). For example, a message is displayed encouraging the user to change the paper feed method to the MP tray 140 and feed the 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 the details of the printing operation, such as single-sided/double-sided printing or single-sided 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 message displayed by the UI unit 405. For example, if the UI unit 405 displays an FU tray 116 open message in S119, it is assumed that the user manually opens 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 opens automatically between the time when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button in response to the message in S119 or S121 and the time when it proceeds to S125. The FU tray 116 closes automatically between the time when the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button in response to the message in S120 or S122 and the time when it proceeds to S125. At this time, the button that the user presses to execute printing cannot be pressed until the automatic opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is complete.

Here, we will explain the drive when the FU tray 116 is automatically opened and closed. 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 First Embodiment
As described above, in this embodiment, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209 to prompt the user to select the output tray to which the sheet is to be output, according to a combination of the paper type information, the selection state of single-sided/double-sided printing, and the selection state of the output unit. Then, a message is displayed to prompt the user to perform the necessary operation on the FU tray 116. This improves usability because, if the user has selected FU output recommended paper, printing can be performed according to the user's intention. In addition, by the user performing the necessary operation on the printer device 212 according to the combination of print jobs, it is possible to prevent the FU output recommended paper from curling or from being unable to print on both sides.

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the user may or may not open/close the FU tray 116 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 405, and the process proceeds to the next step when the user presses the OK button, depending on the user's convenience. Also, in the first embodiment, the process may or may not use the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117. In the present embodiment, the process does not proceed to the next step until the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 is used and the FU tray 116 is opened/closed in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 405. This makes it possible to prevent curls from remaining on FU discharge recommended paper and prevent double-sided printing from becoming impossible.

The following describes again with reference to the block diagram in FIG. 4(b) how the CPU 201 uses the application 404 to obtain the detection results from the FU tray open/close sensor 117.

When the application 404 functions as the setting unit 406, it selects and sets the message to be displayed on the display 209 according to a combination as described below. Specifically, this combination is the paper type selected by the user and the selection status of double-sided printing or single-sided printing. The message displayed at this time continues to be displayed on the display 209 until the appropriate open/close state is detected according to 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 between the host computer 200 and the printer controller 213. Through this communication, the transmission/reception unit 407 functions as an acquisition unit that acquires the detection results from the FU tray open/close sensor 117. The acquisition process in which the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the detection results from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 includes a first transmission process in which information is transmitted to request the detection results, and a reception process in which the detection results are received. The transmission of a 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 has completed detailed settings for the print operation and closed the detailed settings screen for the print operation.

In addition, in this embodiment, after the FU tray 116 open message or the FU tray 116 close message is displayed on the display 209, the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 is acquired. Then, the message that is displayed when the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag or the FU tray 116 close flag again will be described.

For example, when an FU tray 116 open message such as that shown in [3] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(e) is displayed, a message such as "FU tray 116 is closed" may be displayed to inform the user of the open/closed state of the FU tray 116. Also, when an FU tray 116 close message such as that shown in [4] of FIG. 6(b) and FIG. 7(f) is displayed, a message such as "FU tray 116 is open" may be displayed to inform the user of the open/closed state of the FU tray 116.

The following describes, with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 9, the process performed when the CPU uses application 404 to notify the user of a message in accordance with a combination of information related to image formation selected by the user. 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 selection of a printing operation in the detailed setting screen for the printing operation, 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 a paper type other than the paper recommended for FU output in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S110. In S110, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that single-sided printing was selected in the single-sided/double-sided printing selection, the process proceeds to S209. In S209, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S113. In S113, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has completed inputting the printing operation in the detailed setting screen for the printing operation and pressed the OK button.

In S110, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S210. In S210, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212. In S211, 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 S212. In S212, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 for double-sided printing, and the UI unit 405 displays a FU tray 116 close message on the display 209, and the process returns to S210. In S211, S210, S211, and S212 are repeated until the transmission/reception unit 407 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is closed" from the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (until the state becomes No).

In S211, if the transmitting/receiving 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), proceed to S209. In S209, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 for double-sided printing, and proceed to S113.

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 in the following explanation of this embodiment.

In S101, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected FU output recommended paper in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected single-sided printing in the single-sided/double-sided printing selection, the process proceeds to S104. In S104, the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S106.

In S102, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S200. In S200, the setting unit 406 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1, the UI unit 405 displays a double-sided 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 on the double-sided prohibition message (while the result is No), the UI unit 405 continues to display the double-sided 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 on the double-sided prohibition message (if the result is Yes), the process proceeds to S202, sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the setting unit 406 changes the printing operation to single-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S106.

In S106, the user performs single-sided printing on paper recommended for FU discharge, and it is up to the user whether they want to discharge the sheet to the discharge tray 115 or the FU tray 116.

Then, the setting unit 406 sets the paper discharge unit selection flag to 1. Then, the UI unit 405 notifies the user that the paper type selected by the user is paper recommended for FU discharge. Furthermore, a paper discharge unit selection message is displayed on the display 209 as a first message inquiring whether the user wishes to discharge the sheet to the paper discharge tray 115 or the FU tray 116, and the process proceeds to S107.

In S107, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected FD output when selecting the output unit, the process proceeds to S203. In S203, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 of the printer device 212.

In S204, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 obtains 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 S205. In S205, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to eject the sheet to the FD. Then, the UI unit 405 displays an FU tray 116 close message on the display 209, and the process returns to S203. In S204, S203, S204, and S205 are repeated until the transmitting/receiving unit 407 no longer obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is open" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 (No).

In S204, if the transmitting/receiving 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 S209. In S209, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S113.

In S107, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user selected FU paper output when selecting the paper output unit, the process proceeds to S206. In S206, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 of the printer device 212.

In S207, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 does not obtain 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 (No), the process proceeds to S208. In S208, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 to FU discharge the sheet. Then, the UI unit 405 displays an FU tray 116 open message on the display 209, and the process returns to S206. S206, S207, and S208 are repeated until the transmitting/receiving unit 407 obtains 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 in S207 (until the state becomes Yes).

In S207, 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 S209. In S209, the setting unit 406 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S113.

In S113, 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 S113 (No), the print operation detail setting screen continues to be displayed, and the steps from S101 are repeated. This allows the user to continue setting the print operation detail.

In S113, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has completed inputting the printing operation and pressed the OK button (if Yes), proceed to S125. In S125, the next step branches depending on whether the UI unit 405 has acquired information that the user has pressed the button to execute printing. The next step does not proceed until the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has pressed the button to execute printing. In S125, if the UI unit 405 acquires information that the user has pressed the button to execute printing (if Yes), proceed to S126. In S126, the transmission/reception unit 407 transmits image information to the printer controller 213. For example, the UI unit 405 displays various messages on the display 209 as shown in FIG. 7 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 operation instructed by each message according to the message displayed by the UI unit 405. For example, when the UI unit 405 displays the FU tray 116 open message in S206, it is assumed that the user manually opens the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 may be automatically controlled. When the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically closed in S205 and S212. The message displayed at this time does not necessarily have to be, for example, a message such as that shown in [4] of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(d). It may be a message saying "Closing the FU tray 116". Also, when the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically opened in S208. The message displayed at this time does not necessarily have to be, for example, the message shown in [3] of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(c). It could also be a message saying "FU tray 116 will be opened."

Summary of the Second Embodiment
As described above, in this embodiment, the UI unit 405 displays a message on the display 209 to prompt the user to select the discharge tray to which the sheet is to be discharged, according to a combination of the paper type information, the selection state of single-sided/double-sided printing, and the selection state of the discharge unit. Then, a message is displayed to prompt the user to perform the necessary operation on the FU tray 116. Also, a case has been described in which the user performs the necessary operation on the printer device 212 according to the message displayed by the UI unit 405, and the next step is not advanced until the opening and closing operation of the FU tray 116 is detected. This makes it possible to prevent curls from remaining on the FU discharge recommended paper, or preventing 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, the printing operation can be executed according to the user's intention.

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 selected 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 the printer controller 213 depending on the print job information received from the host computer 200 is described. Also, the CPU 214 can communicate information with the host computer 200 using the bidirectional interface (interface) 212 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 body 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 11 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 215 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 303 or an external memory (not shown) into RAM 304 and executes it.

The process performed by the CPU 214 when notifying the user of a message in accordance with the combination of print jobs received from the host computer 200 will be described below with reference to 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. 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 S316. In S316, when the UI unit 501 acquires information that a paper type other than FU recommended paper has been selected by the user in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S320. In S320, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 for double-sided printing, and the process proceeds to S321. In S321, the CPU 214 starts printing.

In S316, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S317. In S317, the transmission/reception unit 407 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray of the printer device 212.

In S318, if the transmitting/receiving unit 407 obtains 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), proceed to S319. In S319, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 for double-sided printing. Then, the UI unit 501 displays an FU tray 116 close message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, and returns to S317. In S318, S317, S318, and S319 are repeated until the transmitting/receiving unit 407 obtains a detection result of "FU tray 116 is closed" as the detection result of the FU tray open/close sensor 117 of the printer device 212 (until the state becomes No).

In S318, 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), proceed to S320. In S320, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0 for double-sided printing, and proceed to S321. In S321, the CPU 214 starts printing.

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 has selected FU output recommended paper in the paper type selection, the process proceeds to S302. In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user has selected single-sided printing in the single-sided/double-sided printing selection, the process proceeds to S304. In S304, the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S308.

In S302, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user has selected double-sided printing in the selection of single-sided/double-sided printing, the process proceeds to S303. In S303, the setting unit 502 sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 1, the UI unit 501 displays a double-sided prohibition message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, and the process proceeds to S305. In S305, the process returns to S303 until the setting unit 502 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button on the double-sided prohibition message (while the result is No). In S303, the UI unit 501 continues to display the double-sided prohibition message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209. In S305, if the setting unit 502 acquires information that the user has pressed the OK button on the double-sided prohibition message (if the result is Yes), the process proceeds to S306, sets the double-sided prohibition flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S307. In S307, the setting unit 502 changes the printing operation to single-sided printing and proceeds to S308.

In S308, the user performs single-sided printing on paper recommended for FU output, and it is up to the user whether they want to output the sheet to the output tray 115 or the FU tray 116. Therefore, the setting unit 502 sets the output unit selection flag to 1. Then, the UI unit 501 notifies the user that the paper type selected by the user is paper recommended for FU output. Furthermore, a paper output unit selection message is displayed on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, inquiring whether they want to output the sheet to the output tray 115 or the FU tray 116. Then, the process proceeds to S309.

In S309, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected FD output when selecting the output unit, the process proceeds to S310. In S310, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 of the printer device 212.

In S311, if the CPU 214 obtains 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 S312. In S312, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 1 to eject the sheet to the FD. Then, the UI unit 501 displays an FU tray 116 close message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209, and the process returns to S310. In S311, S310, S311, and S312 are repeated until the CPU 214 no longer obtains 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 (No).

In S311, 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 S320. In S320, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S321. In S321, the CPU 214 starts printing.

In S309, if the UI unit 501 acquires information that the user selected FU paper output when selecting the paper output unit, the process proceeds to S313. In S313, the CPU 214 acquires the open/closed state of the FU tray 116 of the printer device 212.

In S314, if the CPU 214 does not obtain 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 (No), proceed to S315. In S315, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 open flag to 1 to FU discharge the sheet. Then, the UI unit 501 displays an FU tray 116 open message on at least one of the main body display 145 and the display 209, and returns to S313. S313, S314, and S315 are repeated until the CPU 214 obtains 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 in S314 (until the state becomes Yes).

In S314, 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 S320. In S320, the setting unit 502 sets the FU tray 116 close flag to 0, and the process proceeds to S321. In S321, the CPU 214 starts printing.

In this embodiment, the UI unit 501 displays a message to prompt the FU tray 116 to perform a necessary operation as a second message according to a combination of the selection state of the paper discharge unit and the open/close state of the FU tray 116. However, the FU tray open/close sensor 117 does not necessarily have to detect the open/close state of the FU tray 116. In S309, in response to the UI unit 501 acquiring information that the paper discharge unit has been selected by the user, the setting unit 502 may set a flag for displaying the second message to 1, and the UI unit 501 may display the second message. In this case, the UI unit 501 proceeds to the next step when it acquires information that the OK button provided in the message has been pressed by the user. In addition, even if the UI unit 501 does not acquire information that the OK button has been pressed by the user, the flag may be set to 0 when a certain time has passed since various messages were displayed. When the setting unit 406 sets the flag to 0, the UI unit 501 erases the various messages displayed on the display 209 and proceeds to the next step.

In this embodiment, it is assumed that the user goes to the printer device 212 and performs the operation instructed by each message according to the message displayed by the UI unit 501. For example, when the UI unit 501 displays the FU tray 116 open message in S206, it is assumed that the user manually opens the FU tray 116. However, in this embodiment, the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 may be automatically controlled. When the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically closed in S312 and S319. The message displayed at this time does not necessarily have to be, for example, a message such as that shown in [4] of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(d). It may be a message saying "Closing the FU tray 116". Also, when the opening and closing of the FU tray 116 is automatically controlled, the FU tray 116 is automatically opened in S315. The message displayed at this time does not necessarily have to be, for example, the message shown in [3] of FIG. 6(b) or FIG. 7(c). It could also be a message saying "FU tray 116 will be opened."

<Summary of the Third Embodiment>
As described above, in this embodiment, the CPU 214 displays a message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209 in accordance with the information of the print job received from the host computer 200. The information of the print job at this time is a combination of paper type information, a selection state of single-sided/double-sided printing, and a selection state of the paper discharge unit. In accordance with this combination, the UI unit 501 displays a first message on at least one of the main display 145 and the display 209. The message displayed by the UI unit 501 at this time is a message for allowing the user to select a paper discharge tray to which the user wants to discharge the sheets. Then, in accordance with the combination of the selection state of the paper discharge unit and the open/closed state of the FU tray 116, the UI unit 501 displays a message for prompting the user to perform a necessary operation on the FU tray 116 as a second message.

In addition, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the user performs the necessary operations on the printer device 212 in response to the message displayed by the UI unit 501, and the process does not proceed to the next step until the opening and closing operation of the FU tray 116 is detected. This makes it possible to prevent curls from remaining on paper recommended for FU discharge, and to prevent double-sided printing from becoming impossible. Furthermore, by automatically controlling the opening and closing of the FU tray 116, it is no longer necessary for the user to go to the printer device 212 and manually operate the FU tray 116. Therefore, even if the installation location of the host computer 200 and the installation location of the printer device 212 are far away, the printing operation can be performed according to the user's intentions.

115 Paper output tray 116 FU tray 117 FU tray open/close sensor

Claims (26)

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 through 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 a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means is conveyed through a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward, the information processing method of an information processing device capable of communicating with an image forming device,
an input step of inputting the type of sheet;
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 discharge unit,
a first output step of outputting a first message before image information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus, notifying the user that the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge section and inquiring whether to discharge the input sheet to the first discharge section or the second discharge section;
13. An information processing method comprising: the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
The information processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second paper discharge section, when in the closed position, serves as a guide section that guides sheets to the first paper 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 paper discharge section. When it is selected in response to the first message to discharge the input sheet to the second discharge unit,
Before image information is transmitted to the image forming device,
3. The information processing method according to claim 2, further comprising a second output step of outputting a second message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. When it is selected in response to the first message to discharge the input sheet to the first discharge unit,
Before image information is transmitted to the image forming device,
3. The information processing method according to claim 2, further comprising a second output step of outputting a second message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to a closed position. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, 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 input in the input step is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit and double-sided printing is input,
The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a third output step of outputting a message to notify the user that double-sided printing is not recommended for the input sheet type and to notify the user that printing should be changed to single-sided printing. During the first output process and the second output process,
4. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein the information processing device does not transmit image information to the image forming device. When the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and when it is selected to discharge the input sheet to the second sheet discharge unit in response to the first message,
8. The information processing method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an instruction to the image forming apparatus for automatically switching the second paper discharge section to an open position. When the second message is output in the second output step,
an acquiring step of acquiring information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state;
from displaying the second message in the second output step until acquiring information that the second paper discharge unit is in the open state in the acquisition step;
4. The information processing method according to claim 3, wherein the second output step continues. When the second message is output in the second output step,
an acquiring step of acquiring information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state;
from displaying the second message in the second output step until acquiring information that the second paper discharge unit is in the closed state in the acquiring step;
5. The information processing method according to claim 4, wherein the second output step continues. 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,
In response to the input of the type of sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit in the input step,
11. 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 11. 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 through a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
an input means for inputting the type of sheet;
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,
Before image information is transmitted to the image forming device,
a first output means for outputting a first message notifying the user that the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge section and inquiring whether the user wishes to discharge the input sheet to the first discharge section or the second discharge section;
13. An information processing device comprising: the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein 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. When it is selected in response to the first message to discharge the input sheet to the second discharge unit,
Before image information is transmitted to the image forming device,
15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a second output unit that outputs a second message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to an open position. When it is selected in response to the first message to discharge the input sheet to the first discharge unit,
Before image information is transmitted to the image forming device,
15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a second output unit that outputs a second message for prompting the user to switch the second paper discharge unit to a closed position. While the first output means is outputting the first message,
While the second output means is outputting the second message,
17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the image information is not transmitted to the image forming apparatus. An information processing device according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that the input means inputs single-sided 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,
19. The information processing device according to claim 13, further comprising a third output means for outputting a message notifying the user that double-sided printing is not recommended for the input sheet type, and notifying the user that printing should be changed to single-sided printing. When the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and when it is selected to discharge the input sheet to the second sheet discharge unit in response to the first message,
The transmitting means transmits an instruction to the image forming apparatus to automatically switch the second paper discharge unit to a position in an open state, or
When the type of the input sheet is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second sheet discharge unit, and when it is selected to discharge the input sheet to the first sheet discharge unit in response to the first message,
20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the transmission unit transmits to the image forming apparatus an instruction to automatically switch the second paper discharge unit to a closed position. When the second output means outputs the second message,
an acquiring unit for acquiring information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state;
from when the second output means outputs the second message until when the acquisition means acquires information that the second paper discharge unit is in the open state;
16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the second output means continues to output the second message. When the second output means outputs the second message,
an acquiring unit for acquiring information indicating whether the second paper discharge unit is in an open state or a closed state;
from when the second output means outputs the second message until when the acquisition means acquires information that the second paper discharge unit is in the closed state;
17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the second output means continues to output the second message. 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;
Equipped with
In response to the input of the type of sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit by the input means,
23. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second sheet feed unit is selected as a sheet feed unit, and a message is output to prompt 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 through 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 through a second paper discharge conveyance path and then discharged face-up with the image formed by the image forming means facing upward,
The image processing device is capable of communicating with the image processing device having a transmitting means for transmitting image information including the type of sheet,
a receiving means for receiving the image information including the type of the sheet from the information processing device;
If the type of the sheet received by the receiving means is a sheet recommended to be discharged to the second discharge unit,
an image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus, characterized in that it has a first output means for notifying the user that the type of the received sheet is a sheet for which it is recommended that the sheet be discharged to the second paper discharge section, and for outputting a first message inquiring whether the sheet is to be discharged to the first paper discharge section or the second paper discharge section. the second discharge section is switchable between an open position and a closed position;
25. The image forming apparatus according to claim 24, wherein 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. 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 through 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,
an input means for inputting 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,
an information processing system comprising: a first output means for outputting a first message notifying the user that the type of the input sheet is a sheet for which output to the second output section is recommended, and inquiring whether to output the input sheet to the first output section or to output the input sheet to the second output section.

Images