Patent Publication Number: US-2013235415-A1

Title: Image forming apparatus capable of issuing instruction to skip error, control method therefor, and storage medium

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method therefor, and a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for implementing the method. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, for printing apparatuses and others that print out data, there has been known a technique that, when an error has occurred, a display indicating that the error has occurred is produced, and a printing-out process is suspended to wait for input of an instruction from an operator. Moreover, there has been known a technique that in the above case, printing is continued by a user instructing a printing apparatus to skip an error, depending on details of the error (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H07-81187). 
     There are known some printing apparatuses which are equipped with no display panel and only equipped with operation keys and LEDs. Such a printing apparatus is given instructions from an application on a PC connected to the printing apparatus via a network. Thus, an instruction to skip an error as described above can be given to the printing apparatus from the operation keys on the printing apparatus or from the application on the PC. 
     However, as for such a printing apparatus, the amount of information that can be given to a user differs between an application on a PC having high expressive power and a printing apparatus holding no display panel. For this reason, an application on a PC can express, for example, a warning that image quality may be degraded when an error is skipped, but this warning cannot be expressed by operation keys and LEDs on a printing apparatus. 
     Moreover, details of an error that has occurred cannot be informed to a user by expression power of operation keys and LEDs on a printing apparatus. For this reason, when various types of errors are allowed to be skipped, there may be cases where the user cannot determine whether or not an error that is currently occurring is an error for which the user should give an instruction to skip. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which improves its usability, a control method therefor, and a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for implementing the method. 
     Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, comprising a receiving unit configured to receive, from a user, an instruction to skip an error that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, a setting unit configured to set whether a specific error that occurs in the image forming apparatus is set as an error that can be skipped according to the instruction received by the receiving unit, and a notification unit configured to, in a case where the specific error which has been set by the setting unit as the error that can be skipped occurs, notify the user that the specific error can be skipped. 
     Accordingly, a second aspect of the present invention provides a control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising receiving, from a user, an instruction to skip an error that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, setting whether a specific error that occurs in the image forming apparatus is set as an error that can be skipped according to the instruction received in said receiving, and notifying, in a case where the specific error which has been set in said code to set as the error that can be skipped occurs, the user that the specific error can be skipped. 
     Accordingly, a third aspect of the present invention provides a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for storing a computer program for controlling an image forming apparatus, the computer readable storage medium comprising a code to receive, from a user, an instruction to skip an error that has occurred in the image forming apparatus, a code to set whether a specific error that occurs in the image forming apparatus is set as an error that can be skipped according to the instruction, and a code to notify, in a case where the specific error which has been set in said setting as the error that can be skipped occurs, the user that the specific error can be skipped. 
     According to the present invention, because it can be clearly specified whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped, usability of the image forming apparatus can be improved. 
     Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings). 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view schematically showing an arrangement of an image processing system including an image processing apparatus as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram schematically showing a hardware arrangement of a PC appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram schematically showing a hardware arrangement of the image processing apparatus appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a view showing an exemplary screen displayed on a display unit appearing in  FIG. 2  by a UI application. 
         FIG. 5  is a view showing a list of statuses of the image processing apparatus appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a view showing an operation unit appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a view showing a management table stored in an NVMEM appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation unit control process carried out by a CPU appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation unit control process carried out by a CPU appearing in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 10  is a view showing a variation of the management table stored in an NVMEM appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 11  is a view showing a skip process extension setting stored in the NVMEM appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing a variation of the procedure of the operation unit control process carried out by the CPU appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing an embodiment thereof. 
       FIG. 1  is a view schematically showing an arrangement of an image processing system  100  including an image processing apparatus  103  as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the image processing system  100  has the image processing apparatus (image forming apparatus)  103  and a PC  102 . The image processing apparatus  103  and the PC  102  are connected together for communication with each other via a network such as a LAN, a USB, or the like. Alternatively, the image processing apparatus  103  and the PC  102  may be configured to be capable of wirelessly communicating with each other via a wireless LAN, Bluetooth, or the like. 
     By operating a UI application running on the PC  102 , a user can configure desired settings on the image processing apparatus  103  and give desired instructions to the image processing apparatus  103 . A description of the UI application will be given later. The UI application is capable of displaying statuses of the image processing apparatus  103 . Also, the user can give various instructions to the image processing apparatus  103  by operating the UI application. Thus, the image processing apparatus  103  according to the present embodiment carries out image processing in accordance with instructions from the PC  102  which is a host apparatus. 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram schematically showing a hardware arrangement of the PC  102  appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a CPU  201  is a processor that controls the entire PC  102 . A RAM  202 , which is a system work memory for operation of the CPU  201 , is used as a program memory for storing programs. An HDD  203  is a nonvolatile storage device in which data or the like can be stored. 
     An operation unit  206  is keyboard, a mouse, or the like for receiving instructions from the user. An operation unit interface  204  is an interface between the operation unit  206  and the CPU  201  or the like. The operation unit interface  204  sends, to the CPU  201 , information corresponding to operations performed by the user via the operation unit  206 . 
     A display unit  210  is a display or the like that displays information for the user. A display unit interface  209 , which is an interface between the display unit  210  and the CPU  201 , outputs output signals to the display unit  210  in accordance with control performed by the CPU  201 . 
     A USB interface  208 , which is a unit for connecting to the image processing apparatus  103  via a USB, is used to obtain statuses of other image processing apparatuses and send back statuses via the USB. 
     A LAN interface  207 , which is a unit for connecting to a LAN, is used to obtain statuses of other image processing apparatuses and send back statuses via the LAN. The components described above are connected together by a system bus  205 . 
       FIG. 3  is a diagram schematically showing a hardware arrangement of the image processing apparatus  103  appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a control unit  313  has a CPU  301 , a flash ROM  302 , a RAM  303 , an NVMEM  304 , a USB interface  306 , an image bus interface  307 , a RIP  308 , an image processing unit  309 , a printer interface  310 , a LAN interface  314 , and an operation unit interface  315 . The CPU  301  is a processor that controls the entire image processing apparatus  103 . A RAM  303 , which is a system work memory for operation of the CPU  301 , is used as a program memory for storing programs and an image memory for temporarily storing image data. 
     The NVMEM  304  (storage unit) is a nonvolatile memory, in which management tables, to be described later, setting information, and so on are stored. The flash ROM  302  is a rewritable nonvolatile memory, in which various control programs for controlling the image processing apparatus  103  are stored. 
     The operation unit  316  has keys with which a user operates the image processing apparatus  103  and LEDs that indicate statuses of the image processing apparatus  103 . The operation unit interface  315 , which is an interface with the operation unit  316 , sends control information on the LEDs which the operation unit  316  has. Also, the operation unit interface  315  sends, to the CPU  301 , information corresponding to operations performed by the user. 
     Sheet feed units  317  and  318  hold sheets and supply sheets to the printer  311  when it performs printing. The USB interface  306  is an interface for connecting to the PC  102  via a USB. The LAN interface  314  is an interface for connecting to the PC  102  via a network (network communication unit). 
     The CPU  301 , RAM  303 , NVMEM  304 , flash ROM  302 , operation unit interface  315 , USB interface  306 , LAN interface  314 , and image bus interface  307  described above are connected together by a system bus  305 . 
     The image bus interface  307  is a bus bridge that connects together the system bus  305  and an image bus  312  transferring image data at high speed, and converts data structures. The image bus  312  is comprised of a PCI bus or an IEEE  1394  bus. 
     The RIP (raster image processor)  308  decompresses vector data such as a PDL code into a bitmap image. The printer interface  310 , which is an interface between the printer  311  and the controller unit  313 , carries out synchronous-asynchronous conversion of image data. 
     The image processing unit  309  corrects, processes, and edits input image data and carries out correction of the printer  311 , resolution conversion, and so on for image data to be printed. In addition, the image processing unit  309  rotates image data, carries out JPEG compression/decompression on multivalued image data, and carries out compression/decompression such as JBIG, MMR, or MH on binary-coded image data. 
     The printer  311  prints an image, which is represented by raster image data, on a sheet. Examples of a printing process include an electrophotographic process using a photosensitive drum or a photosensitive belt and an inkjet process in which ink is discharged from a minute nozzle array to directly print an image on a sheet, but any process can be used. A printing operation is started in response to an instruction from the CPU  301 . 
     The RIP  308 , printer interface  310 , image bus interface  307 , and image processing unit  309  described above are connected together by the image bus  312 . 
       FIG. 4  is a view showing an exemplary screen  401  displayed on the display unit  210  appearing in  FIG. 2  by a UI application. 
     The exemplary screen  401  in  FIG. 4  is for performing operations on the image processing apparatus  103 . The UI application is executed by the CPU  201  of the PC  102 . The UI application is capable of communicating with the image processing apparatus  103  via the USB interface  208  or the LAN interface  207 . When the user installs the UI application onto the PC  102 , the UI application is associated with the image processing apparatus  103 . 
     The exemplary screen  401  includes an error skip button  402 , a setting button  403 , a job execution state display field  404 , an image processing apparatus state display field  405 , and an image processing apparatus state explanation field  406 . The image processing apparatus state display field  405  displays information corresponding to a status of the image processing apparatus  103  connected to the UI application. In the image processing apparatus state display field  405 , an image such as an icon indicative of an appearance of the image processing apparatus  103  is displayed, and representations (color, shapes, and so on) of the image are changed according to statuses of the image processing apparatus  103 . Statuses of the image processing apparatus  103  will be given later. 
     The image processing apparatus state explanation field  406  displays a text that represents a status of the image processing apparatus  103  connected to the UI application. 
     The job execution state display field  404  displays a printing state of a job being executed by the image processing apparatus  103  connected to the UI application. In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , data with a document name “test1.doc” is being printed in accordance with an instruction from the user, and it is indicated that printing of three pages among six pages has been completed. When the image processing apparatus  103  is not performing printing, nothing is displayed in the job execution state display field  404 . 
     By operating the error skip button  402  using the operation unit  206 , the user can skip an error, which is occurring in the image processing apparatus  103 , to continue printing. The error skip button  402  is enabled only in statuses where printing can be continued by skipping an error. 
     Whether the image processing apparatus  103  is in a status where printing can be continued by skipping an error is determined by the CPU  301  of the image processing apparatus  103 . The determination result is transmitted from the image processing apparatus  103  to the CPU  201  via the USB interface  208  or the LAN interface  207 . The CPU  201  controls the UI application using the determination result. 
     By operating the setting button  403  using the operation unit  206 , the user can change settings on the image processing apparatus  103 . Operations performed when the setting button  403  is operated will be described later. 
       FIG. 5  is a view showing a list of statuses of the image processing apparatus  103  appearing in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the list shows various statuses indicative of details of errors occurring in the image processing apparatus  103  or states of the image processing apparatus  103 . 
     Among them, ready  501  indicates a state in which the image processing apparatus  103  is ready to perform printing. Now printing  502  indicates a state in which the image processing apparatus  103  is performing printing. No toner  503  indicates a state in which no toner cartridge is set in the image processing apparatus  103 . 
     Out of toner  504  indicates a status in which printing quality cannot be ensured due to the amount of remaining toner being small. Sheet mismatch  505  indicates a state in which the size of sheets held in the sheet feed units  317  and  318  and the size of sheets specified for printing do not mach. No sheet  506  indicates a state in which there are no sheets in the sheet feed units  317  and  318 . 
       FIG. 6  is a view showing the operation unit  316  appearing in  FIG. 3 . The operation unit  316  has a skip button  601  (receiving unit), a toner LED  602 , a ready LED  603 , a sheet LED  604 , and a skip LED  605 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the toner LED  602  lights up when the image processing apparatus  103  has no toner  503  or is out of toner  504 . 
     The ready LED  603  lights up when the image processing apparatus  103  is ready  501  or now printing  502 . 
     The sheet LED  604  lights up when the status of the image processing apparatus  103  is sheet mismatch  505  or no sheet  506 . 
     The skip LED  605  lights up when the image processing apparatus  103  is a status in which printing can be continued by the user depressing the skip button  601  to skip an error (notification unit). Whether or not printing can be continued by skipping an error is determined by the CPU  301 , and the determination result is informed to the operation unit  316  via the operation unit interface  315 . The skip LED  605  is an exemplary specifying unit that is turned on or off to clearly specify for the user whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped. 
       FIG. 7  is a view showing a management table  701  stored in the NVMEM  304  appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the management table  701  shows the correspondence relationship between various statuses indicative of the states of the image processing apparatus  103  described above with reference to  FIG. 5  and groups to which the statuses belong. 
     Specifically, in the management table  701 , the statuses are divided into a group  1 , a group  2 , and a group  3 . 
     Ready  501 , now printing  502 , and no toner  503  belong to the group  1 . Out of toner  504  belongs to the group  2 . Sheet mismatch  505  and no sheet  506  belong to the group  3 . 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation unit control process carried out by the image processing apparatus  103  according to the present embodiment. Steps in this flowchart are processed by the CPU  301  appearing in  FIG. 3  expanding programs, which are stored in memory such as the NVMEM  304  and the flash ROM  302 , onto the RAM  303  and executing the same. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8 , when a change occurs in the status of the image processing apparatus  103 , the CPU  301  determines first whether or not the present status belongs to the group  1  (step S 801 ). When, as a result of the determination in the step S 801 , the status belongs to the group  1  (YES in the step S 801 ), the CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to turn off the skip LED  605  by notifying the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip disabled indicating that an error cannot be skipped (step S 803 ). Here, not only the skip LED  605  is turned off, but also an LED corresponding to the present status lights up. When the skip LED  605  has not lighted up, turning-off of the skip LED  605  encompasses continuation of this state. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 804 ) and terminates the present process. 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 801 , the status does not belong to the group  1  (NO in the step S 801 ), the CPU  301  determines whether or not the status belongs to the group  2  (step S 802 ). When, as a result of the determination in the step S 802 , the status belongs to the group  2  (YES in the step S 802 ), the CPU  301  notifies the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 804 ), thus causing the operation unit  316  to turn off the skip LED  605  (step S 805 ). Here, the CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to not only turn off the skip LED  605  but also turn on an LED corresponding to the present status. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 806 ) and terminates the present process. 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 802 , the status does not belong to the group  2  (NO in the step S 802 ), the CPU  301  notifies the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip enabled that an error can be skipped, thus causing the operation unit  316  to turn on the skip LED  605  (step S 807 ). Here, the CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to not only turn on the skip LED  605  but also turn on an LED corresponding to the present status. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip enabled (step S 808 ) and terminates the present process. 
     The steps S 801  and S 802  described above correspond to an exemplary determination unit that, when a change occurs in the status of the image processing apparatus  103 , determines whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped according to a group to which the present status belongs. 
     Also, the steps S 803 , S 805 , and S 807  described above correspond to an exemplary specifying control unit that controls the skip LED  605  according to the result of determination in the step S 801  or S 802 . Further, the steps S 804 , S 806 , and S 808  correspond to an exemplary notification unit that informs the result of determination in the step S 801  or S 802  to the PC  102  which is a host apparatus. 
     According to the process in  FIG. 8 , when a change occurs in the status of the image processing apparatus  103 , whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped is determined according to a group to which the present status belongs (steps S 801  and S 802 ). Then, the skip LED  605  is controlled according to the result of determination (steps S 803 , S 805 , and S 807 ). Next, the PC  102  is notified of the determination result (steps S 804 , S 806 , and S 808 ). As a result, it is clearly specified for the user whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped, and hence usability of the image processing apparatus  103  when the error has occurred can be improved. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing the procedure of an operation unit control process carried out by the PC  102 . Steps in  FIG. 9  are processed by the CPU  201  appearing in  FIG. 2  expanding programs, which are stored in the HDD  203  or the like, onto the RAM  202  and executing the same. 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , the CPU  201  determines whether or not notification of skip enabled has been provided from the image processing apparatus  103  (step S 901 ). When, as a result of the determination in the step S 901 , notification of skip enabled has not been provided, that is, notification of skip disabled has been provided (NO in the step S 901 ), the CPU  201  disables the error skip button  402  (step S 903 ) and proceeds to step S 904 . 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 901 , notification of skip enabled has been provided (YES in the step S 901 ), the CPU  201  enables the error skip button  402  (step S 902 ). 
     Then, information corresponding to the status informed by the image processing apparatus  103  is displayed on the image processing apparatus state display field  405  (step S 904 ), and a text that represents the status is displayed on the image processing apparatus state explanation field  406  (step S 905 ), followed by termination of the present process. 
     Although various statuses appearing in  FIG. 5  described above are divided into three groups in the management table  701  appearing in  FIG. 7 , these statuses may be divided into not only three groups but also a plurality of other groups. 
       FIG. 10  is a view showing a variation of the management table stored in the NVMEM  304  appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
     The management table  1001  appearing in  FIG. 10  include the same statuses as those appearing in  FIG. 5 . As distinct from the management table  701  in  FIG. 7 , the statuses in the management table  1001  are divided into four groups consisting of a group  1 , a group  2 , a group  3 , and a group  4 . 
     Ready  501 , now printing  502 , and no toner  503  belong to the group  1 . Out of toner  504  belongs to the group  2 . Sheet mismatch  505  belongs to the group  3 . No sheet  506  belongs to the group  4 . 
       FIG. 11  is a view showing a skip process extension setting  1101  stored in the NVMEM  304  appearing in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 0 or 1. The skip process extension setting  1101  is a setting that indicates whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped when a status belongs to a group determined in advance and is for extending targets which can be skipped. Control is provided such that when the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 0, skip is disabled, and when the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 1, skip is enabled (setting unit). 
     Whether or not an error that has occurred can be skipped is determined using an extension setting table as well. 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing a variation of the procedure of the operation unit control process carried out by the image processing apparatus  103  according to the present embodiment. Steps in this flowchart are processed by the CPU  301  (execution unit) appearing in  FIG. 3  expanding programs, which are stored in memory such as the NVMEM  304  and the flash ROM  302 , onto the RAM  303  and executing the same. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , when a change occurs in status, the CPU  301  determines first whether or not the status belongs to the group  1  (step S 1201 ). When, as a result of the determination in the step S 1201 , the status belongs to the group  1  (YES in the step S 1201 ), the CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to turn off the skip LED  605  by notifying the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 1209 ). Here, not only the skip LED  605  is turned off, but also an LED corresponding to the present status lights up. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 1210 ) and terminates the present process. 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 1201 , the status does not belong to the group  1  (NO in the step S 1201 ), the CPU  301  determines whether or not the status belongs to the group  2  (step S 1202 ). When, as a result of the determination in the step S 1202 , the status belongs to the group  2  (YES in the step S 1202 ), the CPU  301  notifies the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip disabled, thus causing the operation unit  316  to turn off the skip LED  605  (step S 1207 ). Here, the 
     CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to not only turn off the skip LED  605  but also turn on an LED corresponding to the present status. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip disabled (step S 1208 ) and terminates the present process. 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 1202 , the status does not belong to the group  2  (NO in the step S 1202 ), the CPU  301  determines whether or not the status belongs to the group  3  (step S 1203 ). 
     When, as a result of the determination in the step S 1203 , the status belongs to the group  3  (YES in the step S 1203 ), the CPU  301  notifies the operation unit  316  of the present status and skip enabled indicating that an error can be skipped, thus causing the operation unit  316  to turn on the skip LED  605  (step S 1205 ). Here, the CPU  301  causes the operation unit  316  to not only turn on the skip LED  605  but also turn on an LED corresponding to the present status. 
     The CPU  301  then notifies the UI application of the PC  102  of the present status and skip enabled (step S 1206 ) and terminates the present process. 
     When, as a result of the determination in the step S 1203 , the status does not belong to the group  3  (NO in the step S 1203 ), the CPU  301  determines that the status belongs to the group  4  and determines whether or not the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 1 (step S 1204 ). 
     When, as a result of the determination in the step S 1204 , the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 0 (NO in the step S 1204 ), the CPU  301  proceeds to the step S 1207 . 
     On the other hand, when, as a result of the determination in the step S 1204 , the skip process extension setting  1101  is configured at 1 (YES in the step S 1204 ), the CPU  301  proceeds to the step S 1205 . 
     OTHER EMBODIMENTS  
     Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s). For this purpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable medium). 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions. 
     This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-054639 filed Mar. 12, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.