Control apparatus for controlling system including image forming apparatus and sheet discharge apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10754284-B2
Application number	US-201815982621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A control apparatus includes a processor and a memory to control a system having an image forming apparatus and a sheet discharge apparatus. Executing a memory store program causes the control apparatus to receive configuration information of the system and generate a system configuration image, receive stacking state information and generate a sheet bundle image, display a screen, receive job identification information of an image forming job of sheets to be picked up, and display a thumbnail image. The stacking state information includes a stacking amount of sheets stacked on a sheet stacking tray. The sheet bundle image represents the sheets stacked on a sheet stacking tray based on the stacking state information. The system configuration image and the sheet bundle image are combined in the screen. The thumbnail image is based on receiving the job identification information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus to form an image onto a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus to discharge the sheet to a sheet stacking tray, the control apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing a program which, when executed by the processor, causes the control apparatus to:
receive configuration information of the system and generate a system configuration image based on the configuration information,
receive stacking state information including a stacking amount of sheets stacked as a sheet bundle, on the sheet stacking tray and generate a sheet bundle image representing the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking tray based on the stacking state information,
display, on a display, a screen in which the sheet bundle image is mapped at a sheet stacking portion, corresponding to the sheet stacking tray, of the system configuration image,
receive job identification information of an image forming job of sheets to be picked up, wherein the image forming job which is identified by the job identification information is a job selected from an execution history list of a plurality of image forming jobs which have been executed and which have not yet been removed from the sheet discharge apparatus, and
generate a first thumbnail image and a last thumbnail image, wherein the first thumbnail image is a thumbnail image of an image which is formed on a first discharged sheet of the image forming job selected from the execution history list and the last thumbnail image is a thumbnail image of an image which is formed on a last discharged sheet of the image forming job selected from the execution history list,
wherein the processor simultaneously displays, on the display, a first sheet bundle image of the image forming job selected from the execution history list, a second sheet bundle image corresponding to an image forming job which is not selected from the execution history list, the first thumbnail image, and the last thumbnail image, and
wherein the processor displays the first sheet bundle image and the second sheet bundle image in different display forms.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to display a thumbnail image at a corresponding sheet part of the sheet bundle image in the system configuration image.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to display, together with the sheet bundle image, the last thumbnail image of the last discharged sheet of the sheet bundle at a corresponding sheet part.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to display an image that allows identification of each of the first discharged sheet and the last discharged sheet as a thumbnail image representing content of the image to be formed on the sheet.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a job input portion for input of at least one image forming job,
wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to form the image, to be formed on the sheet, onto the sheet for each input image forming job,
wherein the sheet discharge apparatus is configured to stack the sheet bundle for each image forming job, and
wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to store, as stored images, an image formed on the first discharged sheet and an image formed on the last discharged sheet of the sheet bundle, and to convert each of the stored images into a thumbnail image to display the thumbnail image, obtained by conversion, at a corresponding sheet part.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein, in a case where a plurality of sheet bundles are formed by executing one image forming job, executing the program causes the control apparatus to display a thumbnail image for each of the plurality of sheet bundles.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a list display configured to display can extracted list in which an image forming job for which discharge of the sheet having the image formed thereon is finished is extracted as a processed job,
wherein the control apparatus is capable of displaying the sheet bundle image accompanied with the thumbnail image of the displayed sheet bundle image in an order of the extracted list.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a designation input portion for input of designation of any processed job through the extracted list,
wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to display the sheet bundle image corresponding to the designated any processed job.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the extracted list display is configured to display, in an emphasized manner, the designated any processed job corresponding to the displayed sheet bundle image in the extracted list.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein executing the program causes the control apparatus to display the sheet bundle image corresponding to the designated any processed job processed job displayed in the emphasized manner.

11. A method for a control apparatus for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus to form an image onto a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus to discharge the sheet to a sheet stacking tray, the method comprising:
receiving configuration information of the system and generating a system configuration image based on the configuration information;
receiving stacking state information including a stacking amount of sheets stacked, as a sheet bundle, on the sheet stacking tray and generating a sheet bundle image representing the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking tray based on the stacking state information;
displaying, on a display, a screen in which the sheet bundle image is mapped at a sheet stacking portion, corresponding to the sheet stacking tray, of the system configuration image;
receiving job identification information of an image forming job of sheets to be picked up, wherein the image forming job which is identified by the job identification information is a job selected from an execution history list of a plurality of image forming jobs which have been executed and which have not yet been removed from the sheet discharge apparatus; and
generating a first thumbnail image and a last thumbnail image, wherein the first thumbnail image is a thumbnail image of an image which is formed on a first discharged sheet of the image forming job selected from the execution history list and the last thumbnail image is a thumbnail image of an image which is formed on a last discharged sheet of the image forming job selected from the execution history list,
wherein displaying includes simultaneously displaying, on the display, a first sheet bundle image of the image forming job selected from the execution history list, a second sheet bundle image corresponding to an image forming job which is not selected from the execution history list, the first thumbnail image, and the last thumbnail image, and
wherein displaying includes displaying the first sheet bundle image and the second sheet bundle image in different display forms.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a control apparatus to perform a method for a control apparatus for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus to form an image onto a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus to discharge the sheet to a sheet stacking tray, the

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Shinnae Toru
• Guermont Jerome
• Miyahara Nobuaki
• Fujita Ryo
• Oba Yoshitaka

Classifications

• G03G15/6538 Primary

  Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form · CPC title

• B65H33/00

  Forming counted batches in delivery pile or stream of articles · CPC title

• H04N1/00127

  Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture · CPC title

• G03G15/5091 Primary

  for user-identification or authorisation · CPC title

• H04N1/00496 Primary

  Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means · CPC title