Control device for controlling an image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974920-B2
Application number	US-201815982779-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2018
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A control device, to control a system having an image forming apparatus to form an image on a sheet based on an image forming job and a sheet discharge apparatus having stacking trays for the sheet, includes a storage storing stacking state information for each stacking tray, a generator, a display controller, and an input portion. The generator generates a system configuration image, and a sheet bundle image representing a sheet bundle stacked on each stacking tray based on the stored stacking state information. The display controller displays a screen in which the sheet bundle image is combined at a position of each stacking tray in the system configuration image. The input portion inputs designation of an image forming job corresponding to sheets to be taken out. The display controller displays an order of taking out the sheets corresponding to the image forming job designated through the input portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus having a stacking tray on which the sheet, having the image formed on the sheet, is to be stacked, the control device comprising:
a generator configured to generate a system configuration image representing a configuration of the system, and to generate a sheet bundle image representing a sheet bundle stacked on the stacking tray;
a display controller configured to display, on a display, a screen in which the sheet bundle image is combined at a position of the stacking tray in the system configuration image; and
an input portion configured to input designation of an image forming job which corresponds to sheets to be taken out and which is a processed image forming job selected among processed image forming jobs included in an execution history list,
wherein, in a case where the sheets of the selected image forming job are divided and discharged on a plurality of stacking trays, the display controller is configured to:
display a first sheet bundle image, which represents a part of the sheets of the selected image forming job, and a second sheet bundle image, which represents a part of the sheets of the selected image forming job, in a first display color, wherein the first sheet bundle image represents a first sheet bundle stacked on a first stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays, and wherein the second sheet bundle image represents a second sheet bundle stacked on a second stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays,
display a third sheet bundle image in a second display color which is different from the first display color, wherein the third sheet bundle image represents a third sheet bundle, which are stacked on one of the plurality of stacking trays, including sheets of another processed image forming job, and
display an order of taking out of the first sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle using the first sheet bundle image, the second sheet bundle image, and the third sheet bundle image.

2. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the display controller is configured to display the sheet bundle image corresponding to the image forming job designated through the input portion in a mode that is different from a mode for another image forming job.

3. The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet discharge apparatus includes a stacker having a lift tray and an ejection tray,
wherein the lift tray is positioned at a stacking portion with a predetermined height under a state in which no sheet having the image formed on the sheet is stacked, and is lowered as stacking proceeds,
wherein the ejection tray is configured to re-stack the sheet having the image formed on the sheet at a time point at which the lift tray is lowered to a re-stacking position to eject the sheet outside of the sheet discharge apparatus,
wherein the system configuration image includes structure images representing the lift tray and the ejection tray that are displaced in the stacker, and
wherein the display controller is configured to map and display the sheet bundle image on one of the structure images representing the lift tray and the ejection tray based on information on the order of taking out of the first sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle.

4. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein, in a case where sheets stacked on the ejection tray are taken out, the display controller deletes the sheet bundle image corresponding to the sheets taken out.

5. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where a fully-stacked state of the stacking tray is detected, the sheets of the processed image forming job are divided and discharged on another stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the order of taking out of the first sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle is displayed at a position corresponding to the first sheet bundle image and the second sheet bundle image.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sheet bundle image and the second sheet bundle image are displayed, according to respective display sizes, depending on a stacking height of each of the first and second sheet bundles.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheets of the another processed image forming job are discharged on the first stacking tray or the second stacking tray.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the sheets of the another processed image forming job are discharged on a stacking tray which is different from any of the first stacking tray and the second stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays.

10. A method for a control device for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus having a stacking tray on which the sheet, having the image formed on the sheet, is to be stacked, the method comprising:
generating a system configuration image representing a configuration of the system, and generating a sheet bundle image representing a sheet bundle stacked on the stacking tray;
displaying, on a display, a screen in which the sheet bundle image is combined at a position of the stacking tray in the system configuration image; and
inputting designation of an image forming job which corresponds to sheets to be taken out and which is a processing image forming job selected among processed image forming jobs included in an execution history list,
wherein, in a case where the sheets of the selected image forming job are divided and discharged on a plurality of stacking trays, displaying includes:
displaying a first sheet bundle image, which represents a part of the sheets of the selected image forming job, and a second sheet bundle image, which represents a part of the sheets of the selected image forming job, in a first display color, wherein the first sheet bundle image represents a first sheet bundle stacked on a first stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays, and wherein the second sheet bundle image represents a second sheet bundle stacked on a second stacking tray among the plurality of stacking trays,
displaying a third sheet bundle image in a second display color which is different from the first display color, wherein the third sheet bundle image represents a third sheet bundle, which are stacked on one of the plurality of stacking trays, including sheets of another processed image forming job, and
displaying an order of taking out of the first sheet bundle and the second sheet bundle using the first sheet bundle image, the second sheet bundle image, and the third sheet bundle image.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a control device for controlling a system having an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet based on an image forming job, and a sheet discharge apparatus having a stacking tray on which the sheet, having the image formed on the sheet, is to be stacked, the method comprising:
generating a system configuration image representing a configuration of the system, and generating a sheet bundle image representing a sheet bundle stacked on the stacking tray;
displaying, on a display, a screen in which the sheet bundle image is combined at a position of the stacking tray in the system configuration image; and
inputting designation of an image forming job which corresponds to sheets to be taken out and which is a p

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G03G15/6538 Primary

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

• G03G15/6529

  Transporting (G03G15/6555 takes precedence) · 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

• B65H31/22

  removable or interchangeable · CPC title

• B65H2220/02

  indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output · CPC title