Sheet stacking apparatus, method for controlling sheet stacking apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

A sheet stacking apparatus includes a lowering control unit, determination unit, setting unit, and notification unit. The lowering control unit can lower a sheet stacking unit according to a sheets stacked amount. The determination unit can determine that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered. The setting unit sets whether to prompt a user to remove an object placed under the sheet stacking unit if the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked thereon. If it is set to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, the notification unit makes a notification for prompting the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, and if it is not set to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, the notification unit does not make the notification.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
 a lowering control unit configured to lower a sheet stacking unit according to an amount of sheets stacked;   a determination unit configured to determine that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered by the lowering control unit;   a setting unit configured to set whether to prompt a user to remove an object placed under the sheet stacking unit if the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the sheet stacking unit; and   a notification unit configured to, if it is set by the setting unit to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, make a notification for prompting the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, and if it is not set by the setting unit to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, not make the notification.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification unit is configured to, if it is not set by the setting unit to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, not make the notification and notify the user to remove a sheet or sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the sheet stacking unit, store a position of the sheet stacking unit in a storage unit and stop stacking sheets on the sheet stacking unit, and if a sheet or sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit is/are removed while the stacking of sheets on the sheet stacking unit is being stopped, lift the sheet stacking unit and stack sheets on the lifted sheet stacking unit,
 wherein the notification unit is configured to, when the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered, while sheets are being stacked on the lifted sheet stacking unit, and if the position of the sheet stacking unit is different from the position of the sheet stacking unit stored in the storage unit, make the notification, and when the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the lifted sheet stacking unit, and if the position of the sheet stacking unit coincides with the position of the sheet stacking unit stored in the storage unit, not make the notification.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a control unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the sheet stacking unit, store a position of the sheet stacking unit in a storage unit and stop stacking sheets on the sheet stacking unit, and if a sheet or sheets stacked on the sheet stacking unit is/are removed while the stacking of sheets on the sheet stacking unit is being stopped, lift the sheet stacking unit and stack sheets on the lifted sheet stacking unit,
 wherein the notification unit further includes an identification unit configured to identify a number of times that the position of the sheet stacking unit, when the determination unit determines that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered, and while sheets are being stacked on the lifted sheet stacking unit, coincides with the position of the sheet stacking unit stored in the storage unit, and   wherein the notification unit is configured to,   if the number of times identified by the identification unit is less than N, make the notification, and if the number of times identified by the identification unit is greater than or equal to N, not make the notification.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising an acceptance unit configured to accept a value of the N from the user. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to, if the object placed under the sheet stacking unit is removed while the stacking of sheets on the sheet stacking unit is being stopped, perform control to resume stacking of the sheets on the sheet stacking unit, and
 the lowering control unit is configured to lower the sheet stacking unit without lifting the sheet stacking unit from a position at which the stacking of sheets is stopped.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to, if an instruction to cancel a job for stacking sheets is accepted while stacking of the sheets on the sheet stacking unit is being stopped, cancel the job for stacking the sheets. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to, if the sheet stacking unit cannot be lifted when the sheet stacking unit is lifted after a sheet stacked on the sheet stacking unit has been removed, perform control to display a screen for calling a serviceperson on a display unit. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a printing unit configured to print an image on a sheet,
 wherein the sheet stacking unit is configured to stack sheets on which an image is printed by the printing unit.   
     
     
         10 . The sheet stacking apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a reading unit configured to read an image of a document,
 wherein the printing unit is configured to print the image read by the reading unit.   
     
     
         11 . A method for controlling a sheet stacking apparatus having a lowering control unit configured to lower a sheet stacking unit according to an amount of sheets stacked, the method comprising:
 determining that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered by the lowering control unit;   setting whether to prompt a user to remove an object placed under the sheet stacking unit if it is determined that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the sheet stacking unit; and   if it is set by the setting to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, making a notification for prompting the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, and if it is not set by the setting to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, not making the notification.   
     
     
         12 . A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a method for controlling a sheet stacking apparatus having a lowering control unit configured to lower a sheet stacking unit according to an amount of sheets stacked, the method comprising:
 determining that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered by the lowering control unit;   setting whether to prompt a user to remove an object placed under the sheet stacking unit if it is determined that the sheet stacking unit cannot be lowered while sheets are being stacked on the sheet stacking unit; and   if it is set by the setting to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, making a notification for prompting the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, and if it is not set by the setting to prompt the user to remove the object placed under the sheet stacking unit, not making the notification.