JP2000003084A - Color image forming device provided with two-color mode and copying machine equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a two-color copy with high image quality at a high copying speed by providing a selection means for selecting two kinds of colors and a conversion means for converting image data into two kinds of colors. SOLUTION: A control panel is provided with a two-color copying key 18 in the case of using optional two colors by the combination thereof and a two- color mode selection key 19 for selecting the color in the case of two-color copying. By depressing the key 19, a two-color printing mode is set, and the desired color and black are selected when an original having a red and black printed image is copied. The image is converted into image data and transferred to an image output device. As for the transferred image data, the red image data are converted into a magenta color by a CPU and an RGB/CMYK converter in a main controller, and the black image data are converted into a black color in the same manner. Respective image forming means are controlled by the CPU in an engine controller so as to output the two-color copy.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine and a printer, and more particularly to a color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode and a copying machine having the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a full-color copying machine, respective electrostatic latent images are formed in accordance with the color arrangement of a document, and these electrostatic latent images are developed with black, magenta, cyan and yellow toners. That is the basic configuration. For this reason, after the image reading is completed, a structure is required in which the printing paper is reciprocated in order to repeat the development with the toner of each color four times.

In such a full-color copying machine,
For an original document in which black is printed on a white paper, only development using black is sufficient. For this reason, the same operation as a non-color copying machine can be performed by switching to the monochrome mode instead of the color mode. In this case, since the development is performed using only the black toner, the development of the remaining three colors of toner is omitted, and the copying time is naturally shortened.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional full-color copying machine, when the mode is set to the color mode, the image is reproduced by executing all the development using the four toners.

On the other hand, most color originals, except for photographs and catalogs, are generally written in two colors, black and red. In the case of such a two-color original of black and red,
In a conventional full-color copying machine, only a color using four or three toners or a monocolor using one toner can be used.

In this case, when performing full-color copying, the time until the copying is completed becomes as long as ordinary full-color copying, even though the original has only two color arrangements. Become. Further, since the black image of the document is formed as a composite color of four or three toners, the image quality tends to be inferior to a printed image using only the black toner. If a copy is made in mono color, the image can be reproduced only in one of red and black colors, which has no practical meaning.

Further, when the original is printed in three or more colors, even if the original is copied in only two colors, the same usability as in the above-described manner is unavoidable.

As described above, the conventional full-color copying machine cannot be used in the two-color mode, so that even if the original is in color, if the reproduced image is desired to be in two-color, the copying time becomes longer. Or the required colors cannot be reproduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can be used in a two-color mode in which any two colors are selected in addition to full-color copying.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a color image forming apparatus having at least a full-color print mode, a mono-color print mode, and a two-color print mode, wherein the three print modes are switched and selected. Mode switching means, color selecting means for selecting two specific colors from a plurality of colors in the two-color printing mode, and image data to be formed into two types of color image data selected by the color selecting means. Conversion means for converting.

[0011] According to this configuration, not only a multicolor copy but also a two-color copy operation can be performed, so that a two-color image in which required colors are emphasized can be obtained in a short time.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a color image forming apparatus having at least a full-color print mode, a mono-color print mode, and a two-color print mode. Mode switching means for switching and selecting; color selecting means for selecting two specific colors from a plurality of colors in the two-color printing mode; and two kinds of colors which select image data to be formed by the color selecting means. A color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode, comprising a conversion means for converting the image data into image data, and having an effect that a two-color image in which a required color is emphasized can be obtained in a short time.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a color image forming apparatus having at least a full-color print mode, a mono-color print mode, and a two-color print mode, wherein the three print modes are switched and selected. Switching means; color selecting means for selecting two specific colors from a plurality of colors in the two-color printing mode;
Priority designation means for giving priority to one of the colors, comparison means for comparing the image data to be formed with the color designated by the priority designation means, and priority designation based on the comparison result by the comparison means Conversion means for converting the color image data of the same color as the selected color into a color designated by priority and converting the other color image data into the other color selected by the color selection means. This is a color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode. When a document written in three or more colors is desired to be copied in two colors, a priority color can be selected. Has the effect of being obtained by

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a copying machine provided with the color image forming apparatus having the two-color mode according to the first or second aspect, wherein a color required for image data written in three or more colors is provided. Is obtained in a short time.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a copying machine provided with a full-color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a copying machine supplies an original sheet and reads an image printed on the original sheet.
And an image output device 200 for printing a read image on a printing paper to obtain a reproduced image as main components.

The image reading section 100 includes a first carriage 1 having a light source and a mirror for reading, a second carriage 2 having a mirror, and a driving means for moving these carriages 1 and 2 in the left-right direction in FIG. Not shown)
A lens 3 for condensing light, and a C for detecting each light amount level of three colors (red, blue, and green) of light condensed by the lens 3
It comprises a CD 4 and a controller (not shown) as an image processing section for storing and processing the output data of the CCD 4.

The image output device 200 includes an image reading unit 1
L to convert the image data processed in 00 into laser light
SU5, a photoreceptor 6 on which image data is written by a laser beam, and a developing device that stores toner of different colors for developing toner charged on the photoreceptor 6, that is, a cyan toner developing device 7, a magenta toner developing device 8, a yellow toner developing device 9, a black toner developing device 10, and an intermediate transfer member 11 for forming a color toner latent image by superimposing four colors of the toner latent image formed on the photoconductor 6 for each color. It is. Then, after transferring the toner latent image on the intermediate transfer body 11 to the printing paper supplied from the paper supply unit 13, the paper is conveyed to the fixing device 12 so that the toner image is fixed on the paper and discharged. It is configured.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the operation panel provided in the copying machine. Note that the operation panel may be configured to be arranged together with an operation panel of the image reading unit 100 by using, for example, the upper surface or the side surface of the image reading unit 100.

In FIG. 2, the operation panel has keys 14 for setting the number of copies and the like displaying the numbers "1" to "10", a full-color copy key 15 for normal full-color copying, and image data. All 1
A monocolor copy key 16 for copying with a color (single color) toner color, and a monocolor mode selection key 17 for selecting black, blue, red, and yellow colors in the use mode of the monocolor copy key 16 are provided. Further, there are provided a two-color copy key 18 for use in an arbitrary combination of two colors, and a two-color mode selection key 19 for selecting a color in the case of this two-color copy.

In such an arrangement of the keys 14 to 19, the full-color copy key 15, the mono-color mode selection key 17 and the two-color mode selection key 19 are used as print mode switching means for copying.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of control in the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The mode data selected by the operation panel shown in FIG. 2 is transferred to the controller of the image reading unit 100, and the image data is transferred to the R,
The data is converted into G and B data and stored in the buffer memory 103. These R, G, and B data are transmitted to the image output device 2.
00 and converted by the converter 203 into cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) (CMYK or CMY in the full color mode, and the selected C in the monochrome mode). ,
(M, Y, or K, two colors in the two-color mode) are stored in the page memory 202. However, in the priority color selection two-color mode when using the operation panel of FIG. 4 described later, the priority color is converted to the designated color, and the other colors are converted to the second color. RGB
The / CMYK converter 203 converts black to K, blue to C, red to M, and yellow to Y. The engine controller 204 is controlled based on the data and copied and output.

For example, a two-color mode selection key 19
When the user presses the button to set the two-color printing mode, and to copy a document with a printed image of red and black, a desired color and black (K) are selected. This original is set on the image reading unit 100, and 2
When the color copy key 18 is pressed, the image of the original is
4, the image data is read at each level of R, G, and B. The image data is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 103 of the image reading unit 100, converted into image data by an image processing unit in the CPU 101, and the image data is sent to the image output device 200. Forward.

The transferred image data is sent to the image output device 2
00, the red image data is transferred to the CPU 201 and the RGB / CMYK converter 203.
Is converted to magenta (M), and the black image data is similarly converted to the CPU 201 and the RGB / CMYK converter 2
03 is converted to black (K) by the page memory 2
02. C stored in page memory 202
The image data converted into the MYK data is transmitted to the CPU 205 in the engine controller 204 of the image output apparatus 200.
Controls each image forming means, and outputs a two-color copy.

An LED 21 is provided on the right side of each of the mono-color mode selection key 17 and the two-color mode selection key 19, and when selected, the LED 21 is turned on so that the contents of the currently selected mode can be understood. Is preferred.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another example of the operation panel. The difference from the example of FIG. 2 is that a priority color key 20 is provided for selecting the first color of the two-color mode selection key 19.

For example, in the case of an original written in three colors of red, blue and black, the user selects priority color, red (M) and second color black (K), sets the original in the image reading section, When the color copy key 18 is pressed, the image data of this original is
4 to read at each level of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and transfer the data to the image output device 200.
Red image data is converted to magenta (M) by image processing, and colors other than the priority color (red) are black (K) by image processing.
And outputs a two-color copy having the priority color stored in the storage means.

[0028]

According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus such as a full-color copying machine is provided with a selecting means for selecting two kinds of colors and a converting means for converting image data into two kinds of colors, so that the image quality is high. Thus, a two-color copy can be obtained at a high copying speed.

Further, in the apparatus having priority means for giving priority to one of the two colors, the color selected by the priority means is compared with the image data, and image data different from the color selected by the priority means is output to the other. The operation for setting the color of the color can be performed. Therefore, even when an original written in three or more colors is desired to be copied in two colors, the priority color can be selected, so that an image forming apparatus capable of enhancing necessary colors can be obtained and the image quality can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing a copying machine having a full-color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an operation panel provided in a copying machine;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of control in the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another example of the operation panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 First carriage 2 Second carriage 3 Lens 4 CCD 5 LSU 6 Photoconductor 7 Cyan toner (C) developing device 8 Magenta toner (M) developing device 9 Yellow toner (Y) developing device 10 Black toner (K) developing device 11 Intermediate transfer body 12 Fixing unit 13 Paper feed unit 14 Key 15 Full color copy key 16 Mono color copy key 17 Mono color mode selection key 18 Two color copy key 19 Two color mode selection key 20 Priority color key

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H030 AA02 AD07 AD12 BB02 5C077 MP08 PP31 PP33 PQ08 PQ20 TT03 TT06 5C079 HB01 HB03 HB12 LA31 LB11 LB15 NA06 PA02 PA03

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A color image forming apparatus having at least a full-color print mode, a mono-color print mode, and a two-color print mode, wherein a mode switching means for switching and selecting the three print modes; A color selection unit for selecting two specific colors from a plurality of colors in a color print mode; and a conversion unit for converting image data to be formed into two types of color image data selected by the color selection unit. A color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode. 2. A color image forming apparatus having at least a full-color print mode, a mono-color print mode, and a two-color print mode, wherein: a mode switching means for switching and selecting the three print modes; A color selection unit for selecting two specific colors from a plurality of colors in a color print mode; a priority designating unit for giving priority to one of the two selected colors; image data to be image-formed and the priority designation Means for comparing the color designated by the means with the color designated by the means, and converting the color image data of the same color as the color designated by the priority by the result of the comparison by the comparison means into the color designated by priority and converting the other color image data. A color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode, comprising: a conversion unit configured to convert the color into the other color selected by the color selection unit. 3. A copying machine comprising the color image forming apparatus with a two-color mode according to claim 1.