JP2001245089A - Picture processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to easily designate a part of a stored document picture in a picture processor which can read the stored document picture so as to print it many times. SOLUTION: Plural jobs which have been printed are stored in the picture processor. When one job consists of print of a color document and print of a monochromatic document, picture data are classified to the color document and the monochromatic document in the job. Only the picture data (a color picture or a monochromatic picture) indicated through keys K301 and K303 by the user are printed out.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus capable of storing image data once printed, reading out the stored image data, and printing the image data many times.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image data is read from a manuscript,
2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus (such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction peripheral thereof) that can temporarily store read image data is known.

In such an image forming apparatus, the reading operation of the image data and the printing operation of the read image data can be performed independently. Further, after printing is once performed, the stored image data can be read out again and printed. Therefore, it is not necessary to read the same image data many times. The operation of reading out and printing the already stored image data again is called memory recall.

[0004]

In recent years, the number of opportunities to handle color documents has been increasing even in offices, and there is a case where a black-and-white document and a color document are mixed in one print job. In such a document, there is a case where it is desired to reprint only a color document as a reference distribution material after printing once, or to reprint only a black and white document. At this time, in the prior art, since only memory recall can be performed in one job unit, all color and black and white originals are printed, or images to be output are individually specified in image units. It was necessary to print or read the original again in color and black and white.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and has as its object to improve the usability of an image processing apparatus capable of reading and printing a stored document image.

[0006]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: a storage unit configured to store image data in job units after printing of the image data; Classifying means for classifying the image data in one of the jobs based on the image attribute.

[0007] Preferably, the image processing apparatus further comprises a selecting means for allowing the user to select a desired one from the classified image data, and a printing means for printing the image data selected by the selecting means.

[0008] Preferably, the image processing apparatus further includes display means for displaying information on classification by the classification means.

Preferably, the classification means classifies the color image and the other images. Preferably, the classification means performs the classification based on the application that created the image data.

According to these inventions, the image data in one job stored in the storage means is classified based on the image attribute, so that it is possible to provide a user-friendly image processing apparatus.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a digital copying machine in one embodiment. Referring to the figure, a digital copying machine is an automatic document feeder (hereinafter referred to as A
Documents are conveyed one by one onto the platen glass 18 by the DF (500). The digital copying machine reads an image of a document on the platen glass 18, drives the laser beam scanning optical system 60 based on the read image data, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 71. The digital copier develops this electrostatic latent image.

The digital copying machine includes a reading system 10 for reading a document image and converting the image into image data, and an image data processing unit 2 for processing image data transmitted from the reading system 10.
0, a memory unit 30, a print processing unit 40 that drives an optical system 60 based on print data transmitted from the memory unit 30, and a laser beam emitted from a semiconductor laser 62 is radiated onto a photosensitive drum 71. An optical system 60; an image forming system 70 for developing and transferring the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 71;
0, and an openable and closable ADF 500 having a function of transporting a document and reversing the front and back of a double-sided document. The sensor SE7 detects opening and closing of the ADF 500. Sensor SE
Reference numeral 6 detects that the document is set on the ADF 500.

The reading system 10, the image data processing unit 20, and the memory unit 30 constitute a reading device IR. A print processing unit 40;
The optical system 60, the image forming system 70, and the sheet conveying system 80 constitute a printer device PRT.

The reading system 10 includes an exposure lamp 11 mounted on a scanner 19 that moves below a platen glass 18.
And mirror 12, and second and third mirrors 13a, 1
3b, a condenser lens 14, a photoelectric conversion element 16 using a CCD array or the like, a scan motor M2, and the like.

Image data is input to the memory unit 30 via the image data processing unit 20 or the external interface 31.

The print processing unit 40 drives the optical system 60 line by line in the main scanning direction based on print data.

The optical system 60 includes a semiconductor laser 62 modulated (on / off) controlled by the print processing unit 40.
A polygon mirror 65 that deflects and scans the laser beam emitted from the semiconductor laser 62, an fθ lens 69 that corrects distortion and the like of the deflected laser beam,
Mirrors 67a and 67 for guiding the laser beam to the photosensitive drum
b.

In the image forming system 70, a charging charger 72, a developing device 73, a transfer charger 75, and a cleaner 76 for residual toner are arranged along a rotation direction around a photosensitive drum 71 rotated in the arrow direction. It was done. Since the image forming process by the image forming system 70 is well known, the description thereof is omitted.

The sheet conveying system 80 includes two automatic sheet feeding cassettes containing stacked sheets, rollers 82a and 82b for feeding sheets one by one, and a sheet conveying path 83.
, A timing roller 84, a transport belt 85, a toner fixing device 86, a discharge roller 87, and a discharge tray 88. The sheet conveying system 80 and the photosensitive drum 71 are driven by the main motor M1. Also,
A sheet detection sensor is installed at a key point in the sheet conveyance path. Further, the sheet conveying system 80 is provided with a manual paper feed port 89 for feeding paper manually by the user.

As shown in the figure, the digital copying machine according to the present embodiment has a total of three paper supply ports, two paper supply cassettes and one manual paper supply port.

The ADF 500 includes a document tray 501, a pickup roller 502, a separating roller 503, a separating pad 504, a register roller 505, and a conveying belt 5.
06, a reversing roller 507, and a paper discharge tray 508.

The originals placed on the tray 501 are conveyed one by one from the bottom layer onto the platen glass 18. The conveyed document is stopped on the platen glass 18, and its image data is read by the reading system 10.
After the reading is completed, the document is returned to the platen glass 18 by making one rotation around the reversing roller 507. Therefore, the transport belt 506 can be rotated forward and backward. The size of the original is detected by the sensor SE5 just before the original is sent to the platen glass 18.

In the copying machine having the above-described configuration, in a normal mode, an image of one document is read, and the image data is subjected to necessary correction to generate print data. The image is output at 60 and an image is formed on one sheet.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the operation panel 90 provided in the digital copying machine of FIG. Referring to FIG.
0 is a liquid crystal touch panel 91, a numeric keypad 92, and a clear key 93 for returning a set numerical value to an initial value.
, An interrupt key 94 for executing an interrupt copy, a copy start key 95, and a memory recall mode on / off.
Memory recall mode on / off key 9 to set off
7, a memory recall mode on display LED 98 for indicating that the memory recall mode is on, and a memory recall key 99 for executing memory recall
And an attribute set key 100 for setting the attribute of each paper feed port.

Here, the memory recall mode means that image data read by the reading device IR and image data input from an external personal computer or the like via the external interface 31 are stored in the code memory after printing. In this mode, the image data can be read out and printed again at a necessary time. When the memory recall mode is on, image data and the like read by the reading device IR are automatically stored in the code memory. When the user presses the memory recall key 99, a list of image data stored in the code memory is displayed, and the user selects image data to be printed (image data to be recalled) from the list. Can be.

On the other hand, when the memory recall mode is off, image data and the like read by the reading device IR are automatically deleted from the code memory after printing by the printer device PRT.

The copy mode of the digital copying machine is set to a normal mode in an initial state when the power of the digital copying machine is turned on. In the normal mode, the memory recall mode is on. Therefore,
In the initial state, the memory recall mode on display L
ED98 is lit. When the user presses the memory recall mode on / off key 97, the memory recall mode on display LED 98 is turned off, and the memory recall mode is turned off.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the control unit provided in the digital copying machine of FIG. Referring to the figure, the control unit is configured around seven CPUs 1 to 7,
ROM which stores necessary programs in PU
And a RAM serving as a work area when the program is executed.

The CPU 1 controls input of signals from various operation keys on the operation panel 90 and display on the liquid crystal touch panel 91. The CPU 2 controls each unit of the image data processing unit 20. The CPU 3 controls the driving of the reading system 10.

The CPU 5 controls the print processing unit 40, the optical system 60, the image forming system 70, and the sheet conveying system 80. A detection signal from a sheet detection sensor provided in each section is input to the CPU 5 via an I / O.

The CPU 4 controls the overall timing of the control section and controls the operation mode setting. The CPU 8 is included in the memory unit 30 and controls the memory unit 30 to perform necessary processing on the image data transferred from the image data processing unit 20 to generate print data. Then, the generated print data is transferred to the print processing unit 40.

The CPU 7 controls the ADF 500 and is connected to another CPU via a serial I / O. Instructions for feeding, transporting, and discharging documents are CP
Performed by U4.

When a finisher for performing paper alignment, stapling, and the like is attached to the apparatus, the CP
U6 controls the finisher.

The image data processing unit 20 includes an A / D converter, a shading correction unit, an MTP correction,
It includes a well-known image correction unit that performs image quality correction such as correction, zooming, image editing, and the like.

The read image data and the image data sent from the external computer are recorded as read image data in the memory unit 30 and sent to the print processing unit 40 as print image data when necessary (for example, at the time of memory recall). Is printed.

The image data for memory recall recorded in the memory unit 30 is stored in the R
It is managed by information in the AM.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of information recorded in the RAM connected to the CPU 8. Referring to the figure,
A job table, job unit information, input page information, and page unit information are hierarchically recorded in the RAM. Hereinafter, each information will be described.

1. Job Table This table manages information of all jobs including jobs whose output has been completed. Here, one job indicates one print operation specified by the user. The job unit information, the input page information, and the page unit information manage one page unit information of the print in the job. When a new job occurs, a new area of the job table is allocated.

2. Job unit information This is a collection of data that manages information on the entire job for each job. A job status, an operation mode, and input page information are recorded as job unit information.

The job status includes job unregistered, mode setting, reading, reading stopped, reading completed, printing, printing stopped, recall possible and printing completed, recall impossible and printing completed, or data receiving. Either state is recorded. When displaying a list of jobs on the operation panel, display is performed with reference to the job status.

As the operation mode, a mode set for a job such as one-sided copy is managed. The entry information for the corresponding input page information is recorded in the job unit information.

3. Input page information This is a group of data that manages information of each document when copying is performed and information on each print page when performing printer output.

4. Page Information This is a collection of information per page, color information,
It is composed of a document size, an image size, a paper size, a compression type, and a document type. The information will be described below.

Color information: This is data that holds the result of the determination by the automatic document color selection function (ACS) at the time of copying and color information of each page sent from a personal computer at the time of printer output. Either color / monochrome information is recorded as color information.

Document size: Data holding the detected document size at the time of copying. Image size: Data that holds the size of a read image when copying and the size of an image to be output when outputting to a printer.

Paper size: Data for holding the paper size calculated from the original size and the set magnification at the time of copying, and the paper size to be output at the time of printer output.

Compression type: data that holds the compression format (JBIG, JPEG, TIFF-F, PDF, uncompressed, etc.) of the input image data. At the time of copying, the compression format at the time of reading is held, and at the time of printer output, the compression format of output image data sent from the personal computer is held.

Document type: This holds data indicating the application that created the image. At the time of copying, information of "document read by the scanner of the main body" is recorded, and at the time of outputting to a printer, an application name sent from a personal computer (eg, word processing software "A", spreadsheet software "B", word processing software "C", etc. Name).

By the designated stored document detail display processing by the CPU, the color information of each page unit information of the corresponding input page information is searched from the job table of the designated job number, so that each page of the job is a color original. Or a monochrome document.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing of the CPU 1. Referring to the figure, in step S101, initialization is performed. In step S102, an internal timer for performing timing control is started. In step S103, key input processing corresponding to the display screen is performed. For example, when the classification output designation screen is displayed and the classification output designation key is pressed, the CPU 4 is notified of the classification output request together with the selected mode.

In step S104, a designated stored document details display process described later is performed. Step S105
Then, display processing of screens other than the designated stored document details display screen is performed. In step S106, the process waits for the internal timer to end.
Upon completion, the process returns to the step S102.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the contents of the designated stored document details display processing (S104) of FIG.

Referring to the figure, in step S201, the number of pages on which a color image is recorded is searched from the image data of the designated storage job. Step S20
If the number of color images in the search result exceeds 0 in step 3, the number of color images and the number of other images are displayed in step S205, and a classification designation output key is displayed in step S207.

On the other hand, if there are no color images as a result of the search in step S203, the process returns to the main routine.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of the designated stored document details display processing. As shown in (A), first, on the initial screen, a message for the user (a message such as “Can be copied”), the number of copies (“1”), a density setting key, and a magnification setting key are displayed on the operation panel. , A paper setting key, a color selection setting key, and a job list key K101.

By using the color selection key, the user can set whether the original to be read is black and white, color, or whether the automatic determination of color / black and white is performed in the copying machine.

When the job list key K101 is pressed, a job list as shown in FIG. Here, keys K201 to K205 corresponding to the jobs recorded in the apparatus are displayed. That is, each of K201 to K205 corresponds to job 2 to job 0. For example, job 2 is a color image 10
If the key K201 is pressed by the user in the case of a job consisting of 20 sheets and 20 monochrome images, the classification designation output key K30 is displayed as shown in FIG.
1, K303 is displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (C), the number of color images and the number of other images (part of the information relating to classification) are displayed, and the user performs a memory recall from among them to print. It is possible to arbitrarily select image data to be made.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing performed by CPU 4. Referring to the figure, in step S001, initialization is performed. In step S002,
Start an internal timer for performing timing control. In step S003, data input via the image data processing unit and data input via the operation panel are analyzed.

In step S004, processing corresponding to the classification output request from the operation panel is performed. I in step S005
Other processing such as a set of data output via / O is performed.

In step S006, the process waits for the end of the internal timer, and when the process ends, the process returns to step S002.

FIG. 9 shows the classification output designation process (S00
It is a flowchart which shows the content of 4).

Referring to the figure, if there is a classification output request (the key K301 or K303 in FIG. 7 is pressed) in step S301, the image type attribute of the page information of the job specified in step S303 , The page information is rearranged (classified) such that the pages of the color image are arranged in order from the first page.

In step S305, it is determined whether the output of a color image has been designated. If YES, the start page of printing is set to the first page in step S307, and the number of images to be printed is changed to the number of color images.
Next, in step S306, a print output request is notified to the print output processing unit.

If NO in step S305,
In step S311, the print start page is set to the “number of color images + 1”, and the number of images is changed to “the total number of images−the number of color images”. After that, step S309
Proceed to.

If NO in step S301,
Return to the main routine. As described above, in the present embodiment, the images in one job stored by the memory recall are automatically grouped according to the specific image classification (in the present embodiment, black and white and color). You can choose. As a result, the user can easily specify only the image data in one job that the user wants to print out. Thereby, the operability of the digital copying machine can be improved.

[Modification] In the above-described embodiment, pages are classified based on the color information of the page unit information (see FIG. 4). Pages may be classified based on paper size, compression type, or document type. For example, if the type is a JPEG format based on the compression type, the page can be regarded as a color image and classified as a page of any other format. Further, the classification may be performed based on the recorded document type, that is, the application in which the image data is created.

Referring to FIG. 10A, it is assumed that JOB2 to JOB0 are displayed as a job list and corresponding keys K201 to K205 are displayed. Here, if JOB2 includes image data created by two application software (spreadsheet software and word processing software), when key K201 is pressed,
The display as shown in (B) is performed.

Referring to (B), the contents and number of image data created by word processing software in JOB2 and the contents and number of image data created by spreadsheet software are keyed as the classification output designation screen. It is displayed in association with K305 and K307. When the user presses the key K305, only the image data created by the word processing software in JOB2 can be printed. on the other hand,
By pressing the key K307, only the image data created by the spreadsheet software among the image data in JOB2 can be printed.

The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a digital copying machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an operation panel.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the digital copying machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram for describing information for managing a job.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a CPU 1;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed display process of a designated stored document shown in FIG.
It is a flowchart which shows the content of 4).

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a designated stored document details display process.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process performed by a CPU 4;

9 is a flowchart showing the contents of a classification output designation process (S004) in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modification of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 memory units, 40 print processing units, 99
Memory recall key.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) G03G 15/36 G03G 21/00 386 9A001 21/00 386 H04N 1/21 H04N 1/21 G03G 21/00 382 (72) Inventor Koji Tanaka Osaka International Building 2-3-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Inside Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shoji 2-13-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka City Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Satoshi Tsuboi 2-3-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C061 AP03 AP04 AP07 AQ06 AR01 HJ06 HJ07 HK15 HL01 HN15 HR01 2C087 AA03 AA09 AB01 AC08 BA06 BA07 BB10 BC07 BD01 BD40 CB13 CB17 DA17 2H027 EE08 FA04 FA05 FA06 FA09 FA22 FA25 FA28 FA35 FA37 FC04 FD01 FD03 FD08 GA 14 GA15 GA20 GA56 GB05 GB16 ZA09 5C062 AA05 AB20 AB22 AB23 AB42 AC04 AC05 AC22 AE03 AF14 BA00 5C073 AA03 BB03 CC01 9A001 BB04 DD13 JJ35 KK42 KK54

Claims (5)

[Claims] A storage unit configured to store the image data in a job unit after printing of the image data is completed; and a classification unit configured to classify the image data in one job stored in the storage unit based on an image attribute. With
Image processing device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a selection unit that allows a user to select a desired one from the classified image data; and a printing unit that prints the image data selected by the selection unit. Image processing device. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays information related to classification by said classification unit. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said classification unit classifies a color image and another image. 5. The classification unit according to claim 1, wherein the classification unit performs classification based on an application that created the image data.
5. The image processing device according to any one of 4.