JP2003174553A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device capable of adding advertisement information even without having a both sides copying function and also adding the advertisement information even if the number of pages to be copied is an even number. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming device is provided with an image information storing means 11 for storing image information, an added information storing means 12 for storing added information, a combining means 13 for combining the image information with the added information, and an outputting means 14 for outputting complex information combined by the combining means 13 onto paper 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus which is a copy machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a multi-function machine of a plurality of these machines, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a function of outputting additional information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image forming apparatus for adding an advertisement as additional information, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-13822 is known. In this publication, at the time of double-sided copying, it is determined whether or not the number of pages of the read image is an odd number, and when the number of pages of this image is an odd number, the number of pages of the image on each page There is disclosed a technique having an advertisement addition function of forming an image of a page corresponding to one surface of a sheet to be finally output, forming advertisement information on the other surface of the sheet, and outputting the advertisement information.

[0003]

However, in this technique, the advertisement information can be added only when the double-sided copy function is provided and the number of originals is an odd number of pages. In other words, if the image forming apparatus does not have the double-sided function or the number of originals is even, it is impossible to add the advertisement information even if it is desired.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus which can add advertisement information without a double-sided copy function and can add advertisement information even when the number of originals is an even number of pages. To aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an image information storage means for storing image information, an additional information storage means for storing additional information,
The most main feature is an image forming apparatus provided with a synthesizing unit that synthesizes the image information and the additional information, and an output unit that outputs the composite information synthesized by the synthesizing unit onto a sheet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the additional information area on the paper in which the additional information is formed is a non-image information area outside the image information area in which the image information is formed. The image forming apparatus described in 1 is a main feature.

The third aspect of the invention is characterized mainly in the image forming apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the non-image information area is a margin portion.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized mainly in the image forming apparatus according to the third aspect, in which the non-image information area is formed by reducing original image information.

The fifth aspect of the invention is characterized mainly in the image forming apparatus according to the third or fourth aspect, wherein the additional information is an advertisement.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to the fifth aspect, further including an operation unit as a selection unit for selecting whether to combine the image information and the additional information into the composite information. The main feature.

A seventh aspect of the invention is characterized mainly in the image forming apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein the image information is one of a copy image, a printer image, and a facsimile image.

An eighth aspect of the invention is characterized mainly in the image forming apparatus according to the seventh aspect, which is any one of a copy machine, a printer machine, a facsimile machine, and a multi-function machine of these.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The image forming apparatus includes an image information storage unit 11
An additional information storage means 12, a combining means 13 for combining the image information and the additional information, and an output means 14 for outputting the combined composite information on a sheet.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing each area of the paper. The additional information is formed on the paper 21 without overlapping the image information area 22. The additional information is the non-image information area, that is, the margin 2
3 is formed. When the margin is small, the original image area may be reduced to provide the additional information area 24.

The additional information is an advertisement, which is formed on the paper in a banner shape. Whether or not the advertisement is added can be selected by the will of the operator. The image information is one of a copy image, a printer image, and a FAX image, and an advertisement is added to these images and output. The image forming apparatus is any one of a copy machine, a printer machine, a FAX machine, and a composite machine of these machines.

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Image forming apparatus main body 31
The CPU 32 starts up the system based on the boot program stored in the ROM 36, reads various control programs stored in the HDD (hard disk device) 37 on the system, and executes a predetermined process using the RAM 33 as a work area. Have. The HDD 37 stores the various programs described above, as well as image information and additional information. The HDD 37 corresponds to the image information storage means 11 and the additional information storage means 12 in FIG.

The CPU 32 includes a RAM 33 and a ROM 3
6, HDD 37, network I / F 34, operation unit I / F 35, image processing unit 38, image compression / decompression unit 3
9. The image rotation unit 40 is connected via the system bus 41.

The operation unit I / F 35 transfers the signal generated by the input from the operation unit 43 to the CPU 32.
The operation unit 43 includes a current setting state of each function regarding image formation, a display unit for displaying an information input screen for inputting setting information regarding each function, a key for inputting setting information for each function, and the like. It has an input unit and the like.

The network I / F 34 is connected to the network 42 and inputs / outputs information via the network 42. The image processing unit 38 corrects, processes, and edits the input image data, and corrects the printer 45 and converts the resolution of the print output image data.

The image rotation section 40 performs a rotation process of image data. The image compression / decompression unit 39 uses JPEG for multi-valued image data and JBIG, M for binary image data.
MR and MH compression / expansion processing is performed.

As described above, the CP of the image forming apparatus main body 31
The U32 comprehensively controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 41 based on a control program, reads image information from the scanner 44, performs a predetermined process on the read image information, and then executes the image processing. Control such as outputting information to the printer 45 is performed. The printer 45 corresponds to the output unit 14 of FIG.

The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment has a paper 21
It has a function of adding advertisement information to the margin 23 part (may be formed by reducing the image information). This advertisement information is stored in the HDD 37 in advance.

An example of the function of adding advertisement information during the copy operation will be described. In the operation unit 43, the advertisement addition function is selected and the magnification of the document is set. The scanner 44 reads the original at the set magnification and develops the image information on the RAM 33. The advertisement information to be added is HDD
It is read from 37 and expanded on the RAM 33. The image information and the advertisement information are combined on the RAM 33 and sent as composite information to the printer 45 for output. Alternatively, the image information and the advertisement information are separately sent to the printer 45, and the printer 4
5 may be combined and used as composite information. CPU32,
The RAM 33, the CPU 32, and the printer 45 are shown in FIG.
Corresponds to the synthesizing means 13 of.

Many examples of the function of adding advertisement information when the printer is operating will be described. PDL code is network 4
The data is transferred from No. 2 and expanded on the RAM 33. CP
The UDL converts the PDL code into a bitmap image and expands it again on the RAM 33. Further, the advertisement information to be added is read from the HDD 37 and expanded on the RAM 33. The image information and the advertisement information are combined on the RAM 33,
The composite information is sent to the printer 45 and output. Or send the image information and the advertisement information separately to the printer 45,
The composite information may be combined on the printer 45 to form composite information. If necessary, the image information is reduced and processed.

[0025]

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, since the advertisement information can be added without the double-sided copy function, it is not necessary to add a new double-sided copy function unit, and the cost can be reduced. . Further, since the advertisement information can be added even when the number of originals is an even number of pages, it can be expected that the added value of the output original can be increased.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing each area of a sheet.

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Image information storage means 12 Additional information storage means 13 Synthetic means 14 Output means 21 sheets 43 Operation part

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Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image information storage unit for storing image information, an additional information storage unit for storing additional information, a synthesizing unit for synthesizing the image information and the additional information, and composite information synthesized by the synthesizing unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: an output unit that outputs a sheet onto a sheet. 2. The additional information area on the paper in which the additional information is formed is a non-image information area outside the image information area in which the image information is formed. The image forming apparatus described. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the non-image information area is a margin portion. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the non-image information area is created by reducing original image information. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the additional information is an advertisement. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an operation unit as a selection unit that selects whether to combine the image information and the additional information into the composite information. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image information is one of a copy image, a printer image, and a facsimile image. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus is any one of a copy machine, a printer machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunctional machine of a plurality of these machines.