JP2003224701A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor for attaining improvement in work efficiency by reducing work due to an operator. <P>SOLUTION: A first document is fed by an automatic document feeder (ADF36), images thereon are read, image processing of the read image data is completed, a second document is fed, images on that document are read and image data for two pages are stored in a memory. Thus, feeding of transfer paper from a storage part and image forming on that transfer paper, namely, image output processing is carried out for forming images on both sides of the transfer paper with the read image data for two images. Thus, the images on the two documents are read, the image data are stored and afterwards, operation for forming images on the transfer paper is started, and consequently, even when a read defect occurs on the side of the ADF during implementation of reading the image, the operation for forming the images on the transfer paper is not started and labor for the operator in jam processing on the transfer paper side can be eliminated. <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 processing apparatus having a device for reading an image of an original such as a digital copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, not only an image processing apparatus such as a digital copying machine, but also a commonly used copying machine,
While the document is being read, the transfer paper is synchronously fed from the transfer paper cassette in which the transfer paper is stored to form an image. This is not only the case of so-called one-sided copying, in which image data is similarly formed only on one side of the transfer paper from a document having an image on only one side, or copying from one side to both sides, or Similarly, in copying from both sides to the both sides, when the original is being read, the transfer paper is synchronously fed from the transfer paper cassette in which the transfer paper is stored to form an image.

[0003]

In the conventional image processing apparatus as described above, since the reading operation of the original document and the image forming operation on the transfer paper are synchronized, after the image formation on one side of the transfer paper is completed. However, there is a problem that the transfer paper is left in the image processing device when the image data to be formed on the other surface cannot be read or when the reading is stopped.
For this reason, the operator has to remove the transfer paper left over from the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which solves the problem of reading an image on a document and forming an image on a transfer sheet, and improves the working efficiency.

[0005]

The image processing apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object includes an automatic document feeder for feeding a set document to a scanner unit for reading a document, and the scanner described above. A memory that temporarily stores the image data of the document read by the unit in the memory,
A process unit for forming an image on a transfer sheet according to the image data stored in the memory according to an output instruction, a cassette containing the transfer sheet, and a first surface and a second surface of the transfer sheet. In order to form an image, a transfer unit that transfers the transfer sheet having the image formed on the first surface to the image forming position of the process unit again through the reverse transfer path of the transfer sheet, and the automatic document feeding device described above. When the images of the first original and the second original fed to the scanner unit are read and the image data for two pages of the first original and the second original are stored in the memory, Start feeding the transfer paper from the cassette to the image forming position of the process section,
The transfer paper, on which the image formation on the first surface is completed, is conveyed through the conveyance means, and after the front and back sides are reversed via the reversal conveyance path, the second surface of the transfer paper is sent to the image forming position and the image formation on both surfaces is performed. And a control unit for controlling the start of the operation.

According to this structure, when the original is set and the start of image formation is instructed, the set original is set to 1
Images are read one by one to the scanner unit,
This is stored in memory. At this time, even if the image of the first original is read, if the image formation of the next original is not started and the image of the next original is stored in the memory, the transfer paper is moved from the cassette to the image forming position. The sending control is executed. Therefore, even if a problem such as a document conveyance jam or a reading problem occurs while reading the images of the first document and the next document, it is only necessary to process the document on the automatic document feeder side. It is not necessary to take any action on the part of the process that performs As a result, the work amount of the operator can be reduced, and the work efficiency can be improved. In addition, the automatic document feeder continuously feeds the set originals to the scanner unit even if the first and the next originals are fed and the images are read and the image forming operation is started by the feeding as described above. For delivery,
The operator's work can be eliminated. In addition, even if the transfer paper is jammed during the image forming operation by reading the images of the first and the next originals, it is stored in the memory, so that the operator's work for re-conveying the originals can be performed. It can be reduced.

Further, in the image processing apparatus having the above-mentioned structure, the automatic document feeder sequentially conveys one-sided originals one by one to the scanner unit,
In order to convey both sides of the double-sided original to the scanner unit, the read original is inverted and then conveyed to the scanner unit. That is, the first continuous page according to the one-sided original or the two-sided original.
After the image of the second original is read, the operation of supplying the transfer paper from the cassette for image formation is started, and the image formation can be executed in the page order set first, and the image formation by the operator himself. The work of rearranging the transfer paper afterwards can be eliminated.

As described above, it is possible to achieve the purpose of reducing the operator's work as much as possible and improving the work efficiency including the image formation on both sides of the transfer paper in association with the automatic document feeder.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of a digital copying machine which is an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing the construction of an example of the digital copying machine of this embodiment, and FIG. 7 schematically shows the construction of an image processing unit included in the digital copying machine shown in FIG. It is a block diagram.

As shown in FIG. 6, the digital copying machine 30 of the present invention comprises a scanner section 31, a laser printer section 32, a multi-stage paper feeding unit 33 and a sorter 34.

The scanner unit 31 includes a document placing table 35 made of transparent glass, and a double-sided automatic document feeder (ADF) 3
6 and the scanner unit 40.

The multi-stage paper feeding unit 33 includes the first cassette 5
It has a first cassette 52, a second cassette 52, a third cassette 53, and a fourth cassette 55 that can be added by selection. In the multi-stage paper feeding unit 33, the transfer papers are sent out one by one from the transfer papers stored in the cassettes of the respective stages and are conveyed toward the laser printer unit 32. The ADF 36 sets a plurality of originals at once, automatically feeds the originals one by one to the scanner unit 40, and scans one side or both sides of the original with the scanner unit 40 according to an operator's selection. Is configured to let.

The scanner unit 40 forms a lamp reflector assembly 41 for exposing a document, a plurality of reflecting mirrors 43 for guiding a reflected light image from the document to a charge coupled device (CCD) 42, and a reflected light image from the document on the CCD 42. It includes a lens 44 for imaging. Scanner unit 31
When scanning a document placed on the document table 35, the scanner unit 4 is arranged along the lower surface of the document table 35.
0 is configured to read an original image while moving, and when the ADF 36 is used, the original image is read while the original is conveyed while the scanner unit 40 is stopped at a predetermined position below the ADF 36. Is configured.

The image data obtained by reading the original image with the scanner unit 40 is sent to an image processing unit (not shown), which will be described later, and subjected to various processing, and then temporarily stored in the memory of the image processing unit. In response to the output instruction, the image data in the memory is given to the laser printer unit 32 to form an image on the transfer paper.

The laser printer unit 32 includes a manual document tray 45, a laser writing unit 46, and an electrophotographic process unit 47 for forming an image. The laser writing unit 46 is a semiconductor laser that emits a laser beam in accordance with the image data from the memory described above, a polygon mirror that deflects the laser beam at an equal angular velocity, and a laser beam that is deflected at an equal angular velocity is exposed by the electrophotographic process section 47. Body drum 48
It has an f-θ lens and the like for performing correction so that the angular velocity is deflected.

The electrophotographic process section 47 comprises a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device, a peeling device, a cleaning device, a discharging device, and a fixing device 49 around the photosensitive drum 48 according to a known manner. A transport path 50 is provided on the downstream side of the fixing device 49 in the transport direction of the transfer sheet on which the image is to be formed, and the transport path 50 communicates with the sorter 34.
7 and a conveyance path 58 leading to the multi-stage sheet feeding unit 33. The transport path 58 is branched in the multi-stage sheet feeding unit 33, and the reverse transport path 5 is used as a transport path after the branch.
0a and a double-sided / composite transport path 50b are provided. The reverse conveyance path 50a is a conveyance path for reversing the front and back sides of the transfer paper in the double-sided copy mode in which both sides of the original are copied. The double-sided / composite conveyance path 50b conveys the transfer paper from the reverse conveyance path 50a to the image forming position of the photosensitive drum 48 in the double-sided copy mode, or transfers images of different originals or images of different colors on one side of the transfer paper. This is a conveyance path for conveying the transfer paper to the image forming position of the photosensitive drum 48 in the single-sided composite copy mode in which the composite copy to be formed is carried out.

The multi-stage sheet feeding unit 33 includes a common conveyance path 56, and the common conveyance path 56 includes the first cassette 51 and the second cassette 51.
The transfer papers from the cassette 52 and the third cassette 53 are carried out toward the electrophotographic process section 47. The common transport path 56 joins the transport path 59 from the fourth cassette 55 on the way to the electrophotographic process section 47, and communicates with the transport path 60. The conveying path 60 joins the double-sided / composite conveying path 50b and the conveying path 61 from the manual document tray 45 at a confluence point 62 to reach an image forming position between the photoconductor drum 48 of the electrostatic photography process section 47 and the transfer device. The confluence points 62 of these three conveyance paths are provided near the image forming position.

Therefore, in the laser writing unit 46 and the electrophotographic process section 47, the image data read from the above-mentioned memory is the laser writing unit 46.
The toner image formed as an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 48 by scanning with a laser beam is visualized with toner, and the toner image is transferred onto the surface of the transfer paper conveyed from the multi-stage paper feeding unit 33. It is electrostatically transferred and fixed.
The transfer sheet on which the image is thus formed is sent from the fixing device 49 to the sorter 34 via the carrying paths 50 and 57, or is carried to the reverse carrying path 50a via the carrying paths 50 and 58.

Next, the configuration and function of the image processing unit included in the digital copying machine 30 of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, a digital copying machine 30 is provided.
The image processing unit included in the CPU is an image data input unit 70, an image processing unit 71, an image data output unit 72, a memory 73 including a RAM (random access memory), and a CP.
A U (Central Processing Unit) 74 is provided. The image data input unit 70 includes a CCD unit 70a and a histogram processing unit 70.
b and the error diffusion processing unit 70c.

The image data input unit 70 has the CC shown in FIG.
The image data of the original read from D42 is binarized and converted, and while the histogram is obtained as a binary digital amount, the image data is processed by the error diffusion method and temporarily stored in the memory 73. There is. That is, C
In the CD section 70a, the analog electric signal corresponding to each pixel density of the image data is A / D converted, and then MTF correction, black and white correction or gamma correction is performed, and a histogram is obtained as a digital signal of 256 gradations (8 bits). Processing unit 70b
Is output to.

In the histogram processing section 70b, the digital signal output from the CCD section 70a is added for each pixel density of 256 gradations to obtain density information (histogram data), and if necessary, the obtained histogram data is It is sent to the CPU 74 or as pixel data to the error diffusion processing unit 70c. Error diffusion processing unit 70c
Then, the error diffusion method which is a kind of pseudo halftone processing, that is, 2
A digital signal of 8 bits / pixel output from the CCD unit 70a is converted into 1 bit (binary) by a method of reflecting a binarization judgment of an adjacent pixel in the binarization determination, and the local area density in the document is faithfully reproduced. A redistribution operation is performed to reproduce the above.

The image processing unit 71 includes multi-valued processing units 71a and 71b, a synthesis processing unit 71c, a density conversion processing unit 71d, a scaling processing unit 71e, an image processing unit 71f, an error diffusion processing unit 71g and a compression processing unit 71h. Contains. The image processing unit 71 is a processing unit that finally converts the input image data into image data that the operator desires, and this processing unit is used until the memory 73 stores the finally converted output image data. Are configured to process. However, each of the above-mentioned processing units included in the image processing unit 71 functions as necessary and may not function.

That is, in the multi-value quantization processing units 71a and 71b, the data binarized by the error diffusion processing unit 70c is converted again into 256 gradations.

In the synthesizing section 71c, a logical operation for each pixel, that is, a logical sum, a logical product or an exclusive logical sum is selectively performed. The data to be calculated is the pixel data stored in the memory 73 and the bit data from the pattern generator (PG).

In the density conversion processing unit 71d, the relationship between the input density and the output density is arbitrarily set for the 256 gradation digital signal based on a predetermined gradation conversion table.

In the scaling processing unit 71e, the pixel data (density value) for the scaled target pixel is obtained by performing interpolation processing with the known data that is input according to the designated scaling ratio. After the scanning is scaled, the main scanning is scaled.

In the image processing section 71f, various image processings can be performed on the input pixel data, and information collection such as feature extraction can be performed on the data string.

The error diffusion processing unit 71g performs the same processing as the error diffusion processing unit 70c of the image data input unit 70.

In the compression processing section 71h, binary data is compressed by the encoding called run length. Regarding the compression of the image data, the compression functions in the final processing loop when the final output data is completed.

The image data output unit 72 includes a restoration unit 72a, a multilevel halftoning processing unit 72b, an error diffusion processing unit 72c, and a laser output unit 72d.

The image data output unit 72 restores the image data stored in the memory 73 in a compressed state to the original 25
The laser output unit 7 converts the gradation into six gradations again and performs error diffusion of the four-valued data, which is a smoother halftone expression than the binary data.
It is configured to transfer data to 2d. That is,
The decompression unit 72a decompresses the image data compressed by the compression processing unit 71h.

In the multi-value processing section 72b, the image processing section 71
Processing similar to that of the multi-value quantization processing units 71a and 71b is performed. In the error diffusion processing unit 72c, the image data input unit 70
Processing similar to that of the error diffusion processing unit 70c is performed.

In the laser output section 72d, the digital pixel data is converted into a laser on / off signal based on a control signal from a sequence controller (not shown), and the laser is turned on / off.

The data handled by the image data input section 70 and the image data output section 72 is basically in the form of binary data in order to reduce the capacity of the memory 73.
Although it is stored in 3, 4 in consideration of deterioration of image data
It is also possible to process in the form of value data.

Next, the main part of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an outline of operation control in a control unit for executing double-sided copying in the digital copying machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is executing double-sided copying in the digital copying machine according to the present invention. It is a flowchart figure which shows the outline of another control example.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing the operation of the ADF, the image input section and the like. 4 is a schematic view of the operation panel of the digital copying machine shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 shows a plus function selection screen displayed on the display unit of the operation panel for selecting double-sided copying.

For double-sided copying, first, the "single-sided → double-sided copying (even number)" key on the plus function selection screen displayed on the display unit 11 on the operation panel 10 shown in FIG. Press either the "Sheet)" key or the "double-sided → double-sided copy" key to select double-sided copying, and start by pressing the copy start button (step S10).

Next, the document containing the image data to be transferred onto the surface of the transfer sheet by the ADF 36 is placed on the document table (step S11). Next, the scanner unit scans so as to read the image data of the document. Then, it is determined whether the image data has been read by this scan (step S12). If the document is not normally read, for example, if the document is jammed in the ADF or if the reading is stopped midway, the process returns to step S11.

When a jam occurs, the operator removes the original from the ADF 36 or the like and presses the copy start button to restart copying. When the determination result of step S12 is a positive result, the document including the image data transferred to the back of the transfer sheet by the ADF 36 is placed on the document table (step S13). In this case, the ADF 36 operates in two ways. One is a case of one-sided → two-sided copying, in which an original of a continuous page different from the original set in step S11 is placed.

The other is double-sided → double-sided copying, in which the original set in step S11 is turned upside down and placed on the original placing table. Next, the scanner unit scans so as to read the image data of the document. Then, it is determined whether or not the image data is read by this scan (step S14). If the document is not normally read, for example, if the document is jammed in the ADF 36, the process returns to step S13. If the determination result of step S12 is a positive result, the transfer paper is fed from the cassette storing the transfer paper (step S15), and image data on both sides is sequentially formed on the transfer paper (step S16).
The means for determining whether or not all the sequences to be performed as the preprocessing for transferring the image data on both sides of the transfer paper are completed corresponds to steps S10 to S14,
The means for starting the feeding of the transfer paper corresponds to step S15.

Next, a description will be given of the control operation effectively performed when the operator manually puts the originals on the original placing table and reads the originals one by one.

The originals placed on the original table are read one by one. At this time, if two pages of the original are read,
Since the sequence for transferring the image to both sides of one transfer sheet is completed, the sheet feeding is started and the transfer is performed. However, if the final document is less than two pages, the sequence for transfer is not completed even if only one page is read, and the sequence is completed by pressing the document end key as an instruction means on the operation panel. , Transfer is performed only on one side of one transfer sheet.

Such an operation will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

Therefore, as described above, in order for the operator to manually place the original on the original placing table and perform double-sided copying, first select double-sided copying on the operation panel 10 shown in FIG. 4 and start copying. It starts by pressing a button (step S20).

A document containing image data to be transferred to the surface of the transfer sheet by the operator is placed on the document table (step S21), and the scanner is read so that the image data of the document is read by pressing the read button, for example. The unit 40 scans. Then, it is determined whether the image data is read by this scan (step S
22), and if not read normally, the process returns to step S21.

If the determination result of step S22 is affirmative, it is determined whether or not the document end button for instructing the end of the document has been pressed (step S23). When the operator does not press the document end button, the document containing the image data transferred to the back of the transfer paper is placed on the document table (step S24). Next, the read button is pressed, and the scanner unit 40 scans so as to read the image data of the document. Then, it is determined whether the image data is read by this scan (step S2
5) If it is not correctly read, the process returns to step S23.

When the document end button is pressed in step S23, or when the image data is normally read in step S25, the transfer paper is fed from the cassette containing the transfer paper (step S26), and both sides are transferred. Image data is sequentially formed on the transfer paper (step S27). Incidentally, in the case of only the one-sided image data, step S27
In, only the image data of one side is transferred to the transfer paper.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the time chart shown in FIG. When the copy start is turned on, the control signal of the ADF 36 becomes high, the ADF 36 operates, and the original is fed on the original placing table. Simultaneously with the placement, the image input becomes high and the scanner unit 40 scans to read the image data of the original. The read image data is subjected to processing such as digitization as described above during scanning of the remaining document.

Then, the original containing the second image data transferred to the back surface of the transfer paper is similarly fed from the ADF, and the image data is read and processed. As described above, the transfer paper is supplied, the image data is formed on the transfer paper, and the image forming operation is started only after the image data on both sides is processed without causing a trouble such as a jam. When the image is formed on the front surface, the transfer paper is reversed, the image data on the back surface is transferred onto the transfer paper, and the double-sided transfer of one sheet is completed.

In this way, since the transfer paper is fed to form the image data after the completion of all the sequences for transferring the image data on both sides of the transfer paper, when a jam occurs in the ADF, etc. In the above, the transfer paper is not left in the image processing apparatus, and the working efficiency can be improved.

[0054]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a document is optically read and stored in a memory, the image data stored in the memory is read out, and the data of the image is transferred to a transfer sheet through a process section. When performing image formation, the image of the first and second originals is read, and after the process of storing the images in the memory is completed, the operation of conveying the transfer paper from the cassette to the image forming position of the process unit is started.

Therefore, even if a problem occurs on the automatic document feeder side, only the countermeasure process on the automatic document feeder side is required, and the transfer paper is not supplied from the cassette. Therefore, work efficiency can be improved.

Further, due to the entanglement with the automatic document feeder, the feeding and reading of the document can be continued even if the start of the image forming operation is executed, and the image reading process of the next first and second documents can be performed. The processing can be continuously performed, and the automatic document feeding and the image forming operation can be continuously executed without any trouble.

Furthermore, when images are formed on both sides of the transfer paper, even if a problem occurs on the automatic document feeder side during the image formation on one side and the image formation on both sides, the images on the transfer paper side are formed. Since the formation is not executed, the burden on the operator can be significantly reduced.

Moreover, the read image data is stored in the memory, and the image data from the stored memory is formed on the transfer sheet. It is possible to eliminate the trouble of the operator for reading the.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an outline of an image forming operation on both sides when a document is automatically fed by a digital copying machine which is an image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an outline of an image forming operation on both sides in the case of manually reading an image of a document in the digital copying machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a time chart showing an outline of double-sided transfer operation of the digital copying machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of an operation panel of the digital copying machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a plus function selection screen displayed on the display unit on the operation panel.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an example of a digital copying machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of an image processing unit included in the digital copying machine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

30 Digital copier (image processing device) 31 Scanner 32 Laser printer 33 Multi-stage paper feeding unit (conveying means) 36 Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) 40 scanner unit 47 Electrophotographic Process Department (Process Department) 50a Inversion transport path (transport means) 50b Double-sided / composite transport path (transport means) 60 transport path (transport means)

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification Code FI Theme Coat (Reference) H04N 1/21 H04N 1/21 F Term (Reference) 2H027 DA50 DE07 ED17 EE01 EE08 EF09 EH08 ZA07 ZA10 2H028 BA02 BA03 BA06 BA09 BB04 3F100 AA04 CA12 CA15 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB02 AB08 AB17 AB22 AB32 AB42 AC09 AC15 AC22 BA04 5C073 BB03 CC04

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic document feeder for feeding a set document to a scanner unit for reading a document, and a memory in which image data of the document read by the scanner unit is temporarily stored in a memory. A process unit for forming an image on a transfer sheet according to the image data stored in the memory according to an output instruction, a cassette containing the transfer sheet, and first and second sides of the transfer sheet. In order to form an image on the first side, the transfer means for sending the transfer paper having the image formed on the first surface to the image forming position of the process section again through the reverse transfer path of the transfer paper, and the automatic document feeder. When the images of the first document and the second document fed to the scanner unit are read, and the image data of two pages of the first document and the second document are stored in the memory. , Above After the transfer paper is started to be fed from the cassette to the image forming position of the setting portion, and the transfer paper on which the image is formed on the first surface is finished by the conveying means, after being turned upside down through the reversing conveyance path. An image processing apparatus comprising: a control unit that feeds the second surface of the transfer paper to the image forming position and controls the start of the image forming operation on both surfaces. 2. The automatic document feeder sequentially conveys one-sided originals one by one to a scanner unit,
2. The double-sided original is configured so that the original after reading is inverted and then conveyed to the scanner unit in order to convey both sides to the scanner unit.
The image processing device described.