JP2005189537A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of preventing an image from being formed in the kind of color which is not intended by a user. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is equipped with a reading means for reading an original as image data, a setting storage means for setting the image forming condition of the image data, and an output means for forming the image based on the image forming condition, and also equipped with a color kind discriminating means for discriminating the kind of color whether the image data is a color image or a black-and-white image, a decision means for deciding whether or not the kind of color discriminated by the color kind discriminating means is the same as the kind of color set in the image forming condition, and an informing means for giving a warning when the decision means decides that they are not the same. Then, it is equipped with a selection means for selecting the kind of color set in the image forming condition when the warning is given. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a multifunction machine having a color copying function.

  In recent years, a service has been established in which a user operates a copying machine installed in a public facility such as a library or a convenience store to perform copying. In such a service, a charge is usually charged to the user according to the size of the paper output to the copying machine, the number of output images, the color type of the output image (color output / monochrome output), and the like.

  For example, before copying, the user is allowed to put money into a coin vendor and when the copying machine outputs an image, the fee corresponding to the output is inserted into the coin vendor. This is done by deducting from the amount.

As a copying machine of this type, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-228620 proposes an image copying apparatus that calculates and displays a fee in advance when copying a document.
JP 2003-244365 A

  However, since the charging is performed when the copying machine outputs an image, even if a color type not intended by the user is set as the image forming condition due to an erroneous operation or the like, the image according to the image forming condition is used. Is output and a fee is charged according to the output.

  For example, if the user wants to output a black and white document as a black and white image, but the image forming condition is color output due to an erroneous operation or the like, an unnecessary color image is output, and the user does not need to You have to pay no extra fees. Further, since the charge for color output is set to be several times that for black and white output, the user has to bear a large amount of wasted expenses due to such setting mistakes.

  Further, the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is configured to automatically detect whether the image is a color image or a monochrome image so that the user can be notified of the charge in advance. However, no consideration is given to preventing erroneous output as described above.

  The present invention has been proposed based on the above-described conventional circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent image output from being performed by a color type that is not intended by the user.

  The present invention employs the following means in order to achieve the above object. That is, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus including a reading unit that reads a document as image data, a setting storage unit that stores an image forming condition of the image data, and an output unit that forms an image based on the image forming condition. On the assumption that the image data is a color image or a black-and-white image, a color type determination unit that determines whether the image data is a color image, a color type determined by the color type determination unit, and a color set in the image forming condition A determination unit that determines whether or not the seeds are the same and a notification unit that notifies a warning when the determination unit determines that the seeds are not the same color type are provided.

  According to this configuration, when the color type determined by the image forming apparatus is different from the color type set as the image forming condition by the user, the user can be informed that both color types are not the same. For this reason, even when the user has set the image forming condition to an unintended color type due to an erroneous operation or the like, the image forming apparatus notifies the user of this, so that the image is formed with an incorrect setting. Can be prevented. Furthermore, if the user is provided with a selection unit that selects the color type of the image forming condition when the warning is notified, the wrong setting can be corrected and image formation can be performed.

  The notification unit preferably displays the warning as a warning message on a display unit included in the image forming apparatus. In addition, if the output means displays a charge when the image data is formed with each color type together with the warning message, the user knows the charge for the output before copying. Is possible.

  According to the present invention, the user can be warned when the color type determined by the image forming apparatus is different from the color type set by the user as the image forming condition. For this reason, even when the user has set the image formation condition to an unintended color type due to an erroneous operation or the like, it is possible to prevent the image formation from being performed with the unintended setting. Further, when the warning is notified, if the color type set in the image forming condition is changed, it is possible to output an image with a desired color type without fail.

  Further, if the warning message is displayed on the display means as the warning, and the warning means is configured to display the charge when the output means outputs the image data in each color type, the user can output the warning message. The color type can be selected in consideration of the fee.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic functional block diagram showing an image forming apparatus 10 of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image forming apparatus 10.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a reading unit 1 that reads a document as image data, a storage unit 2 such as a memory or a hard disk, which stores the image data, and a conventional image forming apparatus. An output unit 3 is provided that forms an image of the image data on a sheet based on the image forming conditions stored in the setting storage unit 4.

  The setting storage unit 4 stores, as image forming conditions, for example, conditions such as the color type of the output image (color output / monochrome output), the enlargement / reduction magnification of the image, the paper size for image formation, and the like. The user can set and input the image forming conditions via the operation means 6.

  In the above configuration, the user places a document on an automatic document feeder (ADF) provided in the image forming apparatus 10 and presses a start button (not shown) provided in the operation unit 6. Then, one document is supplied from the automatic document feeder, and the reading unit 1 reads the document (S1 in FIG. 2).

  When the reading of the original is completed, the color type determination unit 5 determines the color type whether the image data stored in the storage unit 2 is a color image or a monochrome image (S2 in FIG. 2). Although there are various methods for discriminating the color type, an example is shown below.

  The image data stored in the storage means 2 is composed of data in which brightness is assigned to each color of, for example, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) in each pixel. The color type discriminating means 5 calculates the luminance difference between the RGB colors, that is, the absolute values of the differences between R and G, G and B, and B and R, and all three absolute values are designated in advance. If it is below a predetermined value (for example, 20), it is determined as a black and white image, and if not, it is determined as a color image. That is, in each pixel, when there is no difference in the luminance of each RGB color, it is determined as a black and white image, and otherwise, it is determined as a color image. It should be noted that it is optional to employ all pixels constituting the image data or some of the pixels as the pixels for determining such a color type.

  When the color type determination unit 5 determines the color type of the image data in this way, the determination unit 7 determines the color type and the color type set in the image forming conditions stored in the setting storage unit 4. Are determined to be the same (S3 in FIG. 2).

  Here, when the determination unit 7 determines that both color types are the same, that is, when both are color or both are black and white, the output unit 3 stores the image stored in the setting storage unit 4. An image is formed on the sheet based on the forming conditions (FIG. 2, S3 Yes → S6).

  On the other hand, if the determination means 7 determines that the two color types are not the same, that is, if one is color and the other is black and white, the determination means 7 causes the notification means 8 to issue a warning (S3 No in FIG. 2). → S4).

  As a method for notifying the warning, any method may be employed such as a buzzer sound, a voice warning, a warning display, etc. In this embodiment, the display means 9 provided in the operation means 6 is shown in FIG. A warning message is displayed. In the example shown in FIG. 3, since the color output is set in the setting storage unit 4, the color type discrimination unit 5 discriminates the image data as a black and white image, so that the judgment unit 7 does not have the same color type. This is a warning message displayed when it is determined.

  At this time, the display means 9 displays a selection means 20 including an “OK” button 21, an “change output mode” button 22, or a “cancel” button 23 together with the warning message. The user can select the color type when performing the operation (here, the user can select the color type by touching a button).

  In this state, when the user selects to output with the “OK” button 21, that is, the color type set in the image forming conditions, the output unit 3 stores the image stored in the setting storage unit 4. Based on the formation conditions (color output in the example of FIG. 3), image formation of the image data is performed (S5 Yes → S6 in FIG. 2).

  On the other hand, when the user selects the “change output mode” button 22, that is, to change the color type of the image forming condition to the color type of the document while the screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed, as the image forming condition, The set color type is changed to the color type of the document (in the example of FIG. 3, it is changed to monochrome output), and the output unit 3 forms an image of the image data based on the changed image forming condition. It performs (FIG. 2 S5No-> S8Yes-> S9-> S6).

  If the user selects the “Cancel” button 23 while the screen shown in FIG. 3 is displayed, the output means 3 proceeds to the next process without forming the image of the image data (S5 No in FIG. 2). → S8 No).

  The above processing is repeated until there is no document placed on the automatic document feeder (S7 No → S1 in FIG. 2).

  As described above, according to the present invention, when the color type determined by the image forming apparatus is not the same as the color type set by the user as the image forming condition, the color type is different for the user. Can be warned. For this reason, even when the user has set image forming conditions for an unintended color type due to an erroneous operation or the like, it is possible to prevent an image from being formed with an incorrect setting. In addition, when the above warning is given, since there is a selection means that can select whether the color type of the image forming condition is color output or monochrome output, the user forms an image with a desired color type. be able to.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, if the output means 3 displays a charge when the image data of the image data is formed in each color type together with the warning message, the user charges a charge for the output. The color type can be selected with reference to the above.

  In the above embodiment, the document is read one by one and the color type of the image data is determined. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the color type of each document is determined after all the originals are read. Of course, the reading of the document and the discrimination of the color type may be performed in parallel.

  The present invention has an effect of preventing an image from being formed with an incorrect setting even when an image forming condition is set to an unintended color type due to an erroneous operation or the like, and is useful as an image forming apparatus or the like. .

1 is a schematic functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing processing of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. The figure which shows the example of a display of a warning message.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reading means 2 Storage means 3 Output means 4 Setting means 5 Color type discrimination means 6 Operation means 7 Determination storage means 8 Notification means 9 Display means 10 Image forming apparatus 20 Selection means

Claims (4)

An image forming apparatus comprising: a reading unit that reads a document as image data; a setting storage unit that stores an image forming condition of the image data; and an output unit that forms an image of the image data based on the image forming condition.
Color type determining means for determining whether the image data is a color image or a black and white image;
Determining means for determining whether the color type determined by the color type determining means and the color type set in the image forming condition are the same;
A notification means for notifying a warning when the determination means determines that the color types are not the same;
An image forming apparatus comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that can select a color type of the image forming condition when the warning is notified.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the warning is a warning message displayed on a display unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the warning message displays a charge when the output unit forms an image of the image data with each color type.

Images