JP2005284022A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for reducing running costs compared with regular copying, by reducing an amount of toner used for a trial copy. <P>SOLUTION: A user is allowed to select the purpose of a trial copy. When a layout check is selected, printing with low density is carried out, and thereby an amount of toner to be used is reduced. When color adjustment is selected, only a part using colors most is extracted, and images subjected to a plurality of color adjustment processes are printed onto one sheet of paper, and thus the color adjustment is performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a copying apparatus that scans and prints a document.

Conventionally, there is a copying apparatus having a trial copy mode. However, when trial copy is selected, even if multiple copy is set, it is temporarily stopped when a partial copy is made, and multiple copies are made as they are. Only the user selects whether to execute or cancel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-11641

  The above-described conventional example has a drawback that a running cost equivalent to that of a normal copy is required even for a trial copy. In the case of a color copying machine, when you want to check the color of the print result by trial copy, if you do not like the print result of trial copy, you do not know how to set the color adjustment function, so you can change the setting. The trial copy must be repeated to bring it closer to the desired color, which is inconvenient for the user and wastes paper and toner and increases running costs.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for reducing the amount of toner used at the time of trial copying and lowering the running cost as compared with the case of normal copying.

  The present invention was invented to solve the drawbacks of the above-described conventional trial copy, and has a step of allowing the user to select the purpose of the trial copy when the trial copy mode is selected. There are two purposes: layout confirmation and color adjustment. When layout confirmation is selected, the printing density is reduced to reduce the amount of toner used and reduce the running cost compared to normal copying. When color adjustment is selected, a plurality of sub-regions containing a large amount of color information are extracted from the image data in one page, and a plurality of color adjustment values slightly changed from the currently set color adjustment value are extracted. Printing is performed by rearranging a plurality of sub-regions that have been tinted with the tint adjustment value within one page, and when the user selects a sub-region print result that is determined to be the most optimal from the print result, the sub-region is selected. By operating so that the color adjustment value applied to the area is set to the entire area of the original image data, even users who do not have color adjustment expertise can easily print with the desired color You will be able to get

  In more detail, the present invention can solve the above problems by the following configuration.

  (1) Use a purpose of performing a trial copy when the trial copy mode is selected in a copying apparatus having a trial copy mode for checking and adjusting the print result before printing with a desired paper size and image quality. A copying apparatus characterized in that a user can select and switch a printing operation of a trial copy in accordance with a selected purpose.

  (2) The copying apparatus according to (1), wherein the purpose of trial copying includes two purposes of layout confirmation and color adjustment.

  (3) In the copying apparatus according to (1) or (2), when layout confirmation is selected as the purpose of trial copying, the printing density is automatically reduced to perform printing.

  (4) In the copying apparatus according to (1) or (2), when color adjustment is selected as the purpose of trial copying, image data obtained by scanning a document is divided into a plurality of sub areas, and each sub area is divided. Among them, select the sub area with the most color information types, apply a plurality of types of color adjustment processing to the selected sub area, and arrange the sub areas with the different color adjustments on one page. A copying apparatus comprising: a plurality of arranged sub-areas, each of which is printed with a number added thereto.

  (5) In the copying apparatus of (4), after printing a plurality of different types of sub-regions adjusted for color, the user is prompted to select which color-adjusted image is optimal. A copying apparatus that operates to perform color adjustment on all image data by printing a selected sub-area image with color adjustment.

  According to the present invention, when the trial copy mode is selected, the user is allowed to select the purpose of the trial copy, and when the layout check is selected, the density is reduced and printing is performed. The amount of toner can be reduced, and the running cost can be reduced for the user.

  If color adjustment is selected, only the portion with the largest number of colors used is extracted, and an image subjected to a plurality of color adjustment processes is printed on one sheet of paper. By selecting the one closest to the user's intention, there is an effect that it is possible to easily perform color adjustment which is usually difficult without expert knowledge. In addition, since a plurality of color adjustment results can be confirmed from a single printing result, paper and toner used for color adjustment can be saved, and running costs can be reduced. The fact that paper and toner can be saved leads to the provision of an environmentally friendly copying apparatus because it reduces waste of resources.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to examples.

  Examples of the present invention will be described below.

  FIG. 2 is an external view of the copying apparatus according to the embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes an original platen for scanning an original, and 21 denotes an operation unit, which includes an independent button switch, a display unit such as a liquid crystal panel, and a transparent touch switch superimposed thereon. Reference numeral 22 denotes a paper supply unit, and 23 denotes a paper discharge unit. The present invention relates to a copying apparatus having a trial copy mode.

  FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of operation in the trial copy mode of the present invention.

  The operation of the present invention will be described based on this figure.

  A user who wants to make a copy first sets a document on the document table 20, and sets a copy operation (S1). A display example of the operation unit 21 at this time is shown in FIG. It is determined whether or not the test copy button 30 in FIG. 3 has been pressed (S2), and when the test copy is selected, the user is made to select the purpose of the test copy (S3). A display example of the operation unit 21 at this time is shown in FIG. When the layout confirmation button 40 in FIG. 4 is pressed, a confirmation screen for printing at a reduced density is displayed as shown in FIG. 5, and when “Yes” is pressed, a temporary setting to reduce the density is performed (S4). ). Thereafter (S5), a trial copy with a reduced density is executed. FIG. 6 shows the original and the test copy result at this time. In FIG. 6, 60 is a document, and 61 is a test copy result with a lighter density.

  61 has a low density but is sufficient for confirming the layout. The user holds 61 and confirms whether the layout is desired. At this time, the display of the operation unit 21 is shown in FIG.

  If this layout is acceptable, "Yes" is pressed, and if not, "No" is pressed (S6). When "Yes" is pressed, the temporarily set density setting is returned to the setting set by the user in S1, and the copying operation is performed by the user in the desired number of copies in S15, and the process ends. If “No” is pressed in (S6), the operation is stopped, and the process returns to S1 to wait for the user to perform an operation to start the copying operation again.

  When the color adjustment of FIG. 4 is selected in (S3), the display shown in FIG. 8 is performed. When “Yes” is selected in FIG. 8, the document is scanned in S7, and the image data scanned in S8 is divided into a plurality of sub-regions. Thereafter, in S9, the color information in each divided sub-region is extracted, and the sub-region having the most color types is selected. In (S10), a plurality of different color adjustment processes are performed on the sub area selected in (S9), and the sub areas subjected to the different color adjustment processes in (S11) are arranged to create one page of image data. . A number is added to each of the sub-areas of one page arranged at this time, and is synthesized on the image data.

  One page of image data created in (S11) is printed in (S12). FIG. 9 shows the original and the printing result at this time. In FIG. 9, 90 is a document, and 91 is a test print result. Thereafter, in (S13), a display for allowing the user to select which color adjustment result is desired is performed. That is FIG. When the sub-region [3] in FIG. 10 is selected, as shown in FIG. 11, it is confirmed whether or not printing can be performed with the same color adjustment as that of the sub-region [3] set for the entire document image data. A screen is displayed. In FIG. 11, when “Yes” is pressed (S14), the entire original image data is subjected to the same color adjustment processing as the sub-region [3], and the user performs a copy operation for the desired number of copies in (S15). Is done and finished.

It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of this invention. 1 is an external view of a copying apparatus according to the present invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is a figure which shows the original and the result at the time of the layout check trial copy of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is a figure which shows the original and the result at the time of color adjustment trial copy of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention. It is an example of a display of the operation part of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

20 Document Plate 21 Operation Unit 22 Paper Feed Unit 23 Paper Discharge Unit 30 Test Copy Button 40 Layout Confirmation Button 41 Color Adjustment Button 60 Layout Confirmation Document 61 Layout Confirmation Test Copy Result 90 Color Adjustment Document 91 Color Adjustment Trial copy result

Claims (5)

  Before printing with the desired paper size and image quality, the user selects the purpose of making a trial copy when the trial copy mode is selected in a copying machine that has a trial copy mode for checking and adjusting the print result. A copying apparatus, wherein the printing operation of the trial copy is switched according to the selected purpose.   2. The copying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the purpose of trial copying includes two purposes of layout confirmation and color adjustment.   3. A copying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the layout check is selected as the purpose of trial copying, the printing density is automatically reduced to perform printing.   In the copying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, when color adjustment is selected as the purpose of trial copying, image data obtained by scanning a document is divided into a plurality of sub areas, and the most color information of each sub area is selected. A plurality of types of sub-regions are selected, a plurality of types of color adjustment processing are performed on the selected sub-regions, and the sub-regions that have been subjected to the different color adjustments are arranged side by side on one page. A copying machine, wherein each sub-area is printed with a number added thereto.   5. The copying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein after a plurality of different types of color-adjusted sub-regions are printed side by side, the user is prompted to select which color-adjusted image is optimal, and the selected color is selected. A copying apparatus that operates to perform color adjustment on all image data by printing a taste-adjusted sub-region image.