JP2007067492A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus which makes image quality adjustment without being affected by other processing applied to entered image data. <P>SOLUTION: When starting an adjustment mode, the image processing apparatus checks whether the other processing is performed. When no other processing is performed or the other processing during performance is finished, the image processing apparatus expands image data of an adjustment pattern to a local memory and prints out the image of the adjustment pattern on a recording sheet. In this case, the performance of the other processing is hanged up, and entry of new image data is stopped. The image processing apparatus scans and reads an image of the outputted adjustment pattern, and corrects the image forming condition to adjust the image quality. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that performs processing on input image data and outputs it by printing or the like.

  When image data is input, an image processing apparatus that performs each mode such as copy, printer, or facsimile executes predetermined processing according to each mode. That is, the image data is subjected to image processing, and the image data is printed on a recording sheet and output.

In an image processing apparatus, for example, when printing by an electrophotographic method, the color of an output image changes due to changes over time in components such as a photoreceptor, deterioration of the developer, changes in developer characteristics due to the environment, and the like. As a result, the reproducibility of the input image changes. As a countermeasure, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe performing image quality adjustment. The image data of the adjustment pattern stored in advance is printed and output, and the image of the adjustment pattern is read. Then, the read adjustment pattern is compared with the stored standard pattern, and the image forming conditions such as the charging voltage, the developing bias voltage, and the laser beam output are corrected to adjust the image quality.
JP-A 63-185279 JP-A-8-275005

  The image quality adjustment as described above is automatically performed when there is a user operation input. Even when image quality adjustment is performed, image data is input by another user. When processing for this input is performed, the image formation is adversely affected when the image data of the adjustment pattern is processed. That is, when the image data of the adjustment pattern is developed on the memory, if the image data is input from the outside, this becomes noise and is superimposed on the image data on the memory. The adjustment pattern, which is an image with subtle changes in shading, changes, and image quality adjustment cannot be performed accurately.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of adjusting image quality without being affected by other processes.

  The present invention includes a management unit that receives processing of input image data and manages the processing, and an execution unit that sequentially processes the image data. The management unit processes image data of an adjustment pattern. When the adjustment mode to be received is received, the adjustment mode is executed with priority over other processes.

  Thus, the adjustment mode can be executed without being disturbed by other processes. For example, if an adjustment mode is executed when it is desired to output an image with good image quality, image quality adjustment is performed immediately, and a high-quality image can be obtained.

  The management means interrupts the adjustment mode even if there is another process so that the adjustment mode is executed with priority. The execution means executes the processing in the order determined by the management means. That is, when the management unit receives the adjustment mode, the management unit waits for execution of the received process. Even if there is a previously accepted process, the adjustment mode is interrupted and executed, so the execution of other processes is stopped.

  In addition, when the adjustment unit receives the adjustment mode, the management unit regulates reception of a new process. The adjustment mode is executed with priority over new processing. In this case, the management unit prohibits input of image data for a new process. That is, the management means accepts new processing but does not input image data. When image data is input, noise is generated when the adjustment mode is executed. Therefore, by restricting acceptance as described above, the influence of other processing can be eliminated.

  When the execution unit is executing another process, the management unit, when accepting the adjustment mode, causes the adjustment mode to be executed after the other process ends. If there is a received process next to the process being executed, the adjustment mode is interrupted and the received process is put on standby.

  When the execution unit executes the adjustment mode, the management unit stops other processes. As a result, the adjustment mode can be executed without being affected by other processes. Then, after the adjustment mode is executed, the management unit resumes other processing. Other processes that have been waiting are executed, or image data of a new process is input.

  The adjustment mode includes an output process for forming and outputting an image of an adjustment pattern, and an adjustment process for adjusting the image quality by reading the output image, and the management unit is configured to complete the output process or the adjustment process. Resume other processing. The adjustment mode is composed of two processes, and an idle time is generated after the output process is completed and before the next adjustment process is started. The received process is executed using this free time. Thereby, processing can be performed efficiently. Further, when the adjustment process is completed, other processes are resumed.

  According to the present invention, since the adjustment mode is executed with priority over other processing, an image of the adjustment pattern can be output without being affected by external noise. Therefore, image quality adjustment can be performed accurately. As a result, even a general user in place of a service person can easily adjust the image quality and obtain a high-quality image.

  An image processing apparatus of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The image processing apparatus is a digital multi-function peripheral that performs processing in a copy mode, a printer mode, a scanner mode, and a facsimile mode, and includes an image reading unit 1 that reads a document and inputs image data, and an operation unit that receives user input. 2, an image forming unit 3 that prints image data, a hard disk device 4 that stores image data, a communication unit 5 that communicates with an external device, a FAX modem 7 that communicates with a facsimile device 6, A management unit 8 that stores control information, setting information, and the like of the entire apparatus, and a device control unit 9 that controls the entire apparatus are provided.

  The image reading unit 1 functions as an input unit for inputting image data, and includes an image sensor such as a CCD 1a, and a document detection sensor 1b that detects a document set on a document table or an automatic document feeder (ADF). Image data read by the CCD 1 a is output to the image forming unit 3.

  The operation unit 2 includes an input unit 2a composed of various input keys and a display unit 2b such as a liquid crystal display. The operation unit 2 operates the entire apparatus and inputs various settings, and displays the input contents and the operation status of the entire apparatus. Is done.

  The image forming unit 3 includes a local memory 10 that is a storage unit that stores image data, and a printing unit 3a including a laser scanning unit. As the local memory 10, a readable / writable semiconductor memory such as an SDRAM or a flash memory is used. The local memory 10 stores image data by overwriting old image data with new image data. Based on the image data stored in the local memory 10, the printing unit 3a prints a color image or a monochrome image on a recording sheet supplied from the paper feed tray 3b.

  In the image forming unit 3, the input image data is stored in the local memory 10, and image processing such as compression, expansion, and processing of the image data is performed on the local memory 10, and the image data subjected to the image processing is printed in the printing unit 3a. The data is output to the hard disk device 4 or the device control unit 9.

  The hard disk device 4 temporarily stores image data for processing. When image data is stored in the hard disk device 4, the image data is encrypted as necessary.

  The communication unit 5 is connected to a router, a switching hub, and the like via a LAN cable, and is connected to a network formed by the information processing apparatus 11 such as a personal computer or a server. The network is connected to the Internet via a communication line such as a telephone line network or an optical fiber. The communication unit 5 transmits / receives data to / from the information processing apparatus 11 in the network, and transmits / receives data to / from the external information processing apparatus 12 and the facsimile apparatus 13 through the Internet.

  When there is data input from an external device or the image reading unit 1, the device control unit 9 controls each unit based on information stored in the management unit 8 and processes the input image data. That is, as a process of the input image data, any one of a copy mode, a printer mode, a scanner mode, and a facsimile mode is executed in accordance with an input from the operation unit 2 or a command from an external device.

  The image processing apparatus also includes an erasing unit 14 that invalidates the image data in the local memory 10 and the hard disk device 4. The device control unit 9 controls the operation of the erasing unit 14 according to the operation status of the entire apparatus. Image data invalidation means overwriting or erasing random or meaningless data, making the stored image data unreadable and preventing the original image from being reproduced. That is. Therefore, the erasing unit 14 invalidates the image data by overwriting the local memory 10, and invalidates the image data by overwriting or erasing the hard disk device 4.

  Next, the operation when each mode is executed will be described. First, in the copy mode, image data of a document read by the image reading unit 1 is output as a copy from the image forming unit 3. Specifically, the image of the original set at the reading position is read by the CCD 1a. The image data output from the CCD 1a is processed as shown in FIG. 2 to be completed as an output image on the local memory 10, and once transferred to the hard disk device 4 and stored. When there are a plurality of documents, the reading and storing operations are repeated.

  Thereafter, based on the processing contents instructed from the operation unit 2, the image data stored in the hard disk device 4 is sequentially read out at an appropriate timing and sent to the local memory 10. Then, the image data is transferred from the local memory 10 to the printing unit 3a at the timing of writing to the printing unit 3a, and the image is printed on the recording sheet.

  Similarly, when printing a plurality of read image data, the image data is stored in the hard disk device 4 in units of pages as output images, and sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 10 in accordance with the output mode. The image data in the local memory 10 is repeated for the number of output sheets, and transferred to the printing unit 3a in accordance with the writing timing to the printing unit 3a.

  In the printer mode, the image data output from the information processing apparatuses 11 and 12 is output from the image forming unit 3. That is, the image data from the information processing apparatuses 11 and 12 is received by the communication unit 5. The device control unit 9 sends the input image data to the local memory 10, develops it as image data to be output for each page, and temporarily stores it in the hard disk device 4. Then, the image data is sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 10 and transferred to the printing unit 3a in the same manner as in the copy mode, and an image is printed.

  In the scanner mode, the image data of the document read by the image reading unit 1 is communicated to any information processing apparatuses 11 and 12 through a network. In other words, the image data output from the CCD 1 a is completed as an output image on the local memory 10 and temporarily stored in the hard disk device 4. Then, the image data is sent from the hard disk device 4 to the local memory 10, and the device control unit 9 establishes communication with the transmission destination in the network instructed via the operation unit 2, and the target transmission from the communication unit 5. Send the image data first. Further, the image data is transmitted to the external information processing apparatus 12 and the facsimile apparatus 13 from the network via the network by the communication unit 5. In the facsimile mode, the device control unit 9 transmits image data from the FAX modem 7 to the facsimile apparatus 6 through the telephone line and receives image data from the facsimile apparatus 6 by the same operation. 3 to print an image.

  And the apparatus control part 9 performs the adjustment mode for performing image quality adjustment other than said each mode. The adjustment mode includes an output process for forming and outputting an image of an adjustment pattern, and an adjustment process for adjusting the image quality by reading the output image.

  In the output step, adjustment pattern image data is output from the adjustment pattern generation unit 20, subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 21, and sent out to the local memory 10. Image data is read from the local memory 10, and an image of the adjustment pattern is printed on the recording sheet by the printing unit 3a and output. In the adjustment process, the image reading unit 1 reads the recording sheet on which the image of the adjustment pattern is printed, compares the read pattern with a standard pattern stored in advance, and corrects the image forming conditions.

  The adjustment pattern generation means 20 stores image data of patterns with different density levels of yellow, magenta, cyan, black, and combinations of these colors. Based on this image data, adjustment pattern image data in which the color and gradation gradually change as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4 is generated.

  When executing the adjustment mode, the device control unit 9, as shown in FIG. 5, includes an input switching means 22 that executes processing of the input adjustment pattern image data, and an image of the adjustment pattern read by the image reading unit 1. A determination unit 23 that compares the data with previously stored adjustment pattern image data, and an adjustment unit 24 that calculates a correction value of the image forming condition based on the comparison result.

  The input switching unit 22 includes a management unit that receives processing of input image data and manages the processing, and an execution unit that sequentially processes the image data. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the management unit stores information related to the processing of the received image data, and creates a job management table so that the processing is performed in the received order. The execution means executes the processing according to the order determined by the management means.

  Since the management means grasps the current status of each process such as executing or waiting, when the adjustment mode is accepted, the adjustment mode is preferentially executed over the other processes. That is, if there is a process being executed, the adjustment mode is executed next to the process, and the execution of the process that was scheduled to be performed next is stopped. Further, when the adjustment mode is accepted, the acceptance of a new process is restricted. For example, in the case of processing in the copy mode, the operation of the image reading unit 1 is prohibited. In the case of processing in the printer mode, communication with the information processing apparatus 11 is performed, but input of image data is prohibited. In the case of processing in the facsimile mode, image data from the facsimile apparatus 6 is received, but the image data is stored in the FAX modem 7. Thus, when the adjustment mode is accepted, the input switching unit 22 prohibits access to the local memory 10 by an input destination other than the adjustment pattern generation unit 20. Only the input from the adjustment pattern generation means 20 is switched, and the local memory 10 can be secured exclusively for the adjustment mode.

  Note that the management unit resumes other processing when the adjustment mode ends. In other words, the process temporarily suspended is executed or a new process is accepted, and the input of image data is permitted.

  The adjustment mode is started by operating the operation unit 2. As shown in FIG. 7, when the adjustment mode start input is received from the operation unit 2, the management unit of the device control unit 9 checks the operation status of the entire apparatus. That is, with reference to the job management table, the presence / absence of a process currently being executed, a waiting process, and the like are checked. If there is a process being executed, a message indicating that the process is waiting is displayed, and execution of the adjustment mode is waited until the process ends. If there is no process being executed and there is a process waiting, the adjustment mode is executed immediately.

  When the adjustment mode is started, the input of other image data to the local memory 10 is prohibited and the local memory 10 is secured. Then, the adjustment pattern generation means 20 generates adjustment pattern image data, and this image data is stored in the local memory 10. When the image data has been developed on the local memory 10, it is confirmed whether it can be output. For example, the presence / absence of a recording sheet and the remaining amount of toner are checked. If there is no recording sheet or toner is insufficient, an error message is displayed to prompt replenishment.

  If output is possible, the image of the adjustment pattern is printed on the recording sheet and output. Thereafter, a message is displayed to set the output recording sheet on the document table. When the recording sheet is set and the start key is operated, scanning is started. An image of the adjustment pattern is read, and the image data is input to the local memory 10.

  The determination unit 23 compares the input adjustment pattern with a standard pattern stored in advance. The adjustment unit 24 calculates and corrects the adjustment level of each image forming condition such as charging voltage, developing bias voltage, transfer voltage, and laser light output so that the image quality of the input pattern matches the image quality of the standard pattern. The adjusted value is stored in the management unit 8 as image forming condition information. When the adjustment mode ends, the device control unit 9 executes a process that has been on standby. When new processing is accepted, image data is input.

  In this way, when an adjustment pattern image is formed by waiting for the execution of other processing or restricting the acceptance of new processing and prioritizing the adjustment mode, the influence of external noise The pattern can be reproduced faithfully without receiving. Therefore, image quality adjustment can be performed with high accuracy, and a high-quality image can be obtained. In addition, not only a service person but also a general user can easily perform image quality adjustment.

  By the way, although the output process and the adjustment process in the adjustment mode are performed continuously, there is a time between the output of the recording sheet on which the image of the adjustment pattern is printed and the scanning. Therefore, the management unit of the device control unit 9 executes a waiting process or accepts a new process when the output process is completed. And when starting an adjustment process, execution of other processing is stopped.

  As described above, it is possible to select a mode in which execution of other processing is permitted in the middle of the adjustment mode and a mode in which execution of other processing is prohibited. Which mode is selected is preset. If the permission mode is set, the waiting process can be executed in the idle time until the adjustment process is started, and the stay of the process can be eliminated. Here, when the prohibit mode is set, if the adjustment process is not started even after a predetermined time has elapsed, another process is automatically executed.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The image forming unit may form only a monochrome image instead of forming a full-color image. Furthermore, not only the electrophotographic method, but also an ink jet image forming unit may be used.

  Further, the operation for starting the adjustment mode is not limited to the direct input from the operation unit, but may be an instruction from an external device.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a digital multi-function peripheral that is an embodiment of an image processing apparatus of the present invention. Diagram showing the flow of image data Diagram showing an example of an adjustment pattern The figure which shows an example of another adjustment pattern Block diagram of device control unit related to adjustment mode The figure which shows the management state of the processing of image data Flow chart when executing the adjustment mode

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image reading part 2 Operation part 3 Image formation part 4 Hard disk apparatus 8 Management part 9 Equipment control part 10 Local memory 20 Adjustment pattern production | generation means 22 Input switching means 23 Judgment means 24 Adjustment means

Claims (8)

A management unit that receives the processing of the input image data and manages the processing; and an execution unit that sequentially processes the image data. The management unit has an adjustment mode for processing the image data of the adjustment pattern. An image processing apparatus that, when received, causes the adjustment mode to be executed with priority over other processes. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the adjustment mode is received, the management unit waits for execution of the received process. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the management unit regulates reception of a new process when the adjustment mode is received. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the management unit prohibits input of image data for a new process. 2. The image processing according to claim 1, wherein when the execution unit is executing another process, the management unit, when accepting the adjustment mode, causes the adjustment mode to be executed after the other process ends. apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the execution unit executes the adjustment mode, the management unit stops other processing. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the adjustment mode is executed, the management unit restarts another process. The adjustment mode includes an output process for forming and outputting an image of an adjustment pattern, and an adjustment process for adjusting the image quality by reading the output image, and the management unit is configured to complete the output process or the adjustment process. 8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein other processing is resumed.

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