JP2007123991A - Image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus capable of properly carrying out multiple bookbinding in the case of executing the multiple bookbinding. <P>SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus is configured to include: an original carrying means 12 for paying off each original and carries it from a set original bundle; an image read means 11 for reading an image from each carried original to obtain image data; an image output means 13 for printing out the image data obtained by the image read means 11; a bookbinding means 14 for binding a plurality of output paper sheets after being printed out by the image output means 13; a control means 16 for instructing the bookbinding means 14 to carry out multiple bookbinding; and an information entry means 15 for designating a split position instructed by the control means 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a bookbinding function for output paper after printing out image data.

  For example, some image processing apparatuses that perform image printing output, such as digital copying machines, have a function of performing so-called bookbinding, in which a plurality of output sheets after printing and output are bundled and bound together. is there. However, depending on the number of output sheets to be bound, the thickness, and the like, it may be impossible to output a single book. For this reason, conventionally, with respect to an image processing apparatus having a bookbinding function, when the number of output sheets is larger than the number of books that can be bound, it is proposed to perform bookbinding by dividing into a plurality of books instead of one. (For example, refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2001-353934 A JP 2002-365969 A

  However, in the conventional techniques related to split bookbinding, the split locations for split bookbinding are determined for the convenience of the image processing apparatus, and therefore appropriate split bookbinding is not always possible. In general, there are breaks such as “chapter” and “section” in the text, but if the division location is determined for the convenience of the image processing device, the division location is simply determined by the number of output sheets, etc. The content of the text (separations such as “chapter” and “section”) is not reflected at all at the division location, so the printout result is unnatural, that is, different from the intention of the user who requested the printout Because it can be a thing.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of appropriately performing the split bookbinding even when split bookbinding is performed.

  The present invention is an image processing apparatus devised to achieve the above object, and includes a document conveying unit that feeds and conveys a document from a set of document bundles, and each document conveyed by the document conveying unit. An image reading unit that obtains image data by reading the image, an image output unit that performs print output on the image data obtained by the image reading unit, and a plurality of output sheets after the print output by the image output unit The bookbinding unit includes a bookbinding unit that binds and binds, and a control unit that instructs the bookbinding unit to perform split bookbinding in units of document bundles set in the document transport unit.

  According to the image processing apparatus configured as described above, the bookbinding unit performs split bookbinding in units of document bundles set on the document conveying unit while following instructions from the control unit. The state will be reflected. Therefore, if the bundle of documents is set on the document conveying means in units such as “chapter” or “section” of the sentence, it becomes possible to avoid the unnatural separation of the bookbinding by the bookbinding means. .

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus devised to achieve the above object, a document transport unit that feeds and transports a document from a set of document bundles every leaf, and each of the document transport units that transport the document. An image reading unit that reads an image from a document to obtain image data, an image output unit that prints out the image data obtained by the image reading unit, and an output sheet after the print output by the image output unit A bookbinding means for binding a plurality of sheets, a control means for giving an instruction to the bookbinding means to perform split bookbinding, and an information input means for designating a division location designated by the control means To do.

  According to the image processing apparatus having the above configuration, since the control means instructs the bookbinding means on the basis of the content specified by the information input means, the division location when performing the split bookbinding is designated by the information input means. The contents will be reflected. Therefore, it is possible to specify the text break points such as “chapter” and “section” as the contents specified by the information input means, so that the division bookbinding by the bookbinding means is not unnatural. To get.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even when split bookbinding is performed, the content of a sentence (separation such as “chapter” or “section”) can be reflected in the split part, so split bookbinding is not possible. It can avoid becoming natural. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately perform bookbinding in a form in accordance with the intention of the user who requested the print output, which is very convenient for the user.

  Hereinafter, an image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described. Here, a case where the present invention is applied to a copying machine will be described as an example.

[Explanation of device configuration example]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a copying machine to which the present invention is applied.
As shown in the figure, the copying machine described here includes an image reading unit 11, a document conveying unit 12, an image output unit 13, a bookbinding unit 14, a display / input unit 15, a system control unit 16, It has.

  The image reading unit 11 optically reads an image drawn on a document to be read to obtain image data. Optical image reading may be performed by a reduction optical system using a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor as an image sensor, or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor may be used as a contact image sensor. Also good.

  The document conveying unit 12 is made of ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) or DADF (Duplexing Automatic Document Feeder), and conveys a document to be read by the image reading unit 11. In other words, the document conveying unit 12 feeds out the document constituting the document bundle from the document bundle set on the paper feed tray of the document conveying unit 12 and conveys the document, and the image reading position in the image reading unit 11 Then, the document is discharged onto a paper discharge tray of the document transport unit 12. The image reading unit 11 can continuously read an image of a bundle of documents composed of a plurality of documents by feeding the document in the document transport unit 12. Further, if the document conveying unit 12 has a paper reversing function, the image reading unit 11 can also read images from both sides of the document.

  The image output unit 13 includes a printer engine that forms an image using electrophotographic technology, and prints out the image data obtained by the image reading unit 11 onto an output sheet.

  The bookbinding unit 14 performs bookbinding on the output paper after the print output by the image output unit 13. In other words, the bookbinding unit 14 binds a plurality of output sheets after being printed out by the image output unit 13, binds them, folds them, punches holes as necessary, and thereby outputs a plurality of output sheets. Bookbinding is done in the form of a booklet. Note that, as will be described in detail later, the bookbinding unit 14 can handle split bookbinding in which a plurality of output sheets are divided into a plurality of books instead of one.

  The display / input unit 15 is for a user to perform an operation for inputting information or to output information to the user. Examples of the information input by the display / input unit 15 include information on the necessity of split bookbinding in the bookbinding unit 14 and information on division points when performing split bookbinding.

  The system control unit 16 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a predetermined program and a memory that can be accessed by the CPU. The system control unit 16 controls operation of each of the units 11 to 15 and the entire copying machine. is there. The control performed by the system control unit 16 includes operation control when the bookbinding unit 14 performs split bookbinding. For the operation control, the system control unit 16 has functions as a dividing unit 16a and an imposition unit 16b.

  The dividing unit 16a determines a division mode (the number of divisions, division locations, etc.) when the bookbinding unit 14 performs divided bookbinding. As will be described later, the division mode is determined based on the information input content in the display / input unit 15 or the document bundle setting mode in the document transport unit 12.

  The imposition unit 16b allocates (imposition) to which surface on the output paper the image data read by the image reading unit 11 is output by the image output unit 13 while following the determination result of the dividing unit 16a. Is to do.

[Description of processing operation example]
Next, an example of processing operation in the copying machine configured as described above will be described. Here, an example of processing operation when performing split bookbinding will be described as an example.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of processing operation in a copying machine to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of split bookbinding.

  In the copying machine having the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, when the user performs a button operation for performing split bookbinding on the display / input unit 15 (step 101; hereinafter, step is abbreviated as “S”), further The user is caused to perform document set division selection (S102), chapter division division selection (S103), or divided page input selection (S104) through the operation of the display / input unit 15.

  The “original set division selection” means selecting a mode in which the original bundle set on the original conveyance unit 12 is used as one unit and divided bookbinding is performed for each original bundle. When this original set division selection is performed, as shown in FIG. 3A, when split bookbinding is performed between each original bundle (for example, between the 8th page and 9th page). There will be divisions.

  “Chapter division / division selection” is a mode in which split bookbinding is performed in units of original bundles set in the original transport unit 12, but a mode in which split bookbinding is performed at a location specified by a user is not performed for each original bundle. To do. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, the first set of original bundles (the first to fifth pages of the original), the second set of original bundles (the sixth to eighth pages of the original), and the third If there is a set of original bundles (the 9th page to the 14th page of the original), this chapter division / division selection is performed, and if the user specifies chapter division between the second set and the third set, Although it is not divided between the first set and the second set, there is a division place when the division bookbinding is performed between the second set and the third set. Accordingly, when chapter division / division selection is performed, chapter division designation by the user, that is, information on the document bundle unit related to the division location is input from the display / input unit 15 accordingly.

  “Divided page input selection” refers to selecting a mode in which split bookbinding is performed based on information about pages of a document input from the display / input unit 15. That is, split bookbinding is performed at a location specified by the designated page information regardless of the bundle of documents set on the document conveying unit 12. Therefore, when split page input selection is performed, it is necessary to input from the display / input unit 15 information about the page specified by the user, specifically, the page that will be the head of each chapter after splitting (S105). ). Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the first page of the original and the ninth page of the original are designated and input as the first page of the chapter, the page between the eighth page of the original and the ninth page of the original is inserted. Then, there are division points when performing the division bookbinding.

When divided page input selection is performed, as shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the mode selection, document set division selection or chapter division division selection may be performed (S106, S107). In that case, in addition to the division based on the specified page information, the division in units of the original bundle set in the original conveying unit 12 is also performed.
The mode selection result on the display / input unit 15 is held and managed by the system control unit 16 using, for example, a known technique such as flag management at least until the end of the job.

  After the mode selection as described above, when the user performs a button operation for starting a job on the display / input unit 15 (S108), in the copying machine, the system control unit 16 causes each unit 11 constituting the copying machine to The following operation control is performed for .about.15. That is, the system control unit 16 first instructs the image reading unit 11 and the document conveying unit 12 to execute image reading from each document constituting the document bundle set on the document conveying unit 12. (S109). In response to this instruction, when the image reading unit 11 and the document conveying unit 12 sequentially execute image reading from each document, the image data obtained by the image reading is temporarily stored and accumulated in the work memory.

  At this time, if the divided page input selection is performed in the previous mode selection, the system control unit 16 monitors the page of the image data obtained by the image reading and determines whether the page is designated by the user. If it is a designated page, a division process using the dividing unit 16a (for example, determination of a division mode and storage and holding of the determination result) is performed (S111). Then, the above-described series of processing is repeated until image reading is completed for all of the originals constituting the original bundle set in the original conveying section 12 (S109 to S112).

  After image reading is completed for all the originals, the system control unit 16 subsequently determines whether or not an original is added (S113). For example, if either the document set division selection or the chapter division division selection is performed in the previous mode selection (including the case where it is performed in addition to the division page input selection), image reading of a certain document bundle is performed. Even after the completion, since it is necessary to perform image reading for another bundle of documents, the system control unit 16 determines that it is necessary to additionally perform image reading from the document, and the image reading unit 11 and the document The transport unit 12 is instructed to execute image reading from each document constituting the other document bundle (S109).

At this time, however, the system control unit 16 determines that chapter division / division selection has been performed in the previous mode selection, and if the other document bundle is a document bundle related to chapter division designation by the user. (S114) Prior to starting image reading for the other original bundle, division processing using the dividing unit 16a (for example, determination of a division mode and storage and holding of the determination result) is performed (S111).
Also, when it is determined that the original set division selection is performed in the previous mode selection (S115), the division processing using the dividing unit 16a is performed before starting the image reading for the other original bundle. (For example, determination of the division mode and storage of the determination result) are performed (S111).
Then, the system control unit 16 repeats the series of processes described above until there is no more document bundle to be processed next (S109 to S115). The determination of the presence / absence of a document bundle to be processed next may be made based on the detection result of the document presence / absence in the document conveying unit 12 and the mode setting result in the display / input unit 15.

  Thereafter, the system control unit 16 instructs the image output unit 13 to execute print output for the image data obtained by the series of processes described above (S116). At the same time, the system control unit 16 performs imposition processing using the imposition means 16b based on the result of the division processing using the division means 16a, and the division that reflects the result of the imposition processing. An instruction is given to the bookbinding unit 14 to perform the bookbinding process (S117).

  Through such division processing and imposition processing, the image output unit can be used in any of the document set division selection, chapter division division selection, or division page input selection shown in FIGS. From 13, image data obtained from each page of the document is imprinted on each side of the output paper and printed out in the manner shown in FIG. Then, split bookbinding is performed by the bookbinding unit 14 so that the boundary between the eighth page of the original and the ninth page of the original is used as a boundary.

  As described above, in the copying machine according to the present embodiment, when “original set division selection” or “chapter division division selection” is performed in the mode selection for split bookbinding, the system control unit 16. The bookbinding unit 14 performs split bookbinding in units of document bundles set on the document transport unit 12 while following the instructions from, so that the document bundle set state in the document transport unit 12 is reflected at the divided locations. Will be. Therefore, if the bundle of originals is set on the original conveying unit 12 in units such as “chapter” and “section” of the sentence, it is possible to avoid unnatural divisional bookbinding by the bookbinding unit 14. become.

  In particular, when “chapter division selection” is performed, information regarding the document bundle unit related to the divided portion is input (chapter division designation) by the display / input unit 15, so that the document bundle at the document conveyance unit 12 is input. In addition to the set state, the contents of the chapter division designation in the display / input unit 15 are also reflected in the divided document when the divided bookbinding is performed. That is, since the content specified in the display / input unit 15 is reflected in the divided portion when performing the divided bookbinding, it is possible to reliably avoid the unnaturalness of the divided bookbinding.

  Similarly to the case of “Chapter division division selection”, when “Split page input selection” is performed, the content specified in the display / input unit 15 is reflected in the division portion when performing split bookbinding. It will be. In other words, when “divided page input selection” is performed, information on the page of the manuscript related to the divided portion is input (chapter top page designation) by the display / input unit 15, so the contents of the chapter top page designation Based on the above, the system control unit 16 instructs the bookbinding unit 14 at a division location when performing the division bookbinding. Therefore, the specified content in the display / input unit 15 is reflected in the divided part, and the sentence delimiter such as “chapter” or “section” is set as the specified content in the display / input unit 15. It can be avoided that the split bookbinding by the bookbinding unit 14 becomes unnatural. In addition, since it is possible to specify in page units, it is possible to deal with divided bookbinding in a finer unit than in the case of “original set division selection” or “chapter division division selection”.

  Further, when “divided page input selection” is performed, it is possible to combine this with “original set division selection” or “chapter division division selection” as described in the present embodiment. If such a combination is selected, it becomes possible to perform split bookbinding in a flexible manner while supporting both page units and document bundle units, so that the split bookbinding becomes more unnatural. This can be avoided more reliably.

  As described above, when split bookbinding is performed using the copying machine according to the present embodiment, the content of a sentence (separation such as “chapter” or “section”) is included in the split portion even when split bookbinding is performed. Since it can be reflected reliably, it can be avoided that the split bookbinding becomes unnatural. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately perform bookbinding in a form in accordance with the intention of the user who has requested the print output, which is very convenient for the user.

In addition, although this embodiment demonstrated the suitable Example of this invention, this invention is not limited to the content.
For example, the page information input in the case of “divided page input selection” may be the end page specification or the total page number specification instead of the start page specification as in the present embodiment. The same applies to chapter division designation in the case of “chapter division selection”.
Thus, the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a copying machine to which the present invention is applied. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing operation in a copying machine to which the present invention is applied. It is explanatory drawing which shows the specific example of split bookbinding.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Image reading part, 12 ... Document conveying part, 13 ... Image output part, 14 ... Bookbinding part, 15 ... Display / input part, 16 ... System control part, 16a ... Dividing means, 16b ... Imposition means

Claims (3)

A document transport means for feeding and transporting a document from a set of document bundles every leaf;
Image reading means for obtaining image data by reading an image from each original conveyed by the original conveying means;
Image output means for performing print output on image data obtained by the image reading means;
Bookbinding means for binding and binding a plurality of output sheets after printing output by the image output means;
An image processing apparatus comprising: control means for instructing the bookbinding means to perform split bookbinding in units of document bundles set on the document conveying means. A document transport means for feeding and transporting a document from a set of document bundles every leaf;
Image reading means for obtaining image data by reading an image from each original conveyed by the original conveying means;
Image output means for performing print output on image data obtained by the image reading means;
Bookbinding means for binding and binding a plurality of output sheets after printing output by the image output means;
Control means for instructing the bookbinding means to perform split bookbinding;
An image processing apparatus comprising: an information input unit for designating a division point designated by the control unit. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information input unit is configured to input information relating to at least one of a document page and a document bundle unit related to the divided portion.

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