JP2007142642A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus in which display format of a part of image described on a document can be altered by a convenient work. <P>SOLUTION: A symbol detecting section 61 detects a display format specification symbol and a character specification symbol described on a document, a character specifying section 62 specifies an alteration object character according to a detected character specification symbol, and a display format altering section 63 performs image processing for altering the display format of the alteration object character to a display format indicated by a detected display format specification symbol. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

In Patent Document 1, for a plurality of originals, a part of an image area to be copied is surrounded by a marker, and a mark for identifying itself is attached to the mark area. In addition, an output layout document in which a plurality of layout areas for combining and outputting the images of these mark areas on one sheet is prepared. Here, in the layout area of the output layout document, a symbol for associating with each mark area is attached. Then, a plurality of originals representing the mark area and an output layout original are read by a scanner, and the read plurality of originals are collected and printed at a location with a corresponding symbol in the output layout original. A digital copying machine that performs image processing is disclosed.
JP-A-5-292294

  However, the digital multifunction peripheral disclosed in Patent Document 1 can collectively print a plurality of documents using symbols written on the document, but a part of the document using symbols printed on the document. Cannot be enlarged or reduced.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of changing the display format of a part of characters written on a document by a simple operation.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image data acquisition unit that reads a document and acquires image data of the document; and a display format change among characters described in the document from the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit. A symbol detection unit for detecting a character specific symbol for specifying a target character as a change target character, and for detecting a display format change symbol for designating a display format of the change target character, and the symbol detection unit Character specifying means for specifying a character existing within a certain range from the position where the detected character specifying symbol is described as the change target character, and a display in which the display format of the change target character is detected by the symbol detection means Display format changing means for executing image processing on the image data, so that the format designation symbol is changed to the designated display format; And an outputting means for outputting the image data to the image processing is executed by the changing means.

  According to this configuration, the image data acquisition unit reads the document and acquires the image data of the document. The symbol detection unit detects a character specific symbol and a display format designation symbol described in the document from the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit. Here, the character specifying symbol is a symbol for specifying a change target character whose display format is to be changed from an image described in a document. The display format designation symbol is a symbol for designating the display format of the change target character.

  Then, the character specifying means specifies a character existing within a certain range from the position where the character specifying symbol is described as a change target character, and the display format changing means displays the change target character in the display format indicated by the display format specifying symbol. The image processing is performed on the image data so that the display format is changed, and the output unit outputs the image data on which the image processing has been performed to a recording sheet or the like.

  Therefore, the user simply writes the display format designation symbol on the manuscript and writes the character identification symbol at the location where the character whose display format is to be changed exists. Of these, the display format of some desired characters can be changed to a desired display format.

  In the above configuration, the display format designation symbol is preferably a symbol that designates at least one of an enlargement ratio, a reduction ratio, and a color of the change target character.

  According to this configuration, the character to be changed can be enlarged, reduced, or the color can be changed simply by describing the display format designation symbol on the document.

  In the above configuration, the character identification symbol is a rectangular rectangle symbol that is overlapped with the change target character or a line symbol that is written in the vicinity of the change target character. Preferably, the specifying unit specifies a character overlapping with the rectangular symbol or a character located in the vicinity of the line symbol as the character to be changed.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to specify the change target character by describing the rectangle symbol superimposed on the character whose display format is to be changed, or by describing the line symbol in the vicinity of the character whose display format is to be changed.

  Further, in the above configuration, the display format designation symbol is described in a predetermined area of the document, and the symbol detection unit determines whether the display format designation symbol is described in the predetermined area. Preferably, the display format designation symbol is detected.

  According to this configuration, since the symbol detection unit detects the processing target symbol depending on whether or not the display format designation symbol is described in a predetermined area, the search range of the display format designation symbol is narrowed and the detection process is speeded up. Can be achieved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to change the display format of some characters described in a document by a simple operation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view mainly showing a mechanical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus includes a main body unit 200, a sheet post-processing unit 300 disposed on the left side of the main body unit 200, an operation unit 400 for a user to input various operation commands and the like, and an upper part of the main body unit 200. The document reading unit 500 disposed in the document reading unit 500 and the document feeding unit 600 disposed above the document reading unit 500.

  The operation unit 400 includes an operation panel 401, a start key 402, a numeric keypad 403, and the like. The operation panel 401 displays various operation screens and various operation buttons for the user to input various operation commands. The start key 402 is used for the user to input a print execution command and the like, and the ten key 403 is used for inputting the number of copies to be printed.

  The document feeding unit 600 includes a document placement unit 601, a document discharge unit 602, a paper feed roller 603, a document transport unit 604, a contact glass 605, and the like, and the document reading unit 500 includes a scanner 501 and the like. The paper feed roller 603 feeds out the original set on the original placement unit 601, and the original transport unit 604 transports the fed originals one by one on the scanner 501.

  The scanner 501 sequentially reads the conveyed document, and the read document is discharged to the document discharge unit 602. When the scanner 501 reads a document placed on the contact glass 605, the scanner 501 slides in the A direction to read the document.

  The main body 200 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 201, a plurality of paper feed rollers 202, a transfer roller 203, an intermediate transfer body roller 204, a photosensitive drum 205, an exposure device 206, and development for each color of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Devices 207Y, 207M, 207C, and 207K, a fixing roller 208, a discharge port 209, a discharge tray 210, a recording paper transport unit 211, and the like are provided.

  The photosensitive drum 205 is uniformly charged by a charging device (not shown) while rotating in the direction of the arrow. The exposure device 206 converts the modulation signal generated based on the image data of the document read by the document reading unit 500 into a laser beam and outputs it, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 205 for each color. The developing devices 207Y, 207M, 207C, and 207K supply each color developer to the photosensitive drum 205 to form a toner image for each color.

  The intermediate transfer body roller 204 transfers the toner images of each color from the photosensitive drum 205 and forms a color toner image on the intermediate transfer body roller 204.

  On the other hand, the paper feeding roller 202 pulls out the recording paper from the paper feeding cassette 201 in which the recording paper is stored, and the recording paper transport unit 211 transports the drawn recording paper to the transfer roller 203. The transfer roller 203 transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer roller 204 to the conveyed recording paper. The recording paper to which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to the fixing roller 208 by the recording paper conveyance unit 211, and the fixing roller 208 heats and transfers the transferred toner image to the recording paper. Thereafter, the recording paper is conveyed to the discharge port 209 by the recording paper conveyance unit 211 and is carried into the paper post-processing unit 300. The recording paper is also discharged to the discharge tray 210 as necessary.

  The paper post-processing unit 300 includes a carry-in port 301, a recording paper transport unit 302, a carry-out port 303, a stack tray 304, and the like. The recording paper transport unit 302 sequentially transports the recording paper carried into the carry-in port 301 from the discharge port 209 and finally ejects the recording paper from the carry-out port 303 to the stack tray 304. The stack tray 304 is configured to move up and down in the direction of the arrow in accordance with the number of recording sheets stacked from the carry-out port 303.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG. The image forming apparatus includes a document reading unit 10, an image memory 20, an operation display unit 30, a printing unit 40, a communication interface (I / F) unit 50, an image processing unit 60, and a control unit 70.

  The document reading unit 10 includes the document reading unit 500 shown in FIG. 1 and acquires image data of a document to be copied and stores it in the image memory 20. The image memory 20 is composed of an external storage device such as a hard disk, and stores image data of a document to be copied.

  The operation display unit 30 includes an operation unit 400 shown in FIG. The printing unit 40 includes the transfer roller 203, the intermediate transfer roller 204, the photosensitive drum 205, the exposure device 206, the developing devices 207Y to 207K, and the like shown in FIG. Print.

  The communication I / F unit 50 includes a LAN board or the like, receives image data transmitted from the personal computer (PC) 100 via the LAN under the control of the control unit 70, and reads it by the document reading unit 10. The original document image data is output to the PC 100 via the LAN.

  The image processing unit 60 includes an ASIC or the like, and includes a symbol detection unit 61, a character specification unit 62, a display format change unit 63, and a template storage unit 64, and the image data acquired by the document reading unit 10 is stored in the image memory 20. The image data is read out from the image data, image processing described later is performed, and output to the printing unit 40 or the communication I / F unit 50 under the control of the control unit 70.

  The template storage unit 64 stores image data of a character identification template used when detecting a character identification symbol and image data of a display format template used when detecting a display format designation symbol.

  Here, the character specifying symbol is a symbol for specifying one or a plurality of characters (change target characters) whose display format is to be changed from characters written on the original. As the character specific symbol, a character specific symbol K11 composed of an underline (line symbol) and a character specific symbol K12 composed of a rectangular symbol can be adopted. The underline is a linear image drawn below the character to be changed. The rectangular symbol includes markings drawn so as to overlap the characters by sliding the highlighter pen, shadings drawn so as to surround a specific character using a shading function provided in the word processor software, and the like.

  Therefore, the template storage unit 64 stores the image data of the character specifying symbol K11 made of underline as the character specifying template T11, and stores the image data of the character specifying symbol K12 made of a rectangular symbol as the character specifying template T12. .

  The display format designation symbol is a symbol for designating the display format of the change target character. In the present embodiment, three types of display format designation symbols K21 to K23 are employed as display format designation symbols.

  The display format designation symbol K21 is a symbol that designates the enlargement ratio of the character to be changed to a predetermined value (for example, 120%). The display format designation symbol K22 is a symbol that designates the reduction rate of the character to be changed to a predetermined value (for example, 80%). The display format designation symbol K23 is a symbol that designates a character color as a predetermined color (for example, red).

  Accordingly, the template storage unit 64 stores the respective image data of the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 as display format templates T21 to T23. Note that the types of display format designation symbols are not limited to the above three types, and may be two types or less, or four or more types. In this case, a display format template corresponding to the type of display format designation symbol may be stored in the template storage unit 64. Further, the display format designated by the display format designation symbol is not limited to the one described above, and is a symbol that designates the enlargement ratio of the change target character to a predetermined value and specifies the color of the change target character to a predetermined color. Also good.

  In addition, a seal for preparing each of the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 on the document is prepared, and the user enters the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 by impressing the seal on the document.

  The symbol detection unit 61 sequentially performs well-known template matching using the character specification templates T11 and T12 on the image data acquired by the document reading unit 10 to detect the character specification symbol described in the document. Further, the symbol detection unit 61 uses a display format template T21 to T23 for a predetermined area in the image data acquired by the document reading unit 10 where a display format specific symbol is defined. The template matching is sequentially executed, and the display format designation symbol described in the document is detected.

  The character specifying unit 62 specifies one or more characters within a certain range with respect to the character specifying symbols K11 and K12 detected by the symbol detecting unit 61 as the change target characters. Specifically, when an underline is adopted as the change specific symbol, the character specifying unit 62 sets a predetermined rectangular area with the underline as one side in the image data, and is publicly known for this area. By executing this character extraction process, one or more characters existing from the start point to the end point of the underline are specified as the change target characters.

  In addition, when a rectangular symbol is used as the change specific symbol, the character specifying unit 62 sets a predetermined rectangular area that includes the rectangular symbol and is larger than the rectangular symbol in the image data. A character to be changed is specified by executing a known character extraction process.

  The display format changing unit 63 performs image processing for changing the character to be changed specified by the character specifying unit 62 into a display format specified by the display format specifying symbols K21 to K23 detected by the symbol detecting unit 61. Run against.

  The control unit 70 includes a CPU, a rewritable nonvolatile memory, a RAM, and the like, and controls the entire image forming apparatus. In particular, in the present embodiment, the control unit 70 sets the image forming apparatus to the special reading mode when an operation command for setting the image forming apparatus to the special reading mode is received by the operation display unit 30. When the operation display unit 30 accepts an operation command for canceling the special reading mode, the image forming apparatus is set to the normal operation mode.

  Here, in the special reading mode, the symbol detection unit 61 detects the character identification symbols K11 and K12 and the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 from the image data, and the character identification unit 62 detects the character to be changed from the image data of the document. The display format changing unit 63 specifies a mode for executing image processing for changing the display format of the change target character in accordance with the display format designation symbol. The normal print mode refers to the image data of the read document. A mode in which the symbol detection unit 61, the character identification unit 62, and the display format change unit 63 output image data to the printing unit 40 or the communication I / F unit 50 without executing the above processing is shown.

  The PC 100 includes a known personal computer having a LAN communication function, and transmits image data to be printed to the communication I / F unit 50 and receives image data output from the image forming apparatus.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S1, when the operation display unit 30 receives an operation command for setting the special reading mode from the user (YES in S1), the control unit 70 sets the image forming apparatus to the special reading mode (S2). ). On the other hand, if the operation display unit 30 does not accept an operation command for setting the special reading mode from the user in step S1 (NO in S1), the process returns to step S1.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation screen displayed on the operation display unit 30 when the user sets the special reading mode. The operation screen shown in FIG. 4 displays a copy button B1 for setting the image forming apparatus to the copy mode, a scanner button B2 for setting the scanner mode, and a FAX button B3 for setting the FAX mode. ing. A special reading button B4 for setting the image forming apparatus to the special reading mode is displayed below the FAX button B3. Note that the control unit 70 can set the image forming apparatus to the special reading mode even when the image forming apparatus is set to any of the copy mode, the scanner mode, and the FAX mode. .

  The operation display unit 30 displays “ON” in the frame of the special reading button B4 when the image forming apparatus is set in the special reading mode, and displays the special reading when the image forming apparatus is not set in the special reading mode. “OFF” is displayed in the frame of the button B4 so that the user can recognize at a glance whether or not the special reading mode is set.

  A magnification button B7 is displayed on the right side of the FAX button B3, and the user sets the magnification of the document by pressing the magnification button B7. A magnification display area B5 for displaying the currently set magnification is provided above the magnification button B7. On the right side of the magnification button B7, a paper selection button B8 for designating the size of the recording paper such as A4, B5 is displayed. A character / photo button B9 for setting the resolution at the time of image reading to a normal resolution or a high resolution is displayed below the paper selection button B8.

  In step S3 shown in FIG. 3, the document reading unit 10 reads one document placed on the document placement unit 601 or the document placed on the contact glass 605, acquires the image data of the document, and stores the image memory. 20 stored.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document read by the document reading unit 10. A square frame described on the right side of the document shown in FIG. 5 and the change 1 displayed in the frame represent a display format designation symbol K21, and “X” is one of alphabets, hiragana, katakana, kanji, and the like. An underline that represents a character and is under “X” represents the character specific symbol K11.

  FIG. 6A shows an example of the display format designation symbols K22 to K23, and FIG. 6B shows an example of the character identification symbol K12. As shown in (a), the display format designation symbol K22 is obtained by changing the character in the frame of the display format designation symbol K21 from 1 to 2. The display format designation symbol K23 is the display format designation symbol K21. The characters in the frame are changed from strange 1 to strange 3.

  The display format designation symbol shown in (a) is merely an example, and any symbol may be adopted as long as it can identify the display format designation symbols K21 to K23.

  The shaded image described so as to surround the four characters shown on the left side of (b) or the marking image written so as to overlap the four characters shown on the right side of (b) is the character specifying symbol K12.

  In step S4, the symbol detection unit 61 reads the image data of the document from the image memory 20, sequentially executes template matching using the character identification templates T11 and T12 on the read image data, and the display format template T21. Template matching using ~ T23 is sequentially executed. Then, the symbol detection unit 61 detects one of the character specific symbols K11 and K12 described in the document, and also detects one of the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 (YES in S4), the process is performed. Proceeding to S5, if none of the character specific symbols K11 and K12 is detected, or if none of the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 is detected (NO in S4), the process is terminated.

  In this case, the symbol detection unit 61 detects the character specifying symbol K11 described in three places of the document shown in FIG. 5, and also detects the display format designation symbol K21 described in the upper right of the document. Since the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 are determined in advance so as to be written on the upper right side of the document, the symbol detection unit 61 has a predetermined area R1 larger than the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 on the upper right side of the document. By executing template matching using only the display format templates T21 to T23, the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 can be detected. This speeds up template matching.

  In step S5 shown in FIG. 3, the character specifying unit 62 specifies the change target character in accordance with the character specifying symbol detected in step S4. In this case, the character described immediately above the character specifying symbol K11 shown in FIG. 5 is specified as the change target character.

  In step S6 shown in FIG. 3, image processing is executed to change the display format of the change target character specified in step S5 to the display format specified by the display format designation symbol detected in step S4.

  In this case, when the display format designation symbol K21 is detected in step S4, the display format changing unit 63 enlarges the change target characters W1 to W3 shown in FIG. 5 at a predetermined magnification specified by the display format designation symbol K21. In addition, image processing is performed on the image data of the document so that the enlarged characters do not overlap with surrounding characters.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an image represented by image data output from the display format changing unit 63 when a document on which the display format designating symbol K21 is described is read. As shown in FIG. 7, the change target characters W1 to W3 are enlarged by the enlargement ratio indicated by the display format designation symbol K21. It can be seen that the image processing is performed so that the enlarged change target characters W1 to W3 do not overlap with surrounding characters.

  When the display format designation symbol K22 is detected in step S4, the display format change unit 63 reduces the change target characters W1 to W3 shown in FIG. 5 at a predetermined reduction ratio designated by the display format designation symbol K22. In addition, image processing is performed on the image data of the document so that the difference between the reduced character spacings of the change target characters W1 to W3 and the spacing between the surrounding characters is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an image represented by image data output from the display format changing unit 63 when a document on which the display format designation symbol K22 is written is read. As shown in FIG. 8, it can be seen that the change target characters W1 to W3 are reduced by the reduction rate indicated by the display format designation symbol K22. Then, it can be seen that the image processing is performed so that the difference between the reduced characters to be changed W1 to W3 and the surrounding characters is equal to or smaller than the predetermined interval.

  When the display format designation symbol K23 is detected in step S4, the display format changing unit 63 displays the change target characters W1 to W3 shown in FIG. 5 in a predetermined color designated by the display format designation symbol K23. Image processing is performed on the image data of the document.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an image represented by image data output from the display format changing unit 63 when a document on which the display format designation symbol K23 is written is read. As shown in FIG. 9, it can be seen that the change target characters W1 to W3 are each represented by the color indicated by the display format designation symbol K23.

  In step S <b> 7 shown in FIG. 3, the display format changing unit 63 sends the image data of the document subjected to image processing for changing the display format to the printing unit 40 or the communication I / F unit 50 under the control of the control unit 70. Output. Here, when receiving the image data from the display format changing unit 63, the printing unit 40 prints the image data on a recording sheet. When the communication I / F unit 50 receives image data from the display format changing unit 63, the communication I / F unit 50 transmits the received image data to the PC 100.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus, the symbol detection unit 61 detects the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 and the character identification symbols K11 and K12 described in the document, and the character identification unit 62 detects the detected character. The change target character is specified in accordance with the specific symbols K11 and K12, and the display format changing unit 63 executes image processing for changing the display format of the change target character to the display format indicated by the detected display format designation symbols K21 to K23. For this reason, the user performs a simple operation of drawing an underline or marking a character whose display format is to be changed or marking the display format designation symbols K21 to K23 on a document to be read. The display format of the change target character can be changed to a desired display format.

1 is a schematic side view mainly showing a mechanical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the image forming apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation screen displayed on an operation display part, when a user sets special reading mode. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a document read by a document reading unit. FIG. (A) shows an example of a display format designation | designated symbol, (b) is a figure which shows an example of a character specific symbol. It is a figure which shows the image which the image data output from a display format change part represents. It is a figure which shows the image which the image data output from a display format change part represents. It is a figure which shows the image which the image data output from a display format change part represents.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Document reading part 20 Image memory 30 Operation display part 40 Printing part 50 Communication interface part 60 Image processing part 61 Symbol detection part 62 Character specific part 63 Display format change part 64 Template memory | storage part 70 Control part K11, K12 Character specific symbol K21- K23 Display format designation symbols T11 and T12 Character specification templates T21 to T23 Display format templates W1 to W3 Characters to be changed

Claims (4)

Image data acquisition means for reading an original and acquiring image data of the original;
From the image data acquired by the image data acquisition means, a character specifying symbol for specifying a character whose display format is to be changed among characters written on the original as a character to be changed is detected, and the change target A symbol detection means for detecting a display format change symbol for designating a character display format;
Character specifying means for specifying a character existing within a certain range from a position where the character specifying symbol detected by the symbol detecting means is described as the character to be changed;
Display format changing means for executing image processing on the image data so that the display format of the change target character is changed to a display format designated by a display format designation symbol detected by the symbol detection means;
An image forming apparatus comprising: output means for outputting image data on which image processing has been executed by the display format changing means.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display format designation symbol is a symbol that designates at least one of an enlargement ratio, a reduction ratio, and a color of the character to be changed. The character identification symbol is a rectangular rectangle symbol that is overlapped with the change target character or a line symbol that is described in the vicinity of the change target character,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the character specifying unit specifies a character overlapping with the rectangular symbol or a character located in the vicinity of the line symbol as the change target character. The display format designation symbol is described in a predetermined area of the document,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the symbol detection unit detects the display format designation symbol based on whether or not the display format designation symbol is described in the predetermined region. apparatus.

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