JP2009081497A - Image forming apparatus, method of controlling image forming apparatus, and control program of image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of eliminating breaks of a thin line and a character when a reduction layout function is used. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 1001 includes a scanner section 1002 which reads an image of a document, an image processing section 1003 which performs predetermined image processing on image data of the document read by the scanner section 1002, and a printer section 1006 which prints image data having been image-processed by the image processing section 1003 on a sheet. Then, when a predetermined reduction layout is set, the image processing section 1003 replaces the resolution of the printer section 1003 without changing the number of pixels and performs reduction layout processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a reduced layout function, an image forming apparatus control method, and an image forming apparatus control program.

  Conventionally, images of a plurality of originals of the same size read by a reading unit are reduced and laid out in an image memory in accordance with the size of a sheet as output paper, and as shown in FIG. An image forming apparatus that prints a plurality of images is known.

  In this case, the size of the original, the size of the sheet as the output paper, and how many original images are desired to be printed together on a single sheet are set.

  By the way, when performing reduced layout, if the text on the document is small, or if a large number of pages are combined into one page, the reduction ratio increases, so the output text is too small or the text is crushed. May not be legible.

  In order to solve such a problem, conventionally, a technique has been proposed that prompts the user to change the setting when the minimum character size after the reduced layout is equal to or smaller than a specified value (Patent Document 1).

In addition, a technique for performing alternative printing with an image forming apparatus having a resolution higher than the printer resolution of the image forming apparatus that performs scanning has been proposed (Patent Document 2).
JP 2006-166217 A JP 2006-166218 A

  However, Patent Document 1 relates to the OCR technology, and cannot cope with some characters that cannot be recognized as characters, thin lines that are not subject to OCR recognition, and the like. Thin lines are also important image information for CAD users and the like.

  In Patent Document 2, it is not always true that the reproducibility of characters and fine lines increases if the output resolution is increased.

  That is, in the configuration in which the output resolution is higher than the scan resolution, resolution conversion is inevitably necessary, and the thin line may be interrupted depending on the resolution conversion method at that time. For example, the edge is grayed out by resolution conversion, halftoning for binarizing the image is applied, and the gray line portion is interrupted.

  Also, not only the line but also the character part is affected. Especially, characters such as Mincho are applied with halftone, and the character is output in a jagged state, so the visibility may be lowered. . Furthermore, there is a case where the reduction ratio is too low and the visibility cannot be secured by performing the reduction layout while paying attention only to a predetermined character size.

  Hereinafter, the reason why the reproducibility of characters and fine lines does not necessarily increase even when the output resolution is increased will be described in detail.

  In Patent Document 2, an image is printed on a sheet with another high-resolution printer in order to improve character quality. The factor that determines the quality of small point characters is not only the resolution, but also the resolution conversion method.

In general, the following method is known as a resolution conversion method (see FIG. 5).
Name: 0th order interpolation (also called nearest neighbor interpolation or nearest neighbor interpolation)
Features: High processing speed.
Name: Linear interpolation (also called linear interpolation)
Features: Slow compared to 0th order interpolation, but the image is relatively smooth and standard on many scanners. The edge of the thin line is easy to blur.
Name: cubic interpolation Feature: processing speed is slow, but the image is smooth. The edge of the thin line is easy to blur.

  FIG. 5 shows what kind of image one line with a resolution of 400 dpi becomes by resolution conversion.

  5A shows one line of 400 dpi, FIG. 5B shows a resolution converted to 800 dpi by zero-order interpolation, FIG. 5C shows a resolution converted to 800 dpi by primary interpolation, and FIG. 5D shows third-order interpolation. The resolution is converted to 800 dpi. From FIG. 5, light gray is applied to the edge of the image other than the 0th-order interpolation, and the line is formed in all gray instead of 100% (solid area ratio) in the center of the line. I understand that.

  FIG. 6 shows a binarized image of the resolution-converted image shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6, binarization was performed using a 179 lpi dither matrix. It can be seen from FIG. 6 that the lines other than the zero-order interpolation are interrupted and important image information is lost. This phenomenon is not limited to lines, and characters are generated in the same manner, and the same phenomenon occurs when characters cannot be recognized by the OCR function in Patent Document 2. In other words, there are situations in which characters cannot be read, and simply increasing the resolution does not improve the quality of the characters.

  Also, in the case of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, increasing the resolution reduces the amount of light per pixel, so even if the resolution is increased, line reproducibility is not necessarily improved.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example in which the exposure potential at the solid portion is kept constant when the laser spot diameter and the charging potential are the same at 400 dpi and 800 dpi.

  In FIG. 7, the latent image profile tends to be drawn in gray because of the characteristics of the laser spot diameter and the sensitivity of the photosensitive drum. In addition, since there is an overlap with adjacent pixels, the amount of light per pixel must be weakened when the resolution is high. Since the 400 dpi 1 line and the 800 dpi 2 line have the same line width on the digital data, comparing the latent images (portions filled in gray) shows that the latent image is shallower at 800 dpi.

  The one line Vcont is shown in the lower part of FIG. 7. However, it can be seen that an unstable line is formed by increasing the resolution when it is assumed that the toner adheres to a portion corresponding to the area. Therefore, as in Patent Document 2, even if the resolution is simply increased, the line reproducibility is not improved.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, a control method for the image forming apparatus, and a control program for the image forming apparatus that can prevent a fine line or a character from being interrupted when the reduced layout function is used. And

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a reading unit that reads an image of a document, an image processing unit that performs predetermined image processing on image data of the document read by the reading unit, An image forming apparatus having a plurality of resolutions and forming an image on the sheet of image data subjected to image processing by the image processing means, wherein the image processing means has a predetermined reduced layout Is set, the reduced layout process is executed by replacing the resolution of the image forming unit without changing the number of pixels.

  An image forming apparatus control method according to the present invention includes a reading step for reading an image of a document, an image processing step for performing predetermined image processing on image data of the document read in the reading step, and a plurality of resolutions. And an image forming step of forming an image on the sheet of the image data subjected to the image processing in the image processing step, wherein the image processing step is set with a predetermined reduced layout In such a case, the reduced layout processing is executed by replacing the resolution in the image forming step without changing the number of pixels.

  A control program for an image forming apparatus according to the present invention has a reading step for reading an image of a document, an image processing step for performing predetermined image processing on image data of the document read in the reading step, and a plurality of resolutions. And an image forming apparatus for causing a computer to execute an image forming step of forming an image on the sheet of the image data subjected to the image processing in the image processing step, wherein the image processing step includes a predetermined reduction When the layout is set, the reduced layout process is executed by replacing the resolution in the image forming step without changing the number of pixels.

  According to the present invention, when a predetermined reduced layout is set, the reduced layout process is executed by replacing the resolution of the image forming unit without changing the number of pixels. It is possible to prevent thin lines and characters from being interrupted.

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

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a control block diagram for explaining the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1001 according to this embodiment includes a scanner unit (reading unit) 1002, an image processing unit (image processing unit) 1003, a memory 1005, a printer unit (image forming unit) 1006, an external I / O. F1011, a data path control unit 1007, and the like.

  A scanner unit 1002 optically reads an image of a document with a CCD sensor, and converts the image into RGB digital signals by analog / digital conversion. The scanner unit 1002 has an automatic document conveyance function so that a plurality of documents can be set.

  The image processing unit 1003 receives the digitized RGB signal, performs various image processing such as filtering, color conversion, and scaling (resolution conversion), and outputs a signal corresponding to each output destination. For example, in the case of a color binary printer, it is converted into a CMYK binary image signal, and in the case of a color multi-value output, it is converted into an RGB multi-value signal or the like.

  The memory 1005 is an area for securing various image data such as RGB image data from the scanner unit 1002 and various image data from the image processing unit 1003, and is configured by a storage medium such as a RAM or a hard disk. As a result, the print processing time can be shortened by outputting the image data stored in the memory without operating the scanner section a plurality of times, such as when outputting a plurality of the same image data.

  In this embodiment, the printer unit 1006 is an electrophotographic color binary printer. However, the printer unit 1006 is not limited to this, and may be a color multi-value printer, a multi-value monochrome printer, or the like.

  The external I / F 1011 serves as an interface part for performing communication in accordance with various network protocols when inputting and outputting various image data by connecting to the network. In addition to an image server 1014, a PC 1012 and another image forming apparatus 1013 that collectively store a plurality of images, various networks such as FAX, LAN, and the Internet can be connected to the network.

  A data path control unit 1007 delivers image data of various processing parts in accordance with the operation of the image forming apparatus 1001.

  The control of each processing part in various operation modes including the control of the data path control unit 1007 is executed by the CPU 1009 when an instruction is given from the user by the operation display unit 1008. In the operation display unit 1008, for example, an input operation unit such as a touch panel or a button, or a display unit such as a liquid crystal display device is arranged, and a reduction layout selection screen described later is displayed on the display unit.

  If a plurality of copies have been set, the print data for the second and subsequent sheets are output from the memory 1005 and printed out until the output of all sheets is completed, and all the sheets are printed out. When finished, the process ends.

  Next, the image processing unit 1003 will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the example of FIG. 2, the image processing unit 1003 converts the RGB multilevel image data input from the scanner unit 1002 into binary image data of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) for output by the printer unit 1006. Convert and output.

  An image processing unit 1003 includes an input I / F 2001, an enlargement / reduction unit 2002, an edge enhancement unit 2003, an image rotation processing unit 2004, a color space conversion unit 2005, a black generation unit 206, a density adjustment unit 2007, a binarization processing unit 2008, An output I / F 2009 is provided.

  An input I / F 2001 is an interface that receives image data from the data path control unit 1007 and converts the input image data in accordance with internal processing. In the present embodiment, RGB multivalued image data is input to the input I / F 2001.

  The enlargement / reduction unit 2002 performs enlargement / reduction processing by performing resolution conversion in accordance with the resolution of the printer unit 1006 that outputs the input RGB multi-valued image data, the output sheet size, and the like. In this embodiment, a plurality of resolution conversion methods are prepared (details will be described later).

  The edge enhancement unit 2003 performs sharpness processing and smoothing processing by performing a weighting operation in an n × m area.

  The image rotation processing unit 2004 stores the image once in the built-in memory 1005, and outputs the image data input in the vertical position in accordance with the sheet to the sheet in the horizontal position. Perform rotation processing.

  A color space conversion unit 2005 performs processing when it is necessary to convert the color space of the input image data into another color space. In this embodiment, the color space conversion unit 2005 performs LOG conversion on the RGB image data input from the scanner unit 1002 to a CMY color space output by the printer unit 1006.

  The black generation unit 2006 extracts the minimum value of CMY as a K signal value.

  The density adjustment unit 2007 adjusts the color according to the characteristics of the printer unit 1006 according to the CMYK values, or adjusts the density. In the density adjustment unit 2007, a table is added that takes into account the background removal function, predetermined gradation characteristics, and adjustments that absorb variations in the printer unit 1006. The predetermined gradation characteristic means that the γLUT is adjusted so that the output density is linearly output with respect to the input density in the photo mode, and the γLUT is adjusted so that the density is higher than the linear gradation in the character mode. To do. That is, a γLUT is prepared for each output mode, and the density adjustment unit reselects the γLUT according to the mode.

  In this embodiment, the binarization processing unit 2008 performs binary conversion processing such as a systematic dither method in order to create data for color binary printer output, thereby generating a binary signal of 1 bit for each CMYK. Output. Conventionally, the thin line may be interrupted depending on the resolution conversion method and the contents of the binarization processing unit 2008.

  An output I / F 2009 is an interface that converts image data output to the data path control unit 1007 into a data format when passing through the data path. In the present embodiment, the output I / F 2009 outputs CMYK binary image data.

  All the settings and operations of the processing units 2001 to 2009 described above are controlled by a control signal from the CPU 1009.

  For example, the setting of the scaling factor of the enlargement / reduction unit 2002, the filtering coefficient of the edge enhancement unit 2003, the presence / absence of rotation of the image rotation processing unit 2004, the processing of the binarization processing unit 2008, etc. are all controlled by the CPU 1009. Controlled by signal.

  Further, the control of each of the processing units 2001 to 2009 described above is executed by the CPU 1009 based on an instruction given from the user by setting from the operation unit 1008 shown in FIG. 1, the PC 1012, the image server 1014, or the like.

  Next, the hardware configuration of the scanner unit 1002 and the printer unit 1006 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The scanner unit 1002 illuminates a document placed on the document table 105 from the illumination unit 106 to optically read an image of the document, converts the image into an electrical signal, and generates image data. In the present embodiment, the resolution of the scanner unit 1002 is 400 dpi.

  The printer unit 1006 includes a laser exposure unit 101, an image forming unit 102, a fixing unit 103, a paper feeding / conveying unit 104, and a printer control unit (not shown) that controls them.

  The laser exposure unit 101 makes a light beam such as a laser beam modulated according to the image data generated by the scanner unit 1002 enter a rotating polygon mirror (polygon mirror) 107 that rotates at an equal angular velocity, and forms an image as reflected scanning light. Irradiates the photosensitive drum 108 of the unit 102.

  The image forming unit 102 rotationally drives the photosensitive drum 108 to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum 108 with the charger 109, and develops the latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 108 with the laser exposure unit 101 with toner. Further, the image forming unit 102 transfers the developed toner image to a sheet, and the cleaning device 110 scrapes and collects minute toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 108 without being transferred at that time.

  In the image forming unit 102, the conveyed sheet is wound around a predetermined position on the transfer drum 111. Then, while the transfer drum 111 rotates four times, the developing units 112M, 112C, 112Y, and 112K having magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y), and black (K) toners are sequentially switched. Four color toner images are formed on the photosensitive drum 108. After the transfer drum 111 has rotated four times, the sheet onto which the four full-color toner images have been transferred leaves the transfer drum 111 and is conveyed to the fixing unit 103.

  The fixing unit 103 includes a combination of a roller and a belt, and includes a heat source such as a halogen heater. The toner on the sheet onto which the toner image has been transferred by the image forming unit 102 is melted and fixed by heat and pressure.

  The sheet feeding / conveying unit 104 includes a sheet storage 113 represented by a sheet cassette and a paper deck, and one sheet is selected from a plurality of sheets stored in the sheet storage 113 in response to an instruction from the printer control unit. Separated and conveyed to the image forming unit 102. When forming an image on both sides of the sheet, the sheet that has passed through the fixing unit 103 is conveyed again to the image forming unit 102 via the duplex conveyance path 114.

  The printer control unit communicates with an MFP control unit that controls the entire image forming apparatus 1001 and executes control according to the instruction. Further, the printer control unit instructs the respective units to operate smoothly while managing the states of the scanner unit 1002, the laser exposure unit 101, the image forming unit 102, the fixing unit 103, and the paper feeding / conveying unit 104. In this embodiment, the resolution of the printer unit 1006 in the standard mode is 400 dpi. However, the printer control unit changes the exposure cycle of the image forming unit 102 and the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum 108 to change the resolution to 400/800/1200 dpi. Can be changed. Note that the printer control unit also controls the sheet conveyance timing and the like generated by changing the resolution.

  Here, in this embodiment, when executing a reduced layout process that emphasizes character quality and line reproducibility, resolution conversion can be performed by replacing the resolution of the printer unit 1006 without changing the number of pixels. .

  That is, first, a reduced layout selection screen with no image degradation is displayed on the operation display unit 1008 to prompt the user to select.

  The input resolution of the scanner unit 1002 of this embodiment is 400 dpi. On the other hand, the output resolution of the printer unit 1006 can be selected from 400 dpi, 800 dpi, and 1200 dpi. In this case, when the paper sizes of the input (original) and the output (sheet) are the same, a reduction layout selection screen shown in Table 1 is displayed on the operation display unit 1008.

  In this embodiment, since the input resolution is 400 dpi and the output resolution is 400, 800, 1200 dpi, as shown in Table 1, only two types of reduced layouts without any image degradation are possible. As the number increases, so do the combinations.

Basically, when the following conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied, a reduced layout that does not cause any image deterioration due to resolution replacement is possible.
Condition 1: The aspect ratio of the document and the output sheet is the same, and the area is an integral multiple Condition 2: (Output Resolution / Input Resolution) ² × (Output Sheet Size / Document Size) = Number of Pages Layoutd in a Plane 3: The number of pages to be laid out in the plane is a plurality of pages. Table 2 shows on the operation display unit 1008 when the above conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied and the input (original) and output (sheet) have different paper sizes. 6 shows an example of a reduced layout selection screen with no image degradation.

  If the output resolution is increased, there are innumerable combinations satisfying the above conditions 1 to 3. However, in order to ensure the visibility of the output image, there is a reduced layout in which the reduction ratio with respect to the original size is 20% or more. desirable. In the reduced layout of A4 (original) → A4 (sheet), 25 in 1 corresponds to a reduction rate of 20%.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, as a condition 4, a reduced layout having a reduction rate of less than 20% is not displayed on the operation display unit 1008 as a recommended example.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a reduced layout process of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. 4 is executed by the CPU after a control program stored in a ROM, a hard disk, or the like is loaded into the RAM.

  When a plurality of documents are set on the automatic document feeder of the scanner unit 1002 and a reduced layout is selected by the user via the operation display unit 1008 (step S101), the user determines whether to execute the reduced layout process (step S101). Step S102). The user's judgment here is made, for example, via the operation display unit 1008.

  If it is determined in step S102 that the reduced layout process is to be executed, the user is determined whether to emphasize the character or line quality (step S103). The user's judgment here is made, for example, via the operation display unit 1008.

  If it is determined in step S103 that the reduced layout emphasizing character and line quality is to be executed, the document size and the output paper size held in the printer unit 1006 are confirmed (step S104).

  Based on the document size, output paper size, input resolution, and changeable output resolution, a recommended reduced layout that can be executed by resolution replacement is calculated (step S105). The recommended condition is a case where the conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied. For example, the recommended conditions are as shown in Table 3.

  Next, the calculation result of Table 3 is displayed on the operation display unit 1008 as a recommended reduced layout (step S106).

  The user selects which reduced layout of the contents displayed on the operation display unit 1008 is to be output (step S107), and executes a reduced layout process by the image processing unit 1003 according to the input result (step S108). . The selection (input operation) by the user here is performed via the operation display unit 1008, for example.

  After executing the reduced layout process, the processing data is stored in the memory 1005. When the reduced layout process for all the originals is completed, the output operation is started, and the reduced layout image is printed on the sheet (step S109). When the printout is finished, the process is finished (step S110).

  If it is determined in step S103 that the reduced layout that emphasizes the character and line quality is not executed, the user is allowed to select N of Nin1 from the operation display unit 1008, and the zeroth-order interpolation is performed using the selected reduced layout. Perform resolution conversion. If it is determined in step S102 that the reduced layout process is not to be executed, an output process performed by a known image forming apparatus is executed.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when a predetermined reduced layout is set, the reduced layout process is executed by replacing the output resolution of the printer unit 1006 without changing the number of pixels. Thereby, when using the reduced layout function, it is possible to prevent the loss of image information (thin lines and characters are interrupted) that has occurred due to resolution conversion and halftoning.

  Further, since the user only has to select a reduction layout plan displayed on the screen of the operation display unit 1008, an image forming apparatus with excellent usability can be provided.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  In this embodiment, a reduced layout output without image deterioration is executed using another image forming apparatus connected to the network.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 1001 is connected to a workstation, a computer (PC) 1012, an image server 1014, another image forming apparatus 1013, and the like via a network. The PC 1012 can instruct to print out image data, and can instruct to store the scanned image in the image server 1014.

  By using this function, if another image forming apparatus having a resolution that the image forming apparatus 1001 of the first embodiment does not have is used, it is possible to increase the reduced layout for resolution replacement without image deterioration.

  In the case of the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment, since the maximum value of the output resolution is 1200 dpi, if the input (original) and the output (sheet) have the same paper size, 9 in 1 is the maximum reduced layout. Become. If the output resolution of another image forming apparatus is 1600 dpi, if the input (original) and output (sheet) have the same paper size, a 16-in-1 reduced layout is possible.

  Table 4 shows the relationship between the input resolution, the paper size between the input (original) and the output (sheet), the output resolution, the reduced layout, and the reduction rate.

  In FIG. 4, when the document size and the output paper size are the same in step S104, the CPU (search unit) 1009 outputs the output of the printer unit of another image forming apparatus when calculating the recommended reduced layout in step S105. Search for resolution. If 1600 dpi or 2000 dpi exists in the output resolution of the printer unit of another image forming apparatus, the content is added and displayed in step S106.

  When 16in1 in Table 4 is selected, the image after the resolution replacement reduced layout processing is transmitted to the corresponding image forming apparatus having an output resolution of 1600 dpi and output.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to what was illustrated by said each embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention, it can change suitably.

  For example, in each of the above embodiments, the user may input a reduced layout (2 in 1, 4 in 1, etc.) from the operation display unit 1008 or the like in step S107 of FIG. In this case, the CPU 1009 searches for an image forming resolution in the image forming apparatus that can use resolution replacement, or another image forming apparatus that matches or is closest to the condition.

  In addition, when there are many image forming apparatuses connected to a network such as a corporate LAN, a large number of image forming apparatuses are displayed in Table 4, which is difficult for the user to select. In this case, by allowing the user to input the number of reduced layouts in advance from the operation display unit 1008 or the like, the number of other image forming apparatuses displayed in Table 4 may be limited and the user may be allowed to select.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the resolution of the scanner unit is set to one type of 400 dpi. However, the resolution is not limited to this, and 600 dpi, switching between 400 dpi and 600 dpi, or a plurality of scanner units may be connected. If the scanner unit has a resolution of 400 dpi or more, having a plurality of resolutions increases the probability that the conditions 1 to 3 are satisfied, and therefore, it is easy to distribute to other image forming apparatuses.

Further, as shown in Table 5, an image forming apparatus having an output resolution of 1800 dpi or 2400 dpi that is not included in the image forming apparatuses of the first and second embodiments can be used. Reduced layout proposals increase, improving usability.

  The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following processing. That is, a storage medium that records a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. This is the process of reading the code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Moreover, the following can be used as a storage medium for supplying the program code. For example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM or the like. Alternatively, the program code may be downloaded via a network.

  Further, the present invention includes a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by executing the program code read by the computer. In addition, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Furthermore, a case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the following processing is also included in the present invention. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

1 is a control block diagram for explaining an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram for demonstrating an image process part. It is a schematic sectional drawing for demonstrating the hardware constitutions of a scanner part and a printer part. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a reduced layout process of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment. It is a figure which shows what kind of image one line of resolution 400 dpi becomes by resolution conversion. It is a figure which shows what performed the binarization process with respect to the image after the resolution conversion of FIG. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the example which keeps constant the exposure potential in a solid part, when a laser spot diameter and a charging potential are made the same by 400 dpi and 800 dpi. It is a figure for demonstrating the prior art example which prints several images with respect to one sheet | seat.

Explanation of symbols

1001 Image forming apparatus 1002 Scanner unit 1003 Image processing unit 1005 Memory 1006 Printer unit 1007 Data path control unit 1008 Operation display unit 1009 CPU
1011 External I / F
1012 PC
1013 Other image forming apparatus 1014 Image server

Claims (9)

Reading means for reading an image of a document;
Image processing means for performing predetermined image processing on image data of a document read by the reading means;
An image forming apparatus having a plurality of resolutions and an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet of image data that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing unit;
The image processing unit executes a reduced layout process by replacing the resolution of the image forming unit without changing the number of pixels when a predetermined reduced layout is set;
An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined reduced layout satisfies the following conditions 1 to 3.
Condition 1: The aspect ratio of the original and the output sheet is the same, and the area is an integral multiple Condition 2: (Output Resolution / Input Resolution) ² × (Output Sheet Size / Original Size) = Number of Pages Layouted in the Surface Condition 3 : The number of pages laid out in the plane is multiple pages The image processing means executes a reduced layout process by a predetermined resolution conversion method when a reduced layout that does not satisfy the above conditions 1 to 3 is set.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2. The predetermined resolution conversion method performs resolution conversion by at least zero-order interpolation.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 3. In the reduced layout, the reduction ratio after the reduced layout with respect to the document size is 20% or more.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. An operation display unit that displays a selection screen of a plurality of reduced layouts that satisfy the conditions 1 to 3;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. Connected to an image forming apparatus having other image forming means via a network, and when the predetermined reduced layout is set, the other image forming apparatus having an output resolution satisfying the conditions 1 to 3 The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a search unit that searches for an image forming unit including the image forming unit. A reading step for reading an image of a document;
An image processing step for performing predetermined image processing on the image data of the document read in the reading step;
An image forming step having a plurality of resolutions and forming an image of the image data subjected to the image processing in the image processing step on a sheet.
The image processing step executes a reduced layout process by replacing the resolution in the image forming step without changing the number of pixels when a predetermined reduced layout is set.
A control method for an image forming apparatus. A reading step for reading an image of a document;
An image processing step for performing predetermined image processing on the image data of the document read in the reading step;
An image forming apparatus control program for causing a computer to execute an image forming step having a plurality of resolutions and forming an image on a sheet of image data subjected to image processing in the image processing step,
The image processing step executes a reduced layout process by replacing the resolution in the image forming step without changing the number of pixels when a predetermined reduced layout is set.
A control program for an image forming apparatus.