JP2009219087A - Image forming apparatus and double-side print processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify preparation or management and to achieve reduction of costs by enabling specific information, well corresponding to a user, to be displayed on the rear side of a paper sheet that the user uses. <P>SOLUTION: An input section 9 accepts an input instruction of printing operation in a relevant apparatus A. Image capturing sections 3, 13 capture image data to be printed on a paper sheet. A storage section 17 stores one or more kinds of specific information to be printed on the paper sheet. On the basis of preset discrimination information, a specific information designation section 25 designates specific information corresponding to the input instruction. Based on the input instruction of printing operation, a printing section 11 feeds the paper sheet from a paper feeding stage, prints the designated specific information on one side of the paper sheet, and prints the image data on the opposite side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a duplex printing processing program, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a multi-function peripheral (MFP) capable of duplex printing and an improvement of a duplex printing processing program used therefor.

  In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as copiers and multifunction peripherals, for example, use paper with advertisements on the back in advance when they are provided to a large number of unspecified users for a fee or used in educational institutions such as universities. If printing is done, settings are provided so that the printing fee is free or discounted.

  In this case, if the advertisement content printed on the back side does not correspond well to the user, the advertisement posted on the back side is easily ignored and the advertising purpose is difficult to achieve, so it is suitable for the user who uses the image forming apparatus. Ingenuity is necessary to advertise.

  Therefore, for example, a technique such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-266884 (Patent Document 1) has been proposed.

This patent document 1 is a method for providing a recording medium in which an image forming apparatus including a plurality of trays storing printing paper on which advertising information is recorded on the back side is connected to a server via a network. The personal information received by the apparatus is received, a tray storing printing paper to be provided to the user is selected based on the personal information, and transmitted to the image forming apparatus. In the image forming apparatus, the tray selected from the server is selected. It has a configuration that prints on fed paper, enables the use of paper with advertising information suitable for the user, and suppresses the increase in waste due to information transmission. is there.
JP 2007-266884 A

  However, in Patent Document 1 described above, since the user's personal information is transmitted to the server and a tray suitable for the user is selected, it is necessary to prepare the server, and paper with advertising information printed on the back side is placed on the tray. Since it has to be set, it is necessary to prepare a preprinted paper for each advertisement information to be printed, which is complicated to prepare and manage and tends to increase costs.

  Furthermore, while it is necessary to prepare a large number of papers with advertisement information printed on the back side, when there is a change in the advertisement content, it is necessary to discard the old printed paper, which is likely to waste paper. There are also difficulties.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that an image forming apparatus and a double-sided image forming apparatus that can display information corresponding to a user on the back side of a sheet used by the user and hardly cause the sheet to be wasted. The purpose is to provide a print processing program.

  In order to solve such a problem, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an input unit that receives an input instruction for a printing operation in the apparatus, an image acquisition unit that acquires image data to be printed on a sheet, and printing on the sheet. A storage unit that stores one or more types of specific information to be processed, a specific information specifying unit that specifies specific information corresponding to the input instruction based on discrimination information set in advance, and a paper feed based on the input instruction of the printing operation And a printing unit that feeds the paper from the stage and prints the specified information on one side of the paper and prints the image data on the opposite side.

  The image forming apparatus of the present invention may be configured to be externally attached to the apparatus as the storage unit.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the storage unit may store advertisement information as the specific information.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the storage unit may store the contact information associated with the input instruction of the printing operation as the specific information.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the specific information designating unit may correspond to the determination result of the input instruction, and the specific information in the storage unit may be designated at random.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the storage unit may store PDF (portable document format) data as the specific information.

  In the double-sided printing processing program according to the present invention, an input process for receiving an input instruction for a printing operation in the apparatus, and an image acquisition process for acquiring image data to be printed on the paper, to a computer that executes and controls double-sided printing on the paper. A storage process for storing one or more types of specific information to be printed on the paper, and specific information to be printed on the paper, based on discrimination information set in advance from one or more types of specific information stored in advance. Based on the designation process for designating specific information corresponding to the input instruction and the input instruction for the printing operation, the paper is fed from the paper feed tray, and the designated specific information is printed on one side of the paper and opposed. Print processing for printing the image data on the surface.

  The double-sided printing processing program of the present invention may be configured such that the designation processing is executed from specific information from a storage unit externally attached to the apparatus.

  In the double-sided printing processing program of the present invention, a configuration in which the specific information is advertisement information is also possible.

  In the duplex printing processing program of the present invention, the specific information may be contact information associated with an input instruction for the printing operation.

  In the double-sided printing processing program of the present invention, the specification process may correspond to the determination result of the input instruction and the specific information may be specified at random.

  The double-sided printing processing program of the present invention may be configured such that the specific information is PDF data.

  In such an image forming apparatus and double-sided printing processing program according to the present invention, image data to be printed on paper is acquired, and specific information to be printed on the paper is stored in advance from one or more types of stored specific information. Based on the set discrimination information, specific information corresponding to the input instruction of the printing operation is designated, paper is fed from the paper feed stage based on the input instruction, and the designated specific information is printed on one side of the paper. At the same time, since the image data is printed on the opposite side, information corresponding to the user can be displayed on the back side of the paper used by the user, and it is difficult to cause waste of the paper.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the specific information is specified from the specific information of the external storage unit externally attached to the device, the specific information can be determined by connecting the external storage unit storing the specific information created in advance. Therefore, it is very easy to change the specific information.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the specific information is advertisement information, the advertisement information corresponding to the user can be printed, and it is easy to increase the effectiveness of the advertisement effect on the user.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the specific information is contact information associated with an input instruction for the printing operation, it is easy to improve various contact effects for the user.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the designation process corresponds to the determination result of the input instruction and the specific information is randomly designated, it is easy to provide various advertisements to the user, and it is easy to increase the effectiveness of the advertisement widely. is there.

  In the present invention, in the configuration in which the specific information is PDF data, the specific information can be displayed as an image of the original document regardless of the type of computer or OS (operating system).

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The double-sided printing processing program according to the present invention will be described in the process of describing the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, taking a multifunction machine A as an example.

  In FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has an image reading unit 3, a memory unit 5, an input / output port unit 7, an operation panel unit 9, a printing unit 11, a communication unit 13 and others with the main control unit 1 as a main body. This constitutes the main part of the multifunction device A. The function of the main control unit 1 will be described later.

  Under the control of the main control unit 1, the image reading unit 3 optically reads an image from, for example, a printed document having a plurality of pages, performs filter processing, scaling processing, gradation processing, and the like to obtain electronic image data. This is a known scanner or the like that is generated as a print job, and the generated image data is sequentially stored in the memory unit 5 for each page of the document.

  The memory unit 5 stores, under the control of the main control unit 1, image data read by the image reading unit 3, image data received by the communication unit 13, discrimination information described later, specific information, and a user list. For example, a hard disk (HDD) or the like that stores an operation program of the control unit 1.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the discrimination information is a management table in which specific information is associated with each user who uses the multifunction device A, and is set in advance from the operation panel unit 9, for example.

  FIG. 2A is an example in an educational institution such as a university. For the user names “faculty and staff”, “graduate student”, “university student”, “other”, etc., the types of specific information are “specific information 1”, “specific information”. “2”, “specific information 3”, and “specific information 4” are set correspondingly, and a user name change setting and a specific information type change setting are also possible.

  In addition, as specific information types “specific information 1”, “specific information 2”, “specific information 3” and “specific information 4”, as shown in FIG. 2B, for example, “contact information 1”, “company A” “Advertisement 1”, “Advertisement 2 of Company A”, and “Advertisement 1 of Company B” are set correspondingly, and the setting can be changed from the operation panel 9.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, for example, “Contact Information 1” is contact information “Course Curriculum List” required for faculty and staff, and “Advertisement 1 of Company A” is shown in FIG. , “Company A's advertisement (recruitment information)”. A USB memory 17 (to be described later) is provided in the storage location of the specific information.

  Although not shown, the user list in the memory unit 5 is a list of user numbers such as a staff number, a student number, and an employee number of the user who uses the image forming apparatus A.

  The input / output port unit 7 is a known interface having an input / output drive function for reading specific information from, for example, the USB memory 17.

  The USB memory 17 is an external storage unit that stores a plurality of the specific information described above, and has a function of outputting the specific information designated via the input / output port unit 7 to the main control unit 1 under the control of the main control unit 1. Is. For convenience, if the USB memory 17 is the first storage unit, the above-described memory unit 5 is the second storage unit.

  The specific information in the USB memory 17 is stored and output in a file format PDF for document display of Adobe Systems.

  The external storage unit connected to the input / output port unit 7 is not limited to the USB memory 17 and can be implemented by a known one.

  The operation panel unit 9 is, for example, a liquid crystal type display panel unit 19 and a touch-type operation unit 21 disposed on the upper part of a device main body case (not shown).

  The operation unit 21 designates a “copy” for instructing a print function which is a main function of the multifunction peripheral A, a “printer” for instructing a print function for print data from an external computer, etc., and a reading function for optically reading a document. A selection key 21a for selecting “scanner” to be selected and “fax” for instructing facsimile transmission / reception, a numeric key 21b as a sign key, a function start key 21c, and a reverse side printing setting key 21d, 21e for setting printing of the specific information described above. Have.

  The operation display unit 9 touches and presses the keys 19a to 19e, etc., inputs a function selection instruction to the multi-function device A, inputs characters and the like, and further starts operation such as printing, operation stop / reset, etc. The input information is output to the main control unit 1 in response to the operation instruction input of the apparatus.

  In particular, the back side print setting key 21d accepts an ON / OFF input indicating whether or not the specific information is printed on the back side of the paper, and the back side print setting key 21e determines whether or not to select a plurality of specific information at random. It has a function of receiving such on (ON) inputs and outputting them to the main controller 1. The back side print setting keys 21d and 21e are set to ON (ON) when touched once, and set to OFF (OFF) when touched again.

  The printing unit 11 in FIG. 1 feeds paper from the paper feed stage based on an input instruction of a printing operation from the operation panel unit 7 under the control of the main control unit 1, and is designated as specified later. This is a monochrome or color print engine that prints information on one side of a sheet and prints image data stored in the memory unit 5 on the opposite side.

  Under the control of the main control unit 1, the communication unit 13 communicates with a server (not shown) as an external communication terminal via a known network 23 such as the Internet or an in-house LAN according to a predetermined protocol. This is a known interface unit having a function of performing mail or facsimile communication.

  The main control unit 1 includes a CPU, a ROM that stores a startup program for the CPU, a RAM that is a temporary storage unit for processing information, and an input / output interface (both not shown). In addition to controlling the unit 5, the input / output port unit 7, the operation panel unit 9, the printing unit 11, and the communication unit 13, the unit has the following functions.

  The main control unit 1 has a function as a specific information specifying unit 25 that specifies specific information corresponding to an input instruction based on the above-described discrimination information.

  That is, the specific information designating unit 25 refers to the above-described determination information in the memory unit 5 for each user if the setting for randomly selecting the specific information is made from the back surface print setting key 21d of the operation display unit 9. In addition, it has a function of selecting and designating specific information at random according to a predetermined rule and outputting it to the printing unit 11.

  If the specific information designating unit 25 accepts an on (ON) input for printing specific information corresponding to each user on the back side of the paper from the back side print setting key 21d of the operation display unit 9, the user number is entered from the operation panel unit 9. Is entered, the user list in the memory unit 5 is referenced to search for the presence of the corresponding user number, and if the input user number exists in the user list in the memory unit 5, the function of authenticating that the user has been authenticated have.

  The specific information specifying unit 25 refers to the management table (discrimination information) described above in the memory unit 5, searches for specific information corresponding to the user authenticated by the user, specifies the specific information corresponding to the user, and prints the print unit 11. It has a function to output to.

  Then, as described above, the printing unit 11 fetches specific information specified at random or specific information corresponding to each user from the image reading unit 3 or the communication unit 13 on one side of the sheet. Print image data on the opposite side.

  Next, the operation of the above-described image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to the sequence diagrams of FIGS.

  When random selection of specific information is set, as shown in FIG. 5, when a user number is input from the operation panel unit 9, the specific information specifying unit 25 of the image forming apparatus A specifies the specific information in the memory unit 5. Information is randomly retrieved and read out and output to the printing unit 11. The printing unit 11 prints the specific information on one side of the paper and the image data on the opposite side, and discharges the paper.

  On the other hand, when specific information corresponding to each user is selected and set, as shown in FIG. 6, when a user number is input from the operation panel unit 9, the specific information designating unit 25 of the image forming apparatus A Authentication is performed, the above-described discrimination information in the memory unit 5 is referred to, the specific information corresponding to the user authenticated by the user is searched, the specific information corresponding to the user is specified, and output to the printing unit 11.

  Then, the printing unit 11 prints the specific information on one side of the paper and the image data on the opposite side and discharges it.

  Such a processing procedure is executed by the duplex printing processing program according to the present invention.

  In such an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, an operation panel unit (input unit) 9 that receives an input instruction of a printing operation in the multifunction peripheral A, an image reading unit that acquires image data to be printed on paper, and a communication unit ( (Image acquisition units) 3 and 13, a USB memory (external storage unit) 17 for storing one or more types of specific information to be printed on the paper, and specific information corresponding to the input instruction based on discrimination information set in advance. Based on the specific information specifying unit 25 to be specified and the input instruction of the printing operation, the paper is fed from the paper feed stage, the specified specific information is printed on one side of the paper, and the image data is printed on the opposite side. And a printing unit 11 that performs printing.

  Therefore, it is possible to display information corresponding to the user on the back side of the paper used by the user, and it is not necessary to prepare a server as in the conventional example, and there are many papers on which the advertisement information is printed on the back side in advance. It is not necessary to prepare and arrange in a tray, and it is not necessary to change specific information for each tray, so there is no need to provide a plurality of trays.

  In addition, if there is a change in the content of the advertisement, it can be handled by changing the specific information in the USB memory (external storage unit) 17, so preparation and management are simple, and it is difficult to raise the cost, It is hard to cause waste.

  If the advertisement information or the contact information associated with the input instruction of the printing operation is used as the specific information, the advertisement information and the contact information can be printed in correspondence with the user, and the advertisement effect and the contact can be printed. It is easy to raise.

  Furthermore, if the specification process corresponds to the determination result of the input instruction and the specific information is specified at random, it is easy to provide arbitrary advertisement information to each user, and the effect of the advertisement can be widely improved. Easy.

  Furthermore, since the specific information is PDF data, the specific information can be displayed as an image of the original document regardless of the type of computer or OS. However, the specific information is not limited to PDF data.

  The duplex printing processing program of the present invention is provided by being stored in a predetermined storage medium, and the same effect as that of the image forming apparatus of the present invention can be obtained.

  The present invention is not limited to the copying machine A, and can be widely implemented in printers, facsimile machines, and other various image forming apparatuses.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure explaining the discrimination information in the present invention. It is a figure explaining the example of the specific information in this invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation panel unit of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Main control unit 3 Image reading unit (image acquisition unit)
5 Memory unit (second storage unit)
7 I / O port section 9 Operation panel section (input section)
11 Printing unit 13 Communication unit (Image acquisition unit)
17 USB memory (external storage unit: first storage unit)
19 Display panel section 21 Operation section (input section)
23 Network 25 Specific information designating part A MFP (image forming apparatus)

Claims (12)

An input unit for receiving an input instruction of a printing operation in the apparatus;
An image acquisition unit for acquiring image data to be printed on paper;
A storage unit that stores one or more types of specific information to be printed on the paper;
A specific information designating unit for designating the specific information corresponding to the input instruction based on discrimination information set in advance;
Based on the input instruction of the printing operation, a printing unit that feeds a sheet from a sheet feeding stage, prints the specified information on one side of the sheet, and prints the image data on the opposite side;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is externally attached to the apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores advertisement information as the specific information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores contact information associated with an input instruction for the printing operation as the specific information. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific information specifying unit randomly specifies specific information in the storage unit as the specific information corresponding to a determination result of the input instruction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit stores PDF data as the specific information. For a computer that controls execution of double-sided printing on paper,
An input process for receiving an input instruction for a printing operation in the apparatus;
Image acquisition processing for acquiring image data to be printed on paper;
A storage process for storing one or more types of specific information to be printed on the paper;
Specific information to be printed on the paper, designating processing for designating the specific information corresponding to the input instruction based on discrimination information set in advance from one or more types of the specific information stored in advance;
Based on the input instruction of the printing operation, a printing process for feeding paper from a paper feed stage, printing the specified information on one side of the paper, and printing the image data on the opposite side;
A double-sided printing processing program characterized in that The double-sided printing processing program according to claim 7, wherein the designation processing is executed from the specific information from a storage unit externally attached to the apparatus. The double-sided printing processing program according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the specific information is advertisement information. The double-sided printing processing program according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the specific information is contact information associated with an input instruction of the printing operation. The double-sided printing processing program according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the specifying process corresponds to a determination result of the input instruction and randomly specifies the specific information. The double-sided printing process program according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the specific information is PDF data.

Images