JP2010099925A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing device that enables checking of a print result obtained in a print mode without wasting paper and ink. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes: a document read means; a storage means for read data; and a display means for displaying the stored data so as to correspond to a print mode. The image forming apparatus displays a preview corresponding to the print mode. In addition, by simultaneously displaying print results in a plurality of print modes, the image forming apparatus selects in which print mode print is made from the preview image. If a print result has unintended image quality, the display of the preview is corrected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus capable of reading a document and faithfully reproducing and outputting the read image.

In an inkjet image forming apparatus, the number of times of carriage reciprocation varies depending on the printing resolution in the sub-scanning direction. Therefore, it takes time to obtain an output result as printing is performed at a higher resolution. However, if printing is performed at a lower printing resolution in order to obtain a printing result quickly, the image quality may be poor and the desired printing result may not be obtained.
Therefore, as a technology to confirm before actually printing on paper and outputting it, when performing a preview to confirm the printing result on the personal computer screen before printing with a device that sends data from a personal computer and performs printing, A technique for displaying an image reflecting print settings on a screen has been considered and already known.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating an image quality in advance for the purpose of selecting an image processing device that meets the image quality expected by the user, and presenting the image processing device whose print result is at the level expected by the user. ing.
JP 2000-315144 A

  However, with the method in which the user resets the print mode based on the previous print results, if you want to obtain output results quickly, you can solve by selecting a mode that performs high-speed printing. Printing with is low resolution and the image quality becomes very rough. For this reason, if the result printed in the high-speed mode is not the result desired by the user, a print mode with high resolution and good image quality must be selected and reprinted, and paper and ink are wasted. It will be used for. The same applies when selecting a mode to save ink. The purpose is to reduce the amount of ink used by reducing the density, but if the print result is not the desired result, select the print mode again. It must be reprinted and printed.

  Therefore, in order to confirm on the screen what kind of image the result will be before printing on paper, image processing is performed on a personal computer, and the result of the printing is expressed faithfully in advance. A method has been proposed in which the printing result can be judged and the printing mode can be adjusted if there is a problem.

  However, in order to perform image processing to confirm the print result and display the preview on the screen, it is limited to the case where there is data on the PC and the data is printed via software installed on the PC. Otherwise there was a problem that it could not be solved.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and its purpose is to produce an output image in advance even when a document is copied using a scanner function installed in the image processing apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of confirming a print result in a print mode without wasting paper and ink.

  The invention described in claim 1 includes a document reading unit, a storage unit for reading data, and a display unit for displaying the stored data corresponding to the print mode, and displays a preview corresponding to the print mode. An image forming apparatus.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the print result in a plurality of print modes is displayed at the same time, thereby selecting which print mode to perform printing from the preview image. And

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a preview of the copy result is confirmed on the screen of the information processing apparatus by transferring the drawn image to the connected information processing apparatus. It is characterized by doing.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, a preview that faithfully expresses a difference depending on paper to be printed is displayed.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the preview display is corrected when the print result has an unintended image quality.

  You can check the output image in the set print mode without using paper or ink.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus having a multifunction function.

Each unit of the multifunction image forming apparatus will be described.
As an image data input function, it has a scanner unit, a FAX unit, a NIC (network interface card), and a USB function function.
A printer engine unit is provided as an image data output function.
An MFP controller is provided to control the image data input / output function.
It has an LCD panel as a user interface function.
As a power supply function, it has PSU (Power Supply Unit).
It has ARDF (Auto Reverse Document Feeder), back multi, and extension tray as paper feed and paper discharge functions.

  The flow from reading processing to printing in general copy processing is described below.

  First, a document is set on a flat glass portion (not shown) of the ARDF or the scanner unit, and a reading resolution and a reading range are determined by a user setting (image size) and a fixed setting (resolution) of the MFP controller.

  After the reading setting is performed, the original is read by the CCD line sensor while the lamp in the figure serves as a light source to illuminate the original.

  Reading is performed while moving in the sub-scanning direction (generally, the long side direction of the document) by a motor mounted on the scanner unit.

  The read image data information is A / D converted by the scanner unit and input to the MFP controller.

  The data format at this time is RGB, and general scanner image processing such as data thinning, line correction processing, and scanner γ processing is performed from setting information such as resolution and reading range, and thereafter density correction, error diffusion, etc. So-called printer image processing is performed.

  In these image processes, temporary storage is repeatedly performed while controlling the transfer order between the storage area (SDRAM) and the image processing unit.

  Thereafter, the image data is transferred as drawing data to the printer engine side.

  The data format at this time is YMCK. The rendering data is subjected to rendering processing by the printer engine, and is output and printed at the printing position in synchronization with the head position information.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

A general copy process is described for the process inside the MFP controller.
RGB image data subjected to A / D conversion from the scanner unit is input to the MFP controller.

  The RGB image data is subjected to scanner image processing such as line-to-line correction, image area separation, and scanner γ correction in an image processing unit in the MFP controller, and printer image processing such as density correction and error diffusion is performed.

Here, a series of image processing algorithms are out of the gist of the present invention and will not be specified.
Normally, when these image processes are completed, RGB → YMCK conversion processing is performed, and data is transferred to the printer engine side.

  The printer engine performs printing by ejecting head data in synchronization with the head position while performing rearrangement processing (rendering) of the data order along the head row.

In the case of copy processing according to the present embodiment, other processing is performed in addition to this data transfer.
RGB image data A / D converted from the scanner unit is subjected to scanner image processing and printer image processing in the image processing unit, and then added to a path for performing RGB → CMYK conversion, and a path for outputting an output image to the LCD panel is provided. Exists.

  Since the image output to the LCD panel is in the RGB data format, it is preferable to use the scanner + printer image processed data before YMCK conversion.

  The output image created as described above needs to take into account so-called printer image processing such as density correction and error diffusion.

  In this embodiment, the image processing unit of the MFP controller describes the method of performing scanner image processing → printer image processing and performing RGB → YMCK conversion. However, printer image processing is performed after RGB → YMCK conversion. Also good.

  In this case, a process of RGB → YMCK conversion → printer image processing → YMCK → RGB conversion is required, and a hardware or software YMCK → RGB conversion module is required.

  When the print mode is selected on the image forming apparatus, a selection signal is input from the LCD panel to the MFP controller, and subsequent processing (printer engine side processing) is performed in the selected print mode to perform printing.

  An effective use of the path to the LCD panel is copying in a stand-alone state in which a personal computer is not connected, and it is not necessary to move to a place where the personal computer is located only for setting the print mode.

When the personal computer is connected, the upper LCD panel can be a PC.
In this case, the output image is transferred to the PC, and by temporarily storing this data on the PC, it is possible to obtain an effect of shortening the re-creation time of the output image at the next copy. Become.

Next, the processing operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The print mode by the user is set. Examples of print modes are high speed, fast, beautiful, etc., and the resolution, gradation, etc. are set in a programmed state. A print request is made by the user (S301).

  Determine if the printer is standalone. It is determined whether the printer is in a slave state and connected to a master such as a personal computer (S302).

  If it is determined that the printer is stand-alone, it is determined whether it is a copy request (S303).

  If it is a copy request, an output image is displayed on the LCD panel of the printer (S304). Image processing relating to output image generation will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The user confirms the output image and determines whether printing can be performed with this setting (S305).

  If the user determination is OK, printing is performed in the print mode at this time, and the process ends when the print request is completed (S306).

  If it is determined in step S302 that the output image is not stand-alone, it is next determined whether an output image is displayed on the LCD panel (S307). If it is determined to be displayed on the LCD panel, the above steps S304 to S306 are performed.

  If it is determined not to be displayed on the LCD panel, the output image is displayed on the master (PC screen in this example) (S308). Thereafter, the processes in steps S305 to S306 are performed. In this embodiment, the master is defined as a PC or a personal computer, but any device can be used as long as it can serve as the master of the MFP.

  If it is determined in step S303 that the copy is not a copy, it is next determined whether the input is media input (direct print, PictBridge) (S309). If it is media input, the processing of steps S304 to S306 is performed.

  If it is determined that the input is not media input in a stand-alone manner, an error occurs and the process ends (S310).

FIG. 4 is an image diagram of the LCD panel.
The output image input to the LCD panel is displayed in the above mode A, mode B, etc. depending on the print mode (resolution, gradation, etc.), allowing the user to visually compare the print results. Become.

  For example, when the paper type is selected as plain paper, the displayed output image is an image equivalent to the output result by performing dot formation processing on the target dot in order to express bleeding around the dots. Become. In addition, for example, when expressing a difference in resolution (difference between fast mode and clean mode) such as 300 dpi and 600 dpi, an image equivalent to the output result is obtained by performing dot formation processing at a ratio of 1: 2. The user selects a desired mode from the displayed output image.

  The selection method is preferably a selection operation on the MFP side such as an operation panel or a touch panel.

  When the output image is displayed on the personal computer, the selection operation is performed on the screen of the personal computer (GUI such as a printer driver).

  In addition, when only one print mode is selected or for users who do not need a comparison result, only one mode: one screen is displayed.

  The advantage of this display method is that the output image can be examined in detail by displaying one mode over the LCD panel.

  Making the LCD panel larger than necessary is practically impossible because of increased costs. For this reason, it can be said that the structure which displays 1 page data as much as possible is a useful method for capturing the entire output image.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a connection example in the embodiment of the present invention.
The upper diagram of FIG. 5 shows a configuration when image data input from a personal computer is printed as a printer function in a state where the personal computer and the MFP are connected via a network or USB.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to display an output image on a personal computer or an LCD panel at the time of printing.

  The lower diagram of FIG. 5 shows a configuration when printing is performed by stand-alone copying or media direct. It represents the merit of the embodiment of the present invention (it does not move to a place where the personal computer is located, and it is not necessary to start the personal computer).

  In the embodiment of the present invention, copy or media direct is not connected to a personal computer, but it is naturally possible to connect to a personal computer and display an output image on the personal computer.

According to the above-described embodiment, in an ink jet printer that draws while the carriage moves in the main scanning direction, if the resolution in the sub-scanning direction is increased, the number of reciprocations per area increases, so that the printing time is increased. .
For this reason, when copying a document that has a certain level of image quality, it is possible to print at a high speed by setting the resolution low and printing.
However, since the minimum required image quality may not be obtained as a result of lowering the resolution, what kind of print result will be displayed on the screen when the original to be copied is printed in the set print mode. Since it is displayed, it is possible to confirm whether a satisfactory image can be obtained in the set print mode without consuming paper or ink.

  Also, when performing copy or scanner processing, it is not necessary to connect to a personal computer. If preview display is possible on the image forming apparatus, there is no need for the user to move wastefully, that is, usability is improved. it can.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart when a function is added to the flowchart of FIG.
An example of a processing flow after printing in FIG. 3 is shown.

  As in step S306 in FIG. 3, printing is performed in the printing mode determined after the output image is determined (S601).

  The user confirms the print result and confirms whether it is in accordance with the selected output image. As a result, if it is determined that the output image is the same or that no adjustment is necessary, the process ends (S602).

  If it is determined that there is a difference between the output image and the printing result, the brightness, saturation, color, etc. are adjusted on the LCD panel or the GUI of the personal computer (S603). As another adjustment method, there is a system in which a printer environment such as temperature and humidity is stored in the MFP controller or a peripheral storage unit (eg, SDRAM) on the printer side and monitored every time the adjustment result storage is updated. It is effective. In this case, when the monitoring result exceeds a set threshold value, the image processing table may be automatically adjusted (updated) by the printer. Alternatively, a configuration in which a previously set user adjustment value is automatically set may be used. The certain threshold value varies depending on the characteristics of the ink and the head, and thus the value is not specified here.

  The adjustment result is stored on the printer (S604). At this time, it may be stored on a personal computer. This result is reflected in the next output image.

  If it is desired to print again, the process returns to step S601 to resume printing. If it is not necessary, the process ends (S605).

  Each embodiment described above is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus having a multifunction function. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus in the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation in this Embodiment. It is an image figure of a LCD panel. It is a figure which shows the example of a connection in this invention. It is a flowchart at the time of adding a function to the flowchart of FIG.

Claims (5)

A document reading unit, a storage unit for reading data, and a display unit for displaying the stored data corresponding to the print mode,
An image forming apparatus that displays a preview corresponding to a print mode.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a print result in a plurality of print modes is displayed simultaneously to select which print mode to perform printing from a preview image.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a preview of the copy result is confirmed on a screen of the information processing apparatus by transferring the drawn image to a connected information processing apparatus.   4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a preview that faithfully expresses a difference depending on a sheet to be printed is displayed. 5.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preview display is corrected when the print result has an unintended image quality.

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