JP2011114845A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To shorten the time required, from the start of reading of an original to the completion of printing by reading the original, displaying a preview image, and printing it in parallel, when copying a plurality of sheets of originals. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus includes an image reading portion which reads the originals and generates image data; an original-transport portion which transports the originals one by one toward a read position of the image reading portion; an image forming portion which forms an image; based on the image data generated by the image reading portion; and a display input portion which displays a plurality of preview images, based on the image data generated by the image reading portion and also receives a setting related to a copy of the originals. The display input portion displays the preview images, in the order of read pages, prior to the completion of reading of all the originals; and the image forming portion forms the image, prior to the completion of reading of all the originals, as well as, prior to the displaying of preview images of all the pages. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit that reads a document such as a scanner and a display unit that displays a preview image.

  A copier, a multifunction peripheral, a fax machine, and the like may have an image reading unit for reading a document and obtaining image data of the document. For example, the image reading unit includes a lamp that irradiates light to the original, and guides reflected light of the original to an image sensor to obtain image data. Here, there is a case where a function for displaying a preview image on a liquid crystal display unit such as an operation panel is installed in the image forming apparatus so that the user can confirm the output result (printed matter) output to the paper before printing. is there. Thereby, for example, the user can confirm the finish before printing such as confirmation before printing of the setting results of various functions in copying such as density change. If you don't like the finish, you can take measures such as resetting the settings for reading and printing, and eliminate unnecessary printing.

  An image forming apparatus having such a function of displaying a preview image is described in Patent Document 1. Specifically, in Patent Document 1, in the double-sided reading mode, a preceding designation unit that designates preceding reading of one side of a document, and one surface of a document is read in ascending order when preceding reading is designated. First image reading means, first finish information generating means for generating first finish information that simply indicates the result of various settings made on the image data read by the first image reading means, one surface Is a second image reading means for reading the other side of the document in which the document is completely read in descending order, and briefly shows the result of various settings for the image data of the other side of the document read by the second image reading means. Second finish information generating means for generating second finish information, the first finish information and the second finish information are combined to generate finish information corresponding to the case where both sides of the document are sequentially read. Synthesizing means for an image forming apparatus having a finishing information output means for outputting the generated finishing information to the display unit is described by synthetic means. This attempts to shorten the time required for the preview display (see Patent Document 1: Claim 1, paragraph [0010], etc.).

JP2008-153890

  First, an image forming apparatus is provided with a document conveying device that automatically and continuously conveys a plurality of documents one by one to the reading position of the image reading unit so that the documents can be read at high speed. There is. This document conveying device can quickly read and print a document of a plurality of pages (copying).

  In the conventional image forming apparatus, when copying is performed after displaying a preview image, first, all originals are continuously read. After all the originals have been read, a preview image is displayed. Further, after the preview image is displayed, the user performs various settings relating to copying. After various settings, printing is started by pressing a start key or the like. Thus, conventionally, document reading, preview image display (including setting work), and printing are performed in series. Therefore, there is a problem that the time required from the start of reading a document to the completion of printing becomes long.

  Here, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is an image forming apparatus related to preview image display in double-sided printing, but reads one surface of an original document in ascending order and the other surface in descending order (Patent Document 1: Claim). In order to display the first preview image, both sides of the entire document must be read. That is, the preview image of all the originals is displayed after the double-sided reading of all the originals is completed. Further, although there is no description about the printing start time in Patent Document 1, “before actual copy printing, after confirming the finished information (preview image) 401 visually, the setting is changed as necessary, Since actual printing can be performed ”(see Patent Document 1: Paragraph [0063]), the invention described in Patent Document 1 recognizes that printing is performed after confirming preview images of all originals. It is done. Therefore, the invention described in Patent Document 1 cannot cope with the problem that the time required from the start of reading a document to the completion of printing becomes long.

  In view of the above-described problems of the prior art, the present invention shortens the time required from the start of reading a document to the completion of printing when a plurality of documents are copied by performing document reading, preview image display, and printing in parallel. This is the issue.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to claim 1 reads an original and generates an image data of the original, and a bundle of originals is placed on the image reading unit. A document transport unit that transports documents one by one toward the position, an image forming unit that forms an image based on image data generated by the image reading unit, and a plurality of images based on image data generated by the image reading unit. A display input unit that displays a preview image and accepts settings relating to copying of the document, and the display input unit reads the preview image of all pages before reading all the documents. The preview image is displayed in the order of the displayed pages, and the image forming unit forms the image before reading all the originals and before displaying the preview images for all the pages. It was decided to start.

  According to this configuration, the preview images are displayed in the order of the read pages before the reading of all the originals is completed, and the image forming unit displays the preview images for all the pages before the reading of all the originals is completed. Since image formation (printing) is performed before display, document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel. Thereby, the time required from the start of document reading to the completion of printing can be shortened. Accordingly, the waiting time of the user from the start to the end of copying can be reduced. In addition, since the time required for one job is shortened, the substantial productivity of the image forming apparatus is improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the display input unit reads a first image indicating a document read by the image reading unit and a read document for a plurality of pages of the document. In addition to displaying in parallel, the input for designating the first image is accepted as an instruction to stop reading the document. When the instruction to stop reading is given, the image reading unit stops reading the document. did.

  Document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel. According to this configuration, printing can be performed while viewing the preview image, and when an instruction to stop reading is given, the image reading unit stops reading the document. To do. As a result, reading unnecessary documents and copying unnecessary documents are not executed. Therefore, waste of energy and resources can be eliminated.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the display input unit includes the first image that is read first among the plurality of the first images displayed in parallel in the reading order. It was decided to erase from

  There is a limit to the display area in the display input unit, and when the number of documents reaches a large number (for example, more than a dozen), the first image may not be displayed. Alternatively, even if it can be displayed, one first image may be very small and difficult to view. However, according to this configuration, the first image is erased from the previously read first image, so that the first image can be secured to a certain size, and input for designating the first image is surely performed. Can do. Therefore, the operability for the user is improved.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second or third aspect of the invention, the display input unit includes the first image indicating the original read by the image reading unit and the first original indicating the original being read. The shape of the image was made different.

  According to this configuration, the shape of the first image differs between the read document and the read document. Thus, the user can easily grasp the progress of reading the document.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the fourth aspect, the display / input unit displays the first image of the document read by the image reading unit in a rectangle and indicates the document being read. Each time the reading progresses, the shape of the first image is changed so that it approaches a rectangle.

  According to this configuration, the shape of the first image showing the document being read changes so as to approach a rectangle as reading progresses, so that the user can easily grasp the progress of reading the document in detail. it can.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the display input unit includes a plurality of second images indicating at least a page to be printed and a page to be printed from now on. The pages are displayed in parallel in the order of printing, and the input for designating the second image is accepted as an instruction to cancel printing, and the image forming unit performs printing for the page for which the instruction to cancel printing is issued. It was decided not to.

  Document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel. According to this configuration, printing can be performed while viewing the preview image, and the image forming unit prints the page for which printing is instructed to be stopped. Not performed. As a result, unnecessary page copying is not executed. Therefore, waste of energy and resources can be eliminated. In addition, since only the pages to be printed are skipped and the printing flow itself does not have to be stopped, copying can be completed to the end.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the invention, the display input unit accepts an input for designating a plurality of the second images.

  According to this configuration, the display input unit accepts an input for specifying a plurality of second images, so that a plurality of pages can be specified at the same time. As a result, the user can efficiently designate an unnecessary page, and the operability can be improved.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the sixth or seventh aspect, the display input unit erases the display of the second image on the page that has been printed.

  There is a limit to the display area in the display input unit, and when the number of originals reaches a large number (for example, ten or more), the second image may not be displayed. Alternatively, even if it can be displayed, one second image may be very small and difficult to view. However, according to this configuration, since the second image of the page on which printing has been completed is erased, the second image can be secured to a certain size, and input for designating the second image is surely performed. Can do. Therefore, the operability for the user is improved.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth to eighth aspects of the invention, the display input unit includes the second image indicating a page on which printing is performed and the second image indicating a page to be printed from now on. The shapes of the two images were made different.

  According to this configuration, the shape of the second image differs between the page being printed and the page waiting for printing. Thereby, the user can easily grasp the progress of printing.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect of the invention, the display / input unit displays the second image indicating a page to be printed in a rectangle and displays the page on which the printing is performed. The shape of the second image shown is changed so that the shape becomes smaller as printing progresses.

  According to this configuration, since the shape of the second image showing the page on which the printing is performed changes so that the shape becomes smaller as printing progresses, the user can easily check the progress of printing. Can grasp in detail.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the inventions according to the sixth to tenth aspects, the display input unit includes a parallel display of the first image for a plurality of pages and a parallel display of the second image for a plurality of pages. It was decided to display the display simultaneously.

  According to this configuration, the parallel display of the first image and the parallel display of the second image are displayed simultaneously. As a result, the user can simultaneously grasp the progress of reading the original and the progress of printing.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the second to eleventh aspects of the invention, the first image and the second image are the preview images.

  According to this configuration, the display input unit displays the preview image as the first image and the second image, so that it is possible to visually recognize whether the document reading should be stopped and printing should be stopped. As a result, the user can easily determine whether or not to read the original or stop printing.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a plurality of originals are copied, the original reading, the preview image display, and the printing are performed in parallel, so that the time required from the start of reading the original to the completion of printing is shortened. Thereby, the productivity of the image forming apparatus can be increased.

1 is a schematic front sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a copier according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of an image reading unit and a document conveying unit of the copier according to the embodiment. It is a top view which shows an example of the operation panel which concerns on embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a copier according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the image reading part which concerns on embodiment, and the flow of image data. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of a preview image display on the copier according to the embodiment. 6 is a graph showing the flow of processing when copying is performed by displaying a preview image in the copier according to the embodiment and a conventional copier, in a time-series manner. (A) is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the reading stop of the document in the copying machine which concerns on embodiment. (B) is an explanatory diagram for explaining the cancellation of printing in the copying machine according to the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of document reading control according to the embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a flow of print control according to the embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. However, each element such as configuration and arrangement described in this embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention and is merely an illustrative example.

(Outline of image forming apparatus)
First, an outline of an electrophotographic copying machine 100 (corresponding to an image forming apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a copying machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine 100 according to the present embodiment is provided with a document transport unit 1 that transports a document at the top. An image reading unit 2 that irradiates light on the original and reads it with reflected light is disposed below the original conveying unit 1. Further, the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment is connected and mounted with an operation panel 3 (corresponding to a display input unit) in the upper part of the front for receiving function setting input and displaying the status of the copying machine 100. Details of the image reading unit 2 and the operation panel 3 will be described later.

  Next, the internal configuration and operation of the copying machine 100 will be described. The copying machine 100 includes a paper feeding unit 4, a conveyance path 5, an image forming unit 6a, a fixing unit 6b, and the like. A paper discharge space is provided below the image reading unit 2. Therefore, these configurations will be described along the sheet conveyance path. In FIG. 1, a sheet conveyance path in the copying machine 100 is indicated by a solid arrow.

  First, the paper feeding unit 4 is provided at the lowermost part of the copying machine 100 and accommodates various types of paper such as copy paper, OHP paper, label paper, and the like (A4, B5, etc.). A paper feed roller 41 is provided on the upstream side of the paper feed unit 4 in the paper transport direction. The paper feed roller 41 abuts on the uppermost paper and is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 1) when the paper is supplied to feed the paper one by one to the transport path 5.

  In this embodiment, the conveyance path 5 conveys a sheet in the copying machine 100 and conveys the sheet from the sheet feeding unit 4 to the discharge tray 51 (discharge space) through the image forming unit 6a. In the conveying path 5, a pair of conveying rollers 52 that are rotationally driven by a driving mechanism (not shown), a plurality of guide plates (not shown) for guiding the sheet, and a sheet according to the formed toner image. A registration roller pair 53 to be sent out, a discharge roller pair 54 for paper discharge, and the like are provided.

  In FIG. 1, the image forming unit 6 a is disposed at the center left position in the copying machine 100, and forms a toner image based on a document read by the image reading unit 2, image data input to the copying machine 100, and the like. And transfer to the paper. The image forming unit 6a includes a photosensitive drum 61 as an image carrier, a charging device 62, an exposure device 63, a developing device 64, a transfer roller 65, a cleaning device 66, and the like. The photoconductive drum 61 is disposed substantially at the center of the image forming unit 6a, is rotationally driven in a predetermined direction (clockwise in FIG. 1) by a driving device (not shown), and has a photosensitive layer such as amorphous silicon on the outer peripheral surface. . The charging device 62 is disposed opposite to the upper right of the photosensitive drum 61 in FIG. 1 and charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61 with a predetermined potential. In addition to the corona discharge type, a charging roller, a brush, or the like may be used.

  The exposure device 63 is disposed on the right side of the photosensitive drum 61 and the charging device 62 in FIG. 1, and light (for example, laser light) is formed on the peripheral surface of the charged photosensitive drum 61 based on image data of an image to be formed. ), The peripheral surface is scanned and exposed, and an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image data is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61. The developing device 64 is provided below the photosensitive drum 61 in FIG. 1, charges the toner to be stored to a predetermined potential, supplies the toner to the electrostatic latent image, and the electrostatic latent image is developed as a toner image. The

  In FIG. 1, the transfer roller 65 is rotatably supported to the lower left of the photosensitive drum 61, and transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 61 onto a sheet. Therefore, the transfer roller 65 contacts the photosensitive drum 61 to form a nip. Then, a sheet enters the nip, and a voltage having a polarity opposite to the charging polarity of the toner is applied to the transfer roller 65 to transfer the toner image onto the sheet. In FIG. 1, the cleaning device 66 is disposed above the photosensitive drum 61, and removes and collects residual toner, dust, and the like on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61.

  In the present embodiment, the fixing unit 6b includes a heating roller 67, a pressure roller 68, and the like, and pressurizes and heats the toner image transferred to the sheet to fix it to the sheet. The heating roller 67 includes a heating element inside, and the pressure roller 68 and the heating roller 67 are pressed against each other to form a nip. A sheet on which the toner image is transferred enters the nip, and the toner image is fixed. The sheet after completion of fixing is discharged to the discharge tray 51 by the discharge roller pair 54.

(Configuration of Image Reading Unit 2)
Next, the image reading unit 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the image reading unit 2 and the document conveying unit 1 of the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. First, the document conveying unit 1 will be described.

  The document conveying unit 1 automatically and continuously conveys documents to be read one by one to a reading position. In order from the upstream side in the document conveyance direction, a document placement tray 11, a document supply roller 12, a document conveyance path 13, a plurality of document conveyance roller pairs 14, a document discharge roller pair 15, a document discharge tray 16, and the like are provided. The document conveying unit 1 is attached to the image reading unit 2 so as to be openable and closable in the vertical direction above the image reading unit 2 with the back side in FIG. 2 as a fulcrum. It functions as a cover for pressing the glass 21A and the placement reading contact glass 21B) from above.

  The document placing tray 11 can place a plurality of documents and is connected to the upstream end of the document transport path 13. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the document placement tray 11 includes a document detection sensor 17 such as a reflective optical sensor for detecting that a document is placed on the document placement tray 11. Prepare. Then, the document supply roller 12 contacts the uppermost document, and when an input to read or copy the document is input to the copying machine 100 (for example, pressing a start key 34 described later), the document transport path 13 Send the document to. The fed document is guided to a plurality of document transport roller pairs 14 and guides, and passes through the upper surface of the feed reading contact glass 21A (corresponding to the reading position) on the upper surface of the image reading unit 2. During this passage, the image reading unit 2 performs reading. Then, the document that has been read is discharged from the document discharge roller pair 15 to the document discharge tray 16 (the document transport path is shown by a two-dot chain line). Each of the rotating bodies (the document discharge roller pair 15 and the like) rotates using the document transport motor 18 (see FIG. 4) as a drive source.

  Next, the image reading unit 2 in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image reading unit 2 has a box-shaped housing. A plate-shaped feed reading contact glass 21A and a placement reading contact glass 21B are disposed on the upper surface of the image reading unit 2 from the left side of FIG. The feed reading contact glass 21 </ b> A is a surface through which a document transported by the document transport unit 1 passes. On the other hand, the placement reading contact glass 21 </ b> B is a surface on which the document conveying unit 1 is lifted and the document is placed with the reading surface facing downward when reading documents such as books one by one.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the document is irradiated from the first moving frame 221, the second moving frame 222, the wire 23, the winding drum 24, the lens 25, and the lamp 26 into the housing of the image reading unit 2. The reflected light of the incident light is incident, and an image sensor 27 and the like for generating image data are arranged. The image sensor 27 is constituted by, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) in which photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a line shape, and reads the document line by line based on the reflected light of the document. Accordingly, the image data obtained by reading one original is a combination of the reading results of a plurality of lines.

  The first moving frame 221 has a lamp 26 (for example, a cold cathode lamp, a xenon lamp, or a fluorescent lamp) that irradiates light on a document or the like placed on the placement reading contact glass 21B on the lower side. The first mirror 261 is supported. The lamp 26 and each mirror have a shape extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  The second moving frame 222 supports the second mirror 262 upward and the third mirror 263 downward. Further, the first moving frame 221 is disposed above the second moving frame 222. A plurality of wires 23 are attached to the first moving frame 221 and the second moving frame 222 (only one is shown in FIG. 2 for convenience), and the other end of the wire 23 is connected to the winding drum 24. With the winding motor 28 (see FIG. 4) as a drive source, the winding drum 24 rotates forward and backward, and the first moving frame 221 and the second moving frame 222 move freely in the horizontal direction.

  Here, an example of a specific document reading operation will be described. First, when a document transported by the document transport unit 1 is read, the document transported from the document stacking tray 11 is transported while passing through the upper surface of the feed reading contact glass 21A. The first moving frame 221 and the second moving frame 222 are fixed to the lower position (reading position) of the feed reading contact glass 21 </ b> A by driving the winding motor 28, and the lamp 26 emits light to the passing document. Irradiate.

  The light emitted from the lamp 26 strikes the original on the feed reading contact glass 21 </ b> A, and the reflected light is condensed on the lens 25 using the first mirror 261, the second mirror 262, and the third mirror 263. Then, the light from the lens 25 enters the image sensor 27. The image sensor 27 outputs an analog electrical signal according to the intensity of the reflected light. The image reading unit 2 converts the analog signal into a digital signal and obtains image data. By reading the original in units of lines in the main scanning direction (direction perpendicular to the original conveying direction), and repeating the reading in units of lines in the sub-scanning direction (original conveying direction), one original Is read.

  On the other hand, when reading a document placed on the placement reading contact glass 21B, the first moving frame 221 and the second moving frame 222 are moved from the home position to the right in FIG. The entire original is read, and the original is converted into an electrical signal.

(Operation panel 3)
Next, based on FIG.1 and FIG.3, the operation panel 3 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of the operation panel 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the operation panel 3 provided at the upper front of the multifunction device 100 includes a liquid crystal display unit 31 that displays the state of the multifunction device 100 and various messages such as copying progress and error occurrence. . The liquid crystal display unit 31 can display one or a plurality of keys for selecting and setting functions. In addition, a transparent touch panel unit 32 is provided on the upper surface of the liquid crystal display unit 31. The touch panel unit 32 is for detecting the position and coordinates of the part pressed by the user on the liquid crystal display unit 31. The operation panel 3 also includes a numeric keypad 33 and a start key 34.

  The detected coordinates using the touch panel unit 32 are compared with the positions and coordinates of various keys shown on the liquid crystal display unit 31, and the key selected by pressing by the user is specified. As described above, the user can perform various settings, mode selections, and the like for each function of the multifunction peripheral 100 using the display on the liquid crystal display unit 31 and the touch panel unit 32. In addition, as the touch panel part 32, each system, such as a resistive film system, a surface acoustic wave system, an infrared system, and a capacitance system, can be adopted and there is no particular limitation.

(Hardware configuration of copying machine 100)
Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the copying machine 100 is provided with a main body control unit 7. As a central processing unit, a CPU 71 is provided, and a storage unit 72 including a nonvolatile and volatile memory 35 such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), or a flash ROM is provided. Have. The storage unit 72 stores programs, data, and the like for controlling the copying machine 100.

  The main body control unit 7 is connected to the paper feeding unit 4, the conveyance path 5, the image forming unit 6a, the fixing unit 6b, the operation panel 3, the image processing unit 8, and the like. The main body control unit 7 controls the operation of each connected unit, such as paper conveyance and toner image formation. In FIG. 4, the main body control unit 7 is illustrated as one, but the main body control unit 7 is configured to turn on / off a main control unit that performs overall control and image processing, a motor that rotates various rotating bodies, and the like. A plurality of types may be provided by dividing each function, such as an engine control unit for controlling OFF or the like.

  Next, the configuration of the operation panel 3 of the present embodiment will be described. The operation panel 3 of the copier 100 of the present embodiment includes a display control unit 30, a memory 35, a driver circuit 36, a liquid crystal display unit 31, a touch panel unit 32, a start key 34, a numeric keypad unit 33, and the like. The display control unit 30 is configured by a CPU, an IC, and the like, controls the display of the liquid crystal display unit 31, receives the output (output voltage) of the touch panel unit 32, and specifies the coordinates pressed on the liquid crystal display unit 31. Data such as a table indicating correspondence between the output of the touch panel unit 32 and coordinates is stored in the memory 35. Then, the display control unit 30 identifies the key selected (pressed) on the setting screen by comparing the coordinates of the pressed position with the image data of the setting screen displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31.

  The display control unit 30 recognizes that the function has been selected and set by specifying the pressed key or the like, and transmits the content to the main body control unit 7. Accordingly, the main body control unit 7 causes each unit such as the image forming unit 6a to perform an operation reflecting the function selected and set on the operation panel 3, and the user's intention is reflected in printing or the like (for example, Density setting and scaling).

  Further, the memory 35 stores image data of each setting screen displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31. Therefore, every time a key in the setting screen is selected, the display control unit 30 reads the image data of the screen to be displayed next from the memory 35. The display control unit 30 gives an instruction to the driver circuit 36 that actually controls display of the setting screen to be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31.

  The main body control unit 7 is also connected to the document conveying unit 1 and the image reading unit 2, and gives an operation instruction to the document conveying unit 1 and the image reading unit 2 (details will be described later). The main body control unit 7 receives image data of the read original at the time of copying. The image data is processed by the image processing unit 8, and a toner image is formed by the image forming unit 6a based on the image data. The image processing unit 8 is, for example, a circuit configured by combining calculation relating to image data, a work RAM as a work area, an ASIC as an image processing dedicated circuit, and the like. Note that the image processing program may be realized by software by storing an image processing program in the CPU and the storage unit 72 of the main body control unit 7.

  Further, the image processing unit 8 generates image data for a preview image displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31 of the operation panel 3. Note that the image data for the preview image may be generated by the main body control unit 7. The generated image data for the preview image is transmitted toward the operation panel 3 and input to the driver circuit 36. As a result, a preview image is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31. The image processing unit 8 can perform various types of image processing (for example, density change) on the image data used for printing in addition to the generation of preview image image data. However, since there are a wide variety of image processing that can be performed, a detailed description of the image processing that can be performed is omitted, assuming that known image processing can be performed, unless otherwise specified.

  Further, an I / F circuit 73 is connected to the main body control unit 7, and one or a plurality of external computers 200 (for example, personal computers) are connected via the I / F circuit 73 via a network or the like. Can do. With this connection, the copying machine 100 can perform printing upon receiving transmission of image data and print setting data from the external computer 200. Further, the image data of the document read using the image reading unit 2 can be transmitted to the external computer 200.

(Hardware configuration of image reading unit 2 and flow of image data)
Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the image reading unit 2 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image reading unit 2 and the flow of image data according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  As described above, the image reading unit 2 according to the present embodiment includes the document conveyance unit 1 and the image reading unit 2, and the document conveyance unit 1 includes the document conveyance control unit 10 that controls the document conveyance unit 1. The image reading unit 2 is provided with a reading control unit 20 that controls the image reading unit 2.

  The document conveyance control unit 10 is connected to the main body control unit 7 described above, and controls the operation of the document conveyance unit 1 in response to an instruction from the main body control unit 7. For example, when a document reading instruction is received from the main body control unit 7, the document conveyance control unit 10 drives the document conveyance motor 18 to rotate the document supply roller 12, the document conveyance roller pair 14, and the like. Thus, the originals are conveyed one by one to the reading position (feed reading contact glass 21A). In addition, the output of the document detection sensor 17 is input to the document conveyance control unit 10, whereby the document conveyance control unit 10 detects whether a document is present on the document placement tray 11.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the image reading unit 2 is provided with a reading control unit 20. The reading control unit 20 connected to the main body control unit 7 controls the operation of the image reading unit 2 when, for example, the copying machine 100 is instructed to perform copying and a reading execution instruction is given from the main body control unit 7. In addition, transmission control of the image data obtained by reading to the main body control unit 7 is performed.

  The reading control unit 20 is connected to, for example, a lamp 26 for irradiating light on the original, a winding motor 28 for driving the winding drum 24, an image sensor 27, and the like. During document reading, the reading control unit 20 controls each member, turns on the lamp 26, moves or fixes each moving frame by the winding drum 24, and drives the image sensor 27.

  Next, an example of the flow of image data obtained by the image reading unit 2 will be described. In FIG. 5, the flow of image data is indicated by white arrows. The analog electrical signal of each pixel obtained by the image sensor 27 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 29A. The image data converted into a digital signal is input to a correction unit 29B that performs various correction processes.

  Variations in light receiving elements corresponding to pixels arranged in a line on the image sensor 27 (individual characteristic differences), differences in the degree of condensing between the central portion and the peripheral portion of the lens 25, and the amount of light emission due to the position of the lamp 26 Due to unevenness or the like, even if the same density is read in the main scanning direction, a difference in current (voltage) output from each light receiving element of the image sensor 27 occurs at the pixel position. Therefore, the correction unit 29B corrects distortion depending on the pixel position, such as shading correction.

  For example, the corrected image data is input to the main body control unit 7 and stored in the storage unit 72 (for example, HDD). Thereafter, the image processing unit 8 performs various image processes on the image data in accordance with the settings made on the operation panel 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the image data may be directly transmitted from the correction unit 29B to the image processing unit 8 so that the preview image can be displayed quickly.

  The image processing unit 8 is provided with a reduction processing unit 81, for example. For example, the reduction processing unit 81 is a circuit that performs image data reduction processing (may be incorporated in the ASIC). For example, when an original is read at 600 dpi, assuming that the A4 original is 290 mm long, 210 mm wide, and 1 inch = 25.4 mm, when the A4 original is read, about 7000 dots in the vertical direction and about 7000 dots in the horizontal direction. Image data of 5000 dots is obtained. For example, if the preview image that can be displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31 is several hundred dots long and several hundred dots wide (depending on the resolution of the liquid crystal display unit 31 and the size of the area in which the preview image is displayed), Is reduced to 1/10 or more, image data for a preview image can be obtained.

  Therefore, the reduction processing unit 81 performs reduction processing to generate image data for a preview image. For example, the reduction processing unit 81 performs a reduction process using a thinning process or an average value of density values in a certain range as a pixel value of a reduced image. If various settings relating to copying (density change, frame erasure, etc.) have been made before reading the document, the image processing unit 8 generates image data that has been subjected to image processing corresponding to the setting, and a reduction processing unit. Reference numeral 81 can generate image data for a preview image based on image data that has been subjected to image processing corresponding to the setting. In order to display the preview image quickly, the image data of the document is input from the correction unit 29B to a dedicated circuit (preview image generation unit 82) specialized for generating image data for the preview image separately to generate the preview image. Image data for a preview image may be supplied from the unit 82 to the operation panel 3.

(Preview image display)
Next, an example of a preview image display on the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the display of the preview image on the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, in the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment, various settings relating to copying can be performed by inputting to the operation panel 3. For example, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, density setting for copying can be performed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment, a preview image display area F1 for displaying a preview image is provided. A preview key K1 is provided in the preview image display area F1. For example, if the preview key K1 is pressed and the setting is such that a preview image is displayed, the preview key K1 is in a black and white inversion state (a white character of the preview on a black background). Thereby, the user can set whether or not to display the preview image.

  Then, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 6, when the setting relating to copying such as density setting is completed and the start key 34 is pressed while the document is set in the document transport unit 1, the copy of the document is started. . In the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment, when copying of a document is started, the document transport unit 1 transports the document one by one, and the image reading unit 2 reads the document one page at a time. Thereafter, even before all the originals have been read, the preview image is displayed in the preview image display area F1 of the liquid crystal display unit 31, and one original is read to generate image data of the preview image. Each time it is done, the preview image is switched.

  When a plurality of originals are placed on the original conveyance unit, the originals are continuously read one by one, and image data is continuously generated. The preview image is updated every time image data of a preview image for one page is generated based on continuously generated image data. Therefore, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6, the preview image display area F1 is provided with a page display field C1 indicating the currently displayed page. As described above, in the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment, when copying a plurality of originals, a preview image is displayed before all the originals are read.

  On the right side of the preview image, a document reading status display area F2 for displaying the reading status of the document and a printing progress status display area F3 for displaying the progress status of printing are provided. The document reading status display area F2 and the printing progress status display area F3 are displayed when the start key 34 is pressed and document reading or printing is started.

  In the document reading status display area F2, the first image D indicating the read document or the page of the document being read is displayed in parallel in the horizontal direction. For example, the first image D is displayed so that the page located on the front side (first side) is on the left side. The number in each first image D indicates the page number in the document. Further, in FIG. 6B, the page that has been read out of the first image D, such as the difference between the first image D positioned at the right end and the first image D other than the right end, For example, a page that is displayed as a square figure (rectangle) and is being read is displayed as a figure in which the upper part of the square is cut out with a wavy line, and a downward arrow and a character being read are attached.

  That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) makes the first image D indicating the original read by the image reading unit 2 different from the shape of the first image D indicating the original being read. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, each time reading progresses, the first image D approaches a rectangle. That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) displays the first image D of the document read by the image reading unit 2 as a rectangle, and displays the first image D and the first image D indicating the read document. As the reading progresses, the shape is changed so as to approach the rectangle.

  Further, each first image D can be an image obtained by further reducing the preview image displayed in the preview image display area F1. In other words, each first image D is also a kind of preview image. Note that the image data of each first image D is generated by the image processing unit 8 or the like by further reducing the image data for the preview image generated previously, and the image data after the further reduction processing is generated on the operation panel 3. Image data may be provided. Further, the image data of each first image D is calculated by using the display control unit 30 and the memory 35 with respect to the image data for the preview image, and the image data of each first image D is generated by the operation panel 3. May be.

  In addition, since the first image D that can be displayed in parallel in the document reading status display area F2 is not infinite, when a certain number of pages (for example, 4 to 6 pages) are displayed, for example, document reading is performed. Each time it is performed, the display of the first image D of the first page (the first page) in the first image D is erased (for example, arranged on the leftmost side). Then, the first image D that has not been erased is shifted to the left. For example, the first image D of the page from which the document has been read most recently is displayed on the rightmost side of the parallel first images D.

  On the other hand, in the printing progress display area F3, the second image P indicating the page being printed or scheduled to be printed is displayed side by side in the horizontal direction. For example, the second image P is displayed so that the page located on the front side (the most leading page) is on the left side. The numbers in each second image P indicate page numbers. Further, in FIG. 6C, the page being printed out of the second image P is, for example, the difference between the second image P located at the left end and the second image P other than the left end. The upper part of the rectangle is displayed as a figure cut out by a wavy line, a downward arrow and a character being printed are attached, and a page to be printed from now on is displayed as a square figure.

  That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) changes the shape of the second image indicating the page to be printed and the second image P indicating the page to be printed from now on. As shown in FIG. 6C, the second image P becomes smaller as reading progresses. That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) displays a second image P indicating a page to be printed in a rectangular shape, and displays a second image indicating a page to be printed each time printing is performed. The shape is changed so that the shape becomes smaller.

  Furthermore, each of the second images P can also be an image obtained by further reducing the preview image displayed in the preview image display area F1 as with the first image D. In other words, each second image P is also a kind of preview image. The image data of each second image P may be the same image data as the first image D. As described above, the display input unit (operation panel 3) displays the preview image as the first image D and / or the second image P (the first image D and / or the second image P is a preview). Image).

  Further, since the second image P that can be displayed in parallel in the print progress status display area F3 is not infinite, for example, the display of the second image P that has been printed is deleted. Then, the second image P that has not been erased is shifted to the left. For example, the second image P of the page located at the rearmost side among the pages not displayed so far is newly displayed on the rightmost side of the second images P arranged in parallel.

  In this way, the display input unit (operation panel 3) simultaneously displays the parallel display of the first image D for a plurality of pages and the parallel display of the second image P for a plurality of pages. Therefore, the user can easily grasp the progress of reading and printing.

(Reduction of copying time)
Next, shortening of the time required for copying in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the flow of processing in copying and displaying a preview image in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention and the conventional copying machine 100 in a time series. .

  The copying machine 100 according to the present embodiment displays a preview image before the reading of all the originals is completed. Also, printing can be started before the preview images for all pages can be displayed. That is, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, conventionally, in order to prevent wasteful printing and re-reading of a document, a preview image can be confirmed after all document reading is completed. Then, after confirming the preview image, the user is satisfied with the finish, and after the user inputs an instruction to start printing, printing is started. However, this requires time from the start of reading a plurality of documents to the completion of printing.

  Therefore, the copying machine 100 according to the present embodiment performs document reading, preview image display, and printing in parallel. In other words, the image forming apparatus (for example, the copying machine 100) according to the present invention reads an original and generates image data of the original, and a bundle of originals are placed on the image reading unit 2. Based on the document conveying unit 1 that conveys the document one by one toward the reading position, the image forming unit 6a that forms an image based on the image data generated by the image reading unit 2, and the image data generated by the image reading unit 2. A display input unit (operation panel 3) for displaying a plurality of preview images and receiving settings relating to document copying, and the display input unit (operation panel 3) before reading all the documents. Among the preview images for all the pages, the preview images are displayed in the order of the read pages, and the image forming unit 6a previews all the pages before completing the reading of all the originals. Before displaying the image, an image is formed. When copying a plurality of originals as compared with the conventional case where original reading, preview image display, user confirmation, and printing are performed in series, as shown by the time difference Δt in FIG. The time until completion can be shortened.

  In order to shorten the time required for reading a document per sheet or the printing time per sheet and shorten the time from the start of document scanning to the completion of printing, the document transport speed, image processing speed, image forming speed, etc. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the overall capability of the image forming apparatus. For this reason, there are many points to be solved such as power consumption, noise, image quality, and cost, and there are some difficulties. However, in the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment, the time from the start of document reading to the completion of printing can be shortened without shortening the time required for document scanning per sheet and the printing time per sheet.

(Cancel manuscript reading and printing)
Next, with reference to FIG. 8, an example of the stop of document reading and the stop of printing in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8A is an explanatory diagram for explaining the stop of document reading in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8B is an explanatory diagram for explaining the cancellation of printing in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, with reference to FIG. 8A, cancellation of document reading will be described. In FIG. 8A, the progress of reading the original is displayed in the original reading status display area F2 when copying is started. Here, the user can confirm reading of the document while viewing the preview image.

  And when scanning multiple originals, the originals that are different from the originals to be copied are mixed in, the pages are not arranged in order, or the user is dissatisfied with the finish. There is a case where it is desired to cancel the document reading. In other words, there are cases where it is desired to stop reading the original and reset the original or copy. For example, in FIG. 8A, the third and fourth pages are shown as other originals mixed in the original.

  When it is desired to cancel the document reading, the document reading can be stopped by pressing the first image D that is not intended to be copied. For example, in the example of FIG. 8A, the first image D on the third page is pressed. If the first image D is pressed, the display control unit 30 transmits data indicating that document reading should be stopped to the main body control unit 7. Receiving this data, the main body control unit 7 gives a document reading stop instruction to the document conveyance control unit 10 and the reading control unit 20. In response to the stop instruction, the document conveyance control unit 10 and the reading control unit 20 stop reading the document. That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) displays the original read by the image reading unit 2 and the first image D indicating the read original in a plurality of pages in parallel in the reading order, and also the first image When an input for designating D is accepted as an instruction to stop reading the original, and the instruction to stop reading is given, the image reading unit 2 stops reading the original.

  Note that whether or not to print a page before the page for which the document reading stop is specified can be arbitrarily determined. For example, if the first image D is pressed and the input of the document reading stop is input to the operation panel 3, the main body control unit 7 may immediately stop printing in the image forming unit 6a, or the document reading. It is possible to print up to a page before the page for which cancellation is designated.

  Next, the print cancellation will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8B, the print status is displayed in the print progress status display area F3 when copying is started. Here, the user can check the progress of printing while viewing the preview image.

  When copying multiple originals, when the original is different from the original to be copied, or when the user is dissatisfied with the finished product, the user must select only a part of the scanned original. You may not want to print. In other words, the read document may include pages that you do not want to print. For example, in FIG. 8B, the fourth and fifth pages are shown as pages that the user does not want to print.

  When it is desired to cancel the printing of a part of such pages, the printing of the page can be skipped by pressing the second image P that is not intended for printing. For example, in the example of FIG. 8B, when the second image P of the fourth and fifth pages is pressed, the display control unit 30 should skip printing the fourth and fifth pages without printing them. Data to that effect is transmitted to the main body control unit 7. Receiving this data, the main body control unit 7 does not perform image data processing or toner image formation in the image forming unit 6a or the image processing unit 8, or cancels it and does not print the instructed page.

  That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) displays at least a second page P indicating a page to be printed and a page to be printed in parallel for a plurality of pages in the order of printing, An input for designating the second image P is accepted as an instruction to cancel printing, and the image forming unit 6a does not perform printing on a page for which an instruction to cancel printing has been issued.

  In the copying machine 100 according to the present embodiment, even if a page that is not designated for print cancellation is a page after the page for which print stop is instructed, the page is printed as long as there is no print stop instruction. Thereby, it is possible to prevent only unnecessary pages from being printed out of a plurality of documents without stopping the printing itself. The user can confirm whether or not to print by viewing the preview image.

  Further, by pressing the second image P one by one, an instruction to stop printing one page at a time may be input, but the second image P for a plurality of pages is traced with a finger (while the button is pressed) The plurality of second images P may be designated by a single pressing operation, such as by moving a finger in the left-right direction of the liquid crystal display unit 31). That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) receives an input for designating a plurality of second images P.

(Document reading and printing flow)
Next, an example of a control flow in copying in the copying machine 100 of the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of document reading control in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of printing control in the copying machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the copying machine 100 of this embodiment, document reading and printing are performed in parallel. Accordingly, at the time of copying, the two flows of FIGS. 9 and 10 are executed in parallel. Further, in this description, an example will be described in which a plurality of (for example, ten or more) originals are placed on the original conveying unit 1 and copied.

  First, the flow of document reading control will be described with reference to FIG. The start in FIG. 9 is the time when the start key 34 is pressed and copying is started after various settings such as density and paper are made as required by pressing the liquid crystal display 31 on the operation panel 3. It is.

  When the start key 34 is pressed, the main body control unit 7 gives an instruction to transport the document to the document transport control unit 10. Thereby, the document conveyance control unit 10 operates the document conveyance motor 18 to convey the document (step # 1). The main body control unit 7 also gives an instruction to perform reading to the reading control unit 20. In response to this, the reading control unit 20 moves each moving frame, turns on the lamp 26, and drives the image sensor 27 and the like. Thus, the document that has reached the reading position is read for one page line by line in the main scanning direction (step # 2).

  Based on the image data output from the image reading unit 2, for example, the image processing unit 8 generates image data for a preview image (step # 3). At this time, the image data for the first image D may also be generated. The generated image data for the preview image is sent to the operation panel 3, and the preview image is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31 of the operation panel 3 (step # 4).

  Since a new page of the document has been read, the display control unit 30 changes the display of the document reading status display area F2 and the print progress status display area F3 on the liquid crystal display unit 31 (step # 5). For example, the display control unit 30 causes the liquid crystal display unit 31 to newly display the first image D and the second image P corresponding to the newly read page. If there is no space to display, the display control unit 30 erases the first image D and the second image P of the document read first (previous). That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) erases from the first image D read first among the plurality of first images D displayed in parallel in the reading order (see FIG. 8B). The first image D on the first page after printing has disappeared). The display control unit 30 displays the first image D and the second image P of the newly read page.

  Next, the document conveyance control unit 10 confirms whether there is a document to be read by confirming the output of the document detection sensor 17 or the like (step # 6). If there is no document to be read, the document conveyance control unit 10 ends the conveyance of the document, and transmits data indicating that there is no document to be read to the reading control unit 20 and the main body control unit 7, and as a result, the document reading Control ends (END).

  On the other hand, if there is a document to be read, the display control unit 30 confirms whether the first image D displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 31 has been pressed and an instruction to stop reading the document has been given (step #). 7). If the first image D is pressed and there is a document reading stop instruction (Yes in step # 7), the display control unit 30 transmits data indicating that there has been a document reading stop instruction to the main body control unit 7. In response to this, the main body control unit 7 transmits a document reading stop instruction to the document conveyance control unit 10 and the reading control unit 20. Thereby, the document reading control is ended (reading is stopped) (end). On the other hand, if there is no instruction to stop reading the original (No in step # 7), for example, the process returns to step # 1 to read the next original.

  Next, the flow of print control will be described with reference to FIG. The start in FIG. 10 is a point in time when copying is started by pressing the start key 34 after various settings such as density and paper are made by pressing the liquid crystal display unit 31 on the operation panel 3.

  When the start key 34 is pressed, paper feed and paper transport are performed. Specifically, the paper feed roller 41 of the paper feed unit 4 and the transport roller pair 52 of the transport path 5 rotate (step # 21). Next, the image data of the document generated by using the document conveying unit 1 and the image reading unit 2 is sent to the image processing unit 8, and image processing for printing is performed on the image data (step # 22). . Thereafter, the main body controller 7 causes the exposure device 63 to form a toner image such as exposure by the exposure device 63 and development by the development device 64 based on the image data after image processing (step # 23).

  Thereafter, the main body control unit 7 causes the toner image to be transferred and the toner image to be fixed on the paper by the fixing unit 6b (step # 24). Then, the main body control unit 7 recognizes the completion of printing for one page, and instructs the display control unit 30 to erase the display of the second image P for which printing has been completed (step # 25). That is, the display input unit (operation panel 3) erases the display of the second image P of the page for which printing has been completed. As a result, the second image P of the page for which printing has been completed is not displayed. Since the time required for printing one page from the paper feed is determined in advance, the main body control unit 7 may determine whether the printing is completed by counting the time from the start of paper feed. In addition, a sensor (for example, an optical sensor, not shown) that detects the arrival and passage of the paper is provided near the paper discharge section, and the main body control section 7 causes the main body control section 7 to discharge the paper to the outside based on the output of the sensor. Thus, it may be recognized that printing for one page is completed.

  Then, the main body control unit 7 confirms whether there is more image data to be printed (step # 26), and if there is no more image data to be printed (No in step # 26), the main body control unit 7 The operations of the forming unit 6a, the image processing unit 8 and the like are stopped, and printing is ended (END). If there is still image data to be printed (Yes in step # 26), the main body control unit 7 checks whether the next page to be printed is a page for which an instruction to cancel printing is given (step # 27). For example, if the user presses the second image P, data indicating a page for which printing is to be stopped (printing is not performed) is transmitted from the display control unit 30 to the main body control unit 7. Thereby, the main body control unit 7 can confirm whether or not printing has been stopped for the next page to be printed.

  If the next page to be printed is a page instructed to cancel printing (Yes in step # 27), the main body control unit 7 performs printing such as discarding image data of the page instructed to cancel printing. The page for which an instruction to cancel is issued is not printed (step # 28). Thereafter, the process returns to step # 27 to confirm whether or not there is an instruction to cancel printing for the next page. On the other hand, if there is no instruction to stop printing on the next page to be printed (No in step # 27), for example, the process returns to step # 21 and printing is performed.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, the preview image is displayed before the reading of all the originals is completed, and the image forming unit 6a can read all the originals before the reading of all the originals. Since the image formation (printing) is performed before the preview image is displayed, document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel. Thereby, the time required from the start of document reading to the completion of printing can be shortened. Accordingly, the waiting time of the user from the start to the end of copying can be reduced. Further, the time required for one job is shortened, and the substantial productivity of the image forming apparatus (for example, the copying machine 100) is improved.

  Further, when document reading, preview image display, and printing are performed in parallel, printing can be performed while viewing the preview image, and when an instruction to stop reading is given, the image reading unit 2 stops reading the document. As a result, reading unnecessary documents and copying unnecessary documents are not executed. Therefore, waste of energy and resources can be eliminated.

  In addition, the display area on the display input unit (operation panel 3) is limited, and when the number of documents is large (for example, more than ten), the first image D may not be displayed. . Alternatively, even if it can be displayed, one first image D may be very small and difficult to view. However, since the first image D is erased from the previously read first image D, the first image D can be secured to a certain size, and input for designating the first image D can be reliably performed. Therefore, the operability for the user is improved. Further, the shape of the first image D differs between the read original and the original being read. Thus, the user can easily grasp the progress of reading the document. Further, since the first image D showing the document being read changes in shape so as to approach a rectangle each time reading progresses, the user can easily grasp the progress of reading the document easily and in detail.

  In addition, when the document reading, the preview image display, and the printing are performed in parallel, the image forming unit 6a does not perform printing on the page that can be printed while viewing the preview image and instructed to stop printing. . As a result, unnecessary page copying is not executed. Therefore, waste of energy and resources can be eliminated. In addition, since only the pages to be printed are skipped and the printing flow itself does not have to be stopped, copying can be completed to the end.

  Further, the display area on the display input unit (operation panel 3) has a limit, and when the number of documents is large (for example, more than ten), the second image P may not be displayed. . Alternatively, even if it can be displayed, one second image P may be very small and difficult to view. However, since the second image P of the page on which printing has been completed is erased, the second image P can be secured to some extent, and input for designating the second image P can be performed reliably. Therefore, the operability for the user is improved. Further, the shape of the second image P differs between the page being printed and the page waiting to be printed. Thereby, the user can easily grasp the progress of printing. In addition, since the shape of the second image P showing the page being printed changes so that the shape becomes smaller as printing progresses, the user can easily grasp the progress of printing in detail. . Further, the parallel display of the first image D and the parallel display of the second image P are displayed simultaneously. As a result, the user can simultaneously grasp the progress of reading the original and the progress of printing.

  Further, since the display input unit (for example, the operation panel 3) receives an input for specifying a plurality of second images P, a plurality of pages can be specified at the same time. As a result, the user can efficiently designate an unnecessary page, and the operability can be improved. Further, since the display input unit displays the preview image as the first image D and the second image P, it is possible to visually recognize whether the document reading should be stopped and the page where printing should be stopped. As a result, the user can easily determine whether or not to read the original or stop printing.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  The present invention is applicable to an image forming apparatus including an image reading unit 2 such as a scanner and a display unit that displays a preview image.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Document conveying part 2 Image reading part 3 Operation panel (display input part) 6a Image forming part 100 Copying machine (image forming apparatus) D 1st image P 2nd image

Claims (12)

An image reading unit that reads an original and generates image data of the original;
A bundle of documents, and a document conveying section that conveys the documents one by one toward the reading position of the image reading section;
An image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data generated by the image reading unit;
A display input unit for displaying a plurality of preview images based on the image data generated by the image reading unit and receiving settings relating to document copying;
The display input unit displays the preview images in the order of the read pages out of the preview images for all pages, before reading all the originals.
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the image forming unit starts image formation before reading all originals and before displaying preview images for all pages. The display input unit displays the original read by the image reading unit and the first image indicating the read original for a plurality of pages of the original in parallel in the reading order, and input for designating the first image As an instruction to cancel scanning of the document,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the instruction to stop reading is given, the image reading unit stops reading the document.   3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the display input unit erases the first image read in advance from the plurality of first images displayed in parallel in the reading order. .   The said display input part makes the shape of the said 1st image which shows the original image which the said 1st image which the said image reading part read reads and the original document read differ from Claim 2 or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Image forming apparatus.   The display input unit displays the first image of the document read by the image reading unit in a rectangular shape, and each time reading progresses the first image indicating the first image and the document being read. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shape is changed so as to approach a rectangle. The display input unit displays at least a second page indicating a page to be printed and a page to be printed in parallel for a plurality of pages in print order, and designates the second image. Is accepted as an instruction to cancel printing,
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit does not perform printing on a page for which an instruction to cancel printing is given.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display input unit receives an input for designating a plurality of the second images.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the display input unit erases the display of the second image on a page for which printing has been completed.   9. The display input unit according to claim 6, wherein the second image indicating a page to be printed is different from the shape of the second image indicating a page to be printed from now on. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   The display input unit displays the second image indicating a page to be printed in a rectangle, and the second image indicating the page to be printed is reduced in shape as printing progresses. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the shape is changed continuously.   The said display input part displays simultaneously the parallel display of the said 1st image for several pages, and the parallel display of the said 2nd image for multiple pages, The any one of Claim 6 thru | or 10 characterized by the above-mentioned. The image forming apparatus described in the item.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first image and the second image are the preview images.

Images