JP2012145949A - Display device, control method of display device, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a display device that allows a user to identify a portion of an image to be printed with transparent toner before printing.SOLUTION: A display device comprises reception means for receiving image data stored in a device that is connected to the display device. The display device further comprises display means for displaying, from among a plurality of received image data, a second image that is printed using a transparent recording agent and located at a position of a first image that is printed using a recording agent other than a transparent recording agent, with a specific color for displaying the image that is printed using a transparent recording agent.

Description

  The present invention relates to a display device, a display device control method, and a program, and more particularly to a display device that can use a transparent developer that is transparent when printed on paper, a control method applied to the display device, and the control method. The present invention relates to a program for causing a computer to execute.

  In general, there is a printing apparatus as an apparatus that takes in image data supplied from a host computer and forms an image based on the image data. An example of the printing method is an electrophotographic method. In this electrophotographic printing apparatus, a photosensitive drum is charged by a charger, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum with writing light corresponding to image data. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner attached by a developing device to obtain a visible image. Next, the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to the sheet and fixed on the sheet with heat or pressure.

  In such an electrophotographic printing apparatus, conventionally, a transparent toner is printed on a part or all of an image to be printed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The image portion printed with such transparent toner is glossy, and the image quality is improved.

JP 2006-251722 A

  However, in the conventional printing apparatus, when the print result is viewed in a preview display before printing, it is not possible to confirm in which part the transparent toner is printed. For this reason, it is impossible to confirm whether or not the intended printing result can be obtained, and there is a problem that the transparent toner is printed in an inappropriate place or the transparent toner is not printed in an intended place. there were.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides a display device, a display device control method, and a program that enable confirmation of an image portion to be printed with transparent toner before printing. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a display device of the present invention includes a receiving unit that receives image data stored in a connected device, and a recording agent other than a transparent recording agent among the image data received by the receiving unit. To display a second image printed using the transparent recording agent at a position of the first image printed using the transparent recording agent and an image printed using the transparent recording agent And display means for displaying using colors.

  In order to achieve the above object, a display device control method according to the present invention includes: a receiving step for receiving image data stored in a connected device; and image data received by the receiving step other than a transparent recording agent. The second image printed using the transparent recording agent at the position of the first image printed using the recording agent is displayed as the image printed using the transparent recording agent. And a display step of displaying on the display unit using a specific color.

  According to the present invention, an image portion to be printed with a transparent toner can be confirmed by a display device before printing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer control system including an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a host computer and a printer connected via a network. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a transparent toner image preview display process executed in the CPU of the printer. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a transparent toner image preview display process executed by a CPU of a printer according to a second embodiment.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a printer control system including an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus is an electrophotographic laser beam printer.

  In FIG. 1, 1500 is a printer, 3000 is a host computer, and 4000 is a scanner, which are connected via a network. Although not shown, the printer 1500 includes a laser, a photosensitive drum, a charger, a developing device, a transfer device, a fixing device, and the like. Then, the laser outputs a laser beam corresponding to the image data and irradiates the photosensitive drum charged by the charger. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum, and a developing device attaches toner to the electrostatic latent image and develops it to make a visible image. Next, the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to the sheet by the transfer unit, and fixed on the sheet by heat or pressure by the fixing unit.

  In the printer 1500, 12 is a CPU for the printer, and 13 is a ROM. The ROM 13 includes a font ROM 13a, a program ROM 13b, and a data ROM 13c. The CPU 12 executes a control program stored in the program ROM 13 b or a control program stored in the hard disk storage device (HDD) 14. By this execution, the CPU 12 comprehensively controls access to various devices connected to the system bus 15. The HDD 14, which is an external memory, is a storage device that stores image data for printing in addition to the control program.

  Reference numeral 19 denotes a RAM which functions as a main memory, work area, and the like for the CPU 12.

  The scanner 4000 reads image information from a document and sends the image information to the printer 1500 via the device input unit 21.

  The printer 1500 receives image data from the host computer 3000 via the input unit 18 and receives image data from the scanner 4000 via the device input unit 21. The CPU 12 of the printer 1500 performs predetermined image processing on the received image data to convert the received image data into print data, and the print data is transferred to the print unit (printer engine) 17 via the print unit interface (I / F) 16. Output to.

  An operation unit 1501 is provided with a UI (User Interface user interface) panel or the like.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between a host computer 3000 having a display and a printer 1500 connected via a network 1000.

  Image data is transmitted from the host computer 3000 to the printer 1500 via the network 1000. The printer 1500 analyzes the received image data, develops it into a bitmap, and stores it in the HDD 14. The bitmap data stored in the HDD 14 is preview-displayed on a UI (user interface) panel or the like (display unit) of the operation unit 1501 (D1), or converted into print data and output to the printing unit 17 (D2). . Also, the bitmap data stored in the HDD 14 is sent to the host computer 3000 via the network 1000 and is previewed on the display (display unit) (D3).

  The printer 1500 can print using a transparent toner (transparent recording agent), and can check an image portion (drawing object) to be printed with the transparent toner in advance in a preview display ( D1, D3). For this purpose, the printer 1500 can be set in advance whether to display the preview of the transparent toner image on the display unit (ON) or not (OFF). Further, at the time of preview display, it is possible to designate a specific color for display when previewing an image portion to be printed with transparent toner (second image printed using a bright recording agent as a drawing object). The user designates the specific color in advance.

  A method for displaying a preview of a transparent toner image in the printer 1500 having the above-described configuration will be described below.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the transparent toner image preview display process executed by the CPU 12 of the printer 1500.

  When image data is transmitted from the host computer 3000, it is determined in step S31 whether the setting for preview display of the transparent toner image is ON or OFF. If it is ON, the process proceeds to step S32. If it is OFF, the process proceeds to step S36. In step S36, a normal display process in which the transparent toner image is not preview-displayed is performed, and the preview display process is terminated.

  In step S32, it is determined whether or not a specific color for preview display of the transparent toner image is designated. If it is designated, the process proceeds to step S35, and if not designated, the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, the drawing object (first image printed using a recording agent other than the transparent recording agent) that is printed with the normal toner that is not the transparent toner at the printing position of the transparent toner image is displayed. Detect color. In step S34, a color that does not overlap the detected color is selected from predetermined transparent toner candidate colors.

  In step S35, the drawing object to be printed with the transparent toner (transparent recording material, transparent ink) is preview-displayed in the designated or selected color. In this preview display, naturally, a drawing object that is printed with normal toner (recording agent other than the transparent recording agent) that is not transparent toner is also displayed.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, before the transparent toner image is printed, an image in which an image portion to be printed with the transparent toner is displayed in a specific color is displayed as a preview. The toner image can be confirmed. As a result, it is possible to easily find in advance a mistake that the transparent toner is printed at an inappropriate place or the transparent toner is not printed at an intended place.

  In the first embodiment, the image forming apparatus (printer 1500) is a laser beam printer, but the image forming apparatus (printer 1500) may be an ink jet printer. In this case, however, transparent ink is used instead of transparent toner.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  Since the configuration of the second embodiment is basically the same as the configuration of the first embodiment, in the description of the second embodiment, the same parts as the configuration of the first embodiment are used. Are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the first embodiment is used, and only different portions will be described.

  In the second embodiment, for example, a special transparent toner that emits light when irradiated with ultraviolet rays is printed as a background pattern on a bill such as a bill or check. The drawing object to be printed with the transparent toner is displayed with the background color of the background.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a transparent toner image preview display process executed by the CPU 12 of the printer 1500 according to the second embodiment.

  When the image data is transmitted from the host computer 3000, it is determined in step S41 whether the setting for preview display of the transparent toner image is ON or OFF. If it is ON, the process proceeds to step S42, and if it is OFF, the process proceeds to step S47. In step S47, normal display processing that does not display a transparent toner image as a preview is performed, and the preview display processing ends.

  In step S42, it is determined whether or not a specific color for transparent toner preview display is designated. If it is designated, the process proceeds to step S46, and if not designated, the process proceeds to step S43. In step S46, the drawing object to be printed with the transparent toner is preview-displayed in the designated color. Note that the fact that the specific color for the transparent toner preview display is designated (YES in S42) is considered that the transparent toner image is permitted to be displayed as a preview. In this preview display, naturally, a drawing object that is printed with normal toner that is not transparent toner is also displayed.

  In step S43, it is determined whether or not the transparent toner is used for printing the tint block. If it is used for printing a tint block, the process proceeds to step S47, and the transparent toner image is not preview-displayed. As a result, the preview display of the background pattern with a security problem can be avoided.

  On the other hand, if it is not used for printing the tint block, the process proceeds to step S44 to detect the color of the drawing object that is printed with the normal toner that is not the transparent toner at the position where the transparent toner image is printed. In step S45, based on the color of the drawing object detected in step S44, a background color for previewing the drawing object to be printed with the transparent toner is selected.

  In step S46, ROP (Rasterizing Operation) processing of the color of the drawing object detected in step S44 and the background color selected in step S45 is performed. Then, a preview display is performed with the color of the drawing object detected in step S44 transmitted through the background color selected in step S45. The ROP process is a logical operation process that is performed when two or more drawing objects (raster images) are overlaid. By simply overwriting two or more drawing objects in a vertical relationship, the ROP process is overwritten. In addition, effects such as “watermark” and “inversion” can be provided.

[Other Embodiments]
The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following processing. That is, a storage medium storing software program codes for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. This is a process of reading the program code.

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

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

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

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

12 CPU (first generation means, second generation means, display control means)
14 HDD
17 Printing section (image forming device)
18 Input unit (reception means)
1500 Printer 1501 Operation unit (image display device)
3000 Host computer 4000 Scanner

Claims (11)

Receiving means for receiving image data stored in a device to be connected;
Of the image data received by the receiving means, a second image printed using the transparent recording agent at the position of the first image printed using a recording agent other than the transparent recording agent. And display means for displaying using a specific color for displaying an image printed using the transparent recording agent.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a display of a computer.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display device is a user interface of an image forming apparatus that performs printing using the transparent recording agent.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit also displays a first image printed using a recording agent other than the transparent recording agent.   The display device according to claim 1, wherein the transparent recording agent is a transparent toner or a transparent ink. A receiving step for receiving image data stored in a device to be connected;
Of the image data received by the receiving step, a second image printed using the transparent recording agent at the position of the first image printed using a recording agent other than the transparent recording agent. And a display step of displaying on a display unit using a specific color for displaying an image printed using the transparent recording agent.   7. The display device control method according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a display of a computer.   The method for controlling the display device according to claim 6, wherein the display device is a user interface of an image forming apparatus that performs printing using the transparent recording agent.   The method for controlling a display device according to claim 6, wherein in the display step, a first image printed using a recording agent other than the transparent recording agent is also displayed on the display unit.   The method for controlling a display device according to claim 6, wherein the transparent recording agent is transparent toner or transparent ink.   The program for making a computer perform the control method of the display apparatus of any one of Claim 6 thru | or 10.

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