JP2016058786A - Image forming apparatus, image reader and image erasing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a filing technology for collecting image data having the same job into a single file among a number of image data items which are read by a scanner and stored.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes: a scanner part for reading an image that is printed on a sheet by an erasable coloring material, and an information mark indicating job data printed on the sheet; a storage part for storing read data which are read by the scanner part, as one file for each sheet; and a file management part by which a plurality of files are collected into a single file and managed on the basis of the information marks of files stored in the storage part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The embodiment described in this specification relates to a filing technique that combines image data having relevance among a plurality of pieces of image data read and stored by a scanner into one file.

  Conventionally, in order to reuse the sheet, the image of the erasable color material printed on the sheet is erased by an image erasing apparatus, and the sheet after the erasing process is discharged to a reuse sheet stacking unit. Before executing the decoloring process, the image is read by the scanner, and the read image is stored in the storage unit. (Patent Document 1). By storing the image before erasure in the storage unit, it is possible to print out again even if the image is erased by mistake.

  For example, when a 50-page sheet is printed with a erasable color material as a single file and is later erased by an erasing device for sheet reuse, the 50-page sheet is placed in the page order in the paper tray of the erasing device. There is no guarantee that it is loaded. Generally, it is mostly mixed with a plurality of other sheets.

  In the storage unit, since only one sheet to be read is stored as one file, there are 50 files for a sheet of 50 pages.

  As described above, since the image data read by the scanner is stored in units of paper in the storage unit, there are many files. For this reason, when searching for data stored in the storage unit by the user, a large number of files must be searched one by one. In addition, further labor is required to search for images over a plurality of pages. Therefore, when a document having a plurality of sheets as one file is erased by the image erasing apparatus, the plurality of sheets constituting one file to be erased are manually rearranged in the page order in advance, and this is performed by the image erasing apparatus. However, there is a problem that it takes time and effort.

JP 2014-074929 A

  An object of the embodiment described in this specification is to provide a filing technique for collecting image data having the same job among a plurality of image data read and stored by a scanner into a single file.

  An image forming apparatus that solves the problems of the embodiments described in this specification includes an image printing unit that prints image data of print data on a sheet with an erasable color material, and information marks on the sheet of job data of the print data. And an information mark printing section that prints as an image, and prints an image of an erasable color material and an identification mark for each sheet.

  An image reading apparatus that solves the problems of the embodiments described in this specification includes an image printed on an erasable color material on a sheet, a scanner unit that reads an information mark indicating job data printed on the sheet, and A storage unit that stores read data read by the scanner unit as one file for each sheet, and a file management that manages a plurality of files in a single file based on the information mark of each file stored in the storage unit Part.

  An image erasing apparatus that solves the problem of the embodiment described in this specification includes an image printed with an erasable color material, a sheet feeding unit that feeds a sheet on which an information mark indicating job data is printed, An image reading device configured to read a sheet fed from a paper feeding unit; and an erasing unit configured to erase an image of an erasable color material on the sheet after being read by the image reading device.

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an image erasing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the image erasing apparatus of FIG. 1. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. 3 is a flowchart for explaining file processing of a reading device in the image erasing apparatus shown in FIG.

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

  1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an image erasing apparatus according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the image erasing apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining file processing of a reading device in the image erasing apparatus shown in FIG.

  An image erasing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a paper feed unit 2, a first sheet conveyance path 3, a second sheet conveyance path 4, a third sheet conveyance path 12, a first scanner unit 5, and a second scanner. A unit 6, an erasing unit 7, a first sheet discharge unit 8, a second sheet discharge unit 9, a first flapper 10, and a second flapper 11.

  The sheet feeding unit 2 feeds a sheet on which an image is printed with a stacked erasable color material (hereinafter referred to as an erasing process sheet) to the first sheet conveyance path 3. The first sheet conveyance path 3 conveys the sheet to be erased from the sheet feeding unit 2 to the first sheet discharge unit 8. In the second sheet conveyance path 4, the conveyance upstream end branches from the branch position of the first sheet conveyance path 3, and the conveyance downstream end merges at the merge position of the first sheet conveyance path 3. The branch position is arranged in the first sheet conveyance path 3 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction from the second scanner unit 6, and the merging position is in the first sheet conveyance path 3 on the upstream side in the conveyance direction from the first scanner unit 5. To place.

  The first scanner unit 5 and the second scanner unit 6 read both surfaces of the sheet to be erased that is conveyed along the first conveyance path 3. The read image is stored in the storage unit 35 shown in FIG.

  The to-be-erased processing sheet whose image has been read by the first scanner unit 5 and the second scanner unit 6 is branched and conveyed from the first sheet conveyance path 3 to the second sheet conveyance path 4. Whether to branch from the first sheet conveying path 3 to the second sheet conveying path 4 is determined by switching control of the first flapper 10.

  The erasing unit 7 erases the image of the erasable color material of the sheet to be erased conveyed through the second sheet conveyance path 4. As the erasable color material, for example, a decolorable toner whose image is decolored by heating can be exemplified. In the present embodiment, a case where the color erasing toner image is erased is shown.

  The to-be-erased processing sheet whose image has been erased by the erasing unit 7 is returned to the first sheet conveyance path 3, and the decolored state of the image is read by the first scanner unit 5 and the second scanner unit 6. The sheet whose color is erased is read, and the sheet is conveyed toward the first sheet discharge unit 8 along the first conveyance path 3. Based on the images read by the first scanner unit 5 and the second scanner unit 6, the control unit 30 shown in FIG.

  If the control unit 30 determines that the erasing process is good, the sheet is discharged to the first paper discharge unit 8 and accumulated. If the control unit 30 determines that the erasing process is not possible, the control unit 30 conveys the third sheet conveyance path 3. When a sheet is conveyed from the conveyance end of the first sheet conveyance path 3 to the third sheet conveyance path 3, the second flapper 12 is switched.

  The third sheet conveyance path 3 conveys the sheet to the second sheet discharge unit 9 and accumulates the sheets determined to be unerasable in the second sheet discharge unit 9.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an image portion G and an information mark portion Q are printed on the to-be-erased processing sheet S stacked on the paper feeding unit 2. The information mark Q is not limited to the QR code (registered trademark) shown in FIG. 3, but may be a bar code or the like.

  Print data 101 is transmitted to the printing unit 121 from a personal computer, an automatic document reader, or the like. The print data 101 includes image data and job data. The job data includes a print data owner name, a file name (print job name), a printing date, a printing time, a printer number to be printed, and a page number (total number of pages).

  The printing unit 121 includes an image printing unit 122 that prints image data on the sheet S using, for example, decoloring toner, and an information mark printing unit 123 that displays job data on the information mark Q. The information mark Q is printed outside the print area of the image G.

  In addition, when the function which shows the information of the one erasing process number of sheets S is given to one information mark Q, the non-erasable color material which is not erased by the erasing unit 7 (referred to as a normal color material) Print with.

  For the sheet S stored in the paper feeding unit 124, in the printing unit 121, the image printing unit 122 prints an image G with image data, for example, with decoloring toner, and the information mark printing unit 123 prints an information mark Q with job data. To do.

  Such display contents of the information mark Q are transmitted to the memory 32 of the image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. As for the sheet S to be erased, the image G and the information mark part Q are read by the first scanner unit 5 and the second scanner unit 6 of the erasing apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 30, the paper feeding unit 2, the scanner unit (first scanner unit 5, second scanner unit 6), paper discharge unit (first sheet paper discharge unit 8, second sheet paper discharge). Unit 9), the erasing unit 7 and the storage unit 35 are connected to the bus 36. When a start switch (not shown) is turned on, the sheet feeding unit 2 starts feeding sheets for erasing processing to be stacked, and the first reading process is started by the scanner units 5 and 6.

  The control unit 30 causes the storage unit 35 to store read information at the time of the first reading read by the scanner units 5 and 6. The sheet erased by the erasing unit 7 is read again by the scanner units 5 and 6, and it is determined whether there is an erasing defect such as an image remaining. The sheets are discharged so as to be distributed to the two-sheet discharge section 9.

  On the other hand, the control unit 30 includes a processor 31 and a memory 32 each including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The memory 32 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 33 that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 that provides a temporary work area to the processor 31. For example, the ROM 33 stores the relationship between job data and information marks Q.

  The control unit 30 stores the image for each sheet stored in the storage unit 35 in association with the job data, manages it as a single file, and extracts a file having the same job data as the job data specified by the user. For example, there are a first management mode for sorting in order of page numbers (sorting) and a second management mode for extracting and combining files having the same job data as the job data designated by the user and managing them in one file. Whether to enter the first management mode or the second management mode is determined in advance by the user operating an operation unit (not shown).

  Further, when the information mark Q is not printed, the third management mode for managing the read sheets one by one as a file and all the sheets continuously fed from the sheet feeding unit 2 at one time. A fourth management mode for managing files in a batch is provided. Whether to enter the third management mode or the fourth management mode is determined in advance by the user operating an operation unit (not shown).

  Next, the filing process of the image reading apparatus based on the information mark Q will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  When this processing operation starts, the process is performed for each sheet S read for the presence or absence of the information mark Q in Act1, and if there is the information mark Q, the process proceeds to Act2, and if not, the process proceeds to Act5.

  In Act 2, it is determined whether there is a sheet having the same job as the print job of the already filed sheet. If there is a sheet of the same print job, the process proceeds to Act3, and if not, the process proceeds to Act4.

  In Act 3, one of the selected management modes is executed in the first management mode and the second management mode, and this process is terminated.

  In Act 4, if there is no job data (job data name) to be stored in the storage unit 35, a print job name is generated, the first sheet is newly filed, and this process is terminated.

  In Act 5, when the information mark Q does not exist on the sheet S, one of the selected management modes is executed in the third management mode and the fourth management mode, and this process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, for example, in an image generation apparatus using a decoloring toner, job information is attached to an information mark such as a barcode and printed on a sheet.

  Before the image erasing apparatus 1 erases the image, the scanner units 5 and 6 scan the image and read the information of the information mark. When job information is acquired based on the information read from the read information mark and the sheet S printed by the same job is erased (erased) at the same time, it is filed as a single file. Here, “single” means that each file is linked based on the same job information.

  If the second management mode is selected, the sheets printed in the same job are saved as a single file, so that the files can be found and combined after being converted to a file. Further, it is not necessary for the user to perform operations such as rearranging the sheets before the erasing process, and convenience can be improved.

  When the erasing process is performed by the erasing apparatus 1, the sheet S is scanned before the sheet S is conveyed to the erasing unit 7, and the printed information mark Q is detected from the scanned data.

  When the information added at the time of printing is acquired from the information mark Q, and there is a sheet printed with the same job when it is converted into a file, the files are arranged in the order of printing and saved together as a single file.

  When there is no information mark on the sheet S to be read, a single file for each read sheet S (third management mode) or a single file for one erasing job (4th management mode) or file as specified by the user.

  By adopting such a management technique, before erasing the image with the erasing device, when the scanned data is filed and saved, the sheets printed in the same job can be collectively filed, Convenience can be improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Eraser 2 Paper feed part 3, 4 Sheet conveyance path 5, 6 Scanner part 7 Erase part 8, 9 Paper discharge part

Claims (5)

An image printing unit for printing image data of print data on a sheet with an erasable color material;
An information mark printing unit for printing job data of the print data as an information mark on the sheet;
An image forming apparatus that prints an image of an erasable color material and an identification mark for each sheet.   The information mark includes at least one of an owner name of the print data, a file name, a printing date, a printing time, a number of an image forming apparatus to print, and a page number. Item 2. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1. A scanner unit for reading an image printed with an erasable color material on a sheet, and an information mark indicating job data printed on the sheet;
A storage unit that stores the read data read by the scanner unit as one file for each sheet;
A file management unit that collectively manages a plurality of files into a single file based on the information mark of each file stored in the storage unit;
An image reading apparatus.   The file management unit includes a first management mode for arranging a plurality of files combined in the single file in page order, and a second management unit that combines the plurality of files combined in the single file into a single file. The image reading apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a management mode. A paper feeding unit for feeding an image printed with an erasable color material and a sheet on which an information mark indicating job data is printed;
The image reading apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein a sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit is read.
An erasing unit for erasing an image of the erasable color material of the sheet after being read by the image reading device;
An image erasing apparatus.