JP2019217746A - Image formation device, management device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To allow a plurality of pieces of defect position information to be printed on a continuous recording medium.SOLUTION: The image formation device comprises: an image forming part that forms an image on a continuous recording medium; a conveying part that conveys the continuous recording medium; an image reading part, positioned closer to a downstream side in a conveying direction than the image forming part, which reads the continuous recording medium having the image formed to acquire a read image; a memorizing part for memorizing information; and a control part that controls the image forming part, the conveying part and the image reading part so that it is determined whether or not defect occurs in the image on the continuous recording medium on the basis of the read image acquired by the image reading part, and if the defect occurs, enables the memorizing part to memorize defect position information relating to a defect position of the image. The control part can perform control by which a plurality of pieces of defect position information memorized in the memorizing part are printed on the continuous recording medium.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a management apparatus, and a program that can detect a defect in an image based on a read image obtained by reading an image formed on a continuous recording medium.

  In the field of image forming apparatuses such as copiers, printers, and multifunction peripherals, image reading is performed by comparing a read image obtained by reading an image on paper with a correct image composed of a rasterized image for printing or a proof output image. Defects such as stains, color shifts, and position shifts have been detected.

Even in an image forming apparatus that prints an image on roll paper such as a sticker or a label, the presence or absence of a defect is detected using a read image obtained by reading an image on roll paper.
In an image forming apparatus for roll paper, the printed paper is set in a post-processing device, and post-processing such as die cutting and die cutting is performed. Then, the post-processed roll paper is set in an inspection device to check for print defects. Inspection. When a defect is detected by the inspection device, the print defect is removed from the final product by manually cutting or peeling off the seal. In some cases, the order of post-processing and image inspection is reversed, and post-processing may be performed after inspection by an inspection apparatus.

  However, the above-described method involves manually removing a defective portion, and has a problem that it takes time and effort. Therefore, an image forming apparatus for roll paper has been proposed in which a post-processing apparatus is notified of the position of the defect when the defect is detected, thereby enabling the post-processing apparatus to automatically remove the defect.

  For example, in Patent Literature 1, a roll printing machine is equipped with an in-line inspection device, detects printing defects as needed while performing printing, and when a defect is detected, the distance between the defect from the leading edge and the trailing edge of the paper. A technique for printing information on roll paper using a two-dimensional code is described. The post-processing machine that performs post-processing of the output roll paper reads the two-dimensional code printed on the roll paper, acquires information on the print defect location, and cuts the print defect location to obtain the final product. Defects are prevented.

JP 2015-102376 A

Since there may be a plurality of printing defects on the roll paper, it is necessary to enable the post-processing device to recognize a plurality of printing defect positions.
However, Patent Document 1 does not mention the printing position and the number of printing defect information, and does not print the printing defect information in consideration of the case where there are a plurality of printing defects. For this reason, there is a problem that the post-processing machine misses a defective portion and a print defect is mixed in a final product.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an image forming apparatus, a management apparatus, and a program capable of printing a plurality of defect position information on a continuous recording medium.

That is, in the image forming apparatus of the present invention, a first mode includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium,
A transport unit that transports the continuous recording medium,
An image reading unit that is located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the image forming unit and reads a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed to obtain a read image,
A storage unit for storing information;
The image forming unit, the transport unit, and the image reading unit are controlled, and the presence or absence of a defect in the image on the continuous recording medium is determined based on the read image acquired by the image reading unit. In some cases, a control unit capable of storing defect position information on the position of the defect in the storage unit,
The control unit can perform control of printing the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the control unit controls the printing of the plurality of defect position information stored in the storage unit at one location on the continuous recording medium. It is possible to do.

  According to another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when the control unit forms an image on the continuous recording medium based on a plurality of jobs, each time the job is completed, The defect position information of the detected defect is printed.

  According to another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when printing the defect position information after completion of each job, the control unit prints the defect position information before starting the next job. The start of printing of the next job is delayed.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when the output of the next job is delayed, the control unit determines that a blank portion generated on the continuous recording medium due to the delay is defective, and The position of the part is included in the defect position information.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the above aspect, the control unit does not print the defect position information immediately after completion of a job in which no defect is detected.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the invention of the above aspect, the control unit prints the defect position information on a rearmost end of the continuous recording medium.

  According to another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the control unit prints all of the defect position information stored in the storage unit on the last end of the continuous recording medium.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, when the defect position information cannot be printed on the last end of the continuous recording medium, the control unit displays the defect position information on a display unit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including the display unit capable of displaying information.

  In another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus according to the invention of the above aspect, the control unit changes a printing position of the defect position information based on a position of an image printed on the continuous recording medium.

  According to another aspect of the invention of the image forming apparatus, in the above aspect, the control unit prints the defect position information using a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

In the management apparatus of the present invention, a first mode includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the continuous recording medium, and a position downstream of the image forming unit in the conveying direction. An image reading unit that reads a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed and obtains a read image; and controls a defect of an image on the continuous recording medium based on the read image obtained by the image reading unit. Having a management control unit capable of determining the presence or absence of the defect, and storing defect position information on the position of the defect in a storage unit,
The management control unit can perform control to print the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium.

In a program according to the present invention, a first mode includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium, a transport unit that transports the continuous recording medium, and a transport unit that is located downstream of the image forming unit in the transport direction. An image reading unit that acquires a read image obtained by reading a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed, and a program that is executed by a control unit that controls
The program, for the control unit,
Determining the presence or absence of a defect in the image on the continuous recording medium based on the read image obtained by the image reading unit;
Storing defect position information on the position of the defect in a storage unit;
Printing the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to form a plurality of pieces of defect position information on a continuous recording medium.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a mechanical configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a mechanical configuration of a post-processing device. It is a control block diagram similarly. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a printing process procedure including detection of a defect and printing of defect position information. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for specifying a defect position. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for specifying a defect position. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a printing position of defect position information. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for printing defect information for each job. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an image position when a defect occurs. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an image position when a defect is detected. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a print position of defect position information when a next job exists. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a print position of defect position information when defect position information of all jobs is printed on the rear end of roll paper. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for printing defect position information of all jobs on the rear end of roll paper. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a case where defect position information of all jobs cannot be printed on the rear end of roll paper. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a printing operation of defect position information when defect position information of all jobs cannot be printed on roll paper. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a case where the printing position of defect position information is changed based on the position of a color bar on roll paper.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 1A, a paper feeding unit 200, and a paper discharging unit 500. The paper feed unit 200 is connected to the front of the apparatus main body 1A, and the paper discharge unit 500 is connected to the rear of the apparatus main body 1A.
In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 is configured by the apparatus main body 1A, the sheet feeding unit 200, and the sheet discharging unit 500. However, the image forming apparatus 1 includes still another device. In the present invention, the type and number of devices connected to the device main body 1A are not particularly limited. Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention may be configured by the apparatus main body 1A and other apparatuses.

The image forming apparatus 1 has a transport path 22 through which the roll paper is transported. The transport path 22 extends from the paper feed unit 200 to the paper discharge unit 500 via the apparatus main body 1A. In the paper discharge unit 500, roll paper is wound up and stored. The transport of the roll paper is performed by a transport roller 40 arranged on the transport path 22 or the like.
The transport path 22, the transport roller 40, and the like constitute a part of the transport unit of the present invention.

The paper feeding unit 200 has a function of storing, holding, and feeding a roll paper RP as continuous paper. The paper fed from the paper feeding unit 200 is supplied to the apparatus main body 1A, where image formation and image reading are performed.
Roll paper corresponds to the continuous recording medium of the present invention. In this embodiment, roll paper is used as the continuous recording medium. However, the continuous recording medium is not limited to roll paper, but may be any as long as the paper is continuous. For example, continuous form paper, continuous form paper, and the like are also included in the continuous paper. The continuous paper may be provided in a rolled state, such as roll paper, or may be in an alternately folded form.
Further, the material of the continuous recording medium is not limited to paper, but may be cloth or plastic. For example, label paper or sticker paper can be used.

Further, the apparatus main body 1A includes an operation display section 140 at an upper portion of a housing. The operation display unit 140 has an LCD provided with a touch panel and an operation key group, and can display information and accept operation inputs. The operation display section 140 corresponds to the display section of the present invention, and also serves as the operation section.
In this embodiment, the operation display unit 140 has the operation unit and the display unit integrated, but the operation unit and the display unit may not be integrated. For example, the operation unit may be a mouse or a tablet. , A terminal or the like.

An automatic document feeder (ADF) 30 is provided at an upper part of the housing of the apparatus main body 1A at a position where the operation display section 140 is not located. The automatic document feeder (ADF) 30 automatically feeds a document set on a document table. The document fed by the automatic document feeder (ADF) 30 is a scanner unit (not shown). Read by.
The reading of the document can be performed on a platen glass (not shown).

An image forming unit 11 that forms an image on a sheet is provided near the conveyance path 22 inside the apparatus main body 1A.
The image forming unit 11 includes a photoconductor 12 for each color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). Around the photoconductor 12, a charger (not shown), an LD (laser diode), a developing device, A cleaning unit and the like are provided. Further, the image forming section 11 has an intermediate transfer belt 16 at a position where the intermediate transfer belt 16 is in contact with the photoconductor 12 for each color. The intermediate transfer belt 16 comes into contact with a sheet on the transport path 22 at a secondary transfer portion 18c provided in the middle thereof. In the transport path 22, a fixing unit 50 is provided at a position downstream of the secondary transfer unit 18.

When an image is formed on roll paper, after the photoconductor 12 is uniformly charged by the charger, the photoconductor 12 is irradiated with laser light from the LD to form a latent image on the photoconductor 12. . The latent image on the photoconductor 12 is developed by a developing device into a toner image, the toner image on the photoconductor 12 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 16, and the image on the intermediate transfer belt 16 is transferred to the secondary transfer unit 18. Transferred to roll paper. The roll paper on which the image has been transferred is conveyed to the downstream side, where the fixing unit 50 applies heat and pressure to fix the image.
In this embodiment, the image forming unit 11 is described as performing color image formation. However, as the present invention, the image forming unit 11 may be configured to perform image formation in a single color such as monochrome. .

  The apparatus main body 1A has a control unit 110. The control unit 110 controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 and includes a CPU, a memory, and the like. Note that the control unit 110 may be provided outside the apparatus main body. The program operating on the CPU includes the program of the present invention.

In the transport path 22, an image reading unit 60 that reads an image on the upper surface of the sheet is provided at a position downstream of the fixing unit 50.
The image reading unit 60 can be configured by a CCD sensor, a CMOS sensor, or the like, and can read an image on roll paper conveyed by the conveyance path 22 over the entire direction intersecting the conveyance direction. The read image data obtained by the reading by the image reading unit 60 is transmitted to the control unit 110, and the control unit 110 can determine whether or not the printed image has a defect. Further, when an image defect is detected, the position of the defect can be calculated.

The roll paper discharged from the apparatus main body 1A is conveyed to a paper discharge unit 500 at a subsequent stage.
The paper discharge unit 500 stores the paper discharged from the apparatus main body 1A in a roll shape. The roll paper whose winding has been completed is set in the post-processing device 2, and post-processing is performed on the roll paper.

Next, a mechanical configuration of a post-processing device that performs post-processing of roll paper will be described with reference to FIG.
The post-processing device 2 includes a post-processing device main body 2A, a paper feeding unit 600 connected to a front stage of the post-processing device main body 2A, and a paper discharge unit 700 connected to a post-stage of the post-processing device main body 2A. I have.

  The post-processing device 2 has a transport path 92 from the paper feeding unit 600 to the paper discharging unit 700 via the post-processing device main body 2A. The sheet fed from the sheet feeding unit 600 is transported on the transport path 92 by the transport roller 90 and is transported to the post-processing apparatus main body 2A and the sheet discharging unit 700.

  The paper feeding unit 600 can store and hold roll paper, and supply the roll paper to the post-processing apparatus main body 2A. In the present embodiment, the paper supply unit 600 stores roll paper on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus 1.

An operation display unit 240 is provided above the post-processing device main body 2A. The operation display unit 240 is capable of accepting an operation by the operator and displaying information, and displays the start and stop of the operation of the apparatus and the state of the machine. In addition, when the post-processing device 2 detects defect position information described later, a notification regarding a defect can be displayed.
The operation display unit 240 may be configured such that an operation unit for performing an operation and a display unit for performing a display are separate from each other, or a unit in which the operation unit and the display unit are integrally configured like a touch panel LCD. It may be.

  A defect information reading unit 70 is arranged inside the post-processing apparatus main body 2A. The defect information reading unit 70 can read the two-dimensional code printed on the roll paper and acquire the position information of the defect. The defect information reading unit 70 may be a line sensor or a sensor that reads an image at a point.

  A post-processing unit 80 is provided inside the post-processing apparatus main body 2A at a position downstream of the defect information reading unit 70. The post-processing unit 80 can perform desired post-processing on the roll paper conveyed on the conveyance path 92. For example, the post-processing unit 80 performs die cutting, die cutting, cutting, and the like of the roll paper. It can be carried out. The post-processing unit 80 corresponds to a post-processing unit of the present invention.

  A paper discharge unit 700 is provided at a subsequent stage of the post-processing device main body 2A, and stores sheets discharged from the post-processing device main body 2A.

  In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2 are not mechanically connected. However, according to the present invention, the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2 are mechanically connected. It may be.

Next, an electrical configuration of a system including the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The image forming apparatus 1 has a CPU 101, an HDD 102, and a memory 103. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a RIP unit 104 for rasterizing input job data, a paper feeding unit 105 for feeding rolled paper, a paper transporting unit 106 for transporting fed paper, and It has a paper take-up unit 107 that takes up a roll again, an image forming unit 11 that prints on paper, an image reading unit 60 that reads an image after printing, and an operation display unit 140 that displays information and performs operation input. are doing.
In the image forming apparatus 1, the image data rasterized by the RIP unit 104 is printed on roll paper by the image forming unit 11, then the image on the paper is read by the image reading unit 60, and the CPU 101 checks whether there is any image defect. Is done. These processes are executed using resources such as the CPU 101, the HDD 102, and the memory 103.

The CPU 101 can read out a program stored in the HDD 102 or the memory 103 and control each unit of the image forming apparatus 1.
The HDD 102 can store information, in addition to programs and various set values, print image data and job data, read images obtained by the image reading unit, correct image data, defect detection results, and defect positions. Desired data such as information and the total length of roll paper is stored.
The memory 103 can also store information, in addition to programs and various set values, image data and job data for printing, reading results obtained by the image reading unit, correct image data, defect detection results, Desired data such as defect position information, total length of roll paper, and the like are stored. The memory 103 can be configured by a ROM used as a work area, a ROM that stores information in a nonvolatile manner, a nonvolatile memory, or the like. The HDD 102 and the memory 103 correspond to a storage unit according to the present invention.

  The HDD 102 and the non-volatile memory included in the memory 103 further include a program for determining a defect in a print image based on the read image read by the image reading unit, data of a target image used in the determination, and a position of the defect. A program for acquiring information, a program for changing the printing position of the defect position information based on the position of the print image, and the like are stored. Note that these data, programs, and parameters may be stored in a portable removable storage medium.

  The CPU 101 can grasp the overall state of the image forming apparatus 1 by executing the program, control the image forming apparatus 1, perform operations such as paper transport, image formation, and image data for image formation. , A process of determining the presence or absence of a defect in a printed image, and a printing operation of defect position information can be performed. In this embodiment, the CPU 101 and a program operated by the CPU 101 constitute a control unit of the present invention. The above program includes the program of the present invention. Note that the program may be stored in a portable storage medium.

The RIP unit 104 performs RIP (rasterization processing) on image data in a page description language.
The paper feeding unit 105 is included in the paper feeding unit 200 of FIG. 1 and feeds roll paper. The paper fed by the paper feeding unit 105 is transported by the paper transport unit 106, and is wound by the paper winding unit 107. The paper transport unit 106 includes the transport path 22, the transport roller 40, a motor (not shown) for rotating the transport roller, and the like. The paper take-up unit 107 is included in the paper discharge unit 500 of FIG.
The image forming unit 11 forms an image by electrophotography on the conveyed roll paper.
The image reading unit 60 can read the roll paper on which the image is formed, acquire the read image, and transmit the acquired read image to the CPU 101. The CPU 101 determines the presence or absence of a defect in the image on the roll paper based on the read image obtained from the image reading unit, calculates the position information of the defect when the defect is detected, and stores the position information of the defect in the memory 103 as the position information of the defect. I do. The memory 103 can store a plurality of defect position information, and the defect position information can be printed on roll paper at a predetermined timing. The operation of acquiring the defect position information and the operation of printing the defect position information will be described later.
The operation display unit 140 can display desired information and accept operation input. For example, the operation display unit 140 can display presence / absence of a defect in an image formed on roll paper and position information of the defect.

Next, the configuration of the post-processing device 2 will be described.
The post-processing device 2 includes a CPU 201, an HDD 202, and a memory 203 as constituent elements. Further, the post-processing device 2 includes a paper feeding unit 204 that feeds a roll of paper, a paper transport unit 205 that transports the fed paper, a paper winding unit 206 that winds the printed paper again into a roll, It has a defect information reading section 70 for reading defect position information on roll paper, and a post-processing section 80 for performing post-processing such as die cutting.

The CPU 201 can read out a program stored in the HDD 202 or the memory 203 and control each unit of the image forming apparatus 1.
The HDD 202 can store information, and stores data of post-processing contents, programs for controlling post-processing and paper conveyance, various set values, and desired data such as the total length of roll paper. I have.
The memory 203 can also store information, such as programs and various setting values, data of post-processing contents, programs and various setting values for controlling post-processing and paper conveyance, and the total length of the roll paper. And other desired data such as data.
The memory 203 can be configured by a ROM used as a work area, a ROM that stores information in a nonvolatile manner, a nonvolatile memory, or the like.

  The HDD 202 and the non-volatile memory of the memory 203 further store a program for changing the content of post-processing based on the defect position information read by the defect information reading unit 70. Note that these data, programs and parameters may be stored in a portable removable storage medium.

  The CPU 201 can grasp the overall state of the post-processing device 2 by executing the program, and can control the post-processing device 2, and controls operations such as sheet conveyance, reading of defect information, and post-processing. It can be carried out.

  The paper feeding unit 204 is included in the paper feeding unit 600 of FIG. 2 and feeds roll paper. The paper fed by the paper feeding unit 204 is transported by a paper transport unit 205, and is wound by a paper winding unit 206. The paper transport unit 205 includes a transport path 92, a transport roller 90, a motor (not shown) for rotating the transport roller, and the like. The paper take-up unit 206 is included in the paper discharge unit 700 of FIG.

  The defect information reading unit 70 can read certain defect position information printed as a barcode or a two-dimensional code on roll paper, and transmit the defect position information to the CPU 201. The CPU 201 can change the content of the post-processing based on the acquired defect position information. For example, when outputting a job for performing die cutting as post-processing, post-processing can be prevented from being performed at a defect position specified based on defect position information. The method of changing the post-processing in the present invention is not particularly limited, and a desired process for preventing a defect from being mixed into a finished product can be performed based on information on a defect position.

  The post-processing unit 80 can perform desired post-processing such as die cutting, die cutting, and cutting of roll paper. In the present invention, the type of post-processing is not particularly limited.

  The image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2 are connected to a network 3, and an external device 4 is connected to the network 3.

The external device 4 has an external control unit 400 including a CPU, a memory, and the like. The external control unit 400 can transmit job data and image data to the image forming apparatus 1 and the post-processing apparatus 2 and can instruct image formation and post-processing. The external device 4 can also control the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. For example, the external control unit 400 receives the read image acquired by the image reading unit 60, and determines whether there is a defect and the position of the defect. Then, it is possible to instruct the image forming apparatus 1 to print the defect position information based on the determination result. In that case, the external device 4 corresponds to the management device of the present invention, and the external control unit 400 corresponds to the management control unit of the present invention.
Note that the image forming apparatus of the present invention may not be connected to a network.

Next, the printing operation of the defect position information in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.
First, the overall processing flow in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described using the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is performed under the control of the control unit 110.
First, as print execution processing (step s1), RIP processing is performed on job data input to an image forming apparatus for printing on roll paper to generate a rasterized image, and printing on roll paper is performed in the image forming unit. .

After printing the image, an image inspection is performed (step s2).
When printing is performed in the image forming unit, a defect may occur in a printed image due to toner spillage or the like. Therefore, the image reading unit 60 scans a sheet conveyed after printing as needed to obtain a target image. To determine the presence or absence of a printing defect.
Print defects include scratches on paper, garbled characters, and the like, in addition to the print stains caused by toner spills described above. In the present invention, types of the defects are not particularly limited. As a target image used in the defect determination, a scan result obtained when printing is normally performed may be used, or rasterized image data used at the time of printing may be used.

After completing the image inspection, it is determined whether or not the print image has a defect (step s3). If there is a defect (step s3, Yes), defect position information on the position of the defect is generated (step s4). The obtained defect position information is stored as internal data.
The position of the defect may be represented by the distance from the edge of the sheet, or may be represented by the number of print objects.

A method of expressing a defect position will be described with reference to FIGS.
First, a case where the position of a defect is represented by a distance from a sheet edge will be described with reference to FIG.
When the defect position is represented by the distance from the sheet edge, the position of the defect is represented by the distance between the outer peripheral area of the print object where the print defect has occurred and the sheet edge.

As shown in FIG. 5, the outer peripheral area R of the print object refers to an area from the left end to the right end where the pixel of the object exists in the roll paper transport direction.
The distance from the sheet edge may be the distance from the leading edge of the sheet or the distance from the trailing edge.
When the distance from the leading edge is used, the defect position is specified by counting the transport distance of the roll paper from the start of paper feeding.
When the distance is from the rear end, the difference between the entire length of the roll paper and the distance from the leading end to the defect position is obtained, thereby specifying the defect position.
In the example of FIG. 5, it is expressed that there is a defect at a position X [m] away from the leading end of the sheet, or that there is a defect at a position Y [m] away from the trailing end of the sheet. Note that the defect position may be expressed using not only the distance from the leading edge and the trailing edge of the sheet but also the distance from the side edge of the sheet.
The leading edge and the trailing edge indicate the leading edge and the trailing edge of the image forming apparatus in the paper transport direction. When the roll paper output from the image forming apparatus 1 is set in the post-processing machine, the post-processing machine performs Paper is fed from the rear end.

FIG. 6 shows a case where the position of a defect is represented by the number of print objects.
When a print defect is determined based on the read image read by the image reading unit 60, an image inspection is performed while storing the number of print objects to calculate the number of the object in which the print defect has occurred. When counting the number, the number from the first object may be calculated, or the number from the last object may be calculated.
In the example of FIG. 6, it is calculated that the fourth object from the leading edge of the sheet is defective or the third object from the trailing edge of the sheet is defective. When printing a plurality of jobs on roll paper, the defect position may be represented by the number of objects from the first object of the job or the number of objects from the last object of the job.

Returning to the description of the flowchart of FIG.
When the defect position information is generated in step s4, or when it is determined in step s3 that there is no defect in the image (step s3, No), it is determined whether the inspection of all the images is completed (step s5). .
If the inspection of all the images has not been completed (step s5, No), the process returns to step s1, and the printing of the image and the image inspection are repeated.

When the inspection of all the images is completed (Step s5, Yes), it is determined whether or not the mode is a mode for printing the defect position information for each job (Step s6).
If the mode is to print the defect position information for each job (step s6, Yes), the defect position information is printed for each job (step s7). The operation for printing defect position information for each job will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  On the other hand, if the mode is not the mode for printing the defect position information for each job (No in step s6), the defect position information is printed on the last end of the roll paper (step s8). The operation of printing the defect position information on the last end of the roll paper will be described later with reference to FIGS. The print position of the defect position information may be set as a main body setting of the image forming apparatus 1 and may be selected by a work operator before executing a job, or may be set by a printer driver or the like and then executed. Good.

When printing defect position information, a plurality of defect position information stored in the storage unit as internal data are printed together on roll paper. As described above, the defect position information may be the distance from the sheet edge or the number of print objects. These pieces of information are printed as codes such as bar codes and two-dimensional codes. The printed code can be read by the defect information reading unit of the post-processing device 2.
After printing the defect position information in step s7 or s8, the procedure ends.

Next, the printing position of the defect position information will be described in detail.
First, a case where the defect position information is printed after completion of each job will be described.
In the case of printing the defect position after completion of each job, the defect position information is printed after completion of the image inspection of all objects in each job. However, since there is a distance between the image reading unit and the image forming unit, the defect position information cannot be printed until the image inspection of the final object is completed, and the defect position information may be printed immediately after the final object. Can not. Therefore, the start of the next job is delayed so that the printing position of the defect position information is not included in the printing area of the next job, and the printing of the next job is started after the printing of the defect position information.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which the defect position information is printed after the output of the job is completed.
This example shows a case where a job for printing the star-shaped object G1 and a job for printing the diamond-shaped object G2 are output, and the defect position information detected in each job is output after each job is output. J1 and J2 are printed.
In the job for printing the star-shaped object G1, the start of the next job for printing the diamond-shaped object G2 is delayed so that the next job is started after printing the defect position information. Therefore, a blank portion occurs between the final object and the defect position information J1.
After printing the defect position information J1, printing of the diamond-shaped object G2 is started. Then, after the printing of the final object, the defect position information J2 for the job of the diamond object is printed. In a job for printing a diamond-shaped object, a blank portion is generated between the final object and the defect position information.

The above operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The following procedure is performed as a subroutine of step s7 in FIG. 7, and is performed under the control of the control unit 110.
First, it is determined whether or not the final object of the job has been inspected (step s10). If the final object of the job has not been inspected (step s10, No), the process returns to step s10, and the inspection of the final object of the job ends. Wait until.
When the inspection of the last object of the job has been completed (step s10, Yes), the print start instruction of the next job is postponed, the sheet is conveyed (step s11), and the defect position information is printed (step s12). Then, after printing the defect position information, printing of the next job is started (step s13), and the procedure ends.
In this case, a blank space occurs between the last object of the job and the first object of the next job.

The reason why a space is required between the last object of the job and the next job is, for example, a case where a defect occurs in the last object of the job.
A case where a defect occurs in the last object of the job will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 9 shows a case where an object including a defect F is printed on roll paper at the end of a job for printing the star-shaped object G1.
Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed, and as shown in FIG. 10, the image of the last object of the job is read to determine the defect. However, when the image of the last object is read (at the time of image inspection), the printing of the next job has already been performed. It starts, and the print position of the defect position information is in the area of the next job.

However, there is a case where the roll paper is cut at the break of the job after the printing is completed, and the cut roll paper is post-processed by the post-processing device. Therefore, it is not preferable that the defect position information is shifted into the print area of the next job. .
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, the start of the next job is delayed until the defect position information becomes printable, and the defect position information J3 is printed. Note that the position of the blank area is also included in the defect position information J3 so that the blank area generated at this time is also treated as a defect. As a result, it is possible to prevent the blank area from being erroneously recognized as a correctly printed image, and to prevent post-processing of the blank area, for example. The blank area S corresponds to a blank portion in the present invention.

  According to the above procedure, defect position information can be printed at a position not included in the area of the next job.

Next, a case where the defect position information is printed on the last end of the roll paper will be described.
When printing the defect position information on the last end of the roll paper, the position information of the defects detected in all the jobs printed on the roll paper is collectively printed on the rear end of the roll paper.

FIG. 12 shows a case where the defect position information is printed on the last end of the roll paper.
In the example of FIG. 12, after outputting both the job for printing the star-shaped object G1 and the job for printing the diamond-shaped object G2, defect position information J4 indicating the position information of the defect detected in each job is output. Print.

  If the defect position information is to be printed collectively on the trailing edge of the roll paper, the defect position is detected if the last edge of the roll paper has passed the image forming unit when the image reading unit detects the defect by detecting the defect. Information cannot be printed. In this case, when the defect position information reaches the last printable position, the defect position information detected so far is printed.

The procedure of the above operation will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
First, a defect is detected (step s20), and it is determined whether defect position information can be printed on the last end of the roll paper (step s21).
If the defect position information can be printed on the last end of the roll paper (step s21, Yes), the defect detection is continued, and the defect position information is printed on the last end of the roll paper (step s25). finish.

On the other hand, when the defect position information cannot be printed on the last end of the roll paper (step s21, No), the last position at which the defect position information can be printed on the last end of the roll paper (hereinafter, referred to as “final printable position”) , And the detection of the defect is continued until the final printable position is reached, and the defect position information detected so far is printed (step s22).
Thereafter, a defect is detected for the succeeding object, and it is determined whether a defect is detected after the final printable position (step s23).
If a defect is detected after the last printable position (step s23, Yes), the defect position information cannot be printed, so that the defect position information is displayed on the display unit (step s24). If no defect is detected after the last printable position (step s23, No), the procedure ends.

Here, FIG. 14 shows an example in which the defect position information cannot be printed on the last end of the roll paper.
The example of FIG. 14 illustrates a case where the defect F is detected in the second object from the rear end, and at the time when the defect is detected, the rear end of the roll paper RP has already passed through the image forming unit. . Therefore, the defect position information indicating the position of the defect F cannot be printed on the last end of the roll paper.

FIG. 15 shows an example in which the defect position information is printed on the last end of the roll paper and the non-printable defect position information is displayed on the display unit.
The example of FIG. 15 illustrates a case where the defect A is detected in the first object from the leading end of the roll paper, the defect B is detected in the second object, and the defect C is detected in the final object.
In this case, when the defect C is detected, the last end of the roll paper RP has passed through the image forming unit, so that the defect position information of the defect C cannot be printed on the roll paper.

  Therefore, as the defect position information J4 to be printed on the roll paper, only the information on the defect A and the defect B is printed. Then, after the detection of the defect C, the presence / absence of the defect and the position information of the defect are displayed on the display unit to notify the work operator. Examples of the display unit include an operation panel of the operation display unit 140 of the image forming apparatus 1, a display unit included in the post-processing device, a print application and a printer driver displayed on the display unit included in the external device 4, and the like. Then, the display location is not limited.

  According to the above procedure, even when the defect position information cannot be printed on roll paper, the defect position information can be reliably notified to the operator.

Next, the print pattern at the defective print position will be described.
When printing a label object or the like, there is a case where a color bar or a color patch is additionally printed for the purpose of color measurement or the like. Therefore, when printing defect position information on roll paper, the position of the adjustment image such as a color bar is detected, and the printing position of the defect position information is changed so that the defect position information does not overlap the color bar. May be.
The position of the color bar may be detected based on a scan result by the image reading unit, or may be specified by a print position of the color bar included in the job data.

FIG. 16 shows an example of changing the printing position of the defect position information.
In the example of FIG. 16, a color bar CB is printed on the roll paper above the roll paper. Therefore, when the position of the color bar CB is detected based on the scan result or the job data, and the defect position information J5 relating to the defect F is printed, the printing position of the defect position information J5 is set lower so as not to overlap the color bar CB. Change to

  In the above description, the print position of the defect position information is changed by detecting the position of the color bar. However, the print position of the defect position information may be changed based on the position of the image other than the color bar. . For example, the position of the image to be printed in the job may be acquired in advance, and the defect position information may be printed at a position that does not overlap with the image of the job.

Next, post-processing for roll paper will be described.
The roll paper on which the defect position information is printed is taken out of the image forming apparatus 1 after the job is output and fed to the post-processing apparatus 2, and the post-processing apparatus 2 performs post-processing on the roll paper.
At this time, the post-processing device 2 reads the defect position information by the defect information reading unit 70, grasps the position of the defect based on the read defect position information, and does not perform the post-processing on the detected defect. Can be controlled. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the defective portion from being mixed into the final delivery.
The content of the post-processing and the content of the processing for the defect are not particularly limited in the present invention. For example, the defective portion may be cut out to remove the defect from the roll paper, and the defective portion may be removed from the final delivery. Therefore, the content of the post-processing can be changed.

  According to the present embodiment, since a plurality of pieces of print defect information are printed on roll paper, the post-processing device can grasp the positions of the print defects before executing post-processing. As a result, it is possible to avoid post-processing of a print defect location and prevent a print defect from being mixed into a final product.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments and the drawings. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents described in the above embodiments, and each of the above embodiments may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. Appropriate changes to the form are possible.

Reference Signs List 1 image forming apparatus 1A apparatus main body 2 post-processing apparatus 2A post-processing apparatus main body 4 external device 11 image forming unit 22 transport path 60 image reading unit 70 defect information reading unit 80 post-processing unit 92 transport path 100 control unit 101 CPU
102 HDD
103 memory 110 control unit 140 operation display unit 201 CPU
202 HDD
203 memory 400 external control unit CB color bar F defect G1 object G2 object J1 defect position information J2 defect position information J3 defect position information J4 defect position information R outer peripheral area RP roll paper

Claims (14)

An image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium;
A transport unit that transports the continuous recording medium,
An image reading unit that is located on the downstream side in the transport direction from the image forming unit and reads a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed to obtain a read image,
A storage unit for storing information;
The image forming unit, the transport unit, and the image reading unit are controlled, and the presence or absence of a defect in the image on the continuous recording medium is determined based on the read image acquired by the image reading unit. In some cases, a control unit capable of storing defect position information on the position of the defect in the storage unit,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the control unit is capable of performing control of printing the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is capable of performing control to print the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit at one location on the continuous recording medium.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when forming an image on the continuous recording medium based on a plurality of jobs, the control unit prints defect position information of a defect detected in the job each time the job is completed. The image forming apparatus as described in the above.   4. The control unit, when printing the defect position information every time each job is completed, delays the start of printing of the next job so that the printing of the defect position information is performed before the start of the next job. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the output of the next job is delayed, a blank portion generated on the continuous recording medium due to the delay is determined as a defect, and the position of the blank portion is included in the defect position information. apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit does not print the defect position information immediately after completing a job in which no defect is detected.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prints the defect position information on a last end of the continuous recording medium.   8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prints defect position information of all defects detected on the continuous recording medium on the last end of the continuous recording medium. 9.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit displays the defect position information on a display unit when the defect position information cannot be printed on the last end of the continuous recording medium.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising the display unit capable of displaying information.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a print position of the defect position information based on a position of an image printed on the continuous recording medium.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit prints the defect position information using a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. An image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the continuous recording medium, and a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed, which is located downstream of the image forming unit in the conveying direction and reads the image. And an image reading unit that obtains an image, and determines presence or absence of a defect in the image on the continuous recording medium based on the read image obtained by the image reading unit, and defect position information on the position of the defect. Has a management control unit capable of storing in a storage unit,
The management device, wherein the management control unit is capable of performing control for printing the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium. An image forming unit that forms an image on a continuous recording medium, a conveying unit that conveys the continuous recording medium, and a continuous recording medium on which an image is formed, which is located downstream of the image forming unit in the conveying direction and reads the image. An image reading unit that acquires an image, and a program that is executed by a control unit that controls the
The program, for the control unit,
Determining the presence or absence of a defect in the image on the continuous recording medium based on the read image obtained by the image reading unit;
Storing the defect position information on the position of the defect in the storage unit when there is the defect;
Printing the plurality of pieces of defect position information stored in the storage unit on the continuous recording medium.

Images