JP2020098978A - Imaging apparatus, imaging system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an imaging apparatus, an imaging system, and a program that can appropriately pick up images of documents in combination with an image forming apparatus with a simpler configuration.SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus can pick up images of recording media loaded on a paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus that has the paper feeding unit on which the recording media are loaded while exposed to the outside, a conveying unit, and an image forming unit, and comprises: an imaging unit that picks up images of documents that are the plurality of recording media images which are picked-up objectives loaded on the paper feeding unit; a communication unit that performs communication with the image forming apparatus; and a control unit that controls the operation of the imaging unit and communication unit. The control unit repeatedly performs imaging control of causing the imaging unit to pick up images of the documents loaded on the paper feeding unit, and communication control of causing the communication unit to transmits, to the image forming apparatus, a conveyance instruction for the conveying unit to start, after the completion of the imaging, conveyance of one document the image of which is picked up in the imaging control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

The present invention relates to an imaging device, an imaging system and a program.

Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus (for example, SFP (single function printer)) that does not have a scan function for capturing an image of a document (a recording medium to be imaged), an image capturing apparatus (for example, camera or smartphone) having an image capturing unit is attached to scan the document There is known a technique of simply scanning an original by capturing an image. For example, in the cited document 1, a plurality of originals are placed on a manual feed tray, and the plurality of originals are conveyed one by one to a paper ejection section by a conveyance section of the image forming apparatus, and each original ejected to the paper ejection section. There is disclosed a method of sequentially and simply scanning a plurality of originals by sequentially capturing the images using an imaging device.

In the method described in the cited document 1, an image capturing instruction is transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the image capturing apparatus at the timing when the document is discharged to the sheet discharge section, and the image capturing apparatus captures the document in response to the reception of the image capturing instruction. To do. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of the problem that the image is picked up before the document is discharged to the sheet discharge section and the image pickup result is inappropriate.

JP, 2017-195554, A

However, in order to transmit the image pickup instruction from the image forming apparatus to the image pickup apparatus, a means for detecting the discharge of the document to the sheet discharge section and a detection method for the detection are provided separately from the normal configuration for image formation. Accordingly, there is a problem in that a control means for transmitting a predetermined imaging instruction is required, which complicates the configuration of the image forming apparatus and increases cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup system, and a program that can appropriately pick up an image of a document by combining with an image forming apparatus having a simpler configuration.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 is
A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An image forming apparatus for forming an image, and an image pickup apparatus capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed on the sheet feeding section of an image forming apparatus having:
An image pickup section for picking up an image of a document that is a recording medium to be picked up and placed on the sheet feeding section;
A communication unit that communicates with the image forming apparatus;
A control unit that controls the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, The feature is that it is repeated.

The invention described in claim 2 is the image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The control unit may perform the communication control so that the conveyance instruction is transmitted by the communication unit after the image capturing unit captures the document according to the image capturing control.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to the first aspect,
The control unit controls the imaging so that the imaging unit completes the imaging of the document by the time the transportation by the transportation unit is started after the transportation command is transmitted by the communication unit according to the communication control. It is characterized by doing.

The invention described in claim 4 is the image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein
An information acquisition unit for acquiring information relating to the status of document transportation by the transport unit,
The control unit determines, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, whether or not the imaged document imaged by the image capturing unit is removed from the sheet feeding unit by conveyance, and the imaged document is After it is determined that the document has been removed from the paper feeding unit, the image pickup control and the communication control for the next document are performed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to the fourth aspect,
The information acquisition unit is the imaging unit,
After the transmission of the transport instruction by the communication unit, the control unit performs determination image capturing control in which the image capturing unit captures an image of the document placement area in the sheet feeding unit, and determines the determination image obtained by the determination image capturing control. It is characterized in that whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit is determined based on an image.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to the fifth aspect,
The control unit repeats the determination imaging control a plurality of times after the communication unit transmits the conveyance command, and the captured original is removed from the paper feeding unit based on the obtained determination images. It is characterized by determining whether or not.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to the sixth aspect,
In any one of the image pickup control for determination, the control unit obtains an image for determination different from the image obtained by the image pickup control, and then performs the same image for determination by the image pickup control for determination performed twice consecutively. Is obtained, it is determined that the imaged document has been removed from the paper feed unit.

The invention described in claim 8 is the image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The control unit deletes the image data of the determination image after determining that the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to any one of the fifth to eighth aspects,
The control unit, based on a result of comparison between an image obtained by imaging the paper feeding unit in a state in which no document is placed by the imaging unit and the determination image, all the documents to be imaged. It is characterized in that the completion of the imaging of is detected.

The invention described in claim 10 is the image pickup apparatus according to claim 4,
The information acquisition unit is a gyro sensor that detects vibration generated when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying unit,
The control unit is characterized by determining whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit based on a result of vibration detection by the gyro sensor.

The invention described in claim 11 is the image pickup device according to claim 4,
The information acquisition means is a microphone,
The control unit is characterized by determining whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the paper feed unit based on a detection result of the operation sound of the transport unit by the microphone.

The invention described in claim 12 is the image pickup apparatus according to claim 4 or 11, wherein
The information acquisition means is a microphone,
The control unit is configured to stop the subsequent execution of the imaging control and the communication control when a predetermined error sound generated by the image forming apparatus is detected by the microphone.

The invention described in claim 13 is the image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
The image forming apparatus has a paper discharge section on which a recording medium that has been completely conveyed by the conveying section is placed.
The transport unit loads the recording medium such that the surface of the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit, which is imaged by the imaging unit, faces the surface of the paper discharging unit in the paper discharging unit. It is provided so that face-down transportation can be performed.
The carrying command is a command for causing the carrying unit to carry out the face-down carrying.

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the image pickup apparatus according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects,
An input unit for accepting an input operation for designating the number of originals to be imaged is provided,
The controller is characterized in that the imaging control and the communication control are repeated for the number of sheets designated by an input operation on the input unit.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the imaging device according to any one of the first to fourteenth aspects,
The transport instruction is a blank sheet job for outputting the recording medium transported by the transport unit without performing image formation by the image forming unit.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of the imaging system according to claim 16 is
A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image;
An image pickup device capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed on the paper feed unit of the image forming apparatus,
An imaging system comprising:
The imaging device is
An image pickup section for picking up an image of a document that is a recording medium to be picked up and placed on the sheet feeding section;
A communication unit that communicates with the image forming apparatus;
A control unit that controls the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, The feature is that it is repeated.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of a program according to claim 17 is
A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An imaging device capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed in the paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image, the recording medium being an imaging target placed in the paper feeding unit. A computer provided in the image pickup apparatus, which includes an image pickup section that picks up an image of the original document and a communication section that communicates with the image forming apparatus.
A program that functions as control means for controlling the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit,
The control means is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, The feature is that it is repeated.

According to the present invention, there is an effect that a document can be appropriately imaged by combining with an image forming apparatus having a simpler configuration.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of an imaging system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main functional configuration of the image forming apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the main functional structures of an imaging terminal. It is a figure which shows the imaging method of the image for completion determination. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a method of determination imaging and document removal determination detection. 6 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of scan processing. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of scan processing according to the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of scan processing according to the third embodiment. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure of scan processing according to the fourth embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of an image pickup apparatus, an image pickup system, and a program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
<Outline of imaging system>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an imaging system 1 which is a first embodiment of the present invention.
The image pickup system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 10 and an image pickup terminal 20 (image pickup apparatus).

The image forming apparatus 10 is a printer that forms an image on the recording medium m by an electrophotographic method. Further, the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment is an SFP that does not have a function of scanning the recording medium m on which an image is formed.
Hereinafter, the recording medium m on which an image is formed and which is an imaging target is also referred to as a “document M”. Further, the expression “recording medium m” indicates the recording medium m on which an image is not formed or the original document M.

The image pickup terminal 20 is a smartphone including an image pickup unit 22 having an image pickup element. The imaging terminal 20 is mounted on the adapter 103 included in the image forming apparatus 10 so that the imaging terminal 20 is connected to the image forming apparatus 10 in a state capable of performing NFC (Near Field Communication) communication. It The type of NFC is not particularly limited, but Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used, for example. Further, as a communication method between the imaging terminal 20 and the image forming apparatus 10, light or sound communication may be adopted. Further, the image pickup terminal 20 is arranged at a predetermined image pickup position in a state of being placed on the adapter 103, and from the image pickup position, the manual feed tray 101 (paper feeding unit) of the image forming apparatus 10 is placed. An image of the original M placed on the is captured from above. Instead of the smartphone, any terminal device having the image capturing unit 22, for example, a camera terminal may be used as the image capturing terminal 20.

In the imaging system 1, the plurality of documents M placed on the manual feed tray 101 of the image forming apparatus 10 can be scanned by the imaging terminal 20 one by one, so that the plurality of documents M can be scanned. It should be noted that “scanning” the original M generally means that reflected light of the light scanned on the original M is detected by an image sensor to obtain image data, but in the present specification, an image of the original M is obtained. For the sake of convenience, capturing (capturing) the document M by the image capturing terminal 20 for acquiring data is referred to as scanning.
More specifically, the image capturing terminal 20 captures an image of the uppermost original M on the manual feed tray 101, and the image forming apparatus 10 acquires the captured original M from the manual feed tray 101 and outputs it to the paper discharge tray 102. The carrying operation for carrying is carried out alternately by the number of originals M, so that a plurality of originals M are automatically scanned. Further, the original M can be copied by forming an image by the image forming apparatus 10 based on the scanned image data.

<Structure of image forming apparatus 10>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 10.
The image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 11, a conveyance unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a communication unit 14, an input/output interface 15, an operation display unit 16, a storage unit 17, a manual feed tray 101, and an eject tray. A paper tray 102 (paper discharge unit), an adapter 103, an internal paper feed tray 104 and the like are provided.

The transport unit 12 includes a plurality of transport rollers 121 that transport the recording medium m by rotating while sandwiching the recording medium m. The conveyance unit 12 acquires the recording medium m from the manual feed tray 101 or the internal paper feed tray 104 by the plurality of conveyance rollers 121, conveys the recording medium m on the conveyance path that passes through the image forming unit 13, and discharges the recording medium m to the paper ejection tray 102.

When the recording medium m is acquired and conveyed from the manual feed tray 101, the conveyance unit 12 acquires the uppermost one of the plurality of recording media m placed on the manual feed tray 101 and acquires the image. It is taken into the inside of the casing of and is transported through the above-mentioned transport path. Hereinafter, the operation from the start of the transportation of the uppermost recording medium m on the manual feed tray 101 to the time when the recording medium m is completely taken into the housing will be referred to as a paper feeding operation.

The transport unit 12 also has a reversing unit 12a for reversing the front and back of the recording medium m. The reversing unit 12a reverses the front and back of the recording medium m by taking the recording medium m into the retreat path branched from the conveyance path and then returning the recording medium m to the rest of the conveyance path. As a result, the conveyance unit 12 records such that the surface of the manual feed tray 101 that faces upward is discharged downward to the paper discharge tray 102 (that is, in a direction facing the paper discharge tray 102 ). Face-down transportation for transporting the medium m can be performed. The mechanism of the reversing unit 12a is not limited to the above, and any mechanism capable of reversing the front and back of the recording medium m can be used.

The image forming unit 13 forms an image on the recording medium m conveyed by the conveying unit 12 by an electrophotographic method. More specifically, the image forming unit 13 exposes the surface of the charged photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image, and transfers the toner image obtained by developing the electrostatic latent image onto the recording medium m. Then, an image is formed on the recording medium m.
The method of image formation by the image forming unit 13 is not limited to the electrophotographic method, and may be, for example, an inkjet method of forming an image on the recording medium m by ejecting ink droplets.

The communication unit 14 performs NFC communication with the communication unit 23 (FIG. 3) of the imaging terminal 20. The communication unit 14 is composed of, for example, various communication modules and network cards, and is connected to the communication unit 23 by NFC of a predetermined method to transmit/receive data according to the communication standard of the NFC. The communication unit 14 is positioned such that the distance from the communication unit 23 of the imaging terminal 20 when the imaging terminal 20 is mounted on the adapter 103 is within a predetermined distance range (that is, within a distance range in which NFC communication is possible). , Provided inside the adapter 103, for example.

The input/output interface 15 communicates with external devices other than the imaging terminal 20 to exchange data. The input/output interface 15 performs communication corresponding to various communication standards related to wired or wireless communication by LAN, for example. The received data includes image data to be recorded, data of a print job (image forming command) including settings related to an image forming operation of the image data, which is input from an external device.

The operation display unit 16 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, an operation key, and an input device such as a touch panel arranged so as to be superimposed on the screen of the display device. The operation display unit 16 displays various kinds of information on the display device, converts the user's input operation on the input device into an operation signal, and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 11.

The storage unit 17 stores a program 171 for performing various controls of the image forming apparatus 10. Further, the storage unit 17 stores data input from the imaging terminal 20 via the communication unit 14 and data input from an external device via the input/output interface 15. As the storage unit 17, for example, SSD (Solid State Drive) or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is used, and DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or the like may be used together.

The manual feed tray 101 is a plate-shaped member on which the recording medium m is placed, and is provided outside the housing of the image forming apparatus 10. Therefore, the manual feed tray 101 is placed with one surface of the recording medium m exposed to the outside.
On the other hand, the internal paper feed tray 104 is a tray provided inside the housing of the image forming apparatus 10.
A blank recording medium m for forming an image is placed on the manual feed tray 101 and the internal paper feed tray 104, and is used for image formation by the image forming unit 13.
When the document M is scanned in the imaging system 1, the document M to be scanned is placed on the manual feed tray 101.

The paper discharge tray 102 is a plate-shaped member on which the recording medium m that has been conveyed by the conveying unit 12 is placed, and, like the manual feed tray 101, is provided outside the housing of the image forming apparatus 10. The recording medium m for which image formation and scanning have been completed is placed on the paper discharge tray 102 until it is taken out by the user.

The adapter 103 is a plate-shaped member attached to the housing of the image forming apparatus 10. The adapter 103 is attached above the manual feed tray 101 and in parallel with the manual feed tray 101. The adapter 103 is provided with an opening 103a that is slightly smaller than the outer shape of the imaging terminal 20 according to the size of the imaging terminal 20, and the outer peripheral end of the imaging terminal 20 is placed on the edge of the opening 103a. You can do it. When the image pickup terminal 20 is placed on the adapter 103 in this way, the image pickup terminal 20 is installed at the image pickup position, the image pickup section 22 of the image pickup terminal 20 faces the manual feed tray 101 through the opening 103a, and recording on the manual feed tray 101 is performed. The entire medium m can be imaged.
A communication unit 14 is provided inside the adapter.

The control unit 11 is a processor that integrally controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. The control unit 11 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The control unit 11 controls the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 10 by the CPU performing various processes according to the program 171.
Specifically, the control unit 11 operates the transport unit 12 to transport the recording medium m. That is, the control unit 11 drives a motor (not shown) connected to each of the transport rollers 121 of the transport unit 12 to cause the transport unit 12 to acquire the recording medium m from the manual feed tray 101 or the internal paper feed tray 104, The recording medium m is conveyed one by one through the above-mentioned conveying path.
Further, the control unit 11 causes the image forming unit 13 to form an image on the recording medium m. That is, the control unit 11 operates each unit of the image forming unit 13 according to the print job to form an image related to the print job on the recording medium m.
The control unit 11 also controls the operation of the communication unit 14 (data transmission/reception).
The control unit 11 also receives and manages print jobs related to image formation on the recording medium m by the image forming unit 13. The print job includes a blank sheet job for outputting the recording medium m without performing image formation by the image forming unit 13 on the recording medium m conveyed by the conveying unit 12.

When a print job is executed in the image forming apparatus 10, the conveyance unit 12 conveys the recording medium m and the image forming unit 13 forms an image on the recording medium m according to the content of the print job. Be seen. When a blank sheet job is executed, control relating to image formation is performed on the basis of image data including only white pixels, so that the recording medium m is conveyed as a blank sheet and is discharged to the discharge tray 102. It The control when the blank sheet job is executed is not limited to this, and only the control for transporting the recording medium m by the transport unit 12 may be performed.
In the present embodiment, when the image pickup system 1 scans the document M, the imaged document M is conveyed by executing a blank sheet job.

<Structure of the imaging terminal 20>
Next, the configuration of the imaging terminal 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a main functional configuration of the imaging terminal 20.
The imaging terminal 20 includes a control unit 21, an imaging unit 22, a communication unit 23, an operation display unit 24 (input unit), a gyro sensor 25, a microphone 26, a storage unit 27, and the like.

The image pickup unit 22 is a camera module including an optical system such as a lens and an image pickup element, and picks up an image of a target and outputs the image pickup data to the storage unit 27.

The communication unit 23 performs NFC communication with the communication unit 14 of the image forming apparatus 10. The communication unit 23 includes, for example, various communication modules, is connected to the communication unit 14 by NFC of a predetermined method, and transmits/receives data according to the communication standard of the NFC.

The operation display unit 24 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and an input device such as a touch panel arranged so as to overlap the screen of the display device. The operation display unit 24 displays various kinds of information on the display device, converts the user's input operation on the input device into an operation signal, and outputs the operation signal to the control unit 21.

The gyro sensor 25 is an angular velocity sensor that detects the angular velocity of the imaging terminal 20 and outputs it to the control unit 21. As the gyro sensor 25, for example, a sensor that detects an angular velocity based on a Coriolis force applied to a vibrating element can be used.

The microphone 26 detects the environmental sound of the imaging terminal 20, converts it into an electric signal, and outputs it to the control unit 21.

The storage unit 27 stores a program 271 for performing various controls of the imaging terminal 20, imaging data output from the imaging unit 22, and the like. A rewritable semiconductor memory such as a flash memory is used as the storage unit 27.

The control unit 21 is a processor that integrally controls the overall operation of the imaging terminal 20. The control unit 21 has a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like. The control unit 21 controls the operation of each unit of the imaging terminal 20 by the CPU performing various processes according to the program 271.
Specifically, the control unit 21 causes the image capturing unit 22 to perform an image capturing operation at a predetermined timing, and stores the image capturing data in the storage unit 27.
The control unit 21 also controls the operation of the communication unit 23 (data transmission/reception).
Further, the control unit 21 performs various kinds of image processing on the image data captured by the image capturing unit 22. The image processing performed by the control unit 21 includes resolution conversion processing of imaged data, trimming processing for deleting a portion of the document M where the periphery of the document M is reflected according to the size of the document M, and imaged data in a predetermined format. (For example, PDF, Jpeg, Tiff, PJL (Printer Job Language), etc.) format conversion processing.

Next, operations of the image forming apparatus 10 and the imaging terminal 20 when the document M is scanned in the imaging system 1 will be described.

<Outline of scanning operation of imaging system>
In scanning the document M in the imaging system 1, the imaging terminal 20 is placed on the adapter 103 of the image forming apparatus 10 and the plurality of documents M are placed on the manual feed tray 101. The operation of scanning (imaging) an image of the uppermost original M among the originals M and the operation of transporting one scanned original M by the image forming apparatus 10 are repeated by the number of originals M. Done.
Here, the timing of scanning each document M is determined by the imaging terminal 20.
The scanning of the scanned original M by the image forming apparatus 10 is performed by transmitting a blank sheet job from the imaging terminal 20 to the image forming apparatus 10.
Further, the detection of completion of scanning of all the originals M is performed by the imaging terminal 20.

As described above, the scanning of the original document M in the imaging system 1 is performed under the control of the imaging terminal 20, and the image forming apparatus 10 responds to the blank page job transmitted from the imaging terminal 20 (that is, the original document M is scanned). Only the operation to execute (transport) is performed. Therefore, if the image forming apparatus 10 used in the image pickup system 1 of the present embodiment has at least a function of conveying the document M on the manual feed tray 101 when the blank sheet job is received by the communication unit 14. Well, no special configuration is needed for scanning the document M.
Hereinafter, the operations of the image forming apparatus 10 and the imaging terminal 20 when the document M is scanned will be specifically described.

When the document M is scanned in the imaging system 1, the completion determination image is first captured.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of capturing a completion determination image.
When the scanning of the document M is started, after the imaging terminal 20 is installed on the adapter 103, as shown in FIG. 4, first, the manual feed tray 101 in the state where the document M is not placed is the imaging unit. An image is captured by the camera 22, and the captured image data is stored in the storage unit 27. The image obtained by this imaging is used as a completion determination image used for determining whether or not the scanning of all the originals M has been completed.
When the image pickup terminal 20 has been used for scanning the document M in the past and the completion determination image is stored in the storage unit 27, the image pickup of the manual feed tray 101 is omitted and the existing completion determination image is omitted. May be used.

After the completion determination image is acquired, a plurality of documents M to be scanned are placed on the manual feed tray 101, and when the start of scanning is instructed by a predetermined input operation on the operation display unit 24 of the imaging terminal 20, imaging is performed. The uppermost document M on the manual feed tray 101 is scanned by the terminal 20, and the image pickup data is stored in the storage unit 27. The control performed by the control unit 21 for scanning the document M, that is, the control of causing the image capturing unit 22 to image the document M placed on the manual feed tray 101 corresponds to “imaging control”.

When the scanning of one document M is completed, a blank sheet job for one document M on the manual feed tray 101 is transmitted from the imaging terminal 20 to the image forming apparatus 10. In the image forming apparatus 10, the received blank sheet job is executed, and the conveyance unit 12 starts to convey one document M that has been scanned. Further, in the execution instruction, an instruction is given to execute a blank sheet job in which the document M is set to be discharged to the discharge tray 102 by the face-down conveyance described above.
The above blank sheet job corresponds to a “conveyance command for starting the conveyance of the one document M imaged by the image pickup control by the conveying unit 12 after the image pickup is completed”.
Further, the control performed by the control unit 21 to cause the communication unit 23 to transmit the above-described transport command corresponds to “communication control”.

After the blank job is transmitted, the imaging terminal 20 repeatedly performs determination imaging for imaging the placement area of the document M on the manual feed tray 101 a plurality of times in order to detect the transportation state of the document M by the transport unit 12. The control performed by the control unit 21 to cause the image capturing unit 22 to perform the determination image capturing corresponds to “determination image capturing control”.
Below, the image obtained by each imaging for determination is described as the image for determination. In addition, this determination image corresponds to “information relating to the transport status of the recording medium by the transport unit”. In addition, the image capturing unit 22 of the present embodiment corresponds to an “information acquisition unit” that acquires the information related to the above-described transportation status.

The imaging terminal 20 stores the determination images obtained by a plurality of determination images in the storage unit 27, and based on these determination images, one original document M (imaged original document) most recently scanned. Document removal determination is performed to determine whether (hereinafter, referred to as “scanned document M”) has been removed from the manual feed tray 101 by transportation (that is, whether the above-described paper feeding operation has been completed).

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of determining imaging and original removal determination.
FIG. 5A is a diagram showing a state at the time of starting the imaging for determination. In FIG. 5A, the conveyance (more specifically, the paper feeding operation) of the scanned document M is not started, and the determination image obtained by the determination imaging is the same as the image obtained by the scanning. Become. In addition, the same determination image is obtained by each determination imaging that is repeatedly performed until the document M feeding operation is started.

FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a state after the start of the sheet feeding operation for the scanned document M and before the end of the sheet feeding operation. In FIG. 5B, the scanned document M on the manual feed tray 101 is acquired by the transport unit 12 and moved to the left in the figure, and a part of the document M is contained in the housing of the image forming apparatus 10. As described above, the positions of the scanned document M in the determination images acquired by the determination imaging during the period in which the scanned document M is moving differ from each other according to the movement of the document M. .. Therefore, if a determination image different from the scan image obtained by scanning the document M is obtained by the determination imaging, it can be determined that the feeding operation of the scanned document M is started.

FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a state in which the scanned document M being conveyed is completely taken into the inside of the housing, that is, a state in which the feeding operation for the document M is completed. In FIG. 5C, the document M to be scanned next to the document M for which the feeding operation is completed is placed on the uppermost part. Further, since the original document M to be scanned next is in a stationary state, the determination images acquired in each determination imaging performed in this state are the same image. Therefore, after a determination image (a determination image acquired in the state of FIG. 5B) different from the scan image of the document M is obtained, the same determination image is obtained in the state of FIG. 5C. When the image for determination is obtained, it can be determined that the feeding operation of the document M most recently scanned has been completed. Therefore, the imaging terminal 20 determines that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101 when the same determination image is obtained by the continuous determination imaging.

At the stage where the determination is made, the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101, so that the next document M can be appropriately scanned.
Therefore, if it is determined that the scanned document M is removed from the manual feed tray 101, the imaging terminal 20 scans the next document M. After the scan, the transportation of the scanned document M is started.

By repeating this operation for the number of documents M, all the documents M are scanned.
Further, the imaging terminal 20 displays on the manual feed tray 101 when the same determination image as the previously acquired completion determination image (image of the manual feed tray 101) is acquired by the determination imaging after scanning. It is detected that all the originals M have been conveyed, that is, the scanning of all the originals M has been completed.

When the scanning of all the originals M is completed, all the determination images stored in the storage unit 27 are deleted. As a result, it is possible to prevent the storage capacity of the storage unit 27 from being pressed. Further, when the completion determination image is not used for the next and subsequent scans, the completion determination image may be deleted together.

It should be noted that various known algorithms for performing image similarity determination can be used for determining the difference between the scan image and the determination image, the determination images, and the determination image and the completion determination image described above. Accordingly, even when the images to be determined are slightly different from each other due to the positional shift of the imaging terminal 20, the adhesion of foreign matter, the change in the ambient brightness, and the like, the images are appropriately determined to be the same image. can do. In other words, in the present specification, the images that are the target of the difference determination are “identical” include the case where there is a slight difference as described above.

Next, a scan process for executing the above-described scanning operation of the document M in the imaging system 1 will be described. This scanning process is executed by the control unit 21 of the imaging terminal 20.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the control unit 21 of the scan processing.
In the scanning process, the imaging terminal 20 is installed on the adapter 103 of the image forming apparatus 10, the NFC communication connection between the communication unit 23 and the communication unit 14 is detected, and the document M is scanned on the imaging terminal 20. It starts when a predetermined application program (program 271) is executed.

When the scanning process is started, the control unit 21 causes the image capturing unit 22 to capture an image of the manual feed tray 101 and stores the obtained completion determination image in the storage unit 27 (step S101). Before step S101, an image indicating that the completion determination image is to be captured or an image prompting the user to empty the manual feed tray 101 may be displayed on the operation display unit 24.

The control unit 21 causes the operation display unit 24 to display an image prompting the user to place the document M on the manual feed tray 101 (step S102).

The control unit 21 displays the operation button for starting the scan on the operation display unit 24, and determines whether or not the scan start instruction is given by the input operation on the operation button (step S103). When it is determined that the scan start instruction has not been issued (“NO” in step S103), the control unit 21 performs the process of step S103 again.

When it is determined that the scan start instruction has been issued (“YES” in step S103), the control unit 21 causes the imaging unit 22 to scan the uppermost document M and stores the imaging data in the storage unit 27 (step S104). That is, the control unit 21 executes image pickup control.

When the scanning of the document M is completed, the control unit 21 causes the communication unit 23 to transmit a blank sheet job to the image forming apparatus 10 (step S105). That is, the control unit 21 executes communication control.

The control unit 21 causes the image pickup unit 22 to perform the image pickup for determination, and stores the obtained image pickup data in the storage unit 27 as the image for determination (step S106). That is, the control unit 21 executes the imaging control for determination.

The control unit 21 determines whether or not the obtained determination image is the same as the scan image of the latest document M (step S107). When it is determined that the determination image is the same as the scanned image of the document M (“YES” in step S107), the control unit 21 determines before the start of the sheet feeding operation for the scanned document M. When it is determined that there is, the process of step S106 is performed again.

When it is determined that the determination image is different from the scanned image of the document M (“NO” in step S107), the control unit 21 determines that the obtained determination image is the previous determination image (previous line). It is determined whether or not it is the same as the determination image obtained by the captured determination image) (step S108). When it is determined that the determination image is different from the previous determination image (“NO” in step S108), the control unit 21 determines that the feeding operation of the scanned document M is continuing. Then, similarly to step S106, the imaging unit 22 is caused to perform the imaging for determination to acquire the image for determination (step S109), and the process is returned to step S108.

When it is determined that the determination image is the same as the previous determination image (“YES” in step S108), the control unit 21 determines that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101. (Step S110). Further, the control unit 21 determines whether the determination image is the same as the completion determination image (step S111). When it is determined that the determination image is different from the completion determination image (“NO” in step S111), the control unit 21 determines that the document M to be scanned remains on the manual feed tray 101, After deleting the image data of the determination image from the storage unit 27 (step S112), the process is returned to step S104.

When it is determined that the determination image is the same as the completion determination image (“YES” in step S111), the control unit 21 determines that all the documents M have been scanned, and the determination image The image data is deleted from the storage unit 27 (step S113). Further, at this timing, the control unit 21 may perform the above-described various image processing on the obtained scan data of the original M.
Note that step S112 may be omitted, and the image data of all determination images may be deleted from the storage unit 27 in step S113.
When the process of step S111 ends, the control unit 21 ends the scan process.

As described above, the imaging terminal 20 of the present embodiment conveys the manual feed tray 101 on which the recording medium m is placed and the recording medium m placed on the manual feed tray 101 one by one while being exposed to the outside. An image pickup terminal 20 capable of picking up an image of a recording medium m placed on a manual feed tray 101 of an image forming apparatus 10 having a conveyance unit 12 and an image forming unit 13, and an image pickup target placed on the manual feed tray 101. An image pickup unit 22 that picks up an original M that is a recording medium m, a communication unit 23 that communicates with the image forming apparatus 10, and a control unit 21 that controls the operations of the image pickup unit 22 and the communication unit 23. After the scanning is completed, the control unit 21 performs the imaging control for scanning the document M placed on the manual feed tray 101 by the imaging unit 22 and the transportation of the one document M scanned by the imaging control by the transportation unit 12 after the scanning is completed. The communication control for causing the communication unit 23 to transmit the blank sheet job for starting to the image forming apparatus 10 is repeated.
According to such a configuration, the scanning of the document M and the transportation of the document M by the transport unit 12 of the image forming apparatus 10 are alternately performed, so that each of the plurality of documents M is appropriately and easily continuously scanned. can do. Further, the conveyance start timing of the document M is determined by the timing when the communication unit 23 transmits the blank sheet job to the image forming apparatus 10, and the image forming apparatus 10 side does not need to adjust the conveyance start timing. That is, the image forming apparatus 10 performs only the operation of executing a blank sheet job (that is, the conveyance of the document M) in response to the reception of the blank sheet job. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 10 needs to have at least a function of conveying the document M on the manual feed tray 101 in response to the reception of the blank sheet job, and has a special configuration for scanning the document M (for example, the document. A configuration for detecting the completion of the sheet feeding operation of M, a configuration for transmitting an image capturing instruction of the next document M to the image capturing terminal 20, and the like) are not necessary. Therefore, according to the imaging terminal 20 of the present embodiment, the document M can be appropriately scanned in combination with the image forming apparatus 10 having a simpler configuration.
Further, in the conventional method of picking up an image of the document M on the discharge tray 102, the document M being conveyed is stained by creases or marks on the conveyance roller, or toner or ink adheres to it, or is damaged by heat. May occur, and these stains and damages will be reflected in the image of the captured original. On the other hand, according to the configuration of the present embodiment in which the document M on the manual feed tray 101 before being transported is scanned and then transported, even if the document M being transported is contaminated or damaged, it does not affect the imaging data. It is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of imaging data.
Further, by scanning the document M on the manual feed tray 101, the scanning operation of the document can be interrupted at an arbitrary timing. In the conventional method of scanning the document M on the discharge tray 102, before the scan of the document on the discharge tray 102 is performed and when the scanning operation is interrupted during the conveyance of the next document M, no image is picked up. The next original M is overlapped on the original M, and it takes time and effort to remove the overlapped original M in order to restart the scan job. On the other hand, according to the configuration of the present embodiment in which the document M on the manual feed tray 101 is scanned, even if the scan operation is interrupted at any timing including the conveyance of the document M, the scan operation is restarted from the same state. can do.

The control unit 21 also performs communication control so that the communication unit 23 transmits a blank sheet job after the document M is scanned by the imaging unit 22 according to the imaging control. According to this, the transport of the document M can be started more reliably after the document M is scanned. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the scanning of the document M from being started before the completion of the scanning and the scanning being inappropriate.

The imaging unit 22 also functions as an information acquisition unit that acquires information related to the transportation status of the document M by the transportation unit 12, and the control unit 21 controls the scanned document based on the information acquired by the imaging unit 22. Document removal determination is performed to determine whether M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101 due to conveyance, and after it is determined that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101, imaging control for the next document M and Control communication.
Specifically, the control unit 21 performs determination image capturing control in which the image capturing unit 22 captures an image capturing range of the recording medium m in the manual feed tray 101 after the communication unit 23 transmits the blank sheet job, and the determination image capturing control is performed. The original removal determination is performed based on the obtained determination image.
With this, the document removal determination can be performed by the imaging terminal 20, so that the image forming apparatus 10 can be prevented from becoming complicated and costly due to the configuration for the document removal determination. Further, it is possible to prevent the next original from being scanned before the original M that has already been scanned is removed from the manual feed tray 101, resulting in improper scanning.
For example, during the scanning operation of the document M, in the image forming apparatus 10, there is an interruption of a print job in which the recording medium m of the internal paper feed tray 104 is specified, and a waiting time until the print job is finished occurs. Even in this case, it is possible to appropriately detect that the feeding operation of the scanned document M is completed after the print job is completed.
Further, when a print job interrupting the paper of the manual feed tray 101 is interrupted, the scanned original M on the manual feed tray 101 is conveyed for the print job and an image is formed on the original M. Also in this case, since the original removal determination is appropriately performed, the scanning of the original M itself can be normally performed.

In addition, the control unit 21 repeatedly performs the determination image capturing control a plurality of times after the communication unit 23 transmits the blank sheet job, and whether the scanned document M is removed from the manual feed tray 101 based on the obtained plurality of determination images. Determine whether or not. As a result, the image for determination as information used for the document removal determination can be acquired by the image capturing unit 22 included in the image capturing terminal 20.

In addition, in any one of the determination image pickup controls, the control unit 21 obtains a determination image different from the image obtained by the image pickup control, and then performs the same determination image by two consecutive determination image pickup controls. Is obtained, it is determined that the scanned document M is removed from the manual feed tray 101. Thus, the original removal determination can be performed by a simple method of comparing a plurality of determination images that are continuously captured.

Further, the control unit 21 deletes the image data of the determination image after determining that the scanned document M is removed from the manual feed tray 101. As a result, it is possible to prevent the storage capacity of the storage unit 27 from being pressed.

The control unit 21 also captures an image based on the result of comparison between the completion determination image obtained by capturing an image of the manual feed tray 101 on which the document M is not placed by the image capturing unit 22 and the determination image. It is detected that the scanning of all the originals M has been completed. As a result, it is possible to detect that the scanning of all the originals M is completed by a simple method of comparing the completion determination image and the determination image.

Further, the image forming apparatus 10 has a paper discharge tray 102 on which the recording medium m that has been completely conveyed by the conveying unit 12 is placed, and the conveying unit 12 is a part of the recording medium m placed on the manual feed tray 101. A face-down conveyance is performed so that the recording medium m is conveyed such that the surface scanned by the imaging unit 22 faces the surface of the paper ejection tray 102 in the paper ejection tray 102. , A command for causing the transport unit 12 to perform face-down transport. As a result, scanning can be performed while maintaining the order of the documents M. In the conventional method of imaging the document M on the paper discharge tray 102, it is necessary to stack the document M on the paper discharge tray 102 so that the imaging target surface faces upward. The order of the originals M is opposite to the order of the originals on the manual feed tray 101. On the other hand, with the configuration in which the image is picked up on the manual feed tray 101 as in the present embodiment, the originals M can be stacked on the paper discharge tray 102 such that the surface to be imaged faces downward. It is possible to scan while maintaining the order.

The image forming apparatus 10 originally uses the blank sheet job for outputting the original M without performing the image formation by the image forming unit 13 on the original M conveyed by the conveying unit 12 as the conveyance instruction. The document M can be conveyed by using the configuration and function provided.

The image pickup system 1 of the present embodiment includes the image forming apparatus 10 and the image pickup terminal 20, and the control unit 21 of the image pickup terminal 20 takes the image of the document M placed on the manual feed tray 101 by the image pickup unit 22. The communication control unit 23 causes the communication unit 23 to transmit a blank sheet job for starting the image capturing control and the transport of the one original document M scanned by the image capturing control by the transport unit 12 after the scanning is completed. Communication control is repeated. According to this, the document M can be appropriately scanned using the image forming apparatus 10 having a simpler configuration.

The program 271 of the present embodiment is a program that causes the control unit 21 as a computer provided in the imaging terminal 20 to function as a control unit that controls the operations of the imaging unit 22 and the communication unit 23. In order to start the image capturing control for scanning the document M placed on the manual feed tray 101 by the image capturing unit 22 and the transport of the one document M scanned by the image capturing control by the transport unit 12 after the scanning is completed. The communication control for causing the communication unit 23 to transmit the blank sheet job to the image forming apparatus 10 is repeatedly performed. By operating the imaging terminal 20 with such a program, the document M can be appropriately scanned in combination with the image forming apparatus 10 having a simpler configuration.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a blank job is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 10 prior to scanning the original M. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the control unit 21 of the scan processing according to the second embodiment.
The flowchart of FIG. 7 corresponds to the flowchart of FIG. 6 in which the order of steps S104 and S105 is exchanged.
In the present embodiment, when scanning and conveying each document M, first, a blank sheet job is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 10 (step S105), and then the conveyance unit 12 starts conveying the document M. Up to this point, the document M is scanned by the imaging unit 22 (step S104). There is a certain waiting time from the transmission of the blank sheet job to the start of the transportation of the document M by the transport unit 12 due to the processing time of data communication, the activation of the motor in the transport unit 12, and the like. In this embodiment, the waiting time is used to scan the document M.
Note that step S104 may be started substantially at the same time as step S105.

As described above, in the imaging terminal 20 according to the present embodiment, after the blank sheet job is transmitted by the communication unit 23 according to the communication control performed by the control unit 21, the original image by the imaging unit 22 is started before the conveyance by the conveyance unit 12 is started. Imaging control is performed by the control unit 21 so that the scan of M is completed. As a result, the original M can be scanned during the waiting time from the transmission of the blank sheet job to the start of the conveyance of the original M, and therefore the time required for scanning and conveying each original M can be shortened.

(Third Embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the completion of conveyance of the scanned document M is detected based on the detection result of the conveyance vibration of the image forming apparatus 10 by the gyro sensor 25, and the next document M is scanned after the conveyance of the document M is completed. Is different from the first embodiment. In the following, differences from the first embodiment will be described.

The gyro sensor 25 provided in the imaging terminal 20 can detect the magnitude of vibration transmitted from the image forming apparatus 10 in a state where the imaging terminal 20 is installed on the adapter 103 of the image forming apparatus 10.
Here, in the image forming apparatus 10, vibration during conveyance of the recording medium m (hereinafter also referred to as “conveyance vibration”) is larger than vibration during standby. Therefore, by determining whether or not the magnitude of the vibration detected by the gyro sensor 25 corresponds to the transport vibration, whether or not the recording medium m is being transported by the transport unit 12 in the image forming apparatus 10. Can be detected.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the transportation of the scanned original M is started, the vibration is detected by the gyro sensor 25, and the transportation of the scanned original M is completed based on the detection result. (That is, it is discharged to the paper discharge tray 102). In the present embodiment, when the end of this conveyance is detected, it is determined that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101.
Then, after the end of the conveyance of the document M is detected, the scanning and the conveyance of the next document M are performed.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the determination imaging is not performed and the scanning completion detection of all the documents based on the difference determination between the determination imaging and the completion determination imaging is not performed, it is based on the number of the documents M input by the user. Then, it is determined whether or not the scanning of all the originals has been completed.

In the present embodiment, the detection result of the conveyance vibration by the gyro sensor 25 corresponds to “information related to the conveyance state of the recording medium by the conveyance section”. In addition, the gyro sensor 25 of the present embodiment corresponds to “information acquisition means” that acquires the information related to the transportation status.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the control unit 21 of the scan processing according to the third embodiment.
The flow chart of FIG. 8 corresponds to the flow chart of FIG. 6 in which step S101 is changed to step S112, step S113 is added instead of steps S106 to S109, and step S114 is added instead of step S111 and step S112. To do.

In the present embodiment, when the scanning process is started, the control unit 21 displays an operation screen for inputting the number of documents M to be scanned on the operation display unit 24, and the user inputs the number of documents M. Is accepted (step S112). Further, when an input operation for designating the number of originals M is performed on the operation display unit 24, the control unit 21 causes the storage unit 27 to store data relating to the designated number.

Further, when the document M is scanned (step S104) and the blank sheet job is transmitted (step S105) and the conveyance of the scanned document M is started, the control unit 21 causes the gyro sensor 25 to detect the vibration. On the basis of the above, it is determined whether or not the conveyance vibration has ended (step S113). When it is determined that the conveyance vibration has not ended (“NO” in step S113), the control unit 21 performs the process of step S113 again.

When it is determined that the conveyance vibration has ended (“YES” in step S113), the control unit 21 determines that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101 (step S110), and the designated number of documents are read. It is determined whether the scan of M is completed (step S114). When it is determined that the scanning of the designated number of documents M is not completed (“NO” in step S114), the control unit 21 returns the process to step S104.
When it is determined that the scanning of the designated number of documents M is completed (“YES” in step S114), the control unit 21 ends the scanning process.

As described above, the imaging terminal 20 of the present embodiment includes the gyro sensor 25 as an information acquisition unit that detects the vibration generated when the document M is transported by the transport unit 12, and the control unit 21 controls the vibration by the gyro sensor 25. The document removal determination is performed based on the detection result of. Accordingly, the document removal determination can be performed by the imaging terminal 20, so that the image forming apparatus 10 can be prevented from becoming complicated and costly due to the configuration for the document removal determination. In addition, it is possible to prevent the next original from being scanned and being improperly scanned before the scanned original M is removed from the manual feed tray 101.

Further, the imaging terminal 20 includes an operation display unit 24 that receives an input operation that specifies the number of documents M to be imaged, and the control unit 21 specifies the imaging control and the communication control by the input operation on the operation display unit 24. Repeat as many times as needed. As a result, it is possible to reliably detect the completion of scanning of all the originals M.

(Fourth Embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the completion of conveyance of the scanned document M is detected based on the detection result of the operation sound of the image forming apparatus 10 by the microphone 26, and the next document M is scanned after the conveyance of the document M is completed. This is different from the third embodiment. In the following, differences from the third embodiment will be described.

According to the microphone 26 provided in the imaging terminal 20, it is possible to detect the loudness of various operation sounds of the image forming apparatus 10 when the imaging terminal 20 is installed on the adapter 103 of the image forming apparatus 10.
Here, in the image forming apparatus 10, the operation sound during conveyance of the recording medium m (hereinafter also referred to as “conveyance operation sound”) is louder than the operation sound during standby. Therefore, whether or not the recording medium m is being conveyed by the conveying section 12 in the image forming apparatus 10 is determined based on whether or not the magnitude of the operation sound detected by the microphone 26 corresponds to the conveyance operation sound. Can be determined.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the conveyance of the scanned document M is started, the conveyance of the document M is completed based on the detection result of the operation sound by the microphone 26 (that is, the document M is discharged to the discharge tray 102). What has been done) is detected. In the present embodiment, when the end of this conveyance is detected, it is determined that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101.
Then, after the end of the conveyance of the document M is detected, the scanning and the conveyance of the next document M are performed.

Further, in the present embodiment, when an abnormality such as a conveyance error occurs in the image forming apparatus 10 and a predetermined error sound is emitted, the imaging terminal 20 detects the error sound by the microphone 26 and the subsequent document M. Stop scanning and blank page job transmission.

In the present embodiment, the detection result of the conveyance operation sound by the microphone 26 corresponds to “information related to the conveyance state of the recording medium by the conveyance unit”. In addition, the microphone 26 of the present embodiment corresponds to “information acquisition means” that acquires the information related to the above-mentioned transportation status.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a control procedure by the control unit 21 of the scan processing according to the fourth embodiment.
The flowchart of FIG. 9 corresponds to the flowchart of FIG. 8 in which step S115 is added instead of step S113, and step S116 and step S117 are added after step S110.

In the present embodiment, when the document M is scanned (step S104) and the blank sheet job is transmitted (step S105) and the transport of the scanned document M is started, the control unit 21 causes the microphone 26 to operate. It is determined whether or not the conveyance operation sound has ended based on the detection result of (step S115). When it is determined that the transport operation sound has not ended (“NO” in step S115), the control unit 21 performs the process of step S115 again.

When it is determined that the conveyance operation sound has ended (“YES” in step S115), the control unit 21 determines that the scanned document M has been removed from the manual feed tray 101 (step S110), and a predetermined error has occurred. It is determined whether or not sound is detected (step S116). When it is determined that the error sound is detected (“YES” in step S116), the control unit 21 displays a predetermined error screen on the operation display unit 24 (step S117), and ends the scanning process. Let

When it is determined that the error sound is not detected (“NO” in step S116), the control unit 21 determines whether the scanning of the designated number of documents M is completed (step S114), and the designation is performed. When it is determined that the scanning of the number of documents M is not completed (“NO” in step S114), the process returns to step S104.
When it is determined that the scanning of the designated number of documents M is completed (“YES” in step S114), the control unit 21 ends the scanning process.

As described above, the imaging terminal 20 of the present embodiment includes the microphone 26 as the information acquisition unit, and the control unit 21 makes the document removal determination based on the detection result of the operation sound of the transport unit 12 by the microphone 26. With this, the document removal determination can be performed by the imaging terminal 20, so that the image forming apparatus 10 can be prevented from becoming complicated and costly due to the configuration for the document removal determination. Further, it is possible to prevent the next original from being scanned before the original M that has already been scanned is removed from the manual feed tray 101, resulting in improper scanning.

Further, when the microphone 26 detects a predetermined error sound generated by the image forming apparatus 10, the control unit 21 suspends execution of subsequent imaging control and communication control. Thus, when an abnormality occurs in the image forming apparatus 10, the abnormality can be detected and the scanning operation can be stopped without the communication of the communication unit 14 and the communication unit 23. Therefore, even if the communication is disconnected due to an abnormality, the scan operation can be appropriately stopped.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made.
For example, the present invention may be applied to an image pickup system having an image pickup terminal 20 and a multifunction peripheral (MFP) having a scan function for the document M.

Although the imaging terminal 20 has been described as an example of the imaging device, the imaging device is not limited to the one having the form of the terminal device, and any device having an imaging unit can be used as the imaging device. ..

In addition, although a blank sheet job has been described as an example of the conveyance instruction, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be an instruction to only convey the document M by the conveyance unit 12.

Further, when the document removal determination is performed based on the determination image as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the gyro sensor 25 and the microphone 26 may be omitted.
Further, when the document removal determination is performed based on the conveyance vibration as in the third embodiment, the microphone 26 may be omitted.
Further, when the document removal determination is performed based on the conveyance operation sound as in the fourth embodiment, the gyro sensor 25 may be omitted.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. ..

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Imaging system 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Control part 12 Conveying part 12a Reversing part 13 Image forming part 14 Communication part 15 Input/output interface 16 Operation display part 17 Storage part 20 Imaging terminal (imaging device)
21 control unit 22 imaging unit (information acquisition means)
23 communication unit 24 operation display unit (input unit)
25 Gyro sensor (information acquisition means)
26 microphone (information acquisition means)
27 Storage unit 101 Manual feed tray (paper feed unit)
102 Paper output tray (paper output section)
103 Adapter 103a Opening 104 Internal paper feed tray 171, 271 Program m Recording medium M Original

Claims (17)

A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An image forming apparatus for forming an image, and an image pickup apparatus capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed on the sheet feeding section of an image forming apparatus having:
An image pickup section for picking up an image of a document that is a recording medium to be picked up and placed on the sheet feeding section;
A communication unit that communicates with the image forming apparatus;
A control unit that controls the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, An imaging device characterized by being repeatedly performed. The control unit performs the communication control so that the communication command is transmitted by the communication unit after the document is captured by the image capturing unit according to the image capturing control. Imaging device. The control unit controls the imaging so that the imaging unit completes the imaging of the document by the time the transportation by the transportation unit is started after the transportation command is transmitted by the communication unit according to the communication control. The imaging device according to claim 1, which is performed. An information acquisition unit for acquiring information relating to the status of document transportation by the transport unit,
The control unit determines, based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, whether or not the imaged document imaged by the image capturing unit is removed from the sheet feeding unit by conveyance, and the imaged document is 4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image pickup control and the communication control for the next document are performed after it is determined that the sheet is removed from the sheet feeding unit. The information acquisition unit is the imaging unit,
After the transmission of the transport instruction by the communication unit, the control unit performs determination image capturing control in which the image capturing unit captures an image of the document placement area in the sheet feeding unit, and determines the determination image obtained by the determination image capturing control. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein it is determined whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the sheet feeding unit based on an image. The control unit repeats the determination imaging control a plurality of times after the communication unit transmits the conveyance command, and the captured original is removed from the paper feeding unit based on the obtained determination images. The imaging apparatus according to claim 5, wherein whether or not it is determined is determined. In any one of the image pickup control for determination, the control unit obtains an image for determination different from the image obtained by the image pickup control, and then performs the same image for determination by the image pickup control for determination performed twice consecutively. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein it is determined that the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit when the above is obtained. 8. The control unit deletes the image data of the image for determination after determining that the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit, according to any one of claims 5 to 7. Imaging device. The control unit, based on a result of comparison between an image obtained by imaging the paper feeding unit in a state in which no document is placed by the imaging unit and the determination image, all the documents to be imaged. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image pickup apparatus detects that the image pickup has been completed. The information acquisition unit is a gyro sensor that detects vibration generated when the recording medium is conveyed by the conveying unit,
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the paper feed unit based on a detection result of vibration by the gyro sensor. The information acquisition means is a microphone,
The imaging unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the imaged document has been removed from the paper feeding unit based on a detection result of the operation sound of the conveyance unit by the microphone. apparatus. The information acquisition means is a microphone,
The control unit suspends the subsequent execution of the imaging control and the communication control when a predetermined error sound generated by the image forming apparatus is detected by the microphone. The imaging device described. The image forming apparatus has a paper discharge section on which a recording medium that has been completely conveyed by the conveying section is placed.
The transport unit loads the recording medium such that the surface of the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit, which is imaged by the imaging unit, faces the surface of the paper discharging unit in the paper discharging unit. It is provided so that face-down transportation can be performed.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport instruction is an instruction for causing the transport unit to perform the face-down transport. An input unit for accepting an input operation for designating the number of originals to be imaged is provided,
14. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit repeats the image pickup control and the communication control for a number of sheets designated by an input operation on the input unit. 15. The conveyance instruction is a blank sheet job for outputting the recording medium conveyed by the conveying unit without forming an image on the recording medium by the image forming unit. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1. A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image;
An image pickup device capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed on the paper feed unit of the image forming apparatus,
An imaging system comprising:
The imaging device is
An image pickup section for picking up an image of a document that is a recording medium to be picked up and placed on the sheet feeding section;
A communication unit that communicates with the image forming apparatus;
A control unit that controls the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit;
Equipped with
The control unit is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, An imaging system characterized by being repeatedly performed. A paper feed unit on which a recording medium is placed while being exposed to the outside, a feeding unit that feeds the recording medium placed on the paper feeding unit one by one, and a recording medium fed by the feeding unit. An imaging device capable of picking up an image of a recording medium placed in the paper feeding unit of an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit for forming an image, the recording medium being an imaging target placed in the paper feeding unit. A computer provided in the image pickup apparatus, which includes an image pickup section that picks up an image of the original document and a communication section that communicates with the image forming apparatus.
A program that functions as control means for controlling the operations of the imaging unit and the communication unit,
The control means is
Image pickup control for making the image pickup section pick up an image of a document placed on the sheet feeding section;
Communication control for causing the communication unit to transmit a conveyance command for starting the conveyance of one document imaged by the image pickup control by the conveyance unit after the image pickup is completed, A program characterized by being repeated.

Images