JP2021022798A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming device capable of solving a conventional disadvantage that, at the time of memory full error, printing of already-read documents can be completed but the documents that have not been read yet have to be copied again causing a user's bother.SOLUTION: The image forming device is configured so that when the amount of image data stored in the memory meets a predetermined condition after completing the scanning of a first side of multiple documents set on an automatic document feeding means, the print settings are changed. What is the change of print settings means the change from unit-based printing to page-based printing or the change from automatic double-sided printing to manual double-sided printing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus including an image reading apparatus.

In conventional image forming devices, image reading devices, etc., ADF (Auto Document Feeder) has long been used as a means for reading image information on each surface in the process of separating and transporting documents loaded on a document tray one by one. Are known. If the ADF is equipped with a document inversion mechanism, double-sided documents can be read automatically. Taking the case of reading a plurality of double-sided originals as an example, first, the surface of the first original is read by a scanning device, and the image is saved in the memory. Next, the original is inverted by the original inversion mechanism inside the ADF, and the back surface of the original is read and saved. After that, a plurality of double-sided originals can be read by repeating the same processing as for the first and subsequent originals. In addition, there is also an image reading device that can automatically read a double-sided document by arranging reading sensors on both sides instead of providing a document reversing mechanism inside the ADF. However, there is a demerit that the cost increases if these document reversing mechanisms and double-sided reading sensors are provided.

Therefore, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1 as a method of scanning a double-sided document with a single-sided scanning device. In such an image reading device, the procedure for reading a plurality of double-sided documents is also different. First, the surface of all documents is read by an image reader and the images are saved in memory. Next, the user manually flips the originals on the output tray and loads them on the original tray again. After that, the back side of all documents is read and saved. Further, depending on the usage method (printing, file saving, etc.) of the scanned image and the difference in the processing order, the front side image and the back side image are rearranged in a desired page order as necessary.

By the way, since the memory for storing the scanned image is limited, the number of originals that can be saved is limited.

Therefore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique capable of reliably realizing a copy job with a layout intended by the user for the read original even when the original is stored in the memory and the memory becomes full. ing.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-37043 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-22201

However, in the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2 above, when a memory full error occurs, printing can be completed for the read original, but it is necessary to separately copy the unread original separately. There was a problem that it took time and effort for the user.

In order to solve the above problems, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is
It has an image reading means for reading a document and acquiring image data.
Further, the image forming apparatus has an automatic document feeding means for taking out one sheet from each of a plurality of documents and feeding the image to the image reading means. Further, the image forming apparatus has a back surface setting instruction means for prompting the automatic document feeding means to reset the back surface of the scanned document.
Further, the image forming apparatus has an image storage means for storing image data in a memory.
Further, the image forming apparatus has a printing means for forming an image on both sides of the image data stored in the image storage means. Further, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that the print setting is changed when the capacity of the image data stored in the memory satisfies a predetermined condition after the surface scanning of a plurality of documents set in the automatic document feeding means is completed. And. Further, the change of the print setting is characterized in that it is a change from copy unit printing to page unit printing, or a change from automatic double-sided printing to manual double-sided printing.

According to the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, even when all the originals cannot be stored in the memory when the single-sided scanning apparatus reads and prints the double-sided original, the printing can be completed without causing a memory full error.

It is a figure which shows the appearance of the ADF of this invention. It is a figure which shows the cross section of the ADF of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image processing apparatus (MFP) of this invention. It is a figure which shows the data flow of the memory copy using ADF in the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the manual double-sided reading copy in Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of page unit printing in Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the UI screen in Example 1 of this invention. It is an image diagram which shows the concept of the print setting change in Example 1 of this invention. Is. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the manual double-sided reading copy in Example 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the process of manual double-sided printing in Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the UI screen in the process of printing a plurality of copies in Example 2 of this invention. It is an image diagram which shows the concept of the print setting change in Example 2 of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, a method of changing the setting from copy unit printing to page unit printing and printing when scanning and printing a double-sided original with a single-sided scanning device will be described.

FIG. 1 is an external view of the automatic paper feed / reading device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the automatic paper feed reader of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the document reading and transporting unit 100 has a substantially U-shaped document transporting path (hereinafter referred to as a U-turn path) 201 in the automatic paper feed pressure plate section 101 (FIG. 1), and this U-turn path The separation roller 202, the separation pad 203, and the document presence / absence sensor 204 for detecting the presence / absence of the document S are attached to 201. Further, a first transport roller pair 205 and a second transport roller pair 206 for transporting the document S, a document edge sensor 207 for detecting the front end portion and the rear end portion of the document S, and the like are attached.

In the document reading / conveying unit 100, a document loading tray 208 is provided so as to be connected to the upstream end side of the U turn path 201, and a document ejection tray 209 shared with the pressure plate is provided on the downstream end side of the U turn path 201. Here, a document holding surface 209a for holding the rear end portion of the document S to be ejected is formed on the base end side of the document ejection tray 209.

Further, on the upstream end side of the U-turn path 201, a document stopper 210 for regulating the tip position of the document S loaded on the document loading tray 208 and a document presence / absence sensor 204 for detecting the presence / absence of the document S are provided. .. Further, a pickup roller 211 is provided which comes into contact with the uppermost one of the loaded document S and picks it up. In addition, a separation roller 202 and a separation pad 203 that are pressed against each other to separate the document S picked up by the pickup roller 211 into one sheet are provided. Further, on the downstream end side of the U-turn path 201, a document ejection roller pair 212 for ejecting the document S to the document ejection tray 209 is provided. Here, 102 is a fixed reading unit for reading a document placed on the glass 213.

The close contact type image sensor 214 arranged via the document reading and transporting unit 100 and the glass irradiates the image information surface of the document S with light from the LED array as a light source, and selfocks (registers) the reflected light reflected on the image information surface. A trademark) lens is used to form an image on a sensor element to read image information.

The close contact type image sensor 214 moves left and right, and when reading a fixed document, it reads on the left side in the drawing, and when reading by the document reading and transporting unit 1, it stops at the position shown in the figure and reads the transported document. It is composed.

In the document reading / conveying unit 100, the setting direction of the document S when the operator places the document S on the document loading tray 208 and sets the document S is from the right side or the left side in the left-right direction of the apparatus to the opposite side. And it is set with the image side facing up. At the time of this document setting, the tip position of the document S is regulated by the document restricting surface of the document stopper 210, and the presence / absence sensor 204 detects that the document S is present.

Then, when the operator instructs the start of reading from the operation unit (not shown), the drive unit (not shown) rotates, and the document stopper 210 is pushed down by the pickup arm 215. After that, the document S is sent to the inside of the U-turn path 201 by the pickup roller 211 through the inclined surface of the document stopper 210. At this time, in the document reading and transporting unit 1, the document S is separated one by one by the separation roller 202 and the separation pad 203, and the uppermost document S is separated and transported. Further, the separated document S is conveyed along the U-turn path 201 by the first transfer roller pair 205, and the document S is further conveyed to the reading unit of the close contact type image sensor 214 by the second transfer roller pair 206.

When the document edge sensor 207 detects the tip of the document S in the document scanning and transporting unit 100, the close contact type image sensor 214 starts reading the image information when a predetermined amount is transported from that position. At that time, the original is pressed against the reading white base plate 216. After the start of scanning, the original is scooped up by the transparent scoop sheet 217 and heads toward the original ejection roller pair 212. Then, when the rear end portion of the document S is detected by the document edge sensor 207, the reading of the image information by the close contact type image sensor 214 is completed when a predetermined amount is conveyed from that position. Then, the document S is conveyed toward the pressure plate common document ejection tray 209 by the document ejection roller pair 212, and is ejected to the document ejection tray. When the rear end portion of the ejected document S passes through the document ejection roller pair 212, the ejected document S freely falls, moves on the main surface of the inclined document ejection tray, and the rear end portion is held by the document holding surface 209a. , Stored in the document ejection tray.

In this way, the document reading unit repeats the above-described scanning operation until the document presence / absence sensor 204 detects that there is no document.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image processing device (MFP) 300 of this embodiment.

The CPU 301 is a system control unit and controls the entire image processing device. The ROM 302 stores a control program of the CPU 301, an operating system (OS) program, and the like. Further, the compression / decompression processing of MH, MR, MMR, and JBIG for the coding / decoding of the binary image and the JPEG compression / decompression processing for the color image are stored. The RAM 303 is composed of SRAM and the like, and is for storing program control variables and the like. In addition, set values registered by the operator, device management data, and various work buffers are also stored in the RAM 303. The image memory 304 is composed of DRAM or the like and stores image data. In this embodiment, it is assumed that each control program stored in the ROM 302 is subjected to software control such as scheduling and task switching under the control of the OS stored in the ROM 302. The operation unit 305 is composed of various keys, LEDs, LCDs, etc., and is used to perform various input operations by the operator, display the operating status of the image processing device, and the like.

The reading control unit 306 optically reads the original by the CS image sensor (contact type image sensor) in the reading unit 307, performs A / D conversion, and converts it into digital image data. Further, the scanning image processing control unit 312 corrects the digital image data generated by the scanning control unit 306 based on the characteristics of the CS image sensor and outputs high-definition image data. By the processing in the scanning image processing control unit 312, it is possible to obtain image data corrected for variations in the scanning signal due to the state of the CS image sensor, the usage environment of the device, and the like. The reading control unit 306 in this embodiment is a sheet reading control unit 308 that reads while transporting a document by the automatic document transporting device ADF, and a book scanning control unit 308 that moves a CS307 to scan a document on a platen. It corresponds to both types of 309. Then, it is assumed that one of the reading methods is selected to perform reading control.

The JPEG processing unit 313 performs JPEG compression and decompression of a color image.

The recorded image processing control unit 314 generates print data by inputting the luminance signals (RGB, YCC, etc.) of the scanned image read by the reading unit 307 and the reading control unit 306.

The recording control unit 315 acquires printer status information and controls recording in a color printer 316 such as an inkjet printer, and outputs the print data generated by the recorded image processing control unit 314 to the color printer for recording.

The communication control unit 311 is composed of a MODEM (modulation / demodulation device), an NCU (network control device), and the like. The communication control unit 311 in the present embodiment is connected to an analog communication line (PSTN) and performs line control such as communication control by the T30 protocol and incoming / outgoing calls to the communication line.

The computer interface 317 is an interface for connecting to an information processing terminal. Further, it is assumed that application software for remotely operating the image processing device 300 is installed in the information processing terminal 320.

Hereinafter, the data flow of the memory copy using the ADF according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the reading control unit 306 controls the sheet reading control unit 308 to convey the originals one by one by the automatic document conveying device ADF, and further controls the CS307 to optically read the originals. Then, the read image data is A / D converted and the digital image data is stored in the read image buffer 401. Here, the scanned image buffer 401 is an area reserved in the RAM 303 as a work area for generating image data spooled in the image memory 304.

Next, the scanned image processing control unit 312 reads digital image data from the scanned image buffer 401, performs various image processing, and stores the scanned image processed image data in the scanned image processed image buffer 405. Here, the scanned image processed image buffer 405 is an area reserved in the RAM 303 as a work area for generating image data spooled in the image memory.

The scanned image processing control unit 312 is composed of, for example, the following image processing unit. The scanning gamma correction processing unit 402 corrects the image data read from the scanning image buffer 401 to standard color characteristics for input to the recorded image processing unit based on the gamma characteristics of the scanner. Next, the edge enhancement processing unit 403 that enhances the edge of the scanned image. Then, the scaling processing unit 404 that enlarges / reduces the scanned image. The reading gamma correction processing unit 402 may further have a function of performing shading processing.

Next, the image compression unit 406 reads the scanned image processed image data from the scanned image processed image buffer 405, compresses it by the JPEG method using the JPEG compression unit 407, and stores it in the image memory 304. The image memory 304 can spool a plurality of JPEG image data within the capacity limit. How the capacity of the image memory 304 is determined is arbitrary.

The above processing is performed on all the documents set in the automatic document transfer device ADF. Further, the scanning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can read only one side of the original document with respect to the original transfer by the automatic document conveying device ADF. Therefore, when scanning a double-sided document, the above-mentioned scanning process is performed on the front surface and the back surface of the document, respectively. By this process, the scanned images on both sides of all the originals can be spooled in the image memory 304.

Next, a recording operation is performed using the scanned image spooled in the image memory 304.

The image stretching unit 409 reads the read image compressed by the JPEG method from the image memory 304, stretches it using the JPEG stretching section 408, and stores it in the stretched image buffer 410. Here, the decompressed image buffer 410 is an area reserved in the RAM 303 as a work area for generating print data. The image stretching unit 409 also has an image rotation function. Depending on the copy settings set by the user, it may be necessary to rotate the image, place it on the output paper, and print it. In such a case, the image stretching unit 409 appropriately controls the reading of the image data from the image memory and the JPEG stretching unit, and further changes the order of the image data after stretching. In this way, the image-rotated expanded image data suitable for printing is generated. A known technique may be applied to the image rotation processing executed in the image stretching portion.

Next, the recorded image processing control unit 314 reads the decompressed image data from the decompressed image buffer 410, performs various image processing to generate print data, and stores it in the print data buffer 414. Here, the print data buffer 414 is an area reserved in the RAM 303 as a work area for the recording operation by the printer.

The recorded image processing control unit 314 is composed of, for example, the following image processing unit. A color conversion unit 411 that converts the brightness signal (RGB, YCC, etc.) of the read image into an ink color density signal (CMYK) with respect to the image data read from the decompressed image buffer 410. A recording gamma correction processing unit 412 that performs gamma correction for recording based on the gamma characteristics of the printer 316 with respect to the ink color density signal generated by the color conversion unit 411. Then, the halftone processing unit 413 performs half toning using the gamma-corrected density signal generated by the recording gamma correction processing unit 412.

Then, the recording control unit 315 reads the print data from the print data buffer 414, and records and outputs it as a hard copy using the color printer 316.

With the above data flow, the memory copy using the ADF according to the present embodiment is realized.

In this embodiment, JPEG is used as the image data format spooled in the image memory 304, but other data formats may be used. Further, if the number of originals is large, the scanned image data may not fit in the image memory 304. In the past, a memory full error occurred and copying had to be interrupted. Therefore, as described in the subject of the present invention, it takes time and effort for the user to separately perform the copying operation of the original document that could not be copied.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a manual double-sided reading copy process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

When copying a double-sided document with an MFP equipped with a single-sided scanning device, the user manually resets the document after surface scanning into the document tray. This is defined herein as a manual double-sided read copy.

The UI screen displayed in each step is shown in FIG. A detailed description of FIG. 7 will be described later.

This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301 when the CPU 301 of the image processing device (MFP) 300 detects that the monochrome button 700b or the color button 700c of the copy standby screen 700 has been pressed.

In step S501, the screen 703 for setting the original is displayed, and the process shifts to waiting for the reading start instruction in step S502. When it is detected that the scanning start button 703a is pressed, the surface of the entire document is scanned in step S503. The screen 704 is displayed during reading.

After the scanning is completed, it is confirmed in step S504 whether or not the double-sided original is specified. If the double-sided original is not specified, printing is performed according to the print setting in step S505. If a double-sided original is specified, the screen 705 for setting the back surface of the original is displayed in step S506, and the process shifts to waiting for a reading start instruction in step S507.

When it is detected that the scanning start button 705a is pressed, it is determined in step S508 whether the remaining memory amount is less than one page of the original. If the remaining memory is one page or more of the original, the back side original is read from the original tray in step S509. After that, in step S510, it is determined whether or not all the pages of the back surface document have been read. If the back side document to be read still remains, steps S508, S509, and S510 are repeated until all pages are read. After scanning all the pages of the backside document, printing is performed according to the print settings in step S505. For example, when printing three pages of a double-sided original on both sides, in a normal case, printing is performed in units of copies. At this time, the scanned image data for three pages on each of the front and back surfaces is stored in the image memory 304. The scanned image data is stored in the image memory 304 in the order of the first page front surface, the second page front surface, the third page front surface, the third page back surface, the second page back surface, and the first page back surface in the same order as the reading order. ..

On the other hand, since the print order is different from the read order, it is necessary to replace the read order from the image memory 304 as follows. First, printing is started from the first copy. The read image stored in the image memory 304 is read in the order of the front surface of the first page, the back surface of the first page, the front surface of the second page, the back surface of the second page, the front surface of the third page, and the back surface of the third page, and the above-mentioned memory copy data. Print according to the flow. After that, the second and third copies are printed by the same process.

The screen 708 is displayed during printing. If it is determined in step S508 that the remaining amount of memory is less than one page of the original while the back side originals are being read one by one in this way, the process proceeds to page-based printing in step S511.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a page-based printing process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In step S601, the inquiry screen 706 asking whether to change to page-based printing is displayed. When it is detected in step S602 that the button 706b for rejecting the change to page unit printing is pressed, printing is stopped in step S603. On the other hand, when it is detected that the button 706a for permitting the change to page unit printing is pressed, the read original is printed in double-sided page units in step S604. After the printing is completed, the printed data on the front and back sides is deleted in step S605. As a result, free space is created in the image memory and the next document can be read. After that, in step S606, it is determined whether or not all the pages of the back surface document have been read. If there is a backside document that has not been read yet, one backside document is read from the document tray in step S607, and the process returns to step S604. Steps S604 to S607 are repeated until all the originals have been read and printed. When the scanning and printing of all the originals are completed, the process proceeds from step S606 to the end.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a UI screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Reference numeral 700 denotes a copy standby screen. When the setting button 700a is pressed, the screen transitions to the copy setting screen of 701. When the monochrome button 700b or the color button 700c is pressed, the copy process is started. When the monochrome button is pressed, monochrome printing is performed, and when the color button is pressed, color printing is performed. 701 is a screen for making various settings related to copying. When the buttons 701a to 701d are pressed, the screen transitions to the screen for making each setting. Reference numeral 702 is a screen for setting reading among the settings related to copying. When single-sided scanning is set, only the front surface of the original is scanned and printed when copying is executed. When double-sided scanning is set, both the front and back surfaces of the document are scanned for printing.

Reference numeral 703 is a screen for instructing the user to set the original document in order to read the surface of the original document. When the scanning start button is pressed, scanning of the document placed on the platen is started. Reference numeral 704 is a screen for notifying the user that the document is being read. Reference numeral 705 is a screen for instructing the user to set the original document in order to read the back surface of the original document. When the scanning start button is pressed, scanning of the document placed on the platen is started. Reference numeral 706 is an inquiry screen asking whether or not to change to page-based printing. Reference numeral 707 is a screen for notifying the user that printing is in progress.

FIG. 8 is an image diagram showing the concept of changing the print settings in the first embodiment of the present invention.

The following operations can be realized by controlling according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6. For example, when printing 3 pages of a double-sided original on both sides, it is usually printed in units of copies. On the other hand, if the remaining amount of memory falls below a predetermined amount during document reading, it is possible to change from copy unit printing to page unit printing. This makes it possible to continue reading and printing while erasing the printed image data at any time. Since the printing is changed from the copy unit printing to the page unit printing, the printing order of the printed matter changes, but the combination of the front surface and the back surface and the number of sheets can be the same as desired.

By applying this embodiment in this way, even if all the originals cannot be stored in the memory when the single-sided scanning apparatus reads and prints the double-sided original, the printing can be completed without causing a memory full error.

In this embodiment, a method of changing the setting from automatic double-sided printing to manual double-sided printing when scanning and printing a double-sided original with a single-sided scanning device will be described.

In the present specification, in double-sided printing, printing the back side after the MFP automatically reverses the printed matter after front side printing is defined as automatic double-sided printing. On the other hand, manual double-sided printing is defined as printing the back side after the user manually resets the printed matter after front side printing to the paper feed tray. Since the apparatus configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a manual double-sided reading copy process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The UI screen displayed in each step is shown in FIG. A detailed description of FIG. 11 will be described later.

This flowchart is executed by the CPU 301 when the CPU 301 of the image processing device (MFP) 300 detects that the monochrome button 700b or the color button 700c of the copy standby screen 700 has been pressed. In step S901, the screen 1103 for setting the original is displayed, and the process shifts to waiting for the reading start instruction in step S902. When it is detected that the scanning start button 1103a is pressed, the surface of the entire document is scanned in step S903. The screen 1104 is displayed during reading.

After the scanning is completed, it is confirmed in step S904 whether or not the double-sided original is specified. If the double-sided original is not specified, printing is performed according to the print setting in step S905. The screen 1108 is displayed during printing. If a double-sided original is specified, it is determined in step S906 whether the remaining memory is less than half. If it is determined that the remaining amount of memory is half or more, the screen 1107 for setting the back surface of the document is displayed in step S907, and the process shifts to waiting for the reading start instruction in step S908.

When it is detected that the scanning start button 1107a is pressed, the back side of the entire document is scanned in step S909. After scanning all the pages of the backside original, printing is performed according to the print settings in step S905. For example, when printing three pages of a double-sided original on both sides, in a normal case, printing is performed in units of copies. At this time, the scanned image data for three pages on each of the front and back surfaces is stored in the image memory 304. At this time, the scanned image data for three pages on each of the front and back surfaces is stored in the image memory 304. The scanned image data is stored in the image memory 304 in the order of the first page front surface, the second page front surface, the third page front surface, the third page back surface, the second page back surface, and the first page back surface in the same order as the reading order. ..

On the other hand, since the print order is different from the read order, it is necessary to replace the read order from the image memory 304 as follows. First, printing is started from the first copy. The read image stored in the image memory 304 is read in the order of the front surface of the first page, the back surface of the first page, the front surface of the second page, the back surface of the second page, the front surface of the third page, and the back surface of the third page, and the above-mentioned memory copy data. Print according to the flow. After that, the second and third copies are printed by the same process. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S906 that the remaining amount of memory is less than half, the process proceeds to manual double-sided printing in step S910.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a manual double-sided printing process according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In step S1001, the inquiry screen 1105 for changing to manual double-sided printing is displayed. When it is detected in step S1002 that the button 1105b for rejecting the change to manual double-sided printing is pressed, printing is stopped in step S1003. On the other hand, when it is detected that the button 1105a for permitting the change to manual double-sided printing is pressed, the front surface of the entire original is printed in step S1004.

After the printing is completed, the surface scanning data of all the originals is deleted in step S1005. After that, in step S1006, the screen 1106 for setting the surface print result in the paper feed tray is displayed. When it is detected that the set completion button 1106a has been pressed, the screen 1107 for setting the back surface of the document is displayed in step S1007, and the process proceeds to wait for the reading start instruction in step S1008. When it is detected that the scanning start button 1107a is pressed, the back side of all the originals is read in step S1009, and the back side of all the originals is printed in step S1010 to finish.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a UI screen in the process of printing multiple copies in the second embodiment of the present invention.

Since 1100 to 1104 are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

Reference numeral 1105 is a screen for inquiring whether to change from automatic double-sided printing to manual double-sided printing. Reference numeral 1106 is a screen for instructing the setting of the surface print result in the paper feed tray. Reference numeral 1107 is a screen for instructing the user to set the original document in order to read the back surface of the original document. When the scanning start button is pressed, scanning of the document placed on the platen is started. Reference numeral 1108 is a screen for notifying the user that printing is in progress.

FIG. 12 is an image diagram showing a concept of changing print settings in the second embodiment of the present invention.

The following operations can be realized by controlling according to the flowcharts of FIGS. 9 and 10. For example, when printing 3 pages of a double-sided original on both sides, automatic double-sided printing is performed in a normal case. On the other hand, if the remaining amount of memory falls below a predetermined amount during document scanning, automatic double-sided printing can be changed to manual double-sided printing. This makes it possible to continue reading and printing while erasing the printed image data at any time. Since automatic double-sided printing is changed to manual double-sided printing, it takes more time to reset the printed matter to the paper feed tray for backside printing after front side printing, but the combination and number of front and back sides are the same as desired. Can be obtained.

By applying this embodiment in this way, printing can be completed without causing a memory full error even when all the originals cannot be stored in the memory when scanning and printing the double-sided original with the single-sided scanning device.

100 Document reading and transporting unit, 101 Automatic paper feed pressure plate unit, 102 Fixed reading unit,
201 Original transport path, 202 Separation roller, 203 Separation pad,
204 Document presence / absence sensor, 205 1st transfer roller pair,
206 2nd Transport Roller Pair, 207 Document Edge Sensor,
208 manuscript loading tray, 209 manuscript ejection tray, 209a manuscript holding surface,
210 manuscript stopper, 211 pickup roller,
212 document ejection roller vs. 213 glass, 214 close contact image sensor,
215 Pickup arm, 216 reading white base plate, 217 transparent rake sheet,
300 image processing device, 301 CPU, 302 ROM, 303 RAM,
304 image memory, 305 operation unit, 306 reading control unit, 307 reading unit,
308 Sheet reading control unit, 309 Book reading control unit, 311 Communication control unit,
312 Scanned image processing control unit, 313 JPEG processing unit,
314 recording image processing control unit, 315 recording control unit, 316 color printer,
317 computer interface, 320 information processing terminal,
401 Scanned image buffer, 402 Read gamma correction processing unit,
403 edge enhancement processing unit, 404 variable magnification processing unit,
405 Scanned image processed image buffer, 406 Image compression unit,
407 JPEG compression section, 408 JPEG decompression section, 409 image decompression section,
410 Decompressed image buffer, 411 color converter,
412 Recording gamma correction processing unit, 413 Halftone processing unit,
414 print data buffer, 700 copy standby screen, 700a setting button,
700b monochrome button, 700c color button, 701 copy setting screen,
701a paper size setting button, 701b paper type setting button,
701c print quality setting button, 701d reading setting button,
702 reading setting screen, 702a single-sided reading button, 702b double-sided reading button,
702c Scan setting decision button, 703 manuscript set instruction screen,
703a Read start button, 704 Reading screen,
705 document backside set instruction screen, 705a scanning start button,
706 print setting change inquiry screen, 706a print setting change permission button,
706b Print setting change refusal button, 708 Copying screen,
1100 copy standby screen, 1100a setting button, 1100b monochrome button,
1100c color button, 1101 copy setting screen,
1101a Paper size setting button, 1101b Paper type setting button,
1101c print quality setting button, 1101d reading setting button,
1102 reading setting screen, 1102a single-sided reading button,
1102b Double-sided read button, 1102c Read setting decision button,
1103 Document set instruction screen, 1103a Scan start button,
1104 Reading screen, 1105 Print setting change inquiry screen,
1105a print setting change permission button, 1105b print setting change refusal button,
1106 print result set instruction screen, 106a print result set complete button,
1107 Document backside set instruction screen, 1107a scanning start button,
1108 Copying screen

Claims (5)

An image reading means that reads a document and acquires image data,
An automatic document feeding means that takes out one sheet from a plurality of documents and feeds them to the image reading means, and
A backside setting instruction means that prompts the automatic document feeding means to reset the back side of the scanned document, and a backside setting instruction means.
An image storage means for storing the image data in a memory and
The capacity of the image data stored in the memory after the printing means for forming an image on both sides of the image data stored in the image storage means and the surface reading of a plurality of documents set in the document automatic feeding means is completed. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the print setting is changed when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the remaining amount of memory becomes less than one page of the original while reading the back surface of a plurality of originals set in the automatic document feeding means. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the change in print settings is a change from copy unit printing to page unit printing. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is that the remaining amount of memory becomes less than half of the total capacity after the surface reading of a plurality of documents set in the automatic document feeding means is completed. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the change of the print setting is a change from automatic double-sided printing to manual double-sided printing.