JP2021113104A - Image forming device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming device and a program for sequentially reading a plurality of paper sheets on which information is recorded and capable of specifying the paper sheets to which attention should be paid without disturbing the read sequence out of the plurality of paper sheets even in a laminated state.SOLUTION: An image forming device 1 includes: a paper feeding part 13 which sequentially feeds a plurality of specific paper sheets 100 having notches 110 at the same position and recorded with information; a paper conveyance mechanism 17 which sequentially discharges the specific paper sheets 100, sequentially conveyed to a scanner 8a for reading a paper image 130 from the fed specific paper sheet 100 and read, to a second discharge tray 20; and a processor 300a. The processor 300a controls the paper conveyance mechanism 17 so as to discharge the specific paper sheets 100 to the second discharge tray 20 in different postures in accordance with a result of evaluation of information based on the paper image 130.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a program.

In recent years, an image forming apparatus capable of automatically scoring an answer sheet using a digital copier has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an image reading means for reading an image of each answer sheet, an answer recognition means for recognizing an answer from image information read by the image reading means, and a scoring process for the recognized answer. The scoring means for performing the above, the scoring result output means for outputting the scoring results in the output order (for example, the order of high scores) according to the user's request, and the scoring result output paper by forming an image on the answer sheet. It is provided with an image output means for outputting.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-30580

If the answer sheets are collected in the order of the students' seats and attendance numbers and scored, and then the answer sheets are discharged in the order according to the scoring results, the answer sheets with problems such as not being able to be automatically scored from the stacked answer sheets or It becomes difficult to identify the student.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and a program capable of sequentially reading a plurality of papers on which information is recorded and identifying notable papers among the plurality of papers even in a laminated state without breaking the reading order. To do.

[1] A paper feeding unit having a notch at the same position and sequentially feeding a plurality of sheets on which information is recorded and a reading unit that reads an image from the fed paper are sequentially conveyed and read. It has a transport unit for sequentially ejecting the above-mentioned paper to an ejection tray, and a processor.
The processor is an image forming apparatus that controls the transport unit so as to eject the paper to the discharge tray in different postures according to the result of evaluating the information based on the image.
[2] When the evaluation result is the first result, the processor ejects the paper to the discharge tray in the first posture, and the evaluation result is different from the first result. When this is the result, the transport unit is controlled so that the paper is discharged to the discharge tray in a posture different from the first posture, and a part of the paper discharged in the other posture is said to be. The image forming apparatus according to the above [1], which is exposed from the notch of the paper ejected in the first posture.
[3] The other posture is the posture in which the front and rear edges of the paper, the front and back edges of the paper, or the front and back edges of the paper are reversed with respect to the first posture. The image forming apparatus according to the description.
[4] The other results are two or three other results that are different from each other.
The image forming apparatus according to the above [2], wherein the other posture is two or three postures different from each other corresponding to the two or three other results.
[5] The processor conveys the paper conveyed in the other posture so as to convey the paper different from the paper ejected in the first posture and discharge the paper to the discharge tray. The image forming apparatus according to any one of the above [2] to [4], which controls a unit.
[6] The processor conveys the paper to be discharged in the first posture by transporting the paper in the first transport path and discharges the paper, and transports the paper to be discharged in the other posture to the first transport path. The image forming apparatus according to the above [5], wherein the transport unit is further controlled so as to transport a transport path other than the first transport path and discharge the image to the discharge tray.
[7] A printing unit for printing the result on the paper is further provided.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the processor controls the transport unit so as to eject the paper printed by the printing unit to the discharge tray.
[8] The image forming apparatus according to the above [7], wherein the printing unit prints classification information for classifying the other postures on a part of the paper.
[9] Paper that has notches at the same position and has information recorded in it, which is sequentially fed from the paper feeding unit, is sequentially conveyed to a reading unit that reads an image from the paper, and the read paper is transferred. For the processor that controls the transport unit that sequentially discharges to the discharge tray
A program for controlling the transport unit so that the paper is ejected to the ejection tray in different postures according to the result recognized for the information based on the image.

According to the inventions of claims 1 and 9, a plurality of papers on which information is recorded can be sequentially read, and a noteworthy paper can be specified even in a laminated state without breaking the reading order among the plurality of papers.
According to the invention of claim 2, even when the paper is in a laminated state, the paper in which a part of the paper is exposed from the notch of another paper can be specified as a noteworthy paper.
According to the invention of claim 3, since the posture is significantly changed as compared with the case where the paper is ejected diagonally, the paper of interest and the other paper can be easily distinguished.
According to the invention of claim 4, the evaluation result can be judged by the posture.
According to the inventions of claims 5 and 6, the posture can be changed by using another transport path.
According to the invention of claim 7, the scoring result can be printed on paper.
According to the invention of claim 8, noteworthy papers can be classified by classification information.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2A and 2B show an example of a specific paper, FIG. 2A is a diagram showing the front surface of the specific paper, and FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the back surface of the specific paper. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example inside the image forming apparatus. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a control system of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a server control system. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of student information. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which specific papers are ejected and laminated. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the inside of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 10A and 10B show an example of a specific paper according to a second embodiment, FIG. 10A is a diagram showing the front surface of the specific paper, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing the back surface of the specific paper.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, components having substantially the same function are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description thereof will be omitted.

[Summary of Embodiment]
The image forming apparatus of the present embodiment has a notch at the same position, and has a paper feed unit for sequentially feeding a plurality of sheets on which information is recorded and a reading unit for reading an image from the fed paper. It has a transport unit and a processor that sequentially ejects the read paper to the ejection tray, and the processor ejects the paper to the ejection tray in different postures according to the result of evaluating the information based on the image. Control the transport section.

The forms include, for example, question sheets in which questions and answers are recorded, answer sheets and answer sheets in which answers are recorded, question and answer sheets and questionnaire sheets in which questions and answers are recorded, and answer sheets in which answers are recorded. included. The information includes, for example, answers, answers, and the like. The information may be recorded on one side of the paper or on both sides. The information is recorded by the subject, such as a student. The paper may be one sheet for the target person, or may be a set of a plurality of sheets.

The evaluation results include, for example, scoring possible / impossible, correct / incorrect answers, scores, classifications, statistics, and the like. The evaluation may be performed by the image forming apparatus itself or by an external device such as a server.

For example, the posture of the paper when it is discharged to the discharge tray is as follows.
(I) Bottom of the surface / leading end of the rear edge The paper is ejected with the front edge of the paper facing down and the rear edge of the paper facing the front.
(Ii) Bottom of the surface / leading edge The paper is ejected with the front surface facing down and the leading edge of the paper at the top.
(Iii) Bottom of back side / top of rear end The back side of the paper is on the bottom, and the rear end of the paper is at the top for ejection.
(Iv) Bottom of the back side / leading edge The back side of the paper is facing down, and the leading edge of the paper is at the top when ejecting.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an external view showing a schematic configuration example of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction device having a plurality of functions such as a scanning function, a copying function, a printing function, and a facsimile function. The image forming apparatus 1 may be an image forming apparatus having a scanning function and a copying function.

Further, the image forming apparatus 1 scores a specific sheet 100 (see FIG. 2) in cooperation with a server 33 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) described later, and has a posture according to scoring possible / impossible and scoring results. It has a function to discharge with. Scoring is an example of evaluation. The scoring possible / impossible and the scoring result are examples of the evaluation results. The specific paper refers to paper other than the specified paper such as A4 plain paper. The specific paper 100 of the present embodiment is, for example, a paper having a notch 110 in a part of A4 size plain paper. Hereinafter, the specific paper 100 will be described by taking a question paper as an example. In addition, the target person who answers the specific form 100 will be described by taking a student as an example. The answer is an example of the information recorded on the form.

(Configuration of device body)
The image forming apparatus 1 has an apparatus main body 2. The apparatus main body 2 has an intermediate portion 2d provided with a space portion 2c between the upper portion 2a, a support portion 2b supporting the upper portion 2a, and the upper portion 2a, and a lower portion provided below the intermediate portion 2d. It has 2e and a side surface portion 2f provided on the side surface of the intermediate portion 2d.

The upper portion 2a has a document base 3 on which a document is arranged, and an automatic paper feed device 4 for automatically feeding a document to the document table 3. The automatic paper feed device 4 is provided on the upper portion 2a of the device main body 2 so as to be openable and closable, and has a first paper feed tray 4a for feeding documents and a first discharge tray 4b for ejecting documents. Further, an operation display unit 7 and a start button 7a are provided on the front side of the upper portion 2a.

A second paper feed tray 5 for feeding a specific paper 100 is provided on the side surface of the support portion 2b. Inside the support portion 2b, a plurality of specific sheets 100 arranged in a stacked state on the second paper feed tray 5 are sequentially fed one by one into a paper transport path 6 (see FIG. 3) described later. A paper feed unit 13 (see FIG. 3) is provided. The second paper feed tray 5 is also used when feeding other paper such as special size paper.

The space 2c between the upper portion 2a and the intermediate portion 2d is provided with a second ejection tray 20 into which the printed paper P or the specific graded paper 100 is ejected. An image forming portion 16 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, is provided inside the intermediate portion 2d to form an image. A plurality of paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b for supplying paper are provided in the lower portion 2e. The second discharge tray 20 is an example of a discharge tray. The image forming unit 16 is an example of a printing unit.

Inside the side surface portion 2f, a double-sided printing pass 64 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later, is provided to reverse the paper P or the specific paper 100.

(Specific paper composition)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the specific paper 100. FIG. 2A shows the front surface 100a of the specific paper 100, and FIG. 2B shows the back surface 100b of the specific paper 100. It is assumed that the specific paper 100 has, for example, A4 size (210 mm × 297 mm) and is taken into the apparatus main body 2 along the longitudinal direction of the specific paper 100.

The specific paper 100 has a notch 110 at a position at a distance d from the tip 100c of one side 100e. The notch 110 is composed of an upper side 111, a side side 112, and a lower side 113, and has a size of a × b. The notch 110 may be composed of three sides or five or more sides, or may be composed of an arc, a straight line, and an arc side. Further, an opening such as a circle or a rectangle away from the side 100e may be used. Further, although the notch 110 is provided on the side side 100e, it may be provided on another side or at the center of the side.

The character "A" 121 is recorded at the position 120 at a distance d from the rear end 100d of the surface 100a and a distance a / 2 from the side side 100e. The character "A" 121 is recorded at the position 120 at a distance d from the rear end 100d of the back surface 100b and a distance a / 2 from the side side 100e. Position 120 is an example of a part of paper.

The character "A" 121 is not limited to "A", and may be a character such as "not scoring", "incorrect answer", or "confirmation required", or may be a color such as red or yellow. Further, a symbol or a color indicating an evaluation value according to the number of incorrect answers may be used. These characters, colors, evaluation values, and symbols are examples of classification information.

Further, on the surface 100a of the specific paper 100, a grade group column 131, a name column 132, a plurality of questions 133, and a plurality of answer columns 134 corresponding to the question 133 are recorded. In the case of this specific form 100, for example, the target student enters the grade and group to which he / she belongs in the grade group column 131, his / her name in the name column 132, and the question 133 in the answer column 134. Enter the number that seems to be the correct answer from the multiple numbers included. As problem 133, for example, "Select the highest mountain in Japan from the following. 1. Mt. Fuji 2. Mt. Kitadake 3. Mt. Takao ..." can be considered.

A plurality of questions 133 and a plurality of answer columns 134 may be recorded on the back surface 100b of the specific sheet 100. In addition, a plurality of specific sheets 100 may be set as a set and given to the students. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the grade group column 131 and the name column 132 only on the first specific paper 100 in one set, and not to provide the grade group column 131 and the name column 132 on the other specific paper 100.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the inside of the image forming apparatus 1. Note that FIG. 3 omits the illustration of the first paper feed tray 4a.

(Paper transport path configuration)
The image forming apparatus 1 extends the paper transport path 6 from the paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b (only one paper feed cassette 21a is shown in the figure) to the first discharge tray 4b and the second discharge tray 20. Is formed.

The paper transport path 6 has a takeaway pass 60, a registration pass 62, a paper ejection pass 63, and a double-sided printing pass 64. The double-sided printing path 64 is an example of an inversion path.

The takeaway pass 60 is a path that guides the paper P taken in from the paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b to the registration path 62. The registration path 62 is a path for forming an image on the paper P or the specific paper 100.

The paper ejection path 63 is a path that guides the image-formed paper P or the specific paper 100 to the first ejection tray 4b or the second ejection tray 20. The output pass 63 is provided in the first output path 63a for discharging to the second discharge tray 20, the second paper discharge path 63b for discharging to the first discharge tray 4b, and the second paper feed tray 5. It has a third paper ejection path 63c for ejecting.

The double-sided printing pass 64 is a path for guiding the specific paper 100 fed from the second paper feed tray 5, the paper P folded back in the paper ejection pass 63, or the specific paper 100 to the registration path 62 again. The registration pass 62, the first paper ejection pass 63a, and the double-sided printing pass 64 are examples of the first transport path.

In the paper transport path 6, a pickup roll 11 that takes in the paper P from the paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b one by one into the takeaway pass 60, a transport roll 12 that conveys the paper P taken in by the pickup roll 11, and a toner image. The intermediate transfer belt 173 to which the toner image is first transferred, the secondary transfer roll 14 for secondary transfer of the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 173 to the paper P, and the fuser 15 for fixing the toner image to the paper P or a specific paper 100. And are arranged.

The image forming apparatus 1 has a paper transport mechanism 17 that transports the paper P or the specific paper 100 along the paper transport path 6. The paper transport mechanism 17 includes a motor that rotationally drives the pickup roll 11, the transport roll 12, and the secondary transfer roll 14, and a drive circuit that drives the motor. The paper transport path 6 and the paper transport mechanism 17 are examples of transport units.

The paper transport mechanism 17 includes a paper feed unit 13 that sequentially feeds a plurality of specific paper 100 arranged in the second paper feed tray 5 into the paper transport path 6 by the paper feed roll 13a, and the paper P or the paper P. It has a paper P or a reversing portion 17a that reverses the paper P or the specific paper 100 by passing the specific paper 100 through the double-sided printing pass 64.

The reversing section 17a switches the guide so that when the paper P leaves the registration pass 62, the paper P or the specific paper 100 does not advance to the output pass 63 but proceeds to the double-sided printing pass 64. The guide guides the paper P or the specific paper 100 to advance to the output path 63 by the spring force of the spring member, and advances the paper P or the specific paper 100 to the double-sided printing pass 64 by the operation of the solenoid. invite.

(Structure of image forming part)
The image forming apparatus 1 arranges an image forming portion 16 for forming an image on the upper portions of the paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b in the apparatus main body 2.

The image forming unit 16 includes a driving roll 170, a backup roll 171 and an intermediate transfer belt 173 stretched on the driven roll 172. The intermediate transfer belt 173 circulates in the direction of the arrow in the drawing while in contact with the photoconductor drum described later.

Further, the image forming unit 16 forms an image forming unit 160C, 160M, 160Y, 160K on the intermediate transfer belt 173 to form a toner image of each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). (Hereinafter, when these are collectively referred to, they are also referred to as "image forming portion 160").

Each image forming unit 160 includes a photoconductor drum 161C, 161M, 161Y, 161K (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "photoreceptor drum 161") on which a toner image of each CMYK color is formed, and a photoconductor. An exposure that forms an electrostatic latent image of each CMYK color by irradiating a charger that uniformly charges the surface of the drum 161 and an exposure light modulated based on the image data of each color of CMYK on the charged photoconductor drum 161. Developers 163C, 163M, 163Y, 163K (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "developer 163") form a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 161 by developing the device and the electrostatic latent image with toner. Also called.). Here, the photoconductor drum 161 is an example of an image holder. The photoconductor drum 161 may be a photoconductor belt.

Further, the image forming unit 160 is placed on the opposite side of the photoconductor drums 161C, 161M, 161Y, 161K with the intermediate transfer belt 173 sandwiched between the primary transfer rolls 162C, 162M, 162Y, 162K (hereinafter, when these are collectively referred to, " A primary transfer roll 162 ”) is provided, and the toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 161 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 173 by pressure contact force and electrostatic force in the nip region formed with the photoconductor drum 161.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system of the image forming apparatus 1. The above-mentioned paper transport mechanism 17 is connected to the controller 30 of the image forming apparatus 1, and an operation display unit 7, an image reading unit 8, an image forming unit 16, and a communication unit 9 are further connected. The communication unit 9 is connected to a terminal device 32 operated by a user via a network 31 and a server 33 for scoring a specific sheet 100.

The operation display unit 7 has a touch panel display in which a touch panel is superposed on a display unit such as a liquid crystal display, displays a display screen on the display unit, and receives an operation from the user to the touch panel. The operation display unit 7 may be composed of an independently provided input unit and a display unit.

The image reading unit 8 sequentially reads the original or the specific paper 100 to generate the original image or the paper image 130 (see FIG. 2), and has the above-mentioned automatic paper feeding device 4 provided on the original table 3. , A scanner 8a realized by photoelectric conversion elements and the like arranged in an array. The scanner 8a optically captures the original image or the paper image 130 from the original arranged on the platen 3, the original fed by the automatic paper feed device 4, or the specific paper 100 fed by the paper feed unit 13. read. The image reading unit 8 transmits the generated original image or paper image 130 to the controller 30. The paper image 130 is an example of an image. The scanner 8a is an example of a reading unit.

(Controller configuration)
The controller 30 includes a control unit 300 that controls each unit of the image forming apparatus 1, and a storage unit 310 that stores various types of information.

The control unit 300 includes a processor 300a such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an interface, and the like. The processor 300a functions as a reception means 301, a communication control means 302, an image formation control means 303, a paper transport mechanism control means 304, and the like by operating according to the program 311.

The storage unit 310 is composed of a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk, and the like, and stores various information such as a program 311.

Next, each means 301 to 304 of the control unit 300 will be described.

The receiving means 301 accepts a copy job or a scoring job based on an operation on the operation display unit 7. In the copy job and the scoring job, the original image or the paper image 130 is sequentially received from the image reading unit 8. Further, the receiving means 301 receives PDL (page description language) data and storage destination information together with the print job from the printer driver of the terminal device 32.

The communication control means 302 sequentially transmits the paper image 130 read by the scanner 8a of the image reading unit 8 to the specific paper 100, and sequentially receives the scoring image and the scoring availability information from the server 33.

The image forming control means 303 controls the image forming unit 16 so as to sequentially print the scoring result based on the scoring image and the scoring availability information transmitted from the server 33. For example, in the case of a correct answer, a red mark is printed in the answer column 134, and in the case of an incorrect answer, a red mark is printed in the answer column 134.

The paper transport mechanism control means 304 controls the paper transport mechanism 17 according to a printing mode described later instructed by the user. When a specific paper 100 that cannot be scored occurs in the scoring mode, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 has a double-sided printing pass 64 so that the specific paper 100 that is conveyed next does not interfere with the specific paper 100 that cannot be scored. May be made to wait at.

The image forming apparatus 1 has, for example, a "single-sided printing mode" in which an image is formed on one side of the paper P, a "double-sided printing mode" in which an image is formed on both sides of the paper P, and a "scoring" for scoring a specific paper 100. It has a print mode such as "mode". Hereinafter, a job executed under the single-sided printing mode and a double-sided printing mode is referred to as a copy job, and a job executed under the scoring mode is referred to as a scoring job.

In the single-sided printing mode, under the control of the paper transport mechanism control means 304, the paper P is conveyed through the takeaway pass 60, the surface is printed by the registration pass 62, and the paper P is ejected to the second ejection tray 20.

In the double-sided printing mode, under the control of the paper transport mechanism control means 304, the paper P is conveyed on the takeaway pass 60, the surface is printed on the registration pass 62, and then the paper P is printed on the second output pass 63b. The paper P is inverted by folding back and passing through the double-sided printing pass 64, the back surface is printed by the registration pass 62, and the paper P is ejected to the second ejection tray 20. The single-sided printing mode and the double-sided printing mode can also be selected to be discharged to the first discharge tray 4b or the second paper feed tray 5.

In the single-sided printing mode and the double-sided printing mode, when the toner image of each color of CMYK is superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 173 based on the image data of each color of CMYK and primary transferred, the toner image is transferred to the paper feed cassettes 21a and 21b. It is secondarily transferred to the paper P fed from. Then, the toner image transferred to the paper P is fixed to the paper P by the fixing device 15, and then the paper P is discharged to the second discharge tray 20.

In the scoring mode, the specific paper 100 is conveyed to the second output pass 63b under the control of the paper conveying mechanism control means 304, folded back and passed through the double-sided printing pass 64, so that the specific paper 100 is inverted. , The specific paper (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “specific paper that can be graded”) 100 printed by registration 62 and capable of scoring all questions is directly below the surface and at the rear end from the second output pass 63b. It is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in the leading posture.

A specific sheet having an answer that cannot be scored (hereinafter, also referred to as a unit “specific sheet that cannot be scored”) 100 is folded back at the second output path 63b under the control of the paper transport mechanism control means 304. It passes through the double-sided printing pass 64 and the registration 62, and is discharged from the second paper ejection pass 63b to the second ejection tray 20 in the posture of the lower back surface and the leading end.

The specific paper 100 that cannot be scored refers to a paper that includes a question whose answer could not be recognized by the server 33. The fact that the character could not be recognized means that the recognition rate is less than the threshold value, and may include the case where the answer is not given. Whether or not the specific sheet 100 answered by the student can be scored is determined by whether or not all the answers can be scored in units of one set when the specific sheet 100 is a plurality of sheets and costs 1 cent. The non-scoring specific paper 100 is an example of a noteworthy paper. The posture below the surface and at the beginning of the rear end is an example of the first posture. The postures below the back surface and at the beginning of the tip are examples of other postures. Scoring is an example of the first result. Unscoring is an example of other results.

In the scoring mode, when the toner image of each color of CMYK is superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 173 based on the image data of each color of CMYK included in the scoring image and the toner image is first transferred, the toner image is transferred to the second paper feed tray. The secondary transfer is performed on the specific paper 100 fed from 5. Then, the toner image transferred to the specific paper 100 is fixed on the specific paper 100 by the fixing device 15, and then the specific paper 100 is subjected to the above route according to whether or not all the answers can be scored. It is discharged to the discharge tray 20 of 2.

(Server configuration)
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the control system of the server 33. The server 33 transmits / receives information between the terminal device 32 and the image forming device 1 by HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Security) communication. In HTTPS communication, for example, SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol is used to perform encrypted communication in which the communication contents are concealed.

The server 33 includes a processor 330a such as a CPU, a control unit 330 realized by an interface or the like, a storage unit 331 realized by a ROM, RAM, a hard disk or the like, and an image forming device 1 and a terminal device 32 via a network 31. It includes a communication unit 332 that communicates with the communication unit 332. Various information such as program 3110, student information 3311, question answer information 3312, and format information 3313 are stored in the storage unit 331.

The question answer information 3312 includes a question recorded on a specific sheet 100, a correct answer to the question, and the like.

The format information 3313 includes the position information of the grade group column 131, the name column 132, and the answer column 134.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of student information 3311. Student information 3311 has a plurality of items such as grade, group, name, question, answer, and scoring included in the question sheet. In the items of grade, group, name, and answer, the student's grade, group, name, and answer, which are read and recognized from the specific sheet 100, are recorded. The "error" of the answer item is recorded when the character cannot be recognized because the recognition rate is less than the threshold value. In the scoring item, 〇 is recorded if the answer is correct, × is recorded if the answer is incorrect, and-is recorded if the answer is an error.

The processor 330a of the control unit 330 functions as the character recognition means 3300, the scoring means 3301, and the like by executing the program 3110 of the storage unit 331.

When the character recognition means 3300 receives the paper image 130 of the specific paper 100 from the image forming apparatus 1, it reads the grade from the grade group column 131, the name from the name column 132, and the answer from the answer column 134, and uses a dictionary. The character is recognized and the recognition result is recorded in the corresponding item of the student information 3311. Further, if there is an answer that the character recognition means 3300 could not recognize the character, the character recognition means 3300 records an error in the answer item of the student information 3311. If any of the year, group, and name cannot be recognized, an error may be recorded in the corresponding item.

The scoring means 3301 is entered in the answer column 134, collates the answer recognized by the character recognition means 3300 with the correct answer recorded in the question answer information 3312, evaluates whether or not the answer is correct for each question, and scores the question. The scoring means 3301 records the scoring result in the scoring item of the student information 3311. Further, the scoring means 3301 generates a scoring image and scoring availability information based on the presence / absence of an error, the scoring result, and the format information 3313, and transmits the scoring image and the scoring availability information to the image forming apparatus 1. The scoring image is an image including a ◯ or × mark whose scoring result is shown in red at a position corresponding to the answer column 134. The scoring availability information includes information on the presence or absence of an error indicating that scoring is not possible and the question information indicating which question the error corresponds to.

(Operation of the first embodiment)
Next, an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The case of operating in the scoring mode and executing the scoring job will be described below.

The user stacks a plurality of specific sheets 100 for which a plurality of students have answered the question with the surface 100a facing up and the tip 100c facing forward in the transport direction so that the positions of the notches 110 match. It is arranged in the paper feed tray 5.

When the user operates the start button 7a, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 controls the paper feed unit 13 to take in the specific paper 100 one by one from the second paper feed tray 5, and the second paper discharge path 63b. To be transported to. The scanner 8a of the image reading unit 8 sequentially reads the paper image 130 from the surface 100a of the specific paper 100 (S1). The receiving means 301 receives the read paper image 130.

The communication control means 302 sequentially transmits the paper image 130 received by the reception means 301 to the server 33 (S2). The character recognition means 3300 of the server 33 performs character recognition processing on the transmitted paper image 130. That is, the character recognition means 3300 reads the grade from the grade group column 131, the name from the name column 132, and the answer from the answer column 134, recognizes the characters using a dictionary, and recognizes the recognition result as the corresponding item of the student information 3311. Record in. Further, if there is an answer that the character recognition means 3300 could not recognize the character, the character recognition means 3300 records an error in the answer item of the student information 3311.

The scoring means 3301 is entered in the answer column 134, collates the answer recognized by the character recognition means 3300 with the correct answer recorded in the question answer information 3312, evaluates whether or not the answer is correct for each question, and scores the question. The scoring means 3301 records the scoring result in the scoring item of the student information 3311. Further, the scoring means 3301 generates a scoring image and scoring availability information based on the presence / absence of an error, the scoring result, and the format information 3313, and transmits the scoring image and the scoring availability information to the image forming apparatus 1.

The communication control means 302 receives the scoring images and the scoring availability information sequentially transmitted from the server 33 via the network 31 (S3).

The image forming control means 303 controls the image forming unit 16 so as to sequentially print the scoring results in the answer column 134 of the specific sheet 100 based on the scoring image (S4). The image forming unit 16 prints ◯ in red in the correct answer column 134 of the specific sheet 100, and prints × in red in the answer column 134 of the incorrect answer.

The paper transport mechanism control means 304 determines whether or not all the questions of the specific paper 100 answered by the student can be scored based on the scoring availability information transmitted from the server 33 (S5), and if scoring is possible. (S5: Yes) ejects the specific paper 100 to the second ejection tray 20 via the first ejection path 63a (S6). The specific paper 100 is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of being under the surface and at the front end of the rear end. Whether or not the specific paper 100 answered by the student can be scored is determined by whether or not all the questions can be scored in units of one set when the specific paper 100 is a set of a plurality of sheets.

When the paper transport mechanism control means 304 determines that scoring is not possible (S5: No), the specific paper 100 is once ejected to the first output pass 63a, then folded back to form the double-sided printing pass 64 and the registration pass 62. And discharge to the second discharge tray 20 via the first paper discharge path 63a (S7). The specific paper 100 is ejected to the second ejection tray 20 in the posture of the lower back surface and the leading end. The specific paper 100 is ejected to the second ejection tray 20 in a stacked state without breaking the reading order.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the specific paper 100 is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 and stacked. In the figure, the arrows indicate the ejection direction of the specific paper 100. When the user takes out the specific paper 100 discharged to the second discharge tray 20 from the second discharge tray 20, the bundle of the specific paper 100 can be seen in the state shown in FIG. 7. This bundle is, for example, sandwiched between two specific sheets 100A on which all questions can be scored and a specific sheet 100B having an answer that cannot be scored.

In FIG. 7, the rear end 100d of the specific paper 100A that can be scored is on the upper side, and the tip 100c of the specific paper 100B that cannot be scored is on the upper side. The character "A" 121 recorded on the surface 100a of the specific paper 100B that cannot be scored appears to be exposed from the notch 110 of the specific paper 100A that can be scored. Even when this bundle is viewed from the opposite side, the character "A" 121 recorded on the back surface 100b of the specific paper 100B that cannot be scored appears to be exposed from the notch 110 of the specific paper 100A that can be scored. Based on the letter "A" 121, the specific paper 100B that cannot be scored can be extracted from this bundle without breaking the order of reading.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the inside of the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

The image forming apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment moves back and forth to the paper transport path 6 so that the specific paper 100 can be discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in four postures according to the scoring result of the specific paper 100. The end reversal path 18 is provided, and the other parts are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the points different from those of the first embodiment will be mainly described. The front-rear end reversal path 18 is an example of another transport path.

The front-rear end reversal path 18 takes in a specific paper 100 from the first paper ejection pass 63a, inverts the front end and the rear end without changing the front and back of the specific paper 100, and makes the first paper ejection pass 63a again. It is something to bring back. The front-rear end reversal path 18 can be realized by configuring the transport path so as to twist the transport path half a turn while drawing a loop.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the specific paper 100 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10A shows the front surface 100a of the specific paper 100, and FIG. 10B shows the back surface 100b of the specific paper 100. The specific paper 100 is obtained by adding the characters “B” 122 and the characters “C” 123 to the specific paper 100 shown in FIG. The character [A] 121, the character "B" 122, and the character "C" 123 are examples of classification information.

On the surface 100a of the specific paper 100, as shown in FIG. 10A, the character "B" 122 is recorded at the position 120 at a distance d from the rear end 100d and a distance a / 2 from the side 100f, and the front end. The character "C" 123 is recorded upside down at a distance d from 100c and a distance a / 2 from the side 100f.

On the back surface 100b of the specific paper 100, as shown in FIG. 10B, the character "B" 122 is recorded at the position 120 at a distance d from the rear end 100d and a distance a / 2 from the side side 100f, and the back surface is recorded. The character "C" 123 is recorded upside down at a distance d from the tip 100c of 100b and a distance a / 2 from the side 100f.

The letters "A" 121, the letters "B" 122, and the letters "C" 123 are not limited to "A", "B", and "C", but are "impossible to score", "incorrect answer", and "confirmation required". , Etc., or a color such as red or yellow. Further, a symbol or a color indicating an evaluation value according to the number of incorrect answers may be used. These characters, colors, evaluation values, and symbols are examples of classification information.

When all the questions are answered correctly, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 of the second embodiment discharges the specific paper 100 into the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of being under the surface and at the front end of the rear end, and only one question is not answered. If the answer is correct, the specific paper 100 is ejected to the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of the bottom of the back surface and the tip of the tip. If four or more questions are incorrect, the paper transport mechanism 17 is controlled so that the specific paper 100 is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of the lower back surface and the leading position at the rear end. .. The posture below the surface and at the beginning of the rear end is an example of the first posture. The postures below the back surface and at the beginning of the tip, below the front surface and at the beginning of the tip, and below the back surface and at the beginning of the rear end are examples of other postures. All correct answers are an example of the first result. Only one question is incorrect, two or three questions are incorrect, and four or more questions are incorrect, which are examples of other results.

Specifically, when ejecting the specific paper 100 with all the correct answers, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 passes the specific paper 100 via the first output path 63a as in the first embodiment. Then, the paper is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of being below the surface and at the beginning of the rear end.

When ejecting the specific paper 100 having an incorrect answer for only one question, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 once ejects the specific paper 100 to the first output path 63a as in the first embodiment. , It is folded back and discharged to the second discharge tray 20 in the posture of the lower back surface and the leading end of the back surface via the double-sided printing pass 64, the registration pass 62, and the first paper ejection pass 63a. In this case, the letter "A" 121 of the specific paper 100 with incorrect answers for only one question is exposed from the notch 110 of the specific paper 100A with all correct answers.

When ejecting the specific paper 100 having an incorrect answer for only two or three questions, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 once ejects the specific paper 100 to the first output pass 63a, and then passes the front-rear end reversal path 18. The front and back of the specific paper 100 is reversed, and the paper is discharged to the second discharge tray 20 via the first paper discharge path 63a in the posture of being under the surface and at the front of the tip. In this case, the character "B" 122 of the specific paper 100 with incorrect answers for only two or three questions is exposed from the notch 110 of the specific paper 100A with all correct answers.

When ejecting the specific paper 100 with four or more incorrect answers, the paper transport mechanism control means 304 once ejects the specific paper 100 to the first paper ejection path 63a, and then discharges the specific paper 100 through the front-rear end reversal path 18. The front and back of 100 are reversed, folded back at the second paper ejection pass 63b or the third paper ejection pass 63c, and passed through the first paper ejection pass 63a, and the second discharge tray is in the posture of the lower back surface and the leading end of the rear end. Discharge to 20. In this case, the character "C" 123 of the specific paper 100 with four or more incorrect answers is exposed from the notch 110 of the specific paper 100A with all the correct answers. Based on the characters "A" 121, the characters "B" 122, and the characters "C" 123, the specific paper 100 of interest can be extracted from the specific paper 100 in the laminated state without breaking the order of reading.

(Modification example 1)
The processor uses one of the transport paths from the paper feed section to the reading section as another transport path, reverses the front and rear edges of the paper and the front and back sides with respect to the first posture, and discharges the paper in the other posture. The transport section may be controlled so that it is discharged to the tray.

(Modification 2)
The transport unit has a reversing path that reverses only the front and rear ends of the paper as another transport path, and the processor transports the paper to the reversing path and reverses only the front and rear edges of the paper with respect to the first posture. The transport unit may be controlled so that the paper is discharged to the discharge tray.

(Modification example 3)
The processor uses the reversing path and one of the transport paths from the paper feeding section to the reading section to reverse only the front and back sides of the paper with respect to the first posture and eject the paper to the ejection tray in the other posture. The transport unit may be controlled so as to do so.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and implementations are possible without changing the gist of the present invention. be. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the question sheet has been described, but other sheets such as an answer sheet and an answer sheet may be used.

Further, the image forming apparatus 1 may have the function of the server 33. For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may have the functions of the character recognition means 3300 and the scoring means 3301.

Each means of the processor may be composed of hardware circuits such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which are partially or wholly reconfigurable.

Further, it is possible to omit or change a part of the constituent elements of the above-described embodiment without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, steps can be added, deleted, changed, replaced, etc. in the flow of the above-described embodiment without changing the gist of the present invention. Further, the program used in the above embodiment can be recorded and provided on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Further, the program used in the above embodiment can be stored in an external server such as a cloud server and used via a network.

1 ... Image forming device, 2 ... Device main body, 2a ... Upper part, 2b ... Support part, 2c ... Space part, 2d ... Intermediate part, 2e ... Lower part, 2f ... Side part, 3 ... Document stand, 4 ... Automatic paper feed device 4, 4a ... 1st paper feed tray, 4b ... 1st discharge tray, 5 ... 2nd paper feed tray, 6 ... Paper transport path, 7 ... Operation display unit, 7a ... Start button, 8 ... Image reader, 9 ... Communication unit, 13 ... Paper feed unit, 13a ... Paper feed roll, 16 ... Image forming unit, 17 ... Paper transport mechanism, 17a ... Reversing unit, 18 ... Front and rear end reversing path, 20 ... Second discharge tray, 21a , 21b ... Paper cassette,
30 ... controller, 31 ... network, 32 ... terminal device, 33 ... server,
60 ... Takeaway pass, 62 ... Registration pass, 63, 63a-63c ... Paper ejection pass, 64 ... Double-sided printing pass,
100 ... specific paper, 100A ... specific paper with all correct answers, 100B ... specific paper with some incorrect answers, 100a ... front side, 100b ... back side, 100c ... front end, 100d ... rear end, 100e, 100f ... side Side, 110 ... notch, 111 ... upper side, 112 ... side side, 113 ... lower side, 120 ... position, 121 ... character "A", 122 ... character "B", 123 ... character "C", 130 ... paper image, 131 ... Grade group column, 132 ... Name column, 133 ... Question, 134 ... Answer column,
300 ... Control unit, 300a ... Processor, 301 ... Reception means, 302 ... Communication control means, 303 ... Image formation control means, 304 ... Paper transport mechanism control means,
310 ... storage, 311 ... program,
330 ... Control unit, 330a ... Processor, 331 ... Storage unit, 332 ... Communication unit,
3310 ... Program, 3311 ... Student information, 3312 ... Question answer information, 3313 ... Format information, 3300 ... Character recognition means, 3301 ... Scoring means,
P ... Paper

Claims (9)

The paper that has a notch at the same position and sequentially feeds a plurality of sheets on which information is recorded, and the paper that is sequentially conveyed and read to a reading unit that reads an image from the fed paper. It has a transport unit and a processor that sequentially discharges the paper to the discharge tray.
The processor controls the transport unit so that the paper is ejected to the ejection tray in different postures according to the result of evaluating the information based on the image.
Image forming device. When the evaluation result is the first result, the processor ejects the paper to the discharge tray in the first posture, and the evaluation result is another result different from the first result. In this case, the transport unit is controlled so that the paper is discharged to the discharge tray in a posture different from the first posture, and a part of the paper discharged in the other posture is discharged to the first posture. Exposing from the notch of the paper ejected in the posture.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. The other posture is a posture in which the front and rear edges of the paper, the front and back edges of the paper, or the front and back edges of the paper are reversed with respect to the first posture.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2. The other results are two or three other results that are different from each other.
The other postures are two or three postures that differ from each other in response to the two or three other results.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2. The processor controls the transport unit so that the paper transported in the other posture is transported to a transport path different from the paper discharged in the first posture and discharged to the discharge tray. do,
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4. The processor conveys the paper to be ejected in the first posture and discharges the paper in the first transport path, and conveys the paper to be ejected in the other posture to the first transport path, and further. The transport unit is controlled so as to transport other transport paths other than the first transport path and discharge the paper to the discharge tray.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5. A printing unit for printing the result on the paper is further provided.
The processor controls the transport unit so as to eject the paper printed by the printing unit to the discharge tray.
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The printing unit prints classification information for classifying the other postures on a part of the paper.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7. Paper that has notches at the same position and has information recorded in it, which is sequentially fed from the paper feed unit, is sequentially conveyed to a reading unit that reads an image from the paper, and the read paper is placed in an ejection tray. For the processor that controls the transport unit that discharges sequentially
A program for controlling the transport unit so that the paper is ejected to the ejection tray in different postures according to the result recognized for the information based on the image.

Images