JP2627282B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing images including characters and graphics, such as a word processor, a copying machine, or a document file system. The present invention relates to an image copying apparatus capable of printing and adding a new image onto an existing document on which blank images or images have already been formed.

(B) Conventional technology Conventional devices for processing an image including characters and graphics, such as a word processor, a copying machine, or a document file system, copy an existing document on which an image is formed as a manuscript. Alternatively, it merely has a function of printing a new image such as a character or a graphic on a blank sheet of paper.

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Therefore, when newly adding a character, a graphic, or the like to a document on which some image is already formed, the alignment is very complicated. For example, in a case where the address, the amount, and the like are printed and printed on a preprinted invoice in a predetermined format using a word processor, characters to be newly added are created in advance in the word processor. In addition, it is necessary to specify the printing position after accurately measuring those printing positions on the bill. However, when such a process is performed, an error of about ± 2 mm is unavoidably generated for the reasons described below.

In an electrophotographic copying machine, it is conceivable that an existing document is set as copying paper in the copying machine and another document on which an image to be newly added is formed is copied as a manuscript. Is more difficult than in the word processor described above. For this reason, for example, operations such as pasting a character, a figure, and the like to be newly added to a copy sheet after copying a document, or placing a copy on a platen of a copying machine to perform copying are common. It has been done.

Further, a document file device generally has a function of editing an image, but this is often a function of simply arranging a plurality of images as blocks on the same sheet,
It is not a function for printing characters at a predetermined position or column of an invoice already printed in a predetermined format as described above.

As described above, in various conventional image processing apparatuses, it is not originally considered to print a new character or the like at a position intended by a user on existing paper, and accordingly, the user must take various measures. ± 2mm even when performing such operations elaborately
It is unavoidable that a degree of error occurs.

By the way, the following circumstances are considered as causes of the error of about ± 2 mm as described above.

 First, the following are examples of errors due to paper.

(1) Normally, the size of A series (A4, A5, etc.) and B series (B4, B5, etc.) is set as JIS standard for cut and sold paper, but an error of about ± 1 mm is acceptable. Have been.

(2) Normal paper absorbs moisture depending on humidity conditions and expands and contracts by about ± 0.5 mm.

(3) The existing printed matter has an error of about ± 0.5 mm in the printing position with respect to the edge of the paper (actually due to an error at the time of cutting after printing).

Next, the followings can be cited as errors during paper feeding of the image processing apparatus.

(4) FIG. 7 (a) is a side view of the conventional paper feeder of various conventional image processing apparatuses, and FIG. 7 (b) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the register rollers 1A and 1A. c) is configured as shown in a perspective view. That is, positioning in a direction (hereinafter, referred to as a width direction) orthogonal to the feeding direction of the sheet 2 is performed by a pair of guides 5 arranged opposite to each other, and the sheet 2 to be sent next by the feed roller 3 is The guide rollers 4, 4 arranged on both the upper and lower sides guide the register rollers 1 for positioning in the feeding direction at the start of paper feeding and prevent skew.

By the way, the guides 5 are arranged at intervals of about 1 to 2 mm wider than the layer of the paper 2 so that the paper 2 can be fed smoothly, and the skew of the paper 2 is between the feed roller 3 and the register roller 1. This is likely to occur, and the state in which the sheet 2 is caught by the register roller 1 is not always constant. Therefore,
An error of about 1 to 2 mm in the width direction of the paper 2, about ± 0.5 mm in the feeding direction, and about ± 1 mm in the oblique direction occurs.

Due to the above circumstances, when adding a new image to an existing document using a conventional image processing device, ± 2m
It is inevitable that an error of about m occurs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and is an image capable of easily and highly accurately aligning and adding an image of any new character or graphic at an arbitrary position of an existing document. The purpose is to provide processing.

(D) Means for solving the problems The present invention provides an information reading means for reading information on a sheet, a sheet information storage means for storing information read by the information reading means, and a storage in the sheet information storage means. Display means for displaying the received paper information, additional means for adding new information to the information displayed on the display means and displaying the information on the display means, and paper position detection means for detecting the position of the paper. Additional information storage means for storing information to be newly added, and writing means for writing the additional information stored in the additional information storage means on the sheet according to the position signal sent by the sheet position detection means. The paper information storage means stores the read information in a one-to-one correspondence with the position on the paper, and the additional information storage means has a one-to-one correspondence with the paper information storage means. Has a positional relationship between an image processing apparatus characterized by storing information in the same positional relationship specific position of the paper as a reference point.

(E) Function In the image processing apparatus of the present invention, the position of the sheet itself or the image on the sheet is detected, and the position of the image to be added is designated and printed, or the image is newly added. When printing an image to be printed, the position of the printing means with respect to the sheet is detected and alignment is performed.

(F) Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing the examples.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention.

In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus of the present invention comprises an image information reading section A, an image information adding section B and a control section C.

 The image information reading section A is configured as follows.

In the figure, 1A, 1A is a pair of register rollers, which convey the paper 2 in the direction shown by the arrow. The register rollers are provided on both upper and lower sides of the sheet 2.

On the downstream side of the register rollers 1A, 1A in the paper feeding direction, the line sensor 7 makes the element arrangement direction orthogonal to the paper feeding direction in order to decompose and read the contour of the paper 2 and the image information thereon into matrix-shaped pixels. It is located as a direction.

The line sensor 7 operates as sheet information reading means, and the read image information on the sheet 2 is given to the control device 19 of the control unit C for processing, and the memory device 190
Image data, for example, each pixel at the time of reading is 1
The dot data represented in the dot is stored as image data in which the dot data is arranged in a matrix.

1C is a drive control circuit for the register rollers 1A, 1A, and controls the rotation speed of the register rollers 1A, 1A according to a signal provided from the control device 19.

 The configuration of the image information adding unit B is as follows.

In the figure, reference numeral 6 denotes an optical sensor which detects the edge position of the paper 2 in the paper feed direction and supplies the information to the control device 19.

1B, 1B are a pair of register rollers configured similarly to the register rollers 1A, 1A, and are driven and controlled by a drive control circuit 1D. The drive control circuit 1D controls the rotation speed of the register rollers 1B, 1B according to a signal given from the control device 19.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a printing head, which can be, for example, an ink ribbon printing head, a thermal head, an ink jet head, or an electrophotographic method of exposing with an LED, LCD, laser or the like as described later. It is needless to say that the image printed on the sheet 2 by the printing head 8 is image data stored in the memory device 190.

The control section C comprises the control device 19 and a display unit 20, such as a CRT display, and a keyboard 21 for the user to input data and various commands.

The control device 19 has a memory device 190. The image data stored as dot data in the memory device 190 is displayed on the display unit 20 and has a word processor function.

The memory device 190 includes a first memory for storing paper information read by the line sensor 7, that is, a paper information memory 190a, and an additional information memory 190b for storing image information to be newly added. It is configured.

The paper information is stored in the paper information memory 190a as dot data in a one-to-one relationship with the outline of the paper 2 and the image information therein, for example, at the time of reading by the line sensor 7. Therefore, each image information on the paper 2 can specify the positional relationship on the paper 2 as the relationship with the edge position of the paper 2, and the image information itself and the positional relationship on the paper 2 can be specified. Are also referred to as paper information.

The storage of the additional information in the additional information memory 190b is performed in accordance with the reference position of the sheet 2 specified on the sheet information memory 190a.

The operation of the thus configured image processing apparatus of the present invention is as follows. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the basic operation contents, and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (f) are schematic diagrams for explanation.

By the register rollers 1A, 1A of the image information reading section A,
For example, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), when the sheet 2 on which an image is already formed is sent in the direction of the arrow, the line sensor 7 outputs image information on the sheet 2 and information on the positional relationship of the image information on the sheet 2, That is, the sheet information is read and sent to the control device 19 (step S1).

When reading the sheet information, it is not always necessary that any image is formed on the sheet 2 in advance, and it may be a simple blank sheet.

When the reading of the sheet information on one sheet 2 is completed, the controller 19 displays the sheet information on the display unit 20 (step S2). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3B, the paper information memory 190a
The image information on the paper 2 is stored together with the outline data 2M of the paper 2 in one-to-one correspondence with the actual positional relationship on the paper 2. Therefore, if the display on the display unit 20 is to display a part of the sheet 2, for example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. That is, on the display screen of the display unit 20, the image 2I of the sheet 2 is displayed together with its outline and the image already formed therein.

Next, if the user wants to finally form an image as shown in FIG. 3 (f) on the sheet 2, for example, a new image is formed on the sheet 2 as shown in FIG. 3 (d). The image to be added to the display unit 20, in this example, "XX" is displayed at a desired position on the image 2I of the sheet 2 displayed on the image of the display unit 20 by operating the keyboard 21 by the word processor function of the control device 19. Let it.

The additional information input and displayed on the display screen of the display unit 20 in this manner is stored in the additional information memory 190b in a state as shown in FIG. 3 (e). That is, the additional information memory 190b has a one-to-one correspondence with the sheet information memory 190a, and is stored at the same position on the memory with a specific position of the sheet 2 as a reference point.

After the content of the additional information to be newly added and its position are determined in this way, when the printing is instructed,
The sheet information memory 190a first performs initial setting of the position of the sheet 2. That is, the control device 19 gives a signal to the drive control circuit 1d of the register rollers 1B, 1B, and first, feeds the sheet 2 until the rear end position of the image 2I of the sheet 2 coincides with the position of the optical sensor 6 ( Step S4).

Thereafter, the control device 19 controls the driving of the register rollers 1B, 1B to control the register rollers 1B, 1B on the additional information memory 190b.
The printing position of the printing head 8 is made to coincide with the upper position, the additional information is read from the additional information memory 190b, and is printed on the printing head 8 (step S5).

At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, initially, FIG.
When the paper 2 arrives at the register rollers 1B, 1B, a slight misregistration occurs although the image is intended to be printed at the position shown in FIG. It may stop at the position shown.

In this way, when the image is deviated by ΔX and ΔY from the original position, the image is printed at a predetermined position on the sheet 2 by controlling the printing position of the printing head 8 ( FIG. 8 (c)).

In this embodiment, the component of ΔY is corrected by the printing head 8 and the component of ΔX is corrected by controlling the rotation amount of the register rollers 1B, 1B.
Both X and ΔY can be corrected by the printing head 8.

When the position of the sheet 2 is detected, the edge of the sheet 2 can be directly detected by the optical sensor 6.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a sensor (line sensor 7 in FIG. 1) for reading sheet information from sheet 2 and a sensor for detecting the position of sheet 2 when printing additional information (optical sensor in FIG. 1) 6) is shared by the line sensor 7.

Specifically, after the sheet information is read by the line sensor 7, the sheet 2 is temporarily discharged from a sheet discharging roller 9 disposed in place of the register rollers 1 </ b> B, 1 </ b> B, and then is registered by a transport device (not shown). It is configured to be supplied again to the rollers 1A, 1A. The printing head 8 is disposed at a position between the line sensor 7 and the paper discharge roller 9, and prints additional information on the sheet 2 after the position is detected by the line sensor 7. I do it.

 Reference numeral 10 denotes a lamp for illuminating the sheet 2.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an image information reading section A and an image information adding section B showing the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the third embodiment, a so-called electrophotographic printing apparatus widely used as a copying machine capable of high-speed printing is used for the image information adding section B.

Specifically, the image information adding unit B includes the photosensitive drum 15
A charging corotron 16 for charging this to a predetermined voltage, a laser oscillation device 14 for forming a charging latent image on the photosensitive drum 15 charged to a predetermined voltage by the charging corotron 16,
A developing unit 17 for developing the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 15 with toner and a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 15 for transferring the toner image to the paper 2 and separating the paper 2 from the photosensitive drum 15 It is composed of a transfer / separation corotron 13 and the like.

In this embodiment, the line sensor 7 of each embodiment described above is used.
Instead, a configuration using a solid-state imaging device (CCD) 70 is adopted. That is, the paper 2 is illuminated by the illumination 10, the reflected light is reflected by the reflecting mirror 11 toward the lens 12, and the light converged by the lens 12 is received by the solid-state imaging device 70. .

In the image processing apparatus of the third embodiment, after the sheet information of the sheet 2 is read by the line sensor 7, the register rollers 1B, 1B temporarily register the sheet 2 with the register rollers 1A, 1B.
The sheet is returned to 1A, and is conveyed toward the photosensitive drum 15 by the register rollers 1B and 1B while the position is detected by the line sensor 7. Then, the content stored in the additional information memory 190b is formed as an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 15 by the laser oscillation device 14, and the toner image developed by the developing device 17 is transferred to the paper 2.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, this embodiment also has the first
Needless to say, a control unit C as shown in FIG.

By the way, when the line sensor 7 or the solid-state imaging device 70 for obtaining the sheet information is shared as the position detection sensor of the sheet 2 as described above, in any case,
In particular, when the solid-state imaging device 70 is shared, it becomes easy to recognize the pattern of the image information on the paper 2. Therefore, instead of detecting the edge of the sheet 2 and performing alignment,
If the configuration is such that each image information on the paper 2 is aligned while recognizing the pattern, it can follow the expansion and contraction of the paper 2 due to moisture absorption and the like, and more accurate alignment becomes possible.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In the fourth embodiment, a general image reader (image scanner) 18 such as a facsimile apparatus, which is conventionally used, is used as the image information reader A, and the image information adder B is also used as the image information reader B. A configuration is employed in which a general electrophotographic copying machine is additionally provided with an optical sensor 6 for detecting the position of the sheet 2. As the control device 19 and the display unit 20, for example, a general microprocessor and its attached display unit can be used by devising software.

This fourth embodiment can be realized by, for example, adding a small modification to a facsimile apparatus and a copying machine already owned by a small-scale store or office. Then, for example, a large number of leaflets are printed in a lump, and when various product names or prices are to be printed and added later, the position designation and information to be added are preliminarily specified. Can be entered all at once.

 Finally, the transport speed of the sheet 2 will be described.

In an image processing apparatus that performs processes such as image printing on the moving paper 2 as described above, generally, various mechanisms such as a drive system can be simplified if the paper feeding speed is constant. And the control is easy. In particular, when the same sensor is used for both reading the paper information and detecting the position when printing the additional information as in the second and third embodiments, the paper feeding speed is constant. Is advantageous.

However, when the image information reading unit A and the image information adding unit B are originally different devices as in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6, or in the third embodiment shown in FIG. As in the example, when a CCD is used as a sensor for reading paper information of the image information reading unit A and a dot impact printer or a thermal head is used for printing additional information, the reading speed of the CCD is determined by the printing speed. Quite early compared to. Therefore, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 5, if the sheet 2 is read and the standby state is immediately set as the initial state for printing the additional information, the processing efficiency is increased.

Further, the paper feed speed at the time of printing the additional information on the paper 2 is relatively set, for example, between the initial position and the first printing position, or between one printing position and the next printing position. If the paper is fed quickly, it is possible to shorten the processing time as a whole.

(G) Effect of the Invention As described above, according to the image processing apparatus of the present invention, when an image such as a character or a graphic is added to a sheet, the image is written over a character or the like previously written on the sheet. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a first embodiment of the image processing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram thereof, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the main part showing the configuration of the second embodiment, FIG. 5 is a side view of the main part showing the configuration of the third embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the main part showing the configuration of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration and operation of a paper feeder of a conventional general image processing apparatus, and FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a state of correcting the position of a sheet. A: image information reading unit, B: image information adding unit, C:
... Control unit, 1A, 1B ... Register roller, 2 ... Paper, 3
... Feed roller, 6 optical sensor, 7 line sensor, 8 print head, 9 discharge roller, 15 photosensitive drum, 18 image scanner, 19 control device ,
20 ... Display unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An information reading means for reading information on a sheet, a sheet information storage means for storing information read by the information reading means, and a display means for displaying sheet information stored in the sheet information storage means. An adding unit that adds new information to the information displayed on the display unit and displays the information on the display unit; a sheet position detecting unit that detects the position of the sheet; and stores the newly added information. An additional information storage unit, and a writing unit that writes the additional information stored in the additional information storage unit on the sheet according to the position signal detected by the sheet position detection unit. The read information is stored in one-to-one correspondence with the position on the paper, the additional information storage means has a one-to-one positional relationship with the paper information storage means, and The image processing apparatus characterized by storing information in the same positional relation as a reference point a specific position of the.