JP4234726B2 - Image processing apparatus, program, and computer-readable recording medium - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of printing a background pattern, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of printing a background pattern.

  A conventional image processing apparatus capable of printing a tint block pattern is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-115873 (Patent Document 1). The copy-forgery-inhibited pattern appears as a simple pattern in the original (printed material output by the printer), but when copied, certain characters, etc. will float, giving the copied person the same checking effect as forgery prevention paper. be able to. In copy-forgery-inhibited pattern printing, a small-dot copy-forgery-inhibited pattern that disappears when copied and a large-dot-printed pattern that remains after copying are used. When the printed material is copied, the small dot background pattern disappears or a density difference from the large dot background pattern is generated, so that it is possible to distinguish between the printed material and the copied material (illegal copy material).

According to Patent Document 1, in an image processing apparatus capable of color printing, drawing processing is performed by changing the color of a tint block pattern in accordance with a color mode set for each page.
JP-A-2005-115873 (paragraph number 0018, etc.)

  Conventional image processing apparatuses capable of tint block printing are configured as described above. A tint block pattern can be selected from a plurality of types of tint block patterns. However, in the conventional method, since the number of dots is different in the tint block pattern, toner consumption unintended by the user may occur. Further, since the print density of the original is unknown, there is a problem that the total print density when the background pattern is added is not known, and the toner is consumed more than expected.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above problems, and provides an image processing apparatus, a program, and a computer-readable recording medium capable of printing a document with a tint block at a density desired by a user. Objective.

An image processing apparatus capable of printing a background tint pattern according to the present invention detects a print density setting unit for setting a desired print density range , a document input unit for inputting a document to be printed, and a density of the input document. Density detecting means; density determining means for determining whether the total density of the original density detected by the density detecting means and the density of the background tint block is a value within the density range set by the density setting means; The density determination means includes control means for permitting printing of the background pattern and the original only when the total density is a value within the set density range .

When the density determination unit determines that the total density is not within the set density range , the control unit may output a display prompting the user to change the background pattern, or the density for which the total density is set. The background pattern may be automatically changed so that the value is within the range .

  Furthermore, a selection unit that allows the user to select a plurality of desired background patterns with a priority order may be included. At this time, it is preferable that the control means changes the background pattern in accordance with the priority order.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the program causes a computer connected to the printing unit to function as the above-described image processing apparatus.

  Preferably, the program is stored in a computer readable recording medium.

According to the present invention, the user can set a desired print density range , and only when the total density of the original density and the background tint density is a value within the set density range , the background tint and the original are set. Printing is allowed.

  As a result, an image processing apparatus capable of printing a document with a tint block at a density desired by the user can be provided.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main parts of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “computer”) 10 and a printer 20 functioning as printing means, which constitute an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a computer 10 is a CPU 11 for controlling the entire computer 10, a ROM connected to the CPU 11 for storing an OS, a RAM 13 for temporarily storing programs and data, a keyboard and a mouse. An input device 14, a hard disk 15, a display 16, a disk drive 17 for driving a recording medium such as an optical disk, and a printer control unit 18 for controlling a printer 20 provided outside. Including. When creating document data using an application, software for the application is supplied as, for example, a disk, and the user creates document data using the software. , Function as document data (original) input means.

  The printer 20 receives a print data from a CPU 21 for controlling the entire printer 20, a ROM 22 for storing a program for driving the printer, a RAM 23 for storing print data, and the like, and a printer control unit 18. An input unit 24, an operation unit 25, and a printing unit 26 are included.

  In this embodiment, the user uses the computer 10 to create a document by an application, outputs it to the printer 20 together with a preset background pattern, and performs printing with the pattern on the printer 20.

  Next, the operation when performing background pattern printing will be described. For example, if the image density (dot area ratio in one page) of the document printed by the printer 20 is 5% and the density of the background pattern is 6%, the printed matter with the background pattern has a density of 11%. The amount of toner consumed per sheet is important for the user, and it is preferable that the toner consumption rate is visually recognized. Therefore, in this embodiment, the user can set the density of a document with a tint block to a desired value (or range).

  FIG. 2 is an example of a screen display in the case where printing with a background pattern displayed on the display 16 of the computer 10 is set.

  Referring to FIG. 2, in setting screen 30 in the case of setting the printing with copy-forgery-inhibited pattern, a density setting unit 31 that functions as a print density setting unit for setting a desired print density by the user and a background desired by the user A background pattern display unit 32 that functions as background background pattern selection means for selecting a background pattern, and an OK button 33 and a cancel button 34 for instructing the user to confirm settings and the like are included. The background pattern display unit 32 is not provided, and the background pattern may be determined in advance.

  Next, the operation in this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 11, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the application and the operation performed by the printer control unit. Referring to FIG. 4, the printer control unit 18 includes a virtual driver 18a and a printer driver 18b. The virtual driver 18a performs a file check of a document created by an application using the RAM 13.

  The processing in this case will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the user sets a desired print density using the density setting unit 31 (step S11 in FIG. 3; the following steps are omitted). Here, it is assumed that a concentration of 10% or less is set as shown in FIG.

  Next, it is determined whether or not there is a print request by issuing a “print” instruction for a document created by the application 30 (S12). If there is a print request (YES in S12), the printer setting unit 18 activates the virtual driver 18a (S13). The virtual driver 18 a temporarily stores the document in the RAM 13. Here, as a file check, the virtual driver 18a expands the document data on the RAM 13, calculates the dot area ratio when the document is printed, and detects the density of the document (S14). The detected density is passed to the printer driver 18b. Here, for example, suppose that it was 4%. At this time, the document data is still stored in the RAM 13.

  The printer driver 18b calculates the total density of the original dot area ratio (4%) obtained from the virtual driver 18a, the background tint density set in advance, and the density specified by the user (10% or less). The comparison is made to determine whether or not the total density is within the density range designated by the user (S15). In this case, it is detected whether the density of the background tint is 6% or less. If it is within the set density range, the document data spooled in the RAM 13 is sent to the printer driver 18b, the background pattern is added, sent to the printer (S16), and printed (S17).

  As described above, the CPU 11 functions as a control unit, a density detection unit, and a density determination unit.

  If it is not within the set density range in S15, a display requesting the user to change the tint block is displayed (S18), the input is waited (S19), and the process returns to S13 again.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, when printing a document created by an application with a background pattern, when the user's desired density is set in advance and the document is not within the density range, the background Since the density of the background pattern is changed, an image processing apparatus capable of printing a document with a background pattern at a density desired by the user can be obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the background tint pattern is determined in advance has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the user assigns a plurality of background tint patterns in advance to the background pattern display unit 32 in priority order. A plurality of registered patterns may be registered, and when the density is out of the set density range, the background pattern may be automatically used in this priority order.

  Further, when it is outside the set density range, the background tint pattern that falls within the set range may be displayed to the user via the display, and the background tint pattern may be printed after confirming with the user.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an image processing apparatus including a computer and a printer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applied to an ordinary copier or a digital multifunction peripheral. May be.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the user selects the density range has been described. However, this may be determined in advance by default.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the computer connected to the printer is used as a dedicated machine for executing the above embodiment has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the flowchart shown in FIG. It is good also as a program to make. In this case, the program may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as an optical disk.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part of the image processing apparatus which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the setting screen of the copy-forgery-inhibited pattern printing displayed on the display of a computer. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement which CPU of a computer performs. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of the operation | movement which an application and a printer control part perform.

Explanation of symbols

  10 computer, 11, 21 CPU, 12, 22 ROM, 13, 23 RAM, 14 input device, 15 hard disk, 16 display, 17 disk drive, 18 printer control unit, 20 printer, 24 input unit, 25 operation unit, 26 printing Part, 28 cables, 30 setting screen.

Claims (7)

An image processing apparatus capable of printing a background pattern,
A printing density setting means for causing setting a desired print density range,
A document input means for inputting a document to be printed;
Density detecting means for detecting the density of the input document;
A density determination means for determining whether or not a total density of the density of the document detected by the density detection means and the density of the background pattern is a value within a density range set by the density setting means;
An image processing apparatus comprising: a control means for permitting printing of the background pattern and the original only when the density determination means is a value within the set density range . 2. The display according to claim 1, wherein when the density determination unit determines that the total density is not a value within the set density range, the control unit outputs a display prompting the background tint to be changed. Image processing device. When the density determination means determines that the total density is not a value within the set density range, the control means causes the total density to be a value within the set density range. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the background tint is automatically changed. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that allows a user to select a plurality of desired background patterns with a priority order. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit changes the background pattern in accordance with the priority order. A computer program for causing a computer connected to printing means to function as the image processing apparatus according to claim 1. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program according to claim 6.

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