JP5212061B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a plurality of images are reduced and generated based on image data included in a submitted job, displayed on one screen, and page editing is performed using this display screen when forming an image. Technology has been developed.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that can confirm the left and right images of the front and back of a sheet or the spread on one screen using such a display screen. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 discloses a technique that can perform page editing using this display screen and designate an image to be on the surface of the paper.
JP-A-7-112562

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a user manually designates an insertion position when inserting a white image into an image displayed on a display screen.
Therefore, for example, when the page editing operation is performed on the display screen in the duplex mode, and the back side is blank, the result is not necessarily reflected on the screen. There was a problem that it was difficult to recognize the actual output.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of recognizing how an actual output is performed when a page editing operation is performed on a display screen.

The invention described in claim 1
A display unit, and an image forming unit that forms a page image of a page unit on a sheet based on image data included in the job;
In an image forming apparatus comprising:
A control unit for displaying the page image based on the image data as a thumbnail on the display unit;
An operation unit that receives a predetermined page editing instruction to the page image displayed as a thumbnail,
The controller is
If the job is in the double-sided mode, and it is determined whether there is a page on which no image is formed on the back as a result of the predetermined page editing by the operation unit, A page that is not formed is displayed as a white image on the display unit,
The image forming unit forms the page images displayed as thumbnails on the display unit on paper ,
The operation unit is configured to accept a white image addition instruction to an arbitrary page by a user,
The controller is
The white image arbitrarily added by the user and the white image added as a result of the predetermined page editing are displayed on the display unit in different display modes .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect,
The controller is
As a result of predetermined page editing by the operation unit, when the white image is continuous in the order of the front surface and the back surface, the continuous white image is deleted.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect,
The controller is
As a result of predetermined page editing by the operation unit, when the last page is an odd number and the white image, the white image of the last page is deleted.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the image is formed as displayed on the display unit, the user can recognize the relationship between the display method and the actual output result. As a result, user stress can be reduced.
In addition, since the white image arbitrarily added by the user and the white image added as a result of page editing are displayed in different display modes, usability can be further improved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the white image is continuous in the order of the front surface and the back surface, since the continuous white image is deleted, it is possible to prevent the output of a blank paper that does not need to be output. .

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the last page is every odd number and is a white image, the white image of the last page is deleted, so that the white image does not continue to the front and back surfaces. , It is possible to prevent the output of blank paper that does not need to be output.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a main body unit 10 and a post-processing unit 20 that is optionally connected thereto.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the main body unit 10 includes a scanner unit 200, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 300, an operation display unit 400, and a printer unit 500. That is, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a so-called digital multi-function peripheral having a scanner function, a copy function, and a printer function.

  Further, the main body 10 is provided with three paper feed trays FT1 to FT3 having a paper feed mechanism and a large capacity tray unit FT4. In the vicinity of each of the paper feed trays FT1 to FT4, fed paper is provided. A paper feed sensor for detecting the above is provided. These paper feed trays FT1 to FT4 can accommodate sheets of different types and sizes such as plain paper, backing paper, recycled paper, high-quality paper, and tab paper.

  The post-processing unit 20 is a so-called finisher that performs various post-processing on the paper conveyed from the main body unit 10. For example, a sort unit that performs a sort process on sheets conveyed from the main body unit 10, a punch unit that performs a punch process, a folding unit that performs a folding process, a cutting unit that performs a cutting process, a cutting unit that performs a cutting process, and the like are provided. In addition, the post-processing unit 20 is provided with paper discharge trays ET1 and ET2 for discharging the conveyed paper.

  In the image forming apparatus 1, for example, a document placed on a document tray of the ADF unit 300 is conveyed to a contact glass that is a reading position of the scanner unit 200, and an image of the document is read by the optical system of the scanner unit 200. Here, the image includes not only image data such as graphics and photographs but also text data such as characters and symbols.

  An image (analog image signal) read by the scanner unit 200 is output to a state management unit 100 described later, A / D converted by the state management unit 100, subjected to various image processing, and then output to the printer unit 500. Is done. Then, in the printer unit (image forming unit) 500, an image based on the digital image data is formed on the paper fed from any of the paper feed trays FT1 to FT4. The image-formed paper is conveyed to the post-processing unit 20 by a paper discharge mechanism, subjected to predetermined post-processing, and then discharged to one of the paper discharge trays ET1 and ET2.

  Note that the forms of the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. 1, and for example, the number may be more or less than that illustrated.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the main part of the image forming apparatus 1.
The main body unit 10 includes a state management unit 100, a scanner unit 200, an ADF unit 300, an operation display unit 400, a printer unit 500, and a printer controller unit 600.

  The state management unit 100 includes a control unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 101, a program memory (ROM: Read Only Memory) 102, a system memory (RAM: Random Access Memory) 103, a storage unit 104, a read processing unit 105, and a write A processing unit 106, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) control IC 107, a compression IC 108, a decompression IC 109, and an image memory 110 are provided.

  The control unit 101 reads out various processing programs such as a system program, an image formation processing program, and a paper discharge processing program stored in the ROM 102, expands them in the RAM 103, and concentrates the operations of the respective units of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the expanded programs. Control.

For example, the control unit 101 generates a job based on image information input from the scanner unit 200 or the printer controller unit 600 and setting information input via the operation display unit 400. By executing this job, an image is formed on the sheet.
Here, the job refers to a series of operations related to image formation. For example, when copying a plurality of documents, a series of operations related to copying a plurality of documents is one job. When a plurality of copies are performed, a series of operations related to the plurality of copies is one job.
The setting information includes mode setting information for designating the image forming surface of the paper. If the mode setting information is “double-sided mode”, the control unit 101 forms images on the front and back sides of the paper. If the mode setting information is “single-sided mode”, the control unit 101 forms an image only on the front side of each paper. .

Further, the control unit 101 displays the page images as thumbnails on the page editing screen B (see FIG. 4) based on the image data included in the job, and in response to a user operation input using the page editing screen B. Execute the page editing process.
Specifically, the control unit 101 performs predetermined page editing (for example, page deletion, page duplication, page insertion, chaptering, whitening) on a page image displayed as a thumbnail on the page editing screen B by the user. When the operation input (such as image input) is performed, the page image is edited and displayed on the display unit 401 in accordance with the predetermined page editing operation, and the page image after the editing is completed by the printer unit 500 in units of pages. Form on paper.
At this time, when the control unit 101 determines that the job is in the double-side mode and there is a page on which no image is formed on the back side as a result of the page editing and determines that there is a page on which no image is formed on the back side, A page on which no image is formed is displayed on the display unit 401 as a white image. The white image automatically added and displayed by the control unit 101 in this way is hereinafter referred to as “automatically added white image”.
Further, when the automatic addition white image is consecutive in the order of the front side and the back side as a result of the page editing, the control unit 101 deletes the two consecutive automatic addition white images.
Further, when a white image is arbitrarily added (input) by the user in the thumbnail-displayed page image, the control unit 101 displays the user's arbitrary white image and the automatically added white image in different display modes. 401 is displayed.

  The ROM 102 includes a nonvolatile memory such as a semiconductor memory, and stores a system program corresponding to the image forming apparatus 1 and various processing programs such as an image forming processing program and a paper discharge processing program that can be executed on the system program. To do. These programs are stored in the form of computer readable program codes, and the control unit 101 sequentially executes operations according to the program codes.

  The RAM 103 forms a work area that temporarily stores various programs executed by the control unit 101 and data related to these programs, and stores a job queue, various operation settings, and the like.

  The storage unit 104 includes a RAM and the like, and temporarily stores job data including image data input from the scanner unit 200 or the printer controller unit 600. The storage unit 104 also includes various setting information set by user operation input via the operation display unit 400, preview images generated for use in displaying the job list screen A (see FIG. 3), and a page editing screen. The setting information regarding the page image to be used for the thumbnail display of B (see FIG. 4) is stored.

  The reading processing unit 105 performs various processing such as analog signal processing, A / D conversion processing, and shading processing on the analog image signal input from the scanner unit 200, generates digital image data, and outputs the digital image data to the compression IC 108.

  The writing processing unit 106 generates a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal based on the image data input from the decompression IC 109, and outputs it to the printer unit 500.

  The DRAM control IC 107 controls image data compression processing by the compression IC 108 and compression data decompression processing by the decompression IC 109 based on control from the control unit 101, and performs input / output control of image data in the image memory 110.

  For example, when the storage of the image data read by the scanner unit 200 is instructed, the compression IC 108 executes compression processing of the image data input from the reading processing unit 105, and the compressed image data is stored in the compression memory of the image memory 110. 111 is stored.

  When the image formation of the compressed image data stored in the compression memory 111 is instructed, the compressed image data is read from the compression memory 111, and decompressed by the decompression IC 109 and stored in the page memory 112. Further, the image data stored in the page memory 112 is read and output to the writing processing unit 106.

  The compression IC 108 performs compression processing on the input image data under the control of the DRAM control IC 107. The decompression IC 109 performs decompression processing on the input compressed image data under the control of the DRAM control IC 107.

  The image memory 110 is composed of, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) that is a volatile memory, and includes a compression memory 111 and a page memory 112. The compression memory 111 is a memory for storing compressed image data, and the page memory 112 is a memory for temporarily storing compressed image data related to image formation before image formation.

  The scanner unit 200 includes an image sensor 201 such as a CCD and a scanner control unit 202. The scanner control unit 202 drives and controls each unit of the scanner unit 200 based on a control signal from the control unit 101. Specifically, exposure scanning of the document surface placed on the contact glass is executed, and the reflected light is imaged by the CCD 201 to read the image. The imaged optical signal is photoelectrically converted to generate an analog image signal, which is output to the read processing unit 105.

  The ADF unit 300 includes an ADF control unit 301 that controls the ADF unit 300 based on a control signal from the control unit 101, and allows a document placed on a document tray (not shown) to be placed on the contact glass of the scanner unit 200. Automatically feed one by one.

The operation display unit 400 includes a display unit (LCD: Liquid Crystal Display) 401, an operation display control unit 402, an operation unit 403, and other operation key groups (not shown).
In accordance with a display control signal from the operation display control unit 402, the display unit 401 displays various setting screens, an image status display, an operation status of each function, and the like on the screen. On the screen of the display unit 401, for example, an operation unit 403 including a pressure-sensitive (resistance film pressure type) touch panel in which transparent electrodes are arranged in a grid is configured, and a power point operated by a finger, a touch pen, or the like. Are detected as voltage values, and the detected position signal is output to the operation display control unit 402 as an operation signal.

  The operation display control unit 402 performs display control on the display unit 401 based on a control signal from the control unit 101. For example, various setting screens, various processing results, and the like for the paper used for the image forming process are displayed on the display unit 401. Further, the operation display control unit 402 outputs an operation signal input from the operation unit 403 or the operation key group on the display unit 401 to the control unit 101.

  3 to 6 are diagrams illustrating examples of screens displayed on the display unit 401 of the operation display unit 400.

FIG. 3 is an example of the job list screen A.
On the job list screen A, a job list display area A1, an edit button display area A2, and the like are displayed.

The job list display area A1 is an area for displaying a list of job information for each input job. Specifically, in the job list display area A1, for example, job information such as a file name, a user name, the last update date, the number of copies, the number of copies, and the first image of the job are displayed in a line for each job.
The edit button display area A2 is an area for displaying operation buttons for performing various edits on the jobs listed in the job list display area A1. Specifically, a delete button, a copy button, a job edit button, and the like are displayed in the edit button display area A2.

FIG. 4 is an example of the page editing screen B.
FIG. 4 is displayed when the user selects a job on the job list screen A in FIG. 3 and then presses the image page button A21 in the job edit button. A page editing screen B in FIG. 4 shows a basic screen before page editing is performed by the user.

  The page edit screen B displays a page image display area B1, a page edit button display area B2, a cancel button B3, a confirm button B4, and the like.

  The page image display area B1 is an area in which page images included in the job selected on the job list screen A are displayed as thumbnails so that they can be viewed on one screen. The user can perform a page editing operation using the page image display area B1. The page editing process specifically includes page deletion, page duplication, page insertion, white image input, chapter division, and the like.

For example, a frame capable of displaying a maximum of 30 page images is provided in the page image display area B1, and a page number is displayed above each frame. Image formation is executed in the order of page numbers, and the user can recognize the order of image formation.
Within each frame, a page image based on image data included in the job is displayed, and an image number is displayed on the upper right of each page image.
In the preview image display area A2 of the job list screen A, when the printing surface is set to “double-sided”, the page images in the page image display area B1 are sequentially formed on the front and back surfaces of each sheet in the order of page numbers. Will be. When the print side is set to “single side”, the page images in the page image display area B1 are formed only on the surface of each sheet in the order of page numbers.
That is, when the page image in the page image display area B1 is in the “double-sided” mode, for example, the image data of the page numbers 1 and 2 is formed on the front and back surfaces of the first sheet. Similarly, image data of page numbers 3 and 4 is formed on the front and back surfaces of the second sheet.

  If the number of images is less than 30, only the frame is displayed in the remaining portion. On the other hand, if all the page images do not fit in the page image display area B1 of one screen, the page editing screen includes a plurality of page editing screens. It is assumed that the display is switched over the screen.

  The page edit button display area B2 is an area for displaying input buttons related to page editing. In the page edit button display area B2, a continuous selection button B21, an all selection button B22, a delete button B23, a move button B24, a copy button B25, a chapter button B26, an insert button B27, a white image input button B28, and the like are displayed. The

The continuous selection button B21 is a button that allows a user to select and input page images continuously. The all selection button B22 is a button for collectively selecting page images displayed in the page image display area B1.
The delete button B23 is a button for deleting the selected page image. The move button B24 is a button for moving the selected page image. The duplicate button B25 is a button for duplicating the selected page image. The chapter division button B26 is a button for setting the selected page image as the first page of the chapter. The insert button B27 is a button for inserting an image before the selected page image. The white image input button B28 is a button for inputting a white image before the selected page image.

The cancel button B3 is a button for canceling the page editing operation performed on the page editing screen B. The confirmation button B4 is a button for confirming the page editing operation performed on the page editing screen. When the confirm button B4 is pressed, the page edit made on the page edit screen is stored in the storage unit 104.
In the page editing operation, first, when any of the various buttons B23 to 28 is pressed by the user and then the confirmation button B4 is pressed, an instruction by the buttons B23 to 28 is executed.
On the other hand, when any one of the various buttons B23 to 28 is pressed and then the cancel button B3 is pressed, the instruction by the buttons B23 to 28 is canceled.

FIG. 5 is an example showing a state in which an automatically added white image is added to the last page when a duplication operation is performed as the page editing process.
The addition of the automatically added white image is executed only when the job is set to “double-sided mode”.
FIG. 5 shows a case where the image with the image number 4 on the basic screen in FIG. 4 is duplicated on the third page and the automatically added white image is inserted on the sixth page.
Specifically, FIG. 5 shows that after the user selects an image to be duplicated (image number 4) from the thumbnail-displayed page images and presses the duplicate button B25, the duplicate image insertion position (3 This is executed by selecting the (page number), pressing the insert button B27, and pressing the confirm button B4. That is, in response to this user operation, as shown in FIG. 5, a state in which an image of page number 4 is inserted is displayed on the third page, and the final page becomes an odd page (fifth page) by this operation. Therefore, the automatically added white image S is displayed on the sixth page.

FIG. 6 is an example showing a state where an automatically added white image is further added to the final page when the user arbitrarily performs a white image input operation as the page editing process.
FIG. 6 shows a case where an arbitrary white image of the user is input on the third page of the basic screen of FIG. 4 and an automatically added white image is inserted on the sixth page.
Specifically, FIG. 6 shows that the user selects the white image insertion position (third page) from the thumbnail-displayed page images, presses the white image input button B28, and then presses the confirm button B4. Is executed. That is, in response to this user operation, as shown in FIG. 6, a state in which an arbitrary white image of the user is inserted is displayed on the third page, and the final page is changed to an odd page (fifth page) by this operation. Therefore, the automatically added white image S is displayed on the sixth page.
At this time, the automatically added white image S of the sixth page is colored, for example, in gray, so that the user's arbitrary white image and the automatically added white image S can be identified.
When the white image input button B28 is operated, as shown in FIG. 6, an insertion paper selection area B5 is displayed, and the paper tray used to form the white image can be changed. It is.

In addition to this, for example, when one of the page images is deleted using the delete button B23 and the last page becomes an odd page, an automatically added white image is additionally displayed.
If a chapter with an odd number of pages is created by designating the first page of the chapter using the chapter division button B26, an automatically added white image is additionally displayed so that the chapter has an even number of pages.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the printer unit 500 includes an LD unit (Laser Diode) 501 and a printer control unit 502, and forms an image on a sheet based on image data input from the writing processing unit 106. To do.

  The LD unit 501 includes an LD, a photosensitive drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, a cleaning unit, a fixing unit, and the like. Further, it includes various rollers such as a paper feed roller, a registration roller, and a paper discharge roller, a conveyance path switching plate, a reversing unit, and the like for conveying a sheet according to a conveyance path in the LD unit 501. Based on the control from the printer control unit 502, the transport unit of the LD unit 501 feeds the paper designated by the job from any of the paper feed trays FT1 to FT4, and feeds the fed paper to the transport path. Carry up.

  A plurality of sensors are provided on the conveyance path of the LD unit 501. These sensors generate a detection signal when the paper passes and output it to the printer control unit 502.

  The printer control unit 502 receives a control signal from the control unit 101 and controls the operation of each unit of the LD unit 501. Further, the printer control unit 502 counts the number of sheets fed for each job based on a detection signal from a sensor provided on the conveyance path, and outputs the counted number to the control unit 101.

  In the printer unit 500, the surface of the photosensitive drum is charged by the charging unit based on an instruction from the printer control unit 502, and laser light is applied to the surface of the photosensitive drum by the LD based on the PWM signal input from the writing processing unit 106. To form an electrostatic latent image. Then, toner is attached to an area including the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum in the developing unit, and the toner is transferred onto a sheet by the transfer unit to form an image. Then, after the transferred image is fixed by the fixing unit, the image-formed paper is conveyed to the post-processing unit 20 by the paper discharge roller.

The printer controller unit 600 includes a controller control unit 601, a DRAM control IC 602, a memory 603, a communication control unit 604, a NIC (Network Interface Card) 605, and the like.
The controller control unit 601 comprehensively controls the operation of each unit, and distributes data input from the external information terminal PC as a job to the state management unit 100 via the communication control unit 604 and the NIC 605.

  The DRAM control IC 602 controls storage of data received by the NIC 605 and the communication control unit 604 in the memory 603 and reading of data from the memory 603. The DRAM control IC 602 is connected to the DRAM control IC 107 of the state management unit 100 via a PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) bus. The DRAM control IC 602 reads the image formation target data from the memory 603 in accordance with an instruction from the controller control unit 601. Output to the control IC 107.

The memory 603 is composed of a DRAM and temporarily stores input data.
The communication control unit 604 controls communication of the NIC 605. The NIC 605 is a communication interface for connecting to a network, receives image information from the information terminal PC via the network, and outputs it to the DRAM control IC 602.

Next, page editing processing in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
Specifically, the page editing process is any one of page duplication, page insertion, page deletion, page movement, white image input, and chapter division.
Here, as an example of the page editing process, a case where a copy / insert operation is performed will be specifically described.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a case where a copy / insert operation is performed as an example of the page editing process.

  As a premise that this page editing process is executed, one job is selected in advance from the job list screen A, and the page editing screen B (basic screen; see FIG. 4) of the job is displayed on the display unit 401. It shall be.

First, page editing is performed by a user operation input using the page editing screen B (step S11).
Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not there is a page on which the image is not formed on the back side of the page image displayed as a thumbnail on the display unit 401 when the job setting is the double-sided mode (step S12). If the setting is not the duplex mode, or if the job setting is the duplex mode and there is no page on which no image is formed on the back side (step S12; NO), the process ends.
On the other hand, when the job setting is the duplex mode and there is a page on which no image is formed on the back side (step S12; YES), the control unit 101 displays the page on which the image is not formed as an automatically added white image (step S12). S13).

Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the automatically added white image is continuous in the order of the front side and the back side (step S14), and determines that the automatically added white image is not continuous in the order of the front side and the back side (step S14). In S14; NO), this process is terminated.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the automatically added white image is continuous in the order of the front surface and the back surface (step S14; YES), the control unit 101 deletes the two consecutive automatically added white images (step S15), and performs this processing. Exit.

Here, FIG. 8 shows a state in which two automatically added white images are continuous.
Specifically, when the duplication operation is further performed from the state of FIG. 5 and the image with the image number 3 is duplicated on the sixth page, the last page is an odd page (the seventh page). Automatically displays the additional white image S on the eighth page. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, since two automatically added white images are continuous on the front and back surfaces of the fourth sheet, the control unit 101 determines that the automatically added white image S is continuous. Two automatically added white images S and S are deleted.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, the case where there are two automatically added white images S and S that are continuous in the order of the front surface and the back surface in the last two pages of the page image has been described as an example. If S and S are consecutive in the order of front and back, they are deleted regardless of their positions.
In FIGS. 7 and 8, the case where the duplication / insertion operation is performed as the page editing process has been described, but other than this, the image is not formed on the back side by the page deletion, the white image input, or the like as the page editing process. When there is a page, the control unit 101 executes a page editing process.
Further, when chapters with an odd number of pages are created by chapter division as page editing processing, the control unit 101 executes page editing processing.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, in a double-side mode job, a page on which no image is formed is displayed as a white image on the display unit, and image formation is performed as displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the user can recognize the relationship between the display method and the actual output result. As a result, user stress can be reduced. In addition, useless output of blank paper can be prevented.

  Further, when the white images are consecutive in the order of the front surface and the back surface, since the continuous white images are deleted, it is possible to prevent the output of blank paper that does not need to be output.

  Further, since the white image arbitrarily added by the user and the white image added as a result of predetermined page editing are displayed in different display modes, usability can be further improved.

(Modification)
A modification of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The basic configuration of the modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, but in the above embodiment, the control unit 101 has a page in which the job is in the double-side mode and no image is formed on the back as a result of predetermined page editing. In such a case, the page on which the image is not formed is displayed as a white image, and if the result of predetermined page editing is that the white image is successively arranged on the front and back surfaces, the two consecutive white images are deleted. On the other hand, in the modified example, if the final page is an odd number and the image on this page is an automatically added white image as a result of predetermined page editing, the control unit 101 automatically adds the white image on the last page. Is configured to delete.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the page editing process of such a modification.

First, page editing is performed by a user operation input using the page editing screen B (step S21).
Then, the control unit 101 determines whether the job setting is the duplex mode and whether the last page of the page image displayed as a thumbnail on the display unit 401 is an odd page (step S22), and sets the job. Is not the double-sided mode, or if the last page is not the odd-numbered page even if the job setting is the double-sided mode (step S12; NO), this processing is terminated.
On the other hand, when the job setting is the duplex mode and the last page is an odd page (step S22; YES), the control unit 101 determines whether or not the last page is an automatically added white image. Is determined (step S23).

If the last page is not the automatically added white image (step S23; NO), the control unit 101 displays the automatically added white image on the next page of the last page.
On the other hand, when the last page is a white image to which the last page is automatically added (step S23; YES), the control unit 101 deletes the automatically added white image on the last page (step S25).

  According to such a configuration, when the last page is every odd number and is an automatically added white image, the automatically added white image of the last page is deleted, so the white image is sequentially placed on the front surface and the back surface. It is possible to prevent the output of blank paper that is not continuous and does not need to be output.

  Even if two auto-added white images are consecutive, if they are consecutive in the order of the back side and the front side, the images are formed on different sheets, and therefore are not deleted.

  In addition, it is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified as appropriate.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a main part of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows an example of a job list screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the basic screen of a page edit screen. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of a page edit screen. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of a page edit screen. It is the flowchart which showed the processing procedure of page edit processing. It is a figure for demonstrating the transition of a page edit screen. It is the flowchart which showed the modification of the process sequence of a page edit process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 100 Status management part 101 Control part 400 Operation display part 401 Display part 403 Operation part 500 Printer part (image formation part)

Claims (3)

A display unit, and an image forming unit that forms a page image of a page unit on a sheet based on image data included in the job;
In an image forming apparatus comprising:
A control unit for displaying the page image based on the image data as a thumbnail on the display unit;
An operation unit that receives a predetermined page editing instruction to the page image displayed as a thumbnail,
The controller is
If the job is in the double-sided mode, and it is determined whether there is a page on which no image is formed on the back as a result of the predetermined page editing by the operation unit, A page that is not formed is displayed as a white image on the display unit,
The image forming unit forms the page images displayed as thumbnails on the display unit on paper ,
The operation unit is configured to accept a white image addition instruction to an arbitrary page by a user,
The controller is
An image forming apparatus , wherein a white image arbitrarily added by the user and a white image added as a result of the predetermined page editing are displayed on the display unit in different display modes . The controller is
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, as a result of predetermined page editing by the operation unit, when the white image is continuous in the order of the front surface and the back surface, the continuous white image is deleted. The controller is
2. The image according to claim 1, wherein, as a result of predetermined page editing by the operation unit, when the last page is an odd number and the white image, the white image of the last page is deleted. Forming equipment.

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