JP7394621B2 - Image forming device and image forming device system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses and a management server, and particularly relates to measures against leakage of confidential document information when printing confidential document information.

Conventionally, Patent Document 1 discloses that a concealed postcard corresponding to personal information, etc. has an address and destination information writing area, two spread-like confidential information writing areas, and a concealment label following this confidential information writing area. A worker manually overlaps the inner surfaces of the two confidential information areas with the two layers of pseudo-adhesive film provided for the concealment label sandwiched between them and adheres them. A configuration for performing concealment processing is disclosed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-25849

By the way, when an image forming apparatus prints data including document information including address information, destination information, personal information, etc. on a recording sheet (paper), similar to the above-mentioned concealed postcard, the secret information is It is important to take measures to prevent document information from being leaked to others.

Therefore, for example, using the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is conceivable that an operator manually conceals confidential document information printed on paper using a concealment label.

However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, the positions of the addressee and destination information writing area and the two confidential information writing areas are fixed, and the method of concealing the confidential information is also limited to two double-page spread-shaped confidential information writing areas. It is limited to one configuration in which they are overlapped and concealed. Therefore, when printing document information, etc. using an image forming apparatus, when the positions of the document information, address information, and destination information are variously different, it is difficult to conceal (conceal) the secret using the technology of Patent Document 1. be.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 1, the operator must manually overlap the two confidential information writing areas, so if there are a large number of concealment-type postcards, it will take a lot of time to conceal the secret. The disadvantage is that it takes time.

In view of this, the present invention utilizes a paper folding function and a binding function using staples, etc. provided in a post-processing device of an image forming apparatus to conceal document information containing confidential information, and its purpose is to is an image forming device that automatically removes confidential document information from the paper on which the address information, destination (destination) information, and document information are printed, even if the positions of the information printed on the paper are different. The purpose is to keep the information confidential and to reliably prevent the leakage of the confidential information.

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a printing unit that prints at least address information, destination information, and document information in an address area, a destination area, and a document area of a sheet, respectively, and a an image forming apparatus comprising: a folding mechanism; the image forming apparatus includes a control unit that determines how the folding mechanism folds the paper; the control unit makes the address area and the destination area visible from the outside; Further, the method is characterized in that the method of folding the paper is determined so that a part of the paper covers the document area.

According to the present invention, the folding mechanism automatically folds the paper so that a portion of the paper covers the document area, regardless of the positions of the address area, destination area, and document area on the printed paper. It is possible to reliably prevent leakage of confidential document information, and also to omit the work of folding the paper and the work time involved.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus system including an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an image forming apparatus in the same image forming apparatus system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a management server included in the image forming apparatus system. (a) is a diagram showing the form of paper folding (unequal Z-folding) when the document area is located between the address area and the destination area, and (b) is a diagram when the document area is located first. It is a figure showing the folding form (Z-fold for the time being). (a) is a diagram showing the folding form (bi-folding) when the document area on the back side of the paper is within the range of one sheet and the degree of confidentiality is low, and (b) is a diagram showing the document area on the back side of the paper (bi-folding). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a folding form (half-folding) when continuing from the second sheet onwards. (a) is a diagram showing the folding form (three-fold) when the document area on the back side of the paper is within the range of one sheet and the confidentiality is normal, and (b) is a diagram showing the document area in (a). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a folding form (three-fold) in the case where the following paper continues from the second sheet onwards. (a) is a diagram showing the folding mode (four-fold) when the document area on the back side of the paper is within the range of one sheet of paper and the degree of confidentiality is high, and (b) is a diagram showing the document area in (a). FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a folding form (four-fold) in the case of continuing to the second and subsequent sheets. The figure shows various forms of paper folding performed by the post-processing device provided in the image forming apparatus, and FIG. The figure (d) shows a two-fold, the figure (e) shows a three-fold, and the figure (e) shows a four-fold. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a confidentiality selection screen displayed on a display panel included in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the first half of a procedure for determining how to fold a sheet, which is performed by a post-processing device included in the image forming apparatus. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the second half of the procedure for determining how to fold the paper. 7 is a diagram illustrating a paper folding method selection screen displayed on a display panel provided in the image processing apparatus of Embodiment 2. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the first half of a procedure for determining how to fold a sheet, which is performed by a post-processing device included in the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the second half of the procedure for determining how to fold the paper.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an image forming apparatus system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus system 100 includes a plurality of image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) (m is an integer of 2 or more) and a management server 20. The image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) are installed in a wide range of installation locations. It is desirable that the image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) be installed throughout the country. The image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) are installed at public installation locations 1(1) to 1(m), such as stores such as convenience stores and post offices, respectively. Note that a plurality of image forming apparatuses may be installed at one installation location.

The plurality of image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as image forming apparatuses 10) and the management server 20 are connected via a network NT.

(Image forming device)
The image forming apparatus 10 is, for example, a multifunctional device such as an MFP (MultiFunction Peripheral).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the image forming apparatus 10 in the image forming apparatus system 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG.

The image forming apparatus 10 has an image forming function (printer function), a scanner function, and a copy function (original copying function). The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image reading section 11, a paper feeding section 12, an image forming section 13, a paper discharging section 14, an operation display section 15, an authentication section 16, a network communication section 17, and a storage section 18. and a control section 19.

The image reading section 11 reads an image of a document, and includes a document transport section 11a and a document reading section 11b. The image reading section 11 reads the image of the document with the document reading section 11b while conveying the document with the document conveying section 11a, or reads the document placed on the document table of the document reading section 11b with the document reading section 11b. Scan and read. Paper feeding section 12 transports paper toward image forming section 13 . The image forming section (printing section) 13 forms (prints) an image on the paper sent from the paper feeding section 12 based on the image data. The paper discharge section 14 discharges the paper on which an image has been formed in the image forming section 13 to a paper discharge tray 14a via a post-processing device 30, which will be described later.

The operation display unit 15 receives user operations and displays various information on the display screen based on display data. The operation display section 15 includes hardware keys 15a, a display device (display panel) 15b, a touch panel 15c provided on the display panel 15b, and an information input/output section 15d. The operation display unit 15 receives touch operations by the user on various software keys displayed on the display panel 15b using the touch panel 15c. The information input/output unit 15d is a connection type interface, and includes a port (USB port) for reading and writing information recorded in an external storage device such as a USB (registered trademark) memory M.

The authentication section 16 is composed of a card reader that reads card information of various IC cards CD. Network communication section 17 communicates with management server 20 via network NT. The storage unit 18 includes a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, and a volatile memory such as a RAM. The control unit 19 controls the entire image forming apparatus 10 . The control unit 19 is composed of a computer such as a CPU. The control unit 19 controls the operation of various components by loading a control program previously stored in the ROM of the storage unit 18 onto the RAM of the storage unit 18 and executing it.

In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 not only provides users with normal services such as copying (original copying), printing, facsimile, and scanning, but also provides various services (for example, an output information transmission service and an output information transmission service). (receiving and printing services) to users. The output information transmission service, output information reception, and printing service will be described in detail later.

(Management server)
Management server 20 is connected to image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) via network NT. The management server 20 manages information regarding various services of the image forming apparatus system 100.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the management server 20 in the image forming apparatus system 100 shown in FIG. The management server 20 includes a network communication section 21, a storage section 22, a control section 23, a location information database DB1, and a destination information database DB2.

The network communication unit 21 includes a communication unit 21a that communicates with the image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) via the network NT. The storage unit 22 includes a non-volatile memory such as a ROM, and a volatile memory such as a RAM. The storage unit 22 stores information regarding various services of the image forming apparatus system 100. The control unit 23 controls the entire management server 20. The control unit 23 is composed of a computer such as a CPU. The control unit 23 controls the operation of various components by loading a control program previously stored in the ROM of the storage unit 22 onto the RAM of the storage unit 22 and executing it. The control unit 23 performs processing such as registration, deletion, and modification of information stored in the storage unit 22. The control unit 23 transmits and receives information regarding various services of the image forming apparatus system 100 from the communication unit 21a to and from the image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m) via the network NT.

Further, the location information database DB1 includes image forming apparatus information AID(1) to AID(m) regarding the plurality of image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m), and image forming apparatus information AID(1) to AID(m) regarding the plurality of image forming apparatuses 10(1) to 10(m). Installation location position information APS(1) to APS(m) (latitude and longitude information) corresponding to installation locations 1(1) to 1(m) where (m) is installed is registered in advance. The destination information database DB2 includes destination information AD(1) to AD(n) (n is an integer of 2 or more) corresponding to addresses nationwide, and destination information AD(1) to AD(n) nationwide. Position information PS(1) to PS(n) (latitude and longitude information) is registered in advance.

<Output information transmission service>
- Image forming apparatus In the image forming apparatus 10, as shown in FIG. , and an output section P6.

The first reading unit P1 reads the user's personal information IDI. Specifically, the sender SH (sender) brings the IC card CD close to or in contact with the authentication section 16. The first reading section P1 reads the personal information IDI of the IC card CD using the authentication section 16. Note that the sender SH may be the sender himself or may be an agent requested by the sender (for example, a convenience store clerk or a post office clerk).

The reception unit P2 receives address information NM(j) regarding the name and designation (hereinafter referred to as addressee) of the recipient RH (receiver) who is the destination of the transmission, and destination information AD(j) regarding the address of the recipient (hereinafter referred to as destination). j) (j is an integer from 1 to n) and output information PI including information describing the content to be sent (hereinafter referred to as document information DO) is received by the sender SH's input operation. The document information DO includes various information such as charts, two-dimensional codes, etc. in addition to characters. The output information PI includes at least the three addressee, destination, and document information NM(j), AD(j), and DO, and may also include other information.

The second reading unit P3 reads the output information PI (address information NM(j), destination information AD(j)), and document information DO). Specifically, the second reading unit P3 performs character recognition control to recognize text character information from image data using an optical character recognition (OCR) function, and sends destination information using an address and/or postal code. Address determination control is performed to determine the address. Note that this character recognition control and/or address determination control may be performed by the image forming apparatus 10 on the sending side, or may be performed by the management server 20.

The transmitter P4 transmits the output information PI to the management server 20 via the network communication unit 17.

- Management Server In the management server 20, the control section 23 includes a specifying section Q1, a selecting section Q2, and a transmitting section Q3.

The specifying unit Q1 uses the destination information database DB2 to specify location information PS(j) of the destination of the output information PI from the destination information AD(j) of the output information PI.

The selection unit Q2 uses the location information database DB1 to select a predetermined installation location 1( Image forming apparatus information AID(i) of i) is selected. In this example, the selection unit Q2 uses the location information database DB1 to select the image forming device information of the installation location 1(i) corresponding to the installation location location information APS(i) closest to the destination location information PS(j). Select AID(i).

The transmitter Q3 transmits the output information PI to the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side corresponding to the obtained image forming apparatus information AID(i).
<Output information reception and printing service>
- Image Forming Apparatus In the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side, the receiving unit P5 receives the output information PI from the management server 20. The output unit P6 outputs the received output information PI.

Specifically, the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side receives the output information PI from the management server 20, and prints the received output information PI on paper using the image forming unit 13 capable of full size printing and enlarged printing. After the printed paper is folded in a predetermined manner using the post-processing device (folding mechanism and binding mechanism) 30, binding processing is further performed using staples, and the paper is made into a sealed letter. Hereinafter, such a service for converting into a sealed letter will be referred to as a sealed letter service.

The storage unit 18 of the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side stores a plurality of formats for printing the received output information PI on paper. These multiple formats include address information NM(j) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as NM), destination information AD(j) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as AD), and document information included in the output information PI. These are the form of where the information DO is placed on the paper, and the form of how the paper is folded.

<Positions of address information, destination information, and document information, and how to fold the paper>
5 to 8 show the positions of the address area, destination area, and document area on paper on which images are formed (printed) by the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side, and how the paper is folded according to these positions. An explanatory diagram of the method is shown.

FIG. 5 illustrates a folding method when the document area is small and the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is low. In FIG. 5A, on the front surface of the printed paper, the address area NA is arranged on the upper side, the destination area AA is arranged on the lower side, and the document area DA is arranged between the address area NA and the destination area AA. The destination area AA is set to be slightly wider than the address area NA, and the document area DA is an area on the surface of the paper excluding the total area of the address area NA and destination area AA, in which the document information DO is placed and the document The information amount of the information DO is a first predetermined amount If1 (If1<IfM) which is smaller than the maximum information amount IfM that can be printed on the surface of the paper. Regarding the positional relationship of these areas, the middle part of the document area DA in the vertical direction is a valley fold, and the boundary between the document area DA and the destination area AA is a mountain fold. Fold it into the shape of . In this folding method, each side of the Z shape becomes the address area NA, the upper half area of the document area DA, the lower half area of the document area DA, and the destination area AA, and each side has unequal length. Hereinafter, this folding method will be referred to as "unequal Z-folding." In this "unequal Z-folding", the address area NA and the destination area AA are visible from the outside, and the document area DA folded in half is located below the page of the destination area AA. The document area DA is covered by a portion of the paper (destination area AA) and cannot be visually recognized from the outside. In this "unequal Z-folding", a total of two locations, one on each side of the destination area AA, are bound with staples 25 (hereinafter simply referred to as stapling processing), and the paper is made into an envelope.

In FIG. 5B, on the surface of the printed paper, the document area DA is arranged on the upper side, and the address area NA and destination area AA are arranged on the lower side. In this example, the total area of the address area NA and the destination area AA is about 1/3 of the paper, and the area of the document area DA is about the remaining 2/3, and the document information DO that can be printed in this document area DA is The amount is a second predetermined amount If2 (first predetermined amount If1<second predetermined amount If2<maximum information amount IfM). In this positional relationship, the paper is folded into a Z-shape by making a valley fold at the middle of the document area DA in the vertical direction and making a mountain fold at the boundary between the document area DA and the address area NA. In this folding method, each side of the Z shape has equal length, and this folding method is hereinafter referred to as "equal Z-folding." In this "equal Z-fold", the address area NA and the destination area AA are visible from the outside, and the document area DA folded in half is located below both areas on the paper surface. (address area NA and destination area AA), so that the document area DA is not visible from the outside. In this "equal Z-folding", stapling is performed at two locations, one on each side of the border between the address area NA and the destination area AA, and the paper is made into an envelope.

FIG. 6 illustrates a case where the address area NA and the destination area AA are placed on the upper side of the front side of the paper, the document area DA is placed on the back side, and the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is low. FIG. 2A illustrates a case where the document information DO fits within the back surface of the paper. In this case, the paper is folded "in two" by folding the middle portion of the paper in the vertical direction when viewed from the front side of the paper into a mountain fold (that is, a valley fold when viewed from the back side of the paper). In this "bi-fold", the address area NA and the destination area AA on the front side are visible from the outside, and the document area DA on the back side is located inside the bi-fold, making the document area DA part of the paper. (A blank area other than the address area NA and the destination area AA on the front surface) covers the document area DA so that it cannot be visually recognized from the outside. In this "folding in half" as well, stapling is performed at a total of two locations on the left and right sides of the top of the paper, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter. FIG. 4B illustrates a case where the document area DA exceeds the back surface of the paper, compared to FIG. In this case, the document information DO is printed on both sides of the front and back sides of the second and subsequent sheets of paper, but these sheets are also folded "in half" and all the sheets are stacked in Figure 6 (a). ), a total of two locations on the left and right sides of the paper are stapled, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter.

In FIG. 7, as in FIG. 6, the address area NA and the destination area AA are placed on the upper side of the front side of the paper, and the document area DA is placed on the back side, but the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is normal (medium). This example shows the case of In Figure (a), 1/3 and 2/3 of the paper in the vertical direction when viewed from the front side of the paper are folded into mountain folds (that is, valley folds when viewed from the back side of the paper). is folded into three. In this "tri-fold", the address area NA and destination area AA are located in the upper 1/3 of the paper and are visible from the outside, while the document area DA on the back side is located within the 1/3 of the paper. The document area DA is covered with a part of the paper (a blank area other than the address area NA and the destination area AA on the front side) so that the document area DA cannot be visually recognized from the outside. In this "three-fold" as well, as in FIG. 6, stapling is performed at a total of two locations on the left and right sides of the top of the paper, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter. FIG. 5B illustrates a case where the document area DA exceeds the back surface of the paper, compared to FIG. In this case, the document area DA is placed on the front and back sides of the second and subsequent sheets of paper, and the document information DO is printed on both sides, but these sheets are also folded into three and all the sheets are printed. In the stacked state, staples are applied to two locations in total on the left and right sides of the paper, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter, as in FIG.

Similar to FIG. 6, FIG. 8 illustrates a case where the address area NA and the destination area AA are placed on the upper side of the front side of the paper, and the document area DA is placed on the back side, but the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is high. ing. In the same figure (a), when viewed from the front side of the paper, 1/4 and 3/4 of the paper in the vertical direction are folded into valley folds, and 2/4 of the paper is folded into mountain folds. It is folded in four. In this "four-fold", the address area NA and the destination area AA are located in the upper 1/4 of the paper and are visible from the outside, while the document area DA on the back side is located within the 1/4 of the paper. The document area DA is covered with a part of the paper (a blank area other than the address area NA and the destination area AA on the front side) so that the document area DA cannot be visually recognized from the outside. In this "four-fold" as well, as in FIG. 6, stapling is performed at a total of two locations on the left and right sides of the top of the paper, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter. FIG. 4B illustrates a case where the document area DA exceeds the entire back surface of the paper, compared to FIG. In this case, the document area DA is placed on the second and subsequent sheets of paper, and the document information DO is printed on both sides, but these sheets are also folded "four-fold" and all the sheets are stacked one on top of the other. As in FIG. 2A, stapling is performed at a total of two locations on the left and right sides of the paper, and the paper is turned into a sealed letter.

FIG. 9 shows five types of paper folding methods performed by the post-processing device (folding mechanism) 30 in the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side. Figure (a) shows the "unequal Z-fold", Figure (b) shows the "Equal division Z-fold", Figure (c) shows the "bi-fold", and Figure (d) shows the "Half-fold". The above-mentioned "three-fold" is shown, and the same figure (e) shows the above-mentioned "four-fold". The post-processing device (folding mechanism) 30 folds the paper printed by the image forming unit 13 in a folding method specified from among the five types, and also performs stapling processing to maintain the folded state of the paper. conduct. The post-processing device 30 discharges the enveloped paper as printed matter RP to a paper discharge tray 14a or a folding tray 30a provided at the bottom of the post-processing device 30.

<Deciding how to fold>
Next, decide which of the five folding methods to fold the paper, namely "unequal Z-fold", "equal Z-fold", "two-fold", "three-fold", and "four-fold". A specific example of how to do this will be explained.

Specifically, this determination is made based on two factors: the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO printed on paper and the amount of information of the document information DO. The degree of confidentiality is specified by the operator (that is, the sender of the output information PI) by a touch operation on the touch panel 15c on the display panel 15b of the operation display section 15. On the other hand, the information amount of the document information DO can be collected from the document information DO included in the output information PI transmitted from the management server 20. The control unit 19 reads and detects the document information DO included in the output information PI using the built-in second reading unit P3, and determines the amount of information of the detected document information DO and the level of confidentiality of the document information DO. Decide how to fold the paper based on

FIG. 10 shows the display panel 15b and exemplifies the operation screen for the "envelope service" which performs predetermined folding and stapling processing on printed paper to form a envelope. On this screen, the operator can set the confidentiality level of the document information DO by touching the touch panels 15cL, 15cM, and 15cH in three levels of "low," "medium," and "high," and then selecting "decision" on the touch panel 15d. Can be specified. On this screen, if the confidentiality level is ``Low'', which is lower than the middle value of ``Medium'' among the three levels, the paper can be folded in ``unequal Z-fold'' or ``equal Z-fold''. ” or “bi-fold” is selected, and if the confidentiality level is the intermediate value “medium”, “tri-fold” is selected, and if the confidentiality level is “high”, which is higher than the intermediate value “medium”, ” clearly indicates that “four-fold” is selected. In addition, on this screen, there is a message that says, ``Please select the confidentiality level of the envelope,'' and ``Depending on the confidentiality level, the way the paper is folded, the addressee, destination, and document layout will change. ” is written. Confidentiality information CO of the document information DO specified by touch operations on the three touch panels 15cH to 15cL on the display panel (confidentiality designation unit) 15b is transmitted to the management server 20 together with the output information PI.

The above three levels of confidentiality, ``low,'' ``medium,'' and ``high,'' are selected arbitrarily based on the sense or discretion of the operator. It is specified for a document containing information, and a confidentiality level of "medium" is specified, for example, for a general document with low confidentiality, and a confidentiality level of "low" is specified, for example, for a document such as a pamphlet or instruction manual that has no confidentiality at all.

In the display panel 15b, the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO can be specified in three levels, ``low,'' ``medium,'' and ``high.'' However, the degree of confidentiality is not limited to these three levels. It may be possible to specify four or more levels of confidentiality, such as specifying a confidentiality level of "highest" that is higher than the level of confidentiality or "minimum" that is lower than the level of confidentiality of "low".

11 and 12 are flowcharts showing a procedure for determining which folding method the control unit 19 of the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side decides to use among the five folding methods. ) shows the first half, and (b) shows the second half. In this flowchart, the paper is folded according to the confidentiality of the envelope specified by the operator (confidentiality information CO of the document information DO) and the amount of information of the document information DO (i.e., the width of the document area DA). I am deciding which way to go. Specifically, in FIG. 11, starting from step S1, an operator (recipient or a representative requested by the recipient) prints the output information PI received by the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side. After confirming that a person (for example, a clerk at a convenience store or a post office clerk) has given an instruction, it is determined in step S2 whether the printed document is a postcard or an envelope, and if it is a postcard, it is printed on designated postcard paper in step S3. Address information NM(j), destination information AD(j), and document information DO are printed on the page, and the process ends.

On the other hand, in the case of a sealed letter, in step S4, the degree of confidentiality specified by the operator on the display panel 15b of the image forming apparatus 10(j) on the sending side is determined by the degree of confidentiality information CO included in the received output information PI. If the degree of confidentiality is low, the amount of information of the document information DO included in the received output information PI is further detected in step S5. After arranging the address area NA, document area DA, and destination area AA in order from the top of the paper surface as shown in 5(a) and printing the address information NM, document information DO, and destination information AD on the paper, in step S7 The printed paper is "Z-folded" into unequal parts and stapled.

On the other hand, if the information amount of the document information DO exceeds the first predetermined amount and is less than or equal to the second predetermined amount, in step S8, as shown in FIG. After printing the document information DO, address information NM, and destination information AD on paper in the order of destination area AA, in step S9, the printed paper is "Z-folded into equal parts" and stapled.

Further, if the amount of information of the document information DO exceeds the second predetermined amount, in step S10, it is determined whether the amount of information of the document information DO exceeds one sheet of paper (that is, the entire back side); If not, in step S11, as shown in FIG. 6A, the address area NA and destination area AA are placed on the front side of the paper, the document area DA is placed on the back side, and address information NM, address information NM, and address information are placed in these areas, respectively. After printing the destination information AD and document information DO, the printed paper is "folded in half" and stapled in step S11.

On the other hand, if the amount of information in the document information DO exceeds one sheet of paper, in step S13, as shown in FIG. After arranging the document area DA on the paper and printing the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in each of these areas, the plurality of printed sheets are "folded in half" in step S14, and these Stack the paper and perform the stapling process.

Furthermore, if the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is medium (normal) in step S4, the amount of information of the document information DO is determined in step S15 of FIG. In step S16, as shown in FIG. 7A, an address area NA and a destination area AA are placed on the front side of the paper, and a document area DA is placed on the back side, and address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO are placed in these areas, respectively. After printing, in step S17, the printed paper is folded into three and stapled.

On the other hand, if the amount of information in the document information DO exceeds one sheet of paper (back side), in step S18, as shown in FIG. After arranging the document area DA on the paper after the first one and printing address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in each of these areas, in step S19, the plurality of printed sheets are "trifolded", These sheets are stacked and stapled.

In addition, if the degree of confidentiality of the document information DO is high in step S4, the amount of information of the document information DO is determined in step S20 of FIG. In S21, as shown in FIG. 8(a), an address area NA and a destination area AA are arranged on the front side of the paper, and a document area DA is arranged on the back side, and address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO are printed in these areas, respectively. After that, in step S22, the printed paper is "folded in four" and stapled.

On the other hand, if the amount of information in the document information DO exceeds one sheet of paper (back side), in step S23, as shown in FIG. After arranging the document area DA on the paper after the first one and printing address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in each of these areas, in step S24, the plurality of printed sheets are "folded into four," These sheets are stacked and stapled.

The post-processing device (binding mechanism) 30 is a stapling mechanism that binds sheets using staples 25. The stapling position on the paper by the stapling mechanism 30 is determined according to the way the paper is folded, and in the "unequal Z-fold" shown in FIG. In the "equal Z-fold" in (b), the left and right sides of the boundary between the address area NA and the destination area AA are determined, and in the "bi-fold" in FIGS. 6 (a) and (b), In the case of "three-fold" shown in FIG. By specifying the position of the staple 25, it is possible to seal the paper with the confidential document information DO positioned securely on the inner surface of the paper.

Further, the control unit 19 grasps the print positions of the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO on the paper, and adjusts the staple position so that the staple 25 does not overlap with the print positions. This makes the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO easier to read, and also prevents the staple 25 from overlapping the two-dimensional code included in the document information DO, thereby preventing errors in reading the two-dimensional code. It is possible to reliably prevent this.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the output information PI is transmitted from the transmitting side image forming apparatus 10(h) (h is an integer from 1 to m other than i) to the management server 20, the output information PI includes The output information PI is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side according to the destination information AD(i), and this output information PI is printed on paper by the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side. be done. Therefore, it is not necessary to actually deliver the printed matter from the sender to the recipient, and the effort and time required for shipping are greatly reduced.

At this time, the paper (printed material) printed by the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side may include confidential document information DO, but the paper is The device 30 automatically folds the printed address information NM (j), destination information AD (j)), and document information DO according to their positions on the paper, and the surface of the folded paper The address information NM and the destination information AD are located on the inner side of the folded paper, and the document information DO is located on the inner side of the folded paper and is covered with a part of the paper, making it a sealed letter that cannot be visually recognized from the outside. Therefore, even if the printed paper contains confidential document information DO, it is possible to obtain printed matter with a high degree of confidentiality. Therefore, confidential document information DO may be leaked, such as when a person other than the recipient, such as a store staff member or a delivery person, converts a sheet printed by the image forming device 10(i) on the receiving side into an envelope. It is possible to reliably prevent this from happening, and also to omit the trouble of processing sealed letters.

Further, since the folded paper is subjected to stapling processing by the post-processing device 30, it is possible to maintain a high degree of confidentiality of the document information DO.

Furthermore, depending on the confidentiality information CO specified by the sender, the higher the confidentiality, the more times the paper will be folded than ``two-fold,'' and ``three-fold'' or ``four-fold'' will be adopted. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the confidentiality of the document information DO even higher.

Furthermore, when the amount of information in the document information DO is small, all of the address information NM(j), destination information AD(j)) and document information DO are printed on one side only on the front side of one sheet of paper, and the printed information is Since "unequal Z-folding" or "equal Z-folding" is performed on the paper, it is possible to obtain a sealed letter with a high degree of secrecy while printing is simple.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the operator selects the level of confidentiality on the display panel 15b. There are multiple touch panels that display names such as "Personal Information," "General Documents," "Pamphlets," and "Instructions" in text. When selecting "Information," etc., the confidentiality level is determined to be "High," when selecting "General Documents," etc., the confidentiality level is determined to be "Medium," and when selecting "Pamphlet," "Instruction Manual," etc., the confidentiality level is determined to be "Medium." A configuration may be adopted in which the designation is determined as "low".

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 13 shows a display screen of the display panel 15b of the operation display section 15 in the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 13, the display panel (folding method specification section) 15b of the image forming apparatus 10(h) on the sending side displays "Unequal folding method" as the envelope format (paper folding method) desired by the operator in the envelope service. Five types of folding methods, ``Z-fold'', ``equal Z-fold'', ``bi-fold'', ``tri-fold'', and ``quarto-fold'', are displayed on the five touch panels 15c1 to 15c5 along with the designs. After touching one of the touch panels 15c1 to 15c5, the operator operates the "determination" touch panel 15d to select and specify the desired paper folding method as the envelope format. This designated envelope format is included in the output information PI and transmitted from the output section P6 of the control section 19 to the management server 20.

14 and 15 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the envelope service by the control unit 19 of the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side, with FIG. 14 showing the first half and FIG. 15 showing the second half. In FIG. 14, from the start, in steps S1 to S3, similarly to steps S1 to S3 in FIG. After checking, it is determined whether it is a postcard or an envelope, and if it is a postcard, the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO are printed on the designated postcard paper, and the process ends.

On the other hand, in the case of a sealed letter, in step S4, the sealed letter format included in the received output information PI, that is, the sealed letter format specified by the operator in the image forming apparatus 10(h) on the sending side is determined. As a result, in the case of "unequal Z-folding", in step S5, as shown in FIG. After printing address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in each area, in step S6, the printed paper is "Z-folded into unequal parts" and stapled.

Further, if the envelope format specified by the operator is "equal Z-fold", in step S7, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the document area DA, address area NA, and destination area are After arranging the AA and printing the document information DO, address information NM, and destination information AD in these areas, in step S8, the printed paper is "Z-folded into equal parts" and stapled.

Furthermore, in the case of "bifold", in step S9 of FIG. 15, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and (b), the address area NA and destination area AA are placed on the front side of the paper, and the back side (or After arranging the document area DA on the second and subsequent sheets of paper and printing the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in these areas, in step S10, the printed one or more sheets are Fold in half (and stack) and staple.

In addition, in the case of "tri-fold", in step S11 of FIG. 15, as shown in FIGS. 7(a) and (b), the address area NA and destination area AA are arranged on the front side of the paper, and After arranging the document area DA on the sheets (from the first sheet onward) and printing the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in these areas, the printed sheets are "trifolded" (and overlapped) in step S12. ), perform the stapling process.

In the case of "four-fold", in step S13 of FIG. 15, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b), the address area NA and the destination area AA are arranged on the front side of the paper, and After arranging the document area DA on the paper (after the first page) and printing the address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO in these areas, in step S14, the printed paper is "folded into quarters" (and overlaid). ), performs stapling processing.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the sender of the output information PI performs a touch operation in advance on any of the five touch panels 15c1 to 15c5 in the display panel 15b of the image forming apparatus 10(h) on the sending side to fold the paper. By simply specifying the direction, the paper printed by the image forming apparatus 10(i) on the receiving side will automatically position the document information DO on the inner side of the paper, and Since the document information DO can be folded so as to be covered by a cover and sealed so as not to be visible from the outside, it is possible to maintain a high degree of confidentiality of the document information DO.

In the above explanation, when the amount of information in the document information DO is small, one-sided printing is performed only on the front surface of the paper and "unequal Z-fold" or "equal Z-fold" is applied. Even if the folding format is not adopted and the amount of information in the document information DO is small, address information NM (j) and destination information AD (j)) can be placed on the front side of the paper, and document information DO can be placed on the back side. It is also possible to use double-sided printing to create a "bi-fold".

Further, all of the paper folding methods described above are merely examples, and it goes without saying that other folding methods may be adopted.

Furthermore, in the above explanation, the second reading unit P3 of the image forming apparatus 10(h) on the sending side reads the output information PI using an optical character recognition (OCR) function, but it is not possible to store the output information PI in an external storage device such as a USB memory. The file data of the output information PI may be read. In this case, the file data may include the confidentiality information CO of the document information DO.

In addition, in the above description, the case where the output information PI sent from the management server 20 to the receiving image forming apparatus 10(i) is printed on paper by the receiving image forming apparatus 10(i) has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and can be applied to a case where the image forming apparatus 10 prints at least address information NM, destination information AD, and document information DO on paper.

The invention may be embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are merely illustrative and should not be interpreted in a limiting manner. All modifications and changes that come within the scope of equivalents of the claims of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.

The present invention allows confidential document information to be automatically kept confidential even when the positions of address information, destination information, and document information printed on paper (image formation) are different. , it is useful when applied to an image forming apparatus.

10 Image forming apparatus 100 Image forming apparatus system 13 Image forming section (printing section)
15 Operation display section 15b Display panel (confidentiality specification section, folding method specification section)
15cL, 15cM, 15cH Touch panel 19 Control unit 20 Management server 25 Staple 30 Post-processing device (folding mechanism
and binding mechanism (stapling mechanism))
PI Output information NA Address area AA Destination area DA Document area CO Confidentiality information

Claims (17)

a printing unit that prints at least address information, destination information, and document information in an address area, a destination area, and a document area of a sheet, respectively;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a folding mechanism that folds the paper printed by the printing section,
comprising a control unit that determines how the folding mechanism folds the paper;
The control unit includes:
When the address area, the document area, and the destination area are arranged in order from the top of the surface of the paper, the address area and the destination area are visible from the outside, and the document area is arranged on the surface of the paper. The method of folding the paper is determined to be an unequal Z-fold in which the paper is folded in the shape of the English letter Z when viewed from the side so that a portion of the paper is covered, and each folded side is of unequal length.
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a binding mechanism that binds the sheets while keeping the sheets folded by the folding mechanism. The control unit includes:
When the document area, address area, and destination area are arranged in order from the top of the surface of the paper, the paper may be folded in the shape of the English letter Z when viewed from the side of the paper. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the Z-fold is determined to be equally divided so that each folded side has the same length. The control unit includes:
When the address area and the destination area are arranged on the front side of the paper, and the document area is arranged on the back side of the paper, the method of folding the paper is determined to be two folds, three folds, or four folds. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: a printing unit that prints at least address information, destination information, and document information in an address area, a destination area, and a document area of a sheet, respectively;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a folding mechanism that folds the paper printed by the printing section,
a control unit that determines how the folding mechanism folds the paper ;
a confidentiality level designation unit that allows an operator to specify the confidentiality level of the document information ;
The confidentiality specifying unit is capable of specifying the confidentiality in at least three levels,
The control unit includes:
determining how to fold the paper in accordance with the specified degree of confidentiality so that the address area and the destination area are visible from the outside and a portion of the paper covers the document area ;
When the degree of confidentiality of the document information is specified by the operator as an intermediate value among the three levels,
controlling the printing unit to arrange the address area and the destination area on the front side of the paper, and placing the document area on the back side of the paper, and determining how to fold the paper into three.
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The control unit includes:
When the degree of confidentiality of the document information is specified by the operator as a degree of confidentiality higher than the intermediate value,
controlling the printing unit to arrange the address area and the destination area on the front side of the paper, and placing the document area on the back side of the paper, and determining how to fold the paper into quarters. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 . The control unit includes:
When the degree of confidentiality of the document information is specified by the operator to be a degree of confidentiality lower than the intermediate value,
The paper is folded into an unequal Z-fold in which the paper is folded into the shape of the English letter Z when viewed from the side, and each folded side has an unequal length ; The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the image forming apparatus is folded into a shape and determined to be a Z-fold or a two-fold in which each folded side is of equal length . The control unit includes:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: detecting an information amount of the document information, and determining how to fold the paper according to the detected information amount. The control unit includes:
When the detected amount of information exceeds the amount of information that can be printed on the surface of the paper,
controlling the printing unit to arrange the address area and the destination area on the front side of the paper and the document area on the back side of the paper, and determining the folding method of the paper to be folded in half. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 . The control unit includes:
When the detected amount of information is less than a first predetermined amount that is less than the maximum amount of information that can be printed on the surface of the paper,
controlling the printing unit to arrange the address area, the document area, and the destination area in order from the top of the front surface of the paper, and determining the method of folding the paper to be the unequal Z-fold. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , characterized in that: The control unit includes:
When the detected amount of information exceeds the first predetermined amount and is less than a second predetermined amount (first predetermined amount < second predetermined amount < maximum information amount),
The printing unit is controlled to arrange the document area, the address area, and the destination area in order from the top of the surface of the paper, and the method of folding the paper is determined to be the equal Z-fold. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 . a printing unit that prints at least address information, destination information, and document information in an address area, a destination area, and a document area of a sheet, respectively;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a folding mechanism that folds the paper printed by the printing unit,
a control unit that determines how the folding mechanism folds the paper ;
a folding method designation section for an operator to specify how to fold the paper ;
The control unit includes:
The address area and the destination are arranged on the paper based on the designated folding method so that the address and destination areas are visible from the outside and a part of the paper covers the document area. controlling the printing unit to determine an area and the position of the document area, and controlling the folding mechanism to fold the paper in the specified folding manner.
An image forming apparatus characterized by: The image forming apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising a binding mechanism that binds the sheets while keeping the sheets folded by the folding mechanism. The control unit includes:
When placing the document information on a second or subsequent sheet of paper, the paper is folded in the same manner as the first sheet, and the second or subsequent sheet is placed on the back side of the first sheet of paper. 14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the binding mechanism is controlled to overlap and bind sheets. The binding mechanism is a stapling mechanism,
The control unit includes:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 or 14 , wherein a stapling position is determined according to the determined folding method. The control unit includes:
The image forming apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the stapling position is adjusted so as not to overlap the address information, the destination information, and the document information printed on the paper. A plurality of image forming apparatuses according to any one of claims 1 to 16 are provided, and
comprising a management server connected to the plurality of image forming apparatuses,
One of the plurality of image forming apparatuses includes:
transmitting output information including at least the address information, the destination information, and the document information to the management server;
The management server is
The image forming apparatus is characterized in that, among the plurality of image forming apparatuses, at least the address information, the destination information, and the document information are transmitted to an image forming apparatus located at an address corresponding to the destination information. system.

Images