JPH10304181A - Image copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a first copy quickly by executing the first copy in parallel with reading originals in the case that two originals are synthesized and the synthesized original is copied on one paper. SOLUTION: When an original is carried to the device, as soon as an internal timer is started, memory write is permitted and reading is started. Read image data are fed to a memory unit section 30, where the data are stored sequentially in an image memory 304 via an input section 301. In the case that an original is an odd number page, the image data are allowed to be read from the image memory 304 after the lapse of a prescribed time from the start of reading of an original in parallel, and the data are read through a selector 303 and an output section 302 and fed to a printer section from the memory unit section 30. On the other hand, in the case that the original is an even number page, the image data are stored in the image memory 304 and read through the selector 303 and the output section 302 in parallel and fed to the printer section from the memory unit section 30.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image copying apparatus, such as a digital copying machine, having a function of synthesizing two originals and copying them onto one sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional digital copying machine, two originals are combined and copied on one sheet (2-in-1 copy is executed).
In such a case, all the read image data of each document are temporarily stored in a memory, and then the image data is read out from the memory for two sheets and combined to obtain one sheet of image data. .

[0003]

However, the above-mentioned method has a problem that the copy finish of the first copy is slow because the image synthesis operation cannot be started until all the image data of each document is stored. This problem becomes more serious as the number of documents increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image copying apparatus capable of speeding up the copy finishing of the first copy when performing a 2 in 1 copy.

[0005]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image copying apparatus having a function of synthesizing two originals and copying the original onto one sheet. Automatic document feeding means for automatically transporting a document, document reading means for reading a transported document and converting the document into image data, memory means for storing image data of a plurality of documents, Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet in accordance with image data, and image data of an odd-numbered document output by the document reading means are stored in the memory means, and when reading of one document is completed, The image data of the even-numbered original is stored in the memory while the image data of the even-numbered original is transmitted from the memory to the image forming unit with a delay of a fixed time corresponding to the time difference from the start of reading the subsequent original. In parallel the same time characterized by comprising a control means for sending to said image forming means.

In the image copying apparatus of the first aspect, the automatic document feeder automatically conveys the document, and the document reader reads the conveyed document and sequentially converts the document into image data.
The control means stores the image data of the odd-numbered document output by the document reading means in the memory means,
The document is sent from the memory unit to the image forming unit with a delay of a fixed time corresponding to the time difference between the completion of reading of one document and the start of reading of the subsequent document. On the other hand, the control means
The image data of the even-numbered original document is stored in the memory means and simultaneously sent to the image forming means. As a result, the image forming means continuously receives the image data of the odd-numbered document and the image data of the even-numbered document. That is, the image data of the odd-numbered document and the image data of the even-numbered document are temporally linked, and are continuously input as one combined image data. The image forming means forms an image on one sheet of paper according to the received image data. When two originals are combined and copied on one sheet (2in1 copy is executed) in this manner, the first copy is executed in parallel with the original reading operation, and therefore, compared to the conventional method. As a result, the copy finish of the first copy becomes faster.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image copying apparatus of the first aspect, when the number of copies is more than one, an odd-numbered copy from the memory means is used for copying the second copy and thereafter. The image data of the document and the image data of the even numbered document are sequentially read out and combined.

In the image copying apparatus of the second aspect, for the second and subsequent copies, the image data of the odd-numbered document and the image data of the even-numbered document are sequentially read from the memory means and synthesized. The processing operation is simplified. Since the image data of all the originals is already stored in the memory means when the first copy is copied, even if the image data is sequentially read from the memory means and synthesized, the copy finish is not delayed. .

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail.

FIG. 1 shows an entire configuration of a digital copying machine to which an image copying apparatus according to one embodiment is applied.

The digital copying machine has a scanning system 10 for reading a document and converting the image signal into an image signal, an image signal processing unit 20 for processing an image signal sent from the scanning system 10, and an image signal processing unit 20. A memory unit unit 30 as a memory unit for storing received image data, a print processing unit 40 for driving a semiconductor laser 61 based on image data output from the memory unit unit 30,
The laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser 61 is applied to the photosensitive drum 7
1, a laser optical system 60 for guiding to an exposure position, an image forming system 70 for developing a latent image by exposure, transferring the image onto recording paper, and fixing to form an image, and an operation provided on the upper surface of the copying machine main body. A panel 110 (shown in FIG. 9) and a document feeder 500 as an automatic document feeder for feeding a document and turning over the front and back as necessary are provided.

A scanning section 10, an image signal processing section 20, and the like constitute a reading section IR as document reading means. The printing section 40, a laser optical system 60,
The image forming system 70 and the like constitute a printer unit P as an image forming unit. The power of the digital copying machine is turned on and off by a switch SW1.

The reading section IR reads an image of a document placed on the document glass 19 and generates image data corresponding to each pixel of the document image. First scanner 11 having exposure lamp 12 and first mirror 13a
And the second scanner 14 having the second and third mirrors 13b and 13c are moved in the directions of arrows b and b '(sub-scanning direction) by driving the scan motor M2. The light of the exposure lamp 12 is reflected by the original on the original glass 19,
The light is emitted to the line sensor 17 via the mirrors 13a, 13b, 13c and the lens 15. The line sensor 17 is shown in FIG.
A large number of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the plane of the drawing. For example, an image is read at 400 DPI, and image data corresponding to each pixel is output. Further, as described above, when the scanner unit moves in the directions of the arrows b and b ', the line sensor 17 can sub-scan the document image. The sensor SE3 is for detecting that the first scanner 11 is at the home position.

The image data output from the line sensor 17 is processed by the image signal processing unit 20 and then transmitted to the memory unit 30. Memory unit 30
Stores the image data received from the image signal processing unit 20 in the image memory, or directly stores the image data without storing the image data.
Send to Image signal processor 20 and memory unit 3
0 will be described in detail later.

Next, the printer section P will be described. The print processing unit 40 controls the laser optical system 60 based on the image data received from the memory unit 30. The laser optical system 60 emits a laser beam modulated (on / off) by the print processing unit 40 and emits a laser beam, and the laser beam emitted by the semiconductor laser 61 scans the photosensitive drum 71 on the photosensitive drum 71. Polygon mirror 62, fθ lens 63, mirror 64
a, 64b.

A charging charger 72, a developing unit 73, a transfer charger 74, a separation charger 75, a cleaner 76, and an eraser lamp 77 are arranged around the photosensitive drum 71, which is rotationally driven, along the rotation direction. . A toner image is formed by a well-known electrophotographic process and is transferred onto a sheet. The paper is fed into the paper cassette 81
The paper is supplied from paper feed rollers 82a and 82b from a and 81b, and is fed to a transfer charger 74 by a paper conveyance path 83 and a timing roller 84. The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred at the position of the transfer charger 74 is discharged from the printer unit P via the conveyance belt 85, the fixing device 86, the post-fixing roller 87, and the discharge roller 94. These various rollers and the photosensitive drum 71 are driven by a main motor M1. Further, the paper feed cassettes 81a, 81b
Are provided near paper size detection sensors SE1 and SE2 for detecting the size of paper stored in each cassette.
And sensors 10E and 1E for detecting the state of paper stored in a paper cassette (detecting near empty or empty).
1E is provided.

A paper detection sensor for detecting the paper conveyance state and timing is disposed in the paper passage path. The state of the paper detection sensor is detected, and the paper jam (J
AM) etc. can be detected. In this embodiment, as the sheet detection sensor, there are 10P arranged before the timing roller, 11P arranged at the conveyance section 85, 12P arranged after fixing, and SE92 arranged at the discharge section.

The printer section P has a function of performing switchback conveyance in the case of double-sided copying or the like.

The switchback transport mechanism includes a path switching claw 91, a transport roller 92, a reversing roller 93, and the like.

In the one-sided copy mode, a sheet is sent to the finisher unit 600 without passing through the switchback conveyance, or is sent to the switchback conveyance unit for page alignment, and is sent back to the finisher unit 600 for switchover. There are cases. The method of switchback will be described later.

In the double-sided copy mode, the left end of the switching claw 91 is moved upward by a solenoid (not shown), and the sheet fed from the roller 87 after fixing reaches the forward / reverse roller 93 through the transport roller 92. When the trailing edge of the sheet reaches the sheet sensor SE91, the forward / reverse roller 93 is inverted. As a result, the sheet is sent to the horizontal transport unit. The fed paper is fed to horizontal transport rollers 88a, 88b,
It is sent to the timing roller 84 through 88c and waits. Here, when a plurality of sheets are continuously fed, the sheets are conveyed one after another at predetermined intervals so as not to overlap each other, and are sent to the finisher unit 600. Since the transport path length for the paper is constant, the finisher unit 600 and the horizontal transport rollers 88a, 88b, 8
The number of sheets N per cycle (the most circulating number) N according to 8c depends on the sheet size.

The document feeder 500 includes a document feed tray 51
The original set on the original 0 is automatically conveyed onto the original glass, and the original read by the scanning system 10 is discharged to the original discharge unit 511.

In the normal mode, one or a plurality of documents are set on the document feed tray 510 with the surface to be read facing upward, and the side regulating plate is adjusted to the width of the document.
When the operation is started, the set originals are conveyed by the paper feed roller 501 sequentially from the uppermost original. The document is separated by the separating roller 502 and the separating pad 503 and fed one by one. The conveyed document passes through the intermediate roller 504 and is detected by the registration sensor SE51 and the width size sensor SE53.
05 corrects the skew. Immediately after the trailing edge of the original has passed the left end of the original scale 512, the original transport belt 5
06 stops slightly in reverse.

Thus, the right end of the original is placed on the original scale 5
12, the original is set at an accurate position on the original glass 19. At this time, the leading edge of the next document has reached the registration roller 505, so that the transport time of the next document is reduced.

When the original is set at an accurate reading position on the original glass 19, the scanning of the original by the scanning system 10 is performed. When the reading of the document is completed, the document is transported leftward by the document transport belt 506, the transport direction is changed by the reversing roller 507, and the document is discharged onto the discharge tray 511 after passing above the switching claw 508.

In the case of a double-sided original, when reading of the first side is completed, the original is conveyed to the left by the original conveying belt 506, the conveying direction is changed by the reversing roller 507, and the original glass 19 is again switched by the switching claw 508. The document is sent upward, and the second side of the document is set at the reading position. The document whose second surface has been read is conveyed to the left by the document conveying belt 506, and is discharged onto a discharge tray 511 via a reversing roller 507, a switching claw 508, and a discharge roller 509.

The finisher section 600 includes a sorting section,
It is mounted on the side of the printer unit P as an additional device for automating staple processing.

The finisher section 600 includes a tray 610 with a storage function for staples and a tray 63 with an elevator function.
0, stapler unit 620, path switching claw 60
2. Transport rollers 601, 603, 604, 605, 60
6 and so on.

When the staple mode is set, the sheet inverted by the switchback mechanism of the printer unit P is discharged from the printer unit P through the discharge roller 94. The sheet fed to the finisher unit 600 passes through the transport roller 601 and passes through the path switching claw 60.
The sheet is sent to the conveying roller 603 in accordance with the state of the switching of No. 2. The path switching claw 602 is controlled by a solenoid (not shown), and is configured to switch between sending the paper toward the transport roller 603 and sending the paper toward the transport roller 604 according to the set copy mode. I have. The paper discharged from the transport roller 603 is
The paper is discharged to the tray 610 with a staple storage function. 1
After the sheets of paper have been discharged to the staple storage function-equipped tray 610, the conveying rollers 60
7, the sheet is sent to the stapler unit 620 and stapled at a predetermined position.
06 and is discharged to the tray 630 with the elevator function.

In a mode other than the staple mode, the sheet discharged from the printer unit P is transported by the transport rollers 601 and 60.
4, 605, 606 through the tray 6 with the elevator function
It is discharged to 30.

As shown in FIG. 9, the operation panel 110 includes a liquid crystal touch panel 191 for displaying a state and setting various modes, a numeric keypad 192 for inputting numerical conditions for copy (number of sheets, magnification, etc.), A clear key 193 for returning numerical conditions to standard values, a panel reset key 194 for initializing a copy mode, a stop key 195 for instructing to stop copying, and a start key 196 for instructing to start copying. , A job registration key 190 for registering a job, and a mode setting key 197 for setting whether to perform non-sorting or sorting.
And a display unit 197a indicating that non-sort is selected.
And a display unit 197b indicating that sorting has been selected;
Mode setting key 19 for setting staple mode
8 and a display unit 198a indicating that the staple mode has been selected.

The liquid crystal touch panel 191 displays a near empty or empty display of a stored paper, and a paper jam (JA).
M) Various states such as JAM display at the time of occurrence, trouble display at the time of trouble occurrence, operation modes such as exposure level and magnification, and other various displays Q10 are performed. At the same time, the user can select various operation modes such as 2-in-1 copy through the liquid crystal touch panel 191.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show the block configuration of the control unit 100 of the digital copying machine. The control unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. The control unit 100
It is mainly composed of seven CPUs 1 to 7. Each of these CPUs 1 to 7 has a ROM 111 storing a program.
~ 117 and RA which is a work area for program execution
M121 to M127 are provided correspondingly. In addition,
The CPU 3 is provided in the memory unit 30 (see FIG. 7).

The CPU 1 shown in FIG.
Controls the input and display of signals from the various operation keys. The CPU 2 controls each unit of the image signal processing unit 20 and controls driving of the scanning system 10. The CPU 4 controls the print processing unit 40, the print optical system 60, the image forming system 70, and the main motor M1. Further, the CPU 5 includes a control unit 10
Processing for adjusting the overall timing of 0 and setting the operation mode is performed.

The CPU 3 shown in FIG. 7 controls the memory unit 30 to store the read image data in the image memory 3.
04, read it out, and output it to the print processing unit 40. As shown in FIG.
Includes an input unit 301 for receiving image data, an output unit 302 for transmitting image data, a selector 303, and an image memory 304 for storing image data. As described above, these components are entirely controlled by the CPU 3. The selector 303 selects one of the data from the input unit 301 and the data from the image memory 304, and
02 is output.

As shown in FIG. 2, the signals from the paper size detection sensors SE11 and SE12 are transmitted to the CP through the I / O.
The data is input to U4, and the size of the copy sheet is managed by the CPU 4. Further, the paper detection sensors 10P, 11P, 1
2P, SE92 and the state detection of the storage paper detection sensors 10E and 11E are also input to the CPU 4 through I / O.

The CPU 6 shown in FIG.
Control of the document conveyance by. The CPU 7 controls the finisher unit 600.

Next, the reading section IR and the image signal processing section 20
Will be described. FIG. 4 shows a block configuration of the reading unit IR. CPU2, ROM112, RAM1
22 and the CCD 16 correspond to FIG.

An image reading synchronization signal is supplied from the timing control section 21 to each block. The CCD 16 photoelectrically converts document information to generate an electric signal. The electrical signal is A
The signal is amplified and controlled by the MP unit 23 and converted into an 8-bit digital signal by the AD converter 25. Subsequently, the shading correction unit 26 performs a process of removing distortion caused by the optical system and the CCD from the digital signal.
Next, the density conversion unit 27 performs a process of converting the reflection data into density data and correcting gamma. The signal after the correction is input to the electric scaling unit 28, and the electric scaling unit 28 performs an electric scaling process in the main scanning direction based on the set magnification information. After that, the image data that has been subjected to the image editing processing by the editing processing unit 29 is supplied to the printer engine unit and the image memory unit unit.

The image monitor memory 24 stores one line of image data according to an instruction from the CPU 2. Further, the CPU 2 sets parameters for the image processing 26 to 29, performs scan control by driving the scanner motor M2,
It controls the entire reading device such as communication with the host CPU 5.

Next, detection of the document size and whether the document is placed vertically or horizontally will be described. For manuscript size,
For example, the original is scanned with the original cover 17 (see FIG. 1) having a mirror surface, and a portion where the amount of reflected light is large is determined as an area occupied by the original. In the case of a mirror surface, there is almost no reflected light amount, so that the determination is easy. Therefore, scanning may be performed with the document cover 17 opened.

When the CPU 2 receives a document size detection operation instruction from the host CPU 5, the CPU 2 performs a preliminary scan. C
PU2 controls the scanner motor M2 based on the scanner position information from the scanner position sensor SE / IR,
The scanner 19 is caused to scan in the sub-scanning direction. At the timing corresponding to the sub-scanning position, the document size and portrait / landscape are detected from the content of the image data and the monitor position information,
The detection result is transmitted to the host CPU 5.

Based on the magnification information transmitted from the host CPU 5, the CPU 2 controls the speed of the scanner motor M2 at a scan speed suitable for the magnification information when reading an image.

FIG. 6 shows a 2-inch digital copying machine.
FIG. 8 shows the operation timing of one copy, and FIG. 8 shows the operation flow.

The operation of 2-in-1 copying in this digital copying machine will be described with reference to FIGS.

The CPU 3 has internal timers T1 and T2. After the counting is started, the timer T1 times out when a predetermined time td corresponding to the time difference between the completion of reading one document and the start of reading the next document has elapsed. The timer T2 times out when the time required for data transmission of two documents elapses after the start of data transmission from the memory unit 30 to the printer unit P. Timer T1, T
In both cases, an end signal is output and reset when the time is up.

First, after initial setting such as setting the index n representing the number of copies to 0 (S1), the document transport unit 50
0 checks whether or not there is a document (S2). If there is a document, the document is sequentially conveyed to the document glass (S3). When the document is conveyed, the internal timer is started (S4), and at the same time, writing to the memory is permitted and the reading operation is started (S5, S6).

The read image data is transmitted to the memory unit 30 and sequentially stored in the image memory 304 through the input unit 301. In parallel with this, it is determined whether or not the document is an odd numbered document (S7). If the document is an odd-numbered document (for example, the first document), the image data of the document is read from the image memory 304 when the internal timer T1 times out, that is, when a certain time td has elapsed from the start of the document reading. Are permitted (S8, S9), read through the selector 303 and the output unit 302, and transmitted from the memory unit 30 to the printer P (S1).
0). On the other hand, if the document is an even-numbered document (for example, the second document), the image data of the document is stored in the image memory 304 and simultaneously with the selector 303 and the output unit 3.
02 (S20), and is transmitted from the memory unit 30 to the printer P (S10). As a result, the image data of the odd-numbered document and the image data of the even-numbered document are temporally linked, and are continuously transmitted to the printer unit P as one combined image data.

Upon receiving the combined image data corresponding to the two originals from the memory unit 30, the printer unit P immediately executes the first copy (2-in-1 copy). When the timer T2 times out, the process returns to step S2 to determine the presence or absence of the next original.

The processes of steps S2 to S11 and S20 are repeated, and the first copy 2i is executed for all the originals.
The n1 copy is completed. As shown in FIG.
If the reading operation is performed in the order of B, C, D,..., A copy in which the documents A and B are combined, a copy in which the documents C and D are combined, and the like are obtained in order.

When the 2 in 1 copy of the first copy has been completed for all the originals, the flow advances to step 12 to start the copy operation of the second copy and thereafter.

That is, in step S12, first, the index n representing the number of copies is incremented (+1), and the index m representing the number of documents is set to 1 (indexes n and m are set in the work area of the RAM). . If the index n has reached the number of copies input by the user (S13), the copy job (JOB) ends.

If the index n does not reach the number of copies input by the user, the image data of the first and second originals is transmitted from the memory unit 30 to the printer unit P because m = 1 at first. Perform 2in1 copy of the second copy (S14 ~
S17). If (m + 1) has not reached the final number (S18), 2 is added to m (S19) and the second copy of 2in
Continue one copy. If (m + 1) has reached the final number in step S18, the process returns to step S12, where the index n is incremented (+1), and the index m representing the number of documents is set to 1. In this way, 2 in 1 copy is executed partly over all originals. In step S13, if the index n has reached the number of copies input by the user, the copy job ends.

As described above, in this digital copying machine, 2
In the copy mode of the in1 copy, the read image data of the odd-numbered original is delayed by a predetermined time td and temporally connected to the image data of the even-numbered original to form one combined image data. The first copy (2 in 1 copy) is executed in parallel with the original reading operation. Therefore, the copy finish of the first copy can be made faster.

[0055]

As is apparent from the above description, in the image copying apparatus of the first aspect, when two originals are combined and copied on one sheet (2-in-1 copy is executed), the original reading operation is performed. Since the copy of the first copy is executed in parallel, the copy finish of the first copy can be made faster than in the past.

In the image copying apparatus according to the second aspect, for the second and subsequent copies, the image data of the odd-numbered originals and the image data of the even-numbered originals are sequentially read from the memory means and synthesized. The processing operation can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an entire configuration of a digital copying machine to which an image copying apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a part of a configuration of a control unit of the digital copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a part of a configuration of a control unit of the digital copying machine.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image signal processing unit of the digital copying machine.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which image data of two originals is copied onto one sheet.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing operation timings when executing 2in1 copy.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a memory unit of the digital copying machine.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an operation flow when executing a 2in1 copy.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an operation panel of the digital copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Scanning system 20 Image signal processing part 30 Memory unit part 500 Document conveyance part 600 Finisher part IR reading part P Printer part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image copying apparatus having a function of combining two originals and copying the original onto one sheet, comprising: an automatic original feeder for automatically transporting the original; Document reading means for converting image data into image data, memory means for storing image data of a plurality of documents, image forming means for forming an image on paper according to received image data, and said document reading means The output image data of the odd-numbered document is stored in the memory means, and is delayed from the memory means by a delay corresponding to a time difference between the completion of reading of one document and the start of reading of the subsequent document. A control unit for transmitting the image data of the even-numbered document to the image forming unit while transmitting the image data of the even-numbered document to the image forming unit in parallel with the image forming unit; Image copying apparatus according to claim. 2. The image copying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the number of copies is plural, image data of an odd-numbered document from the memory means for the second and subsequent copies.
An image copying apparatus characterized in that image data of even-numbered originals are sequentially read and synthesized.