JPH11194679A - Image processing device, image forming device, image processing method, and image forming method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily recognize a specific pattern added to a reproduction image and to easily check whether the function of adding the specific-pattern is properly performed or not. SOLUTION: In the case a test mode is set and a color for the addition of a specific pattern, other than yellow, is selected, register information TEST corresponding to the selected color is inputted into selectors 131 and 132 in the specific-pattern addition part G4 of the image processing device. To the color selected out of black, cyan, and magenta image signals, the specific pattern is added by a specific-pattern addition circuit 133. To the yellow, the specific pattern is added by a specific-pattern addition circuit 134, and the specific pattern in which the yellow subjected to the addition and the selected color are mixed is image-formed in a color printer part 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for processing an image read by a reading means such as a scanner, and to a plurality of photosensitive drums having the image processing apparatus for each color component. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a digital color electronic copier and an image forming method for forming a color image by forming images and superimposing them on paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, reproducibility of image forming apparatuses such as scanners, printers, and copiers has been remarkably improved, and banknotes and securities that should not be reproduced are greatly improved. Can be reproduced with a high image quality that cannot be easily distinguished from the real one, and there is a fear that it will be misused.

Along with this, forgery prevention techniques such as prohibiting an image reproducing operation by discriminating whether or not an image is a bill or a securities and judging that the image is a bill or a securities etc. Has become indispensable.

[0004] However, even if the above-described forgery prevention technology is used, the effect of forgery prevention is not perfect, and banknotes and securities that should not be originally recycled may be actually recycled.

Therefore, even if bills and securities that should not be originally reproduced are reproduced, not only images such as bills and securities that must not be reproduced so that the image forming apparatus can be identified from the reproduced image. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-294682 discloses a technique for adding a specific pattern unique to the machine to all reproduced images using a yellow color material that is difficult to recognize with the naked eye. Is known by:

On the other hand, when manufacturing and shipping an image forming apparatus having a function of adding such a specific pattern to a reproduced image, it is necessary to inspect and confirm whether or not the specific pattern is normally added to the reproduced image. There is a need to.

However, since such a specific pattern is originally added to a reproduced image so as to be difficult for the naked eye to recognize, the reproduced image is read using a reading means such as a scanner, and the photo is operated on a personal computer. Use the color conversion function of application software such as retouching software to convert to a color that can be easily recognized by the naked eye, and check whether the function of adding a specific pattern to the reproduced image is functioning properly. The inspection was very time-consuming.

Therefore, when inspecting and confirming a reproduced image to which a specific pattern has been added, a technique for visualizing the specific pattern so that the specific pattern can be easily recognized with the naked eye is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-1876.
This is known from Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1 (1994) and the like.

[0009]

As described above, four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, or yellow,
In an image forming apparatus in which three colors of magenta and cyan are commonly used as an image reproducing system of one system and an image reproducing operation is repeated four or three times for each color to obtain a reproduced image. In the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-18761, the specific pattern addition function is operated when reproducing magenta, cyan, and black images other than yellow when inspecting and confirming the specific pattern addition function. It is possible to inspect / confirm whether the specific pattern adding function is functioning normally.

However, four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan and black, or three colors of yellow, magenta and cyan
In an image forming apparatus that simultaneously reproduces images of colors,
As described above, when only one system has the specific pattern addition function, in order to easily recognize the specific pattern with a color other than yellow, yellow, magenta, cyan, black,
Alternatively, the only way to change the path system of the yellow, magenta, and cyan image signals is to determine whether there is an abnormality in the specific pattern addition function itself even if the specific pattern is not normally added to the reproduced image. There was a problem that it was not possible to judge whether there was an abnormality due to the change of the system.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus and an image processing apparatus capable of easily recognizing a specific pattern added to a reproduced image and easily confirming whether or not a specific pattern adding function is operating normally. An object is to provide a forming apparatus, an image processing method, and an image forming method.

[0012]

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first adding unit for adding a specific pattern in a first color to an input image signal, and the first adding unit adds the specific pattern. And a second adding means for adding the second color specific pattern to the input image signal in the same specific pattern as the first color specific pattern.

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, a reading unit for reading an image signal, an adding unit for adding a specific pattern in a first color to the image signal read by the reading unit, Means for setting the specific pattern added by the adding means to the image signal read by the reading means to be a second color which is more easily recognizable than the first color; And image forming means for forming an image based on the added image signal.

According to the image processing method of the present invention, a specific pattern is added to an input image signal with a first color, and a second color which is the same specific pattern as the specific pattern of the added first color. The specific pattern is added.

According to the image forming method of the present invention, an image signal is read, a specific pattern is added to the read image signal in a first color, and the specific pattern is the same as the specific pattern of the first color to be added. And a second color specific pattern is added, and an image is formed based on an image signal to which the second color specific pattern and the first color specific pattern are added. And

[0016]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus such as a digital color copying machine for forming a duplicate image of a color image according to the present invention. This image processing apparatus is roughly classified into a color scanner unit 1 as a reading unit that reads a color image on a document,
And a color printer section 2 as an image forming means for forming a duplicate image of the read color image.

The color scanner unit 1 has a document table cover 3 on the upper part thereof, and has a document table 4 made of transparent glass on which the document D is set, opposed to the document table cover 3 in a closed state. ing. An exposure lamp 5 for illuminating the document D placed on the document table 4, a reflector 6 for condensing light from the exposure lamp 5 on the document D, and a reflected light from the document D are provided below the document table 4. A first mirror 7 and the like are provided to bend left in the figure. The exposure lamp 5, the reflector 6, and the first mirror 7 are fixed to a first carriage 8. The first carriage 8 is connected to a pulse motor (not shown) via a toothed belt or the like (not shown), and the driving force of the pulse motor is transmitted so as to be moved in parallel along the document table 4.

In the left side of the drawing with respect to the first carriage 8, that is, in the direction in which the reflected light reflected by the first mirror 7 is guided, a document is driven via a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a toothed belt and a DC motor. A second carriage 9 movably provided in parallel with the table 4 is provided.
The second carriage 9 includes a second mirror 11 that bends reflected light from the document D guided by the first mirror 7 downward,
And a third mirror 12 that bends the reflected light from the second mirror 11 rightward in the drawing. The second carriage 9 is driven by the first carriage 8 and is moved in parallel to the first carriage 8 along the document table 4 at a half speed.

An image forming lens 13 for forming an image of the reflected light from the second carriage 9 at a predetermined magnification is disposed in a plane including the optical axis of the light turned back through the second carriage 9 and forms an image. A CCD color image sensor (photoelectric conversion element) that converts the reflected light, which has been given converging properties by the imaging lens 13, into an electric signal, that is, image data, in a plane substantially orthogonal to the optical axis of the light that has passed through the lens 13. 15 are arranged.

When the light from the exposure lamp 5 is condensed on the document D on the document table 4 by the reflector 6, the reflected light from the document D is reflected by the first mirror 7, the second mirror 11,
The light is incident on the color image sensor 15 via the third mirror 12 and the imaging lens 13, and the incident light is an electric signal corresponding to the three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). Is converted to

And first to fourth image forming units 10y, 10y, 10c for forming images of four colors of black (k), respectively.
m, 10c and 10k. Each image forming unit 10
Below y, 10 m, 10 c, and 10 k, a transport mechanism 2 as a transport unit that includes a transport belt 21 that transports the image of each color formed by each image forming unit in the direction of arrow a in the figure.
0 is provided. The conveyor belt 21 is driven by a driving roller 9 rotated in the direction of arrow a by a belt motor (not shown).
1 and a driven roller 92 which is separated from the driving roller 91 by a predetermined distance, is stretched, and runs endlessly at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a. The image forming units 10y, 10y
m, 10c, and 10k are arranged in series along the transport direction of the transport belt 21.

Each of the image forming units 10y, 10m, 10c, 1
0k includes photosensitive drums 61y, 61m, 61c, and 61k as image carriers whose outer peripheral surfaces are rotatable in the same direction at positions in contact with the conveyor belt 21. Each photoconductor drum 61y, 61m, 61c, 61
k is rotated at a predetermined speed by a motor (not shown).

Photosensitive drums 61y, 61m, 61c, 6
1k are arranged such that their axes are equally spaced from each other, and their axes are arranged so as to be orthogonal to the direction in which the image is conveyed by the conveyor belt 21. In the following description, each photosensitive drum 61y, 6
The axial direction of 1 m, 61 c, and 61 k is defined as the main scanning direction (second direction), and the direction in which the photosensitive drum is rotated, that is, the rotation direction of the transport belt 21 (the direction of arrow a in the drawing) is the sub-scanning direction (first direction). Direction).

Each photosensitive drum 61y, 61m, 61c,
Around 61k, charging devices 62y, 62m, 62c, and 62k as charging units extending in the main scanning direction, and static eliminators 63y, 63m, 63c, and 63k, and developing units similarly extending in the main scanning direction Developing rollers 64y, 6 as
4m, 64c, 64k, lower stirring roller 67y, 67m,
67c, 67k, upper stirring rollers 68y, 68m, 68
c, 68k, transfer devices 93y, 93m, 93c, 93k as transfer means similarly extended in the main scanning direction, and a cleaning blade 65 similarly extended in the main scanning direction.
y, 65m, 65c, 65k, and waste toner collecting screws 66y, 66m, 66c, 66k are arranged in order along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drums 61y, 61m, 61c, 61k.

The transfer devices 93y, 93m, 93
c and 93k are the corresponding photosensitive drums 61y, 61m,
It is disposed at a position where the transport belt 21 is sandwiched between the transport belts 61c and 61k, that is, inside the transport belt 21.
An exposure point by the exposure device 50 described later is located on the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 61y, 61m, 61c, 61k between the charging device 62y, 62m, 62c, 62k and the developing roller 64y, 64m, 64c, 64k, respectively. Formed.

Below the transport mechanism 20, each image forming unit 1
Paper cassettes 22a and 22b each containing a plurality of sheets P as an image forming medium to which images formed by Oy, 10m, 10c, and 10k are transferred are arranged.

At one end of the paper cassettes 22a and 22b and on the side close to the driven roller 92, pick-up rollers 23a, which take out the sheets P stored in the paper cassettes 22a and 22b one by one from the uppermost part thereof. 23b
Is arranged. Pickup rollers 23a, 23b
Between the paper cassettes 22a and 22
2b and the image forming unit 10y
A registration roller 24 for aligning the leading end of the y toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 61y is disposed.

The other photosensitive drums 61y, 61m,
The toner image formed on the transfer belt 61c is supplied to each transfer position in accordance with the transfer timing of the sheet P being transferred on the transfer belt 21.

Registration roller 24 and first image forming section 1
0y and near the driven roller 92, that is, substantially on the outer periphery of the driven roller 92 with the conveyance belt 21 interposed therebetween, the paper P conveyed at a predetermined timing via the registration roller 24 An attraction roller 26 for providing an electrostatic attraction force is provided. The suction roller 2
The axis 6 and the axis of the driven roller 92 are set to be parallel to each other.

At one end of the transport belt 21 and near the drive roller 91, that is, substantially on the outer periphery of the drive roller 91 with the transport belt 21 interposed therebetween, the position of the image formed on the transport belt 21 is displayed. A displacement sensor 96 for detection is provided.

The displacement sensor 96 is constituted by, for example, a transmission type or reflection type optical sensor. On the outer periphery of the drive roller 91 and on the conveyor belt 21 downstream of the position error sensor 96, there is arranged a conveyor belt cleaning device 95 for removing toner adhered on the conveyor belt 21 or paper P of the paper P. Have been.

The sheet P conveyed via the conveyor belt 21
Is separated from the driving roller 91 and is further conveyed.
A fixing device 80 for melting the toner image transferred to the sheet P and fixing the toner image to the sheet P is provided. Fixing device 80
Is a pair of heat rollers 81 and oil application rollers 82 and 8
3, a web take-up roller 84, a web roller 85, and a web pressing roller 86. Paper P
The toner formed thereon is fixed on the sheet, and is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 87.

Each photosensitive drum 61y, 61m, 61c,
The exposure device 50 that forms an electrostatic latent image that has been color-separated on the outer peripheral surface of 61k is converted into image data (Y, M, C, and K) for each color that is color-separated by an image processing device 36 described later. It has a semiconductor laser oscillator 60 whose emission is controlled based on it. On the optical path of the semiconductor laser oscillator 60, a polygon mirror 51 rotated by a polygon motor 54 that reflects and scans the laser beam, and corrects the focal point of the laser beam reflected via the polygon mirror 51 to form an image. Lenses 52 and 53 are provided in order.

Lens 53 and each photosensitive drum 61y,
The laser beam of each color passed through the fθ lens 53 is applied to each of the photosensitive drums 61 m, 61 c, and 61 k.
First folding mirrors 55y, 55m, 55c, and 5b that bend toward the exposure positions of y, 61m, 61c, and 61k.
5k, and first folding mirrors 55y, 55m,
A second and third folding mirrors 56y, 56m for further folding the laser beam bent by 55c;
56c, 57y, 57m, and 57c are arranged.

After the laser beam for black is turned by the first turning mirror 55k, it is guided to the photosensitive drum 61k without passing through another mirror.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the electrical connection of the digital copying machine shown in FIG. 1 and the flow of signals for control. In FIG. 2, the control system includes:
The main control unit 30 includes a main CPU (central processing unit) 91, a scanner CPU 100 of the color scanner unit 1, and a printer CPU 110 of the color printer unit 2.

The main CPU 91 is a printer CPU 11
0 and a shared RAM (random access memory) 35 for two-way communication.
Gives an operation instruction, and the printer CPU 110 returns a status status. The printer CPU 110 and the scanner CPU 100 perform serial communication, and the printer CPU 110 issues an operation instruction.
Returns the status status.

The operation panel 40 includes a liquid crystal display section 42, various operation keys 43, and a panel CP to which these are connected.
It has U41 and is connected to the main CPU91. The main control unit 30 includes a main CPU 91, a ROM (read only memory) 32, a RAM 33, an NVRAM 34, a shared RAM 35, an image processing device 36, a page memory control unit 37, a page memory 38, a printer controller 39,
And a printer font ROM 121.

The main CPU 91 controls the entire control. The ROM 32 stores a control program. The RAM 33 temporarily stores data.

The NVRAM (Nonvolatile RAM) 34 is a nonvolatile memory backed up by a battery (not shown), and retains stored data even when the power is turned off.

The shared RAM 35 is used for performing bidirectional communication between the main CPU 91 and the printer CPU 110. The page memory control unit 37 stores and reads out image data from and into the page memory 38. The page memory 38 has an area in which image data for a plurality of pages can be stored, and is formed so that data obtained by compressing image data from the color scanner unit 1 can be stored for each page.

The printer font ROM 121 stores font data corresponding to print data. The printer controller 39 converts print data from an external device 122 such as a personal computer into image data using font data stored in the printer font ROM 121 at a resolution corresponding to data indicating the resolution assigned to the print data. It expands.

The color scanner unit 1 includes a scanner CPU 100 for controlling the entire system, a ROM 101 storing a control program and the like, a RAM 102 for storing data, a CCD driver 103 for driving the color image sensor 15, and the first carriage 8 A scanning motor driver 104 that controls the rotation of a scanning motor that moves, and the like, and an image correction unit 105 are included.

The image correction unit 105 converts an analog signal of R, G, and B output from the color image sensor 15 into a digital signal, and converts the analog signal into a digital signal. It comprises a shading correction circuit for correcting a threshold level fluctuation with respect to an output signal from the color image sensor 15 due to a change, etc., and a line memory for temporarily storing a digital signal subjected to shading correction from the shading correction circuit. ing.

The color printer unit 2 includes a printer CPU 110 for controlling the entire system, a ROM 111 for storing a control program and the like, a RAM 112 for storing data, and a laser driver 1 for driving the semiconductor laser oscillator 60.
13, a polygon motor driver 114 that drives the polygon motor 54 of the exposure device 50, a paper transport unit 115 that controls the transport of the paper P by the transport mechanism 20, a charging device, a developing roller, and a transfer device. Charging,
Developing process unit 1 that controls the process of developing and transferring
16, a fixing control unit 117 for controlling the fixing device 80,
Further, it is configured by an option unit 118 for controlling options.

The image processing device 36 and the page memory 3
8, the printer controller 39, the image correction unit 105, and the laser driver 113 are connected by an image data bus 120.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the image processing device 36. The image processing device 36 includes an input processing unit G <b> 1 and an input processing unit G to which an image separated into red, green, and blue (hereinafter referred to as R, G, and B) is input from the color scanner unit 1.
Color conversion unit G for converting the output from No. 1 into cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (hereinafter referred to as C, M, Y, K)
2. It is composed of a filter processing unit G3 that performs enlargement / reduction, background removal, noise removal, edge enhancement, etc. on the image signal output from the color conversion unit G2, and a specific pattern addition unit G4.

The input processing unit G1 receives the color-separated image R from the color scanner unit 1.
R, an input processing circuit G1G to which a color-separated image G is input from the color scanner unit 1, and an input processing circuit G1B to which a color-separated image B is input from the color scanner unit 1.

The filter processing unit G3 includes a filter processing circuit G4C to which the color-converted image signal C is input from the color conversion unit G2 and a filter processing circuit G4M to which the color-converted image signal M is input from the color conversion unit G2. , A filter processing circuit G to which the image signal Y color-converted from the color conversion unit G2 is input
4Y, a filter processing circuit G4K to which the image signal K color-converted from the color conversion unit G2 is input.

FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the specific pattern adding section G4. The specific pattern adding unit G4 includes a selector 131 that selects a Cin, Min, and Kin image signal input from the filter processing unit G3, a specific pattern adding circuit 133 that adds a specific pattern to the image signal selected by the selector 131, A selector 132 to which the pattern addition circuit 133 and each image signal are input and selected by a TEST signal described later, and Yin from the filter processing unit G3.
And a specific pattern adding circuit 134 to which the image signal is input to the color printer unit 2.
An image signal of Kout and Yout is output.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed configuration of the specific pattern adding circuits 133 and 134 in the specific pattern adding section G4. Specific pattern adding circuits 133 and 134
Is a sub-scanning counter 141, a main scanning counter 142, and a look-up table (hereinafter, referred to as LUT) 14
3, 144, AND circuit 145, selector 1
46, an adder 147, and a register 148 written from the main CPU 91 when the power is turned on. The set value written to the register 148 is “0
For example, “0” h, “K1” h, “K2” h, and “K3” h are selected and output by the selector 146, which will be described in detail later.

Specific pattern adding circuits 133 and 134
Works as follows. First, the main scanning counter 142
Is 8 in the main scanning direction by counting the image clock.
The bit is counted and reset by the line synchronization signal. The sub-scanning counter 141 counts 8 bits in the sub-scanning direction by counting the line synchronization signal, and is reset by the page synchronization signal.

The LUT 143 stores 1-bit data indicating whether or not to add a specific pattern to an output reproduced image. The LUT 143 is configured such that the upper bits of the output of the main scanning counter 142 correspond to the addresses of the lower 4 bits of the LUT 143.
The upper 4 bits of the output of the sub-scanning counter 141 are LUT1
43 are input to the upper 4 bits of the address. Therefore, the LUT 143 outputs the contents of the lookup table shown in FIG. 6 every 16 clocks in the main scanning direction and every 16 lines in the sub-scanning direction.

The LUT 144 stores 2-bit data that determines the dot configuration of a specific pattern to be added to an output reproduced image. The LUT 144 is a main scanning counter 142
The lower 4 bits of the output of the LUT 144 are input to the address of the lower 4 bits of the LUT 144, and the lower 4 bits of the output of the sub-scan counter 141 are input to the address of the upper 4 bits of the LUT 144. Therefore, the LUT 144 outputs the contents of the look-up table shown in FIG. 7 every clock.

The 1-bit output of the LUT 143 is extended to 2 bits, the logical product with the 2-bit output of the LUT 144 is obtained by an AND circuit 145, and the result is input as a control signal of the selector 146.

The selector 146 sets the set value “0” of the register 148 when the input 2-bit control signal is “00”, and sets the set value “K” of the register 148 when the input control signal is “01”.
When "1" is set to "10", the set value "K2" of the register 148 is set.
When the value is “11”, the set value “K3” of the register 148 is
Each is output as an 8-bit signal, and a specific pattern corresponding to the contents of the LUT 143 and the LUT 144 can be added by taking the sum of the output of the selector 146 and the input image signal by the adder 147.

In the normal operation mode of the image forming apparatus (copier), a normal copying operation is possible at the time when the power is turned on and the warm-up is completed (hereinafter referred to as a normal operation mode). Do).

On the other hand, a copying machine generally has a mode called a test mode used for repair and maintenance in addition to the normal operation mode, and changes parameters and the like which cannot be set in the normal operation mode. It is possible to change the operating conditions of each part. A method of switching the operation mode from the normal operation mode to the test mode includes, for example, turning on a power switch (not shown) while pressing a certain key on the operation panel 40 in a combination that is absolutely impossible during normal use. A method is conceivable.

FIG. 8 is a display example of the test mode displayed on the liquid crystal display section 42 of the operation panel 40 when the test mode is set. In the liquid crystal display section 42, a color to which a specific pattern other than yellow is added can be selected. In the display example of the liquid crystal display unit 42, a button corresponding to a color for which a specific pattern is desired to be output other than yellow is selected from cyan, magenta, and black.
The selection buttons are mutually exclusive, and
You cannot select a color.

The RGB output from the input processing unit G1 is converted into C, M, Y and K by the color conversion unit G2, and is input to the specific pattern adding unit G4 through the filter processing unit G3.

In the specific pattern adding section G4, first, the specific pattern adding circuit 134 is applied to the yellow image signal system.
Is installed. Further, a specific pattern adding circuit 133 is provided in a system completely different from the yellow image signal system.
These two specific pattern adding circuits are equivalent and perform the same operation.

The specific pattern adding circuit 134 operates in both the normal operation mode and the test mode. The specific pattern adding section 133 outputs the 3-bit register information from the main CPU 91 shown in FIG. The operating conditions are determined by the state.

For example, if cyan is selected on the screen for selecting a color to which a specific pattern is added in addition to yellow in the test mode shown in FIG.
Sets the register information TEST shown in FIG. 4 to “101 (binary number)”. FIGS. 9 and 10 show output configurations when a color to which a specific pattern other than yellow is added is selected. In the selector 131 in FIG.
As a result, Cin is selected as the input of the selector 131 based on the state of the register information TEST, and this is output as the signal (a).

The specific pattern adding circuits 133 and 134 output 1s from the LUTs 143 and 144 shown in FIG.
When the bit information is “1”, the density “FFh” is added to the input image signal and output as a signal (b), and when the bit information is “0”,
The density “00h” is added to the input image signal and output as a signal (b). That is, the input signal is output as it is as the signal (b). In the selector 132, FIG.
0, the signal (b) is output as Cout based on the state of the register information TEST, and Min and Kout are output to Mout.
Is output to the device.

On the other hand, in the yellow image signal system, similarly, the specific pattern adding circuit 134 includes the LUT 143,
When the 1-bit information output from 144 is "1", the density "FFh" is added to the input image signal and output as Yout, and when it is "0", the density "00h" is added to the input image signal and Yout Output as That is, the input signal is output as Yout as it is. In this embodiment,
Specific pattern adding circuit 133 and specific pattern adding circuit 1
LUTs 143 and 144 mounted on each of the LUTs 34
If the same information is used as the specific information, the specific pattern formed on the reproduced image is the same as the specific pattern added to yellow and the specific pattern added to colors other than yellow in the same dot at the same position. It will be played in size.

Therefore, the specific pattern formed on the reproduced image in which cyan is selected is reproduced in green instead of yellow. When magenta is selected as the output color other than yellow, the specific pattern formed on the reproduced image is reproduced in red.

In this embodiment, when cyan is selected as an output color other than yellow, the specific pattern formed on the reproduced image is green as described above, but the specific pattern adding circuits 133 and 134 have an abnormality. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine that the color tone is biased toward cyan and yellow instead of green, and that there is an abnormality in the specific pattern adding circuit.

For example, if cyan is selected as the output color other than yellow, and if the color of the specific pattern formed on the reproduced image is biased toward cyan, the specific pattern adding circuit 134 in the yellow image signal If there is an abnormality, or if the color of the specific pattern is biased toward yellow, or if it is difficult to confirm the specific pattern itself with the naked eye, there is some abnormality in the specific pattern addition circuit 133 in the image signal system other than yellow. It can be easily determined that there is.

In this embodiment, one specific pattern adding circuit is provided for the yellow image signal system and one for the yellow image signal system. However, as shown in FIG. For the image signal systems of all colors other than the system, one specific pattern adding circuit (A, B,
It is self-evident that the same result can be obtained even if C, D) is provided.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the specific pattern adding circuit is provided only for the yellow image signal system, and the output of the specific pattern adding circuit is distributed to other image signal systems other than yellow using a selector. The effect can be expected.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus having means for adding a specific pattern unique to the machine body to a reproduced image using a yellow color material, the present image forming apparatus When manufacturing and inspecting the shipment, the specific pattern added to the reproduced image can be easily recognized with the naked eye without changing the specific pattern addition function mounted on the original yellow image signal system. Whether or not the additional function is operating normally can be easily confirmed.

In an image forming apparatus which simultaneously forms four colors of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black when reproducing an image, a specific pattern adding function is provided by an image signal system of yellow and other colors. Thus, the specific pattern added to the reproduced image can be easily recognized with the naked eye, and it can be easily confirmed whether or not the specific pattern adding function is operating normally.

[0073]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
The specific pattern added to the playback image can be easily recognized,
Further, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, an image processing method, and an image forming method that can easily confirm whether or not the specific pattern adding function is operating normally.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a digital color copying machine according to an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of a digital color copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of a specific pattern adding unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a detailed configuration of a specific pattern adding circuit in a specific pattern adding unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a lookup table.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of a lookup table.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a display example of a test mode displayed on a liquid crystal display section of an operation panel.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining input / output by a look-up table in a specific pattern adding circuit.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining input / output by a look-up table in a specific pattern adding circuit.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a specific pattern adding circuit is provided for all image signal systems.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a specific pattern adding circuit is provided only in a yellow image signal system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Color scanner part 2 ... Color printer part 36 ... Image processing apparatus 91 ... Main CPU 131, 132, 146 ... Selector 133, 134 ... Specific pattern addition circuit 141 ... Sub-scanning counter 142 ... Main scanning counter 143, 144 ... Lookup Table (LUT) 145 AND circuit 147 Adder G1 Input processing section G2 Color conversion section G3 Filter processing section G4 Specific pattern adding section

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 1/46 H04N 1/40 D 1/46 Z

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a confirmation unit that makes it easier to visually recognize a specific pattern added to an input image signal in a normal state when an adjustment mode is set. 2. A first adding means for adding a specific pattern in a first color to an input image signal, and a specific pattern which is the same as the specific pattern of the first color added by the first adding means. And a second adding unit for adding a specific pattern of a second color to the input image signal. 3. An adding means for adding a specific pattern in a first color to an input image signal, and a specific pattern added by the first adding means to the input image signal when an adjustment mode is set. Means for making the second color easier to see than the first color. 4. A reading means for reading an image signal; a first adding means for adding a specific pattern in a first color to the image signal read by the reading means; A second adding unit for adding a second color specific pattern to the input image signal with the same specific pattern as the first color specific pattern; and a second color added by the second adding unit. Image forming means for forming an image based on an image signal to which the specific pattern of the first color and the specific pattern of the first color added by the first adding means are added. apparatus. 5. A reading means for reading an image signal, an adding means for adding a specific pattern in a first color to the image signal read by the reading means, and a reading means for reading when the adjustment mode is set. Means for making the specific pattern added to the image signal by the adding means a second color which is more easily recognizable than the first color; and means for adding an image signal to which the specific pattern of the second color is added by this means. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image. 6. A reading means for reading an image signal, a first adding means for adding a specific pattern in a first color to the image signal read by the reading means, and a plurality of colors when an adjustment mode is set. One of the second
Selecting means for selecting as the color of the image signal; second adding means for adding the same specific pattern as the specific pattern to the image signal in the second color selected by the selecting means; Image forming means for forming an image based on an image signal to which the specified second color specific pattern and the first color specific pattern added by the first adding means are added. An image forming apparatus comprising: 7. A specific pattern of a first color is added to an input image signal, and a specific pattern of a second color, which is the same specific pattern as the specific pattern of the first color added, is added. An image processing method characterized by the above. 8. An image signal is read, a specific pattern is added to the read image signal in a first color, and a second color that is the same specific pattern as the specific pattern of the first color added. And an image forming method for forming an image based on an image signal to which the second color specific pattern and the first color specific pattern are added. 9. An image signal is read, a specific pattern is added to the read image signal in a first color, one of a plurality of colors is selected as a second color, and the selected second The same specific pattern as the specific pattern is added to the image signal in the color of the second color, and an image is formed based on the image signal to which the specific pattern of the second color and the specific pattern of the first color are added. An image forming method, characterized in that: