Photocopying – Contact printing – Light boxes
Patent
1994-04-05
1995-08-22
Braun, Fred L.
Photocopying
Contact printing
Light boxes
358296, 358501, G03G 2100
Patent
active
054445183
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a digital full-color copy machine, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus having a unit for adding follow-up information indicating an apparatus, from which a formed image is originated, to the formed image.
BACKGROUND ART
It is prohibited by law to forge special original, such as bills and securities. Thus, image processing apparatuses (copy machines) in which special originals, such as bills and securities, cannot be copied has been proposed in, for example, Japanese Laid Open Patent Applications No.60-229572, No.1-316782 and No.1-316783. In these proposed apparatus, it is determined whether or not an original is a special original forgery of which is prohibited by law, an image of the original determined as the special original is converted into another image, and a paper having the converted image is obtained.
In the above apparatuses, such as copy machines, it is determined whether or not an original is the special original forgery prohibited by law. However, it is difficult to precisely determine whether or not an original is the special original. Thus, it takes a long time to determine whether or not an original is the special original. As a result, a speed at which copies of normal originals are obtained is deteriorated. Further, if normal originals are determined as the special originals in error, the copies of the normal original are not obtained at all. On the other hand, there may be an instance where a special original is not determined as such in error.
In addition, if special originals, such as bills and securities, have been copied and these copies, such as forged bills and forged securities, have been diffused, it is difficult to follow up machines which made these copies based on only information obtained from these copies.
Further, in the conventional copy machine having a unit for preventing special originals from being copied, if the unit is removed from the copy machine, it is possible to copy the special originals.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and useful image forming apparatus in which the disadvantages of the aforementioned prior art are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus in which even if a special original forgery prohibited by law has been copied, the apparatus by which the special originals have been copied can be followed up.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by an image forming apparatus comprising: image reading means for reading an original and for outputting image data corresponding to the original; image processing means, coupled to the image reading means, for processing the image data supplied from the image reading means in accordance with a predetermined method and for outputting printing image data; printing means, coupled to the image processing means, for printing an image, corresponding to the printing image data supplied from the image processing means, on a recording sheet; and image adding means, coupled to printing means, for adding an identification information to the recording sheet on which the image is formed by the printing means, the identification information identifying the image forming apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent the above image forming apparatus from operating to copy the special originals without the follow-up information.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by the above image forming apparatus further comprising detecting means for detecting whether or not the image adding means has been removed from the image forming apparatus; and control means for prohibiting the image from being formed on the recording sheet when the detecting means detects that the image adding means has been removed from the image forming apparatus.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a copy machine according to an embodim
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Aida Midori
Hashiguchi Tadato
Hikita Toshiya
Kaneko Yoshio
Murai Kazuo
Braun Fred L.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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