Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Document handling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-03
2001-06-05
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Document handling
C358S448000, C358S462000, C399S014000, C399S366000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243541
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image reader and a printing system, and more particularly to a printing control executed responsive to the property of an image.
2. Description of the Related Arts
As the image reader, a digital copying machine, a scanner, a composite device which is composed of these devices or the like is considered. Such an image reader is provided with an automatic original transfer mechanism which is generally called as an automatic document feeder (ADF). With the ADF, an original is supplied onto a platen one by one out of plural originals which are set in the ADF, while the original from which the image is read is discharged one by one.
Among digital copying machines, there is a type of digital copying machine which automatically recognizes information on the property of the original (hereinafter called as ‘original information’) based on a prescanned image obtained by a prescanning, and responsive to such original information, parameters necessary at the time of main scanning or parameters necessary at the time of processing the image read by main scanning are set. Using such a function, various information on, for example, the color, the size, the density, the contrast and the like of the original can be obtained. In the conventional device, however, the fact is that such a function is not effectively used in other applications.
Conventionally, for example, in executing an automatic copying of plural originals by means of the above-mentioned digital copying machine, it is impossible to automatically exclude a specific original out of plural originals from objects to be copied. Accordingly, in case an original which a user does not wish copying thereof is present among a large number of originals, for example, the user must take out such an original in advance before copying and insert the original to the same position after copying, or all originals must be copied first and then unnecessary copied papers must be removed from all the copied papers thus bringing about a cumbersome copying operation.
In view of the above-mentioned problems, Japanese laid-open patent publication Hei 5-56220 discloses a device which executes prescanning of each original at the time of executing copying of plural originals set in the ADF and if it is judged the original is a white paper original, an alarm display is performed so as to prevent copying thereof. In such a device, however, it is necessary to give a direction always manually to perform the alarm display.
Japanese laid-open patent publication Hei 9-102853 discloses a device in which a user gives a direction and sets whether main scanning should be executed or not based on the result of prescanning. In such a device, the user must give his direction on whether reading of the original should be executed or not one by one on each original. Furthermore, although Japanese laid-open patent publication Hei 6-139329 discloses an automatic detection of sizes of originals, no reference is made to the judgement on whether reading should be executed or not.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems and provides an image reader that automatically determines an image to be read, thus resolving the cumbersome processing on a user side.
The image reader of the present invention also effectively makes use of an existing image information detection function so as to automatically execute the judgement on whether reading should be executed or not on each original.
The present invention also provides a printing system that automatically prints only desired images responsive to the property of images, thus resolving the cumbersome processing on a user side.
The printing system of the present invention also has a proper printing part automatically operated responsive to the property of the image, thus eliminating sorting of originals by the user in advance before copying.
The image reader of the present invention has an original transfer mechanism which transfers plural originals one by one, an image inputting part which reads an image of the transferred original, an original information detecting part which detects original information on the original which has become an object to be read in the image inputting part, and an acquisition necessity judging part which judges necessity of an image acquisition on the original based on the original information.
Due to such a construction, the original information is detected or recognized on each original and the necessity of the image acquisition is judged based on the original information. For example, the image reading is executed on only originals having a specific property. Furthermore, it is possible to skip reading of only these originals. The concept that image acquisition is unnecessary includes a case that even when the image is read, the image is not stored and a case that even when the image is read, the image is not used for printing.
According to the present invention, by merely setting the specific original information, only desired originals can be automatically read out of a large number of originals and hence, a sorting operation before or after the copying operation becomes unnecessary.
It is desirable that the original information detecting part detects the original information based on a prescanned image which is obtained by prescanning the original.
The original information includes, for example, the color information, the size information, the density information, the paper quality information, the content of the originals or the like. These information may be acquired by making use of an existing automatic original information detection function, OCR function, output values of various kinds of sensors or the like. The judging of image acquisition may be performed by making use of these pieces of information. In such a case, it is necessary to carefully select the originals from which images are read.
As described above, according to the present invention, the image reading of only color originals, the image reading of only originals having a specific size, the skipping of reading of black mat originals, the image reading of originals having a specific thickness or the like, the image reading of originals having rows of specific characters or characters of specific size and the like can be realized.
Although it is desirable that the present invention is applied to a digital copying machine, the present invention is applicable to other devices having other image reading functions.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the image reader has an original transfer mechanism which transfers plural originals one by one, an image inputting part which reads an image of the transferred original, an original information detecting part which detects original information on the original which has become an object to be read in the image inputting part, and an acquisition range judging part which judges a range in which an image acquisition is executed among the plural originals based on the original information.
Due to such a construction, making use of the original information acquired on one original, the necessity of image acquisition of other originals can be judged.
Here, it is preferable that the original information includes the acquisition start information and the acquisition end information and the acquisition range judging part judges the range in which the image acquisition is executed based on the acquisition start information and the acquisition end information. For example, in case colored partition papers are inserted at both sides of the original reading range, the color of the partition papers are automatically detected thus enabling the image acquisition only between these partition papers. In this case, the start partition paper and the end partition paper may differ in color.
As mentioned above, according to the present invention, in case an image reading is necessary or unnecessary on specific originals among plural originals set at the ADF, by se
Chen Sophia S.
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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