Patent Application
20170366704
This application claims priority of No. 105119115 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Jun. 17, 2016 under 35 USC 119, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
This disclosure relates to a copying apparatus and a copying method, and more particularly to a copying apparatus and a copying method capable of calibrating a copy position.
When a conventional copier is copying, the original is scanned, and then the scanned result is printed on a medium. The copier performs the copy operation according to the scanned boundary. If the scanned boundary has an error or fluctuation, the copied result has the shifted position. Consequently, after the original is copied at the first time, a first error is generated in a first copy. A second error in a second copy (second generation of copy) is generated when the first copy is copied again, and the second accumulated error is the sum of the first error and the second error, so that the accumulated error is present, or even some contents may be cropped off after multiple generations of copying operations are performed. More particularly, when the user wants to fit the multi-generation of copied original with other contents, the fitting results may have errors.
It is therefore an object of this disclosure to provide a copying apparatus and a copying method capable of calibrating a copy position, wherein a position of a copied original is calibrated according to a parameter of a mark of the original to prevent a significant position error from being generated on the multi-generation of copied original.
To achieve the above-identified object, this disclosure provides a copying apparatus comprising: a scanning module scanning an original to obtain an original image; and a processing module, which is electrically connected to the scanning module and recognizes whether the original image contains an original mark corresponding to a template mark or not. If the original image contains the original mark, then the processing module generates print data for being printed out according to the original image and a position parameter of the template mark.
In addition, this disclosure also provides a copying method used in a copying apparatus, the copying method comprising the following steps: scanning an original to obtain an original image; recognizing whether the original image contains an original mark corresponding to a template mark or not; and generating print data for being printed out according to the original image and a position parameter of the template mark.
With the above-mentioned embodiment of this disclosure, the copy position can be calibrated according to the mark of the original to prevent the copy result from having a positional offset. Consequently, no positional offset occurs even if the original is copied multiple times based on the previous generation of original. Such the design is very useful for the occasion where table-fitting printing is needed because no incorrect table-fitting printing occurs. In addition, one company or organization may have a specific mark (in the text or graphic format) to calibrate the copy result. Furthermore, the user can set the position parameter(s) of the mark(s), or the copier may directly scan a template or templates to establish the database for the position parameters so that the copier can automatically calibrate various originals.
Further scope of the applicability of this disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of this disclosure, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The scanning module 10 scans an original O to obtain an original image IM1. The scanning module 10 may be a scanning module of a scanner using a charge-coupled device (CCD) type image sensor or a contact image sensor (CIS) capable of performing a flatbed scan or sheet-fed scan to acquire an image of a A3 or A4 size document, or an image of a card-type document, such as an identity card.
The processing module 20 may be a processor of a multi-function peripheral or scanner, is electrically connected to the scanning module 10, and recognizes whether the original image IM1 contains an original mark MA', which corresponds to (is the same as, is similar to or matches with) a template mark MA, or not. The types of the marks MA include, without limitation to, the graphic or text image. The mark MA may be a black-and-white mark or a color mark. For example, if there is only a purple portion on the original O, then this portion may be regarded as the mark so that the designer or user has the diversified options. The mark MA' is preferable disposed on a periphery portion of the original image IM1 without affecting the main contents in the middle portion of the original image IM1.
If the original image IM1 contains the template mark MA, then the processing module 20 generates the print data PD for being printed out according to the original image IM1 and a position parameter PP of the template mark MA. The print data PD may be the data that can be directly received and printed by an ordinary printer without further processing. The template mark MA and its position parameter PP may be stored in a storage 60 of the copying apparatus 100 in the format of (the shape of the mark, the dimensions of the mark, and the coordinates (the position parameter) of one corner point of the mark, for example. In one example, the processing module 20 calculates an offset (may be a vector) of the original image IM1 according to the original image IM1 and the position parameter PP, and generates the print data PD according to the offset and the original image IM1. That is, the print data PD can be generated without a position shifting process being performed on the original image IM1. In another example, the processing module 20 performs a position shifting process on the original image IM1 according to the offset to generate a shifting-processed original image, and generates the print data PD according to the shifting-processed original image, so that a portion of the print data PD corresponding to the template mark MA has the position parameter PP. The shifting-processed original image may also be stored in the storage 60 so that it can be transmitted to the cloud or external device. In one example, the shifting-processed original image and the print data PD may be outputted to an external apparatus 200, which can print and store the print data PD. In another example, the offset, the shifting-processed original image and the print data PD may be outputted to the external apparatus 200 for further processing and storage. In still another example, the offset may be displayed on a human-machine interface (e.g., a display) 70 of the copying apparatus 100 to make the user know the offset.
The printing module 30 may be a printing engine of an ink-jet printer, a laser printer, a dot-matrix type printer or a thermal-induction printer and is electrically connected to the processing module 20, and prints the print data PD on a print medium PM.
In addition, the processing module 20 may have a database storing various types of template marks and various position parameters of the template marks. Consequently, one single copying apparatus can calibrate the copy positions of various originals. The types of the template marks and the position parameters thereof can be inputted through the scanning module 10. In this case, the scanning module 10 scans a template TM to obtain a template image IM3, and the processing module 20 processes the template image IM3 to generate the template mark MA and the position parameter PP of the template mark MA, wherein the template mark MA is selected by the user, or by the processing module 20 according to a built-in ordinary template mark database. For example, the graphic or text image, such as four corners of a table, a bar code, a specific text or specific texts (e.g., the title of the organization), can be selected as the template mark. When the scanning module 10 scans more templates TM, the processing module 20 can store the databases corresponding to more templates TM to achieve the learning function.
In addition, the types of the template marks and the position parameters thereof may also be inputted by the user through the input module 40 electrically connected to the processing module 20. The processing module 20 receives the position parameter PP from the input module 40. The input module 40 may be, for example, a numeric keyboard, a touch screen or the like. In addition, the user may also connect an external apparatus 200 to the copying apparatus 100 through the connection port 50 to perform the inputting of the types of the template marks and the position parameters thereof. Thus, the copying apparatus 100 does not necessarily have the input module 40. In this case, the external apparatus 200 may be a computer, a mobile device or the like, and the print data PD may be transmitted back to the external apparatus 200 so that the user can carry the external apparatus 200 stored with the print data PD to another place to print the print data. In another case, the external apparatus 200 may be a printer, which receives the print data PD and prints the print data PD on a medium. Thus, the copying apparatus 100 does not necessarily have the printing module 30.
For example, if the original image IM1 contains the original mark MA', then the processing module 20 calculates the offset according to the position parameter PP (e.g., coordinates (190, 270) representing that point A is located at (190, 270)) of the template mark MA. For example, the point A′ of the original mark MA' is calculated to have the coordinates of (180, 260), and the offset is calculated as the movement of 10 units in the positive X direction and the movement of 10 units in the positive Y direction). In addition, the processing module 20 performs the position shifting process on the original image IM1 according to offset and thus generates the shifting-processed original image, and generates the print data PD according to the shifting-processed original image. Thus, one portion of the print data PD corresponding to the template mark MA has the position parameter PP (e.g., (190, 270)). Therefore, the image of the print medium PM printed according to the print data PD is shifted by a distance relatively to the original image, as shown in
In step S1, the original O is scanned to obtain the original image IM1.
In step S2, whether the original image IM1 contains an original mark MA', which corresponds to the template mark MA, or not is recognized or determined. If the original image IM1 contains the original mark MA', then steps S3 and S4 are performed to generate the print data PD according to the original image IM1 and the position parameter PP of the template mark MA. In the step S3, the offset is firstly calculated, and then the print data PD is generated according to the offset and the original image IM1. Alternatively, the position shifting process may also be performed according to position parameter PP and original image IM1 to generate the shifting-processed original image, and the step S4 is performed to generate the print data PD according to the shifting-processed original image. If the original image IM1 does not contain the original mark MA', then the step S4 is directly performed to generate another print data PD according to the original image IM1.
Finally, in step S5, the print data PD is printed, saved/stored or transmitted, as mentioned hereinabove.
With the above-mentioned embodiment of this disclosure, the copy position can be calibrated according to the mark of the original to prevent the copy result from having a positional offset. Consequently, no positional offset occurs even if the original is copied multiple times based on the previous generation of original. Such the design is very useful for the occasion where table-fitting printing is needed because no incorrect table-fitting printing occurs. In addition, one company or organization may have a specific mark (in the text or graphic format) to calibrate the copy result. Furthermore, the user can set the position parameter(s) of the mark(s), or the copier may directly scan a template or templates to establish the database for the position parameters so that the copier can automatically calibrate various originals.
While this disclosure has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105119115 | Jun 2016 | TW | national |
