Patent Application
20090303504
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming method whereby digital control is exercised to generate image data, employed for forming images on a print sheet, and a recording medium therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the internal image processing is digitized, the speed at which multi-functional copiers have been developed is remarkable. For these copiers, even their basic functions are too many to enumerate, but include: a COPY function, a PDL function, a SEND (transmission) function, a BOX function and an EDIT function. The COPY function is employed to produce a duplicate of the original document, and the PDL function enables the printing of a document created by a host computer. The SEND function is employed for the transmission of the original document, via an external network, to a copier. The BOX function is employed either for internally storing a document image, generated by the COPY function or the PDL function, or for reusing the document image. The EDIT function is provided to facilitate the performance of synthesis or of bookbinding by employing the image of the original that is stored in the copier by the BOX function.
Further, to satisfy an ongoing demand for better image reproductions, improved copiers are being produced that output higher quality reproductions of originals. However, the image processing resolutions employed have been gradually increased from 600 dpi to 1200 dpi to 2400 dpi, and the number of bits in signals to be processed by copiers has likewise been consecutively increased from 8 bits to 10 bits to 12 bits. Consequently, copiers now require greater memory and storage device capacities for the processing and storage of the expanded volume of bitmap data employed for internal processing, and furthermore, since under these circumstances conventional CPUs will no longer suffice, higher-performance CPUs are being employed. This has resulted in an overall increase in development costs that can not be ignored.
To resolve this problem, a conventional technique provides for separating an original into segments and storing the segments in such a manner that they can easily be used again, and for employing the segments using an editing function. According to this technique, the segments consisting of the original are sorted into data objects, such as those for characters, graphics and images. The character and graphic objects are also vectorized to obtain vector data, which is then stored, while the image object is converted into JPEG data, which is stored so available when the editing function is used (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-159517). Since a very large amount of bitmap data having multiple bits and high resolutions is not required and vector data that can easily be edited or modified is employed, a cost reduction and an operational improvement can be anticipated. Thus, both image quality and usability can be improved.
As for printing a document recreated using the above described editing function, not only a conventional, full-color electrophotographic printing system employing four toner colors, C, M, Y and K, has drawn attention, but also a multi-color printing system that employs even more special toner colors. Since such printing systems have been developed, on-demand or real-time special printing is within the range for exploitation on the market.
A special toner example is a transparent toner that transforms the surface of printed matter, removing roughness and providing a high gloss, or a light toner that can prevent surface roughness in a highlighted portion.
When a special toner is employed, an added value, which differs from that used for normal digital printing, is newly obtained, and the world of digital printing expanded even further.
For example, by employing a conventional technique whereby, during the process for employing a special toner after a re-editing process has been completed, a transparent toner is applied to coat a portion of a surface to be used for a photograph, but not a portion to be used for characters, so as to secure the maximum visual effect possible (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-055077). Further, a method according to which meta-data is provided for an object when a transparent toner has been applied to only part of the surface of the object is also commonly used.
However, according to the method whereby meta-data indicating that transparent toner has been employed is simply provided for an object, the optimal method available for applying transparent toner is not identified at the re-editing time. For example, a user can employ a user interface to view objects to be selected, but cannot obtain information specifying how those objects were printed on the original document using transparent toner. Specifically, the user cannot determine whether all of the objects to be selected were printed across the entire surface using transparent toner, or whether only part of the objects were printed using the transparent toner. Therefore, the user does not have sufficient information to determine which method is the optimal one that should be employed after objects have been re-edited.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus comprises an addition unit for adding, to each of objects that constitute an original document, information indicating either that transparent toner is to be printed for the entire surface of the original document or that transparent toner is to be printed for only part of the original document, a storage unit for storing the object; and a generating unit for employing the object, stored in the storage unit, to generate image data that includes the object, wherein, based on the information added to the object that is stored in the storage unit, the generating unit controls a number of pixels used for printing the transparent toner
According to another aspect of the present invention, when an object for which transparent toner has been employed is to be re-edited, the optimal method for applying transparent toner can be easily determined.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to the attached drawings).
Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, an explanation will now be given for a re-layout method and a printing method employed when a new document is generated using an object for which a transparent toner was employed.
A “user interface” in the description represents both the monitor device of a local PC 102 and a display device 303 of a multifunction printer (hereinafter referred to as an MFP) 101.
MFPs (Multi-Functional Printers) 101 and 103, which serve as recording apparatuses, and a local PC 102 are connected to a LAN 104 that is built in an office 10. Here, the MFPs 101 and 103 will normally scan original documents and perform required data processing for image data obtained in this manner, and then use the data processing results to print document copies. But instead of each MFP individually performing all these functions, the MFP 101 may read an original document and perform the required image data processing and then the MFP 103 may do the actual printing. Furthermore, both the MFP 101 and the MFP 103 can interpret Page Description Language (hereinafter referred to as PDL) image code contained in a transmission received from the local PC 102, and print the images described by the code.
The image scanner 201 includes a specular pressure plate 200 and an original glass plate (hereinafter referred to as a platen) 203, on which an original 204 can be mounted and irradiated with light emitted by a lamp 205. The emitted light is reflected and guided to mirrors 206, 207 and 208, and then passes through a lens 209 and forms an image on a three-line, solid-state image pick-up sensor (hereinafter referred to as a CCD) 210. As a result, three image signals representing red (R), green (G) and blue (B) are transmitted as full-color data to a data processing unit 211. The lamp 205 and the mirror 206 are mechanically displaced at a velocity v and the mirrors 207 and 208 are mechanically displaced at a velocity 1/2 v in a direction perpendicular to the electrical scanning (the main scanning) direction of the line sensor, so as to scan the entire face of the original (a sub-scanning procedure). For this process, a resolution of 600 dpi (dots/inch) is employed both for the main scanning and the sub-scanning of the original 204. The image signals for each page of the original are stored in the data storage unit of the data processing unit 211.
The data processing unit 211 electrically processes each pixel of an internally stored image signal, analyzes the signal to separate the magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow (Y) and black (Bk) elements, and transmits these elements to the printer 202. Furthermore, the data processing unit 211 internally generates clear image data (CL) using the pixel units, and also transmits the clear image data to the printer 202.
At the printer 202, the M, C, Bk and CL image signals are received by a laser driver 212. And in consonance with the image signals that are received, the laser driver 212 modulates the focus of a semiconductor laser 213. And a laser beam is projected, via a polygon mirror 214, a f-θ lens 215 and a mirror 216, onto a photosensitive drum 217. At this time, as well as during the scanning process, image data are written, at a resolution of 600 dpi (dots/inch), in both the main scanning and the sub-scanning directions.
A rotary developing device 218 includes a magenta developer 219, a cyan developer 220, a yellow developer 221, a black developer 222 and a clear (transparent) developer 223. When the five developers 219 to 223 alternately contact the photosensitive drum 217, an electrostatic latent image, formed on the photosensitive drum 217, is developed using toners of individual colors.
A transfer drum 224, to which a sheet fed by a sheet cassette 225 or 226 is to be attached, is employed, so that images developed on the photosensitive drum 217 can be transferred to the sheet.
When the five colors, M, C, Y, Bk and clear (transparent), for the images have been sequentially transferred, the sheet is passed through a fixing unit 227, whereby the toner is fixed to the sheet. Thereafter, the sheet is discharged to the exterior.
In
A storage device (hereinafter referred to as a BOX) 301 has as a function the storage of data, obtained by performing a rendering process for either data obtained by the image scanner 201 or for PDL data that has been transmitted, via the driver, by the local PC 102.
The MFP 101 is operated by employing a key console unit (an input device 304) with which the MFP 101 is equipped. In response to an order entered at the key console unit, the data processing unit 211 permits the internal controller (not shown) to comply with the order and exercise predetermined control.
The MFP 101 is equipped with a display device 303, on which the operating input state and image data that are to be processed can be displayed.
The MFP 103 also includes a display device 303, which can be used to display the operating input state and image data that are to be processed.
In the coloring processing at step S1401, R, G and B signals transmitted by the local PC 102, or the MFP 101 or 103, are converted into C, M, Y and K signals. A matrix operation is employed for THE conversion of C, M, Y and K signals. At step S1402, positioning information is analyzed, and at step S1403, a check is performed to determine whether transparent toner is to be employed for a pixel that is to be processed.
When it is determined at step S1403 that transparent toner is to be employed, at step S1404, the amount of transparent toner is calculated based on the C, M, Y and K signals.
A method employed at step S1404 to calculate the amount of transparent toner will now be described. First, the total amount of the C, M, Y and K toners is calculated for each pixel. The total toner amount indicates the amount of toner that is to be transferred to the sheet for each pixel, in accordance with the total signal value for all the four colors C, M, Y and K. Generally, the total toner amount is expressed using a percentage while the maximum value of a single color is 100%. In a case wherein an image signal is expressed using an integer of eight bits, since the maximum value of a single color is 255, the value obtained by adding the C, M, Y and K signals is multiplied by 100/255, and the thus obtained value is regarded as the total toner amount.
For example, when an image signal of 8 bits for a specific pixel is C=80, M=95, Y=140 and K=110, the total toner amount=
(C+M+Y+K)×100/255=167% (1)
Generally, the normal upper limit value of the total toner amount is about 200 to 280% and is determined by employing an imaging process. In this embodiment, after a transparent toner layer has been formed, the total amount of toner is equal to or lower than the upper limit.
Assuming that the upper limit value of the total amount of toner is 240%, this can be regarded as indicating that a difference between a value represented in expression (1) and the upper limit value is an allowable density ratio for the transparent toner layer. That is,
the allowable amount=240−167=73% (2)
When the amounts of C, M, Y, K and CL (transparent toner) are determined at step S1405, for this printer, an optimal gamma process is performed for the individual colors.
At step S1406, the image forming processing is performed for the individual colors. The image forming processing includes a screen process and an error diffusion process.
Finally, at step S1407, an image is printed.
When a transparent toner is not to be employed at step S1403, the process at step S1404 is skipped and the process beginning at step S1405 is performed.
On the screen in
On the screen in
When a “full-surface” button 501 is selected by the user, a printing method is thereby designated for the employment of transparent toner for all the image data 702 in
In
The transparent toner positioning information (hereinafter referred to simply as positioning information) is accompanied by image data, and indicates an area within which transparent toner printing is to be performed. This information is employed when the transparent toner printing process is performed.
When the button 501 on the screen in
When the upper button 502 on the screen in
When no setting is selected on the screen in
[Storage after Object Division has been Completed]
In this embodiment, it is assumed that data is stored in the BOX 301 at the same time as printing is performed.
At step S401, an optimal image processing is performed in accordance with an instruction entered at the local PC 102 or the MFP 101 or 103. The image process is, for example, either a coloring process or a filtering process. At step S402, image data obtained by the image process is divided into objects. The object types referred to here are a character object, a graphic object and an image object.
At step S403, an object type, or types, into which data is to be divided is determined. When it is determined at step S403 that the object type is an image object, JPEG compression is performed at step S404. When it is determined at step S403 that the object type is a graphic object, the vectorization process is performed at step S407. And when it is determined at step S403 that the object type is a character object, data in a character area is separated to obtain individual characters at step S405, and an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process is performed at step S406. Further, when it is determined at step S405 that a character object has already been separated, at step S407 the vectorization process is performed for the character object. At step S408, meta-data is provided for the object, and at step S409, the resultant object is stored in the BOX 301. Finally, at step S410, the screen in
As illustrated in
Assume that information indicating that the local printing of transparent toner was performed is included in the auxiliary information 1103 for the object A803 in
In this embodiment, when the transparent toner is to be employed for the full-surface printing process, “full-surface” is designated in the auxiliary information 1103 of the meta-data 1001 for an object. When the transparent toner is employed for the printing process, “partial-surface” is designated in the auxiliary information 1103 of the meta-data 1001 for the object. And when transparent toner is not used for the printing, “none” is designated in the auxiliary information 1103 of the meta-data 1001 for the object.
When the object A803 is selected in the area 801 in
[Printing Using Transparent Toner when an Object is Re-Used]
When the button 902 in
At step S1303, the positioning information thus generated is employed to perform the image processing shown in
According to the first embodiment, before an object is printed, the transparent toner printing method (for full-surface or partial-surface printing of a document) designated when an object was stored is examined. Therefore, whether transparent toner is to be printed across the entire surface of a document, or only within a specific portion can be selected.
Furthermore, in the object printing process, the security dot printing method (full-surface or partial-surface printing) designated when the object was stored may be examined in order to determine whether the security dot should be printed for the entire surface of a document, or only for a specific portion.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of objects are selected, from among those stored in a BOX 301, and are printed using transparent toner.
A description will be given for a case wherein an area 801 in
When priority for transparent toner output that has been pre-designated for the MFP need not be confirmed, at step S1503, as in the first embodiment, positioning information obtained based on the individual objects is employed. Then, at step S1504, the image processing is performed for outputting transparent toner, and thereafter, printing is initiated.
When priority for transparent toner output that has been pre-designated for the MFP must be confirmed, a check is performed to determine whether “full-surface” has been designated in meta-data 1001 for a selected object.
For example, when the object A803 and the object C805 are to be edited and printed, confirmation of the priority for transparent toner output is used. This is because “partial-surface” has been designated in the meta-data 1001 for the object A803 and “full-surface” has been designated in the meta-data 1001 for the object C805, and the object to which preferential should apply has not been identified.
On the other hand, when “partial-surface” has been designated in the meta-data 1001 for both the object A803 and the object B804, it can be uniformly determined that transparent toner is to be output only for the “partial-surface” status.
Further, when “partial-surface” is designated in the meta-data 1001 for the object A803 and “none” is designated in the meta-data 1001 for a newly added object, the object printing method can also be determined uniformly.
When it is determined at step S1502 that the priority for transparent toner output must be examined, at step S1505, to which item preferential applies is determined, and that item is designated in advance for the MFP 101 using a screen shown in
On the screen in
Likewise, when a button 1602 is selected on the screen in
When a button 1603 is selected on the screen in
When “full-surface” is selected at step S1505, positioning information is generated, at step S1507, for the entire surface of the document. When “partial-surface” is selected, positioning information is generated, at step S1508, for part of the document. And when “none” is selected, positioning information is not generated, at step S1506, for the document. As illustrated in
While referring to
According to a third embodiment, an object selected by a user is edited with a new character attribute, and the resultant object is printed using transparent toner.
A description will now be given for a case wherein an object C805 is selected in an area 801 in
In this case, at step S2101 in
When “partial-surface” or “none” is included in the meta-data 1001 for the object C805, as well as in the first and second embodiments, positioning information is generated in accordance with the contents of the meta-data 1001. At step S2107, the image processing is performed and the object is printed.
When “full-surface” is included in the meta-data 1001 for the object C805, at step S2103, a check is performed to determine whether a character object is present in a document that has been edited, and at step S2104, a check is performed to determine whether the character object overlaps the object C805. Then, at step S2105, a screen in
Referring to a preview 2201 shown on the screen in
As for a preview 2301 shown on the screen in
[Overlap with a Character Object]
At step S2105, from among the number of pixels constituting a character object, a number of pixels that overlap an object for which transparent toner is to be printed is calculated, and a check is performed to determine whether the ratio of the pixels is equal to or greater than a value designated in advance for an MFP 101.
The present invention can be adapted for a system, an apparatus, a method, a computer program and a computer-readable recording medium. Furthermore, the present invention can be applied for a system that includes a plurality of apparatuses, or for a single apparatus.
For example, the present invention includes an embodiment wherein a computer program that provides the above described functions of the present invention is supplied to a system or an apparatus, using a computer-readable recording medium, or via a network, and a computer equipped with the system or the apparatus executes the computer program. Therefore, the embodiment also includes a computer program that provides the functions of the present invention. The computer program includes object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to an OS. The recording medium is, for example, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a CD-RW, a magnetic tape, a non-volatile memory card, a ROM or a DVD. An example program supply method is one whereby the browser of a client computer is employed to download, via the Internet, a program to a recording medium, such as a hard disk. According to this method, a computer program file, or a compressed file that includes an automatic installation function, is downloaded via the Internet. Furthermore, the present invention also includes an embodiment wherein program code for a computer program is divided into a plurality of files, and the plurality of files are downloaded from different servers. The embodiment of the invention also includes a server that permits a plurality of users to download computer program files.
The functions of the above described embodiments may be provided when the computer performs the computer program. Further, these functions may also be performed when, based on an instruction from the computer program, an OS operated by the computer performs part, or all, of the actual processing.
The functions of the above embodiments may also be provided when the computer program read from a recording medium is written to a memory that is mounted on a function extension board inserted into the computer, or that is mounted in a function extension unit connected to a computer. That is, the functions of the embodiment may be provided when, based on an instruction from the computer program, a CPU mounted on a function extension board or in a function extension unit performs part, or all, of the actual processing.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-021422, filed Jan. 31, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-021422 | Jan 2008 | JP | national |
