JP2008085450A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of executing reduction/magnification printing and double-sided printing at a high speed and at a low cost by effectively utilizing an existing storage means. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus provided with a first storage means for storing original image data and a second storage means for guaranteeing the loss when the first storage means fails of the original image data stored in the first storage means is assumed. Then, it includes a rotation means for storing rotated image data rotated for a prescribed angle relative to the original image data stored in the first storage means in the second storage means. That is, in order to perform the reduction/magnification printing and the double-sided printing, etc., in the second storage means, the rotated image data rotated for the prescribed angle beforehand are stored. Further, the image forming apparatus includes an instruction reception means for receiving the instruction of printing by a user and a selection means for selectively taking out the image data corresponding to the received instruction from the first storage means or the second storage means to a printing memory. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a multifunction peripheral, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus provided with storage means such as a hard disk.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, image forming apparatuses such as copiers and multifunction peripherals have become a necessity in offices. Among these, there are many image forming apparatuses configured to store input image data in a storage unit such as a hard disk. In particular, image forming apparatuses including a plurality of such storage units have also appeared.

  For example, even if one hard disk fails and important image data cannot be read, the same image data is preliminarily stored (mirrored) on the other hard disk. This is a technique for protecting this image data. An image forming apparatus including such a plurality of storage units is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, for example.

  By the way, when printing an image in such an image forming apparatus, it may be necessary to rotate the image data.

  For example, assume that the printing paper is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow L in FIG. For the sake of convenience, a printing paper that is long in the direction of conveyance L like the printing paper 21 will be referred to as a vertically long printing paper. On the other hand, a print sheet that is long in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction L, such as the print sheet 21, is referred to as a horizontally long print sheet for convenience.

  For example, when the A3 size original image data 21 (vertically long) stored in the storage means is reduced and printed on the A4 size landscape printing paper 22, the image data needs to be rotated by 90 degrees (see FIG. 2 (a)). Conversely, when A4 size original image data 22 (landscape) stored in the storage means is enlarged and printed on the A3 size portrait print paper 21, the image data needs to be rotated by 90 degrees.

  Also, when performing duplex printing, it is necessary to rotate the image data (FIG. 3 (a)).

  FIG. 4 is a general internal structure diagram of an image forming apparatus capable of duplex printing. When performing double-sided printing in this image forming apparatus, first, the printing paper K is sent from the printing paper tray 41 to the transport path 42, and the surface is first printed by the photosensitive drum 43 (FIG. 3 (a-1)). ). Next, the printing paper K proceeds from the conveyance path 44 to the conveyance path 45, temporarily stops, reverses the direction, is sent out to the conveyance path 46, and proceeds again to the conveyance path 42 (FIG. 3 (a-2): dotted line) Shows the appearance of the surface). As a result, the back side of this printing paper K is printed by the photosensitive drum 43. At this time, the back side image is rotated by 180 degrees (FIG. 3 (a-3)), and double-sided printing is completed. To do. If this 180 degree rotation is not performed, the top and bottom of the image will be reversed on the front and back sides, causing inconvenience (FIG. 3 (b)).

Thus, an image forming apparatus that rotates image data is disclosed in Patent Document 2 below, for example.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-277666 Japanese Patent No. 3658396

  However, the above background art has the following problems.

  The image data is rotated on a page basis. That is, when performing reduction / enlargement printing as described above, one page is taken out from the storage means such as a hard disk to the print memory, the above 90 degree rotation processing is performed in this print memory, and the rotated image Reduce or enlarge the data.

  The same applies to the case of performing duplex printing. First, image data for one page of the front surface is taken out to a print memory and printed. Thereafter, when the back side is printed by the above-described process, the image data for one page of the back side is taken out to the print memory, the above-mentioned 180 degree rotation processing is performed in the print memory, and the rotated image data is printed on the back side.

  As described above, since the rotation process is performed in units of pages, it takes a very long time for reduction / enlargement printing and double-sided printing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides an image forming apparatus capable of performing reduction / enlargement printing and duplex printing at high speed at low cost by effectively utilizing existing storage means. For the purpose.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following means.

  First, according to the present invention, an input unit for inputting document image data, a first storage unit for storing the document image data, and the first storage unit for the document image data stored in the first storage unit. It is assumed that the image forming apparatus includes a second accumulating unit that guarantees loss in the event of a failure.

  In such an image forming apparatus, there is provided a rotating means for storing rotated image data obtained by rotating the document image data by a predetermined angle in the second storing means. That is, in order to perform specific printing such as reduction / enlargement printing or double-sided printing, the second storage means stores rotated image data that has been rotated by a predetermined angle in advance.

  Furthermore, an instruction receiving unit that receives a print instruction from the user and a selection unit that selectively extracts image data corresponding to the received instruction from the first storage unit or the second storage unit to the print memory are provided. For example, when the user gives an instruction to perform reduced printing, the 90-degree rotated image in the second storage means may be extracted exclusively from the print memory.

  A printing unit for printing the document image data and the rotated image data in the print memory is provided. In this way, there is no need to print by rotating the pages one page at a time in the print memory.

  When the printing is reduction / enlargement printing, the predetermined angle is 90 degrees, and when the printing is double-sided printing, the predetermined angle is 180 degrees.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when performing reduction / enlargement printing or double-sided printing, it is not necessary to rotate and print one page at a time in the print memory. be able to. In addition, these can be realized at low cost with only a software configuration in order to use existing storage means.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention.

  First, when a document is read by reading means 101 such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), document image data is generated. When normal copying is performed, the input means 102 (a program stored in a memory (not shown)) transfers this document image data to the print memory 107. The printing unit 111 prints the document image data in the print memory 107.

  On the other hand, the generated document image data is stored in the first storage means 104 such as a hard disk. In this way, once the original image data read once is stored in the first storage means, if the same original is needed later, it can be taken out from the first storage means 104 and printed, and read again. There is a merit that it is not necessary to work.

  The image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a second storage unit 105 such as a hard disk similar to the first storage unit 104. As described in the background art above, even if a situation occurs in which the first storage unit 104 fails and important document image data cannot be read out, the document image data is stored in the second storage unit 105. This is because the document image data is protected by preliminarily storing (mirroring).

  However, unlike the conventional image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus 100 of the present invention is characterized in that the original image data is not stored as it is in the second storage unit 105 but is stored by being rotated by a predetermined angle. . That is, the document image data is transferred from the input unit 102 to the rotation unit 103 (which is a program stored in the memory), and the rotation unit 103 generates rotated image data obtained by rotating the document image data by a predetermined angle. This rotated image data is stored in the second storage means.

  The predetermined angle may be 90 degrees or 180 degrees. First, the case where the predetermined angle is 90 degrees will be described.

  As described in the background art above, for example, it is assumed that the printing paper is conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow L in FIG. For the sake of convenience, a printing paper that is long in the direction of conveyance L like the printing paper 21 will be referred to as a vertically long printing paper. On the other hand, a print sheet that is long in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction L, such as the print sheet 22, is referred to as a horizontally long print sheet for convenience.

  For example, when the A3 size original image data 21 (vertically long) is reduced and printed on the A4 size horizontally long printing paper 22, the image data needs to be rotated by 90 degrees (FIG. 2A). Conversely, when A4 size original image data 22 (landscape) is enlarged and printed on A3 size portrait printing paper 21, the image data needs to be rotated by 90 degrees.

  Assuming such a situation, the rotation means 103 generates rotated image data obtained by rotating the generated document image data by 90 degrees (hereinafter referred to as “90-degree rotated data”), and the 90-degree rotated data Is stored in the second storage means 105.

  Now, it is assumed that the user instructs specific printing from the instruction receiving means 109 such as a touch panel. Here, the specific printing refers to the reduction / enlargement printing as described above. For example, it is assumed that the user instructs the instruction receiving unit 109 to print the A3 size original image data 21 (vertically long) stored in the first storage unit on the A4 size horizontally long print sheet 22 in a reduced manner.

  Then, the selection means 108 does not take out the original image data 21 (vertically long) from the first accumulation means 104 but selects the 90-degree rotation data 23 from the second accumulation means 105 and takes it out to the print memory 107. Then, the reduction / enlargement means 110 reduces the 90 degree rotation data, and the printing means 111 prints the reduced 90 degree rotation data. In this way, reduced printing is performed, but it is not necessary to perform printing by rotating one page at a time in the print memory 107, so the speed of reduced printing can be increased. Note that enlargement printing is also performed in exactly the same manner.

For example, when the user instructed the same size printing of the original A4 size document image data, only the horizontally long A4 size printing paper was stored in the paper cassette etc. Also, the first embodiment is applied. That is, a detecting means 106 for detecting the portrait / landscape of the set printing paper is provided. Based on the detection result, the selection unit 108 is programmed so that the original image data or the 90-degree rotation data is selected from the first accumulation unit 104 or the second accumulation unit 105 for printing. It is also possible to do.
(Embodiment 2)
Next, a case where the predetermined angle is 180 degrees will be described.

As described in the background art above, when performing double-sided printing, if the original image data is not rotated 180 degrees, the top and bottom of the image will be reversed upside down (FIG. 3 (b) )).
Assuming such a situation, the rotation means 103 generates rotated image data obtained by rotating the generated document image data by 180 degrees (hereinafter referred to as “180-degree rotated data”), and the 180-degree rotated data Is stored in the second storage means 105.

  Now, it is assumed that the user instructs double-sided printing as specific printing from the instruction receiving unit 109.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the printing paper K is sent from the printing paper tray 41 to the conveyance path. At this time, the selection unit 108 retrieves the document image data from the first accumulation unit 104 to the print memory 107, and the printing unit 111 first prints the surface (FIG. 3 (a-1)). In FIG. 3, an arrow L indicates the conveyance direction of the printing paper.

  Next, the printing paper K proceeds from the conveyance path 44 to the conveyance path 45, temporarily stops, reverses the direction, is sent out to the conveyance path 46, and again proceeds to the conveyance path 42 (FIG. 3 (a-2)). As a result, the back side of the printing paper K is now printed. At this time, the selection means 108 takes the 180 degree rotation data from the second accumulation means 105 into the print memory 107. Then, the 180-degree rotated image data is printed on the back surface by the printing unit 111 (FIG. 3 (a-3)), and the double-sided printing is completed.

  That is, the selection unit 108 alternately retrieves the original image data and the 180-degree rotation data from the first accumulation unit 104 and the second accumulation unit 105 to the print memory 107 when printing the front and back surfaces, respectively. The printing means 111 prints this data. In this way, double-sided printing is performed, but in this case as well, there is no need to perform printing by rotating one page at a time in the print memory 107, so the speed of double-sided printing can be increased.

  In addition to double-sided printing, for example, when printing a 2-page document one page at a time, it is necessary to rotate 180 degrees. In this case as well, the original image data for one page is stored in the first The 180 degree rotation data for the remaining one page can be taken out from the second storage means 105 and printed out from the means 104.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when performing reduction / enlargement printing, double-sided printing, etc., it is not necessary to rotate and print one page at a time in the print memory 107. Can be executed. In addition, these can be realized at low cost with only a software configuration in order to use existing storage means.

  In the above description, the document image data is generated by the reading unit 101. However, the document image data is obtained from the scanner 117, the facsimile 118, the personal computer 119, and the like connected to the image forming apparatus 100 via a network. It can also be configured to be input to the input means 102.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention does not need to perform printing by rotating one page at a time in the print memory when performing reduction / enlargement printing or double-sided printing. Can do. In addition, these can be realized at low cost with only a software configuration in order to use existing storage means. Furthermore, since two storage means are provided, the risk of losing image data when one storage means fails can be avoided. Therefore, it is useful as a copying machine, a multifunction machine or the like.

1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. Explanatory drawing of a 90 degree rotation of an image. Explanatory drawing of a 180 degree rotation of an image. 1 is a general internal structure diagram of an image forming apparatus capable of duplex printing.

Explanation of symbols

100 Image forming device
101 Reading means
102 Input means
103 Rotating means
104 First storage means
105 Second storage means
106 Detection means
107 Print memory
108 Selection method
109 Instruction acceptance means
110 Reducing / enlarging means
111 Printing means

Claims (3)

Input means for inputting document image data;
First storage means for storing the document image data,
A second accumulating means for guaranteeing the loss of the original image data accumulated in the first accumulating means when the first accumulating means fails.
Rotating means for storing rotated image data rotated by a predetermined angle with respect to the original image data stored in the first storing means in the second storing means;
An instruction receiving means for receiving a print instruction by a user;
Selection means for selectively fetching image data corresponding to the received instruction from the first storage means or the second storage means to the print memory;
Printing means for printing the image data in the print memory;
An image forming apparatus comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is 90 degrees, and the printing is reduction / enlargement printing.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is 180 degrees, and the printing is duplex printing.

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