Image forming apparatus

The image forming apparatus effectively acquires and sorts documents based on target character information through a reading, recognition, and acquisition process, addressing the inability of existing devices to do so.

JP2025146246APending Publication Date: 2025-10-03KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024046918
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-22
Publication Date
2025-10-03

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing image forming devices cannot acquire documents containing target character information in the character information of the documents.

Method used

The image forming apparatus includes an operation unit, a reading unit, a recognition unit, and an acquisition unit to read, recognize, and acquire sheets or image data containing target character information.

Benefits of technology

Enables the acquisition of sheets or image data with target character information, allowing for efficient sorting and storage based on keyword recognition.

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Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can acquire a target, such as a sheet or image data in which target character information is included in character information in a document.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus 100 comprises an operation unit 8, a reading unit 2, a recognition unit 11, and an acquisition unit 12. The operation unit 8 receives target character information. The reading unit 2 reads images of a plurality of documents for each of the documents. The recognition unit 11 recognizes character information included in the images for each of the documents. The acquisition unit 12 acquires a target formed with an image in which the target character information is included in the character information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a document sorting device that separates documents into black-and-white and color documents. The document sorting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses an image reading device to read image information from a document that is automatically transported to a reading position by an automatic document feeder (DADF), and identifies whether the document is a black-and-white document or a color document based on the read information. Then, based on the identification result, a transport path switching unit switches the destination (black-and-white document storage device / color document storage device) of the document sent from the DADF, thereby separating the document into black-and-white and color documents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-226014 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the document sorting device disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot acquire documents that contain target character information in the character information of the documents.

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of acquiring an object such as a sheet or image data containing target character information in character information of a document. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an operation unit, a reading unit, a recognition unit, and an acquisition unit. The operation unit receives target character information. The reading unit reads images of a plurality of documents, one document at a time. The recognition unit recognizes character information included in the images, one document at a time. The acquisition unit acquires an object on which the image is formed, the character information of which includes the target character information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to acquire an object such as a sheet or image data containing object character information in character information of a document. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword input screen according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functions of a main body control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing an acquisition process according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a post-processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating functions of a main body control unit of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an acquisition process according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

[0010] [Embodiment 1] First, the configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the image forming apparatus 100 is a multifunction peripheral.

[0011] 1, image forming apparatus 100 includes a main body housing 1, a document reading device 2, a paper feed unit 3, an image forming unit 4, a transport mechanism 5, a discharge tray 7, an operation unit 8, a main body storage unit 9, a main body control unit 10, and a document transport device 30. The document reading device 2, the paper feed unit 3, the image forming unit 4, the transport mechanism 5, the main body storage unit 9, and the main body control unit 10 are arranged inside the main body housing 1. The document reading device 2 is an example of a "reading unit."

[0012] The document reading device 2 reads an image of the document D and outputs image data representing the image of the document D. The image of the document D includes text information. The output image data representing the image of the document D is transmitted to the main body control unit 10. The document reading device 2 is, for example, a scanner. The document reading device 2 has a contact glass 21 and a reading mechanism 22. The reading mechanism 22 reads an image of the document D placed on the contact glass 21 and outputs image data representing the image of the document D. The reading mechanism 22 has a light source, a carriage, an optical system, and a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) image sensor.

[0013] The document transport device 30 is attached to the main body casing 1. The document transport device 30 transports documents D. The document transport device 30 has a document placement tray 31, a document transport mechanism 32, and a document discharge tray 33.

[0014] The document transport mechanism 32 has rollers and guide members, and forms a document transport path 32L. The document transport mechanism 32 transports multiple documents D placed on the document loading tray 31 along the document transport path 32L, one document D at a time, to the document discharge tray 33 via the reading position R. The reading position R is a position where the document reading device 2 can read the image of the document D.

[0015] The sheet feeding unit 3 stores a plurality of sheets S and feeds the stored sheets S one by one. The sheets S are, for example, paper sheets.

[0016] The image forming unit 4 forms an image on the sheet S fed by the paper feed unit 3. Specifically, the image forming unit 4 forms an image of one document D on each sheet S. In this embodiment, the image forming unit 4 includes an exposure device 41, a charging device 42, a developing device 43, a photosensitive drum 44, a transfer device 45, and a fixing device 46, and forms an image on the sheet S by electrophotography. The exposure device 41 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 44 based on image data. The charging device 42 uniformly charges the photosensitive drum 44 to a predetermined potential. The developing device 43 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 44 and develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 44. The transfer device 45 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 44 to the sheet S. The fixing device 46 fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet S to the sheet S.

[0017] The transport mechanism 5 sequentially transports multiple sheets S from the paper feed unit 3 to the discharge tray 7 via the image forming unit 4. More specifically, the transport mechanism 5 transports the sheets S from the paper feed unit 3 to one of the discharge trays 7 via the image forming unit 4. The sheets S on which an image has been formed are an example of an "object." In this embodiment, the transport mechanism 5 includes a main body transport mechanism 51.

[0018] The main body conveying mechanism 51 conveys the sheet S from the paper feed unit 3 to the outside of the main body housing 1 via the image forming unit 4. The main body conveying mechanism 51 has a first branching member 511, a plurality of rollers, and a plurality of guide members. The first branching member 511, the plurality of rollers, and the plurality of guide members form a main body conveying path 51L.

[0019] The main body transport path 51L includes a first main body transport path 51a, a second main body transport path 51b, and a third main body transport path 51c. The first main body transport path 51a extends from the paper feed unit 3 to the first branching member 511. The second main body transport path 51b extends from the first branching member 511 to the first discharge outlet 1a. The third main body transport path 51c extends from the first branching member 511 to the second discharge outlet 1b. The first discharge outlet 1a and the second discharge outlet 1b are formed on the side surface of the main body housing 1. In this embodiment, the second discharge outlet 1b is provided above the first discharge outlet 1a.

[0020] The first branching member 511 is rotatable. By rotating, the first branching member 511 switches the destination of the sheet S transported from the first main-body transport path 51a to either the second main-body transport path 51b or the third main-body transport path 51c.

[0021] Sheets S are discharged onto the discharge tray 7. The discharge tray 7 is provided outside the main body housing 1. The discharge tray 7 includes a plurality of main body discharge trays 71. In this embodiment, the plurality of main body discharge trays 71 include a first main body discharge tray 711 and a second main body discharge tray 712. Sheets S discharged from the first discharge outlet 1a are placed onto the first main body discharge tray 711. Sheets S discharged from the second discharge outlet 1b are placed onto the second main body discharge tray 712. In this embodiment, the first main body discharge tray 711 is an inner tray provided in the space within the body. The second main body discharge tray 712 is, for example, a sorting tray.

[0022] The operation unit 8 accepts a keyword. The keyword is an example of "target character information." In detail, the operation unit 8 accepts a plurality of keywords from the user. When the operation unit 8 accepts a plurality of keywords from the user, the operation unit 8 transmits the plurality of keywords to the main body control unit 10.

[0023] Next, an input method for inputting a keyword according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a keyword input screen G1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the keyword input screen G1 is displayed on the touch panel 81 when, for example, a keyword input menu is selected on the system menu screen.

[0024] The operation unit 8 includes a touch panel 81 and a plurality of operation keys 82. The touch panel 81 includes a display and a touch sensor. The display is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescence display (OLED). The touch sensor is, for example, a resistive touch sensor. The plurality of operation keys 82 includes, for example, a numeric keypad, a start key, and a cancel key. The touch panel 81 displays various screens. The various screens include a keyword input screen G1. The keyword input screen G1 is a screen for accepting a plurality of keywords.

[0025] Specifically, the keyword input screen G1 includes a first keyword input field SB1 and a second keyword input field SB2. The first keyword input field SB1 is a field for inputting a first keyword. The second keyword input field SB2 is a field for inputting a first keyword. For example, the user inputs "aaa" into the first keyword input field SB1 and "bbb" into the second keyword input field SB2. As a result, the first keyword "aaa" and the second keyword "bbb" are stored in the main body storage unit 9.

[0026] Next, functions of the image forming apparatus 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing functions of the main body control unit 10 of the image forming apparatus 100. As shown in Fig. 3, the main body control unit 10 reads out a control program from the main body storage unit 9 and executes it.

[0027] The main storage unit 9 stores various types of data. The main storage unit 9 is configured with a storage device and a semiconductor memory. The storage device is configured with, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive). The semiconductor memory is configured with, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory). In this embodiment, the main storage unit 9 stores the first keyword "aaa" and the second keyword "bbb".

[0028] The main body control unit 10 controls the operation of each unit included in the image forming apparatus 100. The main body control unit 10 is configured with a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The main body control unit 10 also includes an integrated circuit for image formation processing. The integrated circuit for image formation processing is configured with, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The main body control unit 10 controls the operation of each unit of the image forming apparatus 100 by executing a control program. Specifically, the main body control unit 10 includes a recognition unit 11 and an acquisition unit 12.

[0029] The recognition unit 11 recognizes character information contained in the images of the multiple documents D for each document D. The recognition unit 11 is, for example, an OCR (Optical Character Reader). Specifically, the recognition unit 11 recognizes character information contained in the images of the documents D based on image data output from the document reading device 2. For example, the recognition unit 11 recognizes character information contained in the image of the first document D based on first image data representing the image of the first document D. Also, the recognition unit 11 recognizes character information contained in the image of the second document D based on second image data representing the image of the second document D.

[0030] The acquisition unit 12 acquires a sheet S on which an image containing a keyword is formed in character information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 12 transports the sheet S on which an image containing a keyword is formed in character information to the discharge tray 7. More specifically, the acquisition unit 12 determines whether the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, based on first image data representing the image of the first document D. If the acquisition unit 12 determines that the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, the transport mechanism 5 transports the sheet S from the paper feed unit 3 to the first main body discharge tray 711 via the image forming unit 4. On the other hand, if the acquisition unit 12 determines that the first keyword “aaa” is not included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, the transport mechanism 5 does not transport the sheet S. As described above, according to the first embodiment, the user can acquire a sheet S on which the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information of the document D.

[0031] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 12 determines whether the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information included in the image of the second original D, based on the second image data representing the image of the second original D. If it is determined that the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information included in the image of the second original D, the conveyance mechanism 5 conveys the sheet S from the paper feed unit 3 to the second main body discharge tray 712 via the image forming unit 4. On the other hand, if it is determined that the second keyword "bbb" is not included in the character information included in the image of the second original D, the conveyance mechanism 5 does not convey the sheet S. In other words, the conveyance mechanism 5 conveys the sheet S whose character information includes the first keyword "aaa" and the sheet S whose character information includes the second keyword "bbb" to different discharge trays 7. As described above, according to the first embodiment, the user can also acquire the sheet S whose character information includes the second keyword "bbb."

[0032] Next, an acquisition method according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the acquisition method according to the first embodiment.

[0033] In step S101, the operation unit 8 accepts a plurality of keywords from the user. Upon accepting the plurality of keywords from the user, the operation unit 8 transmits the plurality of keywords to the main body control unit 10. The process proceeds to step S102.

[0034] In step S102, the document reading device 2 reads the image of the document D and outputs image data representing the image of the document D. The process proceeds to step S103.

[0035] In step S103, the document transport device 30 determines whether or not the document D has been transported. If it is determined that the document transport device 30 has not transported the document D (No in step S103), the process ends.

[0036] On the other hand, if it is determined that the document transport device 30 has transported the document D (Yes in step S103), the process proceeds to step S104.

[0037] In step S104, the obtaining unit 12 determines whether or not a keyword is included in the character information included in the image of the document D, based on the image data representing the image of the document D. If it is determined that a keyword is not included (No in step S104), the processing returns to step S102.

[0038] On the other hand, if it is determined that the keyword is included (Yes in step S104), the process proceeds to step S105.

[0039] In step S105, the image forming unit 4 forms an image on the sheet S fed by the paper feeding unit 3. The process proceeds to step S106.

[0040] In step S106, the conveying mechanism 5 conveys the sheet S to a predetermined main body discharge tray 71. The process returns to step S102.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the configuration in which the number of discharge trays 7 is two has been described, but the number of discharge trays 7 may be three or more.

[0042] [Embodiment 2] Next, an image forming apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the image forming apparatus 100 includes a post-processing device 20. Below, the second embodiment will be described in terms of differences from the first embodiment, and descriptions of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0043] First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the main body conveying mechanism 51 further includes a second branching member 512. In addition, the main body conveying path 51L further includes a fourth main body conveying path 51d that connects to the third main body conveying path 51c.

[0044] The second branching member 512 is provided at a location where the third main body transfer path 51c and the fourth main body transfer path 51d are connected. The fourth main body transfer path 51d extends from the second branching member 512 to the third discharge outlet 1c. In the second embodiment, the third discharge outlet 1c is formed on one of the side surfaces of the main body housing 1, the side surface facing the first discharge outlet 1a and the second discharge outlet 1b.

[0045] The second branching member 512 is rotatable. By rotating, the second branching member 512 switches the conveyance destination of the sheet S between the third main-body conveying path 51c and the fourth main-body conveying path 51d.

[0046] Further, a post-processing device 20 is attached to the main body housing 1. The post-processing device 20 is a device having a discharge tray 7 that can discharge the remaining sheets Z. The sheets S on which images have been formed by the image forming unit 4 are carried into the post-processing device 20 from the main body housing 1 (third discharge opening 1c).

[0047] Next, the configuration of post-processing device 20 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of post-processing device 20 according to the second embodiment.

[0048] 6, the post-processing device 20 has an optional housing 201, a loading section 202, and a post-processing control section 205. The loading section 202 is disposed inside the optional housing 201.

[0049] The sheet S is carried into the carry-in section 202 from the main body housing 1 through a carry-in opening 201a. The carry-in opening 201a is provided on a side surface of the option housing 201. The carry-in opening 201a faces the third discharge opening 1c of the main body housing 1.

[0050] The post-processing device 20 also has a post-processing transport mechanism 52 and a post-processing discharge tray 72. The post-processing transport mechanism 52 is disposed inside the optional housing 201. In the second embodiment, the post-processing transport mechanism 52, together with the main body transport mechanism 51, constitutes the transport mechanism 5. The post-processing discharge tray 72, together with the main body discharge tray 71, constitutes the discharge tray 7.

[0051] The post-processing conveying mechanism 52 includes a plurality of branching members, a plurality of rollers, a plurality of guide members, and an evacuation drum. The plurality of branching members, the plurality of rollers, the plurality of guide members, and the evacuation drum configure a post-processing conveying path 52L.

[0052] The post-processing conveying mechanism 52 conveys the sheet S conveyed into the receiving section 202 to the post-processing discharge tray 72.

[0053] In the second embodiment, the post-processing discharge tray 72 includes a first post-processing discharge tray 721 and a second post-processing discharge tray 722.

[0054] The post-processing control unit 205 controls the operation of each unit of the post-processing device 20. When the post-processing device 20 is attached to the main body housing 1, the post-processing control unit 205 can communicate with the main body control unit 10. In the second embodiment, the post-processing control unit 205 communicates with the main body control unit 10 by, for example, a serial communication method.

[0055] In the second embodiment, the main body control unit 10 acquires device configuration information by communicating with the post-processing control unit 205. The device configuration information indicates the device configuration of the post-processing device 20. The device configuration information is stored in the main body storage unit 9. The device configuration information includes additional tray information indicating the discharge trays 7 (first post-processing discharge tray 721 and second post-processing discharge tray 722) of the post-processing device 20. Upon acquiring the additional tray information, the main body control unit 10 adds the discharge tray 7 indicated by the additional tray information. In the second embodiment, the main body control unit 10 adds the first post-processing discharge tray 721 and the second post-processing discharge tray 722.

[0056] As described above, according to embodiment 2, the user can obtain a sheet S containing the first keyword "aaa" in the character information of the document D, a sheet S containing the second keyword "bbb" in the character information of the document D, a sheet S containing the third keyword "ccc" in the character information of the document D, and a sheet S containing the fourth keyword "ddd" in the character information of the document D.

[0057] [Embodiment 3] An image forming apparatus 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing functions of a main body control unit of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an acquisition method according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the acquisition unit 12 acquires a sheet S on which an image including a keyword in text information is formed, whereas in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the third embodiment, the acquisition unit 12 acquires image data on which an image including a keyword in text information is formed. Below, differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment will be described, and explanations of parts that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 7 , the acquisition unit 12 acquires image data on which an image containing a keyword is formed in character information. Specifically, the acquisition unit 12 stores the image data on which an image containing a keyword is formed in character information in the main storage unit 9. More specifically, the acquisition unit 12 determines whether the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, based on the first image data representing the image of the first document D. If the acquisition unit 12 determines that the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, the acquisition unit 12 stores the image data in the first storage area 91 of the main storage unit 9. On the other hand, if the acquisition unit 12 determines that the first keyword “aaa” is not included in the character information included in the image of the first document D, the acquisition unit 12 does not store the image data in the main storage unit 9. As described above, according to the third embodiment, a user can acquire image data on which the first keyword “aaa” is included in the character information of the document D.

[0059] Furthermore, the acquisition unit 12 determines whether the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information included in the image of the second document D, based on the second image data representing the image of the second document D. If it is determined that the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information included in the image of the second document D, the acquisition unit 12 stores the image in the second storage area 92 of the main storage unit 9. On the other hand, if it is determined that the second keyword "bbb" is not included in the character information included in the image of the second document D, the acquisition unit 12 does not store the image in the main storage unit 9. In other words, image data in which the first keyword "aaa" is included in the character information of the document D and image data in which the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information of the document D are stored in different storage areas. As described above, according to the third embodiment, the user can also acquire image data in which the second keyword "bbb" is included in the character information of the document D.

[0060] Next, an acquisition method according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the acquisition method according to the third embodiment.

[0061] In step S201, the operation unit 8 accepts a plurality of keywords from the user. Upon accepting the plurality of keywords from the user, the operation unit 8 transmits the plurality of keywords to the main body control unit 10. The process proceeds to step S202.

[0062] In step S202, the document reading device 2 reads the image of the document D and outputs image data representing the image of the document D. The process proceeds to step S203.

[0063] In step S203, the document transport device 30 determines whether or not the document D has been transported. If it is determined that the document transport device 30 has not transported the document D (No in step S203), the process ends.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined that the document transport device 30 has transported the document D (Yes in step S203), the process proceeds to step S204.

[0065] In step S204, the obtaining unit 12 determines whether or not a keyword is included in the character information included in the image of the document D, based on the image data representing the image of the document D. If it is determined that a keyword is not included (No in step S204), the processing returns to step S202.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined that the keyword is included (Yes in step S204), the process proceeds to step S205.

[0067] In step S205, the acquisition unit 12 stores image data in which an image containing the keyword in the character information is formed in a predetermined storage area of ​​the main body storage unit 9. The process returns to step S202.

[0068] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the configurations and numerical values ​​shown in the above embodiments are merely examples and are not particularly limited, and various modifications are possible without substantially departing from the effects of the present invention.

[0069] For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the case where the present invention is applied to the electrophotographic image forming apparatus 100 has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to, for example, an inkjet image forming apparatus. [Industrial Applicability]

[0070] The present invention is useful in the field of image forming devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 2 Reading unit 3 Paper feed section 4 Image forming unit 5 Main body transport mechanism 7 Output tray 8 Control section 11 Recognition part 12 Acquisition Department 100 Image forming device

Claims

1. an operation unit for receiving target character information; a reading unit that reads images of a plurality of documents one by one; a recognition unit that recognizes character information included in the image for each of the documents; an acquisition unit that acquires the object on which the image is formed, the image including the object character information in the character information; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. An output tray; a paper feed unit that feeds the plurality of sheets one by one; an image forming unit that forms an image of the one document on each of the sheets; a conveying mechanism that sequentially conveys the plurality of sheets from the paper feeding unit to the discharge tray via the image forming unit; Further provided with the object is a sheet on which the image is formed, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquiring unit conveys the sheet on which the image, in which the target character information is included in the character information, is formed to the discharge tray.

3. the object character information includes first object character information and second object character information, The discharge tray includes a first discharge tray and a second discharge tray, the acquiring unit conveys the sheet on which the image including the first target character information in the character information is formed to the first discharge tray; The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the sheet on which the image including the second target character information in the character information is formed is conveyed to the second discharge tray.

4. Further comprising a storage unit, the object is image data representing the document; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit stores, in the storage unit, image data representing the document on which the image including the target character information in the character information is formed.

5. the object character information includes first object character information and second object character information, the storage unit includes a first storage unit and a second storage unit, the acquiring unit stores image data representing the document on which the image including the first object character information in the character information is formed in the first storage unit; The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second storage unit stores image data representing the document on which the image including the second target character information in the character information is formed.

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