Image forming apparatus, image forming method, and program

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a program that are less likely to cause errors in image formation.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an acquisition processing unit, and a display processing unit. The image forming unit forms a target image Im2 on a sheet. The acquisition processing unit acquires a sheet image Im1 obtained by reading the sheet. The display processing unit superimposes the target image Im2 on the sheet image Im1 and displays it as a preview screen Im10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] As a related technology, there is known an electrophotographic image forming device such as a digital copier, which forms a latent image by exposing the photosensitive layer of a uniformly charged photoreceptor to light, develops the latent image by adhering toner to the photosensitive layer, and transfers the image to a sheet (paper) to form an image (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] An image forming apparatus according to the related art includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet based on image data stored in a storage unit, a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the sheet on which the image has been formed, and a setting unit that sets image forming conditions including post-processing. The image forming apparatus further includes an image processing unit that creates thumbnail images and a display unit that displays the thumbnail images. The thumbnail images represent the finished output form of the sheet, including post-processing, created from the image data and the setting information for the image forming conditions, including post-processing, set by the setting unit. This allows the user to recognize the output form of the image forming apparatus, thereby reducing miscopying. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-323155 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration of the above-mentioned related technology, the condition of the sheet on which the image is formed is not reflected in the thumbnail image, so when forming an image on a sheet that has areas where an image should not be formed, such as perforations, the image may overlap the perforations, leading to errors in image formation (miscopy, etc.).

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a program that are less likely to cause errors in image formation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, an acquisition processing unit, and a display processing unit. The image forming unit forms a target image on a sheet. The acquisition processing unit acquires a sheet image by reading the sheet. The display processing unit displays the target image as a preview screen by superimposing the target image on the sheet image.

[0008] An image forming method according to another aspect of the present invention includes forming a target image on a sheet, acquiring a sheet image by reading the sheet, and superimposing the target image on the sheet image and displaying it as a preview screen.

[0009] A program relating to another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following operations: forming a target image on a sheet, obtaining a sheet image by reading the sheet, and superimposing the target image on the sheet image and displaying it as a preview screen. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus, an image forming method, and a program that are less likely to cause errors in image formation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the external appearance and internal configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing how a target image is formed on a sheet by the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing how a preview screen is generated by the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following description will discuss preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0013] (Embodiment 1) [1] Overall configuration of image forming device First, the overall configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0014] For ease of explanation, the vertical direction in the installed state where image forming apparatus 10 is usable (the state shown in FIG. 1) is defined as the up-down direction. Also, the direction perpendicular to the plane of image forming apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 is defined as the front-rear direction, and the surface on the near side in FIG. 1 is defined as the front (front face). Furthermore, the surface on the left side of the plane of FIG. 1 is defined as the left side, and the left-right direction is defined.

[0015] As an example, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is a multifunction peripheral having multiple functions, such as a scanning function for acquiring an image (image data) from an original, a printing function for forming an image based on the image data, a facsimile function, and a copy function. The image forming apparatus 10 only needs to have at least the function of forming an image (image forming function), and may be a printer, a facsimile machine, a copy machine, or the like.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an automatic document feeder 11, an image reading unit 12, an image forming unit 13, a paper feed unit 14, an operation and display unit 15, a control unit 16, and a sheet reading unit 2. The automatic document feeder 11 is an ADF (Auto Document Feeder), and is therefore represented as "ADF" in FIG. 2, and will also be referred to as "ADF 11" in the following description. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a housing 100. The ADF 11, the image reading unit 12, the image forming unit 13, the paper feed unit 14, the operation and display unit 15, the control unit 16, and the sheet reading unit 2 are provided in the housing 100.

[0017] The ADF 11 transports a sheet (document) whose image is to be read by the image reading unit 12. The ADF 11 includes a document setting unit, a plurality of transport rollers, a document holder, a paper discharge unit, and the like.

[0018] The image reading unit 12 reads an image from a sheet and outputs image data corresponding to the read image. The image reading unit 12 includes a document table, a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an optical lens, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and the like.

[0019] The image forming unit 13 forms an image on a sheet Sh1 (see FIG. 1) based on image data output from the image reading unit 12. The image forming unit 13 also forms an image on the sheet Sh1 based on image data input from an external information processing device, such as a personal computer, of the image forming apparatus 10. As an example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit 13 includes a transfer device 131, a fixing device 132, and a paper discharge tray 133, and forms an image on the sheet Sh1 by electrophotography. The image forming unit 13 is not limited to a configuration that forms a monochrome image, and may be configured to form a full-color image using four colors: C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black). The image forming unit 13 may also be configured to form an image on the sheet by an image forming method other than electrophotography, such as an inkjet method.

[0020] The image forming unit 13 forms an image on the sheet Sh1 using toner as a developer. Specifically, the image forming unit 13 forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of a charged photosensitive drum by irradiating the surface with laser light, and then develops the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum. A transfer device 131 transfers the toner image to the sheet Sh1 transported along the transport path T1 (see FIG. 1). A fixing device 132 melts and fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet Sh1 to the sheet Sh1. For example, the fixing device 132 includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and heats the toner image transferred to the sheet Sh1 and presses the sheet Sh1 to fix the toner image to the sheet Sh1. The sheet Sh1 after image formation is discharged to a paper output tray 133. When the image forming unit 13 forms an image using an inkjet method, ink (another example of a developer) is supplied instead of toner.

[0021] The "sheet" in the present disclosure refers to a sheet Sh1 on which a target image is formed by the image forming unit 13. In the present embodiment, the sheet Sh1 is paper as an example, but is not limited to paper and may be, for example, a resin film or the like.

[0022] The paper feed unit 14 supplies the sheet Sh1 to the image forming unit 13. The paper feed unit 14 has a plurality of paper feed cassettes 141, a manual feed tray, a plurality of transport rollers, etc. The paper feed unit 14 transports the sheet Sh1 from the plurality of paper feed cassettes 141 or the manual feed tray, etc., through a transport path T1 using a plurality of transport rollers, etc., and supplies the sheet Sh1 to the image forming unit 13. The image forming unit 13 forms an image on the sheet Sh1 supplied from the paper feed unit 14 through the transport path T1.

[0023] The operation display unit 15 is a user interface in the image forming apparatus 10. The operation display unit 15 has a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that displays various information in response to control instructions from the control unit 16, and an operation unit such as a switch or touch panel that inputs various information to the control unit 16 in response to user operations. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 10 may also include, for example, an audio output unit and an audio input unit as a user interface in addition to or instead of the operation display unit 15.

[0024] The control unit 16 performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 10. The control unit 16 is primarily configured as a computer system having one or more processors and one or more memories. In the image forming apparatus 10, the functions of the control unit 16 are realized by the one or more processors executing programs. The programs may be pre-recorded in one or more memories, provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or provided by being recorded on a non-transitory recording medium readable by a computer system, such as a memory card or an optical disk. The one or more processors are composed of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits. Furthermore, the computer system referred to in this disclosure includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. The control unit 16 may be a control unit provided separately from the main control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet reading unit 2 has a light irradiation unit 21 and an imaging unit 22. The light irradiation unit 21 irradiates illumination light onto the surface of the sheet Sh1. In the present embodiment, as an example, the light irradiation unit 21 has one or more light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or organic electroluminescence (EL) elements, and emits light substantially uniformly across the entire light-emitting surface that is rectangular in plan view, thereby achieving surface emission. In the present embodiment, as an example, the light irradiation unit 21 outputs visible light, specifically white light. However, the light irradiation unit 21 only needs to output light of a wavelength to which the imaging unit 22 is sensitive, and may output light other than white light, or light in a wavelength range other than visible light, such as infrared or ultraviolet light.

[0026] The imaging unit 22 captures an image of the surface of the sheet Sh1 as a sheet image Im1 (see FIG. 4). Here, the imaging unit 22 captures an image of the sheet Sh1 in a state where illumination light is being irradiated from the light irradiator 21, and the light irradiator 21 irradiates illumination light at least at the imaging timing of the imaging unit 22. In the present embodiment, as an example, the imaging unit 22 and the light irradiator 21 are synchronized, and the light irradiator 21 irradiates illumination light in accordance with the imaging timing of the imaging unit 22. In other words, during a period when the imaging unit 22 is not capturing an image, the light irradiator 21 does not output illumination light, thereby suppressing unnecessary power consumption by the light irradiator 21.

[0027] In the present embodiment, the imaging unit 22 includes an imaging element such as an area sensor or a line sensor, and optical components, and outputs image data (sheet image Im1) of the captured sheet Sh1 as an electrical signal to the control unit 16. In the present embodiment, as an example, the imaging unit 22 is a CIS (Contact Image Sensor) type area sensor that uses a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor as the imaging element. However, the imaging unit 22 is not limited to this example, and may be, for example, a CCD type imaging element that uses a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) as the imaging element.

[0028] In the present embodiment, as an example, the sheet reading unit 2 is housed in the housing 100 of the image forming apparatus 10 and is electrically connected to at least the control unit 16. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the sheet reading unit 2 including the light irradiation unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 is disposed facing the transport path T1 between the paper feed unit 14 and the image forming unit 13. Therefore, the light irradiation unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 can irradiate illumination light onto the sheet Sh1 transported from the paper feed unit 14 to the image forming unit 13, and capture the sheet image Im1, at a position between the paper feed unit 14 and the image forming unit 13. More specifically, the sheet reading unit 2 is disposed in a position upstream of the transfer device 131 of the image forming unit 13 and downstream of the junction of the transport paths T1 connected to multiple paper feed cassettes 141 in the transport direction D1 of the sheet Sh1. Therefore, it is possible to capture a sheet image Im1 of the sheets Sh1 supplied to the image forming unit 13 from a plurality of paper feed cassettes 141 with one sheet reading unit 2, and it is not necessary to provide a sheet reading unit 2 for each paper feed cassette 141.

[0029] The image forming apparatus 10 further includes a storage unit, a communication unit, a power supply unit, etc. The storage unit includes one or more non-volatile memories and pre-stores information such as control programs for causing the control unit 16 to execute various processes. The communication unit is an interface that executes data communication between the image forming apparatus 10 and an external device connected via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The power supply unit is a power supply circuit that generates (outputs) power for the operation of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0030] Incidentally, as a related technology to this type of image forming device 10, there is known an electrophotographic image forming device such as a digital copier, which forms a latent image by exposing the photosensitive layer of a uniformly charged photoreceptor to light, develops the latent image by adhering toner to the photosensitive layer, and transfers the image to a sheet (paper).

[0031] An image forming apparatus according to the related art includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet based on image data stored in a storage unit, a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the sheet on which the image has been formed, and a setting unit that sets image forming conditions including post-processing. The image forming apparatus further includes an image processing unit that creates thumbnail images and a display unit that displays the thumbnail images. The thumbnail images represent the finished output form of the sheet, including post-processing, created from the image data and the setting information for the image forming conditions, including post-processing, set by the setting unit. This allows the user to recognize the output form of the image forming apparatus, thereby reducing miscopying.

[0032] However, in the configuration of the above-mentioned related technology, the condition of the sheet on which the image is formed is not reflected in the thumbnail image, so when forming an image on a sheet that has areas where an image should not be formed, such as perforations, the image may overlap the perforations, leading to errors in image formation (miscopy, etc.).

[0033] In contrast to this, in this embodiment, an image forming apparatus 10, an image forming method, and a program that are less likely to cause errors in image formation are realized by the configuration described below.

[0034] That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes an image forming unit 13, an acquisition processing unit 31, and a display processing unit 32. The image forming unit 13 forms a target image Im2 (see FIG. 3) on a sheet Sh1. The acquisition processing unit 31 acquires a sheet image Im1 obtained by reading the sheet Sh1. The display processing unit 32 superimposes the target image Im2 on the sheet image Im1 and displays it as a preview screen Im10 (see FIG. 4). In this embodiment, the acquisition processing unit 31 and display processing unit 32, which are components of the image forming apparatus 10, are provided in the control unit 16 as functions of the control unit 16.

[0035] According to the above configuration, it is possible to display a preview screen Im10 in which a target image Im2 to be formed on a sheet Sh1 is superimposed on a sheet image Im1 obtained by reading the sheet Sh1. By displaying such a preview screen Im10, the user can check the state of the sheet Sh1 on which the target image Im2 has been formed on the preview screen Im10. Therefore, for example, when forming a target image Im2 on a sheet Sh1 having a portion where an image should not be formed, such as a perforation, it is possible to check on the preview screen Im10 whether the target image Im2 will overlap the perforation. As a result, there is an advantage in that image formation errors (miscopy, etc.) caused by the target image Im2 overlapping the perforation are less likely to occur.

[0036] [2] Control unit configuration Next, each functional unit included in the control unit 16 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG.

[0037] 2, the control unit 16 has an acquisition processing unit 31, a display processing unit 32, a specific processing unit 33, a warning processing unit 34, a selection processing unit 35, and an edit processing unit 36. That is, the image forming apparatus 10 has, in addition to the acquisition processing unit 31 and the display processing unit 32, the specific processing unit 33, the warning processing unit 34, the selection processing unit 35, and the edit processing unit 36 ​​as functions of the control unit 16.

[0038] The acquisition processing unit 31 acquires a sheet image Im1 obtained by reading the sheet Sh1 from the sheet reading unit 2. Specifically, the acquisition processing unit 31 acquires image data of the sheet image Im1 captured by the imaging unit 22 of the sheet reading unit 2 as an electrical signal from the imaging unit 22 of the sheet reading unit 2. The acquisition processing unit 31 controls the light irradiation unit 21 and the imaging unit 22 to capture the sheet image Im1, for example, in accordance with the timing when the sheet Sh1 passes through a position on the conveying path T1 corresponding to the sheet reading unit 2. The sheet image Im1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 31 is temporarily stored in one or more memories. The acquisition processing unit 31 may acquire the sheet image Im1 from a source other than the sheet reading unit 2.

[0039] The display processing unit 32 is capable of displaying a preview screen Im10, for example, on the operation display unit 15. The preview screen Im10 is an image obtained by superimposing a target image Im2 on a sheet image Im1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 31. As an example, the present embodiment assumes a case in which a copy (duplicate) is made by forming an image read from an original by the image reading unit 12 onto a sheet Sh1 by the image forming unit 13. Therefore, the target image Im2 is image data output from the image reading unit 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the target image Im2 may also be image data input from an information processing device external to the image forming apparatus 10, such as a personal computer.

[0040] The identification processing unit 33 identifies a prohibited area R1 (see FIG. 4) in the sheet image Im1, where formation of the target image Im2 is prohibited. That is, for example, in the case of a sheet Sh1 having a portion where an image should not be formed, such as a perforation, the perforation becomes the prohibited area R1 in the sheet image Im1 read from the sheet Sh1 by the sheet reading unit 2. The identification processing unit 33 identifies such a prohibited area R1 in the sheet image Im1. This makes it easier to determine, for example, on the preview screen Im10, whether the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 where formation of the target image Im2 is prohibited.

[0041] Here, the identification processing unit 33 identifies the prohibited area R1 in accordance with a user's operation. As an example in the present embodiment, with the sheet image Im1 displayed on the operation display unit 15, the identification processing unit 33 identifies the prohibited area R1 on the sheet image Im1 in accordance with a user's operation on the operation display unit 15. This allows the user to, for example, look at the sheet image Im1 and determine which part of the sheet image should be the prohibited area R1.

[0042] The warning processing unit 34 outputs a warning when the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1. The "warning" here includes, for example, notifying the user that the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 by display (including screen display and light emission from the light-emitting unit, etc.) and / or sound output (including buzzer sound output and voice output, etc.). Specifically, when the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1, the warning processing unit 34 displays a warning screen on, for example, the operation display unit 15. On the other hand, if the target image Im2 does not overlap the prohibited area R1, the warning processing unit 34 does not display a warning screen. This makes it easier for the user to notice that the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1, where formation of the target image Im2 is prohibited.

[0043] The selection processing unit 35 selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image Im2 in accordance with a user operation. In this embodiment, when the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 and a warning is output, the selection processing unit 35 selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image Im2 in accordance with a user operation. Specifically, when the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1, the warning processing unit 34 displays, for example, a button on a warning screen displayed on the operation display unit 15, allowing the user to select whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image Im2. The selection processing unit 35 selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image Im2 in accordance with a user operation on the button on the warning screen.

[0044] If the selection processing unit 35 selects to continue forming the target image Im2, the image forming unit 13 continues forming the target image Im2 on the sheet Sh1. On the other hand, if the selection processing unit 35 selects to suspend forming the target image Im2, the image forming unit 13 suspends forming the target image Im2 on the sheet Sh1. This allows the formation of the target image Im2 to be continued or suspended in accordance with a user operation, for example, when a warning is output because the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1.

[0045] The editing processing unit 36 ​​edits the formation conditions for forming the target image Im2. In the present disclosure, the "formation conditions" refer to various conditions when the image forming unit 13 forms the target image Im2 on the sheet Sh1, including, for example, the formation (printing) position of the target image Im2, the size of the target image Im2, and, if the target image Im2 is a document, the line spacing and font size. The editing processing unit 36 ​​edits these formation conditions, for example, when a warning is output because the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 and the selection processing unit 35 selects to continue forming the target image Im2. Thus, even when a warning is output because the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1, overlapping of the target image Im2 with the prohibited area R1 can be prevented by editing the formation conditions.

[0046] Furthermore, the editing processing unit 36 ​​edits the formation conditions in accordance with a user operation. As an example in the present embodiment, with the preview screen Im10 displayed on the operation display unit 15, the editing processing unit 36 ​​edits the formation conditions in accordance with a user operation on the operation display unit 15. For example, by editing the formation conditions on the preview screen Im10 so as to change the position of the target image Im2 relative to the sheet image Im1, it is possible to prevent the target image Im2 from overlapping the prohibited area R1.

[0047] [3] Image forming method An example of the procedure of the image forming method executed by the image forming apparatus 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0048] The image forming method according to this embodiment is executed by the control unit 16. In other words, the image forming method is executed by the control unit 16, which is mainly composed of a computer system. Therefore, the program according to this embodiment is a program for causing one or more processors (in the control unit 16) to execute the image forming method.

[0049] 3, it is assumed that a copy (duplicate) is made by forming a target image Im2 read from an original by the image reading unit 12 onto a sheet Sh1 by the image forming unit 13. The target image Im2 is image data output from the image reading unit 12 and is an image including a document. Furthermore, the sheet Sh1 includes a perforation X1 (cut line), and it is assumed that forming the target image Im2 on this perforation X1 is prohibited.

[0050] When forming a target image Im2 on such a sheet Sh1, the user must understand the position of the perforation X1 before setting the sheet Sh1, and must also form the target image Im2 while avoiding the perforation X1. However, how the target image Im2 will be formed on the sheet Sh1 is usually unknown until the target image Im2 is actually formed (printed) on the sheet Sh1, which can lead to image formation errors (miscopy, etc.) due to the target image Im2 overlapping the perforation X1. Furthermore, the user must make multiple attempts, which can reduce work efficiency.

[0051] In the image forming method according to this embodiment, before forming the target image Im2 on the sheet Sh1, an image of the sheet Sh1 (sheet image Im1) is read in advance, and the target image Im2 is superimposed on the sheet image Im1 and displayed as a preview screen Im10, as shown in Fig. 4. That is, in the preview screen Im10, the target image Im2 is superimposed on the sheet image Im1 of the sheet Sh1 on which the target image Im2 has not yet been formed, so that by looking at the preview screen Im10, the user can confirm how the target image Im2 will be formed on the sheet Sh1 before the target image Im2 is actually formed (printed) on the sheet Sh1.

[0052] 4, on the preview screen Im10, the target image Im2, which is the target of image formation, is displayed superimposed on the sheet image Im1 including the prohibited area R1 corresponding to the perforation X1. Therefore, on the preview screen Im10, it is possible to check how the target image Im2 will be formed on the sheet Sh1, and for example, it is possible to check whether the target image Im2 will overlap the perforation X1 (prohibited area R1).

[0053] The image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment has a "special paper mode" as an operating mode for forming a target image Im2 on a sheet Sh1 having an area where an image should not be formed, such as perforation X1. The preview screen Im10 as described above only needs to be displayed in the special paper mode.

[0054] Details of the image forming method according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 5. Here, steps S1, S2, etc. in the flowchart shown in Fig. 5 represent the numbers of the processing procedures (steps) executed by the control unit 16.

[0055] <Step S1> First, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether it is in the special paper mode (S1). For example, if the target image Im2 is to be formed on a sheet Sh1 that has an area where an image should not be formed, such as a perforation X1, the image forming apparatus 10 determines that it is in the special paper mode (S1: Yes), and proceeds to step S2. If it is not in the special paper mode (S1: No), the image forming apparatus 10 ends the series of processes shown in FIG. 5.

[0056] <Step S2> In step S2, the sheet reading unit 2 reads an image of the unprinted sheet Sh1, and the acquisition processing unit 31 acquires the sheet image Im1 from the sheet reading unit 2. The acquisition processing unit 31 stores the acquired sheet image Im1 in memory.

[0057] <Step S3> In the next step S3, the identification processing unit 33 identifies a prohibited area R1 where formation of the target image Im2 is prohibited, such as a location of the perforation X1, based on the sheet image Im1. At this time, with the sheet image Im1 displayed on the operation display unit 15, the identification processing unit 33 identifies the prohibited area R1 on the sheet image Im1 in accordance with a user's operation on the operation display unit 15. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the identification processing unit 33 may automatically identify the prohibited area R1 from the sheet image Im1.

[0058] <Steps S4 and S5> In step S4, the target image Im2 is read from the document by the image reading unit 12. The display processing unit 32 generates a preview screen Im10 by superimposing the target image Im2 on the sheet image Im1, and causes the operation display unit 15 to display the preview screen Im10.

[0059] <Step S6> In the next step S6, the warning processing unit 34 determines whether the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 on the preview screen Im10. If the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1 (S6: Yes), the warning processing unit 34 proceeds to step S7. If the target image Im2 does not overlap the prohibited area R1 (S6: No), the warning processing unit 34 proceeds to step S11.

[0060] <Step S7> In step S7, the warning processor 34 displays a warning screen on the operation display unit 15. The warning screen is a screen that notifies the user that the target image Im2 overlaps the prohibited area R1, and includes at least the preview screen Im10. Furthermore, the warning processor 34 displays a button on the warning screen that allows the user to select whether to continue or interrupt the formation of the target image Im2.

[0061] <Step S8> In step S8, the selection processing unit 35 selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image Im2. At this time, if the user who has checked the preview screen Im10 operates the "Continue" button on the warning screen, the selection processing unit 35 selects to continue the formation of the target image Im2 (S8: Yes) and moves the process to step S9. If the user operates the "Suspend" button on the warning screen, the selection processing unit 35 selects to suspend the formation of the target image Im2 (S8: No), and the image forming apparatus 10 ends the series of processes shown in FIG.

[0062] <Step S9> In step S9, the editing processing unit 36 ​​determines whether or not editing of the formation conditions is necessary. At this time, if the user who has checked the preview screen Im10 operates "Editing required" on the warning screen, the editing processing unit 36 ​​determines that editing of the formation conditions is necessary (S9: Yes) and shifts the processing to step S10. If the user operates "Editing not required" on the warning screen, the editing processing unit 36 ​​determines that editing of the formation conditions is not necessary (S9: No) and shifts the processing to step S11 to start forming the target image Im2 without editing the formation conditions.

[0063] <Step S10> In step S10, with the preview screen Im10 displayed on the operation display unit 15, the editing processing unit 36 ​​edits the formation conditions in accordance with the user's operation on the operation display unit 15. For example, on the preview screen Im10, formation conditions such as the position of the target image Im2 relative to the sheet image Im1, the size of the target image Im2, and the line spacing and font size when the target image Im2 is a document are edited in accordance with the user's operation.

[0064] Here, if a new error occurs as a result of editing the formation conditions, such as the target image Im2 extending outside the sheet Sh1, the warning processing unit 34 will again display a warning screen on the operation display unit 15 to prevent further image formation errors from occurring.

[0065] <Step S11> In step S11, the image forming unit 13 forms a target image Im2 on a sheet Sh1.

[0066] The procedure of the image forming method described above is merely an example, and the order of the processes shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 may be changed as appropriate, or processes may be added.

[0067] For example, the display processing unit 32 may determine the attributes of the sheet Sh1 from the sheet image Im1, and display the preview screen Im10 if the attributes satisfy a predetermined condition. As an example, only if the attributes of the sheet Sh1 are that the sheet Sh1 has an area where an image should not be formed, such as perforations X1, the predetermined condition is satisfied and the preview screen Im10 is displayed. In this way, by acquiring the sheet image Im1 prior to step S1, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not the special paper mode is selected based on the sheet image Im1.

[0068] Furthermore, if the user has set the wrong sheet Sh1, the user can recognize from the preview screen Im10 displayed in step S5 that the sheet Sh1 that does not match the target image Im2 has been set. In this case, the series of processes may be terminated at the time of step S5 to stop the formation of the target image Im2, or the correct sheet Sh1 may be set again and only the acquisition of the sheet image Im1 (S2) may be repeated to continue the process.

[0069] Also, in the special paper mode, instead of reading the sheet image Im1 every time, multiple sheet images Im1 may be registered in advance, and the acquisition processing unit 31 may acquire one sheet image Im1 selected from the multiple sheet images Im1.

[0070] [4] Variation The multiple components included in the image forming apparatus 10 may be distributed across multiple housings. For example, the acquisition processing unit 31, the display processing unit 32, the specific processing unit 33, etc. are not limited to being configured as a function of the control unit 16, but may be provided in a housing separate from the control unit 16. In other words, for example, at least some of the acquisition processing unit 31, the display processing unit 32, the specific processing unit 33, etc. may not be integrated with the housing 100 of the image forming apparatus 10, but may be provided in a housing separate from the control unit 16.

[0071] Furthermore, the sheet Sh1 from which the sheet image Im1 is read is not limited to a sheet being conveyed, but may be, for example, a sheet Sh1 set in the paper feed cassette 141. In this case, the sheet reading unit 2 is disposed above the paper feed cassette 141.

[0072] [Appendix to the invention] The following is a summary of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiment. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following supplementary notes can be selected and combined as desired.

[0073] <Appendix 1> an image forming unit that forms a target image on a sheet; an acquisition processing unit that acquires the sheet image obtained by reading the sheet; a display processing unit that displays the target image superimposed on the sheet image as a preview screen, Image forming device.

[0074] <Appendix 2> a specifying processing unit that specifies a prohibited area in the sheet image where formation of the target image is prohibited; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

[0075] <Appendix 3> the identification processing unit identifies the prohibited area in accordance with a user operation. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2.

[0076] <Appendix 4> a warning processing unit that outputs a warning when the target image overlaps the prohibited area; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

[0077] <Appendix 5> a selection processing unit that selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image in accordance with a user operation; 5. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

[0078] <Appendix 6> further comprising an editing processing unit that edits formation conditions related to formation of the target image; 6. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0079] <Appendix 7> the editing processing unit edits the formation conditions in accordance with a user operation. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

[0080] <Appendix 8> the display processing unit determines attributes of the sheet from the sheet image, and displays the preview screen if the attributes satisfy a predetermined condition. 8. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 10 Image forming device 13 Image forming unit 31 Acquisition processing unit 32 Display processing section 33 Specific Processing Department 34 Warning processing section 35 Selection processing section 36 Editing Processing Unit Im1 sheet image Im2 target image Im10 preview screen R1 Prohibited area Sh1 sheet

Claims

1. an image forming unit that forms a target image on a sheet; an acquisition processing unit that acquires a sheet image obtained by reading the sheet; a display processing unit that displays the target image superimposed on the sheet image as a preview screen, Image forming device.

2. a specifying processing unit that specifies a prohibited area in the sheet image where formation of the target image is prohibited; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. the identification processing unit identifies the prohibited area in accordance with a user operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. a warning processing unit that outputs a warning when the target image overlaps the prohibited area; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3.

5. a selection processing unit that selects whether to continue or suspend the formation of the target image in accordance with a user operation; The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. further comprising an editing processing unit that edits formation conditions related to formation of the target image; The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. the editing processing unit edits the formation conditions in accordance with a user operation. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 .

8. the display processing unit determines attributes of the sheet from the sheet image, and displays the preview screen if the attributes satisfy a predetermined condition. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. forming a target image on a sheet; acquiring a sheet image obtained by reading the sheet; and displaying the target image on the sheet image as a preview screen. Image forming method.

10. forming a target image on a sheet; acquiring a sheet image obtained by reading the sheet; superimposing the target image on the sheet image and displaying it as a preview screen; A program for executing the above on one or more processors.

Images