Image forming system and non-transitory computer readable

Abstract

To adjust adhesive force to be imparted to a printed matter by using press-bonded toner.SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus 2 includes the image forming unit 10 that forms an image on the intermediate transfer belt 18 with the color toner, the pressure-bonded toner adhesion unit 12 that causes the pressure-bonded toner, which exhibits an adhesive function due to deformation caused by pressure, to adhere to the intermediate transfer belt 18 so as to be superimposed on the color toner image, and the control unit 8 that controls the form of the pressure-bonded toner when the pressure-bonded toner is adhered to the printed matter 32 so that a stronger adhesive force than that of the non-confidential printed matter is applied in a case where the printed matter 32 to be generated is the confidential printed matter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, sealed postcards have been commonly known, which are printed on paper, then folded twice or more to form an envelope. Sealed postcards are often used as direct mail (DM) for sales promotions, etc. This is because, because they are produced by folding, they can carry more information for the same postage cost. Furthermore, because the inside of a sealed postcard cannot be seen until it is opened, confidentiality can be guaranteed. For this reason, they are suitable for communicating personal information, for example.

[0003] Recently, adhesive toner has become available. When high pressure and heat are applied to adhesive toner, the pressure-responsive resin contained in the adhesive toner reacts and acts like glue, adhering sheets of paper together. The use of adhesive toner eliminates the need for a gluing process, which involves applying adhesive material to the inner surfaces of the sheets to be bonded. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When folding a printed matter and bonding it with pressure-bonding toner, it would be convenient if the adhesive strength for bonding the printed matter could be adjusted depending on the type of printed matter.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to adjust the adhesive strength imparted to a printed matter using pressure-bonded toner depending on the type of printed matter. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming system of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a processor which acquires the type of printed matter to be produced from a medium and controls the shape of the pressed toner, which exerts its adhesive function by deformation due to pressure, when it is adhered to the printed matter, depending on the type of printed matter acquired.

[0007] Furthermore, when the processor controls the shape of the bonded toner based on the amount of adhesion of the bonded toner, it controls the amount of adhesion of the bonded toner to a first type of printed matter to be greater than the amount of adhesion to a second type of printed matter that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed matter.

[0008] The processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the area where the pressure-bonded toner adheres to the printed matter.

[0009] Furthermore, when the pressed toner has a linear shape, the processor increases the number of lines for the first type of printed matter more than for the second type of printed matter.

[0010] In addition, when the pressed toner is in the form of dots, the processor increases or increases the number of dots or the area of ​​the dots on the first type of printed matter compared to the second type of printed matter.

[0011] The processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the thickness of the pressure-bonded toner when it is adhered to the printed matter.

[0012] The processor controls the shape of the pressure-bonded toner based on the position of the pressure-bonded toner when it is attached to the printed matter.

[0013] The processor is also characterized in that it adheres the pressure-bonded toner to a first type of printed material without any positional regularity compared to a second type of printed material that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed material.

[0014] The first type of printed matter is a confidential printed matter, and the second type of printed matter is a non-confidential printed matter.

[0015] The program of the present invention enables a computer to perform the following functions: acquire the type of printed matter to be produced from a medium; and, depending on the acquired type of printed matter, control the shape of the bonded toner, which exhibits adhesive properties by deformation due to pressure, when it is adhered to the printed matter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted using pressure-bonded toner.

[0017] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the amount of adhered pressure-bonded toner can be adjusted depending on the type of printed matter.

[0018] According to the invention as set forth in claim 3, the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the area where the pressure-bonded toner adheres to the printed matter.

[0019] According to the invention as set forth in claim 4, it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to types of printed matter that require strong adhesive strength.

[0020] According to the invention as set forth in claim 5, it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to printed matter of a type that requires strong adhesive strength.

[0021] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the pressure-bonded toner on the printed matter.

[0022] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the position where the pressure-bonded toner is attached.

[0023] According to the eighth aspect of the invention, it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to printed matter of a type that requires strong adhesive strength.

[0024] According to the invention as set forth in claim 9, the adhesive strength imparted to confidential printed matter can be made stronger than that imparted to non-confidential printed matter.

[0025] According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted using pressure-bonded toner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a block configuration of an image forming apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] In this embodiment, (a) is a diagram showing the number of lines in the case of a non-confidential system, and (b) is a diagram showing the number of lines in the case of a confidential system. [Figure 3] In this embodiment, (a) is a diagram showing the dot diameter of pressure-bonded toner in the case of non-confidential systems, and (b) is a diagram showing the dot diameter of pressure-bonded toner in the case of confidential systems. [Figure 4] In this embodiment, (a) is a diagram showing the thickness of pressure-bonded toner in the case of non-confidential toner, and (b) is a diagram showing the thickness of pressure-bonded toner in the case of confidential toner. [Figure 5] In this embodiment, (a) is a diagram showing the adhesion position of pressure-bonded toner in the case of a non-confidential system, and (b) is a diagram showing the adhesion position of pressure-bonded toner in the case of a confidential system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0028] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a block configuration of an image forming apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus 2 according to the present embodiment is an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention, and generates a printed matter by forming an image on a medium. A print processing system is generally installed downstream of the image forming apparatus 2, which processes the printed matter into letters such as sealed postcards and sealed envelopes through processes such as cutting, folding, and crimping.

[0029] The image forming apparatus 2 is a production color printer equipped with a printing function and is a device with a built-in computer. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 2 has a CPU, ROM, RAM, a HDD as storage means, a network interface as communication means, an operation panel as a user interface, etc. Apart from the device configuration related to the pressure-bonded toner described below, the configuration may be the same as before.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 2 has a user interface (UI) unit 4, an image forming device 6, and a control unit 8. Components not used in the description of this embodiment, such as network means, are omitted. Also, paper transport paths and paper trays related to printing are omitted from the drawing.

[0031] The user interface unit 4 is realized by an operation panel, and receives instructions from the user and displays information. The image creating device 6 constitutes the main part of the printing function of the image forming device 2, and forms an image on paper 30, which is a printing medium, to create a printed matter 32. The control unit 8 controls the operation of each component installed in the image forming device 2. The control unit 8 may also control the operation of each component in response to instructions from a server (not shown).

[0032] The image forming device 6 has an image forming unit 10, a pressure-bonded toner attachment unit 12, a secondary transfer unit 14, a fixing unit 16, an intermediate transfer belt 18, and a transport path 20, and forms an image on a sheet of paper 30 according to a predetermined image forming process. The predetermined image forming process generally comprises steps such as exposure, development, transfer, fixing, cleaning, and static elimination. In the present embodiment, an image is formed on the sheet of paper 30 through basically the same process. FIG. 1 shows blocks corresponding to the charging step, developing step, transfer step, and fixing step of the image forming process, namely, a charging unit 102, a developing unit 104, a transfer unit (primary transfer unit 106, secondary transfer unit 14), and a fixing unit 16.

[0033] The image forming device 6 has an image forming unit 10 (i.e., an image forming engine) corresponding to each color. The colors are cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). A toner cartridge corresponding to each color is installed in the image forming device 2. The image forming unit 10 includes a charging unit 102, a developing unit 104, a primary transfer unit 106, and a photosensitive drum 108.

[0034] Incidentally, in the "charging process," a charging device (corresponding to the above-mentioned "charging unit 102") including a charging roller is used to charge the photosensitive drum 108. In the "exposure process," an exposure device including a laser or the like is used to expose the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 108, thereby lowering the potential of the portion of the paper 30 to be printed in that color. In the "developing process," a developing device (corresponding to the above-mentioned "developing unit 104") including a magnetic roll is used to develop the toner of that color onto the portion of the photosensitive drum 108 where the potential is lowered. The "transfer process" includes a primary transfer performed by the primary transfer unit 106 and a secondary transfer performed by the secondary transfer unit 14. In the primary transfer, a transfer device (corresponding to the above-mentioned "primary transfer unit 106") including a transfer roll is used to transfer the toner of that color attached to the photosensitive drum 108 onto the intermediate transfer belt 18. In the secondary transfer, a transfer machine (corresponding to the above-mentioned "secondary transfer unit 14") including a secondary transfer roll is made to perform a transfer function, and each toner attached to the intermediate transfer belt 18 is transferred onto the paper 30 transported along the transport path 20. In the "fixing process", when the paper 30 transported along the transport path 20 is transported between the heating roll and the pressure roll, the toner transferred onto the paper 30 is fixed.

[0035] By executing the above image creation process, the image creation unit 10 sequentially transfers the C, M, Y, and K toners onto the intermediate transfer belt 18. As a result, the four color toners are superimposed to form a CMYK layer.

[0036] In addition to the general CMYK imaging engine, the image forming device 2 in this embodiment also has a special imaging engine, a pressure-bonded toner attachment unit 12. Incidentally, "pressure-bonded toner" is a special toner that exhibits adhesive properties by deforming under pressure. More specifically, it is a colorless, transparent toner with a pressure-responsive resin finely dispersed therein, and the resin softens only when high pressure is applied, thereby exhibiting the function of adhering paper to paper. Four toner cartridges (not shown), each loaded with the aforementioned C, M, Y, and K colored toners (hereinafter collectively referred to as "color toners"), are installed in the image forming device 2, and the same applies to pressure-bonded toners. The bonded toner adhesion unit 12 includes a layer forming unit 122, a charging unit 124, a toner adhesion unit 126, a primary transfer unit 128, and a photosensitive drum 130. The layer forming unit 122 forms a bonded toner layer on the intermediate transfer belt 18 (i.e., on the CMYK layer) to which the color toners have been transferred, by overcoating the layer as a base layer for adhering the bonded toner. The bonded toner layer is basically a colorless and transparent special toner layer formed according to the size of the paper 30. The charging unit 124 charges the photosensitive drum 130. The toner adhesion unit 126 adheres the bonded toner to portions of the photosensitive drum 130 where the potential is lowered. The primary transfer unit 128 transfers the bonded toner adhered to the photosensitive drum 130 to the intermediate transfer belt 18. Since a bonded toner layer is formed at the position where the toner is to be transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 18, strictly speaking, the bonded toner is transferred onto the bonded toner layer.

[0037] The secondary transfer unit 14 functions as a transfer device that transfers all the toners (including the bonded toner layer) transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 18 onto the paper 30 at once using electrical force. The fixing unit 16 functions as a fixing device that heats the toner transferred to the paper 30 and then applies pressure to fix it. A CMYK layer and a bonded toner layer are formed on the intermediate transfer belt 18, and further bonded toner is attached to it. The transport path 20 forms a path along which the paper 30, which is transported from a paper feed tray or the like, is transported out of the subsequent print processing system.

[0038] The image forming apparatus 2 executes the image forming process with the above configuration to generate a full-color print 32. The generated print 32 has color toner and pressure-bonded toner adhered to it.

[0039] Each of the components 4 to 8 in the image forming apparatus 2 is realized by the cooperative operation of a computer installed in the image forming apparatus 2 and a program running on a CPU installed in the computer. The program used in this embodiment can be provided not only by communication means, but also by being stored on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB memory. The program provided from the communication means or recording medium is installed on the computer, and various processes are realized by the CPU sequentially executing the program. The present invention can also be applied to programs and program products.

[0040] Although the image forming system in this embodiment has been described as being configured by a single image forming apparatus 2 as an example, it may be configured by a plurality of apparatuses.

[0041] Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0042] The image forming apparatus 2 may be basically the same as a general production color printer in terms of the image creation process using color toners, except for the application of pressure-bonded toner to paper 30. That is, the control unit 8 receives instructions from a server (not shown) and forms CMYK layers by controlling the operation of the image creation unit 10 in accordance with those instructions. The control unit 8 in this embodiment also controls the operation of the pressure-bonded toner application unit 12 in accordance with instructions from the server. In particular, in this embodiment, with regard to the application of pressure-bonded toner to the printed matter 32, the type of printed matter 32 to be created from paper 30 is acquired, and the form of the pressure-bonded toner when applied to the printed matter 32 is controlled in accordance with the acquired type of printed matter 32. Note that separate control units 8 may be provided for the color toners and the pressure-bonded toner.

[0043] In this embodiment, an example will be given in which two types of printed matter 32 are generated: a first type of printed matter 32 that is confidential, and a second type of printed matter 32 that is non-confidential.

[0044] "Confidential" means, in the case of an envelope, that the addressee is expected to open and read it himself, or that the envelope is treated in that way. In this embodiment, "confidential" refers to printed matter 32 that corresponds to the above-mentioned confidentiality, and refers to all printed matter whose inside pages should not be seen by third parties in order to maintain confidentiality. For example, if the confidential mail is a direct mail, it is desired that it not be accidentally peeled off during mailing. On the other hand, in this embodiment, "non-confidential" refers to printed matter 32 other than confidential. Non-confidential mail refers to all printed matter that does not require confidentiality compared to confidential mail. Of course, the adhesive surface must not peel off even in non-confidential mail, but the requirement does not need to be as strict as that for confidential mail.

[0045] For these reasons, confidential documents require stronger adhesive strength to prevent the adhesive surface from peeling off more easily than non-confidential documents. As will be described later, the user is responsible for specifying whether the printed matter 32 is confidential or non-confidential. The surface of the printed matter 32 to which the pressure-bonded toner is attached becomes the adhesive surface.

[0046] In order to make the adhesive surface less likely to peel off, in this embodiment, the shape of the bonded toner when it is adhered to the printed matter 32 is controlled. "Shape" is a term that refers to the appearance, structure, or state of something, and in this embodiment, the shape of the bonded toner is controlled by controlling the amount of bonded toner adhered to the printed matter 32 or the position of the bonded toner when it is adhered to the printed matter 32. This makes it possible to adjust the adhesive strength at the adhesive surface.

[0047] As described above, the image forming apparatus 2 in this embodiment forms a CMYK layer using color toners on the intermediate transfer belt 18, and then adheres pressure-bonded toner onto the pressure-bonded toner layer formed thereon. The control unit 8 controls the amount and position of adhesion of pressure-bonded toner in the pressure-bonded toner adhesion unit 12 depending on the type of printed matter 32.

[0048] For example, the control unit 8 displays on the user interface unit 4, i.e., the operation panel, whether the type of printed matter 32 is confidential or non-confidential, allowing the user to select the type. The user selects the type of printed matter 32 from the operation panel. Once the user selects the type of printed matter 32, the control unit 8 controls the image forming unit 10 in accordance with instructions from the server, as described above, to form a CMYK layer on the intermediate transfer belt 18, regardless of the type of printed matter 32 selected. The control unit 8 also receives instructions from the server according to the type selected by the user and controls the operation of the bonded toner adhering unit 12 to adhere the bonded toner to the intermediate transfer belt 18 in a predetermined pattern. The secondary transfer unit 14 and the fixing unit 16, which are located downstream, then operate to transfer and fix the bonded toner to the surface of the printed matter 32. Incidentally, FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate the configuration of the adhesive surface of the printed matter 32, rather than the configuration when the bonded toner adhering unit 12 adheres the bonded toner to the bonded toner layer.

[0049] 2 to 5 show schematic diagrams of an attachment pattern for non-confidential items formed on the adhesive surface of the printed matter 32 (a) and an attachment pattern for confidential items (b), respectively.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows an example of adjusting the adhesive strength by adjusting the amount of adhered toner 34, and shows an example of adjusting the area of ​​adhesion to the printed material 32 as a method of adjusting adhesive strength. As can be seen at a glance, FIG. 2 shows the adhered toner 34 in a linear shape. The non-confidential and confidential systems have different screen rulings. "Screen ruling" is defined as the number of lines per inch of the screen used to create halftone dots. FIG. 2 shows the adhered pattern of adhered toner 34 using four-line dots that form the halftone dots and thick lines for simplicity.

[0051] 2 shows an example in which the pressure-bonded toner 34 is linearly applied at 100 lpi for non-confidential documents, and at 200 lpi for confidential documents. In this way, the adhesion area on the printed matter 32 is increased by relatively increasing the number of lines for confidential documents. In this way, according to this embodiment, stronger adhesive strength is imparted to confidential documents, which require stronger adhesive strength.

[0052] The above numerical values ​​for the line frequency (100 lpi, 200 lpi) are merely examples, and the line frequency may be set appropriately depending on the type of printed matter 32. Furthermore, instead of being limited to the number of lines, the length and thickness of the lines in the confidential system may be made longer or thicker than those in the non-confidential system, thereby increasing the overall adhesion area of ​​the bonded toner 34 to the printed matter 32. While FIG. 2 shows an example in which the bonded toner 34 is linearly adhered in a linear pattern, it is not limited to a straight line, as long as the adhesion area of ​​the bonded toner 34 in the confidential system is greater than that in the non-confidential system. For example, a curved shape may also be used.

[0053] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing another example of adjusting adhesive strength by adjusting the amount of adhered pressure-bonded toner 34, and shows an example of adjusting the area of ​​adhesion to printed matter 32 as a method of adjusting adhesive strength, similar to Fig. 2. As can be seen at a glance, in Fig. 3, the adhered toner 34 is in the form of dots. The size of the dots is different between non-confidential and confidential systems.

[0054] When pressure-bonded toner 34 is applied in a grid pattern with the same spacing, Fig. 3 shows an example in which the dots are applied with a relatively small diameter to non-confidential documents and with a relatively large diameter to confidential documents. In this way, by making the dot diameter relatively larger for confidential documents, the adhesion area on the printed matter 32 is increased. In this way, according to this embodiment, stronger adhesive strength is imparted to confidential documents, which require stronger adhesive strength.

[0055] 3, the area of ​​each dot is increased, but the number of dots attached to the confidential system may be increased compared to the non-confidential system. Also, the number of dots and the area of ​​each dot may be increased to increase the area of ​​the pressed toner 34 attached to the printed matter 32.

[0056] Increasing the number of dots or the dot diameter is equivalent to increasing the adhesion area of ​​the bonded toner 34 that occupies the adhesive surface of the printed matter 32. In other words, for confidential printed matter, the bonded toner 34 is adhered to the adhesive surface of the printed matter 32 at a higher density than for non-confidential printed matter. Note that although the dots are shown as circles in Figure 3, they do not have to be limited to circles.

[0057] 2 and 3 show examples focusing on the number of lines and the size of dots as a form for increasing the adhesion area of ​​the pressure-bonded toner 34. In this embodiment, it is sufficient to increase the adhesion area of ​​the pressure-bonded toner 34, and as shown in the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3, it is not necessary for the shapes of the lines and dots to be uniform, and various line thicknesses and lengths, and dot diameters may be mixed.

[0058] 2 and 3, it is sufficient that the adhesion area of ​​the bonded toner 34 in the confidential system is larger than that in the non-confidential system when it is adhered to the printed matter 32. In other words, even if the adhesion amount discharged from the bonded toner adhesion section 12 is the same for the confidential system and the non-confidential system, the dot diameter of the bonded toner 34 may be made different by controlling the thickness of the bonded toner layer (for example, by making the bonded toner layer thicker in the confidential system). The same can be said for the line thickness.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of adjusting adhesive strength by adjusting the amount of adhered bonded toner 34, and shows an example of adjusting the thickness of adhered bonded toner 34 to printed matter 32 as a method of adjusting adhesive strength. While FIGS. 2 and 3 assume that the thickness of adhered adhered bonded toner 34 is the same for confidential and non-confidential documents, FIG. 4 shows that the thickness of adhered bonded toner 34 is different for non-confidential and confidential documents. Note that the adhesion area of ​​adhered bonded toner 34 to printed matter 32 is the same for non-confidential and confidential documents. For example, the thickness can be changed by controlling the number of times the same amount of adhered bonded toner 34 is adhered to the same position, i.e., the amount of accumulation.

[0060] Incidentally, when the pressure-bonded toner 34 is adhered to the printed matter 32, unlike the cases of FIGS. 2 and 3, the adhesive force does not necessarily increase as the amount of pressure-bonded toner 34 increases.

[0061] That is, when pressure is applied to the printed matter 32 folded in half or the like in the subsequent printed matter processing system, if the thickness of the bonded toner 34 is made too thick, the bonded toner 34 cannot be sufficiently softened due to the softness of the bonded toner layer, and as a result, there is a possibility that the expected adhesive force will not be exerted. On the other hand, if the thickness of the bonded toner 34 is made too thin, there is a possibility that the amount of adhered bonded toner 34 will be insufficient, and the adhesive function of the bonded toner 34 will not be fully exerted.

[0062] If the thickness of the bonded toner 34 is expressed as density, and the maximum thickness that the bonded toner 34 can have after the fixing process (i.e., after the production of the printed matter 32) is 100% (i.e., density = 100%), then if the density is less than 60% (i.e., too thin), the adhesive strength is insufficient for confidential use. Therefore, it is necessary to further increase the amount of adhered toner 34, that is, to increase the thickness of the bonded toner 34. On the other hand, if the density exceeds 80% (i.e., too thick), the adhesive strength is insufficient for confidential use.

[0063] Therefore, for confidential systems, the thickness is set to a range that allows the expected adhesive strength to be exerted, that is, a thickness that provides a density of 60% to 80%. On the other hand, for non-confidential systems that require less adhesive strength than confidential systems, the thickness is set to a density of less than 60% or more than 80%. In this way, according to this embodiment, stronger adhesive strength is imparted to confidential systems that require stronger adhesive strength.

[0064] In this example, the adhesion area of ​​the bonded toner 34 for confidential documents is the same as that for non-confidential documents, but this may be combined with the forms of bonded toner 34 shown in Figures 2 and 3, which make the adhesion area different. That is, although there are exceptions where the thickness of the bonded toner 34 when adhered to the printed matter 32 is not too thick, in this embodiment, for confidential documents, the volume consisting of the area and thickness of the bonded toner 34 when adhered to the printed matter 32 is made larger than for non-confidential documents, i.e., the adhesion amount is increased, thereby imparting a strong adhesive force suitable for confidential documents.

[0065] In contrast, FIG. 5 shows an example of adjusting the adhesive strength by changing the position of the bonded toner 34 when it is adhered to the printed matter 32. The adhesive strength is adjusted by adjusting the regularity of the position of the bonded toner 34 adhered to the printed matter 32. As can be seen at a glance, in FIG. 5, the bonded toner 34 is adhered to the printed matter 32 with less regularity for confidential documents than for non-confidential documents. That is, it has long been known that less regularity results in stronger adhesive strength. Taking advantage of this, the present embodiment arranges the bonded toner 34 with less regularity for confidential documents than for non-confidential documents, as shown in FIG. 5, thereby imparting stronger adhesive strength to confidential documents, which require stronger adhesive strength.

[0066] As described above, in this embodiment, the form of the pressure-bonded toner when it is attached to a printed matter can be controlled depending on the type of printed matter, thereby making it possible to impart a stronger adhesive force to confidential documents, which require a stronger adhesive force, than to non-confidential documents.

[0067] In this embodiment, the user is prompted to indicate whether the type of printed matter is confidential or non-confidential, but this is not a limitation. For example, the content of the information printed on the paper, such as the presence or absence of personal names and addresses, and the presence or absence of words that may suggest confidentiality, may be analyzed to automatically determine whether the information is confidential or not.

[0068] In addition, in the above example, the type of printed matter was classified into two types, confidential and non-confidential, based on the content of the information to be printed, but it is also possible to classify it into three or more types based on other indicators, and apply pressed toner in a form appropriate for each classification.

[0069] Furthermore, the type of printed matter may be classified into two or more types according to the characteristics of the printing medium, such as the type of paper, thickness, material, etc., in addition to the information to be printed on the printed matter.

[0070] In the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0071] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0072] (Addendum) (((1))) a processor; The processor: Obtain the type of print to be generated from the medium; and controlling the shape of the pressure-bonded toner, which exhibits adhesive properties by deformation due to pressure, when the pressure-bonded toner is attached to the printed matter, according to the type of the acquired printed matter. An image forming system comprising: (((2))) The image forming system described in (((1))) is characterized in that when the processor controls the shape of the pressed toner based on the amount of adhesion of the pressed toner, it controls so that the amount of adhesion of the pressed toner to a first type of printed material is greater than the amount of adhesion to a second type of printed material that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed material. (((3))) The image forming system according to (((2))) is characterized in that the processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the area where the pressure-bonded toner adheres to the printed matter. (((4))) The image forming system described in (((2))) or (((3))) is characterized in that when the form of the pressed toner is linear, the processor makes the number of lines for the first type of printed material greater than that for the second type of printed material. (((5))) The image forming system described in (((2))) or (((3))) is characterized in that when the form of the pressed toner is a dot shape, the processor makes the number of dots or the area of ​​the dots on the first type of printed material greater or larger than that on the second type of printed material. (((6))) The image forming system described in any one of (((2))) to (((5))) is characterized in that the processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the thickness of the pressed toner when it is adhered to the printed matter. (((7))) The image forming system according to (((1))), wherein the processor controls the shape of the pressure-bonded toner based on the position of the pressure-bonded toner when it is attached to the printed matter. (((8))) The image forming system described in (((7))) is characterized in that the processor adheres the pressure-bonded toner to a first type of printed material without any regularity in position compared to a second type of printed material that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed material. (((9))) The first type of printed matter is a confidential printed matter, The second type of printed matter is a non-confidential printed matter, 10. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein the image forming system comprises: a first electrode; a second electrode; (((10))) On the computer, Ability to obtain the type of print to be generated from the medium; a function of controlling the shape of the pressure-bonded toner, which exhibits adhesive properties by deformation due to pressure, when the pressure-bonded toner is attached to the printed matter, according to the type of the acquired printed matter; A program to achieve this.

[0073] According to the invention described in (((1))), it is possible to adjust the adhesive strength imparted to a printed matter using pressure-bonded toner. According to the invention described in (((2))), the amount of adhered pressure-bonded toner can be adjusted depending on the type of printed matter. According to the invention described in (((3))), the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the area of ​​the pressure-bonded toner that adheres to the printed matter. According to the invention described in (((4))), it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to types of printed matter that require strong adhesive strength. According to the invention described in (((5))), it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to types of printed matter that require strong adhesive strength. According to the invention described in (((6))), the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the pressure-bonded toner on the printed matter. According to the invention described in (((7))), the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter can be adjusted by adjusting the position where the pressure-bonded toner is attached. According to the invention described in (((8))), it is possible to impart stronger adhesive strength to types of printed matter that require strong adhesive strength. According to the invention described in (((9))), the adhesive strength imparted to confidential printed matter can be made stronger than that of non-confidential printed matter. According to the invention described in (((10))), the adhesive strength imparted to a printed matter can be adjusted using pressure-bonded toner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 2 Image forming device, 4 User interface (UI) unit, 6 Imaging device, 8 Control unit, 10 Imaging unit, 12 Pressure-bonded toner adhesion unit, 14 Secondary transfer unit, 16 Fixing unit, 18 Intermediate transfer belt, 20 Conveying path, 30 Paper, 32 Printed material, 102, 124 Charging unit, 104 Development unit, 106, 128 Primary transfer unit, 108, 130 Photosensitive drum, 122 Layer formation unit, 126 Toner adhesion unit.

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: Obtain the type of print to be generated from the medium; and controlling the shape of the pressure-bonded toner, which exhibits adhesive properties by deformation due to pressure, when the pressure-bonded toner is attached to the printed matter, according to the type of the acquired printed matter. An image forming system comprising:

2. The image forming system described in claim 1, characterized in that when the processor controls the shape of the pressure-bonded toner based on the amount of adhesion of the pressure-bonded toner, it controls so that the amount of adhesion of the pressure-bonded toner to a first type of printed material is greater than the amount of adhesion to a second type of printed material that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed material.

3. 3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the area where the pressure-bonded toner adheres to the printed matter.

4. 4. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein the processor, when the form of the pressure-bonded toner is linear, sets the number of lines for the first type of printed matter to be greater than that for the second type of printed matter.

5. 4. The image forming system according to claim 3, wherein when the form of the pressed toner is a dot shape, the processor makes the number of dots or the area of ​​the dots for the first type of printed material greater or larger than that for the second type of printed material.

6. 3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the processor controls the adhesive force imparted to the printed matter by adjusting the thickness of the pressure-bonded toner when it is adhered to the printed matter.

7. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the processor controls the shape of the pressure-bonded toner based on the position of the pressure-bonded toner when it is attached to the printed material.

8. The image forming system of claim 7, wherein the processor applies the pressure-bonded toner to a first type of printed material without any regularity in position compared to a second type of printed material that requires less adhesive strength than the first type of printed material.

9. the first type of printed matter is a confidential printed matter, the second type of printed matter is a printed matter other than a confidential printed matter; 9. The image forming system according to claim 4, 5 or 8.

10. On the computer, Ability to obtain the type of print to be generated from the medium; a function of controlling the shape of the pressure-bonded toner, which exhibits adhesive properties by deformation due to pressure, when the pressure-bonded toner is attached to the printed matter, according to the type of the acquired printed matter; A program to achieve this.

Images