Image forming apparatus and control method for image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that eliminates the need for users to perform complicated pre-configuration operations and reduces the number of sheets required for printing. [Solution] The image forming apparatus comprises a printing unit that prints on a sheet based on image data of the reading surface to be read during printing on the original document, a notification unit that notifies print setting information that can be set in the printing unit, and a control unit. The control unit determines, based on character information relating to character data in the image data, whether or not it is possible to set the printing unit to perform reduced-sheet printing so that the number of sheets required for printing by the printing unit is less than the number of reading surfaces. If it determines that reduced-sheet printing is possible, it causes the notification unit to notify print setting information relating to reduced-sheet printing that can be set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a method for controlling an image forming apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] An image forming apparatus is disclosed that can aggregate and print a plurality of pages included in a document divided into page units onto a single page (Patent Document 1). The image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to be able to maintain the character size after aggregation at a size required by the user.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, by aggregating and printing a plurality of pages included in a document onto a single page, the number of sheets required for printing can be reduced. However, in order to aggregate and print a plurality of pages included in a document onto a single page, the user needs to set this printing in advance in the image forming apparatus. Further, when the user makes this printing setting, the user needs to know in advance the number of pages of the document that can be aggregated into a single page, and the setting operation becomes complicated.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an image forming apparatus and a method for controlling an image forming apparatus that can reduce the number of sheets required for printing without the user having to perform complicated setting operations in advance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a printing unit that prints on a sheet based on image data of a reading surface to be read during printing of a document, a notification unit that notifies print setting information that can be set in the printing unit, and a control unit. The control unit determines, based on character information relating to character data in the image data, whether the printing unit can set up reduced-sheet printing so that the number of sheets required for printing by the printing unit is less than the number of reading surfaces, and if it determines that reduced-sheet printing is possible, it causes the notification unit to notify print setting information relating to reduced-sheet printing that can be set.

[0007] A control method for an image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a control method for an image forming apparatus comprising a printing unit that prints on a sheet based on image data of a reading surface to be read during printing of a document, and a notification unit that notifies print setting information that can be set in the printing unit. The control method for the image forming apparatus determines, based on character information relating to character data in the image data, whether or not it is possible for the printing unit to set up reduced-sheet printing so that the number of sheets required for printing by the printing unit is less than the number of reading surfaces, and if it is determined that reduced-sheet printing is possible, it causes the notification unit to notify print setting information relating to reduced-sheet printing that can be set. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, the image forming apparatus and the control method for the image forming apparatus have the effect of reducing the number of sheets required for printing without requiring the user to perform complicated setting operations in advance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the main components of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This table shows an example of the relationship between the number of reading surfaces and the executable printing processing functions in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 4] This table shows an example of the relationship between the printing processing function and the printing mode in an image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 5] This diagram schematically shows examples of the printing state when image data without text data is printed in 1-in-1, 2-in-1, and 4-in-1 in the image forming apparatus of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This diagram schematically shows examples of the printing state when image data including character data is printed in 1-in-1, 2-in-1, and 4-in-1 in the image forming apparatus disclosed herein. [Figure 7] This diagram schematically shows examples of the printing state when image data including character data is printed in 1-in-1, 2-in-1, and 4-in-1 in the image forming apparatus disclosed herein. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of print setting information displayed on a display unit of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of a printing process in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This figure schematically shows an example of the print state when an original document (identity card) is printed on a sheet using the identity card copying function in an image forming apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] This table shows an example of the relationship between the number of reading surfaces and the executable printing processing functions in an image forming apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] This flowchart shows an example of a printing process in an image forming apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for setting up the identification document copy, which is included in the printing process. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of the display of print setting information shown on a display unit of an image forming apparatus according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments and modifications of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following, the same or corresponding elements throughout all the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted. In addition, the embodiments and modifications described below are merely examples of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and modifications. Even outside these embodiments and modifications, various changes can be made according to the design and the like as long as the technical idea of the present disclosure is not deviated from.

[0011] (Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus) The configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the main part configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 has an overall substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a platen glass 18 is provided on the upper surface, and a reading unit 1 is provided below the platen glass 18.

[0013] The reading unit 1 reads an image of a reading surface that is a reading target at the time of printing from a document and generates image data. As shown in FIG. 2, the reading unit 1 includes a scanner unit 11. The scanner unit 11 is configured to illuminate a document placed on the platen glass 18 and condense the reflected light onto a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or the like to read an image. The reading unit 1 can be, for example, an OCR (Optical Character Reader).

[0014] In addition, an auto document feeder 19 is provided on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus 100 so as to cover the platen glass 18. The auto document feeder 19 is connected to the upper surface of the image forming apparatus 100 via a hinge mechanism so as to be openable and closable. The auto document feeder 19 can automatically draw in and read each of a plurality of (a plurality of pages) set documents.

[0015] On the front side (user operation side) of the upper surface of the image forming apparatus 100, a display unit 3 (notification unit) is provided. The display unit 3 is a display device such as a liquid crystal panel, and displays an operation menu screen of the image forming apparatus 100 or a preview image described later.

[0016] Also, near the display unit 3, operation buttons are provided as an operation unit 4 for receiving inputs from the user. Examples of the operation buttons include a power button, a print start button, a print stop button, and a numeric keypad button of the image forming apparatus 100. Also, when the display unit 3 functions as a touch panel, the display unit 3 may also function as the operation unit 4.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the above-described reading unit 1, display unit 3, and operation unit 4, the image forming apparatus 100 further includes a control unit 2, a storage unit 5, and a printing unit 6.

[0018] The control unit 2 is a processing device that performs various controls on each unit included in the image forming apparatus 100, and can be configured by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 2 reads and executes programs and data (not shown) stored in the storage unit 5 to perform various controls on each unit included in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0019] In other words, in the image forming apparatus 100, the control unit 2 mainly includes a processor such as a CPU that operates according to a program as a hardware configuration. The type of the processor is not limited as long as its functions can be realized by executing the program. The processor is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit, for example, an IC (Integration Circuit) or an LSI (Large Scale Integration). The plurality of electronic circuits may be integrated on one chip, or may be provided on a plurality of chips. The plurality of chips may be integrated into one device, or may be provided in a plurality of devices. Details of the control unit 2 will be described later.

[0020] The memory unit 5 is a storage device such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive). In addition to the program and data described above, the memory unit 5 stores image data 51, print mode information 52, and print setting information 53.

[0021] Image data 51 is data of the image of the reading surface to be printed, which is read by the reading unit 1.

[0022] The print mode information 52 is information indicating the print style set according to the degree to which the number of sheets output for printing the image is suppressed. Specifically, the print mode information 52 includes information indicating print modes such as High mode, Middle mode, and Low mode.

[0023] High mode is a printing mode that combines the printing processing functions of the image forming apparatus 100 to print in a way that minimizes the number of sheets ejected.

[0024] Low mode is a printing mode in which an image is printed on each sheet for each reading surface.

[0025] Middle mode is a printing mode in which the number of sheets ejected is less than in Low mode and more than in High mode.

[0026] Here, the High mode, Middle mode, and Low mode will be described in more detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a table showing an example of the relationship between the number of reading surfaces and the executable printing processing functions in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 4 is a table showing an example of the relationship between the printing processing functions and the printing mode in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0027] First, the image forming apparatus 100 has two printable functions: double-sided printing and collated printing. We will explain this using the example of printing on a sheet based on image data 51 read from each of the nine reading surfaces. Collated printing involves reducing and printing images from two or more reading surfaces on the same side (front or back) of the sheet. As shown in Figure 3, two or more reading surfaces are required for the image forming apparatus 100 to perform double-sided printing and collated printing. In Figure 3, the number of reading surfaces for which double-sided printing and collated printing are possible is indicated as "possible."

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, in the case of 1-in-1 printing, where each image data 51 read from each reading surface is printed on one side of the sheet, the print mode is Low mode. In this Low mode, the number of sheets output is 9.

[0029] In 2-in-1 printing, where two image data 51 read from two separate reading surfaces are printed on one side of a sheet, the print mode is Middle mode. In this Middle mode, the number of sheets output is 5.

[0030] In 4-in-1 printing, where four image data 51 read from each of the four reading surfaces are printed on one side of a sheet, the print mode is High mode. In this High mode, the number of sheets output is 5.

[0031] In addition to the consolidated printing described above, double-sided printing can also be combined. As shown in Figure 4, when printing 1-in-1 on both the front and back sides of a sheet, the printing mode is set to Middle mode. In this Middle mode, the number of sheets output is 5.

[0032] Alternatively, if you want to print 2-in-1 on both the front and back of the sheet, this print mode can also be set to Middle mode. In Middle mode, the number of sheets output will be 3.

[0033] When printing 4-in-1 on both the front and back of a sheet, the print mode is set to High mode. In this High mode, the number of sheets output will be 2.

[0034] The print setting information 53 is setting information related to the printing process set in the printing unit 6. More specifically, the print setting information 53 is information related to reduced-page printing that can be set in the printing unit 6. Reduced-page printing is a printing method set so that the number of sheets on which the image is printed is less than the number of reading surfaces to be printed that are read from the original document. Examples of reduced-page printing include collated printing and duplex printing. Examples of collated printing include 2-in-1 printing, which prints images of two reading surfaces on one sheet, and 4-in-1 printing, which prints images of four reading surfaces on one sheet. The print setting information 53 also includes information indicating the printing result when printing using reduced-page printing that can be set in the printing unit 6. This information indicating the printing result may include, for example, a preview image generated by simulating the printing result when reduced-page printing is performed in the image forming apparatus 100.

[0035] The printing unit 6 prints an image onto a sheet based on the image data 51. The printing unit 6 can print an image onto a sheet, for example, by an electrophotographic method. The printing unit 6 includes a developing device (not shown), a photoreceptor drum, a drum cleaning device, and a charger, etc. The printing unit 6 forms toner images of each color on the surface of each photoreceptor drum, transfers them to an intermediate transfer belt and stacks them, transfers this to a sheet, heats and fixes it, and prints an image onto the sheet. Note that the printing unit 6 is not limited to the electrophotographic method described above, and may also be configured to print an image onto a sheet by other methods, such as an inkjet method.

[0036] (Configuration of the control unit related to the printing process) As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 2 includes, as functional blocks related to the printing process, an image data acquisition unit 20, a mode determination unit 22, a print setting information generation unit 23, a notification control unit 24, and a print instruction unit 25. Each of these units can be implemented, for example, if the control unit 2 is a CPU, by the CPU reading and executing a program from the storage unit 5.

[0037] The image data acquisition unit 20 acquires image data 51 read from the document by the reading unit 1 and stores it in the storage unit 5. Furthermore, the image data acquisition unit 20 may acquire image data 51 from an external PC (Personal Computer) or the like via a network, or it may acquire image data 51 by accessing portable memory or the like.

[0038] The image recognition processing unit 21 performs character recognition processing on the image data 51 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 20.

[0039] The mode determination unit 22 extracts character information related to character data in the image data 51 based on the processing results of the character recognition processing by the image recognition processing unit 21. Then, the mode determination unit 22 determines whether or not the setting for reduced-page printing is possible in the printing unit 6 based on the extracted character information. Furthermore, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the setting for reduced-page printing is possible, it determines the print modes that can be set.

[0040] Furthermore, character information includes information indicating whether or not character data is included in the image data 51, and, if character data is included, information regarding the size of the characters.

[0041] In other words, if the image data 51 does not contain text data, for example, if the image data 51 is only a photographic image, the user can still view the image even when it is printed in 4-in-1 format, as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the printing state when image data 51 that does not contain text data is printed in 1-in-1 format, 2-in-1 format, and 4-in-1 format using the image forming apparatus 100 of the present disclosure.

[0042] Therefore, the mode determination unit 22 determines that if the image data 51 does not contain character data, it is possible to set up consolidated printing as a reduced-page printing option. Furthermore, the mode determination unit 22 determines that the configurable printing mode is High mode.

[0043] On the other hand, if the image data 51 contains text data, the mode determination unit 22 determines whether or not aggregate printing is possible based on whether or not the character size of the text data is smaller than a predetermined size. The predetermined size is the size at which the text, when reduced by aggregate printing based on the text data and printed on the sheet, becomes visible to the user.

[0044] Then, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that consolidated printing can be set, it determines whether 2-in-1 printing or 4-in-1 printing is possible, and determines the print mode that can be set.

[0045] For example, as shown in Figure 6, when printing in 4-in-1, the size of the characters (A, B, C, ...) printed on the sheet is difficult for the user to see, but when printing in 2-in-1, the size is such that the user can see them. In such cases, the mode determination unit 22 determines that the configurable printing mode is Middle mode.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in both 4-in-1 and 2-in-1 printing cases, if the size of the characters printed on the sheet is such that it is difficult for the user to read, the mode determination unit 22 determines that only 1-in-1 printing is possible.

[0047] If the image forming apparatus 100 has a double-sided printing function, the mode determination unit 22 determines that the printing mode is one in one, where Middle mode is set to print 1 in one on both the front and back surfaces of the sheet. If the image forming apparatus 100 only has a single-sided printing function, the mode determination unit 22 determines that the printing mode is one in one, where Low mode is set to print 1 in one on the front surface of the sheet.

[0048] Figures 6 and 7 schematically show examples of printing states when image data 51 including character data is printed in 1-in-1, 2-in-1, and 4-in-1 formats using the image forming apparatus 100 of the present disclosure.

[0049] Note that a character size that is difficult for the user to see may be, for example, less than 6 points (approximately 2.12 mm). In this case, the mode determination unit 22 determines that the character size is difficult for the user to see if the smallest character size included in the image data 51 is less than 6 points in the printed state.

[0050] Alternatively, the mode determination unit 22 extracts the vertical or horizontal size of the smallest character in the image data 51. The mode determination unit 22 may then determine that the character size is difficult for the user to read when printed in 2-in-1 if the value obtained by multiplying the extracted size by the reduction ratio for 2-in-1 printing is smaller than a preset threshold. The mode determination unit 22 may also determine that the character size is difficult for the user to read when printed in 4-in-1 if the value obtained by multiplying the extracted size by the reduction ratio for 4-in-1 printing is smaller than a preset threshold.

[0051] In this configuration, it is preferable that the threshold can be set for each user. For example, in the image forming apparatus 100, the storage unit 5 stores table information of thresholds set for each user, and the mode determination unit 22 may refer to this table information when determining the character size. In this configuration, where thresholds can be set for each user, the mode determination unit 22 can determine character sizes that are difficult to see, taking into account individual differences in character recognition.

[0052] In this way, the mode determination unit 22 can determine whether or not the setting for reduced-page printing is possible in the printing unit 6 based on the character information related to the character data in the image data 51. Furthermore, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the setting for reduced-page printing is possible, it can determine the print modes that can be set. The determination result by the mode determination unit 22 is stored in the storage unit 5 as print mode information 52.

[0053] However, as shown in Figure 3, if the number of reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1 is 1, double-sided printing and collated printing cannot be performed. Therefore, the mode determination unit 22 also determines whether the number of reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1 is greater than 1 when actually printing the document.

[0054] The print setting information generation unit 23 generates print setting information 53 based on the print mode information 52. The print setting information generation unit 23 stores the generated print setting information 53 in the storage unit 5.

[0055] The notification control unit 24 notifies the user of the print setting information 53 stored in the memory unit 5. In other words, the notification control unit 24 controls the display unit 3 to display the print setting information 53. Specifically, the notification control unit 24 displays the following on the display unit 3.

[0056] In other words, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the High mode is a print mode that can be set, the notification control unit 24 displays the preview image for printing in High mode, the preview image for printing in Middle mode, and the preview image for printing in Low mode on the display unit 3.

[0057] Furthermore, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that Middle mode is a print mode that can be set, the notification control unit 24 displays a preview image for printing in Middle mode and a preview image for printing in Low mode on the display unit 3.

[0058] Here, we will explain the display of print setting information 53 on the display unit 3, using as an example the case where the number of reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1, that is, the number of data readings by the reading unit 1, N=2, and the settable print mode is Middle mode. In this case, the notification control unit 24 can display a preview image on the display unit 3 as shown in Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the display of print setting information 53 shown on the display unit 3 of the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, the notification control unit 24 displays two preview images on the display unit 3 when printing in Middle mode: a preview image for 1-in-1 printing on the front and back of the sheet (Pattern 1), and a preview image for 2-in-1 printing on the front of the sheet (Pattern 2). Furthermore, the notification control unit 24 displays a preview image on the display unit 3 when printing in Low mode: a preview image for 1-in-1 printing on the front of each sheet with each reading surface intact (printing for each reading surface). For example, there are cases where you want to print without scaling or other modifications depending on the print target. Therefore, the notification control unit 24 also displays a preview image on the display unit 3 for 1-in-1 printing on the front of each sheet.

[0060] As shown above, the preview image shows the number of sheets to be printed by the printing unit 6 and the side of each sheet to be printed by the printing unit 6.

[0061] Furthermore, the notification control unit 24 displays on the display unit 3 the number of sheets ejected for printing pattern 1, printing pattern 2, and printing for each reading surface (total number of sheets ejected), corresponding to each printing pattern.

[0062] Furthermore, the notification control unit 24 also displays a comment on the display unit 3 prompting the user to select a print mode, such as, "You can reduce the number of printed pages by selecting one of the following." In other words, the notification control unit 24 displays preview images of the configurable print modes on the display unit 3 for the user to select. However, if printing is performed for each reading surface, the number of printed pages will not be reduced, so a notification indicating that the number of printed pages cannot be reduced will be displayed.

[0063] The print instruction unit 25 instructs the print unit 6 to execute printing based on the selection instructions received from the user via the operation unit 4.

[0064] In other words, the user selects a print pattern by referring to the display on the display unit 3 and operating the operation unit 4. The print instruction unit 25 receives the print pattern selection instruction from the user via the operation unit 4. Based on the selection instruction received from the user, the print instruction unit 25 controls the print unit 6 to print according to the print pattern selected by the user.

[0065] As described above, the image forming apparatus 100 can display a preview image of the print pattern for the configurable print mode on the display unit 3 to inform the user. Therefore, the image forming apparatus 100 can reduce the number of sheets required for printing without requiring the user to perform complicated settings operations in advance.

[0066] Furthermore, as described above, the image forming apparatus 100 displays not only a preview image for printing in Middle mode, but also a preview image for printing in Low mode. Therefore, even when printing in Middle mode is possible, the image forming apparatus 100 can allow the user to choose to print in Low mode depending on the printing status shown in the preview image.

[0067] Furthermore, if there are multiple preview images and it is not possible to display all of them on the display unit 3, the notification control unit 24 may be configured to prioritize displaying the preview images of the print patterns that have fewer sheets to be printed by the printing unit 6 on the display unit 3.

[0068] Furthermore, as described above, the image forming apparatus 100 was configured such that the mode determination unit 22 could automatically determine and set the print mode that could be set in the print unit 6 based on the character information in the image data 51. The image forming apparatus 100 may also be further configured so that the user can manually set this print mode via the operation unit 4.

[0069] (Printing process in an image forming apparatus) Next, the printing process in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the printing process in the image forming apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of this disclosure. For the sake of explanation, Figure 9 will be used as an example of single-sided printing.

[0070] First, in the image forming apparatus 100, the original document is placed and the power is turned on. Then, the user operates the operation unit 4 to instruct the start of the printing process. When the start of the printing process is instructed, the reading unit 1 reads the image from the original document and generates image data 51. The image data acquisition unit 20 acquires the generated image data 51 (step S11). The image data acquisition unit 20 then stores the acquired image data 51 in the storage unit 5. The image recognition processing unit 21 also performs character recognition processing on the image data 51 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 20.

[0071] Next, the mode determination unit 22 determines whether or not there is character data in the image data 51 (step S12). The mode determination unit 22 scans all the image data 51 read by the reading unit 1 and determines the presence or absence of character data based on the result of the character recognition processing by the image recognition processing unit 21.

[0072] If the mode determination unit 22 determines that there is no character data in the image data 51 (No in step S12), it sets the High mode as the configurable print mode (step S13).

[0073] On the other hand, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that there is character data in the image data 51 (Yes in step S12), it determines whether the character size of the character data is smaller than a predetermined size (step S14). Here, the predetermined size is a size that allows the user to easily see the character size when the image data 51 is printed 2-in-1 on the sheet, and can be, for example, 6 points.

[0074] If the mode determination unit 22 determines that the character size of the character data is greater than or equal to a predetermined size (No in step S14), the Middle mode is set as the configurable print mode (step S15).

[0075] On the other hand, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the character size of the character data is smaller than a predetermined size (Yes in step S14), it sets Low mode as the configurable print mode (step S16). The mode determination unit 22 stores the set print mode as print mode information 52 in the storage unit 5.

[0076] As described above, in the image forming apparatus 100, the mode determination unit 22 sets the configurable printing mode based on the image data 51 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 20.

[0077] Next, the mode determination unit 22 determines whether the number of data reads N by the reading unit 1 is greater than 1 (step S17). If the number of data reads N is not greater than 1 ("No" in step S17), it means that the number of data reads N is 1. If the number of data reads N is 1, even if High mode or Middle mode is set as the configurable print mode, 4-in-1 printing or 2-in-1 printing is not possible. For this reason, if "No" is obtained in step S17, the print instruction unit 25 instructs the print unit 6 to print 1-in-1 on the sheet based on the image data 51. The print unit 6 performs printing based on the instruction from the print instruction unit 25 (step S18).

[0078] On the other hand, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the number of data reads N by the reading unit 1 is greater than 1 (Yes in step S17), it determines whether the set print mode is High mode or Middle mode based on the print mode information 52 stored in the storage unit 5 (step S19).

[0079] Here, the case where the set print mode is neither High mode nor Middle mode (No in step S19) means that the set print mode is Low mode. In that case, if No in step S19, the control unit 2 controls the printing unit 6 to print 1-in-1 on the sheet based on the image data 51 (step S18).

[0080] On the other hand, if "Yes" is selected in step S19, the print setting information generation unit 23 generates print setting information 53 based on the print mode information 52. The print setting information generation unit 23 stores the generated print setting information 53 in the storage unit 5. The notification control unit 24 then notifies the user of the print setting information 53 stored in the storage unit 5 (step S20).

[0081] The print instruction unit 25 then receives a print pattern selection instruction from the user via the operation unit 4 (step S21). Based on the selection instruction received from the user, the print instruction unit 25 instructs the print unit 6 to print according to the print pattern selected by the user. The print unit 6 then executes the print based on the instruction from the print instruction unit 25 (step S18).

[0082] (modified version) Next, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 14. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the printing state when an original document (identity card) is printed on a sheet using the identity card copying function in the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 11 is a table showing an example of the relationship between the number of reading surfaces and the executable printing processing functions in the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the printing process in the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure. For the sake of explanation, Figure 12 will be explained using the case of single-sided printing as an example. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the identity card copying setting process included in the printing process shown in Figure 12. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the printing setting information 53 displayed in the display unit 3 of the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] The modified image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment differs from the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment in that it has a configuration that allows for the additional function of copying identification documents as a printing processing function. Except for this increase in the types of printable processing functions, the modified image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment has the same configuration as the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment. For this reason, in the modified image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the image forming apparatus 100 of the embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0084] The ID copying function, as shown in Figure 10, copies both the front and back sides of a card-sized document, such as a driver's license or employee ID, onto a single sheet. While Figure 10 shows an example where the front and back of the original document (ID) are printed side-by-side on a vertically oriented sheet, it is also possible to print the front and back of the original document (ID) side-by-side on a horizontally oriented sheet.

[0085] In other words, ID copying is a type of reduced-page printing that prints images of both the front and back of an original document (ID) on one side of a sheet, aligning the vertical and horizontal orientations and printing them without reduction. As shown in Figure 11, ID copying can only be performed when there are two scannable surfaces. Note that in Figure 11, the number of scannable surfaces for double-sided printing, condensed printing, and ID copying is indicated as "possible".

[0086] (Printing process in an image forming apparatus relating to a modified example) Next, the printing process in the image forming apparatus 100 according to a modified embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 14.

[0087] First, in the modified image forming apparatus 100, the original document is set and the power is turned on. Then, the user operates the operation unit 4 to instruct the start of the printing process. When the start of the printing process is instructed in this way, the reading unit 1 reads the image from the original document and generates image data 51. The image data acquisition unit 20 acquires the image data 51 thus generated (step S31). Steps S32 to S36 from here on are the same as steps S12 to S16 shown in Figure 9, so their explanation is omitted.

[0088] In the modified image forming apparatus 100, the mode determination unit 22 sets a configurable printing mode for the image data 51 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 20. Then, the mode determination unit 22 detects the number of data reads N by the reading unit 1 and determines whether the number of data reads N is greater than or equal to 2 (step S37).

[0089] If the mode determination unit 22 determines that the number of data reads N is greater than 2 ("Yes" in step S37), the process proceeds to step S40. The processes from step S40 onward, i.e., steps S40 to S42 and step S39, are the same as the processes from steps S19 to S21 and step S18 shown in Figure 9, so their explanation is omitted.

[0090] If the number of data reads N is 2 or less (No in step S37), the mode determination unit 22 determines whether the number of data reads N is 2 or not (step S38).

[0091] Here, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the number of data reads N is not 2 ("No" in step S38), the number of data reads N becomes 1. Therefore, if "No" is found in step S38, the print instruction unit 25 instructs the print unit 6 to print 1-in-1 on the sheet based on the image data 51. The print unit 6 performs printing based on the instruction from the print instruction unit 25 (step S39).

[0092] On the other hand, if the number of data reads N is 2 (Yes in step S38), the document may be an identification document. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S43, and the identification document copy setting process is executed.

[0093] The following describes the process for setting up the ID copy, referring to Figure 13. First, the mode determination unit 22 determines whether the original image data 51 acquired by the image data acquisition unit 20 is an ID. Specifically, it determines whether the valid data size is the card size based on the image data 51 (step S51).

[0094] Here, the effective data size refers to the size of the reading surface of the original document that will actually be printed. That is, the reading unit 1 scans the entire A4 size area to read the image from the original document. The mode determination unit 22 then performs image processing, such as edge detection, on the image read by the reading unit 1 to detect the size of the reading surface that will actually be printed, i.e., the effective data size. The mode determination unit 22 then determines whether the detected effective data size is the size of a card. The card size can be, for example, the JIS standard size of 54 mm in height and 85.6 mm in width.

[0095] If the mode determination unit 22 determines that the valid data size is not card size (No in step S51), it determines that the document is not an identification card. Then, it proceeds to step S40.

[0096] On the other hand, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that the valid data size is the card size (Yes in step S51), it determines whether or not a facial photograph image is included in at least one of the two image data 51 reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1 (step S52).

[0097] If the mode determination unit 22 determines that the image data 51 of the two reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1 does not contain a facial photograph (resulting in "No" in step S52), it determines that the document is not an identification card. Then, the process proceeds to step S40.

[0098] On the other hand, if the mode determination unit 22 determines that at least one of the two image data 51 of the reading surfaces read by the reading unit 1 contains a facial photograph (Yes in step S52), it determines that the document is an identification document. Then, proceeding to step S53, the mode determination unit 22 sets the document to identification document copy mode (step S53). The mode determination unit 22 then stores the identification document copy mode as print mode information 52 in the storage unit 5. The identification document copy mode is a printing method that uses the identification document copy described above.

[0099] Then, the print setting information generation unit 23 generates print setting information 53 based on the print mode information 52. The print setting information generation unit 23 stores the generated print setting information 53 in the storage unit 5. The notification control unit 24 notifies the user of the print setting information 53 stored in the storage unit 5 (step S54). That is, the notification control unit 24 controls the display unit 3 to display the print setting information 53.

[0100] The print setting information 53 displayed in the display unit 3 is, for example, an image like the one shown in Figure 14. Specifically, the display unit 3 displays a preview image (ID copy) for printing in ID copy mode, showing the images of the front and back of the original document (ID) being printed on the surface of the sheet, arranged vertically without reduction. Furthermore, it displays a preview image (printing each reading side) for printing in Low mode, showing the images of each reading side being printed as is in 1-in-1 format on the surface of each sheet.

[0101] Furthermore, the display unit 3 also displays the number of sheets (total number of sheets output) for each copy of the identification document and for printing on each side of the document.

[0102] As shown above, the preview image shows the number of sheets to be printed by the printing unit 6 and the side of each sheet to be printed by the printing unit 6.

[0103] Furthermore, the notification control unit 24 also displays a comment on the display unit 3 prompting the user to select the option to print a copy of their identification card, such as, "You can reduce the number of printed pages by selecting the option to print a copy of your identification card." In other words, the notification control unit 24 displays preview images of the configurable print modes in a state where the user can select one.

[0104] The print instruction unit 25 receives a print pattern selection instruction from the user via the operation unit 4 (step S55). Then, based on the selection instruction from the user received via the operation unit 4, the print instruction unit 25 instructs the print unit 6 to execute printing (step S39).

[0105] As described above, the modified image forming apparatus 100 can determine whether the original document is an identification card, and if it is determined to be an identification card, it can display a preview image of the identification card copy mode on the display unit 3 to inform the user. Therefore, even if the original document is an identification card, the modified image forming apparatus 100 does not require the user to perform complicated settings operations in advance, and the number of sheets required for printing can be reduced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1. Reading section 2 Control Unit 3 Display section 4 Control section 5 Storage section 6 Printing Department 11 Scanner section 20 Image Data Acquisition Unit 21 Image Recognition Processing Unit 22 Mode determination unit 23 Print setting information generation section 24. Notification Control Unit 25 Print instruction section 51 Image data 52 Print Mode Information 53 Print Settings Information 100 Image forming apparatus

Claims

1. A printing unit that prints onto a sheet based on image data of the reading surface to be read during printing in the original document, A notification unit that notifies print setting information that can be set in the aforementioned printing unit, It comprises a control unit and, The control unit determines, based on the character information relating to the character data in the image data, whether the printing unit can perform a reduced-sheet printing setting, which prints so that the number of sheets required for printing by the printing unit is less than the number of reading surfaces. An image forming apparatus that, when it determines that the aforementioned reduced-page-number printing setting is possible, causes the notification unit to notify the notification unit of the print setting information related to the configurable reduced-page-number printing.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the print setting information includes information indicating the print result when the printing unit prints based on the image data using the configurable reduced-page-number printing method.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to display and notify the user of the print setting information in a state that can be selected by the user.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that the image data does not contain the character data, and determines that it is possible to set up aggregate printing, which is performed as reduced-sheet printing, by printing on the same side of the sheet based on the image data of two or more reading surfaces.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines that if the image data contains character data that is larger than or equal to a predetermined character size, it is possible to set up aggregate printing, which reduces the number of sheets printed, by printing two or more images of the reading surfaces on the same surface of the sheet.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined character size is the size at which the characters, when reduced by the aggregate printing method based on the character data and printed on the sheet, become visible to the user.

7. When the control unit determines that multiple settings for reducing the number of pages can be configured, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, among the multiple print setting information relating to each of the multiple print setting information relating to

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the print setting information includes at least one of the number of sheets to be printed by the printing unit and information relating to the surface of the sheets to be printed by the printing unit.

9. The control unit further determines, based on the image data, whether or not the document is an identification document. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, which determines that, as the reduced-page printing method, it is possible to set up an identity document copy to print on one side of the sheet the reading surfaces of the front and back of the original document, with the vertical and horizontal directions aligned and without reduction, based on the image data of the reading surfaces of the front and back of the original document.

10. A printing unit that prints onto a sheet based on image data of the reading surface to be read during printing in the original document, A control method for an image forming apparatus comprising a notification unit that notifies print setting information that can be set in the printing unit, Based on the character information relating to the character data in the image data, the printing unit determines whether it is possible to set up reduced-sheet printing so that the number of sheets required for printing by the printing unit is less than the number of reading surfaces. A control method for an image forming apparatus, which, when it is determined that the setting for reducing the number of pages can be set, causes the notification unit to notify the print setting information related to the setting for reducing the number of pages that can be set.

Images