JPH02308660A - Digital copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a digital copying machine, and particularly to a digital copying machine characterized by its control system.

[Conventional technology]

Digital copiers are configured to store scanned images as digital data in page memory, so unlike analog copiers, they can perform various processes such as image editing and image compositing when copying. be.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, when performing composite copying, two page memories are required because image data for two originals are output at the same time.

However, in conventional digital copying machines, it is not possible to confirm whether or not composite copying is possible based on the number of page memories that are currently free and usable, resulting in poor operability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a digital copying machine that can improve operability by lighting a display to indicate whether composite copying is possible during a copying operation.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to provide an image reading means for converting a document image into an image density (i), a converting means for converting an image density signal into digital image information, a storage means for storing digital image information, and a copying means for copying digital image information. a copying means; an operation display section comprising an interrupt key that alternately sets and cancels an interrupt copy mode each time it is pressed; and a display section that displays various information; and the image reading means.

Controls the storage means and the copying means to read the original image and writes the digital image information into the storage means, reads out the acid digital image information after writing is completed and copies it with the copying means, and detects the number of page memories to be read in the future. This is achieved by including a control device that displays on the operation display unit that composite copying is possible if there are two or more copies.

[Effect]

A digital copying machine that reads the original density, converts analog values to digital values, stores the data in memory, writes the data read from memory onto a photoreceptor using a laser optical system, and transfers it to transfer paper, has multiple memories. When copying multiple originals, the originals can be input successively as long as the memory is free. The copying device sequentially copies the data of the document that is first input to the document reading device. The memory has a page structure, and normally one page memory is used for one document. Assuming that there are 3 page memories in total, if you input 3 originals in a row, the memory becomes empty (and you cannot input any more originals. At the same time, copying of the 1st original starts and when this is finished, the copying of the 1st original is started. The memory in which the data of the original document was stored becomes usable, and one more original document can be input.

In this way, the number of free and usable page memory changes in real time, such as 2 pages - 1 page - 〇 page - 1 page - 〇 page - 1 page - 2 pages when originals are input continuously. do.

Furthermore, when performing composite copying, two page memories are required to output image data for two originals at the same time.

Therefore, if there are two or more page memories available, "composite copying" is possible regardless of whether copying is on standby or during copying.
Lights up the display, and turns off the light if there is less than one.

〔Example〕

FIG. 3 shows an outline of a copying machine incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. This copying machine includes a reading device t 00. as a reading means for reading an original. Image information storage device 300 as a storage means for storing read document information. A copy diagram that performs a series of processes to copy stored information onto paper! 500. System control device 30 that controls these
2. The system controller 302 is composed of an operation bag W400 and the like as an operation means for performing manual key operations on the system control device 302. Note that the operating device 400 includes a display device that displays various information.

A detailed configuration of the system control device 302 is shown in FIG.

That is, it is mainly composed of a microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 303, and a ROM.

It includes a RAM, a clock signal generation circuit, a timer, an interrupt controller for interrupt processing, and the like. moreover,
Reading device 1002, image information storage device 300, copying circuit 5
00. It includes Ilo and serial communication controllers 304 to 306 for exchanging information with the operating device 400.

The operating device 400 includes an operating panel 402 and an operating control circuit 4.
Consists of 01. A plane view of the operation panel 402 is shown in FIG. The operation panel 402 has keys (mode clear, stop, start,
Numeric keypad, density adjustment.

Image quality adjustment, paper size, enlargement, reduction memory number.

Settings) Character display (number of sheets set, number of copies, variable magnification), document insertion possible indication, and document insertion direction indication.

An overview of the mechanical configuration of the reading device 100 is shown in FIG. When the operator inserts the document into roller 1, the document is
The contact glass 2 is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction between the contact glass 2 and the reflection plate 3 in accordance with the rotation of the contact glass 2 .

During this transportation, the surface of the document is scanned in the main scanning direction by light from the fluorescent lamp 4. The reflected light is imaged on an imaging device (CCD) 6 via a lens 5, and document information is read. C
The original image formed on the CD 6 is output as an analog signal in synchronization with a clock generated from a write synchronization control circuit 105, and is amplified by an image amplification circuit 101. A/D
The conversion circuit 102 converts the amplified analog image signal into multivalued digital image information representing each pixel. The shading correction circuit 103 corrects noise, light intensity unevenness, etc. in the original image.
Distortion of digital image information due to dirt on the contact glass 2, uneven sensitivity of the CCD 6, etc. is corrected. Thereafter, the image processing circuit 104 converts it into digital recorded image information. Digitally recorded image information is output to the image storage device 300,
The data is written into one page memory of the image memory unit 301.

The digitally recorded image information stored in the page memory is converted into laser light in the next copying circuit 500.

FIG. 2 shows the image information storage device 300. Copying circuit 50
Copying device 200 incorporating 0 and operating device 400
An overview of the mechanical configuration is shown below.

Digitally recorded image information read from the page memory is received by a line driver circuit 501 and amplified by a laser driver circuit 502. Digitally recorded image information is 1
It is a binary signal with 1 bit per element (recording/non-recording), and the laser driver circuit 502 activates the laser diode 503 to emit light in response to the binary signal. The laser light emitted by the laser diode 503 is reflected by the rotating polygon mirror 11, passes through the polygon mirror surface tilt correction cylindrical lens 12, passes through the f-theta lens I3, and is transmitted to the first mirror 14. The light is reflected by the second mirror 15 and the third mirror 16 and is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 17 to form an image.

The rotating polygon mirror 1 is fixed to a polygon mirror drive motor 18 and a rotating shaft 19, and the motor 18 rotates at a constant speed to drive the polygon mirror 11 to rotate at a constant speed. As the polygon mirror 11 rotates, the laser beam described above is scanned in a direction perpendicular to the rotation direction of the photoreceptor drum 17, that is, in a direction along the drum axis.

The surface of the photosensitive drum 17 is uniformly charged by a charger connected to a negative high voltage generator. When the laser beam emitted based on the digitally recorded image information is irradiated onto the uniformly charged surface of the photoreceptor, the electric charge on the surface of the photoreceptor flows to the equipment ground of the drum 17 body and disappears due to the photoconductive phenomenon. . Here, the laser is not turned on in areas where the original density is low (the binary signal is at a non-recording level), and the laser is turned on in areas where the original density is high (the binary signal is at the recording level). As a result, the portion of the surface of the photoreceptor drum that corresponds to the light density portion of the original has a potential of 1750 V, and the portion corresponding to the high density portion of the original has a potential of approximately 1100 V.
An electrostatic latent image is formed corresponding to the density of the original. This electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing unit 20 to form a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 17. Note that the toner in the developing unit 20 is negatively charged by stirring, the developing unit 20 is biased to about -550 V by a developing bias generator, and the toner adheres to a place where the surface potential of the photoreceptor drum 17 is higher than the developing bias. A toner image corresponding to the original image is formed.

On the other hand, the recording paper is selected from one of the three paper feed trays 21, fed by the feed operation of the feed roller 22, cut into an appropriate size by the cutter 23, and then
The registration roller 24 passes under the photosensitive drum 17 at a predetermined timing, and during this time, the toner image is transferred onto the recording paper by the action of the transfer charger 25. The transferred recording paper is then sent to a thermal fixing unit 26, where the toner is fixed to the recording paper, and the recording paper is discharged to a paper output tray 27.

Referring again to FIG. The copying machine of this embodiment includes an image information storage device 30 in addition to a reading device 100 and a copying circuit 500.
0, and this storage device 300 consists of an image memory section 301 and a system control device 302. In this embodiment, the image memory section 300, the system control device 302, and the operating device 400 are connected to the copying machine 20 shown in FIG.
It is housed in a housing of 0. Reading device 100.
Copying circuit 500. The image information storage device 300 and the operation device 400 receive signals of R5422 standard ￥aL1°L2.
and L3, and serial data transmission is performed between the two at a transmission rate of 9600 bps.

FIG. 6 shows the configuration of the image memory section 301. The image memory unit 301 has three page memories A to C (301A to 3).
01C), one of the page memories is selected by a memory control signal from the system control device 302, and digitally recorded image information is written to or read from the page memory.

To write digitally recorded image information to page memory,
Reading of the digitally recorded image information from the page memory is performed using a synchronous control signal from the copying circuit 500.

Next, a method of processing composite copy by the system control device 302 will be explained. First, by pressing the synthesis key on the operation panel 402, a synthesis mode command is received from the operation control circuit 401, and the mode is recognized as synthesis mode. After that, when a document insertion signal is received from the scanner (reading control device 106), the operation control circuit 401 outputs a hemo-read request signal, and in return, the mode information currently set by the user is sent.

Among them, mode information related to the scanner and a document start signal are transmitted to the scanner, and at the same time the image memory unit 301
0 page memory A)! c Select and write the image data.

At this time, no command is sent to the plotter and no copying is performed. Next, when the second document is inserted, the scanner and operation panel 402 perform the same processing as when inserting the first document, and the image memory unit 301 selects page memory B. Writes image data. Mode information and a copy start signal are transmitted to the plotter to cause it to execute copying. Here, for reading from the image memory section 301, both page memories A and B are selected. This causes data in both page memories A and B to be written simultaneously, resulting in a composite copy.

To perform composite copying in this way, two page memories are required.

Next, the content of control by the system control unit, which is the gist of the present invention, will be explained. As mentioned above, it is assumed that there are three page memories in this system. In addition, the quick start function (continuous document input function) explained previously will be explained again here.

In normal copying, when a document is read by a scanner, the image data is written to the image memory section 301, and almost at the same time, the block starts feeding paper and writes the image data to the image memory section 301 in synchronization with the timing of transporting the transfer paper. Read and finish copying.

Assume that there are three manuscripts. The number of pieces in each set is 5
Set to 0. Here, the user only needs to insert three consecutive documents into the scanner. The processing here is as follows.

The first document is inserted and written to page memory A, then paper feeding starts from the block, and page memory A is written.
The image data of the second document can be written to the page memory B while reading is performed 50 times. Similarly, image data of a three-page document can also be written to the page memory C. Thereafter, when reading from page memory A is completed, reading from page memory B is immediately started, and then reading from page memory C is started to complete the copying.

In this way, without the quick start function, the user
If the reading of the first sheet is not completed, there will be a problem that the second sheet of original cannot be inserted. In the above case, when the reading of the first page is completed, page memory A
is empty, and the number of free page memory during quick start execution changes in real time.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to facilitate user operability by displaying a composite copy possible display when two or more page memories are vacant during standby or copy execution.

A case where there is a non-empty memory while waiting for copying is, for example, when copying is interrupted by pressing the stop key during copying and waiting is performed. In this case, the memory must be read again, so the memory becomes unusable during the interrupt.

As shown in the flowchart in Figure 7, the method for detecting empty page memories is to check page memories A to C in order to see if they are empty, and if two or more are empty (Y in 7-1, 7-
In the case of Y at 2, Y at 7-1.

If N at 7-2 and Y at 7-3, N at 7-1, 7-
Y at 4? -5), send the composite copy enable command to the operation control unit (7-6), otherwise (7-1 is Y, 7-2 is N, 7-3 is N, 7- N at 1, 7-
If it's N at 4, N at 7-1.

If 7-4 is Y and 7-5 is N), a synthetic copy prohibition command is to be transmitted (7-7), and a message to that effect is displayed on the LCD display section.

Note that FIG. 8 shows the address assignment of the status monitoring flag.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it has a memory for multiple manuscripts, has a function of combining image data of two manuscripts and outputting it on one sheet of transfer paper, and has a function of continuously inputting manuscripts (the capacity of the memory is limited). User operability is improved by displaying whether or not composite copying can be performed in real time on a copier that stores image data of multiple originals (as much as possible) and sequentially recalls the data from memory to make copies. It is possible to provide a digital copying machine that can

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are block diagrams mainly showing the outline of the structure of the mechanical parts of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a reading device, and FIG. 2 shows a copying device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an outline of the configuration of electrical elements of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the operation panel 401 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system control device 302 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image memory section 301 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the microprocessor 303 shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing write information in the RAM shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 100...reading device, 200...copying device, 300
. . . Image information storage device, 301 . . . Image memory unit (
storage means), 302... system control device (control means), 400... operating device. 1st cause Figure 2 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 11 Figure 7 α2

Claims (1)

[Claims] an image reading means for converting the original image into an image density signal; a converting means for converting the image density signal into digital image information;
It displays a storage means for storing digital image information, a copying means for copying digital image information, an interrupt key that alternately sets and cancels interrupt copy mode each time it is pressed, and other key groups, and various information. an operation display section consisting of a display section, and controlling the image reading means, storage means and copying means to read the original image and write the digital image information in the storage means, read out the digital image information after the writing is completed, and copying means. and a control device that detects the number of page memories to be read in the future and displays on the operation display unit that composite copying is possible if the number of pages is two or more. Digital copier.