Image forming apparatus, image forming method and program, and recording medium

• US 20020191209A1
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasumaru, Ichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5029 by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/65 Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material handling sheets or webs in general B65H; for photographic purposes in general G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00616 Optical detector
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00751 of sheet type, e.g. OHP

Abstract

An image forming apparatus is equipped with a sensor device that recognizes a recording material determination sections 130 formed on recording material 100, an acquisition device that acquires image information that may be stored in an information control server connected via the Internet based on a recognition result from the sensor device, and an image forming and controlling device that forms an image on the recording material 100 based on the image acquired by the acquisition device.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a paper supply device that supplies recording material from a paper feed section;

a recognizing device that recognizes at least one recording material determination section on the recording material supplied by the paper supply device;

an acquisition device that acquires second image information based on a recognition result from the recognition device; and

an image controlling device that forms an image on the recording material based on the second image acquired by the acquisition device.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input device that inputs first image information in response to an image forming command, wherein the image controlling device forms an image based on the first image information input by the input device and the second image information.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image information is advertising image information, and further comprising an obtaining device that obtains the advertising image information from an external server through a network.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image controlling device forms an image based on the second image information in a margin area on the recording material.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detection device that detects as to whether not the second image information has been renewed, wherein,

when a detection is made by the detection device that the second image information has been renewed, the acquisition device obtains second information stored in an external server through a network, and the image controlling device forms an image based on the obtained second information on the recording material, and

when a detection is not made by the detection device that the second image information has been renewed, the image controlling device forms an image based on information that has already been obtained on the recording material.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recording material determination section includes at least two types of members having different reflectances against electromagnetic waves.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recording material determination section includes information that specifies at least one providing source of the image information, and the acquisition device acquires the second image information for the specified at least one providing source of the image information based on the information to specify the at least one provider of the image information.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one recording material determination section is formed with bar-codes.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition device obtains the second image information from a plurality of providing sources, and the image controlling device modifies the second image information for forming at least one image and forms the at least one image on the recording material based on the second image information of each of the providing sources.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recording material determination section is formed at least one side section of the recording material.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one recording material determination section comprises a plurality of recording material determination sections formed on both surfaces of the recording material, and the recognition device recognizes the recording material determination sections formed on at least one of the surfaces of the recording material.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of recording material trays for storing the recording material, wherein the recognition device recognizes the at least one recording material determination section formed on the recording material that is fed by the paper supply device along a common paper feed path from one of the plurality of recording material trays, and the acquisition device obtains the second image information according to a recognition by the recognition device.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the external server comprises a condition judging device that judges whether or not an image to be formed from the image information obtained satisfies a predetermined condition, and the server controls storage of the image to be formed from the image information based on a judgment result provided by the condition judging device.

15. An image forming method according to claim 14, further comprising an inputting step of inputting first image information in response to an image forming command, wherein the image controlling step forms an image based on the first image information input in the inputting step and the second image information.

16. An image forming method according to claim 14, wherein the second image information is advertising image information, and further comprising an obtaining step of obtaining the advertising image information from an external server through a network.

17. An image forming method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one recording material determination section includes at least two types of members having different reflectances against electromagnetic waves.

18. An image forming method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one recording material determination section includes a plurality of recording material determination sections formed on both surfaces of the recording material, and the recognizing step recognizes the recording material determination sections formed on at least one of the surfaces of the recording material.

19. An image forming method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of providing a plurality of recording material trays for storing the recording material, wherein the recognizing step recognizes the at least one recording material determination section formed on the recording material that is fed along a common paper feed path from one of the plurality of recording material trays, and the acquiring step obtains the second image information according to a recognition giving in the recognizing step.

14. An image forming method comprising:

a supplying step of supplying recording material from a paper feed section;

a recognizing step of recognizing at least one recording material determination section on the recording material supplied in the supplying step;

an acquiring step of acquiring second image information based on a recognition result obtained in the recognizing step; and

an image controlling step of forming an image on the recording material based on the second image acquired in the acquiring step.

20. A program executed by an output control apparatus, the program comprising:

a recognizing step of recognizing at least one recording material determination section on recording material;

an acquiring step of acquiring second image information based on a recognition result obtained in the recognizing step; and

an image controlling step of forming an image on the recording material based on the second image acquired in the acquiring step.

21. A computer readable storage media that stores program codes executed by an output control apparatus, the program codes comprising:

a recognizing step of recognizing at least one recording material determination section on recording material;

an acquiring step of acquiring second image information based on a recognition result obtained in the recognizing step; and

an image controlling step of forming an image on the recording material based on the second image acquired in the acquiring step.