Image Forming Apparatus for Use in Backside Printing

• US 20090066987A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Inokuchi, Sumihiro
• Application Number:
  US12/207,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066987A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/36 Editing, i.e. producing a composite image by copying one or more original images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/046 by discriminating a special original, e.g. a bank note
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00299 Confidential, e.g. secret documents
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00586 duplex mode
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00919 Special copy medium handling apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/049 Hiding of information contained in the image

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image obtaining unit configured to generate a document image for superimposition printing in response to an image requested to be printed or acquire the document image for superimposition printing from a source that requests printing, and an image recording unit configured to record the document image for superimposition printing as data associated with a paper sheet on which the requested image is printed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image obtaining unit configured to generate a document image for superimposition printing in response to an image requested to be printed or acquire the document image for superimposition printing from a source that requests printing; and

an image recording unit configured to record the document image for superimposition printing as data associated with a paper sheet on which the requested image is printed.

2. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the document image for superimposition printing is generated by reducing an image resolution of the image requested to be printed.

3. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the document image for superimposition printing is generated by performing an expansion process with respect to the image requested to be printed.

4. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the document image for superimposition printing is generated by displacing the image requested to be printed in a predetermined direction.

5. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the document image for superimposition printing is generated in such a manner that a difference between the document image for superimposition printing and the image requested to be printed varies in response to a security level required for the image requested to be printed.

6. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image obtaining unit configured to obtain a document image for superimposition printing associated with a paper sheet having a first side bearing a pre-printed image and a second side to be used for backside printing; and

a print unit configured to print the obtained document image for superimposition printing over the pre-printed image printed on the first side of the paper sheet.

7. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the document image for superimposition printing associated with the paper sheet is directly recorded in the paper sheet.

8. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the document image for superimposition printing associated with the paper sheet is recorded in the image forming apparatus as data associated with a paper sheet identification that is directly recorded on the paper sheet.

9. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said direct recording in the paper sheet is performed by printing a code image on the paper sheet

10. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said direct recording in the paper sheet is performed by recording information in an RFID tag provided in the paper sheet

11. The image forming apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the document image for superimposition printing is generated based on an image scanned from the first side of the paper sheet.

12. A method of controlling an image forming process, comprising:

an image obtaining step of generating a document image for superimposition printing in response to an image requested to be printed or acquiring the document image for superimposition printing from a source that requests printing; and

an image recording step of recording the document image for superimposition printing as data associated with a paper sheet on which the requested image is printed.

13. A method of controlling an image forming process, comprising:

an image obtaining step of obtaining a document image for superimposition printing associated with a paper sheet having a first side bearing a pre-printed image and a second side to be used for backside printing; and

a print step of printing the obtained document image for superimposition printing over the pre-printed image printed on the first side of the paper sheet.