Image forming and color correcting system

• US 6,320,673 B1
• Filed: 03/11/1998
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Motosugi, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): ROGERS, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US09/038,537
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 358/456, 358/449, 358/448, 358/488, 358/1.9, 358/1.14, 358/441, 358/498, 358/296, 358/298, 358/518, 358/534, 358/504, 358/406, 382/298, 382/289, 382/162, 382/286, 382/287, 382/291
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00681 Detecting the presence, position or size of a sheet or correcting its position before scanning H04N1/047 takes precedence; mode signalling H04N1/333; skew detection or correction in image signals H04N1/3878
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00708 Size or dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00721 Orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00734 Optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00753 of a sheet relative to a particular backgroud
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00771 Indicating or reporting, e.g. issuing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00777 Inhibiting, e.g. an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming and color correcting system. The system includes an image forming apparatus and a method for correcting halftone color in an image forming apparatus. The apparatus includes an image reading unit, an image forming unit and a parameter sensing unit. The units of the apparatus are controlled such that halftone color of a scanned document image are corrected when a parameter of the document is inside a predetermined range and a warning is given when the parameter is outside the predetermined range.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

(a) an image reading unit for scanning a document image on a document, for converting the document image into image data and for transmitting the image data to a signal processing unit within the image forming apparatus;

(b) an image forming unit for receiving the image data from the signal processing unit and for forming the image data onto a recording medium;

(c) a parameter detector for detecting a parameter of the document and;

a controller for correcting halftones of the document image, for calculating whether the parameter detected by the parameter detector coincides with a parameter of a correction pattern document stored in a memory and for warning when the detected parameter of the document is not the parameter of the correction pattern document.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameter sensing unit comprises means for sensing document size.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameter sensing unit comprises means for sensing document orientation.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image reading unit comprises a document table for positioning the document to be scanned.

5. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for warning a user comprises a visual warning display device.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for warning a user comprises an audio warning device.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller device comprises communication controlling means for controlling communication between the color correcting means, the calculating means and the warning means to engage the warning means to warn that the sensed parameter is outside the preset parameter prior to engaging the color correcting means to correct the color halftones of the document image.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communication controlling means is an I/O control unit.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the parameter detector is separate from a sensor for scanning the document.

10. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory stores coordinates of a pattern on the pattern correction document, wherein the parameter detector detects coordinates of the pattern on the correction pattern document, and wherein the controller determines whether the detected coordinates coincide with the stored coordinate in the memory.

11. A method for correcting halftone color in an image forming system comprising:

(a) providing an image forming system comprising an image reading unit, an image forming unit a parameter detector and a memory;

(b) scanning a document image on a document in the image forming unit;

(c) detecting a parameter of the scanned document in the parameter detector;

(d) determining whether the detected parameter is not a parameter of a correction pattern document stored in the memory; and

(e) correcting halftone color of the scanned document image when the detected parameter is the parameter of the correction pattern document.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising a step of warning when the sensed parameter is outside the predetermined parameter range.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter is document size.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter is document orientation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the warning is a visual warning or an audible warning.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter detector is separate from a sensor for scanning the document.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory stores coordinates of a pattern on the pattern correction document, wherein the parameter detector detects coordinates of the pattern on the correction pattern document, and wherein the controller determines whether the detected coordinates coincide with the stored coordinate in the memory.

18. An image forming system comprising:

(a) an image reading unit for reading an image on a document and for generating image data of the read image, said image reading unit comprising a detector which detects a parameter of the document positioned on a document setting portion;

(b) an image forming unit for forming an image onto a recording medium;

(c) a memory storing a parameter of a correction pattern document; and

(d) a controller which controls said image forming unit to form a test image on the recording sheet, controls said detector to detect a coordinate of said recording sheet which is positioned on said document setting portion by a user, and warns of an abnormal condition of said recording medium in a case where the detected parameter is not the stored parameter of the correction pattern document.

19. The image forming system of claim 18, further comprising:

a memory which stores a test image data for representing the test image, wherein said controller controls said image forming unit to form the test image on said recording sheet based on the test image data.

20. The image forming system of claim 18, wherein said detector detects a size of the document.

21. The image forming system of claim 18, wherein said detector detects an orientation of the document.

22. The image forming system of claim 18, wherein the parameter detector is separate from a sensor for scanning the document.

23. The image forming system of claim 18, further comprising a memory for storing coordinates of a pattern on the pattern correction document, wherein the parameter detector detects coordinates of the pattern on the correction pattern document, and wherein the controller determines whether the detected coordinates coincide with the stored coordinate in the memory.