IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DISPLAYING PREVIEW IMAGE

• US 20100162106A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: MATSUSAKA, Tetsuya, IKAZAKI, Akihiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/274
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit, a whole preview image generating unit that generates a whole preview image, the whole preview image being a print preview image of the entirety of each page, a display unit, a whole preview image display control unit that controls displaying the whole preview image, a divided preview image generating unit that generates divided preview images, the divided preview images being made by dividing the print preview image of each page by a dividing number, a divided preview image enlarging unit that enlarges each of the divided preview images at higher magnification than a display magnification of the whole preview image and generates enlarged divided preview images, and a divided preview image display control unit that controls displaying the enlarged divided preview images.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit that prints image on papers based on print target data;

a whole preview image generating unit that generates a whole preview image based on the print target data, the whole preview image being a print preview image of the entirety of each page;

a display unit that displays image;

a whole preview image display control unit that controls the display unit displaying the whole preview image;

a divided preview image generating unit that generates divided preview images, the divided preview images being made by dividing the print preview image of each page in the print target data by a dividing number, the dividing number being set beforehand;

a divided preview image enlarging unit that enlarges each of the divided preview images at higher magnification than a display magnification of the whole preview image of the display unit and generates enlarged divided preview images; and

a divided preview image display control unit that controls the display unit displaying the enlarged divided preview images.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the divided preview image display control unit controls the display unit displaying one by one the divided preview images.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a forcible display switching unit that forcibly switches image displayed by the display unit from one of the divided preview images to a next divided preview image or a previous divided preview image when the display unit displaying one by one the divided preview images.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a pause unit that pauses the display unit displaying one by one the divided preview images.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an entry unit that accepts user'"'"'s instructions;

a preview image time changing unit that changes time length of displaying each of the divided preview image based on the user'"'"'s instructions accepted by the entry unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the divided preview image generating unit generates divided preview images from a page when the print target data includes data of pages, and

the divided preview image display control unit.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the divided preview image display control unit controls displaying one by one of the divided preview images with a predetermined time interval set beforehand.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a page switching unit that forcibly switches display from currently displayed divided preview image to another divided preview image that is included in page next in displaying order to page including the currently displayed divided preview image.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an amount of blank area detecting unit that detects amount of blank area included in each of the divided preview image; and

a preview image excluding unit that excludes divided preview image including blank area more than predetermined amount from displaying target based on result of detecting of the amount of blank area detecting unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an entry unit that accepts an instruction by user; and

a dividing number setting unit that sets the dividing number based on the instruction.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position display unit that displays position in the print target data of the divided preview image currently displayed.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the divided preview image generating unit comprises an enlarged preview image generating unit that generates divided preview image, the generated divided preview image occupying area in the print preview image wider by predetermined width than the divided preview image that is generated by dividing the print preview image by the dividing number.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a character detecting unit that detects existence of a character on a boundary line that is made by dividing the print preview image, and wherein

the enlarged preview image generating unit generates divided preview image including area wider by the predetermined width than boundary that the character detecting unit detects character.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

a character size detecting unit that detects size of character that exists on the boundary; and

a range setting unit that sets width between the boundary line and outer edge of character that exists on the boundary line as the predetermined width.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

the divided preview image display control unit controls displaying one by one of the divided preview images with a predetermined time interval set beforehand.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

an amount of blank area detecting unit that detects amount of blank area included in each of the divided preview image; and

a preview image excluding unit that excludes divided preview image including blank area more than predetermined amount from displaying target based on result of detecting of the amount of blank area detecting unit.

17. The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising:

a position display unit that displays position in the print target data of the divided preview image currently displayed.

18. A method of displaying preview image that is performed in an image forming apparatus, wherein

the image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit and a display unit, a whole preview image is displayed on the display unit, the whole preview image is a print preview image of the entirety of each page, the whole preview image is generated from a print target data that is printed on paper, and the method of displaying preview image comprises:

generating divided preview images that is generated by dividing the print preview image of each page of the print target data by a dividing number set beforehand;

enlarging each of the divided preview images in larger magnification than display magnification of the whole preview image in the display unit; and

displaying each of the enlarged divided preview images on the display unit.

19. The method of displaying preview image according to claim 18, wherein

the display of each of the enlarged divided preview image on the display unit is performed one by one.

20. The method of displaying preview image according to claim 19, wherein

the generated divided preview image occupies area in the print preview image wider by predetermined width than the divided preview image that is generated by dividing the print preview image by the dividing number.