Image processing apparatus for determining the presence or absence of an image on each side of a plurality of originals prior to producing two-sided copies of the originals to avoid producing any copies with blank sides

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• convey means for feeding an original having two sides to an exposure postion and for removing the original from the exposure position;
• image forming means for forming an image on a recording medium according to an image on the original while the original is located at the exposure position;
• determining means for determining the presence or absence of an image on the original;
• and
• control means for controlling said convey means according to a determination result of said determining means;
• wherein said determining means determines the presence or absence of an image on the original while the original is located at the exposure position.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• determining means for determining the presence or absence of an image on each side of a plurality of two-sided originals;
• and
• image forming means for forming images on a plurality of two-sided recording media such that an image is formed on both sides of each of said plurality of recording media, with the possible exception that no image is formed on the last side of the last recording medium, according to determination results of said determining means;
• wherein said image forming means comprises convey means for feeding an original to an exposure position and for removing the original from the exposure position, and control means for controlling the original-removing operation of the convey means according to a determination result of said determining means;
• and
• wherein said convey means comprises reversing means for reversing the orientation of an original located at the exposure position and wherein said reversing means reverses the orientation of the original located at the exposure position after said determining means determines the presence or absence of an image on a first side of the original so as to enable said determining means to determine the presence or absence of an image on a second side of the original.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• processing means including reading means for reading an image on an original, said processing means performing a predetermined processing operation for the original based on a signal output from said reading means:
• discriminating means for discriminating the presence or absence of an image on the original based on the signal output from said reading means;
• and
• control means for controlling the operation of said processing means in accordance with a discrimination result of said discriminating means, wherein when said discrimination result indicates the presence of an image on the original said control means controls said processing means to carry out the predetermined processing operation for the original, and when said discrimination result indicates the absence of an image on the original, said control means prohibits said processing means from carrying out the predetermined processing operation for the original.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• processing means for sequentially reading a plurality of originals and for performing a predetermined processing operation based on image data obtained by sequentially reading images on the originals;
• storage means for storing data indicating the presence or absence of an image on each of the originals before said processing means reads the images on the originals to obtain the image data;
• and
• control means for determining whether said processing means is to read each original in obtaining the image data based on the data stored in said storage means, and for controlling said processing means in accordance with a determination result of said control means.