US 7,679,775 B2Granted

Z-fold method and image forming apparatus

AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.

InventorsTomoyuki Tsukuba, Shuuichi Kimura

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus is provided with an orientation setting part for setting a readable orientation of a document that enables an operator of the image forming apparatus to readily read and understand an image on the document when carrying out an image forming process to form the image on a recording medium, a folding direction setting part for setting a folding direction in which a Z-fold of the recording medium is to be made after the image forming process, and a Z-fold part for forming the Z-fold on the recording medium, based on the readable orientation and the folding direction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an orientation setting part configured to set a readable horizontal or vertical document orientation, which enables a user of the image forming apparatus to readily read and understand an image on the document when carrying out an image forming process to form the image on a recording medium;
a folding direction setting part configured to set a folding direction in which a Z-fold of the recording medium is to be made after the image forming process;
and
a Z-fold part configured to form the Z-fold on the recording medium, based on the readable orientation and the folding direction,
wherein the Z-fold part, when forming the Z-fold on a plurality of recording media with respect to documents having mixed sizes, rotates document data read from a first document based on the document orientation set by the orientation setting part and the folding direction set by the folding direction setting part, and rotates document data read from a document other than the first document based on a main scanning width of the recording medium on which the document data of the first document is formed and a main scanning width or a sub scanning width of the document data read from the document other than the first document, and
wherein the Z-fold part outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in a horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction, if the first document is elongated in a vertical direction, the document orientation is set to the horizontal direction by the orientation setting part, and the folding direction is set to a bottom-fold by the folding direction setting part;
and
the Z-fold part outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in the horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction and folds a longer side of the recording medium by a right-fold, if the first document is elongated in the horizontal direction, the document orientation is set to the vertical direction by the orientation setting part, and the folding direction is set to a right-fold by the folding direction setting part.

5 more elements

A Z-fold method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:

an orientation setting step setting a readable horizontal or vertical document orientation, which enables an operator of the image forming apparatus to readily read and understand an image on the document when carrying out an image forming process to form the image on a recording medium;
a folding direction setting step setting a folding direction in which a Z-fold of the recording medium is to be made after the image forming process;
and
a Z-fold step forming the Z-fold on the recording medium, based on the readable orientation and the folding direction,
wherein the Z-fold step, when forming the Z-fold on a plurality of recording media with respect to documents having mixed sizes, rotates document data read from a first document based on the document orientation set by the orientation setting step and the folding direction set by the folding direction setting step, and rotates document data read from a document other than the first document based on a main scanning width of the recording medium on which the document data of the first document is formed and a main scanning width or a sub scanning width of the document data read from the document other than the first document, and
wherein the Z-fold step outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in a horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction, if the first document is elongated in a vertical direction, the document orientation is set to the horizontal direction by the orientation setting step, and the folding direction is set to a bottom-fold by the folding direction setting step;
and
the Z-fold step outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in the horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction and folds a longer side of the recording medium by a right-fold, if the first document is elongated in the horizontal direction, the document orientation is set to the vertical direction by the orientation setting step, and the folding direction is set to a right-fold by the folding direction setting step.

5 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium which stores a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a Z-fold process in an image forming apparatus, said program comprising:

an orientation setting procedure causing the computer to set a readable horizontal or vertical document orientation, which enables an operator of the image forming apparatus to readily read and understand an image on the document when carrying out an image forming process to form the image on a recording medium;
a folding direction setting procedure causing the computer to set a folding direction in which a Z-fold of the recording medium is to be made after the image forming process;
and
a Z-fold procedure causing the computer to form the Z-fold on the recording medium, based on the readable orientation and the folding direction,
wherein the Z-fold procedure, when forming the Z-fold on a plurality of recording media with respect to documents having mixed sizes, causes the computer to rotate document data read from a first document based on the document orientation set by the orientation setting procedure and the folding direction set by the folding direction setting procedure, and to rotate document data read from a document other than the first document based on a main scanning width of the recording medium on which the document data of the first document is formed and a main scanning width or a sub scanning width of the document data read from the document other than the first document, and
wherein the Z-fold procedure causes the computer to output the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in a horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction, if the first document is elongated in a vertical direction, the document orientation is set to the horizontal direction by the orientation setting step, and the folding direction is set to a bottom-fold by the folding direction setting step;
and
the Z-fold procedure causes the computer to output the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in the horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction and folds a longer side of the recording medium by a right-fold, if the first document is elongated in the horizontal direction, the document orientation is set to the vertical direction by the orientation setting step, and the folding direction is set to a right-fold by the folding direction setting step.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus comprising:

an orientation setting part configured to set a readable horizontal or vertical document orientation, which enables a user of the image forming apparatus to readily read and understand an image on the document when carrying out an image forming process to form the image on a recording medium;
a folding direction setting part configured to set a folding direction in which a Z-fold of the recording medium is to be made after the image forming process;
and
a Z-fold part configured to form the Z-fold on the recording medium, based on the readable orientation and the folding direction,
wherein the Z-fold part, when forming the Z-fold on a plurality of recording media with respect to documents having mixed sizes, rotates document data read from a first document based on the document orientation set by the orientation setting part and the folding direction set by the folding direction setting part, and rotates document data read from a document other than the first document based on a main scanning width of the recording medium on which the document data of the first document is formed and a main scanning width or a sub scanning width of the document data read from the document other than the first document, and
wherein the Z-fold part outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in a horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction, if the first document is elongated in a vertical direction, the document orientation is set to the horizontal direction by the orientation setting part, and the folding direction is set to a bottom-fold by the folding direction setting part;
and
the Z-fold part outputs the document data read from the first document on a recording medium elongated in the horizontal direction after rotating the document data in a predetermined direction and folds a longer side of the recording medium by a right-fold, if the first document is elongated in the horizontal direction, the document orientation is set to the vertical direction by the orientation setting part, and the folding direction is set to a right-fold by the folding direction setting part.

5 more elements