JP6777014B2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to images forming device, more particularly a technique of determining the size of the document.

In the image forming apparatus, the image of the original is read by the image reading apparatus, and the image of the original is recorded on the recording paper by the image forming unit. When recording the image of the original, it is preferable to record the image of the original on a recording paper of the same size as the original, and for this purpose, it is necessary to determine the size of the original and determine the size of the recording paper. For example, when a standard size document is used, the length in the sub-scanning direction differs between a plurality of standard sizes. Therefore, the length in the sub-scanning direction of the document is detected, and the detected length in the sub-scanning direction is detected. Based on this, one of various standard sizes is specified as the size of the original.

In Patent Document 1, when the original is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction and is read by the image scanning means, the length in the sub-scanning direction of the original is detected from the time required for conveying the original, and the sub-scanning direction is detected. The standard size that matches the length of the document is specified as the size of the document. If there is no standard size that matches the length in the sub-scanning direction, select a standard size recording paper that is larger than the original size and most closely approximates the original size, and use it as the recording paper without losing the image of the original. I'm recording.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-69820

However, even if the length of the document in the sub-scanning direction matches the length of the standard size in the sub-scanning direction, the width of the document in the main scanning direction may not match the width of the standard size in the main scanning direction. In that case, the size of the original is erroneously determined or cannot be detected. Further, in Patent Document 1, when there is no standard size that matches the length in the sub-scanning direction, a recording paper having a standard size that is larger than and most similar to the size of the original is selected, but the main scan of the original is performed. The width of the direction is not determined, and the size of the original is not determined accurately. In other words, conventionally, it is assumed that a standard size document is used as a document, and an arbitrary size (atypical size) has not been determined.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to determine the size of a document even if the document has an arbitrary size.

The image forming apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is a scanning unit that reads a predetermined scanning area including a document, and a transport direction of the document based on a document image obtained by scanning by the scanning unit. A first detection unit that detects the length in the sub-scanning direction, a second detection unit that detects a blank area in which no image exists in the main scanning direction from the image of the reading area read by the reading unit, and a standard size. The recording paper and the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size are shorter than the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size, and the sub-scanning direction length of the preset irregular size and the main scanning direction width are the main scanning direction width of the standard size. The first indefinite size recording paper, which is the same preset as the first size, and the sub-scanning direction length are the same as the sub-scanning direction length of the first indefinite size, and the main scanning direction width is the first. A paper feed unit that individually accommodates a second size recording paper of a second irregular size, which is a preset second size smaller than one size, an image forming unit that forms an image of a document on the recording paper, and the first 2 An operation unit to which an instruction to turn on / off the determination of the width in the main scanning direction of the document based on the blank area detected by the detection unit is input, and (i) a sub-scanning of the document detected by the first detection unit. When the direction length matches the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size, it is determined that the size of the document is the standard size without detecting the blank area by the second detection unit. ii) The sub-scanning direction length of the document detected by the first detection unit does not match the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size, and becomes the sub-scanning direction length of the preset irregular size. When they match, it is determined whether the operation unit has been input with an instruction to turn on the determination of the width in the main scanning direction of the document or an instruction to turn it off, and the instruction to turn on is input. If so, it is determined whether the size of the original is the first indefinite size or the second indefinite size based on the presence or absence of the blank area detected by the second detection unit, and the off size is determined. if an instruction is input to, without performing detection of the blank area by the second detection unit, and a control unit to determine the size of the document is the first non-standard size, the When the control unit determines that the size of the document is a standard size, the control unit supplies the standard size recording paper to the image forming unit from the paper feeding unit, and forms the image of the document on the standard size recording paper. When it is determined that the size of the document is the first indefinite size, the above The first indefinite size recording paper is supplied from the paper feed unit to the image forming unit, the image of the original is formed on the first indefinite size recording paper, and the size of the original is the second indefinite size. When it is determined to be, the second indefinite size recording paper is supplied from the paper feed unit to the image forming unit, and the image of the original in which the image in the blank area is removed is taken as the second indefinite size. It is to be formed on the recording paper of .

According to the present invention, it is possible to determine the size of a document even if the document has an arbitrary size.

It is sectional drawing which shows the image forming apparatus which comprises the image reading apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the image reading apparatus, and shows the state which the document transport part is closed. It is a functional block diagram which shows the main internal structure of an image forming apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the reading area read by the image reading apparatus. It is a figure which illustrates the adjustment screen for adjusting the standard size and the length in the sub-scanning direction of arbitrary size, the width in the main scanning direction of standard size, and the width in the main scanning direction of arbitrary size. It is a figure which conceptually shows the data table in which the content set in the adjustment screen shown in FIG. 5 is written. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure for determining the size of a document.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus to which an embodiment of the image reading apparatus of the present invention is applied. The image forming apparatus 10 is an MFP (multifunction device) having a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and a facsimile function. The image forming device 10 includes an image reading device 11 and an image forming unit 12.

The image reading device 11 has an image sensor that optically reads the image of the document, and the analog output of the image sensor is converted into a digital signal to generate image data indicating the image of the document.

The image forming unit 12 prints an image indicated by the above image data or image data received from the outside on a recording paper, and has an image forming unit 3M for magenta, an image forming unit 3C for cyan, and an image for yellow. It includes a forming unit 3Y and an image forming unit 3Bk for black. In each of the image forming units 3M, 3C, 3Y, and 3Bk, the surface of the photoconductor drum 4 is uniformly charged, the surface of the photoconductor drum 4 is exposed, and an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 4. Is formed, the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 4 is developed into a toner image, and the toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum 4 is transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 5. As a result, a color toner image (image) is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 5. The toner image of this color is secondarily transferred to the recording paper P transported from the paper feeding unit 14 through the transport path 8 in the nip area N between the intermediate transfer belt 5 and the secondary transfer roller 6.

After that, the recording paper P is heated and pressurized by the fixing device 15, the toner image on the recording paper P is fixed by thermocompression bonding, and the recording paper P is further discharged to the discharge tray 17 through the discharge roller pair 16.

The paper feed unit 14 includes a plurality of paper feed cassettes 71 and 72 and a manual feed tray 9, and feeds and supplies the recording paper P from any of the paper feed cassettes 71 and 72 and the manual feed tray 9 to the transport path 8. ..

Next, a schematic configuration of the image reading device 11 will be described. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the mechanical configuration of the image reading device 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading device 11 includes a document transporting unit 20 and a scanning unit 30. The document transporting unit 20 includes a document feeding tray 22, a pickup roller 25, a transport roller 26, a paper ejection roller 27, a document ejecting tray 28, and the like. Further, the reading unit 30 includes a first platen glass 31, a second platen glass 32, a white plate 33, a carriage 34, an optical system unit 35, a condenser lens 36, a CCD sensor (imaging element) 37, and the like.

The document transport unit 20 pulls out the document MSs placed on the document paper feed tray 22 one by one, and directs the document MS between the white plate (background member) 33 of the reading unit 30 and the first platen glass 31. Transport. In the reading unit 30, the carriage 34 and the optical system unit 35 are positioned at predetermined transfer document reading positions, respectively. At this conveyed document reading position, the light from the light source 34A of the carriage 34 is applied to the white plate 33 and the document MS via the first platen glass 31, and the light reflected by the white plate 33 or the document MS is emitted from each mirror 34B. It is reflected by 35A and 35B, incident on the CCD sensor 37 through the condenser lens 36, and the white plate 33 or the document MS is repeatedly read by the CCD sensor 37 for each line extending in the main scanning direction. The white plate 33 has a white coating or a white sheet attached to the surface of the white plate 33 facing the first platen glass 31.

Next, the configuration related to the control of the image forming apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing a main internal configuration of the image forming apparatus 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 41, a display unit 42, an operation unit 44, a touch panel 45, a storage unit 48, an image memory 49, an image reading device 11, an image forming unit 12, and the like. .. These components are capable of transmitting and receiving data or signals through the bus to each other.

The display unit 42 is composed of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (OLED: Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display, and the like.

The operation unit 44 includes, for example, a menu key, a start key, and the like for calling the initial screen of the display unit 42, and receives instructions such as an image formation operation execution instruction and a document reading operation execution instruction from the user.

A touch panel 45 is superimposed on the screen of the display unit 42. The touch panel 45 is a touch panel of a so-called resistive film method or capacitance method, and detects contact (touch) of a user's finger or the like with respect to the touch panel 45 together with the contact position, and touches a GUI or the like on the screen of the display unit 42. Enter the user's instructions. Therefore, the touch panel 45 serves as an operation unit for inputting a user operation on the screen of the display unit 42.

The storage unit 48 includes a RAM, a large-capacity HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and the like, and stores various data and programs.

The control unit 41 is composed of a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The processor is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU, an ASIC, or the like. The control unit 41 functions as a control unit 51, a display control unit 52, and an image processing unit 54 when the program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 48 is executed by the processor. Each of the above configurations of the control unit 41 may be configured by a hard circuit regardless of the operation based on the program. Further, the control unit 51 corresponds to a "control unit" in the claims.

The control unit 51 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. The display control unit 52 controls the display unit 42 to display a GUI or various types of information.

The image processing unit 54 inputs the analog output of the CCD sensor 37, D / A-converts the analog output into image data, and stores the image data in the image memory 49. Further, the image processing unit 54 performs various image processing such as shading correction, gamma correction, and chromatic aberration correction on the image data in the image memory 49.

Further, the image processing unit 54 includes a first detection unit 55 and a second detection unit 56.

In the image forming apparatus 10 having such a configuration, the reading unit 30 of the image reading apparatus 11 passes through the first platen glass 31 to provide a reading region R having a sub-scanning direction length according to the document MS as shown in FIG. read. Then, the image data indicating the image of the reading area R is stored in the image memory 49.

When the main scanning direction width of the document MS matches the main scanning direction width of the scanning area R, only the image of the document MS is included in the image of the scanning area R, and the main scanning direction width of the document MS is the scanning area R. When it is smaller than the width in the main scanning direction, the image in the scanning area R includes not only the image of the original MS but also the image of the white plate 33 as the background of the original MS.

The light reflectance of the white plate 33 is set sufficiently higher or lower than the light reflectance of the white background portion of the document MS. For example, when the image reader 11 reads the document as a color image, the image of the white plate 33 is set. There is a difference between the density and the image density of the original MS in the main scanning direction. In the case of a color image, the second detection unit 56 identifies the image of the reading area R indicated by the image data in the image memory 49 into the image of the white plate 33 and the image of the original MS based on a preset density threshold. , The image portion of the identified white plate 33 is detected as a blank area.

When the image reading device 11 reads the original as a monochrome image, the second detection unit 56 determines a blank area (in an area where a black image does not exist) in the image in the reading area R indicated by the image data in the image memory 49. Therefore, a rectangular area having a width in the main scanning direction and having the same sub-scanning direction as the sub-scanning direction length of the original MS is used as a blank area, and an image area in which a black image exists (width in the main scanning direction). A blank area is detected by using a rectangular region having the same sub-scanning direction as the sub-scanning direction length of the original MS as an image of the original MS.

In the present embodiment, the second detection unit 56 is located at the same position as the end portion in the main scanning direction of the reading area R over the length of the sub-scanning direction detected by the first detection unit 55. It is assumed that the area where is not present is detected as a blank area.

The first detection unit 55 detects the length of the image in the reading region R in the document transport direction as the length Lx in the sub-scanning direction of the document MS. That is, the first detection unit 55 sets the size (length) of the image indicated by the image data obtained by scanning the document by the scanning unit 30 in the sub-scanning direction (document transport direction) to the length Lx in the sub-scanning direction of the document MS. Detect as.

The control unit 51 determines the size of the document MS based on the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS detected by the first detection unit 55 and the presence or absence of a blank area detected by the second detection unit 56.

Next, the determination of the size of such a document MS will be described in more detail. The control unit 51 stores, for example, a plurality of standard sizes and a plurality of arbitrary sizes (atypical sizes) set by the user as the size of the document MS. The standard size is, for example, a letter size having a length in the sub-scanning direction of 350 mm and a width in the main scanning direction of 216 mm.

The control unit 51 stores a size having a sub-scanning direction length and a main scanning direction width set by the user for an arbitrary size. The setting of the length in the sub-scanning direction and the width in the main scanning direction for an arbitrary size by the user will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen operated by the user when an arbitrary size is set.

When the user sets an arbitrary size, the display control unit 52 causes the display unit 42 to display the adjustment screen G shown in FIG. 5 as an example. On the adjustment screen G, a display for accepting the setting of the sub-scanning direction length and the two main scanning direction widths to which the sub-scanning direction length is applied is displayed for an arbitrary size based on the operation by the user. On the adjustment screen G, a changeover switch 61 for receiving an instruction to switch on / off for automatic determination of the document size, a sub-scanning direction length entry field 62 for receiving a setting of a sub-scanning direction length of an arbitrary size, and an arbitrary size A first main scanning direction width entry field 63 for accepting the setting of the main scanning direction width, a second main scanning direction width entry field 64 for accepting further setting of the main scanning direction width of an arbitrary size, an OK key 65, and The cancel key 66 is displayed.

The user operates the operation unit 44 and the touch panel 45 to switch on / off the changeover switch 61 on the adjustment screen G, input the sub-scanning direction length of an arbitrary size into the sub-scanning direction length entry field 62, and enter an arbitrary size of the sub-scanning direction length. The width in the main scanning direction is input in the first main scanning direction width entry field 63 and the second main scanning direction width entry field 64, and the OK key 65 is touch-operated. In response to the touch operation of the OK key 65, the control unit 51 turns on / off the automatic size determination of the document MS, fills in the sub-scanning direction length and the first main scanning direction width input in the sub-scanning direction length entry field 62. The main scanning direction width input in the column 63 and the second main scanning direction width entry field 64 is written in the data table DT as shown in FIG. That is, the data table DT stores two arbitrary sizes having the same sub-scanning direction length but different main scanning direction widths. Here, it is assumed that the length in the sub-scanning direction of the arbitrary size is set to a value different from the length in the sub-scanning direction of the standard size.

In the present embodiment, as arbitrary sizes, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, arbitrary size T1 = length in the sub-scanning direction 280 mm × width in the main scanning direction 216 mm, and arbitrary size T2 = length in the sub-scanning direction 280 mm. It is assumed that two sizes of × main scanning direction width 176 mm are stored in the data table DT. In the present embodiment, two arbitrary sizes to be stored will be described.

Here, when the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS detected by the first detection unit 55 matches the sub-scanning direction length Lx of any standard size, the control unit 51 determines that the document MS has a standard size. Is determined to be.

Further, when the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS detected by the first detection unit 55 does not match the sub-scanning direction length Lx of any standard size, the control unit 51 determines the sub-scanning direction length Lx. However, it is determined whether or not the length in the sub-scanning direction (280 mm in the above example) of an arbitrary size set by the user. When the control unit 51 determines that the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS matches the sub-scanning direction length of an arbitrary size set by the user, the control unit 51 determines that the blank area detected by the second detection unit 56. Based on the presence or absence, it is determined which of the stored arbitrary sizes the size of the original MS is.

Here, the second detection unit 56 is a region R1 in the reading region R in which the arbitrary size T2 does not exist in the main scanning direction among the regions of the main scanning direction width of the arbitrary size T1 set by the user (FIG. In 4), an attempt is made to detect a blank area. If the blank area does not exist in the area R1, the second detection unit 56 does not detect the blank area.

If the blank area is detected by the second detection unit 56, the control unit 51 determines that the size of the document MS is an arbitrary size T2 with a short width in the main scanning direction (176 mm). Further, if the blank area is not detected by the second detection unit 56, the control unit 51 determines that the size of the document MS is an arbitrary size T1 with a long width in the main scanning direction (216 mm).

In the present embodiment, when the automatic size determination of the document MS is set to off and the fact is written in the data table DT, the control unit 51 detects whether the second detection unit 56 detects the blank area. Regardless of whether or not, it is determined that the size of the original MS is an arbitrary size T1. In this case, when the control unit 51 stores three or more arbitrary sizes, the control unit 51 determines the size having the largest width in the main scanning direction as the size of the document MS among the plurality of arbitrary sizes. This allows the user to use the largest size recording paper having the sub-scanning direction length for printing the original MS having the sub-scanning direction length set by the user, which is not a standard size. .. Therefore, regardless of the difference in the width in the main scanning direction of the original MS, it is possible to always print using the recording paper P of the same size.

Next, the processing procedure for determining the size of the original MS will be organized and described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 7. Here, three size document MSs of a standard letter size, the above-mentioned arbitrary size T1 and the above-mentioned arbitrary size T2 are mixedly mounted on the document paper feed tray 22 of the document transfer unit 20, and each of these document MSs is sequentially mounted. , It is assumed that the reading unit 30 is conveyed between the white plate 33 and the first platen glass 31.

First, when a user stacks a plurality of original MSs of different sizes and places them on the original paper feed tray 22 of the original transport unit 20 and operates the operation unit 44 to input a document reading instruction, the control unit 51 controls the original. Each document MS is sequentially conveyed to the transfer unit 20 one by one. At the conveyed document reading position, the scanning unit 30 is made to read the scanning area R including the document MS. The length of the reading area R in the sub-scanning direction corresponds to the length of the document MS in the sub-scanning direction, and the width of the reading area R in the main scanning direction matches the width of the reading area R in the main scanning direction. In addition, the reading unit 30 performs a reading operation. Further, in the present embodiment, the main scanning direction width that can be read by the reading unit 30 will be described by taking the case where the letter size main scanning direction width is 216 mm as an example. The control unit 51 stores the image data indicating the image of the reading area R including the document MS obtained by the reading by the reading unit 30 in the image memory 49 (S101).

Subsequently, the first detection unit 55 detects the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS from the image in the reading area R indicated by the image data in the image memory 49 (S102).

Here, in the control unit 51, the sub-scanning direction length Lx detected in S102 is either the sub-scanning direction length of each standard size stored or the sub-scanning direction length of arbitrary sizes T1 and T2. Is determined (S103).

When the control unit 51 determines that the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS matches the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size (“standard size” in S103), the control unit 51 determines that the standard size is among the plurality of stored standard sizes. A standard size having a sub-scanning direction length Lx is determined, and the standard size is determined as the size of the original MS (S110).

Further, when the control unit 51 determines that the sub-scanning direction length Lx of the document MS matches the sub-scanning direction lengths of the arbitrary sizes T1 and T2 (“arbitrary size” in S103), the data table DT Therefore, it is determined whether the automatic size determination of the original MS is stored on or off, and when it is determined that the automatic size determination is off (S104 “off”), the size of the original MS is determined by the main scan. It is determined that the size T1 is the one having a longer direction width of 216 mm (S111).

On the other hand, when the control unit 51 determines that the automatic size determination of the original MS is stored in the data table DT on (S104 “ON”), the second detection unit 56 determines the image data in the image memory 49. A blank area is detected from the image of the reading area R indicated by (S105).

When the control unit 51 determines that the blank area is detected by the second detection unit 56 in S105 (S106 “Yes”), the size of the document MS is any size T2 having the shorter width in the main scanning direction. It is determined that there is (S107).

Further, when the control unit 51 determines that the blank area is not detected by the second detection unit 56 in S105 (S106 “none”), the size of the document MS is an arbitrary size having a longer width in the main scanning direction. It is determined to be T1 (S111).

When the control unit 51 determines in S107 and S111 which of the plurality of sizes the document is, the control unit 51 first displays the determination result on the display unit 42, and the operation unit 44 displays the determination result from the user. When an approval instruction is input to approve the determination, the determination may be finalized.

In this way, when the control unit 51 determines the size of the original MS, the control unit 51 determines the paper feed cassettes 71 and 72 and the manual feed tray 9 containing the recording paper P having the same size as the determined original MS size. The recording paper is supplied to the image forming unit 12 from any of the above. For example, the paper cassette 71 contains a standard size letter size recording paper P, the paper cassette 72 contains a recording paper P of an arbitrary size T1, and the manual feed tray 9 contains a recording paper P of an arbitrary size T2. .. The image forming unit 12 records the image of the original MS on the supplied recording paper P. When the blank area is detected, the image processing unit 54 removes the image of the blank area from the image of the reading area R, and the control unit 51 removes the image of the blank area from the reading area R. The image forming unit 12 is made to record the image of the original MS.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the standard size is determined based only on the length in the sub-scanning direction, and the arbitrary sizes T1 and T2 are determined based on the length in the sub-scanning direction and the presence or absence of the blank area. As a result, regarding the standard size and irregular size document MS mixedly mounted on the document transfer unit 20, not only when the size of the document MS is the standard size, but also when the document MS is an irregular size document. It becomes possible to determine the size of the original.

In the above embodiment, the first detection unit 55 detects the sub-scanning direction length of the document MS based on the image indicated by the image data stored in the image memory 49, as described above. When the image of the original MS is read by the scanning unit 30 while the original MS is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction X by the original conveying unit 20, the original MS is read by an optical sensor (not shown) provided in the conveying path of the original MS. The first detection unit 55 may detect the front and rear ends of the original MS, and the first detection unit 55 may detect the length of the original MS in the sub-scanning direction based on the detection time of the front and rear ends of the original MS and the transport speed of the original MS.

Further, in the above embodiment, it is assumed that the data table DT stores two arbitrary sizes, but three or more arbitrary sizes may be stored (however, the length in the sub-scanning direction). Is common). When three or more of the above arbitrary sizes are stored in the data table DT, the control unit 51, when the second detection unit 56 detects that there is a blank area, among the three or more sizes. The size having the largest width in the main scanning direction is determined as the size of the original.

Further, the configurations and treatments of the above-described embodiments and modifications described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 are merely examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not intended to be limited to the configurations and treatments.

10 Image forming device 11 Image reading device 12 Image forming unit 41 Control unit 42 Display unit 44 Operation unit 45 Touch panel 48 Storage unit 49 Image memory 51 Control unit 52 Display control unit 54 Image processing unit 55 First detection unit 56 Second detection unit

Claims (3)

A reading unit that reads a predetermined reading area including the original,
Based on the original image obtained by scanning by the scanning unit, the first detecting unit that detects the length of the original in the sub-scanning direction, which is the transport direction, and
From the image of the reading area read by the reading unit, a second detection unit that detects a blank area in which no image exists in the main scanning direction, and a second detection unit.
Standard size recording paper and sub-scanning direction length of the standard size is shorter than the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size. The length of the sub-scanning direction is preset and the width of the main scanning direction is the main scanning of the standard size. The recording paper of the first indefinite size, which is the first size preset to be the same as the direction width, and the sub-scanning direction length are the same as the sub-scanning direction length of the first indefinite size, and the main scanning direction width is the same. A paper feed unit that individually accommodates a second size recording paper of a second irregular size, which is a preset second size smaller than the first size.
An image forming unit that forms the image of the original on the recording paper,
An operation unit to which an instruction to turn on / off the determination of the main scanning direction width of the document based on the blank area detected by the second detection unit is input.
(I) When the sub-scanning direction length of the document detected by the first detection unit matches the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size, the second detection unit detects the blank area. It is determined that the size of the document is a standard size, and (ii) the sub-scanning direction length of the document detected by the first detection unit matches the sub-scanning direction length of the standard size. Instead, when the length in the sub-scanning direction of the preset irregular size is matched, an instruction to turn on the determination of the width in the main scanning direction of the document is input to the operation unit, or an instruction to turn it off. If the instruction to turn on is input, the size of the document is the first indefinite size or the size of the original based on the presence or absence of the blank area detected by the second detection unit. If it is determined which of the second indefinite size is, and the instruction to turn it off is input, the size of the document is the size of the document without detecting the blank area by the second detection unit. comprising 1 a control section for determining that the non-standard size, and
When the control unit determines that the size of the document is a standard size, the control unit supplies the standard size recording paper to the image forming unit from the paper feed unit, and feeds the image of the document to the standard size recording paper. When it is formed and the size of the original is determined to be the first indefinite size, the first indefinite size recording paper is supplied from the paper feed unit to the image forming unit, and the image of the original is obtained in the first. When the size of the original document is determined to be the second irregular size by forming the recording paper of one irregular size, the second irregular size recording paper is supplied to the image forming section from the paper feeding unit. An image forming apparatus for forming an image of a document from which the image of the blank area is removed on the second irregular size recording paper . With a further display
The control unit causes the display unit to display a determination result indicating whether the size of the document is the first atypical size or the second atypical size , and the user inputs an approval instruction to the operation unit. If it is, the image forming apparatus according to claim 1 for determining the determination. The second detection unit has a blank area at the same position as an end portion in the main scanning direction of the reading region, over the length of the sub-scanning direction detected by the first detection unit, where no image exists. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the image forming apparatus is detected as.