US007050725B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,050,725 B2 Jingu (45) Date of Patent: May 23, 2006 (54) IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS 5,373.350 A * 12/1994 Taylor et al. .................. EMPLOYING TWO PRINTING METHODS 5,563,694. A * 10/1996 Katayama ............ 5,729,785 A * 3/1998 Sakaizawa et al. ... (75) Inventor: Hidehito Jingu, Tokyo (JP) 5,781,823 A * 7/1998 Isobe et al. .................... 399.2 6,725,770 B1 * 4/2004 Maeda ....................... 101 129 (73) Assignee: Oki Data Corporation, Tokyo (JP) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this JP 09-169474 6, 1997 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 k . U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. cited by examiner Primaryy Examiner—Louis Arana (21) Appl. No.: 10/790,041 (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Rabin & Berdo, PC (65) Prior Publication Data US 2004/0175191 A1 Sep. 9, 2004 An image forming apparatus has a first image forming unit and a second image forming unit that form images by (30) Foreign Application Priority Data different methods on the same page. The image formed by Mar. 3, 2003 (JP) 2003-055.192 the second image forming unit is used as an identifying • - s 1- w - way - F · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · image to distinguish an original document made by the (51) Int. Cl. image forming apparatus from copies of the original docu GO3G I5/00 (2006.01) ment. The second image forming unit may, for example, (52) U.S. Cl 399/2: 39976 emboss or punch holes in the printing medium. The second (58) Field O f Classification search- - - - - - - - - - - - 399A2 image forming unit may accordingly be a serial impact dot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -39976 7 matrix printing unit or a stamping unit, while the first See application file for complete search history s printing unit may be, for example, an inkjet printing unit or an electrophotographic printing unit. One of the two image (56) References Cited forming units is preferably capable of making copies by printing on multiple-ply forms. U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 5,323,221 A 6, 1994 Tomimori et al. ............. 399.2 24 Claims, 37 Drawing Sheets 22 24b SIDM lu 24a PRINTING PRINTING UNIT UNIT U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 1 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 1 22 21 24b SDM 24a PRINTING PRINTING UNIT UNIT U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 2 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.3 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 3 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.4 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 5 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 PRINTING PRINTING IMAGE FIG.6A UNIT POSITION INFORMATION (1) (2) (3) FIG.7 NK-UET PRINTING SERIAL IMPACT DOT MATRIX PRINTING 23 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 7 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.9A U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 9 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 11 RECEIVE PRINT DATA S1 PRINTING UNIT SELECTION? SEND DATA TOU SEND DATA TO SIDM S5 PRINTING UNIT PRINTING UNIT UDATA PROCESSING SDM DATA PROCESSING S6 ALL, DATA RECEIVED? WARM UP U AND SIDM S8 PRINTING UNITS U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 10 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 12 GD DRIVE ROLLERS S9 FRONT EDGEAT 1ST SENSORT RESET UPRINTING POSITION ANY UDATA TO PRINT ON CURRENT LINE2 PRINT DATA S14 FRONT EDGEAT YES 2ND SENSORT RESET SDM PRINTING POSITION ANY SIDMDATA TO PRINT ON CURRENT LINE PRINT DATA ALL, DATA PRINTED? YES EUECT PRINTING MEDUM S19 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 11 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 13 22 72 27b. 27a EP 24a PRINTING 26 2b PRINTING 25 UNIT 23 3. FIG. 14 74 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 12 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 27a 24b 27a OY 24b FIG. 15B / 3 27a 24b FIG. 15C - O) O) 23 27a 24b O) OY O) 23 FIG. 15D (C) (C) OY 23 FIG. 15E U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 13 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 NOILISOd „\\-|OWNEW |?NILNIHddB} |?NILNIHddB5)d'E|NILN|}}d|||WSINYHOEWLHETTOHINOO LISOd|||NOI W|||)\\-|OWNE - - - - - a s- - - - - - - sessess |6L|-----ZL| 69|LL?| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------}|91"5D/-/ || |SOH U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 14 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 17A FIG. 17B 23a 23b U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 15 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG. 18A FIG. 18B 61 23a 23b . MNFantanan/ANFAN/ANWaaraaranaa/aa MNMNMAWAWAAAAW/APMAWMNWAWAW N/ww/NNWANFAWAFWANYNWAN/ Anaxwatananaraayanawarara/M an MAMMANyaruasarawamura ISSUERN XXXXXXYY A CORP. XXXXXX.YY A CORP. 111-222-333-444 ~ ^ N 11-222-333-444 - 1 62 65 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 17 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG20 RECEIVE PRINT DATA S21 PRINTING UNIT SELECTION? SEND DATA TO EP SEND DATA TO SIDM S25 PRINTING UNIT PRINTING UNIT EP DATA PROCESSING SDM DATA PROCESSING S26 ALL, DATA RECEIVED? WARM UP EP AND SDM S28 PRINTING UNITS U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 18 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 (2) FIG21 S30 FRONT EDGEAT YES 1ST SENSORT RESET EP PRINTING S31 POSITION S32 ANY EP DATA YES TO PRINT ON CURRENT DOT LINE PRINT ONE DOT LINE S33 S34 YES TIME ta. ELAPSED2 DRIVE 2ND ROLLERS S35 S36 FRONT EDGE AT YES 2ND SENSORT RESET SDM PRINTING S37 POSITION S38 ANY SDM DATA YES TO PRINT ON CURRENT LINE PRINT ONE LINE S39 S40 ALL, DATA PRINTED? NO YES EUECT PRINTING MEDIUM S41 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 19 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.22 81 22 28a Zs28 72 SDM EP PRINTING PRINTING UNIT 26 UNIT U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 20 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 18 ÐNILNIHddB|I?NILNIHddB|,i 172°5)||-|| 6G81LL| U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 21 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG25A FIG.25B 23 88 23 AWANYAWWWWWNYMNawshawaawaar DMATE XXXXYY U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 22 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.26 FIG.27 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 23 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 SHETTO}} }HOSNESLS|| ONILN|}}dd'E WSIN\/HOEWN }-}OSNESCINZ U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 24 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.29 RECEIVE PRINT DATA S51 PRINTING UNIT SELECTION? SEND DATA TO EP SEND DATA TO SDM S56 PRINTING UNIT PRINTING UNIT EP PRINTING PROCESS SDM PRINTING PROCESS S57 TURNOVER PROCESS U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 25 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.30 START EP PRINTNG PROCESS ANALYZE PRINTING POSITION S54-1 INFORMATION IN DATA1 TRANSPORT PRINTING MEDIUM S54-2 TO PRINTING POSITION PRINT IMAGE S54-3 FIG.31 START TURNOVER PROCESS TURN OVER PRINTING MEDUM S55-1 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 26 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.32 START SDM PRINTING PROCESS ANALYZE PRINTING POSITION S57-1 INFORMATION IN DATA2 TRANSPORT PRINTING MEDIUM us57-2 TO PRINTING POSITION PRINT IMAGE S57-3 FIG.33 49 39 / N1SS % 72 ZZZZ 7//ZZZZZZ 25 7 : Qd RSXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX2X) U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 27 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.34A FIG.34B 38 39 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 28 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.35A FIG.35B 23 91 23 MWWNWWYAWWNYWWWAWNYWYNYNYWY DNATE XXXXYY A CORP FIG.35C 93 23' DMATE ISSUER XXXXYY A CORP U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 29 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.36A FIG.36E U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 30 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.37A FIG.37B 23 101 23 DMATE XXXXYY FIG.37C 103 23 awaraway waxaawawarava wrawawa axwww.wyww.www.awawyANvANAWWNYXY U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 31 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.38A FIG.38B FIG.39 111 1-7 112 72 24b. PRINTING PRINTING UNIT UNIT U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 32 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.40A 112 - U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 33 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 a spa spaces sessssss U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 34 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.42A FIG.42B 23 121 23 ANYANYMAYNANWANFMNYANANNYMWAWy DMATE XXXXYY A CORP 122 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 35. Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 ONILN|}}dd'E SHETTO?) }}OSNES|S èHETTO?H_LNOO }-}OSNESONZ U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 36 of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.44 S61 EP PRINTING UNIT S62 EP PRINTING PROCEss-S63 FixED PRINTing process-ss FIG.45 START EP PRINTING PROCESS ANALYZE PRINTING POSITION S63-1 INFORMATION IN DATA TRANSPORT PRINTING MEDIUM us3-2 TO PRINTING POSITION PRINT IMAGE S63-3 U.S. Patent May 23, 2006 Sheet 37 Of 37 US 7,050,725 B2 FIG.46 START FIXED PRINTING PROCESS TRANSPORT PRINTING MEDIUM S64-1 TO PRINTING POSITION PRINT FIXED IMAGE S64-2 US 7,050,725 B2 1. 2 IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS unintended hands. The same problems arise if a copying EMPLOYING TWO PRINTING METHODS machine is used, because copying machines are also elec trophotographic, making it difficult to tell a copy from the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION original document. Similar problems arise when a document 5 printed by an inkjet printer is copied. 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to image forming apparatus SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Such as printing apparatus.