Printing system for performing visible and invisible printing, terminal apparatus for the printing system, and non-transitory computer-executable medium for the printing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12137193-B2
Application number	US-202218050163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2022
Priority date	Nov 5, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A printing system includes an image forming apparatus capable of performing visible printing and invisible printing and a terminal apparatus. The terminal apparatus includes first circuitry. The first circuitry adds a printing command instructing to invisibly print an image of a two-dimensional code obtained by two-dimensionally encoding a print target image to print data generated based on the print target image. The first circuitry transmits, to the image forming apparatus, the print data to which the printing command is added. The image forming apparatus including second circuitry. The second circuitry visibly prints the print target image based on the print data transmitted from the terminal apparatus, and invisibly prints the image of the two-dimensional code according to the printing command added.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printing system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to perform visible printing and invisible printing; and
a terminal apparatus, the terminal apparatus including first circuitry configured to,
generate an image of a two-dimensional code by two-dimensionally encoding an entirety of a print target image or a part of the print target image, the generating the image of the two-dimensional code including,
compressing data corresponding to the entirety of the print target image or the part of the print target image, and
generating the two-dimensional code based on the compressed data;
add a printing command to print data generated based on the print target image, the printing command including instructions to the image forming apparatus to invisibly print the generated image of the two-dimensional code, and
transmit, to the image forming apparatus, the print data to which the printing command is added; and

the image forming apparatus includes second circuitry configured to,
visibly print the print target image based on the transmitted print data, and

invisibly print the image of the two-dimensional code according to the printing command, the invisibly printed image of the two-dimensional code printed on a same print sheet as a print sheet on which the print target image is visibly printed.

2. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the printing command includes further instructions to the image forming apparatus to invisibly print the image of the two-dimensional code such that the image of the two-dimensional code is superimposed on the print target image.

3. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry of the terminal apparatus is further configured to:
provide a user interface (UI) configured to receive a selection from a user, the selection indicating whether to use a function of invisibly printing the image of the two-dimensional code;
add the printing command based on the received selection; and
does not add the printing command in response to receiving no selection of using the function of invisibly printing the image of the two-dimensional code.

4. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the printing command further includes instructions to invisibly print the image of the two-dimensional code on a same side of a sheet on which the print target image is printed with a layout of the print target image unchanged, the print target image being visibly printed based on the print data.

5. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry of the terminal apparatus is further configured to:
two-dimensionally encode the print target image.

6. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein second circuitry is further configured to:
invisibly print the image of the two-dimensional code using invisible ink.

7. The printing system of claim 6 , wherein the invisible ink is an infrared (IR) based ink.

8. The printing system of claim 6 , wherein the invisible ink is an ultraviolet (UV) based ink.

9. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein a data size of the two-dimensional code is based on a data size of the print target image.

10. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry is further configured to:
add printing coordinates to the print data generated based on the print target image, the printing coordinates indicating coordinates at which the two-dimensional code is to be printed on the same print sheet.

11. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuitry is further configured to:
determine whether the print target image is to be printed on a plurality of pages;
generate a second image of a second two-dimensional code by two-dimensionally encoding a second print target image of a next page to be printed of the plurality of pages;
add a second printing command based on the second print target image of a next page to be printed, the second printing command including instructions to the image forming apparatus to invisibly print the generated image of the second two-dimensional code; and
transmit, to the image forming apparatus, second print data to which the second printing command is added.

12. The printing system of claim 11 , wherein the second circuitry is further configured to:
visibly print the second print target image based on the transmitted second print data; and
invisibly print the second image of the second two-dimensional code according to the second printing command, the invisibly printed image of the second two-dimensional code printed on a same second print sheet as a second print sheet on which the second print target image is visibly printed.

13. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the print target image is image data configured to be visibly printed by the image forming apparatus.

14. A terminal apparatus comprising circuitry configured to:
compressing data corresponding to an entirety of a print target image or a part of the print target image;
generate an image of a two-dimensional code by two-dimensionally encoding the entirety of the print target image or the part of the print target image, the two-dimensional code generated based on the compressed data;
add a printing command to print data generated based on the print target image, the printing command including instructions to the image forming apparatus to invisibly print the generated image of the two-dimensional code; and
transmit, to an image forming apparatus configured to perform visible printing and invisible printing, the print data to which the printing command is added, the transmitted print data causing the image forming apparatus to, visibly print the print target image based on the transmitted print data, and invisibly print the image of the two-dimensional code according to the printing command, the invisibly printed image of the two-dimensional code printed on a same print sheet as a print sheet on which the print target image is visibly printed.

15. The terminal apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:
determine whether the print target image is to be printed on a plurality of pages;
generate a second image of a second two-dimensional code by two-dimensionally encoding a second print target image of a next page to be printed of the plurality of pages;
add a second printing command based on the second print target image of a next page to be printed, the second printing command including instructions to the image forming apparatus to invisibly print the generated image of the second two-dimensional code; and
transmit, to the image forming apparatus, second print data to which the second printing command is added.

16. The terminal apparatus of claim 15 , wherein, in response to the transmitted second print data, the image forming apparatus is further caused to:
visibly print the second print target image based on the transmitted second print data; and
invisibly print the second image of the second two-dimensional code according to the second printing command, the invisibly printed image of the second two-dimensional code printed on a same second print sheet as a second print sheet on which the second print target image is visibly printed.

17. The terminal apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the print target image is image data configured to be visibly printed by the image forming apparatus.

18. A non-transitory computer-executable medium storing a program including computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a terminal apparatus, causes the terminal apparatus to perform a

Assignees

• SAKURADA Kohhei
• Kunimi Keiji
• Harada Kohtaroh
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• SAKURADA Kohhei
• Kunimi Keiji
• Harada Kohtaroh

Classifications

• H04N1/54

  Conversion of colour picture signals to a plurality of signals some of which represent particular mixed colours, e.g. for textile printing · CPC title

• H04N2201/327

  which are undetectable to the naked eye, e.g. embedded codes · CPC title

• H04N1/00474 Primary

  outputting a plurality of functional options, e.g. scan, copy or print · CPC title

• H04N1/32144

  embedded in the image data, i.e. enclosed or integrated in the image, e.g. watermark, super-imposed logo or stamp · CPC title

• H04N1/32128 Primary

  attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image (for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144) · CPC title