Image-forming apparatus having internal security paper detection unit and image-forming method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016321527-A1
Application number	US-201615138662-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 28, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image-forming apparatus having an internal security paper detection unit and an image-forming method related to the apparatus. The image-forming apparatus controls a paper feed unit so as to feed a single sheet of paper from a paper stack unit when a command for forming an image on RF tag paper is input, controls a paper transfer unit so as to provide the paper fed from a security paper cassette unit to an image-forming unit along a transfer path, and controls the image-forming unit so as to normally form a desired image on the moving RF tag paper when an RF tag detection signal is input from an RF tag, paper detection unit, whereby the image is formed only on the security paper in which an RF tag is inserted and thus illegal leakage of documents may be prevented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image-forming apparatus, comprising:
a security paper cassette unit that includes a paper stack unit in which sheets of paper are stacked and a paper feed unit for feeding the paper stacked in the paper stack, unit; a security paper detection unit that includes an RF tag paper detection unit for detecting whether the paper fed by the paper feed unit is RF tag paper; an image-forming unit for forming an image on paper; a paper transfer unit for providing the paper fed from the security paper cassette unit to the image-forming unit along a transfer path; and a control unit that controls the paper feed unit so as to feed a single sheet of paper from the paper stack unit if a command for forming an image on RF tag paper is input, controls the paper transfer unit so as to provide the paper fed from the security paper cassette unit to the image-forming unit along the transfer path, and then controls the image-forming unit so as to normally form a desired image on the moving RF tag paper if an RF tag detection signal is input from the RF tag paper detection unit.

2 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the security paper detection unit further comprises a paper movement detection unit for detecting whether the paper is being fed; and the control unit controls the RF tag paper detection unit so as to be activated if a paper feeding detection signal is input from the paper movement detection unit.

3 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
if a paper feeding, completion signal is input from the paper movement detection unit but the RF tag detection signal is not input from the RF tag paper detection unit, the control unit generates a warning alarm and simultaneously controls the image-forming unit so as to stop forming an image on the moving paper.

4 . An image-forming apparatus, comprising:
a security paper cassette unit that includes a paper stack unit in which sheets of paper are stacked and a paper feed unit for feeding the paper stacked in the paper stack unit; a security paper detection unit that includes a paper movement detection unit for detecting, whether paper is being fed and an RF tag paper detection unit for outputting an RF tag presence/absence signal by detecting whether the paper detected by the paper movement detection unit is RF tag paper when a paper feeding detection signal is input from the paper movement detection unit; an image-forming unit for forming an image on paper; a paper transfer unit for providing the paper fed from the security paper cassette unit to the image-forming unit along a transfer path; and a control unit that controls the paper feed unit so as to feed a single sheet of paper from the paper stack unit if a command for forming an image on RF tag paper is input, controls the paper transfer unit so as to provide the paper fed from the security paper cassette unit to the image-forming unit along the transfer path, and then controls the image-forming unit so as to normally form a desired image on the RF tag paper unless an RF tag absence signal is provided from the RF tag paper detection unit.

5 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the RF tag paper detection unit is activated if the paper feeding detection signal is input from the paper movement detection unit, and supplies power from an RF transmission antenna to the RF tag paper.

6 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the RF tag paper detection unit comprises:
a transmission part for supplying power to an RF tag of the RF tag paper through an RF transmission antenna; a reception part for receiving a tag signal from the RF tag through an RF reception antenna; a signal shaping part for converting the tag signal received by the reception part into a digital signal; and a control part for determining whether moving paper is RF tag paper based on the digital signal input from the signal shaping part.

7 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the reception part receives the tag signal from the moving RF tag paper not only through the RF reception antenna but also through the RF transmission antenna.

8 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 7 , wherein
the transmission part includes multiple switching functions that are capable of adjusting an intensity of output power of the RF transmission antenna, and the control part controls the multiple switching functions of the transmission part based on a level of the tag signal from the RF tag, which is received by the reception part.

9 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
include a connector terminal for receiving an RF tag absence signal, which is output from the RF tag paper detection unit; and generate a jam error if the RF tag absence signal is input via the connector terminal.

10 . The image-forming apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
include a connector terminal for receiving an RF tag absence signal, which is output from the RF tag paper detection unit; and control the image-forming unit so as not to form an image on the moving paper but to print the paper as a blank page if the RF tag absence signal is input via the connector terminal.

11 . An image-forming method performed in an image-forming apparatus that includes a paper stack unit in which sheets of paper are stacked and an image-forming unit for forming an image on paper, the method comprising:
feeding paper from the paper stack unit if a command for forming an image on RF tag paper is input; detecting whether paper is moving by being fed; detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper if a paper feeding signal is input as a result of the detecting whether the paper moving; transferring the paper supplied in the feeding to the image-forming unit along a transfer path; and normally forming a desired image on the RF tag paper by controlling the image-forming unit if an RF tag absence signal is not provided in the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising,
activating the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper if movement of paper is detected in the detecting whether the paper is moving.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising,
if the RF tag absence signal is provided in the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper, generating a warning alarm and simultaneously generating a jam error in order to terminate forming an image on the moving paper.

14 . The method of any one of claims 13 , wherein the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper is configured to:
supply power to an RF tag of the RF tag paper through an RF transmission antenna; receive a tag signal from the RF tag, through an RF reception antenna; convert the received tag signal into a digital signal; and determine whether the moving paper is RF tag paper based on the digital signal.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein in the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag, paper, the tag signal is received from the RF tag not only through the RF reception antenna but also through the RF transmission antenna.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the detecting whether the moving paper is RF tag paper is configured to control multiple switching functions that are capable of adjusting an intensity of output power of the RF transmission antenna based on a level of the tag signal received from the RF tag.

Assignees

• Electronics & Telecommunications Res Inst

Inventors

• Kim Min Sik
• Ryu Seung Jin
• Yoon Han Jun
• Lee Do Hoon
• Jeong Nak Jun
• Noh Min Ho

Classifications

• B65H2513/40

  Movement · CPC title

• B65H2511/415

  of job · CPC title

• B65H2511/414

  of mode of operation · CPC title

• B65H2405/113

  Front, i.e. portion adjacent to the feeding / delivering side · CPC title

• B65H1/266

  Support fully or partially removable from the handling machine, e.g. cassette, drawer (B65H1/027 takes precedence) · CPC title