Decoloring apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368302-A1
Application number	US-201615253422-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Dec 29, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A decoloring apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit, a scanner, a decoloring unit, and a controller. The decoloring unit decolors the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit. The decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction. A distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size. A controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size. The controller performs a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A decoloring apparatus, comprising:
a sheet conveying unit; a scanner configured to scan an image on a sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit; a decoloring unit configured to decolor the image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying unit, wherein the decoloring unit is positioned downstream of the scanner in a sheet conveying direction, and a distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit is shorter than a length of a first predetermined sheet size and longer than a length of a second predetermined sheet size; and a controller configured to:
determine whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size, and
perform a mode limiting process if the sheet size is determined to be the first predetermined sheet size.

2 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mode limiting processing is a processing which prevents:
scanning the image at a resolution higher than a predetermined resolution, or if a resolution higher than the predetermined resolution is already set for scanning the image, decoloring the image.

3 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to not perform the mode limiting processing if the sheet size is determined to be the second predetermined sheet size.

4 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface including:
a resolution setting section configured to receive an input for setting a resolution for scanning the image with the scanner, and
a processing mode setting section having a first section configured to receive a selection of scanning with the scanner, and a second section configured to receive a selection of decoloring of the image with the decoloring unit.

5 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the mode limiting processing to control the processing mode setting section to disable selection in the second section if the resolution setting section has received an input to set the resolution of the image higher than a predetermined resolution.

6 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to control the resolution setting section to disable any input that sets the resolution for scanning the image higher than the predetermined resolution if the processing mode setting section has received the selection to instruct the execution of decoloring of the image.

7 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the controller is configured to perform a mode limiting processing to control the processing mode setting section to disable the selection of the second section if the resolution setting section has received an input to set the resolution of the image higher than a predetermined resolution, and control the resolution setting section to disable input for setting the resolution higher than the predetermined resolution if the processing mode setting section has received the selection to instruct the execution of decoloring of the image.

8 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the resolution setting section and the mode processing setting section are simultaneously displayed on the display unit.

9 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the user interface further includes a sheet size setting section configured to receive an input for setting a size of sheet to be conveyed by the conveying unit, and the controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size based on the input received in the sheet size setting section.

10 . The decoloring apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to detect a sheet size of the sheet to be conveyed by the sheet conveying unit, wherein the controller determines whether the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit is the first predetermined sheet size or the second predetermined sheet size based on the sheet size detected by the sensor.

11 . A method for controlling a decoloring apparatus which includes a decoloring unit positioned downstream of a scanner in a sheet conveying direction, a distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit being shorter than a length of a first sheet size and longer than a length of a second sheet size, the method comprising the steps of:
determining a size of the sheet to be conveyed; accepting an input selecting a scanning mode; controlling an available mode of the decoloring apparatus based on the determined sheet size and the selected scanning mode; accepting an input selecting the available mode of the decoloring apparatus; determining whether to perform decoloring based on the selected mode of the decoloring apparatus; conveying the sheet through the scanner and the decoloring unit; controlling the scanner based on the selected scanning mode; and controlling the decoloring unit in accordance with the determination of whether to perform decoloring.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein
if a resolution of the selected scanning mode for scanning the image of the sheet is higher than a predetermined resolution, the decoloring unit is controlled to not perform decoloring.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein
if a resolution of the selected scanning mode for scanning the image of the sheet is lower than a predetermined resolution, the decoloring unit is controlled to perform decoloring.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving, via a resolution setting section of a user interface, an input for setting a resolution of the image to be scanned by the scanner; receiving a selection to execute scanning processing by the scanner in a first section of a processing setting section or a selection to execute decoloring processing by the decoloring unit in a second section of the processing setting section; and disabling selection of the decoloring processing in the second section of the processing setting section if the resolution input in the resolution setting section is higher than a predetermined resolution.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein
the user interface further includes a sheet size setting section for selecting the size of the sheet to be conveyed, and the determination of the size of the sheet to be conveyed is based on the size of the sheet selected in the sheet size setting section.

16 . A method for controlling a decoloring apparatus which includes a decoloring unit positioned downstream of a scanner in a sheet conveying direction, a distance along the sheet conveying direction between the scanner and the decoloring unit being shorter than a length of a first sheet size and longer than a length of a second sheet size, comprising the steps of:
determining a size of the sheet to be conveyed; accepting an input selecting a decoloring mode; controlling an available scanning mode of the decoloring apparatus based on the determined sheet size and the selected decoloring mode; accepting an input selecting the available scanning mode; conveying the sheet through the scanner and the decoloring unit; controlling the scanner based on the selected available scanning mode; and controlling the decoloring unit to perform decoloring.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein a

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Iguchi Ken

Classifications

• B41J29/36

  for cancelling or correcting errors by overprinting · CPC title

• G03G15/2064

  combined with pressure · CPC title

• B41J2/32

  using thermal heads · CPC title

• B41J2202/37

  Writing and erasing thermal head · CPC title

• H04N1/00822

  Selecting or setting a particular reading mode, e.g. from amongst a plurality of modes, simplex or duplex, or high or low resolution · CPC title