Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Abstract

If a determination result obtained using software in a scanner CPU is not identical to a determination result obtained using hardware in a determination section, error processing is performed to prevent image forming of a particular document.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 a first control section configured to load the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    a first determination section configured to determine, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using prestored software, check information concerning the loaded dictionary read from the particular document detection unit, and information concerning the document read mode;    a second determination section formed of hardware and configured to determine whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, on the basis of the check information concerning the loaded dictionary and the information concerning the document read mode transmitted from the reading unit; and    a second control section configured to determine whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is the appropriate dictionary, on the basis of the determination result of the first determination section and the determination result of the second determination section.    
     
     
         2 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the check information concerning the loaded dictionary is a checksum.  
     
     
         3 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second control section performs dictionary reloading or error processing if the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.  
     
     
         4 . An image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 a first control section configured to load the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    a first determination section configured to determine, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using prestored software, check information concerning the loaded dictionary read from the particular document detection unit, and information concerning the document read mode;    a second determination section configured to determine whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using prestored software, the check information concerning the loaded dictionary and the information concerning the document read mode transmitted from the reading unit; and    a second control section configured to determine whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is the appropriate dictionary, on the basis of the determination result of the first determination section and the determination result of the second determination section.    
     
     
         5 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the second control section performs dictionary reloading or error processing if the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.  
     
     
         6 . An image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 a first control section configured to load the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    a first determination section configured to determine, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using prestored software, check information concerning the loaded dictionary read from the particular document detection unit, and information concerning the document read mode;    a second determination section formed of hardware and configured to determine whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, on the basis of the check information concerning the loaded dictionary and the information concerning the document read mode transmitted from the reading unit; and    a third determination section configured to determine whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using prestored software, the check information concerning the loaded dictionary and the information concerning the document read mode; and    a second control section configured to determine whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is the appropriate dictionary, on the basis of the determination result of the first determination section and the determination result of the second determination section.    
     
     
         7 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the second control section performs dictionary reloading or error processing if the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.  
     
     
         8 . An image forming method for use in an image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 loading the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    determining, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using prestored software;    further determining whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using hardware; and    performing dictionary reloading or error processing if it is determined from results of the two determinations that the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.    
     
     
         9 . An image forming method for use in an image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 loading the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    determining, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using a first determination section which utilizes prestored software;    further determining whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using a second determination section which utilizes prestored software; and    performing dictionary reloading or error processing if it is determined from results of the two determinations that the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.    
     
     
         10 . An image forming method for use in an image forming apparatus having a particular document detection unit used to detect whether or not a document to be read by a reading unit is a particular one, comprising: 
 loading the particular document detection unit with a normal copy image dictionary or a mirror copy image dictionary for detecting the particular document in accordance with a set document read mode, the set document read mode being a first document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is moved, or a second document read mode in which the document is read by the reading unit while the document is placed on a document table;    determining, when the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary is loaded into the particular document detection unit, whether or not the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is an appropriate dictionary, using a first determination section which utilizes prestored software;    further determining whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using a second determination section formed of hardware;    also determining whether or not the particular document detection unit is loaded with the appropriate dictionary, using a third determination section which utilizes prestored software; and    performing dictionary reloading or error processing if it is determined from results of the three determinations that the normal copy image dictionary or the mirror copy image dictionary loaded in the particular document detection unit is not the appropriate dictionary.