Image forming apparatus and image forming method

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a display, an input device, and a processor configured to accept, through the input device, a user input of identification information that specifies a predetermined service and is associated with a plurality of document types used in the predetermined service, acquire document type information about each of the document types, generate a screen displayed on the display, the screen showing a preview of a print image for each of the document types, upon selection of a previewed print image, encode the identification information and generate a code for the predetermined service, and output the selected print image together with the generated code for printing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a display;   an input device; and   a processor configured to:
 accept, through the input device, a user input of identification information that specifies a predetermined service and is associated with a plurality of document types used in the predetermined service, 
 acquire document type information about each of the document types, 
 generate a screen displayed on the display, the screen showing a preview of a print image for each of the document types, 
 upon selection of a previewed print image, encode the identification information and generate a code for the predetermined service, and 
 output the selected print image together with the generated code for printing. 
   
     
     
         2 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the selected print image and the generated code are output to a printer. 
     
     
         3 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with an external device from which the document type information about each of the document types is acquired.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined service is a delivery service, and the previewed print image includes a signature field and a code field where the generated code is printed. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the previewed print image further includes an information field for indicating the predetermined service. 
     
     
         6 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory that stores code information for encoding the identification information.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the code information indicates a plurality of encoding schemes, and the processor generates the code based on one of the encoding schemes selected by a user through the input device. 
     
     
         8 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the generated code is either a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. 
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a scanner, wherein   the processor is further configured to control the scanner to acquire an image of a sheet on which a code is printed, and decode the code.   
     
     
         10 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a communication interface configured to communicate with an external device, wherein   the processor is configured to
 acquire identification information from the decoded code, and 
 control the communication interface to transmit to the external device a part of the image of the sheet according to the acquired identification information. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method performed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
 accepting a user input of identification information that specifies a predetermined service and is associated with a plurality of document types used in the predetermined service;   acquiring document type information about each of the document types;   displaying a preview of a print image for each of the document types;   upon selection of a previewed print image, encoding the identification information and generating a code for the predetermined service; and   outputting the selected print image together with the generated code for printing.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the selected print image and the generated code are output to a printer. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the document type information about each of the document types is acquired from an external device. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined service is a delivery service, and the previewed print image includes a signature field and a code field where the generated code is printed. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the previewed print image further includes an information field for indicating the predetermined service. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 storing code information for encoding the identification information.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the code information indicates a plurality of encoding schemes, and the code is generated based on one of the encoding schemes selected by a user through the input device. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the code is either a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 acquiring an image of a sheet on which a code is printed and decoding the code.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:
 accepting a user input of identification information that specifies a predetermined service and is associated with a plurality of document types used in the predetermined service;   acquiring document type information about each of the document types;   displaying a preview of a print image for each of the document types;   upon selection of a previewed print image, encoding the identification information and generating a code for the predetermined service; and   outputting the selected print image together with the generated code for printing.