1. An image forming apparatus which performs image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, comprising,
a controller capable of judging whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data,
wherein said controller judges whether a blank page is included, in a case where image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet, and when said controller judges that a blank page is included, said image formation is performed excluding said blank page.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further capable of judging whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet, and
wherein when said controller judges that the image data is image data of an one-sided document, said controller judges whether a blank page is included, and when said controller judges that a blank page is included, said image formation is performed excluding said blank page.
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller is further capable of judging whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet and where said controller judges that said image data is image data of a double-sided document, and
wherein when said controller judges that a blank sheet is included, said image formation is performed excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
4. An image forming apparatus which performs image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, comprising:
a blank page judging section for judging whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data,
wherein said blank page judging section judges whether a blank page is included, in a case where image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet, and when said blank page judging section judges that a blank page is included, said image formation is performed excluding said blank page.
5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a document judging section for judging whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet,
wherein when said document judging section judges that the image data is image data of an one-sided document, said blank page judging section judges whether a blank page is included, and when said blank page judging section judges that a blank page is included, said image formation is performed excluding said blank page.
6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a blank sheet judging section for judging whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet and where said document judging section judges that said image data is image data of a double-sided document,
wherein when said blank sheet judging section judges that a blank sheet is included, said image formation is performed excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
7. An image forming method for performing image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, comprising:
a blank page judging step of judging whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data; and
a step of, when judgment is made as to whether a blank page is included at the blank page judging step in a case where image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet and it is judged that a blank page is included, performing said image formation excluding said blank page.
8. The image forming method according to claim 7, further comprising:
a document judging step of judging whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet; and
a step of, when judgment is made as to whether a blank page is included at the blank page judging step when it is judged that the image data is image data of an one-sided document at the document judging step and it is judged that a blank page is included, performing said image formation excluding said blank page.
9. The image forming method according to claim 8, further comprising:
a blank sheet judging step of judging whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet and it is judged that the image data is image data of a double-sided document at said document judging step; and
a step of, when it is judged that a blank sheet is included at said blank sheet judging step, performing said image formation excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
10. An image forming method for performing image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, comprising:
a judging step of judging whether image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet or on both sides of a record sheet;
a document judging step of judging whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet at said judging step;
a blank page judging step of judging whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data, when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet at said judging step, or when it is judged that said image data is image data of an one-sided document at said document judging step;
a blank sheet judging step of judging whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet at said judging step and it is judged that said image data is image data of a double-sided document at said document judging step;
a step of, when it is judged that a blank page is included at said blank page judging step, performing image formation excluding said blank page; and
a step of, when it is judged that a blank sheet is included at said blank sheet judging step, performing image formation excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
11. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, said computer program comprising:
a blank page judging step of causing a computer to judge whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data; and
a step of, when judgment is made as to whether a blank page is included at the blank page judging step in a case where image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet, and it is judged that a blank page is included, causing a computer to perform said image formation excluding said blank page.
12. The recording medium according to claim 11, wherein said computer program further comprises:
a document judging step of causing a computer to judge whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet; and
a step of, when judgment is made as to whether a blank page is included at the blank page judging step in the case where the image data is image data of an one-sided document at the document judging step and it is judged that a blank page is included, causing a computer to perform said image formation excluding said blank page.
13. The recording medium according to claim 12, wherein said computer program further comprises:
a blank sheet judging step of causing a computer to judge whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, in a case where image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet and it is judged that the image data is image data of a double-sided document at said document judging step; and
a step of, when it is judged that a blank sheet is included at said blank sheet judging step, causing a computer to perform said image formation excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
14. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to perform image formation on an one side or both sides of a record sheet, based on image data of an one-sided document constituted of a sheet which has an object such as a character and a figure recorded on an one side thereof, or image data of a double-sided document constituted of a sheet which has objects recorded on both sides thereof, said computer program comprising:
a judging step of causing a computer to judge whether image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet or on both sides of a record sheet;
a document judging step of causing a computer to judge whether said image data is image data of an one-sided document or image data of a double-sided document when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet at said judging step;
a blank page judging step of, causing a computer to judge whether a blank page in which no object is recorded is included, based on said image data, when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on an one side of a record sheet at said judging step, or when it is judged that said image data is image data of an one-sided document at said document judging step;
a blank sheet judging step of causing a computer to judge whether a blank sheet whose both sides are blank pages is included based on said image data, when it is judged that image formation is to be performed on both sides of a record sheet at said judging step and it is judged that said image data is image data of a double-sided document at said document judging step;
a step of, when it is judged that a blank page is included at said blank page judging step, causing a computer to perform image formation excluding said blank page; and
a step of, when it is judged that a blank sheet is included at said blank sheet judging step, causing a computer to perform image formation excluding said both sides of the blank sheet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method comprising:
(a) fixing an integrated circuit die to a substrate, wherein the integrated circuit die includes tamper-detect circuitry and wherein the substrate includes an anti-tamper mesh of conductors; and
(b) in a single step, placing an encapsulant material onto a first side of the substrate and onto the integrated circuit die such that a first amount of the encapsulant material covers the integrated circuit die, and such that a second amount of the encapsulant material is disposed on the first side of the substrate so that the second amount of encapsulant forms a ring structure that surrounds the first amount of encapsulant, wherein the first and second amounts of encapsulant are separate amounts of encapsulant that do not contact one another.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(c) forming a grid array of bond balls so that the ring structure surrounds the grid array of bond balls, wherein each bond ball of the grid array is attached to the first side of the substrate.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
(c) attaching bond balls to the first side of the substrate so that the bond balls form a grid array of bond balls and so that the ring structure surrounds the grid array of bond balls.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) involves screen printing the encapsulant onto the substrate.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant is an epoxy-resin material.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein the bond balls extend away from the first side of the substrate a first distance, wherein the ring structure extends away from the first side of the substrate a second distance, wherein the second distance greater than half the first distance but is less than the first distance.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board that includes multiple layers of conductors.
8. An apparatus comprising:
a ball grid array (BGA) integrated circuit package including a substrate, an integrated circuit die, an array of bond balls that extends in two perpendicular directions in a plane, and a first amount of an encapsulant that covers the integrated circuit die, wherein the integrated circuit die is fixed to a first side of the substrate, and wherein the array of bond balls is fixed to the first side of the substrate; and
means for surrounding the integrated circuit die in the plane with a second amount of an encapsulant, wherein the second amount of the encapsulant does not contact the first amount of the encapsulant.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means is a ring of the encapsulant, wherein the ring extends along a peripheral edge of the substrate.
10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the encapsulant of the first amount of encapsulant is a first type of encapsulant material, and wherein the encapsulant of the second amount of encapsulant is a second type of encapsulant material.
11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means comprises a conductor that is in contact with the encapsulant, wherein the integrated circuit includes tamper detect circuitry, and wherein the conductor is coupled to the tamper detect circuitry.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the tamper-detect circuitry is coupled to the anti-tamper mesh of conductors.
13. The method of claim 2, wherein none of the second amount of the encapsulant material extends between any two adjacent ones of the bond balls of the grid array of bond balls.
14. The method of claim 3, wherein the first amount of the encapsulant material does not cover any of the bond balls.
15. The method of claim 3, wherein the substrate, the grid array of bond balls, the integrated circuit die, the first amount of the encapsulant material, and the second amount of the encapsulant material together are a ball grid array (BGA) integrated circuit package having a guard ring.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first side of the substrate extends in a first plane, wherein the first amount of the encapsulant material has an exposed and substantially planar surface that extends in a second plane parallel to the first plane, and wherein the ring structure has an exposed and substantially planar surface that extends in the second plane.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the second amount of the encapsulant material conceals and contacts a tamper-detect conductor, wherein the tamper-detect conductor is electrically coupled to the integrated circuit die.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the second amount of the encapsulant material contacts a conductor, and wherein the conductor is coupled to the tamper-detect circuitry.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulant material is electrically conductive.
20. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first side of the substrate includes an array of lands, and wherein the bond balls are fixed to the array of lands.
21. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board that includes multiple layers of conductors.
22. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the substrate is a rigid printed circuit board.