Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Data corruption – power interruption – or print prevention
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-02
2001-02-27
Coles, Edward L. (Department: 2722)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Data corruption, power interruption, or print prevention
C358S001900, C358S401000, C358S001160, C358S296000, C399S027000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a facsimile apparatus and, more particularly, to a facsimile apparatus capable of ensuring that the information received is available to a user in a understandable or legible manner even when there is a possibility of the occurrence of a print failure.
2. Description of Related Art
There are known facsimile apparatuses having an ink jet-type print head. This type of facsimile apparatus determines whether the ink is about to run out by, for example, counting the number of times of printing, or detecting the amount of ink remaining in an ink tank. If it is determined that the ink is about to run out, the facsimile apparatus performs an operation to prevent the occurrence of a defective print due to ink shortage; for example, the apparatus displays a message to recommend that the ink cartridge be replaced. In a known facsimile apparatus equipped with a copying function, the amount of toner remaining is detected by a sensor or the like and, if the toner becomes short, a caution message, for example, “TONER SHORTAGE”, or the like, is displayed.
However, the aforementioned facsimile apparatuses do not become immediately unable to print when it is determined that the ink or toner is about to run out. Therefore, a user sometimes continues to use the apparatus without noticing the caution message or the like, so that the facsimile apparatus will finally produce a printout that is illegible.
Further, a facsimile apparatus employing an optical sensor to determine whether the ink or toner is running short have a danger that, if such an apparatus is installed in a place where the apparatus is likely exposed to strong light, for example, near a window, effective determination may be impeded due to strong light, for example, during hours when the sun light strikes the facsimile apparatus. Therefore, this type of facsimile apparatus has a danger of incorrectly determining that the ink is not running out despite the fact that the ink is actually running out, thereby resulting in a print failure.
If data received is not properly printed out because of a print failure, the receiver may ask the sender to re-transmit the facsimile data. However, there are cases where the sender is out of the office and cannot be reached, or where the sender is unknown. That is, when there is a print failure there are many cases where it is unknown who sent the facsimile information, or what information was received.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to eliminate incidents where the content of information received becomes unknown or unidentifiable in a case where there is a possibility of the occurrence of a print defect.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus including a reception memory that stores data received, a print executing unit that executes printing on a recording sheet on the basis of the data stored in the reception memory, and a print-failure determining unit that determines whether there is a possibility that a print failure that includes at least a print density thinning and a partial depletion will occur if the print executing unit performs printing. If the print-failure determining unit determines that there is a possibility of a print failure, a print stopping unit stops execution of printing by the print executing unit. If the print-failure determining unit determines that there is a possibility of a print failure, a data retaining unit retains the data stored in the reception memory even after the data has been printed out.
In the facsimile apparatus, if it is determined that there is a possibility of a print failure that will render the print image illegible, the print stopping unit stops the printing operation and the data retaining unit retains the data stored in the reception memory. Therefore, even a page that has been printed by a forced printing function or the like, while it is determined that there is a possibility of a print failure, can be printed again on the basis of the data retained by the data retaining unit, after the cause for the failure has been removed by, for example, replacing the ink cartridge or the toner cartridge.
Examples of print failures include a print density thinning due to ink or toner running short or a partial depletion in print due to the clogging of a nozzle in an ink jet type print head, and the like.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus including a reception memory that stores data received; a print executing unit that executes printing on a recording sheet on the basis of the data stored in the reception memory; a print-failure determining unit that determines whether there is a possibility that a print failure that includes at least a print density thinning and a partial depletion will occur if the print executing unit performs printing; and a state determining unit that determines whether the present state is a state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible. If the state determining unit determines that the present state is not the state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible, a print stopping unit stops execution of printing by the print executing unit. If the state determining unit determines that the present state is not the state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible, a data retaining unit retains the data stored in the reception memory even after the data has been printed out.
In this facsimile apparatus, if the present state is a state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is not possible, for example, if strong light is coming into the determination position in a structure using an optical sensor, then the state determining unit determines that the present state is not a state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible. In response, the data retaining unit functions to retain the data stored in the reception memory, in an intact form, even after the data has been printed out.
The structure makes it possible to re-print a page that has been printed while it is determined that the state at the time printing occurs is a state where reliable determination by the print-failure determining unit is not possible, on the basis of the data retained by the data retaining unit. In short, even if information has been printed once but not successfully, that information can be extracted later.
The facsimile apparatus according to either of the aspects of the invention may further include a forced print instructing unit that is able to forcibly start printing even if execution of printing is stopped by the print stopping unit. This structure is effective since there can be variation in the determination regarding a print failure so that there can be cases where, although it is determined that there is a possibility of a print failure, printing can be performed without a significant problem. Furthermore, there are cases where printing can be performed without a practical problem in print quality although the present state is a state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is not possible.
In such cases, it is possible to determine whether printing can be continued without a practical problem, by checking the page printed immediately before the printing is stopped. If the print quality of the page is sufficiently good, a user may operate the forced print instruction unit to restart printing after the temporary stop. Therefore, this instruction eliminates an inconvenient situation where the apparatus does not allow a user to obtain a printout although printing can actually be performed without a significant problem.
The facsimile apparatus may further include an unnecessary data instructing unit that instructs that data do not need to be retained by the data retaining unit, and a retained-data managing unit which maintains the retaining of data by th
Kato Tetsuya
Mizutani Satoshi
Oda Naoki
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Coles Edward L.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Wallerson Mark
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