Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Article handling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2003-04-08
Hess, Douglas (Department: 3651)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Article handling
C700S223000, C270S052030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06546313
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of storing information including data of target discharge trays of printed sheets and secret codes in association with each other, and upon entering a corresponding secret code, notifying information of a target discharge tray on which discharged printed sheets are discharged.
2. Description of the Related Art
Networking of apparatuses using a LAN (Local Area Network) has been increasingly popular in recent years, and it has created cases where a single image forming apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine is linked to a network, making it possible to share the image forming apparatus among a plurality of terminal apparatuses. In cases where the image forming apparatus shared over the network has only one discharge tray, it is impossible to automatically sort out a plurality of print jobs to print or to print by user, which forces the users to sort out the printed documents manually by themselves. Hence, an image processing apparatus is provided with a sorter function that sorts out to discharge printed sheets to a plurality of discharge trays, so that printed sheets are automatically sorted out, allowing users to readily obtain their printed sheets of their requests.
An image forming apparatus using the sorter is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 10-29752 (1998) and JP-A 6-169367 (1994).
JP-A 10-29752 discloses an image forming apparatus that keeps on discharging printed sheets to a same discharge tray, once a user transmitted image data, so long as the user further transmits succeeding print requests before removing the printed sheets of his previous requests from the discharge tray.
Also, JP-A 6-169367 discloses an image forming apparatus that discharges printed sheets to a particular discharge tray by means of a sorter, and displays on the monitor a list including the selected discharge tray and request sender information in association with each other, so that one can readily confirm the state of the sorted printed sheets.
However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in JP-A 10-29752 is not provided with means to notify where the printed sheets are discharged, and therefore, the user has to find out the discharge tray to which the printed sheets of his request were discharged. Hence, in cases where an apparatus is provided with a number of discharge trays or where a number of print jobs are processed, it is difficult for users to find target printed sheets of their requests.
Also, the image processing apparatus disclosed in JP-A 6-169367 displays both the request sender information and the discharge tray holding the printed sheets on the monitor. However, because the information is displayed in the form of a list, anyone can know who requested the printed sheets. This raises a problem that anyone can readily know the contents of the printed sheets. In addition, because more than one item of information is displayed, there is a problem that one may misunderstand the information and pick up printed sheets for someone else.
An image forming apparatus of the invention receives a secret code and print data upon receipt of a print request from a terminal apparatus, and stores information including data of a target discharge tray for printed sheets sorted out by a sorter and a secret code in association with each other. Thus, when the user enters the secrete code using input means, notifying means notifies the user of the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code, thereby making it easier for the user to pick up the printed sheets sorted out by the sorter. In addition, because the target discharge tray information is notified upon entering the secret code, no one can know who requested the discharged printed sheets. Further, because only the information of target discharge tray regarding the user's printed sheets is available to the user as necessary, it never happens that he picks up someone else's printed sheets by mistake.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Hence the invention provides an image forming apparatus connected to a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, comprising:
receiving means for receiving print data and a secret code specific to the print data as a print job from any of the terminal apparatuses via the network;
sorter means having a plurality of discharge trays to which a print sheet corresponding to the print job received by the receiving means is discharged;
controlling means for processing the print job received by the receiving means to sort out the printed sheet corresponding to the print job and discharge onto a particular discharge tray of the sorter means;
secret code storing means for storing information of the particular discharge tray to which the printed sheet corresponding to the print job was discharged, as target discharge tray information in association with the secret code specific to the print data;
input means for inputting the secret code; and
notifying means for checking a coincidence between the secret code inputted by the input means and the secret code stored in the secret code storing means, and notifying a user of the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code stored in the secret code storing means which coincides with the code inputted.
The image forming apparatus is shared by a plurality of terminal apparatuses via a network, receives print data and a secret code specific to the print data as a print job from any of the terminal apparatuses by the receiving means, and processes the print job to output printed sheets. When sheets are printed, controlling means controls sorter means, and selects a particular discharge tray among the discharge trays and discharges the printed sheets to the selected discharge tray. Then, the controlling means stores data of the discharge tray to which the printed sheets were discharged and the corresponding secret code in secret storing means. The secret code is to be used to obtain information of a target discharge tray by a user.
The image forming apparatus comprises the input means for inputting a command from the user, and the notifying means for notifying the user of information. Thus, when the user enters the secret code using the input means in order to pick up printed sheets, the secret code entered is compared with the secret code stored in the secret code storing means to check whether they coincide with each other, so that the target discharge tray information corresponding to the secret code entered is passed onto the notifying means.
According to the invention the image forming apparatus receives print data and a secret code specific to the print data upon receipt of a print request from a terminal apparatus, and stores the target discharge tray for the printed sheets sorted out by a sorter and the secret code in association with each other. Thus, when the user enters the secret code using the input means, the notifying means notifies the user of the information of target discharge tray corresponding to the secret code. Consequently, with the image forming apparatus, the user can readily know which discharge tray received the printed sheets of his request. Also, because the target discharge tray information cannot be notified unless the secret code entered by the printer user coincides with the one stored in the secret code storing means, the secret code can be used as a password. Thus, one can never know who requested which printed sheets. Further, because only the discharge trays corresponding to the secret code as entered are subject to display, it never happens that the user picks up someone else's printed sheets by mistake.
In the invention it is preferable that the secret code is composed of basic information for identifying one of the terminal apparatuses and the user who has requested printing, and appended information.
The secret code is composed of the basic information to identify the terminal apparatus or the user who requested the printing and
Arai Mariko
Ide Takashi
Masuda Kazuya
Morioka Hirohito
Nakahira Yoshinori
Hess Douglas
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
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