Electrophotography – Machine operation – Job mode
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-03
2001-10-30
Grainger, Quana M. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Job mode
C399S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311029
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an insert sheet feeding unit other than a print sheet feeding unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
When two groups of printed sheets, for example sheets printed by a color printer and sheets printed by a monochrome printer, are collated together, manual techniques require a user to collate the two groups by himself or herself. To solve this problem, it has been proposed to provide a color printer with an inserter, so as to feed insert sheets. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 8-274974 describes a situation in which print data for both monochrome pages and color pages are printed and collated together. First, monochrome print data is sent from a computer to a monochrome printer for printout of monochrome pages. A user takes the monochrome pages and places them on an inserter or specific feeder of a color printer. Thereafter, the color print data is sent to the color printer that prints out color pages and collates the color pages together with the monochrome pages.
A problem arises with such an arrangement when the color printer is connected to a network connected to a plurality of computers. Specifically, the monochrome pages mounted on the feeder for one user can become accidentally collated with color pages printed by another user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus and a driver software for the apparatus which can prevent accidental collation of insert sheets from one user with printed sheets from another user.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus comprising a print sheet feeder for feeding a print sheet, a first terminal for receiving image data and an identification of the image data from another apparatus, image forming means for forming an image on the print sheet fed by said print sheet feeding means in accordance with the image data received by said receiving means, an insert sheet feeder for feeding an insert sheet; a second terminal for receiving an identification of the insert sheet, and a controller for controlling said insert sheet feeder to feed the insert sheet in a case where the identification of the image data corresponds to the identification of the insert sheet.
Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5561500 (1996-10-01), Ohzeki et al.
patent: 5877867 (1999-03-01), Ishimoto et al.
patent: 6041200 (2000-03-01), Glass et al.
patent: 10-000834 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 10-052966 (1988-02-01), None
patent: 10-187372 (1988-07-01), None
patent: 2-241265-A (1990-09-01), None
patent: 08-274974 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 8-274974 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 09-048165 (1997-02-01), None
European Search Report dated Mar. 13, 2000.
Ito Hirohiko
Miyahara Nobuaki
Shimada Bungo
Sumio Hiroshi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Grainger Quana M.
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