Electrophotography – Machine operation – Job mode
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-05-29
Grimley, Arthur T. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Job mode
C399S299000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240264
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image output processing apparatus, such as a printer and a digital composite machine, for recording and reproducing image data sent from an external apparatus, and more particularly concerns such a device for carrying out recording and reproducing processes based upon a plurality of pieces of image data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Under environments in which a plurality of data processing apparatuses are connected so as to form a network, in the case when data, processed in the respective processing apparatuses, are to be printed out, in order to carry out an efficient output process, the printing apparatus carries out a job management by adding management information to the image data and temporarily storing it in a storing device such as a hard disk, and determines an order of output processes for the printed information stored in a storage device based upon a predetermined order of preference.
With respect to the method for determining the order of preference, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 4241/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-4241, published on Jan. 14, 1994) discloses a method in which the order of jobs to be printed out is determined based upon the amount of image data, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 258365/1996 (Tokukaihei 8-258365, published on Oct. 8, 1996) discloses a method for estimating time required for outputting image data based upon the amount and the kinds of image data.
Moreover, color printers, which print out color images, have been put into market as apparatuses for recording and reproducing images, and have made remarkable progresses in the printer market as well.
In such circumstances, in the case of color printers and color composite machines provided with, for example, an electrophotographing process, the characteristics of toner to be transferred on the transferring member or the quantities of toner to be transferred are respectively different between the case in which monochrome images are recorded and reproduced and the case in which color images are recorded and reproduced. For this reason, upon recording and reproducing monochrome images or color images, it is necessary to manage various statuses inside the apparatus, such as process conditions for recording and reproducing images and fixing conditions at the time of fixing on a copying material, in order to bring the apparatus to a recordable and reproducible state for each of the cases.
Normally, in color printers and color composite machines, the fixing temperature is set higher than the normal fixing temperature for monochrome images in order to ensure fixing of color images and to improve the fixing property and the color developing property. However, in conventional apparatuses, the apparatus is in a stand-by state without processing any image data sent from an external apparatus until, after application of power, the warming up has been complete to bring the apparatus to a recordable and reproducible state for all images. The resulting problem is that no print output is available until all the statuses inside the apparatus have brought into recordable states in such a case as immediately after power application in the morning.
Moreover, recently, in printers and digital composite machines, a recording device of a type for recording and reproducing images by scanning with a laser modulated based on data has been mainly used. In the case of the recording device of this type, by switching the number of revolutions of a polygon mirror for deflecting the laser beam, the resolution of an image to be reproduced can be altered and the reproducibility of an image and the recording process performance can be altered by switching the recording speed.
However, it cannot be said that those apparatuses that simply make a switchover on the recording device side in accordance with the features of an image (resolution, whether it is a color image or a monochrome image, whether or not it is a high picture-quality mode) have advanced greatly, and have the same problems as the above-mentioned apparatus that switches the temperature of the fixing device in accordance with the features of an image prior to the output process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the present invention is to provide an image output processing apparatus which can monitor the always changing status of the apparatus during warming up such as carried out upon power application, and determine the order of jobs to be outputted based upon the current status of the apparatus and the features of data for print jobs that have been received so that it can output images efficiently without delay in handling image data.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the image output processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with an image input section for inputting image data, an image storing section for storing the image data inputted by the image input section on a job basis, an image forming section for forming an image of the image data stored in the image storing section on recording paper, and for outputting this, a condition managing section for managing the status of the image forming section during warming up of the image output processing apparatus, and a process order decision section for determining the order of output processes of the image data based upon the status of the image forming section managed by the condition managing section and the contents of the image data stored in the image storing section.
In the above-mentioned image output processing apparatus, during warming up of the image output processing apparatus, the status of the image forming section is managed by the condition managing section. For this reason, in the case when the image forming section is capable of operating under a plurality of different operational environments, the condition managing section makes a judgment as to the environment under which the image forming section first becomes operative, and output processes are successively carried out preferentially from a job that can be output-processed for images under this environment; thus, it is possible to carry out output processes efficiently without delay in handling jobs.
Moreover, in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the image output processing apparatus of the present invention, the image output processing apparatus of the present invention is provided with an image input section for inputting image data, an image storing section for storing the image data inputted by the image input section on a job basis, an image forming section which is capable of forming images in a first image forming mode and a second image forming mode different from the first image forming mode, and which forms an image of the image data stored in the image storing section on recording paper and outputs this, and a control section which controls the image forming section so that, during warming up of the image output processing apparatus, the mode of the image forming section is shifted to the first mode or the second mode in accordance with the conditions of the image data stored in the storing section so as to carry out an output process for the image data.
In the above-mentioned image output processing apparatus, during warming up of the image output processing apparatus, the control section shifts the mode of the image forming section to the first or the second image forming mode in accordance with the contents of jobs that have been stored in the image storing section in a stand-by state. Therefore, at the time when the image output processing apparatus has reached a level of the image forming mode suitable for a job to be first output-processed, an output process is carried out on the corresponding job. Thus, it becomes possible to solve the problem that no output process is available until the final level has been achieved, and consequently to carry out output processes efficiently without delay in handling jobs.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and advantages of the invention,
Yajima Shunsuke
Yoshiura Syoichiro
Conlin David G.
Dike Bronstein, Roberts & Cushman LLP
Grimley Arthur T.
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
Tran Hoan
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