Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-03
2001-05-01
Zimmerman, Mark (Department: 2671)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C711S153000, C711S165000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226095
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and system which receive image data (to be referred to as PDL data hereinafter) described in a page description language (PDL) and form an image on the basis of the PDL data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a system which receives a print job (including PDL data as data to be printed) from a host computer through a network, converts (to be referred to as image development hereinafter) the PDL data included in the print job into print data in an image processing apparatus, and sends the print data to a printing device such as a high-quality color copying machine, thereby printing the print data on a paper sheet or OHP sheet has already been proposed. Such processing of causing a printing device to print image data through a network is called remote printing.
A system for apparently causing one image processing apparatus to perform control for two color copying machines has also been proposed.
In this conventional system, image development for the two color copying machines is performed by running one PDL developing task in the image processing apparatus. When a print job for one color copying machine is sent while image development for printing in the other color copying machine is being performed, the user who has sent the print job must wait until the first image development processing is ended, and printing is complete. Especially, a heavy print job for a large quantity of image data takes a long time for image development, so the user must wait for a long time.
Assume that an engine error is generated on one color copying machine side. In this case, printing cannot be continued unless some measure is taken, e.g., jammed sheets are removed. Some image processing apparatuses reject subsequent print jobs because, in practice, printing is disabled. Some apparatuses perform only image development for a predetermined number of frame buffer pages because of the limited capacity of the internal image frame memory, and thereafter, perform no image development anymore.
Assume that, in such a system, a user issues a print request to a color copying machine having no error. Since the image processing apparatus has only one PDL developing task, the apparatus does not accept the print request although the color copying machine can print in fact. For this reason, the user must wait until the engine error of the other copying machine is canceled, and the print job which has caused the engine error is completely processed.
As described above, the conventional printing system has a relatively low productivity because the available resources cannot be sufficiently utilized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problem, and has as its object to provide an image processing apparatus and system which simultaneously run PDL developing tasks corresponding to printing devices to perform parallel processing (PDL developing tasks exist in correspondence with the number of color copying machines), and when an engine error is generated in one copying machine, assign a resource which is originally used for the task for the printing device having the error to a PDL developing task for the other printing device, thereby efficiently utilizing the resource.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus, method, and system for storing print data for a copying machine having an error to enable recovery after the error is canceled.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus, method, and system for, even when an error which requires intervention by the user is generated in one printing device under control, minimizing the influence on print jobs for the remaining printing devices and also suppressing an increase in resources necessary for this operation.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus connected to at least two output devices, comprising:
storage means whose storage areas are respectively allocated to the output devices;
detection means for detecting states of the output devices;
image generation means for independently generating image data to be output from the output devices using the storage areas allocated to the output devices; and
area change means for, when an error state is detected in one output device by the detection means, reallocating at least part of the storage area allocated to the one output device in which the error state is detected to the other output device in which no error state is detected.
There is also provided an image processing apparatus connected to at least two output devices for printing image data, comprising:
detection means for detecting states of the output devices;
image generation means for independently generating image data to be output from the output devices using storage areas allocated to the output devices; and
save means for, when an error state is detected in one output device by the detection means, saving the image data generated for the one output device in which the error state is detected.
There is also provided an image processing method in an information processing apparatus connected to at least two output devices, comprising:
the detection step of detecting states of the output devices;
the area change step of, when an error state is detected in one output device in the detection step, reallocating at least part of a storage area allocated to the one output device in which the error state is detected to the other output device in which no error state is detected; and
the image generation step of independently generating image data for the output devices using the storage areas allocated to the output devices.
There is also provided an image processing method in an information processing apparatus connected to at least two output devices, comprising:
the detection step of detecting states of the output devices;
the image generation step of independently generating image data for the output devices using storage areas allocated to the output devices; and
the save step of, when an error state is detected in one output device in the detection step, saving the image data generated for the one output device in which the error state is detected.
There is also provided an image processing system including an image processing apparatus and at least two image forming apparatuses,
wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:
storage means whose storage areas are respectively to the image forming apparatuses;
detection means for detecting states of the image forming apparatuses;
image generation means for independently generating image data to be output from the image forming apparatuses using the storage areas allocated to the image forming apparatuses; and
area change means for, when an error state is detected in one image forming apparatus by the detection means, reallocating at least part of the storage area allocated to the one image forming apparatus in which the error state is detected to the other image forming apparatus in which no error state is detected, and
each image forming apparatus comprises:
reception means for receiving the image data generated from the image processing apparatus; and
output means for printing the received image data.
There is also provided an image processing system including an image processing apparatus and at least two image forming apparatuses,
wherein the image processing apparatus comprises:
detection means for detecting states of output devices;
image generation means for independently generating image data to be output from the output devices using storage areas allocated to the output devices; and
save means for, when an error state is detected in one output device by the detection means, saving the image data generated for the one output device in which the error state is detected, and
each image forming apparatus comprises:
reception means for receiv
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Sealey Lance W.
Zimmerman Mark
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