Electrophotography – Machine operation – Job mode
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-18
2001-04-24
Lee, Susan S. Y. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Job mode
C399S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06223009
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technology which can determine the order of execution for jobs in an image forming apparatus such as, for example, a copying machine and a printer.
There has been developed a digital copying machine which reads a document to store it as image data, and can make hard copies based on the image data. In the so-called multi-job copying machine which is one type of the digital copying machine stated above, plural documents are read at a time, then, they are recognized as hard copy jobs for each document, and hard copies are made in accordance with the order of execution.
Incidentally, one of merits of the multi-job copying machine is a point that a user can change the order of execution for jobs freely. For example, in a multi-job copying machine, hard copies are made usually in the order of reading documents. However, when there is a job which requires a hard copy urgently, a user can operate a reservation list of jobs so that the job requiring a hard copy urgently may be moved to the forefront of the reservation list. By doing the operation of this kind, it is possible to execute the specific job only on priority basis.
However, operations of the reservation list have the following problems. A multi-job copying machine is usually used by plural users, and each user does not know the degree of urgency for hard copies desired by other users in many cases. Therefore, there is a fear that a job whose degree of urgency is higher is put off when a certain user gives a priority to his job through operations of the reservation list.
Further, since procedures of the operations of the reservation list are complicated, operations require a certain level of experience. A user who is inexperienced in the operations, therefore, needs to be told by other users who are skilled in the operations about procedures to give priority to the job. However, in many cases, execution of the job is undesirably finished while the operations for the job are told, and the operation procedures told are sometimes forgotten before they become necessary again next time.
Further, for a user who thinks it very troublesome to learn operation procedures, it is presumed that the user can not give priority to its own job and the job is put off by operations of other users, even when a hard copy is needed urgently, resulting in a considerable period of time for which the user must wait.
On the other hand, in the multi-job copying machine of this kind, it is also possible to use an interruption job function to stop the active job by force and to execute the specific job antecedently. However, in the active job, when the specific finishing such as stapling is executed, there is provided a mechanical restriction to prohibit the same finishing for the job of interruption, for preventing confusion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the problems in the prior art mentioned above, an object of the invention is to provide an image forming apparatus wherein it is possible to execute easily, on priority basis, the job which requires a hard copy urgently.
To attain the object stated above, the image forming apparatus of the invention has therein an input means for inputting plural jobs relating to image forming, a specifying means which specifies degree of urgency relating to at least a part of the inputted job stated above, a priority order determining means which determines the priority order of the inputted job stated above based on the aforesaid specified degree of urgency, and an execution means which executes the inputted job stated above, based on the determined priority order.
In the image forming apparatus of the invention wherein there are provided an input means for inputting plural jobs relating to image forming, a specifying means which specifies degree of urgency relating to at least a part of the inputted job stated above, a priority order determining means which determines the priority order of the inputted job stated above based on the aforesaid specified degree of urgency, and an execution means which executes the inputted job stated above based on the determined priority order, it is possible even for a user who is inexperienced in the apparatus to execute his own job on priority basis, only by specifying either one of plural urgency steps, for example, because the priority order is determined automatically and the job is executed in accordance with that priority order.
Incidentally, it is preferable that the degree of urgency is graded to be in two or three steps.
Further, if the priority order determining means selects the medium priority order for the job having no specification of degree of urgency when the degree of urgency is graded to be in three steps, or selects the lowest priority order when the degree of urgency is graded to be in two or three steps, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which requires less time for a user to input, for example, and is more user-friendly.
When the urgency is the same for all jobs, if the jobs are executed in the order wherein the job having the least number of sheets for image forming comes first, it is possible to reduce the number of reservation jobs in a short period of time, which is convenient.
If there are provided a measuring means which measures waiting time and an alarm device which gives an alarm when a prescribed period of time is measured by the measuring means, with regard to the job postponed in terms of execution due to the input of a new job having high degree of urgency, the attention is called by the alarm even in the case of a job which has not been executed for a long time due to its degree of urgency which is relatively low. Owing to this, a user who wishes to have a hard copy urgently can take necessary actions such as a change of the degree of urgency of the job in a proper manner, which is convenient.
Further, if there are provided a measuring means which measures waiting time and a means for enhancing precedence of a job postponed in terms of execution when a prescribed period of time is measured by the measuring means, with regard to the job postponed in terms of execution due to the input of a new job having high degree of urgency, even in the case of a job which has not been executed for a long time due to its degree of urgency which is relatively low, the priority order of the job can be enhanced automatically by the means stated above, thus the inconvenience that the job is not executed for a long time can be brought under control to the utmost.
In addition, if the image forming apparatus is a copying machine which copies a document, and the specifying means has a means which reads a character or a symbol described on the document, and if an arrangement is made so that degree of urgency for copying the document is specified based on the character or the symbol read by the reading means, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus which requires no time for a user to input degree of urgency by himself, for example, and is more user-friendly.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4956667 (1990-09-01), Gartner
patent: 5235396 (1993-08-01), Ito et al.
patent: 6137588 (2000-10-01), Deen et al.
Bierman Jordan B.
Bierman, Muserlian and Lucas
Konica Corporation
Lee Susan S. Y.
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