Incremental printing of symbolic information – Light or beam marking apparatus or processes – Scan of light
Reexamination Certificate
1997-03-25
2001-07-10
Nguyen, Thinh (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Light or beam marking apparatus or processes
Scan of light
C347S101000, C399S370000, C358S449000, C271S008100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259468
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feeding units, a printing method, and a printing system.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, a printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feeding units has been known. The printing apparatus generally has an automatic paper feeding mode and is constructed so that it can select a paper feeding unit for actually feeding papers for a printing process in accordance with a situation. For example, in case of printing print information received from a host computer, the paper feeding unit in which recording papers of the same size as a paper size that is decided by format information or the like have been enclosed is automatically selected. However, when the recording papers of the optimum size don't exist in any of the paper feeding units, the paper feeding unit in which the recording papers of the size that is nearer to the optimum size have been enclosed is selected or the paper feeding unit which has already been selected at the time of receipt of the print information is selected as it is.
The printing apparatus is also constructed in a manner such that even during a printing process by the paper feed of the selected paper feeding unit, recording papers can be ordinarily newly supplied to the other paper feeding units.
In the above printing apparatus, however, when the paper feeding unit is once selected and the printing process is started, since the paper feeding unit to feed the paper for the printing process has been fixed irrespective of the presence or absence of a change in status of the recording papers to be enclosed in the other paper feeding units, even if the recording papers of a more proper size are newly supplied to the other paper feeding unit, they cannot be soon used.
In the case where the recording papers of the size different from the recording paper size which has been preset as recording papers to be inherently enclosed in the other paper feeding unit are newly supplied to the relevant other paper feeding unit during the printing process and the operator is not aware of such a paper supply but forcedly selects such other paper feeding unit at the time of the next printing process or the like, there is a fear such that the printing process is performed by the recording paper of an improper size.
Further, when the output papers are removed from a paper ejecting unit by someone during the printing process and the operator is not aware of such a removal or the like, there is a fear such that all of the output papers cannot be certainly captured or it is necessary to again print.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is made to solve the problems of the conventional techniques mentioned above and it is an object of the invention to provide a printing apparatus, a printing method, and a printing system which can perform a more proper printing process.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: selecting means for selecting a paper feeding unit to actually perform a paper feed from a plurality of paper feeding units capable of feeding recording papers for a printing process; and processing means for executing a predetermined process on the basis of a change in statuses of recording papers in the paper feeding units other than the selected paper feeding unit which is caused by newly supplying recording papers to the other paper feeding units.
Preferably, the predetermined process is performed while the printing process is being executed by the paper feed of the paper feeding unit selected by the selecting means.
Preferably, the processing means further has switching means constructed in a manner such that when the recording papers of a more proper size upon execution of the printing process as compared with the recording papers in the selected paper feeding unit are newly supplied to any one of the other paper feeding units, the paper feeding unit to actually perform the paper feed is switched from the paper feeding unit selected by the selecting means to the paper feeding unit to which the recording papers of the more proper size were newly supplied.
More preferably, the printing apparatus further has inhibiting means for inhibiting the execution of the predetermined process.
More preferably, the processing means has size change notifying means constructed in a manner such that when the recording papers of a size different from the size of recording papers which has been preset as papers to be enclosed in the other paper feeding unit are newly supplied to the other paper feeding unit, such a fact is notified.
More preferably, the printing apparatus further has a paper ejecting unit for receiving output papers ejected as a result of the printing process and removal notifying means constructed in a manner such that when the output papers are removed from the paper ejecting unit, such a fact is notified.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a printing method comprising: a selecting step of selecting a paper feeding unit to actually perform a paper feed from a plurality of paper feeding units capable of feeding recording papers for a printing process; and a processing step of executing a predetermined process on the basis of a change in statuses of recording papers in the paper feeding units other than the selected paper feeding unit which is caused by newly supplying recording papers to the other paper feeding units.
Preferably, the predetermined process is performed while the printing process is being executed by the paper feed of the paper feeding unit selected in the selecting step.
Preferably, the processing step further has a switching step constructed in a manner such that when the recording papers of a more proper size upon execution of the printing process as compared with the recording papers in the selected paper feeding unit are newly supplied to any one of the other paper feeding units, the paper feeding unit to actually perform the paper feed is switched from the paper feeding unit selected in the selecting step to the paper feeding unit to which the recording papers of the more proper size were newly supplied.
More preferably, the printing method further has an inhibiting step of inhibiting the execution of the predetermined process.
More preferably, the processing step has a size change notifying step constructed in a manner such that when the recording papers of a size different from the size of recording papers which has been preset as papers to be enclosed in the other paper feeding unit are newly supplied to the other paper feeding unit, such a fact is notified.
More preferably, the printing method further has a removal notifying step constructed in a manner such that when output papers are removed from a paper ejecting unit for receiving the output papers ejected as a result of the printing process, such a fact is notified.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a printing system comprising: a host computer; printing means for printing data received from the host computer; selecting means for selecting a paper feeding unit to actually perform a paper feed from a plurality of paper feeding units capable of feeding recording papers for a printing process by the printing means; and processing means for performing a predetermined process on the basis of a change in statuses of the recording papers in the paper feeding units other than the selected paper feeding unit which is caused by newly supplying the recording papers to the other paper feeding units.
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patent:
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Hsieh Shih-Wen
Nguyen Thinh
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