Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Input/output data processing – Input/output command process
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-10
2001-12-18
Lefkowitz, Sumati (Department: 2181)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Input/output data processing
Input/output command process
C358S437000, C358S001120, C358S001130, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332170
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 308424/1997 filed on Nov. 11, 1997, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a schedule management function accepting a plurality of print jobs from one or more external devices and a control method thereof applicable to a network printer or a print system including a print server and a printer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a printer is capable of storing a plurality of sheets of paper and has an automatic paper feed function in which the paper sheets are taken out from the storage and fed for printing automatically. The printer also has what is called a manual paper feed port by way of which paper are supplied sheet by sheet manually. The manual paper feed port is used mainly for a comparatively small number of printing using a special paper sheet different from the paper sheets stored in the machine. The special paper includes those larger or smaller than the standard size, color printing paper, paper preprinted with a remark column or the like, and an
0
HP sheet. In loading a print job into the printer from an external device typically including a computer, the automatic paper feed or the manual paper feed is designated.
A printer such as a network printer adapted to be shared by a plurality of external devices includes a buffer of a predetermined capacity and is capable of accepting a plurality of print jobs. In other words, the printer can accept a print job during the printing work as well as when waiting for a print job.
The conventional printing apparatuses are configured so that print jobs are performed in the order in which they are loaded into the machine regardless of automatic or manual paper feed. On the other hand, a system configuration has been suggested in which the printing order of priority can be set, the actual printing order can be changed and the print jobs can be canceled as desired by the user operating an external device or the printing apparatus (JP-A-7-295767).
In the prior art, as described above, the print jobs are carried out in the order in which they are loaded into the printer. In the case where a print job of manual paper feed is loaded, therefore, print jobs which may be loaded thereafter, regardless of automatic or manual paper feed, are not carried out until the previously-loaded print job of manual paper feed is complete. Assume, for example, that the user who has designated a print job of manual paper feed on an external device has forgotten to feed paper at the place of installation of the printer, the printer is left in a substantially inoperative state waiting for paper feed at the sacrifice of other users being troubled.
Another problem is that the user who has come to the printer at the place of installation thereof to feed paper manually may have to wait for a long time until other print jobs of automatic paper feed are complete and his or her turn comes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a printing environment in which the user can obtain prints of a special print job requiring manual sheet feed or sheet change at any time without stagnation of ordinary print jobs.
According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising a receiving section for receiving and accumulating a plurality of print jobs transmitted from one or more external devices, said print jobs including a first print job with specific attribute information added thereto and a second print job with no specific attribute information added thereto; an operation input unit for inputting an instruction to execute said first print job by operation of a user; and a controller for executing said second print job in the order of accumulation in said receiving section, and for, when the instruction is input through said operation input unit, suspending the execution of said second print job and executing said first print job; wherein said controller executes said first print job only when the instruction is input through said operation input unit.
In carrying the present invention in one preferred mode, the controller manages a print job schedule in which print jobs designating ordinary paper rather than special paper are normally executed and upon an appropriate instruction from the operation input unit, at least one of the previously-loaded print jobs requiring special paper is executed in priority over those using ordinary paper.
The operation input unit includes a manual button
32
, for example, mounted in an operation panel of the printer or the like. When the user gives an instruction to the printer by way of the manual button
32
, a list of print jobs (manual feed jobs J
2
) requiring special paper are displayed. The user designates one or more manual feed jobs J
2
from among them. Then, a print job designating ordinary paper (ordinary job J
1
), which may be proceeding, is suspended and the designated manual feed job J
2
is executed in priority. Upon completion of the printing designated as manual feed job J
2
, the ordinary job J
1
that has thus far been suspended is resumed.
According to the preferred mode of the present invention, the ordinary paper means the paper housed in a paper cassette in such a manner as to permit automatic feed, and the special paper means those paper of a size, a color or a quality different from ordinary paper and not normally housed in the paper cassette. Special paper are generally manually fed but may be automatically fed. For automatic feed, the special paper are housed in the paper cassette in place of ordinary paper or are housed in a paper cassette different from that of ordinary paper. Accordingly, the preprinted paper or color paper which can be normally housed to be fed automatically are “ordinary paper.” A print job requiring special paper is the one in which the user is required to make an arrangement to feed the special paper (automatically or manually) after loading the particular print job.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4843571 (1989-06-01), Notermans et al.
patent: 4947345 (1990-08-01), Paradise et al.
patent: 5206735 (1993-04-01), Gauronski et al.
patent: 5351136 (1994-09-01), Wu et al.
patent: 5392131 (1995-02-01), Umeno
patent: 5442732 (1995-08-01), Matysek et al.
patent: 5455686 (1995-10-01), Nagano et al.
patent: 5715380 (1998-02-01), Lee
patent: 5717841 (1998-02-01), Farrell et al.
patent: 5825988 (1998-10-01), Collard et al.
patent: 5956471 (1999-09-01), Ueda et al.
patent: 5970218 (1999-10-01), Mullin et al.
patent: 6018398 (2000-01-01), Bunker
patent: 5-189174 (1993-07-01), None
patent: 7-295767 (1995-11-01), None
Lefkowitz Sumati
Minolta Co. , Ltd.
Sidley & Austin
LandOfFree
Printing apparatus with job interrupt capabilities and... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Printing apparatus with job interrupt capabilities and..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Printing apparatus with job interrupt capabilities and... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2601041