# US 10,120,621 B2 · Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,621 B2 - Document ID: US10120621B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/600,448 - Filed: 2017-05-19 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-30 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kentaro Fukushima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120621B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/1212: {achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start} - B41J 2/01: Ink jet - G03G 15/5062: {by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material} - G03G 15/5083: {for scheduling} - G03G 15/5087: {for receiving image data} - G03G 15/55: {Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display} - G06F 3/1244: {Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A generation unit configured to receive image data and to generate print data from received image data; a printing control unit configured to form an image on a sheet based on print data generated by the generation unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a delay in generation of the print data has occurred based on a data amount of the received image data and a data amount of print data generated by the generation unit; and an issuance unit configured to issue a command to insert an auxiliary pattern in a case where the determination unit determines that the delay has occurred are included. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: at least one processor operating to: receive image data; generate print data from the received image data; control to form an image on a sheet based on the generated print data; determine, based on a difference between a data amount of the received image data and a data amount of the generated print data, whether a delay in generation of the print data has occurred; and issue a command to add pattern data which is not based on the received image data to the generated print data, according to the determination that the delay has occurred, wherein an image based on the print data, which has not been generated at the time of the determination of delay, is formed after an image based on the added pattern data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination is performed based on a number of pages of image data specified by a data amount of the received image data and a number of pages of print data specified by a data amount of the generated print data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a first accumulation memory to which the received image data is accumulated; a second accumulation memory to which the generated print data is accumulated; and wherein the at least one processor further operates to: measure a data amount of the image data accumulated to the first accumulation memory and to calculate a number of pages of image data based on the measured data amount of image data; and measure a data amount of the print data accumulated to the second accumulation memory and to calculate a number of pages of print data based on the measured data amount of print data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the command is a command to write data of the pattern data to the second accumulation memory. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination that the delay has occurred is performed in a case where a difference between the number of pages of image data and the number of pages of print data exceeds a predetermined value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination that the delay has occurred is performed in a case where the number of pages of print data is smaller than the number of pages of image data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern data is pattern data for maintenance, and it is determined whether maintenance processing is necessary by reading the image formed based on the pattern data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of the pattern data is any one of a spare ejection pattern, a registration adjustment pattern and a no ejection monitoring pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where it is determined that the delay has not occurred, the command to add the pattern data to the generated print data is not issued. ### Claim 10 An image processing method comprising the steps of: receiving image data; generating print data from the received image data; controlling to form an image on a sheet based on the generated print data; determining, based on a difference between a data amount of the received image data and a data amount of the generated print data, whether a delay in generation of the print data has occurred; issuing a command to add pattern data, which is not based on the received image data, to the generated print data, according to the determination that the delay has occurred at the determining step. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the determining is performed based on a number of pages of image data specified by a data amount of the received image data and a number of pages of print data specified by a data amount of generated print data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image processing method according to claim 11, further comprising: accumulating the received image data in a first accumulation memory; accumulating the generated print data in a second accumulation memory; measuring a data amount of the image data accumulated to the first accumulation memory and calculating a number of pages of image data based on the measured data amount of the image data; and measuring a data amount of the print data accumulated to the second accumulation memory and calculating a number of pages of print data based on the measured data amount of the print data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image processing method according to claim 12, wherein the command is a command to write data of the pattern data to the second accumulation memory. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image processing method according to claim 11, wherein the determining that the delay has occurred is performed in a case where the number of pages of print data is smaller than the number of pages of image data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The image processing method according to claim 11, wherein the determining that the delay has occurred is performed in a case where a difference between the number of pages of image data and the number of pages of print data exceeds a predetermined value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the pattern data is pattern data for maintenance; and it is determined that maintenance processing is necessary by reading the image formed based on the pattern data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the pattern of the pattern data is any one of a spare ejection pattern, a registration adjustment pattern and a no ejection monitoring pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein in a case where it is determined that the delay has not occurred, the command to add the pattern data to the generated print data is not issued. ### Claim 19 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as an image processing apparatus, the program comprising: code for receiving image data; code for generating print data from the received image data; code for controlling control to form an image on a sheet based on the generated print data; code for determining, based on a difference between a data amount of the received image data and a data amount of the generated print data, whether a delay in generation of the print data has occurred; and code for issuing a command to add pattern data, which is not based on the received image data, to the generated print data, according to the determination that the delay has occurred, wherein an image based on the print data, which has not been generated at the time of the determination of delay, is formed after an image based on the added pattern data.