# US 11,307,820 B2 · Image forming apparatus, printing system, and printing information notification method

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- Number: US 11,307,820 B2
- Document ID: US11307820B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/127,983
- Filed: 2020-12-18
- Published: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-10
- Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yushi Yonezawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307820B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/1259: {Print job monitoring, e.g. job status}
- G06F 3/1267: {Job repository, e.g. non-scheduled jobs, delay printing}
- G06F 3/1221: {with regard to power consumption}
- G06F 3/1229: {Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels}
- G06F 3/1238: {Secure printing, e.g. user identification, user rights for device usage, unallowed content, blanking portions or fields of a page, releasing held jobs}
- G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server}
- G06F 3/1213: {at an intermediate node or at the final node}
- G06F 3/1222: {Increasing security of the print job}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a network interface and a processor configured to upon receipt of a print job from an external apparatus via the network interface, determine whether hold printing is instructed for executing the print job, when the hold printing is instructed, determine a state of the image forming apparatus, generate information about execution of the print job according to the determined state, and control the network interface to transmit the generated information to the external apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a network interface; and
a processor configured to:
upon receipt of a print job from an external apparatus via the network interface, determine whether hold printing is instructed for executing the print job, and
when the hold printing is instructed,
determine a state of the image forming apparatus,
generate information about execution of the print job according to the determined state, and
control the network interface to transmit the generated information to the external apparatus,
wherein states of the image forming apparatus include:
a first state in which the image forming apparatus is in a power saving mode and
a second state in which the print job is ready for execution, and
wherein, when the determined state of the image forming apparatus is the second state and a remaining time to transition to the power saving mode is less than a predetermined time, the processor generates the information indicating that the image forming apparatus will enter the power saving mode in the remaining time.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the first state, the processor generates the information indicating that the image forming apparatus is in the power saving mode, and
when the determined state of the image forming apparatus is the second state and the remaining time to transition to the power saving mode is greater than or equal to the predetermined time, the processor generates the information indicating that printing is executable.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
when the determined state of the image forming apparatus is the first state, the processor changes the state to exit the power saving mode and then generates the information indicating that printing is executable.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
after transmitting the generated information, the processor controls the network interface to further transmit to the external apparatus a confirmation notification, the confirmation notification requesting confirmation as to whether printing will be executed immediately.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
after transmitting the confirmation notification, upon receipt of a response indicating that the printing will be executed immediately, the processor extends the remaining time.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the processor is further configured to:
when the determined state of the image forming apparatus is the first state, change the state to exit the power saving mode, and
after exiting the power saving mode but before controlling the network interface to transmit the generated information, generate the information indicating that printing is executable.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
when the determined state of the image forming apparatus is the first state, the processor changes the state to exit the power saving mode according to an instruction from the external apparatus.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the generated information includes a message to be displayed by the external apparatus.