# US 11,907,594 B2 · Image forming apparatus, control method and computer-readable recording medium dividing a print job into a plurality of short jobs > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,907,594 B2 - Document ID: US11907594B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/814,864 - Filed: 2022-07-26 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-08-02 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Ken Miyazaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11907594B2 ## CPC - G03G 15/6517: {Apparatus for continuous web copy material of plain paper, e.g. supply rolls; Roll holders therefor} - G06F 3/1241: {Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs} - G03G 15/50: {Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control (sequencing control G03G21/14)} - G03G 15/5083: {for scheduling} - G06F 3/1204: {resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data} - G06F 3/1217: {achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization} - G06F 3/1219: {with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper} - G06F 3/1251: {for continuous media, e.g. web media, rolls} - G06F 3/1282: {High volume printer device} - G03G 2215/00126: Multi-job machines - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract An image forming apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a hardware processor configured to control an image former on a basis of a job pertaining to a printing execution command. The hardware processor is configured to divide the job pertaining to the printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs, and configured to stop conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly eject degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to each other among the plurality of short jobs; and the hardware processor sets a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus of a roll-to-roll type, comprising: an image former including an image bearing member configured to bear toner, the image former being configured to perform printing, on a roll sheet, an image formed by performing light exposure and a development process on the image bearing member; and a hardware processor configured to control the image former on a basis of a job pertaining to a printing execution command, wherein the hardware processor is configured to divide the job pertaining to the printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs, and configured to stop conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly eject degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to catch other among the plurality of short jobs; and wherein the hardware processor sets a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor sets the job content of each of the plurality of short jobs such that for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs, the image of the printing target is inverted upside down and a forward/reverse printing direction of the image of the printing target is inverted. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, at the pause timing, the hardware processor outputs a notification for facilitating a user to replace the roll sheet of a printing target object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor determines whether to divide the job pertaining to the printing execution command into the plurality of short jobs on a basis of coverage information of an image of a printing target of the job pertaining to the printing execution command. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a product roll sheet is formed by sequentially joining a plurality of the roll sheets after printing on which an image is formed in each of the plurality of short jobs, in accordance with an execution order of the plurality of short jobs. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a continuous printing distance of each of the plurality of short jobs is set to match a roll sheet length of the roll sheet of a printing target object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor adds, to each of the plurality of short jobs, a job content for performing printing of a header/stamp image such that a start position and/or an end position of each of the plurality of short jobs is identifiable. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the header/stamp image includes a start page number and a last page number in an entire printing page in the job pertaining to the printing execution command. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the header/stamp image includes a cumulative printing distance from a printing start position to a start position and an end position of each of the plurality of short jobs in the job pertaining to the printing execution command. ### Claim 10 A control method for an image forming apparatus of a roll-to-roll type, the image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear toner, and an image former configured to perform printing, on a roll sheet, an image formed by performing light exposure and a development process on the image bearing member, the control method comprising: a first process of dividing a job pertaining to a printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs; and a second process of stopping conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly ejecting degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to each other among the plurality of short jobs at execution of printing, wherein in the first process, a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs is set such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs. ### Claim 11 A computer-readable recording medium storing a control program of an image forming apparatus of a roll-to-roll type, the image forming apparatus including an image bearing member configured to bear toner, and an image former configured to perform printing, on a roll sheet, an image formed by performing light exposure and a development process on the image bearing member, the program comprising: a first process of dividing a job pertaining to a printing execution command into a plurality of short jobs; and a second process of stopping conveyance of the roll sheet and forcibly ejecting degraded toner from a developing device of the image former at a pause timing between short jobs temporally adjacent to each other among the plurality of short jobs at execution of printing, wherein in the first process, a job content of each of the plurality of short jobs is set such that an image of a printing target is inverted upside down for each job switching of the plurality of short jobs.