US 12,153,840 B2 · Information processing method, information processing program, information processing apparatus, and image forming apparatus · patentgrep

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Abstract

An information processing method performs steps for an information processing apparatus to communicate with an image forming apparatus having first and second sheet output sections. The second sheet output section can be switched between a close position to serve to guide a sheet to the first sheet output section, and an open position not to guide the sheet to the first sheet output section but to stack the sheet. The method inputs a type of sheet, acquires information indicating whether the second sheet output section is in an open or closed state, and transmits image information to the image forming apparatus. When the sheet type recommends the sheet be output to the second sheet output section and the second sheet output section is in the closed state, a message is output to prompt to switch the second sheet output section into the open position before the image information is transmitted.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus to execute a job that is a series of print operations in response to a print command, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a first conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a second conveyance unit disposed downstream of the first conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet;
a first discharge section to which the sheet is to be discharged;
a second discharge section to which the sheet is to be discharged;
and
a message output unit configured to output a message,
wherein the second discharge section is switchable between a closed position and an open position,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the sheet is discharged to the first discharge section by being conveyed along a discharge conveyance path by the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and, when the second discharge section is at the open position, the sheet is discharged to the second discharge section after having been conveyed by the first conveyance unit without being conveyed to the second conveyance unit,
wherein, in a case where a sheet output conveyance failure has occurred on the discharge conveyance path during execution of the job, the message output unit outputs a first message to prompt a user to remove a to-be-removed sheet for which the sheet output conveyance failure has occurred, and
wherein, in a case where removal of the to-be-removed sheet and switching of the second discharge section to the closed position are performed, the message output unit outputs a second message to prompt the user to switch the second discharge section to the open position.

8 more elements

An image forming apparatus to execute a job that is a series of print operations in response to a print command, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive the print command;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a first conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a second conveyance unit disposed downstream of the first conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet;
a first discharge section to which the sheet is to be discharged;
a second discharge section to which the sheet is to be discharged;
a message output unit configured to output a message;
and
a storage unit,
wherein the second discharge section is switchable between a closed position and an open position,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the sheet is discharged to the first discharge section by being conveyed along a discharge conveyance path by the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and, when the second discharge section is at the open position, the sheet is discharged to the second discharge section after having been conveyed by the first conveyance unit without being conveyed to the second conveyance unit,
wherein, in a case where a sheet output conveyance failure has occurred on the discharge conveyance path before completion of a first job corresponding to a first print command, information about the occurrence of the sheet output conveyance failure is stored into the storage unit, and
wherein, when a second job corresponding to a second print command is executed after the completion of the first job, before a last image in the second job is formed on a last image sheet by the image forming unit since reception of the second print command by the receiving unit, in accordance with the information about the occurrence of the sheet output conveyance failure stored in the storage unit, the message output unit outputs a message to prompt a user to switch the second discharge section to the open position.

10 more elements

An image forming apparatus to execute a job that is a series of print operations in response to a print command, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive the print command;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a first sheet feeding section on which sheets to be fed to the image forming unit are to be stacked;
a first feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet stacked on the first sheet feeding section so as to feed the sheet stacked on the first sheet feeding section to the image forming unit;
a second sheet feeding section on which sheets to be fed to the image forming unit are stacked;
a second feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet stacked on the second sheet feeding section so as to feed the sheet stacked on the second sheet feeding section to the image forming unit;
a sheet conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet conveyed by the first feeding unit or the sheet conveyed by the second feeding unit to the image forming unit;
a message output unit configured to output a message;
and
a storage unit,
wherein, in a case where a sheet feeding conveyance failure has occurred on a first sheet feeding conveyance path along which a sheet is conveyed from the first feeding unit to the sheet conveyance unit before completion of a first job corresponding to a first print command, information about the occurrence of the sheet feeding conveyance failure is stored into the storage unit, and
wherein, when a second job corresponding to a second print command is executed after the completion of the first job, before a last image sheet on which a last image in the second job is to be formed is fed since reception of the second print command by the receiving unit, in accordance with the information about the occurrence of the sheet feeding conveyance failure stored in the storage unit, the message output unit outputs a message to prompt a user to switch a sheet feeding section from the first sheet feeding section to the second sheet feeding section.

9 more elements

An image forming apparatus to execute a job that is a series of print operations in response to a print command, the image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a first sheet feeding section on which sheets to be fed to the image forming unit are to be stacked;
a first feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet stacked on the first sheet feeding section so as to feed the sheet stacked on the first sheet feeding section to the image forming unit;
a second sheet feeding section on which sheets to be fed to the image forming unit are stacked;
a second feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet stacked on the second sheet feeding section so as to feed the sheet stacked on the second sheet feeding section to the image forming unit;
a sheet conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet conveyed by the first feeding unit or the sheet conveyed by the second feeding unit to the image forming unit;
a first conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a second conveyance unit disposed downstream of the first conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a first discharge section to which the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted;
a second discharge section to which the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted;
and
a message output unit configured to output a message,
wherein the second discharge section is switchable between a closed position and an open position,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted to the first discharge section by being conveyed along a conveyance path by the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and, when the second discharge section is at the open position, the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted to the second discharge section after having been conveyed by the first conveyance unit without being conveyed to the second conveyance unit,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the second conveyance unit is switchable between a state of rotation in a first rotation direction for conveying the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit to the first discharge section and a state of rotation in a second rotation direction, which is opposite to the first rotation direction, for conveying the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit to the image forming unit again,
wherein the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is conveyed in a first conveyance direction for being outputted to the first discharge section by rotation of the second conveyance unit in the first rotation direction, and the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is conveyed in a second conveyance direction with an inversion from the first conveyance direction by rotation of the second conveyance unit in the second rotation direction,
wherein the sheet conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the second conveyance unit is conveyed along a double-sided conveyance path to the sheet conveyance unit,
wherein, in a case where a double-sided conveyance failure has occurred on the double-sided conveyance path, the message output unit outputs a first message to prompt a user to remove a first sheet for which the double-sided conveyance failure has occurred, and
wherein, in a period after removal of the first sheet and switching of the second discharge section to the closed position no later than completion of the job, before an image that was being formed on the first sheet by the image forming unit is reprinted onto a second sheet, the message output unit outputs a second message to prompt the user to switch a sheet feeding section from the first sheet feeding section to the second sheet feeding section and switch the second discharge section to the open position.

16 more elements

An image forming apparatus to execute a job that is a series of print operations in response to a print command, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive the print command;
an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
a first feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet to feed the sheet to the image forming unit;
a second feeding unit configured to start conveying a sheet to feed the sheet to the image forming unit;
a sheet conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet conveyed by the first feeding unit or the sheet conveyed by the second feeding unit to the image forming unit;
and
a first conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a second conveyance unit disposed downstream of the first conveyance unit in a sheet conveyance direction and configured to convey the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit;
a first discharge section to which the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted;
a second discharge section to which the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted;
a message output unit configured to output a message;
and
a storage unit,
wherein the second discharge section is switchable between a closed position and an open position,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted to the first discharge section by being conveyed along a conveyance path by the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and, when the second discharge section is at the open position, the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is outputted to the second discharge section after having been conveyed by the first conveyance unit without being conveyed to the second conveyance unit,
wherein, when the second discharge section is at the closed position, the second conveyance unit is switchable between a state of rotation in a first rotation direction for conveying the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit to the first discharge section and a state of rotation in a second rotation direction, which is opposite to the first rotation direction, for conveying the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit to the image forming unit again,
wherein the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is conveyed in a first conveyance direction for being outputted to the first discharge section by rotation of the second conveyance unit in the first rotation direction, and the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit is conveyed in a second conveyance direction with an inversion from the first conveyance direction by rotation of the second conveyance unit in the second rotation direction,
wherein the sheet conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the second conveyance unit is conveyed along a double-sided conveyance path to the sheet conveyance unit,
wherein, in a case where a double-sided conveyance failure has occurred on the double-sided conveyance path before completion of a first job corresponding to a first print command, information about the occurrence of the double-sided conveyance path is stored into the storage unit, and
wherein, when a second job corresponding to a second print command is executed after the completion of the first job, before a last image sheet on which a last image in the second job is to be formed is fed since reception of the second print command by the receiving unit, in accordance with the information about the occurrence of the double-sided conveyance failure stored in the storage unit, the message output unit outputs a message to prompt a user to switch a sheet feeding section from the first sheet feeding section to the second sheet feeding section and switch the second discharge section to the open position.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.