Image formation apparatus and control method thereof

An image formation apparatus of an electrophotographic system, comprising:

• sheet feed means for feeding recording sheets one by one;
• transportation means for transporting the recording sheets fed by said sheet feed means to a transference means for transferring a visualized image formed on a photosensitive drum to the recording sheet, through a transportation path;
• an engine control unit for controlling drives of said sheet feed means and said transportation means;
• and
• a printer control unit for developing image data and transmitting a print command for issuing a print instruction and a print reservation command for previously instructing print information such as a sheet feed port, sheet size or the like prior to the print command, to the engine control unit through a serial communication line,
• wherein said engine control unit has judgment means for judging whether or not a sheet feed operation of the recording sheets can be performed when the print reservation command for plural pages was received from said printer control unit, and when said judgment means judged that the recording sheets can be fed, drives of said sheet feed means and said transportation means are controlled to transport the recording sheets to a predetermined position on the transportation path.

A control method of an image formation apparatus of an electrophotographic system, comprising:

• a sheet feed step of feeding recording sheets one by one from sheet feed means;
• a transportation step of transporting the recording sheets fed by said sheet feed means to a transference means for transferring a visualized image formed on a photosensitive drum to the recording sheet, through a transportation path;
• an engine control step of controlling drives of said sheet feed step and said transportation step by an engine control unit;
• and
• a printer control step of developing image data and transmitting a print command for issuing a print instruction and a print reservation command for previously instructing print information such as a sheet feed port, sheet size or the like prior to the print command, to the engine control unit through a serial communication line by a printer control unit,
• wherein the engine control unit judges whether or not a sheet feed operation of the recording sheets can be performed when the print reservation command for plural pages is received from the printer control unit, and when it is judged that the recording sheets can be fed, drives of said sheet feed means and said transportation means are controlled to transport the recording sheets to a predetermined position on the transportation path.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• image formation means for forming images on recording sheets;
• sheet feed means for feeding the recording sheets;
• transportation means for transporting the recording sheets fed by said sheet feed means to said image formation means through a transportation path;
• an engine control unit for controlling drives of said sheet feed means and said transportation means;
• and
• reception means for receiving a print request command transmitted from a printer control unit and a reservation command used in reserving printing prior to the print request command,
• wherein said engine control unit has judgment means for judging whether or not the recording sheets for pages corresponding to print reservation can be fed, and the plural recording sheets can be fed before receiving the print request command in accordance with a judgment of said judgment means in a case where the print reservation for plural pages is made by using the reservation command.