US 2014/0176999 A1Published application

Image forming apparatus and image forming method

AssigneeKYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.

InventorHideo Umezawa

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus is connected to a plurality of external apparatuses. A job reception portion receives from each of the external apparatuses request to execute print job for forming image on paper sheet. A print control portion causes image forming portion to form image on paper sheet based on the print job received by the job reception portion, and causes discharge portion to discharge to paper sheet discharge portion the paper sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming portion based on the print job. A collection determination portion, after the person detection portion has detected the presence of person, when person detection portion has not detected the presence of person and discharge detection portion has not detected the presence of paper sheet, determines that all paper sheets discharged to the paper sheet discharge portion have been collected.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus connected to a plurality of external apparatuses, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a job reception portion configured to receive from each of the external apparatuses a request to execute a print job for forming an image on a paper sheet;
an image forming portion configured to form an image on a paper sheet;
a paper sheet discharge portion, to which a paper sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming portion is discharged;
a discharge portion configured to discharge to the paper sheet discharge portion a paper sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming portion;
a print control portion configured to perform a printing process for causing the image forming portion to form an image on a paper sheet based on the print job received by the job reception portion, and causing the discharge portion to discharge to the paper sheet discharge portion the paper sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming portion based on the print job;
a discharge detection portion configured to detect presence or absence of a paper sheet in the paper sheet discharge portion;
a person detection portion configured to detect presence or absence of a person within a predetermined distance from the image forming apparatus;
and
a collection determination portion configured to, after the person detection portion has detected the presence of a person, when the person detection portion has not detected the presence of a person and the discharge detection portion has not detected the presence of a paper sheet, determine that all paper sheets discharged to the paper sheet discharge portion have been collected.

6 more elements

An image forming method to be executed by an image forming apparatus connected to a plurality of external apparatuses, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a job reception portion configured to receive from each of the external apparatuses a request to execute a print job for forming an image on a paper sheet;
an image forming portion configured to form an image on a paper sheet;
a paper sheet discharge portion, to which a paper sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming portion is discharged;
a discharge portion configured to discharge to the paper sheet discharge portion a paper sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming portion;
a person detection portion configured to detect presence or absence of a person within a predetermined distance from the image forming apparatus;
and
a discharge detection portion configured to detect presence or absence of a paper sheet in the paper sheet discharge portion,
the image forming method comprising:
a step of performing a printing process for causing the image forming portion to form an image on a paper sheet based on the print job received by the job reception portion, and causing the discharge portion to discharge to the paper sheet discharge portion the paper sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming portion based on the print job;
and
a step of, after the person detection portion has detected the presence of a person, when the person detection portion has not detected the presence of a person and the discharge detection portion has not detected the presence of a paper sheet, determining that all paper sheets discharged to the paper sheet discharge portion have been collected.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/137,726Filed 20 Dec 2013
Priority: JP 2012-28282426 Dec 2012
Published: 26 Jun 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

G06F 3/1296
Digital output to print unit , e.g. line printer, chain printer: printer job scheduling or printer resource handling
G03G 15/5083
Remote control machines, e.g. by a host: for scheduling
G03G 15/5095
Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode…:…
G03G 15/6552
Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material: means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays