# US 2017/0253447 A1 · Printing device, printing method and non-transitory computer readable medium

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- Number: US 2017/0253447 A1
- Document ID: US20170253447A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/250,495
- Filed: 2016-08-29
- Published: 2017-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-02
- Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Chiemi MIYATA; Noriyuki SUZUMURA; Kazuya TAKAHASHI; Shinichi TAKANO; Kazutoshi KONDO; Daichi TAKAHASHI; Yuta NAKAYAMA; Hosana KIMURA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170253447A1

## CPC

- B65H 3/446: {alternatively, i.e. according to a fixed sequence}
- B65H 7/20: Controlling associated apparatus
- G06K 15/02: using printers
- G06K 15/403: {handling the outputted documents, e.g. staplers, sorters}
- G06K 15/4065: {Managing print media, e.g. determining available sheet sizes (feeding means G06K15/16)}
- B65H 2301/33222: 90°
- B65H 2301/333: Inverting
- B65H 2801/12: Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

There is provided a printing device. In a case where a sheet of a first direction supplied to a printing unit runs out in the middle of printing a certain unit, a sorting controller supplies sheets of a second direction to the printing unit to enable the continuous printing, and in a case where a direction of the image data of the page already held at the time when the sheet of the first direction runs out does not match with the second direction, rotates the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction, and for the pages in which the print data is not generated at the time when the sheet of the first direction runs out, instructs the generation unit to generate the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing device comprising:
a generation unit that generates image data of each page from print data;
a holding unit that temporarily holds the generated image data until being printed on sheet;
a printing unit that prints the image data from the holding unit on a supplied sheet; and
a sorting controller that performs a control of sorting a printing result for each unit by alternately changing a direction of the sheets supplied to the printing unit for each unit to and from a first direction and a second direction, in a case of continuously printing the print data having a plurality of units using the sheets of the same size,
wherein, in a case where the sheet of the first direction supplied to the printing unit for printing a unit runs out in the middle of printing a certain unit, the sorting controller supplies the sheets of the second direction to the printing unit to enable the continuous printing, and in a case where a direction of the image data of the page already held in the holding unit at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out does not match with the second direction, rotates the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction and transfers the image data to the printing unit, and for the pages in which the print data is not generated by the generation unit yet among the pages in the unit at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out, instructs the generation unit to generate the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printing device according to claim 1, wherein, for the pages subsequent to the page being printed at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out, the sorting controller alternately changes a sheet ejection aspect of the printing result by the printing unit on the sheets of the second direction to and from a face-up ejection and a face-down ejection for each page.

### Claim 3

A printing device comprising:
a printing unit that prints image data on a supplied sheet; and
a sorting controller that performs a control of sorting a printing result for each unit by alternately changing a direction of the sheets supplied to the printing unit for each unit to and from a first direction and a second direction, in a case of continuously printing the print data having a plurality of units using the sheets of the same size,
wherein, in a case where the sheet of the first direction supplied to the printing unit for printing a unit runs out in the middle of printing a certain unit, the sorting controller supplies the sheets of the second direction to the printing unit to enable the continuous printing, and for the pages subsequent to the page being printed at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out, alternately changes a sheet ejection aspect of the printing result by the printing unit on the sheets of the second direction to and from a face-up ejection and a face-down ejection for each page.

### Claim 4

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to function as:
a holding unit that temporarily holds image data of each page generated from print data until being printed on a sheet;
a print controller that supplies the image data from the holding unit to a printing unit; and
a sorting controller that performs a control of sorting a printing result for each unit by alternately changing a direction of the sheets supplied to the printing unit for each unit to and from a first direction and a second direction, in a case of continuously printing the print data having a plurality of units using the sheets of the same size,
wherein, in a case where the sheet of the first direction supplied to the printing unit for printing a unit runs out in the middle of printing a certain unit, the sorting controller supplies the sheets of the second direction to the printing unit to enable the continuous printing, and in a case where a direction of the image data of the page already held in the holding unit at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out does not match with the second direction, rotates the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction and transfers the image data to the printing unit, and for the pages in which the print data is not generated by the generation unit yet among the pages in the unit at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out, instructs the generation unit to generate the image data such that the direction of the image data matches with the second direction.

### Claim 5

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that causes a computer to function as:
a print controller that supplies image data of each page generated from print data to a printing unit; and
a sorting controller that performs a control of sorting a printing result for each unit by alternately changing a direction of the sheets supplied to the printing unit for each unit to and from a first direction and a second direction, in a case of continuously printing the print data having a plurality of units using the sheets of the same size,
wherein, in a case where the sheet of the first direction supplied to the printing unit for printing a unit runs out in the middle of printing a certain unit, the sorting controller supplies the sheets of the second direction to the printing unit to enable the continuous printing, and for the pages subsequent to the page being printed at the time point when the sheet of the first direction runs out, alternately changes a sheet ejection aspect of the printing result by the printing unit on the sheets of the second direction to and from a face-up ejection and a face-down ejection for each page.