# US 2017/0257513 A1 · Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0257513 A1 - Document ID: US20170257513A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/439,797 - Filed: 2017-02-22 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Akihiro Matsumoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170257513A1 ## CPC - H04N 1/21: Intermediate information storage (H04N1/387, H04N1/41 take precedence {; for control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32358; indexing, editing G11B27/00}) - G06F 3/0608: {Saving storage space on storage systems} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/0655: {Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G06F 12/0238: {Memory management in non-volatile memory, e.g. resistive RAM or ferroelectric memory} - G06F 12/0246: {in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory} - G06K 15/1817: {Buffers} - G06K 15/1823: {for evaluating the resources needed, e.g. rasterizing time, ink, paper stock} - G06K 15/4045: {Managing the interface to the data source, e.g. choosing an interface for data reception} - H04N 1/32358: {using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter (H04N1/17 takes precedence)} - H04N 1/41: Bandwidth or redundancy reduction (by scanning H04N1/17 {; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00}) - H04N 1/648: {Transmitting or storing the primary (additive or subtractive) colour signals; Compression thereof (H04N1/642 - H04N1/646 take precedence)} - G06F 2212/401: Compressed data - G06F 2212/7201: Logical to physical mapping or translation of blocks or pages - H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract An image forming apparatus for processing print data is disclosed. The image forming apparatus includes a control unit configured to control a plurality of nonvolatile storage devices having different transfer rates, and a determination unit configured to determine a nonvolatile storage device to store print data from among the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices based on information related to a size of the print data, information related to the transfer rates of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices, and a threshold value depending on the number of sheets to be printed and output per unit time. The control unit and the determination unit are implemented by one or more processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus for processing print data, comprising: a control unit configured to control a plurality of nonvolatile storage devices having different transfer rates; and a determination unit configured to determine a nonvolatile storage device to store print data from among the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices based on information related to a size of the print data, information related to the transfer rates of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices, and a threshold value depending on the number of sheets to be printed and output per unit time, wherein the control unit and the determination unit are implemented by at least one processor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to, in a case where the size of the print data is smaller than or equal to a predetermined size, determine a nonvolatile storage device having longer service life in terms of a remaining writing capacity to be a storage destination of the print data, among the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to make the determination based on a sheet size of the print data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a compression processing unit that compresses the print data to generate compressed print data, wherein the compression processing unit is implemented by the at least one processor, and wherein the determination unit is configured to make the determination based on a size of the print data per page of the compressed print data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a threshold value storage unit configured to control storing a threshold value representing a boundary between write speeds of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices, wherein the threshold value storage unit is implemented by the at least one processor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the threshold value is a data size per page corresponding to a write speed, and wherein the determination unit is configured to compare a size of write data on each page with the threshold value to make the determination page by page. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to convert a logical address of each of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices into a physical address, and transfer write data to the physical address. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is configured to specify a nonvolatile storage device among the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices based on the logical address. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a compression processing unit that compresses data to generate compressed data, wherein the compression processing unit is implemented by the at least one processor, and wherein the control unit is configured to transfer, as write data, the compressed data to the determined nonvolatile storage device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, in a case where a cumulative write amount of one of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices is greater than a threshold value, issue a notification. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, in a case where a cumulative write amount of one of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices is greater than a first threshold value, issue a first notification, and if the cumulative write amount is greater than a second threshold value, issue a second notification. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, in a case where a cumulative write amount of one of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices is greater than a threshold value, assign another one of the nonvolatile storage devices instead of the one nonvolatile storage device. ### Claim 13 A method performed by a processor configured to control an image forming apparatus for processing print data, the method comprising: controlling a plurality of nonvolatile storage devices having different transfer rates; and determining a nonvolatile storage device to store print data from among the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices based on information related to a size of the print data, information related to the transfer rates of the plurality of nonvolatile storage devices, and a threshold value depending on the number of sheets to be printed and output per unit time.