# US 2019/0168519 A1 · Image forming apparatus, method of controlling the same, and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168519 A1 - Document ID: US20190168519A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/208,923 - Filed: 2018-12-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Toyomi Hirao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168519A1 ## CPC - B41J 11/44: by devices, e.g. program tape or contact wheel, moved in correspondence with movement of paper-feeding devices, e.g. platen rotation - B41J 13/0009: {control of the transport of the copy material} - B65H 7/02: by feelers or detectors - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract Provided is an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet on the basis of image data, the apparatus obtains, on the basis of image data that has been coded, a first blank amount on a leading end side of a succeeding sheet coming after a preceding sheet, and obtains a second blank amount on a trailing end side of the preceding sheet on the basis of the image data that has been coded. Controlling is performed to feed the succeeding sheet to cause the succeeding sheet to overlap with the preceding sheet by the length corresponding to a blank amount being smaller of the first blank amount and the second blank amount, and to form an image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet on the basis of image data, the image forming apparatus comprising: a memory device configured to store a set of instructions; at least one processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to function as: a first obtaining unit configured to obtain, on the basis of image data that has been coded, a first blank amount on a leading end side of a succeeding sheet coming after a preceding sheet; a second obtaining unit configured to obtain a second blank amount on a trailing end side of the preceding sheet on the basis of the image data that has been coded; and a control unit configured to control to feed the succeeding sheet to cause the succeeding sheet to overlap with the preceding sheet by a length corresponding to a blank amount being smaller of the first blank amount and the second blank amount, and to form an image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data is coded data that has been coded in a unit of plural lines, and the first obtaining unit is configured to obtain the first blank amount on the basis of an amount of continuation of a code from the top of the coded data, the code indicating a blank area contained in the coded data in the unit of plural lines. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first obtaining unit is configured to further obtain, in the unit of plural lines, a position of a line where the code contained in the coded data stops continuing, and also obtain the first blank amount by adding together the amount of continuation of the code from the top of the coded data and a blank amount up to the position of the line in image data decoded from the image data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second obtaining unit is configured to obtain the second blank amount on the basis of an amount of continuation of a code from the trailing end of the coded data, the code indicating a blank area contained in the coded data in the unit of plural lines. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second obtaining unit is configured to further obtain, in the unit of plural lines, a position of a line where the code contained in the coded data stops continuing, and also obtain the second blank amount by adding together the amount of continuation of the code from the trailing end of the coded data and a blank amount up to the position of the line in image data decoded from the image data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data are coded data that has been coded in a unit of a rectangular block, and the first obtaining unit is configured to obtain the first blank amount on the basis of an amount of continuation of a code from the top of the coded data, the code indicating a blank area contained in the coded data in the unit of a block. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first obtaining unit is configured to further obtain, in the unit of a block, a position of a line where the code contained in the coded data stops continuing, and also obtain the first blank amount by adding together the amount of continuation of the code from the top of the coded data and a blank amount up to the position of the line in image data decoded from the image data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the second obtaining unit is configured to obtain the second blank amount on the basis of an amount of continuation of a code from the trailing end of the coded data, the code indicating a blank area contained in the coded data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the second obtaining unit is configured to further obtain, in the unit of a block, a position of a line where the code contained in the coded data stops continuing, and also obtain the second blank amount by adding together the amount of continuation of the code from the trailing end of the coded data and a blank amount up to the position of the line in image data decoded from the image data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blank amount is a number of lines, each of the lines continuing and only containing white. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coded data is coded data been subjected to JBIG compression. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the coded data is coded data been subjected to JPEG compression. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein previous image data to be coded into the image data that has been coded, is image data developed from a page description language. ### Claim 14 A method of controlling an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet on the basis of image data, the method comprising: obtaining, on the basis of image data that has been coded, a first blank amount on a leading end side of a succeeding sheet coming after a preceding sheet; obtaining a second blank amount on a trailing end side of the preceding sheet on the basis of the image data that has been coded; and controlling to feed the succeeding sheet to cause the succeeding sheet to overlap with the preceding sheet by a length corresponding to a blank amount being smaller of the first blank amount and the second blank amount, and to form an image. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a processor to execute a method of controlling an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet on the basis of image data, the method comprising: obtaining, on the basis of image data that has been coded, a first blank amount on a leading end side of a succeeding sheet coming after a preceding sheet; obtaining a second blank amount on a trailing end side of the preceding sheet on the basis of the image data that has been coded; and controlling to feed the succeeding sheet to cause the succeeding sheet to overlap with the preceding sheet by a length corresponding to a blank amount being smaller of the first blank amount and the second blank amount, and to form an image.