# US 2019/0245994 A1 · Image forming apparatus, printing method, and non-transitory recording medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245994 A1 - Document ID: US20190245994A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/257,879 - Filed: 2019-01-25 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-07 - Assignees: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Applicants: Konica Minolta, Inc. - Inventors: Hiroki Hidaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245994A1 ## CPC - H04N 1/00604: {Transport trays} - G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server} - G06K 15/12: by photographic printing {, e.g. by laser printers} - G06K 15/1817: {Buffers} - G06K 15/1898: {while adapting the order of the data to the printing elements' arrangement, e.g. row-to-column conversion} - H04N 1/0009: {Storage} - H04N 1/0066: {Aligning or positioning related to handling} - 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 includes a hardware processor. The hardware processor: receives page setting information in print data of a next page; stores the page setting information in a second memory at the time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus when a first memory has no area to store image information of the next page; and controls a conveyer to feed out the sheets from a paper feed tray specified by the page setting information to a conveyance path of the conveyer and to convey the sheets when the page setting information is in the second memory at the timing of feeding out the next sheet to the conveyance path of the conveyer regardless of whether the image information corresponding to the page setting information is in the first memory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming apparatus comprising: a receiver that receives print data including image information and page setting information that specifies a paper feed tray of sheets on which the image information is printed from an external apparatus; a first memory that stores the received image information; a second memory that stores the page setting information, wherein a page capacity of the second memory that stores the page setting information is larger than a page capacity of the first memory that stores the image information; an image former that forms an image on the sheets based on the image information read from the first memory; a plurality of paper feed trays that accommodate the sheets; a conveyer that conveys the sheets fed out from the paper feed tray to the image former and conveys a plurality of the sheets in a side-by-side aligned manner in a conveyance direction between the paper feed tray farthest away from the image former and the image former; and a hardware processor that: receives the page setting information in the print data of a next page; stores the page setting information in the second memory at a time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page; and controls the conveyer to feed out the sheets from the paper feed tray specified by the page setting information to a conveyance path of the conveyer and to convey the sheets when the page setting information is in the second memory at a timing of feeding out a next sheet to the conveyance path of the conveyer, regardless of whether the image information corresponding to the page setting information is in the first memory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor rejects the image information in the print data of the next page at the time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus, when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page in the first memory. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hardware processor transmits a first request for acquisition of the image information to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a new page is emerged in the first memory in a state where the image information that corresponds to the page setting information in the second memory has not been received. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hardware processor transmits a second request for acquisition to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a next new page exists in the first memory after the image information corresponding to the first request for acquisition is stored and the state continues. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus in a case where the first memory has an area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the hardware processor notifies the external apparatus that the image information of the page is acceptable and receives the image information of the page from the external apparatus, and upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus in a case where the first memory has no area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the hardware processor notifies the external apparatus of refusal to receive the image information of the page. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein after refusing to receive the image information, the hardware processor notifies the external apparatus of a request for reception of the page setting information of the remaining pages including the page that is refused to be received regardless of an area status of the first memory. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when there is a next job after receiving the page setting information of all the remaining pages of a job including the refused page, the hardware processor notifies the external apparatus of the request for reception of the page setting information related to the next job regardless of the area status of the first memory. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the hardware processor stops the notification of the request for reception of the page setting information in a case that the page setting information corresponding to a predetermined number of pages has been precedingly received. ### Claim 9 A printing method in an image forming apparatus including: a receiver that receives print data including image information and page setting information that specifies a paper feed tray of sheets on which the image information is printed from an external apparatus; a first memory that stores the received image information; a second memory that stores the page setting information, wherein a page capacity of the second memory that stores the page setting information is larger than a page capacity of the first memory that stores the image information; an image former that forms an image on the sheets based on the image information read from the first memory; a plurality of paper feed trays that accommodate the sheets; and a conveyer that conveys the sheets fed out from the paper feed tray to the image former and conveys a plurality of the sheets in a side-by-side aligned manner in a conveyance direction between the paper feed tray farthest away from the image former and the image former, the printing method comprising: receiving the page setting information in the print data of a next page; storing the page setting information in the second memory at a time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page; and controlling the conveyer to feed out the sheets from the paper feed tray specified by the page setting information to the conveyance path of the conveyer and to convey the sheets when the page setting information is in the second memory at a timing of feeding out a next sheet to the conveyance path of the conveyer, regardless of whether the image information corresponding to the page setting information is in the first memory. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The printing method according to claim 9, wherein in the receiving, the image information in the print data of the next page is rejected at the time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus, when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page in the first memory. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The printing method according to claim 9, further comprising transmitting a first request for acquisition of the image information to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a new page is emerged in the first memory in a state where the image information that corresponds to the page setting information in the second memory has not been received. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The printing method according to claim 11, wherein in the transmitting, a second request for acquisition is transmitted to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a next new page exists in the first memory after the image information corresponding to the first request for acquisition is stored and the state continues. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The printing method according to claim 9, wherein, in the receiving, upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus in a case where the first memory has an area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the external apparatus is notified that the image information of the page is acceptable and receives the image information of the page from the external apparatus, and upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus in a case where the first memory has no area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the external apparatus is notified of refusal to receive the image information of the page. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The printing method according to claim 10, wherein after refusing to receive the image information, the external apparatus is notified of a request for reception of the page setting information of the remaining pages including the page that is refused to be received regardless of an area status of the first memory. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The printing method according to claim 14, wherein in the receiving, when there is a next job after receiving the page setting information of all the remaining pages of a job including the refused page, the external apparatus is notified of the request for reception of the page setting information related to the next job regardless of the area status of the first memory. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The printing method according to claim 14, wherein in the receiving, the notification of the request for reception of the page setting information is stopped in a case that the page setting information corresponding to a predetermined number of pages has been precedingly received. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program executed by an image forming apparatus including: a receiver that receives print data including image information and page setting information that specifies a paper feed tray of sheets on which the image information is to be printed from an external apparatus; a first memory that stores the received image information; a second memory that stores the page setting information, wherein a page capacity of the second memory that stores the page setting information is larger than a page capacity of the first memory that stores the image information; an image former that forms an image on the sheets based on the image information read from the first memory; a plurality of paper feed trays that accommodate the sheets; and a conveyer that conveys the sheets fed out from the paper feed tray to the image former and conveys a plurality of the sheets in a side-by-side aligned manner in a conveyance direction between the paper feed tray farthest away from the image former and the image former, the computer readable program causing a computer to perform: receiving the page setting information in the print data of a next page; storing the page setting information in the second memory at a time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page; and controlling the conveyer to feed out the sheets from the paper feed tray specified by the page setting information to the conveyance path of the conveyer and to convey the sheets when the page setting information is in the second memory at a timing of feeding out a next sheet to the conveyance path of the conveyer, regardless of whether the image information corresponding to the page setting information is in the first memory. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 17, wherein in the receiving, the image information in the print data of the next page is rejected at the time of receiving the print data of the next page from the external apparatus, when the first memory has no area to store the image information of the next page in the first memory. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 17, causing the computer to further perform transmitting a first request for acquisition of the image information to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a new page is emerged in the first memory in a state where the image information that corresponds to the page setting information in the second memory has not been received. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 19, wherein in the transmitting, a second request for acquisition is transmitted to the external apparatus when an area to store the image information of a next new page exists in the first memory after the image information corresponding to the first request for acquisition is stored and the state continues. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 17, wherein in the receiving, when upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus, in a case where the first memory has an area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the external apparatus is notified that the image information of the page is acceptable and receives the image information of the page from the external apparatus, and upon receiving the print data from the external apparatus in a case where the first memory has no area to store the image information of the page corresponding to the received page setting information, the external apparatus is notified of refusal to receive the image information of the page. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 18, wherein in the receiving, after refusing to receive the image information, the external apparatus is notified of a request for reception of the page setting information of the remaining pages including the page that is refused to be received regardless of an area status of the first memory. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 22, wherein in the receiving, when there is a next job after receiving the page setting information of all the remaining pages of a job including the refused page, the external apparatus is notified of the request for reception of the page setting information related to the next job regardless of the area status of the first memory. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program according to claim 22, wherein in the receiving, the notification of the request for reception of the page setting information is stopped in a case that the page setting information corresponding to a predetermined number of pages has been precedingly received.