Image forming apparatus having real time priority determining means
AssigneeSharp Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShunsuke Yajima, Katsutoshi Ishikawa, Kouichi Murakami
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A digital copying machine including a scanner section for reading an image of a document and a printer section for printing on a sheet copy data obtained by the scanner section. The copying machine is connected via a communication line with a plurality of external terminals, for example, a personal computer or a facsimile apparatus. The digital copying machine is adapted to receive external data transferred from any one of the external terminals during the printing operation in copy mode for recording the image of the document, and to utilize a suspended period of the printer section for effecting the printout of the external data thus received.
Claims16
An image forming apparatus for printing external data from external devices received via external terminals and for printing copy data, the apparatus comprising:
- means for printing the external data and the copy data on a printing medium;
- means for suspending operation for printing copy data of the printing means for a period of time;
- control means for identifying a start of a time period for actuating the printing means for printing the external data on the printing medium based on priority of printing of the external data including priority determined during total operation of the apparatus including the time period.
An image forming apparatus for use in connection with a plurality of external terminals for transferring external data to be printed and condition data representative of a printing condition of the external data and for printing copy data, the apparatus comprising:
- reading means for reading an image of a document at a predetermined reading position;
- printing means for printing the data read by the reading means as copy data on a sheet, and for printing the external data transferred from the external terminal on a sheet;
- memory means for sequentially storing the external data transferred from the plurality of external terminals;
- selecting means for selecting the external data having condition data which coincides with printing condition set in the image forming apparatus when the external data stored in the memory means is printed;
- priority setting means for setting an order of printing the external data selected by the selecting means on the basis of a predetermined order of priority, and
- control means for causing the printing means to execute the printout of the external data stored in the memory means in accordance with the order of priority set by the priority setting means.
An image forming apparatus for use in connection with a plurality of external terminals, the apparatus comprising:
- reading means for reading an image of a document at a predetermined reading position;
- printing means for printing the data read by the reading means as copy data on a sheet and for printing the external data transferred from the external terminals on a sheet;
- memory means for sequentially storing the external data transferred from the plurality of external terminals,
- dividing means for dividing the external data from the plurality of external terminals into groups of a predetermined number in the order of the receipt thereof,
- selecting means for selecting external data having the condition data which coincides with a printing condition set in the image forming apparatus when the external data stored in the memory means is printed,
- priority setting means for setting a printing order of the external data grouped by the dividing means based on a predetermined order of priority, and
- control means causing the printing means to execute the printing operation for each group of the external data stored in the memory means in accordance with the order of priority.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.