Printing apparatus and control device for option equipment connected thereto

A printing apparatus provided with a main body including a video controller, having video signal generation means for generating a video signal from image information based on a recording command from an external apparatus and control means, and with a supervisory controller including optional unit control means for controlling at least an optional unit connectable to said main body,

• wherein said video controller comprises designation means for designating the information, on paper and paper feeding for the data received from the external apparatus, in the supervisory controller;
• said supervisory controller comprises paper feed information determining means for determining the paper feed information from the information designated by said designation means and a status of the optional unit;
• and
• said video controller further comprises paper feed information detecting means for detecting the paper feed information determined by said paper feed information determining means of the supervisory controller, and paper feed information informing means for informing the external apparatus of the paper feed information detected by said paper feed information detecting means.

A printing apparatus provided with a main body including a video controller, having video signal generation means for generating a video signal from image information based on a recording command from an external apparatus and control means, and with a supervisory controller including optional unit control means for controlling at least an optional unit connectable to said main body,

• wherein said supervisory controller comprises path judgment means for judging, in case of a paper jamming, whether there exists a path allowing a printing process without passing a position of jamming, and continuation informing means adapted, when said path judgment means identifies presence of a path allowing the printing process, to inform the video controller that the printing process can be continued, and
• said video controller is adapted, upon receiving said information from said continuation informing means, to continue the printing process, utilizing said path enabling the printing process,
• wherein said supervisory controller further comprises table changing means for rearranging a page management table for the papers already fed in the optional unit when said path judgment means identifies the path enabling the printing process, and
• the printing process is continued from the page changed by said table changing means.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for obtaining time information relating to a time necessary for converting data sent from an external apparatus into image data;
• and
• means for selecting one of a plurality of feeding units in accordance with the obtained time information,
• wherein said selecting means selects a feeding unit to feed a recording medium, onto which the converted image data are formed.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving data from an external apparatus, said receiving means being capable of receiving, in a reception order, first data specifying an image to be formed on a recording medium fed from a first feeding unit, and second data specifying an image to be formed on a recording medium fed from a second feeding unit;
• means for storing the received data;
• means for determining a generation order in which images for the first and second data are generated;
• means for controlling image generation in accordance with the generation order determined by said determining means, wherein if the determined generation order is opposite to the reception order, said controlling means controls image generation such that the images for the first and second data are generated in the generation order opposite to the reception order;
• and
• means for sending to the external apparatus information on the generation order controlled by said controlling means.

A printing apparatus provided with a paper feed unit and a paper ejecting unit as standard components and a paper feed unit and a paper ejecting unit which can be added as optional units, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving text data from an external apparatus;
• and
• means for selecting a combination of the usable paper feed unit and the usable paper ejecting unit, among the above-mentioned paper feed and ejecting units,
• wherein said combination is selected, based on the information on a number of copies of printing and a paper size transmitted from the external apparatus or an operation panel of the printing apparatus, and according to a designation of the paper feed unit and the paper ejecting unit when such designation is made from the external apparatus or by the printing apparatus when such designation is absent.

A printing apparatus for printing text data received from an external apparatus, comprising:

• paper feed units and paper ejecting units provided as standard components;
• paper feed units and paper ejecting units provided as optional units;
• detection means for detecting at least a number and a status of said optional paper feed and eject units;
• memory means for storing status information of said optional paper feed and ejecting units detected by said detection means and status information of said standard paper feed and ejecting units;
• and
• selection means for selecting a combination of desired paper feed and eject units according to a print command, referring to the status information stored in said memory means.

A printing apparatus, provided with a paper feed unit and a paper ejecting unit as standard components and a paper feed unit and a paper ejecting unit which can be added as optional units, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving text data from an external apparatus;
• and
• means for selecting a combination of the usable paper feed unit and the usable paper ejecting unit, among the above-mentioned paper feed and ejecting units,
• wherein, in case of effecting a recovery printing starting from the occurrence of jamming, said means for selecting causes the recovery printing to be executed according to the original designation of the paper feed means or the paper ejecting means, even when the automatic paper feed/ejecting mode is selected at the occurrence of jamming.

An option unit controlling apparatus for an image forming apparatus to which plural kinds of option units are connectable:

• connection means for detachably connecting said option unit controlling apparatus to a main body of the image forming apparatus;
• receiving means for receiving data from the main body of said image forming apparatus;
• and
• control means for controlling at least one of the plural kinds of option units connected to a main body of said image forming apparatus on the basis of the data received by said receiving means,
• wherein said option unit control apparatus controls at least one option unit that is detached from said option unit control apparatus.