Printing device with sorter having a plurality of bins
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorMasami Yamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printing device with a sorter is provided having a plurality of bins, capable of enhancing the practicality of a configuration where a plurality of bins are used for both a mail printing and a sort printing. According to the printing device, when, in a sort printing which is instructed by a certain user, it is required to use bins which are allocated to other users for the sake of a mail printing, an inquiry whether the bins are available or not is issued of the other users in advance to the sort printing. Only when the use of the bins is not refused, are the bins selected as discharge destinations.
Claims14
A printing device connected with a plurality of external devices and for performing a mail printing in which printed sheets are discharged to designated specific bins or a sort printing in which printed sheets are sorted and discharged to a plurality of bins on the basis of print job data transmitted from the external devices, said printing device comprising:
- a plurality of bins to which printed sheets are discharged, a part of the plurality of bins being allocated as mail bins for the mail printing to specific ones of the plurality of external devices;
- and
- a controller which inquires of the specific ones of the plurality of external devices whether the mail bins are available or not when the sort printing is to be performed, and selects bins to be used in the sort printing on the basis of a reply to the inquiry.
A printing device connected with a plurality of external devices and for performing a mail printing in which printed sheets are discharged to designated specific bins or a sort printing in which printed sheets are sorted and discharged to a plurality of bins on the basis of print job data transmitted from the external devices, said printing device comprising:
- a plurality of bins to which printed sheets are discharged, a part of the plurality of bins being allocated as mail bins for the mail printing to specific ones of the plurality of external devices;
- and
- a controller which judges whether the mail bins are required to be used in the sort printing or not when the sort printing is to be performed, inquires of the specific ones of the plurality of external devices whether the mail bins are available or not when the mail bins are required to be used, and selects the mail bins as bins to be used in the sort printing when a negative reply to the inquiry is not received within a given time period.
A method of controlling bins to be used in a printing device connected with a plurality of external devices and for performing a mail printing in which printed sheets are discharged to designated specific bins or a sort printing in which printed sheets are sorted and discharged to a plurality of bins on the basis of print job data transmitted from the external devices, said method comprising the steps of:
- 1) when print job data requesting the sort printing is received from the external devices, judging whether ones of the plurality of bins being allocated as mail bins for the mail printing to specific ones of the plurality of external devices are required to be used in the sort printing or not;
- 2) when it is determined that the mail bins are required to be used in step 1, inquiring of the specific ones of the plurality of external devices whether the mail bins are available or not;
- 3) when a negative reply to the inquiry in step 2 is not received within a given time period, selecting the mail bins as bins to be used in the sort printing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.