Printer having a double-sided print function and double-sided print controller

A double-sided print controller for controlling double-sided print operation of a print engine which prints a page image on both sides of paper, said double-sided print controller comprising:

• a print request preparation section for preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• a queue comprising the prepared print requests listed in one order;
• a print page determination section, when at least double-sided print is executed, for counting number of print requests included in print objects among said print requests existing in said queue, counting a print ordinal number of the next page print, and applying a unified rule to the counted number of print requests and the counted print ordinal number each time an attempt is made to start the next page print, thereby determining the print request corresponding to the next page print from among the print requests included in the print objects;
• and
• a page processing section for controlling the print engine so as to execute the print request determined by said print page determination section.

A print order controller for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode of a printer, said printer order controller comprising:

• a print request preparation section for preparing a print request in page units containing specification of number of copies and face/back specification from received print job data;
• a queue comprising the prepared print requests listed in one order;
• and
• a print page determination section, when at least double-sided print is executed, for counting number of print requests included in print objects among the print requests existing in said queue, counting a print ordinal number of the next page print, and applying a unified rule to the counted number of print requests and the counted print ordinal number each time an attempt is made to start the next page print, thereby determining the print request corresponding to the next page print from among the print requests included in the print objects.

A print order control method for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode of a printer, said method comprising steps of:

• preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• listing the prepared print requests in one order;
• when at least double-sided print is executed, counting number of print requests included in print objects among current listed print requests;
• counting a print ordinal number of the next page print;
• and
• applying a unified rule to the counted number of print requests and the counted print ordinal number each time an attempt is made to start the next page print, thereby determining the print request corresponding to the next page print from among the print requests included in the print objects.

A computer-readable record medium holding a program for causing a computer to execute a print order control method for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode of a printer, said method comprising steps of:

• preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• listing the prepared print requests in one order;
• and
• when at least double-sided print is executed, counting number of print requests included in print objects among current listed print requests;
• counting a print ordinal number of the next page print, and
• applying a unified rule to the counted number of print requests and the counted print ordinal number each time an attempt is made to start the next page print, thereby determining the print request corresponding to the next page print from among the print requests included in the print objects.

A printer having a double-sided print function, said printer comprising:

• a print engine for printing a page image on both sides of paper, said print engine having an image formation mechanism and a paper transport mechanism for feeding the paper into the image formation mechanism, wherein maximum number of sheets of paper entering the paper transport mechanism varies depending on a length of the paper in a transport direction thereof,
• a plurality of rules for determining a print order in a double-sided print mode, corresponding to a plurality of values that the maximum number of sheets of paper can take;
• a print request preparation section for preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• a queue comprising the prepared print requests listed in one order;
• a print order determination section for selecting one rule fitted to a specific used paper length from among said plurality of rules and uses the selected rule to determine the print order for the print requests included in print objects among the print requests in the double-sided print mode existing in said queue;
• and
• a page processing section for controlling said print engine so as to execute the print requests existing in said queue in the print order determined by said print order determination section.

A double-sided print controller for controlling double-sided print operation of a print engine for printing a page image on both sides of paper, the print engine having an image formation mechanism and a paper transport mechanism for feeding the paper into the image formation mechanism, wherein maximum number of sheets of paper entering the paper transport mechanism varies depending on a length of the paper in a transport direction thereof, said double-sided print controller comprising:

• a plurality of rules for determining a print order in a double-sided print mode, corresponding to a plurality of values that the maximum number of sheets of paper can take;
• a print request preparation section for preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• a queue comprising the prepared print requests listed in one order;
• a print order determination section for selecting one rule fitted to a specific used paper length from among said plurality of rules and uses the selected rule to determine the print order for the print requests included in print objects among the print requests in the double-sided print mode existing in said queue;
• and
• a page processing section for controlling the print engine so as to execute the print requests existing in said queue in the print order determined by said print order determination section.

A print order controller for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode in a printer comprising an image formation mechanism and a paper transport mechanism for feeding a paper into the image formation mechanism, wherein maximum number of sheets of paper entering the paper transport mechanism varies depending on a length of the paper in a transport direction thereof, said print order controller comprising:

• a plurality of rules for determining a print order in a double-sided print mode, corresponding to a plurality of values that the maximum number of sheets of paper can take;
• a print request preparation section for preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• a queue comprising the prepared print requests listed in one order;
• and
• a print order determination section for selecting one rule fitted to a specific used paper length from among said plurality of rules and uses the selected rule to determine the print order for the print requests included in print objects among the print requests in the double-sided print mode existing in said queue.

A print order control method for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode in a printer having an image formation mechanism and a paper transport mechanism for feeding a paper into the image formation mechanism, wherein maximum number of sheets of the paper entering the paper transport mechanism varies depending on a length of the paper in a transport direction thereof, said method comprising steps of:

• selecting one rule fitted to a specific used paper length from among a plurality of rules for determining a print order in the double-sided print mode, corresponding to a plurality of values that the maximum number of sheets of the paper entering the paper transport mechanism can take;
• preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• listing the prepared print requests in one order;
• and
• when at least double-sided print is executed, using the selected rule to determine the print order for the print requests included in print objects among current print requests listed in the queue.

A computer-readable record medium holding a program for causing a computer to execute a print order control method for controlling a print order in a double-sided print mode in a printer having an image formation mechanism and a paper transport mechanism for feeding paper into the image formation mechanism, wherein maximum number of sheets of paper entering the paper transport mechanism varies depending on a length of the paper in a transport direction thereof, said method comprising steps of:

• selecting one rule fitted to a specific used paper length from among a plurality of rules for determining a print order in the double-sided print mode, corresponding to a plurality of values that the maximum number of sheets of the paper entering the paper transport mechanism can take;
• preparing a print request in page units from received print job data;
• listing the prepared print requests in one order;
• and when at least double-sided print is executed, using the selected rule to determine the print order for the print requests included in print objects among current print requests listed in the queue.