Image formation apparatus and method for controlling the feed of a recording sheet prior to a print command

A printer engine for forming an image based on image data from a printer control unit, said printer engine comprising:

• a plurality of sheet feed ports;
• command receiving means for receiving a command sent from the printer control unit, said command receiving means being capable of receiving a sheet feed port designation command for designating one from among the plurality of sheet feed ports, a print command, and a sheet feed reservation command with identification information;
• and
• sheet feed control means for controlling a sheet feed operation,
• wherein a case that, prior to the print command of one page, a plurality of subsequent pages of the sheet feed reservation commands are received, said sheet feed control means controls, with respect to each of the subsequent pages, to feed a sheet from a sheet feed port designated by the sheet feed port designation command prior to the print command and to await the print command at a state that the fed sheet is on a sheet feed path, and
• wherein each page of reservation can be specified by the identification information.

A printer control unit for producing image data to be outputter to a printer engine based on data from an external equipment, said printer control unit comprising:

• a sheet feed port designation command outputting unit for outputting a sheet feed port designation command for designating one from among a plurality of sheet feed ports to the printer engine;
• a print command outputting unit for outputting a print command to the printer engine;
• and
• a sheet feed reservation command outputting unit for outputting a sheet feed reservation command with identification information for causing to feed a sheet from a sheet feed port designated by the sheet feed port designation command prior to the print command and to await the print command at a state that the fed sheet is on a sheet feed path, said printer control unit being capable of outputting, prior to one page of the print command, a plurality of subsequent pages of the sheet feed reservation commands to the printer engine,
• wherein each page of reservation can be specified by the identification information.

A printer engine for forming an image based on image data from a printer control unit, said printer engine comprising:

• a plurality of sheet feed ports;
• a command receiving unit for receiving a command sent from the printer control unit, said command receiving unit being capable of receiving a sheet feed port designation command for designating one from among the plurality of sheet feed ports, a print command, and a sheet feed reservation command with identification information;
• and
• a sheet feed controller for controlling a sheet feed operation,
• wherein in a case that, prior to the print command of one page, a plurality of subsequent pages of the sheet feed reservation commands are received, said sheet feed controller controls, with respect to each of the subsequent pages, to feed a sheet from a sheet feed port designated by the sheet feed port designation command prior to the print command and to await the print command at a state that the fed sheet is on a sheet feed path, and
• wherein each page of reservation can be specified by the identification information.

A control method to be used in a printer control unit for producing image data to be outputted to a printer engine based on data from an external equipment, said method comprising the steps of:

• outputting a sheet feed port designation command for designating one from among a plurality of sheet feed port to the printer engine;
• outputting a print command to the printer engine;
• and
• outputting a sheet feed reservation command with identification information for causing to feed a sheet from a sheet feed port designated by the sheet feed port designation command prior to the print command and to await the print command at a state that the fed sheet is on a sheet feed path,
• wherein, prior to one page of the print command, a plurality of subsequent pages of said sheet feed reservation command outputting step can be executable, and
• wherein each page of reservation can be specified by the identification information.