Image formation system
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorHiroyuki Takahashi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In case of forming images of a job, which includes color pages and black/white pages, in order to constitute a system which can obtain pages of individually formed images with a state in original page order by selectively using both a color image formation apparatus and a monochrome image formation apparatus with a simple operation, job contents are transferred to each of the color image formation apparatus and the monochrome image formation apparatus when the job, which includes the color pages and the black/white pages, is outputted from a computer. The color image formation apparatus forms only images of color pages, and then an user sets the color pages in an inserter. The monochrome image formation apparatus forms monochrome images when pages are black/white and feeds sheets from the inserter when pages are color.
Claims22
An image formation system which includes a first image formation apparatus having a sheet storage unit capable of storing a sheet subjected to printing by a second image formation apparatus, wherein said first image formation apparatus can transport the sheet set in said sheet storage unit, without a printer unit of said first image formation apparatus, said first image formation apparatus can execute a collation process of the sheet from said sheet storage unit and a sheet subjected to printing by said printer unit, and said first image formation apparatus comprises a memory unit adapted to be able to store data of plural jobs capable of being printed by said printer unit, said image formation system further comprising:
- a print control unit adapted to cause said printer unit to print the data of said memory unit;
- and
- a job control unit adapted to cause said printer unit to be able to execute a printing process of the data, from among the data of said memory unit, of the job for the collation process to the sheet in said sheet storage unit after the sheet was set in said sheet storage unit, and adapted to cause to be able to wait for the printing process of the data, from among the data of said memory unit, of said job and to be able to use said first image formation apparatus for another job when the sheet is not set in said sheet storage unit.
A control method for an image formation system which includes a first image formation apparatus having a sheet storage unit capable of storing a sheet subjected to printing by a second image formation apparatus, wherein the first image formation apparatus can transport the sheet set in the sheet storage unit, without a printer unit of the first image formation apparatus, the first image formation apparatus can execute a collation process of the sheet from the sheet storage unit and a sheet subjected to printing by the printer unit, and the first image formation apparatus comprises a memory unit adapted to be able to store data of plural jobs capable of being printed by the printer unit, said control method comprising:
- a print control step of causing the printer unit to print the data of the memory unit;
- and
- a job control step of causing the printer unit to be able to execute a printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of the job for the collation process to the sheet in the sheet storage unit after the sheet was set in the sheet storage unit, and of causing to be able to wait for the printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of that job and to be able to use the first image formation apparatus for another job when the sheet is not set in the sheet storage unit.
A data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, said method comprising:
- a dispersion printing control step of causing to execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a selection step of, via the computer, selecting one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus.
A data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, wherein the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus can execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, said data processing method comprising:
- a selection step of, via the computer, enabling to select one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a transmission control step of causing the computer to execute outputting so as to transmit the data of the page the same as that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the first dispersion mode is selected in the computer and so as to transmit the data of the page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the second dispersion mode is selected in the computer.
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing a control method for an image formation system which includes a first image formation apparatus having a sheet storage unit capable of storing a sheet subjected to printing by a second image formation apparatus, wherein the first image formation apparatus can transport the sheet set in the sheet storage unit, without a printer unit of the first image formation apparatus, the first image formation apparatus can execute a collation process of the sheet from the sheet storage unit and a sheet subjected to printing by the printer unit, and the first image formation apparatus comprises a memory unit adapted to be able to store data of plural jobs capable of being printed by the printer unit, said control method comprising:
- a print control step of causing the printer unit to print the data of the memory unit;
- and
- a job control step of causing the printer unit to be able to execute a printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of the job for the collation process to the sheet in the sheet storage unit after the sheet was set in the sheet storage unit, and of causing to be able to wait for the printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of that job and to be able to use the first image formation apparatus for another job when the sheet is not set in the sheet storage unit.
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing a data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, said method comprising:
- a dispersion printing control step of causing to execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a selection step of, via the computer, selecting one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus.
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions for performing a data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, wherein the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus can execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, said data processing method comprising:
- a selection step of, via the computer, enabling to select one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a transmission control step of causing the computer to execute outputting so as to transmit the data of the page the same as that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the first dispersion mode is selected in the computer and so as to transmit the data of the page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the second dispersion mode is selected in the computer.
A computer executable program stored on a computer-readable medium which, upon execution, effects performance of a control method for an image formation system which includes a first image formation apparatus having a sheet storage unit capable of storing a sheet subjected to printing by a second image formation apparatus, wherein the first image formation apparatus can transport the sheet set in the sheet storage unit, without a printer unit of the first image formation apparatus, the first image formation apparatus can execute a collation process of the sheet from the sheet storage unit and a sheet subjected to printing by the printer unit, and the first image formation apparatus comprises a memory unit adapted to be able to store data of plural jobs capable of being printed by the printer unit, said control method comprising:
- a print control step of causing the printer unit to print the data of the memory unit;
- and
- a job control step of causing the printer unit to be able to execute a printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of the job for the collation process to the sheet in the sheet storage unit after the sheet was set in the sheet storage unit, and of causing to be able to wait for the printing process of the data, from among the data of the memory unit, of that job and to be able to use the first image formation apparatus for another job when the sheet is not set in the sheet storage unit.
A computer executable program stored on a computer-readable medium which, upon execution, effects performance of a data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, said method comprising:
- a dispersion printing control step of causing to execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a selection step of, via the computer, selecting one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus.
A computer executable program stored on a computer-readable medium which, upon execution, effects performance of a data processing method which is suitable for an image formation system including a first image formation apparatus and a second image formation apparatus capable of printing data of a computer, wherein the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus can execute a dispersion printing process for executing a printing process of the data of the computer by both the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, said data processing method comprising:
- a selection step of, via the computer, enabling to select one of plural dispersion modes including a first dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page the same as that of page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus, and a second dispersion mode for transmitting data of a page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the data of the computer necessary for the dispersion printing process by the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus is transmitted respectively to the first image formation apparatus and the second image formation apparatus;
- and
- a transmission control step of causing the computer to execute outputting so as to transmit the data of the page the same as that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the first dispersion mode is selected in the computer and so as to transmit the data of the page different from that of the page data to be transmitted to the first image formation apparatus to the second image formation apparatus when the second dispersion mode is selected in the computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.