Image forming apparatus, sheet supply supporting method and control program
AssigneeKonica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYoko Shiraki, Kazuhito Osumi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image forming apparatus comprises a sheet tray to store sheets to form an image thereon; a detecting section to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the sheet tray; and a sheet managing section to compare the capacity of empty space of the sheet tray with a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the sheet tray, wherein in the case that the capacity of empty space of the sheet tray is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that it is possible to supply sheets by the one or plural bundle of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray.
Claims15
An image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of sheet trays to store sheets to form an image thereon;
- a detecting section provided to each of the plurality of sheet trays and to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays;
- and
- a sheet managing section to compare the capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays detected by the detecting section with a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plurality of sheet trays, wherein in the case that the capacity of empty space of a sheet tray among the plurality of sheet trays is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray, and
- wherein the sheet managing section specifies plural sheet trays storing sheets of the same size and the same kind among the plurality of sheet trays and compares a total capacity of empty space of the plural sheet trays with the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plural sheet trays, and in the case that the total capacity of empty space is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the one or plural bundles of sheets, the sheet managing section notifies that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply by distributing the one or plural bundles of sheets to the plural sheet trays.
A sheet supply supporting method in an image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of sheet trays to store sheets to form an image thereon and a detecting section provided to each of the plurality of sheet trays and to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays, comprising:
- a first step of registering a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plurality of sheet trays;
- a second step of detecting a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays by the detecting section and registering the detected capacity of empty space;
- a third step of comparing the capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays with the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets;
- and
- a fourth step of, in the case that the capacity of empty space of a sheet tray among the plurality of sheet trays is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the one or plural bundles of sheets, notifying that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray,
- wherein the second step includes steps of specifying plural sheet trays storing sheets of the same size and the same kind among the plurality of sheet trays, detecting a capacity of empty space of each of the plural sheet trays, calculating the total capacity of empty space of the plural sheet trays, and registering the total capacity;
- and in the third step, the total capacity of empty space is compared with the sheet capacity of the one or plural bundles of sheets to be stored in the plural sheet trays;
- and in the fourth step, in the case that the total capacity of empty space is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the one or plural bundles of sheets, it is notified that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply by distributing the one or plural bundles of sheets to the plural sheet trays.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a control program readable by a computer, wherein the control program is adapted to work in a system including an image forming apparatus equipped with a plurality of sheet trays to store sheets to form an image thereon and a detecting section provided to each of the plurality of sheet trays and to detect a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays, the control program, when executed, causing the image forming apparatus to execute:
- a first step of registering a capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to be stored in the plurality of sheet trays;
- a second step of detecting a capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays by the detecting section and registering the detected capacity of empty space;
- a third step of comparing the capacity of empty space of each of the plurality of sheet trays with the capacity of sheets of one or plural bundles of sheets;
- and
- a fourth step of, in the case that the capacity of empty space of a sheet tray among the plurality of sheet trays is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the on or plural bundles of sheets, notifying that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply to the sheet tray,
- wherein the second step includes steps of specifying plural sheet trays storing sheets of the same size and the same kind among the plurality of sheet trays, detecting a capacity of empty space of each of the plural sheet trays, calculating the total capacity of empty space of the plural sheet trays, and registering the total capacity;
- and in the third step, the total capacity of empty space is compared with the sheet capacity of the one or plural bundles of sheets to be stored in the plural sheet trays;
- and in the fourth step, in the case that the total capacity of empty space is equal to or larger than the capacity of sheets of the one or plural bundles of sheets, the image forming apparatus is notified that sheet supply is possible by one or plural bundles of sheets as a unit of supply by distributing the one or plural bundles of sheets to the plural sheet trays.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.