Small AIO (all in one) printer that uses external storage for the purpose of paper collation
AssigneeKonica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc.
InventorsShaun Pinney, Hao Hu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method implemented in a data processing system including an image forming apparatus for producing a print job, which includes the steps of: (a) receiving data representing a document to be printed in the print job; (b) receiving job information about the print job; (c) determining if the job information includes an instruction to print multiple copies of the document in a collated order; (d) forwarding the data representing the document to be printed in the print job to an external storage unit when multiple copies of the document in collated order have been requested; (e) retrieving the data from the external storage unit; and (f) printing the multiple copies of the document in collated order.
Claims15
A method implemented in a data processing system including an image forming apparatus for producing a print job, comprising:
- (a) receiving data representing a document to be printed in the print job;
- (b) receiving job information about the print job, the job information including an instruction to print multiple copies of the document in a collated order;
- (c) forwarding the data in its entirety to an external storage unit when an internal memory of the image forming apparatus does not have sufficient memory to store the data representing the print job;
- (d) sending the data from the external storage unit to a printer controller of the image forming apparatus for printing;
- (e) printing the multiple copies of the document in collated order;
- and if an error is detected upon printing of the multiple copies of the document, printing a single copy of the print job.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.