# US 9,241,088 B2 · Image forming apparatus, image forming system, image forming system control method, and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,241,088 B2 - Document ID: US9241088B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/801,593 - Filed: 2015-07-16 - Published: 2015-11-05 - Granted: 2016-01-19 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-20 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kou Hiraike - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9241088B2 ## CPC - H04N 1/32635: {of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper} - G06F 3/1296: {Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling} - H04N 1/001: {specially adapted for transmission via digital wireline networks (H04N1/00098 takes precedence)} - H04N 1/00204: {with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server (programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561)} - H04N 1/00915: {Assigning priority to, or interrupting, a particular operation} - H04N 1/00917: {Resuming after an intentional interruption, e.g. resetting parameters} - H04N 1/2346: {according to a detected condition or state of the reproducing device, e.g. temperature or ink quantity} - H04N 1/32021: {according to the type of received information} - G06K 15/00: Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data {, e.g. computer output printers}(printing or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00) - H04N 1/3247: {Changing the arrangement of data in a page, e.g. reversing the order to produce a mirror image} - H04N 2201/0024: Converting image communication control signals, e.g. group 3 facsimile protocol signals, to non-image communication control signals or vice versa - H04N 2201/0082: Image hardcopy reproducer (H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence) - H04N 2201/0093: Facsimile machine (H04N2201/0094 takes precedence) - H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception - H04N 2201/3226: of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract An image forming apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive data via a network, a printing unit configured to print an image based on the data received from the receiving unit, and a control unit configured to control the receiving unit to refuse a data reception based on a simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) when a toner remaining amount for the printing unit is less than a predetermined value, wherein the printing unit is configured to print, in the case that the receiving unit receives page description language (PDL) data, an image based on the received PDL data even if the toner remaining amount is less than the predetermined value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a first image forming apparatus; and a second image forming apparatus, wherein the first image forming apparatus comprises: a first control unit; a first image forming unit; a first receiving unit configured to receive data; and a transferring unit configured to transfer the data received by the first receiving unit to the second image forming apparatus, wherein the second image forming apparatus comprises: a second receiving unit configured to receive the data transferred from the first image forming apparatus; a second image forming unit configured to perform image forming based on the data received by the second receiving unit; and a second control unit configured to perform notification to the first image forming apparatus on the basis that it is determined that a remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than a predetermined value, and wherein the first control unit controls the first image forming unit to perform the image forming based on the data received by the first receiving unit in response to reception of the notification from the second image forming apparatus. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than the predetermined value, the second control unit performs the notification as a response to a communication establishment request received from the first image forming apparatus, and wherein, in response to reception of the notification from the second image forming apparatus, the first control unit controls the first image forming unit to perform the image forming based on the data received by the first receiving unit without the transferring of the data by the transferring unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than the predetermined value, the second control unit performs the notification as a response to the transferring of the data from the first image forming apparatus, and wherein, in response to reception of the notification from the second image forming apparatus, the first control unit stops the transferring of the data by the transferring unit and controls the first image forming unit to perform the image forming based on the data received by the first receiving unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the first image forming apparatus further comprises a storage unit configured to store the data received by the first receiving unit, and wherein, in response to reception of the notification from the second image forming apparatus, the first control unit controls the first image forming unit to perform the image forming based on the data stored in the storage unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4, wherein the first image forming apparatus further comprises a deleting unit configured to delete the data stored in the storage unit after the transferring of the data by the transferring unit is completed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than the predetermined value, the second control unit performs the notification to the first image forming apparatus without performing of the image forming by the second image forming unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the second image forming unit is further configured to perform image forming based on data different from the data transferred from the first image forming apparatus, and wherein, even when the remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than the predetermined value, the second control unit controls the second image forming unit to perform image forming for the data different from the data transferred from the first image forming apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the data received by the first receiving unit is facsimile data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, wherein the data transferred by the transferring unit is data converted from the facsimile data into e-mail data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where data is received by the receiving unit, the first control unit determines whether to transfer the data to the second image forming apparatus or to perform printing based on the data in the first image forming apparatus. ### Claim 11 A first image forming apparatus comprising: a first control unit; a first image forming unit; a first receiving unit configured to receive data; and a transferring unit configured to transfer the data received by the first receiving unit to a second image forming apparatus, wherein the second image forming apparatus comprises: a second receiving unit configured to receive the data transferred from the first image forming apparatus; a second image forming unit configured to perform image forming based on the data received by the second receiving unit; and a second control unit configured to perform notification to the first image forming apparatus on the basis that it is determined that a remaining amount of toner used by the second image forming unit for performing the image forming is less than a predetermined value, and wherein the first control unit controls the first image forming unit to perform the image forming based on the data received by the first receiving unit in response to reception of the notification from the second image forming apparatus.