Image forming apparatus, image forming system, control method, and recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10725713-B2
Application number	US-201916269733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a printing device to perform normal printing of a job according to a setting, and processing circuitry to: accept a request for executing printing of another job while the printing device is performing the normal printing of the job according to the setting; when the request for executing printing of another job is a request for executing trial printing, control the printing device to interrupt the normal printing of the job to perform the trial printing of the another job; and control an ejection device to discharge a recording medium printed in the normal printing of the job and a recording medium printed in the trial printing of the another job on different sheet discharge trays.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a printing device configured to perform normal printing and trial printing of a job according to a printer job setting; and
processing circuitry configured to control the printing device to:
accept a request for executing printing of a second job while the printing device is performing the normal printing of a first job according to the printer job setting;
determine whether the second job is the normal printing or the trial printing;
control the printing device to interrupt the normal printing of the first job to perform the trial printing of the second job, based on the determination that the second job is for the trial printing;
control the printing device to set the printer job setting to the trial printing;
control an ejection device to discharge a recording medium printed in the normal printing of the first job and a recording medium printed in the trial printing of the second job on different sheet discharge trays; and
control the printing device to set the printer job setting to the normal printing.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an operation device configured to accept a job setting from an operator,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to perform printing according to the job setting accepted from the operator.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,
the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to perform the normal printing of the second job after completion of the normal printing of the first job, based on the determination that the second job is for the normal printing.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to change the printer job setting from the printer job setting for the normal printing to the printer job setting for the trial printing, based on the determination that the second job is for the trial printing.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printing device ejects droplets onto a recording medium to form an image on a surface of the recording medium.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printing device transfers a toner image onto a recording medium to form an image on a surface of the recording medium.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured determine whether the printing device is performing the normal printing of the first job.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to change the printer job setting from the setting for the trial printing to the setting for the normal printing, after completion of the trial printing.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to:
set a first job setting to the normal printing of the first job before executing the first job; and
set a second job setting to the trial printing of the second job, while executing the first job, the second job setting being different from the first job setting.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the printing device to:
set a first job setting to the normal printing of the first job before executing the first job;
set a second job setting to the trial printing of the second job, while executing the first job, the second job setting being different from the first job setting;
interrupt the normal printing of the first job to perform the trial printing of the second job based on the determination that the second job is for the trial printing, the second job being executed according to the second job setting; and
resume the normal printing of the first job according to the first job.

11. An image forming system comprising:
a terminal device; and
an image forming apparatus communicably connected with the terminal device and configured to perform printing,
wherein the terminal device includes:
an input device configured to accept a request for executing printing of a job according to a job setting; and
a first communication device configured to transmit the request to the image forming apparatus, and

the image forming apparatus includes:
a printing device configured to perform normal printing and trial printing of the job according to the job setting;
a second communication device configured to receive the request for executing the printing of the job from the terminal device, while the printing device is performing the normal printing of the job;
processing circuitry configured to:
determine whether the request for executing printing of the job received from the terminal device is a request for executing the trial printing or the normal printing;
control the printing device to set the job setting to the trial printing;
control the printing device to interrupt the normal printing of the job to perform the trial printing of the job, based on the determination that the request is for the trial printing;
control the printing device to set the job setting to the normal printing; and
control an ejection device to discharge a recording medium printed in the normal printing of the job and a recording medium printed in the trial printing of the job on different sheet discharge trays.

12. A control method for controlling printing, the printing performed by an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
performing normal printing of a first job according to a job setting;
accepting a request for executing printing of a second job while a printing device is performing the normal printing of the first job according to the job setting;
determining whether the second job is for trial printing;
interrupting the normal printing of the first job, based on the determination that the second job is for the trial printing;
setting the job setting to the trial printing;
performing the trial printing of the second job;
discharging a recording medium printed in the normal printing and a recording medium printed in the trial printing on different sheet discharge trays; and
setting the job setting to the normal printing.

13. A non-transitory recording medium which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform a control method comprising:
controlling a printing device to perform normal printing of a job according to a job setting;
accepting a request for executing printing of a second job while the printing device is performing the normal printing of a first job according to the job setting;
determining whether the second job is for trial printing;
interrupting the normal printing of the first job being performed by the printing device, based on the determination that the second job is for the trial printing;
setting the job setting to the trial printing;
controlling the printing device to perform the trial printing of the second job;
controlling an ejection device to discharge a recording medium printed in the normal printing and a recording medium printed in the trial printing on different sheet discharge trays; and
setting the job setting to the normal printing.

Assignees

• Ozeki Kaori
• Sueishi Taijirou
• Bamba Akiko
• Chubachi Kohei
• Morikawa Hiroshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ozeki Kaori
• Sueishi Taijirou
• Bamba Akiko
• Chubachi Kohei
• Morikawa Hiroshi

Classifications

• G03G15/5062

  by measuring the characteristics of an image on the copy material · CPC title

• G03G15/5083

  for scheduling · CPC title

• G03G15/5012 Primary

  Priority interrupt; Job recovery, e.g. after jamming or malfunction · CPC title

• G03G2215/00569

  Calibration, test runs, test prints · CPC title

• G06F3/1217 Primary

  achieving reduced idle time at the output device or increased asset utilization · CPC title