Image forming apparatus, non-transitory computer readable medium storing program, and image forming method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12360714-B2
Application number	US-202217890280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2022
Priority date	Mar 3, 2022
Publication date	Jul 15, 2025
Grant date	Jul 15, 2025

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a processor configured to, in a case where a print instruction to form an image by plural image forming apparatuses is received from a terminal apparatus and a pre-confirmation image of a print result is requested and in a case where an image forming apparatus is not possible to execute a printing process according to setting content designated in the print instruction, generate a pre-confirmation image corresponding to an image, which is obtained in a case where the printing process is executed in a state in which the setting content designated in the received print instruction is changed to setting content that is executable in the image forming apparatus to transmit the generated pre-confirmation image to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the print instruction, and change the setting content of the received print instruction to the setting content that is executable in the image forming apparatus to transmit the changed setting content to another image forming apparatus that executes a next printing process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
in a case where a print instruction to form an image by a plurality of image forming apparatuses is received from a terminal apparatus and a pre-confirmation image of a print result is requested and in a case where an image forming apparatus is not possible to execute a printing process according to setting content designated in the print instruction, generate a pre-confirmation image corresponding to an image, which is obtained in a case where the printing process is executed in a state in which the setting content designated in the print instruction is changed to setting content that is executable in the image forming apparatus to transmit the generated pre-confirmation image to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the print instruction; and
change the setting content of the print instruction to the setting content that is executable in the image forming apparatus to transmit the changed setting content to another image forming apparatus that executes a next printing process.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to:
in a case where paper of a paper size designated in the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus is not set in the image forming apparatus, generate a pre-confirmation image of a print result in a case where paper of a paper size closest to the designated paper size among paper set in the image forming apparatus to transmit the pre-confirmation image to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the print instruction, and change designation of the paper size in the print instruction to the paper size in a case where the pre-confirmation image is generated to transmit the changed designation to the other image forming apparatus that executes the next printing process.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor configured to:
in a case where the paper of the paper size designated in the print instruction is not set in the image forming apparatus, cause an alternative paper selection function, which is a function of selecting the paper of the paper size closest to the designated paper size among the set paper and executing the printing process, to be an off state to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to the other image forming apparatus that executes the next printing process.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein designation of a paper size of the print instruction includes not only designation of a shape of paper but also designation of a paper direction.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein designation of the paper size of the print instruction includes not only designation of a shape of the paper but also designation of a paper direction.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein designation of the paper size of the print instruction includes not only designation of a shape of the paper but also designation of a paper direction.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to:
in a case where the print instruction to form the image by the plurality of image forming apparatuses is received from the terminal apparatus and in a case where the image forming apparatus is possible to execute the printing process according to the setting content designated in the print instruction, generate a pre-confirmation image of a print result corresponding to an image on which the printing process is executed based on the print instruction to transmit the pre-confirmation image to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the print instruction.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processor configured to:
in a case where the image forming apparatus is not possible to execute the printing process according to the setting content designated in the print instruction, transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to the other image forming apparatus that executes the next printing process without changing a setting state of an alternative setting selection function of changing the setting content designated in the print instruction so that the printing process is executable in the image forming apparatus.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a printing processing unit that executes a printing process using a normal color material consisting of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit the print instruction received from the terminal apparatus to an image forming apparatus that executes a printing process using a color material of a special color other than the normal colors.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , furt

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Tsuji Ayumi
• Maruyama Satoshi
• Watanabe Masaki
• Taguchi Yusuke
• Matsumoto Ryo

Classifications

• G06F3/1261

  by using alternate printing · CPC title

• G06F3/1226

  Discovery of devices having required properties · CPC title

• G06F3/1204

  resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data · CPC title

• G06F3/1258

  by updating job settings at the printer · CPC title

• G06F3/1208

  resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview · CPC title