Print control apparatus and print control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159118-A1
Application number	US-201615019716-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Feb 26, 2010
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A print control apparatus includes a determination unit, a print control unit, and a cutting control unit. The determination unit determines whether a sheet type to be used for a preceding page image can be used for a subsequent page image. The printing unit prints page images on a continuous sheet based on a determination result. If the determination unit determines that the sheet type can be used for the subsequent page image, a printing unit continuously prints the preceding and subsequent page images on a first surface of the continuous sheet without cutting. If the determination unit determines that the sheet type cannot be used for the subsequent page image, the printing unit prints the preceding page image on the first surface of the continuous sheet and then the cutting unit cuts the continuous sheet after printing the preceding page image and before printing the subsequent page image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A print control apparatus configured to cause a printing unit to print a page image on a continuous sheet, the print control apparatus comprising:
a determination unit configured to determine whether a sheet type to be used for a preceding page image can be used for a subsequent page image; a print control unit configured to cause the printing unit to print page images on a continuous sheet based on a determination result by the determination unit; a cutting control unit configured to cause a cutting unit to cut the continuous sheet, wherein, if the determination unit determines that the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image can be used for the subsequent page image, the print control unit causes the printing unit to continuously print the preceding page image and the subsequent page image on a first surface of the continuous sheet without cutting, and wherein, if the determination unit determines that the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image cannot be used for the subsequent page image, the print control unit causes the printing unit to print the preceding page image on the first surface of the continuous sheet and then the cutting control unit causes the cutting unit to cut the continuous sheet after printing the preceding page image on the first surface of the continuous sheet and before printing the subsequent page image; and at least one processing unit, wherein at least one of the determination unit and the print control unit is implemented by the at least one processing unit.

2 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet type to be used includes at least one of a size type of a sheet and a material type of a sheet.

3 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines whether the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image can be used for the subsequent page image based on whether the sheet type set for the preceding page image and the sheet type set for the subsequent page image are the same.

4 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit is a first determination unit, the print control apparatus further comprising a second determination unit configured to determine a number of page images to be printed on a same surface of the continuous sheet so that a total length of the page images to be printed on the same surface of the continuous sheet does not exceed a predetermined length,
wherein the print control unit causes the printing unit to print page images on the continuous sheet based on the determination result by the first determination unit and a determination result by the second determination unit, and wherein the second determination unit is implemented by the at least one processing unit.

5 . The print control apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the second determination unit determines the number of page images to be printed on the same surface so that the total length of the page images to be printed on the same surface of the continuous sheet does not exceed a remaining amount of the continuous sheet.

6 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the print control unit is further configured to cause a reversing unit to reverse the continuous sheet after one or more page images have been printed on the first surface and before one or more page images are printed on the second surface.

7 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising the printing unit.

8 . The print control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the continuous sheet is a roll sheet that is longer, in a sheet conveying direction, than a sheet having a predetermined length of a unit of printing.

9 . A print control method for a print control apparatus configured to cause a printing unit to print a page image on a continuous sheet, the print control method comprising:
determining whether a sheet type to be used for a preceding page image can be used for a subsequent page image; causing the printing unit to print page images on a continuous sheet based on a determination result by the determining; causing a cutting unit to cut the continuous sheet, wherein, if it is determined that the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image can be used for the subsequent page image, causing the printing unit includes causing the printing unit to continuously print the preceding page image and the subsequent page image on a first surface of the continuous sheet without cutting, and wherein, if it is determined that the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image cannot be used for the subsequent page image, causing the printing unit includes causing the printing unit to print the preceding page image on the first surface of the continuous sheet and then causing the cutting unit includes causing the cutting unit to cut the continuous sheet after printing the preceding page image on the first surface of the continuous sheet and before printing the subsequent page image.

10 . The print control method according to claim 9 , wherein the sheet type to be used includes at least one of a size type of a sheet and a material type of a sheet.

11 . The print control method according to claim 9 , wherein determining includes determining whether the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image can be used for the subsequent page image based on whether the sheet type set for the preceding page image and the sheet type set for the subsequent page image are the same.

12 . The print control method according to claim 9 , wherein the determining is a first determination, the print control method further comprising determining, as a second determination, a number of page images to be printed on a same surface of the continuous sheet so that a total length of the page images to be printed on the same surface of the continuous sheet does not exceed a predetermined length,
wherein causing the printing unit includes causing the printing unit to print page images on the continuous sheet based on the determination result by the first determination and a determination result by the second determination.

13 . The print control method according to claim 12 , wherein the second determination determines the number of page images to be printed on the same surface so that the total length of the page images to be printed on the same surface of the continuous sheet does not exceed a remaining amount of the continuous sheet.

14 . The print control method according to claim 9 , wherein causing the printing unit includes causing a reversing unit to reverse the continuous sheet after one or more page images have been printed on the first surface and before one or more page images are printed on the second surface.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program to cause a print control apparatus, configured to cause a printing unit to print a page image on a continuous sheet, to perform a print control method, the print control method comprising:
determining whether a sheet type to be used for a preceding page image can be used for a subsequent page image; causing the printing unit to print page images on a continuous sheet based on a determination result by the determining; causing a cutting unit to cut the continuous sheet, wherein, if it is determined that the sheet type to be used for the preceding page image can be used for the subsequent page image, causing the printing unit includes causing the printing unit to continuously print the preceding page image and the subsequ

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Shishido Kazunari
• Nakamura Sho
• Noguchi Takayoshi
• Hirahara Atsushi

Classifications

• G06F3/1215 Primary

  achieving increased printing speed, i.e. reducing the time between printing start and printing end · CPC title

• G06F3/1252

  for sheet based media · CPC title

• B41J3/60

  for printing on both faces of the printing material · CPC title

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title

• G03G15/6517

  Apparatus for continuous web copy material of plain paper, e.g. supply rolls; Roll holders therefor · CPC title