Image Printing Apparatus and Method for Controlling an Image Printing Apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017193341-A1
Application number	US-201715467850-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image printing apparatus including a communication interface, a printer, a user interface including an operation panel, a controller configured to control the printer and the user interface is provided. The controller is configured to receive preliminary data sent from an information processing apparatus through the communication interface; control the printer to perform a warm-up action; receive job data including image data through the communication interface; control the user interface to perform a receipt-notification and control the printer to start printing based on the image data; during a period from the receipt of the preliminary data until start of receiving the job data, withhold from accepting a cancellation command sent in response to user entering a cancellation operation; and after the start of receiving the job data, accept the cancellation command and cancel printing of the image based on the job data associated with to the entered cancellation command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image printing apparatus comprising:
a communication interface; a printer; a user interface including an operation panel and a cancellation input device; and a controller configured to control the printer and the user interface; wherein the controller is configured to:
receive preliminary data sent from an information processing apparatus through the communication interface;
in response to receipt of the preliminary data, control the printer to perform a warm-up action for warming up the printer;
receive job data including image data through the communication interface, the job data being sent after the preliminary data from the information processing apparatus;
based on the receipt of the job data, control the user interface to perform a receipt-notification to notify the user of the receipt and control the printer to start printing based on the image data included in the job data;
during a period from the receipt of the preliminary data until start of receiving the job data, turn the cancellation input device off; and
after the start of receiving the job data, turn the cancellation input device on and accept a cancellation operation.

2 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to: withhold from accepting a cancellation command for the cancellation operation during the period from the receipt of the preliminary data until the start of the receiving the job data; and accept the cancellation command and cancel printing of the image based on the job data associated with the entered cancellation command after the start of receiving the job data.

3 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, based on receipt of a plurality of units of the job data, control the user interface to perform the receipt-notification for an earlier one of the plurality of units of the job data which is received earlier antecedently over the receipt-notification for the other of the plurality of units of the print job data received later.

4 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, after the start of receiving the earlier one of the plurality of units of the job data, turn the cancellation input device on to accept the cancellation command and cancel the printing of the image based on the image data included in the earlier one of plurality of units of the job data associated with to the entered cancellation command.

5 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the receipt of a plurality of units the preliminary data, control the printer to perform the warm-up action for the earlier one of the plurality of units of the preliminary data.

6 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the receipt of the job data before completion of the warm-up action, control the user interface to perform the receipt-notification and turn the cancellation input device on in parallel with the warm-up action.

7 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to receipt of a sufficient amount of the image data included in the job data, control the user interface to perform the receipt-notification, the sufficient amount of the image data corresponding to an amount of the image data required for the printer to start printing the image.

8 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the receipt of the preliminary data, control the user interface to perform a predetermined notification to the user.

9 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the receipt-notification and the predetermined notification are different manners.

10 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a display and a lamp; and wherein the controller is configured to, in the receipt-notification, operate the at least one of the display and the lamp.

11 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the user interface comprises the display and the lamp; wherein the controller is configured to, in the predetermined notification, operate the lamp; and wherein the controller is configured to, in the receipt-notification, operate the display.

12 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to, in the predetermined notification, operate the lamp to blink or steadily turn on.

13 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to, in the receipt-notification, operate both the lamp and the display.

14 . The image printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller is configured to determine an occurrence of an error to interrupt the printing of the image in the printer; and wherein the controller is configured to, in response to the receipt of the preliminary data and to the determination of the occurrence of the error, control the user interface to perform an error notification to the user.

15 . A method for controlling an image printing apparatus, comprising:
receiving preliminary data sent from an information processing apparatus through a communication interface of the image printing apparatus; in response to receipt of the preliminary data, controlling a printer of the image printing apparatus to perform a warm-up action for warming up the printer; receiving job data including image data through the communication interface, the job data being sent after the preliminary data from the information processing apparatus; based on the receipt of the job data, controlling a user interface of the image printing apparatus to perform a receipt-notification to notify the user of the receipt and controlling the printer to start printing based on the image data included in the job data; during a period from the receipt of the preliminary data until start of receiving the job data, turning a cancellation input device of the image printing apparatus off; and after the start of receiving the job data, turning the cancellation input device on and canceling printing of the image based on the job data associated with the entered cancellation command.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Oguchi Tomoya

Classifications

• G06F3/1285

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

• G06F3/1204 Primary

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

• G06F3/1207

  resulting in the user being informed about print result after a job submission · CPC title

• G06F3/1268

  Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself · CPC title

• G06F3/1259

  Print job monitoring, e.g. job status · CPC title