Print control device, image forming apparatus, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9448751-B2
Application number	US-201314048587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	Nov 29, 2012
Publication date	Sep 20, 2016
Grant date	Sep 20, 2016

Abstract

A print control device includes an output unit, an adding unit, and a transmitting unit. The output unit outputs generated print data to a printing mechanism. The generated print data is generated as a result of unit print data, which includes page data of at least one page, being copied; and includes pieces of the unit print data. The adding unit adds blank page data between one piece of unit print data and another piece of unit print data to be printed next in line to the one piece of unit print data. The transmitting unit transmits, to the printing mechanism, information for causing an additional image to be formed on a medium when an image based on the page data is printed on the medium, and information for causing the additional image not to be formed on a blank page formed based on the added blank page data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A print control device comprising:
an output unit that acquires print data for one job, and outputs a plurality of pieces of page data of individual pages including, for each individual page, an overlay-switch flag that is set based on a comparison of an overlay name of an overlay image to be added to the individual page with an overlay name of an overlay image to be added to a previous individual page to the individual page;
a holding unit that, in a case in which the print data is to be output as a plurality of sets of the pieces of page data, holds a first overlay name of an overlay image that is to be added to a last page of a given set of the plurality of sets;
a grasping unit that, in the case in which the print data is to be output as the plurality of sets, grasps a second overlay name of an overlay image that is to be added to a first page of a next set following the given set; and
a transmitting unit that compares the first overlay name with the second overlay name, and that transmits information indicating whether or not a registered overlay image is to be changed for the next set based on the comparison, to the printing mechanism.

2. The print control device according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitting unit compares the first overlay name with the second overlay name and determines if there is a mismatch, and transmits the information based on the determination.

3. The print control device according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay images are images to be overlayed over the page data.

4. The print control device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the overlay images is a background image or a header.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the overlay images are additional images that are additionally printed on each page.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the overlay images are background images or headers.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the generated print data is changed based on the transmitted information.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming mechanism that forms an image on a medium; and
a print control device that controls printing performed by the image forming mechanism, wherein
the print control device includes the print control device according to claim 1 .

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the transmitting unit compares the first overlay name with the second overlay name and determines if there is a mismatch, and transmits the information based on the determination.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the overlay images are images to be overlayed over the page data.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein each of the overlay images is a background image or a header.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process, the process comprising:
acquiring print data for one job, and outputting a plurality of pieces of page data of individual pages including, for each individual page, an overlay-switch flag that is set based on a comparison of an overlay name of an overlay image to be added to the individual page with an overlay name of an overlay image to be added to a previous individual page to the individual page;
holding, in a case in which the print data is to be output as a plurality of sets of the pieces of page data, holds a first overlay name of an overlay image that is to be added to a last page of a given set of the plurality of sets;
grasping, in the case in which the print data is to be output as the plurality of sets, a second overlay name of an overlay image that is to be added to a first page of a next set following the given set; and
comparing the first overlay name with the second overlay name, and transmitting information indicating whether or not a registered overlay image is to be changed for the next set based on the comparison, to the printing mechanism.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the process compares the first overlay name with the second overlay name and determines if there is a mismatch, and transmits the information based on the determination.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the overlay images are images to be overlayed over the page data.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14 , wherein each of the overlay images is a background image or a header.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the generated print data is changed based on the transmitted information.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Kazunari
• Ishizuka miho

Classifications

• G06T1/0021

  Image watermarking · CPC title

• G06F3/1241

  Dividing a job according to job requirements, e.g. black/white and colour pages, covers and body of books, tabs · CPC title

• G06F3/125

  Page layout or assigning input pages onto output media, e.g. imposition · CPC title

• G06F3/1296

  Printer job scheduling or printer resource handling · CPC title

• G06T2201/005

  Image watermarking · CPC title