Image forming apparatus capable of forming image for broadcasting program at proper timing

• US 20040263895A1
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Yuji, Tomita, Atsushi, Mae, Hideo, Hino, Hideki
• Granted Patent: US 7,446,816 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1211 Improving printing performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1286 via local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/13 Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A data broadcasting receiving terminal receives a data broadcasting signal from a broadcasting station to detect print-out data and a control signal associated with print-out from the data broadcasting signal. The data broadcasting receiving terminal, at a time point of the start of broadcasting, notifies an image forming apparatus of the detected print-out data and printing prohibition data included in the control signal associated with print-out. The data broadcasting receiving terminal acquires a preparation time required for print-out from the image forming apparatus and a time of restoration from a power saving mode and issues a command of printing start, in consideration of the time requirements, to the image forming apparatus so that print-out data is printed out at predetermined timing.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a reception section receiving a data broadcasting signal including print-out data and a control signal associated with print-out;

a detection section detecting said print-out data and said control signal associated with print-out from said received data broadcasting signal;

a storage section storing said detected print-out data into a memory apparatus; and

an output section printing out said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus based on said detected control signal associated with print-out.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in a case where said control signal associated with print-out is detected in said detection section in a state where print-out is disabled, print-out of said print-out data is inactive on standby till a second control signal associated with print-out is detected in said detection section after said state where print-out is disabled is cleared.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transition section, in response to detection of said print-out data in said detection section in a second state other than a first state where print-out is enabled, transitioning from said second state to said first state.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an end detecting section detecting the end of data broadcasting from said received data broadcasting signal; and

an erasure section, when the end of said data broadcasting is detected, erasing said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus.

5. A printing system comprising a data broadcasting receiving terminal and an image forming apparatus,

said data broadcasting receiving terminal including:

a reception section receiving a data broadcasting signal including print-out data and a control signal associated with print-out;

a detection section detecting said print-out data and said control signal associated with print-out from said received data broadcasting signal;

a first notification section notifying said image forming apparatus of said detected print-out data; and

a second notification section notifying said image forming apparatus of said control signal associated with print-out, and

said image forming apparatus including;

a storage section storing said print-out data notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said first notification section in a memory apparatus; and

an output section printing out said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus based on said control signal associated with print-out notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said second notification section.

6. The printing system according to claim 5,

said image forming apparatus further including a restoration section, when said control signal associated with print-out is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said second notification section in a state where print-out is disabled, restoring said image forming apparatus from said state where print-out is disabled, and

said image forming apparatus is inactive on standby till a second control signal associated with print-out is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said second notification section after said image forming apparatus is restored by said restoration section from said state where print-out is disabled.

7. The printing system according to claim 5,

said image forming apparatus further including a transition notifying section notifying said data broadcasting receiving terminal of transition from a first state where print-out is enabled to a second state other than said first state and

said data broadcasting receiving terminal further including a commanding section issuing a command for transition to said first state to said image forming apparatus based on said notification of transition to said second state from said image forming apparatus by said transition notifying section, when print-out data is detected from said received data broadcasting signal in said detection section.

8. The printing system according to claim 5,

said image forming apparatus further including:

a transmission section, in a case where print-out is disabled after said print-out data is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said first notification section, transmitting a first time data, which is a time till the start of print-out is enabled, to said data broadcasting receiving terminal, and

said data broadcasting receiving terminal further including;

an extraction section extracting a second time data, which is a time difference between a timing at which broadcasting data included in said data broadcasting signal is reproduced from said detected control signal associated with print-out and a timing at which said detected print-out data is printed out; and

a determination section determining a timing at which said detected control signal associated with print-out is notified to said image forming section in said second notification section based on said first time data transmitted by said transmission section of said image forming apparatus and said extracted second time data.

9. The printing system according to claim 5, said data broadcasting receiving terminal further including:

an end detecting section detecting the end of data broadcasting from said received data broadcasting signal; and

an end notifying section notifying said image forming apparatus of said detected end of data broadcasting, and

said image forming apparatus further including;

an erasure section erasing said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus when said end of broadcasting is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal in said end notifying section.

10. A printing system comprising a data broadcasting receiving terminal and an image forming apparatus,

said data broadcasting receiving terminal including:

a detection section detecting print-out data and a control signal associated with print-out from a data broadcasting signal that said data broadcasting receiving terminal has received;

a notification section notifying said image forming apparatus of said detected print-out data;

a printing start notifying section, in a case where said detected control signal associated with print-out is a signal indicating the start of print-out of said print-out data, notifying said image forming apparatus of printing start data commanding said start of print-out of said print-out data; and

a printing prohibition notifying section, in a case where said detected control signal associated with print-out is a signal indicating prohibition of print-out of said print-out data, notifying said image forming apparatus of printing inhibition data commanding said prohibition of print-out of said print-out data.

11. An information processing apparatus comprising:

an acquirement section acquiring a program from a predetermined access target;

a reception section executing said acquired program to thereby receive information including video information and print-out data;

a separation section separating said video information and said print data from said received information;

a storage section storing said separated print-out data in a memory apparatus; and

a commanding section issuing a command for printing out said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus to said image forming apparatus at a predetermined timing in reproduction of said separated vide information.

12. A data transmission method comprising the steps of:

transmitting print-out data for print-out together with video information, as a first transmission step; and

transmitting a control signal associated with print-out of said print-out data together with said video information, linking with a timing at which said video information is reproduced, as a second transmission step.

13. The data transmission method according to claim 12, wherein

said video information is a video frame included in a moving picture,

said control signal associated with pint-out transmitted with a link with a timing at which said vide information, which is one frame of said moving picture, is reproduced in said second transmission step is a signal indicating at least one selected from the group consisting of the start of print-out of said print-out data, prohibition of print-out of said print-out data, a time from when said video information, which is one frame of a moving picture, is reproduced till print-out of said print-out data starts, erasure of said print data and a condition for print-out of said print-out data.

14. A data transmission program product causing a computer to execute data transmission processing comprising the steps of:

detecting print-out data from a received data broadcasting signal as a first detection step;

detecting a control signal associated with print-out from said received broadcasting signal as a second detection step;

sending out said print-out data detected in said first detection section to an image forming apparatus as a sending out step; and

issuing a print-out command for said print-out data to said image forming apparatus based on said control signal associated with print-out detected in said second detection step as a commanding step.

15. The data transmission program product according to claim 14, causing a computer to execute data transmission processing further comprising the steps of:

detecting the end of said data broadcasting from said received data broadcasting signal, as a third detection step; and

commanding erasure of said print-out data to said image forming apparatus when said end of data broadcasting is detected in said third detection step, as an erasure commanding step.

16. The data transmission program product according to claim 14, wherein

said control signal associated with print-out is a signal indicating a time difference between a timing of reproduction of broadcasting data included in said data broadcasting signal, from which said control signal associated with print-out is detected and a timing of print-out of said print-out data.

17. The data transmission program product according to claim 14, wherein

said control signal associated with print-out of said print-out data, in said second detection step, is detected from a second data broadcasting signal different from said data broadcasting signal, from which said print-out data is detected in said first detection step.