Image Forming Apparatus And Methods Of Forming Images

• US 20070070388A1
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Yamada, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,867,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.140
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/6538 Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00729 of sheet amount in input tray
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/005 only locally
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1823 for evaluating the resources needed, e.g. rasterizing time, ink, paper stock

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an accommodating unit configured to accommodate a recording medium; an image forming unit for forming an image on the recording medium in response to a print job; a reservation unit for designating a portion of the recording medium as a reserved amount and selectively prohibiting use of the reserved amount by the image forming unit; a determining unit for determining whether the print job is a reserved print job or a non-reserved print job; and a authorizing unit for permitting the image forming unit to use the reserved amount for the reserved print job. The reservation unit prohibits use of the reserved amount for the non-reserved print job. Further, a method of forming an image includes the steps of designating a portion of a recording medium as a reserved amount; prohibiting use of the reserved amount for a print job; determining whether the print job is a reserved print job or an unreserved print job; permitting use the reserved amount for the reserved print job; and forming the image on the designated portion of the recording medium for the reserved print job.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprises:

an accommodating unit configured to accommodate a recording medium;

an image forming unit for forming an image on the recording medium in response to a print job;

a reservation unit for designating a portion of the recording medium as a reserved amount and selectively prohibiting use of the reserved amount by the image forming unit;

a determining unit for determining whether the print job is a reserved print job or a non-reserved print job; and

a authorizing unit for permitting the image forming unit to use the reserved amount for the reserved print job;

wherein the reservation unit prohibits use of the reserved amount for the non-reserved print job.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detecting unit for detecting a residual amount of the accommodated recording medium, wherein the authorizing unit permits the image forming unit to use an available amount of the accommodated recording medium equal to the difference between the residual amount and the reserved amount for printjobs other than the reserved print job, and to use the residual amount for the reserved print job.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a multi-function apparatus is configured to perform at least two of a copying function, a printer function and a facsimile function, the reservation unit designates the reserved amount in association with each function, and on the basis of which function generated the print job.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit identifies a specific user originating the print job to determine whether the print job is the reserved print job.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an identification information input unit for receiving identification information, and an authenticating unit for storing at least one password and for confirming whether the identification information received by the identification information input unit is corresponds to at least one of the at least one password, wherein when the authenticating unit confirms that the identification information corresponds to at least one of the at least one password, the reservation unit sets the amount corresponding to a portion of the recording medium accommodated in the accommodating unit as a reserved amount and prohibiting use of the reserved amount corresponding to the portion of the recording medium by the image forming unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the image forming unit forms an image on a predetermined amount of the recording medium, the reservation unit sets a modified reserved amount equal to the difference between the reserved amount and the predetermined amount.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a release unit for releasing the reserved amount set by the reservation unit.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the release unit releases the reserved amount after a predetermined term.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claims 1, further comprising an indicating unit for identifying an amount of the recording medium as a reservation target amount by the reservation unit, and an alarm unit for emitting an alarm when the identified amount is greater than a remaining amount of the recording medium accommodated in the accommodating unit.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claims 1, further comprising an indicating unit for identifying an amount of the recording medium as a reservation target amount by the reservation unit, and an informing unit for informing a user when an available amount of the recording medium which is not set as a reservation target amount is equal to zero.

11. A method of forming an image comprising the steps of:

designating a portion of a recording medium as a reserved amount;

prohibiting use of the reserved amount for a print job;

determining whether the print job is a reserved print job or an unreserved print job;

permitting use the reserved amount for the reserved print job; and

forming the image on the designated portion of the recording medium for the reserved print job.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a residual amount of the recording medium;

permitting the image to be formed on an available amount of the recording medium, wherein the available amount is equal to a difference between the residual amount and the reserved amount for print jobs other than the reserved print job; and

forming the image on the residual amount for the reserved print job.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

identifying a specific user originating the print job to determine whether the print job is the reserved print job.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving identification information;

storing at least one password; and

confirming whether the received identification information corresponds to at least one of the at least one password, wherein when the identification information is confirmed to correspond to at least one of the at least one password, the amount corresponding to the portion of the recording medium is set as the reserved amount and the reserved amount corresponding to the portion of the recording medium is prohibited for use for image forming.