Printing system, printer, data output device, printing method

• US 6,984,079 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hisatomi, Kenji, Okada, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAU, MINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/492,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20040258444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 400/76, 400/70, 400 61- 63, 358/1.14, 358/1.15
• US Class Current: 400/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1803 Receiving particular commands

Abstract

A printing system that simply links the process for turning OFF the power to a printing apparatus and a data-output apparatus such as a STB. The data-output apparatus sends an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn the power OFF, and turns the power OFF after the printing process by the data-output apparatus ends. The printing apparatus receives an instruction, and turns the power OFF after the printing process by the printing apparatus ends.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising a printing apparatus and a data-output apparatus that outputs data to be printed to the printing apparatus, wherein

the data-output apparatus sends an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn the power OFF, and

the printing apparatus, in response to the instruction from the data-output apparatus, turns OFF the power to the printing apparatus, upon the printing apparatus finishing a printing process for a printing job or a page of the printing job, said printing job being input into the printing apparatus before receiving the instruction from the data-output apparatus.

2. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the data-output apparatus is a receiving apparatus that receives data, and

the printing apparatus prints data received by the receiving apparatus.

3. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the data-output apparatus stores data in a memory, and the printing apparatus acquires data from the data-output apparatus.

4. The printing system of claim 3 wherein

the data-output apparatus sends an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn the power OFF, and after the printing process of the data-output apparatus is finished, turns OFF the power.

5. The printing system of claim 4 wherein

the printing apparatus sends a notification to the data-output apparatus to delete acquired data from the memory, and

the data-output apparatus ends the printing process by the data-output apparatus when printing data is deleted from the memory.

6. The printing system of claim 3 wherein

the data-output apparatus sends an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn the power OFF, when the power to the data-output apparatus is ON, and when the button on the data-output apparatus that controls the power of the data-output apparatus is pressed or when the button of a remote control of the data-output apparatus that controls the power of the data-output apparatus is pressed.

7. The printing system of claim 3 wherein

the data-output apparatus sends an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn the power OFF, when the power to the data-output apparatus is ON, and when the button on the printing apparatus that controls the power of the data-output apparatus is pressed or when the button of a remote control of the printing apparatus that controls the power of the data-output apparatus is pressed.

8. The printing system of claim 3 wherein

the data-output apparatus is a STB that receives a digital broadcast.

9. The printing system of claim 3 wherein the data is data of printing contents included in a digital broadcast.

10. The printing system of claim 1 wherein the printing apparatus turns OFF the power after the printing process is finished for the printing job or the page of the printing job, of the data having a printing instruction.

11. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the printing apparatus selects (i) or (ii) according to a setting:

(i) the printing apparatus turns OFF the power after the printing process is finished for the printing jobs that are input up until the power-OFF instruction is input, or pages of the printing jobs, of the data having a printing instruction, or (ii) when the power-OFF instruction is input and part of the data having a printing instruction remains in the data-output apparatus, the printing apparatus turns OFF the power after the printing process for all of the data having a printing instruction is finished, including the remaining data.

12. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the data-output apparatus turns OFF the power to the printing apparatus after the printing process by the data-output apparatus is finished.

13. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the printing apparatus sends a notification to the data-output apparatus to delete a file for which the printing process by the printing apparatus has finished, from the memory, and

the data-output apparatus ends the printing process by the data-output apparatus when data in the progress of being printed is deleted from the memory.

14. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the data-output apparatus ends the printing process when data in the progress of being printed is deleted from the memory.

15. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the printing apparatus manages the printing job, and

the data-output apparatus monitors the printing job in the printing apparatus, and when there are no more printing jobs for the printing apparatus, ends the printing process of the data-output apparatus.

16. The printing system of claim 1 wherein

the printing apparatus moves to the ‘

Ready’

state instead turning OFF the power to the printing apparatus.

17. The printing system of claim 1 wherein when the data-output apparatus sends a printing instruction to the printing apparatus,

the printing apparatus turns ON the power to the printing apparatus and starts printing.

18. A method of turning the power OFF in a printing system comprising a printing apparatus and a data-output apparatus that outputs data to be printed to the printing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

sending by the data-output apparatus, an instruction to the printing apparatus to turn OFF the power, and

turning OFF, by the printing apparatus, the power to the printing apparatus, in response to the instruction from the data-output apparatus, upon the printing apparatus finishing a printing process for a printing job or a page of the printing job, said printing job being input into the printing apparatus before receiving the instruction from the data-output apparatus.

19. A printing apparatus comprising a receiver that receives data, a printing-process unit, and power-supply unit, wherein in response to the receiver receiving an instruction to turn the power OFF, the printing apparatus turns the power OFF, upon the printing-process unit finishing a printing process for a printing job or a page of the printing job, said printing job being input into the printing apparatus before receiving the instruction from the data-output apparatus.

20. The printing apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a sending unit that sends notifications to a connected device, wherein

the sending unit sends a printing-end notification to the connected device after the printing process by the printing-process unit ends, and executes the power-OFF process for the printing apparatus.

21. The printing apparatus of claim 19 wherein

the printing process by the printing-process unit finishes, and after a predetermined time, the execution of the power-OFF process is performed.

22. The printing apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a paper-output-management unit, and wherein

the execution of the power-OFF process is performed after the paper-output-management unit confirms that paper output has finished.

23. The printing apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a printing-job-management unit, and wherein

the printing-job-management unit manages the paper-output process as a task in one job, and

the execution of the power-OFF process is performed when there are no more printing jobs, which include the paper-output process, in the printing-job-management unit.

24. The printing apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a printing-job-management unit, and wherein

the printing-job-management unit holds information for the number of pages of printing for the printing job, and

the execution of the power-OFF process is performed after printing corresponding to the number of pages held in the printing-job-management unit is completely finished.

25. A data-output apparatus that outputs data to be printed to a printing apparatus, wherein when the user performs an operation to turn OFF the power to the data-output apparatus, the data-output apparatus sends an instruction to turn the power OFF to the printing apparatus, and determines whether or not data is being printed, and turns the power OFF after the printing process ends, and

wherein the printing apparatus, in response to the instruction from the data-output apparatus, turns OFF the power to the printing apparatus upon the printing apparatus finishing a printing process for a printing job or a page of the printing job, said printing job being input into the printing apparatus before receiving the instruction from the data-output apparatus.

26. The data-output apparatus of claim 25 comprising a memory, and that ends the printing process when there is no more data to be printed in the memory.