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

• US 7,446,816 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2004
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tomita, Atsushi, Hino, Hideki, Mae, Hideo, Kawamura, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak; Victor R
• Application Number:
  US10/762,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20040263895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 348/552, 348/553, 348/460, 348/473, 358/1.15, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 710/8, 710/10, 710/11, 710/12
• US Class Current: 348/552
• 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 in an order, data broadcasting signals, formed of a pair of image data, including a frame configuring a moving picture, and private data, including print-out data and a control signal involved in print-out;

a detection section detecting said print-out data and said control signal 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 in response to a control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus,

wherein said control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data is included in private data forming a pair with image data included in a data broadcasting signal received at a time different from a time at which a data broadcasting signal including image data forming a pair with private data including said print-out data is received.

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

in a case where said control signal including an instruction to start printing 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 until a print-out instruction is entered by a user 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 printout is enabled, transitioning said output section 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 a 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 in an order, data broadcasting signals, formed of a pair of image data, including a frame configuring a moving picture, and private data, including print-out data and a control signal involved in print-out;

a detection section detecting said print-out data and said control signal 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; 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 in response to a notification of a control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data stored in said memory apparatus,

wherein said control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data is included in private data forming a pair with image data included in a data broadcasting signal received at a time different from a time at which a data broadcasting signal including image data dorming a pair with private data including said print-out data is received.

6. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein

when said control signal including an instruction to start printing is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said second notification section in a state where print-out is disabled,

said image forming apparatus is inactive on standby till a print-out instruction is entered by a user after said state where print-out is disabled is cleared.

7. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein

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

a transition section, when said print-out data is notified from said data broadcasting receiving terminal by said first notification section in said second state, transitioning said output section from said second state to said first state.

8. The printing system according to claim 5, wherein

said image forming apparatus further including:

a transmission section, when 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 until 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 from said detected control signal a second time data, which is a time difference between a timing at which video information included in said data broadcasting signal is reproduced and a timing at which said detected print-out data is printed out; and

a determination section determining a timing at which said control signal out including an instruction to start printing 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, wherein

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. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a reception section receiving in an order, data broadcasting signals formed of a pair of image data, including a frame configuring a moving picture, and private data, including print-out data and a control signal involved in print-out;

a separation section separating said image data and said print-out data from said received data broadcasting signal;

a transmitting section transmitting said separated print-out data to an image forming apparatus; and

a commanding section issuing a command for printing out said print-out data to said image forming apparatus in response to a control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data,

wherein said control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data is included in private data forming a pair with image data included in a data broadcasting signal received at a time different from a time at which a data broadcasting signal including image data forming a pair with private data including said print-out data is received.

11. A computer readable medium storing data transmission program for causing a computer to execute data transmission processing comprising:

detecting print-out data from a received data broadcasting signals, formed of a pair of image data, including a frame configuring a moving picture, and private data, including print-out data and a control signal involved in said print-out;

sending out said detected print-out data to an image forming apparatus;

detecting a control signal including an instruction to start printing said print-out data from private data forming a pair with image data included in a data broadcasting signal received at a time different from a time at which a data broadcasting signal including image data forming a pair with private data including said print-out data is received; and

issuing a print-out command for said print-out data to said image forming apparatus in response to said control signal including an instruction to start printing is detected.

12. The computer readable medium storing a data transmission program according to claim 11, wherein said data transmission processing further comprises:

detecting the end of said data broadcasting from a received data broadcasting signal, and

commanding erasure of said print-out data to said image forming apparatus when said end of data broadcasting is detected.