Print data transmitting apparatus, image forming system, printing condition setting method and printer driver program

• US 7,553,095 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): COLILLA, DANIEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US10/890,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20050117175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,814 Days
• Field of Search: 400/62, 400/70, 400/76, 358/1.1, 399/81, 399/82
• US Class Current: 400/62
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 21/00 Indexing means; Indexing tabs or protectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 21/02 Tabs integral with sheets, papers, cards, or suspension files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1219 with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1264 by assigning post-processing resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1284 Local printer device

Abstract

A print data transmitting apparatus for transmitting print data to an image forming apparatus having a function of creating a printed material including a plurality of pages by inserting a plurality of sheets of special paper constituting one set into a predetermined position one by one. The print data transmitting apparatus comprises a number-of-constituent-sheets acquiring section for acquiring the number of sheets constituting one set of special paper, and an insertion information inputting section for receiving designation of insertion page position where special paper is to be inserted in the printed material, with using a unit of number of the page positions, the number of the page positions being equal to the number of sheets constituting one set of special paper.

Claims

1. An image forming system for obtaining printed material with facilitating material for accessing to specific pages or areas of the printed material, the image forming system comprising:

a first feeding section for feeding a recording sheet;

a second feeding section for feeding the facilitating material;

a first input section for obtaining a number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material loaded on the second feeding section;

a second input section for receiving position information with regard to a position where the facilitating material is added into the printed material;

a transmitting section for transmitting print data;

a printing section for recording an image on the recording sheet based on the print data;

wherein the second feeding section feeds the facilitating material based on the position information, and the image forming system guides an input of the position information based on the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material; and

wherein the image forming system further comprises;

a display section for displaying input areas for the position information, wherein a number of the input areas is equal to an integral multiple of the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

a judging section which judges whether a number of positions of the position information set in the input areas is equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material, after the position information is set in the input areas; and

an urging section which urges a user to rework the input operation of the position information, when the number of positions of the position information set in the input areas is not equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material,

wherein the urging section displays a rework message and the input areas for the position information, and a number of the input areas is equal to at least the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material lastly obtained by the first input section.

2. The image forming system of claim 1, further comprising:

an image forming apparatus; and

a computer system electrically connected with the image forming apparatus, wherein the printing section, the first feeding section and the second feeding section are provided in the image forming apparatus, and the transmitting section is provided in the computer system.

3. The image forming system of claim 2, wherein the first input section is provided in the computer system.

4. The image forming system of claim 2, wherein the first input section is provided in the image forming apparatus.

5. The image forming system of claim 4, wherein the first input section is provided in the second feeding section of the image forming apparatus.

6. The image forming system of claim 4, wherein the first input section is provided on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus.

7. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the second input section is provided in the computer system.

8. The image forming system of claim 4, wherein the second input section is provided in the image forming apparatus.

9. The image forming system of claim 7, wherein the second input section is provided on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus.

10. The image forming system of claim 2, wherein the urging section urges the user to rework the input operation of the position information by using the second input section, when the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material is changed after the second input section received designation of the position information.

11. The image forming system of claim 1, further comprising an image forming apparatus, wherein the printing section, the first feeding section, the second feeding section and the transmitting section are provided in the image forming apparatus.

12. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the one set of the facilitating material placed on the second feeding section comprises a plurality of facilitating materials.

13. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the urging section urges the user to rework the input operation of the position information by using the second input section, when the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material is changed after the second input section received designation of the position information.

14. An image forming system for obtaining printed material with facilitating material for accessing to specific pages or areas of the printed material, the image forming system comprising:

a first feeding section for feeding a recording sheet;

a second feeding section for feeding the facilitating material;

a first input section for obtaining a number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material loaded on the second feeding section;

a second input section for receiving position information with regard to a position where the facilitating material is added into the printed material;

a transmitting section for transmitting print data;

a printing section for recording an image on the recording sheet based on the print data;

wherein the second feeding section feeds the facilitating material based on the position information, and the image forming system guides an input of the position information based on the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

wherein input areas and numerical characters of an integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material are displayed in accordance with the number obtained by the first input section; and

wherein the image forming system further comprises;

a judging section which judges whether a number of positions of the position information set in the input areas is equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material, after the position information is set in the input areas; and

an urging section which urges a user to rework the input operation of the position information, when the number of positions of the position information set in the input areas is not equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material,

wherein the urging section displays a rework message and the input areas for the position information, and a number of the input areas is equal to at least the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material lastly obtained by the first input section.

15. An image forming method for obtaining printed material with facilitating material for accessing to specific pages or areas of the printed material, the image forming method comprising:

feeding a recording sheet;

feeding the facilitating material;

obtaining a number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

receiving position information with regard to a position where the facilitating material is added into the printed material;

guiding an input of the position information based on the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

transmitting print data to an image forming section, wherein the print data includes the position information; and

printing an image on the recording sheet based on the print data, at the image forming section;

wherein feeding the facilitating material is conducted based on the position information; and

wherein the image forming method further comprises;

displaying input areas for the position information, wherein a number of the input areas is equal to an integral multiple of the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

judging whether a number of positions of the position information set in the input areas is equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material, after the position information is set in the input areas; and

when the number of positions of the position information is not equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material, urging a user to rework the input of the position information by displaying a rework message and the input areas for the position information, wherein a number of the input areas is equal to at least the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material as lastly obtained.

16. The image forming method of claim 15, further comprising when the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material is changed after reception of designation of the position information, urging the user to rework the input operation of the position information.

17. An image forming method for obtaining printed material with facilitating material for accessing to specific pages or areas of the printed material, the image forming method comprising:

feeding a recording sheet;

feeding the facilitating material;

obtaining a number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

receiving position information with regard to a position where the facilitating material is added into the printed material;

guiding an input of the position information based on the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

transmitting print data to an image forming section, wherein the print data includes the position information; and

printing an image on the recording sheet based on the print data, at the image forming section;

wherein feeding the facilitating material is conducted based on the position information; and

wherein the image forming method further comprises;

displaying input areas for the position information and numerical characters of an integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material;

judging whether a number of positions of the position information is equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material; and

when the number of positions of the position information is not equal to the integral multiple of the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material, urging a user to rework the input of the position information by displaying a rework message and the input areas for the position information, wherein a number of the input areas is equal to at least the number of sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material as lastly obtained.

18. The image forming method of claim 17, further comprising when the number of the sheets constituting one set of the facilitating material is changed after reception of designation of the position information, urging the user to rework the input operation of the position information.