Image forming apparatus

• US 9,619,184 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Katayama, Kenji, Shirai, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Quang N
• Application Number:
  US14/609,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 358 327, 358 19, 358504
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1208 resulting in improved quality of the output result, e.g. print layout, colours, workflows, print preview
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1234 Errors handling and recovery, e.g. reprinting G06F3/1261 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/027 Test patterns and calibration arrangements for controlling or analysing printing mechanisms of typewriters or selective printing units B41J29/393 takes precedence; colour correction using test pattern analysis in general H04N1/6033
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/1868 for fitting to an output condition, e.g. paper colour or format
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/408 Handling exceptions, e.g. faults computer driven error handling and recovery for a printer G06F3/1234

Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus. A transmitter is configured to transmit a test pattern in advance to another image forming apparatus when transferring print data to the another image forming apparatus. An acquirer is configured to acquire an optical reading result of an output of the test pattern made by the another image forming apparatus. A corrector is configured to correct the print data on the basis of the reading result so that the print data is output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus. A transfer unit is configured to transfer the corrected print data to the another image forming apparatus when the corrected print data does not include data which is not output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a reading result of an output of a test pattern made by the image forming apparatus;

a transmitter configured to transmit the test pattern to another image forming apparatus in advance of transferring print data to the another image forming apparatus;

an acquirer configured to acquire an optical reading result of an output of the test pattern made by the another image forming apparatus;

a corrector configured to correct the print data; and

a transfer unit configured to transfer the print data to the another image forming apparatus,

wherein, the print data to be output at the another image forming apparatus is transferred to the another image forming apparatus so that the print data is corrected at the another image forming apparatus, or is corrected by the corrector, based on the reading result stored in the storage unit and the optical reading result of the output of the test pattern made by the another image forming apparatus and acquired at the acquirer.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the quality comprises at least one of a density value and a line width of an image, and

wherein the corrector corrects at least one of the density value and the line width of the print data.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an instruction to output a plurality of copies is issued, the print data is data of a first page and thereafter of a copy under printing at the image forming apparatus.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when data being output at the image forming apparatus includes data which is not output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus and data to be printed next to the data being output at the image forming apparatus includes the data which is not output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus, the print data is the data to be printed next to the data being output at the image forming apparatus.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the print data is not transferred to the another image forming apparatus when the print data includes data which is not output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a confirmation screen when the print data includes data that is not output at the another image forming apparatus in the same quality as the image forming apparatus.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for enabling a computer to function as:

a storage unit configured to store a reading result of an output of a test pattern made by an image forming apparatus;

a transmitter configured to transmit the test pattern to another image forming apparatus in advance of transmitting print data to the another image forming apparatus;

an acquirer configured to acquire an optical reading result of an output of the test pattern made by the another image forming apparatus;

a corrector configured to correct the print data; and

a transfer unit configured to transfer the print data to the another image forming apparatus, wherein the print data to be output at the another image forming apparatus is transferred to the another image forming apparatus so that the print data is corrected at the another image forming apparatus, or is corrected by the corrector, based on the reading result stored in the storage unit and the optical reading result of the output of the test pattern made by the another image forming apparatus and acquired at the acquirer.

8. An image forming system comprising a plurality of image forming apparatuses and an image reading unit configured to optically read a test pattern,

at least one of the image forming apparatuses comprising;

a storage unit configured to store a reading result obtained by optically reading an output of a test pattern made by the at least one of the image forming apparatuses by the reading unit;

a transmitter configured to transmit a test pattern to at least one of the other image forming apparatuses in advance of transferring print data to the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses;

a corrector configured to correct the print data; and

a transfer unit configured to transfer the print data to the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses;

the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses comprising;

a receiving unit configured to receive the test pattern from the transmitter and the print data from the transfer unit; and

an output unit configured to output the test pattern and the print data;

wherein the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses outputs a test pattern in advance of outputting print data,

the at least one of the image forming apparatuses acquires an optical reading result of the output of the test pattern made by the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses by the image reading unit, and

the corrector corrects the print data to be output at the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses based on the reading result stored in the storage unit and the optical reading result of the output of the test pattern made by the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses.

9. The image forming system according to claim 8,

wherein the print data is print data that has not been continuously printed such that printing of the print data by the at least one of the image forming apparatuses has been aborted, and

the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses prints the print data from a beginning of the print data in a case in which the print data includes data that is not output at the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses in the same quality as the at least one of the image forming apparatuses.

10. The image forming system according to claim 8,

wherein the print data is print data that has not been continuously printed such that printing of the print data by the at least one of the image forming apparatuses has been aborted, and

the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses prints the print data not printed by the at least one of the image forming apparatuses in a case in which the print data does not include data that is not output at the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses in the same quality as the at least one of the image forming apparatuses.

11. The image forming system according to claim 8,

wherein the at least one of the image forming apparatuses further comprises a display unit configured to display a confirmation screen when the print data includes data that is not output at the at least one of the other image forming apparatuses in the same quality as the at least one of the image forming apparatuses.