Image forming apparatus and control method thereof

• US 8,085,347 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoshikawa, Junichi, Yamamoto, Kosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US12/063,741
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/460
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/026 Stackable
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/44 Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms having dual functions or combined with, or coupled to, apparatus performing other functions

Abstract

A technology is provided that suppresses a noise that an image forming apparatus makes in the course of an operation thereof from interfering with a user who is watching television. When a printer 203 receives a print command, the printer 203 performs a print job as per a normal mode if a commercial is being displayed on a digital TV 201. If what is being displayed on the digital TV 201 is not the commercial, the printer 203 suspends the print job until the commercial begins to be displayed.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

a printing unit configured to print the print data that is received by the receiving unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a state of the television;

a printing control unit configured to control the printing unit such that, when the print command is received by the receiving unit, the printing unit performs a printing of the print data if the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is a first state, and the printing unit waits until the state transitions to the first state before performing the printing of the print data if the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is a second state; and

a print forcing command receiving unit configured to receive a print forcing command, either from the external apparatus or from a user,

wherein the printing control unit controls the printing unit such that, when the print forcing command is received by the print forcing command receiving unit, the printing unit performs the printing of the print data even when the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is the second state,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires the state even while the printing unit is printing the print data, and

wherein the printing control unit controls the printing unit such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing unit is printing the print data, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing unit interrupts the printing of the print data, and waits until the state transitions back to the first state before printing the page that remains to be printed.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the state from the external apparatus.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the first state is a state wherein the television is displaying a commercial; and

the second state is a state wherein the television is displaying a program other than the commercial.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a notification unit configured to notify a user that the image forming apparatus is in a standby state in the event that the image forming apparatus is waiting for the state to transit to the first state.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the print data includes a level of importance information that denotes a level of importance of the print data, and

the printing control unit controls the printing unit such that, in the event that the level of importance information denotes that the level of importance of the print data is a high level, the printing unit performs the printing of the print data even when the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is the second state.

6. An image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

a printing unit configured to print the print data that is received by the receiving unit;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a state of the television; and

a printing control unit configured to control the printing unit such that, when the print command is received by the receiving unit, the printing unit performs a printing of the print data in a regular mode if the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is a first state wherein the television is displaying a commercial, and the printing unit performs the printing of the print data in a silent mode, which reduces a noise of an operation of the image forming apparatus when compared with the regular mode, if the state that is acquired by the acquisition unit is a second state wherein the television is displaying a program other than the commercial,

wherein the acquisition unit acquires the state even while the printing unit is printing the print data, and

wherein the printing control unit controls the printing unit such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing unit is printing the print data in the regular mode, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing unit transitions from the regular mode to the silent mode before printing the page that remains to be printed.

7. A control method of an image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

printing the print data that is received in the receiving step;

acquiring a state of the television;

controlling the printing step such that, when the print command is received in the receiving step, the printing step performs a printing of the print data if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a first state, and the printing step waits until the state transitions to the first state before performing the printing of the print data if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a second state; and

receiving a print forcing command, either from the external apparatus or from a user,

wherein the printing control step controls the printing step such that, when the print forcing command is received in the print forcing command receiving step, the printing step performs the printing of the print data even when the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is the second state,

wherein the acquiring step acquires the state even while the printing step is printing the print data, and

wherein the controlling step controls the printing step such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing step is printing the print data, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing step interrupts the printing of the print data, and waits until the state transitions back to the first state before printing the page that remains to be printed.

8. The control method of the image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the first state is a state wherein the television is displaying a commercial; and

the second state is a state wherein the television is displaying a program other than the commercial.

9. A control method of an image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

printing the print data that is received in the receiving step;

acquiring a state of the television; and

controlling the printing step such that, when the print command is received in the receiving step, the printing step performs a printing of the print data in a regular mode if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a first state wherein the television is displaying a commercial, and the printing step performs the printing of the print data in a silent mode, which reduces a noise of an operation of the image forming apparatus when compared with the regular mode, if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a second state wherein the television is displaying a program other than the commercial,

wherein the acquiring step acquires the state even while the printing step is printing the print data, and

wherein the controlling step controls the printing step such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing step is printing the print data in the regular mode, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing step transitions from the regular mode to the silent mode before printing the page that remains to be printed.

10. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute a control method of an image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

printing the print data that is received in the receiving step;

acquiring a state of the television;

controlling the printing step such that, when the print command is received in the receiving step, the printing step performs a printing of the print data if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a first state, and the printing step waits until the state transitions to the first state before performing the printing of the print data if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a second state; and

receiving a print forcing command, either from the external apparatus or from a user,

wherein the printing control step controls the printing step such that, when the print forcing command is received in the print forcing command receiving step, the printing step performs the printing of the print data even when the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is the second state,

wherein the acquiring step acquires the state even while the printing step is printing the print data, and

wherein the controlling step controls the printing step such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing step is printing the print data, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing step interrupts the printing of the print data, and waits until the state transitions back to the first state before printing the page that remains to be printed.

11. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to execute a control method of an image forming apparatus, which is connected so as to be capable of communicating with at least one external apparatus, which includes a television, the control method comprising the steps of:

receiving a print command and a print data from the external apparatus;

printing the print data that is received in the receiving step;

acquiring a state of the television; and

controlling the printing step such that, when the print command is received in the receiving step, the printing step performs a printing of the print data in a regular mode if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a first state wherein the television is displaying a commercial, and the printing step performs the printing of the print data in a silent mode, which reduces a noise of an operation of the image forming apparatus when compared with the regular mode, if the state that is acquired in the acquisition step is a second state wherein the television is displaying a program other than the commercial,

wherein the acquiring step acquires the state even while the printing step is printing the print data, and

wherein the controlling step controls the printing step such that in the event that the state transitions from the first state to the second state while the printing step is printing the print data in the regular mode, if a page that remains to be printed is present within the print data after completion of a printing of a page that is being printed, the printing step transitions from the regular mode to the silent mode before printing the page that remains to be printed.