Image forming apparatus

• US 8,089,662 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masashi, Koie, Hiroshi, Ueno, Hideo, Taki, Kazunari, Ikeno, Takahiro, Hosokawa, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US11/860,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 358/443, 358/1.1, 358/1.16, 358/1.15, 358/1.18, 399/24, 709/206, 709/201, 709/228, 709/224, 400/88, 400/76
• US Class Current: 358/443
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00342 with a radio frequency tag transmitter or receiver storage of additional information in an RFID tag attached to an image bearing paper sheet H04N1/32138
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32138 in an electronic device attached to the sheet, e.g. in an RFID tag
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3208 of an e-mail or network address
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an interface unit which receives print data and file data; a printing unit which prints an image on a recording medium; a writing unit which stores tag data in a non-contact type tag when the recording medium provides the non-contact type tag; a buffer unit in which file data is stored in the non-contact type tag; and a control unit which controls the printing unit and the writing unit. The control unit stores the file data in the buffer unit when the file data is received. The control unit controls the printing unit to form an image on the recording medium based upon content of the print data when the print data is received. The control unit controls the writing unit to store the file data stored in the buffer unit in the non-contact type tag.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an interface unit which receive print data and file data;

a printing unit which forms an image on a recording medium;

a writing unit which stores tag data in a non-contact type tag when the recording medium provides the non-contact type tag;

a buffer unit in which file data is stored; and

a control unit which controls the printing unit and the writing unit wherein the control unit;

stores the file data in the buffer unit when the file data is received and the printing unit is to form an image on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag, and

after the file data has been stored in the buffer unit,

controls the printing unit to form an image on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag based upon content of the print data when the print data is received, and

controls the writing unit to store the file data stored in the buffer unit in the non-contact type tag after the print data has been received.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stores the file data in the non-contact type tags of all recording media to be printed respectively.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file data is a print file.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file data is print data for all pages of a multi-page job, the file data is converted from the print file.

5. A method for forming an image on a recording medium that has a non-contact type tag, comprising:

a first step in which storing file data in a buffer unit when an image forming apparatus receives the file data and the image forming apparatus is to form an image on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag;

after the file data has been stored in the buffer unit,

a second step in which forming an image by the image forming apparatus on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag based upon print data when the print data is received; and

storing the file data stored in the buffer unit in the non-contact type tags of all recording media being printed respectively after the print data has been received.

6. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an interface unit configured receive print data and file data;

a printing unit configured to form an image on a recording medium;

a writing unit configured to store tag data in a non-contact type tag when the recording medium provides the non-contact type tag;

memory configured to store the file data; and

a control unit configured to;

determine that tag data is to be stored in the non-contact type tag of the recording medium;

cause file data, which is the tag data, received by the interface unit to be stored in the memory;

after the file data has been stored in the memory, cause the printing unit to form an image on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag when the print data is received; and

storing the file data stored in the memory in the non-contact type tag after the print data has been received.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 6, wherein the file data includes a print file having the print data for each recording medium of a multi-page job.

8. A method for forming an image on a recording medium that has a non-contact type tag, comprising:

determining that tag data is to be stored in the non-contact type tag of the recording medium;

receiving file data from an external source;

storing the file data in memory, wherein the file data is the tag data to be stored;

receiving print data from the external source after having received the file data;

forming an image on the recording medium having the non-contact type tag based upon the print data; and

storing the file data stored in the memory in the non-contact type tag after the print data has been received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the file data includes a print file having the print data for each recording medium of a multi-page job.