Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Other

Shigeru Ueda

Satoshi Nagata

Satoshi Egawa

Akihiro Nakamura

Junichi Kimizuka

Shinichiro Maekawa

Yutaka Tokura

Yoichi Toyokura

Akihiro Shimura

Yoji Kaneko

Soya Endo

Masaki Unishi

Hitoshi Machino

Akira Nakaya

Yoshinori Ikeda

Toshio Honma

Nobuyasu Itoh

Masanori Miyata

Hiroaki Ishii

Masanobu Kanoto

Hiroshi Omura

Hisao Urata

Yuichi Higuchi

Naoji Hayakawa

Masayoshi Suzuki

Hirokazu Uchio

Kengo Kawamoto

Hironobu Araki

Minoru Kanbegawa

There is disclosed an invention for generating contract information for an image forming apparatus for which the user is going to conclude a contract. The history information of an image forming apparatus used by the user and having a contract history is stored and managed in correlation with the user. Such management is executed in a center server capable communication with the image forming apparatus through a predetermined communication channel. The above-mentioned information includes contract term, machine type, number of print outputs etc. of the image forming apparatus. Also the image forming apparatus to be managed includes that currently contracted and that contracted in the past. In case the user wishes to conclude a new contract for an image forming apparatus, new contract information is generated according to the history information managed by the center server in correlation with the user. This invention provides a system capable of realizing the foregoing.

System, method, and program storage medium for managing printing apparatuses

An image input-output apparatus is provided with a printing function for printing an image specified by print data from an external device and a reading function for reading an original image. The apparatus includes a printing function realizing unit, a discrimination unit, and a control unit. The printing function realizing unit operates in a first mode for realizing the printing function with a relatively small memory capacity and operates in a second mode for realizing the printing function with a relatively large memory capacity. The discrimination unit discriminates whether printing of the image specified by the print data is to be realized by the first mode or the second mode. If it is discriminated that printing is to be realized by the first mode, the control unit is adapted to allow parallel execution of the printing function and the reading function. Otherwise, parallel execution is inhibited.

Image input-output apparatus and method therefor

If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into a bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.

Apparatus to control optional paper conveyance device and image processing apparatus using the same

There is provided an information processing apparatus having a setting unit for setting an instruction for an inquiry of the capacity of a memory on a data destination side, and a transfer unit for transferring the instruction set by the setting unit to an external apparatus. There is also provided an output apparatus having a memory for storing data received from an external apparatus, and an output unit responsive to a reception of an instruction of an inquiry of the capacity of the memory from the external apparatus, for outputting information of the capacity of the memory to the external apparatus. There is also provided an output apparatus having a plurality of motors driven for an output process or a storage process, and an inhibit unit for inhibiting, when at least one of plurality of motors is driven, the other motors to be driven.

Information processing apparatus and output apparatus

A high-efficiency printing apparatus, a printing system, a print control method, and a storage medium require an extremely small-capacity receiving buffer memory of a printing apparatus and put an extremely small burden on a host apparatus. A PC has an IEEE 1394 interface section for communicating with a printer, a memory that can be accessed by a printer and that stores text data, and a CPU that provides the printer with an information block that includes address information of text data. The printer has an IEEE 1394 interface section for communicating with the PC, a printing section for printing on a recording medium, and a CPU that reads text data stored in the memory of the PC on the basis of an address of the information block that includes the address information of the text data provided by the PC, and causes the printing section to perform printing.

Printing apparatus, printing system, print control method, and storage medium

If an optional paper feeding deck or furnisher, or paper stacker, is connected to an image forming apparatus (such as a printer), such optional devices are to be controlled by connecting the paper conveyance control apparatus to control those options. Such an image forming apparatus has a video controller to convert the printer language sent from a high-order device such as a host computer, into bit map data and a printer engine to print the bit map data. Such a paper conveyance control apparatus, being electrically connected to the video controller, has a memory to be shared with the video controller. The video controller writes the job schedule in the shared memory. The paper conveyance control apparatus controls the optional device according to the written job schedule.

The invention intends to effect optimum output control according to the data transfer amount (bus band width) per unit time. For this purpose there is disclosed an information processing apparatus featured by identifying the data amount of synchronous transfer transmittable at every predetermined time, judging whether the image data of predetermined image quality can be transmitted within the identified data amount of synchronous transfer, setting the image quality of the image data to be transmitted in case the image data are judged not transmittable and generating the image data to be transmitted, with the set image quality.

Information processing apparatus, method and memory medium therefor

Print data including text or graphics data is transferred from a host computer to a printer. The printer develops the received data on a band basis. When data processing to be performed by the printer is expected to fail due to shortage of the memory area size, the host computer cancels the data which has already been sent to the printer, and develops the text or graphics data to form image data. The image data thus formed is sent to the printer. Image data is transferred in a hierarchical manner. Disclosed also is a method which makes it possible to eliminate as much as possible any data processing failure in the printer attributable to shortage of memory capacity.

Printing apparatus, information processing apparatus, data processing method for use in such an apparatus, and storage medium storing computer-readable program

In an image input-output apparatus capable of a copy mode operation for printing image data, read by an image reader unit. The printing operation by the printer engine in the copy mode operation are mutually synchronized whereby the image data read by the image reader unit are directly transmitted to the printer engine, and, in the print mode operation or in the read mode operation, the memory is accessed according to the operation of the printer engine and the image reader. The image input-output apparatus judges, based on the input document data, whether the operation in the first mode is possible, and, if possible, the print mode operation and the read mode operation are permitted in parallel. If the operation in the first mode is not possible, such parallel operation is inhibited. In case of a request for a copy mode operation in the course of a print mode operation, the print mode operation is interrupted and the copy mode operation is executed and the print result is outputted in empty bins if predetermined conditions are met.

An image processing apparatus for outputting image data to a printing unit receives data input from an external unit, generates pixel image data in accordance with the input data, stores the pixel image data, converts the resolution of the pixel image data, and outputs the pixel image data whose resolution has been converted. In the apparatus the image data generating means determines the resolution of the pixel image data when it is stored in accordance with the memory capacity.

Image processing apparatus for producing high resolution image data based on a memory area capacity

Information processing apparatus including means for inquiring of

A printing apparatus is provided with a main body including a video controller, having video signal generation device for generating a video signal from image information based on a recording command from an external apparatus and control device, and with a supervisory controller including optional unit control device for controlling at least an optional unit connectable to the main body. The video controller includes a process time informing device for informing the supervisory controller of an image development process time, and the supervisory controller includes a paper transport time memory for storing the paper transport time from the optional paper feed source to the entrance of the printing apparatus, a comparator for comparing the process time informed by the process time informing device with the paper transport time stored in the paper transport time memory, and a paper feed source changing device for changing the paper feed source in case the comparator identifies that the process time is shorter. The supervisory controller effects change of the order of process, determination of the paper feed unit, continuation of the printing process in case of paper jamming. There is provided a printing apparatus for printing text data received from an external apparatus, including paper feed units and paper ejecting units provided as standard components and paper feed units and paper ejecting units connectable as optional units, wherein an optimum combination is selected among the usable ones among the above-mentioned paper feed and ejecting units.

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Wako, Japan

Shigeru Ueda