The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 24, 2002
Filed:
Mar. 22, 1999
Masao Watanabe, Kawasaki, JP;
Shizuo Hasegawa, Urayasu, JP;
Masatoshi Yaginuma, Tokyo, JP;
Katsunari Suzuki, Kawasaki, JP;
Hirokazu Kodama, Kawasaki, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An object of the present invention is to improve an efficiency in using bins in a sorter of an image forming system, to which a plurality of personal computers are connected. If the number of the receptacles appointed in accordance with the receptacle appointment command or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted is larger than the number of empty receptacles, offset sorting is performed in which the position, at which the recording sheets are received, is shifted in the same receptacle. If the appointed number of the receptacles or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted is smaller than the number of empty receptacles, a normal sorting process is performed in such a manner that the bins are allotted in accordance with the position of the bins appointed with the command for appointing receptacles or the number of sets of sheets to be sorted.