COPYING MACHINE AND PRINTER

摘要

A copying machine is configured to execute a first scanning process to san an image on an original sheet and generate image data, which is stored in a storage of the copying machine and an external processing device, a printing process to print the image of the original sheet, a second scanning process to release an image data storing area of the storage, and store the image data in the storage and the external processing device, a transmission process to release the image data storing area of the storage, and transmit the image data from the external processing device to the storage, and a detection process to detect whether a free capacity of the storage becomes less than a particular value.

主权项

1. A copying machine, comprising:
a scanner configured to scan an image formed on an original sheet and generate image data; an original table configured such that multiple original sheets can be placed on the original table; an original conveyer configured to convey the multiple original sheets placed on the original table to the scanner one by one; a storage configured to store the image data generated by the scanner; a printer configured to print images on printing sheets based on the image data stored in the storage; a communication unit configured to communicate with an external processing device which is capable of storing the image data; an original sensor configured to detects whether the original sheet is present on the original table; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to execute a copying process which includes:
a first scanning process in which the controller causes the original conveyer to convey the multiple original sheets to the scanner one by one, stores the image data generated by the scanner in the storage in a scanned order, transmits the image data to the external processing device via the communication unit, and causes the external processing device to store the image data;a printing process in which the controller causes the printer to print a particular number of copies of the images of the original sheets copy by copy, one copy including the images of the original sheets in the scanned order;a second scanning process in which the controller releases an area of the storage storing the image data, printing of which by the printer has been completed, causes the original conveyer to convey the multiple original sheets to the scanner one by one, stores the image data generated by the scanner to in the storage in the scanned order, transmits the image data to the external processing device via the communication unit, and causes the external processing device to store the image data;a transmission process in which the controller releases an area of the storage storing the image data, printing of which by the printer has been completed, causing the communication unit to retrieve the image data stored in the external processing device in the scanned order, and storing the retrieved image data in the storage;a detecting process in which the controller detects whether a free capacity of the storage is less than a particular threshold value, wherein, in the copying process, the controller is further configured to:
terminate the first scanning process, and execute the printing process until the particular number of copies of the images of the original sheets are printed when it is detected that the original sheet is absent on the original table, after the first scanning process and the printing process have been started and before the free capacity of the storage is detected to be less than the particular threshold value;terminate the first scanning process, and execute the second scanning process when it is detected that the free capacity of the storage is less than the particular threshold value, after the first scanning process and the printing process have been started and before the original sheet is detected to be absent on the original table; andterminate the second scanning process, and execute the transmission process and the printing process until the particular number of copies of the images of the original sheets are printed when it is detected, after the second scanning process has been started, the original sheet is absent on the original table.