| 摘要 |
An image forming apparatus is connected to a plurality of computers via a network, and the image forming apparatus which spools and sequentially processes each of jobs received from the plurality of computers includes: a job management section receiving and managing the jobs transmitted from the computers; and a control section, upon reception of a new job from the computer by the job management section, calculating a scheduled end time of the new job based on a number of prints required for executing the new job, a print speed of the image forming apparatus, and a scheduled end time of the job on standby, and notifying the calculated scheduled end time to the computer which has transmitted the new job. |
| 主权项 |
1. An image forming apparatus connected to a plurality of computers via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image formation section including units for every color for color printing, each of the units having a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, and a photoconductive drum, a network interface section being formed of a communication module and performing transmission and reception of various pieces of data to and from with the plurality of computers; a control unit being composed of a central processing unit, a random access memory, and a read only memory, and being in charge of overall operation control of the image forming apparatus; a paper feed section feeding paper towards the image formation section; and a remaining paper amount detection section detecting a number of remaining pieces of paper stored in the paper feed section, wherein the central processing unit of the control unit executes: processing of receiving and spooling each of jobs received from the plurality of computers and processing of managing each of the jobs, processing of each of the managing jobs sequentially, and upon reception of a new job from any one of the plurality of computers, processing of calculating a scheduled end time at which the new job ends based on a number of prints required for executing the new job, a print speed of the image forming apparatus, and a scheduled end time of the spooled job on standby, and notification processing, in which the calculated scheduled end time is notified via the network interface section to the computer which has transmitted the new job, the central processing unit of the control unit further executes: processing of making comparison between the number of remaining pieces of paper detected by the remaining paper amount detection section and a number of prints required for executing the job on standby; and upon judgment that the number of remaining pieces of paper is smaller than the number of prints required, notification processing, in which information indicating necessity of paper resupply is notified via the network interface section to at least either one of the computer which has transmitted the job on standby and the computer which has transmitted the new job. |
