Patent ID: 9641718
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: H04N

Claim:
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 detect 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 multiple 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 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 the multiple 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; and terminate the second scanning process, and execute the transmission process and the printing process until the particular number of the multiple 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, wherein when the free capacity of the storage is less than the particular threshold value during a first copy of the multiple copies is being printed, the controller is further configured to execute a process in which first image data which is stored in the storage and has been printed is deleted, second image data which is stored in the storage and has not been printed is printed, and third image data corresponding to newly scanned pages of the multiple original sheets is stored in the storage and the external processing device, the external processing device storing image data corresponding to all pages of the multiple original sheets, and wherein when a second copy of the multiple copies is printed, the controller is further configured to execute a process in which fourth image data which is stored in the storage and has been printed is deleted, fifth image data which is stored in the storage and has not been printed is printed, and sixth image data to be printed subsequently is received from the external processing device and is stored in the storage of the copying machine.