Patent ID: 8186825
Filing Date: 2012-05-29
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printing apparatus capable of forming images successively on a plurality of pieces of recording media, comprising: at least two platens including a first platen to hold a first recording medium and a second platen to hold a second recording medium; at least one print head, which is driven according to print data to eject ink onto the first recording medium and the second recording medium; at least one print head drive unit to drive the at least one print head in a main scanning direction; at least two platen drive units to drive each of the at least two platens including a first platen drive unit to drive the first platen in an auxiliary direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and a second platen drive unit to drive the second platen in the auxiliary direction; at least one ink cartridge storage unit that is configured to store at least one ink cartridge that stores ink therein and supplies the ink to the at least one print head; at least two operation input units to be operated by an operator to instruct the printing apparatus to activate printing processes, including a first operation input unit to instruct a first printing process to form an image on the first recording medium by activating the at least one print head, the at least one print head drive unit, and the first platen drive unit and a second operation input unit to instruct a second printing process to form an image on the second recording medium by activating the at least one print head, the at least one print head drive unit, and the second platen drive unit; and a cooperation controller system to control the at least one print head, the at least one print head drive unit, the first platen drive unit, and the second platen drive unit to behave in cooperation with one another, wherein the second printing process is reservable by entering an instruction to start the second printing process through the second operation input unit while the first printing process is in progress; and wherein the cooperation controller system includes a first controller configured to control the first printing process and a second controller configured to control the second printing process, the first controller monitoring status of the first printing process and notifying the status to the second controller, and the second printing process is started one of after completion of the first printing process and during the first printing process based on the status of the first printing process notified by the first controller.