Patent ID: 8781389
Filing Date: 2014-07-15
Classification: B41J,G03G

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a printing device to print images on sheets using a printing operation and to initiate a discharge of printed sheets from a sheet discharge port onto a discharge tray disposed for the image forming apparatus; a counter operatively connected to the printing device to count the number of printed sheets based on content of a print job; a controller to determine whether the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches a maximum sheet stacking capacity of the discharge tray, the maximum sheet stacking capacity being determined by a distance between the sheet discharge port and the discharge tray; and a reporting device to report that the discharge tray is full when the controller determines that the number of printed sheets counted by the counter reaches the maximum sheet stacking capacity, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to receive the print job from a host apparatus, and the counter is configured to count the number of printed sheets based on an interpretation of page description language (PDL) data included in the received print job, when the host apparatus transmits the print job to the image forming apparatus with a full-sheet-detection-function control command, which is used to set an ON/OFF of full-sheet-detection-function reporting that the discharge tray is full, the counter counts the number of printed sheets based on the full-sheet-detection-function control command, and the controller determines whether or not to execute the reporting that the discharge tray is full based on the counted number of printed sheets.