Patent ID: 7009719

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a memory that stores a queue of jobs to be performed using the image forming apparatus; at least one element having a useful life consumed by the image forming apparatus or containing material consumed by the image forming apparatus in performing the jobs within the queue of jobs; at least one sensor that determines for the at least one element of the image forming apparatus, a remaining amount of a consumable associated with that element; a controller that determines, for each of at least one job that is in the job queue or is to be added to the job queue, and for at least one consumable within the image forming apparatus, if that job can be performed based on an unallocated amount of a remaining amount of that consumable; a notification device that conveys an alert notification generated by the controller to a user if that job cannot be completed in view of the unallocated amount of that consumable; a job queue adjustment mechanism that enables reprioritizing of jobs in the job queue by promoting or demoting of a selected job, the job queue adjustment mechanism including: means for selecting a job from the queue of jobs for reprioritizing; means for determining a new location in the job queue for the selected job; means for determining, for the selected job and for at least one consumable within the image forming apparatus, if the selected job can be performed at the new location based on an unallocated amount of the remaining amount of the at least one consumable; means for preventing promotion of the selected job to the new location if the selected job cannot be performed at the new location based on an unallocated amount of the remaining amount of the at least one consumable; means for promoting the selected job to the new location, when the new location is a location higher in the job queue, only if the selected job can be performed at the new location based on an unallocated amount of the remaining amount of the at least one consumable; means for demoting at least one other job to a location lower in the job queue; means for reevaluating whether demoted jobs in the job queue between an original location of the selected job and the new location can be performed based on an unallocated amount of the remaining amount of the at least one consumable; and means for activating the notification device if any demoted job cannot be performed.