IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, PROGRAM PRODUCT, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING THE PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

In a disclosed image forming apparatus, an original is scanned and image data of the original are obtained. The data size of the image data corresponding to one page of the original is measured. The image data obtained are stored in or deleted from a memory. A storable number of pages of the original that can be stored in the memory is calculated based on the data size measured and available space in the memory. In response to the storable number of pages calculated being less than a total number of pages of the original, the image data of the original is successively stored in and deleted from the memory.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an operations panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of relevant parts of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process of setting the number of pages of an original and image scanning conditions according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an original page number input screen according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process performed before storing in a memory image data to be electronic sort printed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process of storing and deleting image data in the memory according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an example screen displayed on the operations panel; and

FIG. 9 is another example screen displayed on the operations panel.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image scanning unit configured to scan an original and obtain image data of the original;an image data size measuring unit configured to measure a data size of the image data corresponding to one page of the original scanned by the image scanning unit;an image data storing unit configured to store in a memory the image data obtained by the image scanning unit; anda storable page number calculating unit configured to calculate a storable number of pages of the original that can be stored in the memory based on the data size measured by the image data size measuring unit and available space in the memory; whereinin response to the storable number of pages calculated by the storable page number calculating unit being less than a total number of pages of the original, the image data of the original is successively stored in and deleted from the memory.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data storing unit stores the image data obtained by the image scanning unit in the memory at the same time as the image data size measuring unit measures the data size of the image data.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data size measuring unit measures the data size of the image data obtained by the image scanning unit before the image data are stored in the memory, andin response to a user-specified instruction, the image data storing unit stores the image data in the memory.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an image scanning condition setting unit configured to receive the total number of pages of the original and/or image scanning conditions input by a user.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an automatic document feeder; andan operations panel; whereinin response to the automatic document feeder detecting that the original is placed therein, the operations panel displays the storable number of pages calculated by the storable page number calculating unit before sort printing is executed.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an operations panel configured to receive a user-specified instruction as to whether sort printing is to be continued.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an operations panel configured to receive a user-specified instruction as to whether the image data of the original is to be successively stored in and deleted from the memory in response to the total number of pages of the original exceeding the available space in the memory.

8. A program product that causes a computer to execute a procedure for forming an image, the procedure comprising the steps of: (a) scanning an original and obtaining image data of the original;(b) measuring a data size of the image data corresponding to one page of the original scanned at step (a);(c) storing in a memory the image data obtained at step (a);(d) deleting the image data stored in the memory at step (c); and(e) calculating a storable number of pages of the original that can be stored in the memory based on the data size measured at step (b) and available space in the memory; whereinin response to the storable number of pages calculated at step (e) being less than a total number of pages of the original, step (c) and step (d) are repeated.

9. A storage medium storing therein the program product according to claim 8.