Image forming apparatus capable of performing trial printing, and image forming system

Abstract

An image forming apparatus having a receipt interface I/F, a hard disk, and a printer section. The receipt interface I/F receives pages of image data transmitted and a partial print request signal requesting that only a part of the image data be printed, both transmitted through a communication line. The hard disk stores both the image data and the partial print request signal. The printer section prints a part of the image data stored in the hard disk, in response to the partial print request signal that the receipt interface I/F has received.

1 . An image forming apparatus comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving a plurality of pages of image data transmitted through a communication line and receiving a partial print request signal requesting that only a part of the image data be printed;    storage means for storing the image data and the partial print request signal, both received at the receiving means; and    printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means.    
     
     
         2 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes second printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus.  
     
     
         3 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus; and    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data.    
     
     
         4 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means.  
     
     
         5 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, together with an image indicating that data printed is a part of the image data, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means.  
     
     
         6 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus; and    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion.    
     
     
         7 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means; and    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion.    
     
     
         8 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, together with an image indicating that data printed is a part of the image data, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means; and    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion.    
     
     
         9 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus;    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed all pages of image data.    
     
     
         10 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means;    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed all pages of image data.    
     
     
         11 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data stored in the storage means, together with an image indicating that data printed is a part of the image data, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means;    third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed all pages of image data.    
     
     
         12 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data in color in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus; and    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page color print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data in color.    
     
     
         13 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing, in color, a part of the image data stored in the storage means, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means; and    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus, after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data in color.    
     
     
         14 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing, in color, a part of the image data stored in the storage means, together with an image indicating that data printed is a part of the image data, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means; and    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus, after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data in color.    
     
     
         15 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing, in color, a part of the image data in color in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus;    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed, in color, the part of the image data, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion in color; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed, in color, all pages of image data.    
     
     
         16 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing, in color, a part of the image data stored in the storage means, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means;    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus, after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data in color, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion in color; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed, in color, all pages of image data.    
     
     
         17 . An image forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the printing means includes: 
 second printing means for printing, in color, a part of the image data stored in the storage means, together with an image indicating that data printed is a part of the image data, immediately in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means;    third printing means for printing, in color, all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page color print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus, after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data in color, said all-page print instruction demanding that the image data be printed in a specific fashion in color; and    transfer means for transferring data representing the specific fashion to a data processing device which has transmitted the image data to the image forming apparatus through the communication line, after the third printing means has printed, in color, all pages of image data.    
     
     
         18 . An image forming system comprising: 
 a plurality of data processing devices for transferring image data to be printed and a partial print request signal requesting that only a part of the image data be printed, both through a communication line; and    a printing apparatus having: 
 receiving means for receiving a plurality of pages of the image data and the partial print request signal from the data processing devices through the communication line;  
 storage means for storing the image data and the partial print request signal, both received at the receiving means;  
 first printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means;  
 second printing means for printing a part of the image data in response to the partial print request signal stored in the storage means, upon receiving a partial print instruction from a user through a control panel provided on the image forming apparatus; and  
 third printing means for printing all pages of image data stored in the storage means, upon receiving an all-page print instruction from the user through the control panel after the second printing means has printed the part of the image data.