Job imaging methods, job copying control methods, image forming devices, and articles of manufacture

Abstract

The present invention includes a printer system and a method of reproducing an image. One aspect of the present invention provides a printing system including a scanner including an image reception device configured to flatbed scan a print job including a plurality of pages and output image data corresponding to the pages; a print engine controller coupled with the scanner and configured to receive the print job including the image data corresponding to the pages; and a print engine coupled with the print engine controller and configured to print a plurality of collated copies of the print job.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A printing system comprising: 
 a scanner including an image reception device configured to flatbed scan a print job including a plurality of pages and output image data corresponding to the pages;    a print engine controller coupled with the scanner and configured to receive the print job including the image data corresponding to the pages; and    a print engine coupled with the print engine controller and configured to print a plurality of collated copies of the print job.    
     
     
         2 . The printing system according to  claim 1  further comprising a storage device configured to store the image data.  
     
     
         3 . The printing system according to  claim 2  wherein the storage device, the print engine controller and the print engine are implemented within a printer.  
     
     
         4 . The printing system according to  claim 3  wherein the storage device comprises a hard disk drive of the printer.  
     
     
         5 . The printing system according to  claim 3  wherein the scanner and the printer comprise individual devices.  
     
     
         6 . The printing system according to  claim 5  further comprising an interface configured to communicate the image data intermediate the scanner and the printer.  
     
     
         7 . The printing system according to  claim 1  wherein the print engine is configured to print the plurality of collated copies following the scanning of the plurality of pages of the print job using the scanner.  
     
     
         8 . The printing system according to  claim 1  wherein the print engine is configured to print the plurality of collated copies following the scanning of a last page of the print job using the scanner.  
     
     
         9 . The printing system according to  claim 1  wherein the print engine controller is configured to form portions of individual copies of the print job to include at least one of duplex pages and N-Up pages.  
     
     
         10 . A method of reproducing an image comprising: 
 providing a scanner;    coupling a printer with the scanner;    flatbed scanning a print job comprising a plurality of pages using the scanner; and    printing a plurality of collated copies of the print job using the printer.    
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the printing follows the scanning of the plurality of pages.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the printing follows the scanning of a last page of the print job.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the printing comprises printing at least one page including a plurality of images from a plurality of the pages.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the printing comprises at least one of duplex printing and N-Up printing portions of individual copies of the print job.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10  further comprising storing image data corresponding to the pages within a storage device following the scanning.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the scanning and printing comprise scanning and printing using individual devices.  
     
     
         17 . A method of reproducing an image comprising: 
 providing a scanner;    coupling a printer with the scanner;    flatbed scanning a plurality of input pages using the scanner;    outputting image data from the scanner which corresponds to the input pages; and    printing at least one output page having image data from plural input pages using the printer.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17  further comprising storing the image data before the printing.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the flatbed scanning comprises scanning a print job including a plurality of input pages and the printing comprises printing a plurality of collated copies of the print job individually including a plurality of output pages.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17  wherein the scanning and printing comprise scanning and printing using individual devices.