Image processing apparatus and method and program storage medium

Abstract

An image processing apparatus for outputting a page image corresponding to print data inputted from an external source has an analyzer for analyzing the print data at the time of outputting the first copy and generating a page image, an image spooler for holding the page image at the time of outputting the first copy, and a page image reading unit for reading out the spooled page image at the time of outputting the second and subsequent copies. Whether the image spooler and the page image reading unit are used or not is discriminated in accordance with the maximum number of sorting page images which can be processed at once by a mechanical sorter and the designated number of print copies.

1 - 10 . (canceled)  
     
     
         11 . An image processing apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 receiving means for receiving print data from the information processing apparatus;    generating means for generating page image data on the basis of the print data received by said receiving means;    holding means for holding the page image data generated by said generating means in an image memory;    obtaining means for obtaining information indicative of the number of paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus;    output means for outputting the page image data generated by said generating means to the image forming apparatus; and    control means for, when a plurality of copies of said page image data are outputted to the image forming apparatus by said output means, selecting a first output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is greater than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus, and selecting a second output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is equal to or less than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus,    wherein in the first output mode, a process is executed for outputting all pages of a first copy of the print data to a first paper ejection bin of the image forming apparatus and holding the generated page image data by said holding means and, thereafter, the held page image data is read out and second and subsequent copies of the print data are outputted to the first paper ejection bin or a paper ejection bin other than the first paper ejection bin, and    in said second output mode, a process is executed for sorting the page image data generated by said generating means for every page in accordance with a plurality of paper ejection bins possessed by the image forming apparatus, and outputting the page image data the same number of times as the number of pages to be outputted.    
     
     
         12 - 15 . (canceled)  
     
     
         16 . An image processing method of outputting print data received from an information processing apparatus to an image forming apparatus, comprising: 
 a generating step of generating page image data on the basis of the print data received from the information processing apparatus;    a holding step of holding the page image data generated by said generating step in an image memory;    an obtaining step of obtaining information indicative of the number of paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus;    an outputting step of outputting the page image data generated by said generating step to the image forming apparatus; and    a control step of, when a plurality of copies of the page image data are outputted to the image forming apparatus by said outputting step, selecting a first output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is greater than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus, and selecting a second output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is equal to or less than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus,    wherein in the first output mode, a process is executed for outputting all pages of a first copy of the print data to a first paper ejection bin of the image forming apparatus and holding the generated page image data by said holding step and, thereafter, the held page image data is read out and second and subsequent copies of the print data are outputted to the first paper ejection bin or a paper ejection bin other than the first paper ejection bin, and    in the second output mode, a process is executed for sorting the page image data generated by said generating step for every page in accordance with a plurality of paper ejection bins possessed by the image forming apparatus, and outputting the page image data the same number of times as the number of pages to be outputted.    
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for an image processing method of outputting print data received from a processing apparatus to an image forming apparatus, the computer program comprising: 
 code for executing a generating step of generating page image data on the basis of the print data received from the information processing apparatus;    code for executing a holding step of holding the page image data generated by said generating step in an image memory;    code for executing an obtaining step of obtaining information indicative of the number of paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus;    code for executing an outputting step of outputting the page image data generated by said generating step to the image forming apparatus; and    code for executing a control step of, when a plurality of copies of the page image data are outputted to the image forming apparatus by said outputting step, selecting a first output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is greater than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus, and selecting a second output mode when the number of copies of the print data to be outputted is equal to or less than the number of the paper ejection bins capable of being used by the image forming apparatus,    wherein in the first output mode, a process is executed for outputting all pages of a first copy of the print data to a first paper ejection bin of the image forming apparatus and holding the generated page image data by said holding step and, thereafter, the held page image data is read out and second and subsequent copies of the print data are outputted to the first paper ejection bin or a paper ejection bin other than the first paper ejection bin, and    in the second output mode, a process is executed for sorting the page image data generated by said generating step for every page in accordance with a plurality of paper ejection bins possessed by the image forming apparatus, and outputting the page image data the same number of times the number of pages to be outputted.    
     
     
         22 . (canceled)