1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a copy function and a print-out function, and having a so-called division management function of limiting the copy function and/or the print-out function, and a method of controlling the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There exists an image forming apparatus having a print-out function, and a division management function of limiting this print-out function. The division management function is a function capable of classifying and counting the number of printed sheets for each division, or a function of prohibiting use of the image forming apparatus by a non-registered division, for example, in a case where one image forming apparatus is used by a plurality of divisions.
For this purpose, in the image forming apparatus, a division management ID to permit printing can be registered in a printer controller beforehand. For example, a printing job is sent from an external printer driver of a personal computer in a state in which the division management function is set in such a manner as to have an operative state. In this case, the printer controller checks an ID attached to the sent printing job. If this sent ID agrees with the registered division management ID, the printing is permitted. If the sent ID disagrees with the registered division management ID, printing is not permitted (e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-197209).
The above-described conventional image forming apparatus having the division management function is constituted in such a manner as to permit printing when the sent ID agrees with the registered division management ID. Therefore, the function has no relation to printing limitation, and a problem has occurred wherein a test page or a set page originally held in the controller cannot be printed.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds