Method and apparatus for using continuous media stock in a cut-sheet image forming device

1. A method of feeding continuous media stock through a cut-sheet image forming device comprising:

introducing the continuous media stock into the cut-sheet image forming device, wherein one or more inter-sheet holes are disposed along the continuous media stock; and

tracking the position of the continuous media stock in the cut-sheet image forming device by sensing the inter-sheet holes as the continuous media stock moves through the cut-sheet image forming device; and

applying images to the media stock while the media stock is in a continuous format as it moves through the image forming device based on the position of the one or more inter-sheet holes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein sensing each of the inter-sheet holes comprises sensing a leading edge of each inter-sheet hole.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein sensing each of the inter-sheet holes further comprises sensing a trailing edge of each inter-sheet hole.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein introducing the continuous media stock into the cut-sheet image forming device comprises introducing the continuous media stock into a cut-sheet printer.

5. A cut-sheet image forming device for applying images to continuous media stock comprising:

a media path to receive and move the continuous media stock along the cut-sheet image forming device;

a sensor to detect inter-sheet holes disposed along the continuous media stock as the continuous media stock moves along the media path and detect a position of the continuous media stock; and

a processor to track the position of the continuous media stock based on the position of the detected inter-sheet holes.

6. The cut-sheet image forming device of claim 5 wherein the sensor detects a leading edge of an inter-sheet hole and wherein the processor identifies a section following the detected leading edge of the inter-sheet hole as an image section of the continuous media stock.

7. The cut-sheet image forming device of claim 6 wherein the sensor detects a trailing edge of a subsequent inter-sheet hole and wherein the processor further identifies the image section as the section between the detected leading edge of the inter-sheet hole and the trailing edge of the subsequent inter-sheet hole.

8. A method of applying multiple images to a continuous media stock moving along a media path of a cut-sheet image forming device, the method comprising:

sensing a first inter-sheet hole disposed in the continuous media stock;

applying a first image to a section of the continuous media stock following the first inter-sheet hole while the media stock is in a continuous format;

sensing a second inter-sheet hole disposed in the continuous media stock; and

applying a second image to a section of the continuous media stock following the second inter-sheet hole while the media stock is in a continuous format.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein sensing the first inter-sheet hole comprises sensing at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of the first inter-sheet hole.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein sensing the second inter-sheet hole comprises sensing at least one of a leading edge and a trailing edge of the second inter-sheet holes.

11. A method of tracking the position of a continuous media stock moving through a cut-sheet image forming device comprising:

introducing the continuous media stock into the cut-sheet image forming device, wherein one or more inter-sheet holes are disposed along the continuous media stock;

sensing a first inter-sheet hole as the continuous media stock moves through the cut-sheet sheet image forming device;

identifying a first section of the continuous media stock as the section following the first inter-sheet hole;

applying an image to the first section while the media stock moves through the cut-sheet image forming device in a continuous format;

sensing a second inter-sheet hole as the continuous media stock moves through the cut-sheet image forming device; and

identifying a second section of the continuous media stock as the section following the second inter-sheet hole.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising applying a second image to the second section of the continuous media stock.

13. A method of using an image forming device comprising the steps of:

inputting a cut sheet into the image forming device;

sensing a leading edge of the cut sheet;

forming a first toner image at a location on the cut sheet based on the leading edge;

inputting a continuous media stock into the image forming device;

sensing a hole in the continuous media stock; and

forming a second toner image on the continuous media stock at a position based on the hole.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising sensing a second hole in the continuous media stock and forming a third toner image on the continuous media stock based on a sensed location of the second hole.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising inserting a second cut sheet into the image forming device after the continuous media stock and forming a fourth toner image on the second cut sheet based the second cut sheet leading edge.

16. A method of forming images with an image forming device comprising the steps of:

feeding a continuous media stock into the image forming device;

detecting a hole in the continuous media stock and identifying a first image area;

forming a first toner image at the first image area;

detecting a second hole in the continuous media stock and identifying a second image area;

forming a second toner image at the second image area;

feeding the continuous media stock through the image forming device;

feeding a cut sheet into the image forming device;

sensing a leading edge of the cut sheet; and

forming a third toner image one the cut sheet at a location based on the leading edge.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising monitoring a location of the first image area as the continuous media stock moves through the image forming device.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising monitoring the second image area as the continuous media stock moves through the image forming device.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming a duplex image on a second side of the cut sheet.