SORTING A MEDIA STACK USING A PRINTER
A printing apparatus includes a print media input holder; a print region; at least one media transport element for moving sheets of recording medium from the print media input holder to the print region; a scan element disposed along a printing path; and a print media output holder; and a controller including: a selectable media sort mode that includes: using the scan element to determine whether a sheet of recording medium has marks on a first side of the sheet; and moving the sheet of recording medium to a first location or a second location depending on whether the first side of the sheet is determined to have marks on it; and a selectable printing mode that does not include determining whether the sheet of recording medium has marks on it.
1 . A method of automatically sorting a randomly oriented stack of recording media provided to a print media input holder of a printing apparatus, the method comprising:
(a) using a scanning element disposed in a printing path of the printing apparatus to scan a first side of the sheet of recording medium to provide scan data;
(b) analyzing the scan data to determine whether the first side has previously been marked on;
(c) moving the sheet to a first location if it is determined that the first side has been previously marked on; and
(d) moving the sheet to a second location if it is determined that the first side has not been previously marked on.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first location includes a media sorting holder.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first location includes a duplexing unit.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein moving the sheet to the first location includes moving the sheet to a print media output holder of the printing apparatus.
5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein moving the sheet to the first location includes using the duplexing unit to turn the sheet over.
6 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising repeating steps (a) through (d) for each successive sheet in the randomly oriented stack of recording media, thereby providing a first set of sheets in the first location and a second set of sheets in the second location.
7 . The method according to claim 6 further comprising:
turning over the first set of sheets;
providing the turned over first set of sheets to the print media input holder; and
repeating steps (a) through (d) for each successive sheet in the first set of sheets, thereby providing a group of sheets in the first location, wherein each sheet in the group of sheets has previously been marked on both the first side and on a second side opposite the first side.
8 . The method according to claim 6 further comprising providing the second set of sheets to the print media input holder for subsequent printing.
9 . The method according to claim 6 further comprising:
providing instructions to turn over the first set of sheets and to place the turned over first set of sheets in the print media input holder; and
repeating steps (a) through (d) for each successive sheet in the first set of sheets, thereby providing a group of sheets in the first location, wherein each sheet in the group of sheets has previously been marked on both the first side and on a second side opposite the first side.
10 . The method according to claim 6 further comprising providing instructions to place the second set of sheets into the print media input holder for subsequent printing.
11 . The method according to claim 1 further including recognizing that a media sort mode has been selected.
12 . A printing apparatus comprising:
a print media input holder;
a print region;
at least one media transport element for moving sheets of recording medium from the print media input holder to the print region;
a scan element disposed along a printing path;
a print media output holder; and
a controller including:
a selectable media sort mode that includes:
using the scan element to determine whether a sheet of recording medium has marks on a first side of the sheet;
moving the sheet of recording medium to a first location or a second location depending on whether the first side of the sheet is determined to have marks on it; and
a selectable printing mode that does not include determining whether the sheet of recording medium has marks on it.
13 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a printhead.
14 . The printing apparatus of claim 13 further comprising a carriage configured to carry the printhead across the print region.
15 . The printing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the printhead is an inkjet printhead.
16 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scan element is disposed proximate the print media input holder.
17 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scan element is disposed proximate the print region.
18 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scan element is mounted in a fixed position.
19 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the scan element is configured to be movable across the printing path.
20 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 further including a sorted media holder.
21 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 further including a duplexing unit.
22 . The printing apparatus of claim 12 , the controller further including a media screening mode that includes using the scan element to identify sheets of recording medium that have not previously been marked on either side.