IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS OPERATION METHOD
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an operation part including an input part for inputting settings related to the image forming apparatus and a display performing display in a wizard format in which setting screens for a plurality of predefined functions are sequentially displayed in an interactive manner;
a fixing part having therein a heater for fixing a toner onto paper, the fixing part performing fixing temperature control for maintaining a temperature at a printable temperature as a temperature required for fixing a toner image, the fixing part shifting from a normal mode to a power-saving mode under a condition that predefined time has passed while no inputting has been made on the input part, a condition that instructions for shift to the power-saving mode has been provided to the input part, or both conditions, and then stopping the fixing temperature control, the fixing part restarting the fixing temperature control after a restart signal for restarting the fixing temperature control is issued;
a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the fixing part; and
a storage part storing at least;
required stabilization time data for defining required stabilization time as time required for reaching the printable temperature when the fixing temperature control has been performed starting with a current temperature of the fixing part; and
necessary time data for defining necessary time required for making a setting for one of the setting screens in the wizard format; and
a control part recognizing inputting of settings to the input part, the control part, upon recovery from the power-saving mode to the normal mode since inputting to the input part has been performed and/or an operation detection part has detected that the operation on the image forming apparatus has been performed and then restart of the fixing temperature control from a state in which the fixing temperature control is stopped, obtaining a current temperature of the fixing part based on output of the temperature detector and the required stabilization time based on the required stabilization time data, the control part, based on the necessary time data and a number of remaining setting screens on which settings need to be performed in the wizard format, issuing the restart signal between a first time point as a time point reached by tracing back by the required stabilization time from a predicted time point at which making the settings are predicted to complete and a second time point as a time point traced back by the necessary time from the first time point.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Upon recovery from a power-saving mode to a normal mode and then restart of fixing temperature control from a state in which the fixing temperature control is stopped, a control part (display control part 10 obtains a current temperature of a fixing part based on output of a temperature detector and required stabilization time T1 based on required stabilization time data, and based on necessary time data A and the number of remaining setting screens on which settings need to be made in a wizard format, issues a restart signal RS for restarting the fixing temperature control between a first time point TP1 reached by tracing back by the required stabilization time T1 from a predicted time point at which making the settings is predicted to complete and a second time point TP2 as a time point the necessary time before the first time point.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
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an operation part including an input part for inputting settings related to the image forming apparatus and a display performing display in a wizard format in which setting screens for a plurality of predefined functions are sequentially displayed in an interactive manner; a fixing part having therein a heater for fixing a toner onto paper, the fixing part performing fixing temperature control for maintaining a temperature at a printable temperature as a temperature required for fixing a toner image, the fixing part shifting from a normal mode to a power-saving mode under a condition that predefined time has passed while no inputting has been made on the input part, a condition that instructions for shift to the power-saving mode has been provided to the input part, or both conditions, and then stopping the fixing temperature control, the fixing part restarting the fixing temperature control after a restart signal for restarting the fixing temperature control is issued; a temperature detector for detecting a temperature of the fixing part; and a storage part storing at least;
required stabilization time data for defining required stabilization time as time required for reaching the printable temperature when the fixing temperature control has been performed starting with a current temperature of the fixing part; and
necessary time data for defining necessary time required for making a setting for one of the setting screens in the wizard format; anda control part recognizing inputting of settings to the input part, the control part, upon recovery from the power-saving mode to the normal mode since inputting to the input part has been performed and/or an operation detection part has detected that the operation on the image forming apparatus has been performed and then restart of the fixing temperature control from a state in which the fixing temperature control is stopped, obtaining a current temperature of the fixing part based on output of the temperature detector and the required stabilization time based on the required stabilization time data, the control part, based on the necessary time data and a number of remaining setting screens on which settings need to be performed in the wizard format, issuing the restart signal between a first time point as a time point reached by tracing back by the required stabilization time from a predicted time point at which making the settings are predicted to complete and a second time point as a time point traced back by the necessary time from the first time point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An image forming apparatus driving method comprising the steps of:
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performing display in a wizard format in which setting screens for a plurality of predefined functions are sequentially displayed in an interactive manner; detecting a temperature of a fixing part having therein a heater for fixing a toner onto paper; performing fixing temperature control for maintaining a temperature at a printable temperature as a temperature required for fixing a toner image; under a condition that predefined time has passed while no inputting has been made on the input part, a condition that instructions for shift to the power-saving mode has been provided to the input part, or both conditions, shifting from a normal mode to a power-saving mode and stopping the fixing temperature control; and recognizing inputting of settings to the input part, upon recovery from the power-saving mode to the normal mode since inputting to the input part has been performed and/or the operation on the image forming apparatus has been performed and then restart of the fixing temperature control from a state in which the fixing temperature control is stopped, obtaining a current temperature of the fixing part and required stabilization time based on required stabilization time data for defining the required stabilization time as time from the current temperature of the fixing part to the printable temperature when the fixing temperature control has been performed, and based on necessary time data for defining necessary time required for making a setting for one of the setting screens in the wizard format and a number of remaining setting screens on which settings need to be made in the wizard format, issuing a restart signal for starting the fixing temperature control between a first time point as a time point reached by tracing back by the required stabilization time from a predicted time point at which making the settings are predicted to complete and a second time point as a time point traced back by the necessary time from the first time point. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification