Image forming apparatus, power supply apparatus, and method of supplying power

• US 7,619,759 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2000
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Mishima, Nobuhiro, Shirasawa, Toshiya, Ishiguro, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson; James A
• Application Number:
  US09/585,339
• Time in Patent Office: 3,455 Days
• Field of Search: 358500-505, 358/1.9, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 358/305, 358/400, 358/401, 358/406, 358/407, 358/425, 358/442, 358/443, 358/527, 358/530
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/38 Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5066 by using information from an external support, e.g. magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00105 the support being a payment means, e.g. a coin
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00316 Electronic image supplied to the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0036 Detecting or checking connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like

Abstract

When it is detected that an external device has been connected, the printing unit is controlled so as to form an image according to image data that has been received from the external device. As a result, image forming can be started earlier compared with the case in which image forming is prepared after the image data is transmitted. Accordingly, the user waits a shorter period of time and the usability is improved.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus to which an external device transmitting image data is to be connected, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting whether the external device has been connected to the image forming apparatus, the detecting unit including

a connector configured to receive a plug of a cable attached to the external device, and

an interface controller connected to the connector, the interface controller outputting a first logical level signal when the plug is inserted into the connector and outputting a second logical level signal when the plug is not inserted into the connector;

a printing unit; and

a control unit for controlling, in response to the first logical level signal output by the interface controller, the printing unit so as to prepare for image forming according to the image data from the external device, wherein

the image data is set from the external device to the image forming apparatus via the cable.

2. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting an external device, the external device transmitting image data, the detecting unit including

a connector configured to receive a plug of a cable attached to the external device, and

an interface controller connected to the connector, the interface controller outputting a first logical level signal when the plug is inserted into the connector and outputting a second logical level signal when the plug is not inserted into the connector;

a power supplying unit for supplying power;

a printing unit that is driven by the power from the power supplying unit and forms an image according to the image data from the external device; and

a control unit for controlling the power supplying to the printing unit by the power supplying unit according to whether the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal or the second logical level signal, wherein

the image data is set from the external device to the image forming apparatus via the cable.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing unit includes:

an image forming unit for forming the image on a sheet according to the image data; and

a fixing unit for fixing the image on the sheet by applying heat.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an amount of the power supplied to the fixing unit so as to change the power amount according to whether the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal or the second logical level signal.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an amount of the power supplied to the fixing unit so as to keep the fixing unit at a first temperature that is lower than a second temperature for fixing the image on the sheet when the interface controller outputs the second logical level signal, and at the second temperature when the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the power supplying to the printing unit when the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal.

7. An image forming apparatus to which an external device transmitting image data is to be connected, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit for detecting whether the external device has been connected to the connector, the detecting unit including

a connector configured to receive a plug of a cable attached to the external device, and

an interface controller connected to the connector, the interface controller outputting a first logical level signal when the plug is inserted into the connector;

an image forming unit for forming an image on a sheet according to the image data that has been transmitted from the external device;

a fixing unit for fixing the image on the sheet by applying heat, wherein the fixing unit is an electric heater; and

a control unit for controlling power supplying to the fixing unit according to whether the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal or the second logical level signal, wherein

the image data is set from the external device to the image forming apparatus via the cable.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the external device is a camera for taking a picture and generating the image data, the external device including a connecting unit that is to be connected to the connector.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a fee-charging unit for charging a user a fee for forming an image.

10. An image forming apparatus to which an external device transmitting image data is to be connected comprising:

a fixing unit for fixing an image that has been formed on a sheet by applying heat;

a switching unit for putting the fixing unit into a fixing mode, in which the fixing unit is kept at a first temperature for fixing the image on the sheet, and a standby mode, in which the fixing unit stands by and a temperature of the fixing unit is lower than the first temperature;

an external device detecting unit for detecting whether the external device has been connected to the image forming apparatus, the external device detecting unit including

a connector configured to receive a plug of a cable attached to the external device, and

an interface controller connected to the connector, the interface controller outputting a first logical level signal when the plug is inserted into the connector; and

a control unit for controlling the switching unit so as to switch the fixing unit from the standby mode to the fixing mode when the interface controller outputs the first logical level signal, wherein

the image data is set from the external device to the image forming apparatus via the cable.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the switching unit interrupts a current to the fixing unit in the standby mode.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the switching unit keeps the fixing unit at a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature, in the standby mode.

13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a judging unit for judging whether an image forming operation has been completed, wherein

the control unit controls the switching unit so as to switch the fixing unit from the fixing mode to the standby mode when the interface controller outputs the second logical level signal and when the judging unit judges that the image forming operation has been completed.