Image forming apparatus and control method for image forming apparatus
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of image forming operations corresponding to the image, comprising:
- a plurality of modules each of which executes an operation which is assigned to each individual module from among the plurality of image forming operations corresponding to the image; and
a shared data storing device for storing shared information to be shared by said plurality of modules;
wherein each of said plurality of modules stores operation condition information, indicating an operation condition, as shared information in the shared data storing device;
wherein each individual module of said plurality of modules executes the operation assigned to the individual module by referring to the information in said shared data storing device to form the image in cooperation with the other modules of the plurality of modules;
wherein the operation assigned to each individual module is different from operations assigned to and executed by the other modules of said plurality of modules;
wherein the operation condition information stored in the shared data storing device includes operation condition information indicating that an abnormality in operation occurs; and
wherein when an abnormality in operation occurs in any of said plurality of modules, a module in which the abnormality in operation occurs stores operation condition information, indicating a generation of the abnormality in operation, in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation corresponding to a type of the abnormality in operation, and each of other modules refers to the operation condition information stored in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation according to the module in which an abnormality in operation is occurs and a type of the abnormality in operation wherein said shared data storing device stores an operation parameter to be used in common by said plurality of modules as shared information with operation condition information of each of said plurality of modules.
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Abstract
The image forming apparatus executes controls relating to image formation in a dispersed manner without centralization. A printer part of the image forming apparatus includes a laser module, an image process module, a paper-feed cassette module, a conveyance module, a both-side module, a fixing module, a paper discharge module and a shared data module. Each module stores operation condition information, indicating its operation condition in the shared data module, and executes autonomously a specific operation by referring to operation parameters and the operation condition information indicating the operation conditions of the modules, stored in the shared data module.
37 Citations
11 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of image forming operations corresponding to the image, comprising:
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a plurality of modules each of which executes an operation which is assigned to each individual module from among the plurality of image forming operations corresponding to the image; and a shared data storing device for storing shared information to be shared by said plurality of modules; wherein each of said plurality of modules stores operation condition information, indicating an operation condition, as shared information in the shared data storing device; wherein each individual module of said plurality of modules executes the operation assigned to the individual module by referring to the information in said shared data storing device to form the image in cooperation with the other modules of the plurality of modules; wherein the operation assigned to each individual module is different from operations assigned to and executed by the other modules of said plurality of modules; wherein the operation condition information stored in the shared data storing device includes operation condition information indicating that an abnormality in operation occurs; and wherein when an abnormality in operation occurs in any of said plurality of modules, a module in which the abnormality in operation occurs stores operation condition information, indicating a generation of the abnormality in operation, in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation corresponding to a type of the abnormality in operation, and each of other modules refers to the operation condition information stored in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation according to the module in which an abnormality in operation is occurs and a type of the abnormality in operation wherein said shared data storing device stores an operation parameter to be used in common by said plurality of modules as shared information with operation condition information of each of said plurality of modules. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A control method for an image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of image forming operations corresponding to the image, the image forming apparatus including a plurality of modules each of which executes an operation which is assigned to each individual module from among the plurality of image forming operations;
- and a shared data storing device for storing shared information to be shared by the plurality of modules, the method comprising;
a step of storing operation condition information indicating an operation condition of each of said plurality of modules into the shared data storing device as shared information; a step of executing a specific operation with each of said plurality of modules by referring to the information in the shared data storing device in each of said plurality of modules to form the image in cooperation with the other modules of the plurality of modules; and wherein the specific operation is different from other specific operations executed by the other modules of said plurality of modules wherein the operation condition information includes operation condition information indicating that an abnormality in operation occurs; and wherein when an abnormality in operation occurs in any of said plurality of modules, a module in which the abnormality in operation occurs stores operation condition information, indicating a generation of the abnormality in operation, in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation corresponding to a type of the abnormality in operation, and each of other modules refers to the operation condition information stored in the shared data storing device, without interacting with any other of the plurality of modules, and executes an operation according to the module in which an abnormality in operation is occurs and a type of the abnormality in operation wherein said shared data storing device stores an operation parameter to be used in common by said plurality of modules as shared information with operation condition information of each of said plurality of modules.
- and a shared data storing device for storing shared information to be shared by the plurality of modules, the method comprising;
Specification