Image forming apparatus with a plurality of modules receiving a common trigger signal
First Claim
1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, the image forming apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of operation units each of which executes an assigned operation from among the plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, and the plurality of operation units forms the image while interacting with each other; and
a plurality of modules that corresponds respectively to the plurality of operation units and control the plurality of operation units to execute the image forming operations, the plurality of modules each including;
a control value holding device that holds a control value for controlling a corresponding operation unit;
a control device that autonomously controls a corresponding operation unit in accordance with the control value that is held by the control value holding device; and
a communication device that receives, at least, a common trigger signal that is a communication signal and is sent simultaneously to the plurality of modules;
wherein the control device, upon receiving the trigger signal from the communication device, shifts to a state in which control of a corresponding operation unit is enabled; and
wherein the plurality of operation units executes the plurality of image forming operations to form the image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is provided that can perform distributed control for a plurality of operation units, without concentrating control in a single device. The apparatus includes a plurality of modules that respectively correspond to a plurality of operation units, each module including a communication device, a functional block setting device and a functional block connected with a corresponding operation unit. The functional block has a register that holds, in an updateable condition, control values relating to various controls of the corresponding operation unit. Each module is triggered by an operation start signal input to a start terminal of the communication device to start an operation for controlling a corresponding operation unit in accordance with each control value held in the register device.
56 Citations
8 Claims
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1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image by a plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, the image forming apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of operation units each of which executes an assigned operation from among the plurality of different image forming operations corresponding to the image, and the plurality of operation units forms the image while interacting with each other; and a plurality of modules that corresponds respectively to the plurality of operation units and control the plurality of operation units to execute the image forming operations, the plurality of modules each including; a control value holding device that holds a control value for controlling a corresponding operation unit; a control device that autonomously controls a corresponding operation unit in accordance with the control value that is held by the control value holding device; and a communication device that receives, at least, a common trigger signal that is a communication signal and is sent simultaneously to the plurality of modules; wherein the control device, upon receiving the trigger signal from the communication device, shifts to a state in which control of a corresponding operation unit is enabled; and wherein the plurality of operation units executes the plurality of image forming operations to form the image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification