Facsimile control apparatus and method

Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C358S401000, C399S070000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06335797

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus having a laser beam printer thereon. The present invention also relates to a control method of an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
On the image processing apparatus such as a facsimile apparatus, there is mounted a laser beam printer as a means for copying an original and printing outputs of facsimile receiving data. A heat roller of a thermal fixing section of the laser beam printer is required to be high temperature at a print operation time. Due to this, a heater is provided in the laser beam printer to heat a print section.
Such a heater needs a large amount of electricity for heating. This increases power consumption of the print section. In order to save power, the following measurements are conventionally taken:
More specifically, power of the heater is turned off in a standby state. The heater is turned on only after an operator instructs a print operation. Then, the heat roller is heated by the heater. The printing is started after the heat roller reaches a suitable temperature for printing.
However, it takes several seconds to several minutes for the heat roller to reach the suitable temperature for printing after the heater is turned on. During this time, the operator must stop the operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to reduce time from an operator's instruction of a print start to an actual print start in an image forming process.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus, having a print section, for printing an image, comprising:
a heater provided in the print section;
a prediction section for detecting a predetermined operation having possibility that a print operation will be performed;
a heater control section for turning on power of the heater of the print section when the predetermined operation is detected by the prediction section; and
a print control section for executing a print operation when a print designation is operated after power of the heater is turned on.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing, having a print section, for printing an image, comprising:
a heater provided in the print section;
a sensor for detecting a state change of the apparatus;
a key operation section for inputting an operation designation; and
a control section for turning on power of the heater of the print section when the state change or the operation designation has possibility that a print operation will be performed, and turning off power of the heater of the print section when the state change or the operation designation has no possibility that a print operation will be performed based on both an output of the key operation section and a detection signal of the sensor.
Moreover, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus, having a print section and a transmission section, for printing an image and transmitting data from the transmission section, comprising:
a heater provided in the print section;
a prediction section for detecting a predetermined operation having possibility that a print operation will be performed;
a heater control section for turning on power of the heater of the print section when the predetermined operation is detected by the prediction section; and
a print control section for executing a print operation when a print designation is operated after power of the heater is turned on, and turning off power of the heater after starting a transmission and before ending the transmission when a transmission designation is operated to the transmission section.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a control method of an image processing apparatus, having a print section, for printing an image, comprising the steps of:
detecting a predetermined operation having possibility that a print operation will be performed;
turning on power of a heater of the print section when the predetermined operation is detected; and
executing a print operation when a print designation is operated after power of the heater is turned on.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a control method of an image processing apparatus, having a print section and a transmission section, for printing an image and transmitting data from the transmission section, comprising the steps of:
detecting a predetermined operation having possibility that a print operation will be performed;
turning on power of a heater of the print section when the predetermined operation is detected;
executing a print operation when a print designation is operated after power of the heater is turned on; and
turning off power of the heater after starting a transmission and before ending the transmission when a transmission designation is operated to the transmission section.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4681423 (1987-07-01), Nishijima
patent: 4745436 (1988-05-01), Matsuura
patent: 4837813 (1989-06-01), Terajima et al.
patent: 4963943 (1990-10-01), Tamary
patent: 5219234 (1993-06-01), Sakai
patent: 5282054 (1994-01-01), Oana et al.
patent: 5315350 (1994-05-01), Hirobe et al.
patent: 5386272 (1995-01-01), Nakazato
patent: 5589923 (1996-12-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5673117 (1997-09-01), Ezumi et al.
patent: 5694226 (1997-12-01), Yokoyama
patent: 5710637 (1998-01-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5832190 (1998-11-01), Terajima et al.
patent: 5854957 (1998-12-01), Morikawa
patent: 5987274 (1999-11-01), Satoh
patent: 0632641 (1995-01-01), None
patent: 95/18356 (1995-07-01), None

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Facsimile control apparatus and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Facsimile control apparatus and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Facsimile control apparatus and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2845980

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.