Claims
- 1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for inputting code information from an external apparatus;
- means for converting the input code information into pixel information;
- means for forming an image onto a sheet in accordance with the pixel information;
- means for feeding a sheet to said image forming means, through an electrographic process; and
- means for discriminating whether a next page of the code information is inputted, wherein
- said apparatus is capable of inputting at least the next page of code information during processing of the current page, and
- said apparatus further comprises means for outputting a predetermined signal instructing a start to feeding the next page during print of the current page when said discriminating means discriminates that input of the code information of the next page has been completed, and control means for controlling said image forming means to start preparation to execute said electrophotographic process in response to the predetermined signal, in cases where the predetermined signal is outputted when the electrophotographic process is not executed.
- 2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises scanner means for scanning a light beam and said control means controls a start of driving said scanner means as the preparation to execute said electrophotographic process.
- 3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprising fixer means for thermally fixing an image formed on the sheet and said control means controls said fixer means to maintain a temperature for fixing operation as the preparation to execute said electrophotographic process.
- 4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus stops the sheet at a predetermined position, and subsequently conveys the stopped sheet to said image forming means after converting to the pixel information by said converting means is completed.
- 5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said image forming apparatus performs different post image forming operations for the current page between the case where the sheet is at said predetermined position and the case where the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image forming means has scanner means for scanning a light beam and, in the post image forming operation, said apparatus keeps said scanner means in an active state for a longer period in cases where the sheet is at said predetermined position, than in cases where the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said apparatus further comprises fixer means for thermally fixing the image formed on the sheet and, in the post image forming operation, said fixer means maintains a temperature for fixing operation for a longer period in cases where the sheet is at said predetermined position than in cases where the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the post image forming operation said fixer means is controlled from a fixing temperature to a standby temperature.
- 9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said apparatus further comprises fixer means for thermally fixing the image formed on the sheet and, in the post image forming operation, said fixer means is dropped from a fixing temperature to a higher temperature in cases where the sheet is at said predetermined position than in cases where the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming means comprises latent image forming means for forming a latent image on a photosensitive member by scanning a light beam modulated in accordance with pixel information, developing means for developing said latent image into a toner image, and transferring means for transferring the toner image forming on said photosensitive member onto the sheet, and
- wherein said outputting means is capable of starting to feed the next page during formation of the latent image of the current page when said discriminating means discriminates that the input of the code information of the next page has been completed.
- 11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said apparatus stops the sheet at a predetermined position, and subsequently conveys the stopped sheet to said image forming means after converting to the pixel information by said converting means is completed, and
- wherein the drive of said photosensitive member is stopped when the converting to the pixel information is not completed even if a predetermined time has elapsed after the sheet is stopped at the predetermined position.
- 12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving first information from an external apparatus;
- means for converting the first information into second information;
- means for forming an image onto a sheet in accordance with the second information, through an electrophotographic process;
- means for feeding a sheet to said image forming means,
- wherein said apparatus is capable of receiving at least a subsequent page of first information during processing of a current page, and
- said apparatus further comprises means for discriminating whether or not a next page of the first information is received,
- means arranged to output a predetermined signal instructing the start of feeding a next sheet irrespective of whether a process of a current page is being performed whenever said discriminating means discriminates that the first information of the next page is received, and
- means for controlling said image forming means to start the preparation of said electrophotographic process in response to the predetermined signal whenever the predetermined signal is output when the electrophotographic process is not executed.
- 13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image forming means comprises scanner means for scanning a light beam and said control means controls the start of driving said scanner means as the preparation of said electrophotographic process.
- 14. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image forming means comprises fixer means for thermally fixing an image formed on a sheet and said control means controls the temperature of said fixer means to reach the temperature for the fixing operation as the preparation of said electrophotographic process.
- 15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said apparatus stops a sheet at a predetermined position, and subsequently conveys the sheet to said image forming means after said converting means has completed the conversion of a page of first information into second information.
- 16. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said image forming apparatus performs different post image forming operations for the current page when the sheet is at said predetermined position than when the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 17. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said image forming means has scanner means for scanning a light beam and, in the post image forming operation, said control means being arranged to maintain said scanner means in an active state for a longer period when the sheet is at said predetermined position, than when the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 18. Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said fixer means keeps the fixing operation temperature for a longer period when the sheet is at said predetermined position than when the sheet is not at said predetermined position.
- 19. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image forming means comprises latent image forming means for forming a latent image on a photosensitive member by scanning a light beam modulated in accordance with second information, developing means for developing said latent image into a toner image, and transferring means for transferring the toner image forming on said photosensitive member onto the sheet.
- 20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said apparatus stops the sheet at a predetermined position, and subsequently conveys the stopped sheet to said image forming means after said converting means has completed first information for a sheet into second information, and
- wherein the drive of said photosensitive member is stopped when conversion to the pixel information has not been completed even if a predetermined time has elapsed after a sheet has been stopped at the predetermined position.
- 21. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the first information is a coded character or graphic information and the second information is pixel information.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-129183 |
May 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-129184 |
May 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-191022 |
May 1990 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/357,294, filed Dec. 13, 1994, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/191,548, filed Feb. 4, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,480, issued May 2, 1995, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/974,503, filed Nov. 12, 1992, now abandoned, which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/703,298, filed May 20, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,402, issued Dec. 28, 1993.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0343827 |
Nov 1989 |
EPX |
0362791 |
Apr 1990 |
EPX |
57-211168 |
Dec 1982 |
JPX |
60-18371 |
Jan 1985 |
JPX |
Divisions (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
191548 |
Feb 1994 |
|
Parent |
703298 |
May 1991 |
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Continuations (2)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
357294 |
Dec 1994 |
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Parent |
974503 |
Nov 1992 |
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