Image forming apparatus and printing method
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakaaki Suzuki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Certain embodiments provide an image forming apparatus including: a memory; a read unit; a scanner processor configured to transfer image data at a first transfer speed; an image processing unit; a print unit; a printer processor to transfer print image data at a second transfer rate; a main processor to cause the printer processor to switch the second transfer speed to another, and cause the scanner processor to switch the first transfer speed to another; and a switching controller to control operation of the print unit in a plurality of operation modes corresponding to the plurality of print speeds, cause the main processor to switch the operation clock, cause the scanner processor and the printer processor respectively to switch each transfer speed to another.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a memory on a system bus;
- a read unit configured to read an original document surface to generate image data;
- a scanner processor configured to operate the read unit and transfer the image data from the read unit to the memory through the system bus at a first transfer speed;
- an image processing unit configured to convert the image data within the memory into print image data;
- a print unit configured to print the print image data, and operate at any one of a plurality of printing speeds different in power consumption;
- a printer processor configured to operate the print unit, and transfer the print image data from the memory to the print unit through the system bus at a second transfer rate;
- a main processor configured to operate in response to an operation, clock, cause the printer processor to switch the second transfer speed to another, and cause the scanner processor to switch the first transfer speed to another;
- and
- a switching controller configured to control operation of the print unit in a plurality of operation modes corresponding to the plurality of print speeds, cause the main processor to switch the operation clock in synchronism with timing when a state of the print unit switches to any one of the plurality of operation modes, cause the scanner processor to switch the first transfer speed to another, and cause the printer processor to switch the second transfer speed to another.
A printing method, comprising:
- allocating a state of a printing unit configured to print print image data at any one of a plurality of print speeds different in power consumption to any one of a plurality of operation modes corresponding to the plurality of print speeds;
- printing by the print unit by using an operation clock of a main processor, a first transfer speed at which a scanner processor transfers image data to a memory, and a second transfer speed at which the memory transfers the print image data to the printer processor, each of the operation clock, the first transfer speed and the second transfer speed having a print speed corresponding to any one of the modes;
- switching the state of the printing unit to another mode upon operating an operation panel by a user;
- and
- printing by the print unit at the operation clock, the first transfer speed, and the second transfer speed, each of the operation clock, the first transfer speed and the second transfer speed having the print speed corresponding to the another mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.