Image formation apparatus that can have waiting time before image formation reduced

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• designation means for providing designation to carry out an image formation operation,
• document feed means that can accommodate a plurality of documents for sequentially feeding a mounted document one at a time to read out means according to designation of said designation means,
• number of readout documents set means for setting the number of documents to be read out,
• read out means for sequentially reading out a document fed by said document feed means,
• memory means for storing image data output from said readout means,
• image forming means for carrying out an image formation operation according to image data stored in said memory means,
• calculation means for calculating a time required to read out a set number of documents to obtain said start timing of an image formation operation,
• a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature,
• switch means for switching between a standby mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at a standby temperature lower than said predetermined temperature and an operation mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at said predetermined temperature, and
• control means for controlling switching timing of said switch means so that said member to be heated arrives at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of an image formation operation.

An image formation apparatus of a structure comprising:

• designation means for providing designation to carry out an image formation operation,
• document feed means that can accommodate a plurality of documents for sequentially feeding a mounted document one by one to read out means according to designation of said designation means,
• read out means for sequentially reading out a fed document,
• memory means for storing image data output from said read out means,
• image forming means for carrying out an image formation operation according to image data stored in said memory means,
• image formation mode setting means for setting an image formation mode to form an image corresponding to a plurality of documents of originals on one sheet,
• calculation means for calculating a time required to read out according to an image formation mode to obtain start timing of an image formation operation when said image formation mode is set,
• a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature,
• switch means for switching between a standby mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at a standby temperature lower than said predetermined temperature and an operation mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at said predetermined temperature, and
• control means for controlling switching timing of said switch means so that said member to be heated arrives at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of an image formation operation.

An image formation method comprising the steps of:

• designating execution of an image formation operation,
• initiating a readout operation of a document according to said designation,
• storing image data read out by said read out step,
• carrying out an image formation operation according to said stored image data,
• calculating start timing of a first image formation operation in response to said designation,
• switching between a standby mode in which a member to be heated that operates at a predetermined temperature is maintained at a standby temperature that is lower than said predetermined temperature, and an operation mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at said predetermined temperature, and
• controlling timing of said switching step so that said member to be heated arrives at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of an image formation operation.

An image formation method comprising the steps of:

• designating execution of an image formation operation,
• sequentially feeding a document one by one to a reader unit according to said designation step,
• setting the number of documents to be read out,
• sequentially reading out said fed document by a reader unit,
• storing image data read out by said readout step,
• carrying out an image formation operation according to said stored image data,
• calculating a time required for reading out said set number of documents for obtaining start timing of an image formation operation,
• switching between a standby mode in which a member to be heated that operates at a predetermined temperature is maintained at a standby temperature lower than said predetermined temperature and an operation mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at said predetermined temperature, and
• controlling switching timing of said switching step so that said member to be heated arrives at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of an image formation operation.

An image formation method comprising the steps of:

• designating execution of an image formation operation,
• sequentially feeding a document one by one to a reader unit according to a designation of said designation step,
• sequentially reading out said fed document with said reader unit,
• storing said readout image data,
• carrying out an image formation operation according to said stored image data,
• setting an image formation mode to form an image corresponding to a plurality of documents on one sheet,
• calculating a time required for read out according to an image formation mode to obtain start timing of said image formation operation when said image formation mode is set,
• switching between a standby mode in which a member to be heated that operates at a predetermined temperature is maintained at a standby temperature lower than said predetermined temperature and an operation mode in which said member to be heated is maintained at said predetermined temperature, and
• controlling timing of said switching step so that said member to be heated arrives at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of an image formation operation.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a designation unit which provides designation to carry out an image formation operation;
• a readout unit which initiates a readout operation of a document according to the designation of said designation unit;
• a memory unit which stores image data output from said readout unit;
• an image forming unit which carries out the image formation operation according to the image data stored in said memory unit;
• a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• a controller which obtains start timing of a first image formation operation based on the designation of said designation unit and controls the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation operation.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a designation unit which provides designation to carry out an image formation operation;
• a readout unit which initiates a readout operation of a document according to the designation of said designation unit;
• a number inputting unit which inputs the number of documents to be read;
• a memory unit which stores image data output from said readout unit;
• an image forming unit which carries out the image formation operation according to the image data stored in said memory unit;
• a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• a controller which obtains start timing of a first image formation operation based on the number of documents to be read inputted by said number inputting unit and controls the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation operation.

An image formation apparatus comprising:

• a designation unit which provides designation to carry out an image formation operation;
• a readout unit which initiates a readout operation of a document according to the designation of said designation unit;
• a memory unit which stores image data output from said readout unit;
• image forming unit which carries out the image formation operation according to the image data stored in said memory unit;
• a mode setting unit which sets one out of a plurality of image formation modes in which two or more image corresponding to documents different one another are formed on one sheet;
• a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• a controller which obtains start timing of a first image formation operation based on the image formation mode set by said mode setting unit and controls the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation operation.

An image forming method comprising the steps:

• designating to carry out an image formation operation;
• reading a document according to the designation;
• storing image data output from said reading step;
• carrying out image formation operation according to the image data stored in the storing step;
• heating a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• obtaining start timing of a first image formation operation based on the designation and controlling the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• designating to carry out an image formation operation;
• initiating a readout operation of a document according to the designation;
• inputting the number of documents to be read in said readout operation;
• storing image data output from said readout operation;
• carrying out the image formation operation according to the image data stored;
• heating a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• and
• obtaining start timing of a first image formation operation based on the number of documents to be read and controlling the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation operation.

An image forming method comprising the steps of:

• designating to carry out an image formation operation;
• initiating a readout operation of a document according to the designation step;
• storing image data output from said initiating step;
• carrying out the image formation operation according to the image data stored in said storing step;
• setting one out of a plurality of image formation modes in which two or more images corresponding to documents different from one another are formed on one sheet;
• heating a member to be heated for operating at a predetermined temperature;
• and
• obtaining start timing of a first image formation operation based on the image formation mode set in said mode setting step and controlling the temperature of the member to be heated so as to arrive at said predetermined temperature at said start timing of the first image formation operation.