Image forming apparatus forming images in response to image formation request from operation unit or external device

An image forming system including an image forming apparatus that forms an image in response to a request and an external device making image formation requests to said image forming apparatus, said image forming apparatus comprising:

• an operation unit configured to load a file, written in HTML format, from a hard disk, display information including multiple functions based on said loaded file in a usable state, and make image formation requests;
• an image forming unit forming an image in response to an image formation request issued from said operation unit or said external device;
• an activation unit for starting supplying electric power to both said operation unit and said image forming unit in parallel by turning on a main power, to activate said operation unit and said image forming unit to bring the units into the usable state, so that both a first image processing function which needs an operation with said operation unit, having at least a copy function, and a second image processing function which needs no operation with said operation unit, having a printer function, can be performed, wherein an activation time, representing time required from starting receiving electric power to the usable state, of said operation unit is longer than an activation time of said image forming unit on one or more occasions;
• a determination unit determining, when said image formation request is issued while said activation unit activates both said operation unit and said image forming unit in parallel, after turning on said main power, whether said image formation request is issued from said external device or not;
• and
• a control unit making said image forming unit form the image by operating said second image processing function, before said operation unit is brought into the usable state, based on said image formation request from said external device when said control unit detects that said image forming unit has been brought into the usable state, in case that said determination unit determines that said image formation request is issued from said external device while said activation unit activates both said operation unit and said image forming unit, wherein said control unit makes said image forming unit form the image by operating said first image processing function based on said image formation request from said operation unit, after said operation unit and said image forming unit have been brought into the usable state, in case that said determination unit determines that said image formation request is not issued from said external device while said activation unit activates both said operation unit and said image forming unit.

A method for forming images with an image forming apparatus including an operation unit configured to load a file, written in HTML format, from a hard disk, display information including multiple functions based on said loaded file in a usable state, and make image formation requests and an image forming unit forming an image in response to an image formation request issued from said operation unit or an external device, said method comprising:

• starting supplying electric power to both said operation unit and said image forming unit in parallel by turning on a main power, to activate said operation unit and said image forming unit to bring the units into the usable state, so that both a first image processing function which needs an operation with said operation unit, having at least a copy function, and a second image processing function which needs no operation with said operation unit, having a printer function, can be performed, wherein an activation time, representing time required from starting receiving electric power to the usable state, of said operation unit is longer than an activation time of said image forming unit on one or more occasions;
• determining, when said image formation request is issued while both said operation unit and said image forming unit are being activated in parallel, after turning on said main power, whether the image formation request is issued from said external device on not;
• and
• making said image forming unit form the image by operating said second image processing function, before said operation unit is brought into the usable state, based on said image formation request from said external device when a control unit detects that said image forming unit has been brought into the usable state, in case that it is determined that said image formation request is issued from said external device while both said operation unit and said image forming unit are being activated, wherein said control unit makes said image forming unit form the image by operating said first image processing function based on said image formation request from said operation unit, after said operation unit and said image forming unit have been brought into the usable state, in case that said determination unit determines that said image formation request is not issued from said external device while said activation unit activates both said operation unit and said image forming unit.