Control device and non-transitory recording medium storing control program for image forming apparatus, and method for controlling the image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016342120-A1
Application number	US-201615157492-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control device for an image forming apparatus that transitions to a restricted mode which is a print mode to alternately transition between a printable state to perform a print operation, in which a predetermined print amount is printable, and a sleep state to stop a subsequent print operation for a predetermined sleep time after the print operation is performed, includes a print-operation determiner and a print controller. The print-operation determiner determines, when a print-operation execution request to the image forming apparatus is received in the sleep state, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation based on a print amount of the print-operation execution request. The print controller controls the subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus according to a determination result of the print-operation determiner as to whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control device for an image forming apparatus that transitions to a restricted mode which is a print mode to alternately transition between a printable state to perform a print operation, in which a predetermined print amount is printable, and a sleep state to stop a subsequent print operation for a predetermined sleep time after the print operation is performed, the control device comprising:
a print-operation determiner to determine, when a print-operation execution request to the image forming apparatus is received in the sleep state, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation based on a print amount of the print-operation execution request; and a print controller to control the subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus according to a determination result of the print-operation determiner as to whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the print amount of the print-operation execution request is equal to or less than the predetermined print amount, the print-operation determiner determines that the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation.

3 . The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, after the image forming apparatus performs the subsequent print operation in the sleep state, the print controller controls a further subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus to change the sleep time to be longer than a time length having been set before the subsequent print operation.

4 . The control device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, after the image forming apparatus performs the subsequent print operation in the sleep state, the print controller controls a further subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus to change the sleep time to be longer than a time length having been set before the subsequent print operation by a difference between the time length and an elapsed time from a transition to the sleep state until the subsequent print operation is performed, and the sleep time.

5 . The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an elapsed-time counter to measure an elapsed time after the image forming apparatus transitions to the restricted mode; a print amount counter to measure a cumulative print amount of the image forming apparatus after the image forming apparatus transitions to the restricted mode; and a unit-print-amount calculator to calculate, based on the measured elapsed time and the measured cumulative print amount, a unit print amount which is a print amount per unit time after the image forming apparatus transitions to the sleep state, wherein when the print-operation execution request is received while the image forming apparatus is in the sleep state, the print-operation determiner determines, based on the unit print amount calculated by assuming that the print-operation execution request is performed, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the print operation.

6 . The control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein, when the print-operation execution request is received while the image forming apparatus is in the sleep state, the print-operation determiner determines that the image forming apparatus is to perform the print operation if the unit print amount calculated by assuming that the print-operation execution request is performed is equal to or less than a predetermined unit print amount.

7 . The control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein, when the image forming apparatus is cancelled from the restricted mode, the print controller clears the measured elapsed time and the measured cumulative print amount to zero.

8 . The control device according to claim 5 ,
wherein when the print-operation execution request is received while the image forming apparatus is in the restricted mode, the print-operation determiner determines, based on the unit print amount calculated by assuming that the print-operation execution request is performed, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the print operation.

9 . A non-transitory recording medium storing a control program for causing an image forming apparatus that transitions to a restricted mode which is a print mode to alternately transition between a printable state to perform a print operation, in which a predetermined print amount is printable, and a sleep state to stop a subsequent print operation for a predetermined sleep time after the print operation is performed, to execute:
determining, when a print-operation execution request to the image forming apparatus is received in the sleep state, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation based on a print amount of the print-operation execution request; and controlling the subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus according to a determination result as to whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation.

10 . A method for controlling an image forming apparatus that transitions to a restricted mode which is a print mode to alternately transition between a printable state to perform a print operation, in which a predetermined print amount is printable, and a sleep state to stop a subsequent print operation for a predetermined sleep time after the print operation is performed, the method comprising:
determining, when a print-operation execution request to the image forming apparatus is received in the sleep state, whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation based on a print amount of the print-operation execution request; and controlling the subsequent print operation of the image forming apparatus according to a determination result as to whether the image forming apparatus is to perform the subsequent print operation.

Assignees

• Saitoh Kazuya
• Kojima Takeshi
• Sekiguchi Sho
• Yamada Tatsumi
• Moriyama Takuya
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saitoh Kazuya
• Kojima Takeshi
• Sekiguchi Sho
• Yamada Tatsumi
• Moriyama Takuya

Classifications

• G03G2215/0129

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