Patent ID: 6587655
Filing Date: 2003-07-01
Classification: G03G,G06K,H04N

Abstract:
An image forming method carried out in an image forming apparatus having a print engine for forming a plurality of pages in an image forming area based on print data received from an external apparatus, said method comprising:a predicting step of calculating prediction information, on a page unit basis, to predict a development processing time to develop intermediate data based on the print data received from the external apparatus to a bit map image; a specifying step of specifying, for all of a plurality of bands included in the plurality of pages to be formed in the image forming area, whether a band has a development processing time longer than a development processing time derived from an image forming process speed of the print engine based on the prediction information calculated in said predicting step; a developing step of developing bands specified in said specifying step as having a development processing time longer than the derived development processing time into a bit map image prior to issuance of a TOP signal; and a controlling step of controlling the print engine to start forming the plurality of pages after said developing step.