Abstract:
An image forming apparatus is disclosed which includes a power-on section which supplies power, a storage section which stores image data, a printing section which prints image data stored in the storage section, an instruction section which accept an instruction to print using the printing section, a processing section which initializes the storage section upon turn-on of the power-on section, a time measurement section which measures time required at least for the processing section to execute processing, a report section which reports that the apparatus is in a state in which the instruction section can accept the instruction to execute printing, a control section which controls, upon turn-on of the power-on section, report of the state in which the instruction section can accept the instruction to execute printing before completion of initialization of the storage section.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a storage device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), which is initialized after turn-on. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In image forming apparatuses, upon turn-on, heating of a fixing unit employed therein for fixing, for example, toner on a paper sheet is started, and initialization of an HDD that stores, for example, image data, is also started. When the fixing unit has reached a predetermined temperature, and the initialization of the HDD has finished, the image forming apparatus entails a copy-enabled state. At this time, a message, e.g., “Ready”, indicating a copy-enabled state, is displayed on a display section in an operation panel, thereby informing a user. 
   In other words, upon turn-on, the user cannot  11  start copying until the fixing unit is heated to a predetermined temperature, and until the initialization of the HDD finishes. 
   For example, the time period required, before “Ready” is displayed, for increasing the temperature of fixing units may be shortened by a future improvement in fixing techniques. However, the time period required until the initialization of HDDs finishes is substantially constant between HDDs of the same type, and therefore it is difficult to shorten the time period required for the initialization process. 
   Further, there is a case where an error occurs in an image forming apparatus, and its user once turns off the apparatus and then turns it on again. Upon the second turn-on, the fixing unit is already warm, and therefore will soon reach a predetermined temperature, whereas the initialization of the HDD requires the same time period. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the invention to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the time needed before a user can start copying, printing, etc. after turn-on of the apparatus, by informing the user, upon turn-on of the apparatus, that an instruction to execute printing is acceptable before the initialization of an HDD is completed. 
   According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a power-on section which supplies power; a storage section which stores image data; a printing section which prints image data stored in the storage section; an instruction section which accept an instruction to print using the printing section; a processing section which initializes the storage section upon turn-on of the power-on section; a time measurement section which measures time required at least for the processing section to execute processing; a report section which reports that the apparatus is in a state in which the instruction section can accept the instruction to execute printing; a control section which controls, upon turn-on of the power-on section, report of the state in which the instruction section can accept the instruction to execute printing before completion of initialization of the storage section. 
   Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view illustrating an outward appearance of a copy machine according to an embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the essential configuration of an image forming apparatus; 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a process for storing a time period T 1  required for initialization; 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a process for storing a time period T 2  required for access; 
       FIG. 5  is a view illustrating the initialization time period T 1  and access time period T 2  required for an HDD; 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating a process for displaying “Ready” before the time period T 1  elapses; and 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a time point at which “Ready” is displayed before the time period T 1  elapses. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the invention is applied to a complex machine. 
     FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an outward appearance of a complex machine  1 , illustrating an ADF  2  for feeding a document to a scanner section which reads an image of the document, operation/display panel  3 , paper feed cassette  4  and paper discharge section  5 , etc. 
     FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating the essential configuration of the complex machine  1 . The complex machine  1  mainly comprises a main CPU  11 , ROM  12 , RAM  13 , operation/display panel  3 , clock section  14 , power switch  15 , mechanism control CPU  16 , scanner section  17 , image processing section  18 , printer section  19 , bus controller  20 , HDD  21 , facsimile transmitting/receiving section  22 , page memory  23 , external interface  24 , network interface  25 , etc. 
   The main CPU  11 , ROM  12 , RAM  13 , operation/display panel  3 , clock section  14 , mechanism control CPU  16 , image processing section  18 , bus controller  20  and external interface  24  are connected to each other via a bus line  26 . The mechanism control CPU  16 , scanner section  17  and printer section  19  are connected to each other via a bus line  27 . The bus controller  20 , HDD  21 , facsimile transmitting/receiving section  22 , page memory  23  and network interface  25  are connected to each other via a bus line  28 . The image processing section  18 , facsimile transmitting/receiving section  22  and page memory  23  are connected to each other via a bus line  29 . 
   The image processing section  18 , printer section  19 , facsimile transmitting/receiving section  22  and page memory  23  are designed to transmit/receive image data via the bus line  29 . Further, the HDD  21 , page memory  23 , facsimile transmitting/receiving section  22  and network interface are designed to transmit/receive image data via the bus line  28 . 
   The main CPU  11  executes control processing for controlling each section on the basis of the control program stored in the ROM  12 , thereby realizing the operation of the complex machine  1 . 
   The ROM  12  stores, for example, the control program for the main CPU  11 . The ROM  12  stores an IDE controller  121  and executes, upon turn-on, an initialization process, such as partition of the HDD  21 , under the control of the main CPU  11 . 
   The RAM  13  is a nonvolatile memory and has various data areas and work areas necessary for the main CPU  11  to execute various processes. Further, the RAM  13  has an area assigned to a first storage  131  for storing the time period T 1  required after turn-on until initialization of the HDD  21  finishes, and an area assigned to a second storage  132  for storing, when the scanner section  17  reads an image, the time period T 2  required after the start of copying until the HDD  21  is first accessed, to store image data. 
   The clock section  14  measures predetermined time periods such as the time periods T 1  and T 2 . 
   The power switch  15  supplies power or stops the supply of power to the complex machine  1  in accordance with an operation by a user. 
   The operation/display panel  3  includes an operation section  31  that is provided with a start key  311  used by the user to input various instructions, including an instruction to start copying, to the main CPU  11 , and also includes a display section  32 , formed of, for example, a liquid crystal display, for displaying, under the control of the main CPU  11 , various types of information to be informed of to the user. The display section  32  displays “Ready” when the machine is in a printing-enabled state. This state will be described later in detail. 
   The machine control CPU  16  controls the mechanical operations of the scanner section  17  and printer section  19 . 
   The scanner section  17  reads, using a scanner, an image of a document fed from, for example, the ADF  3 , and supplies a signal indicative of the read image to the image processing section  18 . 
   The printer section  19  is provided with various units including a fixing unit, and copies a document on a paper sheet, fed through a paper feed path (not shown), on the basis of the image data supplied. 
   The image processing section  18  executes predetermined image processing on an image signal indicative of a document read by the scanner section  17 . The image data obtained by the image processing is supplied to the HDD  21  via the page memory  23 . 
   The bus controller  20  controls various signal destinations under the control of the main CPU  11 . 
   The facsimile transmission/receiving section  22  receives or transmits an Internet facsimile via the network interface  25 . 
   The page memory  23  executes rotation, compression/expansion, resolution conversion, etc. of image data in units of pages. 
   The scanner section  17 , printer section  19  and facsimile transmission/receiving section  22  can operate individually. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 3–7 , a description will be given of the operation of the complex machine  1  constructed as above, executed, after turn-on of the machine, when the complex machine  1  is in a state in which it can accept an input through the start key  311 , i.e., in which “Ready” is displayed on the display section. 
     FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating a process for storing the time period T 1  required for initialization executed by the main CPU  11 . 
   When the complex machine  1  is turned on, the main CPU  11  starts time measurement at a step ST 101 . At a step ST 102 , the IDE controller  121  is controlled by the main CPU  11  and starts the initialization of the HDD  21 . At a step ST 103 , the main CPU  11  determines whether or not the initialization of the HDD  21  has been finished. If initialization has been finished, the main CPU  11  stores, at a step ST 104 , the time required for initialization as the time period T 1  in the first storage  131 . At a step ST 105 , the main CPU  11  displays “Ready” on the display section  32 . 
     FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating a process executed by the main CPU  11  when the input of the start key  311  has been detected, after “Ready” is displayed on the display section  32 . 
   Upon detection of the input of the start key  311 , the main CPU  11  starts time measurement at a step ST 201 . At the next step ST 202 , the main CPU  11  drives the scanner section  17  to read an image of a to-be-copied document. At a step ST 203 , the main CPU  11  determines whether or not the HDD  21  is accessed to store read image data. If it is determined that the HDD  21  is accessed, the main CPU  11  stores, at a step ST 204 , the time required for access as the time period T 2  in the second storage  132 . 
     FIG. 5  is a view illustrating the initialization time period T 1  ranging from the tune-on of the complex machine  1  to the completion of the initialization of the HDD  21 , the time point at which “Ready” is displayed on the display section  32  after the time period T 1  elapses, and the time period T 2  required until the input of the start key  311  is detected and the HDD  21  is accessed to store image data. 
   Thus, the time period T 1  stored in the first storage  131 , and the time period T 2  stored in the second storage  132  are stored in the respective storages each time the complex machine  1  is turned on. Alternatively, the time periods T 1  and T 2  may be prestored. 
     FIG. 6  is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the main CPU  11  upon turn-on of the complex machine  1  if the time periods T 1  and T 2  are stored in the first and second storages  131  and  132 , respectively. 
   At a step ST 301 , the main CPU  11  determines whether or not power-on has been detected. Upon detecting power-on, the main CPU  11  starts time measurement at a step ST 302 . At a step ST 303 , the main CPU  11  starts initialization of the HDD  21 . At a step ST 304 , the main CPU  11  reads the time periods stored in the respective storages, thereby subtracting the time period T 2  from the time period T 1 . At a step ST 305 , the main CPU  11  determines whether or not the measured time period exceeds the time period obtained by subtracting the time period T 2  from the time period T 1 . If it is determined that the measured time period exceeds the time period obtained by subtraction, the main CPU  11  displays “Ready” on the display section  32  at a step ST 306 . Thereafter, at a step ST 307 , the main CPU  11  executes copying if it detects the input of the start key  311 . 
   In other words, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the complex machine  1  displays “Ready” on the display section  32  and accepts the input of the start key  311  the time period T 2  before the elapse of the time period T 1  that is required to complete the initialization of the HDD  21 . Thus, in the complex machine  1 , when the input of the start key  311  is detected, the initialization of the HDD  21  is finished, then the scanner section  17  is driven to start the reading of the image data, and the HDD  21  is accessed to store the read image data. 
   As described above, since in the complex machine  1 , the input of the start key  311  is accepted before the initialization of the HDD  21  is completed after the turn-on of the machine  1 , the time period required after the turn-on of the machine  1  until the user can start a copying operation can be shortened. 
   Thus, when the maximum time is required to initialize the HDD  21  where the complex machine  1  is ready to start copying since, for example, the fixing unit is heated to a predetermined temperature, the user can shorten the time period required for copying by the time period that starts, before the elapse of the time period T 2 , when they push the start key  311  after “Ready” is displayed on the display section  32 . 
   Further, if the time periods T and T 2  used to display “Ready” on the display section  32  before the completion of the initialization of the HDD  21  are set to the values that are obtained by measurement executed in the previous occasion of machine activation, the time to be shortened can be set more accurately. 
   Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.