Fusing temperature control method, device, and image forming apparatus

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a fusing temperature control method, device, and image forming apparatus, relating to the field of printer fusing control, which is aimed to solve the defect in the prior art where reducing printing speed to prevent continuous temperature increase that leads to a decrease in the output efficiency of printing jobs. The fusing temperature control method of the present disclosure includes: receiving an image forming job; determining a target fusing temperature according to apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period; executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature. The present disclosure can prevent the reduction of component service life caused by excessive internal temperature of the printer without reducing the printing speed.

Description

FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of temperature control, and specifically to a fusing temperature control method, device, and image forming apparatus.BACKGROUND

[0002] The fusing process of a laser printer fixes the toner image onto the paper through heating and pressure. This process is mainly carried out by the fuser, which uses a heating roller and a pressure roller to melt the toner and make it penetrate into the paper, thereby forming a permanent image on the paper. The heating temperature for fusing is usually above 150°C, and sometimes can reach 230°C or higher.

[0003] In some scenarios, if the printer continuously performs printing jobs, a large amount of heat may accumulate inside the apparatus. If various components of the printer are in a high-temperature environment for a long time, their service life may be reduced. In some existing technologies, the printing speed is reduced to prevent the temperature from rising continuously, but this will lead to a decrease in the output efficiency of printing tasks.SUMMARY

[0004] One objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to solve the problem in the prior art where reducing printing speed to prevent a continuous temperature increase that leads to a decrease in the output efficiency of printing jobs

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a fusing temperature control method is provided, including: receiving an image forming job; determining a target fusing temperature according to apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

[0006] Optionally, the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period and a current fusing temperature.

[0007] Optionally, the method further includes: the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters and an ambient temperature.

[0008] Optionally, the apparatus status parameters further include: a printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages; the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes: determining the number of printed pages according to the number of job pages and the printing mode corresponding to each page; and determining the target fusing temperature according to the number of printed pages.

[0009] Optionally, the printing mode is associated with a printing speed and / or a paper type.

[0010] Optionally, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes: determining a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job; the fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate the value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page.

[0011] Optionally, the fusing temperature adjustment value is associated with a page sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

[0012] Optionally, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters further includes: acquiring the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulating a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquiring the count value within the previous preset period; and determining the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, a fusing temperature control device is provided, including: a receiving unit, configured to receive an image forming job; an acquiring unit, configured to acquire apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; a determining unit, configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters; an executing unit, configured to execute the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus is provided, including a memory for storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing the program instructions, where when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the mage forming apparatus is caused to execute the method according to the aforementioned first aspect.

[0015] A beneficial effect of the embodiment of the present disclosure is: the apparatus status of the printer can be determined according to the number of printed pages, and a fusing temperature adjustment strategy can be determined according to the apparatus status, which can prevent the reduction of component service life caused by excessive internal temperature of the printer without reducing the printing speed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] To better illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction to the accompanying drawings required in the embodiments will be given below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other accompanying drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without exerting creative efforts. Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] To better understand the technical solution of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] It should be clear that the described embodiments are merely a part of, rather than all, the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] When image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers perform printing or copying tasks, they need to raise the fusing temperature to a target temperature to ensure that the toner can be fully melted and fixed on the paper. In some scenarios, users need to continuously print a large number of tasks, causing the fusing temperature to remain at the target temperature for a long time. The heat generated by the fusing components continuously accumulates inside the printer, which may reduce the service life of the mechanical or electrical components inside the printer. In existing technologies, to solve this problem, when the internal temperature of the printer is detected to reach a certain value, the printing speed is reduced or printing is stopped until the temperature drops to a normal value before resuming printing. However, this method reduces printing efficiency.

[0020] To this end, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fusing temperature control method, which is executed in an image forming apparatus, and specifically can be executed by a controller in the image forming apparatus. The method of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, includes: S120: Receiving an image forming job

[0021] The image forming job may specifically be a printing job, copying job, fax job, or other types of jobs that require fusing temperature control. The image forming apparatus can receive the image forming job from the printer panel or a terminal device. In some embodiments, the user can issue an image forming job through the operation panel of the printer. For example, the user can select the copy function through the graphical user interface on the operation panel, or select a document pre-stored in the printer on the operation panel to generate a printing job. In other embodiments, the user can operate a terminal device such as a computer or a mobile phone, select a file from the terminal device to generate a printing job, and then transmit it to the printer via a wired or wireless connection.

[0022] S140: Acquiring apparatus status parameters; the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period

[0023] In the first implementation, the image forming apparatus can acquire the apparatus status parameters when receiving the image forming job. The apparatus status parameters are used to determine the heat status inside the apparatus, and further determine whether the apparatus is in a "continuous printing state" or a "noncontinuous printing state". More specifically, the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period, which is used to infer the heat status inside the apparatus. Acquiring the heat status inside the apparatus is to determine whether the apparatus may accumulate excessive heat inside due to continuous printing, ambient temperature, or other reasons. One difference between the present disclosure and the existing technologies is that the embodiments of the present disclosure determine the heat status inside the apparatus according to the number of printed pages within a previous preset period, rather than acquiring the heat status inside the apparatus through a temperature sensor in the fusing assembly. This is because the temperature sensor in the fusing assembly is used to measure the temperature of the heating roller through contact or non-contact means, not the ambient temperature of the internal space of the printer. If the heating roller has a definite temperature control logic, the temperature value measured by the temperature sensor may not change significantly regardless of whether the image forming apparatus is printing continuously. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately judge the current heat status inside the image forming apparatus using the temperature obtained by the temperature sensor. On the other hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure acquire the number of printed pages within a period before receiving the image forming job, rather than the number of pages of the image forming job itself. This is to more accurately acquire the current apparatus status parameters, because the number of pages of the image forming job itself is more suitable for judging the temperature rise of the image forming apparatus after a period, but it is difficult to accurately judge the current apparatus status parameters. Based on this, the apparatus status parameters in the embodiment of the present disclosure include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. For example, the number of pages n printed within period t before receiving the image forming job is acquired as the apparatus status parameter, and compared with the preset page thresholds n 1 and n 2 . If n ≤ n 1 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "low-temperature apparatus state"; if n 1 < n < n 2 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "medium-temperature apparatus state"; if n ≥ n 2 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "high-temperature apparatus state". It should be noted that one or more of the above three judgment branches can be executed. The above embodiment can relatively accurately determine the heat status inside the image forming apparatus without using the measured value of the temperature sensor. The aforementioned states such as "low-temperature apparatus state" are merely examples, and it is also possible to judge whether the apparatus is in a "continuous printing" state based on the number of printed pages and the page threshold. In one embodiment, the apparatus status parameter can also be equivalent to the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. For example, the number of printed pages n itself can also be used to describe the apparatus status. For example, a lookup table can be set, which records the corresponding relationship between the number of pages n and the apparatus status. For example, the number of pages n1 is equivalent to the "low-temperature apparatus state", that is, the heat status inside the apparatus can be determined through a lookup table instead of a threshold comparison. It should be noted that "acquiring apparatus status parameters" can be performed by the controller reading from a storage area or acquiring from an external device. It can be understood that if the controller has pre-determined the apparatus status before executing S140, the step of "acquiring apparatus status parameters" may not be executed in S140, and the pre-determined apparatus status may be used to execute subsequent steps.

[0024] In the second implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period and the current fusing temperature. For example, the number of pages n printed within period t before receiving the image forming job can be acquired, and the current fusing temperature T can be acquired. If n ≤ n 1 and T < T 1 , the heat status inside the apparatus is determined as a "low-temperature apparatus state"; if n ≤ n 1 and T ≥ T 1 , the heat status inside the apparatus is determined as a "medium-temperature apparatus state"; the judgment condition for the high-temperature apparatus state may remain unchanged, that is, it is determined as a "high-temperature apparatus state" when n ≥ n 2 . This embodiment considers that some printers may accumulate a large amount of heat even if the number of previously printed pages is small. For example, when printing on thick paper (such as in envelope printing mode), some printers will extend the fusing heating time to ensure that the toner is fully fixed on the paper, which may cause more heat to accumulate when printing the same number of pages on thick paper than on regular paper. Therefore, this embodiment uses the fusing temperature to assist in judging the apparatus status, which may yield more accurate judgment results in some scenarios. The second implementation can be used in combination with the first implementation. For example, the "medium-temperature apparatus state" can be determined if either of the conditions "n 1 < n < n 2 " or "n ≤ n 1 and T < T 1 " is satisfied.

[0025] In the third implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages. For example, the number of job pages within a previous preset period and the printing mode corresponding to each page in the job pages can be acquired. Then, a page weight to be assigned to each page in the job pages is determined according to the printing mode, and a weight calculation is performed on the job pages based on the page weight, with the calculation result taken as the number of printed pages. The printing mode can indicate the printing speed, paper type, or a combination of printing speed and paper type. For example, the printing speed is reduced in the silent printing mode; the paper type in the envelope printing mode is generally thick envelopes. Taking the printing speed as an example, page weights can be assigned to the number of printed pages according to the printing speed. For example, if α 1 pages are printed at normal speed and α 2 pages are printed at slow speed within the previous period t, a paper coefficient w 1 can be assigned to pages printed at normal speed, and a paper coefficient w 2 to pages printed at slow speed, where w 1 > w 2 . Then, the number of printed pages n is determined as n = w 1 × α 1 + w 2 × α 2 , and the apparatus status is determined according to the number of printed pages n using the methods in the first and second implementations. This implementation considers that some printers have normal-speed printing mode and slow-speed printing mode. For example, some users may choose the slow-speed printing mode to reduce the motor noise generated during printing. In the slow-speed printing mode, more time is available for heat dissipation when printing the same number of pages. Therefore, assigning different weights to different printing speeds in this implementation is more conducive to accurately determining the apparatus status. It can be understood that weights can be assigned not only according to the printing speed but also according to other printing attributes such as paper type. For example, if α 1 envelopes and α 2 pages of regular papers are printed within the previous period, a paper coefficient w 1 can be assigned to envelopes, and a paper coefficient w 2 to regular papers, and then the number of printed pages n is calculated using the same formula. In another implementation, the number of printed pages and the printing mode can also be directly associated with the target fusing temperature without using page weights.

[0026] In the fourth implementation, determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters may include: detecting the number of printed pages within a certain period, and accumulating a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold. Then, the count value within a previous preset period is acquired, and the target fusing temperature is determined according to the count value. For example, during the normal operation of the printer, the number of pages printed within each period p (e.g., every p minutes) is detected. If the number of pages is more than m, the count value is increased by 1. When the printer receives an image forming job, the count value within the previous q minutes (q > p) is acquired, where the count value represents the number of periods that exceed the page threshold. Then, the apparatus status is determined by looking up a table based on the count value. This is because the printer may perform multiple consecutive printing tasks with a small number of pages. Compared with printing a large number of pages at one time, this manner may cause the printer to perform the preheating process multiple times in a short period, thereby causing more heat to accumulate in the printer. Therefore, this implementation judges the apparatus status of the printer by counting the number of periods that exceed the page threshold. This implementation can be used simultaneously with the aforementioned first, second, and third implementations.

[0027] S160: Determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters

[0028] In one implementation, the mapping relationship between the apparatus status parameters and the target temperature value or temperature adjustment amount can be determined through a lookup table. For example, the following Table 1 can be pre-stored in the image forming apparatus:

[0029] In Table 1, the target temperature value refers to the value that the fusing target temperature should reach; the temperature adjustment amount refers to the temperature by which the fusing target temperature should be decreased or increased. Taking Table 1 as an example, if the apparatus status is determined to be the low-temperature apparatus state, and A1, B1, and C1 are temperature adjustment amounts, then when the image forming job received in step S120 is printed, the fusing target temperature T 0 is changed to (T 0 -A 1 )°C. Similarly, if the apparatus status is the medium-temperature apparatus state, the fusing target temperature is changed to (T 0 -B 1 )°C; if the apparatus status is the high-temperature apparatus state, the fusing target temperature is changed to (T 0 -C 1 )°C. Among them, A 1 <B 1 <C 1 . In this way, the target temperature can be quickly determined according to the apparatus status.

[0030] In another implementation, the ambient temperature can also be acquired, and the target fusing temperature can be determined according to the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature. The ambient temperature can be measured by an ambient temperature sensor, and the measurement object thereof is different from that of the fusing temperature. The ambient temperature sensor can be arranged near the printer processor or the upper cover of the printer to measure the ambient temperature inside the printer, so as to determine the thermal radiation influence of the fusing assembly on other components of the printer. The process of determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status and the ambient temperature is shown in Table 2:

[0031] In Table 2, the ambient temperature inside the image forming apparatus can be determined to be low ambient temperature, medium ambient temperature, or high ambient temperature based on the measured value of the ambient temperature sensor. Then, the adjustment value of the fusing target temperature can be determined by looking up Table 2 according to the apparatus status and ambient temperature.

[0032] In yet another implementation, after determining the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature, different target fusing temperatures can also be assigned to different pages of the image forming job, as shown in Table 3.

[0033] In Table 3, after determining the apparatus status parameters and ambient temperature, the image forming apparatus may not apply the same temperature adjustment to all pages of the image forming job, but instead assign different temperature adjustments according to the printing sequence. This consideration is based on the fact that when the image forming apparatus receives an image forming job, it may be in the preheating stage where the temperature gradually rises from normal temperature to a higher level. At this point, the internal heat of the image forming apparatus is likely not at its peak, so little temperature adjustment is needed for the first few pages of the image forming job. When printing pages in the middle of the job sequence, the image forming apparatus will have reached its heat peak, so more significant temperature adjustments should be made. For pages at the end of the job sequence, since the fusing temperature has been reduced significantly while processing the middle pages, that is, the internal temperature of the apparatus has been effectively reduced, little additional temperature adjustment is required when handling the final pages.

[0034] In one embodiment based on Table 3, A3>A2>A4>A1, where A3 represents the peak adjustment value. The temperature adjustment value gradually increases from A1 to A3 and then decreases to A4. It should be noted that the adjustment values mentioned in this embodiment refer to the amount by which the target fusing temperature should be reduced. That is, the actual fusing temperature gradually decreases from T 0 -A1 to T 0 -A3, and then rises to T 0 -A4. In another embodiment based on Table 3, C1>B1>A1, meaning the adjustment value when the apparatus is in a high-temperature state is higher than that when it is in a low-temperature state. In yet another embodiment based on Table 3, A9>A5>A1, indicating the adjustment value when the ambient temperature is high is higher than that when the ambient temperature is low.

[0035] It can be understood that for different paper types, corresponding tables can be created by referring to the format of Table 1, Table 2, or Table 3. Taking Table 2 as an example, for plain paper, thin paper, and thick paper, the values from A1 to C3 in Table 2 can be assigned different temperature adjustment values according to the paper type. Similarly, corresponding tables can also be created for different printing speeds and printing modes. The above settings facilitate the image forming apparatus to quickly determine the corresponding temperature adjustment value according to parameters such as apparatus status, ambient temperature, paper type, and printing speed, which is conducive to improving the response speed of temperature adjustment. Similarly, the above settings are also applicable to Table 1 and Table 3.

[0036] The above-described embodiments of S160 can reduce the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus without affecting the printing speed, thereby preventing the components of the image forming apparatus from shortening their service life due to excessive temperature. In addition, some embodiments determine the target fusing temperature according to the ambient temperature and can even vary the target fusing temperature for different pages. Thus, insufficient toner melting caused by reduced fusing temperature is avoided.

[0037] S180: Executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature. After the image forming apparatus determines the target fusing temperature, the controller resets the target fusing temperature during the printing process.<Application Example 1>

[0038] In this example, the preset time is t, and the time when the printer receives the image forming job is t 0 . The printer acquires the total number of pages n received from time (t 0 -t) to t 0 , then compares n with the preset thresholds n 1 and n 2 . If n 1 <n< n 2 , it indicates that the image forming apparatus is in a "medium-temperature state". A mapping table between apparatus status parameters (i.e., the number of pages n) and the target fusing temperature is pre-stored in the printer. By looking up the table, it is found that the medium-temperature state corresponds to B1°C. Therefore, the target fusing temperature is adjusted from T°C to (T-B1)°C.

[0039] The above is the preparation work before printing, after which the printer starts executing the print job. The printer controls the fuser to adjust the temperature to (T-B1)°C, while simultaneously performing paper feeding and imaging control to complete the printing.

[0040] It can be seen that Application Example 1 judges that the printer has a certain base temperature according to the number of previously printed pages, and thus reduces the target fusing temperature by a certain extent. This prevents the internal temperature of the printer from becoming too high, thereby avoiding shortened service life of printer components due to high temperatures.<Application Example 2>

[0041] The difference between this example and Application Example 1 is that the paper corresponding to the n-page print job acquired by the printer includes both plain paper and thick paper, and the printer is configured to extend the heating time when printing on thick paper. When receiving the image forming job, the printer in this example also acquires the current fusing temperature T. If the printer determines that n ≤ n 1 and T≥T 1 , it indicates that the image forming apparatus is in a "medium-temperature state". Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 1.

[0042] It can be seen that Application Example 2 considers scenarios where a small number of printed pages (e.g., when printing on thick paper) may still lead to high printer temperatures, resulting in more accurate judgment results in such cases.<Application Example 3>

[0043] The difference between this example and Application Example 1 is that the jobs acquired by the printer include α 1 pages printed in normal-speed mode and α 2 pages printed in slow-speed mode. The printer looks up an internally stored mapping table to determine that the page weight corresponding to the normal-speed printing mode is w 1 and that corresponding to the slow-speed printing mode is w 2 . Then, n is calculated as n = w 1 ×α 1 +w 2 ×α 2 , and the target fusing temperature is determined according to the calculated n value. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 1.

[0044] It can be seen that Application Example 3 considers that different printing speeds affect the degree of heat accumulation. Therefore, different weights are assigned to a single page printed in different speed modes, facilitating more accurate determination of the printer's apparatus status.<Application Example 4>

[0045] The difference between this example and Application Example 2 is that when receiving the image forming job, the printer also acquires the current ambient temperature T' (corresponding to a low ambient temperature state) via an ambient temperature sensor. The printer looks up the mapping table and determines that when the apparatus status is the low-temperature apparatus state and the ambient temperature is the low ambient temperature state, the fusing temperature adjustment value should be A1°C. Then, the printer adjusts the target fusing temperature from T°C to (T-A1)°C. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 2.

[0046] It can be seen that Application Example 4 considers that the value acquired by the ambient temperature sensor is different from the apparatus status parameters and the current fusing temperature, and can more directly reflect the thermal impact on the internal components of the printer. Therefore, incorporating ambient temperature as a reference variable in the mapping table enables more accurate determination of the printer's apparatus status.<Application Example 5>

[0047] The difference between this example and Application Example 4 is that when looking up the mapping table, the printer simultaneously looks up the fusing temperature adjustment value that should be assigned to each page of the image forming job. Specifically, the printer looks up and finds that when the apparatus status is the low-temperature apparatus state and the ambient temperature is the low ambient temperature state: the adjustment value corresponding to pages 1 to X1 of the image forming job is A1°C; the adjustment value for pages X1+1 to X2 is A2°C; the adjustment value for pages X2+1 to X3 is A3°C; and the adjustment value for pages X3+1 and all subsequent pages is A4°C. After the determination, before the printer processes the print job corresponding to the relevant page sequence, adjust the target fusing temperature to the corresponding value. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 4.

[0048] It can be seen that Application Example 5 considers that the apparatus status of the printer may differ when printing different pages of the same image forming job. Therefore, the target fusing temperature can be set to different values at different stages of the job, which helps to accurately determine the printer's apparatus status.

[0049] Referring to Figure 2, the present disclosure further provides a fusing temperature control device 200 which includes the following units.

[0050] Receiving unit 210 is configured to receive an image forming job.

[0051] Acquiring unit 220 is configured to acquire apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. The apparatus status parameters may further include the number of printed pages within the previous preset period and the current fusing temperature.

[0052] Determining unit 230 is configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters. The target fusing temperature may also be determined according to the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature.

[0053] Executing unit 240 is configured to execute the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature adjustment strategy.

[0054] In one implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages. In this case, the determining unit 230 is further configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the number of job pages and the printing mode, where the printing mode is associated with the printing speed and / or paper type.

[0055] In one implementation, the determining unit 230 is further configured to determine a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job. The fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate the value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page, and may be associated with the sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

[0056] In one implementation, the determining unit 230 is further configured to acquire the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulate a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquire the count value within a previous preset period; and determine the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, which is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application. The image forming apparatus 300 may include: a processor 310, a memory 320, and a communication unit 330. These components communicate via one or more buses. Those skilled in the art can understand that the structure of the image forming apparatus shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. It may adopt a bus structure, a star structure, include more or fewer components than shown, combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0058] The communication unit 330 is configured to establish a communication channel, enabling the image forming apparatus to communicate with other devices. It receives user data sent by other devices or sends user data to other devices.

[0059] The processor 310 serves as the control center of the image forming apparatus, which connects various parts of the entire image forming apparatus through various interfaces and lines. It executes various functions of the image forming apparatus and / or processes data by running or executing software programs, instructions, and / or modules stored in the memory 320, and calling up data stored in the memory. The processor may be composed of integrated circuits (ICs), for example, a single packaged IC, or multiple packaged ICs connected with the same or different functions. For example, the processor 310 may only include a central processing unit (CPU). In the implementation of the present application, the CPU may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor.

[0060] The memory 320 is configured to store execution instructions of the processor 310. The memory 320 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0061] When the execution instructions in the memory 320 are executed by the processor 310, the image forming apparatus 300 is enabled to perform some or all of the steps in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0062] In a specific implementation, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer storage medium, which may store a program. When the program is executed, it may include some or all of the steps in each embodiment of the image processing method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), or the like.

[0063] In a specific implementation, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which contains executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform some or all of the steps in each embodiment of the image processing method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0017]To better understand the technical solution of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018]It should be clear that the described embodiments are merely a part of, rather than all, the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0019]When image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers perform printing or copying tasks, they need to raise the fusing temperature to a target temperature to ensure that the toner can be fully melted and fixed on the paper. In some scenarios, users need to continuously print a large number of tasks, causing the fusing temperature to remain at the target temperature for a long time. The heat generated by the fusing components con...

FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of temperature control, and specifically to a fusing temperature control method, device, and image forming apparatus.BACKGROUND

[0002] The fusing process of a laser printer fixes the toner image onto the paper through heating and pressure. This process is mainly carried out by the fuser, which uses a heating roller and a pressure roller to melt the toner and make it penetrate into the paper, thereby forming a permanent image on the paper. The heating temperature for fusing is usually above 150°C, and sometimes can reach 230°C or higher.

[0003] In some scenarios, if the printer continuously performs printing jobs, a large amount of heat may accumulate inside the apparatus. If various components of the printer are in a high-temperature environment for a long time, their service life may be reduced. In some existing technologies, the printing speed is reduced to prevent the temperature from rising continuously, but this will lead to a decrease in the output efficiency of printing tasks.SUMMARY

[0004] One objective of the embodiments of the present disclosure is to solve the problem in the prior art where reducing printing speed to prevent a continuous temperature increase that leads to a decrease in the output efficiency of printing jobs

[0005] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, a fusing temperature control method is provided, including: receiving an image forming job; determining a target fusing temperature according to apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

[0006] Optionally, the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period and a current fusing temperature.

[0007] Optionally, the method further includes: the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters and an ambient temperature.

[0008] Optionally, the apparatus status parameters further include: a printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages; the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes: determining the number of printed pages according to the number of job pages and the printing mode corresponding to each page; and determining the target fusing temperature according to the number of printed pages.

[0009] Optionally, the printing mode is associated with a printing speed and / or a paper type.

[0010] Optionally, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters includes: determining a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job; the fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate the value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page.

[0011] Optionally, the fusing temperature adjustment value is associated with a page sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

[0012] Optionally, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters further includes: acquiring the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulating a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquiring the count value within the previous preset period; and determining the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

[0013] According to the second aspect of the present disclosure, a fusing temperature control device is provided, including: a receiving unit, configured to receive an image forming job; an acquiring unit, configured to acquire apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; a determining unit, configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters; an executing unit, configured to execute the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

[0014] According to the third aspect of the present disclosure, an image forming apparatus is provided, including a memory for storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing the program instructions, where when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the mage forming apparatus is caused to execute the method according to the aforementioned first aspect.

[0015] A beneficial effect of the embodiment of the present disclosure is: the apparatus status of the printer can be determined according to the number of printed pages, and a fusing temperature adjustment strategy can be determined according to the apparatus status, which can prevent the reduction of component service life caused by excessive internal temperature of the printer without reducing the printing speed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] To better illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, a brief introduction to the accompanying drawings required in the embodiments will be given below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other accompanying drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without exerting creative efforts. Figure 1 is a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] To better understand the technical solution of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] It should be clear that the described embodiments are merely a part of, rather than all, the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0019] When image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers perform printing or copying tasks, they need to raise the fusing temperature to a target temperature to ensure that the toner can be fully melted and fixed on the paper. In some scenarios, users need to continuously print a large number of tasks, causing the fusing temperature to remain at the target temperature for a long time. The heat generated by the fusing components continuously accumulates inside the printer, which may reduce the service life of the mechanical or electrical components inside the printer. In existing technologies, to solve this problem, when the internal temperature of the printer is detected to reach a certain value, the printing speed is reduced or printing is stopped until the temperature drops to a normal value before resuming printing. However, this method reduces printing efficiency.

[0020] To this end, the embodiment of the present disclosure provides a fusing temperature control method, which is executed in an image forming apparatus, and specifically can be executed by a controller in the image forming apparatus. The method of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, includes: S120: Receiving an image forming job

[0021] The image forming job may specifically be a printing job, copying job, fax job, or other types of jobs that require fusing temperature control. The image forming apparatus can receive the image forming job from the printer panel or a terminal device. In some embodiments, the user can issue an image forming job through the operation panel of the printer. For example, the user can select the copy function through the graphical user interface on the operation panel, or select a document pre-stored in the printer on the operation panel to generate a printing job. In other embodiments, the user can operate a terminal device such as a computer or a mobile phone, select a file from the terminal device to generate a printing job, and then transmit it to the printer via a wired or wireless connection.

[0022] S140: Acquiring apparatus status parameters; the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period

[0023] In the first implementation, the image forming apparatus can acquire the apparatus status parameters when receiving the image forming job. The apparatus status parameters are used to determine the heat status inside the apparatus, and further determine whether the apparatus is in a "continuous printing state" or a "noncontinuous printing state". More specifically, the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period, which is used to infer the heat status inside the apparatus. Acquiring the heat status inside the apparatus is to determine whether the apparatus may accumulate excessive heat inside due to continuous printing, ambient temperature, or other reasons. One difference between the present disclosure and the existing technologies is that the embodiments of the present disclosure determine the heat status inside the apparatus according to the number of printed pages within a previous preset period, rather than acquiring the heat status inside the apparatus through a temperature sensor in the fusing assembly. This is because the temperature sensor in the fusing assembly is used to measure the temperature of the heating roller through contact or non-contact means, not the ambient temperature of the internal space of the printer. If the heating roller has a definite temperature control logic, the temperature value measured by the temperature sensor may not change significantly regardless of whether the image forming apparatus is printing continuously. Therefore, it is difficult to accurately judge the current heat status inside the image forming apparatus using the temperature obtained by the temperature sensor. On the other hand, the embodiments of the present disclosure acquire the number of printed pages within a period before receiving the image forming job, rather than the number of pages of the image forming job itself. This is to more accurately acquire the current apparatus status parameters, because the number of pages of the image forming job itself is more suitable for judging the temperature rise of the image forming apparatus after a period, but it is difficult to accurately judge the current apparatus status parameters. Based on this, the apparatus status parameters in the embodiment of the present disclosure include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. For example, the number of pages n printed within period t before receiving the image forming job is acquired as the apparatus status parameter, and compared with the preset page thresholds n 1 and n 2 . If n ≤ n 1 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "low-temperature apparatus state"; if n 1 < n < n 2 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "medium-temperature apparatus state"; if n ≥ n 2 , the heat status inside the image forming apparatus is determined as a "high-temperature apparatus state". It should be noted that one or more of the above three judgment branches can be executed. The above embodiment can relatively accurately determine the heat status inside the image forming apparatus without using the measured value of the temperature sensor. The aforementioned states such as "low-temperature apparatus state" are merely examples, and it is also possible to judge whether the apparatus is in a "continuous printing" state based on the number of printed pages and the page threshold. In one embodiment, the apparatus status parameter can also be equivalent to the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. For example, the number of printed pages n itself can also be used to describe the apparatus status. For example, a lookup table can be set, which records the corresponding relationship between the number of pages n and the apparatus status. For example, the number of pages n1 is equivalent to the "low-temperature apparatus state", that is, the heat status inside the apparatus can be determined through a lookup table instead of a threshold comparison. It should be noted that "acquiring apparatus status parameters" can be performed by the controller reading from a storage area or acquiring from an external device. It can be understood that if the controller has pre-determined the apparatus status before executing S140, the step of "acquiring apparatus status parameters" may not be executed in S140, and the pre-determined apparatus status may be used to execute subsequent steps.

[0024] In the second implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period and the current fusing temperature. For example, the number of pages n printed within period t before receiving the image forming job can be acquired, and the current fusing temperature T can be acquired. If n ≤ n 1 and T < T 1 , the heat status inside the apparatus is determined as a "low-temperature apparatus state"; if n ≤ n 1 and T ≥ T 1 , the heat status inside the apparatus is determined as a "medium-temperature apparatus state"; the judgment condition for the high-temperature apparatus state may remain unchanged, that is, it is determined as a "high-temperature apparatus state" when n ≥ n 2 . This embodiment considers that some printers may accumulate a large amount of heat even if the number of previously printed pages is small. For example, when printing on thick paper (such as in envelope printing mode), some printers will extend the fusing heating time to ensure that the toner is fully fixed on the paper, which may cause more heat to accumulate when printing the same number of pages on thick paper than on regular paper. Therefore, this embodiment uses the fusing temperature to assist in judging the apparatus status, which may yield more accurate judgment results in some scenarios. The second implementation can be used in combination with the first implementation. For example, the "medium-temperature apparatus state" can be determined if either of the conditions "n 1 < n < n 2 " or "n ≤ n 1 and T < T 1 " is satisfied.

[0025] In the third implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages. For example, the number of job pages within a previous preset period and the printing mode corresponding to each page in the job pages can be acquired. Then, a page weight to be assigned to each page in the job pages is determined according to the printing mode, and a weight calculation is performed on the job pages based on the page weight, with the calculation result taken as the number of printed pages. The printing mode can indicate the printing speed, paper type, or a combination of printing speed and paper type. For example, the printing speed is reduced in the silent printing mode; the paper type in the envelope printing mode is generally thick envelopes. Taking the printing speed as an example, page weights can be assigned to the number of printed pages according to the printing speed. For example, if α 1 pages are printed at normal speed and α 2 pages are printed at slow speed within the previous period t, a paper coefficient w 1 can be assigned to pages printed at normal speed, and a paper coefficient w 2 to pages printed at slow speed, where w 1 > w 2 . Then, the number of printed pages n is determined as n = w 1 × α 1 + w 2 × α 2 , and the apparatus status is determined according to the number of printed pages n using the methods in the first and second implementations. This implementation considers that some printers have normal-speed printing mode and slow-speed printing mode. For example, some users may choose the slow-speed printing mode to reduce the motor noise generated during printing. In the slow-speed printing mode, more time is available for heat dissipation when printing the same number of pages. Therefore, assigning different weights to different printing speeds in this implementation is more conducive to accurately determining the apparatus status. It can be understood that weights can be assigned not only according to the printing speed but also according to other printing attributes such as paper type. For example, if α 1 envelopes and α 2 pages of regular papers are printed within the previous period, a paper coefficient w 1 can be assigned to envelopes, and a paper coefficient w 2 to regular papers, and then the number of printed pages n is calculated using the same formula. In another implementation, the number of printed pages and the printing mode can also be directly associated with the target fusing temperature without using page weights.

[0026] In the fourth implementation, determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters may include: detecting the number of printed pages within a certain period, and accumulating a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold. Then, the count value within a previous preset period is acquired, and the target fusing temperature is determined according to the count value. For example, during the normal operation of the printer, the number of pages printed within each period p (e.g., every p minutes) is detected. If the number of pages is more than m, the count value is increased by 1. When the printer receives an image forming job, the count value within the previous q minutes (q > p) is acquired, where the count value represents the number of periods that exceed the page threshold. Then, the apparatus status is determined by looking up a table based on the count value. This is because the printer may perform multiple consecutive printing tasks with a small number of pages. Compared with printing a large number of pages at one time, this manner may cause the printer to perform the preheating process multiple times in a short period, thereby causing more heat to accumulate in the printer. Therefore, this implementation judges the apparatus status of the printer by counting the number of periods that exceed the page threshold. This implementation can be used simultaneously with the aforementioned first, second, and third implementations.

[0027] S160: Determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters

[0028] In one implementation, the mapping relationship between the apparatus status parameters and the target temperature value or temperature adjustment amount can be determined through a lookup table. For example, the following Table 1 can be pre-stored in the image forming apparatus:

[0029] In Table 1, the target temperature value refers to the value that the fusing target temperature should reach; the temperature adjustment amount refers to the temperature by which the fusing target temperature should be decreased or increased. Taking Table 1 as an example, if the apparatus status is determined to be the low-temperature apparatus state, and A1, B1, and C1 are temperature adjustment amounts, then when the image forming job received in step S120 is printed, the fusing target temperature T 0 is changed to (T 0 -A 1 )°C. Similarly, if the apparatus status is the medium-temperature apparatus state, the fusing target temperature is changed to (T 0 -B 1 )°C; if the apparatus status is the high-temperature apparatus state, the fusing target temperature is changed to (T 0 -C 1 )°C. Among them, A 1 <B 1 <C 1 . In this way, the target temperature can be quickly determined according to the apparatus status.

[0030] In another implementation, the ambient temperature can also be acquired, and the target fusing temperature can be determined according to the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature. The ambient temperature can be measured by an ambient temperature sensor, and the measurement object thereof is different from that of the fusing temperature. The ambient temperature sensor can be arranged near the printer processor or the upper cover of the printer to measure the ambient temperature inside the printer, so as to determine the thermal radiation influence of the fusing assembly on other components of the printer. The process of determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status and the ambient temperature is shown in Table 2:

[0031] In Table 2, the ambient temperature inside the image forming apparatus can be determined to be low ambient temperature, medium ambient temperature, or high ambient temperature based on the measured value of the ambient temperature sensor. Then, the adjustment value of the fusing target temperature can be determined by looking up Table 2 according to the apparatus status and ambient temperature.

[0032] In yet another implementation, after determining the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature, different target fusing temperatures can also be assigned to different pages of the image forming job, as shown in Table 3.

[0033] In Table 3, after determining the apparatus status parameters and ambient temperature, the image forming apparatus may not apply the same temperature adjustment to all pages of the image forming job, but instead assign different temperature adjustments according to the printing sequence. This consideration is based on the fact that when the image forming apparatus receives an image forming job, it may be in the preheating stage where the temperature gradually rises from normal temperature to a higher level. At this point, the internal heat of the image forming apparatus is likely not at its peak, so little temperature adjustment is needed for the first few pages of the image forming job. When printing pages in the middle of the job sequence, the image forming apparatus will have reached its heat peak, so more significant temperature adjustments should be made. For pages at the end of the job sequence, since the fusing temperature has been reduced significantly while processing the middle pages, that is, the internal temperature of the apparatus has been effectively reduced, little additional temperature adjustment is required when handling the final pages.

[0034] In one embodiment based on Table 3, A3>A2>A4>A1, where A3 represents the peak adjustment value. The temperature adjustment value gradually increases from A1 to A3 and then decreases to A4. It should be noted that the adjustment values mentioned in this embodiment refer to the amount by which the target fusing temperature should be reduced. That is, the actual fusing temperature gradually decreases from T 0 -A1 to T 0 -A3, and then rises to T 0 -A4. In another embodiment based on Table 3, C1>B1>A1, meaning the adjustment value when the apparatus is in a high-temperature state is higher than that when it is in a low-temperature state. In yet another embodiment based on Table 3, A9>A5>A1, indicating the adjustment value when the ambient temperature is high is higher than that when the ambient temperature is low.

[0035] It can be understood that for different paper types, corresponding tables can be created by referring to the format of Table 1, Table 2, or Table 3. Taking Table 2 as an example, for plain paper, thin paper, and thick paper, the values from A1 to C3 in Table 2 can be assigned different temperature adjustment values according to the paper type. Similarly, corresponding tables can also be created for different printing speeds and printing modes. The above settings facilitate the image forming apparatus to quickly determine the corresponding temperature adjustment value according to parameters such as apparatus status, ambient temperature, paper type, and printing speed, which is conducive to improving the response speed of temperature adjustment. Similarly, the above settings are also applicable to Table 1 and Table 3.

[0036] The above-described embodiments of S160 can reduce the internal temperature of the image forming apparatus without affecting the printing speed, thereby preventing the components of the image forming apparatus from shortening their service life due to excessive temperature. In addition, some embodiments determine the target fusing temperature according to the ambient temperature and can even vary the target fusing temperature for different pages. Thus, insufficient toner melting caused by reduced fusing temperature is avoided.

[0037] S180: Executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature. After the image forming apparatus determines the target fusing temperature, the controller resets the target fusing temperature during the printing process.<Application Example 1>

[0038] In this example, the preset time is t, and the time when the printer receives the image forming job is t 0 . The printer acquires the total number of pages n received from time (t 0 -t) to t 0 , then compares n with the preset thresholds n 1 and n 2 . If n 1 <n< n 2 , it indicates that the image forming apparatus is in a "medium-temperature state". A mapping table between apparatus status parameters (i.e., the number of pages n) and the target fusing temperature is pre-stored in the printer. By looking up the table, it is found that the medium-temperature state corresponds to B1°C. Therefore, the target fusing temperature is adjusted from T°C to (T-B1)°C.

[0039] The above is the preparation work before printing, after which the printer starts executing the print job. The printer controls the fuser to adjust the temperature to (T-B1)°C, while simultaneously performing paper feeding and imaging control to complete the printing.

[0040] It can be seen that Application Example 1 judges that the printer has a certain base temperature according to the number of previously printed pages, and thus reduces the target fusing temperature by a certain extent. This prevents the internal temperature of the printer from becoming too high, thereby avoiding shortened service life of printer components due to high temperatures.<Application Example 2>

[0041] The difference between this example and Application Example 1 is that the paper corresponding to the n-page print job acquired by the printer includes both plain paper and thick paper, and the printer is configured to extend the heating time when printing on thick paper. When receiving the image forming job, the printer in this example also acquires the current fusing temperature T. If the printer determines that n ≤ n 1 and T≥T 1 , it indicates that the image forming apparatus is in a "medium-temperature state". Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 1.

[0042] It can be seen that Application Example 2 considers scenarios where a small number of printed pages (e.g., when printing on thick paper) may still lead to high printer temperatures, resulting in more accurate judgment results in such cases.<Application Example 3>

[0043] The difference between this example and Application Example 1 is that the jobs acquired by the printer include α 1 pages printed in normal-speed mode and α 2 pages printed in slow-speed mode. The printer looks up an internally stored mapping table to determine that the page weight corresponding to the normal-speed printing mode is w 1 and that corresponding to the slow-speed printing mode is w 2 . Then, n is calculated as n = w 1 ×α 1 +w 2 ×α 2 , and the target fusing temperature is determined according to the calculated n value. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 1.

[0044] It can be seen that Application Example 3 considers that different printing speeds affect the degree of heat accumulation. Therefore, different weights are assigned to a single page printed in different speed modes, facilitating more accurate determination of the printer's apparatus status.<Application Example 4>

[0045] The difference between this example and Application Example 2 is that when receiving the image forming job, the printer also acquires the current ambient temperature T' (corresponding to a low ambient temperature state) via an ambient temperature sensor. The printer looks up the mapping table and determines that when the apparatus status is the low-temperature apparatus state and the ambient temperature is the low ambient temperature state, the fusing temperature adjustment value should be A1°C. Then, the printer adjusts the target fusing temperature from T°C to (T-A1)°C. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 2.

[0046] It can be seen that Application Example 4 considers that the value acquired by the ambient temperature sensor is different from the apparatus status parameters and the current fusing temperature, and can more directly reflect the thermal impact on the internal components of the printer. Therefore, incorporating ambient temperature as a reference variable in the mapping table enables more accurate determination of the printer's apparatus status.<Application Example 5>

[0047] The difference between this example and Application Example 4 is that when looking up the mapping table, the printer simultaneously looks up the fusing temperature adjustment value that should be assigned to each page of the image forming job. Specifically, the printer looks up and finds that when the apparatus status is the low-temperature apparatus state and the ambient temperature is the low ambient temperature state: the adjustment value corresponding to pages 1 to X1 of the image forming job is A1°C; the adjustment value for pages X1+1 to X2 is A2°C; the adjustment value for pages X2+1 to X3 is A3°C; and the adjustment value for pages X3+1 and all subsequent pages is A4°C. After the determination, before the printer processes the print job corresponding to the relevant page sequence, adjust the target fusing temperature to the corresponding value. Other processing procedures are the same as those in Application Example 4.

[0048] It can be seen that Application Example 5 considers that the apparatus status of the printer may differ when printing different pages of the same image forming job. Therefore, the target fusing temperature can be set to different values at different stages of the job, which helps to accurately determine the printer's apparatus status.

[0049] Referring to Figure 2, the present disclosure further provides a fusing temperature control device 200 which includes the following units.

[0050] Receiving unit 210 is configured to receive an image forming job.

[0051] Acquiring unit 220 is configured to acquire apparatus status parameters, where the apparatus status parameters include the number of printed pages within a previous preset period. The apparatus status parameters may further include the number of printed pages within the previous preset period and the current fusing temperature.

[0052] Determining unit 230 is configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters. The target fusing temperature may also be determined according to the apparatus status parameters and the ambient temperature.

[0053] Executing unit 240 is configured to execute the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature adjustment strategy.

[0054] In one implementation, the apparatus status parameters may further include the printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages. In this case, the determining unit 230 is further configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the number of job pages and the printing mode, where the printing mode is associated with the printing speed and / or paper type.

[0055] In one implementation, the determining unit 230 is further configured to determine a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job. The fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate the value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page, and may be associated with the sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

[0056] In one implementation, the determining unit 230 is further configured to acquire the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulate a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquire the count value within a previous preset period; and determine the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

[0057] Referring to Figure 3, which is a schematic structural diagram of an image forming apparatus provided in an embodiment of the present application. The image forming apparatus 300 may include: a processor 310, a memory 320, and a communication unit 330. These components communicate via one or more buses. Those skilled in the art can understand that the structure of the image forming apparatus shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. It may adopt a bus structure, a star structure, include more or fewer components than shown, combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0058] The communication unit 330 is configured to establish a communication channel, enabling the image forming apparatus to communicate with other devices. It receives user data sent by other devices or sends user data to other devices.

[0059] The processor 310 serves as the control center of the image forming apparatus, which connects various parts of the entire image forming apparatus through various interfaces and lines. It executes various functions of the image forming apparatus and / or processes data by running or executing software programs, instructions, and / or modules stored in the memory 320, and calling up data stored in the memory. The processor may be composed of integrated circuits (ICs), for example, a single packaged IC, or multiple packaged ICs connected with the same or different functions. For example, the processor 310 may only include a central processing unit (CPU). In the implementation of the present application, the CPU may be a single-core processor or a multi-core processor.

[0060] The memory 320 is configured to store execution instructions of the processor 310. The memory 320 may be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as static random access memory (SRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0061] When the execution instructions in the memory 320 are executed by the processor 310, the image forming apparatus 300 is enabled to perform some or all of the steps in the embodiment shown in Figure 1.

[0062] In a specific implementation, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer storage medium, which may store a program. When the program is executed, it may include some or all of the steps in each embodiment of the image processing method provided in the embodiments of the present application. The storage medium may be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), or the like.

[0063] In a specific implementation, the embodiment of the present application further provides a computer program product, which contains executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform some or all of the steps in each embodiment of the image processing method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0064] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0017]To better understand the technical solution of the present disclosure, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018]It should be clear that the described embodiments are merely a part of, rather than all, the embodiments of the present disclosure. Based on the embodiments of the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0019]When image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers perform printing or copying tasks, they need to raise the fusing temperature to a target temperature to ensure that the toner can be fully melted and fixed on the paper. In some scenarios, users need to continuously print a large number of tasks, causing the fusing temperature to remain at the target temperature for a long time. The heat generated by the fusing components con...

Claims

1. A fusing temperature control method, <b>characterized in that, comprising: receiving an image forming job; determining a target fusing temperature according to apparatus status parameters; wherein the apparatus status parameters comprise a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; executing the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

2. The fusing temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the apparatus status parameters comprise the number of printed pages within the previous preset period and a current fusing temperature.

3. The fusing temperature control method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters comprises: determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters and an ambient temperature.

4. The fusing temperature control method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the apparatus status parameters further comprise a printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages; the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters comprises: determining the target fusing temperature according to the number of printed pages and the printing mode.

5. The fusing temperature control method according to claim 4, characterized in that, the printing mode is associated with a printing speed and / or a paper type.

6. The fusing temperature control method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters comprises: determining a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job according to the apparatus status parameters; the fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate a value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page.

7. The fusing temperature control method according to claim 6, characterized in that, the fusing temperature adjustment value is associated with a page sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

8. The fusing temperature control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, the determining the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters comprises: acquiring the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulating a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquiring the count value within the previous preset period; determining the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

9. A fusing temperature control device, <b>characterized in that, comprising: a receiving unit, configured to receive an image forming job; an acquiring unit, configured to acquire apparatus status parameters; the apparatus status parameters comprise a number of printed pages within a previous preset period; a determining unit, configured to determine a target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters; an executing unit, configured to execute the image forming job according to the target fusing temperature.

10. The fusing temperature control device according to claim 9, characterized in that, the apparatus status parameters comprise the number of printed pages within the previous preset period and a current fusing temperature; and / or the acquiring unit is further configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the apparatus status parameters.

11. The fusing temperature control device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, the apparatus status parameters further comprise a printing mode corresponding to the number of printed pages; the determining unit is further configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the number of printed pages and the printing mode; wherein, the printing mode is associated with a printing speed and / or a paper type.

12. The fusing temperature control device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, <b>characterized in that, the determining unit is further configured to determine a fusing temperature adjustment value corresponding to at least one page in the image forming job according to the apparatus status parameters; the fusing temperature adjustment value is used to indicate a value that the target fusing temperature needs to meet when printing the at least one page.

13. The fusing temperature control device according to claim 12, characterized in that, the fusing temperature adjustment value is associated with a page sequence of the at least one page in the image forming job.

14. The fusing temperature control device according to any one of claims 9 to 13 characterized in that, the acquiring unit is further configured to: acquire the number of printed pages within a detection period; accumulate a count value when the number of printed pages within the detection period exceeds a page threshold; acquire the count value within the previous preset period; and the determining unit is further configured to determine the target fusing temperature according to the count value.

15. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that, comprising a memory for storing computer program instructions and a processor for executing the program instructions, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed by the processor, the image forming apparatus is caused to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images