IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the lifetime of an image forming apparatus even though printing efficiency is improved when continuous printing is changed to intermittent printing in the image forming apparatus. SOLUTION: An interval time from the end of forming an electrostatic latent image to an instruction to form the next electrostatic latent image is measured. When the interval time is equal to or more than a fixed time, the interval time is excluded from average calculation because of not being continuous printing. The average of interval times is calculated in each image reading mode. When a driving state maintaining time for continuous printing ends, waiting is performed during driving at a speed lower than usual only for a time 1. 8 times as long as an average interval time. If the next printing request comes during this period, printing is quickly performed because an initializing time is short. When a waiting time ends, a stop state being the same as the conventional manner comes. Since operation is performed at a low speed during waiting, the lifetime of the apparatus is not shortened. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT