An image forming apparatus includes first through third control units, with the first for processing input image information and each of the second and third for controlling an operation of an image forming unit by communication with the first. In a first mode, in which power is supplied to the first through third control units, the first and third control units communicate via the second control unit. In a second mode, in which the first control unit does not communicate with the second control unit, the first and third control units communicate via a communication line without communicating via the second control unit. The power consumption of the second mode is lower than that of the first mode. In the second mode, the first and third control units can transmit information for transition from the second mode to the first mode to each other via the communication line.

Claims

22 · 2 independent · depth 2

22 granted claims

›1.independentAn image forming apparatus comprising:na first control unit for processing input image information;a second control unit for communicating with the fi…+10

›2.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching unit for switching a state from the first mode, in which a first powe…d2

›3.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is connected to an interrupt port of the third control unit.d2

›4.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit includes a single signal line through which the information for trans…d2

›5.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit includes a first signal line through which the information for transi…d2

›6.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the first control unit receives the information for transition, the first co…d2

›7.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,nwherein in a case where the first control unit receives a response to the information for transition…d2

›8.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,nwherein in a case where the third control unit receives a response to the information for transition…d2

›9.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector for detecting a temperature of a fixing unit for fixing an image forme…d2

›10.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit includes an ASIC and the third control unit includes a CPU.d2

›11.↳ 1The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the second mode, a power supply to the second control unit is stopped.d2

›12.independentAn image forming apparatus comprising:na first control unit;a second control unit for communicating with the first control unit;a third control unit f…+10

›13.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a switching unit for switching a state from the first mode, in which a first pow…d2

›14.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the communication unit is connected to an interrupt port of the third control unit.d2

›15.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the communication unit includes a single signal line through which the information for tran…d2

›16.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the communication unit includes a first signal line through which the information for trans…d2

›17.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein in the case where the first control unit receives the information for transition, the first…d2

›18.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,nwherein in a case where the first control unit receives a response to the information for transitio…d2

›19.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12,nwherein in a case where the third control unit receives a response to the information for transitio…d2

›20.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a detector for detecting a temperature of a fixing unit for fixing an image form…d2

›21.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second control unit includes an ASIC and the third control unit includes a CPU.d2

›22.↳ 12The image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein in the second mode, a power supply to the second control unit is stopped.d2

Classifications

9 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G06F1/00
G06K15/00
G03G15/00
G06F1/32

USPC · US Patent Classification

358/1.14713/330713/300713/323713/320

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1.1 y

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non-final + final

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Michael J Brown

art unit 2116 · TC 2100

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Type	Document	Date
related publication	US 20140146347 A1	29 May 2014

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