# US 2014/0192374 A1 · Image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2014/0192374 A1
- Document ID: US20140192374A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/072,048
- Filed: 2013-11-05
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha; Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Eiji Shinohara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192374A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/38: Circuits or arrangements for blanking or otherwise eliminating unwanted parts of pictures (H04N1/387 takes precedence)
- G03G 15/502: {relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens}
- G03G 21/00: Arrangements not provided for by groups G03G13/00 - G03G19/00, e.g. cleaning, elimination of residual charge
- H04N 1/00896: {using a low-power mode, e.g. standby}
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N 2201/33307: of a particular mode
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY

## Abstract

According to an embodiment, an image forming apparatus having a function to erase an image formed on a recoding medium is provided. The image forming apparatus has an operation panel which, in a first mode in which an image forming process and an erasing process are not executable, accepts selection of any mode of a second mode in which the image forming process and the erasing process are executable, and a third mode in which the image forming process not executable and the erasing process is executable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In an image forming apparatus having a function to erase an image; the image forming apparatus comprising:
an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium;
an erasing unit to erase an image formed on a recording medium;
an operation panel which, in a first mode in which an image forming process by the image forming unit and an erasing process by the erasing unit are not executable, accepts selection of any control mode of a second mode in which the image forming process and the erasing process are executable, and a third mode in which the image forming process is not executable and the erasing process is executable; and
a control unit which controls the image forming unit and the erasing unit in any control mode of the first mode, the second mode, and the third mode, in response to the selection of the mode of the operation panel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein: the first mode is a control mode in which the control unit controls power supply, so that power supplied to the image forming unit and the erasing unit is reduced.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: when the operation panel accepts the selection of the second mode, the control unit operates the image forming unit and the erasing unit, to perform a warming-up operation necessary for execution of the image forming process and the erasing process.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3 wherein: after the warming-up operation necessary for execution of the image forming process and the erasing process is finished, the control mode by the control unit transfers from the first mode to the second mode.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: when the operation panel accepts the selection of the third mode, the control unit does not perform a warming-up operation necessary for execution of the image forming process, and operates the erasing unit, to perform a warming-up operation necessary for execution of the erasing process.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 5 wherein: after the warming-up operation necessary for execution of the erasing process is finished, the control mode by the control unit transfers from the first mode to the third mode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 wherein: the operation panel accepts execution requests of the image forming process and the erasing process, in the second mode and the third mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 wherein: when the operation panel accepts the execution request for the image forming process, in the third mode, the control unit operates the image forming unit, to perform a warming-up operation necessary for execution of the image forming process.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 wherein: after the warming-up operation necessary for execution of the image forming process is finished, the control mode by the control unit transfers from the second mode to the third mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 7 wherein: a state in which the operation panel does not accept the execution request continues for not less than a definite time, the control mode by the control unit transfers from the second mode or the third mode to the first mode.