# US 2019/0356793 A1 · Image forming apparatus

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- Number: US 2019/0356793 A1
- Document ID: US20190356793A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/410,568
- Filed: 2019-05-13
- Published: 2019-11-21
- Earliest claimed: 2018-05-15
- Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Inventors: Shigeaki Nakamura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356793A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/00206: {Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver (H04N1/00236 takes precedence)}
- H04N 1/00082: {Adjusting or controlling (interrupting an operation H04N1/00915; inhibiting an operation H04N1/00925)}
- H04N 1/00167: {Processing or editing (H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence)}
- H04N 1/047: Detection, control or error compensation of scanning velocity or position ({H04N1/0402 and } H04N1/17 take precedence)
- H04N 1/121: {Feeding arrangements (transporting sheets to or from the scanning position H04N1/0057; control or error compensation of sub-scanning velocity H04N1/0473)}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes plural internal devices, a controller, and a communication path. The controller is configured to control the plural internal devices. The communication path is used for communication between the plural internal devices and the controller. Usage priority of the communication path is assigned to plural pieces of communication between the plural internal devices and the controller in a time divisional manner. The controller detects a status change of the image forming apparatus, and upon detecting the status change, interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of a specific internal device among the plural internal devices, the specific internal device corresponding to the status change.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus, comprising:
plural internal devices;
a controller configured to control the plural internal devices; and
a communication path used for communication between the plural internal devices and the controller;
wherein usage priority of the communication path is assigned to plural pieces of communication between the plural internal devices and the controller in a time divisional manner; and
the controller detects a status change of the image forming apparatus, and upon detecting the status change, interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of a specific internal device among the plural internal devices, the specific internal device corresponding to the status change.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the controller detects as the status change a start of a job that uses the specific internal device, the controller interrupts the time divisional manner with time slots of the specific internal device, and provides setting data for the job to the specific internal device through the time slots, the number of the time slots corresponding to a size of the setting data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the controller detects as the status change a request of an action command to the specific internal device, the controller interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of the specific internal device, and provides the action command to the specific internal device through the time slot.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the controller detects as the status change a maintenance operation for the specific internal device, the controller continuously and repeatedly interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of the specific internal device until detecting termination of the maintenance operation, receives status information of the specific internal device through the time slot and thereby watches a status of the specific internal device, and detects the termination of the maintenance operation on the basis of the status information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the controller detects as the status change an error of the specific internal device, the controller interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of the specific internal device, and receives error information of the specific internal device through the time slot.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 wherein if the controller detects as the status change a start of a job that uses a part of the plural internal devices, the controller continuously interrupts the time divisional manner with a time slot of the specific internal device used in the job until an end of the job, without interruption with a time slot of a specific internal device not used in the job.