# US 2021/0240419 A1 · Image forming apparatus and control method

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- Number: US 2021/0240419 A1
- Document ID: US20210240419A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/145,845
- Filed: 2021-01-11
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-30
- Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Koichi Unno
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240419A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/1239: {Restricting the usage of resources, e.g. usage or user levels, credit limit, consumables, special fonts}
- H04N 1/2346: {according to a detected condition or state of the reproducing device, e.g. temperature or ink quantity}
- G06F 3/1219: {with regard to consumables, e.g. ink, toner, paper}
- G06F 3/1258: {by updating job settings at the printer}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a scanner, a receiver, and a controller. The scanner scans a document to obtain image data representing the scanned document. The receiver receives faxed image data. The controller includes a processor and a memory, performs processing for reducing usage of a consumable material on the image data obtained by the scanner, and does not perform the processing on image data obtained from an external apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a scanner configured to scan a document to obtain image data representing the scanned document;
a receiver configured to receive faxed image data; and
a controller including a processor and a memory, the controller being configured to perform processing for reducing usage of a consumable material on the image data obtained by the scanner, and not to perform the processing on image data obtained from an external apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to make a setting for image data so as to reduce the usage of the consumable material,
wherein, in a case where the setting unit makes the setting for image data, the controller performs the processing on the image data obtained by the scanner, and does not perform the processing on the image data obtained from the external apparatus.

### Claim 3

An image forming apparatus comprising:
a scanner configured to scan a document to obtain image data representing the scanned document;
a receiver configured to receive faxed image data;
a determination unit configured to determine whether to store the image data received by the receiver in a reusable manner; and
a controller including a processor and a memory, the controller being configured to perform processing for reducing usage of a consumable material on the image data obtained by the scanner, and to switch whether to perform the processing on image data obtained from an external apparatus, based on a result of the determination by the determination unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the controller performs the processing in a case where a setting to store the image data obtained from the external apparatus in a reusable manner is made, and does not perform the processing in a case where the setting to store the image data obtained from the external apparatus in a reusable manner is not made.

### Claim 5

A method for controlling an image forming apparatus, the method comprising:
scanning a document to obtain image data representing the scanned document;
receiving faxed image data; and
performing processing for reducing usage of a consumable material on the image data obtained by the scanning, and not performing the processing on image data obtained from an external apparatus.