Image forming apparatus having a function for checking to copy a secret document

An image forming apparatus having a function for checking copying of a secret document and a function for selecting an image forming area, said apparatus comprising:

• an original table on which an original is placed, said original, if it is a secret document, being provided with a predetermined identification section;
• original scanning means, movable along said original table, for optically scanning said orginal placed on said original table to obtain image data;
• image forming means for forming an image corresponding to the image data from said original scanning means on an image forming medium;
• secret document detecting means provided integrally with said original scanning means and having a sensor for detecting the predetermined identification section of the secret document;
• first controlling means for driving said document scanning means prior to an image forming operation by said original scanning means and said image forming means, and for generating a first control signal for two-dimensionally scanning the original placed on said original table with said sensor of said secret document detecting means;
• second controlling means for generating a second control signal for enabling or disabling the image forming operation in accordance with a detection result from said secret document detecting means, thereby preventing copying of the secret document;
• light-transmitting means, arranged integrally with said original scanning means, for emitting transmitting light on the original placed on said original table;
• erasure portion specifying means for supplying a command for displacing a position of a transmitting light component so that an unnecessary portion of the original is specified as an erasure portion in accordance with the position of the transmitting light component on the original by the transmitting light from said light-transmitting means prior to the image forming operation;
• third controlling means for generating a third control signal for driving said original scanning means in accordance with the displacement command of the transmitting light component, thereby moving said light-transmitting means to a position corresponding to the displacement command of the transmitting light component;
• erasure portion storage means for storing given erasure position data indicating a position of the erasure portion specified by said erasure portion specifying means;
• image erasing means for selectively erasing image data to be transferred by said image forming means;
• and
• fourth controlling means for reading out the erasure position data stored in said erasure position storage means during the image forming operation to supply the readout data to said image erasing means.