Image forming apparatus and image forming system

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a connection unit for outputting a connection notification signal notifying the connection of a vendor when the vendor for outputting a reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of the image forming apparatus and coin insertion is connected;
• a display unit;
• a detector unit for detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit upon receiving the connection notification signal output from the connection unit and detecting the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor upon receiving the reception signal output from the vendor via the connection unit;
• a fixing unit adapted to fix a toner image formed on a recording sheet by heating and pressing the toner image and capable of maintaining at least a toner image heating temperature at which the toner image is heated and a first standby temperature lower than the toner image heating temperature;
• a power supply unit for distributing power to the display unit and the fixing unit;
• and
• a control unit for causing the power supply unit to distribute power to the display unit and the fixing unit, wherein the control unit:
• executes an energy save mode for cutting off at least the power distribution to the fixing unit by the power supply unit or reducing at least the amount of power distributed to the fixing unit by the power supply unit while maintaining the power distribution to the display unit by the power supply unit, when the detector unit does not detect the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor while detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit, and
• causes the display unit to display a message screen requesting a user at least either to insert the card into the vendor or to insert coins into the vendor upon executing the energy save mode.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a vendor capable of receiving at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of an image forming apparatus and coin insertion and adapted to output a reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion;
• and
• an image forming apparatus including:
• a connection unit for outputting a connection notification signal notifying the connection of the vendor when the vendor for outputting the reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of the image forming apparatus and coin insertion is connected;
• a display unit;
• a detector unit for detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit upon receiving the connection notification signal output from the connection unit and detecting the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor upon receiving the reception signal output from the vendor via the connection unit;
• a fixing unit adapted to fix a toner image formed on a recording sheet by heating and pressing the toner image and capable of maintaining at least a toner image heating temperature at which the toner image is heated and a first standby temperature lower than the toner image heating temperature;
• a power supply unit for distributing power to the display unit and the fixing unit;
• and
• a control unit for causing the power supply unit to distribute power to the display unit and the fixing unit, wherein the control unit:
• causes the power supply unit to distribute power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains a second standby temperature lower than the first standby temperature while causing the power supply unit to maintain the power distribution to the display unit when the detector unit does not detect the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor while detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit, and
• causes the power supply unit to distribute power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains the first standby temperature while maintaining the power distribution to the display unit by the power supply unit when the detector unit detects the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor thereafter.

An image forming system, comprising:

• a vendor capable of receiving at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of an image forming apparatus and coin insertion and adapted to output a reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion;
• and
• an image forming apparatus including:
• a connection unit for outputting a connection notification signal notifying the connection of the vendor when the vendor for outputting the reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of the image forming apparatus and coin insertion is connected;
• a display unit;
• a detector unit for detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit upon receiving the connection notification signal output from the connection unit and detecting the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor upon receiving the reception signal output from the vendor via the connection unit;
• a fixing unit adapted to fix a toner image formed on a recording sheet by heating and pressing the toner image and capable of maintaining at least a toner image heating temperature at which the toner image is heated and a first standby temperature lower than the toner image heating temperature;
• a power supply unit for distributing power to the display unit and the fixing unit;
• and
• a control unit for causing the power supply unit to distribute power to the display unit and the fixing unit, wherein the control unit of the image forming apparatus:
• executes an energy save mode for cutting off at least the power distribution to the fixing unit by the power supply unit or reducing at least the amount of power distributed to the fixing unit by the power supply unit while maintaining the power distribution to the display unit by the power supply unit, when the detector unit does not detect the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor while detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit, and
• causes the display unit to display a message screen requesting a user at least either to insert the card into the vendor or to insert coins into the vendor upon executing the energy save mode.

A method for controlling power distribution of an image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a first power distribution control step of distributing power at least to a display unit and a fixing unit for fixing a toner image formed on a recording sheet by heating and pressing the toner image, so that the fixing unit maintains a first standby temperature lower than a toner image heating temperature at which the toner image formed on the recording sheet is heated;
• a first judgment step of judging whether or not a vendor for receiving at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of the image forming apparatus and coin insertion is connected;
• a second judgment step of judging whether or not the vendor has received at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion;
• a power distribution step of distributing power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains the first standby temperature in a case where the vendor is not connected to the image forming apparatus;
• and
• a second power distribution control step of distributing power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains a second standby temperature lower than the first standby temperature while maintaining the power distribution to the display unit in the power distributing state in the first power distribution control step if the vendor has received neither the card insertion nor the coin insertion while being connected to the image forming apparatus.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a connection unit for outputting a connection notification signal notifying the connection of a vendor when the vendor for outputting a reception signal indicating the receipt of at least either one of the insertion of a card recorded with usage information for the use of the image forming apparatus and coin insertion is connected;
• a display unit;
• a detector unit for detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit upon receiving the connection notification signal output from the connection unit and detecting the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor upon receiving the reception signal output from the vendor via the connection unit;
• a fixing unit adapted to fix a toner image formed on a recording sheet by heating and pressing the toner image and capable of maintaining at least a toner image heating temperature at which the toner image is heated and a first standby temperature lower than the toner image heating temperature;
• a power supply unit for distributing power to the display unit and the fixing unit;
• and
• a control unit for causing the power supply unit to distribute power to the display unit and the fixing unit, wherein the control unit:
• causes the power supply unit to distribute power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains the first standby temperature unless the detector unit detects the connection of the vendor to the connection unit;
• and
• causes the power supply unit to distribute power to the fixing unit so that the fixing unit maintains a second standby temperature lower than the first standby temperature while causing the power supply unit to maintain the power distribution to the display unit when the detector unit does not detect the receipt of at least either one of the card insertion and the coin insertion by the vendor while detecting the connection of the vendor to the connection unit.