Image forming device

• US 7,437,092 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kyocera MITA Corporation (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugihara, Tomoyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray; David M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villaluna; Erika J.
• Application Number:
  US11/258,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20070092283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 399/81, 399/72, 399/70
• US Class Current: 399/81
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console

Abstract

The device is constituted so that, when a non-processing period continues for more than a predetermined time in a normal mode, in which an image forming process is possible, the image forming device switches to a power saving mode, in which power consumption is reduced, two types of LEDs 8a and 8b that have display colors that differ from one another being provided, and each light source 8a and 8b being selectively illuminated by the mode notification means 13 according to the normal mode and the power saving mode.

Claims

1. An image forming device comprising:

a main body;

a sheet receiving tray being configured to receive paper outputted after an image forming process;

an operating mode switching control system being configured to switch the image forming device to a power saving mode from a normal mode upon continuation of a non-processing period for more than a predetermined amount of time in the normal mode allowing the image forming process, the power consumption being reduced in the power saving mode;

a control panel having a liquid crystal display unit and light sources being backlights for the liquid crystal display unit, the liquid crystal display unit having a mode notification device being configured to make a display mode of the light sources of the liquid crystal display unit differ according to the normal mode and the power saving mode, the mode notification device consisting of a first light source being configured to be used in the normal mode, and a second light source being configured to be used in the power saving mode and being configured to consume less power than the first light source, the first light source and the second light source each being an LED, the first and second light sources being backlights for the liquid crystal display unit and having display colors different from one another; and

an illumination drive device switching between and driving the illumination of each light source according to the normal mode and the power saving mode.

2. The image forming device according to claim 1, the first light source has a white display color.

3. An image forming device comprising:

a main body;

an operating mode switching control system being configured to switch the image forming device to a power saving mode from a normal mode upon continuation of a non-processing period for more than a predetermined amount of time in the normal mode allowing an image forming process, the power consumption being reduced in the power saving mode; and

a control panel having a liquid crystal display unit and a light source being a backlight for the liquid crystal display unit, the liquid crystal display unit having a mode notification device being configured to make a display mode of the light source of the liquid crystal display unit differ according to the normal mode and the power saving mode, the mode notification device having the light source being configured to be continuously illuminated in the normal mode, and being configured to flash repeatedly at a predetermined interval in the power saving mode.

4. An image forming device comprising:

a main body means;

a sheet receiving means for receiving paper outputted after an image forming process;

an operating mode switching control system means for switching the image forming device to a power saving mode from a normal mode upon continuation of a non-processing period for more than a predetermined amount of time in the normal mode allowing an image forming process, the power consumption being reduced in the power saving mode; and

control panel means for providing liquid crystal display means, the liquid crystal display means having mode notification means for making a display mode of a light source of the display means differ according to the normal mode and the power saving mode, the mode notification means consisting of a first light source being configured to be used in the normal mode, and a second light source being configured to be used in the power saving mode and being configured to consume less power than the first light source, the first and second light sources being backlights for the liquid crystal display means, and having display colors different from one another; and

an illumination drive means switching between and driving the illumination of the each light source according to the normal mode and the power saving mode.