Image forming apparatus, control method for the same, control program, and storage medium storing the control program

• US 20030063269A1
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nozaki, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,030,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/133
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5016 User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00405 Output means output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00488 providing an audible output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00493 Particular location of the interface or console
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation

Abstract

There is provided an image forming apparatus, which is free from erroneous operations of a plurality of operation parts provided in the apparatus. A selector selects that selects at least one operation part out of a plurality of operation parts, and a main CPU invalidates a predetermined operation by at least one operation part that is not selected by the selector, out of the plurality of operation parts.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a plurality of operation parts;

a selection device that selects that selects at least one operation part out of said plurality of operation parts; and

a controller that invalidates a predetermined operation by at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of said plurality of operation parts.

2. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts comprise substantially identical components with one another.

3. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of said plurality of operation parts.

4. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, and lights said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated.

5. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and a liquid crystal display part having a backlight, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, and prohibits lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device.

6. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a liquid crystal display part having a backlight, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibits lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, lights said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated, and outputs same display data for the liquid crystal display part of each of the plurality of operation parts regardless of the selection by said selection device.

7. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a liquid crystal touch panel having a backlight, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device and input from the liquid crystal touch panel of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibits lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, lights said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated, and outputs same display data for the liquid crystal touch panel of each of the plurality of operation parts regardless of the selection by the selection device.

8. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and a cathode ray tube display device, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, and prohibits supply of power to said cathode ray tube display device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device.

9. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a cathode ray tube display device, and said controller invalidates operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibits supply of power to said cathode ray tube display device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected by said selection device, and lights said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated.

10. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a detachable operation part, and a non-detachable operation part, and wherein said selection device selects said non-detachable operation part when said detachable operation part has been detached.

11. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have a second controller dedicated for controlling the operation part.

12. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller controls all of said plurality of operation parts.

13. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selection device is implemented by hardware.

14. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection by said selection device is implemented by software.

15. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus including a plurality of operation parts, comprising:

a selecting step of selecting at least one operation out of the plurality of operation parts; and

a control step of invalidating a predetermined operation by at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting device, out of said plurality of operation parts.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts comprise substantially identical components with one another.

17. A method according to claim 15,

wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and said control comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of said plurality of operation parts.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and said control step comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, and lighting said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and a liquid crystal display part having a backlight, and said control step comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, and prohibiting lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a liquid crystal display part having a backlight, and said control step comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibiting lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, lighting said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated, and outputting same display data for the liquid crystal display part of each of the plurality of operation parts regardless of the selection in said selecting step.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a liquid crystal touch panel having a backlight, and said controller comprises invalidating operations by said input device and input from the liquid crystal touch panel of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibits lighting of the backlight of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, lighting said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated, and outputting same display data for the liquid crystal touch panel of each of the plurality of operation parts regardless of the selection by the selecting step.

22. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device, and a cathode ray tube display device, and said control step comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, and prohibiting supply of power to said cathode ray tube display device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step.

23. A method according to claim 15, wherein said plurality of operation parts each have an input device including electric luminescence parts, and a cathode ray tube display device, and said control step comprises invalidating operations by said input device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, out of the plurality of operation parts, prohibiting supply of power to said cathode ray tube display device of each of said at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting step, and lighting said electric luminescence parts of said input device of all of at least one operation part of said plurality of operation parts corresponding to at least one of said input devices that is operated.

24. A method according to claim 15, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises a detachable operation part, and a non-detachable operation part, and wherein said selecting step comprises selecting said non-detachable operation part when said detachable operation part has been detached.

25. A method according to claim 15, comprising a second control step of exclusively controlling each of said plurality of operation parts.

26. A method according to claim 15, wherein said control step comprises controlling all of said plurality of operation parts.

27. A method according to claim 15, wherein said selecting step is implemented by hardware.

28. A method according to claim 15, wherein the selection in said selecting step is implemented by software.

29. A control program that is executed by an image forming apparatus having a plurality of operation parts, the program comprising a step of invalidating a predetermined operation by at least one operation part that is not selected out of said plurality of operation parts.

30. A computer-readable recording medium storing a control program comprising:

a selecting step of selecting at least one operation out of the plurality of operation parts; and

a control step of invalidating a predetermined operation by at least one operation part that is not selected in said selecting device, out of said plurality of operation parts.