Image forming apparatus

• US 20040184832A1
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Umetsu, Toshiyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,873,807 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 399/81
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/02 Counting the number of copies; Billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00411 the display also being used for user input, e.g. touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00435 arranged in a predetermined sequence, e.g. using next and previous buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00466 displaying finishing information, e.g. position of punch holes or staple or orientation references
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00482 outputting a plurality of job set-up options, e.g. number of copies, paper size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00485 providing a hardcopy output to the user, e.g. print out
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00832 Recording use, e.g. counting number of pages copied
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00925 Inhibiting an operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception

Abstract

The present invention can print out operating instructions, HELP documents, the latest image forming apparatus information, support and maintenance information, advertisements about new models and services, and the like without incrementing a charging counter.

Without caring about the charging, users can print out operating instructions, HELP documents, the latest image forming apparatus information, support and maintenance information, advertisements about new models and services, and the like.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus to form an image on an image forming medium by concurrently incrementing a charging counter, comprising:

a storage section to store descriptive text for explaining various functions of the apparatus;

an instruction section to instruct output of the descriptive text about a specified function while the function is selected; and

process means for responding to an instruction from the instruction section, reading descriptive text about the specified function from the storage section without incrementing the charging counter, and forming an image on the image forming medium.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the descriptive text for explaining various functions of the apparatus includes the contents of an instruction manual and HELP documents.

3. An image forming apparatus to form an image on an image forming medium by concurrently incrementing a charging counter, comprising:

a receiving section to receive information supplied from an external device via a network;

an instruction section to instruct output of the information supplied from the external device via the network; and

process means for responding to an instruction from the instruction section and forming an image on the image forming medium according to the information received from the receiving section without incrementing the charging counter.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the information supplied from the external device via the network includes the latest information, support and maintenance information, advertisements about new models and services, and the like.