Patent ID: 9176687
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: G03G,G06F

Abstract:
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a first control unit configured to transmit an instruction to a second control unit and receive a return which corresponds to the instruction from the second control unit; the second control unit that is connected to a load, and is configured to receive the instruction from the first control unit and control the load based on the instruction; a first communication line configured to transmit data from the first control unit to the second control unit; and a second communication line configured to transmit data from the second control unit to the first control unit, wherein the second control unit comprises: a holding unit configured to hold data; and a processor configured to transmit a return to the first control unit by using the second communication line when receiving the instruction from the first control unit via the first communication line, and configured to transmit the data held in the holding unit to the first control unit periodically based on a set period by using the second communication line when receiving the instruction to set to a specific mode from the first control unit via the first communication line, and wherein the processor, which is in the specific mode, is configured to determine at the timing for transmitting the data held in the holding unit based on the set period if it is determined that it is the timing for transmitting the data held in the holding unit, determine whether or not it is in a first state of the reception of the instruction from the first control unit via the first communication line and whether or not it is in a second state of the return to the first control unit using the second communication line and, if it is determined that it is neither in the first state nor in the second state, transmit the data held in the holding unit, and if it is determined that it is in the first state or in the second state, delay a timing for transmitting the data held in the holding unit so that the transmission of the data held in the holding unit is prevented from overlapping the transmission of the return.