Abstract:
A method for an image forming apparatus involving displaying a menu screen for setting an image forming condition in a display unit of a control panel; receiving a setting information set at the menu screen; controlling a writing unit to write the setting information in a portable storage medium including an identification information via a wireless communication after reception of the setting information; controlling a reading unit to read the identification information in the portable storage medium via the wireless communication for user verification; controlling the reading unit to read the setting information in the portable storage medium via the wireless communication after the user verification; and changing a content of the menu screen in accordance with the setting information read from the portable storage medium when the control panel is operated to set an image forming condition.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of application Ser. No. 12/133,022 filed on Jun. 4, 2008, which is based upon and claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/942,547, filed on Jun. 7, 2007, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP), which is a digital multi-function machine, a copy machine or a printer, and a setting method for the image forming apparatus. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Generally, an image forming apparatus such as a MFP, copy machine or printer may have plural functions including the copy function, scanner function and so on. Particularly, in a multi-function image forming apparatus, when copying image data, the user sets image forming conditions (for example, copy sheet size, N in 1, density, binding margin and so on) by operating a control panel. An image forming apparatus may also have a finisher that performs post-processing such as stapling and sorting, in which case conditions such as the presence or absence of staple processing are set. 
         [0006]    When setting these conditions, the user needs to select a desired setting item from a menu screen displayed on the control panel and input more detailed settings. 
         [0007]    Generally, since menu screens are displayed in a hierarchical manner, the user must carry out many operations to have a desired setting item shown. Moreover, since it is difficult to know which hierarchical level of menu screen contains the desired setting item, it takes time to set conditions. 
         [0008]    To deal with this, there is an image forming apparatus in which setting contents for each individual are stored in a job memory. In this case, the past setting contents stored in the job memory are read out and conditions for copying and so on can be set in accordance with the read-out setting information. Therefore, the user does not have to repeat operations on menu screens and setting screens. 
         [0009]    However, as the job memory is provided in the MFP body and many unspecified users use the image forming apparatus, the stored contents in the job memory may be overwritten by other users. Also, when using another MFP, the user must reset the conditions. 
         [0010]    JP-A-2004-326394 discloses an image forming system. In this example, a communication unit is provided in an image forming apparatus and this communication unit sends and receives signals to and from an IC card carried by a specified user. The IC card is used as a job memory and can store copying conditions set by the user. 
         [0011]    JP-A-2004-226843 discloses an image forming apparatus using an IC card. In this example, only an operator who is carrying the IC card can carry out maintenance of the image forming apparatus. 
         [0012]    However, in the conventional techniques, when the user uses the image forming apparatus to carry out copy processing and so on, the operation to set image forming conditions for each individual is troublesome. Copying cannot be done quickly and is time-consuming. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    It is an object of the invention to provide an image forming apparatus which enables condition setting and quick processing by simple operations when the user carries out copy processing and so on by using the image forming apparatus. 
         [0014]    According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a control panel including a display unit and capable of displaying a menu screen for setting an image forming condition in the display unit; an image forming unit configured to carry out image forming processing under the condition set by the control panel; a reader and writer capable of communicating with a portable storage medium; a first control unit configured to control the reader and writer to write setting information at the time the image forming condition is set, into the storage medium, and to read the setting information stored in the storage medium; and a second control unit configured to control a content of the menu screen in accordance with the setting information read from the storage medium when the control panel is operated to set an image forming condition, and to display plural setting items for condition setting on the menu screen in predetermined order. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a plan view showing an exemplary control panel of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4C  are explanatory views showing an exemplary setting method in the case of setting image forming conditions by using a control panel. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are explanatory views showing another exemplary setting method in the case of setting image forming conditions by using a control panel. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory view showing an example of stored information in an IC card in an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart for explaining an IC card reading operation in the embodiment. 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart for explaining an information writing operation to the IC card in the embodiment. 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart for explaining operations at the time of operating a menu screen in the embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Throughout this description, the embodiment and example shown should be considered exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus and methods of the present invention. 
         [0025]    Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The same parts in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. 
         [0026]      FIG. 1  is a configuration view showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the invention. In the following description, a multi-function peripheral (MFP), which is a multi-function machine, will be described as an example. However, the invention can also be applied to other types of image forming apparatuses such as printers and copy machines. 
         [0027]    In  FIG. 1 , numeral  10  refers to an MFP (image forming apparatus). A document table  12  is provided at the top of a body  11  of the MFP  10 . An automatic document feeder (ADF)  13  is provided on the document table  12  in such a manner that the ADF can freely open and close. A control panel  14  is further provided at the top of the body  11 . The control panel  14  has an operation unit  141  including various keys, and a touch panel-type display unit  142 . 
         [0028]    A scanner  15  and a printer  16  are provided in the body  11 . Moreover, plural cassettes  17  in which sheets of various sizes are housed are provided at the bottom of the body  11 . The scanner  15  scans a document sent by the ADF  13  or a document set on the document table  12 . The printer  16  includes a photoconductive drum  161  and a laser  162 . A laser beam from the laser  162  scans and exposes the surface of the photoconductive drum  161  and thus creates an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum  161 . 
         [0029]    A charging unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit and so on are arranged around the photoconductive drum  161 . The electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum  161  is developed by the developing unit and a toner image is thus formed on the photoconductive drum  161 . The toner image is transferred to a sheet by the transfer unit and then fixed to the sheet by a fixing unit. The configuration of the printer  16  is not limited to the configuration shown in  FIG. 1  and various systems may be employed. 
         [0030]    On the top side of the body  11 , a non-contact card reader and writer  19  is provided. The card reader and writer  19  is capable of communicating with a storage medium  20  (for example, IC card  20 ) carried by the user. The user is authenticated by holding the IC card  20  over the card reader and writer  19 . The authenticated user can now use the MFP  10  (this will be described in detail later). The IC card  20  includes a storage unit. In the storage unit, identification information such as user ID is stored. 
         [0031]    Processing functions carried out by the MFP  10  include, for example, a copy function, printer function, scanning function, network print function and so on. 
         [0032]    The copy function includes monochrome copy and color copy functions. The printer function is the function to print image data. The scanning function is the function to save, as an image file, image data scanned by the scanner  15  into a shared folder connected via a network, not shown. The network print function is the function to print image data sent to the body  11  from an external device such as a personal computer (PC), on the side of the body  11 . 
         [0033]    The MFP  10  carries out image formation on a sheet by using the scanner  15  and the printer  16  provided in the body  11 . If a post-processing device (not shown) called a finisher is connected to the body  11  of the MFP  10 , sort processing and staple processing can be carried out by this finisher. Therefore, the image forming unit including the scanner  15 , the printer  16  and the finisher carries out image formation and post-processing to sheets in accordance with conditions set by the user. 
         [0034]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing a configuration of the MFP  10 . The MFP  10  is provided with a CPU  21 . The CPU  21  is connected to a PCI bus  22 . The “PCI bus” is an abbreviation of Peripheral Component Interconnect Bus. 
         [0035]    The card reader and writer  19  is connected to the PCI bus  22 . The card reader and writer  19  communicates with the IC card  20 . The card reader and writer  19  can read information stored in the IC card  20  in a non-contact manner and can also write information to the IC card  20  in a non-contact manner. 
         [0036]    Also a ROM  23  and a memory  24  are connected to the PCI bus  22 . The ROM  23  and the memory  24 , together with the CPU  21 , constitute a main control unit  25 . Various control programs that are necessary for the operation of the body  11  are stored in the ROM  23 . The memory  24  can store various data. 
         [0037]    The MFP  10  is provided with a network interface  26 . The network interface  26  is connected to the PCI bus  22  via a network interface card (NIC)  27 . 
         [0038]    The network interface  26  includes a LAN board, FAX modem and so on and is connected to an external device, for example, a PC, via an external communication network (LAN)  28 . The NIC  27  is to control transmission and reception of data to and from the external device via the network interface  26 . 
         [0039]    Moreover, a copy control unit  30 , a scanner control unit  31 , a printer control unit  32 , and the control panel  14  are connected to the PCI bus  22 . Also, an HDD  34  as a storage device is connected to the PCI bus  22  via an IDE  33 . The IDE  33  is an interface to connect the HDD  34  to the PCI Bus  22 . It is an abbreviation of Integrated Device Electronics. 
         [0040]    The copy control unit  30  controls the ordinary copy function using the scanner  15  and the printer  16 . The scanner control unit  31  controls the scanning function using the scanner  15 . The printer control unit  32  controls the print function using the printer  16 . Image data at the time of print processing by the printer  16  is stored into the HDD  34 . 
         [0041]    The IC card  20  has a communication unit  201  that communicates with the card reader and writer  19 , and a CPU  202  that controls the communication unit  201 . The IC card  20  also includes a storage unit  203  capable of storing various kinds of information. 
         [0042]    The IC card  20  is carried by the user who uses the MFP  10 . As the user holds the IC card  20  over the card reader and writer  19  when using the MFP  10 , the information stored in the storage unit  203  is read by the card reader and writer  19 . For example, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is suitable as a communication system between the card reader and writer  19  and the IC card  20 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 3  shows an example of the control panel  14 . In  FIG. 3 , numeral  141  represents the operation unit, which has ten keys  41 , a clear key  42 , a reset key  43 , a stop key  44 , a start key  45  and so on. 
         [0044]    Numeral  142  represents the display unit, which has the touch panel function. On the display screen of the display unit  142 , various menu screens  50  of basic, application, special, confirmation, my setting and so on can be displayed as index buttons  51  to  55  are selected. 
         [0045]      FIG. 3  shows the menu screen  50  of the display unit  142  in the initial stage when the user has set a document. The index buttons  51  to  55  are shown in the menu screen  50 . The index buttons  51  to  54  are for displaying common menu screens of, for example, “basic”, “application”, “special”, and “confirmation”. The index button  55  of “my setting” is for displaying a menu screen for personal setting. 
         [0046]    When user uses the display unit  142  to set image forming conditions, the user operates one of the index buttons  51  to  55  of  FIG. 3 . In the example of  FIG. 3 , the menu screen  50  in the case where the “basic” index button  51  is selected is shown. 
         [0047]    “Basic” job items include standard setting items such as 100% enlargement or reduction, single-side to single-side copy, non-sort and non-staple, and standard print density. 
         [0048]    Meanwhile, if the user wants to set other conditions, the user can select the “application” index button  52  for various other settings. For example, a case where the user sets a binding margin will be described with reference to  FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4C . 
         [0049]    If the user selects the “application” index button  52  in  FIG. 3 , the menu screen  50  related to “application” as shown in  FIG. 4A  is shown in the display unit  142 . The menu screen includes plural setting items. Each setting item is shown as an icon. The icons include, for example, icons  61  to  66  to set “double-side”, “binding margin”, “frame elimination”, “N in 1”, “independent changing magnification”, “magazine sort” and so on. 
         [0050]    If the user selects the “binding margin” icon  62  here, the menu screen  50  of a lower layer for binding margin setting as shown in  FIG. 4B  is shown. The setting screen for binding margin includes, for example, “binding margin: left”, “binding margin: book” and “binding margin: right” icons  71 ,  72  and  73 . 
         [0051]    Next, if the user selects the “binding margin: left” icon  71 , the menu screen  50  of a lower layer for setting the width of the binding margin as shown in  FIG. 4C  is shown. In this menu screen, a window  81  to designate the setting of the left binding margin by the millimeter, and arrow icons  82  and  83  are shown. The width of the binding margin can be reduced by pressing the arrow icon  82  and increased by pressing the arrow icon  83 . The numeric value in the window  81  represents the value (for example, 10 mm) of the binding margin (left). If the user wants to set the binding margin at this value, the user can press a setting icon  84 . If the user wants to make a correction, the user can press a cancellation icon  85 . Moreover, in  FIG. 4C , if the user wants to save the setting contents at the time when the setting is completed, the user can press a “save” button  56  to store the setting information to the IC card  20 . 
         [0052]    In the case of setting other items than the binding margin, the user can select other icons ( 61 ,  63 ,  64 ,  65  and  66 ) in  FIG. 4A . For example, if the icon  61  is pressed, plural setting items (icons) related to double-side printing are shown. If a desired item cannot be found among the icons of  FIG. 4A , the user can press a “next page” icon  67  so that icons of other setting items are shown. 
         [0053]    In this manner, the user can set desired image forming conditions by operating the “application” index button  52  and sequentially operating icons included in lower-layer menus. 
         [0054]    However, in this setting method, since the menu screens are displayed in a hierarchical manner, the user needs to carry out many operations to have a desired setting item shown. Moreover, since it is difficult to know which hierarchical level of menu screen contains the desired setting item, it takes time to set conditions. 
         [0055]    Thus, the present invention is characterized in that user-specific setting can be quickly carried out, other than the general setting method as described above. 
         [0056]    In the present invention, the non-contact card reader and writer  19  is attached to the MFP  10  and information in the IC card  20  carried by the user is read, as shown in  FIG. 2 . The IC card  20  can store personal information for authorizing the individual user and can also store information of setting conditions that were set when the user used the MFP  10  in the past. 
         [0057]    The MFP  10  reads the user&#39;s personal information by the card reader and writer  19  and thus carries out user authentication when the user holds the IC card  20  over the card reader and writer  19 . As a method of user authentication, it is possible to previously register in the MFP  10  a user who is allowed to use the MFP  10  or to carry out authentication by using an authentication server or the like, not shown, which is connected via the LAN  28 . When the user is authenticated, the user can use the MFP  10 . As will be described later, when the user is authenticated, the information of conditions that were set by the user in the past is read from the IC card  20  and temporarily saved in the memory  24  of the MFP  10 . 
         [0058]    On the menu screen  50  in the display unit  142  of the MFP  10 , the “my setting” index button  55  is provided. As the user operates the “my setting” index button  55 , a setting item that the user often uses and its set value are shown in the form of a menu screen for personal setting from the setting information temporarily saved in the memory  24 . 
         [0059]    For setting item icons shown in the “my setting” menu screen, one of two display formats can be selected, that is, a “recent” display format in which setting items that have recently been used are shown, and a “frequency” display format in which setting items that have been frequently used are shown. 
         [0060]    Operation procedures in the case of setting image forming conditions according to the invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 . 
         [0061]    First, if the user selects the “my setting” index button  55  in the initial menu screen of  FIG. 3 , the “my setting” menu screen  50  as shown in  FIG. 5  is shown in the display unit  142 . The menu screen  50  includes plural setting items that the user has recently set. For example, icons  91  to  96  of “binding margin: left 10 mm”, “double-side: book”, “density: +3”, “N in 1: 2 in 1 left-right”, “staple: top left”, “double-side: tablet” and so on are shown. 
         [0062]    The menu screen  50  of  FIG. 5  is formed on the basis of information of several conditions settings that have been carried out by the user operating the MFP  10 . The icons  91  to  96  are displayed in order from the most recently set item. Therefore, the user can select a desired setting condition from this menu. For example, when the user wants to copy under the condition of “binding margin: left 10 mm”, the user can press the icon  91 . 
         [0063]    Meanwhile, if the user presses a “frequency” icon  58  shown in the menu screen  50 , setting items that have been frequently used, of the plural setting items set by the user, are shown in order from the most frequently used item, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0064]    In  FIG. 6 , for example, the icons  94 ,  92 ,  91 ,  93 ,  95  and  96  are shown according to the order of “N in 1: 2 in 1 left-right”, “double-side: book”, “binding margin: left 10 mm”, “density: +3”, “staple: top left”, and “double-side: tablet”. In this example, the number of times the user set the copy condition of “N in 1: 2 in 1 left-right” in the past is the largest. 
         [0065]    Since the setting items are shown in order from the most frequently used item, the user can select a desired setting condition from this menu. For example, if the user wants to copy under the condition of “N in 1: 2 in 1 left-right”, the user can press the icon  94 . 
         [0066]    If the user wants to have the icons shown in the recently set order in the menu screen  50  of  FIG. 6 , the user can press the “recent” icon  57  to change the display contents of  FIG. 5 . When the “my setting” index button  55  has been operated, arbitrary setting is possible with respect to whether to have the “recent” menu screen ( FIG. 5 ) displayed or to have the “frequency” menu screen ( FIG. 6 ) displayed. 
         [0067]    For example, the “recent” menu screen is set to be displayed preferentially, and after that, the user can switch whether to have the “frequency” menu screen displayed or to have the “recent” menu screen displayed by operating the “frequency” icon  58  or the “recent” icon  57 . 
         [0068]    In the case where users set image forming conditions, the conditions set are uneven for each user. For example, user A tends to often copy plural documents to one sheet by N in 1, whereas user B tends to often staple copied sheets. 
         [0069]    This is associated with the duties of the user who uses the MFP  10 . In setting image forming conditions, each individual tends to frequently use more or less limited kinds of conditions. Therefore, if the recently set contents or contents that were frequently set in the past are shown for each user, the user can immediately select his or her desired setting item. 
         [0070]    In the menu screens  50  of  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , the number of setting items (icons) that can be shown in one screen is limited. Therefore, if there are more setting items, these items will be shown in the next page. To have the next page shown, the user operates the “next page” icon  67 . When the “next page” icon  67  is pressed, the display shifts to the next page and the other setting item icons are displayed. When the next page is shown, a “previous page” icon (not shown) is displayed as well as the “next page” icon  67 , and the display can return to the previous page. 
         [0071]    In  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 , if the “save” button  56  is pressed when the setting is completed, the setting information can be stored into the IC card  20 . The setting information thus stored in the IC card  20  is hereinafter referred to as my-setting information. In this way, the recently set contents are stored in the IC card  20  and if the same contents as the previous setting are set, the numeric value of frequency of use is incremented (+1) and stored. 
         [0072]      FIG. 7  is an explanatory view showing an example of my-setting information stored in the storage unit  203  of the IC card  20 . In  FIG. 7 , the top row represents setting condition items stored in the IC card  20 , and the leftmost column represents the order in which each item is stored. 
         [0073]    The my-setting information includes “setting item ID”, “setting item name”, “setting item value 1”, “setting item value 2”, “frequency of use” and so on. The information of “date and time” is stored as well. For example, when a binding margin is set, the setting item ID “001” and the setting item name “binding margin” are stored. Information of “left” as the setting item value 1 and “10 mm” as the setting item value 2 is stored. 
         [0074]    In  FIG. 7 , the item NO.  1  is the recent my-setting information. When the “save” button is pressed now, the information that has been at the positions of NO.  1 , NO.  2 , . . . sequentially shifts to the next rank in order and the latest my-setting information is stored at the highest rank. In the case where the same condition of the binding margin as in the previous setting is set, the frequency of use is incremented by 1 and the number of times data of the frequency of use is changed and stored, for example, as “5”. The my-setting information is stored into the IC card  20  together with date and time information when the user has pressed the “save” button  56  of  FIG. 4C ,  FIG. 5  or  FIG. 6 . 
         [0075]    Thus, as the user presses the index button of “my setting”  55 , the setting items  91  to  96  are shown in the menu screen  50  in the recently set order, as shown in  FIG. 5 . Meanwhile, if the user has pressed the “frequency” button  58 , the setting items  94 ,  92 ,  91 , . . . are shown in order from the most frequently used item, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Moreover, if the “recent” button  57  is pressed, the display returns to  FIG. 5  and the setting items  91  to  96  are shown in the recently set order. 
         [0076]    When the index buttons  51 ,  52  and  53  of “basic”, “application”, “special” or the like are operated and a new conditions is set, the setting item and its set value are sequentially stored into the IC card  20  as recent my-setting information in accordance with an instruction from the user. Thus, the icon of the new setting item is added to the menu screen of “my setting”  55 . 
         [0077]    To save my-setting information into the IC card  20 , the user can simply press the “save” icon  56  in the my-setting menu screen and hold the IC card  20  over the card reader and writer  19 . 
         [0078]    The IC card  20  can also be used for other MFPs that support the menu functions of “my setting”  55 . As the IC card  20  is simply held over the card reader and writer of the other MFPs, my-setting information is read. Then, the user can easily set a desired image forming condition simply by selecting and pressing an icon displayed in the menu screen. 
         [0079]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing processing at the main control unit  25  when the IC card  20  is held over or caused to contact the card reader and writer  19  of the MFP  10 . 
         [0080]    As the IC card  20  is held over the card reader and writer  19  of the MFP  10  in step S 1  of  FIG. 8 , the card reader and writer  19  reads personal information saved in the IC card  20  in step S 2 . Next, user authentication is carried out in step S 3 . As the user is authenticated, the processing goes to step S 4 . If the user is not authenticated, the processing ends there. In step S 4 , the card reader and writer  19  reads my-setting information ( FIG. 7 ) saved in the IC card  20  and temporarily saves the read information into the memory  24 . 
         [0081]    Therefore, the main control unit  25  constitutes a first control unit that controls the card reader and writer  19  to write, to the IC card  20 , setting information at the time when the user sets image forming conditions, and to read the setting information stored in the IC card  20 . 
         [0082]      FIG. 9  is a flowchart showing processing at the main control unit  25  in the case where any of the other index buttons  51  to  54  than “my setting” is pressed in the menu screen  50 . 
         [0083]    If any of the other index buttons than “my setting” is pressed in step S 11  of  FIG. 9 , an image forming condition is set in accordance with the user&#39;s operation in step S 12 . For example, if the “application” index button  52  is pressed, a condition is set in accordance with the procedures described with reference to  FIG. 4A  to  FIG. 4C . 
         [0084]    In the next step S 13 , it is determined whether the set item is included in the my-setting information read out of the IC card  20  or not. If the item set in step S 12  is included in the my-setting information (YES), the value of the frequency of use of that setting information is incremented by 1 in step S 14 . The setting information is shifted to the highest rank (top position) of the my-setting information in step S 15 . 
         [0085]    If the item set in step S 12  is not included in the my-setting information (No in the determination in step S 13 ), the item is newly added to the highest rank (top position) as the my-setting information. The my-setting information of  FIG. 7  is constantly updated in this manner. Since the storage capacity of the IC card  20  is not infinite, information that is old and used less frequently can be deleted from the my-setting information. 
         [0086]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing display processing in the menu screen by the main control unit  25  when the “my setting” index button  55  is operated. 
         [0087]    As the “my setting” index button  55  is pressed in step S 21  of  FIG. 10 , the my-setting information written from the IC card  20  to the memory  24  is read. In step S 22 , display data is arrayed in the recent order in order to show a menu screen based on the my-setting information in the memory  24 . In step S 23 , a display pointer is placed at the top position. 
         [0088]    In the next step S 24 , it is determined which of the “recent” order and the “frequency” order should be taken. If the recent order is taken, icons corresponding to the number of icons that can be shown in one screen are shown in order from the display data of the top position, in step S 25  (see  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0089]    If the frequency order is taken, icons are shown in order from the highest frequency in accordance with the frequency data of the my-setting information in step S 26 . Also in this case, icons corresponding to the number of icons that can be shown in one screen are shown (see  FIG. 6 ). 
         [0090]    In the next step S 27 , it is determined which icon is selected in the menu screen of “my setting”  55 . In the subsequent steps, processing corresponding to this selection is carried out. 
         [0091]    For example, if the “next page” icon  67  is pressed, the display pointer is moved forward to the next page in step S 28 . If the “previous page” icon is pressed, the display pointer is moved back to the previous page in step S 29 . The “save” icon  56  for saving the my-setting information is displayed as well. Thus, when the “next page” icon  67  is pressed, the display shifts to the icon display of the next page. When the “previous page” icon is pressed, the display can go back to the icon display of the previous page. 
         [0092]    If one of the setting icons ( 91  to  96 ) is pressed in the menu screen of “my setting”  55 , the pressed setting item is applied to the MFP  10  in step S 30 . In step S 31 , the frequency of use data for the corresponding setting item, of the my-setting information in the memory  24 , is incremented by 1. Instep S 32 , that setting item is moved to the top position of the my-setting information. 
         [0093]    Meanwhile, if the “frequency” icon  58  is pressed, the display data is arrayed in the frequency order instep S 33 . In step S 34 , the display pointer is moved to the top position. In step S 35 , the menu item data of “my setting” are sorted according to the frequency order to create my-setting item data in the frequency order. Thus, the menu screen according to the frequency order can be shown. 
         [0094]    If the “recent” icon  57  is pressed, the display data is shown in the recent order in step S 36  and the display pointer is moved to the top position in step S 37 . Thus, the menu screen displayed in the frequency order can go back to the menu screen in the recent order. 
         [0095]    Thus, the main control unit  25  constitutes a second control unit that controls the contents of the menu screen  50  in accordance with the my-setting information read from the IC card  20  when the user operates the control panel  14  to set an image forming condition, and that displays plural setting items (icons) for condition setting in the menu screen  50  in the order desired by the user. 
         [0096]    Moreover, if the “save” icon  56  is pressed, in step S 38 , the my-setting information in the memory  24  is written to the IC card  20  when the IC card  20  is caused to contact the card reader and writer  19 . If the IC card  20  is not caused to contact the card reader and writer  19  in a few seconds, time-out processing is carried out, that is, saving processing is canceled. 
         [0097]    In this manner, when a setting icon is pressed on the menu screen  50  of “my setting”  55 , the corresponding setting processing is carried out. If any of other icons than the above is pressed, the processing ends in step S 39 . 
         [0098]    As described above, according to the embodiment of the invention, condition setting at the time of image formation can be easily carried out in accordance with the convenience for individual users. Moreover, condition setting can be easily carried out also in other MFPs having similar functions. 
         [0099]    Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those having ordinary skills in the art that a number of changes, modifications, or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made, none of which depart from the spirit of the present invention. All such changes, modifications, and alterations should therefore be seen as within the scope of the present invention.