Patent ID: 7197253

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a fixing device including a heat source to receive power and to generate heat, and a temperature sensor to detect a temperature of the heat source; a control section to conduct a heat source temperature control and an abnormal temperature detecting control in response to a detection result of the temperature sensor; and an electric power cutoff section to cut off supply of the power to the heat source in accordance with the abnormal temperature detecting control by the control section; wherein the control section conducts at least one of the heat source temperature control for the fixing device and the abnormal temperature detecting control for the electric power cutoff section with at least two CPUs having respective priority orders; wherein the at least two CPUs are connected to each other so as to be capable of communication with each other; and wherein a higher-positioned CPU, which has a higher priority order, monitors a lower-positioned CPU, which has a lower priority order, and when an abnormality occurs at the lower-positioned CPU, the higher-positioned CPU obtains a control right of the lower-positioned CPU.