Patent ID: 8200101

Claim:
An image forming apparatus for connection, via a communication network, to a condition determination device that determines a condition of the image forming apparatus and reports a result of the determination when the condition of the image forming apparatus is determined as being abnormal, said image forming apparatus comprising: a control mode switching device configured to switch a control mode to one of a test operation mode for executing a prescribed test and a normal operation mode; a condition information transmission device configured to transmit condition information to the condition determination device during the normal operation at a prescribe time, said condition information representing a condition of the image forming apparatus, said condition information transmitting device further transmitting fake abnormal information to the condition determination device instead of the condition information in the test operation mode, said fake abnormal information representing an abnormal condition of the image forming apparatus; and an information accumulating device configured to accumulate one of image formation times and image formation periods since a prescribed time point, wherein said mode switching device switches the mode to the test operation mode when a prescribed test operation condition specified by one of prescribed accumulated amounts of image formation times and periods is met.