Patent ID: 8279470

Claim:
An image forming apparatus, comprising: a main body for printing an image formed in accordance with image data onto a medium; at least one attachment coupled to the main body; a data storage portion for storing only one kind of display data for simulating an overall configuration image of the image forming apparatus in which a maximum number of the attachments are coupled to the main body; an image display device including a display screen having a display area divided into a plurality of divisional areas in correspondence to a configuration pattern of the main body and the at least one attachment for displaying the overall configuration image of the image forming apparatus in which the maximum number of the attachments are coupled to the main body, the image display device being provided on either one of the main body and the attachment; a configuration detecting portion for detecting the at least one attachment that is actually coupled to the main body; a mask pattern storage portion for storing a plurality of mask patterns each representing displaying and non-displaying on each of the divisional areas in accordance with a configuration pattern of the main body and the at least one attachment; and a controller for determining displaying and non-displaying on each of the plurality of divisional areas, and controlling the display device to allow the one configuration image to be displayed on a divisional area which is determined to be displayed, and to allow the one configuration image not to be displayed on a divisional area which is determined not to be displayed, wherein the controller includes: a display determining portion for selecting a mask pattern corresponding to a configuration pattern that is determined in accordance with a detection result provided by the configuration detecting portion from the plurality of mask patterns stored in the mask pattern storage portion, and determining displaying and non-displaying on each of the divisional areas in accordance with the selected mask pattern; and a display controller for controlling the image display device to allow display of a necessary element in the overall configuration image corresponding to a divisional area that is determined to be displayed by the display determining portion, and to allow an unnecessary element in the one configuration image corresponding to a divisional area that is determined not to be displayed by the display determining portion to be masked by blank data.