| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to easily recognize that an operation mode of an image forming apparatus is a non-operation mode (e.g., a sleep mode) from a position spaced apart from the image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: When an operation unit 5 is at an operation position (indicated by a solid line), a position sensor 17 detects that the operation unit 5 has been at the operation position, and a mode switching unit 32 is responsive to this for setting an operation mode of an image forming apparatus to a normal mode. On the other hand, when the operation unit 5 is at a non-operation position (indicated by a two-dot and dash line), the position sensor 17 detects that the operation unit 5 has been at the non-operation position, and the mode switching unit 32 is responsive to this for setting the operation mode of the image forming apparatus to a sleep mode. Power consumption during the sleep mode is significantly smaller than power consumption during the normal mode. A user can easily recognize that the operation unit 5 is at the non-operation position even from a position spaced apart from the image forming apparatus 1, and thus can recognize that the operation mode of the image forming apparatus 1 is in the sleep mode. |
