Exposure mode selectro for automatically selecting automatic exposure control mode for electrophotographic copying machine

Claim 1

An electrophotographic copying machine comprising: exposure control means for controlling the exposure during a copying operation of the electrophotographic copying machine by varying the intensity of light supplied to expose a copy document, said means for controlling being operable in an automatic exposure control mode in which an amount of light supplied to expose the copy document is automatically determined and a manual exposure control mode in which an amount of light supplied to expose the copy document is manually set; first means for automatically selecting said automatic exposure control mode of said exposure control means in response to an initial supply of power to said copying machine; manual switch means for selecting between the automatic exposure control mode and the manual exposure control mode of said exposure control means; means for counting a predetermined length of time after the occurrence of the copying operation in either of the automatic exposure control mode or the manual exposure control mode, said means for counting being reset when said automatic exposure selection control mode is selected during a non-copying cycle, or after the completion of any copying cycle, said means for counting being set after said reset operation or upon the initiation of the supply of power to said copying machine; and second means for automatically selecting said automatic exposure control mode in response to the lapse of said predetermined length of time.