JP4927577B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

This invention Oite the image forming equipment such as printers and digital multifunction device, after a predetermined time or a predetermined period has not been used, an image forming apparatus which controls so as to shift to the power saving mode to reduce power consumption .

  The digital multifunction device has a built-in printing device. The printing apparatus has a fixing device including a fixing roller for fixing toner transferred onto a transfer material such as paper. Since the temperature at the time of fixing is important for forming a good image, the fixing device is controlled to turn on and off the fixing lamp built in the fixing roller so that the temperature becomes constant.

  Such a printing apparatus is controlled to shift to a power saving mode in order to save power consumption in a standby state in which printing is not performed. The power saving mode includes a preheating mode in which the fixing lamp is turned off for a certain period of time and the fixing lamp is turned off to lower the temperature of the fixing device than during printing. There is a sleep mode to block.

  Regarding the transition to such a power saving mode, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-141820 (Patent Document 1) transitions to a standby state when printing has not been performed for a predetermined time or longer, and sets the length of the transition time. By making appropriate changes, both shortening the warm-up time and reducing power consumption are achieved. Specifically, it is described that the temperature of the heating unit is set lower as the frequency of printing is lower, or the temperature of the heating unit is sequentially decreased according to the elapsed time after shifting to the power saving mode. .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-195161 (Patent Document 2) stores the set time in which the device is in the low power consumption mode, and stores the set time stored in accordance with the usage status of the managed device. The adjustment is described.
JP 2000-141820 (Summary, FIG. 7) JP 2000-195161 A (summary, FIG. 1)

  By using the power saving methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a certain power saving effect can be obtained, but it is not considered how much power consumption during a predetermined period can be suppressed. However, recently, it has been desired to develop more power-saving equipment due to the trend of power saving. As one method of reducing power consumption for power saving, it is conceivable to shorten the time required for shifting to the preheat mode or the sleeve mode. However, if the time for shifting to the preheat mode or the sleeve mode is shortened, it takes time until the fixing temperature is set to the normal operation state, which makes it difficult to use the device. For this reason, depending on the user, there is a resistance to shorten the time for shifting to the preheat mode or the sleeve mode, which is an obstacle to increasing the power saving effect.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of reducing the amount of power consumption by reducing the user's resistance.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that shifts an operation mode to a power saving mode that reduces power consumption according to usage conditions, a reference power setting unit that sets a predetermined reference power amount , and the power consumption amount is a reference power. Control means for controlling the transition time to the power saving mode according to whether or not the amount is exceeded.

Preferably, the control unit sets the transition time to the power saving mode to be short in response to the amount of power consumption exceeding the reference power amount .

Preferably, it further includes power consumption measuring means for measuring the power consumption, and the control means determines whether or not the power consumption measured by the power consumption measuring means exceeds a reference power amount during a predetermined period.

Preferably, the reference power setting unit sets a plurality of different reference power amounts , and the control unit sets the transition time to the power saving mode in accordance with each of the plurality of reference power amounts. Make it different.

Preferably, the control unit resets the reference power amount set by the reference power setting unit every predetermined date, and sets the transition time to the power saving mode to a predetermined initial value.

Preferably, the control means includes a display means for calculating a difference power amount with respect to a reference power amount and a current power consumption amount, and further displaying the calculated difference power amount.

According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the predetermined reference power amount is set, and the transition time to the power saving mode is controlled according to whether or not the power consumption amount exceeds the predetermined reference power amount . The transition time to the power saving mode can be adjusted according to the power consumption. In addition, since the transition time is not controlled until a predetermined reference power amount is exceeded, the user's resistance can be reduced and the power consumption can be suppressed without difficulty. In addition, the user can be alerted so that the amount of power consumption is below a certain level, and the power saving effect can be further enhanced.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the engagement Lud digital MFP 10 to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, digital multifunction peripheral 10, the reference power setting means, a control unit 11 which operates as a control means and power measuring means, and DRAM 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14 which operates as a display means An image reading unit 15, an image forming unit 16, a hard disk (HDD) 17, a FAX communication unit 18, and a network IF (interface) unit 19.

  The control unit 11 controls the entire digital multifunction peripheral 10, compresses and writes the image information given from the image reading unit 15 into the DRAM 12, reads out the image information written in the DRAM 12, decompresses and encodes the image information by the image forming unit 16. Output. The operation unit 13 includes a reading key for instructing reading by the image reading unit 15, and serves as an interface with the user in the digital multifunction peripheral 10. The display unit 14 displays information that the digital multi-function peripheral 10 has. The image reading unit 15 reads image information from a document with a scanner at a predetermined reading position.

  The image forming unit 16 is configured by a printing apparatus that forms an image based on image information read from a document by the image reading unit 15, for example. Although not shown, the printing apparatus includes a fixing roller incorporating a fixing lamp. The fixing lamp is controlled to be turned on and off by the control unit 11 so that the fixing device has a constant temperature. Then, when the digital multi-function peripheral 10 is not used for a predetermined period stored in the hard disk 17, it is controlled to shift from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode.

  In this embodiment, the normal operation mode refers to a state in which the fixing lamp is turned on and off so that the fixing device has a constant temperature, and the image forming unit 16 can always form an image. The power saving mode includes a preheat mode and a sleep mode. The preheat mode is a mode in which the off period is longer than the normal operation mode in the on / off control of the fixing lamp, and the sleep mode is a mode in which power supply to the fixing lamp is completely cut off.

  In the normal operation mode, when the operation unit 13 is not operated for a preset period or in a standby state in which data for a preset period is not input to the FAX communication unit 18 or the network IF unit 19 according to the usage state. When the preheat mode is entered and a predetermined period has elapsed after the preheat mode, the sleep mode is entered.

The hard disk 17 stores a period of transition to the preheat mode, a period of transition to the sleep mode, a reference power amount of power consumption, which will be described later, and specific information of the digital multifunction peripheral. The FAX communication unit 18 is connected to the public line 20, and the network IF unit 19 is connected to the personal computer 22 via the network 21.

  The digital multi-function peripheral 10 operates as a copying machine by reading an original with the image reading unit 15 and forming an image with the image forming unit 16 via the DRAM 12. In addition, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 forms an image in the image forming unit 16 via the DRAM 12 using the image information transmitted from the personal computer 22 connected to the network 21 through the network IF unit 19. Operate.

  Further, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 forms an image in the image forming unit 16 through the DRAM 12 using the image information transmitted from the public line 20 through the FAX communication unit 18, and also by the image reading unit 15. The read image information is transmitted to the public line 20 through the FAX communication unit 18 to operate as a facsimile machine.

  In FIG. 1, thick arrows indicate the flow of image information, and thin arrows indicate the flow of control signals or control information.

Figure 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of controlling the shift time to the sleep mode f transition to an embodiment as the power saving mode in engagement Lud digital MFP 10 of the present invention, FIG. 3 is uptime and power consumption and Sleep It is a figure which shows the relationship with mode transfer time.

The administrator first sets a reference power amount for one month for shifting to the sleep mode. Here, the administrator inputs the ratio from the operation unit 13 in order to set, for example, 80% of the actual integrated value of the power consumption amount as the reference power amount . In step SP1, the control unit 11 measures the average power consumption of the digital multifunction device 10 in units of time in advance and calculates the power consumption per day by taking the operating time, and manages the obtained power consumption. 80% set by the user is stored in the hard disk 17 as a reference power amount .

In step SP2, measures the power consumption by multiplying the operating time to power consumption of the average of the digital MFP 10 of the time unit, in step SP3, it obtains an integrated value of daily power consumption, for example midnight It is determined whether it is time. If not midnight, the flow returns to step SP2, to continue the measurement of the power consumption.

If it is determined in step SP3 that it is midnight, it is determined in step SP4 whether or not the power consumption accumulated in step SP2 exceeds the reference power amount . If the power consumption does not exceed the reference power amount , the process ends without changing the transition time to the sleep mode. If it is determined that the power consumption amount exceeds the reference power amount at midnight on a certain day, the transition time to the sleep mode stored in the hard disk 17 is changed in step SP5. Thereafter, the administrator sets the reference power, for example, if the elapsed one month, reset the reference power may be returned to the original the original transition time.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 3, the change of the transition time to the sleep mode will be described with a specific example. In FIG. 3, the horizontal axis indicates the number of operating days of the digital multifunction peripheral 10, the left vertical axis indicates the transition time to the sleep mode, and the right vertical axis indicates the power consumption.

Assuming that the transition time to the sleep mode during normal operation is set to 45 minutes, for example, the power consumption increases linearly from the solid line a to the dotted line b as the number of working days elapses. . However, at the time T1 when the power consumption reaches a predetermined reference power S1 at midnight on a certain day, the transition time to the sleep mode is changed. By shortening the transition time to the sleep mode from, for example, 45 minutes set so far to 15 minutes, an increase in power consumption until then indicated by the dotted line b is indicated by a solid line c. The rise can be suppressed.

  After changing the transition time to the sleep mode stored in the hard disk 17, the control unit 11 shifts from the normal operation mode to the power saving mode with the shortened transition time.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the power consumption amount of the digital multi-function peripheral 10 is measured, and if the power consumption amount exceeds a predetermined reference power amount , a change is made to shorten the transition time to the sleep mode. It is possible to limit the power consumption of the digital multi-function peripheral 10 to a certain amount of power consumption. By shortening the transition time to the sleep mode only when the power consumption exceeds the reference power amount , the user can easily transition to the power saving mode.

  In the above description, the sleep mode is used as the power saving mode, but a preheat mode may be used. Further, both the transition time to the sleep mode and the preheat mode may be changed. In any case, it is preferable to determine the shortening time according to the amount of power used.

Note that the display unit 14 may display a difference between the power consumption amount of the reference power amount and the current power consumption amount to make the user aware of power saving.

The reference power amount is not limited to 80% of the monthly power consumption, and may be set to an arbitrary value by the administrator. For example, if the reference power amount is set to 50% of the power consumption of one month, the power consumption amount can be further suppressed if the transition time to the sleep mode at that time is set to 5 minutes, for example. In addition, the reference power amount may be reviewed at regular intervals such as every month, for example, and the administrator operates the operation unit 13 to reset the reference power amount and set the transition time in advance. It may be set to a value.

  Further, the transition time to the sleep mode can be changed, for example, by the administrator operating the operation unit 13, and may be changed to, for example, 45 minutes, 30 minutes, 15 minutes, or 5 minutes. The change of the transition time to the sleep mode is not limited to one month unit, and may be determined in an arbitrary period.

  Furthermore, in the above description, the power consumption per hour is measured in advance, and the power consumption per day is obtained by taking the operating time, but the actual power consumption is measured using an integrating wattmeter. You may make it do.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of changing the transition time to the sleep mode. In this example, a plurality of reference power amounts are provided, and the transition time to the sleep mode is shortened according to each reference power amount . That is, the reference power amounts S2, S3, S4, and S5 are set to values that can reduce, for example, 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of the power consumption, and the power consumption becomes the reference power amount S2. At time T2, the transition time to the sleep mode is reduced from 45 minutes to 30 minutes, and at time T3 when the power consumption reaches the reference power amount S3, the transition time to the sleep mode is reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes, and the power consumption is the reference power. The transition time to the sleep mode is reduced from 15 minutes to 5 minutes at time T4 when the amount S4 is reached. Thus, by changing the transition time to the sleep mode step by step, the actual power consumption changes as shown by the broken lines shown by the solid lines d, e, f, and g.

Alternatively, the transition time to the sleeve mode may be changed at time T1 when the reference power amount S1 is reached, and the transition time to the preheat mode may be changed at time T2 when the reference power amount S2 is reached.

Furthermore, in the above description, but so as to apply this invention to a digital multifunction device 10, a printer and, FAX or may be applied to a single equipment, such as copiers. When applied to a digital multi-function peripheral, the power consumption is not large when the image forming unit 16 is not used. Therefore, when used as a scanner or a FAX transmitter, it may be considered to shift to the power saving mode. .

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described with reference to drawings, this invention is not limited to the thing of embodiment shown in figure. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiment within the same range or equivalent range as the present invention.

Is a block diagram illustrating a digital multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation | movement which changes the transition time which transfers to the power saving mode from the normal operation mode in the digital multi-function peripheral which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between operation time, power consumption, and sleep mode transfer time. It is a figure which shows the other example which changes the transition time to sleep mode.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Digital multifunction device, 11 Control part, 12 DRAM, 13 Operation part, 14 Display part, 16 Image formation part, 17 Hard disk, 18 FAX communication part, 19 Network IF part, 20 Public line, 21 Network, 22 Personal computer.

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus that shifts an operation mode to a power saving mode that reduces power consumption according to usage conditions.
A reference power setting means for setting a predetermined reference power amount ;
An image forming apparatus comprising: control means for controlling a transition time to the power saving mode according to whether or not a power consumption amount exceeds the reference power amount . The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets a transition time to the power saving mode to be short in response to the power consumption exceeding the reference power consumption. Furthermore, it includes power consumption measuring means for measuring the power consumption,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit determines whether or not the power consumption measured by the power consumption measurement unit exceeds the reference power amount during a predetermined period. The reference power setting means sets a plurality of different reference power amounts ,
4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a transition time to the power saving mode in accordance with the power consumption amount becoming each of the plurality of reference power amounts. 5. . 5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit resets the reference power amount set by the reference power setting unit every predetermined date, and sets the transition time to the power saving mode to a predetermined initial value. The image forming apparatus described in 1. 6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a display unit that calculates a difference power amount with respect to the current power consumption with respect to the reference power amount , and further displays the calculated difference power amount. Image forming apparatus.

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