JP7163683B2 - image forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an energy saving mode for reducing power consumption.

An information processing apparatus has been proposed that, when receiving a signal requesting recovery from an energy-saving state, limits the part to be recovered depending on the contents of the recovery request (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100000).

JP 2006-172044 A

However, in the prior art, the user's instruction to return is not taken into consideration. In the energy-saving state in which the operation unit is also powered off, it is not possible to specify the part to be restored. Therefore, when the user instructs the recovery, the full recovery is performed, which poses a problem of poor usability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus that allows a user to easily designate a portion to be restored.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of function executing units including an image forming unit for forming images, and has two operation modes: a normal mode for supplying power to the function executing units and a power supply to the function executing units. and an energy-saving mode for stopping the image forming apparatus, and in the normal mode, a plurality of types of partial restoration are set according to the combination of the function execution units that supply power, and the state can be changed. a supported movable member, a state detection unit that detects the state of the movable member, an event detection unit that detects a return event due to a user operation, and when the return event is detected in the energy saving mode, the movable member a mode switching unit for executing the partial return according to a state , wherein the movable member is a display unit supported so as to be able to change an angle or position, and the mode switching unit is an angle of the display unit. Alternatively, the partial return is executed according to the position .

According to the present invention, since partial return can be selected according to the state of the movable member, there is an effect that the user can easily specify the function execution part to be returned.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an operation unit shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a diagram showing an example of return setting information stored in a storage unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of mode setting set in the power supply unit shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a switching operation by a mode switching unit shown in FIG. 1;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are given to the structures showing the same functions.

The image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral/Printer/Product) having a copy function, a FAX function, and a data communication function. A document feeding unit 3 , an image forming unit 4 , an operation unit 5 , a storage unit 6 , an image processing unit 7 , a communication unit 8 , a facsimile unit 9 , a power supply unit 10 , and a control unit 100 . ing.

The document reading unit 2 is a reading unit that irradiates a document with light and receives the reflected light or the like to read an image of the document. and a slit glass provided in the

The document feeding section 3 feeds the documents placed on the document placing surface one by one and feeds them to the document reading section 2 . Further, the document feeding section 3 and the document reading section 2 are rotatably connected by a hinge mechanism on the back side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the document feeding section 3 is provided facing the contact glass. It also functions as a rotatable platen cover. By opening the document feeding section 3 upward, the upper surface of the contact glass is opened, and the document can be set on the contact glass.

The image forming section 4 includes, for example, a photosensitive drum, a charging section, an exposure section, a developing section, a transfer section, a cleaning section, and a fixing section, and records the formed image on recording paper.

The operation unit 5 is provided with a display unit 51 such as a liquid crystal display and various operation buttons 52, as shown in FIG. By operating the operation buttons 52 of the operation unit 5 and inputting instructions, the user makes various settings for the image forming apparatus 1 and executes various functions such as image formation. The display unit 51 displays the status of the image forming apparatus 1, displays the image forming status and the number of copies to be printed, and functions as a touch panel to perform functions such as double-sided printing and black/white reversal, as well as various settings such as magnification setting and density setting. It has become. The operation buttons 52 include a start button for instructing the start of various operations such as image formation, a stop/clear button used when stopping image formation, and a button used when setting various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 to the default state. A reset button, a sleep key for instructing switching between the normal mode and the energy saving mode, a numeric keypad, etc. are provided.

The operation unit 5 is rotatably attached to the front surface of the image forming apparatus 1 . A rotation axis X of the operation unit 5 is arranged in the horizontal direction of the image forming apparatus 1 . As a result, the angle of the display unit 51 can be adjusted according to the line-of-sight position that varies depending on the user's height and the like, thereby improving visibility.

The operation unit 5 is provided with an angle detection unit 53 for detecting the rotation angle of the operation unit 5 as a state detection unit for detecting the state of the movable parts. When the rotation range of the display unit 51 is set from 0 degrees vertically to 90 degrees horizontally, the angle detection unit 53 detects that the display unit 51 is 0 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees, 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees, and 60 degrees or more. Detect if it is 90 degrees or less. As the angle detection unit 53, for example, an angular velocity sensor attached to the operation unit 5, an optical sensor for detecting rotation of the rotation axis X, or a magnetic sensor can be used.

The storage unit 6 is storage means such as a semiconductor memory or a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores various image data such as image data obtained by reading a document by the document reading unit 2 . The storage unit 6 stores return setting information 61 in which the result of detection by the angle detection unit 53 and the partial return function are linked. The return setting information 61 is information that can be set by the user. In the return setting information 61 shown in FIG. 3, the copy function is activated when the detection result of the angle detection unit 53 is 0 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees, and the copy function is activated when the detection result of the angle detection unit 53 is 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees. The FAX function is associated with the data communication function when the detection result by the angle detection unit 53 is 60 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less.

The image processing unit 7 is an arithmetic processing circuit such as a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. Executes various jobs related to image processing such as gradation adjustment processing.

The communication unit 8 has a data communication function of transmitting and receiving various data to and from a peripheral device 21 such as a personal computer via a network 20 such as a LAN. Also, the communication unit 8 is configured to be connectable to the Internet 23 via the network 20 and the router 22 . The communication unit 8 has a function of transmitting and receiving various data to and from various communication devices connected to the Internet 23 .

The facsimile unit 9 has a modem, generates a facsimile signal from an image file read by the document reading unit 2, and transmits the generated facsimile signal via the telephone line network 24; It also has a facsimile reception function for receiving a facsimile signal via the telephone line network 24 and generating an image file from the received facsimile signal. An image file received and generated by the facsimile reception function is stored in the storage section 6 or recorded on recording paper by the image processing section 7 .

The power supply unit 10 converts the commercial AC power supply AC into a DC voltage DC that can be used in each unit of the image forming apparatus 1, and uses the converted DC voltage as a power supply based on the mode setting 11 shown in FIG. supplied to each part of The mode setting 11 is information that associates a mode with each unit that supplies power. The mode setting 11 includes a normal mode in which various functions can be executed, and an energy saving mode in which the supply of the DC voltage DC from the power supply unit 10 to each unit is appropriately stopped to save power. Note that the power supply unit 10 has a return request button (for example, an operation button 52 such as a start button) that accepts a return request for the operation unit 5, a data reception function of the communication unit 8, and a fax reception function of the facsimile unit 9, regardless of the mode. , power is always supplied to functions related to the return operation of the control unit 100 .

Referring to FIG. 4, the mode setting 11 has "full recovery", "partial recovery (copy)", "partial recovery (FAX)", and "partial recovery (data communication)" set as normal modes. . In the "recovery of all", the power supply section 10 supplies power to all of the operation section 5, the document feeding section 3, the document reading section 2, the image forming section 4, the communication section 8 and the facsimile section 9. FIG.

"Partial recovery (copy)" is a mode in which the copy function is partially recovered. 3. Power is supplied to the document reading section 2 and the image forming section 4 .

"Partial recovery (FAX)" is a mode in which the FAX function is partially recovered. Power is supplied to the unit 3 , the document reading unit 2 and the facsimile unit 9 .

"Partial recovery (data communication)" is a mode in which the data communication function is partially recovered. Power is supplied to the feeding unit 3 , the document reading unit 2 and the communication unit 8 .

The control unit 100 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. A control program for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 is stored in the ROM. The control unit 100 reads the control program stored in the ROM and loads the control program into the RAM to control the entire apparatus.

The control unit 100 also functions as an event detection unit 101 and a mode switching unit 102 .

The event detection unit 101 detects a transition event for shifting from the normal mode to the energy saving mode and a return event for returning from the energy saving mode to the normal mode, and notifies the mode switching unit 102 of the detected events. In the normal mode, the event detection unit 101 detects operations of preset operation buttons 52 and preset operations of each unit as transition events. The transition events include "sleep key operation", "elapse of specified time in non-operating state", "arrival of energy saving transition designated time" when transition to energy saving is set, and the like. The event detection unit 101 detects a preset operation of the operation button 52 or a preset operation of each unit as a return event in the energy saving mode. The return event includes "operation of the operation button 52" such as the start button, "arrival of the normal mode return specified time" set to return to the normal mode, and "receipt of print instruction" via the network 20 or the Internet 23. , ``reception of various data'' via the network 20 or the Internet 23, ``reception of facsimile signals'' via the telephone network 24, and the like.

Mode switching unit 102 switches the operation mode of image forming apparatus 1 based on the event (transition event, return event) detected by event detection unit 101 . Mode switching unit 102 switches to energy saving mode when a transition event is detected in normal mode. In addition, when the event detection unit 101 detects a return event in the energy saving mode, the mode is switched to the normal mode.

A switching operation from the energy saving mode to the normal mode by the mode switching unit 102 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

In the energy saving mode, when the event detection unit 101 detects a return event (step S101), the mode switching unit 102 determines whether the return event is the operation of the preset operation button 52 (hereinafter referred to as the start button). (step S102).

If the return event is the operation of the start button in step S102, the mode switching unit 102 determines whether or not the start button has been continuously operated within a predetermined time (step S103).

In the case of continuous operation in step S103, the mode switching unit 102 switches to the normal mode full return (step S104), and terminates the switching operation.

If the continuous operation is not performed in step S103, the mode switching unit 102 causes the power supply unit 10 to supply power to the angle detection unit 53 (step S105). Thereby, the angle detection unit 53 detects whether the display unit 51 is 0 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees, 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees, or 60 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less.

Next, the mode switching unit 102 switches to the normal mode partial return according to the angle of the display unit 51 (step S106), and terminates the switching operation. That is, mode switching unit 102 switches to partial return (copy), which enables execution of the copy function, when the detection result by angle detection unit 53 is 0 degrees or more and less than 30 degrees based on return setting information 61 . Further, mode switching unit 102 switches to partial return (FAX), which enables execution of the FAX function, when the detection result by angle detection unit 53 is 30 degrees or more and less than 60 degrees based on return setting information 61 . Furthermore, based on the return setting information 61, the mode switching unit 102 switches to the partial return (data communication) that enables execution of the data communication function when the detection result by the angle detection unit 53 is 60 degrees or more and 90 degrees or less. As a result, the user can perform a desired partial return simply by setting the desired angle of the display unit 51 and operating the start button.

If the return event is not the operation of the start button in step S102, the mode switching unit 102 switches to the normal mode associated with the return event (step S102), and terminates the switching operation.

Note that the turning operation of the operation unit 5 may be treated as a return event, and the switching operation from the energy saving mode to the normal mode may be executed without operating the start button. In this case, power should always be supplied to the angle detector 53 in order to detect the rotation of the operation unit 5 even in the energy saving mode.

When the rotation operation of the operation unit 5 is detected as a return event, the mode switching unit 102 switches to the normal mode partial return according to the angle of the display unit 51 when the rotation is stopped. Accordingly, the user can perform a desired partial return simply by rotating the display unit 51 and stopping it at a desired angle.

Note that when the rotation speed of the operation unit 5 is equal to or higher than a preset speed threshold value, the mode switching unit 102 may switch to the full recovery from the normal mode. As a result, the user can execute the full return simply by rotating the display unit 51 quickly.

Further, in the present embodiment, the operation unit 5 (display unit 51) rotatably supported by the rotation axis X is the movable member, but the movable member is limited to the operation unit 5 (display unit 51). Instead, it may be another member such as a card reader. Furthermore, the movable member may be supported by a movable arm or may be slidably supported. In this case, it is preferable to execute partial return according to the position of the movable member as the state of the movable member.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of function execution units (original reading unit 2, original feeding unit 3, operation unit 5, communication unit 8, facsimile unit 8) including image forming unit 4 for forming an image are provided. 9), and has a normal mode in which power is supplied to the function execution unit and an energy saving mode in which power supply to the function execution unit is stopped as operation modes, and the normal mode includes a function execution unit that supplies power In the image forming apparatus 1 in which a plurality of types of partial recovery (copying, FAX, data communication) are set according to the combination of , the operation unit 5 (display unit 51 ), an angle detection unit 53 as a state detection unit that detects the state (angle) of the movable member, an event detection unit 101 that detects a return event due to user operation, and when a return event is detected in the energy saving mode, the movable and a mode switching unit 102 for executing partial restoration (copy, FAX, data communication) according to the state of the member.
With this configuration, partial return can be selected according to the state of the movable member, so that the user can easily specify the function execution part to be returned.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the movable member is the display unit 51 that is supported so as to be able to change its angle or position, and the mode switching unit 102 causes the display unit 51 to partially return according to its angle or position.
With this configuration, partial return can be easily selected according to the angle or position of the display section 51 .

Further, in the present embodiment, event detection unit 101 detects a preset return event of operation of operation button 52, and mode switching unit 102 switches operation of operation button 52 in the energy-saving mode to a preset predetermined event. If it is detected multiple times within the time, it causes all the function execution units to perform a full recovery to supply power.
With this configuration, partial recovery or full recovery can be easily selected by operating the operation button 52 .

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the event detection unit 101 detects a return event of the displacement of the movable member, and the mode switching unit 102 performs all functions when the displacement speed of the movable member is equal to or higher than a preset speed threshold. Causes the execution unit to perform a full recovery that supplies power.
With this configuration, partial return and full return can be easily selected depending on the displacement speed of the movable member.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that each embodiment can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Further, the number, position, shape, etc. of the constituent members are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment, and the number, position, shape, etc. can be set to be suitable for carrying out the present invention. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same component.

1 Image forming apparatus 2 Document reading unit 3 Document feeding unit 4 Image forming unit 5 Operation unit 6 Storage unit 7 Image processing unit 8 Communication unit 9 Fax unit 10 Power supply unit 11 Mode setting 20 Network 21 Peripherals 22 Router 23 Internet 24 Telephone Line network 51 Display unit 52 Operation button 53 Angle detection unit 61 Return setting information 100 Control unit 101 Event detection unit 102 Mode switching unit X Rotation shaft

Claims (3)

It has a plurality of function execution units including an image forming unit for forming images, and has, as operation modes, a normal mode for supplying power to the function execution units and an energy saving mode for stopping power supply to the function execution units. an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of types of partial restoration are set in the normal mode according to a combination of the function execution units to which power is supplied,
a movable member supported so as to be displaceable;
a state detection unit that detects the state of the movable member;
an event detector that detects a return event caused by a user operation;
a mode switching unit that executes the partial return according to the state of the movable member when the return event is detected in the energy saving mode ;
The movable member is a display unit supported so that the angle or position can be displaced,
The image forming apparatus , wherein the mode switching section executes the partial return according to the angle or position of the display section . The event detection unit detects an operation of a preset operation button as the return event,
When the operation of the operation button in the energy saving mode is detected multiple times within a predetermined time, the mode switching unit causes all of the function execution units to perform a full recovery by supplying power. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 . The event detection unit detects displacement of the movable member as the return event,
2. The image according to claim 1, wherein, when the displacement speed of the movable member is equal to or higher than a preset speed threshold, the mode switching unit causes all of the function execution units to perform full recovery by supplying power. forming device.

Images