JP2001353929A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can turn a power source in a power save state by detecting a state of the power source of a host computer connected via a network. SOLUTION: The number N of host computers connected to this printer 10 and i=0 are set (S40). A CPU 2 selects a first host computer A connected via the network and transmits an inquiry packet for confirming the state of the power source (S42-S44). When a response packet cannot be received in a fixed time, the CPU 2 detects that the host computer A is in a state with the power source turned off (S46; Y). When the response packet is received within the fixed time, the CPU 2 detects that the power source is not in the state with the power source turned off (S46; N) and terminates the process. When all power sources of the host computers A-C to which the CPU 2 is connected are detected to be in the off state (S48; Y), the CPU 2 turns the printer 10 into the power save state (S49) and terminates the process.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to a printing device connected to a plurality of terminals via a line or a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, printing apparatuses for printing print data from a plurality of terminals connected via a line, a network or the like have been widely used. Such a printing apparatus converts a print data transmitted in accordance with a print instruction from a connected terminal (hereinafter, referred to as a host computer) into print image data by converting the print data, and a print control unit that converts the print data into print image data. And a printing unit for printing the print image data on a sheet. The print control unit is connected to a host computer via a network, and controls the print unit to print on paper in response to a print instruction from the host computer. The print control unit notifies the host computer of the status of the printing apparatus, such as a door status, a jam status, and a paper-out status, according to a device status notification instruction from the host computer. A fixing device (heat roller) for fixing print image data to a sheet of toner with a toner image is provided inside the printing unit.
Printing is performed after the fixing device reaches a specified temperature. Also,
The printing apparatus saves power by turning off the power of the fixing device.

[0003]

However, once,
If the power of the fixing device is turned off, it takes time until the fixing device reaches the specified temperature again, and if the fixing device is turned off to put the printing apparatus in a power saving state,
Immediate response to print instructions from the host computer was not possible. Therefore, the power of the fixing device is turned on even when printing is not being performed, so that wasteful power is wasted. Further, even when the power of the last host computer among a plurality of host computers that gives a printing instruction and a device status notification instruction to the printing apparatus is turned off at the end of the job, the power of the printing apparatus may remain on. . Further, when the host computer periodically issues a device status notification instruction to the printing apparatus, turning off the power of the printing apparatus causes the host computer to display the status of the printing apparatus such as a door state, a jam state, or a paper-out state. May not be notified.

Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of detecting a power supply state of a host computer connected via a network and setting a power saving state. A second object of the present invention is to store a plurality of host computers connected via a network which has transmitted a print instruction during a predetermined period, detect a power state of the stored host computer, and save power. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing device which can be put into a state. A third object of the present invention is to store a plurality of host computers connected via a network that has transmitted a device state notification instruction during a certain period, detect a power state of the stored host computer, An object of the present invention is to provide a printing device that can be placed in a power saving state.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus for printing print data transmitted from one or a plurality of terminal devices connected via a network, wherein Detection signal transmitting means for transmitting a detection signal for detecting whether or not the terminal device is turned on, and a response signal for receiving a response signal to the detection signal transmitted from the terminal device by the detection signal transmission means Receiving means, and a power saving means for setting the printing apparatus to a power saving state, wherein the power saving means is such that the response signal receiving means cannot receive a response signal from the terminal device within a predetermined time. In this case, the first object is achieved by setting the printing apparatus in a power saving state.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises storage means for storing data for identifying each of the terminal devices, wherein the detection signal transmitting means comprises:
A detection signal for detecting whether or not the power is on only for the terminal device identified as having transmitted the print instruction of the print data to the printing device among the data stored in the storage unit. To achieve the second object.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus which prints print data transmitted from one or a plurality of terminal apparatuses connected via a network, and receives a device state notification instruction of each terminal apparatus. In, storage means for storing data identifying each of the terminal devices, a detection signal transmission means for transmitting a detection signal for detecting whether the power of the terminal device is turned on to the terminal device, A response signal receiving unit that receives a response signal to the detection signal transmitted from the terminal device by the detection signal transmitting unit; and a power saving unit that puts the printing apparatus into a power saving state. Among the data stored in the storage unit, a terminal device identified as having transmitted a device status notification instruction for checking the status of the printing device is detected. When transmitting the signal, the power saving means, when the response signal receiving means could not receive a response signal from the terminal device within a predetermined time, by setting the printing device to a power saving state, Achieve the third objective.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The printing apparatus 10 includes a control unit 1 and a printing unit 5, and is connected to host computers A and B via a network. In FIG. 1, two host computers are connected to the printing apparatus 10 as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of host computers can be connected. The control unit 1 includes a CPU
(Central processing unit) 2, storage unit 3, and network unit 4
The printing unit 5 includes a fixing device 6. CPU2
The print data transmitted according to a print instruction from the host computer A or B is converted into print image data, and the print data is converted into printable image data and transmitted to the print unit 5.
The storage unit 3 stores, as connection statistical data, the communication protocol and the address of the host computer A or A that transmitted the print instruction or the device status notification instruction to the printing apparatus 10 for a certain period of time, and the type of the transmitted instruction. The predetermined period can be set arbitrarily in advance on the printing apparatus 10 side.

The network unit 4 is a device that connects the host computer A or B to the printing device 10 via a network and exchanges print instructions and print data.
The printing unit 5 is a device that has a door (cover of the printing apparatus 10) and a paper feed tray, and prints print image data created by the CPU 2 on paper. The power of the printing unit 5 can be turned on / off by the CPU 2 of the control unit 1. The fixing unit 6 is provided in the printing unit 5 and fixes the print image data from the control unit 1 on a sheet with a toner image. The power supply of the fixing device 6 can also be turned on / off by the CPU 2 of the control unit 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a method of detecting the power supply state of the host computer. First, an inquiry packet is transmitted from the printing apparatus 10 to the host computer A connected via the network as a signal for confirming the power supply state of the host computer A. The host computer A transmits a response packet as a signal for notifying the printing apparatus 10 of the power state of the host computer A. When a response packet from the host computer A cannot be received within a predetermined time, the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 detects that the host computer A connected to the printing apparatus 10 is in a power-off state. The CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 detects the power state of the host computer B connected via the network in the same manner. Further, it is assumed that the predetermined time until the reception of the response packet can be arbitrarily set in the printing apparatus 10 in advance.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of connection statistical data of the host computer stored in the storage unit 3. Here, as an example, three host computers A to A connected to the printing apparatus 10 via a network are described.
It is assumed that connection statistical data for C is represented.
The column of type 30 is a type of protocol indicating the positions of the host computers A to C connected to the printing apparatus 10, and is, for example, TCP / IP (Transmission).
n Control Protocol / Intern
et Protocol, NetBEUI (NetB
IOS Extended UserInterfac
e) and the like. The column of the address 31 indicates an address in each protocol of the type 30.
The P address stores the host name in the case of NetBEUI. In the column of the instruction type 32, each host computer A
Are stored, and there are a print instruction and a device state notification instruction.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the first embodiment. This processing procedure is a processing procedure for checking the power supply states of all the host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10. In FIG. 4, as an example, three host computers A to C are connected to the printing apparatus 10.
Is connected. First, the number N of host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10 and i =
0 is set (step 40). i indicates to the CPU which of the host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10 the power status of the host computer is checked.
2 is a value set for recognition.

Next, 1 is added to i (step 42),
The CPU 2 selects the first host computer A from the plurality of host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10 via the network (step 44). Then, an inquiry packet for confirming the power state of the host computer A is transmitted from the printing apparatus 10 to the host computer A connected via the network. When a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer A cannot be received within a predetermined time, the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 detects that the host computer A connected to the printing apparatus 10 is in a power-off state (step 46). Y). CPU of the printing device 10
If the host computer 2 receives a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer A within a predetermined time, the host computer A connected to the printing apparatus 10 detects that the power supply is not off, that is, the power supply is on ( Step 46; N), end the process.

When the CPU 2 detects the power off state of the host computer A (step 46; Y), if i = N is not satisfied (step 48; N), 1 is added to i, and the power of the next host computer B is increased. The status is confirmed (steps 42 to 46). Then, until i = N (Step 48; Y), that is, when the power off state of the connected host computer C is detected, the CPU 2 puts the printing apparatus 10 into the power saving state (Step 49), and executes the processing. finish. When it is detected that any one of the host computers A to C is not in the power-off state (step 46; N), the processing is ended.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the second embodiment. In this processing procedure, of the connection statistical data of the host computer stored in the storage unit 3 of the printing apparatus 10, only the power state of the host computer stored for a certain period of time when the instruction type 32 is a print instruction is confirmed. This is a processing procedure. In FIG. 5, for example, three host computers A to
The case where C is connected will be described. Further, it is assumed that the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 selects a host computer for checking the power state based on the connection statistical data of FIG.

First, in the host computers A to C stored in the connection statistical data of the storage unit 3, an instruction type 3
2 is a print instruction and the number N of host computers stored
And i = 0 (step 50). In FIG.
Since U2 selects the number of host computers in which the instruction type 32 is a print instruction and stored based on the connection statistical data of FIG. 3, N = 2 is set. Also, i is the printing device 1
This is a value set to cause the CPU 2 to recognize the number of the host computer among the host computers connected to 0 whose power state is being checked. next,
i is incremented by 1 (step 51), and the CPU 2 selects the first host computer A whose instruction type 32 is a print instruction from among the host computers stored in the connection statistical data (step 53). Then, an inquiry packet for confirming the power state of the host computer A is transmitted from the printing apparatus 10 to the host computer A connected via the network.

When a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer A cannot be received within a predetermined time, the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 detects that the host computer A connected to the printing apparatus 10 is in a power-off state. (Step 55; Y). Printing device 10
When the CPU 2 receives a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer A within a predetermined time, the host computer A connected to the printing apparatus 10 detects that the power is not off, that is, the power is on. (Step 55; N), the process ends.

When the CPU 2 detects the power-off state of the host computer A (step 55; Y), and i is not equal to N (step 57; N), the CPU 2 adds 1 to i and supplies power to the next host computer C. The status is confirmed (steps 51 to 55). Then, until i = N (step 57; Y), that is, when the power off state of the connected host computer C is detected, the CPU 2 puts the printing apparatus 10 into the power saving state (step 59), and executes the processing. finish. When it is detected that one of the host computers A or C in which the instruction type 32 of the connection statistical data is stored as the print instruction is not in the power-off state (step 55; N), the processing is ended.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the third embodiment. In this processing procedure, among the connection statistical data of the host computer stored in the storage unit 3 of the printing apparatus 10, the instruction type 32 indicates the state of the printing apparatus 10 such as a door state, a jam state, and a paper out state. If it is a notification instruction, this is a processing procedure for checking only the power state of the host computer stored for a certain period. FIG. 6 illustrates a case where three host computers A to C are connected to the printing apparatus 10 as an example. Further, the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10
It is assumed that the host computer whose power supply state is to be confirmed is selected based on the connection statistical data.

First, among the host computers A to C stored in the connection statistical data of the storage unit 3, an instruction type 3
2 sets the device status notification instruction and the stored number of host computers N and i = 0 (step 60). In FIG. 6, N = 1 is set since the CPU 2 selects the number of host computers in which the instruction type 32 is stored as the device status notification instruction based on the connection statistical data of FIG. In addition, i is a value set to cause the CPU 2 to recognize the order of the power status of the host computer among the host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10. Next, 1 is added to i (step 62),
The CPU 2 selects the first host computer B whose instruction type 32 is the device status notification instruction from the host computers stored in the connection statistical data (step 64). Then, an inquiry packet for confirming the power state of the host computer A is transmitted from the printing apparatus 10 to the host computer B connected via the network.

When a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer B cannot be received within a predetermined time, the CPU 2 of the printing apparatus 10 detects that the host computer B connected to the printing apparatus 10 is in a power-off state. (Step 65; Y). Printing device 10
When the CPU 2 receives a response packet to the inquiry packet from the host computer B within a predetermined time, the host computer B connected to the printing apparatus 10 detects that the power is not off, that is, the host computer B is on. (Step 65; N), the process ends.

When the CPU 2 detects the power-off state of the host computer B (step 65; Y), if i = N is not satisfied (step 67; N), 1 is added to i, and the power state of the next host computer is added. (Steps 62 to 65). Then, until i = N (step 67; Y), that is, when the power off state of the connected host computer B is detected, the CPU 2 puts the printing apparatus 10 into the power saving state (step 69), and executes the processing. finish. In FIG. 6, since the CPU 2 executes the processing based on the connection statistical data of FIG. 3, the processing ends when the power supply state of the host computer B is confirmed. In the processing procedures of FIGS. 4 to 6, three host computers connected to the printing apparatus 10 via a network have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0023]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the response signal receiving means cannot receive a response signal from the terminal device in a predetermined time, the power saving means sets the printing apparatus in a power saving state. Unnecessary waste of power can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a storage unit for storing data for identifying each terminal device, and the detection signal transmitting unit prints out the data stored in the storage unit to the printing apparatus. Since a detection signal for detecting whether or not the power is turned on is transmitted only to the terminal device identified as having transmitted the data printing instruction, useless power consumption can be prevented.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the detection signal transmitting means transmits to the terminal device identified as having transmitted the device status notification instruction for confirming the status of the printing apparatus among the data stored in the storage means. When transmitting the detection signal, the power saving unit puts the printing apparatus into a power saving state when the response signal receiving unit fails to receive a response signal from the terminal device within a predetermined time, so that wasteful power consumption is caused. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power supply state detection method of a host computer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of connection statistical data of a host computer stored in a storage unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 control unit 2 CPU (central processing unit) 3 storage unit 4 network unit 5 printing unit 6 fixing device 10 printing device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus for printing print data transmitted from one or more terminal devices connected via a network, comprising: determining whether the power of the terminal device is turned on for the terminal device; A detection signal transmitting unit that transmits a detection signal for detection; a response signal receiving unit that receives a response signal to the detection signal transmitted from the terminal device by the detection signal transmission unit; and a power saving state of the printing device. Power-saving means, the power-saving means, if the response signal receiving means has not received a response signal from the terminal device within a predetermined time, to put the printing device into a power-saving state A printing device characterized by the following. 2. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit configured to store data for identifying each of the terminal devices, wherein the detection signal transmitting unit includes:
A detection signal for detecting whether or not the power is on only for the terminal device identified as having transmitted the print instruction of the print data to the printing device among the data stored in the storage unit. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 3. A printing apparatus for printing print data transmitted from one or a plurality of terminal devices connected via a network or receiving an instruction to notify a device state of each terminal device, wherein each of the terminal devices Storage means for storing data for identifying the terminal device; detection signal transmitting means for transmitting a detection signal for detecting whether or not the power of the terminal device is turned on to the terminal device; and the detection signal from the terminal device. A response signal receiving unit that receives a response signal to the detection signal transmitted by the transmitting unit; and a power saving unit that puts the printing apparatus into a power saving state. The detection signal transmitting unit is stored in the storage unit. When a detection signal is transmitted to a terminal device identified as having transmitted a device status notification instruction for confirming the status of the printing device, Saving means, if the response signal receiving means does not receive a response signal from the terminal device within a predetermined time, the printing apparatus, characterized by said printing apparatus to the power saving state.