JP2007108862A - Sleep mode shift control method for network connecting peripheral equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide peripheral equipment and a peripheral equipment control means for setting all information processors connected to the peripheral equipment which is not equipped with any clocking means such as an RTC in a power-off or power saving status even before the lapse of its shift time to a low power consumption mode, and for instantaneously shifting the peripheral equipment to a low power consumption mode, and for reducing any useless power consumption when no user may use the peripheral equipment. <P>SOLUTION: This peripheral equipment is provided with a function which transmits a response request at each fixed time interval to an information processor with access record to peripheral equipment differently from a shift time for shifting the peripheral equipment to a low power consumption mode when no access is made for a prescribed time and a function for instantaneously shifting the peripheral equipment to the low power consumption mode when any reply to the response request is not acquired. Thus, it is possible to reduce any useless power consumption when no user uses it. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a shift control of a peripheral device connected to the network to a low power consumption mode in a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to one network.

  Conventionally, peripheral devices connected to a network are used by an unspecified number of users because they are shared by a plurality of users. For this reason, it is not clear when and who will use it, and it has been increasingly used without being turned off.

  Thus, in recent years, it has been required to automatically shift to a low power consumption mode while a peripheral device connected to a network is not used.

  International energy stars and blue angels, which are international requirements for such a requirement, need to automatically enter the low power consumption mode when the functions of peripheral devices have not been used for a certain period of time. is there.

  For example, in the case of a certain type of printing apparatus, the initial setting is low when a so-called standby state in which a print job from the information processing apparatus is not received and an operation on the operation panel is not performed for 30 minutes or more is continued. It is supposed to shift to the power consumption mode.

  Further, when a print job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus in the low power consumption mode, it is necessary to automatically return from the low power consumption mode to the normal operation mode and to print the transmitted print job. .

  However, a certain amount of time is required for the peripheral device to shift from the normal operation mode to the low power consumption mode and from the low power consumption mode to the normal operation mode.

  For this reason, if the peripheral device shifts to the low power consumption mode while a certain user is about to use the peripheral device, a certain amount of time is required until the peripheral device becomes usable. I will be waiting.

  However, it is general that the user can arbitrarily set the transition to the low power consumption mode, and the transition time to the low power consumption mode is used for a user who is concerned about a decrease in efficiency due to the waiting time. There are many cases in which the setting is changed to a longer time or the function of shifting to the low power consumption mode is stopped and used.

  The waiting time until the peripheral device shifts to the low power consumption mode (30 minutes in the above example) generally becomes longer as the peripheral device has a higher function (for example, 2 hours). It recognized. That is, a peripheral device that consumes a large amount of power continues to consume power (in a standby state) wastefully for a long time.

  Furthermore, since the waiting time is long, the probability of actually shifting to the low power consumption mode is also low.

  In other words, in a usage environment that requires a long time to shift to the low power consumption mode as described above, the peripheral device is in an unused state until the transition time to the low power consumption mode elapses. However, power consumption in the standby state is consumed, resulting in unnecessary energy consumption. In addition, if the transition time to the low power consumption mode is shortened in order to reduce the above-mentioned wasteful energy consumption, the waiting time and the number of waits for the user to use will increase, causing a decrease in usage efficiency. It was.

In order to avoid the problems described above, conventionally, regarding the power control of an output device such as a printing device, the time required to shift to the low power consumption mode is logged in the time zone and time when the peripheral device is used, and the information processing device. By associating it with information such as the current user or application software running on the information processing device, the transition time to the low power consumption mode is long during periods of high usage, and low consumption occurs when the usage frequency decreases. A technology that shortens the transition time to the power mode and switches the transition time to the low power consumption mode to achieve both energy saving and usage efficiency maintenance according to the use situation has been disclosed. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
JP-A-11-143593

  However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-143593, the frequency of use is set according to the time zone and time (year / month / day), and a real time clock (hereinafter referred to as RTC) is timed for application to peripheral devices. Means are indispensable, and there is a problem that it cannot be applied to a low-priced peripheral device that does not include an RTC due to cost and the like.

  In addition, in the transition time to the low power consumption mode set according to the time zone and time, all the information processing devices connected to the peripheral devices within the transition time are in a power-off state or a power saving state. Even in a situation where there is no user who may use the peripheral device, the peripheral device cannot transition to the low power consumption mode until the transition time elapses. It was lost.

  As a countermeasure, if the transition time to the low power consumption mode is always set to be short, the peripheral device frequently shifts to the low power consumption mode. Therefore, when the user desires to use the peripheral device. In addition, the increase in processing waiting time and the number of waiting times has been a factor in reducing efficiency.

  In order to solve this problem, the peripheral device according to the present invention has the following features.

  In a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected on the same network, the first invention is a low power consumption mode when the information processing device is not accessed for a predetermined time. In response to an access from the information processing apparatus, a power consumption mode transition means, a storage means for storing unique information of the information processing apparatus, and a response request sent to the stored information processing apparatus at regular intervals And transmitting means for transmitting the peripheral device to the low power consumption mode without waiting for the predetermined time when a response to the response request is not obtained.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, when specific information of the information processing apparatus is not stored by the storage unit, the process shifts to the low power consumption mode after waiting for the specified period.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the time interval for transmitting the response request is sufficiently shorter than the time for shifting to the low power consumption mode.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided calculation means for calculating the number of storable pieces of unique information stored in the storage means and history management means for managing the history of the information processing apparatus that has accessed the peripheral device. The number of pieces of unique information calculated by the calculating means is stored in the history management means from the information processing apparatus that has recently been accessed.

  5th invention has the calculating means which calculates the memorable number of the specific information of the information processing apparatus memorize | stored by the said memory | storage means, Information processing apparatus with high access frequency for the specific information for the number calculated by the said calculating means Are stored for the number of units.

  As described above, in a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected to one network according to the present invention, the transition control of the peripheral devices connected to the network to the low power consumption mode The method has the following functions.

  The peripheral device stores low power consumption mode transition means for shifting to a low power consumption mode when there is no access from the information processing device for a predetermined time, and stores specific information of the information processing device in response to access from the information processing device Storage means, and a transmission means for sending a response request to the stored information processing apparatus at regular intervals, and when a response to the response request cannot be obtained, the peripheral device is A function of shifting to the low power consumption mode without waiting for the predetermined time, and when the storage unit does not store the specific information of the information processing apparatus, the low power consumption is performed after waiting for the predetermined time. A function to shift to the mode is provided. In addition, the time interval which transmits the said response request | requirement is equipped with the function transmitted at a time interval short enough with respect to the time which transfers to the said low power consumption mode.

  As a result, all the information processing devices connected to the peripheral device are powered off or in a power saving state within the transition time to the low power consumption mode without the peripheral device having a timing means such as RTC, that is, In a situation where there is no user who may use the peripheral device, it is possible to shift to a low power consumption mode without waiting for the transition time to elapse, thereby reducing wasteful power consumption. It becomes possible. In addition, since the storage unit does not store the unique information of the information processing device, that is, when the access from the information processing device has not been received, there is a high possibility that it is the initial setting time, so the predetermined time has been waited By shifting to the low power consumption mode later, it is possible to prevent wasting time at the time of initial setting and improve efficiency.

  Furthermore, in the peripheral device, the computing device includes a computing unit that calculates the number of storable pieces of unique information of the information processing device, and a history management unit that manages a history of the information processing device that has accessed the peripheral device, The unique information for the number of units calculated by the means is stored for the number of units from the information processing device that has recently accessed in the history management unit, or the unique information is stored for the number of units from the information processing device having a high access frequency. Is provided.

  As a result, even in a network system connected to the same network and having a large number of information processing devices that may use the peripheral device, it is not necessary to prepare a storage capacity for all the devices, and only a small-capacity storage means is available. The present invention can be applied even to peripheral devices that do not have such devices, and wasteful power consumption can be reduced without lowering the use efficiency for access from an information processing device having a high use probability.

The best mode for carrying out the invention is the following embodiment. A first embodiment according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, as an example of the peripheral device in the present invention, a network system in which a printing apparatus using an inkjet recording method is connected will be described as an example.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a network system according to the present embodiment. In the figure, 101 is a network that can connect a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices, 102 is an information processing device A connected to the network 101, 103 is a similar information processing device B, and 104 is a similar information device. Reference numerals C and 105 denote printing apparatuses A and 106 connected to the network 101, and reference numeral 106 denotes a printing apparatus B that is the same model as 105. These apparatuses send and receive data to and from each other via the network 101 according to the TCP / IP protocol. Is possible. Each information processing apparatus and printing apparatus is assigned a unique IP address in a one-to-one relationship with the apparatus, and the data transmission / reception destination is designated using the IP address. In this embodiment, the printing apparatus receives access from the information processing apparatus and uses the IP address as unique information of the information processing apparatus to be stored.

  Next, the configuration of a printing apparatus that performs transition control to the low power consumption mode will be described by taking 105 printing apparatus A as an example. In this configuration, a CPU 107 controls the entire printing apparatus 105 based on a system control program. A ROM 108 stores a system control program that is a control program for the entire printing apparatus 105. An EEPROM 109 is a memory that can read and write data, and is configured by a non-volatile memory that can retain the data even when the power is turned off. Remember. The information specific to the information processing apparatus in this embodiment is held in the EEPROM 109.

  Reference numeral 110 denotes a RAM that can read and write data, and expands a program in the ROM 108 and is used to execute a system control program. Further, it is also used as a buffer memory for temporarily storing various control data transmitted and received between the buffer memory and the host at the time of image data reception. In this embodiment, the RAM 110 is composed of a single data rate synchronous random access memory (hereinafter referred to as SDR SDRAM) that can be mounted at a low price and a large capacity. A network interface 111 is connected to the network 101 and is used for receiving image data from the information processing apparatus (102, 103, 104) and transmitting status information of the printing apparatus 105 to the host apparatus. Specifically, it is configured in accordance with the Ethernet (registered trademark) interface standard. Note that the network interface 111 has an interrupt output to the CPU 107, and when the entire printing apparatus 105 is in the low power consumption mode, the network interface 111 enters a normal operation state in response to reception of image data from the information processing apparatus. Used as a recovery factor. The image data received via the network interface 111 is stored in the RAM 110 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 107.

An image processing unit 112 performs color space processing, gamma correction processing, quantization processing using an error diffusion method, and the like on the image data stored in the RAM 110 in accordance with an instruction from the CPU 101. Generate binary data that can be output. An engine control unit 113 controls the print engine unit 114 and transfers the image data processed by the image processing unit 112 to the print engine unit 114. Reference numeral 114 denotes a print engine unit. Specifically, a head that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, a paper conveyance motor that conveys a medium serving as a recording medium, and a direction in which the head is conveyed in the medium A carriage motor for vertically scanning the image sensor, various error detection sensors, and the like (not shown), and performs these operations in accordance with control from the engine control unit 113. The engine control unit 113 drives the head, the paper transport motor, and the carriage motor to each other, and fixes the ink ejected from the head to a desired position on the medium, thereby forming a desired image on the medium. be able to.
An operation panel 115 includes an input function for inputting settings to the apparatus by the user, and a display device for notifying the user from the apparatus, and is used for inputting instructions from the user. .

  FIG. 2 shows the case where the unique information of the information processing apparatus according to the present invention is stored according to the access history, and a response is not obtained in the printing apparatus that sends a response request to the stored information processing apparatus at regular intervals. These are the flowcharts which show the transfer control method which transfers to immediate low power consumption mode.

  When the power of the printing apparatus 105 is turned on in step S201, the printing apparatus 105 shifts to a standby state, and the CPU 107 of the printing apparatus 105 confirms whether data is received from the information processing apparatus via the network interface 111. It performs (step S202). Here, when data is received, the CPU 107 confirms whether or not an IP address that is unique information of the information processing apparatus that is the data transmission source is stored in the EEPROM 109 (step S203). If the data has been received from an information processing apparatus not stored in the EEPROM 109, the IP address of the information processing apparatus that is the transmission source is stored in the EEPROM 109 (step S204). In addition, printing order data indicating that the IP address is the information processing apparatus that has recently been accessed is stored (step S205), and image output is started based on the received image data (step S206). In this embodiment, the IP address stored in the EEPROM 109 is calculated based on the available capacity for storing the IP address in the EEPROM 109 by the CPU 101 according to the program stored in the ROM 108, and the recently accessed information processing is performed. The number of the calculated number is stored from the apparatus. Further, data indicating the printing order is stored for each IP address. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the IP address of the information processing apparatus that has recently accessed is “1”, and the past access is sequentially set to “2”, “ 3 ”,... Is stored as past accesses as the number increases, and when the IP address is stored in the step S204, if the number exceeds the storable number, The oldest thing is deleted, and the IP address of the newly accessed information processing apparatus is stored. In addition, when storing the print order data indicating the recent access to the IP address of the information processing apparatus that has been newly accessed in step S205, if the IP address and the print order data are already stored in the EEPROM 109, the printing is performed. History management is performed by adding “1” to the forward data.

  Next, in step S203, if the data is received from the information processing apparatus whose IP address is already stored in the EEPROM 109, only the print order data in the EEPROM 109 is updated, and the IP of the information processing apparatus that has recently accessed is updated. “1” is assigned to the address, and “1” is added to other print order data in the EEPROM 109 until the number indicating the print order data assigned to the IP address is reached, and then image output is performed in step S205. Start.

  When the image output is completed (step S206), the CPU 107 of the printing apparatus 105 returns to step S202 and enters a standby state in order to confirm whether or not the next data has been received from the information processing apparatus.

  Next, if no data is received in step S202, the printing apparatus 105 checks whether or not the set low power consumption mode transition time has elapsed (step S207), and the predetermined low power consumption mode transition time. If it has not elapsed, it is confirmed whether or not an IP address that is unique information of the information processing apparatus is stored in the EEPROM 109 (step S210). If the IP address is not stored in step S210, the process returns to step S202, and the printing apparatus 105 remains in a standby state until data from the information processing apparatus is received or the low power consumption mode transition time elapses. to continue. In this embodiment, the elapse of the low power consumption mode transition time is measured by a counter function configured by software in the CPU 107, and the transition time to the low power consumption mode is determined by the user using the operation panel 115. It can be changed.

  When the transition time to the low power consumption mode has elapsed in step S209, the CPU 107 causes the entire printing apparatus 105 to transition to the low power consumption mode (step S211). The low power consumption mode is implemented by stopping power supply to unnecessary function blocks such as the engine control unit 113, the print engine 114, and the image processing unit 112, shifting the RAM 110 to the self-refresh mode, and lowering the clock frequency of the CPU 107. The In addition, the printing apparatus 105 that has shifted to the low power consumption mode continues the low power consumption mode until it receives data from the information processing apparatus via the network interface 111 (step S212), and data reception in step S212 is detected. Then, the network interface 111 issues an interrupt signal to the CPU 107. In response to the interrupt signal, the CPU 107 returns the printing apparatus 105 to the normal operation mode in which the image can be output (step S213). After returning to the normal operation mode, the CPU 107 executes the process of step S203 and outputs the image.

  Next, when the IP address is stored in step S210, the CPU 107 checks whether or not a response request transmission time for issuing a response request to the stored IP address has passed (step S214). If the response request transmission time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S202 and waits until data from the information processing apparatus is received, the low power consumption mode transition time elapses, or the response request transmission time elapses Keep holding. Note that the elapse of the response request transmission time is also measured in the CPU 107 by a counter function configured by software.

  If the response request transmission time has elapsed in step S214, the CPU 107 diagnoses a TCP / IP network such as the Internet or an intranet as a response request via the network interface 111 for the IP address stored in the EEPROM 109. Packet Internet Groper commands (hereinafter referred to as Ping commands), which are programs to be executed, are sequentially issued to all stored IP addresses (step S215), and it is confirmed whether there is a response to the Ping command (step S216). In step S216, if even one unit has a response, the process returns to step S202, and waits until data from the information processing apparatus is received, the low power consumption mode transition time elapses, or the response request transmission time elapses again. Keep holding.

  If there is no response from all the IP addresses stored in step S216, the process proceeds to step S211 and the entire printing apparatus 105 is immediately switched to the low power consumption mode without waiting for the elapse of the transition time to the low power consumption mode. After that, the above-described operation of step S211 is repeated.

  By repeating the above operation, the printing apparatus 105 can perform efficient power control according to the use environment.

As described above, according to the present invention, the peripheral device does not have a timing means such as RTC, and all the information processing devices connected to the peripheral device within the transition time to the low power consumption mode are powered off or saved. It is possible to shift to a low power consumption mode without waiting for the transition time to elapse in a situation where there is no user who may be in the power state, that is, using the peripheral device. Consumption can be reduced. In this embodiment, the unique information of the information processing device stored by the storage means is stored for the number of information that can be stored from the recently accessed information processing device, but is stored from the information processing device having a high access frequency according to the access frequency. It is possible to store as many as possible, and it is feasible by storing the number-of-accesses data instead of the printing order data. However, when storing according to the access frequency, it is necessary to store the unique information and the number of accesses of all information processing devices temporarily accessed, and to compare the access frequencies. Thus, after temporarily storing and comparing the unique information and the number of accesses of all the information processing devices, it is necessary to devise such as copying only the unique information of the information processing device having a higher access frequency to the EEPROM.
In this embodiment, EEPROM is used as the storage means. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and after powering off the printing apparatus, the stored information processing apparatus specific information is cleared and there is no problem in a system or the like. A volatile memory or the like may be used.

  The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a printing apparatus using an ink jet recording method for recording data output from a host computer has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a form. For example, the printing apparatus is integrated with a scanner. The present invention can also be applied to combined copying machines, facsimiles, and the like.

The block diagram which shows an example of the network system in the Example of this invention. The flowchart which shows the transfer control method which transfers to immediate low power consumption mode, when a reply is not obtained with respect to a response request. An example of the IP address and print order data stored in the EEPROM.

Explanation of symbols

101 Network 102 Information processing apparatus A
103 Information processing apparatus B
104 Information processing apparatus C
105 Printer A
106 Printer B
107 CPU
108 ROM
109 EEPROM
110 RAM
111 Network Interface 112 Image Processing Unit 113 Engine Control Unit 114 Print Engine 115 Operation Panel

Claims (10)

  In a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected on the same network, the peripheral device shifts to a low power consumption mode when there is no access from the information processing device for a predetermined time. And storage means for storing unique information of the information processing apparatus in response to access from the information processing apparatus, and transmission means for transmitting a response request to the stored information processing apparatus at regular intervals. And a peripheral device that shifts the peripheral device to a low power consumption mode without waiting for a predetermined time in the previous period when a response to the response request is not obtained.   The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein when the storage unit does not store information specific to the information processing device, the peripheral device waits for the specified period and then shifts to the low power consumption mode. apparatus.   3. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein a time interval for transmitting the response request is a time sufficiently shorter than a time for shifting to the low power consumption mode.   4. The peripheral device according to claim 1, wherein calculation means for calculating a storable number of unique information of the information processing device stored by the storage means and history of the information processing device that has accessed the peripheral device are managed. And a history management unit configured to store the number of pieces of unique information calculated by the calculation unit from the information processing device that has recently been accessed by the history management unit.   The peripheral device according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a storable number of the unique information of the information processing apparatus stored by the storage unit, wherein the unique information for the number calculated by the calculation unit is stored. A peripheral device that stores information for the number of the information processing devices that are frequently accessed.   In a network system in which a plurality of information processing devices and a plurality of peripheral devices are connected on the same network, the peripheral device shifts to a low power consumption mode when there is no access from the information processing device for a predetermined time. And storage means for storing unique information of the information processing apparatus in response to access from the information processing apparatus, and transmission means for transmitting a response request to the stored information processing apparatus at regular intervals. And a peripheral device control means that shifts the peripheral device to a low power consumption mode without waiting for a predetermined time in the previous period when a response to the response request is not obtained.   The peripheral device according to claim 6, wherein when the storage unit does not store information specific to the information processing device, the peripheral device waits for the specified period and then shifts to the low power consumption mode. Device control means.   8. The peripheral device control means according to claim 6, wherein the time interval for transmitting the response request is a time sufficiently shorter than the time for shifting to the low power consumption mode.   9. The peripheral device according to claim 6, wherein calculation means for calculating the storable number of unique information of the information processing device stored by the storage means and history of the information processing device that has accessed the peripheral device are managed. Specific information for the number of units calculated by the calculation unit is stored for the number of units from the information processing device that was recently accessed in the history management unit. .   The peripheral device according to claim 6, further comprising a calculation unit that calculates a storable number of unique information of the information processing device stored by the storage unit, wherein the unique information for the number calculated by the calculation unit is stored. Peripheral device control means for storing the number of the information from information processing devices with high access frequency.

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