JP2011141329A - Image forming apparatus and method for controlling the image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which achieves power saving in an image forming apparatus provided with different types of storage devices, and to provide a method for controlling the image forming apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus, having one or more hard disk devices and one or more nonvolatile memories in which image data are stored, has: an information managing means which manages use information for every hard disk device, in which the information is used for every different application or operation condition; a supply determination means which determines, based on the use information, whether or not to supply power to the hard disk device; and a supply control means which controls supply of the power to the hard disk device according to the result determined about whether or not to supply the power to the hard disk device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a method for controlling the image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus having a scanner, a plotter, and a facsimile machine, in order to save power, supply of power to some of the functions of the image forming apparatus is stopped while a job is not instructed. There is an image forming apparatus. Thereby, standby power can be reduced.

  In an image forming apparatus having a plurality of hard disk devices, power saving can be realized by limiting the number of hard disk devices to be operated. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-6098 (Patent Document 1) discloses an image forming apparatus that supplies power only to the number of hard disk devices necessary to satisfy processing performance.

  However, in the invention of the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, consideration is not given to realizing power saving in the image forming apparatus provided with different storage means. For example, an SSD (Solid State Disk) having a plurality of non-volatile memories consumes less power than a hard disk device, but is expensive and has a lower limit on the number of rewrites than a hard disk device. Therefore, replacing all hard disk devices provided in the image forming apparatus with SSDs is problematic in terms of cost and durability.

  Therefore, when designing an image forming apparatus having both a hard disk device and an SSD, if power supply control to the two storage devices is performed equally, it is not efficient in terms of power saving.

  The present invention has been invented in order to solve these problems in view of the above points, and an image forming apparatus that realizes power saving in an image forming apparatus provided with different types of storage devices, and An object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling an image forming apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention employs the following configuration. The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus having one or more hard disk devices and one or more nonvolatile memories for storing image data, and is used for each hard disk device used for different applications or operating conditions. Information management means for managing information, supply determination means for determining whether or not to supply power to the hard disk device based on the usage information, and power supply to the hard disk device according to the determined presence or absence of power supply And a supply control means for controlling.

  Accordingly, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus that realizes power saving in an image forming apparatus provided with different types of storage devices.

  In order to solve the above problem, the present invention may be a control method in the image forming apparatus.

  According to the image forming apparatus and the image forming apparatus control method of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus and an image forming apparatus control method that realize power saving in an image forming apparatus provided with different types of storage devices. It becomes possible.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a power supply control unit and its periphery in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram (part 1) illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the process after power-on (part 1). FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing for controlling power supply to the HDD 800 when one job is executed. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 1) of the usage information stored in the NAND 81. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the process after power-on (part 2). FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling power supply between the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 when one job is executed. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 2) of usage information stored in the NAND 81. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example including processing for displaying the status of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of displaying the power supply status to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 and the respective capacities. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example including processing for selecting an operation condition. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 1) of a screen displayed on the operation unit 910. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example (part 2) of the screen displayed on the operation unit 910. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage information stored in the NAND 81. FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining an example including processing for setting the power supply of the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 to a predetermined state. FIG. 16 is a block diagram (part 2) illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus. FIG. 17A is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating an example in which processing is performed when there are two nonvolatile memories. FIG. 17-2 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating an example in which processing is performed when there are two nonvolatile memories. FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage information table used in a configuration having two nonvolatile memories.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

Embodiment of the present invention
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a power supply control unit and its periphery in the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The control unit 10 in FIG. 1 is connected to a power source 7, a storage unit 9, an input unit 12, and a display unit 13.

  The control unit 10 includes information management means 1, usage information setting means 2, control object setting means 3, supply determination means 4, supply control means 5, and SSD 6. The control unit 10 may further include screen generation means 11.

  The information management unit 1 manages information related to the presence or absence of power supply to a hard disk device to be used (hereinafter referred to as “HDD”) for each application executed by the image forming apparatus. This information is referred to as “use information”. The application executed by the image forming apparatus realizes functions such as scanning, print output, and facsimile communication. The usage information managed by the information management unit 1 associates an application with HDD power-on or power-off information. The usage information may further include information on the power on or off of the SSD. The usage information has a table format. Information managed by the information management unit 1 is stored in the storage unit 9.

  The usage information setting means 2 sets which table is used when there are a plurality of usage information tables. An instruction to select a table to be used is input from the input unit 12. The control target setting unit 3 sets which storage device of the HDD and the SSD is to be turned on and off. An instruction to select a storage device to be controlled is input from the input unit 12.

  Each time the image forming apparatus executes a job, the supply determining unit 4 determines an HDD to which power is supplied based on usage information corresponding to an application executed by the job. The supply determination unit 4 may further determine an SSD that supplies power when executing the job.

  The supply determination unit 4 may further determine the HDD or SSD for which power supply is to be stopped when power is already supplied to the HDD or SSD. Information determined by the supply determination unit 4 is output to the supply control unit 5.

  The supply control unit 5 controls the power source 7 based on the information determined by the supply determination unit 4. More specifically, information on a storage device that supplies power or information on a storage device that stops power supply is output to the power supply 7.

  The screen generation unit 11 generates a screen to be displayed on the display unit 13. The screen generated by the screen generation unit 11 is a screen that prompts the user to select a table when setting which table to use when there are a plurality of usage information tables. The screen generated by the screen generation unit 11 is a screen that prompts the user to select a storage device when setting which storage device is to be turned on / off.

  The power supply 7 is connected to the HDD 8 and the SSD 6 and supplies power to these storage devices. The power supply 7 supplies power to each storage device and stops power supply according to an instruction from the supply control unit 5.

  The HDD 8 stores image data and the like processed by the control unit 10. Electric power for the HDD 8 is supplied from the power source 7 according to an instruction from the supply control means 5.

  1 shows one HDD and one SSD, a configuration in which a plurality of HDDs and / or a plurality of SSDs are provided may be used. When a plurality of HDDs and a plurality of SSDs are provided, the information management unit 1 manages information on whether or not power is supplied to each HDD or SSD, and the supply determination unit 4 supplies power for each application. The HDD or SSD is determined and the information is output to the supply control means 5.

  The storage means 9 stores usage information. The input unit 12 receives an instruction from the operator to the image forming apparatus. The display unit 13 displays a screen for notifying the operator of the state of the image forming apparatus, a screen for prompting input of instructions, and the like.

  Note that the information management unit 1 and the supply determination unit 4 may be realized, for example, by a CPU executing a computer program. Further, the supply control means 5 may be configured as an ASIC corresponding to the power source 7. The control unit 10, the storage unit 9, and the SSD 6 may be provided on one controller board.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus. 2 includes a controller unit 900, an image processing unit 100, an image reading unit 200, an image output unit 300, an HDD 800, an operation unit 910, and a facsimile control unit (hereinafter referred to as “FCU unit”) 920. Have.

  The controller unit 900 performs overall control of the image forming apparatus. For example, the controller unit 900 is provided on a single substrate. The controller unit 900 includes a CPU 90, a power supply unit 40, an ASIC 93, an ASIC 95, a nonvolatile memory 60, and a LAN interface (indicated as “LAN” in the drawing) 99.

The controller unit 900 further includes a NOR memory (indicated as “NOR” in the figure) 85, a NAND memory (indicated in the figure as “NAND”) 81, an NVRAM 82, a NOR memory (in the figure, It is expressed as “NOR”.) 83 and DRAM 84. Hereinafter, one or more of these memories will be referred to as a memory 80.

  The CPU 90 executes a computer program stored in the memory 80 and controls the entire image forming apparatus. The functions realized by the CPU 90 include, for example, a function for determining whether power is supplied to each unit, a function for managing information on whether power is supplied to each unit corresponding to each application executed by the image forming apparatus, and the like. .

  The power supply unit 40 supplies power to the controller unit 900 and each unit of the image forming apparatus. The ASIC 93 controls the power supply unit 40 to start or stop power supply to each unit. The ASIC 95 performs image data compression and decompression processing, other image processing, and control of the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60.

  The LAN interface 99 realizes a network connection with an external PC. The memory 80 stores a computer program executed by the CPU 90. The memory 80 also functions as a work memory when the CPU 90 executes a computer program.

  For example, the NAND 81 in the memory 80 holds information indicating whether the HDD 800 is necessary for each application included in the job, that is, usage information. In addition to the HDD 800, the usage information may include information on whether or not the nonvolatile memory 60 is necessary. These pieces of information have a table format associated with each application. Note that the usage information may be associated with each operation condition.

  The nonvolatile memory 60 stores image data. The image data stored in the nonvolatile memory 60 is temporary data processed by the controller unit 900 or image data accumulated after being input to the controller unit 900. The non-volatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 have the same purpose for storing image data.

  The image processing unit 100 performs a plurality of image processing on the image data. Image processing executed by the image processing unit 100 is, for example, processing, correction, editing, detection, conversion, and the like. The image reading unit 200 optically reads an image on a medium and outputs image data. The image output unit 300 prints and outputs image data on a medium.

  The HDD 800 stores image data. The image data stored in the HDD 800 is temporary data processed by the controller unit 900 or image data output from the controller unit 900 and accumulated.

  The operation unit 910 displays information set for the image forming apparatus. The operation unit 910 also receives various setting instructions, job instructions, and the like. The FCU unit 920 performs facsimile communication between the image forming apparatus and another apparatus (not shown) connected to the public line.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining processing after power-on. In step S11 of FIG. 3, the power switch of the image forming apparatus is turned on. As a result, the power supply unit 40 starts supplying power to the ASIC 93 and the nonvolatile memory 60. Progressing to step S12 following step S11, the computer program is read from the NOR 85, and the ASIC 93 starts the computer program.

  Progressing to step S13 following step S12, the power supply unit 40 starts supplying power to each unit except for the HDD 800 in accordance with an instruction from the ASIC 93. Progressing to step S14 following step S13, the CPU 90 activates the computer program stored in the NOR 83. With the above processing, activation of each unit of the controller unit 900 is completed.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining processing for controlling power supply to the HDD 800 when one job is executed. In step S101 of FIG. 4, the process of FIG. 3 is executed. Progressing to step S102 following step S101, the CPU 90 confirms whether or not there is a power-off request. If there is a power-off request, the process proceeds to step S110. If there is no power-off request, the process proceeds to step S103.

  In step S110, the ASIC 93 performs a power-off process. On the other hand, in step S103 following step S102, the CPU 90 confirms the presence or absence of a job request. If there is a job request, the process proceeds to step S104. If there is no job request, the process returns to step S102 and the process is repeated.

  In step S <b> 104 following step S <b> 103, the CPU 90 refers to the usage information table of the HDD 800 stored in the NAND 81. More specifically, reference is made to information as to whether or not the HDD 800 is necessary when executing the application included in the job request confirmed in step S103. If the HDD 800 is necessary, the process proceeds to step S106. If the HDD 800 is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S107.

  In step S106 following step S105, the ASIC 93 instructs the power supply unit 40 based on the usage information of the HDD 800 referenced in step S104, and starts supplying power to the HDD 800.

  In step S107 following step S105 or step S106, each unit included in the image forming apparatus executes an application included in the job request confirmed in step S103. Progressing to step S108 following step S107, the CPU 90 determines whether or not the power supply to the HDD 800 is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S109. If it is not on, the process returns to step S102 and the process is repeated.

  In step S109 following step S108, the ASIC 93 instructs the power supply unit 40 to stop supplying power to the HDD 800.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage information stored in the NAND 81. In FIG. 5, for each application of “scanner”, “printer”, “copy”, and “facsimile (hereinafter referred to as“ FAX ”)”, information on whether or not the HDD is turned on. Are associated. The operating conditions are “color / monochrome”, “resolution”, and “electronic sort”.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining processing after power-on. The process of FIG. 6 is almost the same as the process of FIG. More specifically, in step S23 in FIG. 6, the process is the same as in each step in FIG. 3 except that power supply to each unit except the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 is started. Omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling power supply between the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 when one job is executed. In FIG. 7, the processing from step S201 to step S203 and step S214 is the same as the processing from step S101 to step S103 and step S110 in FIG.

  In step S <b> 204 of FIG. 7, the CPU 90 refers to the usage information table stored in the NAND 81. The usage information referred to in step S204 includes usage information of the HDD 800 and usage information of the nonvolatile memory 60.

  Proceeding to step S205 following step S204, the CPU 90 determines whether or not the nonvolatile memory 60 is necessary when executing the application of the job requested in step S203 from the use information referred to in step S204. If necessary, the process proceeds to step S206. If not necessary, the process proceeds to step S207.

  In step S206 following step S205, the power supply unit 40 starts supplying power to the nonvolatile memory in accordance with an instruction from the ASIC 93. The processing in step S207 through step S211 following step S205 or step S205 is the same as step S105 through step S109 in FIG.

  Progressing to step S212 following step S211, the CPU 90 determines whether or not the power source of the nonvolatile memory 60 is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S213. If it is not on, the process returns to step S202 and the process is repeated.

  In step S213 following step S212, the power supply unit 40 stops supplying power to the nonvolatile memory 60 in accordance with an instruction from the ASIC 93. 6 and 7, in addition to the control of power supply to the HDD 800, the control of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 is also associated with each operation condition for each application. As compared with the example, further power saving can be realized.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage information stored in the NAND 81. The usage information in FIG. 8 is referred to in the process of step S204 in FIG. In FIG. 8, for each operation condition, information on whether or not the HDD is turned on and information on whether or not the nonvolatile memory is turned on are associated with each application.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example including processing for displaying the status of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 on the operation unit 910. In the process of FIG. 9, the status of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 is displayed before a job is requested. The process of FIG. 9 is almost the same as the process of FIG. More specifically, step S302 is included between the processing of step S201 and step S202 of FIG.

  In step S <b> 302, the state of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 is displayed on the operation unit 910 according to an instruction from the CPU 90.

  The correspondence between the processing of other steps in FIG. 9 and the processing in FIG. 7 is as follows. Step S301 is the same as step S201. Steps S303 to S304 are the same as steps S202 to S203.

  Step S305 is the same as steps S205 to S208. Step S306 is the same as step S209. Step S307 is the same as steps S210 to S213. Step S308 is the same as step S214.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of displaying the status of power supply to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800 and the respective capacities on the operation unit 910. The process of FIG. 10 and the process of FIG. 9 are the same except that step S402 and step S302 are different.

  In step S402, according to an instruction from the CPU 90, the operation unit 910 displays the power supply status to the nonvolatile memory 60 and the HDD 800, and the respective capacities.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example including processing for selecting an operation condition in accordance with an instruction from the operation unit 910. The process of FIG. 11 is similar to the process of FIG. More specifically, step S502 to step S506 are provided instead of step S302 in FIG. 9, and step S512 is further added.

  Note that step S501 is the same as step S301, and steps S507 to S511 are the same as steps S303 to S307. Moreover, step S513 and step S308 are the same.

  In step S <b> 502 of FIG. 11, the CPU 90 displays a screen including buttons for setting operating conditions on the operation unit 910. Proceeding to step S503 following step S502, the CPU 90 determines whether or not setting of operating conditions has been selected based on the screen displayed in step S502. That is, it is determined whether or not an instruction to set an operation condition is input from the operation unit 910. When the setting of the operating condition is selected, the process proceeds to step S504, and when it is not selected, the process proceeds to step S507.

  In step S504 following step S503, the CPU 90 displays buttons of selectable operating conditions on the operation unit 910. Proceeding to step S505 following step S504, the CPU 90 determines whether or not an operation condition selection has been input. If it is input, the process proceeds to step S506. If it is not input, the process proceeds to step S507.

  In step S506 following step S505, one table is selected from a plurality of tables stored in the NAND 81 based on the operation condition determined to be input in step S505, and the table is switched from the already selected table.

  After the processing from step S502 to step S506, the processing from step S507 to step S511 is performed.

  In step S512 following step S511, the CPU 91 switches the selected table from the table switched in step S506 to the table selected in the initial state.

  12 and 13 are diagrams illustrating examples of screens displayed on the operation unit 910 in step S504. FIG. 12 includes buttons for operation conditions that can be set. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a screen in a state where three operating conditions are selected from the screen of FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of usage information stored in the NAND 81. No application is associated with the table of FIG. The table in FIG. 14 indicates whether power is supplied to the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 corresponding to the operating condition selected in the screen state of FIG.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining an example including processing for setting the power supply of the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 to a predetermined state by an input from the operation unit 910. The process of FIG. 15 is similar to the process of FIG. Step S601 is the same as step S501 in FIG. Step S604 is the same as steps S502 to S506. Steps S607 to S612 are the same as steps S507 to S512. Step S613 is the same as step S513.

  In step S602 in FIG. 15, a screen including a button for setting whether or not to set an operation condition for determining power supply to the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60 is displayed on the operation unit 910. In step S603 following step S602, based on the button displayed in step S601, it is determined whether or not the operator has input that setting of operating conditions is necessary. If it is input that the operating condition needs to be set, the process proceeds to step S604. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S605.

  In step S604, the processing from step S502 to step S506 in FIG. 11 is performed. On the other hand, in step S <b> 605, the power supply unit 40 starts supplying power to the nonvolatile memory 60 according to an instruction from the ASIC 93. Progressing to step S606 following step S605, the power supply unit 40 starts supplying power to the HDD 800 in accordance with an instruction from the ASIC 93.

  After step S606, the process proceeds to step S610, and the process is continued.

  In the process of FIG. 15, an application can be executed by supplying power to both the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 60. This is effective for debugging, for example, when designing an image forming apparatus.

  FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus. The configuration of FIG. 16 differs from the configuration of FIG. 2 in that a plurality of nonvolatile memories are provided. More specifically, the controller unit 900 a in FIG. 16 includes a nonvolatile memory 61 and a nonvolatile memory 62 instead of the nonvolatile memory 60 as compared with the controller unit 900.

  Therefore, the ASIC 93 and the power supply unit 40 control on and off of power supply to the two nonvolatile memories.

  The other configuration in FIG. 16 is the same as the configuration in FIG. 2, so the description is omitted here.

  The process in FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example in which a process in the case where there are two nonvolatile memories is added to the process in FIG. 17 controls the power supply of the HDD 800, the nonvolatile memory 61, and the nonvolatile memory 62 in the configuration of FIG.

  The processing from step S701 to step S703 in FIG. 17 is the same as the processing from step S201 to step S203. However, in step S701, power supply to each unit other than the HDD 800, the nonvolatile memory 61, and the nonvolatile memory 62 is started. Further, the process of step S714 is the same as the process of step S214.

  In step S704, the CPU 90 confirms the presence / absence of the second nonvolatile memory. If there is a second non-volatile memory, the process proceeds to step S705, and if there is no second non-volatile memory, the process proceeds to step S706. In step S705 subsequent to step S704, the table to be referred to is switched among the usage information tables stored in the NAND 81. More specifically, in addition to the usage information of the HDD 800 and the nonvolatile memory 61, the usage information of the nonvolatile memory 62 is switched to a table associated with each application or each operation condition.

  Progressing to step S706 following step S704 or step S705, the CPU 90 refers to a table of usage information stored in the NAND 81.

  Progressing to step S707 following step S706, the CPU 90 confirms the presence or absence of the second nonvolatile memory. If there is a second non-volatile memory, the process proceeds to step S708. If there is no second non-volatile memory, the process proceeds to step S710.

  In step S708 following step S707, it is determined from the usage information table referenced in step S706 whether or not the second nonvolatile memory is necessary when executing the job. If the second non-volatile memory is necessary, the process proceeds to step S709. If the second non-volatile memory is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S710.

  In step S709 following step S708, power supply from the power supply unit 40 to the second nonvolatile memory 62 is started in accordance with an instruction from the ASIC 93.

  The processing from step S710 to step S712 following step S707 to step S709 is the same as the processing from step S305 to step S307 in FIG.

  Progressing to step S713 following step S712, the CPU 90 confirms the presence or absence of the second nonvolatile memory. If there is a second nonvolatile memory, the process proceeds to step S714. If there is no second nonvolatile memory, the process returns to step S702 and the process is repeated.

  In step S714 following step S713, the CPU 90 determines whether or not the power source of the second nonvolatile memory 62 is on. If it is on, the process proceeds to step S715. If not, the process returns to step S702.

  In step S715 following step S714, the power supply from the power supply unit 40 to the second nonvolatile memory 62 is stopped by an instruction from the ASIC 93. Progressing to step S716 following step S715, the CPU 90 switches the usage information table switched in step S705 to the table in the initial state.

  Through the above processing, it is possible to realize power saving in a configuration having two nonvolatile memories. Even when there are three or more non-volatile memories, it is determined whether or not each non-volatile memory exists, and by switching to the corresponding usage information table, it is possible to suitably supply power for each application or each operating condition. It can be controlled, and power saving can be realized.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage information table used in a configuration having two nonvolatile memories. The table in FIG. 18 is used, for example, in the processing in FIG. The table in FIG. 18 includes information on setting of power-on for the three storage units of the memory (1), the memory (2), and the HDD. The memory (1) is, for example, a nonvolatile memory 61, and the memory (2) is, for example, a nonvolatile memory 62.

(Realization by computer etc.)
The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may be realized by a personal computer (PC), for example. The image forming apparatus control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is executed using, for example, a main memory such as a RAM as a work area according to a program stored in a ROM, a hard disk device, or the like.

  Although the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described in the best mode. Modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is useful for power saving, and is particularly suitable for a multifunction peripheral.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Information management means 2 Use information setting means 3 Control object setting means 4 Supply determination means 5 Supply control means 7 Power supply 9 Storage means 10 Control part 11 Screen generation means 12 Input means 13 Display means 40 Power supply parts 60, 61, 62 Nonvolatile Memory 80 Memory 99 Interface 100 Image processing unit 200 Image reading unit 300 Image output unit 900, 900a Controller unit 910 Operation unit 920 FCU unit

JP 2007-6098 A

Claims (9)

An image forming apparatus having one or more hard disk devices and one or more nonvolatile memories for storing image data,
Information management means for managing usage information for each hard disk device used for different applications or operating conditions;
Supply determining means for determining the presence or absence of power supply to the hard disk device based on the use information;
Supply control means for controlling power supply to the hard disk device according to the determined presence or absence of power supply;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The information management means further manages usage information for each nonvolatile memory,
The supply determining means further determines whether or not to supply power to the nonvolatile memory based on the use information,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the supply control unit further controls power supply to the nonvolatile memory.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second storage unit that stores the usage information.   The supply determining means includes usage information setting means for setting whether to determine the presence or absence of power supply for each hard disk device based on usage information corresponding to either the application or the operating condition. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   Screen generation means for generating a screen that prompts an input to select whether the supply determination means determines whether or not to supply power for each hard disk device based on usage information corresponding to either the application or the operating conditions The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control target setting unit configured to set whether to determine whether to supply power to the hard disk device or the nonvolatile memory.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a screen generation unit configured to generate a screen that prompts an input to select whether to determine whether to supply power to the hard disk device or the nonvolatile memory. apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a screen generation unit configured to generate a screen that displays one or more capacities of the hard disk device and the nonvolatile memory. A control method in an image forming apparatus having one or more hard disk devices for storing image data and one or more nonvolatile memories,
A supply determination step for determining whether or not to supply power to the hard disk device based on usage information for each hard disk device used for different applications or operating conditions;
A supply control step of controlling power supply to the hard disk device according to the determined presence or absence of power supply;
A control method for an image forming apparatus, comprising:

Images