JP2001148751A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming device which enables a user to freely select the settings of power-saving mode for each constituent element. SOLUTION: A controller 10 of the image forming device is provided with various constituent elements of a CPU 11 to a console panel 24. Blocks B1 and B2 are formed by properly combining these constituent elements and constituent elements for which the power-saving mode is set by cutting off power supply are previously selected. The user is able to cancel the power-saving mode of, for example, an LCD controller 23 according to the use state. When the device is set in the power-saving mode, saved electric energy and the time needed for a restart after power-saving mode cancellation are reported and then the power-saving effect and convenience can be judged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus in which a user can freely select a power saving mode for each component.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile machine (hereinafter abbreviated as a multifunction machine) and a digital copying machine having a copy function, an automatic document feeder (ADF) or a flatbed type is generally used. A reading document mounting table is provided. The ADF is for continuously and automatically feeding a large number of documents to be read to an optical reading system to continuously read an image from each document surface.

The flatbed type document placing table has a cover glass as a transparent document supporting plate, and a user places one document to be read at a predetermined position on the cover glass. Each of them is placed one by one and read by an optical reading system. Such a reading method using a flat bed type document table is generally called book reading. The cover glass as the document supporting plate constitutes a flatbed scanner (FBS) together with the optical reading system.

When copying an original with a digital copying machine or a multifunction peripheral, a reading mode (resolution) corresponding to the number of copies and the type of the original (image information of ordinary characters or figures or a photograph) is used. ), The start button is pressed to start reading the original, and the copy is printed on the specified number of recording sheets.

By the way, in consideration of recent environmental problems, in this type of image forming apparatus, in order to reduce power consumption as much as possible, power supply to unnecessary components is cut off and a power saving mode is set. The demand is growing. As an example, when a block is formed by appropriately combining the components of the image forming apparatus such as a printer (recording unit), a display unit, a communication control unit, and an image processing unit, and a power saving mode is set, An image forming apparatus that stops power supply has been developed.

[0006]

As described above, a power saving mode in block units in which a plurality of constituent elements are appropriately combined.
The setting of the code is determined uniformly at the time of product shipment, and
The user could not change the setting of the power saving mode. Therefore, for example, if the display unit is set to the power saving mode, only the display unit cannot respond to the user's request to always supply power and display the display. There was a problem.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and the setting of the power saving mode for each component is performed by a user.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can be freely selected by a user.

[0008]

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus, comprising: an operation unit for setting an operation mode; a storage unit for storing data; and a display unit. ,
A plurality of components including a recording unit for recording data and a central processing control unit are provided, and components for which a power saving mode for interrupting power supply is set are selected in advance and registered in the storage unit. This is achieved by changing the components in which the power saving mode is set, selecting an arbitrary component, and registering the setting in the storage unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, a power saving amount is notified when an arbitrary component for setting the power saving mode is selected. It is characterized by.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first or second aspect, when an arbitrary component for setting the power saving mode is selected, the power saving mode is selected. It is characterized in that it notifies the time required to release the password and restart.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when a component for which the power saving mode is set in advance at the time of product shipment is selected, the power saving mode is set according to the use condition of the user. Can be arbitrarily selected and changed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the power saving mode
Since the amount of power saving at the time of setting the mode is notified, the effect of reducing the amount of power at the time of setting the power saving mode becomes clear.

According to the third aspect of the invention, a power saving mode is provided.
Since the time from the cancellation of the setting of the mode to the restart is known, the convenience can be determined when the power saving mode is set.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is a side view of a reading portion in an example of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.
This image forming apparatus is configured as a multifunction peripheral having both a copying function and a facsimile function as described above.
In FIG. 2, a multifunction peripheral 1 as an image forming apparatus includes an apparatus case 2, a press cover 3, and a document feeding unit 4.

The device case 2 incorporates an optical reading system (OP). Although the details of the optical reading system are not shown, a lamp 9 serving as a light source and a reflection mirror are attached to a moving frame driven by a step motor, and a condensing lens and an image pickup device for image reading ( (CCD) is fixed in the apparatus case 2. The lamp 9 serving as a light source reciprocates in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrow S).

A transparent cover glass 8 is mounted on the upper surface of the apparatus case 2 as a support plate on which a document to be read is to be placed when used in the FBS mode. The cover glass 8 constitutes an FBS together with a lamp 9 serving as a light source and a reflection mirror attached to the moving frame of the optical reading system.

The holding lid 3 includes a substrate 5, a paper feed tray 6, and a discharge tray 7, and is attached to the upper end of the apparatus case 2 by a hinge mechanism so as to be opened and closed. That is, the holding lid 3 functions as an opening / closing plate that opens and closes the cover glass 8. The document feeder 4 is a main component of the ADF, and takes in a document to be read from the paper feed tray 6 and reverses the document. Subsequently, the document to be read is transported in the document feeding section 4, and when passing through the light transmitting plate, the image of the document to be read is read by the optical reading system and discharged to the discharge tray 7.

Next, a description will be given of the document feeder 4, which is a main component of the ADF. At the entrance of the document feeder 4,
Document width detecting sensors 41 are arranged at a predetermined pitch. In the document feeder 4, a feed roller 4a and a separation roller 4b for taking in the uppermost document to be read on the paper feed tray 6 are provided. A paper feed auxiliary roller 4c is provided beside the feeding roller 4a, and the driving force from the feeding roller 4a is transmitted by a belt 4d.

The sheet feeding auxiliary roller 4c is rotated in the same direction as the feeding roller 4a by receiving a driving force from the belt 4d with the rotation of the feeding roller 4a, and descends to feed the sheet. The sheet comes in contact with the upper surface of the uppermost document to be read on the paper tray 6 to assist paper feeding by the feed roller 4a. Feeding roller 4a
A transport roller 4e and a pair of driven rollers 4f, 4g are provided downstream of the separation roller 4b.

In the ADF mode, the feed roller 4a
The original to be read, which has been taken into the original feeding unit 4 by the separation roller 4b, is conveyed by a transport roller 4e and a pair of driven rollers 4
After being conveyed while being held between f and 4g and turned over, it passes over the light transmitting plate 4k. The image of the document to be read is read by the optical reading system through the light transmitting plate 4k.

The document to be read, which has passed over the light transmitting plate 4k, is conveyed by a pair of discharge rollers 4h and 4i,
j and is discharged onto the discharge tray 7. A document sensor 41 that detects that a document has been set is provided at the leading end of the paper feed tray 6. This original sensor 4l
Is configured using, for example, a photoelectric sensor.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a control device of the image forming apparatus of the present invention. Next, this block diagram will be described. The control device 10 includes various components. Its constituent elements are a central processing control unit (CPU) 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13 used as a buffer memory and the like, which does not require a backup power supply, a RAM 14 holding data with the backup power supply, and an external personal computer 16. Interface for connecting
15 is provided.

A mechanism control unit 17 for controlling the scanner 18 and an image processing unit 19 for controlling the printer 20 so that the image read by the scanner 18 is input and the image data is recorded by the printer 20 are provided. Have been.
Further, a network control unit (NCU) 2
Liquid crystal (LCD) controller 2 having a communication control unit 21 for controlling the LCD 2 and a display unit for displaying images, various data, etc.
3. An operation panel 24 on which various input keys such as a power saving mode setting key are arranged is provided. The display of the LCD controller 23 displays whether or not the power saving mode can be set for each component and the amount of power saving when the power saving mode described later is set.

The ROM 12 stores various control programs necessary for controlling the operation of the apparatus. RAM 13
Indicates received image data and image data read by an optical reading system.
Data (image data) is temporarily stored.

The printer 20 is composed of an electrophotographic printer, and copies received image data and image data read by an optical reading system onto recording paper of a standard size supplied from a paper cassette (not shown). I do. That is, the printer 2
Numeral 0 functions as a recording unit for recording image data.
The printer 20 can print various data on recording paper. It is also possible to provide a clock section for counting the current time and print the time at that point on a received document using the output. Network control
A network unit (NCU) 22 controls closing and opening of the telephone line L, and detects sending and receiving of dial pulses corresponding to the fax number of the other party.

On the operation panel 24, a key for setting the power saving mode, a copy / facsimile multifunction machine, and a copy for selecting either the copy mode or the facsimile communication mode. / Communication key, copy reading mode (resolution) depending on whether the original is image information such as text or photo information
A key for setting various operation modes such as a key for setting a reading mode key for setting an automatic recording mode and a mode for selecting an automatic recording paper selection mode is provided. These modes of operation are LC
It is possible to adopt a configuration in which selection and setting are performed by a touch panel on the screen of the display unit of the D controller.

In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when a component for setting the power saving mode is selected in advance and registered in the storage unit, the power saving mode is set for the component. The configuration is such that a component that can be released or newly operated in the power saving mode can be selected. For this reason, the user can select an arbitrary component according to the use situation and set the power saving mode.

In FIG. 1, a portion B1 surrounded by a dashed line is a first power saving mode setting block.
The D controller 23 and the operation panel 24 are the constituent elements for which the power saving mode is set.

The portion B2 surrounded by the dashed line is the second portion.
In the power saving mode setting block, the first power saving mode
Control unit 17, image processing unit 19, printer 20, communication control unit 21
Are set to the power saving mode.

FIG. 3 shows the amount of power saving when the power saving mode is set and registered for each component and the time required from the release of the power saving mode setting for each component to the restart. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a table that has been made. Such a table is
For example, it can be stored in the RAM 14.

As shown in the table of FIG. 3, for example, a printer having a large amount of power saving requires a longer time to restart. For this reason, if the printer is set as a target element of the power saving mode setting, the effect of power saving can be obtained, but the convenience of the user is not satisfactory. In the present invention, the amount of power saving and the time required for restarting when the power saving mode is set for each component are set in the LCD control.
The printer is printed on a display unit of a printer or on a recording sheet so that a user can set a power saving mode in consideration of power saving effect and convenience.

FIG. 4 shows that when the power saving mode is set, L
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a screen displayed on a display unit of the CD controller 23. In FIG. 4, the portion with "NO" displayed for each component is a portion where the power saving mode is not set, and the portion with "YES" displayed is the portion where the power saving mode is set. It is.

The example shown in FIG. 4 is a power saving mode initialized by a manufacturer at the time of product shipment.
In power saving mode 1, LCD controller, operation panel,
The RAM 1 is a target component of the power saving mode.
Assuming that all of these components are subjected to the power saving mode 1, the power saving amount is 29 W and the restart time is 5 seconds.

When all the components are selected in the power saving mode 2, it is displayed that the power saving amount is 158 W and the restart time is 25 seconds. Here, the restart time indicates a restart time of 25 seconds of the printer requiring the maximum restart time in the block.

In setting the power saving mode 2, if the LCD controller is to be excluded from the power saving mode, "NO" is input to the LCD controller from the operation panel. In this case, the power saving amount is 158
This is 138 W obtained by subtracting 20 W from W. As the restart time, the restart time of the printer that requires the maximum restart time in the block as described above is displayed as 25 seconds.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, in which the power saving mode is maintained or released for each component in the block in which the power saving mode is initially set. This is a flowchart showing a processing procedure. next,
This flowchart will be described.

(1) The processing program is started in step S1, and the current setting, for example, the power saving mode 2 of the initial setting is displayed in step S2. Next, in step S3, it is determined whether the setting is completed. This determination result is YES
If it is (hereinafter abbreviated as Y), the processing program ends in step S4.

(2) If the decision result in the step S3 is NO (hereinafter abbreviated as N), the process shifts to a step S5 to select the power saving mode 1 or the power saving mode 2. Next, in the process of step S6, a power saving block composed of components corresponding to the selected power saving mode is selected. The processing in step S6 is to select the block 1 in FIG. 1 in the power saving mode 1 and to select the block 2 in FIG. 1 in the power saving mode 2. Subsequently, the process proceeds to a process of step S7.

(3) In the processing of step S7, whether or not to set the power saving mode for each component in the block is selected by YES or NO. If NO is selected here, the component has been set as the target of the power saving mode in the initial setting, but the setting of the power saving mode has been canceled in the process of step S7. Next, in the process of step S8, it is determined whether to set the power saving mode of the constituent element or not.

(4) Then, the processing shifts to the processing of step S9, and whether or not the setting is YES, that is, whether the processing performed on the individual components is the processing for setting the power saving mode or the power saving mode It is determined whether the processing is a processing in which the power mode is not set. If the result of this determination is Y, it is determined that the above processing is the setting of the power saving mode, and step S10 is performed.
Then, the whole power saving amount is added.

(5) Next, in the process of step S11, it is determined whether or not there is a component having the maximum restart time in the currently selected block. If the determination result is Y, in step S12, the restart time of the selected power saving mode is updated to the restart time of the component having the maximum value, and the processing in step S2 and subsequent steps is performed. Return. Also, when the result of the determination in step S11 is N, the process returns to step S2 and subsequent steps.

(6) If the result of the determination in step S9 is N, that is, if the power saving mode is not set for each component, the process proceeds to step S13. Then, the whole power saving amount is subtracted. This processing is performed, for example, in the example of FIG. 1 when the user does not set the LCD controller which is set to the power saving mode in block 1 in the initial setting to the power saving mode. The power saving of 20 W by the LCD controller is subtracted from the power saving of 29 W of the entire block 1.

(7) Subsequently, in the processing of step S14, it is determined whether or not the restart time is maximum. If the result of the determination is Y, the process moves to step S12, and the restart time of the selected power saving mode is updated. If the determination result in step S14 is N, the process returns to step S2 and subsequent steps.

(8) Hereinafter, steps S2 to S1
When the loop processing of step 4 is repeated and the processing of setting or not setting the power saving mode for all the constituent elements is completed, the determination result in step S3 becomes Y, and the processing exits from the loop processing. In step S4, the processing program ends.

As described above, according to the present invention, when a component to which the power saving mode is set is selected in advance, the component is released from the setting of the power saving mode or newly set. An arbitrary component can be selected as a target of the power saving mode and set and registered in the storage unit. in this way,
Since the user can freely change the contents of the power saving mode of the initial setting, power saving can be realized according to the actual use.

When the power saving mode is set for each component, a CPU or an RO that needs a backup is required.
If the power supply to the M or the RAM is cut off, a situation such as inoperability or loss of data occurs. For this reason,
For these components, it is possible to create a program so that the power saving mode cannot be set.

[0047]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when a component for setting the power saving mode is selected in advance at the time of product shipment, the usage status of the user is reduced. Accordingly, the components for setting the power saving mode can be arbitrarily selected and changed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the power saving mode
Since the amount of power saving at the time of setting the mode is notified, the effect of reducing the amount of power at the time of setting the power saving mode becomes clear.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the power saving mode
Since the time from the cancellation of the setting of the mode to the restart is known, the convenience can be determined when the power saving mode is set.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a reading portion of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a table when a power saving mode is set according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a display screen when a power saving mode is set according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 image forming apparatus 2 main body case 3 press cover 4 document feeder 5 substrate 6 paper feed tray 7 discharge tray 10 controller 11 central processing controller (CPU) 12 ROM 13, 14 RAM 15 interface 17 mechanism control Unit 19 Image processing unit 20 Printer 21 Communication control unit 23 LCD controller 24 Operation panel

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C061 AP03 AP04 AP07 AQ06 HH11 HT04 HT07 5B011 DC01 EA10 EB08 HH02 KK02 MA02 MA05 5C062 AA02 AA05 AB20 AB22 AB25 AB26 AB41 AB42 AB43 AB49 AE15 AF06 BA00

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of components including an operation unit for setting an operation mode, a storage unit for storing data, a display unit, a recording unit for recording data, and a central processing control unit. With elements,
An image forming apparatus in which a power saving mode in which power supply is cut off is selected in advance and registered in the storage unit, and the component in which the power saving mode is set is changed. An image forming apparatus for selecting an arbitrary component and setting and registering the selected component in a storage unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when an arbitrary component for setting the power saving mode is selected, the power saving amount is notified. 3. The system according to claim 1, wherein when selecting an arbitrary component for setting the power saving mode, a time required for canceling the power saving mode and restarting is notified. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.