JP2006231532A - Image forming apparatus and power supply control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which enhances an energy-saving effect, and an power supply control program. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming apparatus comprises: a starting-unit definition data storage means wherein a job identification name for identifying the kind of a job, and a unit identification name for identifying a unit having to be started in the execution of the job are defined; a power supply means which can switch between the supply of power and the stop of the supply of the power for each unit having to be started in the execution of the job; a detection means for detecting a starting trigger for the job to be executed; a job identification means for acquiring the job identification name by identifying the kind of the job, the starting trigger of which is detected; a starting-unit identification means for acquiring the unit identification name associated with the identified job identification name, by referring to the starting-unit definition data storage means; and a starting control means which outputs instructions on the supply of the power to the unit with the acquired unit identification name immediately before the start of the execution of the job, and which outputs instructions on the stop of the supply of the power to the unit, outputting the instructions on the supply of the power, to the power supply means, at the termination of the execution of the job. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a power supply control program with improved energy saving effect.

Conventionally, there is known an image forming apparatus that supplies power to a unit necessary for processing and stops power supply to an unnecessary unit (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP 2000-174978 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-120443 JP 2000-267518 A

  However, if the power supply to each unit is stopped in order to save power consumption, some units require time until the power is supplied again to start up. There is a problem that it takes a long time to start job execution. On the other hand, if the power supply is not stopped for a unit that takes time to start, it is not possible to expect an energy saving effect, so it is necessary to optimize the power supply / stop control.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus and a power supply control program with improved energy saving effect.

  The present invention provides a startup unit definition data storage means in which a job identification name for identifying the type of job to be executed and a unit identification name for identifying a unit that needs to be activated when the job is executed are defined in advance. , A power supply unit capable of switching between power supply and supply stop for each unit that needs to be activated when executing a job, a detection unit that detects a start trigger of a job to be executed, and the start trigger detects A job specifying unit for obtaining a job identification name by specifying a type of the specified job, and a startup for obtaining a unit identification name related to the specified job identification name with reference to the startup unit definition data storage unit Immediately before the start of job execution with the unit identification means, a power supply instruction is output to the unit having the obtained unit identification name, and the job execution is completed. At the time, characterized in that the instruction to stop the power supply to the output by unit instructs the power supply and a start control means for outputting to said power supply means.

  The present invention is characterized in that the start trigger is output when a preparatory operation necessary when a job is to be executed is detected.

  According to the present invention, when there are a plurality of units that need to be activated when executing one job, the activation control unit outputs a power supply instruction at a timing when each unit needs to operate during job execution. A power supply stop instruction is output at a timing when the power supply becomes unnecessary.

  The present invention provides a startup unit definition data storage means in which a job identification name for identifying the type of job to be executed and a unit identification name for identifying a unit that needs to be activated when the job is executed are defined in advance. A power control program that operates on an image forming apparatus including a power supply unit capable of switching between power supply and supply stop for each unit that needs to be activated when executing a job, and executes the power control program A detection process for detecting a start trigger of a job, a job specification process for obtaining a job identification name by specifying the type of the job in which the start trigger is detected, and the start unit definition data storage means. Start unit specifying process for obtaining a unit identification name associated with the job identification name, and the unit identification name obtained immediately before the start of job execution A start control process for outputting to the power supply means an instruction to stop the power supply to the unit that has output the power supply instruction when the job execution is completed. It is characterized by having a computer perform.

  According to the present invention, when there are a plurality of units that need to be activated when executing one job, the activation control process outputs a power supply instruction at a timing when the operation of each unit is necessary during job execution. A power supply stop instruction is output at a timing when the power supply becomes unnecessary.

  According to the present invention, when a job to be executed is specified, power is supplied to a unit necessary for job execution, and the unit is instructed to start up, and the power is turned on only when necessary. Since power is consumed, the power consumed by the image forming apparatus can be minimized. In addition, since the start instruction is output when the job to be executed can be identified before the job start instruction, the time until the job execution starts can be shortened.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment. In this figure, reference numeral P denotes an image forming apparatus having a copying function, a printing function, an image reading function, a FAX transmission / reception function and the like. Reference numeral 1 denotes a control unit that performs overall control of processing operations of the image forming apparatus P. Reference numeral 2 denotes an input unit including a numeric keypad, function keys, a touch panel, and the like. Reference numeral 3 denotes a display unit composed of a liquid crystal display or the like. Reference numeral 4 denotes a power supply unit that supplies power to each unit in the image forming apparatus P, and can switch between power supply and supply stop for each unit. Reference numeral 5 denotes an activation control unit that controls activation and deactivation of each unit provided in the image forming apparatus P. Reference numeral 6 denotes an activation unit definition data storage unit in which a job identification name that identifies the type of job to be executed and a unit identification name that identifies a unit that needs to be activated when the job is executed are defined in advance. is there.

  Reference numeral 7 denotes a sensor group attached to each part in the image forming apparatus P, and outputs a detection signal to the control unit 1. Reference numerals 8, 9, and 10 denote control units that control operations of the A unit, the B unit, and the C unit. Here, in order to simplify the drawing, only three units (A unit, B unit, C unit) are illustrated, but these units are, for example, an image reading unit, a printing unit, a paper transport unit, and the like. A unit control unit of a unit that realizes a function included in the image forming apparatus P is connected to the activation control unit 5. Each control unit 8, 9, 10 controls the operation of a board, device, sensor or the like under control management. Reference numeral 11 denotes a public line communication unit that performs communication via a public line. Reference numeral 12 denotes a network communication unit that performs communication with a network connection device via the network N. Reference numeral C denotes a personal computer connected to the network N, which creates document data and prints the document data by the image forming apparatus P. Reference numeral 21 denotes a printer driver installed in the personal computer C, which interprets print data created in the personal computer C, converts it into intermediate data, and transmits the intermediate data to the image forming apparatus P.

  Here, the table structure of the activation unit definition data storage unit 6 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The activation unit definition data storage unit 6 stores an activation unit identification name that identifies a unit that needs to be activated for each job identification name that identifies a job to be executed in the image forming apparatus P. For example, a copy job that reads an image of an original placed on a platen and transfers the read image onto a printing sheet means that unit A, unit B, and unit C are activated. The print job is a job for printing an image on a print sheet based on the intermediate data transmitted from the personal computer C. The image reading job is a job for obtaining image data by reading an image of a document placed on a platen. The FAX reception job and FAX transmission job are jobs for performing FAX transmission / reception via the public line communication unit 11.

  Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus P shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the control unit 1 monitors whether or not a job start trigger is detected by monitoring the states of the input unit 2, the sensor group 7, the public line 11 and the network communication unit 12 (step S1) (step S2). ). When a job start trigger is detected, the control unit 1 identifies a job to be executed based on the detected trigger (step S3).

  In this case, the job start trigger is executed by analyzing the operation content in the input unit 2 and the operation content of the accessory in the image forming apparatus P in addition to the timing when the execution key is pressed to instruct the start of the copy job. It is output when the function to be identified can be specified. For example, when the sensor group 7 detects that a document is placed on the automatic document feeder, and when the input unit 2 selects a print sheet, the job to be executed is specified as a copy job. be able to. In the personal computer C, when the printer driver 21 is activated, the printer driver 21 notifies the image forming apparatus P that the printer driver has been activated. The control unit 1 can monitor the status of the network communication unit 12 and specify that the job to be executed is a print job when detecting that the printer driver 21 is activated. In addition, when the sensor group 7 detects that a document is placed on the automatic document feeder and the destination telephone number is input in the input unit 2, it is determined that the job to be executed is a FAX transmission job. The public line communication unit 11 can identify that the job to be executed is a FAX reception job by detecting that there is an incoming call.

  When the job to be executed can be identified, the control unit 1 notifies the activation control unit 5 of the job identification name of the identified job. In response to this, the activation control unit 5 reads the activation unit identification name associated with the identified job identification name from the activation unit definition data storage unit 6, and identifies the unit to be activated (step S4). Then, the activation control unit 5 instructs the power supply unit 4 to start power supply to the unit having the read activation unit identification name, and for the unit having the read activation unit identification name. And give instructions to start. In response, the power supply unit 4 supplies power to the instructed unit (step S5). In addition, the unit control unit (A unit control unit 8, B unit control unit 9, C unit control unit 10, etc.) that has received the start instruction starts after power is supplied.

  Next, the control unit 1 monitors the execution status of the identified job (step S6), and detects that the job being executed ends (step S7). Then, when it is detected that the job has been completed, the control unit 1 notifies the start control unit 5 of the job identification name of the completed job and the completion of the job. In response to this, the activation control unit 5 reads the activation unit identification name associated with the job identification name of the completed job from the activation unit definition data storage unit 6. Then, the activation control unit 5 instructs the power supply unit 4 to stop the power supply to the unit having the read activation unit identification name, and for the unit having the read activation unit identification name. To stop operation. However, when a plurality of jobs are being executed in parallel, the power supply stop and operation stop instructions are not output to the units required by the job being executed. In response to this, the power supply unit 4 stops the power supply to the instructed unit (step S8). As a result, the operation of the unit that is no longer necessary is stopped.

  In this way, when the job to be executed is identified, power is supplied to the unit necessary for job execution, and the unit is instructed to start up so that the power of the power source is supplied only when necessary. Since power is consumed, the power consumed by the image forming apparatus P can be minimized.

  The unit in the claims is a unit that can control power supply and stop, and does not necessarily need to be a functional level unit such as a printing unit or a paper transport unit. The unit may be a minimum unit (for example, a sensor, a controller board, or a hard disk drive) that can control power supply / stop required when executing a predetermined job. In this case, it is only necessary to assign an identification name to each unit of the minimum unit that can be controlled to supply / stop power, and define it in advance in the activation unit identification name column shown in FIG. In addition, a start instruction is output only to a higher-level unit (for example, the unit control units 8, 9, and 10 shown in FIG. 1) necessary for executing a job to be executed, and the unit is started during execution of one job. The upper unit is output to the lower unit (for example, the board 81, the device 82, and the sensor 83 in the case of the A unit shown in FIG. 1). You may make it stop when it complete | finishes. In this way, further energy saving effect can be expected. Further, the power supply stop may be a transition to an energy saving mode in each unit.

  The program for realizing the function of the processing unit in FIG. 1 is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read by the computer system and executed to execute the power control process. You may go. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices. The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, and a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built in the computer system. Further, the “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that becomes a server or a client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line. In addition, those holding programs for a certain period of time are also included.

  The program may be transmitted from a computer system storing the program in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium or by a transmission wave in the transmission medium. Here, the “transmission medium” for transmitting the program refers to a medium having a function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line. The program may be for realizing a part of the functions described above. Furthermore, what can implement | achieve the function mentioned above in combination with the program already recorded on the computer system, and what is called a difference file (difference program) may be sufficient.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of the image forming apparatus P shown in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the table structure of the starting unit definition data storage part 6 shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

P: image forming apparatus, 1 ... control unit, 2 ... input unit, 3 ... display unit, 4 ... power supply unit, 5 ... start control unit, 6 ... start Unit definition data storage unit, 7 ... sensor group, 8, 9, 10 ... unit control unit, 11 ... public line communication unit, 12 ... network communication unit, C ... personal computer

Claims (5)

An activation unit definition data storage means defined in advance in association with a job identification name for identifying the type of job to be executed and a unit identification name for identifying a unit that needs to be activated when executing the job;
Power supply means capable of switching power supply and supply stop for each of the units that need to be activated when executing a job;
Detecting means for detecting a start trigger of a job to be executed;
Job specifying means for specifying a job type in which the start trigger is detected and obtaining a job identification name;
An activation unit specifying means for obtaining a unit identification name related to the specified job identification name with reference to the activation unit definition data storage means;
An instruction to output power supply to the unit having the obtained unit identification name immediately before starting job execution, and to stop power supply to the unit that output the power supply instruction when job execution is completed And an activation control means for outputting the power to the power supply means.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the start trigger is output when a preparatory operation necessary for executing a job is detected.   When there are a plurality of units that need to be activated when executing one job, the activation control unit outputs a power supply instruction at a timing when the operation of each unit is necessary during job execution, and the operation becomes unnecessary. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a power supply stop instruction is output at a predetermined timing. A startup unit definition data storage means that is defined in advance in association with a job identification name that identifies the type of job to be executed and a unit identification name that identifies a unit that needs to be activated when executing the job, and executes the job A power supply control program that operates on an image forming apparatus provided with a power supply means capable of switching between power supply and supply stop for each unit that needs to be started,
A detection process for detecting the start trigger of the job to be executed;
Job identification processing for identifying the type of job in which the start trigger is detected and obtaining a job identification name;
An activation unit specifying process for obtaining a unit identification name related to the specified job identification name with reference to the activation unit definition data storage means;
An instruction to output power supply to the unit having the obtained unit identification name immediately before starting job execution, and to stop power supply to the unit that output the power supply instruction when job execution is completed A power control program for causing a computer to perform a startup control process for outputting the power to the power supply means. When there are a plurality of units that need to be activated when executing one job, the activation control process outputs a power supply instruction at a timing when the operation of each unit is necessary during job execution, and the operation becomes unnecessary. 5. The power supply control program according to claim 4, wherein a power supply stop instruction is output at a predetermined timing.

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