JP2006235814A - Image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an image formation apparatus from missing any request when a request is issued from a client device to an image formation apparatus during its shift to a power saving mode from which the image formation apparatus is restorable only by a predetermined start request, and to suppress the traffic of a network. <P>SOLUTION: This image formation system is provided with an image formation apparatus and a proxy response server, and the image formation apparatus having a power saving mode from which it is restorable only by a predetermined start request is provided with a main body for performing image formation processing, a monitor for monitoring a request through a network to its own equipment, a start control part for supplying power to the main body at the time of detecting the predetermined start request signal and a shift notifying part for notifying the proxy response server connected to the network. The proxy response server is provided with a network monitoring part for monitoring the network, a registering part for registering the image formation apparatus as a device in the power saving mode from which it is restorable only by a start request at the time of detecting shift notification from the image formation apparatus, a determination part for detecting a request to the image formation apparatus in the power saving mode from which the image formation apparatus is restorable only by the predetermined start request, and for determining whether or not a proxy response is possible for the request, a proxy responding part for making a response as the proxy of the image formation apparatus, a start request issuing part for issuing a start request for the restoration of the image formation apparatus restorable by the predetermined start request, a request holding part for holding a request to the image formation apparatus, and a request transmitting part for transmitting the held request. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for power saving in an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a multi function printer (MFP) connected to a network.

  Conventionally, several technologies relating to power saving of image forming apparatuses such as printers and MFPs connected to a network have been proposed.

  Among them, a printer that has a power saving mode that can be restored only by an address resolution activation request such as a magic packet, and that does not respond to all requests other than the address resolution activation request during the transition to the power saving mode is connected to the network. There is a system in which a proxy response server connected to the same network is substituted for a response to a request when shifting to a power saving mode. In this system, when a response is required in the image forming apparatus that has shifted to the power saving mode, an address resolution activation request is issued from the proxy response server, the image forming apparatus is returned from the power saving mode, and the image forming apparatus If no response is required, the proxy response server makes a proxy response.

As another conventional example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 can be cited.
JP 2000-035732 A JP 2000-343792 A

  However, in the above conventional example, when the client apparatus issues a request to the image forming apparatus that takes time to return from the power saving mode, the image forming apparatus may miss the request from the client apparatus. In addition, when retransmission is repeated until the image forming apparatus is restored, there is a problem that the network is congested.

  The present invention aims to solve the above-described problems. To this end, in the image forming system of the present invention, a client device connected to a network and a print request or status request from a client device via the network. An image forming apparatus that performs processing in response to a request, and the like, and a proxy response server that is connected to the network and performs a proxy response when the image forming apparatus shifts to a power saving mode. The image forming apparatus includes a function and a process for issuing a request such as a print request or a status request, and the image forming apparatus shifts to a power saving mode that can be restored only by an address resolution activation request. Notification means and process for notifying transition to power saving mode and return, and power control of image forming apparatus And a means and a process for controlling and managing a power saving mode. When the proxy server detects a power saving transition notification from the image forming apparatus via the network, the image forming is performed. A power saving registration unit for registering the device as a device in transition to power saving, and a function and a process for monitoring traffic on the network and detecting a request to the image forming apparatus during power saving registered in the power saving registration unit Determining means and step for determining whether or not a proxy response is possible for a request to the image forming apparatus in the power saving mode; and, if the proxy response is not possible, an address resolution activation request to the requesting image forming apparatus And a function and process for transmitting a request, and a function and process for holding a request to the image forming apparatus when an address resolution activation request is transmitted. Including a function and process sends the request to the image forming apparatus, a start request unit for deleting the registration of the image forming apparatus from the power saving registering unit.

  As described above, according to the present invention, one or more image forming apparatuses having a power saving mode that can be restored only by a predetermined activation request are connected to the network, and are connected to the same network during the transition to the power saving mode. In a system in which a proxy response server is used as a proxy response, when a request is received from the client device to the image forming device during the power saving mode in which the image forming device can be restored only by a predetermined activation request, image formation is performed. The device will not miss the request. In addition, network traffic can be suppressed by preventing unnecessary retransmission requests from flowing on the network.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram schematically showing an embodiment of the present invention.

  In this system, a plurality of client apparatuses 101, a plurality of image forming apparatuses 102, and a proxy response server 104 are connected via a network 103 so that they can communicate with each other. Image data created or processed by each client apparatus is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 102 via the network 103 and printed. When the image forming apparatus 102 has shifted to a power saving state in which no response is made to the request from the client apparatus 101, the proxy response server 104 makes a proxy response to the request from the client apparatus 101.

  2 and 3 are block diagrams showing configurations of the image forming apparatus 102 and the proxy response server 104, respectively.

  The image forming apparatus 102 is connected to the network 103 and controls a power supply to a network monitoring unit 201 that monitors the network 103, a processing unit 202 that responds to and processes requests, and components in the image forming apparatus. The power control unit 203, the power saving mode management unit 204 that instructs and manages the transition to the power saving mode, and the proxy response server shifts to the power saving mode when shifting to the power saving mode that can be restored only by the magic packet. And a power saving mode notifying unit 205 for notifying the proxy response server of returning from the power saving mode.

  Further, the proxy server 104 is connected to the network 103, a network monitoring unit 301 that monitors the network 103, a proxy response management unit 302 that manages proxy responses, and a power saving registration that registers notification information from the image forming apparatus 102. A proxy response issuing unit 304 that performs a proxy response when a request that does not require a return to the image forming apparatus 102 registered in the power saving registration unit 302 is detected by the network monitoring unit 301; When a request that requires the apparatus 102 to return is detected, it includes a start request issuing unit 305 that issues a start request and a request holding unit 305 that holds a request from the client device date 101 to the image forming apparatus 102. Has been.

  In the above configuration, an embodiment will be described based on the flowcharts of FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the image forming apparatus, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the proxy response server.

  The image forming apparatus 102 resets a timer for measuring a standby period managed by the power saving mode management unit 204 at the time of activation. (S101).

  In step S <b> 102, the image forming apparatus 102 uses the network monitoring unit 201 to monitor a request from the client apparatus 101 via the network 103. If a request is detected, the process proceeds to step S103, and if no request is detected, the process proceeds to step S104 (S102).

  In step S103, the image forming apparatus 102 responds to and processes the request from the client apparatus 101 by the processing unit 202, and proceeds to step S101 (S103).

  In step S104, when the power saving mode management unit 204 determines that the timer has not reached the predetermined power saving mode transition time, the process proceeds to step S102 and waits for a request from the client apparatus 101. When the power saving mode management unit 204 determines that the timer has reached a predetermined power saving mode transition time, the process proceeds to step S105 (S104).

  In step S104, when the power saving mode management unit 204 determines that the timer has reached a predetermined power saving mode transition time, the power saving mode transition notification unit 205 issues a transition notification to the proxy response server 104. Do. The power saving mode transition notification includes information identifying the image forming apparatus 102 such as a MAC address, information indicating which request from the client apparatus 101 a proxy response is desired, and the proxy response content. Included (S105).

  If it is determined in step S106 that the proxy response server 104 is not permitted to shift to the power saving mode in step S106, the process proceeds to step S105 and waits until permission to shift to the power saving mode is obtained. If the proxy response server 104 issues a power saving mode transition permission, the process proceeds to step S107 (S106).

  When the network monitoring unit 201 detects permission to shift to the power saving mode from the proxy response server 104, the image forming apparatus 102 controls the power supply to the components in the image forming apparatus 102 by the power supply control unit 203, and saves power. Transition to the power mode (S107).

  In step S <b> 108, the image forming apparatus 102 monitors only whether there is an activation request from the network 103 by the network monitoring unit 201. If there is no activation request from the proxy response server 104, the image forming apparatus 102 waits until there is an activation request. If there is an activation request from the proxy response server 104, the process proceeds to step S109 (S108).

  If an activation request is received from the proxy response server 104 in step S108, the network monitoring unit 201 notifies the power supply control unit 203 to supply power (S109).

  When the image forming apparatus 102 returns from the power saving mode, the power saving mode management unit 204 requests the power saving mode notification unit 205 to issue a power saving mode return notification. Upon receiving the request, the power saving mode notification unit 205 issues a power saving mode return notification to the proxy response server 104, and proceeds to step S102 (S110).

  The proxy response server 104 monitors whether the network monitoring unit 301 receives a power saving mode transition notification from the image forming apparatus 102. If no power saving mode transition notification is detected, the process waits until there is a power saving mode transition notification, and if a power saving mode transition notification is detected, the process proceeds to step S202 (S201).

  In step S202, address information for identifying the image forming apparatus 102 is registered in the power saving registration unit 303 from the power saving mode transition notification received from the image forming apparatus 102 (S202).

  The proxy response server 104 monitors whether there is a request to the image forming apparatus 102 registered in the power saving registration unit 303 on the network 103 by the network monitoring unit 301 (S203).

  If the network monitoring unit 301 of the proxy response server 104 cannot detect the request to the image forming apparatus 102, the monitoring is continued until it can be detected. When a request to the image forming apparatus 102 is detected, the proxy response management unit 302 determines whether the request is a request that the image forming apparatus 102 desires to substitute, and the image forming apparatus 102 desires to substitute. If it is determined that it is not necessary to return the image forming apparatus 102 according to the request, the process proceeds to step S205. On the other hand, if the request is a request that the image forming apparatus 102 does not want to substitute, and it is determined that the power saving mode of the image forming apparatus 102 needs to be restored, the process proceeds to step S206 (S204).

  In step S205, the proxy response issuing unit 304 performs a response and processing corresponding to the request from the client device 101 based on the proxy response content registered in the power saving registration unit 303 (S205).

  If it is determined in step S204 that the image forming apparatus 102 needs to be returned from the power saving mode, the proxy response management unit 302 holds the request from the client device 101 in the request holding unit 305 (S205).

  Next, the proxy response management unit 302 requests the activation request issuing unit 305 to issue an activation request to the image forming apparatus 102. Upon receiving the request, the activation request issuing unit 305 issues an activation request to the image forming apparatus 102 (S207).

  In step S208, the power saving return notification from the image forming apparatus 102 is monitored by the network monitoring unit 301. If a power saving return notification is detected, the process proceeds to step S209 (S208).

  In step S209, the request from the client apparatus 101 held in the request holding unit 306 is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 102 (S209).

1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing an embodiment of an image forming system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus in FIG. 1. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the proxy response server of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of one Embodiment of this invention image forming system. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example of one Embodiment of this invention image forming system.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Client apparatus 102 Image forming apparatus 103 Network 104 Proxy response server 201 Network interface part 202 Processing part 203 Power supply control part 204 Power saving mode management part 205 Power saving mode notification part 301 Network monitoring part 302 Proxy response management part 303 Power saving registration part 304 Proxy response issuing unit 305 Activation request issuing unit 306 Request holding unit

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus that responds and processes in response to a request from a client device via a network, and a proxy server that is connected to the network and performs a proxy response of the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus has a power saving mode that can be restored only by a predetermined activation request,
A main unit that performs image forming processing, a monitoring unit that monitors a request addressed to the device via the network, a start control unit that turns on the power to the main unit when a predetermined start request signal is detected, and the network A transition notification unit that notifies the proxy response server connected to
The proxy response server registers a network monitoring unit that monitors the network and a device in a power saving mode that can be restored only by a predetermined activation request when detecting a transition notification from the image forming device. A determination unit that determines whether the request is a proxy response when a request to the image forming device is detected during a power saving mode in which the image forming device can be restored only by a predetermined activation request; A proxy response unit that responds as a proxy for the image forming apparatus, a start request issuing unit that issues a start request for returning the image forming apparatus that can be returned only by a predetermined start request, and a request to the image forming apparatus. A request holding unit that holds the request, a request transmission unit that transmits the held request, and
Including an image forming system.   The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the transition notification from the image forming apparatus includes address information unique to the image forming apparatus.   The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the transition notification from the image forming apparatus includes proxy response request information of the image forming apparatus.

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