JP2006272637A - Printer and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To bring about the speedup and power-saving of printing by switching between a current-carrying mode and a power-saving mode through the use of a more appropriate schedule. <P>SOLUTION: A weighted appearance ratio of each mode setting table is determined on the basis of selection condition information such as a day of the week and the number of computers in an operating state (S440); a relation point of each mode setting table is computed on the basis of the weighted appearance ratio, and the use condition information such as the day of the week and the number of the computers in the operating state on the day (S460); the mode setting table having the highest relation point is selected as a table for execution (S470-S520); and the switching between the current-carrying mode and the power-saving mode is performed based on the selected mode setting table. This enables the switching between the current-carrying mode and the power-saving mode to be performed by selecting the more appropriate mode setting table depending on a user's operation style, and enables the speedup and power-saving of the printing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a control method therefor, and more specifically, an energization mode in which print jobs from a plurality of computers are connected so as to be able to be received and a print job can be immediately executed, The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that executes a received print job by switching to a power saving mode that requires a predetermined preparation for shifting to the above, and a control method thereof.

Conventionally, as this type of printing apparatus, one that switches between an energization mode in which a print job can be immediately printed and a power saving mode that consumes less power than the energization mode has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). . In this apparatus, after storing the print instruction time and operation time zone during a certain period, a schedule corresponding to the operation status is created from the statistical result, and the power supply of each mechanism unit in the printing apparatus is prepared according to the created schedule. Switching between energization mode and power saving mode by switching on / off.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-155859

  However, the above-described printing apparatus does not consider a case where a print job is received from a plurality of computers for printing, and does not conform to a schedule created by a computer in an operating state among the plurality of computers. If you switch between energization mode and power saving mode according to, if you want to print, it is in power saving mode and you can not print immediately, or if you have not printed for a while and it is in energized mode and wastes power Occurs. Further, the printing schedule in the printing apparatus differs depending not only on the operating state of the connected computer but also on the user's work form, and it is necessary to consider the cycle of the user's work form.

  One of the objects of the printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention is to speed up printing and save power by switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode using a more appropriate schedule. Another object of the printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention is to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode using a more appropriate schedule according to the operating state of a computer capable of receiving a print job. Furthermore, it is an object of the printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode using a more appropriate schedule according to the user's work mode. Alternatively, it is an object of the printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention to create a more appropriate schedule for switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode.

  The printing apparatus and the control method thereof according to the present invention employ the following means in order to achieve at least a part of the above object.

The printing apparatus of the present invention includes:
An energization mode in which print jobs from a plurality of computers are connected so as to be able to be received and a print job can be immediately executed; and a power saving mode in which power consumption is smaller than the energization mode and a predetermined preparation is required to shift to the energization mode; A printing device that executes a received print job,
A mode setting table storage means capable of storing a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone for prohibiting switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode within a table time from a predetermined start time to a predetermined end time;
Selection condition information storage means for storing selection condition information for selecting a mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means;
The usage condition information related to the usage conditions of the apparatus is input at a predetermined timing and stored in the mode setting table storage means based on the input usage condition information and the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means An execution table selection means for selecting an execution table from the mode setting table;
Mode switching means for switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode based on the selected execution table;
It is a summary to provide.

  In the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the mode setting table storage means stores a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone in which switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is prohibited within the table time from the predetermined start time to the predetermined end time. And the selection condition information for selecting the mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means is stored in the selection condition information storage means, and the use conditions relating to the use conditions of the device at a predetermined timing When the information is input, the execution table is selected from the mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means based on the input use condition information and the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means. Switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode based on the execution table. As a result, it is possible to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode by selecting a more appropriate mode setting table that matches the use conditions of the apparatus, and it is possible to speed up printing and save power.

  In such a printing apparatus of the present invention, a mode setting table is created based on the history of print jobs received from the predetermined start time corresponding to the predetermined end time to the predetermined end time at a timing after the predetermined end time has elapsed. When the same mode setting table as the created mode setting table is not stored in the mode setting table storage means, the created mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table storage means and the stored mode setting is stored. The usage condition information of the device up to the predetermined end time in relation to the table is stored in the selection condition information storage means as the selection condition information, and the same mode setting table as the created mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table Corresponding mode setting when stored in the means Table creation processing means for storing the use condition information of the apparatus up to the predetermined end time in the selection condition information storage means as the selection condition information in association with the mode setting table stored in the table storage means. You can also By doing this, the type of selectable mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means and the number of selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means can be increased, and it conforms to the use conditions of the apparatus. It is possible to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode by selecting an appropriate mode setting table. As a result, a mode setting table corresponding to the user's work mode is created, so that a more appropriate mode setting table can be selected according to the user's work mode and switched between the energization mode and the power saving mode.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention including the table creation processing unit, the table creation processing unit sets the power saving prohibition time zone based on the number of print jobs received within the table time. The table creation processing means creates the mode setting table by setting the power saving prohibition time zone for each divided time obtained by dividing the table time into equal parts. It can also be a means.

  Further, in the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention including a table creation processing unit, the created mode setting for the table time when the energization mode and the power saving mode are switched using the selected execution table. Reset means for determining appropriateness of selection of the execution table based on the table and the execution table and resetting the mode setting table storage means and the selection condition information storage means to the initial state based on the determination result It can also be provided. If it carries out like this, it can respond also to the sudden change of a user's work form, and can switch the electricity supply mode and a power saving mode by selecting the more suitable mode setting table according to the user's work form after that.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention including the reset unit, the reset unit selects the selection when the degree of coincidence of the power-saving prohibition time period in the created mode setting table and the execution table is less than a predetermined level. It can also be a means for determining that the appropriateness of is not appropriate. In this case, the resetting means is a means for resetting when it is determined that the appropriateness of the selection is inappropriate or when it is determined over a plurality of times that the appropriateness of the selection is inappropriate. It can also be. In the latter case, the reset can be performed more appropriately.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention including the reset unit, the reset unit deletes all of the mode setting tables stored in the mode setting table storage unit and is stored in the selection condition information storage unit. The mode setting table storage means and the selection condition information storage means may be reset to an initial state by deleting all of the selection condition information. Thereby, the previous condition can be eliminated.

  In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the execution table selection means is a means for setting a default mode setting table as the execution table when no mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table storage means. You can also In this way, even when the mode setting table is not stored in the mode setting table storage means, the energization mode and the power saving mode can be switched by the default mode setting table.

  Further, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, the execution table selection unit may store the input use condition information and the selection condition information storage unit when a plurality of the mode setting tables are stored in the mode setting table storage unit. Based on the stored selection condition information, the relation between the input use condition information and each mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means is determined, and the mode setting table having the highest relevance by the determination As an execution table. In this way, it is possible to select a more appropriate mode setting table according to the use conditions of the apparatus and switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention in which the relevance is determined and selected as the execution table, the execution table selection unit uses a mode setting table for the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage unit. The appearance ratio of each element of the selection condition information is calculated for each related selection condition information, and the relevance is determined based on the appearance ratio of each element of the input use condition information among the calculated appearance ratios of the elements. Thus, it may be a means for selecting an execution table. Here, the selection condition information and the use condition information may be information including at least one of the number of computers and the day of the week that are operating so as to transmit a print job to the printing apparatus as the elements.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention in which the relevance is determined based on the appearance ratio of the elements of the selection condition information and the use condition information, the execution table selection unit converts the appearance ratio into points and uses the input usage It may be a means for selecting the execution table by determining the magnitude of the sum of the points corresponding to the appearance ratio for each element of the condition information as the magnitude of the relevance. In this way, it is possible to easily determine the relevance and select a more appropriate mode setting table as the execution table.

  Further, in the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the present invention in which the relevance is determined based on the appearance ratio of the elements of the selection condition information and the use condition information, the execution table selection unit includes a plurality of the most relevant mode setting tables. In some cases, the mode setting table having the highest appearance ratio with respect to a specific element among the elements of the selection condition information may be selected as an execution table, and the execution table selection means may be the most relevant When there are a plurality of highly reliable mode setting tables, the mode setting table associated with the newest information among the selection condition information associated with the plurality of mode setting tables may be selected as an execution table.

  In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention in which the relevance is determined and selected as the execution table, the execution table selection unit is newer than the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage unit. It may be a means for determining the relevance by giving a weight so as to be heavier. If it carries out like this, it can track a change of a user's work form, can select a more suitable mode setting table according to a changing user's work form, and can change between energization mode and power saving mode.

The control method of the printing apparatus of the present invention includes:
An energization mode in which print jobs from a plurality of computers are connected so as to be able to be received and a print job can be immediately executed; and a power saving mode in which power consumption is smaller than the energization mode and a predetermined preparation is required to shift to the energization mode; Is a method for controlling a printing apparatus that executes a received print job,
(A) storing a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone for prohibiting switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode within a table time from a predetermined start time to a predetermined end time;
(B) storing selection condition information for selecting the stored mode setting table;
(C) Input usage condition information regarding the usage conditions of the apparatus at a predetermined timing, and select an execution table from the stored mode setting table based on the input usage condition information and the stored selection condition information And
(D) The gist is to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode based on the selected execution table.

  In this printing apparatus control method according to the present invention, a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone for prohibiting switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is stored within the table time from the predetermined start time to the predetermined end time are stored. In addition, a plurality of selection condition information for selecting the stored mode setting table is stored, and the use condition information regarding the use condition of the apparatus is input at a predetermined timing, and the input use condition information is stored. An execution table is selected from the mode setting table stored based on the selection condition information, and the energization mode and the power saving mode are switched based on the selected execution table. As a result, it is possible to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode by selecting a more appropriate mode setting table that matches the use conditions of the apparatus, and it is possible to speed up printing and save power.

  In the printing apparatus control method of the present invention, the process by the table creation processing unit or the reset process by the reset unit included in one aspect of the above-described printing apparatus may be performed. In the printing apparatus control method of the present invention, as in the execution table selection means in one aspect of the printing apparatus described above, the relation between the input use condition information and each stored mode setting table is determined and It is also possible to select the mode setting table having the highest relevance by the determination as the execution table.

  Next, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described using examples.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a color laser printer 10 as a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the color laser printer 10 according to the embodiment includes a controller 20 that controls the entire apparatus, a plurality of computers 51 to 53 connected to a network 44 (for example, a telecommunication network such as a local area network), and data. In addition to the network board 28 that controls input / output of the printer, the printer mechanism 31 that realizes the printer function, the printer ASIC 39 that controls the printer mechanism 31, a power supply adjustment unit 40 that switches on / off the power supply from the power source (not shown) to the printer mechanism 31. And a printer unit 30 including the above. Here, “ASIC” is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 1 shows that three computers 51 to 53 are connected to the network 44, but any number of computers may be connected to the network 44.

  The controller 20 is configured as a microprocessor centered on the CPU 22, and includes a ROM 24 that stores various processing programs, a RAM 26 that temporarily stores and saves data, and a timer 27 that measures time. Is provided. The controller 20 is electrically connected to the printer ASIC 39 and the power supply adjustment unit 40 via the bus 29, and outputs a print command signal to the printer ASIC 39 and an on / off command signal to the power supply adjustment unit 40. Input the printing operation signal. Further, the controller 20 exchanges signals with a plurality of computers 51 to 53 connected to the network 44 via the network board 28. In other words, the controller 20 inputs a print job from each of the computers 51 to 53 and outputs status information of the print job being processed to the computers 51 to 53 that are the transmission source of the print job.

  The printer unit 30 includes a printer mechanism 31 and a printer ASIC 39. The printer mechanism 31 is configured as a full-color electrophotographic printer mechanism that employs a single photoreceptor system and an intermediate transfer system, and includes cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). An electrostatic latent image of an image for each color separated into four colors is formed on a photoreceptor 33 formed thereon by a charging / exposure device (not shown), and the toner cartridges 34C, 34M, 34Y, and 34K for each color mounted. A developing device 34 that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 33 as a toner image using toner of each color supplied, and a transfer belt as an intermediate transfer member that performs primary transfer so that the developed toner image is superimposed. 35, a secondary transfer unit 36 for secondary transfer of the four color toner images formed on the transfer belt 35 onto the paper P transported by a transport unit (not shown), and the paper P And a fixing unit 37 for melting and fixed to the sheet P toner images of four colors that are photographed. The developing device 34 rotates so that the mounted toner cartridges 34C, 34M, 34Y, and 34K face the photoconductor 33, respectively. The printer ASIC 39 is an IC chip having a function of controlling the printer mechanism 31, and the expanded data obtained by expanding the print data in the print buffer provided in the RAM 26 into a bitmap image for each page is printed on the paper P. The printer mechanism 31 is controlled as described above. The printer mechanism 31 is connected to a power source (not shown) via the power supply adjustment unit 40. When power supply is stopped by the power supply adjustment unit 40, the printer mechanism 31 enters a power saving state (power saving mode) in which power consumption inside the mechanism is suppressed. When power supply is started by the power supply adjustment unit 40, warm-up inside the mechanism (for example, heating of the fixing unit 37 to a heat roller (not shown), etc.) is performed. )become. The RAM 26 is provided with a mode storage area. In this mode storage area, the power saving mode is set when the power saving state is set, and the power supply mode is set when the printing is immediately possible.

  Next, the operation of the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment thus configured, particularly the operation when receiving and printing a print job, and the creation and application of a table used when switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode are performed. The operation will be described. First, the operation when a print job is received and printed will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3, and then a table used when switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode using FIGS. The operation at the time of application will be described.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print job reception routine executed by the controller 20. This routine is repeatedly executed every predetermined timing (for example, several seconds). When the print job reception routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first determines whether or not a new print job has been received from any of the computers 51 to 53 (step S110), and receives the new print job. If not, the routine is terminated as it is. When a new print job is received, the currently received print job is stored in the spool area of the RAM 26 (step S120), and then the routine is terminated.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print processing routine executed by the controller 20. This routine is repeatedly executed every predetermined timing (for example, several seconds). When the print processing routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first determines whether or not there is a print job waiting for processing (step S200). If there is no print job waiting for processing, the CPU 22 ends this routine as it is. To do. On the other hand, when there is a print job waiting to be processed, it is determined whether the current mode is the power saving mode or the energization mode (step S210), and when the current mode is the power saving mode, the power supply adjusting unit 40 starts supplying power to the printer mechanism 31. Thus, warm-up of the printer mechanism 31 is started (step 220). Then, it is determined whether or not the warm-up has been completed by, for example, determining whether or not the heat roller of the fixing unit 37 has reached a predetermined warm-up temperature (step S230). When the warm-up is completed, the mode is switched to the energization mode (step S240).

  When the current mode is the energization mode in step S210 or when the current mode is switched to the energization mode in step S240, a print job waiting for processing is read from the spool area of the RAM 26 (step S250). Here, when there are a plurality of print jobs waiting to be processed, the print job with the oldest time stored in the spool area is read. Subsequently, the printer ASIC 39 of the printer unit 30 is instructed to print the print job read this time (step S260). Upon receiving the command, the printer ASIC 39 controls the printer mechanism 31 to start printing the print job. Next, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 determines whether or not printing by the printer unit 30 has been completed (step S270). If the printing has not been completed, the CPU 22 waits as it is. Print job name of job (JOB001, etc.), source computer name (names of three computers 51, 52, 53, for example, PC1, PC2, etc.), print job reception time, print job start time and end time, power saving The mode state, such as whether or not the mode has been set, is stored in the history storage area of the RAM 26 as print history information (step S290), and this routine is terminated. The history storage area may be secured not in the RAM 26 but in an HDD (not shown).

  Next, operations for creating and applying a table used when switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a mode setting table creation processing routine executed by the controller 20. This routine is executed when the end time (in the embodiment, 19:00) of the mode setting table is reached. When the mode setting table creation processing routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first prints the print job name included in the print history information from the start time (8 o'clock in the embodiment) to the end time of the mode setting table for that day. In addition, a process of acquiring the computer name of the transmission source, the reception time of the print job, and the mode status indicating whether or not the power saving mode has been executed is executed (step S300). An example of a list of acquired information is shown in FIG. Subsequently, the date and day of the day and the number of computers operating from the acquired information are set as selection condition information (step 310).

  Then, a mode setting table is created based on the acquired information (step S320). In the embodiment, the mode setting table is created by counting the number of print jobs received within the time period from the reception time of the print job in the print history information to the start time (8 o'clock) every hour. A mode setting table is created by setting a power saving prohibition time zone in which the shift to the power saving mode is prohibited based on the number of print jobs received in each time zone. For example, the mode setting table is created by setting a predetermined number (for example, three) of the time zones having the largest number of print jobs as the power saving prohibition time zone, or the number of print jobs is predetermined. A time zone that is created by setting a time zone that is greater than or equal to the number (for example, 20) as a power saving prohibition time zone, or that is obtained as a peak using a statistical method by analyzing a histogram of the number of print jobs in each time zone Can be created by various methods, such as by setting as a power saving prohibition time zone. An example of a list of the number of print jobs for each time slot is shown in FIG. 6, and an example of a mode setting table created based on FIG. 6 is shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 7, the time zone marked with “x” is a power saving permission time zone in which the transition to the power saving mode is permitted, and the time zone marked with “◯” is a power saving prohibition time in which the transition to the power saving mode is prohibited. It is a belt.

  When the mode setting table is created in this way, it is determined whether or not the same table as the created mode setting table is stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 (step S330). Here, the table storage area may be secured not in the RAM 26 but in an HDD (not shown). When the same table as the created mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area (step S340), the created mode setting table is given a name such as “table 1” and stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 ( In step S350), the selection condition information set in step S310 in association with the table name is stored in the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S360), this routine is terminated, and the same table as the created mode setting table Is stored in the table storage area (step S340), the selection condition information set in step S310 in association with the table name of the same table is stored in the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S370), This routine ends. An example of the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage area is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the selection condition information is composed of a date, a day of the week, the number of computers (displayed as the number of PCs in FIG. 8), and a table name. As described above, the mode setting table is created, and the mode setting table created on condition that the same mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 is stored in the table storage area. A mode installation table corresponding to the above can be created and stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. In addition, since the selection condition information is stored in the selection condition information storage area in association with the mode setting table, the mode setting table can be selected more appropriately in the mode setting table selection process described later.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a mode setting table selection processing routine executed by the controller 20. This routine is executed at a time (for example, 7:30) before the start time (8 o'clock) of the mode setting table. When the mode setting table selection processing routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first searches the mode setting table stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 (step S400), and the mode setting table is stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. Is stored (step S410), and when the mode setting table is stored, it is determined whether there are a plurality of stored mode setting tables (step S420). When the mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26, the default mode setting table is selected as an execution table (step S430), and the execution of the RAM 26 is performed using the table name and date of the selected mode setting table as execution information. It memorize | stores in an information storage area (step S530), and complete | finishes this routine. Here, the default mode setting table may be any table, but in the embodiment, a table in which no power saving prohibition time zone is set is used. The execution information storage area may also be secured in the HDD (not shown) instead of the RAM 26. When the mode setting table is stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26, but only one mode setting table is set, only one mode setting table stored in the table storage area is used as an execution table. Selection is made (step S440), the table name and date of the selected mode setting table are stored as execution information in the execution information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S530), and this routine is terminated.

When multiple mode setting tables are stored in the table storage area, the appearance ratio is calculated by weighting each element (day of week or number of computers) of the selection condition information associated with each mode setting table according to the date. (Step S440). An example of the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, “coefficient” is a weighting coefficient m, and the weighting coefficient m is n when the number of days from the date of the selection condition information to the day (calculation date) on which the mode setting table selection processing routine is executed is n. It is calculated as m = a ^(n-1) for the constant a (0.9 in the embodiment). FIG. 10 shows an example in which the first day of the next month is calculated as the calculation day. An example of calculating the weighted appearance ratio of each element for each table in FIG. And 2. become that way. The date in parentheses is the date.

1. Using the weighting factor m as the number of days, the number of days when Table 1 and Table 2 are selected as the mode setting table for execution is calculated, and the number of appearance days of each element is calculated.
(1) About Table 1 Days in Table 1 = 0.81 (29) + 0.23 (17) + 0.19 (15) + 0.09 (8) + 0.05 (1) = 1.37 days Days on Monday = 0.81 (29) + 0.19 (15 ) +0.09 (8) +0.05 (1) = 1.14 days Wednesday days = 0.23 (17) = 0.23 days Days with 5 PCs = 0.81 (29) +0.09 (8) +0.05 (1) = 0.95 days Days with 4 PCs = 0.19 (15) = 0.19 days Days with 3 PCs = 0.23 (17) = 0.23 days (2) About Table 2 Days in Table 2 = 0.90 (30) + 0.21 (16) +0.10 (9) +0.06 (5) +0.05 (2) = 1.32 days Tuesday days = 0.90 (30) +0.21 (16) +0.10 (9) +0.05 (2) = 1.26 days Friday days = 0.06 ( 5) = 0.06 days Days with 5 PCs = 0.90 (30) + 0.21 (16) + 0.10 (9) + 0.06 (5) = 1.27 days Days with 4 PCs = 0.05 (2) = 0.05 days (3) About Table 3 Days in Table 3 = 0.48 (24) + 0.39 (22) + 0.14 (12) + 0.11 (10) + 0.05 (3) = 1.17 days Days on Wednesday = 0.48 (24) + 0.11 (10 ) +0.05 (3) = 0.64 days Days on Monday = 0.39 (22) = 0.39 days Days on Friday = 0.14 (12) = 0.14 days 4 PCs Days = 0.39 (22) + 0.14 (12) + 0.11 (10) + 0.05 (3) = 0.69 days Number of days with 3 PCs = 0.48 (24) = 0.48 days (4) About Table 4 Days in Table 4 = 0.53 (25) +0.43 (23) +0.25 (18) +0.12 (11) +0.06 (4) = 1.39 Thursday days = 0.53 (25) +0.25 (18) +0.12 (11) +0.06 (4) = 0.96 days Tuesday days = 0.43 (23) = 0.43 days Days with 5 PCs = 0.06 (4) = 0.06 days Days with 4 PCs = 0.53 (25) + 0.43 (23) + 0.25 (18 ) + 0.12 (11) = 1.33 days (5) About Table 5 Days in Table 5 = 1.00 (31) + 0.59 (26) + 0.28 (19) = 1.87 days Wednesday days = 1.00 (31) = 1.00 days Days = 0.59 (26) + 0.28 (19) = 0.87 days Days with three PCs = 0.28 (19) = 0.28 days Days with two PCs = 0.59 (26) = 0.59 days Number of PCs with one Days = 1.00 (31) = 1.00 days

2. The ratio of the number of appearance days of each element to the number of days in each table is calculated as a weighted appearance ratio.
(1) About Table 1 Weighted appearance ratio on Monday = 1.14 / 1.37 = 0.83 83%
Weighted appearance ratio on Wednesday = 0.23 / 1.37 = 0.17 17%
Weighted appearance ratio with 5 PCs = 0.95 / 1.37 = 0.69 69%
Weighted appearance ratio of 4 PCs = 0.19 / 1.37 = 0.14 14%
Weighted appearance ratio of 3 PCs = 0.23 / 1.37 = 0.17 17%
(2) About Table 2 Weighted appearance ratio on Tuesday = 1.26 / 1.32 = 0.95 95%
Friday weighted appearance ratio = 0.06 / 1.32 = 0.05 5%
Weighted appearance ratio of 5 PCs = 1.27 / 1.32 = 0.96 96%
Weighted appearance ratio of 4 PCs = 0.05 / 1.32 = 0.04 4%
(3) About Table 3 Weighted appearance ratio on Wednesday = 0.64 / 1.17 = 0.55 55%
Appearance ratio with weight on Monday = 0.39 / 1.17 = 0.33 33%
Friday weighted appearance rate = 0.14 / 1.17 = 0.12 12%
Weighted appearance ratio of 4 PCs = 0.69 / 1.17 = 0.59 59%
Weighted appearance ratio of 3 PCs = 0.48 / 1.17 = 0.41 41%
(4) About Table 4 Weighted appearance ratio on Thursday = 0.96 / 1.39 = 0.69 69%
Tuesday weighted appearance ratio = 0.43 / 1.39 = 0.31 31%
Weighted appearance ratio of 5 PCs = 0.06 / 1.39 = 0.04 4%
Weighted appearance ratio of 4 PCs = 1.33 / 1.39 = 0.96 96%
(5) About Table 5 Weighted appearance ratio on Wednesday = 1.00 / 1.87 = 0.53 53%
Friday weighted appearance ratio = 0.87 / 1.87 = 0.47 47%
Weighted appearance ratio of 3 PCs = 0.28 / 1.87 = 0.15 15%
Weighted appearance ratio of 2 PCs = 0.59 / 1.87 = 0.32 32%
Weighted appearance ratio of 1 PC = 1.00 / 1.87 = 0.53 53%

  When the weighted appearance ratio of each element for each table is calculated in this way, usage condition information consisting of the number of computers (PC number) operating on the day of the day that is the calculation date is acquired (step S450). The day of the week can be acquired from a built-in clock, and the number of computers in operation can be acquired via the network 44. As a specific example, the number of PCs on Thursday is considered as usage condition information. Next, the point sum of each table with respect to the use condition information is calculated as the relevance point (step S460). Using the use condition information of the example of FIG. 10 and the specific example, the relevance point can be calculated as follows. That is, using the weighted appearance ratio of each table as a point, the relevance point can be calculated as the sum of the point corresponding to the day of the week (usage day point) and the point corresponding to the number of PCs (PC number point) in the use condition information. it can.

Table 1 = 0 (points on Thursday) +17 (points with 3 PCs) = 17
Table 2 = 0 (points on Thursday) + 0 (points with 3 PCs) = 0
Table 3 = 0 (points on Thursday) + 41 (points with 3 PCs) = 41
Table 4 = 69 (points on Thursday) +0 (points with 3 PCs) = 69
Table 5 = 0 (points on Thursday) + 15 (points with 3 PCs) = 15

  When the relevance points are calculated in this way, a table that is the highest point among the calculated relevance points is selected (step S470). In the above example, this is Table 4. Then, it is determined whether or not a plurality of tables having the highest points have been selected (step S480). When only one table has been selected, the selected table is selected as the mode setting table for execution (step S490). The table name and date of the mode setting table are stored as execution information in the execution information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S530), and this routine is terminated. On the other hand, when a plurality of tables having the highest points are selected, the day points of the selected tables are compared (step S500), and the table having the highest day points is selected as the mode setting table for execution (step S510). The table name and date of the selected mode setting table are stored as execution information in the execution information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S530), and this routine is terminated. When the selected table has the same day of the week point, the table associated with the selection condition information having the newest date is selected as the mode setting table for execution (step S520), and the selected mode is selected. The table name and date of the setting table are stored as execution information in the execution information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S530), and this routine ends. Thus, by selecting the mode setting table as the execution table, a more appropriate mode setting table can be selected according to the user's work mode.

  Next, an operation when switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode using the mode setting table thus selected will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a power saving mode switching process routine executed by the controller 20. In this routine, one of the mode setting tables is selected as an execution table by the mode setting table selection processing routine, and every predetermined time (for example, several times) from when the table start time (8 o'clock in the embodiment) is reached. It is repeatedly executed every msec).

  When the power saving mode setting process routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first executes a process of inputting the end time, the current time, and the mode state of the last printed job (step S600). Then, it is determined whether or not the current time is the power saving prohibition time zone in the mode setting table selected as the execution table (step S610). When the current time is the power saving prohibition time zone in the mode setting table, it is determined whether or not the mode state is the power saving mode (step S620), and when the mode state is the power saving mode, the mode is switched to the power saving mode (step S630). This routine is terminated. As described above, switching to the energization mode is performed by starting power supply to the printer mechanism 31 by the power supply adjustment unit 40 and starting warm-up of the printer mechanism 31. When the mode state is not the power saving mode, that is, the energization mode, it is not necessary to shift to the energization mode, so this routine ends. As described above, since the power supply mode is controlled to be maintained in the power saving prohibition time zone, printing can be performed without waiting for the printer mechanism 31 to warm up. Thereby, speeding up of printing can be achieved.

  If it is determined in step S610 that the current time is not in the power saving prohibition time zone in the mode setting table, the process waits for a predetermined time to elapse from the end time of the last printed job (step S640), and switches to the power saving mode. (Step S650), this routine is finished. Here, the predetermined time can be set to 5 minutes or 10 minutes, for example. The power saving mode can be switched by stopping the power supply to the printer mechanism 31 by the power supply adjusting unit 40. In this way, when it is not in the power saving prohibition time zone, the power saving mode is switched when a predetermined time has elapsed from the end time of the last printed print job, which may save power in the color laser printer 10 as a printing apparatus. it can.

  Next, a reset process for deleting the mode setting table stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 and the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 to return to the initial state will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a reset processing routine executed by the controller 20. This routine is repeatedly executed every predetermined time (for example, every 24 hours).

  When the reset processing routine is executed, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 first obtains the number of mode setting tables (number of tables) N stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 (step S700), and the number of tables N and the threshold value Nref. Are compared (step S710). Here, the threshold value Nref is used to determine whether or not the mode setting table is stored in the table storage area to such an extent that the reset process may be considered. It can be set to a value (for example, 3 or 4) smaller than the number of mode setting tables created by the mode setting table creation processing routine 4 and stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. When the number of tables N is less than the threshold value Nref, it is determined that there is no need to consider reset processing, and this routine is terminated.

  On the other hand, when the number of tables N is equal to or greater than the threshold value Nref, the mode setting table selected as the table for execution in the past three days is acquired from the execution information storage area of the RAM 26 (step S720), and the past is determined based on the selection condition information. A mode setting table created from the print history information for three days is acquired (step S730), and the matching rate P is calculated by comparing the mode setting table for execution of each day with the created mode setting table (step S730). S740). In the embodiment, the precision P is calculated based on the ratio of whether or not the power saving prohibition time zones set in the two mode setting tables match. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 13, a match / mismatch is determined for each time zone of the two mode setting tables, and the ratio of the number of matched time zones to the total number of time zones (9/11 × 100%) Can be calculated. Then, it is determined whether all of the relevance ratios P in the past three days are less than the threshold value Pref (step S750). Here, the threshold value Pref is set as a value capable of determining that the mode setting table selected as the execution table in accordance with the change of the user's work mode and the created mode setting table do not match. For example, in the case of the matching rate due to coincidence / non-coincidence for each time period described above, it can be set to 60% or 70%. If any of the relevance ratios P in the past three days is equal to or greater than the threshold value Pref, it is determined that the user's work mode change or the like cannot be determined yet, and this routine is terminated. On the other hand, if all of the relevance ratios P in the past three days are less than the threshold value Pref, it is determined that the user's work mode has changed, and all of the mode setting tables stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 are deleted. At the same time (step S760), all of the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 is deleted (step S770), and the table storage area and the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 are reset to the initial state. This routine ends. By such processing, it is possible to cope with a sudden change in the usage status of the color laser printer 10 due to a change in the user's work mode. After that, the mode setting table is created every time the mode setting table creation processing routine of FIG. 4 is executed, and the mode created on condition that the same mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. The setting table is stored in the table storage area, and the selection condition information is associated with the mode setting table and stored in the selection condition information storage area. As a result, a more appropriate mode setting table is created in accordance with the changed user work mode, and a more appropriate mode setting table is selected by the mode setting table selection processing routine of FIG. Can be switched.

  According to the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment described above, the weighted appearance ratio of each mode setting table is obtained based on the selection condition information such as the number of computers in operation and the day of the week, and the weighted appearance ratio and the current day are calculated. The relevance point of each mode setting table is calculated based on usage condition information such as the number of computers in operation and the day of the week, and the mode setting table of the highest relevance point is selected as the execution table. Since the energization mode and the power saving mode are switched based on the mode setting table, it is possible to switch between the energization mode and the power saving mode by selecting a more appropriate mode setting table according to the user's work mode. As a result, speeding up of printing and power saving can be achieved. In addition, since the relevance points are calculated based on the weighted appearance ratio of each mode setting table, the recent situation can be reflected.

  Further, according to the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the mode setting table is created based on the print history information, and the mode setting created on condition that the same mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. By storing the table in the table storage area, a more appropriate mode setting table according to the user's work mode can be created and stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26. In addition, since the selection condition information is stored in the selection condition information storage area in association with the mode setting table, the mode setting table can be selected more appropriately in the mode setting table selection process.

  Furthermore, according to the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the matching rate P is less than the threshold value Pref by comparing the mode setting table selected as the execution table in the past three days with the created mode setting table. Sometimes, all of the mode setting table stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 is deleted and all of the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage area is deleted to bring the table storage area and the selection condition information storage area into the initial state. Therefore, it is possible to cope with a sudden change in the usage status of the color laser printer 10 due to a change in the user's work mode. In addition, since all of the relevance ratios P in the past three days are reset only when they are less than the threshold value Pref, it is possible to more appropriately determine a change in the usage status of the color laser printer 10 due to a change in the user's work mode or the like. .

  Here, in the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the table storage area of the RAM 26 of the controller 20 corresponds to the mode setting table storage means, the selection condition information storage area of the RAM 26 of the controller 20 corresponds to the selection condition information storage means, The CPU 22 of the controller 20 that executes the mode setting table selection processing routine of FIG. 9 corresponds to the execution table selection means, and the controller that executes steps S210 to S240 of the printing processing routine of FIG. 3 and the power saving mode switching processing routine of FIG. Twenty CPUs 22 correspond to mode switching means. Further, the CPU 22 of the controller 20 that executes the table creation processing routine of FIG. 4 corresponds to the table creation processing means, and the CPU 22 of the controller 20 that executes the reset processing routine of FIG. 12 corresponds to the reset means.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the power saving prohibition time zone is set in the hourly zone from the start time (8 o'clock) to the end time (19 o'clock) as the mode setting table. The band setting is not limited to every hour, but may be set every 30 minutes, every 15 minutes, or every minute. The table start time and end time can be any time.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the appearance ratio is calculated by weighting each element (day of the week and the number of computers) of the selection condition information associated with each mode setting table by the date. The weight may not be used for the ratio calculation. In this case, the appearance ratio may be calculated by calculating the number of days in the table, the number of days of each day of the week, and the number of days of the PC.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, when there are a plurality of mode setting tables having the highest relevance point, the mode setting table having the highest day point is selected as the execution table. The table may be selected as an execution table. Furthermore, when there are a plurality of mode setting tables of the highest relevance points and the day points are the same, the mode setting table related to the selection condition information having the newest date is selected as the table for execution. The mode setting table having the higher number of PC points may be selected as the execution table.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the day of the week and the number of PCs are used as the elements of the selection condition information and the use condition information when calculating the relevance points, but only the day of the week is used without using the number of PCs. On the contrary, only the number of PCs may be used without using the day of the week, or other elements other than the day of the week and the number of PCs may be used.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, when the mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area, the default mode setting table is selected as the execution table, but the default mode setting table is not provided. The table for execution may not be selected.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, a mode setting table is created based on the print history information, and the mode setting table created on the condition that the same mode setting table is not stored in the table storage area of the RAM 26 is stored in the table. However, the created mode setting table may be stored in the table storage area regardless of whether or not the same mode setting table is stored in the table storage area.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the mode setting table is created based on the print history information and stored in the table storage area. However, a plurality of mode setting tables are stored in advance and based on the print history information. The mode setting table may not be created. In this case, the selection condition information may be stored in the selection condition information storage area in association with the mode setting table, or the selection condition information may not be stored in the selection condition information storage area.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, the precision P is calculated by determining whether the time zones of the mode setting table selected as the execution table and the created mode setting table match or do not match. However, the matching rate P may be calculated based on whether or not the power saving prohibition time zones of the mode setting table created for the execution table match.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, all of the selection condition information stored in the mode setting table and the selection condition information storage area stored in the table storage area when the precision P for the past three days is less than the threshold value Pref. Is deleted and the table storage area and the selection condition information storage area are reset to the initial state, but may be reset even when the accuracy rate P is less than the threshold value Pref, or the accuracy rate for the past two days It may be reset when both P are less than the threshold value Pref, or may be reset when all the matching ratios P are less than the threshold value Pref over the past four days or more.

  In the color laser printer 10 of the embodiment, all of the selection condition information stored in the mode setting table and the selection condition information storage area stored in the table storage area when the precision P for the past three days is less than the threshold value Pref. Is deleted and the table storage area and the selection condition information storage area are reset to the initial state. However, not all of the mode setting tables stored in the table storage area may be deleted or the selection condition information storage area may be deleted. It is possible not to delete all the selection condition information stored in. Further, such reset processing may not be performed.

  In the embodiments, the color laser printer 10 is described as the best mode for carrying out the present invention. However, the printing apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the color laser printer 10, but a monochrome laser printer or an inkjet printer. The present invention can be applied to various printing apparatuses such as printers and copying machines. Moreover, it is good also as a form of the control method of not only the form of such a printing apparatus but a printing apparatus.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Of course, it can be implemented in the form.

  The present invention can be used in the manufacturing industry of printing apparatuses.

1 is a configuration diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a color laser printer 10 of an embodiment. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print job reception routine. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a print processing routine. The flowchart which shows an example of a mode setting table creation process routine. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a list display of print history information. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a list of the number of print jobs for each time period. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of a mode setting table. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of selection condition information. The flowchart which shows an example of a mode setting table selection process routine. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the selection condition information memorize | stored in the selection condition information storage area. The flowchart which shows an example of a power saving mode switching process routine. The flowchart which shows an example of a reset process routine. Explanatory drawing which shows a mode that the precision P is calculated.

Explanation of symbols

  10 color laser printer, 20 controller, 22 CPU, 24 ROM, 26 RAM, 27 timer, 28 network board, 29 bus, 30 printer unit, 31 printer mechanism, 33 photoconductor, 34 developing unit, 34C, 34M, 34Y, 34K Toner cartridge, 35 transfer belt, 36 secondary transfer unit, 37 fixing unit, 39 printer ASIC, 40 power supply adjustment unit, 44 network, 51, 52, 53 computer.

Claims (17)

An energization mode in which print jobs from a plurality of computers are connected so as to be able to be received and a print job can be immediately executed; and a power saving mode in which power consumption is smaller than the energization mode and a predetermined preparation is required to shift to the energization mode; A printing device that executes a received print job,
A mode setting table storage means capable of storing a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone for prohibiting switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode within a table time from a predetermined start time to a predetermined end time;
Selection condition information storage means for storing selection condition information for selecting a mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means;
The usage condition information related to the usage conditions of the apparatus is input at a predetermined timing and stored in the mode setting table storage means based on the input usage condition information and the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means An execution table selection means for selecting an execution table from the mode setting table;
Mode switching means for switching between the energization mode and the power saving mode based on the selected execution table;
A printing apparatus comprising:   A mode setting table is created based on a print job history received from a predetermined start time corresponding to the predetermined end time to the predetermined end time at a timing after the predetermined end time has elapsed, and the generated mode setting table If the same mode setting table is not stored in the mode setting table storage means, the created mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table storage means, and the predetermined end is associated with the stored mode setting table. The use condition information of the device up to the time is stored as the selection condition information in the selection condition information storage means, and the same mode setting table as the created mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table storage means The mode stored in the mode setting table storage means Printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the use condition information includes a table creation processing means to be stored in the selection condition information storage unit as the selection condition information in relation to de setting table device to the predetermined end time.   3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the table creation processing means creates the mode setting table by setting the power saving prohibition time zone based on the number of print jobs received within the table time.   4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the table creation processing means is a means for creating the mode setting table by setting the power saving prohibition time zone for each divided time obtained by dividing the table time into equal parts.   The execution table is selected based on the created mode setting table and the execution table for the table time when the energization mode and the power saving mode are switched using the selected execution table. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a reset unit that determines appropriateness and resets the mode setting table storage unit and the selection condition information storage unit to an initial state based on the determination result.   The reset means is means for determining that the selection is inappropriate when the degree of coincidence of the power saving prohibition time zone in the created mode setting table and the execution table is less than a predetermined level. 5. The printing apparatus according to 5.   The reset means is a means for resetting when it is determined that the appropriateness of the selection is inappropriate or when it is determined a plurality of times continuously that the appropriateness of the selection is inappropriate. Printing device.   The reset unit deletes all of the mode setting tables stored in the mode setting table storage unit and deletes all of the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage unit. 8. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the printing apparatus is a means for resetting the storage means and the selection condition information storage means to an initial state.   9. The printing according to claim 1, wherein the execution table selecting means is means for setting a default mode setting table as the execution table when no mode setting table is stored in the mode setting table storage means. apparatus.   The execution table selecting means is based on the input use condition information and the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means when a plurality of the mode setting tables are stored in the mode setting table storage means. Means for determining the relevance between the input use condition information and each mode setting table stored in the mode setting table storage means, and selecting the mode setting table having the highest relevance as the execution table by the determination. The printing apparatus according to claim 1.   The execution table selection unit calculates an appearance ratio of each element of the selection condition information for each selection condition information related to the mode setting table with respect to the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage unit and The printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the printing apparatus is a unit that determines the relevance based on an appearance ratio of each element of the input use condition information out of the calculated appearance ratios of elements and selects an execution table.   The execution table selecting means converts the appearance ratio into points, determines the sum of points corresponding to the appearance ratio for each element of the input use condition information as the degree of relevance, and determines the execution table. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, which is means for selecting.   The printing apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the selection condition information and the use condition information are information including at least one of the number of computers and the day of the week that are operating so that a print job can be transmitted to the printing apparatus as the element.   The execution table selection means is a means for selecting, as an execution table, a mode setting table having the highest appearance ratio for a specific element among the elements of the selection condition information when there are a plurality of the most relevant mode setting tables. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 11 to 13.   When there are a plurality of the most relevant mode setting tables, the execution table selecting means selects a mode setting table related to the newest information among selection condition information related to the plurality of mode setting tables as an execution table. The printing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the printing apparatus is a means for performing the processing.   16. The execution table selecting means is means for determining the relevance by weighting the selection condition information stored in the selection condition information storage means so that the new information is heavier. Any one of the printing apparatuses. An energization mode in which print jobs from a plurality of computers are connected so as to be able to be received and a print job can be immediately executed; and a power saving mode in which power consumption is smaller than the energization mode and a predetermined preparation is required to shift to the energization mode; Is a method for controlling a printing apparatus that executes a received print job,
(A) storing a plurality of mode setting tables in which a power saving prohibition time zone for prohibiting switching from the power supply mode to the power saving mode within a table time from a predetermined start time to a predetermined end time;
(B) storing selection condition information for selecting the stored mode setting table;
(C) Input usage condition information regarding the usage conditions of the apparatus at a predetermined timing, and select an execution table from the stored mode setting table based on the input usage condition information and the stored selection condition information And
(D) A control method for a printing apparatus that switches between the energization mode and the power saving mode based on the selected execution table.

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