JP2007304575A - Image forming apparatus and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that an image forming apparatus can not be flexibly shifted to a power saving mode having a higher power saving effect according to various states of the apparatus because it must be controlled so as not to receive the shift to a designated power saving mode according to the state thereof. <P>SOLUTION: When shifting from an ordinary mode to the power saving mode, equipment unit information showing the kind of an attached equipment unit and error information showing the errors of respective parts of the apparatus in an engine part EG are acquired as apparatus information. Based on the apparatus information, the apparatus is shifted to the operation state of either power saving mode of "an engine off mode" and "a sleep mode" based on the apparatus information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a printer having a plurality of power saving modes intended to save power, and a control method for the image forming apparatus.

In a conventional image forming apparatus, an operation in a power saving mode is provided in order to reduce power consumption when the image forming operation is not performed. During this power saving mode operation, control is performed such as turning off the energization of the fixing heater and the drive motor system. In addition, by providing a plurality of types of the power saving mode, there are some which can obtain a detailed power saving effect according to the application. For example, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1 below, a plurality of power saving modes having different power consumption rates are set, and control is performed so as to shift to a predetermined power saving mode in response to a user request. .
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-22481

  However, in the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the user confirms the contents of a plurality of types of power saving modes provided. Then, by designating a required power saving mode from among these power saving modes, the mode shifts to a predetermined power saving mode. Therefore, the user designates the power saving mode to be transferred regardless of the state of the image forming apparatus. As a result, depending on the device state of the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to control so as not to accept the transition to the designated power saving mode, and flexibly shift to a power saving mode with a higher power saving effect according to various device states. There are issues that cannot be done.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus that operates in a normal mode and a plurality of types of power saving modes that consume less power than the normal mode, and acquires apparatus information indicating a device state of the image forming apparatus. And a power saving determination unit that determines a type of one power saving mode to be transferred among the plurality of types of power saving modes, wherein the power saving determination unit is based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit And determining the type of the one power saving mode to be transferred.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus information acquisition unit acquires apparatus information indicating the apparatus state of the image forming apparatus. And based on this apparatus information, the power-saving determination part determines the kind of power-saving mode which transfers from among multiple types of power-saving modes.

  Since the above-described device information is acquired and used to determine the type of power saving mode to be transferred, the power saving mode most suitable for the device state of the image forming apparatus is automatically selected from a plurality of types of power saving modes. be able to. Accordingly, it is possible to flexibly shift to a power saving mode having a higher power saving effect according to various apparatus states.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit includes device unit information indicating information of a device unit selectively attached to the image forming device, and the power saving determination Based on the device unit information, the unit determines that the shift to the power saving mode in which the supply of power to the mounted device unit is interrupted is impossible.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention described above, the apparatus information acquired by the apparatus information acquisition unit includes error information indicating information on an error that has occurred in each unit of the image forming apparatus, and the power saving determination unit includes Based on the error information, it is determined that the transition to the power saving mode that cannot cope with the generated error is impossible.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention described above, the apparatus shifts to the operation of one of the plurality of types of power saving modes based on the determination of the power saving determination unit, and the apparatus is operated during the operation of the shifted power saving mode. The device information is acquired by the information acquisition unit, and based on the acquired device information, the type of one power saving mode to be shifted from the current power saving mode is determined by the power saving determination unit, and the determined one power saving mode is determined. Enter mode.

  In the above-described image forming apparatus according to the present invention, a setting reception unit that receives a setting mode setting that defines a method for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode, and a storage unit that stores the setting mode received by the setting reception unit. Further, the power saving determination unit determines to shift to the one power saving mode when the setting mode stored in the storage unit defines a method for shifting to one power saving mode among the plurality of types of power saving modes. When the setting mode stored in the storage unit defines a method for determining the power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit, the power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information Determine the type.

  The image forming apparatus control method according to the present invention includes a device information acquisition step of acquiring device information indicating a device state of the image forming device, and determining a type of one power saving mode to be transferred among the plurality of types of power saving modes. A power saving determination step, wherein the power saving determination step determines the type of the one power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition step.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration of image forming apparatus>
First, the configuration of an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of toner cartridges are detachably mounted will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus of FIG. The image forming apparatus 1 forms a full color image by superposing four color toners of yellow (Y), cyan (C), magenta (M), and black (K), or uses only black (K) toner. To form a monochrome image. In the image forming apparatus 1, when an image signal is given from an external device such as a host computer to the main controller 11 shown in FIG. 2, the mechanical controller 12 causes each unit of the engine unit EG to respond to a command from the main controller 11. A predetermined image forming operation is executed by controlling this operation, and an image defined by the image signal is formed on the sheet S.

  In the engine unit EG, as shown in FIG. 1, the photosensitive member 22 is provided to be rotatable in the arrow direction D1. Further, a charging unit 23, a developing unit 4, and a cleaning unit 25 are arranged around the photosensitive member 22 along the rotation direction D1. The charging unit 23 is applied with a predetermined charging bias, and uniformly charges the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductor 22 to a predetermined surface potential. The cleaning unit 25 removes toner remaining on the surface of the photoconductor 22 after the primary transfer, and collects it in a waste toner tank provided inside. The photosensitive member 22, the charging unit 23, and the cleaning unit 25 integrally constitute a photosensitive member cartridge 2, and the photosensitive member cartridge 2 is detachably attached to the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 as a whole. Yes.

  Further, the exposure unit 6 irradiates the light beam L toward the outer peripheral surface of the photosensitive member 22 charged by the charging unit 23. The exposure unit 6 exposes the light beam L onto the photoconductor 22 in accordance with an image signal given from an external device, and forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image signal.

  The electrostatic latent image thus formed is developed with toner by the developing unit 4. The developing unit 4 is configured as a toner cartridge that is detachable with respect to a support frame 40 that is rotatably provided around a rotation axis orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 1, and is a yellow toner that contains toner of each color. A cartridge 4Y, a cyan toner cartridge 4C, a magenta toner cartridge 4M, a black toner cartridge 4K, and a rotary drive unit for rotating them integrally are provided. The developing unit 4 is controlled by a mechanical controller 12 shown in FIG. The developing unit 4 is driven to rotate based on a control command from the mechanical controller 12, and the toner cartridges 4Y, 4C, 4M, and 4K are selectively brought into contact with the photosensitive member 22 and face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. When the toner is positioned at a predetermined developing position, toner is applied to the surface of the photoreceptor 22 from a developing roller 44 provided in the toner cartridge and carrying toner of a selected color. As a result, the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive member 22 is visualized with the selected toner color.

  The toner image developed by the developing unit 4 as described above is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 71 of the transfer unit 7 in the primary transfer region TR1. The transfer unit 7 includes an intermediate transfer belt 71 that is stretched over a plurality of rollers 72 to 75, and a drive unit that rotates the intermediate transfer belt 71 in a predetermined rotation direction D2 by rotationally driving the roller 73. . When transferring the color image to the sheet S, the color toner images formed on the photosensitive member 22 are superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 71 to form a color image, and are taken out from the cassette 8 and conveyed one by one. The color image is secondarily transferred onto the sheet S conveyed to the secondary transfer region TR2 along the path F.

  At this time, in order to correctly transfer the image on the intermediate transfer belt 71 to a predetermined position on the sheet S, the timing of feeding the sheet S to the secondary transfer region TR2 is managed. Specifically, a gate roller 81 is provided on the transport path F on the front side of the secondary transfer region TR2, and the gate roller 81 rotates in accordance with the timing of the circumferential movement of the intermediate transfer belt 71. S is sent to the secondary transfer region TR2 at a predetermined timing.

  The sheet S on which the color image is formed in this way is conveyed to the discharge tray unit 89 provided on the upper surface of the main body of the image forming apparatus 1 via the fixing unit 9, the pre-discharge roller 82 and the discharge roller 83.

  Here, the fixing unit 9 is provided with a fixing roller 91 and a pressure roller 92 that rotate while being in pressure contact with each other, and the pressure roller 92 is driven to rotate as the fixing roller 91 is driven to rotate by a driving unit. A fixing heater 9A (see FIG. 2) is inserted inside the fixing roller 91 and the pressure roller 92, and the fixing unit 9 heats and pressurizes the sheet S on which the color image is formed by the toner image, and the toner. The image is fixed by fusing it to the sheet S.

  When images are formed on both sides of the sheet S, the rear end portion of the sheet S on which the image is formed on one side as described above has been conveyed to the reversal position PR via the pre-discharge roller 82. At that time, the rotation direction of the discharge roller 83 is reversed, whereby the sheet S is conveyed in the direction of the arrow D3 along the reverse conveyance path FR. Then, the sheet is again placed on the transport path F before the gate roller 81. At this time, the image is transferred first on the surface of the sheet S on which the image is transferred by contacting the intermediate transfer belt 71 in the secondary transfer region TR2. It is the opposite surface. In this way, images can be formed on both sides of the sheet S.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 2, the main controller 11 includes a CPU 111, an interface 112, a ROM 113, a RAM 114, a memory 115 as a storage unit, and a timer 116. The main controller 11 is connected to an operation unit 119 serving as a setting reception unit provided with a display panel 119P for the user to operate the image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, various device units 117 that can be arbitrarily attached to the image forming apparatus 1 by the user can be connected to the main controller 11.

  The device unit 117 is for expanding the function of the image forming apparatus 1, for example, an HDD unit for expanding the memory function of the image forming apparatus 1, or a network I / O for forming a network-compatible image forming apparatus. F (network card), a copy unit for adding a copy function, a scanner, and the like. When the image forming apparatus 1 has a direct printing function, the device unit 117 connected to the main controller 11 includes a memory card, a USB memory, a digital camera, and the like.

  The main controller 11 transmits various control signals for controlling the mechanical controller 12 via the interface 112 and receives status signals of the engine unit EG and the mechanical controller 12 from the mechanical controller 12. The interface 112 receives an image signal or the like from an external device. The ROM 113 stores a calculation program executed by the CPU 111, control data for controlling the mechanical controller 12, and the like. The RAM 114 temporarily stores calculation results in the CPU 111 and data such as image signals received via the interface 112. The memory 115 stores a power saving transition time input by the user from the operation unit 119, a setting mode that defines a method for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode, and the like. The timer 116 measures time in the image forming apparatus 1.

  Here, the memory 115 provided in the main controller 11 uses a non-volatile memory in which information is held even in a non-energized state in order to save the power saving transition time, the setting mode, and the like. As such an element, for example, a flash memory or a ferroelectric memory can be used.

  On the other hand, the mechanical controller 12 includes a CPU 121, a ROM 122, a RAM 123, a motor drive circuit 124, and a heater drive circuit 125. The ROM 122 stores a calculation program executed by the CPU 121, control data for controlling the engine unit EG, and the like. The RAM 123 temporarily stores the calculation result by the CPU 121. The motor drive circuit 124 receives a control signal from the CPU 121 and drives each drive unit for units such as the photosensitive cartridge 2, the developing unit 4, the exposure unit 6, the transfer unit 7, the fixing unit 9, and the cooling fan 10. To control. The heater driving circuit 125 receives a control signal from the CPU 121 and controls the temperature of the fixing heater 9 </ b> A provided in the fixing unit 9.

  Further, the engine unit EG is provided with various sensors 19 for monitoring consumables such as a photosensitive cartridge, an error of the paper supply / discharge device, and opening / closing of a cover provided on the housing of the image forming apparatus 1. Yes.

<Power supply path of image forming apparatus>
Next, the power supply path of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a power supply path of the image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a power supply unit 13. The power supply unit 13 converts a DC power supply voltage into DC voltages of 5V, 24V, and 100V, respectively, a DC power supply 131, a DC power supply 132, and a DC power supply. 133 is provided.

  The output voltage of the DC power supply 131 (5 V) is supplied to a control circuit such as a CPU 111 provided in the main controller 11 and a CPU 121 provided in the mechanical controller 12. In this embodiment, the DC power supply 131 (5 V) is also supplied to the operation unit 119. The output voltage of the DC power supply 132 (24V) is supplied to each drive unit of units such as the photoconductor cartridge 2, the developing unit 4, the exposure unit 6, the transfer unit 7, the fixing unit 9, and the cooling fan 10 provided in the engine unit EG. It is supplied to a motor to be driven, various sensors 19, and various device units 117 mounted on the main controller 11. Further, the output voltage of the DC power supply 133 (100 V) is supplied to a fixing heater 9 </ b> A provided in the fixing unit 9.

  The image forming apparatus 1 executes an image forming operation when an image signal is received from an external device via the interface 112 provided in the main controller 11. The state in which the image forming operation is being executed or can be executed immediately without taking a preparation time is the normal mode operation state. On the other hand, in order to reduce power consumption, the state of suppressing the supply of the predetermined power described above is the operation state of the power saving mode. In the present embodiment, two types of power saving modes are provided in order to reduce power consumption. One of the two types of power saving modes is a “sleep mode”, and the other is an “engine OFF mode”.

  In the operation state of the “sleep mode” described above, the output voltage of 100 V supplied from the DC power supply 133 (100 V) to the fixing heater 9A and the like is cut off, and the heating operation of the fixing heater 9A is stopped. This suppresses power consumption of the image forming apparatus 1.

  On the other hand, in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”, the output voltage of 100 V cut off in the “sleep mode” is cut off. Further, the output voltage of 24 V supplied from the DC power supply 132 (24 V) is cut off to the various sensors 19 such as motors for driving the driving units and the various equipment units 117 mounted. As a result, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 1 is further suppressed.

  Here, in both the “sleep mode” and the “engine OFF mode”, the output voltage of 5 V is always supplied to the main controller 11 and the mechanical controller 12. For this reason, it is possible to communicate with each other even in the power saving mode.

<Transition from normal mode to power saving mode>
Next, an operation for shifting from the normal mode to the operation state of the power saving mode will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode and returning to the normal mode again. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of the transition process to the power saving mode. The operations in each step shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are all executed by the control of the CPU 111 provided in the main controller 11.

  First, in step S510 shown in FIG. 4, it is determined whether or not a power ON or image formation completion signal has been received in the normal mode operation state described above. If either of the power ON and image formation completion signals is received, the process proceeds to the next step S520.

  On the other hand, when neither the power-on signal nor the image formation completion signal is received, that is, when the image formation operation is in progress, the CPU waits until the image formation operation is completed.

  In step S520, time measurement is started by the timer 116 provided in the main controller 11. Here, the time measured by the timer 116 is the elapsed time after the power is turned on in step S510 when a power-on signal is received, and the latest image forming operation when an image formation completion signal is received. Elapsed time since the completion of.

  In step S530, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time being measured by the timer 116 has reached the power saving transition time. If the power saving transition time has been reached, the process proceeds to step S550.

  On the other hand, if the power saving transition time has not been reached, the process advances to step S540 to determine whether an image formation execution signal has been received. Here, the image formation execution signal is a signal for newly executing an image formation operation, and is received from the external device via the interface 112.

  If an image formation execution signal is received in step S540, the transition process to the power saving mode is terminated while the normal mode operation state is maintained in order to newly execute an image formation operation.

  On the other hand, if an image formation execution signal has not been received, the determination processing in steps S530 and S540 is repeated until the power saving transition time is reached.

  Here, the power saving transition time is a time set by the user from the operation unit 119 of the image forming apparatus 1 and is stored in the memory 115 provided in the main controller 11. When the user has not set the power saving transition time, the power saving transition time stored as an initial value in the memory 115 becomes valid.

  In step S550, it is determined whether or not a transition from the current normal mode to the power saving mode is possible. If transition to power saving mode is not possible, wait until it becomes possible.

  On the other hand, when the transition to the power saving mode is possible, the process proceeds to the next step S560.

  Here, whether or not the transition to the power saving mode is possible is determined by whether or not each unit of the engine unit EG is in the adjustment process. For example, when an adjustment process for stirring toner contained in each toner cartridge is being executed for each toner cartridge of the developing unit 4, it is determined that the shift to the power saving mode is impossible.

  In step S560, a transition process from the normal mode to the power saving mode is performed. The details of the process for shifting to the power saving mode will be described later.

  In step S570, it is determined whether or not an image formation execution signal has been received in the operation state of the power saving mode. If an image formation execution signal is received, the process proceeds to step S580 to shift from the power saving mode to the normal mode operation state in which the image forming operation is possible.

  On the other hand, if an image formation execution signal has not been received, the apparatus waits in an operation state of the power saving mode until an image formation execution signal is received.

  In step S580, a signal instructing the CPU 121 to shift to the normal mode is transmitted. The CPU 121 receives this signal and performs control to re-energize the output voltage that has been cut off so far. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 shifts to the original operation mode of the normal mode.

<Details of the transition process to power saving mode>
Next, details of the transition process to the power saving mode will be described.

  When the process proceeds to the power saving mode transition process of step S560 of FIG. 4 described above, the process of step S610 shown in FIG. 5 is started.

  In step S610, device information that the image forming apparatus 1 has is acquired. This apparatus information is roughly divided into two types of information, one of which is apparatus unit information indicating the type of the apparatus unit 117 that is selectively attached to the image forming apparatus 1. The other is error information indicating an error (including a warning error) of each unit of the engine unit EG. Examples of errors include errors such as no paper and cover open.

  The device unit information can be acquired by storing information indicating whether or not the device is installed in the RAM 114 or the memory 115 with a flag or the like for each device unit that can be mounted, and accessing the information. The information indicating the presence / absence of the attachment is updated when the power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on, when the device unit 117 is attached / detached, and the like.

  In order to acquire error information, a signal instructing acquisition of device information is transmitted to the CPU 121 provided in the mechanical controller 12. The CPU 121 receives this signal and obtains error information of each part of the apparatus by using various sensors 19 provided in the engine part EG. Then, the acquired error information is acquired.

In step S620, it is determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” based on the device information acquired in step S610. If the transition is possible, the process proceeds to step S630 and transitions to the “engine OFF mode”.

  On the other hand, if it is not possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”, the process proceeds to step S640 and shifts to the “sleep mode”.

  Here, the determination as to whether or not the transition to the “engine OFF mode” is possible is made based on the acquired two types of device information. Based on the option information that is one of the apparatus information, when the device unit that uses the output voltage that is cut off in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode” is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, It is determined that the transition to the “OFF mode” is impossible.

  Further, based on the error information that is another device information, in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”, when the user cannot cope with the generated error or the like, the transition to the “engine OFF mode” is impossible. judge. This is because the various sensors 19 use the output voltage that is cut off in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”, and if this output voltage is cut off, the user's response to errors etc. This is because it becomes impossible to detect by 19.

  As a specific example, in the present embodiment, as described above, a USB memory, a network interface card, a hard disk, and the like correspond to the various device units 117, and these are 24V that are blocked in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”. The output voltage is used. Therefore, when at least one of these device units is mounted on the image forming apparatus 1, it is determined that the shift to the “engine OFF mode” is impossible. The reason for such determination is as follows.

  For example, when the HDD unit is mounted on the image forming apparatus 1, for example, a JOB for security printing (for password printing) is stored in the HDD, and a print instruction for this JOB is issued from the operation unit 119. There is a case to receive. In this case, if the engine is in the OFF mode and no power is supplied to the HDD unit, the JOB stored in the HDD cannot be viewed, and the received instruction results in an error. In addition, when form data for so-called form printing is stored in the HDD, it may occur that the form data is referred to from a host device that issues a print instruction to the image forming apparatus 1. If the power is not supplied to the HDD unit, the form data stored in the HDD cannot be viewed, and an error occurs.

  When a USB memory is attached to the image forming apparatus 1, a direct printing instruction or the like may be received from the operation unit 119 for a print target file stored in the USB memory. Also in this case, if the image forming apparatus 1 is in the engine OFF mode and power is not supplied to the USB memory, an error occurs because the file to be printed cannot be detected.

  In addition, when the network I / F is attached and the image forming apparatus 1 is connected to the network via the network I / F, it is necessary to receive and respond to the packet in the network. Even when the device 1 enters the power saving state, the power supply to the network I / F needs to be continued.

  As described above, when the device unit 117 is mounted, a shift to the “engine OFF mode” causes inconvenience and is not preferable.

  Further, when various sensors 19 detect errors such as a paper out error, photoconductor unit replacement and cover open, for example, the user cannot respond to these errors in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”. It is determined that the transition to the “engine OFF mode” is impossible.

  In step S630, a signal for instructing the shift to the “engine OFF mode” is transmitted to the CPU 121. The CPU 121 receives this signal and outputs an output voltage of 100V supplied to the fixing heater 9A and the like, and an output voltage of 24V supplied to the various sensors 19 and various device units 117 such as motors for driving the driving units. Control to shut off. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 shifts to the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”. Then, in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”, the process returns to the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In step S640, a signal for instructing the shift to the “sleep mode” is transmitted to the CPU 121. The CPU 121 receives this signal and performs control to cut off the 100V output voltage supplied to the fixing heater 9A and the like. As a result, the image forming apparatus 1 shifts to an operation state of “sleep mode”. Then, in the operation state of “sleep mode”, the process returns to the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In addition, the apparatus information acquisition part and apparatus information acquisition process of this invention are corresponded to said step S610. In addition, the power saving determination unit and the power saving determination process of the present invention correspond to step S620 described above.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, when shifting from the normal mode to the operation state of the power saving mode, the device unit information indicating the type of the mounted device unit and the engine unit are transferred as device information. Error information indicating an error or the like of each part of the EG apparatus is acquired. Then, based on these pieces of device information, a transition is made to either one of the “engine OFF mode” and the “sleep mode”.

  Since it is determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” on the basis of the above device unit information, when the output voltage at which the mounted device unit is cut off in the “engine OFF mode” is used, “ In the operating state of the “engine OFF mode”, it is possible to avoid the problem that the device unit becomes unusable.

  In addition, since it is determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” based on the error information described above, when an error or the like occurs in each part of the apparatus, this error or the like in the operation state of the “engine OFF mode” Can be avoided.

  As a result, when shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode operation state, it is possible to automatically shift to the power saving mode having the highest power saving effect adapted to the apparatus state of the image forming apparatus without causing a problem. Become.

(Second Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The configuration of the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming apparatus of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

<Transition from normal mode to power saving mode>
An operation for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode in the second embodiment will be described.

  The operation for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode in the second embodiment is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, but the contents of the process for shifting to the power saving mode in step S560 shown in FIG. Different from the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing details of the process of shifting to the power saving mode in the image forming apparatus of the second embodiment. The operations in each step shown in FIG. 6 are all executed under the control of the CPU 111 provided in the main controller 11.

  Details of the transition process to the power saving mode in the second embodiment will be described.

  When the process proceeds to the power saving mode transition process of step S560 of FIG. 4, the process of step S710 shown in FIG. 6 is started.

  In step S710, as in step S610 shown in FIG. 5, the device unit information is acquired, and a signal instructing acquisition of device information included in the image forming apparatus 1 is transmitted to the CPU 121, and the CPU 121 that has received this signal acquires it. The apparatus information of the image forming apparatus 1 to be acquired is acquired.

In step S720, it is determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” based on the device information acquired in step S710. If the transition is possible, the process proceeds to step S770, transitions to the “engine OFF mode” operating state, and returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is not possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”, the process proceeds to step S730, shifts to the “sleep mode” operation state, and the process proceeds to the process of acquiring device information in step S740.

  In steps S740 to S760, it is determined that the process of acquiring device information in step S740 in the “sleep mode” operation state can be shifted to “engine OFF mode” in step S750, or the image is acquired in step S760. Repeat until a formation execution signal is received. That is, in a state of waiting in the “sleep mode”, a state in which the mounted device unit and an error of each part of the apparatus are constantly monitored is continued.

  If it is determined in step S750 that the shift to the “engine OFF mode” is possible, the process proceeds to step S770, the operation state shifts to the “engine OFF mode”, and the process returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when an image formation execution signal is received in step S760, the process returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG. In this case, instead of returning to S570 in FIG. 4, the process may return to S580.

  The following cases can be considered as specific examples of the above processing. For example, when the USB memory is mounted as the various device units 117, the operation mode shifts from the normal mode to the “sleep mode”. Then, when the user removes the USB memory in the “sleep mode” operating state, this time, the “sleep mode” shifts to the “engine OFF mode” operating state. Further, for example, when a paper out error is detected by the various sensors 19, the operation mode is shifted from the normal mode to the “sleep mode”. Then, in the “sleep mode” operating state, the user replenishes the paper feed cassette to deal with a paper out error, thereby shifting from the “sleep mode” to the “engine OFF mode” operating state.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment shifts from the normal mode to either the “engine OFF mode” or the “sleep mode” based on the acquired apparatus information. When the mode is shifted to the “sleep mode”, the latest device information is acquired in the operation state of the “sleep mode”, and it is determined whether or not the mode can be shifted to the “engine OFF mode” based on the device information. When it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”, the operation state shifts from the “sleep mode” to the “engine OFF mode”.

  In other words, when shifting to the “sleep mode” operating state, when the device state changes to a state in which the transition to the “engine OFF mode” is possible, instead of continuing the “sleep mode” operating state fixedly Can automatically shift to the “engine OFF mode”. As a result, even in the operating state of the “sleep mode”, it is possible to automatically shift to the “engine OFF mode” having a higher power saving effect depending on the user's response, etc., and the power saving effect can be flexibly and totally enhanced. .

(Third embodiment)
Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

<Setting mode acceptance>
First, an operation for accepting setting mode setting in the third embodiment will be described.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment, a setting mode setting that defines a method for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode is received. This setting mode is input when the user presses a predetermined operation button from the operation unit 119 in the operation state of the normal mode. The input setting mode is stored in the memory 115 provided in the main controller 11.

  Here, the user selects and inputs one of three types of setting modes of “engine OFF mode fixed”, “sleep mode fixed”, and “engine OFF mode or sleep mode” as the setting mode. If the user omits the input of the setting mode, the setting mode stored as an initial value in the memory 115 becomes valid.

<Transition from normal mode to power saving mode>
Next, an operation for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode in the third embodiment will be described.

  The operation for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode in the third embodiment is the same as that in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, but the contents of the process for shifting to the power saving mode in step S560 shown in FIG. Different from the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating details of the process of shifting to the power saving mode in the image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. The operations in each step shown in FIG. 7 are all executed under the control of the CPU 111 provided in the main controller 11.

  Details of the transition process to the power saving mode in the third embodiment will be described.

  When the process proceeds to the power saving mode transition process in step S560 of FIG. 4, the process of step S810 shown in FIG. 7 is started.

  In step S810, the setting mode set in the memory 115 is read and determined. When the setting mode is “engine OFF mode fixed”, the process proceeds to step S840 to shift to the operation state of “engine OFF mode” and returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Here, when the setting mode is “engine OFF mode fixed”, it is not determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” when shifting to the power saving mode. That is, the process always shifts to the “engine OFF mode”.

  For this reason, when a device unit that uses an output voltage that is interrupted by shifting to the “engine OFF mode” is mounted, the functions related to the device unit cannot be used in the power saving mode operation state. Further, when an error or the like has occurred in each part of the engine unit EG, the user cannot cope with the error or the like in the power saving mode operation state.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S810 is that the setting mode is “sleep mode fixed”, processing proceeds to step S850, transitions to the “sleep mode” operating state, and processing returns to the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  Here, when the setting mode is “fixed sleep mode”, it is not determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode” when shifting to the power saving mode. That is, it always shifts to the “sleep mode”.

  For this reason, the power saving effect is low as compared with the operation state of the “engine OFF mode”.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S810 is that the setting mode is “engine OFF mode or sleep mode”, device unit information is acquired in step S820 as in step S610 shown in FIG. The apparatus 1 transmits a signal instructing acquisition of apparatus information included in the apparatus 1, and acquires apparatus information of the image forming apparatus 1 acquired by the CPU 121 that has received this signal.

  In step S830, it is determined based on the device information acquired in step S820 whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”. If the transition is possible, the process proceeds to step S840, transitions to the “engine OFF mode” operating state, and returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is not possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”, the process proceeds to step S850, shifts to the “sleep mode” operation state, and returns to the process of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the setting mode setting that defines the method for shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode is received from the user. When the accepted setting mode is “fixed engine OFF mode” or “fixed sleep mode”, it shifts to each power saving mode. When the setting mode is “engine OFF mode or sleep mode”, the mode is shifted to one of the “engine OFF mode” and “sleep mode” based on the acquired device information.

  In the setting mode of “engine OFF mode fixed”, the user cannot respond to an error or the like generated in each part of the device when the installed device unit becomes unusable after shifting to the power saving mode operation state. However, the power saving effect can be enhanced most.

  In addition, the setting mode of “fixed sleep mode” has a problem that the power saving effect is not high as compared with the operation state of “engine OFF mode”, but the installed device unit can be used and occurred in each part of the device. There is an advantage that the user can cope with an error or the like. For example, when a user installs a USB memory as a device unit, the user can recognize that the USB memory has been installed if it is in the “sleep mode” operating state, so the user can check the data content stored in the USB memory. it can. Furthermore, the “sleep mode” is a power saving method that has been generally used, and can be selected according to the user's preference.

  In the setting mode of “engine OFF mode or sleep mode”, it is possible to automatically shift to a power saving mode having a high power saving effect in accordance with the apparatus state of the image forming apparatus.

  The user can flexibly select the most suitable power saving mode transition method from among these setting modes in light of the actual situation of the user such as the machine environment and operation method.

  (Modification 1) In the first to third embodiments described above, “sleep mode” and “engine OFF mode” have been described as examples of two types of power saving modes. However, in the types of power saving modes and the respective power saving modes, The target to cut off the energization is not limited to this. For example, in the “engine OFF mode” described above, an output voltage of 5 V is always supplied to the entire control circuit such as the CPU 121 provided in the mechanical controller 12. Alternatively, the mechanical controller 12 may be provided with a power saving drive circuit for controlling the “engine OFF mode” so that only the power saving drive circuit is energized in the operation of the “engine OFF mode”. Thereby, in the operation of the “engine OFF mode”, only the power saving drive circuit provided in the main controller 11 and the mechanical controller 12 is energized, and the power consumption can be further reduced. Further, for example, the types of power saving modes may be increased by subdividing the interruption of energization to the motor or the like of each drive unit according to the use of each device to be driven. As a result, fine power saving control can be performed according to various usage forms and situations of each part of the apparatus constituting the image forming apparatus.

  In addition, when the power supply to the equipment unit 117 is not performed or the control to perform the power supply to the engine unit EG can be performed individually, the engine power supply system is turned off (shut off). The engine unit 117 may be in an engine OFF mode in which power is supplied to the device unit 117 as it is (ON). In this case, the apparatus information is only engine information (whether there is an error). If there is no error, the system information is shifted to the engine OFF mode, and the output voltage of 100V and 24V to the engine unit EG is cut off. In this case, since power is supplied to the device unit 117 even in the power saving mode, even if a new device unit is attached during the power saving mode, the operation using the device unit can be performed.

  Also, a circuit that can turn on / off the power supply for each device unit is provided, and the power supply to the installed device unit is turned on based on the acquired device unit information, and the power is supplied to the device unit that is not installed. You may make it transfer to the power saving mode which turns OFF.

  (Modification 2) In the first to third embodiments described above, as the device information that the image forming apparatus 1 has, information on the mounted device unit, information on an error that has occurred in each part of the engine unit EG, and the like. Acquired. Then, based on these pieces of device information, a transition is made to either one of the “engine OFF mode” and the “sleep mode”. However, the device information to be acquired is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the information on the installed device unit, transition to the “engine OFF mode” based on the power supply path to each part of the device mounted as a standard function It may be determined whether or not this is possible. Further, for example, information such as an error that has occurred in each part of the apparatus may be classified according to the degree of influence, and only the fatal error may be disabled from being transferred to the “engine OFF mode”.

  (Modification 3) In the third embodiment described above, when the received setting mode is “engine OFF mode or sleep mode”, either “engine OFF mode” or “sleep mode” is selected based on the acquired device information. Moved to the operating state. However, here, when shifting to the “sleep mode” operating state, device information is acquired in the “sleep mode” operating state as in the case of shifting to the “sleep mode” operating state in the second embodiment. Then, it is determined whether or not it is possible to shift to the “engine OFF mode”, and if the shift is possible, the operation state may be shifted to the “engine OFF mode”.

1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a power supply path of the image forming apparatus. The flowchart which shows operation | movement which transfers to power saving mode from normal mode, and returns to normal mode again. The flowchart which shows the detail of the transfer process to power saving mode. The flowchart which shows the detail of the transfer process to the power saving mode which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The flowchart which shows the detail of the transfer process to the power saving mode which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus, 4 ... Developing unit, 6 ... Exposure unit, 7 ... Transfer unit, 8 ... Cassette, 9 ... Fixing unit, 9A ... Fixing heater, 10 ... Cooling fan, 11 ... Main controller, 12 ... Mechanical controller, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Power supply part, 19 ... Various sensors, 111 ... CPU, 112 ... Interface, 113 ... ROM, 114 ... RAM, 115 ... Memory, 116 ... Timer, 117 ... Various equipment unit, 119 ... Operation unit, 119P ... Display panel, 121 ... CPU, 122 ... ROM, 123 ... RAM, 124 ... motor drive circuit, 125 ... heater drive circuit, 131-133 ... DC power supply.

Claims (6)

An image forming apparatus that operates in a normal mode and a plurality of power saving modes that consume less power than the normal mode,
An apparatus information acquisition unit that acquires apparatus information indicating an apparatus state of the image forming apparatus;
A power saving determination unit for determining the type of one power saving mode to be transferred among the plurality of types of power saving modes;
The image forming apparatus, wherein the power saving determination unit determines the type of the one power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit. The device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit includes device unit information indicating information of a device unit that is selectively attached to the image forming apparatus,
The said power saving determination part determines with the transition to the power saving mode which interrupts | blocks supply of electric power with respect to the said apparatus unit mounted | worn based on the said apparatus unit information that it is improper. Image forming apparatus. The device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit includes error information indicating information on an error that has occurred in each unit of the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power saving determination unit determines, based on the error information, that a shift to a power saving mode that cannot cope with the generated error is impossible. Based on the determination of the power saving determination unit, transition to the operation of one power saving mode among the plurality of types of power saving mode,
During operation of the transitioned power saving mode, device information is acquired by the device information acquisition unit,
The power saving determination unit determines a type of one power saving mode to be transferred next from the power saving mode in operation based on the acquired device information, and shifts to the determined one power saving mode. Item 4. The image forming apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 3. A setting accepting unit that accepts a setting mode setting that defines a method of shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode;
A storage unit that stores the setting mode received by the setting receiving unit;
The power saving determination unit
When the setting mode stored in the storage unit defines a method for shifting to one power saving mode among the plurality of types of power saving modes, it is determined to shift to the one power saving mode,
When the setting mode stored in the storage unit defines a method for determining the power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information acquired by the device information acquisition unit, the type of the power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information is determined. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination is made. An apparatus information acquisition step of acquiring apparatus information indicating an apparatus state of the image forming apparatus;
A power saving determination step of determining a type of one power saving mode to be transferred among the plurality of types of power saving modes,
The image forming apparatus control method, wherein the power saving determining step determines the type of the one power saving mode to be transferred based on the device information acquired by the device information acquiring step.

Images