JP2008022452A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus in which a power storage device with a relatively small energy capacity to be stored can be used. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus comprising a system controller including a CPU for operating an OS comprises a charging device charged based on a power supply circuit, a power failure detection circuit for detecting the occurrence of a power failure during ordinary operation, and a power failure control device for performing power failure control processing when the power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit. The power failure control device comprises a means for causing the system controller to supply power from the charging device and to execute shut-down processing when the power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, and a means which stops the supply of power to any system other than the power failure control device after the system controller completes the shut-down processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine.

  Facsimile devices have already been developed that can extend the time during which the operating state can be maintained when the commercial power supply fails and power is supplied from the battery in the uninterruptible power supply. (See Kaihei 10-233867).

  In such a facsimile machine, it is necessary to use a storage battery with a large energy capacity to be stored in order to maintain the operating state during a power failure period, which increases the cost and increases the weight and volume of the storage battery. is there.

  By the way, in an image forming apparatus such as a multifunction peripheral having a facsimile function in addition to a digital copying machine and a copying function, an operation system (OS) similar to a normal PC or server is used. For this reason, in an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a multifunction peripheral, as in the case of a PC or a server, it is necessary to finish (shut down) the data being worked in an appropriate procedure when the power is stopped.

  In a PC or a server, if the power supply is stopped immediately after a power failure, the system is not properly shut down. Therefore, a configuration may be employed in which power supply is maintained using an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) at the time of a power failure.

  On the other hand, in an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine or a multifunction peripheral, a load that requires a relatively large output such as a fixing heater or a motor is connected to the power supply line in addition to a system that operates an OS. Has been. For this reason, an uninterruptible power supply with an output of several hundreds to about 1 KW, which is used in a normal PC or server, cannot be used for a multifunction machine that requires an output exceeding 1 KW.

See JP-A-10-233867

  The present invention does not use an electricity storage device to maintain an operating state during a power outage period, but uses an electricity storage device to normally shut down the system when a power outage occurs. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of using a relatively small one.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus including a system controller having a CPU on which an OS operates, a charging device that is charged based on a power supply circuit, and a power outage that detects that a power outage has occurred during normal operation The power supply is supplied by the detection circuit and the charging device, and it is equipped with a power failure control device for performing power failure control processing when a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit. When a power failure is detected by the detection circuit, means for causing the system controller to supply power from the charging device and causing the system controller to execute the shutdown process, and to the system other than the power failure control device after the system controller finishes the shutdown process It is provided with means for stopping power supply To.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus having a system controller having a CPU for operating an OS, a facsimile control unit, and a storage device for storing facsimile reception data is charged based on a power supply circuit. For performing power failure control processing when a power failure is detected by the charging device, a power failure detection circuit that detects the occurrence of a power failure during normal operation, and when a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit When a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, when the power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, when the power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit Means for determining whether or not a facsimile is being received. The system controller to execute the shutdown process, and when receiving a facsimile, the system controller executes the shutdown process after all of the currently received data is stored in the storage device, and the system controller performs the shutdown process. Means is provided for stopping power supply to a system other than the control device at the time of power failure after completion.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including a CPU on which an OS operates, a facsimile control unit, a system controller having a storage device for storing facsimile reception data, and the like, and a print engine. Charging device charged based on, power failure detection circuit that detects that a power failure occurred during normal operation, and power failure is controlled when power is supplied by the charging device and power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit A power failure control device for performing processing, and the power failure control device is configured to supply power from the charging device to the system controller and the print engine when a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit; A means to determine whether or not a facsimile is being received when a power failure is detected by If the facsimile is not being received, the system controller executes a shutdown process. If the facsimile is being received, all of the currently received data is stored in the storage device and all of the received data is printed by the print engine. And a means for causing the system controller to execute a shutdown process and a means for stopping power supply to a system other than the controller during a power failure after the system controller finishes the shutdown process.

  According to the present invention, a power storage device having a relatively small energy capacity can be used.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments in the case where the present invention is applied to a multifunction machine having a copying function and a facsimile function will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows the electrical configuration of the multifunction machine.

  The multifunction machine includes a power supply circuit (PSU) 1, a charge control circuit 2, a power storage device 3, a power switch 4, a power control CPU (power failure control device) 5, a multifunction machine controller (system controller) 6, an engine system 7, etc. It has.

  The multifunction device controller 6 includes a multifunction device control CPU 61 on which the OS operates, a memory 62, an HDD 63, a facsimile control unit 64, and the like. The engine system 7 includes a motor, a heater, and the like in an image reading mechanism and an image forming mechanism (printing engine). The engine system 7 is controlled by the multifunction device control CPU 61.

  The power supply circuit 1 generates a power supply for the charging control circuit 2, the engine system 7, and the multifunction machine controller 6 from a commercial AC power supply. The power supply circuit 1 includes a power supply monitoring circuit (power failure detection circuit) 11 for detecting that a power failure has occurred.

  The power storage device 3 includes a storage battery and a large capacity capacitor. The charge control circuit 2 charges the power storage device 3 based on the power from the power supply circuit 1.

  The power supply switch 4 switches the power supply source to the multifunction device controller 6 to the power supply circuit 1 or the power storage device 3. That is, power is supplied to the multi-function device controller 6 from the power supply circuit 1 or the power storage device 3. In the normal state, power is supplied from the power supply circuit 1 to the multi-function device controller 6. Power is supplied from the power supply circuit 1 to the engine system 7.

  The power control CPU 5 is always supplied with power from the power storage device 3. When a power failure occurs, the power monitoring circuit 11 sends a signal that detects that a power failure has occurred to the power control CPU 5. The power source control CPU 5 controls the charge control circuit 2 and the power source switch 4. The power source control CPU 5 has a function of communicating with the multifunction device control CPU 61.

  FIG. 2 shows a power failure control processing procedure executed by the power control CPU 5.

  When a power failure is detected by the power supply monitoring circuit 11 (step S2) when the entire system of the multifunction machine is performing normal operation (step S1), the power supply control CPU 5 controls the power supply changeover switch 4. Then, the power supply source to the multifunction device controller 6 is switched from the power supply circuit 1 to the power storage device 3 (step S3). When a power failure occurs, power is not supplied to the engine system 7.

  Next, the power supply control CPU 5 causes the multi-function peripheral control CPU 61 to make a setting for rejecting a new incoming facsimile (step S4). The power control CPU 5 inquires of the multifunction device control CPU 61 whether or not the multifunction device controller 6 is receiving a facsimile, thereby determining whether or not the multifunction device controller 6 is receiving a facsimile (step S5). ).

  If the MFP controller 6 is not receiving a facsimile, the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, when the multi-function device controller 6 is receiving a facsimile, the power control CPU 5 communicates with the multi-function device control CPU 61 to determine whether or not all received data currently being received has been stored in the HDD 63. A determination is made (step S6).

  If not all the received data currently being received is stored in the HDD 63, the process waits until all the received data currently being received is stored in the HDD 63. If all the received data currently being received is stored in the HDD 63, the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S7, the power control CPU 5 causes the multifunction device control CPU 61 to execute processing for shutting down the multifunction device controller 6.

  The power source control CPU 5 determines whether or not the multifunction device controller 6 has been shut down by communicating with the multifunction device control CPU 61 (step S8). If the multi-function device controller 6 is not shut down, the multi-function device controller 6 waits for proper shutdown.

  When the multifunction device controller 6 is shut down, the power control CPU 5 stops the power supply to all the systems other than the power control CPU 5 (step S9). Specifically, the power control CPU 5 switches the power supply source to the multifunction device controller 6 from the power storage device 3 to the power circuit 1 by controlling the power switch 4. Then, the power failure control process is terminated.

  Note that when power is turned on after a power failure recovery, the setting to reject new incoming faxes in the initial settings is canceled even if the setting for rejecting new incoming faxes was made in the control process during a power failure. The In addition, when received data is stored in the HDD 63 in the power failure control process, the received data is automatically printed.

  In the above embodiment, power is not supplied to the engine system 7 when a power failure occurs, but power may be supplied from the power storage device 3 to the engine system 7 when a power failure occurs. However, after the MFP controller 6 is shut down, the power supply to the engine system 7 is stopped.

  In this way, when power is supplied from the power storage device 3 to the engine system 7 when a power failure occurs, all received data currently being received is stored in the HDD 63 if a facsimile is being received when the power failure occurs. In addition, after the printing of the received data is completed, a process for shutting down the multifunction machine controller 6 may be performed.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the multifunction machine. It is a flowchart which shows the control processing procedure at the time of a power failure performed by CPU5 for power control.

Explanation of symbols

1 Power supply circuit (PSU)
2 Charge Control Circuit 3 Power Storage Device 4 Power Supply Switch 5 Power Control CPU
6 MFP controller 7 Engine system 11 Power monitoring circuit 61 CPU for controlling MFP
62 Memory 63 HDD
64 Facsimile control unit

Claims (3)

In an image forming apparatus including a system controller having a CPU on which an OS operates,
A charging device, which is charged based on the power circuit,
Power failure detection circuit that detects the occurrence of a power failure during normal operation, and power failure control to perform power failure control processing when power is supplied by the charging device and a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit Equipped with equipment,
When a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, the power failure control device causes the system controller to supply power from the charging device and causes the system controller to execute the shutdown process. An image forming apparatus comprising: means for stopping power supply to a system other than the control device. In an image forming apparatus comprising a system controller having a CPU on which an OS operates, a facsimile control unit, and a storage device for storing facsimile reception data, etc.
A charging device, which is charged based on the power circuit,
Power failure detection circuit that detects the occurrence of a power failure during normal operation, and power failure control to perform power failure control processing when power is supplied by the charging device and a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit Equipped with equipment,
When a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, the controller at the time of power failure is a means for supplying power from the charging device to the system controller, and whether or not a facsimile is being received when the power failure detection circuit is detected. If the facsimile is not being received, the system controller executes the shutdown process. If the facsimile is being received, all of the currently received data is stored in the storage device and then the system controller performs the shutdown process. An image forming apparatus comprising: means for executing the power supply; and means for stopping power supply to a system other than the power failure control device after the system controller finishes the shutdown process. In an image forming apparatus comprising a CPU on which an OS operates, a facsimile controller, a system controller having a storage device for storing facsimile reception data, and a print engine,
A charging device, which is charged based on the power circuit,
Power failure detection circuit that detects the occurrence of a power failure during normal operation, and power failure control to perform power failure control processing when power is supplied by the charging device and a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit Equipped with equipment,
When a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, the controller at the time of power failure is receiving a facsimile when a power failure is detected by the power failure detection circuit, means for supplying power from the charging device to the system controller and the print engine Means for determining whether or not the facsimile is being received, the system controller executes a shutdown process, and if the facsimile is being received, all of the currently received data is stored in the storage device and the received data Means for causing the system controller to execute the shutdown process after all of the above is printed by the print engine, and means for stopping the power supply to the system other than the controller at the time of power failure after the system controller finishes the shutdown process. Image forming equipment characterized by .

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