JP2008073918A - Image forming device, control method and control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming technique which permits the shortening of time required for the device to get ready to act when an image forming device is returned to a normal mode from a power saving mode. <P>SOLUTION: A controller board 8 has a signal generation means to generate a return monitoring signal which becomes effective when the image forming device returns to the normal mode from the power saving mode. An engine control board 10 judges whether or not a return monitoring signal generated by the signal generation means is effective when direct current voltage is supplied from PSU 6 during a shift from the power saving mode to the normal mode, and decides whether or not to perform a necessary initial process when the supply of alternating current power to PSU 6 is started by switching in a main power switch 7 in accordance with the result of the judgment. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including at least two substrates, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus, a control method, and a control program that perform control on two substrates when a setting mode is shifted.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image forming apparatus including an engine for forming an image such as a scanner, a plotter, and a fixing heater, and two control boards (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such an image forming apparatus, for example, one control board (engine control board) controls the engine, and one control board (controller board) controls the entire image forming apparatus. When the main power supply of the image forming apparatus is turned on, the image forming apparatus is activated in a normal mode for performing various processes, and power is supplied to both the controller board and the engine control board. Some of these image forming apparatuses are set to a power saving mode in order to reduce power consumption in a standby state or the like. In the image forming apparatus set to the power saving mode, the amount of power supplied to the controller board is reduced, and no power is supplied to the engine control board or the amount supplied is reduced. Sufficient power supply to the controller board and the engine control board is resumed when the setting returns from the power saving mode to the normal mode. When the normal mode is set, the engine control board first performs a process of detecting the frequency as an initial process, for example, in order to confirm the frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz) of the AC power supply. This process is necessary when the normal mode is set by activation when the main power source is turned on, but can be omitted when the normal mode is set by returning from the power saving mode. This is because the main power is not turned off when the power saving mode is set, and it is considered that the frequency has not changed since the power saving mode was set.

JP 2006-155391 A

  However, in the conventional technology, even when the normal mode is set by returning from the power saving mode, processing is performed to detect the frequency, so it takes time to return to the normal mode and become operable. There was a fear that it took more.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and provides an image forming apparatus, a control method, and a control program capable of shortening the time until operation becomes possible when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode. With the goal.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is an image forming apparatus for generating heat and generating an image read by the image reading unit. An image forming means for transferring the latent image onto the recording paper by a fixing member heated by the heat generating means and fixing the latent image on the recording paper; a first control means for controlling the heat generating means and the image forming means; and an alternating current DC power supply means for converting an AC voltage supplied from a power supply into a DC voltage and outputting it, second control means for controlling the first control means and the DC power supply means, and from the AC power supply to the DC power supply means Power supply switching means for switching supply or stop of supply of AC voltage, and is set to one of an operation mode of a normal mode and a power saving mode, and the DC power supply means is set to the normal mode. The heat generating means, the image forming means, the first control means, and the second control means when a direct current voltage is supplied and the power saving mode is set, the heat generating means, the image forming means, Signal generation for generating a return monitoring signal that is effective when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode in an image forming apparatus that at least reduces the supply of DC voltage to the first control unit and the second control unit And when the DC power is supplied from the DC power supply means when the first control means shifts from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the return monitoring signal generated by the signal generating means It is determined whether or not it is valid, and according to the determination result, when supply of AC voltage from the AC power source to the DC power source unit is started by switching in the power source switching unit And determining whether to perform the essential initial processing.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the initial process is a process of detecting a frequency of the AC power supply.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the first control means does not perform processing for detecting the frequency of the AC power supply when the determination result is affirmative. .

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the DC power supply unit stops supplying DC voltage to the first control unit, and the signal generation unit is provided in the second control unit. And a signal transmission means for transmitting a return monitoring signal generated by the signal generation means between the first control means and the second control means. When shifting to the normal mode, when a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means, it is determined whether or not a return monitoring signal transmitted through the signal transmission means is valid.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the signal generation means is provided in the first control means, and the DC power supply means is configured to be the signal generation means when the power saving mode is set. A low DC voltage is supplied to

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, when the voltage value of the DC voltage output from the DC power supply means is a predetermined value or less, a first level voltage monitoring signal is output, and the DC voltage is output. When the voltage value of the DC voltage output from the power supply means is larger than a predetermined value, the apparatus further comprises voltage value monitoring means for outputting a second level voltage monitoring signal, and the second control means outputs from the DC power supply means. A power control means for outputting a power control signal for controlling the supply of the DC voltage to be supplied, the power control means outputs a first level power control signal when the normal mode is set; When the power saving mode is set, a second level power control signal is output, and the DC power source means, when the power control means outputs a first level power control signal, the heat generating means, When a DC voltage is supplied to the image forming means, the first control means, and the second control means, and the power control means outputs a second level power control signal, the heat generating means, the image forming means, The supply of DC voltage to the first control means and the second control means is reduced, the signal generating means is supplied with DC voltage from the DC power supply means, and the power supply control signal is changed from the first level to the second level. When the change occurs, a second level return monitoring signal is output. When the return monitoring signal output by the signal generating means is at the second level, the return monitoring signal is valid. It is characterized by discriminating.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the invention according to the fourth aspect, the signal generating means has a first level when a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means and the voltage monitoring signal is at the first level. A return monitoring signal is output, and the first control means determines that the return monitoring signal is invalid when the return monitoring signal output by the signal generating means is at a first level.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the signal generation means includes an input / output port, and the signal generation means is effective when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode. A return monitoring signal is output to the input / output port, and when the first control means is supplied with a DC voltage from the DC power supply means when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the signal generating means It is determined whether or not the return monitoring signal output to the input / output port is valid.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein each of the first control means and the second control means includes at least a central processing unit, a storage device, and an integrated circuit, and is disposed on a separate substrate. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 10 is a control method, comprising: a heat generating means for generating heat; and a latent image for forming an image read by the image reading means by a fixing member heated by the heat generating means. An image forming means for transferring to a recording paper and fixing the recording paper; a first control means for controlling the heat generating means and the image forming means; and an alternating voltage supplied from an alternating current power source is converted into a direct current voltage. DC power supply means for output, second control means for controlling the first control means and the DC power supply means, and power supply switching means for switching supply or stop of supply of AC power to the DC power supply means, When the operation mode is set to any one of a normal mode and a power saving mode, and the DC power supply unit is set to the normal mode, the heat generation unit, the image forming unit, and the first control unit are set. When the DC voltage is supplied to the second control unit and the power saving mode is set, the DC voltage is supplied to the heat generating unit, the image forming unit, the first control unit, and the second control unit. A signal generating step for generating a return monitoring signal that is effective when the image forming apparatus that reduces at least the power saving mode shifts to the normal mode; and the first control unit performs the normal control from the power saving mode to the normal mode. When a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means when shifting to the mode, it is determined whether or not the return monitoring signal generated by the signal generating means is valid, and according to the determination result, in the power supply switching means And a determination step for determining whether or not to perform an initial process necessary when the supply of the AC voltage from the AC power source to the DC power source means is started by switching. To.

  The invention according to claim 11 is a control program, wherein the method according to claim 10 is executed by a computer.

  According to the present invention, when returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode, it is possible to omit the process of detecting the frequency of the AC power supply, and thus it is possible to shorten the time until the operation in the normal mode is enabled. It is.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the second control means includes the signal generation means, it becomes possible to stop the supply of power to the first control means when the power saving mode is set, so that more effective saving can be achieved. Electric power can be realized.

  Further, according to the present invention, the first control means includes the signal generation means, so that the return monitoring signal can be easily transmitted from the signal generation means to the first control means.

  Further, according to the present invention, the signal generating means includes the input / output port, and the generated return monitoring signal is output to the input / output port, whereby the determination performed by the first control means can be realized by executing the program.

  According to the present invention, the return monitoring signal is generated by using the voltage monitoring signal output from the voltage value monitoring unit and the power control signal output from the power control unit, so that the signal generating unit is controlled by an electronic circuit. It is feasible.

  Exemplary embodiments of an image forming apparatus, a control method, and a control program according to the present invention are explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First embodiment]
(1) Configuration FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a scanner 2, a plotter 3, a fixing heater 4, a PSU 6, a main power switch 7, a controller board 8, an engine / controller / I / F 9, and an engine control. Board 10.

  The controller board 8 and the engine control board 10 are each connected to the PSU 6 via a bus (not shown), and operate by a DC voltage supplied from the PSU 6. The engine control board 10 is connected to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, and the fixing heater 4 via a bus (not shown), and controls these operations. Further, the engine control board 10 is connected to the controller board 8 via the engine / controller / I / F 9 and the signal line 11 to transmit / receive signals to / from the controller board 8. The controller board 8 controls the engine control board 10 and the PSU 6 to control the entire image forming apparatus 1.

  The scanner 2 reads a set document under the control of the controller board 8 and supplies the read image to the plotter 3. The plotter 3 is a printing device that prints an image supplied from the scanner 2 on recording paper under the control of the controller board 8, and is transferred to the recording paper by a fixing member (not shown) heated by the fixing heater 4. Fix the toner to the recording paper.

  A PSU (Power Supply Unit) 6 converts an AC voltage supplied from an AC (Alternating Current) power source into a DC voltage, supplies this DC voltage to the controller board 8, and controls the DC voltage under the control of the controller board 8. This is supplied to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4, and the engine control board 10. The main power switch 7 switches between supply of AC power to the PSU 6 and stop of supply.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram mainly showing the internal configuration of the controller board 8 and the engine control board 10. The controller board 8 is composed of one board, and includes a CPU 8a, an ASIC 8b, a ROM 8c, and a RAM 8d, and further includes a signal generation unit 8e and a power supply monitoring IC 8f. The CPU 8a includes a timer (not shown), and controls the entire image forming apparatus 1 by controlling the engine control board 10 and the PSU 6. Further, the CPU 8a is connected to an operation panel (not shown), receives an instruction input from a user input via the operation panel, and performs various processes according to the instruction input. For example, when the main power switch 7 is turned on and a high DC voltage (for example, 5 V) is supplied from the PSU 6, the CPU 8a performs a control process for starting in the normal mode. Thereafter, when the timer detects that a predetermined time has elapsed since the image forming apparatus 1 enters the standby state, the CPU 8a performs a control process for shifting to the power saving mode. Thereafter, when an instruction input for returning to the normal mode is detected via the operation panel, the CPU 8a performs a control process for starting in the normal mode. The ROM 8c stores a control program for the CPU 8a to control the entire image forming apparatus 1 and various programs and data for performing various processes. The ASIC 8b transmits and receives signals to and from the engine control board 10 via the engine controller I / F 9. The ASIC 8 b controls the supply of DC voltage from the PSU 6 to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4 and the engine control board 10. Specifically, the ASIC 8b is applied when a low-level (for example, 5VE) DC voltage is supplied from the PSU 6, and starts operation when a voltage monitoring signal described below becomes a high level. Is output. The ASIC 8b outputs a high-level power control signal when shifting to the power saving mode under the control of the CPU 8a. The low-level power control signal indicates that a high-level (for example, 5V) DC voltage is instructed from the PSU 6 to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4 and the engine control board 10, and the high-level power control. The signal indicates that it is instructed to stop the supply of the high DC voltage from the PSU 6 to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4, and the engine control board 10.

  The power monitoring IC 8f is applied when a low DC voltage is supplied from the PSU 6, and the voltage value gradually increases and reaches a predetermined voltage (for example, 4.2 V or more) for a predetermined time (for example, 50 msec). When the time has elapsed, a high-level voltage monitoring signal is output. Therefore, immediately after the DC voltage is applied, the power supply monitoring IC 8f outputs a low level voltage monitoring signal.

  The signal generation unit 8e is an electronic circuit configured using electronic components such as 74AHCT74. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the signal generation unit 8e. As shown in the figure, the signal generation unit 8e includes a SET terminal, a RESET terminal, a CLK terminal, a D terminal, and a Q terminal. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the state of signals input to the SET terminal, RESET terminal, CLK terminal, and D terminal of the signal generation unit 8e, and the state of signals output from the Q terminal. A power supply control signal (PONENG_N) is input to the CLK terminal, and a voltage monitoring signal (RESET_5VE_N) is input to the RESET terminal. A signal that becomes a high level when a low DC voltage is applied is input to the D terminal and the SET terminal. Then, at the timing when the edge of the power supply control signal input to the CLK terminal rises, the signal input to the D terminal is output to the Q terminal. The signal output to the Q terminal is referred to as a return monitoring signal (FIKKI). Further, when the voltage monitoring signal input to the RESET terminal becomes low level, a low level return monitoring signal is output from the Q terminal.

  The engine control board 10 is composed of a single board, and includes a CPU 10a, an ASIC 10b, a ROM 10c, and a RAM 10d. The ASIC 10b transmits and receives signals to and from the ASIC 8b of the controller board 8 via the engine controller I / F 9. Further, the ASIC 10 b detects the return monitoring signal output from the signal generation unit 8 e of the controller board 8 via the signal line 11.

  When a high DC voltage is supplied from the PSU 6, the CPU 10 a performs control processing for starting in the normal mode, and controls the scanner 2, the plotter 3, and the fixing heater 4 under the control of the controller board 8. Further, since the supply of the DC voltage from the PSU 6 to the engine control board 10 is stopped when the mode is shifted to the power saving mode, the engine control board 10 is in a dormant state. When returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the supply of DC voltage from the PSU 6 to the engine control board 10 is resumed, so that the CPU 10a is controlled to start in the normal mode under the control of the controller board 8. Process. In the present embodiment, the CPU 10a determines whether the return monitoring signal detected by the ASIC 10b is asserted or negated when the control process for starting in the normal mode is started. That is, the CPU 10a determines whether the return monitoring signal output to the Q terminal of the signal generation unit 8e is a high level (logic level ‘1’) or a low level (logic level ‘0’). If the determination result is negative, the CPU 10a performs a process of detecting the frequency of the AC power supply (frequency detection process). If the determination result is affirmative, the CPU 10a omits the frequency detection process.

  In the frequency detection process, the CPU 8a checks the phase (voltage value) of the AC power supplied from the PSU 6 at regular intervals. When the frequency is 50 Hz, since the cycle is 20 msec, the voltage value is checked every 20 msec. If the voltage value is the same for each check, the phase of the AC power supply is determined to be 50 Hz. When the frequency is 60 Hz, the period is 16.66 msec, so the voltage value is checked every 16.66 msec. If the voltage value is the same for each check, the phase of the AC power supply is determined to be 60 Hz. Since the AC power supply also has noise, the same check is repeated several times to determine whether it is noise or not. In the current method, the minimum time for checking is 500 msec.

  The reason why such a frequency detection process is necessary is as follows. Immediately after the main power supply is turned on, the temperature of the heater filament of the fixing heater 4 is low. Therefore, when a DC voltage is supplied to the fixing heater 4, an inrush current exceeding the rated current flows through the fixing heater 4. This inrush current may cause lighting flicker. In order to suppress this flickering, soft start that gradually widens the heater lighting phase angle is effective. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the frequency of the AC power source in order to perform the phase angle control with high accuracy.

  As described above, the engine controller I / F 9 mediates transmission and reception of signals between the ASIC 8 b of the controller board 8 and the ASIC 10 b of the engine control board 10. The engine controller I / F 9 is opened because all programs stored in the ROM 8c of the controller board 8 are loaded into the RAM 8d, and all programs stored in the ROM 10c of the engine control board 10 are loaded into the RAM 10d. After being loaded.

(2) Operation Next, the procedure of the return detection process performed by the controller board 8 in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the return detection process performed by the controller board 8 in the present embodiment.

  When the main power switch 7 is turned on by the user, the PSU 6 converts the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source into a DC voltage, and converts the low-level (for example, 5VE) DC voltage into the signal generator 8e and the controller board 8. Supplied to the ASIC 8b and the power supply monitoring IC 8f. Then, the PSU 6 gradually increases the supplied voltage value, and maintains the voltage value when reaching a certain high level (for example, 5 V). The power monitoring IC 8f monitors a high level voltage when a predetermined time (for example, 50 msec) has elapsed after the value of the DC voltage supplied from the PSU 6 gradually increases and reaches a predetermined voltage (for example, 4.2 V or more). Output a signal. Each part of the controller board 8 becomes operable when the voltage monitoring signal becomes high level, and the CPU 8a reads the control program stored in the ROM 8c into the RAM 8d and starts the process of executing the control program. The ASIC 8b outputs a low-level power control signal. When a low-level power supply control signal is supplied, the PSU 6 supplies a high DC voltage to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4, and the engine control board 10. When a high-level DC voltage is supplied to the engine control board 10, each part of the engine control board 10 becomes operable. The CPU 10a reads various programs stored in the ROM 10c into the RAM 10d and starts executing the programs. The ASIC 10 b detects the return monitoring signal output from the signal generation unit 8 e of the controller board 8 via the signal line 11. The CPU 10a determines whether the return monitoring signal detected by the ASIC 8e is high level or low level (step S1). Here, a high-level power supply control signal is input to the RESET terminal of the signal generation unit 8e, and a low-level voltage monitoring signal is input to the CLK terminal. Therefore, a low level return monitoring signal is output to the Q terminal. Therefore, since the determination result in step S1 is negative here, the CPU 10a proceeds to step S2 and performs frequency detection processing in step S2. Subsequently, in step S3, the CPU 10a starts a control process for starting in the normal mode.

  After that, when the CPU 8a of the controller board 8 detects that a predetermined time has elapsed since the image forming apparatus 1 enters the standby state, the ASIC 8b of the controller board 8 performs high-level power control so as to shift to the power saving mode. Output a signal. When the high-level power supply control signal is output, the PSU 6 stops supplying the DC voltage to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4, and the engine control board 10, and lowers the DC voltage supplied to the controller board 8. Change the voltage to. At this time, since the DC voltage is supplied to the controller board 8 even at a low level, the power supply state is maintained. Similarly, since the DC voltage is supplied, the signal input to the D terminal remains at the high level. On the other hand, the voltage monitoring signal input to the CLK terminal changes from the Low level to the High level. Therefore, the signal at the D terminal is output to the Q terminal at the rising edge of the edge of the high level voltage monitoring signal input to the CLK terminal. Since the signal output to the D terminal is at the high level, the return monitoring signal output from the Q terminal at this time is at the high level.

  Thereafter, when an instruction input for canceling the setting of the power saving mode is input via the operation panel, the CPU 8a of the controller board 8 detects the instruction input and supplies a high-level DC voltage to shift to the normal mode. A supply instruction signal indicating the instruction is output. When the supply instruction signal is output, the PSU 6 converts the AC voltage supplied from the AC power source into a DC voltage and supplies it to the controller board 8. Similarly to the above, the power supply monitoring IC 8f of the controller board 8 outputs a high level voltage monitoring signal when a predetermined time elapses after the DC voltage supplied from the PSU 6 becomes a predetermined voltage. Each part of the controller board 8 becomes operable when the voltage monitoring signal becomes high level, and the ASIC 8b outputs a power control signal at low level. When a low-level power control signal is output, the PSU 6 supplies a high-level DC voltage to the scanner 2, plotter 3, fixing heater 4, and engine control board 10. When a high-level DC voltage is supplied to the engine control board 10, each part of the engine control board 10 becomes operable. The CPU 10a of the engine control board 10 executes a program read to the RAM 10d and controls each part of the engine control board 10. Then, in the same manner as described above, the CPU 10a determines whether the return monitoring signal detected by the ASIC 10b is high level or low level (step S1). Here, the voltage monitoring signal input to the CLK terminal of the signal generation unit 8e changes from the High level to the Low level, but the level output to the Q terminal is maintained without being affected by this change. The return monitoring signal is at the high level. Therefore, since the determination result in step S1 is affirmative, the CPU starts the control process for starting in the normal mode in step S3 without performing the frequency detection process in step S2.

  With the configuration as described above, information indicating that the power saving mode is set (hereinafter referred to as power saving setting information) is obtained by stopping the supply of power to the engine control board 10 when the power saving mode is set. Even if it cannot be held in the engine control board 10, a return monitoring signal is generated by an electronic circuit, and this is used to start in the normal mode when the main power switch 7 is switched from OFF to ON. The engine control board 10 can discriminate when returning from the normal mode to the normal mode. In the latter case, the time until the operation in the normal mode can be shortened by omitting the frequency detection process.

  In addition, the power saving setting information is held in the controller board 8, and the power saving setting information is transmitted from the controller board 8 to the engine control board 10 via the engine controller I / F 9 when the power saving mode is shifted to the normal mode. Compared to the case where the power saving mode is performed, it is possible to shorten the time until the operation in the normal mode becomes possible when shifting from the power saving mode. This is because the engine controller I / F 9 is opened after all the programs stored in the ROMs of the controller board 8 and the engine control board 10 are loaded into the RAMs. For this reason, it takes time until the engine controller I / F 9 is opened. Eventually, it takes more time than necessary to transmit the power saving setting information via the engine controller I / F 9 and perform the above-described determination. Because there is a fear.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the image forming apparatus will be described. In addition, about the part which is common in the above-mentioned 1st Embodiment, it demonstrates using the same code | symbol or abbreviate | omits description.
(1) Configuration FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment is different from the configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment described above in the following points.

  In the present embodiment, the engine control board 10 includes a signal generation unit 10e connected to the ASIC 10b. The signal generation unit 10e includes an I / O port (not shown). The ROM 10c of the engine control board 10 stores a program for the CPU 10a to control the return monitoring signal. The CPU 10a reads the program stored in the ROM 10c into the RAM 10d and executes it, thereby controlling the ASIC 10b and setting the return monitor signal value to “1” or “0” as the I / O port of the signal generator 10e. Write the I / O port. Specifically, the ASIC 10b writes “1” to the I / O port of the signal generation unit 10e when shifting from the normal mode to the power saving mode. When the main power switch 7 is switched from OFF to ON, the ASIC 10b writes “1” to the I / O port of the signal generator 10e. When the high-level DC voltage is supplied to the engine control board 10 and the CPU 10a performs control processing for starting in the normal mode, refer to the value of the return monitoring signal output to the I / O port of the signal generation unit 10e. Then, it is determined whether or not to perform the above-described frequency detection process.

  Further, when the image forming apparatus 1 shifts to the power saving mode after a predetermined time has elapsed since the image forming apparatus 1 enters the standby state, when the high-level power control signal is output from the ASIC 8b of the controller board 8, the PSU 6 The supply of DC voltage to the plotter 3 and the fixing heater 4 is stopped. However, the PSU 6 does not stop the supply of the DC voltage to the engine control board 10 and changes the DC voltage supplied to the engine control board 10 to a lower voltage in the same manner as the supply to the controller board 8. That is, in the present embodiment, since a low DC voltage is supplied not only to the controller board 8 but also to the engine control board 10, the power supply state of the engine control board 10 is maintained. This lower DC voltage is supplied to the signal generator 10e of the engine control board 10.

  In the present embodiment, the controller board 8 does not include the signal generation unit 8e and the power supply monitoring IC 8f. Further, the image forming apparatus 1 does not include the signal line 11.

(2) Operation Next, a procedure for outputting a return monitoring signal and a procedure for return detection processing in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for outputting a return monitoring signal in the present embodiment. The procedure of the return detection process is shown in FIG.

  When the main power switch 7 is turned on by the user, the PSU 6 supplies a high DC voltage to the controller board 8, the engine control board 10, the scanner 2, the plotter 3, and the fixing heater 4. Then, the CPU 10a of the engine control board 10 reads out various programs stored in the ROM 10c to the RAM 10d and starts executing the programs. Then, the CPU 10a controls the ASIC 10b to negate the return monitoring signal (step S10). Specifically, the ASIC 10b writes “0” to the I / O port of the signal generation unit 10e. Thereafter, the CPU 10a starts the control process for starting in the normal mode, and when the control process for starting is finished (step S11), the CPU 10a performs the operation in the normal mode.

  Thereafter, in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above, when the predetermined time elapses after the image forming apparatus 1 enters the standby state (YES in step S12), the controller board 8 The ASIC 8b outputs a high-level power supply control signal. When the high-level power supply control signal is output, the PSU 6 stops supplying the DC voltage to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, and the fixing heater 4, and lowers the DC voltage supplied to the controller board 8 and the engine control board 10. Change the voltage to. At this time, since the DC voltage is supplied to the engine control board 10 even at a low level, the power supply state of the engine control board 10 is maintained. At this time, the CPU 10a of the engine control board 10 controls the ASIC 10b to assert a return monitoring signal (step S13). Specifically, the ASIC 10b writes “1” to the I / O port of the signal generation unit 10e.

  Then, as in the first embodiment described above, when the mode is shifted from the power saving mode to the normal mode (step S14), the controller board 8, the engine control board 10, the scanner 2, the plotter 3, and the fixing heater 4 are moved to a higher level. DC voltage is supplied. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 5, in step S1, the CPU 10a of the engine control board 10 determines whether or not the return monitoring signal is asserted. That is, the CPU 10a refers to the value of the I / O port of the signal generation unit 10e, and determines whether or not this is “1”. Here, since the determination result in step S1 is affirmative, the CPU 10a starts the control process for starting in the normal mode in step S3, without performing the frequency detection process in step S2.

  According to the configuration as described above, the value of the return monitoring signal can be generated by a program, and the main power switch 7 is started in the normal mode when the main power switch 7 is switched from OFF to ON by the generated return monitoring signal. And the case of returning from the power saving mode to the normal mode can be discriminated. In the latter case, the time until the operation in the normal mode can be shortened by omitting the frequency detection process.

[Modification]
Moreover, it is not limited to each embodiment mentioned above, The various deformation | transformation which is illustrated below is possible.

<Modification 1>
Various programs such as a control program executed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment may be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and downloaded via the network. . Further, the various programs are recorded in a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) in an installable or executable file. And may be configured to be provided.

<Modification 2>
The signal generation unit 8e and the power supply monitoring IC 8f in the first embodiment described above may be configured to be provided in the engine control board 10 instead of the controller board 8. In such a configuration, similarly to the above-described second embodiment, a low DC voltage may be supplied from the PSU 6 to the engine control board 10 even when the mode is shifted to the power saving mode. In such a configuration, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured not to include the signal line 11. In this case, the ASIC 10b of the engine control board 10 may be configured to generate a signal similar to the power control signal described above. For example, the ASIC 10b outputs a low level signal when a DC current of a predetermined voltage (for example, 4.2 V or more) is applied, and outputs a high level signal when the applied DC voltage is smaller than the predetermined voltage. Is output. According to such a configuration, similarly to the first embodiment described above, when the main power switch 7 is switched from OFF to ON, the normal mode is started, and the power saving mode is returned to the normal mode. The case can be distinguished. In the latter case, the time until the operation in the normal mode can be shortened by omitting the frequency detection process.

<Modification 3>
In the first embodiment described above, when shifting to the power saving mode, the AC voltage supply from the PSU 6 to the scanner 2, the plotter 3, the fixing heater 4 and the engine control board 10 is stopped. You may comprise so that a low AC voltage may be supplied to at least one of these.

<Modification 4>
In the second embodiment described above, the I / O port is provided in the signal generation unit 10e, and the value of the return monitoring signal is written to this I / O port. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an unused I / O port included in the ASIC 10b may be used to write the value of the return monitoring signal.

<Modification 5>
Further, the signal generation unit 10e according to the second embodiment described above may be configured to be provided in the controller board 8 instead of the engine control board 10. In such a configuration, as in the first embodiment described above, the signal line 11 is provided between the signal generation unit 10e and the ASIC 10b of the engine control board 10, and the ASIC 10b of the engine control board 10 A return monitoring signal may be detected via the line 11. In such a configuration, as in the first embodiment described above, the supply of DC voltage from the PSU 6 to the engine control board 10 may be stopped when the mode is shifted to the power saving mode. .

<Modification 6>
In the first or second embodiment described above, the image forming apparatus 1 is further provided with charging means including a chargeable capacitor and the controller board 8 and the engine control board 10 when the power saving mode is set. A low DC voltage may be supplied from at least one of the charging means.

<Modification 7>
In step S3 in the first or second embodiment described above, the apparatus is configured to start in the normal mode, but may be configured to perform control processing for starting in the silent start mode. The silent start mode is a mode in which the motor or the like does not rotate and starts while maintaining the power ON state.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus, the control method, and the control program according to the present invention are suitable for a technique for performing control on two substrates at the time of transition to the setting mode in an image forming apparatus including at least two substrates.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. 3 is a block diagram mainly showing internal configurations of a controller board 8 and an engine control board 10 according to the same embodiment. FIG. It is a block diagram which illustrates the composition of signal generation part 8e concerning the embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the state of the signal each input into the SET terminal of the signal generation part 8e concerning the embodiment, RESET terminal, CLK terminal, and D terminal, and the state of the signal output from Q terminal. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the return detection process which the controller board 8 concerning the embodiment performs. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the image forming apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the process which outputs the return monitoring signal concerning the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Scanner 3 Plotter 4 Fixing heater 5 Operation input reception part 7 Main power switch 8 Controller board 8a CPU
8b ASIC
8c ROM
8d RAM
8e Signal generator 8f Power supply monitoring IC
10 Engine control board 10a CPU
10b ASIC
10c ROM
10d RAM
10e Signal generator 11 Signal line

Claims (11)

Heat generating means for generating heat, and image forming means for transferring a latent image for forming an image read by the image reading means onto the recording paper by a fixing member heated by the heat generating means and fixing the latent image on the recording paper A first control unit that controls the heat generation unit and the image forming unit, a DC power source unit that converts an AC voltage supplied from an AC power source into a DC voltage, and outputs the DC voltage. The first control unit and the DC unit A second control means for controlling the power supply means; and a power supply switching means for switching the supply of the AC voltage from the AC power supply to the DC power supply means or the stop of the supply, and the operation mode between the normal mode and the power saving mode When the DC power source unit is set to the normal mode, the DC power source unit applies a DC voltage to the heat generating unit, the image forming unit, the first control unit, and the second control unit. If the paper is, set in the power saving mode, the heat generating means, said image forming means, the image forming apparatus to at least reduce the supply of DC voltage to the first control means and said second control means,
Further comprising a signal generating means for generating a return monitoring signal that is effective when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode;
The first control means determines whether or not the return monitoring signal generated by the signal generation means is valid when a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode. In accordance with the determination result, it is determined whether or not to perform the initial processing required when the supply of the AC voltage from the AC power source to the DC power source unit is started by the switching in the power source switching unit. An image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the initial process is a process of detecting a frequency of the AC power supply. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit does not perform a process of detecting a frequency of the AC power supply when the determination result is affirmative. The DC power supply means stops supplying DC voltage to the first control means;
The signal generating means is provided in the second control means,
A signal transmission means for transmitting a return monitoring signal generated by the signal generation means between the first control means and the second control means;
When the DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means when the first control means shifts from the power saving mode to the normal mode, a return monitoring signal transmitted through the signal transmitting means is valid. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The signal generating means is provided in the first control means,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the DC power supply unit supplies a low DC voltage to the signal generation unit when the power saving mode is set. When the voltage value of the DC voltage output from the DC power supply means is less than or equal to a predetermined value, a first level voltage monitoring signal is output, and the voltage value of the DC voltage output from the DC power supply means is greater than the predetermined value. A voltage value monitoring means for outputting a second level voltage monitoring signal,
The second control means further comprises power control means for outputting a power control signal for controlling supply of a DC voltage output from the DC power supply means,
The power control means outputs a first level power control signal when the normal mode is set, and outputs a second level power control signal when the power saving mode is set.
The DC power supply means supplies a DC voltage to the heat generating means, the image forming means, the first control means, and the second control means when the power supply control means outputs a first level power supply control signal. Reducing the supply of DC voltage to the heat generating means, the image forming means, the first control means and the second control means when the power control means outputs a second level power control signal;
The signal generation means outputs a return monitoring signal of a second level when a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means and the power supply control signal changes from the first level to the second level,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit determines that the return monitoring signal is valid when the return monitoring signal output from the signal generating unit is at a second level. . The signal generating means outputs a return monitoring signal of a first level when a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means and the voltage monitoring signal is at a first level;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first control unit determines that the return monitoring signal is invalid when the return monitoring signal output from the signal generating unit is at a first level. . The signal generating means includes an input / output port,
The signal generation means outputs a return monitoring signal that is effective when shifting from the power saving mode to the normal mode to the input / output port;
When the DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means when the first control means shifts from the power saving mode to the normal mode, the return monitoring signal output from the signal generating means to the input / output port is The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not it is valid. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first control unit and the second control unit includes at least a central processing unit, a storage device, and an integrated circuit, and is disposed on separate substrates. Heat generating means for generating heat, and image formation in which a latent image for forming an image read by the image reading means is transferred to a recording paper by a fixing member heated by the heat generating means and fixed on the recording paper A first control means for controlling the heat generation means and the image forming means, a DC power supply means for converting an AC voltage supplied from an AC power supply into a DC voltage, and outputting the DC voltage; the first control means; A second control means for controlling the DC power supply means; and a power supply switching means for switching supply or stop of supply of AC power to the DC power supply means, and one of the operation modes of the normal mode and the power saving mode. And the DC power supply means supplies a DC voltage to the heat generating means, the image forming means, the first control means and the second control means when the normal mode is set, When the power saving mode is set, the image forming apparatus that at least reduces the supply of DC voltage to the heat generating means, the image forming means, the first control means, and the second control means is A signal generation step of generating a return monitoring signal that is effective when the mode is shifted to the normal mode;
When the first control means shifts from the power saving mode to the normal mode, if a DC voltage is supplied from the DC power supply means, it is determined whether or not the return monitoring signal generated by the signal generating means is valid. In accordance with the determination result, a determination step for determining whether or not to perform initial processing required when the supply of the AC voltage from the AC power supply to the DC power supply means is started by switching in the power supply switching means. The control method characterized by having.   A control program that causes a computer to execute the method according to claim 10.

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