JP2012039562A - Network multifunction machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a network multifunction machine which can shift from a low power consumption state to an operating state more quickly and further reduce power consumption.SOLUTION: A network multifunction machine 1 comprises an NIC 10 including a first NIC 100 connected to a LAN 51 and a second NIC 120 which is communicably connected to the first NIC 100 and can take a low power consumption state. The first NIC 100 outputs a start signal for starting power supply to such as the second NIC 120; when it is determined that received data are PC print data or PC-FAX data, and the second NIC 120, a recording part 12, a modem 18, and an NCU 19 are in a low power consumption state. After being started; the second NIC 120 stops power supply to the modem 18 and the NCU 19 when it is determined that the received data are the PC print data, and outputs a stop signal for stopping power supply to the recording part 12 when it is determined that the received data are the PC-FAX data.

Description

  The present invention relates to a network multifunction peripheral, and more particularly to a network multifunction peripheral capable of taking a low power consumption state.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of reducing CO ₂ emissions, etc., there is a social demand for lower power consumption of electrical devices. For example, in a network device used by connecting to a network such as a LAN, power is saved by stopping the power supply of the CPU and hard disk during standby and operating only the network interface controller (NIC) directly connected to the network. What has been realized is known.

  As such a network device, even when there is a status inquiry (status transmission request command) from another network device, the low power consumption mode of the portion other than the network interface unit is not hindered and the power consumption is reduced. An information processing apparatus that can be used is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this information processing apparatus, for processing requests other than the status inquiry via the network, the processing is performed by setting the part other than the network interface unit in the normal mode, and for the status inquiry, the status of the information processing apparatus is set. Based on the contents of the stored storage unit, the network interface unit responds to the inquiry, so that the part other than the network interface unit remains in the low power consumption mode to reduce the power consumption of the entire information processing apparatus. .

  More specifically, when confirming that there is no processing request, the main CPU that controls the entire information processing grasps the state by reading the register of the functional block and writes it in the state storage unit. As the status, for example, when the information processing apparatus is a printer, the usage status of the printer can be considered. Thereafter, the functional block is set to the low power consumption mode, and the main CPU unit also enters the low power consumption mode. Thus, the part other than the network interface part is in the low power consumption mode. When a request is received from a network device via the network while the main CPU is in the low power consumption mode, the sub CPU that controls the network interface determines whether the request is a status query. If it is not an inquiry about the state, the main CPU is returned to the normal mode by an interrupt signal. The main CPU unit that has been returned to the normal mode returns the functional block to the normal mode and performs processing for the request. On the other hand, in the case of a status inquiry, the sub CPU section refers to the status storage section and returns its response (status information) directly to the network.

JP 2003-76451 A

  As described above, in the information processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the power saving of the apparatus is achieved by setting the parts other than the network interface unit in a low power consumption state and operating only the network interface unit during standby. Further, according to this information processing apparatus, even when there is an inquiry about the state, the low power consumption mode of the portion other than the network interface unit is not hindered, and the power consumption can be reduced. However, the network interface unit needs to be always operated so as to be able to respond to communication requests from other network devices sent via the network at any time, and cannot be in a low power consumption state. For this reason, there has been a desire to save power in the network interface unit.

  On the other hand, as described above, in the information processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when it is not an inquiry about the state, the main CPU unit is returned to the normal mode by an interrupt signal. The main CPU unit that has been returned to the normal mode returns the functional block to the normal mode and performs processing for the request. Here, initialization processing such as initialization of the CPU, memory, etc., loading of the program, preheating of the equipment, etc. is required before the main CPU unit and the functional block are returned to the normal mode and data processing becomes possible. And it takes time. Therefore, it is difficult to start processing immediately. Therefore, when returning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode, there has been a desire to be able to start the processing sooner.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a network multifunction device capable of quickly shifting from a low power consumption state to an operating state and further reducing power consumption. With the goal.

  The network multifunction peripheral according to the present invention is connected to a communication terminal via a network, and is connected to be communicable with the first communication control means for transmitting and receiving data to and from the communication terminal, and the first communication control means Communication means having a second communication control means capable of taking a first power state and a second power state that consumes less power than the first power state, and taking the first power state and the second power state Recording means for printing out the print data received by the communication means, and facsimile means for taking a first power state and a second power state and transmitting the facsimile data received by the communication means by facsimile. , A power supply capable of selectively supplying power or stopping the power supply to the first communication control means, the second communication control means, the recording means, and the facsimile means The first communication control means determines whether the received data is either print data or facsimile data, and determines the power state of the second communication control means, recording means, and facsimile means. The determining means and the determining means determine that the received data is print data or facsimile data, and the determining means determines that the second communication control means, the recording means, and the facsimile means are in the second power state. The second communication control means, the recording means, and the first transition means for outputting a control signal for causing the facsimile means to transition to the first power state. Is received when it is determined that the data is print data or facsimile data and the power is supplied to shift from the second power state to the first power state. And determining means for determining whether the data is print data or facsimile data, and when the received data is determined to be print data by the determining means, the facsimile means is shifted to the second power state and received. And a second shift means for outputting a control signal for shifting the recording means to the second power state when it is determined that the data is facsimile data. The facsimile means includes a modem and an NCU (Network Control Unit).

  According to the network multifunction peripheral according to the present invention, when it is determined that the received data received from the communication terminal is either print data (PC print data) or facsimile data (PC-FAX data). 2 Power supply is started to the communication control means, recording means, and facsimile means. Accordingly, since the power supply is started at a faster timing, the second communication control unit, the recording unit, and the facsimile unit can be started up early and can be shifted to the first power state (operating state) earlier. On the other hand, when power supply to the second communication control means is started and the received data can be analyzed, it is determined whether the data is print data or facsimile data, and means that is not necessary for processing the received data That is, when the received data is print data, the facsimile means is set, and when the received data is facsimile data, the recording means is set to the second power state (ie, the low power consumption state) with lower power consumption. Therefore, the overall power consumption can be further reduced. Further, the communication means is configured to be divided into a first communication control means and a second communication control means. For example, during standby, the second communication control means is set to the second power state and only the first communication control means. Is activated, and a standby operation for received data is performed. Therefore, when waiting for received data, the communication means can be put into a low power consumption state except for the first communication control means, so that the power consumption of the communication means can be reduced. As a result of the above, it is possible to shift from the low power consumption state to the operating state earlier, and it is possible to further reduce the power consumption.

  In the network multifunction peripheral according to the present invention, it is preferable that the determination unit determines whether the received data is either print data or facsimile data from the port number of the received data.

  In this way, if the received data is data for port numbers used in PC printing and PC-FAX, for example, 9100 (Port 9100), 515 (LPD), and 631 (IPP), printing is performed. Data or facsimile data can be determined. Since this determination can be made by data pattern matching, it can be handled by a CPU having a low clock frequency and a relatively low processing speed, and it is not necessary to provide a large-capacity memory. Therefore, the power consumption of the first communication control unit having the determination unit can be reduced.

  In the network multifunction peripheral according to the present invention, it is preferable that the determination unit analyzes the language information included in the received data and determines whether the received data is print data or facsimile data.

  In this way, when the language information included in the received data (PDL data or GDI data) includes PCLxL, PCL5e, GDI or the like as a language for printing, it is determined that the data is print data. Can do. On the other hand, if the language is not for printing, it can be determined that the data is facsimile data. Note that the PDL data is print data described in PDL (Page Description Language), and the GDI data is print data generated by GDI (Graphic Device Interface). In the GDI data method, processing such as data rasterization is performed at the transmission source (communication terminal side), and the data is sent to the network multifunction device side as raster data. Therefore, the network multifunction device side develops raster data to be generated. There is no need to process.

  In the network multifunction peripheral according to the present invention, when the first communication control means receives the session establishment request signal from the communication terminal and outputs the control signal from the first transition means, the first communication control means In addition to establishing a session at the same time, until the power state of the second communication control means shifts to the first power state, the persistent connection control for prohibiting data transmission to the communication terminal in a state where the session is established is executed. It is preferable to further include persistent connection control means.

  In this case, until the power state of the second communication control unit shifts to the first power state where received data can be processed, data transmission to the communication terminal is maintained while the session is maintained. Is prohibited. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a large-capacity memory for temporarily storing received data on the first communication control means side, so that the power consumption of the memory can be suppressed. In this way, since the session has already been established when the persistent connection control is released, it is possible to start data communication promptly.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to shift from a low power consumption state to an operating state earlier, and it is possible to further reduce power consumption.

1 is a block diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a network multifunction peripheral according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of NIC. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the communication / power control process by 1st NIC. It is a flowchart (1st page) which shows the process sequence of the communication / power control process by 2nd NIC. It is a flowchart (2nd page) which shows the process sequence of the communication / power control process by 2nd NIC.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same element and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted. Here, a network system in which the network multifunction peripheral (MFP) according to the embodiment is connected to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as “PC”, corresponding to the communication terminal described in the claims) via a LAN is taken as an example. I will explain. The illustrated network system has a simplified configuration for easy understanding. First, the configuration of the network multifunction peripheral 1 and the network interface controller (hereinafter referred to as “NIC”) 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 together. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the network multifunction device 1 connected to the LAN 51. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the NIC 10.

  The network multifunction device 1 is a network multifunction device capable of taking a low power consumption state during standby, and has a PC print function for recording print data (PC print data) received from the PC 30 connected via the LAN 51 on paper, and The PC 30 has a PC-FAX function for transmitting facsimile data (PC-FAX data) received from the PC 30 by facsimile. The network multifunction device 1 also includes a scanner function for reading an original and generating image data, a copy function for recording the read and generated image data on paper, a FAX reception function for recording image data received by facsimile communication on paper, and A FAX transmission function for facsimile transmission of the read image data is provided. Further, the network multifunction device 1 also has an Internet FAX (IFAX) function for transmitting and receiving image data via an IP network using electronic mail. In order to realize each of these functions, the network MFP 1 includes an MFP main body 3 and a NIC 10 for connecting the MFP main body 3 to the LAN 51. The MFP body 3 includes a control unit 11, a recording unit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, a reading unit 15, a codec 16, an image storage unit 17, a modem 18, an NCU 19, an IFAX control unit 20, a Web server 21, and And a power source 25 and the like. The above units are connected to each other via a bus (communication path) 23 so that they can communicate with each other. Further, the second NIC 120 (details will be described later) and the MFP main body 3 constituting the NIC 10 take a normal power state during operation (corresponding to the first power state described in claims) and a low power consumption state during standby ( (Corresponding to the second power state described in the claims).

  The NIC 10 is a network interface that performs transmission / reception control processing of various communication protocols, data analysis processing and data creation processing on various communication protocols. Data communication with the PC 30 connected via the LAN 51 is performed through the NIC 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the NIC 10 includes a front-end unit (corresponding to the first communication control unit described in the claims, hereinafter referred to as “first NIC”) 100 that receives a network packet (network data), and a reception A back-end unit (corresponding to the second communication control means described in the claims; hereinafter referred to as “second NIC”) 120 that performs data analysis, response data generation, and processing corresponding to various applications. .

  The first NIC 100 is connected to, for example, the PC 30 via the LAN 51 and communicates with the PC 30. The second NIC 120 is connected to the first NIC 100 so as to be able to transfer data to each other via a bus 130 (equivalent to the communication path described in the claims) such as PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) or PCI Express, and is normally powered during operation. It is configured to take a state and take a low power consumption state during standby. Even when the MFP main body 3 and the second NIC 120 are in a low power consumption state during standby, power is supplied to the first NIC 100. Further, the first NIC 100 and the second NIC 120 may be communicably connected by, for example, serial communication or USB instead of the bus 130 such as PCI.

  The first NIC 100 receives a microprocessor that performs computation, a ROM that stores a program for causing the microprocessor to execute each process, a communication chip (IC) that performs communication processing under the control of the microprocessor, and a communication chip. The RAM is configured to temporarily store various data such as received data and calculation results read from the communication chip. The first NIC 100 may be configured using a microcomputer in which the above-described microprocessor, communication chip, ROM, RAM, and the like are housed in one chip. The microprocessor used in the first NIC 100 preferably has a lower clock frequency and lower power consumption than that used in the second NIC 120, for example. Furthermore, it is preferable that a memory such as a RAM used in the first NIC 100 has a smaller capacity and lower power consumption than that used in the second NIC 120.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the first NIC 100, the receiving unit 101, the transmitting unit 103, the storage unit 104, the power state determining unit 105, the data type determining unit 106, the activation signal output unit are combined by the combination of the hardware and software described above. 107, a bus transfer unit 108, a response data generation unit 109, and a persistent connection control unit 110 are constructed.

  The receiving unit 101 receives network packets (network data) from the PC 30 via the LAN 51, for example. The storage unit 104 is configured by the above-described RAM, and stores reception data received until the second NIC 120 is activated.

  The power status determination unit 105 determines the power status of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 based on the level (Hi or Low) of the port connected to the second NIC 120. Specifically, the power state determination unit 105 determines the normal power state when the port level is Hi (5 V), and determines the low power consumption state when the port level is Low (0 V). That is, the power state determination unit 105 functions as a determination unit described in the claims.

  The data type determination unit 106 determines whether the network data received by the reception unit 101 is either PC print data or PC-FAX data. That is, the data type determination unit 106 functions as a determination unit described in the claims. Here, the data type determination unit 106 determines whether the received data is either PC print data or PC-FAX data from the port number of the received network data. More specifically, the data type determination unit 106 uses pattern matching to determine whether the network data is a port number used for PC printing or PC-FAX, for example, 9100 (Port 9100), 515 (LPD), 631 ( When it is recognized that the data is for IPP), it is determined that the data is PC print data or PC-FAX data. Note that the determination result by the data type determination unit 106 is output to the activation signal output unit 107 and transferred to the second NIC via the bus transfer unit 108.

  The activation signal output unit 107 determines that the received data is PC print data or PC-FAX data by the data type determination unit 106, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 (control unit 11) by the power state determination unit 105. , The recording unit 12, the codec 16, the image storage unit 17, the modem 18, and the NCU 19) are determined to be in the low power consumption state, power is supplied to the second NIC 120 and the MFP body 3, and the power state is reduced to low power consumption. A control signal (hereinafter referred to as “activation signal”) for shifting from the state to the normal power state is output to the power supply 25. That is, the activation signal output unit 107 functions as the first transition unit described in the claims. The activation signal output unit 107 may output the control signal to the control unit 11 and the control unit 11 may output the activation signal to the power supply 25. When an activation signal is output from the activation signal output unit 107, power supply from the power supply 25 to the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is started. Then, initialization processing (startup processing) such as program loading is executed in each of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 are started up. When the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is completed, the above-described port level is set to Hi. If the received data is not PC print data or PC-FAX data, the activation signal output unit 107 is not based on the PC print data or PC-FAX data when the received data cannot be responded by the first NIC 100. Output start signal.

  When it is determined that the second NIC 120 has transitioned from the low power consumption state to the normal power state (when activated), the bus transfer unit 108 is received and stored in the storage unit 104 until the second NIC 120 is activated. The received data is transferred to the second NIC 120 via the bus 130. The bus transfer unit 108 transfers data received by the receiving unit 101 to the second NIC 120 via the bus 130 when the second NIC 120 is in the normal power state.

  The response data generation unit 109 generates response data for the data received by the reception unit 101 when it is not necessary to activate the second NIC 120 (that is, when the response can be performed only by the first NIC 100). For example, the response data generation unit 109 sends an ARP request (Address Resolution Protocol) for inquiring a MAC address, an ICMP request (Internet Control Message Protocol) for transferring an IP error message or a control message, and a network device via a network. Response data for an SNMP request (Simple Network Management Protocol) for monitoring and controlling is generated. Note that the response data generated by the response data generation unit 109 is output to the transmission unit 103.

  The transmission unit 103 sends the response data generated by the response data generation unit 109 to the LAN 51 when the second NIC 120 is in the low power consumption state. Further, the transmission unit 103 sends response data received from the second NIC 120 via the bus 130 to the LAN 51 when the second NIC 120 is in the normal power state.

  The persistent connection control unit 110 receives a session establishment request signal (TCP / IP data) from a communication terminal (for example, the PC 30) by the reception unit 101 and outputs an activation signal by the activation signal output unit 107. A session is established with the communication terminal, and data is transmitted to the communication terminal in a state where the session is held until the power state of the second NIC 120 is shifted from the low power consumption state to the normal power state. Execute persistent connection control (keep-alive control) to be prohibited. That is, the persistent connection control unit 110 functions as persistent connection control means described in the claims.

  More specifically, when performing persistent connection control, the persistent connection control unit 110 returns an ACK (win = 0) with zero windows size to the communication terminal (for example, the PC 30). When ACK (win = 0) is returned, the transmission source periodically sends out a signal TCP Zero Window Probe (win = 0) inquiring whether or not the reception buffer is empty. In response to this signal, the first NIC 100 returns a signal TCP Zero Window Probe ACK (win = 0) indicating that there is no free capacity in the reception buffer, thereby performing continuous connection control. That is, while the persistent connection control is maintained, a TCP Zero Window Probe ACK (win = 0) is returned to the TCP Zero Window Probe (win = 0). When the second NIC 120 is in the normal power state, the persistent connection control unit 110 permits the communication terminal to transmit data without executing the persistent connection control. Further, the persistent connection control unit 110 ends the persistent connection control when the second NIC 120 shifts from the low power consumption state to the normal power state (when activated), and transmits the session establishment request signal to the communication terminal that has transmitted the session establishment request signal. Allow data transmission.

  The second NIC 120 is a microprocessor that performs calculations, a ROM that stores programs for causing the microprocessor to execute each process, a RAM that temporarily stores various data such as received data and calculation results transferred from the first NIC 100, And a backup RAM for storing backup data. The second NIC 120 may be configured using a microcomputer in which these microprocessor, ROM, RAM, and the like are housed in one chip. The microprocessor used in the second NIC 120 has a higher clock frequency than that used in the first NIC 100 and operates at a higher speed. Furthermore, a memory such as a RAM used in the second NIC 120 has a larger capacity than the memory of the first NIC 100.

  In the second NIC 120, a receiving unit 121, a data determining unit 122, a power stopping unit 123, a generating unit 124, an output unit 125, and the like are constructed by a combination of the hardware and software described above.

  The receiving unit 121 receives, via the bus 130, received data that is received from the communication terminal (for example, the PC 30) by the first NIC 100 and transferred from the bus transfer unit 108 when the second NIC 120 is in the normal power state. The received data received by the receiving unit 121 is output to the data determining unit 122 and the generating unit 124.

  When the activation signal output unit 107 determines that the received data is PC print data or PC-FAX data and is supplied with power, the data determination unit 122 receives the data when the low power consumption state shifts to the normal power state. In step 121, it is determined whether the received data is PC print data or PC-FAX data. That is, the data determination unit 122 functions as a determination unit described in the claims. Here, the data determination unit 122 analyzes (pattern matching) the language information included in the received data (PDL data or GDI data), and determines whether the received data is PC print data or PC-FAX data. Determine. More specifically, the data determination unit 122 determines that the received data is PCLxL, PCL5e, and GDI as language information included in the received data (PDL data or GDI data). It is determined that it is print data. On the other hand, if the language is not for printing, it is determined as facsimile data. Note that the determination result by the data determination unit 122 is output to the power stop unit 123.

  The power stop unit 123 controls the power supply 25 according to the determination result by the data determination unit 122 so as to stop the power supply to the units that are not required for processing the received data (hereinafter referred to as “stop signal”). Is output. More specifically, when it is determined that the received data is PC print data, a stop signal is output to the power supply 25 so as to stop power supply to the modem 18 and the NCU 19. On the other hand, when it is determined that the received data is PC-FAX data, a stop signal is output to the power supply 25 so as to stop the power supply to the recording unit 12. That is, the power stop unit 123 functions as a second transition unit described in the claims. The power supply stopping unit 123 may output a control signal to the control unit 11 and the control unit 11 may output a stop signal to the power supply 25.

  The generation unit 124 generates response data for the reception data received by the reception unit 121. Note that the response data generated by the generation unit 124 is output to the output unit 125. The output unit 125 outputs the response data generated by the generation unit 124 to the first NIC 100 via the bus 130.

  For example, when communication is not continuously performed for a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) or longer, the second NIC 120 stops supplying power from the power supply 25 and enters a low power consumption state. On the other hand, as described above, in the second NIC 120, power supply from the power supply 25 is started by the activation signal output from the activation signal output unit 107, and the normal power state is entered.

  The second NIC 120 also manages the IFAX function using the Internet environment. The second NIC 120 has a function of transmitting an electronic mail according to SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and a function of receiving an electronic mail according to POP (Post Office Protocol). The second NIC 120 attaches the transmission document to the e-mail as image data in TIFF format or the like, and transmits it to the e-mail address (SMTP server). In addition, the second NIC 120 receives an email from the POP server every set time and prints out the attached file.

  Returning to FIG. The control unit 11 constituting the MFP main body 3 includes a microprocessor that performs calculations, a ROM that stores programs for causing the microprocessor to execute each process, a RAM that temporarily stores various data such as calculation results, and a backup. A backup RAM or the like for storing data is used. The control unit 11 controls the hardware constituting the MFP body 3 in an integrated manner by executing a program stored in the ROM.

  The recording unit 12 is an electrophotographic printer, and prints out PC print data received from the external PC 30 on a sheet. That is, the recording unit 12 functions as a recording unit described in the claims. The recording unit 12 prints out the image data read and generated by the reading unit 15 and the image data received by FAX, IFAX, or the like on a sheet.

  The operation unit 13 includes a plurality of keys used for using each function of the network multifunction device 1, such as a numeric keypad, an abbreviated key, a start key, a stop key, and various function keys. The display unit 14 is a display device using an LCD or the like, and displays the operation state of the network multifunction peripheral 1 and / or various setting contents. The reading unit 15 includes a light source, a CCD, and the like, and reads a document such as a paper document for each line according to a set sub-scanning line density, and generates image data.

  The codec 16 encodes and compresses the image data read by the reading unit 15 and decodes the encoded and compressed image data. The image storage unit 17 includes a DRAM or the like, and stores image data encoded and compressed by the codec 16, image data received by FAX, image data received from the external PC 30 and encoded and compressed, and the like. Remember.

  A modem (modem / demodulator) 18 performs modulation / demodulation between a digital signal and an analog signal. The modem 18 generates and detects various function information such as a digital command signal (DCS). An NCU (Network Control Unit) 19 is connected to the modem 18 and controls the connection between the modem 18 and the public switched telephone network (PSTN) 50. The NCU 19 has a function of transmitting a call signal corresponding to the destination facsimile number and detecting the incoming call. Even when power supply to the NCU 19 is stopped, power is supplied to the incoming call detection circuit that detects incoming calls. The NCU 19 excluding the modem 18 and the incoming call detection circuit functions as facsimile means described in the claims. The Web server 21 makes it possible to access a data such as a home page, a login page, and a facsimile operation page described in HTML from the PC 30 and execute a predetermined HTTP task.

  The power supply 25 selectively supplies power to the first NIC 100, the second NIC 120, and each unit configuring the MFP main body 3 configuring the NIC 10 or stops supplying power according to the control signal. That is, the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 (recording unit 12, modem 18, NCU 19, etc.) start to supply power from the power source 25, shift to the normal power state (operating state), and stop supplying power from the power source 25. To shift to a low power consumption state.

  Next, communication / power control processing by the network multifunction peripheral 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of communication / power control processing by the first NIC 100. 4 and 5 are flowcharts (first page and second page) showing the processing procedure of the communication / power control processing by the second NIC 120.

  First, the communication / power control process by the first NIC 100 will be described with reference to FIG. This process is executed at a predetermined timing in the first NIC 100.

  In step S100, a determination is made as to whether network data has been received. Here, when network data is received, the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, when the network data is not received, this step is repeatedly executed until the network data is received.

  In step S102, a determination is made as to whether or not the second NIC 120 is in a low power consumption state. If the second NIC 120 is not in the low power consumption state, a normal data reception process is executed in step S104, and the received data is transferred to the second NIC 120. On the other hand, when the second NIC 120 is in the low power consumption state, the process proceeds to step S106.

  In step S106, it is determined whether or not the received data is an ARP request by pattern matching. If the received data is an ARP request, ARP response data is generated and sent (ARP response processing) in step S108. On the other hand, when the received data is not an ARP request, the process proceeds to step S110.

  In step S110, a determination is made as to whether or not the received data is an ICMP request by pattern matching. If the received data is an ICMP request, ICMP response data is generated and sent (ICMP response processing) in step S112. On the other hand, when the received data is not an ICMP request, the process proceeds to step S114.

  In step S114, it is determined whether the received data is an SNMP request by pattern matching. If the received data is an SNMP request, SNMP response data is generated and transmitted (SNMP response processing) in step S116. On the other hand, when the received data is not an SNMP request, the process proceeds to step S118.

  In step S118, a determination is made as to whether or not the received data is data for port numbers used in PC printing and PC-FAX, for example, 9100 (Port 9100), 515 (LPD), and 631 (IPP). Done. If the received data is data for a port number used in PC printing or PC-FAX, the process proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, when the received data is not data for a port number used in PC printing or PC-FAX (for example, No. 80), the process proceeds to step S134.

  In step S120, an activation request based on PC printing and PC-FAX is output. More specifically, an activation signal for starting power supply to the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is output to the power supply 25, and power supply to the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is started.

  In the subsequent step S122, it is determined whether or not the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has been completed, that is, whether or not the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 have shifted to the normal power state. If the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has not yet been completed, the process proceeds to step S124. On the other hand, when the activation is completed, the process proceeds to step S126.

  In step S124, persistent connection control for prohibiting data transmission in a state where a session is established is executed. Since persistent connection control is as described above, detailed description thereof is omitted here. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S122, and the continuous connection control is continuously executed until the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is completed.

  On the other hand, when the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is completed, the first received data is transferred to the second NIC 120 in step S126. In subsequent step S128, a determination is made as to whether network packet data has been received. Here, when the network packet data is not received, this step is repeatedly executed until the network packet data is received. On the other hand, when network packet data is received, the process proceeds to step S130.

  In step S130, the received data is transferred (memory transfer) to the second NIC 120 via the bus 130. Subsequently, in step S132, the response data transferred from the second NIC 120 is sent to the PC 30, for example. Thereafter, this process ends.

  When it is determined in step S118 described above that the received data is not data for the port number used for PC printing or PC-FAX, a start request based on device state setting / acquisition is output in step S134. More specifically, an activation signal for starting power supply to the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is output to the power supply 25, and power supply to the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is started.

  In the subsequent step S136, it is determined whether or not the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has been completed, that is, whether or not the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 have shifted to the normal power state. If the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has not been completed yet, the process proceeds to step S138. On the other hand, when the activation is completed, the process proceeds to step S140.

  In step S138, persistent connection control for prohibiting data transmission in a state where a session is established is executed. Since persistent connection control is as described above, detailed description thereof is omitted here. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S136, and the continuous connection control is continuously executed until the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is completed.

  On the other hand, when the activation of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 is completed, the first received data is transferred to the second NIC 120 in step S140. In subsequent step S142, a determination is made as to whether network packet data has been received. Here, when the network packet data is not received, this step is repeatedly executed until the network packet data is received. On the other hand, when network packet data is received, the process proceeds to step S144.

  In step S144, the received data is transferred (memory transfer) to the second NIC 120 via the bus 130. Subsequently, in step S146, the response data transferred from the second NIC 120 is sent to the PC 30, for example. Thereafter, this process ends.

  Next, communication / power control processing by the second NIC 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 together. This process is executed at a predetermined timing in the second NIC 120.

  In step S200, a determination is made as to whether or not the second NIC 120 is in a low power consumption state. If the second NIC 120 is not in the low power consumption state, a normal reception process is executed between the first NIC 100 and the MFP main body 3 in step S202. Thereafter, the process is temporarily exited. On the other hand, when the second NIC 120 is in the low power consumption state, the process proceeds to step S204.

  In step S204, a determination is made as to whether or not an activation signal (activation request) is output from the first NIC 100. Here, when the activation signal is not output, this step is repeatedly executed until the activation signal is output. On the other hand, when the activation signal is output, the process proceeds to step S206.

  In step 206, it is determined whether or not the activation signal (activation request) output from the first NIC 100 is based on PC printing or PC-FAX. Here, if it is based on PC printing or PC-FAX, the process proceeds to step S208. On the other hand, if it is not based on PC printing or PC-FAX, the process proceeds to step S260.

  In step S208, power supply to the second NIC 120 is started, and an initialization process for the second NIC 120 is executed. In step S210, power supply to the control unit 11, the image storage unit 17, and each sensor of the MFP main body 3 is started, and initialization processing such as program loading and memory initialization is executed. In step S212, power supply to the modem 18 and the NCU 19 is started and an initialization process is executed. In the subsequent step S214, power supply to the printer engine constituting the recording unit 12 is started, an initialization process is executed, and then a warm-up process of the printer engine is executed (step S216).

  Next, in step S218, a determination is made as to whether or not the initialization processing of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has been completed. If the initialization process has not been completed, this step is repeatedly executed until the initialization is completed. On the other hand, when the initialization process is completed, the process proceeds to step S220.

  In step S220, it is determined whether or not the first received data received from the first NIC 100 is a PC-FAX PJL (Printer Job Language). If it is not a PC-FAX PJL, the process proceeds to step S242. On the other hand, when the PC-FAX PJL, the process proceeds to step S222.

  In step S222, the warm-up of the printer engine that is not necessary for processing the received data (PC-FAX data) is stopped. Subsequently, in step S224, power supply to the printer engine is stopped. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S226 shown in FIG.

  In step S226, a determination is made as to whether network packet data has been received from the first NIC 100. Here, when the network packet data is not received, this processing is repeatedly executed until the network packet data is received. On the other hand, when network packet data is received, the process proceeds to step S228.

  In step S228, received data (PC-FAX data) is stored. In step S230, response data for the received data is generated and transferred to the first NIC 100. Subsequently, in step S232, a determination is made as to whether or not a FIN signal for disconnecting the session has been received. If the FIN signal is not received, the process proceeds to step S226, and the above-described processes of steps S226 to S232 are repeatedly executed until the FIN signal is received. On the other hand, when the FIN signal is received, the process proceeds to step S234.

  In step S234, PC-FAX transmission processing of the received PC-FAX data is executed. After the transmission process is completed, the power supply to the modem 18 and the NCU 19 is stopped in step S236.

  Subsequently, in step S238, power supply to the second NIC 120 is stopped, and in step S240, power supply to the MFP main body 3 is stopped, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 shift to a low power consumption state. Thereafter, this process ends.

  In the above-described step S220, when it is determined that the first received data is not a PC-FAX PJL, that is, when a PC print PJL is included (for example, when print language information such as PCLxL, PCL5e is included) In step S242, power supply to the modem 18 and the NCU 19 that are not required for processing the received data (PC print data) is stopped. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S244 shown in FIG.

  In step S244, a determination is made as to whether network packet data has been received from the first NIC 100. Here, when the network packet data is not received, this processing is repeatedly executed until the network packet data is received. On the other hand, when network packet data is received, the process proceeds to step S246.

  In step S246, received data (PC print data) is stored. In step S248, response data for the received data is generated and transferred to the first NIC 100. Subsequently, in step S250, a determination is made as to whether or not a FIN signal for disconnecting the session has been received. If the FIN signal is not received, the process proceeds to step S244, and the above-described processes of steps S244 to S250 are repeatedly executed until the FIN signal is received. On the other hand, when the FIN signal is received, the process proceeds to step S252.

  In step S252, a determination is made as to whether or not the printer engine has been warmed up. Here, when the warm-up of the printer engine is not completed, this step is repeatedly executed until the warm-up of the printer engine is completed. On the other hand, when the warm-up of the printer engine is completed, the process proceeds to step S254.

  In step S254, PC print processing is executed, that is, the received PC print data is printed out by the recording unit 12. After the PC printing process is completed, the printer engine is stopped in step S256, and the power supply to the printer engine is stopped in step S258.

  Subsequently, in step S238, power supply to the second NIC 120 is stopped, and in step S240, power supply to the MFP main body 3 is stopped, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 shift to a low power consumption state. Thereafter, this process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S206 described above that the activation signal (activation request) is not based on PC printing or PC-FAX, power supply to the second NIC 120 is started in step S260. The initialization process of the second NIC 120 is executed. In subsequent step S262, power supply to the control unit 11, image storage unit 17, and each sensor of the MFP main body 3 is started, and initialization processing such as program loading and memory initialization is executed.

  Next, in step S264, a determination is made as to whether or not the initialization processing of the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 has been completed. If the initialization process has not been completed, this step is repeatedly executed until the initialization is completed. On the other hand, when the initialization process ends, the process proceeds to step S266.

  In step S266, a low power consumption state transition timer (T1 timer) is started. Next, in step S268, a determination is made as to whether network packet data has been received from the first NIC 100. If no network packet data has been received, the process proceeds to step S270. On the other hand, when network packet data is received, the process proceeds to step S272.

  In step S270, the low power consumption state transition timer (T1 timer) is counted up and a determination is made as to whether T1 time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed. Here, if the T1 time has not yet elapsed, the process proceeds to step S268, and the processing in steps S268 and S270 described above is performed until the network packet data is received or the T1 time has elapsed. It is executed repeatedly. On the other hand, when the time T1 has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S238. In step S238, power supply to the second NIC 120 is stopped, and in step S240, power supply to the MFP main body 3 is stopped, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 shift to a low power consumption state. Thereafter, this process ends.

  On the other hand, in step S272, data processing according to the received data is executed. In step S274, response data for the received data is generated and transferred to the first NIC 100. Subsequently, in step S276, a determination is made as to whether or not a FIN signal for disconnecting the session has been received. If the FIN signal has not been received, the process proceeds to step S268, and the above-described processes of steps S268 to S276 are repeated until the FIN signal is received. On the other hand, when the FIN signal is received, the process proceeds to step S278.

  In step S278, a determination is made as to whether SYN data has been received. Here, when the SYN data is received, the process proceeds to step S268, and the processes after step S268 described above are executed. On the other hand, when the SYN data is not received, the process proceeds to step S280.

  In step S280, the low power consumption state transition timer (T1 timer) is counted up and a determination is made as to whether T1 time (for example, 5 minutes) has elapsed. Here, if the T1 time has not yet elapsed, the process proceeds to step S278, and the above-described processes of steps S278 and S280 are repeated until the SYN data is received or the T1 time has elapsed. Executed. On the other hand, when the time T1 has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S238. In step S238, power supply to the second NIC 120 is stopped, and in step S240, power supply to the MFP main body 3 is stopped, and the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 shift to a low power consumption state. Thereafter, this process ends.

  According to the present embodiment, for example, when it is determined that the received data received from the PC 30 is either PC print data or PC-FAX data, the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 (recording unit 12, modem 18). , NCU19, etc.). Accordingly, since power supply is started at a faster timing, the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 can be started up early and can be shifted to the operating state earlier. On the other hand, after the second NIC 120 and the MFP main body 3 are shifted to the operating state, the received data is analyzed, and when it is determined whether the data is PC print data or PC-FAX data, it is not necessary for processing of the received data. The power supply to the means, that is, the modem 18 and the NCU 19 when the received data is PC print data, and the recording unit 12 including the printer engine are stopped when the received data is PC-FAX data. Therefore, the overall power consumption can be further reduced. Further, the NIC 10 is configured by being divided into a first NIC 100 and a second NIC 120. For example, during standby, the second NIC 120 is set in a low power consumption state with lower power consumption, and only the first NIC 100 is operated, A standby operation is performed. Therefore, when waiting for received data, the NIC 10 can be put into a low power consumption state except for the first NIC 100, so that the power consumption of the NIC 10 can be reduced. As a result of the above, it is possible to shift from the low power consumption state to the operating state earlier, and it is possible to further reduce the power consumption.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the data type determination unit 106 determines whether the received data is either PC print data or PC-FAX data from the port number of the received data. Therefore, when the received data is data for port numbers used in PC printing and PC-FAX, for example, 9100 (Port 9100), 515 (LPD), and 631 (IPP), PC print data or PC -It can be determined that the data is FAX data. Since this determination can be made by data pattern matching, it can be handled by a CPU having a low clock frequency and a relatively low processing speed, and it is not necessary to provide a large-capacity memory. Therefore, the power consumption of the first NIC 100 having the data type determination unit 106 can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the data discriminating unit 122 configuring the second NIC 120 analyzes language information included in the received data (pattern matching), and determines whether the received data is PC print data or PC-FAX data. Is determined. Therefore, when PCLxL, PCL5e, and GDI, which are printing languages, are described as language information included in received data (PDL data or GDI data), it can be determined that the data is PC print data. On the other hand, if the language is not for printing, it can be determined that the data is PC-FAX data.

  According to this embodiment, until the power state of the second NIC 120 shifts to the normal power state in which received data can be processed, data transmission to the PC 30 is maintained while the session is maintained. It is forbidden. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a large-capacity memory for temporarily storing received data on the first NIC 100 side, so that the power consumption of the memory can be suppressed. In this way, since the session has already been established when the persistent connection control is released, it is possible to start data communication promptly.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the NIC 10 is divided into the first NIC 100 and the second NIC 120, but each of the first NIC 100 and the second NIC 120 does not necessarily have to be formed of independent substrates. For example, the first NIC 100 and the second NIC 120 may be constructed on one substrate, or the first NIC 100 and the second NIC 120 may be formed in one IC chip.

  In the said embodiment, the low power consumption state was matched with the 2nd power state as described in a claim, and the normal power state was matched with the 1st power state as described in the claim, and was demonstrated. Here, in the low power consumption state (second power state), in addition to the state where the supply of power is stopped, the state where the supply of power is limited, for example, power is supplied to only a part of each unit. And a state in which power having a voltage value lower than that of the normal power state (first power state) is supplied. The state where the supply of power is restricted includes, for example, a state where the clock frequency of the CPU is lowered.

  In the above embodiment, the MFP main body 3 and the second NIC 120 are configured to take two states of the low power consumption state (energy saving mode) and the normal power state (normal mode). You may be comprised so that it can take. In this case, the first power state described in the claims does not have to be the state where the power consumption is the largest. Similarly, the second power state described in the claims is not necessarily the state with the lowest power consumption.

1 Network MFP 3 MFP Main Body 10 NIC
100 1st NIC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Reception part 103 Transmission part 104 Storage part 105 Power state determination part 106 Data type determination part 107 Activation signal output part 108 Bus transfer part 109 Response data generation part 110 Persistent connection control part 120 2nd NIC
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 121 Reception unit 122 Data discrimination unit 123 Power stop unit 124 Generation unit 125 Output unit 130 Bus 11 Control unit 12 Recording unit 13 Operation unit 14 Display unit 15 Reading unit 16 Codec 17 Image storage unit 18 Modem 19 NCU
21 Web server 23 Bus 25 Power supply 30 Personal computer 51 LAN

Claims (5)

A first communication control means connected to the communication terminal via the network and transmitting / receiving data to / from the communication terminal; and a first communication control means communicatively connected to the first communication control means; Communication means having second communication control means capable of taking a second power state with less power consumption than the one power state;
Recording means capable of taking the first power state and the second power state, and printing out print data received by the communication means;
A facsimile means capable of taking the first power state and the second power state, and facsimile-transmitting facsimile data received by the communication means;
The first communication control means includes
Determining means for determining whether the received data is either print data or facsimile data;
Determination means for determining the power state of the second communication control means, the recording means, and the facsimile means;
The determination means determines that the received data is print data or facsimile data, and the determination means determines that the second communication control means, the recording means, and the facsimile means are in the second power state. And a first shift means for outputting a control signal for shifting the second communication control means, the recording means, and the facsimile means to the first power state when it is determined that,
The second communication control means includes
When it is determined that the received data is print data or facsimile data and power is supplied and the second power state shifts to the first power state, the received data is print data or facsimile data. Determining means for determining whether or not
When the determining means determines that the received data is print data, the facsimile means is shifted to the second power state, and when the received data is determined to be facsimile data, the recording means And a second transition means for outputting a control signal for shifting the power to the second power state.   2. The network multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit determines whether the received data is one of print data and facsimile data from the port number of the received data.   3. The network composite according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit analyzes language information included in the received data and determines whether the received data is print data or facsimile data. 4. Machine.   The first communication control unit establishes a session with the communication terminal when the session establishment request signal from the communication terminal is received and the control signal is output by the first transition unit. And a continuous connection control for prohibiting transmission of data to the communication terminal in a state where a session is established until the power state of the second communication control unit is shifted to the first power state. The network multifunction device according to claim 1, further comprising a connection control unit.   The network multifunction device according to claim 1, wherein the facsimile unit includes a modem and an NCU.

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