JP6127703B2 - Image processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having an image processing function. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus including components that can be controlled in two or more operation modes.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an image processing apparatus provided with a silent mode that is an operation mode for suppressing noise. The image processing apparatus having the silent mode includes components that can be controlled at two or more stages, and realizes a reduction in noise emitted from the components by reducing the speed of the image processing operation.

  As a technical document disclosing the image processing apparatus having the silent mode described above, there is, for example, Patent Document 1. In Patent Document 1, a recording apparatus having a silent mode (silent mode) in which the moving speed of the carriage and the discharge frequency of the recording head are reduced, and the time when the recording data is received is a specific time such as a midnight time zone. For example, a technique for recording the recording data in a quiet mode is disclosed.

JP 2003-182190 A

  However, the conventional technique described above has the following problems. In other words, in quiet mode operation, control is performed to suppress noise for each component of its own device, but when performing image processing in which multiple components operate simultaneously, even if noise is suppressed for each component. , The amount of noise emitted from the device itself may not reach the target level.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that can be expected to suppress the amount of noise emitted from its own apparatus to a predetermined level or less.

  In order to solve this problem, an image processing apparatus includes a plurality of constituent elements having at least two stages of operation modes having different noise levels, and a memory for storing noise amounts for the respective operation modes of the plurality of constituent elements. And a control unit, wherein the control unit includes the configuration of the noise amount stored in the storage unit when the operation mode of one of the plurality of components is changed. The operation mode of the plurality of constituent elements is determined so that a total noise amount, which is a total value obtained by adding one noise amount for each element for the plurality of constituent elements, becomes smaller than a threshold value.

  The image processing apparatus disclosed in this specification includes a plurality of components. Each component has at least two operation modes with different noise levels. The amount of noise for each operation mode of each component is stored in the storage unit. The control unit of the image processing apparatus acquires a total value obtained by adding one noise amount for each of the components for the plurality of components as the total noise amount. Then, when one operation mode of the component is changed, the operation mode of each component is determined so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold value. Note that the components include, for example, a printing unit, a reading unit, and a cooling fan. In addition, the operation modes with different noise levels include, for example, states with different operating speeds. Specific examples include full speed mode, medium speed mode, low speed mode, and stop mode. Or you may include the component which has only two modes, full speed mode and stop mode. The operation mode change includes, for example, operation start, operation stop, and operation speed change. The stored noise level is a numerical value of the sound emitted from each component. For example, it may be an actual measurement value measured using a sound level meter in advance, or a virtual value assumed from the design. It may be.

  According to the image processing apparatus disclosed in the present specification, when the operation mode of one component is changed, the sum of the noise amount of the one component and the noise amounts of the other components is obtained. Based on the total noise level, the operation mode of the plurality of components is determined. That is, when changing the operation mode of one component, the operation mode is determined so that the total noise amount including other components is smaller than the threshold value. Therefore, it can be expected that the total amount of noise emitted from the own device is suppressed to a target level or less.

  In addition, the control unit, when triggered by the start of operation of one of the plurality of components, controls the one component so that the total noise amount of the plurality of components is smaller than a threshold value. The operation mode may be determined. When the operation of one component starts, the noise emitted from the one component also starts. Therefore, when the operation starts, the operation mode of the component to be started is determined within a range where the total noise amount is smaller than the threshold value, so that the operation of the component already in operation is not affected. It can be expected to reduce the amount of noise. Therefore, it can be expected that the total noise amount can be suppressed by suppressing an increase in processing time for changing the operation mode of the components already in operation and an increase in power consumption.

  In addition, when the operation mode of the one constituent element in which the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value cannot be determined, the control unit is configured so as to reduce the total noise amount to be smaller than the threshold value. The operation mode of the component may be changed. If the total noise level cannot be reduced simply by adjusting the starting component, change the operating mode of the other component if the total noise level can be suppressed by changing the operating mode of the other component. Then, the operation of the one component is started. In this way, it is expected that the total noise level can be suppressed while maintaining the operation of each component.

  In addition, the control unit is a case where the operation mode of the one component element in which the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value cannot be determined, and the one component element is set so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold value. When the operation mode of the other components cannot be changed, the operation of the one component may be started after the end of at least one operation of the component in operation. If the total noise level cannot be suppressed by adjusting the operation mode of the component that starts operation and the operation mode of the other component, the operation of the other component is waited for after the operation of the other component is completed. It is preferable to start the operation in order to reduce the total noise level.

  The control unit waits for the end of at least one operation of the component in operation when the operation mode of the one component whose total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value cannot be determined. The operation of the component may be started. If the total noise level cannot be suppressed only by adjusting the operation mode of the component that starts the operation, the total noise level is not changed even if the operation of the one component is started after the operation of the other component is finished. It is preferable in order to suppress this.

  Further, one of the plurality of components is a cooling fan disposed in the apparatus, and the control unit puts the fan into a high-speed operation state when the temperature in the apparatus is higher than a predetermined value. When the operation mode of the fan is changed to the operation mode of the high-speed operation state, the operation mode of the components other than the fan is changed so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than a threshold value. May be. Changing the operation mode of the cooling fan to the high-speed operation state has a high priority in avoiding a serious error such as a device failure. Therefore, by changing the operation mode of the components other than the fan while changing the operation mode of the fan, it can be expected that both the serious error and the noise expansion as the whole apparatus are suppressed.

  In addition, if the control unit cannot change the operation mode of the components other than the fan to an operation mode in which the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold, components other than the fan among the components in operation At least one of the operations may be stopped. If it is not possible to cope with the change in the operation mode of the other components, it is preferable to suppress noise by stopping at least one operation of the other components.

  Of the plurality of components, one is a printing unit that prints an image, the other is a reading unit that reads an image, and the control unit prints an image read by the reading unit. An operation for setting the printing unit to a high-speed operation state when the copy process for causing the printing unit to perform printing is greater than a first predetermined amount after the reading unit reads the image and before printing by the printing unit The operation mode of the constituent elements other than the printing unit may be changed so that the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value. When there is a lot of image data before printing during the copy process, that is, when the print process is delayed compared to the read process, it is better to speed up the print unit within the range where the total noise level does not exceed the threshold value. Can be expected to suppress errors on the reading side. On the other hand, since the noise level increases when the printing unit is speeded up, the noise level of the entire apparatus can be suppressed by suppressing the noise level of other components (for example, the reading unit).

  Of the plurality of components, one is a printing unit that prints an image, the other is a reading unit that reads an image, and the control unit prints an image read by the reading unit. When the copy processing to be printed on the copy unit is executed, if the image data read by the reading unit and before being printed by the printing unit is less than a second predetermined amount, the reading unit is put into a high-speed operation state. The mode may be changed, and the operation mode of the components other than the reading unit may be changed so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than a threshold value. When copying, when there is little image data before printing, that is, when the reading process is delayed compared to the printing process, it is better to speed up the reading unit within the range where the total noise level does not exceed the threshold, etc. Can be expected to suppress errors on the printing side. On the other hand, since the noise level increases when the reading unit is speeded up, the noise level of the entire apparatus can be suppressed by suppressing the noise level of other components (for example, the printing unit).

  In addition, when the control unit receives a succeeding job that does not use the predetermined component while executing a preceding job that uses the predetermined component of the plurality of components, the control unit receives the preceding job and the subsequent job. Are the same, the operation mode of the component including the predetermined component is changed so that the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value, and the user of the preceding job and the subsequent job is the same. If not, the operation mode of the constituent elements excluding the predetermined constituent element among the plurality of constituent elements may be changed so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than a threshold value. If the preceding job and the succeeding job are different users, it is preferable to change the operation mode of the component that has less influence on the preceding job with priority given to the user of the preceding job. On the other hand, if the preceding job and the succeeding job are the same user, it is preferable to make a change that does not easily reduce the productivity until the completion of the succeeding job, including the operating components.

  According to the present invention, an image processing apparatus that can be expected to suppress the amount of noise emitted from its own apparatus to a predetermined level or less is realized.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an MFP according to an embodiment. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of the MFP. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows an operation | movement volume table. It is explanatory drawing which shows a priority table. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a quiet operation | movement process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an operation mode change process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a quiet copy process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of an acceleration copy process. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of a user discrimination | determination process.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a multi function peripheral (MFP) having an image forming function.

[MFP configuration]
As shown in FIG. 1, the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment includes a printing unit 10 that prints an image on a sheet, a reading unit 20 that reads an image of a document, and an operation panel 40 that displays an operation status and accepts an input operation by a user. And. The operation panel 40 includes a liquid crystal display and a button group including a start key, a stop key, a numeric keypad, and the like, and receives an instruction input by a user.

  The printing unit 10 includes a conveyance belt 7 that conveys a sheet, a paper feed tray 12, and a paper discharge tray 13. Further, as a sheet path, a conveyance path 11 (a chain line in FIG. 1) from the paper feed tray 12 to the paper discharge tray 13 via the conveyance belt 7 is formed.

  Further, the printing unit 10 includes a process unit 50 that forms a toner image on a sheet by an electrophotographic method, and a fixing unit 58 that fixes an unfixed toner image on the sheet to the sheet. The process unit 50 includes a photoreceptor 51, a charging unit 52, an exposure unit 53, a developing unit 54, and a transfer unit 55 for each of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K) colors. Have. Various known components may be used for the process unit 50, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The fixing unit 58 fixes the image on the sheet by heating and pressing the sheet on which the toner image is placed. It is not preferable that the temperature inside the apparatus rises beyond the limit due to heat generated in the fixing unit 58. Therefore, the MFP 100 has a fan 60 for releasing heat inside the apparatus to the outside.

  The reading unit 20 includes an image sensor 22 for optically reading an image, a contact glass 23, and an ADF (automatic document feeder) 24. In the image sensor 22, the optical elements are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. The reading unit 20 relatively moves the document sheet on which the image is formed and the image sensor 22 to read the image line by line. In the MFP 100, there are a relative moving method that includes a method of moving the image sensor 22 while fixing the original sheet, and a method of moving the original sheet using the ADF 24 while fixing the image sensor 22.

[Electric configuration of MFP]
Next, the electrical configuration of the MFP 100 will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the MFP 100 includes a controller 30 including a CPU 31, a ROM 32, a RAM 33, an NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM) 34, and an ASIC 35. Further, as described above, the MFP 100 includes the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, the operation panel 40, and the fan 60, and these are electrically connected to the controller 30.

  The ROM 32 stores various control programs for controlling the MFP 100, various settings, initial values, and the like. The RAM 33 is used as a work area from which various control programs are read, or as a storage area for temporarily storing data such as image data.

  The CPU 31 controls each component of the MFP 100 according to the control program read from the ROM 32 while storing the processing result in the RAM 33 or the NVRAM 34. In addition, the CPU 31 performs a process for determining an operation speed of each operation unit described later. The CPU 31 is an example of a control unit. Note that the controller 30 in FIG. 2 is a collective term for hardware used for controlling the printer, such as a CPU, and does not necessarily represent a single piece of hardware that actually exists in the printer. The controller 30 may be a control unit, and the ASIC 35 may be a control unit.

[Operation sound]
Each operation unit of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 includes a rotating member driven by a motor. Therefore, an operation sound is generated by the operation of each operation unit. The MFP 100 according to the present embodiment has four types of operation modes with different operation speeds for the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20. The fan 60 has three types of operation modes with different operation speeds. The volume of the operation sound differs for each operation mode.

  The NVRAM 34 of the MFP 100 stores an operation volume table 70 as shown in FIG. The operation volume table 70 of this example stores the relationship between the operation mode and the operation volume for each operation unit of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60. The unit of the operation volume is “dB”. Each numerical value stored in the operation volume table 70 is determined and stored in advance based on the operation volume of each operation unit actually measured through experiments or the like. The NVRAM 34 in which the operation volume table 70 is stored is an example of a storage unit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the operation mode includes not only an operation state with different operation speeds but also a stop mode in which the operation is stopped. Since the operation unit in the stop mode does not operate, the operation volume is 0 dB. In addition to the stop mode, the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 have a full speed mode, a medium speed mode, and a low speed mode, respectively. Further, the fan 60 can adjust the rotation speed in two stages, a full speed mode and a medium speed mode. That is, “-” in the operation volume table 70 means that there is no operation mode.

  For any operating part, the volume of the operating sound generated from each operating part depends on the operating speed. That is, the higher the operation speed is, the higher the operation volume is shown in the upper part of FIG. In any operation part, the full speed mode corresponds to the operation mode in the high speed operation state.

  That is, the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 are examples of components having four-step operation modes with different noise levels. The fan 60 is an example of a component having three operation modes with different noise levels. In addition, there may be a component having an operation mode of only two stages of a full speed mode and a stop mode.

  In MFP 100 of this embodiment, the operation mode of each operation unit is determined so that the total noise amount, which is the sum of operation sounds of each operation unit, is smaller than a predetermined threshold. The threshold value of the total noise amount may be set in advance at the time of factory shipment or may be set by a user. Different values may be set for daytime and nighttime.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 3, when all the operation units of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 are operated at full speed, the total noise amount is 40 dB by the printing unit 10, 20 dB by the reading unit 20, The total value of the sound volume of 10 dB by the fan 60 is approximately 70 dB. If any operation mode of the operation unit is changed to reduce the operation speed, the total noise amount is reduced accordingly.

[Priority order of operation parts]
In MFP 100, the operation mode of each operation unit is set so that the total noise amount, which is the sum of the operation sound volumes of the operation units that are operated simultaneously among printing unit 10, reading unit 20, and fan 60, is smaller than a predetermined threshold. To decide. In this determination, in MFP 100, a priority order is set between each operation unit, which is an order in which operation at a high speed is preferentially allowed over other operation units. The priority order is stored in the NVRAM 34 as the priority table 72 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, in the MFP 100 of this embodiment, the operation of the fan 60 has the highest priority, and the operation of the printing unit 10 has the next priority. By giving priority to the fan 60, it is possible to prevent the temperature inside the machine from rising too much and avoid malfunctions.

  When the operation is started from the state where the printing unit 10 is not operating, if the fan 60 is not operating, the fan 60 also starts operating simultaneously. This is because when the operation of the printing unit 10 is started, as described above, heat is generated in the fixing unit 58, so that the fan 60 needs to be operated. When the operation of the printing unit 10 is started, it can be predicted that the temperature inside the apparatus is not high. Therefore, the operation mode when the operation of the fan 60 starts is the medium speed mode.

  The MFP 100 continues the operation of the printing unit 10 and changes the fan 60 from the medium speed mode to the full speed mode when the temperature inside the apparatus rises above a predetermined temperature. That is, the operation mode of the fan 60 is preferentially determined according to the internal temperature and the presence / absence of the operation of the printing unit 10 regardless of the total amount of noise.

[Priority of printing and reading units]
Next, the priority order of the operation modes of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 will be described. The operation modes of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 are determined after the operation mode of the fan 60 is determined. That is, the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 10 read so that the total noise amount of the operation volume of the fan 60 whose operation mode is preferentially determined and the operation volume of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is smaller than the threshold value. The operation mode with the unit 20 is determined. For example, if it is determined that the total noise amount is equal to or greater than the threshold value due to the change in the operation mode of the fan 60, the operation mode of at least one of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is changed to a lower speed.

  In changing the operation mode, first, one of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is maintained, and the other operation mode is changed so as to reduce the speed. Here, the operation unit that maintains the operation mode is an operation unit with a high priority, and the operation unit that changes the operation mode is an operation unit with a low priority. The priority order of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is not limited to that based on the priority table 72 but is determined according to various conditions.

  For example, when the operation of the printing unit 10 and the operation of the reading unit 20 are different jobs and the speed can be determined independently, the order of the priority table 72 described above is followed. For example, when the temperature inside the apparatus rises while all of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 are operating, it becomes necessary to change the operation of the fan 60 from the medium speed mode to the full speed mode. First, priority is given to changing the operation mode of the fan 60. In addition, the operation speed is first lowered from the reading unit 20 with the lowest priority so that the total noise amount after the change of the operation mode of the fan 60 does not exceed the threshold value.

  Also, for example, when an operation of another operation unit is newly started in a state where any operation unit is already operating, the operation mode of the operation unit already operating is preferentially maintained. Then, the operation mode of the operation unit that starts operation later is determined. For example, when the scan operation is started while PC printing is being performed, the operation mode of the reading unit 20 is determined so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value. On the other hand, when the PC printing operation is started while the scan operation is being performed, the operation mode of the printing unit 10 is determined so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value. In this case, the priority order of the operation units operating first is higher than the priority order of the operation units starting operation later.

  On the other hand, if the operation of the printing unit 10 and the operation of the reading unit 20 are linked, as in the case of a copy operation, and one of them cannot be prioritized independently, the copy processing as a whole is terminated early. Plan. That is, the priority order of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 varies depending on other conditions. In this case, unlike the above-described two patterns, the priority order is not determined in advance. In the following, a silent operation process that is a process when the priority order is determined in advance and a silent copy process that is a process when the priority order is not determined in advance will be described separately.

[Silent motion processing]
Next, as described above, the silent operation processing procedure for operating each operation unit so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This silent operation process is executed by the CPU 31 when at least one operation mode is changed among the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60. Specifically, the silent operation process is executed when an operation request is received from an operation unit that is not operating among the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20. For example, when a print instruction is received in a state where printing is not being executed, a case where a read start instruction is received while only printing is being executed is applicable. Alternatively, the process is executed when the in-machine temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature and the operation mode of the fan 60 needs to be changed.

  In the silent operation process, first, the respective operation modes of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 are acquired (S101). For operating parts that are already operating, the operating mode in operation is acquired. For an operation unit that is not operating and starts operation, the operation mode set as the initial setting at the start of operation is acquired. The initial setting is, for example, the full speed mode.

  Based on the operation mode acquired in S101, the respective operation volumes of the printing unit 10, reading unit 20, and fan 60 are acquired (S102). The operation volume is read from the operation volume table 70 (see FIG. 3) of the NVRAM 34 based on the operation mode. Furthermore, the operation sound volume of each operation unit acquired in S102 is added up to acquire the total noise amount (S103).

  Then, it is determined whether or not the total noise amount acquired in S103 is smaller than a predetermined threshold (S104). When it is determined that the total noise amount is smaller than the threshold (S104: Yes), the operation in the operation mode acquired in S101 is executed (S105). That is, the operation unit that is already operating continues to operate. The operation unit newly instructed to start operation starts the operation in the operation mode set as the initial setting.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the total noise amount is not smaller than the threshold (S104: No), an operation mode change process is executed (S111). That is, the operation mode of at least one of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is changed to a mode slower than the current setting so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value.

  The procedure of the operation mode change process of S111 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In this operation mode change process, one operation mode of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is first changed, and if the total noise level is still large, the other operation mode is also changed. This priority order is determined when this process is started. In FIG. 6 and the following description, the first change unit is the first operation unit and the other is the second operation unit. That is, the lower operation priority is the first operation unit, and the higher operation priority is the second operation unit.

  In this process, the first operation unit and the second operation unit are determined as follows. If both are operating at the start of the operation mode change process, the reading unit 20 is the first operation unit, and the printing unit 10 is the second operation unit. Further, when only one of them is operating and the other operation is started, the operation unit that starts the operation is the first operation unit, and the operation unit that is already operating is the second operation unit. The operation mode of the operation unit that starts operation is set to the initial setting. The initial setting is, for example, the full speed mode. When only one operating unit is used, the operating unit to be operated is the first operating unit.

  First, it is determined whether or not the first operating unit can be further reduced in speed than the current setting (S201). That is, it is determined whether or not the first operation unit can be changed to an operation mode other than the stop mode. If the first operation unit is the full speed mode or the medium speed mode, the speed can be reduced. Therefore, if it is determined that the speed of the first operation unit can be reduced (S201: Yes), the operation mode of the first operation unit is reduced by one step (S202).

  The operation volume of each operation unit in the operation mode reduced in S202 is summed to obtain the total noise amount (S203). Then, it is determined whether or not the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value (S204). If it is determined that the total noise amount is smaller than the threshold (S204: Yes), the operation mode of the first operation unit is determined to be the operation mode reduced in S202 (S205), and the operation mode change process is terminated.

  If it is determined in S204 that the total noise amount is not smaller than the threshold value (S204: No), the process returns to S201 to determine whether or not the first operation unit can be further slowed down. If the original operation mode of the first operation unit is the full speed mode, the first speed reduction becomes the medium speed mode, and another speed reduction is possible. If it is determined that the speed can be further reduced (S201: Yes), S202 to S204 are executed again.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the first operation unit is in the low speed mode and further speed reduction is impossible (S201: No), the operation mode of the first operation unit is once determined to be the low speed mode. Then, the speed of the second operation unit is reduced. For this purpose, it is determined whether or not the second operation unit can be further reduced in speed (S206). That is, it is determined whether the second operation unit can be changed to an operation mode other than the stop mode. If it is determined that the speed of the second operation unit can be reduced (S206: Yes), the operation mode of the second operation unit is reduced by one step (S207).

  Then, the total noise amount is acquired (S208), and it is determined whether the acquired total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value (S209). If it is determined that the total noise amount is smaller than the threshold (S209: Yes), the operation mode of the second operation unit is determined to be the operation mode reduced in S207 (S205), and the operation mode changing process is terminated.

  If it is determined in S209 that the total noise amount is not smaller than the threshold (S209: No), the process returns to S206, and it is determined whether or not the second operation unit can be further slowed down. If it is determined that the second operation unit can be further slowed down (S206: Yes), S207 to S209 are executed again.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the second operation unit is in the low speed mode and further reduction in speed is impossible (S206: No), then the first operation unit is determined to be in the stop mode (S210). . That is, if the first operating unit is operating, the first operating unit is stopped. If the first operation unit is before the operation starts, the operation of the first operation unit is not started.

  Then, the total noise amount is acquired when the second operation unit is set to the full speed mode (S211). It is determined whether or not the total noise amount acquired in S211 is smaller than a threshold value (S212). If it is determined that the total noise amount is smaller than the threshold (S212: Yes), the operation mode of the second operation unit is set to the full speed mode (S213), and the operation mode changing process is terminated.

  If it is determined that the total noise amount acquired in S211 is not smaller than the threshold value (S212: No), the operation mode of the second operation unit is reduced until the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold value (S206 to S209). Since the first operation unit is stopped, the total noise amount is always smaller than the threshold if the operation mode of the second operation unit is lowered. If it does so, an operation mode will be determined (S205) and an operation mode change process will be complete | finished.

  Returning to FIG. 5, since the operation mode of each operation unit is determined by the operation mode change processing in S111, each operation unit is operated in the determined operation mode (S105).

  After S105, it is determined whether at least one of the printing unit 10 or the reading unit 20 has finished all the instructed operations (S106). For example, if printing is instructed, it is determined whether the printing process has been completed. If it is determined that it has not been completed (S106: No), it is determined whether or not the in-machine temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature (S107). If it is determined that it has not exceeded (S107: No), the operation is further continued.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the in-machine temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature (S107: Yes), the fan 60 is changed from the medium speed mode to the full speed mode (S108). If already operating in full speed mode, operate in full speed mode. Then, the process returns to S102, where the total noise amount is acquired, and it is determined whether or not the total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value. For example, when the fan 60 is changed to the full speed mode, the volume of the fan 60 is increased, so that the total noise amount may be confirmed again.

  If it is determined that the instructed operation of the printing unit 10 or the reading unit 20 has been completed (S106: Yes), it is determined whether or not all the received operations have been completed (S109). If it is determined that all of the instructed operations have been completed (S109: Yes), the silent operation process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the entire operation has not been completed (S109: No), the operation mode of the operation unit that has not completed the operation is set to the full speed mode (S110). Since only one operation is performed, the speed of the remaining operation unit may be increased. This is because the operation unit that has completed the operation is in the stop mode, and the operation sound becomes 0 dB. Furthermore, returning to S102, the total noise amount is confirmed again.

  In this way, the operation mode of each operation unit is selected so that the total operation volume of each operation unit, that is, the total noise amount does not exceed a predetermined threshold. The operation volume of each operation unit in each operation mode is acquired in advance and stored in the operation volume table 70 of the NVRAM 34. Therefore, since the total noise amount after the operation change can be predicted, there is a high possibility that each operation unit can be controlled so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value.

[Silent copy processing]
Next, a silent copy process that is a process when the priority order is not determined in advance will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. For example, it is a process for executing a copy process so that the total noise amount does not exceed a threshold value. In the copy process, the document is read by the reading unit 20 to acquire image data, and the printing unit 10 prints based on the acquired image data. For this reason, the operations of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 are linked, and it is not possible to prioritize one of them. For example, it is impossible to prioritize the operation of the printing unit 10 over the operation of the reading unit 20 first.

  In this process, the priority order is determined based on the amount of image data that has been read and is not yet printed. In the following, the higher priority order is referred to as a third operation section, and the lower priority order is referred to as a fourth operation section. This process includes a procedure for speeding up the higher priority order of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 within a range where the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold. In other words, it can be expected that the end of the process is accelerated without increasing the total noise amount by reducing the speed of one while increasing the speed of the other.

  When the silent copy process is started, first, the operation mode set as the initial setting at the time of starting the operation of each of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 is set as the operation mode of each operation unit. Is started (S301). In S301, the operation mode of each unit is determined in advance so that the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value. Further, it is determined whether or not the copying is completed (S302). If it is determined that the copying is complete (S302: Yes), the silent copy process is terminated.

  If it is determined that copying has not ended (S302: No), it is determined whether the amount of image data stored in the RAM 33 is greater than a predetermined first predetermined amount (S303). The image data read by the reading unit 20 is temporarily stored in the RAM 33. And the image data memorize | stored in RAM33 are deleted in an order from the part which the printing part 10 finished printing. That is, the amount of image data stored in the RAM 33 being larger than the first predetermined amount means that the operation speed of the printing unit 10 is slower than the operation speed of the reading unit 20.

  Therefore, when the amount of image data is larger than the first predetermined amount (S303: Yes), it is determined whether or not the operation mode of the printing unit 10 can be speeded up (S304). If it is already operating in the full speed mode, the speed cannot be increased (S304: No), so the operation is continued in the operation mode as it is, and the operation is continued until the copying is completed.

  If it is determined that the speed of the printing unit 10 can be increased from the current level (S304: Yes), there is a possibility that the copy process can be accelerated. For this purpose, the printing unit 10 is set as the third operating unit with the highest priority and the reading unit 20 is set as the fourth operating unit with the low priority (S305), and the high-speed copy process is executed (S306). The accelerated copy process will be described later.

  On the other hand, when the amount of image data stored in the RAM 33 is not larger than the first predetermined amount (S303: No), it is determined whether or not the amount of image data is smaller than a predetermined second predetermined amount. (S307). The second predetermined amount is an amount smaller than the first predetermined amount. The fact that the amount of image data stored in the RAM 33 is less than the second predetermined amount means that the operation speed of the reading unit 20 is slower than the operation speed of the printing unit 10.

  Therefore, when the amount of image data is smaller than the second predetermined amount (S307: Yes), it is determined whether or not the operation mode of the reading unit 20 can be speeded up (S308). If it is already operating in the full speed mode, the speed cannot be increased (S308: No), so the operation is continued in the operation mode as it is, and the operation is continued until the copying is completed.

  When the amount of image data is not less than the second predetermined amount (S307: No), it means that the operation speed of the printing unit 10 and the operation speed of the reading unit 20 are approximately balanced. In this case, the process proceeds to S302 and the operation is continued in the operation mode as it is.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the reading unit 20 can be speeded up (S308: Yes), there is a possibility that the copying process can be speeded up. For this purpose, the high-priority third processing unit with the reading unit 20 and the printing unit 10 with the fourth operating unit with the low priority order (S309), and the high-speed copy process is executed (S306).

  Next, the procedure of the high-speed copy process in S306 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the operation unit as the third operation unit is set to one-step speedup (S401). That is, in the silent copy process of FIG. 7, when the accelerated copy process is executed via S305, the printing unit 10 is accelerated. If S309 is passed, the reading unit 20 is speeded up. At this stage, it is only set temporarily, and it does not actually operate at high speed.

  Then, the total noise amount after the speeding up in S401 is acquired (S402). Further, it is determined whether or not the total noise amount acquired in S402 is smaller than a threshold value (S403). If it is determined that the value is smaller than the threshold (S403: Yes), the temporarily set content is determined as the operation mode of each operation unit, and each operation unit is operated in the determined operation mode (S404). Then, the speed-up copy process is terminated, and the process returns to the silent copy process of FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the total noise amount is not smaller than the threshold (S403: No), it is determined whether or not the fourth operating unit can be slowed down (S405). That is, in the silent copy process of FIG. 7, if the speed-up copy process is executed through S305, it is determined whether the reading unit 20 can be slowed down. If the process has passed through S309, it is determined whether the printing unit 10 can be slowed down.

  If it is determined that the fourth operation unit is in the full speed mode or the medium speed mode and further reduction in speed is possible (S405: Yes), the fourth operation unit is reduced in speed by one step (S406). On the other hand, when it is determined that the fourth operating unit cannot be further slowed down (S405: No), the fourth operating unit is set to the stop mode (S407). Then, after S406 or S407, the process returns to S402 to acquire the total noise amount.

  When the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold (S403: Yes), the operation mode of each operation unit is determined to the current setting, and each operation unit is operated in the determined operation mode (S404). Then, the speed-up copy process is terminated, and the process returns to the silent copy process of FIG. The operation is continued until copying is completed while monitoring the amount of image data. When all copies are completed, the silent copy process ends.

  According to the silent copy process, the operation mode of each operation unit is selected so that the total noise amount does not exceed a predetermined threshold. In addition, based on the amount of image data, it is determined which of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is to be preferentially operated fast, so that the speed of the entire copy process is not reduced. Silence can be achieved. For example, when there is a lot of image data before printing, it is expected that the error on the reading side such as memory overflow can be suppressed by increasing the speed of the printing unit 10 within a range where the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value. For example, when the amount of image data before printing is small, it is expected that the error on the printing side such as intermittent printing can be suppressed by increasing the speed of the reading unit 20 in a range where the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value. On the other hand, if any one of the operating units is speeded up, the total noise level increases, so the noise level of the entire apparatus can be suppressed by reducing the operating volume by reducing the speed of the other operating units. Therefore, it is expected that the copy process will be completed early as long as the total noise amount does not exceed a predetermined threshold.

[User discrimination processing]
Next, a user determination process, which is an exception process when an instruction for a subsequent job is received before the end of the preceding job, will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. That is, the MFP 100 is different from the silent operation process described above only when the preceding job and the succeeding job have the same user when the succeeding job operable in parallel is received during execution of the preceding job. Execute the process.

  This user determination process is executed by the CPU 31 when a subsequent job including the operation of the operation unit that is not used in the preceding job that has received the instruction is received before the preceding job ends. For example, this corresponds to a case where a copy instruction is received in MFP 100 that is executing PC printing, or a case where a PC print instruction is received during execution of scan processing. A plurality of operations using the same operation unit cannot be executed at the same time, and are processed in the order in which instructions are received. Further, when the MFP 100 is not operating when a job is received, this processing is excluded.

  When the execution of this process is started, the MFP 100 determines whether or not the user who instructed the succeeding job is the same as the user of the preceding job being executed (S501). The determination as to whether or not the users are the same can be made, for example, by comparing user information between a user who issued a PC print instruction and a user who has logged in for copy execution. If it is not possible to determine whether or not the users are the same because the user of the copy process or the scan process is not logged in, it may be determined that they are not the same.

  If it is determined that they are the same user (S501: Yes), it is considered that the preceding job and the succeeding job are performing parallel processing like a copy operation, and the silent copy processing shown in FIG. 7 is executed (S502). ). For the same user, the waiting time for the user is until both the preceding job and the succeeding job are completed. Therefore, the priority order of the preceding job and the succeeding job is not determined in advance, and both are set as the operation mode change targets according to the amount of image data. As a result, it is expected that the time required until both the preceding job and the succeeding job are completed within a range where the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value can be expected.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that they are not the same user (S501: No), the priority order is determined in advance, and the silent operation process shown in FIG. 5 is executed (S503). That is, the priority order of the operation units used in the preceding job is high, and the priority order of the operation units used only in the succeeding job is set low, and the operation mode of each operation unit is determined. For example, execution of the succeeding job is restricted until the preceding job is completed. As a result, the preceding job is preferentially terminated within a range where the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value.

  According to this user determination process, the operation mode of each operation unit is selected in consideration of the job user so that the total noise amount does not exceed a predetermined threshold. In other words, if the user of the preceding job and the succeeding job are the same, the operation mode is selected so that both are terminated early. If they are not the same user, the operation mode is selected so that the preceding job is preferentially terminated early.

  As described above in detail, the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, and the fan 60 of the MFP 100 according to the present embodiment all have two or more operation modes with different operation volumes. The operation volume of each operation unit in each operation mode is stored in the operation volume table 70 of the NVRAM 34. Then, when changing the operation mode of any of the operation units, the MFP 100 acquires the changed total noise amount. Then, the operation mode of each operation unit is determined so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold value. Therefore, even if the operation content or the operation mode is changed, the total noise amount does not exceed the threshold value, and it can be expected that the noise amount emitted from the MFP 100 is suppressed to a predetermined level or less.

  Note that this embodiment is merely an example, and does not limit the present invention. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the present invention is not limited to an MFP, and can be applied to any apparatus having an image reading function and an image forming function, such as a copying machine, a scanner, and a FAX.

  Further, for example, the number of operation modes shown in the operation volume table 70 of FIG. 3 is an example, and may be more or less. Each operation unit may have at least two operation modes, that is, an active mode and a stop mode. Also, there may be more operation modes than four stages. For example, if the operation volume of the printing unit 10 is different depending on the print setting such as color printing or monochrome printing, or single-sided printing or double-sided printing, it may be distinguished as another operation mode. Further, if the operation volume of the reading unit 20 varies depending on whether or not the ADF 24 is driven, it may be distinguished as another operation mode.

  In addition, each numerical value of the operation volume table 70 is not limited to the actual measurement value measured in the experiment, but may be a virtual value assumed from the design. In addition, if there is a member that emits an operation sound other than the operation unit whose operation mode can be changed, the operation noise may be added to obtain the total noise amount. In other words, the total noise amount may include noise other than the operation sound due to the operations of the printing unit 10, the reading unit 20, the fan 60, and the like.

  In the silent operation process described above, the first operation unit is set to the stop mode only when the first operation unit and the second operation unit are both set to the low speed mode and the total noise amount does not become smaller than the threshold value. , Not limited to this. That is, the speed of the first operation unit having a low priority order including the stop mode may be decreased while the operation mode of the second operation unit having a high priority order is maintained. By doing so, it is possible to expect an early termination of the operation of the second operation unit while achieving quietness.

  Further, the change of the operation mode of the fan 60 is not limited to the speed increase from the medium speed mode to the full speed mode. For example, when the in-flight temperature decreases during operation in the full speed mode and becomes sufficiently high even in the operation in the medium speed mode, the speed may be reduced from the full speed mode to the medium speed mode. Further, the fan 60 can be stopped if the temperature inside the apparatus is sufficiently lowered after the printing is completed. The case where the speed of the fan 60 is reduced also corresponds to the change of the operation mode.

  In the silent copy process described above, it is determined which of the printing unit 10 and the reading unit 20 is to be preferentially accelerated based on the amount of image data. However, the determination is not limited to this, and the determination may be made based on the remaining storage capacity of the RAM 33.

  The processing disclosed in the embodiments may be executed by a single CPU, a plurality of CPUs, hardware such as an ASIC, or a combination thereof. Further, the processing disclosed in the embodiment can be realized in various modes such as a recording medium or a method recording a program for executing the processing.

10 Printing unit 20 Reading unit 31 CPU
33 RAM
34 NVRAM
60 Fan 70 Operating Volume Table 100 MFP

Claims (8)

A plurality of components having at least two operating modes with different noise levels;
A storage unit for storing a noise amount for each operation mode of the plurality of components;
A control unit;
With
One of the plurality of components is a cooling fan disposed in the apparatus,
The controller is
Triggered by a change in the operation mode of one component among the plurality of components, one noise amount for each component among the noise amounts stored in the storage unit for the plurality of components Determining the operation mode of the plurality of components so that the total noise amount, which is the summation value, is smaller than a threshold value ;
When the temperature inside the apparatus is higher than a predetermined value, the fan is set to an operation mode in which the fan is in a high-speed operation state, and the total noise amount is changed when the fan operation mode is changed to an operation mode in a high-speed operation state. Change the operation mode of the components other than the fan so as to be smaller than the threshold,
If the operation mode of the components other than the fan cannot be changed to an operation mode in which the total noise level is smaller than a threshold value, the operation of at least one of the components other than the fan among the operating components is stopped. And
If the operation of a certain component is completed and another component continues to operate in the operation mode in the low-speed operation state, the component that continues to operate in the operation mode in the low-speed operation state An image processing apparatus characterized in that the operation mode is changed to an operation mode in a high-speed operation state . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller is
The operation mode of the one component is determined so that the total noise amount of the plurality of components is smaller than a threshold when the operation of one of the plurality of components starts.
An image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The controller is
When the operation mode of the one component that makes the total noise amount smaller than the threshold cannot be determined, the operation mode of the component other than the one component is set so that the total noise becomes smaller than the threshold. change,
An image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3,
The controller is
The operation mode of the one component other than the one component so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold when the operation mode of the one component that the total noise amount becomes smaller than the threshold cannot be determined. If it cannot be changed, the operation of the one component is started after the end of at least one operation of the active component.
An image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The controller is
If the operation mode of the one component whose total noise amount is smaller than a threshold value cannot be determined, the operation of the one component is started after completion of at least one operation of the component in operation. ,
An image processing apparatus. A plurality of components having at least two operating modes with different noise levels;
A storage unit for storing a noise amount for each operation mode of the plurality of components;
A control unit;
With
Of the plurality of components, one is a printing unit that prints an image, and the other is a reading unit that reads an image,
The controller is
When executing a copy process for causing the printing unit to print an image read by the reading unit,
If the image data read by the reading unit and before being printed by the printing unit is larger than a first predetermined amount, the printing unit is changed to an operation mode in which a high-speed operation state is set and stored in the storage unit. Among the components other than the printing unit so that a total noise amount, which is a total value obtained by adding one noise amount for each of the components, is smaller than a threshold value, Determining an operation mode of the plurality of components by changing an operation mode;
An image processing apparatus. A plurality of components having at least two operating modes with different noise levels;
A storage unit for storing a noise amount for each operation mode of the plurality of components;
A control unit;
With
Of the plurality of components, one is a printing unit that prints an image, and the other is a reading unit that reads an image,
The controller is
When executing a copy process for causing the printing unit to print an image read by the reading unit,
If the image data before being printed by the printing unit after being read by the reading unit is less than a second predetermined amount, the reading unit is changed to an operation mode in which the high-speed operation state is set and stored in the storage unit. Of the component elements other than the reading unit so that a total noise amount that is a total value obtained by adding one noise amount for each of the component elements among the plurality of component elements is smaller than a threshold value. Determining an operation mode of the plurality of components by changing an operation mode ;
An image processing apparatus. In the image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
The controller is
When a preceding job that does not use the predetermined component is received while a preceding job that uses the predetermined component of the plurality of components is being executed, the user of the preceding job and the subsequent job may be the same. For example, if the operation mode of the component including the predetermined component is changed so that the total noise amount becomes smaller than a threshold value, and the users of the preceding job and the subsequent job are not the same, the total noise amount Changing the operation mode of the component excluding the predetermined component among the plurality of components such that is smaller than a threshold,
An image processing apparatus.

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