JP6827771B2 - Processing equipment and control method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing device and a control method thereof.

Some image processing devices that form an image on a recording medium such as paper include a storage means such as an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC). In such an image processing device, a main heater and a sub heater are provided for temperature control of the fuser, the main heater is supplied with electric power from the main power source, and the sub heater is supplied with electric power stored in the EDLC. When the image processing device is not in use, the EDLC is fully charged, and during operation, power is supplied to both the main heater and the sub heater to enable the fuser temperature to rise quickly.

On the other hand, it is known that the life of an EDLC is shortened when it is held in a fully charged state for a long time. Therefore, in order to extend the life of the EDLC, it is considered to lower the voltage of the EDLC at night when the device is not used much or when it is not necessary to supply power to the subheater as in the energy saving mode. In Patent Document 1, the power of the EDLC is consumed and the voltage is lowered by switching the output of the EDLC to be output not as a power source for the heater but as a power source for internal devices other than the heater at night or in the energy saving mode. We are trying to extend the life of EDLC.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-58500

Patent Document 1 does not mention how much the voltage of the EDLC is lowered. However, if the voltage of the EDLC is lowered too much, the start-up time (charging time) may become long at dawn or when returning from the energy saving mode. Further, in the case of a device that can be connected to an interface such as USB (universal serial bus), electric power may be input from an external device such as a PC via USB. In the case of such a device, a USB having various power supply capacities may be connected. Examples of the type of USB include USB2.0, USB3.0, USB Battery Charging Specification, and the like. That is, in the case of a device that charges an EDLC with the power supplied via USB, the start-up time also fluctuates if the power supply capacity is different.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a processing device and a control method capable of appropriately controlling the voltage of the power storage means during standby in order to set an appropriate start-up time.

The processing device of the present invention is a processing device that executes a predetermined process by electric power supplied from an external device as a power source via an interface, and is an acquisition means for acquiring information based on the standard of the interface, and the above-mentioned. The storage means for storing at least a part of the electric power supplied from the power source and the control means for controlling the voltage of the power storage means are provided, and the control means is acquired by the acquisition means in the standby state of the processing device. using the information based on the interface standard which is to control the voltage of the accumulator unit in the standby state.

The control method of the present invention includes an execution means for executing a predetermined process by electric power supplied from an external device as a power source via an interface, an acquisition means for acquiring information based on the standard of the interface, and the power supply. a storage means for storing electric least a portion of the power supplied, a control method of the Ru processing apparatus comprising a, in the standby state of the processing apparatus, the information based on the standard of the interface obtained by the obtaining means using, for controlling the voltage of the accumulator unit in the standby state.

According to the present invention, since the voltage of the power storage means in the standby state is appropriately controlled, the device can be started up in the optimum start-up time.

The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the power-source part of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The conceptual diagram which determines the EDLC voltage VT when the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention is in a standby state. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for controlling an EDLC voltage when the image processing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is in a standby state. The schematic diagram which shows the flow of the EDLC power when the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention is a standby state. The schematic diagram which shows the flow of the EDLC power when the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention is a standby state. The schematic diagram which shows the relationship between the EDLC voltage of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, and a drive system load. The conceptual diagram explaining the EDLC voltage VT when the image processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is a standby state. The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The flow chart for measuring the charging time from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD of the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for controlling an EDLC voltage when the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention is in a standby state. The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The schematic diagram which shows the schematic structure of the power-source part of the image processing apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. An example of an EDLC voltage control flowchart when the image processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is in a standby state. Another example of the control flowchart of the EDLC voltage when the image processing apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention is in the standby state.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the first to third embodiments, an example of an image processing device having a printing function and an image reading function as the processing device will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the printing function is not limited thereto. It may be just the image reading function. Further, it may be a processing device that projects an image such as a projector, and can be applied to a processing device that performs predetermined processing such as a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal or a digital camera.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a schematic functional configuration of an image processing device 101 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The image processing device 101 is connected to an external device such as a PC via an interface USB 109. The image processing device 101 includes a USB port 102 to which a terminal of a USB 109 cable is connected, and can support a plurality of types of USB standards.

The memory 104 is a storage means for storing programs and data for controlling the image processing device 101, and is composed of a ROM and a RAM. The operation display unit 105 includes a switch for operating the image processing device 101 and a display unit such as a liquid crystal or LED indicating the operating state of the image processing device 101. The system control unit 103 communicates with the external device via the USB 109, and also controls the operation of each means of the image processing device 101. The system control unit 103 includes one or more processors such as a CPU, MPU, and ASIC, and executes a plurality of processes by these processors. The system control unit 103 reads programs and data from the memory 104, and executes various processes and operation control of each means. For example, the system control unit 103 can perform display control on the display unit of the operation display unit 105 and voltage control of the power storage means 206 (see FIG. 2) in the power supply unit 108.

In the case of an inkjet printer, for example, the printer drive unit 106 includes a recording head for ejecting ink, a motor for moving the recording head, a heater drive circuit for ejecting ink, a motor for conveying recording paper, and the like. The scanner unit 107 is an image reading unit that scans a document and optically reads it and converts it into digital data.

The power supply unit 108 receives power from an external device via the USB 109 connected to the USB port 102, and generates voltages Vo1 and Vo2 necessary for operating the image processing device 101. The voltage Vo1 is used in an operation control unit (system system load) for operating a drive unit such as a recording head or a motor, and the voltage Vo2 is used in the drive unit. Specifically, Vo1 is a voltage used by the system control unit 103, the memory 104, the operation display unit 105, and the like, and Vo2 is used by the printer drive unit 106 and the document scanning motor of the scanner unit.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of the power supply unit 108. In FIG. 2, power is input to the power input unit 201 from an external device via the USB 109 connected to the USB port 102. The power input unit 201 is an input unit that receives power from the USB 109, and has a function of limiting the input current. The supply capacity detection unit 202 acquires information based on the standard of the type of USB 109 connected to the USB port 102 and information based on the standard of power that can be supplied by communicating with an external device such as a PC via USB 109. To do. Examples of the type of USB109 include USB2.0, USB3.0, USB Battery Charging Specification and the like. The information based on the standard of the power that can be supplied may be the profile information based on the standard called USB power delivery. In USB power delivery, it is classified into five profiles 1 to 5. For example, profile 1 can supply 10 w of power, and profile 5 can supply up to 100 w of power.

From the information based on this USB standard (USB type standard and supplyable power standard), the power supply capacity of the USB can be identified. Since the supply capacity detection unit 202 only needs to be able to acquire information on the power supply capacity of the USB, the supply capacity detection unit 202 may directly detect the current or power actually input to the power input unit 201.

The supply capacity detection unit 202 holds the acquired result and controls the power input unit 201 so that the input current falls within the corresponding standard of the USB. Information on the power supply capacity is transmitted to the system control unit 103. The current output from the power input unit 201 is supplied to the voltage conversion unit 203 and the charge control unit 205.

The voltage conversion unit 203 converts the supplied power into a voltage for driving the system load and outputs it (Vo1). This voltage Vo1 is consumed by the system load 204. The charge control unit 205 functions as a charging unit for charging the electric power input from the power input unit 201 to the power storage means 206, and can also supply the electric power stored in the power storage means 206 to the voltage conversion unit 203. Yes, it is composed of a bidirectional DC-DC converter and the like. That is, the charge control unit 205 functions as a switching means for switching whether or not to charge the power storage means 206.

The power storage means 206 is an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC) capable of storing electric power. The rated voltage of the EDLC alone is often 2.5 V, and a plurality of EDLCs may be connected in series depending on the required voltage.

The voltage conversion unit 207 converts the output power of the power storage means 206 into a voltage required by the drive system load 208 and outputs it (Vo2). The voltage detection unit 209 detects the output voltage of the power storage means 206 and transmits information on the detection result to the system control unit 103. The system control unit 103 monitors this detection result and controls the charge control unit 205 based on the voltage of the power storage means 206 and the information on the power supply capacity obtained from the supply capacity detection unit 202 to store electricity. The voltage of the means 206 is controlled. As described above, the drive system load 208 indicates at least one or more drive means (such as a printer drive unit 106 and a document scanning motor of the scanner unit 107). Further, the system load 204 indicates at least one or more operation control means (system control unit 103, memory 104, operation display unit 105, etc.) that controls the operation of the drive unit. The scanner unit 107 may use Vo1 (or a voltage converted from Vo1) for image processing and optical system operation during image reading, and Vo2 for the operation of the document scanning motor.

Next, the operation of the image processing device 101 having such a configuration will be described. When the USB 109 that connects to an external device is connected to the USB port 102, power is input to the power input unit 201 via the USB 109 and supplied to the voltage conversion unit 203. The voltage conversion unit 203 converts the supplied power into a voltage for system load and outputs the voltage Vo1. Vo1 activates the system control unit 103.

The supply capacity detection unit 202 detects the power supply capacity of the connected USB 109, and limits the power input unit 201 so that the input current falls within the supply capacity defined by the standard of the USB 109. The detected power supply capacity of the USB 109 is maintained while the USB 109 is connected. A current obtained by subtracting the current supplied to the voltage conversion unit 203 from the input current limited within the supply capacity of the USB 109 is supplied to the charge control unit 205. Electric power is supplied from the charge control unit 205 to the power storage means 206, and the power storage means 206 is charged.

The voltage of the power storage means 206 is monitored by the voltage detection unit 209, and the detection result is used for charge control in the system control unit 103. The system control unit 103 determines whether the image processing device 101 is in a standby mode (standby state) in which the drive system load is not planned to be moved or an operation mode in which the drive system load needs to be moved.

Then, the system control unit 103 controls the voltage of the power storage means 206 to be a predetermined voltage value in the standby state. When the operation mode is determined, the system control unit 103 controls the voltage of the power storage means 206 so that the voltage value is higher than the predetermined voltage value. The voltage conversion unit 207 converts the electric power charged in the power storage means 206 into a voltage for the drive system load and outputs Vo2.

In the operation mode, the voltage of the power storage means 206 is set to a high value in order to store more electric power in the power storage means and smooth the voltage fluctuation due to the sudden load fluctuation. In this case, the voltage value of the power storage means 206 may be set close to the rated voltage in the case of the EDLC in order to fully draw out the capacity of the power storage means. On the other hand, the voltage value of the power storage means 206 is set to a lower voltage value than that in the operation mode in the standby state in order to extend the life of the power storage means. Further, in the present embodiment, by controlling the voltage in the standby state to an optimum voltage value (predetermined voltage value), it is possible to optimize the start-up time at the time of shifting to the operation mode.

A method of determining the standby voltage of the power storage means 206 during standby will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a concept for determining the voltage of the power storage means 206 during standby. FIG. 3A is a schematic representation of a change in the voltage of the power storage means 206 when a USB having the maximum power supply capacity is connected among the types of USB that can be connected to the USB port 102 that is the connection portion. It is a figure. FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a change in voltage when a type of USB having a low supply capacity among the USB standards is connected. The voltage of the storage means 206 during standby is referred to as the standby voltage VT, and the voltage of the storage means 206 when the image processing device 101 becomes operational after shifting from the standby state to the operation mode is referred to as an operation start voltage VD. And.

A USB having a maximum supply capacity and a USB having a lower supply capacity can charge more electric charges as the current supply capacity increases. That is, when charging from the standby state to the operable state with the same start-up time T0, the difference between the standby voltage VT and the operation start voltage VD can be set larger for the USB having a higher supply capacity. Since the operation start voltage VD is fixed, the standby voltage VT can be set low when the power supply capacity of the USB is large (FIG. 3 (A)). On the other hand, when the power supply capacity of the USB is small, the difference between the standby voltage VT and the operation start voltage VD becomes small because the supply amount at the same start-up time T0 is small. Therefore, since the operation start voltage VD is fixed, the standby voltage VT is set high (FIG. 3 (B)).

From the above, the start-up time T0 is minimized by calculating the start-up time T0 and setting it as a fixed value based on the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 when the supply capacity of the connected USB is maximum. Can be done. Then, even when a USB of another type having a supply capacity is connected, the standby voltage VT that can be charged at this start-up time T0 can be calculated by setting the same start-up time T0. Here, the minimum value VT_min of the standby voltage VT that can be set in the case of USB having the maximum supply capacity will be described. When the image processing device 101 shifts from the operation mode to the standby state, the voltage of the power storage means 206 is usually larger than the standby voltage VT. Therefore, in order to reduce the voltage of the power storage means 206 to the standby voltage VT, control is performed to supply the power of the power storage means 206 to the system load 204. Therefore, it is necessary that the voltage of the power storage means 206 does not fall below the minimum drive voltage V0 of the voltage conversion unit 203 for the system load. The minimum drive voltage V0 means the minimum input voltage value required for the voltage conversion unit 203 to supply power to the system load. Therefore, in consideration of variation and the like, VT_min (= V0 + α) to which a margin is added becomes the minimum value of the standby voltage VT of the storage means 206 that can be set.

Hereinafter, the operation when the image processing device 101 is in the standby state will be described in detail.

It is expected that the standby state will be detected when the USB 109 is connected and the power supply from the external device starts (after the system control unit 103 starts) and when the operation mode ends and there is no next operation schedule. Will be done. In order to change the voltage of the power storage means 206 to the standby voltage VT described above, it is necessary to control the voltage such that the former charges the power storage means 206 and the latter discharges the power storage means 206.

FIG. 4 shows a control flow of the voltage of the power storage means 206 at the time of detecting the standby state. When the system control unit 103 detects the standby state of the image processing device 101 (S401), it first calculates the voltage VT of the power storage means 206 during standby (S402 to S405). After that, the current power storage means 206 voltage is detected (S406), and it is determined whether the detected value is larger or smaller than the standby voltage VT (S407, S412). When it is large, it discharges to lower the voltage of the power storage means 206 (S408 to S411), and when it is small, it charges (S413), so that the voltage of the power storage means 206 can be controlled to be the standby voltage VT. .. Hereinafter, each step will be described in detail.

When the standby state is detected in S401, the system control unit 103 in S402 acquires the power Psys consumed by the system load 204 during standby in order to calculate the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206. This is because the electric power used for charging the power storage means 206 is the electric power supplied from the USB 109 minus the electric power consumed by the system load. Since the power consumption of the system load 204 is substantially constant in the standby state, Psys can be stored in the memory in advance. Alternatively, it is also possible to add a current detection circuit (not shown) to the output side of the voltage conversion unit 203 to detect the current consumption due to the current system load and calculate the power consumption.

In S403, the time T0 required to charge the power storage means 206 from VT_min to the operation start voltage VD is calculated. Here, assuming that the USB having the maximum supply capacity among the USBs expected to be connected is connected to the image processing device 101, the input power thereof is set to Pin_MAX. The electric power used for charging the power storage means 206 is the electric power obtained by subtracting Psys from Pin_MAX. Therefore, with this electric power (Pin_MAX-Psys), the time T0 required to charge the power storage means 206 from VT_min to the operation start voltage VD is calculated. Then, the calculated result is held as the start-up time of the power storage means 206.

Next, in S404, information based on the USB standard is acquired as the power supply capacity of the currently connected USB, and the supply power Pin is acquired. As described above, this Pin is detected and held by the supply capacity detection unit 202 every time the USB is connected.

Then, in S405, when the power storage means 206 is charged by the currently connected USB, the standby voltage VT that can be charged up to the operation start voltage VD at the start-up time T0 is calculated. Currently, the power used for charging the power storage means 206 is the power obtained by subtracting the power consumption Psys due to the system load from the current power supply Pin. Therefore, when the power storage means 206 is charged with this electric power (Pin-Psys), the standby voltage VT that can be charged up to the operation start voltage VD at the start-up time T0 is calculated.

Here, in the calculation of the standby voltage VT, if the power supply of the connected USB is more than expected, the calculation result may be smaller than VT_min, and the power may not be supplied to the system load 204. There is. Therefore, when a USB having a supply capacity higher than expected is input, VT = VT_min may be set. Further, if the power Psys of the system load 204 during standby is a substantially constant value and is known in advance, the start-up time T0 can also be calculated in advance. Therefore, it is also possible to store in advance the calculation result of the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 for each USB power supply capacity as a table. In this case, the VT value can be acquired by reading the VT value for the Pin from the table after acquiring the power supply capacity Pin of the currently connected USB.

In S406, the system control unit 103 detects the voltage of the current power storage means 206 by the voltage detection unit 209. Then, in S407, as a result of the detection, it is determined whether the voltage of the power storage means 206 is larger than the standby voltage VT.

When the voltage of the power storage means 206 is larger than the standby voltage VT, the charge control unit 205 turns off the charge of the power storage means 206 in S408.

In S409, the power input unit 201 further turns off the current input from the USB, operates the charge control unit 205, which is a bidirectional DC-DC converter, in the reverse direction, and transfers the power of the power storage means 206 via the voltage conversion unit 203. It is supplied to the system load 204. FIG. 5 shows how the electric power of the power storage means 206 is supplied to the system load 204. As a result, the electric power of the power storage means 206 is consumed, and the voltage of the power storage means 206 is reduced to the standby voltage VT (S410).

When the voltage of the power storage means 206 drops to the standby voltage VT, the discharge of the power storage means 206 is turned off in S411, so that the system control unit 103 operates the charge control unit 205 in the forward direction. Further, the power input unit 201 turns on the current input from the USB. As a result, the system load 204 is driven by the power from the USB. FIG. 6 shows how power is supplied from the power input unit 201 to the system load 204. In FIG. 6, the electric power from the power input unit 201 is also supplied to the charge control unit 205. This is to enable charging when the power storage means 206 spontaneously discharges in the standby state.

In this way, when the voltage of the power storage means 206 is lowered to the standby voltage VT, the power of the power storage means 206 is consumed by the system load 204, so that the power of the power storage means 206 is not wasted and the input power is reduced. It saves energy because it is blocked.

Further, in S412, it is determined whether the current voltage detection result of the power storage means 206 is smaller than the standby voltage VT. When the voltage of the power storage means 206 is smaller than the standby voltage VT, the voltage of the power storage means 206 is charged to the standby voltage VT by S413, and the charging is turned off.

In the flow of FIG. 4, when the standby state is detected, the voltage of the power storage means 206 is charged or discharged until the standby voltage VT is reached, and after the standby voltage VT is reached, the charge or discharge is turned off. ing. This is because the voltage does not drop so much by the natural discharge of the power storage means 206. However, when the voltage drops due to natural discharge, it is possible to maintain the VT by charging the power storage means 206 in order to maintain the VT.

With reference to FIG. 7, how the voltage of the power storage means 206 changes depending on the operation of the image processing device will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the power storage means 206 voltage and the drive system load 208.

When a USB connected to an external device is connected to the USB port 102 of the image processing device 101, power is supplied to the system control unit 103 via the power input unit 201 to the voltage conversion unit 203 to start the image processing device 101. At the same time, the USB supply capacity is detected. When the system control unit 103 detects the standby state, the storage means 206 calculates the standby voltage VT, and the storage means 206 is the current obtained by subtracting the current consumption of the system load from the input current limited according to the USB standard. Start charging. As a result, the voltage of the power storage means 206 rises (t1 in FIG. 7).

The voltage of the power storage means 206 is monitored by the voltage detection unit 209, and the power storage means 206 is charged to the standby voltage VT. The system control unit 103 turns off the charge of the power storage means 206 by the charge control unit 205 (FIG. 7). Inside t2).

When the image processing device 101 shifts to an operation mode (print operation, scanner operation, etc.) according to an instruction from the operation display unit 105 or an external device, the power storage means 206 is charged from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD (FIG. 7). Inside t3). At the same time, the voltage conversion unit 207 is turned on, and the power supply Vo2 required by the drive system load 208 is output.

When the voltage of the power storage means 206 reaches the operation start voltage VD, the operation of the drive system load 208 of the image processing device 101 is started, and the consumption of the drive system load 208 is started. When the voltage of the power storage means 206 starts to be consumed by the drive system load 208, the voltage of the power storage means 206 starts to decrease (t4 in FIG. 7).

The system control unit 103 monitors the voltage of the power storage means 206 by the voltage detection unit 209, and resumes charging of the power storage means 206 when the voltage of the power storage means 206 starts to drop. The power charged to the power storage means 206 is the amount obtained by subtracting the power consumed by the system load from the limited input power, and the voltage of the power storage means 206 is determined by the amount of charge power and the amount of power consumed by the drive system load. It fluctuates (“During drive system load operation” in FIG. 7).

When the image processing device 101 ends its operation and enters the next operation waiting state (standby state), the charging of the power storage means 206 is stopped and the voltage of the power storage means 206 is discharged to the standby voltage VT (in FIG. 7). t5). As a result, the life of the power storage means 206 can be extended.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the start-up time and life of the power storage means 206 are improved because the voltage of the power storage means 206 during standby is changed by the power supply capacity of the USB while maintaining the start-up time appropriately. Both can be optimized. That is, the standby voltage of the power storage means 206 is changed according to the information based on the USB standard.

Further, in the above description, when the USB having the maximum supply capacity is input, VT = VT_min is set and T0 is determined, but the start-up time T0 which does not feel sensuously slow may be determined in advance. It is possible. That is, it is preferable to set an appropriate T0 and calculate the charging start voltage (standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206) capable of charging up to the operation start voltage VD within the start-up time T0 from the supplied capacity of the connected USB. However, when VT <VT_min, VT = VT_min may be set.

Further, in the above description, the voltage of the power storage means 206 is lowered by supplying and consuming the power of the power storage means 206 to the system load 204 during standby. However, if it is desired to lower the voltage of the power storage means 206 more quickly, it is possible to supply the power of the power storage means 206 to the drive system load 208 and consume the power in parallel by turning the motor or the like.

(Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, an example of correcting the standby voltage VT in consideration of the deterioration of the power storage means 206 will be described. Even if the power storage means 206 is devised to reduce the decrease in life, it is conceivable that the storage means 206 will deteriorate as it continues to be used, and the capacitance of the power storage means 206 will decrease. When the capacitance decreases, the time required to charge the storage means 206 from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD becomes shorter. This affects the start-up time T0 and the setting of the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206. A method for correcting this will be described as a second embodiment. The description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the concept of the second embodiment. When the power supply of the currently connected USB is Pin, the standby voltage of the power storage means 206 calculated by the method described in the first embodiment is defined as VT1. When the capacitance decreases due to the deterioration of the storage means 206, when the storage means 206 is charged from the standby voltage VT1 of the storage means 206 to the operation start voltage VD, the charging time becomes T1 shorter than the start-up time T0 (FIG. 8). See (A)). Since the charging speed from the standby voltage VT1 of the power storage means 206 to the operation start voltage VD has increased, the power storage during standby is maintained so that the start-up time is the same as the start-up time T0 when the power storage means 206 is not deteriorated. The voltage VT of the means 206 is corrected. By this correction, VT2 lower than VT1 is calculated. (See FIG. 8B) However, when VT <VT_min, VT = VT_min may be set.

In this way, even if the power storage means 206 deteriorates and the time required for charging from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD becomes short, the start-up time T0 is fixed as in the case where the power storage means 206 is not deteriorated. Launch as time. As a result, the standby voltage can be further reduced, which can contribute to extending the life of the power storage means 206.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic block diagram of the image processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 9, a timer 901 is added to the block diagram (FIG. 1) of the first embodiment. Since the other means are the same as those in FIG. 1, the description thereof will be omitted. When the image processing device 101 shifts to an operation mode (print operation, scanner operation, etc.) according to an instruction from the operation display unit 105 or an external device, the power storage means 206 is charged from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD. By measuring the charging time with the timer 901, the system control unit 103 can determine whether the charging time of the power storage means 206 is short, that is, whether the power storage means 206 is deteriorated.

FIG. 10 shows a measurement flow of the charging time from the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 to the operation start voltage VD. T1 is the charging time required for the power storage means 206 to actually charge from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD. In S1001, the system control unit 103 sets the start-up time T0 when the power storage means 206 is not deteriorated to the initial value (S1001). Each time the image processing device 101 shifts to the operation mode, the timer 901 measures the time during which the power storage means 206 is charged from the standby voltage VT to the operation start voltage VD, and stores the time in the memory (S1003).

When the number of measurements reaches a predetermined number, the system control unit 103 calculates the average value T1'from the measurement result stored in the memory (S1005) and resets the number of measurements (S1006). Then, the average value T1'of the measurement result and the charging time T1 are compared (S1104). As a result of comparison, when T1'is smaller than the charging time T1, the system control unit 103 determines that the power storage means 206 has deteriorated, and updates the charging time T1 to the average value T1'of the measurement results. The charging time is measured thereafter, and the system control unit 103 updates the charging time T1 every time it is determined from the average value of the measured charging times that the power storage means 206 has deteriorated.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a method of determining the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 in the second embodiment. Since S401 to S405 are the same as the steps of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the description thereof will be omitted. In the second embodiment, the standby voltage VT is calculated by the steps up to S405 as in the first embodiment, but S1101 is added. That is, according to S1101, the measured charging time of the power storage means 206 is read from the memory as the charging time T1, and the standby voltage VT is corrected so as to maintain the startup time T0 as described in FIG. 8B. .. Since the steps after S406 are the same as the steps described with reference to FIG. 4, the description thereof will be omitted.

As described above, in the present embodiment, by determining the deterioration of the power storage means 206, the voltage of the power storage means 206 during standby is corrected so as to be lowered, which can contribute to the improvement of the life of the power storage means 206.

(Third Embodiment)
In the image processing devices of the first and second embodiments, the power input is only USB, but in the third embodiment, it can also be connected to an AC power supply (AC power supply), and the input from the AC power supply is also possible. A possible image processing device will be described. The parts common to the first and second embodiments will be omitted.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an outline of an image processing device 101 to which an AC power source can be input. In the image processing device 101 of the present embodiment, electric power from the AC power source is input to the power supply unit 1201 via an outlet. Since each of the other means is the same as that of the first embodiment, the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of the power supply unit 1201. In FIG. 13, the AC / DC conversion unit 1301 is a circuit that converts an AC voltage into a DC voltage (DC voltage). The same voltage as USB is output to the DC output, and ON / OFF control of the output can be performed according to an instruction from the system control unit 103.

At the time of output ON control, the output detection unit 1302 detects whether the output is from the AC / DC conversion unit 1301. The output capacity (Pdc) of the AC / DC conversion unit 1301 is predetermined and can be stored in the memory 104. The output of the AC / DC conversion unit 1301 is combined with the output of the power input unit 201 and supplied to the voltage conversion unit 203 and the charge control unit 205. Others are the same as those described in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

In the third embodiment, there are three types of power supply for the image processing device 101: a case where power is supplied only from the USB 109, a case where power is supplied only from the AC power supply, and a case where power is supplied from both the USB 109 and the AC power supply. Here, in the setting of the start-up time T0 required for calculating the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206, a pattern (1) in which the maximum supply capacity of the various USB and AC power supplies is used, and the USB 109 and AC power supply are used. It is conceivable that the pattern (2) uses the one with the maximum supply capacity among the simultaneous connections of. In the pattern (1), VT = VT_min is always set when the USB109 and the AC power supply are connected at the same time, so that the mode is a life priority mode. In the pattern (2), since the start-up time T0 is determined by the maximum supply capacity among the simultaneous connections, the start-up time priority mode is set with a fast start-up time.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a method of determining the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 in the third embodiment, and shows the case of the pattern (1). FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing another example of the method of determining the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 in the third embodiment, and shows the case of the pattern (2). The steps other than S1401 to S1403 in FIG. 14 are the same as the steps described with reference to FIG. 4, and the steps other than S1501 in FIG. 15 are the same as the steps described with reference to FIGS. The description other than the form-specific part will be omitted.

In the case of FIG. 14, as shown in S1401, the start-up time T0 is calculated by the larger of the power supplied from the USB, Pin_MAX, which has the maximum connectable capacity, and the output power Pdc of the AC / DC conversion unit 1301. Use the power of. Then, the standby voltage is calculated to be VT_min by using the larger power.

The electric power used for charging the power storage means 206 is the electric power obtained by subtracting Psys from the larger of Pin_MAX or Pdc. The time required to charge from VT_min to the operating voltage VD with this electric power (Pin_MAX-Psys or Pdc-Psys) becomes T0, and this time is stored in the memory. In S404, the supply power Pin is acquired based on the supply capacity of the currently connected USB. If USB is not connected, Pin = 0.

Then, in S1402, the presence / absence of power supply from the AC / DC conversion unit 1301 is detected. When there is a power supply from the AC / DC conversion unit 1301, the VT is calculated based on the power obtained by subtracting Psys from the power obtained by adding Pin and Pdc in S1403. When there is no power supply from the AC / DC conversion unit 1301, the VT is calculated based on the power obtained by subtracting Psys from Pin in S405.

If the power is supplied from both the USB and AC power sources, the calculated VT is VT <VT_min. In that case, VT = VT_min is processed as described in the first embodiment. The subsequent flow is the same as in the first embodiment.

In the case of FIG. 15, the start-up time T0 is calculated so that the standby voltage becomes VT_min when power is supplied from both the USB and AC power sources having the maximum supply capacity that can be connected, as shown in S1501. It is calculated.

The electric power used for charging the power storage means 206 is the electric power obtained by subtracting Psys from the electric power obtained by adding Pin_MAX and Pdc. The time required to charge from VT_min to the operating voltage VD with this electric power (Pin_MAX + Pdc-Psys) becomes T0, and this time is stored in the memory. Other flows are the same as in FIG.

As described above, in the present embodiment, even when there are a plurality of USB and AC power inputs, the start-up time T0 and the standby voltage VT of the power storage means 206 can be optimally set.

(Other embodiments)
The first to third embodiments are also realized by executing the following processes. That is, software (program) that realizes the function of the system control unit 103 of the above-described embodiment is supplied to the system or device via a network or various storage media, and the computer (CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or device supplies the software (program). This is the process of reading and executing a program. Further, the program may be executed on one computer or may be executed in conjunction with a plurality of computers. Further, it is not necessary to realize all of the above processes by software, and some or all of them may be realized by hardware.

101 Image processing device 102 USB port 103 System control unit 104 Memory 105 Operation display unit 106 Printer drive unit 107 Scanner unit 108 Power supply unit 109 USB
201 Power input unit 202 Supply capacity detection unit 203 Voltage conversion unit 204 System system load 205 Charge control unit 206 Storage means 207 Voltage conversion unit 208 Drive system load 209 Voltage detection unit 901 Timer 1201 Power supply unit (with AC input)
1301 AC / DC converter 1302 Output detector

Claims (16)

A processing device that executes a predetermined process by the electric power supplied from an external device as a power source via an interface .
An acquisition means for acquiring information based on the interface standard, and
A storage means for storing at least a part of the electric power supplied from the power source, and
A control means for controlling the voltage of the power storage means and
With
Wherein, in the standby state of the processing apparatus, the processing by using the information based on the standard of the interface obtained by the obtaining unit, and controls the voltage of the accumulator unit in the standby state apparatus. When the voltage of the power storage means is higher than a predetermined voltage value determined based on the information based on the standard of the interface in the standby state, the control means controls to lower the voltage value of the power storage means. The processing apparatus according to claim 1. According to claim 1 or 2, the control means controls the voltage value of the power storage means so as to have a predetermined voltage value determined based on information based on the standard of the interface in the standby state. The processing device described. In the standby state, when the voltage of the power storage means is higher than a predetermined voltage value determined based on the information based on the standard of the interface , the control means prevents the power storage means from being charged with the electric power from the power source. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing apparatus is controlled. When the voltage of the power storage means is lower than a predetermined voltage value determined based on the information based on the standard of the interface in the standby state, the control means charges the power storage means with electric power from the power source. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the processing apparatus is controlled. Drive means and
An operation control means for controlling the operation of the drive means and
With
The control means
While the drive means is operating, the power storage means is controlled to supply electric power to the drive means.
The processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in a standby state in which the driving means is not operating, power is controlled to be supplied from the power storage means to the operation controlling means. Drive means and
An operation control means for controlling the operation of the drive means and
An input means for receiving power from the power source and
With
When the driving means is operating in a state where electric power is input from the power source to the input means, the electric power is supplied from the power source to the operation control means via the input means. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. It is equipped with a voltage converter that converts the input power into a voltage that is output to the operation control means.
In the control means, when the voltage value of the power storage means is lowered in the standby state, the voltage value of the power storage means is smaller than the voltage value set based on the minimum drive voltage required to drive the voltage conversion unit. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 6 or 7, wherein the processing apparatus is controlled so as not to become. Based on the input power, and the power consumption of the operation control means in the standby state if the interface with the maximum power supply capacity is connected among the interface that may be connected to the processing device, the minimum drive voltage A storage means for storing the start-up time required for charging the power storage means from the voltage value set based on the voltage value to the voltage value required for starting the operation of the processing device, and a storage means.
With
The control means controls the voltage value of the power storage means in the standby state so that the voltage of the power storage means reaches the voltage value required for starting the operation at the start-up time stored in the storage means. The processing apparatus according to claim 8. Processing apparatus according to claim 9, the voltage of the accumulator unit, characterized in that the Ru comprising a measuring means for measuring the time from the voltage value at the time of waiting until the voltage necessary for the operation start. The processing device can be connected to an AC power supply and
The acquisition means acquires information on the electric power supplied from the AC power source, and obtains information.
In the standby state of the processing device, the control means stores the electricity based on the information based on the standard of the interface acquired by the acquisition means and the information about the electric power, and the voltage of the electricity storage means in the standby state. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the voltage of the means is controlled. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the acquisition means acquires information based on a universal serial bus (USB) standard as information based on the interface standard. .. A connection means to which the USB terminal can be connected is provided.
The connection means can support USB of a plurality of standards having different power supply capacities.
The processing device according to claim 12, wherein the acquisition means acquires information based on the USB standard connected to the connection means as information based on the interface standard . The control means
When power is supplied via the first USB , the voltage of the power storage means in the standby state is controlled to be the first voltage value.
When power is supplied via the second USB, which has a higher power supply capacity than the first USB, the voltage of the power storage means in the standby state is set to a second voltage lower than the first voltage value. The processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the processing apparatus is controlled so as to have a value. The processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a recording head for forming an image and at least one of a reading means for reading an image. An execution means that executes a predetermined process by the electric power supplied from an external device as a power source through an interface, and
An acquisition means for acquiring information based on the interface standard, and
A storage means for storing at least a part of the electric power supplied from the power source, and
A method for controlling an Ru processing apparatus comprising a,
In the standby state of the processor, using the information based on the standard of the interface obtained by the obtaining unit, the control method characterized by controlling the voltage of the accumulator unit in the standby state.

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