JP7098871B2 - Electronic devices, image forming devices, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic devices, image forming devices, and programs.

Patent Document 1 describes a load that operates with electric power supplied from a commercial power supply, a detection means that detects a power supply voltage input from the commercial power supply, and a storage means that stores an operation guaranteed voltage value required for the operation of the load. , An electronic device having a notification means for performing notification, and the like. The electronic device further has control means for controlling the power applied to the load. This control means calculates the power supply voltage during normal operation of the load as a predicted voltage value. The predicted voltage value is calculated when a second value of power different from the first value, which is smaller than the operating power value supplied from the commercial power supply during normal operation of the load, is applied to the load, respectively. It is performed based on the first voltage value and the second voltage value detected by the detecting means. When the calculated predicted voltage value is lower than the operation guaranteed voltage value stored in the storage means, the control means notifies the malfunction of the equipment of the commercial power supply by the notification means. In this control means, when the third voltage value detected by the detection means during the normal operation of the load is lower than the predicted voltage value, the notification means connects a device other than the electronic device to the same power supply line as the electronic device. Notify about confirmation of whether or not.

Further, Patent Document 2 describes an image forming apparatus for forming an image. This image forming apparatus includes a determination unit for determining whether or not the power failure of the image forming apparatus is caused by a circuit breaker. This image forming apparatus includes a display unit that displays a warning message when the image forming apparatus is restarted when the determination unit determines that the power failure has occurred as a result of circuit breaker.

Japanese Patent No. 5188278 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-186443

By the way, if the voltage supply from the external power supply is stopped due to the circuit breaker being cut off while the electronic device is in use, the circuit breaker will be shut off when the circuit breaker is restored immediately after the stop and the electronic device is restarted. It may recur. In order to take measures to prevent this recurrence, it is desired to be able to accurately determine whether or not the cause of the voltage supply stop is due to the circuit breaker being cut off.

The present invention is an electronic device, an image forming apparatus, and a program capable of accurately determining whether or not the cause of the stoppage is due to the interruption of the circuit breaker when the supply of voltage from the external power supply is stopped and then restarted. The purpose is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the electronic device according to claim 1 has a detection unit that detects the magnitude of a voltage supplied from an external power source via a breaker, and the voltage after the supply of the voltage is stopped. If the voltage supply is stopped while the voltage detected by the detection unit is reduced when the supply of the voltage is restarted, the voltage supply is stopped due to the cutoff of the breaker. The first variation, which comprises a determination unit for determination, wherein the determination unit is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit, and the slope of the voltage changes immediately before the stop. When the amount of change in the voltage between the point and the second turning point, which is the point where the slope of the voltage changes immediately before the first turning point, indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing. It is determined that the voltage supply has stopped due to the interruption of the breaker .

Further, in the invention according to claim 2 , in the invention according to claim 1 , the determination unit determines that the amount of change in voltage between the first inflection point and the second inflection point is the voltage. Indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing, and when the magnitude of the voltage at the first inflection is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the supply of the voltage is stopped due to the interruption of the circuit breaker. It is a thing.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the voltage is supplied to the voltage supply port of the external power supply via a plug-in terminal that can be inserted and removed. When the determination unit indicates that the amount of change in the voltage between the first turning point and the second turning point indicates a state in which the voltage is rising, or when the voltage indicates a constant state. , It is determined that the supply of the voltage is stopped by pulling out the insertion terminal from the voltage supply port.

Further, in the invention according to claim 4 , in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , the transition unit for shifting the electronic device to the sleep mode and the transition section for the electronic device to be in the sleep mode. Further includes a storage unit for storing transition information indicating that the transition has occurred, and when the determination unit stores the transition information in the storage unit, the transition by the transition unit stops the supply of the voltage. It is determined that the product has been used.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , when the determination unit determines that the voltage supply is stopped due to the interruption of the circuit breaker. Further, a notification unit for notifying that the circuit breaker has been interrupted is provided.

Further, the invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , when the determination unit determines that the voltage supply is stopped due to the interruption of the circuit breaker. Further, the electronic device is further provided with a starter for activating the electronic device by shifting to the power saving mode.
Further, in the electronic device according to claim 7 , the detection unit that detects the magnitude of the voltage supplied from the external power supply via the breaker, and the voltage supply are restarted after the voltage supply is stopped. In this case, if the voltage supply is stopped while the voltage detected by the detection unit is not reduced, it is determined that the voltage supply is not stopped due to the cutoff of the breaker. The determination unit includes a unit, and the determination unit includes a first turning point, which is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit and is a point at which the inclination of the voltage changes immediately before the stop. When the amount of change in the voltage between the first turning point and the second turning point, which is the point where the slope of the voltage changes immediately before the first turning point, indicates a state in which the voltage has not decreased, the breaker is used. It is determined that the voltage supply is not stopped due to the interruption .

On the other hand, in order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to claim 8 is operated by a voltage supplied from an external power source via a breaker to form an image on a recording medium, and the above-mentioned image forming unit. A detection unit that detects the magnitude of the voltage, and when the supply of the voltage is restarted after the supply of the voltage is stopped, the supply of the voltage is stopped in a state where the voltage detected by the detection unit is reduced. If there is, a determination unit for determining that the voltage supply has stopped due to the interruption of the breaker is provided , and the determination unit is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit. The first turning point, which is the point where the voltage gradient changes immediately before the stop, and the second turning point, which is the point where the voltage gradient changes immediately before the first turning point. When the amount of change in the voltage during the period indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing, it is determined that the supply of the voltage is stopped due to the interruption of the breaker .

Further, in order to achieve the above object, the program according to claim 9 causes the computer to function as a determination unit included in the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .

According to the inventions according to claims 1, 7 , 8 , and 9 , if the voltage supply from the external power supply is stopped and then restarted, is the cause of the stoppage due to the interruption of the circuit breaker? Whether or not it can be determined with high accuracy.
Further, by using the amount of change between the two inflection points of the voltage immediately before the stop, the determination can be made with higher accuracy.
Further, it can be more easily determined that the cause of the stoppage is due to the breaker of the circuit breaker by using the two inflection points of the voltage immediately before the stoppage.

According to the invention of claim 2 , in addition to the amount of change between the two inflection points of the voltage immediately before the stop, the value of the inflection point of the voltage immediately before the stop is used with higher accuracy. It can be determined.
Further, it can be more easily determined that the cause of the stoppage is due to the breaker of the circuit breaker by using the two inflection points of the voltage immediately before the stoppage.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to more easily determine that the cause of the stoppage is due to the withdrawal of the plug-in terminal by using the two inflection points of the voltage immediately before the stoppage.

According to the invention of claim 4 , it is possible to more easily determine that the cause of the stoppage is due to the transition to the sleep mode by using the transition information to the sleep mode.

According to the invention of claim 5 , the convenience of the user can be improved by notifying the user that the circuit breaker has been cut off.

According to the invention of claim 6 , by shifting the electronic device to the power saving mode and starting it, it is possible to prevent the circuit breaker from reoccurring.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the structure of the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment, and the structure of the part concerning a commercial power supply system. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow by the determination processing program which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a graph which shows an example of the change of the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system to the image forming apparatus with the lapse of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment is stopped by the cutoff of a breaker. It is a graph which shows an example of the change of the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system to the image forming apparatus with the lapse of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment is stopped by pulling out a plug. It is a graph which shows the other example of the change of the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system to the image forming apparatus with the lapse of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus which concerns on embodiment is stopped by pulling out a plug. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow by the start processing program which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the notification screen which concerns on embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing flow by the start processing program which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of the processing flow by the start processing program which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the other example of the processing flow by the start processing program which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example of a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 and the configuration of a part related to the commercial power supply system 40 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes a control unit 12, a storage unit 14, a display unit 16, an operation unit 18, an image forming unit 20, a document reading unit 22, and a detection unit 24. It includes a switching unit 26, an LV (Low Voltage) power supply 27, and a plug 28. The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of an electronic device.

The control unit 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 12A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12B, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12C, and an input / output interface (I / O) 12D, and each of these units is via a bus. Are connected to each other.

Each functional unit including a storage unit 14, a display unit 16, an operation unit 18, an image forming unit 20, and a document reading unit 22 is connected to the I / O 12D. Each of these functional units can communicate with the CPU 12A via the I / O 12D.

The control unit 12 may be configured as a part of a main control unit that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. For example, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) chipset is used for a part or all of each block of the control unit 12. An individual circuit may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which a part or all of them are integrated may be used. Each of the above blocks may be provided integrally, or some blocks may be provided separately. In addition, a part of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of the control unit 12 is not limited to the LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may be used.

As the storage unit 14, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like is used. The determination processing program 14A and the activation processing program 14B are stored in the storage unit 14. The determination processing program 14A and the startup processing program 14B may be stored in the ROM 12B.

The determination processing program 14A and the activation processing program 14B may be pre-installed in, for example, the image forming apparatus 10. The determination processing program 14A and the activation processing program 14B may be realized by storing them in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing them via a network and appropriately installing them in the image forming apparatus 10. As an example of the non-volatile storage medium, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, an HDD, a DVD-ROM, a flash memory, a memory card, or the like is assumed.

For the display unit 16, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, or the like is used. The display unit 16 integrally has a touch panel. The operation unit 18 is provided with various operation keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key. The display unit 16 and the operation unit 18 receive various instructions from the user of the image forming apparatus 10. These various instructions include, for example, an instruction to start reading the original and an instruction to start copying the original. The display unit 16 displays various information such as the result of the process executed in response to the instruction received from the user and the notification for the process.

Further, the operation unit 18 is provided with a main power supply button 18A for turning on (ON) or off (OFF) the main power supply, and a power saving button 18B for shifting the image forming apparatus 10 to the sleep mode. The sleep mode is one of the power saving modes of the image forming apparatus 10, and is, for example, a state in which only the control unit 12 is energized.

When the main power button 18A is pressed, the CPU 12A controls the switching unit 26 to be switched from on to off or from off to on. The switching unit 26 switches the main power on / off. Further, when the power saving button 18B is pressed, the CPU 12A functions as the transition unit 34. That is, the transition unit 34 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the sleep mode. Further, the transition unit 34 cancels the sleep mode of the image forming apparatus 10 which is set to the sleep mode.

The document reading unit 22 captures the documents placed on the paper feed tray of the automatic document feeder one by one, and optically reads the captured documents to obtain image information. Alternatively, the document reading unit 22 optically reads the document placed on the platen such as platen glass to obtain image information.

The image forming unit 20 uses paper or the like to obtain image information obtained by reading by the document reading unit 22 or an image based on image information obtained from an external PC (Personal Computer) or the like connected via a network. Form on a recording medium. In the present embodiment, the electrophotographic method will be described as an example as the method for forming an image, but another method such as an inkjet method may be adopted.

When the method for forming an image is an electrophotographic method, the image forming unit 20 includes a photoconductor drum, a charging unit, an exposure unit, a developing unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing unit. The charging unit applies a voltage to the photoconductor drum to charge the surface of the photoconductor drum. The exposed unit forms an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor drum by exposing the photoconductor drum charged by the charged unit with light corresponding to the image information. The developing unit develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor drum with toner to form a toner image on the photoconductor drum. The transfer unit transfers the toner image formed on the photoconductor drum to a recording medium. The fixing unit fixes the toner image transferred to the recording medium by heating and pressurizing.

The image forming apparatus 10 may be installed in, for example, an office or a store. Further, in these offices, stores, and the like, an outlet 44 for supplying a power supply voltage (hereinafter, simply referred to as a voltage) is provided in the image forming apparatus 10. The outlet 44 is an example of a voltage supply port, and is connected to the commercial power supply system 40 via a breaker 42. The plug 28 of the image forming apparatus 10 is an example of a plug-in terminal, and is plugged into and unplugged from the outlet 44. The plug 28 does not have to be integrally provided with the image forming apparatus 10, and may be detachable from the image forming apparatus 10. By connecting the plug 28 and the outlet 44, a voltage is supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 to the image forming apparatus 10. By supplying this voltage, each functional unit including the image forming unit 20 operates.

The commercial power supply system 40 is an example of an external power supply, and supplies, for example, an AC voltage of 100 V. The LV power supply 27 transforms the AC voltage of 100V supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 to, for example, 24V and supplies it to each part.

The breaker 42 is an example of a circuit breaker, and is connected between the commercial power supply system 40 and the outlet 44. As the breaker 42, for example, a thermal type or electromagnetic type breaker is used. The breaker 42 operates to cut off the supply of voltage from the commercial power supply system 40 to the image forming apparatus 10 when a current exceeding a specified value flows. The fact that the supply of voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 is stopped due to the interruption of the breaker 42 is hereinafter referred to as "breaker trip".

By the way, if the breaker is restored immediately after the breaker trips and the image forming apparatus is restarted, there is a high possibility that the breaker trips will reoccur. As a breaker, a thermal type breaker is generally widely used, and this thermal type breaker performs a breaking operation when heated to a certain temperature or higher according to an electric current. That is, it is considered that the temperature of the breaker has not sufficiently dropped immediately after the breaker has tripped, and if the image forming apparatus 10 is restarted in this situation, the temperature of the breaker will exceed the above-mentioned constant temperature and the breaker trip will reoccur. Be done. Even in the case of the electromagnetic type, the recurrence of the breaker trip may occur as in the case of the thermal type.

However, with the conventional image forming apparatus, it is difficult to accurately determine whether or not the cause of the voltage supply stop is due to the breaker trip, and the breaker trip may reoccur.

On the other hand, the detection unit 24 according to the first embodiment detects the magnitude (value) of the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40. Further, the CPU 12A according to the first embodiment functions as the determination unit 30 according to the first embodiment by writing the determination processing program 14A stored in the storage unit 14 to the RAM 12C and executing the determination processing program 14A. When the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 is stopped and then restarted, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the voltage supply is stopped due to the breaker trip based on the amount of change in the voltage immediately before the stop. Is determined. The amount of change in the voltage is derived from the value of the voltage detected by the detection unit 24. In the determination unit 30 according to the first embodiment, is the cause of the stop due to the breaker trip based on the amount of change in the voltage and the value of the voltage detected by the detection unit 24 immediately before the stop? Judge whether or not.

In the following, a case where the AC voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 is detected by the detection unit 24 will be described as an example, but the same applies when the detection unit 24 detects the AC current supplied from the commercial power supply system 40. The determination process may be performed.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the determination unit 30 included in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Note that FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow by the determination processing program 14A according to the first embodiment.
When the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 is started by starting the image forming apparatus 10, the CPU 12A writes the determination processing program 14A stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it, and functions as the determination unit 30. ..

First, in step 100 of FIG. 2, the determination unit 30 stores the value and the amount of change of the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 in the storage unit 14 together with the time information. The voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 is detected by the detection unit 24 at regular time intervals or continuously. The determination unit 30 stores the value of the voltage detected by the detection unit 24 in the storage unit 14 in association with the time information at the time of detection. Then, the determination unit 30 derives a voltage change amount from these voltage values and time information, and stores the derived voltage change amount in the storage unit 14. The amount of change in voltage may be derived when a predetermined number of values of a plurality of voltages are obtained, or may be derived when a predetermined period of a certain time or longer has elapsed. .. If the interval for repeatedly detecting the voltage is known, the time information may not be required.

Next, in step 102, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the supply of voltage from the commercial power supply system 40 has stopped, based on, for example, the detection result by the detection unit 24. As an example of this determination, the determination unit 30 may determine that the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 has stopped when the voltage detected by the detection unit 24 is less than the threshold value. In this case, the case where the voltage is not 0 (zero) is also included. If it is determined that the voltage supply has stopped (in the case of an affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 104, and if it is determined that the voltage supply has not stopped (in the case of a negative determination), the process returns to step 100 and the process is repeated.

Next, in step 104, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the cause of the stop of the voltage supply is the transition by the transition unit 34, that is, the stop due to the transition to the sleep mode. In the case of a stop due to the transition to the sleep mode (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 106, and in the case of not a stop due to the transition to the sleep mode (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 108.

Next, in step 106, the determination unit 30 stores the transition information indicating that the sleep mode has been entered in the storage unit 14. As the transition information, for example, the value of the flag indicating that the sleep mode has been entered may be stored in the storage unit 14.

On the other hand, in step 108, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 has resumed, for example, based on the detection result by the detection unit 24. As an example of this determination, the determination unit 30 may determine that the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 has resumed when the voltage detected by the detection unit 24 exceeds the threshold value. When it is determined that the voltage supply has resumed (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 110, and when it is determined that the voltage supply has not resumed (in the case of a negative determination), the standby state is set in step 108.

Next, in step 110, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the transfer information is stored in the storage unit 14. If the transfer information is stored in the storage unit 14 (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 112, and if the transfer information is not stored in the storage unit 14 (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 114.

Next, in step 112, the determination unit 30 determines that the cause of the stop of the voltage supply is due to the transition to the sleep mode, notifies the activation unit 32 of this determination result, and then uses the determination processing program 14A. finish.

On the other hand, in step 114 and subsequent steps, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the cause of the voltage stop is due to the breaker trip, based on the voltage value and the amount of change stored in the process of step 100 immediately before the voltage stop. Is determined.

FIG. 3 shows a change in the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 to the image forming apparatus 10 with the passage of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is stopped due to the breaker 42 being cut off. It is a graph which shows an example.
In FIG. 3, the vertical axis indicates a voltage (unit: volt (V)). The horizontal axis indicates time (unit: seconds (s)). Since the above voltage is an AC voltage, it is actually a sine wave, but it is shown here for simplification.

As shown in FIG. 3, a first voltage V1 (for example, 100V) is supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 to the image forming apparatus 10. The image forming apparatus 10 is provided with various loads such as a display unit 16, an operation unit 18, an image forming unit 20, a document reading unit 22, and a finisher unit (not shown). Then, as the load of the image forming apparatus 10 increases, the voltage input to the image forming apparatus 10 gradually decreases. The second voltage V2 is a predetermined threshold value (reference value) that serves as a guideline for the circuit breaker to trip. The second voltage V2 is set to, for example, 90V.

Here, it is assumed that the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 is stopped at the time T1 in FIG. 3 and the voltage input to the image forming apparatus 10 becomes 0 (zero). In this case, when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 is restarted, the determination unit 30 refers to the storage unit 14 and acquires the voltage value and the amount of change (slope) immediately before the voltage stop. That is, the storage unit 14 stores the voltage value and the amount of change before the time T1. The determination unit 30 acquires the voltage value and the amount of change immediately before the voltage is stopped from the storage unit 14.

In the present embodiment, the amount of change in voltage immediately before the stop of voltage is the first inflection point P1 of the change in voltage immediately before the stop of voltage and the second change in voltage immediately before the first inflection point P1. It is shown as the amount of change in voltage k1 with and from the inflection point P2. Further, in this case, the value of the voltage immediately before the stop of the voltage is shown as the value Vp at the first inflection point P1 of the voltage. The inflection point represents a point where the slope of the voltage that changes with the passage of time changes with the passage of time, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIGS. 4 and 5 described later.

When the voltage supply is stopped due to the breaker trip, the voltage change amount k1 indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing, and the value Vp at the first inflection point P1 of the voltage becomes the second voltage V2 or less. Here, the "state in which the voltage is low" is a state in which the amount of change in voltage k1 (= voltage value at the first inflection point P1 − voltage value at the second inflection point P2) becomes a negative value. It shall be shown.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows the voltage supplied to the image forming apparatus 10 from the commercial power supply system 40 with the passage of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is stopped by pulling out the plug 28. It is a graph which shows an example of a change. Further, FIG. 5 shows the voltage supplied to the image forming apparatus 10 from the commercial power supply system 40 with the passage of time when the supply of the voltage to the image forming apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is stopped by pulling out the plug 28. It is a graph which shows another example of change.
In FIGS. 4 and 5, the vertical axis and the horizontal axis are the same as the graph of FIG. As in the example of FIG. 3, since the voltage is an AC voltage, it is actually a sine wave, but it is shown here for simplification.

The state in which the plug 28 of the image forming apparatus 10 is pulled out from the outlet 44 is hereinafter referred to as “plug pulling out”. When the voltage supply is stopped by pulling out the plug, the voltage change amount k1 indicates a state in which the voltage is constant, as shown in FIG. 4 as an example. Here, the "state in which the voltage is constant" means a state in which the amount of change in voltage k1 becomes 0 (zero) including a predetermined error. In the case of this example, the value Vp at the first inflection point P1 of the voltage is the second voltage V2 or less. Further, when the voltage supply is stopped due to the plug pulling out, the voltage change amount k1 may indicate a state in which the voltage is rising, as shown in FIG. 5 as an example. Here, the "state in which the voltage is rising" means a state in which the amount of change in voltage k1 becomes a positive value. In the case of this example, the value Vp at the first inflection point P1 of the voltage is larger than the second voltage V2.

In the examples of FIGS. 4 and 5 above, the case where the voltage supply is stopped due to the pulling out of the plug is shown. The changes in the voltage supplied from the commercial power supply system 40 to the image forming apparatus 10 with the passage of time when the voltage supply is stopped due to the main power button 18A being turned off are also shown in the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The same applies.

Based on the above, returning to FIG. 2, in step 114, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the voltage change amount k1 immediately before the voltage stop is a negative value. When the voltage change amount k1 is a negative value (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 116, and when the voltage change amount k1 is not a negative value (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 120.

Next, in step 116, the determination unit 30 determines whether or not the voltage value Vp immediately before the voltage stop is equal to or less than the reference value (second voltage V2). When the voltage value Vp is equal to or less than the reference value (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 118, and when the voltage value Vp is larger than the reference value (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 120.

Next, in step 118, when the determination unit 30 shows a negative value for the voltage change amount k1 in step 114 and the voltage value Vp in step 116 is equal to or less than the reference value, the voltage is stopped. It is determined that the cause is due to the breaker trip. Then, the determination unit 30 notifies the activation unit 32 of the determination result, and then terminates the determination processing program 14A.

On the other hand, in step 120, the determination unit 30 stops the voltage when the voltage change amount k1 in step 114 does not show a negative value, or when the voltage value Vp in step 116 is larger than the reference value. It is determined that the cause of is due to the plug being pulled out. Then, the determination unit 30 notifies the activation unit 32 of the determination result, and then terminates the determination processing program 14A.

According to the first embodiment described above, when the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 is stopped and then restarted, it is accurately determined whether or not the cause of the voltage supply stop is due to the circuit breaker tripping. ..

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the operation of the activation unit 32 included in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Note that FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow by the activation processing program 14B according to the first embodiment.
When the determination result is notified from the determination unit 30, the CPU 12A writes the activation processing program 14B stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it, and functions as the activation unit 32.

First, in step 130 of FIG. 6, the starting unit 32 determines whether or not the cause of the voltage stop is a circuit breaker trip based on the determination result notified from the determination unit 30. If it is determined that the breaker is not tripped, that is, the sleep mode or the plug is pulled out (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 132. If it is determined that the breaker has fallen (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 134.

Next, in step 132, the activation unit 32 activates the image forming apparatus 10 in the normal mode. The normal mode is, for example, a mode in which each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 is energized and the image forming apparatus 10 is started with the maximum electric power. It should be noted that the sleep mode and the plug removal may be started in different modes.

On the other hand, in step 134, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the image forming apparatus 10 is activated by shifting to the power saving mode. When shifting to the power saving mode and starting (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 136. Further, when the mode is changed to the power saving mode and the device is not started (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 132. As an example of a method of determining whether or not to shift to the power saving mode and start the operation, as shown in FIG. 7, a notification screen 50 for notifying that a breaker trip has occurred is displayed on the display unit 16 (touch panel). It may be displayed.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the notification screen 50 according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, the notification screen 50 is a screen that notifies the user that a breaker has tripped and allows the user to select whether or not to shift the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and start it. .. In this case, the activation unit 32 causes the display unit 16 to display the notification screen 50 and waits for a selection instruction from the user. The display unit 16 is an example of a notification unit. Then, when the user selects "Yes" on the notification screen 50, a positive determination is made in step 134, and the process proceeds to step 136. If the user selects "No" on the notification screen 50, a negative determination is made in step 134, and the process proceeds to step 132.

Next, in step 136, the activation unit 32 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activates the image forming apparatus 10. This power saving mode is a mode in which at least one of control of lowering the fixing temperature of the fixing portion included in the image forming section 20 and lengthening the transport interval of the recording medium is performed, for example. The power consumption in the power saving mode is smaller than the power consumption in the normal mode. As a method of lowering the fixing temperature of the fixing portion, for example, a method of not energizing a part of the plurality of fixing lamps or lowering the fixing temperature of each of the plurality of fixing lamps can be considered. By starting in this power saving mode, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 10 is reduced, and the recurrence of the breaker trip is prevented. In the above example, the power saving mode is shifted according to the user's selection instruction, but when it is determined that the breaker has tripped, the image forming apparatus 10 may be forcibly shifted to the power saving mode and started. ..

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, in order to prevent the recurrence of the breaker trip, the user determines whether or not the image forming apparatus 10 displays the notification screen 50 and starts the image forming apparatus 10 in the power saving mode. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the image forming apparatus 10 determines whether or not to start the image forming apparatus 10 in the power saving mode in order to prevent the recurrence of the breaker trip. Since the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

The determination unit 30 according to the second embodiment determines whether or not the voltage supply has been stopped due to the circuit breaker trip when the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 is stopped and then restarted. For example, the determination process described in the first embodiment described above is applied to the determination process by the determination unit 30. Further, the CPU 12A according to the second embodiment functions as the activation unit 32 according to the second embodiment by writing the activation processing program 14B stored in the storage unit 14 to the RAM 12C and executing the program. When the determination unit 30 determines that the cause of the stoppage is due to the breaker tripping, the activation unit 32 shifts the activation mode of the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activates the image forming apparatus 10.

Next, with reference to FIG. 8, the operation of the activation unit 32 included in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow by the activation processing program 14B according to the second embodiment.
When the determination result is notified from the determination unit 30, the CPU 12A writes the activation processing program 14B stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it, and functions as the activation unit 32.

First, in step 140 of FIG. 8, the starting unit 32 determines whether or not the cause of the voltage stop is a circuit breaker trip based on the determination result notified from the determination unit 30. If it is determined that the breaker is not tripped, that is, the transition to the sleep mode or the plug is pulled out (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 142. If it is determined that the breaker has fallen (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 144.

Next, in step 142, the activation unit 32 activates the image forming apparatus 10 in the normal mode. As described above, the normal mode is a mode in which each functional unit of the image forming apparatus 10 is energized and the image forming apparatus 10 is started with the maximum electric power.

On the other hand, in step 144, the starting unit 32 sets a first threshold value different from the value of the voltage immediately before the voltage is stopped. The voltage value immediately before the voltage stop is detected by the detection unit 24. The value of the voltage immediately before the stop of the voltage is shown as, for example, the value Vp of the first inflection point P1 as shown in FIG. 3 above. Specifically, a plurality of threshold values may be stored in advance in the storage unit 14, and the threshold value corresponding to the value Vp of the first inflection point P1 may be set as the first threshold value. When the breaker 42 is fragile and the breaker is likely to trip under a normal environment, it is desirable to set a value larger than the value Vp of the first inflection point P1 as the first threshold value. On the other hand, when the breaker 42 is relatively difficult to trip under a normal environment, a value smaller than the value Vp of the first inflection point P1 may be set as the first threshold value.

Next, in step 146, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the value of the voltage for which supply is resumed from the commercial power supply system 40 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. When it is determined that the value of the voltage after resuming supply is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 142. If it is determined that the voltage value after resuming supply is less than the first threshold value (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 148.

Next, in step 148, the activation unit 32 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activates the image forming apparatus 10. As described above, this power saving mode is a mode in which at least one of control of lowering the fixing temperature of the fixing portion included in the image forming section 20 and lengthening the transport interval of the recording medium is performed. The power consumption in the power saving mode is smaller than the power consumption in the normal mode.

In the above example, the starting unit 32 sets the first threshold value based on the value of the voltage immediately before the voltage is stopped, and when the value of the voltage whose supply is restarted from the commercial power supply system 40 is less than the first threshold value, The image forming apparatus 10 is shifted to the power saving mode and started. By starting in this power saving mode, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 10 is reduced, and the recurrence of the breaker trip is prevented.

Next, with reference to FIG. 9, another operation of the activation unit 32 included in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing flow by the activation processing program 14B according to the second embodiment.
When the determination result is notified from the determination unit 30, the CPU 12A writes the activation processing program 14B stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it, and functions as the activation unit 32.

First, in step 150 of FIG. 9, the starting unit 32 determines whether or not the cause of the voltage stop is the circuit breaker trip based on the determination result notified from the determination unit 30. If it is determined that the breaker is not tripped, that is, the transition to the sleep mode or the plug is pulled out (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 152. If it is determined that the breaker has fallen (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 154.

Next, in step 152, the activation unit 32 activates the image forming apparatus 10 in the normal mode.

On the other hand, in step 154, the starting unit 32 measures the time from when the voltage supply is stopped until when the voltage supply is restarted. This measurement time is derived based on the voltage value and time information stored in the storage unit 14. That is, the measurement time is derived from the time information corresponding to the voltage value immediately before the voltage supply is stopped and the time information corresponding to the voltage value immediately after the voltage supply is resumed.

Next, in step 156, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the measurement time measured in step 154 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (reference time). If it is determined that the measurement time is equal to or longer than the reference time (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 152. If it is determined that the measurement time is less than the reference time (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 158.

Next, in step 158, the activation unit 32 delays the activation of the image forming apparatus 10 by a predetermined period (constant period). The period for delaying this activation is not particularly limited, but for example, a period equal to or longer than the time obtained by subtracting the measurement time from the above reference time is set.

Next, in step 160, the activation unit 32 causes the activation unit 32 to shift the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activate it.

The flow may be such that the step 158 is not provided. In this case, when the activation unit 32 determines in step 156 that the measurement time is less than the reference time, the process proceeds to step 160, the image forming apparatus 10 shifts to the power saving mode, and the image forming apparatus 10 is activated.

In the above example, when the measurement time from when the voltage supply is stopped to when the voltage supply is restarted is less than the reference time, the starting unit 32 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and starts. By starting in this power saving mode, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 10 is reduced, and the recurrence of the breaker trip is prevented. By delaying the image forming apparatus 10 for a certain period of time before shifting to the power saving mode, the effect of preventing the recurrence of the breaker trip is further enhanced.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, another operation of the activation unit 32 included in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the second embodiment will be described. Note that FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the processing flow by the activation processing program 14B according to the second embodiment.
When the determination result is notified from the determination unit 30, the CPU 12A writes the activation processing program 14B stored in the storage unit 14 into the RAM 12C and executes it, and functions as the activation unit 32.

First, in step 170 of FIG. 10, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the cause of the stop is the breaker trip based on the determination result notified from the determination unit 30. If it is determined that the breaker is not tripped, that is, the transition to the sleep mode or the plug is pulled out (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 172. If it is determined that the breaker has fallen (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 174.

Next, in step 172, the activation unit 32 activates the image forming apparatus 10 in the normal mode.

On the other hand, in step 174, the starting unit 32 sets a first threshold value different from the value of the voltage immediately before the voltage is stopped. The voltage value immediately before the voltage stop is detected by the detection unit 24.

Next, in step 176, the starting unit 32 measures the time from when the voltage supply is stopped until when the voltage supply is restarted. This measurement time is derived based on the voltage value and time information stored in the storage unit 14, as described in step 154 of FIG.

Next, in step 178, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the measurement time measured in step 176 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time (reference time). When it is determined that the measurement time is equal to or longer than the reference time (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 180. If it is determined that the measurement time is less than the reference time (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 182.

Next, in step 180, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the value of the voltage for which supply is resumed from the commercial power supply system 40 is equal to or greater than the first threshold value. When it is determined that the value of the voltage after resuming supply is equal to or higher than the first threshold value (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 172. When it is determined that the value of the voltage after resuming the supply is less than the first threshold value (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 188.

On the other hand, in step 182, the activation unit 32 sets a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value according to the measurement time measured in step 176. That is, if the measurement time is short, the possibility of recurrence of the breaker trip is high. Therefore, in this example, a second threshold value larger than the first threshold value is further set. The second threshold value is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that a larger value is set as the measurement time is shorter.

Next, in step 184, the activation unit 32 determines whether or not the value of the voltage for which supply is resumed from the commercial power supply system 40 is equal to or greater than the second threshold value. When it is determined that the value of the voltage after resuming supply is equal to or higher than the second threshold value (in the case of affirmative determination), the process proceeds to step 172. When it is determined that the value of the voltage after resuming the supply is less than the second threshold value (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step 186.

Next, in step 186, the activation unit 32 delays the activation of the image forming apparatus 10 by a predetermined period (constant period).

Next, in step 188, the activation unit 32 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activates the image forming apparatus 10.

In the above example, the starting unit 32 determines that the measurement time from when the voltage supply is stopped to when it is restarted is equal to or longer than the reference time, and that the voltage value after the supply is restarted is less than the first threshold value. In this case, the image forming apparatus 10 is shifted to the power saving mode and started without delaying for a certain period of time. Further, when the measurement time is determined to be less than the reference time and the voltage value after resuming supply is determined to be less than the second threshold value, the activation unit 32 delays the activation of the image forming apparatus 10 for a certain period of time. .. Then, after a certain period of delay, the activation unit 32 shifts the image forming apparatus 10 to the power saving mode and activates the image forming apparatus 10. By starting in this power saving mode, the power consumption of the image forming apparatus 10 is reduced, and the recurrence of the breaker trip is prevented.

According to the second embodiment described above, when it is determined that the cause of the stop of the voltage supply from the commercial power supply system 40 is the circuit breaker trip, the image forming apparatus 10 is shifted to the power saving mode. By activating it, the recurrence of the breaker trip is prevented.

In the above, the electronic device and the image forming apparatus have been exemplified and described as embodiments. The embodiment may be in the form of a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of each part included in the electronic device. The embodiment may be in the form of a storage medium that can be read by a computer that stores this program.

In addition, the configurations of the electronic device and the image forming apparatus described in the above embodiment are examples, and may be changed depending on the situation within a range not deviating from the gist.

Further, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is also an example, and even if unnecessary steps are deleted, new steps are added, or the processing order is changed within a range that does not deviate from the purpose. good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the processing according to the embodiment is realized by the software configuration by using the computer by executing the program has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The embodiment may be realized, for example, by a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration.

10 Image forming device 12 Control unit 14 Storage unit 14A Judgment processing program 14B Startup processing program 16 Display unit 18 Operation unit 18A Main power button 18B Power saving button 20 Image forming unit 22 Document reading unit 24 Detection unit 26 Switching unit 27 LV power supply 28 Plug 30 Judgment unit 32 Activation unit 34 Transition unit 40 Commercial power supply system 42 Breaker 44 Outlet 50 Notification screen

Claims (9)

A detector that detects the magnitude of the voltage supplied from the external power supply via the circuit breaker,
When the supply of the voltage is restarted after the supply of the voltage is stopped, and when the supply of the voltage is stopped in a state where the voltage detected by the detection unit is lowered, the circuit breaker is used. A determination unit that determines that the voltage supply has stopped due to a cutoff,
Equipped with
The determination unit has a first inflection point, which is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit, and is a point at which the gradient of the voltage changes immediately before the stop, and the first inflection point. When the amount of change in the voltage between the second inflection and the second inflection, which is the point where the slope of the voltage changes immediately before, indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing, the voltage is supplied by cutting off the circuit breaker. Is determined to have stopped
Electronics. The determination unit indicates that the amount of change in the voltage between the first inflection point and the second inflection point indicates that the voltage is decreasing, and the voltage at the first inflection point. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein it is determined that the supply of the voltage is stopped due to the interruption of the circuit breaker when the magnitude of the voltage is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. The voltage is supplied through a plug-in terminal that can be inserted and removed from the voltage supply port of the external power supply.
The determination unit indicates that the amount of change in the voltage between the first inflection point and the second inflection point indicates a state in which the voltage is rising, or indicates a state in which the voltage is constant. In this case, the electronic device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein it is determined that the supply of the voltage is stopped by pulling out the plug terminal from the voltage supply port. A transition unit that shifts the electronic device to sleep mode,
A storage unit that stores transition information indicating that the electronic device has transitioned to the sleep mode by the transition unit, and a storage unit.
Further prepare
The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the determination unit determines that the voltage supply has been stopped due to the transfer by the transition unit when the transition information is stored in the storage unit. .. Any of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a notification unit for notifying that the circuit breaker has been interrupted when the determination unit determines that the voltage supply has stopped due to the circuit breaker interruption. The electronic device according to item 1. Any of claims 1 to 5 , further comprising an activation unit that shifts the electronic device to a power saving mode and activates the electronic device when it is determined by the determination unit that the voltage supply is stopped due to the interruption of the circuit breaker. The electronic device according to item 1. A detector that detects the magnitude of the voltage supplied from the external power supply via the circuit breaker,
When the supply of the voltage is restarted after the supply of the voltage is stopped, and when the supply of the voltage is stopped in a state where the voltage detected by the detection unit does not decrease, the circuit breaker is used. A determination unit that determines that the voltage supply has not stopped due to a cutoff, and
Equipped with
The determination unit has a first inflection point, which is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit, and is a point at which the gradient of the voltage changes immediately before the stop, and the first inflection point. When the amount of change in the voltage between the second inflection and the second inflection, which is the point where the slope of the voltage changes immediately before, indicates a state in which the voltage has not decreased, the voltage is supplied by the cutoff of the breaker. Is not stopped
Electronics. An image forming unit that operates by a voltage supplied from an external power supply via a circuit breaker to form an image on a recording medium.
A detector that detects the magnitude of the voltage and
When the supply of the voltage is restarted after the supply of the voltage is stopped, and when the supply of the voltage is stopped in a state where the voltage detected by the detection unit is lowered, the circuit breaker is used. A determination unit that determines that the voltage supply has stopped due to a cutoff,
Equipped with
The determination unit has a first inflection point, which is derived from the magnitude of the voltage detected by the detection unit, and is a point at which the gradient of the voltage changes immediately before the stop, and the first inflection point. When the amount of change in the voltage between the second inflection and the second inflection, which is the point where the slope of the voltage changes immediately before, indicates a state in which the voltage is decreasing, the voltage is supplied by cutting off the circuit breaker. Is determined to have stopped
Image forming device. A program for causing a computer to function as a determination unit included in the electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .

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