JPH02289863A - Power mode switching method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability and to save energy by obtaining the processing frequency of a device for each time zone and switching a standby mode to a power dropping mode according to the obtained processing frequency. CONSTITUTION:A CPU 1 obtains the processing frequency for each time zone, turns on or off a heater lamp 10 according to the obtained frequency, and switches the standby mode in the waiting time of each time zone to the power dropping mode. This time zone is divided by hour, day, week, etc. For instance, if the processing frequency is extremely low in a lunch break (12:00 - 13:00), the power mode of the device is set to the power dropping mode in the waiting time from 12:00 to 13:00, and in the time zone where the processing frequency is high, the standby mode is maintained. Thus, when the processing frequency is low, electric power consumption is decreased and economization is obtained. When the processing frequency is high, reset time before actual processing is shortened and the operability is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention relates to a method for switching the power mode of an apparatus (for example, a copying machine, etc.) capable of switching the power consumed by the apparatus (for example, a copying machine) during standby when no processing is performed.

(b) Conventional technology For example, in an electrostatic copying machine, 50
0Wh, if you keep it in standby mode where you can copy at any time even when you are not processing 1 5 0W
It consumes about 1 h of power. When not processing, power is consumed by the fusing device, fan, operation panel, etc., and the fusing device is heated to a high temperature (180 ℃) in order to perform copying immediately.
℃), which requires a large amount of electricity. However, there are times when such devices (photographers) are hardly used even if they are turned on, such as during lunch breaks, and this is extremely wasteful. Therefore, conventionally, in order to save energy when it is not needed, a mode (power reduction mode) was provided to keep the temperature of the fixing device at a low temperature, and when the user operates the power reduction mode key or no operation is performed, When a predetermined period of time elapsed in the state (standby), the power reduction mode was set.

fc) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, when the user is required to select the power reduction mode, there are problems in which the user forgets to make the settings or requires extra effort on the part of the user. If the timer time is set, the usage status of the user and the timer time may not match. For this reason, some systems allow the user to set a timer time, but it is not easy to set an appropriate timer time depending on the processing state. Furthermore, the processing status also changes depending on the time of day; for example, before a regular meeting, the processing frequency becomes extremely high, and on the other hand, during the lunch break, the processing frequency becomes extremely low.

In view of the above points, the purpose of this invention is to wear masks for each time period (
To provide a power mole switching method that is easy to use and can save labor and labor by determining the processing frequency of a copying machine, etc.) and switching between a stand-high mode and a power-lowering mode accordingly. There is a particular thing.

In addition, by configuring the power reduction mode from multiple rails and selectively setting the level according to the processing frequency for each time period, the time it takes to return from a standby state to a processing ready state ( An object of the present invention is to provide a power mode switching method that can reduce the disparity between recovery time periods.

Furthermore, by changing the time (transition time) until switching to the power-lowering mode after processing is completed depending on the processing frequency in that time period, power mode switching allows you to set a reasonable waiting time for the processing frequency. The purpose is to provide a method.

Cd) Means for Solving the Problems The power mode switching method of the present invention has two modes: a standby mode in which the power consumption is sufficient and processing can be performed immediately when no processing is being performed, and a standby mode in which the power consumption is insufficient and processing can be performed immediately. In a device that can switch to a power reduction mode that cannot be performed, find the processing frequency for each time period and switch between standby mode and power reduction mode during standby in that time period according to the processing frequency. It is characterized by Further, the power reduction mode may be configured from a plurality of levels each having different power consumption and set alternatively according to the processing frequency.Furthermore, in the time period in which the power reduction mode is set, The time required to shift to the power reduction mode after processing is completed may be changed depending on the processing frequency in that time period. (41) Effect In the power mode switching method of the present invention, the power mode is switched for each predetermined time period, and the processing frequency of the device for each time period is determined. The power mode during standby during that time period will be switched accordingly. For example, lunch break (12:00-1:00pm)
If the processing frequency at 3 o'clock) is very infrequent, the power mode of the device is set to low power mode during standby from 12 o'clock to 13 o'clock (when no processing is performed), reducing the power consumption of the device. ．． Furthermore, during times when the processing frequency is high, the power mode of the device is maintained in standby mode, allowing processing to be performed immediately when necessary. In addition, if the power reduction mode is configured with multiple levels and a specific level is selectively set depending on the processing frequency, the power reduction mode will be set during standby in each time period according to the processing frequency of that time period. is executed. The power consumption during standby affects the recovery time to the executable state, so if the power consumption during standby changes depending on the processing frequency, the recovery time also changes. Therefore, the recovery time in each time period has a value depending on the processing frequency.

Furthermore, the transition time until the transition to power reduction mode after processing is completed is 1! This length affects the waiting time during processing execution. Therefore, if the transition time is changed according to the processing frequency of each time period, the waiting time in that time period becomes a value corresponding to the processing frequency.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a copying machine to which the power mode switching method of the present invention is applied.The entire copying machine is controlled by the CPU 11. A control program for the CPUI is stored in the ROM5. The CPU 1 performs processing according to the fetched instructions. Note that the RAM, which is a working area for program execution, is built into the CPU. CPLII is a C-M with low power consumption.
It is an OS type, and when the main body of the copying machine is powered off, an interrupt generation circuit 2 issues a priority interrupt and performs necessary data saving processing and the like. The data saved in the RAM will be updated in the storage unit 3.

Further, the cross-circuit circuit 4 is also driven by the battery 3 when the main body of the copying machine is powered off.

The CPU receives signals from various sensors, switches, etc. via the data selector 6 and I/07 that make up the multiplexer, and sends drive signals to various solenoids, operation panels, etc. via I/'08 and the driver 9. Output via

A heater lamp 10 of the fixing device is turned on and off by a heater lamp on/off circuit 11. heater lamp 10
The surface temperature is detected as a detected temperature voltage by a temperature detection circuit 12 including a thermistor, and is inputted to one terminal of a comparison circuit 14. On the other hand, data corresponding to the reference temperature is output from the CPU to the voltage conversion circuit 13, which is converted into a reference temperature voltage by D/Ai conversion and input to the ten terminal of the comparison circuit 14. The comparison circuit 14 compares the reference temperature voltage and the detected temperature voltage, and when the reference temperature voltage is higher (when the temperature of the fixing device has not reached the reference temperature), the heater lamp on/off circuit 11 is set to the "l{" level. A signal is issued to turn on the heater lamp IO and raise the temperature of the fixing device. Conversely, when the detected temperature voltage is higher (when the fixing temperature is in an overheated state), the heater lamp 10 is turned off. This maintains the fixing device temperature at the reference temperature.

In this embodiment, the reference temperature of the fixing device (data output to the voltage conversion circuit 13) is switched in three stages.

■O℃, ■100℃, ■180℃. (2) and (2) are temperatures in (1) power down mode and (2) power down mode corresponding to the power reduction mode of the present invention, and (2) is a temperature in standby mode in which copying processing can be performed immediately. ■Power-down mode is set during times when copying is rarely performed, such as during lunch breaks; ■Power-down mode is set during times when copy processing is infrequent; and ■Standby mode is set during times when copying is frequently performed.

In addition, in order to reduce power consumption when in power mode, the fan and part of the display are also turned off.

To determine which time period to set the three-stage power mode, set the time period unit according to the department where it is installed, and perform copy processing for a certain period of time (for example, about 4 weeks) to determine the processing amount depending on the time period. and set the appropriate power mode accordingly.

For example, in this embodiment, as will be described later, two units, one hour and the day of the week, are set, and for example, on Monday, the power mode is switched as shown in Figure 2, and on Wednesday, it is switched to the power mode as shown in Figure 3. I am trying to switch the power mode.

FIG. 4 is a table map of the area for storing the copy processing frequency of the memory (RAM) in the CPUI. The vertical axis shows the day of the week, and the horizontal axis shows the time of the day (working hours only). When a copy process is performed within the period during which the copy process frequency is investigated, the number of times the process is performed is added one by one to the column corresponding to that day of the week and time. For example, Monday 8:
If copy processing is performed between 00:00 and 9:00, "M,"
” is added to the column. When the four-week survey period (four times for each day of the week) ends, the appropriate one is selected from the three power modes above depending on the number of times the survey is processed. , are stored in the area corresponding to the time of each day of the week as shown in FIG. 5. For example, Monday's 8=00-9
At :00, ① Bower mode is selected and stored. This selection can be made by memorizing the mode corresponding to the number of processing times in advance, or by allowing the user to input a corresponding table and automatically selecting it accordingly, or by displaying the processing frequency once the investigation is completed. However, the user may be able to select an appropriate one accordingly.

FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of this copying machine.

When the main body of the copying machine is powered on, the presence or absence of various types of human power such as key power is determined (nl), and thereafter processing is performed in accordance with the input. When investigating the copy processing frequency to determine the power mode for each time period, the investigation mode switch is operated (n3). Then, the survey mode is set (n4), and the survey unit and survey period for checking the processing frequency (check for 4 weeks in units of one hour, one week, etc.) are input (
r15) The processing frequency for each unit is set by j1 accordingly. Also, when the copy button on the copier body is operated, it is determined whether it is in research mode or not (n5-r+7)
In the e-investigation mode, the current time of 81:00 is called up by the clock circuit 4 (n21), and 1 is added to the memory that stores the processing frequency of the corresponding time zone, which is differentiated by the unit division input in n5. (n22...n27
). For example, if it is from 8:00 to 9:00 on Monday, it will be added to area M1 shown in FIG. 4 (n 2 2-
=n23-rt24). Thereafter, the normal copying process is performed (n28). In this way, the processing frequency for each time period can be investigated during the investigation period. Note that if the time slot in which the process is performed is a time slot other than the time slots specified (for example, after 18:00 on Monday), the copy process will be performed as is. Also, if you are not in investigation mode,
The copy process starts when you press the copy button (
n 6-n 7-”n 8).

When the four-week investigation period ends (n9), the power mode is set according to the processing frequency for each unit. The number of processing times (frequency) is checked for each time period unit (n 31-”n
3 2) ■Power cut mode, ■Power down mode depending on the number of processing. ■One of the standby modes is stored in that unit time period (n34-”n3
5-n36: See Figure 5). When the power mode setting is completed for all time periods, the investigation mode is cleared (n36→n37→n38) and the process returns to nl. Once the power mode for each time period is determined in this way, the set power mode will be set during standby during that time period. Note that the power cut mode is set for all periods other than the divided time periods.

After the copy is completed, if a predetermined period of time passes without any input being made (nl-nll→nl2-nl3), the power mode will be changed according to the time period shown in Fig. 5 (n 1 4).
. In other words, if the time period is a time period when the frequency of copy processing is low, a power mode with low power consumption such as power mode is set to save energy, and if the time period is a time period when the frequency of copy processing is high. If it is a belt, it will remain in standby mode even after a certain amount of time has passed (nl2-"nl3), and there will be no need to wait for the next copy process, which can improve work efficiency.

In addition, if any input such as key operation is performed while in power mode or power down mode,
Input processing begins after returning to standby mode (nl5-nl6-n 1 ?).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a survey mode switch was provided and the table shown in Figure 5 was created using data from the survey period. If this process is continued, the copier itself can learn how to create tables that match the current situation. 7 to 10 are diagrams for explaining the invention set forth in claim (2).

FIG. 7 is an eleventh flowchart showing a vase processing procedure of a copying machine to which the power mode switching method of the invention set forth in claim (2) is applied.

In the power mode setting process shown in FIG. 6(C) above, if the number of times of processing for each unit of time period is 1 to 99, the temperature T is set based on a predetermined relationship according to the number of times of processing at n34. Set. This predetermined relationship is, for example, expressed by the first equation: T=180-(100-n). According to the relationship shown in the first equation, it is possible to finely set the temperature T of the fixing roller in the power down mode for a time period according to the number of times of processing for each time period. That is, if the number of processing times in each time period of the day is as shown in FIG. 8, in the standby state in each time period,
The temperature T of the fixing roller becomes the state shown in FIG.

The temperature of the fixing roller during copying work (processing) is set to 10
Assuming 0°C, the adhesive cover time from the standby state to the state ready for copying work (standby mode) is the time required to raise the temperature of the fixing roller from the current temperature to 180°C, and when the operator enters the power-down mode. Alternatively, it is the waiting time until the copying operation can be started after canceling the power cut mode. If the temperature of the fixing roller in each time period is set as shown in FIG. 9, the recovery time will be as shown in FIG. 10 in each time period. For example, if there are 60 processing cycles between 13:00 and 14:00, the temperature of the fixing roller in the standby state is maintained at 140°C (see Figure 9), and the one hour recovery time is 0. It will take 25 minutes (see Figure 10). By dividing the power down mode into multiple levels as described above and changing the temperature of the fixing roller according to the processing frequency in each time period, the recovery time in each time period can be set to a time corresponding to the processing frequency. Can be done. In the process shown in FIG. 6(C), if the processing frequency in the time period is 30 times, the power down mode is executed and the temperature of the fixing roller in the standby state is set to about 150°C. Furthermore, when the processing frequency is 29 times, the power cartridge mode is executed and the temperature of the fixing roller drops to room temperature. In this way, the temperature of the fixing roller changes greatly due to a single difference, and if a large difference occurs in the recovery time, the operator is confused, but the temperature is set according to the processing frequency according to the relationship shown in equation 1. This problem can be solved by doing this. Note that the relationship used for n34 in FIG. 7 is not limited to the first equation; for example, when the processing frequency is 1 to 5 times,
The number of times of processing is divided into certain ranges, such as 110°C for 6 to 10 times, and the temperature of the fixing roller in the standby state for each range is stored in a table in advance. The temperature in the zone may also be set. Furthermore, the operator may be able to appropriately change this relationship, that is, the stored contents of the table, depending on the usage status. FIG. II is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a copying machine to which the power mode switching method according to claim (3) is applied.

In the process shown in FIG. 6(C), at n34, the transition time is set according to the number of times, and then the power down mode is stored in that unit time period. This transition time is the time until the power down mode is executed after the copy processing is completed, and depending on the processing frequency, the recovery time may vary greatly depending on the length of this transition time. For example, if the processing frequency in a certain time period is 30 times, the time interval between copy operations is 60 minutes/30 times, which is approximately 2 minutes. If the transition time is 1 minute and 30 seconds in such a processing frequency period, the power down mode will be executed every time the copying process is completed, the temperature of the fixing roller will drop, and the next copying operation will be performed. It takes an hour to recover. On the other hand, the processing frequency is 1-2
In this time period, it is more effective to execute the power down mode immediately after the copy processing is completed in order to reduce running costs. From this point of view, the transition time L7 is, for example, t,
,=7. 5- (6/24)Xt,...calculated according to the second relationship, and the calculated transition time t
7 is stored for each time period, the transition time L, in that time period is read out at the end of the copying process, and the power down mode is executed after the transition time has elapsed. By doing this, it is possible to set the transition time according to the processing frequency in each time period, and it is possible to realize power saving in accordance with the actual situation of the processing work. Note that the relationship between the processing frequency and the transition time is not limited to the relationship shown in No. 2, and the operator may be able to change this relationship according to the actual usage status.

You can set the power down mode or power cut mode not to be set (standby mode only), or set the power down mode or power cut mode when a predetermined period of time (slightly longer time) has elapsed without using the device. You may also do so.

+g) Effects of the Invention As described above, the power mode switching method of the present invention has the advantage that the power mode during standby can be switched according to the frequency of use of the device for each time period. In other words, when the processing frequency is low, power consumption can be reduced to emphasize economic efficiency, and when the processing frequency is high, the return time until processing can be performed can be shortened to improve work efficiency. .

In addition, the power reduction mode is configured with multiple levels,
By setting an appropriate level according to the processing frequency,
Glue recovery from standby state to return to processing ready state
The waiting time can be adjusted to match the processing frequency, and the waiting time can be set so that the operator does not feel uncomfortable.

Furthermore, according to the invention described in claim (3), the transition time in the time period is changed depending on the processing time, and the waiting time until the start of the processing work is set to a time that does not make the oberake feel uncomfortable. At the same time, it is possible to save power in accordance with the actual situation.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a copying machine to which the power mode switching method of the present invention is applied; Figs. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing copy processing frequencies and power modes corresponding to time zones; FIG. 4 is a table map of the memory that stores the copy processing frequency, and FIG. 5 is a map of the memory that stores the power mode. Further, FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C) are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the copying machine. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the copying machine to which the invention described in claim (2) is applied, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the daily processing frequency in the same copying machine, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the processing frequency of the same copying machine. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the temperature change of the fixing roller in one day, and FIG. Further, FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of a copying machine to which the invention described in claim (3) is applied. Figure 2 Monday Rei 3 Yabuki 1R day

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In a device that can switch between a standby mode where power consumption is sufficient and processing can be performed immediately during standby when no processing is performed, and a power reduction mode where power consumption is insufficient and processing cannot be performed immediately, A power mode switching method characterized by determining a processing frequency for each time period and switching between a standby mode and a power reduction mode during standby in that time period according to the processing frequency. (2) The power mode switching method according to claim (1), wherein the power reduction mode includes a plurality of levels, each having a different power consumption and which is selectively set according to the processing frequency. (3) In a time period in which the power reduction mode is set, the time required to shift to the power reduction mode after the end of processing is changed according to the processing frequency in that time period.
The power mode switching method described in 1) or (2).