Image reading apparatus and printing apparatus

• US 10,356,264 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Goda, Junichi, Ikari, Daiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku, Negussie
• Application Number:
  US15/465,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 358 113, 358 114, 358 115, 34833313, 348 47, 709227
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/02 using printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4055 Managing power consumption, e.g. standby mode computer driven power saving management for a printer G06F3/1221; power saving in a data processing device in general G06F1/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/406 Wake-up procedures start-up of a laser scanner G06K15/1219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00891 Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby

Abstract

An image reading apparatus, comprising a memory that can transition from a normal mode to a power saving mode based on an inputted control signal, and a control unit that controls the control signal based on a synchronization signal that indicates a timing at which an image processing module outputs image data to a reading unit or a print unit.

Claims

1. An image reading apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit configured to read an image of an original;

an image processing circuit to which image data read by the reading unit, a vertical synchronization signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal area are inputted, and configured to perform image processing for the image data; and

a memory which is capable of operating in a first power mode and a second power mode in which power consumption is lower than power consumption in the first power mode, and configured to hold the image data that is image processed by the image processing circuit;

wherein the memory counts a number of the horizontal synchronization signals which are inputted to the image processing circuit from the reading unit after the vertical synchronization signal is inputted to the image processing circuit from the reading unit, and executes a transition process from the second power mode to the first power mode upon the counted number reaching a predetermined number.

2. The image reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of memories are provided for each function, and each memory starts the transition processing shifted from each other.

3. The image reading apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each memory starts the transition processing at a timing when an interval corresponding to a processing delay time in a preceding stage memory in a processing order of the image processing has elapsed after the preceding stage memory has started the transition processing.

4. The reading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory is a SRAM included in the image processing circuit, and

wherein the SRAM comprises:

a control circuit which outputs a control signal in accordance with the horizontal synchronization signal from the reading unit; and

a SRAM core which supplies power in accordance with the control signal outputted from the control circuit to an internal memory array, and holds information stored in the memory array.

5. A printing apparatus, comprising:

an image processing circuit that receives image data, a vertical synchronization signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal and performs image processing for inputted image data;

a memory which is capable of operating in a first power mode and a second power mode in which power consumption is lower than power consumption in the first power mode, and configured to hold the image data that is image processed by the image processing circuit; and

a print unit configured to perform printing based on the image data held in the memory,

wherein the member counts a number of the horizontal synchronization signals which are inputted to the image processing circuit from the printing unit after the vertical synchronization signal is inputted to the image processing circuit from the print unit and executes a transition process from the second power mode to the first power mode upon the counted number reaching a predetermined number.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a plurality of memories are provided for each function, and each memory starts the transition processing shifted from each other.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of memories starts the transition processing at a timing when an interval corresponding to a processing delay time in a preceding stage memory in a processing order of the image processing has elapsed after the preceding stage memory has started the transition processing.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the memory is a SRAM included in the image processing circuit, and

wherein the SRAM comprises:

a control circuit which outputs a control signal in accordance with the horizontal synchronization signal from the print unit; and

a SRAM core which supplies power in accordance with the control signal outputted from the control circuit to an internal memory array, and holds information stored in the memory array.

9. An image reading apparatus, comprising:

a reading unit configured to read, line by line, an original of one page;

a volatile memory which is capable of operating in a first power state and in a second power state in which power consumption is lower than power consumption in the first power state, the first power state being capable of holding data and reading out the data, and the second power state being capable of holding data and being not capable of reading out the data;

an image processing circuit configured to process image data obtained by reading the original by the reading unit, accessing the data held in the memory; and

a memory controller configured to control a power state of the memory,

wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory from the first power state to the second power state after inputting of the image data of the last line of the one page to the image processing circuit is completed.

10. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory from the second power state to the first power state by a time when image data of a first line of next page is inputted after shifting the power state of the memory from the first power state to the second power state.

11. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory from the first power state to the second power state after a predetermined time period has elapsed since image data of the last line of the one page has been inputted.

12. The image reading apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a reading controller configured to output, to the memory controller, a vertical synchronizing signal indicating that image data of the one page is outputted, and to output, to the memory controller, a horizontal synchronizing signal indicating a head of image data of one line,

wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory controller from the first power state to the second power state based on the number of the horizontal synchronizing signals inputted after inputting the vertical synchronizing signal in the first power state.

13. The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the vertical synchronizing signal outputted by the reading controller is inputted to the image processing circuit and the memory controller, and

wherein the horizontal synchronizing signal outputted by the reading controller is inputted to the image processing circuit and the memory controller.

14. The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory from the second power state to the first power state based on the number of the horizontal synchronizing signals inputted after inputting the vertical synchronizing signal in the second power state.

15. The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the reading unit starts to input image data to the image processing circuit after a predetermined time period has elapsed since the reading controller unit has outputted the vertical synchronizing signal, and

wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory from the second power state to the first power state by a time when the inputting of image data is started since the vertical synchronizing signal has been inputted.

16. The image reading apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the memory controller shifts the power state of the memory controller from the first power state to the second power state in accordance with the horizontal synchronizing signal inputted after inputting of the image data of the last line of the one page to the image processing circuit is completed.