Transmission control apparatus and image forming apparatus with transmission control apparatus

• US 10,409,207 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ikeda, Naoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Derose, Volvick
• Application Number:
  US15/441,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20170261901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 713300
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A transmission control apparatus includes a first control board including a first control unit with an input/output port and a first board connector; and a second control board including a second control unit with an input/output port and a second board connector. The first control board is connected to the second control board via a general purpose cable, the general purpose cable is used for transmission of an indication signal as a digital signal controlling a power-supply mode transition and is used for serial communications. Lengths of change periods, during which a logical value of the indication signal is changed and with which transitions among three or more power-supply modes are associated, are preset and stored in the first control unit and the second control unit, respectively. The power-supply mode is transitioned to a specific mode according to the lengths of the change periods of the indication signal.

Claims

1. A transmission control apparatus comprising:

a first control board including a first control unit with an input/output port and a first board connector; and

a second control board including a second control unit with an input/output port and a second board connector, wherein the first control board is connected to the second control board via a general purpose cable, the general purpose cable is used for transmission of an indication signal as a digital signal and is also used for serial communications, the digital signal being used for controlling a power supply mode transition,

wherein the first control unit and the second control unit transition to a specific power mode of three or more power modes according to a change in a logical value indicated by the indication signal and a length of a specific period during which the changed logical value is being indicated by the indication signal,

wherein the first control board includes a first storage unit, the second control board includes a second storage unit, and the first storage unit and the second storage unit store information in which the change in the logical value indicated by the indication signal and the lengths of the periods during which the changed logical value is being indicated by the indication signal are associated with transitions among the three or more power modes, and

wherein the first control unit and the second control unit transition to the specific power mode in response to detecting an elapse of the specific period after the change in the logical value.

2. The transmission control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the general purpose cable is a USB cable and includes a first connection plug to be connected to the first board connector, a second connection plug to be connected to the second board connector, and a transmission line, each of the first connection plug and the second connection plug includes five or more pins and is any one of a USB 2.0 standard Mini type, Micro type, USB 3.0 standard Micro type, or USB 3.1 standard, and an identification ID terminal of the first connection plug and the second connection plug is used for transmission of the indication signal for controlling the power supply mode transition.

3. The transmission control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more third control boards including a third control unit with an input/output port, wherein the first control board and the third control board is connected by a second general purpose cable,

wherein the second general purpose cable is used for transmission of the indication signal for controlling the power supply mode transition and for the serial communications, and wherein transitioning to a specific power supply mode is performed, which mode is common to the first control board, the second control board, and the third control board.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising the transmission control apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a power line configured to supply power by being connected to a commercial power supply,

wherein the three or more power supply modes include a standby mode in which a function installed in the image forming apparatus can be immediately executed, an energy saving mode in which power consumption is less than the standby mode and an available function is limited, and a power line plug-in mode in which the power line is connected to the commercial power supply and the main power supply of the image forming apparatus is turned off.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an on/off state of the main power supply is input to the first control board and an indication for switching of the energy saving mode is input to the second control board.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a reset IC connected to the first control unit is included in the first control board, when transitioning from the power line plug-in mode to a specific power supply mode, the reset IC transmits the indication signal to the second control unit to cause the second control unit to transition to the specific power supply mode before a start-up of the first control unit is completed, which start-up is started in response to turning-on of the main power supply.

8. The image forming apparatus according claim 4, further comprising an operation panel including a plurality of keys,

wherein the second control board is an operation panel control board, and, by having a specific plurality of the keys of the operation panel pressed at the same time, the power supply mode set in the image forming apparatus is transitioned to a dedicated mode.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the dedicated mode is a management mode in which various settings of an application and software of the image forming apparatus can be checked and modified.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the dedicated mode is a check mode in which a specific function of the image forming apparatus can be checked individually.