IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS

• US 20120218597A1
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: HASHIMOTO, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 9,442,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00978 Details relating to power supplies

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes: a receiving unit; a printing unit; a power feed unit including a non-power saving mode and a power saving mode, the power feed unit configured to change the mode; an input unit configured to receive an input of a switching instruction; a switching unit configured to switch the mode from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode when a stop condition is satisfied, the switching unit configured to switch the mode when the switching instruction is input; and a change unit configured to change the stop condition to a second condition which is more likely not to be satisfied than a first condition, after the mode is changed from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode and when the mode is switched from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode by the switching instruction.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that is configured to receive print data transmitted from an external apparatus;

a printing unit that is configured to print the print data received by the receiving unit;

a power feed unit that includes a non-power saving mode in which power is supplied to the receiving unit and a power saving mode in which no power is supplied to the receiving unit, the power feed unit configured to change the mode to control the supply of power to the receiving unit;

an input unit that is configured to receive an input of a switching instruction to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode;

a switching unit that is configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode when a stop condition which stops the supply of power to the receiving unit is satisfied, the switching unit configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode when the switching instruction is input by the input unit; and

a change unit that is configured to change the stop condition to a second condition which is more likely not to be satisfied than a first condition which is used before the mode is changed to the power saving mode, after the mode of the power feed unit is changed from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode and when the mode of the power feed unit is switched from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode by the switching instruction.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operation unit that is configured to receive an operation from a user,

wherein the stop condition is that a length of a non-use time, which is defined by a duration for which the printing unit does not perform printing or a duration for which the printing unit does not perform printing and the operation unit does not receive the operation from the user, is equal to or more than a predetermined period of time, and

the predetermined period of time of the second condition is longer than that of the first condition.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the second condition is not satisfied at least until the printing unit performs a printing operation.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a setting unit that is configured to set at least one of the first condition and the second condition according to the operation of the user.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein, when the switching instruction is input by the input unit, the setting unit sets the second condition according to the operation of the user.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein, when the stop condition is changed to the second condition and the printing unit prints the print data, the change unit changes the stop condition from the second condition to the first condition.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an identifying unit that is configured to identify the user who inputs the switching instruction; and

a determining unit that is configured to determine a user who has the print data received by the receiving unit,

wherein, when the stop condition is changed to the second condition and the printing unit prints the print data, the determining unit determines the user of the print data and the change unit changes the stop condition from the second condition to the first condition on condition that the determined user is identical to the user identified by the identifying unit.

8. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that is configured to receive print data transmitted from an external apparatus;

a printing unit that is configured to print the print data received by the receiving unit;

a power feed unit that includes a non-power saving mode in which power is supplied to the receiving unit and a power saving mode in which no power is supplied to the receiving unit, the power feed unit configured to change the mode to control the supply of power to the receiving unit;

an input unit that is configured to receive an input of a switching instruction to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode;

a switching unit that is configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode when a stop condition which stops the supply of power to the receiving unit is satisfied, the switching unit configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode when the switching instruction is input by the input unit; and

a change unit that is configured to change the stop condition to a fourth condition which is more likely to be satisfied than a third condition which is used after the mode is changed to the non-power saving mode, when the mode of the power feed unit is switched from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode by the switching unit and the printing unit prints the print data.

9. An image reading apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that is configured to receive a scan instruction transmitted from an external apparatus;

a reading unit that is configured to read a document in response to the scan instruction received by the receiving unit;

a power feed unit that includes a non-power saving mode in which power is supplied to the receiving unit and a power saving mode in which no power is supplied to the receiving unit, the power feed unit configured to change the mode to control the supply of power to the receiving unit;

an input unit that is configured to receive an input of a switching instruction to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode;

a switching unit that is configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode when a stop condition which stops the supply of power to the receiving unit is satisfied, the switching unit configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode when the switching instruction is input by the input unit; and

a change unit that is configured to change the stop condition to a second condition which is more likely not to be satisfied than a first condition which is used before the mode is changed to the power saving mode, after the mode of the power feed unit is changed from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode and when the mode of the power feed unit is switched from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode by the switching instruction.

10. An image reading apparatus comprising:

a receiving unit that is configured to receive a scan instruction transmitted from an external apparatus;

a reading unit that is configured to read a document in response to the scan instruction received by the receiving unit;

a power feed unit that includes a non-power saving mode in which power is supplied to the receiving unit and a power saving mode in which no power is supplied to the receiving unit, the power feed unit configured to change the mode to control the supply of power to the receiving unit;

an input unit that is configured to receive an input of a switching instruction to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode;

a switching unit that is configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the non-power saving mode to the power saving mode when a stop condition which stops the supply of power to the receiving unit is satisfied, the switching unit configured to switch the mode of the power feed unit from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode when the switching instruction is input by the input unit; and

a change unit that is configured to change the stop condition to a fourth condition which is more likely to be satisfied than a third condition which is used after the mode is changed to the non-power saving mode, when the mode of the power feed unit is switched from the power saving mode to the non-power saving mode by the switching unit and the reading unit reads the document.