APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DEACTIVATING POWER-SAVING MODE, RELAY DEVICE, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20130057883A1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: OHSHIMA, Atsushi, Teramoto, Keisuke, Yamada, Masami, Shibuta, Yoshiaki, Kubo, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 9,641,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00907 Details of supply connection, e.g. arrangement of power cables H04N1/00901 and H04N1/00904 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32502 in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A power-saving mode deactivation apparatus for performing communication via a communication network with specific processing apparatuses for particular processing is provided. The power-saving mode deactivation apparatus includes a storage portion for storing therein a deactivation method for deactivating a power-saving mode of each of the specific processing apparatuses; a detection portion for detecting that particular processing data for the particular processing is not delivered to, among the specific processing apparatuses, a destination specific processing apparatus of the particular processing data, and a deactivation portion for performing, when the detection portion detects that the particular processing data is not delivered to the destination specific processing apparatus, deactivation processing for deactivating a power-saving mode of the destination specific processing apparatus based on the deactivation method, stored in the storage portion, for the destination specific processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for deactivating a power-saving mode of a plurality of specific processing apparatuses through communication via a communication network, the plurality of specific processing apparatuses configured to perform particular processing, the apparatus for deactivating a power-saving mode comprising:

a storage portion configured to store therein a deactivation method for deactivating a power-saving mode of each of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses;

a detection portion configured to detect that particular processing data for the particular processing is not delivered to one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses being a destination specific processing apparatus of the particular processing data; and

a deactivation portion configured to, when the detection portion detects that the particular processing data is not delivered to the destination specific processing apparatus, perform deactivation processing for deactivating a power-saving mode of the destination specific processing apparatus based on the deactivation method, stored in the storage portion, for the destination specific processing apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission portion configured to, when the detection portion detects that the particular processing data is not delivered to the destination specific processing apparatus, send again the particular processing data to the destination specific processing apparatus after a preset time period has elapsed since the deactivation portion performed the deactivation processing.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein deactivating the power-saving mode makes it possible for the plurality of specific processing apparatuses to receive the particular processing data and to perform the particular processing.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the particular processing performed by the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is print processing to form an image on a sheet of paper by a printer unit including a fuser for fusing a toner image on the sheet of paper, and

deactivating the power-saving mode makes it possible for the plurality of specific processing apparatuses to receive, as the particular processing data, data for the print processing and to perform the print processing.

5. A relay device for relaying, to a destination specific processing apparatus of a plurality of specific processing apparatuses configured to perform particular processing, particular processing data for the particular processing, the relay device comprising:

a storage portion configured to store therein a deactivation method for deactivating a power-saving mode of each of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses; and

a deactivation portion configured to, when the particular processing data cannot be relayed to the destination specific processing apparatus, perform deactivation processing for deactivating a power-saving mode of the destination specific processing apparatus based on the deactivation method, stored in the storage portion, for the destination specific processing apparatus.

6. The relay device according to claim 5, further comprising

an obtaining portion configured to obtain characteristic data indicating a characteristic of each of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, and

a determination portion configured to determine the deactivation method for said each of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses based on the characteristic data;

wherein

the storage portion stores thereinto the deactivation method determined by the determination portion.

7. The relay device according to claim 5, wherein deactivating the power-saving mode makes it possible for the plurality of specific processing apparatuses to receive the particular processing data and to perform the particular processing.

8. The relay device according to claim 7, wherein

the particular processing performed by the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is print processing to form an image on a sheet of paper by a printer unit including a fuser for fusing a toner image on the sheet of paper, and

deactivating the power-saving mode makes it possible for the plurality of specific processing apparatuses to receive, as the particular processing data, data for the print processing and to perform the print processing.

9. The relay device according to claim 6, wherein, if the obtaining portion obtains, as the characteristic data of one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, data indicating that said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is compatible with a Wake On LAN (WOL), then the determination portion determines that the deactivation method to be used for said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is to send magic packets to said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses.

10. The relay device according to claim 6, wherein, if the obtaining portion obtains, as the characteristic data of one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, data indicating that a short-range wireless communication portion is provided which performs short-range wireless communication via a second communication network different from a communication network used for passing the particular processing data and operates even under a power-saving mode, then the determination portion determines that the deactivation method to be used for said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is to send a signal for deactivating the power-saving mode to said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses via the second communication network.

11. The relay device according to claim 6, wherein, if the obtaining portion obtains, as the characteristic data of one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, data indicating that said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is supplied with power via an intelligent power strip, then the determination portion determines that the deactivation method to be used for said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses is to instruct the intelligent power strip to start supplying power.

12. The relay device according to claim 5, further comprising a transmission portion configured to, when the particular processing data cannot be relayed to the destination specific processing apparatus, send again the particular processing data to the destination specific processing apparatus after a preset time period has elapsed since the deactivation portion performed the deactivation processing.

13. A method for deactivating a power-saving mode, the method comprising:

storing, in a storage portion, a deactivation method for deactivating a power-saving mode of each of a plurality of specific processing apparatuses configured to perform particular processing; and

when it is detected that particular processing data for the particular processing is not delivered to one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses being a destination specific processing apparatus of the particular processing data, performing deactivation processing for deactivating a power-saving mode of the destination specific processing apparatus based on the deactivation method, stored in the storage portion, for the destination specific processing apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon a computer program used in a computer configured to access a storage portion for storing therein a deactivation method for deactivating a power-saving mode of each of a plurality of specific processing apparatuses configured to perform particular processing, the computer program causing the computer to implement processes comprising:

detecting that particular processing data for the particular processing is not delivered to one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses, said one of the plurality of specific processing apparatuses being a destination specific processing apparatus of the particular processing data; and

when it is detected that the particular processing data is not delivered to the destination specific processing apparatus, deactivating a power-saving mode of the destination specific processing apparatus based on the deactivation method, stored in the storage portion, for the destination specific processing apparatus.