IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD

• US 20140347685A1
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Masahiko Hisada
• Inventors: HISADA, Masahiko
• Granted Patent: US 9,292,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4045 Managing the interface to the data source, e.g. choosing an interface for data reception
• 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: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a power supply control unit that controls switching a power source to an auxiliary power supply that stores therein power from a main power supply when the main power supply is off, and to the main power supply when the main power supply is on; a detection unit that detects whether the power source is the main or the auxiliary power supply; a communication mode control unit that switches a data transfer rate from a first high-speed mode to a first low-speed mode allowing power consumption lower than the first high-speed mode when the power source is the auxiliary power supply; and a print mode control unit that switches a print speed from a second high-speed mode to a second low-speed mode allowing the power consumption lower than the second high-speed mode when the power source is the auxiliary power supply.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

a main power supply;

an auxiliary power supply that stores therein power from the main power supply, and that supplies the stored power;

a power supply control unit that performs control of switching a power supply source to the auxiliary power supply when the main power supply is off, and control of switching the power supply source to the main power supply when the main power supply is on;

a detection unit that detects whether the power supply source is the main power supply or the auxiliary power supply;

a communication mode control unit that performs control of switching a data transfer rate from that of a first high-speed mode to that of a first low-speed mode allowing power consumption lower than that of the first high-speed mode when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply; and

a print mode control unit that performs control of switching a print speed from that of a second high-speed mode to that of a second low-speed mode allowing the power consumption lower than that of the second high-speed mode when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that controls operation of an operation/display unit, wherein

the display control unit turns off a backlight of the operation/display unit when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that controls operation of an operation/display unit, wherein

the display control unit stops display of information on the operation/display unit when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that controls operation of an operation/display unit, wherein

the display control unit changes luminance of a backlight of the operation/display unit in accordance with a voltage of the auxiliary power supply when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that controls operation of an operation/display unit, wherein

the display control unit displays information on the operation/display unit in accordance with a voltage of the auxiliary power supply when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that controls operation of an operation/display unit, wherein

the display control unit displays information with blinking on the operation/display unit in accordance with a voltage of the auxiliary power supply when the detection unit detects that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an accepting unit that accepts a setting for whether to switch the data transfer rate to that of the first low-speed mode, a setting for whether to switch the print speed to that of the second low-speed mode, a setting for whether to turn off a backlight of an operation/display unit, and a setting for whether to stop display of information on the operation/display unit.

8. A power supply control method performed in an image forming apparatus that includes a main power supply, and an auxiliary power supply that stores therein power from the main power supply, and that supplies the stored power, the method comprising:

performing control of switching a power supply source to the auxiliary power supply when the main power supply is off, and control of switching the power supply source to the main power supply when the main power supply is on;

detecting whether the power supply source is the main power supply or the auxiliary power supply;

performing control of switching a data transfer rate from that of a first high-speed mode to that of a first low-speed mode allowing power consumption lower than that of the first high-speed mode when it is detected that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply; and

performing control of switching a print speed from that of a second high-speed mode to that of a second low-speed mode allowing the power consumption lower than that of the second high-speed mode when it is detected that the power supply source is the auxiliary power supply.