Automatic power turn-off apparatus for an electronic apparatus

• US 4,870,526 A
• Filed: 09/09/1987
• Issued: 09/26/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ito, Masazumi, Maruta, Syuzi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jennings, Derek S.
• Application Number:
  US07/095,059
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 361/1, 307/140, 307/141, 307/141.4, 355/14 R, 355/15
• US Class Current: 361/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections

Abstract

In an automatic power turn-off apparatus, a signal for turning off power supply is outputted from a timer IC when time set by a power-off time setting key arrives, whereby the power supply of an associated copying apparatus is turned off. In the turn-off period, if an MPU determines that the copying apparatus is in trouble, the turn-off of the power supply is cancelled and the occurrence of the trouble in the copying apparatus is displayed in a display device to notify the user of the trouble.

Claims

1. An automatic power turn-off apparatus for an image forming apparatus for forming an image on paper, comprising:

image forming means for forming an image on said paper;

detection means for detecting a trouble state of said image forming means;

display means for displaying the trouble state of said image forming means detected by said detection means and information to be used for the image formation;

clock means for providing an output signal on arrival of a specific time of day;

setting means for arbitrarily setting said specific time of day in said clock means;

power supply means for supplying electric power to said image forming means and said display means while said image forming means is in operation and in a waiting state;

power supply turn-off means responsive to the output signal provided from said clock means for turning off the electric power supply from said power supply means to said image forming means and to said display means, and

control means for cancelling the turn-off of the electric power supply to said image forming means by said power supply turn-off means, upon detection of the trouble state by said detection means.

2. An automatic power turn-off apparatus for an image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein said power supply turn-off means comprises means for turning off the electric power supply to said image forming means and to said display means after completion of operation of said image forming means if said image forming means is in operation when said clock means provides the output signal.

3. An automatic power turn-off apparatus for an image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

instruction means for issuing an instruction for forcibly cancelling the turn-off of the electric power supply to said image forming means and to said display means by said power supply turn-off means, and

said control means comprising means responsive to the instruction from said instruction means for cancelling the turn-off of the electric power supply by said power supply turn-off means.

4. An automatic power turn-off apparatus for an image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

data setting means for setting data concerning image forming operation, and

timer means for measuring a predetermined time after said data setting means sets the data;

means for clearing the data set heretofore if new data is not set by said data setting means in a period in which said timer means measures said predetermined time, and

said power supply turn-off means comprising means for turning off the electric power supply to said image forming means and to said display means after completion of measurement of the timer means if said timer means is measuring the predetermined time when said clock means provides the output signal.

5. An automatic power turn-off apparatus for an image forming apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

mode setting means for setting a power saving mode in which the electric power supply to said display means is turned off when said image forming means is in the waiting state, and

said control means comprising means, upon detection of the trouble state of said image forming means, for causing said mode setting means to cancel the power saving mode so that the display means effectively displays the trouble state detected by said detection means.

6. If a copier having a plurality of power consuming components that operatively coact to form an image of an original, the improvement of an automatic power turn-off apparatus comprising:

copy means for copying an original set in an exposure position;

timer means for providing an output signal on arrival of a predetermined time;

power supply means for supplying electric power to said copy means;

power saving means for turning off certain predetermined power consuming components while maintaining power to other components requiring a long initialization period during power up of the copier to enable a power saving mode of operation during a copier waiting period;

means for activating a power saving mode of operation after a predetermined time period;

power supply turn-off means responsive to the output signal provided from said timer means for turning off the power supply from said power supply means to said copy means including means for turning off the power supply to said copy means after completion of operation of said copy means if said copy means is in operation when said timer means provides the output signal;

detection means for detecting a trouble state of said copy means;

instruction means for issuing an instruction for forcedly cancelling the turn-off of the power supply to said copy means by said power supply turn-off means;

data setting means for setting data concerning copy operation;

second timer means for measuring a predetermined time after said data setting means sets the data;

means for cancelling a power saving mode of operation in response to the detection of a trouble state;

notifying means for notifying the user of the trouble state detected by said detection means, and

control means for cancelling the turn-off of the power supply to said copy means by said power supply turn-off means, upon detection of the trouble state by said detection means, including means responsive to the instruction from said instruction means for cancelling the turn-off of the power supply to said copy means by said power supply turn-off means and means for clearing the data set heretofore if new data is not set by said data setting means in a period in which said second timer means measures said predetermined time.

7. The copier of claim 6 further including a clock means for providing a time measurement up to 24 hours as a reference for the timer means.