Electric power source for equipment having power saving mode, power saving control device and image forming apparatus having the power source

• US 6,177,739 B1
• Filed: 10/23/1998
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Oyama, Hiroshi, Matsudaira, Tadashi, Watanabe, Masayuki, Sugano, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): FLEMING, FRITZ M
• Application Number:
  US09/178,301
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 307/125, 307/80, 307/81, 307/85-87, 307/29, 307/64-66, 307/23, 307/25, 713/324, 713/320-323, 399/81, 399/88, 399/89, 363/69, 363/70
• US Class Current: 307/125
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off

Abstract

In an electric power supply for supplying electric power, after a power factor has been improved, to an equipment having a power saving mode which is transferred to the power saving mode when the equipment is not operated for a predetermined period of time, the electric power supply includes: a power factor improvement section for improving the power factor by a switching operation; and a switch provided between a power source and the power factor improvement section for switching the electric power to either the power factor improvement section or the equipment. When the equipment is transferred to the power saving mode, the electric power is supplied by the switch to the equipment without passing through the power factor improvement section.

Claims

1. An electric power supply for supplying electric power to equipment, having a power factor improvement section and a power saving circuit for being activated when the equipment has not been operated for a predetermined period of time, said electric power supply comprising:

a power source for providing electric power; and

switching means provided between the power source and the power factor improvement section for switching the electric power to either the power factor improvement section or the equipment,

wherein when the power saving circuit is activated, the electric power is supplied by said switching means to the equipment without passing through the power factor improvement section.

2. The electric power supply of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of DC to DC converters provided between the power factor improvement section and the equipment for transforming the electric power supplied through the power factor improvement section, wherein when the power saving circuit is activated, the electric power is supplied by said switching means from the DC to DC converters to the equipment without passing through the power factor improvement section.

3. A power saving control device for establishing a power saving mode for equipment when the equipment has not been operated for a predetermined period of time, the equipment being provided with an operation section having a touch-panel to detect information from a depressed position by a coordinate detecting circuit, and a shift register for scanning one or more switches said power saving control device comprising:

a controller for activating said shift register and for bypassing the coordinate detecting circuit so as to detect whether the switches are depressed or not, when the power saving mode is established, and for causing the equipment to exit the power saving mode and enter into a standby mode, when it is detected that one or more the switches are depressed.

4. The power saving control device of claim 3 further comprising:

an operation section control means for controlling the operation section to be intermittently started at a predetermined interval, and for detecting whether the switches are depressed or not, when the equipment enters into the power saving mode.

5. An image forming apparatus which is configured to enter into a power saving mode when the apparatus is not operated for a predetermined period of time, and to enter into a standby mode in which an image can be formed instantly, and in the power saving mode, the apparatus having a first power saving mode in which a lower electric power is consumed than an electric power consumed in the standby mode;

a second power saving mode in which a lower electric power is consumed than that consumed in the first power saving mode; and

a third saving power mode in which a lower electric power is consumed than that consumed in the second power saving mode, and the apparatus capable of being transferred to each power saving mode with passage of time, said image forming apparatus comprising;

(a) a first switch for transferring the apparatus to the first power saving mode;

(b) a second switch for transferring the apparatus to the second power saving mode; and

(c) a third switch for transferring the apparatus to the third power saving mode.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first switch is a push type switch, and the second and the third switches are latching type switches, and when the image forming apparatus is in the standby mode, the first power saving mode, or the second power saving mode, an ON or OFF operation of the second switch is made effective, and when the image forming apparatus is in the standby mode or the first power saving mode, the first switch is made effective.