Image forming apparatus, power consumption restriction system, power consumption restriction program, and power consumption restriction method

• US 7,265,852 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 09/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Toyama, Katsuhisa, Goto, Jiro, Tada, Kaoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamb; Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milia; Mark R.
• Application Number:
  US10/108,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20020140964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,985 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.14, 358/1.9, 713/310, 713/320
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00

Abstract

A plurality of image forming apparatuses connected with one another via a network each have a power management table A and a power management table B. Each image forming apparatus uses the power management table A to cumulate power amounts consumed therein by each user group, transmits cumulating results (the contents of the management table A) to other image forming apparatuses. The image forming apparatus receives the contents of the power management table A from the other image forming apparatuses, obtains a sum of consumption power amounts of each user group, using the received contents and the contents of its own power management table A, and updates relevant fields in the power management table B. The image forming apparatus prohibits execution of a new job submitted by a group whose consumption power amount is equal to or greater than a maximum power amount.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, comprising:

a cumulating unit for cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed for executing jobs; and

a restricting unit for restricting, when a cumulated consumption power amount for any of the groups exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group by i) prohibiting execution of a job that is newly submitted by the group after the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount, and ii) permitting a job that is currently being executed to be completed, even if the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount.

2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the cumulating unit

(a) resets the cumulated consumption power amount for each group in a predetermined time cycle, and

(b) when a cumulated consumption power amount for any of the groups exceeded a power amount allocated to the group at an end a previous cycle, adds an excess power amount by which the cumulated consumption power amount exceeded the allocated power amount to a reset consumption power amount for the group.

3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the cumulating unit further cumulates idle-state power amounts consumed while execution of a job is not being performed.

4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the cumulating unit divides the cumulated idle-state consumption power amount equally for each group, and adds a divided consumption power amount to the cumulated consumption power amount for each group.

5. An image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, the image forming apparatus being connected to one or more homogeneous image forming apparatuses via a network, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a cumulating unit for cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in the image forming apparatus for executing jobs;

a transmitting unit for transmitting a cumulated consumption power amount for each group to the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a receiving unit for receiving a cumulated consumption power amount for each group transmitted from the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a summing unit for summing up, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in all the image forming apparatuses connected via the network for executing jobs, using the cumulated consumption power amount for each group obtained by the cumulating unit and the cumulated consumption power amount for each group received by the receiving unit; and

a restricting unit for restricting, when a summed consumption power amount for any of the groups obtained by the summing unit exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group.

6. The image forming apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the restricting unit prohibits execution of a job that is newly submitted by the group after the summed consumption power amount for the group obtained by the summing unit exceeds the allocated power amount.

7. The image forming apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the restricting unit permits execution of a job that is currently being executed to be completed, even if the summed consumption power amount for the group obtained by the summing unit exceeds the allocated power amount, and

the cumulating unit resets the cumulated consumption power amount in a predetermined time cycle or the summing unit resets the summed consumption power amount in a predetermined time cycle, and

the summing unit adds, when a summed consumption power amount for any of the groups exceeded a power amount allocated to the group at an end of a previous cycle, an excess power amount by which the summed consumption power amount exceeded the allocated power amount to a reset consumption power amount for the group.

8. The image forming apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the cumulating unit further cumulates idle-state power amounts consumed while execution of a job is not being performed.

9. The image forming apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the cumulating unit divides the cumulated idle-state consumption power amount equally for each group, and adds a divided consumption power amount to the cumulated consumption power amount for each group.

10. A power consumption restriction system comprising one or more image forming apparatuses and a restricting apparatus that is connected in a communicable state to the one or more image forming apparatuses and that restricts power consumption of the one or more image forming apparatuses,

wherein each of the one or more image forming apparatuses forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, and includes:

a cumulating unit for cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in the image forming apparatus for executing jobs; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting a cumulated consumption power amount for each group to the restricting apparatus, and

the restriction unit includes;

a receiving unit for receiving the cumulated consumption power amount for each group transmitted from the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a summing unit for summing up, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in the one or more image forming apparatuses connected via the network for executing jobs, using the cumulated consumption power amount for each group received by the receiving unit;

an obtaining unit for obtaining a power amount allocated to each group; and

a restricting unit for restricting, when a summed consumption power amount for any of the groups obtained by the summing unit exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group.

11. The power consumption restriction system of claim 10,

wherein the restricting apparatus is attached to one of the one or more image forming apparatuses.

12. The power consumption restriction system of claim 10,

wherein the restricting apparatus is a personal computer.

13. A computer readable medium encoded with a power consumption restriction program that is executed by an image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, the power consumption restriction program comprising:

a cumulating step of cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed for executing jobs;

an obtaining step of obtaining a power amount allocated to each group; and

a restricting step of restricting, when a cumulated consumption power amount for any of the groups exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group by i) prohibiting execution of a job that is newly submitted by the group after the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount, and ii) permitting a job that is currently being executed to be completed, even if the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount.

14. A computer readable medium encoded with a power consumption restriction program that is executed by an image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, and that is connected to one or more image forming apparatuses via a network, the power consumption restriction program comprising:

a cumulating step of cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in the image forming apparatus for executing jobs;

a transmitting step of transmitting a cumulated consumption power amount for each group obtained in the cumulating step, to the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a receiving step of receiving a cumulated consumption power amount for each group transmitted from the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a summing step of summing up, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in all the image forming apparatuses connected via the network for executing jobs, using the cumulated consumption power for each group obtained in the cumulating step and the cumulated consumption power amount for each group received in the receiving step;

an obtaining step of obtaining a power amount allocated to each group; and

a restricting step of restricting, when a summed consumption power amount for any of the groups obtained in the summing step exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group.

15. A power consumption restriction method that is executed by an image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, the power consumption restriction method comprising:

a cumulating step of cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed for executing jobs;

an obtaining step of obtaining a power amount allocated to each group; and

a restricting step of restricting, when a cumulated consumption power amount for any of the groups exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group by i) prohibiting execution of a job that is newly submitted by the group after the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount, and ii) permitting a job that is currently being executed to be completed, even if the cumulated consumption power amount for the group exceeds the allocated power amount.

16. A power consumption restriction method that is executed by an image forming apparatus that forms images by executing jobs submitted by users who belong to groups, and that is connected to one or more image forming apparatuses via a network, the power consumption restriction method comprising:

a cumulating step of cumulating, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in the image forming apparatus for executing jobs;

a transmitting step of transmitting a cumulated consumption power amount for each group obtained in the cumulating step, to the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a receiving step of receiving a cumulated consumption power amount for each group transmitted from the one or more image forming apparatuses;

a summing step of summing up, for each group, power amounts that have been consumed in all the image forming apparatuses connected via the network for executing jobs, using the cumulated consumption power amount for each group obtained in the cumulating step and the cumulated consumption power amount for each group received in the receiving step;

an obtaining step of obtaining a power amount allocated to each group; and

a restricting step of restricting, when a summed consumption power amount for any of the groups obtained in the summing step exceeds a power amount allocated to the group, job execution by the group.