Controlling average power to a fuser

• US 7,412,185 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Hirst, Bartley Mark, Martin, Michael, Hall, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Hoang
• Application Number:
  US11/060,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20060182458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 399/37, 399/67, 399/69, 399/70, 399/68, 399/88, 399/486, 219/486
• US Class Current: 399/88
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/2039 with means for controlling the fixing temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/20 Details of the fixing device or porcess

Abstract

Disclosed are embodiments for controlling one or more subsystems of an imaging system to manage average power to a fuser.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a power sensing circuit to detect a level of power being drawn from a power source by one or more subsystems included in an imaging system; and

a controller to configure said apparatus to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source by a fuser in response to said detected level of power to limit the average power to the fuser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power sensing circuit comprises a circuit to detect an amount of current being drawn from said power source to power one or more subsystems of said apparatus, and wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to change an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to said detected amount of current.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to change the amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected level of power exceeding and/or falling below a threshold power level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said apparatus further comprises an interface to determine said threshold power level based, at least in part, on user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to decrease the amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level exceeding a first threshold power level and capable of configuring said apparatus to increase the amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level falling below a second threshold power level.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of changing a process speed and/or inter-page gap of said imaging system in response to said detected level of power.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of slowing a process of raising a temperature of the fuser in response to said detected level of power.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of maintaining a throughput of said imaging system up to a predetermined number of sheets of a print job and lowering said throughput for sheets in the print job beyond the predetermined number of sheets.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of delaying at least one of scanning an image, transferring an image to a first sheet of a print job and/or stapling in response to the detected level of power.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is capable of pausing print operations during a print job after a predetermined number of sheets of the print job in response to the detected level of power.

11. A method comprising:

supplying power from a power source to one or more subsystems comprising a printing system;

monitoring a level of power drawn from said power source; and

configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source by a fuser in response to said level of power to control the average power to the fuser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said monitoring a level of power drawn from said power source further comprises detecting an amount of current being drawn from said power source to power one or more subsystems, and wherein said configuring said printing system to change the amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises configuring said printing system to change an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to said detected amount of current.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said configuring said printing system to change the amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises configuring said printing system to change the amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected level of power exceeding and/or falling below a threshold power level.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprises determining said threshold power level based, at least in part, on a user input received at an interface.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises:

configuring said printing system to decrease an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level exceeding a first threshold power level; and

configuring said printing system to increase an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level falling below a second threshold power level.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising changing a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to said detected level of power.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising slowing a process of raising a temperature of the fuser in response to said detected level of power.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for supplying power from a power source to one or more printer subsystems of a printing system, said one or more subsystems comprising at least an imaging device to transfer an image to media;

means for monitoring a level of power drawn from said power source; and

means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source by a fuser in response to said detected level of power to control the average power to the fuser.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for monitoring a level of power drawn from said power source further comprises means for detecting an amount of current being drawn from said power source to power one or more subsystems of said printing system, and wherein said means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to said detected amount of current.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected level of power exceeding and/or falling below a threshold power level.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising means for determining said threshold power level based, at least in part, on a user input received at an interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said means for configuring said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source further comprises:

means for configuring said printing system to decrease an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level exceeding a first threshold power level; and

means for configuring said printing system to increase an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level falling below a second threshold power level.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for changing a process speed and/or inter-page gap of said imaging device in response to said detected level of power.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, said apparatus further comprising means for slowing a process of raising a temperature of the fuser in response to said detected level of power.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of subsystems including an imaging device and a fuser to fix an image to imaging media, at least in part, on image data;

a power supply to provide a converted power signal to one or more of said subsystems in response to a power signal from a power source;

a power sensing circuit to measure a level of power being drawn from said power source; and

a controller to increase and/or decrease a level of power provided to at least one said fuser based, at least in part, on said measured level of power drawn from said power source to limit the average power to the fuser.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said power sensing circuit comprises a circuit to detect an amount of current being drawn from said power source to power said one or more subsystems, and wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to change an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to said detected amount of current.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected level of power exceeding and/or falling below a threshold power level.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said apparatus further comprises an interface to determine said threshold power level based, at least in part, on a user input.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said controller is capable of configuring said apparatus to decrease an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level exceeding a first threshold power level and capable of configuring said apparatus to increase an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level falling below a second threshold power level.

30. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said controller is capable of changing a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to said detected level of power.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said controller is capable of slowing a process of raising a temperature of the fuser in response to said measured level of power.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said controller is capable of pausing print operations during a print job after a predetermined number of sheets of the print job in response to the measured level of power.

33. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon to;

monitor a level of power drawn from a power source for powering one or more subsystems of a printing system, said one or more subsystems comprising an imaging device to transfer an image to media; and

configure said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source by a fuser in response to said level of power to limit the average power to the fuser.

34. The article of claim 33, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to:

detect an amount of current being drawn from said power source to power one or more subsystems of said printing system; and

configure said printing system to change an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to said detected amount of current.

35. The article of claim 33, wherein storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to configure said printing system to change an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected level of power exceeding and/or falling below a threshold power level.

36. The article of claim 35, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to determine said threshold power level based, at least in part, on a user input received at an interface.

37. The article of claim 33, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to:

configure said printing system to decrease an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level exceeding a first threshold power level; and

configure said printing system to increase an amount of power being drawn from said power source in response to said detected power level falling below a second threshold power level.

38. The article of claim 33, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to change a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to said level of power.

39. The article of claim 33, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to slow a process of raising a temperature of the fuser in response to said level of power.

40. A system comprising:

a plurality of subsystems comprising at least;

a media input unit to sequentially dispense sheets of imaging media;

an imaging device to transfer images to imaging media dispensed from said media input unit based, at least in part, on image data; and

a media output unit to receive said imaging media having images transferred thereon;

a power supply to provide a converted power signal to one or more of said subsystems of in response to a power signal from a power source;

a power sensing circuit to measure a level of power being drawn from said power source; and

a controller to increase and/or decrease a level of power to at least one of said subsystems based, at least in part, on said measured level of power drawn from said power source to limit the average power to the fuser.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein said media output unit further comprises a stapler.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein said subsystems further comprise a scanner coupled to said imaging device for providing said image data.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein said subsystems further comprise an automatic document feeder to sequentially feed images to said scanner.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the media output unit further comprises a duplexer, flipper and/or sorter.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the media input unit further comprises one or more media trays.

46. The system of claim 40, wherein the plurality of subsystems further comprise a formatter.

47. The system of claim 40, and further comprising a bus to transmit at least a portion of said converted power signal to at least one of said media input unit and/or said media output unit.

48. A method comprising:

detecting a fuser under-temperature condition of an imaging device, said imaging device being among a plurality of subsystems of a printing system; and

reducing power provided to at least one of said subsystems in response to detecting said fuser under-temperature condition in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising evaluating a state of said under-temperature condition following said reduction of power provided to said at least one of said subsystems.

50. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

receiving power from a power source;

distributing said received power among at least some of said subsystems; and

redistributing power among said subsystems in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

51. The method of claim 48, said method further comprising changing a process speed of said imaging device in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

52. An apparatus:

means for detecting a fuser under-temperature condition of an imaging device, said imaging device being among a plurality of subsystems of a printing system; and

means for reducing power provided to at least one of said subsystems in response to detecting said fuser under-temperature condition in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, said apparatus further comprising means for evaluating a state of said under-temperature condition following said reduction of power provided to said at least one of said subsystems.

54. The apparatus of claim 52, said apparatus further comprising:

means for receiving power from a power source;

means for distributing said received power among at least some of said subsystems; and

means for redistributing power among said subsystems in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

55. The apparatus of claim 52, said apparatus further comprising means for changing a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

56. An article comprising:

a storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon to;

detect a fuser under-temperature condition of an imaging device, said imaging device being among a plurality of subsystems of a printing system; and

reduce power provided to at least one of said subsystems in response to detecting said fuser under-temperature condition in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

57. The article of claim 56, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to evaluate a state of said under-temperature condition following said reduction of power provided to said at least one of said subsystems.

58. The article of claim 56, wherein said storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to:

distribute power received from a power source among at least some of said subsystems; and

redistribute power among said subsystems in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

59. The article of claim 56, wherein storage medium further comprises machine-readable instructions stored thereon to change a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

60. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit to detect a fuser under-temperature condition of an imaging device; and

a controller to configure an imaging system to change an amount of power being drawn from a power source in response to said detected fuser under-temperature condition in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein said controller is capable of evaluating a state of said under-temperature condition following said change in power being drawn from said power source.

62. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein said controller is capable of distributing power received from a power source among a plurality of subsystems, and redistributing power among said subsystems in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

63. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein said controller is capable of initiating a change of a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to detecting said under-temperature condition.

64. A method comprising:

receiving power at a printing system from a power source;

distributing said received power among one or more subsystems of said printing system;

detecting one or more lapses in said receipt of power at said printing system over a predetermined period; and

reducing an amount of power being provided to said one or more of said subsystems in response to detecting said one or more lapses in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

65. The method of claim 64, said method further comprising changing a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

66. The method of claim 64, said method further comprising reducing an amount of power provided to a fuser in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

67. The method of claim 64, said method further comprising reducing an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

68. The method of claim 67, said method further comprising reducing an amount of current being provided to one or more of said subsystems.

69. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving power at a printing system from a power source;

means for distributing said received power among one or more subsystems of said printing system;

means for detecting one or more lapses in said receipt of power at said printing system over a predetermined period; and

means for reducing an amount of power being provided to said one or more of said subsystems in response to detecting said one or more lapses in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, said apparatus further comprising means for changing a process speed and/or throughput of said imaging device in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

71. The apparatus of claim 69, further comprising means for reducing an amount of power provided to a fuser in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

72. The apparatus of claim 69, further comprising means for reducing an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, further comprising means for reducing an amount of current being provided to one or more of said subsystems.

74. An apparatus comprising:

a circuit to detect one or more lapses in receipt of power at a printing system; and

a controller to reduce an amount of power being provided to one or more of subsystems of said printing system in response to detecting said one or more lapses in a manner which limits the average power to the fuser.

75. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein said controller is capable of changing a process speed of said printing system in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

76. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein said controller is capable of reducing an amount of power provided to a fuser in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

77. The apparatus of claim 74, wherein said controller is capable of reducing an amount of current being drawn from said power source in response to detecting said one or more lapses.

78. The apparatus of claim 77, wherein said controller is capable of reducing an amount of current being provided to one or more of said subsystems.