Equipment controller, image forming apparatus, and method for controlling equipment

• US 8,041,971 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Ryosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Connolly; Mark
• Application Number:
  US12/359,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20090235100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5004 Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off

Abstract

An equipment controller is disclosed that includes a CPU instructed to switch to a low power mode when being in a non-execution state. The equipment controller determines whether there is any execution task when the state of equipment switches to an energy-saving mode in which consumption power is reduced, and sets the interrupt cycle of a system timer of a real time OS that generates an interrupt for causing the CPU to awaken to be long if there is no execution task so that the CPU is caused to switch to the low power mode.

Claims

1. An equipment controller comprising a CPU that is instructed to switch to a low power mode when being in a non-execution state, wherein

the equipment controller determines whether there is any execution task when a state of equipment switches to an energy-saving mode in which consumption power is reduced, and sets an interrupt cycle of a system timer of a real time OS that generates an interrupt for causing the CPU to awaken to be long if there is no execution task so that the CPU is caused to switch to the low power mode.

2. The equipment controller according to claim 1, wherein

the interrupt cycle of the system timer when the CPU is caused to switch to the low power mode is set to activation time of a task that awakens next.

3. The equipment controller according to claim 1, further comprising:

a unit that corrects an error in the system timer.

4. An image forming apparatus comprising an equipment controller having a CPU that is instructed to switch to a low power mode when being in a non-execution state, wherein

the equipment controller determines whether there is any execution task when a state of equipment switches to an energy-saving mode in which consumption power is reduced, and sets an interrupt cycle of a system timer of a real time OS that generates an interrupt for causing the CPU to awaken to be long if there is no execution task so that the CPU is caused to switch to the low power mode.

5. A method for controlling equipment including a CPU that is instructed to switch to a low power mode when being in a non-execution state, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether there is any execution task when a state of equipment switches to an energy-saving mode in which consumption power is reduced; and

setting an interrupt cycle of a system timer of a real time OS that generates an interrupt for causing the CPU to awaken to be long if there is no execution task so that the CPU is caused to switch to the low power mode.