System and method for power management directed to image forming apparatus, and usage management apparatus of image forming apparatus

• US 8,299,890 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US12/180,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 340 52- 574, 705/5, 713/202, 713/320, 358/1.15, 358/1.14
• US Class Current: 340/5.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A presence state inquiry unit refers to a use permission table stored in a data storage unit to extract a user permitted to use a target image forming apparatus, and inquires from an entry control server for a presence state of the extracted user in a particular area where the target image forming apparatus is placed. A mode transition unit transmits a transition command to a lower power consumption mode to the target image forming apparatus when all the users permitted to use the target image forming apparatus exist outside the particular area.

Claims

1. A power management system comprising:

an entry control apparatus for controlling a user'"'"'s access to at least one particular area;

an image forming apparatus placed in said particular area;

a usage management apparatus for managing use permission of each user for said image forming apparatus, and

a server apparatus for storing a location state of the each user input by the user, the location state indicating whether the user'"'"'s leaving the at least one particular area is temporary, wherein

said entry control apparatus includes;

a first reader unit placed near an entrance of said particular area to read identification information of the user; and

a state management unit to retain a presence state of each user in said particular area and to update said presence state of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said first reader unit,

said image forming apparatus includes;

a second reader unit to read said identification information of the user;

an inquiry unit to inquire of said usage management apparatus for the use permission of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said second reader unit; and

a manipulation enabling unit to enable acceptance of user manipulation when said usage management apparatus permits the user to use, and

said usage management apparatus includes;

a state obtaining unit to obtain said presence state of each user, permitted to use said image forming apparatus, from said entry control apparatus;

a location obtaining unit to obtain, from said server apparatus, said location state of the each user; and

a transition unit to cause said image forming apparatus to make a transition to a lower power consumption mode in which power consumption becomes less, when, with respect to all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus, the obtained presence state indicates that all of the users exist outside said particular area and the obtained location state indicates that all of the users'"'"' leaving is not temporary.

2. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said image forming apparatus is configured to be selectively installed a plurality of functions,

said usage management apparatus further includes an installed state obtaining unit to obtain an installed state of the function in said image forming apparatus, and

said transition unit selects one lower power consumption mode out of a plurality of said predetermined lower power consumption modes according to the installed state of the function in said image forming apparatus to cause said image forming apparatus to make a transition to the selected lower power consumption mode.

3. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein said transition unit causes said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode when a job in processing does not exist in said image forming apparatus.

4. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein said usage management apparatus further includes a returning unit to return said image forming apparatus to a normal operation mode from said lower power consumption mode when any one of the users, permitted to use said image forming apparatus, enters said particular area in the case where said image forming apparatus is in said lower power consumption mode.

5. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said usage management apparatus is configured to be able to perform data communication with a server apparatus where a groupware runs,

said server apparatus retains a location of each user, the location being inputted by each user, and

said transition unit causes said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode when the locations of all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus satisfy a predetermined condition based on the location of each user obtained from said server apparatus.

6. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said entry control apparatus controls entry permission of each user into said particular area based on a predetermined data table, and

said usage management apparatus permits, based on said predetermined data table, the user to use said image forming apparatus, the user being permitted to enter said particular area by said entry control apparatus.

7. The power management system according to claim 1, wherein

said entry control apparatus controls the user'"'"'s access to the respective particular areas, and

said usage management apparatus manages the use permission of each user for the respective image forming apparatuses.

8. A method for power management using a system including an image forming apparatus,

said system including an entry control apparatus for controlling user'"'"'s access to at least one particular area, said image forming apparatus placed in said particular area, a usage management apparatus for managing use permission of each user for said image forming apparatus, and a server apparatus for storing a location state of the each user input by the user, the location state indicating whether the user'"'"'s leaving the at least one particular area is temporary,

said entry control apparatus including a first reader unit placed near an entrance of said particular area to read identification information of the user, and a state management unit to retain a presence state of each user in said particular area and to update said presence state of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said first reader unit,

said image forming apparatus including a second reader unit to read said identification information of the user,

the method for power management comprising the steps of:

inquiring of said usage management apparatus for the use permission of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said second reader unit;

enabling the user to manipulate said image forming apparatus when said usage management apparatus permits the user to use;

obtaining said presence state of each user, permitted to use said image forming apparatus, from said entry control apparatus;

obtaining the location state from the server apparatus; and

causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to a lower power consumption mode in which power consumption becomes less, when all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus exist outside said particular area and the location state of all the users indicates that all of the users'"'"' leaving is not temporary.

9. The method for power management according to claim 8, wherein

said image forming apparatus is configured to be selectively installed a plurality of functions,

said method for power management further comprises the step of obtaining an installed state of the function in said image forming apparatus, and

said step of causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode includes the step of selecting one lower power consumption mode out of a plurality of said predetermined lower power consumption modes according to the installed state of the function in said image forming apparatus to cause said image forming apparatus to make a transition to the selected lower power consumption mode.

10. The method for power management according to claim 8, wherein said step of causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode includes the step of causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode when a job in processing does not exist in said image forming apparatus.

11. The method for power management according to claim 8, further comprising the step of returning said image forming apparatus to a normal operation mode from said lower power consumption mode when any one of the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus enters said particular area in the case where said image forming apparatus is in said lower power consumption mode.

12. The method for power management according to claim 8, wherein said system further includes a server apparatus where a groupware runs,

said server apparatus retains a location of each user, the location being inputted by each user, and

said step of causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode includes the step of causing said image forming apparatus to make a transition to said lower power consumption mode when the locations of all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus satisfy a predetermined condition based on the location of each user obtained from said server apparatus.

13. A usage management apparatus of an image forming apparatus, wherein said usage management apparatus is configured to be able to perform data communication with an entry control apparatus for controlling user'"'"'s access to at least one particular area, said image forming apparatus placed in said particular area, and a server apparatus;

said entry control apparatus includes;

a first reader unit placed near an entrance of said particular area to read identification information of the user; and

a state management unit to retain a presence state of each user for said particular area and to update said presence state of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said first reader unit,

said image forming apparatus includes;

a second reader unit to read said identification information of the user;

an inquiry unit to inquire of said usage management apparatus for the use permission of the user corresponding to said identification information read by said second reader unit; and

a manipulation enabling unit to enable acceptance of user manipulation when said usage management apparatus permits the user to use,

said server apparatus comprises a storage unit for storing a location state of the each user input by the user, the location state indicating whether the user'"'"'s leaving the at least one particular area is temporary;

said usage management apparatus comprises;

a state obtaining unit to obtain said presence state of each user, permitted to use said image forming apparatus, from said entry control apparatus; and

a transition unit to cause said image forming apparatus to make a transition to a lower power consumption mode in which power consumption becomes less, when all the users permitted to use said image forming apparatus exist outside said particular area and the location state of all the users indicates that all of the users'"'"' leaving is not temporary.