Image forming apparatus and detachable control panel for controlling power supply to the control panel

• US 9,294,646 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Senba, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghayour, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beckley, Jonathan R
• Application Number:
  US14/600,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.13, 358/1.14, 358/1.15, 320/101, 320/103, 320/108, 320/149, 320/11, 700/286, 700/22, 700/28, 307/80, 307/85, 455/41.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 345/156, 345/173, 345/211, 713/300, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3284 Power saving in printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1221 with regard to power consumption
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/4055 Managing power consumption, e.g. standby mode computer driven power saving management for a printer G06F3/1221; power saving in a data processing device in general G06F1/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/406 Wake-up procedures start-up of a laser scanner G06K15/1219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00496 Constructional details of the interface or console not otherwise provided for, e.g. rotating or tilting means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00888 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00891 Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00893 using a back-up supply, e.g. in case of main-supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00901 Using different supplies or connection to an external supply H04N1/00893, H04N1/00896 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00904 Arrangements for supplying power to different circuits or for supplying power at different levels H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00907 Details of supply connection, e.g. arrangement of power cables H04N1/00901 and H04N1/00904 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A novel electronic apparatus includes a main unit of the apparatus and a detachable control panel that can communicate with the main unit of the apparatus. The main unit of the apparatus includes a first power supply that supplies power to the entire main unit. The control panel includes a generating unit that generates power using external light, a voltage detection unit that detects the generated voltage by the generating unit, a second power supply that is charged by the generating unit and supplies power to the control panel, a control panel status detection unit that detects a status of the control panel, and a power supply control unit that controls supplying power to the control panel from at least either one of the first power supply or the second power supply based on the detection results by the voltage detection unit and the control panel status detection unit.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

a main unit; and

an image forming unit to form an image on a recording medium;

a control panel that communicates with the main unit and is detachable from the image forming apparatus;

a connection detection unit that detects a connection result indicating whether or not the control panel is physically connected to the main unit of the image forming apparatus,

wherein the main unit includes;

a first power supply to supply power to the image forming apparatus,

the control panel includes;

a generating unit to generate power using external light;

a voltage detection unit to detect a voltage amount indicating voltage of the power generated by the generating unit,

a second power supply to be charged by the generating unit and supply power to the control panel;

a control panel status detection unit to detect a status of the control panel and includes a human body detection unit to detect the status indicating whether or not a human body of an operator exists adjacent to the control panel; and

a power supply control unit to control supplying power to the control panel from at least one of the first power supply or the second power supply based on the connection result detected by the connection detection unit, the voltage amount detected by the voltage detection unit, and the status detected by the control panel status detection unit.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case when the connection result indicates the control panel is not connected, the voltage amount is larger than a predetermined threshold, and the status indicates the human body of the operator exists adjacent to the control panel;

the power supply control unit instructs the second power supply to supply power to the control panel.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case when the connection result indicates the control panel is connected, the voltage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and the status indicates the human body of the operator exists adjacent to the control panel;

the power supply control unit instructs the first power supply to supply power to the control panel.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control panel status detection unit includes a capacitance detection unit to detect a capacitance of the control panel, and the power supply control unit instructs the second power supply to supply power to the control panel in case of detecting that the control panel is not connected to the main unit of the apparatus using the connection detection unit, determining that the generated voltage of the generating unit detected by the voltage detection unit is larger than a predetermined threshold, and detecting the human body based on the capacitance value detected by the capacitance detection unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control panel status detection unit includes a capacitance detection unit to detect a capacitance of the control panel, and the power supply control unit instructs the first power supply to supply power to the control panel in case of detecting that the control panel is connected to the main unit of the apparatus using the connection detection unit, determining that the generated voltage of the generating unit detected by the voltage detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and not detecting the human body based on the capacitance value detected by the capacitance detection unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a charge control unit to charge the second power supply using the first power supply in case of stopping supplying power to the control panel by the second power supply and starting supplying power to the control panel by the first power supply.

7. A control panel for operating an image forming apparatus and being connected thereto, the image forming apparatus including a first power supply to supply power to the image forming apparatus and the connected control panel, wherein the control panel is detachable from the image forming apparatus, the control panel comprising:

a connection detection unit that detects a connection result indicating whether or not the control panel is physically connected to the image forming apparatus;

a generating unit to generate power using external light;

a voltage detection unit to detect a voltage amount indicating voltage of the power generated by the generating unit,

a second power supply to be charged by the generating unit and supply power to the control panel;

a control panel status detection unit to detect a status of the control panel and includes a human body detection unit to detect the status indicating whether or not a human body of an operator exists adjacent to the control panel; and

a power supply control unit to control supplying power to the control panel from at least one of the first power supply or the second power supply based on the connection result detected by the connection detection unit, the voltage amount detected by the voltage detection unit, and the status detected by the control panel status detection unit.

8. The control panel according to claim 7, wherein in a case when the connection result indicates the control panel is not connected, the voltage amount is larger than a predetermined threshold, and the status indicates the human body of the operator exists adjacent to the control panel;

the power supply control unit instructs the second power supply to supply power to the control panel.

9. The control panel according to claim 7, wherein in a case when the connection result indicates the control panel is connected, the voltage amount is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and the status indicates the human body of the operator exists adjacent to the control panel;

the power supply control unit instructs the first power supply to supply power to the control panel.

10. The control panel according to claim 7, wherein the control panel status detection unit includes a capacitance detection unit to detect a capacitance of the control panel, and the power supply control unit instructs the second power supply to supply power to the control panel in case of detecting that the control panel is not connected to the apparatus using the connection detection unit, determining that the generated voltage of the generating unit detected by the voltage detection unit is larger than a predetermined threshold, and detecting the human body based on the capacitance value detected by the capacitance detection unit.

11. The control panel according to claim 7, wherein the control panel status detection unit includes a capacitance detection unit to detect a capacitance of the control panel, and the power supply control unit instructs the first power supply to supply power to the control panel in case of detecting that the control panel is connected to the apparatus using the connection detection unit, determining that the generated voltage of the generating unit detected by the voltage detection unit is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and not detecting the human body based on the capacitance value detected by the capacitance detection unit.