IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND NETWORK CONNECTION METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110085197A1
• Filed: 03/22/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HP Printing Korea Co., Ltd. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Youn-jae
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,562 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3284 Power saving in printer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• 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 1/00896 using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
• 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 1/32619 with retransmission retransmission after changing the mode H04N1/3333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0091 Digital copier; digital 'photocopier' H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0094 Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a communication interface unit to communicate with a network using a physical layer protocol (PHY), a first control unit that includes a first Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a normal mode, and to control the image forming apparatus, a second control unit that includes a second Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a power saving mode, and a switching unit to switch a data path between the PHY, the first MAC, and the second MAC according to the operation mode of the image forming apparatus.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus to operate in a plurality of operation modes, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a communication interface unit to communicate with a network using a physical layer protocol (PHY);

a first control unit including a first Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a normal mode, and to control the image forming apparatus;

a second control unit including a second Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a power saving mode; and

a switching unit to switch a data path between the PHY, the first MAC, and the second MAC according to the operation mode of the image forming apparatus.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the image forming apparatus is in the normal mode, the switching unit forms a data path between the PHY and the first MAC, and when the image forming apparatus is in the power saving mode, the switching unit forms a data path between the PHY and the second MAC.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit comprises:

a first flip-flop to transmit data to or to receive data from the PHY;

a second flip-flop to transmit data to or to receive data from the first MAC;

a third flip-flop to transmit data to or to receive data from the second MAC;

a multiplexer (MUX) to transmit data selectively from the second flip-flop or the third flip-flop to the first flip-flop, or to transmit data from the first flip-flop selectively to the second flip-flop or the third flip-flop; and

a selection unit to control the MUX according to data reception of the second flip-flop or the third flip-flop and according to the operation mode of the image forming apparatus.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit is provided in the second control unit.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second control unit further comprises:

a memory to store data transmitted from the communication interface unit; and

a data processor to analyze and to process the stored data.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if the stored data are data related to a printing job, the data processor informs the first control unit that the printing job is received.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if the first control unit receives a message informing that the printing job is received from the second control unit, the first control unit reads out the data related to the printing job from the memory and prints the printing job.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein if the first control unit receives a message informing that the printing job is received from the second control unit, the first control unit controls the communication interface unit to request retransmission of the data related to the printing job.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the image forming apparatus is in the normal mode, the second control unit operates in a low power mode or is turned off.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data path is connected through at least one Media Independent Interface (MII), Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII), Gigabit Media Independent Interface (GMII) and Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface (RGMII).

11. A network connection method of an image forming apparatus which is connected to a network using a physical layer protocol (PHY) and operates in a plurality of operation modes, the method comprising:

determining the operation mode of the image forming apparatus;

forming a first data path between a first control unit, which includes a first Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a normal mode and which controls functions of the image forming apparatus, and the PHY;

forming a second data path between a second control unit, which includes a second Media Access Controller (MAC) to perform Media Access Control for the PHY when the image forming apparatus operates in a power saving mode and which operates with lower power than the first control unit, and the PHY; and

switching to the first data path or the second data path according to the operation mode of the image forming apparatus.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the determining operation is performed by the second control unit.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein in the switching operation, if printing data are received through the second data path between the second MAC and the PHY, the second data path is switched to the first data path.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

informing the first control unit with the second control unit that data related to a printing job are received.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein in the informing operation, the data related to the printing job are transmitted to the first control unit.

16. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

requesting with the first control unit that a network which transmitted the printing job retransmit the data related to the printing job.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the first data path and the second data path are connected through at least one Media Independent Interface (MII), Reduced Media Independent Interface (RMII), Gigabit Media Independent Interface (GMII) and Reduced Gigabit Media Independent Interface (RGMII).

18. A method of connecting an image forming apparatus to a network with a physical layer protocol (PHY), the method comprising:

determining an operation mode of the image forming apparatus;

switching to a first data path between a first control unit of the image forming apparatus and the PHY when it is determined that the operation mode is a normal operation mode; and

switching to a second data path between a second control unit and the PHY when it is determined that the operation mode is a power saving mode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether printing data is received through the second data path; and

switching to the first data path when it is determined that printing data is received through the second data path.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

requesting with the first control unit that the network that transmitted the printing data retransmit the printing data.