JP2004152190A - Printer system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to realize an even lower power consumption by independently controlling an engine power supply, a controller power supply, and an HDD power supply, and supplying an optimum power supply according to each device usage status in each mode.
An engine interface connects to an engine, a CPU interface connects to a CPU, a hard disk interface connects to a hard disk, a host interface connects to a host computer, a printer engine interface connects to a printer engine, and a scanner interface connects to a printer engine. A printer system connected to a scanner, wherein the power of the engine, the power of the CPU, the power of the hard disk, the power of the host computer, the power of the printer engine, and the power of the scanner engine are independent. And control means for performing the control.
[Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer system having a hard disk, and more particularly, to a printer system having an energy saving mode.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printer device such as a digital copying machine that prints image data, power is relatively large even in a standby state in which a printing operation is not performed. There is provided an apparatus for setting an energy-saving mode for preventing power failure. As a technique for further suppressing power consumption in the energy saving mode, the invention described in Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for lowering the power consumption in the energy saving mode by operating only the minimum necessary control devices. I have.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-191616 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 can stop power supply of unnecessary devices by supplying power only to necessary devices in the energy saving mode, but power is supplied to the entire inside of the necessary devices. Power is supplied to unnecessary internal circuits. In addition, the method of independently controlling the power of an HDD (hard disk) has not been described, and the energy saving control has not been appropriately performed in a mode in which only the HDD is accessed or a print mode in which the HDD is not used.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and further controls the engine power supply, the controller power supply, and the HDD power supply independently, and further supplies an optimal power supply according to each device usage state in each mode. An object is to realize low power consumption.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that an engine interface connects to an engine, a CPU interface connects to a CPU, a hard disk interface connects to a hard disk, a host interface connects to a host computer, and a printer. A printer system connected to a printer engine by an engine interface and connected to a scanner by a scanner interface, wherein the power source of the engine, the power source of the CPU, the power source of the hard disk, the power source of the host computer, the power source of the printer engine, And a control means for independently controlling the power supply of the scanner engine and the power supply of the scanner engine.
[0007]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the control means includes means for supplying power to only a minimum necessary power supply when accessing data in the hard disk.
[0008]
The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a detecting unit for detecting whether or not to supply power to the hard disk. When connection is detected, only the minimum required startup sequence is performed.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the invention, when the hard disk is not used during a printing operation, the power supply to the hard disk is stopped.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one configuration example of the printer system of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a CPU 1, a printer engine I / F2, a scanner engine I / F3, an ASIC 4, a main memory 5, a 10 / 100Base-TX I / F 6, a host PC 7, an HDD I / F 8, and an HDD 9 And Power Supply
Control 10.
[0012]
The CPU 1 is a CPU of a controller mounted on the MFP. A high-speed CPU is used, and the main CPU mainly performs control during operation. The printer engine I / F2 is connected to the print engine of the apparatus. The scan engine of the multifunction peripheral is connected to the scanner engine I / F3. The controller control ASIC 4 mainly controls the image processing system of the controller, and includes a CPU I / F, an engine I / F, and a memory controller.
[0013]
In operation, the main memory 5 develops firmware on the main memory and executes the firmware on the memory. In addition, a large-capacity memory is mounted to develop a print image into a bitmap in this memory area. The main memory also operates at high speed. The 10 / 100Base-TX I / F 6 is an I / F circuit for Ethernet connection with the host PC 7 and the like. The HDD 9 is connected to the HDD I / F 8. The HDD 9 mainly stores image data, and also stores information such as logs and font data. The power supply control 10 is a circuit that controls the power supply of the engine, the controller, and the HDD 9, and performs an optimal power supply in accordance with each mode and the usage state of each device.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the present invention. First, when the power of the apparatus is turned on, the apparatus is initialized (step S1). When the setting is normally performed, the apparatus shifts to a standby state, and the HDD power is cut off (step S2). Thereafter, when the printing operation is started, the printing operation is performed (step S3). However, when the print image data amount is large due to double-sided copying or electronic sorting at the time of bitmap development of the printing image and the mounting main memory alone is not sufficient, the HDD is used. Is determined to be used (Yes in step S4), and HDD power is supplied (step S5). When the printing operation is started (step S6) and the flag for shifting to the energy saving mode is set (Yes in step S7), the HDD power and the engine power are shut off, and the mode shifts to the energy saving mode (step S8). When there is a command to access the HDD from the host PC via the I / F such as Ethernet at the time of energy saving transition (Yes in step S9), the mode is determined and all the devices are conventionally started up and initialized in the present invention. The peripheral device is not formed, and only the controller and the HDD power supply are activated to enable access to the HDD (step S10). When the access operation is completed, the mode shifts to the energy saving mode again.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, power can be supplied according to each device operation status in each mode, and further energy saving can be achieved.
[0016]
Further, according to the present invention, a startup sequence for only HDD access and power supply can be optimally performed, and further energy saving can be achieved.
[0017]
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to control the power supply by confirming the HDD usage state during the printing operation, and it is possible to further save energy.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a printer system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing operation of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 CPU
2 Printer engine I / F
3 Scanner engine I / F3
4 ASIC
5 Main memory 6 10 / 100Base-TX I / F
7 Host PC
8 HDD I / F
9 HDD
10 Power Supply Control

Claims (4)

Connect with the engine by the engine interface,
Connect with CPU by CPU interface,
Connect with hard disk by hard disk interface,
Connect with host computer by host interface,
Connect with printer engine by printer engine interface,
A printer system connected to a scanner by a scanner interface,
Power for the engine;
A power supply for the CPU;
A power supply for the hard disk;
A power supply of the host computer and a power supply of the printer engine,
A printer system comprising control means for independently controlling a power supply of the scanner engine. 2. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for supplying power to only a minimum necessary power supply when accessing data in the hard disk. Having a detection means for detecting whether to supply power to the hard disk,
In the case of the energy saving mode, when the connection to the hard disk is detected by the detection unit,
3. The printer system according to claim 1, wherein only a minimum required startup sequence is performed. 4. The printer system according to claim 3, wherein the power supply to the hard disk is stopped when the hard disk is not used during a printing operation.

Images