JP2006079509A - Power saving management device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem wherein, although a method is proposed for operating electronic equipment in a power saving mode when there is no person in the room where the electronic equipment is installed and operating the electronic equipment in a normal mode when there is any person in the room in order to reduce power consumption, even when a person enters the room with the electronic equipment installed other than for the purpose of using the electronic equipment, the electronic equipment is operated in the normal mode. <P>SOLUTION: A power saving management device stores users who use electronic equipment frequently and, only when any frequent use user enters the room where the electronic equipment is installed, switches the mode of electronic equipment operation to a normal mode. When the frequent use user leaves the room with the electronic equipment installed, the mode of electronic equipment operation is switched to a power saving mode. Alternatively, the electronic equipment may be operated in the normal mode only when any frequent use user is in the room with the electronic equipment installed, and be operated in the power saving mode when no frequent use user is in the room. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a power saving management apparatus that suppresses power consumption of an electronic device such as an image processing apparatus.

  At present, various methods for suppressing unnecessary power consumption of electronic devices have been proposed. For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-8792, if there is a person in a room in which the electronic device is installed, the electronic device is operated in the normal mode, and if there is no person, the power saving mode has lower power consumption than the normal mode. It is the method of operating with.

  The power saving mode is a mode generally called a sleep state or a standby state. Specifically, the power of some parts such as a display panel is turned off, or the temperature of the fixing roller of the image processing apparatus. Is a mode in which the electronic device is operated while keeping the value lower than the normal mode.

If there is no person in the room where the electronic device is installed, there is no possibility of using the electronic device. Therefore, operating the electronic device in the power saving mode when there is no person makes it inconvenient for the user to use the electronic device. Therefore, useless power consumption can be reduced.
JP 2003-8792 A

  However, there are cases where a person enters a room in which an electronic device is installed for purposes other than using the electronic device. Therefore, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-8792, when a mode for operating an electronic device is determined based on whether a person is present in a room in which the electronic device is installed, even when the electronic device is not used at all In some cases, the mode in which the electronic device operates is switched from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a power saving management device that switches a mode for operating an electronic device from a power saving mode to a normal mode only when the electronic device is highly likely to be used.

  The power-saving management device of the present invention stores users who frequently use electronic devices, and switches the mode in which the electronic devices operate to the normal mode only when the frequently used users enter the room where the electronic devices are installed. . When a frequently used user leaves the room where the electronic device is installed, the mode in which the electronic device operates is switched to the power saving mode.

  It also manages whether users with high usage frequency are in the room where electronic devices are installed, and operates and uses electronic devices in normal mode only when users with high usage frequency are in the room. When a frequent user is not in the room, the electronic device may be operated in the power saving mode.

  When a plurality of electronic devices are installed in one room, only an electronic device that is frequently used by a user who is entering or staying in the room may be operated in the normal mode.

  As described above, according to the present invention, when a user who frequently uses the electronic device enters or stays in the room, the mode in which the electronic device operates is set to the normal mode. Therefore, the electronic device is likely to be used. Since the mode in which the electronic device operates only in the situation is the normal mode, further power saving can be achieved.

  In addition, when multiple electronic devices are installed in one room, further power saving can be achieved by setting the mode in which only electronic devices frequently used by users who are entering or staying in the room to operate are set to the normal mode. Can do.

(Embodiment 1)
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the power saving management device 100 includes a card reader 180 installed at the entrance of each room of the building, an electronic device 190 installed in each room, and a LAN (Local Area Network). Etc. are connected via a network.

  Persons who are given permission to enter the building room, such as company employees working in the building (hereinafter referred to as “users”), are given IC cards to prove their identity by the building manager. . For example, a user ID that can identify a user is stored in the IC card. When entering or leaving each room of the building, the IC card is held over the card reader 180.

  When the user enters the room while holding the IC card, the card reader 180 reads the user ID stored in the IC card, and transmits the read user ID and the room number provided at the entrance to the power saving management apparatus 100. (FIG. 2, S201). The transmitted user ID and room number are input to the entrance / exit recording unit 101 of the power saving management apparatus 100.

  The entry / exit recording unit 101 has a function of storing a room number and a user ID of a user in each room in association with each other. Upon receipt of the user ID and the room number from the card reader 180, the entrance / exit recording unit 101 determines whether the received user ID is a user ID already stored. The entry / exit recording means 101 determines that there is an exit if it is already stored, and determines that there is an entry if it is not recorded. When it is determined that there is a room entry, the room entry / exit management means 101 stores the received user ID and room number in association with each other.

  The entry / exit recording unit 101 functions as both an entry detection unit and an exit detection unit that determine whether a user has entered and exited in this way and detect the entry / exit of the user.

  Here, since it is assumed that the user has entered a room, the entry / exit recording unit 101 does not store the received user ID, and the entry / exit recording unit 101 associates the received user ID with the room number. And remember it.

  When the received user ID and the room number are stored in association with each other, the entrance / exit recording unit 101 inputs the stored user ID and the room number as an entrance signal to the entrance user determination unit 102 (FIG. 2, S202).

  When the user ID and the room number are input as the room entry signal, the room entry user determination unit 102 specifies the electronic equipment ID of the electronic equipment 190 installed in the room where the user has entered the room. For this specification, an electronic device installation table in which the room number and the electronic device ID of the electronic device installed in each room are stored in association with the room entry user determination unit 102 is used.

  When the electronic device ID of the electronic device 190 installed in the room in which the user has entered is specified, the room entry user determining unit 102 uses the electronic device 190 having a high use frequency among the electronic devices 190 in which the electronic device ID has been specified. The electronic device ID is specified using the storage unit 103.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the user storage unit 103 stores a usage frequency table 300 in which the electronic device ID of each electronic device 190 and the user ID of a user who frequently uses each electronic device 190 are described in association with each other. is doing. The usage frequency is determined based on, for example, the number of times the electronic device 190 has been used in the past month or year, the usage time, and the like. The input user determining unit 102 refers to the use frequency table 300 and associates the user ID input from the entry / exit recording unit 101 among the electronic device IDs of the electronic devices 190 installed in the room where the user has entered the room. The obtained electronic device ID is specified (FIG. 2, S203).

  When there is no electronic device ID associated with the user ID input from the entry / exit recording unit 101 among the electronic device IDs of the electronic device 190 installed in the room where the user has entered, the power saving management device 100 of the present invention The process related to entering the room ends here. Therefore, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates is not switched.

  If there is an electronic device ID associated with the user ID input from the entry / exit recording unit 101 among the electronic device IDs of the electronic devices 190 installed in the room where the user has entered, the input user determination unit 102 The user ID input from the leaving recording unit 101 and the electronic device ID specified in step 203 are input to the occupancy management unit 104.

  When the user ID and the electronic device ID are input from the occupancy user determination unit 102, the occupancy management unit 104 registers the input user ID and the electronic device ID in association with the occupancy list 400 shown in FIG. FIG. 2, S204).

  The mode switching unit 105 of the power saving management apparatus 100 operates each electronic device 190 whose electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400 via the network in the normal mode, and operates the unregistered electronic device 190 in the power saving mode. It is operating.

  In step 204, when the electronic device ID is newly registered in the occupancy list 400, the mode switching means 105 determines whether the mode in which the electronic device 190 with the newly registered electronic device ID is operating is the power saving mode or the normal mode. Is determined (FIG. 2, S205). For the electronic device 190 in the normal mode, the mode switching unit 105 keeps the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates in the normal mode, and for the electronic device 190 in the power saving mode, switches the operating mode to the normal mode ( FIG. 2, S206).

  The electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400 only for the electronic device 190 that is frequently used by the user who has entered the room. Therefore, the electronic device 190 that is not used at all by the user who has entered the room, or the electronic device 190 that is rarely used. Even if the user enters the room, switching to the normal mode is not performed. Therefore, even if the user is present in the room, if the user is unlikely to use the device, each electronic device 190 operates in the power saving mode. Therefore, the power saving management device of the present invention further saves power. Can be planned.

  Even if a user whose user ID is not stored in the user storage unit 103 enters the room, the mode in which the electronic device operates is not switched. Therefore, when a user whose user ID is not stored in the user storage unit 103 enters the electronic device, When operating in the power saving mode, in order to use the electronic device, the user needs to switch the mode to operate manually.

  In addition, in order to prevent a user whose user ID is not stored in the user storage unit 103 from using the electronic device 190, the mode switching unit 105 is switched based only on the occupancy list 400. So that manual switching cannot be performed.

  In addition, for the electronic device 190 that is frequently used by a user who has entered the room, the mode that operates simultaneously with the user's room entry is switched to the normal mode. Therefore, even if the user does not switch from the power saving mode to the normal mode by himself / herself. Can be used.

  Further, in the power saving mode, the temperature of the fixing roller or the like is kept low, and when printing or copying is performed with the electronic device 190 operating in the power saving mode, the user can change the mode in which the electronic device operates normally from the power saving mode. It is necessary to switch to the mode and wait for the temperature of the fixing roller or the like to rise. However, since the power saving management device of the present invention switches to the normal mode at the same time when the user enters the room, the time for waiting for the temperature rise of the fixing roller or the like is shortened.

  When leaving the room, the user holds the IC card over the card reader 180 as described above.

  The card reader 180 reads the user ID stored in the IC card, and transmits the read user ID and the room number provided at the entrance of the card reader 180 to the power saving management apparatus 100 (FIG. 2, S201). The transmitted user ID and room number are input to the entrance / exit recording unit 101 of the power saving management apparatus 100.

  When receiving the user ID and the room number from the card reader 180, the entrance / exit recording unit 101 determines whether the received user ID is a stored user ID, as described above.

  Here, it is assumed that the received user ID is stored in the entry / exit recording unit 101. Therefore, here, the entry / exit recording unit 101 determines that the user has left the room.

  When it is determined that the user has left the room, the entrance / exit recording unit 101 inputs the received user ID as the exit signal to the exit user determining unit 106 and erases the received user ID stored so far (FIG. 2, S202).

  When the user ID is input as the exit signal, the leaving user determination unit 106 determines whether or not the input user ID is described in the use frequency table 300 shown in FIG. 3 (S207 in FIG. 2).

  When the leaving user judging means 106 judges that the user ID is not described, the processing related to leaving performed by the power saving management apparatus 100 of the present invention ends here. Therefore, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates is not switched depending on the leaving of a user whose frequency of use is low for any electronic device 190.

  On the other hand, when the user ID is described, the leaving user determination unit 106 inputs the user ID input from the entry / exit recording unit 101 to the occupancy management unit 104.

  When the user ID is input from the leaving user determination unit 106, the occupancy management unit 104 associates the input user ID with the input user ID and the electronic device ID described in the occupancy list 400 in the occupancy state. It deletes from the list 400 (FIG. 2, S208).

  When the user ID and the electronic device ID are deleted from the occupancy list 400, the mode switching unit 105 determines whether or not the deleted electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400 in association with another user ID. Is determined (FIG. 2, S209).

  If registered, the electronic device 190 from which the electronic device ID has been deleted is an electronic device 190 that is frequently used by other users who are still in the room. The mode in which the electronic device 190 from which the device ID is deleted operates is left in the normal mode.

  On the other hand, if not registered, the mode switching unit 105 switches the mode in which the electronic device 190 from which the electronic device ID has been deleted in step 208 operates to the power saving mode.

  Therefore, when at least one electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400, each electronic device 190 operates in the normal mode. When no electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400, each electronic device 190 is operated. Will operate in power saving mode. Therefore, when even one user with high usage frequency is in the room, the electronic device 190 operates in the normal mode. When no user with high usage frequency is in the room, the electronic device 190 is in the power saving mode. Operates with.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the user storage unit 103 stores user IDs of users who frequently use the electronic device 190. However, when the usage amount of each user's electronic device 190 is limited, Only the user ID of a user whose usage amount has not reached the limit and whose electronic device 190 is frequently used may be stored in the user storage unit 103.

  When only the user ID of a user whose usage amount has not reached the limit is stored, in order to manage the usage amount of each user, a user specifying function for specifying the user who uses each electronic device 190 and the usage amount are counted. The electronic device 190 is provided with a counting function.

  As the user specifying function, for example, each electronic device 190 is provided with a card reader 180 that reads the above-described IC card, and the electronic device 190 can be used when the card reader of the electronic device 190 reads the user ID stored in the IC card. To be in a state.

  When the electronic device 190 is used by a user, the usage amount is counted, and the user ID read from the IC card and the counted usage amount are transmitted to the usage amount management unit 107 of the power saving management apparatus 100. The usage amount is, for example, the number of sheets used for copying or printing.

  The usage amount management means 107 totals the usage amount for each user ID based on the transmitted user ID and usage amount. The usage amount management unit 107 deletes, from the user storage unit 103, the user ID whose usage amount has become a certain amount or more as a result of the aggregation.

  As described above, by deleting the user ID from the user storage unit 103, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates is not automatically switched to the normal mode even when a user whose usage amount reaches the limit enters the room. Therefore, in the power saving management device according to the present embodiment, a user whose usage amount reaches the limit can hardly use the electronic device, and therefore, the use of the electronic device 190 exceeding the limit amount can be prevented.

Further, in order to reliably prevent the electronic device 190 from being used in excess of the limit amount, switching from the power saving mode to the normal mode can be performed only by the mode switching unit 105, and manual switching cannot be performed. May be.
(Embodiment 3)
In the first embodiment, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates is switched based on whether or not the electronic device ID is registered in the occupancy list 400, but the user who enters the room without using the occupancy list 400 If the user is frequently used, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates may be switched from the power saving mode to the normal mode. In addition, if the user who has left the room is a frequently used user, the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates may be switched from the normal mode to the power saving mode.

  However, in this way, when a frequently used user leaves the room, if another frequently used user remains in the room, it switches to the power saving mode due to the leaving of one frequently used user, This is inconvenient for users who remain in the room. Therefore, as in the present embodiment, when switching the mode in which the electronic device 190 operates without using the occupancy list 400, only one person can enter the room or there is only one user who is frequently used. It is desirable to use it in some cases.

The functional block diagram of a power saving management apparatus. The flowchart which shows the procedure in which switching between power saving mode and normal mode is performed. The conceptual diagram of a usage frequency table. The conceptual diagram of a registration list.

Explanation of symbols

100 power saving management device 101 entry / exit recording means 102 entry user judgment means 103 user storage means 104 occupancy management means 105 mode switching means 106 exit user judgment means 107 usage amount management means

Claims (6)

An entry detection means for detecting that a user enters a room in which an electronic device operating in a power saving mode with less power consumption than in the normal mode is installed;
User storage means for storing users who frequently use the electronic device;
A room entry user judging means for judging whether or not the user whose entry has been detected is a user stored in the user storage means;
A power saving management device comprising mode switching means for switching a mode in which the electronic device operates from the power saving mode to the normal mode when a determination is made that the user is stored. Exit detection means for detecting that the user leaves the room;
A leaving user determination unit that determines whether or not the user whose exit has been detected is a user stored in the user storage unit;
The power saving management device according to claim 1, wherein the mode switching means switches the mode in which the electronic device operates from the normal mode to the power saving mode when the stored user judgment is the leaving user judgment means. . The user storage means stores users who are frequently used for each electronic device,
3. The power saving management device according to claim 1, wherein the mode switching unit switches a mode in which only an electronic device frequently used by a user whose entry or exit has been detected is activated when there is a determination as a stored user. 4. . An entry detection means for detecting that a user enters a room in which an electronic device operable in a power saving mode with less power consumption than the normal mode is installed;
User storage means for storing users who frequently use the electronic device;
A room entry user judging means for judging whether or not the user whose entry has been detected is a user stored in the user storage means;
Exit detection means for detecting that the user leaves the room;
An exit user determination unit that determines whether the user whose exit has been detected is a user stored in the user storage unit;
Based on the determination of the room entry user determination means and the exit user determination means, occupancy management means for managing whether the user stored in the user storage means is in the room;
When the stored user is managed to be in the room, the electronic device is operated in the normal mode, and when the stored user is managed not to be in the room, the electronic device is operated in the power saving mode. A power saving management device comprising mode switching means for operating. The user storage means stores users who are frequently used for each electronic device,
5. The mode switching unit according to claim 4, wherein when the stored user is managed to be in a room, the mode in which only the electronic device that is frequently used by the user operates is switched from the power saving mode to the normal mode. The power saving management device described. A usage management means for managing the usage of each user of the electronic device is provided,
The power saving management device according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4, wherein the user storage unit stores only users with a high usage frequency whose usage amount is below a certain level.

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