Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To improve convenience in starting up and returning from an energy saving mode of an image forming apparatus holding a plurality of systems.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises: a scanner control system 2; a plotter control system 3; a relay system 4 that controls the above-described systems and relays a request from an external device; an operation unit 5 that has a panel; an energy saving control unit 20 that, when receiving an instruction, makes a transition of the operating state of an application to an energy saving mode; a selection unit 30 that receives priority information in which one of priority to energy saving and priority to start-up is selected; a setting unit 40 that receives screen setting information in which an operation screen to be preferentially displayed is set; a detection unit 10 that detects a predetermined trigger; a determination unit 50 that determines the application to be restored and the operation screen during the restoration, on the basis of the detected trigger, priority information, and screen setting information; a display control unit 70 that displays the operation screen during the restoration on the panel; and a start-up control unit 60 that controls the start-up of the application to be restored.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] In image forming devices, there is a technology that determines which parts of the device should be restored from energy-saving operation based on triggers such as opening and closing a cover or setting an original or printing paper. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that reduces the user's operational burden by continuing the energy-saving mode even if the user opens the cover of the document tray to remove the document that was left there after the user has instructed the device to switch to the energy-saving mode while the document is still set on the document tray. However, there was a problem in that the screen display and system transition at the time of recovery were not what the user wanted, resulting in poor convenience. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The present invention aims to improve the ease of use of startup and recovery from energy saving mode in an image forming apparatus that has multiple systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a scanner control system for controlling the scanner; a plotter control system for controlling the plotter; a relay system that controls the scanner control system and the plotter control system and relays requests from external devices; an operation unit having a panel; an energy-saving control means for, when receiving an instruction to transition to an energy-saving mode, transitioning the operating state of at least one of a plurality of applications that operate the scanner control system, the plotter control system, the relay system, and the operation unit to the energy-saving mode; a selection means for receiving in advance priority information that selects one of an energy saving priority that prioritizes energy saving and an activation priority that prioritizes activation of the application; a setting means for receiving in advance screen setting information that sets an operation screen to be preferentially displayed among a plurality of operation screens; a detection means for detecting a predetermined trigger generated in at least one of the scanner control system, the plotter control system, and the operation unit; a determination means for determining, based on the detected trigger, the priority information, and the screen setting information, an application to be resumed from the energy saving mode from among the plurality of applications, and an operation screen to be displayed on the panel at the time of the resume from among the plurality of operation screens; a display control means for displaying the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel based on the determination of the determination means; a start control means for controlling the start of the application to be resumed based on the determination of the determination means; It shall be equipped with the following. [Effects of the Invention]

[0005] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the ease of use of startup and recovery from energy saving mode in an image forming apparatus having a plurality of systems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a home screen displayed on a panel of an operation unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display when a copy application is selected. [Figure 4]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for performing initial settings. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from the occurrence of a predetermined trigger to screen display. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from detecting a trigger for opening the scanner cover and placing an original on the scanner to performing a return operation. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from detecting a trigger for opening the printer cover and setting a document to be printed to a return operation. [Figure 8] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between triggers that cause recovery and applications displayed on the panel when energy saving priority is set. [Figure 9] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between triggers that are return causes and system transitions when energy saving priority is set. [Figure 10] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between triggers that are return causes and applications displayed on a panel when startup priority and copy application priority are set. [Figure 11] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between triggers that are return causes and system transitions when startup priority and copy application priority are set. [Figure 12] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between triggers that act as return factors and applications displayed on a panel when startup priority and priority is set to applications other than copy applications. [Figure 13] 10 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between triggers that act as return causes and system transitions when startup priority and priority is set to applications other than the copy application. [Figure 14] 10 is a table showing an example of correspondence between a system transition and a return cause triggered by pressing an operation panel. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings for explaining the embodiments of the present invention, components such as members and components having the same function or shape are designated by the same reference numerals as far as they can be distinguished, and descriptions thereof will be omitted once they have been described.

[0008] The present invention improves the ease of use of startup and recovery from energy saving mode for each system in an image forming apparatus having multiple systems. Hereinafter, "startup and recovery from energy saving mode for each system" will also be referred to as "startup and recovery from energy saving mode" as appropriate. The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a scanner control system, a plotter control system, and a relay system that relays the respective systems, and communication with external devices is performed by the relay system. The scanner control system has an operation unit where a panel operated by a user is arranged.

[0009] The image forming device determines the application to be started (also called "return application") based on a trigger when starting up or returning from energy saving mode, starts the system corresponding to the application to be started, and switches the application displayed on the panel. Each of the above-mentioned systems (scanner control system, plotter control system, relay system) or operation unit is started by starting an application (also called "app"), for example, and becomes able to execute each process. When determining an application to be started, the image forming device determines the application to be started using one of an energy saving priority setting that prioritizes an energy saving mode and a startup priority setting that prioritizes startup of an application, both of which are selected in advance by the user, and switches a screen on a panel on which the application to be started can be operated. In addition, the image forming device displays an operation screen (for example, a home screen or a screen for each application) on the panel of the operation unit in response to a trigger that causes startup or recovery from energy saving mode. When an operation to use a specific application is performed, the image forming device basically displays the application screen. In addition, the user can select whether to prioritize energy saving or startup, and based on the selected priority, the device displays the operation screen desired by the user when powering down or recovering from energy saving mode.

[0010] Here, we will explain an example of how the operation screen will be displayed. In the screen display of the comparative example, the following six steps are required to start copying from the power-off state / energy-saving state (a state in which the operation panel and each control system are in sleep mode to reduce power consumption). (1) The user performs the operation to start up / return from power saving mode. (2) The image forming apparatus transitions to a standby state (a state in which each application can operate). (3) The image forming device displays the HOME screen on the operation panel. (4) The user selects the copy application from the HOME screen. (5) The image forming device displays the copy application screen on the operation panel. (6) The user configures the settings on the application screen and starts copying.

[0011] In contrast to this, the image forming apparatus of this embodiment can display the screen in the following four steps. (1) The user performs the operation to start up / return from power saving mode. (2) The image forming apparatus transitions to a standby state (a state in which each application can operate). (3) The image forming device displays a copy application screen on the operation panel. At this time, the application screen to be displayed may be switched, for example, based on the initial settings made in advance. (4) The user configures the settings on the application screen and starts copying.

[0012] To achieve the above, the image forming apparatus of this embodiment adds a function that determines which application screen is displayed for which operation or setting when the user performs an operation to start up or return from power saving mode. Hereinafter, the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming apparatus 1 is composed of a scanner control system 2 that controls the scanner, a plotter control system 3 that controls the plotter, and a relay system 4 that controls the scanner control system 2 and the plotter control system 3 and relays requests from external devices, and is equipped with an operation unit 5 that has a panel. The operation unit 5 is connected to the scanner control system 2, and the panel is controlled by the scanner control system 2.

[0014] The scanner control system 2 and the relay system 4 are connected via a scanner interface (SCN I / F). The plotter control system 3 and the relay system 4 are connected via a printer interface (PRN I / F). The relay system 4 can be connected to external devices such as information processing terminals, recording media, etc. via interfaces such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface (USB I / F) and a Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) interface (WiFi I / F).

[0015] The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a detection unit (also referred to as "detection unit") 10, an energy saving control unit (also referred to as "energy saving control unit") 20, a selection unit (also referred to as "selection unit" or "priority selection unit") 30, a setting unit (also referred to as "setting unit" or "screen setting unit") 40, a judgment unit (also referred to as "judgment unit") 50, a start-up control unit (also referred to as "start-up control unit") 60, and a display control unit (also referred to as "display control unit") 70, which serve as control units for switching between normal mode and energy saving mode for each of the aforementioned systems and the operation unit 5, which are surrounded by dashed lines in FIG. 1, and for starting up each of the systems and the operation unit 5, etc. Here, the energy saving mode (also referred to as "energy saving mode") is a state in which the image forming apparatus 1 operates so as to consume less power than in the normal mode, for example.

[0016] The detection unit 10 detects a predetermined trigger that occurs in at least one of the scanner control system 2, the plotter control system 3, and the operation unit 5. The detection unit 10 notifies the determination unit 50 of the predetermined trigger as a result of the detection. The predetermined trigger may be, for example, at least one of the following processes. Opening and closing the scanner cover of the scanner control system 2 Opening and closing the printer cover of the plotter control system 3 Placement of the document in the scanner control system 2 -Installation of recording media such as printing paper in the plotter control system 3 Operation of the panel of the operation unit 5 (touching the panel, opening the panel cover, etc.) Copy job execution Scanner job execution Printer job execution The execution of a copy job, scanner job, or printer job may be, for example, a state in which an operation to instruct execution of each job has begun after opening and closing the cover, placing an original, paper, etc., or a state in which an operation to execute each job other than opening and closing the cover, placing an original, paper, etc., has begun.

[0017] The detection unit 10 may be configured to include, for example, a cover open / close detection unit 11, a document set detection unit 12, and a panel operation detection unit 13. The cover open / close detection unit 11 detects whether a cover provided in the scanner control system 2 or the plotter control system 3 has been opened or closed. The document set detection unit 12 detects that a document has been set on the surface where the document is to be set in the scanner control system 2 or the plotter control system 3, or that printing paper has been set in the position (location) where the printing paper is to be set. The panel operation detection unit 13 detects that the panel of the operation unit 5 has been operated.

[0018] When receiving an instruction to transition to the energy-saving mode, the energy-saving control unit 20 transitions the operating state of at least one of a plurality of applications that realize a system, etc. from the normal mode to the energy-saving mode. The targets of the transition of the operating state are, for example, a plurality of applications that operate each system or the operation unit 5, such as an application that realizes the scanner control system 2, an application that realizes the plotter control system 3, an application that realizes the relay system 4, or an application that realizes the operation unit 5.

[0019] The image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured to operate in either a normal mode that uses normal power or an energy-saving mode that reduces power consumption. A detailed description of the process of transitioning from the normal mode to the energy-saving mode will be omitted here. Whether the image forming apparatus 1 is operating in the normal mode or the energy saving mode may be stored in, for example, a storage area accessible by a control unit or the like included in the image forming apparatus 1. The accessible storage area may be, for example, the system memory (MEM-P) 302 or the local memory (MEM-C) 306 in Fig. 15, which will be described later.

[0020] In the following description, the memory area that can be referenced by the control means, etc. is a memory area that can be read or written by the control means, etc., and may be, for example, the system memory (MEM-P) 302, local memory (MEM-C) 306, or HDD 308 in Figure 15 described later, or a removable memory that can be read or written via an interface with the outside.

[0021] The selection unit 30 receives priority information that selects one of the energy saving priority and the startup priority, and notifies (outputs) the determination unit 50 of the priority information. Here, the energy saving priority mode is a mode in which priority is given to energy saving, and the startup priority mode is a mode in which priority is given to application startup. The selection unit 30, for example, displays a screen on the panel of the operation unit 5 that prompts the user to select priority information, and receives the priority information selected by the user.

[0022] The setting unit 40 receives screen setting information that sets an operation screen to be preferentially displayed among a plurality of operation screens, and notifies (outputs) the determination unit 50 of the screen setting information. The operation screen is a HOME screen or a screen of an application to be launched. The screen of an application to be launched may be, for example, a screen on which operations related to the application to be launched (start, stop, resume, end, etc.) are performed, and may also be a screen on which options to be used when using the application can be set. The image forming device 1 has multiple operation screens, for example, a copy application screen, a scanner application screen, a printer application screen, and a home screen. The setting unit 40, for example, displays a screen on the panel of the operation unit 5 that prompts the user to set screen setting information, and receives the screen setting information set by the user.

[0023] The judgment unit 50 judges, based on a predetermined trigger detected by the detection unit 10, priority information notified in advance by the selection unit 30, and screen setting information notified in advance by the setting unit 40, which of the multiple applications is to be returned from the energy saving mode and which of the multiple operation screens is to be displayed on the panel upon return. When the detection unit 10 detects the execution of a predetermined trigger, the determination unit 50 receives the detected trigger as a detection result. The operation of the determining unit 50 will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0024] The activation control unit 60 controls the activation of an application that causes the device to return from the energy-saving mode to the normal mode, based on the determination by the determination unit 50. The activation control unit 60 is notified of one or more applications to be resumed from the determination unit 50, for example, and controls the activation of the applications at the timing when the notification is received. For example, when the image forming apparatus 1 is operating in the energy saving mode, the startup control unit 60 controls the image forming apparatus 1 to return from the energy saving mode and transition to the normal mode, and when the image forming apparatus 1 is operating in the normal mode, the startup control unit 60 controls the image forming apparatus 1 not to return from the energy saving mode.

[0025] The display control unit 70 displays the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel of the operation unit 5 based on the determination of the determination unit 50. For example, the display control unit 70 is notified of the operation screen at the time of recovery from the determination unit 50, and displays the operation screen on the panel at the timing when the notification is received.

[0026] Here, the operation screen (user interface) that the display control unit 70 displays on the panel will be described. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a home screen displayed on the panel of the operation unit, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display when a copy application is selected. The home screen (HOME screen) is a screen that displays a list of applications. FIG. 2 shows an example in which three applications, a copy application, a scanner application, and a printer application, are displayed on the panel 501. When one of the applications is selected on the panel 501, the screen transitions to a screen related to that application. As an example, FIG. 3 shows a display example when the copy application is selected. The operation screen in FIG. 3 is also a screen that is displayed when the display control unit 70 is notified by the determination unit 50 of the copy application screen as the operation screen to be used upon recovery. After setting the "color" and "number of copies" on the copy application screen, the user can start copying by pressing the "start" button.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for performing initial settings. The screen in FIG. 4 shows an example in which an energy saving priority setting for selecting either energy saving priority or startup priority, and a priority screen setting for setting a screen to be displayed with priority, are provided as initial settings. When an operation to set the energy saving priority (for example, clicking on the energy saving priority setting) is initiated, the selection unit 30 may display a screen prompting the user to select energy saving priority or startup priority, and receive the priority information selected by the user. The energy saving priority / startup priority item may be configured so that the selected option is clearly indicated, for example, by displaying two options before selecting either energy saving priority or startup priority, and then displaying the selected option after selecting one, or by changing the color of the selected option and the unselected option.

[0028] For example, when an operation to set a priority screen (e.g., clicking on "Set Priority Screen") is initiated, the setting unit 40 may display a screen prompting the user to set the priority screen and receive screen setting information set by the user. The image forming apparatus 1 uses the operation screen set in the priority screen setting when a trigger for associating the operation screen occurs. The trigger for associating the operation screen may be, for example, when a trigger occurs that does not specify the start of a specific application, such as when the panel 501 of the operation unit 5 is operated, or when the scanner cover is opened or closed, a document is placed, the printer cover is opened or closed, a recording medium is placed, or the like. The HOME / copy app / scanner app / printer app items may be configured to, for example, display selectable HOME or applications before setting the operation screen to be displayed preferentially, and to display the set HOME or application after setting the preferred screen, or to display the set HOME or application separately from the unset HOME or application.

[0029] Next, an example of the operation from when a predetermined trigger occurs to when the operation screen is displayed when the image forming apparatus 1 is in the energy saving mode will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from the occurrence of a predetermined trigger to screen display. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from the detection of the trigger of opening the scanner cover and placing an original on the scanner to the return operation. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing from the detection of the trigger of opening the printer cover and setting a document to be printed to the return operation.

[0030] When operating in the energy-saving mode, the image forming apparatus 1 starts a startup and energy-saving mode recovery operation upon receiving a predetermined trigger (operation trigger) from a user operation (S11). Based on the predetermined trigger, the image forming apparatus 1 determines the application to be restored and the operation screen (screen on which the application can be operated) at the time of restoration (S12), and performs the restoration operation (S15 to S18). The above is an overview, and the restoration operation will now be described in detail.

[0031] When the detection unit 10 detects that a predetermined trigger has occurred (S11), it notifies the determination unit 50 of the detection result. The determination unit 50 starts the process of returning from energy saving mode when it receives the trigger detected by the detection unit 10. The determination unit 50 identifies which of the following triggers the predetermined trigger is (S12). Scanner cover open (opens and closes the scanner cover) - Document setting for scanner (placing the document) Printer cover open (Opening and closing the printer cover) - Printing manuscript setting (setting up recording media) - Pressing the operation panel (touching the panel, opening and closing the panel cover, etc.) Copy job execution Scanner job execution Printer job execution

[0032] The determination unit 50 also checks the priority information to see whether the priority is energy saving or startup. The determination unit 50 also checks the screen setting information to see whether the copy application is prioritized or the screen setting is other than the copy application. The judgment unit 50 uses the priority information and screen setting information to determine the application that is associated with the identified trigger and that will be returned from energy saving mode, and the operation screen to be displayed on the panel upon return (a screen on which the application to be launched can be operated, a screen on which the application associated with a specified trigger can be operated, etc.). At this time, the determining unit 50 uses, for example, the correspondence examples shown in the tables of FIGS.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between the triggers that cause recovery and the applications that are displayed on the panel when the energy saving priority setting is used. FIG. 9 is a table showing the correspondence between triggers that act as return factors and system transitions in the case of energy saving priority setting. FIG. 10 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between triggers that act as return causes and applications to be displayed on the panel when startup priority and copy application priority are set. FIG. 11 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between triggers that act as return causes and system transitions when startup priority and copy application priority are set. FIG. 12 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between triggers that act as return factors and applications displayed on the panel when startup priority and settings other than copy application priority are given. FIG. 13 is a table showing an example of the correspondence between triggers that act as return causes and system transitions when startup priority and settings other than copy application priority are given. FIG. 14 is a table showing an example of correspondence between system transitions and when pressing the operation panel is used as a trigger for a return cause.

[0034] When the determining unit 50 determines that the operation trigger is "scanner cover open or document placed on the scanner", it performs the process of FIG. 6 as a return operation (S13). If the confirmed priority information (S131) ​​is set to energy saving priority, the determination unit 50 determines that the operation screen at the time of recovery will not display a panel and that the application to be recovered is the relay system 4, according to the tables of Figures 8 and 9. If the priority information checked (S131) ​​has startup priority set, the determination unit 50 makes the following determination using the screen setting information. When startup and copy application are prioritized, the judgment unit 50 judges, according to the tables in Figures 10 and 11, that the operation screen at the time of recovery is the copy application and the application to be recovered is the application that launches the scanner control system 2, the plotter control system 3, the relay system 4, and the operation unit 5. If startup is prioritized and the application is not a copy application, the judgment unit 50 determines, according to the tables in Figures 12 and 13, that the operation screen to be displayed upon recovery is the scanner application, and that the applications to be recovered are the scanner control system 2, the relay system 4, and the operation unit 5.

[0035] When the determining unit 50 determines that the operation trigger is "printer cover open or document set for printing", it performs the process of FIG. 7 as a return operation (S14). If the confirmed priority information (S141) is set to energy saving priority, the determination unit 50 determines that the operation screen at the time of recovery will not display a panel and that the application to be recovered is the relay system 4, according to the tables of Figures 8 and 9. If the priority information checked (S141) has startup priority set, the determination unit 50 makes the following determination using the screen setting information. When startup and copy application are given priority, the judgment unit 50 judges that the operation screen to be displayed at the time of return is the copy application and that the applications to be returned are the scanner control system 2, plotter control system 3, relay system 4, and operation unit 5, according to the tables in Figures 10 and 11. If startup is prioritized and the application is not a copy application, the judgment unit 50 determines, according to the tables in Figures 12 and 13, that the operation screen at the time of recovery will be the scanner application and the applications to be recovered will be the plotter control system 3 and the relay system 4.

[0036] When the determination unit 50 determines that the operation trigger is "pressing the operation panel," if energy saving priority is selected, it determines that the operation screen at the time of recovery is the set priority screen and the application to be recovered is the relay system 4, according to the tables of Figures 8 and 9. Furthermore, when startup priority is selected, the determining unit 50 makes the following determination using the screen setting information. When startup and copy application are given priority, the judgment unit 50 judges that the operation screen to be displayed at the time of return is the copy application and that the applications to be returned are the scanner control system 2, plotter control system 3, relay system 4, and operation unit 5, according to the tables in Figures 10 and 11. If startup is prioritized and the application is other than a copy application, the determination unit 50 determines the priority screen (scanner, printer, HOME) that is set as the operation screen upon return and the application to be returned, according to the tables of Figures 12 to 14. The determination unit 50 makes a determination according to the correspondence shown in Figure 14 depending on the priority screen, and for example, if startup is prioritized and the priority screen setting is HOME, the entire system is turned ON so that all applications can be supported.

[0037] When the judgment unit 50 determines that the operation trigger is "execute a copy job," it determines that the operation screen at the time of return is a copy application, and the applications to be returned are the scanner control system 2, plotter control system 3, relay system 4, and operation unit 5, regardless of the priority information and screen setting information.

[0038] When the judgment unit 50 determines that the operation trigger is "scanner job execution," it determines that the operation screen at the time of return is the scanner app, and the applications to be returned are the scanner control system 2, the relay system 4, and the operation unit 5, regardless of the priority information and screen setting information.

[0039] When the judgment unit 50 judges that the operation trigger is "printer job execution", it judges that the operation screen at the time of return is the printer application and the application to be returned is the plotter control system 3 and the relay system 4, regardless of the priority information and screen setting information.

[0040] The startup control unit 60 receives the judgment result of the judgment unit 50, controls the restart of the application to be restarted, and starts (restarts) the corresponding system, etc. (scanner control system 2, plotter control system 3, relay system 4 or operation unit 5) by starting the application. The display control unit 70 receives the determination result of the determination unit 50, and causes the panel to display the application to be displayed upon return (S15 to S18, S132 to S134, S142 to S144).

[0041] 8 to 14 may be stored in advance in a storage area that can be referenced by the determination unit 50. The image forming apparatus 1 may be configured to include a storage unit that stores the information in the above-mentioned tables, and the determination unit 50 may be configured to refer to the storage unit to proceed with the processing. Alternatively, when the determination unit 50 is realized by a program, the information in the above-mentioned tables may be configured to be held (set) in the program that realizes the determination unit 50.

[0042] As described above, when the image forming apparatus 1 of this embodiment returns from the energy-saving mode, it changes the energy-saving priority or startup priority and the application displayed on the panel of the operation unit based not only on the return factor (such as opening or closing the cover or loading an original or paper) but also on information set in advance by the user. This allows the user to return from the energy-saving mode as intended, for example, by transitioning to a system or displaying the operation screen of a desired application. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid the display of an application screen not intended by the user, and to switch the display on the operation panel to the application screen based on the return factor and the user's specification.

[0043] <Modification>

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the selection unit 30 is configured to receive priority information selected by the user via the panel 501, but priority information previously selected by the user or the like may also be received via communication from an external information processing terminal or the like. Similarly, the setting unit 40 is configured to receive screen setting information set by the user via the panel 501, but screen setting information previously set by the user, etc. may also be received via communication from an external information processing terminal, etc.

[0045] In addition, when notifying the judgment unit 50 of the priority information, the selection unit 30 may notify by writing the priority information to a memory area that the judgment unit 50 can refer to, and any means may be used that allows the judgment unit 50 to obtain the priority information. When notifying the judgment unit 50 of the screen setting information, the setting unit 40 may do so by writing the screen setting information to a memory area that the judgment unit 50 can refer to, and any means may be used that allows the judgment unit 50 to obtain the screen setting information.

[0046] 8 to 14 in a storage unit or the like, the information in each table may be changed via the panel 501 of the operation unit 5 or an external information processing device, etc. This allows the user to flexibly change the system startup and return from energy saving mode depending on the usage situation.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the control means may be realized, for example, by a program or by a combination of a program and hardware.

[0048] <Hardware configuration of image forming device> Next, with reference to Fig. 15, an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 described in the above embodiment will be described using the image forming apparatus 300. Fig. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus.

[0049] The image forming apparatus 300 is constructed by an MFP (Multifunction Peripheral / Product / Printer) etc. The image forming apparatus 300 includes a controller 310, a short-range communication circuit 320, an engine control unit 330, an operation panel 340, and a network I / F 350.

[0050] The controller 310 controls the entire image forming apparatus 300, for example, controlling drawing, communication, and input from the operation panel 340. Specifically, the controller 310 has a CPU 301, which is the main part of the computer, a system memory (MEM-P) 302, a north bridge (NB) 303, a south bridge (SB) 304, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 305, a local memory (MEM-C) 306, which is a storage unit, an HDD controller 307, and an HDD 308, which is also a storage unit, and is configured such that the NB 303 and the ASIC 305 are connected by an AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) bus 309.

[0051] The CPU 301 is a control unit that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 300 .

[0052] The NB 303 is a bridge for connecting the CPU 301 with the MEM-P 302, the SB 304, and the AGP bus 309, and includes a memory controller that controls reading and writing to the MEM-P 302, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) master, and an AGP target.

[0053] The MEM-P 302 comprises a ROM 302a, which is a memory for storing programs and data that realize the functions of the controller 310, and a RAM 302b, which is used as a memory for expanding programs and data and for drawing when printing from memory.

[0054] The programs stored in the ROM 302a may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable format on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, CD-R, or DVD.

[0055] The SB304 is a bridge for connecting the NB303 to PCI devices and peripheral devices.

[0056] The ASIC 305 is an integrated circuit (IC) for image processing purposes that has hardware elements for image processing, and serves as a bridge that connects the AGP bus 309, PCI bus 311, HDD 308, and MEM-C 306, respectively.

[0057] ASIC305 consists of a PCI target and AGP master, an arbiter (ARB) that forms the core of ASIC305, a memory controller that controls MEM-C306, multiple DMACs (Direct Memory Access Controllers) that perform image data rotation using hardware logic, and a PCI unit that transfers data between scanner unit 331 and printer unit 332 via PCI bus 311.

[0058] The ASIC 305 may be connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface or an IEEE1394 (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 1394) interface.

[0059] The MEM-C 306 is a local memory used as an image buffer for copying and a code buffer.

[0060] The HDD 308 is a storage for storing image data, font data used during printing, and forms. The HDD controller 307 controls reading and writing of data from and to the HDD 308 under the control of the CPU 301.

[0061] The AGP bus 309 is a bus interface for a graphics accelerator card proposed to speed up graphics processing, and by directly accessing the MEM-P 302 at high throughput, the graphics accelerator card can be made faster.

[0062] Further, the short-range communication circuit 320 includes a short-range communication circuit 920a. The short-range communication circuit 320 is a communication circuit such as NFC or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0063] The engine control unit 330 is made up of a scanner unit 331 and a printer unit 332. The scanner unit 331 or the printer unit 332 includes an image processing unit such as error diffusion and gamma conversion.

[0064] The operation panel 340 includes a panel display unit 340a such as a touch panel that displays the current setting values ​​and selection screens, etc., and accepts input from the operator, and an operation panel 340b that includes a numeric keypad that accepts setting values ​​for image formation conditions such as density setting conditions, and a start key that accepts a copy start instruction. The operation panel 340 can be used as a panel included in the operation unit 5 shown in FIG. 1, and for example, the operation panel 340 may be configured to be managed by the scanner control system 2 as shown in FIG.

[0065] Image forming apparatus 300 allows the user to sequentially switch between document box function, copy function, printer function, and facsimile function using the application switching key on operation panel 340. When the document box function is selected, the device enters document box mode, when the copy function is selected, the device enters copy mode, when the printer function is selected, the device enters printer mode, and when the facsimile mode is selected, the device enters facsimile mode.

[0066] The network I / F 350 is an interface for performing data communication using the communication network NT. The short-range communication circuit 320 and the network I / F 350 are electrically connected to the ASIC 305 via the PCI bus 311.

[0067] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> a scanner control system for controlling the scanner; a plotter control system for controlling the plotter; a relay system that controls the scanner control system and the plotter control system and relays requests from external devices; an operation unit having a panel; an energy-saving control means for, when receiving an instruction to transition to an energy-saving mode, transitioning the operating state of at least one of a plurality of applications that operate the scanner control system, the plotter control system, the relay system, and the operation unit to the energy-saving mode; a selection means for receiving in advance priority information that selects one of an energy saving priority that prioritizes energy saving and an activation priority that prioritizes activation of the application; a setting means for receiving in advance screen setting information that sets an operation screen to be preferentially displayed among a plurality of operation screens; a detection means for detecting a predetermined trigger generated in at least one of the scanner control system, the plotter control system, and the operation unit; a determination means for determining, based on the detected trigger, the priority information, and the screen setting information, an application to be resumed from the energy saving mode from among the plurality of applications, and an operation screen to be displayed on the panel at the time of the resume from among the plurality of operation screens; a display control means for displaying the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel based on the determination of the determination means; a start control means for controlling the start of the application to be resumed based on the determination of the determination means; The image forming apparatus includes: <2> The detected trigger is at least one of opening and closing a scanner cover of the scanner control system, opening and closing a printer cover of the plotter control system, placing an original in the scanner control system, placing a recording medium in the plotter control system, operating a panel of the operation unit, executing a copy job, executing a scanner job, and executing a printer job; the screen setting information is an operation screen in which one of a copy application screen, a scanner application screen, a printer application screen, and a home screen is set as the operation screen to be preferentially displayed; The determination means determines the application to be resumed and the operation screen at the time of the resume, by dividing the case into a case where the priority is given to energy saving, a case where the priority is given to startup and a screen of a copy application is set in the screen setting information, and a case where the priority is given to startup and a screen other than a copy application is set in the screen setting information. <1> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: <3> The determination means determines the operation screen at the time of recovery when the detected trigger is an operation on the panel, execution of the copy job, execution of the scanner job, or execution of the printer job, and determines not to display the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel when the detected trigger is another trigger. <2> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: <4> The determination means determines that, when the start priority is given and a copy application screen is set in the screen setting information, if the detected trigger is the execution of the scanner job, the operation screen upon recovery is the screen of the scanner application, and if the detected trigger is the execution of the printer job, the operation screen upon recovery is the screen of the printer application, and if the detected trigger is any other trigger, the operation screen upon recovery is the screen of the copy application. <2> or <3> 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: <5> When the start-up priority is given and a screen other than the copy application screen is set in the screen setting information, the determining means sets the operation screen at the time of recovery to the scanner application screen when the detected trigger is opening / closing of the scanner cover, placing of the document, or execution of the scanner job, and sets the operation screen at the time of recovery to the printer application screen when the detected trigger is opening / closing of the printer cover, placing of the recording medium, or execution of the printer job, and determines based on the screen setting information when an operation on the panel is performed. <2> from <4> 10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged parallel to each other.

[0068] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and within the scope of the present invention, the elements of the above-described embodiments can be modified, added, or converted in ways that would be easily conceivable to a person skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1,300 Image forming device 2. Scanner Control System 3 Plotter Control System 4. Relay System 5 Control section 10 Detection unit (detection means) 11 Cover open / close detector 13 Document set detector 15 Panel operation detector 20 Energy saving control unit (energy saving control means) 30 Selection unit (selection means) 40 Setting unit (setting means) 50 Judgment part (judgment means) 60 Start control unit (start control means) 70 Display control unit (display control means) 501 Panel [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0070] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-314727

Claims

1. a scanner control system for controlling the scanner; a plotter control system for controlling the plotter; a relay system that controls the scanner control system and the plotter control system and relays requests from external devices; an operation unit having a panel; an energy-saving control means for, when receiving an instruction to transition to an energy-saving mode, transitioning the operating state of at least one of a plurality of applications that operate the scanner control system, the plotter control system, the relay system, and the operation unit to the energy-saving mode; a selection means for receiving in advance priority information that selects one of an energy saving priority that prioritizes energy saving and an activation priority that prioritizes activation of the application; a setting means for receiving in advance screen setting information that sets an operation screen to be preferentially displayed among a plurality of operation screens; a detection means for detecting a predetermined trigger generated in at least one of the scanner control system, the plotter control system, and the operation unit; a determination means for determining, based on the detected trigger, the priority information, and the screen setting information, an application to be resumed from the energy saving mode from among the plurality of applications, and an operation screen to be displayed on the panel at the time of the resume from among the plurality of operation screens; a display control means for displaying the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel based on the determination of the determination means; a start control means for controlling the start of the application to be resumed based on the determination of the determination means; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. The detected trigger is at least one of opening and closing a scanner cover of the scanner control system, opening and closing a printer cover of the plotter control system, placing an original in the scanner control system, placing a recording medium in the plotter control system, operating a panel of the operation unit, executing a copy job, executing a scanner job, and executing a printer job; the screen setting information is an operation screen in which one of a copy application screen, a scanner application screen, a printer application screen, and a home screen is set as the operation screen to be preferentially displayed; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means determines the application to be restored and the operation screen at the time of restoration, dividing the case into cases where energy saving is prioritized, where startup is prioritized and a copy application screen is set in the screen setting information, and where startup is prioritized and a screen other than a copy application screen is set in the screen setting information.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination means, in the case of the energy saving priority, determines the operation screen at the time of recovery when the detected trigger is an operation on the panel, the execution of the copy job, the execution of the scanner job, or the execution of the printer job, and determines not to display the operation screen at the time of recovery on the panel when the detected trigger is another trigger.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the determination means determines that when the startup priority is set and the screen setting information is set to a copy application screen, if the detected trigger is the execution of the scanner job, the operation screen upon recovery will be the scanner application screen, if the detected trigger is the execution of the printer job, the operation screen upon recovery will be the printer application screen, and if the detected trigger is any other trigger, the operation screen upon recovery will be the copy application screen.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein when the startup priority is set and the screen setting information is set to a screen other than the copy application screen, the judgment means sets the operation screen at the time of recovery to the scanner application screen when the detected trigger is opening / closing of the scanner cover, placing the original, or executing the scanner job, and when the detected trigger is opening / closing of the printer cover, placing the recording medium, or executing the printer job, the judgment means sets the operation screen at the time of recovery to the printer application screen, and when the detected trigger is an operation on the panel, makes a judgment based on the screen setting information.

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