Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To more accurately determine the integrated power consumption of an image forming apparatus.SOLUTION: A fixing module has a heating element that heats a toner image, and temperature detection means that detects the temperature of the heating element. An image forming apparatus determines a control value for controlling a detected temperature to a target temperature and adjusts power to be supplied to the heating element according to the control value. The image forming apparatus acquires the value of power consumption of the fixing module in a period during which the heating element generates heat on the basis of the detected temperature, the control value, a current supplied to the heating element, or a voltage applied to the heating element. The image forming apparatus acquires the integrated power consumption of the fixing module by integrating a plurality of values of power consumption acquired at a plurality of times.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Image forming devices form images on recording materials using multiple loads. These loads include an image reader that reads images from documents, a motor that transports the recording material, a light source and high-voltage power supply that create a toner image on the recording material, and a heater that applies heat and pressure to fix the image on the recording material. In recent years, society has called for reducing CO2 emissions by reducing the power consumption of image forming devices. According to Patent Document 1, the amount of power consumed by an image forming device for each user is estimated from the amount of print data, and the amount of power consumption is displayed on a user interface. Users can use the image forming device within the range of a pre-allocated permitted power amount. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-120205 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to Patent Document 1, a personal computer (PC) estimates power consumption based on the data volume of print data and the monochrome / color printing setting. Therefore, the accuracy of the power consumption estimation is low. An image forming device has multiple modules, each of which has a different power consumption [W] (also called a power consumption value) and power consumption [W·s] (also called cumulative power consumption). Therefore, by acquiring the power consumption value for each module and accumulating the acquired multiple power consumption values, it would be possible to accurately acquire the cumulative power consumption of the entire image forming device. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to more accurately calculate the cumulative power consumption of an image forming device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention is, for example, a fixing module having a heating element for heating a toner image and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the heating element, and fixing the toner image on a sheet; a determination means for determining a control value for controlling the temperature detected by the temperature detection means to a target temperature; an adjusting means for adjusting the power supplied to the heating element in accordance with the control value; a first acquisition means for acquiring a power consumption value of the fixing module during a period when the heating element is generating heat, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means, the control value, and the current supplied to the heating element or the voltage applied to the heating element; a second acquisition unit that acquires an integrated amount of power consumption of the fixing module by integrating the power consumption values ​​acquired at multiple times by the first acquisition unit; The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having the above structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to more accurately calculate the cumulative power consumption amount in an image forming apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming system. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a user interface. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for acquiring the integrated power consumption amount for each functional module. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method for acquiring the integrated power consumption amount for each functional module. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method for integrating power consumption values. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of accumulating the power consumption value of the fixing unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a method of integrating power consumption values ​​of functional modules other than the fixing unit. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a method for acquiring power consumption values ​​of functional modules other than the fixing unit. [Figure 13] FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a control method. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing a control method. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention claimed. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are necessarily essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined arbitrarily. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0009] 1. Image forming system 1, the image forming system 100 is a copier or multifunction peripheral having an image forming device 10 and an image reader 20. Note that the image forming system 100 may also be a printer that does not have the image reader 20. Note that the image reader 20 may also be called an image reading device or a document reading device.

[0010] 1-1. Image forming device The image forming apparatus 10 may be a color printer or a monochrome printer. In the example of Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 is a tandem full-color printer capable of forming full-color images by electrophotography.

[0011] The image forming units 50y, 50c, 50m, and 50k form yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images, respectively. The letters ymck added to the end of the reference numerals in Figure 1 may be omitted when explaining matters common to all four colors.

[0012] The image forming unit 50 includes a photosensitive drum 1, a charger 2, an exposure unit 3, a developing unit 4, and a primary transfer roller 5. The photosensitive drum 1 is a cylindrical image carrier that rotates counterclockwise.

[0013] The charger 2 may be, for example, a corona charger that irradiates charged particles by corona discharge, charging the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. This causes the surface potential to become a negative or positive dark potential. The charger 2 may have a discharge roller or wire. A high voltage called a charging voltage or charging bias may be applied to the charger 2. The exposure unit 3 has, for example, a semiconductor laser or organic electroluminescence (EL) type light-emitting element as a light source, and scans light over the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 according to input image data. This forms an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. The developer 4 has a container that contains a developer consisting of toner and carrier, and a developing roller that supplies the developer to the photosensitive drum 1. This develops the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to form a toner image. A high voltage called a developing voltage or developing bias is applied to the developing roller of the developer 4.

[0014] The intermediate transfer belt 6 rotates while being stretched over multiple rollers including an opposing roller 11. The primary transfer roller 5 is disposed at the primary transfer position so as to face the photosensitive drum 1. A high-voltage primary transfer bias is applied to the primary transfer roller 5, which transfers the toner image carried on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1 to the intermediate transfer belt 6. Toner images of four color components are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 6 in a superimposed manner (primary transfer), thereby forming a full-color toner image. The intermediate transfer belt 6 carries this full-color toner image and transports it to the secondary transfer position. The opposing roller 11 and secondary transfer roller 12 are disposed at the secondary transfer position.

[0015] The cassette 7 is a storage container that stores a stack of sheets. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the image forming apparatus 10 includes only one cassette 7. However, the image forming apparatus 10 may include multiple cassettes 7 that can store sheets S of different types (for example, sizes, thicknesses, or whether or not they have a surface coating). The cassette 7 may be an optional feeding device connected to the image forming apparatus 10 as an optional cassette pedestal.

[0016] A feed roller 8 feeds sheets S one by one from the stack of sheets S in a cassette 7 to a conveyance path. A conveyance roller 9a conveys the sheet S along the conveyance path and sends the sheet to a secondary transfer position. A high-voltage secondary transfer bias is applied to a secondary transfer roller 12, which transfers the full-color toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 6 onto the sheet S that has reached the secondary transfer position (secondary transfer).

[0017] The fuser 13 is a fixing unit disposed downstream of the secondary transfer position. The fuser 13 has a fixing roller (or a cylindrical heating film) and a pressure roller, and applies heat and pressure to the sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred, thereby fixing the toner image to the sheet S. The conveying rollers 9b to 9e convey the sheet S that has passed through the fuser 13, and discharge it to the discharge tray 15 or the discharge tray 17 specified by the print job information. The discharge roller 14 discharges the sheet S, which has been handed over from the conveying roller 9d via the conveying path 18, to the discharge tray 15. The discharge roller 16 discharges the sheet S, which has been handed over from the conveying roller 9e via the conveying path 19, to the discharge tray 17.

[0018] 1-2. Image reader The image reader 20 has a light source 23 that irradiates illumination light onto the document 22 placed on the platen glass 21, and an image sensor 24 that receives image light from the document 22 and generates image data. Although omitted in Fig. 1, an automatic document feeder (ADF) that transports the document 22 one sheet at a time to the image reader 20 may be employed.

[0019] 1-3. Controller and power supply The AC control unit 31 supplies AC power supplied from an external power source 30, such as a commercial AC power source, to AC loads (e.g., the heating element of the fuser 13 and the AC / DC conversion circuit 32). AC is an abbreviation for alternating current. DC is an abbreviation for direct current. The DC control unit 33 supplies DC power generated by the AC / DC conversion circuit 32 to DC loads (e.g., the motor, the exposure unit 3, the controller 40, the image reader 20, the charger 2, the developer 4, the primary transfer roller 5, and the secondary transfer roller 12). The AC / DC conversion circuit 32 may have multiple DC / DC conversion circuits to generate different DC voltages. The controller 40 controls the generation of image data by the image reader 20 and the formation of an image on a sheet S by the image forming apparatus 10. The operation unit 41 provides a user interface for a user of the image forming system 100. The operation unit 41 includes, for example, a touch panel 42. The touch panel 42 includes a display device that displays images and information under control of the controller 40 and a touch sensor that accepts touch inputs from the user.

[0020] 1-5. Fuser unit 2A, the fixing unit 13 has a fixing film 201, a pressure roller 202, a heater holder 261, and a pressure stay 263. An arrow D1 indicates the conveyance direction of the sheet S. An arrow R1 indicates the rotation direction of the pressure roller 202. An arrow R2 indicates the rotation direction of the fixing film 201.

[0021] The fixing film 201 is a flexible, cylindrical (endless) film-like member. The pressure roller 202 has a core metal and an elastic layer. The heater holder 261 is disposed inside the fixing film 201. The heater holder 261 functions as a holding member that holds the heater 200. The pressure stay 263 is made of a rigid member such as metal, and applies pressure force received from a spring or the like (not shown) to the pressure roller 202 via the heater holder 261. This pressure force forms a fixing nip N2 of a predetermined area between the fixing film 201 and the pressure roller 202.

[0022] The heater 200 is a plate-shaped heat-generating member that contacts the inner circumferential surface of the fixing film 201 and rapidly heats the fixing film 201. The heater 200 is, for example, a ceramic heater. As a modified example, instead of the heater 200, a pressure plate without a heating function may constitute the fixing nip N2. In this case, a halogen heater or the like is disposed inside the fixing film 201 at a position separated from the inner circumferential surface of the fixing film 201, or inside the pressure roller 202. A thermistor 262 is attached to the heater 200. The thermistor 262 is a temperature detection element (temperature sensor) that detects the temperature of the heater 200.

[0023] The controller 40 adjusts the power supplied to the heater 200 from the external power supply 30 using a semiconductor switch element (e.g., a triac) to bring the temperature detected by the thermistor 262 closer to the target temperature. When the fixing film 201 is rotated by the pressure roller 202 and the temperature of the heater 200 reaches a predetermined target temperature, the sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is transported to the fixing nip N2. As the sheet S passes through the fixing nip N2, the heat of the heater 200 is applied to the sheet S via the fixing film 201. In other words, the unfixed toner image on the sheet S is heated and pressurized, and is fixed to the sheet S. After passing through the fixing nip N2, the sheet P is separated from the fixing film 201 and transported further.

[0024] 2(B), the heater 200 may have a heating element 205 and a heating element 206. When the sheet S is plain paper (low basis weight), the heating element 205 may be turned on and the heating element 206 may be turned off. When the sheet S is cardboard (high basis weight), both the heating elements 205 and 206 may be turned on. In this way, the controller 40 may switch the amount of heat supplied from the heater 200 to the sheet S depending on the basis weight of the sheet S.

[0025] 2. Display of cumulative power consumption The cumulative power consumption WA [W·s] of the image forming system 100 varies depending on how the image forming system 100 is used. Therefore, by showing the cumulative power consumption WA to the user, the user will be able to understand the cumulative power consumption WA and select a print mode with greater power-saving effects.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows an example of a user interface (UI) displayed on the touch panel 42. The controller 40 may integrate the amount of power consumed by the image forming system 100 for any period, such as hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly, and display the integrated amount on the touch panel 42. Alternatively, the trend of the integrated amount of power for any period, such as one day, one week, one month, or one year, may be displayed for the entire displayed period. Tab 301 is a UI that displays the integrated amount of power consumption (WA) for one month. In the graph shown in tab 301, the horizontal axis represents the date. The minimum value on the horizontal axis is the first day of each month. As a variant, the minimum value on the horizontal axis may be a date a predetermined number of days before the displayed date (e.g., 30 days before). The vertical axis of the graph in tab 301 represents the integrated amount of power consumption (WA) for each day corresponding to each date. FIG. 3 shows an example of a line graph, which may help the user understand the trend. Other types of graphs, such as bar graphs, may also be used. Numerical values ​​may also be displayed along with the graph. The horizontal axis of the graph in tab 301 may be switched, for example, on a weekly basis. In this case, the vertical axis indicates the weekly accumulated power consumption WA. While an example using a graph is described here, numerical values ​​may also be displayed in a table format. Tab 302 is a UI that displays the accumulated power consumption WA for one week. Although not shown, in the graph displayed by selecting tab 302, for example, the horizontal axis indicates the date and the vertical axis indicates the daily accumulated power consumption WA. Tab 303 is a UI that displays the daily accumulated power consumption WA. In the graph displayed by selecting tab 303, for example, the horizontal axis indicates the time and the vertical axis indicates the hourly accumulated power consumption WA. Controller 40 activates a tab selected by the user from tabs 301 to 303. Furthermore, touch panel 42 may display the accumulated power consumption WA of image forming system 100 obtained by starting the accumulation of power consumption values ​​after image forming system 100 is installed in a customer's room. In this way, the accumulation period may be selected by the user or may be predetermined. The integrated power consumption WA may be displayed separately for each module.For example, the integrated power consumption WA of the fixing module 403 and the integrated power consumption WA of the main body module may be displayed in separate columns or as separate graphs.

[0027] 3. How to calculate cumulative power consumption 3-1. Acquisition and integration of power consumption values ​​for each module The image forming system 100 has many loads. Connecting a power meter (power sensor) to each load increases the manufacturing cost of the image forming system 100. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the number of power meters. For example, there are possible methods for estimating the amount of power based on a current value acquired using a current detection circuit, a method for estimating the amount of power based on a voltage value acquired using a voltage detection circuit, or a method for estimating the amount of power without using either a current detection circuit or a voltage detection circuit. It is also desirable to acquire the amount of power accurately and efficiently.

[0028] Therefore, in this embodiment, the image forming system 100 is divided into several functional modules, and the power consumption value Pm is calculated for each functional module, thereby accurately and efficiently obtaining the power consumption value Pm and the cumulative power consumption amount Wm. The operation of each functional module may differ depending on the state of the image forming system 100. Therefore, loads that have the same or similar power consumption tendency in each operating state may be classified into the same module. In this embodiment, a functional module may be called a load group, which consists of one or more loads that are the subject of calculation of the power consumption value Pm and the cumulative power consumption amount Wm.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of multiple functional modules. The multiple functional modules can obtain the integrated power consumption Wm using different calculation methods. The reader module 401 is a functional module made up of the image reader 20. The integrated power consumption of the reader module 401 is Wm1 [W·s]. The integrated power consumption Wm1 of the reader module 401 is the amount of power required to read one side of the document 22, and therefore may be treated as a fixed value for each side. This allows the integrated power consumption Wm1 to be obtained using a simple method without using a wattmeter.

[0030] The controller module 402 is a functional module made up of a controller 40 and an operation unit 41. The integrated power consumption of the controller module 402 is Wm2 [W·s]. The integrated power consumption Wm2 of the controller module 402 may also be treated as an approximately fixed value. This allows the integrated power consumption Wm2 to be obtained by a simple method without using a power meter.

[0031] The fixing module 403 is a functional module including the fixing unit 13. The integrated power consumption of the fixing module 403 is Wm3 [W·s]. The integrated power consumption Wm3 consumed by the fixing unit 13 varies depending on the initial temperature when the fixing unit 13 transitions from a standby state to a wake-up state (also called a warm-up state). Therefore, the power consumption value may be integrated for each control cycle of the heater 200. For example, the controller 40 determines the power value to be supplied to the heater 200 according to the temperature detected by the thermistor 262, and supplies AC current to the heater 200 at a control value (control duty) corresponding to the determined power value. In other words, the thermistor 262 detects the temperature for each control cycle, and the control value is determined. Therefore, the controller 40 calculates the power consumption for each control cycle. This allows the power consumption of the fixing unit 13 to be calculated accurately. In the following, DUTY is used as a variable indicating the control value.

[0032] The main module 404 is composed of multiple loads that primarily consume power when the image forming system 100 is in an active state. The integrated power consumption of the main module 404 is Wm4 [W·s]. For example, the main module 404 includes a motor M1, a charging power supply 411, an exposure device 3, a developing power supply 412, a primary transfer power supply 413, and a secondary transfer power supply 414. These loads have a power consumption value Pm and an integrated power consumption Wm that change depending on the print job. The motor M1 is a drive source that rotates the conveyance rollers 9a to 9e, the discharge rollers 14 and 16, the photosensitive drum 1, and the like. The charging power supply 411 is part of the AC / DC conversion circuit 32 and is a power supply device that generates a charging voltage. The developing power supply 412 is part of the AC / DC conversion circuit 32 and is a power supply device that generates a developing voltage. The primary transfer power supply 413 is part of the AC / DC conversion circuit 32 and is a power supply device that generates a primary transfer voltage. The secondary transfer power supply 414 is part of the AC / DC conversion circuit 32 and is a power supply device that generates a secondary transfer voltage. The integrated power consumption Wm4 of the main module 404 may vary depending on the print job. For example, the integrated power consumption Wm4 when A4 size is specified in the print job is different from the integrated power consumption Wm4 when A3 size is specified in the print job. Also, the integrated power consumption Wm4 when a low process speed PS1 [m / s] is specified in the print job is different from the integrated power consumption Wm4 when a high process speed PS2 [m / s] is specified in the print job. The process speed may also be referred to as the conveyance speed of the sheet S. The integrated power consumption Wm4 for monochrome printing is also different from the integrated power consumption Wm4 for full-color printing. Therefore, the integrated power consumption Wm4 is calculated for each image formed on the sheet S.

[0033] The feeding device 70 and the post-processing device 80 are each an optional device. When an optional device is attached to the image forming apparatus 10, the power consumption value Pm and the integrated power consumption Wm of the optional device may be acquired for each module. The optional device may be part of the main body module 404. However, as described below, the optional device may also be included in a module independent of the main body module 404.

[0034] The optional module 405 includes a feeding device 70 that is connected to the side or bottom of the image forming apparatus 10. The integrated power consumption of the optional module 405 is Wm5. The housing of the feeding device 70 and the housing of the image forming apparatus 10 may be separate.

[0035] The option module 406 includes a post-processing device 80 that is connected to the side of the image forming apparatus 10, for example. The integrated power consumption of the option module 406 is Wm6. The housing of the post-processing device 80 may be separate from the housing of the image forming apparatus 10. The post-processing device 80 may be an image inspection device, a sorting device, a bookbinding device, a stapling device, a punching device, or the like.

[0036] The maximum current value that can be supplied from one power outlet is regulated by law (e.g., 15 A, 20 A, etc.). Therefore, one power cable may be provided on the housing of image forming apparatus 10, and another power cable may be provided on the housing of an optional device (feeding device 70, post-processing device 80).

[0037] The controller 40 adds up the accumulated power consumption Wm1, Wm2, Wm3, and Wm4 to calculate the accumulated power consumption WA of the entire image forming system 100. If the optional module 405 is present, the accumulated power consumption Wm5 is also added to the accumulated power consumption WA. If the optional module 406 is present, the accumulated power consumption Wm6 is also added to the accumulated power consumption WA.

[0038] The controller 40 displays the accumulated power consumption WA on the touch panel 42. The controller 40 may log the accumulated power consumption WA for each day. The controller 40 may calculate the accumulated power consumption for each week, month, or year based on the logged accumulated power consumption for each day. The logged accumulated power consumption WA may be stored in a ROM area (e.g., a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, etc.) of the memory 701 shown in FIG. 7.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows a method for accumulating power consumption values. The operating states of the image forming system 100 include a sleep state, a standby state, and a print state (active state). The sleep state is a state in which the system waits for a print job to be received, and is the state with the lowest power consumption. The standby state is a state in which image formation can begin immediately upon receiving a print job. The print state is a state in which the image forming system 100 forms an image on a sheet S.

[0040] Frame 501 shows the change in the power consumption value Pm for the fixing unit 13. When a print job is input, the fixing unit 13 performs a wake-up operation (W-UP). The wake-up operation causes the temperature of the heater 200 to rise to a target temperature. When the temperature of the heater 200 reaches the target temperature, the fixing unit 13 enters a fixing-enabled state (PRINT) and can fix a toner image onto the sheet S. Note that the power consumption value [W] required for the wake-up operation is greater than the power consumption value [W] required to maintain the temperature of the heater 200 at the target temperature.

[0041] Frame 502 shows the change in power consumption value Pm of main body module 404. Power consumption value Pm of main body module 404 is determined by the print job, and is approximately constant in the printing state (active state).

[0042] Box 503 shows the change in the integrated power consumption WA from the sleep mode to the end of the print mode. The controller 40 calculates the integrated power consumption WA by accumulating and adding up the power consumption values ​​Pm of all functional modules over time. In this example, the controller 40 adds the integrated power consumption Wm3 of the fixing module 403 (fixing unit 13) to the integrated power consumption WA for each control cycle of the fixing unit 13. Since the integrated power consumption Wm3 is added to the integrated power consumption WA for each control cycle of the fixing unit 13, the integrated power consumption WA increases stepwise for each control cycle. The controller 40 may also add up the integrated power consumption Wm1, Wm2, and Wm4 of the reader module 401, controller module 402, and main body module 404 to the integrated power consumption WA for each image.

[0043] In frame 503, Sleep accumulation indicates the timing at which the accumulated power consumption in the sleep state is added to the accumulated power consumption WA. Print accumulation indicates the start timing of accumulation of the power consumption value Pm in the print state.

[0044] FIG. 6 shows the power consumption Pm [W] of each module in each operating state of the image forming system 100. The power consumption Pm and cumulative power consumption Wm in the sleep state (SLEEP) are very low. However, loads operating in the sleep state (e.g., communication circuits) also operate in the print and standby states. When a copy job is input to the image forming system 100, the image forming system 100 transitions from the sleep state to the print state. The image reader 20 scans the document 22. The power consumption Pm and cumulative power consumption Wm during scanning of the document 22 are indicated as RD. Note that loads operating in the standby state (e.g., the operation unit 41) also operate in the print state. The power consumption Pm and cumulative power consumption Wm of such loads are indicated as STAND-BY. When scanning of the document 22 is complete, the fuser unit 13 is woken up. The power consumption Pm and cumulative power consumption Wm at this time are indicated as W-UP. When the fuser unit 13 has finished waking up, image formation on the sheet S is performed. PRINT indicates the power consumption by the main body module 404. PRINT (fixing) indicates the power consumption value Pm and the cumulative power consumption Wm consumed by the fixing device 13. When the copy job is completed, the image forming system 100 transitions from the print state to the standby state. Furthermore, when the length of time during which the next job is not input in the standby state exceeds a threshold, the image forming system 100 transitions from the standby state to the sleep state.

[0045] The controller 40 calculates the integrated power consumption WA by integrating (accumulating) the power consumption value Pm of each functional module along the time axis to calculate the integrated power consumption Wm of each functional module and adding them up. In other words, the total area of ​​the multiple square waves shown in Fig. 6 represents the integrated power consumption WA [W·s].

[0046] 3-2.Controller 7 shows the hardware constituting the controller 40. A CPU 700 executes control programs stored in a nonvolatile area of ​​a memory 701 to realize various functions. The memory 701 is a storage device including at least a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM). The memory 701 may also be a storage device including a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD).

[0047] The individual acquisition unit 710 acquires the power consumption amount for each of the multiple function modules. The Wm1 acquisition unit 711 acquires the power consumption value Pm1 of the reader module 401 and acquires the accumulated power consumption amount Wm1 by integrating the acquired power consumption value Pm1. The Wm2 acquisition unit 712 acquires the power consumption value Pm2 of the controller module 402 and acquires the accumulated power consumption amount Wm2 by integrating the acquired power consumption value Pm2. The Wm3 acquisition unit 713 acquires the power consumption value Pm3 of the fixing module 403 and acquires the accumulated power consumption amount Wm3 by integrating the acquired power consumption value Pm3. The Wm4 acquisition unit 714 acquires the power consumption value Pm4 of the main body module 404 and acquires the accumulated power consumption amount Wm4 by integrating the acquired power consumption value Pm4. The Wm5 acquisition unit 715 acquires the power consumption value Pm5 of the optional module 405 if an optional module 405 is present and acquires the accumulated power consumption amount Wm5 by integrating the acquired power consumption value Pm5. If the optional module 406 is present, the Wm6 acquisition unit 716 acquires the power consumption value Pm6 of the optional module 406 and accumulates the acquired power consumption value Pm6 to acquire the accumulated power consumption Wm6. The optional modules 405 and 406 consume a fixed amount of power for each sheet S. Therefore, the accumulated power consumption Wm5 and Wm6 may be acquired as fixed values ​​from the memory 701. The summation unit 720 adds up the accumulated power consumption Wm1 to Wm6 acquired for each module to acquire the accumulated power consumption WA. The display control unit 730 displays the accumulated power consumption WA on the touch panel 42 in accordance with instructions input through the operation unit 41.

[0048] It should be noted that more optional devices may be connected to the image forming apparatus 10. In this case, the individual acquisition unit 710 may recognize the optional device as the ith functional module and acquire the integrated power consumption amount Wmi.

[0049] The communication circuit 702 is a communication circuit (e.g., a wireless LAN circuit or a wired LAN circuit) used to receive print job information from an external host computer. The communication circuit 702 may transmit display data (e.g., HTML data) for displaying the accumulated power consumption amount WA to the host computer and display the accumulated power consumption amount WA on the display of the host computer.

[0050] 3-3.Calculation method for the fixing module FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating functions related to a method for acquiring the integrated power consumption Wm3 of the fixing module 403. FIG. 9 shows details of the Wm3 acquisition unit 713. The determination unit 802 uses a timer 801 to manage the measurement period for the temperature T of the heater 200. The measurement period and the control period for the heater 200 basically coincide with each other. The determination unit 802 acquires the detected temperature T from the thermistor 262 for each control period. The determination unit 802 determines a control value DUTY so that the detected temperature T approaches the target temperature Ttg, and sets the control value in the drive circuit 803. The drive circuit 803 adjusts the power supplied to the heater 200 by turning on and off a switch element 805. Here, the control value may indicate the ratio of the time during which the switch element 805 is supplied in one period of the AC supplied from the external power source 30 (on-duty ratio).

[0051] The current acquisition unit 901 of the Wm3 acquisition unit 713 acquires the current value I (effective value) when the control value DUTY is 100%. This value may be stored in advance in the memory 701, or may be detected by the current / voltage detection circuit 804. Alternatively, the current acquisition unit 901 may acquire the current value I based on the temperature T detected by the thermistor 262. The current / voltage detection circuit 804 is a current detection circuit that detects the current supplied from the external power supply 30, or a voltage detection circuit that detects the AC voltage. The current / voltage detection circuit 804 does not need to detect both the current and the voltage. By using the current / voltage detection circuit 804 or the thermistor 262, more accurate information according to the current state can be obtained.

[0052] The maximum power acquisition unit 904 of the Wm3 acquisition unit 713 acquires the supply power value (maximum power value Pmax) based on the current value I acquired by the current acquisition unit 901.

[0053] Pmax = I^2 × Rtemp ···Eq.1 Here, Rtemp is the resistance value of the heater 200 that depends on the temperature. Note that the voltage acquisition unit 902 may acquire the AC voltage V (effective value) associated with the 100% control value from the memory 701, or may acquire the AC voltage V using the current / voltage detection circuit 804. In this case, the maximum power Pamx is calculated using the following equation.

[0054] Pmax = V^2 / Rtemp Eq.2 Furthermore, the resistance value calculation unit 903 may calculate the resistance value Rtemp from the following equation.

[0055] Rtemp = R0 + (R0×(T-23)) × TCR ···Eq.3 Here, R0 is the resistance value of the heater 200 at 23°C. TCR indicates the rate of change of resistance value with temperature. As shown in FIG. 8, a TCR memory 811 may be attached to the fixing unit 13. In this case, the R0 and TCR values ​​measured for the fixing unit 13 may be stored in the TCR memory 811. In this case, the R0 and TCR values ​​can be read by the CPU 700. If the TCR memory 811 is not attached, individual unique values ​​are not used, but instead general-purpose values ​​are used.

[0056] The control power acquisition unit 905 of the Wm3 acquisition unit 713 acquires the control power value CP [W] based on the maximum power Pmax and the control value DUTY.

[0057] CP = Pmax × DUTY Eq.4 The power amount obtaining unit 906 obtains the integrated power consumption amount Wm3′ per one control period tp [s] using the following equation.

[0058] Wm3'= CP × tp Eq.5 Furthermore, the power amount obtaining unit 906 obtains the accumulated power consumption Wm3 [W·s] by accumulating Wm3' while power is being supplied to the heater 200. That is, the power amount obtaining unit 906 obtains the accumulated power consumption Wm3 [W·s] by adding up multiple accumulated power consumption Wm3' obtained at different times.

[0059] Wm3 = ΣWm3' ···Eq.6 Here, the integrated power consumption Wm3 is calculated for heater 200, but the integrated power consumption Wm3 may be calculated separately for heating element 205 and heating element 206, and the two calculated integrated power consumption Wm3 may be added together.

[0060] 10 shows a graph 1001 showing the change in the cumulative power consumption Wm3 and a graph 1002 showing the change in the control power value CP. As shown in Fig. 10, while the heater 200 is energized, the control power value CP is obtained and accumulated for each control cycle cp. This allows the cumulative power consumption Wm3 of the fixing unit 13 to be obtained with high accuracy without using a watt-hour meter.

[0061] 3-4. Calculation method for main module FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a method for acquiring the power consumption of the main module 404. As an example, the method for acquiring the cumulative power consumption WA when images are formed continuously on four sheets S is described. The vertical axis represents the power consumption value. The horizontal axis represents time. The first sheet S and the second sheet S are each A4-sized plain paper sheets S. A process speed PS1 [mm / s] is applied to these. The third sheet S is an A3-sized thick paper sheet S. A process speed PS1 [mm / s] is also applied to this. The fourth sheet S is an A4-sized thick paper sheet S. A process speed PS2 [mm / s] is applied to this. Here, the value of PS1 is greater than the value of PS2.

[0062] Here, the standard mode (reference print mode) is defined as a combination of A4-sized plain paper sheets S, color printing, and output tray 15. The color, print color, and output port are specified by the print job information. The power consumption value (reference value) per image in standard mode is defined as P0. The size ratio SR indicates the ratio of the size of sheet S relative to A4 size. Therefore, the size ratio SR for A4 size is 1.0. The size ratio SR for A3 size is 2.0.

[0063] The power consumption values ​​of the other modes relative to the standard mode are calculated based on P0. For example, the power consumption value P when the process speed is PS2 is calculated using the following formula:

[0064] P = P0 ×PSRp Eq.7 Here, PSRp is the power ratio (power magnification) of process speed PS2 to standard mode (process speed PS1). The conveying time of sheet S in standard mode is t0. Therefore, the integrated power consumption amount W0 in standard mode can be calculated using the following equation.

[0065] W0 = P0 × t0 Eq.8 t0 = 60 / ppm Eq.9 Here, ppm indicates the number of sheets S that can be printed per minute in standard mode. The process speed for an A3-sized sheet S is PS1, and the power consumption is P0. Therefore, the cumulative power consumption W for an A3-sized sheet S can be calculated using the following formula:

[0066] W = W0 × SR Eq.10 Here, the time magnification SR for A3 size is 2.0.

[0067] 11, the fourth sheet S is an A4 size sheet S, and the process speed PS2 is applied to it. Therefore, the transport time t of the fourth sheet S can be calculated from the following equation.

[0068] t = t0 × SR × PSRt ···Eq.11 Here, since A4 size is a standard size, the time magnification SR is 1.0. PSRt indicates the magnification of the power consumption (transport time) in the time axis direction (time magnification).

[0069] PSRt = PS1 / PS2 Eq.12 Therefore, the integrated power consumption amount W for the fourth sheet S can be calculated using the following formula.

[0070] W = P0×PSRp × t0×SR×PSRt ···Eq.13 FIG. 12 shows how to calculate the cumulative power consumption for each mode. Box 1201 shows how to calculate the cumulative power consumption W0 in standard mode. As described above, the cumulative power consumption W0 is the product of the power consumption value P0 and the transport time t0. Box 1202 shows how to calculate the cumulative power consumption W in A3 mode. The cumulative power consumption W in A3 mode is twice the cumulative power consumption W0 in standard mode. Box 1203 shows how to calculate the cumulative power consumption W in PS2 mode. As the process speed PS decreases, the power consumption value P of motor M1 and the like decreases. As the process speed PS decreases, the transport time t becomes longer.

[0071] Frame 1204 shows how to calculate the integrated power consumption W in the second discharge mode in which the sheet S is discharged to the discharge tray 17. In the second discharge mode, the discharge roller 16 and the conveyance roller 9e need to be driven. Therefore, the power consumption value P increases by Px from P0. Here, it is assumed that the conveyance time required to discharge the sheet S to the discharge tray 17 is equal to the conveyance time t0 required to discharge the sheet S to the discharge tray 15. Therefore, the integrated power consumption W in the second discharge mode can be calculated using the following formula.

[0072] W = W0 + Wx Eq.14 Wx= Px × t0 Eq.15 13 shows details of the Wm4 acquisition unit 714. The analysis unit 1301 analyzes print job information received by the operation unit 41 or the communication circuit 702, and acquires the print color (color / monochrome), basis weight (e.g., g / mm^2, thin paper, plain paper, thick paper), discharge port, process speed PS, and size of the sheet S. The analysis unit 1301 may identify the process speed PS from the basis weight. The memory 701 may store a table or database that associates the process speed PS with the basis weight. The analysis unit 703 may acquire the process speed PS associated with the basis weight by referencing the table or the like. In this way, the analysis unit 1301 may have an identification unit for the process speed PS.

[0073] The correction value determination unit 1302 determines a correction value Px for the power consumption value P0 in standard mode according to at least one of the print color and the discharge outlet. For example, if monochrome printing is specified in the print job information, the correction value Px is determined to be -P1 (e.g., -45 [W]). If the discharge outlet specified in the print job information is the discharge tray 17, the correction value Px is determined to be +P2 (e.g., +11 [W]).

[0074] The correction unit 1306 corrects the power consumption value P0 in the standard mode by adding the correction value Px to the power consumption value P0. The power consumption value P0 is input to the power acquisition unit 1307.

[0075] The PSRp determination unit 1303 determines the power magnification PSRp based on the process speed PS specified by the print job information. If the process speed PS is PS1, PSRp is determined to be 1.0. If the process speed PS is PS2, PSRp is determined based on PS1 and PS2. A table, formula, program function, or program module for determining PSRp may be stored in the memory 701.

[0076] The PSRt determination unit 1304 determines the time magnification PSRt based on the process speed PS specified by the print job information. The time magnification PSRt may be calculated using Eq.12.

[0077] The SR determination unit 1305 determines the time magnification SR based on the size of the sheet S specified by the print job information. The time magnification SR for A4 size is 1.0, and the time magnification SR for A3 size is 2.0.

[0078] The power acquisition unit 1307 calculates the integrated power consumption Wm4 for forming an image on one sheet S based on the power consumption value P0, the power magnification PSRp, and the time magnifications PSRt and SR.

[0079] Wm4= (P0+Px)×PSRp×t0×SR×PSRt ···Eq.16 5. Flowchart 5-1. How to obtain the power consumption of the fixing unit 14 shows a control method executed in accordance with a control program by the CPU 700. When the image forming system 100 transitions from a sleep state to an active state, the CPU 700 executes the following process.

[0080] In S1401, the CPU 700 determines whether the measurement timing has arrived by referring to the timer 801. As described above, the measurement timing arrives every control period tp. When the measurement timing arrives, the CPU 700 advances the process from S1401 to S1402.

[0081] In S1402, the CPU 700 (current acquisition unit 901) acquires the maximum current I. The maximum current I may be found from the control value DUTY, or may be detected by the current / voltage detection circuit 804. Instead of the maximum current I, the maximum voltage V may be acquired.

[0082] In S1403, the CPU 700 (resistance value calculation unit 903) acquires the temperature T using the thermistor 262.

[0083] In S1404, the CPU 700 (resistance value calculation unit 903) acquires the rate of change TCR from the TCR memory 811.

[0084] In S1405, the CPU 700 (resistance value calculation unit 903) acquires the resistance value Rtemp based on the initial resistance value R0, the temperature T, and the rate of change TCR.

[0085] In S1406, the CPU 700 (maximum power acquisition unit 904) acquires the maximum power value Pmax based on the maximum current I (or maximum voltage V) and the resistance value Rtemp.

[0086] In S1407, the CPU 700 (control power acquisition unit 905) acquires the control value DUTY applied to the fixing unit 13 at that time.

[0087] In S1408, the CPU 700 (control power acquisition unit 905) acquires the control power value CP based on the maximum power value Pmax and the control value DUTY.

[0088] In S1409, the CPU 700 (power amount obtaining unit 906) calculates the integrated power consumption Wm3' per control period tp based on the control period tp and the control power value CP.

[0089] In S1410, the CPU 700 (summing unit 720) sums the integrated power consumption Wm3′ to the integrated power consumption WA of the entire image forming system 100.

[0090] In S1411, the CPU 700 determines whether the print job has ended based on the job information. If the print job has not ended, the CPU 700 advances the process from S1411 to S1401 and waits for the next measurement timing. When the print job has ended, the CPU 700 transitions the image forming system 100 from the active state to the standby state.

[0091] 5-2. How to obtain the power consumption of the device 15 shows a control method executed in accordance with a control program by the CPU 700. Here, it is assumed that the image forming system 100 is in a sleep or standby state.

[0092] In step S1501, the CPU 700 (analysis unit 1301) determines whether a print job has been submitted by the user. When a print job has been submitted, the CPU 700 advances the process from step S1501 to step S1502.

[0093] In S1502, the CPU 700 (analysis unit 1301) analyzes the print job information. This provides the print color, size of the sheet S, basis weight, process speed PS, etc. The process speed PS may be determined from the basis weight.

[0094] In S1503, the CPU 700 (correction value determination unit 1302) determines a correction value Px based on the print color, discharge port, etc. Here, the correction value Px is a correction value for the power consumption value P0 in standard mode. The power consumption value P0 may also be called the reference power or the initial power.

[0095] In S1504, the CPU 700 (correction unit 1306) corrects the power consumption value P0 in the standard mode based on the correction value Px.

[0096] In S1505, the CPU 700 (PSRp determination unit 1303) determines the power magnification PSRp based on the process speed PS.

[0097] In S1506, the CPU 700 (power acquisition unit 1307) acquires the power consumption value P based on the corrected power consumption value P0 and the power magnification PSRp.

[0098] In S1507, the CPU 700 (PSRt determination unit 1304) determines the time magnification ratio PSRt based on the process speed PS.

[0099] In S1508, the CPU 700 (SR determination unit 1305) determines the time magnification SR based on the size of the sheet S.

[0100] In S1509, the CPU 700 (accumulator 1308) obtains the accumulated power consumption amount W per image based on the power consumption value P and the time magnifications PSRt and SR.

[0101] In S1510, the CPU 700 (accumulation unit 1308) accumulates the accumulated power consumption W into the accumulated power consumption Wm4 per print job.

[0102] In S1511, the CPU 700 determines whether there is a next page based on the print job information. If there is a next page, the CPU 700 advances the process from S1511 to S1502 and analyzes the print job information for the next page. The CPU 700 then executes S1502 to S1511. On the other hand, if there is no next page, the CPU 700 advances the process from S1511 to S1512.

[0103] In S1512, the CPU 700 (summing unit 720) sums the integrated power consumption per job Wm4 to the total integrated power consumption WA.

[0104] 6.Technical ideas derived from examples 16 shows an example of an image forming system 100 equipped with multiple optional devices. The optional feeding device 70 is a large-capacity feeding device that can accommodate a large number of sheets S. The feeding device 70 can feed the sheets S to the image forming apparatus 10. The feeding device 70 accommodates the sheets S inside a housing 81a. The feeding device 70 may have a power cable 82a that can be connected to an external power source.

[0105] The image forming apparatus 10 may have a housing 81b and a power cable 82b. The various components housed in the housing 81b have already been described in Fig. 1 and are therefore omitted here. The power cable 82b is a power cable for connecting the external power source 30 and the AC control unit 31.

[0106] The post-processing device 80 has a housing 81c and performs post-processing on sheets S discharged from the image forming device 10. Conveyor rollers 9h transport sheets S received from the image forming device 10. Guide members 93a and 93b are flappers for switching the destination of sheets S. Guide member 93a can guide sheets S to tray 95a. Guide members 93a and 93b can guide sheets S to tray 95b. Furthermore, guide members 93a and 93b can guide sheets S to a post-processing mechanism 94. The post-processing mechanism 94 bundles multiple sheets S to create a sheet bundle, staples the sheet bundle, or punches holes in the sheets S. The post-processed sheets S or the sheet bundle are discharged to tray 95c.

[0107] The post-processing device 80 receives power from the external power source 30 via a power cable 82c. In this example, the power cables 82a to 82c are independent of each other, but this is merely an example. Power may be supplied to the image forming device 10, the feeding device 70, and the post-processing device 80 from one power cable, 82b. Alternatively, power may be supplied to the image forming device 10 and the feeding device 70 via the power cable 82b, and power may be supplied to the post-processing device 80 via the power cable 82c.

[0108] As described above, the image forming apparatus 10, the feeding device 70, and the post-processing device 80 may each be treated as a different module that calculates the integrated power consumption Wm. Alternatively, a module for calculating the integrated power consumption Wm may be provided for each of the power cables 82a to 82c. As described above, multiple modules may exist inside the image forming apparatus 10.

[0109] 7.Technical ideas derived from examples (Item A1) The fixing module 403 is an example of a first functional module that fixes a toner image on the sheet S. The main body module 404 is an example of a second functional module used to form a toner image on the sheet S. The control power value CP is an example of a power consumption value of the first functional module. The power consumption value P of the main body module 404 is an example of a power consumption value of the second functional module. The CPU 700 and the power amount acquisition unit 906 may acquire the accumulated power consumption amount Wm3 of the first functional module by integrating the power consumption value Pm of the first functional module along the time axis. The CPU 700 and the integration unit 1308 may acquire the accumulated power consumption amount Wm4 of the second functional module by integrating the power consumption value P of the second functional module along the time axis. This may more accurately determine the accumulated power consumption amount of the image forming apparatus 10. (Item A2) The CPU 700 may add up (sum up) the integrated power consumption Wm3 of the first functional module and the integrated power consumption Wm4 of the second functional module to obtain the integrated power consumption WA of the entire image forming apparatus 10. This allows the integrated power consumption WA of the entire image forming apparatus 10 to be obtained more accurately. (Item A3) The CPU 700 may obtain individual power consumption values ​​Pm for multiple functional modules. The CPU 700 may also integrate the individual power consumption values ​​Pm for multiple functional modules along the time axis to obtain the integrated power consumption Wm for each of the multiple functional modules. Furthermore, the CPU 700 may obtain the integrated power consumption WA by adding up the integrated power consumption Wm1 to Wm6 for each of the multiple functional modules. In this way, by obtaining the power consumption value Pm for each module, the overall integrated power consumption WA can be obtained more accurately. (Item A4) The second functional module may include a reading means (e.g., image reader 20) that reads a document. The second functional module may include a control means (e.g., controller 40). The second functional module may include an image forming means (e.g., image forming unit 50) that forms a toner image on a sheet S. The second functional module may include a conveying means (conveying rollers 9a to 9e, motor M1) that conveys the sheet S. (Item A5) The image forming system 100 may further include a first housing and a second housing, each having a power cable. The first functional module and the second functional module may be disposed in the first housing (image forming apparatus 10). Of the multiple functional modules, a third functional module (e.g., optional modules 405 and 406) may be disposed in the second housing. The CPU 700 may acquire a power consumption value Pm for the third functional module and integrate the power consumption value Pm along the time axis to obtain integrated power consumption amounts Wm5 and Wm6. (Item A6) The third function module may include an optional device (for example, a cassette pedestal) that is connected to the main body of the image forming apparatus 10. (Item A7) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the optional device may include at least one of a post-processing device 80 that performs post-processing on sheets S discharged from the image forming device 10, and a feeding device 70 that feeds sheets S to the image forming device 10. (Item A8) The first functional module may have a first heater (e.g., heating element 205) and a second heater (heating element 206). In this case, the CPU 700 may acquire the power consumption values ​​of the first heater and the second heater, respectively. Furthermore, the CPU 700 may integrate the power consumption values ​​of the first heater along the time axis to obtain the integrated power consumption amount. Furthermore, the CPU 700 may integrate the power consumption values ​​of the second heater along the time axis to obtain the integrated power consumption amount. (Item A9) The CPU 700 may obtain the power consumption values ​​Pm for the first functional module and the second functional module using different calculation methods. Furthermore, the CPU 700 may obtain the integrated power consumption amounts Wm for the first functional module and the second functional module using different calculation methods. (Items A10-A12) The CPU 700 may acquire the integrated power consumption Wm1 for the reading means as a fixed value. The CPU 700 may acquire the integrated power consumption Wm2 for the control means as a fixed value. The CPU 700 and the power amount acquiring unit 906 may accumulate the power consumption value Pm (control power value CP) acquired for each control cycle of the first functional module. (Item A13) The thermistor 262 is an example of a temperature detection means that detects the temperature T of the heat generating element of the first functional module. The CPU 700 and the determination unit 802 may determine a control value DUTY for controlling the temperature T detected by the temperature detection means to a target temperature Ttg. The drive circuit 803 and the switch element 805 may function as an adjustment means that adjusts the power supplied to the heat generating element according to the control value DUTY. The CPU 700 may obtain a power consumption value Pm (control power value CP) of the first functional module based on the control value DUTY. (Items A14, A15) The current / voltage detection circuit 804 is an example of a current detection means that detects the current supplied to the heating element of the first functional module. The CPU 700 may obtain the power consumption value Pm (control power value CP) of the first functional module based on the current I detected by the current detection means. The current / voltage detection circuit 804 is an example of a voltage detection means that detects the voltage V applied to the heating element of the first functional module. The CPU 700 may obtain the power consumption value Pm (control power value CP) of the first functional module based on the voltage V detected by the voltage detection means. In this way, the power consumption value Pm may be obtained inexpensively without using a power sensor. (Item A16) The touch panel 42 is an example of a display unit that displays at least one of the integrated power consumption Wm3 of the first functional module and the integrated power consumption Wm4 of the second functional module. The touch panel 42 may display an integrated power consumption (e.g., the integrated power consumption WA of the image forming apparatus 10) based on the integrated power consumption Wm3 of the first functional module and the integrated power consumption Wm4 of the second functional module. This allows the user to visually check the integrated power consumption. As a result, the user will likely take actions that will further reduce the integrated power consumption. (Item B1) The CPU 700 and the control power acquisition unit 905 acquire a power consumption value (e.g., a control power value CP) based on the detected temperature T, the control value DUTY, the current I supplied to the heating element, or the voltage V applied to the heating element. Here, the power consumption value (e.g., the control power value CP) is the power consumption value of the fixing module 403 during the period when the heating element is generating heat. The CPU 700 and the power amount acquisition unit 906 may acquire the accumulated power consumption Wm3 of the fixing module 403 by accumulating multiple power consumption values ​​acquired at multiple times. This makes it possible to more accurately acquire the accumulated power consumption Wm3 of the image forming apparatus 10 (fixing module 403). (Item B2) The CPU 700 may acquire the control value DUTY at every predetermined cycle (e.g., control cycle tp), and acquire the power consumption value (control power value CP) based on the power supply value (e.g., Pmax) supplied to the heating element from the external power supply 30 and the control value DUTY. The CPU 700 acquires the accumulated power consumption Wm3 of the fixing module 403 by accumulating the power consumption value during the period when the heating element is generating heat. In this way, by acquiring the control value DUTY at regular cycles, it becomes possible to accumulate the power consumption value at regular cycles. (Item B3) The control value DUTY may be the ratio of the power consumption value (e.g., the control power value CP) to the supply power value (e.g., the power value Imax). In particular, the control value DUTY is necessary for adjusting the temperature of the heater 200. Therefore, by utilizing the parameters necessary for temperature adjustment, it may be possible to obtain the power consumption value by a simpler method. (Items B4-B9) The CPU 700 may acquire the current (e.g., current I) supplied to the heating element based on the control value, and calculate the supply power value based on the current and the resistance value (e.g., resistance value R0) of the heating element. The CPU 700 may acquire the current supplied to the heating element based on the temperature T, and calculate the supply power value based on the current and the resistance value of the heating element. The CPU 700 may acquire the supply power value based on the resistance value of the heating element and the current detected by current detection means (e.g., current / voltage detection circuit 804). The CPU 700 may acquire the supply power value based on the resistance value of the heating element and the voltage detected by voltage detection means (current / voltage detection circuit 804). The memory 701 is an example of storage means that stores the resistance value R0 of the heating element. The resistance value calculation unit 903 may function as correction means that corrects the resistance value of the heating element based on the detected temperature T and the rate of increase in resistance value with respect to temperature increase of the heating element (e.g., TCR). (Item B10) The CPU 700 may acquire a power consumption value for a functional module (e.g., the main body module 404) other than the fixing module 403 among the multiple functional modules that form the image forming apparatus 10. The CPU 700 may acquire the integrated power consumption amount of the other functional module by accumulating the power consumption value of the other functional module. (Item B11) The CPU 700 and the summing unit 720 may obtain the total accumulated power consumption WA of the entire image forming apparatus 10 by summing the accumulated power consumption Wm3 of the fixing module 403 with the accumulated power consumption Wm1, Wm2, Wm4 to Wm6 of the other functional modules. (Item B12) Touch panel 42 is an example of a display unit that displays the integrated power consumption Wm3 of fixing module 403 or the integrated power consumption WA based on it. (Item C1) The CPU 700, operation unit 41, and communication circuit 702 function as a receiving unit that receives print job information for forming an image on a sheet S. The image forming unit 50 may form an image on the sheet S in a print mode specified by the print job information from among multiple print modes. The CPU 700 acquires a power consumption value P consumed to form an image, with each operation of forming one image on the sheet S as a unit. The CPU 700 acquires a reference value (e.g., P0) of power consumed to form an image on the sheet S in a reference print mode that serves as a reference from among the multiple print modes, and a magnification factor (e.g., power magnification PSRp) according to the print job information. The CPU 700 may acquire a power consumption value P consumed to form an image on the sheet S in the print mode specified by the print job information based on the reference value and the magnification factor. This allows the power consumption value of the image forming apparatus 10 to be determined more accurately. (Item C2) The CPU 700 and the accumulator 1308 may acquire the accumulated power consumption amount Wm4 by accumulating the acquired multiple power consumption values ​​P. This will allow the accumulated power consumption amount Wm4 of the image forming apparatus 10 to be calculated more accurately. (Items C3-C5) The CPU 700 may determine the power magnification PSRp according to the print job information, and may obtain the power consumption value P by multiplying a reference value by the power magnification PSRp. The power magnification PSRp may be determined according to the basis weight specified by the print job information. The power magnification may be determined according to the conveying speed (process speed PS) of the sheet S specified from the print job information. (Item C6) The CPU 700 may determine the time magnification factors SR and PSRt according to the print job information, and may obtain the integrated power consumption amount Wm4 by multiplying the power consumption value P by the time magnification factors SR and PSRt. The time magnification factor SR may be determined according to the size of the sheet S specified by the print job information. The time magnification factor PSRt may be determined according to the basis weight specified by the print job information. The time magnification factor PSRt may be determined according to the conveying speed of the sheet S identified from the print job information. All of these parameters affect the conveying time of the sheet S. (Item C10) Conveying path 18 is an example of a first ejection path that ejects a sheet S on which an image has been formed in accordance with the reference print mode. Conveying path 19 is an example of a second ejection path that ejects a sheet S on which an image has been formed in accordance with another print mode (e.g., second ejection mode) different from the reference print mode. When another print mode is specified by the print job information, CPU 700 and correction unit 1306 may correct the reference value by adding a correction value (e.g., Px) associated with the second ejection path to the reference value. (Item C11) The image forming unit 50 may perform full-color printing according to the reference printing mode, and may perform monochrome printing according to another printing mode different from the reference printing mode. When another printing mode is specified by the print job information, the image forming device 10 may correct the reference value by subtracting a correction value (e.g., 45W) associated with monochrome printing from the reference value. (Item C12) The CPU 700 may acquire the power consumption value for the fixing module 403 independently of the power consumption value for the main body module 404. The CPU 700 may accumulate the power consumption value for the fixing module 403 and acquire the accumulated power consumption amount Wm3 for the fixing module 403. (Item C13) The CPU 700 may acquire the power consumption value of the fixing module 403 based on the detected temperature T, the control value DUTY, the current I supplied to the heating element, or the voltage V applied to the heating element. The CPU 700 may acquire the accumulated power consumption Wm3 by accumulating the power consumption value of the fixing module 403 during the period when the heating element is generating heat. (Item C14) Touch panel 42 may display at least one of integrated power consumption Wm4 of main body module 404 and integrated power consumption WA of image forming apparatus 10 as a whole.

[0110] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 100...image forming system, 10...image forming apparatus, 13...fixing unit, 700...CPU

Claims

1. a fixing module having a heating element for heating a toner image and a temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the heating element, and fixing the toner image on a sheet; a determination means for determining a control value for controlling the temperature detected by the temperature detection means to a target temperature; an adjusting means for adjusting the power supplied to the heating element in accordance with the control value; a first acquisition means for acquiring a power consumption value of the fixing module during a period when the heating element is generating heat, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection means, the control value, and the current supplied to the heating element or the voltage applied to the heating element; a second acquisition unit that acquires an integrated amount of power consumption of the fixing module by integrating the power consumption values ​​acquired at multiple times by the first acquisition unit; An image forming apparatus comprising:

2. the first acquisition means acquires the control value at predetermined intervals, and acquires a power consumption value based on a supply power value supplied to the heating element from an external power supply and the control value; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second obtaining unit obtains the integrated power consumption amount of the fixing module by integrating the power consumption value during a period when the heating element is generating heat.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control value is a ratio of the power consumption value to the power supply value.

4. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first acquisition unit acquires a current supplied to the heating element based on the control value, and calculates the supply power value based on the current and a resistance value of the heating element.

5. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first acquisition unit acquires a current supplied to the heating element based on the temperature, and calculates the supply power value based on the current and a resistance value of the heating element.

6. Further, the heating element has a current detection means for detecting a current supplied to the heating element, 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first obtaining unit obtains the supply power value based on a resistance value of the heating element and a current detected by the current detecting unit.

7. Further, the heating element has a voltage detection means for detecting a voltage supplied to the heating element, The image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first obtaining unit obtains the supply power value based on a resistance value of the heating element and a voltage detected by the voltage detecting unit.

8. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a storage unit for storing the resistance value of the heating element.

9. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a correction unit that corrects the resistance value of the heating element based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit and a rate of increase in the resistance value relative to a temperature increase of the heating element.

10. the first acquisition unit acquires a power consumption value of a functional module other than the fixing module among a plurality of functional modules that form the image forming apparatus, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second acquisition unit acquires the integrated power consumption amount of the other functional module by integrating the power consumption value of the other functional module acquired by the first acquisition unit.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a third acquisition means for acquiring the accumulated power consumption of the entire image forming apparatus by adding up the accumulated power consumption of the fixing module and the accumulated power consumption of the other functional module.

12. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit that displays the integrated power consumption of the fixing module or an integrated power consumption based on the integrated power consumption of the fixing module.

Images