Image forming apparatus, control method for image forming apparatus, and program

Abstract

To improve the usability of a user by eliminating wasteful processing in the time of sleep recovery of an image formation apparatus and quickly performing sleep recovery.SOLUTION: A printer driver 402, when receiving a recovery notification from a system controller 401 (Yes in S1102), determines whether power supply to a printer device 104 is stopped / resumed after transmitting a previous sleep shift instruction to the printer device 104 (S1111, S1112), and when the power supply is not stopped / resumed, performs control so as not to perform initialization negotiation processing performed on the printer device 104 in a case where the power supply is stopped / resumed (No in S1112→S1114).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a control method for an image forming apparatus, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, image forming devices have become more sophisticated and scalable, not only providing functions such as copying, scanning, and printing, but also including facsimile functions, device-based user authentication functions, etc. Furthermore, while improving user convenience through sophisticated functionality, progress has also been made in incorporating power-saving functions that reduce environmental impact and reducing costs by reducing the number of parts to make devices more affordable for users.

[0003] Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for reducing the time required to reset parameters for a device that has been powered off or reset by resetting the parameters saved before the device went into sleep mode after the device returns from sleep. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-178697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 is a technology for shortening the time required to reset parameters of a device that has been powered off or reset, and does not address the case where the device has not been powered off or reset.

[0006] For example, if a wake-up trigger occurs during sleep transition, the sleep transition may be canceled and the device may not have been powered off or reset.

[0007] Here, the prior art will be described using as an example an image forming apparatus that has a system controller that controls the image forming apparatus and a printer driver that controls the printer unit, and that turns off the power to the printer unit when transitioning to a sleep state.

[0008] When such an image forming apparatus transitions to a sleep state, the system controller notifies the printer unit of the transition to sleep via the printer driver. After receiving a completion response from the printer unit via the printer driver, the system controller powers off the printer unit. When waking up from sleep, the system controller powers on the printer unit and notifies the printer driver of the transition. In response to this notification, the printer driver performs initialization processing on the printer unit and resumes communication with the printer unit. As described above, if a sleep transition trigger occurs during sleep transition and the sleep transition is canceled and the image forming apparatus is resumed, the printer unit may not yet be powered off, and initialization processing may not be necessary. However, the printer driver does not know whether the printer unit has been powered off. For example, the system controller may asynchronously receive a completion response to the sleep notification from not only the printer unit but also other devices, and then power off each device, including the printer unit. As a result, the printer driver is unable to accurately determine when to power off the printer unit. Therefore, in the past, because the printer driver had already notified the printer unit of the transition to sleep, it would perform initialization processing on the printer unit even when it was not necessary, resulting in unnecessary time spent on the sleep transition.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for eliminating unnecessary processing when an image forming apparatus returns from sleep mode and enabling the image forming apparatus to return to sleep mode quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention provides an image forming apparatus having a printer unit that outputs image data on paper, and capable of switching between a first power state in which power is supplied to the printer unit and a second power state in which power is not supplied to the printer unit, the image forming apparatus comprising: a first control means for controlling the image forming apparatus; a means for controlling the printer unit, the second control means being configured to transmit a first instruction to the printer unit upon receiving from the first control means to transition to the second power state, the second control means being configured to perform control to resume communication with the printer unit upon receiving from the first control means to return to the first power state; and a means for controlling power supply to the printer unit, The first instruction causes the printer unit To the second power state of transfer As a result of the processing, The device is characterized in that it has a power control means that holds information for determining whether power supply to the printer unit has been stopped, and the second control means performs an initialization process on the printer unit if it determines, based on the information held by the power control means, that power supply to the printer unit has been stopped and then resumed after the first instruction was transmitted, and does not perform the initialization process if it determines that power supply to the printer unit continues even after the first instruction has been transmitted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary processing when an image forming apparatus returns from sleep mode, to enable the image forming apparatus to return from sleep mode quickly, and to improve usability for the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a controller and peripheral devices. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a sleep transition operation and a return operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating a sleep transition operation and a return operation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a system controller. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of a printer driver. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a power control unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a sleep transition operation and a return operation according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a sleep transition operation and a return operation according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] <System configuration> 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a system including an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, a multifunction peripheral having a print function, a scanner function, a data communication function, etc. is described as an example of the image forming apparatus according to this embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 101 is configured to be able to communicate with a computer 109 via a LAN 108 and to be able to receive jobs from the computer 109. Note that the number of computers connected may be one or more. The image forming apparatus 101 has modules such as a controller 103, a scanner device 102, a printer device 104, an operation unit 105, a hard disk 106, and a FAX device 107.

[0015] A scanner device (scanner unit) 102 optically reads an image from an original and converts it into a digital image. A printer device (printer unit) 104 outputs a digital image onto paper or the like. The operation unit 105 includes a touch panel and hard keys for accepting settings for the image forming apparatus 101 from the user and displaying the processing status.

[0016] The hard disk 106 stores digital images, control programs, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "HDD"). Note that other non-volatile storage devices such as an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) may be provided instead of or in combination with the HDD 106. A FAX device 107 transmits and receives digital images via a telephone line or the like.

[0017] The controller 103 is a control unit that is connected to the scanner device 102, printer device 104, operation unit 105, HDD 106, and FAX device 107, and executes jobs on the image forming device 101 by issuing instructions to each module.

[0018] The image forming apparatus 101 can communicate with a computer 109 via a LAN 108, and by communicating with the computer 109, can input and output digital images, issue jobs, give instructions to devices, and the like.

[0019] The scanner device 102 has a document feed unit (DF unit) 121 that can automatically and sequentially replace a stack of documents, and a scanner unit 122 that can optically scan documents and convert them into digital image data. The image data converted by the scanner unit 122 is sent to the controller 103.

[0020] The printer device 104 has a paper feed unit 142 capable of feeding paper sheets one by one from a stack of paper, a marking unit 141 for printing image data on the fed paper, and a paper discharge unit 143 for discharging the paper after printing. The finisher device 150 performs processes such as paper discharge, sorting, stapling, punching, and cutting on the paper sheets and the like output from the paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104 of the image forming apparatus 101 .

[0021] The image forming apparatus 101 also has a power switch 110 (FIG. 3) for controlling power supply. When the power switch 110 is turned off, the image forming apparatus 101 waits for software or hardware termination processing, for example, and then stops power supply to the printer device 104, etc. Details will be described in FIG. 3 and subsequent figures.

[0022] <System Functions> An example of a job (function) that can be executed by the image forming apparatus 101 will be described below. [Copy function] The image forming apparatus 101 has a copying function that records an image read from a scanner device 102 in an HDD 106 and simultaneously prints the image using a printer device 104 . [Image transmission function] The image forming apparatus 101 has an image transmission function for transmitting an image read by a scanner device 102 to a computer 109 via a LAN 108 . [Image saving function] The image forming apparatus 101 has an image storage function for recording an image read from a scanner device 102 in an HDD 106 and transmitting or printing the image as needed. [Image printing function] The image forming apparatus 101 has an image printing function that analyzes, for example, a page description language transmitted from the computer 109 and prints the data using the printer device 104 .

[0023] <Configuration of operation unit 105> The operation unit 105 is connected to the controller 103 and has an LCD touch panel, a power saving key, a copy button, a cancel button, a reset button, a numeric keypad, a user mode key, etc., and provides a user I / F for operating the image input / output system. These keys may be hardware keys or software keys displayed on the LCD, but the presence of hardware keys is not essential.

[0024] <Block diagram of controller 103> Next, a block diagram of the controller 103 and peripheral devices will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the controller 103 and peripheral devices. The controller 103 includes a main board 250 and a sub-board 260 .

[0025] The main board 250 is a so-called general-purpose CPU system and includes a CPU 200, a boot ROM 203, a memory 201, a bus controller 204, and a non-volatile memory 205.

[0026] The CPU 200 controls the entire main board 250. The boot ROM 203 stores a boot program. The memory 201 is used as a work memory for the CPU 200. The bus controller 204 has a bridge function with an external bus. The non-volatile memory 205 is a storage device for storing various types of information, and retains the information even when the power is turned off.

[0027] The main board 250 also includes a WDT 230, a disk controller 206, a flash disk 207, a USB controller 208, a network controller 211, an RTC 212, and the like.

[0028] The WDT 230 is a watchdog timer that monitors and resets the controller 103. The CPU 200 controls the WDT 230. The disk controller 206 controls storage devices such as the HDD 106 and flash disk 207. The flash disk 207 is a relatively small-capacity storage device made up of semiconductor devices, such as an SSD or eMMC. The USB controller 208 controls USB devices (such as a USB memory 209). The network controller 211 controls connection with the LAN 108 (hereinafter referred to as "NC"). The RTC 212 has a clock function. The main board 250 is externally connected to a USB memory 209, an operation unit 105, an HDD 106, and the like.

[0029] The sub-board 260 is configured with a relatively small general-purpose CPU system and image processing hardware, and includes a CPU 220, a memory 221, a bus controller 224, a non-volatile memory 225, an image processor 227, a device controller 226, and the like.

[0030] The CPU 220 controls the entire sub-board 260. The memory 221 is used as a work memory by the CPU 220. The bus controller 224 has a bridge function with an external bus. The non-volatile memory 225 is a storage device for storing various information, and retains the information even when the power is turned off. The image processor 227 performs real-time digital image processing. The device controller 226 controls external devices. The external scanner device 102 and printer device 104 exchange digital image data via the device controller 226. The CPU 220 directly controls the FAX device 107.

[0031] 2 is a simplified block diagram. For example, CPU 340, CPU 220, etc. include a large amount of CPU peripheral hardware such as a chipset, bus bridge, clock generator, etc., but this is shown in a simplified manner. The description of the block diagram in FIG. 2 does not limit the present invention. Furthermore, main board 250 may be integrated with sub-board 260, and in that case, memory 201 and memory 221 may be integrated.

[0032] The operation of the controller 103 will be described using an example of copying an image onto paper or the like. When a user places a paper document on the scanner device 102 and issues an instruction to copy the image from the operation unit 105, the CPU 200 sends an image reading command to the scanner device 102 via the CPU 220. The scanner device 102 optically scans the paper document, converts it into digital image data, and inputs it to the image processing processor 227 via the device controller 226. The image processing processor 227 performs DMA transfer to the memory 221 via the CPU 220 and temporarily stores the digital image data.

[0033] When the CPU 200 confirms that a certain amount or all of the digital image data has been stored in the memory 221, it issues an image output instruction to the printer device 104 via the CPU 220. The CPU 220 informs the image processing processor 227 of the address of the image data in the memory 221. The image data in the memory 221 is sent to the printer device 104 via the image processing processor 227 and the device controller 226 in accordance with a synchronization signal from the printer device 104. The printer device 104 prints the digital image data on paper or the like.

[0034] When printing multiple copies, the CPU 200 stores the image data in the memory 221 in the HDD 106 or the like. From the second copy onwards, it is possible to send image data from the HDD 106 or the memory 221 to the printer device 104 without receiving the image data from the scanner device 102.

[0035] <Power configuration> Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment. Below, parts of the power supply 301 and the power supply configuration to each device in the image forming apparatus 101 that are relevant to the present invention will be described using Fig. 3. In the figure, 350 and 360 indicate power supply blocks.

[0036] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is off, a power control unit (not shown) of the controller 103 detects this and supplies power to the CPU 200 of the controller 103. Power is constantly supplied to this power control unit from the power supply 301 via a power line. The activated CPU 200 controls the power switch P310 to supply power to the printer device 104 and the CPU 340 of the printer device 104.

[0037] When the CPU 200 of the controller 103 determines that the transition to sleep mode is possible, it controls the power switch P310 to stop power supply to the printer device 104 and the CPU 340 of the printer device 104. Conversely, when the CPU 200 of the controller 103 receives a return-from-sleep event, it controls the power switch P310 to start supplying power to the printer device 104 and the CPU 340 of the printer device 104.

[0038] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is on, a power control unit (not shown) of the controller 103 detects this and notifies the CPU 200 of the controller 103. The CPU 200 controls the power switch P310 to stop power supply to the printer device 104 and the CPU 340 of the printer device 104. At this time, the CPU 200 can also individually control the power supply to the marking unit 141, paper feed unit 142, and paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104, but a description of this will be omitted. Also, the section where the power is turned off over time due to the power switch being turned off / on can be guaranteed by hardware or software, but this will not be discussed here.

[0039] <Operation of the first embodiment> 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the sleep transition operation and the return operation of the first embodiment based on the power supply system diagram shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the controller 103 of the image forming apparatus 101 includes a system controller 401 that controls the image forming apparatus 101 by software, a printer driver 402 that controls the printer device 104 by software, and a power control unit 403. The system controller 401 runs on the CPU 220. That is, the system controller 401 is realized by the CPU 200 executing a program loaded from the HDD 106 or the like into the memory 201. The printer driver 402 runs on the CPU 220. That is, the printer driver 402 is realized by the CPU 220 executing a program loaded from the HDD 106 or the like into the memory 221. The power control unit 403 may be software that runs on the CPU 200, or may be configured to control a register of hardware such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this embodiment, the power control unit 403 is described as software. That is, the power control unit 403 is realized by the CPU 200 executing a program loaded from the HDD 106 or the like into the memory 201.

[0040] The printer device 104 has a printer controller 404 that controls, by software, the marking unit 141, the paper feed unit 142, and the paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104. That is, the printer controller 404 is realized by the CPU 340 executing a program stored in a ROM or the like (not shown) in the printer device 104.

[0041] First, sleep transition will be described with reference to FIG. After all jobs are completed, the system controller 401 starts transitioning to a sleep state. The transition to sleep may be triggered by another event, such as the release of a sleep prohibition state, but details will be omitted here. When the transition to the sleep state is initiated, the system controller 401 notifies the printer controller 404 of the transition to sleep via the printer driver 402. Thereafter, the printer controller 404 responds to the system controller 401 via the printer driver 402 that the transition to sleep has been completed. When the system controller 401 receives the response indicating the completion of the sleep transition, it instructs the power control unit 403 to power off the printer device 104. The power control unit 403 powers off the printer device 104 and latches (holds) the fact that the power has been turned off. For example, the power control unit 403 turns on a predetermined storage area (for example, 1 bit). Note that when the latch is released, the bit is turned off.

[0042] Next, the return from sleep mode will be described with reference to FIG. After issuing the print job, the system controller 401 starts the return from sleep mode. The return from sleep mode may be triggered by another event other than a print job, such as pressing a power-saving key, but details will be omitted here. When the system controller 401 receives the sleep return command, it instructs the power control unit 403 to turn on the power of the printer device 104. The power control unit 403 turns on the power of the printer device 104.

[0043] The system controller 401 notifies the printer driver 402 of a return from sleep. The printer driver 402 checks the latch status in the power control unit 403, which indicates whether the printer device 104 has been powered off once (whether the power has been turned off / on at least once since the previous notification of sleep transition). If the information latched in the power control unit 403 indicates that the printer device 104 has been powered off once, the printer driver 402 starts processing from initialization negotiation with the printer device 104. On the other hand, if the information latched in the power control unit 403 indicates that the printer device has never been powered off, the printer driver 402 skips the initialization negotiation with the printer device 104 and performs printing communication.

[0044] <Sequence of the First Embodiment> The processing of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, the processing of the system controller 401 that runs on the CPU 200 of the controller 103 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the system controller 401. When the system controller 401 running on the CPU 200 receives an event, it starts the processing of this flowchart.

[0045] In S1001, the system controller 401 checks whether the received event is a power state transition event. If the received event is not a power state transition event (No in S1001), the system controller 401 performs processing (not shown) according to the event.

[0046] On the other hand, if the received event is a power state transition event (Yes in S1001), the system controller 401 advances the process to S1002. In S1002, the system controller 401 determines whether the received event is a sleep transition (sleep processing) or a return from sleep (return processing). If the received event is a sleep transition ("sleep processing" in S1002), the system controller 401 proceeds to S1003. In step S1003, the system controller 401 issues a sleep notification (sleep transition instruction) to the printer driver 402 running on the CPU 220.

[0047] Next, in S1004, the system controller 401 waits for a sleep completion notification from the printer driver 402, and when the sleep completion notification is received (Yes in S1004), the process proceeds to S1005. In step S1005, the system controller 401 notifies the power control unit 403 to turn off the power to the printer device 104.

[0048] Furthermore, in S1002, if the received event is a return from sleep ("return process" in S1002), the system controller 401 advances the process to S1011.

[0049] In step S1011, the system controller 401 notifies the power control unit 403 that the printer device 104 is to be powered on. Next, in step S1012, the system controller 401 notifies the printer driver 402 of the return from sleep mode.

[0050] Next, the processing of the printer driver 402 running on the CPU 220 of the controller 103 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The processing of the printer driver 402 shown in FIG. 7 most clearly illustrates the features of this embodiment. In this embodiment, when waking up from sleep, the printer driver 402 checks the power latch status of the power control unit 403 to see if the printer device 104 or part of the printer device 104 has been powered off. At this time, if the power latch status indicates that the printer device 104 has been powered off once, the printer driver 402 starts with initialization negotiation. On the other hand, if the power latch status indicates that the printer device has never been powered off, the printer driver 402 skips the initialization negotiation process, which is a feature of this embodiment.

[0051] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the printer driver 402. When the printer driver 402 running on the CPU 220 receives an event from the system controller 401 running on the CPU 200, it starts the processing of this flowchart. In S1101, the printer driver 402 checks whether the received event is a power state transition event. If the received event is not a power state transition event (No in S1101), the printer driver 402 performs processing (not shown) according to the event.

[0052] On the other hand, if the received event is a transition of the power state (Yes in S1101), the printer driver 402 advances the process to S1102. In S1102, the printer driver 402 determines whether the received event is a sleep notification (sleep processing) or a return from sleep notification (return processing). If the received event is a sleep transition notification ("sleep processing" in S1102), the printer driver 402 proceeds to S1103.

[0053] In step S1103, the printer driver 402 issues a sleep notification (sleep transition instruction) to the printer controller 404 running on the CPU 340 of the printer device 104.

[0054] Next, in S1104, the printer driver 402 waits for sleep completion from the printer controller 404, and upon receiving sleep completion (Yes in S1104), the printer driver 402 advances the process to S1105. In step S1105, the printer driver 402 notifies the system controller 401 of the CPU 200 that the sleep state has been completed.

[0055] Furthermore, in step S1102, if the received event is a notification of return from sleep ("return process" in step S1102), the printer driver 402 advances the process to step S1111.

[0056] In step S1111, the printer driver 402 confirms the power OFF latch state of the printer device 104 with the power control unit 403. Next, in S1112, if the printer driver 402 confirms that the power has been turned off once by checking the power-off latch state (Yes in S1112), the process proceeds to S1113. In S1113, the printer driver 402 performs initialization processing with the printer controller 404, and in S1114, performs communication processing with the printer controller 404 (S1114).

[0057] On the other hand, if the printer driver 402 confirms in S1112 that the power has never been turned off by checking the power-off latch state (No in S1112), it continues communication processing with the printer controller 404 in S1114. That is, in this case, the printer driver 402 skips the initialization processing with the printer controller 404.

[0058] Next, the processing of the power control unit 403 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the power control unit 403. When the power control unit 403 running on the CPU 200 receives an event, it starts this sequence.

[0059] In step S1201, the power control unit 403 checks whether the received event is a power state transition event. Here, the power state transition events include turning the printer device 104 power off, turning the printer device 104 power on, and checking the power OFF latch state of the printer device 104. If the received event is not a power state transition event (No in S1201), the power control unit 403 performs processing (not shown) according to the event.

[0060] On the other hand, if the received event is a power state transition event (Yes in S1201), the power control unit 403 advances the process to S1202. In S1202, the power control unit 403 determines whether the received event is a confirmation of the power OFF latch state of the printer device 104. If the received event is a confirmation of the power OFF latch state of the printer device 104 (Yes in S1202), the power control unit 403 proceeds to S1221.

[0061] In S1221, the power control unit 403 transmits information indicating the power OFF latch state of the printer device to the printer driver 402, which is the transmission source, and advances the process to S1222 to release the latch.

[0062] Furthermore, in S1202, if the power state transition event is not a confirmation of the power OFF latch state of the printer device 104 (No in S1202), the power control unit 403 advances the process to S1203.

[0063] In S1203, the power control unit 403 checks whether the received event is a power OFF process for the printer device 104. If the received event is a power OFF process for the printer device 104 (Yes in S1203), the power control unit 403 proceeds to S1204. In S1204, the power control unit 403 turns off the power of the printer device 104, and the process proceeds to S1205. In S1205, the power control unit 403 latches the power OFF of the printer device 104, advances the process to S1206, and notifies the system controller 401 of completion.

[0064] On the other hand, if the received event is a power-on process for the printer device 104 (No in S1203), the power control unit 403 advances the process to S1211. In S1211, the power control unit 403 turns on the power of the printer device 104, and advances the process to S1206, where it notifies the system controller 401 of completion.

[0065] <Effects of the first embodiment> If the printer driver 402 notifies the printer device 104 of sleep and receives a return event before performing power-off processing for the printer device 104, the power latch status of the printer device 104 acquired from the power control unit 403 indicates that the power has never been turned off. In other words, this indicates that the printer device 104 has remained powered on (power supply to the printer device 104 continues) since the previous sleep notification. At this time, the printer driver 402 on the CPU 220 does not need to perform initialization negotiation processing with the printer controller 404, so unnecessary initialization negotiation processing can be omitted and the printer driver 402 can return quickly. Conversely, if the printer driver 402 notifies the printer device 104 of sleep and receives a recovery event after performing power-off processing for the printer device 104, the power latch status of the printer device acquired from the power control unit 403 indicates that the power has been "turned off once." In other words, this indicates that after the previous sleep notification, the printer device 104 was turned off once and then returned to power on (power supply to the printer device 104 was stopped and then resumed). At this time, the printer driver 402 can correctly perform initialization negotiation processing with the printer controller 404 and can recover without a communication error. As described above, in this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate unnecessary processing when the image forming apparatus returns from sleep mode, and to quickly return from sleep mode, thereby improving user convenience. In other words, it is possible to improve usability.

[0066] Second Embodiment <Power supply configuration of the second embodiment> Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of the image forming apparatus 101 of the second embodiment. In the power supply system of the image forming apparatus 101 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3, only the printer device 104 is controlled by power, but in the second embodiment, the same power switch simultaneously controls the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. Below, with reference to Fig. 9, the parts of the power supply 301 and the power supply configuration to each device in the image forming apparatus 101 of the second embodiment that are relevant to the present invention will be described. Note that 650 and 660 in Fig. 9 indicate power supply blocks.

[0067] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is off, a power control unit (not shown) of the controller 103 detects this and supplies power to the CPU 200 of the controller 103. The activated CPU 200 controls the power switch P310 to supply power to the printer device 104, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104, the scanner device 102, and the FAX device 107.

[0068] When the CPU 200 of the controller 103 determines that sleep mode can be entered, it controls the power switch P310 to stop power supply to the printer device 104, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104, the scanner device 102, and the FAX device 107. Conversely, when the CPU 200 of the controller 103 receives a sleep return event, it controls the power switch P310 to start supplying power to the printer device 104, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104, the scanner device 102, and the FAX device 107.

[0069] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is on, a power control unit (not shown) of the controller 103 detects this and notifies the CPU 200 of the controller 103. The CPU 200 controls the power switch P310 to stop power supply to the printer device 104, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104, the scanner device 102, and the FAX device 107. At this time, the CPU 200 can also individually control the power supply to the marking unit 141, paper feed unit 142, and paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104, but a description of this will be omitted. Also, the period during which the power is turned off over time due to the power switch being turned off / on can be guaranteed by hardware or software, but this will not be described here.

[0070] <Operation of the second embodiment> FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the sleep transition operation and the return operation of the second embodiment based on the power supply system diagram shown in FIG. In the second embodiment, the system controller 401 waits for the completion of sleep of the scanner driver 710 that controls the scanner device 102 and the facsimile driver 711 that controls the FAX device 107 asynchronously with the completion of the sleep notification of the printer driver 402. Therefore, there is a wait for the power control timing from the completion of sleep of each driver until the system controller 401 controls the power. Note that the scanner driver 710 and the facsimile driver 711 operate on the CPU 220 in the same way as the printer driver 402.

[0071] First, the sleep transition will be described. After all jobs are completed, the system controller 401 starts transitioning to a sleep state. The transition to sleep may be triggered by another event, such as the release of a sleep prohibition state, but details will be omitted here.

[0072] When the transition to the sleep state is initiated, the system controller 401 notifies the printer controller 404 of the transition to sleep via the printer driver 402. The printer controller 404 responds to the system controller 401 via the printer driver 402 that the transition to sleep has been completed.

[0073] Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the scanner driver 710 running on the CPU 220 of the image forming apparatus 101 of the transition to sleep mode asynchronously with the notification to the printer driver 402. The scanner driver 710 performs sleep processing for the scanner device 102 and sends a response to the system controller 401 indicating completion of the transition to sleep mode. Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the facsimile driver 711 running on the CPU 220 of the image forming apparatus 101 of the transition to sleep mode asynchronously with the notification to the printer driver 402. The facsimile driver 711 performs sleep processing for the FAX device 107 and sends a response to the system controller 401 indicating completion of the transition to sleep mode.

[0074] When the system controller 401 receives responses from all devices indicating that the transition to sleep has been completed, it instructs the power control unit 403 to turn off the power of the power block A660, which includes the printer device 104. The power control unit 403 uses the power switch R610 to turn off the power of the power block A660, which includes the printer device 104, and latches the fact that the power has been turned off (similar to the first embodiment).

[0075] Next, the return from sleep mode will be described. After issuing the print job, the system controller 401 starts the return from sleep mode. The return from sleep mode may be triggered by another event other than a print job, such as pressing a power-saving key, but details will be omitted here.

[0076] When the system controller 401 receives the sleep recovery command, it instructs the power control unit 403 to power on the printer device 104. The power control unit 403 uses the power switch R610 to power on the power block A660 including the printer device 104.

[0077] The system controller 401 notifies the printer driver 402 of a return from sleep mode. The printer driver 402 checks latch information in the power control unit 403, which indicates whether the printer device 104 has been powered off even once (whether the power has been turned off / on since the previous notification of sleep transition). If the printer driver 402 can confirm from the power OFF latch status of the power control unit 403 that the printer device 104 has been "powered off once," it starts processing from initialization negotiation with the printer device 104. On the other hand, if the printer driver 402 can confirm from the power OFF latch status of the power control unit 403 that the printer device has "never been powered off" (if the power remains on), it skips the initialization negotiation with the printer device 104 and performs printing communication. Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the scanner driver 710 and the facsimile driver 711 of the return from sleep mode asynchronously with the printer driver 402 .

[0078] The sequence of the second embodiment is almost the same as that of the first embodiment described above. That is, the system controller 401, printer driver 402, and power control unit 403 of the second embodiment perform the same processes as those shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, respectively, and therefore the respective flowcharts will be omitted. As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above are achieved.

[0079] Third Embodiment <Power supply configuration of the third embodiment> FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a power supply system of an image forming apparatus 101 according to the third embodiment. In the power supply system of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the controller 103 controls the power supply of the printer device 104, but in the third embodiment, the printer device 104 controls the power supply of the controller 103. The printer device 104 also controls the power supplies of the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. Below, with reference to FIG. 11, the parts of the power supply 301 and the power supply configuration to each device in the image forming apparatus 101 according to the third embodiment that are relevant to the present invention will be described. Note that 850, 860, and 870 in FIG. 11 indicate power supply blocks.

[0080] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is off, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 detects this. The CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch M810 to supply power to the controller 103, and controls the power switch N820 to supply power to the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107.

[0081] When the CPU 200 of the controller 103 determines that the printer device 104 can enter sleep mode, it sends a signal to the printer device 104. Upon receiving this signal, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch N820 to stop power supply to the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. Furthermore, upon receiving the sleep notification, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch M810 to stop the power supply to part of the controller 103. At this time, the controller 103 can also enter a suspended state by stopping the power supply to the CPU 200 and CPU peripherals of the controller 103 and supplying power to recovery devices such as the memory 201 and network chip. Furthermore, even upon receiving the signal notification, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 can continue the power supply without controlling the power switch M810 and enter a suspended state by controlling the power supply within the controller.

[0082] Conversely, when the CPU 200 of the controller 103 receives the sleep return notification, it sends a signal to the printer device 104. Upon receiving this signal, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch N820 to start supplying power to the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. Furthermore, upon receiving the sleep return notification, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch M810 to start supplying power to part of the controller 103. At this time, the controller 103 can also start supplying power to the CPU 200 and CPU peripherals of the controller 103 and enter a resume state.

[0083] When the power switch 110 of the image forming apparatus 101 is pressed while the power is on, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 detects this. The CPU 340 of the printer device 104 controls the power switch N820 to stop power supply to the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107, and controls the power switch M810 to stop power supply to the controller 103. At this time, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 can also individually control the power supply to the marking unit 141, paper feed unit 142, and paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104, but a description of this will be omitted. Also, the period during which the power is turned off over time due to the power switch being turned off / on can be guaranteed by hardware or software, but this will not be discussed here.

[0084] <Operation of the third embodiment> FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the sleep transition operation and the return operation of the third embodiment based on the power supply system diagram shown in FIG. In the third embodiment, the same sequence as in the first embodiment can be used when entering sleep mode. In the third embodiment, when transitioning to sleep mode, the system controller 401 sends a signal to the printer controller 404 via the power control unit 403, and the printer controller 404 turns off the power supply block B870. Even with this complex configuration, when returning from sleep mode, the printer driver 402 can check with the power control unit 403 whether the device power supply has been turned off, and execute processing to determine whether initialization negotiation is required.

[0085] First, the transition to the sleep state will be described. After all jobs are completed, the system controller 401 running on the CPU 200 of the image forming apparatus 101 starts transitioning to a sleep state. The transition to sleep may be triggered by another event, such as the release of a sleep prohibition state, but details will be omitted here. The system controller 401 notifies the printer controller 404 of the transition to sleep mode via the printer driver 402 running on the CPU 220 of the image forming apparatus 101. The printer controller 404 responds to the system controller 401 via the printer driver 402 to inform that the transition to sleep mode has been completed.

[0086] Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the scanner driver 710 running on the CPU 220 of the image forming apparatus 101 of the transition to sleep mode asynchronously with the notification to the printer driver 402. The scanner driver 710 performs sleep processing for the scanner device 102 and sends a response to the system controller 401 indicating completion of the transition to sleep mode.

[0087] Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the facsimile driver 711 running on the CPU 220 of the image forming apparatus 101 of the transition to sleep mode asynchronously with the notification to the printer driver 402. The facsimile driver 711 performs sleep processing for the FAX device 107 and sends a response to the system controller 401 indicating completion of the transition to sleep mode.

[0088] When the system controller 401 receives responses from all devices indicating that they have completed their transition to sleep, it instructs the power control unit 403 to turn off the power. In response to this instruction, the power control unit 403 sends a signal to the printer controller 404 and latches the power-off notification. Upon receiving the signal, the printer controller 404 uses the power switch N820 to turn off the power to the power block B870, which includes the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. At this time, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 can also individually turn off the power to the marking unit 141, paper feed unit 142, and paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104, but this will not be described here.

[0089] Next, the return from sleep mode will be described. After issuing the print job, the system controller 401 starts the return from sleep mode. The return from sleep mode may be triggered by another event other than a print job, such as pressing a power-saving key, but details will be omitted here.

[0090] When the system controller 401 receives the sleep return signal, it instructs the power control unit 403 to turn on the power. The power control unit 403 notifies the printer controller 404 of the power-on signal. Upon receiving the signal, the printer controller 404 uses the power switch N820 to turn on the power of the power block B870, which includes the scanner device 102 and the FAX device 107. At this time, the CPU 340 of the printer device 104 can also individually power on the marking unit 141, paper feed unit 142, and paper discharge unit 143 of the printer device 104, but a description of this will be omitted.

[0091] The system controller 401 notifies the printer driver 402 of a return from sleep mode. The printer driver 402 checks the latch state of the power control unit 403, which indicates whether the printer device 104 has been powered off even once (whether the power has been turned off / on since the previous notification of sleep transition). If the printer driver 402 can confirm from the power OFF latch state of the power control unit 403 that the printer device 104 has been "powered off once," it starts processing from initialization negotiation with the printer device 104. On the other hand, if the printer driver 402 can confirm from the power OFF latch state of the power control unit 403 that the printer device has "never been powered off" (if the power remains on), it skips the initialization negotiation with the printer device 104 and performs printing communication. Furthermore, the system controller 401 notifies the scanner driver 710 and the facsimile driver 711 of the return from sleep mode asynchronously with the printer driver 402 .

[0092] The sequence of the third embodiment is almost the same as that of the first embodiment. That is, the system controller 401, printer driver 402, and power control unit 403 of the second embodiment perform the same processes as those shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, respectively, and therefore the flowcharts for each are omitted. As described above, according to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment described above are achieved.

[0093] The following describes the present invention using a specific example: For example, the present invention will be described using a sequence in which the image forming apparatus 101 executes multiple print jobs. The execution sequence of multiple print jobs performed by the controller 103 of the image forming apparatus 101 has two patterns (pattern 1 and pattern 2). Pattern 1 is a pattern for executing two print jobs consecutively. Pattern 2 is a pattern in which two print jobs are executed intermittently.

[0094] In pattern 1, power supply to the printer device 104 is continued between the two print jobs, and printing processing can be continued, so printing can be performed at the fastest speed. On the other hand, in pattern 2, two print jobs are executed intermittently, so the printer may go into sleep mode and then return to sleep mode between the two print jobs. That is, in pattern 2, power to the printer device 104 may be cut off between the two print jobs, and the printer may start from the initialization negotiation process when power is resupplied. In this case, the time until printing is completed may be longer than in pattern 1.

[0095] When power to the printer device 104 is cut off, it takes time for the power waveform to completely drop, and when power is supplied to the printer device 104 again, it takes time for the power waveform to rise again. As a result, when power to the printer device 104 is turned off (pattern 2), it takes longer to start printing after power is cut off and power is supplied than when printing is performed continuously (pattern 1), and the time until printing is completed increases. Therefore, in pattern 2, if printing can be performed continuously without cutting off power to the printer device 104 as much as possible, the time until printing is completed can be shortened.

[0096] Pattern 2 will be explained in more detail below. The power saving process (sleep process) of the printer device 104 involves a series of sequences in which the printer device 104 is notified of sleep, a response is received, and then the printer device is powered off. Therefore, pattern 2 is divided into three timings (timings A, B, and C).

[0097] Timing A corresponds to the timing before sending a sleep notification to the printer device 104 . Timing B corresponds to the timing from after the sleep notification is sent to the printer device 104 until before the printer device 104 is turned off. Timing C corresponds to the timing after the printer device 104 is turned off.

[0098] If a second print job is received at timing A, the printer device 104 can continue to operate, as in the processing of pattern 1. When a second print job is received at timing C, as in the processing of pattern 2, the power of the printer device 104 is turned off, so the power of the printer device 104 is turned on and initialization negotiation processing is performed. In contrast, when a second print job is received at timing B, conventionally, even though the printer device 104 has not yet been turned off, the printer device 104 has already been notified of sleep, and therefore initialization negotiation processing is performed.

[0099] Here, timing B will be described in more detail using an example in which the power switches of multiple devices including the printer device 104 are combined into one, as in the second embodiment. When the system controller 401 determines that the printer 104 should transition to sleep, the printer driver 402 that controls the printer 104 sends a sleep notification to the printer 104 and confirms the completion notification. Simultaneously or asynchronously, the scanner driver 710 confirms with the scanner 102 whether the sleep process has been completed, and the facsimile driver 711 confirms with the fax 107 whether the sleep process has been completed. The system controller 401 then confirms that all sleep processes have been completed and turns off the power switches of the multiple devices. At this time, the printer driver 402 does not know when the printer 104 will actually be turned off because the sleep completion of the printer 104 and the multiple devices is asynchronous. Therefore, in the past, the printer driver 402 had no choice but to perform initialization negotiation after sending the sleep notification to the printer 104, even if initialization negotiation was unnecessary because the printer 104 received a print job and returned before the power was turned off. However, in the present invention, the power control unit 403 latches the fact that the power of the printer device 104 has been turned off once, allowing the printer driver 402 to skip unnecessary initialization negotiation processing and continue operation.

[0100] As described above, in the past, when two print jobs were intermittently executed, the time until printing started could be delayed by the sleep and resume processes. As a result, the delay in printing start could delay the time until printing was completed and the time until the user received the printed material could be delayed. In contrast, in the present invention, the power control unit 403 latches the power of the printer device 104 when it has been turned off. Then, when a print job is received during sleep mode and the sleep mode is canceled and the printer driver 402 resumes, the printer driver 402 checks whether the printer device 104 and related devices have been powered off based on the latch status of the power control unit 403. If the power has never been turned off, the printer driver 402 passes (skips) the initialization negotiation with the printer device 104. With this configuration, when waking up from sleep mode, if the printer device 104 has never been powered off since the previous sleep mode notification, the initialization negotiation with the printer device 104 can be omitted. As a result, the sleep mode recovery time is shortened and printing is completed more quickly.

[0101] As described above, when the image forming apparatus 101 returns from sleep mode, it checks whether the printer apparatus 104 and related devices have been powered off. If the printer apparatus 104 and other related devices have not been powered off (if they remain powered on), the initialization negotiation with the printer apparatus 104 is passed. As a result, the time required to return from sleep mode is shortened when a print job is received during sleep mode transition and the sleep transition is canceled and the image forming apparatus 101 returns from sleep mode, and printing is completed more quickly.

[0102] In the above embodiments, if the printer device 104 is powered off after a sleep notification, the power control unit 403 latches the information. Then, when the printer driver 402 receives a recovery notification, it checks with the power control unit 403 and, if the printer device 104 was not powered off after the previous sleep notification, cancels the initialization negotiation. However, the storage of information on whether the printer device 104 was powered off after a sleep notification is not limited to being latched by the power control unit 403. Any configuration is acceptable as long as the printer driver 402 can check this upon recovery. For example, when the system controller 401 notifies the power control unit 403 that the printer device 104 is powered off, the system controller 401 stores information to that effect. Then, upon recovery from sleep, the system controller 401 checks the stored information, and if the power off notification was sent, it sends a first recovery notification to the printer driver 402. If the power off notification was not sent, it sends a second recovery notification to the printer driver 402. When the printer driver 402 receives a first return notification from the system controller 401, it performs an initialization negotiation process with the printer device 104 and then communicates with the printer device 104. On the other hand, when the printer driver 402 receives a second return notification from the system controller 401, it may skip the initialization negotiation process and communicate with the printer device 104.

[0103] As described above, in each embodiment of the present invention, when the printer driver 402 receives a return notification from the system controller 401, it determines whether power supply to the printer device 104 (print engine) has been stopped / restarted since the previous sleep transition instruction was transmitted to the printer device 104. If power supply has not been stopped / restarted, the printer driver 402 controls the printer device 104 so that it does not perform the initialization process (initialization negotiation) that is performed on the printer device 104 when power supply has been stopped / restarted. This configuration eliminates unnecessary initialization processes when the image forming device returns from sleep mode, enabling the image forming device to return from sleep mode quickly. As a result, printing processing can be started quickly, shortening the time it takes for the user to obtain printed materials. This improves usability.

[0104] It goes without saying that the configurations and contents of the various data described above are not limited to those described above, and that the data may be configured in various configurations and contents depending on the application and purpose. Although one embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be embodied as, for example, a system, an apparatus, a method, a program, a storage medium, etc. Specifically, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of multiple devices, or may be applied to an apparatus made up of a single device. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of the above embodiments.

[0105] (Other embodiments) The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program.The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that realizes one or more functions. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a system made up of multiple devices, or to an apparatus made up of a single device. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications (including organic combinations of the embodiments) are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these modifications are not excluded from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all configurations that combine the above-described embodiments and their modifications are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 101 Image forming device 103 Controller 104 Printer device 200 Controller 103 Main Board 250 CPU 220 CPU of sub-board 260 of controller 103 340 Printer device CPU 401 System Controller 402 Printer Driver 403 Power Control Unit 404 Printer Controller

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus having a printer unit that outputs image data onto paper, the image forming apparatus being switchable between a first power state in which power is supplied to the printer unit and a second power state in which power is not supplied to the printer unit, a first control unit for controlling the image forming apparatus; a second control means for controlling the printer unit, the second control means transmitting a first instruction to the printer unit when receiving a first instruction to transition to the second power state from the first control means, and performing control to resume communication with the printer unit when receiving a second instruction to return to the first power state from the first control means; a power control means for controlling power supply to the printer unit, which holds information for determining whether power supply to the printer unit has been stopped as a result of the process of transitioning the printer unit to the second power state in response to the first instruction; The image forming apparatus is characterized in that the second control means performs an initialization process on the printer unit if it determines, based on the information held by the power control means, that power supply to the printer unit has been stopped and resumed after the first instruction was transmitted, and does not perform the initialization process if it determines that power supply to the printer unit continues after the first instruction was transmitted.

2. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second control means is a printer driver.

3. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control means instructs the power control means to stop supplying power to the printer unit after issuing the first instruction to the second control means, and issues the second instruction to the second control means after instructing the power control means to start supplying power to the printer unit.

4. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power control unit controls power supply to a plurality of devices including the printer unit.

5. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first control means issues the first instruction to the second control means and a plurality of other control means that respectively control the plurality of devices, and when a response to the first instruction is received from the second control means and the plurality of other control means, the first control means instructs the power control means to stop supplying power to the printer unit.

6. An image forming apparatus having a printer unit that outputs image data onto paper, and capable of switching between a first power state in which power is supplied to the printer unit and a second power state in which power is not supplied to the printer unit, the image forming apparatus having a first control means that controls the image forming apparatus, a second control means that controls the printer unit, and a power control means that controls power supply to the printer unit, the image forming apparatus comprising: a notification step in which the second control means, upon receiving a first instruction to transition to the second power state from the first control means, notifies the printer unit of the first instruction; a control step in which the second control means performs control to resume communication with the printer unit when the second control means receives a second instruction to return to the first power state from the first control means; a storage step of storing information by the power control means for determining whether or not power supply to the printer unit has been stopped as a result of the process of transitioning the printer unit to the second power state in response to the first instruction, In the control process, based on the information stored in the storage process, if it is determined that power supply to the printer unit has been stopped and resumed after the first instruction was transmitted, an initialization process is performed on the printer unit, and if it is determined that power supply to the printer unit has continued since the last time the first instruction was transmitted, the initialization process is not performed.

7. A program for causing a computer to function as each of the means of the image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images