Information processing device and program

Abstract

To reduce a decrease in convenience for a user who uses an apparatus compared with a case where the apparatus requires a fixed time to make a transition to a power saving state.SOLUTION: A processor calculates a set value of a transition time required for an image forming apparatus 10 to make a transition to a power saving state based on a first history of the time interval of each processing executed by the image forming apparatus 10, and a target value of a return time required for the image forming apparatus 10 to return from the power saving state, and outputs the set value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Devices having a power saving function are known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a system that supplies a timeout value for a device such as a printer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, the amount of processing executed by the device and the interval between each processing may vary for each period such as a day or a week. Therefore, if the time until the device transitions to the power saving state is constant, the convenience of the user who uses the device may decrease. <00000三十六]]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to suppress a decrease in the convenience of a user who uses a device as compared with a case where the time until the device transitions to the power saving state is constant.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] <四九]] The invention according to claim 1 has a processor, and the processor outputs a set value of the transition time until the device transitions to the power saving state, which is obtained based on a first history of the time intervals of each processing executed by the device and a target value of the recovery time required until the device recovers from the power saving state. An information processing apparatus <000九十九]] The information processing apparatus is characterized in that the processor calculates a first relationship between the recovery time and the transition time based on the first history, identifies the set value at which the target value is achieved based on the first relationship, obtains a history of the time intervals of each process for each predetermined period, identifies the next period after the period in which a history with the relationship closest to the first relationship was obtained, and identifies the set value based on the second relationship between the recovery time and the transition time and the target value of the recovery time calculated from the history obtained in the next period. is.

[0009] Claim 2 The invention relating to this claim is that the processor changes the value of the transition time and calculates the return time for each transition time as the first relationship based on the relationship between the time at which each process included in the first history was executed and the transition time. 1 This is the information processing device described above.

[0011] Claim 3 The invention relating to the present invention is that the processor changes the specified setting value based on the difference between the actual recovery time and the target value during the period in which the first history was obtained. 1 This is the information processing device described above.

[0012] Claim 4 The invention relating to this invention is characterized in that multiple different power saving states are defined, and the transition to power saving is carried out in multiple stages, as described in claims 1 to 1. 3 It is an information processing device described in any one of the items.

[0013] Claim 5 The invention relates to a program for causing a computer to operate in such a way that it outputs a set value for the transition time required for the device to transition to a power-saving state, which is obtained based on a first history of the time intervals of each process performed by the device and a target value for the recovery time required for the device to recover from the power-saving state. The program is characterized in that the computer calculates a first relationship between the recovery time and the transition time based on the first history, and operates to identify the setting value that achieves the target value based on the first relationship. A history of the time intervals of each process is obtained at predetermined intervals, and the computer identifies the next period after the period in which a history with the relationship closest to the first relationship was obtained, and operates to identify the setting value based on the second relationship between the recovery time and the transition time and the target value of the recovery time, calculated from the history obtained in the next period. That is the case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] Claim 1- 2 According to the inventions described in 4 and 5, compared to the case where the time it takes for the device to switch to a power-saving state is constant, it is possible to suppress the decrease in convenience for the user using the device.

[0015] Claim 3 According to the invention, a setting value can be obtained that can eliminate the difference between the actual recovery time and the target value. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1]It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing each mode of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing a function for calculating a set value of a transition time. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing a job history. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing a job history. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a calculation result of an average value of UI return times. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the SP transition time and the average value of the UI return time. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the SP transition time and the ratio of 1 second or less. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the SP transition time and the ratio of 1 second or less. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the SP transition time and the ratio of 1 second or less. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the SP transition time and the ratio of 1 second or less.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] In the embodiment, based on the history of processing by a device that executes processing (hereinafter referred to as a "processing device"), a set value of the time until the state of the processing device transitions to a power-saving state is calculated. Hereinafter, the time until the state of the processing device transitions to the power-saving state is referred to as the "transition time".

[0018] The processing device may be any device as long as it has a function of transitioning from a non-power-saving state to a power-saving state. The non-power-saving state is a state in which power is supplied to each component constituting the processing device and each component is operating, and the processing device is capable of executing processing. The power-saving state is a state in which power is not supplied to some components constituting the processing device, or a state in which a lower power than the non-power-saving state is supplied to some or all of the components constituting the processing device.

[0019] For example, if the processing unit is in a non-power-saving state, and a transition period has elapsed since the last time the processing unit performed processing or the last time it was operated by a user, the processing unit will transition to a power-saving state.

[0020] Furthermore, if the processing unit is in a power-saving state and a specific event occurs, the processing unit will return from the power-saving state to a non-power-saving state. By returning to the non-power-saving state, the processing unit will be able to execute processing. The specific event is an event that corresponds to an instruction to return to the power-saving state. For example, if the processing unit is equipped with a return button, and the user presses the return button, the processing unit will return from the power-saving state to a non-power-saving state. Also, if the processing unit receives an instruction to execute processing, the processing unit may return from the power-saving state to a non-power-saving state.

[0021] It takes time (hereinafter referred to as "recovery time") for the processing unit to return from a power-saving state to a non-power-saving state. Recovery time is the time required for the state of each component constituting the processing unit to change from a power-saving state to a state in which processing and functions can be executed. Since the function, performance, or characteristics of each component constituting the processing unit differ, the recovery time may differ for each component.

[0022] In this embodiment, a set value for the transition time until the processing unit enters a power-saving state is calculated based on a first history of the time intervals between each process performed by the processing unit and a target value for the processing unit's recovery time. For example, the calculated set value can be set on the processing unit, and the processing unit can enter a power-saving state according to that set value. This set value may be set on the processing unit according to user instructions, or it may be set automatically on the processing unit.

[0023] In the following, an image forming apparatus will be used as an example of a processing apparatus to describe the embodiments. However, the image forming apparatus is merely one example of a processing apparatus, and the embodiments may also be applied to apparatuses other than image forming apparatuses.

[0024] Referring to Figure 1, the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0025] The image forming apparatus 10 includes an image forming unit 12, a UI 14, a communication device 16, a memory 18, and a processor 20. The image forming apparatus 10 is a printer, scanner, copier, facsimile, or multifunction device (for example, a device having the functions of multiple devices such as a printer, scanner, and copier).

[0026] The image forming unit 12 has at least one function from among printing, scanning, copying, and facsimile. The printing method, scanning method, etc., are not particularly limited. For example, the printing method may be an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, a thermal method, or a thermal transfer method.

[0027] UI14 is a user interface and includes a display and an input device. The display is an LCD or EL display, etc. The input device is a keyboard, mouse, input keys, or control panel, etc. UI14 may also be a UI such as a touch panel that combines a display and an input device.

[0028] The communication device 16 includes one or more communication interfaces having a communication chip, communication circuits, etc., and has the function of transmitting information to other devices and the function of receiving information from other devices. The communication device 16 may have wireless communication functions such as short-range wireless communication or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or it may have wired communication functions.

[0029] Memory 18 is a device that constitutes one or more storage areas for storing data. Memory 18 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), various types of memory (e.g., RAM, DRAM, NVRAM, ROM, etc.), other storage devices (e.g., optical discs, etc.), or a combination thereof.

[0030] The processor 20 controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0031] The processor 20 calculates a set value for the transition time until the image forming apparatus 10 transitions to a power-saving state, based on a first history of the time intervals of each process performed by the image forming apparatus 10 and a target value for the recovery time required for the image forming apparatus 10 to return from a power-saving state to a non-power-saving state. For example, if the first history is acquired at predetermined intervals, the processor 20 calculates a set value for the transition time in future intervals. If the predetermined interval is one day, the first history is acquired for each day, and the processor 20 calculates a set value for the transition time in future days (for example, the next day).

[0032] Here, we will explain specific examples of the power states of the image forming apparatus 10. The image forming apparatus 10 has two power states: standby and power saving. The standby state is an example of a non-power saving state. Hereafter, the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 when its power state is standby will be referred to as "standby mode," and the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 when its power state is power saving will be referred to as "power saving mode."

[0033] Standby mode is the state in which the image forming apparatus 10 is waiting. Specifically, in standby mode, power is supplied to each component of the image forming apparatus 10, and each component is operating. At that time, the image forming apparatus 10 is in a state where it can accept processing (for example, print jobs, scan instructions, copy instructions, etc.) and execute the said processing.

[0034] The power saving mode is a state in which power is not supplied to some of the components of the image forming apparatus 10, or in which some or all of the components of the image forming apparatus 10 are supplied with power lower than that in standby mode.

[0035] For example, if the image forming apparatus 10 is in standby mode, and the user operates the UI 14 to instruct the user to switch to power saving mode (for example, by pressing the power saving button), the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to power saving mode.

[0036] As another example, a time (i.e., transition time) may be set for transitioning from standby mode to power-saving mode. The set value of the transition time is stored in memory 18. When the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 is standby mode, if the time during which the image forming apparatus 10 is not performing any processing such as print jobs, or the time during which the UI 14 is not being operated by the user, exceeds the transition time, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to power-saving mode. In other words, if the transition time has elapsed since the last time processing was performed or the last time an operation was performed, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to power-saving mode.

[0037] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in power-saving mode, if a specific event occurs, the processor 60 returns each part of the image forming apparatus 10 from power-saving mode to standby mode. The state after returning to standby mode is a state in which each component of the image forming apparatus 10 is able to perform processing and functions such as print jobs. Returning to standby mode means changing the state of each component of the image forming apparatus 10 from the state in power-saving mode to a state in which processing and functions can be performed. The specific event is an event that corresponds to the instruction for this return. For example, if a return button is provided on the control panel and the user presses the return button, the processor 20 determines that a specific event has occurred and changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from power-saving mode to standby mode. If the power of a component of the image forming apparatus 10 is off in power-saving mode, the processor 20 turns on the power of that component. If the power supplied to a component is lower than the power in standby mode, the processor 20 supplies the power in standby mode to that component. Furthermore, when a print job is sent from an external device to the image forming apparatus 10 and the processor 20 accepts the print job, the processor 20 determines that a specific event has occurred and changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from power-saving mode to standby mode. The specific event described here is merely one example of an event that causes recovery, and other events may be set as events that cause recovery.

[0038] Multiple different power-saving modes may be set, and the processor 20 may change the power-saving mode of the image forming apparatus 10 in stages. For example, a first power-saving mode and a second power-saving mode may be set. The second power-saving mode is a mode that consumes less power than the first power-saving mode.

[0039] For example, a first power-saving mode and a second power-saving mode are set considering the energy-saving effect and recovery time. Recovery time is the time required for each part of the image forming apparatus 10 to return from power-saving mode to standby mode. In other words, recovery time is the time required for the state of each component constituting the image forming apparatus 10 to change from the state in power-saving mode to a state in which processing and function execution is possible. The recovery time may differ for each component constituting the image forming apparatus 10. For example, the recovery time of a component that functions immediately when power is supplied, such as the control panel, is relatively short. On the other hand, the recovery time of a component that functions after a certain amount of time has elapsed since power was supplied, such as the fuser, is relatively long. To explain using the fuser as an example, since it is necessary to raise the temperature of the fuser to the target temperature required for fixing, the transition time is longer by the time required for the temperature to rise. Generally, once the power to the fuser is turned off, the time required from the power-off state until actual printing can be done becomes longer.

[0040] The recovery time corresponds to the time the user waits for the image forming apparatus 10 to switch from power saving mode to standby mode. Therefore, the recovery time can be described as the user's waiting time.

[0041] When multiple different power-saving modes are set, a transition time is set for each power-saving mode. For example, a first transition time is set, which is the time it takes to transition from standby mode to the first power-saving mode, and a second transition time is set, which is the time it takes to transition from the first power-saving mode to the second power-saving mode.

[0042] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in standby mode, if the time during which the image forming apparatus 10 is not performing any processing or the UI 14 is not being operated by the user exceeds the first transition time, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to the first power-saving mode. In other words, if the first transition time has elapsed since the last time processing or operation was performed, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to the first power-saving mode. When the image forming apparatus 10 is in the first power-saving mode, if a specific event occurs that causes a recovery, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from the first power-saving mode to standby mode.

[0043] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in the first power-saving mode, if the time during which the image forming apparatus 10 is not performing any processing or the UI 14 is not being operated by the user exceeds the second transition time, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from the first power-saving mode to the second power-saving mode. In other words, if the second transition time has elapsed since the transition to the first power-saving mode without any processing or operation being performed, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from the first power-saving mode to the second power-saving mode. When the image forming apparatus 10 is in the second power-saving mode, if a specific event occurs that causes a recovery, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from the second power-saving mode to standby mode.

[0044] The first and second power saving modes are merely examples; three or more different power saving modes may be set, and the power saving mode may be changed in stages.

[0045] The following describes specific examples of each mode of the image forming apparatus 10 with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 shows an example of each mode.

[0046] For example, the image forming apparatus 10 has three modes: standby mode, low power mode, and sleep mode. In the following, the low power mode may be referred to as "LP mode" and the sleep mode as "SP mode". Standby mode is a mode in which power is supplied to each part of the image forming apparatus 10, as described above. Low power mode and sleep mode are examples of power saving modes. Low power mode is an example of a first power saving mode, and sleep mode is an example of a second power saving mode. Sleep mode is a mode that consumes less power than low power mode.

[0047] In the following section, we will explain each mode by focusing on the power supply to the reader, operation panel, control device, and output device, as an example.

[0048] The reading device is a device included in the image forming unit 12 that generates image data by optically reading information from a document. The operation panel is a device included in the UI 14 that displays images and receives instructions from the user. The control device includes a memory 18 and a processor 20 and controls the image forming apparatus 10. The output device is a device included in the image forming unit 12 that performs printing functions. For example, the output device includes a device that forms a toner image by exposure and development, a transfer device that transfers the toner image to paper, and a fixing device that fixes the toner image transferred to the paper to the paper.

[0049] In standby mode, power is supplied to each part of the image forming apparatus 10, and each part is in operation. Specifically, power is supplied to the reading device, operation panel, control device, and output device, and these devices are in operation.

[0050] In low-power mode, the reader and control panel are in a power-saving state. Specifically, the power to the reader and control panel is turned off, and no power is supplied to them. For example, if the control panel has a backlight, that backlight is turned off.

[0051] Low mode may be implemented as a low-power mode. Low mode is a mode in which power is supplied to the output device to maintain the fuser temperature within a predetermined temperature range without turning off the output device's power. This predetermined temperature range is lower than the fuser temperature during printing (i.e., the target temperature required for fixing) and higher than the fuser temperature before the fuser is heated when the fuser power is off. This predetermined temperature range may be a constant temperature. By lowering the fuser temperature to a temperature lower than the target temperature required for fixing, the fuser's power consumption is reduced. In addition, the time to return to standby mode is shortened compared to when the fuser power is turned off. Thus, Low mode achieves both a reduction in fuser power consumption and a shortened fuser recovery time.

[0052] In sleep mode, the reader, control panel, and output device are in a power-saving state. Specifically, the power to the reader, control panel, and output device is turned off, and no power is supplied to them.

[0053] Furthermore, in sleep mode, the control unit is in a power-saving state. For example, the control unit's power-saving state may include a state where the clock of the processor 20 included in the control unit is turned off, a state where the power supply to the processor 20 is stopped, or a state where the power supply to components other than the memory 18 included in the control unit is stopped. These are merely examples of sleep mode, and other power control measures may be taken as long as the power consumption in sleep mode is lower than the power consumption in low-power mode.

[0054] A transition time is set for each power saving mode. For example, a first transition time is set, which is the time it takes to transition from standby mode to low power mode, and a second transition time is set, which is the time it takes to transition from low power mode to sleep mode. The values ​​of the first transition time and the second transition time are stored in memory 18.

[0055] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in standby mode, if the time during which the image forming apparatus 10 is not performing any processing or the UI 14 is not being operated by the user exceeds the first transition time, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to low-power mode. In other words, if the first transition time has elapsed since the last time processing or operation was performed, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from standby mode to low-power mode.

[0056] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in low-power mode, if a specific event that causes a recovery occurs, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from low-power mode to standby mode.

[0057] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in low-power mode, and the time during which the image forming apparatus 10 is not performing any processing or the UI 14 is not being operated by the user exceeds the second transition time, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from low-power mode to sleep mode. In other words, if the second transition time has elapsed since the transition to the first power-saving mode without any processing or operation, the processor 20 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from low-power mode to sleep mode.

[0058] When the image forming apparatus 10 is in sleep mode, if a specific event occurs that causes it to resume operation, the processor 60 changes the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 from sleep mode to standby mode.

[0059] The following explanation will describe the function for calculating the transition time setting, referring to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the function for calculating the transition time setting.

[0060] The image forming apparatus 10 includes a relationship calculation unit 22, a holiday determination unit 24, a period calculation unit 26, and a set value calculation unit 28. These functions are implemented by the processor 20.

[0061] The relationship calculation unit 22 calculates a first relationship between the recovery time and the transition time based on a first history of the time intervals of each process performed by the image forming apparatus 10.

[0062] The recovery time here refers, for example, to the UI recovery time. The UI recovery time is the time required for the UI 14 to recover from a power saving mode (e.g., low power mode or sleep mode). The recovery of the UI 14 means that the backlight of the control panel included in the UI 14 turns on and operation using the control panel becomes possible. For example, when the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 is a power saving mode (e.g., low power mode or sleep mode), a specific event corresponding to a recovery instruction occurs. The time from the time that the event occurs until the time when the backlight of the control panel included in the UI 14 turns on and operation using the control panel becomes possible is the UI recovery time.

[0063] The UI recovery time varies depending on the power saving mode. The UI recovery time from low power mode is shorter than from sleep mode. For example, the UI recovery time from low power mode is 0.7 seconds, while from sleep mode it is 3.0 seconds. Note that these values ​​are just examples. For calculation purposes, the UI recovery time from standby mode is set to 0.0 seconds.

[0064] The transition time here refers to the time it takes to transition from standby mode to sleep mode (i.e., the sum of the first transition time and the second transition time). Hereafter, the time taken to transition from standby mode to sleep mode will be referred to as "SP transition time".

[0065] The first history of each processing time interval is the job history. Here, a job is a set of operations and processes performed from the return point to the end point. The return point is the time when the image forming apparatus 10 returns from power saving mode (e.g., low power mode or sleep mode) to standby mode. The end point is the time when the execution of the target process is completed. For example, if the return to standby mode, user operation, execution of the process, and completion of the process occur in that order, the set consisting of the return, operation, execution of the process, and completion of the process is defined as one job.

[0066] The job history is a record of each job that occurred within a predetermined period. For example, the return time and completion time of each job are included in the job history. The predetermined period can be, for example, one day, one week, or one month, and may be set by the user.

[0067] The relationship calculation unit 22 virtually changes the value of the SP transition time and calculates the UI return time for each SP transition time as the first relationship based on the relationship between the time when the processing included in each job is executed and the SP transition time. Specifically, the time when the processing is executed is the return time and the end time.

[0068] The relationship calculation unit 22 receives the job history obtained at predetermined intervals and calculates a first relationship between the UI return time and the SP transition time for each job history in each period. For example, if the period is one day, the relationship calculation unit 22 calculates the first relationship for each day based on the job history for each day.

[0069] The holiday determination unit 24 determines that a day is a holiday if the number of jobs falls below a threshold. The setting value for the SP transition time for the day following a day determined to be a holiday is not calculated by the setting value calculation unit 28. In this case, a value determined by another method or a predetermined value is used as the setting value for the SP transition time for the following day.

[0070] The period calculation unit 26 receives the first relationship for each period calculated by the relationship calculation unit 22 and identifies the period in which the relationship closest to the first relationship of a particular period (i.e., the relationship between UI return time and SP transition time) was calculated. For example, if the period is a day, the particular period is "today". In this case, the period calculation unit 26 identifies the day in which the relationship closest to the first relationship of today was calculated. The identified day is determined to be a periodic day in the sense that it is a day in which the same first relationship as today can be obtained.

[0071] The setting value calculation unit 28 identifies the period following the period identified by the period calculation unit 26, and calculates the setting value for the SP transition time based on the first relationship (hereinafter referred to as the "second relationship") calculated based on the job history obtained in the next period, and the target value for the return time. The target value for the return time is set by the user. The target value may be set in advance.

[0072] For example, if the period is "days", the setting value calculation unit 28 identifies the day following the day identified by the period calculation unit 26, and calculates the setting value for the SP transition time based on the first relationship (corresponding to the second relationship) of that following day and the target value for the return time.

[0073] The SP transition time setting value is output. For example, the SP transition time setting value may be displayed on the UI14 operation panel, transmitted to a terminal device such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"), tablet PC, or smartphone, or set in the image forming apparatus 10.

[0074] The embodiments will be described in detail below with specific examples.

[0075] Figure 4 shows the job history. The horizontal axis represents time. Return 1 is a flag indicating the time of return. Exit 2 is a flag indicating the time of exit. The processor 20 records the return and exit times of each job as the job history. The job history data is stored in memory 18.

[0076] The calculation of the first relationship between UI recovery time and SP transition time will be explained below, referring to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows the job history. The job history shown in Figure 5 is the job history for a specific period. For example, if the period is days, the job history shown in Figure 5 is the job history for "today".

[0077] The processor 20 stores a history of jobs executed up to a predetermined time each day (e.g., 8 PM). The job history shown in Figure 5 is the history of jobs executed up to that predetermined time on the current day. Once the predetermined time has elapsed each day, the processor 20 calculates the first relationship.

[0078] In Figure 5, SP recovery indicates recovery from sleep mode. In Figure 5, LP recovery indicates recovery from low power mode.

[0079] A3-G3, represented in white, indicate the recovery timing assuming an SP transition time of 3 minutes. A15-G15, represented in black, indicate the recovery timing assuming an SP transition time of 15 minutes.

[0080] A3-E3 and A15 indicate the resumption time for jobs executed after resuming from sleep mode. F3, G3 and B15-G15 indicate the resumption time for jobs executed after resuming from low power mode.

[0081] As an example, after the job is completed, the image forming apparatus 10 will switch to low-power mode.

[0082] In Figure 5, "Recovery 1" represents recovery from sleep mode, and the job corresponding to Recovery 1 is the job executed after recovering from sleep mode. Both A3 and A15 indicate the recovery point of the job executed after recovering from sleep mode.

[0083] In Figure 5, Recovery 2 represents a recovery that occurred after Termination 1. If the SP transition time is 3 minutes, the image forming apparatus 10 will switch to sleep mode 3 minutes after Termination 1. In this case, Recovery 2 is a recovery that occurred while the image forming apparatus 10 was in sleep mode. In other words, Recovery 2 when the SP transition time is 3 minutes is a recovery from sleep mode. B3 indicates the recovery time of the job corresponding to Recovery 2.

[0084] If the SP transition time is 15 minutes, the image forming apparatus 10 will switch to sleep mode 15 minutes after the end of 1. Recovery 2 is a recovery that occurred before 15 minutes had passed since the end of 1. Therefore, in this case, recovery 2 is a recovery that occurred when the image forming apparatus 10 was in low power mode. In other words, recovery 2 when the SP transition time is 15 minutes is a recovery from low power mode. B15 indicates the recovery time of the job corresponding to recovery 2.

[0085] Similar to B3, C3 to G3 indicate the point in time when a job resumed execution after waking from sleep mode. Similarly, C15 to G15, like B15, indicate the point in time when a job resumed execution after waking from low-power mode.

[0086] Here, we assume that the UI wake-up time from sleep mode is 3.0 seconds, the wake-up time from low power mode is 0.7 seconds, and the UI wake-up time from standby mode is 0.0 seconds.

[0087] Processor 20 hypothetically varies the SP transition time, calculates the average UI return time, and calculates the average UI return time for each SP transition time. The relationship between the SP transition time and the average UI return time is an example of the first relationship. For example, the average UI return time is calculated according to the following formula. {Number of modes returned to (i.e., number of jobs) × UI return time} / number of jobs = average UI return time The following will provide specific examples to illustrate this point.

[0088] Assume the SP transition time is 3 minutes. Also, after the job is completed, the image forming apparatus 10 will switch to low-power mode. Focusing on A3 to G3 in Figure 5, the number of times the system recovers from sleep mode (i.e., the number of times the system recovers from sleep mode and a job is executed) is 5 (A3 to E3), and the number of times the system recovers from low-power mode (i.e., the number of times the system recovers from low-power mode and a job is executed) is 2. The total number of recoveries is 7. In this case, the processor 20 calculates the average UI recovery time (i.e., average waiting time) when the SP transition time is 3 minutes, as shown in the following formula. {5(times)×3.0(seconds)+2(times)×0.7(seconds)} / 7(times)=2.3(seconds) The first part of the code handles waking from sleep mode, while the second part handles waking from low power mode.

[0089] Based on the above, if the SP transition time is set to 3 minutes, the average UI recovery time will be 2.3 seconds. In other words, it takes an average of 2.3 seconds for UI14 to recover from power saving mode.

[0090] Assume the SP transition time is 15 minutes. Also, after the job is completed, the image forming apparatus 10 will switch to low-power mode. Focusing on A15 to G15 in Figure 5, there is one instance of waking from sleep mode and six instances of waking from low-power mode. The total number of waking instances is seven. In this case, the processor 20 calculates the average waking time when the SP transition time is 15 minutes, as shown in the following formula. {1(times)×3.0(seconds)+6(times)×0.7(seconds)} / 7(times)=1.0(seconds) The first part of the code handles waking from sleep mode, while the second part handles waking from low power mode.

[0091] Based on the above, if the SP transition time is set to 15 minutes, the average UI recovery time will be 1.0 seconds. In other words, it takes an average of 1.0 seconds for UI14 to recover from power saving mode.

[0092] As described above, the processor 20 varies the SP transition time and calculates the average UI return time for each SP transition time. For example, the processor 20 varies the SP transition time between 1 minute and 60 minutes and calculates the average UI return time for each minute. This calculates the first relationship between the SP transition time and the average UI return time between 1 minute and 60 minutes. Note that 1 minute to 60 minutes is just an example, and the upper and lower limits of this range may be changed by the user.

[0093] Figure 6 shows the calculation results for the average UI recovery time. These results were calculated from today's job history.

[0094] The value of "standby" indicates the number of times the system has recovered from standby mode. The value of "low" indicates the number of times the system has recovered from low power mode. The value of "sleep" indicates the number of times the system has recovered from sleep mode. The value of "wait_time" (seconds) indicates the average value of the calculated UI recovery time. The value of "sleep_trans" (minutes) indicates the SP transition time. The value of "1sec_tatio" indicates the ratio of recovery times of 1 second or less. The ratio of recovery times of 1 second or less is the ratio of the number of times the UI recovery time is 1 second or less, and is obtained by converting the average UI recovery time into a ratio. In other words, the ratio of recovery times of 1 second or less is the ratio of the number of times UI14 recovered in 1 second or less out of the total number of job recovery times. All jobs here refer to all jobs executed within the period being calculated. If the period is "today", then all jobs today refer to all jobs included in today's job history. The same applies to periods other than today (e.g., days).

[0095] The graph in Figure 7 shows the relationship between the average SP transition time and the average UI return time. The graph in Figure 8 shows the relationship between the SP transition time and the percentage of transitions under 1 second. In Figures 7 and 8, the horizontal axis represents the SP transition time. The vertical axis in Figure 7 represents the average UI return time. The vertical axis in Figure 8 represents the percentage of transitions under 1 second. The graphs in Figures 7 and 8 are graphs showing results calculated from today's job history.

[0096] As shown in Figure 7, the longer the SP transition time, the shorter the average UI return time. In other words, the longer the SP transition time, the shorter the user waiting time. As shown in Figure 8, the longer the SP transition time, the higher the percentage of times under 1 second. This indicates that the longer the SP transition time, the shorter the waiting time.

[0097] The relationship between SP transition time and the ratio of less than 1 second corresponds to an example of the first relationship, similar to the relationship between SP transition time and the average UI return time.

[0098] Furthermore, if the number of jobs included in today's job history is below a threshold, processor 20 assumes that today is a holiday. In this case, processor 20 does not perform the prediction process described later, but instead outputs a predetermined setting value or a setting value determined by another method as the setting value for the SP transition time on the following day.

[0099] The processor 20 records the job history for each period and calculates the first relationship for each period. For example, the processor 20 records the job history for each day and calculates the first relationship for each day. The processor 20 compares today's first relationship with the first relationships for each past day, identifies the day on which the job history with the relationship closest to today's first relationship was calculated, and then identifies the day following that identified day.

[0100] Here, as an example, a 15-day job history is used, which includes today's job history and the job history for the previous 14 days. Based on the 15-day job history, the processor 20 calculates the first relationship for each day (i.e., the relationship between each day's SP transition time and the sub-second ratio).

[0101] Figure 9 shows the first relationship for each day. The horizontal axis represents the SP transition time, and the vertical axis represents the percentage of less than 1 second. Specifically, Figure 9 shows the first relationship for today, yesterday, one week ago, and two weeks ago. In the example shown in Figure 9, today, yesterday, one week ago, and two weeks ago are not holidays.

[0102] Reference numeral 30 indicates the first relationship calculated from today's job history. Reference numeral 32 indicates the first relationship calculated from yesterday's job history. Reference numeral 34 indicates the first relationship calculated from one week ago's job history. Reference numeral 36 indicates the first relationship calculated from two weeks ago's job history.

[0103] Figure 10 shows the first relationship when the previous week was a holiday. The horizontal axis represents the SP transition time, and the vertical axis represents the percentage of transitions of 1 second or less.

[0104] Reference numeral 38 indicates the first relationship calculated from today's job history. Reference numeral 40 indicates the first relationship calculated from yesterday's job history. Reference numeral 42 indicates the first relationship calculated from one week ago's job history. Reference numeral 44 indicates the first relationship calculated from two weeks ago's job history.

[0105] The processor 20 compares today's first relationship with the first relationships of other days, excluding holidays, and identifies the day on which a job history was obtained in which the first relationship closest to today's first relationship was calculated. In other words, the processor 20 identifies the day on which the first relationship with the highest similarity to today's first relationship was obtained. For example, the processor 20 determines the similarity between each first relationship using known techniques for determining graph similarity. By identifying the day on which the first relationship with the highest similarity to today's first relationship is obtained, the day on which the usage of the image forming apparatus 10 is most similar to today's usage is identified.

[0106] In the example shown in Figure 10, as indicated by symbols 38 and 44, the similarity between the first relationship two weeks ago and the first relationship today is the highest. Therefore, the processor 20 identifies two weeks ago as the day on which the job history obtained in which the first relationship closest to today's first relationship was calculated. This identifies two weeks ago as the day on which the usage of the image forming apparatus 10 is most similar to today's usage.

[0107] Next, processor 20 identifies the day after the day on which the closest First Relationship to today's First Relationship was obtained. In the example above, since the First Relationship from two weeks ago is the closest to today's First Relationship, processor 20 identifies the day after two weeks ago (i.e., 13 days ago from today).

[0108] Processor 20 defines the first relationship, calculated from the job history obtained on the day following two weeks ago (i.e., 13 days ago), as the second relationship.

[0109] The processor 20 calculates the setting value for the next day's SP transition time based on the first relationship (i.e., the second relationship) from 13 days ago and the target value for the UI return time. The target value for the UI return time is specified by the user.

[0110] Refer to Figure 11 to explain how to calculate the setting value. Figure 11 shows the first relationship. The horizontal axis shows the SP transition time, and the vertical axis shows the ratio of less than 1 second.

[0111] Symbol 46 indicates today's first relationship. Symbol 48 indicates the first relationship (i.e., the second relationship) from 13 days ago.

[0112] For example, the target value for UI recovery time is specified as "0.9". Here, the target value is specified as a percentage of less than 1 second, but the target value could also be specified as the average UI recovery time.

[0113] The processor 20 identifies the SP transition time that yields the UI recovery time with the smallest difference from the target value in the first relationship 13 days prior. For example, that SP transition time is "37 minutes". In other words, it is estimated that setting the SP transition time for the next day to 37 minutes will achieve the target value of "0.9" as the ratio of less than 1 second corresponding to the UI recovery time. The processor 20 identifies the SP transition time that yields the UI recovery time with the smallest difference from the target value as the setting value for the SP transition time for the next day (hereinafter referred to as "setting value A").

[0114] The processor 20 may display setting value A on the UI 14 display. The processor 20 may set setting value A to the image forming apparatus 10 and switch the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 to sleep mode according to setting value A. The processor 20 may set setting value A to the image forming apparatus 10 according to user instructions, or it may set setting value A to the image forming apparatus 10 without receiving user instructions.

[0115] Furthermore, the processor 20 may change the setting value A for the transition time on the following day based on the difference between the actual UI return time on the current day and the target value for the UI return time.

[0116] For example, today's set value for SP transition time is "16 minutes". As indicated by symbol 50, using today's set value for SP transition time, the actual ratio of less than 1 second (i.e., the value corresponding to the average UI return time) is approximately 0.76, resulting in a difference between today's actual value and the target value for UI return time of "0.9".

[0117] In this case, the processor 20 calculates the changed setting value B by adding or subtracting a value corresponding to the difference to setting value A. The processor 20 outputs this setting value B as the setting value for the transition time on the next day.

[0118] If today's actual value is smaller than the target value, the processor 20 adds the value corresponding to the difference to the set value A. The processor 20 may also add the value obtained by multiplying the difference by a predetermined coefficient to the set value A.

[0119] If today's actual value is greater than the target value, the processor 20 subtracts the value corresponding to that difference from the set value B. The processor 20 may also subtract the value obtained by multiplying the difference by a predetermined coefficient from the set value A.

[0120] If the difference between today's actual value and the target value for UI return time exceeds a threshold, the processor 20 may change setting A based on the value corresponding to that difference and calculate setting B. If the user instructs a change to setting A, the processor 20 may change setting A based on the value corresponding to that difference and calculate setting B.

[0121] The processor 20 may display the setting value B on the UI 14 display. The processor 20 may set the setting value B in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the user's instructions, or without receiving instructions from the user, and switch the mode of the image forming apparatus 10 to sleep mode according to the setting value B.

[0122] The processor 20 calculates either setting value A or setting value B each day. For example, when a predetermined time (e.g., 8 PM) has elapsed, the processor 20 calculates either setting value A or setting value B for the next day by executing the process described above.

[0123] The following explains the energy-saving effects and user convenience. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the longer the SP transition time, the shorter the average UI return time. In other words, the shorter the SP transition time, the longer the average UI return time. UI return time is the time that affects user convenience. The shorter the UI return time, the shorter the user's waiting time, thus improving user convenience. The longer the UI return time, the longer the user's waiting time, thus decreasing user convenience.

[0124] On the other hand, a shorter SP transition time can be expected to result in greater energy savings compared to a longer SP transition time. In other words, the shorter the SP transition time, the earlier the image forming apparatus 10 switches to sleep mode, resulting in greater energy savings compared to a longer SP transition time. Conversely, the longer the SP transition time, the lower the energy savings.

[0125] Based on the above, to improve user convenience, it might be possible to lengthen the SP transition time and shorten the average UI return time, but the longer the SP transition time, the lower the energy saving effect. Conversely, to improve energy saving, it might be possible to shorten the SP transition time, but the shorter the SP transition time, the longer the average UI return time becomes, and the lower the user convenience.

[0126] In this embodiment, the system identifies a day on which the first relationship most similar to today's first relationship can be obtained, calculates a first relationship (i.e., a second relationship) based on the job history of the "next day" of the identified day, and calculates the set value for the SP transition time on the following day based on this second relationship and the target value for the UI return time. Since the "next day" corresponds to the following day, the usage status of the image forming apparatus 10 shown in the job history of the "next day" can be said to be similar to the usage status of the image forming apparatus 10 on the following day. Therefore, by using the job history of the "next day," the set value for the SP transition time on the following day can be calculated with high accuracy. Furthermore, the target value is a value specified by the user and can be said to be a value that reflects the user's wishes. By calculating the set value for the SP transition time on the following day based on the second relationship, which is the first relationship of the "next day," and the target value for the UI return time, the user's desired UI return time is achieved, and power control that takes into account the actual usage status of the image forming apparatus 10 is realized.

[0127] The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of an information processing device. Each function shown in Figure 3 may be performed by an external device other than the image forming apparatus 10 (e.g., a PC or server) instead of by the image forming apparatus 10. In this case, the external device is an example of an information processing device. The set value of the SP transition time calculated by the external device may be transmitted from the external device to the image forming apparatus 10 via a communication path such as a network, or it may be displayed on the external device's display. The set value calculated by the external device may also be input into the image forming apparatus 10 by the user.

[0128] In the embodiments described above, an image forming apparatus 10 was used as an example of a processing apparatus. However, the embodiments may also be applied to devices such as PCs and displays, or to other devices that have a sleep mode (for example, home appliances or industrial equipment).

[0129] The functions of the image forming apparatus 10 described above are realized, for example, through the cooperation of hardware and software. For instance, the processor reads and executes programs stored in the memory of each device, thereby realizing the functions of each device. The programs are stored in memory via a recording medium such as a CD or DVD, or via a communication path such as a network.

[0130] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). Furthermore, the operation of the processor in each of the above embodiments may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. In addition, the order of the processor's operations is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10 Image forming apparatus, 12 Image forming unit, 14 UI, 20 Processor.

Claims

1. It has a processor, The aforementioned processor, Based on a first history of the time intervals for each process performed by the device and a target value for the recovery time required for the device to recover from the power-saving state, the device outputs a set value for the transition time until the device returns to the power-saving state. An information processing device, The aforementioned processor, Based on the above first history, the first relationship between recovery time and transition time is calculated. Based on the first relationship, the set value that achieves the target value is identified, A history of the time intervals for each process is obtained at predetermined intervals. The aforementioned processor, Identify the period following the period in which the history of the relationship closest to the first relationship was calculated, Based on the second relationship between the recovery time and the transition time, and the target value of the recovery time, calculated from the history obtained during the following period, the set value is identified. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The aforementioned processor, By changing the value of the transition time, the return time for each transition time is calculated as the first relationship based on the relationship between the time at which each process included in the first history was executed and the transition time. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned processor, Based on the difference between the actual recovery time and the target value during the period for which the first history was obtained, the identified setting value is changed. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. Several different power saving states are defined. The transition to energy conservation will be carried out in several stages. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. Computers The system outputs a set value for the transition time required for the device to transition to the power-saving state, which is obtained based on a first history of the time intervals of each process performed by the device and a target value for the recovery time required for the device to recover from the power-saving state. A program designed to make it work in that way. The aforementioned computer, Based on the above first history, the first relationship between recovery time and transition time is calculated. Based on the first relationship, the set value that achieves the target value is identified. Make it work like this. A history of the time intervals for each process is obtained at predetermined intervals. The aforementioned computer, Identify the period following the period in which the history of the relationship closest to the first relationship was calculated, Based on the second relationship between the recovery time and the transition time, and the target value of the recovery time, calculated from the history obtained during the following period, the set value is identified. A program characterized by being operated in such a manner.