US 11,539,852 B2Granted

Image forming apparatus and control method

AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakaaki Suzuki, Noboru Ogino, Makoto Harigae

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An image forming apparatus communicates with another device and includes a processor that controls the communication. A control unit controls the apparatus to operate in one of at least a first power saving state, a second power saving state, and a normal state. In the first power saving state, the apparatus is controlled so that an image forming unit, an image reading unit, and the control unit are not activated, and a communication device is activated. In the second power saving state, the apparatus is controlled so that at least one of the image forming unit and the image reading unit are not activated, and the communication device and the control unit are activated. In the normal state, the apparatus is controlled so that at least the image forming unit, the image reading unit, the communication device, and the control unit are activated.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet using a developing material;
an image reading unit configured to read an image on a sheet;
a communication device configured to communicate with a second device and including a processor configured to control communication with the second device;
and
a controller configured to control the image forming apparatus to operate in a first power saving state, a second power saving state, and a normal state, wherein
in the first power saving state, the image forming unit, the image reading unit and the controller are not activated, and the communication device is activated,
in the second power saving state, at least one of the image forming unit and the image reading unit are not activated, and the communication device and the controller are activated, and
in the normal state, the image forming unit, the image reading unit, the communication device, and the controller are activated, wherein
the processor of the communication device is configured to:
output an activation signal to the controller when in the first power saving state, the activation signal including a signal instructing the image forming apparatus to operate in the second power saving state after the activation signal is received or a signal instructing the image forming apparatus to operate in the normal state after the activation signal is received.

7 more elements

A control method for an image forming apparatus, including an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet using a developing material, an image reading unit configured to read an image on a sheet, a communication device configured to communicate with a second device and including a processor configured to control the communication with the second device, and a controller configured to control the image forming apparatus to operate in a first power saving state, a second power saving state, and a normal state, the control method comprising:

controlling the image forming apparatus such that, when in the first power saving state, the image forming unit, the image reading unit and the controller are not activated, and the communication device is activated;
controlling the image forming apparatus such that, when in the second power saving state, at least one of the image forming unit and the image reading unit are not activated and the communication device and the controller are activated;
controlling the image forming apparatus such that, when in the normal state, the image forming unit, the image reading unit, the communication device, and the controller are activated;
and
outputting an activation signal from the communication device to the controller when in the first power saving state, the activation signal including a signal instructing the image forming apparatus to operate in the second power saving state after the activation signal is received or a signal instructing the image forming apparatus to operate in the normal state after the activation signal is received.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/534,931Filed 24 Nov 2021 · continuation
Priority: JP JP2019-17469325 Sep 2019
Published: US 2022/0086297 A117 Mar 2022
Granted: 27 Dec 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G03G 15/5004
Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode…:…
H04N 1/00896
Control thereof: using a low-power mode, e.g. standby
G06F 1/3209
Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality: monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or…
H04N 1/00891
Control thereof: switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use

Family

Application16/924,978Parent of this continuation · filed 9 Jul 2020
US 2022/0086297 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Mar 2022
US 11,218,615 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0092249 A1Published application
US 11,539,852 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.