Image forming apparatus and control method thereof
AssigneesKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorTakaaki Suzuki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of operating in a normal mode and a power-saving mode, and includes a control unit that includes a CPU and a memory, operates, in the power-saving mode, the CPU in a low power consumption state, and operates the memory in a self-refresh mode to hold data, and a power source circuit that supplies a power source voltage to each unit of the image forming apparatus in the normal mode, and stops power supply to a circuit unit whose operation is not required in the power-saving mode. When a return factor to the normal mode from the power-saving mode occurs, the control unit distinguishes whether a return to the normal mode is to be made.
Claims20
An image forming apparatus operating in a normal mode and a power-saving mode having smaller power consumption than the normal mode, comprising:
- a control unit that includes a CPU and a memory, controls the image forming apparatus in the normal mode and the power-saving mode, operates the CPU in a low power consumption state and operates the memory in a self-refresh mode to hold data in the power-saving mode;
- and
- a power source circuit that supplies a power source voltage to each unit of the image forming apparatus in the normal mode, and stops power supply to a circuit unit whose operation is not required in the power-saving mode,
- wherein the control unit monitors a state of the image forming apparatus, and when a return factor to the normal mode from the power-saving mode occurs, the control unit operates the CPU and the memory in a normal state to distinguish whether a return to the normal mode is to be made, and returns the image forming apparatus to the normal mode according to a distinguishing result.
A control method for operating an image forming apparatus in a normal mode and a power-saving mode having smaller power consumption than the normal mode, comprising:
- supplying a power source voltage to each unit of the image forming apparatus in the normal mode;
- stopping, in the power-saving mode, supply of the power source voltage to a circuit unit whose operation is not required, operating a CPU of a control unit in a low power consumption state, and operating a memory of the control unit in a self-refresh mode to hold data;
- monitoring a state of the image forming apparatus by the control unit when the image forming apparatus operates in the power-saving mode;
- operating the CPU and the memory in a normal state when a return factor to the normal mode occurs, and distinguishing whether a return to the normal mode is to be made;
- and
- returning the image forming apparatus to the normal mode according to a distinguishing result.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.