US 2011/0214002 A1 · MULTI-FUNCTION PERIPHERAL, POWER SUPPLY APPARATUS, AND POWER SUPPLY CONTROL METHOD

Abstract

A digital multi-function peripheral includes a multi-function peripheral unit that has plural functions, a switching power supply unit connected to a commercial power supply as a main power supply for the multi-function peripheral unit, and an electrical storage device charged in advance as an auxiliary power supply for the multi-function peripheral unit. The digital multi-function peripheral further includes a control circuit that monitors a load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit, supplies electric power from the electrical storage device to the multi-function peripheral unit instead of electric power from the switching power supply unit when the load current is smaller than a threshold set as an allowable lower limit of power efficiency of the switching power supply unit, and supplies the electric power from the switching power supply unit to the multi-function peripheral unit when the load current increases to be equal to or larger than the threshold.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A multi-function peripheral comprising:

a multi-function peripheral unit configured to have plural functions including a copy function;
a power supply unit configured to be connected to a commercial power supply as a main power supply for the multi-function peripheral unit;
an electrical storage device charged in advance as an auxiliary power supply for the multi-function peripheral unit;
and
a control circuit that monitors a load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit, and switches electric power to the multi-function peripheral unit between electric power from one of the power supply unit and the electrical storage device and electric power from both of the power supply unit and the electrical storage device in accordance with a value of the load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit, the control circuit controlling the electrical storage device to be charged during a copy state in a case where the load current is equal to or larger than the threshold and smaller than a maximum value of the load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit.

2 more elements

A power supply apparatus comprising:

a power supply unit configured to be connected to a commercial power supply as a main power supply for a multi-function peripheral unit that has plural functions including a copy function;
an electrical storage device charged in advance as an auxiliary power supply for the multi-function peripheral unit;
and
a control circuit that monitors a load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit, and switches electric power to the multi-function peripheral unit between electric power from one of the power supply unit and the electrical storage device and electric power from both of the power supply unit and the electrical storage device in accordance with a value of the load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit, the control circuit controlling the electrical storage device to be charged during a copy state in a case where the load current is equal to or larger than the threshold and smaller than a maximum value of the load current flowing to the multi-function peripheral unit.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multi-function peripheral, power supply apparatus, and power supply control method

Life of this patent

Multi-function peripheral, power supply apparatus, and power supply control method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18