US 6,072,585 A · Method and apparatus for managing the power consumption of a printer

Abstract

An improved printer is provided which includes a print engine control program that minimizes the power consumption of the paper-handling devices to allow for a smaller DC power supply. Some of the paper-handling devices are input paper trays, output paper stackers, and a duplexer, which all preferably contain a microcontroller and an individual electric motor drive. The base printer also contains a microcontroller in the print engine that controls the printer's mechanisms and various subassemblies that are used in the laser electrophotographic printing process. To maintain control of the entire paper path, the print engine sends commands to the paper-handling devices, and these devices send responses to these commands. Most of the printer's paper-handling devices receive their electrical power entirely from the base printer, which is supplied as a DC voltage. The print engine avoids the concurrent running of subsystems in cases where the functionality of the printer is not compromised. These subsystems are instead run sequentially, so their power demands do not overlap, thereby providing a reduced overall power consumption requirement that is being supplied by the printer's DC power supply. Another aspect of the present invention allows the printer to command either all or only certain individual paper-handling devices to place themselves into a "power saver" mode.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method for reducing the power consumption of a printer, said method comprising:

(a) providing a printer having a memory circuit for storage of data, a print engine, and a processing circuit;
(b) inspecting the operating state of a plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices controlled by said print engine, and determining which one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices is the next to be placed into its ON-state;
(c) determining if a second one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices has previously transitioned to its ON-state and is currently operating in an instantaneous relatively high power consumption state during motor ramp-up;
and
(d) preventing said next one of plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices from being placed into its ON-state until after the expiration of said instantaneous relatively high power consumption state during motor ramp-up of said second one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices.

2 more elements

A printing apparatus, comprising:

(a) a memory circuit for storage of data;
(b) a print engine that is in communication with a plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices;
(c) a processing circuit that is configured to control the operating state of each of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices, said processing circuit being further configured to:
(i) determine which one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices is the next to be placed into its ON-state;
(ii) determine if a second one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices has transitioned to its ON-state and is currently operating in an instantaneous relatively high power consumption state during motor ramp-up;
and
(iii) prevent the next one of plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices from being placed into its ON-state until after the expiration of said instantaneous relatively high power consumption state during motor ramp-up of said second one of said plurality of motor-driven electrically-powered devices.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for managing the power consumption of a printer

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for managing the power consumption of a printer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23