Information processing apparatus, information processing method, image output system, electric power consumption control method for image output system, and storage medium therefor
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHidekazu Maruta, Tsunao Hombo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The states of plural image output apparatuses are sensed. Then, an image output apparatus, which will supply image data, is selected according to a size of an image output job on the basis of image data and the states of the image output apparatuses in such a manner as to reduce an electric power consumption required for outputting images.
Claims24
An information processing apparatus comprising:
- receiving means for receiving image data;
- sensing means for sensing a state of a plurality of image output apparatuses;
- and
- selecting means for selecting from the plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received by said receiving means according to the state of said plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by said sensing means such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
An information processing method comprising:
- a receiving step of receiving image data;
- a sensing step of sensing a state of a plurality of image output apparatuses;
- a selecting step of selecting from said plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received in said receiving step according to the state of said plurality of image output apparatuses sensed in said sensing step such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
A storage medium which stores a program for controlling an image processing apparatus to receive image data and selectively supply the received image data to one of a plurality of image output apparatuses, wherein said program includes:
- a receiving module for receiving the image data;
- a sensing module for sensing a state of said plurality of image output apparatuses;
- and
- a selecting module for selecting from said plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that is to output the image data received by said receiving module according to the state of said plurality of image output apparatuses sensed by said sensing module such that an electric power consumption for outputting images can be minimum.
An image output system in which a plurality of image output apparatuses are connected to an information processing apparatus, wherein said information processing apparatus comprises:
- state sensing means for sensing a state of said plurality of image output apparatuses;
- and
- wherein said image output system controls operation of said plurality of image output apparatuses in such a manner as to reduce an electric power consumption of said image output system as a whole according to the sensed state of said image output apparatuses.
A method of controlling an electric power consumption of an image output system, which transmits image data from an image processing apparatus to an information processing apparatus, and outputs the transmitted image data from one of plural image output apparatuses connected to said information processing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- selecting from said plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption for a size of a job based on the image data transmitted from said image processing apparatus;
- sensing a state of the selected image output apparatus;
- and
- activating the selected image output apparatus into a standby state when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus is not in the standby state, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus, and switching the selected image output apparatus to another image output apparatus when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus cannot be used, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus.
A storage medium which stores a program for transmitting image data from an image processing apparatus to an information processing apparatus, and causing the transmitted image data to be outputted from one of a plurality of image output apparatuses connected to said information processing apparatus, said program being executed by a CPU in said information processing apparatus, wherein said program comprises:
- a module for selecting from said plurality of image output apparatuses an image output apparatus that has a suitable electric power consumption suitable for a size of of a job based on the image data transmitted from said image processing apparatus;
- a module for sensing a state of the selected image output apparatus;
- and
- a module for activating the selected image output apparatus into a standby state when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus is not in the standby state, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus, and switching the selected image output apparatus to another image output apparatus when it is determined that the selected image output apparatus cannot be used, according to the sensed state of the selected image output apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.