Image forming apparatus and power-supply control method
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorTomonori Maekawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A detecting unit detects a usage state of a charge storage unit for each predetermined time period. A setting unit determines whether the usage state of the charge storage unit satisfies a predetermined condition for each time period, and when it is determined that the usage state satisfies the predetermined condition, sets a corresponding time period as a charge-use permitted time. A control unit determines whether a current time falls in the charge-use permitted time, and when it is determined that the current time falls in the charge-use permitted time, allows a discharging unit to discharge the charge storage unit.
Claims7
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a charge storage unit capable of charging and discharging;
- a charging unit that charges the charge storage unit with power from a power source;
- a discharging unit that discharges the charge storage unit and supplies a discharge power to a load;
- a setting unit that determines whether, during a predetermined time period, at least one of a total executing time and a number of executions satisfies a predetermined condition, and when the predetermined condition is satisfied, sets a charge-use permission for the predetermined time period;
- and
- a control unit that determines whether a current time of day corresponds to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, and when the current time of day is determined to correspond to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, allows the discharging unit to discharge the charge storage unit.
A method of controlling a power supply in an image forming apparatus that includes a charge storage unit capable of charging and discharging, the method comprising:
- charging the charge storage unit with a power from a power source;
- discharging which supplies a discharge power to a load;
- setting, including,
- determining, during a predetermined time period, whether at least one of a total executing time and a number of executions satisfies a predetermined condition, and
- setting, when the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied, a charge-use permission for the predetermined time period;
- and
- controlling, including,
- determining whether a current time of day corresponds to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, and
- allowing, when the current time of day is determined to correspond to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, the discharging to discharge the charge storage unit.
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the non-transitory computer-usable medium for controlling a power supply in an image forming apparatus that includes a charge storage unit capable of charging and discharging, the program codes when executed causing a computer to perform a method comprising:
- charging the charge storage unit with a power from a power source;
- discharging which supplies a discharge power to a load;
- setting, including,
- determining, during a predetermined time period, whether at least one of a total executing time and a number of executions satisfies a predetermined condition, and
- setting, when the predetermined condition is determined to be satisfied, a charge-use permission for the predetermined time period;
- and
- controlling, including,
- determining whether a current time of day corresponds to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, and
- allowing, when the current time of day is determined to correspond to the predetermined time period having the charge-use permission set, the discharging to discharge the charge storage unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.