# US 8,570,567 B2 · Intelligent network speed for optimizing energy consumption at a printing device through the use of a variable network connection

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- Number: US 8,570,567 B2
- Document ID: US8570567B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/884,961
- Filed: 2010-09-17
- Published: 2012-03-22
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-17
- Assignees: Xerox Corporation
- Applicants: Paul Alexander Siddle
- Inventors: Paul Alexander Siddle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8570567B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/1285: {Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server}
- G06F 1/3284: {Power saving in printer}
- G06F 3/1221: {with regard to power consumption}
- G06F 3/1236: {Connection management}
- H04N 1/00204: {with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server (programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561)}
- H04N 1/00278: {with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer}
- H04N 1/00885: {Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof}
- H04N 1/00896: {using a low-power mode, e.g. standby}
- H04N 1/32771: {in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document}
- H04N 1/33323: {transmission mode only, e.g. speed}
- H04N 1/33384: {according to transient characteristics or state}
- H04N 2201/0039: Connection via a network
- H04N 2201/0094: Multifunctional device, i.e. a device capable of all of reading, reproducing, copying, facsimile transception, file transception
- H04N 2201/3335: Speed or rate
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

A method for conserving energy at a printing device. The method includes establishing, by a network adapter operably connected to a control system of the printing device, a low-speed network connection, thereby operably connecting the printing device to a data transfer network; receiving, at the printing device, an indication of at least one incoming print job; determining, by the control system, whether the at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection; maintaining the low-speed network connection until the control system determines at least one incoming job requires a high-speed network connection; and, in response to the control system determining that at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection, establishing, by the network adapter, a high-speed network connection.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for conserving energy at a printing device comprising:
establishing, by a network adapter operably connected to a control system of the printing device, a low-speed network connection, thereby operably connecting the printing device to a data transfer network;
receiving, at the printing device, an indication of at least one incoming print job;
determining, by the control system, whether the at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection;
in response to the control system determining that at least one incoming print job does not require a high-speed network connection:
maintaining the low-speed network connection until the control system determines at least one incoming job requires a high-speed network connection,
and processing the at least one incoming job at the low-speed connection; and
in response to the control system determining that at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection, establishing, by the network adapter, a high-speed network connection.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the high-speed network connection, the at least one incoming print job.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising processing the at least one incoming print job.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, further comprising re-establishing the low-speed network connection after the at least one incoming print job is processed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the low-speed connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one megabit per second.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the high-speed network connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one gigabit per second.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing, at least one additional component operably connected to the printing device, a network connection to a low-speed network connection when the printing device is maintaining the low-speed network connection such that energy is conserved at the at least one additional component, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a network switch, a router, a network hub or a print server.

### Claim 8

A method for conserving energy at a printing device comprising:
initializing, by a control system integrated in a printing device, the printing device;
establishing, by a network adapter operably connected to the control system, a low-speed network connection, thereby operably connecting the printing device to a data transfer network;
receiving, at the printing device, an indication of at least one incoming print job;
determining, by the control system, whether the at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection;
in response to the control system determining that at least one incoming print job does not require a high-speed network connection:
maintaining the low-speed network connection until the control system determines at least one incoming job requires a high-speed network connection,
and processing the at least one incoming job at the low-speed connection; and
in response to the control system determining at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection:
establishing, by the network adapter, a high-speed network connection,
receiving the at least incoming print job via the high-speed network connection,
processing the at least one incoming print job,
determining if there are any additional incoming high-speed print jobs, and
in response to the control system determining that there are no additional incoming high-speed print jobs, re-establishing the low-speed network connection.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein:
the low-speed connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one megabit per second; and
the high-speed network connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one gigabit per second.

### Claim 10

A method for conserving energy at a printing device comprising:
initializing, by a control system integrated in a printing device, the printing device;
establishing, by a network adapter operably connected to the control system, a low-speed network connection, thereby operably connecting the printing device to a data transfer network;
receiving, at the printing device, an indication of a plurality of incoming print jobs;
determining, by the control system, whether at least one incoming print job of the plurality of incoming print jobs requires a high-speed network connection;
in response to the control system determining that the plurality of incoming print job do not require a high-speed network connection:
maintaining the low-speed network connection until the control system determines at least one incoming job requires a high-speed network connection,
and processing the plurality of incoming print jobs;
in response to the control system determining that at least one incoming print job requires a high-speed network connection, establishing, by the network adapter, a high-speed network connection;
receiving each of the plurality of incoming print jobs that requires a high-speed network connection via the high-speed network connection;
processing each of the plurality of incoming print jobs that requires a high-speed network connection; and
after processing each of the plurality of incoming print jobs that requires a high-speed network connection, re-establishing the low-speed connection.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein:
the low-speed connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one megabit per second; and
the high-speed network connection comprises a network connection configured to operate at a maximum data transfer rate of about one gigabit per second.