Power consumption calculation apparatus, power consumption calculation method, and state transition data generation method

A power consumption calculation method performed by a computer including a processor, said power consumption calculation method comprising:

• measuring a work load of a job executed by an image forming apparatus and recording a measured value, at predetermined times;
• acquiring identification information of the image forming apparatus from the image forming apparatus connected through a network;
• acquiring, from a management part that manages state transition data indicating, for a type of the image forming apparatus, power consumption and a required time for each of states of the image forming apparatus which transits transitions in response to an execution of each job, the state transition data corresponding to the identification information of the image forming apparatus generating of the state transition data including comparing a first required time and a second required time for each state in at least two jobs, determining a type of state in response to whether a difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds a predetermined value, a state being of a type of which the required time varies depending on a number of sheets to print, when the difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds the predetermined value, and the generating of the state transition data including recording information indicating the required time of the state, which is of the type of which the required time varies, into the state transition data at the state transition detected for each of the at least two jobs;
• calculating a power consumption amount corresponding to one job execution at each predetermined time when it is determined that the job is executed, based on the measured value and the state transition data;
• and
• calculating an aggregation of the required times of the states based on the state transition data and calculating the predetermined time based on the aggregation of the required times of the states.

A state transition data generation method performed by a computer including a processor, said state transition data generation method comprising:

• receiving a power consumption value periodically from a meter connected to an image forming apparatus, the meter capable of measuring the power consumption value;
• sending an execution indication of each of a first job and a second job to the image forming apparatus;
• recording information indicating a relation between the power consumption value received in response to sending the execution indication of each of the first job and the second job, and a time when the power consumption value is received, to a recording part;
• detecting a state transition for each of the first job and the second job of the image forming apparatus in response to an execution of each of the first job and the second job, based on the information recorded in the recording part;
• and
• generating state transition data indicating power consumption and a required time for each of states of each of the first job and the second job, the generating of the state transition data including comparing a first required time and a second required time for each state in the first job and the second job, determining a type of state in response to whether a difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds a predetermined value, a state being of a type of which the required time varies depending on a number of sheets to print, when the difference between the first required time and the second required time exceeds the predetermined value, and the generating of the state transition data including recording information indicating the required time of the state, which is of the type of which the required time varies, into the state transition data at the state transition detected for each of the first job and the second job.