Image forming apparatus, power management apparatus and method of controlling the same

A power management apparatus, comprising:

• a communication unit configured to receive information on a price of power and communicate with a plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• a control unit configured to control at least one image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses at a normal mode and control the remaining image forming apparatuses at a power saving mode by comparing the information received on the price of power with information on a standard price of power;
• and
• a storage unit configured to store positions of the plurality of image forming apparatuses and a plurality of terminals, and
• wherein the control unit determines a position where the terminals are most concentrated based on the positions of the plurality of terminals, and controls the image forming apparatus, which is most closely installed to the position determined, at a normal mode.

A power management apparatus, comprising:

• a communication unit configured to receive information on a price of power and communicate with a plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• a control unit configured to control at least one image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses at a normal mode and control the remaining image forming apparatuses at a power saving mode by comparing the information received on the price of power with information on a standard price of power;
• and
• a storage unit which stores a usage frequency of the plurality of image forming apparatuses, and
• wherein the control unit determines an image forming apparatus having the highest usage frequency among the image forming apparatuses, and controls the determined image forming apparatus at a normal mode.

A power management apparatus, comprising:

• a communication unit configured to receive information on a price of power and communicate with a plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• a control unit configured to control at least one image forming apparatus among the plurality of image forming apparatuses at a normal mode and control the remaining image forming apparatuses at a power saving mode by comparing the information received on the price of power with information on a standard price of power;
• an input unit configured to receive a priority order for a normal mode control of the plurality of image forming apparatuses;
• and
• a storage unit configured to store the priority order received, and
• wherein the control unit determines an image forming apparatus to conduct a normal mode among the image forming apparatuses according to the priority order selected by a user.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a communication unit configured to conduct a communication with at least one another image forming apparatus and receive a price of power from the at least one other image forming apparatus;
• a power management unit configured to compare the price of power received with a standard price of power and control the at least one other image forming apparatus at a power saving mode if the price of the power received is higher than the standard price of power;
• and
• a control unit configured to control a printing if the printing is requested from a terminal corresponding to the at least one other image forming apparatus in a state of the at least one other image forming apparatus is at a power saving mode.

A power management method of managing a consumption power of a plurality of image forming apparatuses installed in a power management domain, the power management method, comprising:

• checking a time variant price of power;
• comparing a standard price of power with a price of power at a present time with a time variant price of power;
• controlling at least one of the plurality of the image forming apparatuses at a normal mode if the price of power at the present time is higher than the standard price of power;
• and
• controlling the remaining image forming apparatuses at a power saving mode.

A management method of managing a plurality of apparatuses, the method, comprising:

• checking with a processor a value of a time dependent variable of an item;
• comparing a standard value of the variable with a value of the variable at a present time on a periodic basis;
• and
• controlling a number of the plurality of the apparatuses operated in each of a first mode and a second mode based on the compared values.