Image forming apparatus and method of controlling image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016334455-A1
Application number	US-201615150040-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes a power supply connected to any one of L conductors of a three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply and to a neutral conductor of the three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply, a communication I/F unit connected to another apparatus via a cable, a determination circuit configured to output a determination signal indicating whether or not there is a miswired wall outlet, which includes the neutral conductor and a grounding conductor erroneously connected, in a building, and a control unit configured to display, on a display panel, a message on miswiring when it is identified that the miswired wall outlet is present based on the determination signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a power supply that is connected to any one of L conductors of a three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply and to a neutral conductor of the three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply; a communication I/F unit that is connected to another apparatus via a cable, and is configured to perform communication with the another apparatus; a determination circuit configured to:
determine whether or not there is a miswired wall outlet, which includes a grounding conductor connected to a terminal to which the neutral conductor is to be connected and the neutral conductor connected to a terminal to which the grounding conductor is to be connected, in a building based on voltage fluctuation of a frame ground; and
output a determination signal representing a signal level corresponding to a result of the determination; and
a control unit configured to:
identify whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present based on the determination signal; and
display, when it is identified that the miswired wall outlet is present, a message on miswiring on a display panel.

2 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a current detection resistor that is arranged between a ground line of a connector of the communication I/F unit and the frame ground,
wherein the determination circuit is configured to generate the determination signal through measurement of a potential difference across opposite ends of the current detection resistor.

3 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a bypass switch circuit that is arranged between the ground line of the connector of the communication I/F unit and the frame ground so as to be in parallel with the current detection resistor,
wherein the control unit is configured to:
during a period in which it is determined whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present, turn off the bypass switch circuit so that a current is allowed to flow through the current detection resistor prevented from flowing through the bypass switch circuit; and
during a period in which it is not determined whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present based on the determination signal, turn on the bypass switch circuit so that a current is prevented from flowing through the current detection resistor but allowed to flow through the bypass switch circuit.

4 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the power supply comprises:
an isolated AC-DC power supply circuit configured to generate a direct current voltage based on electric power from the three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply; and
a capacitor arranged between the AC-DC power supply circuit and the frame ground, and
wherein the determination circuit is configured to generate the determination signal through measurement of a potential difference across opposite ends of the capacitor.

5 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the determination circuit comprises:
an input filter circuit configured to take a half wave out of the measured potential difference, perform rectification, and smooth the rectified voltage;
an instrumentation amplifier circuit configured to amplify an output of the input filter circuit; and
a comparator circuit configured to:
compare an output voltage of the instrumentation amplifier circuit and a reference voltage;
output, as the determination signal, a signal at a level indicating that the miswired wall outlet is present when the output voltage of the instrumentation amplifier circuit is higher than the reference voltage; and
output, as the determination signal, a signal at a level indicating that the miswired wall outlet is absent when the output voltage of the instrumentation amplifier circuit is equal to or lower than the reference voltage.

6 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to perform operation other than identifying whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present based on the determination signal when the image forming apparatus is executing a job.

7 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to execute identification processing after a predetermined time passes from immediately preceding identification processing of whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present.

8 . An image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to display, as a message on miswiring, on the display panel, at least one of a message that there is a possibility of a failure of the image forming apparatus, a message on a recommended communication method, a message on a communication method that is unsuitable, a message that there is a possibility of erroneous operation of an indoor wiring device due to the miswired wall outlet, a message that there is a possibility of unstable operation of the image forming apparatus due to the miswired wall outlet, and a message that correct wiring may enable increase in a number of image forming apparatus and PCs to be installed.

9 . A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, comprising:
connecting any one of L conductors of a three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply and a neutral conductor of the three-phase four-wire alternating current power supply to a power supply of the image forming apparatus; connecting another apparatus and the image forming apparatus to each other via a cable to perform communication between the another apparatus and the image forming apparatus; determining whether or not there is a miswired wall outlet, which includes a grounding conductor connected to a terminal to which the neutral conductor is to be connected and the neutral conductor connected to a terminal to which the grounding conductor is to be connected, in a building based on voltage fluctuation of a frame ground; outputting a determination signal representing a signal level corresponding to a result of the determination; identifying whether or not the miswired wall outlet is present based on the determination signal; and displaying a message on miswiring when it is identified that the miswired wall outlet is present.

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Ishida Takayuki

Classifications

• G01R31/67

  Testing the correctness of wire connections in electric apparatus or circuits · CPC title

• G01R31/69 Primary

  of terminals at the end of a cable or a wire harness; of plugs; of sockets, e.g. wall sockets or power sockets in appliances · CPC title

• H04N1/00888 Primary

  Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N1/00901

  Using different supplies or connection to an external supply (H04N1/00893, H04N1/00896 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N1/00885

  Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof · CPC title