Image Processing Apparatus, Method of Controlling the Same, and Recording Medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017257504-A1
Application number	US-201715447380-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 2, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2016
Publication date	Sep 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a main processor configured to process packets received by a wired LAN module and a wireless LAN module in a normal state and a sub processor configured to process packets received by the wired LAN module and the wireless LAN module in place of the main processor in a first power saving state in which supply of electric power to the main processor is stopped. In the first power saving state, the sub processor is configured to process a packet received by the wired LAN module by using a first combination of a MAC address and an IP address and to process a packet received by the wireless LAN module by using a second combination of a MAC address and an IP address.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
a wired local area network (LAN) module configured to be connected to a wired LAN by using a first combination of a media access control (MAC) address and an Internet protocol (IP) address; a wireless LAN module configured to be connected to a wireless LAN by using a second combination of a MAC address and an IP address; a main processor configured to process packets received by the wired LAN module and the wireless LAN module in a normal state of the image processing apparatus; and a sub processor configured to process packets received by the wired LAN module and the wireless LAN module in place of the main processor its a first power saving state of the image processing apparatus in which supply of electric power to the main processor is stopped, the sub processor being configured to process the packets received by the wired LAN module by using the first combination and to process the packets received by the Wireless LAN module by using the second combination in the first power saving state.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the sub processor is configured to process, when the wired LAN module receives a packet simultaneously with reception of a packet by the wireless LAN module, the packet smaller in number of remaining opportunities for resending included in the packet.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the sub processor is configured to process, when the wired LAN module receives a packet simultaneously with reception of a packet by the wireless LAN module and when the packet received by the wired LAN module and the packet received by the wireless LAN module are equal to each other in remaining number of opportunities for resending, the packet shorter in remaining time period until discarding of the packet.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the sub processor is configured to have the image processing apparatus make transition from the first power saying state to a second power saving state by stopping supply of electric power to the sub processor; the wireless LAN module includes a module processor and a memory, the memory stores a first program and a second program executed by the module processor, and the module processor is configured to
in the first power saving state, allow, when a packet of a first type is received by the wireless LAN, passage of the packet of the first type to the sub processor by executing the first program, and
in the second power saving state, provide, when a packet of a second type is received by the wireless LAN, a response corresponding to the second type by executing the second program, and perform processing for resuming supply of electric power to the sub processor when a packet of a third type is received by the wireless LAN by executing the second program.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , the image processing apparatus further comprising a controller configured to control data transmission between the wireless LAN module and the sub processor, wherein
the sub processor has the controller make transition to a suspended state when the wired LAN module and the wireless LAN module have not received a packet continuously for a predetermined time period in the first power saving state or alter the packet received by the wired LAN module or the wireless LAN module is processed in the first power saving state, and the wireless LAN module is configured to perform processing for canceling the suspended state of the controller when the wireless LAN module receives the packet of the third type while the controller is in the suspended state.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is a universal serial bus (USB) controller.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) controller.

8 . A method of controlling an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus including a main processor, a sub processor, a wired LAN module, and a wireless LAN module, the method comprising:
the sub processor processing a packet received by the wired LAN module by using a first combination of a media access control (MAC) address and an Internet protocol (IP) address in a power saving state in which supply of electric power to the main processor is stopped; and the sub processor processing a packet received by the wireless LAN module by using a second combination of a MAC address and an IP address in the power saving state.

9 . A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer readable program for controlling an image processing apparatus, the image processing apparatus including a main processor, a sub processor, a wired LAN module, and a wireless LAN module, the program causing the sub processor to perform:
processing a packet received by the wired LAN module by using a first combination of a media access control (MAC) address and an internet protocol (IP) address in a power saving state in which supply of electric power to the main processor is stopped; and processing a packet received by the wireless LAN module by using a second combination of a MAC address and an IP address in the power saving state.

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Yamada Masami
• Akita Katsuhiko
• Ozawa Kaitaku
• Okamoto Yuji
• Asai Yuki
• Takahashi Kenichi
• Ito Yasutaka

Classifications

• G06F1/3243

  Power saving in microcontroller unit · CPC title

• H04N2201/0039

  Connection via a network · CPC title

• G06F3/1285

  Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server · CPC title

• H04N1/00891 Primary

  Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use (H04N1/00896 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/3209

  Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections · CPC title