Power control device, electrical apparatus, and image forming device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740153-B2
Application number	US-201414293063-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2013
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A power control device includes non-volatile memory, a controller, and a logic circuit. The non-volatile memory includes a function of externally outputting a logical state of a bit stored in a specific area as a state hold signal that indicates an ON/OFF state of a device function unit before a power cutoff. The controller controls the ON/OFF state of the device function unit and also writes the ON/OFF state of the device function unit to the specific area of the non-volatile memory. The logic circuit controls power supply to the controller on the basis of a logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power control device comprising:
non-volatile memory that includes a function of externally outputting a logical state of a bit stored in a specific area as a state hold signal that indicates an ON/OFF state of a device function unit before a power cutoff;
a controller that controls the ON/OFF state of the device function unit and also writes the ON/OFF state of the device function unit to the specific area of the non-volatile memory;
a logic circuit that controls power supply to the controller on the basis of a logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory; and
an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the device function unit;
wherein the controller, on the basis of an acceleration value detected by the acceleration detector, determines whether or not an earthquake occurred, and in a case of determining that an earthquake occurred, writes the occurrence of the earthquake to another specific area of the non-volatile memory different from the specific area,
the non-volatile memory externally outputs a logical state of a bit stored in the other specific area as an earthquake detection signal that indicates whether or not an earthquake was detected, and
the logic circuit conducts control to not supply power to the controller in a case in which the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was detected, even in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff.

2. The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
in an initial state after power is supplied, the controller switches the device function unit to an ON state.

3. The power control device according to claim 1 , wherein
in an initial state after power is supplied, the controller switches the device function unit to an ON state only in a case in which the current time is within a preset time period.

4. The power control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a voltage generator that generates a voltage to supply to the controller;
wherein the logic circuit puts the voltage generator in an operational state in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff and the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was not detected.

5. The power control device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a voltage generator that generates a voltage to supply to the controller;
wherein the logic circuit puts the voltage generator in an operational state in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff and the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was not detected.

6. The power control device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a voltage generator that generates a voltage to supply to the controller;
wherein the logic circuit puts the voltage generator in an operational state in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff and the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was not detected.

7. An electrical apparatus comprising:
a power control device that includes non-volatile memory provided with a function of externally outputting a logical state of a bit stored in a specific area as a state hold signal that indicates an ON/OFF state of a device function unit before a power cutoff, a controller that controls the ON/OFF state of the device function unit and also writes the ON/OFF state of the device function unit to the specific area of the non-volatile memory, and a logic circuit that controls power supply to the controller on the basis of a logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory;
a device function unit whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the power control device; and
an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the device function unit;
wherein the controller, on the basis of an acceleration value detected by the acceleration detector, determines whether or not an earthquake occurred, and in a case of determining that an earthquake occurred, writes the occurrence of the earthquake to another specific area of the non-volatile memory different from the specific area,
the non-volatile memory externally outputs a logical state of a bit stored in the other specific area as an earthquake detection signal that indicates whether or not an earthquake was detected, and
the logic circuit conducts control to not supply power to the controller in a case in which the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was detected, even in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff.

8. An image forming device comprising:
a power control device that includes non-volatile memory provided with a function of externally outputting a logical state of a bit stored in a specific area as a state hold signal that indicates an ON/OFF state of a device function unit before a power cutoff, a controller that controls the ON/OFF state of the device function unit and also writes the ON/OFF state of the device function unit to the specific area of the non-volatile memory, and a logic circuit that controls power supply to the controller on the basis of a logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory;
a device function unit, provided with an image output unit that outputs an image onto a print medium, whose ON/OFF state is controlled by the power control device; and
an acceleration detector that detects acceleration of the device function unit;
wherein the controller, on the basis of an acceleration value detected by the acceleration detector, determines whether or not an earthquake occurred, and in a case of determining that an earthquake occurred, writes the occurrence of the earthquake to another specific area of the non-volatile memory different from the specific area,
the non-volatile memory externally outputs a logical state of a bit stored in the other specific area as an earthquake detection signal that indicates whether or not an earthquake was detected, and
the logic circuit conducts control to not supply power to the controller in a case in which the logic level of the earthquake detection signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that an earthquake was detected, even in a case in which the logic level of the state hold signal from the non-volatile memory indicates that the device function unit was in an ON state before the power cutoff.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakamaki Tadamasa
• Ikeda Shinho
• Murata Yuji
• Yamamoto Hiroaki
• Kawashita Masakazu
• Kasahara Shunsuke

Classifications

• G06F1/30 Primary

  Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations (for resetting only G06F1/24) · CPC title

• G06F11/1458

  Management of the backup or restore process · CPC title

• G01V1/008

  Physics · mapped topic

• G03G15/5004 Primary

  Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off · CPC title

• G01V1/01

  Measuring or predicting earthquakes · CPC title