Information processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and power management method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778714-B2
Application number	US-201414297730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 11, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes: a communication unit that performs communication with a power supply controller controlling supply and shutoff of power supply of a device; an operation receiving unit that receives input of user operation; an instructing unit that instructs the power supply controller via the communication unit to supply or shut off power supply in response to user operation concerning supply or shutoff of power supply of the device; a setting unit that sets power supply specified to be not permitted to shut off in response to user operation to specify the power supply to be not permitted to shut off; and an instruction disabling unit that disables an instruction to shut off power supply by the instructing unit when the power supply set to be not permitted to shut off is a target of the instruction to shut off power supply by the instructing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:
a main body and an operating unit;
at least one processor in the operating unit, the at least one processor configured to,
perform communication with a power supply controller controlling supply and shutoff of power supply of a device;
receive input of a user operation, the user operation including at least one of a supply or shutoff of power supply of the device operation and at least one function including printing, copying, plotting, scanning, and faxing;
instruct the power supply controller to supply or shut off power supply in response to the user operation concerning supply or shutoff of power supply of the device;
set power supply specified to be not permitted to shut off in response to the user operation to specify the power supply to be not permitted to shut off;
disable an instruction to shut off power supply when the power supply set to be not permitted to shut off is a target of the instruction to shut off power supply;
receive a user operation for setting power for the device,
communicate the user operation to the device,
perform communication with the power supply controller without communicating via the main body; and
transmit and receive a state of power of the device and information for power controlling the device.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
acquire power consumption of the device;
determine whether a given condition is satisfied regarding the power consumption of the device; and
change the setting concerning shutoff of the power supply corresponding to the device that satisfies the given condition when the power consumption of the device is determined to satisfy the given condition.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to
determine whether fluctuations in power consumption of the device in a given period of time are equal to or greater than a power consumption value, and
set the power supply corresponding to the device to be not permitted to shut off when the fluctuations in power consumption of the device are determined to be equal to or greater than the power consumption value.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
determine whether fluctuations in power consumption of the device in a given period of time are below a power consumption value, and
set the power supply corresponding to the device to be permitted to shut off when the fluctuations in power consumption of the device are determined to be below the power consumption value.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
determine whether there are any fluctuations present in power consumption of the device in a given period of time, and
set the power supply corresponding to the device to be permitted to shut off when no fluctuations are determined to be present in power consumption of the device.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
permit supply and shutoff of power supply of the device to be specified from an external device different from the information processing apparatus, and
specify a setting concerning shutoff of power supply to the power supply controller to reflect the specified setting concerning shutoff of the power supply.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to
determine whether there are any fluctuations present in the power supply, and
set the power supply corresponding to the device to not be permitted to shut off when fluctuations are determined to be present in the power supply.

8. A power management method performed by an operating unit of an information processing apparatus including a main body including a main body, the method comprising:
instructing a power supply controller that controls supply and shutoff of power supply of a device to supply or shut off power supply in response to user operation at the operating unit concerning supply or shutoff of power supply of the device;
executing at least one function including printing, copying, plotting, scanning, and faxing;
setting power supply specified to be not permitted to shut off in response to user operation to specify the power supply to be not permitted to shut off;
disabling an instruction to shut off power supply at the instructing when the power supply specified to be not permitted to shut off is a target of the instruction to shut off at the instructing;
performing communication with the power supply controller without communicating via the main body; and
transmitting and receiving a state of power of the device and information for power controlling the device.

9. The power management method according to claim 8 further comprising:
acquiring power consumption of the device via the communication unit;
determining whether a given condition is satisfied regarding the power consumption of the device; and
changing the setting concerning shutoff of the power supply corresponding to the device that satisfies the given condition when the power consumption of the device is determined to satisfy the given condition.

10. The power management method according to claim 9 further comprising:
determining whether fluctuations in power consumption of the device in a given period of time are equal to or greater than a power consumption value, and
setting the power supply corresponding to the device to be not permitted to shut off when the fluctuations in power consumption of the device are determined to be equal to or greater than the power consumption value.

11. The power management method according to claim 9 further comprising:
determining whether fluctuations in power consumption of the device in a given period of time are below a power consumption value, and
setting the power supply corresponding to the device to be permitted to shut off when the fluctuations in power consumption of the device are determined to be below the power consumption value.

12. The power management method according to claim 9 further comprising:
determining whether there are any fluctuations present in power consumption of the device in a given period of time, and
setting the power supply corresponding to the device to be permitted to shut off when no fluctuations are determined to be present in power consumption of the device.

13. The power management method according to claim 9 further comprising:
permitting the supply and shutoff of power supply of the device to be specified from an external device different from the information processing apparatus, and
specifying a setting concerning shutoff of power supply to the power supply controller to reflect the specified setting concerning shutoff of the power supply.

14. The power management method according to claim 8 further comprising:
determining whether there are any fluctuations present in the power supply, and
setting the power supply corresponding to the device to not be permitted to shut off when fluctuations are determined to be present in the power supply.

Assignees

• Igarashi Masaaki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Igarashi Masaaki

Classifications

• G06F1/266 Primary

  Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips · CPC title

• G06F1/3203

  Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode · CPC title

• G06F1/3215

  Monitoring of peripheral devices · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title