Image forming apparatus, method of controlling the same, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9904342-B2
Application number	US-201414339332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

An image forming apparatus comprises a first circuit unit including a control unit and a second circuit unit having a driving unit. The apparatus generates, by a power-supply unit, a power-supply voltage necessary for driving the driving unit to supply the power-supply voltage to the driving unit. The apparatus detects a voltage reduction of the power-supply voltage and performs access stopping processing for stopping access of the second circuit unit, based on the detecting of the voltage reduction of the power-supply voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a controller which includes one or more processors;
a printer unit;
a printer interface which is able to communicate with the controller and outputs image data to the printer unit;
a power-supply which outputs a first power and a second power of a higher voltage than the first power, the first power being supplied to the controller, and the second power being supplied to the printer unit;
a power converter which converts the second power supplied from the power-supply into a third power of a lower voltage than the second power, the third power being supplied to the printer unit; and
a power monitoring circuit which monitors the second power and outputs a detection signal to the controller based on the second power becoming lower than a predetermined voltage,
wherein the controller outputs a stop signal to the printer interface based on the detection signal from the power monitoring circuit, and wherein the printer interface stops outputting image data to the printer unit based on the stop signal.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the stop signal is a reset signal, and the printer interface is reset based on the reset signal.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller outputs a control signal based on the detection signal, and the power-supply stops supplying the second power based on the control signal.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the power monitoring circuit outputs the detection signal to the controller based on a predetermined time period elapsing in a state in which the second power is lower than the predetermined voltage.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined time period is determined in accordance with an operation mode of the image forming apparatus.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined time period is determined in accordance with an option mounted to the image forming apparatus.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the predetermined time period is determined in accordance with a type of the power-supply.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a scanner unit; and
a scanner interface which is able to communicate with the controller and outputs image data received from the scanner unit to the controller,
wherein the controller outputs an instruction for stopping driving of the printer unit to the printer interface, based on the notification from the power monitoring circuit.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display which displays an image,
wherein the controller outputs a stop signal to the display based on the detection signal.

10. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus comprising a controller, a printer unit, and a printer interface which is able to communicate with the controller and outputs image data to the printer unit, the method comprising:
outputting a first power and a second power of a higher voltage than the first power, the first power being supplied to the controller and the second power being supplied to the printer unit;
converting the second power into a third power of a lower voltage than the second power, the third power being supplied to the printer unit;
monitoring the second power;
outputting a detection signal to the controller based on the second power becoming lower than a predetermined voltage; and
outputting a stop signal to the printer interface based on the detection signal,
wherein the printer interface stops outputting the image data to the printer unit based on the stop signal.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Iguchi Junji

Classifications

• H04N1/00891 Primary

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

• G06F1/3287

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

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• 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

• G06F3/1221

  with regard to power consumption · CPC title