JP5589372B2 - Image processing apparatus and method for controlling image processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a control method for the image processing apparatus.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus, in order to reduce power consumption while waiting for a job instruction such as printing, if there is no job instruction for a certain period of time, the power consumption is higher than in the normal power mode. There is a technology for shifting to a low power consumption mode. In the low power consumption mode, for example, power supply to an engine unit such as a plotter or a scanner is stopped.

  In the low power consumption mode, power consumption can be reduced by supplying power only to the memory (DRAM) in the control unit and setting the memory to the refresh mode.

  For example, in the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent No. 4301390 (Patent Document 1), in the standby mode, power supply to the sensor is performed after the monitoring of the detection signal of the sensor that monitors the signal input from the operation unit is finished. To stop. Thereby, even if the set time for shifting from the standby mode to the sleep mode is relatively long, useless power consumption is suppressed.

  Further, for example, in the invention of the image forming apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-244502 (Patent Document 2), when shifting from the standby mode to the pause mode, the energization is stopped in two stages. First, when the presence of the operator is detected by the human body detection means, the energization to the heater of the fixing device is stopped without changing the display on the operation unit. Further, when a certain time has passed since then, the display of the operation unit is turned off.

  The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is inconvenient in that a display screen in the middle of an operation is initialized when the operation mode is shifted to a sleep mode while the operator stops other hands during the operation. Reduce.

  Note that the “standby mode” in Patent Documents 1 and 2 corresponds to the “normal mode”, and the “pause mode” corresponds to the “low power consumption mode”.

  However, in the inventions such as the image forming apparatuses described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the contents of the display screen of the operation unit when returning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode are not considered.

  For example, when the operator temporarily stops the operation during operation to shift to the low power consumption mode, when returning to the normal mode, the image forming apparatus that becomes the last operation screen of the immediately preceding normal mode is displayed. is there. In this example, if the operator before the transition to the low power consumption mode is different from the operator who performed the operation to return to the normal mode, the operator to return to the initial display screen etc. Occurs.

  In the example of the image forming apparatus in which the initial display screen is displayed when returning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode, the operator who has stopped the operation must restart the operation from the beginning. , Lack of convenience.

  The present invention has been invented in order to solve these problems in view of the above points, and is an image processing device that suitably controls a display screen when returning from a low power consumption mode to a normal mode, And it aims at providing the control method of an image processing device.

In order to achieve the above object, the image processing apparatus of the present invention employs the following configuration. The image processing apparatus of the present invention, first identification information, or instructions of the carriage return to the normal mode during the execution of the power consumption low power consumption mode of from the normal mode to be entered into the normal mode execution Identification information acquisition means for acquiring second identification information to be input when input, and display screen control for controlling an operation screen displayed on the display means after the return transition based on the second identification information And a collating unit that collates the first identification information with the second identification information and determines whether or not the second identification information is valid, and the display screen control unit includes: Based on the validity judgment of the second identification information, the operation screen in the normal mode being executed is displayed on the display means immediately before an instruction to shift to the low power consumption mode is input. .

  Accordingly, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus that suitably controls the display screen when returning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode, and a method for controlling the image processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problem, the present invention may be a method for controlling the image processing apparatus.

  According to the image processing apparatus and the image processing method of the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus that suitably controls the display screen when returning from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode, and a control method for the image processing apparatus. Is possible.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of the functional configuration of the operation control unit 600. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the execution control unit 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating details of an interface unit between the operation control unit 600 and the execution control unit 100. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the display screen when the power is turned on and after the return transition. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of processing for setting operator information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the energy saving transition process and the return transition process. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the return transition processing.

  Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiment, an example of an image forming apparatus will be described, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the image forming apparatus. Any image processing apparatus having a low power consumption mode that supplies power to only a part of the apparatus may be used.

[Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus in FIG. 1 includes a control unit 10, an operation unit 60, a scanner unit 20, a plotter unit 30, and a power supply unit 90.

  In the operation unit 60, the operator inputs an instruction or the like, and performs display for the operator. The operation unit 60 includes an input unit 61, a voice output unit 62, a display unit 63, an identification information acquisition unit 64, a collation unit 65, a control unit 66, a storage unit 68, and an interface unit 69.

  The input means 61 receives an input from a key such as a numeric keypad or a touch panel, and generates a request signal. The sound output unit 62 outputs sound from the speaker according to an instruction from the control unit 10. The display unit 63 displays a screen transmitted from the control unit 10.

  The identification information acquisition unit 64 acquires operator identification information input from the operation unit 60. The identification information of the operator is input from the operation unit 60 at the time of “energy saving transition” for shifting from the normal mode to the low power consumption mode. The identification information may also be input before, during or during an operation for instructing a job or the like when the operator performs a series of operations. The identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 64 is stored in the storage unit 68.

  The collation unit 65 collates the identification information stored in the storage unit 68 with the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition unit 64. Thereby, the validity of the identification information acquired by the identification information acquisition means 64 is determined.

  The control unit 66 controls each unit included in the operation unit 60. The identification information acquisition means 64, the collation means 65, and the control means 66 may be provided as one CPU, for example.

  The storage unit 68 stores identification information input from the input unit 61. The storage unit 68 stores a computer program executed by the control unit 66. The storage unit 68 may be a work memory used when the control unit 66 executes a computer program. The storage unit 68 is, for example, a hard disk device, a RAM, or a ROM.

  The interface unit 69 transmits and receives signals to and from the control unit 10.

  The control unit 10 controls each unit of the image forming apparatus. The control unit 10 controls power supply from the power supply unit 90 to each unit. The control unit 10 includes a display screen control unit 13, a control unit 16, a storage unit 18, and an interface unit 19.

  The display screen control unit 13 controls the display screen displayed on the operation unit 60. The display screen control unit 13 selects or generates a screen to be displayed by the operation unit 60 based on the screen information stored in the storage unit 18.

  The display screen control means 13 controls the operation screen displayed after returning to the normal mode at the time of “return transition” when shifting from the low power consumption mode to the normal mode. More specifically, when the identification information verified by the verification unit 65 is valid, the display screen control unit 13 displays the operation screen displayed before the immediately preceding energy saving transition. The display screen control unit 13 displays a predetermined operation screen when the identification information verified by the verification unit 65 is not valid. The predetermined operation screen is, for example, an initial operation screen that is displayed first after the image forming apparatus is powered on.

  The control unit 16 controls each unit of the control unit 10. The display screen control unit 13 and the control unit 16 may be provided as one CPU, for example.

  The storage unit 18 stores data processed by the control unit 10. The storage unit 18 stores screen information displayed on the display unit 63. The screen information is, for example, image data in which pixels are arranged in raster order, or information displayed on the screen. The screen information may also be identification information of the operation screen displayed by the display means 63 and image data associated with the identification information or information displayed on the screen.

  The storage unit 18 may also have a function of a working memory when the control unit 10 executes control. The storage unit 18 is, for example, a hard disk device, a RAM, or a ROM.

  The interface unit 19 transmits and receives signals to and from the operation unit 60, the scanner unit 20, the plotter unit 30, the power supply unit 90, and the like.

  The scanner unit 20 optically reads an image on a medium and outputs image data. The plotter unit 30 forms and outputs an image on a medium under the control of the control unit 10.

  The power supply unit 90 supplies power to the control unit 10, the operation unit 60, the scanner unit 20, and the plotter unit 30. The power supply unit 90 supplies power under the control of the control unit 10.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment. 2 includes an external power source 910, a switch 920, a PSU (Power Supply Unit) 930, an FET (Field Effect Transistor) 942, an FET 943, a scanner unit 200, a plotter unit 300, an execution control unit 100, an LCD 130, and an operation control. Part 600, operation panel 610, and speaker 620.

  An external power source 910 supplies power to the image forming apparatus. The switch 920 determines to supply power to the image forming apparatus and to stop supplying power. The PSU 930 supplies power from the external power source 910 to the inside of the image forming apparatus.

  The FET 942 controls the power supplied to the scanner unit 200. The FET 943 controls the power supplied to the plotter unit 300.

  The execution control unit 100 executes a process based on an instruction from the operation control unit 600. The execution control unit 100 controls the scanner unit 200 and the plotter unit 300 to acquire image data read from the scanner unit 200, and causes the plotter unit 300 to form and output an image on a medium.

  The execution control unit 100 also has a network I / F and a USB I / F, and communicates with the outside by these.

  The LCD 130 displays an image. The image displayed on the LCD 130 is, for example, an image of image data that is processed by the execution control unit 100, acquired by the scanner unit 200, or output from the plotter unit 300. Although not shown, a touch panel is mounted on the LCD 130, and information from the touch panel can be input to the execution control unit 100 by controlling the touch panel with the execution control unit 100.

  The operation control unit 600 outputs a signal input from the operation panel 610 to the execution control unit 100. This signal is a signal such as a request for processing. The operation control unit 600 also displays an image on the operation panel 610 and controls turning on / off of LEDs and the like included in the operation panel 610. The operation control unit 620 also outputs sound from the speaker 620.

  The operation panel 610 outputs a signal input from a key or a touch panel to the operation control unit 600. The operation panel 610 may include a display unit. The display unit of the operation panel 610 displays the state of the image forming apparatus and the like, and may display an image to be processed. The speaker 620 outputs sound.

  The scanner unit 200 optically reads an image and outputs image data. The plotter unit 300 forms and outputs an image on a medium.

  2 may include a facsimile control unit (hereinafter referred to as “FCU”) (not shown). The FCU performs facsimile communication with the public line. FCU power is supplied from the PSU 930.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing details of the functional configuration of the operation control unit 600. The operation control unit 600 includes a key input receiving unit 601, a voice output unit 602, a display unit 603, a ROM 604, a RAM 605, a control unit 608, and an interface unit 609.

  Key input receiving means 601 receives a signal input from a key on operation panel 610. When the key is pressed on the operation panel 610, the key input receiving unit 601 removes chattering and outputs a signal.

  The audio output unit 602 outputs audio from the speaker 620. A display unit 603 controls lighting and extinguishing of LEDs on the operation panel 610. The display unit 603 may display an image on the operation panel 610.

  The control unit 608 controls each part of the operation control unit 600. The control means 608 implements a control function by executing a computer program stored in the ROM 604.

  The interface unit 609 transmits and receives signals to and from the execution control unit 100. The ROM 604 stores a computer program executed by the control unit 608 and the like. The ROM 604 is, for example, a flash ROM. A RAM 605 is a work memory when the control unit 608 executes a computer program. The ROM 604, RAM 605, and control means 608 may be provided as one CPU.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the execution control unit 100. 4 includes an ASIC 110, a CPU 181, a ROM 182, an HDD 183, a network physical layer control unit (hereinafter referred to as “PHY”) 160, a PHY clock generation unit 161, a clock generation unit 140, a DDR-SDRAM (hereinafter referred to as “DDR-SDRAM”). (Referred to as “DDR”) 185, a board power control unit 191, and an external power control unit 192.

  The ASIC 110 has an interface with each part of the execution control unit 100 and the outside of the execution control unit 100, and controls power supply to the inside of the execution control unit 100.

  The ASIC 110 includes a power control unit (hereinafter referred to as “PM”) 111, a MEM I / F 112, a register 118, an OPU I / F 119, a CPU I / F 124, a ROM I / F 125, an HDD I / F 126, a USB control unit 127, A network logical layer control unit (hereinafter referred to as “MAC”) 128 and an LCD I / F 129 are included.

  The PM 111 controls power supply of each unit included in the ASIC 110. The PM 111 also controls the board power control unit 191 to control the power on the board on which the execution control unit 100 is provided. The PM 111 further controls the external power control unit 192.

  The MEM I / F 112 is an interface with the DDR 185. The register 118 is temporary storage means. The OPU I / F 119 is an interface with the operation control unit 600.

  The PCI I / F 123 is an interface with an internal bus using a PCI bus, and performs communication with the scanner unit 200, the plotter unit 300, the FCU, and the like.

  The CPU I / F 124 is an interface with the CPU 181. The ROM I / F 125 is an interface with the ROM 182. The HDD I / F 126 is an interface with the HDD 183.

  The USB control unit 127 realizes USB connection with the outside of the image forming apparatus. The MAC 128 is an interface with the PHY 160 and connects to a physical layer of network communication. The LCD I / F 129 is an interface with the LCD 130 and controls the touch panel of the LCD 130.

  The CPU 181 controls each part of the execution control unit 100. The ROM 182 stores a computer program executed by the CPU 181. The HDD 183 stores image data. The HDD 183 may also store a computer program executed by the CPU 181. The DDR 185 realizes the function of a work area when the CPU 181 executes a computer program.

  The board power control unit 191 controls power supply to each unit on the board on which the execution control unit 100 is provided. The external power control unit 192 controls power supply of the scanner unit 200, the plotter unit 300, and the LCD 130. The external power control unit 192 controls the backlight of the LCD 130.

  The PHY 160 communicates with other devices connected via the network. The PHY 160 controls the physical layer. The PHY clock generation unit 161 generates a clock for network communication and supplies it to the PHY 160.

  The clock generation unit 140 generates an entire clock of the execution control unit 100 and supplies it to each unit.

  The CPU 181, ROM 182, HDD 183, PHY 160, and PHY clock generation unit 161 are included in the Power On Area. Further, in the ASIC 110, the PM 111, the MEM I / F 112, the register 118, and the OPU I / F 119 are included in the Power On Area.

  The Power On Area is also supplied with power even in the low power consumption mode. The other units stop supplying power in the low power consumption mode. Thereby, in the low power consumption mode, functions such as network communication and receiving input from the operation panel 610 are realized, and other functions are stopped.

  The Power on Area is reset by the first reset means. Other areas are reset by the second reset means. The first reset unit and the second reset unit will be described later.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating details of an interface unit between the operation control unit 600 and the execution control unit 100. The interface between the operation control unit 600 and the execution control unit 100 is realized by the interface unit 609 of the operation control unit 600 and the OPU I / F 119 of the execution control unit 100.

  The interface unit 609 includes a GIO (Generalized input / output Controller) 6091 and an I2C I / F 6092. The OPU I / F 119 includes a GIO 1191 and an I2C I / F 1192.

  GIO 6091 and GIO 1191 are connected by two signal lines of KEYREQ_N and SEC_N, and a signal is output from GIO 6091 to GIO 1191.

The I2C I / F 6092 and the I2C I / F 1192 are connected by two signal lines SCL and SDA. The I2C I / F 6092 of the operation control unit 600 performs a slave operation, and the I2C I / F 1192 of the execution control unit 100 performs a master operation.
In FIG. 5, the I2C I / F 1192 is a master operation and the I2C I / F 6092 is a slave operation, but both the I2C I / F 1192 and the I2C I / F 6092 may be multi-master compatible types.

  The correspondence between the functional configuration of FIG. 1 and the configurations of FIGS. 2 to 5 is as follows. The “operation unit 60” corresponds to the “operation control unit 600”, “operation panel 610”, “speaker 620”, and “LCD 130”. The “input unit 61” corresponds to the “key input receiving unit 601”. The “voice output unit 62” corresponds to the “voice output unit 602”. “Display means 63” corresponds to “display means 603” or “LCD 130”.

  “Identification information acquisition unit 64”, “collation unit 65”, and “control unit 66” correspond to “control unit 608”. The “storage unit 68” corresponds to “ROM 604” or “RAM 605”. The “interface unit 69” corresponds to the “interface unit 609”.

  The “control unit 10” corresponds to the “execution control unit 100”. “Display screen control means 13” and “control means 16” correspond to “CPU 181”. “Storage means 18” corresponds to “DDR185”. The “interface unit 19” corresponds to any one or more of “PCI I / F 123”, “USB control unit 127”, “PHY 160”, “LCD I / F 129”, and “OPU I / F 119”.

  6 to 9 are flowcharts for explaining power control in the image forming apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process for controlling the display screen when the power is turned on and after the return transition.

  In step S101 in FIG. 6, the switch 920 is turned on to turn on the image forming apparatus. As a result, power is supplied to the PSU 930, and further, power is turned on from the PSU 930 to the FCU, the operation control unit 600, and the execution control unit 100.

  When the FCU is powered on, facsimile communication via a public line becomes possible.

  When the operation control unit 600 is powered on, a reset signal is generated by a reset unit (not shown) included in the operation control unit 600, and the operation control unit 600 is initialized. As a result, the interface unit 609 is initialized, and KEYREQ_N and SEC_N, which are output signals of the GIO 6091, become inactive.

  The control unit 608 executes a computer program stored in the ROM 604. Note that the control unit 608 is configured as a CPU, for example.

  When the execution control unit 100 is turned on, power is supplied to the clock generation unit 140, the ASIC 110, the DDR 185, and a first reset unit (not shown). Thereby, the clock generation unit 140 generates a clock and outputs the clock to the CPU 181 and the ASIC 110.

  While power is supplied from the PSU 930 to the ASIC 110, power is supplied to the PM 111, the MEMI / F 112, the register 118, and the OPU I / F 119 provided in the power on area of the ASIC 110.

  When the supply of power to the ASIC 110 is started, each unit provided in the Power On Area in the ASIC 110 is initialized by an output signal from a first reset unit (not shown).

  When the PM 111 is initialized, the board power control unit 191 and the external power control unit 192 are initialized. The board power control unit 191 supplies power to each unit provided in the Power On Area outside the ASIC 110. As a result, power is supplied to the PHY 160, the PHY clock generation unit 161, the CPU 181, the ROM 182, the HDD 183, and the second reset unit (not shown).

  The second reset unit generates a second reset signal and outputs the second reset signal to the PHY 160 provided in the Power On Area and the CPU 181. The second reset signal is further provided in a portion of the ASIC 110 that is not the Power On Area, the CPU I / F 124, the ROM I / F 125, the HDD I / F 126, the USB control unit 127, the MAC 128, and the LCD I. Output to / F129.

  The external power control unit 192 controls the FET 942 and the FET 943. As a result, power is supplied to the scanner unit 200 and the plotter unit 300. The external power control unit 192 further supplies power to the LCD 130 and turns on the backlight of the LCD 130.

  Through the processing in step S101 described above, power is supplied to the entire image forming apparatus and the normal mode is set.

  Progressing to step S102 following step S101. In step S102, the CPU 181 transfers the computer program stored in the ROM 182 to the DDR 185, and starts executing the computer program.

  Transfer from the ROM 182 to the DDR 185 passes through the MEM I / F 112. The MEM I / F 112 controls writing and reading of data from the internal bus to the DDR 185. The MEM I / F 112 also controls a normal mode and a self-refresh mode, which are two operation modes of the DDR 185 from the PM 111. The self-refresh mode is a mode that consumes less power than the normal mode.

  In step S101, the computer program transferred from the ROM 182 can be written in the DDR 185 by setting the MEM I / F 112 to the normal mode operation.

  In step S102, the computer program stored in DDR 185 is further executed to initialize the interior of ASIC 110. When PM 111, MEM I / F 112, and OPU I / F 119 of ASIC 110 are initialized, a signal to that effect is written to register 118. With this signal, even when the CPU 181 is restarted, the ASIC 110 is not reinitialized.

  Progressing to step S103 following step S102. Note that steps S103 to S108 are executed by the CPU 181 executing the computer program, the identification information acquisition means 64, the display screen control means 13, and the control realized by the control means 608 executing the computer program. It is executed by means 66.

  In step S <b> 103, the display screen control unit 13 determines whether or not SEC_N output from the operation control unit 600 is active. After the power is turned on, in step S101, SEC_N is initialized by a reset unit (not shown), so that it is inactive. In addition, SEC_N is also inactive when a return shift is performed by an operator different from the operator before the energy saving transition.

  If SEC_N is active, the process proceeds to step S104. If SEC_N is not active, that is, if SEC_N is inactive, the process proceeds to step S105.

  In step S104 following step S103, the display screen control means 13 sets screen information of a screen to be displayed using information on the operation screen immediately before the energy saving transition stored in the DDR 185. After step S104, the process proceeds to step S109.

  On the other hand, in step S105 following step S103, the screen information of the screen displayed by the display screen control means 13 is an initialization screen displayed after initialization. Progressing to step S106 following step S105, the control means 16 confirms the information stored in the register. When the information indicating the power ON / OFF among the information stored in the register has the value “power ON”, the process proceeds to step S107. If it does not have a value of “Power ON”, the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S107 following step S106, operator information is set in the operation unit 60. Proceeding to step S108 following step S107, the control means 16 sets the value of information indicating ON / OFF of the power stored in the register to “power OFF”. After step S108, the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S109 following step S104 to step S108, the display screen control means 13 causes the LCD 130 to display an operation screen based on the screen information set in step S104 or step S105.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing details of processing for setting operator information. The process of FIG. 7 is executed by the operation unit 60 in step S107 of FIG.

  In step S201 of FIG. 7, the control means 66 determines whether or not the Login key has been pressed. If the Login key has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S202. If the Login key has not been pressed, the process of step S201 is repeated.

  In step S202 following step S201, the control unit 66 causes the display unit 63 to display a screen that prompts the operator to input identification information. In the present embodiment, the identification information is a personal identification number, but may be other identification information. In step S202, the voice output means 62 may further output a voice prompting the input of a password.

  Progressing to step S203 following step S202, it is determined whether or not a password has been input from the input means 61. For example, if a “#” symbol is input after a four-digit number, it is determined that a personal identification number has been input. If a password has been entered, the process proceeds to step S205. If a password has not been entered, the process proceeds to step S204.

  In step S204 following step S203, guidance that the input format of the personal identification number is different is performed by display by the display means 63 or voice output by the voice output means 62. After step S204, the process returns to step S201 to repeat the process.

  In step S205 following step S203, the control unit 66 refers to the password stored in the storage unit 68, and determines whether or not the password entered in step S203 has been registered. If registered, it is determined that the user is a registered user, and the process proceeds to step S209. If not registered, the process proceeds to step S206.

  In step S206 following step S205, the display means 63 displays a screen that prompts the operator to enter whether or not to register the password entered in step S203. For example, when registering, the user is prompted to input “1” on the numeric keypad, and when not registering, “0” on the numeric keypad.

  Progressing to step S207 following step S206, it is determined whether or not the value of the input from the input means 61 based on the screen of step S206 is “register”. If it is “register”, the process proceeds to step S208. If not, the process proceeds to step S201.

  In step S208 following step S207, the operator information is stored in the storage means 68.

  Proceeding to step S209 following step S205 or step S208, the operator information stored in the storage means 68 is stored in association with the password entered in step S203.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the energy saving transition process and the return transition process. Steps S111 to S115 in FIG. 8 are energy saving transition processes, and steps S116 to S119 are return transition processes.

  In step S <b> 111, the control unit 608 confirms whether or not there is a key input to the operation panel 610. More specifically, when there is a key input to the operation panel 610, the GIO 6091 included in the interface unit 609 of the operation control unit 600 activates the KEYREQ_N signal, and the GIO 1191 included in the OPU I / F 119 of the execution control unit 100 Is detected by interrupt processing.

  The control means 16 realized by the CPU 181 executing the computer program determines that the GIO 1191 has received a key input when the KEYREQ_N signal becomes active. On the other hand, when the KEYREQ_N signal is not active, it is determined that there is no key input.

  If there is a key input, the process proceeds to step S112. If there is no key input, the process proceeds to step S113.

  In step S112, a command for transferring the data of the pressed key is sent from the I2C I / F 1192 of the OPU I / F 119 to the I2C I / F 6092 of the interface unit 609. On the operation control unit 600 side, after receiving the command to be transferred, the data of the pressed key is output from the I2C I / F 6092 to the I2C I / F 1192.

  On the execution control unit 100 side, the CPU 181 executes processing based on the received key data. When the display screen is updated by the pressed key, the screen information on DDR 185 is updated. The updated screen information is transferred to the LCD 130 by the LCD I / F 129, and a new screen is displayed.

  On the other hand, in step S113 following step S111, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer function of the CPU 181 has passed a predetermined time since the last key input. If the predetermined time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S114. If the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S111 to repeat the process.

  Steps S114 and S115 are energy saving transition processes. In step S114, the CPU 181 sets the DDR 185 to shift to the self-refresh mode via the MEM I / F 112. When DDR 185 shifts to the self-refresh mode, power consumption can be significantly reduced.

  Progressing to step S115 following step S114, the CPU 181 notifies the PM 111 that the DDR 185 has shifted to the self-refresh mode. Based on this notification, the PM 111 partially turns off the power supply inside the image forming apparatus.

  The PM 111 controls the power supply inside the board power control unit 191, the external power control unit 192, and the ASIC 110 to realize partial off.

  More specifically, the FET 942 and the FET 943 are stopped from the external power control unit 192, and the power of the scanner unit 200 and the plotter unit 300 is turned off. Also, the power to the LCD 130 is turned off. Further, the board power control unit 191 turns off the power to the PHY 160, the PHY clock generation unit 161, the CPU 181, the ROM 182, and the HDD 183. Further, the power supply to the portion not inside the Power On Area inside the ASIC 110 is turned off.

  With the above processing, the transition to the low power consumption mode is completed. In the low power consumption mode, power to the operation control unit 600 and power to the Power On Area in the ASIC 110 are supplied. Since the CPU constituting the control means 608 consumes less power than the CPU 181, it is possible to efficiently reduce power consumption.

  Subsequent to step S115, the process proceeds to step S116, and a return transition process is performed.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the return transition processing in step S116. The process of FIG. 9 is executed by the operation unit 60. In step S301 of FIG. 9, whether or not there is a key input to the input means 61 is confirmed. If there is a key input, the process proceeds to step S302. If there is no key input, the process of step S301 is repeated.

  In step S302 following step S301, the display means 63 displays a screen that prompts the operator to input a password. In step S302, the voice output means 62 may prompt the input of a personal identification number by voice.

  Proceeding to step S303 following step S302, the control means 66 confirms whether or not a password has been entered. For example, it is determined that a code number has been input by inputting a symbol “#” following a 4-digit number. If a password has been input, the process proceeds to step S304. If a password has not been input, the process returns to step S302 to repeat the process.

  In step S304 following step S303, the collating unit 65 determines whether or not the password entered in step S303 is the same as that stored in the storage unit 68. That is, the validity of the entered password is determined. If the password is stored in the storage means 68, the operator associated with the password is already registered.

  If the collation means 65 determines that the password entered in step S303 is that of the registered operator, the process proceeds to step S305, and if not, the process proceeds to step S308.

  In step S305 following step S304, the control unit 66 activates KEYREQ_N. As a result, the KEYREQ_N output from the GIO 6091 to the GIO 1191 becomes active. As a result, it is possible to detect that the execution control unit 100 is in a state of performing return transition.

  On the other hand, in step S308 following step S304, the display means 63 displays that the personal identification number is not registered. In step S308, the audio output unit 62 may output the same information as the display by audio.

  Proceeding to step S306 following step S305, the collating means 65 determines whether or not the password entered in step S303 has been used before the immediately preceding energy saving transition. If it is used before the immediately preceding energy saving transition, the process proceeds to step S307, and if not, the process proceeds to step S309.

  In step S307, the control means 66 activates SEC_N. On the other hand, in step S309, the control means 66 makes SEC_N inactive. The value of SEC_N transmitted to the execution control unit 100 is set by the processing of step S307 and step S309. The CPU 181 selects the image information stored in the DDR 185 based on the value of SEC_N, so that the operation screen after the return transition can be suitably controlled.

  Returning to FIG. 8, in step S117 following step S116, the GIO 1191 determines whether or not KEYREQ_N is active. If it is active, the process proceeds to step S118. If it is not active, the process returns to step S116 and the process is repeated.

  In step S118 following step S117, the CPU 181 notifies the PM 111 of the return transition. Proceeding to step S119 following step S118, the PM 111 turns on the power at the location where the power is off in the low power consumption mode. After the process of step S119, the process returns to step S102 of FIG. 6 to repeat the process.

(Realization by computer etc.)
The image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may be realized by a personal computer (PC), for example. The image forming apparatus control method according to the embodiment of the present invention is executed using, for example, a main memory such as a RAM as a work area according to a program stored in a ROM, a hard disk device, or the like.

  Although the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described in the best mode. Modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is useful for power saving, and is particularly suitable for a multifunction peripheral.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Control part 13 Display screen control means 16 Control means 18 Storage means 19 Interface means 20 Scanner part 30 Plotter part 60 Operation part 61 Input means 62 Audio | voice output means 63 Display means 64 Identification information acquisition means 65 Collation means 66 Control means 68 Storage means 69 Interface means 90 Power supply unit 100 Execution control unit 118 Register 127 USB control unit 140 Clock generation unit 160 PHY
161 PHY Clock Generation Unit 191 Board Power Control Unit 192 External Power Control Unit 200 Scanner Unit 300 Plotter Unit 600 Operation Control Unit 601 Key Input Accepting Unit 602 Audio Output Unit 603 Display Unit 604 ROM
605 RAM
608 Control unit 609 Interface unit 610 Operation panel 620 Speaker 910 External power source 920 Switch 930 PSU
942, 943 FET

Japanese Patent No. 4301390 JP 2002-244502 A

Claims (7)

First identification information input during execution of the normal mode, or first input when an instruction to return to the normal mode is input during execution of the low power consumption mode with lower power consumption than the normal mode. Identification information acquisition means for acquiring the identification information of 2;
Display screen control means for controlling an operation screen to be displayed on the display means after the return transition based on the second identification information;
Collating means for collating the first identification information with the second identification information and determining whether the second identification information is valid;
Have
The display screen control means displays the operation screen in the normal mode being executed immediately before an instruction to shift to the low power consumption mode is input based on the validity determination of the second identification information. An image processing apparatus characterized by being displayed on the screen.   The display screen control means does not input the second identification information when the second identification information is determined not to be valid at the time of the return transition and at the time of the return transition. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined operation screen is displayed on the display unit.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined operation screen is an operation screen that is displayed first after the image processing apparatus is turned on. A first storage means for storing the first identification information;
The said collating means collates the said 1st identification information memorize | stored in the said 1st memory | storage means, and the said 2nd identification information acquired by the said identification information acquisition means. An image processing apparatus according to 1. 5. The storage device according to claim 4 , further comprising: a second storage unit configured to store immediately preceding screen information that is information of an operation screen immediately before the instruction to shift to energy saving is input during execution of the immediately preceding normal mode. Image processing device.   In the low power consumption mode, power is supplied to the operation unit having the identification information acquisition unit, the collation unit, and the first storage unit, and the display screen control unit, the second storage unit, The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a control unit that supplies power to the interface unit of an execution control unit that includes an interface unit that interfaces with the operation unit. First identification information input during execution of the normal mode, or first input when an instruction to return to the normal mode is input during execution of the low power consumption mode with lower power consumption than the normal mode. An identification information acquisition step of acquiring the identification information of 2;
Based on the second identification information, a display screen setting step for setting an operation screen to be displayed on display means after the return transition;
A collation step of collating the first identification information with the second identification information and determining whether the second identification information is valid;
Have
In the display screen setting step, the operation screen in the normal mode being executed immediately before an instruction to shift to the low power consumption mode is input based on the validity determination of the second identification information is displayed on the display unit A method for controlling an image processing apparatus, characterized by:

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