Image forming apparatus configured for scheduled secondary battery usage period
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G05B-015/02
G05F-001/66
B41J-029/393
G03G-015/00
B41J-029/13
B41J-029/38
출원번호
US-0497659
(2014-09-26)
등록번호
US-10133291
(2018-11-20)
우선권정보
JP-2013-202876 (2013-09-30)
발명자
/ 주소
Ohhashi, Kenichi
출원인 / 주소
RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
대리인 / 주소
Cooper & Dunham LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
4
초록▼
An image forming apparatus includes a power supply controller that selects either commercial power or a secondary battery as a power supply and a main controller that controls the power supply controller. The main controller includes a power supply availability determination unit that determines whe
An image forming apparatus includes a power supply controller that selects either commercial power or a secondary battery as a power supply and a main controller that controls the power supply controller. The main controller includes a power supply availability determination unit that determines whether or not both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available and a power supply selection unit that instructs the power supply controller to select the secondary battery as the power supply during a predetermined secondary battery usage period and instructs the power supply controller to select the commercial power as the power supply at times other than the secondary battery usage period in case both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available.
대표청구항▼
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a power supply controller to select either commercial power or a secondary battery as a power supply;an inputting unit configured to permit a user to schedule a secondary battery usage period specified by a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;a st
1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a power supply controller to select either commercial power or a secondary battery as a power supply;an inputting unit configured to permit a user to schedule a secondary battery usage period specified by a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time;a storage device to record the scheduled start time and end time that specify the secondary battery usage period; anda main controller to control the power supply controller,wherein the main controller includes:a power supply availability determination unit to determine whether or not both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available; anda power supply selection unit to instruct the power supply controller, upon determining that both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available and that a current time falls within the scheduled secondary battery usage period between the scheduled start time and end time, recorded in the storage device and specified via the inputting unit, to select the secondary battery as the power supply during the scheduled secondary battery usage period and to select the commercial power as the power supply at times other than the scheduled secondary battery usage period,wherein after the power supply selection unit instructs the power supply controller to select the secondary battery as the power supply while both the commercial power and secondary battery are available during the secondary battery usage period specified by the scheduled start time and end time recorded in the storage device, the power supply selection unit, in response to secondary battery power falling below a predetermined threshold before expiration of the scheduled secondary battery usage period, enables an improper termination flag and instructs the power supply controller to select the commercial power as the power supply and stop using the secondary battery as the power supply, and the improper termination flag enabled by the power supply selection unit inhibits the power supply controller from selecting the secondary battery as the power supply again even if the secondary battery power becomes higher than the predetermined threshold, unless and until the improper termination flag is reset to be disabled after the scheduled secondary battery usage period specified by the scheduled start time and end time recorded in the storage device expires. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply controller notifies the main controller whether or not the commercial power is connected and whether or not the secondary battery is connected and notifies the main controller when secondary battery power of the secondary battery falls below a first threshold. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the power supply availability determination unit determines that both the commercial power and secondary battery are unavailable if either (1) at least one of the commercial power and the secondary battery is not connected or (2) the secondary battery power is less than the first threshold. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power supply availability determination unit determines that both the commercial power and secondary battery are available if both the commercial power and secondary battery are connected and the secondary battery power is equal to or greater than the first threshold. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recording head, wherein the main controller cancels an image formation operation and performs a cleaning operation of the recording head in case the commercial power is unavailable and the power supply controller notifies the main controller that the secondary battery power is below a second threshold smaller than the first threshold during execution of the image formation operation. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning operation includes capping the recording head. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply controller selects an available power supply as the power supply if either the commercial power or the secondary battery is unavailable. 8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery usage period is specified for at least one day of a week. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the power supply controller selects the secondary battery as the power supply, the image forming apparatus is permitted to perform an image formation operation until the secondary battery power falls below a first threshold. 10. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a power supply controller to select either commercial power or a secondary battery as a power supply;an inputting unit configured to permit a user to schedule a secondary battery usage period specified by a scheduled start time and a scheduled end time; anda main controller to control the power supply controller, wherein the main controller includes: a power supply availability determination unit to determine whether or not both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available; anda power supply selection unit to instruct the power supply controller, upon determining that both the commercial power and the secondary battery are available and that a current time falls within the scheduled secondary battery usage period between the scheduled start time and the scheduled end time, specified via the inputting unit, to select the secondary battery as the power supply during the scheduled secondary battery usage period and to select the commercial power as the power supply at times other than the scheduled secondary battery usage period,wherein when both the commercial power and secondary battery are available during the secondary battery usage period, and after the power supply selection unit instructs the power supply controller to select the secondary battery as the power supply, the power supply selection unit, in response to secondary battery power falling below a predetermined threshold before expiration of the scheduled secondary battery usage period, enables an improper termination flag and instructs the power supply controller to select the commercial power as the power supply and stop using the secondary battery as the power supply, and then until the scheduled secondary battery usage period expires, the power supply selection unit does not instruct the power supply controller to select the secondary battery as the power supply again or disable the improper termination flag even if the secondary battery power becomes higher than the predetermined threshold, unless configuration information in the image forming apparatus is updated, which causes the improper termination flag to be disabled and the power supply selection unit to instruct the power supply controller to select the secondary battery as the power supply.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (4)
Atsushi Izumiura JP; Takashi Kiyomiya JP; Hideyuki Oki JP; Kan Nakaune JP; Shigetaka Kuroda JP; Atsushi Matsubara JP; Shinichi Kitajima JP; Hideyuki Takahashi JP, Apparatus and method for controlling power generation for hybrid vehicle.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.