JP4685547B2 - Data transfer apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an energy saving operation of a data transfer device as a network interface such as a printer, a copy, and an MFP (multifunction peripheral), and more particularly, a data transfer device that performs energy saving control and a printer including the data transfer device, The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copy or MFP.

  As a system considering energy saving, for example, the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are known. That is, in Patent Document 1, in a printing system in which a host device and a printing device that receives print data transmitted from the host device and outputs the print data are connected via a network, the host device and the printing device are bidirectional. Connected by communication means, the printing apparatus enters power saving mode after a certain time, means for canceling the power saving mode by receiving transmission data from the host device, status information of power saving mode obtained by bidirectional communication means The image data for acquiring the set time information of the power saving mode based on the above and the means for transmitting to the host device at the moment of entering the power saving mode, the host device being activated by the host device and transmitted to the printing device Application tool to create, operation panel to display the release button for canceling power saving mode on the application screen, from the release button Has a means for transmitting data for canceling the power saving mode to the printing device side, calculates the time from when the release button is pressed, and sets the time based on the set time information until entering the power saving mode And a release system on the operation panel is displayed again before reaching this time.

Further, in the cited document 2, in a facsimile apparatus provided with a facsimile communication unit that performs facsimile communication via at least a general public line and a LAN interface unit that performs exchange of electronic mail via a LAN (Local Area Network), The LAN interface unit can be switched between a normal operation mode in which a program is operated at a normal clock frequency to communicate with the facsimile communication unit or the LAN, and a low power mode in which the program is stopped by stopping the clock. The control means is switched to the low power mode when a series of processing operations are completed in the normal operation mode, and is switched to the normal operation mode when an activation signal is received from the LAN or facsimile communication unit. A facsimile apparatus characterized by the above is disclosed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-085420 JP 2002-111927 A

  By the way, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the energy saving mode, the host is notified that the energy saving mode is entered, and when the energy saving release button is pressed from the host, the energy saving release data is transmitted to the printing system. The energy-saving mode is canceled, but if configured in this way, an application for energy-saving control is required on the host side.

  Further, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the activation signal is received from the LAN I / F, the FAX shifts from the energy saving mode to the normal mode, but the activation signal has its own IP address. When a packet addressed to itself is received, the normal mode is restored regardless of what the packet is, so it is considered that the substantial energy saving effect is poor.

  On the other hand, image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, and MFPs are required to be able to respond to requests for directly connecting and using external devices such as PCs. It has an interface that can handle direct connection.

  However, the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above are intended to save energy when the printing system and FAX are always connected to an external device or the like via a network. No consideration is given to energy saving at an interface corresponding to an external device such as a PC connected at any time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described prior art, and an object thereof is to save energy in a data transfer device as an interface corresponding to an external device such as a PC connected when necessary. An object of the present invention is to provide a data transfer device that can be used and an image forming apparatus using the data transfer device.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first means of the present invention is the data transfer apparatus comprising a data transfer interface that can be connected to an external device and can recognize that it is connected to the external device. The interface is a USB interface and includes a USB PHY and a USB SIE. The USB SIE recognizes whether or not an external device is connected via a USB connector, and no external device is connected to the USB connector. In this case, the SuspendM signal to be applied to the USB PHY is validated, and the USB PHY that has received the signal stops the operation of the PLL in the own PHY, resets itself, and an external device is connected to the USB connector. When the SuspendM signal is released from the valid state, the PLL operation in its own PHY It was resumed, characterized by itself to the operating state.

According to a second means of the present invention, in the first means, the data transfer interface is a network interface .

Further, the third means of the present invention comprises the data transfer device of the first or second means and an image forming means for forming a visible image on a recording medium based on the input data. It is characterized by that.

  According to the present invention, when an external device is not connected, control is performed so as to reset the PHY included in the data transfer interface in the data transfer device, and control is performed so as to stop the operation of the PLL included in the PHY. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the use of energy (power consumption) when no external device is connected, thereby obtaining an energy saving effect.

  Embodiments of a data transfer apparatus and an image forming apparatus using the data transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a network system to which the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, a network system to which the present invention is applied includes an image forming apparatus (multifunction machine) 1 having a plurality of functions such as a copying machine and a printer, a printer 2, and the image forming apparatus 1 or printer. PCs (personal computers) 3, 4, 5 using 2 are connected to a network 6. Note that the number of MFPs 1, printers 2, PCs 3, 4, and 5 connected to the network 6 is an example, and a large-scale system in which these are more connected or a small-scale system that has fewer terminals. It is the same. In the illustrated example, a print instruction can be sent from any of the PCs 3, 4, and 5 to the multifunction device 1 or the printer 2 for printing. As the network 6, Ethernet (registered trademark) is used in the illustrated example.

  The image forming apparatus 1 and the printer 2 include, for example, an image forming unit having a known structure such as an electrophotographic system or an ink jet system, and such an image forming apparatus or printer itself is known. Then, details of the mechanical configuration and the electrical configuration are omitted. In addition, the image forming apparatus 1 and the printer 2 include a data transfer device as an interface corresponding to an external device connected when necessary, for example, a portable PC, a portable PC, a PDA, etc. A connector for connection to such an external device is also provided.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. The illustrated image forming apparatus includes a controller unit 100, an interface unit (interface ASIC) 200, and a PCI bus 300 that connects the two.

  The controller unit 100 includes a main CPU 101, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 102, a memory 103 for storing image data sent via a network, and an HDD (not shown), and is sent via the main CPU 101 and the network. A memory 103 for storing image data and an HDD (not shown) are each connected to the ASIC 102, and the ASIC 102 is connected to the PCI bus 300. The main CPU 101 controls an image forming apparatus (not shown), and the ASIC 102 controls input / output of data to and from the main CPU 101, the memory 103 that stores image data sent via the network, and the HDD.

  The interface ASIC 200 includes a USB block 201, an IEEE 1284 block 202, a MAC (Mediea Access Control) block 203, a control unit 204, an arbiter 205, and a system interface (system I / F) 206 as a data transfer interface which is a serial data interface. And a PCI 207 and various direct memory access controllers (DMAC) 211 to 216.

  The USB block 201 is connected to an oscillator 220, an external device, and the like via the USB 224. UST 211, DMAC. Connected to the USR 212 and further connected to the system interface 206.

  The IEEE 1284 block 202 is connected to an external device or the like via an IEEE 1284 line 225, and is connected to the internal bus 217 and the DMAC. CT213, DMAC. It is connected to the CR 214 and further connected to the system interface 206.

  The MAC 203 is connected to an oscillator 222 and a network 6 via an Ethernet (registered trademark) physical layer (Ethernet (registered trademark) Phy) 223, an internal bus 217, a DMAC. tx215, DMAC. rx 216 is connected to the system interface 206.

  Each of the aforementioned DMACs 211 to 216 is connected to the internal bus 217, connected to the arbiter 205 that arbitrates the connection state, and further connected to the system interface 206.

  The system interface 206 has the above-described connection and is connected to the internal bus 217 and the PCI 207, and the arbiter 205 has the above-described connection and is connected to the PCI 207. Further, the PCI 207 is connected to the controller unit 100 via the PCI bus 300.

  An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention that includes a control unit as described above is connected to a network system as shown in FIG. When a print instruction is issued, MAC 203, DMAC. tx215, DMAC. Control of exchange of print data and the like is performed with the controller unit 100 via the rx 216, the arbiter 205, and the PCI 207, and the controller unit 100 sends an instruction to a printing apparatus (not shown) to perform printing according to the instruction. be able to.

  In addition, when a print instruction is issued from an external device connected to the USB 224, and when a print instruction is issued from an external device connected to the IEEE 1284 line 225, the image according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. The forming apparatus controls the exchange of print data and the like with the controller unit 100 via the USB block 201 or the IEEE 1284 block 202 as described above, and the controller unit 100 performs printing (not shown). An instruction can be sent to the apparatus to perform printing according to the instruction.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the USB block. As shown in FIG. 3, the USB block 201 includes a USB physical layer (USB PHY) 301, a USB SIE 302, and an SRAM 303 connected to the USB SIE 302, and a USB connector 305 for connecting to the USB 224 is connected to the USB block 201. In addition, the oscillator 221 described above is connected. Further, in the USB PHY 301, a PLL 304 is provided for using a clock signal from the oscillator 221 as a clock having a predetermined frequency. The PLL 304 generates a clock necessary for data exchange with an external device connected to the USB connector 305 via the USB 224.

  The USB block 201 configured as described above is configured to be able to recognize whether an external device is connected via the USB connector 305, that is, whether the own USB block 201 is used or unused. Yes. Therefore, the USB SIE 302 has a terminal VBUSDETECT that receives a signal VBUS indicating that an external device is connected when the external device is connected to the USB connector 305. The USB SIE 302 validates the SuspendM signal to be applied to the USB PHY 301 when no external device is connected to the USB connector 305. Receiving this, the USB PHY 301 stops the operation of the PLL 304 and resets itself.

  As described above, the USB block 201 is in a reset state when the external device is not connected to the USB connector 305, and the operation of the PLL 304 is also stopped. Can do. This state is immediately canceled by the USB SIE 302 when the external device is connected to the USB connector 305. Therefore, if the external device is connected to the USB connector 305 via the USB 224, the USB PHY 301 immediately becomes active. Thus, it is possible to respond to a print instruction from an external device.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the network system to which this invention is applied. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a USB block.

Explanation of symbols

1 Image forming device (multifunction machine)
2 Printer 3-5 PC
6 Network 100 Controller 101 Main CPU
102 ASIC
103 memory 200 interface ASIC
201 USB block 202 IEEE 1284 block 203 MAC (Mediea Access Control) block 204 Control unit 205 Arbiter 206 System interface (system I / F)
207 PCI
211-216 Various direct memory access controllers (DMAC)
217 Internal bus 221, 222 Oscillator 223 Ethernet (registered trademark) physical layer 224 USB
225 IEEE1284 line 300 PCI bus 301 USB PHY
302 USB SIE
303 SRAM
304 PLL
305 USB connector

Claims (3)

In a data transfer device comprising a data transfer interface that can be connected to an external device and can recognize that it is connected to the external device,
The data transfer interface is a USB interface, and includes a USB PHY and a USB SIE ,
The USB SIE recognizes whether or not an external device is connected via a USB connector. If no external device is connected to the USB connector, the USB SIE validates and receives a SuspendM signal applied to the USB PHY. When the USB PHY stops the operation of the PLL in its own PHY, and resets itself, and when an external device is connected to the USB connector and the SuspendM signal is released from the valid state, the PLL in its own PHY is released. A data transfer device characterized by resuming the operation and putting itself into an operating state . The data transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer interface is a network interface . 3. An image forming apparatus comprising: the data transfer apparatus according to claim 1; and image forming means for forming a visible image on a recording medium based on input data .

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