Electrophotography – Machine operation – Having power supply
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-01-30
Grimley, Arthur T. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Having power supply
C399S037000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181895
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to image forming devices, image forming methods, and methods of supplying power to an image forming device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Document preparation has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Conventional image forming devices, such as laser printers, ink jet printers, facsimile devices, etc., have continued to evolve to provide advances including increased throughput, improved imaging and increased efficiencies.
Conventional printer configurations are typically coupled with a host computer system, or alternatively, with numerous host computer systems via a network. The host computer system(s) is configured to interface with the appropriate printer. The host computer system may be arranged to download a print job to the printer via an associated connection. Some conventional printers are configured to parse the incoming data, to rasterize the data, and to print an image corresponding to the data.
Such conventional arrangements provide a driver, such as a page description language (PDL) driver, within the host computer system. Exemplary page description languages include PCL and Postscript. The associated printer includes a parser which is configured to operate in conjunction with the appropriate page description language driver of the host computer system. The attached printer may have plural page description language parsers for use with multiple drivers.
Following processing within the appropriate page description language parser, the received data is rasterized and applied to the print engine of the printer. Thereafter, imaging of the data upon media is usually performed.
Conventional printers and other image forming devices typically individually include a DC converter coupled with an external AC power source. The DC power supplies common in conventional printer configurations may individually enjoy an approximate 80% efficiency rating at normal operational levels and loads.
However, it is attractive to provide power save modes of operation for printers and other image forming devices during extended periods of inactivity. Such power save modes are modes wherein some components of the image forming devices are shut down to provide reduced power consumption. The efficiencies of typical DC power supplies may drop from approximately 80% at the normal operating levels to less than 50% at such low power levels. The drop in efficiency is due to switching and conduction losses in switches as well as losses in the snubbers and magnetic circuits in conventional DC power supply configurations. Accordingly, such image forming devices operate in a relatively inefficient manner during the power save mode of operation.
New regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), such as Energy Star limitations, impose stricter power save mode power consumption levels for printers and other image forming devices. Conventional printers and other imaging forming devices will have great difficulty in meeting these new limits as well as stricter limits in the future due to the above inefficiencies.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide devices and methodologies providing increased efficiencies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides image forming devices, image forming methods, and methods of supplying power to an image forming device.
According to one aspect of the invention, an image forming device comprises: an input adapted to couple with an external power source; electrical circuitry configured to provide images; a first power supply coupled with the input and configured to supply electricity from the input to the electrical circuitry; and a second power supply coupled with the input and configured to supply electricity from the input to the electrical circuitry; wherein the electrical circuitry is configured to control the supply of electricity from the first power supply and the second power supply.
A second aspect of the invention provides an image forming method comprising: providing an image forming device including electrical circuitry; forming an image using the electrical circuitry; receiving electricity from an external power source within the image forming device; supplying the electricity to the electrical circuitry using at least one of a first power supply and a second power supply; and controlling the supplying via at least one of the first power supply and the second power supply.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of supplying power to an image forming device comprising: providing an image forming device having electrical circuitry configured to provide images, an input adapted to couple with an external power source, and a first power supply and a second power supply individually coupled with the input and the electrical circuitry; operating the image forming device in a plurality of operational modes; first supplying electricity to the electrical circuitry using the first power supply during operating in one of the operational modes; and second supplying electricity to the electrical circuitry using the second power supply during operating in another of the operational modes.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5809369 (1998-09-01), Furuya et al.
patent: 5862437 (1999-01-01), Kutsuwada et al.
Grimley Arthur T.
Hewlett--Packard Company
Ngo Hoang
LandOfFree
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