Electrophotography – Machine operation – Having power supply
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2002-06-18
Brase, Sandra (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Having power supply
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408149
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which is structured by combining an image reading apparatus and an image formation apparatus with each other, a control method for the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium
2. Related Background Art
By recent development of a digital copying machine, an image reading unit (a reader unit) and an image formation unit (a printer unit) can be separated from each other, thereby improving benefit and convenience.
By structuring as above, it is possible to enrich kinds of image reading apparatus and kinds of image formation apparatus respectively. Thus, by arbitrarily selecting either one of the plural kinds of image reading apparatus and either one of the plural kinds of image formation apparatus and combining the selected image reading apparatus with the selected image formation apparatus, it is possible to enrich a products lineup of the image processing apparatus.
However, in such the conventional image processing apparatus, the upper limit of total electric energy of the entire apparatus is predetermined. Thus, when the image reading apparatus and the image formation apparatus are arbitrarily combined with each other, the total power consumption value of both the image reading apparatus and the image formation apparatus sometimes exceeds the upper limit of the total electric energy of the entire image processing apparatus. In this case, there is some fear that breakdown and malfunction occur.
Further, in such the conventional image processing apparatus, a current (power) is ordinarily supplied to the image reading apparatus from a power supply unit provided in the image formation apparatus. Since current consumption of the image reading apparatus is different according to the kind of image reading apparatus, the limit value of the current to be supplied from the power supply unit to the image reading apparatus has been set according to the image reading apparatus of which current consumption is maximum. Thus, when the image reading apparatus of which current consumption is small is combined with the image formation apparatus, there is some fear that the supply of the current (power) is not shut down even if the current (power) exceeding a rating current of this image reading apparatus is supplied.
Further, in such the conventional image processing apparatus, the power supply unit provided in each image formation apparatus merely outputs a predetermined voltage value (i.e., a fixed value). Thus, when the image formation apparatus to be used is determined, selectable image reading apparatuses are necessarily determined. Namely, only the image formation apparatuses capable of operating with the predetermined voltage value output by the power supply unit provided in the determined image formation apparatus are selectable. Thus, the combination of the image reading apparatus and the image formation apparatus is limited.
Conversely, when a current (power) is supplied to the image formation apparatus from a power supply unit provided in the image reading apparatus, a similar problem occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in consideration of the above-described conventional problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which is structured by combining an image reading apparatus and an image formation apparatus with each other, a control method for the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium. In this image processing apparatus, a user can freely combine the image reading apparatus and the image formation apparatus with each other without considering the sum of power consumption of the image reading apparatus and power consumption of the image formation apparatus.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising:
image reading means for reading an image;
image formation means for forming the image read by the image reading means;
supply means for supplying power to the image formation means and the image reading means; and
setting means for setting a control condition of the image processing apparatus according to power consumption of the image reading means and power consumption of the image formation means.
Further, there is provided a control method for an image processing apparatus which comprises an image reading unit for reading an image, an image formation unit for forming the image read by the image reading unit, and a supply unit for supplying power to the image formation unit and the image reading unit, the method comprising:
a setting step of setting a control condition of the image processing apparatus according to power consumption of the image reading unit and power consumption of the image formation unit.
Further, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program to control an image processing apparatus which comprises an image reading unit for reading an image, an image formation unit for forming the image read by the image reading unit, and a supply unit for supplying power to the image formation unit and the image reading unit, the computer program including:
a setting step of setting a control condition of the image processing apparatus according to power consumption of the image reading unit and power consumption of the image formation unit.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4113375 (1978-09-01), Murata et al.
patent: 4372675 (1983-02-01), Sahay
patent: 5317366 (1994-05-01), Koshi et al.
patent: 5455657 (1995-10-01), Takeda
Chishima Hideaki
Kanno Satoru
Kijima Satoru
Kurahashi Masahiro
Taira Masayoshi
Brase Sandra
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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