1. A power supply unit for an image forming apparatus comprising:
a first control circuit configured to control the image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium, to be transitioned among plural operation modes including a normal mode in which the image forming apparatus operates at normal power consumption and a power saving mode in which the image forming apparatus operates at other power consumption lower than the normal power consumption;
a first power system configured to receive first electric power supplied from a commercial power supply, and supply second electric power to at least the first control circuit;
a second power system configured to receive the first electric power supplied from the commercial power supply, and supply third electric power to a load further on a downstream side than the second power system;
an electricity storing section provided on a downstream side in a power supplying direction of the second power system and charged by the third electric power from the second power system in the normal mode;
a switch configured to turn off and on the first electric power from the commercial power supply to the second power system in association with open and close of a body cover, and generate fourth electric power;
a second control circuit to which the fourth electric power is supplied through the switch;
a cooling fan controlled by the second control circuit and configured to receive the third electric power supplied by the second power system; and
a path switching section driven by the second control circuit and configured to switch, in the power saving mode, an electric power supply path to interrupt the third electric power from the second power system to the cooling fan and supply fifth electric power from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
2. The unit according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring section configured to output information indicating stored electricity stored in the electricity storing section, wherein
the second control circuit determines, in the power saving mode, according to the information transmitted from the monitoring section, whether the third electric power is supplied from the second power system to the cooling fan or the fifth electric power is supplied from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
3. The unit according to claim 2, further comprising a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit, wherein
the second control circuit deduces, according to an output from the temperature detecting circuit, time for continuing driving of the cooling fan and performs control to, if electric energy calculated according to the time is equal to or larger than electric energy stored in the electricity storing section, supply the third electric power from the second power system to the cooling fan and thereafter supply the fifth electric power from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
4. The unit according to claim 2, wherein the second control circuit keeps the electricity storing section discharging after switching the electric power supply path from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
5. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the switch generates DC power from the commercial power supply, interrupts supply of the DC power to the second control circuit in the power saving mode, and supplies the DC power to the second control circuit in the normal mode.
6. The unit according to claim 1, wherein
the image forming apparatus includes:
a process section configured to execute a process requiring heat fixing on the medium;
a fixing device configured to fix a developer image on the medium with heat generated by a heat generating member using the electric power supplied from the commercial power supply;
a motor driving section for at least one motor configured to drive the process section and the fixing device; and
a fan-motor driving section for a fan motor configured to drive the cooling fan, and
in the power saving mode, the second control circuit supplies the fifth electric power supplied from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan, to the fan-motor driving section and the cooling fan cools heat generated in the fixing device.
7. The unit according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit, wherein
the second control circuit interrupts, according to transition from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the second electric power supplied from the first power system to the temperature sensor and the temperature detecting circuit.
8. The unit according to claim 1, wherein the electricity storing section stores, during the power saving mode, stored electricity with which operable to drive the cooling fan until temperature of a process section configured to execute a process requiring heat fixing on the medium falls to a target temperature.
9. The unit according to claim 1, further comprising:
a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit; and
a monitoring section configured to output information indicating stored electricity stored in the electricity storing device, wherein
the electricity storing section includes plural electricity storing devices configured to respectively store charges,
the monitoring section monitors electric energies respectively stored in the electricity storing devices, and
if the first control circuit instructs transition to the power saving mode, the second control circuit calculates, according to an output from the temperature detecting circuit, electric energy necessary for time in which driving of the cooling fan is continued, designates necessary one of the plural electricity storing devices according to a monitoring result of the monitoring section, instructs the designated electricity storing device to supply the fifth electric power to the cooling fan, and, thereafter, causes the path switching section to switch the electric power supply path to the cooling fan.
10. The unit according to claim 9, further comprising:
a first table for storing a correspondence relation between the time and temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and
a second table for storing a correspondence relation between stored electricity of the electricity storing section and a discharge time required for discharge of charges of the stored electricity, wherein
the second control circuit calculates the electric energy from the detected temperature referring to the first table and the second table.
11. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a process section configured to generate, with first electric power supplied from a commercial power supply, a developer image on a medium using an electrophotographic system;
a fixing device configured to fix the developer image on the medium with heat generated in a heat generating member using the first electric power supplied from the commercial power supply;
a first control circuit configured to control the process section and the fixing device to be transitioned among plural operation modes including a normal mode in which the image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium operates at normal power consumption and a power saving mode in which the image forming apparatus operates at other power consumption lower than the normal power consumption;
a first power system configured to receive the first electric power supplied from the commercial power supply, and supply second electric power to at least the first control circuit;
a second power system configured to receive the first electric power supplied from the commercial power supply, and supply third electric power to a load further on a downstream side than the second power system;
a electricity storing section provided on a downstream side in a power supplying direction of the second power system and charged by the third electric power from the second power system in the normal mode;
a switch configured to turn off and on first electric power from the commercial power supply to the second power system in association with open and close of a body cover, and generate fourth electric power;
a second control circuit to which the fourth electric power is supplied through the switch;
a cooling fan controlled by the second control circuit and configured to receive the third electric power supplied by the second power system; and
a path switching section driven by the second control circuit and configured to switch, in the power saving mode, an electric power supply path to interrupt the third electric power from the second power system to the cooling fan and supply the fifth electric power from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a monitoring section configured to output information indicating stored electricity stored in the electricity storing section, wherein
the second control circuit determines, in the power saving mode, according to the information transmitted from the monitoring section, whether the third electric power is supplied from the second power system to the cooling fan or the fifth electric power is supplied from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit, wherein
the second control circuit deduces, according to an output from the temperature detecting circuit, time for continuing driving of the cooling fan and performs control to, if electric energy calculated according to the time is equal to or larger than electric energy stored in the electricity storing section, supply the third electric power from the second power system to the cooling fan and thereafter supply the fifth electric power from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second control circuit keeps the electricity storing section discharging after switching the electric power supply path from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan.
15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the switch generates DC power from the commercial power supply, interrupts supply of the DC power to the second control circuit in the power saving mode, and supplies the DC power to the second control circuit in the normal mode.
16. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:
a motor driving section for at least one motor configured to drive the process section and the fixing device; and
a fan-motor driving section for a fan motor configured to drive the cooling fan, wherein
in the power saving mode, the second control circuit supplies the fifth electric power supplied from the electricity storing section to the cooling fan, to the fan-motor driving section and the cooling fan cools heat generated in the fixing device.
17. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit, wherein
the second control circuit interrupts, according to transition from the normal mode to the power saving mode, the second electric power supplied from the first power system to the temperature sensor and the temperature detecting circuit.
18. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electricity storing section stores, during the power saving mode, stored electricity with which operable to drive the cooling fan until temperature of the process section configured to execute a process requiring heat fixing on the medium falls to a target temperature.
19. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:
a temperature detecting circuit configured to receive the second electric power supplied by the first power system and output detected temperature detected by a temperature sensor to the first control circuit; and
a monitoring section configured to output information indicating stored electricity stored in the electricity storing device, wherein
the electricity storing section includes plural electricity storing devices configured to respectively store charges,
the monitoring section monitors electric energies respectively stored in the electricity storing devices, and
if the first control circuit instructs transition to the power saving mode, the second control circuit calculates, according to an output from the temperature detecting circuit, electric energy necessary for time in which driving of the cooling fan is continued, designates necessary one of the plural electricity storing devices according to a monitoring result of the monitoring section, instructs the designated electricity storing device to supply the fifth electric power to the cooling fan, and, thereafter, causes the path switching section to switch the electric power supply path to the cooling fan.
20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:
a first table for storing a correspondence relation between the time and temperature detected by the temperature sensor; and
a second table for storing a correspondence relation between stored electricity of the electricity storing section and a discharge time required for discharge of charges of the stored electricity, wherein
the second control circuit calculates the electric energy from the detected temperature referring to the first table and the second table.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An image processing apparatus which performs an image modifying process with respect to an original image input via an image input section, comprising:
a processing region setting section which sets a processing region in the original image input via the image input section,
an image forming section which forms a patch image to be applied to the processing region specified by the processing region specifying section based on the original image input via the image input section, and
an image editing section which replaces the image of the processing region in the original image input via the image input section by the patch image formed by the image forming section.
2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises a background image detecting section which detects a background image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on the background image detected by the background image detecting section.
3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, which further comprises a selecting section which selectively determines whether or not a patch image applied to the processing region is formed by use of the image forming section,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on the background image detected by the background image detecting section when the selecting section selects formation of a patch image applied to the processing region, and the image editing section replaces the image of the processing section by a preset image when the selecting section does not select formation of a patch image applied to the processing region.
4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises a sampling region setting section which sets a sampling region of the patch image formed by the image forming section,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on the image of the sampling region set by the sampling region setting section.
5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, which further comprises a selecting section used to select one of an auto mode in which a patch image applied to the processing region is formed based on an image of a preset region and a manual mode in which a patch image applied to the processing region is formed based on an image of the sampling region,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section when the auto mode is selected and forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section when the manual mode is selected.
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises a sampling region setting section which sets a sampling region of the patch image formed by the image forming section,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region by repeatedly providing the image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section.
7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, which further comprises a selecting section used to select one of an auto mode in which a patch image applied to the processing region is formed based on an image of a preset region and a manual mode in which a patch image applied to the processing region is formed based on an image of the sampling region,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section when the auto mode is selected and forms a patch image applied to the processing region by repeatedly providing an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section when the manual mode is selected.
8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a smoothing processing section which performs a smoothing process for smoothing a variation in the image in a boundary portion of the processing region to which the patch image formed by the image forming section is applied.
9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a selecting section which determines whether or not the smoothing process is performed by the smoothing processing section.
10. An image processing method for an original image input via an image input section, comprising:
setting a processing region in the original image,
forming a patch image to be applied to the processing region based on the original image input via the image input section, and
replacing the image of the processing region in the original image input via the image input section by the patch image.
11. The image processing method according to claim 10, which further comprises detecting a background image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region based on the background image.
12. The image processing method according to claim 11, which further comprises selectively determining whether or not a patch image applied to the processing region is formed,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region based on the background image when formation of the patch image applied to the processing region is selected, and the replacing the image of the processing region is to replace the image of the processing region in the original image input via the image input section by the patch image when formation of the patch image applied to the processing region is selected and replace the image of the processing region in the original image input via the image input section by a preset image when formation of the patch image applied to the processing region is not selected.
13. The image processing method according to claim 10, which further comprises setting a sampling region with respect to an original image input via the image input section,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section.
14. The image processing method according to claim 13, which further comprises selecting one of an auto mode in which an image applied to the processing region is automatically formed and a manual mode in which an image applied to the processing region is formed based on a specified region,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section when the auto mode is selected and form a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section when the manual mode is selected.
15. The image processing method according to claim 10, which further comprises setting a sampling region with respect to an original image input via the image input section,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region by repeatedly providing an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section.
16. The image processing method according to claim 15, which further comprises selecting one of an auto mode in which an image applied to the processing region is automatically formed and a manual mode in which an image applied to the processing region is formed based on a specified region,
wherein the forming the patch image is to form a patch image applied to the processing region based on an image of a preset region in the original image input via the image input section when the auto mode is selected and form a patch image applied to the processing region by repeatedly providing an image of the sampling region in the original image input via the image input section when the manual mode is selected.
17. The image processing method according to claim 10, further comprising performing a smoothing process which smoothes a variation in the image in a boundary portion of the processing region to which the patch image is applied.
18. The image processing method according to claim 17, further comprising selectively determining whether the smoothing process is performed or not.
19. An image forming apparatus which includes a scanner to read an image of a document, comprising:
a processing region setting section which sets a processing region in the image of the document read by the scanner,
an image forming section which forms a patch image to be applied to the processing region specified by the processing region specifying section based on the image of the document read by the scanner,
an image editing section which replaces the image of the processing region in the image of the document read by the scanner by the patch image formed by the image forming section, and
a printer which prints an image obtained by replacing the image of the processing region by the patch image by use of the image editing section on an image forming medium.
20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 19, which further comprises a background image detecting section which detects a background image of a preset region in the image of the document read by the scanner,
wherein the image forming section forms a patch image applied to the processing region based on the background image detected by the background image detecting section.