The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 27, 2012
Filed:
Jun. 07, 2010
Iwao Saeki, Kanagawa, JP;
Iwao Saeki, Kanagawa, JP;
Ricoh Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus, which has a plurality of operation modes with different power supply conditions, includes an electric-energy accumulating unit for calculating electric energy consumption in a current operation mode; a return-time calculating unit for calculating a return time taken for the image forming apparatus to return from an energy reduction mode, which is the operation mode in which part of the image forming apparatus is supplied with electric power, to a normal mode, which is the operation mode in which the whole image forming apparatus is supplied with electric power, on the basis of the calculated electric energy consumption and an upper limit of electric energy, which is predetermined as maximum electric energy consumption in a certain period of time; and a mode control unit for making the image forming apparatus return from the energy reduction mode to the normal mode on the basis of the calculated return time.