Electric device, and method and computer program product for controlling power supply in electric device

Abstract

An electric device includes at least one or more processing units that perform a predetermined process; a power-supply control unit that controls supply of electric power from a power source to the processing units and shutoff of the supply; a main control unit that performs a start-up process if the main control unit is supplied with power from the power source; and a sub control unit that controls the power-supply control unit so as not to supply the electric power to all or some of the processing units after the start-up process.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An electric device comprising:
 at least one or more processing units that perform a predetermined process;   a power-supply control unit that controls supply of electric power from a power source to the processing units and shutoff of the supply;   a main control unit that operates the processing units; and   a sub control unit, wherein electric power is supplied to the sub control unit,   wherein the sub control unit is configured to supply electric power to the main control unit after a first predetermined time period,   wherein the sub control unit is configured to stop supplying electric power to the main control unit after a second predetermined time period, and   wherein the sub control unit is configured to control the main control unit so that the main control unit is supplied again with the electric power after a third predetermined time period.   
     
     
         3 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the power-supply control unit respectively controls the supply of power to the processing units independently from each other.   
     
     
         4 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the sub control unit controls the supply of electric power from the power source to the main control unit and the shutoff of the supply, and   the main control unit being connected to the sub control unit by a signal line capable of transmitting a hot-plug enable signal, and the main control unit can be connected to and disconnected from the sub control unit in a state where the sub control unit is being supplied with the electric power.   
     
     
         5 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the processing units being connected to the main control unit by a signal line capable of transmitting a hot-plug enable signal, and the processing units can be connected to and disconnected from the main control unit in a state where the main control unit is being supplied with the electric power.   
     
     
         6 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the sub control unit, when receives a request for a job to be executed by all or some of the processing units, controls the power-supply control unit to supply the electric power to the processing unit.   
     
     
         7 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 when the sub control unit receives a request for a job to be executed by all or some of the processing units, the sub control unit is configured to determine a first processing unit that is needed for execution of the job out of the processing units, and is configured to control the power-supply control unit to supply the electric power to the first processing unit.   
     
     
         8 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a setting unit that sets a period of time in which electric power is supplied until the supply of electric power is shut off for each of the processing units, wherein   the sub control unit controls the power-supply control unit to shut off supply of the electric power to each of the processing units depending on the period of time set for each of the processing units.   
     
     
         9 . The electric device according to  claim 8 , further comprising
 a communication unit that performs communication with an external device, wherein   the setting unit
 sets the period of time based on the communication with the external device via the communication unit, and 
 stores set period of time in a nonvolatile storage medium. 
   
     
     
         10 . A power-supply control method performed in an electric device that includes
 at least one or more processing units for performing processes respectively and differently;   a power-supply control unit for controlling supply of electric power from a power source to the processing units and shutoff of the supply;   a main control unit that operates the processing units; and   a sub control unit, wherein electric power is supplied to the sub control unit,   the power-supply control method comprising:   controlling the power-supply control unit so as to supply the electric power to the processing units, when the sub control unit receives a request for a job to be executed by all or some of the processing units;   controlling, via the sub control unit, the supply of electric power to the main control unit after a first predetermined time period;   stopping, via control from the sub control unit, a supply of electric power to the main control unit after a second predetermined time period; and   controlling, via the sub control unit, the main control unit so that the main control unit is supplied again with the electric power after a third predetermined time period.   
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program codes embodied in the medium for controlling power-supply performed in an electric device that includes
 at least one or more processing units for performing processes respectively and differently;   a power-supply control unit for controlling supply of electric power from a power source to the processing units and shutoff of the supply;   a main control unit that operates the processing units; and   a sub control unit, wherein electric power is supplied to the sub control unit,   the program codes when executed causing a computer to execute:   controlling the power-supply control unit so as to supply the electric power to the processing units, when the sub control unit receives a request for a job to be executed by all or some of the processing units;   controlling, via the sub control unit, the supply of electric power to the main control unit after a first predetermined time period;   stopping, via control from the sub control unit, a supply of electric power to the main control unit after a second predetermined time period; and   controlling, via the sub control unit, the main control unit so that the main control unit is supplied again with the electric power after a third predetermined time period.   
     
     
         12 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein the sub control unit controls the power-supply control unit so as not to supply the electric power to all or some of the processing units after a start-up process of the main control unit has been performed. 
     
     
         13 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein the first predetermined time period is a time period required to initialize the sub control unit. 
     
     
         14 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein the second predetermined time period is a time period required to initialize the main control unit. 
     
     
         15 . The electric device according to  claim 2 , wherein the third predetermined time period is a time period from when the electric power supply to the main control unit is stopped to when an operation request to any one of the processing units is received.