Image processing device, image processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

An image processing device including a first control unit to control a normal operating mode during which image processing is performed, a second control unit to control an energy-saving mode during which power consumption is lower than during the normal operating mode, an interrupt request receiver connected to an external device to receive an interrupt request from the external device, interrupt factor distributors to distribute the interrupt request received by the interrupt request receiver based on whether or not the interrupt request includes a predetermined interrupt factor, interrupt request notification units to notify the second control unit as well as the first control unit of the interrupt request in accordance with distribution results from the interrupt factor distributors, and job adjustors to control transfer of a job between the first control unit and the second control unit based on notification from the interrupt request notification units.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An image processing device comprising:
 a first control unit controller to control a normal operating mode during which image processing is performed; 
 a second control unit controller to control an energy-saving mode during which power consumption is lower than during the normal operating mode, the second controller to output a control signal; 
 an interrupt request receiver connected to an external device to receive an interrupt request from the external device; 
 interrupt factor distributors to distribute the interrupt request received by the interrupt request receiver based on whether or not the interrupt request includes a predetermined interrupt factor; 
 interrupt request notification units to notify the second control unit as well as the first control unit of the interrupt request in accordance with distribution results from the interrupt factor distributors; 
 job adjustors to control transfer of a job between the first control unit and the second control unit based on notification from the interrupt request notification units; 
 a detector to detect a power recovery factor; 
 a measuring unit third controller that includes a timer to measure a time for the energy-saving mode, the third controller being separate from the first controller and the second controller, the third controller receiving the control signal output from the second controller and turning on the first controller in response to the control signal output from the second controller; 
 a power supply unit to supply power to the first control unit when the time measured by the measuring unit reaches a predetermined period of time controller; and 
 a status notification unit notifier to notify the detector of a status of the first control unit controller to which power is supplied from the power supply unit, 
 wherein an operating mode of when the image processing device is changed from in the energy-saving mode and a power recovery factor is detected by the detector or a predetermined period of time measured by the timer has expired, the power supply supplies power to the first controller, the status notifier notifies a status to the second controller to which power is supplied from the power supply, and the image processing device changes to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor detected by the detector. 
 
     
     
       2. The image processing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined interrupt factor is stored in a register. 
     
     
       3. The image processing device according to claim  2  1, wherein each of the first control unit controller and the second control unit controller comprises the a register. 
     
     
       4. The image processing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a request signal control unit controller to control whether or not the operating mode of the image processing device is changed to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor detected by the detector; and 
 a request signal generator to generate a power-on request signal to change the operating mode of the image processing device to the normal operating mode using the request signal control unit controller. 
 
     
     
       5. The image processing device according to  claim 4 , wherein the request signal control unit controller comprises a register to prevent the operating mode of the image processing device from being changed to the normal operating energy saving mode again from the energy-saving normal operating mode while the power supply unit supplies power to the first control unit controller. 
     
     
       6. An image processing method for an image processing device comprising a first control unit to control a normal operating mode during which image processing is performed and a second control unit to control an energy-saving mode during which power consumption is lower than during the normal operating mode, the image processing method comprising:
 receiving an interrupt request from an external device connected to the image processing device;   distributing the interrupt request based on whether or not the interrupt request includes a predetermined interrupt factor;   notifying the second control unit as well as the first control unit of the interrupt request in accordance with distribution results obtained by the distributing the interrupt request;   controlling transfer of a job between the first control unit and the second control unit based on notification from the notifying;   detecting a power recovery factor;   measuring a time for the energy-saving mode;   supplying power to the first control unit when the time measured by the measuring reaches a predetermined period of time; and   notifying a status of the first control unit to which power is supplied,   wherein an operating mode of the image processing device is changed from the energy-saving mode to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor.   
     
     
       7. The image processing method according to  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined interrupt factor is stored in a register. 
     
     
       8. The image processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the first control unit and the second control unit comprises the register. 
     
     
       9. The image processing method according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 controlling whether or not the operating mode of the image processing device is changed to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor; and   generating a power-on request signal to change the operating mode of the image processing device to the normal operating mode.   
     
     
       10. The image processing device according to  claim 9 , wherein the controlling comprises a register to prevent the operating mode of the image processing device from being changed to the normal operating mode from the energy-saving mode while power is supplied to the first control unit. 
     
     
       11. A recording medium storing an image processing program for causing a method to be executed, the image processing program comprising modules that causes cause an image processing device comprising a first control unit controller to control a normal operating mode during which image processing is performed and, a second control unit controller to control an energy-saving mode during which power consumption is lower than during the normal operating mode to execute an image processing method and to output a control signal, and a third controller to measure a time for the energy-saving mode, the image processing method comprising:
 receiving an interrupt request from an external device connected to the image processing device; 
 distributing the interrupt request based on whether or not the interrupt request includes a predetermined interrupt factor; 
 notifying the second control unit as well as the first control unit of the interrupt request in accordance with distribution results obtained by the distributing the interrupt request; 
 controlling transfer of a job between the first control unit and the second control unit based on notification from the notifying, 
 detecting a power recovery factor; 
 measuring a time for the energy-saving mode using the third controller which is separate from the first controller and the second controller; 
 supplying power to the first control unit controller when the image processing device is in the energy-saving mode and the time measured by the measuring reaches a predetermined period of time or when the power recovery factor is detected, the third controller receives the control signal output from the second controller causing the third controller to turn on the first controller; and 
 notifying a status of the first control unit controller to which power is supplied when the image processing device is in the energy-saving mode and the time measured by the measuring reaches a predetermined period of time or when the power recovery factor is detected, and 
 an operating mode of the image processing device is changed from the energy-saving mode to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor  when the image processing device is in the energy-saving mode and the time measured by the measuring reaches a predetermined period of time or when the power recovery factor is detected. 
 
     
     
       12. The recording medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined interrupt factor is stored in a register. 
     
     
       13. The recording medium according to claim  12  11, wherein each of the first control unit controller and the second control unit controller comprises the a register. 
     
     
       14. The recording medium according to  claim 11 , wherein the image processing method further comprising:
 controlling whether or not the operating mode of the image processing device is changed to the normal operating mode based on the power recovery factor; and 
 generating a power-on request signal to change the operating mode of the image processing device to the normal operating mode. 
 
     
     
       15. The recording medium according to  claim 14 , wherein the controlling comprises
 using a register to prevent the operating mode of the image processing device from being changed to the normal operatingenergy-saving mode again from the energy-savingnormal operating mode while power is supplied to the first control unitcontroller.