How Printers Manage Power States and Sleep Timers
A method for printers to intelligently decide whether to reset their sleep timer based on the type of network activity they encounter.
Original patent title: “USRE48925E1 - Information processing apparatus, method for controlling power state shift and clearing or not clearing a shift time measured”
A method for printers to intelligently decide whether to reset their sleep timer based on the type of network activity they encounter. Granted to Canon Inc in 2022 with 28 claims.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a power management system for printers that operate across four distinct power states. The system uses a timer to track how long the device has been in a low-power state (the third state) before it should shut down completely (the fourth state). The clever part is how it treats the timer when the printer wakes up partially: if the printer wakes up for a major task, like printing a document, it resets the timer. However, if it wakes up for a minor network inquiry that it cannot fully process, it keeps the original timer running, ensuring the printer still shuts down on schedule.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover power management systems that only use two or three power states.
- Does not cover devices that reset their sleep timer regardless of the type of network packet received.
- Does not cover power state transitions that are triggered by physical buttons rather than network events.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The system distinguishes between 'meaningful' wake-up events and 'inconsequential' network pings, choosing to reset the sleep timer only for the former.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Canon office laser printers
Network-connected multifunction office copiers
Why it matters
The bigger picture
In large office environments, printers are often left on 24/7. This patent helps balance the need for energy efficiency (shutting down when idle) with the need for availability (waking up for actual print jobs). By ignoring 'noise' or minor network pings, the device avoids unnecessary energy consumption while remaining ready for actual work.
Filed
March 22, 2018
Granted
February 8, 2022
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Canon remains the primary entity utilizing this logic within their multifunction printer product lines. Other major printer manufacturers like HP, Brother, and Xerox utilize similar power-state state-machine logic to comply with international energy efficiency standards like Energy Star.
Market impact
This patent reinforces the standard practice of 'intelligent' power management in office hardware. It helps manufacturers meet strict energy consumption regulations by providing a specific, defensible method for keeping devices in deep sleep states despite constant background network traffic.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a power management system for printers that operate across four distinct power states. The system uses a timer to track how long the device has been in a low-power state (the third state) before it should shut down completely (the fourth state). The clever part is how it treats the timer when the printer wakes up partially: if the printer wakes up for a major task, like printing a document, it resets the timer. However, if it wakes up for a minor network inquiry that it cannot fully process, it keeps the original timer running, ensuring the printer still shuts down on schedule.
The clever bit
The system distinguishes between 'meaningful' wake-up events and 'inconsequential' network pings, choosing to reset the sleep timer only for the former.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover power management systems that only use two or three power states.
- Does not cover devices that reset their sleep timer regardless of the type of network packet received.
- Does not cover power state transitions that are triggered by physical buttons rather than network events.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Moderate
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
19/20
Very broad protection
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$39K – $125K
Midpoint $78K · 11.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
28 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Takizawa, M. (2022). How Printers Manage Power States and Sleep Timers (U.S. Patent No. RE48,925). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/RE48925/wrist-worn-activity-tracker
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Printers Manage Power States and Sleep Timers cover?
A method for printers to intelligently decide whether to reset their sleep timer based on the type of network activity they encounter.
Who owns patent US RE48925?
Canon Inc owns this patent, granted in 2022.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on February 8, 2042, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
In large office environments, printers are often left on 24/7. This patent helps balance the need for energy efficiency (shutting down when idle) with the need for availability (waking up for actual print jobs). By ignoring 'noise' or minor network pings, the device avoids unnecessary energy consumption while remaining ready for actual work.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover power management systems that only use two or three power states.
Same assignee
More from Canon Inc
Patent monitoring