Patent ID: 8362655

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing the energy consumption of a machine, comprising: a deactivation device configured and arranged to provide a deactivation signal in response to a pre-defined deactivation event; and a monitoring device configured and arranged to switch the machine to an energy-saving mode in response to the deactivation signal in accordance with a pre-defined deactivation rule, the monitoring device including: a first entity for switching the machine from a production mode to a first energy-saving mode in response to a first deactivation signal, the first energy-saving mode being a production readiness mode, in which a power element of the machine has no power, a second entity for switching the machine to a second energy-saving mode in response to a second deactivation signal different from the first deactivation signal, the machine consuming less energy in the second energy-saving mode than in the first energy-saving mode, the second energy-saving mode being a stand-by mode, in which only a control voltage is applied to the machine, and a third entity for switching the machine to a third energy-saving mode in response to a third deactivation signal different from the first and second deactivation signals, the machine consuming less energy in the third energy-saving mode than in the second energy-saving mode, the third energy-saving mode being a sleep mode, in which all components that are active in the stand-by mode are turned off.