Electronic device

Abstract

The electronic device includes: a control means for controlling the electronic device; a power supply means for supplying power to the control means; and a power control section for controlling supply and interruption of power to the control section by the power supply section. The control component and the power control component are configured to perform command-based communication. The power control component instructs the power supply component to interrupt the supply of power to the control component based on a shutdown command received from the control component.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an electronic device. Background Art

[0002] In order to reduce the power consumption of an electronic device, a technology is known that enables the power state of the electronic device to be switched between a normal state and a power saving state in which the power consumption is lower than that in the normal state. Patent document 1 discloses a sensor device in which, when a sensor output is detected, a data storage element changes its state and thus enables a power supply circuit that supplies power to a processor so as to supply power to the processor. In the sensor device, in response to a control signal from the processor, the state of the data storage element is changed and thus the power supply circuit is disabled so as to stop the power supply to the processor.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent No. 10642331 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0007] In order to protect electronic circuits from the effects of power outages, some electronic devices include an undervoltage lockout (UVLO) function. According to the UVLO function, in the event of a power outage and a drop in the commercial power supply voltage, the electronic device stops operating. When the commercial power supply is restored after the power outage, the electronic device is initialized and operates normally. On the other hand, if the power outage is a momentary power interruption that lasts only a very short time, some circuits stop due to the function of UVLO, while other circuits are not affected by UVLO and can continue to operate. In the case of using a signal line in which a signal changes between a high level and a low level to perform communication between circuits, a momentary power interruption causes the signal on the signal line to drop to a low level. If the circuit receiving the signal is not affected by the UVLO and continues to operate, the circuit may mistakenly detect the low-level signal caused by the momentary power interruption as a communication signal and thus misoperate.

[0008] The present invention provides a technology related to power state control and for preventing erroneous operation in the event of a momentary power interruption.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, comprising:

[0011] A control component, used for controlling the electronic device;

[0012] a power supply component for supplying power to the control component; and

[0013] a power control component for controlling the supply and interruption of power to the control component through the power supply component,

[0014] wherein the control component and the power control component are configured to perform command-based communication, and

[0015] The power control section instructs the power supply section to interrupt supply of power to the control section based on the shutdown command received from the control section.

[0016] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology related to power state control and for preventing erroneous operation in the event of a momentary power interruption. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is an appearance diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal mechanism of an electronic device.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Block diagram of a control unit of an electronic device.

[0021] Figure 4A This is a diagram of the command.

[0022] Figure 4B It is a schematic diagram of a comparative example.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the operation when the power is turned on.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the operation when the power button is operated.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing the operation when the power button is operated.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the operation when a power outage occurs.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the operation when a momentary power interruption occurs in the comparative example.

[0028] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the operation when a momentary power interruption occurs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. A plurality of features are described in the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to requiring all such features, and a plurality of such features may be appropriately combined. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and their redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0030] <Overview of Electronic Devices>

[0031] Figure 1 1 is an appearance diagram of an electronic device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front side. The electronic device 1 of the present embodiment is an inkjet printing device that ejects liquid ink to print on a print medium, but the present invention is also applicable to various electronic devices other than inkjet printing devices. In the figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions orthogonal to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up and down direction (gravity direction). The X direction is the width direction (left and right direction) of the electronic device 1. The Y direction is the depth direction of the electronic device 1.

[0032] Note that "printing" includes not only forming meaningful information such as characters and graphics, but also includes, in a broad sense, forming images, portraits, patterns, etc. on a print medium and processing the print medium, regardless of whether the information is meaningful or whether the information is obvious to allow human visual perception. In addition, in this embodiment, the "print medium" is assumed to be a sheet of paper, but it may also be cloth or a plastic film, etc.

[0033] The electronic device 1 is in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, and includes an apparatus body 2, a cover 3, and a box-type stacking portion 4. The cover 3 is provided to cover the upper portion of the apparatus body 2 and constitute the top of the electronic device 1. The cover 3 is a movable portion that can be operated by a user, and can be opened and closed in the direction of an arrow D1. Figure 1 The cover 3 is shown in a closed state. When the cover 3 is changed to an open state, the internal mechanism of the device body 2 can be exposed to the outside for maintenance, etc. The stacking portion 4 is a tray on which the print media are stacked, is a movable portion that can be operated by the user and can be pulled out of the device body 2 and installed (pushed into) the device body 2 in the direction of the arrow D2. A discharge portion 6 for discharging printed print media is formed on the front of the electronic device 1. An operation unit 8 for accepting operations performed by the user is also provided on the front of the electronic device 1. The operation unit 8 has a touch panel type display unit and a power key 8a. In the present embodiment, the power key 8a is a push button type switch. By operating the power key 8a, the user can issue power-on instructions and power-off instructions to the electronic device 1.

[0034] The shell forming the outer wall of the device body 2 has a plurality of window portions 2a to 2d. The user can visually check the internal configuration of the device body 2 through the window portions 2a to 2d. In the present embodiment, the user can visually check the remaining amount of liquid contained in the containers 5Bk, 5C, 5M and 5Y (hereinafter, referred to as the container 5 in the case of a general term or without distinguishing between them) through the window portions 2a to 2d. The container 5 is an ink reservoir for containing liquid ink, and different types of ink are contained in the four containers 5. In the case of the present embodiment, the container 5Bk contains black ink, the container 5C contains cyan ink, the container 5M contains magenta ink, and the container 5Y contains yellow ink. In addition, the number of types of ink is not limited to 4 in the present embodiment, and can be one or more than 4, and the number of containers 5 only needs to be greater than or equal to the number of types of liquid ink.

[0035] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal mechanism of the electronic device 1. The electronic device 1 includes ejection heads 12a and 12b (hereinafter, referred to as the container 5 in the case of a general term or without distinguishing between them) that eject liquid. In the present embodiment, the ejection head 12a is a print head that prints by ejecting ink supplied from the container 5Bk onto the print medium, and the ejection head 12b is a print head that prints by ejecting ink supplied from the containers 5C to 5Y onto the print medium. The ejection heads 12 each have an ejection face on which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink are formed. Each nozzle is provided with, for example, an electrothermal conversion element (heater), which is heated when supplied with electricity so as to cause bubbles to form in the ink and the generated bubble energy causes the ink to be ejected.

[0036] The ejection head 12 is mounted on the carriage 11. The carriage 11 is reciprocated in the X direction (main scanning direction) by the driving unit 13. The driving unit 13 includes a driving pulley and a driven pulley ( Figure 2 1 and 2 , only the driven pulley 13b, the endless belt 13c wound around the pulley, and the carriage motor 13a serving as a driving source for rotating the driving pulley are shown. The carriage 11 is coupled to the endless belt 13c, and when the endless belt 13c moves, the carriage 11 moves in the X direction. As the carriage 11 moves, ink is ejected from the ejection head 12 onto the print medium, thereby printing an image. This operation is sometimes referred to as print scanning.

[0037] As described above, the electronic device 1 of the present embodiment is a serial inkjet printing apparatus in which the ejection head 12 is mounted on the reciprocating carriage 11. However, the present invention can also be applied to other printing apparatuses, such as an inkjet printing apparatus including a "full-line" head ejection head (print head) provided with a plurality of nozzles for ejecting ink on an area corresponding to the width of a print medium.

[0038] The electronic device 1 includes a feed unit 9 and a conveying unit 10 for conveying a print medium. The feed unit 9 includes a feed mechanism (not shown) for feeding the print medium from a stacking portion 4 or a tray 7 on which the print medium is stacked. The feed mechanism includes, for example, a feed roller for feeding the print medium and a feed motor serving as a driving source for rotating the feed roller. The conveying unit 10 is a mechanism for conveying the print medium fed from the feed unit 9 in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction). The conveying unit 10 includes a conveying roller 10a and a conveying motor serving as a driving source for rotating the conveying roller 10a. A clamping roller (not shown) is in press contact with the conveying roller 10a, and the print medium is clamped in a roller gap area therebetween. The print medium is intermittently conveyed toward the ejection head 12 by the rotation of the conveying roller 10a. The printing operation is performed by alternately repeating the print medium conveying operation and the print scanning performed by the conveying unit 10.

[0039] <Control Unit>

[0040] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a control unit provided in the electronic device 1. The control unit is an electronic circuit that controls the electronic device 1. The control unit includes a power supply unit 20, a system control unit 30, and a power control unit 40.

[0041] The system control unit 30 is a control circuit (e.g., ASIC) that performs overall control of the electronic device 1. The CPU 31 is a processor that controls the operation of the electronic device 1 and controls the processing of data, for example. The CPU 31 executes a program stored in the storage unit 32 to perform overall control of the electronic device 1. The storage unit 32 is composed of a semiconductor memory (e.g., ROM or RAM). The storage unit 32 stores the program executed by the CPU 31 and various data required for processing such as data received from the host computer 100. The engine controller 34 includes, for example, a driver that controls the engine 50. The engine 50 includes components related to the printing operation (e.g., the ejection head 12, the feed unit 9, the conveying unit 10, and various sensors).

[0042] The host computer 100 is, for example, a personal computer or a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal) used by a user. A printer driver for performing communication between the host computer 100 and the electronic device 1 is installed in the host computer 100. The electronic device 1 includes a communication interface (communication I / F) 33, and communication between the host computer 100 and the CPU 31 is performed via the communication I / F 33.

[0043] The input interface (input I / F) 36 has an input port to which a signal from the power control unit 41 is input, and in particular, a signal indicating a detection result related to a user operation on the power key 8a is input. The communication interface (communication I / F) 35 performs data communication with the communication interface (communication I / F) 42 of the power control unit 41.

[0044] The input interface (input I / F) 37 has an input port to which the detection result from the sensor 15 is input. The sensor 15 is a sensor that detects, for example, the opening and closing of the cover 3 and the pushing and pulling of the stacking portion 4. The detection result of the sensor 15 is input to the input I / F 37 via the processing circuit 45, and the processing circuit 45 is provided in the power control unit 40.

[0045] When the plug 14a is inserted into the power outlet, the power supply unit (PSU) 14 converts the AC voltage from the commercial power supply into a DC voltage (such as 32V or 24V, etc.) used by the electronic device 1, and outputs the DC voltage to the power supply unit 20. The state in which the plug 14a has been inserted into the outlet and the PSU 14 has started supplying power is also called a hard-on state.

[0046] The power supply unit 20 is a circuit that supplies power to the system control unit 30, and includes a DC / DC converter 21, a regulator 22, and a reset control circuit 23. The DC / DC converter 21 is a power output unit that includes a conversion circuit 21a and a control circuit 21b, the conversion circuit 21a converts the DC voltage output from the PSU 14 into a predetermined DC voltage V1 and supplies the converted DC voltage to the system control unit 30, and the control circuit 21b controls the conversion circuit 21a. The control circuit 21b has an undervoltage lockout function (UVLO), monitors the voltage received from the PSU 14, and stops the output of the DC voltage V1 through the conversion circuit 21a when the voltage drops to a threshold voltage (Vth1) or lower than the threshold voltage (Vth1). The regulator 22 is a power output unit that converts the DC voltage output from the PSU 14 into a predetermined DC voltage V2 and supplies the converted DC voltage to the power control unit 40 and the reset control circuit 23.

[0047] The reset control circuit 23 is a circuit that switches between outputting the voltage V1 from the DC / DC converter 21 and stopping the output. When receiving a stop output instruction (referred to as a reset instruction) from the power saving control circuit 41, the reset control circuit 23 stops the output of the voltage V1 from the DC / DC converter 21 (referred to as a reset state). In addition, when the power saving control circuit 41 receives an instruction to release the reset state, the reset control circuit 23 causes the DC / DC converter 21 to output the voltage V1.

[0048] The power control unit 40 operates while receiving power from the regulator 22, and controls the supply and interruption of power to the system control unit 30 through the power supply unit 20. The power saving control circuit 41 controls the sending of a reset instruction to the reset control circuit 23 and the release of the reset instruction. In other words, the power state of the system control unit 30 is controlled by the power saving control circuit 41 of the power control unit 40, enters the power saving state when the reset instruction is output, and enters the power supply state when the reset state is released.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the power saving state is a standby state in which the power supply to the system control unit 30 is interrupted, and the power consumption of the system control unit 30 is zero. Since the supply and interruption of the power to the system control unit 30 are performed by software, in the present embodiment, the power saving state is also referred to as a soft-off state, and the power supply state in which the printing operation can be performed is also referred to as a soft-on state.

[0050] Note that as long as power is being supplied from the PSU 14, the regulator 22 always outputs the voltage V2, regardless of whether the regulator 22 is in a reset state or the reset state has been released. The power control unit 40 has a power-on reset function, and stops operating when the voltage supplied by the regulator 22 drops to a threshold voltage (Vth2) or lower (referred to as a power-on reset). In the present embodiment, the threshold voltage Vth1 is higher than the threshold voltage Vth2 (Vth1>Vth2).

[0051] The power saving control circuit 41 receives the operation detection result on the power key 8a. The power saving control circuit 41 inputs the operation detection result on the power key 8a to the input I / F 36 of the system control unit 30. Therefore, in the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 can also recognize the operation state of the power key 8a.

[0052] During hard-on (when the regulator 22 starts supplying the voltage V2 ), the power saving control circuit 41 controls output of a reset instruction and release of the reset state based on the operation detection result on the power key 8 a and a signal received from the system control unit 30 via the communication I / F 42 .

[0053] The power control unit 40 further includes a counter 43, a storage unit 44, and a processing circuit 45. The counter 43 can count time. The counter 43 has a slow clock capable of counting once every 50 milliseconds, for example, and by counting the clock signal, it is possible to measure time with low power consumption, for example, in a soft-off state.

[0054] The storage unit 44 can hold a specific value according to the operation of the electronic device 1. For example, the storage unit 44 holds information related to hard-on. The count value of the counter 43 and the value held in the storage unit 44 can be acquired by the system control unit 30 via the communication I / F 42.

[0055] The processing circuit 45 is a circuit having a function of outputting the detection result of the sensor 15 to the system control unit 30, and also having a function of holding the detection result. For example, in the soft-off state, the detection result is held in the processing circuit 45, and in the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 acquires the held detection information. Therefore, the state of the electronic device 1 in the soft-off state can be recognized by the system control unit 30 in the soft-on state.

[0056] In the present embodiment, power consumption is reduced by cutting off the power supply to the system control unit 30 in the soft-off state. On the other hand, the power state of the system control unit 30 can be controlled by the power control unit 40 constituted by a relatively small-scale circuit. This allows the electronic device 1 to achieve necessary functions while also significantly reducing power consumption.

[0057] <Communication>

[0058] The communication between the communication I / F 35 of the system control unit 30 and the communication I / F 42 of the power control unit 40 is performed according to a command-based communication protocol. For example, a communication protocol such as Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) or Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART) may be adopted. A communication protocol such as Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) may also be adopted.

[0059] Figure 4A An example of a command 35a transmitted between the communication I / F 35 and the communication I / F 42 is shown, and an example of a command transmitted from the communication I / F 42 to the communication I / F 35 is shown. The command 35a is composed of a multi-bit signal. As a comparative example, Figure 4B An example is shown in which a 1-bit signal having a high level and a low level is used for communication instead of using a command format. For example, when the signal changes from a high level to a low level, the power control unit 40 is notified of the shutdown of the system control unit 30. Figure 4B In the example of FIG. 4 , for example, when a momentary power interruption occurs, the signal input to the communication I / F 42 changes from a high level to a low level, which may cause the power control unit 40 to misrecognize the shutdown notification and perform an erroneous operation. Figure 4A The command-based communication shown can prevent such misidentification and misoperation.

[0060] <Power state transition example>

[0061] The following will refer to Figures 5 to 7 An example of power state transition and operation of the system control unit 30 is described. Figure 5 An example of the operation (start-up sequence) of the PSU 14 , the power supply unit 20 , the power control unit 40 , and the system control unit 30 during hard-on is shown.

[0062] The PSU 14 starts to generate a power supply voltage used by the electronic device 1 (step S1). The DC voltage generated by the PSU 14 is supplied to the power supply unit 20 (power on), that is, power is supplied to the power supply unit 20. The power supply unit 20 is initialized, and the regulator 22 starts to output a DC voltage V2 (step S2). The DC voltage V2 is supplied to the power control unit 40 (power on (V2)). The power control unit 40 starts to operate (step S3), and an internal reset of the power control unit 40 is performed. The power saving control circuit 41 releases the reset state of the reset control circuit 23 of the power supply unit 20.

[0063] When the reset state is released, the reset control circuit 23 causes the DC / DC converter 21 to start operating (step S4). The DC voltage V1 is supplied from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 (power supply ON (V1)). The CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 performs a startup process according to a program stored in the storage unit 32 (step S5). When the startup is completed, the system control unit 30 sends a startup notification (startup command) to the power control unit 40. The startup notification is sent from the communication I / F 35 to the communication I / F 42 in a command format.

[0064] Thereafter, when the system control unit 30 detects, for example, a power-on operation with respect to the power key 8a, the system control unit 30 transitions to the soft-on state. The period from when the DC voltage V1 is supplied to the system control unit 30 until transition to the soft-on state is sometimes referred to as a standby state. As another example of processing, for example, information previously set by a user and stored in the storage unit 32 may be read out, and a selection may be made as to whether to set the soft-on state or the soft-off state.

[0065] Next, we will refer to Figure 6 A case where the user performs a power-off operation on the power key 8a in the soft-on state is described.

[0066] When a power-off operation is detected for the power key 8a in the soft-on state, it is determined that the user has requested shutdown of the electronic device 1, and the system control unit 30 starts shutdown processing (step S11). The shutdown processing is a process in which the system control unit 30 prepares for power interruption. When the shutdown processing is completed, the system control unit 30 sends a shutdown notification (shutdown command) to the electronic control unit 40 via the communication I / F 35. The shutdown notification is sent from the communication I / F 35 to the communication I / F 42 in a command format.

[0067] When the stop control unit 40 receives the shutdown notification, the power saving control circuit 41 issues a reset instruction to the power supply unit 20 as a state transition process (step S12). In response to the reset instruction, the reset control circuit 23 of the power supply unit 20 performs a reset process to stop the operation of the DC / DC converter 21 (step S13). The supply of the DC voltage V1 from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 is stopped (power off (V1)). The system control unit 30 transitions to the soft off state.

[0068] Note that in the illustrated example, the system control unit 30 is caused to transition to the soft-off state under the condition that the power key 8a is operated to turn off the power. However, similar operations can be performed when other conditions are satisfied. For example, a configuration is possible in which a soft-off time is set, and when the set time is reached, the system control unit 30 switches to the soft-off state by Figure 6 The operation in is changed to a soft disconnect state. As another example, the condition may be that no processing request is received from the user within a certain period of time.

[0069] Next, we will refer to Figure 7 A case where the user performs a power-on operation on the power key 8a in the soft-off state is described. Since the system control unit 30 is stopped, the power control unit 40 (power saving control circuit 41) recognizes the power-on operation (step S21). As a state transition process, the power control unit 40 instructs the reset control circuit 23 to release the reset state (step S22). The reset control circuit 23 of the power supply unit 20 performs a reset release process and causes the DC / DC converter 21 to start operating. Power is supplied from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 (power-on (V1)).

[0070] When power is supplied, the CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 executes a startup process according to the program stored in the storage unit 32 (step S24). When the startup is completed, the system control unit 30 sends a startup notification (startup command) to the power control unit 40. This process is similar to Figure 5The system control unit 30 is shifted to the soft-on state. In the power control unit 40, a process related to the activation of the system control unit 30 is executed.

[0071] <Operation in case of power outage>

[0072] The following describes the operation when a commercial power outage occurs. Figure 8 An example of the operation of the control unit in the case where a power outage occurs in the soft-on state and then the power is restored is shown. When a power outage occurs, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops (step S31). When the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops to or below the threshold voltage Vth1, the UVLO function of the DC / DC converter 21 is activated, and the output from the DC / DC converter 21 is stopped (step S32). As a result, power is not supplied to the system control unit 30, and the system control unit 30 stops operating.

[0073] When the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 further drops due to the power outage (step S33), the output voltage of the regulator 22 of the power supply unit 20 drops (step S34). When the voltage supplied from the regulator 22 to the power control unit 40 drops to or below the threshold voltage Vth2, the power control unit 40 undergoes a power-on reset and enters a stopped state.

[0074] Thereafter, when the power is restored, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 is restored (step S36), and the output voltage of the regulator 22 of the power supply unit 20 is also restored (step S37). Figure 5 The operation starts in the case of hard-on in step S38, and the internal reset of the power control unit 40 is performed. The power saving control circuit 41 releases the reset state of the reset control circuit 23 of the power supply unit 20.

[0075] When the reset state is released, the reset control circuit 23 causes the DC / DC converter 21 to start operating (step S39). The DC voltage V1 is supplied from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 (power supply ON (V1)). The CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 performs a startup process according to a program stored in the storage unit 32 (step S40). When the startup is completed, the system control unit 30 sends a startup notification (startup command) to the power control unit 40.

[0076] According to the above-described process, even if a commercial power outage occurs in the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 can return to the soft-on state when power is restored.

[0077] <Operation in case of momentary power outage>

[0078] The following describes the operation when a momentary power interruption occurs in the commercial power supply. Here, a case is assumed where the output voltage of the PSU 14 drops to or below the threshold voltage Vth1 but the output voltage of the regulator 22 does not drop to the threshold voltage Vth2 and then the commercial power supply is restored.

[0079] First, as a comparative example, Fig. 9 Describe the use Figure 4B 1-bit signal shown in FIG. 1 is communicated between the communication I / F 35 and the communication I / F 42. Here, it is assumed that the transmission of the shutdown notification from the communication I / F 35 to the communication I / F 42 occurs due to the change of the signal from the high level to the low level (corresponding to Figure 6 Step S11 in the process).

[0080] When a power outage occurs, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops (step S101). When the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops to or below the threshold voltage Vth1, the UVLO function of the DC / DC converter 21 is activated, and the output from the DC / DC converter 21 is stopped (step S102). As a result, power is not supplied to the system control unit 30, and the system control unit 30 stops operating. Although a shutdown notification is not output from the system control unit 30, the high-level signal input to the communication I / F 42 is also changed to a low-level signal. At this stage, the power control unit 40 is not yet in a power-on reset state, but in a normal operating state. When a low-level signal is input to the communication I / F 42, the power control unit 40 mistakenly recognizes that a shutdown notification has been issued from the system control unit 30. As a result, as a state transition process, the power saving control circuit 41 sends a reset instruction to the power supply unit 20 (step S103).

[0081] Thereafter, when the power is restored, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 is restored (step S104). However, since the power control unit 40 is not in the power-on reset state, the reset state is not released as when the power is turned on. The power supply unit 20 enters the reset state, does not supply power to the system control unit 30, and the system control unit 30 does not start.

[0082] Next, we will refer to Fig.10The operation when a momentary power interruption occurs in the present embodiment is described. When a power outage occurs, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops (step S41). When the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 drops to the threshold voltage Vth1 or lower than the threshold voltage Vth1, the UVLO function of the DC / DC converter 21 is activated, and the output from the DC / DC converter 21 is stopped (step S42). As a result, power is not supplied to the system control unit 30, and the system control unit 30 stops operating. The signal input to the communication I / F 42 of the power control unit 40 changes to a low level. At this stage, the power control unit 40 is not yet in a power-on reset state, but is in a normal operating state. However, unlike Fig. 9 Unlike the example in FIG. 4 , the communication between the communication I / F 35 and the communication I / F 42 is a command-based communication, so even if the signal input to the communication I / F 42 changes to a low level, the change to a low level will not be mistakenly recognized as a shutdown notification. Therefore, the power control unit 40 does not issue a reset instruction to the power supply unit 20.

[0083] Thereafter, when the power is restored, the voltage supplied from the PSU 14 to the power supply unit 20 is restored (step S43). In the DC / DC converter 21, the UVLO function is released (step S44), and the DC / DC converter 21 starts operating (step S45). The DC voltage V1 is supplied from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 (power on (V1)). The CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 performs a startup process according to the program stored in the storage unit 32 (step S46). When the startup is completed, the system control unit 30 sends a startup notification (startup command) to the power control unit 40.

[0084] According to the above processing, even if a commercial power interruption occurs in the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 can return to the soft-on state when power is restored. As described above, according to this embodiment, a technology related to power state control and preventing erroneous operation in the event of a momentary power interruption can be provided.

[0085] <Other embodiments>

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the inkjet printing apparatus is described as an example of the electronic device, but the present invention can also be applied to other electronic devices.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, the power supply unit 20 and the power control unit 40 are configured as separate ICs, but they may also be configured as a single IC.

[0088] In the above embodiment, there is one soft-on state, but there may be two soft-on states, namely, a normal power supply state and a power saving state.

[0089] The embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented by providing a program for implementing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or device to read and execute the program. The present invention may also be implemented by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for implementing one or more functions.

[0090] Although the embodiments have been described, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and various changes / alterations may be made within the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, in order to inform the disclosure of the scope of the present invention, the following claims are made.

[0091] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-150528, filed on September 21, 2022, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

[0092] Description of Reference Numerals

[0093] 1 Electronic Devices

[0094] 12a Injection head

[0095] 12b Injection Head

[0096] 20 Power supply units

[0097] 30 System Control Unit

[0098] 40 Power Control Unit

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: A control component, used for controlling the electronic device; A power supply component, used for supplying power to the control component; as well as a power control component for controlling the supply and interruption of power to the control component through the power supply component, wherein the control component and the power control component are configured to perform command-based communication, and The power control section instructs the power supply section to interrupt supply of power to the control section based on the shutdown command received from the control section.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: When power-on occurs, the power control section instructs the power supply section to supply power to the control section, and The control section sends the shutdown command to the power control section based on a power off instruction from a user.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: the power supply section interrupting the supply of power to the control section when the power supply voltage of the power supply section drops to a first voltage or lower, in a case where the power supply voltage of the power control section drops to a second voltage or lower, the power control section stops operating, and The first voltage is higher than the second voltage.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The power supply component comprises: a first power output unit configured to output power to be supplied to the control component, and A second power output unit is configured to output power to be supplied to the power control component.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The electronic device is a printing apparatus configured to perform printing by ejecting liquid onto a printing medium.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The shutdown command consists of a multi-bit signal.

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