Electrical apparatus

Abstract

To prevent unnecessary repeat of necessary processing while performing the processing in supplying power source.SOLUTION: An electrical apparatus comprises: control means for controlling the electrical apparatus; power supply means for supplying power to the control means; and power control means which controls supply and disconnection of power to the control means by the power supply means. When power is supplied from the power supply means by the control by the power control means, the control means executes different processing based on whether the supply of power is the first supply after power source is supplied to the power supply means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electrical equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a known technology that switches all or part of the circuits of an electrical device on and off by software by operating a power key while supplying commercial power to the electrical device. Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that stores the on / off state of an electrical device having such a function when the commercial power is interrupted due to a power outage or the like, and distinguishes between on and off according to the stored information when the power is restored. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-175496 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When electrical equipment is transported, the operating position of the internal mechanism may shift, and the environment in which the equipment is used may differ, such as due to differences in external light. For this reason, when the electrical equipment is turned on, processes related to preparation for use, such as initialization and calibration, are executed. However, such processes do not need to be executed multiple times unless the location of the electrical equipment changes. However, when a configuration is adopted in which the power key is used to switch on and off using software, if such processes related to preparation for use are executed each time the power is turned on, unnecessary processes are repeated, and it may take time before the electrical equipment can be used.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique for performing necessary processing when the power is turned on, while preventing the processing from being unnecessarily repeated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, An electrical device comprising: A control means for controlling the electrical device; power supply means for supplying power to the control means; a power control means for controlling the supply and cut-off of power to the control means by the power supply means, The control means when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means, different processing is executed depending on whether the supply of power is the first supply of power after the power supply means is turned on; An electrical device characterized by the above features is provided. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique for performing a necessary process when the power is turned on, while preventing the process from being repeated unnecessarily. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of an electrical device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal mechanism of the electrical device in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit of the electrical device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation when the power key is operated. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation when the power key is operated. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a timing chart showing changes in hard-on information. [Figure 9] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process performed at the time of starting up the system control unit. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing another example of processing at the time of startup of the system control unit. [Figure 11] 11 is a timing chart showing changes in hard-on information. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment <Outline of Electrical Equipment> 1 is an external view of an electrical device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. The electrical device 1 of this embodiment is an inkjet recording device that ejects ink as a liquid to record on a recording medium, but the present invention is also applicable to various electrical devices other than inkjet recording devices. In the figure, arrows X and Y indicate horizontal directions that are perpendicular to each other, and arrow Z indicates the up-down direction (direction of gravity). The X direction is the width direction (left-right direction) of the electrical device 1. The Y direction is the depth direction of the electrical device 1.

[0011] In addition, "recording" includes not only the formation of meaningful information such as characters and figures, but also the formation of images, patterns, and the like on a recording medium, whether meaningful or insignificant, or the processing of the medium, regardless of whether it is manifested in a way that can be visually perceived by humans. In addition, although a sheet of paper is assumed as the "recording medium" in this embodiment, it may also be cloth, plastic film, etc.

[0012] The electric device 1 has a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and includes a device body 2, a cover 3, and a cassette-type loading section 4. The cover 3 is provided so as to cover the upper part of the device body 2, and constitutes the top part of the electric device 1. The cover 3 is a movable part that can be operated by the user, and can be opened and closed in the direction of the arrow D1. FIG. 1 shows the cover 3 in a closed state. When the cover 3 is in an open state, the internal mechanism of the device body 2 is exposed to the outside, and maintenance and the like can be performed. The loading section 4 is a tray on which recording media are loaded, and is a movable part that can be operated by the user, and can be pulled out and attached (pushed back) to the device body 2 in the direction of the arrow D2. An ejection section 6 is formed at the front of the electric device 1, from which recorded recording media are ejected. In addition, an operation unit 8 that accepts user operations is provided at the front of the electric device 1. The operation unit 8 has a touch panel display and a power key 8a. In this embodiment, the power key 8a is a push button type switch. The user can issue a power-on instruction and a power-off instruction to the electric appliance 1 by operating the power key 8a.

[0013] A housing forming the outer wall of the device main body 2 has a plurality of windows 2a to 2d formed therein. A user can visually check the internal configuration of the device main body 2 through the windows 2a to 2d. In this embodiment, a user can visually check the remaining amount of liquid contained in the containers 5Bk, 5C, 5M, and 5Y (hereinafter, when collectively referred to or not distinguished, they will be referred to as containers 5) through the windows 2a to 2d. The containers 5 are ink tanks that contain ink as liquid, and the four containers 5 contain different types of ink. In this 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. The types of ink are not limited to four types as in this embodiment, but may be one type or multiple types other than four types, and the number of containers 5 may be greater than or equal to the number of types of liquid ink.

[0014] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the internal mechanism of the electric device 1. The electric device 1 includes ejection heads 12a and 12b (hereinafter, when they are collectively referred to or when they are not distinguished, they are referred to as containers 5) that eject liquid. In this embodiment, the ejection head 12a is a recording head that ejects ink supplied from a container 5Bk onto a recording medium to perform recording, and the ejection head 12b is a recording head that ejects ink supplied from containers 5C to 5Y onto a recording medium to perform recording. The ejection head 12 has an ejection surface in which a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are formed. Each nozzle is provided with, for example, an electrothermal conversion element (heater), and the electrothermal conversion element is heated by passing electricity to cause the ink to bubble, and the ink is ejected by the resulting bubbling energy.

[0015] The ejection head 12 is mounted on a carriage 11. The carriage 11 reciprocates in the X direction (main scanning direction) by a drive unit 13. The drive unit 13 includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley (only the driven pulley 13b is shown in FIG. 2) spaced apart in the X direction, an endless belt 13c wound around these pulleys, and a carriage motor 13a which is a drive source for rotating the drive pulley. The carriage 11 is connected to the endless belt 13c, and the carriage 11 moves in the X direction by running the endless belt 13c. During the movement of the carriage 11, an image is recorded by ejecting ink from the ejection head 12 onto a recording medium. This operation is sometimes called recording scanning.

[0016] Thus, the electrical device 1 of this embodiment is a serial type inkjet recording device in which the ejection head 12 is mounted on a reciprocating carriage 11. However, the present invention is also applicable to other recording devices, such as an inkjet recording device equipped with a so-called full-line ejection head (recording head) provided with multiple nozzles that eject liquid in an area corresponding to the width of a recording medium.

[0017] The electrical device 1 includes a feeding unit 9 and a transport unit 10 for transporting a recording medium. The feeding unit 9 includes a feeding mechanism (not shown) for feeding a recording medium from a stacking unit 4 or a tray 7 on which sheet-shaped recording media are stacked. The feeding mechanism includes, for example, a feeding roller for feeding the recording medium and a feeding motor that is a drive source for rotating the feeding roller. The transport unit 10 is a mechanism for transporting the recording medium fed from the feeding unit 9 in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction). The transport unit 10 includes a transport roller 10a and a transport motor that is a drive source for rotating the transport roller 10a. A pinch roller (not shown) is pressed against the transport roller 10a, and the recording medium is sandwiched at a nip portion between them. The transport roller 10a rotates to transport the recording medium intermittently to the ejection head 12. The recording operation is performed by alternately repeating the transport operation of the recording medium by the transport unit 10 and the recording scan.

[0018] <Control unit> 3 is a block diagram of a control unit provided in the electric device 1. The control unit is an electric circuit that controls the electric device 1. The control unit includes a power supply unit 20, a system control unit 30, and a power control unit 40.

[0019] The system control unit 30 is a control circuit (e.g., ASIC) that controls the entire electrical device 1. The CPU 31 is a processor that controls the control of each operation of the electrical device 1 and data processing. The CPU 31 executes programs stored in the storage unit 32 to control the entire electrical device 1. The storage unit 32 is composed of a semiconductor memory (e.g., ROM or RAM). The storage unit 32 stores various data required for processing, such as data received from the host computer 100, in addition to the programs executed by the CPU 31. The engine controller 34 includes a driver that controls the engine 50. The engine 50 includes components related to the recording operation (the ejection head 12, the feeding unit 9 and the transport unit 10, various sensors, etc.).

[0020] 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 that performs communication between the host computer 100 and the electrical device 1 is installed in the host computer 100. The electrical 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.

[0021] 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 the detection result of a user's operation on the power key 8a is input. The communication interface (communication I / F) 35 performs data communication with a communication interface (communication I / F) 42 of the power control unit 41.

[0022] The input interface (input I / F) 37 has an input port to which the detection result of the sensor 15 is input. The sensor 15 is, for example, a sensor that detects the opening and closing of the cover 3 and the insertion and removal of the loading section 4. The detection result of the sensor 15 is input to the input I / F 37 via a processing circuit 45, and the processing circuit 45 is provided in the power control unit 40.

[0023] When plug 14a is inserted into an outlet, power supply unit (PSU) 14 converts commercial AC voltage into DC voltage, such as 32V or 24V, used by electrical device 1, and outputs the DC voltage to power supply unit 20. The state in which PSU 14 starts supplying power after plug 14a is inserted into an outlet is also referred to as a hard-on state.

[0024] 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 converts the DC voltage output from the PSU 14 to a predetermined DC voltage V1 and supplies it to the system control unit 30. The regulator 22 converts the DC voltage output from the PSU 14 to a predetermined DC voltage V2 and supplies it to the power control unit 40 and the reset control circuit 23.

[0025] The reset control circuit 23 is a circuit that switches between outputting and stopping the voltage V1 by the DC / DC converter 21. When the reset control circuit 23 receives an output stop instruction (called a reset instruction) from the power saving control circuit 41, it stops the output of the voltage V1 from the DC / DC converter 21 (called a reset state). Furthermore, 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.

[0026] The power control unit 40 operates by receiving power from the regulator 22, and controls the supply and cut-off of power to the system control unit 30 by the power supply unit 20. The power saving control circuit 41 controls the transmission of a reset instruction to the reset control circuit 23 and the release of the reset instruction. That is, the power state of the system control unit 30 is controlled by the power saving control circuit 41 of the power control unit 40, and the system control unit 30 goes into a power saving state when a reset instruction is output, and goes into a power supply state when the reset state is released.

[0027] In this embodiment, the power saving state is a standby state in which power supply to the system control unit 30 is cut off, and the power consumption of the system control unit 30 is zero. Since power supply and cut-off to the system control unit 30 are controlled by software, in this embodiment, the power saving state is also called a soft-off state, and the power supply state in which recording operation is possible is also called a soft-on state. Note that the regulator 22 always outputs voltage V2 as long as power is being supplied from the PSU 14, regardless of whether it is in a reset state or released from the reset state.

[0028] The power saving control circuit 41 receives an operation detection result for the power key 8a. The power saving control circuit 41 inputs the operation detection result for 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.

[0029] At hard-on time (when the regulator 22 starts supplying the voltage V2), the power saving control circuit 41 controls the output of a reset command and the release of the reset state based on the result of detection of the operation of the power key 8a and a signal from the system control unit 30 via the communication I / F 42.

[0030] The power control unit 40 also 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 that can count once every 50 milliseconds, and can count the clock signal to measure time in a power-saving manner, for example, in a soft-off state.

[0031] The storage unit 44 can store a specific value according to the operation of the electric device 1. In this embodiment, the storage unit 44 stores information related to hard-on. The count value of the counter 43 and the values ​​stored in the storage unit 44 can be acquired by the system control unit 30 via the communication I / F 42.

[0032] 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 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. This allows the system control unit 30 in the soft-on state to recognize the state of the electric device 1 in the soft-off state.

[0033] In this 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 configured with a relatively small-scale circuit. This allows the electric device 1 to achieve necessary functions while significantly reducing power consumption.

[0034] In this embodiment, power is supplied to the communication I / F 42 even in the soft-off state, but power is not supplied to the system control unit 30 with which it communicates, and communication is not performed. Therefore, a configuration in which power is not supplied to the communication I / F 42 in the soft-off state can also be adopted.

[0035] <Power state transition example> An example of the power state transition and operation of the system control unit 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. Fig. 4 shows 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 at the time of hard-on. The same operation as Fig. 4 will be performed when the commercial power is restored after a power outage.

[0036] The PSU 14 starts generating the power supply voltage used by the electrical device 1 (S1). The DC voltage generated by the PSU 14 is supplied to the power supply unit 20 (power-on), i.e., the power supply unit 20 is powered on. The power supply unit 20 is initialized, and the regulator 22 starts outputting the DC voltage V2 (S2). The DC voltage V2 is supplied to the power control unit 40 (power-on (V2)). The power control unit 40 starts operating (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.

[0037] By releasing the reset state, the reset control circuit 23 starts the operation of the DC / DC converter 21 (S4). A direct current 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 executes a startup process in accordance with a program stored in the storage section 32 (S5). When the startup is complete, the system control unit 30 notifies the power control unit 40 of the startup.

[0038] Thereafter, when the system control unit 30 detects, for example, a power-on operation using the power key 8a, it transitions to the soft-on state. The period from when the DC voltage V1 is supplied to the system control unit 30 until the transition to the soft-on state is sometimes called a standby state. As another example of processing, for example, information previously set by the user and stored in the storage unit 32 may be read out to select whether to enter the soft-on state or the soft-off state.

[0039] Next, a case where the user performs a power-off operation using the power key 8a in the soft-on state will be described with reference to FIG.

[0040] When a power-off operation using the power key 8a is detected in the soft-on state, it is determined that the user has requested the electrical device 1 to be shut down, and the system control unit 30 starts a shutdown process (S11). The shutdown process is a process in which the system control unit 30 prepares for a power cutoff. When the shutdown process is completed, the system control unit 30 transmits a shutdown notification to the electronic control unit 40 via the communication I / F 35.

[0041] In the stop control unit 40 that has received the stop notification, the power saving control circuit 41 issues a reset instruction to the power supply unit 20 as a state transition process (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 (S13). The supply of the DC voltage V1 from the DC / DC converter 21 to the system control unit 30 is stopped (power supply stopped (V1)). The system control unit 30 transitions to the soft-off state.

[0042] In the illustrated example, the system control unit 30 is transitioned to the soft-off state when the power key 8a is operated to turn off the power. However, similar operations may be performed when other conditions are met. For example, a soft-off time may be set, and when the set time arrives, the system control unit 30 may transition to the soft-off state by the operation of FIG. 5. As another example, the condition may be that no processing request has been made by the user for a certain period of time.

[0043] Next, a case where the user performs a power-on operation using the power key 8a in the soft-off state will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Since the system control unit 30 is stopped, the power-on operation is recognized by the power control unit 40 (power saving control circuit 41) (S21). The power control unit 40 instructs the reset control circuit 23 to release the reset state as a state transition process (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)).

[0044] When power is supplied, the CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 executes a startup process in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit 32 (S24). When the startup is complete, the system control unit 30 notifies the power control unit 40 of the startup. The system control unit 30 transitions to a soft-on state. The power control unit 40 executes processes related to the startup of the system control unit 30.

[0045] <Startup process> Until the hard-on state, no power is supplied to the electrical device 1, and the electrical device 1 is in a completely stopped state. The carriage 11 may be unintentionally displaced when the electrical device 1 is transported. Also, depending on the installation environment of the electrical device 1 (external light amount, etc.), it may become necessary to calibrate the ink ejection control. Therefore, at the time of hard-on, the system control unit 30 needs to execute processing related to the initialization of the electrical device 1.

[0046] On the other hand, when the system control unit 30 is powered on (supplied with V1), the CPU 31 executes a startup program from the storage unit 32. This startup program is basically the same at hard-on (S5) and when the power key 8a is turned on (soft-on: S24). At hard-on, the need for the above initialization processing is high, but at soft-on, the need for the above initialization processing is low. If such processing is performed at every soft-on, it will take time to prepare for the recording operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, a mechanism is provided to distinguish between hard-on and soft-on, so that the system control unit 30 executes different processing at hard-on and soft-on, even though it is the same startup program.

[0047] In order to distinguish between hard-on and soft-on states, information indicating that a state has just been hard-on (called hard-on information) is stored in the storage unit 44. Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the storage unit 44. The storage unit 44 includes a latch circuit 440 and an update circuit 441. The storage unit 44 receives power from the regulator 22, and is constantly supplied with power when the electric device 1 is in the hard-on state.

[0048] In this embodiment, the latch circuit 440 is a 1-bit holding circuit (here, a flip-flop circuit) whose initial value is a low level and which configures hard-on information in two states, low level and a predetermined value (high level in this embodiment). The information is rewritten to low level at the time of hard-on and then to high level. In other words, if the value (L, H) held in the latch circuit 440 is low level, it indicates a state immediately after hard-on. In this embodiment, if the value held in the latch circuit 440 is high level, it means that the soft-off state has been entered at least once. In other words, it means that the startup process of the system control unit 30 has been performed at least once.

[0049] The update circuit 441 outputs a reset signal to the latch circuit 440 at the timing when the power supply from the regulator 22 is started. The latch circuit 440 that receives the reset signal clears the hard-on information to the initial value of the low level, and the hard-on information is updated. The reset signal output by the update circuit 441 is also input to the communication I / F 42.

[0050] The system control unit 30 can obtain the hard-on information held in the latch circuit 440 via the communication I / F 44, and can rewrite the hard-on information via the communication I / F 42. Rewriting of the hard-on information by the system control unit 30 is limited to only the High level, and updating of the hard-on information to the Low level is possible only by the update circuit 441.

[0051] In this embodiment, a 1-bit flip-flop circuit is exemplified as the latch circuit 440, but a circuit of 2 or more bits may be used, and the initial value of the hard-on information may be a high level. In addition, a general-purpose memory such as SRAM or SD-RAM may be used as a circuit for holding the hard-on information instead of the latch circuit 440. When a high-capacity memory such as SRAM or SD-RAM is used, it may be used in combination with a memory used when the power control unit 40 performs another process. In addition, in this embodiment, the hard-on information can be cleared only by the update circuit 441, and the hard-on information cannot be cleared except when the power is turned on from the regulator 22, but a circuit other than the update circuit 441 may be cleared.

[0052] 8 is a timing chart showing the operation of the storage unit 44, and in particular, a timing chart showing changes in the hard-on information. Time T1 indicates the timing of hard-on. The plug 14a is inserted into an outlet and the PSU 14 starts supplying power. The regulator 22 has not yet output the voltage V2. At this time, the power control unit 40 is not powered on, so the hard-on information stored in the internal latch circuit 440 is indefinite.

[0053] At time T2, the regulator 22 starts up, and the power supply is turned on to the power control unit 40. The update circuit 441 outputs a reset signal (low level signal) at time t3. When the latch circuit 440 receives the reset signal, it clears the hard-on information it holds. The hard-on information becomes low level (0). The communication I / F 42 also receives the reset signal and initializes it. Thereafter, the update circuit 441 releases the reset signal, and the signal output from the update circuit 441 becomes high level. At time T5, the system control unit 30 also starts up, and the startup state signal transmitted from the system control unit 30 to the power control unit 40 becomes high level (startup notification). The storage unit 44 is not affected by the startup notification. Thereafter, at time T6, the system control unit 30 goes into a soft-off state, and the startup state signal becomes low level (stop notification). The hard-on information held in the latch circuit 440 by the signal from the communication I / F 42 becomes high level (1). At time T7, the startup state signal becomes high level (startup notification), but the hard-on information does not change. The value of the latch circuit 440 is cleared only when the latch circuit 440 is hard-on, so the hard-on information is held at high level (1) until then.

[0054] In this embodiment, the timing of the change in the hard-on information is the timing when the start-up state signal changes to a low level, but it may be another timing such as the timing when the start-up state signal changes to a high level. The signal logic of the latch circuit 440 is not limited to the above example, and can be determined according to the application.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by CPU 31 of system control unit 30 at startup, and shows an example of processing executed in S5 of Fig. 4 and S24 of Fig. 6. After preparation for using communication I / F 35 to communicate with power control unit 40, in S31, hard-on information held in memory 44 is obtained via communication I / F 42 of power control unit 40.

[0056] In S32, it is determined whether or not the current supply of power (power-on) to the system control unit 30 is the first supply after hard-on. If the hard-on information is 0, it is determined to be the first supply, and if it is 1, it is determined to be the second or subsequent supply (soft-on by operating the power key 8a). If it is determined that it is not the first supply, proceed to S34, and if it is determined that it is the first supply, proceed to S33. In S33, the initialized flag is cleared (set to 0). The initialized flag is a flag whose information is held in the memory unit 32, and is a flag that indicates whether or not the initialization process of S39 described later has been performed, and if the value is 1, it has been performed, and if it is 0, it has not been performed.

[0057] In S34, the startup status signal is set to a High level (startup notification).

[0058] In S35, it is determined whether or not to transition to the soft-on state. For example, if the power key 8a is turned on, the state transitions to the soft-on state. If the state transitions to the soft-on state, the process proceeds to S36, and if not, the process proceeds to S41.

[0059] In S36, an initialized flag is obtained from memory unit 32. In S37, different processes are performed depending on the value of the initialized flag. When the initialized flag is 0, necessary processes have not been performed after hard-on, so initialization-related processes are performed in S39. When the initialized flag is 1, necessary processes have already been performed, so the initialization-related processes in S39 are skipped and the process proceeds to S38. This makes it possible to prevent the process of S39 from being repeated unnecessarily.

[0060] In S39, processing related to the initialization of the electrical device 1 is performed. For example, processing is performed to cause the operating unit to perform a predetermined operation, such as moving the carriage 11 to the home position, and correction processing such as various calibrations is performed. In S40, the initialization complete flag is set to 1 (set to performed). As a result, the initialization processing in S39 is not performed from the next time soft-on is performed. In S38, post-processing is performed.

[0061] In S41, it is determined whether or not to transition to the soft-off state. For example, the soft-off state is transitioned when the power key 8a is operated to turn off the power, or when a state without a user instruction continues for a predetermined time. If the soft-off state is to be transitioned to, proceed to S41, and if not, return to S35.

[0062] In S42, a stop process is performed in preparation for cutting off the power supply to the system control unit 30. In S43, the start-up state signal is set to a low level (stop notification). This causes the power control unit 40 to cut off the power supply to the system control unit 30. At this time, in the power control unit 40, the hard-on information held in the latch circuit 440 is set to a predetermined value (1).

[0063] As described above, according to this embodiment, when power is supplied to the system control unit 30 from the power supply unit 20, different processing is executed depending on whether the supply of power is the first supply of power after the power supply unit 20 is turned on. In this embodiment, the different processing is whether or not processing related to initialization is executed. While performing processing required at power-on, unnecessary repetition of the processing is prevented, thereby shortening the startup time.

[0064] The different processing may be processing other than whether or not to execute processing related to initialization as in the present embodiment. For example, when power is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the system control unit 30 due to hard-on, the processing of S39 is performed. Then, when the state transitions to the soft-on state after that, only a part of the processing of S39 (for example, only moving the carriage 11 to the home position) is performed, or a different processing is performed.

[0065] Second Embodiment When the device is hard-on, the device may be switched to a service mode and a service process may be executed. The service mode is a general term for an operation mode in which processes related to debugging for use in failure analysis and processes related to shipping inspection at a factory are performed, and is an operation mode different from the service provided to normal users. Since such a service mode is not a function provided to normal users, entry into the service mode is performed by a special key operation or timing. Here, the device is entered into the service mode only when the power is turned on from outside the device, so that the user does not enter the service mode by mistake during use. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process of this embodiment, which replaces the example of the process of FIG. 9.

[0066] After preparing to use the communication I / F 35 to communicate with the power control unit 40, in S51, hard-on information stored in the memory unit 44 is obtained via the communication I / F 42 of the power control unit 40.

[0067] In S52, it is determined whether or not the current supply of power (power-on) to the system control unit 30 is the first supply after hard-on. If the hard-on information is 0, it is determined to be the first supply, and if it is 1, it is determined to be the second or subsequent supply (soft-on by operating the power key 8a). If it is determined to be not the first supply, the process proceeds to S58 and the start-up process (similar to the processes in S34 to S43 in FIG. 9) is performed.

[0068] If it is determined that this is the first supply, the process proceeds to S53, where the initialized flag is cleared (0). In S54, it is confirmed whether the power key 8a has been operated to turn the power on, and if so, the process proceeds to S55. In S55, a specific operation for entering the service mode is accepted. The operation is accepted, for example, by a key on the operation unit 8. Entry into the service mode may be by pressing and holding a certain key, or by pressing specific keys in sequence. When the service technician performs the specific operation, entry into the service mode will occur.

[0069] In S56, it is determined whether the key operation satisfies the entry condition for the service mode. If the entry condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to S57 to switch to the service mode. If the entry condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to S58.

[0070] In this manner, in this embodiment, a mechanism can be provided for determining whether to transition to the service mode by utilizing the hard-on information.

[0071] <Third embodiment> The hard-on information held in the latch circuit 440 may be a value other than the two values ​​of High level and Low level. FIG. 11 shows hard-on information that is added according to the number of times the system control unit 30 is started. In the example of FIG. 11, the hard-on number is configured to indicate the number of times the power supplied to the system control unit 30 has been cut off. When the start-up state signal changes from a High level to a Low level, the hard-on information is added. The hard-on information may be returned to 1 when it reaches an upper limit value. The latch circuit 440 may hold a value so as to count down in addition to holding data so as to count up. In this embodiment as well, the latch circuit 440 never holds 0 except when the latch circuit 440 is initialized.

[0072] By storing a value indicating the number of times the system control unit 30 has been started as hard-on information, it is possible to configure the system so that, for example, an initialization process (S39) or other maintenance process is executed once every seven times the system is in the soft-on state. An example of the maintenance process is a performance recovery process for the recording heads 12a and 12b.

[0073] Also, a specific process may be performed when the hard-on information reaches an upper limit. As a result, for example, in the case of a device that learns the user's usage, a learning start flag is set when the system control unit 30 is powered on, and the user's usage is learned during operation until the upper limit is reached. Then, when the hard-on information reaches the upper limit, it is considered that a predetermined number of learnings have been completed, and thereafter, learning is stopped and processing is switched according to the learning result. This makes it possible to provide services according to the user's usage. In this case, too, the latch circuit 440 may hold a value so as to count down, rather than holding data so as to count up.

[0074] Also, as hard-on information, the number of the process to be executed the next time the system control unit 30 is started up when the power supply to the system control unit 30 is cut off may be stored. For example, an identification number of 0 may be set when the power is turned on by hard-on, 1 when no process is required, and 2 when performing regular maintenance process. The identification number to be executed the next time the system is started up may be stored in the latch circuit 440 using the hard-on information at the timing when the start-up state signal is changed from a high level to a low level (stop notification).

[0075] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, an inkjet recording device is exemplified as an electrical device, but the present invention can be applied to other electrical devices. For example, the present invention can be applied to devices that read discs, such as CD players and HDD players. In this case, when the device is turned on, an initial operation of the operating unit is performed to determine the position of the disc, but when the power key is operated other than hard on, the operation of the disc reading position can be omitted.

[0076] In the above 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.

[0077] In the above embodiment, there is one type of soft-on state, but the soft-on state may be further configured to include two types: a normal power supply state and a power saving state.

[0078] The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-mentioned embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) for realizing one or more functions.

[0079] <Disclosure of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses the following inventions.

[0080] Item 1. An electrical device comprising: A control means for controlling the electrical device; power supply means for supplying power to the control means; a power control means for controlling the supply and cut-off of power to the control means by the power supply means, The control means when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means, different processing is executed depending on whether the supply of power is the first supply of power after the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0081] Item 2. Item 1 is an electrical device according to the present invention, The control means If the power supply is the first power supply after the power supply means is turned on, a process related to initialization of the electrical device is executed, and if the power supply is not the first power supply, the process is not executed. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0082] Item 3. Item 2: An electrical device according to the present invention, a first storage means for storing first information that is updated when the power supply means is powered on; the control means acquires the first information stored in the first storage means when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0083] Item 4. Item 3. An electrical device according to the present invention, an update unit that updates the first information stored in the first storage unit when the power supply unit is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0084] Item 5. Item 4. An electrical device according to the present invention, the first information held in the first holding means is set to a predetermined value when power supplied from the power supply means to the control means is cut off under the control of the power control means; the update means resets the first information held in the first holding means when the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0085] Item 6. Item 4. An electrical device according to the present invention, the first information stored in the first storage means indicates a number of times that power supplied from the power supply means to the control means has been interrupted under the control of the power control means, the update means resets the first information held in the first holding means when the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0086] Item 7. An electrical device according to any one of items 3 to 6, the control means includes a second storage means for storing second information indicating whether the process has been executed or not; the control means, when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means, acquires the second information and determines whether or not to execute the process; The control means When the process is executed, the second information is set to "executed"; setting the second information to "not executed" based on the first information acquired when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0087] Item 8. Item 2: An electrical device according to the present invention, The control means When the power supply is an initial supply after the power supply means is turned on, and a specific operation on the electrical device is detected, a service process different from the process is executed. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0088] Item 9. Item 8. An electrical device according to claim 8, The service process includes at least one of a process related to debugging and a process related to inspection. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0089] Item 10. An electrical device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, The process relating to the initialization includes a process of operating an operating unit included in the electrical device. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0090] Item 11. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The power control means supplying power to the control means by the power supply means based on a power-on instruction from a user; cutting off the supply of power to the control means by the power supply means based on a power-off instruction from a user; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0091] Item 12. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, The electrical device is a recording device that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording medium. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0092] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following items are attached to publicize the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Electrical equipment, 12a Discharge head, 12b Discharge head, 30 System control unit, 440 Latch circuit

Claims

1. An electrical device comprising: A control means for controlling the electrical device; power supply means for supplying power to the control means; a power control means for controlling the supply and cut-off of power to the control means by the power supply means, The control means when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means, different processing is executed depending on whether the supply of power is the first supply of power after the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

2. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , The control means If the power supply is the first power supply after the power supply means is turned on, a process related to initialization of the electrical device is executed, and if the power supply is not the first power supply, the process is not executed.

1. An electrical device comprising:

3. 3. The electrical device according to claim 2, a first storage means for storing first information that is updated when the power supply means is powered on; the control means acquires the first information stored in the first storage means when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means.

1. An electrical device comprising:

4. 4. The electrical device according to claim 3, an update unit that updates the first information stored in the first storage unit when the power supply unit is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

5. 5. The electrical device according to claim 4, the first information held in the first holding means is set to a predetermined value when power supplied from the power supply means to the control means is cut off under the control of the power control means; the update means resets the first information held in the first holding means when the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

6. 5. The electrical device according to claim 4, the first information stored in the first storage means indicates a number of times that power supplied from the power supply means to the control means has been interrupted under the control of the power control means, the update means resets the first information held in the first holding means when the power supply means is turned on; 1. An electrical device comprising:

7. 4. The electrical device according to claim 3, the control means includes a second storage means for storing second information indicating whether the process has been executed or not; the control means, when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means, acquires the second information and determines whether or not to execute the process; The control means When the process is executed, the second information is set to "executed"; setting the second information to "not executed" based on the first information acquired when power is supplied from the power supply means under the control of the power control means; 1. An electrical device comprising:

8. 3. The electrical device according to claim 2, The control means When the power supply is an initial supply after the power supply means is turned on, and a specific operation on the electrical device is detected, a service process different from the process is executed.

1. An electrical device comprising:

9. 9. An electrical device according to claim 8, The service process includes at least one of a process related to debugging and a process related to inspection.

1. An electrical device comprising:

10. 3. The electrical device according to claim 2, The process relating to the initialization includes a process of operating an operating unit included in the electrical device.

1. An electrical device comprising:

11. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , The power control means supplying power to the control means by the power supply means based on a power-on instruction from a user; cutting off the supply of power to the control means by the power supply means based on a power-off instruction from a user; 1. An electrical device comprising:

12. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , The electrical device is a recording device that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording medium.

1. An electrical device comprising:

Images