Electrical device

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of recognizing the state of an electrical device while reducing power consumption.SOLUTION: This electrical device comprises: detection means for detecting a change in state caused by a user's operation; control means for executing control on the basis of information regarding the detection result of the detection means; and holding means for holding the detection result of the detection means. The holding means holds the detection result based on a change in first state in which power supplying to the control means is stopped. The control means acquires the detection result held in the first state after switching from the first state to a second state in which power is supplied to the control means, and acquires the detection result based on the change in the second state not via the holding means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power saving technology for electrical equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to reduce the power consumption of an electrical device, a technology is known that allows the electrical device to transition between a normal state and a power saving state in which the power consumption is lower than that of the normal state. In the power saving state, power is not supplied to at least some of the components of the electrical device, or at least some of the functions are restricted, thereby reducing power consumption. Patent Document 1 discloses a first control unit having a receiving unit that receives a detection result of a sensor that detects the state of the electrical device, and discloses a technology in which the first control unit obtains the detection result from a second control unit in the power saving state. According to this technology, the power consumption of the first control unit is reduced by restricting the function of the receiving unit in the power saving state, while the first control unit can recognize the detection result of the sensor even in the power saving state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-10638 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, even in the power saving state, the first control unit communicates with the second control unit to obtain the detection results of the sensor, and there is room for improvement in terms of reducing the power consumption of the first control unit.

[0005] The present invention provides a technique that makes it possible to recognize the state of an electrical device while reducing power consumption. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A detection means for detecting a change in state due to a user's operation; A control means for executing control based on information regarding a detection result of the detection means; A storage means for storing the detection result of the detection means, The holding means holds the detection result based on a change during a first state in which the supply of power to the control means is stopped, The control means acquiring the detection result held in the first state after switching from the first state to a second state in which power is supplied to the control means, and acquiring the detection result based on a change in the second state without going through the holding means; 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 that is capable of recognizing the state of an electrical device while reducing power consumption. [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] 6A and 6B are flowcharts showing an example of control related to a processing circuit. [Figure 9] 4 is a timing chart showing an example of changes in detection results, detection information, input information, etc.; 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] <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 cover sensor 15 is input, and an input port to which the detection result of the cassette sensor 16 is input. These detection results are input to the input I / F 37 via a processing circuit 45 provided for each sensor, and each processing circuit 45 is provided in the power control unit 40. The cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 are examples of sensors that detect the state of the electrical device 1, and the cover sensor 15 is a sensor that detects the open / closed state of the cover 3. In addition, the cassette sensor 16 is a sensor that detects the position state (pulled out or attached) of the loading section 4.

[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. 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 the 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 measure time in a power-saving manner, for example, in a soft-off state, by counting the clock signal. The storage unit 44 can hold a specific value according to the operation of the electric device 1. The storage unit 44 is composed of a circuit having a minimum necessary storage area, such as a flip-flop. This allows a value to be held in a power-saving manner, for example, in a soft-off state. 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.

[0031] The processing circuit 45 is a circuit that outputs the detection result of the corresponding sensor (cover sensor 15 or cassette sensor 16) to the system control unit 30 and also has 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. 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. In this embodiment, a plurality of processing circuits 45 and sensors are provided.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] <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.

[0035] 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). 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.

[0036] 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 startup is complete, the system control unit 30 notifies the power control unit 40 of the startup. The power control unit 40 executes processes related to the startup of the system control unit 30.

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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 42) (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)).

[0043] 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 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 (S25).

[0044] <Sensor signal processing> When the stacking section 4 is inserted or removed, the type of recording medium may have been changed. For example, the type of recording medium may be changed from plain paper to glossy paper. When the type of recording medium is changed, it may be necessary to change the recording conditions such as the ejection of ink and the transportation of the recording medium. Therefore, when the cassette sensor 16 detects an operation on the stacking section 4, the system control unit 30 inquires of the user about the type of recording medium after the change and executes a process to set the type of recording medium specified by the user. Also, when the cover 3 is opened or closed, the user may have refilled the inside of the device main body 2 with ink. In such a case, the remaining amount of ink changes, so when the cover sensor 15 detects an operation on the stacking section 4, the system control unit 30 executes a process to detect the remaining amount of ink.

[0045] However, if such a user operation is performed during the soft-off state, the system control unit 30 cannot recognize it in real time. In this embodiment, by providing the processing circuit 45, when the soft-off state transitions to the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 can obtain the detection results of the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 in the soft-off state.

[0046] 7 is a block diagram of the processing circuit 45. The illustrated example shows the processing circuit 45 corresponding to the cassette sensor 16, but the processing circuit 45 corresponding to the cover sensor 15 also has a similar configuration.

[0047] The cassette sensor 16 is a switch-type sensor to which the DC voltage V2 output from the regulator 22 is applied via a pull-up resistor R1. When the loading unit 4 is attached to the device body 2 and capable of feeding recording media, the cassette sensor 16 outputs a high-level voltage (V2) as a signal indicating the detection result (also called a detection signal). When the loading unit 4 is pulled out from the device body 2, the cassette sensor 16 outputs a low-level voltage (0V) as the detection signal. Even in the soft-off state, the regulator 22 outputs the DC voltage V2, so the cassette sensor 16 operates.

[0048] The processing circuit 45 includes a filter 450, a latch circuit 451, a switching circuit 452, and an open drain buffer 453. The detection signal of the cassette sensor 16 is input to the latch circuit 451 and the switching circuit 452 after noise is removed by the filter 450.

[0049] The latch circuit 451 is a holding circuit (data latch circuit) that holds the detection result of the cassette sensor 16, and the held detection result is called detection information. The output of the latch circuit 451 has an initial value of High level, and when a Low level detection signal is input, it latches it and changes its output to Low level. Thereafter, the output is maintained at Low level until it is reset. For example, when the cassette sensor 16 detects the removal of the stacker 4, a Low level signal is input to the latch circuit 451, and its output becomes Low level. When the stacker 4 is attached to the device main body 2, the detection signal of the cassette sensor 16 changes to High level, but the output of the latch circuit 451 is maintained at Low level until it is reset. The logical relationship between the High level and the Low level may be reversed, and can be determined according to the characteristics of the detection target.

[0050] The switching circuit 452 is a selector that switches the input information to be input to the system control unit 30 between the detection result output from the cassette sensor 16 (in other words, the detection result in real time) and the detection information held in the latch circuit 451. The switching circuit 452 has two input terminals C2 and C3 and one output terminal C1. The connection state of the switching circuit 452 is switched between a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C2 are connected and a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C3 are connected. FIG. 7 shows the state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C3 are connected.

[0051] The detection result of the cassette sensor 16 is input to the input terminal C2 without passing through the latch circuit 451. The detection information held in the latch circuit 451 is input to the input terminal C3.

[0052] The output terminal C1 is connected to a predetermined input port of the input I / F 37 via a buffer 453. A DC voltage V1 is applied to the wiring between the buffer 453 and the input I / F 37 via a pull-up resistor R2. When the signal output from the buffer 453 is at a high level, the input information input to the input I / F 37 becomes a high level, and when the signal is at a low level, the input information becomes a low level. The input information becomes a high level only in a power state in which the DC voltage V1 is supplied to the system control unit 30 in the soft-on state.

[0053] The clearing of the latch circuit 451 and the switching of the connection state of the switching circuit 452 are controlled by a start notification and a stop notification output from the communication I / F 35 of the system control unit 30. As an example, the start notification and the stop notification are in the form of a status signal that changes between a high level and a low level. The communication I / F 42 recognizes the timing when the status signal rises to a high level as a start notification, and switches the connection state of the switching circuit 452 to a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C2 are connected. The communication I / F 42 also recognizes the timing when the status signal falls to a low level as a stop notification, and switches the connection state of the switching circuit 452 to a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C3 are connected, and clears the latch circuit 451.

[0054] FIG. 8(A) shows an example of processing at the time of stopping in S14 of FIG. 5, and shows an example of processing of the communication I / F 42 that has received a stop notification from the system control unit 30. In S141, the communication I / F 42 outputs a clear signal to the latch circuit 45 of each processing circuit 45, and the detection information held in the latch circuit 451 is cleared. The detection information becomes the initial value, that is, the High level. In S142, the communication I / F 42 outputs a switching signal to the switching circuit 452 of each processing circuit 45, and the connection state of the switching circuit 452 becomes a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C3 are connected. That is, the detection information is selected as the input information to the input I / F 37. By this processing, during the soft-off state, the detection results of the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 are held in the latch circuit 45 of the corresponding processing circuit 45, and the output terminal C1 of the switching circuit 452 becomes a state in which the detection information is output.

[0055] FIG. 8B shows an example of the startup process of S24 in FIG. 6 and the startup process of S25. The startup process of S24 will be described. The CPU 31 of the system control unit 30 executes a predetermined initial process in S241. In S242, the CPU 31 acquires each detection information of the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 from the input I / F 37. In S243, other processes that are determined to be executed at startup are executed, and startup is completed. In S244, a startup notification is sent to the power control unit 40 via the communication I / F 35. In S245, it is determined whether or not there has been a state change (opening of the cover 3, drawing out of the stacking section 4) of the electric device 1 in the soft-off state based on the detection information acquired in S242. If it is determined that there has been a state change, a confirmation process is performed in S246. In the confirmation process, for example, if the cover 3 has been opened, the remaining ink amount is detected, and if the stacking section 4 has been drawn out, the user is asked about the type of recording media loaded. If it is determined that there has been no change in state, the process proceeds to S247, where normal processing is started and recording operation becomes possible.

[0056] The process at the time of startup in S25 will be described. In the power control unit 40, the communication I / F 42 that has received the startup notification outputs a switching signal to the switching circuit 452 of each processing circuit 45 in S251, and the connection state of the switching circuit 452 becomes a state in which the output terminal C1 and the input terminal C2 are connected. That is, as the input information to the input I / F 37, the real-time detection results of the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 are selected instead of the detection information. By this process, during the soft-on state, the system control unit 30 can obtain the detection results of the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 in real time. Then, when there is a change in the state, for example, a process similar to the confirmation process of S246 is performed. In S252, other processes that should be performed when the system control unit 30 is started are performed.

[0057] FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing changes in the detection result, the detection information, and the input information. "Power state" indicates the power state of the system control unit 30, and indicates the transition between the soft-on state and the soft-off state. "Selection state" indicates the connection state of the switching circuit 452, and in particular indicates whether the detection information or the detection result is output from the output terminal C1. "Status signal" is a status signal output from the system control unit 30 to the power control unit 40, and means a start notification (rising edge) or a stop notification (falling edge). "Detection result" indicates the detection result of the sensor (cover sensor 15 or cassette sensor 16), and "detection information" indicates the detection result held by the latch circuit 451. "Input information" means information input to the input I / F.

[0058] At time T1, the system is in the soft-off state. The selected state is the detection information. The detection information is at a high level in accordance with the detection result. At time T2, the system is in the soft-off state, and the detection result has changed to a low level. The detection information changes to a low level, and then the detection result returns to a high level, but the detection information maintains the low level. At time T3, power is supplied to the system control unit 30, and the power state becomes a soft-on state. At that time, the system control unit 30 acquires the detection information as input information, and then the selected state switches to the detection result. The input information becomes the detection result, and the input information also changes according to changes in the detection result.

[0059] At time T4, the power state of the system control unit 30 switches to the soft-off state. At that time, the selected state becomes the detection state, and the detection information is reset to a high level. However, since the detection result is a low level, the detection information also immediately becomes a low level. At time T5, the detection result changes to a high level, but the detection information remains at a low level. At time T6, power is supplied to the system control unit 30, and the power state becomes a soft-on state. At that time, the system control unit 30 acquires the detection information as input information, and then the selected state switches to the detection result. The input information becomes the detection result, and the input information also changes according to the change in the detection result. This is the same as above.

[0060] As described above, according to this embodiment, the system control unit 30 is configured to obtain the sensor detection results in the soft-off state when the state transitions to the soft-on state. In the soft-off state, the system control unit 30 does not consume the power required to monitor the sensor detection results, so power consumption can be reduced and the sensor detection results can be reflected.

[0061] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, the cover sensor 15 and the cassette sensor 16 are exemplified as the objects whose detection results are retained in the soft-off state, but the type of sensor (the object of monitoring) is not limited to this. Also, the number of sensors is not limited to two, but may be one, or three or more.

[0062] In the above embodiment, an inkjet recording device is exemplified as an electrical device, but the present invention can also be applied to other electrical devices. For example, when applied to an air purifier, a sensor may be provided on a cover for holding a filter, and the detection result may be held in the soft-off state. If it is detected that the cover has been opened in the soft-off state, a message may be sent to the user when the state transitions to the soft-on state, asking whether the filter has been replaced.

[0063] 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.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the power supply to the system control unit 30 is cut off in the soft-off state, but power may be supplied within a range that results in lower power consumption than in the soft-on state. Also, in the above embodiment, there is one type of soft-on state, but the soft-on state may be further configured into two types: a normal power supply state and a power saving state.

[0065] 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.

[0066] <Disclosure of the embodiment> The above embodiment discloses the following inventions.

[0067] Item 1. An electrical device comprising: A detection means for detecting a state of the electrical device; A control means for acquiring a detection result of the detection means and executing control based on the detection result; A storage means for storing a detection result of the detection means as detection information, the power state of the control means includes a first state and a second state in which power consumption is greater than that of the first state; The control means acquiring the detection result in the second state but not in the first state, and acquiring the detection information stored in the storage means in the first state when the power state transitions from the first state to the second state. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0068] Item 2. Item 1 is an electrical device according to the present invention, when the power state transitions from the second state to the first state, the detection information in the holding means is cleared. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0069] Item 3. The electrical device according to item 1 or 2, a switching means for switching input information input to an input port of the control means between the detection result of the detection means and the detection information of the holding means, When the power state transitions from the second state to the first state, the switching means switches the input information to the detection information, when the power state transitions from the first state to the second state, and after the control means acquires the detection information stored in the storage means, the switching means switches the input information to the detection result. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0070] Item 4. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the detection result indicates the state as either a first detection result or a second detection result, When the detection result becomes the second detection result, the storage means stores the second detection result as the detection information even if the detection result subsequently becomes the first detection result. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0071] Item 5. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The detecting means is provided in plurality, The holding means is provided in plurality. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0072] Item 6. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The first state is a state in which power is not supplied to the control means. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0073] Item 7. Item 6. An electrical device according to item 6, 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 power control means being supplied with power from the power supply means; 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0074] Item 8. Item 7. An electrical device according to claim 7, 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:

[0075] Item 9. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The detection means detects a state of a movable part that can be operated by a user. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0076] Item 10. An electrical device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The electrical device is a recording device that performs recording by ejecting liquid onto a recording medium. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0077] Item 11. Item 11. The electrical device according to item 10, The recording device includes a main body and an openable / closable cover for covering the main body. The detection means detects whether the cover is open or closed. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0078] Item 12. Item 11. The electrical device according to item 10, The recording device includes a main body and a loading section that can be pulled out from the main body and on which the recording medium is loaded, The detection means detects the withdrawal of the loading section. 1. An electrical device comprising:

[0079] 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]

[0080] 1 Electrical equipment, 12a Discharge head, 12b Discharge head, 15 Cover sensor, 16 Cassette sensor, 30 System control unit, 451 Latch circuit

Claims

1. A detection means for detecting a change in state due to a user's operation; A control means for executing control based on information regarding a detection result of the detection means; A storage means for storing the detection result of the detection means, The holding means holds the detection result based on a change during a first state in which the supply of power to the control means is stopped, The control means acquiring the detection result held in the first state after switching from the first state to a second state in which power is supplied to the control means, and acquiring the detection result based on a change in the second state without going through the holding means; 1. An electrical device comprising:

2. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , When the state transitions from the second state to the first state, the detection result of the holding means is cleared.

1. An electrical device comprising:

3. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , a switching means for switching between a first path in which the detection result is input to the control means without passing through the holding means and a second path in which the detection result is input to the control means via the holding means, 1. An electrical device comprising:

4. 4. The electrical device according to claim 3, When transitioning from the second state to the first state, the switching means switches to the second path, When the state transitions from the first state to the second state, the switching means switches to the first path after the control means acquires the detection result stored in the storage means.

1. An electrical device comprising:

5. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , the detection result indicates the state as either a first detection result or a second detection result, When the detection result becomes the second detection result, the holding means holds the second detection result as the detection result even if the detection result becomes the first detection result thereafter.

1. An electrical device comprising:

6. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , The detecting means is provided in plurality, The holding means is provided in plurality.

1. An electrical device comprising:

7. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , 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 power control means being supplied with power from the power supply means; 1. An electrical device comprising:

8. 2. The electrical device according to claim 1 , The detection means detects a change in a state of a movable part that can be operated by a user.

1. An electrical device comprising:

9. 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:

10. 10. The electrical device according to claim 9, The recording device includes a main body and an openable / closable cover for covering the main body. The detection means detects whether the cover is open or closed.

1. An electrical device comprising:

11. 11. The electrical device according to claim 10, The electrical device is characterized in that the control means executes control to detect the remaining amount of liquid when the open / closed state of the cover changes.

12. 10. The electrical device according to claim 9, The recording device includes a main body and a loading section that can be pulled out from the main body and on which the recording medium is loaded, The detection means detects the withdrawal of the loading section.

1. An electrical device comprising:

13. 13. An electrical device according to claim 12, the control means performs a process of inquiring of a user about the type of the recording medium when the withdrawal of the stacking unit is detected.

1. An electrical device comprising:

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