Printing device, printing method for the same, and program

Abstract

To continue operation of an entire device.SOLUTION: A printing device includes a wireless interface capable of wireless communication, a wired interface capable of supplying power, charging means capable of charging the electric current supplied from the wired interface, printing means for printing, and control means that, on the basis of the operation content of the printing means and the amount of charge stored in the charging means, allocates to the wireless interface the power usable for wireless communication from the remaining power after allocating to the printing means the power required for printing out of the power allocable from the stored charge.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus, a printing method for the printing apparatus, and a program, and more particularly, to a battery-driven printing apparatus, a printing method for the printing apparatus, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] A battery-driven wireless communication device incorporates a battery. This battery is also used as a power source for the wireless communication of the wireless communication device. Therefore, if the charge level of this battery is insufficient, there is a risk that wireless communication will fail. Thus, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the power consumption of circuits that are not related to wireless communication among the circuits mounted on the wireless communication device. Further, Patent Document 1 also discloses a technique for determining the output that can be transmitted with the current charge level when the charge level of the battery is insufficient even after reducing the power consumption of circuits that are not related to wireless communication.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, even if wireless communication is successful by the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since it involves an operation of reducing the power consumption of circuits that are not related to wireless communication, there is a possibility that the power required for driving the circuits that are not related to wireless communication will not be supplied. For this reason, although not related to wireless communication, circuits for exhibiting the original functions in the apparatus may not operate normally. Therefore, in the conventional technology, there is a possibility that the operation of the entire apparatus cannot be continued.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to continue the operation of the entire apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A printing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a wireless interface capable of wireless communication, a wired interface to which power can be supplied, charging means capable of charging a current supplied via the wired interface, printing means for performing printing, the current supplied via the wired interface, the operation content of the printing means, and the amount of charge charged to the charging means, and based on a combination of these, control means for allocating power capable of wireless communication to the wireless interface from the remaining power obtained by allocating power required to perform the operation content to the printing means from the power that can be allocated from the amount of charge.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, the operation of the entire apparatus can be continued.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the matters disclosed, and the combinations of features described in the following embodiments are not necessarily essential for the solution means of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components.

[0010] <<First Embodiment>> (Overview of the Printing System 100) A description will be given of a first embodiment of the present disclosure that can continue the operation of the entire device. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a printing system 100. The printing system 100 includes a wireless LAN access point 101, a router 105, and a mobile phone circuit network 107. The printing system 100 includes a USB power adapter 109, a cloud server 200, a printer (also referred to as a printing device) 300, a personal computer terminal (also referred to as a PC terminal) 400, and a smartphone 500. In the printing system 100, the router 105, the mobile phone circuit network 107, and the cloud server 200 can be connected via the Internet 106. Also, in the printing system 100, the router 105, the wireless LAN access point 101, and the PC terminal 400 can be connected via a local area network 102. That is, the router 105 can relay between network elements on the Internet 106 and network elements on the local area network 102.

[0011] Each of the printer 300 and the smartphone 500 can be connected to the local area network 102 by wirelessly connecting to the wireless LAN access point 101. Since the local area network 102 is connected to the Internet 106 via the router 105, each of the printer 300 and the smartphone 500 can communicate with the cloud server 200 via the router 105. Also, the smartphone 500 can be connected to the mobile phone circuit network 107. Since the mobile phone circuit network 107 can be connected to the Internet 106, the smartphone 500 can communicate with the cloud server 200 via the mobile phone circuit network 107.

[0012] Between each of the printer 300 and the smartphone 500 and the wireless LAN access point 101, for example, a wireless LAN infrastructure mode (also referred to as infrastructure mode) connection 103 is used. The infrastructure mode is a connection form in the wireless LAN. In the infrastructure mode, a device called an access point such as the wireless LAN access point 101 is installed. Network elements serving as clients can be connected to a network via a wireless LAN through the access point. For network elements having a wireless LAN function, a direct connection form such as an ad hoc mode or a peer-to-peer mode is also possible. Further, the printer 300 may have a function to operate in a mode where the printer itself operates as a wireless LAN access point. For example, when the printer 300 is operating as an access point, the smartphone 500 can also be directly connected to the printer 300 functioning as an access point. In this way, the direct connection between the smartphone 500 and the printer 300 without passing through the wireless LAN access point 101 is referred to as a direct connection 104.

[0013] The printer 300 has a USB connection terminal 607 (see FIG. 3). The printer 300 can be USB-connected to various devices through this USB connection terminal. In FIG. 1, an example is shown in which the printer 300 is connected to the PC terminal 400 by a USB cable 108 through the USB connection terminal. The printer 300 can also operate by receiving power supply from the PC terminal 400 through this USB cable 108. Alternatively, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, the printer 300 can be connected to the smartphone 500 by a USB cable 108 and operate by receiving power supply from the smartphone 500. Alternatively, the printer 300 can also be connected to a USB power adapter 109 and operate by receiving power supply from the USB power adapter 109. Alternatively, the printer 300 can also operate by receiving power supply from a mobile battery (not shown) through the USB cable 108.

[0014] Note that the printer 300 may be connected to the PC terminal 400 via the USB cable 108 and may also be connected to the smartphone 500 via the USB cable 108. In this case, data communication between the printer 300 and each of the PC terminal 400 and the smartphone 500 may be performed via the USB cable 108, but is not limited thereto. For example, the printer 300 receives power supply from the PC terminal 400 via the USB cable 108, while wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication can also be used for data communication. Alternatively, the printer 300 receives power supply from the smartphone 500 via the USB cable 108, while wireless LAN or short-range wireless communication can also be used for data communication.

[0015] Note that the connection configurations of each network element such as the router 105, the wireless LAN access point 101, the printer 300, and the smartphone 500 are examples, and the effects of the present disclosure can be obtained even with different connection configurations. For example, in FIG. 1, an example in which the printing system 100 includes network elements of different devices, the wireless LAN access point 101 and the router 105, is shown, but is not limited thereto. The printing system 100 may include a network element of a router device having an access point function.

[0016] (Overview of the Control System Configuration) FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control system of the printer 300 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the printer 300 includes, as components of the control system, a printing mechanism 301, a reading mechanism 302, a main board 310, an operation panel 303, a wireless LAN unit 304, a short-range wireless communication unit 305, and a USB interface 306. In FIG. 2, it is assumed that at least the printing mechanism 301 and the reading mechanism 302 are incorporated in the same housing among the components of each control system. In FIG. 2, an example is shown in which the printer 300 functions as a multi-function printer (also referred to as an MFP) capable of supporting a composite function such as a copying function by incorporating the printing mechanism 301 and the reading mechanism 302 in the same housing.

[0017] The main board 310 has a function of controlling the entire apparatus of the printer 300. On the main board 310, a CPU 311, a program memory 313, a data memory 314, and a non-volatile memory 315 are arranged in a state where they can be electrically connected via an internal bus 312. On the main board 310, a print mechanism control circuit 316 for controlling the print mechanism 301 and a reading mechanism control circuit 317 for controlling the reading mechanism 302 are arranged in a state where they can be electrically connected via the internal bus 312. On the main board 310, an operation panel control circuit 318 for controlling the operation panel 303 and a wireless LAN control circuit 319 for controlling the wireless LAN unit 304 are arranged in a state where they can be electrically connected via the internal bus 312. On the main board 310, a short-range wireless communication control circuit 320 for controlling the short-range wireless communication unit 305 is arranged in a state where it can be electrically connected via the internal bus 312. On the main board 310, a USB communication control circuit 321 for controlling the USB interface 306 and a power control circuit 322 are arranged in a state where they can be electrically connected via the internal bus 312.

[0018] The CPU 311 is configured in the form of a microprocessor. The program memory 313 is configured in the form of a ROM and stores a control program. The data memory 314 is configured in the form of a RAM and stores various data. The various data is, for example, the image data information of the read manuscript. The CPU 311 operates according to the control program in the program memory 313 and stores its operation result in the data memory 314. The non-volatile memory 315 is configured to be able to retain its contents even when the power supply is cut off. When various setting values and the like are written into the non-volatile memory 315, when the power is turned off once and then turned on again to resume operation, it enables operation based on the same setting values as before the power-off state. As an example of the non-volatile memory 315, for example, a semiconductor memory device such as a flash memory can be mentioned. The flash memory can maintain the stored contents even when the power is turned off, but in many cases, there is a limit to the number of times the built-in memory element can be rewritten. Therefore, it is necessary to design considering at what timing the non-volatile memory 315 is written during the product life of the device. In general, it is assumed that the higher the guaranteed number of rewrites of a memory device, the higher the component unit price.

[0019] The CPU 311 controls the reading mechanism 302 via the reading mechanism control circuit 317. By such control, the printer 300 can read a manuscript and store the read manuscript data as image data information in the data memory 314. Alternatively, the CPU 311 controls the printing mechanism 301 via the printing mechanism control circuit 316. By such control, the printer 300 can print the image data in the data memory 314 on a recording medium. Therefore, by operating the CPU 311 in cooperation with the reading mechanism 302 and the printing mechanism 301, the printer 300 can realize a composite function such as a copying function.

[0020] The CPU 311 controls the wireless LAN unit 304 via the wireless LAN control circuit 319. Through such control, the printer 300 can perform wireless LAN communication with other communication terminal devices. Alternatively, the CPU 311 controls the short-range wireless communication unit 305 via the short-range wireless communication control circuit 320. Through such control, the printer 300 can detect a connection with other short-range wireless communication terminals or perform data transmission and reception with other short-range wireless communication terminals. Alternatively, the CPU 311 controls the operation panel control circuit 318. Through such control, the printer 300 can display the status of the printer 300 on the operation panel 303, display the function selection menu of the printer 300, or receive operations from the user. Alternatively, the CPU 311 operates the USB interface 306 via the USB communication control circuit 321. Through such operation, the printer 300 can perform USB communication with other terminal devices connected by the USB cable 108. Alternatively, the CPU 311 controls the power control circuit 322. Through such control, the printer 300 can detect or control the amount of current supplied from the USB interface 306, and can also grasp or control the power storage amount stored in the power control circuit 322. Note that although detailed description is omitted, the current from the USB interface 306 may be detected by, for example, a shunt resistor. That is, the function of the shunt resistor may be implemented in the power control circuit 322. Also, the power storage amount stored in the power control circuit 322 may be derived from, for example, the detection result of the charge and discharge amount of the current with respect to the electric double layer capacitor (also referred to as EDLC) 606 described later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0021] (Overview of the Configuration of the Power Supply System) FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the power supply system of the printer 300 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the main board 310 of the printer 300 has a power control circuit 322, an ASIC 611, a DDR 314, and a Flash ROM 313 as components of the power supply system. The power control circuit 322 has a Charger IC 601, a DC-DC (boost) circuit 602, a DC-DC (buck) circuit 603, a Motor Driver 604, a Head Driver 605, and an EDLC 606. The control serial bus 612 of the power control circuit 322 in FIG. 3 constitutes a part of the internal bus 312 in FIG. 2. The control serial bus 612 can be electrically connected between the ASIC 611 and the Charger IC 601 and transfers various signals between the ASIC 611 and the Charger IC 601. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that communication is performed on the control serial bus 612 in the UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) method, but it is not particularly limited thereto. For example, communication may be performed in the USART (Universal Synchronous Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter) method.

[0022] (Overview of ChargerIC601) The Charger IC 601 can be electrically connected to the USB connection terminal 607. The Charger IC 601 has a function of charging the current supplied from the USB connection terminal 607 to the EDLC 606 according to various control signals transferred from the ASIC 611. The Changer IC 601 has a function of applying a voltage corresponding to the amount of electric power (also referred to as the charge amount) charged to the EDLC 606 to the DC-DC boost circuit 602. That is, the Changer IC 601 is an IC having an input current control function of the USB 607, a charge control function of the EDLC 606, and an abnormal operation protection function of the EDLC 606. The Charger IC 601 further has a function of determining the USB standard of the device connected to the USB connection terminal 607 via the USB connection terminal 607. The function of determining this USB standard will be described later.

[0023] The voltage boosted by the DC-DC boost circuit 602 can be applied to the DC-DC buck circuit 603, MotorDriver 604, and HeadDriver 605. The voltage stepped down by the DC-DC buck circuit 603 can be applied to the ASIC 611, DDR3 14, and Flash ROM 313. That is, when the power supply voltage V BAT is applied from the EDLC 606 to the ChargerIC 601, the printer 300 can be driven.

[0024] Specifically, the USB connection terminal 607 can supply current to the ChargerIC 601 while the power supply voltage V BUS is being applied to the ChargerIC 601. The ChargerIC 601 charges the EDLC 606 with the current supplied from the USB 607 according to the control signal transferred from the ASIC 611 via the control serial bus 612. By this operation, the EDLC 606 is charged with the current supplied at the power supply voltage V BUS . The ChargerIC 601 applies a voltage to the DC-DC boost circuit 602 according to the amount of charge charged in the EDLC 606 according to the control signal transferred from the ASIC 611 via the control serial bus 612.

[0025] (Overview of the DC-DC Boost Circuit 602) The DC-DC boost circuit 602 boosts the applied voltage. The boosted voltage is applied to the MotorDtiver 604 and HeadDriver 605. The MotorDriver 604 is used to drive the respective motors (not shown) of the reading mechanism 302 and the printing mechanism 301 using the boosted voltage as a drive source. The HeadDriver 605 uses the boosted voltage as the drive power for the head and is responsible for driving a relatively large load.

[0026] (Overview of the DC-DC Buck Circuit 603) The DC-DC step-down circuit 603 generates the logic power supply voltage used in the ASIC 611, DDR3 14, and Flash ROM 313. The ASIC 611 is a custom IC. The ASIC 611 includes the CPU 311 and peripheral circuits in FIG. 2. The peripheral circuits include the reading mechanism control circuit 317, printing mechanism control circuit 316, operation panel control circuit 318, wireless LAN control circuit 319, short-range wireless communication control circuit 320, and USB communication control circuit 321 in FIG. 2. The DDR3 14 constitutes, for example, the data memory 314. The Flash ROM 313 constitutes, for example, the program memory 313 and the non-volatile memory 315.

[0027] (ChargerIC601; USB standard determination function) The ChargerIC 601 has a function of determining the input current according to the external device (PC terminal 400 in FIG. 1) as the power supply source. In this embodiment, a determination conforming to the USB-BC (USB Battery Charge) standard (hereinafter referred to as BC determination) is performed. Alternatively, in this embodiment, a determination conforming to the determination according to the USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) standard (hereinafter referred to as CC determination) is performed. The ASIC 611 that has received the result of the BC determination or CC determination from the ChargerIC 601 determines the charging current, full charge, and over-discharge voltage thresholds of the ChargerIC 601 and sets these thresholds in the ChargerIC 601. The EDLC 606 performs power supply by the power supply voltage V from the ChargerIC 601 according to the instruction of the ASIC 611 to the DC-DC boost circuit 602, MotorDriver 604, and HeadDriver 605. BAT The information of the power supply voltage V of the EDLC 606 can be transmitted from the ChargerIC 601 to the ASIC 611. In addition, various information regarding power supply can be transmitted from the ChargerIC 601 to the ASIC 611. By using this information, the printer 300 can be used for various controls of the printer 300. For example, during the printing operation of the printer 300, the power supply voltage V of the EDLC 606 BAT BATWhen it drops, the following operations may be performed. That is, ASIC611 stops the printing operation, and may instruct ChargerIC601 to perform charge control until the power supply voltage V of EDLC606 BAT reaches a certain threshold value. On the other hand, ASIC611 that has received that the power supply voltage V BAT has reached a certain threshold value may perform control to resume the printing operation. Alternatively, when the USB cable 108 of the USB connection terminal 607 is unplugged during operation while receiving power from a current source (or voltage source) not shown via the USB connection terminal 607, the following operations may be performed. That is, ASIC611 may immediately start an operation corresponding to power supply stop upon notification from ChargerIC601 to ASIC611. Alternatively, when the power supply via the USB connection terminal 607 is stopped, ASIC611 may immediately start an operation corresponding to power supply stop upon notification from ChargerIC601.

[0028] (Power supply amount for each connection standard) Figure 4 is a diagram showing the power supply amount for each connection standard. In Figure 4, for each connection standard, the power supply voltage V BUS , maximum current, maximum power, and an example of the host-side connector shape are shown. As examples of the standard names of the connection standards, BC1.2 and Type-C are mentioned. When conforming to BC1.2, ASIC611 detects the state of the signal lines (D+ / D-) not shown on the power supply side and performs an operation to control the current used for charging on the power receiving side. Specifically, ASIC611, ChargerIC601 notifies ASIC611 that the power supply voltage V BUS has been detected. By this notification, ASIC611 detects that ChargerIC601 is connected to the USB connection terminal 607. Here, the power supply voltage V BUSIf it exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the ChargerIC601 may determine that it is connected to the USB connection terminal 607. Next, the ASIC611 detects, for example, that the ChargerIC601 is connected to the signal lines (D+ / D-) on the power supply side, and discriminates the type of the charging port. In an example of FIG. 4, examples of the charging port include USB2.0, USB3.1, and a charging USB port (CDP). Although the detailed description is omitted, whether it is a charging USB port (CDP) can be determined by connecting a voltage source to the D+ signal line, a current source to the D- signal line, and detecting the change in the voltage of the D- signal line. Also, since there is a difference in the pin arrangement between USB2.0 and USB3.1, it may be discriminated which of USB2.0 and USB3.1 it is based on the pin arrangement. For example, USB2.0 does not include the pin arrangement corresponding to the signal lines (TX+ / TX-) and the signal lines (RX+ / RX-) used for the USB3.1 standard. Next, the ASIC611 limits the maximum current due to the application of the power supply voltage V BUS in accordance with the supply capacity of the charging port. If it is USB2.0, the maximum current is limited to 0.5A. If it is USB3.1, the maximum current is limited to 0.9A. If it is a charging USB port (CDP), the maximum current is limited to 1.5A. Note that the power supply voltage V BUS in BC1.2 is specified as 5V, but the fluctuation range of this power supply voltage V BUS is specified in the connection standard to be within the range of 5V plus or minus 5%. In other words, BC1.2 is based on the USB-BC (Battery Charge) standard, and as a method for determining a charging USB port (CDP), a method of electrically determining using the D+ and D- signal lines for USB data communication is specified in the connection standard. Also, in the case of a standard USB port that is not a charging port, after this detection is completed, communication based on the USB standard is performed, and the USB version can be discriminated therein.

[0029] On the one hand, compared with BC1.2, the number of pin arrays of Type-C has increased. Therefore, it may be determined whether it is BC1.2 or Type-C according to the conduction state of the pins. In Type-C, the Power Delivery standard is also defined. Among the multiple pins of Type-C, the power supply amount can be notified by communication on the CC (Configuration Channel) pins. Therefore, regarding which of Power Delivery 2.0, 3.1 and the Type-C standard it is, it may be determined from the communication on the CC pins. For example, according to the voltage level of the CC pins, it may be determined which of Power Deliery 2.0, Power Delivery 3.1, and the Type-C standard it is. Specifically, the CC pins are used in the Configuration Process. The Configuration Process is a process of determining the content supported by using a USB Type-C cable, and consists of the following seven steps. In the first step, a physical cable connection is detected. In the second step, the plug surface is detected. In the third step, the relationship between the host and the device is established. In the fourth step, it is detected whether the USB cable 108 in FIG. 1 is a USB Type-C cable and whether the USB Type-C cable requires Vconn. In the fifth step, it is detected which of the current values supplied from the power supply voltage V BUS is 5V / 3A, 5V / 1.5A, or 5V / 500mA. In the sixth step, Power Negotiation is performed when using a power supply voltage V BUS of 5V or more. In the seventh step, Negotiation is performed when using an extension function other than USB communication. Here, Vconn is used when a USB PD (Power Delivery) controller is implemented in the USB Type-C cable. The USB PD controller has functions such as detecting and protecting overcurrent, overvoltage, and abnormal high temperature. In addition, in the Power Delivery standard, the power supply voltage V BUS can also be controlled from 5V to 48V. The maximum supplyable current is the power supply voltage V BUSalso varies depending on this, and the maximum available power is determined by the product of the power supply voltage V BUS and the maximum current. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in the case of PowerDelivery3.1, if the power supply voltage V BUS is 5V, the maximum current is 3.0A, and it is shown that the maximum power at this time is 15W. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, if the power supply voltage V BUS is 48V, the maximum current is 5.0A, and it is shown that the maximum power at this time is 240W.

[0030] Hereinafter, in this embodiment, an example of changing the transmission radio wave output in order to efficiently execute the device operation will be described according to the operation type that specifies the operation content of the printer 300, the USB power supply power according to the standard, and the charge amount of the EDLC 606.

[0031] (Problems with power consumption allocation) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the power consumption of the printer 300 in FIG. 1. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing an example of the power consumption required for the execution of operations for each operation type that specifies the operation content of the printer 300. In FIG. 5(a), an operation type column 5001, a power consumption column 5002, a required time column 5003, and a duration at full charge column 5004 are shown in association with each other. In the operation type column 5001, some of the operation types that specify the operation content of the printer 300 are shown. For example, the copy operation is an operation realized by the cooperation of the reading mechanism 302 and the printing mechanism 301. In the power consumption column 5002, the average power consumption required for the execution of the operation of the operation type shown in the operation type column 5001 is shown. For example, when the operation type is the copy operation, printing is performed by the printing mechanism 301 while reading the original by the reading mechanism 302. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5(a), power of an average of 20 W is consumed. In the required time column 5003, the average required time for the execution of one set (one unit) of the operation of the operation type shown in the operation type column 5001 is shown. One set (one unit) of operations means the operations from the start to the end of one operation. For example, if the operation type is the copy operation, it indicates a series of operations from reading one original to generating image data and printing on one recording medium based on the generated image data. In an example of FIG. 5(a), the required time for the copy operation is shown to be an average of 35 seconds. In the duration at full charge column 4004, the time during which the power shown in the power consumption column 5002 can be continuously consumed in the state where the EDLC 606 is fully charged is shown. In an example of FIG. 5(a), it is shown that the power consumption of 20 W required for the execution of the copy operation can be continuously supplied for 16 seconds. Therefore, for example, in the case of the copy operation, while power of 20 W must be continuously supplied for 35 seconds, it is shown that the charge power that can be supplied from the charge amount of the EDLC 606 can only be supplied for 16 seconds. Therefore, it is shown that one unit of the copy operation cannot be completed unless power is supplied from the USB connection terminal 607. Note that the recovery system in FIG. 5(a) is a maintenance mechanism for keeping the print quality of the inkjet print head good. For example, the suction operation is an operation of sucking with a pump to eliminate clogging of the ink ejection nozzles.The wiping operation is an operation to wipe the surface of the ink ejection nozzle. The preliminary ejection operation is an operation to drive the ink ejection nozzle outside the paper surface to discharge ink droplets. These operations consume power to drive a motor to operate a pump or a wiping mechanism, or to perform an ink ejection operation. Also, the capping operation is a maintenance operation to protect the inkjet print head from damage or drying. By fixing the surface with the ejection nozzles of the head with a cap, drying or sticking of the ink ejection nozzles can be prevented, and the head can also be fixed at a predetermined position so that the head does not move and get damaged inside the apparatus when the printer 300 is carried. During the capping operation, power is consumed for motor driving to move the head to the cap position or to press the cap against the ejection nozzle surface of the head. However, if it is only the capping operation, the consumption amount can be suppressed to be less than that of the suction operation or the wiping operation.

[0032] FIG. 5(b) is a diagram showing the presence or absence of the operation of the wireless LAN and the required power consumption according to the transmission radio wave intensity (also referred to as the intensity of the transmission radio wave). In the radio wave intensity column 4005, when the wireless LAN is operating, examples of stepwise settings of the transmission radio wave intensity are shown. In the radio wave intensity column 5005, when the wireless LAN is not operating, an example of a setting for stopping the transmission radio wave is shown. In the additional power column 5006, when the wireless LAN is operated at the transmission radio wave intensity shown in the radio wave intensity column 5005, the additional power required additionally is shown. This additional power needs to be added to the power consumption shown in the power consumption column 5002 for each operation type shown in FIG. 5(a) to obtain the total power consumption. For example, in the case of the printing operation, when the printing operation is performed with the wireless LAN operation stopped, the power consumption required is 12 W. However, when the printing operation is performed with the transmission radio wave intensity of the wireless LAN set to "strong", an additional power of 4 W is required. Therefore, the total power consumption is 12 W + 4 W = 16 W. That is, 16 W of power is required. Along with this, the duration of full charge shown in the full charge duration column 5004, which is 27 seconds, also becomes shorter by the amount of the additional power. Therefore, when controlling the operation based on the duration of full charge, it is necessary to recalculate the duration of full charge. Furthermore, such recalculation needs to be performed for each set transmission radio wave intensity. In an example of FIG. 5(b), since the transmission radio wave intensity is assumed to have three levels (three patterns), if the operation of the wireless LAN and the operation of the printer 300 are planned, three recalculations are required for the three patterns of the transmission radio wave intensity. Here, "strong", "medium", and "weak" of the transmission radio wave intensity are assumed to control and divide the intensity of the transmission radio wave emitted by the printer 300 into three levels by the CPU 311 setting the wireless LAN unit 304 in FIG. 2. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the additional power for emitting the transmission radio wave intensity from the printer 300 is set to 4 W, 1.5 W, and 0.5 W corresponding to "strong", "medium", and "weak" of the transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, a set value proportional to the additional power is also assumed for the transmission radio wave intensity.

[0033] (Operation example for solving the above problems) FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing performed while the printer 300 in FIG. 1 is in the power-on state. The processing shown in FIG. 6 is realized by the CPU 311 when the logic power supply to the ASIC 611 is supplied and the power-on operation is performed via the operation panel 303. Note that some or all of the functions of the steps in FIG. 6 may be realized by hardware such as an ASIC (other than AISC 611) or an electronic circuit. The symbol "S" in the description of each process means that it is a step in the flowchart diagram.

[0034] The processing shown in FIG. 6 starts when the printer 300 transitions from the power-off state to the power-on state. On the other hand, the processing shown in FIG. 6 repeatedly executes the loop of S3000 to S3009 while the printer 300 does not transition to the power-off state. Alternatively, the processing shown in FIG. 6 repeatedly executes the loop of S3000 to S3009 while the supply of the logic power to the ASIC 611 is not cut off. In the first S3001 in the repeated loop, the CPU 311 performs a transmission radio wave intensity setting process. The details of the content of this transmission radio wave intensity setting process will be described with reference to FIG. 7 below. The transmission radio wave intensity setting process is a process of setting the transmission radio wave intensity of wireless communication so that the printer 300 performs wireless communication and performs processing according to the operation type in FIG. 5. That is, by appropriately setting the transmission radio wave intensity in the process at the head of the repeated loop, it becomes possible to perform both wireless communication and the processing of each event in the subsequent loops.

[0035] In S3002, the CPU 311 waits for the occurrence of an event to be processed, determines the type of the event after S3003, and performs processing according to the type of the occurred event. That is, after S3002, the CPU 311 performs event-driven processing. In S3003, when the CPU 311 detects that a power-off operation has been performed as an event, it advances the processing of S3003 to S3004 and performs processing to shift to the power-off state. As a result, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3004 to the processing of S3009. The CPU 311 exits the repetition loop in S3009 and ends the processing of FIG. 6. Alternatively, in S3003, when the CPU 311 detects that the USB cable 108 has been inserted as an event, it advances the processing of S3003 to S3005 and performs processing at the time of USB insertion. As a result, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3005 to the processing of S3009. The CPU 311 exits the repetition loop in S3009 and ends the processing of FIG. 6. Alternatively, in S3003, when the CPU 311 detects that the USB cable 108 has been removed as an event, it advances the processing of S3003 to S3006 and performs processing at the time of USB removal. As a result, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3006 to the processing of S3009. The CPU 311 exits the repetition loop in S3009 and ends the processing of FIG. 6. Alternatively, in S3003, when the CPU 311 receives a job start notification via USB from the smartphone 500 as an event, it advances the processing of S003 to S3007 and performs processing to execute the job. Thereby, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3007 to the processing of S3009. The CPU 311 exits the repetition loop in S3009 and ends the processing of FIG. 6. There are various types of jobs such as a print job or a reading job, but the printer 300 executes an operation according to the content of the sent job. Alternatively, in S3003, when the event is something else, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3003 to the processing of S3008 and performs processing according to the occurred event. As a result, the CPU 311 advances the processing of S3008 to the processing of S3009.The CPU 311 exits the repetitive loop in S3009 and ends the process of FIG. 6. The details of the process at the time of USB removal in S3006 will be described in the second embodiment.

[0036] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the details of the transmitted radio wave intensity setting process in S3001 of FIG. 6. The process of FIG. 7 is executed by the CPU 311 as a subflow (also referred to as a subroutine) of step S3001 in FIG. 6. FIG. 7(a) is a flowchart showing the transmitted radio wave intensity setting process. In S3100, the CPU 311 executes an operation availability determination process. The details of the operation availability determination process will be described with reference to FIG. 7(b). FIG. 7(b) is a flowchart showing the operation availability determination process in S3100 of FIG. 7(a). In FIG. 7(b), the processes of S3110 to S3123 are executed. In S3110, the CPU 311 sets a temporary transmitted radio wave intensity. The temporary transmitted radio wave intensity indicates candidates for the transmitted radio wave intensity. For example, each of the three patterns of transmitted radio wave intensities described with reference to FIG. 5(b) is a candidate for the transmitted radio wave intensity. Since the additional power differs according to each candidate for the transmitted radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 determines whether the printer 300 can operate for each additional power. First, in S3111, the CPU 311 acquires information on the additional power corresponding to the temporary transmitted radio wave intensity. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the transmitted radio wave intensity as the temporary transmitted radio wave intensity is high, the additional power is set to 4W. In this case, the CPU 311 acquires 4W as the information on the additional power.

[0037] In S3112, the CPU 311 acquires information on the EDLC charge amount. The EDLC charge amount is the charge amount of the EDLC 606. The charge amount of the EDLC 606 is calculated based on the power supply voltage V of the EDLC 606 applied from the EDLC 606 to the ChargerIC 601. Specifically, when the ChargerIC 601 acquires information on the power supply voltage V of the EDLC 606, it transfers the information on the power supply voltage V to the ASIC 611. The CPU 311... BAT is calculated based on. Specifically, when the ChargerIC 601 acquires the information of the power supply voltage V of the EDLC 606, BAT it transfers the information of the power supply voltage V to the ASIC 611. The CPU 311, based on the power supply voltage V BAT of the EDLC 606, calculates the charge amount of the EDLC 606 and acquires the information on the charge amount of the EDLC 606. Then, the CPU 311 transfers the information on the charge amount of the EDLC 606 to the ASIC 611. The CPU 311 acquires the information on the charge amount of the EDLC 606 from the ASIC 611. BATCalculate variable Q through operations based on the following. That is, CPU 311 makes variable Q (Wh) = V BAT (V) × battery capacity (Ah). The battery capacity (Ah) is obtained from the battery specifications of EDLC 606. In this way, CPU 311 acquires information on the charge amount of EDLC 606 and stores the calculation result based on the information on the charge amount of EDLC 606 in variable Q.

[0038] In S3113, CPU 311 acquires information on the USB power supply power and stores the acquired USB power supply power information in variable Pin. The USB power supply power is information obtained according to the connection standard as described above with reference to FIG. 4. That is, when USB cable 108 is inserted into USB connection terminal 607, the results of BC determination or CC determination detected by power control circuit 322 are referred to for the USB power supply power. The BC determination is a determination according to the USB - BC standard and is the determination result based on the BC1.2 standard in FIG. 4. On the other hand, the CC determination is a determination according to the USB - PD standard and is the determination result based on the Type - C standard in FIG. 4. CPU 311 may refer to the results of such BC determination or CC determination and acquire information on the host - side connector shape, power supply voltage VBUS, maximum current, and maximum power as the type of USB power supply based on FIG. 4. Note that the information on the power supply amount for each connection standard shown in FIG. 4 may be stored in program memory 313 in advance as a data table. Alternatively, the information on the power supply amount for each connection standard shown in FIG. 4 may be obtained by measuring the voltage values of each pin when USB cable 108 is inserted into USB connection terminal 607. Alternatively, the information on the power supply amount for each connection standard shown in FIG. 4 may be updated based on the measurement results of measuring the voltage values of each pin when USB cable 108 is inserted into USB connection terminal 607.

[0039] In S3114, the CPU 311 acquires information on power consumption corresponding to the operation type of the operation, and stores the acquired power consumption information in the variable Pm. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the operation type is information for specifying the operation content of the printer 300. For example, when the operation type is a printing operation, the power consumption corresponding to the printing operation is 12W. That is, the power consumption required for the execution of the printing operation is 12W. Therefore, the CPU 311 stores the information of 12W in the variable Pm. Further, the CPU 311 acquires information on the required time corresponding to the operation type, and stores the acquired required time information in the variable Tm. As described above with reference to FIG. 5(a), the required time is information on the time required for the execution of the operation content of the printer 300. For example, when the operation type is a printing operation, the required time corresponding to the printing operation is 28 seconds. That is, the time required for the execution of the printing operation is 28 seconds. Therefore, the CPU 311 stores the information of 28 seconds in the variable Tm.

[0040] In S3115, the CPU 311 stores the additional power information acquired in S3111 in the variable Pw. For example, when the additional power information is 4W, the CPU 311 stores the information of 4W in the variable Pw. In an example of FIG. 5(b), since there are three patterns of additional power, there are also three patterns of temporary transmission radio wave intensities that are candidates for the transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, as will be described in the process in S3123 described later, if there is an unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 sets the unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity and repeats the operation availability determination process. Further, the process of S3115 is not particularly limited as long as it is after the process of S3111. Therefore, the process of S3115 may be executed between the process of S3111 and the process of S3112. Alternatively, the processes of S3110 and S3111 are not particularly limited as long as they are before the process of S3115. Therefore, the processes of S3110, S3111, and S3115 may be executed after each of the processes of S3112 to S3114. Here, each piece of information shown in FIG. 5(a) may be stored in the program memory 313 in advance as a data table. Alternatively, the power in the actual operation may be measured and the data table may be updated.

[0041] In S3116, the CPU 311 stores the addition result of the variable Pm and the variable Pw in the variable Pout. The addition result of the variable Pm and the variable Pw indicates the information of the total power consumption of the power consumption required for the execution of the operation type operation that specifies the operation content of the printer 300 and the additional power. Here, the additional power is the power that enables wireless communication via Wi-Fi. That is, in order to perform wireless communication, it is the additional power in addition to the power required to perform the operation content of the printer 300. The CPU 311 repeatedly obtains the total power consumption for the number of patterns of the temporary transmission radio wave intensity that is a candidate for the transmission radio wave intensity.

[0042] In S3117, the CPU 311 determines whether the variable Pout is less than or equal to the variable Pin. If the variable Pout is less than or equal to the variable Pin, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3117 to the process of S3118. Here, that the variable Pout is less than or equal to the variable Pin indicates that the allocation of the power required to perform the operation content of the printer 300 and the power that enables wireless communication is possible with the current USB power supply power. In S3118, the CPU 311 sets "continuously operable" as the operation availability determination result and advances the process of S3118 to the process of S3123. That is, if Pout ≤ Pin, the CPU 311 sets it as continuously operable. On the other hand, if the variable Pout is not less than or equal to the variable Pin, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3117 to the process of S3119. That is, when the variable Pout exceeds the variable Pin, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3117 to the process of S3119.

[0043] In S3119, the CPU 311 subtracts the variable Pin from the variable Pout to calculate the power shortage. The CPU 311 stores in the variable Tr the result of dividing the variable Q by the power shortage (Pout - Pin). Since the variable Q is the product of the power supply voltage VBAT (V) and the battery capacity (Ah), it indicates the charge amount of the EDLC 606 and has the unit of Wh. Also, the unit of the power shortage (Pout - Pin) is W. Therefore, by dividing the variable Q by the power shortage (Pout - Pin), the charge power duration can be obtained. That is, the variable Tr indicates how long the current charge amount can sustain the current operation content. Therefore, the variable Tr indicates the information of the charge power duration. If the charge power duration is longer than the required time for executing the operation content of the printer 300, the operation content of the printer 300 can be executed. After storing the information of the charge power duration in the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3119 to S3120. In S3120, the CPU 311 determines whether the variable Tm is less than or equal to the variable Tr. If the variable Tm is less than or equal to the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3120 to the process of S3121. Here, the variable Tm being less than or equal to the variable Tr indicates that it is possible to operate intermittently with the current charge amount. In S3121, the CPU 311 sets the operation availability judgment result as "operable intermittently" and advances the process of S3121 to the process of S3123. That is, if Pout > Pin and Tm ≤ Tr, it is not possible to operate continuously. However, if the operation of the operation type that specifies the operation content of the printer 300 is set as the unit operation, by pausing the operation of that operation type and charging the EDLC 606, the unit operation can be resumed, and thus the completion of the unit operation becomes possible. Therefore, the CPU 311 sets that unit operation as operable intermittently.

[0044] Here, the operation target to be intermittently operated is the printer 300. Also, it is assumed that the printing operation of the printer 300 is performed intermittently. For example, printing one page can be executed while consuming the charging power charged in the EDLC 606. However, when the printing operation continues continuously for a plurality of pages, a scenario where the charging power charged in the EDLC 606 is exhausted is assumed. Therefore, the printing operation may be paused between pages, and charging of the EDLC 606 may be performed during the pause time, and then the printing operation of the next page may be executed. Alternatively, in the configuration of a serial printer such as an inkjet printer, a scenario is assumed where printing one scan is possible, but power becomes insufficient if the scans continue continuously. Therefore, the operation may be paused between scans, and the charging amount may be recovered by charging the EDLC 606 during the pause time. Also, since intermittent operation assumes the above operations, numbers in seconds are assumed, but the time for the printing operation to pause varies depending on the transmission radio wave intensity. For example, as the transmission radio wave intensity increases and the power consumption required to emit the transmission radio wave increases, the pause time of the intermittent operation of the printer 300 extends. Further, the EDLC 606 has a characteristic that deterioration progresses as the time for which voltage is applied increases, rather than the number of charge-discharge cycles. That is, the deterioration of the EDLC 606 progresses as the charging time increases. Therefore, in order to slow down the progress of deterioration, the intermittent operation of the printer 300 may be performed. According to such intermittent operation, it becomes possible to slow down the progress of deterioration of the EDLC 606 by the amount of time when it is not charged (the amount of time when it is discharged). For example, since charging of the EDLC 606 is performed during the pause time of the operation of the printer 300, by shortening this pause time, it becomes possible to shorten the charging time, and it becomes possible to slow down the progress of deterioration of the EDLC 606.

[0045] On the one hand, when the variable Tm is not less than the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3120 to the process of S3122. That is, when the variable Tm exceeds the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3120 to the process of S3122. When the variable Tm exceeds the variable Tr, the completion of the unit operation is impossible. Therefore, in S3122, the CPU 311 sets "operation not possible" as the operation availability determination result and advances the process of S3122 to the process of S3123. In S3123, the CPU 311 determines whether there is an unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity. If there is an unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 returns the process of S3123 to S3110. For example, it is assumed that the processes from S3110 to S3122 have been executed when the transmission radio wave intensity is "strong", but the processes from S3110 to S3122 for each of "medium" and "weak" in the transmission radio wave intensity have not been executed. In this situation, the process of S3123 is returned to the process of S3110. On the other hand, when there is no unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 ends the operation availability determination process and returns to the process of S3100 in Fig. 7(a).

[0046] Return to Fig. 7(a). After the process of S3100, the CPU 311 advances to the process of S3101. In S3101, the CPU 311 determines whether the operation availability determination results are different for each temporary transmission radio wave intensity (transmission radio wave intensity at each stage). Here, the operation availability determination is the result of determining whether the printer 300 can perform the operation of the operation type shown in Fig. 5(a) while performing wireless communication. The operation availability determination is performed in each of S3118, S3121, and S3122 in Fig. 7(b). That is, in S3101, the CPU 311 determines whether the operation availability determination results are different according to the transmission radio wave intensity at each stage such as strong, medium, and weak. If the operation availability determination results are different, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3101 to the process of S3102. In S3102, the CPU 311 selects the intensity with a better operation availability determination result. Here, the process of selecting the intensity with a better operation availability determination result will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 8.

[0047] (Selection of Transmission Radio Wave Intensity) FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of each scenario based on the correspondence relationship of each parameter used in the transmission radio wave intensity setting process of FIG. 7. On the vertical axis of FIG. 8, an operation content column 8001 is provided. On the horizontal axis of FIG. 8, a USB power supply power column 8002 and a radio wave intensity column 8003 are provided. In the operation content column 8001, an operation type for specifying the operation content of the printer 300 is shown. In the USB power supply power column 8002, the maximum power of FIG. 4 is shown. In the radio wave intensity column 8003, the transmission radio wave intensity of FIG. 5(b) is shown. That is, FIG. 8 shows a combination of the operation type of the printer 300, the maximum power of the USB power supply, and the signal radio wave intensity. "〇" in FIG. 8 corresponds to "continuously operable" in S3118 of FIG. 7. "△" in FIG. 8 corresponds to "intermittently operable" in S3121 of FIG. 7. "×" in FIG. 8 corresponds to "not operable" in S3122 of FIG. 7.

[0048] (Scenario 1) In the thick frame column 8004 of FIG. 8, Scenario 1 is shown. In Scenario 1, the connection standard is the Type-C standard. In Scenario 1, the USB power supply power is 7.5W. In Scenario 1, the operation type is the suction operation of the recovery system. In Scenario 1, when the transmission radio wave intensity is "strong" and "medium", the operation availability judgment is "not operable". On the other hand, in Scenario 1, when the transmission radio wave intensity is "weak", the operation availability judgment is "intermittently operable". In this case, the candidate for the transmission radio wave intensity that can transmit the transmission radio wave for a longer time is "weak". Therefore, in S3102 of FIG. 7(a), the CPU 311 selects "weak" among the transmission radio wave intensities. By this selection, in a state where a Type-C standard USB connection is made, the suction operation of the recovery system of the printer 300 is performed while the transmission radio wave can also be transmitted. That is, among the plurality of candidates for the transmission radio wave intensity, the candidate with the strongest intensity is determined as the transmission radio wave intensity after excluding the candidates that are not available for the suction operation of the recovery system of the printer 300.

[0049] (Scenario 2) In the thick frame field 8005 of FIG. 8, a second scenario is shown. In the second scenario, the connection standard is Type-C Power Delivery 2.0 (also referred to as PD2.0). In the second scenario, the USB power supply is 10W. In the second scenario, the operation type is a flat bed (also referred to as FB) reading operation. In the second scenario, when the transmitted radio wave intensity is "strong", the operation availability determination is "operable intermittently". On the other hand, in the second scenario, when the transmitted radio wave intensity is "medium" and "weak", the operation availability determination is "operable continuously". In this case, the candidates for the transmitted radio wave intensity that can transmit the transmitted radio wave for a longer time are "medium" and "weak". Therefore, in S3102 of FIG. 7(a), the CPU 311 selects "medium" among the transmitted radio wave intensities. By this selection, in a state where a Type-C PD2.0 USB connection is made, the FB reading operation of the printer 300 can be performed while the transmitted radio wave can also be transmitted. In this way, when the USB cable 108 is inserted into and connected to the USB connection terminal 607, the USB power supply is specified. That is, among the plurality of candidates for the transmitted radio wave intensity, the candidate with the highest intensity is determined as the transmitted radio wave intensity after excluding the candidates for which the FB reading operation is impossible. Also, based on the content of the job transmitted to the printer 300, the operation type for specifying the operation content of the printer 300 is extracted. It becomes possible to determine whether the operation is continuously operable based on the USB power supply and the operation type. Furthermore, based on the charge amount of the EDLC 606 obtained from the power supply voltage V BAT the charge power duration can be obtained, so even if it is not continuously operable, it becomes possible to determine whether it is intermittently operable. According to such an operation, while changing the output of the transmitted radio wave by controlling the transmitted radio wave intensity according to the USB power supply, the operation of the printer 300 can be efficiently executed. Returning to FIG. 7(a). After executing the process of S3102, the CPU 311 ends the transmitted radio wave intensity setting process.

[0050] <Effects of the First Embodiment> As described above, according to this embodiment, the CPU 311 allocates, to the printer 300, the power required for printing among the power that can be allocated from the charged amount, based on the operation content of the printer 300 and the charged amount charged in the EDLC 606. The CPU 311 allocates the power for wireless communication from the remaining power after allocating the power required for printing to the printer 300. According to such a configuration, while ensuring the power for wireless communication, the power required for printing is also ensured. For the allocation of each power, the operation content of the printer 300 and the charged amount of the EDLC 660 are considered. It is also possible to derive the power consumption required for the operation of the printer 300 from the operation content of the printer 300, and it is possible to consider the power usage within the possible range from the charged amount of the EDLC 660. Therefore, it becomes possible to continue the operation of the entire device. Note that the wired interface may include a USB interface. The USB interface is, for example, the USB connection terminal 607 in FIG. 3. The wireless interface may include, for example, a wireless LAN. With such a configuration, power can be supplied by USB connection. Therefore, it is possible to provide a user-friendly printer 300 while having a wireless communication function.

[0051] Also, according to this embodiment, when the power of the printer 300 is in the on state, the CPU 311 may execute the following operation. That is, the CPU 311 may determine the intensity of the transmission radio wave transmitted via the wireless interface based on the power consumption required for executing the operation type of the operation that specifies the operation content of the printer 300 and the power that enables wireless communication, as the power required for printing. According to such an operation, the intensity of the transmission radio wave also takes into account the power consumption required for executing the operation type of the operation that specifies the operation content of the printer 300. Therefore, in order to perform wireless communication, the priority of the operation of the printer 300 is not lowered. Thereby, it becomes possible to realize both wireless communication and the operation of the printer 300.

[0052] Further, according to the present embodiment, when there are a plurality of candidates for the intensity of the transmitted radio wave, the CPU 311 may determine, as the intensity of the transmitted radio wave, the candidate with the highest intensity among the plurality of candidates excluding the candidates that make the operation of the printer 300 impossible. According to such an operation, candidates that make the operation of the printer 300 impossible are excluded, and the candidate with the highest intensity among the excluded candidates is determined as the intensity of the transmitted radio wave. Therefore, the power allocated to wireless communication can be maximally utilized.

[0053] Further, according to the present embodiment, when the total power consumption required for the execution of the operation of the operation type and the power available for wireless communication are less than or equal to the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface, the CPU 311 may perform the following operation. That is, the printer 300 may be continuously operable. According to such an operation, the total power consumption is compared with the power supply power, and the printer 300 is continuously operated on the condition that the total power consumption does not exceed the power supply power. Thereby, it becomes possible to surely continue the operation of the printer 300. Note that the operation type is a type that specifies the operation content of the printer 300.

[0054] Further, according to the present embodiment, when the total power consumption exceeds the power supply power and the required time required for the execution of the operation content of the printer 300 is less than or equal to the charging power duration corresponding to the charge amount of the EDLC 606, the CPU 311 may perform the following operation. That is, the printer 300 may be intermittently operable. According to such an operation, even if the total power consumption exceeds the supply power, control considering the charging power duration is performed. Thereby, since the transmission radio wave intensity can be controlled also from the viewpoint of the charging power duration, the transmission radio wave intensity can be controlled from a plurality of viewpoints, and more delicate control becomes possible. Note that the power supply power is the power based on the current supplied via the wired interface.

[0055] Also, according to this embodiment, when the CPU 311 does not make the printer 300 continuously operable but makes it intermittently operable, the following operations may be performed. That is, while the operation of the operation type of the printer 300 is being executed, the printer 300 may be paused, and the current supplied via the wired interface may be used to charge the EDLC 606. According to such an operation, charging can be performed during the pause of the intermittent operation of the printer 300, so even if the total power consumption is insufficient, the operation of the operation type of the printer 300 can be completed.

[0056] In the above description, the case where the operation availability determination result is divided into three stages of "continuously operable", "intermittently operable", and "not operable" has been described. However, the case of "intermittently operable" may be further subdivided and determined according to the degree of the pause time of the intermittent operation.

[0057] Also, when the radio wave intensity is changed in the process of FIG. 7, the user may be notified that the radio wave intensity has been changed. As a method of notification, it may be a method of displaying on the operation panel 303 of the printer 300. Alternatively, it may be a method of sending a notification to the connected external terminal device and displaying it on the external terminal device. At this time, since the radio communication between the printer 300 and other devices may become unstable due to the change in the radio wave intensity, a caution message may be displayed. For example, it may be a message prompting not to move the device inadvertently to maintain communication. Alternatively, it may be a message prompting to appropriately adjust the position or orientation of the device to enable more stable communication.

[0058] <<Second Embodiment>> In the second embodiment, when the USB cable 108 is unplugged, the output of the transmitted radio wave is changed to maintain the operation of the printer 300 for a predetermined time. An example of performing a status notification to the connected terminal during the ensured operation maintenance time will be described.

[0059] FIG. 9 is a state transition diagram showing an example of the operating state of the printer 300 in FIG. 1. This state transition diagram shows mainly a part of the states of the printer 300. As shown in FIG. 9, the operating states of the printer 300 include a power-off state ST5000 and a power-on state ST5001. The power-on state ST5001 includes a standby state ST5002, a state ST5006 during a cancel operation, and a state ST5005 during a job operation. The standby state ST5002 includes a power-saving state ST5004 and a standby state ST5003. The state transition of the printer 300 starts from a hardware reset, and the initial state is the power-off state ST5000. When the CPU 311 detects that a power-on operation has been performed on the operation panel 303 of the printer 300 in the power-off state ST5000, the printer 300 performs a power-on process. By this operation, the CPU 311 transitions the power-off state ST5000 to the power-on state ST5001. When the operating state of the printer 300 enters the power-on state ST5001, it first transitions to the standby state ST5002. When the operating state of the printer 300 enters the standby state ST5002, it becomes the standby state ST5003 in which the backlight of the operation panel 303 is lit. The standby state ST5003 is a state in which an operation of the operation panel 303 or data reception from a smartphone 500 or the like can be received and immediately executed. When a predetermined time elapses in the standby state ST5003, the operating state of the printer 300 transitions to the power-saving state ST5004. The power-saving state ST5004 is a state in which the power consumption of the printer 300 is suppressed by turning off the backlight or reducing the operating clock. When it is detected that an operation has been performed on the operation panel 303 or data reception has been received in the power-saving state ST5004, the operating state of the printer 300 transitions to the standby state ST5003. When the printer 300 receives a job from the smartphone 500 while its operating state is in the standby state ST5002, it transitions to the state ST5005 during a job operation. When all the operations of the job received by the printer 300 from the smartphone 500 are completed in the state ST5005 during a job operation, the operating state of the printer 300 transitions to the standby state ST5002.Also, in the state ST5005 during job operation, if a cancel operation is performed on the operation panel 303 or the USB cable 108 is removed, the printer 300 starts the operation at the time of cancellation. By such an operation, the operation state of the printer 300 transitions to the state ST5006 during the cancel operation. When the cancel operation is completed, the operation state of the printer 300 transitions from the state ST5006 during the cancel operation to the standby state ST5003. Note that, as a countermeasure when a jam occurs in the state ST5005 during job operation, the state at the time of jam error may be included in the state ST5005 during job operation.

[0060] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of power consumption according to the operation state of the printer 300 in FIG. 1. FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing an example of power consumption for each operation state. In FIG. 10(a), an operation state column 10001, a power consumption column 10002, a required time column 10003, and a duration time when fully charged column 10004 are shown in association with each other. In the operation state column 10001, some of the operation states that specify the operation content of the printer 300 are shown. For example, the state ST5005 during job operation, the state ST5006 during cancel operation, the standby state ST5003, the power saving state ST5004, and the power off state ST5000 are shown. The power consumption column 10002 shows the average power consumption required for the operation state shown in the operation state column 10001. For example, when the operation state is the state ST5006 during cancel operation, it is shown that an average of 10 W of power is consumed in the state during cancel operation. The required time column 10003 shows the required time necessary for the state shown in the operation state column 10001. In an example of FIG. 10(a), the required time necessary for the state ST5006 during cancel operation is shown to be an average of 10 seconds. The duration time when fully charged column 10004 shows the time during which the power shown in the power consumption column 10002 can be continuously consumed in the state where the EDLC 606 is fully charged. In an example of FIG. 10(a), it is shown that the power consumption of 10 W required for the state ST5006 during cancel operation can be continuously supplied for 32 seconds. Alternatively, it is shown that the power consumption required for the standby state ST5003 can be continuously supplied for 80 seconds.

[0061] Figure 10(b) is a diagram showing the presence or absence of the operation of the wireless LAN and the required power consumption according to the transmission radio wave intensity. In the radio wave intensity column 10005, when the wireless LAN is operating, examples of stepwise settings of the transmission radio wave intensity are shown. In the radio wave intensity column 10005, when the wireless LAN is not operating, an example of setting to stop the transmission radio wave is shown. In the additional power column 10006, the additional power required additionally when the wireless LAN is operated at the transmission radio wave intensity shown in the radio wave intensity column 10005 is shown. This additional power needs to be added to the power consumption shown in the power consumption column 10002 for each operation state shown in Figure 10(a) to obtain the total power consumption. For example, in the standby state ST5003, when the operation of the wireless LAN is stopped and the operation state of the printer 300 is set to the standby state, 4W of power consumption is required. However, when the operation state of the printer 300 is set to the standby state with the transmission radio wave intensity of the wireless LAN being "strong", 4W of additional power is required. Therefore, the total power consumption is 4W + 4W = 8W. That is, 8W of power is required. Along with this, the duration of full charge 80 seconds shown in the duration of full charge column 10004 also becomes shorter by the amount of additional power. Therefore, when controlling the operation state of the printer 300 based on the duration of full charge, it is necessary to recalculate the duration of full charge. Furthermore, such recalculation needs to be performed for each set transmission radio wave intensity. In an example of Figure 10(b), since the transmission radio wave intensity is assumed to have three levels (three patterns), if the operation of the wireless LAN and the operation state of the printer 300 are planned, three recalculations are required for the three patterns of the transmission radio wave intensity. Here, "strong", "medium", and "weak" of the transmission radio wave intensity are assumed to control and divide the intensity of the transmission radio wave emitted by the printer 300 into three levels by the CPU 311 setting the wireless LAN unit 304 in Figure 2. Also, as shown in Figure 10(b), the additional power for emitting the transmission radio wave intensity from the printer 300 is set to 4W, 1.5W, and 0.5W corresponding to "strong", "medium", and "weak" of the transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, a set value proportional to the additional power is also assumed for the transmission radio wave intensity. Since the system configuration and the configuration of the control system in this embodiment, as well as the main processing of the CPU 311 shown in Figure 6, are the same as those in the first embodiment, the descriptions thereof are omitted here.

[0062] (Operation Example) FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the USB removal process in S3006 of FIG. 6. The USB removal process is executed by the CPU 311 as a sub-flow (also referred to as a subroutine) of S3006 in FIG. 6, which is the same as that in the first embodiment. In S3200, the CPU 311 determines whether the operating state of the printer 300 is the state ST5005 during job operation. If the operating state of the printer 300 is the state ST5005 during job operation, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3200 to the process of S3201. On the other hand, if the operating state of the printer 300 is not the state ST5005 during job operation, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3200 to the process of S3202. In S3201, the CPU 311 transitions to the state ST5006 during the cancel operation. That is, the CPU 311 starts the cancel operation while monitoring the execution of the job. Also, the operating state of the printer 300 transitions to the state S5006 during the cancel operation. In S3202, the CPU 311 performs the transmission radio wave intensity setting process. The content of this transmission radio wave intensity setting process will be described with reference to FIG. 12 below. When the transmission radio wave intensity setting process is performed in S3202, the operating state of the printer 300 can be continued in the most recent operating state for a desired period of time. Therefore, using that time, in the subsequent S3203, the CPU 311 performs the process of transmitting a notification of the change in the power supply state to the connected terminal. By such an operation, by notifying the connected terminal, when canceling the job held on the connected terminal or resending the job when the power supply is resumed later, it becomes possible to appropriately convey the necessary information to the connected terminal.

[0063] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing details of the transmission radio wave strength process in S3202 in FIG. 11. The process in FIG. 12 is executed by the CPU 311 as a subflow (also referred to as a subroutine) of step S3202 in FIG. 11. In S3300, the CPU 311 sets a tentative transmission radio wave strength. The tentative transmission radio wave strength indicates a candidate for the transmission radio wave strength. For example, each of the three patterns of transmission radio wave strength described using FIG. 10(b) is a candidate for the transmission radio wave strength. Since the additional power differs according to each candidate for the transmission radio wave strength, the CPU 311 determines whether the printer 300 is operable for each additional power. First, in S3301, the CPU 311 acquires information on the additional power according to the tentative transmission radio wave strength. For example, as shown in FIG. 10(b), when the transmission radio wave strength as the tentative transmission radio wave strength is strong, the additional power is set to 4W. In this case, the CPU 311 acquires 4W as information on the additional power.

[0064] In S3302, the CPU 311 acquires information on the EDLC charge amount. The EDLC charge amount is the charge amount of the EDLC 606. The charge amount of the EDLC 606 is calculated based on the power supply voltage V BAT Specifically, the ChargerIC601 is calculated based on the power supply voltage V BAT When the information of the power supply voltage V BAT The information is transferred to the ASIC 611. The CPU 311 receives the power supply voltage V BAT The CPU 311 calculates the variable Q as follows: BAT The calculation is performed as (V)×battery capacity (Ah). The battery capacity (Ah) is obtained from the battery specifications of the EDLC 606. In this manner, the CPU 311 obtains information on the charge amount of the EDLC 606, and stores the calculation result based on the information on the charge amount of the EDLC 606 in the variable Q.

[0065] In S3303, the CPU 311 acquires information on power consumption according to the operating state, and stores the acquired power consumption information in the variable Pm. As shown in FIG. 10(a), the operating state is information that specifies the operation content of the printer 300. For example, when the operating state is the power saving state, the power consumption according to the power saving state is 1 W. That is, the power consumption required for the power saving state is 1 W. Therefore, the CPU 311 stores information of 1 W in the variable Pm. Further, the CPU 311 acquires information on the connection duration for which it wants to maintain the connection by wireless communication, and stores the acquired connection duration information in the variable Tk. The information on the connection duration for which it wants to maintain the connection by wireless communication may be, for example, information obtained from the operation content of the operation panel 303 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the information on the connection duration for which it wants to maintain the connection by wireless communication may be, for example, information obtained from the wireless LAN unit 304 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the information on the connection duration for which it wants to maintain the connection by wireless communication may be, for example, information obtained from the short-range wireless communication unit 305 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the information on the connection duration for which it wants to maintain the connection by wireless communication may be, for example, information obtained from the USB interface 306 in FIG. 2.

[0066] In S3304, the CPU 311 stores the additional power information acquired in S3301 in the variable Pw. For example, when the additional power information is 4W, the CPU 311 stores the information of 4W in the variable Pw. In an example of FIG. 10(b), since there are three patterns of additional power, there are also three patterns of tentative transmission power intensities that are candidates for the transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, as will be described in the process of S3311 described later, if there is an unconfigured tentative transmission power intensity, the CPU 311 sets the tentative transmission power intensities of all patterns and repeats the operation availability determination process. Also, the process of S3304 is not particularly limited as long as it is after the process of S3301. Therefore, the process of S3304 may be executed between the process of S3301 and the process of S3302. Alternatively, the processes of S3300 and S3301 are not particularly limited as long as they are before the process of S3304. Therefore, after each process of S3302 to S3303, the processes of S3300, S3301, and S3304 may be executed. Here, each piece of information shown in FIG. 10(a) may be stored in the program memory 313 in advance as a data table. Alternatively, the power in the actual operating state may be measured and the data table may be updated.

[0067] In S3305, the CPU 311 stores the addition result of the variable Pm and the variable Pw in the variable Pout. The addition result of the variable Pm and the variable Pw indicates the information of the total power consumption of the power consumption according to the operation state specifying the operation content of the printer 300 and the additional power. Here, the additional power is the power that enables wireless communication by the wireless LAN. That is, it is the additional power in addition to the power required to perform the operation content of the printer 300 in order to perform wireless communication. The CPU 311 repeatedly obtains the total power consumption for the number of patterns of the tentative transmission power intensity that is a candidate for the transmission radio wave intensity.

[0068] In S3306, the CPU 311 stores the result of dividing variable Q by variable Pout in variable Tr. Since variable Q is the product of the power supply voltage VBAT (V) and the battery capacity (Ah), it indicates the charge amount of the EDLC 606 and has the unit of Wh. Also, the unit of variable Pout is W, and variable Pout indicates the total power consumption. Therefore, dividing variable Q by variable Pout gives the charge power duration. That is, variable Tr indicates how long the current charge amount can sustain the current operating state. Thus, variable Tr indicates information on the charge power duration. If the charge power duration is longer than the connection duration for maintaining the connection by wireless communication, the operating state of the printer 300 is executable. After storing the information on the charge power duration in variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3306 to S3307. In S3307, the CPU 311 determines whether variable Tk is less than or equal to variable Tr. If variable Tk is less than or equal to variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3307 to the process of S3308. Here, variable Tk being less than or equal to variable Tr indicates that it is possible to maintain the connection by wireless communication with the current charge amount and the current transmitted radio wave intensity. In S3308, the CPU 311 sets to maintain the transmitted radio wave intensity and advances the process of S3308 to the process of S3311.

[0069] On the other hand, when the variable Tk is not less than the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3307 to the process of S3309. That is, when the variable Tk exceeds the variable Tr, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3307 to the process of S3309. When the variable Tk exceeds the variable Tr, it indicates that connection by wireless communication cannot be maintained with the current charge amount and the current transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, in S3309, the CPU 311 sets the transmission radio wave intensity to be lowered by one step, obtains information on additional power corresponding to the transmission radio wave intensity lowered by one step, and advances the process of S3309 to the process of S3310. In S3310, the CPU 311 determines whether the current EDLC charge amount exceeds either the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount specified by the operating state and the transmission radio wave intensity. When the current EDLC charge amount exceeds either the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount specified by the operating state and the transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 returns the process of S3310 to the process of S3304. On the other hand, when the current EDLC charge amount does not exceed either the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount specified by the operating state and the transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3310 to the process of S3311. That is, in S3310, the fact that the current EDLC charge amount does not exceed either the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount specified by the operating state and the transmission radio wave intensity means that it is closest to the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount if it is the transmission radio wave intensity one step before the lowering. In other words, according to the processes of S3300 to S3310 described above, since the transmission radio wave intensity can be appropriately lowered, it becomes possible to obtain the transmission radio wave intensity that enables wireless communication even with the current EDLC charge amount. Next, the lower limit value of the necessary EDLC charge amount specified by the operating state and the transmission radio wave intensity will be described with reference to FIG. 13.

[0070] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the lower limit value of the required charge amount specified by the operating state of the printer 300 in FIG. 1 and the transmission radio wave intensity. In FIG. 13, a scenario where the variable Tk is 10 seconds is assumed. That is, the connection duration for maintaining the connection by wireless communication is 10 seconds. In FIG. 13, the lower limit value of the required EDLC charge amount is set according to the combination of the operating state of the printer 300 and the transmission radio wave intensity. Therefore, if it is below this lower limit value, the connection by wireless communication cannot be maintained, so in S3309 of FIG. 12, the process of reducing the transmission radio wave intensity is performed. For example, in the state ST5006 during the cancel operation, when the transmission radio wave intensity is "strong" and the EDLC charge amount is 35%, it is below the lower limit value of the required EDLC charge amount. Therefore, unless the transmission radio wave intensity is reduced to "weak", the connection duration of 10 seconds cannot be maintained. Therefore, the CPU 311 repeatedly performs the processes of S3309, S3310, S3304 to 3307 in FIG. 12 to gradually reduce the transmission radio wave intensity step by step in the order of "strong", "medium", and "weak". For example, in the first loop, "strong" is set as the transmission radio wave intensity. In the second loop, "medium" is set as the transmission radio wave intensity. In the third loop, "weak" is set as the transmission radio wave intensity.

[0071] Return to FIG. 12. In S3311, the CPU 311 determines whether there is an unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity. If there is an unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity, the CPU 311 returns the process of S3311 to S3300. For example, a situation is assumed where the processes from S3300 to S3310 in the case where the transmission radio wave intensity is "strong" have been executed, but the processes from S3300 to S3310 in each of "medium" and "weak" for the transmission radio wave intensity have not been executed. In this situation, the process of S3311 is returned to the process of S3300. On the other hand, if the CPU 311 has no unset temporary transmission radio wave intensity, it ends the transmission radio wave intensity setting process and returns to the process of S3202 in FIG. 11.

[0072] <Effects of the Second Embodiment> As described above, according to this embodiment, when the power of the printer 300 is on and the operating state of the printer 300 that specifies the operating content of the printer 300 is the state during the cancel operation, the CPU 311 performs the following operations. That is, the CPU 311 sets the intensity of the transmission radio wave so that wireless communication can be continued by the power supplied from the EDLC 606 for a preset time. According to such a configuration, the output of the transmission radio wave can be changed according to the operating state and the remaining charge amount of the EDLC 606. As a result, after the USB cable 108 is unplugged, it becomes possible to maintain the operation for a predetermined time while changing the output of the transmission radio wave.

[0073] Further, according to this embodiment, it may further include transmission means for transmitting the content of the notification that there has been a change in the power supply power based on the current supplied through the wired interface. That is, in the operation duration secured by being able to maintain the operation for a predetermined time by reducing the transmission radio wave intensity, it becomes possible to notify the terminal such as the connected smartphone 500 that the USB cable 108 has been unplugged. Here, the notification destination has been described as the smartphone 500, but it may be controlled to notify the cloud server 200 installed on the Internet 106. Alternatively, by notifying the cloud server 200, it is also assumed that the job held on the cloud server 200 is canceled or the job is resent when the power supply is resumed later. Even in such an assumption, it is possible to appropriately transmit necessary information to the cloud server 200.

[0074] Further, according to this embodiment, when the electrical connection between the wired interface and the power supply source of the current supplied through the wired interface is disconnected, the CPU 311 may regard the operating state of the printer 300 as the state during the cancel operation. According to such a configuration, it becomes possible to appropriately transition the operating state of the printer to the state during the cancel operation that needs to operate only with the charge amount of the EDLC 606.

[0075] Also, according to this embodiment, when the preset time exceeds the charging power duration based on the charge amount of the EDLC 606, the CPU 311 may set to reduce the intensity of the transmitted radio wave below the current intensity of the transmitted radio wave. According to such an operation, since the intensity of the transmitted radio wave can be set according to the charge amount of the EDLC 606, it becomes possible to appropriately output the transmitted radio wave from the printer 300.

[0076] <<Third Embodiment>> In the third embodiment, when the USB cable 108 is unplugged, the output of the transmitted radio wave is changed to maintain the operation of the printer 300 for a predetermined time. Thereby, an example of performing a screen display for notifying the state of the printer 300 on the operation panel 303 during the secured operation maintenance time will be described. Since the system configuration, the configuration of the control system, and the main processing of the CPU 311 shown in FIG. 6 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here.

[0077] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing other USB removal processing in S3006 of FIG. 6. The USB removal processing is executed by the CPU 311 as a sub-flow (also referred to as a subroutine) of S3006 in FIG. 6, which is the same as that in the first embodiment. In S3400, the CPU 311 determines whether the operating state of the printer 300 is the power saving state ST5004. If the operating state of the printer 300 is the power saving state ST5004, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3400 to the process of S3401. On the other hand, if the operating state of the printer 300 is not the power saving state ST5004, the CPU 311 advances the process of S3400 to the process of S3402. In S3401, the CPU 311 shifts the operating state of the printer 300 to the standby state ST5003 and turns on the liquid crystal backlight. In S3402, the CPU 311 performs transmission radio wave intensity setting processing. Since the content of this transmission radio wave intensity setting processing may be equivalent to that described in FIG. 12 of the second embodiment, the description thereof is omitted here. In S3402, when the transmission radio wave intensity setting processing is performed, the device operation can be continued for a desired time. Therefore, using that time, in the subsequent S3403, a USB removal notification screen 1000 notifying that the USB cable 108 has been unplugged is displayed on the operation panel 303.

[0078] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a USB removal notification screen 1000 as a notification screen in S3403 of FIG. 14. On the USB removal notification screen 1000, an error message 1001, a status message 1002, an instruction message, and an OK button are displayed. The error message 1001 indicates that the USB cable 108 has been unplugged from the USB connection terminal 607. In an example of FIG. 15, the error message 1001 shows the text "The USB cable has been unplugged." The status message 1002 indicates the current state of the printer 300. In an example of FIG. 15, the status message 1002 shows the text "The termination operation is being executed." The instruction message 1003 is a message for notifying an instruction to the user. In an example of FIG. 15, the instruction message 1003 shows the text "When the termination operation ends, the power will be turned off. Do not operate the device until then." When the OK button 1004 is pressed, the CPU 311 ends the display of the USB removal notification screen 1000.

[0079] Note that, in an example of FIG. 15, only the fact that the termination operation is in progress is displayed, but other information may be displayed in combination, and it is not particularly limited thereto. For example, the remaining time of the termination operation, or the progress may be displayed as a percentage. Alternatively, it may be configured to be displayed by a GUI (Graphical User Interface) such as a progress bar.

[0080] <Effects of the Third Embodiment> As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the power of the printer 300 is in the on state and the operation state of the printer 300 that specifies the operation content of the printer 300 is in the power saving state, the CPU 311 performs the following operation. That is, the CPU 311 sets the intensity of the transmission radio wave so that wireless communication can be continued by the charging power supplied from the EDLC 606 for a preset time. According to such a configuration, the output of the transmission radio wave can be changed according to the operation state and the remaining charge amount of the EDLC 606. As a result, after the USB cable 108 is unplugged, the operation can be maintained for a predetermined time while changing the output of the transmission radio wave.

[0081] According to the present embodiment, a display unit may be further provided for displaying the contents of a notification that there has been a change in the power supply based on the current supplied via the wired interface. That is, during the operation duration that has been secured by lowering the intensity of the transmitted radio wave to enable operation to be maintained for a predetermined period of time, the fact that the USB cable 108 has been unplugged can be displayed on the operation panel 303 to notify the user.

[0082] <<Other embodiments>> In the above-mentioned embodiments, an example of varying only the transmission radio wave intensity of the wireless LAN has been described, but it may be configured to be performed in combination with control for reducing other power consumption. For example, it may be combined with control for varying the power consumption by changing the number of clocks supplied to the CPU 311 or the peripheral circuits. Specifically, the power consumption of the CPU 311 or the peripheral circuits decreases as the number of clocks supplied decreases. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the circuits by lowering the number of clocks supplied. Alternatively, it may be combined with control for varying the power consumption by cutting off the power supply to a part of the peripheral circuits. In other words, the CPU or the peripheral circuits may be in a low clock state to reduce the power consumption depending on the content of the printed matter or the remaining charge of the EDLC 606 functioning as the power storage unit.

[0083] In each of the above-described embodiments, the printer 300 uses the power supply voltage V BAT The above description is based on an example in which the charger IC 601 can be driven by inputting the EDLC 606 to the charger IC 601. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. Instead of the EDLC 606, a lithium ion battery, a lead storage battery, a lithium ion capacitor, or other secondary battery may be used. Alternatively, a secondary battery set in which a plurality of electric double layer capacitors EDLC 606 are combined in series and parallel may be used. Alternatively, a secondary battery set in which the EDLC 606, a lithium ion battery, a lead storage battery, a lithium ion capacitor, or other secondary battery is combined may be used.

[0084] Also, the execution procedures of each flowchart described in each of the above-described embodiments are merely examples and are not limited to this example. For example, since each of the processes S3004 to S3008 in FIG. 6 is event-driven, they can be in any order. Also, for example, since each of the processes S3110 to S3116 in FIG. 7(b) is a process for executing the processes after S3117, they can be in any order. Also, each of the processes S3300 to S3306 in FIG. 12 is also a process for executing the processes after S3307, so they can be in any order.

[0085] Also, in each of the above-described embodiments, the description has been made based on an example in which the duration of full charge in FIGS. 5(a) and 10(a) is associated with the operation content of the printer 300. However, it is not limited to this example. The setting of the full charge duration may be changed so as to be interlocked with the deterioration of the EDLC 606 over time. For example, a plurality of full charge durations may be provided such that the full charge duration decreases as the deterioration of the EDLC 606 progresses over time. Also, for example, a weighted operation of a coefficient according to the passage of time may be performed such that the full charge duration decreases as the deterioration of the EDLC 606 progresses over time.

[0086] Also, in each of the above-described embodiments, the description has been made based on an example in which the wireless LAN always consumes a certain amount of power. However, it is not limited to this example. The power consumption of the wireless LAN actually varies depending on the traffic volume, or the ratio of transmission to reception, etc. Also, the ratio of the transmission traffic volume to the reception traffic volume is different between the print job and the read job. Therefore, after considering these variable factors, the power consumption of the wireless LAN may be varied to determine whether the printer 300 can operate. That is, in the present embodiment, attention has been paid to the transmission radio wave intensity in order to allocate power capable of wireless communication by the wireless LAN. However, since other factors related to wireless communication also cause the power consumption to vary, it is also possible to continue the operation of the entire apparatus in consideration of these variable factors.

[0087] The present invention can also be implemented by supplying a program that realizes one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and causing one or more processors in a computer of the system or apparatus to read and execute the program. It can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

[0088] The disclosure of this embodiment includes configurations typified by the following printing apparatus, printing method of the printing apparatus, and program.

[0089] <Configuration 1> A wireless interface capable of wireless communication, A wired interface to which power can be supplied, Charging means capable of charging a current supplied via the wired interface, Printing means for performing printing, Based on the combination of the current supplied via the wired interface, the operation content of the printing means, and the amount of charge charged to the charging means, among the power that can be allocated from the amount of charge, the power required to perform the operation content is allocated to the printing means, and the power capable of wireless communication is allocated to the wireless interface by control means. A printing apparatus characterized by comprising the above.

[0090] <Configuration 2> When the power supply of the printing apparatus is in the on state, the control means determines the intensity of the transmission radio wave transmitted via the wireless interface based on the power consumption required for the execution of the operation of the operation type that specifies the operation content and the power capable of wireless communication. The printing apparatus according to Configuration 1.

[0091] <Configuration 3> When there are a plurality of candidates for the intensity of the transmission radio wave, the control means determines, as the intensity of the transmission radio wave, the candidate with the strongest intensity among the plurality of candidates excluding the candidates in which the operation of the printing means is impossible. The printing apparatus according to Configuration 2.

[0092] <Configuration 4> When the total power consumption, which is the sum of the power consumption required for executing the operation of the operation type that specifies the operation content and the power for enabling the wireless communication, is equal to or less than the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface, the printing apparatus according to Configuration 3, wherein the control means enables the printing means to operate continuously.

[0093] <Configuration 5> When the total power consumption exceeds the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface and the required time for executing the operation content is equal to or less than the charging power duration corresponding to the charge amount, the printing apparatus according to Configuration 4, wherein the control means enables the printing means to operate intermittently.

[0094] <Configuration 6> When the control means does not enable the printing means to operate continuously and enables the printing means to operate intermittently, the printing apparatus according to Configuration 5, wherein the control means pauses the printing means during the execution of the operation of the operation type and charges the current supplied via the wired interface to the charging means.

[0095] <Configuration 7> When the power supply of the printing apparatus is in the on state and the operating state of the printing means that specifies the operation content is in the state of canceling the operation, the printing apparatus according to any one of Configurations 2 to 6, wherein the control means sets the intensity of the transmitted radio wave so that the wireless communication can be continued by the charging power supplied from the charging means for a preset time.

[0096] <Configuration 8> The printing apparatus according to Configuration 7, further comprising transmission means for transmitting the content of a notification that there has been a change in the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface.

[0097] <Configuration 9> When the power supply of the printing device is on and the operating state of the printing means for specifying the operation content is in a power-saving state, the control means sets the intensity of the transmitted radio wave so that the wireless communication can be continued by the charging power supplied from the charging means for a preset period of time. The printing device according to any one of Configurations 2 to 6.

[0098] <Configuration 10> The printing device according to Configuration 9, further comprising display means for displaying the content of a notification that there has been a change in the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface.

[0099] <Configuration 11> When the electrical connection between the wired interface and the power supply source of the current supplied via the wired interface is interrupted, the control means regards the operating state of the printing means as the state during the cancel operation. The printing device according to any one of Configurations 7 to 10.

[0100] <Configuration 12> When the preset time exceeds the charging power duration based on the charge amount, the control means sets the intensity of the transmitted radio wave to be lower than the current intensity of the transmitted radio wave. The printing device according to any one of Configurations 7 to 11.

[0101] <Configuration 13> The wired interface includes a USB interface. The printing device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 12.

[0102] <Configuration 14> The wireless interface includes a wireless LAN. The printing device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 13.

[0103] <Configuration 15> A charging step of charging the current supplied via a wired interface capable of supplying power, A printing step of performing printing by a printing means; Based on the operation content of the printing means and the amount of charge charged in the charging step, a control step of allocating power that can be wirelessly communicated to the wireless interface in a state where the power required to perform the printing is allocated to the printing means from the power that can be allocated from the amount of charge; A printing method of a printing apparatus, characterized by including the above.

[0104] <Configuration 16> A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the printing method according to Configuration 15.

Explanation of symbols

[0105] 300 Printer 400 PC terminal 500 Smartphone 101 Wireless LAN access point 109 USB power adapter

Claims

1. A wireless interface capable of wireless communication, A wired interface capable of supplying power, Charging means capable of charging a current supplied via the wired interface, Printing means for performing printing, Based on the combination of the current supplied via the wired interface, the operation details of the printing means, and the amount of charge charged to the charging means, among the power that can be allocated from the amount of charge, the power required to perform the operation details is allocated to the printing means, and the power capable of wireless communication is allocated to the wireless interface from the remaining power, A printing apparatus comprising the same.

2. When the power supply of the printing apparatus is in the on state, the control means determines the intensity of the transmission radio wave transmitted via the wireless interface based on the power consumption required for the execution of the operation of the operation type that specifies the operation details and the power capable of wireless communication. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. When there are a plurality of candidates for the intensity of the transmission radio wave, the control means determines the candidate with the strongest intensity from among the plurality of candidates excluding the candidates in which the operation of the printing means is impossible as the intensity of the transmission radio wave. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. When the total power consumption of the power consumption required for the execution of the operation of the operation type that specifies the operation details and the power capable of wireless communication is equal to or less than the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface, the control means enables the printing means to operate continuously. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that.

5. When the total power consumption exceeds the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface and the required time required for the execution of the operation details is equal to or less than the charging power duration corresponding to the amount of charge, the control means enables the printing means to operate intermittently. The printing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. When the control means does not enable the printing means to operate continuously and enables the printing means to operate intermittently, the control means pauses the printing means during the execution of the operation of the operation type and charges the current supplied via the wired interface to the charging means. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. When the power supply of the printing apparatus is in the on state and the operating state of the printing means for specifying the operation content is in the state of canceling operation, the control means sets the intensity of the transmission radio wave so that the wireless communication can be continued by the charging power supplied from the charging means for a preset time. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising transmission means for transmitting the content of a notification that there has been a change in the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface.

9. When the power supply of the printing apparatus is in the on state and the operating state of the printing means for specifying the operation content is in the power saving state, the control means sets the intensity of the transmission radio wave so that the wireless communication can be continued by the charging power supplied from the charging means for a preset time. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising display means for displaying the content of a notification that there has been a change in the power supply power based on the current supplied via the wired interface.

11. When the electrical connection between the wired interface and the power supply source of the current supplied via the wired interface is disconnected, the control means regards the operating state of the printing means as being in the state of canceling operation. The printing apparatus according to claim 7.

12. When the preset time exceeds the charging power duration based on the charge amount, the control means sets the intensity of the transmission radio wave to be lower than the current intensity of the transmission radio wave. The printing apparatus according to claim 7.

13. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wired interface includes a USB interface.

14. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless LAN.

15. A charging step of charging a current supplied via a wired interface capable of supplying power, A printing step of causing printing to be performed by printing means, A control step of allocating power that enables wireless communication from the remaining power obtained by allocating, to the printing means, the power required for performing the printing among the power that can be allocated from the charged amount based on the operation content of the printing means and the charged amount charged in the charging step, to a wireless interface; A printing method for a printing apparatus, comprising the steps. **Claim 16** A program for causing a computer to execute each step of the printing method according to Claim 15.

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