Control device, image forming apparatus, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, an image forming device and a control program which make it possible to make the devices continuously usable even if an error has occurred in data communication performed by communication I / Fs connecting two control substrates.SOLUTION: A control device 40 includes: a controller substrate 50 which comprises a CPU 11, a first communication I / F 52, and a second communication I / F 53; and an engine control substrate 60 which comprises an ASIC 61, a first communication I / F 62, and a second communication I / F 63. The CPU 11 or ASIC 61 performs data communication via the second communication I / F 53, 63 if connection via the second communication I / F 53, 63 is detected after an error occurring in data communication performed by the first communication I / Fs 52, 62 is detected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, an image forming apparatus, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a device control device that has a plurality of control units that control units and that communicate with each other to operate in cooperation with each other. This control device has a detection means that detects an error in the control unit, and a reset means that, when the detection means detects an error in the control unit, performs a reset process on the control unit in which the error occurred.

[0003] Patent Document 2 also describes a communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device. This communication device includes an error detection means for detecting an error in communication with the external communication device, a communication cutoff means for arbitrarily cutting off a logical connection with the external communication device, and a communication error processing means for monitoring an error occurrence state using the error detection means after shifting from a first communication speed to a second communication speed, logically cutting off the connection with the external communication device using the communication cutoff means according to the state, setting the second communication speed as unsupported, and then re-establishing a logical connection with the external communication device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-143842 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-350220 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In many control devices, a controller board equipped with a CPU that controls overall processing and a board equipped with a processor that performs specialized control for processing functions are used as separate boards, and these control boards are sometimes connected by a bus via a relatively high-speed communication interface (communication I / F).

[0006] However, a bus connection between these two control boards is more prone to data communication errors than a single control board with a CPU and a processor that processes functions, making the device unusable until the data communication error is resolved.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a control device, an image forming device, and a control program that enable the device to continue to be used even if an error occurs in data communication via a communication I / F connecting two control boards. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the control device of the first aspect includes a first control board and a second control board, each having a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and connected via the first communication interface, and when the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects an error in data communication via the first communication interface and then detects a connection via the second communication interface, the data communication is performed via the second communication interface.

[0009] In addition, the control device of the second aspect is the control device of the first aspect, in which when the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects an error in the data communication, it outputs image information or text information instructing the connection to be made via the second communication interface.

[0010] In addition, the control device of the third aspect is the control device of the second aspect, in which when the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects a connection via the second communication interface, the control device restarts the device itself, and after restarting, performs the data communication via the second communication interface.

[0011] In addition, the control device according to the fourth aspect is a control device according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board restarts the device in response to the occurrence of the error, and then determines that the error has occurred if the error occurs again.

[0012] In addition, a control device according to a fifth aspect is a control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, in which a plurality of second communication interfaces are provided on each of the first control board and the second control board, and when the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects the occurrence of an error in the data communication, it selects a second communication interface from the plurality of second communication interfaces that satisfies predetermined conditions.

[0013] A control device according to a sixth aspect is the control device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is that the communication speed of the second communication interfaces is the highest among the plurality of second communication interfaces.

[0014] In addition, a control device according to a seventh aspect includes the control device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is that none of the plurality of second communication interfaces is used for a predetermined purpose.

[0015] In addition, a control device according to an eighth aspect is the control device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the predetermined condition is that the communication speed is the fastest among two or more second communication interfaces included in the plurality of second communication interfaces that are not used for a predetermined purpose.

[0016] A control device according to a ninth aspect is the control device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the processor of the first control board is a CPU, and the processor of the second control board is an ASIC.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an image forming apparatus according to a tenth aspect is an image forming apparatus equipped with a control device including a first control board and a second control board, wherein each of the first control board and the second control board has a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and are connected via the first communication interface, and when the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects an error in data communication via the first communication interface, it controls a display unit to display image information or text information instructing the device to connect via the second communication interface, and when it detects a connection via the second communication interface, it performs the data communication via the second communication interface.

[0018] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, the control program of the eleventh aspect is a control program for a control device including a first control board and a second control board, each of which has a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and which is connected via the first communication interface, and which causes a computer to execute the data communication via the second communication interface when it detects an error in data communication via the first communication interface and then detects a connection via the second communication interface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the first, tenth, and eleventh aspects, even if an error occurs in data communication via a communication I / F connecting two control boards, the device itself can be continuously used.

[0020] According to the second aspect, there is an effect that it is possible to instruct the user to connect the second communication I / F.

[0021] According to the third aspect, there is an effect that data communication via the second communication I / F can be enabled after rebooting.

[0022] According to the fourth aspect, there is an effect that the occurrence of an error can be detected more reliably than when no restart is performed.

[0023] According to the fifth aspect, compared to a case where predetermined conditions for the second communication I / F are not taken into consideration, an effect is achieved in that an appropriate second communication I / F can be selected from among a plurality of second communication I / Fs.

[0024] According to the sixth aspect, compared to the case where the communication speed of the second communication I / F is not taken into consideration, an effect is obtained in that an appropriate second communication I / F can be selected from among a plurality of second communication I / Fs.

[0025] According to the seventh aspect, compared to a case where the usage state of the second communication I / F is not taken into consideration, an effect is achieved in that an appropriate second communication I / F can be selected from among a plurality of second communication I / Fs.

[0026] According to the eighth aspect, compared to when the usage status and communication speed of the second communication I / F are not taken into consideration, an appropriate second communication I / F can be selected from among a plurality of second communication I / Fs.

[0027] According to the ninth aspect, there is an effect that data communication between the CPU and the ASIC can be performed continuously. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow by a control program according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a connection instruction screen according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow by a control program according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view showing an example of a connection instruction screen according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] An example of an embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that components and processes that perform the same operations, actions, and functions are given the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. Each drawing is merely a schematic illustration to allow a sufficient understanding of the technology of the present disclosure. Therefore, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated examples. Furthermore, in this embodiment, descriptions of configurations that are not directly related to the present invention or well-known configurations may be omitted.

[0030] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of an image forming apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an input / output interface (I / O) 14, a memory unit 15, a display unit 16, an operation unit 17, a document reading unit 18, an image forming unit 19, and a communication unit 20.

[0032] The CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14 are connected to each other via a bus. The I / O 14 is connected to various functional units including a storage unit 15, a display unit 16, an operation unit 17, a document reading unit 18, an image forming unit 19, and a communication unit 20. These functional units can communicate with the CPU 11 via the I / O 14.

[0033] The control device 40 is configured with the CPU 11, ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14. The control device 40 may be configured as a sub-controller that controls part of the operation of the image forming apparatus 10, or may be configured as part of a main control unit that controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. For example, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip set is used for some or all of the blocks of the control device 40. Individual circuits may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which some or all of the blocks are integrated may be used. The above blocks may be provided integrally, or some of the blocks may be provided separately. Furthermore, parts of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of control is not limited to LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may also be used.

[0034] The ROM 12 stores a control program for the control device 40 according to this embodiment. The control program may be pre-installed in the control device 40, for example. The control program may be stored in a non-volatile storage medium or distributed via a network and installed appropriately in the control device 40. Examples of non-volatile storage media include a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a magneto-optical disk, a HDD, a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a memory card, etc.

[0035] For example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, etc. is used as the storage unit 15. The storage unit 15 stores programs, data, etc. related to various functions of the image forming apparatus 10.

[0036] The display unit 16 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display. The display unit 16 may be integrally provided with a touch panel. The operation unit 17 is provided with various operation keys, such as a numeric keypad and a start key. The display unit 16 and the operation unit 17 function as an operation panel to receive various instructions from a user of the image forming apparatus 10. These various instructions include, for example, an instruction to start scanning a document or an instruction to start copying a document. The display unit 16 displays various information, such as the results of processing executed in response to instructions received from the user and notifications regarding the processing.

[0037] The document reading unit 18 takes in documents placed on a paper feed tray of an automatic document feeder (not shown) provided on the top of the image forming apparatus 10, one by one, and optically reads the taken-in documents to obtain image information. Alternatively, the document reading unit 18 optically reads a document placed on a document tray such as a platen glass to obtain image information.

[0038] The image forming unit 19 forms an image on paper, which is an example of a recording medium, based on the image information obtained by reading by the document reading unit 18. Note that, although the following description will be given using an electrophotographic method as an example of a method for forming an image, other methods such as an inkjet method may also be used.

[0039] When the image formation method is electrophotography, the image forming unit 19 includes a photosensitive drum, a charging device, an exposure device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a fixing device. The charging device applies a voltage to the photosensitive drum to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum. The exposure device forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum by exposing the photosensitive drum, which has been charged by the charging device, to light corresponding to image information. The developing device develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner to form a toner image on the photosensitive drum. The transfer device transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to paper. The fixing device fixes the toner image transferred to the paper by applying heat and pressure.

[0040] The communication unit 20 is connected to a network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), and is capable of communicating with external devices such as personal computers (PCs) via the network.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control device 40 according to the first embodiment.

[0042] 2, the control device 40 according to this embodiment includes a controller board 50 and an engine control board 60. The engine unit 70 includes the engine control board 60, a document reading unit 18, and an image forming unit 19. The controller board 50 is an example of a first control board, and the engine control board 60 is an example of a second control board. Note that the ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14 are included in the controller board 50, but will not be described here for the sake of simplicity.

[0043] The controller board 50 includes a CPU 11, a first communication interface (first communication I / F) 52, and a second communication interface (second communication I / F) 53. The CPU 11 is an example of a processor of the first control board, and controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 10. The controller board 50 performs (1) operation control of each device of the document reading unit 18 and the image forming unit 19, (2) image data processing, (3) document service execution, (4) communication with an external I / F, etc., and the signal communications of (1) and (2) are performed between the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60.

[0044] The engine control board 60 includes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 61, a first communication I / F 62, and a second communication I / F 63. The ASIC 61 is an example of a processor of the second control board, and controls specific processing executed by the image forming apparatus 10, which in this embodiment is image processing. The document reading unit 18 inputs image data to the ASIC 61, and the image forming unit 19 outputs the image data received from the ASIC 61 after image processing.

[0045] The controller board 50 and the engine control board 60 are separate boards, and the first communication I / F 52 and the first communication I / F 62 are connected to each other, enabling communication between the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61. Relatively high-speed communication I / Fs such as PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect-Express) and USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 are used for the first communication I / F 52 and the first communication I / F 62, while general-purpose I / Fs such as USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and Ethernet are used for the second communication I / F 53 and the second communication I / F 63. The second communication I / F 53 and the second communication I / F 63 may be wireless I / Fs. The second communication I / F 53 and the second communication I / F 63 are provided in advance in the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60 as I / Fs for specific purposes. The specific use is, for example, connection to an external device (such as an IC card reader, various optional items, or a USB memory).

[0046] As described above, a configuration in which the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60 are connected via a bus is more susceptible to data communication errors than a configuration in which the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 are provided on a single control board. In this case, the device becomes unusable until the data communication error is resolved.

[0047] Therefore, the CPU 11 of the control device 40 according to this embodiment writes the control program stored in the ROM 12 to the RAM 13 and executes it. After detecting an error in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52, 62 connecting the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60, if the CPU 11 detects a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63 provided on each of these two control boards, the data communication is performed via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63. In other words, if an error occurs and is not recovered from during use of the image forming apparatus 10, communication between the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 is performed via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63 instead of the first communication I / Fs 52, 62 when the CPU 11 detects a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63. This allows the image forming apparatus 10 to be used continuously until repairs (such as replacement of the board) are required.

[0048] Although the CPU 11 detects the occurrence of an error in the above example, the ASIC 61 may instead detect the occurrence of an error. That is, a control program may be stored in the ROM of the engine control board 60 on the ASIC 61 side, and the ASIC 61 may execute the control program. In this case, similar to the CPU 11, the ASIC 61 executes the control program to detect an error in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52, 62 connecting the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60. After detecting a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63 provided on each of these two control boards, the ASIC 61 executes the data communication via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63. Note that both the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 may be capable of executing the control program. In this case, it is sufficient to previously configure the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 so that one of them executes the control program and the other serves as a backup.

[0049] In addition, when the CPU 11 or the ASIC 61 detects an error in data communication, it may output image information or text information instructing connection via the second communication I / F 53, 63, as shown in Figure 4 described below, for example.

[0050] In addition, when the CPU 11 or ASIC 61 detects a connection via the second communication I / F 53, 63, it may restart its own device and, after the restart, perform data communication via the second communication I / F 53, 63.

[0051] Furthermore, the CPU 11 or the ASIC 61 may be configured to determine that an error has occurred if an error occurs again after restarting the device itself in response to the occurrence of an error.

[0052] Next, the operation of the control device 40 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow according to a control program according to the first embodiment.

[0054] First, when the power supply of the control device 40 is turned on, the control program is started by the CPU 11 and the following steps are executed. Note that although the case where the CPU 11 executes the control program will be described here, the same applies when the ASIC 61 executes the control program.

[0055] 3, the CPU 11 determines whether or not an error has been detected in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52, 62 that connect the controller board 50 and the engine control board 60. If it is determined that a communication error has been detected (in the case of a positive determination), the process proceeds to step S102, and if it is determined that a communication error has not been detected (in the case of a negative determination), the process waits in step S101.

[0056] In step S102, the CPU 11 restarts the device itself and attempts to recover from the communication error by restarting.

[0057] In step S103, the CPU 11 again determines whether or not an error has been detected in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52 and 62. If it is determined that a communication error has been detected (positive determination), the process proceeds to step S104, and if it is determined that a communication error has not been detected (negative determination), the process returns to step S101 and waits.

[0058] In step S104, the CPU 11 outputs image information or text information to the display unit 16, instructing the display unit 16 to establish a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63, as shown in FIG.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a connection instruction screen 80 according to the first embodiment.

[0060] 4 is a screen including image information or text information instructing connection via the second communication I / Fs 53, 63, and is displayed on the display unit 16. In this example, a message saying "Please connect the external I / Fs with a cable!" is displayed together with image information representing the second communication I / Fs 53, 63.

[0061] In step S105, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63 has been detected. If it is determined that a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63 has been detected (if the determination is positive), the process proceeds to step S106, and if it is determined that a connection via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63 has not been detected (if the determination is negative), the process waits in step S105.

[0062] In step S106, the CPU 11, triggered by the detection of the connection in step S105, automatically restarts its own device and enables data communication via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63. In other words, after the restart, communication between the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 is performed via the second communication I / Fs 53 and 63 instead of the first communication I / Fs 52 and 62.

[0063] In step S107, the CPU 11 outputs information to the display unit 16 instructing the user to call a repair technician (also called a serviceman), and ends the series of processes according to this control program. The display unit 16 displays the information on a UI (User Interface). For example, it displays a message such as "The circuit board needs to be replaced, so please call a repair technician!"

[0064] As described above, according to this embodiment, if a connection via the second communication I / F is detected after an error in data communication via the first communication I / F is detected, communication between the CPU and the ASIC is performed via the second communication I / F instead of the first communication I / F, which allows the image forming apparatus to be used continuously until it is repaired.

[0065] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, a configuration in which each control board has one second communication I / F has been described. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which each control board has multiple second communication I / Fs will be described.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 40A according to the second embodiment.

[0067] 5, the control device 40A according to this embodiment includes a controller board 50A and an engine control board 60A. The engine unit 70A includes the engine control board 60A, a document reading unit 18, and an image forming unit 19. Although the ROM 12, RAM 13, and I / O 14 are included in the controller board 50A, their description will be omitted for simplicity's sake. The same components as those in the waiting control device 40 according to the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] The controller board 50A includes a CPU 11, a first communication I / F 52, and a plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, . . .

[0069] The engine control board 60A includes an ASIC 61, a first communication I / F 62, and a plurality of second communication I / Fs 63A, 63B, etc. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of second communication I / Fs 63A, 63B, etc. is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc.

[0070] When the CPU 11 or the ASIC 61 detects an error in data communication, it selects a second communication I / F from the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc. that satisfies a predetermined condition. Then, when the CPU 11 or the ASIC 61 detects a connection via the selected second communication I / F, it executes data communication via the selected second communication I / F. The predetermined condition includes, for example, the highest communication speed among the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc. Specifically, if the second communication I / F 53A is USB 3.0 and the second communication I / F 53B is USB 2.0, the second communication I / F 53A is selected. It is assumed that the second communication I / F 63A on the ASIC 61 side supports USB 3.0 and the second communication I / F 63B supports USB 2.0.

[0071] The predetermined condition may also include that none of the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc. is being used for a predetermined purpose. As described above, the predetermined purpose here includes, for example, a purpose of connecting to an external device (such as an IC card reader, various optional items, or a USB memory). Specifically, when the second communication I / F 53A is connected to an external device, the second communication I / F 53B is selected.

[0072] Furthermore, the predetermined condition may include that the communication speed is the fastest among two or more second communication I / Fs that are not used for a predetermined purpose and are included in the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc. Specifically, when the second communication I / Fs 53A and 53B are not being used among the plurality of second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc., and the second communication I / F 53A is USB 3.0 and the second communication I / F 53B is USB 2.0, the second communication I / F 53A is selected.

[0073] Next, the operation of the control device 40A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0074] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow according to a control program according to the second embodiment.

[0075] First, when the power supply of the control device 40A is turned on, the control program is started by the CPU 11 and the following steps are executed. Note that although the case where the control program is executed by the CPU 11 will be described here, the same applies when the control program is executed by the ASIC 61.

[0076] 6, the CPU 11 determines whether or not an error has been detected in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52 and 62 that connect the controller board 50A and the engine control board 60A. If it is determined that a communication error has been detected (in the case of a positive determination), the process proceeds to step S112, and if it is determined that a communication error has not been detected (in the case of a negative determination), the process waits in step S111.

[0077] In step S112, the CPU 11 restarts the device itself and attempts to recover from the communication error by restarting.

[0078] In step S113, the CPU 11 again determines whether or not an error has been detected in data communication via the first communication I / Fs 52 and 62. If it is determined that a communication error has been detected (in the case of a positive determination), the process proceeds to step S114, and if it is determined that a communication error has not been detected (in the case of a negative determination), the process returns to step S111 and enters standby.

[0079] In step S114, the CPU 11 selects a second communication I / F that satisfies a predetermined condition from among the multiple second communication I / Fs 53A, 53B, etc. As described above, the predetermined condition includes, for example, the highest communication speed. Here, the second communication I / F 53A is selected, and the second communication I / F 63A on the ASIC 61 side is set as the connection target.

[0080] In step S115, the CPU 11 outputs, to the display unit 16, image information or text information instructing connection via the selected second communication I / F 53A, 63A, as shown in FIG. 7, for example.

[0081] FIG. 7 is a front view showing an example of a connection instruction screen 81 according to the second embodiment.

[0082] 7 is a screen including image information or text information instructing connection via the selected second communication I / Fs 53A, 63A, and is displayed on the display unit 16. In this example, a message saying "Please connect the selected external I / Fs with a cable!" is displayed together with image information that explicitly shows the selected second communication I / Fs 53A, 63A (second communication I / Fs indicated by "1").

[0083] In step S116, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a connection via the second communication I / F 53A, 63A has been detected. If it is determined that a connection via the second communication I / F 53A, 63A has been detected (if the determination is positive), the process proceeds to step S117, and if it is determined that a connection via the second communication I / F 53A, 63A has not been detected (if the determination is negative), the process waits in step S116.

[0084] In step S117, the CPU 11, triggered by the detection of the connection in step S116, automatically restarts its own device and enables data communication via the second communication I / Fs 53A and 63A. That is, after the restart, communication between the CPU 11 and the ASIC 61 is performed via the second communication I / Fs 53A and 63A instead of the first communication I / Fs 52 and 62.

[0085] In step S118, the CPU 11 outputs information to the display unit 16 instructing the user to call a repair technician (service technician), and ends the series of processes according to this control program.

[0086] Thus, according to this embodiment, when communication between the CPU and the ASIC is performed via the second communication I / F instead of the first communication I / F, for example, the second communication I / F, which has the highest speed, is selected, thereby suppressing degradation of data communication performance.

[0087] In each of the above embodiments, the control device according to the embodiment is described as being applied to an image forming device, but it goes without saying that the application is not limited to an image forming device and can be applied to other information processing devices such as a server computer, a personal computer, etc.

[0088] In each of the above embodiments, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0089] Furthermore, the operations of the processor in each of the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in each of the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0090] The above describes the control device according to the embodiment and the image forming apparatus equipped with the control device. The embodiment may be in the form of a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of the control device. The embodiment may be in the form of a non-transitory storage medium that stores the program and is readable by a computer.

[0091] Furthermore, the configuration of the control device described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and may be changed depending on the situation without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0092] Furthermore, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is also an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be rearranged within the scope of the main idea.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the processing according to the embodiment is realized by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited to this. The embodiment may be realized by, for example, a hardware configuration or a combination of a hardware configuration and a software configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 10 Image forming device 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 I / O 15 Storage section 16 Display section 17 Control section 18 Document reading section 19 Image forming unit 20 Communications Department 40, 40A control device 50, 50A controller board 52, 62 1st communication I / F 53, 53A, 53B, 63, 63A, 63B 2nd communication I / F 60, 60A engine control board 61 ASIC 70, 70A engine section

Claims

1. a first control board and a second control board each having a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and connected via the first communication interface; The processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board When a connection via the second communication interface is detected after an occurrence of an error in data communication via the first communication interface is detected, the data communication is performed via the second communication interface. Control device.

2. When the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects an error in the data communication, the processor outputs image information or text information to a display unit, instructing the device to connect via the second communication interface. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. When the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board detects the connection via the second communication interface, the processor restarts the own device, and after the restart, executes the data communication via the second communication interface. The control device according to claim 2 .

4. The processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board restarts the device in response to the occurrence of the error, and then, when the error occurs again, determines that the error has occurred. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a plurality of the second communication interfaces are provided on each of the first control board and the second control board; When detecting an occurrence of an error in the data communication, the processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board selects a second communication interface that satisfies a predetermined condition from among the plurality of second communication interfaces. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The predetermined condition includes that the communication speed of the second communication interfaces is the highest among the plurality of second communication interfaces. The control device according to claim 5 .

7. The predetermined condition includes that none of the plurality of second communication interfaces is used for a predetermined purpose. The control device according to claim 5 .

8. The predetermined condition includes that the communication speed is the highest among two or more second communication interfaces that are included in the plurality of second communication interfaces and that are not used for a predetermined purpose. The control device according to claim 5 .

9. the processor of the first control board is a CPU, The processor of the second control board is an ASIC. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An image forming apparatus including a control device including a first control board and a second control board, Each of the first control board and the second control board includes: a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and connected via the first communication interface; The processor of the first control board or the processor of the second control board When an error is detected in data communication via the first communication interface, control is performed to display image information or text information on a display unit instructing the device to connect via the second communication interface; When a connection via the second communication interface is detected, the data communication is performed via the second communication interface. Image forming device.

11. A control program for a control device including a first control board and a second control board, each of which has a processor, a first communication interface, and a second communication interface, and which is connected via the first communication interface, When detecting a connection via the second communication interface after detecting an occurrence of an error in data communication via the first communication interface, performing the data communication via the second communication interface; A control program for a computer to execute.

Images