JP2009088888A - Image formation processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem of being sometimes unable to detect what causes restarting because a CPU for performing processing is reset when an image formation processor is restarted. <P>SOLUTION: The image formation processor is provided with: a means for separating a power supply system of a CPU in order to monitor a power supply; a means for accessing a unit to which a rest is connected to confirm whether the unit is reset; a means for writing a restarting factor in a nonvolatile memory when detecting abnormality in the power supply; a means for reading data of the nonvolatile memory upon restarting to determine whether power activation is normally performed; and a means for displaying contents of the restarting factor in an operating part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming processing apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine, and more particularly to an image forming processing apparatus that can accurately determine whether the apparatus can operate normally.

  In an image forming processing apparatus such as a printer or a copying machine, a reset circuit is provided for resetting and restarting when an abnormality occurs in the apparatus and normal operation cannot be ensured.

  For example, when the voltage of the power source that supplies power to the controller unit that controls the image forming processing apparatus becomes a predetermined low voltage that cannot ensure normal operation, a low voltage detection reset signal from the low voltage detection unit is generated. Input to the CPU to restart the entire device.

  When the WDT (watchdog timer) abnormality detection circuit section monitors the P-RUN signal from the CPU and the P-RUN signal is interrupted, it is assumed that the CPU is out of control and a WDT abnormality detection reset signal is sent to the CPU. The entire device is restarted when input.

  In addition, when the power to the controller unit is turned on, the delay reset signal is also input to the CPU from the delay circuit in order to suppress the activation of the controller unit until the voltage reaches a predetermined value.

As an example of the above, Patent Document 1 below can be cited.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-24898

  However, when the image forming processing apparatus is restarted, the CPU that performs processing is reset, and it may not be possible to detect the cause of the restart.

  For this reason, the cause of the restart process is not known, and even if the service person repairs, it is impossible to determine where the failure is.

  Accordingly, in view of the above-described conventional problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming processing apparatus that can reliably detect an abnormal power supply state and know a restart factor.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration.

  A means for separating the power supply system of the CPU to monitor the power supply, a means for accessing the unit to which the reset is connected and confirming whether the reset has been applied, and a restart factor when a power supply abnormality is detected is nonvolatile And a means for reading data from the non-volatile memory at the time of restart, determining whether the power is normally turned on, and a means for displaying the content of the restart factor on the operation unit. And

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the image forming processing apparatus includes means for accessing a register of the unit and determining whether or not a reset is applied depending on whether or not the value of the register is a default value. .

  As described above, according to the present exemplary embodiment, it is possible to reliably detect an abnormal power supply state of the apparatus, and it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of knowing a restart factor.

  Next, details of the present invention will be described in accordance with the description of the embodiments.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as MFP) having a composite function such as a copy function, a printer function, and a scanner function, which is a representative embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is an MFP controller, 2 is a printer for forming an image in accordance with, for example, an electrophotographic system, and 3 is a document reading scanner. Such components 1 to 3 constitute an MFP having a copy function, a printer function, a scanner function, and the like.

  The printer 2 is not limited to the electrophotographic method as long as it can form an image on both sides of a sheet-like recording medium (for example, recording paper), and other recording methods such as, for example, An ink jet method, a thermal transfer method, or the like may be used.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the MFP controller 1 and the document reading scanner 3 shown in FIG.

  First, the internal configuration of the MFP controller 1 will be described.

  In FIG. 2, 101 is a RAM, 102 is a ROM storing a control program for the MFP controller 1, 103 is a CPU for controlling the entire MFP controller 1, and 104 is a nonvolatile memory for storing setting information.

  Reference numeral 105 denotes a CPU that mainly performs image processing of image data, 106 denotes a video bus, and 107 denotes an IO bus.

  108 is a resolution conversion unit that converts the resolution of image data, 109 is a compression / expansion unit that compresses and decompresses image data, 110 is a video output interface (I / F), and 111 is a video input interface (I / F). is there.

  Reference numeral 112 denotes a LAN controller (LANcont), 113 denotes an Ethernet (registered trademark) LAN adopting, for example, a TCP / IP protocol, 116 denotes a hard disk controller (HDcont), 117 denotes a hard disk (HD), and 118 denotes a user interface (UI) controller. (UIcont).

  A user interface (UI) 119 includes a switch, a key, a display, and the like for receiving an instruction from the user and displaying a device status to the user.

  It is also possible to connect to another computer (not shown) via the Ethernet (registered trademark) LAN 113 and transfer print data and a print instruction from the computer to the MFP controller.

  Reference numeral 114 denotes a printer image processing block that receives an image signal from the video output interface and performs image processing, and outputs the resulting image signal to the printer 2.

  Reference numeral 116 denotes a scanner image processing unit that inputs an image signal from the document reading scanner 3 and performs image processing, and outputs the resulting image signal to the video input interface 111.

  Next, the internal configuration of the document reading scanner 3 will be described.

  In FIG. 2, 301 is an A / D converter, and 302 is a CCD, which is used for reading an image original.

  FIG. 3 is a connection diagram of the reset circuit of the MFP controller 1 for explaining the effect of the present invention.

  In FIG. 3, reference numeral 130 denotes a power supply system (1) for supplying power to the CPU 103 and the nonvolatile memory 104, and 131 denotes a CPU 105, a resolution conversion unit 108, a compression / decompression unit 109, a video output interface I / F 110, and a video input. The power supply system (2) supplies power to the interface I / F 111.

  Reference numeral 132 denotes a reset IC that monitors the power supply state of the power supply system (2), and the output signal of the reset IC is connected to the reset input terminal of each unit via the general-purpose input port 133 and the buffer 134 of the CPU 103.

  Next, the operation waveform of the power supply abnormality detection circuit is shown using FIG.

  In FIG. 4, when the power supply of the power supply system (2) 131 temporarily decreases, the reset IC 132 detects the power supply decrease and enables the reset output signal (drives Low).

  When the reset signal changes to enable, each unit is reset via the buffer 134.

  Accordingly, a reset signal connected to the general-purpose input port of the CPU 103 is also enabled, so that the CPU 103 that controls the entire MFP controller 1 can detect that an abnormality has occurred in the power supply.

  Next, operation waveforms when the power supply abnormality detection circuit malfunctions will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 5, the reset signal connected to the general-purpose input port of the CPU 103 may temporarily change due to external influences (noise and static electricity) even when the power supply system (2) 131 is not abnormal. is there.

  In this case, the CPU 103 that controls the entire MFP controller 1 may erroneously recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the power supply.

  Next, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing for detecting an abnormal state of the power supply after application of the present invention.

  First, the CPU 103 that controls the entire MFP controller 1 confirms whether or not the reset signal connected to the general-purpose input port of the CPU 103 has changed (step S601).

  When the reset signal connected to the general-purpose input port changes, the reset signal accesses the register of each unit connected to the reset input terminal via the buffer 134 (step S602).

  It is judged whether the register value of each unit to which the reset signal is connected is the default value. If the register value is not the default value, the reset of each unit has not been applied. It is determined that the general-purpose input port of the CPU 103 has temporarily changed due to the influence (noise or static electricity), and the process returns to polling whether the general-purpose input port has changed again.

  If the register value is the default value, it is determined that each unit has been reset and an abnormality has occurred in the power supply (step S603).

  If it is determined that a power supply abnormality has occurred, data indicating that a power supply abnormality has occurred is written in the nonvolatile memory 104 connected to the CPU 103 (step S604), and all the power supplies of the MFP are turned on once for restarting. All are turned off (step S605), and the power is turned on again (step S606).

  Data in the non-volatile memory 104 is read during the restart process, and it is confirmed whether there is data indicating that the restart has been performed due to power failure (step S608).

  If there is no data indicating that the restart has been performed due to power failure, it is determined that the power is normally turned on, and normal operation is started (step S609).

  If there is data indicating that the restart has been performed due to a power supply abnormality, it is determined that the restart has been performed because there is a problem with the power supply, and this is displayed as an error on the UI 109 (step S610).

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming processing apparatus having a composite function. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an MFP controller and a document reading scanner. FIG. 3 is a connection diagram of a reset circuit of the MFP controller 1. Operation waveform when power failure is detected. Operation waveform when the power supply abnormality detection circuit malfunctions. The flowchart which shows the process which detects the abnormal state of a power supply.

Claims (2)

  A means for separating the power supply system of the CPU to monitor the power supply, a means for accessing the unit to which the reset is connected and confirming whether the reset has been applied, and a restart factor when a power supply abnormality is detected is nonvolatile Image forming processing comprising: means for writing to the volatile memory; means for reading data from the nonvolatile memory at the time of restart; determining whether the power is normally turned on; and means for displaying the content of the restart factor on the operation unit apparatus.   2. An image forming processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for accessing the unit register and determining whether or not a reset is applied based on whether or not the value of the register is a default value. .

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