JP2011141344A - Image forming apparatus, identifying device, semiconductor integrated device for identification, and identifying method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which is low in cost and simple in composition and identifies replacement parts and to provide an identifying device, a semiconductor integrated device for identification, and an identifying method. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of identification objects are removably mounted on the image forming apparatus. In addition, the identification objects have. a storage areas in which information on the identification objects is stored; a setting means which set timings, with which the information on the identification objects is returned after the receipt of requests for acquiring the information concerned, so that they may be different from each other for the plurality of identification objects; and a returning means which return the information. The image forming apparatus includes: a transmission means which collectively transmits the requests for acquiring the information to the plurality of identification objects; a reception means which receives the information which is transmitted, with different timings, from the plurality of identification objects respectively; a mapping table which correlates the timings, with which the information is received, with the identification objects; and an identifying means which identifies the identification objects on the basis of the mapping table and the timings with which the information is received. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  Image forming apparatus for identifying a plurality of identification objects each having a storage area in which information relating to the identification object is stored, an identification apparatus mounted on the image forming apparatus, and a semiconductor integrated for identification mounted on the identification object The present invention relates to an apparatus and an identification method.

  In recent image forming apparatuses such as printers and copiers, in order to improve image quality and operability, toner information such as toner bottles can be input to the apparatus main body, and the image forming apparatus can be controlled based on this information. It has become common. The toner information is information such as a serial number assigned to each toner bottle, toner color, and remaining toner amount.

  For example, as a technique for inputting toner information to the apparatus main body, a network printer connected to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) can be cited. The network printer is configured such that information on replacement parts such as a toner bottle is input to the printer body in order to identify toner information in the toner bottle.

  When the network printer detects that the toner information of each color toner bottle is input to the printer body, the network printer transmits the toner information to the PC. The PC side receives the toner information and displays toner information such as the remaining amount of toner for each color on the monitor, thereby notifying the user of the toner bottle replacement time.

  For information transmission between the toner bottle and the apparatus main body, a drawer connector or the like for connecting the toner bottle and the apparatus main body is used. The drawer connector enables electrical connection between the storage medium storing the toner information and the apparatus main body in conjunction with the toner bottle mounting operation. The storage medium is provided in the toner bottle.

  When connecting means such as a drawer connector is used for information transmission between the storage medium provided in the toner bottle and the apparatus main body, there is a possibility that a contact failure occurs between the recording medium and the apparatus main body. Further, when inventory management is performed in a warehouse, it is necessary to turn on the power to all the substrates of the toner bottles on which the storage medium is mounted and write information in the storage medium, which is troublesome.

  Therefore, in another conventional image forming apparatus, toner information stored in the storage medium of the toner bottle is transmitted to the main body of the image forming apparatus by communication means via radio waves called RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) communication. In the image forming apparatus, the state of the toner bottle is managed for each color based on the color information of the toner, the serial number, the remaining amount of toner, and the like included in the toner information.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 describes that the image forming apparatus is optimally controlled even when parts are replaced.

  In the conventional image forming apparatus using the RFID communication, the color of the toner bottle is identified based on the color information of the toner included in the toner information read from the storage medium, and the state of the toner bottle is managed for each color. Yes. Therefore, in the conventional image forming apparatus, it is necessary to provide the same number of RFID controllers and modulators / demodulators as the toner bottle on the apparatus main body side. For example, in an image forming apparatus in which toner bottles of four colors are mounted, it is necessary to provide four RFID controllers and four modems on the apparatus main body side. Further, it is necessary to store toner bottle color information in the storage medium of each toner bottle.

  For this reason, the conventional image forming apparatus has a problem that the scale of the recording medium provided on the apparatus main body side or on the toner bottle increases, and costs increase.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is an image forming apparatus, an identification apparatus, an identification semiconductor integrated apparatus, and an identification apparatus that can identify replacement parts with a low-cost and simple configuration. It aims to provide an identification method.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to achieve the above object.

  The present invention is an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of identification objects are detachably mounted, wherein the identification objects are related to a storage area in which information relating to the identification objects is stored, and to the identification objects An image forming apparatus including: a setting unit that sets a timing from when an information acquisition request is received until the information is returned to each of the plurality of identification objects; and a return unit that returns the information. Transmitting means for transmitting the information acquisition request to the plurality of identification objects at once, receiving means for receiving the information transmitted at different timings from the plurality of identification objects, and the information A correspondence table in which the received timing is associated with the identification object, and an identification unit that identifies the identification object based on the correspondence table and the timing at which the information is received; Having.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the timing may be set as a delay time.

  In the image forming apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the delay time may be a predetermined interval from the completion of the return of the information from one identification object to the start of the return of the information from the next identification object. Is set to have.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, in the storage area of the plurality of identification objects, the information is stored at the same address for each item included in the information, and is acquired from the transmission unit. The request includes an address where the item of information corresponding to the acquisition request is stored.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the information is stored as one data set in a storage area of the plurality of identification objects, and the acquisition request transmitted from the transmission unit is the data set of the data set. Includes call request.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the timing is set as the number of clocks of the operation clock signal of the image forming apparatus.

  In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, the timing is set as an order of receiving the information.

  The present invention is an identification device that is wired or wirelessly connected to a plurality of identification objects each having a storage area in which information related to the identification object is stored, and that identifies the identification object. Transmitting means for collectively transmitting the information acquisition request to the identification object, receiving means for receiving the information transmitted from the plurality of identification objects at different timings, and timing for receiving the information And a correspondence table that associates the identification object with each other, and an identification unit that identifies the identification object based on the correspondence table and the timing at which the information is received.

  The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated device for identification provided on an identification object to be identified by an identification device, a storage area in which information relating to the identification object is stored, and an acquisition request for the information from the identification device A setting unit that sets a timing from when the information is received to when the information is returned; and a return unit that returns the information to the identification device at a timing set by the setting unit.

  The present invention is an identification method by an image forming apparatus in which a plurality of identification objects are detachably mounted and which identifies the plurality of identification objects, and is stored in a storage area of each of the plurality of identification objects. A transmission procedure for collectively transmitting information acquisition requests related to the identified identification objects to the plurality of identification objects, and a timing from when the information acquisition request is received to when the information is returned is the plurality of identification A setting procedure for setting each object differently, a return procedure for returning the information, a receiving procedure for receiving the information transmitted from the plurality of identification objects at different timings, and the information received And an identification procedure for identifying the identification object based on a correspondence table in which the identification object is associated with the reception timing of the information.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to identify a replacement part at a low cost and with a simple configuration.

1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment. 3 is a diagram illustrating a toner control unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. It is a figure explaining the memory | storage part which the ID chip of 1st embodiment has. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a CPU included in a toner control unit according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the corresponding | compatible table of 1st embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of CPU which the engine control part of 1st embodiment has. 6 is a flowchart for describing identification of a color of a toner bottle by a CPU included in an engine control unit according to the first embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the data which the engine control part received from the toner control part. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table in which toner bottle colors and clock numbers are associated with each other. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table in which toner bottle colors are associated with data reception orders. It is a figure explaining the memory | storage part which the ID chip of 2nd embodiment has. 10 is a flowchart for describing identification of a toner bottle color by a CPU included in an engine control unit according to the second embodiment. It is a figure explaining the image forming apparatus of 3rd embodiment.

The present invention collectively transmits an acquisition request for information stored in a storage medium provided for each of a plurality of identification objects to a plurality of identification objects (replacement parts), and at different timings from the plurality of recording media. Receive information.
(First embodiment)
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the replacement part that is the identification target is a four-color toner bottle, and the image forming apparatus is allowed to identify the color of the four-color toner bottle.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a controller 100, a scanner control unit 200, an engine control unit 300, and a FAX (facsimile) unit 110 are connected via a PCI (Peripheral Components Interconnect) bus B.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, the controller 100 accepts designation of an image forming operation and sets the image forming operation. The scanner control unit 200 performs drive control of the scanner engine. The engine control unit 300 performs drive control of the printer engine.

  The controller 100 according to the present embodiment controls image formation, user interface and mode setting, and application control such as copying and printer. The controller 100 mainly includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that performs image formation, a central processing unit (CPU) that performs various processing operations, a read only memory (ROM) that stores a control program in a fixed manner, and various types of information. An SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores, an NV-RAM (Non Volatile RAM) that stores setting information of all the operating conditions of the image forming apparatus 10, and the like are provided. The controller 100 is connected to an HDD 120 that stores data to be processed, an operation unit control board 130 serving as a user interface, and a LAN interface board 140 that transmits and receives information from an external communication device via a LAN or the like via a network.

  The controller 100 according to the present embodiment receives designation of an image forming operation from an external device via the operation unit control board 130 or the LAN interface board 140, executes the image forming operation, and sends the created image to the engine control unit 300 via a PCI bus. Communicate via B.

  The scanner control unit 200 according to the present embodiment reads a sheet image set by a user from a color CCD (Charge Coupled Device), and transmits the read image to the image processing unit 310 of the engine control unit 300 via the PCI bus B. . The color CCD operates when an SBU (Scanner Board Unit) that performs I / O (Input / Output) control and image transfer of the scanner controls various electrical components 400 such as a motor.

  The engine control unit 300 according to the present embodiment includes an image processing unit 310, a CPU 320, a ROM 330, an SRAM 340, an NV-RAM 350, a serial interface 360, and I / O ASICs 370 and 371.

  The CPU 320 mainly performs various processing operations. The ROM 330 stores a control program in a fixed manner. The SRAM 340 temporarily stores various information. The NV-RAM 350 stores setting information for various operations. The I / O ASICs 370 and 371 execute I / O control of various electrical components. The serial interface 360 communicates with the writing control unit 210, the image processing unit 310, the I / O ASICs 370, 371, and the like.

  The I / O ASICs 370 and 371 include a serial communication interface, an analog / digital conversion unit, and an I / O interface. The I / O ASICs 370 and 371 of the present embodiment receive instructions from the CPU 320 in the engine control unit 300 via a bus or serial interface, and control various electrical components 400 such as solenoids, clutches, motors, paper feed controls, and sensor inputs. I do.

  An image sent from the controller 100 or the scanner control unit 200 via the PCI bus B is transmitted to the writing control unit 220 by the engine control unit 300. The writing control unit 220 writes the transmitted image on a sheet as a pattern, and performs operations such as printing and copying. The image read by the scanner control unit 200 is transmitted to the controller 100 via the engine control unit 300 and then transferred to an external PC via the LAN interface board 140 to perform a scanner operation.

  The toner control unit 500 of this embodiment is connected to the engine control unit 300. The toner control unit 500 includes an antenna pattern 510, a modulation / demodulation IC (Integrated Circuit) 520, and an RFID controller 530.

  The antenna pattern 510 reads information (hereinafter referred to as toner information) related to the toner bottle from an ID (Identification) chip 550 provided in each toner bottle 540 by RFID communication. The modem IC 520 modulates and demodulates information transmitted from the antenna pattern 530. The RFID controller 530 detects toner information to the engine control unit 300 and transfers the information through a serial interface.

  In the present embodiment, the CPU 320 of the engine control unit 300 identifies the color of the toner bottle 540 based on the timing at which the toner information stored in the ID chip 550 of the toner bottle 540 is received. The toner information stored in the ID chip 550 of the present embodiment is information relating to the toner bottle 540, such as the serial number of the toner bottle, the remaining amount of toner, and the date of manufacture of the toner bottle. The toner information of this embodiment does not include toner color information.

  For example, the CPU 320 of the present embodiment identifies the color of the toner bottle 540 at the timing of receiving the serial number of the toner bottle 540 included in the toner information. Details of the color identification of the toner bottle 540 by the CPU 320 will be described later.

  The ID chip 550 includes an antenna unit 551, an analog unit 552, a digital unit 553, and a storage unit 554. The antenna unit 551 exchanges data via the antenna pattern 510. The analog unit 552 manages data transmission / reception and power generation. The digital unit 553 manages protocol analysis / execution. The storage unit 554 includes a storage area in which setting information is stored, and a delay counter 555 described later.

  In response to a request from the CPU 320, the toner control unit 500 according to the present exemplary embodiment transmits part of the toner information stored in the ID chip 550 of the various toner bottles 540 to the CPU 320 at different timings. The toner bottle 540 of this embodiment includes a Y toner bottle 540Y, an M toner bottle 540M, a C toner bottle 540C, and a K toner bottle 540K. In the following description of the present embodiment, the toner bottle 540 is used when no toner color is designated.

  Similarly, the ID chip 550 of the present embodiment also has an ID chip 550Y for the Y toner bottle 540Y, an ID chip 550M for the M toner bottle 540M, an ID chip 550C for the C toner bottle 540C, and an ID chip for the K toner bottle 540K. 550K is provided. In the following description of the embodiment, the ID chip 550 is used when the toner color is not specified.

  Details of the toner control unit 500 and the ID chip 550 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the toner control unit according to the first embodiment. The toner control unit 500 of this embodiment includes an antenna pattern 510, a modulation / demodulation IC 520, and an RFID controller 530. The antenna pattern 510 of this embodiment has a pattern corresponding to each of the four color toners. That is, the antenna pattern 510 includes an antenna pattern 510Y corresponding to the Y toner bottle 540Y, an antenna pattern 510M corresponding to the M toner bottle 540M, an antenna pattern 510C corresponding to the C toner bottle 540C, and an antenna pattern 510K corresponding to the K toner bottle 540K. Have.

  In contrast, one modulation / demodulation IC 520 and one RFID controller 530 are provided. The RFID controller 530 is connected to the CPU 320 of the engine control unit 300. Transmission data, reception data, and a clock signal are supplied from the CPU 320 to the RFID controller 530 and the modem IC 520. Note that the transmission data and the reception data of this embodiment are serial data. The clock signal is an operation clock signal of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The modulation / demodulation IC 520 corresponds to the toner bottles 540 of all four colors, and is connected by the same signal line as the antenna patterns 510Y, 510M, 510C, and 510K. Therefore, signals transmitted from the modem IC 520 are transmitted to the four antenna patterns 510 at once.

  When the toner control unit 500 according to the present embodiment receives an acquisition request for information included in toner information from the CPU 320, the acquisition request is simultaneously transmitted as the same signal to the four-color toner bottles 540 through the four antenna patterns 510. Is done.

  When the four-color toner bottle 540 of this embodiment receives an acquisition request for toner information transmitted in a batch, each ID chip 550 outputs information corresponding to the acquisition request at different timings set in advance. Returned to the toner controller 500. Therefore, the toner control unit 500 side receives the information requested for acquisition at different timings for each color.

  Hereinafter, the ID chip 550 will be described. In FIG. 2, an ID chip 550Y provided in the Y toner bottle 540Y will be described as an example of the ID chip 550 provided in the four toner bottles 540. The ID chips 550M, 550C, and 550K have the same configuration as the ID chip 550Y.

  The ID chip 550Y includes an antenna unit 511Y, an analog unit 552Y, a digital unit 553Y, and a storage unit 554Y.

  When receiving the toner information acquisition request from the antenna pattern 510Y by the antenna unit 511Y, the ID chip 550Y notifies the storage unit 554Y of this request via the analog unit 552Y and the digital unit 553Y.

  The storage unit 554Y stores toner information. In the storage unit 554Y, a delay time until the information requested to be acquired is returned to the toner control unit 500 is set. The storage unit 554Y returns the corresponding information in the storage unit 554Y to the toner control unit 500 after a set delay time has elapsed since receiving the acquisition request.

  A unique delay time is set in the storage unit 554 of each ID chip 550 so that each ID chip 550 returns requested information at different timings. The delay times are different times.

  A delay time t1 unique to the ID chip 550Y is set in the storage unit 554Y, and a delay time t2 unique to the ID chip 550M is set in the storage unit 554M. The storage unit 554C has a delay time t3 unique to the ID chip 550C, and the storage unit 554K has a delay time t4 unique to the ID chip 550K. Since the delay times set in the respective storage units 554 are different from each other, the timing at which the requested information is returned from each ID chip 550 to the toner control unit 500 is different.

  Details of the storage unit 554Y included in the ID chip 550Y of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a storage unit included in the ID chip according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, the storage unit 554Y of the ID chip 550Y will be described as an example of the storage unit 554. However, the storage units 554M, 554C, and 554K included in the other ID chips 550M, 550C, and 550K have the same configuration.

  The storage unit 554Y of the present embodiment includes a data holding unit 610Y and a storage area 620Y. The data holding unit 610Y has a transmission data holding area 611Y. The storage area 620Y has a delay counter 555Y and an address / data area 622Y.

  The transmission data holding unit 611Y of the present embodiment holds an acquisition request for information included in toner information received from the toner control unit 500 via the antenna unit 551Y. A delay time t1 unique to the ID chip 550Y is set in the delay counter 555Y of the storage area 620Y. In the address / data area 622Y, toner information is stored.

  Here, the toner information stored in the address / data area 622Y will be described. In the address / data area 622Y of the present embodiment, the serial number of the toner bottle 540, the remaining amount of toner, the date of manufacture of the toner bottle 540, and the like included in the toner information are stored at predetermined addresses. For example, the address where the serial number of the toner bottle 540 is stored is the address h′xxx, the address where the remaining amount of toner is stored is the address h′xxx, and the address where the date of manufacture of the toner bottle 540 is stored is h'xyy address.

  Next, the operation of the storage unit 554Y of this embodiment will be described. Upon receiving an information acquisition request from the toner control unit 500, the storage unit 554Y of the present embodiment stores this acquisition request in the transmission data holding area 611Y of the data holding unit 610Y. In the information acquisition request in the present embodiment, an address storing information to be acquired in the address / data area 622Y is specified.

  When the acquisition request is held in the transmission data holding area 611Y, the storage unit 554Y starts counting of the delay counter 555Y in the storage area 620Y. When the count ends, the delay counter 555Y outputs an enable signal to the transmission data holding area 611Y. The transmission data holding area 611Y receives this enable signal and notifies the address / data area 622Y of the address specified by the holding acquisition request. The address / data area 622Y returns the information stored at the designated address to the toner controller 500 as received data.

  The counter value of the delay counter 555Y returns to a count value for a preset delay time after the enable signal is sent. In this embodiment, the delay time is decreased by 1 count per clock. Therefore, in this embodiment, the count value count depends on the clock speed. In this embodiment, since RFID communication is used, the count decreases in synchronization with 13.56 MHz. In this embodiment, by using the clock that governs the communication speed as a reference for counting, it is possible to easily calculate how many bits of communication of another toner bottle to which the same clock is input is currently transferred.

  For example, when the toner control unit 500 of the present embodiment makes a request to acquire the serial number of the toner bottle 540Y in the toner information, the acquisition request includes an address h′xxx where the serial number of the toner bottle 540Y is stored. Is specified. Therefore, the address / data area 622Y returns the serial number of the toner bottle 540Y, which is the information stored at the address h′xxx, to the toner controller 500 as received data.

  In the present embodiment, toner information is stored at similar addresses in the address / data areas 622M, 622C, and 622K of the ID chips 550M, 550C, and 550K. That is, in each of the address / data areas 622M, 622C, and 622K, the address where the serial number of the toner bottle 540 is stored is the address h'xxx, and the address where the remaining amount of toner is stored is the address h'xxx. The address where the date of manufacture of the bottle 540 is stored is address h′xyy.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the ID chip 550 of the toner bottle 540 receives an acquisition request transmitted in a batch from the toner control unit 500, the requested information is returned to the toner control unit 500 at different timings. can do.

  That is, in this embodiment, for example, when a request for acquiring the serial number of the toner bottle 540 is transmitted from the toner control unit 500, the serial number is returned from the ID chip 550Y after the delay time t1 has elapsed, and the ID chip 550M The serial number is returned after the delay time t2 has elapsed. The serial number is returned from the D chip 550C after the delay time t3 has elapsed, and the serial number is returned from the ID chip 550K after the delay time t4 has elapsed.

  In this embodiment, the delay time depends on the counter value of the delay counter 555Y. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the delay time can also be changed by changing the amount of decrease of one count for each ID chip 550 with the same count value of the delay counter 555Y. In the embodiment, the delay counter 555 is provided in the address / data area 622. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a CPU may be provided in the ID chip 550 and the delay time may be counted by software written in the ROM. A delay circuit may be externally mounted on the communication line, and the delay time may be changed for each ID chip 550. Further, the external delay circuit may be mounted on the engine control unit 300 side or on the ID chip 550 side.

  In the toner control unit 500 of this embodiment, the CPU 320 identifies the color of the toner bottle based on the timing of information returned from each ID chip 550. The functional configuration of the CPU 320 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a CPU included in the toner control unit according to the first embodiment. The CPU 320 of this embodiment includes a toner state detection instruction unit 321, an address transmission unit 322, a data reception unit 323, a color identification unit 324, and a storage area 325.

  When it is necessary to detect the state of the toner bottle 540, the toner state detection instruction unit 321 instructs the identification of the color of the toner bottle 540 and the detection of the state of the toner bottle 540. In this embodiment, the state in which the toner color needs to be identified is, for example, when the image forming apparatus 10 is switched from the power-off state to the power-on state, or when the door of the storage unit of the toner bottle 540 is opened or closed. . When the power source is changed from the OFF state to the ON state, the toner bottle 540 may be replaced in any case when the door is opened or closed. Therefore, the CPU 320 acquires the serial numbers of the four-color toner bottles 540 and determines whether or not the toner bottles 540 for each color are correctly attached.

  When the toner state needs to be detected, it is after the printing process by the image forming apparatus 10 is completed. After the printing process is completed, the toner bottle 540 may be insufficient. Therefore, the CPU 320 acquires the remaining amount of toner in the four-color toner bottles 540 and determines whether or not the toner is insufficient for each color.

  Based on an instruction from the toner state detection instruction unit 321, the address transmission unit 322 transmits an address in the address / data area 622 in which information to be acquired is stored to the toner control unit 500. In the address / data area 622, the CPU 320 of the present embodiment stores the address of the address where the serial number of the toner bottle 540 is stored, the address of the address where the remaining amount of toner is stored, and the date of manufacture of the toner bottle 540. The address of each address is stored in advance.

  The data receiving unit 323 receives information returned from the toner control unit 500.

  The color identification unit 324 identifies the color of the toner bottle 540 from the information received by the data reception unit 323. In the present embodiment, the data receiving unit 323 identifies the color of the toner bottle 540 based on the timing at which information is received from the toner control unit 500 and the correspondence table 326 stored in the storage area 325.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table according to the first embodiment. In the correspondence table 326 of this embodiment, the delay time set for each ID chip 550 of each toner bottle 540 is associated with the color of the toner bottle 540.

  According to the correspondence table 326, the color identification unit 324 of the present embodiment is information related to the Y toner bottle 540Y that is received after the time t1 after the acquisition request is made, and the received information after the time t2 is M toner bottle 540M. It turns out that it is information concerning. The same applies to other toner bottles.

  Next, the operation of the CPU 320 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the CPU of the engine control unit of the first embodiment.

  In the image forming apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the CPU 320 of the engine control unit 300 determines whether it is necessary to detect the state of the toner bottle 540 (step S601). If it is determined in step S601 that the state of the toner bottle 540 needs to be detected, the toner state detection instruction unit 321 instructs the detection of the state of the toner bottle 540.

  In step S601, when the power of the image forming apparatus 10 is changed from the off state to the on state, or when the door of the storage unit of the toner bottle 540 is opened and closed (step S602), the toner state detection instruction unit 321 includes the address transmission unit 322. The acquisition of the serial number of the toner bottle 540 is instructed (step S603). In response to the instruction, the address transmission unit 322 transmits an acquisition request for the serial number of the toner bottle 540 to the toner control unit 500, and acquires the serial number of the toner bottle 540 for each color (step S604). Details of step S604 will be described later.

  The CPU 320 determines whether error processing is unnecessary (step S605). If no error process is required in step S605, the process ends. If error processing is necessary in step S605, for example, a message indicating that the toner bottle 540 is not correctly attached is displayed as error processing (step S606).

  In step S602, the toner state detection instructing unit 321 performs the writing control unit 220 when the power of the image forming apparatus 10 is switched from the off state to the on state or when the door of the storage unit of the toner bottle 540 is not opened or closed. The completion of the printing process is confirmed (step S607). Next, the toner state detection instruction unit 320 instructs the address transmission unit 322 to acquire the remaining amount of toner (step S608). Upon receiving the instruction, the address transmission unit 322 transmits a toner remaining amount acquisition request to the toner control unit 500, and acquires the toner remaining amount for each color (step S609). Details of step S609 will be described later.

  The CPU 320 compares the acquired toner remaining amount of the toner bottle 540 for each color with a toner remaining amount that is a preset comparison reference (step S610). Then, it is determined whether or not the remaining amount of toner in the toner bottle 540 for each color is sufficient (step S611). If the remaining amount of toner is sufficient in step S611, the CPU 320 ends the process. If the toner remaining amount is insufficient in step S611, the CPU 320 displays a message indicating that the toner remaining amount is insufficient, for example (step S612).

  Next, identification of the color of the toner bottle 540 by the CPU 320 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating toner bottle color identification by the CPU of the engine control unit of the first embodiment.

  In this embodiment, when the acquisition instruction of the serial number is given by the toner state detection instruction unit 321 of the CPU 320, the address transmission unit 322 displays the address where the serial number in the address / data area 622 of the ID chip 550 is stored. An acquisition request is transmitted to the toner control unit 500 (step S701). At this time, the acquisition request is transmitted by serial communication.

  This acquisition request is collectively transmitted to the ID chips 550 of the respective colors via the RFID controller 530, the modulation / demodulation IC 520, and the antenna pattern 510. Each ID chip 550 receives an acquisition request and starts counting the delay time by the delay counter 555. Then, the ID chip 550 for each color returns the serial number read from the designated address in the address / data area 622 to the engine control unit 300 after the set delay time has elapsed.

  In this embodiment, the delay time set in the ID chip 550Y is t1 [ms], the delay time set in the ID chip 550M is t2 [ms], and the delay time set in the ID chip 550C is t3 [ms]. The delay time set in the ID chip 550K is t4 [ms].

  In the CPU 320, the data receiving unit 323 receives data from the toner control unit 500 after the delay time t1 [ms] has elapsed (step S702) (step S703). If the data reception unit 323 has not received data in step S703, the color identification unit 324 determines that the color corresponding to the delay time t1 is Y based on the correspondence table 326, and corresponds to the Y toner bottle 540Y. An error flag bit is set (step S704).

  It is assumed that the time required for returning data from the toner control unit 300 varies somewhat. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the delay time t1 [ms] has elapsed, a timeout may be set when data is not received even after the expected maximum variation time has elapsed.

  When the data reception unit 323 receives data in step S703, the color identification unit 324 determines that the received data is the serial number of the Y toner bottle 540Y by referring to the correspondence table 326, and stores it in the ROM 330 of the engine control unit 300. Store (step S705). In this embodiment, the serial number may be stored in the SRAM 340 when it is not necessary to store the received serial number after the power of the image forming apparatus 10 is turned off.

  Here, a method for storing the received serial number in the engine control unit 300 will be described. In this embodiment, the serial number may be stored at the address of the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 designated by software. In this embodiment, the software load can be reduced by incrementing the register and storing the serial number in a hardware configuration by starting the DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) (not shown) of the engine control unit 300. it can. Note that the register may be decremented.

  In the present embodiment, since the engine control unit 500 and each ID chip 550 are connected by a single data transmission / reception line, the CPU 320 sequentially reads the same information for each color. Therefore, the register assignment of the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 that stores the data received from the ID chip 550 may be the return order of the data from each ID chip 550. With this configuration, the information of each ID chip 550 can be automatically written to the register of the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 by the increment setting by starting the DMAC.

  If no data is received even after the delay time t1 has elapsed, the DMAC may be set to time out and continue to the next address. When shifting to the next address, the DMAC may write Null data to a register in which no data is stored and increment it to the next address.

  In this embodiment, if the information on the toner bottle 540 is stored in this way, the CPU 320 can refer to the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 at an arbitrary timing and use the information on the toner bottle 540 as control data.

  Subsequent to step S705, the data reception unit 323 receives data from the toner control unit 500 after the delay time t2-t1 [ms] has elapsed (step S706) (step S707). If the data reception unit 323 has not received data in step S707, the color identification unit 324 determines that the color corresponding to the delay time t2 is M based on the correspondence table 326, and corresponds to the M toner bottle 540M. An error flag bit is set (step S708).

  When the data reception unit 323 receives data in step S707, the color identification unit 324 determines that the received data is the serial number of the M toner bottle 540M with reference to the correspondence table 326, and the ROM 330 of the engine control unit 300 or The data is stored in the SRAM 340 (step S709). The serial number is stored in the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 as described above.

  Next, the data receiving unit 323 receives data from the toner control unit 500 (step S711) after the delay time t3-t2 [ms] has elapsed (step S710). When the data reception unit 323 has not received data in step S711, the color identification unit 324 determines that the color corresponding to the delay time t3 is C based on the correspondence table 326, and corresponds to the C toner bottle 540C. An error flag bit is set (step S712).

  When the data reception unit 323 receives the data in step S711, the color identification unit 324 determines that the received data is the serial number of the C toner bottle 540C with reference to the correspondence table 326, and the ROM 330 of the engine control unit 300 or The data is stored in the SRAM 340 (step S713).

  Next, after the delay time t4-t3 [ms] has elapsed (step S714), the data reception unit 323 receives data from the toner control unit 500 (step S715). When the data reception unit 323 has not received data in step S715, the color identification unit 324 determines that the color corresponding to the delay time t4 is K based on the correspondence table 326, and corresponds to the K toner bottle 540K. An error flag bit is set (step S716).

  When the data reception unit 323 receives data in step S715, the color identification unit 324 determines that the received data is the serial number of the K toner bottle 540K with reference to the correspondence table 326, and the ROM 330 of the engine control unit 300 or The data is stored in the SRAM 340 (step S717).

  Next, the CPU 320 determines whether or not an error flag is set (step S718). If the error flag is not set in step S718, the CPU 320 terminates the process because error processing is unnecessary. If the error flag is set in step S718, the CPU 320 needs the error process and performs the process of step S606 in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, it is possible to determine whether or not each color toner bottle 540 is correctly attached by performing the above processing. For example, if the CPU 320 of this embodiment does not receive data four times at a predetermined timing, it can be seen that a toner bottle of a color corresponding to the timing at which the data was not received is not attached.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of data received by the engine control unit from the toner control unit. In CPU 320, when the address storing the serial number is transmitted from address transmitting unit 322, data receiving unit 323 receives data after delay time t1 has elapsed. Next, the received data is received after the delay time t2-t1 has elapsed. The same applies hereinafter.

  In the present embodiment, the delay time t1 of the ID chip 550Y that first returns data after the address is transmitted from the address transmission unit 322 may be set to 0 [ms].

  In this embodiment, the delay time is set so as to provide an interval between the return of the serial number from one ID chip 550 and the start of the return of the serial number from the next ID chip 550. is doing. By providing the interval in this way, it can be distinguished from the signal from the previous ID chip 550. In the present embodiment, this interval is set in advance based on, for example, the specifications of the image forming apparatus 10 and wiring delay.

  7 and 8, only the case where the toner control unit 500 is requested to acquire the serial number of each toner bottle 540 has been described. However, the case where the toner remaining amount of each toner bottle 540 is requested to be acquired is also illustrated. Processing similar to 7 is performed.

  When a request for acquiring the remaining amount of toner in each toner bottle 540 is made, the CPU 320 may transmit the address of the address / data area 622 in which the remaining amount of toner is stored by the address transmission unit 322 to the toner control unit 500.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the timing for receiving data from the ID chips 550 of the respective colors is different. For this reason, in this embodiment, even if the ID chip 550 does not have the color information of each toner bottle 540, the color of the toner bottle 540 can be identified from the timing of receiving data. That is, the engine control unit 300 and the toner control unit 500 of this embodiment constitute an identification device that identifies the color of the toner bottle 540.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the storage area of the ID chip 550 can be made smaller than a conventional storage area that needs to store color information.

  In this embodiment, the same signal may be simultaneously sent to the ID chips 550 of the respective colors, so that only one RFID controller 530 and one modem IC 520 are required. Therefore, the circuit scale can be reduced as compared with a conventional device that requires the same number of RFID controllers and modulation / demodulation ICs as the ID chips for each color, and the cost can be reduced and the configuration can be simplified.

  In the present embodiment, the correspondence table 326 of the CPU 320 has been described as the correspondence between the color of each toner bottle 540 and the delay time. However, the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table in which the color of the toner bottle and the number of clocks are associated with each other.

  In the correspondence table 326A in FIG. 9, the color of the toner bottle 540 is associated with the number of clocks. In this case, a unique clock number is set in advance for each ID chip 550 in the delay counter 555, and the timing for returning the data in the address / data area 622 is shifted by counting the set clock number. Can do.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correspondence table in which the color of the toner bottle and the data reception order are associated with each other. In the correspondence table 326B in FIG. 10, the color of the toner bottle 540 is associated with the order in which data is received. In this case, the delay counter 555 may be set with a delay time or the number of clocks such that the order in which the data in the address / data area 622 is returned is the correspondence table 326B.

  In this embodiment, an image forming apparatus having four toner colors has been described. However, there may be five or more toner colors. In this embodiment, even when the toner color increases. It is only necessary to shift the timing for returning data from the ID chip 550 to the engine control unit 300.

(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The second embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment only in that toner information including a toner bottle serial number and toner remaining amount is stored as one data set. Accordingly, in the second embodiment of the present invention, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and those having the same functional configuration as the first embodiment are used in the description of the first embodiment. The same reference numerals as the reference numerals are assigned, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a storage unit included in the ID chip according to the second embodiment. The storage area 620Y of the storage unit 544Y of this embodiment has a data area 623Y.

  In the data area 326Y of the present embodiment, toner information including the serial number of the toner bottle 540Y, the remaining amount of toner, and the date of manufacture is stored as one data set DY.

  The CPU 320 of the engine control unit 300 according to this embodiment may transmit the call command for the data set DY to the ID chip 550 by the address transmission unit 322. The storage unit 544Y holds the call command in the transmission data holding area 611Y and starts counting the delay time by the delay counter 555Y. When the delay counter 555Y finishes counting, an enable signal is transmitted to the transmission data holding area 611Y, and a call command is notified to the data area 623Y. The data area 623Y receives the call command and returns the data set DY to the engine control unit 300.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating toner bottle color identification by the CPU of the engine control unit according to the second embodiment.

  In this embodiment, when an instruction to call the data set DY is given by the toner state detection instruction unit 321 of the CPU 320, the address transmission unit 322 sends a request for acquiring the data set DY in the data area 623 of the ID chip 550 to the toner control unit 500. (Step S1201).

  The processing from step S1202 to step S1204 is the same as the processing from step S702 to step S704 in FIG.

  When the data set DY is received from the ID chip 550Y in step S1203, the CPU 320 stores the acquired data set DY in the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 of the engine control unit 300 as information on the Y toner bottle 540Y (step S1205).

  The processing from step S1206 to step S1208 is the same as the processing from step S706 to step S708 in FIG.

  When the data set DM is received from the ID chip 550M in step S1207, the CPU 320 stores the acquired data set DM in the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 of the engine control unit 300 as information on the M toner bottle 540M (step S1209).

  The processing from step S1210 to step S1212 is the same as the processing from step S710 to step S712 in FIG.

  When the data set DC is received from the ID chip 550C in step S1211, the CPU 320 stores the acquired data set DM in the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 of the engine control unit 300 as information on the C toner bottle 540C (step S1213).

  The processing from step S1214 to step S1216 is the same as the processing from step S714 to step S716 in FIG.

  When the data set DK is received from the ID chip 550C in step S1215, the CPU 320 stores the acquired data set DK in the ROM 330 or the SRAM 340 of the engine control unit 300 as information on the K toner bottle 540K (step S1217).

  The processing in step S1218 is the same as the processing in step S718 in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, in addition to the effects obtained in the first embodiment, the toner information of the toner bottles 540 can be collectively acquired with a single reception.

  In the present embodiment, communication between each ID chip 550 and the engine control unit 300 may be performed at an arbitrary timing by the engine control unit 300. For example, the engine control unit 300 of this embodiment may periodically communicate with the toner control unit 500 like polling. In that case, the data may be read from the ID chip 550 at regular intervals without using the CPU 320 by a DMA (Direct Memory Access) method or the like.

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment of the present invention is different from the first embodiment only in that communication between the engine control unit 300 and the toner control unit 500 is performed by wire. Therefore, in the third embodiment of the present invention, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and those having the same functional configuration as the first embodiment are used in the description of the first embodiment. The same reference numerals as the reference numerals are assigned, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the image forming apparatus 10 </ b> A of the present embodiment, the engine control unit 300 and the toner control unit 500 </ b> A are connected by wire.

  The engine control unit 300 of this embodiment supplies a clock signal and transmission data that is an acquisition request to the toner control unit 500A. Further, the engine control unit 300 receives received data from the toner control unit 500A. The engine control unit 300 and the toner control unit 500A of the present embodiment perform data transmission / reception by serial communication.

  The engine control unit 500A according to the present embodiment includes a toner bottle 540. The ID chip 550A of the toner bottle 540 includes an analog unit 552, a digital unit 553, and a storage unit 554.

  The operation of identifying the color of the toner bottle 540 in the present embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Even if the ID chip 550A does not have the analog unit 552, the ID chip 550A can operate in the same manner as in the first and second embodiments.

  As mentioned above, although this invention has been demonstrated based on each embodiment, this invention is not limited to the requirements shown in the said embodiment. With respect to these points, the gist of the present invention can be changed without departing from the scope of the present invention, and can be appropriately determined according to the application form.

10, 10A Image forming apparatus 100 Controller 200 Scanner control unit 300 Engine control unit 320 CPU
500 Engine control unit 510 Antenna pattern 520 Modulation / demodulation IC
530 RFID controller 540 Toner bottle 550 ID chip 554 Storage unit 555 Delay counter

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-202643

Claims (10)

An image forming apparatus in which a plurality of identification objects are detachably mounted,
The identification object is
A storage area in which information relating to the identification object is stored;
A setting means for setting the timing from when the information acquisition request for the identification object is received to when the information is returned to be different in each of the plurality of identification objects;
Return means for returning the information,
The image forming apparatus includes:
Transmitting means for collectively transmitting the information acquisition request to the plurality of identification objects;
Receiving means for receiving the information transmitted at different timings from the plurality of identification objects;
A correspondence table in which the timing at which the information is received is associated with the identification object;
An image forming apparatus comprising: an identification unit that identifies the identification object based on the correspondence table and the timing at which the information is received.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing is set as a delay time. The delay time is
3. The image formation according to claim 2, wherein a predetermined interval is set after the return of the information from one identification object is completed until the return of the information from the next identification object is started. apparatus. In the storage area of the plurality of identification objects, the information is stored at the same address for each item included in the information,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition request transmitted from the transmission unit includes an address in which the item of information corresponding to the acquisition request is stored. In the storage area of the plurality of identification objects, the information is stored as one data set,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition request transmitted from the transmission unit includes a call request for the data set.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing is set as a clock number of an operation clock signal of the image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the timing is set as an order of receiving the information. A plurality of identification objects each having a storage area in which information relating to the identification object is stored, wired or wirelessly connected, and an identification device for identifying the identification object,
Transmitting means for collectively transmitting the information acquisition request to a plurality of identification objects;
Receiving means for receiving the information transmitted from the plurality of identification objects at different timings;
A correspondence table in which the timing of receiving the information and the identification object are associated with each other;
An identification device comprising: identification means for identifying the identification object based on the correspondence table and the timing at which the information is received. An identification semiconductor integrated device provided on an identification object identified by an identification device,
A storage area in which information relating to the identification object is stored;
A setting means for setting a timing until the information is returned after receiving an acquisition request for the information from the identification device;
And a return means for returning the information to the identification device at a timing set by the setting means. A plurality of identification objects are detachably mounted, and is an identification method by an image forming apparatus that identifies the plurality of identification objects,
A transmission procedure for collectively transmitting to the plurality of identification objects an acquisition request for information related to the identification objects stored in a storage area of each of the plurality of identification objects;
A setting procedure for setting the timing from when the information acquisition request is received to when the information is returned to be different in each of the plurality of identification objects;
A return procedure for returning the information;
A reception procedure for receiving the information transmitted at different timings from the plurality of identification objects;
An identification method comprising: an identification procedure for identifying the identification object based on a timing at which the information is received and a correspondence table in which the identification object is associated with a reception timing of the information.

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