JP2014186293A - Image processing apparatus and image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extend the service life of a component using a coil in a power source.SOLUTION: An image processing apparatus includes: detection means for detecting on/off operation of an operation button of a locker switch; relay control means for performing relay control of a power source on the basis of the detected on/off operation of the operation button; shut-down processing means which performs shut-down processing after predetermined processing during off-operation of the operation button; a first coil arranged in the locker switch and used in the relay control of the power source; and a second coil arranged near the first coil. Switching means is also provided for selecting the first coil or the second coil on the basis of a state of the first coil.

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image processing method.

With rocker switches installed in image processing devices such as MFPs (multifunction peripherals), signal changes caused by turning off the operation buttons of the rocker switches are directly transmitted to the power control of the AC / DC (AC / DC) converter. Each DC power supply system supplied to the image processing apparatus main body was immediately stopped.
As described above, in a normal image processing apparatus, if the user accidentally turns off the rocker switch during writing to the memory medium, the data of the memory medium may be damaged, or the memory medium device itself may be damaged. there were.

  In order to avoid such a damage accident, various proposals have been made so that each power supply system supplied to the image processing apparatus main body is not immediately stopped by turning off the operation button of the rocker switch. For example, a means for detecting the operation of a relay circuit or a rocker switch is provided, and each DC power supply system supplied to the image processing apparatus main body is controlled by controlling the relay circuit section after finishing the processing during writing to the memory medium. It was off.

In recent years, MFPs (multifunction peripherals) are also required to be equipped with ecology functions. As one of the ecological functions, a function for storing or notifying the time when the apparatus is turned off is also required.
However, even in such a case, there are the following problems.
That is, in order to avoid data corruption of the memory medium and device damage, a current is passed through the coil of the relay circuit so that each power supply system supplied to the image processing apparatus main body is not immediately stopped when the operation button of the rocker switch is turned off. There is a need.
However, power consumption increases by passing a current through the coil of the relay circuit.

  Here, in a mode in which writing to the memory medium is performed, for example, a mode in which power is supplied to the memory medium during operation or standby, the image processing apparatus main body is turned on by passing a current through the coil of the relay circuit and turning off the rocker switch. Each power supply system supplied to the system avoids an immediate stop. Also, in a mode that does not write to the memory medium, that is, an energy saving mode in which no power is supplied to the memory medium, the current in the relay circuit is prevented from flowing current, and the data in the memory medium is damaged or the device is consumed with minimum power consumption. The damage was avoided.

  However, in such a case, the function to memorize the time when the power supply is turned off is possible when the rocker switch is turned off during operation or standby, but the rocker switch is in the energy saving mode. Does not work when is turned off.

Here, a new power switch may be employed in order to realize a function of avoiding data corruption of the memory medium and device damage and a function of storing or notifying the time when the power is turned off.
In such a rocker switch, when the power of the main body is turned on, the switch contact is not turned on by the exciting current generated by flowing the current through the coil when the power of the main body is not turned on. It has become.
In this case, even when the rocker switch is turned off during the above-described energy saving mode, it is possible to store the time when the rocker switch is turned off.

  There has been proposed a new rocker switch capable of storing or notifying data and device damage protection, energy saving, and power-off time. In this type of rocker switch, current is not supplied to the coil in the rocker switch in all modes of operation, standby or energy saving mode, and current is supplied to the coil only when the image processing apparatus body is turned off. The switch contact is turned off by the excitation current.

However, even such a new rocker switch has the following problems regarding the control of the current flowing through the coil.
Depending on the characteristics of the PSU (power supply unit) and the state on the load side, a delay occurs until a current of effective energization time is passed through the coil and the power supply stoppage is started.
If the control signal for flowing the coil is not pulse control but fixed control, it will flow to the coil for more than the effective energization time, and current will flow unnecessarily to the coil for the delay period. (See FIG. 1).

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the behavior of the power supply voltage after the power supply in the image processing apparatus is stopped. In the figure, the horizontal axis is the time axis, the upper vertical axis is the voltage axis of the power supply, the middle vertical axis is the voltage axis of the fixed low control signal, and the lower vertical axis is the control signal for pulse control Is the voltage axis.
In the figure, if the effective energization time, that is, the minimum energization time during which the off function is possible, is X, the control signal of the middle low level is used compared to the case of using the control signal of the lower pulse control. , Y is understood to cause an unnecessary current to flow.

  FIG. 2A is a characteristic diagram when the temperature of the coil is taken on the horizontal axis and the life of the coil is taken on the vertical axis. FIG. 2B shows the period during which the current flows through the coil. It is a characteristic view at the time of taking the lifetime of the above on the vertical axis. The horizontal axis is a logarithmic axis.

Due to the characteristics of the coil, the temperature of the coil rises depending on the current flowing through the coil and the time width during which the current flows, and as a result, the life of the coil tends to be shortened (see FIG. 2).
If the control signal when the current flows through the coil is not pulse control but is controlled at a low level as described above, the coil will flow for more than the effective energization time, and the current will flow unnecessarily through the delay period. Flowing. In other words, the power consumption is unnecessarily consumed, and the flow of this unnecessary current raises the coil temperature and shortens the life of the coil. As a result, the life of the power switch mounted on the product is shortened. There is concern about becoming.

  For such a problem, Patent Document 1 discloses that the power supply device has a plurality of output systems, has a switch element that turns off a part of the output, and outputs by turning on / off the output unit of the power supply device. Means for controlling the load connected to the output end of the unit to be minimized, reducing the inrush current, extending the life of the power supply device and the switch element, and reducing the failure is disclosed.

  Recently, in order to reduce power consumption, an econite sensor function that automatically turns off the power of the apparatus when it becomes dark is being installed. Similar to the above, when the apparatus is automatically turned off, the switch contact is turned off by an exciting current generated by passing a current through the coil.

  However, the technique described in Patent Document 1 does not solve the problem of the life of the coil.

  A new rocker switch has been proposed as a configuration capable of storing or notifying data / device damage protection, energy saving reduction, and power-off time. This new rocker switch does not flow through the coil in the rocker switch during operation, during standby or in any energy saving mode, but only when the power to the main unit is turned off, and the SW contact is activated by the excitation current. It will be turned off.

However, even if this new rocker switch was adopted, there were the following problems.
The switch contacts are turned off by an exciting current that flows through the coil in order to automatically turn off the power of the device by the Eco Knight sensor function that automatically turns off the power when the surroundings become dark due to sunset. It has a structure.
However, if a problem occurs with the new rocker switch and the power is not turned off, the user sees an error message on the operation unit as viewed from the user, and the device appears to be in a normal state on standby. However, in actuality, since the system of the main body has finished the shutdown process, it can be considered that the operation such as key operation on the panel is not accepted as the power is turned off.
Also, if the control unit that sends the control signal when flowing through the coil runs away and sends out a fixed signal instead of pulse control, and if the switch fails and the power is not turned off The current continues to flow through the coil, causing unnecessary power consumption. At the same time, by passing this unnecessary current, the temperature of the coil is raised and the life of the coil is shortened. As a result, there is a concern that the component replacement life of the power supply SW mounted on the product is shortened.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to extend the life of components using coils in a power supply.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 performs the relay control of the power supply based on the detection means for detecting the off / on operation of the operation button of the rocker switch and the detection result of the off / on of the rocker switch. A relay control means; a shutdown processing means for performing a shutdown process after a predetermined process when the operation button of the rocker switch is turned off; a first coil provided in the rocker switch and used for relay control of the power supply; A second coil provided in the vicinity of the first coil, wherein the first coil and the second coil are based on the state of the first coil. And a switching means for switching between.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the lifetime of the components using the coil in a power supply can be extended.

It is a figure which shows the behavior of the power supply voltage after stopping the power supply in an image processing apparatus. (a) is a characteristic diagram when the temperature of the coil is taken on the horizontal axis and the life of the coil is taken on the vertical axis, and (b) is the characteristic when the current is passed through the coil on the horizontal axis. It is a characteristic view at the time of taking on a shaft. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure of the image processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. 4 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 3. It is another example of the flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is another example of the flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram of the image processing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment. It is an example of the flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is an example of the flowchart which shows the operation | movement after the reboot start shown in FIG.

[Embodiment 1]
<Overview>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The present invention provides means for detecting an off / on operation of a rocker switch, a means for performing relay control of a power source according to a detection result of the off / on operation, a means for performing a shutdown process during an off operation, and time information at the time of the off operation. An image processing apparatus includes a storage unit. This image apparatus has the following features.

(1) Compare the temperature information in the vicinity of the rocker switch coil with the temperature table, adjust the excitation current flowing through the coil, and minimize the current flowing through the coil necessary to turn off the power supply of the image processing unit. To reduce power consumption and extend coil life.

(2) The first and second coils used for the relay control of the power supply are provided in the rocker switch, the means for selecting which of the first and second coils the current flows, and the life of one of the coils Means for switching to the other coil when it comes. This extends the life of rocker switch parts.

(3) When a failure occurs due to a failure in the predicted life of the coil, switching to the non-failed coil side and reducing the downtime of the image processing apparatus at the user site until the parts are replaced.

  That is, the present invention is intended to extend the life of the coil by providing a pulse width control means and a cooling means, which is a time for flowing an excitation current based on temperature information from a temperature detection unit in the vicinity of the coil. The present invention also includes an image processing apparatus having a component life prediction function. Furthermore, even if the first life is reached by providing the second coil, the replacement part is switched to the second coil to extend the life of the replacement part. In addition, even when the coil life prediction has been missed and the coil has reached the end of its life, the present invention can switch to the non-failed coil side and downgrade the image processing device at the user site until the parts are replaced. We are trying to reduce time.

<Configuration>
The features of the present invention described above will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for describing a configuration of an image processing apparatus according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, common reference numerals are used for members similar to those shown in FIG.
The image processing apparatus includes a SW unit 100, a power generation unit 110, an engine control unit 120, an operation unit 130, and a controller control unit 140. In order to simplify the description, a printing unit using a photosensitive drum or an ink jet recording apparatus is omitted.

  The main system control unit 147 of the controller control unit 140 includes an HDD and nonvolatile device control function, a network I / F 146 control function, a communication control function, a communication function with the engine control unit 120, and a subsystem control unit 143. Has a communication function. The HDD is a hard disk drive.

The subsystem control unit 143 is a controller function of the controller power supply 141, a communication function with the RTC for measuring date / time information, a data storage unit 144 for storing date / time information, and an on / off operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 as a rocker switch It has an operation detection function. Note that RTC is an abbreviation for Real Time Clock and is an integrated circuit chip dedicated to timekeeping.
Note that the data storage unit 144 as a first storage means for storing the operation state, a second storage means for storing the measurement result, and a third storage means for storing the calculated result correspond to each inside. The storage area to be set is set.

  The SW unit 100 constituting the rocker switch is a switch for turning on / off the circuit by alternately pressing both ends of the operation button 108 like a seesaw. The operation button 108 is pushed to the on side in the figure, and when the off button is pushed, the operation button 108 is indicated by a broken line. A sensor 109 that detects whether the operation button 108 is on or off is provided in the vicinity of the operation button 108. For example, a micro switch is used as the sensor 109, but the sensor 109 is not limited, and a photo interrupter or a Hall element may be used.

  Since the first coil 102 and the second coil 103 are used for relay control of the power supply, one end is connected to the power supply, the other end is connected to the switching unit 101, and the drive voltage from the drive unit 142 is either It is applied selectively. 104 and 105 are single-pole double-throw movable segments / fixed contacts, which are normally turned off by being biased by a spring. For example, the first coil 102 or the second coil is controlled by a control signal from the subsystem control unit 143. The relay is configured so that 103 is excited and turned on. For example, the first coil 102 and the second coil 103 constitute a solenoid by a permanent magnet that can move within the coil and an actuator that is connected to the permanent magnet and turns on and off the movable segments 104 and 105.

The switching unit 101 is a circuit that switches between the first coil 102 and the second coil 103, and controls whether the switching unit 101 allows current to flow through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103. Is done.
The first coil 102 and the second coil 103 may be arranged in parallel in the SW unit 100, may be wound around the same bobbin, or may be arranged in series.

  The subsystem control unit 143 detects when the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is turned off, to the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 via the drive unit 142 in order to stop the supply of power to the image processing apparatus main body. It has the function to perform control for flowing the current. The subsystem control unit 143 has a function of driving the fan of the cooling unit 106 based on the temperature data from the temperature detection unit 107 and a communication function with the operation unit 130.

  The main system control unit 147 has means for connecting to a network and acquiring device information, and acquires data storing life information of the first coil 102 and the second coil 103 by operation from the network. Acquisition means. “Equipment information” is information indicating whether the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 has reached the end of its life. The means for acquiring device information and the acquisition means for acquiring data are configured by software.

The operation unit 130 includes a touch panel, an LCD, an LED, a speaker, and input keys. The LCD is a liquid crystal display element, and the LED is a light emitting diode.
The power generation unit 110 converts the AC voltage into a DC voltage and supplies DC power to the engine control unit 120, the controller control unit 140, and the SW unit 100. The engine control unit 120 has a communication function with the main system control unit 147 in the controller control unit 140, and a control function of engine mechanism units such as a scanner, a plotter, a paper discharge unit, and a paper feed unit.

As the temperature detection unit 107, for example, a thermistor or a posistor is used.
For example, a fan is used as the cooling unit 106, but a Peltier effect by a semiconductor may be used.

FIG. 4 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG.
By turning off the rocker switch, the subsystem control unit 143 detects an off operation of the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 as a rocker switch (step S1), and starts a shutdown process before turning off the power (step S2). ).
Here, the status of writing to the HDD or non-volatile memory medium is confirmed (step S3), whether or not writing is in progress (step S4), and the module with writing terminates the process (step S9). ). After determining whether or not the writing process has been completed for all the modules (step S10), temperature data T is acquired from the temperature detection unit 107 provided in the SW unit 100 (step S5). After acquiring the temperature data T, the pulse width of the current control to be passed through the coil in the SW unit 100 is determined in order to turn off the power from the temperature table stored in advance (step S6).

A temperature table (not shown) is provided with a set value for adjusting a pulse width flowing through the coil for each temperature.
The current time information is acquired from the RTC 145, the time information is stored in the data storage unit 144 (step S7), and pulse control is performed to flow from the subsystem control unit 143 to the first coil 102 or the second coil 103. Then, the power source of the image processing apparatus main body is turned off (step S8).

  The data storage unit 144 is set with flag information indicating whether a current flows through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103, and controls the switching unit 101 by a switching signal from the subsystem control unit 143. A current is passed through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103.

FIG. 5 is another example of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG.
When the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is turned off, the subsystem control unit 143 detects the off operation of the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 (step S11).
From the data storage unit 144, the total number of turns off on the coil side through which the current flows is called and set (step S12).
The number of OFF operations of the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is counted up (step S13), and the count data is stored in the data storage unit 144.
The counter is counted once every time the number of times the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is turned off is detected.

  Next, the number of off times (N) corresponding to the lifetime of the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 set in the data storage unit 144 in advance is compared with the total number counted up this time ( Step S14). If the total number of times is N times or more, it is displayed on the operation unit that the life of the coil has been reached and it is time to replace the SW unit 100 (step S15).

Next, a shutdown process is started before turning off the power (step S16).
Here, the status of writing to the HDD or nonvolatile memory medium is confirmed (step S17), whether or not writing is in progress (step S18), and the module with the writing ends the process (step S19).
After confirming whether or not the writing process has been completed for all the modules (step S20), temperature data T is obtained from the temperature detection unit 107 provided in the SW unit 100 (step S21). From the temperature table stored in advance, in order to turn off the power, the pulse width of the current control to be passed through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 in the SW unit 100 is determined (step S22).
In the temperature table, a set value for adjusting a pulse width flowing through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 is provided for each temperature.

  Next, the time when the previous operation button 108 was turned off stored in the data storage unit 144 is compared with the current time, and it is confirmed whether or not T time has elapsed (step S23). After the time T has elapsed, the current time information is acquired again from the RTC 145, and the time information is stored in the data storage unit 144 (step S24). Pulse control is performed so that the subsystem control unit 143 flows the first coil 102 or the second coil 103, and the power source of the image processing apparatus body is turned off (step S25).

FIG. 6 is another example of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG.
When the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is turned off, the subsystem control unit 143 detects that the operation button 108 is turned off (step S31).
From the data storage unit 144, the total number of turns off on the coil side through which the current flows is called and set (step S32).
The number of times the operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 is turned off is counted up (step S33), and the count data is stored in the data storage unit 144. Each time an off operation of the operation button 108 is detected, it is counted once.

Next, the number of off times (N) corresponding to the coil life time preset in the data storage unit 144 is compared with the total number counted up this time (step S34).
If the total number is N times or more, the life of the coil is reached, and the fact that it is time to replace the coil of the SW unit 100 is displayed on the LCD of the operation unit 130 (step S35).

Next, a shutdown process is started before turning off the power (step S36).
Here, the status of writing to the HDD or non-volatile memory medium is confirmed (step S37), whether or not writing is in progress (step S38), and the module with the writing ends the process (step S39). ).
After confirming whether or not the writing process has been completed for all modules (step S40), temperature data T from the temperature detection unit 107 provided in the SW unit 100 is acquired (step S41).

  Next, the fan drive start temperature preset in the data storage unit 144 is compared with the temperature data T in the vicinity of the coil (step S42). Is driven (step S43).

In order to turn off the power from a temperature table (not shown) stored in advance, a pulse width of current control to be passed through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 in the SW unit 100 is determined (step S44). .
In the temperature table, a set value for adjusting a pulse width flowing through the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 is provided for each temperature.

  Next, the time stored in the data storage unit 144 when the previous operation button 108 was turned off is compared with the current time to check whether T time has elapsed (step S45), and T time After the elapse, the current time information is acquired again from the RTC 145. The time information is stored in the data storage unit 144 (step S46), pulse control is performed so that the subsystem control unit 143 passes the coil, and the power source of the image processing apparatus body is turned off (step S47).

In general, when a current is passed through a coil, the temperature of the coil and the coil itself rises. Therefore, as shown in the graphs of FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the life is shortened as the coil temperature rises and the current is passed through the coil. There is a relationship. That is, each time the rocker switch is turned off, a current of a certain period is supplied to the coil, so that the temperature of the coil rises and the life of the coil is shortened.
Establishing a threshold for the current time required to reach the life of the coil, and dividing the period of the pulse width that flows through the coil by one off operation from that threshold, the total number of turns off until the life of the coil is reached (A) Is calculated.

Measure the number of days from the arrival of the coil to the SW unit 100 of the image processing apparatus body to the present and the total number of times of power-off operation (B), and calculate the average number of times (C) that are turned off per day, Calculate the life of the coil ((AB) / C days).
The main measurement and calculation are performed by the subsystem control unit 143. The total number of times the operation button 108 is turned off (A), the average number of times the operation button 108 is turned off per day (C), and the life of the coil are stored in the data storage unit 144. The
The data on the life days of the first coil 102 and the second coil 103 is stored in the data storage unit 144 for each of the first coil 102 and the second coil 103.
On the operation unit 130 of the image processing apparatus main body, the total number of turn-offs (X) of the first coil 102 and the second coil 103, the average number of turn-offs per day (Z), and the life days of the coils 102 and 103, respectively. And can be referred to. Reference can also be made by an operation from a device connected to an external network via the network I / F 146 of the image processing apparatus.

The operation unit 130 includes a unit that can select whether a current is passed through the first coil 102 or a current through the second coil 103, and is “invalid”, “first coil”, or “second coil”. "" The initial value is selected as “invalid”. When “invalid” is set, the “first coil 102” or “second coil 103” is determined from the flag information in the data storage unit 144 according to the determination of the life prediction described above. Is automatically determined.
When the first coil 102 or the second coil 103 is selected on the operation unit 130, the flag information in the data storage unit 144 is ignored, and the forcibly selected coil, for example, the second coil 103 side And the current is controlled to flow to the selected first coil 103 side. This is to reduce the downtime of the image processing device until the parts are replaced by forcibly switching to the second coil 103 side as a non-failed coil when the life prediction is lost. Can do.

  As mentioned above, according to this embodiment, it sets to a 1st coil or a 2nd coil compulsorily by operation from the apparatus connected to the external network. This can reduce the downtime of the image processing device until the parts are replaced by forcibly switching to the other coil without user intervention when one of the coils fails due to a life prediction failure. it can.

<Effect>
Depending on the characteristics of the PSU (power supply unit) and the state on the load side, a delay occurs until a current of effective energization time is passed through the coil and the power supply is actually stopped. If the control signal for flowing the coil is not pulse control but fixed control, it will flow through the coil for more than the effective energization time (X), and current will flow unnecessarily through the delay period. (Y period of Case 1 in FIG. 1).

  Since the coil temperature rises due to the flow through the coil and the duration of the flow and the life of the coil is shortened (Fig. 2), the control signal for flowing the coil is fixed to Low instead of pulse control as described above. In this control, the coil flows unnecessarily for an effective energization time. By passing this unnecessary current, the temperature of the coil is raised and the life of the coil is shortened. As a result, there is a concern that the component replacement life of the power supply SW mounted on the product is shortened.

  The effective energization time (X) varies depending on the coil temperature and the ambient temperature in the vicinity of the coil.

  This image processing apparatus consumes by flowing the minimum necessary current to the coil by means for detecting the current and temperature flowing through the coil, a temperature table for adjusting the pulse width of the effective energization time X, and the pulse width time control means. This has the effect of reducing power and extending the life of the coil.

  Further, a second coil is provided, and a means for selecting whether the current flows to the first coil or the second coil is provided. When one coil reaches the end of its life by means of calculating the life of the coil, A means for switching is provided, which has the effect of extending the life of the rocker switch component.

  Furthermore, there is an effect of reducing the downtime of the image processing apparatus at the user site until the replacement of the part is performed by switching to the other coil that has not failed even if one coil reaches the end of its life due to the prediction of the life of the coil. .

<Program>
The image processing apparatus according to the present invention described above is realized by a program that causes a computer to execute processing. Examples of the computer include general-purpose computers such as personal computers and workstations, but the present invention is not limited to this. Therefore, as an example, a case where the function of the present invention is realized by a program will be described below.

For example,
In the substantial computer of the image processing device,
A procedure in which the detecting means detects the off / on operation of the operation button of the rocker switch;
A procedure for the relay control means to perform relay control of the power source according to the detection result of the operation button of the rocker switch being turned off / on,
A procedure in which the shutdown processing means performs a shutdown process after a predetermined process when the operation button of the rocker switch is turned off;
A program for executing
The image processing apparatus includes a first coil provided in the rocker switch and used for relay control of a power source, and a second coil provided in the vicinity of the first coil,
In the computer,
There is a program in which the switching means executes a procedure for switching between the first coil and the second coil based on the state of the first coil.

Thus, the image processing apparatus according to the present invention can be realized anywhere as long as there is a computer environment capable of executing the program.
Such a program may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

<Storage medium>
Here, examples of the storage medium include a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), and a CD-ROM, a semiconductor memory such as flash memory, RAM, ROM, and FeRAM, and an HDD.

  CD-ROM is an abbreviation for Compact Disc Read only Memory. Flexible disk means Flexible Disk (FD). CD-R is an abbreviation for CD Recordable. RAM is an abbreviation for Random-Access Memory. ROM is an abbreviation for Read-only Memory. FeRAM is an abbreviation for Ferroelectric RAM and means a ferroelectric memory. HDD is an abbreviation for Hard Disc Drive.

  The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there. For example, a priority order may be determined for the first coil and the second coil, and when the first coil is disconnected, the remaining coils may be switched. In the above-described embodiment, the case of the rocker switch has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a toggle switch, a slide switch, a push switch, or a rotary switch.

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the life of the coil is extended by the time control means and the cooling means for detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the coil and causing the exciting current to flow according to the temperature information.
On the other hand, in a state where excitation current continues to flow through the coil due to a rocker switch failure or system runaway, the coil is prevented by continuing unnecessary current flow through the coil by restoring it by reboot processing. It is conceivable to extend the lifespan.

  In other words, the relay signal monitoring unit that monitors the relay signal via the drive unit determines the occurrence of an abnormality in the SW unit or the occurrence of system runaway, and the reboot processing signal sent from the relay signal monitoring unit to the controller power generation unit Reboot the device. As a result, it is conceivable to prevent unnecessary current from flowing through the coil in a state where the main unit power supply is not cut off due to the occurrence of an abnormality in the SW unit or the occurrence of system runaway.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the drawings.
[Embodiment 2]
<Overview>
The present invention comprises a detection means, a relay control means, a shutdown means, a storage means, a coil, an illuminance detection section, a power-off control means, a relay signal monitoring section, and a confirmation means, and allows an excitation current to flow through the coil even after a predetermined time has elapsed. The reboot process is performed in the case of continuing. By this reboot process, it is possible to prevent the coil life from being shortened by flowing an unnecessary current and shortening the life of the coil.

  Here, if only the system is faulty, that is, if a low voltage is continuously sent to the coil due to runaway or if a low pulse is intermittently sent and the power to this device is turned off, only the system No defect is detected. However, if the power does not turn off in the previous state, it is determined that the power is not turned off despite the current flowing through the coil, and that the SW section is defective in some state. .

[Constitution]
The image processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a relay control unit, a shutdown unit, a storage unit, a coil, an illuminance detection unit, a power-off control unit, a relay signal monitoring unit, and a confirmation unit.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus according to another embodiment.
The image processing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a SW unit 1000, a power generation unit 110, an engine control unit 120, an operation unit 130, an illuminance detection unit 102, and a controller control unit 1400. The detection means corresponds to the sensor 109 built in the SW unit 1000. The relay control means corresponds to the drive unit 142 and the subsystem control unit 1430. The shutdown means corresponds to software of the main system control unit 147 described later. The storage means corresponds to the HDD and the nonvolatile device.
The power-off control means turns off the power by passing an exciting current through the coil 102 in the SW unit 1000 by a detection signal from the illuminance detection unit 1402 or when the operation button 108 is turned off. The power-off control means corresponds to the coil 102, the slices 104 and 105, the drive unit 142, the subsystem control unit 143, and the main system control unit 147. The confirmation unit corresponds to the software of the relay signal monitoring unit 1401 and the subsystem control unit 1430. The reboot unit corresponds to the software of the subsystem control unit 1430 and the main system control unit 147.

  The operation button 108 and the SW unit 1000 constituting the rocker switch are switches that turn on / off the circuit by alternately pressing both ends of the operation button 108 like a seesaw. The operation button 108 is pushed to the on side in the figure, and when the off button is pushed, the operation button 108 is indicated by a broken line. In the vicinity of the operation button 108, a sensor 109 is provided as detection means for detecting whether the operation button 108 is on or off. For example, a micro switch is used as the sensor 109, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a photo interrupter or a Hall element may be used.

  Since the coil 102 is used for relay control of the power supply, one end is connected to the 5V power supply, the other end is connected to the drive unit 142, and the drive voltage from the drive unit 142 is applied. One end 104 is connected to an AC power source and the other end 105 is a single-pole double-throw movable section / fixed contact, which is normally turned off by a spring. These movable segments / fixed contacts 104 and 105 and the coil 102 constitute a relay such that the coil 102 is excited by a control signal from the subsystem control unit 143, for example. A coil 102, a permanent magnet (not shown) that can move in the coil 102, and an actuator that is connected to the permanent magnet and turns on and off the movable segments 104 and 105 constitute a solenoid.

The controller control unit 1400 includes a controller power generation unit 141, a drive unit 142, a subsystem control unit 1430, a data storage unit 144, an RTC 145, a network I / F 146, a main system control unit 147, an HDD, a nonvolatile device 148, and a relay signal A monitoring unit 1401 is included.
The relay signal monitoring unit 1401 is a circuit having a function of monitoring a power source of the apparatus and a control signal for turning off the power source.
The main system control unit 147 of the controller control unit 1400 includes an HDD and nonvolatile device control function, a network I / F 146 control function, a communication control function, a communication function with the engine control unit 120, and a subsystem control unit 1430. Has a communication function.

The subsystem control unit 1430 is a control function of the controller power supply 141, a communication function with the RTC for measuring date / time information, a data storage unit 144 for storing date / time information, and an on / off operation button 108 of the SW unit 100 as a rocker switch. It has an operation detection function. Further, the subsystem control unit 1430 has a function of performing control for causing the current of the coil 102 to flow through the drive circuit in the SW unit 1000 in order to stop the supply of power when the rocker switch is turned off. In addition, the subsystem control unit 1430 inputs a signal from the illuminance detection unit 1402 and stops supplying power when it becomes dark, and performs control for causing the current of the coil 102 to flow through the drive circuit in the SW unit 1000. And a function of performing communication with the operation unit 130.
The operation unit 130 includes a touch panel, an LCD, an LED, a speaker, an input key, and the like.

The illuminance detection unit 1402 includes an illuminance sensor and has a function of sending the brightness level from the illuminance detection unit to the subsystem control unit. Examples of the illuminance sensor include a photodiode, a phototransistor, and a photoresistor. The illuminance detection unit 1402 may be configured in the operation unit 130.
The power generation unit 110 converts the AC voltage into a DC voltage and supplies DC power to the engine control unit 120, the controller control unit 1400, the relay signal monitoring unit 1401, and the SW unit 1000.
The engine control unit 120 communicates with the main system control unit 147 in the controller control unit 1400, and functions to control the engine mechanism unit of the image processing apparatus such as a scanner, a plotter, a paper discharge unit, and a paper feed unit. And having.

  Here, the failure of the switch is a structure in which the switch contact is turned off by an exciting current when a current is passed through the coil 102. Some mechanical problem occurs, and the current flows through the coil 102 but does not turn off. Means state. For example, even when the operation button 108 is tilted, the operation button 108 itself is cracked, broken, or depressed, or a return spring (not shown) is disconnected, so that it is not transmitted to the relay side.

[Operation]
Next, the operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
FIG. 8 is an example of a flowchart for explaining the operation of the image processing apparatus shown in FIG.
When the image processing apparatus sends a signal to turn off the power from the illuminance detection unit 1402, the subsystem control unit 1430 detects a signal to turn off the power from the illuminance detection unit 1402, and performs a shutdown process before turning off the power. Start.
Here, it is determined whether or not there is any writing to the HDD or the non-volatile memory device 148, and the module having the writing ends the process.
After the writing process is completed in all the modules, the current time information is acquired from the RTC 145, the time information is stored in the data storage unit 144, and a pulse signal is transmitted from the subsystem control unit 1430 to flow to the coil 102. The relay signal monitoring unit checks the signal level of the relay signal after the elapse of T time from the pulse signal transmission. If the signal level of the relay signal is high, it is determined that the SW unit 1000 has failed. If the signal level of the relay signal is low, it is determined that a system runaway has occurred with the SW unit 1000, and an abnormal state flag is stored in the data storage unit 144. After storing, a reboot processing signal is sent from the relay signal monitoring unit 1401 to the controller power generation unit 141, and the reboot processing is started.

That is, when the image processing apparatus detects a power-off signal as a darkness signal from the illuminance detection unit 1402 (step S51), it starts a shutdown process (step S52), and writes to the HDD and the nonvolatile memory device 148. Is confirmed (step S53).
It is determined whether or not writing is in progress (step S54), and if it is determined that writing is not in progress (step S54 / NO), a request to end the writing process is issued to the process of each module that is being written to step S56. Proceed to When it is determined that writing is not in progress (step S54 / YES), the process proceeds to step S57.
In step S56, it is determined whether writing is in progress. If it is determined that writing is in progress (step S56 / NO), the process returns to step S56. If it is determined that writing is not in progress (step S56 / YES), step 57 Proceed to

Acquire the current time information and store the time information (step S57), send a pulse signal to the relay signal (step S58), and after the elapse of T time, the relay signal monitoring unit 1401 detects the relay signal level ( Step S59).
It is determined whether or not the relay signal level is high (step S60) .If the relay signal level is determined to be high (step S60 / YES), it is determined that a failure has occurred in the SW unit 1000 (step S61). ), The abnormal state flag is stored in the data storage unit 144 (step 62).
When a reboot processing signal is sent from the relay signal monitoring unit 1401 to the controller power supply generation unit, the controller control unit 1400 is rebooted and the process ends (step S67).
If it is determined that the relay signal level is not high (step S60 / NO), it is determined that a failure of the SW unit 1000 and a system runaway have occurred (step S64), and an abnormal state flag is stored in the data storage unit 144. (Step S65), the process proceeds to Step S66.
In step S66, a reboot processing signal is sent from the relay signal monitoring unit 1401 to the controller power supply generating unit 141 (step S66), and the process is terminated through step S67.

  Here, when it is determined that a failure of the SW unit 1000 and a system runaway have occurred, it means a state in which a current is continuously supplied to the coil 102.

The flowchart of FIG. 9 will be described.
FIG. 9 is an example of a flowchart showing the operation after the reboot shown in FIG.
After detecting the abnormal state, the image processing apparatus starts a reboot process (step S71), acquires the current time information from the RTC, and stores the reboot history information together with the time information (step S72). After storing the reboot history information, the abnormal state flag in the data storage unit is referred to (step S73), and it is determined whether there is an abnormal state flag (step S74). When an abnormality flag is detected (step S74 / YES), the econite sensor function setting is turned off (step S75) so that the econite sensor function does not operate (step S75), the SW section abnormality is displayed on the operation section, and the startup process is completed. (Step S76).
If no abnormality flag is detected (step S74 / NO), the process ends.

  Here, it is assumed that the power of the apparatus is turned off after a low pulse voltage signal is sent to the coil 102 and the time T has elapsed. However, even after the time T has elapsed, the apparatus is turned on, and the system program is operating. With regard to the power source of the controller control unit 1400, since the power source of the controller control unit 1400 can be turned off / on via the relay signal monitoring unit 1401, cold reboot can be performed.

  The above-described embodiment shows an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. is there. For example, a priority order may be determined for the first coil and the second coil, and when the first coil is disconnected, the remaining coils may be switched. In the above-described embodiment, the case of the rocker switch has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to a toggle switch, a slide switch, a push switch, or a rotary switch.

  In addition, the image processing apparatus may include a unit that determines that a switch failure or a system runaway state has occurred, and a unit that stores a switch failure or system runaway state flag as an abnormal state before the reboot process.

The image processing apparatus may further include means for automatically turning off the econite sensor function when an abnormality flag is detected at the time of activation when rebooting is performed.
This is because when the econite sensor function is turned on when restarted by the reboot process, the econite sensor function is activated and current is supplied to the coil to turn off the main body power supply when it becomes dark as before. At this time, if the switch is broken, unless the switch failure is improved, the econite sensor function is activated and an electric current is applied to the coil to turn off the main body power. The main unit cannot be turned off due to a switch failure, and reboot processing → main unit start-up → Eco Knight sensor function operation → is repeated infinitely, unnecessary reboot and start-up operations are repeated repeatedly, wasting power Consume. In order to prevent this unnecessary reboot / startup operation from being repeated, there may be provided means for automatically turning off the econite sensor function when booting is performed by reboot processing.

  The image processing apparatus may further include means for displaying an occurrence of a switch failure on the operation unit when the abnormality flag is detected when the abnormality flag is detected at the time of startup when the reboot is performed. Good. As a result, a message indicating that a switch failure has occurred and an SC code can be displayed on the operation unit to notify the user of the occurrence of the switch failure.

  In addition, the image processing apparatus may include a unit that connects to an external network and acquires device information, and a unit that detects an abnormal state flag from the external network. Thereby, the abnormal state of the user machine can be quickly grasped by detecting the abnormal state flag at the service center connected to the network and monitoring the switch failure or the system runaway.

  The present invention can also be applied to image processing apparatuses such as multifunction peripherals, printers, facsimile machines, and projectors.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 1000 SW part 101 Switching part 102 1st coil, coil 103 2nd coil 104, 105 Movable piece and fixed contact 106 Cooling part 107 Temperature detection part 108 Operation button 109 Sensor 110 Power supply generation part 120 Engine control part 130 Operation Unit 140, 1400 Controller control unit 141 Controller power generation unit 142 Drive unit 143, 1430 Subsystem control unit 144 Data storage unit 145 RTC
146 Network 147 Main system control unit 148 HDD
1401 Relay signal monitoring unit 1402 Illuminance detection unit

JP 11-338321 A

Claims (10)

Detecting means for detecting the off / on operation of the operation button of the rocker switch;
Relay control means for performing relay control of the power source according to the detection result of off / on of the rocker switch;
Shutdown processing means for performing a shutdown process after a predetermined process at the time of turning off the operation button of the rocker switch;
A first coil provided in the rocker switch and used for relay control of the power source;
A second coil provided in the vicinity of the first coil;
An image processing apparatus comprising:
An image processing apparatus comprising: switching means for switching between the first coil and the second coil based on the state of the first coil. Means for detecting the off / on operation of the operation button of the rocker switch, means for performing relay control of the power source based on the off / on detection result of the operation button of the rocker switch, and at the time of turning off the operation button of the rocker switch Means for storing time information, and an image processing apparatus comprising:
A first coil used for relay control of the power supply is provided in the rocker switch, and includes means for detecting a temperature in the vicinity of the coil, and the coil in the rocker switch is excited when the operation button of the rocker switch is turned off. Comprising a control means for turning off the power by passing a current;
Means for measuring and storing the total number of off-operations of the operation buttons of the rocker switch; means for calculating a life of a coil in the rocker switch from the total number of off-operations; means for storing the calculated data; An image processing apparatus comprising: means for performing a shutdown process after storing the data; and means for switching so that a current flows through the second coil when the first coil reaches the end of its life . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
First storage means for storing an operation state in which the operation button of the rocker switch is turned off;
A second storage means for measuring the total number of the off operations and storing the measured results;
Calculating means for calculating the life of the coil in the rocker switch from the total number of off operations;
Third storage means for storing data of the calculated results,
An image processing apparatus comprising: other switching means for switching so that a current flows through the second coil when the life of the first coil is reached. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3,
An image processing apparatus comprising: means for selecting which of the first coil and the second coil a current flows on the operation unit. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3,
An image processing apparatus comprising means for connecting to a network and acquiring device information, and means for selecting whether the current flows to the first or the second by an operation from the network . The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
An image processing apparatus comprising: means for connecting to a network and acquiring device information, and acquiring means for acquiring data in which information on the lifetime of the first and second coils is stored by an operation from the network. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,
An image processing apparatus comprising: means for displaying data in which the life of the first and second coils is stored by an operation on the operation unit. Detecting means for detecting the off / on operation of the operation button of the rocker switch;
Relay control means for performing relay control of the power supply by a coil based on the detection result of off / on of the rocker switch;
Shutdown means for performing a shutdown process after a predetermined process at the time of turning off the operation button of the rocker switch;
Storage means for storing time information when the rocker switch is turned off;
Illuminance detection means for detecting the brightness of the surrounding environment,
Control means for turning off the power source by flowing an exciting current through the coil at the time of the rocker switch-off operation or by a detection signal from the illuminance detection means;
An image processing apparatus comprising:
Relay signal monitoring means for monitoring the power source and a relay signal for turning off the power source;
Confirming means for confirming the level of the relay signal after a predetermined time has elapsed since the relay signal was generated;
An image processing apparatus comprising: rebooting means for performing reboot processing when an excitation current continues to flow through the coil even after a predetermined time has elapsed. Detects the off / on action of the rocker switch operation button,
An image processing method for performing relay control of a power source according to a detection result of off / on of the rocker switch,
Shutdown processing after switching the first coil to the second coil provided in the rocker switch based on the state of the first coil provided in the rocker switch and used for relay control of the power supply And an image processing method. Detects the off / on action of the rocker switch operation button,
An image processing method for performing relay control of a power source according to a detection result of off / on of the rocker switch,
Monitoring the power supply and a relay signal for turning off the power supply, and confirming the level of the relay signal after a certain time has elapsed since the relay signal was generated;
An image processing method, wherein a reboot process is performed in a state in which an excitation current continues to flow through the coil even after a predetermined time has elapsed.

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