JP5720263B2 - Storage device for storing liquid consumption, liquid container, and liquid consumption system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage device that stores a liquid consumption amount, and a liquid container and a liquid consumption device including the storage device.

  Examples of the liquid consuming apparatus include an ink jet printer, a liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects a liquid containing a bio-organic material used for biochip manufacturing, a sample ejecting apparatus as a precision pipette, and the like. An ink cartridge, which is a removable liquid container, is usually attached to an ink jet printer.

  Some ink cartridges are provided with a storage device for storing various information such as ink consumption and ink color. The ink consumption of the ink cartridge increases according to the ink consumption, but does not decrease. However, in actuality, the value of the ink consumption stored in the storage device may decrease due to some cause such as a memory cell error or a communication error between the printer and the cartridge. If the amount of ink consumed stored in the storage device of the ink cartridge decreases, the printer misrecognizes that the ink remains in spite of the fact that no ink remains in the ink cartridge. As a result, normal printing may not be possible. In order to cope with such a problem, the present applicant has provided a technique for providing a function (referred to as a “decrement prohibition function”) for prohibiting rewriting the ink consumption value to a small value in the storage device of the ink cartridge. (Patent Document 1).

WO2006 / 129779A1

  However, the inventor of the present application has found that a storage device having a decrement prohibition function related to ink consumption has the following problems. In other words, if for some reason an ink consumption value larger than the actual value is written to the memory area where the decrement prohibition function is set, the ink consumption value in that memory area is rewritten to a smaller correct value. I can't. For example, if a communication error between the printer and the ink cartridge causes an ink consumption amount close to 100% (the ink residual amount is a value close to 0%) to be written in the decrement prohibited area of the storage device of the ink cartridge, Cannot be corrected to a value (for example, 10%). As a result, there arises a problem that printing using the ink cartridge cannot be executed. Such a problem is a big problem especially when it occurs when a new ink cartridge is mounted when the ink cartridge is replaced, because the new cartridge cannot be used at all. The inventor of the present application has developed a technique for preventing an excessive amount of liquid consumption from being erroneously written in a storage device that stores the amount of liquid consumption in order to deal with the above-described new problem. . Such a problem is not limited to a storage device that stores ink consumption, but is also a problem that is common to storage devices that store the consumption of other types of liquids.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for preventing an excessive liquid consumption amount from being erroneously written to a storage device in a storage device that stores the liquid consumption amount and an apparatus or system using the storage device. .

SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as the following forms or application examples.
A first aspect of the present invention is a storage device that stores a liquid consumption amount of a liquid container,
A non-volatile memory cell array;
A memory control circuit for writing and reading data in the memory cell array;
With
The memory cell array has a decrement prohibition area that allows writing of a value larger than the stored value and prohibits writing of a value smaller than the stored value,
When the memory control circuit writes a new value of the liquid consumption amount in the decrement prohibition area,
(I) If the increment from the already stored value to the new value is less than or equal to a predetermined increment that is predetermined and stored in the memory cell array in advance, a process of writing the new value to the memory cell array is performed. Run,
(Ii) The storage device does not execute the process of writing the new value to the memory cell array when the increment from the already stored value to the new value is larger than the allowable increment.
According to this configuration, the liquid consumption is stored in the decrement prohibited area, and if the increment from the stored value to the new value in the decrement prohibited area is larger than the allowable increment, the memory cell array Since the new value writing process is not executed, it is possible to prevent an excessive amount of liquid consumption from being erroneously written to the storage device.

[Application Example 1]
A storage device for storing a liquid consumption amount of a liquid container,
A non-volatile memory cell array;
A memory control circuit for writing and reading data in the memory cell array;
With
The memory cell array has a decrement prohibition area that allows writing of a value larger than the stored value and prohibits writing of a value smaller than the stored value,
When the memory control circuit writes a new value of the liquid consumption amount in the decrement prohibition area,
(I) If the increment from the stored value to the new value is less than or equal to a predetermined allowable increment, write processing of the new value to the memory cell array is performed,
(Ii) A storage device that does not execute the writing process of the new value to the memory cell array when the increment from the stored value to the new value is larger than the allowable increment.
According to this configuration, the liquid consumption is stored in the decrement prohibited area, and if the increment from the stored value to the new value in the decrement prohibited area is larger than the allowable increment, the memory cell array Since the new value writing process is not executed, it is possible to prevent an excessive amount of liquid consumption from being erroneously written to the storage device.

[Application Example 2]
A storage device according to Application Example 1,
The memory cell array stores in advance a plurality of permissible increments, and stores in advance an incremental selection value for selecting any one of the plurality of permissible increments,
The memory control circuit reads the increment selection value from the memory cell array, and selects one permissible increment from the plurality of permissible increments according to the increment selection value, so that the liquid to the decrement prohibited area is selected. A storage device used to determine whether or not to execute a process of writing a new value of consumption.
According to this configuration, the allowable increment suitable for the type of the liquid container can be selectively used, so that more appropriate writing control can be performed.

[Application Example 3]
The storage device according to Application Example 1 or 2,
The memory cell array has a plurality of candidate areas that can be used as the decrement prohibited area, and stores in advance an area selection value for selecting any one of the plurality of candidate areas as the decrement prohibited area. ,
The memory control circuit reads the area selection value from the memory cell array and selects one candidate area as the decrement prohibited area from the plurality of candidate areas according to the area selection value. Storage device used to store
According to this configuration, the candidate area suitable for the use and destination of the liquid container can be selectively used as the decrement prohibition area, so that more appropriate writing control can be executed.

[Application Example 4]
The storage device according to application example 3,
The memory device, wherein the memory control circuit can perform writing of an arbitrary value in a candidate area that is not selected as the decrement prohibition area among the plurality of candidate areas.
According to this configuration, candidate areas other than the decrement prohibited area can be used for storing other types of data, so that the entire memory cell array can be used more effectively.

[Application Example 5]
A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid consuming device,
A liquid storage container for storing a liquid;
The storage device according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, which stores a consumption amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage container;
A liquid cartridge comprising:

[Application Example 6]
A liquid consumption system for consuming liquid,
A liquid consuming device;
The liquid cartridge according to application example 5 for supplying a liquid to the liquid consuming device;
A liquid consumption system comprising:

  The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, a liquid container, a liquid cartridge, a printing material cartridge, a printing material container, a printing device, a liquid consumption device, a printing device, and a printing material cartridge. And a liquid consumption system including a liquid consuming apparatus and a liquid cartridge.

1 is a perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The perspective view of the holder in an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating an ink cartridge according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical connection state between a printer control unit and an ink cartridge storage device. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a circuit board for an ink cartridge. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a storage device for an ink cartridge. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a memory map of a storage device of an ink cartridge. 5 is a flowchart of communication processing between a printing apparatus and an ink cartridge. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure on the storage device side in ink consumption writing processing. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of the communication process performed between a sub control part and a memory | storage device. Explanatory drawing which shows the example of a communication process in case a decrement prohibition function is applied and an increment limitation function is not applied.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus (also referred to as “printer”) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, XYZ axes orthogonal to each other are drawn. The XYZ axes are attached to the drawings shown thereafter as necessary. In the present embodiment, in the usage posture of the printing apparatus, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, and the surface of the printing apparatus in the X-axis direction is the front surface. This printing apparatus is a small inkjet printer for individuals, and has a sub-scan feed mechanism, a main scan feed mechanism, and a head drive mechanism. The sub-scan feed mechanism transports the printing paper P in the sub-scan direction using a paper feed roller 12 powered by a paper feed motor (not shown). The main scanning feed mechanism uses the power of the carriage motor 14 to reciprocate the carriage 30 connected to the drive belt 16 in the main scanning direction. The main scanning direction of the printing apparatus is the Y-axis direction, and the sub-scanning direction is the X-axis direction. The head drive mechanism drives the print head 32 provided in the carriage 30 to execute ink ejection and dot formation. The printing apparatus further includes a main control unit 40 for controlling each mechanism described above. The main control unit 40 is connected to the carriage 30 via a flexible cable 42.

  The carriage 30 includes a holder 20 and a print head 32. The holder 20 is configured to be capable of mounting a plurality of cartridges, and is disposed on the upper side of the print head 32. The cartridges 10 attached to the holder 20 are arranged in the Y direction. The holder 20 is also referred to as a “cartridge mounting portion”. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four cartridges can be mounted independently on the holder 20, for example, four types of cartridges of black, yellow, magenta, and cyan are mounted one by one. The mounting direction of the cartridge is the −Z direction (vertically downward direction in the present embodiment). In addition, as the holder 20, a holder that can be mounted with any other plural types of cartridges can be used. An ink supply tube 240 for supplying ink from the cartridge to the print head 32 is disposed above the print head 32. A type of printing apparatus in which a cartridge exchanged by a user like this printing apparatus is mounted on a cartridge mounting portion (holder) on the carriage of the print head is referred to as an “on-carriage type”.

  FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the holder 20 to which the cartridge 10 is mounted. FIG. 2 shows a state where one cartridge 10 is mounted on the holder 20 for ease of explanation. The holder 20 has four slots in which one cartridge 10 can be mounted. An ink supply tube 240 is provided in each slot of the holder 20. Ink inside the cartridge 10 is supplied to the print head 32 via the ink supply tube 240. An elastic member 242 for sealing the ink supply port of the cartridge 10 is provided around the ink supply tube 240 so that the ink does not leak outside. The cartridge 10 has a lever 120 as an elastic part that is elastically deformed. The user can remove the cartridge 10 from the holder 20 by operating the lever 120.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cartridge 10 according to the embodiment. The mounting direction SD when mounting the cartridge 10 to the holder 20 is the −Z direction (in this embodiment, the vertically downward direction). The cartridge 10 includes an ink container 100 (also referred to as “ink container” or “casing”) that stores ink, and a circuit board 400 (also simply referred to as “substrate”). An ink chamber 108 that stores ink is formed inside the ink storage unit 100. The ink storage unit 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and has six surfaces including a bottom surface 101, a top surface 102, a front surface 103, a back surface 104, a left side surface 105, and a right side surface 106. Yes. An ink supply port 110 that is connected to the ink supply tube 240 of the printing apparatus when the cartridge 10 is mounted on the holder 20 is formed on the bottom surface 101. In a state before use, the opening of the ink supply port 110 may be sealed with a cap, a film, or the like. A lever 120 is provided on the front surface 103. The lever 120 is provided with an engagement release portion 122 and an engagement protrusion 124. The lever 120 is used when the cartridge 10 is attached to or detached from the holder 20. That is, when the user presses the lever 120, the engagement protrusion 124 and the engagement portion of the holder 20 can be mechanically engaged or disengaged. An engagement protrusion 160 is provided on the back surface 104. The engaging protrusion 160 also has a function of engaging with the engaging portion of the holder 20 and maintaining the cartridge 10 in the mounted state. A substrate installation portion 180 is formed at a position where the bottom surface 101 and the front surface 103 intersect (that is, a corner portion at the lower end of the front surface of the ink containing portion 100), and the substrate 400 is installed on the substrate installation portion 180. The substrate installation unit 180 is configured as a slope inclined with respect to the bottom surface 101. More specifically, an overhang portion 190 including a substrate installation portion 180 and a stepped portion 188 is provided at the end of the bottom surface 101 on the front surface 103 side. The stepped portion 188 is a portion that rises upward from the bottom surface 101. The board installation part 180 is provided at a position above the step part 188. The circuit board 400 is installed on the board installation unit 180 with the board surface facing downward. Note that the configuration of such an ink cartridge is merely an example, and an ink cartridge having any other configuration can be employed.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration of the control unit and the ink cartridge 10 in the printing apparatus. A main control unit 40 is provided in the printing apparatus main body, and a sub control unit 50 is provided on the carriage 30. Thus, instead of separating the main control unit 40 and the sub-control unit 50, it is possible to use one control circuit having the functions of both the control units 40 and 50. The main control unit 40 and the sub control unit 50 are control circuits connected to the circuit board 400 of the ink cartridge 10 and can also be called “host circuits”.

  The main control unit 40 and the sub control unit 50 are connected by bus wiring. The main control unit 40 controls the entire printing apparatus and issues various signals for printing to the sub-control unit 50. The sub control unit 50 supplies power to the storage device 130 of each ink cartridge 10 and sends a command indicating the type of access to the storage device 130 to write data to the storage device 130, and Data reading from the storage device 130 is executed. The sub-control unit 50 further has functions such as detection of mounting of the cartridge 10 and detection of overvoltage in the circuit board 400 of the cartridge 10.

  Different ID numbers (identification information) are assigned to the storage device 130 of each ink cartridge 10. The storage devices 130 of the plurality of ink cartridges 10 are connected in parallel to the wiring from the sub-control unit 50 (that is, bus connection). When data reading or writing processing is executed from the sub control unit 50 to the storage device 130 of a specific ink cartridge 10, the sub control unit 50 assigns ID numbers to all the ink cartridges 10 as will be described later. Thus, one ink cartridge 10 (that is, one storage device 130) to be accessed is specified.

  Wirings that electrically connect the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130 of each ink cartridge 10 include a reset signal line LR1, a clock signal line LC1, a data signal line LD1, a ground line LCS, and a power supply line LCV. , Including. The reset signal line LR1 is a wiring that supplies the reset signal RST from the sub control unit 50 to the storage device 130. For example, when the low-level reset signal RST is supplied from the sub-control unit 50 to the storage device 130, the storage device 130 enters an initial state (a standby state in which access can be accepted). The clock signal line LC <b> 1 is a wiring that supplies the clock signal SCK from the sub control unit 50 to the storage device 130. The data signal line LD1 is a wiring that bidirectionally transmits the data signal SDA between the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130. The data signal SDA is transmitted / received in synchronization with the clock signal SCK. The ground line LCS is a wiring that supplies the ground potential VSS to the storage device 130. The power supply line LCV is a wiring that supplies the power supply voltage VDD, which is the operating voltage of the storage device 130, to the storage device 130.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the circuit board 400 installed in the ink cartridge. FIG. 5A shows the configuration of the surface of the circuit board 400. FIG. 5B shows the circuit board 400 as viewed from the side. The surface of the circuit board 400 is a surface exposed to the outside when attached to the cartridge 10. An arrow SD shown in FIG. 5A indicates the mounting direction of the cartridge 10 in the holder 20.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a boss groove 401 is formed at the upper end of the circuit board 400, and a boss hole 402 is formed at the lower end of the circuit board 400. The circuit board 400 includes a terminal group including nine terminals 410 to 490 arranged on the surface, and the storage device 130. The storage device 130 disposed on the back side stores information (for example, ink consumption and ink color) related to the ink in the cartridge 10. The individual terminals 410 to 490 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and are arranged so as to form two rows substantially perpendicular to the Z axis (insertion direction SD).

Each of the terminals 410 to 490 includes a contact portion cp that comes into contact with a corresponding terminal among the device-side terminals attached to the holder 20 at the center thereof. The terminals 410 to 440 forming the upper row and the terminals 450 to 490 forming the lower row have, for example, the following functions (uses), respectively.
<Upper row>
(1) Overvoltage detection terminal 410
(2) Reset terminal 420
(3) Clock terminal 430
(4) Overvoltage detection terminal 440
<Lower row>
(5) Mounting detection terminal 450
(6) Power supply terminal 460
(7) Ground terminal 470
(8) Data terminal 480
(9) Mounting detection terminal 490

  The reset terminal 420, the clock terminal 430, the power supply terminal 460, the ground terminal 470, and the data terminal 480 are respectively connected to the wirings LR1, LC1, LCV, LCS, and LD1 shown in FIG. The overvoltage terminals 410 and 440 and the attachment detection terminals 450 and 490 are also connected to the sub-control unit 50, but illustration of the connection is omitted in FIG. The pair of overvoltage detection terminals 410 and 440 are terminals for detecting an abnormally high voltage value (referred to as “overvoltage”). The pair of mounting detection terminals 450 and 490 are used to detect the quality of the mounted state of the cartridge. Note that the overvoltage detection terminals 410 and 440 may be used not only for overvoltage detection but also for attachment detection. In the present embodiment, a voltage (for example, rated 42 V or rated 36 V) higher than the power supply voltage (rated 3.3 V) for the storage device 130 is applied to the attachment detection terminals 450 and 490. The other five terminals 420, 430, 460, 470, and 480 are terminals for the storage device 130. Among these five terminals, the four terminals 420, 430, 460, and 480 other than the ground terminal 470 are applied with a voltage (rated 3.3V) lower than that of the high voltage terminals 450 and 490. Note that the number and arrangement of terminals in the circuit board 400 shown in FIG. 5 are merely examples, and a circuit board having an arbitrary configuration other than this can be employed.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge. The storage device 130 is a sequential access type storage device that does not require input of address data for designating an access destination address from the outside. The storage device 130 includes a memory control circuit 600 and a memory cell array 602. The memory control circuit 600 is connected to the sub control unit 50 on the carriage of the printing apparatus.

  The memory control circuit 600 includes an ID comparison unit 610 and a read / write control unit 620. The read / write control unit 620 includes an increment determination unit 622. The ID comparison unit 610 compares the ID number transmitted from the sub control unit 50 with the ID number (identification number) stored in advance in the memory cell array 602, and the access from the sub control unit 50 is performed. It is determined whether or not it is addressed to the storage device 130. The read / write control unit 620 controls reading and writing of data in the memory cell array 602. The increment determination unit 622 determines whether or not the increment from the stored value to the new write value is equal to or less than the allowable increment when writing a new value in the decrement prohibited area (described later).

  FIG. 7 shows an address map of the memory cell array 602. The memory cell array 602 includes a plurality of rows, and one row is 8 bits. The uppermost codes D7 to D0 in FIG. 7 indicate the bit positions from the most significant bit D7 to the least significant bit D0. However, the number of bits in one row can be set to any other value such as 16 bits or 32 bits. The memory cell array 602 is sequentially accessed in the order of rows selected by an address counter (not shown) in the memory control circuit 600 (FIG. 6). In the memory map shown in FIG. 7, the sequential access order is from the upper side to the lower side in units of rows. The memory cell array 602 is divided into an externally accessible area ACA and an externally inaccessible area NAA. The external accessible area ACA is an area accessible from the sub-control unit 50. That is, when the sub-control unit 50 accesses the memory cell array 602, the range from the first row address A0 to the last row address A16 of the external accessible area ACA is accessed in this order. The externally inaccessible area NAA is an area that cannot be accessed from the sub-control unit 50 and is accessed by the memory control circuit 600 for use in controlling the memory cell array 602. Therefore, the sub control unit 50 cannot read data in the externally inaccessible area NAA.

  In the externally inaccessible area NAA, four values δ1 to δ4 of ink consumption allowable increment are stored. These values δ1 to δ4 are also simply referred to as “allowable increment δ”. In general, the allowable increment δ is preferably set to a value larger than the amount of ink consumed in any one process in the printing apparatus. On the other hand, if an excessively large value is set as the allowable increment δ, it is not preferable because there is a high possibility that a larger ink consumption than the actual amount will be written in the storage device 130 due to noise during communication. Therefore, a value considering these points is set as the value of the allowable increment δ.

The reason why a plurality of values of the allowable increment δ are stored in the storage device 130 is that an appropriate value as the allowable increment δ differs depending on the type and / or specification of the ink cartridge. For example, for a cartridge that is bundled at the time of shipment of the printing apparatus, when the printing apparatus is first started, a process of filling ink into the ink flow path from the cartridge to the print head (referred to as “initial filling”) is performed. Is called. In this initial filling, a considerable amount of ink is consumed from the cartridge. Therefore, it is preferable to set a value larger than the ink amount consumed in this initial filling as the allowable increment δ. In addition, since a cartridge for a printing apparatus having a large number of nozzles consumes a large amount of ink for nozzle cleaning that involves ink ejection, it is preferable to set a large value as the allowable increment δ. On the other hand, for a cartridge with a large initial ink amount or a cartridge for a printing apparatus with a small number of nozzles, it is preferable to set a small value as the allowable increment δ. Considering these points, for example, the following values can be set as the allowable increments δ1 to δ4.
(1) Allowable increment δ1 = 50%: cartridge for initial filling (2) Allowable increment δ2 = 40%: Cartridge for printing apparatus having a large number of nozzles (3) Allowable increment δ3 = 30%: Printing apparatus having a small number of nozzles Cartridge (4) allowable increment δ4 = 20%: cartridge with a large initial ink amount

  The value of the allowable increment δ is larger than the minimum difference that the ink consumption can take (for example, 1/256, which is a value corresponding to the minimum bit when the ink consumption is expressed in 8 bits). Is set. For example, an appropriate value is selected from the range of 10% to 90% for each allowable increment δ. Further, it is preferable that the minimum value of the allowable increment δ is set to a value sufficiently larger than the ink consumption amount in one printing in the printing apparatus and the ink consumption amount in one head cleaning. Note that only one value (for example, 50%) may be stored in the storage device 130 as the value of the allowable increment δ.

  The external accessible area ACA includes a control information area CIA, a rewritable area RWA, and a read-only area ROA. The control information area CIA is used for storing an ID number and control bits CB1 to CB5. Here, the ID number is 3 bits, and eight types of cartridges can be identified. In the rewritable area RWA, various kinds of cartridge information other than the ink consumption (the date when the cartridge is first mounted, the number of times of mounting, etc.) can be written. The read-only area ROA stores other cartridge information (ink color, ink amount, cartridge type, date of manufacture, destination country, destination, etc.) that does not need to be rewritten.

The control bits CB1 to CB5 stored in the control information area CIA are used for the following purposes, for example.
(1) Control bit CB1 (decrement prohibition function flag):
Flag indicating whether or not to apply the decrement prohibition function (prohibit writing of smaller values) to the area for storing the ink consumption (2) control bits CB2 to 5:
Control bits used for other controls performed by the memory control circuit

  When the control bit CB1 is set to 1, the decrement inhibition function is used when writing a new value of the ink consumption into the memory cell array 602. Specifically, when the new write value is equal to or smaller than the stored value, the new write value is not written, and when the new write value is larger than the stored value, the writing is performed. On the other hand, when the control bit CB1 is set to 0, the decrement inhibition function is not used. That is, even when the new write value is smaller than the stored value of the ink consumption, the new write value is written into the memory cell array 602. The control bit CB1 may be omitted, and the decrement prohibition function may be always applied to the ink consumption storage area.

  The rewritable area RWA is an area to be accessed for rewriting data from the sub-control unit 50. The rewritable area RWA includes two candidate areas R1 and R2. These candidate areas R1 and R2 are areas that can be used as storage areas for ink consumption. As the ink consumption, for example, a value indicating how much of the initial ink amount of the ink cartridge 10 is consumed is stored. Therefore, the ink consumption in the unused ink cartridge 10 is 0%. In addition to the ink consumption, a control flag may be stored in the ink consumption storage area. As such a control flag, for example, a flag indicating that the ink consumption has reached an alarm level (for example, 95%) can be used. Further, the number of bits of the candidate areas R1 and R2 is not limited to 8 bits, and can be set to any plural number of bits such as 16 bits and 32 bits.

  One of the two candidate areas R1 and R2 is selected and used for storing ink consumption. The candidate area that is not selected may be reserved as a spare area used for storing the ink consumption, or may be used for storing arbitrary data other than the ink consumption. For example, in the former case, when a cell error occurs in the initially selected candidate area (for example, R1), the ink consumption can be stored using the candidate area R2 reserved as a spare. is there. Further, in this case, the fact that use has been prohibited due to a cell error may be recorded as a control flag for the candidate region R1 that was initially selected. When storing data other than ink consumption in a candidate area that is not used for storing ink consumption, a new write value is always set regardless of the magnitude relationship between the stored value and the new write value. You may make it write. Note that the number of candidate regions for storing ink consumption can be set to one or any number.

  The read-only area ROA has a plurality of rows of storage areas. The read-only area ROA is an area to be accessed only for reading data from the sub-control unit 50 of the printer. Control bits CB6 to CB9 are stored in a part of the read-only area ROA (lower 4 bits of the last row A16 in the case of FIG. 7).

The control bits CB6 to CB9 are used for the following purposes, for example.
(1) Control bit CB6 (increment limit function flag):
Flag indicating whether or not to use the increment limiting function (2) Control bit CB7 (area selection value):
Value for selecting which of the plurality of candidate areas A1 and A2 is to be used as a storage area for ink consumption (3) Control bits CB8-9 (incremental selection values):
A value for selecting which of a plurality of allowable increments δ1 to δ4 is used in the increment limiting function

  The control bit CB1 stored at the address A0 indicates whether or not the decrement prohibiting function is used, and the control bit CB6 stored at the address A16 indicates whether or not the increment limiting function is used. It is a flag to show. The writing process according to the combination of these two bits CB1 and CB6 is as follows.

(1) When CB1 = CB6 = 1:
Both the decrement prohibiting function and the increment limiting function are applied to the memory area (one of the candidate areas R1 and R2) in which the ink consumption is written. Accordingly, only when the condition that (i) the new written value of the ink consumption is larger than the stored value and (ii) the increment from the stored value is equal to or smaller than the permitted increment is satisfied. A write value is written into the memory cell array 602.

(2) When CB = 1 and CB6 = 0:
The decrement prohibition function is applied to the memory area into which the ink consumption is written, but the increment limitation function is not applied. Therefore, if the new written value of the ink consumption is larger than the stored value, the new written value is written into the memory cell array 602.

(3) When CB1 = 0, CB6 = 1 or 0:
The decrement prohibiting function is not applied to the memory area into which the ink consumption is written, and the increment limiting function is not applied. Therefore, the new ink consumption amount transmitted from the sub control unit 50 is written in the memory cell array 602 as it is.

  As can be understood from the above description, in the present embodiment, the increment limiting function can be applied only to a memory area to which the decrement prohibiting function is applied. However, the increment limiting function may always be applied to the memory area to which the decrement prohibiting function is applied. In this case, the increment limiting function flag can be omitted. If the flag CB6 indicating whether or not to apply the increment limiting function to the decrement prohibited area is used as in this embodiment, the control unit 50 on the printing apparatus side and the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge 10 are used. It is possible to apply the increment limiting function only when appropriate, depending on the type of communication procedure between and. Note that the increment limiting function may be applied to a memory area to which the decrement prohibiting function is not applied. In this case, the values of the control bits CB1 and CB6 are CB1 = 0 and CB6 = 1.

  Note that the storage positions, uses, and number of bits of the control bits CB1 to CB9 described above are merely examples, and other storage positions, uses, and number of bits can be applied to the control bits.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart of communication processing between the printing apparatus and the ink cartridge. When a cartridge is mounted at the time of cartridge replacement or when the printing apparatus is turned on, the process proceeds from step T100 to step T110, and the processes after step T110 are executed. In step T110, all data in the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge 10 is read and stored in the sub-control unit 50 (or main control unit 40) of the printing apparatus. “All data in the storage device 130” means all data in the external accessible area ACA of FIG. In step T110, the memory control circuit 600 reads the ink consumption allowable increment δ (value specified by the control bits CB8 and CB9) to be used in the cartridge from the externally inaccessible area NAA, and performs memory control. The data may be stored in a register (not shown) in the circuit 600. Further, other stored values such as the control bits CB1 to CB9 may be stored in a register in the memory control circuit 600 as necessary.

  In step T120, the main control unit 40 (or sub-control unit 50) determines whether or not the ink consumption stored in the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge 10 should be updated. If so, the process proceeds to step T130. Transition. Although the update timing is arbitrary, for example, it is possible to set in advance that the ink consumption amount stored in the storage device 130 is updated every time the ink consumption amount increases by 10%.

  In step T <b> 130, a process of transmitting a new ink consumption value from the sub-control unit 50 to the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge 10 and writing to the storage device 130 is executed. The contents of this writing process will be described later. The processes in steps T120 and T130 are repeated as necessary until the power of the printing apparatus is turned off (step T140). Further, when the cartridge is replaced while the power of the printing apparatus is on, the processes after Step T110 are executed.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure on the storage device 130 side in step T130 (ink consumption writing process). In this writing process, both the decrement prohibiting function and the increment limiting function are applied.

  In step S110, the memory control circuit 600 of the storage device 130 receives data WD1, which is a new write value, from the external circuit. In the present embodiment, “external circuit” means the sub-control unit 50. As shown in FIG. 4, the storage devices 130 of the plurality of cartridges 10 are bus-connected to the sub-control unit 50, so that an access to one storage device 130 from the sub-control unit 50 requires an ID number. It is done using. That is, when the sub control unit 50 accesses one storage device 130, first, the ID number is transmitted as the data signal SDA to identify one storage device 130 among the plurality of storage devices 130. The ID comparison unit 610 of the memory control circuit 600 compares the ID number stored in advance in the storage device 130 with the ID number transmitted from the sub-control unit 50, and only when the two match, Continue the access process. On the other hand, other storage devices 130 with different ID numbers ignore subsequent access processing. Step S110 is a step in which the storage device 130 receives a new write value WD1 after the comparison of the ID numbers.

  In step S120, the read / write control unit 620 of the memory control circuit 600 reads the internal data WD2 of the area to be written from the rewritable area RWA. When the stored value WD2 of the ink consumption is read, the stored value WD2 is read from one area (area R1 in the example of FIG. 7) designated by the control bit CB7 out of the two candidate areas R1 and R2. It is.

  In step S130, read / write control unit 620 determines whether the data write area is a decrement prohibited area. This determination is made according to the value of the control bit CB1 (decrement prohibition function flag). If it is not the decrement prohibited area, the write processing of the external write value WD1 is performed after step T180 described later. This is processing when data other than ink consumption is written. On the other hand, if the data write area is a decrement prohibited area, the increment determination unit 622 determines whether or not the new write value WD1 is larger than the stored value WD2 in step S140. When the new write value WD1 is less than or equal to the stored value WD2, it is determined as a write error by the decrement prohibition function (step S190). In this case, the process ends without writing the new write value WD1. On the other hand, when the new write value WD1 is larger than the stored value WD2, in step S150, the read / write control unit 620 determines whether or not the data write area is an increment limited area. This determination is made according to the value of the control bit CB6 (increment limit function flag).

  If the write area is not the increment limit area, the process proceeds to step T180, and a new write value WD1 is written. On the other hand, if it is the increment limit region, the increment determination unit 622 reads the value of the allowable increment δ in step S160. When the value of the allowable increment δ is already stored in the register in the memory control circuit 600 in step T110 in FIG. 8, the reading in step S160 is not necessary. In step S170, the increment determination unit 622 determines whether or not the increment (WD1-WD2) from the stored value WD2 to the new write value WD1 is equal to or less than the allowable increment δ. When the increment (WD1-WD2) exceeds the allowable increment δ, it is determined as a write error by the increment limiting function (step S190). On the other hand, when the increment (WD1−WD2) is equal to or smaller than the allowable increment δ, the process proceeds to step S180, and a new write value WD1 is written into the memory cell array 602.

  Thus, in this embodiment, both the decrement prohibiting function and the increment limiting function are set in the storage area of the ink consumption amount in the storage device 130. Therefore, the new writing value WD1 of the ink consumption is (i) larger than the stored value WD2, and (ii) the increment (WD1-WD2) from the stored value WD2 is equal to or less than the allowable increment δ. Only when the two conditions (i) and (ii) are satisfied, a new value WD1 of the ink consumption is written into the memory cell array 602. When these conditions (i) and (ii) are put together, the condition is WD2 <WD1 ≦ WD2 + δ. As a result of this processing, the storage device 130 has received an excessive value (for example, a value close to 100%) as the new write value WD1 due to a communication error between the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130. Even in this case, the excessive value can be prevented from being written into the memory cell array 602. As a communication error, for example, a bit error due to a poor contact between the terminals 410 to 490 of the circuit board 400 (FIG. 5) and the printing apparatus side terminals may occur. If the most significant bit of the transmission data of the ink consumption is inverted, the storage device 130 receives an excessive value. In the present embodiment, in such a case, storing the excessive value in the memory cell array 602 can be effectively prevented. In particular, even when a communication error as described above occurs when a new ink cartridge is installed at the time of replacement of the ink cartridge, it is possible to prevent a problem that the new cartridge cannot be used at all.

  FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of communication processing performed between the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130. Here, it is assumed that the stored value WD2 of the ink consumption in the storage device 130 is 10%, and the new write value WD1 from the printer (that is, from the sub control unit 50) is 20%. It is assumed that both the decrement prohibition function and the increment limit function are applied.

  First, the printing apparatus reads data from the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge (step S210), and then performs printing, head cleaning, and the like to consume ink (step S220). When the ink consumption amount of a certain ink cartridge reaches 20%, a new write value WD1 (= 20%) of the ink consumption amount is transmitted to the ink cartridge (step S230). . Here, it is assumed that noise is generated when the new write value WD1 is transmitted, and the new write value WD1 received by the storage device 130 of the ink cartridge has changed to 50% (step S310).

  The memory control circuit 600 of the storage device 130 follows the steps S120, S130, S140, S150, S160, and S170 in FIG. It is determined whether or not it is satisfied (step S320). Here, assuming that WD1 = 50%, WD2 = 10%, and δ = 20%, these values WD1, WD2, and δ do not satisfy the above conditions. Therefore, writing of the new write value WD1 into the memory cell array 602 is not executed, and the stored value WD2 (= 10%) is maintained as it is (step S330).

  Next, the sub-control unit 50 of the printing apparatus reads the stored value WD2 of the ink consumption in the storage device 130 in order to confirm the writing result (step S240), and the read value WD2 (= 10%) is obtained. Then, it is determined whether or not it matches the write value WD1 (= 20%) transmitted in the write process (step S250). Here, since they do not match, the sub-control unit 50 re-sends the write value WD1 to the storage device 130 and requests a write process (step S260). Instead of executing the read process in step S240, a response indicating whether the write process has been completed normally is transmitted from the storage device 130 side to the sub-control unit 50. Transmission may be performed.

  In the next step S340, it is assumed that a new write value WD1 received by the storage device 130 has no transmission error due to noise or the like. In this case, since the relationship between the new write value WD1 and the stored value WD2 satisfies the condition of WD2 <WD1 ≦ WD2 + δ (step S350), the new write value WD1 is written into the memory cell array 602. Then, the sub control unit 50 of the printing apparatus reads the stored value WD2 of the ink consumption in the storage device 130 (step S270), and confirms that the read value WD2 matches the written value WD1 (= 20%). Since this is possible (step S280), the writing process ends normally.

  As described above, in this embodiment, when the new write value WD1 of the ink consumption received by the storage device 130 becomes excessive due to a communication error such as noise, the write value is stored in the memory cell array 602. Is not written to. However, in this case as well, the correct write value WD1 can be stored in the memory cell array 602 by retransmitting the same write value WD1 from the sub-control unit 50. Usually, the occurrence of noise is accidental, and correct data can often be transmitted by repeating the same data transmission several times. Therefore, according to the procedure of FIGS. 9 and 10, even when a communication error such as noise occurs in data communication between the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130, an excessive value as the ink consumption is stored in the storage device 130. Storage in the memory cell array 602 can be prevented.

  The number of transmissions (maximum number of transmissions) of the same write value WD1 from the sub-control unit 50 is preferably set in advance to an appropriate value (for example, 3 times). If the correct write value cannot be written in the memory cell array 602 even after this maximum number of transmission attempts, it is estimated that a serious contact failure or the like has occurred. In this case, it is preferable to take an appropriate measure such as notifying the user of the occurrence of an error on the display unit (not shown) of the printing apparatus and having the cartridge removed or attached.

  FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of communication processing between the sub-control unit 50 and the storage device 130 when the decrement prohibition function is applied to the ink consumption storage area but the increment limitation function is not applied. Steps S210, S220, S230 and Step S310 are the same as those steps in FIG.

  Next, the memory control circuit 600 of the storage device 130 determines whether the relationship between the new write value WD1 and the stored value WD2 satisfies the condition of WD2 <WD1 in accordance with steps S120, S130, and S140 of FIG. Is determined (step S400). Here, assuming that WD1 = 50% and WD2 = 10%, since the above condition WD2 <WD1 is satisfied, writing of a new write value WD1 is executed (step S410).

  Next, the sub-control unit 50 of the printing apparatus reads the stored value WD2 of the ink consumption in the storage device 130 in order to confirm the writing result (step S240), and the read value WD2 (= 50%) is obtained. Then, it is determined whether or not it matches the write value WD1 (= 20%) transmitted in the write process (step S250). Here, since they do not match, the sub-control unit 50 re-transmits the original write value WD1 to the storage device 130 and requests a write process (step S260).

  In the next step S420, it is assumed that a new write value WD1 received by the storage device 130 has no transmission error due to noise or the like. However, since the relationship between the new write value WD1 (= 20%) and the stored value WD2 (= 50%) does not satisfy the condition of WD2 <WD1 (step S430), the new write value WD1 is It is not written in the memory cell array 602. Thereafter, the sub-control unit 50 of the printing apparatus reads the stored value WD2 (= 50%) of the ink consumption in the storage device 130 again (step S270), but the read value WD2 is the write value WD1 (= 20%). ) (Step S280), the sub-control unit 50 recognizes a memory error (or write process error), and the write process ends.

  As described above, when the decrement prohibition function is applied to the memory area for storing the ink consumption but the increment limitation function is not applied, an excessive ink consumption may be written in the storage device due to a communication error or the like. Occurs. Therefore, as described in detail with reference to FIG. 10, it is preferable to apply both the decrement prohibiting function and the increment limiting function to the memory area for storing the ink consumption.

・ Modification:
The present invention is not limited to the above-described examples and embodiments, and can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the following modifications are possible.

・ Modification 1:
In the above-described embodiment, only the new write value WD1 of the ink consumption is transmitted as the transmission data transmitted from the host circuit (sub control unit 50) to the storage device side. Instead, an error correction function is provided. Write data may be transmitted. For example, write data that has been subjected to error correction coding may be transmitted. Alternatively, the normal write value WD1 and its inverted data may be transmitted. If write data having an error correction function is transmitted, the possibility of writing an excessive value to the storage device can be further reduced.

Modification 2
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the ink consumption amount is written in the storage device has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and can be applied to the case where other arbitrary types of write values are written in the storage device. is there.

・ Modification 3:
Of the various constituent elements described in the above embodiments, constituent elements that are not related to a specific purpose / action / effect can be omitted. For example, among the nine terminals 410 to 490 of the circuit board 400, the terminals 410, 440, 450, and 490 that are not memory terminals may be omitted.

・ Modification 4:
In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the ink cartridge. However, the present invention is not limited to the ink cartridge, and the present invention can be similarly applied to other printing materials, for example, a printing material container containing toner. is there.

-Modification 5:
In the above embodiment, the example in which the present invention is applied to the on-carriage type printing apparatus in which the holder (cartridge mounting portion) is on the carriage has been described. The present invention can also be applied to a certain off-carriage type printing apparatus.

Modification 6:
The present invention can be applied not only to an ink jet printer and its ink cartridge, but also to any liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects liquid other than ink and its liquid container. For example, the present invention can be applied to the following various liquid ejecting apparatuses and the liquid storage containers.
(1) Image recording device such as facsimile device (2) Color material injection device used for manufacturing color filter for image display device such as liquid crystal display (3) Organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display and surface emitting display (Field Electrode material injection device used for electrode formation such as Emission Display (FED), etc. (4) Liquid injection device for injecting liquid containing biological organic material used for biochip manufacturing (5) Sample injection device as a precision pipette (6) Lubrication Oil injection device (7) Resin liquid injection device (8) Liquid injection device for injecting lubricating oil pinpoint to precision machines such as watches and cameras (9) Micro hemispherical lenses (optical lenses) used in optical communication elements, etc. ), Etc., to inject a transparent resin liquid such as an ultraviolet curable resin liquid onto the substrate (10) Acid or to etch the substrate A liquid ejecting apparatus that ejects alkaline of the etching solution (11) any other liquid ejecting apparatus including a liquid ejecting head ejecting a minute amount of liquid droplet

  The “droplet” refers to the state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejecting apparatus, and includes those that have tails in the form of particles, tears, and threads. The “liquid” here may be any material that can be ejected by the liquid ejecting apparatus. For example, the “liquid” may be a material in a state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, such as a material in a liquid state having high or low viscosity, and sol, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, Liquid materials such as liquid resins and liquid metals (metal melts) are also included in the “liquid”. Further, “liquid” includes not only a liquid as one state of a substance but also a liquid obtained by dissolving, dispersing or mixing particles of a functional material made of a solid such as a pigment or metal particles in a solvent. Further, representative examples of the liquid include ink and liquid crystal as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based ink and oil-based ink, gel ink, and hot-melt ink.

10. Ink cartridge (cartridge)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Paper feed roller 14 ... Carriage motor 16 ... Drive belt 20 ... Holder (cartridge mounting part)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 ... Carriage 32 ... Print head 40 ... Main control part 42 ... Flexible cable 50 ... Sub-control part 100 ... Ink storage part 101 ... Bottom 102 ... Upper surface 103 ... Front 104 ... Back 105 ... Left side 106 ... Right side 108 ... Ink chamber DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Ink supply port 120 ... Lever 122 ... Engagement release part 124 ... Engagement protrusion 130 ... Memory | storage device (memory)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 160 ... Engagement protrusion 180 ... Board | substrate installation part 188 ... Step part 190 ... Overhang part 240 ... Ink supply pipe 242 ... Elastic member 400 ... Circuit board 401 ... Boss groove 402 ... Boss hole 410-490 ... Terminal 600 ... Memory control circuit 602 ... Memory cell array 610 ... ID comparison unit 620 ... Read / write control unit 622 ... Increment determination unit

Claims (6)

A storage device for storing a liquid consumption amount of a liquid container,
A non-volatile memory cell array;
A memory control circuit for writing and reading data in the memory cell array;
With
The memory cell array has a decrement prohibition area that allows writing of a value larger than the stored value and prohibits writing of a value smaller than the stored value,
When the memory control circuit writes a new value of the liquid consumption amount in the decrement prohibition area,
(I) increment to the new value from the previously stored value is the case in the following pre-stored permissible increment in said memory cell array is determined in advance, the process of writing the new value to said memory cell array Run,
(Ii) A storage device that does not execute the writing process of the new value to the memory cell array when the increment from the stored value to the new value is larger than the allowable increment. The storage device according to claim 1,
The memory cell array stores in advance a plurality of permissible increments, and stores in advance an incremental selection value for selecting any one of the plurality of permissible increments,
The memory control circuit reads the increment selection value from the memory cell array, and selects one permissible increment from the plurality of permissible increments according to the increment selection value, so that the liquid to the decrement prohibited area is selected. A storage device used to determine whether or not to execute a process of writing a new value of consumption. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2,
The memory cell array has a plurality of candidate areas that can be used as the decrement prohibited area, and stores in advance an area selection value for selecting any one of the plurality of candidate areas as the decrement prohibited area. ,
The memory control circuit reads the area selection value from the memory cell array and selects one candidate area as the decrement prohibited area from the plurality of candidate areas according to the area selection value. Storage device used to store The storage device according to claim 3,
The memory device, wherein the memory control circuit can perform writing of an arbitrary value in a candidate area that is not selected as the decrement prohibition area among the plurality of candidate areas. A liquid cartridge for supplying liquid to a liquid consuming device,
A liquid storage container for storing a liquid;
The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which stores a consumption amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage container;
A liquid cartridge comprising: A liquid consumption system for consuming liquid,
A liquid consuming device;
The liquid cartridge according to claim 5, wherein a liquid is supplied to the liquid consuming device.
A liquid consumption system comprising:

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