JP6025696B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device including a storage device having a self-diagnosis function.

  Conventionally, S.M. M.M. A. R. Storage devices such as SSD (Solid State Drive) and HDD (Hard Disk Drive) having a self-diagnosis function called T (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) are known. The storage device can self-diagnose predetermined diagnostic items in real time, and digitize and output the diagnostic results.

  For example, the storage device includes, as diagnostic results, the cumulative number of unexpected power shutdowns (Unexpected Power Loss Count, Unsafe Shutdown Count, etc.), the rate of errors that occurred during data reading (Raw Read Error Rate), and The total number of errors (Write Error Rate) found during data writing can be output.

  As an electronic apparatus provided with such a storage device, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-168688 discloses an image forming apparatus that determines whether or not an error has occurred in an HDD based on a status (diagnosis result) returned from the HDD. Have been described. In this image forming apparatus, if it is determined that an error has occurred in the HDD as a result of the above determination, whether the power supply was previously turned off by pressing the power key stored in the non-volatile memory is checked. A flag indicating whether the previous power cut was performed is referred to by the power switch.

  If the referenced flag indicates that the power supply was previously turned off by pressing the power key, it is determined that an error has occurred when the main power switch is on and the HDD is in an energized state. On the other hand, if the above-referenced flag indicates that the main power switch was used to turn off the power last time, it is determined that the power was cut off during writing to the HDD, and data consistency is ensured so that an HDD error does not occur at the next access. Perform recovery processing to recover.

JP 2010-4293 A

  However, in the technology described in Patent Document 1, no warning is given even if the power is shut off by the main power switch during access to the storage device, so the user shuts off the power by the main power switch. May be repeated. This may increase the frequency with which the storage device recovery process is performed when the electronic device is activated. As a result, there is a concern that the time required for starting up the electronic device may be lengthened.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic device that can be activated quickly.

  An electronic device according to the present invention executes a self-diagnosis function having an unexpected power-off as a diagnostic item, outputs a cumulative number of times of unexpected power-off, and a power supply supplied from an external power source. When the interruption is detected by the interruption detection unit for detecting interruption and the interruption detection unit, the current time is measured, and the interruption time is stored in the nonvolatile time storage unit as the interruption time. Each time the management unit and the electronic device are activated, the storage device executes the self-diagnosis function, acquires the cumulative number output by the storage device, and stores the acquired cumulative number in a nonvolatile number When the block count management unit stored in the section and the block count management unit acquire the cumulative count, the cumulative count is stored in the count storage section than the previously acquired cumulative count. If heard, and a shut-off judging portion judges that the power is cut off unexpectedly the blocking time stored in the time storage unit which is supplied from the external power supply.

  According to this configuration, it can be determined that the power supplied from the external power supply has been unexpectedly cut off at the cutoff time stored in the time storage unit. Thereby, it is possible to grasp the time when the power supplied from the external power supply is cut off unexpectedly.

  For this reason, it is considered that the power supplied from the external power supply tends to be cut off unexpectedly at the grasped time, so that the storage device does not diagnose an unexpected power supply cutoff at the grasped time. To take action. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the frequency with which recovery processing such as re-establishing data consistency is performed in the storage device in which the power supply is unexpectedly shut down when the electronic device is activated. As a result, the electronic device can be activated quickly.

  Further, based on the shut-off history management unit that accumulates the shut-off time stored in the time storage unit as a shut-off history in a non-volatile history storage unit, and the shut-off history stored in the history storage unit, It is preferable to further include a shut-off time estimation unit that estimates a scheduled shut-off time at which the power supplied from the external power source is considered to be shut off unexpectedly.

  According to this configuration, the cutoff time when the power supplied from the external power supply is cut off unexpectedly is accumulated as a cutoff history in the history storage unit. And based on the said interruption | blocking log | history, the scheduled interruption | blocking time considered that the electric power supplied from an external power supply cut | disconnects unexpectedly is estimated. For this reason, as the number of shut-off times stored as the shut-off history in the history storage unit increases, the scheduled shut-off time at which power supplied from the external power source is considered to be shut off unexpectedly can be estimated with higher accuracy.

  Also, when the current time measured by the shut-off time management unit becomes the scheduled shut-off time estimated by the shut-off time estimating unit, a shut-off method notifying unit for notifying a normal shut-off method of power supplied from the external power source Is preferably further provided.

  According to this configuration, when the current time becomes the scheduled cutoff time, it becomes easy for the user to notice the normal cutoff method of the power supplied from the external power source. Thus, when the current time becomes the scheduled shutdown time, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user performs an operation of unexpectedly shutting off the power supplied from the external power source.

  In addition, when the current time counted by the shut-off time management unit becomes the scheduled shut-off time estimated by the shut-off time estimating unit, it is supplied from the external power supply after waiting until the access to the storage device is completed. It is preferable to further include a pre-blocking unit that shifts to an energy-saving mode that blocks supply of power to the storage device.

  According to this configuration, when the current time reaches the scheduled shutdown time, the supply of power supplied from the external power supply to the storage device is shut off after waiting until access to the storage device is completed. Thereby, when the current time becomes the scheduled shutdown time, it is possible to reduce the possibility of unexpected power shutdown in the storage device. As a result, when the electronic device is activated, the chance of performing a recovery process such as restoring the consistency of the data stored in the storage device is reduced, and the electronic device can be activated quickly.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device that can be activated quickly.

1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a copying machine according to an embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation of a control unit when starting a copying machine. It is explanatory drawing of the process in which the interception time estimation part estimates the interception scheduled time. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a control part when the electric power supplied from an external power supply is interrupted | blocked.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a copying machine is described as an example of an electronic device. However, the electronic device is not limited to this. For example, the electronic device may be an image processing device such as a printer, a facsimile device, or a scanner, or these image processing devices. A multifunction device, a game machine, a mobile phone, and a car navigation device having the functions of the device may be used.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a copying machine 1 according to an embodiment of an electronic apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine 1 includes a power switch 91, a main power supply unit 92, a shut-off detection circuit 93 (shut-off detection unit), a standby power supply unit 94, a power supply switch SW <b> 1, an SSD (Solid State Drive). Storage device) 40, power supply switch SW2, image forming unit 50, display unit 60, operation key unit 70, and control unit 20.

  The power switch 91 is a switch that can be switched to an on state (closed state) or an off state (open state) by a user operation. The power switch 91 is connected to one end of the power cable L. The other end of the power cable L is connected to an external power source AC. When the power switch 91 is turned on, AC power (power) supplied from the external power supply AC is supplied to the main power supply unit 92 via the power cable L. On the other hand, when the power switch 91 is turned off, the supply of AC power from the external power supply AC to the main power supply unit 92 is cut off.

  The main power supply unit 92 includes an ACDC converter (not shown). The main power supply unit 92 converts the AC power supplied from the external power supply AC via the power switch 91 into DC power having a predetermined voltage level using the ACDC converter.

  The interruption detection circuit 93 detects whether or not the AC power supplied from the external power source AC is interrupted. Specifically, the shutoff detection circuit 93 includes a comparator (not shown). The interruption detection circuit 93 uses a comparator to output a high level signal to the standby power supply unit 94 and the control unit 20 when the electric power supplied from the main power supply unit 92 is equal to or higher than the predetermined voltage level. . On the other hand, the interruption detection circuit 93 uses a comparator to output a low level signal when the power supplied from the main power supply unit 92 is smaller than the above-described predetermined voltage level. Output to.

  For example, the AC power supplied from the external power supply AC to the main power supply unit 92 is interrupted due to the occurrence of a power failure, the power cable L being pulled out, or the power switch 91 being turned off. To do. In this case, since the AC power is not supplied from the external power supply AC, the main power supply unit 92 outputs DC power having a voltage level smaller than the predetermined voltage level.

  In other words, the interruption detection circuit 93 has confirmed that the AC power supplied from the external power supply AC is cut off because the voltage level of the DC power supplied from the main power supply unit 92 is lower than the above-described predetermined voltage level. Is detected. In this case, the interruption detection circuit 93 outputs a low level signal. On the other hand, the interruption detection circuit 93 detects that the AC power supplied from the external power supply AC is not interrupted when the DC power supplied from the main power supply unit 92 is equal to or higher than the voltage level. In this case, the interruption detection circuit 93 outputs a high level signal.

  The standby power supply unit 94 includes a secondary battery such as a capacitor or a storage battery (not shown). The standby power supply unit 94 stores the power supplied from the main power supply unit 92 in the secondary battery. When a low level signal is input from the shut-off detection circuit 93, the standby power supply unit 94 determines that the supply of AC power from the external power source AC to the main power source unit 92 is shut off, and is stored in the internal secondary battery. The supplied power is supplied to the control unit 20. As a result, the standby power supply unit 94 makes the control unit 20 temporarily operable even when the supply of AC power from the external power supply AC to the main power supply unit 92 is interrupted.

  The power supply switch SW1 is a switch that is switched to an on state (closed state) or an off state (open state) under the control of a power supply control unit 25 described later. The power supply switch SW1 is provided between the main power supply unit 92 and the SSD 40. That is, when the power supply switch SW1 is turned on, power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40. On the other hand, when the power supply switch SW1 is turned off, the supply of power from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40 is interrupted.

  The SSD 40 is an S.D. M.M. A. R. It is a storage device having a self-diagnosis function called T (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology). The SSD 40 stores, for example, image data indicating an image of a document read when the image forming unit 50 performs a copy process.

  The SSD 40 executes a self-diagnosis function when the power supply switch SW1 is turned on and power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92. The SSD 40 performs self-diagnosis in real time by executing a self-diagnosis function, and numerically outputs the diagnosis result.

  The diagnostic items include, for example, diagnostic items that indicate whether an unexpected power interruption has occurred, an error has occurred during data reading, or an error has occurred during data writing. Unexpected power cut-off is, for example, from the main power supply unit 92 when a power failure occurs, the power cable L is pulled out, or the power switch 91 is turned off while the SSD 40 is being accessed. Indicates that the power that should be supplied is unexpectedly interrupted while accessing the SSD 40.

  As a result of self-diagnosis of the diagnosis item, the SSD 40, for example, the cumulative number of unexpected power shutdowns (Unexpected Power Loss Count, Unsafe Shutdown Count, etc.), the rate of errors that occurred when reading data (Raw Read Error Rate) ) And the total number of errors found during data writing (Write Error Rate).

  The power supply switch SW2 is a switch that is switched to an on state (closed state) or an off state (open state) under the control of a power supply control unit 25 described later. The power supply switch SW <b> 2 is provided between the main power supply unit 92 and the image forming unit 50. That is, when the power supply switch SW2 is turned on, power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92 to the image forming unit 50. On the other hand, when the power supply switch SW2 is turned off, the supply of power from the main power supply unit 92 to the image forming unit 50 is interrupted.

  The image forming unit 50 executes copy processing under the control of the control unit 20. The copy process is a process of reading an image of a document placed on a document table (not shown) and forming the read image on a sheet.

  The display unit 60 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display that displays various types of information, an indicator that is turned on while the copy process is being executed, and is turned off when the copy process is not being executed. Is provided so that the user can visually recognize.

  The operation key unit 70 includes various operation keys for allowing the user to input various operation instructions for the copying machine 1, such as a start key for instructing the start of copy processing by the image forming unit 50 and a numeric keypad. .

  The display unit 60 and the operation key unit 70 are directly connected to the main power supply unit 92 without going through the power supply switch. For this reason, the display unit 60 and the operation key unit 70 are in an operable state while power is supplied from the external power source AC to the main power source unit 92, thereby supplying power from the main power source unit 92.

  The control unit 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), a nonvolatile memory (not shown) such as an EEPROM in which a control program executed by the CPU is stored, and a memory for temporarily storing data. A communication interface circuit for communicating between the SSD (Random Access Memory) and the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70 via the illustrated RAM (Random Access Memory), and the current time Peripheral circuits such as a real-time clock circuit for timing. The nonvolatile memory stores, for example, initial conditions for copy processing such as an initial density value when an image is formed on a sheet, messages and images displayed on the display unit 60, and the like.

  When the power switch 91 is turned on and power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92, the control unit 20 starts the copying machine 1 by causing the CPU to execute a control program stored in the nonvolatile memory. Perform the startup process.

  The startup process includes, for example, a process for reading various initial setting values stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory and storing them in the RAM, a process for switching the power mode to the normal mode as will be described later, and initializing the communication interface circuit. , A process for enabling communication between the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70, and the like.

  When the copying machine 1 is activated by the activation process, the control unit 20 causes the CPU to execute a control program stored in the nonvolatile memory, thereby using the communication interface circuit, the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, In addition, communication is performed with the operation key unit 70, and the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70 are collectively controlled.

  Specifically, the control unit 20 causes the CPU to execute a control program stored in the non-volatile memory, thereby causing the power supply control unit 25, the cutoff time management unit 21, the cutoff frequency management unit 22, the cutoff determination unit 23, The history management unit 24, the cutoff time estimation unit 26, the cutoff method notification unit 27, and the prior cutoff unit 28 are configured. Further, the control unit 20 uses a part of the storage area of the nonvolatile memory as the time storage unit 31, the frequency storage unit 32, and the history storage unit 33.

  The power control unit 25 switches the power mode between the normal mode and the energy saving mode. The normal mode is a power mode in which power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70. That is, when the power mode is the normal mode, the control unit 20, the SSD 40, the image forming unit 50, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70 can operate with the power supplied from the main power supply unit 92, and perform copy processing. Can be executed.

  On the other hand, the energy saving mode is a power mode in which the power supply from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40 and the image forming unit 50 is cut off and the power consumption is suppressed compared to the normal mode. That is, when the power mode is the energy saving mode, the SSD 40 and the image forming unit 50 cannot operate because the power is not supplied from the main power supply unit 92 and cannot execute the copy process.

  The power supply control unit 25 switches the power mode to the normal mode in the startup process. When the power mode is the normal mode and the operation of the copying machine 1 is not performed for a certain period, the power control unit 25 switches the power mode to the energy saving mode. Thereafter, when the power mode is the power saving mode and the operation key unit 70 is used to input any operation instruction, the power control unit 25 switches the power mode to the normal mode again.

  The power supply control unit 25 turns on the power supply switches SW1 and SW2 when switching the power mode to the normal mode. On the other hand, when switching the power mode to the energy saving mode, the power supply control unit 25 waits until the access to the SSD 40 and the execution of the copy process by the image forming unit 50 are finished, and then turns off the power supply switches SW1 and SW2. .

  The cutoff time management unit 21 measures the current time using a real-time clock circuit. When a low level signal is input from the interruption detection circuit 93, that is, when the interruption detection circuit 93 detects the interruption of the electric power supplied from the external power supply AC, the interruption time management unit 21 receives from the standby power supply unit 94. The current time is measured using the supplied power.

  In addition, the cutoff time management unit 21 measures the time when a low level signal is input from the cutoff detection circuit 93, that is, when the cutoff detection circuit 93 detects the cutoff of the power supplied from the external power supply AC. The time is stored in the time storage unit 31 as the cutoff time using the power supplied from the standby power supply unit 94. For example, it is assumed that when a low level signal is input from the interruption detection circuit 93 to the control unit 20, the interruption time management unit 21 counts the current time as 12:05. In this case, the cutoff time management unit 21 stores 12:05 in the time storage unit 31 as the cutoff time.

  The shut-off frequency management unit 22 causes the SSD 40 to execute a self-diagnosis function every time the copying machine 1 is activated by the activation process. Then, the cutoff frequency management unit 22 acquires the cumulative number of unexpected power cutoffs included in the self-diagnosis result output by the SSD 40 and stores the acquired cumulative number in the frequency storage unit 32.

  Details of the blocking determination unit 23, the blocking history management unit 24, the blocking time estimation unit 26, the blocking method notification unit 27, and the prior blocking unit 28 will be described later.

  Hereinafter, an operation of the control unit 20 when starting the copying machine 1 will be described. In the description, details of the blocking determination unit 23, the blocking history management unit 24, and the blocking time estimation unit 26 will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 20 when starting the copying machine 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, when the user turns on the power switch 91 (S1), supply of AC power from the external power supply AC to the main power supply unit 92 is started. As a result, the main power supply unit 92 converts the supplied AC power into DC power, and starts supplying power to the control unit 20, the display unit 60, and the operation key unit 70.

  When power is supplied from the main power supply unit 92, the control unit 20 executes the above-described startup process (S2). In the activation process, the power supply control unit 25 turns on the power supply switches SW1 and SW2 and switches the power mode to the normal mode (S3). As a result, supply of power from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40 and the image forming unit 50 is started.

  When the copying machine 1 is activated by the activation process, the shut-off count management unit 22 causes the SSD 40 to execute a self-diagnosis function (S4). Then, the shut-off frequency management unit 22 acquires the cumulative number of unexpected power shut-offs included in the self-diagnosis result output by the SSD 40 (S5). Hereinafter, for the convenience of explanation, “the cumulative number of unexpected power interruptions” is abbreviated as “the cumulative number”.

  In step S <b> 5, when the blocking number management unit 22 acquires the cumulative number, the blocking determination unit 23 determines whether the acquired cumulative number is larger than the previously acquired cumulative number stored in the number storage unit 32. Is determined (S6).

  As described later, the shut-off count management unit 22 stores the cumulative count acquired in step S5 in the count storage unit 32 in step S10. In other words, the cumulative number acquired in step S5 when the copying machine 1 was last activated is stored in the number storage unit 32. However, when the copier 1 is started for the first time after shipment, step S10 described later has never been executed. In this case, the number storage unit 32 stores 0 as the initial value of the cumulative number acquired last time. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, “the previously acquired cumulative number stored in the number storage unit 32” is abbreviated as “previous cumulative number”.

  In step S6, it is assumed that the interruption determination unit 23 determines that the cumulative number acquired in step S5 is equal to or less than the previous cumulative number (S6; NO). In this case, the shut-off count management unit 22 stores the cumulative count acquired in step S5 in the count storage unit 32 (S10).

  On the other hand, in step S6, the interruption determination unit 23 determines that the cumulative number acquired in step S5 is larger than the previous cumulative number (S6; YES). In this case, in step S4, it is considered that the SSD 40 diagnoses the occurrence of unexpected power supply interruption and counts up the cumulative number. In other words, during access to the SSD 40, for example, when a power failure occurs, the power cable L is pulled out, or the power switch 91 is turned off, the external power source AC switches to the main power source 92. It is considered that the supplied AC power is cut off and the supply of power from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40 is cut off.

  Therefore, in this case (S6; YES), the interruption determination unit 23 stores the interruption time stored by the interruption time management unit 21 when the interruption of the power supplied from the external power source AC is detected from the time storage unit 31 last time. Is acquired (S7). Thereby, the interruption | blocking determination part 23 determines with the electric power supplied from the external power supply AC having cut | disconnected unexpectedly at the said acquired interruption | blocking time.

  In this case, the cutoff history management unit 24 accumulates the cutoff time acquired in step S7 in the history storage unit 33 as a cutoff history (S8). In addition, accumulation | storage in the log | history memory | storage part 33 as the interruption | blocking time acquired by step S7 shows that the interruption | blocking time acquired by step S7 is newly added and memorize | stored in the log | history memory | storage part 33. FIG. That is, it indicates that the cutoff time acquired in step S7 is added to the set of cutoff times already stored in the history storage unit 33 as the cutoff history.

  After execution of step S8, the cutoff time estimation unit 26 estimates a scheduled cutoff time at which the power supplied from the external power supply AC is expected to be cut off unexpectedly based on the cutoff history stored in the history storage unit 33. (S9). The cutoff time estimation unit 26 stores the estimated cutoff scheduled time in the RAM.

  FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of processing in which the cutoff time estimation unit 26 estimates the scheduled cutoff time. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the cutoff time estimation unit 26 classifies the cutoff times stored as cutoff history in the history storage unit 33 in step S9 using a plurality of predetermined time zones, Count the number of blocking times included in the time zone. Then, the cutoff time estimation unit 26 estimates each time included in the time zone in which the number of cutoff times is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as the scheduled cutoff time.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, as a result of counting the number of blocking times included in each time zone, a time zone from 15:00 to 15:59, a time zone from 17:00 to 17:59, It is assumed that there is one blocking time included in the time zone from 19:00 to 19:59 and the time zone from 20:00 to 7:59. Further, it is assumed that there are five cutoff times included in the time zone from 12:00 to 12:59, and there are eight cutoff times included in the time zone from 18:00 to 18:59. . Assume that a predetermined threshold is set to 5.

  In this case, the cutoff time estimation unit 26 determines that the time zone from 12:00 to 12:59 and the time zone from 18:00 to 18:59 are time zones in which the number of cutoff times is equal to or greater than a threshold value. to decide. Then, the cutoff time estimation unit 26 estimates each time included in the time zone from 12:00 to 12:59 and the time zone from 18:00 to 18:59 as the scheduled cutoff time.

  In addition, the time slot | zone shown in FIG. 4 and the said threshold value are only illustrations, and are not the meaning limited to this. In addition, the shutoff time estimation unit 26 replaces each time included in the time zone in which the number of shutoff times is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold with the start time and end time of the time zone. A predetermined time among the included times may be estimated as the scheduled cutoff time.

  Even after execution of step S9, the shut-off count management unit 22 stores the cumulative count acquired in step S5 in the count storage unit 32 (S10).

  Next, the operation of the control unit 20 when the power supplied from the external power supply AC is interrupted will be described. In the said description, the detail of the interruption | blocking method alerting | reporting part 27 and the prior interruption | blocking part 28 is demonstrated. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control unit 20 when the power supplied from the external power supply AC is cut off.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the current time measured by the shut-off time management unit 21 is the shut-off scheduled time stored in the RAM in step S9 (S11; YES), the shut-off method notifying unit 27 uses the external power supply AC. A message indicating a normal method for shutting off the power supplied from the terminal is displayed on the display unit 60 (S12). Thereby, the interruption | blocking method alerting | reporting part 27 alert | reports to the user the regular interruption | blocking method of the electric power supplied from external power supply AC.

  The normal method for shutting off the power supplied from the external power supply AC is, for example, that the power switch 91 is turned off after confirming that the indicator indicating whether or not the copy process is being performed is off. Etc. In addition, a speaker that outputs sound is provided in the copying machine 1, and the interruption method notification unit 27 outputs the sound indicating the normal interruption method of the power from the speaker in step S <b> 12, so that the normality of the power is output. The user may be notified of the blocking method.

  When the current time measured by the shut-off time management unit 21 is the scheduled shut-off time stored in the RAM in step S9 (S11; YES), the prior shut-off unit 28 sets the power mode to the power control unit 25. An instruction is given to switch (transfer) to the energy saving mode (S13). Thereby, the power supply control unit 25 waits until the access to the SSD 40 and the execution of the copy process by the image forming unit 50 are completed in order to switch the power mode to the energy saving mode, and then sets the power supply switches SW1 and SW2 to the off state. To do.

  In this way, when the current time counted by the shut-off time management unit 21 reaches the scheduled shut-off time, the pre-shut-off unit 28 waits until the access to the SSD 40 is completed, and then the main power unit 92 receives the power from the external power source AC. The supply of the direct-current power generated using the supplied power to the SSD 40 is cut off. Note that, when an operation using the operation key unit 70 is performed after the scheduled shut-off time, the power supply control unit 25 switches the power mode to the normal mode. As a result, the supply of power from the main power supply unit 92 to the SSD 40 is resumed, and access to the SSD 40 becomes possible.

  After the execution of step S13 and when the current time measured by the cutoff time management unit 21 is not the scheduled cutoff time (S11; NO), the cutoff detection circuit 93 detects the cutoff of the power supplied from the external power source AC, It is assumed that a low level signal is input to the control unit 20 (S14; YES). In this case, the cutoff time management unit 21 stores the current time measured using the real-time clock circuit in the time storage unit 31 as the cutoff time (S15).

  On the other hand, after the execution of step S13 and when the current time measured by the cutoff time management unit 21 is not the scheduled cutoff time (S11; NO), the cutoff detection circuit 93 cuts off the power supplied from the external power source AC. It is assumed that a high level signal is input to the control unit 20 without being detected (S14; NO). In this case, the process after step S11 is repeated.

  According to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, it can be determined that the power supplied from the external power supply AC has been unexpectedly cut off at the cutoff time stored in the time storage unit 31. Thereby, the time when the electric power supplied from the external power supply AC is cut off unexpectedly can be grasped.

  For this reason, it is considered that the power supplied from the external power supply AC tends to be unexpectedly cut off at the grasped time, and the SSD 40 does not diagnose an unexpected power supply cut-off at the grasped time. To take action. As a result, it is possible to reduce the frequency with which recovery processing such as re-matching data consistency is performed in the SSD 40 in which an unexpected power interruption has occurred when the copying machine 1 is started. As a result, the copying machine 1 can be started quickly.

  Further, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the cutoff time when the power supplied from the external power supply AC is unexpectedly cut off is accumulated in the history storage unit 33 as a cut-off history. Based on the cutoff history, a scheduled cutoff time at which the power supplied from the external power supply AC is expected to be cut off unexpectedly is estimated. For this reason, as the number of shut-off times stored as the shut-off history in the history storage unit 33 increases, the scheduled shut-off time at which the power supplied from the external power supply AC is considered to be shut off unexpectedly can be estimated with higher accuracy. .

  In addition, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, when the current time becomes the scheduled cutoff time, it becomes easy for the user to notice the normal cutoff method of the power supplied from the external power supply AC. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the user performs an operation of unexpectedly cutting off the power supplied from the external power supply AC when the current time becomes the scheduled cutoff time. The operation of unexpectedly cutting off the power supplied from the external power supply AC is, for example, pulling out the power cable L during the execution of the copy process or turning off the power switch 91 during the execution of the copy process. is there.

  Further, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, when the current time becomes the scheduled cutoff time, the power mode is switched to the energy saving mode. That is, when the current time reaches the scheduled shutdown time, the supply of the DC power generated by the main power supply unit 92 using the power supplied from the external power supply AC to the SSD 40 is cut off after waiting until the access to the SSD 40 is completed. Is done. As a result, when the current time becomes the scheduled shutdown time, it is possible to reduce the possibility of unexpected power shutdown in the SSD 40. As a result, when the copying machine 1 is started up, the chance of performing a recovery process such as restoring the data consistency of the SSD 4 is reduced, and the copying machine 1 can be started up quickly.

  In the above embodiment, the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

  For example, the control unit 20 may be simplified so as not to configure the blocking method notification unit 27, and step S12 (FIG. 4) may be omitted. Or it simplifies so that control part 20 may not constitute prior interception part 28, and Step S13 (Drawing 4) may be omitted. Or it simplifies so that control part 20 may not constitute interception method information part 27 and prior interception part 28, and steps S11-S13 (Drawing 4) may be omitted.

  Further, the control unit 20 may be simplified so as not to configure the cutoff history management unit 24 and the cutoff time estimation unit 26, and step S8 and step S9 (FIG. 2) may be omitted. In accordance with this, the interruption determination unit 23 acquires the interruption time in step S7, and then displays a message indicating that an unexpected power interruption has occurred at the interruption time on the display unit 60, for example. The user may be notified that an unexpected power shutdown has occurred.

  In the above embodiment, the SSD 40 has been described as an example of the storage device according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage device may be, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). That is, a storage device having a self-diagnosis function and capable of outputting the cumulative number of unexpected power-offs as a self-diagnosis result may be employed.

1 Copying machine (electronic equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 21 Blocking time management part 22 Blocking frequency management part 23 Blocking determination part 24 Blocking history management part 25 Power supply control part 26 Blocking time estimation part 27 Blocking method notification part 28 Pre-blocking part 31 Time storage part 32 Count storage part 33 History storage part 40 SSD (storage device)
91 Power switch 92 Main power supply 93 Shutdown detection circuit (shutoff detection unit)
94 Auxiliary power supply AC external power supply

Claims (4)

A storage device that executes a self-diagnosis function having an unexpected power shutdown as a diagnostic item, and outputs the cumulative number of unexpected power shutdowns;
An interruption detection unit for detecting interruption of electric power supplied from an external power source;
When the interruption is detected by the interruption detection unit, the current time is counted, and the interruption time management unit stores the current time measured in the nonvolatile time storage unit as the interruption time;
Each time an electronic device is activated, the storage device executes the self-diagnosis function, acquires the cumulative number output by the storage device, and stores the acquired cumulative number in a nonvolatile number storage unit Blocking frequency management department,
When the shut-off number management unit acquires the cumulative number, when the cumulative number is larger than the cumulative number acquired last time stored in the number storage unit, the power supplied from the external power source is the time A shut-off determination unit that determines that the shut-off is unexpectedly shut off at the shut-off time stored in the storage unit;
Electronic equipment comprising. A block history management unit that stores the block time stored in the time storage unit as a block history in a non-volatile history storage unit;
The shut-off time estimation unit that estimates a scheduled shut-off time at which the power supplied from the external power source is considered to be shut off unexpectedly based on the shut-off history stored in the history storage unit. Electronic equipment.   A shut-off method notifying unit for notifying a normal shut-off method of the power supplied from the external power supply when the current time measured by the shut-off time managing unit reaches the scheduled shut-off time estimated by the shut-off time estimating unit; The electronic device according to claim 2 provided. When the current time counted by the shut-off time management unit becomes the scheduled shut-off time estimated by the shut-off time estimating unit, the power supplied from the external power supply after waiting until the access to the storage device is completed A pre-blocking unit that shifts to an energy-saving mode that blocks supply to the storage device;
The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising:

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