JP4066980B2 - Printing recording material container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to storage devices connected to each other by a bus, and more particularly to a technique for identifying a desired storage device from a plurality of storage devices connected by a bus.

  Various techniques have been proposed in which a desired storage device is selected from a plurality of memories (storage devices) included in the memory module and data is read or written. For example, in a plurality of storage devices that are bus-connected to data signal lines and clock signal lines, physical identification information is previously stored in the storage device using a pull-up resistor or the like, and the desired identification information is used using the identification information. A technology for accessing a storage device has been put into practical use. In this technology, a data string to be transmitted includes a start bit indicating the start of the data string and an end bit indicating the end of the data string. Access to each storage device is defined by a combination of the start bit, the end bit and the clock signal. It was.

  In addition to this, a technique using a chip select signal line for transmitting a chip select signal for selecting a storage device in addition to the data signal line and the clock signal line has been put into practical use. In this technique, only a storage device that has received a chip select signal among a plurality of storage devices becomes accessible, and writing to or reading from the storage device can be executed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-6-67973

  However, with the technology that makes a storage device have physical identification information using a pull-up resistor, etc., it is practically impossible to rewrite the identification information set in each storage device and is not suitable for recycling use. was there. In addition, since access to the storage device is defined by a combination of a start bit, an end bit, and a clock signal, data writing cannot be normally terminated if a power down occurs during access to the storage device. was there.

  Further, in the technology using the chip select signal lines, the number of chip select signal lines corresponding to the number of storage devices must be provided, which increases the number of signal lines and complicates the wiring design. . Furthermore, there is a problem that only one chip select signal line is used at the time of access, and the use efficiency of the signal line is poor.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems and demands, and an object thereof is to provide a storage device in which identification information can be easily rewritten. It is another object of the present invention to provide a storage device that can complete data writing normally in a short time.

  In order to solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a printing recording material container mounted on a printing apparatus having a clock signal line, a data signal line, and a reset signal line. The printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a printing recording material, a clock terminal that receives a clock signal from a clock signal line of the printing apparatus, and a data signal of the printing apparatus. A data terminal that exchanges data signals with a line; a reset terminal that receives a reset signal from a reset signal line of the printing apparatus; a storage element that includes a plurality of nonvolatile storage areas that are sequentially accessed; and the input When the reset signal is initialized at the first level and the reset signal is switched to the second level, the memory element is synchronized with the input clock signal based on the data signal. And a storage element control device for reading / writing data.

  According to the printing / recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage device is provided with a storage cell having an area in which the identification information is normally stored in a non-rewritable state and can be written in a predetermined condition. It is possible to select a desired storage device without providing a signal line for selection, and even when a plurality of printing recording material containers are used, a printing recording material container that contains a predetermined printing recording material type is specified. can do. Although the identification information is stored in a non-rewritable manner, the identification information can be easily rewritten because it can be written to the area where the identification information is written under a predetermined condition.

  In the printing / recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, data may be written to the storage element in 1-bit units. In the case where such a configuration is provided, even if a reset signal is input during data writing, data writing can be completed without garbled data.

In the printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, identification information is stored in the storage element,
The storage element control device counts up a counter value in synchronization with a data bus connecting the data terminal and the storage element, and a clock signal input via the clock terminal, and sets the reset signal terminal An address counter that resets a counter value to an initial value by a reset signal input via the storage element, and the storage element and the data bus are electrically connected, and the data transfer direction to the storage element and the data transfer direction of the data bus are Whether the input / output control device to be controlled and the print recording material container identification information for identifying the print recording material container input via the data bus match the identification information stored in the storage element And a data signal for the storage element when it is determined that the identification information matches the comparison device It may be a write allowable device that allows read and write.

  By providing the above configuration, only access (read / write) to a desired storage element can be permitted. In particular, when a plurality of printing recording material containers are provided, a desired printing recording material container is specified from the plurality of printing recording material containers, and access such as reading and writing to the storage element is executed. Can do. In addition, when determining whether or not the identification information of the storage element matches the input identification information, writing of data to the storage element cannot be executed, and the identification information stored in the storage element Read-only property can be maintained.

  In the printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the reset signal is input, the input / output control device sets the data transfer direction to the storage element as the data read direction and the data bus. The connection may be cut off.

The printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention is further connected to the data bus and the comparison device, and is stored in the printing recording material container identification information and the storage element from the comparison device. When a determination result indicating that the identification information matches is received, a write / read command input via the data bus is analyzed, and the data bus is transmitted to the input / output control device based on the analysis result. An instruction decoder that requests switching of the data transmission direction is provided,
The input / output control device may maintain a data transfer direction with respect to the storage element and a connection cut-off state with the data bus at the time of initialization until the analysis of the write / read command by the command decoder is completed.

  By providing the above configuration, data can be written to and read from the selected storage element (printing recording material container). Further, until the analysis of the write / read command is completed, data writing or reading to / from the storage element is desired to be executed, so that data writing or reading can be executed from a predetermined position of the storage element.

The printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes:
A test terminal connected to a test mode signal line; and a test mode control device connected to the test terminal and determining whether or not a test mode signal is input; and the storage element is a head of the storage area From the position to the predetermined position, there is an area in which writing is possible under a predetermined condition and the identification information is stored in a non-rewritable state at times other than the predetermined condition. The predetermined condition is at the time of detecting the input of the test mode signal. May be. With such a configuration, data can be written to an area where identification information in the storage element is stored.

  In the printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the test mode control device detects an input of the test mode signal, the test mode control device outputs a test mode command to the command decoder, and The address counter is prohibited from counting up until the analysis of the test mode instruction is completed by the instruction decoder, and the instruction decoder, after analyzing the test mode instruction, writes to the input / output control device to the storage element and The data bus may be requested to be released, and the input / output control device may execute writing to the storage element and release of the data bus based on a request from the instruction decoder.

  By providing the above configuration, it becomes possible to activate the instruction decoder without receiving a result indicating that the identification information matches from the comparison device, and writing / reading data to / from the storage element and data bus by the input / output control device Can be released. Further, since the address counter is prohibited from counting up until the analysis of the test mode instruction is completed by the instruction decoder, data can be written from the head position of the storage element. As a result, rewriting of identification information stored in the storage element can be realized. Furthermore, since the count up of the address counter is prohibited until the analysis of the test mode instruction is completed by the instruction decoder, data can be read from the head position of the storage element.

  In the printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage element may have a writable area for writing write data following a storage area in which the identification information can be stored. When such a configuration is provided, write data can be quickly written.

  In the printing recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, at least printing recording material amount data may be written in the writable area.

  In the printing / recording material container according to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage element can be written in a predetermined condition from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position. You may have the area | region stored unrewritable.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, a clock signal generating circuit, a reset signal generating circuit, an identification information issuing circuit for issuing identification information for identifying a desired printing recording material container, and a generated clock signal are synchronized. In addition, a bus connection is made via a clock terminal, a data terminal, and a reset terminal to a control device including a data transmission circuit that transmits a data string including issued identification information and a read / write command to a data signal line. A plurality of printing recording material containers having a non-volatile storage device are provided. The plurality of printing recording material containers according to the second aspect of the present invention each have different identification information, and further have a data bus connected to the data terminal, and a storage having a storage area accessed sequentially A comparison device that is connected to the data bus and that determines whether or not the identification information sent from the control device matches the identification information stored in the storage device; and the data bus And an input / output control device that is arranged between the data buses and controls data transfer to the data bus and the storage element, and is connected to the data bus and the comparison device, and is connected from the control device by the comparison device. If it is determined that the transmitted identification information and the identification information stored in the storage element match, the data bus Analyzes the write / read command input, characterized in that it comprises an instruction decoder for requesting data transmission direction of switching of the data bus to the output control unit on the basis of the analysis result.

  By providing the above configuration, data can be written to and read from the selected storage element (printing recording material container).

The printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention further includes
An address that counts up the counter value in synchronization with the clock signal input through the clock terminal, designates a position to be accessed in the storage area of the storage element, and resets the counter value to the initial value at initialization With a counter,
The input / output control device sets a data transfer direction to the storage element to a read direction at initialization and interrupts data transfer to the data bus until the analysis of the write / read command by the command decoder is completed. The state at the time of initialization may be maintained.

  With the above-described configuration, data writing or reading with respect to the storage element is not executed until the analysis of the writing / reading instruction is completed, so that data writing or reading can be executed from a predetermined position of the storage element. .

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, the comparison device of the storage device may have common identification information common to all storage devices. In the case of providing such a configuration, all the printing recording material containers can be selected as the printing recording material containers desired to be accessed. Therefore, when there is data to be written in common to the storage devices of all the printing recording material containers, the data writing can be executed at the same time to shorten the writing time.

  In the printing / recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, the printing / recording material container is supplied with power from a power compensation circuit provided in the control circuit for a predetermined period after power is shut off, and the reset signal is When the generation of the reset signal is detected during transfer of write data, the data currently being written to the data terminal is transmitted when the control circuit is turned on and turned off. Is completed, and write priority data that can be written may be sent to the data terminal during a period in which power supply is compensated by the power supply compensation circuit.

  By providing the above configuration, even when the power is shut off, for example, writing of data to be prioritized for writing such as consumption data or remaining amount data of the printing recording material can be completed.

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, when a write command is input, a clock signal having a generation interval longer than that when a read command is sent may be input to the clock terminal. With such a configuration, the access time to the storage device can be shortened while securing the time required for data writing.

In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, the plurality of printing recording material containers include:
Each printing recording material container is connected to the cascade, and one end is grounded, and the other end is connected to the control circuit. Whether the recording material container is arranged on the module substrate may be determined based on the value of the printing recording material container detection signal line.

  By providing the above configuration, it is possible to detect whether or not the printing recording material container is appropriately disposed on the module substrate. This aspect can be used, for example, to determine whether or not the printing recording material container is properly accommodated in the printing recording material container holder.

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the printing recording material container detection signal line indicates a ground voltage, it is determined that all the printing recording material containers are arranged on the module substrate. May be.

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the printing recording material container detection signal line indicates a voltage other than the ground voltage, at least one printing recording material container is disposed on the module substrate. It may be determined that it is not.

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, the storage element may store various data related to the printing recording material type accommodated in the printing recording material container.

  In the printing recording material container according to the second aspect of the present invention, power may be supplied to the printing recording material container only when data is read or written by the control circuit.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a print recording material container mounted on a printing apparatus having a clock signal line, a data signal line, and a reset signal line. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing recording material container, a housing portion that accommodates a printing recording material, a clock terminal that is bus-connected to a clock signal line of the printing apparatus, and a bus that is connected to a data signal line of the printing apparatus. A data terminal to be connected, a reset terminal connected to the reset signal line of the printing apparatus by a bus, a nonvolatile storage area, and a clock signal input via the clock terminal and the data terminal Based on input / output data signals, read / write storage elements, print recording material container identification information for identifying the print recording material containers included in the data signals, and prestored in the storage elements A comparison device that determines whether or not the identification information matches, and if the comparison device determines that the identification information matches, the comparison device Characterized in that it comprises input and output control unit that allows the writing seen.

  By providing the above configuration, data can be written to and read from the selected storage element (printing recording material container).

  In the printing recording material container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the identification information may be stored in the storage element.

  In the printing recording material container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the input / output control unit allows reading / writing to the storage element only when a reset signal input via the reset signal terminal is in a predetermined state. May be.

  In the printing recording material container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the storage element may be sequentially accessed in synchronization with the clock signal.

  In the printing recording material container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the storage element has information on the amount of the printing recording material accommodated, and the identification information is more than information on the amount of the printing recording material. It may be stored at a location to be accessed first.

  In the printing recording material container according to the third aspect of the present invention, the predetermined state may be a state in which a reset signal input to the reset terminal is switched from a first level to a second level. .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of printing recording material containers each including a non-volatile storage device that is bus-connected to the clock signal line, the data signal line, and the reset signal line, and a storage unit that stores the printing recording material. And a control device connected to a storage device provided in the printing recording material container via a clock signal line, a data signal line, and a reset signal line. In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
The control device issues a clock signal generation circuit, a reset signal generation circuit for generating a reset signal for initializing the storage device, and identification information corresponding to identification information of a desired storage device among the plurality of storage devices An identification information issuance circuit that performs synchronization with the generated clock signal, and a data transmission circuit that sends the issued identification information and a data string including a read / write command to the data signal line,
The storage device of each printing recording material container includes a data bus connected to the data signal line, a storage element having a storage area that is sequentially accessed, and the control device connected to the data bus. A comparison device for determining whether or not the identification information sent from the storage device matches the identification information stored in the storage element, and is arranged between the data bus and the data bus, and the data bus and An input / output control device that controls data transfer to the storage element, the data bus and the comparison device, and identification information sent from the control device by the comparison device and identification information stored in the storage element Is determined to match, the write / read command input via the data bus is analyzed and the analysis result is analyzed. Characterized in that it comprises an instruction decoder for requesting data transmission direction of switching of the data bus to the output control unit on the basis of

  According to the storage system of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage system is selected because the storage element is provided with an area in which the identification information is normally stored in a non-rewritable manner and can be written in a predetermined condition. It is possible to select a desired storage device from a plurality of storage devices without providing a signal line for printing, and even when a plurality of print recording material containers are used, printing that contains a predetermined print recording material type The recording material container can be specified. Although the identification information is stored in a non-rewritable manner, the identification information can be easily rewritten because it can be written to the area where the identification information is written under a predetermined condition. Further, when determining whether or not the identification information of the storage device matches the input identification information, writing of data to the storage element cannot be executed, and the identification information stored in the storage element Read-only property can be maintained. Furthermore, data can be written to and read from the selected storage device.

In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
The storage device of the printing recording material container further counts up a counter value in synchronization with a clock signal input via the clock signal line, specifies a position to be accessed in a storage area of the storage element, and It has an address counter that resets the counter value to the initial value at initialization,
The input / output control device sets a data transfer direction to the storage element to a read direction at initialization and interrupts data transfer to the data bus until the analysis of the write / read command by the command decoder is completed. The state at the time of initialization may be maintained.

  With the above-described configuration, data writing or reading with respect to the storage element is not executed until the analysis of the writing / reading instruction is completed, so that data writing or reading can be executed from a predetermined position of the storage element. .

  In the storage system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the control device outputs a reset signal to the reset signal line by the reset signal generation circuit and desires access by the data transmission circuit. A data string including identification information of a container storage device and a read / write command may be sent to a data signal line in synchronization with a clock signal to access the storage device of the printing recording material container.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the storage device of the printing recording material container detects a reset signal on a reset bus, the address counter resets the counter value of the address counter to an initial value, and the comparison The device determines whether the identification information sent to the data bus matches the identification information stored in the storage element, and the comparison device sends the identification information sent to the data bus to the storage element. When it is determined that the stored identification information matches, the read / write instruction sent to the data bus by the instruction decoder is analyzed, and the data transfer of the data bus and the data for the storage element are analyzed based on the analysis result Controlling the transfer to write data to a desired position of the storage element, or to store the storage element It may read the data from.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the identification information issuing circuit of the control circuit issues common identification information common to all storage devices, and the comparison device of the storage device outputs the common identification information. You may have it. When such a configuration is provided, all storage devices can be selected as storage devices that are desired to be accessed. Therefore, when there is data to be commonly written to all the storage devices, data writing can be executed at the same time and the writing time can be shortened.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the control circuit includes a power compensation circuit that supplies power for a predetermined period after power is shut off, and the reset signal generation circuit of the control circuit is provided when the control circuit is powered on. And generating a reset signal at least one of when the power is cut off, and when the data transmission circuit of the control circuit detects the generation of the reset signal during the transfer of the write data, the data transmission circuit currently writing is transmitted. Then, write priority data that can be written may be sent during a period when the power supply is compensated by the power supply compensation circuit.

  With the above configuration, even when the power is shut off, writing of data that should be prioritized, such as printing recording material consumption data or printing recording material remaining amount data, can be completed.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the clock signal generation circuit in the control circuit generates a clock signal when sending a write command via the data sending circuit than when sending a read command. The interval may be increased. With such a configuration, the access time to the storage device can be shortened while securing the time required for data writing.

The storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention further contains the plurality of storage devices, connects the storage devices in a cascade, has one end grounded and the other end connected to the control circuit. Comprising a module substrate on which device detection signal lines are arranged;
The control circuit may include a storage device detection circuit that determines whether all the storage devices are arranged on the module substrate based on the value of the storage device detection signal line.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to detect whether or not the storage device is appropriately arranged on the module substrate. This aspect can be used, for example, to determine whether or not the printing recording material container includes the storage device and the printing recording material container is properly accommodated in the printing recording material container holder.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage device detection circuit of the control circuit includes all the storage devices arranged on the module substrate when the storage device detection signal line indicates a ground voltage. It may be determined that

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage device detection circuit of the control circuit has at least one storage device on the module substrate when the storage device detection signal line indicates a voltage other than a ground voltage. It may be determined that they are not arranged.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage device may store various data related to the print recording material type accommodated in the print recording material container.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the control circuit may supply power to the storage device only when data is read from or written to the storage device.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the storage element of the storage device can be written in a predetermined condition from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position. May have an area in which data is stored in a non-rewritable manner.

  In the storage system according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the clock signal line, the data signal line, and the reset signal line may be included in a flexible cable.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of printing recording material containers each including a nonvolatile storage device that is bus-connected to a clock signal line, a data signal line, and a reset signal line and holds unique identification information. A method for accessing a storage device of a desired printing recording material container from the inside is provided. An access method according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a data string that outputs a reset signal to the reset signal line and includes identification information of the storage device of the printing recording material container desired to be accessed and a read / write command Is sent to the data signal line in synchronization with the clock signal.

  By providing such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the invention according to the first aspect of the present invention.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is a printing comprising a storage device having a storage area that is sequentially accessed and having a storage element having an area in which identification information is stored from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position A recording material container having a clock bus connected to a clock signal line, a data bus connected to a data signal line, and a reset bus connected to a reset signal line, the storage device of another printing recording material container And an access request processing method in a storage device provided in a printing recording material container. In the access request processing method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when a reset signal is detected on the reset bus, the counter value of the address counter is reset to the initial value, and the identification information sent to the data bus and the storage element are stored. If the identification information sent to the data bus and the identification information stored in the storage element match, the read / write instruction sent to the data bus is determined. And controlling data transfer of the data bus and data transfer to the storage element based on the analysis result, and writing data to a desired position of the storage element according to the counter value of the address counter, or Data is read from the storage element.

  By providing such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the invention according to the first aspect of the present invention.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing identification information from a head position of a storage area of a storage element to a predetermined position in a printing recording material container including a nonvolatile storage device having a storage element accessed sequentially. provide. The identification information storing method according to the seventh aspect of the present invention resets the counter value of the address counter to an initial value when a reset signal is detected and prohibits the counter value from being counted up in synchronization with the clock signal. Based on the transmitted write command, the data transfer direction of the data bus is set to the write direction and the data transfer direction to the storage element is set to the write direction. After the setting of the data transfer direction is completed, the clock in the address counter is set. The counter value is allowed to be counted up in synchronization with the signal, and the identification information is written from the start position of the storage area of the storage element to a predetermined position according to the count value of the address counter, and then the data is written. .

  With the above configuration, the identification information and other data can be written in the test mode. In particular, identification information can be written from the beginning position of the storage area.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of reading data stored in a storage area of a storage element from a head position in a printing recording material container including a nonvolatile storage device having a storage element accessed sequentially. . When the reset signal is detected, the read method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention resets the counter value of the address counter to the initial value and prohibits the counter value from being counted up in synchronization with the clock signal, and is sent to the data bus. Based on the read command, the data transfer direction of the data bus is set to the read direction and the data transfer direction to the storage element is set to the read direction. After the setting of the data transfer direction is completed, the data bus is synchronized with the clock signal in the address counter. The counter value is allowed to be counted up, and the data stored in the storage area of the storage element is read from the head position according to the count value of the address counter.

  With the above configuration, data can be read in the test mode.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing identification information from a starting position of a storage area of a storage element to a predetermined position in a printing recording material container including a nonvolatile storage device having a storage element accessed sequentially. provide. According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing identification information, wherein the identification information that matches the identification information stored in the storage element of the storage device is searched and the identification information stored in the storage element is searched. When the identification information that matches is retrieved, the retrieved identification information and a write command are sent to the storage device, and next to the write data corresponding to the end position of the storage area of the storage element in the storage device A data string having the identification information is sent to the storage device, and data is written to the end position of the storage area of the storage element according to the count value of the address counter, and then the start position of the storage area of the storage element The identification information is written from a predetermined position to a predetermined position.

  According to the method of the ninth aspect of the present invention, even when the identification information included in the storage device is not known, the identification information included in the storage device is searched for from the start position of the storage area of the storage cell to the predetermined position. Identification information can be written in Therefore, after the storage device is recycled, new identification information and data can be easily written to the storage device, and the reuse of the storage device can be promoted.

  In the method according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the printing recording material container may constitute a printing recording material container set including two or more printing recording material containers each having a storage device having different identification information. good.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the clock signal line, the data signal line, and the reset signal line are bus-connected and initialized by a reset signal input through the reset signal line, and attached to the printing apparatus. A non-volatile storage device provided in a printed recording material container is provided. The storage device according to the tenth aspect of the present invention has a storage area that is accessed sequentially, and can be written in a predetermined condition from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position. A storage element having a region in which identification information is stored in a non-rewritable manner is provided.

  According to the memory device of the tenth aspect of the present invention, the memory device is provided with the memory cell having the area in which the identification information is normally stored in a non-rewritable manner and can be written in a predetermined condition. Therefore, a desired storage device can be selected without providing a signal line. Although the identification information is stored in a non-rewritable manner, the identification information can be easily rewritten because it can be written to the area where the identification information is written under a predetermined condition.

  An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides a printing recording material container to be mounted on a printing apparatus. According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing recording material container, a storage unit for storing the printing recording material, an identification information storage area for storing identification information, and a data rewritable after the identification information storage area. And a rewritable data storage area stored in the storage element.

Hereinafter, a storage system including a storage device according to the present invention will be described based on several embodiments with reference to the drawings in the following order.
A. B. Configuration of storage system according to first embodiment Configuration of storage device according to first example C.I. Operation of storage system in first embodiment Configuration of storage system and configuration of storage device according to second embodiment F. Writing identification information (identification data) to the storage device in the test mode according to the third embodiment Writing of identification information (identification data) to the storage device in the test mode according to the fourth embodiment

A. Configuration of the storage system according to the first embodiment:
A schematic configuration of the storage system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration example of a storage system including a plurality of storage devices and a host computer according to the first embodiment.

  The storage system according to this embodiment includes a host computer 10 and five storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 that are arranged on the memory module substrate 200 and whose access is controlled by the host computer 10. I have. It is assumed that the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are respectively provided in five color ink cartridges C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 for an inkjet printer, as shown in FIG. The five color ink cartridges C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 contain, for example, cyan, light cyan, magenta, light magenta, and yellow inks. In addition, the storage device in this embodiment is an EEPROM that holds the storage content in a nonvolatile manner and can rewrite the storage content.

  In FIG. 1, only the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are shown for ease of explanation, but as described above, the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 is actually provided in the ink cartridges C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5.

  The data signal terminal DT, the clock signal terminal CT, and the reset signal terminal RT of each of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are respectively connected via the data bus DB, the clock bus CB, and the reset bus RB (FIG. 4). reference). The host computer 10 and the data bus DB, the clock bus CB, and the reset bus RB are connected via a data signal line DL, a clock signal line CL, and a reset signal line RL. These signal lines can be realized as, for example, a flexible feed cable (FFC). The power supply positive terminal VDDH of the host computer 10 and the power supply positive terminal VDDM of each storage device 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 are connected via a power supply line VDL. On the memory module substrate 200, a power supply negative signal line VSL for serially connecting the power supply negative terminals VSS of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 is disposed. One end of the power supply negative signal line VSL is grounded, and the other end is connected to the cartridge out detection terminal COT of the host computer 10 via the cartridge out signal line COL.

  The host computer 10 is a control device having a clock signal generation circuit, a reset signal generation circuit, a power supply monitoring circuit, a power supply circuit, a power supply compensation circuit, a data storage circuit, and a control circuit for controlling each circuit, which are not shown in the figure, Controls access to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. The host computer 10 is disposed on the main body side of the ink jet printer, for example, and acquires data such as ink consumption and ink cartridge mounting time and stores them in a data storage circuit.

  The control circuit of the host computer 10 accesses the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 when the ink jet printer is turned on, the ink cartridge is replaced, the print job is finished, the ink jet printer is turned off, etc. To do. When accessing the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, the control circuit of the host computer 10 requests the reset signal generation circuit to generate the reset signal RST. Accordingly, the reset signal RST is also generated when a power failure or the power plug is removed. The power supply compensation circuit of the host computer 10 supplies power for a predetermined period (for example, 0.3 s) even when power supply is interrupted. As a result, even if the power supply during data writing is cut off due to a power failure or the power plug being disconnected, it is possible to complete the writing of data that should be prioritized during the predetermined period. For example, a capacitor is used as the power supply compensation circuit.

  The control circuit of the host computer 10 controls the output of the positive power supply by controlling the power supply circuit. The host computer 10 according to the present embodiment does not always supply power to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and an access request to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 is generated. Only when this is the case, the positive power supply is supplied to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24.

  A data string transmitted from the host computer 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data string transmitted from the host computer 10 at the normal time. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a data string transmitted from the host computer 10 in the test mode.

  The data string transmitted from the host computer 10 normally includes a 3-bit identification data portion, a 1-bit read / write command portion, and a 1- to 252-bit write / read data portion as shown in FIG. On the other hand, in the test mode, the data sequence transmitted from the host computer 10 includes a 1-bit write data portion and 1-bit to 256-bit write data portion as shown in FIG. Note that identification data is arranged in 3 bits from the top of the write data portion.

  When reading data from the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, the clock signal generation circuit of the host computer 10 generates, for example, a clock signal SCK at intervals of 4 μS, and at the time of data writing, the clock signal SCK at intervals of 3 ms. Is generated.

B. Configuration of Storage Device According to First Embodiment Next, the internal configuration of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an internal circuit configuration of the storage device 20. The internal configuration of each storage device 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 is the same except for stored identification information (identification data) and unique data. The internal structure of 20 will be described.

  The storage device 20 includes a memory array 201, an address counter 202, an ID comparator 203, an operation code decoder 204, an I / O controller 205, and a factory setting unit 206.

  The memory array 201 has a predetermined capacity, for example, a 256-bit storage area, the identification data is stored in the 3-bit storage area from the top, and the fourth-bit storage area from the top is an invalid area. As described above, normally, identification data is stored in the first 3 bits of the data string transmitted from the host computer 10, and a write / read command is stored in the fourth bit from the top. Therefore, data is not written unless the storage area is the fifth and subsequent bits from the beginning, and the storage area of the memory array 201 has such a configuration, so that the top 4 bits become a read-only storage area. The memory array 201 has an area for writing information that should be prioritized for writing, for example, ink consumption amount or ink remaining amount, from the fifth bit. With such a configuration, even when the power is shut off without operating the power switch, important data can be written to the memory array 201 within a period in which the power supply compensation circuit can compensate the power supply. .

  The address counter 202 is a circuit that increments the counter value in synchronization with the clock signal SCK supplied via the factory setting unit 206, and is connected to the memory array 201. The counter value and the storage area position (address) of the memory array 201 are associated with each other, and the write position or the read position in the memory array 201 can be designated by the counter value of the address counter 202. The address counter 202 is also connected to the reset signal terminal RT, and resets the counter value to the initial value when the reset signal RST is input. Here, the initial value may be any value as long as it is associated with the head position of the memory array 201, and generally 0 is used as the initial value.

  The ID comparator 203 is connected to the clock signal terminal CT, the data signal terminal DT, and the reset signal terminal RT, and is stored in the memory array 201 with the identification data included in the data string input via the data signal terminal DT. It is determined whether or not the identification data matches. Specifically, the ID comparator 203 acquires 3-bit data that is input after the reset signal RST is input, that is, identification data. The ID comparator 203 includes a 3-bit register (not shown) that stores identification data included in the data string, and a 3-bit register (not shown) that stores identification data acquired from the memory array 201 via the I / O controller 205. It is determined whether or not the identification data matches depending on whether or not the values of both registers match. The ID comparator 203 sends an access permission signal EN to the operation code decoder 204 when both identification data match. The ID comparator 203 clears the value of the register when the reset signal RST is input. Note that common identification data, for example, (1, 1, 1) is stored in the ID comparator 203 of the storage device 20 and all the other storage devices 21, 22, 23, 24. The common identification data is held by the ID comparators of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24, thereby simultaneously writing data to be written to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 simultaneously. Can be executed.

  The operation code decoder 204 is connected to the I / O controller 205, the clock signal terminal CT, and the data signal terminal DT, and receives the fourth bit data input after the reset signal RST is input, that is, the write / read command. get. When the access permission signal EN is input, the operation code decoder 204 analyzes the acquired write / read command and sends a write process request or a read process request to the I / O controller 205. The operation code decoder 204 is also connected to the factory setting unit 206, and sends an analysis end notification to the factory setting unit 206 when the analysis of the write / read command is completed in the test mode.

  The I / O controller 205 is connected to the data signal terminal DT and the memory array 201. According to a request from the operation code decoder 204, the I / O controller 205 is connected to the data transfer direction to the memory array 201 and to the data signal terminal DT (connected to the data signal terminal DT. Switch the data transfer direction (for the signal line). The I / O controller 205 is also connected to the reset signal terminal RT and receives the reset signal RST. The I / O controller 205 includes a first buffer memory (not shown) that temporarily stores data read from the memory array 201 and write data to the memory array 201, and data from the data bus DB and the data bus DB. A second buffer memory (not shown) for temporarily storing data is provided.

  The I / O controller 205 is initialized by the input of the reset signal RST. At the time of initialization, the data transfer direction with respect to the memory array 201 is set to the read direction, and the signal line connected to the data signal terminal DT is set to high impedance. By doing so, data transfer to the data signal terminal DT is prohibited. This initialization state is maintained until a write process request or a read process request is input from the operation code decoder 204. Therefore, the data of the first 4 bits of the data string input via the data signal terminal DT after the reset signal is input is not written to the memory array 201, but on the other hand, the first 4 bits (of the 4th bit of the memory array 201) The data stored in (invalid data) is sent to the ID comparator 203. As a result, the first 4 bits of the memory array 201 are in a read-only state.

  The factory setting unit 206 is connected to the test signal terminal TT, the clock signal terminal CT, and the data signal terminal DT, and executes a test mode process when a test signal is input. The factory setting unit 206 transfers the received clock signal SCK as it is to the address counter 202 when there is no test signal input. When the test signal is input, the factory setting unit 206 clocks the address counter 202 until an analysis end notification is received from the operation code decoder 204. The signal SCK is not transferred. The factory setting unit 206 sends a test mode command to the operation code decoder 204. Note that a pull-down resistor is connected to the test signal terminal TT, and is normally an inactive terminal.

C. Operation of Storage System in First Embodiment The operation of the storage system in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the host computer 10 when accessing the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by each component circuit of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 when accessed by the host computer 10. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing a temporal relationship among the reset signal RST, the clock signal SCK, the data signal CDA, and the address counter value at the time of data reading. FIG. 8 is a timing chart showing a temporal relationship among the reset signal RST, the clock signal SCK, the data signal CDA, and the address counter value at the time of data writing.

  The control circuit of the host computer 10 waits until the input value CO of the cartridge out signal line COL becomes 0 (No at Step S100). That is, when all the ink cartridges are correctly accommodated in the ink cartridge holder, the power supply negative signal line VSL is serially connected and grounded, so the input value CO of the cartridge out signal line COL is set to the ground voltage (for example, This is because it indicates about 0 volts). On the other hand, even if one ink cartridge is not correctly stored in the ink cartridge holder, the power supply negative signal line VSL is not serially connected and therefore is not grounded and corresponds to the circuit voltage of the control circuit. The value appears on the cartridge out signal line COL. However, in this embodiment, binarization is performed with reference to a predetermined threshold value in order to eliminate the influence of noise and the like. Therefore, the input value CO of the cartridge out signal line COL takes 0 or 1.

  When the input value CO of the cartridge out signal line COL is 0 (step S100: Yes), the control circuit of the host computer 10 stores the power supply voltage via the power supply line VDL as shown in FIGS. The power is supplied to the power supply positive terminal VDDM of the devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 (VDD = 1), and the reset signal generation circuit generates a reset / low signal (set to RST = 0) via the reset signal line RL. To the reset bus RB (step S110). That is, the power supply voltage is not supplied to the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 unless the ink cartridge is properly stored in the ink cartridge holder. Note that the reset signal RST is assumed to be active low, and the terms such as the generation and input of the reset signal RST used in this specification mean the reset low signal unless otherwise specified. To do.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the host computer 10 sets the reset signal RST to high by setting the reset signal generation circuit to RST = 1 (step S120). The control circuit of the host computer 10 issues identification data (ID data) of the ink cartridge (storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24) desired to be accessed (step S130). The issued ID data is transferred to the data bus DB via the data signal line DL in synchronization with the rising edge of the clock signal SCK as shown in FIGS. The control circuit of the host computer 10 determines whether or not the issued ID data is (1, 1, 1) (step S140). As described above, the ID data (1, 1, 1) is identification data stored in advance in the ID comparators of all the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and the issued ID data is ( In the case of (1, 1, 1), data can be written to all the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 simultaneously.

  If the control circuit of the host computer 10 determines that ID data = (1, 1, 1) (step S140: Yes), it issues a write command (step S150). The issued write command is synchronized with the rising edge of the fourth clock signal SCK after the reset signal RST is switched from low to high as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, via the data signal line DL. Transferred to the data bus DB. The control circuit of the host computer 10 requests the clock signal generation circuit to reduce the speed of the clock signal SCK, that is, to increase the generation interval of the clock signal SCK (step S160). The time required for writing data to the EEPROM is, for example, about 3 ms, and the time required for reading data is, for example, about 4 μs. Accordingly, when writing data, it takes about 1000 times as long as the time required for reading data. Therefore, in this embodiment, the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are accessed at a high clock signal speed until the data write command is issued, and the clock signal speed is reduced during the data write process. Thus, the access time is shortened and reliable data writing is realized.

  When the control circuit of the host computer 10 determines that the issued ID data is not (1, 1, 1) (step S140: No), either the read command (Read) or the write command (Write) Is issued (step S170). The issued command is transferred to the data bus DB via the data signal line DL. If the issued command is a write command (step S170: Write), the control circuit of the host computer 10 delays the clock signal speed (step S160). On the other hand, when the issued command is a read command (step S170: Read), the clock signal speed is maintained.

  The control circuit of the host computer 10 issues a number of clock signal pulses corresponding to the address (position) of the memory array 201 that is desired to be written (step S180). That is, since the storage device 20 in this embodiment is a sequential access type storage device, the number of clock signal pulses corresponding to the address desired to be written is issued, and the counter value of the address counter 202 corresponds to a predetermined address. Must increment to the count value. Finally, the control circuit of the host computer 10 causes the reset signal generation circuit to generate a reset / low signal (set to RST = 0) and send it to the reset bus RB via the reset signal line RL to store the storage devices 20, 21. , 22, 23, 24 are completed. In this way, the access is completed by sending the reset signal RST (reset low signal), and the reset signal RST is also sent when the power is turned off. Therefore, even when the power is turned off during data writing, at least the writing is finished. The data writing process can be completed normally.

  Next, processing executed by the constituent circuits of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 when accessed by the host computer 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In this description, the storage device 20 is representatively described.

  The factory setting unit 206 of the storage device 20 determines whether there is a test signal input (TEST = 1) or not (TEST = 0) (step S200). When the factory setting unit 206 determines that there is a test signal input (step S200: No), a factory setting process described later is executed separately.

  When the factory setting unit 206 determines that no test signal is input (step S200: Yes), each component device of the storage device 20 operates based on the various signals sent from the host computer 10 described above. Hereinafter, the operation of the storage device 20 will be described according to the signal output timing sent by the host computer 10 with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG.

  When the reset / low signal is input to the reset bus RB, the address counter 202 resets the counter value to the initial value (0) (step S210). Also, the ID comparator 203 and the I / O controller 205 are initialized. That is, the two registers in the ID comparator are cleared, and the I / O controller 205 sets the data transfer direction to the memory array 201 to the read direction and sets the signal line connected to the data signal terminal DT to high impedance to perform data transfer. Prohibit transfer.

  As described above, when the reset signal RST switches from low to high, the host computer 10 sends various data in synchronization with the rising edge of the clock signal SCK. Similarly, when the reset signal RST switches from low to high, the address counter 202 increments the counter value one by one from the initial value in synchronization with the rising edge of the clock signal SCK.

  The ID comparator 203 acquires the data sent to the data bus DB in synchronization with the rising edges of the three clock signals SCK after the reset signal RST is switched from low to high, that is, 3-bit ID data. Store in the first 3-bit register (step S220a). At the same time, the ID comparator 203 obtains data from the address of the memory cell 201 specified by the counter values 00, 01, 02 of the address counter 202, that is, obtains identification data stored in the memory cell 201. And stored in the second 3-bit register (step S220b).

  The ID comparator 203 determines whether or not the ID data (identification data) stored in the first and second registers match (step S230). Further, the ID comparator 203 also determines whether or not the common ID data held in advance matches the ID data stored in the first register. If the ID comparator 203 determines that the ID data do not match (step S230: No), the access to the memory array 201 by the host computer 10 is not permitted, and the access process in the storage device 20 ends. In such a case, access to any of the other storage devices 21, 22, 23, and 24 is permitted.

  On the other hand, if the ID comparator 203 determines that the ID data match (step S240), it sends an access permission signal EN to the operation code decoder 204. In such a case, only the storage device 20 among the plurality of storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, or all the storage devices 20, 21, 22, when the ID data is (1, 1, 1). , 23, and 24 are permitted to access the memory array. The operation code decoder 204 that has received the access permission signal EN receives the read / write command sent to the data bus in synchronization with the rising edge of the fourth clock signal SCK after the reset signal RST is switched from low to high. It is determined whether there is a write command acquired (step S240).

  If the operation code decoder 204 determines that the data is write data (step S240: Yes), it sends a write command to the I / O controller 205. The I / O controller 205 that has received the write command changes the data transfer direction to the memory cell 201 to the write direction, cancels the high impedance setting of the signal line connected to the data terminal DT, and allows data transfer ( Step S250). In this state, the write data sent to the data bus is one bit at a time in the address (position) of the memory array 201 specified by the counter value of the address counter 202 that is sequentially counted up in synchronization with the clock signal SCK. It is stored sequentially. Since the storage device 20 according to the present embodiment is sequentially accessed in this way, the write data sent from the host computer 10 is currently stored in the memory array 201 except for the data corresponding to the address desired to be rewritten. It has the same value (0 or 1) as the recorded data. That is, the data of the address that is not rewritten in the memory array 201 is overwritten with the same value.

  If the operation code decoder 204 determines that it is not write data (step S240: No), it sends a read command to the I / O controller 205. The I / O controller 205 that has received the read command changes the data transfer direction to the memory cell 201 to the read direction, cancels the high impedance setting of the signal line connected to the data terminal DT, and allows data transfer. (Step S260). In this state, data stored in the memory array 201 is sequentially read out in the order of addresses (positions) specified by the counter value of the address counter 202 that is sequentially incremented in synchronization with the clock signal SCK. The first buffer memory of the O controller 205 is sequentially overwritten.

  That is, only the data of the address read last (data at the address position designated by the host computer 10) is finally held in the second buffer memory of the I / O controller 205. The I / O controller 205 sends the read data held in the second buffer memory to the data bus DB via the data terminal DT and transfers it to the host computer 10.

  Finally, when a reset / low signal is input, the address counter 202, the ID comparator 203, and the I / O controller 205 are initialized, and the writing or reading of data is completed. Note that read or write data is determined in 1-bit units, and re-input of a reset / low signal is not an operation necessary for determining data. Further, as described above, since the reset signal RST is output even when the power is shut off, even if the power is accidentally shut down during the data writing, the data that has been written at that time In this embodiment, since data is written in 1-bit units, problems such as garbled data can be avoided for data that has been written.

  Further, when the power is shut off, the power supply compensation circuit compensates the power supply for a predetermined period, and when data is written, the data is sequentially written from the write priority data such as the remaining ink amount or the ink consumption amount. Therefore, even when writing to a plurality of storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 is necessary, writing of write priority data to all the storage devices can be completed.

D. Configuration of storage system and storage device according to second embodiment:
The internal configuration of the storage system and the storage device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of a storage system including a plurality of storage devices and a host computer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the internal circuit configuration of the storage device according to the second embodiment.

  The storage system according to the second embodiment is characterized in that the storage devices 40, 41, 42, 43, and 44 constituting the system do not include the test signal terminal TT for TEST mode. Since the other configuration of the storage system is the same as the configuration of the storage system according to the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted. The internal configuration of the storage device 40 will be described with reference to FIG. The storage device 40 does not include the test signal terminal TT, and does not include a circuit corresponding to the factory setting unit 206 included in the storage device 20 according to the first embodiment. That is, since the factory setting unit is a circuit necessary for writing the identification information and data to the storage device 40 by the method according to the third embodiment described later, the identification information and the data by the method according to the fourth embodiment. This circuit is unnecessary when writing. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the storage device 40 that does not include a circuit corresponding to the factory setting unit 206 is illustrated. Since the circuit configuration is the same as that of the storage device 20 according to the first embodiment except that the test signal terminal TT and the factory setting unit 206 are not provided, the same reference numerals are used and description thereof is omitted. To do. Furthermore, since the operations of the storage system and the storage device 40 according to the second embodiment are the same as the operations of the storage system and the storage device 20 according to the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

E. Writing of identification data to the storage device in the test mode (factory setting process) according to the third embodiment Next, identification data for the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 in the test mode according to the third embodiment and the initial Write processing of write data will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the test mode write process according to the third embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the connection state between the test host computer and the storage device when executing the test mode write processing according to the third embodiment.

  The configuration of the storage device to which the write / read processing in the test mode according to the third embodiment can be applied is the same as the configuration of the storage device in the storage system according to the first embodiment. Omitted. Further, the process according to the third embodiment is performed with the storage device 20 attached to the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is manufactured, or with the storage device 20 removed after the ink cartridge is collected, as shown in FIG. This can be executed by connecting the signal lines from the host computer 10 (or a dedicated test host computer) to the terminals CT, DT, RT, TT (probes) of the storage device 20 on a one-to-one basis.

  This processing starts after the TEST signal is sent from the host computer 100 to the storage device 20, that is, after the processing shifts to the factory setting processing in the flowchart shown in FIG. The factory setting unit 206 does not transfer the input clock signal SCK to the address counter 202, and prohibits the count up of the counter value in the address counter 202 (step S300). The factory setting unit 206 activates the operation code decoder 204 without the access permission signal EN from the ID comparator 203, and after the test signal is input, obtains data (command) first sent to the data bus DB. A mode command is sent to the operation code decoder 204 (step S310). The data string input to the data bus DB in the test mode is as shown in FIG. 3, and the command acquired by the operation code decoder 204 is a write command or a read command.

  The operation code decoder 204 analyzes the acquired command, sets the data transfer direction with respect to the memory array 201 to the write direction or the read direction with respect to the I / O controller 205, and sets the data bus DB and the I / O controller 205 A request is made to set the signal line connecting the two to a data transfer enabled state (step S320).

  When the command analysis is completed, the operation code decoder 204 notifies the factory setting unit 206 of the completion of the command analysis, and the factory setting unit 206 that has received this transfers the input clock signal SCK to the address counter 202. (Step S330). When the analysis result by the operation code decoder 204 is a write command (step S340: Write), the data sent to the data bus DB is sequentially written to the address specified by the counter value in the address counter 202 (step S350). . Therefore, data following the write command can be written from address 00 of the memory array 201, and the identification data is written into the 3 bits of the first area of the memory array 201 by giving the identification data to the 3-bit data following the write command. be able to.

  The test host computer 100 reads the data in the memory array 201 (step S360) and determines whether or not it matches the transmitted data (step S370). If the test host computer 100 determines that the two data match (step S370: Yes), the test host computer 100 determines that the writing is correctly completed and ends the factory setting process. On the other hand, if the test host computer 100 determines that the two data do not match (step S370: No), the data is written again.

  On the other hand, when the analysis result by the operation code decoder 204 is a write command (step S340: Read), the address counter 202 sequentially reads the data up to the address specified by the counter value, and the data at the specified address is stored. The data is sent to the host computer 10 via the data bus DB (step S380).

F. Writing of identification data to the storage device in the test mode (factory setting process) according to the fourth embodiment Next, the flow of the test mode writing process according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of the test mode write process according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the connection relationship between the test host computer and the storage device when executing the test mode write processing according to the third embodiment. The configuration of the storage device to which the present embodiment can be applied is the same as the configuration of the storage device 40 according to the second embodiment, so that the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted. As shown in FIG. 10, this processing is characterized in that the target storage device 40 does not need to include the factory setting unit 206 in order to invalidate the ID check by the test terminal TT and the ID comparator 203.

  Further, the process according to the fourth embodiment is performed with the storage device 20 attached to the ink cartridge at the time of manufacturing the ink cartridge, or with the storage device 20 removed after the ink cartridge is collected, as shown in FIG. It can be executed by connecting the signal lines from the host computer 10 (or a dedicated test host computer) to the terminals CT, DT, RT (probes) of the storage device 40 on a one-to-one basis.

  First, the test host computer 100 sequentially issues arbitrary ID data (step S400) and inputs it to the ID comparator 203 via the data bus DB until it matches the identification data of the memory array 201 (step S410: No). ). In this embodiment, since 3-bit data is used as ID data and identification data, there are eight combinations.

  The determination of whether or not the identification data and the ID data match in the test host computer 100 can be realized as follows, for example. First, when a write / read command is received from the ID comparator 203 under the condition that the access permission signal EN is not transferred, the I / O controller 205 sends all data strings of 1 or 0 to the data bus DB. The operation code decoder 204 is set so as to make a request. When the acquired read data is all 1 or all 0, the test host computer 100 determines that the transmitted ID data and the identification information of the storage device 400 do not match, and again stores the ID data in the storage device 400. Send to On the other hand, if the acquired read data is not all 1 or all 0, the test host computer 100 determines that the transmitted ID data matches the identification information of the storage device 400. Therefore, the test host computer 100 repeats the process of sending the ID data to the storage device 400 and acquiring the data sent to the data bus DB until the ID data matches the identification information of the storage device 400. Execute.

  When the test host computer 100 matches the identification data and ID data of the memory array 201 (step S410: Yes) and detects the access permission signal EN from the ID comparator 203, the test host computer 100 has the same capacity as the capacity of the memory array 201. Is written into the memory array 201 (S420). In this embodiment, since the memory array 201 has a capacity of 256 bits, data of a capacity of 252 bits from the fifth bit to the 256th bit which can be written is written. Subsequently, the test host computer 100 writes the data (identification data) having a 3-bit capacity of 257 to 259 bits into the memory array 201 (step S430). Since writing has already been completed up to the 256th bit in the address of the memory array 201, newly written data is written in the first 1st to 3rd bits of the memory array 201. As a result, identification data is written in the first 3 bits of the memory array 201.

  When determining whether the transmitted ID data matches the identification information of the storage device 400, the test host computer 100 may monitor the access permission signal EN of the ID comparator 203. This is because the access permission signal EN is sent to the ID comparator 203 when the ID data matches the identification information.

  According to this method, for example, even when the storage device 20 is taken out from the collected ink cartridge, the memory array 201 is overwritten without knowing what value the identification data of the storage device 400 is. New identification data can be written. Further, it is not necessary to include the factory setting unit 206 in the storage device 400, and the number of circuits constituting the storage device 400 can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the storage device 20 and the storage system according to the first to fourth embodiments, the identification data is transferred from the start position of the memory array of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 to the 3-bit area. Therefore, a desired storage device can be selected from the plurality of storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24. The area in which the identification data is stored is normally read-only, but can be written in the test mode, so that the identification data can be easily rewritten. For example, when the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are provided in the ink cartridge as in this embodiment, the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are removed from the used ink cartridge. , Making it easy to write identification data when reusing. As a result, the reuse of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 can be promoted.

  The storage device and the storage system according to the present invention have been described above based on the embodiments. However, the embodiments of the present invention described above are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and limit the present invention. is not. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and it is needless to say that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the EEPROM is used as the storage device 20, but the storage device is not limited to the EEPROM as long as the storage data can be maintained in a nonvolatile manner and the storage data can be rewritten.

  In the above-described embodiment, the remaining ink data and the ink consumption data are illustrated as the priority write data, but other data may be used as the priority write data instead of or in addition to these data.

  In the above embodiment, the identification data is stored in the first 3 bits of the memory array 201. However, the capacity of the identification data can be appropriately changed depending on the number of storage devices to be identified. The capacity of the memory array 201 is not limited to 256 bits, and can be changed as appropriate according to the amount of data to be stored.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the five storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 are provided in five independent ink cartridges (five colors) has been described. The present invention can also be applied to ink cartridges of colors to four colors or six colors or more.

  In the above embodiment, the storage device 20 according to this embodiment has been described as a storage device for storing ink cartridge information in an ink cartridge for an ink jet printer. However, the storage device 20 according to this embodiment is in another form. It goes without saying that it can be used. That is, in a system using a plurality of storage devices, identification data is stored in the first 3 bits of the memory array 201 in order to access a specific storage device, but the capacity of the identification data is that of the storage device to be identified. It can be changed appropriately depending on the number. The capacity of the memory array 201 is not limited to 256 bits, and can be changed as appropriate according to the amount of data to be stored.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the storage system containing the some storage device and host computer which concern on 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the data sequence transmitted from the host computer 10 at the time of normal. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the data sequence sent out from the host computer 10 at the time of test mode. It is a block diagram which shows the internal circuit structure of the memory | storage device 20 according to 1st Example. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the host computer 10 when accessing the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by each constituent circuit of the storage devices 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 when accessed by the host computer 10. 6 is a timing chart showing a temporal relationship among a reset signal RST, a clock signal SCK, a data signal CDA, and an address counter value when reading data. 6 is a timing chart showing a temporal relationship among a reset signal RST, a clock signal SCK, a data signal CDA, and an address counter value at the time of data writing. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the storage system containing the some storage device and host computer which concern on 2nd Example. It is a block diagram which shows the internal circuit structure of the memory | storage device 40 concerning 2nd Example. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the writing process at the time of the test mode according to 3rd Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the connection relation of the test host computer and memory | storage device at the time of implementing the test mode write-in process according to 3rd Example. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the write process at the time of the test mode according to 4th Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the connection relation of the test host computer and memory | storage device at the time of implementing the test-mode write-in process according to 4th Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example in which the memory | storage device is applied to an ink cartridge in 1st Example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Host computer 100 ... Test host computer 100
20, 21, 22, 23, 24 ... storage device 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 ... storage device 200 ... memory module 201 ... memory array 202 ... address counter 203 ... ID comparator 204 ... operation code decoder 205 ... I / O Controller 206 ... Factory setting unit VDL ... Power supply voltage supply line VDDH ... Power supply positive terminal VDDM ... Power supply positive terminal CL ... Clock signal line DL ... Data signal line RL ... Reset signal line CB ... Clock bus DB ... Data bus RB ... Reset bus VSC Power supply negative signal line COL ... Cartridge out signal line COT ... Cartridge out detection terminal CT ... Clock signal terminal DT ... Data signal terminal TT ... Test signal terminal RT ... Reset signal terminal SCK ... Clock signal CDA ... Data signal RST ... Set signal COO ... cartridge out signal

Claims (12)

A printing recording material container to be attached to a printing apparatus having a data signal line and a reset signal line,
An accommodating portion for accommodating the printing recording material;
A data terminal to which a data signal is to be input / output with the data signal line of the printing apparatus;
A reset terminal to which a reset signal from a reset signal line of the printing apparatus is to be input ;
A memory element having a non-volatile storage area of multiple,
When the reset signal is at the first level, the data transfer direction with respect to the storage element is set to the read direction, and after the reset signal is switched to the second level different from the first level, the data And a storage element control device configured to set a data transfer direction with respect to the storage element to a reading direction or a writing direction based on a signal. In the printing recording material container according to claim 1,
Among the storage areas, an area from the top to a predetermined bit is a read-only storage area. The printing recording material container according to claim 1, further comprising:
A clock terminal to which a clock signal from a clock signal line of the printing apparatus is to be input;
Identification information is stored in the storage element,
The storage element control device includes:
A data bus connecting the data terminal and the storage element;
The position to be accessed in the storage area can be specified by the count value in synchronization with the clock signal input through the clock terminal, and the count value is set to the initial value by the reset signal input through the reset signal terminal. An address counter to reset,
An input / output control device that is electrically connected to the storage element and the data bus and controls a data transfer direction to the storage element and a data transfer direction of the data bus;
A comparison device for determining whether or not the printing recording material container identification information for identifying the printing recording material container input via the data bus matches the identification information stored in the storage element;
A printing / recording material container comprising: a read / write permission device that permits reading / writing of a data signal to / from the storage element when it is determined that the identification information matches. In the printing recording material container according to claim 3,
The input / output control device is a printing recording material container that disconnects from the data bus when a reset signal is at the first level. The printing recording material container according to claim 4, further comprising:
When it is connected to the data bus and the comparison device and receives a determination result that the printing recording material container identification information matches the identification information stored in the storage element from the comparison device, A command decoder that analyzes a write or read command input via the data bus and requests the input / output control device to switch a data transmission direction of the data bus based on the analysis result;
The input / output control device maintains a data transfer direction to the storage element and a connection cut-off state with the data bus at the time of initialization until analysis of a write or read command by the command decoder is completed . The printing recording material container according to claim 5 further includes:
A test terminal connected to the test mode signal line;
A test mode control device that is connected to the test terminal and determines whether or not a test mode signal is input;
The storage element has an area in which writing can be performed under a predetermined condition from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position, and the identification information can be stored in a non-rewritable state at a time other than the predetermined condition,
The printing recording material container according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is when a test mode signal input is detected. In the printing recording material container according to claim 6,
When the test mode control device detects an input of the test mode signal, the test mode control device outputs a test mode command to the command decoder, and the address until the test decoder finishes analyzing the test mode command. Prohibit the counter from counting up,
The instruction decoder, after analyzing the test mode instruction, requests the input / output control device to write to the storage element and release the data bus,
The input / output control device executes writing to the storage element and release of the data bus based on a request from the instruction decoder. In the printing recording material container according to claim 6,
When the test mode control device detects an input of the test mode signal, the test mode control device outputs a test mode command to the command decoder, and the address until the test decoder finishes analyzing the test mode command. Prohibit the counter from counting up,
The instruction decoder, after analyzing the test mode instruction, requests the input / output control device to read the storage element and release the data bus,
The input / output control device executes reading from the storage element and release of the data bus based on a request from the instruction decoder. In the printing recording material container according to claim 3,
The printing recording material container, wherein the storage element has a writable area for writing write data following a storage area in which the identification information can be stored. In the printing recording material container according to claim 9,
A printing recording material container, wherein at least printing recording material amount data is written in the writable area. In the printing recording material container according to claim 9,
The storage element has a region from the start position of the storage area to a predetermined position, in which writing is possible under a predetermined condition, and identification information is stored in a non-rewritable state at times other than the predetermined condition. Recording material container. The printing recording material container according to any one of claims 1 to 11.
  The plurality of nonvolatile storage areas are printing recording material containers that are storage areas that are sequentially accessed.

Images