JP6926938B2 - Printing device and control method of printing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device and a method for controlling the printing device.

Conventionally, as a printing device, it is known that a dual-core processor is provided, one processor core controls a printing mechanism such as a print head, and the other processor core communicates with an external device such as a server. .. As a device including such a dual-core processor, for example, in Patent Document 1, a main core that controls a printing mechanism and a sub-core that controls communication with an external device communicate with each other via a shared memory. Printing devices that go and monitor each other's movements are disclosed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-159136

Generally, in a device using a plurality of processors or processor cores (hereinafter, simply referred to as processors), each processor shares various different functions of the device, and the processing capacity of the device as a whole is processed by processing these in parallel. To improve. For this reason, each processor is often configured to run an application program (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a program) on a different operating system (OS, Operating System) suitable for the function to be shared by each processor.

For example, in a printing device, two processors are used to share the operation control of a printing mechanism unit such as a print head and the communication control with an external device, and perform parallel processing. In this case, for example, a real-time OS (Real-Time Operating System) suitable for real-time control is used for operation control of the printing mechanism unit, and for example, Linux (registered trademark), which is a versatile OS, is used for communication control. ) Is used.

However, if the OS is different, the restrictions on the expression format of information that can be handled by the program running on each OS will be different depending on the functions provided by each OS, and the information between the two processors running on different OSs will be different. Sharing may be inconvenient. For example, while information expression in text format is relatively easy on Linux, more processing may be required to express information in text format on a real-time OS. Further, in Linux, the time can be measured by holding the time information according to the standard time (for example, Japan Standard Time), while in the real-time OS, as the information indirectly expressing the time, for example, after the printing device including the processor is started. Elapsed time is measured.

Therefore, for example, when two processors operating on these different OSs save an event occurrence record (for example, an abnormality occurrence record) including time information in different formats in the memory, the temporal context between the events is changed. It can be ambiguous. As a result, for example, the temporal context of the occurrence records of a plurality of abnormal events becomes ambiguous, which may cause problems such as complicated failure analysis. Since the information on the elapsed time after the start-up of the printing device becomes the information indicating the time when the time at the time of start-up is added, the information on the elapsed time is also referred to as the time information here. ..

An object of the present invention is to obtain information in a printing apparatus having a plurality of processors (or processor cores), which has a different expression format collected by each processor operating using different OSs, and to have a mutual relationship between the information. Save it for clarity.

In order to solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention is installed on a first processing apparatus in which a program for controlling a printing mechanism unit is operated on the first operating system and on a second operating system different from the first operating system. Accessed by the second processing device, the second processing device in which a program for controlling the communication unit communicating with the external device operates, the first storage unit accessed from the first processing device and the second processing device, and the second processing device. The first processing device has a second storage unit, the first processing device writes the first event information related to the first event generated in the printing mechanism unit to the first storage unit, and the second processing device describes the first event information. The second event information related to the second event generated in the communication unit and the first event information read from the first storage unit are used as event log information including data in a predetermined common format in the second storage unit. Save to.
According to this configuration, the transfer of information via the first storage unit is limited to one direction from the first processing device to the second processing device, and the first storage unit supports the basic functions of the first operating system. Only information that follows the representation format is saved. Therefore, the information read from the first storage unit can be uniformly converted into another expression format, and the conversion process becomes easy. Further, since the transferred first event information is converted into event log information including the data in the common format by the second processing device, the mutual relationship between the first event information and the second event information is the data portion in the common format. It is possible to make a judgment based on.

Further, in the present invention, the predetermined common format data is data relating to the occurrence time of the first event and the second event, and the second processing apparatus includes the first event information. By converting the first time information indicating the occurrence time of the event and the second time information indicating the occurrence time of the second event included in the second event information into a time according to the same time system, the common format can be obtained. It may be configured to be stored in the second storage unit as data.
According to this configuration, it is possible to determine the temporal context of the first event information and the second event information from the common format data portion of the first event information and the second event information stored in the second storage unit. can.

Further, in the present invention, the first time information is information indicating an elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit, and the second time information is information indicating a time according to a predetermined time system. The 2 processing apparatus adds the elapsed time after the activation indicated by the first time information to the time at the time of activation of the printing mechanism unit, and converts the first time information into a time according to the predetermined time system. It may be a configuration.
According to this configuration, even if the first operating system does not support the time information that directly represents the time itself, the event log is generated by clarifying the temporal context of the first event information and the second event information. , Can be saved.

Further, in the present invention, the first storage unit is divided into a plurality of storage areas having predetermined storage capacities arranged so as to form a data sequence, and the first processing device is the said one related to the first event. The first event information is stored in the storage area set in the free area of the storage areas constituting the data array in the order of occurrence of the first event and from the beginning to the end of the data array. The second processing apparatus may have a configuration in which the first event information is read from the storage area in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array, and the read storage area is set as a free area.
According to this configuration, the second processing device can read the first event information from the first storage unit while clarifying the temporal context between the first event information. Therefore, it is possible to easily create an event log that records the first event information and the second event information in chronological order.

Further, in the present invention, when the first processing device intends to store the first event information in the first storage unit, the first processing device is set in an empty area of the storage areas constituting the data array. When there is no storage area, the first event information to be saved is discarded, and the first processing device has one or more of the storage areas set in the free area. When any of the storage areas is set as a free area after discarding the first event information, the number of the discarded first event information is set in the storage area set in the free area, and thereafter. It may be configured to store the first event information related to the first event that occurred in.
According to this configuration, when the first event information represents, for example, an abnormality occurrence, the information of the oldest abnormality occurrence event that may represent the root cause of the abnormality is not lost, and the recent abnormality occurrence occurs. The number of events can be retained. Therefore, for example, failure analysis based on the event log becomes easy.

Further, the present invention includes a multi-core processor including a plurality of processors, and the first processing device and the second processing device may be configured by different processors.
According to this configuration, a printing device including a first operating system and a second operating system can be configured in a small size and at low cost.

Further, in the present invention, the first processing apparatus may be configured to include, as the first operating system, a real-time operating system for controlling the printing mechanism unit in real time.
According to this configuration, while the printing mechanism unit is efficiently controlled in real time by the first operating system, for example, the first event information indicating an abnormal event of the printing mechanism unit is collected, and the event log configured in chronological order is displayed. Can be generated. Therefore, for example, failure analysis of the printing mechanism unit can be easily performed using the event log.

Further, the present invention may be configured such that the second processing device transmits the event log information stored in the second storage unit to the external device via the communication unit.
According to this configuration, the event log information stored in the second storage unit can be analyzed by the external device. Further, since the event log information stored in the second storage unit can be saved in the external device, it is possible to prevent omission of storage of the first event information and / or the second event information due to insufficient storage capacity of the second storage unit. be able to.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention communicates with a first processing device in which a program for controlling a printing mechanism unit operates on the first operating system and an external device on a second operating system different from the first operating system. A second processing device in which a program for controlling a communication unit is operated, a first storage unit accessed from the first processing device and the second processing device, and a second storage unit accessed by the second processing device. A method for controlling a printing device including The second event information related to the second event generated in the communication unit and the first event information read from the first storage unit are used as event log information including data in a predetermined common format. 2 Save in the storage.
According to this configuration, the transfer of information via the first storage unit is limited to one direction from the first processing device to the second processing device, and the first storage unit supports the basic functions of the first operating system. Only information that follows the representation format is saved. Therefore, the information read from the first storage unit can be uniformly converted into another expression format, and the conversion process becomes easy. Further, since the transferred first event information is converted into event log information including common format data by the second processing device, the mutual relationship between the first event information and the second event information is based on the common format data portion. It becomes possible to judge.

The figure which shows the structure of the printing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the software hierarchy structure in the 1st processing apparatus. The figure which shows the software hierarchy structure in the 2nd processing apparatus. The figure which shows the data structure of the data array which the 1st storage part stores. The figure which shows the data structure of the 2nd event information. The figure which shows the example of the position of writing and reading in a data array. The figure which shows an example of the event log. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 1st event information storage process. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 2nd event log save process. The flowchart which shows the procedure of the 1st event log save process. A flowchart showing the procedure of event log transmission processing.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a printing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The printing device 100 includes a printing mechanism unit 102 that prints on paper, a communication unit 104 that communicates with an external device, a processing device 106, a first storage unit 108, and a second storage unit 110.

The printing mechanism unit 102 includes, for example, a printing head that ejects ink onto the paper, a scanning mechanism that moves the printing head on the paper, a conveying mechanism that conveys the paper, and the like (all not shown). Further, the communication unit 104 is composed of, for example, a transceiver (not shown) that communicates with an external device such as a peripheral device or a server.

The processing device 106 includes a first processing device 130, a second processing device 132, a first time measuring unit 134, and a second time measuring unit 136. When the power of the printing device 100 is turned on and the printing mechanism 102 is started, the first time measuring unit 134 is started by the second processing device 132 and measures the elapsed time after the printing mechanism 102 is started. ..

The second time measurement unit 136 is, for example, a real-time clock (RTC, Real Time Clock) and holds a predetermined time system, for example, Japan Standard Time (JST, Japan Standard Time). That is, the second time measurement unit 136 measures the time not only while the power of the printing device 100 is turned on, but also after the power is turned off, for example, by using a battery (not shown) provided in the printing device 100. Continue to keep the current time according to Japan Standard Time. The second time measurement unit 136 may hold the time according to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) instead of Japan Standard Time.

The first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132 are computers including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example. The first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132 may have a configuration including a ROM (Read Only Memory) in which a program is written, a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data, and the like. The first processing device 130 has a print control unit 140, a first event detection unit 142, and a first event recording unit 144 as functional elements (or functional units). Further, the second processing device 132 has a communication control unit 150, a second event detection unit 152, and an event log recording unit 154 as functional elements (or functional units).

These functional elements included in the first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132 are realized by executing a program by the first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132, which are computers, respectively.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a software hierarchical structure of the first processing device 130. The first processing device 130 includes a first operating system 200 that manages the operation of hardware such as a CPU, RAM, and ROM. Further, the first processing device 130 is executed on the first operating system 200 and realizes each functional element of the print control unit 140, the first event detection unit 142, and the first event recording unit 144. Application programs 202, 204, 206 To be equipped. In the present embodiment, the first operating system 200 is a real-time operating system (real-time OS) such as T-Kernel, for example, from the viewpoint of ensuring efficient operation of the print control unit 140 that controls the print mechanism unit 102 in real time. ..

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a software hierarchical structure of the second processing device 132. The second processing device 132 includes a second operating system 300 that manages the operation of hardware such as a CPU, RAM, and ROM. Further, the second processing device 132 executes application programs 302, 304, and 306 on the second operating system 300 to realize the functional elements of the communication control unit 150, the second event detection unit 152, and the event log recording unit 154. Be prepared. In the present embodiment, the second operating system 300 is, for example, Linux from the viewpoint of performing communication control and various other processes that do not require real-time processing for general purposes.

Here, in general, in a real-time operating system, the efficiency of control operation is emphasized, and the retention of time information such as Japan Standard Time is not supported as a basic function. Therefore, when a real-time operating system is used, for example, the elapsed time after the device is started is used as the information regarding the time. On the other hand, in Linux's general-purpose operating system, time information such as Japan Standard Time is supported as a basic function, and the current time can be easily acquired in an application program. As described above, the real-time OS such as T-Kernel and the general-purpose OS such as Linux differ in the expression format of the time (or time) acquired by using their basic functions.

In the present embodiment, the first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132 each have an individual processor (CPU), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132 may be composed of individual processors (or processor cores) in a multi-core processor having a plurality of processors (or processor cores). can.

The first storage unit 108 (FIG. 1) is composed of, for example, a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The first storage unit 108 has a plurality of (n) storage areas 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4, which have predetermined storage capacities ordered to form a data sequence 120. .. .. , 122-n. These storage areas 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4 ,. .. .. , 122-n are provided, for example, in the order of storage addresses in the first storage unit 108. First event information is stored in each of the storage areas 122 by the first processing device 130 of the processing device 106, which will be described later. Further, the first event information stored in the storage area 122 is read out by the second processing device 132 of the processing device 106. That is, the first event information is transferred in one direction from the first processing device 130 to the second processing device 132 via the first storage unit 108.

Hereinafter, when the storage areas 122-1, 122-2, 122-3, 122-4, ..., 122-n are collectively referred to as the storage area 122. Further, in the following, the head of the data array 120 means a storage area 122 (for example, 122-1) provided at the position of the storage address having the smallest address value in the storage area 122. Further, the end of the data array 120 means a storage area 122 (for example, 122-n) provided at the position of the storage address having the largest address value in the storage area 122.

The first storage unit 108 also stores a write pointer 124 indicating the location of the storage area 122 in which the first processing device 130 should store the first event information next. Further, the first storage unit 108 stores a read pointer 126 indicating the location of the storage area 122 in which the second processing device 132 should read the first event information next. The write pointer 124 and the read pointer 126 are set to values indicating the storage area 122 at the beginning of the data array during the initialization process executed when the printing device 100 is started.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure in the storage area 122 constituting the data array 120. The data stored in the storage area 122 is a data string having a bit length of a predetermined size, and has a status area 400, a discard number area 402, and an event information area 404 in order from the beginning. Further, the event information area 404 is further composed of a time area 406 and a message area 408.

In the status area 400, a status indicating whether or not the first event information is written in the storage area 122 is stored. The status is either a "free area" indicating that the first event information is not written in the event information area 404, or an "occupied area" indicating that the first event information is written in the event information area 404. Is. In the following, "setting the storage area 122 as a free area" or "setting as an occupied area" is a value indicating that the status area 400 of the storage area 122 is a "free area" or an "occupied area". It is meant to store a value that indicates that there is. The storage areas 122 of the first storage unit 108 are all set to "free areas" during the initialization process executed when the printing device 100 is started. Details of the data stored in other areas will be described later.

The second storage unit 110 (FIG. 1) is composed of, for example, a volatile or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The second storage unit 110 stores an event log 128 which is a history of the first event (described later) and the second event (described later) that have occurred. The event log 128 is composed of event log information stored in the second storage unit 110 by the second processing device 132 of the processing device 106.

The print control unit 140 of the first processing device 130 controls the operation of the print mechanism unit 102 in real time to execute printing on paper. The first event detection unit 142 detects the occurrence of the first event related to the operation of the printing mechanism unit 102. The first event includes, for example, events that occur with normal printing operations such as ink depletion and paper shortage in the printing mechanism unit 102, as well as events related to abnormal operations such as abnormal movement of the print head and paper jam. Is included.

Further, when the first event detection unit 142 detects the first event, the first event detection unit 142 acquires the elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit 102 from the first time measurement unit 134, and the acquired elapsed time and the detected first first event. Information indicating the content of the event is sent to the first event recording unit 144.

The first event recording unit 144 generates the first event information based on the elapsed time received from the first event detection unit 142 and the information representing the content of the first event. More specifically, the first event recording unit 144 adds the received elapsed time as the first time information to the message describing the contents of the received first event to generate the first event information. Here, in the present embodiment, the above message describing the content of the first event is represented by, for example, a predetermined code for each type of the first event. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above message describing the content of the first event may be composed of a text message.

The first event recording unit 144 stores the generated first event information in the storage area 122 of the first storage unit 108. At that time, the first event recording unit 144 sets the first event information in the free area in the order in which the first event occurs, in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120 configured by the storage area 122. Save to 122. That is, each time the first event recording unit 144 writes the first event information in order from the first storage area 122 of the data array 120, the first event recording unit 144 points the write pointer 124 stored by the first storage unit 108 toward the end of the data array 120. The value is set to indicate the next storage area 122. More specifically, each time the first event recording unit 144 writes the first event information to the storage area 122, the value of the write pointer 124 is increased (incremented) by the size of one storage area 122. .. Further, after the write pointer 124 becomes a value indicating the storage area 122 at the end of the data array 120, the first event recording unit 144 sets the write pointer 124 to the initial value (that is, the storage area 122 at the beginning of the data array 120). Set to (address value indicating).

The first event information is stored in the event information area 404 of the data structure shown in FIG. More specifically, among the first event information, the message describing the content of the first event is stored in the message area 408, and the first time information is stored in the time area 406. Further, when the first event information is stored in the storage area 122, the first event recording unit 144 sets the storage area 122 as the occupied area.

Further, when the first event information is generated, the first event recording unit 144 discards the generated first event information while the first storage unit 108 does not have the storage area 122 set as the free area. , Count the cumulative number of first event information that was continuously discarded. After that, when a new first event occurs after any storage area 122 is set in the free area, the first event recording unit 144 sets the first event information related to the first event in the free area. It is stored in the stored storage area 122.

At that time, the first event recording unit 144 saves the cumulative number (cumulative number of discards) of the first event information discarded so far in the discard number area 402 of the storage area 122 that stores the first event information. do. The first event recording unit 144 resets the cumulative discard count to zero after saving the cumulative discard count in the discard count area 402, and when the first event information is newly discarded, the cumulative discard count is counted. To start. When the first event recording unit 144 stores the first event information in the storage area 122 and the cumulative number of discards is zero, the first event recording unit 144 stores the value zero in the discard number area 402 of the storage area 122.

In the above description, whether or not the first storage unit 108 has a storage area 122 set as an empty area is determined by, for example, the storage area 122 indicated by the write pointer 124 stored by the first storage unit 108 as an occupied area. It can be judged by whether or not there is. That is, if the storage area 122 indicated by the write pointer 124 is an occupied area, it can be determined that the first storage unit 108 does not have the storage area 122 set as the free area. When the storage area 122 of the data array 120 is set to the occupied area one after another and the write pointer 124 is incremented, the storage area 122 indicated by the write pointer 124 after the storage area 122 of the last free area is set to the occupied area Is always an occupied area.

The communication control unit 150 (FIG. 1) of the second processing device 132 controls the communication unit 104 to communicate with an external device such as a peripheral device or a server.

The second event detection unit 152 of the second processing device 132 detects the occurrence of a second event related to the operation of a portion other than the printing mechanism unit 102. The second event includes, for example, an abnormality in the communication operation in the communication unit 104, the occurrence of periodic communication with an external device such as a server performed via the communication unit 104, and the printing device received via the communication unit 104. Events and the like in 100 peripherals may be included.

Further, the second event detection unit 152 acquires the current time from the second time measurement unit 136 when the second event is detected, and obtains the acquired current time and information indicating the content of the detected second event. Send to the event log recording unit 154.

The event log recording unit 154 generates the second event information based on the current time received from the second event detection unit 152 and the information representing the contents of the second event. More specifically, the event log recording unit 154 adds the received current time as the second time information to the message describing the contents of the received second event to generate the second event information. Then, the event log recording unit 154 adds and stores the generated second event information as the event log information to the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110. Here, the above message describing the content of the second event is composed of, for example, a text message in the present embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the above message describing the content of the second event may be represented by a code predetermined for each type of the second event.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data structure of the second event information. The second event information is a data string having a bit length of a predetermined size, and includes a time area 502 and a message area 504 in this order from the beginning. The second time information of the second event information is stored in the time area 502, and a message describing the content of the second event is stored in the message area 504.

The event log recording unit 154 also accesses the first storage unit 108 at predetermined time intervals, reads the cumulative number of discards and the first event information from the storage area 122 of the first storage unit 108, and stores the storage area 122. To free space. That is, the event log recording unit 154 determines whether or not there is a storage area 122 set as an occupied area in the first storage unit 108 at predetermined time intervals. Then, when there is a storage area 122 set in the occupied area, the cumulative number of discarded items and the first event information (hereinafter, also referred to as "first event information") are read from the storage area 122. At that time, when there are a plurality of storage areas 122 set in the occupied area, the event log recording unit 154 reads the data array 120 configured by the storage area 122 in the order from the beginning to the end.

More specifically, if the storage area 122 at the position indicated by the read pointer 126 stored by the first storage unit 108 is an occupied area, the event log recording unit 154 reads out the first event information or the like from the storage area 122. .. Then, the event log recording unit 154 sets the storage area 122 as a free area, and sets the read pointer 126 to a value indicating the next storage area 122 toward the end of the data array 120. That is, the event log recording unit 154 increases (increments) the value of the read pointer 126 by the size of one storage area 122. Further, after the read pointer 126 becomes a value indicating the storage area 122 at the end of the data array 120, the event log recording unit 154 sets the read pointer 126 to the initial value (that is, the storage area 122 at the beginning of the data array 120). Set to the indicated address value).

In the above, if the storage area 122 indicated by the read pointer 126 is set as an empty area, it can be determined that there is no storage area 122 set as the occupied area in the first storage unit 108. When the storage area 122 of the data array 120 is set to the free area one after another and the read pointer 126 is incremented, the storage area 122 indicated by the read pointer 126 after the storage area 122 of the last occupied area is set to the free area. Is always free space.

The storage area 122 to be read by the event log recording unit 154 at predetermined time intervals does not necessarily have to be all of the storage areas 122 set in the occupied area, and the upper limit is a predetermined number. It can be assumed that there are a number of storage areas 122.

Further, the event log recording unit 154 converts the first time information included in the read first event information into a format common to the second time information included in the second event information. Specifically, the event log recording unit 154 adds the elapsed time after the start of the print mechanism unit 102 indicated by the first time information to the start time of the print mechanism unit 102 stored when the power of the printing device 100 is turned on. Then, the first time information is converted into a time according to Japan Standard Time, which is the same as the second time information. That is, the event log recording unit 154 converts the first time information into a time that follows the same time system as the second time information. Then, the event log recording unit 154 adds the first event information including the converted first time information to the event log 128 of the second storage unit 110 as event log information and stores it.

That is, the event log recording unit 154 stores the first event information and the second event information including the first time information and the second time information as common format data in the second storage unit 110 as event log information. save. The event log recording unit 154 sorts the first event information and the second event information in the order of their occurrence based on the first time information and the second time information which are common format data, and the event log 128 Can be stored in.

When the cumulative number of discarded items read from the storage area 122 of the first storage unit 108 is not zero, the event log recording unit 154 first adds the information on the cumulative number of discarded items read to the event log 128 as event log information. And remember. Then, after that, the event log recording unit 154 adds the first event information read at the same time as the cumulative number of discards to the event log 128 after performing the above conversion of the first time information and stores it.

Further, the event log recording unit 154 transmits the event log information of the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110, for example, at predetermined time intervals, via the communication control unit 150 and the communication unit 104, for example, to an external server. Send to. Further, the event log recording unit 154 deletes the transmitted event log information portion of the event log 128 from the second storage unit 110. As a result, a storage area in the second storage unit 110 that can be used for storing the event log information newly added to the event log 128 is secured.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the first processing device 130 writes the first event information and the second processing device 132 reads out the second event information in the data array 120 stored in the first storage unit 108. be. In the illustrated example, the data sequence 120 is composed of 512 storage areas 122, and each storage area 122 is 122-1, 122-2, ... From the beginning of the data sequence 120. .. .. It is indicated by the reference numerals 122-512. The first event information is written in the storage areas 122-6 to 122-509, and the value 11 indicating that it is an occupied area is written in the status area 400 of these storage areas 122. In addition, a value 00 indicating that the storage area 122 is a free area is written in the status area 400 of the storage area 122 other than these.

Further, as an example, all 0s are written in the discard number area 402 of the storage areas 122-6 to 122-509 set in the occupied area. From this, it can be seen that there was no discarded first event information immediately before the first event information was stored in each of the storage areas 122-6 to 122-509.

Further, in the time area 406 of the event information area 404 of the storage areas 122-6 to 122-509 set in the occupied area, the number of seconds representing the elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit 102 is stored.

As described above, the first event recording unit 144 of the first processing device 130 vacates the first event information in the order in which the first event occurs, in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120 formed by the storage area 122. It is saved in the storage area 122 set in the area. That is, the first event recording unit 144 writes the first event information related to the first event that occurs next to the storage area 122-510 at the position indicated by the left-pointing arrow in FIG. 6, which is indicated by the write pointer 124. After that, while incrementing the write pointer 124, each time the first event is detected, the first event information of the detected first event is sequentially stored in the storage areas 122-511 and 122-512 in the order of occurrence. I will write.

When the first event recording unit 144 writes the first event information to the last (end) storage area 122-512 that constitutes the data array 120, the first event recording unit 144 uses the write pointer 124 as the first one that constitutes the data array 120. Set to a value indicating the storage area 122-1. As a result, the first event recording unit 144 returns to the first storage area 122-1 constituting the data array 120 and stores the first event information generated next. After that, as described above, the first event recording unit 144 stores the first event information in the storage area 122 in the order of occurrence of the first event, in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120.

Further, as described above, the event log recording unit 154 of the second processing device 132 reads out the first event information and the like in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120 formed by the storage area 122. That is, when the event log recording unit 154 next reads the first event information from the first storage unit 108, the storage area at the position indicated by the start point of the right-pointing arrow in FIG. 6 indicated by the read pointer 126. The first event information is read from 122-6. Then, after that, while incrementing the read pointer 126, the storage areas 122-7, 122-8, ... .. .. The first event information stored in is read out.

The event log recording unit 154 is a case where the last storage area 122-512 of the data array 120 is occupied, and when the first event information or the like is read from the last storage area 122-512. , Read pointer 126 is set to the initial value. That is, the read pointer 126 is set to a value indicating the first storage area 122-1 that constitutes the data array 120. As a result, the event log recording unit 154 reads the first event information and the like from the last storage area 122-512, and then returns to the first storage area 122-1 of the data array 120 to read the first event information and the like. It will be. After that, as described above, the event log recording unit 154 reads out the first event information and the like in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120 configured by the storage area 122.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110. In the illustrated example, the event log 128 is composed of event log information 700-1 to 700-12. Hereinafter, when the event log information 700-1 to 700-12 are collectively referred to, the event log information 700 is referred to.

The event log information 700-1 to 700-3 and 700-7 to 700-9 include the second event information. In each of these event log information, the second time information is stored in the first time information area 710 in the format of "hour: minute month.day year", and the content of the second event is stored in the subsequent message area 712. The second event message indicating is stored.

Further, the event log information 700-4 to 700-6, 700-11, 700-12 includes the first event information. In each of these event log information, the first time information is stored in the first time information area 710 in the same format of "hour: minute month.day year" as the second time information, and the subsequent message area. A first event message indicating the content of the first event is stored in 712. That is, the first time information and the second time information included in the event log information 700 are stored in the event log 128 as data in a common format according to the same time system (Japan Standard Time in this embodiment).

The event log information 700-10 is information about the number of discarded first event information. From this event log information 700-10, it can be seen that the cumulative number of first event information discarded before the occurrence of the first event related to the first event message of the event log information 700-11 is 5. The event log information 700-10 is event log information added to the event log 128 based on the cumulative number of discards read from the storage area 122 in which the first event information related to the event log information 700-11 is stored. .. The same time information as the event log information 700-11 may be stored in the time information area 710 of the event log information 700-10.

In the printing apparatus 100 having the above-described configuration, the first event information is transferred in one direction from the first processing apparatus 130 to the second processing apparatus 132 via the data array 120 of the first storage unit 108. Therefore, in the data array 120, only the information according to the representation format supported by the basic functions of the first operating system 200 in the first processing device 130 is stored. Therefore, in the second processing device 132, the information read from the data array 120 of the first storage unit 108 (for example, the first time information) can be uniformly converted into another expression format, and the conversion processing becomes easy. ..

Further, the transferred first event information is converted into common format data based on the same time system as the second time information of the second event information by the second processing device 132. It is saved in the event log 128. Therefore, the mutual relationship between the first event information and the second event information stored in the event log 128 with respect to their occurrence times is clarified by the first time information and the second time information described in the common format data. Will be expressed in.

As a result, it becomes possible to maintain and manage the history of events that have occurred in a unified format and a unified time series. In addition, since the events can be analyzed in chronological order, it is possible to solve the problem at an earlier stage by referring to the event log 128 when analyzing a defect or responding to an inquiry from a user. Furthermore, when developing the product, such as customizing the printing device 100 or adding functions, it is possible to efficiently measure and evaluate the performance of the firmware by utilizing the data of the event log 128 in the design scene. ..

Next, the processing procedure in the first event detection unit 142 and the first event recording unit 144 of the first processing device 130, and the processing procedure in the second event detection unit 152 and the event log recording unit 154 of the second processing device 132. Will be described.

The first event detection unit 142 and the first event recording unit 144 of the first processing device 130 execute the first event information storage process. The first event information saving process is a process of detecting the occurrence of the first event and saving the first event information indicating the content and the occurrence time of the detected first event in the data array 120 of the first storage unit 108. be.

The second event detection unit 152 and the event log recording unit 154 of the second processing device 132 execute the second event log storage process, the first event log storage process, and the event log transmission process. The second event log saving process detects the occurrence of the second event, and stores the second event information indicating the content and occurrence time of the detected second event as the event log information in the second storage unit 110. It is a process of saving in 128. Further, in the first event log storage process, the first event information is read from the data array 120 stored in the first storage unit 108, the first time information is converted into a common format, and then the second storage unit is used as the event log information. This is a process of saving in the event log 128 stored in the 110. The event log transmission process is a process of reading the event log information constituting the event log 128 from the second storage unit 110 and transmitting it to an external server or the like.

Hereinafter, the procedures of the first event information storage process executed by the first processing device 130, the second event log storage process, the first event log storage process, and the event log transmission process executed by the second processing device 132 will be described. do.

<First event information storage process>
First, the procedure of the first event information storage process performed by the first processing device 130 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The first event information storage process shown in FIG. 8 starts when the power of the printing device 100 is turned on, and ends when the power of the printing device 100 is turned off.

When the processing is started, first, the first event recording unit 144 of the first processing device 130 sets all the storage areas 122 of the data array 120 stored in the first storage unit 108 as free areas (S100), and cumulatively discards them. The number count is reset to zero (S102). Further, the first event recording unit 144 sets the values of the write pointer 124 and the read pointer 126 to the initial values (S104). Here, the initial values of the write pointer 124 and the read pointer 126 are address values indicating the positions of the storage areas 122 at the beginning of the data array 120.

Subsequently, the first event detection unit 142 of the first processing device 130 determines whether or not the occurrence of a predetermined first event related to the operation of the printing mechanism unit 102 has been detected (S106). The first event detection unit 142 can detect the occurrence of the first event by using, for example, signals from various sensors (not shown) provided in the printing mechanism unit 102.

Then, when the occurrence of the first event is not detected (S106, NO), the first event detection unit 142 returns to step S106 and waits for the occurrence of the first event to be detected. On the other hand, when any occurrence of a predetermined first event is detected (S106, YES), the first event detection unit 142 determines the elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit 102 from the first time measurement unit 134. Acquire (S108). In addition, the first event detection unit 142 sends the information indicating the content of the detected first event and the acquired elapsed time to the first event recording unit 144.

Next, the first event recording unit 144 adds the elapsed time as the first time information to the information indicating the content of the first event received from the first event detection unit 142 to generate the first event information. (S110). Subsequently, the first event recording unit 144 determines whether or not the data array 120 has the storage area 122 set in the free area (S112). As described above, this determination is made by determining whether or not the storage area 122 indicated by the write pointer 124 is set as a free area.

Then, when the storage area 122 indicated by the write pointer 124 is set as a free area (S112, YES), the generated first event information and the cumulative number of discards (that is, the first event information) are stored in the storage area 122. Etc.) (S114). Further, the first event recording unit 144 sets the storage area 122 in which the first event information and the like are stored as the occupied area (S116), and increments the write pointer 124 by the size of the storage area 122 (S118). As a result, the first event information is stored in the storage area 122 in the order in which the first event occurs, in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120. When the storage area 122 in which the first event information or the like is stored in step S114 is the end of the data array, the first event recording unit 144 sets the write pointer 124 to the initial value (the storage area 122 at the beginning of the data array 120). Address).

Subsequently, the first event recording unit 144 resets the cumulative number of discarded items to zero (S120), and then returns to step S106 to repeat the process.

On the other hand, when there is no storage area 122 set in the free area in step S112 (S112, NO), the first event recording unit 144 adds 1 to the cumulative number of discarded items (S122). Then, the first event recording unit 144 returns to step S106 and repeats the process without storing the generated first event information in the storage area 122.

<Second event log save process>
Next, the procedure of the second event log saving process performed by the second processing device 132 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The second event log storage process is processed in parallel in the second processing device 132 together with the first event log storage process and the event log transmission process described later. Further, the second event log saving process starts when the power of the printing device 100 is turned on, and ends when the power of the printing device 100 is turned off.

When the power of the printing device 100 is turned on and the printing mechanism 102 is started, first, the event log recording unit 154 of the second processing device 132 tells the first time measuring unit 134 the elapsed time after the printing mechanism 102 is started. The time measurement is started (S200). Subsequently, the event log recording unit 154 acquires and stores the start-up time of the printing mechanism unit 102 from the second time measurement unit 136 (S202). As described above, the time acquired from the second time measurement unit 136 is a time according to a predetermined time system (Japan Standard Time in this embodiment).

Next, the second event detection unit 152 determines whether or not the occurrence of a predetermined second event related to the operation of the printing device 100 other than the operation of the printing mechanism unit 102 has been detected (S204). The second event detection unit 152 can detect the occurrence of the second event, for example, by receiving a communication abnormality notification from the communication control unit 150.

Then, when the occurrence of the second event is not detected (S204, NO), the second event detection unit 152 returns to step S204 and waits for the occurrence of the second event to be detected. On the other hand, when any occurrence of a predetermined second event is detected (S204, YES), the second event detection unit 152 acquires the occurrence time of the detected second event from the second time measurement unit 136. (S206). The second event detection unit 152 sends the information indicating the content of the detected second event and the acquired occurrence time to the event log recording unit 154.

Next, the event log recording unit 154 adds the occurrence time as the second time information to the information indicating the content of the second event received from the second event detection unit 152 to generate the second event information. (S208). Then, the event log recording unit 154 adds the generated second event information as event log information to the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110 and saves it (S210), and then returns to step S204 for processing. repeat.

<First event log save process>
Next, the procedure of the first event log saving process performed by the second processing device 132 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The first event log storage process is processed in parallel in the second processing device 132 together with the second event log storage process described above and the event log transmission process described later. Further, the first event log saving process is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals after the power of the printing apparatus 100 is turned on.

When the first event log storage process is started, the event log recording unit 154 first determines whether or not the data array 120 has a storage area 220 set as an occupied area (S300). As described above, this determination is made by determining whether or not the storage area 122 indicated by the read pointer 126 is set as the occupied area.

Then, when the storage area 122 indicated by the read pointer 126 is not set as the occupied area (S300, NO), the process ends as it is. On the other hand, when the storage area 122 indicated by the read pointer 126 is an occupied area (S300, YES), the event log recording unit 154 receives the first event information and cumulative discard from the storage area 122 which is the occupied area indicated by the read pointer 126. Read the number (S302).

Next, the event log recording unit 154 increments the read pointer 126 by the size of the storage area 122 (S304). As a result, the event log recording unit 154 can read the first event information from the storage area 122 in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120, and thus in the order in which the first event occurs. When the storage area 122 from which the first event information or the like is read in step S304 is the end of the data array, the event log recording unit 154 sets the read pointer 126 to the initial value (the storage area 122 at the beginning of the data array 120). Address).

Next, the event log recording unit 154 determines whether or not the cumulative number of discarded items read is zero (S306). Then, when the cumulative number of discarded items read is zero (S306, YES), the first time information included in the read first event information is converted into the same common format data as the second time information (S308). That is, the event log recording unit 154 starts the printing mechanism unit 102 indicated by the first time information at the time when the printing mechanism unit 102 is started, which was acquired in step S202 of the second event log saving process (FIG. 9). Add the elapsed time of.

Subsequently, the event log recording unit 154 adds the first event information converted from the first time information to the event log 128 as the event log information and saves it (S310), and ends the process.

On the other hand, in step S306, when the cumulative number of discarded items read from the storage area 122 is not zero (S306, NO), the information on the cumulative number of discarded items read out is stored in the event log 128 as event log information (S312). The process is transferred to step S308.

In the above embodiment, the event log recording unit 154 converts the first time information included in the first event information into the format of the second time information, but the present invention is not limited to this. One of the first time information and the second time information as long as the first event information and the second event information are stored in the event log 128 in a state including the first time information and the second time information in a common format, respectively. Alternatively, both may be converted into a predetermined common format. For example, another time expression format according to a predetermined time system, which is different from both the format of the first time information and the format of the second time information, can be used as the common format. In this case, the event log recording unit 154 converts both the first time information and the second time information into the other time expression expressions described above, and then converts the first event information and the second event information including the time information into the other time expression expressions. , It can be saved in the event log 128 as the event log information.

<Event log transmission process>
Next, the procedure of the event log transmission processing performed by the second processing device 132 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The event log transmission process is processed in parallel in the second processing device 132 together with the above-mentioned second event log storage process and the first event log storage process. Further, the event log transmission process is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals after the power of the printing apparatus 100 is turned on.

When the processing is started, the event log recording unit 154 of the second processing device 132 determines whether or not the event log information constituting the event log 128 is stored in the second storage unit 110 (S400). Then, when the event log information is not saved (S400, NO), the process ends as it is. On the other hand, when the event log information is saved (S400, YES), the event log recording unit 154 reads out the event log information of the event log 128 (S402). Then, the read event log information is transmitted to an external server or the like via the communication unit 104 (S404), and the process ends.

As described above, the printing device 100 of the present embodiment includes the first processing device 130 on which the application program 202 that controls the printing mechanism unit 102 operates on the first operating system 200. Further, the printing device 100 includes a second processing device 132 in which an application program 302 that controls a communication unit 104 that communicates with an external device operates on a second operating system 300 that is different from the first operating system 200. Further, the printing device 100 has a first storage unit 108 accessed from the first processing device 130 and the second processing device 132, and a second storage unit 110 accessed by the second processing device 132. Then, the first processing device 130 writes the first event information related to the first event generated in the printing mechanism unit 102 to the first storage unit 108. Further, the second processing device 132 includes data in a predetermined common format for the second event information related to the second event generated in the communication unit 104 and the first event information read from the first storage unit 108, respectively. It is stored in the second storage unit 110 as event log information.

According to the printing device of the present invention and the printing device 100 to which the control method of the printing device is applied, the transfer of information via the first storage unit 108 is directed from the first processing device 130 to the second processing device 132. Limited to directions. Then, only the information according to the expression format supported by the basic functions of the first operating system 200 is stored in the first storage unit 108. Therefore, the information read from the first storage unit 108 can be uniformly converted into another expression format, and the conversion process becomes easy. Further, since the transferred first event information is converted into event log information including common format data by the second processing device 132, the mutual relationship between the first event information and the second event information is converted into the common format data portion. It becomes possible to judge based on.

Specifically, in the printing apparatus 100, the data in the predetermined common format is data relating to the occurrence time of the first event and the second event. Then, the second processing device 132 includes first time information indicating the occurrence time of the first event included in the first event information, and second time information indicating the occurrence time of the second event included in the second event information. However, the conversion is performed so that the time follows the same time system. That is, the second processing device 132 stores the first time information and the second time information as data in a common format in the second storage unit 110. As a result, it is possible to determine the temporal context of the first event information and the second event information from the common format data portion of each event information with reference to the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110. can.

More specifically, in the printing apparatus 100, the first time information is information indicating the elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit 102, and the second time information is information indicating the time according to a predetermined time system. Then, the second processing device 132 adds the elapsed time after the activation indicated by the first time information to the time when the printing mechanism unit 102 is activated, and converts the first time information into a time according to a predetermined time system. do. As a result, even if the basic function of the first operating system 200 does not support the time information that directly represents the time itself, the time context of the first event information and the second event information is clarified and the event log 128 is displayed. It can be generated and saved.

Further, in the printing apparatus 100, the first storage unit 108 is divided into a plurality of storage areas 122 having a predetermined storage capacity ordered so as to form a data array 120. Further, the first processing device 130 fills the storage area 122 constituting the data array 120 with the first event information related to the first event in the order of occurrence of the first event and from the beginning to the end of the data array 120. It is stored in the storage area 122 set in the area. Then, the second processing device 132 reads the first event information from the storage area 122 in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array 120, and sets the read storage area 122 as a free area. As a result, the second processing device 132 can read the first event information from the first storage unit 108 while clarifying the temporal context between the first event information. Therefore, the event log 128 that records the first event information and the second event information in chronological order can be easily created.

Further, in the printing device 100, when the first processing device 130 tries to store the first event information in the first storage unit 108, when there is no storage area 122 set as a free area in the data array 120. Discards the first event information to be saved. Further, after the first processing device 130 discards one or more first event information, the number of the discarded first event information and the subsequent occurrence in the storage area 122 set in the free area thereafter. The first event information related to the first event is saved. As a result, for example, when the first event information indicates an abnormality occurrence, the information of the oldest abnormality occurrence event that may represent the root cause of the abnormality is not lost, and the latest abnormality occurrence event is performed. The number of cases can be retained. Therefore, for example, failure analysis based on the event log 128 becomes easy.

Further, the printing apparatus 100 includes a multi-core processor including a plurality of processors, and the first processing apparatus 130 and the second processing apparatus 132 may be configured by different processors. According to this configuration, the printing device 100 that operates using the first operating system 200 and the second operating system 300 can be configured in a small size and at low cost.

Further, in the printing device 100, the first processing device 130 includes a real-time operating system for controlling the printing mechanism unit 102 in real time as the first operating system 200. Therefore, while the printing mechanism unit 102 is efficiently controlled in real time by the first operating system 200, for example, the first event information indicating an abnormal event of the printing mechanism unit 102 is collected, and the event log 128 configured in chronological order. Can be generated. Thereby, for example, the failure analysis of the printing mechanism unit 102 can be easily performed by using the event log 128.

Further, the printing device 100 transmits the event log information stored in the second storage unit 110 by the second processing device 132 to the external device via the communication unit 104. As a result, the event log information stored in the second storage unit 110 can be analyzed by the external device. Further, since the event log 128 stored in the second storage unit 110 can be saved in the external device, the first event information and / or the second event information may not be saved due to insufficient storage capacity of the second storage unit 110. Can be prevented.

The above embodiment shows a specific example to which the present invention is applied, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, the program executed by the CPU of the first processing device 130 and / or the second processing device 132 is not limited to the program stored in the ROM or the like included in the printing device 100. For example, the program may be stored in a storage medium of another storage device, a storage medium, or an external device, and may be read out and executed by the first processing device 130 and / or the second processing device 132.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first event information is transferred from the first processing device 130 to the second processing device 132 in one direction via the data array 120 stored in the first storage unit 108. It is not limited to this. For example, the first storage unit 108 is assumed to store an additional data array different from the data array 120, and stores the second event information from the second processing device 132 to the first processing device 130 via the additional data array. It may be transferred.

More specifically, an event in a peripheral device communicably connected to the printing device 100 via the communication unit 104 is set as a second event, and second event information related to the event is transmitted via the first storage unit 108. 2 It may be transferred from the processing device 132 to the first processing device 130. In this case, the second processing device 132 includes, for example, the time when the second event occurs as time information (time information in the same format as the first time information) represented by the elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit 102. The second event information is stored in the additional data array of the first storage unit 108. The first processing device 130 can read the second event information from the additional data array of the first storage unit 108 and perform appropriate processing according to the second event information. As a result, the first processing device 130 can more appropriately control the cooperative operation between the printing mechanism unit 102 and the peripheral device. Peripheral devices connected to the printing device 100 include, for example, input devices such as an MSR (Magnetic Stripe Reader) and a bar code reader (not shown).

Further, in the above embodiment, when the first event detection unit 142 detects the first event, the first event recording unit 144 stores the first event information in the first storage unit 108, and the second event detection unit 152 When the second event is detected, the event log recording unit 154 stores the second event information in the second storage unit 110, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the application program 202 that controls the printing mechanism unit 102 or the application program 302 that controls the communication unit 104 can arbitrarily store the event information in the first storage unit 108 or the second storage unit 110. For example, an event recording unit 144 is instructed that the application program 202 has been started (operation started) and stored in the storage unit 108 as first event information, and an event that the application program 302 has been started (operation started) has been started. It is also possible to instruct the recording unit 154 and store it in the storage unit 110 as the second event information.

Further, in the above embodiment, the printing device 100 includes two processing devices, a first processing device 130 and a second processing device 132, but the printing device 100 is not limited to this. For example, three or more processing devices are provided, and one-way data transfer from one processing device to another processing device is performed via one of a plurality of data sequences stored in the first storage unit 108, respectively. Can be done.

Further, in the above embodiment, the conversion is performed so that the first time information and the second time information represent the time according to the same time system, but the conversion is not limited to this. That is, as long as the converted first time information and second time information are stored as data in a common format that clarifies the temporal context of each other, the standard is different from the so-called time system such as the Japanese standard. The time information according to the above can be used as common format data. For example, the converted first time information and the second time information may represent the elapsed time from the same reference time.

100 ... printing device, 102 ... printing mechanism unit, 104 ... communication unit, 106 ... processing device, 108 ... first storage unit, 110 ... second storage unit, 120 ... data array, 122 ... storage area, 124 ... write pointer, 126 ... Read pointer, 128 ... Event log, 130 ... 1st processing device, 132 ... 2nd processing device, 134 ... 1st time measurement unit, 136 ... 2nd time measurement unit, 140 ... Print control unit, 142 ... 1st Event detection unit 144 ... 1st event recording unit, 150 ... Communication control unit, 152 ... 2nd event detection unit, 154 ... Event log recording unit, 200 ... 1st operating system, 202, 204, 206, 302, 304, 306 ... application program, 300 ... second operating system.

Claims (9)

The first processing device on which the program that controls the printing mechanism operates on the first operating system,
A second processing device that runs a program that controls a communication unit that communicates with an external device on a second operating system that is different from the first operating system.
The first storage unit accessed from the first processing device and the second processing device, and
A second storage unit accessed by the second processing device, and
Have,
The first processing device writes the first event information related to the first event generated in the printing mechanism unit to the first storage unit, and writes the information.
The second processing device is an event that includes data in a predetermined common format for the second event information related to the second event generated in the communication unit and the first event information read from the first storage unit. A printing device that stores log information in the second storage unit. The predetermined common format data is data relating to the occurrence time of the first event and the second event.
The second processing apparatus includes first time information indicating the occurrence time of the first event included in the first event information, and second time information indicating the occurrence time of the second event included in the second event information. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is stored in the second storage unit as the data in the common format by converting the information into a time according to the same time system. The first time information is information indicating an elapsed time after the start of the printing mechanism unit.
The second time information is information indicating a time according to a predetermined time system.
The second processing apparatus adds the elapsed time after the activation indicated by the first time information to the time when the printing mechanism unit is activated, and sets the first time information to a time according to the predetermined time system. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 to be converted. The first storage unit is divided into a plurality of storage areas having predetermined storage capacities ordered to form a data array.
The first processing apparatus stores the first event information related to the first event in the storage area constituting the data array in the order of occurrence of the first event and in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array. Store in the storage area set in the free area,
The second processing apparatus reads the first event information from the storage area in the order from the beginning to the end of the data array, and sets the read storage area as a free area. The printing apparatus according to one item. When the first processing device intends to store the first event information in the first storage unit, the first processing device does not have the storage area set in the free area among the storage areas constituting the data array. Discards the first event information to be saved and
When the first processing device discards one or more of the first event information due to the absence of the storage area set in the free area, and then any of the storage areas is set in the free area. 4. The fourth aspect of claim 4, wherein the number of the discarded first event information and the first event information related to the first event generated thereafter are stored in the storage area set in the free area. Printing device. With a multi-core processor with multiple processors,
The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first processing apparatus and the second processing apparatus are composed of different processors. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first processing apparatus includes, as a first operating system, a real-time operating system for controlling the printing mechanism unit in real time. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second processing device transmits the event log information stored in the second storage unit to an external device via the communication unit. A first processing device that operates a program that controls a printing mechanism on the first operating system and a program that controls a communication unit that communicates with an external device on a second operating system that is different from the first operating system. A method for controlling a printing device including two processing devices, a first storage unit accessed from the first processing device and the second processing device, and a second storage unit accessed by the second processing device. hand,
The first processing device writes the first event information related to the first event generated in the printing mechanism unit to the first storage unit, and writes the information.
The second processing device is an event that includes data in a predetermined common format for the second event information related to the second event generated in the communication unit and the first event information read from the first storage unit. A method for controlling a printing device that stores log information in the second storage unit.

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