Electronic apparatus and control method thereof

• US 20060129883A1
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Nakamiya, Shinji, Nakamura, Hidenori
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means

Abstract

An electronic apparatus wherein an abnormal control routine of the control unit can be prevented, or an abnormal control routine that has been started by the control unit can be rapidly halted is provided. An electronic apparatus having a control unit, peripheral circuits whose operations are controlled by the control unit, and a rechargeable battery for feeding operation power to the control unit and the peripheral circuits, wherein an initialization signal RT4 is continuously output to the control unit during a period of time (during time t1 to t4) that the voltage fed to the control unit is equal to or less than the voltage V1 for assured operation of the control unit, and is equal to or greater than the start voltage VX for starting the operation of the control unit.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a control unit;

peripheral circuits having operations controlled by said control unit,

a rechargeable battery being configured to feed operational power to said control unit and said peripheral circuits;

a continuous initialization device intermissively outputting an initialization signal to said control unit during a period of time that a voltage supplied to said control unit is equal to or less than an operation-assured voltage of said control unit, and is equal to or greater than a start voltage to start operation of said control unit.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the continuous initialization device continuously outputs an initialization signal to said control unit when the voltage fed to said control unit is equal to or greater than the lower limit of the operation-assured voltage of said peripheral circuits.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising

a charging control device to charge said rechargeable battery with power fed from said power supply,

a voltage generation device to generate voltage by using said power supply, and

a service voltage buildup device to accumulate voltage supplied to said control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the voltage generated by said voltage generation device and the voltage of said rechargeable battery, until the voltage of said rechargeable battery exceeds at least the operation-assured voltage of said control unit.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising

an abnormality detector to detect abnormalities in said control unit, wherein said continuous initialization device furthermore continuously outputs an initialization signal to said control unit when an abnormality has occurred in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said service voltage buildup device further accumulates voltage fed to said control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the voltage generated by said voltage generation device and the voltage of said rechargeable battery, when an abnormality has occurred in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said peripheral circuits include

an oscillation circuit outputting a clock signal, and

a clock control device to switch-control feeding and suspension of the clock signal to said control unit, wherein

said clock control device stops feeding the clock signal to said control unit when said control unit has executed a control unit halt command, and starts feeding said clock signal to said control unit when said peripheral circuits issue an interrupt to said control unit, or when said continuous initialization device begins outputting an initialization signal.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising

a charging control device to charge said rechargeable battery with power fed from said power supply,

voltage generation device to generate voltage by using said power supply, and

service voltage buildup device to accumulate voltage fed to said control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the voltage generated by said voltage generation device and the voltage of said rechargeable battery, until the voltage of said rechargeable battery exceeds at least the operation-assured voltage of said control unit.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising

an abnormality detector to detect abnormalities in said control unit, wherein said continuous initialization device furthermore continuously outputs an initialization signal to said control unit when an abnormality has occurred in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said service voltage buildup device further accumulates voltage fed to said control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the voltage generated by said voltage generation device and the voltage of said rechargeable battery, when an abnormality has occurred in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral circuits include

an oscillation circuit outputting a clock signal, and

a clock control device to switch-control feeding and suspension of the clock signal to said control unit, wherein

said clock control device stops feeding the clock signal to said control unit when said control unit has executed a control unit halt command, and starts feeding said clock signal to said control unit when said peripheral circuits issue an interrupt to said control unit, or when said continuous initialization device begins outputting an initialization signal.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a control unit;

peripheral circuits having operations controlled by said control unit;

a rechargeable battery feeding operation power to said control unit and said peripheral circuits, said rechargeable battery being charged by electricity fed from a power supply;

an abnormality detection device detecting abnormalities in said control unit;

a continuous initialization device continuously outputting an initialization signal to said control unit upon occurrence of an abnormality in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector;

a voltage generation device generating voltage using said power supply; and

a service voltage buildup device being configured to build up voltage fed to said control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the voltage generated by said voltage generation device and the voltage of said rechargeable battery, upon occurrence of an abnormality in said control unit on the basis of the detection results of said abnormality detector.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said peripheral circuits include

an oscillation circuit outputting a clock signal, and

a clock control device to switch-control feeding and suspension of the clock signal to said control unit, wherein

said clock control device stops feeding the clock signal to said control unit when said control unit has executed a control unit halt command, and starts feeding said clock signal to said control unit when said peripheral circuits issue an interrupt to said control unit, or when said continuous initialization device begins outputting an initialization signal.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said peripheral circuits are provided with a timing device to measure time, and the electronic apparatus is configured as a clock equipped with a time display to display time on the basis of the timing results of said timing device.

19. A control method for an electronic apparatus having a control unit, peripheral circuits having operations controlled by the control unit, and a rechargeable battery for feeding operation power to the control unit and the peripheral circuits, comprising:

continuously outputting an initialization signal to the control unit during a period of time that the voltage fed to the control unit is equal to or less than the operation-assured voltage of the control unit, and is equal to or greater than the start voltage for starting the operation of the control unit.

20. A control method for an electronic apparatus having a control unit, peripheral circuits having operations controlled by the control unit, and a rechargeable battery feeding operation power to the control unit and the peripheral circuits, the rechargeable battery being charged by electricity fed from a power supply, comprising:

making a determination whether an abnormality has occurred in the control unit;

continuously outputting an initialization signal to the control unit when an abnormality has been detected;

generating voltage by the power supply; and

building up the voltage fed to the control unit on the basis of voltage obtained by adding the generated voltage and the voltage of the rechargeable battery.