Ink jet apparatus, recording head apparatus, and semiconductor device with data relating to usage of recording head apparatus

#The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a non-volatile memory in a recording material accommodating cartridge so that various data (remaining amount data, use start date data, recording material type data, manufacturing managing data, etc.) on a cartridge can be stored in the non-volatile memory to manage the usage of each cartridge, and in particular, to a recording apparatus having an interface circuit (memory access controlling circuit) between a control portion of a recording apparatus main body and the non-volatile memory to reduce the amount of processing to be executed by the control portion to access the non-volatile memory, as well as a semiconductor device for use as the interface and a recording head apparatus comprising the interface circuit (memory access controlling circuit).

#Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-184856 (Japanese Patent No. 2594912) describes an ink cartridge and a recording apparatus in which the ink cartridge has a non-volatile memory in which data corresponding to the amount of remaining ink are stored in order to manage the amount of remaining ink for each cartridge.

#Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-197748 describes an ink jet printer including an ink cartridge having a non-volatile memory in which ID information is stored and a printer main body correlating the ID information for the ink cartridge read out from the non-volatile memory with the amount of remaining ink so as to eliminate the need to redetect the amount of remaining ink when an ink cartridge with the same ID information is reinstalled.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of a non-volatile memory;

#FIG. 3 is a view useful in explaining information stored in the non-volatile memory;

#Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the figures referenced in the following description, parts equivalent to those in the other figures are denoted by the same reference numbers.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the entire configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. An ink jet recording apparatus 1 is composed of an apparatus main body controlling portion 2 provided in a recording apparatus main body, a memory access controlling portion 3 provided in a carriage comprising an ink cartridge installing portion, a non-volatile memory 4 provided in a black ink cartridge, a non-volatile memory 5 provided in a color ink cartridge, and a recording controlling mechanism (not shown; a mechanism for controlling sheet feeding, carriage movement, ink ejection, and the like). The non-volatile memories 4 and 5 are, for example, EEPROMs that allow electric writes thereto and electric readouts therefrom. Although FIG. 1 shows a configuration comprising the two non-volatile memories 4 and 5, any number of non-volatile memories may be used.

#The apparatus main body controlling portion 2 controls the entire operation of the ink jet recording apparatus 1 and comprises a microcomputer system. Various commands and data are transmitted and received between the apparatus main body controlling portion 2 and the memory access controlling portion 3 by means of serial data communication. The non-volatile memories 4 and 5 are of what is called a bit sequential access type that allows data to be written thereto and read out therefrom in a bit serial manner.