# US 7,419,258 B2 · Electronic device having detachable controller > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,419,258 B2 - Document ID: US7419258B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/671,832 - Filed: 2003-09-29 - Published: 2004-07-01 - Granted: 2008-09-02 - Earliest claimed: 2002-09-30 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Atsushi Murakami; Masaaki Hori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7419258B2 ## CPC - B41J 2/17546: {electronically} - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - B41J 2202/17: Readable information on the head - G05B 2219/25109: Eeprom loaded from external device with configuration data - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A printer includes a first housing and a second housing. The first housing has a driver circuit board mounting an EEPROM storing control information regarding a mechanical module. The second housing is provided with a control circuit board storing a program for controlling the printer. In the printer, when the housings are assembled, the control information is available on the program, the control circuit board controls the mechanical module based on the program. Thus, in this printer, even when a component of the mechanical module has been replaced with a new one, the control circuit board can control the mechanical module smoothly based on the control information after replacement because the control information of the mechanical module is stored on in the EEPROM. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device including a controlled part, comprising: a first housing that includes the controlled part and a non-volatile first storage medium, the first storage medium stores control information regarding the controlled part; a controller that is detachable from the first housing, reads the control information from the first storage medium when attached to the first housing and controls the controlled part based on the read control information, wherein the first housing includes a mechanical module and a drive source that provides a drive force to the mechanical module, and the controlled part is a driver circuit board of the drive source; a power supply device capable of supplying drive power to the drive source while changing a current value or pulse width modulation duty value of the drive power; and a detector that determines if the mechanical module is in a static condition or a dynamic condition, when the power supply device supplies the drive power to the drive source while changing the drive power, wherein the mechanical module includes a guide shaft, a carriage that reciprocates along the guide shaft, a recording head mounted on the carriage, and a transmission device that transmits the drive force from the drive source to the carriage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a second housing that is detachable from the first housing and makes up a contour of the electronic device in connection with the first housing, wherein the first housing includes a first connector connected to the controlled part, the second housing includes the controller and a second connector connected to the controller, and the first connector and the second connector are connected when the second housing is attached to the first housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the second housing is attached to a bottom of the first housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control information stored in the first storage medium includes an alternative characteristic of a load of the mechanical module, and the alternative characteristic is an electric current value or a pulse width modulation duty value at a time of detection by the detector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device according to claim 4, wherein the controller includes an information obtaining device that drives the mechanical module and directly obtains an alternative characteristic of the mechanical module, a second storage medium that is non-volatile and stores the alternative characteristic obtained from the information obtaining device, and a determining device that compares the alternative characteristic obtained from the first storage medium and the alternative characteristic obtained from the second storage medium and determines whether a comparison result is within a specified range, and the determining device includes a writing device that writes the comparison result in the first storage medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first storage medium stores identification information of the controlled part and the first housing in association with each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the control information stored in the first storage medium is provided with different values according to operational positions of the mechanical module. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical module includes a sheet feed roller and a second transmission device that transmits the drive force from the drive source to the sheet feed roller. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the driver drives a motor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein operation conditions associated with the static condition and the dynamic condition of the mechanical module determined by the detector are temporarily stored in a storage medium. ### Claim 11 An electronic device including a controlled part, comprising: a first housing that includes the controlled part and a non-volatile first storage medium, the first storage medium stores control information regarding the controlled part; and a controller that is detachable from the first housing, reads the control information from the first storage medium when attached to the first housing and controls the controlled part based on the read control information, wherein the first housing includes a mechanical module and a drive source that provides a drive force to the mechanical module, and the controlled part is a driver circuit board of the drive source, wherein the mechanical module includes a guide shaft, a carriage that reciprocates along the guide shaft, a recording head mounted on the carriage, and a transmission device that transmits the drive force from the drive source to the carriage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the mechanical module includes a sheet feed roller and a second transmission device that transmits the drive force from the drive source to the sheet feed roller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the driver drives a motor.