Seiko Epson Corporation

Takashi Takehana

Masahiro Katagiri

Sachie Shizuka

Tamakazu Kitamura

Hisakazu Koyama

A data processing device with maintenance counters reliably stores the maintenance counter values. A data processing device such as a printer has RAM for storing the maintenance counter values, EEPROM segmented into a nonvolatile maintenance counter area and a temporary maintenance counter storage area, and a CPU for updating the maintenance counter values in RAM based on detection of a state change in the printer. The CPU writes the maintenance counter values accumulated in RAM at a predetermined time to the temporary maintenance counter storage area, and at a predetermined time writes the maintenance counter values from the temporary maintenance counter storage area to the nonvolatile maintenance counter area.

Data processing device having a maintenance counter function

Column misalignment between a magnetically-recognized character string and an optically-recognized character string is corrected to improve character recognition reliability. A character string is read magnetically and the result outputted. The same character string is also read optically and the result outputted. A magnetic data reading unit detects the magnetism of a character string printed in magnetic ink and outputs the detected magnetic data. A recognition result comparing unit then applies a column offset detection process to detect misalignment between the character columns in the magnetic and optical results, then applies a column offset correction process to correct any column offset and align corresponding character columns. The comparing unit then compares corresponding character columns in the magnetic data recognition result and image data recognition result. For each position comparison, the comparing unit outputs the common character if the magnetically-recognized and optically-recognized character at that position match, or a question mark if the magnetically-recognized and optically-recognized character at the position do not match or if one or both of the magnetically-recognized or optically-recognized character is missing.

Magnetic ink character recognition apparatus and magnetic ink character recognition method

Column misalignment between a character string recognized by a MICR and a character string recognized by optical character recognition is corrected to improve character recognition reliability. A magnetic data reading unit detects the magnetism of a character string printed in magnetic ink and outputs the detected magnetic data. An image reading unit optically reads the same character string printed in magnetic ink and outputs the image data. A magnetic data recognition unit applies a character recognition process to the magnetic data output by the magnetic data reading unit and outputs magnetic data recognition result. An image data recognition unit applies character recognition to the image data output by the image reading unit and outputs image data recognition result. A recognition result comparing unit applies a column offset detection process to detect misalignment between the character columns in the magnetic data recognition result and image data recognition result, then applies a column offset correction process to correct the column offset and align corresponding character columns, and then compares corresponding character columns in the magnetic data recognition result and image data recognition result based on the character strings after correcting the column offset and outputs a final recognition result.

A data processing apparatus and a control method for a data processing apparatus can start up by running a normal boot program the next time the power turns on in the event the power turns off while rewriting the boot program to flash ROM by temporarily providing a plurality of boot sectors instead of always maintaining a plurality of boot sectors in flash ROM. During the memory writing mode the flash ROMis segmented into a boot selector sector, main sector, first boot sector, and a second boot sectorthat is temporarily reserved by overwriting a part of the main sectorin the memory writing mode.

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Nagano-ken, Japan

Takashi Takehana