Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-24
2001-01-09
Butler, Dennis M. (Department: 2787)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Digital data processing system initialization or configuration
C713S100000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173397
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a processing apparatus which performs a specified operation in accordance with operation control information, such as a processing program and data, stored in a memory as well as to an operation control information update system employing the processing apparatus.
The use of photographic processing machines in which film images, for instance, are automatically printed on photographic printing paper is widespread in recent years. In this kind of photographic processing machine, operational processes of individual processing segments, such as an exposure processor and a development processor, axe controlled based on a processing program and data (hereinafter referred to as operation control information) which are stored in a memory in carrying out exposure, development and other processing steps. The operation control information stored in the memory is updated when the processing program has been upgraded or when the need arises to do so for other reasons whatsoever. Conventionally when the need arises to update the operation control information, service personnel visit each of their customers carrying a floppy disk on which an upgrade version of the operation control information is written, load the disk in a floppy disk drive of the photographic processing machine, and update the previously stored operation control information overwriting it with the new operation control information read out from the disk One problem of this conventional method is that the customers can not use their photographic processing machines while the operation control information including the processing program and data is being updated. It has therefore been necessary for the service personnel to visit their customers during time periods specified by the individual customers, and this has considerably decreased labor efficiency in updating the operation control information. Another problem is that locations of the customers are usually distant from one another, making it necessary for the service personnel to spend much time in moving from one customer to another Accordingly the number of machines handled by the service personnel in a given period of time is limited. This also has contributed to deterioration of labor efficiency in updating the operation control information. Such problems would be encountered not only with the photographic processing machines but with other processing apparatus which perform a specified operation in accordance with operation control information stored in a memory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a processing apparatus which makes it possible to update operation control information stored in a memory in an efficient manner and an operation control information update system employing such processing apparatus.
According to one important aspect of the invention, a processing apparatus comprises an apparatus controller which includes a control information memory for storing operation control information, enabling the processing apparatus to perform a specified operation and an information controller which includes an update information memory for holding operation control information transmitted from a control center and an information updater for updating the operation control information currently stored in the control information memory by transferring the operation control information held in the update information memory to the control information memory.
In the processing apparatus thus constructed, the operation control information including a processing program and associated data received from the control center is, temporarily stored in the update information memory of the information controller. The operation control information thus stored in the update information memory is transferred to the control information memory of the apparatus controller by the information updater to thereby update the operation control information previously stored in the control information memory.
According to another aspect of the invention, the information updater may be set to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory to the control information memory on condition that transmission of the operation control information from the control center has been completed.
In this construction, the information updater begins to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory at the end of transmission from the control center. The expression end of transmission above does not necessarily refer to the completion of transmitting the whole operation control information, but it implies a situation in which a certain amount of information that corresponds to the storage capacity of the update information memory, or any predefined amount of information, has just been transmitted. In this latter case, when transmission of the predefined amount, or portion, of the operation control information has been completed, that portion of the operation control information is transferred to the control information memory and, then, each successive portion of the operation control information is taken into the update information memory and transferred to the control information memory until the whole operation control information is transferred to the control information memory.
According to still another aspect of the invention, the information updater may be set to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory to the control information memory on condition that a prescribed prerequisite for information updating has been satisfied.
With this arrangement, the operation control information taken into the update information memory is transferred to only when the prescribed prerequisite for information updating has been satisfied.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the processing apparatus may further comprise a power supply for providing electric power to the processing apparatus and the aforementioned prerequisite for information updating is that the power supply has been activated.
In this construction, the information updater begins to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory to the control information memory when the power supply which provides electric power to the whole processing apparatus has been activated by turning on a power switch of the processing apparatus, or when processing apparatus has been started up.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the aforementioned prerequisite for information updating may be a transfer command given by an operator. With this arrangement, the information updater begins to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory to the control information memory when the operator gives a transfer command by turning on a transfer start switch, for example.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the processing apparatus may further comprise a writing device for writing operation control information on an external storage medium loaded in the processing apparatus and the aforementioned prerequisite for information updating is that the writing device has become ready to write on the external storage medium.
In this construction, the information updater begins to transfer the operation control information taken into the update information memory to the control information memory when an external storage medium, such as a floppy disk, has been loaded and the writing device has become ready to write on the external storage medium. The operation control information thus updated is copied onto the external storage medium.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the aforementioned prerequisite for information updating may be that the operation control information is not stored in the control information memory.
In this arrangement, the information updater begins to transfer the operation control information taken into the
Butler Dennis M.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd.
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