Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-24
2004-02-10
Garcia, Gabriel (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C358S001140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06690479
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for initializing a printer or copier as well as to a circuit suitable for the implementation of the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
For placing electronic printers or copiers into operation, it is necessary to initialize these devices. The various components of the printer or copier are thereby placed into defined statuses in order to achieve reproducible print outputs given optimally constant quality. Given electrophotographic high-performance printing systems, a few dozen units and sub-units must be initialized during the course of such initialization procedures, for example transport motors, voltage sources, thermal fixing devices, etc.
Published international patent application WO 96/02872A discloses such an electrophotographic high-performance printing system having a plurality of units. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,098 discloses a method for initializing printers.
The parameters for initializing a printer or copier can vary dependent on the equipment of the units or dependent on the desired print images of the user. In high-performance printing systems, for example, the horizontal shift of the print image or the toner type utilized can be set in terms of color, recording density or the like during the course of the initialization.
During the course of a printer initialization, specific initialization parameters are read from a non-volatile memory (for example, from an EPROM (erasable programable read only memory) or from an NVRAM (non-volatile random access memory)) and are written into a volatile main memory of a device controller. It can thereby occur that invalid data are written into the main memory during the course of the initialization, for example because data from the non-volatile memory have been lost or falsified or because errors occur during the course of the data transmission. When a high-performance printing system is operated with such incorrect initialization parameters, then errors usually occur during printing that, under certain circumstances, lead to the outage of assemblies or even to the destruction of complex, high-quality units.
For example, an inadmissible toner type in an electrophotographic high-performance printing system can lead to a defect in the developer station.
Given a printing system having a plurality of units, it is necessary to transfer a multitude of data into a main memory during the course of the initialization process.
Due to the multitude of data and the complexity of the inter-engaging procedures in such a printer, malfunctions can occur more frequently during the course of the initialization than given simpler printers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to design the initialization process of a complexly constructed printer or copier as dependably as possible so that malfunctions of the printer are largely avoided.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the method for initializing a printer or copier, control data being loaded into a main memory of a device controller that comprises a device controller controller, the device controller transmits the control data into a comparison means that contains a memory with comparison values that respectively correspond to a predetermined, allowable data range of the control data, and the comparison means in a separate controller compares the control data to the comparison values and generates an error signal is when a control datum lies outside the permitted data range. The invention also provides a circuit for initializing a printing system or copying system, control data being loaded into a volatile main memory of a device controller that contains a device controller controller, including a memory for comparison values and a means connected to the device controller for comparing the control data to the comparison values that comprises a separate controller and that generates an error signal when control data lie outside a permitted data range prescribed by the comparison values.
Inventively, the data loaded into the main memory of the apparatus controller of a printer or copier are checked before the printer or copier begins operating. To that end, the control data are compared in a unit comprising a separate controller to comparison values that respectively correspond to a predetermined, permissible data range. When a control datum lies outside the data range permitted for this type of data, then an error signal is generated that prevents the printer or copier from entering into operation with this false datum.
A unit is preferably provided that, in case of an incorrect control datum, undertakes a correction of the incorrect data in specific data sets. This correction can ensue, for example, in that standard values that are stored in a non-volatile memory are transferred into the main memory of the device controller instead of the incorrect, transmitted control data.
In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the printer or copier comprises a device controller that is connected to a control panel unit. During the course of the initialization procedure, the control data are transmitted from the device controller onto the control panel unit. The control panel unit then checked the control data for their plausibility, i.e. to see whether the control data lie in a respectively allowed data range. When an error is thereby found, then the control panel unit replaces the incorrect control data with corresponding, predetermined standard values. In addition, an error message can be output on an output means such as a monitor, an error log, an error log data file or the like.
Given such an arrangement, the control data, the comparison values and/or the standard values can be respectively optionally directly connected to the device controller or directly to the control panel unit. They can also be deposited on a common, non-volatile memory. Finally, it can be advantageous to mirror these data in an additional memory, i.e. to again secure the data of the printer or copier against data loss.
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Japanese Abstract, 62184477, Dec. 8, 1987.
Japanese Abstract, 05281809, Oct. 29, 1993.
Scheidig Karola
Warbus Volker
Garcia Gabriel
Oce Printing Systems GmbH
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
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