Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system

Details Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system

2000-04-26

2004-10-05

Lamb, Twyler (Department: 2622)

Facsimile and static presentation processing

Static presentation processing

Emulation or plural modes

C358S001150

Reexamination Certificate

active

06801329

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system. More particularly, this invention relates to a digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system in which a high performance serial interface is used for an inner interface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The technology of a high performance serial interface has been coming into wide use in recent years. For example, employment of a high performance serial interface such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) and a bus (henceforth, “IEEE 1394 bus”) defined in the IEEE standard for a High Performance Serial Bus (IEEE 1394-1995) [1] is recommended or obliged in the standard on PC 98[2].
The IEEE 1394 bus supports up to 400 Mbps, and it is planed to be further speeded up to 800 Mbps or 1.6 Mbps. The IEEE 1394 bus prepares an isochronous transfer mode in addition to an asynchronous transfer mode. This isochronous transfer mode has a function of previously reserving a band width to enable insurance of a transfer time for that mode. In the same mode, communications can be made by means of the asynchronous transfer using the remaining part of the bandwidth although the transfer time is not insured.
The USB is a general purpose bus which has been defined for the purpose of connecting between a PC and peripheral devices by a unified type of interface so as to make its handling simpler. In this standard, the bus is connectable with maximum 127 units and also supports a hot swap of the units. There are two types of transfer speeds such as 12 Mbps (full speed) and 1.5 Mbps (low speed), and it is possible to allow these speeds to be present on the same bus. The USB employs four types of transfer method of isochronous transfer, interrupt transfer, bulk transfer, and control transfer.
Another feature of these high performance serial interfaces is such that the interface has a function (hot swap) of enabling attachment or detachment of a unit in the state where the device actuated by a user is being active. In order to realize this function, the interface supports a function to notify, at the time of attaching or detaching any unit, the unit of that effect.
Digitization and a multifunctional level of a copying machine have been progressing in recent years. Progress in its digitization means that information transmitted between the units forming the copying machine is digitized. On the other hand, increase in its multifunctional level means that the number of units to be connected to the machine is increasing.
FIG. 13
shows the outline of an example of connection between units forming a multifunctional machine based on a conventional digital copying machine. In the figure, as an essential unit, an LDU (laser-drawing control unit)
402
which controls a drawing laser is connected to a MBD (motherboard)
401
which controls the overall units by a cable. As another essential units, there are also an SCU (scanner control unit)
403
which controls a scanner, an IPU (image processing unit)
404
which performs digital image processing, and a PCU (panel control unit)
405
which controls a panel, which are also connected to the MBD
401
via their respective cables.
As option units, there are a sorter unit
406
, a paper tray unit
407
, an ADF (auto document feeder) unit
408
, and a manual feeder unit
409
, which are connected to the MBD
401
via their respective cables. As another option units, there are an auto page-turning unit
410
, a charging unit
411
, a BRU (bill recognition unit)
412
, a filing unit
413
, a FAX unit (facsimile unit)
414
, a PRTU (printer unit)
415
, a paper turning-over unit
416
, and an OCR unit
417
, which are also connected to the MBD
401
by their respective cables. The cables which are used for connections between the MBD
401
and each of the units
402
to
417
are based on different standards for the units, respectively.
When the digital copying machine is to be formed to a multifunctional machine, most of the units are the option units, thus, it is desirable to easily attach the units to the machine by a user.
However, the conventional digital copying machine has prepared a different type of interface for each essential unit or option unit, which does not allow the user to easily attach the units to the machine. Therefore, an expert, who knows well the configuration of the digital copying machine, is required to attach or detach the essential units or option units to or from the machine. Thus, the attachment or detachment of the units to or from the machine is not easily carried out.
Further, since a plurality of signal lines are used for connections between the MBD
401
and the LDU
402
and between the SCU
403
and the MBD
401
based on speedup of the copying machine and multi-valued image data, there are some inconveniences as follows.
When a high-speed signal is transmitted through a plurality of signal lines, in association with an increase in the number of lines, a difference between times, at which the signal arrives in each of the signal lines, becomes a more serious problem (problems such as racing or skew). Based on the transmission, there are such problems:
1) the transmission clock rate can not be increased so much, and
2) the signal line can not be made so long.
The above mentioned first problem becomes an urgent matter because the digital copying machine has recently been speeded up. Whereas the above mentioned second problem includes a matter to be solved especially between the SCU
403
and the MBD
401
because, currently, the digital multifunctional machine tends to separate the scanner from the engine part in order to reduce the area of a place where the machine is installed or increase the flexibility in the place for its installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved in order to solve the above problems. It is an object of this invention to provide a digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system which can construct a system with a higher degree of flexibility by using a high performance serial interface as an inner interface.
According to one aspect of this invention, a scanner control unit reads an image of a document, a drawing control unit draws an image onto an image carrier, and a main control unit controls the overall machine. Further, a high performance serial interface is used as an inner interface.
Further, the drawing control unit and the main control unit are connected to each other by a high performance serial interface.
Further, the scanner control unit and the main control unit are connected to each other by a high performance serial interface.
Further, the scanner control unit and the drawing control unit are connected to the main control unit by their respective high performance serial interfaces.
Further, an image processing unit is connected to the machine by a high performance serial interface.
Further, a panel control unit is connected to the machine by a high performance serial interface.
According to another aspect of this invention, a scanner control unit reads an image of a color document, a drawing control unit is provided for each color in order to draw an image onto a latent image carrier in each color, and a main control unit controls the overall machine. Further, a high performance serial interface is used as an inner interface, and the main control unit and the drawing control units, each of which is provided for each color, are connected by their respective high performance serial interfaces.
Further, an option unit is connected to the machine by a high performance serial interface.
Further, the option unit is at least one among a sorter unit, a paper tray unit, an ADF unit, a manual feeder unit, an auto page-turning unit, a charging unit, a bill recognition unit, an OCR unit, a remote diagnosis unit, a filing unit, a facsimile unit, a printer unit, a hard disk drive unit, a removal disk unit, and a paper turning-over unit.
Further, the option units are connected to the machine by the same type of high performan

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Digital copying machine and a digital copying machine system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3285364