Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-27
2003-12-09
Boudreau, Leo (Department: 2621)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C358S001150, C358S001160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06661528
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming system and, more particularly, to an image forming system including a plurality of image forming apparatuses selectively connected to a host computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus such as a printer is connected to a personal computer to output image data or information on a recording paper. Typically, the personal computers are connected to a single printer so that the personal computer is connected to the printer on a one to one basis. A centronics interface is the most popular way to connect a printer to a personal computer. Normally, the printer is connected to the personal computer via a connector conforming to the centronics standards.
There are many types of printers such as laser printers, inkjet printers, etc. Additionally, there are also monochrome and color types of printers. Demand for use of different types of printers with a single personal computer has been increasing. A description will now be given of a typical case in which a monochrome laser printer and a color inkjet printer are available. If only the monochrome laser printer is connected to a personal computer, the need for color printing cannot be satisfied. Thus, it is also desirable to have a color inkjet printer connected to the personal computer. On the other hand, if only the color inkjet printer is connected to the personal computer, although monochrome printing can be performed as well as color printing by the color inkjet printer, this does have its disadvantages. For example, monochrome printing by a color inkjet printer has a disadvantage in that the printing speed is much slower than that of the monochrome laser printer. Additionally, the image quality of monochrome printing performed by the color inkjet printer is much lower than that of the monochrome laser printer. Accordingly, considering the fact that most printing operations are require monochrome printing, it is preferable that the monochrome printer also be connected to the personal computer.
In most cases, when two printers are commonly used with one personal computer, the user must change from one printer to the other printer by disconnecting the centronics connector of one printer and connecting the centronics connector of the other printer. This changing operation is very inconvenient for the user.
In order to eliminate such inconvenience, a switching device
101
such as shown in
FIG. 1
is commercially available. The switching device
101
is provided with three connectors CN
1
, CN
2
and CN
3
so that a personal computer
102
and two printers
103
and
104
are interconnected via the switching device
101
. The switching device
101
is provided to selectively connect one of the printers
103
and
104
to the personal computer
102
by control of the personal computer
102
. Accordingly, the switching device
101
is intended to eliminate the disconnecting and connecting operations of the connectors of the printers
103
and
104
. However, the switching operation performed by the switching device
101
lacks reliability at the present time. This may be caused by poor compatibility between the personal computer
102
and printers
103
and
104
. More specifically, although the personal computer
102
and the printers
103
and
104
have an interface conforming to the centronics standard, each of the interfaces may actually conform to various local standards which are based on the centronics standard. This situation creates a problem that a personal computer may not have compatibility with a particular printer. When the above-mentioned switching device
101
is used, as viewed from the personal computer
102
, it is not recognizable as to what types of printers are connected to the switching device
101
.
In order to eliminate the above-mentioned problem with respect to compatibility, the printers to be connected to the switching device
101
must be limited to ones which are compatible with the personal computer
102
. Accordingly, the types of printers which can be connected to the switching device
101
is limited. This results in poor reliability of the switching function of the switching device
101
. That is, since generally the personal computer is not intended to be used with two printer drivers, there may be a case in which the printer is not operatively connected to the personal computer. Additionally, even if the printers
102
and
104
can be operatively connected to the personal computer
102
via the switching device
101
, the total length of the cables between the personal computer
102
and each of the printers
103
and
104
becomes excessively long, resulting in an increased possibility of noise intrusion. Further, the commercially available switching device
101
may perform a switching operation which requires electrical power which cannot be provided from the personal computer
102
via the connecter C
1
. That is, there may be a case in which the switching device
101
must be directly connected to an external power source.
In the above-mentioned case, the personal computer
102
described as being connected to the printers
103
and
104
. However, one or both of the printers
103
and
104
may be replaced by a multi-function image processing apparatus such as a multi-function peripheral (MFP) device which may include a facsimile function, a scanning function and a printing function. This results in similar problems to those discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and useful image forming system in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system including a first image forming apparatus which can be connected to a host computer as an image data supplying source and also to a second image forming apparatus so that the host computer can be selectively and reliably connected to one of the first and second image forming apparatuses.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming system includes as least one user device for providing image data to be printed, the at least one user device selected from one of a group of a host computer and a network. A first peripheral device is connected to the at least one user device for receiving the image data from the at least one user device and for processing the received image data. A second peripheral device is operatively connected to the at least one user device via the first peripheral device for processing image data sent from the at least one user device via the first peripheral device. A switching device is provided in and controlled by the first peripheral device. The switching device automatically switches the connection of the at least one user device so that one of the first peripheral device and the second peripheral device is operatively connected to the at least one user device.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5732199 (1998-03-01), Kuo et al.
patent: 5822507 (1998-10-01), Uda et al.
patent: 5822508 (1998-10-01), Ohara
patent: 5978557 (1999-11-01), Kato
patent: 5991846 (1999-11-01), Ooki
patent: 6025924 (2000-02-01), Miura et al.
patent: 6081347 (2000-06-01), Yasuda
patent: 6301014 (2001-10-01), Miura et al.
patent: 0 575 172 (1993-12-01), None
patent: 2231622 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 5324224 (1993-12-01), None
Hayafune Takeshi
Maemura Koichiro
Miura Takahito
Shimizu Masayuki
Boudreau Leo
Cooper & Dunham LLP
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Sherali Ishrat
LandOfFree
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