Facsimile and static presentation processing – Facsimile – Facsimile system interface
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-07
2001-02-27
Boudreau, Leo H. (Department: 2621)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Facsimile
Facsimile system interface
C358S404000, C358S468000, C711S147000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195178
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device such as a facsimile device or personal computer or the like and to an external device such as a scanner or printer or the like which is capable of connecting with the information processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent development of an information society, the ways information processing devices are used have increased greatly. However, realizing a single information processing device that is able to cope with all such demands would be expensive. Accordingly, various external devices are connected as necessary to a device that is provided with basic functions.
Thus, if a facsimile is used as an example of an information processing device, a modem for use with multiple lines, a scanner or a printer or the like are all examples of external devices. Methods for connection of these external devices to the information processing device are, for example, providing a connector for connecting the external devices to the information processing device, or connecting the external devices by a daisy chain method using a special interface board of such as SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) format.
However, when connectors are used, if a plurality of external devices are to be connected to the information processing device, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of connectors on that information processing device. Moreover, the construction for handling the interface with the external devices becomes complicated in response to the increase in number of connectors. In this way, a structure for controlling a plurality of external devices must be pre-provided in the information processing device even if no external devices are connected to the information processing device, causing increased production costs. Furthermore, if the number of external devices connected to the connector increases, the load on the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the information processing device that control all these connectors increases.
Yet further, using a method utilizing a special interface board such as an SCSI format or the like, it is necessary to arrange this interface board on the information processing device and external device and to perform communication between the information processing device and external device in accordance with a specific communication protocol. Moreover, it is necessary to change the specifications of the interface board arranged in the information processing device according to the number of external devices connected to the information processing device and what kind of device they are. As a result, such arrangement of the information processing device and external device as above not only become costly but there are limitations on communication procedures as it is necessary to perform communication in accordance with specific communication protocols, decreasing the utility of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the problems stated above, the present invention aims to propose an information processing system including external devices having a simple structure, reduced production costs and wide utility.
The facsimile device of the present invention has the following advantages and effects due to its unique structure.
(1) By arranging a single connector, a plurality of external devices may be connected to the facsimile device in a daisy chain format. Due to this, when the number of external devices is increased, all needed to be done is just connecting the new external device to the terminal (last) external device. Accordingly, the structure of the facsimile device is simplified. Furthermore, the data transfer from the facsimile device to the external device and the data transfer from the external device to the facsimile device is carried out via a DPRAM arranged in each external device thus the data transfer between those external devices and the facsimile device may be simply and efficiently performed regardless of the number of connection of external devices.
In addition, when the information processing device is a facsimile device, a simple one-line facsimile can be easily changed to a two-line specification or a local area network (LAN) corresponding specification.
(2) When a plurality of sub-systems are connected in a daisy chain format via a plurality of memory means and data is transferred in the up-load direction, the stack number is added and when data transfer is in the down-load direction, the stack number is subtracted. The highest level sub-system is able to specify the system being the transmission source of the data by referring to the stack number. Furthermore, as each sub-system is able to determine that itself is the address to which the data is to be sent when the stack number is a predetermined value (for example, “0”), the programs of the sub-systems are common.
That is, the same software relating to the DPRAM, two connectors, and data transfer can be shared among the external devices. In short, no matter what number of connection is the external device from the facsimile, determination of whether data is addressed to itself or not can be performed based on whether the stack number is “0” or not. Due to this, the elements that can be made common as external devices are many and the cost of the external device can be reduced.
(3) The memory means which is able to be read from and written into in both directions is provided with independent up-load area and down-load area and furthermore, as they are connected by a full duplex bus, communication in both directions may be efficiently performed and the through-put relating to communication is improved. Furthermore, two sub-systems are connected via a memory means and exclusive control of the memory means common between the sub-systems is adequately performed by one of the sub-systems having permission to use the memory means and the other sub-system discarding the permission to use the memory means
That is, as the DPRAM is divided into an up-load area being a memory area for the data to be transferred to the up-load side, and a down-load area being a memory area for the data to be transferred to the down-load side, and moreover, as full duplex communication is possible, the data can always be efficiently and simultaneously transferred in both directions and furthermore, the data can be transferred at high speed as there is parallel transfer.
Yet further, as a semaphore for managing the exclusive control of the memory area and a semaphore for managing each type of data in the memory area are independently arranged in the exclusive control of the memory means in the sub-systems, if the type of data differs, the memory area may be effectively used through multi-processing by multi-tasking.
(4) When the facsimile device transfers data to an external device, it simply transfers data including a stack number which the external device has notified to the facsimile to the first external device (G
1
) without determining which number external device that data should be transferred to. As a result, even if the number of external devices increase, the load on the first CPU at the facsimile device does not change. Furthermore, there is no need to change the specifications of the facsimile device regardless of the type and number of external devices thus increasing the utility of the facsimile device.
(5) As the facsimile device recognizes each external device by the stack number notified from each external device, each external device, even if they are of the same type, may be recognized.
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Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Boudreau Leo H.
Desire Gregory
Murata Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
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