Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing – Using interconnected networks
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-03
2004-02-24
Lin, Wen-Tai (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
Using interconnected networks
C709S219000, C709S224000, C709S229000, C358S001150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06697847
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an information processing system comprising a display section such as an operation panel for displaying setup information, etc., required for job execution.
Hitherto, considerable labor required for maintenance of software of an operation panel provided for an information processing system has resulted in a hindrance to function expansion of the information processing system.
Thus, an art is designed wherein software of using parameter data for operating an operation panel to control the operation panel is provided for making it possible to expand the functions of the operation panel of an information processing system simply by replacing the parameter data (the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 7-56668, 6-243223, etc.,).
In recent years, a function for displaying and setting the state of an information processing system has been provided by a computer connected to a LAN (Local Area Network) as disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 5-89069, 7-219811, etc.
To provide the function, external code information defined by MIB (Managed Information Block), ISO 10175 DPA (Document Printing Application), etc., is transferred between the information processing system and the computer. To do this, code information conversion software is used to convert the external code information into internal information in the information processing system.
In this case, there is a problem that software that can interpret the external information needs to be installed in the computer. Then, an art is designed wherein a WWW (World Wide Web) server is installed in an information processing system and a protocol such as HTTP (Hyper Text Transport Protocol) is used to transmit display data that can be displayed by software generally installed in a computer, such as HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language).
By the way, a conventional information processing system is made up of a number of hardware modules. For example, a complex machine comprising a copy function (copy module), a facsimile function (facsimile module), and a printer function (printer module) is designed.
A hardware module of an additional function can be added to the main functions as the user desires, and a product satisfying the functions responsive to the application can be provided at a low price.
To add a new function to a printer, etc., an art of reading addition of setup items involved in the function addition from a file and forming a display screen is also disclosed in the Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 6-149490.
FIG. 61
is a block diagram to show a configuration example of a conventional complex machine. In the figure, a copy module M
10
, a facsimile module M
20
, a printer module M
30
, and a print engine E
1
are hardware modules each having a CPU (central processing unit). In the example, an operation panel
11
does not comprise a CPU and is controlled by the CPU of the copy module M
10
.
This means that the copy module M
10
is provided with an operation panel control section
11
a
as software of controlling the operation panel
11
. The operation panel control section
11
a
controls setting and operation of a facsimile function and a printer function as well as a copy function.
FIG. 62
is a block diagram to show another configuration example of a conventional complex machine. The complex machine also comprises a copy module M
10
, a facsimile module M
20
, a printer module M
30
, and a print engine E
1
like the complex machine shown in FIG.
61
. An operation panel
11
comprises a CPU and is provided with an operation panel control section
11
a
for controlling setting and operation of a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function.
Code information defined by MIB, ISO 10175 DPA, etc., or code information proper to the complex machine manufacturer similar thereto is used as information transferred among the hardware modules in the complex machine.
However, in the art of replacing only the parameter data for operating the operation panel for expanding the operation section function of the information processing system, data in different formats, namely, the parameter data and the display data that can be displayed by software generally installed in a computer with a WWW server installed in the information processing system are used. Thus, the information processing system has the operation section parameter data and the computer display data separately and a problem of an increase in the data storage area occurs.
Moreover, since the information processing system has the operation section parameter data and the computer display data separately, the display contents on the operation section become different from those on the computer, and data maintenance for matching them requires considerable labor.
To make up an information processing system of hardware modules, in the configuration shown in
FIG. 61
, the copy module contains the operation panel control section for setting and operating the facsimile function and the printer function. Thus, to add a facsimile or printer module function or a new hardware module, the copy module software needs also to be replaced.
In the configuration shown in
FIG. 62
, the operation panel contains the operation panel control section for setting and operating the copy function, the facsimile function, and the printer function. Thus, to add a copy, facsimile, or printer module function or a new hardware module, it becomes necessary to replace the operation panel software.
Further, the information transferred between the hardware modules is coded. Thus, to add new information to any hardware module, the operation panel software needs to be changed. It is also possible to previously install many expected functions in the operation panel software to eliminate change in the operation panel software, but a problem of putting the software into a large scale occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an information processing system wherein if a function or a hardware module is added, setup information required for a display section as the function or the hardware module is added can be easily added.
To the end, according to the invention of aspect
1
, there is provided an information processing system comprising:
a plurality of information processing modules each for performing information processing;
storage means being installed in each of the information processing modules for storing display data;
transmission request acceptance means being installed in each of the information processing modules for accepting a display data transmission request;
recognition means for determining whether or not display data corresponding to the transmission request is stored on the storage means installed in the information processing module including the transmission request acceptance means accepting the transmission request;
transfer means for transferring the transmission request to a different module, if the recognition means determines that the display data corresponding to the transmission request is not stored;
display data getting means for getting the display data from the storage means, if the recognition means determines that the display data is stored; and
display data transmission means for returning the display data gotten by the display data getting means to a party making the transmission request.
In the invention of aspect
2
, the information processing system of aspect
1
, further comprising:
identification information notification means being installed in one of the information processing modules for sending identification information of display data that can be gotten in the one information processing module to a different one of the information processing modules;
identification information reception means being installed in the different information processing module for receiving the identification information of display data that can be gotten in the one information processing modul
Fuji 'Xerox Co., Ltd.
Lin Wen-Tai
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
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