Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Memory
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-13
2001-02-13
Coles, Edward L. (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Memory
C358S001140, C358S296000, C358S401000, C358S404000, C358S468000, C347S003000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06188488
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission device capable of transmission and printing of facsimile data.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been known a facsimile device including an ink jet printer capable of printing an image on a recording sheet based on facsimile data. The printer includes a cartridge storing ink and a print head formed with ink passages and nozzles. Ink in the cartridge is supplied through the ink passages and elected through the nozzles toward a recording sheet, thereby forming an image on the recording sheet.
However, the ink passages can be clogged with ink, so that ink election become defective. In order to determine whether the ink passages are clogged or not, an indication mark, such as a circular black dot, is printed at a predetermined position on the recording sheet, and then, a mark sensor attempts to detect the indication mark. If the mark sensor cannot properly detect the indication mark, it is determined that the printing is defective.
When printing is determined to be defective, a message is displayed on a display screen to inform the user of this condition. Also, the facsimile device is switched to its memory mode wherein received facsimile data is stored as backup data in a memory without printing of the facsimile data being performed.
However, in this type of facsimile device, external light invading into the facsimile device during detection of the indication mark can influence the mark sensor, so that detection of the indication mark does not accurately reflects the actual indication mark. As a result, the facsimile device can be erroneously switched into the memory reception mode even when printing is being properly performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to overcome this problem, it is conceivable to provide a light sensor for detecting external light. Based on detection results from the light sensor and the mark sensor, the facsimile device can perform either merely printing of facsimile data or both printing and storing of facsimile data.
However, in this case, a user needs to erase backup data from the memory at an appropriate timing. Otherwise, the memory will soon be filled up with backup data. When the memory is filled with backup data, no additional facsimile data can be stored in the memory, resulting in loss of newly received facsimile data. Also, because not all received facsimile data is stored as backup data, the user will not know which facsimile data has been backed up.
It is conceivable to display information relating to facsimile data on the display screen. However, the display screen of the facsimile device is generally relatively small, for example, much smaller than a television screen. Therefore, the information displayed on such a small display screen is difficult to read. This may cause the user to delete the wrong backup data from the memory or to perform printing of the wrong backup data. It is conceivable to provide a scroll function to the display screen so that the information can be displayed in a larger size but only partially on the display screen. However, operations for scrolling the information are troublesome for the user.
It is an objective of the present invention to overcome the above-described problems and also to provide a transmission device capable of coping with external light and at the same time greatly reducing troublesome and erroneous operations performed by a user during printing of or erasure of data stored in a memory.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a method of and a program storage medium storing a program of controlling the transmission device.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, there is provided a transmission device including, a frame defining an internal space, a receiving unit, a buffer memory, an information memory, a storage member, a print unit, a first sensor, a second sensor, a backup memory, and first control means. The receiving unit is connected to a remote transmission device and receives image data from the remote transmission device. The buffer memory temporarily stores the image data. The information memory stores managing data relating to a managing information about the image data. The storage member that stores and supplies recording material. The print unit prints an image based on the image data, an indication mark, and the managing information based on the managing data on a recording medium having a print region and an outside region outside the print region. The print unit prints the image within the print area and the indication mark at a first predetermined position in the outside region using the recording material. The first sensor detects the indication mark printed on the recording medium at a second predetermined position within the internal space and outputs a mark detection signal. The second sensor detects external light at the predetermined position and outputs a light detection signal. The first control means controls the backup memory to store the image data in response to at least one of the mark detection signal and the light detection signal.
There is also provided a program storage medium storing a program of controlling a transmission device including a frame defining an internal space. The program comprises a reception program of receiving image data, a buffer memory program of temporarily storing the image data in to a buffer memory, an information memory program of storing managing data relating to a managing information about the image data into an information memory, a first print program of printing an image based on the image data and an indication mark when the image data is received on a recording medium, a first detecting program of detecting the indication mark printed on the recording medium at a predetermined position within the internal space, a first determining program of determining whether the indication mark is detected properly or falsely, a second detecting program of attempting to detect external light at the predetermined position, a second determining program of determining whether or not external light is detected at the predetermined position, and a storing program of storing the image data into a backup memory in response to at least one of a detection result relating to the indication mark and a detection result relating to external light.
Further, there is provided a method of controlling a transmission device including a frame defining an internal space. The method comprises the steps of receiving image data, temporarily storing the image data into a buffer memory, storing managing data relating to a managing information about the image data into an information memory, printing an image based on the image data and an indication mark when the image data is received on a recording medium, detecting the indication mark printed on the recording medium at a predetermined position within the internal space, determining whether the indication mark is detected properly or falsely, attempting to detect external light at the predetermined position, determining whether or not external light is detected at the predetermined position, and storing the image data into a backup memory in response to at least one of a detection result relating to the indication mark and a detection result relating to external light.
REFERENCES:
patent: 7-242044 (1995-09-01), None
patent: 8-167970 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 8-267731 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 8-267782 (1996-10-01), None
patent: 8-281966 (1996-10-01), None
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Coles Edward L.
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Wallerson Mark
LandOfFree
Transmission device capable of printing out transmission... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Transmission device capable of printing out transmission..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Transmission device capable of printing out transmission... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2594114