Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Emulation or plural modes
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-24
2001-06-12
Williams, Kimberly A. (Department: 2622)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Emulation or plural modes
C358S001600, C399S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06246487
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to multi-function units, servers and network systems having multi-function units, and more particularly to a multi-function unit having multi-functions which include the functions of a scanner, facsimile machine, copying machine, printer, document registering unit, display unit and the like, and to a server which is coupled to such a multi-function unit, and also to a network system having such a multi-function unit.
Conventionally, it is known to process information in a computer system including a plurality of computers which are coupled by a network such as a local area network (LAN). In such a computer system, information can be printed on a printer which is coupled to the LAN by sending a print instruction to the printer from each computer. However, in such a computer system, a copying machine and the like are not coupled to the LAN, and the copying machine and the like themselves are provided as independent equipments with respect to the computer system.
If a facsimile machine and a copying machine are respectively provided independently of the computer system, for example, the space utilization efficiency is poor, and the cost of the system increases by a sum of the costs of the two independent equipments, namely, the facsimile machine and the copying machine. Hence, a multi-function unit having both the facsimile function and the copying function has been proposed. But even in the case of this proposed multi-function unit, the multi-function unit itself is still an independent equipment which is not coupled to the computer system via the network.
On the other hand, in the conventional computer system, a manager on the server side collects, processes and transmits the information, and the so-called pull-type structure is used whereby the end user goes to the server to retrieve the information. On the contrary, the so-called push-type structure has also been proposed whereby the server side distributes the information and the end user receives this information from the server.
Therefore, conventionally, there were problems in that equipments such as the copying machine cannot operate by linking to a computer system and that the space utilization efficiency is poor, because each equipment is an independent equipment by itself. In addition, even in the case of the multi-function unit having both the facsimile function and the copying function, for example, similar problems existed since the multi-function unit is also an independent equipment by itself.
On the other hand, the conventional computer system employing the push-type or pull-type structure is designed by focusing mainly on the server, and there was no concept of a push-type or pull-type structure which is designed by focusing mainly on the end user. As a result, there also were problems in that the usage and flexibility of the conventional computer system are not always satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful multi-function unit, server and network system having the multi-function unit, in which the problems described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the resent invention is to provide a multi-function unit which can operate as a part of a computer system, a server which can realize the concept of a push-type or pull-type structure which is designed by focusing mainly on the end user by linking with the multi-function unit, and a network system which includes the multi-function unit and can realize the concept of a push-type or pull-type structure which is designed by focusing mainly on the end user.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-function unit comprising a printer engine, a logical copying machine carrying out a copying process with respect to a recording medium by the printer engine, and a plurality of logical printers carrying out printing processes with respect to the recording medium by the printer engine, where the logical copying machine and the logical printers carry out apparent parallel operations. According to the multi-function unit of the present invention, it is possible to simultaneously carry out the copying process and the print process in an apparent parallel manner.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a server connectable via a network to an equipment which has at least a print function, comprising a print processor having a spool part in which print data are queued, and transferring the print data queued in the spool part to the equipment according to a print protocol, and a routing information processor having a routing list which stores at least an address of the equipment or another server coupled to the network, where a transmitting destination of the print data is specified by accessing the routing list. According to the server of the present invention, even if the operator does not know the address of the equipment at the printing destination, it is possible to acquire the address of the equipment at the printing destination from the routing list, without having to make an inquiry to a provider or the like of the network.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a server connectable via a network to an equipment which has at least a scanner function, comprising a filing processor having a folder which stores image data read from a document by the equipment, and carrying out a document registration process by controlling input and output of the image data with respect to the folder, and a routing information processor having a routing list which stores at least an address of the equipment or another server coupled to the network, where a transmitting destination of the print data is specified by accessing the routing list. According to the server of the present invention, even if the operator does not know the address of the equipment at the document registering destination, it is possible to acquire the address of the equipment at the document registering destination from the routing list, without having to make an inquiry to a provider or the like of the network.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a server connectable via a network to an equipment which has at least a scanner function, comprising a facsimile processor having a reception register and a transmission register which store image data, and controlling facsimile transmission and reception of the image data, and a routing information processor having a routing list which stores at least an address of the equipment or another server coupled to the network, where the facsimile processor automatically retrieves and selects a route having a minimum transmission cost by accessing the routing list. According to the server of the present invention, even if the operator does not know the structure of the network system, it is possible to automatically retrieve a route having a minimum transmission cost from the routing list and to make a facsimile transmission using this route.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a server connectable via a network to an equipment which has at least a scanner function and an operation panel, comprising a facsimile processor having a reception register and a transmission register which store image data, and controlling facsimile transmission and reception of the image data, and a telephone directory processor having a telephone number list which stores telephone numbers, and controlling input and output of a telephone number used for a facsimile process, where the telephone directory processor generates a telephone directory to be displayed on the operation panel based on the telephone number list. According to the server of the present invention, it is possible to acquire the facsimile transmission destination from the telephone directory, without having the operator be aware of the network structure.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a network system comprising at least one computer, at le
Ichikawa Shigeo
Ishiguro Keiji
Kawasaki Takashi
Kobayashi Sumitake
Miyata Tatsuru
Fujitsu Limited
Staas & Halsey , LLP
Williams Kimberly A.
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