Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Ikunori Yamaguchi

Yoshikazu Ikenoue

Takashi Morikawa

Kazunobu Maekawa

Sumiaki Hirata

Masazumi Ito

Atsushi Tomita

Naohiro Yonezu

Nobuo Kamei

Keiji Nakatani

Kiyoshi Emori

Yukio Tadauchi

Motomi Kawamura

Miho Ataka

A management unit includes a collector for collecting various data of a connected unit, a connector to a communication line, a communicator transmitting the various data to a centralized management unit through the communication line. The management unit has at least two data communication processing methods, and includes a timer, a comparator for comparing the time measured by the timer with a time band set in advance in the centralized management unit, and a communication process initiator responsive to the results of comparison by the comparator for selecting a data communication processing methods and initiating a communication process. As a result, it is possible for one centralized management unit to manage a plurality of management units transmitting data in accordance with different communication methods.

Centralized management unit receiving data from management unit of different communication methods

A remote diagnostic system is structured as follows for selectively controlling a communication method considering the difference in environment of terminals connected to a computer. The remote diagnostic system is constituted of a computer having means for enabling transmission and reception of data, and a plurality of terminals each having means for enabling transmission and reception of data. In the remote diagnostic system, the computer diagnoses respective devices controlled on the basis of respective terminals by making periodical communication with the plurality of terminals. The plurality of terminals include a first group of at least one terminal receiving from the computer a signal for starting transmission and reception of data and a second group of at least one terminal transmitting to the computer the signal for starting transmission and reception of data.

Remote diagnostic system for diagnosing devices connected to a plurality of terminals

A copying machine which detects its own condition, such as the surface potential of a photosensitive member and the toner density in a developer, and communicates with a central supervisory apparatus to transmit the detected data at a preset time or when a specified number of copies are made. The communication is controlled in accordance with the number of copies which have been made since the previous communication or the time which it has taken to make the specified number of copies since the previous communication. When the number of copies is smaller than a reference number or when the time is shorter than a reference time, the communication is canceled, or alternatively, the image forming apparatus sends the central supervisory apparatus such information. When regular communication is conducted, only items of data which have changed since the previous communication are transmitted.

Image forming apparatus provided with a device for controlling

A printer of bit map type provides a first information processor for analyzing data received from an external data processor to transform them into intermediate codes and a second information processor for imaging bit images on a bit map memory according to intermediate codes. The first and second information processors are interconnected by a memory means so as to be able to work asynchronously with each other.

Image generating apparatus having a memory for storing data and method

A copying-machine management system for effecting centralized management of a plurality of copying machines in such a manner that data about problems developed during the maintenance of each copying machine is not counted as data about the problem occurring in each copying machine. A control CPU incorporated into a copying machine on the user side is electrically connected to a management CPU on the service station side through a communication line. Thus, a signal indicative of the state of the copying machine on the user side is sent to the management CPU on the service station, where each of the copying machines is managed. When a serviceman is sent to repair the copy machine, a serviceman mode is set. When the serviceman mode is set, the data indicating a problem is prohibited from being transmitted to the management CPU. Therefore, the data about a problem developed due to a reproduction test is not counted as the data about the problem occurring in each copying machine. Thus, since the data developed during the maintenance of each copying machine is not counted, each of the copying machines can be accurately managed.

Image forming apparatus connected to an information management apparatus

An image forming system, for preventing forgery of paper money, a check, securities or the like, having a plurality of copying apparatuses, and a controller, for controlling each of the copying apparatuses, connected with them through a communication line. The copying apparatus includes a reader which reads an image as of the paper money, etc. and which outputs image data corresponding to the image; a printer for printing the image read by the reader on paper; a first transmitter for transmitting the image data to the controller through the communication line; and a prohibiting device for prohibiting an operation of the printer. A signal, which prohibits copying, is transmitted from the controller to the copying apparatus. The controller includes a deciding device for deciding whether or not the data received from the copying apparatus corresponds to an image which is prohibited from being copied; and a second transmitter for transmitting the signal which prohibits copying to the copying apparatus through the communication line, if the deciding device decides that the data received from the copying apparatus corresponds to the image which is prohibited from being copied.

Copying system for preventing copying of copy-prohibited images

A copier system or similar image forming system includes a centralized control unit. The centralized control unit has a data base storing information pertaining to machine model specifications, operating manuals and other related know-how pertinent to the operation of the copiers. Using data received from the copying machines, the centralized control unit employs fuzzy logic to identify abnormal operating conditions of the copiers and possible repair procedures.

Centralized control system for an image forming apparatus which employs

A printer control system for a printer apparatus connected to an information processing unit is herein proposed which includes a mechanism for forming a visible image on a sheet medium, a first memory device for storing a first program for diciphering instructions received from the information processing unit for enabling the mechanism for forming a visible image to operate in accordance with the instructions, a second memory device for storing a second program for converting instructions received from the information processing unit into those which can be deciphered by the first memory device, and a control device for executing the first and second programs to control the operation of the printer apparatus, wherein the first and second programs are to be executed at controlled timings.

Printer control system

An image data processor for use in an image forming apparatus in which image data of one page are received from outside and bit data based on the image data are supplied to a printing portion in a predetermined quantity each time such that a whole of an image of the one page is printed, the image data processor comprising: an analysis means for sequentially analyzing the image data received from the outside; a data formulating means for sequentially formulating the bit data in accordance with analytic results of the image data by the analysis means; first and second memories for storing the bit data formulated by the data formulating means; the first memory having a memory capacity enabling storage of the predetermined quantity of the bit data; an output means for outputting to the first memory, the bit data stored in the second memory; and a supply means for supplying to the printing portion, the predetermined quantity of the bit data stored in the first memory.

Image data processor

There is disclosed a print data processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus for receiving print data from an external unit, converting the received print data into dot image data at every one of bands defined by dividing an image area of one page, and outputting the dot image data to a printer so as to form all the image of one page corresponding to the print data on a piece of printing paper. In the print data processing apparatus, print data received from the external unit are sequentially analyzed and converted into intermediate data, and the converted intermediate data are stored in a first storage unit. Thereafter, an edit controller judges which band the intermediate data stored in the first storage unit belong to, and registers judged band information of the intermediate data in a band table of a further storage unit. The intermediate data are developed into dot image data every band referring to the band information registered in the band table, and the developed dot image data are stored in a second storage unit. Finally, the dot image data stored in the second storage unit are outputted to the printer in order to print the image thereof on a piece of printing paper.

Print data processing apparatus for an image forming apparatus

A new printer having a memory for storing dot image data to be printed, wherein two modes, that is, a full bit map mode for storing a page of data and a strip map mode for a smaller size of data than a page of data is stored alternately in two memory areas in the memory are provided, and the full bit map mode or the strip map mode is selected according as the size of image data is smaller than or not. In the full bit map mode, the bit data are sent to the printing means after all the bit data of a page has been stored in the bit map memory, while in the strip may mode an image of one page is divided into a plurality of image portions and the bit data is written/read to and from the bit map memory in the unit of image portion. In a new printing method, the size of an image of one page to be printed is obtained first. Then, if the obtained size of image is smaller than the capacity of a bit map memory for storing bit data, the full bit map mode is set; otherwise the strip map mode is set. Next, bit data received from the bit map memory is printed on a sheet of paper.

Printer and printing method

A sheet supplying apparatus comprising a plurality of sheet supply stages each for storing a stack of sheets therein, each of the sheet supply stages comprising a vertically movable sheet support member capable of supporting a stack of sheets thereon, the sheet supply stages having a predetermined order of priority, wherein the sheet support member associated with each of the sheet supply stages is driven for movement to a position in which the uppermost one of the sheets supported thereon reaches a predetermined level and wherein, out of the sheet supply stages, a particular sheet supply stage is selected which has a stock of sheets stored therein and which is higher in the order of priority than a sheet supply stage also having a stock of sheets stored therein, the movement of the sheet support member being enabled after the particular sheet supply stage is selected through detection of the presence or absence of a sheet stored in each of the sheet supply stage.

Sheet supplying apparatus

A printer apparatus which includes an image recording device for forming a visible image on a record medium, a memory unit for storing a plurality of different process programs each for controlling the operation of the image recording device, and a controller for controlling the image recording device in accordance with a selected one of the process programs for enabling the recording device to reproduce on the record medium an image corresponding to the image data supplied from a data processing device. The instruction signal from the data processing device is decoded and any one of the different process programs is selected on the basis of the decoded instruction signal, whereupon the image recording device is controlled in accordance with the selected process program for enabling the recording means to reproduce on the record medium an image corresponding to the image data supplied from the data processing device.

A printer for printing bit images in accordance with printing information and control information which includes a detector for detecting when a print engine enters a predetermined state such as an abnormal state. A memory stores data relating to at least one page of bit images being printed at the time the predetermined state is entered. When the printing engine recovers from the predetermined state, the data stored in the memory are read out to immediately restart the printing operation.

Printer with automatic restart

The disclosure is directed to a printer which is so arranged that a preliminary paper feeding is effected in the case of normal printing, and upon alteration of printing conditions, the preliminary paper feeding is automatically released, while, after alteration of the printing conditions, the preliminary paper feeding is again effected, and thus, a printer efficient in use has been presented, with an improved through-put in operation.

Growing community of inventors

Toyokawa, Japan

Ikunori Yamaguchi