Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Kazuyuki Nakahara

Osamu Kizaki

Tomofumi Harada

Yasuo Kawada

Yasunari Hashimoto

Nobuaki Tomidokoro

Masayuki Hayashi

Yoshihiro Mitekura

Koichi Kanaya

Toshiya Tagawa

Masato Terao

Masahiro Kitayama

Fumio Kishi

Kouji Ishigaki

Tetsuo Sakurai

Keisuke Hayashi

Masato Yanagida

Takashi Hodoshima

A communication control device connected between an image forming apparatus and a communication line in an image forming apparatus supervising system which connects the image forming apparatus and a host machine by the communication line. Assume that particular data of an image forming apparatus and updated day by day should be read periodically. Then, even when the power supply to the image forming apparatus is shut off, a host machine can access the apparatus to read the data which should be read periodically, and receive it. In addition, the data can be preserved until the next time for reading.

Communication control device connected between an image forming

A communication control device connected between an image forming apparatus and a communication line in an image forming apparatus supervising system which connects the image forming apparatus and a host machine by the communication line. Assume that particular data of an image forming apparatus which is updated day by day should be read periodically. Then, even when the power supply to the image forming apparatus is shut off, a host machine can access the apparatus to read the data which should be read periodically, and receive it. In addition, the data can be preserved until the next time for reading. The data is stored in a first memory until the data is ready for transfer to the host machine, at which time the data is transferred to a second memory and then to the host machine.

Communication control device for an image forming apparatus supervising

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is in an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to storing means built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing means and stores the data in memory means. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, is in use, or is quite likely to be used.

System for supervising an image forming apparatus from a remote computer

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to storing means built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing means thereof and stores the data in memory means thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Control device for controlling a plurality of image forming apparatuses

A communication control device connected between an image forming apparatus and a communication line in an image forming apparatus supervising system which connects the image forming apparatus and a host machine by the communication line. Assume that particular data of an image forming apparatus and which is updated day by day should be read periodically. Then, even when the power supply to the image forming apparatus is shut off, a host machine can access the apparatus to read the data which should be read periodically, and receive it. In addition, the data can be preserved until the next time for reading. The data is stored in a first memory until the data is ready for transfer to the host machine, at which time the data is transferred to a second memory and then to the host machine.

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to a storage device built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing device thereof and stores the data in a memory thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Communication control device connected to a plurality of image forming

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to a storing device built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier automatically send the data stored in the storing device thereof and stores the data in a memory thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Control device for collectively supervising a plurality of image forming

An image forming unit management system includes: an image forming unit; a communication control unit for connecting the image forming unit to a management unit via a communication line to transmit a message from the image forming unit to the management unit and to transmit a response message from the management unit to the image forming unit; a storage part for storing a plurality of message codes respectively indicating a plurality of message types; an operation part for inputting a message type and a request for transmitting a message of the message type to the management unit; a first control part for setting one of the plurality of message codes that corresponds to the input message type and for transmitting a message including the message code to the communication control unit if the request is inputted from the operation part; and a second control part for transmitting the message, received from the first control part, to the management unit, and for transmitting a response message to the image forming unit if the response message is received from the management unit.

System for transmitting a message including user request from image

Image forming equipment of the type supplying a toner to a developing device thereof by using a cartridge which is filled with a toner. The cartridge has a sealed opening and is brought to a toner supply position in the equipment without having the opening unsealed by the operator. Even when the cartridge is pulled out during the loading operation, the toner is not scattered about. A new cartridge for replacing a used empty cartridge is brought to the toner supply position without requiring the operator to remove the empty toner. During the replacement, the toner remaining on the walls of the empty cartridge is prevented from being sprinkled.

Image forming equipment using a toner cartridge

A copier, facsimile transceiver, printer or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus uses a toner cartridge whose volume decreases when released a toner. A cartridge collecting section for collecting toner cartridges is lower in height than the cartridge when the cartridge is filled with a toner. The cartridge has top plate, a bottom plate and sides which are implemented by an elastic member or a film-like member. The cartridge collecting section, a waste toner tank and a photoconductive element storing section are constructed into a unit which is removable from the apparatus body.

Image forming apparatus

A digital copier having a single scanner and a plurality of plotters which are physically independent of each other. The plotters may be designated one at a time. When the designated plotter is already operating, another plotter which is idle is desingated. When all the plotters are in operation at the time of designation, image data representative of a document read by the scanner are stored and, as soon as a designated plotter becomes idle, the plotter begins to plot the stored image data automatically. Further, when an error occurs in any of the plotters being operated, the copying operations are handed over to another plotter.

Digital copier

A digital copier having a single scanner and a plurality of plotters which are physically independent of each other. The plotters may be designated one at a time. When the designated plotter is already operating, another plotter which is idle is designated. When all the plotters are in operation at the time of designation, image data representative of a document read by the scanner are stored and, as soon as a designated plotter becomes idle, the plotter begins to plot the stored image data automatically. Further, when an error occurs in any of the plotters being operated, the copying operations are handed over to another plotter.

A digital image forming apparatus has an operation device for successively entering copying conditions with respect to at least first and second documents which are successively set on a reading device and including a display part for displaying the copying conditions entered with respect to one document at one time, where the copying conditions for the second document are entered after the first document is read by the reading device and after a writing device starts to write the first document simultaneously as when the reading device starts to read the second document, and a control device for controlling operation timings of the reading device, a memory device, the writing device and the operation device so that the writing device starts to write the second document only after the writing of the first document is completed. The control device includes a part for controlling the operation device to automatically change the copying conditions displayed on the display part between the copying conditions for the first document and the copying conditions for the second document at an arbitrary time.

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Tokyo, Japan

Kazuyuki Nakahara