Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yasuo Kawada

Osamu Kizaki

Nobuaki Tomidokoro

Tomofumi Harada

Yasunari Hashimoto

Kazuyuki Nakahara

Masayuki Hayashi

Yoshihiro Mitekura

Koichi Kanaya

Toshiya Tagawa

Masato Terao

Masahiro Kitayama

Hidetoshi Yano

Makoto Obu

Katsuhiro Echigo

Yasuhiro Kawashima

Fumio Kishi

Hidenori Sakai

Shigeru Watanabe

Fumio Kawamura

Shinichi Kawahara

Shigeru Yoshiki

Jun Doi

Hideaki Matsui

Tomonori Fukui

Toshiki Yamashita

Kazuki Nakahara

Jyouji Katoh

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 photocopier having a duplex copy unit unable to stack a plurality of recording media thereon, wherein an image scanner is controlled such that the scanner reads the first document, then reads the first document and the second document alternately, and finally reads the second document. A medium feed device and the duplex copy unit are controlled such that one recording medium is fed from the medium feed device, then recording media are alternately fed from the medium feed device and duplex copy unit one at a time, and finally one recording media is fed from the duplex copy unit, thereby reducing the period of time necessary for reproducing the images of a document or documents on both sides of recording media and enhancing the productivity of the copier.

Copier

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 system includes: an image forming unit connected to a communication line through a communication control unit; and a management unit for managing data of resources of the image forming unit, the management unit being connected to the communication line, the image forming unit including: at least one component part; a first storage part for storing a control program for the component part, so that the component part is controlled in accordance with the control program; and a first control part for transmitting a first code to the management unit via the communication line in response to an update request signal, the first code indicating a model of the image forming unit and indicating a type of the component part, the management unit including: a second storage part for storing a plurality of control programs for different types of the component part of the image forming unit; and a second control part for reading out a first control program from the second storage part in accordance with the first code received from the first control part, and for transmitting the first control program to the image forming unit via the communication line, so that the first control program is stored in the first storage part.

Communication system for managing data of resources of image forming unit

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

Control system for controlling the connection of an image forming

In an image forming apparatus, an operating section accessible for entering various information and commands is implemented as a plurality of key units. The key units are each removably connected to the body of the operating section via cooperative connectors. When any one of the key units is damaged or or the life thereof expires, only the defective unit is replaced while the other units are continuously used.

Operating section for an image forming apparatus

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.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yasuo Kawada