The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 10, 2002
Filed:
Feb. 10, 1999
Yasuhiro Hattori, Yokohama, JP;
Norio Michiie, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a plurality of memory devices, each including at least one image memory which stores image data. A controller controls input and output operations for the image data relative to the at least one image memory. An image reading device generates image data by scanning and reading an original document. At least one data input device inputs image data generated by an external source. A plurality of input paths transmit the image data generated by the image reading device and the image data input by the at least one data input device. An image memory switching device connects the plurality of input paths to the plurality of memory devices, receives the image data generated by the image reading device and the image data input by the at least one data input device, and switches the plurality of memory devices to transmit consecutive image data, which is consecutively sent through one of the plurality of input paths, to a same memory device among the plurality of memory devices when the image memory switching device receives the image data and the image data through the plurality of input paths.