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:
Dec. 25, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 25, 2010
Atsushi Otani, Moriya, JP;
Shigeo Hata, Toride, JP;
Akihiko Sakai, Abiko, JP;
Shoji Takeda, Tokyo, JP;
Satoru Yamamoto, Abiko, JP;
Keita Takahashi, Abiko, JP;
Hirotaka Seki, Tokyo, JP;
Atsushi Otani, Moriya, JP;
Shigeo Hata, Toride, JP;
Akihiko Sakai, Abiko, JP;
Shoji Takeda, Tokyo, JP;
Satoru Yamamoto, Abiko, JP;
Keita Takahashi, Abiko, JP;
Hirotaka Seki, Tokyo, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and increases the error detection accuracy of each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of slave control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit determines a diagnosis path for performing a diagnosis process for an error using the signal lines and a connection bridge connected to the respective control units. The master control unit performs the diagnosis process for an error in accordance with the determined diagnosis path.