Electronic apparatus having connecting means

• US 20050266705A1
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1990
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Taguchi, Tomishige
• Granted Patent: US 7,266,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/76.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/00 Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 ; multiprogram control therefor G06F9/46; multiprocessor systems G06F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/12 using hardware independent of the central processor, e.g. channel or peripheral processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4063 Device-to-bus coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4415 Self describing peripheral devices

Abstract

There is provided an electronic apparatus which also enables the data input/output apparatus to be executed at a high speed to a small electronic apparatus having a limited installation space by using an IC card interface. In an electronic apparatus in which a detachable IC card is connected to an IC card junction portion and a CPU bus of the electronic apparatus main body is connected to the IC card by the junction portion and the IC card is used as an external memory device, there is provided pseudo card means having a junction portion which can be connected to the IC card junction portion of the electronic apparatus main body, and further, the pseudo card means has control means for converting the data input/output interface between the electronic apparatus and the pseudo card means and the data input/output interface between a predetermined external apparatus and the pseudo card means, wherein the data input/output operation can be executed between the apparatus main body and the external device at a high speed by using the bus of the IC card through the pseudo card means connected to the IC card junction portion.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. An information processing apparatus that communicates with an external device, said apparatus comprising:

a discrimination unit, adapted to discriminate a device type of the external device; and

a switching control unit, adapted to control switching between obtaining a driver program for controlling the external device from the external device, and loading a driver program for controlling the external device from a memory provided in said information processing apparatus, on the basis of the device type discriminated by said discrimination unit.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said discrimination unit discriminates the device type in response to detection of the external device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the external device is detachably connected to said information processing apparatus.

12. A method of communicating, in connection with an information processing apparatus, with an external device, said method comprising the steps of:

discriminating a device type of the external device; and

controlling switching between obtaining a driver program for controlling the external device from the external device, and loading a driver program for controlling the external device from a memory provided in the information processing apparatus, on the basis of the device type discriminated in said discriminating step.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said discriminating step discriminates the device type in response to detection of the external device.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the external device is detachably connected to the information processing apparatus.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for instructing an information processing apparatus, which communicates with an external device, to perform the steps of:

discriminating a device type of the external device; and

controlling switching between obtaining a driver program for controlling the external device from the external device, and loading a driver program for controlling the external device from a memory provided in the information processing apparatus, on the basis of the device type discriminated in said discriminating step.

16. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein said discriminating step discriminates the device type in response to detection of the external device.

17. A computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein the external device is detachably connected to the information processing apparatus.