METHOD AND ASSEMBLY FOR RELEASING AND CONFIGURING SPECIFIC SYSTEM OPERATIONS OF A PRINTER OR PHOTOCOPIER

• US 20100225953A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Engst, Ernst, Metz, David
• Application Number:
  US12/293,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20100225953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/608 Secure printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00

Abstract

In a method or arrangement to select instructions to be executed by a control unit of a printer or copier, the control unit is connected with a plug connector arrangement providing an electrical connection to the control unit via a plurality of individual contact terminals. At least one first instruction stored in a first memory region is executed by the control unit in a first operating mode. At least one second instruction stored in a second memory region is executed by the control unit in a second operating mode. The second operating mode is set by at least one of the contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement, and wherein an evaluable signal level is respectively present at the at least one contact terminal. A memory region from which the at least one first instruction is loaded for execution by the control unit is established with aid of the electrical connection. An additional memory region from which the at least one second instruction is loaded for execution by the control unit is established in the absence of the electrical connection.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A method to select instructions to be executed by a control unit of a printer or copier, said control unit being connected with a plug connector arrangement providing an electrical connection to the control unit via a plurality of individual contact terminals, comprising the steps of:

executing at least one first instruction stored in a first memory region by the control unit in a first operating mode;

executing at least one second instruction stored in a second memory region by the control unit in a second operating mode;

setting the second operating mode by at least one of said contact terminals of said plug connector arrangement, and wherein an evaluable signal level is respectively present at the at least one contact terminal;

establishing a memory region from which the at least one first instruction is loaded for execution by the control unit with aid of the electrical connection; and

establishing an additional memory region from which the at least one second instruction is located for execution by the control unit in absence of the electrical connection.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein after the activation or after the resetting of the control unit it is checked whether the electrical connection via the plug connector arrangement is present, the second operating mode being activated if the electrical connection is present, and the first operating mode being activated if the electrical connection is not present.

24. A method according to claim 22 wherein the connection between two contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement is established by connecting the plug connector arrangement with a complementary plug connector arrangement, and wherein the contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement and contract terminals of the complementary plug connector arrangement are designed as a plug/socket system.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein the plug connector arrangement provides a standardized standard interface, wherein the plug connector arrangement as well as the complementary plug connector arrangement comprise a Sub-D plug connector, an RJ45 plug connector, a PS2 plug connector, a DVI plug connector, an RS232 plug connector or another standardized plug connector.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement that are not used to provide the standard interface are used to establish the electrical connection to set the second operating mode.

27. A method according to claim 22 wherein the second operating mode is set by a switching process that is generated by establishing an electrical connection between two contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement.

28. A method according to claim 22 wherein the plug connector arrangement is accessible from outside a module of the control unit or from outside the control unit.

29. A method according to claim 22 wherein the control unit is operated with aid of an operating system that is loaded after the activation of the control unit, wherein before the loading of the operating system it is checked with aid of a BIOS instruction whether the first operating mode, the second operating mode, or the third operating mode is selected.

30. A method according to claim 22 wherein an operating system stored in the first memory region is loaded and its instructions are respectively executed given the selection of the first operating mode, and an operating system stored in the second memory region is loaded and its instructions are respectively executed given the selection of the second operating module.

31. A method according to claim 22 wherein the plug connector arrangement is connected with a terminating plug or a pass-through plug, and wherein the electrical connection is established in the terminating plug or the pass-through plug.

32. A method according to claim 22 wherein an electrical connection between a ground potential and a supply voltage is established across a resistor in the state connected with the plug connector arrangement, such that an evaluable binary signal state is generated at the contract terminal.

33. An arrangement to select instructions to be executed by a control unit of a printer or copier, comprising:

a control unit that comprises access to a first memory region and access to at least one second memory region, wherein first instructions to be executed by the control unit in a first operating mode are stored in the first memory region, and wherein second instructions to be executed by the control unit in a second operating mode are stored in the second memory region;

a plug connector arrangement providing an electrical connection to the control unit via a plurality of individual contact terminals and via which the second operating mode is set with aid of at least one of said contact terminals and wherein an evaluable signal level is present at said at least one contract terminal; and

the electrical connection establishing a memory region from which the control unit loads the first instructions for execution, and in absence of the electrical connection the second memory region is established, from which the control unit loads the second instructions for execution.

34. An arrangement according to claim 33 wherein the plug connector arrangement is connected via a resistor with a ground potential and a supply voltage so that an evaluable binary signal state is generated at the contract terminal given an existing connection.

35. An arrangement according to claim 33 wherein

a connection between two contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement is established by connecting the plug connector arrangement with a complementary plug connector arrangement, the contact terminals of the plug connector arrangement and the contact terminals of the complementary plug connector arrangement being designed as a plug/socket system, and

the plug connector arrangement providing a standardized standard interface, the plug connector arrangement and the complementary plug connector arrangement comprising a Sub-D plug connector, an RJ45 plug connector, a PS2 plug connector, a DVI plug connector, an RS232 plug connector, or another standardized plug.