Apparatus for managing a group of copying machines

• US 4,497,037 A
• Filed: 11/25/1981
• Issued: 01/29/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Systemkiki Company Limited, Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Systemkiki Company Limited, Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Takeshi, Kato, Takaaki, Yoshizawa, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harkcom, Gary V.
• Application Number:
  US06/324,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File, 364/400, 364/401, 364/405, 364/518, 355/14 C, 355/14 CU, 355/14 R, 377/8, 377/15, 377/16, 235/1 R, 235/91 R, 235/91 PR
• US Class Current: 399/80
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/50 Machine control of apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern, e.g. regulating differents parts of the machine, multimode copiers, microprocessor control sequencing control G03G21/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5087 for receiving image data
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00548 Jam, error detection, e.g. double feeding

Abstract

A copying machine group managing system comprises a plurality of copying machines, a plurality of terminal devices each provided for one of the copying machines and a central managing unit for managing the terminal devices. Each of the terminal devices receives first input signals each indicative of one of a plurality of users divisions of the copying machines and a second input signal indicative of a utilization value of associated one of the copying machines, whereby a second input signal is stored at predetermined storage locations of a terminal data memory in accordance with a first input signal and the stored data signal is transmitted to the central managing unit. The central managing unit receives the cumulatively stored data signals from each of the terminal devices so that the received data signals are summed up separately for each of the users divisions of the copying machines and are stored at the corresponding storage locations of a central data memory.

Claims

1. An apparatus for managing a plurality of copying machines comprising:

a plurality of terminal devices each operatively associated with one of a plurality of copying machines, each said terminal device including

(a) first input means for receiving code signals each indicative of one of a plurality of users,

(b) second input means for receiving a signal indicative of the copying operation of its associated copying machine,

(c) data processing means for enabling the copying operation of said associated copying machine upon receipt of said code signals and including terminal data memory means having a plurality of distinguishable storage locations for each of said users, whereby said signal indicative of the copying operation received by said second input means is cumulatively stored in corresponding storage locations of said terminal data memory means specified by said code signals received by said first input means, and

(d) first communication means provided in the terminal device for data transmission from and to said data processing means; and

a central unit directly connected to each of said plurality of terminal devices through transmission lines, said central unit including

(e) second communication means provided in the central unit for data transmission from and to each said first communication means of said terminal devices,

(f) central data processing means for controlling data transmission to and from said terminal devices and including central data memory means having a plurality of distinguishable storage locations for each of said plurality of users, whereby data cumulatively stored in each of said terminal data memory means and transmitted through said first and second communication means are summed up separately for each of said users and stored in corresponding storage locations of said central data memory means specified by said code signals, and

(g) manually operable means for generating first and second commands,

said central data processing means being operative to effectuate the data summing-up and storing operation of said central data memory means upon receipt of said first command from said manually operable means and operative to erase said data cumulatively stored in each of the corresponding storage locations of all said terminal data memory means upon receipt of said second command from said manually operable means.