Control device for an apparatus

• US 4,780,806 A
• Filed: 09/26/1985
• Issued: 10/25/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Wada, Kanji, Nakatani, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruggiero, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US06/780,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 364/140-147, 364/514, 364/518, 364/401, 364/406, 355/14 R, 355/14 C, 355/14 CU, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/487, 340/825.3, 340/825.31, 340/825.32, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 380/23-25
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5066 by using information from an external support, e.g. magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 21/04 Preventing copies being made of an original
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00092 the support being an IC card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A control device for use in controlling various information relating to an apparatus which can be operated in response to the instructions fed from the control device. The control device is provided with a memory device for storing information relating to the operation of the apparatus and is operable by mounting a memory medium in which coded information in relation to the user of the apparatus are registered. The control device comprises a key input board operable by the user for inputting a specific coded signal, apparatus for causing the input coded signal to be registered in the memory medium and apparatus for enabling the apparatus in response to the registration of the coded signal in the memory medium.

Claims

1. A control device for use in controlling various information relating to a recording apparatus which can be operated in response to instructions fed from the control device, said control device being provided with a memory device for storing information relating to the operation of the apparatus and being operable by removably attaching a memory medium to the control device, said memory medium having a memory area for storing coded information in relation to the user of the recording apparatus, said control device comprising:

key input means being operable by the user for inputting a specific coded signal;

means for writing the specific coded signal into the memory area of said memory medium; and

means for enabling the recording apparatus in response to the specific coded signal which is read out from the memory area of the memory medium attached to the control device.

2. The control device according to claim 1 wherein said memory medium is a magnetic card.

3. The control device according to claim 1 wherein said memory medium is an IC card.

4. The control device according to claim 1 wherein said recording apparatus is a copying machine having ten keys for inputting a number of sheets to be copied, and said key input means includes the ten keys.

5. A control device for use in controlling various information relating to a recording apparatus which can be operated in response to instructions fed from the control device, said control device being provided with a memory device for storing information relating or the operation of the recording apparatus and being operable by removably attaching a memory medium to the body of the control device, said memory medium having a memory area for storing coded information in relation to the user of the recording apparatus, said control device comprising:

means for comparing a first reference number registered in the memory medium with a second reference number registered in the memory device of the control device;

means for inhibiting operation of the recording apparatus when the value of the first reference number does not coincide with the value of the second reference number;

means for detecting the presence and absence of the first reference number in the memory medium, and

means for writing a predetermined reference number in the memory medium in the case of the absence of the first reference number in the memory medium.

6. The control device according to claim 5 wherein said memory medium is a magnetic card.

7. The control device according to claim 5 wherein said memory medium is an IC card.

8. In a control device for use in controlling various information relating to a recording apparatus which can be operated in response to the instructions fed from the control device, said control device being provided with a memory device for storing information relating to the operation of the recording apparatus and being operable by removably attaching a memory medium to the body of the control device, said memory medium having a memory area for storing coded information in relation to the use of the recording apparatus, the improvement to the control device comprising:

means for inputting a value relating to the use of the recording apparatus and,

means for writing the input value in the memory medium.

9. The control device according to claim 8 wherein said apparatus is a copying machine and the value relating to the use of the apparatus is an upper limit of the available number of copies that can be made.

10. An improved copying machine for reproducing copies of an original document, comprising:

means for copying an original document to produce copies;

means for implementing a copying cycle by the copying means including control panel input members for use by a user;

means for determining the number of copies made from the original document;

a memory medium having a memory area for storing data;

a control device connected to the implementing means and the determining means for removably receiving the memory medium containing predetermined data such as the identification of the memory medium, the control device having a read write assembly for both reading data from the memory medium'"'"'s memory area and writing data relative to the operation of the copying machine into the memory medium'"'"'s memory area; and

means for entering information into the control device including directing the read write assembly to write data into the memory medium'"'"'s memory portion through the control panel input members.

11. An improved copying machine for reproducing copies of an original document, comprising:

means for copying an original document to produce copies;

means for implementing a copying cycle by the copying means including control panel input members for use by a user;

means for determining the number of copies made from the original document;

a removable card member having a memory medium with a memory area for storing data including a designated memory area for storing a predetermined reference verification data;

a control device connected to the implementing means and the determining means for removably receiving the card member containing the predetermined data, the control device having a read write assembly for both reading data from the memory medium'"'"'s memory area and writing data relative to the operation of the copying machine into the card member'"'"'s memory area;

means for transporting the card member in one direction for reading data on the card member and in a reverse direction for writing data into the memory area of the card member including the designated memory area for storing the reference verification data, and

means for entering information into the control device including directing the read write assembly to write data into the card member'"'"'s memory portion including the designated memory area for storing a predetermined reference verification data through the control panel input members.

12. An improved copying machine for reproducing copies of an original document, comprising:

means for copying an original document to produce copies;

means for implementing a copying cycle by the copying means including a control panel display and input members for inputting data by a user;

means for determining the number of copies made from the original document including a memory for storing data on the copies made;

a plurality of removable card members having memory areas including a card member having a preset number of permissible copies that can be used to produce copies, a service card member that can implement a service routine of the copying machine by displaying on the control panel the service history of the copying machine, and a totalling card member to display the copy numbers and paper sizes for each user of the machine;

a control device connected to the implementing means and the determining means for removably receiving the card members, each card member containing predetermined data such as the identification of the card member, the control device having a read write assembly for both reading data from the card member'"'"'s memory area and writing data relative to the operation of the copying machine into at least one of the card member'"'"'s memory areas, and

means for entering information into the control device including directing the read write assembly to write data into the card member'"'"'s memory portion through the control panel input members.