Control device for a digital copier with simultaneous operations for reading a succeeding image while reproducing a preceding image without interruption of either operation upon detecting an error with the operation

• US 5,055,935 A
• Filed: 12/18/1990
• Issued: 10/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohno, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rogers, Scott A.
• Application Number:
  US07/629,680
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 358/296, 358/300, 358/302, 358/404, 358/444, 358/401, 358/406, 358/472, 358/476, 358/468, 355/202, 355/206
• US Class Current: 358/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32443 with asynchronous operation of the image input and output devices connected to the memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32609 Fault detection or counter-measures, e.g. original mis-positioned, shortage of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3263 of reading apparatus or transmitter, e.g. original jam
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32635 of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames

Abstract

A control device for a digital copier capable of writing digital image data and reading them out for reproduction. While reading digital image data representative of a preceding document out of a memory and reproducing them, the copier starts reading a succeeding document. When an error occurs in the operation for reading the succeeding document, the control device continues the operation for reproducing the preceding document without interrupting it. Likewise, when an error occurs in the operation for reproducing the preceding document, the control device continues the operation for reading the succeeding document without interrupting it.

Claims

1. A control device for a digital copier which writes digital image data and reads out said digital image data for reproduction, comprising:

image reading means for reading a document to produce a corresponding image density signal;

converting means for converting said image density signal into corresponding digital image data;

storing means for storing said digital image data representative of a plurality of documents;

reproducing means for reproducing said digital image data;

error detecting means for detecting an error occuring in said image reading means or in said reproducing means; and

control means for controlling said image reading means, said converting means, said storing means, said reproducing means and said error detecting means such that said converting means converts the document read by said image reading means into digital image data, said digital image data is written to said storing means, and then said digital image data is read out of said storing means and reproduced by said reproducing means, and such that when an operation for reading a succeeding document begins while an operation for reading digital image data representative of a preceding document and causing said reproducing means to reproduce said image data is under way, said operation for reproducing said preceding document and said operation for reading said succeeding document each is completed with no regard to an error which may occur in the other operation.

2. A control device for a digital copier which writes digital image data and reads out said digital image data for reproduction, comprising:

image reading means for reading a document to produce a corresponding image density signal;

error detecting means for detecting an error occurring in said image reading means;

converting means for converting said image density signal into corresponding digital image data;

storing means for storing said converted digital image data representative of two or more documents;

reproducing means for reproducing said digital image data; and

control means for controlling said image reading means, said error detecting means, said converting means, said storing means and said reproducing means such that said converting means converts the document read by said document reading means into corresponding digital image data, said converted digital image data is written to said storing means, and then said digital image data is read out and reproduced by said reproducing means, and such that when an operation for reading a succeeding document begins while an operation for reading digital image data representative of a preceding document and causing said reproducing means to reproduce said digital image data is under way, and an error is detected in said operation for reading said succeeding document, said operation for reproducing said preceding document is continued without interruption.

3. A control device for a digital copier which writes digital image data and reads out said digital image data for reproduction, comprising:

image reading means for reading a document to produce a corresponding image density signal;

converting means for converting said image density signal into corresponding digital image data;

storing means for storing said converted digital image data representative of a plurality of documents;

reproducing means for reproducing said digital image data;

error detecting means for detecting an error occurring in said reproducing means; and

control means for controlling said image reading means, said converting means, said storing means, said reproducing means and said error detecting means such that said converting means converts the document read by said image reading means into corresponding digital image data, said digital image data is written to said storing means, and then said digital image data is read out and reproduced by said reproducing means, and such that when an operation for reading a succeeding document begins while an operation for reading said digital image data out of said storing means and causing said reproducing means to reproduce said digital image data is under way, and an error occurs in said operation for reproducing said preceding document, said operation for reading said succeeding document is continued without interruption.