Remote management system for photographic equipment
First Claim
1. A management system for managing the operational condition of at least one photographic apparatus remotely, said system comprising the following steps:
- connecting said at least one photographic apparatus and a separate, independent densitometer to a computer;
obtaining measured density data by measuring a check sample, made as a final product by said photographic apparatus, with said densitometer;
diagnosing the operational condition of said photographic apparatus by fetching said measured density data into said computer and by analyzing said measured density data;
if said operational condition is abnormal, determining a countermeasure by fetching associated data from said photographic apparatus; and
adjusting the operational condition of said photographic apparatus by transferring said countermeasure to said photographic apparatus, if said operational condition is abnormal.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A printer processor, a film processor, and a densitometer are connected to a personal computer via a port controller. To diagnose the operational condition of photographic apparatus, the apparatus forms a check sample. The check sample is sent to the densitometer to fetch the measured density data into the personal computer. If the operational condition of the photographic apparatus is abnormal, the personal computer fetches the operational data under management in the photographic apparatus to determine a countermeasure for the abnormal state. The countermeasure is transferred to the photographic apparatus to adjust the adjust failure element automatically. In order to control a plurality of lab shops remotely, each lab shop is provided with a sub-computer connected to the photographic apparatus. The headquarters are provided with a main computer storing therein a management program. The main computer fetches the data of the sub-computer via a communication line. In accordance with the fetched data, the headquarters control the quality, production state, and stock stage of consumable goods at each lab shop remotely. The port controller finds the idle time of a CPU at each lab shop, and fetches the data from the photographic apparatus during the idle time.
43 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A management system for managing the operational condition of at least one photographic apparatus remotely, said system comprising the following steps:
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connecting said at least one photographic apparatus and a separate, independent densitometer to a computer; obtaining measured density data by measuring a check sample, made as a final product by said photographic apparatus, with said densitometer; diagnosing the operational condition of said photographic apparatus by fetching said measured density data into said computer and by analyzing said measured density data; if said operational condition is abnormal, determining a countermeasure by fetching associated data from said photographic apparatus; and adjusting the operational condition of said photographic apparatus by transferring said countermeasure to said photographic apparatus, if said operational condition is abnormal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A management system for remotely managing the operational conditions of photographic apparatus at a plurality of lab shops, said system comprising the following steps:
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connecting at least one of said photographic apparatus and a separate, independent densitometer to a sub-computer installed at each of said lab shops; fetching into said sub-computer the production data of said photographic apparatus and the density data of a check sample, produced as a final product by one of said photographic apparatus, measured with said densitometer; transferring on-line said data fetched into said sub-computer to a main computer at a central location via a remote communication line; and diagnosing the photofinishing quality in said main computer in accordance with said measured density data by referring to said production to said production data. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A management system for remotely managing the production conditions at a plurality of lab shops, said system comprising the following steps:
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connecting at least one photographic apparatus, which includes a printer processor and a film processor, to a sub-computer installed at each of said lab shops; performing production management by fetching into said sub-computer the production data of said photographic apparatus; and determining the consumed state of consumable goods in accordance with said production data for ordering on-line said consumable goods to a main computer at the headquarters via a communication line if a predetermined amount of said consumable goods are consumed. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A port controller interposed between a computer and a plurality of photographic apparatus for performing data communication therebetween, said port controller comprising:
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a switch unit for selecting one of said plurality of photographic apparatus, for performing data communication; a first communication control unit for finding an idle time of a CPU incorporated in said selected photographic apparatus, and performing data communication at the data transfer speed of said CPU during said idle time; a buffer memory for storing said data fetched irregularly from said selected photographic apparatus; a subject communication discriminator unit for discriminating whether said data in said buffer memory to be transferred to said computer is the data of said selected photographic apparatus requested by said computer; a data format converter unit for converting said data read from said buffer memory into a data format of said computer; and a second communication control unit for transferring said format-converted data in units of block to said computer at the data transfer speed of said computer.
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Specification