Control of equipment and of communication with plural units of equipment

• US 5,488,454 A
• Filed: 09/14/1994
• Issued: 01/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozaki, Hiroshi, Nakamura, Shinichi, Kaneko, Satoshi, Kuroyanagi, Satoshi, Adachi, Hideki, Miyata, Masanori, Takizawa, Mitsuharu, Ohki, Naoyuki, Kaneko, Tokuharu, Tahara, Hisatsugu, Fukada, Taisei
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendegrass, Joan H.
• Application Number:
  US08/305,820
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 355/202, 355/204-207, 358/400, 358/437, 395/113, 395/1114, 395/115, 395/575, 371/16.4, 364/138, 379/100, 379/106
• US Class Current: 399/1
• 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: G06F 11/1658 Data re-synchronization of a redundant component, or initial sync of replacement, additional or spare unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1666 where the redundant component is memory or memory area

Abstract

An equipment control unit is composed of equipment control means for controlling the operation of an equipment, communication control means for controlling the transmission and reception of data to and from an external device, and transfer means for transferring the data between the equipment control means and the communication control means.

Claims

1. An equipment control unit comprising:

equipment control means for controlling operation of an equipment;

first storage means for storing data, said first storage means being accessed by said equipment control means;

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data to and from an external device;

second storage means for storing data, said second storage means being accessed by said communication control means; and

transfer means for transferring the data between said equipment control means and said communication control means,

wherein said communication control means receives data from said equipment control means through said transfer means in response to a reception request, so as to be written into said second storage means, transmits the data stored in said second storage means to the external device in response to a transmission request, receives data from the external device in response to a reception request so as to be written in said second storage means, and transmits data stored in said second storage means to the equipment control means through said transfer means in accordance with whether transmission is possible.

2. The equipment control unit according to claim 1, wherein communication speed between said equipment control means and said communication control means is different from that between said communication control means and said external device.

3. The equipment control unit according to claim 1, wherein communication between said control means and said communication control means can be performed at the timing independent of that between said communication control means and said external device.

4. The equipment control unit according to claim 1, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

5. The equipment control unit according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means transmits or receives data via a communication line.

6. An equipment control unit comprising:

first storage means for storing data;

equipment control means for controlling operation of an equipment based on the data stored in said first storage means;

second storage means for storing data;

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data to and from an external device based on the data stored in said second storage means; and

data transfer means for holding identical contents of said first storage means and said second storage means.

7. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said data transfer means transfers the data of said first storage means to said second storage means periodically.

8. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said data transfer means transfers the data of said second storage means to said first storage means periodically.

9. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said equipment is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a storage medium.

10. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said data transfer means transfers the data from said first storage means to said second storage means when an abnormality occurs in said second storage means.

11. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said data transfer means transfers the data from said second storage means to said first storage means when an abnormality occurs in said first storage means.

12. The equipment control unit according to claim 6, wherein said communication means communicates via a communication line.

13. An equipment control unit comprising:

first storage means for storing data;

equipment control means for controlling operation of an equipment based on the data stored in said first storage means;

second storage means for storing data; and

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data to and from an external device based on the data stored in said second storage means,

wherein said communication control means stores in the second storage means data for the equipment control means received from the equipment control means and transmits data for the equipment control means stored in the second storage means to the equipment control means.

14. An equipment control unit comprising:

first storage means for storing data;

equipment control means for controlling operation of an equipment based on the data stored in said first storage means;

second storage means for storing data; and

communication control means for controlling transmission and reception of data to and from an external device based on the data stored in said second storage means,

wherein said equipment control means stores in the first storage means data for the communication control means received from the communication control means and transmits data for the communication control means stored in the first storage means to the communication control means.

15. A communication control unit comprising:

transfer means for bidirectionally transferring data between an equipment control unit and said communication control unit;

communication means for bidirectionally communicating the data between an external device and said communication control unit; and

control means for performing reception of data from the equipment control unit through said transfer means in response to a reception request, performing transmission of the data received through said transfer means to the external device through said communication means in response to a transmission request, performing reception of data from the external device through said communication means in response to a reception request, and performing transmission of data received through said communication means to the equipment control unit through said transfer means in accordance with whether transmission is possible.

16. A communication control unit according to claim 15, wherein said control means receives the data through said transfer means in response to a reception request from the equipment control unit.

17. A communication control unit according to claim 15, wherein said control means receives the data through said transfer means in response to a reception request from the external device.

18. A communication control unit according to claim 15, wherein communication speed between the equipment control unit and said communication control unit is different from that between said communication control unit and the external device.

19. A communication control unit according to claim 15, wherein communication between the equipment control unit and said communication control unit can be performed at a timing independent of that between said communication control unit and the external device.

20. A communication control unit according to claim 15, wherein the equipment control unit controls an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

21. A communication control apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing data; and

communication means for performing communication between an equipment control apparatus and an external apparatus,

wherein said communication means receives control data for controlling the equipment control apparatus from the equipment control apparatus, and said storage means stores the received control data.

22. A communication control unit according to claim 21, wherein the equipment control apparatus controls an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

23. A communication control unit according to claim 21, wherein said communication means transmits the control data stored in said storage means to the equipment control apparatus in accordance with occurrence of an abnormality in a storage unit in the equipment control apparatus.

24. A communication control unit according to claim 23, wherein said storage unit stores control data for controlling the equipment control apparatus.

25. An equipment control apparatus comprising:

control means for controlling a piece of equipment;

storage means for storing data; and

communication means for performing communication with a communication control apparatus for performing communication between said equipment control apparatus and an external apparatus,

wherein said communication means receives control data for controlling the communication control apparatus, and said storage means stores the received control data.

26. A communication control unit according to claim 25, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

27. A communication control unit according to claim 25, wherein said communication means transmits the control data stored in said storage means to the communication control apparatus in accordance with occurrence of an abnormality in a storage unit in the communication control apparatus.

28. A communication control method comprising the steps of:

transferring data bidirectionally between an equipment control unit and a communication control unit, via a transfer means;

communicating the data bidirectionally between an external device and the communication control unit; and

performing reception of data from the equipment control unit through the transfer means in response to a reception request, performing transmission of the data received through the transfer means to the external device through the communication means in response to a transmission request, performing reception of data from the external device through said communication means in response to a reception request, and performing transmission of data received through the communication means to the equipment control unit through the transfer means in accordance with whether transmission is possible.

29. A communication control method according to claim 28, wherein said performing step includes receiving the data through the transfer means in response to a reception request from the equipment control unit.

30. A communication control method according to claim 28, wherein said performing step includes receiving the data through the transfer means in response to a reception request from the external device.

31. A communication control method according to claim 28, wherein communication speed between the equipment control unit and the communication control unit is different from that between the communication control unit and the external device.

32. A communication control method according to claim 28, wherein communication between the equipment control unit and the communication control unit can be performed at a timing independent of that between the communication control unit and the external device.

33. A communication control method according to claim 28, wherein the equipment control unit controls an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

34. A communication control method comprising the steps of:

performing communication between an equipment control apparatus and an external apparatus,

wherein said performing step includes receiving control data for controlling the equipment control apparatus from the equipment control apparatus; and

storing the received control data,

wherein said performing step includes transmitting the control data stored in said storing step to the equipment control apparatus in accordance with occurrence of an abnormality in a storage unit in the equipment control apparatus.

35. A communication control method according to claim 34, wherein the equipment control apparatus controls an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.

36. A communication control method according to claim 34, wherein said storing step includes storing control data for controlling the equipment control apparatus.

37. A communication control method comprising the steps of:

controlling a piece of equipment;

storing data; and

performing communication with a communication control apparatus for performing communication between an equipment control apparatus and an external apparatus,

wherein said performing step includes receiving control data for controlling the communication control apparatus, and said storing step includes storing the received control data, and

wherein said performing step includes transmitting the control data stored in said storing step to the communication control apparatus in accordance with occurrence of an abnormality in a storage unit in the communication control apparatus.

38. A communication control method according to claim 37, wherein the equipment is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium.