Apparatus and method for controlling a printing machine

• US 5,509,108 A
• Filed: 09/30/1993
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Yeh, Thomas I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEGREE, TRACY MICHELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/129,496
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 395/114, 355/204-209, 355/200, 355/202, 219/216, 364/550
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: B41F 33/0009 Central control units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1203 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1229 Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server

Abstract

There is provided a control apparatus for a printing machine located in a building with a portion of the building being characterized by an environmental state. The printing machine includes a print machine component, while the control apparatus includes a communication line, operatively coupled with the printing machine, across which signals are transmitted. A sensing arrangement, communicating with the communication line, transmits a signal, representative of the environmental state of the building portion, across the communication line. An interface receives and converts the signal to a control signal, the control signal being used to control the print machine component.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a printing machine located in a building with a portion of the building being characterized by an environmental state, the printing machine including a print machine component, comprising:

a communication line, operatively coupled with the printing machine, across which signals are transmitted;

sensory input means, communicating with said communication line, for transmitting a control signal, representative of the environmental state of the building portion, across said communication line;

an interface for receiving and converting the signal to a control signal;

a print machine controller, responsive to said interface, for controlling operation of the print machine component as a function of the control signal;

a plurality of print machine controllers; and

a plurality of print machine components respectively coupled with selected ones of said plurality of print machine controllers, one of said plurality of print machine controllers being dedicated to receiving the control signal and communicating the information imparted by the control signal to a selected one of the other print machine controllers.

2. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication line includes an AC power line across which a power signal is transmitted, the signal and the power signal are transmitted across said communication line and said interface includes a transceiving apparatus for converting a combination of the signal and the power signal into the control signal.

3. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensory input means comprises:

a building controller; and

a sensor for transmitting sensory information regarding the environmental state of the building portion to said building controller.

4. The control apparatus of claim 3, wherein said print machine controller, in response to receiving the control signal, transmits a signal to said building controller requesting that said building controller change the environmental state of the building portion.

5. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said sensory input means is disposed remotely of the printing machine.

6. The control apparatus of claim 1, in which said print machine component is characterized by an operating parameter, wherein:

the building portion is adjacent the printing machine;

said sensory input means includes a sensor for detecting a humidity level of the building portion;

the control signal represents the detected humidity level; and

the operating parameter of said print machine component is adjusted when the humidity level varies from a predetermined level.

7. The control apparatus of claim 1, wherein said print machine controller renders the print machine component inoperative when said print machine controller receives the control signal.

8. A control apparatus for a printing machine located in a building with a portion of the building being characterized by an environmental state, the building portion being adjacent the printing machine, the printing machine including a print machine component, the print machine component including an actuatable cooling apparatus, comprising:

a communication line, operatively coupled with the printing machine, across which signals are transmitted;

sensory input means, communicating with said communication line, for transmitting a control signal, representative of the environmental state of the building portion, across said communication line, said sensory input means including a sensor for detecting a temperature of the building actuatable cooling apparatus being actuated for a selected time interval when the temperature varies from a predetermined level;

an interface for receiving and converting the signal to a control signal; and

a print machine controller, responsive to said interface, for controlling operation of the print machine component as a function of the control signal.

9. A control apparatus for a printing machine located in a building with a portion of the building being characterized by an environmental state, the printing machine including a print machine component, comprising:

a communication line, operatively coupled with the printing machine, across which signals are transmitted;

sensory input means, communicating with said communication line, for transmitting a control signal, representative of the environmental state of the building portion, across said communication line;

an interface for receiving and converting the signal to a control signal;

a print machine controller, responsive to said interface, for controlling operation of the print machine component as a function of the control signal;

wherein the control signal directs the print machine component to perform a selected task and, in response to a condition of the print machine component, performance of the selected task is delayed.

10. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein said communication line includes an AC power line across which a power signal is transmitted, the signal and the power signal are transmitted across said communication line and said interface includes a transceiving apparatus for converting a combination of the signal and the power signal into the control signal.

11. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein said sensory input means comprises:

a building controller; and

a sensor for transmitting sensory information regarding the environmental state of the building portion to said building controller.

12. The control apparatus of claim 11, wherein said print machine controller, in response to receiving the control signal, transmits a signal to said building controller requesting that said building controller change the environmental state of the building portion.

13. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein said sensory input means is disposed remotely of the printing machine.

14. The control apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of print machine controllers; and

a plurality of print machine components respectively coupled with selected ones of said plurality of print machine controllers, one of said plurality of print machine controllers being dedicated to receiving the control signal and communicating the information imparted by the control signal to a selected one of the other print machine controllers.

15. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein:

the building portion is adjacent the printing machine;

said sensory input means includes a sensor for detecting a temperature of the building portion; and

the control signal represents the detected temperature.

16. The control apparatus of claim 15, wherein:

said print machine component comprises an actuatable cooling apparatus; and

said actuatable cooling apparatus is actuated for a selected time interval when the temperature varies from a predetermined level.

17. The control apparatus of claim 9, in which said print machine component is characterized by an operating parameter, wherein:

the building portion is adjacent the printing machine;

said sensory input means includes a sensor for detecting a humidity level of the building portion;

the control signal represents the detected humidity level; and

the operating parameter of said print machine component is adjusted when the humidity level varies from a predetermined level.

18. The control apparatus of claim 9, wherein said print machine controller renders the print machine component inoperative when said print machine controller receives the control signal.

19. A control apparatus for a printing machine located in a building with an actuatable building component, the printing machine including a print machine component and the actuatable building component comprising one or more lights, comprising:

a communication line, operatively coupled with the building component and the printing machine, across which signals are transmitted;

a building controller, communicating with the actuatable building component and transmitting a signal across said communication line to the printing machine as a function of the actuatable building component being actuated;

an interface, disposed intermediate of said building controller and the printing machine, for receiving and converting the signal to a control signal; and

a print machine controller, responsive to said interface, for controlling operation of the print machine component as a function of the control signal.

20. The control apparatus of claim 19, wherein said communication line includes an AC power line across which a power signal is transmitted, the signal and the power signal are transmitted across said communication line and said interface includes a transceiving apparatus for converting a combination of the signal and the power signal into the control signal.