Copying machine connected to a host computer for storage and retrieval of help information

• US 5,802,429 A
• Filed: 10/28/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Brase, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAINGER, QUANA MASHELL
• Application Number:
  US08/738,884
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 399/8-10, 399/11, 399/18, 395/183.01, 395/183.22, 364/130, 364/188, 358/406, 358/296
• US Class Current: 399/8
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5075 Remote control machines, e.g. by a host
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture

Abstract

A copying machine managing system for managing copying machines connected to a host computer via a circuit, wherein each copying machine includes a help data storage unit having a first storage region for storing simple help data related to the copying operation and a second storage region for temporarily storing detailed help data related to the copying operation. The detailed help data are transmitted from the host computer. The copying machine managing system further includes a detailed data request unit for requesting the host computer to transmit the detailed help data via a circuit; and a display unit for displaying the data stored in the help data storage unit. The host computer includes a data base for storing detailed data, and a help data retrieval unit for retrieving the corresponding detailed help data from the data base in compliance with a request from the detailed data request unit.

Claims

1. A copying machine managing system, comprising:

a host computer;

a copying machine;

a help data storage means disposed in said copying machine, and having a first storage region for storing simple help data related to a plurality of copying operations and a second storage region for temporarily storing detailed help data related to the copying operations;

a detailed help data request means disposed in said copying machine for requesting detailed help data related to the plurality of copying operations from said host computer;

an operation manual transmission request means disposed in said copying machine for requesting the transmission of an operation manual;

a display means disposed in said copying machine for displaying help data stored in said help data storage means and related to the copying operations;

a data base provided in said host computer for storing detailed help data and an operation manual related to the plurality of copying operations, and for registering identification of a facsimile machine associated with said copying machine;

a help data retrieval means provided in said host computer for retrieving detailed help data related to the corresponding copying operations, from said data base in accordance with a request from said detailed help data request means;

an operation manual retrieval means provided in said host computer for retrieving the operation manual in accordance with a request from said operation manual transmission request means; and

a communication means for transmitting requests from said detailed help data request means and from said operation manual transmission request means to said host computer and for transmitting detailed help data, related to the copying operations and retrieved by said help data retrieval means, to said copying machine and transmitting the operation manual retrieved by said operation manual retrieval means to the facsimile machine associated with said copying machine, as registered in said data base.

2. A copying machine managing system, comprising:

a host computer;

a copying machine;

a help data storage means disposed in said copying machine, and having a first storage region for storing simple help data related to a plurality of copying operations and a second storage region for temporarily storing detailed help data related to the copying operations;

a simple help data display request means disposed in said copying machine for requesting display of simple help data related to the plurality of copying operations;

a detailed help data display request means disposed in said copying machine for requesting display of detailed help data related to the plurality of copying operations;

an operation manual data request means disposed in said copying machine for requesting operational manual data related to the plurality of copying operations;

a detailed help data base provided in said host computer for storing detailed help data related to the plurality of copying operations;

an operation manual data base provided in said host computer for storing operation manual data related to the plurality of copying operations and for registering identification of a facsimile machine associated with said copying machine;

a detailed help data retrieval means provided in said host computer and responsive to a request for display of detailed help data for retrieving the requested detailed help data from said detailed help data base;

an operation manual data retrieval means provided in said host computer and responsive to a request for operation manual data, for retrieving the requested operation manual data from said operation manual data base;

a communication circuit connecting said copying machine to said host computer, for communicating requests for display of detailed help data and requests for operation manual data from said copying machine to said host computer, and communicating retrieved detailed help data from said host computer to said copying machine for storage in said second storage region and communicating retrieved operation manual data from said host computer to the facsimile machine associated with said copying machine, as registered in said host computer; and

a display means disposed in said copying machine, responsive to a request for display of simple help data stored in said first storage region for displaying the requested simple help data, and responsive to a request for display of detailed help data stored in said second storage region for displaying the requested detailed help data.