Digital image forming system

• US 6,072,595 A
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Kimihito, Nakai, Yasuhiro, Yoshiura, Syoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US08/914,903
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 358/440, 358/404, 358/468, 358/405, 358/434-436, 358/442, 379/100.01, 379/100.02
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3287 Storage of at least one complete document page or image frame

Abstract

A digital image forming system includes a digital copying machine and a portable telephone which can be carried independently of the digital copying machine and can communicate with the digital copying machine and other communication device. The digital copying machine includes a scanner section for converting document image as read into image data, image memory for storing the image data obtained from the scanner section and a main CPU for storing image data obtained from the scanner section into the image memory and reading the image data from the image memory to be transferred to the portable telephone. The portable telephone includes a memory for storing image data and a CPU for storing the image data as transmitted from the digital copying machine in the memory and transmitting the image data as read from the memory to other communication device.

Claims

1. A digital image forming system, comprising:

a digital image forming apparatus; and

a portable image communication device which can be carried independently of said digital image forming apparatus and can communicate with said digital image forming apparatus and other communication device,

wherein said digital image forming apparatus includes;

image data forming means for reading a document image and converting the document image as read into image data,

first memory means for storing the image data, and

first control means for storing the image data obtained from said image data forming means in said first memory means, and transferring the image data as read from said first memory means to said portable image communication device, and

said portable image communication includes;

second memory means for storing the image data, and

second control means for controlling the image data as transmitted from said digital image forming apparatus to be stored in said second memory means and the image data as read from said second memory means to be transmitted to said other communication device.

2. The digital image forming system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes image transmission means for permitting the image data to be transmitted to said other communication device via a communication line, and

when said image transmission means is not permitted to transmit the image data to said other communication device, and a communication is permitted between said digital image forming apparatus and said portable image communication device, said first control means reads out the image data from said first memory means and transmits the image data as read to said portable image communication device.

3. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said first control means transmits information on a receiving end as well as the image data to said portable image communication device.

4. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 2, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes display means which displays a message indicative of an unable transmission when said image transmission means is not permitted to transmit the image data to said other communication device, and thereafter, said first control means transmits the image data to said portable image communication device.

5. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes an installing section for installing therein said portable image communication device, and

when said portable image communication device is installed in said installing section, said portable image communication device electrically communicates with said digital image forming apparatus via a connector.

6. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes an image processing section for converting the image data to be transferred into a form which can be accepted by said portable image communication device, and

said first control means confirms the form of the image data which can be accepted by said portable image communication device and converts the form of the image data to be transferred to said image processing section when necessary before transferring the image data to said portable image communication device.

7. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said first control means confirms a memory capacity of said second memory means of said portable image communication device before transferring the image data to said portable image communication device, and interrupts a transferring operation when it is determined that said second memory means does not have a sufficient memory capacity for storing all the image data to be transferred.

8. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said portable image communication device further includes input means, and

in an detached state from said installing section, said portable image communication device transmits the image data from said second memory means to said other communication device upon receiving an instruction for transmitting the image data from an operator via said input means.

9. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said portable image communication device further includes an antenna for transmitting the image data to said other communication device, and said antenna is supported substantially vertically in an installed state in said installing section.

10. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes power supply means for supplying a power to said portable image communication device installed in said installing section.

11. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 5, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes stopper means for preventing said portable image communication device from being detached from said installing section while the image data is being transmitted to said portable image communication device.

12. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said portable image communication device communicates with said digital image forming apparatus using infrared rays.

13. A digital image forming system, comprising:

a digital image forming apparatus; and

a portable image communication device which can be carried independently of said digital image forming apparatus and can communicate with said digital image forming apparatus and other communication device,

wherein said digital image forming apparatus includes;

image data forming means for reading a document image and converting the document image as read into image data,

first memory means for storing therein the image data,

first control means for storing therein the image data obtained from said image data forming means in said first memory means, and transferring the image data as read from first memory means to said portable image communication device, and

visualizing means for visualizing the image data stored in said first memory means, and

said portable image communication device includes;

second memory means for storing the image data, and second control means for transmitting the image data as transmitted from said digital image forming apparatus to said other communication device.

14. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said first control means sequentially reads out the image data from said first memory means and transmits the image data as read to said portable image communication device at least when a communication is permitted between said digital image forming apparatus and said portable image communication device, and

said second control means sequentially transmits the image data as transferred from said digital image forming apparatus to said other communication device when a communication is permitted between said digital image forming apparatus and said portable image communication device and between said portable image communication device and said other communication device, and stores the image data as transmitted from said digital image forming apparatus in said second memory means when a communication is permitted between said digital image forming apparatus and said portable image communication device, and a communication is not permitted between said portable image communication device and said other communication device.

15. The digital image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said digital image forming apparatus further includes display means for displaying information and input means for allowing an operator to perform an input operation,

said second control means transfers information indicative of a telephone number of a receiving end that has been registered in said portable image communication device to said digital image forming apparatus, and

said first control means displays in said display means the information indicative of the telephone number as transferred from said portable image communication device, and transmits specifying information for specifying the information indicative of the telephone number as specified by operating said input means to said portable image communication device, and

said second control means transmits the image data as transferred from said digital image forming apparatus to the receiving end as specified by the specifying information.

16. The digital image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said first control means erases information regarding the image data as transmitted via said portable image communication device from said first memory means after a communication permitting state between said digital image forming apparatus and said portable image communication device has been cancelled.

17. The digital image forming apparatus as set forth in claim 13, wherein:

said first control means transfers information regarding the image data as transmitted via said portable image communication device to said portable image communication device, and

said second control means stores information regarding the image data as transferred from said digital image forming apparatus in said second memory means.

18. A digital image forming system, comprising:

a digital image forming apparatus; and

a portable image communication device which can be carried independently of said digital image forming apparatus and can communicate with said digital image forming apparatus and other communication device,

wherein said portable image communication device includes;

memory means for storing image data, and

control means for storing the image data as transmitted from said other communication device in said memory means, and reading the image data from said memory means and transferring the image data as read to said digital image forming apparatus, and for storing the image data as transmitted from said digital image forming apparatus in said memory means, and reading the image data from said memory means and transferring the image data as read to said other communication device, and

said digital image forming apparatus includes;

visualizing means for visualizing the image data; and

control means for sending the image data as transmitted from said portable image communication device to said visualizing means.

19. The digital image forming system as set forth in claim 18, wherein:

said portable image communication device includes informing means for informing that the image data has been stored in said memory means.

20. A digital image forming system, comprising:

a digital image forming apparatus, a transit device which serves as a transit for communication, and a portable image communication device which can be carried independently of said digital image forming apparatus, and can communicate with said digital image forming apparatus and other communication device,

wherein said transit means includes;

memory means for storing the image data as transmitted to said portable image communication device from said other communication device, and

control means for transmitting informing information indicating that the image data has been stored in said memory means upon storing the image data in said memory means, and reading the image data from said memory means and transferring the image data as read to said portable image communication device upon receiving a request for transferring the image data from said portable image communication device,

said portable image communication device includes;

informing means for informing a receipt of the informing information upon receiving the informing information from said transit device,

input means for inputting a request for transferring the image data, and

control means for giving said transit device based on an input from said input means a request for transferring the image data to said portable image communication device, and transferring the image data as transferred from said transit device to said digital image forming apparatus, and

said digital image forming apparatus includes;

visualizing means for visualizing the image data, and

control means for sending the image data as transferred from said portable image communication device to said visualizing means.

21. A digital image forming system, comprising:

a digital image forming apparatus, a transit device which serves as a transit for communication, and a portable image communication device which can be carried independently of said digital image forming apparatus, and can communicate with said digital image forming apparatus and other communication device via said transit device,

wherein said transit means includes;

memory means for storing the image data as transmitted to said portable image communication device from said other communication device, and

control means for giving said transit device based on an input from said input means a request for transferring the image data to said portable image communication device, storing the image data as transferred from said transit device in said second memory means and transferring the image data as read from said memory means to said digital image forming apparatus, and

said portable image communication device includes;

said second memory means for storing the image data,

informing means for informing a receipt of the informing information upon receiving the informing information from said transit means, and

input means for inputting a request for transferring the image data, and

control means for giving said transit device based on an input from said input means a request for transferring the image data to said portable image communication device, storing the image data as transferred from said transit device in said second memory means and transferring the image data as read from said memory means to said digital image forming apparatus, and

said digital image forming apparatus includes;

visualizing means for visualizing the image data, and

control means for sending the image data as transferred from said portable image communication device to said visualizing means.