Integrated computer and image reproduction system

• US 6,137,591 A
• Filed: 04/07/1998
• Issued: 10/24/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PDACO LIMITED
• Original Assignee: Elonex PLC (Elonex Uk Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Evans, Art
• Application Number:
  US09/057,014
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.8, 358/1.13, 358/1.6, 358/1.7, 358/474, 358/475, 358/480, 358/481, 358/486, 347/129, 347/130, 347/134, 347/135, 347/138, 347/166, 347/224, 347/275, 347/230, 347/231, 347/257, 347/256
• US Class Current: 358/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4022 using switching circuits, e.g. switching matrix, connection or expansion network G06F13/4009 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 15/00 Arrangements for producing a permanent visual presentation of the output data , e.g. computer output printersprinting or plotting combined with another operation, e.g. with conveying, G06K17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2215/0082 Architecture adapted for a particular function
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00238 using an image reproducing device as a local output from a computer output via network, e.g. network printing H04N1/00233
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0461 part of the apparatus being used in common for reading and reproducing simultaneous scanning of the original picture and the reproduced picture with a common scanning device H04N1/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1135 for the main-scan only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 : Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 : Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 : Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

An integrated computer, scanner, and printer has elements of all three in a single enclosure with a single CPU performing all of the control tasks for the three, usually separate, devices. The three functions also share memory space, and control circuitry for the scanning and printing operations are interfaced directly to the system bus of the computer. Control routines in a preferred embodiment are integrated into a single system BIOS. In embodiments of the invention, a light source, such as a laser source, used for electrostatically writing images on a drum for printing, is diverted and also used for scanning operations. In another alternative embodiment, a device-driver-software transparent extended enhanced parallel port is provided for expansion of the bus into an external copy of the internal bus, such that expansion ports may be transparently provided in an external docking box.

Claims

1. A printer-scanner apparatus, comprising:

an enclosure;

an electrostatic printer portion within the enclosure including a LED light bar light source, an organic photoconducting cartridge (OPC), a document handling system, and a fuser;

a scanning system within the enclosure including a light-intensity detector and a scanning support surface for a scanned document; and

control circuitry including a controller and a memory coupled to the scanning system, the electrostatic printer and to a communication system to a host computer;

wherein the LED light bar light source is positioned in close proximity to the OPC, and the scanning system and the electrostatic printer share the common light source, light from the light source being deflected to the OPC or the scanning support surface by rotating the LED light bar face way from the OPC and into the deflection apparatus under control of the host computer.

2. A printer-scanner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the light source is a laser source.

3. A printer-scanner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the light from the common light source follows a light path during scanning operations, and a semi-opaque mirror in the light path deflects a portion of light in the light path into the light-intensity detector.

4. A printer-scanner apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the scanning system includes a scanned document translation apparatus, whereby a document to be scanned may be translated past a scanning position.

5. A method for scanning a document into a computer memory, comprising steps of:

rotating a LED light bar directed to an organic photoconducting cartridge (OPC) in an electrostatic printer away from the OPC to a document support surface supporting a document to be scanned;

directing a portion of the light in the light path during scanning into a light-intensity detector; and

converting light-intensity information relative to time into bit-mapped stored image file

printing the stored image file by rotating the LED light bar, returning it to the OPC and directing light to strike the OPC writing an electrostatic image according to the stored image file.