Facsimile apparatus that detects print failure to retain data in memory

• US 6,195,170 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Industries Limited, Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kato, Tetsuya, Mizutani, Satoshi, Oda, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles, Edward L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALLERSON, MARK E
• Application Number:
  US09/089,233
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.1, 358/1.9, 358/401, 358/501, 358/296, 358/502, 358/503, 358/404, 358/1.14, 358/1.16, 399/27, 399/29, 399/31, 399/33, 399/21, 347/3
• US Class Current: 358/1.14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00912 Arrangements for controlling a still picture apparatus or components thereof not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32363 at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32384 Storage subsequent to an attempted output at the receiver, e.g. in case of printer malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32614 related to a single-mode communication, e.g. at the transmitter or at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32635 of reproducing apparatus or receiver, e.g. out of paper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32683 Preventive counter-measures, e.g. using redundant hardware, or anticipating a fault arrangements for keeping a communication line open H04N1/32795
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion

Abstract

A facsimile apparatus capable of preventing the loss received information even if there is a possibility of a print failure. The facsimile apparatus has a reception memory that stores the data received, a print executing unit that prints, on a recording sheet, the data stored in the reception memory, and a print-failure determining unit that determines whether there is a possibility that a print failure will occur if the print executing unit performs printing. If it is determined that there is the possibility of the print failure, a print stopping unit stops execution of printing by the print executing unit, and a data retaining unit retains the data stored in the reception memory, even after the data has been printed out by a forced printing function. More specifically, if a determination cannot be made regarding a paper jam or an ink shortage due to, for example, strong external light coming in, or if it is determined that there is a print failure, the apparatus does not start printing, but displays a message “RECEIVED . . . ”, and retains the received data in the reception memory. The forced-printing of the data can be performed by operating a start switch. The received data thus retained can be maintained even after the forced printing, and is erased only when a reset instruction is input.

Claims

1. A facsimile apparatus, comprising:

a reception memory that stores data received;

a print executing unit that executes printing on a recording sheet on the basis of the data stored in the reception memory;

a print-failure determining unit that determines whether there is a possibility of a print failure, the print failure including at least one of a print density thinning and a partial depletion, will occur if the print executing unit performs printing;

a print stopping unit that stops execution of printing by the print executing unit if the print-failure determining unit determines that there is a possibility of a print failure;

an effectiveness determination unit that determines whether the print-failure determining unit is operating properly, the print-failure determining unit determining whether there is a possibility of a print failure only when the effectiveness determination unit determines that the print-failure determining unit is operating properly;

a data retaining unit that retains the data stored in the reception memory even after the data has been printed out when either the effectiveness determination unit determines that the print-failure determining unit is not operating properly or the print-failure determining unit determines that there is a possibility of a print failure; and

a data deleting unit that deletes the data stored in the reception memory after the data has been printed out when the print-failure determining unit determines that there is not a possibility of print failure.

2. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a forced print instructing unit that is able to forcibly start printing even if execution of printing is stopped by the print stopping unit.

3. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

an unnecessary data instructing unit that instructs that data do not need to be retained by the data retaining unit; and

a retained-data managing unit which maintains the retention of data by the data retaining unit until the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs that data do not need to be retained, and which, when the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs so, erases the data retained by the data retaining unit.

4. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an unnecessary data instructing unit that instructs that data do not need to be retained by the data retaining unit; and

a retained-data managing unit which maintains the retention of data by the data retaining unit until the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs that data do not need to be retained, and which, when the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs so, erases the data retained by the data retaining unit.

5. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the effectiveness determination unit determines that the print-failure determining unit is not operating properly when the print-failure determination unit detects an abnormal condition.

6. A facsimile apparatus, comprising:

a reception memory that stores data received;

a print executing unit that executes printing on a recording sheet on the basis of the data stored in the reception memory;

a print-failure determining unit that determines whether there is a possibility of a print failure, the print failure including at least one of a print density thinning and a partial depletion, will occur if the print executing unit performs printing;

an effectiveness determination unit that determines whether the print-failure determining unit is operating properly;

a print stopping unit that stops execution of printing by the print executing unit, if the effectiveness determination unit determines whether a present operating state is a state where effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible; and

a data retaining unit that, if the effectiveness determination unit determines that the present state is not the state where an effective determination by the print-failure determining unit is possible, retains the data stored in the reception memory even after the data has been printed out regardless of the result of the determination by the print-failure determining unit.

7. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a forced print instructing unit that is able to forcibly start printing even if execution of printing is stopped by the print stopping unit.

8. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an unnecessary data instructing unit that instructs that data do not need to be retained by the data retaining unit; and

a retained-data managing unit which maintains the retention of data by the data retaining unit until the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs that data do not need to be retained, and which, when the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs so, erases the data retained by the data retaining unit.

9. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an unnecessary data instructing unit that instructs that data do not need to be retained by the data retaining unit; and

a retained-data managing unit which maintains the retention of data by the data retaining unit until the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs that data do not need to be retained, and which, when the unnecessary data instructing unit instructs so, erases the data retained by the data retaining unit.

10. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the effectiveness determination unit determines that the print-failure determining unit is not operating properly when the print-failure determination unit detects an abnormal condition.

11. A multi-function communication device having at least a data reception function and a print function, comprising:

a device main body;

a printing mechanism mounted in the device main body;

a conveyance passage through the main body for passing a recording medium therethrough, the printing mechanism positioned on the conveyance passage;

a photosensitive sensor positioned downstream of the printing mechanism along the conveyance passage in a recording medium feed direction;

a memory for storing received data;

a control unit including a print stopping element for stopping printing on a basis of a signal from the photosensitive sensor, a sensor effectiveness determination element for determining whether the photosensitive sensor signal is reliable, a print-failure determining element for determining whether there is a possibility of a print failure on the basis of the signal from the photosensitive sensor if the sensor effectiveness determination element determines that the photosensitive sensor signal is reliable, a data retention element for retaining the data stored in the memory when either the sensor effectiveness determination element determines that the photosensitive sensor signal is not reliable or the print-failure determining element determines that there is a possibility of a print failure, and a data deletion element for deleting the data stored in the memory after the data has been printed out when the print-failure determining element determines that there is not a possibility of a print failure.

12. The multi-function communication device according to claim 11, wherein the photosensitive sensor comprises a light emitter and a light receiver.

13. The multi-function communication device according to claim 12, further comprising a feed roller opposed to the photosensitive sensor, the feed roller having a black surface.

14. The multi-function communication device according to claim 11, further comprising a force print switch connected to the control unit, the force print switch commanding printing of the received data when the photosensitive sensor is determined to be unreliable.

15. The multi-function communication device according to claim 14, further comprising a reset switch connected to the control unit to command erasure of the received data from the memory following a successful printing.

16. The multi-function communication device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit further comprises a check-mark print unit to print a check-mark in a non-recording area of a recording medium, the photosensitive sensor providing a signal measuring print legibility based on the printed check-mark.

17. The multi-function communication device according to claim 16, wherein the control unit further comprises a calibration unit for adjusting signals output by the photosensitive sensor to reflect recording medium coloration.

18. The multi-function communication device according to claim 17, wherein the control unit further comprises a print failure detecting element that checks whether the calibrated signal from the photo-sensitive sensor at the check-mark exceeds a predetermined value indicating sensor failure and disabling printing.

19. The multi-function communication device according to claim 18, further comprising a force print switch connected to the control unit, the force print switch commanding printing of the received data when the photosensitive sensor is determined to have failed.

20. The multi-function communication device according to claim 19, further comprising a reset switch connected to the control unit to command erasure of the received data from the memory following a successful printing.

21. The multi-function communication device according to claim 13, wherein the control unit further comprises a paper jam detection element, the paper jam detection element determining whether a change by a predetermined amount occurs in the signal from the photosensitive sensor within a predetermined time after a recording medium feed commences.

22. The facsimile apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sensor effectiveness determination element determines that the photosensitive sensor signal is not reliable when the photosensitive sensor detects an abnormal condition.