Device control system

• US 7,176,785 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugita, Hiroshi, Hoshino, Tsutomu, Kaneko, Tomokazu, Takahashi, Hirota, Edogawa, Kazuya, Sonobe, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/280,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20030088318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 340/310.01, 340/425.2, 340/7.33, 340/7.32, 340/10.31, 340/10.33, 340/10.34, 340/310.06, 34031011-31018
• US Class Current: 340/286.02
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0428 Safety, monitoring G05B19/0423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/24125 Watchdog, check at timed intervals

Abstract

While a general-purpose interface circuit and another general-purpose interface circuit are provided so as to transmit/receive data between a host appliance and a device appliance, when the general-purpose interface of the device appliance happens to hang up, a control section transmits a reset signal via a dedicated interface circuit. When a dedicated interface circuit provided on the side of the device appliance receives this reset signal and then outputs this received reset signal to the general-purpose interface circuit, the general-purpose interface circuit is reinitiated.

Claims

1. A device control system comprising:

a host appliance having a general-purpose interface;

a device appliance having a general-purpose interface; and

a dedicated line connected to the host appliance and the device appliance,

wherein the host appliance and the device appliance are mutually connected to each other via the general-purpose interfaces to transmit/receive data via the general-purpose interfaces;

wherein the host appliance transmits/receives at least one of a reset signal and a wake-up signal via the dedicated line;

wherein the general-purpose interface of the host appliance and the general-purpose interface of the device appliance are connected via a general-purpose signal line; and

wherein the general-purpose signal line is disposed separately from the dedicated line.

2. A device control system comprising:

a host appliance; and

a device appliance,

wherein the host appliance comprises;

a general-purpose interface circuit for transmitting/receiving data via a general-purpose signal line to/from the device appliance; and

a dedicated interface circuit for transmitting/receiving at least one of a reset signal and a wake-up signal as a control signal to/from the device appliance; and

wherein the device appliance comprises;

a general-purpose interface circuit for transmitting/receiving data via the general-purpose signal line to/from the host appliance; and

a dedicated interface circuit for transmitting/receiving the control signal via a dedicated line to/from the host appliance; and

the dedicated line is disposed separately from the general-purpose signal line.

3. The device control system according to claim 2, further comprising a power supply line for supplying electric power therethrough, wherein the dedicate interface circuits transmit/receive the control signal via the power supply line.

4. A device control system comprising:

a host appliance having a general-purpose interface;

a device appliance having a general-purpose interface; and

a dedicated line connected to the host appliance and the device appliance,

wherein the host appliance and the device appliance are mutually connected to each other via the general-purpose interfaces to transmit/receive data via the general-purpose interfaces;

wherein the host appliance transmits/receives at least one of a reset signal and a wake-up signal via the dedicated line, the reset signal restarting and recovering the general-purpose interface in a hung-up state, the wake-up signal restarting a supply of an electric power to the general-purpose interface in a power saving state;

wherein the general-purpose interface of the host appliance and the general-purpose interface of the device appliance are connected via a general-purpose signal line; and

wherein the general-purpose signal line is disposed separately from the dedicated line.

5. A device control system comprising:

a host appliance; and

a device appliance,

wherein the host appliance has a general-purpose interface circuit for transmitting/receiving data via a general-purpose signal line to/from the device appliance;

wherein the device appliance has a general-purpose interface circuit for transmitting/receiving data via the general-purpose signal line to/from the host appliance;

wherein the host appliance has a dedicated interface circuit for transmitting/receiving via a dedicated line as a control signal at least one of a first reset signal and a first wake-up signal, the first reset signal restarting and recovering the general-purpose interface of the device appliance in a hung-up state, the first wake-up signal restarting a supply of an electric power to the general-purpose interface of the device appliance in a power saving state;

wherein the device appliance has a dedicated interface circuit for transmitting/receiving via the dedicated line as a control signal at least one of a second reset signal and a second wake-up signal, the second reset signal restarting and recovering the general-purpose interface of the host appliance in a hung-up state, the second wake-up signal restarting a supply of an electric power to the general-purpose interface of the host appliance in a power saving state; and

wherein the dedicated line is disposed separately from the general-purpose signal line.

6. A device control system, comprising:

a host appliance; and

a device appliance,

the host appliance further comprising;

a general-purpose interface circuit that transmits/receives data via a general-purpose signal line to/from the device appliance;

a dedicated interface circuit that transmits/receives at least one of a reset signal and a wake-up signal as a control signal to/from the device appliance; and

a power supply control unit that controls a power supply in the host appliance,

the device appliance further comprising;

a general-purpose interface circuit that transmits/receives data via the general-purpose signal line to/from the host appliance;

a dedicated interface circuit that transmits/receives the control signal via a dedicated line to/from the host appliance; and

a power supply control unit that controls a power supply in the device appliance, and

wherein the dedicated line is disposed separately from the general-purpose signal line, and the power supply control unit of the host appliance and the power supply control unit of the device appliance are connected with a power supply line.

7. The device control system according to claim 6, wherein the dedicated line constitutes the power supply line.

8. A device control system, comprising:

a host appliance;

a device appliance;

a power supply control unit that controls a power supply to the host appliance and the device appliance,

the host appliance further comprising;

a general-purpose interface circuit that transmits/receives data via a general-purpose signal line to/from the device appliance; and

a dedicated interface circuit that transmits/receives at least one of a reset signal and a wake-up signal as a control signal to/from the device appliance,

the device appliance further comprising;

a general-purpose interface circuit that transmits/receives data via the general-purpose signal line to/from the host appliance; and

a dedicated interface circuit that transmits/receives the control signal via a dedicated line to/from the host appliance, and

wherein the dedicated line is disposed separately from the general-purpose signal line.