Point-of-sale demonstration of computer peripherals

• US 7,248,381 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP Singapore Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Montierth, Mark D., Taylor, Richard D., Zimmerman, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon; King Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/903,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.15, 358/1.6, 348/207.2, 713/322, 400/61, 361/827, 375/257, 455/559
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• 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 15/183 Removable memories, e.g. font cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A demonstration system for a peripheral such as a printer connects an external, non-volatile memory to the printer in place of the host computer. One such peripheral uses a peripheral cable containing a controller or formatter that includes a computer interface for communications with the host computer and an interface for memory accesses. The peripheral cable connects to the computer interface for communications with the host computer. The demonstration system employs a controller or formatter of the same type as used in the peripheral cable and connects the interface for reading from the external memory. The controller can load both demonstration code and demonstration data from the external memory and direct the peripheral to perform a demonstration.

Claims

1. For a peripheral that during normal operation, connects to a host computer through a cable containing a controller, a demonstration system comprising:

a controller of a type employed in the cable that connects the peripheral to the host computer during normal operation; and

a memory that is external to the peripheral, contains demonstration data, and is coupled to the controller to enable the controller to read the demonstration data from the memory for the peripheral to perform a demonstration without being connected to the host computer.

2. The demonstration system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral is a printer.

3. The demonstration system of claim 2, wherein:

the controller in the cable operates to format data from the host computer for a print operation of the printer; and

the controller in the demonstration system operates to format data from the memory as required for the print operation of the printer.

4. The demonstration system of claim 1, wherein the demonstration system further comprises:

a connector having a pin layout for connection to the printer;

a first enclosure containing the controller; and

a second enclosure containing the memory.

5. The demonstration system of claim 4, wherein the connector, the first enclosure, and the second enclosure are substantially identical to matching elements of the cable that connects the peripheral to the host computer during the normal operation.

6. The demonstration system of claim 1, wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

7. The demonstration system of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable in a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode, the controller boots from an internal memory, and in the second mode, the controller boots from the external memory.

8. The demonstration system of claim 7, further comprising circuitry connected to the controller to cause the controller to operate only in the second mode.

9. The demonstration system of claim 7, wherein the external memory further comprises demonstration code that the controller executes.

10. The demonstration system of claim 1, wherein the external memory further comprises demonstration code that the controller executes.

11. A method of making a demonstration system for a printer, comprising the steps of:

connecting to the printer a cable containing a controller that is of a type used in a printer cable that connects the printer to a host computer during normal operation of the printer;

storing demonstration data in a memory; and

connecting the memory to the cable to enable the controller to read the demonstration data from the memory and format the data for the printer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the controller has a computer interface and a memory interface, the computer interface is connected through the printer cable to the host computer during normal operation, and wherein connecting the memory comprises connecting the memory through the cable to the memory interface.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the computer interface implements a protocol for serial communication with the host computer and the memory interface implements an interface for access in a non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the memory interface comprises circuitry for access of non-volatile memory.

14. The method of 13, wherein the computer interface implements the protocol required for connection to a universal serial bus, and the memory interface implements accesses to a serial EEPROM.