Patent ID: 9724949
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B41J,G06K

Claim:
1. A printing apparatus system, comprising: a printing apparatus; and a plurality of connection devices connected to the printing apparatus in multistage, the printing apparatus comprising: an apparatus side connector configured to be connected to one of the plurality of connection devices; an apparatus side storage unit; and an apparatus side controller, an apparatus side communication circuit configured to communicate with the plurality of connection devices, the apparatus side communication circuit electrically connecting the apparatus side connector to the apparatus side controller; each of the plurality of the connection devices comprising: a device side output connector configured to be connected to one of others of the plurality of connection devices; a device side input connector configured to be connected to one of the apparatus side connector and the device side output connector of one of the others of the plurality of connection devices; a signal line connecting the device side output connector to the device side input connector; an electric resistance disposed on the signal line; a device side controller connected to the signal line between the electric resistance and the device side input connection, the device side input connector and the device side output connector being connected with each other through the electric resistance a voltage level of a start command signal output from the printing apparatus being equal to or higher than a predetermined level, and the voltage level of the start command signal being reduced to be less than the predetermined level as it has passed through the electric resistance; a device side storage unit; and a device side communication circuit configured to communicate with the printing apparatus, the device side communication circuit electrically connecting the device side input connector to the device side controller; wherein the device side controller is configured to: execute an authentication process in cooperation with the apparatus side controller when a signal is input to the device side controller, the signal corresponding to a start command signal which is output from the printing apparatus and is input to the electric resistance, wherein the device side controller executes the authentication process when it receives the start command signal of which voltage level is equal to or higher than the predetermined level, while the device side controller does not execute the authentication process when it receives the start command signal of which voltage level is lower than the predetermined level; and execute a level process in which a voltage level of the start command signal which has passed the electric resistance is set to be higher than or equal to the predetermined level when the authentication process is finished, wherein the apparatus side controller is configured to store, in the apparatus side storage unit based on the authentication process and the level process, identification information assigned to each of the plurality of connection devices and number-of-stage information indicating, for each of the plurality of connection devices, which stage a connection device associated with the identification information is connected to, wherein the identification information is associated with the number-of-stage information.