Abstract:
A data control apparatus (a main control device) is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: an extension devices interface to which a plurality of extension devices are connectable; a connector to which predetermined IC cards are detachably applied; a rewritable program memory for a main body to store a control program of the main body; a CPU for controlling the respective devices and for processing input image data on the basis of the control program of the main body; and an image control unit to achieve control based on control of the CPU for recording and outputting the image data which have been processed and outputting them to any one of the extension devices. The extension devices interface includes control data lines for transferring and receiving control data with the extension devices, and down load exclusive lines for down loading a control program of the extension device of the extension devices.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a data control apparatus, a data control method and an image forming apparatus, more specifically relates to a data control apparatus, a data control method and an image forming apparatus in which transfer of control program to a plurality of extension peripheral devices are carried out by down load through a communication means from an external recording medium connected with the main body.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0004]    Heretofore in an image forming apparatus a control program thereof or the like is achieved with stored in read only memory (ROM) which is set up in the apparatus.  
           [0005]    However, when the program thereof is need to modify for the reason of an occurrence of bug and so on, it is required that the ROM in which the program is stored must be exchanged.  
           [0006]    For this work to exchange the ROM, the image forming apparatus must be disassembled into a level in which the ROM can be exchanged, in particular when the image forming apparatus is completed as a final product it takes a lot of labor and time.  
           [0007]    On that account a flash ROM becomes utilized to store the program to reduce the working hours for the exchange in these days.  
           [0008]    Consequently, in the prior art technology a digital copy machine such as shown in FIG. 3 denoted with the reference numeral  100  has been realized. This digital copy machine  100  comprises a main body  101  and as optional devices  120 , a printer option  130  and a facsimile option  140  which are built in the main body  101 . The main body  101  and the respective options  130 ,  140  are connected with UART (universal asynchronous receiver transmitter; asynchronous serial communication)  102 ,  131 ,  141  which are provided in the respective parts and application image bus.  
           [0009]    The main body  101  comprises a main control device  103 , a writing control device  104 , a mechanical load control device  105 , a readout control device  106 , an operation panel  107  and so on. The main control device  103  includes in addition to the above described UART  102 , an image control unit  108 , a CPU (Central Processing Unit)  109 , a ROM (Read Only Memory)  110 , a RAM (Random Access Memory)  111 , an IC (Integrated Circuit) card (ICCARD) connecter  112 , and so on. As for the ROM  110 , a flash ROM is used.  
           [0010]    The main body  101  controls the respective devices of the digital copy machine  100  on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM  110  with utilizing the RAM  111  as a work memory to achieve processes as a digital copy machine  100 .  
           [0011]    An image scanning device (not shown) which actually reads out image of original manuscript is connected to the readout control device  106 . The image scanning device is controlled to read out the image of manuscript by the readout control device  106  under control of the CPU  109 , then the read out image data are output to the image control unit  108  of main control device  103 .  
           [0012]    Various types of keys (not shown) and a display (not shown) are furnished in the operation panel  107  to display various information on the display under control of the main control device  103  and to output content of key manipulation to the main control device  103 .  
           [0013]    A printing engine (not shown) is connected to the writing control device  104  to output an image for recording on a recording paper in the electrophotography method, and the printing engine is made to output and record an image based on the image data sent from the image control unit  108  on the recording paper by the writing control device  104  under control of the main control device  103 .  
           [0014]    The mechanical load control device  105  controls various types of machinery mechanisms under control of the main control device  103 .  
           [0015]    To the IC card connector  112 , IC cards  113  are detachably inserted, and when the control program in a ROM  110  is updated, an IC card  113  in which the updated control program is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  112 .  
           [0016]    The printer option  130  is provided with a CPU  132 , a ROM  133 , a RAM  134 , an image control unit  135 , an IC card connector  136  and so on in addition to the above described UART  131 , as for the ROM  133  a flash ROM is used.  
           [0017]    In the printer option  130 , the CPU  132  controls the respective devices of the printer option  130  on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM  133  with utilizing the RAM  134  as a work memory to achieve a printing process.  
           [0018]    To the IC card connector  136 , IC cards  137  are detachably inserted, and when the control program in a ROM  133  is updated, an IC card  137  in which the control program for updating operation is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  136 .  
           [0019]    The facsimile option  140  is provided with a CPU  142 , a ROM  143 , a RAM  144 , an image control unit  145 , an IC card connector  146  and so on in addition to the above described UART  141 , as for the ROM  143  a flash ROM is used.  
           [0020]    In the facsimile option  140 , the CPU  142  controls the respective devices of the facsimile option  140  based on a control program stored in the ROM  143  with utilizing the RAM  144  as a work memory to achieve a facsimile transmission process.  
           [0021]    To the IC card connector  146 , IC cards  147  are detachably inserted, and when the control program in the ROM  143  is updated, an IC card  147  in which the control program for updating operation is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  146 .  
           [0022]    The printer option  130  and the facsimile option  140  are connected to the main body of digital copy machine  100  by the UART  102 ,  131  and  141  which are communication means and an application image bus which is an image data bus, the main body  101  communicates with the respective options  130  and  140  for control data by the UART  102 ,  131  and  141 , for image data through the application image bus, consequently the digital copy machine  100  carries out function and operation as a series of composite machines.  
           [0023]    In the digital copy machine  100  in the prior art when a necessity for updating of the control program is occurred in the main body  101  or in the respective options  130  and  140 , as shown in FIG. 4, an IC card  113 , 137  or  147  in which a program to be updated and a control program for updating operation are stored, is inserted and connected to the IC card connector  112 ,  136  or  146  of the main body  101 , or option  130  or  140  on which the necessity for updating of program is occurred (Step S 101 ). Then a power switch of the main body  101  is turned on (Step S 102 ), and the program to be updated in the IC card  113 ,  137  or  147  is activated (Step S 103 ), consequently exchange of the addresses of ROM  110 ,  133  or  143  on a memory map and the addresses of the IC card  113 ,  137  or  147  is achieved. Then the main body  101  or the respective options  130  and  140  is activated by the control program for updating operation in the IC card  113 ,  137  or  147 , and a down load of the control program is begun (Step S 104 ), and the control program stored in the IC card  113 ,  137  or  147  is sequentially transferred until the control program is completely transferred (Step S 105 -S 106 ).  
           [0024]    When the transfer of control program has been completed in the Step  106 , the down load is terminated (Step S 107 ).  
           [0025]    As a consequence, on the digital copy machine  100  in the prior art, working hours for program updating operation could be drastically shortened.  
           [0026]    However, in the image forming apparatus, that is to say the digital copy machine  100  in the prior art as above described, because the same down load method is adopted at the main body  101  and the respective options  130  and  140 , the IC card connector  112 ,  136  and  146  are required in every circuit board, that is to say in every main body  101  and the respective options  130  and  140 , it brings a problem causing higher cost for the apparatus because the structure of apparatus becomes complicated.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0027]    Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive data control apparatus, data control method thereof and an image forming apparatus in which the down load of program to all extension devices can be carried out with only one connecter mounted in the main body without mounting of the IC card connector in the respective extension devices, and a periodical data exchange, a recovery disposition during error occurrence and so on can be easily achieved because a transfer of control data is made possible even during the down load operation is being performed.  
           [0028]    In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention a data control apparatus comprises: an extension devices interface to which a plurality of extension devices are connectable; a recording media interface to which predetermined external recording media are detachably applied; a rewritable program memory of a main body to store a control program of the main body; a control means for controlling the respective devices and for processing input image data on the basis of the control program of the main body; and an image control means to achieve control based on the control of the control means for recording and outputting the image data which have been processed and outputting them to any one of the extension devices. The apparatus is characterized in that the extension devices interface includes a control data communication means for transferring and receiving control data with the extension devices, and a down load exclusive communication means for down loading a control program for the extension device of the extension devices, a data control method thereof and an image forming apparatus are provided.  
           [0029]    In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention a data control apparatus is characterized in that the control means controls the image control means to transfer the control program stored in the external recording medium to the program memory of the main body when the external recording medium in which the control program of the main body is stored is applied to the recording media interface, and the control means controls the image control means to transfer the control program stored in the external recording medium through the down load exclusive communication means to a program memory of corresponding the extension device when the external recording medium in which the control program of the extension device is stored is applied to the recording media interface, a data control method thereof and an image forming apparatus are provided.  
           [0030]    In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention a data control apparatus is characterized in that the down load exclusive communication means transfers the control program of the extension device in the same communication method as the control data communication means, a data control method thereof and an image forming apparatus are provided.  
           [0031]    In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention a data control apparatus is characterized in that the down load exclusive communication means is different from the control data communication means in at least one of the data transfer rate thereof or the data format thereof, a data control method thereof and an image forming apparatus are provided.  
           [0032]    According to the first aspect of the present invention, a periodical data exchange, a recovery disposition during error occurrence and so on can be easily carried out because the transfer and receiving of control data between the data control apparatus and the extension devices is achieved through the control data communication means, and the down load for the extension devices is carried out through the down load exclusive communication means, and a transfer and receiving of control data is made possible even during the down load operation is being performed.  
           [0033]    According to the second aspect of the present invention, it can be achieved to make extension peripheral devices and so on inexpensively because the control means controls the image control means to transfer the control program stored in the external recording medium to the program memory of the main body when the external recording medium in which the control program of the main body is stored is applied to the recording media interface, and the control means controls the image control means to transfer the control program stored in the external recording medium through the down load exclusive communication means to a program memory of corresponding said extension device when said external recording medium in which the control program of the extension device is stored is applied to the recording media interface, and there is no need to furnish the recording media interface in every extension peripheral devices.  
           [0034]    According to the third aspect of the present invention, more inexpensive and convenient data control apparatus can be provided because the down load exclusive communication means transfers control program of the extension device in the same communication method as the control data communication means, a compatibility of the hardware configuration and the software composition of down load exclusive communication means and control data communication means is enhanced, and it can be carried out to simplify the process.  
           [0035]    According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, because the down load exclusive communication means is different from the control data communication means in at least one of the data transfer rate thereof or the data format thereof, in comparison with the usual control data transfer and receiving includes an exchange of some byte of command and so on, a down load requires much time to transfer the data of some Mbyte, high speeded data transfer can be realized and a performance of the device can be improved through an elimination of parity check and simplification of the data format when the down load of control program for the extension devices is achieved.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0036]    [0036]FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structure of relevant portion of a digital copy machine as an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing a down load operation for the control program of IC card for the digital copy machine shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing show a structure of relevant portion of a digital copy machine in the prior art technology.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a down load operation for the control program of IC card for the digital copy machine in the prior art technology shown in FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0040]    Hereinafter the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Herein because the embodiments hereinafter described are mere examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, technically desirable restrictions are added to it, however, it is not intended to limit scopes of the present invention to the aspect of these embodiments as far as no special mention to restrict the present invention is given in the following description.  
         [0041]    Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, one example of an image forming apparatus including a data control apparatus according to the present invention is shown.  
         [0042]    In FIG. 1, a digital copy machine  1  as an image forming apparatus has a main body  10 , in which a printer option  40  and a facsimile option  50  are installed as optional devices (extension peripheral devices)  30  through an extension peripheral device interface  11 F.  
         [0043]    The main body  10  includes a main control device (data control apparatus)  11 , a writing control device (writing control means)  12 , a mechanical load control device  13 , a readout control device (readout control means)  14 , a operation panel  15  and so on. The main control device  11  includes an image control unit  21 , a CPU  22 , a ROM  23 , a RAM  24 , a UART (universal asynchronous receiver transmitter; asynchronous serial communication)  25 , an IC card connecter  26  and so on. The image control unit  21 , CPU (control means)  22 , ROM (Memory for first program)  23 , RAM  24 , UART  25  and IC card connecter  26  are connected together by a CPU bus  27 . As for the ROM  23 , a flash ROM which can be rewritten any number of times, is used.  
         [0044]    The main control device (control means)  11  controls the respective devices of the digital copy machine  1  on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM  23  with utilizing the RAM  24  as a work memory to achieve processes as a digital copy machine  1 .  
         [0045]    An image scanning device (not shown) which actually reads out image of manuscript is connected to the readout control device  14 . The image scanning device is controlled to read out the image of manuscript by the readout control device  14  under control of the CPU  22 , then the read out image data are output to the image control unit  21  of main control device  11 .  
         [0046]    Various types of keys (not shown) and a display (not shown) are furnished in the operation panel  15  to display various information on the display under control of the main control device  11  and to output content of key manipulation to the main control device  11 .  
         [0047]    A printing engine (not shown) is connected to the writing control device  12  to output for recording an image on a recording paper in the electrophotography method. The printing engine is made to output and to record an image based on the image data sent from the image control unit  21  on the recording paper by the writing control device  12  under control of the main control device  11 , that is to say, under control of the CPU  22 .  
         [0048]    The mechanical load control device  13  controls various types of machinery mechanisms under control of the main control device  11 .  
         [0049]    To the IC card connector (recording media interface)  26 , an IC card (recording medium)  28  is detachably inserted. And when the control program of main body  110  and optional devices  30  such as printer option  40  and facsimile option  50 , are updated, an IC card (ICCARD)  28  in which the control program for updating operation is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  26 .  
         [0050]    The printer option  40  is provided with a CPU  41 , a ROM (memory for second program)  42 , a RAM  43 , an image control unit  44 , a UART  45  and so on, and the respective devices are connected together by a CPU bus  46 . As for the ROM  42 , a flash ROM which can be rewritten any number of times, is used.  
         [0051]    In the printer option  40 , the CPU  41  controls the respective devices of the printer option  40  on the basis of a control program stored in the ROM  42  with utilizing the RAM  43  as a work memory to achieve a printing process.  
         [0052]    The facsimile (FAX) option  50  is provided with a CPU  51 , a ROM (memory for second program)  52 , RAM  53 , image control unit  54 , a UART  55  and so on, and the respective devices are connected together by a CPU bus  56 . As for the ROM  52 , a flash ROM which can be rewritten any number of times, is used.  
         [0053]    In the facsimile option  50 , the CPU  51  controls the respective devices of the facsimile option  50  based on a control program stored in the ROM  52  with utilizing the RAM  53  as a work memory to achieve a facsimile transmission process.  
         [0054]    The UART (communication means)  25  of the main body  10  in the digital copy machine  1 , and the UART (communication means)  45 ,  55  of printer option  40  and facsimile option  50  are connected together through the respective interfaces  11 F,  40 F and  50 F by control data lines (control data communication means)  60 ,  61  as well as down load exclusive lines (down load exclusive communication means)  62 ,  63 . The image control units  21 ,  44  and  54  are, also, connected together by an application image bus  64  through the respective interfaces  11 F,  40 F and  50 F.  
         [0055]    The main body  10  and the respective options  40 ,  50  transfer and receive the control data by the UART  25 ,  44  and  55  through the control data lines  60 ,  61  and at the same time achieve down load of the control program through the down load exclusive lines  62 ,  63 . The main body  10  and the respective options  40 ,  50  transfer and receive the image data through the application image bus  64 , in this manner the digital copy machine  1  achieves a sequence of function and operation as a composite machine and down load of the control program.  
         [0056]    As above described, in the digital copy machine  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention, the IC card connector  26  is built in only at the main body  10  and it is not built in at neither of the printer option  40  nor the facsimile option  50  as the optional device  30 . And the UART  25  of main body  10  and the UART  45 ,  55  of the respective optional devices  30  are connected by the down load exclusive lines  62 ,  63  through the respective interfaces  11 F,  40 F and  50 F.  
         [0057]    Also, in the digital copy machine  1 , because the UART is at the same time selected as a communication method for both of the exclusive communication for down load and the communication for control data, it makes possible to simplify the hardware configuration and software composition.  
         [0058]    In the digital copy machine  1  according to the above described embodiment, the UART  25 ,  45  and  55  are employed for communication between the main body  10  and the optional devices  30 , the other non-synchronized serial communication method such as USB and so on also can be employed. Of course, any synchronized serial communication method may be used.  
         [0059]    [OPERATION] 
         [0060]    Hereinafter an operation of the digital copy machine  1  according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0061]    When the control program of the main body  10  is down loaded, an IC card  28  in which the control program for the main body  10  is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  26  (Step S 1 ), and a power switch of the main body is turned on (Step S 2 ). Then the program to be updated in the IC card  28  is activated to select which is a target for down load among the main body  10 , printer option  40  and facsimile option  50  (Step S 3 ).  
         [0062]    In this occasion, because the control program in the main body  10  is down loaded, the main body  10  is selected (Step S 13 ) and the control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred to the ROM  23  in Step S 14 , then a control program stored in the ROM  23  is overwritten with the control program stored in the IC card  28 . That is to say, the down load operation for the main body is carried out. In Step S 15  it is confirmed whether or not whole of control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred, and when the result is NO, the flow of operation returns to Step S 14  and when the result is YES, the flow of operation goes to Step S 8 . In Step  8  the down load operation is terminated.  
         [0063]    When the control program of the optional devices  30  is rewritten, an IC card  28  in which the control program of the optional device  30 , that is to say the printer option  40  or the facsimile option  50  is stored, is inserted to the IC card connector  26  of main body  10 , and the power switch is turned on, then a control program in the ROM  42  or  52  of target optional device  30  can be updated.  
         [0064]    That is to say, in the same manner as described above, an IC card  28  in which the control program for updating operation for the printer option  40  or the facsimile option  50  is stored, is inserted and connected to the IC card connector  26  of main body  10  (Step S 1 ), and a power switch of the main body is turned on (Step S 2 ), then the program to be updated in the IC card  28  is activated to select which is the target for down load between the printer option  40  and the facsimile option  50  (Step S 3 ).  
         [0065]    It is supposed that in this occasion the facsimile option  50  is the target for updating (Step S 4 ), the control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred from the UART  25  to the UART  55  of facsimile option  50  through the down load exclusive line  63  (Step S 5 ), while it is confirmed if the transfer is completed (Step S 6 ), the control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred to the facsimile option  50  until the complete transfer is achieved (Step S 5 ).  
         [0066]    When the transfer of control program to the facsimile option  50  is completed, the down load operation at the facsimile option  50 , that is overwriting operation of the control program stored in the ROM  52  with the control program transferred to the facsimile option  50  is carried out (Step S 7 ), and when the down load operation at the facsimile option  50  is completed, the whole down load operation is terminated (Step S 8 ).  
         [0067]    When it is supposed that the printer option  40  is the target for down load (Step S 9 ), the control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred from the UART  25  to the UART  45  of printer option  40  through the down load exclusive line  62  (Step S 10 ), while it is confirmed if the transfer is completed (Step S 11 ), the control program stored in the IC card  28  is transferred to the printer option  40  until the complete transfer is achieved (Step S 10 ).  
         [0068]    When the transfer of control program to the printer option  40  is completed, the down load operation at the printer option  40 , that is overwriting operation of the control program stored in the ROM  42  with the control program transferred to the printer option  40  is carried out (Step S 12 ), and when the down load operation at the printer option  40  is completed, the whole down load operation is terminated (Step S 8 ).  
         [0069]    In a case when a UART is employed to transfer and receive the control data between the optional device  30  as an external device and the main body  10  of digital copy machine  1  as the image forming apparatus, usually the transfer rate within a range of 4,800 bps-14,400 bps is used because every transfer and receiving of data is accomplished containing several bytes.  
         [0070]    The size of control program of the main body  10  in the digital copy machine  1  and the optional devices  30  as an external device, does of course depend on a scale of the system, usually 1-2 M byte.  
         [0071]    When it is supposed that a capacity of the control program of the optional device  30  is 2 Mbyte and a transfer condition of the UART is baud rate: 9,600 bps, data bit: 8 bit, start bit: 1 bit, parity bit: 1 odd bit and stop bit: 1 bit, it requires time of a multiplication of the bit amount by the transfer rate in 1 byte transfer, it brings, (1+8+1+1)×1/9600=1.146 ms.  
         [0072]    In consequence, in case where a transfer interval is ignored, to transfer the control program of 2 Mbyte requires 1.146 ms/byte×2 M-byte=2403 s=40 min, and it is not practical as a time length for down load, and there might be a fear for user to feel pressured with stress.  
         [0073]    For that reason, in the digital copy machine  1  according to the embodiment of the present invention the transfer rate of the UART is accelerated much higher than an usual control data transfer.  
         [0074]    For example, when the baud rate is given as 307,200 bps instead of 9600 bps (32 times), to transfer the control program of 2 Mbyte requires (1+8+1+1)×1/307200/byte×2 Mbyte 75.1 s, it is not so long to feel pressured with stress.  
         [0075]    Moreover, when the parity bit is eliminated, to transfer the control program of 2 Mbyte requires (1+8+0+1)×1/307200/byte×2 byte=68.3 s, and further speeding up can be attained.  
         [0076]    As described above, higher speed of data transfer is possible to depend on changing one or both of the data transfer speed and/or data format, and higher performance can be intended.  
         [0077]    In addition, when the same communication method for communication of the control data transfer and for communication of the down load exclusive transfer is employed, it brings easier control of software. At the same time, when a sophisticated communication method with low transfer rate is employed for the former transfer and higher communication method capable of much larger amount of data transfer is employed for the latter transfer, the down load can be surely attained in much shorter time by charging the former communication method to check errors and so on.  
         [0078]    As above described, although the invention has been specifically explained with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be noted that the scope of the invention is not limited to the above aspects and that various modifications and alterations can be made to the aforementioned embodiments without departing the scope of the invention.