Patent Publication Number: US-2010118325-A1

Title: Control board of image forming apparatus, image forming apparatus and image forming method

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-111178, filed on Nov. 10, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present general inventive concept relates to a control board of an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method, and more particularly, to a control board of an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method of processing increasing amounts of data and performing a plurality of jobs simultaneously. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Image forming apparatuses refer to apparatuses which print printing data generated by a terminal device such as a computer on a recording medium. Such image forming apparatuses may be photocopiers, printers, facsimile machines, or multifunction peripherals combining two or more of the aforementioned devices. 
     A control board is provided in the image forming apparatus to control various internal operations. The design and function of a conventional control board will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
       FIGS. 2 and 3  are block diagrams illustrating a control board of a conventional image forming apparatus. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a control board  10  of a conventional image forming apparatus includes a signal central processing unit (CPU)  11  to control all functions and perform all calculations of the image forming apparatus, and a plurality of functional components  12 , 13 , and  14 , (i.e., fax controller  12 , image controller  13 , and I/O controller  14 ) which are connected to the CPU  11  by a local interface (i.e., local I/F as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , another control board  20  of a conventional image forming apparatus includes a single CPU  21  to perform calculation and a system controller  22  to control internal functions of the image forming apparatus. The system controller  22  is connected to a plurality of functional components  23 ,  24  in a local interface method or a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) interface method. 
     However, the control boards  10  and  20 , having single CPUs  11  and  21 , respectively, as illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , have difficulty in processing a plurality of jobs simultaneously, and have a limitation on processing massive data because the various internal components are connected by the local interface. 
     SUMMARY 
     As there is a demand for a control board capable of processing an increasing amount of data at increased speeds, and performing a plurality of jobs simultaneously, example embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide a control board of an image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming method, which are capable of processing increasing amounts of data and performing a plurality of jobs simultaneously using a plurality of processors dedicated to each imaging-related function. 
     Additional embodiments of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the general inventive concept. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may be achieved by providing a control board of an image forming apparatus, the control board including a plurality of dedicated processors to support their respective functions, and a serial interface connected to each of the plurality of dedicated processors. 
     The dedicated processors may include at least one of a printing processor to perform a printing operation, an image processor to process scan data, and a main processor to manage the image forming apparatus. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may be independently operated. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include a main processor to control transmitting a status and a command for each job. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include a printing processor, the main processor may transmit video data transmitted through a communication interface to the printing processor, and the printing processor may convert the video data into bitmap data and/or generate bitmap data, and may transmit the bitmap data to an image-forming engine unit according to a synchronization signal of the image-forming engine unit. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include an image processor and a printing processor. If a copying command is received, the image processor may control a scanning unit to scan an image, may convert and rotate scan data according to a specification of each image, compresses each image into compression data, and may transmit the compression data to the printing processor through the serial interface. The printing processor may decompress the compression data, may convert the decompressed data into bitmap data and/or generate bitmap data, and may transmit the bitmap data to an engine unit according to a synchronization signal of the engine unit. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include an image processor, and, if a scanning command is received, the image processor may control a scanning unit to scan an image and convert and rotate scan data. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include a main processor, and the main processor may control transmitting scan data processed by the image processor to a host through a communication interface. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming apparatus including a communication interface to receive a job, and a control board including a plurality of dedicated processors to support their respective functions and a serial interface connected each of the plurality of dedicated processors, the control board controlling one of the plurality of dedicated processors corresponding to a received job to perform the received job. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include an image processor to correct and convert an image regarding scan data, a printing processor to convert printing data received through the communication interface or data which has been corrected and converted by the image processor into bitmap data, a fax processor to control diverse operations of a fax unit, and a main processor to classify the received job according to the type of job and transmits the job to a corresponding processor. 
     If the received job is a printing job, the main processor may transmit the printing job to the printing processor through the serial interface, and the printing processor may perform the printing job. 
     If the received job is a scanning job, the main processor may transmit the scanning job to the image processor through the serial interface, and the image processor may control the scanning unit to perform the scanning job. 
     If the received job is a copying job, the main processor may transmit the copying job to the image processor through the serial interface, the image processor may control the scanning unit to perform the scanning job and transmit scan data to the printing processor through the serial interface, and the printing processor may control printing the scan data. 
     If the received job is a faxing job, the main processor may transmit the faxing job to the fax processor through the serial interface, and the fax processor may control the fax unit according to the faxing job. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may be independently operated. 
     Example embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also be achieved by providing an image forming method of an image forming apparatus which includes a plurality of dedicated processors to perform their respective functions and a serial interface connected to each of the plurality of dedicated processors, the method including receiving a job, selecting a dedicated processor corresponding to the job, and performing the job using the dedicated processor. 
     The plurality of dedicated processors may include an image processor to correct and convert an image regarding scan data, a printing processor to convert printing data received through the communication interface or data which has been corrected and converted by the image processor into bitmap data, a fax processor to control diverse operations of a fax unit, and a main processor to classify the received job according to the type of job and transmit the job to a corresponding processor. 
     The selecting the dedicated processor may be performed in the main processor. 
     If the received job is a printing job, the performing the job may include performing the printing job through the printing processor. 
     If the received job is a scanning job, the performing the job may include performing the scanning job through the image processor. 
     If the received job is a copying job, the performing the job may include performing a scanning operation through the image processor, transmitting scan data to the printing processor through the serial interface, and printing the scan data through the printing processor. 
     If the received job is a faxing job, the performing the job may include performing the faxing job through the fax processor. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also provide an image forming apparatus, including a communication interface having groups of pins, a plurality of processors connected to the corresponding groups of pins of the communication interface, and a plurality of function units connected to the corresponding processors. 
     The apparatus may further include where the communication interface simultaneously transmits different data to the corresponding processors through the corresponding pins. 
     The apparatus may further include where the processors simultaneously and exclusively transmit different data to corresponding function units to simultaneously and exclusively perform corresponding functions. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also provide an image forming apparatus, including at least one communication interface to receive a job request for the image forming apparatus, a control board having a serial interface coupled to the at least one communication interface, a plurality of discrete function processors to process the job received, a main processor to control the processing of the job request by the plurality of discrete function processors, and an image forming unit, a scanning unit and a fax unit coupled to the control board to print scan or fax data according to the job received. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also provide a method of processing a plurality of imaging jobs in parallel with an image forming apparatus, the method including receiving a plurality of imaging job requests from at least one interface communicatively coupled to the image forming apparatus, classifying each of the plurality of imaging job requests, transmitting each of the classified job requests to a discrete processor, and processing each job requested based on its classification in parallel with the respective processor. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept may also provide an image forming apparatus, including a communication interface having groups of pins to receive a job, a control board comprising a plurality of dedicated processors connected to the correspond groups of pins to support their respective functions and a serial interface connected each of the plurality of dedicated processors, the control board controlling one of the plurality of dedicated processors corresponding to a received job to perform the received job, and at least one function unit connected to at least one of the dedicated processors to perform the received job at least in part. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other embodiments of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept; 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are block diagrams illustrating a control board of a conventional image forming apparatus; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an image forming method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present general inventive concept, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. The embodiments are described below in order to explain the present general inventive concept by referring to the figures 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. Referring to  FIG. 1 , an image forming apparatus  100  may include a communication interface  110 , a user interface  120 , a storage unit  130 , an image-forming engine unit  140 , a scanning unit  150 , a fax unit  160 , and a control board  200 . 
     The communication interface  110  is connected to a terminal device (not illustrated) such as a personal computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a digital camera, or any other suitable device, and receives various jobs from the terminal device. More specifically, the communication interface  110  connects to the image forming apparatus  100  to an external device, and accesses the terminal device through a local area network (LAN) and the Internet as well as through a universal serial bus (USB) port, or IEEE 1284 port, or other suitable data communications port. 
     The “job”, as recited herein, refers to a job that can be performed in the image forming apparatus  100  and may include a printing job, a scanning job, a copying job, and a faxing job, or any combination thereof, or any other suitable job. 
     The user interface  120  has a plurality of function keys through which a user sets or selects various functions supported by the image forming apparatus  100 , and displays various information provided by the image forming apparatus  100 . The user interface  120  may be a device to implement both input and output such as a touch pad or a device combining a mouse and a monitor. A user can select a job to be performed in the image forming apparatus  100  using a user interface window provided by the user interface  120 . 
     The storage unit  130  may store data regarding a job received through the communication interface  110  and may store various data generated inside the image forming apparatus  100 . The storage unit  110  may be an internal storage medium and an external storage medium of the image forming apparatus  100 , such as a removable disk or memory including a USB memory, a storage medium connected to a host, or a web server linked to a network, or any other suitable memory storage device. 
     The image-forming engine unit  140  performs a series of operations of forming an image on paper. More specifically, the image-forming engine unit  140  may form an image on a image-forming media using laser printing or ink jet printing, and may form a monochrome or color image. The image-forming engine unit  140  may be similar to a conventional image forming apparatus and detailed description thereof will be omitted. 
     The image forming engine unit  140  may include elements to feed a printing medium, print or form an image at the printing medium, and/or discharge the printing medium. 
     The scanning unit  150  may include a scan module to scan an image from a document. More specifically, the scanning unit  150  scans a document laid on a flatbed or a document fed from an auto document feeder (ADF), and may have a plurality of scan modules to generate image data from the scanned document. 
     The fax unit  160  may receive a fax transmitted through a telephone network or other telecommunication network, or transmit data of the image forming apparatus  100  through a telephone or other telecommunications network. More specifically, the fax unit  160  may be connected through a telephone network or through the Internet. The fax unit  160  may be a discrete device performing only a fax function or may be incorporated into the communication interface  110 . 
     The image-forming engine unit  140 , the scanning unit  150 , and the fax unit  160  may be operated exclusively or independently according to control signals from the printing processor  220 , the image processor  230 , and the fax processor  240 , respectively. 
     The control board  200  may control various internal operations of the image forming apparatus  100  to perform a job received through the communication interface  110  or a job input through the user interface  120 . More specifically, the control board  200  may include a plurality of dedicated processors  210 ,  220 ,  230 ,  240  (e.g., main processor  210 , printer processor  220 , image processor  230 , and fax processor  240 , etc.) which are independently operated, and a serial interface  250 . Although  FIG. 1  illustrates processors  210 ,  220 ,  230  and  240  are coupled to the serial interface  250  as part of the control board  200 , the control board  200  may include additional discrete processors, or at least one processor having multiple processors therein. The processors  210 ,  220 ,  230  and  240  may perform received jobs in parallel. That is, one or more of the processors may be performing at least one job while at least another processor is performing a job. 
     The serial interface  250  are connected each of the plurality of dedicated processors  210 ,  220 ,  230 ,  240 . More specifically, the serial interface  250  may be connected to each of a main processor  210 , a printing processor  220 , an image processor  230 , and a fax processor in a serial interface method to transmit and process increased amounts of data compared to the amount of data processed by the interfaces of the control boards  10  and  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The serial interface  250  transmits data in series using a plurality of pins to connect respective processors (e.g., processors  210 ,  22 ,  230  and  240 , etc.). The serial interface  250  transmits the increasing amounts of data at high speed, compared to a typical parallel interface or the local interfaces illustrated in control boards  10  and  20  of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The plurality of dedicated processors  210 ,  220 ,  230 , and  240  perform their respective functions and control various components inside the image forming apparatus  100 . More specifically, the plurality of dedicated processors  210 ,  220 ,  230 ,  240  may include the main processor  210 , the printing processor  220 , the image processor  230 , and the fax processor  240 . 
     The main processor  210  may control transmitting a status and a command for each job received via the communication interface  110  or the user interface  120 , or from one of the other processors (e.g., processor  220 ,  230 , or  240 ). More specifically, the main processor  210  classifies the job according to the type of job received through the communication interface  110  or the user interface  120 , or from one of the other processors from the serial interface  250 , and transmits the job to a corresponding dedicated processor through the serial interface  250  to perform the job. The main processor  210  may check the status and the job development of each of the printing processor  220 , the image processor  230 , and the fax processor  240  at predetermine time intervals, upon the completion of a particular event, or at any other suitable time. 
     The communication interface  110 , the user interface  120 , and the storage unit  130  may be connected to the main processor  210  of the control board  200 . The main processor  210  may control the communications interface  110 , the user interface  120 , and/or the storage unit  130  to transmit print job data or data to corresponding printing processor  220 , image processor  230 , and/or fax processor  240  through the communication interface  210 . The main processor  210  may control the serial interface  250  to transmit corresponding processors  220 ,  230 , and  240  according to a determination of the job. It is possible that the communication interface  110 , the user interface  120 , and the storage interface  130  may be connected to the serial interface  250  and the main processor  210 . 
     The printing processor  220  may control the image-forming engine unit  140  to perform a printing operation. More specifically, if the printing processor  220  receives a printing job from the main processor  210 , a terminal (not illustrated), or from interface  110  or  120 , or receives printing data from another dedicated processor, the printing processor  220  converts received data into bitmap data and/or generates bitmap data, and transmits the bitmap data to the image-forming engine unit  140  according to a synchronization signal of the image-forming engine unit  140  to perform a printing operation. The printing processor  220  may decompress data if the data is compressed, and convert it into bitmap data and/or generate bitmap data to perform a printing operation. 
     The image processor  230  may control the scanning unit  150  to perform a scanning operation. More specifically, if the image processor  230  receives a job that includes a scanning operation, such as a scanning job, a copying job, and a faxing job, from the main processor  210 , the image processor  230  controls the scanning unit  150  to scan a document and process the scanned image. Herein, processing an image refers to a series of operations of processing and compressing an image, such as converting size, adjusting color and converting rotation with respect to a scanned image according to a job specification of each job, or any other suitable image processing operations. 
     The image processor  230  transmits scan data to another dedicated processor through the serial interface  250  according to the type of job if the scanning operation has been completed. For example, if the received job is a copying job, the image processor  230  transmits scan data to the printing processor  220  through the serial interface  250  to print the scan data using the printing processor  220  and the image-forming engine unit  140 . In this example, the main processor  210  may facilitate communication between the image processor  230  and the printing processor  220 . 
     If the received job is a fax transmitting job, the image processor  230  transmits scan data to the fax processor  240  through the serial interface  250  to fax the scan data through the fax unit  160 . In some embodiments, main processor  210  may facilitate, monitor, or control communication of data, commands, or jobs between the image processor  230  and the fax processor  240  via the serial interface  250 . 
     If the received job is a scanning job, the image processor  230  transmits scan data to the main processor  210  through the serial interface  250  to store the scan data to the storage unit  130  of the image forming apparatus  100  or transmit the scan data to a terminal device (not illustrated). In some embodiments, main processor  210  may facilitate, monitor, or control communication of data, commands, or jobs between the image processor  230  and the data storage unit  130 . 
     The fax processor  240  may control the fax unit  160  to perform a faxing operation. More specifically, if the fax processor  240  receives a faxing job from the main processor  210 , receives scan data from the image processor  230 , or receives a fax receiving job through the fax unit  160 , the fax processor  240  controls the fax unit  160  to perform a fax transmitting job and a faxing receiving job. The fax processor  240  may also receive a faxing job from the communication interface  110  via the serial interface  250 . 
     For example, if the fax processor  240  receives a fax transmitting job from the main processor  210 , the fax processor  240  controls the fax unit  160  to transmit data regarding the fax transmitting job. 
     If a fax is received at the image forming apparatus  100 , the fax unit  160  notifies the main processor  210  or the fax processor  240  of the receipt of the fax. Accordingly, the fax processor  240 , which acknowledges a fax receiving job, converts received fax data to data that can be processed by the printing processor  220 , and transmits the data to the printing processor  220  through the serial interface  250 . 
     The fax processor  240  may transmit the received fax data directly to the printing processor  220 , or may store the fax data to the storage unit  130  before transmitting the data to the printing processor  220  for printing. 
     As described above, the image forming apparatus  100  includes the dedicated processors  210 ,  220 ,  230 , and  240  which are divided by function, thereby performing a plurality of jobs simultaneously. Also, each of the dedicated processor is connected to the high speed serial interface  250 , thereby easily processing increased amounts of data and thus effectively managing data and enhancing entire system performance compared to the control boards  10  and  20  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     According to the present general inventive concept, the printing processor  220  and the image processor  230  may be formed as a single processor to exclusively operate from the fax processor  240 . The printing processor  220  and the fax processor  240  may be formed as a single processor to exclusively operate from the image processor  230 . The image processor  230  and the fax processor  240  may be formed as a single processor to exclusively operate from the printing processor  220 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating an image forming method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept. 
     If a job is received in operation S 410 , a dedicated processor corresponding to the job is selected in operation S 420 . More specifically, it is determined which of a copying job, a printing job, a scanning job, and a faxing job is received and a dedicated processor to perform a corresponding job is selected. For example, if a job is received, the main processor  210  may determine that the job is a printing job, and transmits the printing job to the printing processor  220  through the serial interface  250  to perform the printing job. The main processor  210  may determine that the job is a printing job based on, for example, header information in the job request, or based on other data transmitted with the job. 
     The dedicated processor corresponding to the job performs the job in operation S 430 . More specifically, if a printing job is received, the printing processor  220  performs the printing job, if a scanning job is received, the image processor  230  performs the scanning job, if faxing job is received, the fax processor  240  performs the faxing job, and if a copying job is received, the image processor  230  performs a scanning operation and the printing processor prints the scan data. Since the operation of each of the dedicated processors corresponding to each job was described above with reference to  FIG. 1 , detailed description is omitted. 
     Accordingly, one of the plurality of dedicated processors is selected according to the type of a received job to perform the job, so that even if several different types of jobs are received, the dedicated processors can perform these jobs simultaneously. For example, if a scanning job, a printing job, a faxing job, and a copying job are received via the serial interface from the communications interface  110 , the user interface  120 , or from one of the processors,  210 ,  220 ,  230 , or  240 , the main processor  210  determines that these jobs are scanning, printing, faxing, and copying jobs, and directs them to image processor  230 , printing processor  220 , fax processor  240 , and image processor  230 , respectively for printing with the image forming engine unit  140 , for scanning and copying with the scanning unit  150 , and faxing with the fax unit  160 . The main processor  210  may control the input of the plurality of jobs and output of image processors  220 ,  230 , and  240  to image forming engine unit  140 , scanning unit  150 , and fax unit  160 . That is, main processor  210  may monitor and control the parallel processing of jobs by the processors  220 ,  230  and  240 . The image forming method of  FIG. 4  can be executed in a different image forming apparatus, besides the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 2 . 
     The present general inventive concept can also be embodied as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium can include a computer-readable recording medium and a computer-readable transmission medium. The computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device that can store data as a program which can be thereafter read by a computer system. Examples of the computer-readable recording medium include read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable recording medium can also be distributed over network coupled computer systems so that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. The computer-readable transmission medium can transmit carrier waves or signals (e.g., wired or wireless data transmission through the Internet). Also, functional programs, codes, and code segments to accomplish the present general inventive concept can be easily construed by programmers skilled in the art to which the present general inventive concept pertains. 
     Although various example embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these example embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.