Patent ID: 8587806

Claim:
A method to transfer data between at least two processing units processing paper along a travel path common to both processing units of a printing or copying system, comprising the steps of: splitting up processing information to be transmitted between the at least two processing units for processing said paper along said travel path common to both of said processing units into first data and second data, the first data comprising at least paper travel information for said paper of said common travel path for which a real-time processing is required, and the second data comprising processing information for which a real-time processing is not required; connecting the at least two processing units via a non-switched network, real-time-capable data transmission path as a first physical layer wherein the first data are transferred with aid of said real-time-capable data transmission path between the at least two processing units; and also connecting the at least two processing units via a switched network connection separate from the real-time-capable transmission path that provides a second physical layer separate from the first physical layer to transfer data, and the switched network connection transferring said second data between the at least two processing units.