Patent ID: 8116595

Claim:
An image data processing system for use with a Plurlity of external receptors, with each receptor having an associated receptor-specific command format and receptor-specific image data format, the s system comprising: a host computer; a first bus; a mother board; a second bus; and a plurality of daughter boards; wherein; the host computer comprises common image data processing circuitry adapted to: (i) receive common image data sets in a common image format, (ii) process the common format image data sets, and (iii) send common format commands in a common command format; the mother board comprises common format conversion circuitry adapted to: (i) receive image receptor output data sets respectively in various receptor-specific formats, (ii) respectively convert the image receptor output data sets into common format image data sets in a common format, (iii) send the common format image data sets to the common image data processing circuitry through the first bus, (iv) receive the common format commands from the common image data processing circuitry through the first bus, and (v) respectively convert the common format commands into receptor-specific commands in one of a plurality of receptor-specific command formats depending upon an identity of an image receptor which will perform the command; the second bus is adapted to: (i) receive the image receptor output data sets from the plurality of daughter boards, (ii) the image receptor output data sets to said common format conversion cicuitry, (iii) receive the receptor-specific commands from the common format conversion circuitry, and (iv) send the receptor specific commands to the plurality of daughter boards; and each daughther board of the pluraltiy of daughter boards adapted to: (i) receive receptor-specific commands from the second bus, (ii) send receptor-specific commands to a respective external image receptor, (iii) receive the image receptor output data from its corresponding external image receptor, and (iv) send the image receptor data sets to the second bus.