Patent ID: 8266236

Claim:
A scanner sharing device for enabling a plurality of computers to share one scanner device, said scanner sharing device comprising: a scanner device connection terminal for a scanner device to be connected thereto and transmitting and receiving signals between said scanner device and said scanner sharing device; a plurality of computer connection terminals for a plurality of computers to be connected thereto and transmitting and receiving signals between said plurality of computers and said scanner sharing device; a connection switching unit selectively connecting one of said plurality of computer connection terminals to said scanner device connection terminal; a switch control unit controlling the operations of said connection switching unit, wherein the switch control unit includes a main controller connected to one computer connection terminal of the plurality of computer connection terminals and sub controllers connected to each of remaining computer connection terminals of the plurality of computer connection terminals; wherein the main controller of the switch control unit receives processing request signals and processing completion signals from a computer connected to the one computer connection terminal, and the sub controllers of the switch control unit receive processing request signals and processing completion signals from computers connected to each of the remaining computer connection terminals; and wherein when said scanner sharing device is in an automatic switching mode, if said switch control unit receives processing request signals from said plurality of computers through said computer connection terminals, said switch control unit connects the computer connection terminal, associated with one computer emitting said processing request signal, with said scanner device connection terminal by said connection switching unit successively in the order in which said switch control unit received the processing request signals, and maintains the connection between said computer connection terminal associated with said one computer and said scanner device connection terminal until said switch control unit receives a processing completion signal from said one computer through said computer connection terminal.