Patent · US Expired

Centralized control system for terminal device

US5631724A · kind A · utility

72Cited by
20References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 28, 1994
Grant dateMay 20, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 28, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/2294
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A centralized control system capable of remote controlling terminal devices such as a copying machine or automatic vending machine by using communication lines. The system displays information identifying the terminal devices which have not transmitted the information to a central unit after predetermined time. Further, the system is provided with a back-up power source for backing up a memory storing the information to be transmitted and an IC for clocking the present time. The information stored in the memory is to be transmitted when the power is supplied again in the case where the transmission has not been carried out at the predetermined time because the power source for the terminal device was shut off. Moreover, the system judges, in the case where an image forming apparatus is adapted as a terminal device, whether the image forming apparatus has recovered from trouble condition to normal condition by judging whether a copy paper is actually discharged.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.