Composite apparatus and printer sharing method
US6801332B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 5, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 16, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N2201/0094
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A composite apparatus and a printer sharing method are provided which can use an already developed printer board and suppress an increase in product cost. If a print permission signal is true, a selector of a main controller is switched to receive a signal from a printer board. The main controller controls to which one of a printer interface of the main controller and a printer interface of the printer board a signal is transferred from the selector. Namely, when a relay receives a PRNT signal, this effect is notified to the main controller's CPU via a CPU bus, and the CPU sends a control signal to the selector via the printer interface of the main controller and a signal line. In response to this, the selector is switched to the printer board side to thereafter transfer signals from the printer board to printer to perform a print process. After the print process, the CPU sends a selector control signal to the selector via the printer interface of the main controller so that the selector is recovered to the main controller side.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.