US 2011/0255116 A1Published application

Information viewing system, image forming apparatus and information viewing apparatus

AssigneeKonica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

InventorsMasayuki INOUE, Tetsuhiro Shibata, Tatsuya Eguchi, Tsutomu Suka, Keiichiro Hyodo, Shunsuke Takamura

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Abstract

Disclosed is the information viewing system, which makes it possible to speedily output an image represented by data even when an operation for outputting the image onto a predetermined medium is disabled. The system includes an information viewing apparatus, a supporting device to detachably support the information viewing apparatus and the image forming apparatus onto which the supporting device is mountable. The system is so constituted that, in case that a data writing operation onto the printing medium becomes impossible at the time of commencing or in mid-course of implementing the data writing operation onto the printing medium, while the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus is enabled, the image forming apparatus changes the writing destination medium from the printing medium to the information viewing apparatus, in order to continuously implement the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus instead of the printing medium, and vice versa.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An information viewing system, comprising:

at least a single set of an information viewing apparatus provided with a display section;
a supporting device that is configured to detachably support the information viewing apparatus;
an image forming apparatus onto which the supporting device is mountable;
and
a computer apparatus that instructs the image forming apparatus to output an image represented by data;
wherein the information viewing apparatus, the supporting device, the image forming apparatus and the computer apparatus are communicatively coupled to each other, so as to make it possible to select any one of a printing medium accommodated in the image forming apparatus and the information viewing apparatus mounted on the supporting device as a writing destination medium, when the image represented by the data is to be outputted onto the writing destination medium;
and
wherein, in case that a data writing operation, defined as an operation for writing the image represented by the data, onto the printing medium becomes impossible at a time of commencing the data writing operation or in mid-course of implementing the data writing operation onto the printing medium, while the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus is enabled, the image forming apparatus changes the writing destination medium from the printing medium to the information viewing apparatus, in order to implement the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus instead of the printing medium;
and
wherein, in case that the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus becomes impossible at a time of commencing the data writing operation or in mid-course of implementing the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus, while the data writing operation onto the printing medium is enabled, the image forming apparatus changes the writing destination medium from the information viewing apparatus to the printing medium, in order to implement the data writing operation onto printing medium instead of the information viewing apparatus.

7 more elements

An image forming apparatus onto which a supporting device that is configured to detachably support at least a single set of an information viewing apparatus, provided with a display section, is mountable, the image forming apparatus comprising:

a data processing section to output data representing an image to be printed or displayed onto a writing destination medium;
and
a controlling section to select any one of a printing medium and the information viewing apparatus as the writing destination medium, when the image represented by the data is to be outputted onto the writing destination medium;
wherein, in case that a data writing operation, defined as an operation for writing the image represented by the data, onto the printing medium becomes impossible at a time of commencing the data writing operation or in mid-course of implementing the data writing operation onto the printing medium, while the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus is enabled, the controlling section changes the writing destination medium from the printing medium to the information viewing apparatus, in order to implement the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus instead of the printing medium;
and
wherein, in case that the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus becomes impossible at a time of commencing the data writing operation or in mid-course of implementing the data writing operation onto the information viewing apparatus, while the data writing operation onto the printing medium is enabled, the controlling section changes the writing destination medium from the information viewing apparatus to the printing medium, in order to implement the data writing operation onto printing medium instead of the information viewing apparatus.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/081,951Filed 7 Apr 2011
Priority: JP 2010-09619019 Apr 2010
Published: 20 Oct 2011
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 3/121
Specifically adapted to achieve a particular effect: facilitating exception or error detection and recovery, e.g. fault, media or consumables depleted
G03G 15/502
User-machine interface; Display panels; Control console: relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
G03G 15/5087
Remote control machines, e.g. by a host: for receiving image data
G06F 3/1229
Specifically adapted to use a particular technique: printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels