US 6,634,817 B2 · Image forming apparatus

Abstract

In an image forming apparatus mountable a detachable unit mounting a memory in a main body of the apparatus, a memory-access-reservation control unit for accepting a request of an access with respect to a nonvolatile memory provided in a process cartridge in which a photosensitive drum, a toner and the like are integrated is provided in an engine control unit. When there is a request of an access with respect to the nonvolatile memory from a printer controller, the memory-access-reservation control unit accesses the nonvolatile memory in accordance with the request of the access. Upon completion of the access, the fact is notified to the printer controller. In response to the notification, the printer controller requests transmission of read information or confirms that a writing operation has been normally ended, by communicating with the engine control unit.

Claims25

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus on which is mounted a detachable functional unit that includes a storage unit, said apparatus comprising:

an image processing unit adapted to generate dot data corresponding to an image to be formed, based on data from an external apparatus;
and
an image forming unit adapted to form an image, based on the dot data generated by said image processing unit,
wherein said image processing unit is adapted to provide said image forming unit a request for reading out data from the storage unit,
wherein said image forming unit is adapted to detect the request, to perform a read-out operation from the storage unit, and to notify said image processing unit of an end of the read-out operation,
wherein said image processing unit is adapted to recognize the end of the read-out operation in said image forming unit upon reception of a notification, and to provide said image forming unit with a request for transmission of the data read out from the storage unit, and
wherein said image forming unit is adapted to transmit the data read out from the storage unit, in response to the request for transmission.

4 more elements

An image processing apparatus with a function for generating dot data corresponding to an image to be formed, based on data from an external apparatus, and a function for supplying the generated dot data to an image forming unit, on which is mounted a detachable function unit that includes a storage unit, said image processing apparatus comprising:

means for providing the image forming unit with a request for reading out data from the storage unit, wherein the image forming unit is adapted to perform a read-out operation from the storage unit, in response to the request for reading out, and to provide a notification to said image processing apparatus of an end of the read-out operation;
means for recognizing the end of the read-out operation by the image forming unit upon reception of the notification;
and
means for providing the image forming unit with a request for transmission of the data read out from the storage unit.

1 more element

An image forming apparatus on which is mounted a detachable functional unit that includes a storage unit, said image forming apparatus comprising:

means for receiving dot data, corresponding to an image to be formed, which is generated and transmitted by an image processing unit;
means for forming an image based on the received dot data;
means for receiving a request for reading out from the image processing unit, requesting to read out data from the storage unit;
means for detecting the request for reading out;
means for performing a read-out operation from the storage unit;
means for providing a notification to the image processing unit of an end of the read-out operation, wherein the image processing unit recognizes the end of the read-out operation by said image forming apparatus and provides said image forming apparatus with a request for transmission of data read out from the storage unit;
and
means for transmitting the data read out from the storage unit in response to the request for transmission.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Image forming apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25