Image forming apparatus
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorSatoru Tanaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image forming apparatus includes a controller having an integrated circuit for image processing. The controller is connected to an engine via a peripheral component interconnect (PCI). The engine includes a plotter and a scanner. The controller includes a central processing unit (CPU) to which a chip-set is connected via an accelerated graphics port (AGP). The controller also includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that controls whether to output scanner image data, which is data acquired by the scanner, to the PCI as plotter data for the plotter, or to output the scanner image data to the AGP, or to output image data input through the AGP to the PCI as plotter data for the plotter. The ASIC includes a combiner that combines a plurality of image data.
Claims14
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a controller that includes an integrated circuit for image processing;
- and
- an engine unit that is connected to the controller and includes
- a scanner that scans a medium and obtains scanner image data;
- a plotter that plots an image based on input plotter data, wherein the plotter is as either one of a black and white plotter and a one-drum color plotter;
- and
- a first central processing unit that controls image formation,
- wherein the controller includes
- an engine interface to connect to the engine unit;
- a second central processing unit with a chip-set;
- a chip-set interface to connect the chip-set of the second central processing unit;
- a switching controller that controls whether
- to output the scanner image data, which is input through the engine interface, to the engine interface as the plotter data for the plotter, or
- to output the scanner image data to the chip-set interface, or
- to output image data input through the chip-set interface to the engine interface as the plotter data for the plotter;
- and
- a combining controller that combines a plurality of the scanner image data to generate one scanner image data.
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a controller that includes an integrated circuit for image processing;
- and
- an engine unit that is connected to the controller and includes
- a scanner that scans a medium and obtains scanner image data;
- a four-drum color plotter that plots an image based on input plotter data;
- and
- a first central processing unit that controls image formation,
- wherein the controller includes
- an engine interface to connect to the engine unit;
- a second central processing unit with a chip-set;
- a chip-set interface to connect the chip-set of the second central processing unit;
- a switching controller that controls whether
- to output the scanner image data, which is input through the engine interface, to the engine interface as the plotter data for the plotter, or
- to output the scanner image data to the chip-set interface, or
- to output image data input through the chip-set interface to the engine interface as the plotter data for the plotter;
- and
- a combining controller that combines a plurality of scanner image data to generate one scanner image data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.