JPH07226702A - System for facilitation of dialog between ac power-supply office machine and human being - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make possible networking and management of various office equipment including digital and analog machines. CONSTITUTION: AC power supply office equipments 11 and 12 are formed as a network with a workstation 13 by a standard AC power distribution network 14. The office equipments 11, 12 and the workstation 13 are interfaced with an AC power line by each network data coupler 16. Each network coupler 16 is provided with data aquisition and control processors like a neuron chip 17, etc., and a power line transceiver 18. A sensor 24 which is linked according to a request to provide information regarding operation state of machines which are formed as the network with a user is capable of being read by the data aquisition and control processors.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to networking and management of AC power supply office equipment and computers for transferring status data and control signals, and more particularly,
It relates to a network in which status data and control signals are transferred via a standard AC distribution network.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AC is used to transfer status data, control signals and acknowledgments back and forth between sensors, controllers and processors included in AC equipment connected to a network. It has been shown that a distribution network can be used.
While many existing applications utilize closed loop sense and control feedback methodologies, technologies are available to allow human operators to use the sensors and controllers in such equipment in interactive sessions.

Echelon Corporation's LONWORKS technology is a commercially available enabler for applications of the above type.
) Is an example. As is known, part number TM
LONWORKS technology, including the neuron chip provided by Toshiba in the PN3120 and TMPN3150, is commercially available for VLSI implementation. These LONWORKS implementations obtain and process information, make decisions, generate outputs, and propagate control signals according to the so-called LONTALK communication protocol over networks that include various physical media with AC power lines. It provides the functionality needed to:

Modern office equipment typically includes copiers, printers and print servers, document scanners, facsimile machines, file servers, telephone answering machines, paper shredders, and personal workstations and / or workstations.
Alternatively, a number of AC-powered office equipment, including computers (collectively referred to below as "workstations"), are provided. Although some of these machines have internal programmable digital processors, non-programmable electromechanical analog control machines are still found in many offices.

In general, much of this office equipment is a shared resource located in a shared workspace that is spatially and / or physically separated from the user's individual workspace. Therefore, it is generally difficult or impossible for a user to visually monitor the status of these shared resources from individual workspaces. As a result, users are often required to interrupt their work routines and travel a distance to check the condition of the equipment they wish to use. To make matters worse, the user performing such a status check sometimes finds that the device is not ready for use, i.e. in use, so waiting for the device to become available for additional time. Be spent. Key operators and system administrators who are responsible for keeping shared office equipment in proper working order are more likely to be accountable to them than regular users, even though they sometimes find that they are not required to do anything. Even more of their time tends to be consumed by this task, since it is common to do a status check of their equipment. Standard Digital Local Area Network (LA
N) Digital devices networked by using the technology include, for example, Microsoft's Windows Printing System (Microsoft's Windows Printi
ng System) may allow remote monitoring of conditions, but this functionality is not extended to analog or electromechanically controlled devices. Clearly, therefore, there is a need for tools that facilitate the implementation of more efficient work.

One of the other measures taken to provide a more efficient performance of work is to transfer diagnostic and / or billing information to a remote location via a telephone switching network, such as a public telephone switching network. To provide office equipment such as copiers and printers with a modem that can be activated locally and / or remotely.
Telephone transfer of this status information greatly simplifies equipment monitoring and data collection tasks, but the cost of implementing this strategy through the use of modems and telephone lines dedicated to individual machines is very high, so its application is mainly Limited to more expensive office equipment. Clearly, therefore, the modems and telephone lines required to implement equipment monitoring and data collection strategies on such phones are reduced so that the cost / machinery of using the phone for such purposes is reduced. It would be useful to provide a technique for allowing office equipment within an office facility to be shared.

In a mixed environment of copiers, printers and facsimile machines leased from various vendors, it is difficult to execute a coherent system management routine such as implementation of even charging. In devices that are not yet connected to the local area network (e.g., copiers and facsimile machines), a database of usage billing data information can be stored locally on individual machines or in a physical auditron for later manual collection. Accounting inspection device)
Must be remembered. Therefore, it is desirable to more fully automate the collection and sorting of this type of data. Accordingly, a further object of the present invention is a low cost technique for collecting and properly routing such data and for easily updating user profiles and access codes across a wide variety of office automation products. Is to provide.

[0008]

In accordance with the above needs and objectives, the present invention provides various brands, models and types of AC powered office equipment (an analog that customarily operates as a "stand alone" device). (Including electromechanical machines)
It provides an economical configuration for networking user workstations, including workstations for system administrators and other functional specialists. Communication with the equipment for affiliated users in the building is performed over standard AC power lines that distribute AC power to the equipment through the use of appropriate communication protocols. For this reason, each networked machine has a programmable processor (ie, “Neuron chip”) for data acquisition and control communication (ie, “Neuron chip”) interfaced with a local AC power line by a protocol compatible power line transceiver. A data acquisition and control processor) is provided.Sensors and / or controllers for respectively monitoring and controlling the operating conditions of the individual machines are connected to the I / O part of the respective data acquisition and control processors for these machines. Similar power line transceivers can be used to interface local user workstations with alternating current power lines that network support equipment, or some or all of these workstations may be used. Net network (Ethe
When networked on different LANs (local area networks), such as rnet networks, routers with suitable transceiver interfaces and suitable communication protocol translators provide bidirectional communication between the power line portion of the network and this foreign LAN. Used to provide a bridge. In addition, the power line network may include a modem and / or gateway to allow remote user workstations to communicate with the networked support equipment via dialing telephone links or dedicated communication links, respectively.

The data acquisition and control processor can read out the associated sensors on demand to provide the user with a wealth of information regarding the operating status of the networked machines. In addition, these devices are programmed to store a description of the attributes of each machine and a description of the functional parameters of the machine being monitored. Also, these descriptions are read on demand to provide guidance to the user. Some of these descriptions are properly loaded by the machine manufacturer, while others are typically loaded in the real world, so the data acquisition and control processor stores these descriptions. Internal and / or external direct addressable PROM (programmable read-
only memory) Conveniently has capacity.

One aspect of the present invention is a system for facilitating human interaction with an AC powered office machine, including a machine spatially distributed within a work site and electromechanically controlled, comprising: And / or at least one AC power station at the work site, for connecting and receiving data to and from human users, and to the machine and the station for distributing AC power. , An AC power distribution network at the work place, and between the machine and the power distribution network, and between the machine and the power distribution network to pass messages back and forth between the station and the machine via the power distribution network. A respective processor-controlled programmable data coupler inserted between the distribution network and the Message, each machine and each station are addressed freely respond to all messages that are meaningful to him, thereby, the machine or station is added to the work location,
Alternately, a system for facilitating human interaction with an AC powered office machine comprising a processor controlled programmable data coupler that avoids the need to formally redefine network relationships when removed from the workplace.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a plurality of AC powered office machines 11 and 12 networked with one or more user workstations 13 by a standard AC distribution network 14 is shown. . As shown, machines 11 and 12 are a copier and a facsimile terminal, respectively. However, the printer,
It will be appreciated that various types of servers, telephone modems and answering machines, and other types of AC power digital and analog office equipment such as paper shredders may be included in this network. Further, the network may include a number of office equipment of the same type, such as a number of copiers and / or a number of printers, etc., where these machines have matched or mixed brand and similar performance characteristics. It will be clear that it may also be a model.

The office machines 11 and 12 and the workstation 13 are interfaced with the AC power line by respective network data couplers 16. As shown, each of these network couplers 16 includes a data acquisition and control processor, such as a neuron chip or cell 17, and a power line transceiver 18
And. For example, the network coupler 16 is suitably an Echelon PLC-10 power line control module (model 56010). This particular unit includes a neuron 3150 chip with a memory socket for any 32 kilobyte or less ROM (read only memory) device such as an EEPROM (electrically erasable and writable read only memory) 19 When,
10 Kbit / in the frequency band 100-450 KHz
A direct sequence spread spectrum power line transceiver 18 operating at a transmission rate of seconds. It should be understood, though not explicitly shown, that the network coupler 16 for the facsimile terminal 12 and the workstation 13 may also include an external EEPROM 19. Similarly, it should be understood that the I / O interface of the neuron chip 17 for the fax machine 12 is coupled to sensors and actuators within the machine.

As shown in FIG. 2, the power line network is integrated with other types of networks such as Ethernet local area networks (LANs) through the use of suitable routers such as power line / Ethernet router 20. be able to. As shown, the router 20 includes a suitable coupler for other or "forin" networks (eg, by a neuron chip 17 whose communication and I / O ports are coupled to a power line transceiver 18 and a forin network coupler 21, respectively). , Ethernet transceiver 21) with power line transceiver 18 connected back to back. Thus, the present invention extends the networking provided by existing LANs for workstations 22, for example, and can be used to include office equipment such as copiers 11 and facsimile machines 12 that are not serviced by LANs. . Further, the open topology allows multiple power line networks 14 and 30 to be integrated to form an extended multi-region network with or without an intervening digital network such as an Ethernet LAN. Messages can be passed between different areas of such networks using standard multi-area messaging protocols and infrastructure.

A neuron chip 17 for implementing the data acquisition and control processor of the network coupler 16.
The advantages of using are the generation of programmed event driven logic sequences, the sorting of networked message traffic according to programmed selection criteria, and the program controlled transfer of data and control information to and from various I / O devices. Including event-driven logic (through the use of the Neuron C programming environment) configurable under program control to perform application-specific tasks that include it. All communications between the neuron chips 17 are fixed communication protocols (ie, so-called “LONTA”).
LK ”protocol). However, the application-level performance characteristics of the neuron chip 17 included in each network coupler 16 may be individually programmed by application programming to meet the functional performance objectives of the network so as to match the individual characteristics of the networked units. Can be adapted to. For example, workstation 1
The three neuron chips (FIG. 1) generally transmit (a) questions and control commands that are assembled by an application program running on the workstation 13 when the user initiates the questions and commands, and ( b) Programmed to route replies, confirmations (typically only critical messages require confirmation) and other data received from the network to the same or different workstation resident application programs. On the other hand, the neuron chip of the copying machine 11 responds to the transmitted question when (a) there is a match, and therefore (b) the intended destination of the control command transmitted to the copying machine 11 (eg, the actuator 23). (C) to monitor a sensed condition (eg, the condition of sensor 24), (d)
To transmit the sensed condition on demand and / or upon the occurrence of one or more preselected events (such as the detection of an abnormal condition value or the receipt of some data / time value), and And / or (e) transmit a request for service by a shared network resource (such as a request for a networked modem to establish a telephone link to a remote location),
It is programmed to wait for the request to be granted and, if the request is granted, to utilize the requested service. These neuron chip resident programs execute at the application layer level of the neuron chip,
Due to the limited computational resources provided by the neuron chip,
Because size and complexity are suppressed, a program implementing the invention for a given machine may include other local computing resources that the machine in question may be programmed to provide the desired local functionality. In general, it is designed to use the computational resources of the neuron chip mainly as a communication interface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the LONTALK communication protocol is an IS for network protocol.
It conforms to the O.OSI reference standard. Network coupler 1
Application programs executing on the neuron chips 17 of 6 (FIG. 1) use this protocol to communicate with each other (see layer 7 of the protocol stack shown in FIG. 3). These application level communications can be performed by the use of application level objects known as "network variables" or by so-called "explicit messages".
Thus, explicit messaging not only supports the transfer of data objects larger than network variables (eg up to 229 bytes of data in the case of the Toshiba chip above), but also when nodes are added or removed from the network. To avoid the cost and complexity of recombining such variables, explicit message communication with broadcast addressing (or, in the special case of critical messages, by the ID of the neuron chip 17 for that particular node) is used. Acknowledged explicit message with addressing to a specific network node)
It should be noted that is advantageous for carrying out the invention. In a typical office environment, equipment may be added to or removed from the network if supporting equipment is frequently moved in and out of the office as required to meet the changing needs and desires of the user community. The fact that network variables do not have to be recombined each time is done greatly reduces the load on the system management function of the present invention. Broadcast addressing messages that invite replies from many possible responders can cause network congestion. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of lost and / or "garbled" responses due to such congestion, responders to such messages may receive a short random number before sending a response. It is appropriately programmed to sleep for the delay time.

Referring to FIG. 4, the neuron chip generally includes three central processing units (CPUs) 25-27. Since the processor 25 is the media access controller (MAC in FIG. 3), the framing, data encoding, C executed in the link layer of the LONTALK protocol
It handles all media access control functions such as RC error checking, predictive CSMA, collision avoidance, priority collision detection (see layer 2 of the protocol stack shown in Figure 3). The processor 26 is a network CPU (N in FIG. 3).
ET), so it is responsible for handling layers 3-6 of the protocol stack. Processors 25 and 26 communicate with each other via a network buffer 28 located in shared memory 29. The processor 27 (APP in FIG. 3) is
It processes application programs (Layer 7 of the protocol stack), in turn, with all operating system services called by these programs. Communication between the processor 26 and the processor 27
Routed by application buffer 30 in shared memory 29.

Various types of AC power supply office equipment include:
Various functional specialists such as normal users, system administrators, key operators, billing administrators, consumable suppliers, and service / repair technicians have various network- and device-level attributes and states of interest. The "attribute" used here is
Invariant properties (eg device type and performance specifications) and semi-permanent properties (eg location). On the other hand, the "state" of a machine is a dynamically variable sensing condition. Therefore, the location identifier is an example of a network level attribute. Similarly, brand, device type, and device specification are examples of device-level attributes, and power-on / power-off, device in use / device idle, device operational / device malfunction, and usage meter count are device level states. Is an example of.

According to the present invention, the text string and / or numerical description of the selected attributes of the networked office equipment 11 and 12 is preferably accompanied by a top level description of the state data available from the sensors included in each machine. , PROM 19 of each data acquisition and control processor 17 (FIG. 1). This data is typically copied into the PROM so that the device type designation begins at a known address and the other data is a fixed or pre-specified device type dependent offset from this known address. Exists. For example, global attributes such as location identifiers are appropriately offset by a fixed amount from the starting address for the device type designator. However, the device-specific attributes of a particular machine and a description of the state data available from the sensors within that machine can typically be stored more efficiently with a device type dependent offset. Because data structures for this device-specific information and labels or similar aids provided to aid in the interpretation of such data structures are typically of different lengths across various types of office machines. This is because it has Of course, if a device type dependent variable offset addressing technique is used to write device specific data into the PROM 19, a device type indexed look-up table (not shown) will provide a device type designation for a given machine. To be used to retrieve (1) address offsets for device-specific data belonging to a given machine, and (2) labels etc. provided to aid in the interpretation of such data. Must be included. It should be appreciated that since the data structures for device-specific information are monolayer or hierarchical, the lookup tables are properly indexed or organized to match the organization of these data structures.

Many of the machine's attributes, as well as a description of the state data available for the machine, can be written to PROM 19 by the manufacturer during the manufacturing process. However, because location attributes are location dependent properties, a portable data downloading device that writes location descriptions into PROM 19 from a local or remote workstation networked with the machine in question, or from an AC outlet co-located with that machine. From
It is written to PROM 19 in the actual field by using a data downloading routine executed in Still other information is written to the PROM 19 in the actual situation, such as when installing additional machines to be networked according to the present invention. However, field programming of PROM 19 is more likely to have a higher rate of programming errors than programming during the machine manufacturing process, so field programming is preferably used sparingly (eg, only when necessary). Nevertheless, since PROM 19 is preferably an EEPROM, it can be easily programmed and reprogrammed in the field.

Referring to FIG. 5, an AC distribution network for a large building is often subdivided into a number of segments that are efficiently separated from each other at higher frequencies by power transformers such as 31. Moreover, in a typical three-phase distribution network, local phase A, phase B and phase C runs are typically at different low voltages (eg 11
0 volt) to junction box and outlet. Accordingly, workstations 32 and 33 and shared office equipment 34 powered by different segments and / or different phases of such a distribution network.
Bridges across power transformers (not shown) between network segments (not shown) and / or different phases of a given segment to provide a high frequency communication channel for networking 35 and 35. High frequency bridges 36 and 37 are provided. These bridges are passive capacitive couplers such as 36 and / or standard Echelon routers such as 37 with proper rf isolation between the two phases such as 38. More advanced bridges are provided to bridge between AC power lines for different segments of the AC distribution network or between different distribution networks.

A wide variety of applications are possible with the present invention, and some representative examples are described. These examples will also imply other applications.

Referring to FIG. 6, a typical user of workstations networked according to the present invention has four users.
1. Call the application program on the workstation as in 1 to display the appropriate question prompt or selection menu. This allows the user, as at 42, to enter or select an acceptable question in the appropriate transmission format as an explicit message addressed to the broadcast. A program running on the network coupler 16 of another networked device examines this question for its broadcast addressing, but, like 43, a coupler having state and / or attribute information that matches the question. Only 16 (see layer 7 of the protocol stack in Figure 3) responds to it. For example, if the query transmitted at 42 requires basic information about the printer-type device, the application program running on the coupler 16 of the powered-up printer on the network responds at 43 to the query. Each of these responses contains the name, location, and printer name of the printer networked by the particular coupler 16.
The ID of the responding coupler's 16 neuron chip 17 (see FIG. 1) is typically included along with the brand and model designation (or basic performance specification), and the current state (eg, enabled / disabled). Is. Suitably, the response returned in response to the question is assembled into a list that is displayed for the user, such as 44.

The user is answered at 44 with the first set of responses. In that case, the application program called at 43 typically executes an update routine as at 45 and updates the list of responses at 44 as required to reflect the change in state of the listed device. , Add additional devices to the list if additional devices matching the pending question are drawn into the network and perform other maintenance functions required to keep the 44 reply list current To do.

Alternatively, the user may decide to invoke another screen, such as 47, to enter or select additional options. This new screen 47, such as 48, allows the user to switch back and forth the power (not shown) of one or more networked printers between warm-up / ready and power saver / standby states. Select control command /
Control options may be included that allow entry. If this command is for only certain printers, it will be transmitted in an explicit message specifically addressed to these particular printers by their respective network addresses (ie, the IDs of the respective neuron chips 17). Is common.

Yet another option available to the user of the application program shown in FIG.
A more detailed description, such as 49, of the attributes and / or states of one or more of the devices listed in 44 (ie, the printer identified in response to the first query in this example). The decision is to make a request at 47. If this more detailed option 49 is selected, another screen or window will be displayed under program control on the user's monitor (not shown) and the user will see information of interest (eg, 51), such as 51. , Attributes and /
Another question can be created that specifies (by state name) and the device or devices (eg, by device name or device type and location) for which this additional information is collected. Like the first question, this subsequent question is formed as a command line question or by making a selection from a menu. Further, generally, the question is transmitted and the response is returned as an explicit message addressed to 52. Therefore, all networked devices that match the query respond to it, such as 52. And since each of these responses is available to all of the other networked devices, not just the requester, at 53, which of the responses is appropriate to update the data it is maintaining, such as 45. Either or all can be used. As will be appreciated, this "question by anyone, update for everyone" feature is a significant advantage resulting from the use of broadcast messaging.

Application programs for system administrators and other functional specialists often provide a wider variety of routines. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the system management tool is invoked as in 61, menus and the like are appropriately displayed as in 62, and participate in the basic setup task as in 63, or as in 64. The user is given the option of initiating various actions or accessing further options, such as 65.

If the user wants to participate in a network configuration task, the user selects action option 64,
This allows the user to configure the network configuration option 66
Will be accessible and selectable. This network configuration option 66 is typically one of several operational options available to the system administrator. For example, logging start option 6
7. Online monitoring initiation option 68 and location dependent data entry option 69 are among the operational options available to the user.

As shown in FIG. 8, selecting the network configuration option 66 causes the system manager to query the networked device for the neuron ID of the non-configured "node" (as known, 71). , Each neuron chip has its own ID assigned to the area “0” at the time of manufacture). All of these nodes are then assigned to the same area as the already configured network nodes, such as 72, so that the broadcast-addressed explicit message is sent to all networked device neuron chips 17 ( The application layer level of Fig. 1) can be reached. This allows
All filtering and interpretation of the explicit messages exchanged is allowed to be performed under the control of the application programs running on these chips, thus providing wide flexibility in system design.

System administrators sometimes need to log and / or monitor the activity of some or all of the networked devices. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, setup procedures for these functions are selectable at 75 and 76, respectively. These procedures generally allow the user to specify the device to be targeted, the state information to be collected from the target device, and the frequency with which the state information should be updated. These logging or monitoring operations are 67 and 68 respectively.
Each time it is called, this information is properly stored for subsequent recall.

Referring to FIG. 9, setup parameters, such as setup parameters for online monitoring, are typically communicated sequentially to the networked devices. Beginning with a start message, such as 82, simply specify the device type or device name parameter as determined at 81, and then successively add other setup parameters plus the device type or device name parameter. 84 with one or more additional messages containing
Continue as in (Fig. 10). Networked devices are
It is suitably programmed to respond with relatively basic or higher level information if it matches a message that simply contains the device type or device name parameter. For example, as shown at 85, if the device matches such a message with its respective neuron chip ID, location, device type, name, basic functional characteristics, basic state information, and key operator identification data. Properly programmed to respond. This allows the system administrator or other user to check for missing location dependency information at 86. If desired, the system administrator enters the missing information at 87 and then transmits it to the appropriate device, such as 88, by a write command addressed to the neuron chip for that particular device. (See also location-dependent data entry option 69 in FIG. 7 for alternatives that can be used to enter such information independent of the online monitoring process).

Once the system administrator has been responded with the location-dependent data provided by the specified device, the balance of setup parameters for the monitoring session is specified at 85 for these additional parameters in sequence. It is transmitted in sequential messages that interrogate one or more devices. The parameters investigated by these queries include the sensors and data storage mechanisms built into the devices being monitored, as well as the devices and data acquisition and control processors 17 (eg, their respective neuron chips) for them. Limited by the I / O interface between Thus, for example, the target device can be used for recent failure history information, copy count or time-based accumulated usage, billing data, consumption (eg, paper,
Toner) level, etc. are monitored. This information is displayed appropriately for the user, such as 91.

Further, the monitoring process continues, such as 92, until the user terminates the monitoring of significant changes in network conditions or target device conditions.
For example, the system management program is designed to update the information displayed at 91 when a new device of the specified device type such as 93 comes online. In addition, the program may return 94 if no response is received from a device known to belong to the target device class.
Is designed to give a warning or an alarm. Similarly, the system management program will output a warning or alarm, such as 95, if any of the monitored devices fail or experience power shortages. In fact, the data collected by the monitoring process is more statistically well analyzed, such as 96, to give the system administrator an updated statistical summary.

Event and / or time trigger routines, as well as other programs and program modules executing on or on the neuron chip data acquisition and control processor 17 for networked machines such as workstation 11 (FIG. 1). Is also included in the system management program. Communication between the neuron chip 17 and a program executing on an external processor (not shown) such as a CPU for the workstation 11 executes the Serial Lontalk adapter (SLTA) and standard bus architecture. It is implemented using various types of serial or parallel interfaces, including parallel interfaces.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, the upper level user interface menu 62 for the system administrator's program sets up the event trigger sequence as at 93 and the time trigger function as at 94. , Or "other options" option 6 for the user to set up a remote interactive communication (RIC) service with remote billing and / or diagnostic / repair capabilities (not shown), such as 95. Some of these routines are on the neuron chip 16 (or its external EEPR) for the system administrator's workstation.
Some reside in an executable form within the OM 19) while others reside in an executable form in workstation memory for execution under the control of the workstation CPU. For example, the time trigger function 94 suitably includes global power up and power down routines that are triggered when the system clock time (provided by means not shown) matches a user specified time.
It is generally executed under the control of the neuron chip 16. On the other hand, the event trigger sequence 93 is transmitted from the local event detector or via the network and the neuron chip resident program to the workstation CP.
More conveniently performed on a workstation CPU in response to receiving an event configuration output signal from a remote event detector in communication with U.

Remote Interactive Communication (RIC) Service 9
5 can take a variety of different forms. For example, usage data for some or all of the networked equipment may be sent to one or more different remote charging centers via a dialing telephone link established by a command by networked modem 97 (FIG. 1). It is stored inside each machine for communication. Similarly,
The projected and / or actual fault data is stored in the modem 97.
For communication to one or more different remote service / repair functions via a networked device 11-13.
Collected from some or all of. As will be appreciated
The billing / fault report issued by a given machine is available for use at the available time (ie, theoretically, the modem 9
7 can be used for up to 24 hours / day), the networking provided by the present invention is not limited to modem 97.
Enable several machines 11-13 to be serviced.

In practice, the modem 97 must route billing and failure reports from individual machines or various machines by completing telephone links to various remote locations. To that end, the machine issuing such reports may either add the appropriate destination telephone number to each issued report, or select the telephone number of the intended location of the modem 97 from a look-up table. It is properly programmed to contain enough identifying information to have each report as possible.

Convenient I / O access to the actuators 23 and sensors 24 of networked equipment provided by the neuron chip data acquisition and control unit 17 allows the extended RIC service to cross various different device types and different brands. To be executed. The I / O port of the neuron chip 17 is for collecting data from the actuators 23 and actuator sensors 24 of the corresponding devices and for passing control signals to them in response to messages generated locally or remotely. Be connected. For example, a remote service technician may use a modem 97 to use one or more of the networked machines in an interactive communication session.
Dial. In the middle of this communication session,
The technician can collect data from the target machine by issuing questions and can change the state of the target machine by issuing control commands.

Some applications require more I / O capacity than is available from the neuron chip 17 itself. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the auxiliary microprocessor 9 is used for these applications.
8 is used to enable time division of the I / O ports of the neuron chip 17 according to an appropriate mediation strategy. This microprocessor 98 may or may not require external memory 99 to perform its intermediary functions.

In view of the above points, the present invention provides a basic equipment usability / suitability check by a user, a more advanced performance check by a system administrator, and a machine / network level function control task.
It will be apparent that it enables networking and management of various office equipment, including digital and analog machines, for a variety of purposes, including remote billing and diagnostic checks by equipment suppliers and service people.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an open phase diagram of the basic embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an open phase diagram of a rather complex embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows how the LONTALK protocol stack maps to the ISO OSI standard for network protocols.

FIG. 4 illustrates the internal functional organization of a typical neuron chip.

FIG. 5 is an open phase diagram showing how the present invention is applied to network office equipment powered by different phases of a standard three-phase AC distribution network.

FIG. 6 is a simplified model of a typical application program for ordinary users of networked support equipment.

FIG. 7 provides a model of a typical application program for a more specialized user such as a system administrator.

FIG. 8 provides a model of a typical application program for a more specialized user such as a system administrator.

FIG. 9 provides a model of a typical application program for a more specialized user such as a system administrator.

FIG. 10 provides a model of a typical application program for more specialized users such as system administrators.

FIG. 11 provides a model of a typical application program for a more specialized user such as a system administrator.

12 schematically shows a time division controller for extending the I / O capacity of a data acquisition and control unit of the type shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 AC power supply office machine (copy machine) 12 AC power supply office machine (facsimile terminal) 13 User workstation 14 Standard AC distribution network 16 Network data coupler 17 Neuron chip data acquisition and control processor 18 Power line transceiver 19 EEPROM 20 Router 21 Ethernet transceiver 22 workstation 23 actuator 24 sensor 25, 26, 27 central processing unit (CPU) 28 network buffer 29 shared memory 30 application buffer 97 modem

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Scott A. Elrod United States California 94062 Redwood City Lowell Street 325

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A system for facilitating human interaction with an AC powered office machine including a machine spatially distributed within a work area and electromechanically controlled, to a human user and a human. At least one AC power supply station at the work place, which has an I / O channel for passing data from and to the user, and is connected to the machine and the station for distributing AC power, at the work place. An AC distribution network, and between the machine and the distribution network, and between the station and the distribution network for passing messages back and forth between the station and the machine via the distribution network. A processor-controlled programmable data coupler inserted into each of the It is addressed so that the machine and each station are free to react to all messages that make sense to them, which allows
AC-powered office machines equipped with processor-controlled programmable data couplers that avoid the need to formally redefine network relationships when machines or stations are added to or removed from the work area. A system to facilitate.