US5253360A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Facsimile device having continuous operating capabilities immediately after recovery from trouble and related method
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
•
Filing: 1992-06-24
•
Granted: 1993-10-12
•
Expires: 2012-06-24
Abstract
Abstract In a facsimile device, an application program to perform "concurrent" transmission, multicopy, etc., is divided beforehand into a plurality of phases each being allocated a phase value for identifying purposes. A phase value corresponding to a predetermined phase such as the processing "wait for an operation" which is to be executed at the beginning of the application program is registered in a non-volatile memory. The following processes are sequentially repeated to execute the appropriate application program: (a) A phase of the application program to be executed is specified in accordance with a phase value registered in the non-volatile memory; (b) The program allocated to the specified phase is executed; and (c) The phase value registered in the non-volatile memory is updated with the phase value of a phase which the program to be executed next is allocated, in response to the ending of the program to be executed. In any case, when the facsimile device is started up, the process (a) is started. Thus, even if the application operation is interrupted due to trouble such as power stoppage, the application operation is continued smoothly when the facsimile is recovered.
Inventors
- 👤 Katsuhiko Hayashi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 00:38
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/14; G06F11/1402; G06F11/1415; G06F11/1441
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
265 words
A method of executing an application program in a facsimile device having a main controller for controlling an execution of the application program and a first non-volatile memory for storing the application program, wherein the application program has a predetermined set of operations to be executed and is divided into a predetermined plurality of subprograms, the plurality of subprograms corresponding to a plurality of application program phases, wherein each one of the plurality of application program phases is assigned a phase value by the main controller and wherein a predetermined phase value is stored in a second non-volatile memory, the method performed by the main controller and comprising the steps of: specifying an application program phase to be executed, in accordance with the predetermined phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory; executing one of the plurality of subprograms corresponding to the specified application program phase; updating the phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory with a phase value of an application program phase corresponding to a subprogram to be next executed, in response to termination of the execution of the subprogram executed in the executing step; and repeating the specifying step, executing step, and updating step sequentially during execution of the application program, said phase values being continually stored in the second non-volatile memory corresponding to the application program phase being executed, wherein the repeating step, at times when an operation is stopped, allows an automatic restarting of the operation from a same or a similar condition which existed immediate prior to the stoppage of the operation, thereby restoring and continuing the operation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
265 words
A method of executing an application program in a facsimile device having a main controller for controlling an execution of the application program and a first non-volatile memory for storing the application program, wherein the application program has a predetermined set of operations to be executed and is divided into a predetermined plurality of subprograms, the plurality of subprograms corresponding to a plurality of application program phases, wherein each one of the plurality of application program phases is assigned a phase value by the main controller and wherein a predetermined phase value is stored in a second non-volatile memory, the method performed by the main controller and comprising the steps of: specifying an application program phase to be executed, in accordance with the predetermined phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory; executing one of the plurality of subprograms corresponding to the specified application program phase; updating the phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory with a phase value of an application program phase corresponding to a subprogram to be next executed, in response to termination of the execution of the subprogram executed in the executing step; and repeating the specifying step, executing step, and updating step sequentially during execution of the application program, said phase values being continually stored in the second non-volatile memory corresponding to the application program phase being executed, wherein the repeating step, at times when an operation is stopped, allows an automatic restarting of the operation from a same or a similar condition which existed immediate prior to the stoppage of the operation, thereby restoring and continuing the operation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of executing an application program in a facsimile device according to claim 1, wherein the phase value of an application program phase corresponding to a subprogram to be first executed is stored as the predetermined phase value in the second non-volatile memory, and wherein the phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory is initialized and updated in the updating step when the application program is normally terminated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of executing an application program in a facsimile device according to claim 2, wherein respective phase values are numbers sequentially increasing from the phase value to be first executed, and wherein the phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory is updated in the updating step by incrementing the phase value stored in the second non-volatile memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of executing an application program of a facsimile device according to claim 1, wherein upon satisfying starting conditions for the facsimile device, the specifying step is executed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
The method of executing an application program of a facsimile device according to claim 1, wherein each one of the application program phases includes a subphase, the subphase assigned an identifying subphase value stored int he second non-volatile memory for managing a number of repetitions of an appropriate process, and further including a fourth step of updating the subphase value in the updating step until the repetition of the appropriate process is terminated.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
235 words
A facsimile device having a function of automatically reopening the execution of an application program in response to recover from trouble, comprising: program memory means for storing the application program, wherein the application program is divided into a predetermined plurality of subprograms, the subprograms corresponding to a plurality of application program phases, wherein each one of the plurality of application program phases is assigned a phase value; non-volatile read/write memory means for continually storing ones of the plurality of phase values and for storing parameters designated or input by a user; first control means for recognizing a phase value stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means for specifying one of the plurality of subprograms identified by the phase value; second control means for referring to the parameters stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means and for executing he subprogram specified by the first control means; third control means for updating the phase value stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means with a phase value of an application program phase corresponding to a next subprogram to be next executed, in response to termination of the execution of the subprogram by the second control means; fourth control means for starting the first control means in response to the update of the phase value by the third control means; and fifth control means for starting up the first control means in response to start-up of the facsimile device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
235 words
A facsimile device having a function of automatically reopening the execution of an application program in response to recover from trouble, comprising: program memory means for storing the application program, wherein the application program is divided into a predetermined plurality of subprograms, the subprograms corresponding to a plurality of application program phases, wherein each one of the plurality of application program phases is assigned a phase value; non-volatile read/write memory means for continually storing ones of the plurality of phase values and for storing parameters designated or input by a user; first control means for recognizing a phase value stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means for specifying one of the plurality of subprograms identified by the phase value; second control means for referring to the parameters stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means and for executing he subprogram specified by the first control means; third control means for updating the phase value stored in the non-volatile read/write memory means with a phase value of an application program phase corresponding to a next subprogram to be next executed, in response to termination of the execution of the subprogram by the second control means; fourth control means for starting the first control means in response to the update of the phase value by the third control means; and fifth control means for starting up the first control means in response to start-up of the facsimile device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
68 words
The facsimile device according to claim 6, wherein the facsimile device includes a volatile work storage area for temporarily storing data to be processed when the application program is executed, and wherein each one of the application program phases includes a minimum unit which is a minimum processing unit of the application program in which data stored concurrently in the volatile work storage area can be recognized accurately.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The facsimile device according to claim 6, wherein the non-volatile read/write memory means includes a RAM backed up by a battery.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4458307A
Cited
US4697266A
Cited
US4959774A
Cited
US4654821A
Cited
US4920427A
Cited
US4703481A
Cited
US5008786A
Cited
US4907150A
Cited
US4763333B1
Cited
US4763333A
Cited
US4941087A
Cited
US5043866A
Cited
US4912707A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-10-11 | 1997-04-12 | 1997-10-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-10-11 | 2001-04-12 | 2001-10-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-10-11 | 2005-04-12 | 2005-10-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |