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US4951069A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Minimization of communication failure impacts

Assignee: Xerox Corp
•
Filing: 1989-10-30
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Granted: 1990-08-21
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Expires: 2009-10-30
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Abstract

Abstract A method of resetting an arbitrary node or input/output board in response to a control communications fault in said arbitrary node or input/output board during a real time job in an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller including a plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of input/output boards and software including an application portion and a communication portion, comprising the steps of the arbitrary node or input/output board initiating a self reset independent of any other node or input/output board reset, the remaining nodes or input/output boards refraining from initiating a reset of the node or input/output board, resetting said arbitrary node or input/output board independent of said remaining nodes or input/output boards, and continuing operation of said arbitrary node or input/output board to complete the real time job run.

Inventors

  • 👤 Douglas T. Rabjohns
  • 👤 Gregory C. Sosinski
  • 👤 Jeff C. Carter
  • 👤 Ernest L. Legg
  • 👤 Robert M. VanDuyn

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 18:27
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/50; G03G15/5012; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/14; G06F11/1402; G06F11/1415; G06F11/142; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S347/00; Y10S347/90

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim 136 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a hardware segment including a plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of input/output boards and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary input/output board in response to a communication portion fault in an arbitrary input/output board during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary input/output board initiating a self reset independent of any other input/output board, the remaining input/output boards refraining from initiating a self input/output board reset, resetting said arbitrary input/output board independent of said remaining input/output boards, and continuing operation of said arbitrary input/output board to complete the real time job run.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 136 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a hardware segment including a plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of input/output boards and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary input/output board in response to a communication portion fault in an arbitrary input/output board during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary input/output board initiating a self reset independent of any other input/output board, the remaining input/output boards refraining from initiating a self input/output board reset, resetting said arbitrary input/output board independent of said remaining input/output boards, and continuing operation of said arbitrary input/output board to complete the real time job run.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 50 words
The method of claim 1 including the steps of determining that said arbitrary input/output board is non-essential to the completion of the real time job run in response to the failure of said arbitrary input/output board to reset itself and continuing to the completion of the real time job run.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method of claim 2 including the step of reporting the status of the failed node to one of the plurality of nodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 155 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a hardware segment including a plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of input/output boards and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary node or input/output board in response to a software segment fault in said arbitrary node or input/output board during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node or input/output board initiating a self reset independent of any other node or input/output board reset, the remaining nodes or input/output boards refraining from initiating a self node or input/output board reset, resetting said arbitrary node or input/output board independent of said remaining nodes or input/output boards, and continuing operation of said arbitrary node or input/output board to complete the real time job run.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 155 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a hardware segment including a plurality of nodes connected to a plurality of input/output boards and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary node or input/output board in response to a software segment fault in said arbitrary node or input/output board during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node or input/output board initiating a self reset independent of any other node or input/output board reset, the remaining nodes or input/output boards refraining from initiating a self node or input/output board reset, resetting said arbitrary node or input/output board independent of said remaining nodes or input/output boards, and continuing operation of said arbitrary node or input/output board to complete the real time job run.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 54 words
The method of claim 4 including the steps of determining that said arbitrary node or input/output board is non-essential to the completion of the real time job run in response to the failure of said arbitrary node or input/output board to reset itself and continuing to the completion of the real time job run.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 20 words
The method of claim 5 including the step of reporting the status of the failed reset to the other nodes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the software segment fault is a communication portion fault.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 95 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a plurality of nodes, the method of resetting an arbitrary node in response to a fault an during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node initiating a self reset independent of any other node reset, the remaining nodes refraining from initiating a self node, resetting said arbitrary node independent of said remaining nodes, and continuing operation to complete the real time job run.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 95 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a plurality of nodes, the method of resetting an arbitrary node in response to a fault an during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node initiating a self reset independent of any other node reset, the remaining nodes refraining from initiating a self node, resetting said arbitrary node independent of said remaining nodes, and continuing operation to complete the real time job run.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 36 words
The method of claim 8 including the steps of determining that said arbitrary node is non-essential to the completion of the real time job run and continuing to the completion of the real time job run.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 9 including the step of reporting the status of the failed reset to at least one of the plurality of nodes.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 115 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a plurality of nodes and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary node in response to a communication portion fault in an arbitrary node during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node initiating a self reset independent of any other node, the remaining nodes refraining from initiating a self node reset, resetting said node independent of said remaining nodes, and continuing operation of said arbitrary node to complete the real time job run.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 115 words
In an image processing apparatus having image processing means for forming an image, a controller for directing the operation of the image processing means, the controller including a plurality of nodes and a software segment including an application portion and a communication portion, the method of resetting an arbitrary node in response to a communication portion fault in an arbitrary node during a real time job run comprising the steps of: said arbitrary node initiating a self reset independent of any other node, the remaining nodes refraining from initiating a self node reset, resetting said node independent of said remaining nodes, and continuing operation of said arbitrary node to complete the real time job run.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method of claim 11 including the steps of determining that said arbitrary node is non-essential to the completion of the real time job run.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3818199A Cited
US4179732A Cited
US4320508A Cited
US4589090A Cited
US4789985A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-08-20 1994-02-19 1994-08-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-08-20 1998-02-19 1998-08-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-08-20 2002-02-19 2002-08-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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