US 12,014,093 B2
Communication architecture promoting compatibility with printing finishing equipment
Bruce H. Smith, Webster, NY (US); and Carol-Lynn Vidjan, Rochester, NY (US)
Assigned to Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Oct. 5, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/938,105.
Prior Publication US 2024/0118843 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 3/12 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/121 (2013.01) [G06F 3/126 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device comprising:
a computer processor;
a printing device operatively connected to the computer processor; and
an input/output device operatively connected to the computer processor,
wherein the processor is adapted to control the printing device to process a print job to produce printed output,
wherein the processor is adapted to control the input/output device to output signals to, and receive signals from, finishing equipment to perform two-way data communications between the printing device and the finishing equipment,
wherein the finishing equipment is adapted to manipulate the printed output,
wherein the printing device uses the two-way data communications to provide an inquiry from the printing device to the finishing equipment as to which communication protocols/formats the finishing equipment is capable of understanding to establish a finisher-specific communication format to provide a single point user interface for supplying all print and finishing details to the printing device and the finishing equipment,
wherein the processor is adapted to cause the signals to include an initial signal indicating a start of a data transfer and subsequent signals following the initial signal, and
wherein the processor is adapted to cause the signals to be in the finisher-specific communication format.