238 results about "Sequential access" patented technology

In a printer of the present invention, an EEPROM that carries out sequential access and has a relatively small storage capacity is applied for storage elements mounted on both black and color ink cartridges, which are detachably attached to the printer. Pieces of information relating to each ink cartridge, for example, pieces of information on remaining quantities of respective inks in the ink cartridge, are stored in the storage element of the ink cartridge. A format of addressing adopted in the storage elements of the ink cartridges Is different from that adopted in an EEPROM incorporated in a printer main body of the printer. A control IC provided in the printer accordingly converts the storage format of addressing, before writing the information into the storage elements of the ink cartridges. In the printer, a RAM is mounted with the control IC on a carriage, and the pieces of information to be written Into the storage elements of the ink cartridges are temporarily registered in the RAM. The pieces of information are then written into the respective storage elements of the black and color ink cartridges, for example, at a timing of a powe-off operation. The signal lines and the memory used in the course of writing the information into the storage elements are identical with the signal lines, through which print data are transmitted to a print head mounted on the carriage of the printer, and the memory, in which the print data are stored. The arrangement of the present invention reduces the manufacturing cost of the ink cartridge and also enables size reduction of the whole printer.< / PTEXT>

In an ink jet printer of the present invention, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost, an inexpensive EEPROM enabling only sequential accesses is applied for storage elements incorporated in a black ink cartridge and a color ink cartridge. The data array of a memory cell included in each of the storage elements mounted on the ink cartridges is determined in such a manner that a second storage area, in which rewritable data, for example, data on remaining quantities of inks in the ink cartridge, are stored, is accessed prior to a first storage area, in which read only data are stored. This configuration enables the rewritable data to be securely written into the second storage area even after a power-off operation. The second storage area has two memory divisions allocated to each ink, that is, a first ink remaining quantity memory division and a second ink remaining quantity memory division. Latest data on the remaining quantity of each ink is alternately written into these two memory divisions. Alternatively, the latest data on the remaining quantity of each ink is written into these two memory divisions in a duplicated manner. Each ink remaining quantity memory division has a write complete flag to determine whether or not a writing operation has been completed normally in the ink remaining quantity memory division. This arrangement enables the remaining quantities of the respective inks to be monitored accurately and continuously.

A method for navigating within a multi-level hierarchical collapsing menu structure is disclosed. Each level in the menu structure contains plural items, each item being at least one of a function, a pointer to a location, and a pointer to another level. The method of the present invention includes a step of providing a graphical user menu system displaying the items of a given level and enabling selection thereof, wherein access of the given level requires sequential access of each of the levels preceding the given level in the hierarchy. An Active Path is dynamically constructed as a sequence of active links as items are selected using the graphical user menu system, with one active link corresponding to each of the items selected. The active links provide direct access to a function corresponding level or menu item without the need to navigate using the graphical user menu system.

A communications system incorporating a plurality of vehicle mounted web cams that collect video information and transmit the video information together with other local information via a wireless network to a server. The video streams from the web cams and associated information are available to users on a internet web page. Each camera has a specific identifier to permit users to access the video of specific individual cameras. Optimization software permits users to take virtual trips along predetermined routes. The system also permits sequential access to multiple video feeds from desired locations. Multiple alternative one way and two way video communication methods taking advantage of the network of mobile web cams are described.

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for accessing data values in a cache and in particular accessing data values in an ‘n’ way set associative cache. A data processing apparatus is provided comprising an ‘n’ way set-associative cache, each cache way having a plurality of entries for storing a corresponding plurality of data values. A cache controller is provided which is operable on receipt of an access request for a data value to determine whether that data value is accessible within the cache, the cache comprising cache access logic operable under the control of the cache controller to determine whether a data value the subject of an access request is accessible in one of the cache ways. Also provided is a way lookup cache arranged to store an indication of the cache way in which a number of the plurality of data values stored in the cache are accessible. The cache controller is operable, when an access request for a data value specifies a non-sequential access, to reference the way lookup cache to determine whether that data value is identified in the way lookup cache and, if so, the cache controller being further operable to suppress the operation of the cache access logic and to cause that data value to be accessed. The provision of a way lookup cache enables the power consumption of the cache to be reduced by enabling the operation of the cache access logic to be suppressed.