JP2003333251A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the processing speed of an image processor (copying machine, etc.), which has a function of transferring an image saved for reprinting when a document is read to a network-connected PC, etc., through all processes of transfer of the saved image and conversion to a data format that the PC requests even when the performance of the PC using the transferred image is low by lightening the load of the image transfer. <P>SOLUTION: At an image transfer request from the PC 2, the copying machine 1 receives an image file ID and image conversion parameters that PC sends together with the transfer request, takes the image file out of an image data storage part 14, converts it by an image conversion part 17 for PC transfer by using image conversion parameters that the PC requires, and transfers the converted image file to the PC through a network I/F part 15. When resolution needed on the PC side is low, the amount of transferred data can be made small to lighten the load and when the processing capacity of the PC is low, the processes can be made fast. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to, for example, a PC connected to a network, which is equipped with a digital copying machine and which is stored in a digital copying machine for reprinting at the time of reading an original, for the purpose of utilizing the document in an office or the like. Like the ability to transfer,
The present invention relates to an image processing device having a function of transferring image data for printing to a destination.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the case of using a copying machine, it often happens that after copying a document, it is desired to copy the same document again. For this reason, if the digitized data of the original image read by the scanner at the time of copying is stored in the storage device provided inside and the saved data of the storage device is used at the time of re-copying the same document, the scanner for the same document is scanned. The operation of is unnecessary. Such a copying machine with a storage function already exists in a digital copying machine and normally uses a hard disk as a storage device. Also, a system has been realized in which a PC (personal computer) is connected to a digital copying machine via a network, image data stored in the copying machine for reprinting is transferred to the PC, and can be used in the PC. Although a digital copying machine is illustrated here, a usage system similar to the digital copying machine illustrated for the image data used for each function is also applicable to a digital multifunction machine that combines a facsimile function and a printer function in addition to the copying function. Has been realized. By the way, when configuring a system in which image data stored in a digital copying machine is used on a PC, the image data saved for reprinting on the copying machine side is not necessarily an image usable on the PC side depending on the system configuration. It is not always the format. It is often a proprietary format suitable for reprinting.

Therefore, it is necessary to perform some image format conversion before using it on a PC. Also, not only the image format but also the image size is saved so that it can be reprinted, so the resolution reaches 600dpi or 1200dpi, which is generally referred to on a PC monitor or display. It may be larger than necessary, and size conversion for that is also necessary. In a system in which the image data saved for reprinting on the copier side is used on the PC side, the processing for converting the saved image data into image data suitable for use on the PC side has been
It was common sense to do it on the PC side. As can be seen in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-171730, which proposes a general image data transfer between a server and a client connected to a network, this is captured from a scanner or digital camera, and the server An image saved on the side (corresponding to a copying machine in the above system) is a client (a PC corresponds to this in the above system)
When used on the PC side, the stored image is transferred to the server side, and then converted to image data suitable for use on the PC side.

[0004]

However, in the system in which the image conversion is performed on the PC side, if the size of the stored image data on the copying machine side is larger than the one requested on the PC side, the reduction process is performed before transferring. Since it is performed, data flows through the network with a large size, and the load of data transfer on the network increases due to useless data. In addition, in a PC, the image data is often processed by compressing it into JPEG or the like and storing it. In such a system, for example, if the compression process is performed on the PC side after transfer, the original uncompressed data will be lost. Since long data flows to the network as it is, the waste of increasing the load of the network also occurs as a result. Further, when the image conversion after transfer is performed on the PC, if the performance of the PC is low, the processing speed becomes relatively low. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and an object thereof is to transfer image data stored for reprinting at the time of reading an original document to an image data utilizing apparatus such as a PC connected to a network. An image processing device (for example, a copier,
In a multi-function peripheral, etc.), the load of data transfer, which is a problem in the prior art, is reduced, and even when the performance of the transfer destination device that uses the image data is low, the transfer of the stored image data and the request from the user device side are required. It is an object of the present invention to provide the above image processing apparatus that can improve the processing speed through the entire process of conversion into image data suitable for.

[0005]

According to the invention of claim 1, the original image reading means, the image generating means for generating a reproduced image based on the read image information, and the read image information are used in the image generating means. An image processing apparatus having image processing means for processing as image data and means for storing the image data passed through the image processing means, the means for transferring the image data taken out from the storing means via a communication interface. And an image processing unit that performs image conversion on the image data taken out from the storage unit when the transfer is performed by the transfer unit.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the image processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the image conversion means changes the image conversion mode by changing the setting of the image conversion parameter. It is what

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image processing apparatus according to the second aspect, there is provided means for receiving the setting data of the image conversion parameter from a transfer destination.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described based on the following embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. Here, an example in which the image processing apparatus is implemented as a digital copying machine is illustrated. The illustrated digital copying machine has a reprinting function using image data stored in the copying machine, and
By providing a function of transferring the stored image data to a PC (personal computer) connected to a network, the image data can be operated as an element of the image server system for the PC. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an implementation system including a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the system configuration of this embodiment includes a digital copying machine 1 and a PC 2 connected via a network 3. Digital copier 1
Has a document reading unit 11, an image processing unit 12, and a printing unit 13 as essential means for realizing the copying function. The document reading unit 11 constitutes a scanner, reads a document image, and digitizes the image. Image processing unit 12
Is various image processing (for example, A / D conversion, level adjustment, shading correction, etc.) of image data read by the document reading unit 11 and encoding processing (for example, compression / encoding processing performed when storing image data). ) Etc. Printing department 1
A print engine 3 operates a print engine in accordance with the image data output from the image processing unit 12 to perform print processing.

Further, the digital copying machine 1 uses the original image data for reprinting (copying) or uses an external device (PC).
For use in 2), the image data processed by the image processing unit 12 is connected to the network 3 and the image data storage unit 14 having an HD (hard disk) inside for storing and managing the image file ID. A network I / F unit 15 for communicating with the PC2, receiving an image acquisition request from the PC2, and transferring the requested image data to the PC2, and setting values of conversion parameters are variable,
When the image data stored in the image data storage unit is transferred to the PC 2, the PC transfer image conversion unit 17 is provided for converting the image data according to the conversion parameter set to a value suitable for the transfer destination. Further, it has an operation unit 16 for allowing the user to perform various operations such as command input.

Next, the operation of the system (FIG. 1) of this embodiment described above will be described. The copying process using the image data obtained by reading the original is performed by the same method as that usually performed in a general copying machine, that is, a book original (press plate) reading or an ADF (automatic document feeder) reading method. As an operation method when performing copy processing by reading an original, a copy original is placed on the original table and setting conditions are input through the operation unit 16. FIG. 2 shows the operation unit 16 for instructing copy processing. As shown in FIG.
A liquid crystal touch panel 22 and a start button 21 are provided, and a ten key 26, a copy key 23, a reprint key 24, a save key 25, a print number display window 27, etc. are displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal touch panel 22 during copy processing operation. In the operation unit 16 shown in FIG. 2, the copy key 23 and the ten-key pad are used to set the number of copies and the like, and the "start" key is pressed to perform the copying process. At this time, it is designated whether to copy the document by reading the document or reprinting. Further, in the case of copying by reading a document, it is possible to specify whether to save for reprinting. This designation is made by touching a key, and the touched key is highlighted so that the state of the key selected by the touch can be recognized. To specify printing, either the "copy" key or the "reprint" key is exclusively selected. In the example shown in FIG. 2, “copy” is selected. There is also a key to specify the save,
When touching it, a valid instruction of "save" is given as shown.

When copy is designated by the above operation,
Place the manuscript on the contact glass or ADF manuscript stand,
When the start button 21 for copying is pressed, the scanner of the document reading unit 11 reads the document, the document image is digitized, processed by the image processing unit 12, and the processed image data is sent to the printing unit 13. Then, the print engine is operated according to the image data to perform printing. When saving is designated, the image data processed by the image processing unit 12 for use in printing is simultaneously saved in the internal hard disk in the image data storage unit 14. The image to be stored in the hard disk has a form in which an image data file is created for each page of the original scanned by the original reading unit 11 and is managed by the file. Note that the image data processed here has high resolution because it is for printing.
It is equivalent to 0dpi or 1200dpi, and the data to be saved is also data having this resolution. The image data stored in the hard disk can be checked when the stored data is used or when the stored data is deleted. Therefore, the stored files are displayed in a list format on the liquid crystal touch panel 2 of the operation unit 16.
The method shown in 2 is adopted.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen in which the saved files are displayed in list form on the liquid crystal touch panel 22. This list screen is, for example, a screen that transits when the "reprint" key is selected on the input screen shown in FIG. 2 for instructing copy processing. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the image file ID (NO.), The save date and time, and the image file name are displayed on the screen. The image file name can be registered by a method of inputting it using a character input key on a document name input screen (not shown) at the time of saving. When the save file list screen shown in Fig. 3 is displayed by the operation when the "Reprint" key is selected, touch the display part of each image file shown in the list on this screen to display as shown in the same figure. Then, the display changes so that it is highlighted and the selection can be recognized. In this selected state, pressing the start key 21 provided outside the liquid crystal touch panel 22 of the operation unit 16 starts the reprinting process. This reprinting process
Unlike the above-mentioned copying process by reading the original,
The image data stored in the internal hard disk of the image data storage unit 14 is used. For this purpose, the corresponding data is retrieved from the image data stored on the internal hard disk,
Image data for printing is sent to the printing unit 13 via the image processing unit 12, and the print engine is operated by the image data to perform printing. When the image data stored in the internal hard disk is subjected to a process such as compression, the image processing unit 12 needs to perform a process such as decompression (decompression) in order to generate data used for printing. .

Next, the operation of transferring the image data stored in the copying machine to the PC connected to the network will be described. The reprinting operation using the image data stored in the digital copying machine 1 has been described above. Here, the image data stored in the internal hard disk of the image data storage unit 14 on the digital copying machine 1 side as described above can be transferred to the PC 2 connected to the network. At that time, it is possible to select desired image data from the image data stored in the hard disk from the PC 2 side. Therefore, the PC side requests a list of image files stored in the internal hard disk of the image data storage unit 14, and the digital copying machine 1 side provides the list in response to the request. After that, the image file is selected from the provided list, the transfer of the file is instructed, and the operation of transmitting the saved data instructed by the digital copying machine 1 side is performed. The list provided to the PC side at this time is the same data as that shown in the list of saved files (FIG. 3) displayed on the liquid crystal touch panel 22 of the operation unit 16 for instructing reprinting on the digital copying machine 1 side. A list based on this data is displayed on the PC side, and the same selection operation can be performed using the input function prepared on the PC side, for example, the user interface using the window and the mouse.

FIG. 4 illustrates an operation screen displayed on the PC side. A "list update" key 42, an "image acquisition" key 43, and a window of the list section 41 are displayed on this screen. First, a list transfer request is transmitted by clicking the "update list" key 42 with the mouse, and in response to this request, the image file IDs (NO.) Of all files saved from the copier 1 side, the save date and time Since the image file name is transmitted, the image file name is received and the list in the list section 41 as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed newly or updated. The image file ID (NO.) On the screen, the storage date and time, and the image file name are data set on the copying machine 1 side. Here, an operation flow on the copy machine 1 side for transferring the saved file list displayed on the operation screen on the PC 2 side shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to FIG. At the beginning of this flow, the copying machine 1 checks at a predetermined timing whether there is a list transfer request from the PC 2 (S
11). As a result of this check, if there is a list transfer request, the image file ID, the save date and time, and the file name as the save file list information of the saved file are acquired from the image data storage unit 14 (S12), and each acquired Saved file list information is sequentially transferred (S1
3). Here, since all the saved files are targeted for transmission, it is checked whether the transmission of all files has been completed (S14). If not completed, step S12
To continue sending unsaved saved file list information. When finished (S14-YES), the process returns to the first step S11 in order to carry the list transfer request.

When the line of the image file name shown in the list section 41 is clicked with the mouse on the input operation screen on the side of the PC 2 shown in FIG. 4, the display is reversed and the selected state is displayed. When the "image acquisition" key 43 is clicked in the state where the line of the image file name is reversed, the process proceeds to the next step for executing the image transfer request. At this stage,
Although the image transfer request may be immediately transmitted to the copying machine 1 side, conversion parameters are set in this embodiment. This conversion parameter is set to P in order to configure a system in which the image conversion unit 17 on the copying machine 1 side performs the conversion process so that the PC 2 side basically does not need to perform the conversion process.
This parameter is set on the C2 side and notified to the copying machine 1 side, and is a parameter for converting the image data into a data format convenient for the PC using the image data. FIG. 6 exemplifies an operation screen for setting conversion parameters at the time of image acquisition. An "acquisition execution" key 61 for instructing execution of image acquisition and a conversion parameter setting section 62 are provided on this screen. The exemplified conversion parameter setting unit 62 can set the compression format, image quality, and resolution. For the compression format, click the triangle on the right side of the window, and a list of formats that can be selected will appear. Although JPEG is designated in the example shown in FIG. 6, it can also be generalized to the PC 2 and the image formats of the conversion function prepared on the copying machine 1 side are listed. For the image quality and resolution, enter values within the ranges shown in parentheses. The higher the image quality, the higher the image quality and the lower compression, and the resolution indicates dpi. After performing the setting operation of the conversion parameter, when the "execute acquisition" key 61 is clicked with the mouse, the compression format, the image quality, and the resolution value are copied together with the image transfer request as information for setting the image file ID and the conversion parameter. Sent to the machine.

Next, the operation of the copying machine 1 side which receives the image transfer request from the PC 2 will be described with reference to FIG. At the beginning of this flow, the copying machine 1 checks at a predetermined timing whether there is an image transfer request from the PC 2 (S21). As a result of this check, if there is an image transfer request, the image file ID and the image conversion parameter sent by the PC 2 side together with the image transfer request are received (S2).
2). Next, it is checked whether or not the image file corresponding to the received image file ID exists in the image data storage unit 14 (S23), and if it does not exist, the process returns to the first step S21 to take the image transfer request. . On the other hand, if the corresponding image file exists (S23
-YES), the corresponding image file is acquired from the image data storage unit 14 (S24), and the image data is converted by the PC transfer image conversion unit 17 using the image conversion parameters transmitted from the PC 2. (S25), the converted image file is sent to the PC through the network I / F unit 15.
2 is transferred (S26). After the transfer is completed, the process returns to the first step S21 in order to receive the image transfer request. The PC 2 side can receive the image file transferred from the copying machine 1 side in response to the image transfer request and immediately use it.

As shown in the above-described embodiment, the copying machine 1 performs the conversion process according to the form of the image data handled on the PC 2 side.
Since it is performed and transferred on the PC side, unnecessary data need not be sent on the PC2 side, and data can be sent in a compressed format when the PC2 side compresses it into, for example, JPEG and saves it. As a result, the network is not overwhelmed. Further, when the processing performance on the PC 2 side is low, the fact that the copying machine 1 can process at a higher speed and the fact that the transfer data amount can be reduced as described above combine to transfer the stored image. It is possible to improve the processing speed through the entire processing of data format conversion. If dedicated hardware is used for image conversion on the copying machine 1 side, conversion can be performed faster than software on the PC 2 side.

[0018]

(1) Effect corresponding to the invention of claim 1 Original reading image data saved for reprinting is used as an external device (for example, PC) via a communication interface.
When the image is transferred to the printer, the image processing device (eg, copying machine) saved for reprinting does not have its own image format but the image format that can be directly read by the device being used, and the size that fits the screen when the monitor is displayed. The data can be converted into a data format suitable for the device to be used for transfer, and waste that occurs when transferring data that has been saved, that is,
If unnecessary data is sent on the user device side, or if the user device side compresses it into, for example, JPEG, and saves it, it is possible to send it as it is without compressing it.
In addition, when the processing performance of the user device is low, it is possible to improve the processing speed through the entire processing of transferring the saved image and converting to the data format required by the user device. It will be possible.

(2) Effect Corresponding to the Invention of Claim 2 In addition to the effect of (1) above, the image conversion parameters can be set to arbitrary values, and the image data stored in the image format can be converted. Since the data is converted and the converted data is transferred via the network, it is possible to support various types of image formats and the flexibility is improved. To enable. (3) Effect Corresponding to the Invention of Claim 3 In addition to the effect of (2) above, the image conversion parameter is set from the utilizing device, so that the utilizing device directly obtains image data of a desired image format. It will be possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of an execution system including a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an operation unit of a digital copying machine in which a screen for instructing copy processing is displayed on a liquid crystal touch panel.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a liquid crystal touch panel screen displaying a saved file in a list format.

FIG. 4 shows an example of an operation screen on the PC side in which a saved file is displayed in a list format.

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the operation on the copying machine side for transferring the saved file list.

FIG. 6 shows an example of a PC-side operation screen displayed when setting conversion parameters for a transfer-requested image.

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the operation on the copying machine side when an image transfer request is issued from a PC.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Digital copier, 2 ... PC (personal computer) 3 ... Network, 11 ... Original reading part, 12 ... Image processing part, 13 ... Printing part, 14 ... Image data storage part, 15 ... Network I / F part, 16 … Operation part,
17 ... Image converter for PC transfer, 21 ... Start key,
22 ... Liquid crystal touch panel.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A document image reading means, an image generating means for generating a reproduced image based on the read image information, an image processing means for processing the read image information as image data used by the image generating means, and An image processing apparatus having means for storing image data that has passed through the image processing means, said means for transferring the image data taken out from said storage means via a communication interface, and said means for transferring by said transfer means. An image processing apparatus comprising: a means for performing image conversion on image data taken out from a storage means. 2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion means changes the image conversion mode by changing an image conversion parameter setting. . 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising means for receiving the setting data of the image conversion parameter from a transfer destination.