JP4137567B2 - Image data storage device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image data storage device having a storage medium (storage means) capable of storing (storing) a plurality of pages of image data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some image forming apparatuses such as a digital copying machine and a digital multifunction machine are equipped with an image data storage device having a nonvolatile storage medium such as a hard disk (hereinafter referred to as “HDD”).
The HDD is used for a function of storing and using image data (digital image data) once, such as an electronic sort function and an image registration function. The electronic sort function sequentially reads images of a plurality of (multiple pages) originals with a scanner, stores all the image data in the HDD, reads the image data from the HDD in page order, and prints out (images on paper). Forming). As a result, even when the image forming apparatus does not have a sorter device having a plurality of bins, it is possible to discharge the copy sheets in a sorted state.
[0003]
In addition, the image registration function stores multiple form images in the HDD as registered images in advance, so that the image of a document that has been read once can be printed out as many times as necessary without having to read it again with a scanner. Can do.
However, while HDDs can retain data and use it as described above, data will be retained indefinitely unless data is erased by a command or the like, so that data may be stolen if it is illegally removed from the device. There is a security problem.
As a conventional technique related to such HDD security, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1 (auxiliary storage device of information equipment).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-175406
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
This prior art is characterized in that the data erasure operation is performed when an unauthorized removal of the HDD is detected. However, since the erasure operation is performed after the removal is detected, there is a possibility that only a part of the data in the HDD can be erased. Is expensive.
As another conventional technique, if all image data is stored in a volatile storage medium such as an SDRAM instead of an HDD, the data can be erased immediately if unauthorized removal is performed. However, a volatile storage medium such as an SDRAM has a drawback that the cost for the amount of stored data is higher than that of an HDD.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and stores image data in a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk and stores image data used in an image forming apparatus and a scanner apparatus that can realize various functions. An object of the present invention is to prevent effective information from being reproduced at a theft destination even when an unauthorized removal of a nonvolatile storage medium occurs in an apparatus (image processing apparatus). It is also intended to prevent image data from being erased when the power is turned off when the image data is used for a function such as an image registration function that is not used temporarily but repeatedly. And
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an image data storage device capable of sequentially transferring and writing a plurality of pages of image data to a storage medium and sequentially reading the written plurality of pages of image data. It is characterized by doing so.
In the image data storage device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the storage medium includes a nonvolatile storage medium and a volatile storage medium, and image data of a plurality of pages is stored in the nonvolatile storage medium and the volatile storage medium for each page. Divided writing means for transferring and writing separately, and for each division unit of image data to the non-volatile storage medium, a predetermined bit of the image data in the transfer unit is stored in the volatile storage. Means for processing as image data to be transferred to a medium, and reconfiguring the image data by inserting a fixed value of 0 or 1 at the position of the predetermined bit of the image data of the transfer unit, and storing it in the nonvolatile memory Means for processing as image data to be transferred to a medium .
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image data storage device comprising a nonvolatile storage medium and a volatile storage medium, and a plurality of pages of image data for each page of the nonvolatile storage medium and the volatile storage medium. Divided writing means for transferring and writing separately, and for each division unit of image data to the non-volatile storage medium, a predetermined bit of the image data in the transfer unit is stored in the volatile storage. Means for processing as image data to be transferred to the medium; and re-configuring the image data by inserting random data at the position of the predetermined bit of the image data in the transfer unit, and transferring it to the nonvolatile storage medium it is obtained by a means to process the image data to.
[0010]
An image data storage device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the image data storage device according to the first or second aspect , wherein the image data of the transfer unit of the predetermined bit to be transferred to the volatile storage medium is supplied to the divided writing means. Means for regularly changing the position in the unit of transfer .
[0011]
An image data storage device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the image data storage device according to any one of the first to third aspects, further comprising compression means for compressing the image data transferred by the divided writing means.
An image data storage device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the image data storage device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the non-volatile storage medium and the reading means for reading the image data stored in the volatile storage medium; And erasing means for erasing the image data stored in the volatile storage medium after reading of the image data by the reading means is completed.
[0012]
An image data storage device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the image data storage device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the normal data is written by transferring a plurality of pages of image data to only the non-volatile storage medium for each page. And a mode selection means for selecting a temporary use mode for temporarily using stored image data or a continuous use mode for continuously using stored image data, and the mode selection means Write control selecting means for selecting write control by the divided writing means when the temporary use mode is selected, and writing control by the normal writing means when the continuous use mode is selected. It is provided.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.
First, a digital copying machine using an image data storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the entire digital copying machine, and FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the digital copying machine.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 2, the digital copying machine includes a scanner unit 101, a laser recording unit 102, and a post-processing unit 103, and the laser recording unit 102 uses the document image data read by the scanner unit 101. This is an apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, and performs post-processing such as copy sheet alignment, stapling, punch punching, and the like on an image-formed sheet (copy sheet) by a post-processing unit 103.
The scanner unit 101 is an image reading unit (image data input unit), and automatically feeds a transparent contact glass 104 and a document placed on the document table 105a one by one to a predetermined position on the contact glass 104. And an automatic double-sided document feeder (hereinafter referred to as “RADF”) 105 and a scanner unit 106 for reading an image of the document set on the upper surface of the contact glass 104.
[0015]
Here, the RADF 105 inverts the one-sided document feed path from the document table 105a through the contact glass 104 to a discharge tray (not shown), and the surface of the document on which the one-sided image has been read by the scanner unit 106, and makes contact again. It has a double-sided document feed path for feeding onto the glass 104, and can handle both single-sided and double-sided documents. The scanner unit 106 illuminates the document with a lamp (irradiates light), and forms an image of reflected light from the document on a light receiving surface of a photoelectric conversion element (CCD) by a lens, a mirror, etc. . This photoelectric conversion element converts the received reflected light into an electrical signal and outputs it to an image processing unit described later.
The laser recording unit 102 is an image forming unit, and includes a paper conveyance unit 107, a laser writing unit 108, and an electrophotographic process unit 109. The paper transport unit 107 is a unit that transports the paper to the electrophotographic process unit (image forming unit) 109. The front and back of the paper that has passed through the fixing roller for fixing the image in the double-sided copying mode in which images are formed on both sides of the paper. A sub-transport path that reverses and leads to the electrophotographic process unit 109 is provided.
[0016]
The laser writing unit 108 modulates (ON / OFF) the semiconductor laser based on image data supplied from an image processing unit to be described later, emits a corresponding laser beam, and deflects the laser beam through a mirror or a lens. Then, the surface of the photosensitive drum of the electrophotographic process unit 109 is scanned to form an electrostatic latent image. The electrophotographic process unit 109 visualizes the electrostatic latent image with toner to form a toner image, transfers the toner image onto the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit 107, and heats and pressurizes it with a fixing roller. As a result, the toner image is melted and fixed on the surface of the paper, and the image is formed on the paper.
The post-processing unit 103 is a post-processing unit, and for paper (copy paper) discharged from the electrophotographic process unit 109 after image formation is completed, paper alignment, stapling, punching, etc. according to the setting of the apparatus Post-processing is performed, and the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 103a or 103b.
[0017]
In this digital copying machine, the image processing board 210 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to an image data storage device (image processing device), and the CPU 211 is connected to each unit via a CPU mounted on a board arranged for each unit. Controls the devices that make up the system. These boards are control units of the digital copying machine, and in addition to the image processing board 210, a CCD board 220, a machine control board 230, and an operation panel board 250 are mounted.
The image processing board 210 is a board on which a CPU 211 that performs various kinds of image processing on image data is mounted together with peripheral components, and includes a RAM 212, an image processing unit 213, a memory / HDD (hard disk drive) control unit 214, a page memory 215, A laser control unit 216 and a storage memory 217 are provided. The operation of each of these units will be described later.
[0018]
The CCD board 220 is a board on which photoelectric conversion elements are mounted together with peripheral components, and includes an A / D conversion circuit 221, a CCD control circuit 222, an analog circuit 223, and a CCD 224. When the CCD 224 controlled by the CCD control circuit 222 receives the reflected light from the original, the information is converted into an electric signal, the gain is adjusted by the analog circuit 223, and the 8-bit data is further converted by the A / D conversion circuit 221. It is converted into digital image data and sent to the image processing unit 213 of the image processing board 210.
[0019]
The machine control board 230 is a board that manages each device in the apparatus, and includes a CPU 232 and a RAM 231, and the post-processing unit 103, the RADF 105, the scanner unit 106, the paper transport unit 107, the process unit 233, and the duplex unit 235. Control. Here, the post-processing unit 103 and the RADF 105 include a CPU 240 and a CPU 239, respectively.
The operation panel board 250 is a board that manages the operation panel 300 provided on the upper surface of the apparatus, and includes a CPU 251 and a RAM 252. The operation panel 300 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) 302 on which a touch panel is stacked and various operation keys 301.
[0020]
Here, processing of image data in the automatic document feeding copy mode in this copying machine will be described.
When the image of the original fed on the contact glass 104 by the RADF 105 is read by the scanner unit 106, the image is converted into digital image data by the CCD board 220 in the scanner unit 106 as described above, and the image processing board. 210 is sent to the image processing unit 213.
[0021]
The image data for one page is subjected to predetermined image processing by the image processing unit 213 and then temporarily stored in the page memory 215 by the memory / HDD control unit 214. The image data stored in the page memory 215 is then divided, transferred, and written into an HDD 218 that is a nonvolatile storage medium constituting the storage medium according to the present invention and a storage memory 217 that is a volatile storage medium such as SDRAM. (Remembered). After the processing up to this point is completed for all the originals placed (set) on the original plate 105a of the RADF 105, the image data of a plurality of originals (multiple pages) stored in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 is stored in the memory / The data is read out in the order of pages by the HDD control unit 214, subjected to predetermined image processing by the image processing unit 213, and supplied to the semiconductor laser 219 of the laser writing unit 108 via the laser control unit 216. Is modulated and image formation is performed.
[0022]
When performing image formation of a plurality of copies, the processing from reading out image data of each original from the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 to image formation is repeated for the set number of copies. Therefore, even when a plurality of copies are formed, each document image needs to be read only once. In addition, since the image data of a plurality of documents is divided and stored in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217, the image data stored in the volatile storage memory 217 side is erased when the power of the digital copying machine is turned off. And there is no worry of the image data being stolen.
Therefore, the memory / HDD control unit 214 functions as a division writing unit.
[0023]
Next, the control for dividing the image data into the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 and storing it will be described in more detail.
Since the data bus of the HDD interface (hereinafter “interface” is referred to as “I / F”) is 16 bits, one word of the transfer unit of image data is 16 bits.
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the image data of one word (transfer unit) is D15 to D0 from the most significant bit to the least significant bit, the memory / HDD control unit 214 causes the most significant bit D15 (predetermined value). Bit) is processed as image data to be transferred (written) to the storage memory 217 (described later). Further, the remaining data (15 bits D14 to D0) is reconstructed as 16-bit data, and is processed as data to be transferred to the HDD 218. That is, a fixed value of 0 (may be 1) is inserted into the position of the most significant bit D15 of 1-word image data D15 to D0 to reconstruct the image data (16-bit data) and transfer it to the HDD 218. Write.
[0024]
FIG. 4 shows the state of the interface between the HDD 218 and the memory / HDD control unit 214 of the storage memory 217 when image data is stored in this manner. FIG. 4 shows a case where 32-word image data is written to the HDD 218. Since the storage memory 217 in this example has a 16-bit data bus, each time the memory / HDD control unit 214 accesses the HDD 218 for one word (writes one word of image data), the one word is stored. The most significant 1 bit D15 of the image data is temporarily stored in its own internal memory, and when 16 bits D15 to D0 data (1 word data) are prepared, the data is transferred to the storage memory 217 and written. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, each time 16 words of image data are written to the HDD 218, the most significant 1 bit D15 data of each 1 word of image data is transferred to the storage memory 217 and written. Thereby, one word (16 bits) of image data is stored in the storage memory 217.
[0025]
Conversely, when reading (reading) image data from the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217, as shown in FIG. 5, the 16-bit image data is read from the storage memory 217 at the first word, and the image data read from the HDD 218 is read. The most significant bit D15 of the 1st to 16th words is filled with 16 bits read from the storage memory 217 and reproduced to the original image data, and this operation is repeated 16 words.
Note that image data in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 is managed by a directory table shown in FIG. 8 constructed on the RAM 212 accessed by the CPU 211.
[0026]
The directory table has entries for the maximum number of documents (maximum number of pages), each corresponding to one document. Each entry holds the first address in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 of the image data of each document. Therefore, reproduction of one original image can be realized by reading out image data in the order shown in FIG. 5 with the corresponding HDD address and memory address in the directory table as the head address.
[0027]
In this embodiment, for each word (transfer unit) of image data to the HDD 218, the memory / HDD control unit 214 uses the most significant bit of the image data of each word as image data to be transferred to the storage memory 217. In addition to processing, 0 is sequentially inserted into the position of the most significant bit of each 1-word image data (the most significant bit D15 of each 1-word is replaced with 0 sequentially) to reconstruct the image data (1 word However, it is processed as image data to be transferred to the HDD 218. However, a random number generator is provided in the memory / HDD control unit 214, and 0 is placed in the position of the most significant bit D15 of each one-word image data. By sequentially inserting random numbers (random data) instead of sequentially inserting data, it is possible to make data restoration in the HDD 218 more difficult. Thereby, the confidentiality of data can be improved.
[0028]
In addition, the position of 1-word image data to be transferred to the HDD 218 of bits to be transferred to the storage memory 217 can be regularly changed in units of 1 word. As a result, data restoration in the HDD 218 can be made more difficult, and data confidentiality can be improved. As shown in FIG. 9, when the bit position indicated by a double circle (◎) is the bit position to be transferred to the storage memory 217, the most significant bit for the first one-word image data. The position of D15, the position of bit D14 for the second one-word image data, the position of bit D13 for the third one-word image data, and the 16th one-word shifted by one bit It returns to the position of bit D0 for the image data, and again returns to the position of bit D15 for the next 17th one-word image data, and a position one bit lower for each word which is the transfer unit of the image data. The positions of the bits to be transferred to the storage memory 217 are shifted with regularity, such that the bits are the image data to be transferred to the storage memory 217.
[0029]
Since the positions of the bits stored in the storage memory 217 have regularity, in order to read out the image data from the HDD 218 and reconstruct it into the original image data, the data is read from the storage memory 217 in accordance with the rules for writing the image data. It is sufficient to insert the corresponding bit at the corresponding bit position.
By storing the image data in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 in this manner, data restoration in the HDD 218 can be made more difficult and the confidentiality of the data can be improved.
[0030]
As another control, the memory / HDD control unit 214 arranges predetermined bit data in addition to 1-word image data to be transferred to the HDD 218 into 17-bit data, and the predetermined bit in units of transfer to the storage memory 217. Can be transferred to the storage memory 217 for writing. In this case, the 17-bit data is packed with the predetermined bits to form one word data, which is transferred to the HDD 218 and written.
[0031]
For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the memory / HDD control unit 214 generates image data every 17 bits based on the image data stored in the page memory 215, and stores the most significant bit of each image data in the storage memory. By processing as image data to be transferred to the HDD 217 and processing the other 16 bits as image data to be transferred to the HDD 218, the bits for the transfer to the storage memory 217 are not inserted into the image data to be transferred to the HDD 218. The image data can be transferred to the HDD 218 while a part of the image data is transferred to the storage memory 217. By storing the image data in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 in this way, it is difficult to restore the data in the HDD 218 and the confidentiality of the data can be improved.
[0032]
In the description so far, predetermined one bit is set as image data to be transferred to the storage memory 217 for each word of the image data to the HDD 218, but the above-described effects can be obtained by another control.
The other control is control that distributes image data to the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 every several words, instead of distributing data to the storage memory 217 for each word.
FIG. 6 shows an interface state between the HDD 218 and the memory / HDD control unit 214 of the storage memory 217 when image data is stored in this manner.
[0033]
FIG. 6 shows an example in which 32-word image data is transferred to the HDD 218 for writing. First, data is transferred and written (written) to the HDD 218 word by word, and image data of 1 word is transferred and written to the storage memory 217 at the 16th word. Thus, by writing one of the 16 words into the storage memory 217, the image data is distributed and stored in the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217. Therefore, reproduction of one original image can be realized by reading out image data as shown in FIG. 7 with the corresponding HDD address and memory address in the directory table as the head address.
[0034]
By the way, in the embodiments so far, the image data transferred and written to the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 is the original image data. However, the original image data is encoded (compressed), and the encoded image data is stored in the HDD 218. If the data is transferred and written separately in the storage memory 217, the effect is further increased.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example in the case of encoding / decoding image data in the memory / HDD control unit 214.
The memory control unit 401 reads image data for one page stored in the page memory 215 and transfers the image data to the encoding unit (compression unit) 402.
The encoding unit 402 is a compression unit and encodes transferred image data.
[0035]
The memory / HDD I / F unit 404 transfers the image data encoded by the encoding unit 402 to the storage memory 217 and the HDD 218 for transfer and writing.
When the image data (encoded data) stored in the storage memory 217 and the HDD 218 is decoded (decompressed) in this way, the memory / HDD I / F unit 404 is divided into the storage memory 217 and the HDD 218 and stored. The read image data is read out and transferred to the decoding unit 403.
The decoding unit 403 decodes the transferred image data (encoded data).
The memory control unit 401 develops the image data decoded by the decoding unit 403 as image data for one page in the page memory 215.
[0036]
In this example, the arithmetic encoding method is used as the high-efficiency encoding method. The arithmetic coding method is a method in which the appearance probability of a target pixel to be encoded is obtained from the conditional probability of the state of surrounding reference pixels, and encoding is performed with the value of the probability. For example, using the template shown in FIG. When the pixel is X, the probability when X is black or white is obtained from the conditional probability of the ABCDE pixel combination. When the pixel of the ninth pixel on the second line of the image shown in FIG. 12 is encoded, the template shown in FIG. 13 is applied with the pixels shown in FIG. In this way, one page of image is encoded. As a feature of this encoding, since there is no line synchronization code in the middle, if a code error occurs in the middle, the decoded image from there will be a totally random image. Because of this characteristic, when the encoded image data distributed and stored in the storage memory 217 is erased when the digital copier is turned off, the image data can be restored only with the image data in the HDD 218. Becomes very difficult, and the confidentiality of data becomes very high.
[0037]
By the way, when the storage memory 217 is composed of a volatile memory such as SDRAM, the image data is erased by turning off the power, but the image data in the storage memory 217 can be stolen by some means without turning off the power. It cannot be said that there is no sex. In view of such a case, the image data in the storage memory 217 may be deleted for each job here. A job refers to a series of operations from reading a document image, inputting the image data, and finishing outputting a specified number of copies (image formation).
[0038]
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214.
The memory / HDD control unit 214 reads the image data every time image data for one page subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 213 is accumulated in the page memory 215 for job execution, Transfer and write to the storage memory 217 separately (step S1).
When the writing (accumulation) of the image data for one job is completed, the image data for one page (initially the first page) is repeatedly read from the HDD 218 and the accumulation memory 217 to output a plurality of sets of image data. The job is executed (step S2). This operation is repeated until the job ends (step S3).
[0039]
When the designated number of copies of image data is output and the job is completed, the image data is erased by writing 0 in all areas of the storage memory 217 (S4).
By erasing the image data in the storage memory 217 for each job in this manner, the image data in the storage memory 217 is sequentially deleted even when the power is not turned off. Restoration becomes very difficult, and the confidentiality of the image data becomes very high.
In this example, the memory / HDD control unit 214 also functions as a reading unit and an erasing unit.
[0040]
By the way, when a plurality of outputs (copy images) are obtained by a function such as an electronic sort function, there is a purpose of temporarily storing image data in the HDD 218, while image data is stored in the HDD 218 like a function such as an image registration function. There are also uses that are stored (registered) and printed out when necessary. For example, format images such as application forms and registration forms are registered and used. In such a case, if the image data in the storage memory 217 disappears when the digital copying machine is turned off, the image data stored in the HDD 218 cannot be used, which is a problem.
[0041]
Therefore, in this example, image data that is not erased and handled by a function such as an image registration function is managed separately from image data that is erased and handled by a function such as an electronic sort function.
Therefore, for example, image registration information for specifying an image registration mode by pressing an image registration key which is a part of the operation key 301 on the operation panel 300 in FIG. 1 (stored image data is used repeatedly many times. Corresponding to the continuous use mode information for designating the continuous use mode). Accordingly, the image registration information is transmitted to the CPU 211 on the image processing board 210, so that the CPU 211 selects an image registration mode (continuous use mode) and instructs the memory / HDD control unit 214 to perform normal write control. If the image registration information is not transmitted to the CPU 211, the CPU 211 selects a temporary use mode for temporarily using the image data stored (registered), and instructs the memory / HDD control unit 214 to perform divided write control.
[0042]
When divided write control is instructed from the CPU 211, the memory / HDD control unit 214 selects the divided write control, and image data for one page subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 213 is accumulated in the page memory 215. Each time, the image data is read out and transferred to the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 for writing as described above. When normal write control is instructed from the CPU 211, the normal write control is selected, and each time image data for one page subjected to image processing by the image processing unit 213 is accumulated in the page memory 215, the image Data is read, transferred and written only to the HDD 218, and data is not written to the storage memory 217. At this time, the address of the image data (registered image data) to be written in the HDD 218 is registered in the address area of the HDD 218 determined for the registered image data in advance.
[0043]
When reading the registered image data, registered image reading information for designating a registered image reading mode is generated by the operation key 301 on the operation panel 300. As a result, the registered image reading information is transmitted to the CPU 211 on the image processing board 210, so that the CPU 211 selects the registered image reading mode and instructs the memory / HDD control unit 214 to read out the registered image data. Thereby, the memory / HDD control unit 214 can read the registered image data from the HDD 218.
[0044]
In this way, registered image data that is not desired to be erased is not stored in the storage memory 217 but only in the HDD 218, so that the registered image data is not lost when the power of the digital copying machine is turned off. . For other image data, a part of the data stored in the storage memory 217 can be deleted, and storage suitable for the application of the image data can be performed.
In this example, the memory / HDD control unit 214 also functions as normal writing means, mode selection means, and writing control selection means.
The embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an image processing apparatus (image data storage apparatus) used in a digital copying machine has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and image forming such as a digital multi-function peripheral, a FAX apparatus, etc. The present invention can also be applied to an image processing apparatus used in an apparatus or a scanner apparatus.
[0045]
【The invention's effect】
As is apparent from the above description, according to the image data storage device of the present invention, a part of the image data stored only in the nonvolatile storage medium such as the HDD is stored in the volatile storage medium such as the SDRAM, By using the property of a volatile storage medium that can quickly erase data, the confidentiality of image data can be improved.
That is, by storing image data separately in a nonvolatile storage medium and a volatile storage medium, even if the nonvolatile storage medium is illegally removed, only a part of the data is stored in the nonvolatile storage medium. Since the data on the volatile storage medium is lost when the power is turned off, theft of the data can be prevented.
In addition, for applications where image data is used repeatedly and not temporarily, the image data can be stored even after the power is turned off by selecting only a non-volatile storage medium and storing the image data. Therefore, the image data can be continuously used many times.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the digital copying machine shown in FIG.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of an entire digital copying machine using an image data storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a first example of write control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1;
4 is a diagram showing a first example of an interface state between the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 during write control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1; FIG.
5 is a diagram showing a second example of an interface state between the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 during read control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 in FIG. 1; FIG.
6 is a diagram showing a second example of an interface state between the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 at the time of write control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1. FIG.
7 is a diagram showing a second example of an interface state between the HDD 218 and the storage memory 217 during read control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a directory table referred to by the memory / HDD control unit 214 in FIG. 1;
9 is a diagram for explaining a second example of write control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1; FIG.
10 is a diagram for explaining a third example of write control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1; FIG.
11 is a block diagram showing a configuration example when encoding / decoding image data according to the present invention in the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1; FIG.
12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an encoding process (compression process) according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 13 is another explanatory diagram of the same.
FIG. 14 is still another explanatory view.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of control according to the present invention by the memory / HDD control unit 214 of FIG. 1;

Claims (6)

In an image data storage device capable of sequentially transferring and writing a plurality of pages of image data to a storage medium, and sequentially reading the written plurality of pages of image data.
The storage medium is composed of a nonvolatile storage medium and a volatile storage medium,
Provided with a divisional writing means for transferring and writing a plurality of pages of image data for each page divided into the nonvolatile storage medium and the volatile storage medium,
The division writing means, for each transfer unit of image data to the nonvolatile storage medium, processing a predetermined bit of the image data of the transfer unit as image data to be transferred to the volatile storage medium; and insert the 0 or 1 for a fixed value at a predetermined bit position of the image data transfer unit reconstructs the image data, and means to process it as image data to be transferred to the non-volatile storage medium An image data storage device comprising: In an image data storage device capable of sequentially transferring and writing a plurality of pages of image data to a storage medium, and sequentially reading the written plurality of pages of image data.
The storage medium is composed of a nonvolatile storage medium and a volatile storage medium,
Provided with a divisional writing means for transferring and writing a plurality of pages of image data for each page divided into the nonvolatile storage medium and the volatile storage medium,
The division writing means, for each transfer unit of image data to the nonvolatile storage medium, processing a predetermined bit of the image data of the transfer unit as image data to be transferred to the volatile storage medium; and characterized in that it has a manual stage to the position of the predetermined bit of the image data transfer unit by inserting random data reconstructs the image data and processes it as image data to be transferred to the non-volatile storage medium An image data storage device. The image data storage device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The image data storage characterized in that the divided writing means has means for regularly changing the position of the predetermined bit to be transferred to the volatile storage medium in the image data in the transfer unit. apparatus. The image data storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
An image data storage device comprising compression means for compressing image data transferred by the divided writing means. The image data storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
Reading means for reading image data stored in the nonvolatile storage medium and the volatile storage medium;
An image data storage device comprising: erasing means for erasing image data stored in the volatile storage medium after reading of the image data by the reading means is completed. The image data storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
Normal writing means for transferring and writing image data of a plurality of pages to only the non-volatile storage medium for each page;
Mode selection means for selecting a temporary use mode for temporarily using stored image data or a continuous use mode for continuously using stored image data; and
When the temporary selection mode is selected by the mode selection unit, the writing control by the divided writing unit is selected, and when the continuous use mode is selected, the writing control by the normal writing unit is selected. An image data storage device.

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