JPH01263714A - Information recording control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate a wasteful memory area in which information is not written by continuously recording plural pieces of undefined length information to a recording part, recording a recording place to an information registering part and reading plural pieces of the undefined length information at random. CONSTITUTION:When information is recorded into an external storing means 110, a processing means 102 stores the information from the beginning of the empty area of an information recording part 112. The storing place is registered into an information registering part 111. When the processing means 102 reads the information from the external storing means 110, the processing means 102 refers to the information registering part 111 and based on it, the information, which is the purpose of the information recording part 112, is retrieved.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding an information record management system that allows random access, the purpose of reducing the area for storing information is to provide an information recording section that stores information of an indefinite length, and an information recording section that stores information of an undefined length. It has an information registration section for registering the storage location of each piece of information, an external storage means for recording information, and a plurality of pieces of information of undefined length are continuously written in the recording area of the information recording section, and the information is registered in the information registration section. and processing means for managing records in the external storage means by searching the information recording unit based on the stored location.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an information recording management system, and particularly to an information recording management system that allows random access to information and reduces the data storage area.

[Conventional technology]

For example, in a slip processing system that processes handwritten slips, it is necessary to record the results of reading slips by a reader in an external storage device such as a disk device, and then perform statistical processing such as classifying them by key item. There is.

For this reason, it is necessary to record the image data corresponding to each character in the slip from the disk in such a way that random access, for example, only the image data corresponding to the Xth character, is read out.

By the way, each character in the slip is converted into a binary image of, for example, 64×64 pixels by the reading unit of the slip processing system. Hereinafter, data corresponding to this one character will be referred to as one image data. When such image data is recorded on a disk, the data is compressed using a data compression method such as measuring the run length of each part of the image data and performing Huffman encoding. In this way, the compressed image data becomes data of undefined length with different sizes. For example, some image data is compressed to only 3/4 of the size, while other image data is compressed to 1/3 of the size, resulting in a difference in data size.

As mentioned above, there are two ways to record and manage image data of undefined length so that it can be accessed randomly: one is to create a large number of sequential files with each piece of image data as a file, and the other is to record and manage image data of undefined length so that it can be accessed randomly. One possible method is to create one random access file all at once.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional image data management method.

As shown in Figure 5(a), the method of creating a large number of sequential files is to create one sequential file (file 1 , file 2...
), create and save as many files as the number of image data. In this case, the file size is set to be the closest to the size of the image data, with the unit being an integral multiple (usually 8 records, called a block) of the smallest recording unit (record) when recording on the disk. Secured. For example, file sizes are secured such that file 1 has 2 records and 1 block, and file 2 has 9 records and 2 blocks, so the shaded area in the file is where no data is written. (See FIG. 5(a)) occurs, and its size is close to one block at most.

As shown in Figure 5(b), the method of creating one random access file is to secure as many records as the number of image data to be stored, and to create one random access file for each record. Image data is written one by one, and a collection of image data is made into one random access file. In this case, the maximum image data is 256
8 image data per byte (data 1, data 2...
・) Assuming that there is, eight records each having a size of 256 bytes are secured, and each record can be randomly accessed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional method of creating a large number of files, it is necessary to register each file in a directory, so if there is a large number of image data, the directory area may become full (see the fifth example). (see figure (a)), and invalid areas are likely to occur within the block, which ultimately makes it unsuitable for storing a large amount of image data.

In addition, in the method of creating one random access file, the unit for accessing image data is adjusted to the size of the largest image data, so as shown in Figure 5, etc., the area is indicated by diagonal lines. There is a problem in that there are many areas in which data is not written in the file, and there is a lot of waste in the area for storing data.

The present invention was created in view of these points, and aims to provide an information record management system that reduces the area for storing data of undefined length and also allows random access. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the information record management system of the present invention.

In the figure, the external storage means 110 includes an information recording section 112. Information is recorded by having an information registration section 111 that registers the storage location of each piece of information within the information recording section 112.

The processing means 102 stores a plurality of pieces of undefined length information in the information recording unit 1.
12 recording areas continuously, information registration section 111
Record management of the external storage means 110 is performed by searching the information recording unit 112 based on the storage location registered in the external storage means 110.

Therefore, as a whole, random access to information is possible and the information storage area is configured to be small.

[For production]

When recording information in the external storage means 110, the processing means 1
02 stores information from the beginning in an empty area of the information recording section 112, and registers the storage location in the information registration section 111. When the processing means 102 reads information from the external storage means 110, the processing means 102 reads information from the information registration section 1.
11, and based on it, the information recording section 112 is searched for the desired information.

In the present invention, since a plurality of pieces of information are continuously stored in the information recording section 112, the area for storing information is small. Furthermore, since the storage location of each piece of information is registered in the information registration unit 111 and stored so that each piece of information can be handled independently, each piece of information can be accessed at random.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a slip processing system using an information record management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1. Correspondence between the embodiment and FIG. 1 Here, the correspondence between the embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 1 will be shown.

External storage means 110 corresponds to disk 200.

The information registration section 111 corresponds to the data registration file 221.

The information recording section 112 corresponds to the data storage file 22°2.

The processing means 102 corresponds to the control section 230.

Examples of the present invention will be described below assuming that the correspondence relationship as described above exists.

In FIG. 2, the slip processing system includes a reading section 240 that reads slips, a disk 200 that stores image data read by the reading section 240, a disk 200 that compresses the image data read by the reading section 240, and a disk 200 that stores the image data read by the reading section 240. A central processing unit (CPU) 231. reads data from and performs processing such as classification by key item. The control unit 230 includes a disk driver 232 that controls data writing to and reading from the disk 200.

(ii) Disc Configuration The disc 200 is formed of a data area 220 in which information is recorded in the form of files, and a directory area 210 in which the name and recording location of each file recorded in the data area 220 is registered. .

In the disk 200, the disk driver 232 searches the directory area 210 for the name of the file in which the desired information is recorded, obtains the recording location of the file in the data area 220, and reads the necessary file from the data area 220. configured so that it is possible.

(iii) Structure of files in the data area Figure 3 shows:
3 is a configuration diagram of files recorded in a data area 220. FIG.

As shown in the figure, a plurality of pieces of image data compressed by the control unit 230 are stored in the data storage file 222 in order and recorded.

On the other hand, in the data registration file 221, information specifying the recording location of each image data recorded in the data storage file 222 is registered.

Furthermore, the data recording location in the data storage file 222 is determined by the record number (Rn), which indicates the number assigned to the record, which is the minimum unit by which the disk driver 232 accesses the disk 200, and the number of records in the record. A data pointer (Dp
) can be specified.

For example, five image data (data 1, data 2, data 3, data 4, data 5) having different sizes are continuously recorded in the data storage file 222, and each image data is recorded in the data registration file 221. The recording start position is determined by the record number and data pointer as (Rn + = 1, D pl = 1) (Rn
z=1. Dp2 = 18) (Rn3 = 2.D
p3 = 16) (Rn4 = 3.Dp4 = 7) (Rns = 4.Dps = 3) Each image data is registered in the data registration file by recording the identifying information as follows.

In this way, the data registration file 221 is first read out, the recording start position of the desired image data is read in the data storage file 222, the data storage file 222 is searched based on this, and the desired image data is read out. It is configured as follows.

(2) Operation of the Embodiment FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the information recording management system in the embodiment shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, the operation of the information recording management system will be explained separately for writing and reading image data.

(i) In the case of writing FIG. 4(a) is a flowchart showing the writing operation of the information recording management system in the embodiment.

The CPU 231 instructs the disk driver 232 to
Areas for the data registration file 221 and data storage file 222 are secured in the data area 220, and image data can be written (step 401).

a variable Rn indicating a record number and a data pointer;
Set an initial value to Dp. For example, Rn=1. DP=1
is set (step 402).

Thereafter, steps 403 to 409 are repeated until all image data is recorded.

One byte of image data is recorded at the position indicated by Dp in the record indicated by Rn. For example, Rn=2. D
If p=16, one byte of image data is recorded in the 16th byte of the second record (step 403).
.

The value of the variable Dp indicating the data pointer is added by 1 (step 404).

If it is determined in step 405 that the value of Dp has reached the number of bytes for the record number, 1 is added to the value of variable Rn indicating the record number, and an initial value is set in Dp (step 406).

At this time, the variables Rn and Dp are the values of the record number and data pointer indicating the first free area in which image data has not yet been written.

If it is determined in step 407 that recording of one image data has been completed, the data registration file 221
The values of Rn and Dp are recorded as the recording start position of the next image data. For example, when recording of the third image data is completed, Rn-3 and Dp=7. This is the recording start position of the fourth image data (Rnz, Dp3
) in the data registration file 221 (step 408).

It is checked whether all image data has been recorded in the data storage file 222 (step 409).

For example, five image data are stored in the data storage file 222.
, the data registration file 221 records the recording start positions of the second to fifth image data and the position of the first empty area after the recording of the fifth image data is completed. The first image data always has Rn=1.
Since the data is recorded from Dp=1, this is equivalent to recording the respective recording start positions of the first to fifth image data.

(ii) In the case of reading FIG. 4(b) is a flowchart showing the reading operation of the information record management system in the embodiment.

The CPU 231 specifies the data recording file containing the image data to be read, and reads the corresponding data registration file.

For example, when reading image data included in the data storage file 222, first read the image data included in the data storage file 222.
22 is read out (step 411).

Based on the contents of the data registration file 221, the record number and data pointer values (Rni, DP!) indicating the recording start position of the desired image data are respectively set as variables Rn.
and Dp. For example, the data storage file 222
When reading the third image data, Rn3 = 2. from the contents of the data registration file 221. Dp3 = 1
6 (step 412).

The Dp-th byte is read from the record with record number Rn of the data storage file 222.

For example, when reading the first byte of the third image data in the data storage file 222, Rn =Rn:
I, Dp = D P x T: The third byte of DP is read from the record with record number Rn (step 413).

The value of the variable Dp indicating the data pointer is incremented by 1 (step 414).

If it is determined in step 415 that the value of Dp has reached the number of bytes for the record number, 1 is added to the variable RnO value indicating the record number, and an initial value is set in Dp (step 416).

Check whether reading of image data has finished. For example, Rn of the results of steps 414 and 416
and Rni indicating the value of Dp and the recording start position of the next image data. I + D P i++ are compared, and if both are equal, it is determined that reading of the image data has been completed. For example, after reading the last byte of the third image data, the addition result in step 414 is Rn=3. DP=7, which is equal to the recording start position (Rna, Dpa) of the fourth image data. In other words, it can be seen that the byte read in step 413 was the last byte of the third image data (step 417).

(2) Summary of the Embodiment As described above, a plurality of image data are continuously recorded in the data storage file 222, and the recording start position of each image data is recorded in the data registration file 221. Each image data recorded in the data storage file 222 can be randomly accessed by referring to the data registration file 221 to read each image data independently.

This makes it possible to handle a plurality of image data as two files, the data registration file 221 and the data storage file 222, in the directory area.

Further, since a plurality of image data are continuously recorded in the data storage file 222, there is no wasted area in which no data is written, so the recording area can be made smaller.

In the embodiment of the present invention described above, a case was considered in which image data of undefined length was recorded and managed on a disk in a slip processing system, but the present invention is limited to image data. It can be applied to any device that records data of undefined length in an external storage means and accesses it randomly. Furthermore, there are no limitations on the number or length of data.

Furthermore, in ``correspondence between examples and FIG. 1'',
Although the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments has been explained, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be modified in various ways.
A person skilled in the art would be able to easily guess that.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, by continuously recording a plurality of pieces of undefined length information in the information recording section and recording the recording location in the information registration section, the plural pieces of undefined length information can be randomly recorded. It is extremely useful in practice because it can be read out and information can be recorded in a small recording area by eliminating wasted areas where no information is written.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a principle block diagram of the information record management system of the present invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of a slip processing system using the information record management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is the same as Figure 2. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the information recording management system according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional image data management method. It is. In the figure, 102 is a processing means, 110 is an external storage means, 111 is an information registration section, 112 is an information recording section, 200 is a disk, 210 is a directory area, 220 is a data area, 221 is a data registration file, 222 is a data storage 230 is a control unit, and 231 is a CPU. 232 is a disk driver, and 240 is a reading unit. Figure 3 of the 7th fill bridge in the tail area *mhiy, 49su (7) h4T 5b-15': jJ
Figure 4(b) 1〉, \'h4tosaνK〉to! difference

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An information recording unit (112) that stores information of undefined length;
It has an information registration unit (111) that registers the storage location of each piece of information in the information recording unit (112), an external storage unit (110) that records information, and a plurality of pieces of information of undefined length that are stored in the information recording unit (112). The data of the external storage means (110) is continuously written in the recording area of the external storage means (112) and searched in the information recording part (112) based on the storage location registered in the information registration part (111). An information record management system comprising: processing means (102) for managing records;