JPH05303620A - Picture output method and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the method and device for image forming by connecting a picture data storage section storing many picture data to specify the only identifier of picture data stored therein and reading the corresponding picture data from the picture data storage section. CONSTITUTION:The picture data as well as the identifier of the picture data are stored in a picture data storage section 7. When the identifier of the picture data stored in the picture data storage section 7 is specified based on picture specification information inputted from a host computer 101, the picture data corresponding to the specified identifier is read out from the picture data storage section 7. Thus read picture data is displayed and outputted on an image forming section 102.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image output method and apparatus for inputting image data from a host computer, forming an image based on the image data and outputting the image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an image output device such as a color page printer which receives image data from a host computer, forms an image based on the image data, and outputs the image data, the image data is directly transmitted from the host computer in a bitmap format. Alternatively, the image is formed by inputting it in a compressed encoded code format or the like and expanding it into a print image.

[0003]

Therefore, the above-mentioned conventional example has the following drawbacks.

In the case of transmitting the image of the image data as it is, it takes a lot of time to transfer the image data when the communication speed of the transmission line between the host computer and the image output device is low. Further, when the image data is directly transmitted from the host computer to the image output device, the size of the image data to be output is uniquely determined by the image memory size of the host computer, and is large enough to exceed the image memory size of the host computer. We could not handle a large amount of image data.

Further, when transmitting image data by an encoded code or the like, there is a problem that it takes a lot of time for the decoding process, and since the decoding is performed, the circuit scale becomes large and the apparatus There was a problem that it would lead to higher costs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional example, in which an image data storage unit storing a large amount of image data is connected and only the identifier of the image data stored therein is designated. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming method and apparatus capable of reading the corresponding image data from the image data storage unit and forming an image.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the image data forming apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, an image output device that receives image designation information from a host computer, forms an image based on the image designation information, and outputs the image data, and a storage unit that stores image data together with an identifier of the image data, and the image. When the identifier of the image data stored in the storage means is designated by the designation information, the reading means for reading the image data corresponding to the designated identifier from the storage means, and the image read by the reading means. And output means for displaying and outputting data.

In order to achieve the above object, the image data forming method of the present invention comprises the following steps. That is, it is an image output method of receiving image designation information from a host computer, forming an image based on the image designation information, and outputting the image. The image data is stored together with an identifier of the image data in a storage unit. When the identifier of the image data stored in the storage means is designated by the designation information, a step of reading the image data corresponding to the designated identifier from the storage means and displaying the read image data. And outputting.

[0009]

In the above structure, the image data is stored in the storage means together with the identifier of the image data, and the identifier of the image data stored in the storage means is designated by the image designation information inputted from the host computer. Then, the image data corresponding to the specified identifier is
It is read from the storage means. It operates to display and output the image data thus read.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of the image output apparatus of this embodiment.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 3 denotes a main control unit which controls the data processing unit 100 of the image output apparatus of the embodiment according to a control program. The main control unit 3 includes a CPU that controls the entire data processing unit 100 of this embodiment and its peripheral circuits. An input control unit 2 controls input and output of image data from the host computer 101. A main storage unit 4 stores a program for image output control processing input from the host computer 101 executed by the main control unit 3 and the like. An identification unit 5 analyzes the input image data input from the input control unit 2 and identifies the input method of the image data instructed by the host computer 101 (input the image data itself or input the image identifier). To do. An image reading unit 6 reads out the image data specified by the image identifier from the image data storage unit 7 when the input method of the image data identified by the identifying unit 5 is the input of the image identifier. 7
Is an image data storage unit in which various image data are stored in association with their identifiers.

Reference numeral 101 denotes a host computer, which outputs image information to the data processing unit 100 and instructs the image forming unit 102 to form the image. The output of image data from the host computer 101 to the data processing unit 100 is instructed by outputting the image data itself as described above or by sending the identifier of the image data stored in the image data storage unit 7. There are two methods. An image data storage unit 9 stores the same image data as the image data storage unit 7 with the same identifier added. An image forming unit 102 prints an image on a recording medium such as recording paper based on the image data output from the data processing unit 100, or displays the image on a display unit such as a display.

2 to 4 show a host computer 101.
3 is a diagram showing an example of a data format of image data output to the data processing unit 100. FIG.

FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a basic data format of image data. The data format of the image data from the host computer 101 is composed of 21 and 22 frames. A frame 21 is a frame that specifies an image data input method, and here is a type frame that indicates input of image data itself or an image data input instruction by an image identifier. Frame 22
Other information is stored in the type frame 21.
The content varies depending on the content of.

FIG. 3 is a data format diagram showing a case where the image data from the host computer 101 is the image data itself.

In this case, an image mode 31 indicating that the image data itself is input is set in the type frame 21, and the actual image data 32 follows.

FIG. 4 is a data format diagram showing a case where the image data from the host computer 101 is an image identifier.

In this case, an identifier mode 41 indicating that the image identifier is input is set in the type frame 21. Then, D indicating the database name of the recipient
B frame 42, image name frame 43 showing the received image,
A remarks frame 44 for writing comments and other information follows.

Next, the processing in the image output apparatus in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The control program for executing this process is stored in the main storage unit 4.

As described above, the image output apparatus of this embodiment executes the following processing under the control of the main control section 3 in accordance with the image output control program stored in the main storage section 4.

When the input image data is input from the host computer 101 and the image data is detected by the input control unit 2, the process of step S1 is started. In step S1, the code of the type frame 21 of the image data received via the input control unit 2 is checked to identify the input method of the image data instructed by the host computer 101. By this identification, if the input method of the image data information is the input of the image data itself, the process proceeds to step S3, and the received image data 32 is input. Next, in step S3, the received image data is input to form image data, which is output to the image forming unit 102 in step S4 to form a visible image.

On the other hand, in step S2, if the input method of the image data information is input by the image identifier, the process proceeds to step S5, the image reading section 6 is activated, and D
The image data designated by the B frame 42 and the image name frame 43 is read from the image data storage unit 7, and step S3 is performed.
Proceed to.

As a result, the host computer 101
It is possible to reproduce and output on the image output device side without sending the image data itself to be image-formed.

In this embodiment, the image data storage unit 7
However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be connected to the outside of the image output device of this embodiment, for example.

When a plurality of image data storage units 7 are connected, a data format DB for image data is stored.
The image data storage section can be designated and searched by the frame 42.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of an image output apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. Portions common to the above-mentioned embodiments are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

The difference between the image output apparatus of the other embodiment and the image output apparatus of the above-described embodiment is that the image data storage unit 7 for storing image data is provided in the data processing unit 100. Instead, it is stored as an image database 103 separately from the data processing unit 100. In this case, the image data reading unit 6a accesses the image database 103 according to the instruction from the host computer 101, and the DB frame 42 and the image name frame 43 described above are accessed.
The image data specified by is read. The image data thus read out is output to the image forming unit 102 under the control of the main control unit 3.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the processing of another embodiment.

As described above, the image output apparatus of this embodiment executes the following processing under the control of the main control section 3 in accordance with the image output control program stored in the main storage section 4.

When the image information is sent from the host computer 101, a reception process is performed by the input control unit 2,
In step S11, the image frame type frame 2
The content of 1 is determined. The input method of the received image data is checked, and if the type of the input method of the image data is the input of the image data itself, the process proceeds from step S12 to step S13, the output image is formed based on the received image, and the image formation is performed in step S14. It is output to the unit 102.

On the other hand, in step S12, if the input method of the image data is input by the image identifier, the process proceeds to step S15, and the image reading unit 6a causes the image database 103 to store the DB frame 42 and the image name frame 43.
The image data instructed by is read and the process proceeds to step S13.

At this time, the image database 103 is
When an image transmission request is issued from the host computer 101, the data can be thinned out and transmitted according to the memory capacity of the image storage unit 9 of the host computer 101 and when the capacity is small. Further, when the image data of the image database 103 is encoded by the stepwise encoding method and stored, it is possible to send out only the coarse image.

With such a configuration, even if the image memory of the host computer 101 has a small capacity, the specified image can be fetched from another large-capacity database, which is larger than the size of the image memory of the host computer 101. It can handle image data having a size.

The image database 103 may be an image reading unit such as a scanner.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. It goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program for implementing the present invention to a system or an apparatus.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the host side can form and output the designated image data by simply outputting the image identifier.

Further, even when the communication speed of the communication path between the host computer and the image output device is low, the specified image data can be taken in from another high speed database to form an image.

Further, since image data can be formed by instructing the image data in the database that stores the image data, the specified image data is taken in and formed from a large-capacity image database regardless of the memory capacity on the host side. be able to.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, by connecting the image data storage unit storing a large amount of image data and designating only the identifier of the image data stored therein. Since the corresponding image data can be read out from the image data storage unit to form an image, the time required to transfer the image data is shortened, and the capacity of the image memory on the host side is not limited.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image output apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image data format transmitted to the image output device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an input format example of image data itself transmitted to the image output apparatus of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a data format according to an image identifier transmitted to the image output device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing image data reception and image formation processing in the image output apparatus of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image output device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an image data receiving and image forming process in an image output apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Input control unit 3 Main control unit 4 Main storage unit 5 Identification unit 6, 6a Image data reading unit 7, 9 Image data storage unit 100, 100a Data processing unit 101 Host computer 102 Image forming unit 103 Image database

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image output device which receives image designation information from a host computer, forms an image based on the image designation information, and outputs the image data, and storage means for storing the image data together with an identifier of the image data. When the identifier of the image data stored in the storage means is designated by the image designation information, the reading means for reading the image data corresponding to the designated identifier from the storage means, and the reading means for reading the image data An image output device comprising: an output unit that displays and outputs the generated image data. 2. An image output method for receiving image designation information from a host computer, forming an image based on the image designation information, and outputting the image, wherein the storage unit stores the image data together with an identifier of the image data. When the identifier of the image data stored in the storage means is designated by the image designation information, the step of reading the image data corresponding to the designated identifier from the storage means, and the read image data. And a step of displaying and outputting the image output method.