JPH0713823B2 - Information storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a first file in which information is converted into an electrical signal and stored in a first recording medium, and a second recording medium in a film form having a plurality of frames in which information is a visible image. The present invention relates to an information storage device that manages and searches the stored second file.

Conventionally, a microfilm system has been used as an information storage device that manages and utilizes an extremely large amount of non-coded information. Microfilm has advantages such as economy, storability, and resolution, and has the advantage of being able to input a large amount of data at high speed and to store and manage the file information, which is increasing year by year. Are suitable.

On the other hand, on the other hand, office automation has been rapidly developed in recent years, and there is an increasing tendency for computers to be introduced into office equipment and for each equipment to be connected to each other through communication lines. In order to cope with the tendency toward computerization and communication, it is desirable that the information to be handled be stored in the form of electric signals as much as possible. Therefore, the electronic file system has been attracting attention in recent years. Since the electronic file system stores information in the form of electric signals, it has features such as high-speed retrieval and high-speed transmission that are not found in microfilm systems.

The electronic film system has the above-mentioned features and is a system that can sufficiently cope with the recent trend toward office automation. However, it cannot be said that the conventional microfilm system is sufficiently compliant, and in particular, it is a computer. The biggest problem is that it does not have compatibility with office equipment that has become a communication and communication system.

Hereinafter, the conventional microfilm system and electronic file system will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

In a conventional microfilm system, a reader printer as typically shown in FIG. 1 was used to make a hard copy. In the figure, the light beam from the light source 1 passes through the microfilm 2 and the lens 3, and is reflected by the fixed mirror 4. When used as a reader, the movable mirror 5 is at the position A, the reflected light reflected by the fixed mirror 4 is projected on the screen 6, and the image on the microfilm is formed on the screen 6. On the other hand, when used as a printer, the light reflected by the fixed mirror 4 can be applied onto the photosensitive paper 7 simply by moving the movable mirror 5 to the position B. The exposed photosensitive paper 7 is developed in the developing unit 8 and sent out as a hard copy.

However, such a method has a drawback that it takes time and the image quality is inferior. Therefore, as a method for improving the image quality, a method has also been proposed in which the reflected light of the movable mirror 5 at the position B is taken into an ordinary copying machine to make a hard copy. However, in any of the methods, the procedure of finding the microfilm from a large amount of film, setting it in the reader printer and making a hard copy is not changed, and therefore the disadvantage of taking a long time cannot be eliminated. Furthermore, when transmitting the information stored in the microfilm to another place, this method requires mailing the hard copy obtained by the above-mentioned procedure or transmitting by the facsimile, which is usually office automation. It is not possible to deal with the tendency of.

As an attempt to solve such a drawback, a microfilm file as shown in FIG. 2 has been proposed. However, as shown in FIG. 2 as an example, a cashier type is shown, and the cashier film is attached to the barn of the magazine 9.
10 are stored in a predetermined order.

In order to display the frame of the microfilm on which the target document is recorded by this file system, the address A is first input from an input device such as a keyboard (not shown). The search unit 11 that has input the address A rotates the magazine 9 according to the address designation and stops it at the designated position.
Then, the drive film (not shown) removes the filter film 10 from the magazine 9 and aligns the target top. After alignment, light source 12
Lights up, and the rays of light are on the lens 13 and the film 10
The purpose of the spinning top, passing through the lens 14, half mirror 15
Incident on. The light reflected by the half mirror 15 passes through a lens 16 and is projected onto an optical screen (not shown) to form an image of the target doll.

Next, a case where the information displayed on the screen in this way is hard-copied or transmitted to another place by facsimile will be described. The light transmitted through the half mirror 15 is converted into an electric signal by the photoelectric conversion sensor 17, and the electric signal is subjected to processing such as binarization and amplification in the signal processing unit 18, and the image data D
Is output as. The photoelectric conversion sensor 17 scans in the direction of the arrow by the scanning control unit 19 and converts the image information into an electric signal over the entire area of the target top. The target frame image data D thus obtained is sent to a hard copy section or facsimile transmission section (not shown). The photoelectric conversion sensor 17 includes, for example, a CCD.
A linear array sensor is suitable. Of course, if a two-dimensional area sensor is used, scanning drive is not necessary.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a microfilm / file in which the microfilm is a roll-shaped film.
Since the microfilm 20 is contained in the cartridge 21, the driving method for searching is slightly different, and the rest is almost the same as the microfilm file shown in FIG.

As described above, whether the roll-shaped film or the card-shaped film represented by the transfer film is searched, hard-copyed, and transmitted by the method shown in FIG. 2 or 3. Can be performed at higher speed.

The microfilm system has been described in detail above,
Next, a conventional electronic file system will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4 is a system structure diagram showing an example of a conventional electronic file system. Document reader 22, printer 23,
The workstation 24 and the memory 26 are the controller 2
It is connected to 7 and constitutes one system. However, the index file 25 is connected to the workstation 24.

The document reader 22 uses, for example, a charge-coupled device CCD or the like, converts a document into an electric signal by raster scan, performs processing such as amplification and binarization, and stores the image data in the memory 26. Output to and store. In this way, the required documents can be stored in the memory 26 one after another.

Obviously, the larger the storage capacity of the memory 26, the more suitable it is. For example, if you use an optical disk memory,
With a paper fairing on a disk with a diameter of about 30 cm
It is possible to store non-coded information for 50 books, that is, for one small bookcase. When storing a document in the memory 26, the index of the document is simultaneously stored in the index file 25.

When it is desired to output the document stored in the memory 26 as a hard copy, the workstation 24 inputs, for example, a keyword of the target document. Then, the target document in the memory 26 is read by referring to the index file 25, and the printer 23 makes a hard copy of the document.

Even if the printer 23 is an electrostatic recording type printer, a laser beam
It may be a printer. Further, instead of a hard copy, information can be monitored by a soft copy in which a target document is displayed on the display of the workstation 24.

The controller 27 manages the entire system, and includes an interface or a band compression / expansion circuit as required. The controller 27 may be independent as shown in FIG. 4, or may be integrated with the document reader 22, the printer 23, the work station 24, or the memory 26.

As described above, the electronic file system uses the document reader 22 to store a large amount of documents in the form of electric signals in the memory 26, so that an automatic search can be performed within a short time of several seconds by a command from the workstation 24. It becomes possible to do. Further, since it does not require a developing process such as a micro film, it has a strong advantage that a document can be searched immediately after it is input.

On the other hand, there are also aspects that impair the advantages of conventional microfilm systems. First of all, when inputting information, it is not possible to convert in one shot through the lens system like the microfilm system, and the input speed will be slowed down because it performs raster scan conversion one by one,
Inability to copy less than several hundred sheets at high speed and economically, 10
There is no record of sufficient long-term storage stability as compared to microfilms with long-term storage stability of 0 years, and the legal evidence ability that microfilms have is not recognized.

An even bigger problem is that when an electronic file system is introduced, the databases and information built up using the conventional microfilm system cannot be used. As already mentioned, both the microfilm system and the electronic file system have their respective advantages. In view of the trend toward office automation in recent years, it is clear that the electronic film system has many advantageous aspects, but the microfilm system cannot be ignored. Therefore, there has been a demand for an information storage device that can be applied to a comprehensive information management system that utilizes the advantages of the electronic file system such as high search speed while utilizing the information stored in the microfilm.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a first file in which information is converted into an electrical signal and stored in a first recording medium, and a second file in a film form having a plurality of frames with the information as a visible image. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information storage device that can handle a second file stored in a recording medium in an integrated manner and can retrieve desired information as quickly as possible.

That is, the present invention provides a first file in which a plurality of information is converted into an electric signal and stored in a first recording medium, and a second recording medium in a film form having a plurality of frames as a visible image of the plurality of information. An information storage device that stores and manages and searches a second file, which is capable of photoelectrically reading the visible image and outputting it as an electric signal, and has a slower search speed than the first file. Means for outputting information from the first file, and index information of information stored in the first and second files for controlling the search of the information in the first and second files. A control unit having a unit for inputting search information to instruct the control unit to output desired information,
The control means collates the search information input from the input means with the index information in the storage means, and in which of the first and second files the desired information instructed by the input means is stored. And in response to the determination, the desired information is only the first file or the first and second files.
Of the first storage medium for accessing the storage position of the first file, without outputting a signal for accessing the storage position of the second file, If the desired information is stored only in the second file by outputting the first signal according to the storage mode of the information, the frame of the film for accessing the storage position of the second file is output. In the information storage device, which outputs the second signal that represents and the accessed information is output from the output means.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the information storage device of the present invention. Where 32 is a document reader,
33 is a printer, 34 is a workstation, 35 is an index file, 36 is a disk memory, 37 is a microfilm file, 38 is a controller, and 39 is a buffer memory.

A large number of documents are read by the document reader 32 and stored in the disk memory 36. As described above, the disk memory 36 is preferably a random access memory and a high-density and large-capacity memory, such as an optical disk, from the viewpoint of space saving. At the same time, the index of each piece of information stored in the disk memory 36 is stored in the index file 35 and managed by the workstation 34.

Specifically, the microfilm file 37 is preferably a microfilm file having the automatic search function shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but the invention is not limited to this, and at least the image of the microfilm is raster-scanned. A microfilm file having a means capable of being converted into an electric signal by means of However, in this embodiment, the case of the roll-shaped microfilm shown in FIG. 3 is taken as an example.

The index of each microfilm frame stored in the microfilm file 37 is stored in the disk memory 36.
The information is stored in the index file 35 and managed by the workstation 34 in the same manner as the index of each information stored in. The index file 35 is a magnetic disk memory, a floppy disk, or the like, and may be a semiconductor memory or the like in the workstation 34. The controller 38 is composed of a well-known microcomputer, and comprises a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM) and a central control unit (CPU).

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the main control program of this embodiment. This program is written in the ROM of the controller 38 in advance, and the CPU controls the operation of each part according to this program.

First, in step 1, the user inputs a search code for desired information through the input means (keyboard or the like) of the workstation 34. Then, in step 2, the workstation 34 compares the input search code with the index stored in the index file 35, and the relevant information is stored in the disk memory 36 or in the microfilm file 37. It is determined whether or not it is stored in both, and if it is a disk, the track number thereof, and if it is a microfilm, the frame number is sent from the index file 35 to the controller.

Next, the controller 38 reads out the information based on the above-mentioned address information. For example, if the information is stored in the microfilm file 37, the microfilm file 37 searches for the top having the information recorded as described above according to the input top number and outputs the two-dimensional image information. It is converted into an electric signal by the raster scan, subjected to predetermined signal processing, and output to the controller 38 (step 3). In addition, the information is the disk memory 36 or the disk memory 36 and the microfilm file 37.
When the data is stored in both of them, this information is read from the dex (step 4). The information thus read is stored in the buffer memory 39 (step 5) and printed out by the printer 33 (step 6).

Thereafter, in step 7, it is judged whether the information is read from the disk or the microfilm, and if it is read from the microfilm, step 8 is read.
Information stored in the buffer memory 39 with a disk memory
Write on 36 disks. Further, the retrieval address of this information in the index file 35 is changed from "micro film" to "micro film and disk" (step 9), and all the operations are completed. If the information is read from the disk, steps 8 and 9 are not performed and the process ends.

In the present embodiment, the information retrieved even once among the information stored in the microfilm has a very high probability of being repeatedly retrieved twice or three times thereafter, and therefore, as in the embodiment, By accumulating the retrieved information in the disk as well, the information can be read from the disk which has a high retrieval access speed from the second retrieval to shorten the retrieval time. Further, even if the information is stored in both the microfilm and the disk from the beginning regardless of such an operation at the time of the search, the speed of the search can be increased by exclusively reading the information from the disk.

Although the controller 38 is shown as an independent unit in the above-described embodiment, it may be integrally formed with the document reader 32, the printer 33, the workstation 34, the disk memory 36, the microfilm file 37, or the like. The buffer memory 39 is not always necessary, and may be omitted if the information read from the disk memory or the like is printed out in real time or stored in the microfilm / file. Further, the output of information is not limited to print output, and it is also possible to perform soft copy on a display of a workstation or transmit it to another information device. As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

As described above, according to the present invention, the storage form and the reading of information such as the first storage medium that handles the electrical information signal and the second storage medium that handles the information of the visible image different from the electrical information signal. Form that is completely different and is originally used independently
The first and second files can be integrated, and even if the first and second files are used together, the operator does not have to be aware of which storage medium the desired information is stored. It is possible to output desired information by a simple operation of inputting search information.

Moreover, the operator can obtain the desired information as quickly as possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a microfilm reader / printer, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a fish-type microfilm / file, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a roll-type microfilm / file. Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional electronic file system.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the construction of an embodiment of the information storage device of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 32 …… Document reader, 33 …… Printer, 34 …… Workstation, 35 …… Index file, 36 …… Disk memory, 37 …… Microfilm file, 38 …… Controller, 39 …… Buffer memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first file in which a plurality of information is converted into an electrical signal and stored in a first recording medium, and a plurality of information is stored as a visible image in a film-shaped second recording medium having a plurality of frames. Then, in the information storage device for performing a management search for a second file, which is capable of photoelectrically reading the visible image and outputting as an electric signal, the search speed of which is slower than that of the first file. A means for outputting information from a file, and storing index information of information accumulated in the first and second files for controlling a search for information in the first and second files A control means having means, and means for inputting search information to instruct the control means to output desired information, wherein the control means stores the search information input from the input means and the storage means in the storage means. I The dex information is collated to determine in which of the first and second files the desired information designated by the input means is stored, and in response to the determination, the desired information is stored in the first file. To access the storage location of the first file without outputting a signal for accessing the storage location of the second file when the storage location is stored in only or both the first and second files. Of the first storage medium according to the first information storage mode
A desired signal is stored only in the second file, a second signal representing the frame of the film for accessing the storage position of the second file is output. An information storage device, wherein the accessed information is output from the output means.