JP2000092295A - Image processing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow the image processing unit to conduct parallel processing of plurality of jobs by efficiently using a storage area of an image storage section. SOLUTION: The image processing unit is provided with an image input section 1 that receives image information, an image storage section 2 that stores the image information received from the image input section 1, and an image output section 3 that outputs the image information stored in the image storage section 2. The image processing unit is able to receive plurality of jobs such as image input, image output and image input and output jobs. The image processing unit is also provided with a storage area decision section 43 that allocates a storage area to store the image information to the image storage section 2. The storage area decision section 43 discriminates a size of areas in the image storage section 2 required for an accepted job and allocates the storage area to the job based on the discriminated area size.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for executing a plurality of jobs such as copying, facsimile, and printing in parallel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In image processing such as copying, facsimile, and printing, image information input from an image reading means or the like is stored in an image storage means, and the stored image information is output by an output means such as printing. You. When a plurality of jobs for performing such image processing are operated in parallel, a method for effectively utilizing an image storage unit has been proposed.

For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-288210, when executing any of the copy, facsimile, and printer functions, the use of the image storage means by other functions is excluded on a page basis, and the image formation is completed. There has been proposed an image forming apparatus that releases exclusion on a page-by-page basis and allows other functions to use the image storage unit.

This type of image forming apparatus has a relatively high-speed, small-capacity primary image storage unit and a relatively low-speed, large-capacity secondary image storage unit. If this occurs, the image information of the pages to be printed in the job being printed is sequentially transferred from the secondary image storage unit to the primary image storage unit and subjected to printing processing. A primary image store is available for reading the image.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, the transfer from the secondary image storage unit to the primary image storage unit is completed, the storage area corresponding to the printed page is opened, and the image reading is performed. However, there is a problem that it takes time to process a plurality of jobs because the execution of a new job is waited for until a sufficient free area is created in the primary image storage unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to realize a parallel operation of a plurality of jobs by efficiently using a storage area of an image storage unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which is enabled.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit for inputting image information; an image storage unit for storing image information input from the input unit; An image processing apparatus capable of receiving a plurality of jobs for inputting an image, outputting an image, or inputting / outputting an image, comprising: a storage area for storing image information in the image storage means. Storage area determining means for determining the area size in the image storage means used by the received job, and allocating the storage area to the job based on the determined area size. It has a configuration.

In the image processing apparatus having the above configuration, the area size in the image storage means used by the received job is determined, and the storage area is allocated based on the determined area size, so that the first After the storage area is allocated, if there is a free area in the image storage unit, the storage area can be allocated to a job to be executed later. Therefore, the subsequent job can be executed in parallel with the job being executed first.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment has an image input unit 1, an image storage unit 2, an image output unit 3, and a control unit 4. Image input unit 1
Is a document reading device or the like in the copy function, and inputs image information into the device. The image storage unit 2 includes a primary storage unit 2
1 and a secondary storage unit 22. The image output unit 3 is a printing device or the like, and prints out image information output from the primary storage unit 21 of the image storage unit 2 on paper or the like.

In the image storage unit 2, the primary storage unit 21 is an image memory or the like, and stores image information input from the image input unit 1. Since the primary storage unit 21 has a relatively high speed and a small capacity, it reads a document composed of a large number of pages,
For a job for collective printing, the secondary storage unit 22 having a relatively low speed and large capacity is used. That is, the image information of the document composed of a large number of pages is stored in the secondary storage unit 22, and the necessary image information is sequentially read out and output to the primary storage unit 21.

The control section 4 has a central control section 41, a job control section 42, a storage area determination section 43, a size determination section 44, and an image control section 45. In the control unit 4, the central control unit 11 cooperates with other sub-modules and manages control of the entire apparatus. The job control unit 42 checks the content of the job requested to be executed, determines whether or not the job can be accepted, and manages the processing state of the accepted job until the job ends.

The storage area determination unit 43 determines the maximum / minimum area size used by the job and manages the allocation of each area used during execution when a job execution request is issued. Here, the minimum area size refers to an area size that should be at least usable during execution of a job, for example, an area size that is a lower limit of the performance of a machine that can be executed as a job. The maximum area size refers to an area size that should be maximized during the execution of a job, for example, an upper limit area size for maximizing the performance of a machine.

The size determining unit 44 determines the maximum / minimum area size of the job based on the maximum / minimum area size of the job or other attribute information at the time of the job execution request. The image control unit 45 controls input / output of image information via the image input unit 1 or the image output unit 3 and transfer of image information between the primary storage unit 21 and the secondary storage unit 22.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of attribute information (job attribute information table) of a job whose execution is requested. As shown in the job attribute information table A, the job includes attribute information on print output such as paper size, number of copies, output order, and information on the minimum area size and the maximum area size. For example, job 1 is 3 on A4 size paper.
Copy, and job to be output as a set, the minimum area size is 2,
This indicates that the maximum area size is not specified.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a storage area allocation table held by the storage area determining unit 43. In this example, each storage area is managed by an area ID and has several attributes. The used job and used page indicate page information that stores the job and image information to which the area is currently assigned. For example, area IDs 1 to 3 indicate that they are allocated for storage of the first to third pages of job 1, respectively, and area ID 4 indicates that they are unused.

The exclusive job information indicates a job whose storage area can be used exclusively. For example, area IDs 1 and 2 are areas that can be used only by job 1 and area IDs
Reference numerals 3 and 4 indicate areas that can be assigned without specifying a job. In the area ID 5, the exclusive job information is 2 and the used job is 1, and this is the current job 1
Is allocated as the storage area of the fourth page,
This indicates that after the release of the assignment, only the job 2 is in a reserved state in which it can be used.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a storage area allocation state table held by the storage area determining unit 43. The storage area allocation state table C holds the minimum area size, the maximum area size, and the in-use area size determined for each job. As will be described later, the in-use area size is controlled so as not to exceed the maximum area size.

The job status indicates whether a storage area can be allocated. In this example, the job 1 is in a range not exceeding the maximum area size (here, there is no limit).
Indicates that job 2 has a reserved area (waiting for execution).

Here, the minimum area size, the maximum area size,
There are several methods for describing the size used in the used area size. If the image information to be stored differs depending on the page, a method of expressing the total amount (for example, in units of kilobytes) occupying the storage area may be adopted. When the amount of image information for each page is substantially the same, a method of dividing the image into a plurality of fixed-length areas and expressing the number of fixed-length areas to be used (for example, using the number of planes as a unit) can be adopted.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing example at the start of a job. When there is a job start request, the job control unit 42 determines whether the job can be started. This processing is
This is performed by the storage area determination unit 43 and is treated as one item of confirmation items at the start of a job.

The storage area determining unit 43 refers to the storage area allocation table B in FIG. 3 to check the unused areas of the entire storage area that are not exclusive by other jobs and that the total area is x. (Step S101). And
This value is compared with the minimum area size of the job attribute information table A of FIG. 2 (step S102). At this time, if the total x of the free areas is equal to or larger than the minimum area size, the job status in the storage area allocation status table C in FIG. 4 is set to “accept” (step S103), and the process proceeds to step S108.

In the comparison in step S102, if the total x of the free areas is smaller than the minimum area size, the storage area allocation table B is referred to, and it is determined that the total storage area is not exclusive by other jobs in the entire storage area. In addition, the area in use is checked, and the total is set to y (step S104). Next, the sum of the total sum x and the total sum y is compared with the minimum area size (step S105).

At this time, if x + y is equal to or greater than the minimum area size, an area corresponding to the difference between the minimum area size and the total x (minimum area size−x) among the non-excluded in-use areas is set in a reserved state. (Step S106) Further, the job status of the storage area allocation status table C is set to "acceptance reservation" (Step S107), and thereafter, Step S1 is executed.
Proceed to 08.

If the job status is "accepted" in step S103 or "accepted reservation" in step S107, in step S108, the non-excluded free area is exclusively used for the job and the process is terminated. . If x + y is smaller than the minimum area size in the comparison in step S105, the job reception is determined to have failed (step S109), and the process ends. In any case, control is returned to the job control unit 42 thereafter.

In the job start determination, the job control unit 42 obtains three types of states of “success”, “failure”, and “wait” for the use of the storage area, and continues the determination.
Here, there may be a case where the “waiting” state is unnecessary. In this case, the process does not proceed to step S104 when there is a shortage of the non-excluded free space in step S102, but rather proceeds to step S109, so that the "waiting" state can be prevented. It is.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for starting a job in a reserved state. This process is called and executed at the time of a job end process to be described later or at the time of canceling the allocation of a storage area. The storage area determination unit 43 refers to the storage area allocation table B to check whether all the storage areas reserved by the job being reserved among all the storage areas are available. Set to the “accepted” state.

First, the job in the reserved state is set to j, and the first storage area in the storage area allocation table B is set to x (step S201). Then, it is checked whether or not the area x is empty (step S202). If it is empty, the process proceeds to step S206. If not, the exclusive job information of the area x is checked (step S203), and if it is not the reserved job j, the process proceeds to step S205.

If the exclusive job information is the reserved job j, the use job information in the storage area allocation table B is checked (step S204). If the area x is being used by another job, the job is “reserved”.
This processing is terminated as it is. Otherwise, the area x is set as the next storage area (step S205), and thereafter, the process returns to step S202.

If it is determined that all the reserved areas of the job j are unused, the process proceeds to step S206, the job state in the storage area allocation state table C is set to "accept", and this processing ends.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of processing at the end of a job. In this process, information on the job to be ended is deleted from the storage area allocation table B and the storage area allocation state table C.

First, the job to be terminated is j, and the first storage area in the storage area allocation table B is x (step S301). Then, it is checked whether or not the area x is empty (step S302). If it is empty, the process proceeds to step S308. Otherwise, the use job information of the area x is checked (step S303).
The used job information and the used page information are cleared (step S304).

Next, the exclusive job information is checked (step S
305) If the job is the job j to be ended, the exclusive job information is cleared (step S306). Thereafter, the area x is set as the next storage area (step S307), and thereafter, the process returns to step S302. After clearing information on job j to be ended for all storage areas,
Is deleted from the storage area allocation status table X (step S308).

By this processing, the used or exclusive storage area is cleared and can be used by another job. Therefore, after this processing, the start processing of the above-mentioned reserved job can be performed. it can.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a processing example when a storage area allocation request is made. In this process, in response to an allocation request to a certain page, a process of checking a free area and determining an appropriate area is performed.

First, the job requested to be assigned is j,
The first storage area in the storage area allocation table B is x, and the area r to be allocated is empty (step S401).
Then, referring to the storage area allocation status table C, it is determined whether or not the sum of the in-use area sizes is within the maximum area size as a result of the new allocation (step S402). I do.

If the sum of the used area sizes is within the maximum area size, it is checked whether the area x is empty (step S4).
03) If it is empty, go to step S410. If not, the use job information of the area x is checked (step S4).
04), if any job is in use, step S
Proceed to 408. If the area x is not used, the exclusive job information is further checked (step S405). If a job other than the job j for which the allocation request has been made is registered, the process proceeds to step S408.

If the area x is not used and is not excluded by another job, the area x is set as the allocation target area r (step S406). Then, it is determined whether or not the region r (= x) is exclusive by the job j (step S407). If exclusive, the region is determined as a target region (step S409), and the process proceeds to step S410. Otherwise, the area x is made the next storage area (step S
408) Then, the process returns to step S403.

In step S410, it is checked whether or not the target area r is empty. If not, the used job information and used page information of the target area r are updated (step S411), and the job j of the storage area allocation status table C is further updated. The in-use area size information is updated (step S412), and the process ends.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing example at the time of canceling storage area allocation. In this process, the storage area that has been allocated is searched from the storage area allocation table B, and the area is returned to an unused state.

First, assume that the job for which the allocation release request has been issued is j, the page is p, and the first storage area in the storage area allocation table B is x (step S501). Next, it is checked whether or not the area x is empty (step S502). If it is empty, the process is terminated. If it is not empty, use job information and use page information of the area x are checked (step S5).
03).

If each of them is equal to the job j and page p for which the allocation release request has been made, the used job information of the area x is cleared (step S504), and the job j of the storage area allocation status table C is being used. The area size information is updated (step S505), and the process ends thereafter. If not, the area x is set as the next storage area (step S506), and then the step S5
Return to 02.

By this processing, the used storage area is cleared and can be used by another job. Therefore, after this processing, the start processing of the above-mentioned reserved job can be performed.

The following is a summary of the series of processes described above. That is, the job to be executed holds, for example, area size information used in the image storage unit 2, such as the minimum area size and the maximum area size. The storage area determining unit 43 refers to the area size information of the job, and when the maximum area size is set, determines whether the area size allocated to the job exceeds the maximum area size when allocating the storage area. Judge, and if it exceeds, do not allow the assignment.

Further, when allocating a certain storage area, it is determined whether or not as a result of the allocation, it is possible to allocate more than the minimum area size to all the jobs which are being executed in parallel and for which the minimum area size is set. If the assignment becomes impossible, the assignment is not permitted.

Further, when a new job is started, the free area in the primary storage unit 21 is checked, and it is determined whether or not an area larger than the minimum area size held by the job can be allocated. If the job is not allowed to start, if it is not possible, the other running jobs reserve the storage area allocated beyond the minimum area size of each job, and if these are released, the running Prohibit new assignment by job. The job is waiting for start. When the total amount of the released reserved area and the free area generated due to the end of the running job exceeds the minimum area size, the job waiting to be started is permitted to start.

With such an operation, the job permitted to be executed can always store at least the image information of at least the minimum area size in the primary storage unit 21 and, if there is sufficient free area, the storage area larger than that. Can be used.

Next, an example of the operation of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment by the above-described series of processing will be described. Here, a copying machine that operates as described below will be described as an example of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

Image reading is performed using a document conveying device,
After the storage area for reading the document is allocated to the primary storage unit 21, the document is transported and reaches the reading position in one second. The reading operation of the original requires two seconds. The read image information is transferred from the primary storage unit 21 to the secondary storage unit 22 in one second. At the time of image output, after a storage area is allocated to the primary storage unit 21, the image is transferred from the secondary storage unit 22 to the primary storage unit 21 in one second. When the transfer is completed, it is assumed that printing is started one second after the paper is fed and that printing is completed two seconds after the paper is fed.

Job 1 is a job for printing an image of 10 pages which is already being executed. The job 2 is a job that occurs in the middle of the job, reads a 5-page document, and stores image information in the secondary storage unit 22. The minimum area size and maximum area size of each job are the minimum for job 1.
2, maximum: no designation, job 2 minimum: 1, maximum: no designation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an operation example of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The time in the figure is a certain time (t =
Time elapsed (in seconds) from 0), assignment requests a and b represent pages requested by jobs 1 and 2. here,
jp means the p-th page of job j (if 1-3, the third page of job 1). It is assumed that the storage area is divided into three planes A to C. Here, storage areas A and B
Indicates that job 1 is exclusive.

At time t = 1, a request for allocating the first page of job 1 is issued, the storage area A is allocated by the storage area allocation processing, and the image information is transferred from the secondary storage unit 22 to the primary storage unit 21. Will be transferred. Time t = 2
, The first page is fed and printed out at times t = 3 and t = 4. At this point, it is not necessary to hold the first page in the storage area A, so the area is allocated to another page at the next time t = 5. The same processing is performed for the second and subsequent pages.

At time t = 7, the job 2 is started, but since there is no free space in the storage area, the storage area C is exclusively reserved, and the apparatus is in a reception waiting state. At time t = 9, the storage area C is deallocated, and execution is started by the reservation state job start process. Here, since the storage area C is allocated, the document is transported. Next time t = 10 and t
= 11, and the image information is transferred to the secondary storage unit 22 at time t = 12. At this point, it is not necessary to hold the first page in the storage area C, so the next time t
= 13, the area is allocated to another page.

Here, storage areas A and B store job 1
Since the job 2 is registered as an exclusive job in the storage area C, the job 1 is processed using the two storage areas and the job 2 using the single storage area until the job 1 ends at t = 22. Is advanced. At time t = 23, job 1 ends and storage areas A and B become available, so job 2 continues to use the job by using them, and ends the reading operation at time t = 26.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an operation example of an image processing apparatus according to a conventional method. The job execution conditions and the operation up to time t = 6 are the same as in the operation example of FIG. At time t = 7, the start of job 2 is requested, but the processing of all pages of job 1 is completed, and the process waits until time t = 19 at which the allocation is released, and job 2 is started at time t = 19. Thereafter, the job 1 ends at time t = 22, and the job ends at time t = 30.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of attribute information (job attribute information table) of a job whose execution is requested. In the figure, the attribute information relating to the print output such as the paper size, the number of copies, the output order, etc. held in the job attribute information table A ′ is the same as the job attribute information table A in FIG. In this example, information on the minimum area size and the maximum area size is divided for input and output. For example, job 1 is
At the time of input, the minimum area size is 1 and the maximum area size is 2, and at the time of output, the minimum area size is 3 and the maximum area size is not specified.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing when the job is divided into two partial jobs of input and output and the maximum and minimum area sizes are set for each partial job as in the example of FIG. is there.

When a job is started, first, an input process is executed. That is, the job control unit 42 acquires the maximum and minimum area sizes at the time of input from the job attribute information table A ′, and issues a start request to the storage area determination unit 43 (step S601). Storage area determination unit 43
When the state is changed to the waiting state, the process waits for the start (step S602), and when accepted, executes the input processing (step S603). When the input processing is completed, a job end request is issued once (step S604).

Next, the job control unit 42 acquires the maximum and minimum area sizes at the time of output from the job attribute information table A ', and issues a start request to the storage area determination unit 43 (step S605). When the storage area determination unit 43 enters the waiting state, the processing waits for start (step S6).
06), when it is accepted, an output process is executed (step S607). When the output processing ends, a job end request is issued and the job ends (step S604).

Thus, even when the required storage area size differs depending on the job execution content, such as at the time of input and at the time of output, a storage area of an appropriate size can be used.

[0061]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since a storage area of an appropriate size is allocated to a plurality of jobs, a parallel operation of a plurality of jobs can be realized by efficiently using the storage area. As a result, it is also possible to reduce the time required to process a plurality of jobs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a job attribute information table.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a storage area allocation table.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a storage area allocation status table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example at the time of starting a job.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing for starting a job in a reserved state.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example at the end of a job.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example at the time of a storage area allocation request.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a processing example at the time of canceling storage area allocation;

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of the image processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an operation example of an image processing apparatus according to a conventional method.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating another example of the job attribute information table.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing when a job is divided into two partial jobs, input and output, and maximum and minimum area sizes are set for each partial job.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image input part, 2 ... Image storage part, 3 ... Image output part, 4
... Control part, 21 ... Primary storage part, 22 ... Secondary storage part, 41
... Central control unit, 42 ... Job control unit, 43 ... Storage area determination unit, 44 ... Size determination unit, 45 ... Image control unit

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting image information; image storage means for storing image information input from the input means; and output means for outputting image information stored in the image storage means. An image processing apparatus capable of receiving a plurality of jobs for performing image input, image output, or image input / output, comprising: a storage area determining unit that allocates a storage area for storing image information in the image storage unit; An image processing apparatus, wherein the determining means determines an area size in the image storage means used by the received job, and allocates a storage area to the job based on the determined area size. 2. An area size used by a job is a minimum area size that should be at least usable during execution of the job, and the storage area determination unit stores a storage area in a second job executed later. When the area size that can be used by the first job that is being executed earlier does not satisfy the minimum area size, the storage area is not allocated to the second job. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1. 3. The storage area determining unit, when executing the second job during execution of the first job, assigns a storage area exceeding a minimum area size to the first job. If the minimum area size required for the second job cannot be allocated because of the presence of the second job, the storage area including the area in use exceeding the minimum area size of the first job is set in a reserved state, 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a new assignment of a storage area to the reserved state area for the job is prohibited. 4. The area size used by a job is the maximum area size that should be made maximum available during the execution of the job, and the storage area determining means, when allocating a storage area to a job, 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the area size allocated to the job exceeds the maximum area size, the storage area is not allocated. 5. The area size used by a job is the minimum area size that should be made minimum during the execution of the job and the maximum area size that should be made maximum during the execution of the job. When allocating a storage area to a job, the storage area determination unit determines whether the area size allocated to the job exceeds the maximum area size as a result of the allocation, or that at least one of other running jobs uses the storage area. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage area is not allocated when the obtained area size does not satisfy the minimum area size. 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein a part from the start to the end of execution of one job is divided into a plurality of partial jobs, and said storage area determination means determines an area size in said image storage means used by the job for each of said partial jobs. And
6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a storage area is allocated to the job based on the area size determined for each partial job.