JP2001136322A - Image forming device, image processing unit, image forming system and storage medium storing image file - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming system that can efficiently conduct an image edit job or the like. SOLUTION: An image forming device having an image read means reading an image of an original is provided with a storage means that stores image data of the image read by the image read means and attribute information of the image data in combination with each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and an image forming system, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and an image forming system for transferring image data between devices.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming system used in a network environment has been provided.

An image forming system includes, for example, an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine and an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer or a workstation for instructing the image forming apparatus to scan (read) or print (print) an image. Are connected to each other. Further, a configuration in which a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected to a network may be adopted.

In such an image forming system, for example, a method of using the scanner mode in which an information processing apparatus instructs an image forming apparatus to read an image and transfers the image read by the image forming apparatus to the information processing apparatus is used. Are known.

Conventionally, the scanner mode transfers all image data of an image read by an image forming apparatus to an information processing apparatus.

[0006]

However, in the conventional image forming system, as described above, unless all the image data is received from the image forming apparatus, the information processing apparatus cannot obtain any information on the image. . This image data is a file with a considerably large capacity, and even if the file compression technique is used for transferring the image data, the capacity is large. Therefore, the transfer of the image data takes a considerable time, When storing the transferred image data on a hard disk or the like, this storage also requires much time.

On the other hand, when editing an image in an information processing apparatus, all of the image data may be required, but not all of the image data may be required. That is, if only the information on the image, for example, the attribute information such as the image size, resolution, color information, and the image forming position on the paper is known, it is desired to change these to desired values and immediately form the image. In the conventional image forming system, even in such a case, all of the image data must be once transferred to the information processing apparatus, and the work is time-consuming due to the above-described transfer time problem. Had become bad.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides an image forming system capable of efficiently performing image editing and the like by transferring only necessary information. The purpose is to do.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image reading means which is connected to a network and reads an image of a document, image data of the image read by the image reading means, and the image data. An image forming apparatus including a storage unit that stores data in combination with attribute information of data, a transfer unit that can transfer only the attribute information via the network, and the image forming apparatus via the network Receiving means for receiving only the attribute information related to the image stored in the image forming apparatus, editing means for editing the attribute information received by the receiving means, and transmitting the attribute information edited by the editing means to the image. The image forming system includes an information processing apparatus including a transmitting unit that transmits the image data to the forming apparatus.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a case where the image forming apparatus is a digital copying machine and the information processing apparatus is a personal computer will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, two digital copying machines, digital copying machines 1 and 2, are provided. These two digital copiers 1 and 2 are each capable of reading (scanning) and forming an image (printing) of a document independently. It is also possible to transfer the image read by the copying machine 1 to the digital copying machine 2 and form the image by the digital copying machine 2, or vice versa.

In the present embodiment, the personal computer 3 is also connected to the network 4. The personal computer 3 can instruct the digital copying machines 1 and 2 to read an image, form an image, and transfer an image. Further, the image stored in the personal computer 3 is transferred to the digital copying machine 1 or 2 to form an image in the digital copying machine 1 or 2, or the image read by the digital copying machine 1 or 2 is transferred to the personal computer 3 and
It is also possible to perform editing and saving.

In FIG. 1, the network 4 may be a LAN such as an Ethernet or any other network.

FIG. 2 shows the digital copying machine 1 shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of FIG.

Digital copiers 1 and 2 shown in FIG.
Since both have the same configuration, the digital copying machine 1 will be described as a representative here.

The digital copying machine 1 includes a network connecting means 11 serving as an interface with the network 4 shown in FIG. 1, a control means 12 for controlling the operation of the entire digital copying machine 1, and an image reading means for reading an image from a document. 13, an image forming unit 14 for forming an image on paper, for example, and a storage unit 15 for storing image data read by the image reading unit 13. Storage means 1
Reference numeral 5 includes a memory such as a DRAM or a hard disk.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams showing the storage contents of the storage means 15 shown in FIG. 2, wherein FIG. 3A shows the storage means 15 and FIG. 3B shows the header 17 shown in FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the image read by the image reading means 13 shown in FIG. This image file 16 has a header 1 as shown in FIG.
7 and image data 18.

The image data 18 is the image data itself of the image read by the image reading means 13, and may be, for example, in a compressed format. In the header 17,
The attribute information of the image data 18 is stored.

The attribute information stored in the header 17 includes, for example, a sheet size at the time of image formation, position information at the time of image formation, designation of a paper feed tray used at the time of image formation,
In addition, the size of the image file (for example, the number of bytes),
Information about the image, such as the resolution of the image. These pieces of information are automatically created by the digital copying machine 1 when the image reading means 13 obtains setting information and the like when reading an image, and stored in the header 17. The format of the information stored in the header 17 may be a character code that can be read by a human as shown in FIG. 3B, or may be a code other than a character that can be understood by the image forming system. I don't care. The capacity of the header 17 is very small as compared with the capacity of the image data 18.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of an example of the processing in the personal computer 3 shown in FIG.

When using the digital copying machine 1 in the scanner mode, the personal computer 3 instructs the digital copying machine 1 to read an image (F-1). In the digital copying machine 1 receiving this instruction, the image is read by the image reading means 13 and the header 17 and the image data 18 are stored in the storage means 15 in a format as shown in FIGS.

Next, the personal computer 3 edits the image read by the digital copying machine 1. When the image itself is not required, the digital copying machine 1 is instructed to acquire only the header 17. To instruct header transfer (F-2). In the digital copying machine 1 receiving this instruction, the header 17 stored in the storage means 15 is transmitted via the network connection means 11.

In the personal computer 3 having obtained the header 17 from the digital copying machine 1 via the network 4, the header 1
7 is edited and changed to a desired value (F-3).

Next, the personal computer 3 transmits the edited header 17 to the digital copying machine 1 (F).
-4). In the digital copying machine 1 receiving the edited header 17 from the personal computer 3, the received header 17
Is overwritten on the storage means 15.

Thereafter, the personal computer 3 instructs the digital copying machine 1 to form an image (F-4). Upon receiving this instruction, the digital copier 1 stores the current storage unit 1
The image forming unit 14 forms an image based on the header 17 and the image data 18 stored in the storage unit 5.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, only the header can be transferred, so that the transfer can be performed at a high speed, and the image itself can be transferred to the memory or the hard disk of the personal computer 3. Since there is no need to store the data, the processing can be speeded up from this point as well.

If the capacity (the number of bytes) of the image is stored as the header 17, the personal computer 3 which has received the header 17 from the digital copying machine 1 can use the capacity according to the remaining capacity of its own hard disk. It can be determined in advance whether the image data 18 can be received from the digital copying machine 1 and stored.

If the print position of the image is stored as the header 17, the digital copier 1
The personal computer 3 that has received the header 17 from the PC 3 can edit the header 17 and perform operations such as shifting the printing position of only the odd-numbered pages of the image over a plurality of pages in a short time.

If the designation of the paper feed tray for forming the image is stored as the header 17, an operation such as changing the paper feed tray for only an arbitrary page of the image over a plurality of pages can be performed. It can be done in a short time.

In the above-described embodiment, the image file is configured by adding the attribute information relating to the image data as a header. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the attribute information may be added as a footer. Needless to say, this may be done.

In the processing shown in FIG. 4, the processing is started by an instruction from the information processing apparatus.
The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming apparatus may read and store an image in advance, and transfer the attribute information of the image to the information processing apparatus. Further, according to the present invention, for example, a plurality of images can be sequentially read from a plurality of documents by an auto sheet feeder or the like, and a plurality of pieces of attribute information on the plurality of images can be collectively transferred to the information processing apparatus. is there.

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the image data is configured by adding the attribute information about the image to the image data as a header, the image can be easily handled. Further, according to the present invention, since only the header can be transferred, there is also an effect that the transfer time can be greatly reduced. That is, according to the present invention, only necessary information can be transferred, so that an image editing operation or the like can be performed efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the digital copying machine shown in FIG.

3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating contents stored in a storage unit illustrated in FIG. 2; FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the storage unit;
(B) is a figure showing about a header shown in (a).

FIG. 4 is a view showing a flowchart of an example of processing in the personal computer shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 Digital copier 3 Personal computer 4 Network 11 Network connection means 12 Control means 13 Image reading means 14 Image forming means 15 Storage means 16 Image file 17 Header 18 Image data

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Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having image reading means for reading an image on a document, comprising: storage means for storing image data of an image read by the image reading means and attribute information of the image data in combination. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer unit connected to a network and capable of transferring only the attribute information via the network. 3. An information processing apparatus, comprising: a receiving unit connected to an image forming apparatus via a network to receive only attribute information on an image stored in the image forming apparatus. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: an editing unit configured to edit the attribute information received by the receiving unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the attribute information edited by the editing unit to the image forming apparatus. The information processing device according to claim 3. 5. An image reading unit connected to a network for reading an image of a document, a storage unit for storing image data of an image read by the image reading unit and attribute information of the image data in combination, and the network An image forming apparatus having a transfer unit capable of transferring only the attribute information via the image forming apparatus; and attribute information about an image stored in the image forming apparatus connected to the image forming apparatus via the network. An information processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives only the attribute information; an editing unit that edits the attribute information received by the receiving unit; and a transmitting unit that transmits the attribute information edited by the editing unit to the image forming apparatus. An image forming system comprising: 6. A storage medium for storing an image file, wherein the image file is configured by adding attribute information relating to the image data to the image data.