JP2003125122A - Composite machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a composite machine capable of effectively utilizing resources provided to the machine for composite functions such as a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function. SOLUTION: In the composite machine 1, a software platform 20 is interposed between a resource 10 comprising; a CPU 11, a memory 12; and other resources 13 such as a read section and a recording section, and a plurality of application groups 30 utilizing the resource 10 to uniquely perform various processes such as a print process, a copy process, and facsimile process. The software platform 20 selects the resource 10 on the basis of the reservation of use of each resource 10 by each of applications 31 to 35 registered in advance to a memory use table 40 or the like in the execution processing of the application 31 to 35. Thus, the composite machine can properly process operations on request.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a composite device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a compound device that effectively utilizes the resources included in the compound device having a compound function such as a copy function, a facsimile function, and a printer function.

[0002]

In the office environment, cost reduction,
In order to reduce the occupied area, a composite device having a composite function such as a copy function, a facsimile function and a printer function is used.

Conventionally, a composite apparatus having a plurality of functions such as a copy function, a printer function, and a facsimile function has a facsimile control signal and image data between a reading section for reading an image of an original and a facsimile apparatus of the other party. A facsimile communication unit for performing facsimile communication with a printer, a recording unit for recording and outputting received image data and an image of an original read by a reading unit on a recording sheet, and an operation unit for performing various operation instruction operations are provided. Functioning as a device.

Recently, however, in an advanced information society, it has a network interface and is connected to a communication network together with a personal computer or the like so that it can be used in the communication network, so that effective use of resources and high-speed processing of information can be achieved. Has been planned.

It is expected that the functions of such a composite device will change according to the user, and the supported functions will increase more and more.

In such a multifunctional composite device,
It is desired to make maximum use of the resources possessed by the compound device. For example, in a multifunction device having a network function, when a printer operation and a fax reception operation occur at the same time and an electronic document reference operation from the network occurs, resources in the multifunction device,
In particular, it is expected that the memory will run out, and it is necessary to avoid such problems.

In a conventional image forming apparatus having a plurality of functions including an image copying function, a facsimile function, a printer function and an electronic filing function, a reservation means for making a reservation for a job to be processed using the functions is provided. Another image forming apparatus has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-475).
30).

That is, this image forming apparatus uses a function such as waiting in front of the image forming apparatus to use a function such as copying by making a job reservation in advance even when the printer function or the fax function is operating. I am trying to avoid the above problem.

[0009]

However, in such a conventional technique, in order to solve the problem that the copying operation cannot be performed while the printer, the fax, etc. are operating, it is necessary to use the computer beforehand. If a processing request for a heavy load job is issued because the problem is solved by reserving the job or by making a reservation for each job operated by the user, 1
When one job has used up all the resources, there is a problem that it is not possible to switch to another job and, in some cases, the entire apparatus does not operate.

Therefore, in the invention according to claim 1, various resources such as reading means, recording means, storage means and network communication means and various processing such as print processing, copy processing and facsimile processing using the resources are uniquely provided. When the platform intervenes between multiple applications to be executed and the platform performs common processing such as allocation of resources necessary to execute processing corresponding to each application, the platform executes the application in the execution processing. By allocating resources based on the reservation of the use of each resource registered in advance for each application, the resources are appropriately allocated, the required operation is appropriately processed, and the compound device with good usability is provided. Is intended to provide.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the platform controls the use of the resource by the newly added application on the basis of the reservation.
It is an object of the present invention to protect a compound device from a malicious application, guarantee its operation, and provide the compound device with good usability.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the platform, in the linked execution processing of a plurality of applications,
By allocating resources based on the reservation of the use of each resource in the linked execution processing of multiple applications registered in advance, even when operating multiple applications in an interlocked manner, the resources are appropriately allocated and requested. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multifunctional device that appropriately processes the operation and further improves the usability.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a composite device including a reading unit for reading an image of a document, a recording unit for recording and outputting data on a sheet, a storage unit for storing data, a network communication unit, and the like. Various resources and a plurality of applications that independently perform various processes such as print processing, copy processing, and facsimile processing using the resources,
A platform that intervenes between each of the applications and the resources and performs common processing such as allocation of the resources necessary to execute processing corresponding to each of the applications. In the execution process of the application,
The above object is achieved by allocating the resources based on the reservation of the use of the resources for each application registered in advance.

According to the above arrangement, the reading means, the recording means,
The platform intervenes between various resources such as storage means and network communication means, and a plurality of applications which independently perform various processing such as print processing, copy processing, and facsimile processing using the resources, and the platform interoperates with each application. When performing common processing such as allocation of resources necessary to execute processing corresponding to
In the application execution process, the platform allocates resources based on the reservation of the use of each resource registered for each application in advance, so allocate resources such as memory appropriately and perform the required operation appropriately. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of the compound device.

In this case, for example, as described in claim 2, the multi-function apparatus has a function of adding a new application, and the platform controls the use of the resource by the newly added application. It may be controlled based on a reservation.

According to the above configuration, the platform is
Since the resource use by the newly added application is controlled based on the reservation, for example, it is possible to protect the composite device from a malicious application,
The operation can be guaranteed to improve the usability of the composite device.

Further, for example, as described in claim 3, in the platform, in the linked execution process of the plurality of applications, the platform reserves the use of each resource in the linked execution process of the plurality of applications registered in advance. The resources may be allocated based on the above.

According to the above configuration, the platform is
In the linked execution process of multiple applications, resources are allocated based on the reservation of the use of each resource in the linked execution process of multiple applications registered in advance. Can be appropriately allocated to properly process the required operation, and the usability of the composite device can be further improved.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below are preferred embodiments of the present invention, and therefore have various technically preferable limitations. However, the scope of the present invention refers to the present invention particularly in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

1 to 3 are views showing an embodiment of a composite apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic block configuration of a composite apparatus 1 to which an embodiment of the composite apparatus of the present invention is applied. It is a figure.

In FIG. 1, the multifunction device 1 includes a resource 10, a software platform (platform) 20, an application group 30, and the like. The application group 30 and the software platform 20 are APIs (Application Program In).
terface) 40 to exchange information.

The application group 30 includes a copy application 31 for reading a document and recording it on a sheet, a printer application 32 for recording and outputting data on a sheet, a fax application 33 for transmitting and receiving data by facsimile, and an image of the document. A scanner application 34 for reading and other applications 35 are provided. Other applications 35 are multifunctional devices 1 other than basic applications such as copy, printer, fax and scanner.
Application such as a network application.

As the resource 10, for example, a CPU
(Central Processing Unit) 11, memory 12, other resources 13, etc., and the CPU 11 responds to requests from the applications 31 to 35 of the application group 30 via the software platform 20 for each part of the resource 10. To respond to the requests of the applications 31 to 35. The resource 10 includes, as other resources 13, for example, a reading unit that reads an image of a document, a recording unit that records and outputs data on a sheet, and a network communication unit.

The memory 12 is a random access memory (RAM).
mory), which has a predetermined capacity, and which is used by the CPU 11 to satisfy the request of the resource 10 from each of the applications 31 to 35 of the application group 30.

The software platform 20 is composed of a general-purpose OS (Operating System) and a common system service, and is interposed between each application 31 to 35 and the resource 10 to provide each application 31 to 35.
Performs common service processing required when executing the service corresponding to. For example, the applications 31 to
When the 35 requests the resource 10 via the API 40, the CPU 11, the memory 12, and other resources 13
Is operated by the software platform 20.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The characteristic is that the resources 10 of the multifunctional device 1 are effectively used to appropriately execute a plurality of functions.

In the multifunction device 1, when a request from each of the applications 31 to 35 is present in the software platform 20 via the API 40, the software platform 20 operates all of the CPU 11, the memory 12 and other resources 13. , Performs common service processing required when executing services corresponding to the respective applications 31 to 35.

In the multifunction device 1, for example, when the memory 12 is effectively used as the resource 10, first,
The usage amount of the memory 12 is preliminarily registered and guaranteed for each application 31 to 35 via the API 40. Therefore, the basic copy, printer, fax, and scanner applications 31 to 35 respectively register the minimum and maximum memory use sizes in the software platform 20 in advance.

The used size of the memory 12 is, for example,
As shown in FIG. 2, the minimum size and the maximum size of use of the memory 12 are registered in advance in the memory use table 50 in MB for each of the applications 31 to 35 included in the multifunction device 1. For example, the memory use of FIG. At table 50,
Copy application 3 is the minimum and maximum size
As for 1, 8MB and 64MB are fax (FAX)
4MB and 64MB as application 33, 8MB and 64MB as printer application 32
However, as a scanner application 34, 4MB and 6
4 MB and 2 MB and 16 MB are registered as the other applications 35, respectively. This minimum memory usage size is a memory usage size for realizing the minimum functions provided as the functional specifications of the multifunction device 1, and for example, realizes a 1 to 1 copy operation using an ADF (automatic document feeder). This is the memory usage size required for.

Then, each application 31 to 35
Can use a memory area obtained by subtracting the sum of the minimum used memory sizes of these applications 31 to 35 from the total memory capacity of the memory 12, for example, the total memory capacity of the memory 12 is now 64 MB. If the minimum memory usage size of the copy application 31 and the printer application 32 is 8 MB, the minimum memory usage size of the fax application 33 and the scanner application 34 is 4 MB, and the memory usage size of the software platform 20 is 8 MB, the remaining 32 MB is executed. Memory size that can be used by the application.

If the scanner application 34 requests the software platform 20 for the scanner operation when the remaining memory capacity of the memory 12 is being used by the request from the printer application 32, the scanner application 34 uses the minimum memory area. It is possible to correspond within the range that can be operated with. In this case, when the memory capacity of the memory 12 is insufficient, the scanner operation can be executed after the printer request is completed.

Each of the applications 31 to 35 makes a request for a memory area to the software platform 20 as a request for the resource 10. At this time, the application 31-35 is used in accordance with the allocation of the minimum necessary area and the memory area necessary for realizing other functions. Change API 31-35. The software platform 20 returns an error if the minimum required memory area exceeds the minimum size of the memory usage amount registered in advance in the memory usage table 50.

As described above, the compound device 1 of the present embodiment
Is a resource 10 including a CPU 11, a memory 12, and other resources 13 such as a reading unit, a recording unit, and a network communication unit, and a print process using the resource 10.
The software platform 20 intervenes between a plurality of applications 31 to 35 that individually perform various processes such as copy processing and facsimile processing, and the software platform 20 allows the applications 31 to 35 to operate.
When performing common processing such as allocation of the resources 10 required to execute processing corresponding to the above, the software platform 20 is registered in advance like the memory usage table 50 in the execution processing of the applications 31 to 35. The resources 10 are allocated based on the reservation of use of each resource 10 for each of the applications 31 to 35.

Therefore, the resource 10 such as the memory 12 is
Can be appropriately allocated, the required operation can be appropriately processed, and the usability of the multifunction device 1 can be improved.

When the multifunction device 1 is equipped with other applications developed by a third party or the like in addition to the applications 31 to 35, the minimum size of the memory 12 used for these other applications is set. The maximum size is registered in advance in the memory usage table 50 of the software platform 20, and the software platform 20 allocates the memory size allocated to this other application in advance to the minimum and maximum sizes of memory usage registered in the memory usage table 50. Allow within size range.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the capacity of the memory 12 from becoming insufficient and to hinder the operation of the composite apparatus 1 itself, and to guarantee the operation of the composite apparatus 1 itself.

Further, the multi-function device 1 registers the minimum size and the maximum size of the memory 12 used by the interlocking applications 31 to 35 on the assumption that two or more applications 31 to 35 operate in conjunction with each other. To do. For example, assuming that the other application is a transfer application, the minimum size and the maximum size when the scanner application 34 and the transfer application are operated in conjunction with each other are, for example, as shown in FIG. 64MB as the maximum size
Is set and registered in the memory usage table 50.

Software platform 2
0 is the memory as the resource 10 within the range of the minimum size and the maximum size of the memory usage of the interlocking applications 31 to 35 registered in the memory usage table 50 when the interlocking operation request of the plurality of applications 31 to 35 is requested. Allow the use of 12.

Therefore, a plurality of applications 31
Even in the case where the ~ 35 are operated in conjunction with each other, the resource 10 can be appropriately allocated, the required operation can be appropriately processed, and the usability of the multifunction device 1 can be further improved.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.

[0041]

According to the composite apparatus of the invention described in claim 1, various resources such as reading means, recording means, storage means and network communication means, and print processing using the resources,
The platform intervenes between multiple applications that perform various processing such as copy processing and facsimile processing independently, and the platform performs common processing such as resource allocation necessary to execute the processing corresponding to each application. In doing so, the platform allocates resources in the application execution process based on the reservation of use of each resource for each application registered in advance, so that resources such as memory are appropriately allocated and requested. The operation can be appropriately processed, and the usability of the composite device can be improved.

According to the composite apparatus of the invention described in claim 2,
Since the platform controls the resource usage by the newly added application based on the reservation, it is possible to protect the composite device from a malicious application, guarantee the operation, and improve the availability of the composite device. Can be improved.

According to the composite apparatus of the invention described in claim 3,
In the linked execution process of multiple applications, the platform allocates resources based on the reservation of the use of each resource in the linked execution process of multiple applications registered in advance. Also, it is possible to appropriately allocate resources and appropriately process the required operation, and it is possible to further improve the usability of the composite device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block configuration diagram of a compound device to which an embodiment of the compound device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a memory use table registered in a software platform of the composite apparatus shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a minimum size and a maximum size of memory usage when a plurality of applications are linked in the memory usage table of FIG. 1 are also registered.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Combined device 10 resources 11 CPU 12 memories 13 Other resources 20 software platform 30 application groups 31 Copy Application 32 Printer Application 33 Fax application 34 Scanner Application 35 Other applications 40 API 50 memory usage table

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Resources such as reading means for reading an image of an original, recording means for recording and outputting data on paper, storage means for storing data and network communication means, and print processing, copy processing using the resources, A plurality of applications that independently perform various processing such as facsimile processing, and a common processing such as allocation of the resources necessary to execute processing corresponding to each of the applications by interposing between the applications and the resources. And a platform for performing the resource allocation, wherein the platform allocates the resource based on a reservation of use of the resource for each application registered in advance in the execution process of the application. A compound device characterized by the above. 2. The compound device has a function of adding a new application, and the platform controls the use of the resource by the newly added application based on the reservation. Item 1
The compound device described. 3. The platform, in the linked execution processing of the plurality of applications, allocates the resources based on a reservation of use of each resource in the linked execution processing of the plurality of applications registered in advance. The compound device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.