JP2006011508A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor for preventing image information from being leaked to a third person while making it possible to accept a new job during the erasures of the image information. <P>SOLUTION: This image processor is provided with an image information inputting means for inputting image information, a storage device for storing inputted image information, an image processing means for executing predetermined processing based on the image information read from the storage device and a file managing means for the storage device. The file managing means generates link information corresponding to the image information stored in the storage device in an execution folder, and executes the writing processing or reading processing of the image information based on the link information, and executes the erasure processing of the image information based on the link information of the erasure folder by shifting the link information from the execution folder to the erasure folder, and when a writing request or reading request for the other image information is made during the erasure processing of the image information, the file managing means executes the other writing processing or reading processing prior to the erasure processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus mounted on a copying machine, a facsimile, or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image information input unit for inputting image information, and a storage device for storing image information input by the image information input unit. An image processing means for executing a predetermined process based on the image information read from the storage device; a process for writing or reading the image information to the storage device; and a process by the image processing means The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus comprising file management means for deleting the image information after the end of the process.

  In a digital copying machine that is an example of an image processing apparatus that includes image information input means for inputting image information and a storage device such as a hard disk for storing image information input by the image information input means, image information input After the image processing for copying the image information input to the means to the recording paper is executed, if the image information stored in the storage device is read again by a third party operation, important information is leaked There is a fear.

Therefore, conventionally, image information input means for inputting image information, image information storage means for storing image information input by the image information input means, and image information stored in the image information storage means In the image processing apparatus comprising the image processing means for processing the image, the state management means for managing the state of the image processing apparatus, and the image for erasing the image information stored in the image information storage means An image erasing unit, and the image information erasing unit erases the image information managed by the state management unit, for example, during an interrupt process or when no operation is performed for a predetermined time. An image processing apparatus has been proposed.
JP 2003-37719 A

  However, when erasing the image information stored in the image information storage means, the storage device is occupied during that time, and the next job cannot be accepted. Therefore, the image information stored in the image information storage means cannot be received. The larger the capacity, the longer the erasing time, and the inconvenience that the next job reception is delayed.

  Therefore, when a new job is requested that is continuous with the immediately preceding job, if the new job is accepted without executing the erasing operation, there is a problem in that there is a risk of leakage of unerased image information. It was.

  Also, if the power is inadvertently turned off during the erase operation, the image information being erased will remain, so the entire area must be erased again the next time the power is turned on. Even in this case, there is a disadvantage that a new job cannot be received.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-described conventional drawbacks, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus that can accept a new job while erasing image information but does not leak to a third party.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first characteristic configuration of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an image information input means for inputting image information and the image as described in claim 1 of the document of the claims. A storage device for storing the image information input by the information input means; an image processing means for executing predetermined processing based on the image information read from the storage device; and writing the image information to the storage device An image processing apparatus that includes a file management unit that executes processing or reading processing and deletes the image information after completion of processing by the image processing unit, wherein the file management unit is stored in the storage device Link information for the image information is generated in an execution folder, and based on the link information An image information writing process or a reading process is executed, the link information is changed from the execution folder to the deletion folder, and the image information deletion process is executed based on the link information of the deletion folder. In addition, when there is a write request or read request for other image information during the image information deletion process, the other write process or read process is executed in preference to the deletion process. .

  According to the configuration described above, a new job or read process can be executed on the storage device in preference to the image information deletion process, so that a new job is accepted even during the deletion process. Will be able to. Even in that case, the link information to the image information is transitioned from the execution folder that is the target of the writing process or the reading process to the deletion folder, so that the corresponding image information can be accessed in a normal operation by a third party. This prevents the possibility of leaking important information.

  The second characteristic configuration is that, as described in claim 2, the file management means is configured to manage the execution state of the deletion process.

  According to the configuration described above, even if the power is turned off during the execution of the deletion process, the managed execution state is maintained without performing the deletion process again on the entire storage area of the image information. Only the unexecuted area needs to be erased based on this, and the execution time of the deletion process after power-on can be shortened.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing apparatus that can accept a new job while erasing image information but does not leak to a third party.

  Embodiments of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, the digital copying machine 1 as an image processing apparatus is input by an operation display unit 7 serving as a user interface, an image information input unit 2 for inputting image information, and the image information input unit 2. A storage device 3 for storing image information; an image processing means 5 for executing predetermined processing based on the image information read from the storage device 3; and a writing process or reading of the image information for the storage device 3. Each function block of the file management means 4 that executes processing and deletes the image information after the processing by the image processing means is completed, and a system control means 6 that performs overall control of each function block. Here, a control board including a microcomputer, ROM, RAM, an output driver circuit, an input buffer circuit, and the like is mounted on each functional block, and system control means 6 including the microcomputer, ROM, RAM, etc. Are communicably connected.

  The image information input means 2 includes an automatic document feeder 2b disposed on the contact glass 2a, an exposure lamp 2c for reading and scanning the document fed on the contact glass 2a by the automatic document feeder 2b, A first slider 2A having a first mirror 2d for reflecting the reflected light, and a second slider having second and third mirrors 2e and 2f for guiding the light reflected by the first mirror 2d to the condenser lens 2g. A solid-state image sensor 2h that converts light information from the slider 2B, the condenser lens 2g into an electrical signal, a quantization process that converts an output signal of the solid-state image sensor 2h into digital data as image information, a noise removal process, and a compression An input image processing unit 2i that performs processing and the like is configured.

  The image processing unit 5 includes an image forming unit and a recording paper transport unit, and the image forming unit rotates around a photosensitive drum 5a that is driven to rotate in the direction of an arrow by a main drive motor (not shown). In order of direction, a charger 5b for charging the photosensitive layer on the surface of the photosensitive drum 5a, a developing device 5c for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive layer as a toner visible image, and formed on the photosensitive layer. The transfer discharger 5d for transferring the developed toner image onto the recording paper, the separation discharger 5e for separating the recording paper from the photosensitive drum 5a, and the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 5a after transfer are removed. The cleaning device 5f and the static eliminator 5g for removing the charge on the surface of the photosensitive drum 5a are arranged, and the photosensitive layer uniformly charged by the charger 5b is read from the storage device 3 and expanded. An electrostatic latent image laser light is irradiated output from the laser unit 5h is formed on the basis of the image information expanded after the sense in the bit map memory 5i, a toner image is formed by the developing device 5c.

  The recording paper transport unit feeds the recording paper in the paper feed cassette 5n, and transports the recording paper sent by the paper feed roller 5j to the photosensitive drum 5a at a predetermined timing. A conveyance belt 5l is provided which conveys the recording paper onto which the toner image formed on the registration roller 5k and the photosensitive drum 5a is transferred and peeled from the photosensitive drum 5a to the fixing roller 5m. The recording paper fixed by the fixing roller 5m is discharged onto a discharge tray via a discharge mechanism (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the system control means 6 issues a control command to each functional block described above, receives a report from each functional block, and controls so that a predetermined image forming operation is normally performed. The system control means 6 takes in the operation mode such as the recording paper size, magnification, and density set and inputted from the operation display means 7 arranged on the upper surface of the main body as an operation report, and the operation signal of the print switch is inputted as the operation report. Then, a document reading command is issued to the image information input unit 2 to read the document information, a writing command is issued to the storage device 3 to store the image information read by the image information input unit 2, and A print command is issued to the image processing unit 5 to supply a recording paper of a corresponding size to the image forming unit. Further, a read command is issued to the storage device 3 to supply the stored image information to the laser unit 5h, thereby copying the original image on the recording paper. When the discharge report from the image processing means confirms that the recording sheet has been discharged to the discharge tray, the storage device 3 issues a delete command to delete the stored image information.

  The file management unit 4 manages writing, reading, and deletion of data in the storage device 3, and generates link information for image information stored in the storage device 3 in an execution folder, and The image information is written or read based on the information, the link information is transitioned from the execution folder to the deletion folder, and the image information deletion processing is executed based on the link information of the deletion folder. And when there is a write request or read request for other image information during the image information deletion process, the other write process or read process is executed in preference to the deletion process. ing.

  The storage device 3 is configured by a hard disk, and data written to the hard disk is configured so that information of one cluster is managed by 4 bytes by FAT (File Allocation Table), as shown in FIG. , At least two folders of an execution folder (RUN Folder) and a deletion folder (DEL Folder) are arranged in a predetermined cluster, and each folder stores pointers at the head and end of the connected document information link. The document information link is document information hanging in a folder, and stores data such as a document number, document name, document information link pointer, image size information, and document management pointer that are commonly used in the system.

  The document information link pointer is a pointer of the document information link connected before and after the document information link, and the arrangement of all the document information links connected to the folder is grasped based on the document information link pointer. The document management pointer is a pointer of document management information, and the document management information is actually data having a link to each page of image data, and a plurality of different folders can be configured by being connected from a plurality of document information links. The same image data can be accessed from the document information link.

  The document management information includes a page information table at the head of the document, a storage end sector number of the last added page, a head cluster number at which the head of image data is stored, and a connection from the document information link to the document. Number, etc. are stored. The page information table is data having a pointer to a location where information of each page and image data is stored, and an image information sector indicating the number of sectors starting from the top cluster. The number, the image information sector length which is the number of storage sectors of the page, the image size code, the page image capacity information, and the like are stored.

  That is, the above-described document information link and document management information become link information for the image information stored in the storage device 3, and the document management information is traced from the specific document information link in the execution folder to refer to the page information table. The address where the actual image information is stored can be grasped.

  When writing of image information is instructed with a new document number, a document information link is newly established in the execution folder, one document management information is connected to the document information link, and a free cluster is extracted from the free cluster list, and the document Set in the page top cluster of management information, store image data in the corresponding cluster and sector, and then set image information such as image information sector number and image information sector length in the page information table.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the file management unit 4 that has received a deletion command from the system control unit 6 copies the corresponding document information link to the deletion folder and links the document management information to both the execution folder and the deletion folder. Delete the document information link in the execution folder. In this state, the file management means 4 transmits a deletion completion report to the system control means 6. Upon receiving the deletion completion report, the system control means 6 shifts to a state where it can accept the next job. In this state, since the link information of the image data has already been lost from the execution folder, it is not accessed by the operation from the operation display means 7.

  The file management unit 4 constantly monitors the deletion folder and grasps whether or not the document is linked by the presence or absence of the document information link. When the existence of the document information link is grasped, data is deleted in order from the top of the cluster in which the image information is stored based on the document management information linked to the document information link. Here, the data is deleted, for example, by overwriting the data 00h or 0FFh, and the sector number and sector length of the page information table are updated every time erasing is completed in units of sectors. Even if the power of the apparatus is turned off by such an update process, it is not necessary to perform the time-consuming process to delete all the image information storage areas again, based on the updated sector number. Only the erase area is erased. When the deletion of the target area is completed, the document information link and the document management information are deleted and the deletion process is terminated. That is, the file management means 4 is configured to manage the execution state of the deletion process.

  Note that the document information link deletion process described above removes the target document information link from the link of the other document information link, updates the document information link pointer of the other document information link, This is realized by updating the document information link pointer.

  If there is a write request or read request for other image information from the system control means 6 during the deletion process of the image information by the file management means 4, another write process or read process is performed in preference to the deletion process. Since it is configured to execute, even in the case of a large-capacity deletion process, the next job can be accepted immediately, and the deletion process is continued after the end of the job.

  The deletion processing in the image processing apparatus described above is not executed every time a print job, that is, image processing is completed, but is configured to be executed only when the security mode is set in advance. There may be.

  In the above-described embodiment, the execution folder and the deletion folder are arranged. However, the number and type of the folders are not particularly limited. A storage folder for holding for a predetermined period may be further provided. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which image deletion is automatically performed after image processing has been described has been described. However, the deletion process may be executed by operating a delete key provided in the operation display unit 7. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, as the link information for the image information stored in the storage device, the document information link hanging in the folder and the document management information linked to the document information link are described. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and is set as appropriate within the scope of the effects of the present invention.

  In the above-described embodiment, the copying machine has been described as an example of the image processing apparatus. However, the image processing apparatus is not limited to this. Needless to say, it can also be applied to machines.

Explanatory diagram of the deletion process Explanatory drawing of the main part of the image processing device Functional block diagram of the image processing apparatus Illustration of image data link information

Explanation of symbols

1: Digital copier 2: Image information input means 3: Storage device (hard disk)
4: File management means 5: Image processing means 6: System control means 7: Operation display means

Claims (2)

Image information input means for inputting image information, a storage device for storing image information input by the image information input means, and an image for executing predetermined processing based on the image information read from the storage device An image processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit; and a file management unit that executes a writing process or a reading process of the image information with respect to the storage device and deletes the image information after the process by the image processing unit is completed. ,
The file management means generates link information for the image information stored in the storage device in an execution folder, executes write processing or read processing of the image information based on the link information, and stores the link information. The transition from the execution folder to the deletion folder is configured to execute the deletion process of the image information based on link information of the deletion folder, and writing to other image information during the deletion process of the image information An image processing apparatus configured to execute another write process or read process prior to the delete process when a request or a read request is issued.   The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the file management unit is configured to manage an execution state of the deletion process.

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