JP2006186754A - Image data communication control unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image data communication control unit capable of reducing hardware cost for communication while efficiently transferring image data having a large capacity. <P>SOLUTION: The image data communication control unit includes a data transfer bus TC for connecting a first image processor 3 with a second image processor 2, and for performing serial transmission of the image data processed in the above first image processor 3 for transmitting the data to the second image processor 2; and a bus controller 50 provided in the first image processor 3 for controlling the data transfer bus TC. In the bus controller 50 of the image data communication control unit, there are provided a burst transfer controller 501 for transferring the image data in a burst mode, a single transfer controller 502 for transferring control data in a single mode, and also a transfer mode controller 500 for selectively operating either of the controllers 501, 502. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  A data transfer bus connected between the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit and serially transferring the image data processed by the first image processing unit to the second image processing unit, and the first image The present invention relates to an image data communication control device that is provided in a processing unit and includes a bus control unit that controls the data transfer bus.

The above-mentioned image data communication control device is connected between a printer controller as a first image processing unit and a printer engine as a second image processing device, and sends image data from the printer controller to the printer engine at high speed. LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) system, which is a kind of differential data transmission system for transfer, a data transfer bus employing an optical transmission module, and control between the printer controller and the printer engine There has been proposed one having a data transfer bus capable of full-duplex communication by ARCNET (Attached Resource Computer Network: LAN protocol of improved token passing system) for transmitting and receiving data.
JP 2004-237599 A

  However, since the conventional image data communication control device described above includes two buses, a data transfer bus for image data transfer and a data transfer bus for control data transfer, the image data transfer control device is involved in the image data transfer sequence. Although control data consisting of command and image data attribute data (size, address information, etc.) can be sent independently, the hardware cost is high and there is room for further improvement in terms of economy. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and provides an image data communication control apparatus capable of reducing the hardware cost for communication while efficiently transferring a large amount of image data. The point is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the first characteristic configuration of the image data communication control device according to the present invention is the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit as described in claim 1 of the claims. And a data transfer bus that serially transfers the image data processed by the first image processing unit to the second image processing unit, and the data transfer bus provided in the first image processing unit. An image data communication control device comprising a bus control unit for controlling, a burst transfer control unit for transferring image data in a burst mode to the bus control unit, and a single for transferring control data in a single mode. A transfer control unit, and one of them is configured to selectively operate.

  According to the above configuration, both the image data and the control data can be transferred from the first image processing unit to the second image processing unit using a single data transfer bus. Hardware cost can be reduced. In addition, the bus controller selectively operates to transfer large-capacity image data at a high speed in the burst mode and to transfer the control data reliably in the single transfer mode. Therefore, data transfer is appropriately performed according to the data characteristics.

  In the second feature configuration, as described in claim 2, in addition to the first feature configuration described above, the bus control unit is based on a transmission preparation signal input from the second image processing unit. It is configured to control the start or interruption of data transfer by the burst transfer control unit or the single transfer control unit.

  In this case, since the start or interruption of the data transfer is controlled based on the transmission preparation signal from the destination of the transferred data, it is appropriate depending on the processing status of the second image processing unit. It becomes possible to transfer a quantity of data. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly execute various processes without fear of overflowing image data or the like without providing a large-capacity buffer memory on the second image processing unit side.

  In the third feature configuration, as described in claim 3, in addition to the first or second feature configuration described above, the bus control unit has priority over image data transfer by the burst transfer control unit. Thus, the control data is transferred by the single transfer control unit.

  With this configuration, the first image processing unit can preferentially transfer control data to the second image processing unit, and control that requires urgent action during transfer of large-capacity image data. Data can be transferred quickly.

  In the fourth feature configuration, as described in claim 4, in addition to the first or second feature configuration described above, the bus control unit is configured to transfer image data by the burst transfer control unit, and This is because the priority of transfer of control data by the single transfer control unit can be set.

  According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to set whether to give priority to transfer of large-capacity image data or transfer of control data, so it is possible to switch which one is given priority depending on the application. Can be versatile.

  In the fifth feature configuration, as described in claim 5, in addition to any of the first to fourth feature configurations described above, the data transfer bus is based on a differential data transmission system. It is in.

  By adopting the above configuration, high-speed transfer of image data can be realized at low cost and with high accuracy.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image data communication control apparatus capable of reducing the hardware cost for communication while efficiently transferring a large amount of image data data. Became.

  The case where the image data communication control apparatus according to the present invention is installed in a photo processing apparatus will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, a photographic image processing apparatus 1 includes a photographic printer 2 that performs an exposure process based on output image data on a photographic paper P and develops the exposed photographic paper, and a developed photographic film. A media driver 32 that reads image data from an image data storage medium M such as a memory card that stores image data taken by a film scanner 31 or a digital still camera that reads an image from F, or a general-purpose computer as a controller 33 The print station is configured to include input of print order information for a photographic image as an input original image and an operation station 3 for performing various image correction processes. The print is edited from the original image by the operation station 3. Data is output to the photographic printer 2 so that a desired photographic print can be made. It is made.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a first image processing unit is configured by the operation station 3, a second image processing unit is configured by the photographic printer 2, and an image processed by the first image processing unit therebetween. An image data communication control device TC for serially transferring print data as data to the second image processing unit via a data transfer bus C is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the photographic printer 2 has two systems of photographic paper magazines 21 containing roll-shaped photographic paper P, and photographic paper P drawn from the photographic paper magazine 21 with a predetermined print. A sheet cutter 22 that cuts into a size; a back print unit 23 that prints print information such as a frame number on the back of the cut photographic paper P; an exposure unit 24 that exposes the photographic paper P based on the print data; A development processing unit 25 including a plurality of processing tanks 25a, 25b, and 25c filled with processing solutions for developing, bleaching, and fixing the exposed photographic paper P is disposed along the conveyance path of the photographic paper P. The laterally-feeding conveyor 26 that discharges the photographic paper P that has been dried after the development process, and the sheet-paper (photo print) P that is stacked on the laterally-feeding conveyor 26 is sorted in order units. Configured to include the data 27.

  A transport mechanism 28 including a plurality of roller pairs that transport the photographic printing paper P at a process speed corresponding to the exposure unit 24 and the development processing unit 25 disposed along the transport path is disposed before and after the exposure unit 24. Is provided with a chucker-type transport mechanism 28a capable of transporting photographic paper P in multiple rows.

  The exposure unit 24 receives the RGB three-color light flux modulated on the basis of the print data in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction with respect to the photographic paper P conveyed in the sub-scanning direction by the conveyance mechanism 28. An exposure head 24a for outputting and exposing is accommodated.

  The controller 33 provided in the operation station 3 is installed with an application program that operates under the control of a general-purpose operating system and executes various controls of the photographic processing apparatus 1, and a monitor 34 as an operation interface with the operator. A keyboard 35, a mouse 36, and the like are connected.

  The photographic processing process executed by the cooperation of the hardware and software of the controller 33 will be described in functional blocks. As shown in FIG. 3, a photographic image as an original image read by the film scanner 31 or the media driver 32 is obtained. An image input unit 40 that receives and performs predetermined preprocessing and transfers it to a memory 41, which will be described later, and print order information and image editing information are displayed on the screen of the monitor 34. The graphic user interface unit 42 generates various control commands based on the input operation from the keyboard 35 and the mouse 36 to the displayed graphic operation screen, and the graphic user interface unit 42 that displays the operation icons for the image, and the image Source transferred from the input unit 40 Generates print order information and a memory 41 in which image data, corrected image data after correction processing by an image processing unit 47 described later, processing parameters at that time, and set print order information are partitioned and stored. From the order processing unit 43, the image processing unit 47 that performs various corrections such as gradation correction, color correction, enlargement / reduction processing, distortion correction on the original image stored in the memory 41, and the graphic user interface unit 42 A display control unit 46 including a video RAM for displaying the original image and the corrected image data developed in the memory 41 based on the display command, and various input / output graphic data on the monitor 34; Print data for outputting the final corrected image for which various correction processes have been completed to the photographic printer 2 is generated. A lint data generating unit 44, and the like formatter 45 which converts the final corrected image according to customer orders to a file format for writing in a storage medium such as a CD-R.

  When the print data is generated by the print data generation unit 44, the controller 33 transfers a print generation command to the photographic printer 2 via the image data communication control device TC and transfers print data as image data. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the image data communication control device TC is provided on the data transfer bus C, the controller 33 side, the transmission side bus control unit 50 for controlling the data transfer bus C, and the photographic printer. The receiving side bus control unit 51 is provided on the second side and controls the data transfer bus C.

  The data transfer bus C is a pair of serial data transfer units adopting an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling) system, and includes an LVDS driver C1 and an LVDS receiver C2 installed on the controller 33 side, An LVDS receiver C3, an LVDS driver C4, and an LVDS cable installed on the photo printer 2 side are provided.

  The transmission-side bus control unit 50 is connected to the controller 33 via a PCI bus, and a burst transfer control unit 501 that burst-transfers print data generated by the print data generation unit 44 via the LVDS driver C1. A single transfer control unit 502 that receives control data from the print data generation unit 44 and performs a single transfer via the LVDS driver C1, a burst transfer mode by the burst transfer control unit 501, and a single transfer control unit 502. A transfer mode control unit 500 that selectively switches between the single transfer modes and executes the interruption process of each transfer sequence is provided.

  The burst transfer control unit 501 has 16 bits obtained by dividing the print data received via the PCI bus in units of 32 bits into two, and 19 bits of parallel transmission data to which 3 bits of communication control data are added. Is generated and output to the LVDS driver C1. The LVDS driver C1 generates 7 bits × 3 lines of 21 bits including the received 19-bit transmission data and the reception preparation signal 2 bits used for data reception. It is converted into serial data and output to the LVDS receiver C3 on the photo printer 2 side in synchronization with a clock (CLK) having a predetermined frequency. Such burst transfer processing is repeated when the burst transfer permission signal from the transfer mode control unit 500 is at the on level. When the burst transfer permission signal is at the off level, transfer of new data is performed until the next burst transfer permission signal is turned on. Interrupt.

  The single transfer control unit 502 is a 16-bit and 3-bit communication obtained by dividing the control data including attribute data such as a 32-bit unit command and image data size information obtained via the PCI bus into two. 19-bit parallel transmission data with control data added is generated and output to the LVDS driver C1. The LVDS driver C1 receives the received 19-bit transmission data and 2 bits of a reception preparation signal used for data reception. Are converted into 7 bits × 3 serial data and output to the LVDS receiver C3 on the photo printer 2 side in synchronization with a clock (CLK) of a predetermined frequency. Such single transfer processing is allowed when the single transfer permission signal from the transfer mode control unit 500 is on level. When the single transfer permission signal is turned off, the transfer of new data is suspended until the next turn is turned on, as in the burst transfer mode.

  The transfer mode control unit 500 performs burst transfer to the burst transfer control unit 501 based on reception preparation signals corresponding to burst transfer and single transfer transmitted from the photographic printer 2 via the LVDS receiver C2. The burst transfer control unit is configured to perform on / off control of an allowance signal and a single transfer allowance signal for the single transfer control unit 502, and when both a command and print data are input from the print data generation unit 44 at the same time. By selectively operating either 501 or the single transfer control unit 502, both print data and control data can be transferred on the same serial transfer bus.

  The data output from the burst transfer control unit 501 and the single transfer control unit 502 includes print data or control data arranged in 16 bits from bit 0 to bit 15 as shown in FIG. Transfer control data is arranged in 3 bits up to 18. Also, 2 bits from bit 19 to bit 20 are reception preparation signals from the photographic printer 2, that is, bit 19 is a reception preparation signal (S Rdy) corresponding to the single transfer mode, and bit 20 is a burst transfer mode. A corresponding reception preparation signal (B Rdy) is assigned.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the transfer control data is defined as identification data for single transfer data and burst transfer data, and identification data for upper data and raw data. Therefore, the LVDS control unit 510 described later can reproduce the original transmission data by determining the received data based on the transfer control data.

  The receiving-side bus control unit 51 receives 19-bit parallel data received by the LVDS receiver C3, separates and reproduces print data and control data, and performs burst transfer and single transfer to the LVDS driver C4. LVDS controller 510 for outputting a reception preparation signal corresponding to each of the above, a FIFO buffer memory 512 having a capacity of 32 words × 32 bits for temporarily storing print data received by the LVDS controller 510, and a buffer memory Control received by the DMA write control unit 511 for controlling data write to 512, a DMA read control unit 513 for controlling data read from the buffer memory 512, an external interface control unit 514 for print data, and the LVDS control unit 510 Temporarily store data This is composed of a programmable buffer array FPGA that can be developed using VHDL, which is a kind of hardware description language, and a FIFO buffer memory 515 having a capacity of 32 words × 32 bits and an external interface control unit 516 for control data. ing.

  The print data external interface control unit 514 and the control data external interface control unit 516 are connected to a photo printer controller for controlling the photo printer 2 via the interface control unit 52.

  The buffer memory 512 is a nearer as a burst reception preparation signal (BRdy) source when the remaining capacity of data that can be written to it reaches a predetermined capacity smaller than the full capacity that cannot be written, for example, 28 words. A burst reception preparation signal generation unit that sets a near flag (Nearly FF) and outputs the same to the LVDS control unit 510 via the DMA write control unit 511, and the buffer memory 515 similarly has data that can be written to itself. When the remaining capacity reaches a predetermined capacity less than the full capacity where writing becomes impossible, for example, 28 words, a near full flag (Nearly FF) as a single reception preparation signal (S Rdy) source is set and the LVDS is set. A single reception preparation signal generation unit that outputs to the control unit 510 is provided.

  That is, the reception preparation signal generation unit generates a reception preparation signal based on the read processing state of the data stored in the buffer memories 512 and 515, and only a predetermined capacity from the full capacity that cannot be written. The small capacity means that all the data received after the remaining capacity of the buffer memories 512 and 515 is set (turned on) the near full flag (Nearly FF) or after the reception preparation signal is transmitted is stored in the buffer memory 512. 515 is a predetermined capacity that can be written to 515, and is a capacity that can be set as appropriate depending on the data transfer speed and the writing and reading speeds for the buffer memories 512 and 515.

  After any of the nearly full flags (Nearly FF) is set, the process of reading data from the buffer memories 512 and 515 proceeds, and when the remaining capacity exceeds the predetermined capacity, the near full flag ( Nearly FF) is reset. The remaining capacity of the buffer memories 512 and 515 can be easily grasped by providing a processing circuit for calculating the relative value of the write address and the read address, and the reception preparation signal generator operates the functional block of the photographic printer 2. Since it is configured by hardware regardless of the operation of the photo printer controller to be controlled, the photo print process can be executed at a predetermined print speed without hindering the operation of the printer 2 itself.

  The LVDS control unit 510 generates a reception preparation signal (B Rdy or S Rdy) shown in FIG. 5 based on the above-mentioned nearly full flag (Nearly FF) state and inputs it to the LVDS driver C4 to input the operation station. Transfer to the LVDS receiver C2 on the 3rd side. The burst reception preparation signal or the single reception preparation signal received by the LVDS receiver C2 on the operation station 3 side is input to the transfer mode control unit 500, and the transfer mode is controlled according to the state.

  A transmission sequence of print data transmitted by the above-described image data communication control apparatus will be described. When the editing operation of the photographic image is completed at the operation station 3 and the print data is generated by the print data generation unit 44, a print command is output to the transmission side bus control unit 50. If the single reception preparation signal received by the LVDS receiver C2 is asserted, the transfer mode control unit 500 operates the single transfer control unit 502 to execute a print command transfer sequence. The print command includes data necessary for photo printing such as data size as command attribute data.

  Next, after confirming that the data transfer required for photo printing such as the data size by the print command is completed, the transfer mode control unit moves to the actual print data transfer sequence and issues a data transfer command. If the burst reception preparation signal is asserted 500, the burst transfer control unit 501 is operated to execute the transfer sequence of the print data received from the print data generation unit 44. When the burst reception preparation signal is negated during the print data transfer process, the print data transfer by the burst transfer control unit 501 is suspended until it is asserted.

  The photographic printer controller that has received the print command and the print data transferred in this way pulls out the photographic paper P from the photographic paper magazine 21 and drives the exposure unit 24 based on the print data for exposure. Generate a photo print.

  Another embodiment will be described below. In the above-described embodiment, when both the command and the print data are input to the transfer mode control unit 500 from the print data generation unit 44 at the same time, the burst transfer control unit 501 and the single transfer control unit 502 It is possible to provide a priority selection unit that preferentially operates one of the commands and the command or print data to be preferentially transferred.

  Further, it is possible to ensure versatility by configuring so that the priority order by the priority selection unit can be variably set. For example, the variable setting of the priority order may be a known technique such as one configured to be switched based on control data for the transfer mode control unit 500 from the PCI bus or one configured to be switched by a hardware switch. Can be configured.

  In the above-described embodiment, the burst reception preparation signal and the single reception preparation signal are transferred to the operation station 3 side via the LVDS driver C4 on the photo printer 2. However, in addition to these signals, the photo printer It is also possible to configure so as to transmit the second status data, for example, status data of the device such as photographic paper out or paper jam.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first image processing unit is configured by the operation station 3 and the second image processing unit is configured by the photographic printer 2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is possible to appropriately correspond to an existing image processing apparatus such as a general-purpose personal computer or an inkjet printer as a unit.

1 is an external view of a photographic processing apparatus equipped with an image data communication control apparatus according to the present invention 1 is a block diagram of a main part of a photo processing apparatus equipped with an image data communication control apparatus according to the present invention. Functional block diagram of a photo processing apparatus equipped with an image data communication control device according to the present invention Block diagram of an image data communication control device according to the present invention Configuration diagram of data transferred by image data communication control device according to the present invention Explanatory drawing of the control data transferred with the image data communication control apparatus by this invention

Explanation of symbols

2: Second image processing unit (photo printer)
3: First image processing unit (operation station)
C: Data transfer bus TC: Image data communication control device 50: Bus control unit (transmission side bus control unit)
500: Transfer mode control unit 501: Burst transfer control unit 502: Single transfer control unit

Claims (5)

A data transfer bus connected between the first image processing unit and the second image processing unit and serially transferring the image data processed by the first image processing unit to the second image processing unit, and the first image An image data communication control device provided in a processing unit and configured to include a bus control unit that controls the data transfer bus;
The bus control unit includes a burst transfer control unit that transfers image data in a burst mode and a single transfer control unit that transfers control data in a single mode, and one of them is configured to selectively operate. Image data communication control device.   The bus control unit is configured to control start or interruption of data transfer by the burst transfer control unit or the single transfer control unit based on a transmission preparation signal input from the second image processing unit. Item 2. The image data communication control device according to Item 1.   3. The image data communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the bus control unit is configured to transfer the control data by the single transfer control unit in preference to the transfer of image data by the burst transfer control unit.   3. The image data communication control according to claim 1, wherein the bus control unit is configured to be able to set priority of transfer of image data by the burst transfer control unit and transfer of control data by the single transfer control unit. apparatus.   5. The image data communication control device according to claim 1, wherein the data transfer bus is based on a differential data transmission method.

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