JPH01191570A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store and display many scenes of picture even with a limited memory capacity by providing a semiconductor memory in which compressed display data is stored and a means to read the data from the memory and to display it. CONSTITUTION:One-picture-quantity of image data is compressed then stored in an IC card 22, and this image data is transmitted to a video display processor(VDP) 3 by using a CPU 1. The VDP 3 writes the date in a video RAM 4, and one-picture-quantity of video output is outputted to a cathode-ray tube 7. As a result, many scenes of picture can be displayed by means of a limited memory capacity, also, inexpensive CPU and VDP can be used, therefore, the cost can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a copying machine having a display section capable of displaying an arbitrary pattern.

[Background of the invention]

As the functions of copying devices become more complex,
Operation methods are also becoming more complex.

In general, copying machines with more complex functions have an increasing number of display lamps that indicate the status inside the machine, making it difficult for the user to easily understand the status of the copying machine and making it difficult for the user to perform any operations. It is equally difficult to know what to do. This was a cause of operational errors.

Next, a device was proposed in which a message display section was provided to accurately display the status to the user.

This makes it possible to directly inform the user of the machine's status and give operating instructions in the language they use on a daily basis.

However, displaying information in language is meaningless unless it is in a language that the user can understand.

Therefore, a display that dynamically changes pictures and symbols (characters) using a screen display device such as a CRT or a liquid crystal panel may be considered. In other words, the following human characteristics can be considered.

■Pattern recognition: You can instantly recognize a situation by drawing a picture rather than reading a text.

■Attention is drawn to moving objects. ...It is more sensitive to dynamic things than static things.

In this way, by adopting one that is suitable for human characteristics, it is possible to aim at improving the operability of the copying apparatus.

Here, if a copying unit with a CRT is used,
A large number of screens are required, including screens for operating procedures and screens for error handling.

When displaying a screen on a CRT in this way, a video display processor (VDP) is generally used. Therefore, the image data has a format that depends on this VDP.

A relatively common method here is the bit map method in the graphics mode of MSX personal computers. For example, in graphic mode 6, the color code of one dot is expressed with 4 bits (16 colors) as shown in FIG. Furthermore, each dot information is summarized on one screen (512x
212 dots), the required memory capacity in this case is 53 bytes/screen.

Figure 11 (a) shows the pattern name table that shows the information on one screen, (b) shows the correspondence between that table and the display screen, and the table in fb) shows the color code of each dot. (0-15) is set.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, since the memory range that an 8-bit CPU can access at one time is usually 64 bytes, the screen data 53 can be said to have a large area.

Furthermore, in practice, not only one display screen but many screens are often used by switching between them, and a large amount of memory is required to store these screens, which increases costs.

Furthermore, processing such a large amount of data that requires a large capacity requires a 16-bit CPU and a high-performance VDP, which further increases costs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to realize multiple screen displays with limited memory capacity, and to reduce costs by allowing the use of inexpensive CPU's PVDP. It is to aim for.

[Means to solve the problem]

To this end, the present invention provides a copying apparatus having a display section capable of displaying an arbitrary pattern based on display data, which is provided with a semiconductor memory in which display data is compressed and stored, and a means for restoring data read from the memory. It was configured to do so.

〔Example〕

Examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of image display in one embodiment. 1
2 is a CPU that controls the entire system, 2 is a ROM 2 consisting of a built-in RAM 21 and an IC card as a removable external storage device.
The memory consists of 2. 3 is VDP, '4 is Video R
AM, 5 is an operation key, 6 is a PPI for capturing the operation contents of the operation key 5, and 7 is a CRT for displaying an image. The memory map of the memory 2 is as shown in FIG.
4000H to 800 by switching banks with operation key 5.
The range within 0H is selectable.

The screen data is composed of a set of color codes for each dot represented by 4 bits. However, on a normal screen, the color of each dot does not change irregularly, and the background of the screen,
A certain area of an object or the like has the same color (same pattern).

Therefore, in this embodiment, run-based compression is used as a method of compressing screen data.
By applying the length method, a pattern of pixels of the same color or multiple pixels is expressed as a continuous length.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3(a) or (b), the data storage format is represented by a color code (4 bits) pattern and the number (8 bits) by which the pattern is repeated.

They collectively constitute one screen of compressed data. In addition, in order to optimize the number of color code patterns depending on the type of screen, multiple types of formats are prepared (two types are shown in FIG. 3). Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a format identification header is provided at the beginning of each screen for identification when the format is restored (displayed on the screen). Further, the data to be compressed may be brightness (density) data used on a monochrome screen instead of the color code.

In this way, the screen data for each screen is compressed and the IC
It is stored in the card 22. FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of data compression. This data compression reduced the memory capacity of the original screen to 53 bytes/screen, with an average of 9 bytes/screen, resulting in a compression ratio of 1/6. In addition, in order to display screen data on the CRT 7, as shown in FIG.
Transfer to P3. The VDP 3 writes the data into the video RAM 4 and outputs one screen worth of video output to the CRT 7. Here, since we are using low-cost VDP3,
Data transfer to video RAM4 is not DMA but VD
It will be via P's I10 boat.

In this way, screen data is transferred from the IC card 22 to the VDP3.
, will be transferred to video RAM 4, but in the conventional method, the transfer amount is 53 bytes/screen, which is approximately 1 second/screen in actual measurements.
In contrast to the screen display time required, in this example, the amount of screen data after data compression is 1/6 of the original screen, so even including data restoration processing, the actual measurement time was approximately 0.3 seconds/
The time required for displaying on the screen is reduced. FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of data restoration.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the appearance of the copying device 8. As shown in FIG. A CRT 7 for displaying the above-mentioned image is integrally attached to the operation section 9 together with the operation keys 5. The operating portion 9 is rotatable in the direction of arrow A in the movable portion 1o, as shown in FIG. 11 is a CRT drive circuit section.

The IC card 22 is loaded into the connector 13 of the IC card loading section 12 provided at the front of the copying machine 8.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the coupling relationship between the IC card 22 and the connector 13.

The IC card 22 is approximately the size of a business card, and is provided with a semiconductor memory 22a and an input/output terminal array 22b as a means for accessing the memory 22a, and is housed entirely in a thin plate-like container. There is.

The semiconductor memory 22a is a mask ROM.

EPROM, EEPROM, '77 time ROM (O
In addition to ROM such as TPROM, non-volatile memory (NO
VRAM) and battery-backed RAM can be used. In the case of battery backup, it is desirable to have a configuration in which the battery can be attached and removed, and to have a built-in large capacity capacitor, for example, to retain the memory contents when replacing the battery. Note that when using a rewritable element as the memory 22a, it is desirable to provide a write prevention means to prevent erroneous writing or erasing. As a means of this, a switch is provided on the IC card,
This can be realized by controlling the write enable signal line of the memory using this switch. The permission signal line can also be configured to be externally controllable via contacts.

The input/output terminal row 22b is provided with an appropriate shutter mechanism so as not to be affected by dirt or static electricity, and when the IC card is inserted into the IC card loading section 12, the shutter opens and the terminal row 2
2a is connected to the internal connector 13, and a configuration in which the shutter mechanism is closed when pulled out is useful. Also, I
It is also useful to provide an appropriate reverse insertion prevention mechanism in order to prevent damage to the IC card 22 and device 8 side that would occur if the IC card 22 is inserted backwards into the loading section 12. This can be achieved by configuring the shape of the connector portion asymmetrically. Further, the means for accessing the single conductor memory 22a may be configured by magnetic coupling or optical coupling instead of electrical coupling using contacts.

On the other hand, the connector 13 of the IC card loading section 12 has a terminal row 13a to which the terminal row 22b of the IC card 22 is connected, and a holding member 13b that elastically holds the inserted IC card 22. The connector 13 can also be provided with the above-mentioned asymmetrical portion for preventing reverse insertion.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since image data compression is adopted, it is possible to store and display a large number of screens even with limited memory capacity. Furthermore, the time for display, that is, the time for data transfer, can be shortened. Furthermore, it is also possible to use inexpensive VDPs and CPUs, leading to cost reductions. Furthermore, by using a tC card that can store image data interchangeably, it becomes possible to handle a larger number of screens. From the above, the operability of the copying machine is HI S1? This will lead to improved performance.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of a screen display according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a memory map, and FIG. 3 (a)
, (b) is an explanatory diagram of the data storage format, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of data for one screen after compression, FIG. 5 is a flowchart of data compression, FIG. 6 is a flowchart of restoration of the compressed data, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an external view of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the operation section, FIG. 9 is an explanatory view of the IC card loading section, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the one-dot color code. , FIG. 11(a) is an explanatory diagram of the data structure of one screen of the conventional MSX Graph Ink Mode 6, and FIG. 11('b) is an explanatory diagram of a table showing the correspondence between the data and the display screen. 1...CPU, 2...Memory, 3...VDP, 4
...Video RAM, 5...Operation keys, 6...PP
I, 7...CRT. Agent Patent Attorney Tsuneaki Nagao Fig. 1 Fig. 211ffl Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 (compression) (Sana L) (a)

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A copying machine having a display section capable of displaying an arbitrary pattern based on display data, comprising a semiconductor memory in which display data is compressed and stored, and means for restoring data read from the memory. Characteristic copying device. (2) A copying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor memory is a removable external storage device.