JPH0457459A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform memory management optimumly corresponding to image data by providing a first copy means which accumulates and outputs the image data of one page to be accumulated, and a second copy means which accumulates and outputs the image data to be accumulated in plural pages. CONSTITUTION:When the image data is inputted to the image memory 1-3, then, is outputted, an image reader 1-1 is started up by designating a copy mode at a slow speed mode, and the page reading of a set original is started, and when it is completed, an image output device 1-6 is started up, and the print of encoded data accumulated in the image memory 1-3 is started. When the copy mode is designated at a high speed mode, the page reading is started, and the image data in the image memory 1-3 is accumulated, then, the next page reading is instructed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile device, and particularly to a facsimile device having a copying function for storing and outputting image data.

[Prior Art] In recent years, facsimile machines have spread within companies at a remarkable pace, and have established themselves as office automation equipment essential for business.

Recent trends are increasing demand for facsimile machines having image output devices such as laser beam printers (LBPs) and thermal transfer printers that output plain paper that is easy to handle. In addition, in image processing technology, the development of halftone processing technology such as error diffusion method is remarkable, and it is not only possible to process text manuscripts (,
It has become possible to faithfully reproduce photographic manuscripts.

However, in facsimile machines having such characteristics, particularly in facsimile machines that use a page printer such as an LBP as an output device, the capacity of the image memory for storing image data has become a problem.

In other words, a photographic original is processed into halftone image data using an error diffusion method, etc., and the data is converted into halftone image data using the CCITT recommendation MH.
When encoding using the MR or MMR method, the amount of encoded data is extremely large (sometimes even exceeding the amount of data before encoding).

Generally, the amount of encoded data for a text manuscript is a fraction of the amount of data before encoding. Although the number is several tenths, in the case of a photographic original, a large amount of image memory is required for one page of encoded data.

Therefore, since the circuit configuration of facsimile machines equipped with a page printer is simple, when copying a document, image data is often stored in an image memory and then output. The image data used is often encoded data. In this method, since the amount of halftone-processed image data is large when copying, the amount of data stored in the image memory is set to one page, and image data storage and output are performed serially in units of one page. This reduces the amount of image memory required.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional example described above, image reading and output are performed in serial operation, so when copying multiple sheets, there is a drawback that it takes a very long time to copy each page. . Also, for example, by using the image memory as a page-based buffer memory and handling multiple pages on the image memory, image human power and image output can be operated in multiple ways.
Copying may also be an option, but in this case, if the image memory capacity is small, overflow may occur depending on the amount of image data to be copied, and conversely, increasing the image memory capacity would be very costly. It also had the disadvantage of being expensive.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device that can perform optimal memory management according to image data.

[Means and operations for solving the problems] In order to achieve the above object, the facsimile apparatus of the present invention has the following configuration. That is, in a facsimile device having a copying function for accumulating and outputting image data, a first copying means for accumulating and outputting the image data to be accumulated in units of one page;
By providing the second copying means for outputting and the selection means for selecting copying by each copying means, it is possible to perform optimal memory management according to image data and copy data.

Further, preferably, one aspect of the selection means is to select copying by image binarization processing.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Description of Configuration (FIG. 1)> FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a facsimile apparatus in this embodiment.

In the figure, 1-1 is an image reading device that photoelectrically converts optically read image data using a CCD or the like, and further converts an analog signal into a multi-value digital signal using an AD converter. Image processing is performed on the digital signal and converted into binary image data. 1-2 is an image encoding device, which converts the binary image data output from the image reading device 1-1 into MH, MR, and MM according to the CCITT recommendations.
Image data encoded into R compression code data is output. The image data output from the image encoding device 1-2 is stored in the image memory 1-2 which is constituted by a semiconductor memory.
It is accumulated in 3.

1-4 is a communication control device which performs control according to a facsimile transmission control procedure (communication protocol), reads and transmits image data stored in the image memory 1-3,
Conversely, the received image data is stored in the image memory 1-3. 1-5 is an image decoding device that decodes the image data stored in the image memory l-3 into binary image data, and the decoded binary image data is sent to a laser beam printer (
The image is printed out by the image output device 1-5, which is configured with a computer (LBP) or the like.

Reference numeral 1-7 denotes an operation section, which is comprised of a display section for controlling the display of various information and various keys for receiving and receiving key input from the operator. 1-8 is a control device, which includes a CPU that performs various controls according to the processing procedures described later, a ROM that stores the processing procedures and control data of the CPU, and a work area and various tables that the CPU uses when executing each process. RAM consisting of etc., and I10 boat etc.
The entire device is controlled via the system bus.

<Explanation of memory management (Figures 2 and 3)> Next, the second
Memory management during copying will be described below with reference to the figures.

In this embodiment, the following two types of modes are provided as memory management methods during copying.

One is the image memory 1-3, as shown in FIG. 2(a).
The copy area is one page, and image data is input and output for each page (memory management method (hereinafter referred to as low-speed mode).The other method is as shown in Fig. 2(b). This is a memory management method (hereinafter referred to as high-speed mode) in which the copy area of the image memory 1-3 has a buffer structure consisting of a plurality of pages, and multiple operations are performed in which image data of the previous page can be output while being stored in the next page.

In the above configuration, when inputting and outputting image data to the image memory 1-3, there are two modes in this embodiment as described above, and FIG. 3 shows the operation flow when copying in each of the two modes. FIG. As shown in the figure, it can be seen that the low-speed mode requires about twice as much processing time as the high-speed mode.

<Description of Processing Procedure (FIGS. 4 and 5)> Next, the processing procedure of each mode described above will be explained below according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

First, if the operator presses a key on the operation unit 1-7 and manually specifies the copy mode, the process proceeds to step SL, where it is determined whether the copy mode is low speed or high speed. Here, if the low speed mode is designated, the process advances to step S2, the image reading device 1-1 is activated, and page reading of the set document is started. Then, in the next step S3, it is determined whether or not reading has been completed, and when it has been completed, the process proceeds to step S4, where the image output device 1-6 is activated and the encoded data stored in the image memory 1-3 is read. Start printing. Then, in the next step S5, it is determined whether or not the printout is completed. When the printout is completed, the process advances to step S6, and it is determined whether or not there is a next page. As a result, if there are still pages remaining, the process returns to step S2 and the above-described process is repeated. However, when it runs out, the sequential low-speed copy operation ends.

On the other hand, in step S1 described above, if the high-speed mode in which page reading and printing are performed in multiple ways is specified, the process advances to step S7, and page reading is started in the same manner as in step S2. . In the next step S8, a flag indicating whether or not all page reading has been completed is checked, and if it is ON, the process advances to step S14. However, if it is not ON, the process advances to step S9, and it is determined whether or not reading has been completed. If it has not been completed, the process advances to step S14, but if it has been completed, the process advances to step SIO, and the A pointer indicating that image data has been stored in the page of memory 1-3 is incremented.

Next, in step Sll, it is determined whether or not there is a next page, and if there is a page remaining, the process advances to step SL2 to instruct reading of the next page. However, if there is no print (if there is one), the process advances to step 313 and turns on the end flag indicating that all page reading has been completed.Next, in step S14, it is determined whether printing has stopped or finished. , if not completed, step S8
Return the process to , and repeat the above process.

However, if printing has stopped or finished, step S
The process advances to step 15, and a pointer indicating that image data has been stored in a predetermined page of the image memory 1-3 is checked. As a result, if the pointer is not "0", step S1 is executed to print out the accumulated image data.
The process advances to step 6 and the pointer is decremented. Then, printing is started in step S17 and the process returns to step S8 described above.

On the other hand, in step S15, if the pointer is "0", the process advances to step 318, the above-mentioned end flag is checked, and if it is not ON, the process returns to step S8, but if it is ON, the process goes to step S19. Then, the end flag is turned OFF and the process ends.

It is also possible to perform the determination in step S1 described above using an image binarization processing method, as in step S1' shown in FIG. In other words, for photos, use low speed mode,
In the case of text, by selecting the high-speed mode, the operator's effort can be saved, and an appropriate copy mode can be selected for the image.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, originals with a large amount of encoded data such as photo originals are copied in low speed mode, and documents with a small amount of encoded data such as text originals are copied. By copying in high-speed mode, the copy speed is slow when copying photo originals, but
Memory overflow can be prevented as much as possible, and text can be copied at high speed.

In addition, image processing methods such as image binarization processing methods, for example,
By automatically selecting the copy operation mode when selecting the photo mode or character mode, the operator can select an appropriate copy operation mode simply by selecting the image processing method.

[Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the related drawings.

The image encoding device 1-2 and image decoding device 1-5 shown in FIG. 1,
It is also possible to have a configuration in which the image output device 6-3 is separated and the image data stored in the image memory 6-2 is encoded or the stored compressed code data is decoded.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform optimal memory management according to image data and copy data.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the facsimile machine in this embodiment, Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining two memory management methods for copying operations, and Fig. 3 is an input and output of two memory management methods. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in this embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a modification of the processing procedure shown in FIG. 4; FIG. 6 is a configuration of a facsimile machine in another embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram showing. In the figure, 1-1... Image reading device, 1-2... Image encoding device, 1-3... Image memory, 1-4... Communication control device, 1-5... Image Decoding device, 1-6...
Image output device, 1-7... operating unit, 1-8... control device. (a) (b) Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A facsimile device having a copy function that stores and outputs image data includes a first copying device that stores and outputs the image data to be stored in page units; , a second copying means for outputting the output, and a selection means for selecting a copy by each copying means. (2) The facsimile apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection means selects copying by image binarization processing.