JPH0522580A - Facsimile device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to change various kinds of reduction rates and to realize the increase of the kind of the reduction rate and the small capacity of an electronic circuit, in a facsimile device printing picture information by reducing it with a preliminarily set reduction rate when the size of received picture information is larger than the printable size. CONSTITUTION:A picture reduction means 4 performing a thining out processing of picture information is provided. Reduction control means 14 to 16 outputting plural kinds of reduction rate signals performing the operation control of this picture reduction means 4 in accordance with a binary code are provided. A register circuit 13 in which the binary code selecting the reduction rate signal which these reduction control means 14 to 16 output to the picture reduction means is variably and freely set is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus capable of reducing received image information at a reduction ratio corresponding to the size of printing paper and printing it.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general facsimile machine is a telephone line or ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network).
Image information received via a communication line such as k) is printed on printing paper and reproduced. In such a facsimile device, the size of the print paper preset in the facsimile device may be smaller than the size of the received image information. In this case, the function of reducing the image information and printing it is realized. Has been done.

Therefore, a conventional example of such a facsimile apparatus will be described below with reference to FIG. First, in the facsimile apparatus 1, the page memory 2 for temporarily storing the received dot matrix format image information is a RAM (Rand
omAccess Memory) and the like, and the page memory 2 and an image bus of a facsimile engine (not shown) are connected to the bus controller 3. This bus controller 3 is a P / S (Pa
rallel / Serial) conversion circuit 4 connected to this P
The / S conversion circuit 4 is connected via a data controller 5 to an LBP (Laser Beam Printer) engine 6 including an image printing mechanism.

Further, in the facsimile apparatus 1, an image memory (not shown) for temporarily storing image information received by an image receiving means (not shown) via a communication line (not shown),
Image capacity detecting means for detecting the amount of information in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction of the image information temporarily stored in the image memory
(Not shown), a print capacity storage means (not shown) in which the amount of information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in the print area of the LBP engine 6 is stored in advance, or this print capacity storage means. Excess detection means (not shown) for detecting whether or not the information amount detected by the image capacity detection device with respect to the information amount is exceeded in each scanning direction is a RAM or a CPU (Central Processes).
sing unit) and ROM (Read Only Memory). In the facsimile apparatus 1, the excess detection means is connected to the reduction rate setting ROM 8 via the reduction rate selection port 7 by the CPU bus, and the reduction rate setting ROM 8 is connected to the P / S via the address counter 9. It is connected to the conversion circuit 4. here,
In the facsimile device 1, four types of reduction ratios of 100%, 96%, 80% and 76% are set in advance corresponding to the ratio of the standard size printing paper, and thinning processing is performed to realize these reduction ratios. The control information is stored in the reduction rate setting ROM 8 by being expanded in a dot matrix format.

With this arrangement, in the facsimile apparatus 1, the image information received by the image receiving means from another facsimile or the like via the communication line is stored in the page memory 2 for each main scanning line, and this is stored in the bus controller 3.
The data is sent to the P / S conversion circuit 4 byte by byte in accordance with the bus selection by. On the other hand, in the facsimile apparatus 1, the amount of information of the received image information in each scanning direction is detected by the image capacity detecting means, and the excess detecting means determines whether or not the amount of information exceeds the information amount stored in the print capacity storing means. If excess is not detected, normal printing is executed, and if excess is detected, reduced printing is executed. Here, in this facsimile apparatus 1, the pixel density of the received image information is
Although the pixel density of the image printing mechanism in the LBP engine 6 is 400 (dpi) while it is 200 (dpi), the image information is doubled by the P / S conversion circuit 4 when executing normal printing. When converting and sending to the LBP engine 6, and performing reduction printing, the P / S conversion circuit 4 doubles the image information, then performs thinning processing and sends to the LBP engine 6.
By doing so, the entire contents of the image information are covered even if the thinning-out process is executed, so that the facsimile apparatus 1 can reduce the image information and print it without reducing the information amount.

Here, in the facsimile apparatus 1, the control signal for the operation timing of the thinning process of the P / S conversion circuit 4 as described above is generated in each circuit section 7-9. That is, in the facsimile apparatus 1, the reduction rate selection port 7 selects one of the reduction rates in the reduction rate setting ROM 8 in accordance with the detection output of the excess detection means, and the address counter 9 sets P / P in accordance with the control information for this reduction rate. By controlling the timing of the S conversion circuit 4, the image information is thinned out.

[0007]

In the facsimile apparatus 1 as described above, when the received image information amount is larger than the image information amount that can be printed on the regular paper size, it corresponds to the ratio of the regular print sheets in advance. Then, the image information can be reduced in size and printed at the reduction ratio thus set.

In the facsimile device 1 described above, the reduction ratio setting RO is performed by expanding control information for realizing a plurality of types of reduction ratios in a dot matrix format.
Although it is stored in M8, such a control signal has an excessive amount of information, and therefore increases the types of reduction ratios and the reduction ratio setting R.
The reduction in capacity of the OM8 is hindered.

Further, in the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus 1, for example, a reduction rate of "80%" is set in order to reproduce the B5 size image information on the A5 size printing paper, but if the user desires, the above reduction ratio is set. Reduction rate of "82%" or "78
% "May be desired, but
In the facsimile device 1 described above, the reduction ratio setting ROM 8
Since the reduction ratio set to No. cannot be changed, the reduction ratio setting ROM 8 in which special information is input is used to change the reduction ratio.
Need to be manufactured and replaced.

[0010]

An image receiving means for receiving image information in a dot matrix format is provided, and an image memory for temporarily storing the image information received by the image receiving means is provided, and the image information is temporarily stored in the image memory. Image capacity detecting means for detecting the amount of information in the main scanning direction and sub-scanning direction of the image information is provided, and print capacity storing means for storing the amount of information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in the printing area is provided in advance. An excess amount detecting unit is provided for detecting in each scanning direction whether or not the amount of information detected by the image amount detecting unit exceeds the amount of information stored in the print amount storing unit, and the excess amount detecting unit detects the excess amount of information. Image reduction means for reducing the image information for each main scanning line by thinning processing is provided, and the image information reduced by this image reduction means and the image information for which the excess detection means does not detect excess are for printing. In a facsimile apparatus provided with an image printing mechanism for printing on a sheet, reduction control means for outputting a plurality of types of reduction rate signals for controlling the thinning processing of the image reduction means in accordance with an input binary code is provided. Is provided with a register circuit in which a binary code for selecting a reduction rate signal to be output to the image reducing means is variably set.

[0011]

When a binary code set in the reduction control means is variably set in the register circuit together with a plurality of types of reduction rate signals for controlling the thinning processing of the image reduction means, the binary code can be changed. Since the reduction rate is variable, the reduction rate can be changed in various ways according to the user's desire, and further, a large amount of reduction rate can be set in the register circuit with the information of extremely small capacity.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, in the facsimile device 10, as shown in FIG.
As illustrated in the block diagram of (a), a page memory 2 for temporarily storing image information and an image bus of a facsimile engine (not shown) are P / S conversion circuits as image reduction means via a bus controller 3. 4 and the P / S conversion circuit 4 is connected via a data controller 5 to an LBP engine 6 including an image printing mechanism.

Further, in this facsimile apparatus 10, an image memory (not shown) for temporarily storing image information received by an image receiving means (not shown) via a communication line (not shown).
Or an image capacity detecting means (not shown) for detecting the information amount in each scanning direction of the image information temporarily stored in this image memory
A print capacity storage means (not shown) that stores the amount of information in each scanning direction in the print area of the LBP engine 6 in advance,
Excess detection means (not shown) for detecting whether or not the information amount detected by the image capacity detection means with respect to the information amount stored in the print capacity storage means is exceeded in each scanning direction is a CPU or R.
It is formed of electronic circuits such as OM and RAM.

Then, in this facsimile apparatus 10,
This excess detection means is used by the reduction ratio circuit 11 via the CPU bus.
The reduction ratio circuit 11 is connected to the P / S conversion circuit 4. Here, this reduction ratio circuit 11
Is an 8-bit counter 12 and an 8-bit register 1 which is a register circuit, as illustrated in the block diagram of FIG.
3 and 3 are both connected to a digital comparator 14, and this digital comparator 14 is connected to a 4-bit counter 15 and a timing correction circuit 16. The timing correction circuit 16 is connected to the P / S conversion circuit 4 via the output lines of the shift clock and the load signal, and the input lines of the clock signal and the synchronization signal are the 8-bit counter 12 and the 4-bit counter line. In addition to being connected to the counter 15, the CPU bus is connected to the 8-bit register 13.

Therefore, in the reduction ratio circuit 11 of the facsimile apparatus 10, a plurality of types of reduction ratio signals for controlling the operation timing of the P / S conversion circuit 4 are binary coded to the reduction control means composed of the circuit portions 14 to 16. And a binary code like this is set in advance in the 8-bit register 13
It is variably set to. More specifically, since the binary code formed of 8 bits can be set to 2 ⁸ = 256 types, in the reduction ratio circuit 11 of the facsimile device 10 illustrated here, the digital comparator 14 has 25 bits in advance.
Six kinds of reduction ratios are set in advance together with the binary code, and several kinds of binary codes selected from these binary codes are variably set in the 8-bit register 13.

With this configuration, in the facsimile apparatus 10, the image information received by the image receiving means from another facsimile or the like via the communication line is stored in the page memory 2 for each main scanning line, and this is stored in the bus controller 3. The data is sent to the P / S conversion circuit 4 byte by byte in accordance with the bus selection by. Therefore, in this facsimile device 10, as illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 2, the amount of information of the received image information in each scanning direction exceeds the amount of information detected by the image capacity detection means and stored in the print capacity storage means. The presence / absence is determined by the excess detection means, and if the excess is not detected, normal printing is executed, and if the excess is detected, reduced printing is executed. As shown in the figure, the detection of the information amount of the image information is performed by counting the number of input lines of the image information, but in reality, the signal indicating the head of one main scanning line is generated by hardware. Therefore, you can count this.

Here, in this facsimile apparatus 10,
While the pixel density of the received image information is 200 (dpi), the pixel density of the image printing mechanism in the LBP engine 6 is 400
Since it is (dpi), when performing normal printing, the image information is doubled by the P / S conversion circuit 4 and the LBP engine 6 is used.
When executing the reduced printing, the P / S conversion circuit 4 doubles the image information, thins it out, and sends it to the LBP engine 6. By doing so, the entire contents of the image information are covered even if the thinning-out process is executed, so that the facsimile apparatus 10 can reduce and print the image information without reducing the information amount.

In the above-described thinning-out process, the pixel at the predetermined position in the main scanning line is omitted, so that the image information is reduced only in the main scanning direction. Therefore, in actuality, the image information is also reduced in the sub-scanning direction by thinning out a predetermined main scanning line or controlling the paper transport speed in the same manner as the pixel thinning-out process described above. It has become.

Here, in this facsimile apparatus 10,
The reduction rate circuit 11 generates a control signal for the operation timing of the thinning process of the P / S conversion circuit 4 as described above. That is, in the reduction ratio circuit 11 of the facsimile apparatus 10, the 8-bit counter is based on the several kinds of binary codes variably set in the 8-bit register 13 and the input clock signal and synchronization signal as described above. 1
By comparing the numerical value calculated by 2 with the digital comparator 14, the timing correction circuit 16 directly connected to the digital comparator 14 outputs the shift clock to the P / S conversion circuit 4. At the same time, the 4-bit counter 15 calculates the data length of 8 bits, so that the load signal is output from the timing correction circuit 16 directly connected to the 4-bit counter 15 to the P / S conversion circuit 4. The P / S conversion circuit 4 thins out image information according to two input signals and performs P / S conversion.

With the above arrangement, in the facsimile apparatus 10, even when the received image information amount is larger than the image information amount printable on the regular paper size,
Image information can be reduced and printed at a reduction ratio that is variably set in advance.

Here, in the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus 10, since a plurality of types of reduction ratios can be set by an 8-bit binary code, it is possible to set a large amount of reduction ratio with extremely small capacity information, It is possible to increase the types of reduction ratios and reduce the capacity of electronic circuits.

Further, in the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus 10, the reduction rate can be changed by changing the 8-bit binary code set in the 8-bit register 13, so that the reduction rate can be changed to various values according to the user's request. Therefore, it is possible to meet various requests with simple setting work. Note that such a change of the reduction rate is performed by, for example, creating a specification document in which an 8-bit binary code is written together with 256 types of reduction rates in advance, and the binary value of the reduction rate selected by the user who visually recognizes this. This can be implemented by setting the code in the 8-bit register 13.

[0023]

As described above, the present invention is provided with the image receiving means for receiving the image information in the dot matrix format, and the image memory for temporarily storing the image information received by the image receiving means. A print capacity storage unit that is provided with an image capacity detection unit that detects the information amount of the temporarily stored image information in the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction, and previously stores the information amount of the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction in the printing area. Is provided, and excess detection means is provided for detecting in each scanning direction whether or not the amount of information detected by the image capacity detection means with respect to the amount of information stored in the printing capacity storage means is exceeded. Image reducing means for reducing the detected image information for each main scanning line by thinning processing is provided, and the image information reduced by the image reducing means and the image information for which the excess detecting means does not detect the excess A facsimile apparatus provided with an image printing mechanism for printing on printing paper is provided with reduction control means for outputting a plurality of types of reduction rate signals for controlling the thinning processing of the image reduction means in accordance with an input binary code. By providing the register circuit in which the binary code for selecting the reduction rate signal output to the image reducing means by the control means is variably set, the reduction rate can be changed by changing the binary code set in this register circuit. Since it is variable, the reduction rate can be changed in various ways according to the user's wishes, and various settings can be met with simple setting work.
Since a large amount of reduction rate can be set in the register circuit with extremely small capacity information, it is possible to increase the types of reduction rate and reduce the capacity of electronic circuits. It is possible to obtain various facsimile machines.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of Codes] 4 Pixel Reduction Means 6 Image Printing Mechanism 11 Facsimile Machine 13 Register Circuits 14-16 Reduction Control Means

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. An image receiving means for receiving image information in a dot matrix format is provided, and an image memory for temporarily storing the image information received by the image receiving means is provided. Provided is an image capacity detecting means for detecting the amount of information in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction of the obtained image information, and a printing capacity storing means for storing the information amount in the main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction in the printing area in advance. An excess amount detecting unit is provided for detecting in each scanning direction whether or not the amount of information detected by the image amount detecting unit with respect to the amount of information stored in the print amount storing unit is exceeded. An image reducing means for reducing the detected image information for each main scanning line by thinning processing is provided, and the image information reduced by the image reducing means and the image in which the excess detecting means does not detect the excess A facsimile apparatus provided with an image printing mechanism for printing information on a printing paper is provided with reduction control means for outputting a plurality of types of reduction rate signals for controlling the thinning processing of the image reduction means in accordance with an input binary code. A facsimile apparatus comprising a register circuit for variably setting a binary code for selecting a reduction ratio signal output by the reduction control means to the image reduction means.