JPH05274369A - Image information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automize the selection of the center device in which image information to be retrieved is retained, in an LAN bus type remote system which has plural center devices, and can retrieve freely the image information. CONSTITUTION:On an LAN 10, a retrieval server 13 is prepared, and on this data base, in which center device 11a,..., 11n necessary image information is retained is managed. At the time of retrieving the image information, the retrieval server 13 specifies one of the center devices 11a,..., 11n by referring to the data base, based on a retrieval condition inputted from remote terminals 12a,..., 12n, respectively. Also, this system is constituted so that the retrieval of the image information is executed to its specified center device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, for example, connects a plurality of electronic filing devices to a network and operates an electronic filing device as a terminal device to display image information stored in the electronic filing device as a center device. The present invention relates to an image information processing system such as a LAN bus type remote system (DFNET) that can be freely searched.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a LAN bus type remote system using an electronic filing device has been developed. This is stored in a LAN formed by a plurality of electronic filing devices, and the electronic filing device (center device) that stores image information is searched for by another electronic filing device (terminal device). The desired image information can be freely read by each terminal device.

In recent years, more image information can be retrieved by preparing a plurality of center devices and storing different image information in each center device. In this case, the terminal device selects a center device loaded with an optical disk in which desired image information is stored, and the center device is searched.

However, in a system having a plurality of center devices, if the user forgets which center device stores the desired image information, as shown in FIG. 5, until the desired image information is found. The work required to select each center device in order. For this reason, the workability is low, and it is necessary to always be aware of the center device.

[0005]

As described above, conventionally, when the number of center devices or optical disks is large, it may not be possible to retrieve the necessary image information unless the center device is selected many times. there were.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image information processing system capable of efficiently retrieving necessary image information without paying attention to the center device and having high workability.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, in the image information processing system of the present invention, an image forming a center device in a system in which a plurality of image information processing devices are connected via a network. An image information processing apparatus that constructs a database for retrieving image information stored by the information processing apparatus from an image information processing apparatus serving as a terminal device, and stores the image information to be retrieved in the constructed database. It is configured to include a management unit that manages by adding an address on the network.

Further, in the image information processing system of the present invention, a plurality of center devices for storing image information, and at least one terminal device for searching each image information stored in each center device are provided. On the network, a connecting unit configured to connect the terminal device and the center device to the network, and a center device connected via the connecting unit and storing image information to be searched by the terminal device. Management means for managing the address, selection means for selecting the center device in which the image information to be searched by the terminal device is stored according to the address managed by the management means, and the selection means for selecting. And a reading unit that reads out image information to be searched from the center device.

[0009]

According to the present invention, the above-mentioned means makes it possible to automatically select the center device in which the image information to be searched is stored. Therefore, no matter how many center devices exist on the same network. It is possible to search for necessary image information without being aware of it.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a processing system according to the present invention.

This processing system has a configuration in which a plurality of center devices 11a to 11n, a plurality of remote terminal devices 12a to 12n, and a search server 13 composed of a general-purpose computer are connected on a LAN 10. ing.

Each of the center devices 11a to 11n stores image information, and is composed of, for example, a well-known electronic filing device having an optical disc in which the image information is stored.

Each of the remote terminal devices 12a to 12n is operated by a user to operate the center device 11 described above.
The image information stored in a, ..., 11n is searched, and is composed of a well-known electronic filing device like the center devices 11a, ..., 11n, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the search server 13 has title information (search title peculiar to each image information) 21 attached to each image information, and information about the optical disc in which the image information is stored. (Cabinet name, binder information, in-optical disk address of image information) 22 and binder information (binder name, node name of center device in which the optical disk is loaded (LAN)
The address on the 10)) 23 and the like are managed as a database.

That is, the user selects the remote terminal device 12
By operating any of a, ..., 12n, based on the database managed by the search server 13, automatic selection of the center device and the required (desired) image from the selected center device. Information is being searched for. Here, how the selection of the center device is automated will be described with a specific example.

For example, it is assumed that the remote terminal device 12a now inputs search conditions according to an instruction from the search server 13. Then, the title information 21 that matches the input conditions is searched by the search record format. Then, the node name of the center device is searched by the record format of the optical disc information 22 and the record format of the binder information 23.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when "Toshiba" is input as the search condition, the title information 31 "Toshiba" as an example of the search record corresponding to this is searched. When this is found, the optical disc information 32 as an example of the optical disc information record is determined from the contents of the optical disc information A corresponding to the title information 31. Then, the optical disc information 32 at this time
When the content of the binder information A corresponding to is the binder information 33 as an example of the binder information record, the "center device 11a" becomes the node name on the LAN 10. As a result, the center device including the optical disc in which the image information having the title information "Toshiba" is stored can be specified as the center device 11a.
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. FIG. 4 shows the flow of processing relating to image information search.

When searching for image information, first,
A session is set up between the remote terminal device operated by the user and the search server 13 (step ST1). Then, according to an instruction from the search server 13, a display prompting the user to input search conditions is displayed on the display screen of the remote terminal device operated by the user. On the other hand, when the user inputs the search condition, the search condition is sent to the search server 13 as a response (step ST2).

Then, according to the input conditions, a matching record (title information 21) is searched for according to the search record format on the database (step ST3).

When there are a plurality of found records, the user selects one of the plurality of records as the corresponding record (step ST
4). If only one record is found, it is selected as the corresponding record.

Thus, when the corresponding record is selected,
Based on this, the node name of the center device is determined according to the record format of the optical disc information 22 and the record format of the binder information 23. As a result, it is specified in which center device the optical disc in which the required image information is stored is loaded (step ST5).

When the center device can be specified, the remote terminal device is notified of the cabinet name, the binder name, and the optical disk address of the image information, as well as the node name (step ST6).

Further, the binder of the center device selected by the notification of the node name is opened, and the image information corresponding to the cabinet name, the binder name and the address in the optical disk is read (step ST7).

The read image information is sent to the remote terminal device operated by the user and displayed or printed out on the display screen (step ST8).

In this manner, the center device in which the image information required by the user is stored is automatically specified, and the image information is retrieved and read into the remote terminal device, so that any image information can be displayed. It becomes possible to efficiently display. In addition, when another image information is to be continuously searched, the above-mentioned processing from step ST2 is repeated (step ST9). As described above, the center device in which the image information to be searched is stored can be automatically selected.

That is, which center device stores the required image information is managed on a database, and the center device is specified based on this. This makes it possible to select the center device without the user's confirmation even when the user forgets which center device stores the desired image information. Therefore, the troublesome work of selecting each center device in order until the desired image information is found becomes unnecessary, and no matter how many center devices exist on the same network, the required image can be displayed without being aware of it. Information can be retrieved efficiently.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0027]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently retrieve necessary image information without being aware of the center device, and to provide an image information processing system with high workability. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of database construction.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the database in a more concrete manner.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart similarly shown for explaining the operation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram shown for explaining a conventional technique and its problems.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... LAN, 11a, ..., 11n ... Center device, 12
a ... 12n ... Remote terminal device, 13 ... Search server, 21 ... Title information, 22 ... Optical disc information, 23
... binder information, 31 ... title information search record example, 32 ... optical disc information record example, 33 ... binder information record example.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A database for retrieving image information stored in an image information processing apparatus serving as a center apparatus from an image information processing apparatus serving as a terminal apparatus in a processing system including a plurality of image information processing apparatuses connected to a network. And a management means for managing the network by adding an address on the network of the image information processing apparatus storing the image information to be searched for to the constructed database. system. 2. A plurality of center devices for storing image information, at least one terminal device for retrieving each image information stored in each center device, and a network connection between these terminal devices and the center device. And a management unit that manages the address on the network of the center device that is connected through the connection unit and that stores the image information to be searched by the terminal device. According to the address managed,
The terminal device further comprises a selection unit for selecting a center device in which image information to be searched is stored, and a reading unit for reading out the image information to be searched from the center device selected by the selection unit. An image information processing system characterized by: