JPH0537319Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an image registration device that reads and stores image originals.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in the image registration and retrieval device, when an image is registered, the image read by the reading means is stored in a memory in the control means, and then the image in the memory is sent to the storage means through the compression means. It was remembered. Therefore, it took time to register images.

[Purpose of the invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and by compressing read information during a reading operation and storing the compressed information through a storage means in real time, The purpose is to shorten the image registration time.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in more detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external connection diagram of an image registration device to which the present invention is applied. 1 is a microcomputer for system control. It is a control unit (referred to as a workstation) that has an internal memory consisting of RAM.ROM, etc., and an external memory consisting of a floppy disk or a cartridge disk. 2 is the input section of the digital copying machine, which is a document reader that converts the document information of the document placed on the document table into an electrical signal using an image sensor such as a CCD; This is a high-speed printer that records an image on a recording material based on information converted into an electrical signal from a printer or the like. Reference numeral 4 denotes an image file having a recording medium such as an optical disk or a magneto-optical disk, on which a large amount of image information can be written and read. 5
The microfilm file is equipped with a microfilm search section and a microfilm reader section which converts the searched image information on the microfilm into an electrical signal using an image pickup device. Reference numeral 6 has a photosensitive belt in which a photoconductive layer is provided on a transparent conductive band-shaped substrate, and image light is generated by irradiating the photoconductive layer with a laser beam modulated according to an input image signal through the substrate. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductive layer in accordance with the proposed method, and this formed latent image is developed with a conductive and magnetic toner (developer) held on a toner carrier to create a display image. It is a high-resolution soft display that forms a 7 is printer 3
Although it is a printer device such as a laser beam printer similar to the printer 3, it is smaller and slower than the printer 3, and is installed as necessary. Reference numeral 8 denotes a CRT device for displaying image information photoelectrically read by a digital copying machine and a microfilm file input scanner (reader) or system control information.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a switching device that switches connections between each input/output device using a signal from the control section 1. Cables 10 to 18 electrically connect each input/output device. Reference numeral 20 denotes a keyboard provided in the control unit 1, and by operating this keyboard 20, system operation commands, etc. are issued. Also, 31 is
This is a point device for instructing the processing of image information on the CRT8.You can move the cursor image on the CRT8 in any direction in the X and Y directions, select a command image on the command menu, and give instructions. 21
1 is an operation panel for issuing operation commands for the digital copying machine, and includes setting keys for the number of copies, copy magnification, etc., a copy key 25 for instructing the start of copying, a numerical display, and the like. 22 is a mode changeover switch that determines whether the copying machine 2 or the control section 1 will take the initiative in starting up the digital copying machine;
Reference numerals 3 and 24 indicate indicators composed of light emitting diodes (LEDs) for displaying the mode selection state of the mode changeover switch 22. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit configuration of the image registration device shown in FIG. Each block corresponding to that in FIG. 1 is given the same number as in FIG. First, each block within the control section 1 will be explained. The operator inputs system operation commands using the keyboard 20 or the point device 31. 3
2 is a central processing unit (CPU) consisting of a microcomputer (for example, 68000 manufactured by Motorola).
33 is a read-on memory ROM in which a system control program is written in advance;
The CPU 32 performs control operations according to the program written in the ROM 33. 34 is a random access memory RAM, which is mainly used as a working memory of the CPU 32 and a page memory for storing image signals exchanged between each input/output unit. Reference numeral 35 denotes an external memory consisting of a floppy disk, which stores a system control program, a database for image retrieval from image files, etc., which will be described later. Reference numeral 36 is a communication interface that enables information to be exchanged with other similar systems or terminals using a communication line such as a local area network. Reference numeral 37 denotes an input/output interface for exchanging information between the control unit 1 and the switching device 9. 38 is CCD
This is a bit extraction circuit that thins out the read image signal according to a predetermined rate in order to display the read image on the CRT8. 53 is compression for writing image information to image file 4, or vice versa.
This is a compression/decompression interface 53 that decompresses the compressed information to restore it to its original state. In this embodiment, an image read from the document reader 2, microfile 5, etc. passes through the switching device 9, enters the input/output interface 37, and directly enters the compression/expansion interface via the cable 50, where it is compressed.
This compressed information enters the optical disk interface 39 directly via cable 51 and is written to the image file via cable 17.
All of these information flows occur in real time. That is, the document reader 2 or the microfile 5
The read signals from the cable 11 or 15, the switching device 9, the input/output interface 37, the cable 50, the compression/expansion interface 53, and the optical disk interface 39 are processed one after another and stored in an image file.

Conversely, when reading an image file, the compressed data in the image file is decompressed in a compression/decompression interface 53 in real time via the optical disk interface 39, and the image data is sent to the bus 41 via the cable 52. I can do it. 40 is for exchanging information with CRT8
It is a CRT interface. Reference numeral 41 is a 16-bit bus through which signals are transferred between each block within the control section 1. 11-18 and 50, 51,
As mentioned above, 52 and 54 are cables that electrically connect each input/output device, through which control signals and image signals are transmitted. Note that the arrows on the cables indicate the flow of image signals. Also, the flow of control signals is bidirectional in the cable. As is clear from the figure, the document reader 2, high-speed printer 3, microfilm file 5, soft display 6, and small printer 7 of the digital copying machine 42 are connected to the cable 1, respectively.
1, 12, 15, 16, and 10 to the switching device 9, and further connected to the input/output interface 37 of the control section 1 via cables 13 and 14. Also, image file 4 and CRT8 are each connected to cable 1.
7 and 18, each interface 3 of the control unit 1
Connected to 9,40. The CRT 8 is provided with a display RAM 43 that stores image information to be displayed.
Furthermore, since the image signal input and output by the switching device 9 is a serial signal, and the information on the bus 41 of the control unit 1 is a parallel signal, the input/output interface 37 has a serial to parallel signal for capturing the image signal. A register and a parallel-to-serial register for outputting image signals are provided.

Image signals output from the document reader 2 or the microfilm file 5 are input to the input/output interface 37 of the control section 1 via the switching device 9 line by line. (I/O interface 3
7 converts the serially input image signal into a parallel signal of every 16 bits and connects it to the cable 50 and bus 41.
Output on top. The image signals output onto the bus 41 are sequentially input into the image area of the RAM 34 for one page. The image signals stored in the RAM 34 in this way are outputted to the bus 41 again, and outputted to the outside via the communication interface 36, or sent to the image file 4 via the compression/expansion interface 53 and the optical disk interface 39. The image is formed by being outputted to the switching device 9 via the input/output interface 37 and selectively transmitted to the high speed printer 3, the soft display 6, or the small printer 7. . Further, the image signal read from the optical disk of the image file 4 is once transmitted via the optical disk interface 39 and the compression/expansion interface 53.
After being written into the RAM 34, the data is selectively transmitted to the high speed printer 3, the soft display 6, or the small printer 7 by the switching device 9 via the input/output interface 37.

Incidentally, the image signal from the document reader 2 or the microfilm file 5 can also be selectively transmitted directly to any one of the high-speed printer 3, the soft display 6, and the small printer 7 from the switching device 9 without going through the control section 1. . That is, when a simple copying operation is desired, since the image file 4 and CRT 8 are not required, image signals from, for example, the document reader 2 are directly supplied to the high-speed printer 3 without going through the control unit 1, and a real-time copying operation is performed. It is intended to carry out the following. This mode is called pass mode.

The control related to the transmission of the image signal described above is executed by the CPU 32 in accordance with the operation command input by the operator using the keyboard 20 or the point device 31.

[Effect] By compressing the image information read from the reading means and storing the compressed information through the storage means in real time, it is possible to shorten the registration time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an image registration device to which the present invention can be applied, and FIG. 2 is a system block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The present invention has a reading means for reading a document, a means for printing an image read by the reading means, a compression means for compressing the image read by the reading means, and a storage means for storing the compressed information. The image registration device has a path that leads information read from the reading means directly to the compression means and an output from the compression means directly to the storage means, and compresses the information read during the reading operation,
An image registration device characterized in that the compressed information is stored in real time through a storage means.