JPH0550040B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image transmission device capable of transmitting handwritten characters or figures via a telephone line or a dedicated communication cable.

[Background technology and its problems]

A facsimile machine has been put into practical use as a typical device that can send text or graphics (hereinafter simply referred to as an image) over a telephone line, etc., but this device is capable of transmitting the transmitted image as a hard copy. Therefore, there is a problem that it lacks immediacy.

Therefore, an image transmission device, such as a sketch phone, has been developed in which an image written by hand on a tablet or the like can be transmitted directly over a telephone line or the like.

However, in such an image transmission device, the memory for storing image data is usually one page, so if the transmission of this one page of image data is not completed, the next handwritten image cannot be written. I can't.

Therefore, especially when transmitting image data over a telephone line or the like, there is a problem in that the transmission time becomes long.

Similarly, when the receiving side makes a hard copy of the transmitted image data, there is a problem that the next page cannot be received unless the hard copy is completed.

The above-mentioned disadvantages remain even if the memory for several pages is provided without special control.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. At least, while an image input by handwriting on a tablet is being transmitted, the next handwritten image can be written and displayed on the tablet, thereby reducing the transmission time. The present invention provides an image transmission device with the following features.

[Summary of the invention]

In this invention, the tablet is equipped with a memory (RAM) for storing at least two pages of handwritten image data, and when the clear button is pressed while the image written on the tablet is being transmitted, The second page memory is connected to the tablet.

Therefore, while the first handwritten image is being sent, the next image can be written on the tablet, which has the advantage of increasing image sending speed, making it useful for message transmission in hotels, schools, and hospitals. , and can be used in CATV systems, etc.

〔Example〕

Figures 1a and 1b show a block diagram and an external view of an image transmission device that is an embodiment of the present invention, and 1 is a central processing unit (hereinafter referred to as CPU) composed of a microcomputer, etc. , 2 are input switch units that cause the image transmission device to perform various operations, such as a transmission switch 2a and a printout switch 2.
b, an image clear switch 2c, an erase switch 2d for erasing part of the image, and the like are provided.

3 is a soft memory in which a program for operating the CPU 1 is stored; 4 and 5 are first and second memories capable of storing image data; and 6 is a display board 9 made of liquid crystal. This is an LCD control section that controls the display and is equipped with a memory 8 for code conversion.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a TAB control unit that controls the tablet 10, which imports an image written on the tablet 10 with a handwriting pen 12 from the interface 11 as image data, and sends it to the CPU.
Enter 1. Further, it is possible to perform control to erase a part of the handwritten image.

13 is an interface for connecting the CPU 1 and a transmission line; 14 is a MODEM for telephone; and 15 is a printer.

In this image transmission device, an image written on a tablet 10 with a handwriting pen 12 is output as image data from a TAB control section 7, and is displayed on an LCD.
It is displayed on the display board 9 via the control section 6, and can also be sent to a telephone line or communication cable via the interface 13 by operating the input switch section 2.

Further, if necessary, it is also possible to print out using the printer 15 and obtain a hard copy.

Note that by changing the program in the soft memory 3, it can be used as a receiving device for images transmitted from other image transmitting devices.

The tablet 10 and the display panel 9 made of liquid crystal are disclosed in Utility Application No. 57-160464 filed by the present applicant.
A device similar to that disclosed in the above issue can be used, an example of which is shown in FIG.

In this figure, the transparent plate of the tablet 10 has a plurality of transparent electrodes 10 ₁₁ , 10 ₁₂ ,
..., 10 _1o , 10 ₂₁ , 10 ₂₂ , ..., 10 _2o are formed in the X and Y axis directions, and pulses shifted in the X and Y axis directions are supplied from shift registers 10a and 10b. ing.

Therefore, the handwriting pen 12 is the tablet 10.
When the point x _i , y _i of
The TAB control unit 7 can detect the x _i and y _i coordinates.

A display board 9 made of liquid crystal is arranged so as to overlap the transparent tablet 10, and the display board 9 is arranged so as to overlap the transparent tablet 10.
2 is converted into dot matrix information and applied to the dot pattern on the display board 9.

Therefore, the image drawn with the handwriting pen 12 is displayed as is on the liquid crystal display board 9 located below it.

The first and second memories (RAM) 4 and 5 store image data to be displayed on the display board 9, and read out the image data to form transmission image data. It is utilized as described in the described embodiments.

FIG. 3 is shown to explain the path of image data transferred between the first and second memories 4 and 5, the display board 9, and the tablet 10, and the connection relationship when the image data is sent. .

First, the image written on the tablet 10 for transmission is normally sent to the switch _S2 as image data.
The data is sequentially inputted to the first memory 4 through the contact a of , and displayed on the display board 9 through the switch _S1 .

When the transmission switch _ST is pressed when one screen worth of image data is stored in the first memory 4 and displayed on the display board 9, the image data is transferred from the first memory 4 under the control of the CPU 1 (not shown). The image data is read out and sent out via switch _S4 .

By the way, in this invention, when the clear switch S _C is pressed during this transmission, the display screen on the display board 9 is first cleared under the control of the CPU 1, and the Q output of the flip-flop T-F/F is inverted. For example, it becomes the “0” level, and the switch S ₁ ,
Connect S ₂ and S ₃ to contact b. Therefore, the clear signal CLR clears the contents of the second memory 5 via the contact b of the switch _S3 . At this time, reading from the first memory 4 continues, but when an image on the second page is written using the tablet 10 and the handwriting pen 12, the data corresponding to this image is transferred to the switch _S2.
The data is input from contact b to the second memory 5 which is in write mode, and is also supplied to the display panel 9 at the same time.

Therefore, while the image data in the first memory 4 is being transmitted, the tablet 10 is used to display the display board 9.
The image data of the second page is stored in the second memory 5 while
can be input sequentially.

After the image data from the first memory 4 has been sent out, when the transmission switch S _T is pressed again, the "0" level of the terminal D of the flip-flop D-F/F is output from its terminal Q, and the switch S ₄ is turned on. Since the image data is reversed, the image data stored in the second memory 5 is outputted from the contact b of the switch _S4 .

As described above, in this invention, the switches S ₁ , S ₂ ,
Since S ₃ is inverted when the clear switch S _C is activated, the image data formed on the tablet 10 after clearing is alternately stored in the first and second memories 4, 4, and 5.
5. When the transmission switch _ST is operated, the image data is outputted from the contact point of the switch _S4 , which has the contact point with the same sign as before the switches _S1 , _S2 , and _S3 are reversed. .

However, for example, when the absence of transmission image data is detected by the detector D which detects the presence or absence of transmission image data, the flip-flop T-F/F is inverted by the output of the inverter _LO . It is possible to use only one memory (4 or 5) without inverting the switches S ₁ , S ₂ , and S ₃ even when a clear operation is performed.

The operation in the case where the first and second memories 4 and 5 are provided has been described above.
It is also possible to provide a fourth memory and control the memory so that these memories sequentially store image data as described above and send out the stored data.

Although FIG. 3 shows such an operation as a block diagram, it is actually performed by the control program of the CPU 1.

In FIG. 4, when the device is in the receiving state, it is possible to receive continuously transmitted image data while printing it out.

In this case as well, when new image data is transmitted, the display board 9 is first cleared, the image data is stored in the first memory 4, and then the image is displayed. At this time, the first memory 4
If the received image data of the first page is already stored in the memory 5, switch _S5 is switched to input the image data of the second page transmitted to the second memory 5, and the contact a of switch _S6 is The image data of the first page stored in the first memory 4 is sent to the printer 15.
It is controlled so that it is supplied to the computer and hard copies are taken. Then, when the image data of the third page is further received, the image data of the second page stored in the second memory 5 is printed out from the contact b of the switch S ₆ , and the image data of the third page is Switch S ₅
is input to the first memory 4 from the contact a.

Note that the switching control circuits for the switches _S5 and _S6 are omitted in FIG.

Therefore, even in the normal reception state when the print switch is not operated, continuously transmitted image data is automatically printed one after another, and data reception errors can be prevented.

In this case as well, third and fourth memories may be added and the image data may be printed out sequentially starting from the oldest image data by a similar switch operation.

The main operations of this invention have been explained above, but
The CPU 1 may be provided with a clock function so that time data is transmitted simultaneously when image data is transmitted. Furthermore, a scrolling function can be added to the display board 9 to widen the display range of images.

In addition, the handwriting pen 12, which is said to be a capacitance-sensitive type,
You can also change the erase range (erase area) by adjusting the sensitivity, and change the line width of characters and figures to be written.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the handwritten image transmission device of the present invention can create the next character or figure while transmitting the character or figure formed by the tablet. Especially when transmitting messages over telephone lines etc.
This has the advantage that it can save time.
In addition, since figures or characters can be created and easily transmitted using a tablet laminated to a display panel made of liquid crystal, the equipment becomes smaller.
Moreover, it has the practical effect of being easy to operate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1a and b are a block diagram and external view showing the outline of the image transmission device of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a display board and tablet for producing and displaying handwritten images, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing the image transmission device during transmission. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining storage and transmission of image data. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining storage and printout of image data at the time of reception. In the figure, 1 is the central processing unit, 2 is the input switch unit,
4 and 5 are first and second memories, 9 is a display board, 10
is a tablet, and 12 is a handwriting pen.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A display board made of liquid crystal, a tablet laminated on the display board, a writing means for writing a handwritten image on the tablet, and a means for displaying the image written on the tablet on the display board and for communication. In an image transmission device equipped with a control unit capable of transmitting data via a cable or a telephone line, first and second memories capable of storing at least image data written on the tablet are provided, and the first and second memories are provided. When a clear signal is received during transmission of the image data stored in the second memory, control is performed so that the image data written on the tablet can be stored in the second memory. Transmission device.