JPH0619980A - Image retrieval system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an image retreival system capable of retreiving image information at a practical speed at a terminal on a network. CONSTITUTION:A retreival means 2c investigates whether or not the image information to be retreived is stored in an image memory 2a corresponding to the instruction of an instruction means 2b and displays the image information of the image memory 2a when it is stored. When it is not stored, the retreival means 2c sends the transfer request of the image information through a BUS 6 to a file server 1. When the requested image information is transferred, the retreival means 2c displays the image information and stores the image information in the image memory 2a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image retrieval system and, for example, to an electronic filing device for recording and retrieving image information on a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the development of large-capacity recording media such as optical discs, a device called an electronic file has become widespread in which optical discs and the like are used to record and store image information such as documents and retrieve them when necessary. It was In addition, code data used for office work, vector data created by computer drawing, etc. can be freely changed from a terminal on the network to a computer by LAN (local area network) or WAN (wide area network). You can now search for.

In view of the above situation, it is desired to further search for image information at a terminal on the network.

[0004]

However, since the currently widespread networks are mainly intended to exchange code data, the data transmission speed for image data is insufficient. For example, a typical LAN has a maximum data transmission rate of 10 Mbps (bits / second), but since actual communication is performed via a protocol, the actual data transmission rate is about 30 to 70 kbps, and the original document 1 It takes a long time to transfer image information having a size of 10 to several 100 kB (byte) per page.

Therefore, it takes a long time to retrieve the image information from the terminals on the network, and in particular, when a large number of terminals on the network perform the image information retrieval at almost the same time, the time required for the data transmission. Becomes even longer,
The terminal user has to wait a long time until the image information is obtained. That is, it was not practical to search for image information using a terminal on the network.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and has the following structure as one means for solving the above problems. That is, an image search system including at least one terminal connected to a host computer via a communication medium,
The terminal stores the image information in a storage medium, an instruction unit for instructing a search for the image information, and an image information stored in the storage medium when an instruction is given from the instruction unit. When the image information to be searched is not stored in the storage medium, the image search system includes a search unit that requests transfer of the image information to the host computer via the communication medium.

[0007]

With the above arrangement, it is possible to provide an image retrieval system capable of retrieving image information at a practical speed via a communication medium.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0009]

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a file server, which includes a memory such as an optical disk, records image data and the like, and is composed of image data and search data corresponding to the request in response to a request from a terminal connected to the network. Output image information.

Reference numerals 2 and 4 denote terminals. The terminal A2 includes an image memory 2a, an instructing means 2b and a searching means 2c, and the terminal B4 has the same structure as the terminal A2. 6 is a network bus BUS, which is a file server 1 and terminals A2 and B
4 and others are connected to form a network such as a LAN. When the terminal A2 is activated, the image information is not stored in the image memory 2a. Therefore, when the image information search is first performed on the terminal A2 after the activation and according to the instruction from the instruction means 2b, the search means 2c , BUS6 to request image information to the file server 1. The file server 1 receiving the request returns the image information corresponding to the request to the terminal A2. The terminal A2 receiving the image information displays this image information and stores it in the image memory 2a.

Next, when the terminal A2 searches the image information for the second time and thereafter, first, the searching means 2c causes the image memory 2 to operate.
A is searched to see if the image information corresponding to the search condition is stored in the image memory 2a. If the image information corresponding to the search condition exists in the image memory 2a, the terminal A2 displays the image information stored in the image memory 2a.

If the image information corresponding to the retrieval condition does not exist in the image memory 2a, the retrieval means 2c.
Sends a request to the file server 1 to transfer the image information corresponding to the search condition in the same procedure as the first search after startup.

[0013]

[Table 1] Further, the search means 2c may be provided with a search table as shown in Table 1 for searching the image information recorded in the file server 1. In this case, for example, immediately after being activated, the terminal requests the file server 1 to transfer the search table information and records the transferred search table information in the search means 2c.

The search means 2c searches the search information input from the instructing means 2b according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, and reads and displays the image information based on the address of the search result. If the address of the search result is that of the file server 1, the search means 2c stores the image information transferred from the file server 1 in a predetermined address of the image memory 2a, and stores the corresponding search table information. The address is rewritten to the address of the image memory 2a.

In the above description, the communication between the terminal A2 and the file server 1 was described, but the same communication is performed between the terminal B4 and the file server 1, and further, the BUS.
It goes without saying that the same communication is performed between the file server 1 and another terminal, which is not shown in FIG. As described above, by storing the image information transferred once from the file server 1 in the image memory of the terminal, the same image information can be displayed by comparing the image information of a plurality of documents. When it is used again, it is not necessary to transfer the same image information many times, and the image information once received can be displayed in a short time. Therefore, the frequency of transfer of the image information via the BUS 6 can be reduced, and the image information search speed in the entire network can be improved.

Further, image information such as a drawing can include data indicating revision or update, and when there is a change in the drawing, based on the change date or correction number included in the image information. You can also search for newer or older image information. Further, in the above description, the image memory is described as a volatile memory, but the present embodiment is not limited to this, and for example, a nonvolatile memory or a magnetic disk may be used as the image memory. .

By making the image memory non-volatile,
Since the image information once recorded is not lost, the transfer frequency of the image information via the BUS 6 can be reduced more than in the case of using a volatile memory as the image memory.
It is possible to improve the image information retrieval speed in the entire network.

[0018]

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.
The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that, instead of the image memory of the terminal in the first embodiment, the terminal in the second embodiment includes a magneto-optical disk (hereinafter referred to as "MO") drive. Yes, to use removable MO to store image information. The memory capacity of MO is several hundreds M
As large as B, image information for several thousand originals can be stored.

In FIG. 2, 1d and 2d are MO drives. The MO drive 1d of the file server 1 is for directly recording image information from the file server 1 to the MO. Image information that is frequently used is
By storing the MO directly from the file server 1 to the MO drive 2d connected to the terminal A2, the image information transfer frequency of the BUS 6 can be reduced.

Further, the terminal B4 is similar to the terminal A2 in MO
A drive may be included, or an image memory may be used as in the first embodiment. In the above description, MO
However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and any removable media can be used as an image memory. In addition,
It goes without saying that you connect the drive that matches the media you use to the terminal.

As described above, according to this embodiment,
In addition to obtaining the same effect as in the first embodiment, by using removable media such as MO for the image memory, the frequently used image information can be stored in the image memory from the file server 1 before the search is started. The image information can be directly stored, the frequency of transfer of image information through the BUS 6 can be reduced more than in the first embodiment, and the image information retrieval speed in the entire network can be improved.

The present invention may be applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices or an apparatus composed of a single device. Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to the case where it is achieved by supplying a program to a system or an apparatus.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image retrieval system capable of retrieving image information at a practical speed via a communication medium.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a second embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a search operation of the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 File Server 2, 4 Terminal 2a Image Memory 2b Instructing Means 2c Searching Means 1d, 2d MO Drive 6 BUS

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image retrieval system comprising at least one terminal connected to a host computer via a communication medium, the terminal comprising storage means for storing image information in a storage medium, and image information. And an instruction means for instructing a search of the image information stored in the storage medium when an instruction is issued from the instruction means, and the communication is performed if the image information to be searched is not stored in the storage medium. An image retrieval system comprising: a retrieval unit that requests transfer of the image information to the host computer via a medium.