JPH0752916B2 - Equipment - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus for compressing and transmitting document information by one-dimensional encoding or two-dimensional encoding.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a facsimile apparatus that employs a one-dimensional encoding method or a two-dimensional encoding method, in order to secure a time required for decoding processing of received data, recording operation, and the like,
The minimum transmission time for one line is defined. If a line that is less than the minimum transmission time continues, an overflow of the reception buffer memory occurs.

Therefore, the conventional transmission side facsimile apparatus confirms the minimum transmission time of one line of the reception side facsimile apparatus during the communication control procedure prior to the transmission of the document information. If the time required to transmit the code data of the line drawing information and the EOL code is less than the minimum transmission time, the transmission time of each line is reduced by adding a dummy code called a fill code to the code data. The control is performed so that the minimum transmission time is exceeded.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of data sent to a line by a conventional facsimile apparatus in which such control is performed, divided into lines, and 1 is compression coded data of drawing information of each line. 2 is a fill code inserted to secure the minimum transmission time, 3 is EO indicating the end of one line
It is an L code.

In the example shown here, the fill data is inserted because the code data of the drawing information is short for the X line and the X + 1 line. On the X + 3 line and the X + 5 line, the code data of the text information is long, and the time required to transmit the code data and the EOL code exceeds the minimum transmission time, so the fill code is not inserted.

However, according to the configuration of the conventional facsimile apparatus, when the document information is sparse, the code data of the document information is short and the fill code is large, so that there is a problem that the transmission efficiency is deteriorated. there were.

More specifically, if Ti is the time required to transmit coded data (including EOL code, the same applies below) of the drawing information of a line, and M is the minimum transmission time of one line, Ti ≧ M for all lines. Insertion control of the fill code is performed so that In the facsimile machine on the receiving side, the margin time for processing each line is Ti-M. This margin time is always zero or more, and it is extremely rare that the margin time becomes zero for all lines on one page (Ti = M for all lines). Especially when the drawing information is sparse,
The cumulative time of the margin time per page becomes considerably long, and that time is wasted in the transmission of the fill code instead of the stroke information, so that the transmission efficiency decreases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a facsimile apparatus capable of improving the transmission efficiency of sparse document image information without causing an overflow of the receiving buffer memory on the receiving side. To aim.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention integrates the amount of fill code for guaranteeing the minimum transmission time of each line from the top line of a page of a calligraphy, and the integrated value The code data of each line is transmitted without adding a fill code to the line immediately before the line that exceeds the size (capacity) of the receive buffer memory of the receiving facsimile machine or other value, and the integrated value is received. It has a structure in which a necessary fill code is added and transmitted from a line whose value is equal to or smaller than the size of the buffer memory.

More specifically, in the facsimile apparatus of the present invention, the counting means for counting the amount of code data of each line of the writing information and the transmission time of each line is set to the minimum transmission time or more from the count value of this counting means. A fill code amount calculating means for calculating the amount of fill code required for this purpose, an integrating means for integrating the amount of fill codes calculated by the fill code amount calculating means, and an integrated value obtained by the integrating means. The reception buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus is compared with a value equal to or smaller than the size, and comparing means for generating an over signal when the integrated value exceeds the value equal to or smaller than the size. The code data of the drawing information of each line is transmitted from the beginning of the page without inserting the fill code, and the final line of the drawing is started from the line where the over signal occurs. The code data of the document information of each line up, and has a configuration that transmits the inserted fill code amount calculated by the fill amount of codes calculating means.

Effect of the Invention With the above-described structure, according to the present invention, from the head line of the page of the calligraphy, immediately before the line where the integrated value of the fill code for guaranteeing the minimum transmission time of each line exceeds the size of the reception buffer memory or less than that value Up to the line, it is transmitted without inserting the fill code, but in the case of a page with sparse drawing information, the number of lines until the insertion of the fill code is considerably large, so the transmission efficiency is significantly improved compared to the past. To do.

In addition, if the fill code is not inserted and lines that are less than the minimum transmission time are continuously transmitted, the amount of data stored in the reception buffer memory of the reception side facsimile apparatus gradually increases. However, since the fill code from the top line of the page exceeds the size of the receive buffer memory or a value less than that, the fill code is inserted to guarantee the minimum transmission time. The accumulated data amount of does not exceed the size of the reception buffer memory. Therefore, overflow of the receive buffer memory does not occur.

Examples Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration related to a transmission operation of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 4 denotes a reading unit including an image sensor such as a CCD image sensor for reading a written image, and 5 denotes a line memory control unit that temporarily stores the written image information read by the reading unit 4. Reference numeral 6 is a one-dimensional encoding of the drawing information stored in the line memory control unit 5 or 2
An encoder for compression by dimensional encoding, 7 is a serial / parallel conversion circuit for performing serial / parallel conversion of the code data output from the encoder 6, and 8 is a temporary storage of the code data after serial / parallel conversion. Is a code data buffer memory for. Reference numeral 9 denotes a modulator / demodulator that modulates coded data and sends it to the line. 10 is the control of the whole device,
In addition to controlling the communication control procedure, the EOL code and fill code for transmission control are generated to generate the serial / parallel conversion circuit 7
It is a control unit having a function of sending to.

Reference numeral 11 is a fill code insertion control unit added to control the insertion of the fill code into the transmission data. In the fill code insertion control unit 11, reference numeral 12 is a counter (the counting means) for counting the number N of bits of the code data of the writing information of each line. Reference numeral 13 is a register in which the transmission speed of the modulation / demodulation unit 9 is set, and 14 and 15 are registers in which the minimum transmission time M and the size (capacity) of the reception buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus are set, respectively. Reference numeral 16 is an arithmetic circuit for calculating the number of bits of the fill code required to make the transmission time of each line equal to or longer than the minimum transmission time M from the values of the counter 12 and the registers 13 and 14, which cooperates with the registers 13 and 14. The fill code amount calculating means is configured to operate. Reference numeral 17 is a register for temporarily holding the calculation result. Reference numeral 18 is an adder for integrating the value of the register 17, and 19 is a register for holding the integrated value. The adder 18 and the register 19 constitute the integrating means. 20 is the register 19 value and register
It is a comparator that compares with the value of 15, and constitutes the comparison means.

The transmission operation of the facsimile apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

Prior to the transmission of the document image information, a communication control procedure is performed with the receiving side facsimile apparatus via the modulation / demodulation unit 9 under the control of the control unit 10. In this communication control procedure, the minimum transmission time M of one line and the size (the number of bits) Br of the transmission buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus are obtained and set in the register 14 and the register 15, respectively. Further, the control unit 10 sets the transmission speed A (bps) of the modulation / demodulation unit 9 in the register 13 and resets the counter 12, registers 17 and 19.

Upon completion of such control, or at an appropriate time before that, under the control of the control unit 10, the reading unit 4 starts reading the written image, and the written image information signals are sequentially accumulated in the line memory control unit 5. It

After that, the control unit 10 sends a start signal S ₁ for 1-line encoding to the encoder 6. In response to the start signal S ₁ , the encoder 6 sequentially reads the writing information signal from the line memory control unit 5 and executes one-dimensional encoding or two-dimensional encoding to generate encoded data and serially output it. .
The coded data of the text information is converted into parallel data by the serial / parallel conversion circuit 7 and stored in the coded data buffer memory 8. The data accumulated in the code data buffer memory 15 is sequentially transmitted through the modulator / demodulator 9.

The encoder 6 sends out the clock S ₂ each time one bit of code data is generated. With this clock S ₂ , the counter 12 of the fill code insertion control unit 11 is incremented. Also, when the encoding of the document information of one line is completed,
The encoder 6 sends a line end signal S ₃ .

When the line end signal S ₃ is generated, the control unit 10 activates the arithmetic circuit 16 of the fill code insertion control unit 18, and the number of fill code bits (=) required to guarantee the minimum transmission time of the line for which encoding has been completed (= M · A−N) is calculated. The calculation result is set in the register 17.

Next, the control unit 10 operates the adder 18, causes the value of the register 17 and the value of the register 19 to be added, and outputs the result to the register 19
To set. When this addition, that is, the addition of the number of bits of the fill code is completed, the control unit 10 operates the comparator 20 to compare the values of the register 15 and the register 19. If the value of register 19 is less than or equal to the value of register 15, this comparator 20
Outputs a "0" level signal, but otherwise outputs a "1" level signal (generates an over signal).

The control unit 10 checks the level of the output signal of the comparator 20, and checks "0".
In the case of the level, it is judged that it is not necessary to insert the fill code, the counter 12 is reset, and then the start signal S ₁ is sent again to start the encoding of the next line.

In this way, the code data of each line from the beginning of the page is accumulated in the code data buffer memory 8 without inserting the fill code and is transmitted through the modulator / demodulator 9.

Note that, at the time of line switching, the EOL code is sent from the control unit 10 to the serial / parallel conversion circuit 14, and the EOL code is added to the code data of the drawing information, as in the conventional case.

When the value of the register 19 exceeds the value of the register 15 at the time when the coding of a certain line is completed, that is, the integrated value of the fill code bit numbers calculated for each line up to that point is stored in the receiving buffer memory of the receiving side. When the size is exceeded, the output signal of the comparator 20 becomes "1" level (over signal is generated).

In this case, the control unit 10 switches from the fill code non-insertion mode described above to the fill code insertion mode, generates fill codes for the number of bits equal to the value of the register 17, and performs serial / serial
The data is sent to the parallel conversion circuit 7, and the fill code is inserted into the code data of the drawing information of the current coding line. However,
When the value of the register 16 is zero or negative, it is natural that the fill code is not inserted. Also, an EOL code is added.

After that, the counter 12 is reset and the start signal S ₁ is transmitted. The line has been encoded and the line end signal S ₃
When the above occurs, the control unit 10 operates the arithmetic circuit 16 to calculate the fill code bit number, generates the fill code for the bit number, and sends it to the serial / parallel conversion circuit 7.

When the insertion of the fill code and the addition of the EOL code are completed, the start signal S ₁ is generated after the counter 12 is reset.

Such a fill code insertion mode continues until the last line of each page of the drawing, and the fill code non-insertion mode is resumed from the top line of the next page.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of transmission code data divided for each line, 21 is compression code data of the writing information of one line, 22 is a fill code inserted to guarantee the minimum transmission time, 23 is an EOL code.

In the example shown here, from the first line to the Y-1 line of the page, since the integrated value of the fill code bit numbers calculated for each line is equal to or smaller than the size of the reception buffer memory, the length of the code data 21 is set. Fill code 22 regardless
Is not inserted. A fill code 22 having the required number of bits is inserted in each line from the Y line where the integrated value of the number of fill code bits exceeds the size of the reception buffer memory to the last line of the page.

In the case of a page with sparse drawing information, the line corresponding to the Y line appears after a considerable amount of advance from the beginning of the page.
The amount of fill code reduced by that line is quite large. Since the amount of fill code transmission decreases in this way,
The transmission efficiency of the document information is improved accordingly.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining how received data is accumulated in the receiving buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus. In the figure, 24 is a time series of code data 25 of each line accumulated in the reception buffer memory from the line. Reference numeral 26 is a time series in which the coded data 25 of each line is decoded and recorded.

In the case of this example, the amount of data accumulated in the reception buffer memory gradually increases while decoding and recording a line whose transmission time is shorter than the minimum transmission time. At the stage when the accumulated number of bits of the fill code exceeds the size of the reception buffer memory in n + 6 lines and n + 5 lines are recorded, n + 6
Line and n + 7 lines of data are stored. This accumulated data amount is equal to the number of accumulated fill code bits from the nth line to the n + 5th line, but since the fill code is inserted from the n + 6th line so as to satisfy the minimum transmission time, the overflow of the reception buffer memory does not occur. .

Each functional part of the fill code insertion control unit 11 may be realized only by hardware, but a functional part capable of satisfying conditions such as speed may be realized by program control. In this case, the hardware resources of the control unit 10 may be used for the fill code insertion control unit 11.

Further, in this embodiment, the size of the receiving buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus is acquired through the communication control procedure, and it is used for determining the switching between the fill code non-insertion mode and the fill code insertion mode. However, if a reduction in the effect of improving the transmission efficiency is sacrificed, it is possible to use a fixed value equal to or smaller than the actual size of the reception buffer memory for the determination. For example, it is also possible to predict the minimum size of the reception buffer memory for each group of receiving side facsimile devices and use the minimum size to make the mode switching determination.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the amount of fill code for guaranteeing the minimum transmission time of each line is integrated from the top line of the page of the document, and the integrated value is the facsimile on the receiving side. When the line drawing information is sparse, the code data of each line is transmitted without adding the fill code up to the line immediately before the line that exceeds the size (capacity) of the receiving buffer memory of the device or less. The transmission efficiency can be greatly improved, and the necessary fill code is added and transmitted from the line where the integrated value of the fill code exceeds the size of the receive buffer memory or less than that value. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of overflow in the receiving buffer memory of the device.
The control of the insertion of the fill code is relatively simple, and the device configuration does not become so complicated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration related to a transmission operation of a facsimile apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of transmission data generated in the facsimile apparatus, and FIG. Explanatory diagram showing how received data is accumulated in the receiving buffer memory of the facsimile device on the side,
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of transmission data in a conventional facsimile apparatus. 6 ... Encoder, 7 ... Serial / parallel conversion circuit, 10
...... Control unit, 11 ...... Fill code insertion control unit, 12 ...... Code data counting counter for each line, 15 ...... Reception buffer memory size setting register, 16 ...... Fill code bit number arithmetic circuit, 18 ...... Fill code bit number adder, 20 …… Comparator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A counting means for counting the amount of code data of each line of the drawing information, and an amount of fill code required to make the transmission time of each line equal to or longer than the minimum transmission time from the count value by the counting means. The fill code amount calculating means for calculating, the integrating means for integrating the amount of fill codes calculated by the fill code amount calculating means, the integrated value obtained by the integrating means, and the receiving buffer memory of the receiving side facsimile apparatus. A comparison means for performing comparison with a value of a size or less and generating an over signal when the integrated value exceeds the value of the size or less, and the drawing information of each line from the top of the page of the drawing. The code data of the line drawing information of each line from the line where the over signal is generated to the final line of the line drawing is transmitted without inserting the fill code. , Facsimile machine and transmits by inserting the fill degree in amounts calculated by the fill amount of codes calculating means.