JPH08256234A - Data processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To form images at a high speed at a low cost by accessing separately stored image data and character data corresponding to layout information and transmitting them through a common transmission line to an external image forming device. CONSTITUTION: The reader 601 of a transmission station color-resolves and reads an original and outputs respective color image signals and a pattern data generator 603 outputs the density pattern data of the respective color image signals and stores them in an image file 604. Also, a word processor 602 prepares sentence information, outputs code data for indicating characters and symbols, etc., and stores them in a sentence file 605. Then, a layout controller 606 is provided with a layout table for storing the layout information inputted from a keyboard 607 corresponding to a recording area on a reception side, accesses the image file 604 and the sentence file 605 corresponding to the information and transmits the information for which the image data and character code data coexist through the common transmission line to the external image forming device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus for processing different types of data such as character / symbol data and image data showing the density of an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When processing different types of data such as character / symbol data and image data indicating the shade of an image, each data must be transmitted through another transmission path and processed based on that. Can be considered.

[0003]

However, in the above configuration, the transmission line must be provided according to the type of data,
For example, when data is transmitted over a long distance, the cost becomes very high, which is not preferable.

As the number of data types increases,
The problem becomes bigger.

Further, the receiving-side external image forming apparatus requires a structure for arranging different kinds of data, and it is difficult to form an image at high speed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and first storage means for storing generated image data and second storage means for storing generated character data. A layout for forming a mixed image of the image data and the character data in the external image forming apparatus in a data processing apparatus having a transmitting unit that transmits the image data and the character data to the external image forming apparatus through a common transmission line. A means for storing information, comprising layout processing means for accessing the first storage means and the second storage means according to the layout information and transmitting the accessed data to the transmitting means. To do.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a data transmission system to which the data transmission system according to the present invention is applied. Reference numeral 1 denotes a transmission station, which is an image reading device 2 for photoelectrically reading a color-separated document image with an image sensor such as a CCD, and outputting image data showing the density of the image using a density pattern described later. , An image from the document creation device 3 and the image reading device 2 which forms text information consisting of characters / symbols and the like according to input from keys, tablets, etc., and outputs code data (for example, ASC11 code) indicating the characters / symbols etc. It is equipped with a layout creator 4 that edits the data and the code data from the word processor 3 according to routine operations or manual designation using keys, digitizers, etc. (relocation, enlargement / reduction, erasure extraction, etc.) and outputs the data. There is. The data edited by the layout creator 4 is output to the transmission line L such as an optical fiber cable or a telephone line. Therefore, image data and character code data are mixed on the transmission line L. Further, in the data transmission on the transmission line L, the NRZ signal may be transmitted as it is, or some modulation (for example, MF) may be performed.
A signal subjected to M modulation) may be transmitted. Since the read image information is not transmitted as it is, but the data indicating the density pattern is transmitted, the amount of transmission relating to the image information can be reduced, and therefore the transmission efficiency is increased.

Reference numeral 5 is a receiving station. The data transmitted to the receiving station 5 by the transmission line L is as follows.
In the data identification device 12, the content is identified by the 4-bit identification code added to the beginning of the data.
Then, it is distributed to the corresponding processing circuit according to the identification result. That is, the image data is stored through the buffer memory 6 in 17 different dot patterns shown in FIG. 4 that digitally express the shade based on the input data by the ratio of white dots and black dots forming a 4 × 4 matrix. It is input to the pattern generator unit 8. on the other hand,
The code data is input via the buffer memory 7 to a character generator 9 having a font memory that stores fonts such as characters and symbols.

The output from the pattern generator unit 8 and the output from the character generator unit 9 are combined by an OR circuit 10 and then input to a color printer 11 such as an ink jet printer, a laser beam printer or the like for complementary color conversion and undercoloring. A color image recording in which characters, symbols, etc. and an image are combined is recorded on a recording material such as paper after color signal processing such as removal is performed.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the type of data of one word length transmitted on the transmission line L. The upper 4 bits A0 to A3 of the data are identification codes for identifying the data content in the data identification device 12, and the subsequent D0 to Dn are code data or image data. That is, the identification code A
When 0 is “0”, D0 to Dn are code data, and when “1”, it is image data.

When A0 is "1", that is, image data,
D0 to Dn represent any one of the density patterns of 1 pixel 4 × 4 dots as shown in FIG. For example, 4x as image data
The number of black dots forming the matrix of 4 may be associated with 5-bit data. According to this, 4 × 4 = 16
Bit data can be compressed to 5/16, which improves the efficiency of transmission. When A0 is "0", that is, code data, the next 3 bits A1
A3 indicates an address code of the font memory of the character generator unit 9. That is, assuming that the character (symbol) font consists of 32 dots × 32 dots as shown in FIG. 3, this is matched with the number of columns of the density pattern of 4 dots, and 8 groups L0 to 4 dots × 32 dots are arranged in the line direction. Divide into L7. And the identification codes A1 and A
2 and A3 are used to address the groups L0 to L7 of the font memory to be accessed. For example, A0A1A2A3D0D1D2 ... Dn = 0000X
In the case of XX ... X, among the characters represented by the code data XXX ... X, the group L0, that is, the font of 4 dots × 32 dots in the upper 4 columns is accessed. Also, A0A1A2A3D0D1D2 ... Dn = 0001X
In the case of XX ... X, among the characters represented by the code data XXX ... X, the group L1, that is, the font of 4 dots × 32 dots in the 5th to 8th rows is accessed. Thereafter, similarly, A0A1A2A3 is "0010" and L2, "001".
"1" is L3, "0100" is L4, ... "0111"
The font of each group of L7 is accessed with.

On the other hand, when the identification code A0 is "1", that is, image data, the following three bits A1 to A3 are D0 to D.
The color of the image data represented by n is designated. For example, A0
A1A2A3 is "1000" for red, "1010" for green,
Assuming that "1100" represents blue and "1110" represents black, A0A1A2A3D0D1D2 ... Dn = 1010X
In the case of XX ... X, it indicates that the input data is the grayscale image data corresponding to the density pattern of the green component and the lightness of XXX ... X. Also, A0A1A2A3D0D1D2 ... Dn = 1110X
In the case of XX ... X, it indicates that the input data is grayscale image data having a black component and a lightness of XXX ... X.

The identification code A0A1A2A3 is "1".
In the case of "111", it indicates a printer control signal such as a carriage return or skip regardless of the following values of D0 to Dn.

In the transmitting station 1, the original to be transmitted is color-separated and serially scanned by the line image sensor, and the density data shown in FIG. 4 is formed based on the density information of the image obtained by the scanning. Then, A0 = 1 indicating the image data and the color identification codes A1 to A3 are added to the density data D0 to Dn by the layout creating machine 4 and transmitted. Regarding characters and symbols, as shown in FIG.
In the document creation device 3 (FIG. 1), the code string 401 stored in a predetermined memory is extracted in the order of character strings in accordance with the created document information, and first stored in the register 402. Then, from the address generator 403, 3-bit codes A1 to A3 that are the addresses of the font memory are added to the heads of the codes D0 to Dn stored in the register 402, and A0 = 0 indicating that the data is code data is added. To transmit. In FIG. 5, a pulse generation circuit 4 that generates a pulse for each scan (each time a carriage return signal is input)
A pulse input from 04 causes the address generated by the address generator 403 to be incremented by 1, and the register 40
Character codes D0 to Dn corresponding to a plurality of characters / symbols forming the same line in 2 are repeatedly output eight times.

As described above, when transmitting characters / symbols and images in a mixed manner, the access amount of the font memory is performed in line units according to the size of the unit pixel (density pattern) of the image. With respect to the characters / symbols, the input data can be used as they are to perform a recording operation similar to a read image.

The receiving station may store the data in a magnetic or optical storage device. Further, the image data to be transmitted may be data obtained by compressing the read image information (for example, compression by MH code) in addition to the density pattern indicating the density level. In this case, the transmitting side needs a compression processing circuit and the receiving side needs a decompression processing circuit. Further, since the data can be easily separated, the recording or the storage based on only one of the sent data may be performed.

Further, at the transmitting station, the image data read from the image storage means such as the output of the color TV camera or magnetism may be transmitted. Character / symbol information is input from a word processor, office computer, or the like.

As described above, image data and characters,
Even when code data such as symbols are transmitted through a common transmission line, they can be accurately identified, and the sizes of characters and images can be made to exist without any discomfort. Further, according to this method, basically, the size of the font memory does not increase, and only the address increases, so that it is possible to prevent an increase in the device cost.

The size of the font memory is also 32 × 3.
The number is not limited to 2, and any suitable output device such as a printer can be used.

The character / symbol data to be combined with the read image is output by a text generator such as a word processor, a timer indicating a transmission time, a date output device, and numerical data indicating the number of pages (pages) transmitted. It may be a device or the like.

The receiving station may display a composite image on a display device such as a CRT instead of recording an image on a recording material.

The image data and the character code data transmitted on the transmission path may be transmitted in a predetermined order, for example, the image data may be transmitted first and then the character code may be transmitted collectively. Needless to say, these data may be transmitted at random.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the transmitting station 1 shown in FIG. 601 color-separates the original and photoelectrically reads it, blue (B), green (G)
And a reader that outputs red (R) color image signals. 602 has a character / symbol input unit such as a keyboard,
A word processor that creates text information and outputs character code data corresponding to the created text.

Each color image signal output from the reader 601 is input to the pattern data generator 603. The pattern data generator 603 outputs the density pattern data of the input color image signals for each color. An image file 604 is composed of a floppy disk device, a semiconductor memory device, or the like, and is a document in which image data composed of density pattern data output from the pattern data generator 603 is added with a color identification code (A1 to A3) at its head. Multiple sheets can be stored.

On the other hand, the character code data output from the word processor 602 is stored in the text file 605 having the same structure as the above-mentioned image file.

FIG. 7 shows the original image information read by the reader 601 and stored in the image file and the word processor 60.
2 shows the text information created in 2 and stored in the text file, that is, (a) and (b) are original image information P1 and P.
2, (c) and (d) show the text information C1 and C2.

In FIG. 6, reference numeral 606 denotes a layout controller, which is based on the layout information input by the operator from the keyboard 607.
1. Layout operations such as rearranging, scaling, and deletion of image information and text information input from the word processor 602 are performed.

The layout controller 606 is provided with a layout table for storing layout information input from the keyboard 607. This layout table corresponds to the recording area on the receiving side. This layout table is shown as 801 in FIG. FIG. 8 shows a layout example of each information shown in FIG. That is, the image information P1 is in the area defined by points A and B, and the image information P2 is in the areas G and H.
The text information C1 is laid out in an area defined by points, the text information C1 is laid out in an area defined by points E and F, and the text information C2 is laid out in an area defined by points C and D. is there. A white image is displayed outside each area.

When transmitting the laid out information, the image file 604 and the text file 605 receive an output command from the layout controller, and in accordance with this, output the information corresponding to each column. Reference numerals 608 and 609 denote identification code addition circuits for setting a data identification bit (the above-mentioned bit A0) at the tip of the data output from the image file 604 and the text file 605, respectively.

Reference numerals 610 and 611 are counters for counting the read signals W _P and W _S of each file output by the layout controller 606. Also, C _S is as described above.
Bits indicating the access position of the character font (A1 to A
It is a character position signal for setting 3).

Upon receiving the transmission start command, the layout controller 606 starts scanning the layout table 801. That is, scanning is sequentially performed line by line from the X point in FIG. 8 to the right, and finally the Y point is reached. now,
A case where the scan from the point Q1 to the point Q6 is performed will be described. Since it is not the layout area of the image or the text at the points Q1 to Q2, the layout controller 606 outputs the blank signal (A0A) indicating the white image through the line 612.
1A2A3D0D1 ... Dn = 111000 ...
0) is transmitted. At the points Q2 to Q3, since the layout area is the image information P1, the image file read signal W _P is output. As described above, this signal W _P is transmitted to the counter 61.
The count is 0, and the predetermined value of the image file 604 is output according to this count value. That is, when the layout memory is scanned and the front end of the layout area P1 is scanned for the first time, the signal W _P is output, the count value of the counter 610 becomes 1, and the first line of the image data is read from the image file 604. Is output.
Then, when the next scan reaches the layout area P1, the signal W _P is output again, and the count value of the counter 610 becomes 2. Then, the image data of the second line is output from the image file 604. In this way, each time the scan reaches the layout area, the counter 610 increments, thereby selecting a column of image data to be read from the image file 604.

At points Q3 to Q4, the scan is outside the layout area again, so the layout controller 6
06 outputs the above blank signal. Subsequently, in the scan from points Q4 to Q5, the layout area of the text information C1 is output, and therefore the layout controller 606 outputs the text file read signal W _S. As described above, this signal W _S is counted by the counter 611, and predetermined data of the text file 605 is output according to this count value. In the present embodiment, the font memory is divided into eight groups (L0 to L7) and sequentially accessed. Therefore, the counter 611 advances each time it counts the signal W _S eight times. The character code data corresponding to the character string is output from the text file 605.
Further, the signal C _S is a group designation (position designation) signal of the font memory, whereby the position code (A1 to A3) is added to the character code data accessed according to the count value of the counter 611.

In the scan from points Q5 to Q6, the layout controller 606 outputs the above-mentioned blank value because it is outside the layout area. And the scan is point Q6,
That is, when the right end of the layout memory 801 is reached, the layout controller 606 outputs a carriage return signal via the line 612.

As described above, the layout controller 60
Reference numeral 6 is a raster scan of the layout memory 801, and when the scan reaches the layout area of the image or the layout area of the text, the respective read signals W _P and W _S are output and data is read from the image file 604 or the text file 606. Read out. Therefore, the information in which the image data and the character code data are mixed is output. In addition, each counter 610, 611
Is cleared at the end of the layout area.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the receiving station shown in FIG. 1. The data sent from the transmitting station shown in FIG. 6 is received and a composite image is formed on the recording material. To record.

The data sent from the transmitting station is input to the shift register 901. When data is set in the shift register 901, the first 4 bits (A0 to A3) of the data are input to the decoder 902. As described above, the decoder 902 uses the identification codes A0 to A3,
It is determined whether the subsequent data D0 to Dn is image data or a character code or a printer control signal, and if the image data is the color of the data, the character code data. In that case, data such as which position in the font memory to access is output.

The output 09 of the decoder 902 is in the output state when the data D0 to Dn following the A0 bit is judged to be character code data, and the output 010 is in the output state when judged to be the image data. The outputs 09 and 010 enable the buffer memories 904 and 903, respectively, and one of the enabled buffer memories 904 and 903 takes in the data D0 to Dn of the shift register 901. In this way, the type of data is determined by the decoder, each buffer memory is selected, and the data is sorted.

Now, when the identification code A0 is "1",
Since the subsequent data D0 to Dn are image data, the output 010 of the decoder 902 causes the buffer memory 903 to take in the data D0 to Dn. On the other hand, the identification code A1
From A3, the decoder 902 determines how many colors the data D0 to Dn indicate, and outputs 02 to 05 corresponding to the color information. That is, the output 02 is output when blue, the output 03 is output when green, the output 04 is output when red, and the output 05 is output independently when black. The outputs 02 to 05 respectively select the memories 908 to 911 provided for the respective colors. The selected memory can be loaded with data.

The image data taken in the buffer memory 903 is data indicating the ratio of white / black dots per unit area as described above, and this data is input to the pattern generator 905. The pattern generator 905 has a table that stores 17 patterns shown in FIG. 4, and outputs a dot pattern according to the input image data. The dot pattern corresponds to the yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) signals after the B, G, and R signals have been subjected to complementary color conversion.

The dot pattern output from the pattern generator 905 is, as described above, the memories 908 to 9 for each color selected by the outputs 02 to 05 of the decoder 902.
It is stored in any one of 11.

On the other hand, when the identification code A0 is "0", the following data D0 to Dn are character code data, so the output 09 of the decoder 902 outputs the buffer memory 9
04 takes in the data D0 to Dn. Also, the decoder 902 determines which group of the font memory is to be accessed now from the identification codes A1 to A3, and outputs outputs 06 to 08 indicating that group.

Outputs 06 to 08 are output 0 of the decoder 902.
It is taken into the buffer memory 907 enabled in 9.

The data taken in the buffer memory 904 is inputted to the character generator 906 which stores the font. As a result, the font indicated by the data D0 to Dn is accessed. On the other hand, the buffer memory 9
The position of the font is specified from 07, so that the character generator 906 sends the data D
The dot data at a predetermined position of the font accessed by 0 to Dn is output. In this embodiment, characters are recorded in black, and the dot data from the character generator 906 is stored in the black memory 911.

As described above, it is judged whether the data D0 to Dn input to the shift register 901 is image data or character code data, and processing is performed according to the judgment and each dot pattern is converted to the memory 908 to. It is stored in 911.

When at least one line of dot data is stored in the memories 908 to 911, the data is sent to the printer 912. As is well known, the printer 912 includes Y, M, and M stored in the memories 908 to 911.
Color recording is performed according to the dot data of each color of C and K. This color record is a combination of the read image and the characters.

In the embodiments described above and below, examples in which different types of data are transmitted through a common transmission line have been described, but some of the present invention transmit different types of information through different transmission lines. The present invention can also be applied to the case of reproducing a composite image based on the above.

The transmission order of different kinds of data may be random or a predetermined order.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing still another embodiment, in which read image information is not transmitted as a density pattern but is transmitted as a signal which has been subjected to compression processing using the modified Huffman (MH) system.

In the figure, a reader 101 photoelectrically reads an original to be transmitted by an image sensor such as a CCD,
The reader outputs a binary signal indicating black and white for each pixel for each line. Serial 2 output from reader 101
The value signal is one-dimensionally compressed by the MH system by the MH encoder 102 and then stored in the image file 103 such as a floppy disk. On the other hand, the text data created by the word processor 104 is stored in the text file 105 in the form of ASC11 code.

As described above, the layout controller 106 controls the output of the image file 103 and the text file 105 by performing the output layout of the image and the text in accordance with the instruction of the operator or the routine work, and sequentially transmits the compressed image data and the character code data. Output to path 107. still,
At this time, the same identification code as described above is added to the beginning of each data.

The type of the data transmitted through the transmission path 107 is identified by the identification circuit 108 by the identification code, and the data is distributed to the corresponding processing circuits.

The compressed image data is expanded by the MH decoder 110 via the buffer memory 109 and converted into a dot pattern. On the other hand, the character code data is sent to the character generator 1 via the buffer memory 111.
At 12, the dot pattern is converted using the font memory.

The dot pattern data output from each of the MH decoder 110 and the character generator 112 are combined by the logical sum circuit 113, and the printer 114 records an image on the recording material. The recorded image is image information laid out by the layout controller 106, and therefore, the image read by the reader 101 and the text input by the word processor 104 are combined.

Also in this embodiment, an image information output device for electronic files or the like may be used in place of the reader, and an office computer or the like may be used in place of the word processor. Further, some of the present invention can be applied to the case where different transmission lines are used for each kind of data.

The compression system is not limited to the MH system, and other compression systems such as two-dimensional compression such as modified read system can be used.

The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims. Of course there is.

[0058]

According to the present invention, since image data and character data are transmitted to an external image forming apparatus through a common transmission line, a transmission path is provided for each data, The cost can be reduced.

Further, according to the layout information by the layout processing means, the image data of the first storage means, the second data
Since the character data of the recording means is accessed and the accessed data is transmitted to the external image forming apparatus by the transmitting means, the external image forming apparatus is configured to receive the data that has already been laid out, and the layout processing is performed in the external image forming apparatus. The effect is that high-speed image formation becomes possible as compared with the conventional method.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a data transmission system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data type.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a font memory.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a density pattern.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a transmission operation.

FIG. 6 is a detailed block diagram of a transmitting station.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an image and text information.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state of a layout memory.

FIG. 9 is a detailed block diagram of a receiving station.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the data transmission system.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. First storage means for storing generated image data Second storage means for storing generated character data The image data and character data are transmitted to an external image forming apparatus via a common transmission line. In a data processing device having a transmission means, means for storing layout information for forming a mixed image of the image data and character data in the external image forming apparatus, the first storage means and the second storage. A data processing device comprising: layout processing means for accessing the means in accordance with the layout information and transmitting the accessed data to the transmitting means.