JPH0962465A - Image information processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a print process in parallel and to prevent the print speed from decreasing even when complicated image information is printed by providing an image information division part, an image information process part, and a 1st storage part. SOLUTION: This image information processor consists of a control part 1, an image information division part 5, image process parts 21 -2n virtual VRAMs 61 -6n , VRAMs 3, and an output part 4, and only necessary numbers of image information process parts and virtual VRAMs are provided. Then the image information division part 5 divides image information inputted from a host computer A into a plurality of blocks and stores the respective blocks in the virtual VRAMs 61 -6n independently and can output them to a VRAM 3. Consequently, while one virtual VRAM (e.g. 61 ) outputs image information to the VRAM 3, remaining blocks and image information inputted successively from the host computer can be stored in other virtual VRAMs(e.g. 62 -6n ).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image information processing apparatus for printing input image information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional image information processing apparatus, which is a host computer A which is an external apparatus.
Control unit 21 for controlling the entire apparatus, host computer A
Image information processing unit 2 for processing image information input from
2. VRAM (video RAM) for storing image information 2
3. Output unit 2 for printing image information in VRAM 23
It consists of 4.

For example, in the laser beam printer, the image information input from the host computer A, that is, the character code, the print control data, etc., is temporarily stored in the VRAM 23, and the output section 24 stores the image information stored in the VRAM 23. Sequential reading, converting into dot data according to the character code, modulation control of the laser beam to ON / OFF signal according to the converted dot data, forming a latent image on the photosensitive drum, developing agent such as toner Develop by
The toner image is transferred onto the conveyed recording paper, the toner image transferred onto the recording paper is thermally fixed, and the printing process is completed.

[0004]

However, in the conventional image information processing apparatus, when the output unit 24 is printing complex image information such as a picture, which takes time to process the image, the host computer A continuously outputs the image information. There is a problem that the input image information cannot be processed and the print processing speed becomes slow.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and controls the entire apparatus in an image information processing apparatus that prints image information input from the outside such as a host computer. A control unit, an image information division unit that divides the input image information into blocks or commands, a plurality of image information processing units that process the divided image information, and a plurality of first information processing units that are connected to the image information processing unit. One storage unit and a second storage unit connected to all of the plurality of first storage units
A storage unit and an output unit that performs print processing are used, and the image information in blocks or command units divided by the image information division unit using the plurality of image information processing units and the first storage unit is independently processed. This is the image information processing device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an image information processing apparatus of the present invention, which includes a control unit 1, an image information dividing unit 5, image information processing units 2 ₁ to 2 _n , temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n , and V.
The RAM 3 and the output unit 4 are included. It should be noted that the required number of image information processing units and provisional VRAMs may be provided.

The control unit 1 controls the entire image information processing apparatus. For example, the print processing status of the output unit 4, the usage status of the image information processing sections 2 ₁ to 2 _n , the usage status of the temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n , VRAM3 usage, to grasp and destination status to the image processing unit 2 ₁ to 2 _n of the image information dividing unit 5, the image information dividing unit 5 is an image to which image information processing part 2 ₁ to 2 _n Controls whether to output information.

The image information division unit 5 divides the image information from the connected host computer A into a plurality of blocks that can be independently processed, and the image information processing units 2 ₁ to 2 _n designated by the control unit 1 are divided. Output to any of.

The image information processing units 2 ₁ to 2 _n process the input image information and output it to the subsequent temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n .

Temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n and VRAM 3
Stores and stores the input image information. VRAM
3 stores all the image information input from the temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n .

The output unit 4 receives the image information from the VRAM 3 and prints it.

According to the present invention, the image information dividing unit 5 divides the image information input from the host computer A into a plurality of blocks, and the blocks are made independent so that the temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 are provided.
Since it can be stored in _n and output to the VRAM 3 as appropriate, while one temporary VRAM (eg, 6 ₁ ) is outputting image information to the VRAM 3, another temporary VRAM (eg, 6 ₂ ) is output.
To 6 _n) to continue from the rest of the blocks and the host computer A can perform an operation for storing image information that is input. Therefore, the printing process can be performed in parallel,
Even when complicated image information is printed, it is possible to prevent the printing speed from decreasing.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the image information processing apparatus of FIG. First, it is determined whether image information from the host computer A is input (st
If the image information is input, the image information dividing unit 5 divides the image information into a plurality of independent blocks (step 1).
2). Next, i = 1 is set (step 3), and the control unit 1 determines whether or not the image information processing unit 2 _i (that is, 2 ₁ ) is opened (step 4). If it is not released, it is judged whether i = n (step 5), and if n, s
Return to step 3, and if not n, add 1 to i (s
After step 6), the process returns to step 4. If the image information processing unit 2 _i is opened in Step 4, the image information is input to the image information processing unit 2 _i (Step 7), and it is determined whether or not another block remains in the image information dividing unit 5 ( st
ep8). If it does not remain, the operation is ended, and if it remains, it is determined whether i = n (step 5). If it is n, the process returns to step 3, and if it is not n, 1 is added to i (step 6) and then the process returns to step 4.

After all of these operations have been completed or during operation, the control unit 1 grasps the usage status of each unit, and the temporary V
The image information stored in the RAM 6 _{1 to} 6 _n is stored in the temporary VRAM 6
_The data is sequentially output from ₁ to the VRAM 3, and the output unit 4 starts the printing process.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following may be considered as another embodiment of the above FIG. 1 and FIG.

(1) In the above operation, i is started from 1 (see FIG. 2).
3) randomly determines i, and the temporary VRAM
The control unit 1 may grasp the storage order of 6 _{1 to} 6 _n and output the image information to the VRAM 3 in the order of storage.

By doing so, the temporary Vs having different storage capacities
Using the RAM 6 ₁ to 6 _n, the block image information dividing unit 5 are independent can be selected temporary VRAM6 ₁ ~6 _n suitable storage capacity.

(2) When a plurality of terminals are connected to the host computer A, each terminal and each temporary VRAM
The image information division unit 5 associates 6 _{1 to} 6 _n in a one-to-one correspondence.
The image information may be output to the temporary VRAMs 6 _{1 to} 6 _n corresponding to each terminal.

(3) The block unit divided by the image information dividing unit 5 may be set for each page unit for printing. By doing so, parallel processing can be performed for each page unit.

(4) The block unit divided by the image information dividing section 5 may be set for each command. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the image information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.
When a command interpreting section 15, Konmando execution unit 12 ₁
12 _n , temporary VRAMs 16 _{1 to} 16 _n , and VRAM 13
And the output unit 14.

The command interpreting section 15 divides the image information from the connected host computer A into each command, and the command executing sections 12 _{1 to} 12 designated by the control section 1 are divided.
Output to one of _n .

The command execution units 12 _{1 to} 12 _n execute the input command and execute the subsequent temporary VRAMs 16 ₁ to ₁ 1.
Output to 6 _n .

With this arrangement, the command interpreting section 15 divides the image information input from the host computer A into a plurality of command units, and stores the command information independently in the temporary VRAMs 16 _{1 to} 16 _n. , VRA as appropriate
Since it can be output to M13, one temporary VRAM
While (for example, 16 ₁ ) is outputting image information to the VRAM 13, an operation of storing image information divided for each remaining command unit in another temporary VRAM (for example, 16 _{2 to} 16 _n ) can be performed. Therefore, the printing processes can be performed in parallel, and the printing speed can be prevented from decreasing even when complicated image information is printed.

[0024]

As described above, according to the image information processing apparatus of the present invention, the image information dividing unit that divides the input image information into blocks or command units, and the divided image information individually. Since a plurality of image information processing units and a first storage unit (temporary VRAM) for processing are provided,
The printing processes can be performed in parallel, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in printing speed even when printing complex image information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an image information processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an image information processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional image information processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11, 21: control unit 2 ₁ ~2 _n, 22 ,: image information processing unit 3,13,23: VRAM 4,14,24: Output section 5,25: image information dividing unit 6 ₁ to 6 _n, 16 ₁ ~ 16 _n: provisional VRAM 12 ₁ to 12 _n: Konmando execution unit 15: the command interpreter A: host computer

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image information processing apparatus for printing image information input from the outside such as a host computer,
A control unit that controls the entire apparatus, an image information division unit that divides input image information into blocks or commands, a plurality of image information processing units that process the divided image information, and the image information processing unit A plurality of first storage units connected to each other, a second storage unit connected to all of the plurality of first storage units, and an output unit that performs print processing. An image information processing apparatus, wherein a storage unit is used to independently process image information in blocks or command units divided by the image information dividing unit.