JPH10161958A - Compound multifunctional terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the packet of another subsystem from disabling reception due to full filling of a memory with the packet of a certain subsystem. SOLUTION: The compound multifunctional terminal equipment 2 is provided with a Bi-Centro memory 5 connected to a direct memory access controller 4, MODEM 6, NCU 7, scanner 8, printer 9 and control part (CPU) 10. The memory 5 is divided in the arrangement of a memory 5a for FAX, memory 5b for scanner, memory 5c for printer, packet reception memory 5d and image memory 5e in order from its low-order address. A memory managing part 10b built in the CPU 10 manages the use conditions or idle capacitances of the memory 5a for FAX, memory 5b for scanner, memory 5c for printer and image memory 5e.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a multi-functional terminal having a plurality of subsystems.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a multifunctional terminal device (Multi) is used.
i Function Pe-ripheral, hereinafter referred to as MFP) includes a plurality of subsystems such as a printer and a facsimile. The MFP is connected to a personal computer (PC), and transmits and receives packets between the PC and the MFP.

[0003]

The conventional MFP has one memory for storing packets received for a plurality of subsystems. Therefore, when image data of a printer is received in packets, the amount of image data is reduced. Therefore, the memory of the MFP may be full. If it is full, the MFP sends a packet to the PC indicating that the packet for the printer cannot be received. In this case, however, the memory is already full, so that the facsimile packet cannot be received. I will. That is, if the memory becomes full due to the image data for the printer, the printer and the facsimile cannot be operated simultaneously (multiplex operation).

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a multifunction apparatus comprising a plurality of subsystems, receiving packets addressed to these subsystems, and storing the received packets in a memory. In the terminal device, the memory is divided into a packet reception memory and a plurality of subsystem memories provided corresponding to each subsystem. When a packet is received, the memory is temporarily stored in the packet reception memory, and then the packet is stored in the packet reception memory. Control means for transferring data to the subsystem memory corresponding to the type is provided.

[0005] According to the above solution, when the control means receives a packet, it first temporarily stores the packet in the packet reception memory. If the packet is, for example, a packet for operating a facsimile, the packet is transferred to a facsimile subsystem memory.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Elements common to the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an MFP according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a format of a packet transmitted to the MFP of the embodiment.

[0007] PC1 is a bidirectional Centro cable (Bid
directional-Centro cable3
Hereinafter, the cable 3 is connected to the MFP 2. The MFP 2 transmits the DMA (Di) to which the cable 3 is connected.
RectMemory Access) controller 4, Bi-Cent connected to DMA controller 4
ro memory 5 (hereinafter, memory 5), modem 6, NCU 7, scanner 8 and printer 9 connected to memory 5, operator panel 11 for an operator to input using a keyboard (not shown), and control unit 10 ( CPU10)
It has.

When the DMA controller 4 receives the packet shown in FIG. 2 from the PC 1, it outputs it to the memory 5. The modem 6, the NCU 7, the scanner 8 and the printer 9 are subsystems, respectively, and the modem 6 and the NCU 7 are subsystems for facsimile. The NCU 7 is connected to the line 12. The subsystems 6 to 9, the memory 5, the DMA controller 4, and the operator panel 11 are connected to the bus line 1.
3 and is operated under the control of the CPU 10.

The memory 5 is divided in order from the lower address by the arrangement of a facsimile memory 5a, a scanner memory 5b, a printer memory 5c, a packet reception memory 5d, and an image memory 5e.

The fax memory 5a includes the modem 6 and the N
It is connected to the CU 7 and stores facsimile data received from the PC 1 and data received via the line 12. The scanner memory 5b is connected to the scanner 8,
The scanner operation command and the like received from the PC 1 are stored. The printer memory 5c is connected to the printer 9,
The printer operation command received from the PC 1 is stored. The image memory 6 is connected to the scanner 8 and the printer 9 and stores print image data received from the PC 1 and read data read by the scanner 8. The image memory 6 is used for developing image data for printing.

The CPU 10 has a built-in memory management unit 10b.
a, management of the usage status and free space of the scanner memory 5b, the printer memory 5c, the packet reception memory 5d, and the image memory 5e.

The memory management unit 10b controls the CPU 1
0 manages multiple operations, and performs a single operation of the MFP by key input from the operation panel 11 (for example,
The operation of the facsimile alone and the operation of the facsimile multiplexing) and the function of the PC 1 under control are limited. That is, when the MFP 2 is operating alone as a copy machine, the operation resources such as the memory 5 of the MFP 2 and the subsystems 6 to 9 are not passed to the PC 1, and when the MFP 2 is operated by the PC 1, the operation panel 11 is used. Key input is restricted.

Next, the packet receiving operation of the MFP 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a packet receiving operation of the MFP according to the embodiment.

First, the receiving operation when the multiplexing operation is not performed will be described. The memory management unit 10b manages the status of use of the memories 5a to 5e for the respective subsystems of the memory 5. If the CPU 10 determines in step S1 that the multiplex operation is not being performed, the process proceeds to step S3.

When a packet 14 in the format shown in FIG. 2 is sent from the driver software for each subsystem (not shown) of the PC 1 to the MFP 2 through the cable 3,
The DMA controller 4 sends out the received packet 14 to the packet receiving memory 5d. Packet receiving memory 5d
Has no data stored therein, the lowest address of the packet receiving memory 5d is used as the storage start address,
The packet 14 is stored from the lowest address (step S4).

When the reception of the packet 14 is completed, the PC 1
When the CPU 10 receives the interrupt signal, the CPU 10 determines that the reception of the packet 14 has been completed, and analyzes the received packet 14 (steps S5 to S5).
Step S6).

When the CPU 10 determines that the packet 14 is for facsimile based on the subsystem name in the packet 14, the CPU 10 transfers the packet 14 stored in the packet receiving memory 5d to the facsimile memory 5a (step S7). . If it is determined that the packet 14 is for the scanner, the packet 14 stored in the packet receiving memory 5d is transferred to the scanner memory 5b by the CPU.

When the CPU transfer is completed, the CPU 10 returns the accumulation start address of the packet reception memory 5d to the original (lowest address) (step S8).

If it is determined in step S6 that the packet 14 is for a printer, the CPU 10 leaves the image data for printing in the packet receiving memory 5d and transfers the printer command to the printer memory 5c by CPU. Then, the storage start address of the packet reception memory 5d is updated to an upper address of the address where the image data is stored (step S9).

Thereafter, each of the subsystems 6 and 7 refers to the data stored in each of the memories 5a to 5c, analyzes the data at each language level, and operates.

Next, the receiving operation during the multiplexing operation will be described.
The multiplex operation refers to a case where two or more subsystems operate at the same time.
MF packet for starting the second subsystem
P2, and this is the point in time when MFP2 has sent a start OK packet to PC1.

When the CPU 10 receives the multiplexing operation in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2 and sends a packet to the PC 1 indicating that the multiplexing operation is possible. The PC 1 receives this signal, and the printer packet divides the image data for printing into every 20 kilobytes (K bytes). Further, image data for printing at the time of multiplex operation of the facsimile and the printer is divided into 1K bytes.

That is, in the present embodiment, the length of the packet 14 is set to about 256 bytes in consideration of multiplex processing. For most commands, 256 bytes is sufficient. However, the image data for printing has a large amount of data (20 Kbytes to several megabytes), and the processing speed and the like are taken into consideration so that the occupation time of the cable 3 and the packet reception memory 5 d does not increase during multiplex operation with other subsystems. Then 2
The packet is divided into packets of 0 Kbytes. In addition, facsimile is recommended in Recommendation T. According to the 30 standard, strictness such as the length between signals is required. Therefore, image data upon multiplexing with a facsimile is divided into packets of 1 Kbyte.

Now, the facsimile is operating, and when the scanner packet 14 is received in step S3, the CP
U10 accumulates the packet 14 from the lowest address of the packet reception memory 5d and temporarily stores it (step S10).
4).

When the reception of the packet 14 is completed, the CPU 10
Receives the interrupt signal, determines completion of reception of the packet 14, and analyzes the received packet 14 (step S5).
-Step S6). If it is determined from the subsystem name that the packet 14 is for a scanner, the packet 14
To the scanner memory 5c (step S
7). Then, the storage start address of the packet reception memory 5d is returned to the lowest address (step S8).

Next, the MFP 2 transmits the packet 1 for the printer.
Upon receiving the packet No. 4, the CPU 10 temporarily stores the packet 14 in the packet receiving memory 5d as described above (step S4). When the interrupt signal is input, the received packet 14 is analyzed (steps S5 to S5).
6). If it is determined from the subsystem name that the packet 14 is for a printer, the image data is left in the packet receiving memory 5d, and the printer command is transferred to the printer memory 5c by the CPU.

Then, the storage start address of the packet reception memory 5d is updated to the next (upper) address of the address where the image data is stored (step S9). That is, since data other than the image data for printing is transferred to the subsystem memories 5a to 5c by CPU, when a plurality of packets 14 are received thereafter, only the image data is accumulated in the packet reception memory 5d. become. When the image data exceeds the capacity of the packet reception memory 5d, the image data is accumulated in the image memory 5e following the packet reception memory 5d.

Accordingly, the storage start address moves to the image memory 5e, and when the facsimile or scanner packet 14 is received, the packet 14 is temporarily stored in the image memory 5e in the process of step S4.

At the time of printing, the printer 9 replaces the head address of the image memory 5e with the head address of the packet reception memory 5d, edits using the areas of both memories 5d and 5e, and prints.

When the CPU 10 detects that the free space of the memory 5a, 5b, 5c, 5e for each subsystem has become less than a predetermined amount based on the management result of the memory management unit 10b, the CPU 10 becomes less than the predetermined amount. The flow-off packet is output to a driver (not shown) of the PC 1 corresponding to the memory subsystem.

More specifically, for example, the fax memory 5a
When the free space becomes less than the predetermined amount, the CPU 10 outputs a flow-off packet to the facsimile driver of the PC 1,
The facsimile packet 14 is not accepted. When the CPU 10 detects that the free space of the facsimile memory 5a has become larger than a predetermined amount based on the management result of the memory management unit 10b, the CPU 10 sets the flow-on packet to P
The data is output to the facsimile driver C1 and the facsimile packet 14 is received again.

The above-mentioned predetermined amount is the capacity of a memory capable of receiving a minimum packet (for example, about 500 bytes). For example, the packet receiving memory 5d is filled with image data for printing, and the image data 5e is also stored. Even when only a predetermined amount of empty space is available, the facsimile or scanner packet 14 can be received in the empty portion of the image memory 5e, and does not hinder the multiplexing operation.

In the present embodiment, the memory management unit 10b is built in the CPU 10, but may be provided separately from the CPU 10.

Further, in the present embodiment, the MFP 2 including the facsimile (modem 6 and NCU 7), the scanner 8 and the printer 9 has been described as an example, but other subsystems are provided. This embodiment is applicable to an MFP.

In the present embodiment, the print image data received by the MFP 2 from the PC 1 is divided into packets of 20 Kbytes, and the image data when multiplexed with a facsimile is 1 packet.
Since the packet is divided into packets of every K bytes, the multiplex operation of the resources of all the MFPs 2 including the facsimile becomes possible.

In this embodiment, the memory 5 is a subsystem memory 5a corresponding to each of the subsystems 6 to 9.
5c, packet receiving memory 5d and image memory 5
e, and the packets 14 are transferred from the packet reception memory 5d to the memories 5a to 5c for the respective subsystems, so that the respective subsystems 6 to 9 can operate independently. That is, the packet reception memory 5d is not filled with only commands of a certain subsystem, and the commands of other subsystems cannot be received.

In this embodiment, the memory 5 is a subsystem memory 5a-5 corresponding to each of the subsystems 6-9.
c, the subsystems 6 to 9 need only refer to the corresponding subsystem memories 5a to 5c instead of referring to the entire memory 5. Therefore,
Each subsystem can send and receive data at each language level.

Further, in this embodiment, since the image memory 5e is arranged continuously to the upper address of the packet reception memory 5d, image data for printing of the printer 9 is continuously transmitted from the packet reception memory 5d to the image memory. 5e
Can be accumulated. Therefore, a large amount of data can be edited and printed using an existing image memory without address conversion.

The image data is stored in the packet receiving memory 5d.
Can be continuously stored in the image memory 5e, and when the amount of image data is large, there is no transfer processing, so that the data processing speed is increased.

[0040]

As described in detail above, the present invention provides
The memory for receiving and storing a packet is divided into a packet receiving memory and a plurality of subsystem memories provided for each subsystem, and after storing the packet in the packet receiving memory, the packet is stored in the packet receiving memory. When the image data of the printer is received as a packet, for example, when the image data of the printer is received in a packet, the memory of the MFP becomes full and the packet for the subsystem other than the printer cannot be received. That is, there is no possibility that the multiplex operation cannot be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an MFP according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a packet format according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a packet receiving operation according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 MFP 5 Bi-Centro memory 5d Packet receiving memory 10 CPU 10b Memory management unit 14 packet

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A multi-function terminal device comprising a plurality of subsystems, receiving packets addressed to these subsystems, and storing the received packets in a memory, wherein the memory includes a packet reception memory and a memory corresponding to each of the subsystems. Control means for dividing the packet into a plurality of subsystem memories provided, temporarily storing the received packet in the packet receiving memory when receiving the packet, and transferring the packet to the subsystem memory corresponding to the type of the packet; A composite multifunctional terminal device characterized by the following. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory has an image memory continuously arranged at an upper address of a packet reception memory, and the control unit determines that the packet is image data for printing. 2. The multifunctional terminal according to claim 1, wherein the multifunction terminal stores image data. 3. When the control means receives the next packet after storing the image data in the packet reception memory,
3. The multifunctional terminal according to claim 2, wherein the packet is stored after the image data. 4. A memory management unit that manages the memory for each subsystem, wherein the control unit determines that a plurality of subsystem memories operate based on a management result of the memory management unit, 4. The multifunctional terminal according to claim 3, wherein a packet for changing the size of the packet including the image data is output.