JPH1016321A - Image processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out printing even when a page memory is insufficient by a method wherein a resolution is automatically changed according to a capacity of a memory means storing a generated image. SOLUTION: A devided dot clock and a divided line clock are inputted into respective selectors 42, 46. For conversion of resolution, a clock corresponding to the resolution is outputted from selectors 42, 46 by writing a value corresponding to the resolution of an image developed in a page memory 48 in a control part 44 for setting the resolution. Then, when the resolution is set, hard ware of of resolution conversion is set by writing the corresponded value into the resolution control part 44. Thus, when insufficiency of the page memory is detected in drawing, an image processor which is enabled to print even when the page memory is insufficient can be obtained by automatically changing the resolution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of automatically changing a resolution to enable printing when a shortage of page memory is detected during drawing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital copying machines utilizing digital technology have been developed and put into practical use. In such a digital copying machine, a copying machine that receives image data from the outside and generates a recorded image from the received data has been manufactured.

In such a copying machine, a page is drawn during drawing.
When the memory shortage occurs, the corresponding page
The drawing was interrupted. In this case, the resolution is changed manually by the user.

[0004]

As described above, when a page memory shortage occurs during drawing, the drawing of the page is interrupted and printing is not performed, or the state of drawing is incomplete. In order to print a perfect image, the user could not obtain a desired print result.

[0005] In order to obtain a desired print result, the user needs to increase the memory, simplify the print content of the page,
Alternatively, the user has to change the resolution by himself.
In any case, an unnecessary print result is output once, and the work of printing again after the above work is forced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has as its object to automatically change the resolution when a page memory shortage is detected during drawing.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus capable of performing printing even when the memory is insufficient.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: an image generating unit for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution; a storage unit for storing the generated image; Means for automatically switching the resolution according to the capacity.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus for setting image generation means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution, storage means for storing the generated image, and whether the resolution is automatically switched. The apparatus is characterized by comprising a setting unit and a unit for automatically switching the resolution when the automatic setting of the resolution is set by the setting unit according to the capacity of the storage unit.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus, comprising: a receiving unit for receiving image data from outside; an image generating unit for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution; and a storage for storing the generated image. Means, and means for automatically switching the resolution according to the capacity of the storage means.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving means for receiving image data from outside; an image generating means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution; and a storage for storing the generated image. Means, setting means for setting whether to automatically switch the resolution, and means for automatically switching the resolution when the automatic setting of the resolution is set by the setting means according to the capacity of the storage means. It is characterized by having.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having a work area for image development and a page image storage area, and a storage means capable of arbitrarily setting the work area for image development and the page image storage area; Means for automatically calculating a required resolution according to the size of the page image storage area, an image forming means for generating an image at the calculated resolution, and converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution. Means for converting and outputting.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having a work area for image development and a page image storage area, a storage means capable of arbitrarily setting the work area for image development and a page image storage area, and automatically setting a resolution. Setting means for setting whether or not to switch to, and when the setting means sets the resolution automatically, the necessary resolution is automatically set according to the size of the arbitrarily set page image storage area. , An image forming unit that generates an image at the calculated resolution, and a unit that converts an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputs the converted image.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having receiving means for receiving image data from a host, an image development work area and a page image storage area, and optionally having an image development work area and a page image storage area. Storage means for setting an area;
Depending on the size of the page image storage area arbitrarily set,
Means for automatically calculating a required resolution, image forming means for generating an image at the calculated resolution, and means for converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputting it It is characterized by.

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention has a receiving means for receiving image data from a host, an image development work area and a page image storage area, and optionally has an image development work area and a page image storage area. Storage means for setting an area;
Setting means for setting whether to automatically switch the resolution,
When the resolution is automatically set by the setting means, a means for automatically calculating a required resolution according to the size of the arbitrarily set page image storage area; And an image forming means for generating an image with an arbitrary resolution, and a means for converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputting the same.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an external view of a conventionally known digital copying machine, and FIG. 2 is a system configuration diagram of an image processing apparatus. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an ADF (Auto Document View) provided with a document reading unit 12 described later.
2) a paper discharge tray, 3 a sorter, 4 a data to be described later.
The main body includes a data processing unit 11, a printing unit 13, a storage unit 14, and a printer controller 16. In FIG.
Is a data processing unit. The data processing unit 11 controls and controls each part. Further, all the image data is transferred to each unit through this data processing unit. In this part, the overall state of the device is grasped.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a document reading unit. The document reading unit 12 responds to a request from the data processing unit 11
A document reading operation is performed, the read document is converted into image data, and then sent to the data processing unit 11.

The data processing unit 11 also starts operations, sets parameters, and the like. Only the image data is sent to the data processing unit 11, and no image data is sent from the data processing unit 11.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a printing unit. The printing unit 13 prints the image data sent from the data processing unit 11 according to a request from the data processing unit 11. At this time, a laser optical system (not shown) emits laser light to the photoreceptor in accordance with image data, forms a developer image by an electrophotographic process arranged around the photoreceptor, and forms this on paper. After transfer, heat fixing is performed. Thus, an image is formed.

The data processing unit 11 also starts operations, sets parameters, and the like. This image data is only sent from the data processing unit 11 and the data processing unit 1
No image data is sent to one.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a storage unit. The storage unit 14 stores the image data sent from the data processing unit 11 in an internal memory according to a request from the data processing unit 11. Further, the storage unit 14 reads the image data from the internal memory according to the request from the data processing unit 11 and sends the image data to the data processing unit 11.

Reference numeral 15 denotes an external interface connected to the data processing unit 11. The external interface unit 15 sends information or data to the outside according to a request from the data processing unit 11 or receives information or data from the outside to the data processing unit 11 according to a request from the outside. Passing processing is performed.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a printer controller. The printer controller 16 receives print data from the host from the external interface 15 and generates a print image. The generated print image is passed to the data processing unit 11 and printed by the printing unit 13.

The image forming apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has an operation panel as shown in FIG. The operation panel is provided with a display section 21 on which various messages are displayed, a switch section 22 for setting items, and a setting switch section 23 for inputting various set values.

The user makes various settings using the operation panel. On / off of the mode for automatically switching the resolution is performed from the setting switch unit 23. This setting switch unit 23 is a switch 23a for turning on automatic setting of resolution.
And a switch 23b for turning off the automatic setting of the resolution.

Next, referring to FIG.
The memory map of the internal memory provided in the camera 16 will be described. By the way, the printer controller 16
Interprets print data from the host by the interpreter,
It has a function of generating a print image.

The interpreter generates the image by:
A work memory 31 of the interpreter, a font development memory 32, a font cache memory 33, and a page memory 34 for storing generated images are provided.

The size of the interpreter's work memory 31, font development memory 32, and font cache memory 33 increases or decreases depending on the contents of print data from the host. This is because an image combining complex figures, an image such as a photograph, an image using many types of fonts, and the like require more memory.

The contents of the memory shown in FIG. 4 are for the case where the resolution of the generated image is 600 DPI and the paper size is A3. Storing the A3 image requires about 8 MB of page memory. The required page memory size depends on the resolution of the generated image. 600
For DPI, about 8 MB, for 300 DPI, about 2 MB, for 150 DPI, about 512 KB
Size is required.

The image generated by the printer controller 16 is sent to the printing unit 13 via the data processing unit 11 and printed. The resolution of the printing unit 13 is 600 DPI
The printer controller 16 is normally fixed.
Generate a DPI image.

To switch the resolution, the resolution of an image generated by the printer controller 16 is changed by a program, an image other than the generated 600 DPI is enlarged by hardware so as to match the resolution of 600 DPI, and passed to the data processing unit 11. This is achieved by:

Next, FIG. 5 illustrates the configuration of hardware for converting the resolution. In FIG. 5, 600D
The PI line clock is input to the clock terminal CK of the frequency dividing circuit 41. The 60 input to the frequency dividing circuit 41
The 0 DPI line clock is input to the selector 42 after being divided by two and four. The 600 DPI line clock is directly input to the selector 42. The output of the selector 42 is input to the line counter 43.

Reference numeral 44 denotes a control port for setting the resolution. This resolution setting control port 44
Is 600 DPI, 300 DPI, 150
DPI is set.

The control port for setting the resolution is as follows.
At 600 DPI, "0" is set as the resolution ID in the control port, at 300 DPI, "1" is set as the resolution ID at the control port, and at 150 DPI, the control port 44 is set. Is set to "2" as the resolution ID.

The resolution ID set by the control port 44 is output to the selector 42. The selector 42 selects and outputs a line clock corresponding to the resolution ID.

The 600 DPI dot clock is input to the clock terminal CK of the frequency dividing circuit 45. 600D
The PI dot clock is divided by 2 in the frequency dividing circuit 45,
After being divided by four, the signal is input to the selector 46. Also, 6
The dot clock of 00 DPI is output to the selector 46 as it is. The selector 46 includes a control port.
The resolution ID is input from the port 44. This selector 46
Selects and outputs a dot clock according to the input resolution ID.

The dot clock output from the selector 46 is a dot counter 47 for counting the dot clock.
Is input to The count values of the line counter 43 and the dot counter 47 are output to a page memory 48 for storing image data. The address of the page memory 48 is designated by the count values of the line counter 43 and the dot counter 47.

The output of the page memory 48 is output to the shift register 49 at the IN terminal. The OUT terminal of the shift register 49 is output as image data. That is, at the time of printing, the image data is read from the page memory 48 in synchronization with the horizontal dot clock and the vertical line clock. An address from which data is read is generated by a dot counter 47 and a line counter 43 that count a dot clock and a line clock, respectively. The read data is parallel data, converted into serial data by the shift register 49, and sent to the data processing unit 11.

The resolution conversion is performed in each of the horizontal and vertical directions. Horizontal conversion is 600D
By dividing the dot clock in the PI, the same dot of the image is output for a required period. In the case of 600 DPI, no frequency division, in the case of 300 DPI, frequency division by 2,
In the case of 150 DPI, the frequency is divided by 4. The vertical conversion outputs the same line of the image for a required period by dividing the line clock at 600 DPI.
In the case of 600 DPI, no frequency division is performed. In the case of 300 DPI, frequency division is performed. In the case of 150 DPI, frequency division is performed.

The divided dot clock and line clock are input to the respective selectors 42. To convert the resolution, a clock corresponding to the resolution is output from the selectors 42 and 46 by writing a value corresponding to the resolution of the image developed in the page memory to the resolution setting control port 44. Write value is 600DP
"0" for I, "1" for 300 DPI,
In the case of 150 DPI, it becomes "2".

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, when the switching of the resolution is started, first, the total of the interpreter work memory, the font development memory, and the font cache memory is calculated (step S1). Here, the value obtained by subtracting the previous total from the total of the internal memory shown in FIG.
Is the memory size that can be used as

Then, it is determined whether the memory size calculated in step S1 is 4 MB or more (step S1).
2). If the determination in step S2 is "NO" and it is determined that the memory size is less than 4 MB (the page memory size is 8 MB or more), the resolution setting control is performed.
"0" is set as the resolution ID in the report 44.
As a result, the 600 DPI processing mode is set.

If "YES" is determined in the determination in step S2, the message "REJECT DOUBLE ON?" Is determined (step S5). This “reset display on (resolution automatic on)” is performed by operating the switch 23a of the setting switch unit 23 shown in FIG.

If "YES" is determined in step S5, it is determined whether the memory size is 10 MB or more (step S6). If the determination in step S6 is "NO", the memory size is less than 10 MB (see
When the memory size is determined to be within 2 MB, "1" is set as the resolution in the resolution setting control port 44 (step S7). As a result, the 300 DPI processing mode is set (step S).
8).

If "YES" is determined in the step S6, it is determined whether the memory size is 11 MB or more (step S9). If the determination in step S9 is "NO", and it is determined that the memory size is less than 11 MB (the page memory size is less than 1 MB),
"2" is set as the resolution ID in the resolution setting control port 44 (step S10).

Then, the 150 DPI processing mode is set (step S11). That is, when the total memory size is less than 4 MB, 600 DPI, 4 MB or more and 1
If less than 0 MB, 300 DPI, 10 MB or more, 1
If it is less than 2 MB, it is determined that the page memory corresponding to each of 150 DPI can be secured.

If it is longer than this, it is determined that the error is a page memory shortage error, and a page memory shortage error process is performed (step S12). When the resolution is determined, the value of the resolution control port 44 is written to set the hardware for the resolution conversion. This is performed by operating a switch of the setting switch unit 23 of the operation panel of FIG.

As described above, by automatically switching the resolution, it is possible to print an image which could not be printed due to a shortage of the page memory in the past without requiring the user to perform an error handling operation.

In a multi-user environment, it is possible to reduce the probability that a particular user will cause a shortage of page memory and halt the printer to hinder other users' work.

When the work memory of the interpreter and the area of the font development memory are set large, it is possible to print a complicated image which cannot be printed conventionally. When the font cache memory area is set large, the font hit rate is improved and the drawing time is shortened. Thus, when the resolution is switched to a lower resolution, the drawing time can be reduced.

[0050]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when a shortage of page memory is detected during drawing, the resolution is automatically changed so that even if the page memory becomes short, An image processing apparatus capable of performing printing can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the digital copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the operation panel.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a memory map of the internal memory.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration for performing the resolution conversion.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 data processing unit, 12 document reading unit, 13 printing unit, 14 storage unit, 15 external interface unit, 2
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display part, 23 ... Setting switch part, 31 ... Work memory, 32 ... Font development memory, 33 ... Font cache memory, 34 ... Page memory, 41 ... Division circuit, 42 ... Selector, 43 ... Line counter, 44 ... Control port.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An image generating means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution, a storing means for storing the generated image, and a means for automatically switching the resolution according to the capacity of the storing means. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. An image generating means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution; a storage means for storing the generated image; a setting means for setting whether to automatically switch the resolution; An image forming apparatus comprising: means for automatically switching the resolution when the automatic setting of the resolution is set by the setting means according to the capacity. 3. A receiving means for receiving image data from outside, an image generating means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution, a storing means for storing the generated image, and a capacity of the storing means. Means for automatically switching the resolution according to the image forming apparatus. 4. A receiving means for receiving image data from the outside, an image generating means for generating an image of image information data at an arbitrary resolution, a storage means for storing the generated image, and automatically setting the resolution. Setting means for setting whether to switch, and means for automatically switching the resolution when the automatic setting of the resolution is set by the setting means according to the capacity of the storage means. Image forming device. 5. A storage means having a work area for image development and a page image storage area and capable of arbitrarily setting the work area for image development and the page image storage area, and a size of the arbitrarily set page image storage area By
Means for automatically calculating a required resolution; image forming means for generating an image at the calculated resolution; and means for converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputting the same. An image processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 6. A storage means having a work area for image development and a page image storage area and capable of arbitrarily setting the work area for image development and the page image storage area, and a setting means for setting whether to automatically switch the resolution. And a means for automatically calculating a required resolution according to the size of the arbitrarily set page image storage area, when the setting of the resolution is automatically set by the setting means. An image processing apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that generates an image at a given resolution; and a unit that converts an image generated at a given resolution to a given resolution and outputs it. 7. Receiving means for receiving image data from a host, and storage means having an image development work area and a page image storage area, wherein the image development work area and a page image storage area can be arbitrarily set. , Depending on the size of the page image storage area arbitrarily set,
Means for automatically calculating a required resolution; image forming means for generating an image at the calculated resolution; and means for converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputting the same. An image processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. 8. Receiving means for receiving image data from a host, storage means having an image development work area and a page image storage area, and capable of arbitrarily setting an image development work area and a page image storage area. Setting means for setting whether to automatically switch the resolution; and when setting the resolution automatically by the setting means, the setting is necessary depending on the size of the arbitrarily set page image storage area. Means for automatically calculating a resolution, an image forming means for generating an image at the calculated resolution, and means for converting an image generated at an arbitrary resolution to an arbitrary resolution and outputting the converted image. Characteristic image processing device.