JPS6126132A - Picture data transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the transfer time of picture data and to improve the processing ability of a station without occupying a system bus to transfer the picture data by switching the operation to a prescribed operation mode through a mode switching means. CONSTITUTION:When a switching signal 53-1 outputted from a scanner interface 13 specifies a local copying mode, picture data outputted from a scanner 5 is directly inputted to a laser printer 16 through video interfaces 22, 32 to execute hard copying. A video clock 50-4 and an unblanking signal 51-4 outputted from the laser printer 16 are connected so as to be outputted as video clocks 50-1, 50-3 and signals 51-1, 51-3 outputted from a serial data coupling line 18 and an interface 22 in the scanner interface 13. During the transfer of the picture data through the coupling line 18 in said mode, DMA controllers 21, 31 do not use the system bus 17 for DMA transfer.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field The present invention employs a common bus system.
The present invention relates to an image data transfer system suitable for improving other processing capabilities, especially when a read image is directly copied as a hard copy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventional highly functional OA systems often employ a common bus system in which each station connects each processing device with a single bus. Figure 2 is a station that uses a common bus system to obtain image data, note copies, etc.
1 is a configuration block diagram of a printer (hereinafter referred to as a print station). In FIG. 4, 1 is a system CPU that performs processing such as image editing, 2 is a bitmap memory that stores print data such as documents, 3 is a scanner interface that transfers image data, and 4 is print data. 5 is a scanner that optically reads images to create image data, 6 is a laser printer that performs BARTCO, B, and 7 is an address, data, and control lot. It is a system bus.

The print station is connected to a network (not shown).
It is connected to the network via the interface, and document data etc. created at other stations are
Once transferred to the bitmap memory 2 through the network interface and system bus 7, the data is transferred to the laser printer 6 via the printer interface 4, where it is printed to obtain a hard copy. Further, the scanner 5 reads an arbitrary image, the scanner interface 3 transfers the bimodal data to the bitmap memory 2, and the system CPU 1 performs processing such as image editing.
Hard copies were obtained in the same manner as above. Further, like a normal copying machine, the image data from the scanner 5 is directly copied as a hard copy without performing the above-mentioned image editing or other processing (hereinafter, this method will be referred to as local copy mode).

To make a hard copy from image data in the above local copy mode, first, the scanner interface 3 transfers the image data line by line from the scanner 5 to the bitmap memory 2, and stores all the image data for one page. After that, the printer interface Φ takes out the image data line by line from the bitmap memory 2 and transfers it to the laser printer 6. When the image data is transferred, the laser printer 6 executes hard copying.

However, in traditional local copy mode, the scanner
Since the system bus 7 is occupied for a long time by the interface 3 and the printer interface 4, there is a problem in that the processing capacity of the system CPU 1, which executes various other processes, is significantly reduced. This is a particularly important problem for OA systems that require interactive processing, and results in a loss of real-time processing.

An object of the present invention is to solve such conventional problems, and to shorten the image data transfer time without monopolizing the system bus for image data transfer when the flint station is in local copy mode. An object of the present invention is to provide an image data transfer method that can improve the processing capacity of a print station.

Configuration In order to achieve the above object, in the image data transfer method of the present invention, an image reading device that reads images and creates image data, a printer device that performs hard copying, a bitmap memory device, etc. are connected to a common bus. and transmits hard copy data from the bitmap memory device to the printer device via the common bus, mode switching means for switching the operating mode of the system, and only when the system is in a predetermined operating mode. and has a transfer means for transferring the data number for Tocobee through a bus line separate from the common bus provided between the image reading device and the printer, and the data number is transferred from the image reading device The present invention is characterized in that when image data is directly copied as a hard copy, the mode switching means switches to a predetermined operation mode so that the transfer means transfers the hard copy data from the image reading device to the printer device.

Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a print station showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of FIG. 1.

1 and 2, 11 is the system CPLI
, 12 is bit map memory, 13 is scanner interface, ■4 is printer interface,
15 is a scanner, 16 is a laser printer, 17 is a system bus, 18 is a serial data connection line, 20.30 is a line memory, 21.31 is a DMA controller, 22.
32 is a video interface, 23 is a serial/parallel conversion circuit, 33 is a parallel/serial conversion circuit, 5
0-1 to 50-5 are video clocks, 5l-1=51-
5 is an unblank signal, 52-1 to 52-5 are bitmap data, and 53-1 and 53-2 are interface switching signals for switching whether or not to be in local copy mode.

The difference between FIG. 1 and the above-mentioned FIG. 4 is that a serial data connection line 18 is provided between the scanner interface 13 and the printer interface 14, and is used for transferring image data. In addition, the serial data connection line 18
As shown in FIG. 2, video clocks 50-1.
Unranked signal 51-1. Bitmap data 5
It consists of three wires, 2-1, and the transfer timing is as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the transfer timing in FIG. 3 applies not only to the serial data connection line 18, but also to
The same holds true between the video interface 22 and the 23 serial/parallel conversion circuits, the 15 scanners 16 printers, and the parallel/serial conversion circuit 33 in FIG. The scanner 15 transfers the read image data for one page line by line to the video interface 22 of the scanner interface 13. As shown in FIG. 3, during the period when the unblank signal from the video interface 22 is in the 'l' (active) state
The scanner 15 synchronizes one line of image data with the video clock 50-3 from the video interface 22 and sends it serially to bitmap data 52-3. Note that tl is the print time for the upper line in the main scanning direction of the laser printer 16 (t2 is the transfer time for one line of image data (in this embodiment, the laser printer 1
6).

Further, in order to transfer image data for one page, normally, the transfer for each line (1) must be repeated 1,000 to 3', OO0 times.

When interface switching (No.N 53-1 specifies a mode other than local copy mode), image data from the scanner 15 is sent from the video interface 22 to the serial/parallel conversion circuit 23, converted to parallel data, and stored in the line memory. After that, the scanner interface 13 which has obtained the right to use the system bus 17
starts the DMA controller 21, and the line memory 2
The image data in 0 is DMA-transferred to the bitmap memory 12 line by line. Subsequent processing such as image editing is performed by the system CP[Jl 1 in the same manner as described above. After the above processing is completed, when the image data is to be hard-copied, the printer interface 14 that has obtained the right to use the system bus 17
is activated, the image data in the bitmap memory 12 is transferred line by line to the line memory 30, and the parallel/serial conversion circuit 33 takes it in and converts it into serial data, which is then sent to the laser printer. 16 is the third
At the transfer timing shown in the figure, it is imported through the video interface 32 4 and made into a hard copy.

On the other hand, when the interface switching signal 53-1 of the scanner interface 13 specifies the local copy mode, the image data from the scanner 15 is transferred to the laser printer 16 through both video interfaces 22 and 32 at the transfer timing shown in FIG. Direct import and immediate hard copy.゛In addition, the laser printer 16
The unblank signal 51-4 is directly output from the video clock 50-4 of the serial data connection line 18 and the video clock 50-4 of the video interface 22 of the scanner interface 13.

50-3 and unblank signals 51-1 and 51-3. Similarly, the bitmap data line is
52-3.52-1.52-4 in series. Further, the interface switching signal 53-2 outputted by the DMA controller 31 of the printer interface 14
At the same timing as the interface switching signal 53-1, instructs the video interface 32 whether or not it is in the local copy mode. Furthermore, while transferring image data via the serial data coupling line 18 in local copy mode, both DMA controllers 21.31 do not use the system node 17 for DMA transfer. (in local copy mode)・−
In the hard copy, the laser printer 16 directly reads the image data from the scanner 15 via the serial data connection line 18 and makes a hard copy, so the system CPU 1l
The dedicated time for the system bus 17 can be increased, the throughput of the print station can be increased, and the time required to print hard copies can be shortened.

Effects As explained above, according to the present invention, image data from the scanner in local copy mode is directly transferred to the laser printer via the serial data connection line, so printing processing can be performed without using the system bus. is faster and the throughput of the print station is improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a print station showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram for explaining an image data transfer method, FIG. 3 is a transfer timing diagram in FIG. 2, and FIG. The figure is a block diagram of a conventional print station. 1.11 System CPU, 2,12: Bitmap memory, 3.13: Scanner interface, 4.14
Nibrinter interface, 5°15: Scanner, 6
．． 16: Laser printer, 7° 17: System bus, 1
8 digit real data connection line, 20, 30 digit line memory, 21, 31: DMA controller, 22. 32: video interface, 23 digit real/halal conversion,
33: Parallel/serial conversion, 50-1 to 50-5:
Video clock, 51-1 to 51-5: Unblank signal, 52-1-52-5: Bitmap data, 53
-1.53-2: Interface switching signal. Figure 1 Figure 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image reading device that reads an image to create image data, a printer device that makes a hard copy, a bitmap memory device, etc. are connected to the common bus, and the printer device is connected to the bitmap memory device via the common bus. A data processing system that transfers hard copy data to a computer, a mode switching means for switching an operating mode of the system, and a mode switching means that is activated only in a predetermined operating mode;
and a transfer means for transferring hard copy data via a bus line separate from the common bus provided between the image reading device and the printer, and the image data from the image reading device is directly copied to the hard copy. An image data transfer method characterized in that, when the mode switching means switches to a predetermined operation mode, the transfer means transfers hard copy data from the image reading device to the printer device.