JPS6180461A - Picture information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate easy handling with a picture information processing system by providing a mode designation processing routine for setting modes A and B and then attaining the shift to other processing mode after interrupting the processing which is under execution. CONSTITUTION:For a mode designation processing routine, the push of a key on a keyboard part 8 is detected by an input/output control part 5. Then an interruption processing request is given to a control part MPU1. Thus the processing under execution at the part 1 is interrupted, and other processing is carried out. A special processing mode (A or B) can be set in this routine. In the mode A, an on-line or off-line mode which is under execution is switched manually. In this case, however, the input of an off-line request is held and informed to an operator by blinking an on-line key. Then the processing is carried out as requested when the on-line processing is over. Thus a picture information processing system is used easily by providing such a special routine.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an image information processing system, particularly an image information processing system that includes an image information input/output device, an image memory, and a control unit, and is capable of transmitting image information to and from other devices. The present invention also relates to an image information processing system in which an input/output device can operate independently.

[Prior Art] In recent years, image information processing systems have been developed in the office automation field that handle image information such as pictures, graphics, and photographs in the same way as documents, and are capable of exchanging image information with other devices via communication networks. This type of device is set on an input device such as an image scanner that inputs image information, and the input device reads image information from this document. , the read image information is appropriately compressed and sent to another device along with document size information (image information capacity).

Then, the device that receives this data selects paper of the specified size from the recording paper set in the output device such as a laser beam printer that outputs one image information according to the document size information, and uses the sent image information as needed. The file was expanded and printed out according to the size of the file.

These functions are exactly the same as a conventional copier except for transmission control, and this device can be connected to other devices online.
By using it as a copying machine when it is not in operation, it can be used very efficiently. For this reason, some machines were constructed so that they could be used online as copying machines when not in use.

However, with such a device, no online processing can be performed while it is being used as a copying machine, and image information from other devices, even if only one page is output, cannot be processed until offline processing is completed. The data cannot be received by other devices, and other devices cannot transmit until the offline processing is completed, which is extremely inefficient and inconvenient.

In addition, if online processing is in progress and, for example, image information is being output, offline processing cannot be used at all until the online processing is completed, even if it is copying only one page, which is inconvenient. .

[Purpose] The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art, and to make it possible to shift to another mode of processing in the middle of processing. Even if the output is being output to the output means, or even if it is being output to the output means online, by providing a mode that allows you to temporarily suspend the process in progress and execute other processes, it is possible to The purpose of the present invention is to provide an image information processing system that is easy to use.

[Example code] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to one drawing.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a control unit (MPU) that manages the overall control of this embodiment; 2 is a memory that stores MPUI operation control procedures and control information; and 3 is a direct memory between the memory 2 or image memory 4 and the input/output device. 4 is an image memory that stores input/output image information in the image information output device 6 or the image information input device 7; 5 is an input/output control unit that controls the image information output device 6 and the image information; Controls the input device 7. In addition, this input/output control section 5 is capable of copying a document by itself (offline) using an image information output device 6 and an image information input device 7, and a keyboard section 8 for this control is provided. Comes with it.

9 is a bus switch for signals between the P bus 16 and M bus 15; 10 is a pressure switch M for compressing and decompressing image information;
11 is a line interface section, and 12 is an information processing device. Data is compressed or expanded between the P bus 16 and the M bus 15 via the compression/expansion section 10, and the data is exchanged as is via the bus switch 9. Further, the image memory 4 is connected to the M bus 15. Display control device 1 is also available as an option.
3 and an input/output device 14 can be connected.

Hereinafter, the operation of this embodiment will be explained in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2(A) to 2(E).

In the initial state when the power of this embodiment is turned on, the online mode is automatically set as shown by Sl, and an illuminated online key (not shown) on the keyboard section 8 lights up.

This online key may be arranged, for example, near the operation surface of the image input device 7, instead of on the keyboard 8.

In Sequel <32, the information processing device 12 requests to output image data by receiving an image data output request from another information processing device, or requests to read image data from the image information input device 7 and transfer it to a specified other information processing device. If there is a request, proceed to 520, and if there is no request, check in S3 whether there is an online key input and the "KEY" flag is set, and if it is not set. Return to S2, and if it is set, proceed to S5.

Here, setting/resetting of the KEY'' flag and setting of mode A/mode B, which will be described later, are executed by a mode designation processing routine.This mode designation processing routine is executed when a key on the keyboard section 8 is pressed. The input/output unit 5 detects this, requests the MPU 1 to perform an interrupt process, interrupts the process being executed by the MPUI, and interrupts the process as shown in Figure 2 (
Execute the process shown in E).

In the mode designation processing routine, first, in step 5101, it is determined whether or not the input designates mode A. If the input designates survey mode A, mode A is set in step 5102, and the process returns. 5
If mode A is not specified in 101, proceed to 5103;
Check whether it is a mode B specified input. If mode B is specified, mode B is set in step 5104 and the process returns; if mode B is not specified, the process proceeds to step 5105 to check whether an online key has been input. If an online key is input, the process advances to 5106, indicating that there is a request to change from the current online or offline mode.
"Set the flag, blink the online key in S107, and return.

If the key is not an online key in step 5105, there is no other mode currently available in this embodiment, so the process returns.

If the "KEY" flag is set in S3, this is a request to switch from online mode to offline mode, so proceed to S5, change the settings to offline mode, turn off the online key, and press "KEY". ”“
Reset flag. Here, the online/offline mode can be switched alternately by inputting the same key (online key). Then, proceeding from S5 to S6, it is checked whether there is an online input/output request similar to S2, and if there is no input/output request, step S7
In step 37, whether or not processing is actually being performed in the offline mode, that is, whether image information is read out from the image information input device 7 under the control of the input/output control section 5, and the read information is output as is to the image information output device 6. (actually operating as a copying machine).

If the process has been performed, the process returns to S6; if the process has not been performed, the input/output control unit 5 determines in S8 whether a certain period of time has elapsed since the input/output device (6, 7) was not used. is checked, and if a certain period of time has not elapsed, "' K E
Y" flag is set, it is checked whether there is any online key input, and if there is no key input, the process returns to S6.

If there is an online output request, that is, an image information output request from another information processing device to the image information output device 6 via its own information processing device 12 during offline processing in S6, SIO is executed in S6. Proceed to and check whether the "OF" flag is set. °“OF F
"If the flag is set, proceed to S7 and turn OFF"
If the flag is not set, the OFF' flag is set in step 311 and the process proceeds to S21. This 'OFF' flag is a flag indicating a car for which an online output request was made during offline processing.

In S21, offline processing can be performed only by the control of the input/output control unit 5, and the MPUI can completely freely control the memory 2 and image memory 4, and the information processing device 12 can control the document size sent from another information processing device. The information and the number of sheets are stored in the memory 2 via the line interface section 11 and the bus switch 9, and the subsequently sent image information is received in S22. If the received image information requires expansion, it is compressed/lit/ It is expanded through the expansion unit 10 and stored in one image memory 4.
Image information that does not require decompression processing is stored directly into the image memory 4 via the path switch 9.

Then, in S23, it is checked whether the data received via the line interface section 11 has been received normally. If the data has been received normally, an acknowledgment (ACK) is returned in S24, and "ACK" is returned in S25. OFF” flag is set.

If offline processing is not currently in progress and the "OFF" flag is not set, the process advances to S33; if offline processing is currently in progress and the "OFF" flag is set, the "'ON" flag is set in the following S26. do. this'
The "ON" flag is a flag indicating that the output data to the image information output device 6 is stored in the image memory 4 because it is currently used in offline processing.

If the mode specification is A, that is, the mode does not output the image information transmitted online until offline processing is completed, the process returns to S6. , wait for offline processing to finish.

If it is not mode A in S27, it is mode B, that is, a mode that automatically shifts from offline processing to online processing at the break of one page even during offline processing (original copying), so the process advances to S28 and MPU 1 starts the input/output control unit 5, monitors the page break of the copy of the copy process currently being executed offline, and when a page break occurs, the 528
The process then proceeds to 329, instructing the input/output control unit 5 to interrupt offline processing. Then, in S30, the online mode is set, the online key is turned on, and the process proceeds to S33.

If the image data received in S23 cannot be received correctly and a reception error has occurred, the process proceeds to 331, where a negative response is sent to the information processing device 12 via the line interface section 11, and a retransmission request is made. And at S32 °“OFF”
``Check whether the flag is set or not, and if the off flag is not set, return to Sl, and if it is set, return to S6.

If the process advances from S30 to 333, the image information output device 6 outputs the image information received online from another information processing device from S33 onwards.

First, in S33, under the control of the MPU 1, the input/output control unit 5 starts the image information output device 6, selects a recording paper size corresponding to the specified document size, and then in S34, the input/output control unit 5
sequentially reads the image information stored in the image memory 4, sends it to the image information output device 6, and prints it out in S35. Then, in step 336, it is checked whether printing for the specified number of sheets has been completed, and if printing for the specified number of sheets has not been completed, the process advances to step S37, where it is checked whether the "OF" flag is set. Check, if it is set, return to S34, if not set, proceed to 538, "K E
Check whether the Y” flag is set and check whether the “’
534 if the ``KEY'' flag is not set.
Returns to , and if it is set, it is checked in 339 whether mode A is currently selected. If it is mode A, the process returns to 334 because there is no online/offline change until the process ends. Mode A
If not, that is, in the case of mode B, proceed to 540;
The "ON°" flag is set, the "KEY" flag is reset, the process proceeds to S5, and the mode is changed to offline mode.

The printing output to the image information output device 6 progresses sequentially, and when the specified number of sheets have been output, the process advances from 336 to 341, and "OF
F "Check if the flag is set," O
If the FF'' flag is not set, the process returns to Sl and waits for the next online input of image information.

If the “OFF” flag is set, offline processing was interrupted and online processing was executed, so S
At step 42, the "OF" flag is reset, and the offline processing interrupted at step S43 is restarted, and the process returns to step S5.

Additionally, if the input/output device is left unused for a certain period of time in step 88 during this offline processing, the process advances from step S8 to step 345.
If the "OF F" flag is set, it is reset, and in the subsequent step 546, it is checked whether the "ON" flag is set, and if the "ON" flag is set, it is output to the 1-image memory 4. Since the data to be processed is stored and is waiting to be output to the image information output device 6 in online processing, the process advances to S33 and print output processing is executed. And S
If the "'ON" flag is not set in step 46, the process returns to Sl and automatically enters online mode.

In addition, if the "KEY" flag was set in the previous S9, that is, if there was an input request for switching from offline mode to online mode, the process proceeds from S9 to 347 and if the "OFF" flag was set. For example, reset this and also reset the “KE Y” flag,
At 348, the offline mode is changed to the online mode, the online key is turned on, and the process proceeds to 346.

On the other hand, in online mode in S6, if there is an input/output request and the process proceeds to 520, this request becomes a transmission request.
That is, the image information input device 7 reads the original set in the device, checks whether or not it is a request to transfer to another information processing device, and if it is not a transfer request and is an output request to the image information output device 6. The process proceeds to 521, and in the case of a transfer request, the process proceeds to S50.

At 550, the MPUI activates the image information input device 7 via the input/output control unit 5, reads the size of the document set on the document reading surface of the device 7 at 551, stores the read data in the memory 2, and performs the following step S52. Check whether the original was placed on the original surface or not, and if it was not placed, 56
0 error processing is executed, and processing such as instructing the operator to place the document is executed.

If the original is placed on the t position, the process advances from S52 to 353, where the one-image information input device 7 reads image information from the original and sequentially stores it in the image memory 4. When the storage is completed, the process advances to step 554, where the information processing device 12 is notified of completion of image information transmission preparation in order to call the destination information processing device to which the image information should be sent, and a response from the information processing device 12 is received in the subsequent step S55. , it is checked whether the response can be transmitted or not, and if transmission is not possible, it means that it cannot be transmitted to the destination information processing device, so the error processing at 560 is executed and the operator is informed that transmission is not possible.

If transmission is possible in S55, first read the document size and output number designation information from the memory 2, transfer it to the information processing device 12 via the bus switch 9 and line interface section 11, and then transfer it to the image memory 4. 5 earlier
The image information read in step 53 is read out, the compression/expansion section 10 performs compression processing on the image information, and the compressed image information is transferred to the information processing device 12 via the line interface section 11. . Then, it is checked whether this information has been correctly transferred and a positive response has been returned, and if it is a positive response, the transmission process is ended and the process returns to Sl. If it is a negative response and retransmission is required, it will return 55 again.
6, and resend the image information, etc.

As explained above, according to this embodiment, even when a copying process similar to that of a general copying machine is being executed offline, if there is a print output request from the image information processing device 6 from another information processing device, , the image output information can be received without interrupting the copying process, the compression/decompression section 10 can perform the decompression process as necessary, and the image can be stored in the memory 2 and the image memory 4. Or, when the image information output device 6 is idle, the memory 2 and the image memory 4 (
j, document size, number of sheets, and image information can be read and output to an image information output device.

In addition, special processing modes (A mode, B mode) can be set, and in the case of A mode, the currently running mode (online mode or offline mode) can be manually switched and changed to another mode. Until then, changes from online mode to offline mode or from offline mode to online mode will not be made.
However, the offline request (copy request) input is retained and the operator is notified of this by flashing the online key. As a result, after the online processing of a request that was conventionally ignored is completed, processing according to the request is executed. In addition, the input/output device (6,
7) is not used, the mode is automatically changed to online mode.

On the other hand, when set to B mode, the online mode is changed to the offline mode or the offline mode is changed to the online mode upon request when the image information output device 6 prints out the image information by online processing or offline processing. and the modified processing can be executed.

[Effects] As described above, according to the present invention, a very easy-to-use image information processing system can be provided by providing a processing mode in which the processing currently being executed can be temporarily interrupted and transferred to another processing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 (
A) to (E) are operational flowcharts of this embodiment. In the figure, 1... MPU, 4... Image memory, 5... Input/output control unit, 6... Image information output device, 7... Image information input device, 10... Compression 1ii/expansion Part, 11...
- Line interface section, 12... Information processing device. Figure 2 (C) Figure 2 (D)

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) an input means for inputting image information, an output means for outputting image information, and a storage means for temporarily storing input information from the input means and output information to the output means;
transmission control means for communicating image information with other devices, offline processing for outputting input information from the input means from the output means, and input information from the input means to the storage means; The transmission control means stores the image information and sends it to the other device, or the transmission control means receives image information from the other device and stores it in the storage device, and the image information stored in the storage device is sent to the other device. The image information processing system is capable of executing an image information processing system by switching between online processing and outputting to an output means, and a first operation mode in which switching to another processing mode is not possible until the processing currently being executed is completed, and a switching request input. An image information processing system comprising: a second operation mode in which a transition can be made to an external process during the output to the output means in the process being executed. (2) In the second operation mode, if there is a request for conversion to offline processing while image information is being output to the output means in online processing, the online processing being executed is stopped at a break in the output recording medium from the output means. 2. The image information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the image information processing system is interrupted, shifts to offline processing, and restarts the interrupted online processing again after the offline processing ends. (3) In the second operation mode, if there is an output request to the output means related to online processing while offline processing is being executed, offline processing is interrupted at the input break, shifts to online processing, and output to the output means is performed. An image information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the image information processing system performs the following. (4) The image information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first operation mode and the second operation mode to be executed can be arbitrarily set and changed.