JP2001053941A - Image forming device connection - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently utilize a storage device when simultaneously using a plurality of memory shared resources among plural applications and further plural image forming device in an image forming device having a combined function. SOLUTION: In a connection image formation system for executing a connection mode for performing parallel printing in master and slave machines, this system is provided with an input data selector 90 for inputting image information for the unit of a job, storage devices 91 and 92 having primary storage devices 95 and 98 for storing image information, secondary storage devices 96 and 99 divided into plural storage areas for selectively inputting/outputting the image information inputted to the primary storage devices 95 and 98 more than one set and data input/output control parts 94 and 97 for controlling the storage devices 91 and 92 and the storage areas to be used for a job at the execution of the job by applying different allocation rules to the master and slave machines.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to connecting a plurality of digital copying machines and the like in a mutually communicable (peer-to-peer) manner.
An arbitrary operation device serving as a master device (master device) reads a document to be copied, supplies document information to another device serving as a slave device (slave device), shares predetermined printing, or is easy to use. More specifically, the present invention relates to an image forming and linking system for selecting and printing a device, and more particularly, to a configuration in which a storage device can be independently allocated to a master device and a slave device, and an image for realizing memory management by efficient storage device allocation. It relates to a forming connection system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital copiers have become multifunctional.
And user billidies are being improved. For example, by mounting a large-capacity storage medium, it is possible to satisfy the demand for high speed and recover the increase in the copy amount per job,
In addition, the time until the end of the job is shortened. However, 1
There is a limit to the throughput in one device. Therefore, for example, as a system for efficiently processing the printing of 100 sheets from one copy original, a plurality of image forming apparatuses such as a digital copying machine are connected via a communication line, and copying is performed in parallel. A copy operation in a so-called connection mode is known. In other words, this connection operation is performed, for example, by 1
In the case of printing 100 sheets from a single sheet of a document, a copy original is read by a master machine serving as a master machine, and recording paper image data is created.
By sharing it as 0 sheets, transferring it to the slave machine, and printing the master machine and the slave machine in parallel,
This function can print in about half the time.

In an image forming apparatus (digital copying machine) having multiple functions such as copying, printing, storing / printing of scanned image data, and facsimile, when a memory shared resource is used simultaneously by a plurality of applications, a memory is used. Need to be managed. This memory management method is disclosed, for example, in the following publications.

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-74163, a plurality of applications such as a printer application and a facsimile application in addition to a copy application, and each unit constituting a copying machine are managed as shared resources by function unit, and one shared resource is managed by a plurality. A digital copier having a system controller for arbitrating simultaneous use in an application, comprising: a memory unit arranged as one of shared resources; and a memory controller performing input / output control on the memory unit. Performs arbitration when a memory controller and a memory unit are used simultaneously in a plurality of applications. As a result, the memory unit can be handled as a shared resource, thereby reducing the cost of the device and effectively using expensive memory.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-175916, in an apparatus having functions such as copying, facsimile, and printer, the above functions are executed in parallel without significantly increasing the memory capacity. Specifically, the memory capacity required by the function is compared with the current free memory space, and if the former is larger, the file of the unused function is temporarily saved to the external storage device to make the function available. Are executed in parallel without significantly increasing the memory capacity.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-273957, a page memory section is provided with a facsimile transmission / reception function, a LAN transmission / reception function,
The storage capacity is allocated to each function of the electronic sort copying function and the image storage / search function, and when the storage area is used, the usage status of the storage area for each function is stored. The contents of storage capacity allocation for each function are changed according to the usage status of the storage area. As a result, when the page memory section is shared and used for various functions, it is possible to change the use area of the page memory according to the use status of each function, thereby realizing effective use of the page memory. .

[0007]

However, in the conventional memory management method as described above, in the case where there are a plurality of shared storage devices, the allocation is performed, and a plurality of these image forming apparatuses are connected. In the case where multiple image forming apparatuses are connected and multiple memory shared resources are used by multiple applications and among multiple image forming apparatuses at the same time, the storage device is efficiently allocated. There was a problem that it could not be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is directed to a case where a plurality of memory sharing resources are simultaneously used by a plurality of applications and among a plurality of image forming apparatuses in an image forming apparatus having a composite function. Another object of the present invention is to enable efficient use of a storage device.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a linked image forming system, wherein a plurality of image forming apparatuses are communicably connected to each other and operated by a user. A master unit and a slave unit are determined, and the master unit supplies image information to the slave unit, and in a linked image forming system that performs a linked mode for performing parallel printing, image input means for inputting image information in job units A first storage unit that stores the image information, and a second storage unit that is divided into a plurality of storage areas and selectively inputs and outputs the image information input to the first storage unit. The storage unit having the above and the storage unit and the storage area used for the job at the time of executing the job are controlled by applying different allocation rules between the master unit and the slave unit. And Li output control means, but provided with.

According to the first aspect, when performing the connecting operation using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, the master machine (master machine)
And the slave unit (slave unit) independently assign storage means based on different assignment rules, for example, store the input image information in the storage unit of the master unit, and discard the image information in the slave unit after executing the job. By applying the allocation rule as described above, it becomes possible to effectively use the storage units of the parent device and the child device without duplication.

In the linked image forming system according to the second aspect, the memory input / output control means may be configured to set a job mode when the linked mode is set and the image information is printed in parallel by a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The image information is allocated to a storage area having an attribute to be discarded after completion.

According to the second aspect, when performing a linking operation using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, especially for a slave unit (slave unit), temporary attribute image information to be discarded after a job is completed is deleted. By controlling so as to select a storage area to be handled, all image information is stored in a storage area having a temporary attribute on the child device side, the image information is discarded after a job is executed, and the same image information on the parent device and the child device is used. Avoid owning.

Further, in the linked image forming system according to the third aspect, the storage area of the job is allocated in units of application types of the image information.

According to the third aspect, for example, a storage area of the storage means is allocated to each application such as a copy application, a storage printing application for printing a storage file, and a printer application, and image information is stored and controlled based on the allocation. By storing image information suitable for the attributes of the application,
Control such as discarding can be easily performed.

In the linked image forming system according to a fourth aspect, the storage area of the storage means is allocated based on an attribute of image information of the job content.

According to the fourth aspect, the attribute of the image information of the job content is determined by examining the attribute of the image information of the job content and assigning, for example, whether to save or discard the job after execution of the job. It is possible to easily perform control such as storage / discarding of image information suitable for the user.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an image forming apparatus connecting system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the configuration of the digital copying machine will be described. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) 10
When a print key 202 on an operation unit 201 described later is pressed, a document bundle (not shown) placed on the first document table 102 with the document image surface facing upward is fed from a document on the lowest sheet to a feeding roller. The document is fed to a predetermined document reading position on the contact glass 105 by the feed belt 103 and the feeding belt 104.

The document fed on the contact glass 105 is read by a reading unit 106 to read a document image.
Is discharged by. Further, a document set detection sensor 1
If it is detected at 08 that the next document is present on the document table 102, a series of operations are performed on the document by repeating the same operation as the previous document. The feeding roller 1
03, the feed belt 104 and the discharge roller 107 are driven by a transport motor (not shown).

The first tray 109 and the second tray 11
The recording papers stacked on the first and third trays 111 and 111 are respectively supplied to the first paper supply unit 112, the second paper supply unit 113, and the third paper supply unit 113.
The paper is fed by the paper feeding unit 114 and the vertical transport unit 115
To the registration roller, and the photosensitive drum 116
Is transported to a position immediately before contact with the sheet. At the same time, the original image read by the reading unit 106 is written as image data on the photosensitive drum 116 by the laser light output from the writing unit 117, and is visualized as a toner image by the developing unit 118. Is done.

Next, the recording paper is conveyed at a timing substantially equal to the rotation of the photosensitive drum 116 by the conveyance belt 119 by restarting at a timing such that the registration roller is at a predetermined position with respect to the toner image. As a result, the toner image on the photosensitive drum 116 is transferred. The toner image transferred to the recording paper is heat-fixed by the fixing unit 120. Subsequently, the recording sheet on which the image has been fixed is discharged to a discharge tray 122 by a discharge unit 121.

When forming images on both sides of the recording paper, the first tray 109, the second tray 110, and the third tray 1
The recording paper fed from 11 and formed into an image
Instead of being guided to the side, the branching claw provided for the path switching provided on the transport path of the paper discharge unit 121 is set on the upper side, and is inverted (switched back) by the inverting unit 123, and is once sent to the duplex transport unit 124. Stock it.

Thereafter, the recording paper stocked in the two-sided conveyance unit 124 is fed again from the two-sided conveyance unit 124, and after the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 116 is transferred, the branch pawl for switching the path is formed. Is set to the lower side, the sheet is guided to the paper discharge tray 122. As described above, the duplex conveying unit 124 is used when forming an image on both sides of the recording paper.

The photosensitive drum 116, the conveyor belt 119,
The fixing unit 120, the paper discharge unit 121, and the developing unit 118 are driven by a main motor (not shown), and the first paper supply unit 112, the second paper supply unit 113, and the third paper supply unit 114 The driving is performed by a first sheet feeding clutch (see FIGS. 4 and 47b), a second sheet feeding clutch (see FIGS. 4 and 47c), and a third sheet feeding clutch (see FIGS.
47d).
The vertical transport unit 115 is driven by transmitting the drive of the main motor by an intermediate clutch (see 47a in FIG. 4).

Next, the image reading operation by the image reading unit 106 and the writing unit 11
The operation of writing an image in No. 7, that is, the operation up to the formation of a latent image on the recording surface will be described. Here, the latent image is a potential distribution generated by converting an image into optical information and irradiating the image on the surface of the photoconductor.

First, the reading unit 106 includes a contact glass 105 on which a document is placed, and an optical scanning system. The optical scanning system includes an exposure lamp 135, a first
Mirror 136, lens 137, CCD image sensor 1
38, a second mirror 139, a third mirror 140, and the like. Exposure lamp 135 and first mirror 1
36 is fixed on a first carriage (not shown), and the second mirror 139 and the third mirror 140 are fixed on a second carriage (not shown). When reading a document image, the first carriage and the second carriage are mechanically scanned at a relative speed of 2: 1 so that the optical path length does not change. This optical scanning system is driven by a scanner drive motor (not shown).

The original image is read by the CCD image sensor 138, converted into an electric signal and processed. The lens 137 and the CCD image sensor 1
By moving 38 in the left-right direction (in FIG. 1), the image magnification changes. That is, the lens 137 and the CCD image sensor 138 correspond to the designated magnification.
Is set in the left-right direction (image formation relationship).

The writing unit 117 includes a laser output unit 141, an imaging lens 142, and a mirror 143. Inside the laser output unit 141, a laser diode (not shown) as a laser light source and a polygon motor (not shown) are provided. ), A rotating polygon mirror (hereinafter, referred to as a polygon mirror and not shown) that rotates at a high speed at a constant speed.

The laser light emitted from the laser output unit 141 is optically scanned by a polygon mirror rotating at a constant speed, passes through the imaging lens 142, is turned back by the mirror 143, and is condensed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 116. Image.

The laser beam that has been optically scanned is exposed and scanned in a direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the direction in which the photosensitive drum 116 rotates, and recording of image signals in line units is performed. At the time of this recording, an image (electrostatic latent image) is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum 116 by repeating main scanning at a predetermined cycle corresponding to the rotation speed and the recording density of the photoconductor drum 116. Is done.

As described above, the laser beam output from the writing unit 117 is applied to the photosensitive drum 116. A beam sensor (not shown) that generates a main scanning synchronization signal is disposed at a position near one end of the photosensitive drum 116 where the laser beam is irradiated. Control of image recording start timing in the main scanning direction based on the main scanning synchronization signal,
And a control signal for inputting / outputting an image signal.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, a description will be given of the configuration of the operation unit 201 for performing display to the user and input of function settings by the user. FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a layout configuration of various keys and a panel of the operation unit 201. As shown in FIG. 2, a print key 202 serving as a start key and a clear /
Stop key 203, numeric keypad 204, liquid crystal display 205, initial setting key 206, and reset key 20
7, and a remaining heat key 208 and an interrupt key 209 are provided. The liquid crystal display 205 is used for displaying various messages indicating the number of copies and the state of the digital copier, and for inputting various information.

By pressing the initial setting key 206, the initial state of the apparatus can be customized. That is, the size of the recording paper stored in the apparatus can be set, and the state set when the mode clear key of the copy function is pressed can be arbitrarily set. In addition, select an application that is preferentially selected when no operation is performed for a certain period of time, set the transition time to low power according to the International Energy Star plan, and set the time to auto-off / sleep mode It is configured to be able to. By pressing the residual heat key 208, the apparatus shifts from the standby state to the power reduction state, controls the fixing temperature to be lower, and turns off the display of the operation unit 201.

That is, when the remaining heat key 208 is pressed, the operation shifts to [preheating]. This [preheating] is controlled by lowering the fixing temperature by a fixed temperature (for example, 10 ° C.).
In this mode, power consumption is reduced by turning off the display of 01. The setting of this mode is automatically set after a certain period of time from when there is no operation or operation depending on key input on the operation unit 201 or machine setting. This mode is released when a human body detection sensor detects that a person stands in front of the machine by key input on the operation unit 201 or machine setting.

By pressing the interrupt key 209, the mode shifts to the "interrupt mode". This [interrupt mode] is a mode in which a copy operation is temporarily interrupted during a copy operation and during a copy operation. By setting this mode, the previous copy mode and, if the copying is in progress, information on the progress of the copying are stored in the nonvolatile RAM, the mode is shifted to the interrupt mode, and the mode is initialized. When the interrupt mode is released after the execution of the copy operation, the mode and information stored in the nonvolatile RAM are returned to restore the state before the interrupt mode was set, and the mode before the interrupt can be continued by restarting. The setting / cancellation of this mode can be performed using the keys of the operation unit 201.

In this embodiment, since a dot display is used as the liquid crystal display 205, the optimum display at that time can be graphically performed.
Further, in this embodiment, the liquid crystal display 205 uses a dot display, but is not particularly limited to this.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen of the liquid crystal display 205 of the operation unit 201. When the operator touches the key displayed on the liquid crystal display 205, the key indicating the selected function is highlighted. If the details of the function need to be specified (for example, if the magnification is a variable value, the setting screen for the detailed function is displayed by touching the key).

In FIG. 3, the upper part of the screen is provided with a message area for displaying a message such as "Ready to copy" or "Please wait". In particular, a link key 30 for linking devices and performing a copy operation is provided. Is displayed.

The connection key 30 is effective when it is electrically connected to one or more other image forming apparatuses. In this case, the selected device is the slave device. Then, the original image read by the master unit can be output by the slave unit in response to a start instruction of the operation unit 201 of the master unit.

Further, on the right side of the panel, a copy number display section for displaying the number of sheets set is provided, and on the left side of the screen, an automatic density key for automatically adjusting the image density and a key for selecting an original are displayed on the screen. In the center and right part, an automatic paper selection key for automatically selecting the recording paper, a sort key for specifying the process of arranging the copies one by one in the page order, a stack key for specifying the process of sorting the copies for each page, a sort process Staple key to specify the process of binding parts that have been cut one by one, the same-size key to set the magnification to the same size, the variable-size key to set the enlargement / reduction ratio, and the two-sided aggregation / split to set the duplex / aggregation / division mode A key and a cover / insert sheet key are provided. In the drawing, the selected mode is displayed with the keys displayed in reverse display different from the other displays.

Next, a control system of the digital copying machine will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows a control system of the digital copying machine. As shown in FIG. 4, various components are arranged around a main controller 40 for controlling the entire digital copying machine. The main controller 40 has an image processing unit (IPU) 41 via a system bus.
, The connection controller 42, the ADF 101, and the operation unit 201 are connected. In particular, the connection controller 42 is used to perform image data transfer control for transferring an image signal to a storage device of another image forming apparatus and control between image storage devices during the connection system in order to realize a connection system. Control data transfer control for transferring a control signal is performed.

The main controller 40 is directly connected to a main motor 46, an intermediate clutch 47a, a first paper supply clutch 47b, a second paper supply clutch 47c, and a third paper supply clutch 47d. The ADF 101 is connected to a transport motor 49 and a document set detection sensor 48, and the operation unit 201 is connected to the above-described liquid crystal display 205 and various input keys 45.

That is, the main controller 40 includes:
An operation unit 201 for displaying to an operator and setting functions from the operator; an image processing unit (IPU) 41 for controlling a scanner, controlling writing of a document image in an image memory, and forming an image from the image memory; A distributed control apparatus such as an apparatus (ADF) 101 is connected.

Further, the main controller 40 is connected to a plurality of image forming apparatuses and has information on the configuration and function of the apparatus.
A connection controller 42 for transmitting and receiving information related to operation control is connected. Main controller 40
Obtains information of another image forming apparatus connected via the connection controller 42 and controls the connection operation by setting the operation, or receives a request from the other connected image forming apparatus. Accept and execute operation control of own machine. In addition, at the time of this connection operation, storage devices are allocated as described later. Further, the respective distributed control devices and the main controller 40 exchange device statuses and operation commands as needed.

By the way, in executing the copy mode, the main controller 40 performs a paper transport process, an electrophotographic process process, an abnormal state and a paper cassette state (for example, presence or absence of paper) in order to form an image in the image writing section. In order to read images in the in-flight monitoring and image reading unit,
Controllers for controlling the operation of the scanner and the ON / OFF of the light source are collectively referred to. In addition, recent digital PP
In C, not only one extended function but also a plurality of applications have been installed simultaneously. As described above, a digital PPC sharing one resource may be expressed as a system, and a controller for controlling the system may be expressed as a main controller.

Next, the configuration and operation of the image processing unit (IPU) 41 in FIG. 4 will be described. FIG.
Is an image processing unit (I) according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a PU) 41 and a connection state with related parts. First, the irradiation light from the exposure lamp irradiates the original surface and is imaged on the CCD image sensor 138 of the reading unit 106 (see FIG. 1) by an imaging lens (not shown). The CCD image sensor 138 of the reading unit 106 photoelectrically converts the received document image to generate image data (analog electric signal), and this image data is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 61, and is then subjected to shading. After the shading correction is performed by the correction circuit 62, the MTF / γ correction circuit 63
TF correction and γ correction are performed. Then, the image signal is enlarged or reduced in accordance with the magnification by the magnification processing circuit 72, and is passed to the selector 64.

The selector 64 sends the image data input via the scaling processing circuit 72 to the memory controller 65.
Alternatively, it is switched and supplied to the write γ correction circuit 71. The image signal that has passed through the writing γ correction circuit 71 is subjected to writing γ correction in accordance with the image forming conditions, and is sent to the writing unit 117 (see FIG. 1).

Between the memory controller 65 and the selector 64, image data can be input and output bidirectionally. The image processing unit (IPU) 41 has an I / O as well as image data input from the reading unit 106.
It has a function of selecting input and output of a plurality of data so that image data supplied from the outside via the O port 67 and the SCSI driver, for example, data input from a data processing device such as a personal computer can be processed. Shall be

An image processing unit (IPU) 41
Indicates various information (commands) to the memory controller 65 and the like.
And a CPU 68 for controlling the reading unit 106 and the writing unit 117.
8 and a ROM 69 storing programs and data
AM70. Further, the CPU 68 is configured to be able to write or read data in the image memory 66 via the memory controller 65.

The connection I / F 48 is connected to a data bus of the memory controller 65 for transmitting and receiving image information.
It is configured to be able to input and output data. The image information is transferred via the image memory 66 according to the data transfer speed between the image forming apparatuses. That is, at the time of image output, after image data is stored in the image memory 66 from the memory controller 65, data is sequentially read from the image memory 66 in accordance with the data transfer speed between the image forming apparatuses, and
The data is transferred to F48. When inputting an image, the image data transferred from the connection I / F 48 is stored in the image memory 66.
After that, the image data is processed in the apparatus from the image memory 66 via the memory controller 65. With this configuration, the connection operation is realized without being restricted by the functions of the image forming apparatus.

The image sent to the memory controller 65 as an original image is compressed by an image compression device in the memory controller 65, and then compressed by the image memory 66.
Sent to Here, the reason for compressing the image is that it is possible to write the data of 256 gradations corresponding to the maximum original size directly into the image memory 66, but since the image memory 66 is frequently used for one original image, the image compression Is performed to effectively utilize the limited capacity. Also,
Since many document images can be stored at one time, the stored document image data can be output in page order as a sorting function. When outputting this image, the data in the image memory 66 is stored in the memory controller 65.
Output while sequentially expanding by the expansion device inside. Such a function is generally called “electronic sort”.

Further, by utilizing the function of the image memory 66, it is possible to sequentially write a plurality of original images in an area of the image memory 66 obtained by dividing one recording paper area.
For example, four original images are recorded on the recording paper 1 of the image memory 66.
By sequentially writing the data into the four equally divided areas of the sheet, the four originals are combined into one recording paper image, and an integrated copy output can be performed. Such a function is generally called “aggregated copy”.

The image in the image memory 66 is stored in the CPU 68.
It is configured to be accessible from. Therefore, the contents of the image memory 66 can be processed, and for example, an image thinning process, an image cutout process, and the like can be performed.
For processing, the image memory 66 can be processed by writing data to the register of the memory controller 65. The processed image is stored in the image memory 66 again.
Is held.

The contents of the image memory 66 are stored in the CPU 68.
Can be read and transferred as image data 73 to the operation unit 201 via the I / O port 67. Generally, since the screen display resolution of the operation unit 201 is low, the original image in the image memory 66 is sent to the operation unit 201 after the image is thinned out. The image memory 6
The storage device 6 may use a storage device such as a hard disk to store a large amount of image data. The use of a hard disk also has the advantage that an external power supply is unnecessary and images can be held permanently. Generally, a hard disk is used to read and hold a plurality of fixed originals (format originals) with a scanner.

Next, the memory controller 65 and the image memory 66 in FIG. 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the data input / output control unit (memory controller 65) and the image memory 66. The image memory 66 is also connected to individual storage devices.

The data input / output control unit (memory controller 65) includes an input data selector 75, an image synthesizing unit 76,
It has a primary compression / expansion unit 77, an output data selector 78, and a secondary compression / expansion unit 79. The setting of the control data in each of the above sections is performed by the CPU 68. FIG.
Indicate the address and data of the image data, and the data and address of the control data connected to the CPU 68 are omitted.

The image memory 66 includes a primary storage device 80 and a secondary storage device 81. Primary storage device 80
For example, high-speed access to a DRAM or the like is possible so that writing to the image memory 66 or reading from the image memory 66 at the time of image output can be performed at high speed substantially in synchronization with the transfer speed of input image data. Use things. Further, the primary storage device 80 has a configuration (not shown, but an interface unit with the memory controller 65) capable of simultaneously executing input / output of image data by dividing the image into a plurality of areas according to the size of image data to be processed. )have.

The secondary storage device 81 is a large-capacity memory for storing data for synthesizing and electronically sorting input images. If elements that can be accessed at high speed are used for both the primary storage device 80 and the secondary storage device 81, data processing can be performed without distinction between the primary storage device 80 and the secondary storage device 81, and the control of the memory controller 65 can be performed. Although relatively simple, elements such as the DRAM are expensive, so that the access speed of the primary storage device 806 is set to be high and input / output data is processed. Note that, like the primary storage device 80, the secondary storage device 81
Of course, a high-speed element such as a RAM may be used.

When the secondary storage device 81 is substantially synchronized with the data transfer speed required at the time of image input / output and data cannot be written / read, for example, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, etc. Even when the storage medium is used, the input and output of data to and from the secondary storage device 81 can be performed by interposing the primary storage device 80.
The configuration is such that processing according to the data transfer capability of the secondary storage device 81 can be performed.

Here, specific usage examples of the primary storage device 80 and the secondary storage device 81 in each application will be described with reference to the following six examples.

(Example 1) One copy in copy application In the case of one copy, first, image data from a scanner (reading unit 106) is input to the primary storage device 80. Then, the data is output to the image forming unit at substantially the same timing, but at the same time, the data is stored in the secondary storage device 81. When the image formation is completed normally, the data stored in the secondary storage device 81 is deleted without being used, but when a jam (paper jam, conveyance failure) or the like occurs, the secondary storage device 81 is deleted. By reading the image data from the scanner, it is not necessary to read the image again from the scanner after the occurrence of the jam.

(Example 2) Sorting in copy application (multiple copy) In the case of two or more copies, first, the image data from the scanner (reading unit 106) is first stored in the primary storage device 80.
Is input to The copy of the first copy is output from the primary storage device 80 to the image forming unit in the same manner as in the above (Example 1).
The data is also stored in the secondary storage device 81. By outputting the image data of the second copy and thereafter to the secondary storage device 81 → the primary storage device 80 → the image forming unit, the reading of the scanner by the second copy and thereafter becomes unnecessary. When the necessary number of copies have been completed, the image data stored in the secondary storage device 81 is deleted.

(Example 3) Image Storage from Scanner In this case, image data from the scanner is stored in the secondary storage device 81 via the primary storage device 80. At this time, the image data remains stored unless intentional memory erasure is performed.

(Example 4) Printing from an external input device (for example, a personal computer) This is almost the same as the above (Example 1) and (Example 2), and the input source of the image data is not a scanner but an external input. Device.

(Example 5) Image storage from an external input device In this case, the operation is almost the same as in the above (Example 3), and the input source of the image data is not the scanner but the external input device.

(Example 6) Printing of Stored Images When printing the images stored in the above (Example 3) and (Example 5), the images are printed by the secondary storage device 81 → primary storage device 80 → image forming section. You.

Next, an outline of the operation of the memory controller 65 will be described. Here, an example in which the secondary storage device 81 cannot write / read data substantially in synchronization with the data transfer speed required at the time of image input / output will be described.

First, image input (storage in the image memory 66) will be described. The input data selector 75 selects an image memory (primary storage device 80) from a plurality of data.
Select the image data to be written into the memory. The image data selected by the input data selector 75 is supplied to the image synthesizing unit 76, and is synthesized with the data already stored in the image memory 66 by the image synthesizing unit 76 as needed. The image data processed by the image synthesis unit 76 is
The data is compressed by the primary compression / decompression unit 77, and the compressed data is written to the primary storage device 80. The data written in the primary storage device 80 is further compressed by the secondary compression / decompression unit 79 as necessary, and then stored in the secondary storage device 81.

Next, image output (reading of image data from the image memory 66) will be described. First, at the time of image output, image data stored in the primary storage device 80 is read. Even when an image to be output is stored in the primary storage device 80, the primary compression / decompression unit 7
7, the image data in the primary storage device 80 is decompressed, and the decompressed data or the data obtained by performing image synthesis of the decompressed data and the input data is output to the output data selector 7.
8. Select and output.

If the image to be output is not stored in the primary storage device 80, the output target image data stored in the secondary storage device 81 is decompressed by the secondary compression / decompression section 79. After writing the decompressed data in the primary storage device 80, the above-described image output operation is performed.

FIG. 8 shows a secondary storage device 8 for effectively using a storage device when executing a plurality of applications.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the example of 1 division. The application 1 uses the divided areas (1) and (1 ′), the application 2 uses the divided areas (2) and (2 ′), and the application 3 uses the divided areas (3) and (3 ′) as storage areas. For example, when the application 1 is copied, the job of the application 1 is executed and uses the divided area (1 ′). In the case of copying, this storage area is used as a temporary buffer, accumulates image data read from the scanner, discards the accumulated image data after the end of the job, and prepares for the next job.

The application 2 saves image data accumulated from a scanner or the like (eg, saves a file).
Specify the file again and use the stored image data,
In the case of a job for performing a print job, this storage area is not a temporary buffer like a copy but a storage area having an accumulation attribute.

As described above, the attributes of the storage area are roughly classified into two types: a "temporary type" and a "storage type". Similarly, on the slave (slave) side of the system in which the image forming apparatuses are connected, two
The storage is divided and operated in the next storage device.

Next, a method of allocating storage areas will be described. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the data input / output unit and the storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Note that here, two storage devices will be described as an example, but the same allocation is possible even when the number of storage devices is expanded to three or more. The input data selector 75 shown in FIG. 6 is included in the data input / output control unit because data selected from a plurality of data is connected to one storage device. Since there are two storage devices 91 and 92, the input data selector 75 has an assignment function for connecting to one of the storage devices. Similarly, for the output data selector 93, the output data is connected to the two storage devices 91 and 92.

That is, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7, a storage device 91 having a primary storage device 95 and a secondary storage device 96 is provided.
And a data input / output control unit 94 and a storage device 92 having a primary storage device 98 and a secondary storage device 99, respectively.
97, and an input data selector 90 for the control unit.
And an output data selector 93 are connected.

Next, the allocation operation of the above-described storage device will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an allocation operation of the storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Here, an operation based on the configuration shown in FIG. 7 will be described. When the processing is executed, first, the storage devices 91 and 9
Then, it is determined whether or not there is a data input / output request with respect to 2 (step S11). Here, when it is determined that there is no data input / output request, the subsequent processing is skipped and the processing ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that there is a data input / output request, the control method of the storage devices 91 and 92 is determined based on the requested parameters (step S12). In this case, the control method includes the type of application, data size, mode,
It is determined how the resources of the storage devices 91 and 92 should be stored based on the necessity of storage.

Subsequently, the use state of the storage devices 91 and 92 is checked based on the result of the determined control method (step S13), and it is determined whether or not there is an unused storage device (step S14). Here, if the storage devices 91 and 92 are both in use, it is determined whether or not the own device is a child device (step S24). If the child device is a child device, an unused storage device exists in step S14. Therefore, a connection mode release command is transmitted to the parent device (step S25), and if it is not a child device, the subsequent processing is skipped and the processing ends.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that there is an unused storage device, the secondary storage device 9
Then, a process (see FIGS. 11 and 12) for determining the allocation destination of the storage device is executed by checking the usage status of the storage devices 6 and 99 (step S15). When the storage device to be allocated is determined in step S15, the allocated storage device and used area are acquired (step S16). By the above acquisition,
The allocated storage device becomes in use.

Subsequently, after the storage device is obtained by the above processing, parameters are set in the storage device as pre-processing for execution (step S17). When all the preparations are completed, a notification of the completion of the data input execution preparation is given (step S18), and it is determined whether or not there is a data input execution request from the request source (step S19). here,
If there is a data input execution request, a data input operation is executed (step S20).

After executing the data input operation, it is determined whether or not the data input has been completed (step S2).
1) When the data input is completed, the storage device is released as post-processing (step S22), and a data input completion notification is finally sent (step S23), and the processing is performed.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the flow of image data in the connection system. Here, the image forming apparatus 100A and the image forming apparatus 100B are connected, and the image forming apparatus 100A is shown as a master (master) and the image forming apparatus 100B is shown as a slave (slave). The configuration of the data input / output unit and the storage device of each of the image forming apparatuses 100A and 100B is the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

The image data shown in FIG. 10 is obtained from, for example, input data 1 to n (capture of image data by scanning at the time of copying) or image data from a scanner or a printer already stored in a secondary storage device. May be output.

The master unit (image forming apparatus 100A) sends the image data to the printing unit by the output data selector 93 from which the image data has been read (output data 1 and 2). 100B), the image data is transmitted on the “concatenated output data” channel. On the slave (image forming apparatus 100B) side, the input data selector 90
Receives the image data. Further, in order to realize the operation of the connection system, there is a command path by the connection controller 42, and control for connection printing is performed via this command path.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a first detailed processing example of step S15 in FIG. That is, when there is an unused storage device, the secondary storage device 96,
An operation of examining the use state of the storage device 99 and determining the allocation destination of the storage device is shown. First, the parent machine (image forming apparatus 100)
It is determined whether the process is the storage device allocation process of A) (step S31). That is, optimal allocation processing for the storage devices of the master unit and the slave unit is executed.

If it is determined in step S31 that the process is for allocating the secondary storage devices 96 and 99 of the parent device,
Check the application type of the job (step S3
2). Specifically, it is determined whether the designated job is a “copy application”, a “storage application” for printing a storage file, or a “printer application”. As described with reference to FIG. 8, the secondary storage devices 96 and 99 may be internally divided and managed based on these pieces of information, and the above information becomes basic data for storage device allocation. .

Subsequently, allocation is performed based on the application type of the job and the attribute of the image data checked in step S32 (step S33). That is, if the storage device is divided by application,
Assign to storage areas having the same application type.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that the process is for allocating to the storage device of the child device, the attribute of the image data of the job specified by the parent device is determined (step S34). Then, it is determined whether the attribute of the image data is of the accumulation type (step S35). That is, it is determined whether the attribute of the image data is a “storage type” (Yes) using the stored image data or a “temporary type” that is discarded after the job ends.

If it is determined in step S35 that the attribute of the image data is the accumulation type (Yes), the image data is allocated to a storage area in which the attribute of the image data is the temporary type (step S36). On the other hand, when it is determined that the data used in the job of the parent machine is of a temporary type (No),
Proceeding to step S32, the same storage device as that of the parent machine is allocated.

Here, a situation where the above-described control is required will be described. For example, "Contents of job to be executed on master unit"
Is a storage type in which image data used in the job uses stored image data, and the application name is a print application of a stored file. In this case, in the assignment of the master unit, the storage device in which the stored image data exists and the storage area are assigned, but in the case of the slave unit, the same assignment rule is applied since the image data is transferred from the master unit. Trouble occurs.

When the assignment of the slave unit is performed in the same manner as that of the master unit, an area having the storage attribute of the slave unit or an area having the attribute of the same application is assigned, and the image data transferred from the master unit is assigned. , Accumulated in that area,
Since the same data is double owned by the master unit and the slave unit, it is difficult to efficiently use the storage device.

Therefore, in this embodiment, as described above, the allocation of the storage area in the slave unit is controlled so as to select the storage area for handling the image data of the temporary attribute, so that the image transferred from the master unit is selected. All data is stored in a storage area having a temporary type attribute on the child device side, and the image data transferred after executing the job is deleted. Thus, in the image forming apparatus connection system, particularly, optimal allocation of storage devices (storage devices to be used and storage areas to be used) and effective use of the storage devices are realized in the slave unit.

By the way, in the flowchart of FIG.
Although the case where the division management of the storage device is divided for each application has been described, even when the division is performed based on the attribute of the image data, in the image forming apparatus connection system, particularly, the optimal storage device on the slave unit side is used. (Storage devices to be used and storage areas to be used) and effective use of the storage devices are realized. Hereinafter, this processing example will be described.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing a second detailed processing example of step S15 in FIG. 9, wherein steps S32 and S33 in FIG. 11 are replaced with steps S42 and S43. I have. Hereinafter, a series of processes will be described.

First, it is determined whether or not the process is for allocating a storage device of the parent machine (image forming apparatus 100A) (step S41). That is, optimal allocation processing for the storage devices of the master unit and the slave unit is executed. Step S
If it is determined in step S31 that the process is the allocation process of the secondary storage devices 96 and 99 of the parent machine, the attribute (image storage type or temporary type) of the image data of the job content is checked (step S42). Subsequently, a storage area having the same attribute as that of the image data checked in step S42 is allocated (step S43).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 that the process is an allocation process for the storage device of the child device, the attribute of the image data of the job specified by the parent device is determined (step S44). Then, it is determined whether or not the attribute of the image data is of the accumulation type (step S45). That is, it is determined whether the attribute of the image data is a “storage type” (Yes) using the stored image data or a “temporary type” that is discarded after the job ends.

If it is determined in step S45 that the attribute of the image data is the accumulation type (Yes), the image data is assigned to a storage area in which the attribute of the image data is temporary (step S46). On the other hand, when it is determined that the data used in the job of the parent machine is of a temporary type (No),
Proceeding to step S43, the same storage device as that of the parent machine is allocated.

[0098]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus connection system according to the present invention (claim 1), when a connecting operation using a plurality of image forming apparatuses is performed, a master machine (master machine) is used. And the slave unit (slave unit) independently assign storage means based on different assignment rules, for example, store the input image information in the storage unit of the master unit, and discard the image information in the slave unit after executing the job. By applying the allocation rule as described above, it becomes possible to effectively use the storage means of each of the master unit and the slave unit without duplication, so that a plurality of memory shared resources can be When used simultaneously between image forming apparatuses, the storage device can be used efficiently.

Further, according to the image forming apparatus connection system according to the present invention (claim 2), when performing a connection operation using a plurality of image forming apparatuses, particularly, a slave unit (child unit)
In contrast, by controlling to select a storage area for handling temporary attribute image information to be discarded after the job is completed, all image information is stored in the storage area having a temporary attribute on the slave unit side, and after execution of the job, In order to discard the image information and avoid possession of the same image information in the master unit and the slave unit, it is possible to effectively utilize the storage device used and the storage area used in the slave unit.

According to the image forming apparatus connection system of the present invention, the storage area of the storage means is allocated to each application such as a copy application, a storage printing application for printing a storage file, and a printer application. By controlling the storage of image information based on this allocation, control such as storage / discarding of image information suitable for the attribute of the application can be easily performed. The area can be used efficiently.

Further, according to the image forming apparatus connection system of the present invention, the attribute of the image information of the job content is checked, and based on the attribute, for example, allocation of whether to save or discard after executing the job is performed. By performing the above operation, control such as saving / discarding of image information suitable for the attribute of the image information of the job content can be easily performed, so that the storage device used by the slave unit and the storage area used by the slave unit during the connection operation can be efficiently used. can do.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a digital copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a display screen of a liquid crystal display in the operation unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the digital copying machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an image processing unit (IPU) according to the embodiment of the present invention and a connection state with related parts.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a data input / output control unit (memory controller) and an image memory.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data input / output unit and a storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of division of a secondary storage device for effectively using the storage device when executing a plurality of applications.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an allocation operation of the storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a flow of image data in the connection system.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a first detailed processing example of step S15 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a second detailed processing example of step S15 in FIG. 9;

[Explanation of symbols]

 65 Memory controller 66 Image memory 75, 90 Input data selector 78, 93 Output data selector 80, 95, 98 Primary storage 81, 96, 99 Secondary storage 91, 92 Storage 94, 97 Data input / output control unit 100A Image forming apparatus (parent machine) 100B Image forming apparatus (child machine)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/00 C (72) Inventor Norio Michiya 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo No. Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Junji Inagawa 1-3-6, Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Incorporation Ricoh Co., Ltd. No.Investor Ricoh F-term (reference) 2C061 AP01 HH03 HJ08 HK11 HN05 HN23 HN24 2C087 AA09 AB06 BB10 BC02 BC04 BC05 BC14 BD40 DA02 5B021 AA30 DD00 EE02 EE04 5C062 AA05 AA35 AB22 AB38 AB42 AC03 A04 AC04

Claims (4)

[Claims] A plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other, a master machine and a slave machine are determined by a user operation, and the master machine supplies image information to the slave machines to perform parallel printing. An image input unit for inputting image information on a job-by-job basis, a first storage unit for storing the image information, and a first storage unit divided into a plurality of storage areas. A storage unit having at least one set of a second storage unit for selectively inputting and outputting the image information input to the master unit; and a storage unit and a storage area used for the job when the job is executed. And a memory input / output control means for applying and controlling different allocation rules between the slave device and the slave device. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory input / output control unit stores the image information in a storage area having an attribute of discarding after completion of a job when the connection mode is set and the image information is printed in parallel by a plurality of image forming apparatuses. The image forming apparatus connection system according to claim 1, wherein the connection is performed. 3. The image forming apparatus connection system according to claim 1, wherein the storage area of the storage unit is allocated in units of an application type of the job. 4. The image forming apparatus connection system according to claim 1, wherein the storage area of the storage unit is allocated based on an attribute of image information of the job content.