JPH09167066A - Image forming apparatus and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Problem] When the processing capability of a plurality of control means is superior or inferior,
It takes time for the compressed data to be decompressed by the control means having poor processing capability. A CP that receives compressed data from an external device (not shown) via a serial interface 1011 and has a processing capability inferior to that of a CPU 1001.
When transferring to U1002, CPU 1001 decompresses the data. When transferring to the CPU 1014 having the same processing capability, the compressed data is transferred as it is, and C
The PU 1014 decompresses the data.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of control means having different processing capabilities and forming an image under the control of each control means, and a control method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a storage medium such as a ROM has been used as a storage means for storing control commands for controlling an image forming apparatus, but in recent years, a rewritable storage medium such as a flash ROM has been used. It started to come. Rewriting is possible by transferring data from an external device such as a host computer to this rewritable storage medium.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, as the control of the image forming apparatus becomes plural and the scale becomes large, the control of the image forming apparatus becomes plural.
The number of cases of configuring by PU) is increasing. In such a case, the transfer amount of rewriting data to be transferred becomes huge,
Even if the amount of data to be transferred is reduced due to data compression or the like, and the transfer time is shortened, if each CPU has superior or inferior processing power, for example, a CPU with inferior processing time will take time to decompress compressed data There was a drawback that it cost.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and provides an image forming apparatus and a control method therefor capable of converting received data in accordance with its processing capability and enabling high-speed processing. To aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the control method of the image forming apparatus of the present invention has the following steps.

That is, a method of controlling an image forming apparatus having a plurality of control means having different processing capacities and forming an image under the control of each control means, wherein data transfer is performed between the plurality of control means. And a data conversion step of performing data conversion of the data transferred in the data transfer step according to the processing capabilities of the plurality of control means.

In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention has the following structure.

That is, an image forming apparatus having a plurality of control means having different processing capabilities and forming an image under the control of each control means, the data transfer means transferring data between the plurality of control means, Data conversion means for converting the data transferred by the data transfer means according to the processing capabilities of the plurality of control means.

In such a configuration, when data is transferred between a plurality of control means and an image is formed, it operates so as to perform data conversion of the data to be transferred according to the processing capacity of each control means.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, and the reader unit 1 and the printer unit 2 will be separately described below.

In the reader unit 1, the document feeding device 101
The originals placed on top of the original are placed one by one on the original table glass surface 10
2 is transported to above. When the document is conveyed to a predetermined position on the platen glass surface 102, the lamp 103 of the scanner unit is turned on and the scanner unit 104 moves to illuminate the document. The reflected light from the document is reflected by the mirrors 105, 106, 10
7. CCD image sensor unit 10 via lens 108
9 (hereinafter referred to as CCD). CCD10
The reflected light or the transmitted light of the document applied to 9 is photoelectrically converted here, and the converted electric signal is sent to the image processing unit 110.

In the image processing section 110, various image processings set by the operation section described later are performed. Further, it has an image memory and also has a function of rotating the output direction of the image.
Further, an external switching function for selecting a signal from the reader unit 1 or a signal from a system image forming unit (not shown) for converting an image signal of data from an external device such as PDL to connect to the printer unit 2 It also has a circuit.

The electric signal connected to the printer unit 2 by the external switching circuit of the image processing unit 110 is transferred to the exposure control unit 20.
The light signal is converted into an optical signal modulated by 1 to irradiate the photoconductor 202. The latent image formed on the photoconductor 202 by the irradiation light is developed by the developing device 203. The transfer paper stacking unit 204 or 205 is also used in conjunction with the timing of this development leading edge.
The transfer paper is conveyed, and the above-described developed image is transferred by the transfer unit 206. The transferred image is fixed on the transfer paper by the fixing unit 207, and then discharged from the paper output unit 208 to the outside of the apparatus. Here, the transfer paper output from the paper output unit 208 is passed to the sorter 220. The sorter 220 operates to discharge the trays 2202 to 2208 in order when the sort function is working, and basically discharges to the uppermost tray 2201 when the sort function is not working.

Next, a method for outputting sequentially read images on both sides of one output sheet will be described. Fixing unit 207
After the output paper sheet fixed by is once conveyed to the discharge unit 208, the conveyance direction of the paper sheet is reversed, and the conveyance direction switching member 2
The sheet is conveyed to the re-transferred transfer sheet stacking section 210 via 09. When the next original is prepared, the original image is read in the same manner as in the above process, but the transfer paper is fed from the re-transferred transfer paper stacking section 210, so that the same output paper surface is eventually obtained. , Two document images can be output on the back side.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the operation unit in this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 301 denotes a display unit that displays the operating state of the device, various messages, and the like. The surface of the display unit 301 is formed of a touch panel, and touching the surface serves as a selection key.
A numeral key 302 is a key for inputting a numeral. Reference numeral 303 denotes a start key, and the copy operation is started by pressing this key.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the image forming apparatus 100. In the figure, reference numeral 1001 denotes a CPU that performs basic control of the entire apparatus,
O) The port 1003, the flash ROM 1004 in which the control program is written, the work RAM 1005 used at the time of executing the process, the display of the operation unit 300, and the key display control unit 1006 for controlling the key input are provided by an address bus and a data bus. It is connected. Where the CPU
Reference numeral 1001 sequentially controls input / output according to the contents of the flash ROM 1004 to execute an image forming operation, and
The key input information of the operation unit 300 is received from the key display control unit 1006. In addition, the key display control unit 1006 is instructed to display the state of the device 100 and the operation mode setting by key input, and controls the display of the operation unit 300.

The image forming apparatus 100 also has a CPU 1002 for controlling the operation of various motors and the like.
The drive control of the motor and the like is performed according to the instruction 01. Also, C
A flash ROM 1008 in which a control program is written in the PU 1002, and a work R used when executing processing
The AM 1009 and the input / output (I / O) port 1010 are connected by an address bus and a data bus. Various control motors are connected to the input / output port 1010 as needed. Then, the CPU 1002 and the CPU 1
001 performs data communication in the phase direction via a dual port RAM 1007 as an interface means. Further, the CPU 1001 receives a P from an external device via a dual port RAM 1013 as an interface unit.
Data communication is performed with the CPU 1014 that converts data such as DL into an image signal.

When the CPU 1014 receives PDL data from an external device such as a host computer (personal computer), the PDL code is converted into image data, and an image forming process is performed by the CPU 1001 as image forming unit control means via the dual port RAM 1013. Request, CPU1
The image data is output to the printer unit 2 in synchronization with the control of 001. Further, the CPU 1014 has a flash ROM 1015 in which a control program is written, a RAM 1016 used for executing a process at the time of execution and expanding a PDL code into image data, and an input / output (I / O) port 1017 as an address bus and It is connected by a data bus. A control port for receiving data such as a PDL code from an external device is connected to the input / output port 1017.

The CPU 1001 also performs data communication with an external device such as a personal computer via the serial interface 1011. Then, data received from an external device (not shown) such as a personal computer via the serial interface 1011 is analyzed, and the device 100 according to the analysis result is analyzed.
The data in is transmitted to an external device. Also, the data in the flash ROM is rewritten by the data received from the external device.

Here, the above-mentioned CPUs 1001 and 101
A CPU 4 has a higher processing capacity than the CPU 1002. In the present embodiment, the decompression process for decompressing the compressed data is executed by the CPU having a high processing capability due to the difference in the processing capability of each CPU.

Next, the process of rewriting the data in the flash ROM will be described.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the data rewriting process of the flash ROM in this embodiment. Note that this process is a process performed when the power of the CPU 1001 is turned on.

First, in step S101, each flash ROM 1004, 1
It is determined whether the rewriting of 008 and 1015 has been interrupted or whether the rewriting process has failed. Here, when the rewriting of the flash ROM 1008, 1015 is suspended, the CPU 1002, 1014 reads the dual port R
Information is notified to the CPU 1001 via the AMs 1007 and 1013, respectively. If it is determined from this notification that the rewriting is interrupted, the control data in each flash ROM is not guaranteed, and thus step S106 described below is performed.
And the flash ROM rewrite mode is executed. The determination as to whether the rewriting of the flash ROM 1004 is suspended will be described later.

If the rewriting is not interrupted in step S101, the process proceeds to step S102, and it is determined whether or not the install mode is designated. here,
If the installation mode is not specified, step S
Proceed to 105 to execute the normal mode. If the install mode is designated, the process proceeds to step S103, and the information of the flash ROM to be installed in the install mode is read. Then, in a succeeding step S104, the version is compared with a newly installed version. Here, if the versions match, it is not necessary to install, so the process proceeds to step S105, and the normal mode is executed. However, if the versions do not match in step S104, the process proceeds to step S106, and the flash ROM rewrite mode is executed.

In step S106, the flash ROMs to be installed are 1004, 1008, 1015.
To judge either. Here, if the flash ROM to be installed is 1004, the process proceeds to step S107, the flash ROM 1004 needs to be rewritten in the operation unit 300, and the flash ROM rewriting mode is being executed, and normal image forming operation cannot be performed. This is displayed to the operator, and the flash ROM 10
The area to be rewritten 04 is erased. Then, again, information indicating that the information in the flash ROM has been erased is set, and the flash ROM 100 is set in step S101 described above.
It is used to judge whether the rewriting of No. 4 is suspended.
For example, by erasing the data of the predetermined address in the flash ROM, it is determined that the rewriting is interrupted when the data of the address is not fixed. As another method, a flag indicating that rewriting is being executed may be set in the nonvolatile RAM.

Next, in step S108, the process waits until the rewrite data sent from the external device via the serial interface 1011 is received. The rewrite data from the external device is divided and sent in a unit that can be processed internally, for example, a unit of 256 bytes. Also,
The data is sent after being compressed into a shorter data code in order to shorten the transfer time. This compression is performed by, for example, the Lempel-Zip method. Then, step S
When the rewriting data is received at 108, step S109
Then, the compressed data code is decompressed into the original data. Then, in step S110, step S10
The data decompressed in 9 is written in a predetermined address of the flash ROM 1004, and in the following step S111, it is determined whether or not the rewriting data has been performed up to the final data. Here, if the final data has not been processed, step S108.
Then, the above process is repeated. After that, when the final data is rewritten, the flash ROM described above
Clears the information indicating that the information has been deleted, and proceeds to step S119.

In step S119, the checksum of the data in the flash ROM that has just been rewritten is calculated, and it is determined whether the rewriting is completed normally. Here, if the rewriting is normally completed, the process is ended, but if the rewriting is not normally ended, the process proceeds to step S120, and the process is ended while leaving the abnormally ended information. This abnormally terminated information may be written in a predetermined address in the flash ROM. It may also be written in a non-volatile RAM.

In step S106 described above,
If the flash ROM to be installed is 1008,
A display indicating to the operator that the flash ROM 1008 needs to be rewritten in the operation unit 300 and that the normal image forming operation cannot be performed because the flash ROM 1008 rewriting mode is being executed is displayed. Then, via the dual port RAM 1007, the CPU 1002 is instructed to erase the rewritten area of the flash ROM 1008. At this time, the CPU 1002 is the CPU 1 described above.
As in the case of 001, information indicating that the information in the flash ROM 1008 has been erased is set, and step S
It is used to judge that the rewriting of the flash ROM in 101 is interrupted.

Next, the process proceeds to step S112 and waits until the rewrite data sent from the external device via the serial interface 1011 is received. The rewrite data from the external device is divided and sent in a unit that can be processed internally, for example, a unit of 256 bytes. Also,
The data is sent after being compressed into a shorter data code in order to shorten the transfer time. This compression is performed by, for example, the Lempel-Zip method. Then, step S
When the rewriting data is received at 112, step S113
Then, the compressed data code is decompressed into the original data. Then, in step S114, step S11
The data decompressed in 3 is transferred to the CPU 1002 via the dual port RAM 1007. On the other hand, CPU
The CPU 1002 is a dual port RAM 1007.
Data sent from 1001 is flash ROM1
Write to a predetermined address of 008.

After transmitting the data in step S114, the CPU 1001 proceeds to step S115 to determine whether or not the rewriting data has been performed up to the final data. Here, if the final data has not been processed, step S112.
Then, the above process is repeated. After that, when the processing is performed up to the final data, the CPU 1002 is notified that the writing up to the final data is completed. Thereby, C
The PU 1002 clears the information indicating that the inside of the flash ROM has been erased. Then, the process proceeds to step S119 described above.

Further, in step S106 described above,
If the flash ROM to be installed is 1015,
A display indicating to the operator that it is necessary to rewrite the flash ROM 1015 in the operation unit 300, that the flash ROM 1015 rewriting mode is being executed, and the PDL print operation cannot be performed is displayed. At this time, the copy operation may be performed normally. And dual port R
Flash RO to CPU 1014 via AM 1013
Instruct to erase the rewritten area of M1015. At this time, the CPU 1014 is the CPU 1001 described above.
In the same manner as in step S101, information indicating that the information in the flash ROM 1015 has been erased is set, and step S101
It is used to judge that the rewriting of the flash ROM has been interrupted.

Next, in step S116, the process waits until the rewrite data sent from the external device via the serial interface 1011 is received. The rewrite data from the external device is divided and sent in a unit that can be processed internally, for example, a unit of 256 bytes. Also,
The data is sent after being compressed into a shorter data code in order to shorten the transfer time. This compression is performed by, for example, the Lempel-Zip method. Then, step S
When the rewrite data is received at 116, step S117
To the dual port RAM 101.
The data is transferred to the CPU 1014 via On the other hand, C
The PU 1014 decompresses the data code sent from the CPU 1001 via the dual port RAM 1013 into the original data, and writes the decompressed data code in a predetermined address of the flash ROM 1015.

After transmitting the data in step S117, the CPU 1001 proceeds to step S118 to determine whether or not the rewriting data has been performed up to the final data. Here, if the final data has not been processed, step S116.
Then, the above process is repeated. After that, when the processing is performed up to the final data, the CPU 1014 is notified that the writing up to the final data is completed. Thereby, C
The PU 1014 clears the information indicating that the flash ROM has been erased. Then, the process proceeds to step S119 described above.

In the present embodiment, decompression of compressed data was described as the data conversion means, but it can be similarly applied to other data conversion processing such as decryption of encrypted data.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when the control of the image forming apparatus is constituted by a plurality of control means (CPU) and the processing capacities of the CPUs greatly differ, compression or encryption is performed. By implementing the restoration process such as decompressing the extracted data with a processing device having a high processing capability, the data transfer process can be performed in a shorter time.

Even when the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (eg, host computer, interface device, reader, printer, etc.), a device composed of one device (eg, copying machine, facsimile) Device). Further, an object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium recording a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus, and a computer (or a CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus. It is needless to say that is also achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the OS (operating system) running on the computer is operated based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that it also includes the case where the system) performs a part or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion board inserted into the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that a case where the CPU provided in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs a part or all of the actual processing and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments is also included.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The received data is converted according to the processing capacity, and high-speed processing becomes possible.

[0043]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an operation unit in the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system in the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1001 CPU1 1002 CPU2 1004 Flash ROM 1006 Key display control unit 1007 Dual port RAM 1008 Flash ROM 1011 Serial interface 1013 Dual port RAM 1014 CPU3 1015 Flash ROM

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having a plurality of control means having different processing capabilities and forming an image under the control of each control means, the data transfer means transferring data between the plurality of control means. An image forming apparatus, comprising: a data conversion unit that performs data conversion of data transferred by the data transfer unit according to processing capacities of the plurality of control units. 2. The image forming method according to claim 1, wherein the data conversion unit performs data conversion of data when the processing capability of the transfer destination control unit is lower than the processing capability of the transfer source control unit. apparatus. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising receiving means for receiving data. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the data conversion is a decompression process of compressed data. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the data conversion is a decryption process of encrypted data. 6. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, comprising a plurality of control means having different processing capacities, and forming an image under the control of each control means, the data transfer comprising transferring data between the plurality of control means. A method of controlling an image forming apparatus, comprising: a step; and a data conversion step of performing data conversion of data to be transferred in the data transfer step according to processing capacities of the plurality of control means. 7. The image forming method according to claim 6, wherein the data converting step performs data conversion of the data when the processing capacity of the transfer destination control means is lower than the processing capacity of the transfer source control means. Device control method. 8. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a receiving step of receiving data. 9. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data conversion is a decompression process of compressed data. 10. The method of controlling an image forming apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data conversion is a decryption process of encrypted data.