Image processor

• US 20020018244A1
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yuji, Tone, Takeharu, Yoshizawa, Fumio, Oteki, Sugitaka, Kawamoto, Hiroyuki, Miyazaki, Shinya, Ishii, Rie, Fukuda, Hiroaki, Miyazaki, Hideto, Namizuka, Yoshiyuki, Nomizu, Yasuyuki, Satoh, Takako
• Granted Patent: US 6,900,909 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00915 Assigning priority to, or interrupting, a particular operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32502 in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32512 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32561 using a programmed control device, e.g. a microprocessor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32587 Controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32603 Multi-bus systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device

Abstract

An image processor has a controller unit connected to at least one of functional units such as an image reading unit, detects a source of input of image data according to a network I/F or a parallel bus I/F. An image-memory access control section transmits the image data input from each of the functional units to a memory group and also transmits the image data stored in the memory group to the functional unit. A system controller controls the overall apparatus and also controls the image-memory access control section according to the input source of the image data to determine an order of transmitting the image data to the memory group.

Claims

1. An image processor comprising:

image memory which stores image data;

an image memory control unit which is connected to an image reading unit for reading image data, and/or an image processing unit for processing and editing image data, and/or an image writing unit for writing image data to transfer paper or the like;

receives first image data read-in by said image reading unit and/or second image data subjected to image processing by said image processingunit;

transmits the first image data and/or the second image data to said image memory; and

transmits the image data stored in said image memory to said image processing unit and/or said image writing unit;

a system control unit which controls transmission or reception of control signals used in each of said units or between said units; and

a source detection unit which detects a source of image data to said image memory control unit;

wherein

said system control unit controls said image memory control unit according to the source of the image data detected by said source detection unit, and determines a transmission order of the image data to said image memory.

2. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein said image memory control unit is connected to said one or more units through an image data control unit,

wherein said image data control unit performs transmission or reception of image data between said image memory control unit and said one or more units.

3. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein said image memory, said image memory control unit, and said system control unit are formed as a discrete controller unit.

4. The image processor according to claim 1, wherein said image memory control unit has a bus control unit for controlling a bus connected to said one or more units.

5. The image processor according to claim 1 further comprising:

an image data compression unit which compresses the image data; and

a volume determination unit which determines whether the amount of the image data is larger than a predetermined volume,

wherein said image memory control unit provides controls so as to transmit the image data to said image data compression unit when said volume determination unit determines that the image data is larger than said predetermined volume.

6. The image processor according to claim 1 further comprising:

an image data expansion unit which expands the image data; and

a compression determination unit which determines whether the image data has been compressed, wherein said image memory control unit provides controls so as to transmit the image data to said image data expansion unit when said compression determination unit determines that the image data has been compressed.

7. An image processor comprising:

an image reading unit which acquires an image data;

an image processing unit which processes the image data acquired by said image reading unit;

an image memory which stores the image data acquired by said image reading unit or the image data processed by said image processing unit;

an image memory control unit which receives data sent from said image reading unit or image processing unit, and receives the data sent from said image memory and transmits it to said image reading unit or image processing unit;

a system control unit which controls transmission or reception of data by said image memory control unit; and

a detection unit which detects which one of said image reading unit or image processing unit has transmitted the image data to said image memory control unit,

wherein said system control unit controls said image memory control unit based on the detected source of the image, and determines the order in which the image data is to be transmitted to said image memory.

8. An image processor comprising:

image memory for storing image data;

an image memory control means which is connected to an image reading means for reading image data, and/or an image processing means for processing and editing image data, and/or an image writing means for writing image data to transfer paper or the like;

receives first image data read-in by said image reading means and/or second image data subjected to image processing by said image processing means;

transmits the first image data and/or the second image data to said image memory; and

transmits the image data stored in said image memory to said image processing means and/or said image writing means;

a system control means for controlling transmission or reception of control signals used in each of said units or between said means; and

a source detection means for detecting a source of image data to said image memory control means;

wherein

said system control means controls said image memory control means according to the source of the image data detected by said source detection means, and determines a transmission order of the image data to said image memory.

9. The image processor according to claim 8, wherein said image memory control means is connected to said one or more means through an image data control means,

wherein said image data control means performs transmission or reception of image data between said image memory control means and said one or more means.

10. The image processor according to claim 8, wherein said image memory, said image memory control means, and said system control means are formed as a discrete controller means.

11. The image processor according to claim 8, wherein said image memory control means has a bus control means for controlling a bus connected to said one or more means.

12. The image processor according to claim 8 further comprising:

an image data compression means for compressing the image data; and

a volume determination means for determining whether the amount of the image data is larger than a predetermined volume,

wherein said image memory control means provides controls so as to transmit the image data to said image data compression means when said volume determination means determines that the image data is larger than said predetermined volume.

13. The image processor according to claim 8 further comprising:

an image data expansion means for expanding the image data; and

a compression determination means for determining whether the image data has been compressed, wherein

said image memory control means provides controls so as to transmit the image data to said image data expansion means when said compression determination means determines that the image data has been compressed.

14. An image processor comprising:

an image reading means for acquiring an image data;

an image processing means for processing the image data acquired by said image reading means;

an image memory for storing the image data acquired by said image reading means or the image data processed by said image processing means;

an image memory control means for receiving data sent from said image reading means or image processing means, and receives the data sent from said image memory and transmits it to said image reading means or image processing means;

a system control means for controlling transmission or reception of data by said image memory control means; and

a detection means for detecting which one of said image reading means t or image processing means has transmitted the image data to said image memory control means,

wherein said system control means controls said image memory control means based on the detected source of the image, and determines the order in which the image data is to be transmitted to said image memory.