Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Identifying – composing – or selecting
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-02
2001-10-23
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Identifying, composing, or selecting
C355S041000, C358S001140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06307615
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method and an image processing system each of which inputs and outputs various image data through a storage medium.
2. Related Background Art
In connection with digitization of a copying machine in recent years, a multifunctional machine having plural functions has been put to practical use. In this machine, facsimile transmission and reception are performed by using a scanner and a printer of the copying machine, and PDL (page description language) data from a computer or the like is expanded (or decompressed) and printed out. Such the multifunctional machine is structured to be able to operate not only for a single function such as a copy function, a facsimile function, a PDL printing function or the like, but also for plural functions. For example, this machine can operate when a PDL expanded image is facsimile transmitted. Further, it is structured that, if the multifunctional machine is connected to various apparatuses such as the computer and the like through a LAN (local area network), such the computer and the like can use the functions of this machine.
Further, in such the multifunctional machine, by sharing a control program of a printer part with the copy function, the PDL printing function, a facsimile printing function and the like, and by sharing a control program of a reader part with the copy function, a facsimile reading function, a scanning function and the like, a capacity of the control programs for realizing the respective functions can be reduced, it is possible to economically and simply realize a desired function.
Further, such the multifunctional machine contains a large-capacity hard disk for storing the image data. Thus, by inputting a read image transferred from a scanner, the PDL expanded image, a facsimile-received document and the like into the hard disk, by repeatedly outputting the images and documents stored in the hard disk to a printer and the like, and by combining the images of plural pages stored in the hard disk with others and outputting the combined image, it is possible to perform effective image processing.
However, in such the conventional multifunctional machine containing the large-capacity hard disk, in general, it is structured to always or surely perform the image inputting and outputting through the hard disk. Therefore, there is a problem that, if the hard disk can not be used for some reasons, the image processing operation can not be performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described conventional problem, and an object thereof is to provide an image input/output control apparatus, an image input/output method and an image processing system wherein an inexecutable state of an image processing operation is excluded as much as possible and thus the operation can be effectively performed.
In an image processing apparatus which comprises a temporary storage means for temporarily storing image data, and a secondary storage means for storing the image data temporarily stored in the temporary storage means, a capacity of the secondary storage means being larger than that of the temporary storage means, another object of the present invention is to exclude an inexecutable state of an image processing operation even if the secondary storage means is in an abnormal state and enable effective image processing, because the image processing of one unit to be executed is divided into an image input job to input the image data from an image input unit and an image output job to output the image data to an image output unit, and each of execution of the image input job and execution of the image output job is independently controlled according to an abnormality detection result of the secondary storage means.
Further, in an image processing apparatus which comprises a temporary storage means for temporarily storing image data, and a secondary storage means for storing the image data temporarily stored in the temporary storage means, a capacity of the secondary storage means being larger than that of the temporary storage means, still another object of the present invention is to enable effective image processing suitable for a situation of the secondary storage means, because the image data is processed in accordance with an image processing parameter representing the image processing to be executed and an abnormality detection result of the secondary storage means.
That is, the present invention is to provide an image input/output apparatus comprising:
input means for inputting image data from at least one image input unit;
temporary storage means for temporarily storing the image data;
secondary storage means for storing the image data temporarily stored in the temporary storage means, a capacity of the secondary storage means being larger than that of the temporary storage means;
output means for outputting the image data to at least one image output unit;
detection means for detecting abnormality of the secondary storage means; and
control means for controlling the input and output of the image data in accordance with an image processing parameter representing image processing of one unit to be executed,
wherein the control means divides the image processing represented by the image processing parameter into an image input job to input the image data with the input means and an image output job to output the image data with the output means, and
the control means independently controls execution of the image input job and execution of the image output job in accordance with the abnormality detection result of the secondary storage means obtained by the detection means.
Further, the present invention is to provide an image input/output method for an image input/output apparatus which comprises temporary storage means for temporarily storing image data, and secondary storage means for storing the image data temporarily stored in the temporary storage means, a capacity of the secondary storage means being larger than that of the temporary storage means, and wherein the image data is input from at least one image input unit, and the input image data is output to at least one image output unit, the method comprising:
a step of dividing image processing of one unit to be executed into an image input job to input the image data from the input means and an image output job to output the image data to the output means;
a step of detecting abnormality of the secondary storage means; and
a step of independently controlling execution of the image input job and execution of the image output job in accordance with the abnormality detection result of the secondary storage means.
Further, the present invention is to provide an image processing system which outputs image data input from at least one image input means to at least one image output means, comprising:
temporary storage means for temporarily storing the image data;
secondary storage means for storing the image data temporarily stored in the temporary storage means, a capacity of the secondary storage means being larger than that of the temporary storage means;
detection means for detecting abnormality of the secondary storage means; and
control means for controlling the input and output of the image data in accordance with an image processing parameter representing image processing of one unit to be executed,
wherein the control means divides the image processing represented by the image processing parameter into an image input job to input the image data from the image input means and an image output job to output the image data to the image output means, and
the control means independently controls execution of the image input job and execution of the image output job in accordance with the abnormality detection result of the secondary storage means obtained by the detection means.
Further, the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus comprising:
input means for inputting
Adams Russell
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Nguyen Hung Henry
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