Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasuhisa Ishizawa

Hiroshi Nonoshita

Kenzoh Ina

Seiji Saito

Takahiro Kato

Yasuhiro Watanabe

Masaaki Shimizu

Kensaku Tanaka

Taketo Hasegawa

Hiroshi Takakura

Masaki Sagoh

Fumio Furukawa

Masayuki Utsumi

Kenjiro Chyo

Satoshi Nagata

Atsushi Date

Junichi Shishizuka

Masaki Hamada

Ken Onodera

Yoshitsugu Yamanashi

Yasuhisa Shigehara

Takashi Minagawa

Shigeki Miura

Kenjiro Cho

Hideo Kuo

Takashi Minakawa

Masaka Hamada

Takashi Miagawa

Masao Tsunekuni

A generated job is divided in units of pages, and devices for executing processes for the respective pages are assigned. Processes by the first and second CPUs are assigned in accordance with whether a large or small number of real-time operations are required in data processing. By controlling the use of a plurality of buses so as to perform processes in units of pages in parallel, the throughput of data processing can be increased.

Information processing system for composite appliance

A generated job is divided in units of pages, and devices for executing processes for the respective pages are assigned. While the processing results of the devices for pages as processing units complement each other so as not to decrease the communication or data transfer speed by controlling the use of a plurality of buses, data are written and read in parallel.

Information processing method and system for composite appliance

A character processing apparatus provides improved layout and formatting. In a preferred embodiment, the character processing apparatus includes a character data memory for storing a plurality of groups of character data, a first format data memory for storing a plurality of format data each having a correspondence with a different one of the groups of character data and a second format data memory for storing a plurality of format data having no correspondence with character data. The apparatus designates either one of (a) the groups of character data stored in the character data memory and (b) the plurality of format data stored in the first format data memory, and further designates one of the plurality of format data stored in the second format data memory.

Character processing apparatus

A data communication control apparatus controls data communication between at least one data processor, a reader which reads an image and outputs image data, and a printer which prints an image in accordance with the input image data. A connection controller controls a connection between the data processor, the reader and the printer, and a detector detects a connection request from the data processor. A discriminator discriminates whether or not the reader and the printer are in a copying operation, and a notification unit notifies the data processor of predetermined information.

Data communication control apparatus and method for controlling date

A compressing/expanding circuit for compressing and expanding image data by a JBIG method comprises a memory medium such as floppy disk or hard disc to store the image data, a compressing circuit to compress the data, an expanding circuit to expand the data, a transfer circuit to transfer the data stored in the memory medium to the compressing circuit or expanding circuit, a storage controller to store the data compressed by the compressing circuit or the data expanded by the expanding circuit to the memory medium, a compression controller to control the transfer circuits compressing circuit, and storage controller so as to repetitively operate, an expansion controller to control the transfer circuit, expanding circuit, and storage controller so as to repetitively operate, and a designating circuit to designate either one of the compressing process and the expanding process. In the case where the compressing process is designated by the designating circuit, the transfer circuit, compressing circuit, and storage controller are controlled by the compression controller. In the case where the expanding process is designated by the designating circuit, the transfer circuit, expanding circuit, and storage controller are controlled by the expansion controller.

Compression/expansion circuit having transfer means and storage means

Disclosed is a method of processing image data, including controlling to output multi-level value image data for reproducing a multi-level value image and bi-level value image data for reproducing a bi-level value image with respect to a predetermined area, thereby reproducing the multi-level and bi-level value images which constitute a single image. Also disclosed is an interface system including a multi-level converter for converting the multi-level value image data into bi-level value image data and vice versa, a resolution converter operated in synchronism with the multi-level converter to convert the resolution of the multi-level value image data, an area data memory for storing area data corresponding to an instruction input representing a multi-level or bi-level value image area, and an output device for selecting the multi-level value image data from the resolution converter or the multi-level value image data from the multi-level converter on the basis of the area data and for outputting selected data to the image output device.

Image data processing using bi-level and multi-level value data

An image processing apparatus makes it possible to efficiently use memories, and to output an image having a high picture quality and a high resolution. The apparatus also makes it possible to reproduce particularly edge portions of an image having a relatively low resolution wherein a plurality of bits are allocated per picture element, with a high resolution. The apparatus further makes it possible to reproduce an image having a high resolution represented by one bit per picture element as an image represented by a plurality of bits per picture element. The apparatus processes a color image obtained by synthesizing a photograph and another photograph, or a photograph and characters with a small memory capacity, and outputs an image having a high quality. That is, the apparatus comprises a memory for storing character/figure images having a high resolution and a small amount of information for one picture element, a memory for storing photographic images having a low resolution and a large amount of information per picture element, and a memory for storing control data for controlling the above-described two kinds of images. An image output having a high picture quality can be obtained with a small amount of information by effectively utilizing features of the above-described two kinds of images. It is thereby possible to reduce the number of devices required for storing information, and therefore to reduce cost. It is also possible to minimize deterioration in picture quality caused by reducing the amount of information.

Image processing method and apparatus suitable for both high-resolution

There is disclosed a data transmission control apparatus in which an image processing unit, for example an image input or output device, is commonly used for plural central processing units for improving the efficiency of the system. A control unit selectively converts one or another of the CPU's to the desired image processing unit, monitoring the status of the connection(s) and refusing new requests for connection to that image processing unit until the latter is no longer needed by the CPU connected to it.

Data transmission control apparatus for system with input/output units

In a data processing system that includes plural image processing apparatus and a network connecting these apparatus, reduced image data in the disk 11 of the work station WS4 are transferred through the LAN 6 to the work station WS1. The work station WS1 edits the transferred reduced image data and transfers the content of editing alone through the LAN 6 to the work station WS4, which regenerates the original image from the transferred content of editing, the reduced image data and the encoded data, and prints the original image in edited state.

Image processing apparatus with image compressing and processing based

Disclosed is a method of processing image data, including controlling to output multi-level value image data for reproducing a multi-level value image and bi-level value image data for reproducing a bi-level value image with respect to a predetermined area, thereby reproducing the multi-level and bi-level value images which constitute a single image. Also disclosed is an interface system including a multi-level converter for converting multi-level value image data into bi-level value image data and vice versa, a resolution converter operated in synchronism with the multi-level converter to convert the resolution of the multi-level value image data, an area data memory for storing area data corresponding to an instruction input representing a multi-level or bi-level value image area, and an output device for selecting the multi-level value image data from the resolution converter or the multi-level value image data from the multi-level converter on the basis of the area data and for outputting selected data to the image output device.

An image processing apparatus is disclosed which inputs/outputs an image in which image data items having different quantities of information for each pixel are mixed with one another. The information quantity for each of the image data items and information about the I/O positions are stored in a corresponding manner. When data is input, data is converted into the proper information quantities in accordance with input position, for storage. When data is output, the stored image data is converted into output data in accordance with the respective information quantities. As a result, the memory capacity can be reduced, the flexibility can be improved at the time of use and the memory can be used efficiently.

Image processing apparatus with flexible use of memory and variable

There is an image processing system which inputs and edits image data including document data and prints and displays a document with figures with a beautiful style. This system comprises: an output device which can output the image data including document data; a parameter adding device to add output parameters to edit the image data outputted by the output device; and an edition control unit which can edit, as a headline, at least a part of the image data outputted by the output device on the basis of the parameters added by the parameter adding device. These parameters include data such as position, size, character style, and the like of the headline. With this system, arbitrary information such as headline, catchword, line number, page number, caption, or the like can be extremely easily arranged at any position of the image data displayed on the CRT and the document with such information can be printed as a beautiful style. Also, the document and figure data can be freely edited.

Image processing system

An image processing system which inputs and edits image data including document data and prints and displays a document with figures with a pleasing style. This system comprises: an output device which can output the image data including document data; a parameter adding device to add output parameters to edit the image data outputted by the output device; and an edition control unit which can edit, as a headline, at least a part of the image data outputted by the output device on the basis of the parameters added by the parameter adding device. These parameters include data such as position, size, character style, and the like of the headline. With this system, arbitrary information such as headline, catchword, line number, page number, caption, or the like can be extremely easily arranged at any position of the image data displayed on the CRT and the document with such information can be printed in a pleasing style. Also, document and figure data can be freely edited.

An image processing system having an original reader for reading an original image, low- and high-speed printers, a work station having a microcomputer and internal and external memories, an image file, a microfilm reader, and a CRT. When a selected printer has a pixel density different from that of the input information, the pixel density of the input image information is converted and the image information is then produced from the selected printer.

Image processing system with designatable output location and output

An image processing apparatus comprises image data input means and processing means for processing the image data inputted from the input means. The processing means enlarges or reduces the image data by a unit of a predetermined area.

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Yokohama, Japan

Yasuhisa Ishizawa